《Ages Online》 Chapter 0: Prologue The year is 2034, where the technology of man had advanced further than anyone could foresee. Yet, the world was devoid of what one would have expected ¨C The fanboyish dream of futuristic starships and hover cars, laser guns and lightsabers were nowhere to be found. The problem itself lies on the fact that scientists could not fathom a feasible way of faster-than-light travel that would have given rise to all of the above. Instead, people still lead a life of normalcy comparable to twenty years before, the world is still being ripped of its precious resources and the unsustainable population boom of humans is still ongoing with no end in sight. However, what did make progress was more subtle. Because we could not explore the world given to us, we managed to find a way to create new worlds to discover to sate our innate curiosity. Myths and magic all came to life, fulfilling the age old fantasy of children and adults, via the cutting edge technology of virtual reality. The first company to break through this was Yashita Corps, a Japanese company that debuted into the gaming market one day with a radical approach to gaming. Using a customized helmet able to replace the senses of the player with virtual feedback, the company bankrupted many of its competitors within the first year of its emergence. Those that survived adapted and thus began the Age of Games. In the present, Virtual Reality Online (VRO) games were offered everywhere by many companies with all sorts of genre - First Person Shooters, Mass Multiplayer online, Multiplayer arena. Yet, even as the iconic helmet of virtual reality games had been totally replaced by gaming capsules that are able to detect and receive all of the player¡¯s actions and thoughts via neural connections, the age-old Yashita Corps remained the most prominent of them all. Then in the beginning of the new year of 2035, they announced what would shock the entire world. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°The very first VRMMO ever, Dragons Online would be discontinued, thank you very much to all our ardent fans. Instead, in its place we will put forth the new Ages Online. Dragons Online players however will be able to use their old capsules to access the new game.¡± The spokesman announced. ¡°Because this is a reboot of our game, as well as it being our very first game that propelled us to the height of the gaming industry, Yashita Corps had decided to hold a contest. The very first person to unite the lands of Agaia in Ages Online by any means necessary will be crowned the honorary VIP of Yashita Corps and be entitled to a share of our company.¡± By any means necessary was heavily emphasized as Ages online boasts many different jobs and professions to consider. Then, there are hidden professions that the players themselves have to find. No longer were there just every game¡¯s standard cookie cutter jobs of Mage, Warrior, Thief and Priest. Even mundane jobs like Merchants or Artisans have their places in the vast world of Agaia. One could plunder his way to fortune or legitimately play the market and trade to richness, who could then use that wealth to hire Non-player characters (NPCs) to fight for them and conquer the world. It was as though Agaia was an entirely new world for people to live their lives in, with its own economy and politics to consider. The possibilities are limitless, and because of that Ages Online enjoyed a reception so great that it nearly spelled the second coming of the Age of Games. Six months after its infancy, Sebast Koh stepped into Ages Online for the first time. Next Chapter Chapter 1: Beast ¡°Are you serious? You are not playing Ages Online?¡± asked the male student incredulously. Sebast Koh shook his head. ¡°You are missing out, dude.¡± Without a second word, he turned around and sat himself next to another guy. Within moments, they were already engrossed in talking about the Game of the Year, about what profession the others are and how far they have gotten on the path to greatness. Sebast sighed. Why was everyone playing this Ages Online nowadays? It even went as far as asking for a person¡¯s in-game name as a form of greeting on the first day of college. It was supposed to be a fresh, friendly start to a new era of life and everything is already falling apart just because he is not playing what was touted as the best game ever like everyone else. Even the girls, who in twenty years back would have touted games as a guy¡¯s thing and snorted whenever games were mentioned, were actively chatting about Ages Online. As a result, Sebast sat alone on the first day of school. Actually, it was not that Sebast did not want to play the game. Like many others, he was very much excited about this revolutionary game when it first announced and it was only various circumstances that he decided to put trying it out on hold. First and foremost was the subscription fee needed to play the game; Yashita Corps, despite the promise of 5% of the organization shares, was still a profit-seeking company at heart and to recoup this potential loss, had imposed a hefty subscription fee of three hundred dollars per month on every account. Furthermore, Sebast himself was involved in another free-to-play (F2P) game at that time and had no wish to abandon it for a newer one until he had finished scouring it for its entire lore and story. Indeed, he had always played games for their story and it was this reason that motivates him to reach for the highest level just to see how the story evolves and the plot resolves itself. The first day of school was also the day he had finally reached the highest echelons of the game he was playing and he would be done with the story once and for all when he gets back home. ¡°Thank you for taking this course, class. I am Professor Toh, and I will be teaching you guys on Virtual Realities.¡± The wizened man in front said. ¡°Having said that, we should all introduce ourselves so that we can have a good semester ahead of us.¡± ¡°Sir, do you play Ages Online?¡± The professor chuckled. ¡°Of course. In fact, everyone in the department does. However, I won¡¯t be revealing my IGN. I would prefer to play my game in peace and quiet. So let¡¯s start with you here.¡± ¡°Hello there. Wong Xiang Jun here and I am an archer in Ages Online. EmiyaX is the name, with a capital X. Remember me, for I am a heroic spirit!¡± The male declared goofily. A few clapped, perhaps knowing reference from which he derived his IGN, but Sebast was indifferent. IGNs with ¡®x¡¯ or ¡®z¡¯ s are usually very unoriginal after all. The introduction continued down the row until it reached a girl that caught Sebast¡¯s attention. When she stood up and bowed politely, Sebast could not help but notice how fair she was and how her long black hair complemented her glasses-wearing features. All in all, she was the epitome of the pretty girl-next-door. ¡°I am Beatrice Ann Chia. My in-game-name is ¡­.Yunnie. Mage.¡± Her voice trembled, as though embarrassed to reveal her IGN to everyone else. No doubt after today, she would have a dozen friend invites to sort through. ¡°Ervin Liew. BlueLove, Cleric. Please add me for parties.¡± ¡°Han Xing Ting. I am a rogue specializing in poison and traps. I will be looking forward to partying with everyone here.¡± ¡°Derrilene Ong. Lifey, Guardian.¡± Her curt declaration sounded, but what caught the students¡¯ attention was not her snappy attitude, nor the annoyed face she was showing. It was her character profession. At the mention of a Guardian, the class erupted into furtive whispers. ¡°Did she say¡­ Guardian?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a secret warrior profession?¡± ¡°Yea, and it seems to be the second advancement too.¡± Ages Online, being a virtual reality and thus having more freedom than that of an ordinary game, is able to offer endless possibilities. This resulted in the ability to support and create many variants of the same scenario and professions were no different. With quests and professions changing and evolving as the game itself progresses, there is little wonder why Ages Online is touted as the most revolutionary game ever. Rumour has it that secret jobs are only created and available for players when very specific conditions are met, making them even harder than unique drops to obtain. Those who managed to obtain one almost never disclose their methods, thereby ensuring that they are the one and only of that job. Of course, Sebast having not played it had absolutely no idea what being a guardian entails. The introduction continued, until it reaches Sebast. A few people whom he had talked to before started to snigger. ¡°My name is Sebast. I¡­ I don¡¯t play Ages Online.¡± Another round of furtive whispers. ¡°He said he doesn¡¯t play the game?¡± ¡°What age does he live in?¡± He looked around and saw looks of pity. Some were smirking while a few outright laughed in his face. Now he had truly become the outcast of the class. Damn the guy who started all this introduction session with Ages Online. Damn that Wong Xiang Jun. Damn that Emiya with an X. ¡°Now class,¡± Professor Toh started up again in an attempt to control the mirth heading Sebast¡¯s way. ¡°We have to respect Sebast¡¯s freedom of choice here. If he chose not to play the game, we should not laugh at him for choosing thus.¡± Sebast glared at the older man, who luckily shifted his attention away and therefore did not catch it. Does the professor pity him as well? The introductions soon ended and lessons started proper, but the damage had been done. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Back at home, Sebast wearily dumped his school bag onto the sofa and sank into the cushion. Today was the day he would finally be done with Yggdra Online. Though the game had fallen into decline due to the rising of Ages Online, there is still a cult following the game and the guild Sebast was part of had fought long and hard to reach what could be called the very end-game of the VRMMO. Now that remains was to challenge one final boss ¨Cthe Astral Daemon of the Nether Plane ¨C for the Seed of Yggdrassil and there would be no more content left for him to explore. After a brief shower to energize himself, Sebast dragged himself into the capsule for the appointment with his guild and was promptly thrust into the capsule¡¯s menu interface. A disembodied voice came in the space of white. ¡°Yggdra Online.¡± The moment the words left his mouth, his surroundings started to digitalize and morph. The familiar sound of the game¡¯s theme song came into his ear as the background materialized itself into the landscape of Yggdrassil. The fact that they had always been fighting on the sacred tree itself had always fascinated Sebast to no end, and that half way through the game the demonic entity that had doomed the world below would show up to cause much destruction was the turning point for most players. The tree was dying. Their only hope rests upon a seed he must now retake. All in the entire story was intriguing, but Sebast had always lamented the fact that it was all linear somehow. No matter how much he read the history behind the Withering or about the Tree, there was no difference between him and the other players who just skim through the quests with impunity. They would all arrive at the same point somehow, which is now. ¡°Ah¡­ Beast. There you are.¡± ¡°Hey Beast.¡± ¡°Howdy¡± ¡°Ready, Arkers?¡± Damon, the guild leader of the Ark of Covenant echoed in the caverns. They were in one of the hollowed roots of the tree, ready to eliminate the root of the foul corruption once and for all. ¡°Ready!¡± The members bellowed. ¡°Then we go! FOR YGGDRA!¡± With that battle cry, the horde of players charged through the opening into the cavern, where a horned humanoid with flared and spiked wings stood waiting. In that moment, the first flames of magic sparked and swords of valor swung as the cogs of war kicked into high gear. The battle was long and tedious. Many deaths occurred in an instant, quickly remedied by high level resurrection spells the clerics prepared beforehand. Beast was a knight, and it was with the favor of the Yggdrassil tree that he brandished his sword into battle. Halfway through the long skirmish, a loud agonizing cry reverberated through the grounds ¨C Beast had pierced his blade into the demon and activated his most powerful skill ¨C Consecration Burst. Golden runes drew themselves over the wound of the sword while glowing with suppressed power before exploding outwards with a blast of energy, causing the demon to crumple onto the ground motionless. The chaotic battle was brought to a sudden standstill with that one move. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°Did¡­ did we do it?¡± ¡°We did it?¡± ¡°No, Arkers! Stay alert, this is not the end!¡± ¡°Puny little beings. The King of Daemons will never go down that easily!¡± There was no reprieve. Before anyone could really celebrate or catch a moment¡¯s breath, the monster was already back on its feet, having transformed into its final form. A grotesque mash of tentacles and flesh stood where the monster once was - a tumor that was ailing the great Tree of Life. A tumor that needed to be excised and destroyed. Blood was shed and mana was burnt, but in the end the guild managed to bring down the demon once and for all. As Damon held the Seed of Yggdrassil in his hands, the surviving members of the Ark cried out in victory. Many hugs were shared and tears flowed as they celebrated the defeat of one of the hardest bosses in gaming history. Sebast himself patted a few guildies he was close to in the back and approached Damon. ¡°Beast, so what do you want to do now?¡± The burly man asked. ¡°I remember you said that this raid would be your last.¡± ¡°Yea.¡± Beast was Sebast¡¯s IGN. ¡°I am thinking of trying out Ages Online next.¡± Damon laughed heartily, attracting the attention of the people present. ¡°That game? The one that many people are in the rage about?¡± ¡°Yea.¡± ¡°Good luck then. ¡° Damon patted Sebast on the back. ¡°The Arkers will mourn the loss of their best damage dealer but it is alright. We did defeat the final boss after all with your help. Be sure to come back and see us sometimes.¡± Having obtained Damon¡¯s blessings, Sebast gave him a grateful smile and logged out. Then, there he was back again, in the white empty space inside the capsule. ¡°Ages Online.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Once more, the surroundings began to digitalize, this time into a world of medieval fantasy. A banner of Yashita Corp flashed briefly before Sebast entered the world of Agaia proper. Immediately, he was brought to the character creation screen. The voice this time was a smooth refined lady. Yashita Corps goes for the best after all. ¡°Beast.¡± One could not spell Sebast without Beasts after all. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Human¡± ¡°No.¡± 1. Kingdom of Honduria 2. The Caerheim Principality 3. States of Paverun Sebast paused. From what he had heard from people gushing about the game, the kingdom of Honduria was the only choice they received for human races back when the game started. From there, they could then choose a major city for them to start in. Now that six months have passed since the beginning, the increase of choices of starting kingdoms from one to three could only mean that the geopolitical landscape had evolved as well. This was definitely unprecedented for a game, hinting at the potential it could really achieve. ¡°Caerheim.¡± A principality meant a state ruled by a prince, which indicate that the land had not developed as far as the other choices yet. This also meant that opportunities are abound for upstarts like him, with much unique items and dungeons to be found. If he was lucky, he might even find a hidden profession. 1. City of Rydelin 2. City of Loyderidge ¡°Rydelin¡± The world dissolved and rebuilt itself as suddenly and Beast found himself within the bustling market street of a large city. ¡°This¡­ is Caerheim?¡± Beast exclaimed aloud, much to the weird stares of the surrounding NPCs and users. ¡°Of course this is Caerheim young man. ¡° An old lady called from the roadside. ¡°Rydelin is in Caerheim after all.¡± ¡°I am sorry, madam.¡± He apologized, embarrassed for having just shown his ignorance for all to see. ¡°Young one nowadays¡­ Tsk.¡± To say that Beast is amazed was an understatement. Not only did his movements and actions felt much more fluid than in Yggdra Online, the lady whom he had assumed to be an NPC had just told him off with lifelike reactions. Was this why Ages had been declared revolutionary by most? It was almost like he was living a second life here. It took a while for Beast to regain back his senses. Only then did his gamer instincts kicked in. ¡°Inventory.¡± A quick flash of the menu revealed that his bag contained a stack of bread rations and a water canteen, nothing else. Not even a weapon was provided, which seemed to indicate the need for newbies to obtain one before foolishly venturing out to challenge the wild monsters in the area. ¡°Map.¡± Nothing . ¡°Huh?¡± It was only a few seconds later that he smacked his head in realization - There was no map function here. Maps had to be charted manually or obtained. The rest were up to one¡¯s navigation skills. For too long he had been used to games that provide the map of the area for free and this just ramped up the game¡¯s difficulty by a notch. But it was of no concern; he would just have to get his hands on a map later on. ¡°Character.¡±
Status Window
Name:Beast
Level:1Profession:None
Race:HumanGender:Male
Titles:None
Fame:0
-
Health:100Mana:100
Strength:10Intelligence:10
Dexterity:10Wisdom:10
Stamina:10Luck:10
-
Equipment Effects
N/a
Relations
N/a
As a newbie, there was little wonder that his stats are totally pathetic. Gone were the days he would be running around a game in a max level character. In this game of Ages Online, he will have to start all over again. However, it was alright. The journey to the top matters as most as the top but before he started on his leveling proper, he would need to do something else first. ¡°Young man, are you a first time adventurer?¡± A neatly dressed NPC approached Beast. ¡°If you require help, I can offer you a friendly tut-¡° Before the NPC could finish, Beast logged out. Next Chapter Chapter 2: Lore When a person steps into a game, there are many actions he or she could take at once. Most people usually start by exploring the new sights and sounds while some immediately pick up a stick to go hunting outside. Sebast did neither; the first thing he did is to disconnect and scour the official forum for information. Operating without firsthand knowledge is suicide. That is his modus operandi. Because of his actions, Sebast had been sufficiently warned by many threads in the forum that it is not advisable to exit the city to hunt before one acquires a form of weapon either via quests or scavenging as most people have no knowledge of bare-handed fighting, which makes them suffer a huge disadvantage in early combat. Death is a highly penalized thing in Ages Online, probably brought about to promote realism in game. Not only does a standard death logs one out of the game and prevent connection for twenty four hours, the character also stands to lose experience level and skill level with every fatality. Unsuspecting newbies that died to the vicious wild beasts outside the city walls often lose a stat or more with no idea how to regain them which end up lost forever when they finally do level. However, the information he had obtained was very restricted, mostly pertaining to the starter cities themselves which even then are brief and short. A hand drawn map of Rydelin is theoretically possible but Sebast was not able to find the World Map anywhere on the net even after hours of searching. It is blasphemous to think that he could not know the exact shape of the world like countless games before this! Only when he reluctantly posted a help request on the forum did he finally receive an answer to his self-induced woes.
From: Maledicto Beast, you can better find any in-game materials inside the game. The boards are just merely for discussions and help.
From: Trollster And trolling. Hahahahahaha.
Of course! Why have he not thought of this earlier? A simulated virtual reality would surely have information about itself within itself. The next time Beast logged into Ages Online, he had a firm objective in mind. Not to quest, not to level, but to find a place. ¡°I am sorry, sir.¡± Beast stopped a city resident. ¡°May I know the directions to the local library?¡± He must have been overheard, for a group of players looked at him shiftily and whispered among themselves. ¡°That person is looking for the library?¡± ¡°Who reads in a game anyway?¡± The NPC Beast approached looked up from his work, apparently amazed that someone wanted something to do with the city¡¯s library. ¡°The Library? Why yes, I do know. Let me mark it on your¡­ ¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have a map?¡± Another incredulous look, which Beast returned with a puzzled one of his own. Apparently if Beast had bothered to stay for the tutorial, he would have been provided with a basic map of the city as well as some money. Since he did not, he missed out on those. ¡°Never mind,¡± the commoner sighed. ¡°I will bring you there.¡± It was a short walk from their location. Soon, Beast found himself standing in front of an ancient building that looked worse for wear. The heavy doors seemed as though they had not been opened for years. Inside however, was cozily lit with candles. Shelves and shelves of tomes lined the length of the building, coupled with empty wooden benches designed for self-studies. A lone librarian worked among pile of books, only shaking himself out of his work when the lone customer entered. ¡°Ahem, welcome to Rydelin¡¯s Library.¡± He coughed. ¡°How may I help you?¡± ¡°I would like to read.¡± Beast replied. ¡°Sure. Which book do you wish to read up on?¡± ¡°Everything, but give me the world map first.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ While many others are out there leveling from the monsters and quests, Beast was reading in the city¡¯s library like a madman. To an ordinary person, he might have looked like a fool when such information contained might not even be necessary for the game. To be honest, since when have clerics cared to learn about the god they prayed to, only if the powers they worship give them their healing powers necessary for their healing jobs? Beast might not be a priest ¨C he is only level one when job change is at level 10 ¨C but he cared. And because he cared, he learned. There are many religions in the world of Ages Online, but the most dominant among the human race is the Church of Thema and the Church of Balces advocating change and stability respectively. The two are also the most antagonistic towards each other often resulting in strife within the past century. As for the other races, they worship an entirely different pantheon with a different set of rules. On the surface these might just be fluff, but it is exactly this that Beast play games for. The history. The changes. How everything came to be. No one else would have cared where the Principality of Caerheim originated. The lord of the region was actually once part of the royalty of Honduria of the central continent. A prince set in line for the throne, he abandoned his post of heir in order to venture westwards into uncharted lands. The expedition was grand and fraught with danger at every turn but after many weeks of journeying, they managed to break into the savage western continent and established a safe haven there. Eventually the haven became a city and the city grew into a kingdom of the Prince¡¯s own. What interested Beast was that there were no mentions of any players that have helped the Prince on his quest even though such a massive event would definitely have attracted the attention of those who seek fame and glory. This seems to be entirely conducted and accomplished by the NPCs themselves, a feat that added another layer of complexity into the virtual reality of Ages Online. ¡°Caerheim, Honduria, Paverun.¡± Beast muttered under his breath. A trinity of powers that made up the human kingdom, the relations between them is not exactly friendly, even if Caerheim did originate from Honduria. There had been multiple incursions into Paverun from Honduria in the past, which was exactly why the individual smaller fiefdoms, who had been striving amongst themselves due to political, religious and racial tensions or otherwise, banded together with the strongest city state of Payn to form a substantial counterforce against the bigger invader. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Caerheim has her fair share of troubles too, being under pressure to defer to its parent country of Honduria on one end and coerced to join Paverun in another. Even then, the adamant refusal to abdicate his title as Prince when his kingdom is sufficiently large to proclaim himself king indicates a certain dilemma in the Lord of the region. Beast sighed. The politics that dominate the central, west and southern part of the current known world are complicated, hidden from your average user with a weave of normalcy and player ignorance. Very much like the real world.
Intelligence + 1
Well, that was interesting. Who knew that one can increase their intelligence stat by reading books? Speaking of the world, the world map he had obtained was a total disappointment. Hand drawn on a piece of old parchment, it had neither details nor precision. All he managed to glean from the map is that the west continent he is currently situated in is mostly uncharted. Caerheim is new after all, and much of the land¡¯s secrets have yet to be uncovered. This is also the main reason why there was a flurry among the newbies to level as quickly as possible so that they could leave their footprint outside the city walls. Yet Beast remained stoic at the library, poring over tomes after tomes of history and lore for an entire three days. Anytime he was hungry, he took a bite off his bread stack and drank from his canteen. Only when he was out of water did he exit the library to fill it from the fountain; in this VRMMO, death by hunger or thirst is a very real thing. ¡­¡­¡­. ¡°Sir, you have been here for some time now.¡± The NPC librarian approached Beast one day. ¡°I have never seen a person such as you who read as fervently before. Would you like to help me with a task?¡± Dring!
Sort the Library Librarian Rio requires your help to re-sort the Library of Rydelin. The library had seen years of disuse and requires some maintenance that Rio alone could never manage. Difficulty: F
A quest? Beast wondered. Never did he realise that there could possibly be a quest hidden within the walls of this library. ¡°Sure.¡± He instantaneously replied. A quest is always good, as with his previous experiences with games. No one in their right mind would turn down a quest and he quite needed the monetary reward that usually comes with them; His food supply is already running low. You have accepted the quest. It was a simple quest, one with difficulty rank of F. From what Beast gathered, the quest difficulties range from F all the way to S class, usually separated by levels. A quest such as this would be very easy to accomplish alone, while those of higher classes usually require the concentrated effort of a guild or a private army. Even then, success is not guaranteed. To date, not a single person has yet to receive an A rank quest and those are said to have an effect on the region they originate in, even game-changing. Well then, sorting out some books he could do. Beast set about helping Rio remove all the books from their shelves and then re-sorting them back in by categories. A few tomes caught his eye here and there and he took them out for further reading later. He underestimated the amount of work needed though. The grueling process took an entire week before all the books in the library had been gone through and Beast¡¯s bread stack unfortunately ran out in the process. Without any money to purchase more bread, Beast had no choice but to go hungry.
You are hungry. Regen -50% Stamina -5 Strength -5 Intelligence -5 Wisdom -5 Dexterity -5
His satiety decreased even further with every section he covers.
You are totally famished. Regen -90% Stamina -10 Strength -10 Intelligence -10 Wisdom -10 Dexterity -10
This is bad. Already, he could feel the strength in his arms fading and his eyesight becoming fuzzy. Sooner or later, he will start taking damage and die from starvation. Luckily, there is only a section more to go. A few more books and he can get his reward before getting out of here to start the game proper. He had already spent ten days in this place which equated to three and a third real life days, and he is still a pathetic level 1. Coughing the dust out of his lungs, Beast dragged himself to the counter where Rio was to turn in his quest. ¡°Ah¡­ thank you mister Beast. I am forever in your debt. I am sorry but I don¡¯t have any money to give you. It takes all I have to keep this place running.¡± Rio said to Beast¡¯s abject horror. Dring!
Sort the Library ¨C Complete You have done a good deed and helped the librarian tidy up the place. Rio appreciates your kindness and is very grateful. Rewards: +1 Fame +5 Public Relation with Caerheim
¡°However I-¡° Before Rio could continue, Beast collapsed onto the floor motionless. It might have been the hunger or the shock that he had been toiling for essentially zero wages that caused him to faint. Regardless, death claimed the man straight away. Next Chapter Chapter 3: Librarian, Historian, Babysitter Twenty four hours later, Beast reappeared back in the library. Because the city itself is the respawn point, people who somehow manage to die within the walls of Rydelin emerge back in the exact location they died. Sighing, the penniless Beast was about to take his leave when the Librarian spotted him and called him over. ¡°There you are good adventurer!¡± Rio exclaimed. The quest completion seemed to have brought him over to Beast¡¯s good side. ¡°I thought you would never come back.¡± ¡°I would, but only for the books.¡± Beast muttered sadly under his breath. Damn this evil NPC for daring to exploit him. ¡°I thought that not rewarding you for your help would be preposterous. So I have decided that I shall allow you to take one book from within these walls for yourself. In addition, I would humbly request that an honest hardworking man like you join the ranks of us librarians so that we can take care of books better.¡±
Quest completion Please choose your reward.
A second window popped up immediately after.
Hidden Job Change! You have been offered to job change into: Librarian Librarians are keepers of knowledge and books. Do you wish to accept?
A secret job change? Here? At level 1? Beast was taken aback by the appearance of a job change so soon. Profession Change usually occurs from around level ten, when the players are more familiarized with the game and surroundings to know what they truly want to become. If he accepted, he could become the only person to job change at such a low level, but a librarian? Here in Ages Online, professions such as these are a very real thing. Because it is virtual reality, unorthodox professions such as Farmers and Sculptors do exist. These so called production classes operate very differently from a combat class like the Warrior, majorly plying their trade to gain levels instead of fighting monsters. Although very weak in combat capabilities, they make up for that by being very specialized in their proficiency and produces goods that are often in high demand with other players. Because of the very different playing style, most people term those who chooses these jobs as ¡°Casuals¡±. However, what benefit does a librarian even entail anyway? It might have been a hidden profession, but Beast has no intention to screw his character up with what appears to be a production class. Everyone is allowed only one character in Ages Online; any decisions he make, he will have to live with. Besides, there is his original plan to get a warrior profession like that of Yggdra online. The warrior is not like a squishy mage or archer. Being able to take hits and deal out punishment on his own is something Beast preferred. Like the cleric, a good warrior is often in high demand and job changing to a warrior will bring about several new skills and stats increase that are essential for both team and solo play. Compared to this unknown ¡®hidden¡¯ job, being a warrior sounds infinitely better. Besides, he was sure that the job is only hidden because nobody else bothered to read for three days and help sort the library for the next seven. ¡°I decline.¡±
You have rejected the offer to become a Librarian.
The face of Rio fell. Beast, sensing that he had hurt an NPC¡¯s feelings, no matter how that worked anyway, spoke up. ¡°I am sorry sir, but I felt that changing too early is too hasty. I have not even explored Rydelin to my heart''s content yet.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ yes I was too hasty. If you ever change your mind, do come back.¡± The forlorn librarian replied. ¡°Oh, remember to take your reward with you.¡± The reward for doing those seven days of work: A book of his choice. Beast almost forgot about that in his surprise at the hidden job. What should he take with him? The information on Rydelin¡¯s surroundings? The topology of the area? Or that book on magic he uncovered during the cleaning? Suddenly, his eyes rest on a title-less black book at the top of the pile he separated during the quest. Old and dusty, it looked as if it had not been read in years. Picking it up, Beast examined the tome.
Reward picked.
¡°That book?¡± Rio¡¯s voice came. ¡°Well I did promise after all¡­¡± Wait, what? Before Beast could protest, the quest filed itself as complete. No amount of objection afterwards could change Rio¡¯s mind. There was no choice but to glumly exit the library with that book in his hands. Once he was back out in Rydelin, the frustrated Beast opened his reward. This had better be worth it.
The Vanadic Tome of Artifacts This tome was once a personal effect of the Lord Historian Vanandic of Alvastra before Alvastra fell into ruins by the Sundering. It held details on various relics and artifacts of each country and religion, and also elaborated on how one can recognize an artifact from worthless junk by sensing the innate magic within. Type: Book, Artifact
Intelligence + 6 Wisdom + 2
You have gained the skill: Archaeology
You have gained the skill : Detect Mana
This was a surprising turn of events. Not only did he gain 8 stats from reading the book, he also acquired two new skills. ¡°Archaeology window¡±
Archaeology (Basic) 0% Mastery Passive Grants the user a basic knowledge of identifying artifacts and relics. The true history and origins of an artifact will be revealed to you. The powers of artifacts come to life in your hands. With this skill, you know exactly how to bring out the best in artifacts and ancient objects lost to time. +2% effectiveness to artifact usage Permanent stats gain from identifying artifacts based on rarity and difficulty of obtaining artifact You can identify up to historical artifacts.
Not bad. More fluff for him to devour. ¡°Detect Mana window¡±
Detect Mana (Basic) Passive A basic grasp of the arcane allows you to detect magic in objects and surroundings.
Beast closed the window, unsure of what to make of this windfall. While new skills are always good, there is no telling how useful the skills may be. Furthermore, to increase those skills would require the skill¡¯s frequent usage, something he could not do unless he somehow manages to obtain an artifact first. The stats increase in intelligence and wisdom also seem obsolete given how he decided he would become a warrior. There is no point thinking about it. He is better off finding another quest to fill his pockets and start leveling. ¡­¡­¡­ ¡°Level six cleric looking for a party ¡° ¡°Selling wolf hides and meat for a lower price than npc.¡± The marketplace where Beast first emerged into was still bustling with trade and people. They, mostly humans, were heavily engaged with bargaining and dealing with each other. Though Rydelin is a human starting city, Beast swore he could find a few pointy ears and stout figures mingling through the crowd - Elves and Dwarfs belonging to lush forests of Elithinia and mountain ranges of Utegarde respectively. Using his trained perception from previous online games, Beast surveyed the stands of player stores until one caught his eyes. [Selling affordable beginner items- Weapons and Armors for starting newbies alike!] Taking on an inquisitive look, Beast approached the storekeeper to view his wares. ¡°Hey. Welcome.¡± ¡°Hi,¡± Beast greeted in return. Picking up what appears like a rusty long sword, he examined its stats first.
Rusty Long Sword Durability: 10/10 Attack: 6-9 Level Restriction: 1
The damage is pathetic, but the reach of the blade is above average. Feeling that this should help him with his first steps, he turned to the user. ¡°How much is this?¡± ¡°That will be five silvers.¡± Five silvers? A hundred copper coins equates to a silver coin! For a newbie like him, the price is outrageous. So much for being ¡®affordable¡¯. Even though Beast wisely kept silent, the shopkeeper seemed to have sensed the outburst from within. ¡°Hunting outside the town would not get you such an item, sir.¡± He hurriedly explained. ¡°An equivalent from the smithy will be at a much higher level though.¡± Newbies are usually given wooden swords or knifes. At least that was what the forums suggested. ¡°I¡­. know.¡± Beast said in defeat. In Ages Online, normal monsters such as wolves and dogs will only provide their meat and leather in order to promote realism. The only way one can legally obtain a weapon or armor is to either be given one or work their asses off until they have enough money for one. Though, this begged a question. ¡°How did you get this then?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The shopkeeper replied sheepishly. ¡°There was a raid on an abandoned fort near Rydelin a while back to clear it out of local monsters. What you see here is what I got from the armories inside.¡± That would make sense then, Beast pursed his lips. Regardless, he had no way to afford anything for now and would be better off searching for jobs to do. Thanking the user, he was about to leave when a soft blue glow caught his eye. Searching under the pile of weapons, Beast pulled out another rusty sword.
Rusty Long Sword Sword, Artifact Durability: 3/10 Attack: 3-5 Level Restriction: 1
¡°That is the same with the first one you picked sir, although this one is in worse conditions. Nice of the game to give us varying aesthetics, huh?¡± No¡­ they are not the same. This one has a wider girth and a broader blade and it is not just for aesthetics either. The feel of a sword to a swordsman is very important and because this is a game that simulates reality to the tiniest degree, a sword with the same stats may underperform in the hands of a person not accustomed to it very much like the real world. And that blue glow and artifact tag¡­ can he not see it? Or did he not bother? ¡°This one is only a silver coin.¡± The blue glow, he was guessing, should be due to the Detect Mana skill. ¡°Will you still be here in a while?¡± Beast asked. ¡°Well yea. I should be around until the week is up.¡± The player chirped, none the wiser. All he knew was that he had almost succeeded in selling some unwanted items to a newbie at an exorbitant price, not knowing that he is the one losing out. ¡°Keep this sword for me. I will bring the money back with me.¡± With that, Beast left. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Finding work is not easy. With such a big place and no quest indicator, how is he supposed to know where he can offer his services? This is something that he too has to get used to. For the first time in his life, Beast realized how much the older games had been spoon-feeding their players. No longer would there be blinking exclamation marks floating above the quest-givers¡¯ heads. If the Librarian quest was any indication, he will have to seek for quests by himself. ¡°I am sorry madam, do you require any help in anything?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t, young man. Thank you for asking.¡± ¡°Sir, do you need me to help you with anything?¡± ¡°Nah. I am alright.¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. As he went down the streets asking random NPCs, a pop-up window interrupted Beast.
Public Relations with Caerheim +1
Well, that is all fine and dandy, but he really needed to find work soon. Beast dismissed the window and continued his search. After much asking, he finally found what he was looking for at the corner of the market street. ¡°Yes¡­ yes. I am actually looking for a helper to take care of my sickly child while I am going away on a trip to Loyderidge.¡± Dring!
Babysitting The merchant Talos is going away on a business trip to Loyderidge over the week, but could not while his daughter Risette is sick on the bed in Rydelin. Take care of his concern and let him conduct his travel in peace. Difficulty: F+ Warning: There will be penalties if the quest fails. Do you accept the quest?
Beast hesitated. The warning is getting to him. If he screws up very badly, not only would he be wasting his own time, he would also potentially become a murderer. They might be digital NPCs and Artificial Intelligence, but Beast is not so sure if he could deal with an angry wailing parent out for his blood even in the virtual world of Ages Online. Furthermore, the penalties the quest stated could be a decrease in public relations or even being labelled as a chaotic player. ¡°Please help me. I really need to be at Loyderidge or my shipment would be lost to me along with my investments. I promise that when I am back I will reward you greatly.¡± In the end, he could not turn away from the pleading eyes of the merchant. ¡°Very well then¡­¡±
You have accepted the quest. Time remaining: 143 hrs 59 mins
¡°My child is upstairs,¡±Talos said, indicating a doorway that leads into the building. He then fished out two silver coins from his pocket to pass to Beast. ¡°This will be the allowance for taking care of Risette. Now I really have to go or the caravan to Loyderidge will be gone. I am sorry Risette.¡± Two silvers. Technically he could use that money to purchase the sword right away, but he has to take care of the daughter for six days straight. What if he did not have enough for the kid? That would fail the quest right away. No, the sword can wait; The shopkeeper himself said that he will be around until the end of the week. There is no need to risk failing this quest for some instant gratification. Entering the house, Beast headed for the daughter¡¯s room. The first impression of the room was very¡­ cute. Wallpapers of cuddly Slimes and adorable puppies laced the walls, cumulating with an entire shelf of stuff toys of various local fauna. Right at the corner of the bedroom, a sickly child laid on her bed, quivering and trembling even under her flowery blanket. ¡°Hello, Risette. I am Beast.¡± Beast gently said, sitting himself down at the bedside. A small cough answered him, its owner not even having the strength to reply. ¡°I will be taking care of you for the next six-¡± What is this? Did he just detect fear in her eyes? ¡°-days.¡± Thinking that it might just be a trick of the light, Beast excused himself. From what he had seen, the girl seemed to be having a bad case of influenza. Food should not be a problem. A piece of bread for his own satiety is only a copper each and the rest of the money can go into healthy nutritional meals for the girl for the next six days. However, there is but one small problem. Beast has no idea how he should go about with regards to the girl¡¯s sanitary. Does helping a little girl change into cleaner clothing in a virtual reality commit him as a pedophile? Is it considered a crime in the real world as well if he commits a crime here? He will not be committing any crimes of course but it is better for him to absolve himself of all trouble lest trouble finds him when he least expects it. Luckily for Beast, his answer came in the form of a middle age woman who just entered the door. ¡°Is this another adventurer again, thinking they have the capability to take care of young children?¡± the woman harrumphed at Beast. ¡°That Talos really have a poor judge of character.¡± ¡°You are?¡± ¡°Iruna Clearwise, the lady next door who comes here to clean every day. I am telling you young man, if you let Risette starve and almost die like numerous adventurers before you, I will hunt you down with my broom and whack your little ass with it, mark my words.¡± ¡°Almost die?¡± Beast blankly repeated. ¡°Yes, almost dead.¡± She spat that last word out. ¡±Each and every time this happens I have to get a cleric over to save her from the brink of death. And her father would come rushing home like a madman and incur heavy losses from whatever he do. Poor things, the both of them.¡± That fear was not a trick of the light after all. She HAD been mistreated by previous players who thought that the quest would be a piece of cake, so much that she now fears anyone who showed up to take care of her. All of a sudden, Beast was filled with rage at those players. How could they treat something such as this so lightly? It might be an NPC, but a life entrusted to one¡¯s care is still a life. It had been their responsibility and they threw it down the gutter. It was at that point of time he decided that he will complete this quest to the best of his ability. ¡°I won¡¯t be the same as them.¡± The woman¡¯s tirade stopped, stunned by Beast¡¯s firm declaration. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°If you are the cleaning lady here, you should know what Risette likes right?¡± ¡°Well¡­ yes.¡± There was a small pause. ¡°Do you know how to cook?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I can teach you but you will have to provide the ingredients.¡± What a surprise. He would never expect to be able to learn the cooking skill in such a place. Skills such as Cooking and Repairing are usually learnt from trainers in the city for a nominal fee. ¡°Deal.¡±
You have gained the skill: Cooking Cooking (Basic 1) 0% Mastery The skill of life. Combine ingredients to create tasty meals that satiate the hungry stomach and provide additional benefits.
¡­¡­¡­. Iruna and Beast came to an agreement. In the morning, Beast will go into the market to buy ingredients and in the afternoon, she would then come over to change Risette¡¯s clothing and show Beast how to cook what he bought. In a flash, a total of three days passed like that. Beast sat at the bed, slowly spooning the sick girl with the fish porridge that he had made. There is no longer a distinct fear in her eyes, only appreciation. She even has the strength to speak now. ¡°Uncle¡­ thank you.¡± An imaginary lightning bolt struck Beast. He is not that old yet! He is only a college student for goodness sake! ¡°It was ¡­ tasty.¡± Whatever indignation he felt melted away. Of course, it would be tasty; he used the freshest and best ingredients when it came to cooking. His first few attempts are fiascos, but it soon got better with Iruna¡¯s guidance. Beast winced ¨C he could still distinctively remember her screeching when he added sugar instead of salt. However, all that was worth it when the food he cooked was praised. ¡°Well then, have a good night sleep.¡± Turning off the lights, Beast exited to the living room. Three days are a day in real life, so he could not just log out for the night as well.
Time remaining: 70 hrs 34 mins
The clock on his quest tracker ticked down silently. With nothing left to do, he sat himself down and brought up his character window to think.
Status Window
Name:Beast
Level:1Profession:None
Race:HumanGender:Male
Titles:None
Fame:1
-
Health:110Mana:130
Strength:11Intelligence:18
Dexterity:11Wisdom:13
Stamina:11Luck:11
-
Equipment Effects
N/a
Relations
Caerheim: 6
Beast sighed. It had been two weeks now and he is still at level one. In any other game, this kind of pacing would be called bad and discouraged. He, who has played many games before this, should have fared a lot better. The silver lining though, is that he did obtain around nine extra stats which would have put him above a new player. Because player stats are inherent and categorized differently from item stats, they are much more valuable than items themselves. Items can be changed, modifying the stats differently but inherent stats will always be there, making them the best investments to have. When he finished this quest, there will be much to do. The first thing of course is to purchase that sword and see what in the world it really is. Then he shall train and level up so that he can be eligible for job change. So many things to do, and so little time¡­ It was not known how long he had drifted into sleep, but what woke Beast up was a faint groan. ¡°Un..cle. He¡­lp.¡±
Time remaining: 65 hrs 22 mins
Beast blinked. He had slept for five hours somehow. It was then the call came again, reminding Beast what he was doing. ¡°RISETTE!¡± He yelled, jumping up and rushing into the room where the girl lay. The child was totally flush and breathing heavily. A palm on the girl¡¯s forehead was withdrawn as quickly as it was put. This heat¡­ it is a fever. But the time is currently midnight. Even if he were to get Iruna, there is no guarantee that there will be a doctor operating at this time. At once, Beast knew. This was the point of time most people in the past failed this quest. Yet, there was nothing he could do. A cold cloth was applied on the girl¡¯s head and that seemed to be the extent of what he is able to help. Even if he knew how to produce paracetemol, there are no ways he could make them in this medieval world. Is this how the quest would end for him? No, he will get a doctor one way or another. However, as he turned to leave, a small hand grabbed his. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ go.¡± It was her. ¡°Please¡­¡± She is in so much pain and agony that despite Beast telling himself that they are just electricity and circuitry underneath, he relented. Grasping her hand tightly in his, Beast sat himself down at the side of Risette¡¯s bed. Throughout the rest of the night, he softly cooed and reassured the girl while he changed the wet cloth, never once leaving her side. Next Chapter Chapter 4: A Level 1 Job Change
Time remaining: 60 hrs 41 mins
It was a long four hours until the light of dawn crept in through the window pane. Throughout the night, Beast dared not sleep lest Risette slipped away from right under his nose. It was only until an hour before did the girl fall into a fitful sleep. Beast rested his other hand on the girl¡¯s head and heaved a sigh of relief. It would seem that the fever had subsided. The worst was over. Gently removing his hand from hers, Beast quietly left to go about the day¡¯s activities. Iruna came by as usual and taught him how to make chicken soup. He fed Risette as usual and chomped down on a piece of bread for his own hunger. However, Beast did not sleep at all at night ever since; he would sit on a chair by Risette¡¯s bed and watch over her sleeping form. No way would he allow a thing such as that to happen again! His reward is at stake here! As day turned to night and night became day, the time slowly ticked down to the quest completion. It was the last night now and Talos should be back tomorrow as he had said he would. For a goal so close, the time passed excruciatingly slowly.
Time remaining: 6 hrs 41 mins
¡°Cooking window¡± Beast whispered, taking care not to wake the sleeping girl.
Cooking (Basic 2) 12% Mastery
His cooking skill had leveled once during the course of the quest, giving him a +1 to all stats when it did so. His other skills however, were all sitting at one. ¡°Archaeology.¡±
Archaeology (Basic) 0% Mastery Passive Grants the user a basic knowledge of identifying artifacts and relics. The true history and origins of an artifact will be revealed to you. The powers of artifacts come to life in your hands. With this skill, you know exactly how to bring out the best in artifacts and ancient objects lost to time. +2% effectiveness to artifact usage Permanent stats gain from identifying artifacts based on rarity and difficulty of obtaining artifact You can identify up to historical artifacts.
Without that sword, he has no way of increasing this¡­ Wait a minute. Beast pulled up the item window of the tome.
The Vanadic Tome of Artifacts This tome was once a personal effect of the Lord Historian Vanandic of Alvastra before Alvastra fell into ruins by the Sundering. It held details on various relics and artifacts of each country and religion, and also elaborated on how one can recognize an artifact from worthless junk by sensing the innate magic within. Type: Book, Artifact
There it was; the same tag as that of the sword. Beast almost wanted to slam his head upon the table. How could he have missed this? All that time wasted while a secret was right under his nose. ¡°Artifact Identify: Vanadic Tome of Artifacts¡± There was a sudden bright light emitting from the black tome as the skill took its effect. Pages of parchment detached themselves from the book and began fluttering all around the room. A window pop-up appeared right after, but before Beast could open it to see what was happening, the light from the book swallowed his entire field of vision. There was a slight buzz reminiscent of a flashbang when his eyes re-adjusted themselves to the brightness, slowly forming a clear image of the background. A horse¡­ More accurately, he was riding on one. Two men were riding their horse across the forest, cracking their whips as they pierced through the thick undergrowth. From behind, distinctively inhumane cries sounded. Beast knew at once: they are being pursued. ¡°My liege!¡± His mouth moved itself, forming the words needed to be spoken. ¡°They are coming closer!¡± The one in front looked back and for that moment, the eyes of both men connected. Determined eyes looked back at confused ones, which turned into sudden realization. ¡°No, brother!¡± ¡°But I must, for you need to reach Alexandria safely. You. Cannot. Die.¡± With that, Beast reared his horse to a halt. With a flourish of his cloak, he leapt down and turned to face whatever was pursuing the two of them while the other helplessly watched as his horse brought him further and further out of sight. When the sound of galloping finally ceased, he was finally all alone. ¡°A fool. A fool has stayed back to challenge us.¡± ¡°A fool. A fool!¡± From the shadows of the trees, a small creature emerged. Small and hunched, the little green creature looked at Beast with grotesque red eyes and bared its sharp deformed teeth. At once, thousands of other beady red glows blinked from the darkness. Goblins. His body trembled as fear and adrenaline coursing through his veins. If this were any other game, Beast would have absconded. The odds of this battle are totally atrocious, so why fight a battle he could not win? However, Beast could not move in this scene; his body was moving him instead. Holding out a familiar black grimoire at his front, the lone human stood his ground against the goblin army. Regal, imposing and fearless, he did not tremble. ¡°I call upon the power of the Blood Moon,¡± The pages of the tome started to flutter, until it finally rested on a page depicting a blood-red shard. ¡°Prime: Crimson Haze.¡± In a matter of seconds, said shard materialized out of the book and shattered into many pieces, filling the air in a radius around him with red powdery smog. Soon, all that was heard was the sound of goblins coughing. It was only then he moved into action. Drawing out an ornate ceremonial sword from a scabbard hanging at the side of his horse, Beast launched himself into the fray, slaying the confused goblins one after another. There is no mercy for these foul creatures and he would expect none in return. Within the time limit of the spell, he needed to kill as many of them as possible. ¡°Bless me Sword of Antorine. Prime: Blade Burst!¡± A sharp blast of high intensity blue energy gushed from his sword like a lance of death, illuminating the dark forest for a split second as the shot pierced through multiple goblins at once. As quickly as it has appeared, the residual energy died down, leaving only bodies behind. Meanwhile, the smarter goblins had already vacated outside the zone of effect of the magical smog. ¡°Archers. Archers, what are you waiting for? Fire!¡± At once, a hailstorm of death rained down upon the haze. Beast grabbed the corpse of a dead goblin as cover, but the small-sized body was woefully insufficient to shield his own. Something has to be done, and fast. ¡°I summon the might of the Sylphic Horn. Prime: Air Burst!¡± A torrent of wind exploded from the open tome upwards, stopping all of the arrows in their tracks. Without any momentum, they fell onto the ground, useless. Then, a knife struck his back, followed by several more. Beast lurched forward, nearly overturning the table.
Time remaining: 3 hrs 27 mins
Was that¡­ a memory? Yet it had seemed so real. Worried that the commotion might have woken the sleeping Risette, Beast glanced over to find the girl sound asleep. Now, that was definitely weird. He then turned his attention to the pile of windows waiting to be opened ever since he activated the tome with his skill. Something told him that he would be in for yet another big surprise. Filled with a sense of trepidation, he touched the first window.
You have discovered the hidden artifact - The Vanadic Tome of Artifacts Type: Historical The Vanadic Tome of Artifacts is a book that allows the user to catalogue any artifacts and their effects he or she may come across. The user may then replicate the effect for future reference and use. Durability: 50/50 Damage: 1-1 Value: -- When equipped: +500 Mana Grants skill: Catalogue Grants skill: Artifact Prime
Skill: Catalogue Cataloguing an artifact will generate a page in the tome detailing the powers and origins of the object.
Skill: Artifact Prime Cost: 200 mana Calls forth the power of an artifact catalogued within the tome.
Five hundred mana? That is equivalent to fifty stats points¡¯ worth of Wisdom. Even clerics, who have the highest mana pool out of all the professions in the game could not possibly have this much mana at such a low level. However if one looks at it from another perspective, using an Artifact effect takes two hundred, effectively limiting him to only at most three uses. This would actually hurt him more further on, as he has to gain more wisdom points in order to increase his limit by one, whereas a heal spell that normally cost a pittance would achieve much more with the same amount. It is an artifact effect after all, Beast consoled himself. Artifacts and their effects are supposed to be much more powerful than ordinary items so the tradeoff should be acceptable. Also, the book is supposed to have come with some artifacts already catalogued. It even said so on the description itself! However when Beast flipped through the pages again, they were now torn. Guess it would have been too much to start him off with a few artifacts in tow. Now, it is time for the second window.
You have gained the skill: Riding Riding (Basic 1) 3% Mastery
When he saw that it was only a skill notification, Beast subconsciously gave a sigh of relief. The next one however, had his jaws dropped in disbelief. It had the familiar ring of a quest message.
The Lord of Alvastra Unique Quest The Lord Historian Vanadic of Alvastra has left behind a memory in which he stayed behind to help an unknown man escape from the goblin horde. He mentioned the city Alexandria as a clue. As the one inheriting his remaining legacy, it is up to you to retrace his footsteps and discover what really happened to him. You cannot decline this quest. Difficulty: ??? Job Restriction: Lore Keeper
It was not the fact that the book contained a quest or that he could not decline it. It was the portion where it is stated that the quest is only restricted to players who are of the Lore Keeper profession, one which he assumed the Vanadic fellow was of as well. And that could only mean one thing. The sickening sound of a job-change echoed when Beast opened the last window.
You have discovered the hidden profession: Lore Keeper. You have taken the path of the Lore Keeper! You have gained 20 Intelligence You have gained 20 Wisdom You have gained 10 Stamina You have gained 10 Luck You have gained 100 HP You have gained 200 Mana.
You have gained the skill: Scribe. Skill: Scribe Being a well-learned historian allows you to read and write in every known languages of the world.
With every scroll of the game window, Beast¡¯s heart fell deeper and deeper into the abyss.
You have gained the skill: Decipher. Skill: Decipher The study of words have allowed you to analyze encrypted writings and decipher them to recover their true meanings
And finally when he thought it could not get any worse, the final straw hit him.
You can only equip artifacts from now on. Artifacts equipment restrictions are halved and job restrictions are removed.
The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. It was this last message that almost caused Beast to rage-quit and delete his character in disgust. This is totally bullshit! Sure, the game not only forced him into a quest and a profession he was in no way informed of, it also had to deprive him of everything else a normal game character has. The fact that he could only equip artifacts from this point onwards at level one means that he would be essentially screwed out of leveling, being unable to equip even the most common of equipment. Without equipment, he could not level and thus could not go out to search for artifacts to catalogue. Then, there is the problem of artifacts being extremely rare. In other words, he has no future. Slumping into the chair, Beast numbly gazed at the sleeping features of Risette. As the time ticked down to the quest¡¯s completion, he opened and closed his character window like a robotic drone.
Status Window
Name:Beast
Level:1Profession:Lore Keeper
Race:HumanGender:Male
Titles:None
Fame:1
-
Health:310Mana:530 (+500)
Strength:11Intelligence:38
Dexterity:11Wisdom:33
Stamina:21Luck:21
-
Equipment Effects
Vanadic Tome of Artifacts: +500 mana
Relations
Caerheim: 6
His profession remained the same throughout. Despair. What should he do? What could he do? The profession change is permanent and nothing would ever change that anymore. In Ages Online, each player is only limited to one character so as to promote individuality. Is he willing to reset his character and waste that fifteen odd days he had spent? Or venture down this road of dead ends praying for a miracle to happen? It was only within the wee hours of the morning that he finally made his decision. There is no other rational way out of this mess. When he comes back to Rydelin again with a new self, he will make it a point not to ever open any suspicious books anymore despite how curious he might be.
Time remaining: 0 hrs 01 mins
First, he will finish this. One of his basic principles is to always complete what one started out on after all. Right as the timer touched zero, the sound of the door unlocking indicated that Talos the Merchant is back. It took no longer than a second for a flurry of worn cloaks and travel-torn sleeves to breeze past Beast into the room of Risette. ¡°Risette! Oh Risette¡­¡± They might have been artificial intelligence, but Beast was touched by this display of affection and concern. Now that all is well for them, it is time for him to go kill himself in the sense of the word. ¡°Requesting Character Deletion.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You have got to be kidding me.¡± Now that even the last resort could not possibly work, Beast is trapped within an endless vicious cycle. This is really the end. Despair had turned into resignation. Maybe he should just log out and sleep it off. While he was feeling pathetic for himself, a beaming Talos exited his daughter¡¯s room and clasped his hands over Beast¡¯s. It took all Beast had to force out a smile for the merchant. ¡°You have no idea how grateful I am good adventurer. You have really been taking fine care of her all these while. Because of your help I could conduct my business in peace and bring back my shipment from Loyderidge. Finally, I can set up my own business here!¡±
Babysitting ¨C Complete Because of your utmost care of his daughter Risette during his absence, Talos can conduct his trade in Loyderidge without any worry and disruption. He had been successful in his journey and will thus open up a new shop in Rydelin. Rewards: Intimacy with Talos and Risette increased greatly. +5 fame +10 Public relations with Caerheim +50 exp
¡°Here,¡± Talos pressed something into Beast¡¯s palms. It is two silver coins. ¡°Take this and whatever is left over from the allowance as payment.¡± The allowance had long since been spent on purchasing food for Risette, so Beast only effectively earned a total of two silvers out of this. Yet what use would that be to him? Two silvers could not possibly purchase an artifact could it¡­? A sudden realization struck Beast. No, there might still be hope after all. Thanking the merchant for his generosity, Beast rushed out of the house into the broad daylight of the market street. Please¡­ please be there. It took a while but Beast found the player who was selling beginner items back from a week ago. Most of his wares are already gone from the looks of it. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Hey man, what dark circles you have there under your eyes! Where did you go? I did not see you for like six days and was about to close shop. There is another raid coming up for the Cave of Filmas.¡± The shopkeeper merrily said as he jingled his money bag, full from exploiting ignorant newbies. ¡°That sword, do you still have it?¡± Beast wasted no time. ¡°Of course.¡± Withdrawing a rusty sword from under the counter, the shopkeeper handed the blade to Beast who dropped a silver coin into his outstretched palm in return after inspecting that it was the same as the one he saw days prior. ¡°I hope you enjoy your purchase, valued customer. You are lucky I still have this.¡± Beast hastily bid goodbye and left. Only when he was sufficiently far away with his new sword did the shopkeeper dropped his fake smile into a smirk. ¡°Lucky only because I could not find any other fool who would pay a silver for that.¡± ¡­¡­¡­ This secluded corner would be enough for what he was about to do. Beast was not about to risk something like what happened with the book in public. That would have gathered the attention of other people and then they would start to ask questions, questions he did not want to answer. Looking at the sword in his hands, Beast uttered a small prayer. This sword could either be his salvation or damnation and all that is left to do is to find out. ¡°Artifiact Identify.¡±
You have discovered the hidden artifact ¨C Rusty Ceremonial Sword of Lanos Type: Historical, Weapon The Ceremonial Sword of Lanos is a sword used to knight outstanding individuals in the ranks of Fort Lanos to commemorate their promotion into knighthood. With the decline and eventual fall of Fort Lanos in the Age of Conquest, this sword had been lost in time within the ruins. Blessed by a minor cleric of Balces, the knights touched by this sword were all said to have renewed vigor in defending the fort from outside invaders. It had rusted and is in a state of disrepair. Durability: 3/10 Damage: 7-11 (1-3) Level restriction: 12 (3) Value: 1c Artifact Effect: Renew Cost: 100 Mana When used, Renew grants a player an instant 100 HP recovery
Strength +3 Dexterity +2 Intelligence +6 Wisdom +6
Archaeology has increased to Basic 2
The Vanadic tome which Beast took to hung by his belt fluttered opened. Black ink began to write itself upon a new page, until all the information detailed to him had been catalogued. So it seemed that every time he identifies a hidden artifact, he would be awarded a handful of stats as per the description on his archaeology skill and they seemed to be predominantly wisdom and intelligence. This second artifact had also leveled his knowledge skill to Basic 2, the ease of which might be linked to how rare artifacts are to find. What interested Beast the most however, was the artifact effect of the sword. A heal effect. No, correction, a horribly inefficient heal effect. One hundred mana points for a hundred health points is merely a palsy one to one ratio and if he primes the artifact effect, the healing efficiency is further halved. This was nothing like a cleric¡¯s heal spell but at the same time, the spell also gave him the ability to be self-sufficient. With the state that he was in, no party would ever want him so he needs to be able to solo, at least until he could decide if he still wants to reset his character. Hefting the ceremonial sword over his shoulders, Beast headed back into the market for a quick resupply of bread before the gates. It is about time he tested his mettle against the denizens of Agaia. At the gates of Rydelin, several players are calling for party requests and invitation. Contrary to the common meaning of ¡®party¡¯, a party in games refers to a group of adventurers that banded together for a common goal in mind. Usually, the experience and loot gained from the party ventures will be shared among the party members but some specialized parties have different ways of conducting things. It is here Beast considered if he should search for a party. Entering a party would mean being subjected to the common practice of a scan. While a scan would not reveal his detailed stats, it would still show his inflated HP and Mana that is indicative of a job-change. Even though he was not entirely happy about it, he would still prefer to keep his hidden profession class a secret. Furthermore, it is uncertain if anyone would become greedy after discovering that he has not one but two artifacts on his hands. Artifacts are a one-of-kind-item in the world of Agaia. Even level one artifacts are bound to attract a good price for those interested in collecting them. Someone approached him before he could decide though. ¡°Hey, are you a newcomer here?¡± The human girl with a head of flaming red hair asked. From the staff she is holding, she seemed to be a mage. ¡°I am looking for people to level together. Since you appear to be a swordsman, you can tank the mobs while I drop them. How about it?¡± ¡°Sorry I am only level one.¡± Beast replied. Job changed players are usually higher than level ten. The difference in their level will do neither of them good in a party. Surprised, the female flushed for a moment. ¡°Oh, I am sorry. I saw that you have a sword and I thought¡­¡± Beast shrugged and took his leave. No sooner than that did another stopped him in his tracks. ¡°Hey, you are a newbie right? I am Lortan, level twelve warrior and this is Kiki12, level three.¡± A cute bubbly girl with a crop of shoulder length brown hair popped out from behind the buffed man¡¯s back and waved. ¡°Since I will be helping her get some experience with the wolves outside, you are welcomed to join us.¡± Beast raised an eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t mind? I won¡¯t be able to contribute anything.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t matter. I mean, the more the merrier.¡± The invitation into the party popped up even before Lortan finished his sentence. Although he was still skeptical about the whole thing, Beast caved in in front of the cute girl and the bright smile of the warrior. ¡°Fine.¡± He pressed the accept button. Next Chapter Chapter 5: Griefer The world outside Rydelin was nothing Beast ever seen. Lush plains and farmland surround the frontier city while critters scurry through the countryside. A few newbies were attempting to hunt rats with their puny knives, looking comical when the tinier rodents slammed into them and incited a panicked shout in return. By all logic Beast should be among them right now trying to eradicate these pests from the farmlands and yet he is currently following two strangers across the fields and towards the woods. As they neared, stray wolves became visible just outside the edge of the forest. In any other game, Beast would have stopped to observe; how many there are and what patterns they follow, though it seems that the leading warrior have no intention of doing that. Without a care for any danger, Lortan dashed straight towards a wolf and began hacking away at it with his great sword. A typical warrior, Beast thought. But it could also be due to him being at a much higher level than the wolves. In any case, both he and Kiki started attacking as well. The wolf is a level eight monster, normally eight times more difficult to kill for Beast right now, but with Lortan taking the attention of the wolf he was technically safe from any harm. Beast was careful not to wield his sword too forcefully in light of its poor durability, so he managed a poke here and there. It might not be much damage, but every little thing counts in the end. Kiki too was slashing with her dagger, an ornate one that could have been a rare reward from a quest. What ended the life of this particular wolf however was not the rusted sword or the ornate dagger, but the crushing blow of a greatsword on the skull of the animal. As soon as the wolf fell, Lortan charged straight at another and the whole process began anew. The ferocity of a warrior is not to be underestimated. In no time at all, they had cleared the outlying wolves and with a grand total of five wolves providing 14 experience each, Beast leveled up to two. ¡°Congratulations.¡± Kiki chirped, skinning the pelts and the meat from carcasses. Beast politely nodded back in acknowledgement. She too, had leveled within the course of the battle. Right now, they are taking a rest since there is no cleric in the party and Lortan had taken a huge chunk of damage due to his recklessness. ¡°So,¡± Beast started, thinking he should get some small talk going. ¡°Lortan is your friend huh?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Beast did a double take. ¡°I met him at the gates just like you.¡± Beast has always been a pessimist who does not believe in altruism. When he heard that Kiki too had been picked up at the city gates of Rydelin, warning bells sounded in his analytical mind. There is something fishy regarding Lortan¡¯s behavior and he did not wish to find out what if he would be on the receiving end. As the warrior rest nearby, Beast carried on the conversation in a whisper to the girl. ¡°Hey, do you think Lortan might be up to something?¡± There was a slight pause before a reply came. ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Really? I think he have an ulterior motive.¡± ¡°I think you might just be thinking too much.¡± ¡°But-¡° Before the conversation could be carried on any further, Lortan woke up from his warrior ability Meditate. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go into the forest.¡± Beast¡¯s fears were affirmed. ¡°Are you sure? There must be stronger mobs inside. ¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry I am here. Besides that is where all the experience and loot is.¡± Without a way to refute the warrior, all Beast could do was to follow. He could leave of course, but there was no telling what Lortan might do. Besides, na?ve as she might be, he could not just abandon Kiki to her own devices. And thus, the three of them entered the forest. It was not the forest in the memory nor was it as eerie but the thought that they are entering the territory of savage wolves without any plan or preparation still gave Beast a shiver down his spine. For five minutes or so they met no resistance, until a slight rustle broke the silence. Out of the blue, a wolf abruptly dashed out of the undergrowth in an ambush while another appeared from behind, surrounding them. The battle immediately started. Lortan, who had been leading the way, headed straight for the wolf in front. The one behind was left up to Beast and Kiki much to their panic. ¡°I will distract him.¡± Despite the fact that Kiki is of a level higher than him, he had his inflated stats from the job-change. If one were to say who is the tougher of the two, it is a no-brainer that Beast would come up top. Yet, to the girl, what Beast was doing was a gentlemanly action that left her touched. With Lortan uncaring about their safety, Beast had no time to worry about weapon durability anymore. Beast lunged at the wolf with his sword only for the animal to leap out of the weapon¡¯s path. As he missed, the wolf took a big bite out of him, taking away two hundred health in one go.
Weapon durability -1
¡°Damn.¡± The pain though toned down was still very much real but there was no time to marvel at the power of science. The wolf had struck again and it took a lucky guard from Beast to parry its sharp teeth. Two more of that and his only weapon would be destroyed. Beast quickly activated the sword¡¯s effect to regain some of his lost health before trying to strike the wolf again. A slash and thrust both missed, rewarding Beast with yet another bite on his arm. Think Beast, think. These monsters are smart. Every time he attacked, the wolf would dodge and counter. Even right now, the beady eyes of the animal are staring at him in anticipation of an attack. Beast eyes flashed; if it wants to do it that way, then there is only one way to do it. He charged, swinging his sword horizontally at the beast¡¯s head. As expected, the wolf ducked and opened its mouth to deal Beast the finishing blow. However before it could do that, a solid foot impacted upon the side of its head. Wolf fangs flew all over the place as the dazed animal was propelled to the side. Without letting it recover, Beast went on to run his entire blade through the animal. This time, he scored. A long bloody gash appeared down the wolf¡¯s body which was then rapidly punctured by the waiting Kiki¡¯s dagger. Having sustained grievous wounds, it crumpled onto the ground motionless.
You have gained 32 experience You have gained the skill: Sword Mastery Sword Mastery (Basic 1) 0%
The experience was a good deal more than the previous encounters, which lead Beast to wonder what would have caused the disparity. Is it because the higher level Lortan did not participate in the killing of this wolf? Or is it due to him winning against impossible odds? Speaking of which, the artificial intelligence and system in Ages Online is really nothing to be trifle with. If it could make NPCs think and feel like a real person, it could also make the monsters think and feel. That¡­ is extremely dangerous. However, the inverse is also true. Because the laws of virtual reality presents unbounded possibilities like in reality, a person with combat experience in real life could also bring that experience into the game and utilize it to amazing effects such as inducing critical strikes through skill instead of chance. The feint he had made just now simply would not be possible in any other older games, and certainly not in the obsolete games of twenty years ago. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Aiyee!¡± A female scream jolted Beast out of his musings. Warm blood splattered across his face a second after. Kiki, who had been bending down in preparation to skin the dead wolf for its meat and leather, was currently staring at the huge sword sticking out of her abdomen in fear and disbelief. When the blood-stained blade was withdrawn slowly and painfully, the girl slumped down onto the ground like a bag of boneless meat, dead. Lortan, now baring the distinct red name of a Player Killer, chortled. ¡°Well, there she goes.¡± It was fortunate that Beast still had his sword on hand, for it took all his reflexes to block the incoming swipe that would have lopped off his head.
Weapon durability -1
¡°Not bad.¡± The sadistic warrior applauded. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have expected you two to defeat that wolf.¡± ¡°Why did you do it?¡± Beast felt like it was a pointless thing to ask, but anything to buy time. A level two against a level twelve could only mean one thing- He has to escape¡­. but how? ¡°Why I did it? And oh,¡± Lortan must have noticed. ¡°Don¡¯t bother running away. I brought you this far in so that even if you escape you won¡¯t survive long. Just die quietly.¡± Swinging back his great sword, the warrior slashed again. In a brief moment of luck and hope, Beast¡¯s rusty sword held. However it could not hold on forever. The next strike of Lortan¡¯s blade sliced through the sword like a hot knife through butter before embedding itself into Beast¡¯s body.
Your weapon has broken.
Right before his screen turn black and the game logged him out for the twenty four hour penalty for dying, Sebast saw the sneering face of a warrior and heard what his mouth spoke. ¡°I do it because it is fun.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Sebast Koh quietly sat at the back of the class while waiting for the professor to arrive. Around him, his course mates were all actively chatting about how they had been doing in Ages Online and what the recent new developments were. Nobody bothered to tell or ask him anything, probably due to their first-day impression of him. ¡°Hey, did you hear? The states of Paverun are in unrest due to an organized attack on their land by a band of rebels. The state of Varya took the brunt of the attack and is now giving out quests for relief efforts.¡± ¡°Sorry, I am based in Honduria. We have troll incursions to deal with too so maybe the news did not reach.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Varya the place where the guild Crown Mercenaries is based in? This must have been unlucky for them.¡± In Ages Online, people can form groups via parties. However, there are some who clicked and felt that this temporary grouping is insufficient to promote their common long-term interest. Therefore, they band together to form what people normally term as guilds or clans. These guilds could then fight for the control of a piece of territory, where they will base their operations in with their guild leader in the helm. Of course, as with the real world, alliances and enemies are also commonplace. There was a flurry of movement as Professor Toh entered. When everyone had been seated in their place, the wizened man started to speak. ¡°Good morning. Today we shall touch on the ethics regarding virtual gaming. Students have feedback to me that starting off with history and the mechanics of virtual gaming would, as what they said, turn them off¡± Slight chuckles. ¡°So for a change we shall start off with a more engaging topic.¡± ¡°So, ethics. The advent of the virtual gaming era had brought many ethical concerns to the people, both playing and not playing them. As the games became more and more like real life, which you will learn in the topic on how virtual gaming manipulates our senses, it has also become highly debatable if our laws in society should be applied to games as well. So¡­ umm¡­¡± The professor¡¯s eyes scanned the name list. ¡°Beatrice.¡± Woe is her who has such an attention grabbing name. The girl looked stunned as she jerked her head. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Have you ever been PK¡¯ed in Ages Online before?¡± PK is the abbreviation of Player Killer. To be PK¡¯ed is to be killed by one. The girl looked down. ¡°Yea¡­¡± ¡°Do you think the PKers should be punished?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± She might have been a little too indignant about it though, for she realized and apologized for her outburst. ¡°No it is alright.¡± Toh replied. ¡°As you all can see here, Beatrice is clearly affected by the incident. These player killers are also usually known as griefers or trolls, but griefers are not just a recent occurrence. Even twenty years ago and prior when games are limited to handheld consoles and the Internet is at its infancy, there are already such people lurking around whose sole intention is to ¡®grief¡¯ another player with their chaotic actions and offensive words because it is fun to do so. Because back then the Internet is not as well-established as the present, you will learn this in the history portion, there are little to no rules governing it. Rather, people thought there is no need for rules ¨C After all, it is only words and pixels on a computer screen.¡± ¡°Now, fast forward to today, where the harm and hurt they cause can be felt physically and mentally and even more so in the most recent Ages Online. How many of you here think that these people should be held accountable for their actions and be charged by the law?¡± A majority of the students raised their hands. Sebast did not. ¡°That young man over there.¡± He was referring to Sebast. ¡°Can you explain why you think these people should not be liable for their actions?¡± ¡°Maybe he is a dirty PKer himself.¡± Came the whispers. Sebast ignored them. ¡°Sir, they are not bound by the laws of society, but they are bound by the laws of the game they are playing. PKers carry a great penalty. They have a much higher chance of item dropping when they die and are attacked on sight by guards. NPCs will refuse to trade with them. If the victim is feeling vengeful they can also post a bounty on their head, ensuring that people will come after them to kill them. In a way they are being punished for their actions, therefore I think they should not be punished another time by our society laws.¡± ¡°Good answer. There is a slight problem with your argument, but it is usually what the anti-regulation side of the freedom-punishment debate use. Now, before we carry on to that, let¡¯s have a look at the basic theories of ethics, of which there are four. Take for example, Beatrice. As a player, she has the rights¡­¡± While the professor continued to speak, the whispers became even stronger. Great, he had cemented his reputation in class as a pro-PKer as well. The only reason why he disagreed was because he did not want to think of it as murder when he finally meets Lortan face to face again. It would be more appropriate to term it as delightful vengeance. Next Chapter Chapter 6: Tenacity Exactly twenty-four hours after he had died under Lortan¡¯s hands, Beast re-entered the world of Agaia inside the bustling city of Rydelin. The first thing he did was to check his status and inventory.
Status Window
Name:Beast
Level:2Profession:Lore Keeper
Race:HumanGender:Male
Titles:None
Fame:6
-
Health:320Mana:560 (+500)
Strength:14Intelligence:49
Dexterity:11Wisdom:35
Stamina:21Luck:21
-
Equipment Effects
Vanadic Tome of Artifacts: +500 mana
Relations
Caerheim: 16
No stat loss. That was fortunate. His skills however took a hit, but it was thankfully lucky most of them are still at level one. The only problem is that his cooking and artifact knowledge skill had decreased; cooking could still be leveled again but the skill that requires him to find and identify artifacts is not as easy. Beast felt a faint stab of pain in his heart. Things are never going to be smooth-sailing, will they? His inventory was as expected. The Ceremonial Sword was gone, left with the broken sword hilt and blade in his backpack and his money had been entirely looted to an outstanding zero. Beast exhaled a large breath. He had been so stupid and naive. Although power-leveling do exist as a form of practice between guild mates back in his older games, he had forgotten to remind himself that it was a new start in Ages Online for him. Everyone here is a stranger and there are no such things as free lunch to take advantage of. Maybe he was just so desperate with his profession¡¯s circumstances that he took up that offer on a moment of folly and now he even lost his only weapon that he could use. ¡°Maybe I should have gotten it repaired first.¡± Beast darkly muttered. Originally, he had wanted to save cost based on the assumption that he would not be using the sword much during the hunt, but it had come back to bite him in the ass. In any case, there was no point depressing over his sorry state anymore; all the fuming had already been done one hour right after he was killed. It appeared that the twenty-four hour login penalty was made just so people can calm down after their death and with the passing of three in-game days, Lortan might not even be in Rydelin anymore. Besides, he was sure that he was not the only one in this plight; somewhere out there, a girl was also wailing when she found out that she had been robbed bare. Beast hoped that Kiki would not be grieved off the game though. Anybody who has a vendetta against Lortan is automatically his friend and a friend would definitely be appreciated in his eventual plans for revenge. For now he is better off leveling as much as possible so that when he meets Lortan again, he will be in a better position to repay the man. Heading back to the city gates, Beast coldly scanned the mass of waiting players looking for parties and player members. They are as always, approaching and asking around with a friendly smile that once too adorned the face of an evil murderer. No, there is no way he is going to trust any of them again. He will survive, and he will do it on his own terms. Without a second look back, Beast exited the city gates alone. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ He was back in the farmlands where critters and small pest roams. Passing a few new players trying to hunt, Beast headed for a more secluded spot. Lesser players mean lesser competition for the monsters and loot as well as lesser people noticing his skills when he does use them. Right now, his priority is to level up to around ten where he could pass off as a normal mage or something such that he would not attract too much attention regarding his premature job-change. It is one thing to let others know he is a Lore Keeper, but another to become a frequent target of assassinations because of his supposedly artifacts ¨Cloaded character. Noticing a scurry of movement over by a pile of hay, Beast followed to meet with a small rat and immediately pounced at the animal. He missed however and was promptly rewarded with a sharp bite on his forearm. ¡°Oww!¡±
- 1 HP
This is not going to be easy. Without any weapons, there was no choice for Beast but to try and punch his target. This was further complicated by the fact that the low level critters are mostly smaller in size and there was just something inherently difficult with hitting a smaller moving target with bare fists, much less the miniscule rats. The only things worse might be cockroaches.
- 1 HP
While Beast struggled to connect his fists with the rat, the rodent was rapidly bleeding him dry. The pain, while irritating, was secondary. He will be damned if a rat is going to kill him, but try as he might, the rodent always got the better of him. Soon enough, Beast was already in critical health. ¡°Goddamnit.¡± Glancing around to see that nobody was in the immediate vicinity, Beast called upon the power bestow by the Lanos Sword. ¡°Prime: Renew!¡± It might have been inefficient, but it did the job just fine. With renewed strength, Beast leapt back into combat with the pesky rodent. This time however, he held back and observed. With every bite he sustained, Beast grew more and more familiar with the habits and movement of his enemy. While the behavior of the rat is still erratic and random like real mice, he eventually felt that he could accurately predict how the animal would move before time. Is this what they call, combat experience? A little bit to the right¡­ ¡°HERE!¡± Beast hollered as he leapt, smashing his fist against where he knew the rodent would move. It was as he thought, for the rat let off a squeak of despair as it was stunned by Beast¡¯s megaton punch. Not letting up the golden opportunity, he then landed three more punches until only a bloodied carcass was left to show when Beast removed his fist. Finally, he did it; Even though other people would probably one-hit kill those creatures very easily, he got the annoying pest good. Just in time too for his health was almost in the critical zone again. Drawing out the sword hilt from his backpack, Beast severed the tail of the rat and cut whatever intact meat from the body which he then put back in. While it might not be much, somebody might pay for the tails and the meat. Or he could just cook the meat for himself to eat. Though the prospect of having to eat rat meat is not very appealing to him. Using whatever mana he has remaining to heal himself, Beast continued on his hunt. At first, it was a long and tiring grind. Killing a rat took him no less than two Primes which he had to first ensure that nobody was watching before he activated it, followed by the subsequent rest he must take to regain his mana pool before he could reenter battle without running the risk of being out of mana and dying a fool¡¯s death. Surprisingly however, It appeared that the more he hunts, his hunts only became easier and faster and he could dodge more attacks from the rodents than before. Soon, it went from two Renew spells per rat to once per rat to three rats per prime. Those too, had their tails cut and meat taken and no sooner had his health and mana top off was he at it again, hunting farmland rats like a raging mad man. He only stopped when his satiety dropped and he had to take a break to cook some rat meat skewer over hastily scavenged firewood and dried grass to fill his stomach and regain his stats and regeneration from hunger. In a game where accuracy is determined by one¡¯s ability to physically connect with the target, Beast became so fluent in the characteristics of the farm rat that in time, he was going at it with a one hit one kill streak, only limited by the spawn rate of the rats in the area. While rats are level one critters that died in two or three hits now and give a measly experience per kill, at the end of it all, Beast had hunted hundreds of them and leveled to five. Given that he already had stat bonuses in intelligence and wisdom, Beast spent all thirty points plus the unspent ten from the level gained during Lortan¡¯s wolf hunting into strength and dexterity so that it would facilitate his leveling. His cooking skill had also increased twice from the sheer amount of times he had to cook to regenerate his mana pool and though it might seem weird, the rat skewers he cooked near the end of the hunt appeared to taste a little better than when he first started. Interesting. So the game does factors in skill levels in such a way too. What really interested Beast though, was this.
You have gained the Skill: Bare-Handed Mastery Skill: Bare-Handed Mastery (Basic 2) 23% mastery +12% damage to bare handed attacks
The skill appeared when he was halfway through his rampage so he barely took note. Now that he had the time, Beast was also distinctively reminded of another skill he did not have the chance to check.
¡°Sword Mastery Window¡± Skill: Sword Mastery (Basic 1) 0% mastery +1% damage to sword attacks
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.The disparity in the buff bonus could only be explained by the fact that swords or weapons in general provide a damage bonus when wielded, while bare fists are supplemented by player stats alone. Not that he cared though, any passive skills are certainly welcomed no matter if they are useless or not because unlike active skills that required activation and consumed energy to do so, passive skills like masteries are always in effect. With that out of the way, Beast hauled his backpack full of rat tails and meat and headed back into the city of Rydelin through the gates. Hunting rats had taken him the whole of two in-game days and Beast thought that he should log out after selling his loot in the market. Had he lingered a little bit more though, he might have been able to overhear a few newbies whispering about him. ¡°Did you see that guy?¡± ¡°Who? Him?¡± ¡°Yea, he was killing rats with bare hands. I mean¡­ one punch and a rat falls dead. I saw him running around his area killing every farm rat he sees.¡± ¡°Are you serious? Those rats are the most agile critters in the area. There is a reason why the forums encourage us to get a weapon first or to skip them and go straight to the bigger sized wild dogs.¡± ¡°I think¡­ he is hacking.¡± ¡°Aimbots? In Ages Online?¡± ¡°I am going to report him.¡± ¡°Okay I will too.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Back within the walls of Rydelin, Beast was hard at work trying to find a buyer for his hard-earned loot. While he could always dispose of his tails and meat at the NPC store, what he would earn from the sale would merely be a pittance with regards to potential player-to-player sale. The player who sold him the ceremonial sword is a prime example, although Beast was sure he got the upper hand in that deal. One man¡¯s trash is another man¡¯s treasure. Try as he might however, there was nobody he could find that wanted to buy either rat meat or tails. ¡°Rat tails?¡± A female warrior in polished platinum armor chuckled. ¡°I can hunt that myself if I ever need them.¡± ¡°Hey how about I buy everything off you for 2 silvers?¡± Came a potential offer trying to exploit newbie ignorance. ¡°I am sorry brother, but rat meat? No thank you.¡± Rejection after rejection happened, and Beast wondered if he should just sell his entire loot to the NPC stores and be done with this. It was getting more and more unworthy of his time the longer he carried on, cumulating at the end of Market Street where Beast slumped down in defeat. Very well, he should accept that some things just are not worth anything to anyone. A familiar voice made itself heard over the normal bustle though. ¡°Is this mister Beast?¡± Beast looked up into the beaming face of Talos the merchant. ¡°Oh my, it is my benefactor indeed! Why are you sitting here with a forlorn face? Come on into my house and tell me over some tea, will you? Risette will be so happy to see you again!¡± Beast is not one who would turn down a free treat and thus followed the man in amidst the bewildered stares of the players in the market. While NPC intimacy is commonplace and known, having one invite a player into his house was virtually unknown. Many people usually never look beyond NPC intimacy as a bonus to selling and buying price and thus would never know. Those who do are not telling of course. Once inside, Beast was immediately cannonballed by the familiar figure of Risette. ¡°UNCLE!¡± It took all he had not to fall backward on his butt. ¡°Hey, Risette.¡± Beast gently pried the little girl off. Despite feeling a little slighted by being called ¡®uncle¡¯, he felt glad that the girl had recovered and is out of her bed and about. At least she would not have to suffer in the hands of a careless player anymore. ¡°Uncle Beast went away before Risette recovered so Risette didn¡¯t have the chance to thank him.¡± A little blue stone was suddenly shoved into his hands. ¡°So Risette is giving him her treasure as thanks!¡±
You have gained the Little Blue Rock Little Blue Rock This rock is Risette¡¯s treasure given to you as thanks for nursing her back to health with utmost care.
¡°That¡¯s my little girl!¡± While Talos ruffled his daughter¡¯s hair, Beast looked at the stone in his hand. A memento of thanks and affection, something that one least expected from a game and yet it was one time more than any he had received in the real world. It is somewhat a joke when virtual reality behaved more like real life should be than what real life would ever be. Before he could lull into his melancholy, Talos pulled Beast to the table and began pouring him tea. ¡°So what is wrong, my friend?¡± And the chance appeared. Making himself out to a pitiful as possible, a story of hope, despair and fruitless searching which ended up with him seeking aid at a friend¡¯s door was woven and fed to the other man. When it finished, Talos lapsed into silence. From the looks of it though, the merchant had taken the hook, line and sinker though it was while before he spoke up again, which Beast took his time to enjoy the free tea. ¡°I think¡­ I can help you with your problem. You see, the business I am opening is a Potions Store and Rat Tails happen to be one of the ingredients I needed to brew an experimental potion. Only for you I can buy all three-hundred and thirty six of them at four copper each amounting to 13 silver and 44 coppers.¡± Regardless of how human they might have been, the lightning fast calculations reminded Beast that Talos and his daughter are still artificial intelligence underneath. ¡°However,¡± Beast shifted his eyes from Risette to Talos at the mention of the negative conjunction. ¡°I am not able to purchase your rat meat as I have no use for them. I am sorry Beast, I have a business to keep.¡± Selling the tails to any other NPC would only net him two copper each. Having a hundred percent increase in gain was enough to cause Beast to agree to the deal regardless of whether the experimental potion thing is true. After all, he could eat the meat himself is nobody wants them. ¡°Deal. ¡° Beast replied. ¡°By the way, do you have some salt Talos?¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­. Beast exited Talos¡¯ Potions three hundred and thirty six tails lighter and around ten silvers richer. He had also ¡®borrowed¡¯ enough salt to preserve at least a hundred pieces of rat meat. These would substitute his bread stock from now on. Thankfully, the meat pieces were small enough that Beast did not feel guilty ripping off the merchant of his house condiments. Wait a moment¡­ guilt for an artificial construct? The boundaries between virtual and reality were starting to blur. Now that he had the money to do so, the first thing on course was to head to the blacksmith to check if his sword could be repaired. Heading the Rydelin Smithy was a muscular lady dwarf that goes by the name of Orya. She was hammering away at the anvil when Beast entered her shop, only putting her hammer down when he approached the counter. ¡°Excuse me, I would like to get this fixed.¡± Beast dumped the broken blade and hilt onto the counter. ¡°I heard that someone of your expertise could possibly forge the blade back together.¡± It was a common occurrence in the games of old; equipment that dropped to 0 durability could be restored for a fee. He hope it is the same for Ages Online. ¡°Yes lad, I could probably do something about it.¡± Orya took the broken sword up to examine. ¡°Oh¡­ I am sorry laddie, the rust had eaten away much of the metal that it is impossible to restore it into its original form. You are better off finding a new weapon at this rate.¡± Orya gave the broken weapon back to Beast, much to his abject disappointment. Without any other choice in the matter, he then exited the shop into the open streets. ¡°Hey!¡± An unfamiliar voice suddenly rang out. ¡°Are you¡­ Oh hey! It is you!¡± Someone approached from behind. ¡°Sebast¡­ Sebast Koh?¡± Now that he thought of it, he knew this voice. ¡°Wong Xiang Jun?¡± Beast turned around, coming face to face with the jovial smile of his course mate Xiang Jun. The other man looked as though he just found a long lost brother. ¡°Call me EmiyaX here. I thought you did not play Ages Online?¡± ¡°Beast. I just started.¡± ¡°Oh. I am on my way to Loyderidge to apply for the joint operation strike on Breben Hills to clear the recent troll appearances. Our classmates based in Caerheim have set it as a meeting point for all of us. I think Ervin, Xing Ting and even Beatrice will be there!¡± The dude is way too excitable. ¡°Want to join me?¡± ¡°I am only level 5.¡± The face of Xiang Jun fell after hearing that. While a joint operation usually incorporate many various roles of level ranging from the hundreds to the low twenties, a level five would have no value to the expedition. Even a level 34 like him is relegated to scouting and sniping from high vantage points while the bulk of the work is done by the commissioned troops and the higher levels. It is more about quest completion for him than the experience and loot. ¡°Ah¡­ well¡­ so have you decided which class you want to become yet?¡± It is a little obvious that he is trying to change the topic. ¡°I am an Archer, with a capital A!¡± Beast on the other hand, was taken aback by the sudden question. ¡°I uh¡­ I don¡¯t know yet.¡± He can¡¯t possibly tell him that he had job-changed already. Luckily, the answer he gave was in itself a valid excuse. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Take your time. With so many jobs to choose from, it is natural to be confused.¡± Emiya laughed, though Beast could detect a hint of pity. ¡°I got to go. Maybe next time when we meet again you can tell me what profession you picked.¡± With a smile and a wave, the jolly archer went out of sight. Beast sighed. It was not that he did not want to participate. Joint operations are usually lucrative quests commissioned by the sovereign of the region in response to certain events that occurred; an event in itself if one will. In addition to the NPC troops he will receive, the main person whom the quest was commissioned to would also be able to request for help from other players by giving them what people called ¡®secondary quests¡¯, thus giving rise to the term Joint Operation Quests. Looking at the city gates where the usual crowd stood looking to form parties, Beast pondered over his choices. He originally wanted to take a break before moving on to hunt wild dogs outside the walls but now, he is not so sure. Does he prioritize his sleep or his levels? That sympathetic response from Emiya came again in his mind. With a steeled resolve, Beast strode out of the city gates. Next Chapter Chapter 7: Monk ¡°Look! It is that guy again! He is punching wild dogs to death now.¡± ¡°Seriously??¡± True enough, Beast was pummeling canines outside the city walls of Rydelin. Being larger size did not mean they were easier to hunt than the rats however. With their sharper and larger fangs, they were much more dangerous to approach than the rats were and a single careless mistake would mean a huge chunk of health being shaved off in a single bite. It was not as threatening as the wolves are, but the amount was still substantial to be worrying. Furthermore, he could not wear any normal armor and is fighting only in his peasant clothes. ¡°Is that dude trying to be a Monk or something?¡± In the olden day games and even the great grandfather of all games, there exists a profession known as the Monk, probably inspired by the ancient Chinese stereotype of the Shaolin variety. Usually fighting barehanded and armor-less, he relies on his speed and agility to evade any incoming attack before dealing a painful counter-blow to his opponents. In those days of number crunching and pseudo-random chance, their evasion may go up to as high as fifty percent. Such is the brokenness of this profession that the standard build of party members in those old games are usually a full team of monks or variants. ¡°Monks don¡¯t work in this game though.¡± In a virtual reality such as Ages Online however, the ability to not get hit depends mainly on a player¡¯s innate reflexes. There simply is neither evasion nor accuracy stat. Despite that fact, Beast did not care. It was not as if he chose to do this. Circumstances forced him to and he had to suck it up. If not for the black book hanging from his belt, he would have been a happy warrior already. ¡°GODDAMNIT.¡± Channeling all his anger into his blows, Beast launched a straight at the animal and impacted it right at its ribcage. The dog gave a painful whimper before dying quietly. Straight away, Beast reached around and caught another dog by the scruff of its neck before its jaws could close around his arm. Without a second thought, his other fist came flying and smashed the dog¡¯s face again and again until the canine was dead like its companion. No mercy. When the deed was done, the bloodied Beast sat down and started to skin the two carcasses with his broken sword while humming a small tune, much to the horror of the newbies watching him. ¡°That man¡­ is a demon.¡± Beast chose that moment to look up, causing a simultaneous wince among the small crowd. Many of them hurriedly left to another spot, not wanting to be near this fury of nature. Beast shrugged. ¡°What is with them anyway?¡± When he was done, he quickly checked his status window. He had not suffered too much damage with the encounter and with reasonable amount of health left, there was no need to head for a secluded spot to use his Prime ability for heals. Stuffing the pelt and meat into his backpack, he got up to look for more prey. Maybe he should gather some twigs and hay for a fire later on as well. His satiety was getting a little low. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Meanwhile, in the Yashita Corp Building, an entirely different group of people were seated in an office and talking. ¡°So¡­ what is this about a report of Aimbots in Ages Online?¡± A wizened elderly man sitting at the head of the table spoke. ¡°I am sorry to interrupt Yashita-sama,¡± A young businessman that looked to be in his twenties turned to the group of men on his left. ¡°But what is this Aimbot thing we are talking about and why is there a need to call such an important meeting?¡± ¡°With all due respect Kanonji-san,¡± One of the men replied. With a clean-shaven face that gave the impression of a wealth of knowledge, one would assume that he is the head of the group. ¡°Aimbots are an old term before the Gaming Era that refers to a hacking script usually used in first-person shooters to allow the user to target a location, usually the head of another player, immediately.¡± ¡°With the advent of virtual gaming, the nature of it has caused such things to fade into obscurity. But my moderator team and I had just received simultaneous reports of a player allegedly using aimbots to kill mobs in-game. Because of Yashita-sama¡¯s policy that we treat every hacking case seriously in which he wished to be informed, it resulted in this meeting.¡± Hacking the game would mean hacking into the AI core of Ages Online which not only handled AI behavior, but is also responsible for the game server and up time. There would have been catastrophic consequences no matter how minor the hack is used for. ¡°I know that Daika.¡± Kanonji spat. ¡°But why is a Public Relations guy like me here?¡± ¡°Kanonji-san.¡± The old man Yashita started to speak, causing the man to snap into respectful attention. ¡°I called you here, because we might need you to release a statement regarding this matter.¡± ¡°Hai, Yashita-sama. ¡° Daika Yamamoto snorted. In the end, only old man Yashita can handle that Kanonji. Really, what appeared to be a cool and collected Public Relations head to the masses was actually a brash and hot-headed jerk underneath. And he could not be even considered a full gamer, not knowing what aimbots are. The man was only hired because they needed a well-spoken person to answer to the public. ¡°So Daika-san. How is the report coming along?¡± ¡°Hai, Yashita sama. The initial reports turned up nothing. The player called Beast is legit and is killing the mobs without using any aimbot scripts.¡± ¡°So why are we here again?¡± Kanonji obnoxiously started, much to Daika¡¯s annoyance. ¡°Some stupid people saw stupid things and decided to report it without using their brains.¡± ¡°Sir, the player is killing rats barehanded. If you want to know how difficult that is, you can always try it out yourself. ¡°Turning back to the head of the company, Daika continued on his report. ¡°After initializing a log trail and checking his data activity, the player Beast is clean. Although he does seems to have a flair for rat hunting.¡± The elderly head nodded. ¡°We have cases of martial arts practitioners playing our game before isn¡¯t it? After all, our game is made such a way that people can bring their skills into the game and use it to their fullest effect.¡± ¡°Hai, Yashita-sama. However, based on his capsule records this boy is only a student. We have decided to place him under observation for a while as an additional measure.¡± Yashita nodded in approval, while Kanonji opened his loud mouth again. ¡°For the record, what is his profession?¡± ¡°That,¡± Daika replied with a satisfied smirk. ¡°Is confidential.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Beast sat down to replenish his health for the fifty-sixth time. Biting the roasted rat meat off his sharpened branch, he closed his eyes to feel the warm feeling of food spread from his stomach to re-energize all parts of his body. He had leveled up to nine by bashing around two hundred canine skulls and was by then getting a sliver of experience from the wild and dire dogs around Rydelin, such is the way of the game telling players to move on to stronger foes. After he was done here he would move on to the wolves that Lortan had once brought him to, but only after disposing the pelts and meat he had gathered. He had no wish to preserve another hundred pieces of meat, much less rip off Talos again, so he could either sell them or cook them all for cooking experience. Beast stood up, gave a slight heave on his overflowing bag and sat down again. Maybe cooking them would be a better idea. If he was planning on cooking them all, he would need more skewers than usual. Picking up a nearby branch, he set about shaving the twig into one. He would have if not for the sudden appearance of a notification window halfway through the process.
You have gained the Skill: Carving Skill: Carving (Basic 1) 0% +10% speed to carving
Beast raised an eyebrow and sighed before he carried on with his task. What a way for the game to give out these weird skills. Regardless, it sure did help him produce the sticks faster than intended, even leveling once along the way. When the skewers were all made, Beast then prepared a huge fire and began to cook several pieces of meat at once. Batch after batch of dog meat are cooked and piled up next to him. Occasionally sneaking a taste of the delicious meat, Beast wondered what to do with the enormous mountain of food that was beginning to appear.
Your cooking skill has leveled to Basic 4! All stats +1 Cooking had become a little easier.
Luckily he did not have to think long. The aroma of the roasts had already diffused outwards to fill the entire area and soon the spot Beast is at are crowded with new players. ¡°Uncle,¡± Beast flinched when a female player called for his attention. ¡°The meat smells good. Do you think you can sell me some?¡± ¡°Yea, my girlfriend and I are so sick of the dry bread from the shops.¡± ¡°I can pay you 5 copper per stick.¡± Five coppers. That is a little bit more than what he could get if he were to sell the raw meat back in Rydelin but he was in a rush, and it would be a waste anyway if he were to leave the food here for others to freely take. Wordlessly, he looked back up at the girl and nodded, reaching his hand out at the same time. The girl paid the money and took two sticks for her companion and herself before leaving happily. Not even a second later, fistfuls of coins were being thrust into Beast¡¯s face. The stacks of meat were being sold so quickly that the mountain that was there earlier disappeared within a matter of minutes. Soon enough all that were left were Beast and the still burning fire under the night sky. That was an easy five silvers. Perhaps he had really underestimated the use of the cooking skill. If he could make such easy money simply by roasting raw meat over a flame, imagine how much he could make if he were to produce a gourmet meal like those celebrity chefs do in the real world. Sure, it would probably require a much higher cooking skill and an innate knowledge of real cooking but what is stopping him from doing so? Resolving to search up some new recipes when he is free, Beast packed his stuff and moved on to his original purpose ¨C The Argent Forest. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Back when he was level two and grieved by Lortan, he did not know the name of his death place. After he read up some, Beast learnt that the forest was named after the silver wolf that is known to make the forest its home. This particular wolf is apparently a rare sighting, and only appears at night when the moon shines brightly¨C partly the reason why Beast cooked the food so as to pass the time. Even then, there is no guarantee that one would be able to catch sight of it. Many simply could not be bothered and continue leveling at other places so they could job change quickly, so much that they would have outgrown the area, while those who tried usually came back empty handed. Or dead, since the wolves in the forest are known to hunt in packs and night-time also increased the strength of the monster by around 30 to 50 percent. But Beast had already changed his profession and his death by Lortan¡¯s hand there gave him a morbid fascination and bond with the place. Add a potential rare encounter to the mix and it sounded like a good adventure in the making with lots of experience and loots in store. Besides, there was something else he needed to do there.
Talos Experimental Potion Talos the Alchemist Merchant had requested you to enter the Argent Forest to collect the rare Moonglow Flower that only blossom under a light of the moon. He requires it for his experiments with a new potion and would be extremely grateful if you could procure it for him. Difficulty: E Note: Abandoning this quest will lower Talos¡¯ friendship.
This is the favor Talos had requested in return for using his salt, although it also happened because of their intimacy. Bemoaning the wiliness of the AI, Beast had no choice but to comply. It should not be too bad, he had thought at that time. As long as he leveled up more than the recommended level range for the place and tread carefully, there should not be too much of a problem. He would go in, get the flower and get out quickly. All that was rapidly proven wrong the moment Beast cleared the outskirts and entered the place. The forest at night is scary, so much more so when Beast had never found himself in this kind of situation before in real life. Almost pitch darkness reigned, only alleviated by the dim light of the moon. Struggling to even keep sight on the path, Beast wondered if it was really good idea to venture out here. If he were to die he would be set back another twenty-four hours, or three days in-game and all his skills or stats would undergo a possible heart-wrenching decrease. Maybe he should just turn back. No. Since when did the Beast of games turn his back upon anything? Yggdra Online was like this. World of Orcraft was like this. Every quest he accepted, he made sure he would complete them. Besides, he had analyzed every aspect of the forest and made careful calculations. There was very little chance of him dying if he would just be careful and stick to his plans. The first thing he did when he entered was to roll around in the muddy ground. Basically it is as follow: Every game¡¯s monsters have their own aggressive range or otherwise known as the ¡°aggro zone¡±. Ages Online might be radically different in its environment and simulation but fundamentally, the monster-player detection system should work the same. As long as he could prevent staying within these zones for more than necessary, it might be possible to navigate the forest without encountering any battles. That was what the rolling was for: to ward off the wolves¡¯ keen sense of smell and effectively reduce their aggressive range. Creeping along the pathway for as long as he could, Beast slowly felt the hairs on his back stand. He was being marked, he knows that but all he could do was to pray that he would not trigger the reaction that would change everything in an instant. There was a sudden rustle in front, causing Beast to freeze on the spot. Not daring to breathe, he watched the silhouette of a wolf emerge from the undergrowth and began prowling towards his position. This was not good. He did not expect it to be so soon. Three. The canine inched closer and closer. Two. It still seems to not have noticed him yet. He changed his mind, that mud roll was not in vain after all. One. With a flourish, Beast drew out one of the torches he had bought from the general store in preparations for situations like this and lit it with one fell swoop. The burning flames roared into life, momentarily bringing light and heat to the coolness of the surroundings. Slamming the torch down where he stood, Beast did not waste a single second before he was already pouncing upon the surprised wolf, bringing his hands together to clasp around the canine¡¯s neck with all his strength. As they wrestle on the cold muddy ground, the wolf thrashed wildly and Beast winced from the multiple scratches he sustained.
- 35 HP
- 34 HP
- 22 HP
Yet he did not let go. Once he did, his life would definitely be over. He would rather take a few scratches than face down a pack of reinforcements that the wolf could potentially call.
- 22 HP
- 29 HP
The damages started to slow as the wolf¡¯s exertions grew weaker and weaker.
- 28 HP
You have gained 72 experience
Beast got to his feet, immediately blowing out the torch. It had served its purpose for the moment by warding away any stray wolves but will gather their attention sooner or later if it were to continue burning. This is another part of Beast¡¯s plan ¨C wolves, being animals, fear fire; the torches are to prevent any other wolf from coming close until he had time to finish his target off. It will not work if the wolf were to call for reinforcements though, which is why all three parts of his plan are equally important. If he were to screw up any of them, a pack of wolves will soon be at his heels and he will die his second death in the Argent Forest. Victory still did not come easy though; the pain from the scratches had still yet to fade. Beast had suffered at least a third of his health¡¯s damage during the fight, which he had no choice but to heal using Renew. Time was of essence and he had none to waste by sticking around regenerating from eating. Theses wolves are not static animals. Sooner or later another would come within range and the fight will happen all over again, except that no progress would have been made. The only thing he did hope could regenerate faster was his mana pool. Breathing deeply to relieve some tension, Beast soldiered on. For a while under the stars, Beast continued on like this. With every wolf he strangled to death, he crept deeper and deeper into the forest. When his fifth wolf went down, a notification window popped up, almost scaring Beast out of his skin.
You have gained the Skill: Iron body Skill: Iron Body (Basic 1) 0% Mastery By taking damage while not wearing armor, you train your body to be more resilient to taking punishing attacks -1% to all damage taken when not wearing armor.
All those damage taken while being essentially naked might have triggered this response from the game, though Beast could not help but still feel cheated. Skill masteries ranged from Basic 1 to Expert 10, with a total of thirty levels altogether. By the looks of it, the skill would only give a flat 30% damage decrease when maxed, something that pales in comparison to the mitigation most heavy armor out there provides. Beast was sure that the game was mocking him when another window appeared five wolves later, expressing the irony that he himself did not fail to notice.
You have gained the Skill: Predator¡¯s Sense Skill: Predator¡¯s Sense As the mighty predator of the wilds, you gain dominance over your lesser preys. +30% to first strike when emerging from stealth or position of surprise.
He was supposed to be the prey here and yet the game had the cheek to pronounce him a predator. Do they even know how stressful and tiring it is to be here alone in the middle of the darkness trying very hard not to be swarmed upon by a pack of wolves? On the plus side, at least the skill was a flat boon instead of a skill that needs to be leveled; He had no idea what he would do if he had to do this for thirty levels worth of skill grinding. Furthermore, it would only become easier from now on. From what he had estimated, the heart of the forest where the flower would be should be near. Emboldened by his new skill, Beast powered through a total of another nine wolves altogether, reaching level ten in the process. Finally after much mucking around through the stupid forest, he emerged into a clearing of flowers, in the middle of which a silvery ethereal bloom stood above all the others. The Moonglow. Next Chapter Chapter 8: Moonglow There was just a slight problem however, for lying beside the Moonglow flower basking under the light of the moon was a wolf with beautiful fur of pure silver. Easily twice as large as the previous wolves he had encountered, this was no doubt the leader of the wolf pack in the Argent Forest ¨C the fabled Silver wolf. With its head low and eyes closed, it appeared to be napping; the wolf did not even give notice to Beast¡¯s entrance. For a period of time, Beast did not know what he should do. At the present, the so called ¡®rare boss mob¡¯ of the Argent Forest was right in front of him, right next to his original objective. This was no coincidence and he knew that the beast was there to protect the equally rare bloom. Even if it was coincidence, there was no chance the wolf will not react if he approached it. What he could do now is to attempt a stealth grab at the Moonglow flower and run before the wolf could realize and retaliate, or he could just outright attack. Yet, a boss monster¡¯s level would definitely be higher than its minions. Beast had no idea if he could handle the Silver wolf by himself at a mere level ten, much less the potential reinforcements it could call. Unless¡­ Beast sighed. This might be ridiculous, but it could just work out. Turning back into the woods, Beast searched in the vicinity of the clearing for wolves to kill. ¡­¡­¡­.. Beast approached the silver canine, watching it intently for any signs of movement. If his plan goes smoothly the beast would not have noticed him, yet. Covering himself in layers and layers of wolf skin, he would smell like a friend instead of a foe at least until he was right up close. A few meters in, one of the wolf¡¯s ears perked. Then another. Then its eyes flew open and stared at the strangely dressed human looking back at it in frozen shock. ¡°Awwwoooooooooooooo¡± ¡°Damn!¡± Shedding his disguise entirely, Beast bounded backwards to give himself distance between the two of them. His original plan had failed; Time for plan B. Whipping out a burning torch, Beast then proceeded to run along the perimeter of the clearing, lighting up the torches he had placed before. When he had ran a full circle, Beast slammed the last torch into the ground just as the first of the reinforcements the Silver Wolf had called came into sight. No less than a dozen minions, ¡®adds¡¯ as gamers like to call them, were all ready to tear him into pieces, only being prevented from entering the clearing by the searing heat of the flames. Thus began the timed boss battle under the pale moonlight. He had to finish this before the torches burn out. With a roar, Beast rushed towards the center of the arena where the Silver Wolf with his knuckles clenched for a punch. The Wolf who had been watching him warily the whole time deftly leapt to the right, causing his attack to hit thin air. A second later, Beast felt a crushing impact akin to a huge boulder at his side, knocking him flying. When he landed, it took his all just to stand back up. The animal had head-butted him, and it hit like a truck too. With just one blow, his health had dropped by almost half. ¡°Prime: Renew. Prime: Renew.¡± The Vanadic Tome fluttered to its sole page, invoking the power of the Ceremonial Sword of Lanos twice and refilling him back to health. In turn, his mana pool fell by a flat four hundred points. Three more uses left. He could not afford to be hit again. Another three more hits like the previous damaged suffered could be enough to kill him. But there was no time to think. Jaws of sharp teeth were mere inches from his face when Beast hurled himself to the ground to avoid it. Taking the opening caused by the wolf¡¯s leap, he punched out and was rewarded by a sharp yelp of his foe. Snarling, the wolf swerved right back and charged in for another head-butt, only barely avoided by a well-timed roll on Beast¡¯s part. This exchange of blows continued, with lunges and punches mixed into the fray. Approaching the battle cautiously and defensively, Beast tried his best to avoid the wolf¡¯s attacks and so far he was having success. However, he was running out of time. With every punch he dealt, the torches he had set inched closer to burning out. Then a sudden gale blew, causing the torches to flicker madly on the edge of being extinguished. Beast¡¯s heart almost leap out of his chest as he prayed for the torches to withstand the wind, and only breathed a sigh of relief when the gale passed. Crunch! ¡°Urgh!¡± In his preoccupation with the torches, Beast had momentarily let his guard down. This resulted in him suffering a painful bite from the Silver wolfs jaws as his health drained all the way down to the critical zone. Chugging a down a potion, Beast quickly muttered and invoked the renew effect another two times, depleting most of his mana pool just to recover the lost health. Now he could only go for broke or go home via the death mechanism. But under this desolated night with a rapidly diminishing time limit, his chances were honestly speaking, very bleak. In other words, the battle seemed hopeless. It was then Beast decided to do something very stupid. He had been making stupid decisions ever since the start of the game, so why not one more? Standing his ground when the Silver Wolf came charging in like before, the lone gamer screamed into the darkness of the trees. ¡°Damn this game. Damn this job. Damn this quest. DAMN YOU!¡± He had enough of this. All these suffering he had undergone since he had started Ages Online, starting from the unwanted profession forced upon him to the equipment restriction to rolling around the muck of the forest and wrestling with wolves just to get one stupid flower. He had enough. And he did not care if his body would break from the aftermaths. Channeling all his indignation he had felt and suffered into one single punch, Beast lashed out right when the Silver Wolf lunged.
You have taken a critical hit! - 455 HP!
You have temporarily lost function of your right arm. You have dealt a critical hit! You have gained a new skill: Desperado Backlash!
Your Bare-handed Mastery had leveled up to Basic 3!
The instant his punch connected with the skull of the silver wolf, Beast felt the bones in his entire right arm crack, or seemed to crack as this was only a virtual reality game. There are still the young children and moral guardians to consider. At the same time he was also assaulted by a bunch of notification windows which he ignored in favor of the Silver Wolf. The beast had been dazed by his desperate attempt and now was the perfect opportunity to strike. With his arm numbed by the recent impact, Beast strode towards the wolf while swigging down the last of his potions and gave a flying roundhouse kick to its face, sending the monster crashing to the ground. He did not let up, straddling the wolf next and started raining punches down on its skull with his good arm. Even when the wolf snapped back in retaliation, he simply shoved his useless arm down the beast¡¯s throat as he bashed the side of the wolf¡¯s cranium.
-510 HP!
Preventing the animal from retaliating by using his arms to stuff its jaws, the silver wolf never recovered. After pounding on the beast¡¯s head for long enough, Beast locked his legs around the dying animal¡¯s neck and twisted it, finishing it off. Then he laid there, spent by all the exertions he had done within the past few hours.
You have leveled up. You have leveled up.
How strong was the Argent Wolf anyway, if it could bring him up two levels straight? The torches were almost dead by now and frankly he could care less about traversing through the stupid forest again, but he still had things to do. Fishing out the broken sword of Lanos, Beast mechanically set about skinning the Silver Wolf for its leather and meat. When he was done with that, he plucked the Moonglow flower from the center of the clearing, just as the torches went out and let in the hordes of wolves eager to avenge their fallen boss.
You have died and suffer a 24hr lock out penalty.
¡­¡­¡­¡­. Beast re-emerged into the streets of the ever-bustling city of Rydelin a refreshed man, though he was very much anxious of his stats and skills. To his pleasant surprise, his death this time only caused his luck and dexterity to drop by a single point each, while his skill levels were mostly unaffected. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. A stroke of luck, nothing more, although him leveling up right when he died might have mitigated some of the stat loss. This form of death penalty really makes players paranoid about simply giving up their lives; if he was not wrong, there was a member on the forums who had reported a total of twenty points in stats deduction. Nobody knows if that was true or not, and nobody wanted to find out. In any case, the Moonglow flower was safely in his inventory and thus he could now complete his quest. Before that though, he had a few things to settle. Another item he had gotten for his trouble was the Argent Wolf Hide, but the strange thing was that the hide was glowing in the same bluish manner the sword of Lanos had before. However, no matter how he looked at it or tried to wear it, the hide could not be worn. Beast sat down at the curb of the street to think. The glow was an obvious product of the Detect Magic skill, which indicated that the hide has magic and possibly artifact abilities. Yet there seemed to be no way for him to use it at the current point of time. Unless the skill was indicating what the hide could potentially be, as a material for crafting an artifact. That would definitely make more sense. Stashing the silver wolf skin back into his back, Beast turned to the other thing he had gotten from the stint in the forest which he had no time to check previously. ¡°Desperado Backlash window.¡±
Skill: Desperado Backlash Active (Only in impending danger) When activated in the face of impending danger, this skill will add additional force into your strike at the cost of facing higher risks. Fortune favors those who take risks. +100% damage dealt +50% damage taken
Like its name, the skill is a dangerous one. Beast wondered if he would even find the chance to utilize this to the best of his ability, given how he had mentally sworn never to do something foolhardy like punching a charging animal head-on ever again. He could think of some situations that it would come in handy but all in all, it was a pretty average skill that probably will never see the light of day. Beast dismissed the skill window and set off to accomplish what he had died for. Talos the merchant was easy to find. Outside his house at the end of Market Street, a new shop had sprung up overnight, with red bold letters spelling out ¡°Talos¡¯ Potions¡± hanging high above. From what he could see on the shop front, it appeared that the main items for sale were health potions ranging from small to large, just like the ones he was given for use during his quest. In front of it, a relatively long queue was formed with players ranging from newbies to higher level veterans. It was no wonder after all, since Talos¡¯ potions is the first potion shop besides the relatively much more expensive player shops to have been opened in Rydelin. Before Beast came along and completed the Babysitter quest, players had no choice but to fish out a large amount of coin to pay for healing items from the black-hearted player alchemists that usually come from Loyderidge seeking to exploit this potions monopoly. A single large health potion could cost as much as one gold piece so it was a huge relief for the local player population when Talos¡¯ Potions finally opened. ¡°Hey, dude. Please queue.¡± An irritated player called out. Beast merely ignored him and continued straight to the front. ¡°Talos.¡± Beast greeted, to which the potions merchant returned with a smile. ¡°I have brought it.¡± At that, Talos¡¯ face showed visible excitement. ¡°Really, my friend? Come, come on in!¡± Dropping all that he was doing at the moment, Talos and Beast entered the merchant¡¯s home much to the annoyance and amazement of all the players in the line. ¡°He-hey! What about us?¡± ¡°Who the hell is that? Why is the NPC going with him?¡± ¡°He called him a friend? Did I hear correctly?¡± To many of the player population, NPC intimacy was a myth. Many did not bother to cultivate friendship with what they viewed as peripheral and disposable characters. All they were concerned about were themselves and their levels. Quests were merely away to provide them with sweet experience to level up so they typical just bulldoze through as many of them as possible, much less interact with the NPCs who give them. Inside the house Beast took out the Moonglow flower, much to the delight of Talos. ¡°Oh my goodness. You really did it! Thank you.¡± The merchant was practically jumping for joy, grabbing both of Beast¡¯s hands in gratitude. ¡°Now my experiments can finally be completed!¡± Beast¡¯s attention was not on him though; He was looking at the bluish Moonglow. Did it glow like that before? More importantly, why was it that he had not notice before that the glow similar to the Silver hide and the Sword of Lanos before it? Maybe it was because this is the first time he had seen the flower clearly since it was pretty hard to discern it in the night. Before Talos could take the bloom, Beast snatched it back to the confusion of the merchant. ¡°I am sorry Talos but give me a moment.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ sure, my friend.¡± ¡°Moonglow Flower item window.¡±
Moonglow Bloom Quest Item. A flower that blooms only under the light of the moon. It had absorbed much of the moon rays over time and thus holds much of its energies within its petals. The Moondew it creates are known to have powerful healing capabilities. The flower wilts under the sun, until the night comes around once more. Value: -
Beast gave a puzzled expression. How could there be no artifact tag? There was only one way to find out. Holding up his Vanadic Tome in one hand and the flower in another, Beast declared. ¡°Artifact Identify.¡±
You have failed to identify an artifact Knowledge of Ancient Artifact had increased to Basic 2
Stunned by the failure, Beast dazedly handed over the flower to the waiting merchant. It was not an artifact after all, which meant that the Detect Magic skill does not necessary point out potential artifacts. What was more surprising though was the skill level up. Beast almost wanted to slap himself in the face. With his gaming experience, how could he have forgotten that failure increases skill experience as well? Granted, it might not be as much as identifying a real artifact but it was better than nothing when one does not have an artifact to identify. Talos had by then disappeared to his back room to stash the flower away. Emerging back with his hands cupped, the NPC bowed, passing a handful of silver coins to Beast. ¡°I could never repay you enough.¡± Drrring!
Talos¡¯ Experimental Potion ¨C Completed With your forage into the Argent Forest, you managed to retrieve the legendary moonlight flower required by Talos for his experimentations. With this, a new line of potions will soon emerge as items for sale in Talos¡¯ potions. +5 Fame +10 Public Relations with Caerheim +900 Exp You have leveled!
Killing the Argent Wolf had brought him close to leveling, so it was no wonder that the quest completion brought him up another level. At the back of his mind, Beast made a mental note not to try any of the ¡®new potions¡¯ in the future; He had no desire to taste the rat tails that went into making them. Bidding goodbye, Beast exited to the streets a new man. First and foremost, he was definitely going to try and identify everything from this point on. It might not be a profession he wanted, but damned if he were to neglect any aspect of it. Furthermore, the prospect of uncovering hidden lore and finding hidden artifacts sounded like a good adventure that would be well worth his time. Besides, if he could ever find enough artifacts on his journeys, there is a very good chance that his end game potential would be exceptionally stellar. Next, he was going to find a good leather worker for his wolf hide and thirdly, he was going to plan out his post level ten route from here. Beast already had a place in mind for his adventure outside of Rydelin, namely the Fort of Lanos where the player seller acquired the Rusty Sword. If he were lucky, he might be able to find more similar artifacts there which he would finally be able to equip on his bare and empty body. Without a backward glance at the angry stares of the mob outside, Beast turned the corner and left to search for a secluded spot to do his identifications. Next Chapter Chapter 9: Shadun Artifact identifying took around an hour. Besides discovering that he could identify the same item more than once, Beast also found out that identifying it multiple times decreased the amount of skill experience he received from the action, until the point where further identification attempts gave zero increase. At the very least, he managed to get his Knowledge of Ancient Artifact skill up to Basic 3. Skills in Ages Online follow a very different system from that of other run-of-the-mill games. Instead of a basic leveling system from one to whatever max level they decided to have, most skills here follow a tier-based system: Basic, Intermediate, Expert and finally Master at the maximum. With a total of thirty levels between them, the skill evolves at every advance in tier every ten levels, usually granting additional effects and power. This, Yashita Corps claimed, was done so that certain skills would not be neglected in favor of more ¡®optimized¡¯ one and that every skill would have its place in the game. A distinct deviant to this rule would be his Detect Mana skill, which Beast could not level despite being tagged as Basic, and the two skills he picked up in the Argent Forest which had no levels to speak of. Beast broke out of his musings. His character sure was shaping up to be a strange one. And no, he could not identify the hide. He tried, but all he got was a notification of failure.
You have failed to identify an artifact. You cannot identify this type of artifacts yet.
There was new sentence in the warning, and Beast had a slight suspicion as to what it meant. Maybe he should process it first and try again to confirm. Looking up at the sign, he made sure it was the right one detailing ¡®Truman Tannery¡¯ before entering. Once inside, the musky smell of leather and chemicals instantly assaulted Beast¡¯s nose, almost gagging him. This was the first time he ever entered a tannery shop both in real life and virtual reality and everyone was intently focused on their work and the machinery, so much that it took Beast awhile before he could get anyone to talk to him. ¡°What do you want?¡± It was a player who appeared that he had no greater wish but for Beast to leave him alone. ¡°May I know where Truman is?¡± ¡°You want to learn tanning too?¡± The other man gave Beast a stare of distaste as if the latter was trying to snatch his rice bowl, only finally pointing towards the back of the shop reluctantly when Beast appeared to be willing to wait until he got his answer. ¡°Thank you.¡± Truman was a man with a burly body and thick muscles, a product of his years of work. He also had a fine mustache. When Beast approached, the gruff NPC croaked a greeting. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I would like to make armor out of this.¡± Beast fished out the silver skin from his bag. Some of the apprentices in the shop noticed the dazzle and stopped their work to observe. Truman merely took it over and started inspecting the material without as much as batting an eye. It took no less than five seconds before he returned it. ¡°No can do.¡± ¡°What?¡± Beast was appalled. Was his battle with the Argent Wolf for nothing? ¡°Nothing can be made. The cut is too rough and uneven. Whoever did this is terrible.¡± Beast took back his leather, crestfallen. A broken sword could not be substituted for a leatherworking knife after all, and now he had gone and ruined a perfectly good potential artifact because he was too lazy and cheap to buy a new knife. ¡°-However, I could possibly make you a cloak out of this. That¡¯s the best I can do. It would be 8 silvers plus another 3 for handling a magical item.¡± It was all Beast needed to hear. After depositing his leather at the tannery, Beast began to start his preparations for his departure from Rydelin. With the sale of his loot and the reward from the quests and after paying for the leatherwork, Beast currently stood at a total of 12 silvers and 42 coppers. First, he went to the general store to buy a proper carving knife for a hefty 5 silver. There, he also replaced the torches he had expended in the Argent Forest and purchased a map for the area he would soon be going. For food he still had his preserved rat meat, though he could do well to find a new source soon, and he could probably procure some potions from Talos for a discounted deal. In the end, there was only a single piece of silver remaining in Beast¡¯s coin pouch. He had collected his Silver Cloak and also picked up a dozen bottles of potions while biding a tearful goodbye to Talos and Risette. The little girl had burst into tears when he had said he will not be returning for some time, only calming down with a hastily made promise and some pacifying. That surprisingly turned into a quest of sorts.
Risette¡¯s Promise Risette has a promise made with you that you will return back to visit her the next time you are in Rydelin. A little girl¡¯s heart wished upon the Little Blue Rock, and it is now the object of promise between the two of you. Difficulty: F
It was an easy quest, but Beast wondered if it was even necessary to make a quest out of it. Not that he was complaining about getting more quests but now he could not even sell off the Blue Rock if he tried, making a waste of inventory space in his bag. The Talos chain quest might have been a little more weird and troublesome than he originally thought. As for his Silver Cloak, it was what he requested for alright, only with a little problem. ¡°Artifact Identification!¡± Beast declared after finding a secluded spot away from prying eyes.
You have failed to identify the artifact. You cannot identify this type of artifacts yet.
As suspected, the notification window meant that the Silver Cloak was not a historical artifact, which made sense in a way since there was nothing historical about the Argent Wolf besides the legend involved. But more importantly, Beast slumped in defeat at the revelation. All the hopes and expectations he had of finally being able to equip his first item had just vaporized into thin air. Disappointed, he spam his identification skill on the cloak until he could not get any more skill experience, bringing his Archaeology to basic 4, before stuffing his trophy back into his backpack. The Silver Cloak would indeed have to wait after all. Back at the towering city gates of Rydelin, the scene was still the same. ¡°Level 8 looking for a party to hunt wolves.¡± ¡°Looking for a cleric to complete party for Rydelin Sewers.¡± ¡°Hey, do you wish to join our guild? It is new and is currently accepting all members.¡± Beast exited the city alone without sparing a glance at any of them. The Fort of Lanos was somewhere near the small town of Torintu in the regions of the Marr County, west of Rydelin. After leaving Rydelin, newbies have the choice to either head west for Torintu or east towards the capital of Caerheim, Loyderidge. It all depended on the player¡¯s choice but each route has slightly different things to offer, namely more dungeons for Torintu and Joint Operations at Loyderidge where the royalty of Caerheim resides. In the end it does not really matter which route one takes for each have ample leveling opportunities. Beast however, have a specific goal in mind. He also has no wish to meet with his classmates at Loyderidge just yet either. Following the dirt path that would eventually reach Torintu, Beast set off with renewed determination. ¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡°Goddamn. I should have hired a cart or something.¡± Beast murmured. ¡°So much for going on foot.¡± It had already been an entire day, and yet Torintu was nowhere in sight. Farmlands turned to hills which then turned into forests but it seems that he was not even close to his destination. The dirt path meandered on and on and on and he bypassed a few NPC merchants and guard patrols heading to Rydelin on the way. His satiety fell a few times which he used his dwindling rat meat stock to replenish but those were not the main reasons Beast is complaining about right now. The journey in short, was boring. Monsters rarely came close to the wide, established roads and Beast was not about to waste time deviating off his path just to chase after some goblin for exp. Now he finally understood why most people hired carriages or horses for transport or followed joint operations to places they wanted to go; it was simply less boring that way. He had also severely underestimated the time he would need to travel to the town and with no place to rest for the night, Beast had no choice but to continue on. Night time however, was another story altogether. As the moon hung over the darkened landscape, the nocturnal creatures of the wild became more feral and bold. Wolf howls rang out into the night several times and even with a torch lit and burning as he travelled, Beast could feel the hungry eyes of the creatures staring at him. But while he entered deeper and deeper into the forested area, there were no movements or attacks; the road remained eerily empty. His breathing became shallower and faster. There was bound to be an attack some time now¡­ right? Just as Beast was trying to hold himself together, he spotted another torch in the distance. No, correction, a multitude of torches burned a few hundred meters down the road, shining like multiple beacons of lights. It looked like a caravan of some sort or even perhaps a joint operation. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Beast could only hazard a guess, but having some form of company was a welcome thought regardless. Maybe he could even join them on this trip to Torintu, screw going solo already. He was about to shout to grab the caravan¡¯s attention when he suddenly stopped himself. While he could not put a finger to it, there was something strange with the caravan up ahead, something that warrantted a more cautious approach. Wisely, Beast blew out his torch and headed into the side of the road not a moment too soon. ¡°Where did that person go?¡± A ragged man holding a bloodied scimitar came into view. A second man appeared next to the first a second later. ¡°No idea, his torch just disappeared. Maybe he knew we are coming, bro?¡± Brigands - Men who rob caravans and infest the main trading routes for a chance at taking supplies from merchants. They would not have dared to strike during the day, but the night was their domain. The only problem now was whether these are player characters or NPCs. Beast inched forward to try and get a glimpse of where their red name might be if they are PKers but was interrupted by the appearance of a third bandit. ¡°He could not have been far. Find him. We need to eliminate all witnesses.¡± Crap. He has to move now if he were to avoid getting caught, or he could stay and fight but with three of them and the levels of these brigands unknown it would only be a suicidal venture. It was risky, but with luck they will miss him totally and go back to what they were doing. As silently as possible, Beast melded into the surrounding forest just as the trio began to comb the area. ¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡°I think he is gone, brother.¡± A torch hovered meters away from Beast¡¯s position, forcing him to change location again. ¡°Damn it. Let¡¯s quickly go back to the caravan and take all the spoils.¡± There was a stampede of rustling leaves and breaking twigs and the trio disappeared from where they came from. After making sure that they were truly gone, Beast slump his shoulders and let loose a loud sigh. Those had been the most intense five minutes of his life. Every single time they came close, he had to shift his position among the trees as lightly as possible lest he alerted them to his presence and to be honest, it was not easy under the cover of darkness. Now that danger has passed, Beast decided to sit and rest for a while to give the bandit trio as much time as they needed before checking out the caravan in front of his path. Minutes later, Beast approached the caravan with trepidation. The bandits should have conducted their business and fled. All that was left was a mess of fallen torches and empty cargo boxes. Dead NPCs littered the dirt ground, a reminder of the bandits¡¯ dastardly work. Nothing valuable remained. At least they were kind enough to leave the horse pulling the cart alive, which would definitely shorten the rest of his travel although Beast guessed that the so called courtesy might have been due to his untimely ¡®interruption¡¯. ¡°Urgh¡­¡± Oh, it seemed that they left someone else alive too. Beast paused for a moment. Should he bother? In the end, his conscience won and he went to take a better look. Lying in the middle of a smashed barrel, a bloodied man with his broken lyre was groaning in pain. It appeared that he was bleeding out. ¡°H-elp me¡­¡± It was visibly taking all he could to just speak. ¡°A pot...ion.¡± Beast¡¯s eyes narrowed. A potion might be cheap but it still cost a fair bit of money. Who is this man to demand a potion the first time they met? He stood to leave, but the man¡¯s hand got a grip on his shoe. ¡°Please¡­¡± Seeing no way out, Beast reluctantly fished a bottle of potion out from his pack and emptied its content down the man¡¯s throat. Minutes later, color had returned to the person¡¯s face and his wounds were rapidly closing. It got to the point where he was fine enough to mutter a ¡®thank you¡¯ and fall asleep. ¡°Oh goddamnit.¡° Beast tried slapping him a few times to no avail. ¡°Don¡¯t fall asleep on me. You still have to pay for the potion!¡± Fatigue is a real thing in Ages Online, much like satiety. However players are usually able to rest their characters while they are offline, hence making it not as prominent for players than NPCs. Therefore, this stranger is either an NPC or someone who is really hardcore¡­
You are now fatigued. -50% Max HP -50% Max MP
Not that he has the right to judge. Hefting the man and his lyre up onto the horse, Beast then unbridled it from the burden of the caravan before mounting. If the man is going to sleep, then he will just have to bring him to Torintu so that he can extract his payment from him. Worst come to worse, he could probably sell that lyre for some cheap scrap. The second half of the journey to Torintu was otherwise uneventful, and it was at the dawn of the next morning when wooden town walls became visible to the naked eye. Nestled right at the edge of the forest which opened into the wide plains of Marr, Torintu was a very welcomed sight for Beast who had been stricken with the fatigued status. It also meant he can finally wake up the burden imposed upon him by the night¡¯s event. The town of Torintu was small and quiet; a very stark contrast from the bustle of a city such as Rydelin. Some adventurers had set up user shops in the equally tiny town plaza but it was nothing compared to the crowd of Market Street. An occasional Caerheim guard patrols the area and the quaint wooden houses that littered the winding streets exude a countryside feel. The first thing Beast did when he went into town was to head straight for the local inn after tethering the horse in the stables next to it. ¡°Lodgings for two?¡± The innkeeper raised an eyebrow. ¡°That would be forty coppers.¡± ¡°Yes please.¡± That would be something else the stranger would have to owe him. Forking the coin over, Beast took over the key to the room and dragged the unconscious stranger up the stairs. Resting at an inn would not only relieve fatigue but also restore health and mana. Back in Rydelin he would not have to do this and could simply sleep on the streets but people had warned against doing so in smaller towns such as Torintu. The main reason for this is that even after logging out the player character would linger around in the game world for a period of eight hours in game time, a feature implemented by Yashita Corps to prevent exploits via forced quitting. This subjects any player character who logged out in the open to potential PK and malicious intentions with only the always crowded streets of a city as a form of deterrence. Despite having slept for some time, the man still has yet to awaken, indicating that he had probably given up and logged off. With nothing else he could do, Beast propped the stranger on the first bed before taking the second and promptly logged out. When he came back a few hours of real life time later, he found himself waking up to a livid bard holding a glinting dagger to his throat. Beast¡¯s eyes narrowed. Is this how this man is going to treat his benefactor? ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, stranger, but I demand an explanation!¡± The man declared. ¡°My quest has failed, my weapon broken and I wake up in a place with no information.¡± Okay, Beast¡¯s mind registered. This player is officially weird. ¡°I am Beast. I saved you from the bandits. The cargo I think you are supposed to escort is gone.¡± There was a loud flick and Beast shut his eyes half expecting himself to die, only for the dagger to strike the wooden walls of the room. ¡°Damned.¡± The bard exclaimed. His initial anger turned into partial relief however, when the player fished out an envelope from his pockets. ¡°At least this is still here¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Beast asked in curiosity. So the caravan was just a side quest he picked up along the way. ¡°A quest.¡± ¡°Share it?¡± The answer came quick. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°But I saved you and you still owe me the money for the potion and the inn.¡± ¡°I will pay you back.¡± ¡°Not when you have been robbed bare. I don¡¯t think you have any money left.¡± That seemed to have struck something. The bard was visibly losing an inner struggle before he finally proclaimed defeat. ¡°Fine.¡± Soon enough, a notification window popped up from Shadun¡¯s sharing of his quest. Drrring!
A secret letter for Torintu Shadun the Bard has been asked to deliver a secret letter that may have an impact on the region to the Mayor of Torintu. Will you help him in his endeavor to make sure that the important letter does not fall into the wrong hands? Difficulty: E+
So his name was Shadun. Now this was so much better, Beast smiled as he accepted the quest. Next Chapter Chapter 10: Camaraderie ¡°Where are we going?¡± asked a confused Lore Keeper. They had exited the inn after a good rest and are now on the streets of Torintu. However, instead of going to the Mayor¡¯s house for an easy quest completion like what Beast expected, they were instead heading for the town gates. ¡°To find those bandits.¡± Beast suddenly halted, much to Shadun¡¯s annoyance. ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°They took something else regarding the quest. I need to take back the Seal of the Lord to show the Mayor so I can prove that the letter is real.¡± The irritated bard said. Seal? But why would a wax seal be delivered with the letter? Wait¡­ it makes sense if it is of the eastern kind, seeing how the creators of the game are of Japanese origins. ¡°Since you said you wanted the quest, help me find them.¡± Speechless, Beast could only follow behind Shadun as they made their way out. He had thought that the bandits were a result of the latter¡¯s caravan quest, but it turned out that it was related to the main quest after all. He had stolen a glance at the bandit¡¯s level back on the road, and it was a massive level 22. Compared to his current level, he had almost no chance in winning which begged the question of how high a level Shadun actually was. Come to think of it, how did he even get hold of a quest that required him to deliver an important letter, with something as important as the Seal of the Lord anyway? ¡°The guard says that there is a bandit hideout some back in the forest towards Rydelin and they gave me a quest too. Hey¡­. Hey!¡± Shadun suddenly addressed Beast, causing him to be knocked out of his thoughts. That and a quest notification window too. Drring!
Clear the Bandits Guard Apollon had requested that you clean out the bandit hideout situated near Torintu as he fears that the bandit threat had grown too big to be ignored. They had become bold and are raiding caravans even in broad daylight, threatening the supply line from Rydelin and starving the town. Difficulty: E Note: Failure will cause the bandit threat to escalate.
Beast numbly accepted the quest and took in his surroundings. In the period of his musings, they had already visited the smithy and Shadun was holding his newly repaired weapon. ¡°If we are going to be doing this, we will need to know more about each other¡¯s abilities. I am Shadun, level 20 Bard. What is your job?¡± Here it comes, the million dollar question. To be honest, Beast was not even sure what he is. A mage? A monk? He seems to be nothing at all at his current state of being. ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ am a level 13 mage.¡± To Shadun¡¯s credit, he did not even bat an eye when Beast announced himself to be 7 levels lower. Instead, his line of sight drifted from Beast¡¯s face to the black book hanging from his belt before turning away and walking out through the gates. ¡°I will take this as repaying my debt. ¡° What was that supposed to mean? Beast was glad that Shadun did not kick him out of the quest instantly but that stare and statement spoke volumes. It seemed that the bard had resigned himself to having a liability on his back and was treating him like a child. At that thought Beast was furious. If a burden he was being treated as, then he might as well be as much of a burden as he can. The journey to find the hideout was unexciting, probably because it was daytime and the hostile wildlife was asleep. As the duo neared the place however, they started to encounter lone level 19 brigands wandering among the trees. Every time before Beast could do anything, Shadun had already fired arrows from his repaired lyre, striking the poor bandit multiple times. If they managed to survive the initial volley and close the distance, he would then bash his lyre on their faces to the death. Weirdly enough Shadun would ignore the corpse and leave without looting, leaving Beast to the spoils. Through this, Beast managed to leech much experience and loot - a few coppers here and there as well as iron swords and daggers he could not possibly use. He still pocketed them regardless since they can still sell for a pretty penny. It was after the twentieth brigand when they found the entrance to the bandit¡¯s hideout. Nestled between thickets of trees, a small hole in the hill denoted an opening into a cave of sorts. Furthermore, armed bandits stood guard outside as an obvious indication of their location. Immediately, Shadun let fly an arrow to Beast¡¯s shock and surprise. The first thought that flashed across the Lore Keeper¡¯s mind was, ¡®did the man even choose the right job?¡¯ Before this, it had only been a single target. Now that they are going to fight two enemies at once, they should approach combat more carefully and yet the bard had rushed in like a berserker in bloodlust. To think of it, he has not even played a single song that bards are famous for. Beast watched as the two bandits spotted their locations and came charging. With nothing but his fists to defend himself, Beast struck out with a punch at one of them just as Shadun let loose a volley of arrows at the other. ¡°Use your weapon! Cast a spell! I will be right over!¡± The bandit Beast is facing whipped out a vicious dagger and started slashing. ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± Though Beast dodged, he could not evade part of the move and ended up being cut. Not wanting to let the bandit get away with the hit, Beast lashed out with a punch to the stomach that connected, hitting the wind and a chunk of health out of the brigand. ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t?¡± The bard was bashing his lyre on the other bandit already, shouting incredulously at his party member. ¡°Urgh never mind. Hang on till I come over!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to come over!¡± Beast yelled while skillfully side-stepping a dagger stab and landing another punch onto the Bandit¡¯s head. Really, what was dodging a full-size human compared to a tiny rat? The margin for error is much smaller for the latter. ¡°Oh you do. You are only level 13 for goodness sake.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. The bandit Shadun was fighting was more or less dead. Just as he was about to aid Beast with his bandit however, another pair of brigands came rushing out of the cave, apparently alerted by all the shouting that had occurred. Cursing, the bard turned his attention to the reinforcements and fired his arrows. That newbie would have to wait. The newcomers were not like the bandits outside the cave however. Wearing metal chainmail instead of leather and holding larger swords and sabers, they were two level higher which meant that they were also much more of a threat than the ones outside. Knowing that he would have no chance fighting two people up close, Shadun quickly backpedalled to put some distance between them, firing arrows as he went. Some of them impacted one of the two to Shadun¡¯s satisfaction, causing the bandit to stumble. However, there was a sudden blur and a sharp pain struck his weapon arm, causing his volley to fail midway. ¡°Throwing knifes?¡± The bard exclaimed incredulously. No, it must have been a skill. They still cannot fire projectiles continuously like him. But if the new bandits were capable of range, then the only advantage he had was already gone. Turning around, Shadun started to shout at Beast for him to run, only to find the self-proclaimed ¡®mage¡¯ gone. Then, another sharp pain shot through his foot and caused him to tumble to the ground, taking out a huge chunk of his health. Bards already do not have much constitution in the first place and it seemed that he would die by the next barrage of attacks. With no way to run, he was doomed. By the time the first bandit caught up with the bard and subsequently swung down his sword, Shadun was already mentally prepared to face the notification window of Death. Only that it did not come. ¡°DESPERADO BACKLASH!¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. ¡°DESPERADO BACKLASH!¡± screamed Beast as he blocked the sword swing with his bare hand and launched a mean right hook at the bandit with the other.
Critical hit! Desperado Backlash activated! - 685 HP! You have dealt a critical hit!
With a hefty +13% damage increase from bare hand mastery as well as another 100% increase from Desperado backlash plus a further 100% from a lucky critical, there was a brief flash of light from the impact where the bandit was flung across to the side, rendering him unmoving. ¡°Prime: Renew. Prime: Renew. Prime: Renew.¡± So much for not using the skill ever again. Thanking his own foresight to input much stat points into stamina, Beast turned his attention and charged straight for the remaining bandit who tried to use his skill in an attempt to stop his foe. The throwing knife flew, but Beast side-stepped it without losing momentum and body slammed the last man into oblivion.
Your Bare Handed Mastery had leveled up to Basic 4! You have leveled up.
By killing both level 21 bandits which were much higher than he was, Beast had earned a boatload of experience that pushed him up a level and almost to another. The points he received immediately went into increasing stamina, seeing how most fights would be happening on from the current point on. With the strength of the mobs increasing and the ultra-dangerous skill Desperado Backlash, there was no other way he could survive besides increasing the cap of his health pool as much as possible, at least until he could find some protection he can use soon. A person Beast almost forgotten about spoke. ¡°You¡­. You don¡¯t fight like a mage.¡± ¡°Neither do you fight like a bard.¡± Beast retorted, stepping towards his injured party member. ¡°Prime: Renew.¡± A warm glow emitted from Beast¡¯s hands into Shadun¡¯s wound and the bard instantly felt a little better. ¡°Happy now? That is a heal spell I know. So why don¡¯t you sing a song or something to get our regeneration going.¡± Shadun skeptically stayed silent. This newbie was certainly impressive, managing to hold his own against a mob much higher level than he is. But a person who fights with bare hands and uses healing spells is definitely not a mage as far as he was concerned. Well, not that he had the rights to speak about others. ¡°I can¡¯t sing.¡± Beast, who had been moving around collecting the loot from the fallen bodies stopped in his tracks. ¡°Don¡¯t joke around with me. A person who can¡¯t sing being a bard?¡± ¡°I am being honest here.¡± Shadun insisted, before breaking out into song to demonstrate. It was¡­ the worst song Beast ever heard. The moment he started, Beast already wanted Shadun to shut up. Besides being totally out of tune, the rhythm and articulation was all over the place. Not only that, it became progressively flatter and flatter, until it sounded like a donkey baying at its death door. Immediately Beast understood why Shadun never sang in battle despite being a bard who was supposed to support his allies with his song-buffs; it was so bad it might very well be debuffs instead. Beast was sure that he was only safe because he was protected by the anti-friendly fire mechanism of the party system. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Okay okay. I understand.¡± Beast stripped the last piece of equipment from the bandit¡¯s body before taking out a piece of preserved rat meat and eating it. ¡°Here.¡± He said, tossing another piece to Shadun. ¡°What is this?¡± The bard asked. ¡°Rat meat. Eat and regenerate your health. Don¡¯t worry, I still have enough.¡± Shadun wrinkled his nose at the revelation of the meat¡¯s origin. Most people pack non-perishable food such as dried bread, but¡­ rat meat? This ¡®mage¡¯ was becoming weirder by the moment, weird enough to lug around such things for sustenance. After much consideration however, he still ate it in the end and was surprised by its saltiness. Despite all that, it actually tasted pretty good. ¡°Preservatives.¡± ¡°Yea.¡± Nothing more was said. The two of them finish looting the corpses and head into the cave, this time with Shadun having newfound respect for his party member. The two of them work as a team from then on. While they encountered bandits in pairs inside the cave, it was no longer as much of a problem as when Shadun is fighting both of them solo. Beast, with his dexterous speed and battle instinct, was responsible for occupying the bandits¡¯ attention in melee range while Shadun pelted them down with arrows from behind the lines. Occasionally, they would stop to regenerate health and mana that they have lost with Beast¡¯s declining rat meat supply. This camaraderie won them all their fights within the cave and it was soon enough that they cleared out the entire cave of bandits, all except for a great wooden door across a hall that they had not yet opened. Resting in the hallway to top off their health, Beast checked his stats.
Status Window
Name:Beast
Level:19Profession:Lore Keeper
Race:HumanGender:Male
Titles:None
Fame:15
-
Health:1390Mana:930 (+500)
Strength:44Intelligence:49
Dexterity:40Wisdom:65
Stamina:111Luck:20
Bare Hand Mastery, +16% to bare hand damage Iron Body, +4% resistance to all damage
Equipment Effects
Vanadic Tome of Artifacts: +500 mana
Relations
Caerheim: 26
Having leveled up five times total while fighting in the cave, he had injected his points such that his health broke the one thousand mark and his dexterity was brought in par with his strength. Still having no idea what stat he should focus on, Beast decided it was best that he split his stats equally for now. Besides leveling, his Bare Handed Mastery had also increased by another three levels, while his Iron body increased to Basic 4. All in all, it was a very good run, only marred by the fact that he had no chance to increase his Artifact skill on everything he sees because of Shadun¡¯s presence. ¡°Done?¡± The bard inquired. Checking skills and stats was a private matter, so outsiders have no idea what one is doing. ¡°Yes. How about you?¡± Shadun nodded. He too had leveled up over the course of the dungeon and was just finished with his stat allocation. ¡°Then it is time to get that Seal back.¡± The wooden door gave way to Beast¡¯s strength, revealing the three robbers that Beast had almost come face to face with back on the road to Torintu. In the hands of the middle and taller one, a glimmering golden seal sat under the pale light of the wall torches, giving off a distinct blue glow that Beast instantly recognized. Artifact! The word flashed across his mind. In that moment, all Beast had in his mind was how to get the seal back and use his identification skill on it, but he reminded himself just in time not to be hasty. The levels of the trio are a hefty 22 each. While Shadun should have leveled up along the passage through the cave, much care was still needed if they were to win. On the other hand, Shadun¡¯s face immediately contorted with fury when he recognized his attackers. ¡°You!¡± Spitting out an angry rage, he charged straight into the midst of the bandit brothers without warning. ¡°Stop, you idiot! Don¡¯t rush in like a leeroy!¡± But it was too late. The bandit trio had already whipped out their weapons and started to return blows. Beast, seeing no other choice, entered the fray to help his teammate. Readying his fist, the Lore Keeper propelled himself forward with a running start at the bandit furthest to the left, who noticed the advancement and broke off the fight with Shadun to engage him. All he did however was to simply smirk at Beast. Sensing that something was wrong, Beast immediately altered his running trajectory just in time as a row of poisoned darts shot across his vision and embedded themselves into the wall on the other side of the room. Beast¡¯s heart skipped a beat; he was sure he could not have evaded that trap, so what gave? Luck? Or perhaps those ten points he inputted into dexterity paid off. With the devious plan failed, the bandit roared in anger and rushed forward. A level 19 fighting a level 22 boss mob was usually suicidal, but Beast was someone who had trained his combat skills by evading the attacks of rats and grappling in the mud with wolves. Add the fact that he had seen and fought against countless of normal bandits before this boss battle, Beast had a good grasp on the pattern and capabilities of the brigand he was fighting. The three-level difference was nothing unless the brigand lands a hit. Easily dodging the obvious swing, the lore keeper retaliated with a vicious kick of his own to the man¡¯s stomach, shaving off a portion of the bandit¡¯s health. Nothing too damaging, obviously because of the level gap and bandit¡¯s armor, but it was still a step towards victory. The only problem now would be Shadun and the other two bandits. The bard was swinging around his lyre like a warrior with his club, inflicting hit upon hit on his foes, just as he too was sustaining cuts after cuts from the bandits¡¯ strikes. The three of them danced around the cave floor, neither side giving way to other but as Shadun¡¯s party member, Beast could see the bard¡¯s health decreasing steadily into critical territory, worrying him to no end. Should he abandon his target to help Shadun? That would open up his back to a back-stab from his adversary but it would not matter anyway if Shadun were to die. It was on this thought that Beast feint an attack on his bandit, taking the opening given to him to rush over to Shadun¡¯s side. ¡°Prime: Renew. Prime: Renew. Prime: Renew. Prime: Renew. Prime: Renew.¡± In one shot, Beast spammed all of his mana pool into healing the bard. Shadun watched in amazement as his health shot from nearly zero to full within seconds. ¡°Phew.¡± ¡°Can you stop acting like an idiot?¡± ¡°What? Are you calling me an idiot?¡± ¡°Yes-¡± Beast suddenly stopped, realizing that the bandit trio had suddenly ceased in their attacks. ¡°Oh crap.¡± It was not that they stopped attacking per say, but the bandit brothers had formed a triangular formation around the two of them. Raising their scimitars up as one, there was a synchronous shout as they swung their blades down. ¡°SHADOW IMPACT!¡± Wisps of black smoke emitted out of the scimitars as they arced downwards, ultimately cumulating in an explosive release of dark energy heading straight for Beast and Shadun. With no time to think, Beast instinctively pushed the bard out of the circle, taking the blast on alone.
- 1246 HP! Your Iron Body skill has leveled up to Basic 5.
With 44 health points left, Beast was absolutely certain that his luck had held out for him. Any other character at his level would have perished even with armor mitigation, and he only survived because he had pumped so much stat points into stamina. Shadun the bard merely stood with his mouth agape, unbelieving that someone could have possibly survived that special attack. It was only when Beast spoke did he jolt out of his senses. ¡°Sing.¡± Beast croaked. ¡°What?¡± What a stubborn bard the other man was. In the time he took to hesitate, he was already cut by the bandit nearest to him and losing health given to him at the expense of Beast¡¯s entire manapool. ¡°Sing you fool.¡± ¡°But ¨C oh.¡± Finally realizing what Beast wanted him to do, Shadun struck the strings of his lyre and began to sing. What flowed was not the sound of celestial tranquility, but that of soul-rending hell. The resulting song was so bad that Beast feared that it would take off the remaining 44 points of his health as he rolled on the ground trying to shut the noise out but from the corner of his eye, he saw that the bandit trio fared no better too and that was exactly his intentions. Typically, an average bard had a higher magic pool than his health pool, mostly because to keep up a song aura requires the continuous drainage of mana. It would not be surprising if Shadun had defied normal bard¡¯s expectation by inputting stat points into strength than wisdom but Beast hoped that it was enough. By the time the song ended, all four of them except the bard had been reduced to a nervous wreck on the cave floor. There might have been severe status impairments imposed as well besides the physical torture but Beast would not know since he was in Shadun¡¯s party and thus resistant to them, thank goodness whichever game developer saw fit to make it so; it was not very nice to be on the ground as though one just suffered a seizure. Gathering his remaining strength to get up on his feet, Beast gave a weak thumb up to the bard before saying. ¡°Let¡¯s finish them.¡± It was what exactly the two of them did. Next Chapter Chapter 11: Seal of the Lord ¡°Friend, let me look at the seal for a while will you?¡± Beast whined, much to Shadun¡¯s annoyance. ¡°For the hundredth time, no.¡± Ever since the two of them had finished off the bandit trio that was responsible for making off with the Lord¡¯s Seal, Beast had been pestering the bard the whole way back to Torintu to let him have a look at the object in question, partially because he was curious, but mostly because it was a potential artifact which could add to his repertoire of Prime skills. If it was not for that fact, Beast could not even be bothered to concern himself with the details of the bard and his quest. ¡°This object is a very important quest item so there is no way I am going to let anyone else hold it again. Not even awhile for you. ¡± Of course, Beast could not say that he needed the Seal for his profession ability lest he divulge his secret job class and information out to the world but that meant he only had the excuse of simple curiosity to work on. Now all it was to make him look like a child in front of the latter and it was a disgusting feeling to savor. Puppy-dog eyes, sleeve tugging, faking tears and even reverse psychology had all flew in the face of the stoic bard, making Beast wonder how much more degrading he needed to be to even make Shadun relinquish the seal for even a second. Furthermore, they were coming very close to the town of Torintu now and the window of opportunity might forever be lost if the quest completion were to consume the seal as well. It was right at the gates of the town that Beast decided that some form of drastic action needed to be done. ¡°Shadun, brother.¡± Beast suddenly planted his knees into the dirt ground, much to the bard¡¯s confusion. The NPC guards also turned their head towards the scene, wondering about the abrupt commotion. Thankfully enough, there were no other player characters around; Beast had no idea if he could handle the shame in front of living people as compared to AI constructs. ¡°I lied, okay? I am not a mage.¡± Dramatic pause. Shadun blinked. ¡°My job profession is a historian.¡± The look on the bard¡¯s face could only be described as confusion turning into realization. There was little to no surprise, as though he was already expecting Beast to have lied. That bastard, so the distrust had already been there from the start even after all that he had done for him. ¡°So you needed the Seal for your profession.¡± It was a rhetoric question, not as in he was expecting a simple ¡®yes¡¯ or ¡®no¡¯, but an explanation. ¡°Yes. I gain stats as well from gathering information regarding historical artifacts and items.¡± It was kind of weak, but it is a half-truth; No one else needed to know that he can gain not stats, but also skill effects from cataloguing artifacts. Besides, it was pretty similar to that one job he almost accepted back in Rydelin¡¯s Library anyway. However the real problem here right now was whether the bard would accept the explanation. Surely the simple stats gain for Beast was not worth potentially losing the Seal again for the bard, meaning that Beast might have to go violent to force him into giving up the artifact for a while. Even with Beast¡¯s unwillingness to emulate Lortan¡¯s chaotic personality and PK the man, an opportunity such as this was simply too rare to pass by that a one-time change in moral and principle values could be justified, right? Right? He asked himself again. Why was it that the more he asked himself, the harder he himself became to convince? It had quickly become a conundrum where he has no answer as to what he should do. ¡°Here, catch!¡± It was very much to Beast¡¯s surprise when Shadun tossed the seal over to him a moment later, forcing him to break his train of thoughts to catch it in his hands. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Do what you need to do and return it.¡± Came the short answer. Beast internally shrugged, wiping out all his previous thoughts. Well, that was much easier than expected. Holding the golden seal, Beast gave a thankful smile to the nonchalant bard and muttered, ¡°Artifact Identify.¡±
You have discovered the hidden artifact ¨C Seal of the Lord Type: Historical, Quest Item The Seal of the Lord is the personal seal of the Lord of Caerheim, used to denote his absolute authority as well as his authenticity as the sovereign of the Caerheim Principality. Although it is a seal of Caerheim, it is worthwhile to note that this seal originates from Honduria as a Hondurian seal. Naturally it also held authority in Honduria, being the representation of power of the Prince of the Royal Family in that region. Durability: 99/99 Level restriction: 100 Value: -- When equipped: +75 to all stats +700 to relations with Caerheim Artifact Effect: Bloodline Aura Cost: 25% of maximum Mana Duration: 5% of consumed mana When used, the player is imbued with the aura of the power that runs in the bloodline of the royal family of Honduria, granting an increase in all aspects of the player capabilities. +30% increase to all stats for the duration of the aura
Strength +8 Intelligence +5 Wisdom +7 Dexterity +11 Archaeology has increased to Basic 5
When Beast saw the equipment stats on the seal, his eyes boggled to the point of popping out. 75 flat increases to all of his stats are simply too overpowered. Coupled that with the 700 points increased reputation with Caerheim for the duration of equipping it, he could very well enjoy as much as a ten percent discount with every NPC shop under the Principality even without a merchant¡¯s aid. What sealed the deal that all the previous groveling was worth it was when he reached the part for the artifact skill, also the part where it was the most important for him. The seal would have to be returned and eventually turned in as a quest item, so its intrinsic stats bonus was not the main point for him. On the other hand, with his catalogue skill, Beast could then spam the hell out of that sick buff effect for a measly 200 mana, making it the best buff ever compared to all the costly buffs he had encountered in his duration of online gaming. Add that to the hefty stats bonus that came from identifying the artifact and Beast could sport the stupid smile on his face all day. Shadun saw the whole process of Beast¡¯s expression parade and gave a concerned look. ¡°You alright?¡± ¡°Yea¡­¡± Beast replied with a weak laugh as he returned the seal to the bard. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Thank the gods of this world that notification windows can only be read by the player himself. ¡°Is that the tome you put your findings in? I notice that it began writing itself when you did the identification thing.¡± Shadun inquired, pointing his finger at the now dormant Vanadic Tome hanging from Beast¡¯s belt. ¡°Yea, it catalogues itself¡­ kind of like a pokedex, you know?¡± The Pokedex was one of the many references to the legendary Pokegame that had once been the childhood of many adults in the world. Now that virtual reality had taken over, the series had faded in obscurity, only remaining in the thoughts of those adults as well as the true hardcore gamers out there. ¡°Interesting.¡± Came the single word reply. Beast stopped at that. He figured that it would be unwise to carry on talking lest he reveal his own lie and expose the secret of why he wanted the Seal. The notification windows might be private, but anyone could read the book and discover what he had done. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Best to let the bard muse it out on his own. ¡°Hey!¡± Beast jolted, wondering if his lie had fallen through. ¡°Y-yes?¡± A hand extended out from the other man. ¡°Shadun, level 24 Bard. I figured we should do again, properly this time round.¡± Oh. ¡°Beast, level 20 Historian. Your help had brought me up a few levels really.¡± Beast took the hand with a firm grip and this time, their introduction this time is for real¡­ or as real as it could be without divulging Beast¡¯s secret class. A friend notification popped up a second later, which Beast accepted without hesitation. Even with his deep distrust of players stemming from his encounter with Lortan, the party together had convinced Beast that Shadun was not a bad person even if he might be a little weird. Besides, he let him get his hands on the Seal, possibly saving his fiasco of a gaming life in Ages Online and giving him some sweet insight into Caerheim¡¯s royalty. ¡°So, what are you going to do from here on?¡± Beast asked. ¡°I will send in that letter, after which I will return to Loyderidge to claim my reward. You?¡± The two of them started heading towards the most posh building in town- the Mayor¡¯s home. ¡°I guess I will stay here for a while before moving on. I originally intended to head towards the Fort of Lanos anyway.¡± ¡°So this means that our paths diverge after this.¡± The bard said, looking at the ornate door that would lead them to the Mayor. Without pause, the both of them knocked. After a few resounding thuds from the okay, a wizened old man answered the door with an irritated frown only to change to beckoning them inside upon seeing the golden slate that is the Lord¡¯s Seal. He led them straight past the living room into his office, and only rested easy on his armchair when the doors and windows have all been sealed. ¡°I am Mayor Filand. Prince Trigent had a letter for me?¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. It was a rhetoric question, as though the mayor had long expected a letter to arrive. Shadun wordlessly withdrew the letter in question from his vest and handed it over to the old man, who slit it open with an exquisite penknife and began to read. ¡°Too soon¡­¡± The mayor slowly shook his head. ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± Shadun inquired to which Filand hastily replied. ¡°Nothing of your concern, boys. Thank you for bringing this letter safely to me. It might be a simple task but I will reward your efforts greatly.¡±
A secret letter for Torintu ¨C Complete With your help, Shadun had managed to recover the important seal from the bandits that was stolen during his journey to Torintu. With the recovered seal, you convinced the Mayor of Torintu that the letter you bring from the Lord Tirgent of Caerheim is authentic and thus deliver the letter safely into the hands of its intended recipient. Rewards: +20 fame + 45 relations to Caerheim +5 gold pieces You have leveled up!
A simple task? Yea right, Beast thought. The letter was anything but simple, what with the Lord¡¯s Seal and the hefty rewards that accompanied the completion of the quest. Besides, the reaction Filand had when he read the letter was the icing on the cake that sealed the deal. Something was up, only that he did not know what it was. Beast tried to eye Shadun to see if the latter could shed some light on the matter, but the bard remained stoic in face of the quest continuation. ¡°I will pen a letter in response and you will bring it back to the Prince for me as soon as possible. Keep the seal safe until it is back into the lord¡¯s hands.¡± Dringgg!
A secret letter to Loyderidge The Mayor of Torintu had penned a reply letter to Lord Trigent of Caerheim, and requires you to deliver it safely into his hands along with the Seal of the Lord within three days. Nobody is to know of the letter¡¯s content and neither the letter nor the Seal is to fall into the wrong hands. Time limit: 72 hours Note: There will be repercussions if either one were to be lost. Unlike previously, there will be no second chances. The quest will also fail if the time limit is reached. Difficulty: D
He knew that this much was to be expected but it was getting quite ridiculous. What had Shadun done to get such a ridiculously simple fetch chain quest that pays off so well? He had gotten like 5 gold and 45 public relations just for completing a secondary quest; the main quest originator would have received much more. Granted, the bandits were difficult alone but a party could have taken them no problem. Beast is a little jealous and was almost tempted to accept the quest to join the bard and partake in his share of the pie. However, he reminded himself why he was in Torintu in the first place. Lanos - The abandoned fort where the ceremonial sword had come from. He has to get himself some viable equipment and skills first before he recklessly pursues something else. ¡°I refuse.¡± ¡°I accept.¡± The two of them said at the same time. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡°So did you know what was happening?¡± Beast asked after the both of them were out of the mayor¡¯s home, curiosity getting the better of him. ¡°Not really.¡± Shadun shook his head and shrugged. ¡°How did you come by this quest then?¡± At that, the bard gave Beast an implacable look. ¡°I ¡­ was in Loyderidge when someone approached me with the seal. Now that I think of it, it could have been Lord Trigent himself.¡± From the way he spoke, Beast knew that the bard was not spilling everything he knows. But without him knowing anything and Shadun not telling, there was little he could do. Beast could see that the bard seems to want to say something and was caught in a dilemma as to what to do, so he decided to help the man out a little bit. Straightening his posture, the Lore Keeper coughed. ¡°I guess I will see you around then.¡± Beast raised his hand to wave goodbye. ¡°You have to go, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Right.¡± As Shadun turned to leave, Beast sighed. Now that he was all alone again, he could regain all the previous things he could not do in front of another pair of eyes, but there was a lingering feeling of something he could not put a finger on. Kind of like an empty feeling somewhere. Nevertheless, there was much that he needs to do. After finding a safe spot away from people, Beast started to pull out all the loot he had obtained from the bandit cave and going through them one by one. ¡°Artifact Identify!¡±
You have failed to identify an artifact.
Well, that was as expected. How could a common bandit weapon ever be an artifact? ¡°Item Window¡±
Bandit Knife Weapon, Dagger, Common A common short poisoned knife employed by bandits used to quickly silence their targets. Durability: 21/30 Damage: 11-14 Level restriction: 16 Effect: Strikes have a chance to inflict Poison 1 on the target.
As mere junk to be sold to the shops, Beast tossed the knife aside and moved on to another, and another. The process of artifact identification and checking the item description kept on repeating itself until Beast abruptly reached something new from an item that he had collected from the bandit bosses.
Knife Weapon, Unidentified.
No other information was displayed, causing a sense of intrigue in the Lore Keeper. So it seemed that the infamous unidentified items that plagued most multiplayer online games appear in Ages Online as well, which made sense considering that the virtual reality game is to mirror the real world after all. Not all of an object¡¯s information is readily presented to one when one gets hold of it; it takes years of professional training and a discerning eye to accurately determine an object¡¯s actual value and use. Therefore it seems natural for there to be this sort of feature in place in addition to the artifact identification feature. It could become a little annoying actually, as this meant he actually required two stages of identification now. Identification scrolls are not exactly cheap, much less the elusive Identification skill itself. Besides, Beast knew he would never be able to bring himself to sell this kind of possibly rare loot before he could safely deem it worthless, which meant another wasted slot in his bag. Speaking of which, Beast took out the silver hide cloak. ¡°Artifact Identify.¡±
You have failed to identify an artifact. You cannot identify this type of artifacts yet.
Just what was up with this cloak? Just when could he identify this? The OCD in him and his bare unprotected body was irritating him to no end. Beast had so many so many things he wanted to do but could not and the frustration just keeps piling and piling. Unable to keep it in any longer, he packed his stuff and stood up. That does it. He will go out of the town and kill something to vent. He needed to find another source of food anyway. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Hunting in the surrounding grass plains of Torintu proved much more difficult than Beast thought. Instead of the ferocious wolves and dogs that prowled the farmlands of Rydelin, the main hunt around Torintu are the speedy level 24 antelopes. They are not just plain antelopes either; they are antelopes that ran away like the wind once any killing intent was directed right at them, often bounding far out of reach in the matter of seconds even when they were perfectly docile right before. Compared to the previous endeavors where the monsters came attacking, this was definitely a considerable change of pace for Beast. In order words, he did not like it at all. ¡°Hah!¡± Beast lunged at an antelope grazing at the grass, only to fall flat on his face for the umpteen times when the antelope dashed past him and disappeared. It was fine and dandy that his fragile unprotected body need not sustain any possible damage, but this inability to even hunt anything was getting on his nerves. Fighting tooth and nail with an enemy was one thing, because one expected the enemy to be still there even after they dodged a blow but this¡­ this¡­ this was just impossible. Beast spat the dirt and grass out of his mouth and stared at ground. The way things were going, it would only become a colossal waste of time. Shooting a look of disgust at the nearest antelope, Beast logged out. Next Chapter
Author''s Notes: As I have passed the first volume mark, I would like to say words of thanks to my readers. If you guys read and like my story, please do leave a review. If you guys have problems with it, do leave a review too so I can know where to improve on. Thank you! Chapter 12: Antrollope ¡°Sebast! Hey, Sebast!¡± A loud brazen voice knocked him out of his sleep. Groggily, Sebast Koh opened his eyes to a familiar archer¡¯s face, even as he moved to grab his coffee cup lying off to the side. Seeing that it was Emiya with a capital X, Sebast could not be bothered to return the greeting, instead preferring to drift back into some much needed shut-eye. Maybe if he ignored him, he would move off to find some other target to annoy. However, Wong Xiang Jun sat himself next to without much consideration for the man¡¯s private space, subconsciously irking him. ¡°Hey! How have you been in your levels? Seems to me that you have not been sleeping much.¡± Yes, and that is in part your fault, Sebast thought under his closed eyes, clearly remembering the encounter he had with the archer outside Talos¡¯ house and the feeling after the meeting. But that was not said; Sebast only utter a patronizing ¡°mmph¡± in reply. ¡°Anyway the Joint Operations I told you about was a big success! I even gained like five levels from it. It was so awesome that I wished you were there to see it.¡± The guy seems to have made it his personal mission to deny Sebast of his precious minutes before lessons starts. ¡±Do you know that Derrilene was the original quester for the operation? And she is like ¡­ level hundred plus.¡± At that Sebast¡¯s ears perked a bit. Players who are level hundred are not very common in Ages Online, especially in the western part of the world which had developed much later than the central continent. It is also partly due to the game still being relatively new in the market as well as because leveling is truly challenging inside. Gone were the days of button mashing and keyboard facerolls; the battles in virtual realities have to be fought by one¡¯s real capabilities, augmented yes, but still fundamentally their own. Sebast had learnt that the hard way with the rats, then the wolves and now the stupid antelopes that taunted him with their unorthodox programming. ¡°So where are you now?¡± ¡°Torintu.¡± Sebast took another swig of his coffee and idly note that there was barely any effect on his fatigue. ¡°Ah.¡± Xiang Jun¡¯s face immediately changed into that of sympathetic concern. ¡°I was there once, and the native antelopes really do give everyone a real hard time. Most people on the forums nicknamed them An-troll-opes, which is unsurprisingly fitting. You can¡¯t really do anything about them I think so I would suggest that you just skip them and move on to the higher level monsters, or head towards Loyderidge.¡± All these Sebast had already read up from the forums itself overnight. It was also one of the reasons why he was barely getting by on sleep today. Despite that, Sebast suddenly felt a twinge of appreciation towards this loudmouth and insensitive prick of a person for his concern. ¡°Hey-¡°He raised his head up to speak, only to be interrupted by the man himself. ¡°Oh, the Prof is here. Got to go, talk to you later Sebast.¡± Xiang Jun bolted off with a hurried goodbye before heading straight for a group of people including the recognizable faces of Beatrice, Ervin and Xing Ting over at the other side of the classroom before Sebast could protest. Then, the professor entered and started his lecture with a short quiz on the previous topic, fouling Sebast¡¯s mood even further. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Shick... Shick¡­ Beast sat on a rock, staring intently at one of the antelopes that had wandered into his sight, his hands not pausing in the slightest. Shick... Shick¡­
Carving has increased to Basic 3. Carving Speed +2.5% Strength +1 Dexterity +1
Shick¡­ Shick¡­ The antelope jolted its head at Beast¡¯s direction at the sound, as though asking what the man was doing. At the sight of the moving knife in his hands, the animal froze for a moment. It was a weapon of murder, a tool that drew blood of many of its kind and cut the skin of the dead. The antelope knew full well how dangerous a human could be but it did not flee. Its curiosity kept it within vicinity of the man and his preoccupation, fully confident that its powerful hind legs would be more than enough to bring it outside the person¡¯s reach within a matter of seconds. Deep down inside, it knew it was born to do this. This taunting.
Carving has increased to Basic 4. Carving speed + 2.5% Your products are now of a better quality.
Shick... Shick¡­ Shick¡­
Strength+1
What was he making, it wondered. From its primal intellect, the antelope knew the man was making something, just not what. From the looks of it, he was struggling with a bunch of wooden sticks and then slicing them off bit by bit ¨C a pointless endeavor. If antelopes could laugh, this one would have. Shick¡­ The knife suddenly stopped. Then, it noticed the smirk on the human¡¯s face. Danger bells sounded and the antelope immediately activated its plan to escape. Electrical circuits fired to bring its limbs to bear against the hard soil, with a pounce and leap that would cover meters in a stride to bring as much distance as it could between them within a short period of time. However, it came far too late. A long wooden shaft buried itself into the antelope¡¯s abdomen, causing its resulting movements to become more of a dying leap of pain than a break for safety. As the animal collapsed into a writhing heap on the ground, Beast got off the rock he was sitting on and slowly walked over to his prey. With a grin of satisfaction that filled the antelope¡¯s dying vision, he smashed down with a force-filled punch, ending its misery as well as his days of fruitless hunting. So, the throwing spear he made counted as a consumable instead of an equipment. He could make use of this. Stepping in triumph over the dead carcass of his hunt, Beast released a sigh of relief. Who knew that such tactics would have been effective? It was of no coincidence that of the data he had researched on regarding these animals the night before, that all of the well-known classes reported extreme difficulty in bringing down these mobs with the exception of one class ¨C the bowmen. Those in the archer forums were surprisingly quiet regarding this matter and indeed, despite the antelopes being able to get the better of the melee classes, they could not outrun arrows flying at a hundred meters per second. It was no wonder Xiang Jun appeared sympathetic, with no mention of his own troubles ¨C An archer like him could get by just fine. As for mages, their spells move much slower, so they require a bit of forward aiming to be accurate. Beast would never have though that projectile speed would have a significant effect on the game. The developers of this game really thought of everything. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Without any ranged capabilities to think of, Beast could only come up with the next best alternative, such as the throwing spear that he had utilized just now. It was a primal way of hunting, but effective all the same. Now that it worked perfectly, it seemed that he could look forward to having some antelope meat soon. Spotting another antelope nearby, Beast readied his second wooden spear and hurled it while imitating the action his P.E teacher used to do once at a javelin throw session. The slight flourish when the spear left his hand gave it a spin that made it seems like a tunneling drill flying towards its target, only for the antelope to jerk away at the last minute. Impacting the ground at a violent torque, the wood splintered and broke into pieces while the animal fled. Okay, maybe not so perfect after all. ¡­¡­. As Beast slowly cook the pile of meat he had hunted over the past few hours over a fire, his eyes moved over the most recent notification windows.
Dexterity +1 Throwing Mastery has increased to Basic 2 You have leveled up!
The number of spears he had carved and used to throw ¨C about a hundred in total - had also brought his carving skills to Basic 6, allowing him to carve up to stone. Even with that however, he was not about to use stone skewers anytime soon. Soon, the aroma of cooked meat began to waft from the fire. ¡°Maybe I should invest in a pot or something someday.¡± Beast muttered to himself. ¡°Not everything tastes good barbequed.¡± Besides, his experience with previous games told him that the cooking skill was an excellent investment should he managed to gather up useful recipes that provide powerful buffs to aid in survivability. Skewers were never going to cut it. Steeling his resolve, Beast suddenly stood up and disappeared into the town, only to return a few minutes later with a pot in hand and some vegetables in another. It might have cost him a solid gold coin and then some from his five but the results were worth it.
You have learnt the recipe: Venison Stew When consumed, provides +10 strength +10 dexterity +10 stamina for 4 hours game time.
When he drank the soup, Beast could actually feel strength flowing through his whole body. Just like the stats of the buff, the sips he had were absolutely delicious. So was the smell, and the smell began to attract players just like the time outside Rydelin. ¡°Is that antelope meat? Wow! How did you manage to catch them? ¡° ¡°How much would you accept for a share of that stew?¡± Without looking up, Beast replied, ¡°50 copper, but only if you bring some vegetables to add to the pot.¡± Time to regain back his investments. 50 coppers was a hefty ten times increase from back then where a skewer was sold for only 5, but this time it was antelope meat which was such a rare commodity on the market that should warrant the 1000 percent increase. It would seems that the other players agree with him as well, for a moment later many of them are appearing with freshly bought vegetables in their hands, causing Beast to continuously adding slabs of meat and refilling the water in the pot. It did not take long for the pile, forty odd slabs in total, to disappear into the hungry stomach of Beast and the players with some even asking for multiple servings. In the end he earned back 25 silvers.
Cooking have leveled to Basic 5 Your dishes will taste better. All Stats +2 Cooking speed increases by 5%
Packing the extra skewers he had set aside for his own use into his bag, Beast bade farewell to the satisfied players around him. With his food supply settled and a level and then some in skills gained from the hunt, it was about time he start heading for the Fort of Lanos up north over the Tarron hills, but first there was something he had left hanging he should do before he depart. First, he picked up 30 healing potions at the potion store. Then, he sold off the miscellaneous items he obtained from the antrollopes. Now for the last thing he would do. Approaching the town gates, Beast recognized what was Guard Apollon who had given both him and Shadun a quest to clear out the bandits. A quick wave got the latter¡¯s attention. ¡°Hey! I have completed what you asked of me. For the sake of Torintu and Caerheim, the bandits should plague you no more.¡± Some choice words like ¡®for Torintu¡¯ and ¡®for Caerheim¡¯ were used. ¡°Oh thank goodness! Thank you so much. You have done us a great deed.¡±
Clear the Bandits ¨C Completed The bandit hideout had been thoroughly cleared of all bandits. They should no longer harass the caravans running from Rydelin to Torintu and the town will enjoy peace from raids and robbery for the time being. Rewards: + 50 silver + 5 fame + 15 public relations to Caerheim You have leveled up!
Now he was ready. ¡°Could you render us your aid once more, adventurer?¡± Or maybe not. It seemed like the intimacy from the quest before had unlocked another. Though Beast really wanted to get moving on to the Fort of Lanos already, there was no harm in hearing the guard out. At the most he could make a detour or something when he comes back. ¡°You are too polite, Sir Apollon. I could not be more eager to help the town of Torintu if she needs me.¡± ¡°Indeed, spoken like a true man.¡± The guard nodded in approval. ¡°Recently, Loyderidge had conducted an operation to drive out the trolls near the city. As a result some of the stragglers had settled in the Tarron hills near here and pose a serious threat to the town and its inhabitants. Please clear them out, or kill at least a dozen of them.¡±
Troll-Slaying The joint operation conducted recently in Loyderidge had caused a migration of trolls over to the Tarron hills near Torintu, disrupting the local ecosystem and farmlands. Guard Apollon request that you deal with this threat for Torintu. Difficulty: D+ Note: Rewards are different for partial clearance and full clearance.
The Tarron hills are a wide-spanning mountainous area that ranged from Torintu to Corelia beyond the plains of Marr. One actually needs to go pass the Tarron Hills in order to reach Fort Lanos on the other side so it was indeed lucky that they are on the way so Beast could simply complete this before reaching the Fort. Simply, being the key word he would soon regret. Next Chapter Chapter 13: A Chance Encounter at Tarron Hills By the time Beast realized the trolls he was supposed to kill were a whooping level 50 each, it was far too late for him to return back to Torintu and reject the quest. Furthermore, he is bound to suffer a hefty penalty in intimacy and public relations should he drop the quest after accepting it like every other quest does. Really, he should have known better and piece together the information he already had to estimate the difficulty of this quest. Xiang Jun had once told him regarding the trolls that attacked Loyderidge, and something that required the scale of a Joint Operation comprising many users ranging from level 30 to 100 to clear would not be as easy as he had thought despite these supposedly being the surviving remnants. There was not much choice but for him to think of a way to bridge the thirty level gap somehow or another. Oh how cruel reality may be, even if it was virtual. There was much to despair about while the hulking trolls lumbered about in the area before him, their menacing wooden clubs almost as long as Beast¡¯s full length. Smash! A level 27 kobold scout that had wandered too close to one of the trolls now lay broken underneath the massive weight of its club. Beast cringed under the imagined pain, even as the troll scooped up the dead monster and ate it in a single gulp. He was currently right at the fringe of the Hills and all the local monsters had been replaced by the trolls, either chased away or killed by their savage ferocity. From his position, he could even spot remnants of desperate battles on the ground decorated by dried white bones, left behind by players who might not have gotten the missive on the current situation. No matter how Beast look at it, the task at hand was impossible. Unless he had a skill or something that¡­ Beast suddenly smacked his head in disgust. He did have that kind of skill - the new prime spell he had catalogued from the Seal of the Lord. Providing a 30% flat bonus to all of his stats, it could increase his capabilities drastically, boosting his effective level. Add on to the fact that he already had an excess amount of stats from identifying artifacts and leveling his crafting skills, his effective level would really be closer to low 40s than 23 under the influence of the aura. Suddenly, the quest seemed much more manageable now. Scanning around to see if anyone else was nearby before he springs into action, Beast locked on to one of the outer trolls ambling about. He should play it safe and test how he fared first. When it was all-clear, he opened the Vanadic Tome with a flourish. ¡°Prime: Bloodline Aura!¡± A sudden rash of heat burst through his body from his abdomen right after the incantation, followed by a great flow of strength and vitality. Riding on the rush of power, Beast leapt towards the troll and gave it a punch with all of his might. The resultant blow was so great that the monster was knocked onto the ground by the impact. While the monster sat there dazed by the surprise attack, Beast started pounding upon the troll¡¯s body, dealing hits after hits onto the rough skin. Even with sub-par damage and the troll¡¯s heightened defense, there was no monster that could withstand the multitude of blows that would be known to many gamers as cherry-tapping. If the monster had a hundred health points and he could do only one point of damage, then Beast would just have to hit it one hundred times. Then a huge club abruptly came out of nowhere and slammed into Beast, interrupting the combo and sending him flying a few meters away. With an indignant roar, the battered troll got onto its feet and turned to face its attacker who too had barely manage to stay on his footing. It took all but a second later for a wooden spear to bury itself deep into the troll¡¯s chest, amplified by the aura overflowing from the buffed Lore Keeper. That did not complete the job however, for the troll was still alive and well, now totally incensed by the pesky human that had wounded it so. ¡°No wonder it takes a joint operation to do this.¡± Beast muttered to himself. He had totally forgotten about the main features of trolls. Being a mythical creature that haunt bridges in tales and games of old, trolls are usually thick-hided beings characterized with their large clubs, but what made them special are not their large frames or ugly faces. It is actually their blood. As anyone who had a basic knowledge in mythology would know, it is said that the regenerative properties of troll blood are so potent that rare potions are actually made from them as part of the essential ingredients. Needless to say, it made them extremely difficult to kill as well as per current situations. Regardless, his newfound abilities should be able to handle it just fine and the troll was just so terribly slow, having exchanged speed for their toughened survivability. The only problem Beast could foresee would be the reach of the club compared to his fist, but with his agility it would not be too much of a problem if he were to fight within striking distance. It was manageable. Heading in again for another assault, Beast suddenly felt his strength sap away and his footsteps falter, so much that he would not be able to dodge the incoming arc of the club in time. Panic took hold of him as he tried to jerk his body away from the blow but it was in vain. Slam! As Beast laid on the ground in pain watching his health drop from three quarters full to a sliver left, his mind was reeling from the shock and confusion from having his buff dispelled so abruptly. Someone was trying to kill him! The logical reason why his buff would disappear suddenly was the all-famous dispel magic. Shifting straight into alert mode, Beast quickly took what was left of his bearings and sent out his senses to his surroundings. The troll would have to wait; he could always run from the monster, but running from a player would be another story. Any hostile players definitely had to be settled first. Yet, even as precious seconds ticked by, all that he could see with his naked eye was the troll and himself. Something felt off. Had he misread or misunderstood something? A quick check on the aura skill description all but confirmed his suspicions. When it said that the duration of the buff will last for 5% of the consumed mana, it was correct, only that the Prime version of the skill did not consume 25% percent of the user¡¯s max mana pool. What had actually been consumed was only the fixed two hundred mana cost for Prime skills and that translated to only a measly 10 seconds of buff time. In other words, Beast had deceived himself. With a groan that originated more from the pain in his heart than his body, Beast picked himself up and glared at the approaching troll. This troll and all of its friends shall become the receptacle for his frustration no matter how many ten seconds it would require, Beast swore on his gamer pride. Nobody in their right mind would dare to come here in the near future because of all these monsters, so he would be able to spam his skill to his heart content. ¡°Prime: Bloodline Aura!¡± He whispered with cold determination before engaging in battle once more. ¡­¡­ On paper, the trolls in Tarron Hills were more than twice the levels of Beast¡¯s. In certain games, killing higher level enemies rewards the player with an exponential increase of experience to compensate for combined numbers likely needed to defeat them. Ages Online is no exception. As result, Beast found himself obtaining huge amount of experience with relatively little difficulty thanks to his effective level with a combination of bloodline aura, his fists and his throwing spears. As he leveled, the hunt only became easier and easier. By the time he slowly picked off each and every troll from the hills over the period of the next two days, he had leveled up from 23 to 34, gaining a total of 11 levels in the process. His bare-handed mastery and iron body had also improved, bringing the former close to the edge of what all players term as the first milestone in the skill ¨C the advancement to the Intermediate levels. ¡°Stats Window.¡±
Status Window
Name:Beast
Level:34Profession:Lore Keeper
Race:HumanGender:Male
Titles:Troll Slayer +10% dmg to trolls, +3 to all stats
Fame:40
-
Health:1700Mana:1190 (+500)
Strength:122 (+3)Intelligence:57 (+3)
Dexterity:123 (+3)Wisdom:79 (+3)
Stamina:124 (+3)Luck:24 (+3)
Bare Hand Mastery, +19% to bare hand damage Iron Body, +7% resistance to all damage
Equipment Effects
Vanadic Tome of Artifacts: +500 mana
Relations
Caerheim: 86
Interestingly enough, he had also picked up a title for single-handedly eliminating all the trolls in the area. Like all other games do, this virtual reality game offers in-universe achievements known as titles which would display above or next to your name when being checked by other players. In some games, they may or may not offer a slight bonus to stats and Beast was glad that this one does. A simple +3 to all stats might not be stellar compared to end-game titles, but Beast would take anything he could get his hands on at this point of time. With a buff that increased his stats, any increment in them would mean an increase in boosted capabilities. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.Now, Beast just had to deal with a slight problem. His inventory was at present cluttered with most of the trash that the trolls had dropped, ranging from wooden clubs to dirty loincloths. What precious space he had left was filled with wooden vials of troll blood he had painstakingly collected a while ago, figuring that it might sell for a good sum of money or used to make some potions should he manage to acquire the alchemy skill. So right now he could either continue straight on to the Fort, potentially missing out on selling the loot for some spare coin or he could head back to Torintu for a quick trip to the general store. Or he could actually proceed further to Corelia for inventory management. Beast found himself leaning towards the former option; if he were to return to Torintu with troll drops in hand, it would signal the end of the mini-event and cause the return of the player population. Besides, he was also pretty reluctant to advance so far to Corelia so soon. On the contrary, going forward into the dungeon while people are staying away from the area might actually guarantee the entire place to himself for some time and that sounded much more enticing that a few coppers he would get from selling smelly rags. Besides, the clubs could be carved down into spears and the loincloths¡­ well, if cleaned properly might find a possible use as bandages. Beast involuntarily gave a small shudder as he thought about it. Would an infection be possible in this game? Poison is a common status ailment but infection¡­ Beast decided that it was best that he did not know. Sitting down nearby on a rock, he began to whittle down the clubs into wooden spears. ¡­¡­¡­ A short journey later beyond the hills opened up into a lightly forested area. Beast found himself at the start of what appeared to be a path of strewn rocks and stone debris. Judging by this, the Fort could not be any further off. It was there the Lore Keeper picked up his pace, eager for a new adventure and new loot, only for a sudden voice to stop him in his tracks. ¡°You?¡± It was sickeningly familiar, but before Beast could remember who it was, the speaker stepped into full view. Donning a set of silver plate armour, the man named Lortan carried behind him a gleaming claymore of steel. Although his in-game name was not displayed in red for all to see like a chaotic PKer would, Beast personally knew of his chaotic history and was on the guard from the get go. By the look of recognition on the other man¡¯s face, it would seem that he had remembered who Beast was as well. Feigning like they had been best of friends, the warrior then approached Beast with open arms. ¡°Hey, are you heading towards the Fort?¡± There was a sly smirk on his face. ¡°Just. Like. That?¡± Beast eyed the warrior for a while before slowly nodding in reply. He could simply ignore the man and carry on his way, but it would not be a good idea to let a potential griefer out of his sight now that it had come down to this. Who knew when he might be ambushed inside the dungeon should he allow it. ¡°What level are you to be so confident?¡± ¡°34.¡± Despite Beast telling the truth, he could sense the other man¡¯s eyes focusing beyond him, the tell-tale signs of him checking his character profile. After affirming that Beast level was indeed what he had proclaimed, it became obvious that Lortan¡¯s guard dropped significantly. ¡°Really now! The fort might be easy enough but there is no need for such suicidal actions for a merchant to obtain loot.¡± He exclaimed. Merchant? Beast almost gave the man an indignant yell before realizing the reason why. Of course, to Lortan¡¯s eyes Beast was merely a level 34 human wearing plain civilian clothes. Because job professions and stats are not displayed to the public it is no wonder Lortan mistook him for a merchant class. ¡°How about this, even though I just came from there I don¡¯t mind doing you a favor and help you through the dungeon. My sword won¡¯t break just yet I guess.¡± He drew the claymore and ran his hand across the flat side of his sword in a not-so-subtle show of coercion. The Fort of Lanos is generally one of the level 40-50 dungeons designed for adventurers looking for a little challenge after leaving Torintu. Even through Beast might be a little under leveled without proper equipment, his vastly inflated stats could allow him to survive just fine in the dungeon even if it would have to result in him proceeding one monster at a time. It would seem that Lortan had not been near town for a period of time and thus had not gotten the missive regarding the trolls at Tarron Hills. If he had, he would have known that if Beast was able to pass the hills, he would have been much more of a threat than he appeared to be. Of course, Beast did not say anything; it would be best for the scheming warrior to keep underestimating him. Reigning in all the loathing he had for the man, Beast nodded. ¡°That would really be appreciated. I was wondering what to do for an escort when you arrived.¡± Lortan snorted and gave a mocking laugh. ¡°Right! Then let¡¯s get going shall we?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s¡± said Beast, hiding a smile of his own. ¡­¡­¡­¡­.. As it was before the first time they had been partied together, Lortan the warrior mindlessly charged into monster groups the moment they appeared into sight. Meanwhile, Beast was content to sit back and watch the man power through the ruined fortress with pure brute force. It seemed that Lortan had bought into his own assumptions that Beast was a frail merchant character with zero combat potential, because he had not yet once called the Lore Keeper to aid him ever since they entered the dungeon proper. Beast was content to let him continue to do so while leeching off the EXP that was freely flowing into his pockets. It did seem that Lortan was treating him like an extra bag though, giving him all the junk loot to carry while pocketing the better ones. Good thing he already disposed of all the loin cloths beforehand; how else was he going to explain that he, a supposed merchant with increased holding capacity, had no bag space left? For almost the entirety of the fort¡¯s courtyard Beast merely hung back and observed. The Fort of Lanos generally has hobgoblins as its main monster, although they can appear in different types. Those in the courtyard consist of the standard hobgoblin spearmen and the occasional goblin archer at level 40 and 42 respectively, so much lower than the trolls Beast had fought back in Tarron Hills that he almost felt a little disappointed. At least he was not the one having to waste time killing them, even if Lortan was still doing a pretty bad job at it. Eyeing the warrior in front of him, Beast felt like giving the man a smack in the head. Despite being ridiculously armored and judging by those armor, is sitting at a level in the high fifties, it was baffling that Lortan was having some difficulty handling the monsters, mainly because of his own incompetence in tactics. Aggroing a whole lot of monsters at once was just asking for trouble, even if he had the capability to survive through it. All that resulted was the warrior downing potions like an addict and constantly going into meditative trance for recovery. One would have thought that 50 levels of experience would have taught him basic strategy already. ROAR! After defeating the last enemy present in the courtyards, a thunderous roar shook the ruined grounds and out of the entrance into the fort emerged a ten foot tall ogre, except that it was not a normal ogre but a blinded one ridden by a hobgoblin tamer. Metal spikes connected by chains had been impaled in various parts of its joints, forcing the brutalized monster to obey its rider¡¯s will lest it suffers more pain. Beast could not help but feel wince at the sight. ¡°Watch out!¡± Lortan shouted over the commotion. ¡°For his club!¡± Sure enough, a menacing spiked club came crashing down on where Beast had stood a moment later, narrowly avoided by instinctively throwing himself to his right. Lortan charged in the next second and started hacking away at the monster¡¯s body. Taking the opportunity to scramble away to safety, Beast stopped by the cover of a stone pillar to catch his senses. This must be a mini-boss event that most dungeons usually have and it seemed that the only way onwards was to defeat the Hobgoblin Rider. However, the chances of doing so were not looking too good. Lortan could be seen having trouble against the ogre who did not look like it was going down despite the numerous gaping wounds on its body. Add that on to the fact the warrior was still suffering wounds from his previous battles; it seemed that some help was needed. Should he help the man though? It could be a way to sate his vengeance against the jerk who had griefed him in the past and finish up the ogre when Lortan had died, but did he wanted that? On second thought, he would prefer to exact revenge with his own hands rather than using a proxy. Besides, the reach of the ogre¡¯s club would mean a difficult time soloing with having only his bare fists to work with. It was with this line of thought that Beast fished out a spear from his backpack and aimed it at the distracted hobgoblin tamer. Flinging it as hard as he could, the spear struck out and impaled itself neatly on the monster, throwing the hobgoblin off its mount with the sudden momentum.
Dexterity +1 Throwing Mastery has increased to Basic 3
With its rider gone, the ogre also started going berserk. Years of sustained torture and being treated like a mule had caused it to wildly swing its club around in an attempt to kill its fallen tamer without care of any collateral damage. Beast idly wondered if this had been the cause of the fort¡¯s destruction as he watched the ogre¡¯s blinded sight get into its way of having its vengeance on its former master. At first Lortan wondered what had happened, but he soon noticed the wounded hobgoblin on the ground and wised up. One smash of his claymore was all it needed to kill the hobgoblin before he turned to the ogre running amok and finished it off with a flurry of successive slashes. ¡°Heh! Did you see how I took care of them?¡± The warrior boasted, conveniently leaving out how it was Beast who broke the monster¡¯s coordination. ¡°C¡¯mon, the Fort still has a long way to go.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Beast nodded as the warrior disappeared through the entrance. He was not really bothered by the glory-hounding. Not because he was fine with it, but because he just noticed some weird symbols etched to the side of the entrance arch and somehow he could understand them all. ¡°Flee.¡± It said. Next Chapter Chapter 14: Indignation Inside the Fortress, the much tougher Hobgoblin elites and mages began to make their appearances. Armed with battleaxes and powerful fire magic, the rate at which Lortan was clearing the monsters noticeably slowed. Still, Beast did not make a move to help. What he was preoccupied with was the appearances of these strange -yet-readable symbols located all over the fort interior. Many of them had already faded away with the passage of time but what could be made out all spoke of the same thing. To flee. To escape. To run away. From something. It could be quite unnerving to keep seeing them when what he was doing was the contrary but what wass more curious was the fact that Lortan before him did not even seem to acknowledge them. Many a times the warrior had come face to face with the symbols and yet had shown no sign of recognition or otherwise. What if he could not read them at all and they appeared only as gibberish writings to him? Beast entertained the thought of such a possibility. But there was still a slight chance that the man was feigning ignorance of the warnings all so that he could bring Beast deeper into the dungeon where he could kill him off like the time before. ¡°Hey,¡± Beast spoke, catching the attention of the currently meditating warrior. ¡°Do you know who these guys are?¡± Beast was pointing at a handful of corpses that lay haphazardly on the ground on the campsite they had gotten to and were now resting at. These were definitely players, because only players leave behind a body when they die for the player killing and looting mechanism. Lortan opened an eye to see what Beast was talking about and coldly shrugged. It seemed that he was not as deep in meditation that he had appeared to be. ¡°Nope, no idea. Fools need to learn to avoid getting killed by monsters.¡± Lies. There had been clearly a look of recognition that flitted across the warrior¡¯s face for that split-second. Lortan had definitely known of the dead players around them and if Beast were to hazard a guess, he might have also been the one who gutted them all in cold blood in their sleep. Besides, Lortan had demonstrated his inability to handle the Hobgoblin Tamer by himself, reinforcing the notion that to enter here he must have come with a party. Now he was getting desperate to meet another player within the ruins as soon as possible. If anything, having someone else around might deter Lortan from his less than friendly intentions. Two versus one would also give Beast a higher chance of winning. At first Beast toyed with the idea that the symbols had been written by Lortan¡¯s previous party to warn others of the warrior¡¯s intentions but when the two of them went deeper and the messages kept recurring, it threw Beast¡¯s hypothesis out of the window. The only logical explanation left was that for some reason Beast was able to read them while others could not. A skill perhaps, that Beast had a faint impression of getting some time back when he job-changed. It did not take long for him to sift through the handful of skills he had to determine the cause.
Skill: Scribe Being a well-learned historian allows you to read and write in every known languages of the world
If Beast had come alone, he might not have noticed the discrepancy that he was the only person able to decipher these glyphs and thus not discover them to be of a different language. This brought a whole new perspective to the Fort of Lanos and showed it to be more than just a dungeon for people to level up in. Namely, the fortress was of a much older origin than Beast had first expected, possibly belong to an ancient empire. The first time he obtained the Ceremonial Sword, its description did mention something called the Age of Conquest and the fort¡¯s decline but unless Beast¡¯s definition of ¡®decline¡¯ was wrong, the state of the fortress indicated that it was not merely declined as much as being destroyed by an unknown force. What could have happened to cause something like this to happen? What did the description not tell that warranted those messages? Suddenly a notification window appeared, accompanied by a ringing sound.
The Secret of Lanos Class Quest The Fortress of Lanos seems to hold a secret to an event in the past which not many historical records detailed. Find out what happened to the Fortress and uncover the truth that had been buried beneath the ruined stone for ages. Class Limitation: Historian Difficulty: C
A quest had appeared, and it was a vague one at that. He had no idea what exactly triggered this but what held Beast¡¯s attention was that it was the first C difficulty quest he had ever received. Even the Troll-slaying quest was only a D+ difficulty and that required the killing of level 50 trolls to accomplish. At this point of time, Beast had to rein in a bitter smile. He was going down a dangerous path and he had no idea what would befall him in the near future. Uncertainty. Beast did not like the word a single bit. What he liked was planning his choice of actions properly, knowing what to expect and what to react. It was a little ironic, given how his in-game circumstances in Ages Online had been uncertain since forever. The only consolation he could get was that it was a class exclusive quest that only he and a select few others who had the balls to become a historian would be able to take. ¡°Pesky human! Die!!¡± Came a hobgoblin shriek, alerting Beast to a sudden incoming attack. To his front, Lortan had mysteriously disappeared after killing a group of monsters and a group of two hobgoblin elites followed by a hobgoblin mage were charging down the hallway to aid their fellow brethren. Seeing Beast as the only invader in their vicinity, they immediately made a beeline for him, brandishing their axes and casting a powerful fireball spell that hurtle across the air. Beast had no chance to think of anything else as he took the fireball straight in the chest and was blasted a few meters backwards.
-358 HP You are on fire! ¨C 20 HP /second
Iron Body has increased to Basic 8
¡°Goddamnit!¡± cursed Beast as he dropped to the ground and rolled in an attempt to squash out the flames on his body. It did not hurt as much as in real life because of the dampened pain senses of Ages Online, but if nothing was done about it he would die sooner or later from the stacked damage. He barely got the fire out when the first of the elites reach him and swung its axe down.
The fire on you had been put out.
-425 HP
In desperation Beast kicked out with all his might, activating the power of Desperado Backlash. The blow struck the elite on the abdomen, causing critical damage and knocking the hobgoblin off its feet. Just when Beast was about to pounce on the downed hobgoblin and give it a thorough bashing, the second elite came into range accompanied by a fireball that barely grazed the side of Beast¡¯s torso. The situation was deteriorating by the second. His gamer instincts told him that the mage needed to die fast for there to be a chance of victory. Breaking off engagement with the hobgoblin elites, Beast rushed at the goblin mage in an attempt to interrupt the next spell before it was fully cast. To hell with keeping up pretenses. ¡°Prime: Bloodline Aura!¡± In that full ten seconds of power the aura provided him with, Beast closed the gap between the mage and himself in three strides and whacked the living daylights out of it. Being a spell caster with generally low armour and health, it went down in no more than a total of seven hits dealt in quick succession. Then, the Lore Keeper turned his attention to the remaining two hobgoblins and launched himself into the fray. With his increased dexterity and strength, the level 46 hobgoblin elites could not keep up with Beast as he continued to circle and land blows on them. Another ten seconds of aura time was enough to finish them off completely with minimal damages suffered. Beast anxiously uncorked a potion to replenish his health. So Lortan had begun his plan. It was then, Lortan stepped out of the shadows. ¡°It seems that you have tricks up your sleeve after all.¡± The warrior sneered. ¡°For a merchant I guess that¡¯s quite praiseworthy. It seems to have a short duration though?¡± Beast found himself suppressing a groan. Really now, he has to deal with a smack talking warrior right after a battle encounter? ¡°Where were you?¡± Beast resignedly demanded, conveniently dodging the question and trying to drag for time. His eyes scanned the entire hallway they were in for any escape routes, only to find none. The only way out was back through Lortan, or forward through mobs they had not cleared. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Off to the side killing a bunch of mobs.¡± It was a blatant lie that Beast could not even bother calling him out on. He just pointedly asked the warrior. ¡°So what are you going to do now?¡± A smirk was all the warrior gave for an answer. In an instant, the blood red name that defined chaotic PKers revealed itself over Lortan¡¯s head. He then burst into combat, swinging his claymore with a wild frenzy, thinking that a hit was all he needed to incapacitate the wounded Beast. However what he did not count on was Beast taking action as well, first by dropping to the ground to avoid his sword and then kicking out at his solar plexus. Clang, the silver armor resounded, echoing through the now empty halls. A dull pain ached at Beast¡¯s foot. ¡°Hahahahahaha, is that all you got?¡± Lortan laughed. ¡°C¡¯mon! Use that skill you used just now. Your attack barely damaged me.¡± Beast only spat indignantly. The armour defense was much higher than he had thought; a miscalculation. He would just have to aim for the man¡¯s exposed head instead. ¡°A merchant acting big. Now I have seen everything!¡± Throughout the conversation, Lortan never once let up on his attacks. It took everything that Beast had to avoid them. Now that he was on the receiving end of Lortan¡¯s blows proper, what he once saw as random swings and thrusts actually have a degree of discipline to them. Even though Lortan had missed most of his attacks for now, Beast could still feel himself slowly being cornered and pressured by the reach of the blade. The only saving grace was that the claymore was painfully slow. Even that has to come to an end. Suddenly, Beast felt a sharp kick on his knees when he had dodged the claymore¡¯s strike a moment before. Falling painfully onto the ground, he looked up in horror as Lortan pulled out a dagger and instantaneously impaled his left hand onto the gravel.
-145HP You have been disabled! You have been immobilized!
The knife had lower attack stats and thus dealt a lower damage, but what it actually did to him has far worse consequences. Goddamnit. Beast silently cursed. PVP was totally different from normal mob hunting entirely! Now that it had come down to this, he had no other choice but to step up the ante. ¡°Prime! Bloodline Aura!¡± A flood of power pulsed through Beast¡¯s body and he pulled the knife impaling his hand out of the ground with a single tug before turning to face Lortan. He charged, just as Lortan also readied his sword. Beast ran straight towards the incoming attack, not caring as he put his all into his one punch. However, right as he was about to impaled himself onto Lortan¡¯s claymore, Beast abruptly made himself miss a step.
-12 HP
The sword harmlessly bypassed over him. That was not all though. Just before the damage window ended, he quickly pulled himself up and lashed out with an uppercut right to the warrior''s face. ¡°DESPERADO BACKLASH!¡± Beast screamed, dealing an impact that caused even the heavily armored warrior to stagger backwards. Taking the opening generated by the powerful, Beast started to land blow after blow on the warrior by following his normal monster hunting routine. Then, the ten seconds ended. A large armoured hand came out of nowhere, smacking Beast across the face to the ground. It was subsequently followed by a cleaving of the claymore that tore through the paper thin rags of the default common clothes he was wearing the whole time.
-414HP
¡®He counted the duration!'' The thought flashed across Beast¡¯s mind as he was sprawled on the dirt. After that last attack, it had left him on his last legs. With only a sliver of health left, there was no choice but to use his precious mana for emergency healing. ¡°Prime: Renew! Prime: Renew! Prime: Renew! Prime: Renew!¡± That might hopefully last him for another blow. ¡°Oh? A healing spell? You are such a funny merchant.¡± Lortan cocked his head mockingly. ¡°At least I give you credit for standing up to me. Others simply die in their sleep.¡± ¡°So that was you after all!¡± Indignation. For that one moment of time, Beast could feel the wrath of all the people who had died under Lortan''s blade welling up from within him. Such cruelty. Beast could only imagine the victims waking up to find themselves back in town missing items and money without even knowing why. Besides, they were hunting in a party, which meant they might never know exactly who the one who killed them was. This man needed to die, or he will die trying to kill him. ¡°And so?¡± It was the sound of a person who did not give a damn. A whistling sound of a wooden spear rushing past his head and splintering on the stone behind him made Lortan gave one. ¡°Little bastard!¡± Back onto the battle at hand, Beast only have enough mana from his regeneration for another Prime left, which means a last ten seconds to bring down the warrior. However, Lortan did not seem to be noticeably hurt at all, most probably due to his high defense that protected him. ¡°Prime: Bloodline Aura!¡± It was his last stand. Ten. Beast dodged a right slash. Nine. He then smashed Lortan across the face with his fist. Eight. And another. Seven. And another. Six. A sudden kick from the warrior almost caught him unaware. Beast parried the blow just in time. Five. Four. Three. By this time, Lortan was content to simply wait it out. He was actively maintaining his distance while Beast tried to attack with much frustration. Two. One. Time was up. As the power from the aura left him, Lortan closed in onto Beast with a swing strong enough to decapitate him. Beast could do nothing else but wait for his death in resignation. In the end his revenge scheme failed; it appeared that Beast would have to die again this day. But the cold numbing of death did not come. A muffled cry later, Lortan was the one on the ground instead with a hooded female standing over him. Beast blinked. ¡°What the? Who are you ?¡± demanded the wounded warrior. ¡°What-¡° The unknown stranger did not bother to wait for him to finish his sentence before stabbing her dagger into Lortan¡¯s neck, killing him instantly. As his red name faded into nothingness and he was forcefully logged out, a gleaming silver chest piece fell onto the floor at the girl¡¯s feet who then fished it up and pocketed it. She then kicked the skeleton left behind. Beast blinked again. ¡°Uh¡­hello?¡± He stammered out, unsure of the person¡¯s intentions. Was she another PKer? Would she kill him next after killing Lortan? At his greeting, the assassin turned towards Beast. ¡°Hello there.¡± She then pushed the hood of her cloak back, revealing a smile and reminding him of a very familiar face. He knew this person! ¡°Kiki?¡± ¡°Yep!¡± The girl chirped. ¡°Thanks for your help by the way. I would not have been able to kill him in two hits if you have not damaged him some and had his attention beforehand.¡± Trust fate to bring those who had a vengeance against Lortan back together again. Beast was so glad that the girl had not rage-quitted the game back then. Now she had saved his life and also dealt Lortan¡¯s his due. Beast was about to carry on talking when he suddenly realize something. ¡°You¡­ were following us all the way?¡± A nod confirmed what he needed to know. ¡°Actually,¡± Kiki continued. ¡°I have been tailing him way before you came and trying to find an opportunity to kill him.¡± He could not help but admire the girl¡¯s tenacity and subtlety. To follow a person for so long and yet not give her presence away or be distracted was beyond him. Beast made a mental note never to offend her lest she comes back as an assassin to stalk him till his death, but what was more worrying was the fact that she also saw everything regarding his abilities without anyone realizing she was even there. His emotions must have showed, because Kiki said next. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about your tricks. We all have our secrets, although I must admit I am a little curious about your current profession. You sure as hell aren¡¯t a merchant like what that moron believed.¡± The petite girl strolled around Beast with a cat-like curiosity. ¡°As for me you should already guessed that I am an assassin. Stealth and backstabs are my specialty.¡± Making a complete round back to his front, Kiki extended a hand. ¡°Anyway I won¡¯t be able to make it on my own deeper in. So, how about going through the rest of the Fort with me?¡± Beast never agreed to anything else faster than when he took the handshake. Next Chapter Chapter 15: Kiki ¡°Those letters?¡± Kiki the female assassin cocked her head up towards the direction that Beast was pointing in. After a short glance at them, she shook her head. ¡°Nope, I can¡¯t make out what they say.¡± The assassin then shot Beast a curious glance. ¡°Why? Can you?¡± Seeing no point in hiding it from her, Beast nodded. ¡°It is telling us to leave this place. Not just here too, they are all over the place like they are warning us of something. It doesn¡¯t make sense though, how could a dungeon that had been explored so many times by different players have such a thing and yet not have any news regarding it?¡± Beast reached out to touch the etchings with his fingers, deep in thought. ¡°You would think we would have heard something bad regarding the Fort by now.¡± If he had been with Lortan, he would never have tried to do something like this. Kiki on the other hand was another story. Though they had barely just met even with the somewhat brief history they had, Beast felt like there was a common understanding between them ¨C a dislike for Lortan ¨C that allowed him to feel at ease in her company. At the very least based on that understanding, he presumed that Kiki would not suddenly turn and kill him on the spot like Lortan would have. Beast eyed the girl who was also doing some thinking of her own. Short stature, bright smile, bubbly personality, it was as though she had never changed, though he knew that was not the case. To stalk someone for days took a certain degree of patience and endurance that Beast was not even sure he had. Speaking of which, her assassin profession interested him. Beast had heard of thieves being a common job in games, the typical fragile speedster that also had the ability to set and disarm traps but not of the assassin, at least not here in Ages Online. The mechanics surrounding the thief¡¯s version of stealth was different and definitely could not be used to remain undetected for days. Therefore, it would only be logical if it was a second job transformation or a hidden profession like his. The former was struck out because of the need to be at least a level hundred before the prerequisite to job change kicked in. ¡°So¡­ uhh.¡± He wanted to ask something but it was a pretty sensitive topic he was going to touch on, like weight or age. ¡°What level are you?¡± ¡°30. Yours?¡± The answer shocked him, not because of the frankness the girl had answered with, but the answer itself. How could the person before him be even lower level than he was? If she was only level 30, just how much damage could she output to instantly down a level 50 warrior? Shaking his head to regain back his senses, Beast replied. ¡°37.¡± Kiki gave an unreadable expression. Then, she burst out laughing. ¡°I seriously thought you were higher leveled than 37.¡± ¡°Speak for yourself.¡± Beast on the other hand did not look as amused. ¡°Touche. Anyway, I don¡¯t think we will find out anything if we simply just stay around here. There might be more clues deeper in.¡± Kiki pointed down the hallway. Noticing Beast¡¯s questioning stare she hurriedly added on. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I can handle myself.¡± And she sure could handle herself. For the next few days of hunting within the Fortress of Lanos, the duo worked between themselves to take down groups of monsters much higher level than theirs. Beast would first attract the attention of the hobgoblin elites while Kiki would stealth around them and instant-kill the hobgoblin mage that would normally accompany the group. Then, she would come back to help Beast flank the elites. Beast could see now why she could not survive alone despite saying she could handle herself. The assassin¡¯s stealth had a significant cool down that would prove to be Kiki¡¯s undoing unless she had someone else to take the attention of the other mobs besides the one she was bursting down. What seems to be a one hit kill of hers was also actually a combo sequence consisting of a backstab, a knockdown followed by a stab in a vital point for extreme damage. On Kiki¡¯s side, she had some trouble adapting to Beast¡¯s haphazard fighting style at first, but soon grown used to it. The roles were set as such; she was the damage dealer, and Beast was the tanker and healer. After clearing a certain amount of monsters, they would then stop for a rest where Beast would break out his antelope meat stash and they start talking over a small campfire. Unfamiliarity gave way to practice and soon, the two of them became a well-oiled goblin killing machine that made short work of any monster group they came across. Just like this, Beast leveled a total of four times and Kiki leveled seven. Iron body and Throwing managed to increase by a level while Bare-handed Mastery was on the cusp of becoming intermediate. One day, while they were resting in one of the many decrepit rooms in the Fort, Kiki was unable to rein back her curiosity anymore. ¡°So,¡± She asked. ¡°Are you really a monk? Your fighting style and equipment do seem to suggest you are one.¡± Beast who was heating up the meat by the fire shook his head. ¡°I am a historian.¡± Explaining what a Lore Keeper was would take too much time. Historian is a much more apt description. If he had been monitoring the girl¡¯s expression instead of focusing on the fire though, he would have seen her jaws drop. ¡°Really?¡± Kiki exclaimed in disbelief. ¡°Today¡¯s not April Fools right? I always thought you are a fighting profession¡­¡± Fighting profession or not, Beast was not even sure what his own job was. He only shrugged. ¡°I guess that is how I can read those symbols.¡± The stunned girl dumbly nodded. ¡°How did you manage to become an assassin?¡± Beast asked in turn, wanting to satisfy his own curiosity as well. That broke Kiki out of her stupor and she went into detailed recounting of her own story. It would appear that right after she was killed by Lortan back at the Argent Forest, she took a hefty penalty of five stat losses as well as her weapon. She almost broke out crying when a person claiming to be from the assassin¡¯s guild noticed her and approached with an offer to join the guild. She was so upset at the betrayal and loss that she took the offer straight away without even thinking it over. ¡°I almost regret it because the training after that was hell.¡± Kiki winced at the memory. ¡°Days of staying at the same position with no rest and food and being unable to log out were pure torture!¡± Luckily, three days in-game is a day in real life, so she was technically stuck for a full day at most. It was nothing a medical certificate could not fix. After job changing, she had moved on to Torintu and was leveling around the area when she spotted Lortan walking past with another group of people. These were of course, days before Beast himself arrived at Torintu proper discounting the robber stint with Shadun. ¡°So is the guy who changed your profession a player or an NPC?¡± There had been rumours that some professions could be passed or taught in Agaia, so Beast wanted to confirm it. ¡°Trade secret.¡± Kiki simply said with a sly smile. Beast groaned, but did not pursue any further. After talking for a while more, they both bid their goodbyes and logged out. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Sebast Koh stood outside the building, wondering if he should enter the compound. The sign indicating ¡°The Penguin¡¯s Dojo¡± hung sadly on the front gates of the infrastructure which itself was dwarfed by the many high rise buildings surrounding its vicinity. Despite its rundown look, the internet had stated it to be one of the best martial arts center around the city, so here he was. The problem however, was deciding if he should go through with his plans. Sebast was not unfit per say, but exercise and the likes had never been his forte. Besides wondering why some people love to beef up, he very much never sees the point of going to the gym. In fact, Sebast did rather spend the time inside a comfortably air-conditioned game capsule than sweating while lifting weights. However, his most recent battle with Lortan had showed him something important. For a long time, he had kind of known that real life skills could be transferred into virtual reality in Ages Online. Camouflaging, tracking and feints worked in this manner, so it was entirely possible that martial arts could as well. When he fought Lotran, the warrior had showed a certain degree of swordsmanship that enabled him to wield his blade more powerfully and precisely, and could have actually won the battle if Kiki had not appeared in time to turn the tides. With that he had learnt one thing ¨C if he wanted to compete in the PVP domain against players of varying backgrounds, of which there would definitely be some form of fighting skill involved, it would be best that he also learn a form of combat for the advantage. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Knocking the door of the dojo, there was a silent minute of nothing. A lethargic voice then called out, ¡°Come in.¡± Sebast hesitated, before pushing the door open and going through. What greeted him however was surprising to say the least. Lying down alone in the middle of an empty dojo hall playing with her aged PSP vitaX console was a pretty girl with a tied ponytail. She lazily gazed up towards Sebast and muttered. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Umm¡­ I am looking to register at the dojo. Can I meet with the master please?¡± The girl clicked her tongue in annoyance. ¡°You are meeting him.¡± ¡°You are the master?¡± Sebast was taken aback, never mind the fact that she had addressed herself as a ¡®him¡¯. He had expected an older man with disciplined stance and an air of ancient power, not a girl who looks barely in her twenties playing outdated games. ¡°Please don¡¯t play games with me.¡± ¡°I need to see the master here.¡± Sebast moved to look around the dojo hall. However, he suddenly felt a sharp force pushing his feet off the ground as a counter force pressed against his back. The result was him face-planting to the ground in a second. When he got back up to his feet, Sebast came face to face with the smug look of the girl. ¡°Convinced now?¡± She asked. Sebast painfully nodded. The girl¡¯s name was Naomi, and it seemed that her father was the original owner of the Penguin¡¯s Dojo. Due to the increased popularity of virtual games and virtual learning machines, many more people decided that it was not worth the effort to go for such strenuous activities anymore. Thus, the subscription rate for the dojo had steadily dropped over the years, until it was practically empty at one point of time. So when he retired, he had handed the dojo over to the only candidate available ¨C his daughter. The first thing Naomi had him do was to clean the dojo of its dust. Being an official apprentice under her now, Sebast had no choice but to comply. Mopping the floor, wiping the windows and even changing the light bulbs, he could not help but inwardly wonder if the girl was simply exploiting his manpower to make up for her own laziness in maintaining the grounds. ¡°So when are we going to start?¡± ¡°On?¡± The girl asked quizzically, not even looking up from her PSP. ¡°The real stuff.¡± Sebast huffed while dragging the mop around the compound. ¡°This is part of it.¡± Sebast immediately regretted his decision. With that one sentence, it became obvious that he was being exploited and the dojo was a scam. However, having paid a substantial amount of money upfront to join the dojo and thus without much choice in the matter, he did all that she told him to. At the end of the day, he slumped onto the ground exhausted. ¡°Hey,¡± Naomi came up to him with a cup of water in her hands. ¡°Take this.¡± Sebast gratefully accepted. ¡°Tommorrow, could you come by with a toolbox? I have an oven that needs fixing.¡± Sebast almost spewed out all the water in his mouth. He only looked at her with an expression of incredulity without knowing whether to laugh or cry. After much deliberation, he could only sigh and nod helplessly in reply. As he picked himself up from the floor and move to go home, he dropped the girl a comment. ¡°You know, PSP is so yesterday.¡± He said, to which Naomi returned a bemused expression. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Beast logged back in into the room where he had left, but Kiki was already there before him. He was about to greet her when she put a finger to her lips, indicating the immediate need for silence. A moment later she vanished as though she was never there. As Beast marveled at the cloaking mechanism of the assassin class, he could hear a muffled voice sound from beyond the room. ¡°-earch the- rea.¡° Intruders. The door had long since fell into pieces, so Beast retreated back into the shadows for concealment. Whoever the newcomers were and what they planned to do, it was best that he wait for Kiki to come back first before trying anything else. Speaking of whom, she popped back into view mere seconds later. ¡°They all have red names. Whoever they are, they are definitely not friendly. And it seems that they are searching for someone, probably us.¡± ¡°Seems to be Lortan¡¯s friends.¡± Beast sarcastically said. Kiki rolled her eyes as she shrugged. ¡°Well, we need to get out of here. I can stealth, but you on the other hand¡­¡± ¡°I can handle myself just fine.¡± He grinned, echoing the girl¡¯s earlier words. The art of subtlety without having any opacity modifiers was much harder than it seemed but it was not like he had not done it before. Staying in the shadows and avoiding the open are basic rules to follow if he were to remain hidden. With the intruders searching all the rooms behind, there was no other choice but to move forward. The only thing that he needed would be to have Kiki to scout ahead while invisible to let him know of any incoming hostile in his blind spots. It would not bode well if he were to run into the line of sight of a local monster and alert the rest of the fort current inhabitants to his existence. Then surely, he could not keep his life even if he had a hundred Primes to spend. Regardless, it was smooth-sailing with a few close shaves here and there. Kiki was very patient, it pretty much being a needed prerequisite for her class, and expertly led Beast one step ahead of their pursuers while avoiding the monsters along the way. At the end of it all, the both of them found themselves in the Fortress¡¯s central chamber where a ruined throne of sorts stood at the end. The banners of the fort had long since been defaced from its chamber walls, leaving behind scrapped rags that had turned moldy and black. The thing that remained more or less intact was the stone carving of its emblem on the ground that stood testament to its proud history. It was a depressing sight, but what was more depressing was that the both of them had reached a dead end ¨C there were no other exits out of the room. This was where most people on their raids in the fort called it a day. They had to turn back. And the sound of battle behind them grew ever so closer. Kiki eyed Beast for an indication as to what to do. Beast on the other hand had no idea at all. Going back would mean an almost direct confrontation with their pursuers and without any form of stealth skill they, or rather he, would bound to get noticed. Then death would be quick. Or maybe not. Out of corner of his eye, Beast noticed more of the symbols hidden behind the throne seat which would not have been exposed if the throne had not been ripped into half. At Kiki¡¯s bewilderment, he moved in to take a closer look, revealing a new sentence that had not appeared before. ¡°If flight you do not take, then hide under the earthen lake.¡±
Archaeology has increased to Basic 6
He had not realized it but inspecting all those random messages had apparently contributed to his archaeology experience. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Kiki suddenly appeared besides him, startling Beast who did not realize he had muttered the sentence out loud. ¡°Well seeing how the previous messages have always been about fleeing or something, this could actually point to another way out.¡± ¡°Earthen lake¡­ earthen lake¡­ what a contradictory phrase.¡± The girl mused. To be honest, Beast thought that the way Kiki looked when she was thinking was pretty cute. However, there was not much time left and he already had an idea of what the sentence might have meant. ¡°If we can¡¯t go up, then we probably need to go down. Let¡¯s look around for a trapdoor of some sorts.¡± Kiki nodded, and the both of them broke away to search the chamber. Sure enough, after a minute or two the assassin gave out a cry, ¡°Beast, here!¡± It was a rusty old trapdoor that had melded into the surrounding dust and debris. Beast had no idea how the girl actually spotted it because if she had not told him where it was, he might not even realize it was there. Regardless, he quickly lifted it up and the both of them were through without wasting another second. Next Chapter Chapter 16: Door to Nowhere What they did not count on however, was the trapdoor being a very long shaft of darkness. The two of them pretty much slid about in the dark for a whole ten minutes before crashing out of the chute into a disheveled pile at the end. Immediately, the smell of rotten garbage assaulted their nose, causing them to gag and choke. ¡°Goddamnit, it is a freaking rubbish chute!¡± Beast exclaimed in dismay, while trying to catch his breath back. Kiki on the other hand was dead silent. ¡°Kiki?¡± He looked down. The blushing face of the assassin girl stared back at him with accusing eyes. It took Beast exactly three seconds to register that they had somehow emerged from the fall in a compromising position. With a cry of surprise, he leap to his feet. Many apologies were uttered, to which Kiki replied by silently holding out her hand. ¡°What? Oh!¡± Taking the offered hand he pulled her up, all while observing her face for any signs of killing intent. This was a girl who stalked her target for days and killed him without mercy; Beast feared that he might become her next target. His fears however, were unfounded. Kiki simply acted like nothing ever happened. ¡°This place seems like a cavern.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if whoever wrote the messages actually came down here to hide. And since this is a garbage dump we might probably find another way out, like an emergency exit or something. We should check out the place.¡± Nodding in agreement, the both of them readied their stance and ventured forward. The catacombs of Lanos was like a labyrinth made from decades of disuse and erosion. Vermin crawled from every crook and cranny and the stone that the chamber was made of soon gave way to windy dirt tunnels newly made by its current inhabitants. Speaking of which, the main monsters that roamed the underground consists of Ratmen at level 48 and the occasional reptile-like Armadillo at a high level of 52. Despite the poisonous nature of the ratmen and the stubborn thick hide of the armadillo, the above monsters were easily handled between Beast¡¯s and Kiki¡¯s teamwork, thank goodness for the assassin¡¯s in-depth knowledge of poisons and their antidotes. Furthermore, the ratmen seemed to be more disorganized than the hobgoblins above and appeared in lesser numbers together, making them much easier to take care of. The armadillo took some effort, but even the thickest of hides could not stand against continuous attacks from foes it could not catch and see. Of course, Beast made sure to harvest its skin after the monster died. Then, there was the massive ant-cockroach like hybrid called the not-very-creative name of Antroach. This guy was a different story compared to those mentioned above. Standing at a hefty level of 75, the Antroach was far beyond the level of the dungeon. Luckily, there seemed to be only one of it roaming the labyrinth of tunnels and from the looks of it, it was its king. Beast and Kiki avoided it like a plague; the one time they accidentally engaged it in combat, it surprised them by attacking and killing their target ¨C an injured armadillo ¨C in a single bull rush. Beast tried to attack, but his unreinforced punch could not even make a single dent on the monster¡¯s carapace. Likewise, the lower leveled Kiki could not penetrate the armor much. They were left with no choice but to flee, which involved diving into a pile of garbage and staying there unmoving until the Antroach finished gnawing on the dead armadillo and moved off. Kiki was understandably in an irritated mood for a while after that. Currently, the duo was resting in one of the alcoves in the catacombs. ¡°Hey, do you think¡­ that these might be the thing¡¯s ¡­ eggs?¡± Kiki slowly asked as she poked at one of the many grimy black objects occupying the alcove they were in. ¡°I hope not.¡± The consequences of what the inverse might be was too terrifying to imagine. Thousands of Antroaches roaming the tunnels was not a very ideal situation for them right now. ¡°Even if they are, I think there is only one of it. The eggs are likely to be duds.¡± The assassin girl was seen heaving a sigh of relief, until she saw what her partner had been doing. ¡°Uh¡­ Beast what are you doing?¡± ¡°Gathering some of these -¡± ¡°What!? Why on earth would you do that?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Beast nonchalantly lobbed one of the black things into the cooking pot, causing a gagging reflex from the girl. ¡°My deer meat is running out and we needed food.¡±
Cooking has increased to Basic 6 Cooking speed +6% All stats +1
You have learnt the Recipe: Insect Sunshine Surprise When consumed: +10% damage +4 Dexterity For four hours game time.
Beast wisely stayed silent at the pop-up for the new recipe. ¡°B-But¡­ but¡­¡± ¡°It is fortunate they are more like ant eggs than cockroach eggs.¡± Kiki only reply was by looking like she was about to vomit. ¡­¡­¡­. ¡°Yes!¡± Beast exclaimed. After much combat in the catacombs of Lanos, both his skills Bare-Handed Mastery and Iron Body had finally broke into the intermediate phase of the skill. While Kiki simply shrugged and went over to strip down the rat men for loot, Beast could not hide his excitement as he tapped on the skill notification window.
Bare-Handed Mastery has increased to Intermediate 1 +5 Strength +5 Dexterity Congratulations on leveling your first skill to the intermediate stage. Every skill that reaches a new phase will obtain an additional effect or sometimes reward you with a new skill. Bare-Handed Mastery (Intermediate 1) +20% damage when bare handed +2% critical damage
Iron Body has increased to Intermediate 1 +5 Stamina Iron Body (Intermediate 1) Iron Body now applies even when wearing armour. However, Iron body can only be trained when not wearing armour. +10% resistance to all damage when not wearing armor +200 health points You have learned a synergized skill: Chi
It was at this point Beast¡¯s eyes widened. Synergized skills was a relatively new concept for him even when he had been through many other games, so the fact that Ages Online boast such a feature was surprising and interesting at the same time. ¡°Skill Window, Chi¡±
Chi (Basic 1) Synergized skill resulting from Intermediate Bare Hand Mastery, Intermediate Iron Body and Throwing, this skill allows the user to transcend the limits of the human body by gathering internal life energy known as chi in various anatomical locations for the user¡¯s own purpose. Chi can be utilized in two ways. Chi Fortify Gather mana at a body location to fortify it against attacks. The strength of the fortification depends on the amount of mana injected. 5 mana/ damage mitigated. Chi Blast By gathering mana at one¡¯s hands or legs when attacking, one is able to deal more damage than with simple strikes. The strength of the additional impact depends on the amount of mana injected. One can also choose to fire off the gathered mana for range damage using the Throw skill. 5 mana/ damage dealt
Beast could not help but let out a wry smile. In the end it was just a glorified Mana Shield and Mana Bomb. The new skill was telling him he needed a whole bucket load of mana in order to pull it off, what with the Prime skills and all, but all he had added ever since he leveled had been strength dexterity and stamina because of necessity in order to survive the treacherous world. He raised an eyebrow at the mention of Throwing though; that skill had depleted all of his spears and also risen to basic 5. With a sigh, Beast looked disapprovingly at his own stat window.
Status Window
Name:Beast
Level:43Profession:Lore Keeper
Race:HumanGender:Male
Titles:Troll Slayer +10% dmg to trolls, +3 to all stats
Fame:40
-
Health:1850 (+200)Mana:1270 (+500)
Strength:158 (+3)Intelligence:58 (+3)
Dexterity:155 (+3)Wisdom:80 (+3)
Stamina:130(+3)Luck:24 (+3)
Bare Hand Mastery, +20% to bare hand damage, +2% crit damage Iron Body, +10% resistance to all damage, +200 HP
Equipment Effects
Vanadic Tome of Artifacts: +500 mana
Relations
Caerheim: 86
Even if he were to pour all his mana into the new skill, at the current stage he could only block or deal at most 356 damage. For it to be more worth his while, he would have to grind it up. Though it seemed that he might be able to exploit a certain loophole to do so; the next battle will tell. At the very least he had a form of range attack beside his throwing spears now. ¡°So¡­ how is it?¡± Kiki had finished her task, and approached with a curious look. ¡°Well, I might be becoming more monk-like than ever.¡± He told her about Chi. ¡°Well, that is better than my own intermediate skills. All they ever add is critical chance and damage.¡± The assassin girl pouted. ¡°Though I am kind of envious¡­. It is not every day one will have the exact combination of skills for a synergized skill.¡± Beast shrugged. Like what Kiki said, it was extremely rare for normal players to be able to obtain the right combination of skills to access synergized skills. Whoever in the right mind would actually stay defenseless and fight empty handed for extended period of time like he did? Furthermore there was the throwing skill that he happened to pick up because of the incident with the antrollopes. While it might have seemed like a first-world problem, if he had a choice he would not be like this in the first place. Not wanting to start a debate with Kiki, he simply went to find and engage their next monster. To his joy, the exploit Beast had in mind did work. By using just a single point of mana to fortify or reinforces his blows, it still counted as using the skill and contributing to its experience. And because a single mana was more or less expendable, it became such that he was able to use it several times per encounter to the point where after thirty odd battles, the skill had already grown to Basic level 5. Furthermore, his throwing skill was being leveled at the same time when he was firing off puny one-damage chi blasts. Kiki was their main damage dealer, so he could grind his skill in relative peace. Only when they are dealing with groups of three or more did he actually went for real damage output. ¡°Hey¡­ I know you want to grind the skill but aren¡¯t you being a little too relaxed?¡± The girl finally voiced out her opinion during one of their breaks by a fire made from burning flammable garbage. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°You know¡­ the one-damage things you have been using¡­¡± Beast offered her a grilled sunshine surprise in reply as though in apology. ¡°Ah yes... You know how new skills are.¡± Kiki popped the ball of protein goodness into her mouth; she no longer seem to mind the fact that it was something laid by a fusion between an ant and a cockroach. ¡°I know, but I just feel that our battle time has increased and I am uneasy about it. What if something interrupts in the middle of the fight? What if that thing finds us?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡± It was true; he was deliberately lengthening battles just to grind. ¡°You have a point there, I am sorry.¡± Battles after on were faster, because Beast start to actively used Chi to augment his blows. It was not as exploit-y and efficient in skill grinding as before, but at least he was able to give Kiki a peace of mind. After battling alongside her for so long, he did not want to damage the relationship they have with such a petty and inconsequential thing. Skill grinding could always be done another time. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ The catacombs led deeper and deeper with no sign of heading upwards. Beast gauged a rough estimate that they must have travelled down at least five floors. Today marked the tenth day the both of them had been in here and truth be told he was getting anxious. Even though it was all virtual and he could always take a shower back in real life, all the grime and muck seemed real enough to cause slight discomfort whenever he log into the feeling of having bathed in garbage and slime. And sometimes all the tunnels do was to lead back to where they were moments ago. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. It was getting on Beast¡¯s nerves and while the experience gain in here was good, soon they will draper off as both Beast and Kiki out-level the monsters. Then, the only thing that was worth staying here for would be gone, leaving them no motivation to continue wandering the tunnels. Was this how Beast will end his gaming days on Ages Online? No, he refused to believe it. Every game he played, he made sure he made it to the best of the best. Even if he was not the top, he would be within at least top twenty. Ages Online would not be an exception; He would not stop until he found the exit and he would be damned if he quit for such a stupid reason. It was about the time Beast made his resolution when the duo finally came across a chamber within the tunnels that was not quite like the rest. For one, the amount of eggs that laced the walls of the chamber doubled the number found in the other alcove. Second, the hulking black-brown mass that quivered ever so slightly in the middle of the room struck panic into the hearts of the lore keeper and the assassin. ¡°Oh my god, ¡° Kiki gasped. ¡°We found its nest.¡± Sure enough, the antennae of the Antroach perked up as though it heard itself being mentioned. ¡°Okay Kiki, take slow steps backwards. It should not have noticed us yet. It-¡° It was too late. With a speed that did not fit its monstrous stature, the Antroach zoomed past them to block the exit of the place before either of them could react. Then, its mandibles clicked together in an annoying sound, as though it was taunting them. ¡°Kiki!¡± At Beast¡¯s shout, the assassin immediately activated her stealth skill and faded from view while Beast himself went into combat stance. If the monster did not want to let them out, then from now on it could only be a fight to the death. ¡°Prime: Bloodline Aura!¡± Even though the monster is at level 75 and he himself at a measly forties, Beast could easily bridge the gap with his Bloodline Aura. The only problem would be the carapace¡¯s hardiness that had stood impervious to their attacks the previous time round. He had an idea on how to overcome that though. Using his newly enhanced speed to match the Antroach¡¯s own, Beast nimbly dodged the monster¡¯s mandibles as they close in for a bite and grabbed it at the last moment. Swinging himself up, Beast vaulted himself onto the head which he then used the last second of the aura to let fly a chi-augmented punch right into the bug¡¯s hexagonal eyes. If the Antroach could scream, it would have unleashed a wail that would shake the caverns. Beast struggled to maintain his footing as the Antroach thrashed about in agony, before a sudden blow from his back knocked him back down onto the ground.
-313 HP
¡°What the f¡­¡± Beast held his head in pain, not wanting to believe the horror that is before him. The greatest fear that had struck down many brave men and women, especially women, was not when a cockroach appeared in the house; it was when they start to fly. Flapping its wings with supersonic speed that it started to buzz, the Antroach lifted itself up into the air like an angel of vengeance. Then, it hurtled right at Beast. ¡°Dodge it, Beast!¡± Came a shriek. Everything happened all at once. Beast activated his Bloodline Aura and jumped to his left. He dodged the main blow but still could not escape the attack entirely and the residual force flung him across the room into a pile of eggs which burst open into black goo. At the same time, a girl jumped and stabbed a knife right down on one of the Antroach¡¯s legs as it swept across, pining it down onto the ground. The momentum was so great that it tore the leg off as the Antroach zipped past, splattering the area and Kiki with noxious brown fluids. ¡°F*ck my life.¡± She cursed as she spat out bits of Antroach innards. ¡°How the heck did you do that?¡± ¡°Opportunity Strike, for two seconds you can do one attack while everything moves in slow motion.¡± Another assassin skill that emphasized on getting that one hit in where it matters. ¡°I will tell you later. It looks pretty angry right now.¡± Angry was an understatement. The Antroach was furious at these invaders of its home. Not only did the human boy injure its eye, the girl did something that tore one of its legs off. All it could feel right at that moment over its pain is its desire to mutilate the both of them into tiny pieces. With an antroach¡¯s equivalent to a roar, it bull rushed at the nearest target ¨C the girl. Kiki froze against the on-coming attack. Being used to fighting from behind and killing the enemy off within a few strikes, she found herself unable to react in time to this full-frontal assault. The only thing she could do was to close her eyes and brace for impact. Except that the impact never came. A blow from the side knocked her away from the path of the attack, and they both tumbled on the ground as the Antroach barely missed. Kiki opened her eyes to the sound of the monster trampling over its own eggs and the sight of Beast holding her in his arms. ¡°Damn¡­ I got hit.¡± The Lore Keeper groaned. Sure enough, a long bloody gash was drawn across Beast¡¯s back, courtesy of the Antroach¡¯s mandibles. ¡°You okay?¡± Kiki mutely nodded as she stared back. ¡°Good, go back into stealth and see if you can land a critical hit on its eyes. I will do something to stop it.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Trust me.¡± Another nod and the assassin faded from view. By then, the Antroach had regained its bearing and is preparing for another bull rush at Beast. This time however, Beast had no plans to dodge. Quaffing down two healing potions to top off his health, Beast stood at a defensive stance and concentrated all of his mana into his body. When the blow hit, it felt as though every inch of his body was breaking. Then, the mandibles sliced into his skin and could have snapped him into two if not for the mana fortifying his body. Beast wanted to scream out in pain, but then it seemed that his jawbone had broken as well. Just when it appears that all is over, they smashed into the rock wall, bringing fresh waves of pain coursing through Beast¡¯s body.
-1784 HP
That was an extreme amount of damage, even with a supposed mitigation of around 500 damage via Chi Fortify. However, despite the pain there was a smirk on Beast¡¯s face as he stared back into the soulless compound eyes of the Antroach. The next moment, both eyes erupted into brown-black goo. Kiki, after driving her knifes into the vulnerable eyes of Antroach and twisting them in the most brutal fashion she knew, was thrown off by the rearing back of the monster in its utmost agony. In fact, it tensed up like an erect tower before collapsing backwards onto its back and exposing its underside. ¡°Now!¡± Beast spoke through clenched teeth after being dropped unceremoniously. ¡°The underbelly!¡± As the Antroach struggled to right itself, two humans climbed up onto its underside and began stabbing and punching downwards as hard as they could. Occasionally, they were thrown off by the forceful rocking but no sooner than a moment past were they up there again pounding against the monster. With every strike, the Antroach¡¯s struggle ceased little by little, until finally it moved no more. How they did it was unorthodox, but it did not change the outcome of the battle. One dead cockroach.
You have leveled up You have leveled up You have leveled up You have leveled up You have gained the title Antroach Hunter +3 to all stats, + 10% damage to Insects
Four whole levels gained from killing the bastard of an insect, while Kiki went up by six, bringing her to level 46. Beast and Kiki sat against the wall as they blankly stared at the dead body of the monster they killed. It was a while before anyone moved, and it was Beast who began his usual routine of stripping the carcass down for parts. The eyes were ruptured so they were of no use, but Beast found that he could gather the carapace and the mandibles of the antroach. In particular, this:
Mandibles of the Antroach Monster Part, Smith Material, Artifact This is the mandibles belonging to the legendary Antroach that is rumored to dwell deep beneath the Fortress of Lanos during the Age of Conquest. It was once king of the earthen soil and tunnels, and many of the underground had fallen prey to these sharp jaws which were said to be able to break through whole armor. No one had ever come face to face with these jaws and lived to tell the tale. Value: 200 gold
Beast snorted at the fluff text. Also, the ¡®age of conquest¡¯ thing told him that the Antroach had been around for a very long time. The smithing material info also clued him that the mandibles could be used to make something in the future. However, what attracted his attention more is the fact that the game classed the mandibles as an artifact. A straight up artifact. Glancing over at Kiki who shot him a curious stare, Beast mentally struggled for a while before he decided. The excitement of finding an artifact was too much to bear, and he was sure he could trust the assassin girl. ¡°Artifact Identify.¡±
You have discovered the hidden artifact - Mandibles of the Antroach Type: Historical, Material, Artifact The Antroach species had been on Agaia even before the Age of Conquest. Usually preferring to stay deep underground and make a complex labyrinth of tunnels, the Antroach used to be used as a perfect proof of valor for aspiring adventurers who used to bring back their mandibles as a perfect trophy ingredient to craft their weapon with. However, their numbers steadily declined due to their complex mating behavior until only the last Antroach which dwells beneath the Fortress of Lanos was left. This mandibles belongs to the last Antroach in existence. When equipped: +20 Strength Grants skill: Piercing Artifact Effect: Piercing Passive This effect arises from the cutting property of the mandible, of which is known to tear through even the hardest of armor with relative ease. All attacks made by the mandible ignore armor.
+4 Intelligence +10 Wisdom +11 Luck Archaeology has increased to Basic 7
Armour Ignore- Beast could not help but give a fist pump of joy. At the same time, he was also clueless on how he was going to prime and activate a passive skill such as this. Although the Vanadic Tome did what it always did and catalogue down the artifact, there seemed to be no way he could call out a passive skill by via consumption of mana, simply because it did not take any in the first place. The effect would only be exclusive to the weapon made from it. Oh well, one could not have the best of both worlds.
For wiping an entire species, you have gained the title Genocider +15 to all stats.
Beast twitched. Was the game trying to guilt trip him with some last of its kind bullshit? If they were expecting some sort of sympathy for the Antroach they were not going to get it. Ironically enough, that title was good as though they were trying to actively promote genocide. ¡°What is so funny?¡± Kiki who is currently observing him like a curious kitten, asked. ¡°You did not get it?¡± ¡°Get what?¡± She seems legitimately confused. ¡°Well the Antroach we killed is the last of its kind.¡± With the surprise look as though something just appeared for her, it would seem that obtaining the title was somehow knowledge based. After her surprise has been contained, she then turned back to Beast. ¡°Well there is that. Also, the mandible is an artifact yes? Cause it is the last of its kind and whatever and you also used some identification skill on it.¡± Beast nodded. Kiki fell silent after, as though she was pondering over something. Beast did not ask for her thoughts either, because he just noticed something peculiar. Right in the middle of the room where the Antroach had been standing over was a small stone pedestal. Compared to the size of the Antroach, it was no wonder he did not notice it earlier. Beast approached the altar with Kiki in tow and on its surface were words written using the same symbols as the texts before. Present the proof of the warrior and the path will open. Proof of the warrior? Did it mean the Antroach mandibles? The Identification did reveal that it was once used by adventurers as a proof of valour after all. Guessing that there was no harm in trying, Beast gingerly placed the Mandibles on the stone surface. With a thundering crash, the chamber immediately began to shake. Dirt and eggs splattered everywhere as the furthest end of the wall of the chamber began to collapse. When the seismic event finally subsided, a door appeared. It was not exactly a door per se, but an opening¡­ a gateway to somewhere. And then a grave ghostly voice said, ¡°Welcome to Earth Lake.¡± Next Chapter Chapter 17: Earth Lake Illuminating the air with pale purple light, the spectre hovered above the ground beyond the gateway. Through the apparition, one could almost make out the crest of Lanos that hung proudly on the worn tabard. As Beast cautiously approached, its once human face broke open to speak. ¡°Adventurers, you have been proven worthy and released the seal that we have placed. For that I thank you.¡± The ghost went into a deep bow. Beast panicked and wanted to stop this unwarranted act of formality but was stopped short by a sight he never thought he would see as they stepped out of the passageway. In this gigantic cavern of rock and clay, dozens of flickering purple lights dotted the landscape and went about their business, giving the entire place an ethereal purplish glow. If it were not for the fact that all of them were ghostly sprites of the past, this place could even be mistaken for a normal town.
You have discovered the hidden town: Earth Lake. You are the first to discover this place. For this, you will receive Finder¡¯s honour of increased discounts when purchasing and selling items in this town. Also, your intimacy with the residents will increase more quickly.
Judging by the look on Kiki¡¯s face, it seemed that she also got the same notification. Being the first to discover a new place had always been advantageous in both money and experience, due to the permanent bonuses associated with the place. This was also the reason why most adventurers prefer to journey out to uncharted areas, so that they could obtain this benefit for themselves ¨C the areas near major towns and cities were usually no longer unique. If not for Beast¡¯s ability to read the messages and Lotran¡¯s friends pressuring them onwards on the threat of death, they might have never found this place. ¡°My name is Agor Lanos, keeper of this place. Please, join me in my abode for a word.¡± Beast and Kiki followed, all the way through the winding passageways carved out from dirt and stone to the biggest dwelling. Inside, the spectre invited them to take a seat. ¡°I am sorry. There is nothing substantial I could offer. This town had long died. We are but ghosts of the past. As you might have guessed, we were once residents of the Fort above, driven down below here due to circumstances beyond our control. We were proud, and we were strong, but now we are no more.¡± Agor sounded almost sad, but his pale expression did not betray any emotions. ¡°That is if the others realised that they had died or even accept the fact. Many of us still do not, and we wander these paths with no end in sight.¡± Beast sat in silence. That sounded like a cue for something to happen, if he were just to ask the correct question in the correct way. ¡°I am very sorry for your plight.¡± He replied. ¡°But could you explain more about what caused your current fate?¡± The spectre nodded. ¡°The passage of time had long since been meaningless to me, but I know that we were once a mighty contingent of soldiers sworn to protect our kingdom of Scelenia from outside threat. Our name spread far and wide, only to fall when the Sundering happened.¡± The Sundering again. This must have been about the third or fourth time he had come across the mentioning of this cataclysmic event. ¡°The Sundering?¡± Beast probed. ¡°No one truly knows how the Sundering truly began. We were soldiers, not scholars. All we know is that the Sundering happened and with it brought an army of goblins and demons that overwhelmed our fort. None of us could entertain the thought of being deserters, so we stayed and fought. Even when our swords were broken and tabards torn, we retreated down here to continue our resistance. We carved our homes from rock and stone and scrounged food from the waste and whatever we could find. For a while, we managed to hold and could probably hold on if not for a miscalculation on our end. A powerful warlock of spite wove a spell upon this place, cursing us to linger here for eternity, such that even when the Sundering had passed, we could never leave¡­ That is how we came to be.¡± Drrrinng!
The Secret of Lanos ¨C Completed You have leveled up.
Almost immediately, another window popped up right after as a continuation of the previous quest.
The Secret of Lanos ¨C Part II Class Quest You discovered a hidden town underneath the Fort of Lanos, where the old inhabitants retreated to when faced with the overwhelming might of the dark army during the Sundering. They had been cursed to wander deep beneath the earth and suffer a fate outside of the cycle of life and death. Understand the root cause of this and liberate them from this fate. Class Limitation: Historian Difficulty: C
Beast had expected this; the quest was overdue for completion the moment they discovered the town. ¡°We can see if we can help liberate your people. ¡° Agor sighed again. ¡°I do not think anyone can help solve this problem. Other seals chain us to this place, and the one you broke is only one of them, the one we placed on ourselves.¡± There were more seals besides the Antroach, meaning more loot and experience in store. ¡°And yet we did break one. It might be possible to break the others.¡± ¡°I do not think you are ready yet.¡± It was something that is all too familiar. That meant that the intimacy between them was still too low for Agor to trust him. As it had been usual fare in most games, there was a need to raise trust with the town first. ¡°Very well. Thank you very much for your hospitality. We will return when we have proven ourselves.¡± Beast turned to leave. Kiki who had been quiet till the present gave a surprised look. ¡°Wait, we are going off like this?¡± ¡°Yea, there is nothing else we can do for now.¡± Agor Lanos nodded his head. ¡°Please, make yourself comfortable at my place while you are in Earth Lake.¡± With nothing more to be done, they took their leave and exited. ¡°Well, I still have some time to spare before I need to log.¡± Beast glanced at his in-game clock counter. ¡°What are you going to do, Kiki?¡± The assassin shuffled about in her feet. ¡°I don¡¯t know?¡± She finally said. ¡°I think I will explore a little around town¡­¡± Even though she said she could do some exploration, the way she seemed reluctant to do so and her body language seemed pretty odd. Speaking of which, she had been acting a little weird ever since they entered Earth Lake. Beast knitted his forehead together in an attempt to search for an explanation before his mouth suddenly curled up into an ¡°o¡±. ¡°Could it be that¡­ you are scared of ghosts?¡± The face and the ¡°eep¡± that she made when she was called out made the answer obvious. Well, perhaps it could not be helped after all; being alone in this town of pale glowing spectres does give one the creeps. He had to give her credit for sustaining thus far. ¡°All right, how about this? Let¡¯s walk around and check out the NPCS around here for now and we can save the quests for tomorrow.¡± At Kiki¡¯s furious nodding, they began walking down the dirt path. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. ¡°What do they mean, they are buying all my loot for 0 copper coins!¡± Beast hissed outside the General Store, his body no longer able to reign in his temper; He would not dare to show this attitude inside because he had to accumulate intimacy with the town NPCs after all. Despite Kiki¡¯s repeated attempts to cool him off, Beast only got angrier and angrier as he visited all the stores in town. Everywhere he went, things were the same. The shops in Earth Lake were¡­ virtually non-existent. Even though the physical shop front still remained, the actual goods themselves had long since dissipated into dust. Town prices in Ages Online are actually determined via the laws of supply and demand. If the shop value the good more, their buying price would naturally be higher. Because the inhabitants of the town were by all means and purpose dead, there was zero need for them to trade anything for anything simply because they could no longer have any use for them. This game mechanic infuriated Beast to no end. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Similarly, with the quests they were supposed to undertake to raise relationship with the town and its inhabitants, there were none to be found. ¡°Madam, would you need help in anything? No? Okay¡­¡± ¡°Would you need something done? Not really? I see¡­¡± ¡°Sir, do you have a request to ask of us? We can do it no matter how minor it is. Manual labour, object retrieval, even grocery shop- What? Go Away? I am sorry¡­¡± Rejection, coupled with dejection made for a depressing duo. Even after going through almost all the spectres within the town, there was not a single one who had a request or desire that needed their help. How else were they supposed to obtain enough intimacy to proceed on with the next quest in the chain? What they did find however, would eventually prove much more beneficial in the long run, so much that Beast forgot about his peeves in a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°Oh, you must be the warrior who slayed the Antroach. I may have no more goods to sell, but I could teach you how to make it like I used to.¡± The ghostly tailor by the name of Palcape droned. ¡°That is, only if you wish to learn.¡±
You have learnt Skill: Ancient Tailoring Basic 1 Using an old technique lost to the world ever since the Sundering, you are able to create armours and clothing using leather and cloth. Because it has been outdated, the creation process will take a longer time. However, the quality of created clothing will be higher and the max skill level you can reach will be higher.
The best part was, because the spirits have no use for currency, the skills were entirely free! The only problems were the tools which they do not sell, but he can easily get them outside of Earth Lake. ¡°I can teach you to work metal like I did back in my day.¡±
You have learnt Skill: Ancient Blacksmithing Basic 1 Using an old technique lost to the world ever since the Sundering, you are able to shape metal and create weapons. Because it has been outdated, the creation process will take a longer time. However, the quality of the created item will be higher and the max skill level you can reach will be higher.
You have learnt Skill: Item Repair
¡°Those times when I mixed up draughts and potions are the best part of my life.¡±
You have learnt Skill: Ancient Alchemy Basic 1 Using an old technique lost to the world ever since the Sundering, you are able to identify herbs and mix potions from them. Because it has been outdated, the creation process will take a longer time. However, the quality of the created item will be higher and the max skill level you can reach will be higher.
The icing on the cake came when the both of them found an identifier shop that taught the Identification skill, for an entire sum of zero coins. It was like a mini windfall that came early.
You have learnt Skill: Identify
Each of these skills cost a fair bit of money outside to learn outside of those who decided to go into that particular class, which may amount to as high as a hundred gold, to protect the trade of those who specialise in them. Also, they were not always available in all towns; basically only major capitals in the world have the trainers and the Identification skill was obscure enough as it is, having only shops that provide the service. To be able to obtain them at all was already a steal on their part, much less for free. By the time Beast finished learning the skills from the ghosts and he logged out, he was smiling from end to end. ¡­¡­¡­ ¡°You seem happy today huh?¡± Naomi asked, noticing the stupid smile on Sebast¡¯s face. ¡°Did you strike lottery in that game of yours¡­ Ages Online?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± Sebast replied as he went through the motion across the dojo. ¡°It was no reason for you to be late though.¡± ¡°My bad.¡± The time spent learning the skills had been longer than expected. ¡°After the lesson you will go wash the toilet as punishment.¡± That day, they were revising on the basic of all martial arts: footwork. For that, he was given a complicated choreograph which he had to reproduce as flawlessly as possible to pass and advance onto other stuff. As usual, there were the regular chores he would have to do after the training, but he could not bring himself to complain at least for today. Besides, he somehow felt a little stronger from all the heavy lifting Naomi usually had him do. That did not mean that she was actually trying to hide her teachings in menial tasks like how those movies and shows like to portray them as; Sebast gathered that she was just simply lazy. Nevertheless, it was impossible for him to deny that she was a good teacher at heart. Perhaps the situation was helped by the fact that he was her only student at the moment, but the one-on-one guidance that she was giving was very much welcomed. Any mistakes he made were immediately corrected, questions asked immediately answered. It was no wonder he could advance this fast within a matter of days. ¡°Keep your attention!¡± Naomi¡¯s outburst snapped Sebast back into reality. A hand sweep came flying a moment later with no chance of dodging, impacting into Sebast¡¯s chest and knocking him off his feet. ¡°Fwah!!¡± ¡°Your leg and balance is off. Try again.¡± Sebast painfully got back up and re-initiated the kata as he was told. ¡°So,¡± The girl started, back to her usual chirpy self, ¡°Tell me about Ages Online.¡± Sebast blinked, a little surprised at the quick change in demeanour, but gathered his thoughts enough to start describing the game to his master as he followed through his training for the day. By the end of his lesson, he had gotten her intrigued enough that she had forgotten to exploit his manual labour. Instead, what she wanted was much more unexpected. ¡°Come.¡± It was not an order, but a request. Perhaps used to the previous orders she had made him do, Sebast obliged, only to do a double take when Naomi led him to her room. It was a feminine room, filled with dozens and dozens of cuddly soft toys of all types and adorned with pink wallpapers. It was also the first female room that Sebast have ever been in, alone. Cold sweat dripped down his back. ¡°Umm¡­ are you sure this is okay?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Naomi seemed unfazed as she took a pusheen from her bed before sitting herself down in front of her white laptop on her desk. ¡°Yea, it is okay. Teach me how to sign up for it.¡± No matter how nonchalantly Naomi had said it, Sebast still could not shake the uneasy feeling off his back. What if her father suddenly entered and saw him alone inside here with her? He would become minced meat for sure. And what was she doing to make herself look so girly at the current point of time? Sebast could not help but see his dojo master in a different perspective when she was holding a soft toy and looking at him expectantly with puppy-dog eyes. Was he being tested? There did not seem to be any signs of any surveillance camera. Stay calm, Sebast. Stay calm. She only wanted some help. So help her and get the hell out of there. ¡°Are you going to stone there forever?¡± Okay, that sounded more like the Naomi he knew. ¡°So you go to this website¡­¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Beast was all smiles when he logged into the game, awaking from the bed inside the lodge that Agor had set aside for them. ¡°Kiki?¡± Strange, the assassin girl was nowhere to be seen. Leaving the bare abode to the town outside, he called out again. ¡°Kiki?¡± It was then a piercing shriek penetrated the dusky air. All the spirits were unfazed, except for Beast who immediately dashed off towards the direction of the scream. ¡°Kiki!¡± Next Chapter Chapter 18: World Change When he reached the scene of the scream, it was a horrifying sight. Purplish spirits belonging to the town of Earth Lake were being dissolved, taken apart ectoplasm by ectoplasm with dark clouds of oil-like substance spewed by thick slimy worms that Beast have never once encountered during his venture in the dungeons. Huddled in one corner against the stone huts was Kiki, terrorised by a few of the worms that had surrounded her. Seems that she has a fear of these grotesque things as well as ghosts. The worm-like Lurkers were level 42, well within Beast¡¯s comfort range. A combo of mana-infused blows took care of them well enough. The more interesting thing of note was that they were actually winning against the Lanos Knights of Earth Lake, whom with previous inspection were actually level 50+ despite their valiant efforts at trying to resist the worm¡¯s attacks. It took one splash of that same muck for Beast to instantly know why.
-100 HP You have been afflicted with Necrotic Acid. You will take a constant 20HP damage/second Ectoplasm creatures will take additional 200% damage
It was dark magic, infused specifically to deal with the ghosts of Earth Lake, so much that the ghosts literally melted as soon as they come into contact with the attack. With that kind of counter, the spirits had absolutely no chance against their enemies unless Beast, who does not have the same vulnerability as they do, did something quickly to elevate the situation. Kiki too, if she could gather her nerves enough to contribute. With a roar and a leap, Beast charged into the battle, first killing the worms that were surrounding the female assassin. ¡°You okay?¡± He asked, but did not wait for a reply before priming a Renew spell on the girl and engaging another worm that was about to pulverise a Lanos Knight. Worm after worm he killed, always going for those that were about to defeat a friendly spirit ally. It was not that Beast was being altruistic but because he had to curry favour with the residents sooner or later to advance the quest. It simply did not do him good if the NPCs died off before they could give him all that Earth Lake has to offer. With the combination of his Bloodline Aura and Chi energy, it took no longer than five minute for him to clear the area. Then, a wretched voice reverberated across the caverns, coupled with an extremely dark presence that instantly chilled the surrounding air. Could it be a boss fight this soon? ¡°Lanos Knights, tremble and fear me. With your Antroach protection gone, it is simply a matter of time before I wipe you from this world.¡± And the evil presence simply vanished. ¡°You okay, Kiki?¡± Beast asked for the second time as he pulled the girl to her feet. ¡°It seems that Agor owes us an explanation on some things.¡± Surprisingly, the journey back to the heart of the town was¡­ different. What used to be cold responses from the ghosts of Lanos were now amicable smiles from them. ¡°Thank you for saving us.¡± ¡°My husband was almost killed by the Lurkers, but you saved him!¡± ¡°You have the heart of a Lanos Knight, young man.¡± It seemed that simply saving the Lanos Knights from being destroyed had raised his intimacy with the residents by a whole lot, despite the event only just happening; news in the game was apparently instantaneous. Also naturally, since they had saved quite a number of Lanos Knights from ectoplasmic death, Agor Lanos was more willing to tell the two of them more of what had just transpired. The voice was of the dark warlock Savathrox, who had led the goblin army to besiege Lanos during the Sundering. After driving the Knights down to the underground, he had pursued them here, only to come to face with guerrilla warfare of massive proportions due to the winding passageways and wide-spanning caverns. It was a long stalemate, leading Savathrox to weave a necromantic spell upon the place instead. Cursing them to be bound to the caverns as spectres that could not rest in peace, the warlock conjured Lurkers infused with dark magic specially to hunt them down, and was thwarted simply because the Antroach that dwelled under the surface had suppressed the Lurker population down. And this deadlock had persisted for centuries until this day. Beast was quiet for a while after Agor finished, partly because he was a little apologetic with regards to the Antroach but also because he was trying to process all the information that had been said. Who would have known that under the ruins of the Fort of Lanos, a part of the Sundering event that happen eons ago was still under way? Not only was it an interesting part of history that may shed insight on his Lore Keeper quest regarding Vanadic, it was also a chance to gain more artifacts and powers. ¡°Where can I find him?¡± Agor Lanos was shocked. ¡°You can¡¯t be thinking of taking him on alone? We tried back then, but he was too powerful and has too many.¡± ¡°I have her.¡± Beast pointed to Kiki beside him, who did a double take. ¡°Wh-what?¡± ¡°We will assassinate him, somehow.¡± Kiki¡¯s eyes were as wide as saucers now. ¡°But what about you Beast? You don¡¯t have any stealth skills right?¡±¡¯ ¡°I will improvise.¡± Beast shrugged. ¡°I had been doing well until now didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Agor was not convinced. ¡°I could allow you to bring some of the Lanos Knights with you as reinforcements, if they are willing to go with you.¡± With the intimacy increase, there was no doubt that Beast could persuade a substantial number of spectres to lend their aid against the upcoming battle. However, the main bulk of the warlock¡¯s army appeared to consist of Lurkers, and the Lurkers¡¯ attacks had been observed to be extremely effective against the ghosts, so much their chances of survival were zero to none. Because NPC reinforcements were requested based on the consumption of relations points, his intimacy with Earth Lake will also disappear with them once the spectres that constitute those intimacy points die. In conclusion, it was not worthwhile at the slightest to bring any reinforcements with them to avoid pointless slaughter and intimacy decrease. On the other hand, having two people might just be more beneficial instead with regards to manoeuvrability and stealth. And because they might be the only humans in this place for a long time to come, it would be better to simply proceed and try to take down Savathrox on their own. ¡°We should be able to handle it alone.¡± Beast insisted, much to Kiki¡¯s chagrin. ¡°Very well,¡± The purple spirit continued. ¡°If the two of you are willing to try, I will not stop you. Savathrox can be found in the Crystal Caverns deeper beyond the Antroach¡¯s lair. I wish you good luck and pray that you succeed for the sake of us all.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Because there was nothing else to offer within the town itself, there was also no need for Beast and Kiki to prepare anything with regards to food and supplies. This also meant that they would have to stock up on Antroach eggs first before venturing forth into the crystal caverns portion of this underground saga. ¡°Umm¡­ Beast, I think I am going to take a bath.¡± The assassin girl spoke up while they are harvesting black protein from the dead antroach¡¯s lair. ¡°Be right back!¡± She logged out before Beast could say anything, to which Beast gave a long sigh. She had been taking more and more of these baths nowadays; perhaps the strain of being underground all the time had taken a slight toll on her mind. One hour later, the girl was back in a visibly better mood than before just as the ¡®supplies¡¯ were finished restocking. Beast looked at Kiki. ¡°Ready?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± It took a while for the duo to track down the passageway that would lead them onwards and in the meantime the caverns were surprisingly lacking in signs of life. Armadillos and rat men that used to roam these halls were all missing for unknown reasons, leaving the two of them much time alone with each other. Despite that, there was none of their usual interactions. Kiki seemed to be angry about something. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Beast finally broke the silence. ¡°You okay there?¡± ¡° ¡­ I am fine.¡± That three words set off warning bells in Beast¡¯s head. Despite being evergreen and having a distinct lack of female interactions back in real life, he had read enough of the articles floating around the internet such as ¡®Sentences women say and what they actually mean¡¯ and ¡®Things to be wary of when dealing with females¡¯ to know that saying those three words are the most direct way women have of stating that they are actually not fine. And now, Kiki had used it on him. The articles also mentioned that it is social suicide for men to take it at face value and ignore them. ¡°Are you sure? You look anything like fine to me.¡± Beast delicately replied in the way the article recommend that men do. It apparently seemed to work, because she suddenly whirled around and broke into a tirade. ¡°Of course I am not fine! How could you have just decided everything on your own just like that? Assassinate him? How are we actually going to do that? He has an army and everything! Do you even think it through when you said those words?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°And I don¡¯t even care about the quest. I am tired of eating only this every day and being covered in muck and grime¡­ I just want to get out of here.¡± So it was regarding that. The article mentioned that the ability for a man to survive a women¡¯s anger is to accurately sift through all her words and accurately pinpoint the thing affecting her the most. Also, the ability to apologise is a big factor as well. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Beast intoned. He had indeed thought it through, but saying that might just infuriate her further. ¡°I have faith in us.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say stupid things like that!¡± Beast blinked. Why was that proclamation of faith stupid? Their partnership had been pretty effective so far, was it not? ¡°I-I¡­ forget it.¡± Kiki softened, picking up speed as she walked in front of Beast, leaving the Lore Keeper behind to ponder if he had handled the case wrongly. A few seconds later however, a shout caught his attention. ¡°Beast! Quick! Over here!¡± Hurrying over, Beast saw Kiki standing with something glowing in her hand ¨C a miniscule crystal emitting a deep blue colour. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°Ah! Sebast did mention it is Caerheim right?¡± Naomi stretched her arms as she appeared in the streets of Caerheim¡¯s capital city Loyderidge. ¡°Strange. I thought there would be more people in the city.¡± As she had said, the streets of Loyderidge were eerily empty. Gone were the usual bustling city streets where players hawker their wares to the others and the NPCs wandered around, going about their day¡¯s work. Right at this very moment, there were only a few guards patrolling around, along with a man who had approached her with a flyer in his hand. ¡°Hey! You are new here, right?¡± It was the mandatory tutorial NPC. ¡°You should not really be doing this now but welcome to Caerheim, Loyderidge. Here is a map of the city. I would have told you to enjoy your stay here and interact with the other residents for employment before going out to the wild but now isn¡¯t really a good time.¡± Naomi dumbfounded-ly received the map from the man. ¡°Are you a real person?¡± ¡°Of course I am a real person!¡± The tutorial guy indignantly replied. NPCs have no concept of real or virtuality, so to them they were as real as they could get. ¡°Listen, the city is currently under evacuation. All combat personnel have already joined the Joint Operation or City Militia. Go to the Magus Tower and ask for a passageway out of here; they are doing it for free for all residents and newcomers.¡± The man himself seemed desperate to leave. ¡°Go to Torintu or Rydelin, anywhere but here.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Naomi asked. ¡°Why?! Because Honduria is attacking soon, that is why! ¡° ¡°Why can¡¯t I fight?¡± The NPC was on the verge of tears from exasperation. Even if the concept of levels does not really apply to the NPCs of Ages online, they still have an implicit knowledge of a person¡¯s combat abilities. Naomi was level 1 and was by default no stronger than an untrained commoner of Loyderidge. Therefore her question seemed every bit as ridiculous as it sounded. In the end, he gave up trying to persuade her. ¡°If you really want to fight,¡± The NPC¡¯s shoulders were sunken in defeat. ¡°Go look for Commander Lifey at the Joint Operation centre next to the Keep. Or you can find Knight Gordo at the Militia barracks in the city suburbs.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Naomi chirped, much to the man¡¯s chagrin. This little girl in front of him was going to stupidly send herself to her death, damn this stupid impending war. Why couldn¡¯t the youngsters live their life in peace? ¡­¡­¡­ The Crystal Caverns were exactly as its name stated. Crystals of various hues of blue adorn the cavern walls, shining a pale cyan glow onto the surroundings. There were so much of them that the entire place was brightly lit by the glows alone. Beast and Kiki spend an awed moment admiring the crystal formation before remembering what they were here for. ¡°Why would Savathrox base himself in this kind of beautiful place?¡± Kiki wondered aloud. ¡°Possibly for the mana.¡± Beast could not help but answer. Indeed, his Detect Magic skill was giving off strong pulses of blue in addition to the natural blue glow of the crystals, indicating a saturation of magic that are infused within the crystals themselves. Taking the blue crystal that Kiki found, he pulled up the information window. It was obscured, a sign of an unidentified item. "Identify."
Object Identified. Additional information derived. Michelin Stone (Small) Weight: 10 grams Durability: 1/1 Magical, Rare Mineral, Material, Miscellaneous Value: 2g This stone is a mana-infused crystal formed by saturation of magical energies that wells from deep beneath the land such that it had turned a deep blue hue. In the past before the Sundering, it was pretty common as a source of back-up mana in times of emergency. This soft, malleable stone is also known to be used for magical enchantments and rituals. However, it is uncommon to find it now in the present time due to rapid abuse of the stone during the time of war. +0.1% mana regeneration. If used, replenish 500 mana instantly at the cost of the item.
As expected from Beast, the moment he had identified that the stone was source of direct mana replenishment, he instantly tried to hack a few more of those light blue glowing crystals off the wall. To his disappointment however, all he managed to obtain was dust as the crystals crumbled even from the slightest impact. Perhaps this was the reason why the stones were so rare ¨C getting a functional stone alone would take ages. ¡°Be careful, I think we are close.¡± They have reached a point where the number of Lurkers encountered had inflated to a substantial amount and despite them being easy monsters to defeat, still pose a threat due to their ever growing numbers. Nodding to each other, they embarked on their previously agreed plan. ¡°Prime: Bloodline Aura!¡± ¡°Stealth!¡± Within ten seconds of the aura effect, the two of them cleared the area of enemies and melded into the shadows, ready to start their infiltration mission. Next Chapter
Author''s Note: Merry Christmas Everyone! Chapter 19: Savathrox the Conqueror ¡°Is that true, Honduria really is planning to attack Caerheim?¡± ¡°Yea, I am in the area and all the civilians have already been ushered to Rydelin and Torintu. There is even a Joint Operation in progress based on the defence of the frontlines against Honduria¡¯s army. ¡° ¡°I am from Honduria¡¯s side. There is certainly no Joint Operation for participating in the invasion though. I wonder what the King is thinking.¡± ¡°There are rumours saying that Honduria is only putting on a show of force. It will not be an all-out invasion, because seriously I doubt Caerheim can withstand the full might of Honduria¡¯s players. So in the meta-view of this, it is only a one-sided defence mission.¡± ¡°I am going to complain. How could Yashita Corps show blatant favouritism to Caerheim players?¡± ¡°Wait¡­ Derrilene is here! She is the commander of the Joint Operation right? Let¡¯s ask her for more details!¡± The class was expectedly abuzz with the news of Honduria¡¯s sudden plans for invasion, just like various gaming journalism outlets on the net the night before. In fact, abuzz was more like an understatement. The internet was metaphorically on fire with discussion regarding the advent of this news, with some even describing it as an ¡®event¡¯ of sorts. Indeed, such a happening had been unprecedented in the history of gaming, with an invasion initiated entirely based on the NPC¡¯s will. For Sebast who actually bothered to read the history of Agaia and learnt of the founding of Caerheim, he was not so surprised by the initiation but was instead more curious regarding the motivation of Honduria; He had always been interested in this kind of political manoeuvring even if it came from NPCs in a game. Idly, Sebast wondered how far ahead Trigent, Lord of Caerheim, could have planned for this. ¡°Ah!¡± Something suddenly hit him. ¡°Is this the reason for Shadun¡¯s quest?¡± He had always thought that the bard¡¯s quest was weird, giving so much experience and gold for a simple letter delivery. However, now that such a matter had come to light, it all began to make sense if Trigent had asked a player for a secret delivery to Torintu so as to inform Mayor Filand about the evacuation plan. The intricacy blew Sebast¡¯s mind away. ¡°Hey there, what are you thinking?¡± A voice came as a familiar face sat himself beside Sebast. It was Wong Xiangjun. ¡°Not joining your clique?¡± Sebast asked without looking at him in the face. Xiangjun gave a flippant laugh in reply, ¡°Well Derrilene is being mobbed by the other classmates so I thought I could find a breather here.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°So what do you think of this new event?¡± Of course, Xiangjun is referring to the hot topic currently. ¡°I think I am going to help defend Loyderidge even though my level might not be high enough to be of great impact. I heard that Honduria¡¯s guards are at least level 80 each.¡± This was also another reason why the event was so sensationalistic. Against a fledgling new country with only a handful of level 100 players, an army of level 80s and above could prove to be more than a match for Caerheim. Given that the NPC soldiers within each country follow the same rule where they level up as independent units from level 1 and gain experience from fights and training under the kingdom players, the average level of Caerheim¡¯s army is at a mere 50s and can only provide as much help as being a support unit. ¡°So what is your level?¡± ¡°61. What about yours?¡± ¡°48.¡± What he got from the other male is a look of disbelief. ¡°Wow, you must be really hard-core to have levelled up this much within such a short period of time. You might even catch up to me soon. I guess you are joining this joint operation then?¡± ¡°No.¡± Xiangjun¡¯s face visibly fell. ¡°I am stuck somewhere for the moment so I can¡¯t join.¡± ¡°I guess that can¡¯t be helped.¡± Sebast shrugged. It was at this point of time the professor entered the room, causing the students to return to their seats for the start of the lecture. ¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Back in Ages Online, Beast was having a really difficult time trying to remain undetected. Kiki worriedly moved alongside, safe because of her stealth skill, but Beast himself did not have that for insurance. His physical body was still out there in the open, hidden only due to the terrain and environmental factors. ¡°Seems that you are getting along fine with the worms now.¡± The assassin girl rolled her eyes at that comment, before showing a look of disgust. ¡°Alright, alright. Bad joke.¡± ¡°Concentrate on staying undetected.¡± She hissed, before lunging out at an unsuspecting lone Lurker that had strayed too far away into their vicinity. Within the period of a second, a chain of three strikes lashed out in quick succession and obliterated the worm in a blink of an eye. Moments later, Kiki shimmered as she went back into stealth mode again. Watching from the side-lines, Beast marvelled at the combo with envy. If only he himself had something similar to use instead of these rag-tag skills he had picked up with little to no synergy. That would have been very much welcomed. Sighing to himself, Beast left the shadows of the stalagmite he was behind during this brief window of opportunity and re-entered another, slowly moving forward towards the inner end of the caverns. The process would repeat itself several times, until finally the both of them knew that they were near. The bright blue crystals that adorned the walls had turned black, their glow dead. The mana within them had long since been drained to oblivion. The number of Lurkers that prowled the vicinity had also increased exponentially, only offset by the fact that without the glow of the crystals to illuminate the area there were more hiding places for Beast to stealth in now. High above a pile of rotting hobgoblin corpses in the furthest end of the cavern, a skeletal figure stood with green and black light pulsing from its fingers. From the distance, Beast could barely make out the faint numbers that adorned the creature¡¯s head; Level 90. It was the highest levelled enemy he would have ever faced since the start of the game. With every wave of its hands, maggots came pouring out from the orifices of the corpses before writhing and metamorphosing into the familiar Lurker enemies that had plagued them throughout the way. It was through this horrifying scene that Beast cemented his assumption of Savathrox to be something like a Lich-Necromancer hybrid. ¡°Uyeargh¡± Beast snapped his head towards the sound, just in time to see Kiki throw up her stomach at the sickening sight. Though she was technically invisible, she was not inaudible. Her act of belching instantly alerted the entire cavern to their presence. ¡°Holy¡­¡± ¡°Intruders!¡± Savathrox screeched in an unearthly voice. ¡°So the Lanos Knights have decided to stop their cowardly turtling! Find them and kill them!¡± Beast looked accusingly at the assassin girl, who could only bite her tongue in response. With Savathrox¡¯s command, his legion of Lurkers immediately swarmed the area. Despite the increased advantage in hiding, it was only a matter of time before Beast was discovered. ¡°Damn it Kiki¡­.I need you to¡­ Kiki?¡± The assassin girl had conveniently disappeared, leaving Beast all alone. ¡°Ok think Beast, think!¡± He would have to settle the issue with Kiki later. Now was the time where he had to think of a way to avoid detection, or at least go out in a blaze of glory. Especially when Savathrox was almost twice his current level, if there was anything at all that could give him the advantage in this up-coming battle, he would have to seize it. With that in mind, he quickly went through all the information he had regarding this matter. Savathrox was a lich who have sent Lurkers against the Lanos Knights underground in the catacombs since eons ago, which were only countered by the presence of the Antroach. The Lurkers were highly effective against spectres, but not living beings which meant he could possibly hold out for a while in combat. Wait¡­ something was not right here. Why would Savathrox be content to futilely send Lurkers after Earth Lake even when he knew the Antroach is guarding it and continuously do so for over hundreds of years? Although NPCs in game have no concept of levels, would it not be better if Savathrox would remove the Antroach himself, which he could definitely do so, and then send the Lurkers in? He accused the Lanos Knights of turtling, but the lich was also guilty of it himself. If NPCs could think logically, and they had repeatedly demonstrated themselves to be able to do so, then something else must have been in place that had prevented Savathrox from just handling the Lanos problem himself. Even now, he was only content to let his Lurkers search instead of descending down upon him in full-fledge boss mode. All the pieces to the puzzle led to a single conclusion: Savathrox could not move. His legs seemed to be free of restraints but for some reason he could not move away from his original spot. He could still fire off his spells though, as Beast found out the hard way. It was only the sudden intense heat that radiated on his back that prompted him to dive out of the way before the stalagmite he was hiding behind burst into green fire. All at once, the Lurkers converged into his position before he could re-gather his senses and began to attack. ¡°Bloodline Aura!¡± Beast hastily yelled as he entered combat, fending off the worms that would leap at his face. In the distance, the green glow flashed bright as several more of the necrotic blasts were launched onto Beast¡¯s position and arced down from the sky like artillery fire. ¡°They send only a human boy? How the mighty Lanos Knights had fallen!¡± The echoes of Savathrox¡¯s taunt reverberated through the caverns, but Beast was only concerned about clearing the mob of Lurkers in time before the blast spells impact. If only he had an area-of-effect move of some sort, it would have made this much easier. Something like the spells Vanadic had in his tome during the memory sequence. Air Burst would have been very handy right now. Glancing at the melted mess of rock and worms that had been his hiding spot, Beast subconsciously wished that he could do something to that effect too. Suddenly, he had a realisation. ¡°So¡­ it is this kind of battle huh.¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. In the games of old, it was extremely well-known and joked about that spells and attacks from the same side as you could not affect your teammates, otherwise known as friendly fire protection. It was supposedly done to protect against deliberate griefers who would team-kill and ruin games just for their own laughs. However in Ages Online where the real world is simulated down to the tiniest degree, there are only minimal safeguards in place for aura-type moves like the time with Shadun¡¯s malboro singing mostly due to a need to preserve the party system and the bard¡¯s skill viability whereas all other forms of offensive attacks were not protected against. Naturally, this applied to the NPCs as well. With the last few second of his Bloodline Aura, Beast used his strength of leap away from his original spot just in time as the first necrotic blast crashed down onto his location. The green fired burned and ate away at the horde of Lurkers that had been engaged in battle with Beast a while before, leaving only charred carcasses behind. Beast was right; it was that kind of battle. Realistically speaking, he could have brought an army from Earth Lake down here to battle against the Lurkers but this being Ages Online, had many different ways to solve a problem than simple brute strength. In this case, it would be using the enemy¡¯s limitation and strength against him. With a simple bait and switch tactic, Beast drew most of the Lurkers in the caverns before him and systematically eliminated them with Savathrox¡¯s own spells until the once teeming Crystal caverns were now empty and bare. Savathrox, on the other hand could only shriek in fury. ¡°Human boy! You think you might have the last laugh but my Lurkers are endless! Endless!¡± With a wave of its abominable hands, the Lich strived to create more worms from his throne of corpses, only for a sharp knife to suddenly pierce his back and stopping him mid-spell. Kiki! She had not abandoned him after all. Inwardly, Beast could not help but feel a little guilty that he thought so lightly of the girl even after all their time together. Savathrox was not pleased with the attack. ¡°Foolish girl!¡± A blast of green flames burst from his skeletal back, flinging the surprised assassin with such force that she crashed into the far wall. It was his mistake. While he was occupied with Kiki, what Savathrox had not noticed was that Beast, having already cleared the area of the Lurkers, had already closed the distance. A dim red aura outlined the Lore Keeper who held his fist up high glowing white with mana as it bashed the side of the Lich¡¯s skull.
You have activated Predator Sense! +30% damage
Because the latter was not aware of his enemy, it counted as breaking stealth for Beast, which activated his Predator sense for an additional 30% damage. In addition to Kiki¡¯s prior backstab, it took down at least a tenth of Savathrox health. Considering that they were only two people, it was uplifting for Beast¡¯s morale to see that health bar drop; that 10% damage increase from the Insect Sunshine Surprise really shone here. With this kind of damage, it would soon be over if he were to repeat the pattern several more times. Smirking in assured victory, Beast gave the lich another kick for good measure. ¡°Fools!!¡± A green sickly aura burst from Savathrox again, propelling Beast all the way back to his starting point.
-350 HP You have been afflicted by Exhaust. Movement speed -50%.
¡°Oh crap!¡± In an instant a rainstorm of necrotic blasts hurtled through the air onto Beast¡¯s position. With the movement debuff as well as the dense striking zones, Beast found it extremely difficult to dodge every single one of the blast and got to experience first-hand how painful they felt.
-522 HP
-541 HP
-580 HP
¡°Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn.¡± That was like more than half his health gone in one move. As the attack end, Beast picked himself up from amidst the destruction and gulped down a healing potion to mend the damage. Judging by the intensity, he had no doubt that it should be one of Savathrox¡¯s ultimate moves, but there was no time to ponder. Once again, Savathrox raised hundreds of Lurkers from his throne, sending them all to attack Beast as his green fire burned through the air once more. Then, Beast fell back into his routine of drawing all of them into his path as the Necrotic Blasts finished them off for him. This time round, he was concocting a plan. When he was up close and personal with the Lich, he noticed two things that might be useful for the ongoing battle. One, there was a magic circle at Savathrox¡¯s feet, and a ring was set into place such that it completes the magical array. Beast assumed that it was the seal that held the lich in place. Best not to touch that. Secondly, directly above Savathrox was a vicious-looking crystal stalactite that had been drained black of its mana. If he were to hazard a guess, the lich might have been using it as a conduit of some sort to access the rest of the crystals on the cavern walls, but that was beside the point. ¡°My Lurkers! Arise! Kill him!¡± It was the cue for the next phase of attack, and also Kiki¡¯s cue to interrupt him. Right on target, a knife struck the Lich¡¯s back followed by a well-timed follow-up on Beast¡¯s part, causing his health to decrease even further. The caverns shook from the tantrums Savathrox was throwing. Beast inwardly marvelled at their own combat ability. Even though they were technically operating by themselves, they could still cooperate to this degree of finesse. It takes a certain amount of synergy and compatibility between them to understand what the current plan was even without saying it. The necrotic burst came again, followed by a rainstorm of green fire. Beast tried his best to avoid them and drank a potion afterwards for some healing. ¡°Kiki.¡± Beast spoke into the air, certain that the girl could hear him. He had deliberately positioned himself so that he would be flung in the same direction as the assassin, therefore ensuring that he would end up in the same area as her. ¡°The stalactite. I will go for it.¡± ¡°How?¡± She was indeed around, but Beast just could not seem to find her. ¡°I will shoot it.¡± Blue power enveloped his hands as he said. He had drained all his mana into this one attack. ¡°Okay.¡± It was all that was said between them. The dance with the worms continued until the one point of time in which Savathrox was vulnerable. ¡°Kill them all Lurkers! Feed on their flesh and gnaw on their bones!¡± ¡°NOW!¡± Everything happened at once. Kiki struck her knife into Savathrox, while Beast gathered all his mana into his hands and fired them towards the stalactite. He dazedly watched as the blue ball of energy crashed into the base, causing the dead crystal to flash blue for a split-second. Then cracks erupted from the impact point, coursing its way across the crystalline structure. Without its support holding it to the ceiling of the cavern, the stalactite began its free-fall towards the Lich below. If the Lich still had eyes instead of empty holes, one would have observed them widening in surprise and horror. He raised up his hand to fire a Necrotic blast to break the stalactite but was too late. There was a thunderous boom as the structure crashed down upon the immobile Savathrox before the stress from the impact caused the entire crystal to fragment and break into millions of pieces where it stood. If Beast was not in a life-or-death situation right now, he would even say that the scene of the aftermaths was beautiful. Did they do it? Was Savathrox dead? Was it enough?¡± After ten whole seconds of nothing, the clouds of dust dissipated, revealing a lich alive, but worse for wear. His health bar had gone down by more than a half, and he was utterly livid too. ¡°Damn humans! Curse you in the Sundering¡¯s name!¡± And the Lurkers were raised anew. So it was not enough after all, but the results were more than Beast could ask for. With a grin, he lapsed back into his routine of kiting. There was an increase in Savathrox¡¯s rate of fire, but with that minor victory in place, he felt that he could handle it. All they needed was to repeat this a few more times, and the Lich will be down for good. ¡°My Lurkers! They will never be fully gone!¡± ¡°Anytime now¡­¡± Beast was prepared to take the opening again should Kiki give it to him. This time however, there was no backstabbing to interrupt him. Kiki was painfully absent and without taking damage, Savathrox was free to continue onto his next phase of attack. As new worms poured out the corpses and Beast reverted back into his kiting routine, he bleakly wondered when it would end, and what happened to Kiki. ¡°Where is she? Had she already been killed during the stalactite sequence?¡± His question was answered however when suddenly, a knife came from behind and plunge itself into his back after he was preoccupied with an obstructing Lurker for far too long.
You have been backstabbed! -1500 HP
Pain shot across his body like electricity while his nerves pulsed as though they were on fire. ¡°K-kiki?¡± He turned his head, unable to believe what was happening. What greeted him was a mockery of the girl he once knew, an empty smile on her face. Next Chapter
Author''s Notes: Here is a christmas present! Chapter 20: Descend unto War Ignoring the virtual pain coursing through his body, Beast quickly leapt backwards to prevent the assassin from leading onto her next combo skill, which would have definitely killed him there and then. After getting a safe distance away, Beast¡¯s mind whirled into action to think over what exactly had just transpired. Considering the circumstances, there could only be two possibilities, that either Kiki had suddenly flipped her switch and finally decided she wanted to kill him or Savathrox had somehow managed to control the girl. The latter was infinitely more likely and it was possible that the warlock had a mind-control skill up his sleeves. ¡°Foolish humans! I will destroy every last one of you!¡± The inhumane sound came from Kiki through her lips mirroring the lich¡¯s own while her eyes stared blankly ahead. It all but confirmed Beast¡¯s suspicions. Suddenly, Beast¡¯s priority had switched from dodging the Lurker swarm to freeing Kiki from enemy control, only that he had no idea how he was supposed to get it done. Usually bosses such as Savathrox were meant to be defeated with a party, and having one of several members controlled was usually minor enough for the rest to kill the boss and free their friend. However, as there were only the two of them present here and Kiki was the main damage dealer between them, the situation had become much more severe. ¡°Goddamnit. What am I supposed to do? Oh, F-¡± Kiki had disappeared again into her stealth mode and for the first time in his Ages Online gaming career, Beast felt an ominous presence descending upon his back. So this was how scary it was to have someone stalk and hunt you down. There was only one thing he could do in the presence of a foe he could not see ¨C to hide and run. ¡°Think¡­ think¡­ think¡­¡± Beast repeated his mantra as he dodged from stalagmite to stalagmite, all the while regenerating his mana and trying to avoid being stabbed in the back. His paranoia was growing by the second, compounded by the pressure from both Savathrox and the Lurkers. Anytime now, a knife would come in from the shadows and end his miserable existence from this cavern. From what he could see, there was only a slight chance of victory at this rate. There was still something he could probably use, but the risk could be fatal. After several minutes of pointless running in circles, Beast could not take it anymore ¨C He will just have to bet on that slight probability. ¡°Lurkers, hunt him! Find him!¡± ¡°Prime: Bloodline aura!¡± With his enhanced speed Beast sped towards the immobile Lich, throwing all of his strength into one punch. Surprised by his sudden manoeuvre, Savathrox abruptly halted his spell casting as knuckles smashed into his skull. ¡°Damn you!¡± The Lich screeched, even as Beast landed blow after blow on him. Then, with a tumble polished by days of training at the Penguin Dojo, Beast flipped sideways just as a gleaming dagger materialise from the shadows and plunge into the space where he was in a moment ago straight into the screaming Lich. Before Savathrox could activate his Necrotic Burst again to fling him out of range, Beast grabbed onto the hands of the controlled Kiki and forcibly twisted it in the wound. The assassin''s skill was forcefully activated, generating yet another otherworldly howl from the warlock. Crash! The assassin was thrown off her feet at the same time, bringing Beast precious seconds of being safe from retaliation as the green burst activated and flung him across the room again. As the boss monster lapsed into yet another of his necrotic storms once again, Beast sighed in relief. It was quite lucky that Kiki still retained some of her slight quirks even while controlled. Having countless experience of fighting alongside Kiki, he could grasp how the girl preferred to fight. Every single time he had tanked for the two of them, Beast had noticed that Kiki would always wait until the enemy had committed about four to five hits before revealing herself. It was either that or she backstabbed at the first strike if she had confidence that she could immediately obliterate her opponent. She also refrained from engaging if the target¡¯s attention was not on someone else unless she thought she could end it in a single combo. ¡°Well I guess this means she held me in high regards then.¡± Beast muttered. In the end, it just became another matter of using the opponent¡¯s damage against him. From afar, Savathrox health had dropped to less than a fifth left and in his desperation, the lich have started to increase the intensity of his attacks. Fortunately, the number of Lurkers had also diminished, giving Beast more breathing room in terms of evasion. Unfortunately, he was also down to his last healing potion, which means the next close quarter combat would probably be the last. Kiki had disappeared from sight again. After the necrotic blasts had blown away much of the Lurker enemies, it was time. ¡°Prime: Bloodline Aura!¡± Beast infused all of his remaining mana into his next punch. Every 3 mana dealt 1 bonus damage; with his current mana pool it would assure at least 600 damage to the enemy. Everything hinged on whether Kiki was as predictable as he thought she was. By this time, the eyes of Savathrox were showing something else other than the usual contempt ¨C fear. This boy, wearing nothing more than rags was crazy enough to charge right at him, dealing tons of damage every single time one way or another. Right at the current moment he was currently doing so with a resolute gleam in his eyes that stated his intention to end everything once and for all. There was nothing Savathrox could do but to take it to the face.
Critical Hit!
The flurry of blows began, sapping away at his undead health. He activated his Necrotic Burst to try and displace him but the boy, as though he already knew what would happen, just swung himself onto his back and grappled him. The skill activated with a force strong enough to displace boulders, but he held on without concern for damage and pain. He could not get him off. Should he use Necrotic Burst again? No, his newly acquired puppet would take care of the boy. All it would take was one single hit. At his mental command, his puppet appeared to put the boy in his place, her knife viciously stabbing towards the boy¡¯s heart. He smiled in victory, the same smile appearing on his puppet¡¯s face through the mental link. Suddenly, the boy released his grip. Using gravity, he let himself fall, exposing Savathrox to the blade. ¡°No¡­ No!¡± For all of his hopes that it would finish off the boy, the attack was easily dodged and plunged once again into his undead body. Using the same trick as he did, the boy forced his puppet into her combo, dealing yet another damaging blow to his ailing body and incapacitating her with a sweep of her legs. Then an elbow struck his head from behind with a battle-cry, followed by a series of lightning fast punches that rapidly drained his health towards the end. ¡°Necrotic Burst!¡± It was either this or death. If the boy did not care about the damage then he would just keep Bursting till the pest die from it. A sickly green flare exploded around him and the boy grabbed him again. But what he did not expect was for the boy to grab his head as a support. The disharmony of forces pulled at each other, ultimately cancelling each other out, but not before the boy pulled his skull off his neck with a clean snap. His long undead life was finally at an end. ¡°Grhrkk.¡± The skull of Savathrox heaved in Beast¡¯s hands. The Lore Keeper had not landed far. ¡°I cannot fall. The Sundering... must¡­ continue.¡± Kiki had recovered and was getting on her feet. Beast threw away the skull with a look of disgust and hurriedly ran over to restraint the girl. He would be damned if he allowed her to enter stealth again. ¡°If only... that damned Vanadic¡­¡± Beast stopped even as he maintained his grip on the hands of the struggling assassin. ¡°What?¡± The Lore Keeper found his voice after a pregnant pause. ¡°Vanadic?¡± There was no answer as the unearthly glow in Savathrox body scattered from the corpse and left the skeletal figure.
You have levelled up. You have levelled up. You have levelled up. You have levelled up. You have levelled up. You have levelled up. You have levelled up Chi has increased to Basic 6 Bare Handed Mastery has increased to Intermediate 2 Iron Body has increased to Intermediate 2
You have defeated Savathrox the Conqueror! +95 Fame + 200 Public Relations with Scelenia
You have completed the quest The Secret of Lanos Part 2! Deep under the Fortress of Lanos, you have discovered the remnants of the Sundering that had occurred hundreds of years ago locked in conflict with the remnants of the Lanos Knights of Scelenia. Both have been cursed by the other to remain even after death and it was only with your defeat of the Lich warlock Savathrox the Conqueror that the curse is released. Now the Lanos Knights can finally rest in peace. Collect your reward from Agor.
Multiple windows popped up as soon as Savathrox died along with the rest of his summoned Lurkers, but Beast paid them no attention. He grabbed hold of Kiki who immediately crumbled like a puppet with its strings cut. She was still alive, if not a little injured. Only after making sure that the girl was okay did he then search the Lich¡¯s remains for the one thing gamers look out for the most ¨C loot. And he was not at all disappointed.
You have discovered the artifact - Sundered Gloves of the Conquerer Type: Historical Artifact, Equipment. Gloves worn by Savathrox the Conquerer, one of the commanders of the dark army of the Sundering. It is said to hold mysterious powers that enable one to manipulate the very essence of mana around them for their own benefits. Durability: 39/45 Value: 350g Defence: 25 Magic Defence:25 Level restriction: 95 Job Limitation: Warlock When equipped: + 35 Intelligence +15 Wisdom + 300 Mana Artifact Power: Mana Drain Cost: 0 Mana Cooldown: 120 seconds When activated, the wearer steals mana essense from the surroundings to recover mana at 5% of maximum per second for over 10 seconds. If an enemy is within 30 metres range when the skill is activated, their mana will be drained at 5% of the user¡¯s maximum mana per second.
+2 Dexterity +5 Stamina +15 Intelligence + 8 Wisdom
Mana drain, a skill that is most definitely useful and it also has very good synergy with his Chi skills. Needless to say, Beast immediately wore his first piece of proper equipment since the start of the game. The job limitation did not even apply to him, he who can equip artifacts of all kind, and the level restriction of 95 had been halved by his profession.
You have discovered the artifact - Phylactery of the Conquerer Artifact, Item The Phylactery of Savathrox the Conquerer, a commander of the Dark Army of the Sundering. It is said that the warlock used the Phylactery to contain his soul upon his defeat at the hands of Vanadic, Lord Historian of Alvastra and is how he still lived to wage war against the Knights of Lanos. The owner of the Phylactery has ownership of Savathrox¡¯s soul, but be warned that he do not take to new masters kindly. When used: Summons Savathrox the Conquerer.
+2 Stamina +10 Intelligence +8 Wisdom Your Archaeology has increased to Basic 8
¡°Oh my god.¡± Beast was literally trembling with excitement by the time he read through the item description. Never mind he was receiving stats by the bucket-load and levelled up seven times. Never mind he received public relations for an ancient kingdom that was not supposed to exist. Never mind he just managed to catalogue Mana Drain. Everything paled in comparison to being able to summon a level 90 boss monster as his personal pet at his beck and call, though he probably would not do it until he became much stronger at the description¡¯s warning. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. The icing on the cake came when he spotted the same ring he had noticed during the battle at the feet of the Lich¡¯s corpse. Now that he had seen it more clearly, it was a signet ring with a very familiar symbol on it. Picking it up immediately registered it on his notification window.
You have discovered the hidden artifact - Vanadic Signet Ring Type: Historical Artifact, Equipment. This is the signet ring of the House Vanadic of Alvastra. The bearer of this ring gains the authority of the Lord Historian as well as all power related to the position. People who knew of the legacy of Vanadic will recognise this ring and acknowledge its bearer. During the Sundering, the Lord Historian used this ring to bind the undead Savathrox the Conquerer to the catacombs of Fort Lanos so as to slow down the advances of the dark army when he discovered that the Conquerer would not stay dead. Durability: 99/99 Value: --- Defence: 1 Magic Defence: 50 Job Limitation: Lore Keeper When equipped: +10 Intelligence Artifact Power : Enhanced Prime Passive The power of the Signet Ring enhances the Prime skill, increasing the power of Prime spells through invocations for up to 30% increase in effectiveness. Cast time will increase based on the incantation.
+2 Strength +2 Dexterity +8 Stamina +7 Intelligence + 6 Wisdom
Straight away, a scene similar to the one he got when he obtained the Vanadic Tome flooded his vision. ................. He stood tall against the daemon in the Caverns of Crystals, not backing away even a single inch. After battling with it all the way from the surface down to the subterranean tunnels, he had finally cornered the commander of the Dark Army at the place he wanted it to be. Bodies of goblins and human soldiers laid around them, a tribute to the grisly outcome of the war. Now, it was time to take down the head with everything he had. ¡°You have spent so much time here.¡± Savathrox hissed maniacally. ¡°So much effort, just to kill me. So many lived lost, just to corner me.¡± The demon gestured to the bodies around them. ¡°It will be well worth it. I call upon the frosted wind of the spear Frigidaebolg. Prime: Celsius Lance!¡± An ice spike materialised and shot towards the demon, initiating the start of the showdown. For a while, neither of them spoke as spells continuously flew, shattering the crystals adorning the walls of their location. Mana from both the casted spells and the broken crystals saturated the dank air of the tunnels, making it increasingly difficult to breath as the battle carried on. Finally, he spotted an opening. ¡°Prime: Spark Light!¡± At his command, his tome fluttered to the page of the invoked artifact where a huge beam of the light burst from the book towards Savathrox the Conquerer. The demon immediately countered with a green deathly blast of his own, but was quickly overpowered by the beam and blown all way into the cavern wall. He did not dare rest on his laurels, quickly following up with the ice spike spell used to drive through the demon¡¯s heart. ¡°Hahahaha! You think that would kill me, but I cannot die! Hahahaha!¡± Savathrox lurched forward, ignoring the spear of ice that was piercing him, leaving blue demon blood in the process. A blast of green fire flew towards him and he sidestepped the attack, returning another ice spear. Savathrox simply did not bother to dodge anymore. It was obvious that life was leaving the Conquerer but what was it that was making him say that he could not die? Given the confidence and ferocity in Savathrox¡¯s movements, it horrified him that there could be some truth in his words. He panicked. Time was not on his side. He could not waste anymore killing something that could not die. The Sundering was still happening. There were places he still needed to reach. Now that it had come down to this, there was no other choice but to resort to his backup plan. He would seal this monster under Fortress Lanos. Removing the last object of power he had left on him ¨C his signet ring, he began to mutter a spell as the crystals pulsed in resonance to his incantations. ............ Beast shook his head to clear his vision after the memory ended. It was interesting to say the least, but nothing he had not guessed from all the fluff text he had been getting. So Vanadic had been in this area before as well. Who was he, besides being the Lord Historian of Alvastra? Where did he have to go or do during the incident known as the Sundering? What was the Sundering exactly and his role in it? There were so many questions and yet no answers. Feeling that he would just waste his brain cells trying to speculate out an answer, Beast turned his attention to the present. Bad luck does come before a windfall. After a gruelling phase in his game life, he had finally gotten four artifacts in one haul and one of them was part of the legacy he was chasing after as part of his class quest too. It did not matter if the ring provides a paltry physical defense, the effects alone were much more than he could ever ask for. The Invocation mention should be the system that the mages of Ages Online use, where they chant before casting the spell proper as a way to power up the spell¡¯s effectiveness in exchange for additional casting time. It was kind of similar to what Vanadic had been doing inside his visions and Beast could foresee many benefits to arise from the skill. Suddenly, all the crawling through the dirt tunnels and surviving solely on antroach eggs did not seemed too bad after all. He could barely hide his joy and smile as Kiki began to stir in his arms. ¡°Urghh¡­ no¡­ Beast!¡± The moment she woke, Kiki began to murmur, the aftereffects of the mind control still lingering. After she finally recovered from her disorientation, the girl was very flustered when she found out where she was. ¡°I am so sorry!¡± She was on the verge of tears. ¡°I mean¡­ I almost died after that blast and then¡­ I fell under his control ¡­ I was watching when I stabbed you¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Beast replied, still high on his discovered fortune. Kiki only gave back an incredulous look, surprised that there was little or no hostility at all even after her attempt at murder. It was not the reaction she had been expecting; Beast was actually smiling. ¡°Are¡­ you sure?¡± The air of guilt hung heavily from her face. ¡°Yea. So did you get the experience from killing Savathrox?¡± Kiki mutely nodded in reply. Indeed, she had gone up by a total of nine levels just from killing the Lich alone. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get back to Agor and maybe we can say goodbye to the tunnels once and for all.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Back at Earth Lake, the inhabitants of the town were overjoyed to see the duo. Everywhere they go, they were welcomed with praises and thanks. ¡°Oh my, here come our heroes!¡± ¡°You have banished the Lich Savathrox and saved our town!¡± ¡°You are worthy to be part of the Lanos Knights!¡± Agor himself was smiling from end to end, although there remained a sad look in his eyes. Beast could not help but notice this as he sat himself down back in the stone abode that provided him shelter in his duration here. ¡°Thank you.¡± The ghost of the past bowed deeply in gratitude. ¡°By removing Savathrox, you have also removed the curse of un-death he had placed on my people. I wish I could reward you both with something substantial, but I have nothing left to my name. ¡° This probably means that getting one additional artifact to the haul was out of the question. ¡°I could offer you a chance to be one of us.¡±
You have received a Job Change offer Hidden Job: Lanos Knight The Lanos Knight is more chivalrous than other knights of the land, being renowned for their ferocity and skills back the Age of Conquest. Changing into this job will require you to abandon your current job and all learned skills. Do you accept? YES/NO
A hidden job change! A look at Kiki¡¯s eyes told Beast that she was thinking the same thing. A hidden job is usually rare to obtain and better than the normal run-of-the-mill jobs that one can get from major cities. Surely, being a Lanos Knight might be as advantageous as Derrilene¡¯s Guardian class. ¡°I am honoured to receive such a request but I am sorry I cannot accept this.¡± Beast mildly refused. There was absolutely no way he was going to change his job after all the blood, tears and sweat he had vested into it, much less right after he had obtain an artifact haul to use. Furthermore, the story of Vanadic had grown onto him. ¡°I also refuse. Sorry.¡± Kiki quickly added. It seemed that her job had a few hidden perks that she could not give up on. Who would, after seeing how much damage she can deal in a single strike? A quiet ding sounded as the notification window cancelled itself. ¡°Yes¡­ yes surely. If this is the case, in the end I can only give you my word.¡± ¡°Word?¡± Beast inquired. The denied prospect of a tangible reward left a slightly bitter taste but anything was better than nothing. ¡°A favour I would say. That is my word.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys going to leave for a better place?¡± Kiki asked. ¡°No, only those who are aware of their mortality will. The rest will probably remain until they are enlightened.¡± Beast already knew this would happen. Logically speaking, a town cannot function without its inhabitants, and Agor also had a favour to return. Therefore the game would not really let them disappear and make Earth Lake a real ghost town. What he suspected however, was that a selected few NPCs would disappear, namely the secret craft skill trainers. It was fortunate that they already discovered them and learnt all that they needed to. ¡°I see.¡± Beast nodded. ¡°Then we shall take our leave for the surface.¡± Agor bowed once more as the spectre saw them out of the door. ¡°Anything for the inheritor of our benefactor. There is a shorter way to the surface other than the fort sewers. Follow me, I will show you the way myself.¡±
You have completed the quest The Secret of Lanos. Agor has acknowledged you as the successor of the Vanadic Legacy and promise you a favour in return for removing the Savathrox threat on Earth Lake. In the future in times of need, you can call upon the Lanos Knights for aid. + 20 fame + Agor''s Word
You have levelled up! You have levelled up!
The assassin girl gave Beast a raised eyebrow at Agor¡¯s words. ¡°Beast, you are secretly smiling like a maniac.¡± Kiki quietly pointed out. ¡°No I am not!¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was the absence of the usual banter between them. The Kiki in the past would surely have continued with her accusations and also wanted to know what Agor actually meant, but she did not. Beast chalked it up as the girl still getting over the effects of the mind control. The rest of the journey upwards was conducted in silence. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°FOR HONDURIA!¡± A wave of cries chorused the shout. ¡°FOR CAERHEIM.¡± A lady clad in full iron armour with a gleaming exquisite longsword and shield in her hands yelled at the head of the Caerhiem Joint Operation Army. And the drums of war rang true. Intermission: Map of Caerheim Next Chapter
Author''s notes: This marks the end of my second volume. :) If you enjoyed the story, please leave a review. If you have some problems with the story, do leave a review or comment too so I can address the problem and improve. Cheers! Intermission: Map of Caerheim Hello people! Here is an approximate map of the area drawn (poorly) by me to aid in visualisation for the next arc. Also, I would like some idea for a name for the war between Honduria and Caerheim. Currently calling it Hondu-Caer war which sounds a little funky so I think I will need a better name. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Stay tune for some exciting battles, heart-rending breakups and some malboro singing. Next Chapter Chapter 21: Corelia ¡°This is 95.8 FM Radio Station for Gamers giving you a live update on the situation with our current big event in Ages Online. The war between Caerheim and Honduria has just been ignited and both forces have had several skirmishes for a few days now with minimal losses on both sides. It seems that both the attackers and defenders are just testing the water so to speak. What do you think Toby?" ¡°Yes indeed, Adele. All eyes are on Caerheim now. Although the Hondurian side only has NPC soldiers taking part in the battle, the citizens of Caerheim are obliged to be involved in her defense should they want to keep their sovereignty intact. This is the first time events of such a scale happened within the six months since Ages Online¡¯s debut, so none of us know what would happen if Caerheim were to lose the war. Do they become vassals? Or slaves? All we know is that those who joined the event and dies could not log in until the event is properly over. Personally I am a Honduria player and I am majorly disappointed we are not getting any of the action happening right now at the western continent. What we can only do is to contribute funds for the war efforts back at home. For Honduria!¡± ¡°Toby, Caerheim is not that weak either. Don¡¯t assume that Caerheim will lose this fight, because fighting on our side is the commander of the Joint Operation Army, Guardian Lifey. Not only is she a whooping level 120, she also has a hidden profession to aid her. We have discussed this before in one of our previous sessions, a Guardian has superb defensive skills that can protect others as well as themselves, making Lifey one of the most suitable candidates for this battle.¡± The deejay put on some light-hearted music in the background. ¡°Of course, a Guardian has some major offensive skills as well. In fact, I do remember us discussing how the process of being a Guardian came about.¡± ¡°You are right Adele, the Guardian profession is not exactly ¡®hidden¡¯ anymore, but it is still exclusive since there can only be one Guardian at any point of time in the game. For our listeners who missed out on the coverage back then, I shall briefly describe the process. Firstly, one must be a warrior and earn the favor of the Goddess Thema to even be considered for the position, and then undergo the Trial of Heroes located at the Holy City of Athems in Honduria. After successfully completing the trial, one will be chosen out of all those who pass to become a Guardian and be put on a quest to gather the legendary divine arms of the Hero of Thema, Antorine.¡± ¡°Does that mean that Lifey actually originated from Honduria but is fighting for Caerheim? Oh what interesting dynamics we have here in relation to this HC war.¡± The Internet is a lazy place, where abbreviations and short forms are made for all things. The HC War is what others have started to call the event instead of the Honduria-Caerheim War and will probably continue calling for the rest of Ages Online¡¯s history. ¡°Anyway, back onto the topic. There are actually two armies involved in Caerheim¡¯s defense.¡± ¡°Two armies, Toby?¡± ¡°Yes, Adele. It would appear that Lifey had restricted the Joint Operation to players of at least level 50 and above to fight alongside the Loyderidge soldiers. Players and NPCs who are lower than the requirement but still wish to contribute to the battle would have to turn to the local militia. The militia, led by Knight Gordo, is acting as a support regiment to the main Joint Operation. Quite a number of low leveled players are there training with the militia as we speak.¡± ¡°Oh my goodness, I didn¡¯t know that! Maybe I should join that and contribute as a good citizen of Caerheim should.¡± ¡°If you are not afraid to die, Adele. Some players are sitting out of this war precisely because the penalty for dying consumes too much time which could otherwise be spent leveling. To them, fighting the war is pointless.¡± The male deejay cleared his throat like he had spoken something disgusting. ¡°Yet there are also plenty who are willing to give their lives for their country. Of particular note is the player Naomi, level 22, who had been training with the militia ever since she joined the game. Yes listeners, you heard that right. She entered the militia since she was level 1. It was said that she registered three days prior to the start of the HC war and leveled up very quickly during this period due to the frequent training sessions the militia conducts into Loyderidge¡¯s surroundings. A rising star of the militia, that one is.¡± ¡°Wow, Toby. She must have been a role model for all the patriots. Do we have more details about her? I wonder what profession she has.¡± ¡°I am not really sure Adele. The Yashita Corps never divulge information about its players so we can only hazard a guess as to what her job class is unless she reveals it herself. Judging by the circumstances, she might have already been offered a knight or soldier profession by Knight Gordo.¡± ¡°Wait, Toby! There are reports coming in from our listeners that say she is teaching some of the militia basic martial arts as a form of self-defense. Also, she doesn¡¯t seem to use soldier or knight equipment so she should not be a knight or soldier. The description most of them offered is ¡®a spirited fiery young girl¡¯. Sounds pretty awesome to me.¡± ¡°That is definitely interesting. So will they successfully defend Loyderidge from Honduria? Lifey and Naomi seems to be at the heart of this war. We at 95.8 FM Radio Station for Gamers wish them all the best and will bring to you updates to the situation at our next session.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­. After two straight hours of travelling through the darkness, the two of them finally emerged back into light. The first thing Beast did was to check his surroundings. Judging by the position of the sun and the terrain and the barely visible fortress tower, they appeared to be at the edge of the Tarron Hills on the other far end opposite where the Fort of Lanos should be and the in-game time was late afternoon. Good. An hour of journeying west should put them near the outskirts of Corelia, a mining town further inland than Torintu, with time to spare. ¡°Fuahhh. I never thought I would miss the sun so much¡­¡± At the exit of the tunnel they came out from, Kiki plopped herself down onto the grass with a sigh. ¡°Same here. ¡° Beast took a seat next to the assassin. Kiki flinched ever so slightly, and Beast noticed. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I ¡­¡± Could this be regarding the backstab incident back at Savathrox? ¡°Ne-never mind.¡± Beast was helpless. Ever since that thing happened, the cheerful, talkative girl he knew had been replaced by a more reserved and quiet person. It almost felt like Beast was missing something. Was she feeling guilty over nearly killing her ally or was mind control this traumatic or something else entirely? He had totally no idea. Logically speaking, mind control in a virtual reality is akin to robbing one of their free will and action with only the conscious left as a watching bystander. Who knows how scary it would be if it happened in real life, much less being simulated down to the finest degree in the game. Beast might not have been mind-controlled before but he could easily imagine the horror and helplessness involved. He mentally made a note not to allow Savathrox to use it on anyone in the future, provided he managed to control him. In any case, the situation was becoming more awkward by the second. Something had to be done to save it. ¡°Well, Corelia the mining town is near here to the west. We should go there and get a good bath and some food before we decide on what to do. What do you think?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The rest of the journey was conducted in silence. Beast tried to break it with random topics of conversation, but they always got stuck in his mouth at the sight of Kiki¡¯ brooding face. In the end he simply gave up. Maybe a good meal and a good bath off these slime and muck would change things for the better. Luckily, they did not encounter any monsters on their way to Corelia, except for a lone hyena that the both of them quickly disposed of. Entering the mining town, it was to Beast''s surprise that there would be so many people in it. Traders, players, NPCs cluttered the narrow streets of the town, showing a clear sign of over-crowdedness. Being out of the way and further from Torintu than the frontier town of Poingard, Beast had thought that the mining town Corelia would only interest those of the crafter and smithy professions, but this amount of traffic exceeded way beyond the normal expected value. People of all sorts huddled to find space at the sides of the streets, and some were even blatantly sleeping on the pavement, turning the surroundings into an impromptu slum. Most of them appeared to be NPC refugees, with most of the establishments taken up by the richer players. ¡°Oh no.¡± Beast muttered at a sudden realization. As he had feared, the inn was full. ¡°I am sorry customers but I have no more rooms left. The amount of people taking refuge in Corelia is way too much to handle.¡± The reason for this was the war. Although the newbies were sent to Torintu, the majority of those who could contribute but did not wish to throw away their virtual lives and leveling time came much further out west to seek shelter, for fear that the war would be lost and Torintu and Rydelin would be attacked next. Torintu had been informed to make adequate preparations, but judging by the state of the town, Corelia had not been similarly notified. Was a warning sent at all or did the Shadun-esque person who was to deliver a warning to this town fail the quest? Beast shook his head to clear his self-questioning. ¡°Even so, could we have a place to wash up and some food to fill our stomach?¡± ¡°Sir, I could provide you two with a hot meal for 7 silver 35 coppers each¡­¡± ¡°7 silvers for a meal?!¡± Beast almost shrieked at the daylight robbery. What gave? Meals were a silver back at Torintu. Even if he factor in the level price inflation for towns, it also should not be this much. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. The innkeeper only shrugged in response. ¡°Food shortages.¡± ¡°I see. Fine, forget it.¡± He will cook his own food like always then. ¡°What about use of the showers then?¡± ¡°I am afraid washing up will also require a room in the inn. May I suggest what you can do instead which is to head to the nearby Inpelmarr Stream south of Corelia. That is, if you don¡¯t mind the natural water and the outdoors.¡± ¡°What? Are you serious? I have a lady with me and she needs her privacy.¡± Beast moved to protest, only to be held back by Kiki tugging at his shirt. She gave him a silent shake of her head. ¡°Can¡¯t you just make an exception?¡± ¡°It is our inn policy sir.¡± Beast gave Kiki a signal to leave the place. They were done here. ¡°I am really sorry sir.¡± ¡°Right, thank you.¡± Beast curtly replied before exiting the inn. The next stop they went to was the general store. The moment they entered, some of the players inside immediately held up their hands to cover their nose. Beast scowled; it was not like he wanted to move around town covered in sewer muck. ¡°Hey hobos.¡± One of the adventurers, clothed in robes and seemingly a mage, called out. ¡°Please go back out to the alleys where you belong.¡± Beast ignored them and headed straight for the shopkeeper. ¡°Hey, hey! Did you hear me?¡± The same mage again, livid that he was being ignored, planted himself at Beast¡¯s side and talked down to the Lore Keeper. ¡°How much would these sell for?¡± Beast asked, while emptying his backpack of all the loot he had obtained while inside Fort Lanos. Hobgoblin ears, various rusty hobgoblin equipment, Antroach eggs which he had no more desire to eat, ratmen paws, etc¡­ Troll blood and armadillo hides he would keep; he had a use for them. ¡°That would be 5 gold 17 silvers.¡± ¡°I said, did you hear me?¡± ¡°Deal.¡± Ka-ching! The money came into Beast¡¯s inventory almost immediately. ¡°Do you sell anything related to alchemy, smithing and tailoring?¡± ¡°Are you ignoring me? Punk! ¡± ¡°I do sell some basic gathering items for the professions customer and the chemistry set for alchemy, but any more advanced than that such as processing and crafting should be obtained from the respective stores.¡± ¡°I see. Give me the basic then plus a change of common clothes.¡± ¡°That will be 3 gold and 95 coppers.¡± This time, a tanning kit, a pickaxe and a chemistry set filled up the space in his backpack in addition to a set of plain brown linen shirt and pants. Those are the default wear of everyone in game with 0 defense and zero stats. Seemed that his class did not consider 0 defense wearables as ¡°equipment¡± ¨C something Beast was thankful for. Otherwise, he would have been running around stark naked this whole time. ¡°Oh, give me some condiments for cooking too.¡± ¡°Right, that would be another 75 silvers.¡± The condiments are long lasting, making them worthwhile to get. Even with all these purchases, he still had approximately 5 gold. ¡°OI!¡± Nodding for Kiki to take her turn at item selling, Beast strode out of the door but not before giving the mage a slight provocative smirk. ¡­¡­¡­ The moment Beast stepped outside, a loud yell came from behind him. ¡°Hey, hobo! I challenge you to a duel!¡± Beast rolled his eyes before turning around to face the loud-mouth. As always, these kinds of players are a staple in MMORPGs. Snotty, egoistic brats who think they are the rulers of the world. A duel is an official challenge issued from one player to another when one does not wish to become a chaotic PKer, especially in the middle of a town or city where guards would immediately take notice. Sometimes it is also used as a form of entertainment between friends or as a gauge of player ability between each other. The best thing about dueling is that a player cannot die during the duel, thus preventing the death penalty from taking place. There was also the option of putting something tangible at stake but for this battle, the mage never stated for it. Beast eyed the mage from top the bottom. Judging by his equipment and that fancy looking staff he had, the mage should be around level 60. ¡°Fine, I accept.¡± What was a level 60 mage compared to a level 90 lich warlock? The battle began instantaneously right outside the general store. In a flash, the mage fired off a cone of freezing wind at Beast, which Beast dodged by jumping backwards out of range. ¡°An ice person huh?¡± ¡°Shut up! Icicle Spike!¡± An icicle sprouted out from the ground, which Beast easily evaded. The next one however, impacted right on his chest - a quick attack with multiple basic ice bolts spells using the icicle as a distraction. The basic spells, though weaker than the rest of the spell tree, were very quick to cast and fire. Given enough dexterity, they would not even need casting; there had been rumors going around the forums of a Rapid Fire Magician using bolt spells like a gatling gun.
-99 Hp
-94 Hp
-98 Hp
-89 Hp
-106 Hp
You have been chilled. Movement -25%
Surprisingly, the attacks were not as damaging as expected. Beast silently thanked the innate magic resistance as he kissed the Vanadic Signet Ring on his finger. However, all that appeared to the mage as though Beast was simply mocking him. Flying into a rage, the ice magician fired ice bolts after ice bolts at Beast to no avail. He was simply just too slow and too obvious to catch Beast with his high agility, much less being affected by anger to concentrate properly on his target. All he succeeded in doing was to coat the streets with a layer of frozen ice. By this time, the spectacle and noise had already attracted most of the people near the area to come and watch the duel. Suddenly, the mage¡¯s attack patterns changed. ¡°Fenrir¡¯s Fang!¡± Stopping his ice bolts volley, a huge ice lance suddenly coalesced over his shoulder, which he then hurled with a flick of his arm. It took Beast all his reflexes to jump off to the side, allowing the spear to pass and smashed into a stone wall behind him before breaking into harmless pieces. Not letting up on his attacks, the mage quickly followed up with a teleport to close the distance and burst out with a wave of frost. What he did not expect however, was Beast taking the damage point blank and launching a mana-infused punch right in his face. Even as Beast¡¯s feet became frozen to the ground due to the area of effect skill, the Lore Keeper used the ensnare effect as an anchor to absorb the recoil of the punch. In an instant, the mage flew backwards onto the ground, his health bar over his head cut by half. "Whoa, did you see that? He just pwned that dude''s health in one hit." "What job is he? I don''t remember there are any classes that fight barehanded." Beast raised an eyebrow. Were all mages this weak? Or was it just this one person with a weaker constitution? Or was it because he injected all his 2500 plus worth of mana into that one attack that caused such an effect? Maybe it was a combination of both, but Beast frankly did not care. He was going to try out a combo that had been on his mind ever since he got out of the Lanos Catacombs. It was at this point the opponent smiled; He must have thought that Beast ran out of mana using his best skill. ¡°Rage of Frost! Fenrir¡¯s might!¡± Those were buffs that increased magic power and Ice type damage. He was going in big. ¡°Mana drain!¡± A swirl of faint blue which only he can see started to flow from the surroundings into him through the Gloves of the Conqueror. ¡°Cold fury of the Borean North Wind blows the sky; hailstorm of Iycintes swallows the land. Freeze! Abso-¡° To the mage¡¯s horror, Beast¡¯s mana bar started to fill itself, while his own mana was slowly being inexplicably drained. Before he could cast his finishing move, the mage¡¯s ultimate spell cancelled itself due to a lack of mana. Then, it was Beast¡¯s turn to attack. Breaking out of the ice shackles rooting him down, Beast infused all his available mana into his punch again, catching the mage right in the stomach. The attack blew off one third of the mage¡¯s maximum health in an instant, dazing him and leaving the poor man vulnerable to the next. Another blow later, the mage fell to the ground in a crumpled heap, defeated. Just as the duel ended with Beast¡¯s victory to the applause of the gathered people, Kiki exited the shop. ¡°Ready to go?¡± Beast asked. ¡°Did something ¡­ happen here?¡± The girl raised an eyebrow at the sight of the aftermaths of the duel. Frost coated the storefront and pavements were littered with pieces of melting ice shards. A man¡¯s groan audibly rang out from under Beast¡¯s feet. ¡°Nothing much.¡± Beast shrugged. ¡°You ready?¡± Kiki nodded, and they both left without looking back. Next Chapter Chapter 22: Separate Ways At the Inpelmarr Stream were many players that seemed to have similarly taken the innkeeper¡¯s suggestion. Space was limited, as was privacy, so Beast and Kiki decided to move on. As they followed the river upstream into the mountainous areas, the number of players lessened while the monster density increased. After half an hour of trudging, they finally managed to find a good spot along the river for their business. To be more precise, the riverbank gave way to a small, isolated waterfall that exuded a scene of pristine tranquility. ¡°Wow.¡± Kiki involuntarily gasped while Beast took in the view around them. Not only were there no players around, not even monsters could be seen roaming, making it an ideal safe spot to set up camp. Beast set about gathering wood for making a fire, while Kiki went into the water to wash off the dirt and grime accumulated from their sewer expedition. The plan was as such ¨C They had some satiety left, so Kiki would bathe first while Beast watched over their belongings and get a fire going. After that, Beast would have his turn, while Kiki hunt down the nearby level 53 Rockbulls for their meat. Of course, there was a mutual understanding that there would be absolutely no peeking. Silent emphasis was on ¡®absolutely''. Not that he had a death-wish anyway. He had seen firsthand how the assassin dealt with her enemies and even tasted her blade once. Beast had absolutely no desire to try it again. ¡°Haaah.¡± Beast sighed as the flames cackled on the dried twigs. In the end, it was the outdoors for him again. Beast poked his stick into the pile, trying to the spread the fire so that it would burn evenly. The fire was done and the skewers carved, but Kiki was not yet finished. Girls do like to take their time in the bath it seemed. Without anything else to do, Beast decided to level up his skills while waiting. It was a good time anyway as it was the first time he had been by himself ever since he entered Lanos. Taking out the first item in his backpack- an Armadillo hide, he grinded his Archaeology skill on the item.
You have failed to identify an artifact.
It continued for every item in his inventory until his objective popped up on the notification window.
Your Archaeology skill has increased to Basic 9!
Basic 9 - one more level to the intermediate tier. Beast was excited to know what the secondary effect of the skill will be and it would be optimal if it was something that allowed him to identify the Silver Cloak he had gotten all the way back at Rydelin. Even if it was not what he wanted, Beast doubted that he would be bothered by it ¨C he already had four new artifacts to play with. First, there was the Antroach Mandibles. He could either commission a blacksmith to make a weapon out of it, or he could try to make it himself. However, to do so he will have to increase his Ancient Blacksmithing level first. He had already screwed up the Silver Hide the first time round, this time he would not be screwing up the material again. Beast briefly wondered how an insect mandible could be factored into the crafting process during weapons making, seeing that it was organic and all. Would it even be an effective weapon? Generally, insect mandibles can go up to 3 on the Moh¡¯s scale of hardness, making them on par with copper and zinc. It was admittedly lower than iron but this was a virtual world of fantastic creatures so who knows how sturdy the jaws of a fantasy creature such as the Antroach could be? Since an Antroach was a proof of valour in the past it would very well be able to break steel. The item description said it had been used to make weapons in the past, so it might just work out. Also, he should probably share some of the loot he had gotten from Lanos with Kiki. The assassin had been a great help in the adventure and without her he would most probably have died at least a hundred times in there. The signet ring was out of the question. Kiki was not a warlock and thus could not wear the gloves so that was out too. The only thing that remained would be the Phylactery or the Mandibles. Beast had no idea how Kiki will react to the lich again, so he should probably craft a dagger out from the mandibles for her using Ancient Blacksmithing instead. It would be a gift, and Kiki¡¯s damage afterwards would be potentially exciting to see. Then, he might be able to utilise his ancient blacksmithing skill to repair the Ceremonial Sword that had been broken ages ago as well. It would be troublesome though; he had gotten quite used to fighting bare-handed and if he changes weapons he would have to train up his mastery all over again. Beast looked at the Gloves of the Conquerer on his hands. He had already demonstrated its usefulness during the fight with the mage, and combo of Chi Energy attacks with Mana drain could prove to be a constant source of damage and the bane of all mage existence in the future. The Phylactery would be staying in the bag until he was ready to face Savathrox again. Without the last artifact of the quartet keeping the lich suppressed and immobile, Beast shuddered to think what the undead could do. Speaking of which, the Vanadic Signet Ring gave him a clue as to how he might go about solving his unique job quest now. ¡°Quest Window.¡±
The Lord of Alvastra Unique Quest The Lord Historian Vanadic of Alvastra has left behind a memory in which he stayed behind to help an unknown man escape from the goblin horde. He mentioned the city Alexandria as a clue. As the one inheriting his remaining legacy, it is up to you to retrace his footsteps and discover what really happened to him. You have collected: Tome Signet Ring This quest cannot be abandoned. Difficulty: ??? Job Restriction: Lore Keeper
So besides the Tome and the Ring, there were other personal artifacts of Vanadic he will have to collect. This would be what the quest meant by retracing his footsteps. ¡°Character window.¡±
Status Window
Name:Beast
Level:57Profession:Lore Keeper
Race:HumanGender:Male
Titles:Genocider +15 to all stats
Fame:155
-
Health:2260 (+230)Mana:1710 (+800)
Strength:228 (+15)Intelligence:94 (+60)
Dexterity:227 (+15)Wisdom:112 (+30)
Stamina:149 (+15)Luck:35 (+15)
Bare Hand Mastery: +22% to bare hand damage, +3% critical damage Iron Body: +12% resistance to all damage, +230 HP
Equipment Effects
Vanadic Tome of Artifacts: +500 mana Vanadic Signet Ring: +10 Intelligence Sundered Gloves of the Conquerer: +35 Intelligence, +15 Wisdom, +300 Mana
Relations
Caerheim: 86 Scelenia: 200
¡°Brief skill list¡±
Skill list of Beast, Human, LoreKeeper Detect Mana (Basic) Scribe Know all languages Decipher Analyse encrypted writings. Archaeology (Basic 9) Identify up to Historical +19% effectiveness to artifact usage Iron Body (Intermediate 3) -12% to all damage taken. +230 HP Bare-handed Mastery (Intermediate 3) +22% damage when bare handed +3% critical damage Chi (Basic 7) Fortify (3 mana per damage mitigated) Blast (3 mana per damage dealt) Sword Mastery (Basic 1) +1% sword damage Predator¡¯s Sense +30% to first strike when emerging from stealth. Desperado Backlash +100% damage, +50% damage taken. Cooking (Basic 6) Speed+6% Throwing Mastery (Basic 7) +7% to throwing speed Riding (Basic 1) Carving (Basic 7) +22% speed to carving Carve up to stone Ancient Blacksmithing (Basic 1) Item Repair Ancient Tailoring (Basic 1) Ancient Alchemy (Basic 1) Identify
He had definitely grown quite a bit from his time as a newbie. Looking at his status windows, Beast could not help but feel a little proud of himself. The sound of footsteps signaled that Kiki was done and Beast watched as she walked up the riverbank, notably more cheerful than before. Her hair was still damp from the water and she had changed into a light one piece dress from her dirty leather outfit. Beast blinked. Would she really be hunting Rockbulls in that? Seriously. Then again, she should be capable of one-hitting those monsters, so defense would not matter at the slightest. So in the end, Beast wisely kept his opinion to himself and went into the water to clean. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ When he came back a while later with a pot of fresh water for the soup, a pile of rockbeef steaks were already gathered by the flames and Kiki was roasting some of them on the pre-made skewers. ¡°Thank you.¡± Beast said as he took over the cooking role. Carefully flipping the steaks over the fire, he sprinkled some spice and pepper on to them. The result was a grilled beef steak so heavenly that the game could not deny Beast the cooking recipe.
You have learnt the Recipe: Rockbeef Grilled Steak When consumed: +10 Stamina +25 defense For four hours game time.
To the pot, he added some herbs collected beforehand and a dash of salt. He also added some leftover meat for flavoring; beef is said to boost vitality anyway. After stirring the pot for some time, another recipe appeared.
You have learnt the Recipe: Inpelmarr Herbal Soup When consumed: Relieves a little fatigue Restores 700 HP over 10 seconds +10 HP regen/5 seconds For four hours game time.
Your Cooking had increased to Basic 7 Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.+1 to all stats
It was a little more potent but the effect was like a potion, and apparently the game thought so too.
Your Ancient Alchemy had increased to Basic 2
It was interesting to say the least. Who was to say that the ancient alchemy of old had not arose from cooking experiments? After the meal he would have to gather more of the herbs in the surroundings to test the skill further. Scooping out a serving of the soup with a stone bowl, Beast offered it to Kiki. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh.¡± Kiki looked a little startled as she took the bowl from Beast. It was still no good; he could not get rid of the awkwardness entirely. Was it because of the loot distribution? ¡°Hey, I would like you to have this.¡± In his hands was the Michelin Stone that they had obtained from the Crystal Caverns. He had taken it from Kiki to inspect and never got to give it back. She wordlessly took it from him, her eyes never leaving the blue glow of the stone. ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ I know I had a lot of loot from the mobs while you did not seem to have gotten any, so I was thinking that you could have the stone first. I promise I will level up my blacksmithing skill and make you a nice dagger from the mandibles.¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t deserve it.¡± ¡°I insist.¡± Beast grinned, but his face fell when he saw that he could not elicit the same response from the girl. The situation was still the same and that weird answer gave Beast a sense of foreboding. What should he do? Going back to his last resort, Beast rapidly cycle through all the relationship articles he had read before. Most of them offered the same conclusion. Ask. Ask nicely and politely but firmly. Let her know you know something is wrong and it is okay for her to say it out to you. ¡°I-Is something on your mind?¡± Beast stammered a little. What was he being worked up for? ¡°If there is something troubling you, it is alright for you to say it out. I am here to listen.¡± The assassin girl blinked, a shadow passing across her face. For a moment there, Kiki hesitated and Beast held his breath. Then she spoke, her voice shrill and uncomfortable. The conflict within her had passed over and everything was flooding out. Like that last time it worked, maybe a little too well. ¡°Can¡­ can you stop being so kind to me?¡± Her voice was strained, filled with a pained plea. ¡°I¡­ I nearly killed you! What you are doing will only make me feel more guilty than before.¡± ¡°But I¡­ I don¡¯t mind.¡± This is just a game, right? ¡°You might not mind it, but I do!¡± It was an unintended outburst that shocked both Beast and herself. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to be like Lortan¡­ but whenever I remember that, I thought I had betrayed you the same way he did. I¡­ I am not him.¡± Beast lapsed into silence, as did she. For a period of a minute the both of them sat in awkward stillness as the fire burned in the foreground. He had no idea what to do. For some reason, it felt as though he was seeing a little bit of the true Kiki beyond the game. It was after a long while before Beast decided to break the tension. An apology should be good right about now. ¡°I-¡° ¡°I think we should go separate ways.¡± Kiki interrupted, stunning the male before he could even begin. Finishing her soup, she placed down her bowl down a little too forcefully, like a symbolic demonstration of finality. ¡°I need some time alone.¡± Now it was starting to sound like something ridiculous out of an old romance drama. ¡°I am very sorry¡­ and thank you for the time together.¡± Even as she spoke, the assassin stood up and gathered her stuff. Like severing metaphorical threads of connection, she disbanded the party between Beast and herself before disappearing into thin air right in front of the Lore Keeper¡¯s eyes. A slight blue glow lingered around for a while in front of him, before it slowly floated away from the campsite. All this time, Beast¡¯s mouth was agape, his mind wondering how everything could have backfired so quickly and horribly. What he had wanted to say never got out of his throat, and now he was left alone. It took a substantial amount of time for Beast to gather back his senses and break out of the daze he was in but by then he had no idea where she went, much less where to find her. With a feeling of dejection and regret that he could have handled it better, Beast dove into leveling his crafting skills with a renewed, almost fervent, vigor. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. ¡°Oi, Sebast.¡± A painful blow knocked on the boy¡¯s head. ¡°Concentrate!¡± It was the weekend and there was no school, so Sebast found himself at the Penguin Dojo receiving training lessons from Naomi. However, he was not doing very well in following the new routine that his master had demonstrated, resulting in another livid girl shouting at him. Well done Sebast Koh, he absentmindedly told himself. That would be two girls he pissed off in a matter of two days. ¡°What have you done to yourself? Dark eyes, gloomy face, depressing spirit. I know you have Ages Online, but to become like this takes a whole new level. It is almost like you got dumped or something.¡± Naomi said, unknowingly jabbing into Sebast¡¯s sore spot. ¡°Was it your first?¡± ¡°I am sorry.¡± Sebast lethargically replied, not answering Naomi¡¯s question. ¡°I will try my best.¡± After Kiki had left the party so abruptly the day before, Beast had channeled his energy into levelling his crafting skills. For the rest of the day till morning of the next, he gathered common herbs, killed low leveled critters like rabbits around Corelia for their hides and went into Corelia mine for an extensive mining trip without rest, all while drinking Herbal Soup at regular intervals to combat fatigue and satiety. Then, after gathering an excessive overabundance of materials, he made standard elementary items using the skills he had learnt from Earth Lake at his base camp near the waterfall. Common medicinal herbs gave Healing Potion (small). A simple 500 HP recovered over 10 seconds. Common herbs plus a drop of troll blood gave Healing Potion EX (small). It offered a more substantial 1000 HP recovered over 10 seconds. Rabbit hides gave Rabbit Leather when processed while Armadillo hides gave the more difficult-to-make Armadillo Leather. There were a lot of failures involved during experimentation, but his overabundance made sure he still obtained a considerably large amount among all the bad luck and poor skill. It was at this point he realized he needed to go into Corelia to make use of the smithy and armor-working equipment, so he did just that. Smelting copper ore gave copper ingots, as with iron ore and iron ingots, which he used to forge into weapons. Daggers and arrowheads, being much easier to make, were crafted first under the guidance of the local smith. Then as he became more confident, Beast moved on to long swords and shields. From his rabbit and armadillo leather, he made the relatively simple gloves for experience before embarking on the more complicated vests and pants. By the time morning came and his in-game fatigue forcibly made him faint, Beast had ended up with about 100 units of small and medium healing potions each, 500 arrowheads, 20 copper daggers, 40 copper and iron swords, 20 shields, and around 40 sets of rabbit and armadillo leather armor in his inventory. His crafting skills were as such: Alchemy Basic 5, Blacksmithing Basic 6 and Tailoring Basic 4. That was why Sebast was in his current disheveled state of being. Coffee, his usual super-effective stimulant, did not help a single bit. Naomi sighed. ¡°Well, I guess we should stop for today. You don¡¯t look like you can continue on with this.¡± ¡°I am sorry.¡± ¡°It is okay. We all have our days.¡± Naomi said understandingly. A sudden yank took Sebast¡¯s breath away as he was unceremoniously dragged into the adjacent living room. ¡°Anyway it is almost time for the special press conference with Yashita Corps so I was about to have us take a break.¡± Sebast was surprised. This girl¡­ she had become addicted to the game to this extent? The television switched on a moment later, taking away both their attention and any further musing. ¡°This is journalist Momo Fujisaki at the current scene of the Yashita Corps press conference. Heading this conference would be the Yashita head of public relations, Mr. Kanonji Hitsuga and Chief Moderator Daika Yamamoto. The objective of the press conference is, of course, to discuss about the company¡¯s product, Ages Online as well as on the recent happenings in game. Please observe the press conference live, from our TV station.¡± The camera panned to show two smiling men dressed in smart business black waving from their seats at a long table near the front of the room. From the looks of it, it had just started. As soon as the two men indicated that they are ready, questions were fired by the awaiting reporters. ¡°Kanonji-san, the most recent event in Ages Online that is currently known as the Honduria-Caerheim war is happening as we speak. Do you have any comments regarding the event?¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­ we at Yashita Corps believe that the Caerheim players are fully capable of repelling the Honduria forces.¡± ¡°A lot of Honduria players are complaining that they cannot fight for their kingdom in this event. What caused the management decision to limit this event only to Caerheim players? I am sure many Honduria players are eager to know the reason behind this.¡± ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ I believe Yamamoto-san can better explain this.¡± Kanonji flashed a stunning smile and passed the microphone to his colleague. The moment Daika Yamamoto took the mike from Kanonji and spoke, Sebast instantly knew that this was a man who knew his stuff. ¡°It was not the management decision to limit the event only to Caerheim players.¡± The man answered. ¡°Rather, the management has no rights to decide what would happen within Agaia. When we first designed the Joint Operation system in Ages Online, we did it with the intention to replace events. What happened and will happen in the future is entirely due to the logic structure inherently set within the NPCs of the world.¡± ¡°Because Ages Online have an intricate AI system, all actions taken are dictated by individual NPCs¡¯ motivation and multiple variables that are presented to them. In other words, you can think of it as a simple law of cause and effect. As for Honduria players, I am sure the chance for them to join an event of this large a scale will come soon in the near future. As of our current observation, there are tensions between-¡± ¡°I am taking part in the war, you know?¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± ¡°I said I am taking part in the HC war, sheesh.¡± Naomi repeated irritably, bouncing on the sofa to get Sebast¡¯s attention. Sebast blinked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you join Ages Online only recently?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t start at Rydelin? Even if you started at Loyderidge, I thought all newbies would be evacuated to Rydelin?¡± ¡°Nope. There was an offer to evacuate but I stayed.¡± Sebast¡¯s incredulity was growing by the second. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I want to fight.¡± Naomi replied as though it was the most natural thing in the world. The coverage of the press conference from the television was drowned by a loud groan. ¡°What is your in-game handle? I will add you later.¡± He did not look up from the palm of his hands as he answered. ¡°Beast¡­¡± Next Chapter Chapter 23: The Saint of Loyderidge Beast logged back into the mountainside town of Corelia, just in time for the town¡¯s herald to run past him on the streets, shouting. ¡°Bad news! Bad news on the Eastern front! The Caerheim Army suffered a crushing defeat at Vanguard Pass and was forced to retreat back into Loyderidge!¡± His cry rang far and wide, bringing about looks of bewilderment from both NPCs and Players alike. Beast was similarly confused and made to chase after the teenage boy. ¡°Hey! Hey!¡± He caught the herald by the cuff of his neck, bringing him to a halt. ¡°What do you mean by the army suffering a defeat? Were they not playing it safe just days ago?¡± The boy was startled for a moment but gave the answer all the same in a single breath. ¡°It appears that the Qqers guild from Honduria had moved without sanction from the King of Honduria and ambushed the Joint Operation Army during one of the skirmishes, causing much disorientation within their ranks. Suffering heavy losses from both flanks, Commander Lifey gave orders to retreat back into the city. Now the gates are barred and routes closed. The city is under siege.¡± ¡°Did he say Qqers?¡± came a gasp from the background. ¡°Oh my god.¡± ¡°What are Qqers?¡± ¡°Shhh, don¡¯t speak their name!¡± Qqers, a PK focused guild based in the Honduria region with only a handful of players. Numbering at about only a dozen players from level 100 to 130, there had been much complaining on the forums regarding these grievers who were said to player kill indiscriminately on sight. Each and every one of them was dangerous even as an individual, with job professions specializing heavily in player-killing power. The recommended course of action upon meeting one of them was to run and hide. They were so infamous that the boards consistently had one thread about one of the members at the top ten at one point of time. Some of the more well-known ones were as follow: Togepee, a callout to the Pokegame from the distant past, was a fearsome Necromancer in direct contradiction to the implied cuteness of her name. Known to kill people with a smile on her face as she raised her minions from their corpses, it had been said that she was able to wipe a minor guild-controlled castle and take over it with her necromancy for as long as a week before another allied guild arrived on site to render aid. Oneshotakill, an archer with so much damage output that one Charge Arrow was all he needed to kill almost anyone, even a heavily armoured knight at full health. Fyrzen, an elemental mage who focused on heavy destruction ice and fire magic on a scale said to encompass the area of a small town. And of course, ScrubLord, the leader of this band of plundering opportunists. Rumours of ScrubLord were aplenty, but the most prominent was a short video clip depicting the Berserker taking on an entire guild by himself. Not only did he not die, he emerged victorious with a bloodthirsty smile that would give an average person nightmares. Beast had seen the video clip in question and all he could say was that while the clip did not really substantiate the claim¡¯s credibility, the man in the video was the very epitome of a blood knight. In the end they were all rumours, and rumours were often exaggerated. Given the Qqers¡¯ modus operandi and the number of juicy targets they would have inside the Caerheim army, it was of no surprise that they would enter the war with zero concern for their infamy even without the King¡¯s authorization on the matter. They were usually held in check jointly by the other guilds operating in Honduria, but with the circumstances of the war, the other guilds would not interfere, much less care about something that would not affect them. Some of the more fanatical or patriotic members might even join them for their crusade in the Western continent. None of these were of Beast¡¯s concern though. He had absolutely no intention of returning east to help with the ongoing war. What difference was one man ever going to make anyway? This thing would be best left for Derrilene and her army to settle. Besides, the war might have already been concluded by the time he got there. Stepping into the inn once again, Beast headed for the counter. The innkeeper recognized him from their last encounter and made to hail the Lore Keeper. ¡°Sir, I have a spare room now. Will you require it?¡± This time however, what Beast needed was not a room. ¡°I am sorry. I do not require a room. What I do require is a little bit of information.¡± ¡°And what information would you wish to hear? If it is about the war I could give some updates on it.¡± The thing about innkeepers in this game is that they are usually a good and reliable source of information. Although the information they had would not always be real, there might be some truth in their words. As per old game custom, when in doubt, head for the tavern or inn. ¡°Not the war. I would like to hear of legends or myths of Corelia, or any tombs of dead kings or abandoned ruins around here. As a historian, these sorts of things interest me and oh, I had just been to the Fort of Lanos for a trip.¡± Beast quickly added to remove Lanos from the information retrieval. ¡°Ah yes¡­¡± The innkeeper¡¯s eyes flickered as though trying to recall something. ¡°We are a young kingdom so there isn¡¯t much to talk about. Wait¡­ I think I have one. I don¡¯t know if it is true, but there is indeed an old legend regarding the Splinter Mountains behind this town. ¡° Bingo. ¡°Have you ever drunk the water in the stream outside of town? You would have been surprised by how refreshing and soothing it is. The water also has slight healing properties that our townsfolks use for our own remedies.¡± So that was why the soup was more potent than a normal potion, which meant that the recipe for the herbal soup would actually require water from the stream to be successful. ¡°They say that if you climb high enough, you could reach the source spring at the peak that feeds the Inpelmarr stream. I think that would be what you are interested in, adventurer.¡± ¡°Has anyone ever tried to find the source?¡± Beast found himself asking. If people had already known about the healing properties of the water, it was highly likely that others would have ventured in search of the cause. The innkeeper chuckled. ¡°Oh, some tried. They never made it back. Those who did reported not finding a single thing even though they made it to the top and back. The rest of us are simply content to just enjoy what nature had blessed us with.¡± ¡°Right. Thank you very much for this information.¡± ¡°Say, boy. If you are going to find the spring, could you bring back some proof of its existence? I have to admit I am slightly curious about the legend myself. Please be careful though.¡± Drinng!
The Source Spring of Splinter Mountains The innkeeper of Corelia has divulged a town legend to you regarding the source spring at the top of Splinter Mountains that is rumoured to give the Inpelmarr Stream its unique properties. He is curious about its existence and wishes to find out within his lifetime. Bring back proof of the spring¡¯s existence or non-existence to the man to complete this quest. Difficulty: C-
Existence or non-existence, it was such a weird choice of words. It was as though the quest did not expect him to survive long enough in the Splinter Mountains to find the spring. ¡°Of course. I will let you know of my findings.¡± ¡°Thank you, my friend.¡± Beast silently made plans for his route after Corelia. He would definitely want to climb the Splinter Mountains to find the source spring, especially with the quest and all, and maybe cross to the north while he was at it. Most people would head down south to Poingard and her surrounding dungeons, so heading north would ensure a higher chance of hunting monopoly. First, he should try to offload the crafted items he had made earlier; they were taking up quite a bit of inventory space. Selling them off to the NPC stores would be the easiest way out but it would also be the least profitable, so Beast decided to take advantage of the present increase in population in Corelia. After all, they might be lower quality than usual but selling to players would always earn at least ten times more than what he could get from just selling the items to the shops. Strolling down the main street of Corelia, he took note of suitable places to set up a shop and display his wares. A place that had enough space and a good view of town square would be great. Oh, there was the mage who had challenged him just the other day. Beast immediately turned the other direction and walked away before the man could spot him. Just when he found an un-occupied part with high traffic, a sudden cheery ¡®pon¡¯ sound alerted him to a notification window for a friend request.
Naomi wants to register you as friends! Yes/No
Yes, whatever. Beast hurriedly pressed the yes button to the sound of a ¡®kachak¡¯ sound of success, wanting to get back to his item selling. ¡°Selling Copper and Iron Swords-¡° Pon!
Naomi invited you to a party! Yes/No
That was weird; Naomi was supposed to be in Loyderidge right about now. How could a party invitation actually be allowed for such a long distance? Perhaps it could have been done since the beginning, only that he had never tried it out before. Beast was curious; he could not help but press ¡®yes¡¯ just to see if it would work. Ping!
You are too far away to form a party.
Figures. Well then, back to what he was busy with before. ¡°Selling equipment at a cheap price-¡° Pon!
Naomi invited you to a party! Yes/No
Yes still gave the same result ¨C a notification that they were too far apart from each other to form a party. It was such a waste of time. What in the world was Naomi doing exactly? At this moment of time, a player who looked like a swordsman approached Beast. Pointing at one of the dozen iron swords displayed in front of him, the player inquired. ¡°Excuse me, how much would be one of the armadillo leather armour?¡± ¡°It would be 75 silvers. ¡° Good armours could go as high as a gold piece each at the blacksmith, and armadillo skin was an uncommon material by itself. Even though it was of low quality, it still offered a substantial amount of defense, warranting the price tag that Beast was selling it for. ¡°The quality seems low. I will give 35 silvers for it.¡± Beast narrowed his eyes. He knew at once what the swordsman¡¯s intention was. He was a low-baller who deliberately offered just a little lesser than half the original selling price just to see if any unsuspecting fool would accept and then resell it for a profit. Unfortunately for him, Beast had more than enough sense than to entertain him. ¡°I am sorry, 75 silvers is the max¨C¡° Pon! Goddamnit this woman! Could he not have his peace? How persistent is she to keep trying things that had already been proven not to work? In his frustration, Beast slammed his finger against the yes button, eager to get back to the customer, only for his world to be abruptly dyed white. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Naomi rushed about the militia camp gathering supplies, while Knight Gordo barked out orders over the sounds of moaning. ¡°You, go get more bandages! You, help him carry in the wounded! And you, stop slacking off doing nothing at all. You are part of the Loyderidge militia, so you jolly well help out!¡± The rest of the militia, players or otherwise, were likewise running about tending to numerous injured people inside the militia camp within Loyderidge. Healers were being squeezed dry casting spells non-stop as more wounded soldiers flooded in. Non-healers were busy delivering bandages and potions to the rest and mana potions to the healers. The scene bordered on chaotic, threatening to dissolve any remaining shred of order. It was the aftermath of the Joint Operation Army¡¯s defeat at Vanguard Pass and the results were alarming. Over a fifth of the army had been destroyed, while a further third were injured. Commander Lifey had ordered the army to retreat back into the castle to regroup and seek medical attention, which caused the current overwhelming situation at the support camp. Even then, the support camp was only one of the many triages set up around Loyderidge. The horrors of war were far beyond anything she had expected. Naomi was a self-proclaimed fighter, so she had been tasked with escorting the wounded people to the rear. Just minutes ago during one of those rounds, she saw firsthand how ten men tore into hundreds like paper. She saw how Commander Lifey directed her entire guild away from the Hondurian front towards the ten men the moment she noticed the new development, while she herself took on one of the men solo while screaming for everyone to withdraw. It was a warrior aptly named Scrublord, and also the leader of the band of raiders. ¡°So¡­ we finally meet again.¡± The sneer on the Berserker¡¯s face was seen even at the distance Naomi was at. The man wielded an impossibly large axe and was swinging it around like it was a toy. ¡°They say that enemies will always find each other somehow, Lifey, like star-crossed lovers.¡± Lifey simply gave the man a disgusted look before drawing out her longsword from its scabbard. ¡°Not even going to talk huh? I can¡¯t believe you are so cold even after all our encounters together in Honduria.¡± ¡°You mean all the times I trashed your ass?¡± Lifey coolly replied. A throbbing vein emerged on ScrubLord¡¯s forehead at the provocation. ¡°Today I will teach you some manners! Battle Roar!¡± ¡°I invoke the power of Antorine, grant me strength to propel the cycle of change! Steadfast Guard!¡± A silver aura enveloped the Commander. ¡°Cyclic Suppression!¡± Without any further exchange the both of them clashed together in a flurry of sparks. It was Guild leader versus Guild leader; Guardian versus Berserker. Naomi wanted to stay and watch the showdown of a lifetime, but her duty and orders came first. Besides, the battle was already lost and all Lifey was doing was buying time for the rest to retreat. Curbing her own curiosity and hot-bloodedness, she too abandoned the battlefield in compliance to the many shouts to withdraw. ¡°Naomi, more bandages!¡± ¡°Right, coming!¡± Naomi was a fighter. She could not do a single thing except manual labor in this kind of situation. However, even as a self-proclaimed fighter she could not contribute much. At level 22, she had not even job changed yet, and was therefore stuck with only her own innate martial skills for combat. Knight Gordo had offered her a job change to become a soldier when she reached level 10, but something about living in barracks and using pikes turned her off. Without any further offers for profession changes or guidance on the matter, Naomi did the only action she could; she remained classless throughout the whole time she had gone out with the rest of the militia into Loyderidge¡¯s vicinity to train. Maybe she should ask Sebast for some job recommendations when she has the chance. ¡°Status Window.¡±
Status Window
Name:Naomi
Level:22Profession:N/a
Race:HumanGender:Female
Titles:N/a
Fame:8
-
Health:910Mana:320
Strength:181 (+5)Intelligence:10
Dexterity:10 (+11)Wisdom:10
Stamina:69Luck:10
Bare Hand Mastery, +16% to bare hand damage
Equipment Effects
Reinforced Leather Armour: + 4 Dexterity, + 3 Strength Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.Reinforced Leather Pants: + 4 Dexterity, + 2 Strength Reinforced Leather Shoes: + 3 Dexterity
Relations
Caerheim: 18
She had pumped most of her stat into strength and the rest into stamina, seeing how they are the two most important stats for strength and survival. She should be doing okay like this. ¡°Naomi!¡± It was Knight Gordo. The armoured man had come up to her with something in his hand. ¡°Yes Sir!¡± ¡°We require more healers. Here, take this map and go to the place marked on it to request for aid. Tell them I sent you and someone should entertain you.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± Driiing!
Request for aid from the Saint of Loyderidge Knight Gordo cannot handle the influx of wounded at the militia camp and requires you to ask for assistance from the retired Saint of Loyderidge. Persuade her to help and return with her to the militia camp. Difficulty: E
¡°Go!¡± Naomi took off like a gust of wind after making sure of the direction she should be heading to. The place was in Loyderidge¡¯s outer suburbs, so it took a short time for her to reach her destination. It was an ordinary district, and quaintly nested between two units of unremarkable brick terraces was the modest wooden door that she should knock on. If anything, nobody would ever have guessed that this was the home of the so-called Saint of Loyderidge. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Naomi knocked. ¡°Is anyone home?¡± Silence. Just when she thought she was too soft and was about to knock again, the door opened to a grumpy man with a scowl on his face. It did not take a rocket scientist to figure that he was none too pleased to see Naomi show up at the door. ¡°What is it now? Are you begging for mother¡¯s miracles again?¡± ¡°I- ¡°Stop bothering us.¡± The door slammed with a loud bang, leaving the stunned Naomi in its wake. It took her a whole ten seconds to recollect her senses and try again. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°I said,¡± The door swung open like he had already been waiting for Naomi¡¯s second attempt. ¡°STOP BOTHERI-¡° Thwack! The sound of bone cracking followed by the loud thud of a body hitting the floor resounded through the desolated district. Naomi had thrown a punch in his face before he could finish his tirade. The Master of the Penguin Dojo was normally a patient person and liked to play nice, but against a rude and condescending attitude she preferred to let her fists do the talking. Shouting was merely the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. ¡°My¡­ my¡­ I apologise, dear. You will have to forgive Chester.¡± An old lady hobbled into sight and crouched down at the groaning man. With a wave of her hand, the broken nose was fixed in an instant. Without a question, this woman was the Saint of Loyderidge. ¡°He always had my best interest at heart.¡± She then beckoned for the young man to go back into the house. Chester moved to protest but withered at the stern look she gave. He then obediently complied. ¡°So young lady, what brings you here to my door?¡± ¡°Knight Gordo requires more healing hands at the camp due to the recent defeat of the Army. He was hoping I could get you to come down.¡± ¡°Gordo asked for me¡­ I see¡­ Seems like a good match¡­¡± The old lady mumbled before looking up at the puzzled girl. ¡°Will you come in? I would like to talk over some tea.¡± ¡°I am sorry, but I do not have the time. There are still injured ¨C¡° ¡°I insist.¡± She repeated again, this time staring straight through Naomi with piercing eyes of steel. Although the old woman looked frail and harmless, there was something in her voice and eyes that hinted at the power she used to or probably still command that coined her as the Saint. Besides, it looked as though it was the only way she could obtain her help. Without much choice in the matter, Naomi entered the house. Despite its plain exterior, it was a warm cozy house with a small fire lit at the fireplace for heat and light. Taking her place at a rocking chair close to the fireplace, the old lady motioned for Naomi to sit down at the carpet across her, next to a sulking Chester. ¡°Missy, my name is Magdalene, would you not tell me yours?¡± ¡°Naomi. Just Naomi.¡± ¡°Naomi? That is a fine name indeed.¡± Magdalene motioned for Chester to get some tea from the kitchen, which he obeyed reluctantly. Seconds later, he was already out with a pot of hot tea as though it had already been put on in anticipation of a visitor. Calmly sipping her from her cup, Magdelene gave a sad smile to Naomi. ¡°Your request from Gordo¡­ I am afraid I will have to refuse.¡± ¡°You see, I am not like what I used to be. Being a healer is a very intensive job that consumes a person¡¯s spirit.¡± That would be mana, Naomi mentally noted. ¡°Back in my younger days I could run as many as three nursing stations all by myself but I am afraid I will not be able to handle it at my current age, please pardon an old lady.¡± Naomi could see Chester make a small fist pump out of the corner of her eyes. That man, did he need another punch to the face? ¡°However, I could send another healer in my place. No, not Chester, he had adamantly refused to inherit my work years back. That child preferred to be a Tailor.¡± ¡°Who would that be?¡± If it was another person recommended by the Saint of Loyderidge, she could get directions and be off in a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°You, my child. You.¡± ¡°Right, so where do ¨C¡°It took Naomi a few seconds to finish processing what Magdalene had just said. ¡°Wait, what?¡± ¡°Call it fate, child, but Gordo sending you to me despite knowing I am unfit for healing duty is more than mere ignorance or coincidence. I believe in his judge of character and also my own eyes. You, who are full of spirit, would be ideal for this job.¡±
Job Change! You have been offered to job change into: Cleric (Taerra) The Saint of Loyderidge has offered to pass down her knowledge of the healing arts to you. Do you wish to accept?
It was so sudden that Naomi was at a loss on what to do. Being a cleric would indeed solve her current quest, but she would end up with a job she had not really planned for. That would actually be more detrimental to her long term goals of living and fighting for battles. ¡°I am sorry. Could you please let me know where I could find another healer?¡± Wait a minute; did she even have a plan in the first place? She could survive being classless just fine, couldn¡¯t she? Magdalene gave a small chuckle. ¡°I have nobody else, child. I know what you are thinking. You are thinking that a cleric¡¯s job is to heal and be a support, but that is where you are wrong. A cleric¡¯s job is not just to sit in the sidelines and look pretty. We fight wars and actually win them.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Why not? Back in my days I joined Lord Trigent as one of the clerics in his expedition party into present-Caerheim. We fought long and hard against the hobgoblins that infested the area and back then, our camp suffered frequent counter-raids from morning to night. I myself was healing multiple wounded at once while bashing hobgoblin heads in with Baconmer.¡± ¡°Baconmer is mother¡¯s Warhammer.¡± Chester helpfully supplied, pointing to a well-used Warhammer on display over the fireplace. It was easily as long as the old lady was tall. ¡°You actually used that?¡± ¡°Yes, dear. I think I had over four hundred kills with my darling hammer.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± It was bad; Naomi could feel her conviction slipping away. ¡°Yes, so why don¡¯t you accept first and come back to me after you have finished saving the wounded still waiting for you back at camp? I will show you the finer points of being a cleric.¡± It was then Naomi knew she could not win the sly person sitting across her. The old lady¡¯s coercion was much too strong for her to handle, much less the guilt-tripping that she was laying it thick on. Very well then, it was not as if she had any inkling of what to become. Without any further hesitation, she nodded her head. In an instance, a faint earthly glow enveloped her body to Magdalene¡¯s pleased expression.
You have taken the path of the Cleric of Taerra! You have gained 10 Intelligence You have gained 30 Wisdom You have gained 20 Stamina You have gained 200 HP You have gained 200 Mana.
¡°For now, I will teach you Heal and Cure, so you can complete your current assignment.¡± Grabbing Naomi¡¯s hands into her wrinkled own, Magdelene began helping the girl direct her energies for the spell. ¡°Focus Taerra¡¯s energy at your hands and you will be able to soothe suffering with them.¡±
You feel the power of Taerra, Goddess of the Earth flowing into you!
You have gained the skill: Heal! Heal (Basic 1) Heals for 352 health for 30 mana
You have gained the skill: Cure! Cure (Basic 1) Relieves minor status ailment for 100 mana
¡°Now go. Come back after you are done.¡± Thus, Naomi was sent back to the militia camp to complete her assignment with two new abilities at her disposal. Hours later, she was back in the same house again receiving further guidance from Magdelene. ¡°Ahem, we clerics have only one skill in common with our fellow brethren ¨C the heal skill. The rest of our skills are actually derived from whichever deity we follow. For example, both you and I follow Taerra, so our skills would be more related to Nature and the Earth than a Cleric following the God of Death, Lorq.¡± Magdalene coughed, perhaps unused to saying such long sentences. ¡°Her blessings give us strength for our causes.¡±
You have gained the skill: Taerra¡¯s Perseverance Taerra¡¯s Perseverance (Basic 1) + 10 strength + 10 stamina For 15 minutes to applied target
¡°Try it out.¡± True enough, the moment Naomi activated the skill she felt power rushing through her veins. She had also become sturdier and able to withstand more damage. Maybe this could work out for her in the long run. Instead of relying on flashy attacks and weapons to dominate her foes, she would instead buff herself and defeat them based on her own martial art skills - something she had always wanted to do and have been doing in the first place. Healing and self-healing would just be an added boon for survivability. The more she thought about it, the more Naomi began to feel that becoming a cleric was a good choice. She could sense the thrill of battle pulsating in her blood already. ¡°That would be all I can teach you for now. Taerra herself will guide you in the future. Oh, I almost forgot. Being clerics entitles us to a few useful skills at our disposal.¡±
You have gained the skill: Taerra¡¯s Aid (Party) Taerra¡¯s Aid Cooldown: Base 12 hours (Increases with distance) Summons party members to your side from anywhere in the continent.
You have gained the skill: Taerra¡¯s Call (Single) Taerra¡¯s Call Cooldown: Base 1 day (Increases with distance) Summons a targeted person to your side from anywhere in the continent
¡°Do you have anyone to try it out on? A friend perhaps?¡± Naomi nodded. The only person she knew in Ages Online was Sebast. If she had remembered correctly, his in-game name would be Beast. However, she had not found time to add him as a friend yet, and neither had he tried to contact her as well. ¡°Friend Invite: Beast.¡± A few seconds later, a notification came. Pon!
Beast has accepted your friend invitation!
That was good. Now, to add him into a party and try out the summon spell. ¡°Party Invite: Beast.¡±
Beast has refused your party invitation!
Naomi raised an eyebrow. How dare he refuse! Sebast will be suffering a lot more during their next training session, she will make sure of that. ¡°Party Invite: Beast.¡±
Beast has refused your party invitation!
Again. Naomi clicked her tongue in displeasure. If he wanted to act like this, then she would just have to summon him individually. ¡°Taerra¡¯s Call: Beast.¡± For a second, nothing happened. A few moments after, a white light answered her call and Beast along with all his wares he had set up his shop for materialized in the quaint house in the suburbs of Loyderidge. Next Chapter
Author''s Notes: I am sorry to announce that new chapters may be released a little slower, due to the fact that I have a report and a presentation to prepare for this following week and the next. Besides that, please enjoy my story! Cheers. Chapter 24: Detour ¡°Where the heck am I?¡± It was all Beast managed to say after that forceful change of scenery. To his front, Naomi clapped her hand at her success while Magdalene looked on, satisfied at her apprentice¡¯s achievement. ¡°Wait, if Naomi is here¡­ then¡­¡± ¡°Yea, I summoned you to Loyderidge.¡± His heart dropped like a stone. Beast almost wanted to kill himself just in case it was a bad dream. After all those resolutions to avoid Loyderidge and the war and head for Splinter Mountains, it was all for nothing as his plans were foiled yet again. The first thing he wanted to do was to scold the girl in front of him. ¡°I¡­ you¡­¡± Beast¡¯s finger shook, but he found himself unable to point it at his master. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°¡­ Never mind.¡± Even if he wanted to blame Naomi for this development, he could not. It was his mistake apparently, for blindly pressing buttons on the notification window without reading them carefully; that third window was a notice for summoning. Beast sighed. There was nothing else he could do to reverse the situation so he might as well take it in his stride. ¡°This old lady here is?¡± ¡°Oh, right. She is Magdalene, my cleric teacher.¡± Beast raised an eyebrow. Naomi, a cleric? Unbelievable. Nevertheless, he should not forget his manners. ¡°Pleasure to meet you, Magdalene. I am Beast.¡± ¡°You must be Naomi¡¯s friend, young man.¡± Beast nodded. ¡°Such promising youths nowadays, I believe the both of you will do Caerheim proud and defend her well from the invaders.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ right. Thank you for having us.¡± With just one sentence, Magdalene had pushed responsibility and expectations in his direction. Scary, he thought, as he hastily took his leave and dragged Naomi out with him, all to the cheery smile of the Saint of Loyderidge. ¡°So¡­ where is the militia camp?¡± Beast asked once they were out in the streets. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The gates are closed right? Since I am already here, I might as well make full use of my time and join the defense.¡± ¡°I thought you would prefer to join Lifey¡¯s Joint Operation?¡± Naomi was curious. Most eligible players joined the Joint Operation Army, only coming to the militia when they did not meet the prerequisites. For Beast to want to participate in the militia was a surprising move to her. ¡°Well, some people I know personally are in the Joint Operation Army and I don¡¯t want to meet them in that kind of environment. ¡° Beast explained as he walked, his eyes darting around to take in details regarding the city of Loyderidge. It was his first time here and the first thing he noticed was that the layout was completely different; Rydelin is a circular city while Loyderidge seemed to have been built facing the west. ¡°Besides, you are in the militia, isn¡¯t it? That is enough for a reason.¡± Interesting, given how the circumstances of the development of both cities might have been very different. A gradual expansion from a village to a town to a city might explain the layout compared to building a city from the get go. ¡°R-right¡­¡± If he had been looking at Naomi when he said that offhandedly, he would have noticed the blush creeping into the girl¡¯s face and her shaking her head to clear it. ¡°So why did you become a cleric, eh? I always thought you were the violent type ¨COWHH.¡±
-317 HP
¡°Baka.¡± Naomi harrumphed as she brushed imaginary dirt off the fist that had whacked Beast across the face. Then she quickened up her pace towards the militia camp while her apprentice painfully picked himself up from the ground and followed behind. ¡­¡­¡­¡­. The militia camp had calmed down since the last time Naomi was there. The wounded were already patched up and sent back to their divisions except for the NPC soldiers who needed a longer time to rest and recover. As they walked across the courtyard towards the commander¡¯s tent, Beast picked up a familiar face mournfully strumming his lyre atop a pile of crates by the campfire. His mouth was moving, but there were no sound coming out of it. ¡°Shadun?¡± The man perked up at the mention of his name, recognition flooding his expression as his eyes met Beast¡¯s. ¡°Who?¡± Naomi asked at the sudden outburst. She was confused. Did Beast see someone he knew? ¡°Give me a moment Naomi.¡± Altering the direction of his path, Beast headed for the bard who jumped down from the crates. Once they were within range, the both of them embraced each other in a warm brotherly hug. ¡°How are you man? It has been a long time.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Shadun was as stoic as always. ¡°So who is this lady?¡± Naomi had followed Beast and was standing slightly behind so as not to disturb the men¡¯s reunion. ¡°She is Naomi, a cleric. Naomi, meet Shadun, a bard.¡± ¡°Pleasure to meet you.¡± Shadun said as he extended out his hand for a handshake. ¡°N-nice to meet you too.¡± As Naomi took it, Beast could not help but notice that the girl was acting a little weird, like she was enamored by the suave man. Now that he thought about it, it was undeniable that Shadun was much more handsome than an average male and the calm demeanor would only serve to add merit to the air of confidence around him. As tom-boyish as Naomi was, she was still a maiden at heart after all. Tsk. ¡°So, what are you doing here? I thought you should be eligible to join the Joint Operation Army?¡± The last time they separated, their levels were similar. Even though he had gotten a fast forward in levels from Savathrox and the Antroach, the amount of experience gained should be equivalent to hardcore grinding for the same amount of time he was in the Fort. Thus, it was not a stretch to assume that Shadun was at least the same as his level or higher. ¡°I got kicked out for singing.¡± At that explanation, Beast could not help but burst into laughter. Shadun was not amused, while Naomi cocked her head in bewilderment. Beast somehow knew he should have expected that answer ever since he asked that question, because he knew exactly what Shadun¡¯s singing sounded like. Terrible. Horrible. Incorrigible. For a bard that could render allies alike incapacitated, it was no wonder Lifey and her subordinates kicked him out for their own necessity and sanity. ¡°It is not funny. I can¡¯t even leave Loyderidge after they kicked me, so I have no choice but to join the militia just to get something out of the event.¡± Taking in deep breaths to rein in his laughter, Beast mouthed. ¡°I am¡­ I am sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be.¡± It was a rare snide remark from Shadun, whose lips were pursed and seemed like he might be slightly miffed for once. ¡°How about you? Why are you here?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I am here due to some unforeseen circumstances.¡± Beast wagged his eyebrow in Naomi¡¯s direction. ¡°Speaking of which. I am going to this Gordo guy to sign up, so I will be right back.¡± Right after finishing his sentence, Beast grabbed Naomi who had been bemusedly watching their interactions to head off for their original objective, only for Shadun to place his hand on him instead. ¡°I will come too.¡± ¡°Sure, why not?¡± Inside the tent, the lone knight was reading some texts over by the light of a torch. Based on the glinting armour caused by the flickering of the flame and the beautifully etched zweihander sheathed on his back, Beast could judge that the knight was not any other NPC. At the very least, Knight Gordo should be around level 80. ¡°Knight Gordo Sir.¡± ¡°Yes, Naomi? Is there anything I can help you with?¡± He had a rough shaven beard and matted black hair, though a kindly smile was hidden beneath that burly and tough facade. ¡°I brought a friend to sign up for the militia.¡± ¡°You did? Loyderidge could do well to accept any aid at the current situation.¡± Gordo stepped forward and looked over Beast. ¡°And you are?¡± ¡°Beast. A¡­. umm¡­ historian.¡± If Gordo had any doubts about Beast¡¯s class, he did not show it. ¡°A historian huh¡­ maybe¡­ Very well, I hereby extend to you an invitation to join the war effort.¡±
You have been invited to participate in: Defend Loyderidge Loyderidge of Caerheim is under siege from Hondurian forces. Knight Gordo of the City Militia has offered you a chance to contribute and serve your country on the war front. Defend the capital and prevent it from falling into enemy hands. Difficulty: B Failure Conditions: Loyderidge falls. Lord Trigent is killed. Note: Contribution points are earned for every effort put into the defense of the city and rewards will be distributed according to their earned proportions
The quest window was special, having a silver trim that differentiate it from the rest of the ordinary quest windows that he had encountered before. Beast pushed the ¡®yes¡¯ button and was immediately greeted by the sound of a quest being accepted, but a weird feeling was gnawing at the back of his head while he did so. There was something strange regarding the quest, but he could not place his finger on it. Beast shrugged, maybe he will have a eureka moment later. Now that he was officially part of the militia forces, he should start asking on how he could contribute. Beast was late to the party, so he needed to get to racking up those points. There was a lull in the fighting and the healing was mostly done, but who was to say that there were no more problems that needed solving? After all, a war was not about fighting alone. ¡°Is there anything I could do now to help right now?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡° Gordo murmured when prompted. ¡°We do need some help with our inventory problems. Commander Lifey had taken the major production classes with her and I know better than to touch her resources. Right now the attackers are setting up siege around the city so there is a period of peace we can make use of. Maybe you could help us obtain some equipment for the fresh volunteers I have drafted up from the suburbs so that they won¡¯t die a fool''s death.¡± ¡°All in all, I needed equipment for about forty to fifty people.¡±
War Supplies The Militia has run out of equipment to assign. Knight Gordo of the Militia has requested that you help obtain equipment to gear up fresh recruits during the lull in the fighting so that they would have better chance at surviving the war. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Difficulty: E Note: The number of contribution points rewarded is determined by the amount of equipment donated to the militia.
Naomi was surprised. She could never have guessed she could ask Gordo for assignments to do; she had always just taken whatever job whenever she was given. She was even more surprised when Beast simply unloaded his inventory on the spot, filling the tent with heaps of copper and iron equipment. ¡°Is this enough?¡± Beast nonchalantly asked, to Gordo¡¯s amazement. ¡°Why, yes! These will be sufficient to get our recruits started.¡± Beast had originally wanted to sell them off for some coin, but if he could offload them at the moment for some fast contribution points, he would do so in a heartbeat. A bunch of contribution notification windows appeared as Gordo accepted the stash, all informing him of his current gain. 149. It was not too shabby, given his first contribution to the operation. Thanking the knight who did not have any other missions to assign, the trio walked out of the tent into the cool night air. Clouds obscured the sky ahead, blocking out the stars and moon and it looked like it might rain any moment. Rain in-game has always been far and few, but whenever it rained it would be best to seek shelter lest one comes down with sickness and disease that would cost a pretty penny to cure. Shadun might have realized it as well, because he was steering them towards one of the barrack tents. ¡°Armadillo leather huh?¡± It was Shadun the bard. ¡°I don¡¯t think I saw any armadillos near Loyderidge. Where did you get them?¡± ¡°Near Corelia.¡± Beast shrugged. Shadun raised an eyebrow. ¡°Corelia? That is all the way west at the frontier. The circumstances you spoke of must have been pretty forceful.¡± ¡°Yea, they are.¡± Beast said sarcastically, to which Naomi sheepishly lowered her head. ¡°Anyway, where can I find the information rankings for contribution points?¡± ¡°I am also interested to know.¡± ¡°It is an extension from the quest window. Wait, you people have never been in a Joint Operation before?¡± Beast shook his head, as did Naomi. ¡°Nope.¡± They replied in unison, while Shadun nodded. ¡°I will demonstrate. Joint Operation ¨C Defend Loyderidge, Contributions.¡± Immediately, a window opened up in front of them.
Defend Loyderidge ¨CContribution Rankings Top 5: 1.) Naomi 2134 pts 2.) Aveye 1201 pts 3.) 3nity 1189 pts 4.) Wingsman 1132pts 5.) Crystalyst 1104pts Your contributions: 429.) Shadun 58pts
Surprisingly, Naomi was at first place at two thousand points. Beast whirled towards his dojo master with a look of incredulity. Just how much effort had she spent to get herself to such lofty heights? However, what was even more surprising was the list itself. It was not as Beast expected; He had been so sure that Lifey and her posse would have occupied the top five positions. So it would appear that the two different armies used a separate listing for contributions, something that made sense considering how there should be two distinct Joint Operations in the first place. Would that also suggest that the quest given for the two armies were different as well? He would have to find out. ¡°Naomi was it? Good job.¡± Shadun complimented. ¡°Thank you.¡± Beast bit his lips, not wanting to be a wet blanket. He was sure the contributions for the other army would have been numbering in the ten of thousands or so about now. Luckily, it was not for long, because in the next moment, the sound of bells rang throughout the city. A series of shouts rang throughout the watchtowers adjoining the city walls, all forming together in a chorus, warning of impending catastrophe. ¡°Siege! The city is under siege! Honduria has started to attack!¡± At that same moment in time, a gigantic ball of fire split the clouds apart as it crashed down from the heavens into one of the northern watchtowers, silencing it forever in a spectacular display of fiery explosion. Burning wood splinters and stone showered down on the blast zone, right as another one of those meteors obliterated the next watchtower. ¡°What the hell?¡± Beast had no idea who said that. It could have been him, or Shadun, or even a random person who had come out of their tent, but he was too shell-shocked by that degree of destructive power to even care. ¡°Militia, get your sorry asses into gear!¡± It was Gordo, who strode past the trio as he barked out orders into the burning air. ¡°We are supposed to be responsible for the West Gate. Archers, get up to the towers and fire at will! Division one is to barricade the gates. The rest of you stay on the city walls and protect the ramparts from boarders!¡± The air was soon filled with the sounds of arrows flying. ¡°You three over there! Naomi!¡± Naomi snapped into attention at her name being called. ¡°Take this.¡± It was one of the armadillo leather armour that Beast just turned in. ¡°Bring the new recruits to extricate the wounded from the frontlines back here for treatment.¡± Approximately forty young men and women lined up in front of them as the Knight continued. ¡°I will make you in charge of paramedic operations.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± This was probably why Naomi ranked top in the contributions list ¨C Knight Gordo apparently trusted her very much. Beast shrugged at the scene in front of him. Since he came late to the party, he would have to work his way up as a grunt. ¡°Naomi, I am at your order.¡± Even in game he could not escape from being Naomi¡¯s work slave, Beast mused. ¡°Beast, you head up to the west walls and retrieve any wounded with us. Shadun, could you please stay near us and sing a song of speed?¡± ¡°NO!¡± Beast and Shadun both said at the same time, a little too forcefully. ¡°Believe me, you will want everyone alive for this.¡± Beast continued after seeing Naomi¡¯s puzzled face. ¡°Huh?¡± Naomi questioned with the hope of receiving a more direct answer, but Beast and Shadun had already started running towards the ramparts with the recruits, forcing her to put it aside for the time being and follow. The moment they reached the face of war, all that greeted them was the cruel smile of chaos. Flaming stones rained down from the sky as the sounds of trebuchets ricocheted off in the distance. Burning debris were strewn everywhere, and among them were the bodies of NPCs and players alike. Those who were still up and about were doing nothing. Confused, Beast looked out and he instantly understood why. It was pitch darkness. There were no lights or torches out there that allowed him to see anything. The only light he could see was by the illumination of the fireballs that the militia magicians were blindly shooting. ¡°Hold your fire!¡± Knight Gordo was commanding the defenders on a higher vantage point. ¡°Mages keep throwing fireballs. Archers shoot once you see something.¡± Without even saying anything, Shadun and Naomi began pulling the injured out of the clutter of destruction but Beast halted in his tracks. Naomi hissed, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Wait¡­ Wait.¡± Something was amiss. Logically speaking, the enemy came from the east and therefore the eastern gate was expected to undergo heavy attack. From both a strategic and logistic point of view, the west gate had been deemed low risk and was probably why the less capable militia was assigned to guard the position. It also only had two watchtowers unlike the other gates. So why was it that there were trebuchets incoming on the west gate? And how was it that they had managed to traverse the entire perimeter of the city unnoticed? A burning stone crashed into the ground beside Beast, almost crushing him. Beast¡¯s nose was immediately assaulted by the strong smell of sulfur from the projectile, wrinkling his nose in disgust. Brimstones; he mentally made a note that he hated siege weapons, especially the brimstone kind. No wait¡­ it was not a projectile from a trebuchet¡­ There was nothing in the darkness out there that indicated that the origin of these projectiles, much less the loading and lighting of the fire. ¡°Oh my god.¡± Beast could only gasp as he realized what was happening ¨C what they thought to be a siege barrage was a spell all along. Looking upwards into the cloudy sky, he saw that the areas above the watchtowers were bright orange compared to the grey. The next moment, a meteor struck down from the heavens and ignited the nearest watchtower into a burning ball of death. Screams rang out from the inferno as players and NPCs were reduced to charred bone and ashes of data. It was only for a fleeting moment before the structure collapsed upon itself from its weakened integrity and silenced them forever. ¡°Shields, we need shields on the other watchtower!¡± Beast yelled out, hoping that someone or anyone would listen. Nobody did. His cries were lost in the chaos of war. However, the thought itself was not. ¡°Shields!¡± A strong voice echoed over the background; Gordo apparently had the same idea. ¡°I want all mages to cast a water shield on the other watch tower now!¡± ¡°Aqua Front!¡± ¡°Aqua Front!¡± ¡°Aqua Front!¡± At the knight¡¯s command, the militia¡¯s magicians gathered their magic at a single location, forming a sturdy wall of water that stood as high as the watch tower itself. Not a moment too soon, the clouds gave way to another meteor which crashed right into the shield. Steam clouded the area as fire met water in a violent thermal reaction. For a moment there Beast was afraid that the shield would not hold, but when the steam cleared, the structure of the watchtower was still thankfully intact, much to the relief of all the defenders. Then, a bored male voice drawled from beyond the wall. ¡°Man, they shielded. I just wasted my mana for nothing.¡± The red name of Fyrzen came into view with its bearer riding a horse, dropping the hopes and morale of all those present with his appearance. Hopping down the steed, he gave it a smack and sent it running into the darkness before turning to the defenders on the wall with a toothless smile. ¡°Yo.¡± Next Chapter Chapter 25: West Gate ¡°Good night to everyone- ¡°A torrent of arrows and spells poured in the well-groomed mage¡¯s direction immediately. There was a brief flash of light before the man vanished and reappeared some distance away from his original spot. ¡°Hey! At least let me finish!¡± He flicked his hair backwards, dropping his smile in favour of a smug grin. ¡°All your base are belong to us.¡± With a loud resounding boom, the barricaded west gate blew apart in a whirlwind of fire and wood. Frantic faces were revealed from behind the burning wreckage, not knowing how the man had managed to destroy the gate without so much as casting a single spell. Fyrzen slowly strolled towards the exposed gateway. With every step forward, those responsible for holding the gate retreated back in fear. ¡°Continue shooting at him! Everyone except the archers and mages back down from the walls. Blockade the west gate. Prevent that man from entering Loyderidge!¡± ¡°Denied!¡± Fyrzen cheerily responded. A wall of blazing flames sprouted around him in an instant, swallowing all the projectiles in its hungry swirl. Without breaking his pace, he continued on his path towards the terrified crowd. ¡°Oh? What is this?¡± A well-built NPC soldier stepped out into the gateway with the intention of blocking the mage. Even though he, as an artificial construct, had no concept of levels, he knew that the man before him was several more times more powerful than he was. He wanted to flee, but his honor and duty to his country prevented him from doing so. Raising his shield up high in a show of defiance, he planted his feet on the ground, determined not to give way to this invader. Several other soldiers joined him and though Beast could see that they were all trembling in their boots, he could not help but admire them for their courage. Fyrzen pointed at the well-built NPC as he shook his head in mock disapproval. ¡°Tsk tsk. What a pity. I could use some of you patriotic soldiers back in Heilandar.¡± Everyone ignored Fyrzen¡¯s comment, because they were all now focusing their attention on the well-built NPC in the middle of the formation. The poor soldier was glowing bright red to the confusion of him and everyone around him. Time seemed to slow as the glow intensity became bright and brighter¡­ Beast found his voice to scream. ¡°GET AWAY-¡° Boom! The man exploded with the force of a fragmentation grenade, searing flesh and severing bone before disintegrating into data. The line of soldiers had been blown apart. Several female players screamed and ran off; others vomited at the scene. Within a matter of minutes, most of the players have already fled the ground, leaving only NPC soldiers behind. Beast watched, mortified. This man, he was terrorizing them. That spell just now had been one of the staples in the Magician¡¯s spell arsenal ¨C Detonation, of the fire element. It was a slow and low damage spell, but its main gimmick was that it has no projectile and thus could not be dodged. There was also the skill Silent Casting, which allows a magician to cast without words with the only exceptions being ultimate spells of the respective elemental tree. Most mages made sure to learn it because it gives an advantage during player versus player but the requirements for it are pretty steep and Invocation does not apply to spell used silently. Beast was sure that those were what Fyrzen used. But somehow the way he did it, as well as the extent of power behind it made the act infinitely more terrifying than normal. This was what the guild Qqers was capable of. This was what a magician specializing in the pure offensive was capable of. With just one single person, with just a wave of his magic prowess, the entire west wall defense crumbled. Nobody could stand a chance against this person of mass destruction, a one man army in the very sense of the word. ¡°Beast. We need to fall back.¡± ¡°Beast! We need to stop him!¡± Both Shadun and Naomi voices rang beside his ears simultaneously, shaking Beast out of his stupor. Then they turned to each other. ¡°No. We need to regroup.¡± Despite his relatively calm behavior, Beast could tell that Shadun was badly shaken by Fyrzen¡¯s display. What happened to the Bard who charged at three elite bandits like it was nothing back in the past? Never mind, that was probably a poor comparison. Naomi on the other hand was in her battle mode. ¡°No! We have to defeat him or he will kill everyone here!¡± ¡°Stop.¡± It was Knight Gordo. Putting his hand on Beast¡¯s shoulder, the knight continued, addressing the three of them. ¡°I hate to send non-combatants into battle, but please head to the East Gate and request help from Commander Lifey.¡± ¡°What about the mage?¡± Naomi asked, her eyes blazing with worry. ¡°I will stall for time.¡± ¡°No! You will die!¡± Gordo gave Naomi a battle-weary smile. ¡°Anything for my country.¡± Rising up to his full height, an order rang out as clear as day. ¡°Man the walls! Form defensive lines! Do not let him past! Attack him if you see an opening!¡± ¡°But he does not have any opening sir!¡± One of the archers shouted back. Judging from his demeanor, he appeared to be one of the few players who have not yet fled. ¡°And he is already at the gate!¡± As he spoke, the remnants of the west gate were blasted away and Fyrzen strode through. They were out of time. ¡°Aveye, take your post. As for openings ¡­ I will make one.¡± Without so much as a hint of hesitation, Gordo jumped from his vantage point down into the PKer¡¯s path and drew his sword. Fyrzen halted, his face betraying a curious expression at the new development. ¡°Oh? The commander decided to fight. Could you make a difference though?¡± Gordo merely charged and swung his blade without any intentions for pre-battle banter. The opponent was a magician, and magicians were renowned to be extremely fragile at melee range. Therefore it was Gordo¡¯s plan to break the distance within the first few moments and bring the fight up to him. However, before his sword could even reach the mage, Fyrzen had already teleported away to the side. More specifically, the fire magus teleported to his side. ¡°Holocaust.¡± He whispered into the commander¡¯s ear, despite already demonstrating that it was not necessary for him to say the spell name. Gordo¡¯s eyes widened in fear even as the very same flames used to block the projectiles earlier swirled out of the magician¡¯s body in a hungry whirlwind and swallowed him whole. ¡°No!¡± Several gasps were heard from the militia, including Naomi. Fyrzen smirked in satisfaction. The smirk was however broken almost immediately when an armoured fist broke through the cascade of red and smashed right across his face. With his concentration shattered, the tornado of fire fizzled out, revealing a knight worse for wear but still alive. Gathering his strength again, Gordo pushed his blade forward for a thrust which was blocked solely by a thin film of blue that suddenly appeared and enveloped the magus¡¯ body. The impact point flashed briefly while Fyrzen gave a mock sigh of relief. Several more arrows and spells flew and rebounded off the blue shield, eliciting an annoyed look from the PKer. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I activated Mana Shield for the likes of you bugs. Damn ScrubLord, he told me it would be a cakewalk. He never said anything about a Royal Knight.¡± A fire ball burst into life in Fyrzen¡¯s palms as he turned to face the Militia commander. Determined eyes stared into merciless ones, each battling for psychological supremacy within the second their line of sight locked. ¡°Guys, let¡¯s go.¡± Beast called. The heat from the ball was particularly intense and could be felt even from the distance they were in, making Beast uncomfortable. If Gordo was letting them run on borrowed time, then they should not waste any more of it. Furthermore it was the perfect distraction for them to break off from the engagement un-noticed. ¡°Shadun.¡± The bard gave a thumb up to signal his readiness. ¡°Nao¡­mi?¡± The bard¡¯s thumb flipped to the side, drawing Beast¡¯s intention to where it was pointing at. Right in front of his very eyes, Beast¡¯s dojo master rushed into the fray between Gordo and Fyrzen, delivering a surprise kick to the magus¡¯ hand and knocked his aim awry. The fireball flew a wayward arc and smashed into a cottage, exploding skywards in a pillar of fire. Jaws dropped and many more eyes widened in disbelief at the bold, almost suicidal move on Naomi¡¯s part. Beast wanted to bash his head in on one of the pieces of wood lying nearby. ¡°Shadun, you go on ahead. Run to the East Gate.¡± The incredulity and defeat in his voice had yet to dissipate. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I have to help her.¡± The bard gave a look of understanding and sympathy before he slipped away from the commotion, just as Fyrzen spun around to the culprit that disrupted him. ¡°What the hell? Who the f*ck are you?¡± Like trying to swat a fly, Fyrzen¡¯s hand moved in to smack the girl, bursting into flames as it did so. Everyone expected the level 22 to die from as much as a slight touch, but Naomi cleanly evaded the strike with a simple shift of her own weight. Fyrzen frowned. After a short delay of surprise, Fyrzen struck again but Naomi avoided it the second time by a hairline breadth using the same principle as she had avoided the first. Pinpoint precision. Every attack made by Fyrzen was dodged at the very last second with minimal movements. Even when he flashed out a particularly vicious looking dagger for extra reach, it made no difference. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. He could not touch her. Aside from the background noise of war filtering in from the other gates, the West Gate was all quiet. Beast, like many others, was dumbfounded at the sight before them. Was it because she had pumped all her stats into dexterity? No, Fyrzen was clearly much faster than Naomi and yet she was avoiding his attacks with no problem. Even if Beast knew that it was her martial background helping, it was still uncanny. The first one to recover his senses was Gordo. Seizing the chance given to him by Naomi, he slashed his sword at Fyrzen¡¯s exposed back, drawing the mage¡¯s attention back to himself. Concurrently, a volley of arrows and spells slammed into Fyrzen¡¯s side, causing the blue film to flicker madly from the mitigated damage. ¡°DON¡¯T MOCK ME!¡± His laidback fa?ade had been ripped into shreds by now. Howling in rage, the man swerved around and blasted Gordo away with the spell originally intended for Naomi. ¡°Pests¡­ should just die!¡± Even as Gordo crashed into a brick wall from the force of the blow and was buried by the rubble, a second volley of attacks was already flying Fyrzen¡¯s way. With the cackle of a madman, Fyrzen made no effort to evade the rain of projectiles incoming his way, instead lapsing into an ominous chant. ¡°The Fire God rages ¡­¡± Beast paled. It was an ultimate spell, and there was nobody here who could deal enough damage through the Mana Shield in time to interrupt him. He had Mana Drain, but he was too far away to activate it in time. So he did the only thing he could ¨C he sprinted. ¡°¡­The living flame hungers for sustenance. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust! Devour, feral fire! NOVA CONFLAGRATION!¡± Naomi had jumped to the side to give way for range attacks earlier. When Fyrzen stopped attacking and red energy started to revolve around the PKer like an intense vortex of lava, she did not understand what was going to happen. It took the frantic dive for cover of the surrounding people as well as the line formations suddenly breaking ranks in panic to hint at the disaster about to happen. It prompted her instincts to carry her away from ground zero as fast as possible. But it was not enough. A spheroid of fiery destruction exploded out with Fyrzen at its center, consuming everything in its path as the pressure from within surged outwards with overwhelming force. Even as Naomi struggled to flee, the blast radius caught up within a split second surrounding her in a sea of red. She had expected to die. Therefore she did not expect Beast to appear in front of her, carrying a slab of broken stone and diverting away the path of the flames. ¡®Beast!¡±
-601 HP You have been Burnt! (First Degree)
¡°Get down and heal me goddamnit.¡± Even with Chi Fortify mitigating some damage, it was still not enough to ensure his safety. Luckily he had a ready-made cleric with him.
-594 HP
You have been Burnt! (Second Degree) -100 HP/second
¡°O-Okay! Taerra¡¯s Blessing! Heal! Cure!¡± For an entire period of three seconds, Naomi was continuously healing Beast¡¯s burns as they form from the heat. By the time the spell ended, the make-shift stone shield was mostly red. With a groan, Beast pushed the hot stone away and crumbled to the ground in pain. Looking at Naomi who was taking care of his charred arm using her powers, Beast noted that she was relatively unharmed. Good. He mentally made a note that this would be the first and last time he would save his master from trouble ever again. Around the west gate, it was as though the immediate radius had been devastated by a bomb. Pavements cracked. Buildings were totally razed to the ground, while those still standing were a burning wreck. Defenders still alive tossed and turned on the ground trying to put out the fire on their bodies as others began emerging from their hiding places, glancing sadly at the unlucky ones who had hidden behind flimsy protection and thus perished. ¡°Fire Pul-¡± The dreaded voice saying a spell alerted everyone back to the existence of the Qqer, Fyrzen. Then, a droplet fell. And another. Soon, the city of Loyderidge wet with rain. ¡°Tsk.¡± Fyrzen clicked his tongue. With the onset of rain, his fire spells would be severely hindered. The fire he had set on buildings and people were already extinguished. His carefully combed hair was now in a dripping mess and the blue film surrounding him had lost its original shine. Even if he was an advanced class magician, his mana was not limitless. With the amount of flashy spells that he was casting and the damage he was taking, it was bound to run out sooner or later. This would be a good time to break the fangs of the beast. ¡°Naomi, go treat the others. I am okay. Most important thing is to find Knight Gordo.¡± As the highest level out of them all, Gordo was essential to their victory as well to the whole Militia in general. Hopefully he should not have died yet, given that the rubble that he fell under would have acted as shielding during the blast. Right now, Beast¡¯s only objective was to render Fyrzen ineffective and for that to happen, he would have to deprive him of a mage¡¯s most essential reserve ¨Cmana. Spotting the archer player from before still alive, he shouted to get his attention. ¡°Hey! Aveye right? Rally those who are still alive and pelt him with arrows!¡± ¡°R-right!¡± Within seconds, a new volley of attacks hurtled towards the magus, pinning him down on his location. It was not pinning per say, for Fyrzen had adopted a weird pose, currently looking up at the dark clouds overhead with his hands outstretched. He was totally unconcerned about the projectiles bouncing off his ailing mana shield. ¡°-Borean Wind-¡° Now, it was his time to shine. Dashing towards Fyrzen, Beast closed the distance in a matter of strides. ¡°-hailstorm of-¡° What was that? It sounded familiar. He was within range. ¡°Mana Drain!¡° ¡°-swallows the land! Freeze! Absolute-¡± Horror etched itself on Beast¡¯s face when he recognized the incantation. It was the same spell that the mage in Corelia had tried to use on him! He had totally forgotten that Fyrzen specialized in both fire and ice. With so much water around them due to the rain, there would be unlimited collateral damages. None of them would be assured their lives. Seeing no other way out, Beast followed his instincts. Infusing all of his mana into his punch, he smashed his hand with all his power into Fyrzen¡¯s jaw. The blue film of energy clashed violently with his blue knuckles. For a moment there, he thought his attack would fail but suddenly the blue film spluttered and died, giving way to his fist. A combination of Mana Drain, Mana shield damage and his own spell cost had eaten up all of Fyrzen¡¯s mana. Snap! The audible sound of a jaw fracturing echoed throughout western Loyderidge, breaking the incantation of ice with silence. An instant later, arrows buried themselves deep into the mage¡¯s back. Beast stumbled backwards, even as more attacks struck the mana-less Fyrzen, rapidly decreasing his health. Lines of soldiers reformed around the mage, encircling him and cutting off any means of retreat. With his jaws broken and mana drained, Fyrzen could only glare at those around him. It burned with resentment, but it was useless now. He was a de-fanged beast. Even if he wanted to escape, he could not. A continuous stream of attacks from almost everyone in the militia promptly reduced his health to zero. Thus, Fyrzen died and his skeleton laid there on the blackened ground giving the middle finger to the militia of Loyderidge. Despite the victory, nobody celebrated. They were still reminded of the close call that they had with regards to one PKer Fyrzen where just a single magician was enough to reduce them to near-collapse. Many picked themselves up in silence while some went to help the injured. Naomi and a couple of other NPCs were digging out the still alive Knight Gordo. It was a sorry sight, but regardless they had won the battle. ¡°Oh? Nice ring.¡± On one of the middle fingers was a well-carved ring set with an amethyst stone. Beast carefully removed it from the bone.
Guard Ring of Protection Ring, Equipment, Rare A ring said to protect the wearer from harm. The magic infused into this ring when it was crafted lessens the impact of all received attacks. It had been encrusted with an amethyst for additional poison resistance. Durability: 12/30 Value: 135g Level Restriction: 68 Crafted by Olurin When Equipped: -15% damage from all sources (before other damage mitigation) +25% resistance to poison
It was a good piece of equipment with a relatively high level restriction. Pity he could not use it either way. Shrugging, Beast pocketed the ring. Maybe he will find someone who could. An image of a certain girl came to mind. ¡°Where are you now?¡± He asked the rain. Next Chapter Chapter 26: East Gate Lifey sat in her tent by the light of the fire, her hand fidgeting with the cool hilt of her precious sword. Her other hand brushed away a stray fringe from her ponytail hair before going back to the map parchment lying on her desk. She normally kept her hair down outside of Ages Online, but tied it up in-game so that it would not interfere with her movements. Her face was a mixture of anxiety, frustration and regret. The Commander was entitled to an entire tent for herself and with it, she could be alone for a while. It was something she desperately needed after that fiasco at Vanguard Pass. How could she have not seen it coming? Vanguard Pass was a town that functioned as a gateway to and from Honduria, being situated in close proximity to the continent-bridging arch aptly named as The Grand Crossing. Originally, she had the intention to surround Vanguard Pass and contain the Hondurian army to just that small area but a slight miscalculation had cost her the battle and the momentum of war, landing her in the exact same situation she had wanted to avoid. ¡°Joint Operation window.¡±
Displaying current Joint Operation ¨C Defend Loyderidge Trigent of Caerheim has beseeched you with the task of defending Loyderidge from the Hondurian invaders. Acknowledging your past achievements for the country, he lends you the kingdom¡¯s soldiers for the duration of this battle. Resolve the conflict via any means. Difficulty: B Failure Conditions: Loyderidge falls. Trigent dies. As the commander of the Joint Operation, you are entitled to share the quest with others and recruit them into the operation. They will then gain a share of the quest reward based on their contributions to the operation effort. Current army size: 7194 Players 16415 NPCs Hondurian army size: 8203 NPCs Unaffiliated: 10 Unknowns
There had been approximately ten thousand players in the Joint Army before Vanguard Pass and twice as many Loyderidge soldiers. Despite it being a mere vanguard force, Honduria had sent an army of ten thousand. The only silver lining that she could take away from the disproportionate losses suffered during Vanguard Pass was that they took down two out of the twelve unaffiliated participants in this war. Damned ScrubLord. She had shifted her base of operations to Caerheim to avoid the annoying fellow, but it seemed that he chased her all the way with his stupid guild on the coattails of a war. Just thinking about it gave her a migraine. NPCs in general are hostile towards red-named PKers, and they did not have the sanction of the King. Even so, the Hondurian army will still tolerate the Qqers as long as their goals coincide. Now that it had come down to a siege, things would no doubt be much more difficult. Qqers were built for sieging. Even without siege engines from Honduria, they had individuals who could siege a small fortress all by themselves. Fyrzen, for one, and Togepee another; those two were considered one person armies. Her old guild had significant trouble handling either of them and she was not sure if her new guild could do any better. In fact, she doubted it. Even with their numerical superiority, they had been forced into a siege situation. It spoke volumes about their combat readiness and disparity between nations. In an area that had not been well-established yet, it was unsurprising that the local players focused more on the monster hunting aspect than player-versus-player combat. The only three words she could use to describe the Joint Operation forces were, Disorganised. Unmotivated. Underpowered. Sure, she had the Militia as backup, but the addition of a thousand low leveled players and drafted civilians to the defense force was hardly comforting. The most she could have them do was to guard the low risk West Gate and stall time for reinforcements to arrive should the enemy decide to strike there. Of course, ScrubLord might send someone there as well. Knowing him, he probably would. Thema help those poor souls. May they rest in peace knowing that they contributed to the greater good. It was precisely because of the militia uselessness that she had a cavalry team ready to be mobilized at a moment¡¯s notice. Also, she had deployed a contingent each to the North and South gate, leaving the bulk of her forces at the East. Judging by the terrain around Loyderidge, the enemy would be more inclined to concentrate on the East and South gates, leaving the North and West gates relatively untouched. With her plans in place, the rest was up to luck now. There were simply too many variables that she could not account for. Rubbing her forehead to sooth the throbbing, Lifey sighed. She needed some Tylenol. Dong! Dong! The bells of the watchtowers suddenly sang of the enemy¡¯s approach. Lifey perked her head. Was it time? A beautiful girl with locks of raven hair and holding an ornate oak staff entered the tent in a frenzy. Yunnie, real name Beatrice Chia, almost stumbled and fell from the rush but managed to keep her balance and deliver her report all the same. ¡°Lifey! They are attacking!¡± Lifey stood up. ¡°How many?¡± ¡°As you have predicted, most of the army is here at the East. Our watchers have reported that a smaller group have broken off and are encircling to the south. That would be all the information we have.¡± The two of them rushed out of the tent, just in time to witness a fireball descend on one of the North-western watchtowers like a shooting star and explode into a pillar of flames. ¡°Fyrzen.¡± Lifey¡¯s eyes narrowed. She knew that attack, having seen it many times. It was Meteor, one of the strongest fire and earth elemental spell available to fusion magicians of the advanced class. Despite having an absurd amount of range, it had an equally long delay after casting giving ample time for targets to move away from the obvious impact area. Therefore, the spell did not see many uses and fell out of favor among the community of Agaia. In this kind of situation and weather however, it became the perfect spell for sieging. ¡°Yunnie, gather the magic division and head for the walls. Establish water shields for defense and command your men to concentrate fire on siege engines if any. Also¡­¡± Lifey paused. ¡°¡­ Take care of yourself.¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± A fluttering of robes later, she was gone. Yunnie was a nice girl, maybe a little too nice and passive. She would never refute orders, and will certainly carry them out to her best of her abilities. She was also a high caliber magician at the verge of crossing the level 100 threshold and thus could choose her second class advancement soon. High Mage, Sorcerer, Fusion Mage, Summoner. It did not matter what she becomes. As long as there are more level 100s in her guild, Lifey would be satisfied. Yunnie was also effective at controlling her legion of mage fanboys following her into battle. Being the sole reason why they have such a large number of magicians willing to fight and die in this war, it made her a valuable and useful asset to Lifey and the Joint Operation. To say that it would be a problem if she died was a massive understatement. An abrupt whistling sound caught Lifey¡¯s attention, although it came from nowhere in particular. ¡°This is?!¡± Something came to her mind immediately, and instincts propelled her next action. ¡°Steadfast Guard!¡± She yelled as she attempted to move away from her current position. A strengthening aura of defense and stability barely materialized around her body before a spiraling lance of wind bored through Lifey¡¯s left lung.
-3485 HP (3485 mitigated) You are bleeding! -225 HP/ second
A bloodied shaft of wood struck the dirt ground, its fletching frayed by the violent air currents and shock from travelling through flesh. ¡°Gurhkh...¡± It took Lifey all her willpower not to collapse into the ground there and then as she knelt from the pain. She would have died without the 50% damage mitigation from Steadfast Guard. ¡°Bluelove!¡± Every breath she took was painful. Hands shaking, she hurriedly opened a personal message window. Commander¡¯s Tent. Now. Pressing the send button, the cheery sound of a ¡®pon¡¯ indicated that the message was a success. Good, the cleric was close enough for the message to be sent. However, he would need to hurry the hell up. Lifey might have been able to use magic, being a champion of the goddess Thema, but she could not mend wounds. Her case was fundamentally different from a Paladin and therefore she had to leave the job to a more suitable professional. With the damage over time affliction, it was a matter of time before she bleeds out and dies. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.A stocky human cleric wearing full blue robes appeared into view and hurried over. Within a moment, his hands were glowing with magical energies and hovering over the gaping hole in her chest. After a short period of agonized breathing, Lifey felt the pain gradually fade. ¡°What the heck happened?¡± The cleric asked, his face bewildered at the extent of damage he had to repair. ¡°Ballista Shot. Charged Arrow. It is Oneshotakill.¡± At least that was what she thought it was. There was no one else other than that archer in Qqers who could dish out so much damage in one blow. Combined with Ballista Shot, a long-range high-arc shot that would easily bypass even the highest of city walls, he was in a position to literally kill every single defender in Loyderidge from the safety of wherever he was. The only problem would be the amount of time needed to prepare and fine-tune the accuracy of the skill. Most likely, what had just transpired was an attack aimed specifically at the entrance of the Commander¡¯s tent and was fired right after the watchtower bells tolled. Even if she was not there at that point of time, it was highly likely to have hit other key personnel such as Yunnie instead due to the expected high traffic. Trust ScrubLord to come up with tactics to this extent. ¡°You are good to go.¡± Bluelove the cleric reported. ¡°Do you still need help, boss?¡± Lifey brushed off the dirt from her armour as she stood, wincing. The wound dully ached. ¡°Thank you. Stay as per original orders. Please gather the cavalry division and prep them to move off at a moment¡¯s notice. I will make my way to the wall myself.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± The blue cleric disappeared as quickly as he arrived. Lifey looked at the direction of the East Gate and sighed. From that hotspot of chaos, frantic yells and painful cries were emanating as the Siege of Loyderidge started under the cool embrace of Agaia¡¯s clouded night sky. There was a grim battle ahead of her. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ The trebuchet fire was relentless. Streaks of red boulders arced across the sky and crashed onto the walls of Loyderidge, demolishing stone and crushing people. All of the four watchtowers situated on the east wall were already destroyed, their water shields giving way to the intensity of the attacks. ¡°Heads up, people! Bows ready! Fire!¡± EmiyaX readied his own bow and arrow while deftly avoiding a particularly large hole on the ground caused by a boulder, letting go at the command to shoot. A rain of arrows accompanied the echoes of taut string retracting, flying down to the advancing Hondurian Army below. They were marching in phalanx formation, the vanguard holding their heavy shields up high in a moving wall of protection. Shafts of metallic arrowheads clashed against armoured steel, producing clanging sounds as they bounced off harmlessly. A few cries rang out, indicating that some of the arrows had found their mark. However, the phalanx showed no signs of slowing down. Even as the unfortunate ones were taken down in the arrow barrages, another Hondurian soldier would appear from behind to fill up the gap in the formation. There was no stopping them. ¡°Again! They are almost upon us. We need to reduce their numbers!¡± There was panic evident in the lead archer¡¯s voice. ¡°Bows ready!¡± Whistling. ¡°Fir- Ghrk!¡° A shaft of wood too fast to follow penetrated through the light leather armour the lead archer was wearing. Even before he could say anything, he had already collapsed in a crumpled heap on the ground, dead. Someone gasped. ¡°S-sniper!¡± Those with weaker hearts gave a muffled scream at the sight, while others instinctively cowered under the parapets for fear of being similarly sniped. Emiya on the other hand, had other plans. It was on the spur of the moment but he readied an attack in full view of the enemy force. ¡°Charge arrow!¡± As his heart pounded furiously at this foolish gamble, a white glow shimmered across the span of his bow, becoming stronger by the second. The moment he felt the nock of the arrow becoming too hot to handle, he let it loose at the approximate direction the sniper shot came from. The shot flew off into the distance and for three seconds, he observed. A glint of white suddenly flickered at a cluster of trees beyond the Hondurian Army inside his peripheral vision, prompting Emiya to drop prone onto the ground just as a Charge Arrow shot chipped the edge of the stone wall he was standing at. The bait was successful ¨C The sniper was indeed where he thought he was. Now, all he needed was a way to flush the sniper out of his cover. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed a familiar face arrive at his portion of the wall with a group of people. Just in time. They are classmates as well as guild mates so he turned to the magician he knew best. ¡°Yunnie! I need an AoE spell over at the cluster of trees!¡± He shouted over to the female mage clustered around by a bunch of at least fifty other robed guys. ¡°Not now!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ignoring Emiya, Yunnie lifted her staff up high and began to chant. ¡°Under the light of the Heavens¡­¡± More than half of the robed guys around her joined the incantation, causing a hovering magic circle easily a hundred meters wide to appear above them. It was Resonance, another special feature of the magician class where multiple magicians can combine their magic together to cast a single spell with massively increased power and range. It also had a side effect of becoming a beacon for the Hondurian Siege engines to concentrate on. Multiple rocks flew and would have flattened the group if they had not impacted upon a hastily erected Aqua Front shield by the remaining mages who had not joined the group-cast. At the same time, a purple rune of power drew itself under the Hondurian siege engines, joining together with several other similar runes to encompass the entire artillery division of Honduria. It was then Emiya realized that there were other groups all spread out over the length of the wall casting the same spell. ¡°¡­Gates of Hell open your passage!¡± A whistling sound was followed by a lance of wind, piercing through one of the magicians responsible for shielding a resonance group. He died instantly and the loss was significant enough to cause a disruption in the aqua shields protecting the group. A merciless stone projectile impacted upon the portion of the wall they were on, collapsing it instantly and swallowing them under the rubble. ¡°Surge forth, divine lightning!¡± The trebuchets began to scatter from the danger zones but when it became obvious that they were not going to escape in time, the soldiers operating them abandoned the machines and fled. ¡°INDIGNATION!¡± Several pulses of blinding pure energy split the sky open at the combined cries of the Loyderidge mage division, surging down at where the runes of power were. As the spells rend the ground asunder with the fury of the heavens, a roar of thunder deafened all those within their vicinity. All the Hondurian trebuchets and those unfortunate to be caught within were set alight and razed to ashes within seconds. It was the first time Emiya saw a display of such power. It was the ultimate spell of the lightning magic tree, amplified ten-fold and interlaced together so densely to provide a killing zone so big that even the annihilation of one of the casting groups earlier did nothing to reduce the intensity. Mages are scary, he thought. ¡°Watch out!¡± A warning rang out, prompting Emiya back to his senses. ¡°Incoming!¡± The phalanx formation that had been forgotten had given way to groups of soldiers carrying long wooden ladders and running forward from behind lines. The first man of each group skidded to a halt before grabbing hold onto one end of the ladder, allowing his buddies to simultaneously pivot the ladders onto the eastern walls using the momentum from the run. Before long, dozens of men were scaling up the footholds, making it too heavy to push the ladders off. ¡°Drop things on them!¡± ¡°Where is the oil?¡± ¡°Quick! The rocks from the trebuchets! Throw them down!¡± Emiya readied his bow to fire arrows downwards as others began throwing all sorts of heavy objects down the ladders, ranging from stone debris to their old equipment they did not want to use anymore. With every object thrown, a Hondurian soldier fell off the ladder, sometimes causing the rest in the line to drop as well. That ladder was subsequently kicked off, causing it to become unusable. However, it was futile. They might have succeeded in slowing down the Hondurian soldiers, but they ultimately could not prevent their onslaught. Soon enough, the Hondurian vanguard reached the top of the wall, propelling the siege into its next phase ¨C a melee bloodbath. Next Chapter
Author''s Notes: A cookie to those who caught the reference! As well as another to those who caught the foreshadowing. Chapter 27: East Gate II ¡°Good work, Yunnie. Now, evacuate from here. Back us up from behind.¡± Lifey praised as they pass each other on the steps. With the enemy artillery destroyed, there was no more real need for the magicians to endanger themselves at the top of the wall, especially since the Hondurian soldiers had successfully scaled over. It was now the melee classes¡¯ job to contain the invaders at the wall area and not let them spill over to the city keep where Lord Trigent was. ¡°Men, draw your weapons!¡± Lifey hollered as she drew her weapon, with thousands of others behind her mimicking her actions. ¡°For Caerheim!¡± ¡°For Caerheim!¡± The echo resounded within Loyderidge city while warriors, knights and rogues flooded up the steps to aid the overwhelmed archers desperately trying to hold their position. Metal met metal in a clash of sparks. Metal met flesh in spurts of blood. Punctuating the battle orchestra of metal clanging together were cries of pain and the thud of bodies. Death scattered the wall with ashes of data and bone, while gleaming items dropped by those who died lay forgotten in the heat of war. It was chaos. Lifey charged right into a group of enemies without concern for her own safety. Brandishing her sword, she adeptly swung it at a Hondurian soldier, cutting the man down where he stood. A pike came dangerously close, but Lifey parried the blow before returning one of her own. Even as the man cried his death throes, Lifey was already onto her next opponents, skewering two at once with her prized blade. In just a series of well-honed moves, all the soldiers around her were either dead or dying. There was barely a scratch on her smooth skin. ¡°I pray to the Goddess of Cycles. Thema hear my plea. Bless my allies with fervor to carry out our deed. Devotion Aura!¡±
Devotion Aura (Intermediate 8) activated +28% Defense + 24% HP To all allies and yourself within 50 meter radius
¡°Oh yea!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get them!¡± At once, a pale blue shine covered all Caerheim defenders within a fifty meter radius of the Guardian, improving their defense and health by a significant amount. With their increase in hardiness, they fought more zealously than ever, turning what had been a losing fight in their favour. A particular hulking enemy knight, though of AI origins and having no game concept of buffs, noticed the sudden change in battle momentum and switched his attention to Lifey. ¡°We need to take out the leader! She is affecting them.¡± He snarled, himself already rushing towards the Guardian for a sword thrust to her chest. Lifey simply sidestepped the attack and retaliated with slash of her own, only for her sword to strike against a shield of metallic blue. ¡°Mithril¡­¡± Lifey unconsciously muttered. This NPC knight might be a rank higher than the grunts and was a little more troublesome than she thought. Not that it mattered much however; she was still stronger than he was. The knight slashed again but this time Lifey parried the blow. The moment their blade touched, Lifey applied a quick twisting force on her handle, her strength easily overpowering the knight¡¯s. The resultant twirl of her sword forced the knight¡¯s weapon out of his hands as well as slicing his leg open, causing him to drop to the ground at the mercy of the guardian. Wasting no chances, she bashed the knight¡¯s helmet off with her custom-made steel shield and ended it with a quick slash to the neck. With the loss of their platoon leader, the soldiers rapidly lost morale, allowing the Caerheim defenders to succeed in clearing the immediate vicinity of Honduria troops. At least it was clear until an invader popped up from the parapet from a still functional ladder. ¡°Cyclic Suppression!¡± Lifey leapt into the air towards the newcomer, using her dominant foot to kick against stone and giving her body a torque that resulted in her spinning perpendicular to the ground. The spinning blade cleaved through flesh and bone, severing the soldier¡¯s head where he was before the corpse disintegrated into data. After an expert landing from the maneuver, the Guardian kicked the ladder off, eliciting squeals of horror from those still climbing. Whistling. As with the proverbial once bitten twice shy, Lifey tumbled out of her current position in an attempt to avoid the shot the moment she heard the whistling sound. If there was any high value target currently at the top of the walls that needed to die for the Hondurian side to achieve a morale victory, it was her. She need not have bothered though, for a second arrow flashed in from the side at the last moment, deflecting the original shot off its intended path. The two arrows then buried themselves into the stone a distance away, a firm reminder that the sniper was still out there. ¡°You okay, Derrilene?¡± Emiya approached the Guardian, extending a hand with the intention of helping her up, but wilted at the cold glare Lifey was giving him. Emiya quickly corrected himself. ¡°You alright, Lifey?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Brushing dirt off her armour, Lifey got up by herself. ¡°Oneshotakill sure is irritating.¡± ¡°I know right? I have determined that he should be taking cover over by that cluster of trees.¡± The same trees that he had failed to get any mage to launch a spell at. An archer might have high damage capabilities, but he could not destroy things like mages do. Here he was, wondering where all the mages have disappeared to when he spotted a blurred shaped in the air hurtling towards the Commander. He had instinctively tried firing an arrow into it and ended up intercepting the shot to his pleasant surprise. ¡°Strange¡­ Where is he?¡± Lifey murmured. ¡°What is strange?¡± Emiya asked in bewilderment. He was sure he had just said that the sniper was by the cluster of trees. The guardian snapped back from her thoughts. ¡°No it¡¯s nothing. I will leave Oneshotakill to you.¡± ¡°Y-what? Are you kidding me?¡± His protest was in vain. ¡°You can see his shot can¡¯t you?¡± It was a cold rhetoric question, typical of the one they nicknamed the Ice Queen back in class. He might be in her clique of friends, but she had this aloof aura about her whenever she interacts with anyone, making her seem distant even in her own clique. It might have stemmed from the fact that she came from an elite, some said noble, family and is thus inclined to treat anyone below her with disdain. The only exception to this was Yunnie. Emiya liked to think that she had a high expectation of everyone though. Or maybe she was just colder towards guys. ¡°Y-yea¡­ somewhat.¡± ¡°Then do it. Live up to your name.¡± ¡°But-¡° Before he could retort, a bright flare flashed in the corner of their eyes followed by a thunderous boom, causing the both of them to jerk their heads simultaneously towards the sight. At the other end of the city near where the West gate of Loyderidge should be, a dome of fiery red raged like a mini-sun, turning the darkness of the night into temporary day. ¡°What the hell was that¡­?¡± His hand was reflexively by his eyes to shield them from the glare. Emiya turned back to find Lifey already charging into another group of enemies with her sword rising and falling with an elegant grace, not giving him any chance to clarify the misconception that others commonly had ¨C his namesake usually did not shoot arrows. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Lifey bashed a face in with the pommel of her sword, swinging it down again to cut another as she slashed her way through the melee that was brewing on the East Wall. Where in the world was ScrubLord? Knowing the man, he would not stay behind lines while his guild fights for him. The sniping accounted for Oneshotakill. The most recent nova explosion just seconds earlier accounted for Fyrzen, but where were the rest of the seven players of the Qqers? The only logical conclusion she could arrive at was that they were at the other gates. Her eyes widened. The West Gate. A swerve and turn later, Lifey was bolting towards the stairway. ¡°Out of my way!¡± With a stab too fast to follow, a soldier with the emblem of Honduria was killed and kicked off the ledge as Lifey charged down the stairs to level ground. ¡°Arctarus, I am leaving command here to you. Wait for the window.¡± ¡°Affirmative!¡± A stocky dwarven fighter wielding an axe shouted in reply before going back to his hacking. While players from other races were a rare sight in Caerheim, Arctarus was an old friend from her previous guild in Honduria and one of the few that had followed her over when she came to the western continent. He was reliable, if not ferocious in battle and she trusted him not to screw up. Mounting a horse, she sped off. Lifey¡¯s current destination was Bluelove and the cavalry stationed a small square near the center of city. Time was not on their side. She had to get them going right at this current moment. Even as the first drop of rain started to fall, turning soil into muddy and dangerous terrain for riding, she did not dare slow down. ¡°Bluelove!¡± She burst into the space holding the cavalry division, yelling. ¡°Boss!¡± At that very same time, a disheveled bard wet from the rain entered the area they were at. ¡°Commander Lifey!¡± Shadun stumbled in, inciting looks of terror among all those present. Except Lifey who, upon recognizing that he was the same bard that she forcefully expelled from the joint operation days ago, grilled him for information. ¡°Report! What happened to the west gate? How many are there?¡± ¡°We only saw a mage called¡­ Fyrzen.¡± Shadun panted. ¡°We don¡¯t know ¡­ how many. I sang a song of speed¡­¡° Bluelove and the cavalry grimaced. ¡°¡­ and ran here for help.¡± ¡°Commander Lifey!¡± A second person materialized from the shadows between two houses, grabbing Lifey¡¯s attention from Shadun. From her form fitting leather garbs and weapons ¨C dual daggers ¨C she appeared to be a rogue. ¡°Commander Lifey!¡± She stumbled, crashing into the puddles of rain with a splash. The girl¡¯s gestures and expression were frantic, accented by the rain on her small face. Blood dripped off her daggers and from the wounds on her body, dying the puddles a light red. Without needing to be ordered, Bluelove was already by her side tending to her wounds. ¡°XT, report!¡± ¡°Qqers are at the south gate! We are barely holding! There were Togepee, Chancei and ScrubLord!¡± The mention of the last name was enough for the Guardian. Steering her horse towards the south, she pulled the petite rogue up onto the back of her stead before kicking its flank. The horse reared up with a neigh and charged off. ¡°To the south gate!¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Wait! What about the west?¡± Nobody replied him. The entire cavalry division followed the lead of their commander, kicking up mud on the neglected lone bard left behind in the rapidly emptying square. Soon enough, Shadun was all alone with only the rain for company. ¡°What the¡­¡± He still could not believe what just happened. Was his singing really that terrible to warrant this kind of treatment?
You are chilled. - 25% movement speed
He had come so far, and he was not going to return without getting the reinforcements the militia needed. Gritting his teeth under the cold downpour, Shadun the bard dashed off to the east. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. They had been trading arrows for a few rounds now, but Emiya found himself at the distinct end of a quickly losing deal. His opponent was an advanced job class while he himself was a basic archer. There was simply not enough range or accuracy for his shots to be able to reach the sniper hiding in the cluster of trees. In direct contrast, he found himself dancing close to death several times, only narrowly avoiding a shortcut to death by the bare stroke of luck and some body-defying acrobatics on his part. At the very least, he was occupying Oneshotakill¡¯s attention so that the latter could not go around killing the others, but Emiya felt that he was almost at the end of his ropes. The next round would be when his luck and stamina runs out. That was of course discounting the melee still ongoing atop the East Wall. A Hondurian soldier charged at Emiya yelling for blood, but stopped midway after an arrow embedded itself deep into his body. ¡°Double shot!¡± A second arrow flew true and struck the soldier squarely on the forehead, killing the NPC instantly. It was also the last arrow he had. Emiya groaned. He knew he had expended a lot, but he did not expect to run out of it so soon. It was the age-long limitation of archer classes in almost every game released since the role playing game genre started ¨C the problem of ammunition. Unlike mages, archer classes require the consumption of physical arrows to even attack, which are often costly and bothersome to replenish. There usually exist legendary bows that form their own arrows but those were usually one of a kind and extremely rare for an average archer to obtain. Once out of arrows, like a mage out of mana, they would become useless burdens that serve nothing more than a meat shield for others. His current situation was the worst possible, amplified by the relentless rain overhead. If an enemy were to approach him right now he would most probably die. Sure, he had a few melee tricks up his sleeves and he could pull out a short sword to trade a few blows, but against a fully armed warrior class he would be utterly demolished. Unless¡­ Glancing at the iron one-handed sword the soldier dropped in the background of the battlefield of weapons from those who had fallen, a sudden thought crept into the archer¡¯s mind. Squatting down to pick up the weapon, Emiya compared it to his own compound long bow. Did he dare try it? Would it even work here? ¡°Die, Caerheim scum!¡± A shout surprised the unfocused archer. When he turned his attention to the direction the voice came from, a Hondurian soldier was already before him with his sword up high for a downward swing. Instinctively, Emiya loaded whatever he had on hand into his bow and fired. Before he knew what happened, the enemy was already slumping to the ground with an iron sword sticking out of his chest. It worked. It was all that went through Emiya¡¯s mind. The method was crude and the angle was a little off, but it worked. ¡°Wooohooo!¡± Elsewhere, Arctarus the dwarven Axemaster stared frozen into the eyes of the bard in front of him. He remembered the man, as well as the trauma associated with him. Bards and dancers are relatively uncommon in Ages Online because they are not combat-orientated and are thus categorized at the same level as the ¡®casual¡¯ production classes. However, having either one of them in a group usually meant an additional wide-area buff that would stack on the usual clerical buffs. Besides, every bard and dancer is different from each other, having their own unique flair on their repertoire which further augments the effects they give. Sometimes, it was a measly + 1% to a random stat, but those who have an affinity for singing and dancing could provide additional benefits as high as 15% to multiple domains. Ioriyn, the most famous elven songstress back in the central continent, had such ridiculous buffs with her heavenly voice that she easily made her guild the strongest in the Elithinia region despite them not being the highest level. She had also garnered quite the fanbase on Agaia who wished to listen to her songs and regularly held concerts in-game, becoming a budding idol in the world of Agaia. With songs and dances that bolster defense, attack, speed and regeneration and the ability to quickly switch according to the situation, only fools would turn these highly sought-after support classes away. Except for him. The first night he joined, Arctarus thought that the bard was shy for only playing his lute. After much pestering from all the players around him, the bard was finally pressured to open his mouth and sing. The first note that came out was flat, and the rest of the song only went downhill into an incoherent wreck. It was supposed to be a song for increased health regeneration. Immediately, multiple windows popped up indicating severe debuffs on his status and Arctarus swore that he was sustaining periodic damage at one point of time. To cut the long story short, Shadun was chased out of the Joint Operation after that. And now he was back. ¡°W-what do you want?¡± ¡°I want help. The West gate is currently being attacked by Fyrzen.¡± Arctarus visibly relaxed after Shadun¡¯s motive was made apparent. ¡°I believe Commander Lifey was heading to the West Gate.¡± ¡°I met her on the way. She went to the south.¡± ¡°Well I guess I can¡¯t help you, kid. We do not have enough men to spare. ¡± A bunch of fireballs flew overhead and crashed into enemy soldiers in the chaos, helping Arctarus demonstrate his point. Even if the situation seemed like it was in control at the current moment, it did not help that the enemy was still within the city compound. It seemed that the bard understood and was dejectedly turning away when a voice caught his attention. ¡°Hey! Is that Shadun?¡± It was Emiya, his quiver filled with all sorts of weapons collected from slain soldiers. Shadun narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips at the one person who he did not wish to see. Approaching them was the one who had started asking him to sing back then, leading to his eventual eviction from the Joint Operation. Even if it was not entirely the archer¡¯s fault, he could not help but put the blame on him. ¡°I am sorry for that last time. If you need help I can come with you.¡± Shadun halted in his steps. Even if he could not convince a contingent of reinforcements to aid the west gate, a few level 80 players like Emiya would still be able to provide much needed help in the fight. ¡°Sur-¡° ¡°Emiya,¡± Arctarus interrupted. ¡°Did you forget about our orders?¡± The archer in question was confused. ¡°Orders regarding?¡± ¡°¡­This.¡± A notification window popped up in front of the Axemaster, the archer and a handful of others among the defenders of the eastern gate at that exact same time, all depicting the same message.
You have been summoned by your party member Bluelove! Yes/No
¡°Oh.¡± An expression of guilt showed on the archer¡¯s face as he gave a sheepish smile. ¡°I am sorry, Shadun. I am needed elsewhere.¡± Then, he followed the rest in pressing the ¡®yes¡¯ button, disappearing from the scene in a bright flash of light. In just a matter of seconds, Shadun the bard was left standing alone for the second time in a row. He could not help but bring his lute to bear and start bashing Hondurian soldiers with it in anger. He knew it. They were patronizing him. The look on that Axemaster¡¯s face when they received the summons was that of relief, and the careless way the damned archer had gave him hope and subsequently crushed it was utterly infuriating. ¡°Rush them!¡± ¡°We got the advantage now!¡± ¡°Quick! Rush them. Break through the defense!¡± Around him, Hondurian soldiers had approached thinking that the bard might be easy prey like the rest of the defenders after the more experienced leaders were teleported away. However, it was to their surprise when the seemingly fragile bard flipped out on them on the spot, making them go from surrounding him with numerical advantage in one moment to being knocked down like dominoes the next. Their shields and armour were useless from the raging tempest of burning anger as the musical instrument thrashed them ruthlessly from every angle, beating them to an inch of their lives. Twang! Twang! Twang! It was a wonder that Shadun¡¯s lute had not fallen apart from the abuse of being used as a melee weapon of doom. Then, he stopped. The Hondurian NPCs at the bard¡¯s feet groaned, wondering if the beating of their artificial lives were finally at an end. Shadun breathed in deeply and exhaled. He was angry, and he needed to calm himself down. Being violent and over-reacting had never been the way to solve things, both in virtual life and in reality - a principle his family had taught him since young. Therefore he shall sing. Ding Ling Dung! Shadun strummed his still functional lute, giving himself the notes for the song. If others thought his singing was bad, then they will have to deal with it. Opening his mouth to voice the first song that came to his head, he let loose a warble of impending disaster. ¡°We are no strangers to love~¡± The number of tortured souls increased exponentially. ¡°Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down. Never gonna make you cry and hurt you~¡± Wherever he went, soldiers laid at his feet. Next Chapter Chapter 28: South Gate ¡°What do you know, Altenius. The strategy was a success.¡± A chainmail-wearing muscled man holding a large axe blade affixed to the end of long steel pole stood surveying the battle before him. Fur hung out from the scruffs of his armour, giving the man a wild unruly look. He swung the weapon that seemed more like a halberd than an axe around and pointed it towards the South Gates of Loyderidge. ¡°Look, it will fall soon.¡± Sure enough, the towering wooden gates of the city were barely holding onto their metal hinges. Every time the battering ram impacted upon the structure, a loud splintering sound echoed the gates¡¯ eventual destruction. Besides the barbarian, a Royal Knight bearing the emblem of Honduria on his tabard snapped, his eyes glaring at the former with disdain. ¡°Silence. I did not do this according to your whims, you chaotic miscreant. To think you would move without regards to the king¡¯s wishes. Preposterous.¡± ¡°Meh¡­ You tolerate us all the same.¡± Scrublord flippantly scoffed at Altenius¡¯ displeasure, much to the latter¡¯s annoyance. This man had totally no regards for authority. Even if Altenius desired to kill the PKer there and then, as per his normal programming, he would not. To do so would cost him the men and time he needed to accomplish his mission. Therefore, he only returned the show of disregard with barely concealed hatred. ¡°I only tolerate your kind because our goals coincide.¡± ¡°Yet our king wishes that Loyderidge falls, does he not? So it is in your benefit that we are here with you.¡± The enemy of thy enemy is thy friend, at least, until they stop being friends. ¡°I do not proclaim to know what benefits you will get by doing this, nor your intentions. But I will let you know this. I do not trust you.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± Scrublord uttered the last word with mock respect. ¡°General.¡± Altenius harrumphed and turned back to his troops. The Hondurian army that attacked the South Gates were a smaller part of the main vanguard, but it also consisted of the better soldiers picked among them. This move was utilized after realization that the smaller width of the Eastern walls due to Loyderidge¡¯s rectangular shape would mean an easier choke point for the enemy to take advantage of. So he left the artillery back there to occupy the defenders, while taking the battering rams to the south. So far, it was working nicely. The southern gates have lesser defenders than the eastern gates had. Of course, the general would never realise that such a strategy was conceived only because of the subtle influences the Qqer guild leader was inputting during their numerous banters. ¡°Togepee.¡± Scrublord motioned. Nothing responded. ¡°Togepee?¡± He whirled around, only to see a couple in their own world oblivious to those around them under the shade of a particularly large leaf. Scrublord rolled his eyes at the scene. ¡°Ahem¡± He cleared his throat to get their attention. ¡°Stop flirting already.¡± Startled by the sudden attention that was on them, the couple immediately broke apart to reveal a tall lanky elven woman wearing flowing black robes and a shorter pudgy dwarf in scale armour holding a mace. The contrast was as though heaven and earth. ¡°Hyaahh¡­ sorry Scrubby.¡± Togepee said, putting her hands on her cheeks in a typical cutesy fashion. The look on the necromancer¡¯s face was not apologetic at all. Chanciel, the dwarven cleric of Aluyyse, God of Water and Fortune, stood quietly by her side like a silent butler. Short and tall, energetic and mute, dwarf and elf, powers of life and death. Scrublord briefly wondered just how many extreme opposites this real life couple was trying to cross by coming up with these sort of characters. It was like trying to rebel against social norms of all kinds and weird people out while at it. He had long been used to their shenanigans though. ¡°Oh? Fyrzzy ate the bullet, Scrubby.¡± Togepee checked a window with a pout. ¡°What?¡± Scrublord could not believe what he was hearing. ¡°Party status ¨C Fyrzen.¡±
Displaying Party Information - Fyrzen, Fusion Mage L 115 Dead
It was true. It was probably why there seemed to be nothing else coming from the West Gate after that Nova Conflagration. Given Fyrzen¡¯s flair for dramatic and flashy effects, there was no reason he would not be casting large scale spells at every opportunity. Scrublord was concerned, but even so he carried on without breaking stride. ¡°The plan does not change, but be more careful. Fyrzen was complacent and died for it. I don¡¯t want anyone else to end up the same.¡± ¡°Awww, Scrubby. Nice to know that you care. Okay then~¡± ¡°The gates are down. We are going in.¡± ¡°Ehhh? In this rain?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Right as he finished, the South gates of Loyderidge collapsed with a mighty groan and the horde of flickering lights amassed outside the city flooded through. ¡­¡­¡­¡­. Lortan slashed with his silver claymore, crushing the bone of the undead skeleton before him with a satisfying crack. Behind him, several more skeletons swung their weapons at his back, hitting and damaging him before he swung around in a sweeping blow to make his former comrades stay dead. After the last time he died to the unknown intruder during what was supposed to be a grief run, he had lost his silver chest piece that constituted his silver set, forcing him to use an inferior iron chest piece as a substitute. The lower quality as well as the forgone set bonus had caused his defense to drop considerably which was why he had some difficulty dealing with too many skeletons at once. Curse that necromancer. Creating undead from the corpses of friends and foes alike is unfair. After his death at Lanos, he had heard about the war and decided to participate in the Joint Operation thinking that it would be a piece of cake. After all, no game developers in their right mind would allow kingdom borders to collapse just like that. The status quo should and would always be maintained like many other games in the past, so he had spent quite a bit of effort ridding himself of the chaotic status after attacking the merchant named Beast and journeying over to Loyderidge with his guild for a share of the operation rewards. Chaotic status in Ages Online runs on a counter that slowly depreciates over time, thus it can usually be removed by waiting it out. A donation made to a town¡¯s temple or place of worship in one¡¯s name also help decrease the counter by a flat amount, as well as being killed when in chaotic status. It was also why Lortan had always been poor. He would either convert his money into usable assets, or he had to ask a guild mate to help him with a donation. It was just so that he needed some fast money which was why he was here in the first place. However, nobody had expected players from the central continent to enter the war as well, bringing a dangerous human element to the Hondurian side - a human element that was currently causing Loyderidge¡¯s defense to fall apart. Boom! The south gates fell inwards with a thud, crushing several slower people under their heavy weight while scores of Hondurian soldiers and undead skeletons came pouring through the now-open passage. Almost immediately, the skeleton Lortan was fighting turned their attention away from him and made to join the mad rush across the South District of Loyderidge. ¡°Hey! Where do you think you are going!¡± Lortan yelled after the skeleton, slighted at being seen this lightly. ¡°I am still her-¡° A hand grabbed his mouth from behind, muffling whatever words he had yet to say and the subsequent screams of pain as a gleaming dagger appeared from under the cover of the night to stab into his back again and again and again. ¡°Myucrel.¡± The person dressed in ninja garbs released the skeleton in his arms, nodding in acknowledgement towards Scrublord as he pocketed the silver boots his prey had dropped. ¡°Do whatever you want, but leave Lifey to me.¡± The only affirmation the barbarian got was a slight shimmer as the assassin melded into the shadows. ¡°Here they come.¡± Scrublord swung his axe while licking his lips with anticipation. Right on time, the sounds of hooves came over the sound of rain, a female holding her sword up high at the front of the reinforcements. ¡°Bluelove!¡± ¡°On it. Aluyyse¡¯s Call!¡± Multiple flashes of light responded to the cleric¡¯s spell dotting themselves among the encroaching invaders. A second later they were instantly replaced by Caerheim defenders who quickly leapt into action while the cavalry reinforcements slammed into the enemy frontlines. ¡°God of Fortune and water, heed my prayer, Aluyyse¡¯s Tidings! Mass Heal!¡± ¡°Arrow Shower!¡± ¡°Axe Tornado!¡± ¡°The voltage storm rumbled above the sky. Thunder Crash!¡± A mini tornado caused by the spinning of a certain axemaster blasted through the enemy ranks, accompanied by a rain of iron swords and the deadly combination of lightning bolts and the abundance of rainwater. At the same time, a blue glow of light enveloped all the defenders present, renewing their energy and giving them further strength, With that one moment of surprise and distraction, hundreds of Hondurian soldiers were slain. Many more were disorientated. ¡°He who blesses mortals with life and luck, hear me. Aluyyse¡¯s Gift!¡± Another shade of lighter blue added itself onto the blue, giving those who had them extra health regeneration for the battle. Unbeknownst to the Bluelove however, he had become the target of someone else. A gleaming dagger swooped in from behind the buff-spamming cleric for the kill, only to meet another dagger in its path. Assassin¡¯s eyes met a pair of rogue¡¯s, before the two of them broke into a dance of death. Although an assassin is a special job, its specialty lies in its ability to enter stealth and deal damage from it. Once the initial strike is warded off, they become no different from a normal rogue with their signature speed attacks. Even so, Myucrel was at least thirty levels higher than XT and the latter quickly found herself being overwhelmed. She was only saved from certain defeat when Bluelove noticed the commotion behind him and turned around to support her while trying to heal the rest of the defenders to the best of his abilities. Meanwhile, Lifey found herself facing off against Scrublord once again. The barbarian gave a sly wink. ¡°I told you before, Lifey. Star-crossed lovers.¡± ¡°Che.¡± The Guardian spat. ¡°I invoke the power of Antorine, grant me strength to propel the cycle of change! Steadfast Guard!¡± A silver light enveloped the female warrior and she lapsed into battle stance. ¡°Battling already?¡± An expression of hurt flitted across Scrublord¡¯s face.¡°I thought we could talk a little bit more.¡± A throbbing vein was visible on Lifey¡¯s forehead. Dealing with Scrublord had always been difficult. If there is aging in-game, her head of cyan blue hair would have turned white already. ¡°Stop the pretense. We both know what you are really here for.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°You?¡± ¡°No.¡± All around them, the battle for Loyderidge raged on. ¡°Then?¡± ¡°The sword.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ the sword.¡± At this point, Lifey had to fight the urge to put her palm to her forehead lest the opponent took the chance with her lack of vision to strike. ¡°Well, I have to admit that when you snatched the sword from me I was crushed. I trained all day and night to be the chosen hero, and yet that was taken from me by a girl who thought it would be fun to try the trial on a whim!¡± Scrublord¡¯s mouth widened to form an almost zen-like smile. ¡°But it does not matter anymore. I have found something better to chase after. Watch your front, Lifey. Battle Roar!¡± Even as the barbarian¡¯s cry rang out, boosting the attack power of his allies, Lifey had already begun charging with her sword raised for a strike. ¡°Cyclic Suppression!¡± With a kick of her foot, the guardian leapt and spun from the generated torque, flying towards Scrublord like a top of death. The barbarian coolly watched the oncoming attack before lashing out with a lightning quick swing of his axe, stopping the spin via a cancellation of force right before it severed him into two. As the weapons grind against each other momentarily, Scrublord spoke. ¡°You have used this skill so many times I am getting sick of it.¡± With strength beyond an ordinary human, he then flung the guardian sideways by exerting more power on his axe. Lifey tumbled to regain her footing, none worse for wear, but anyone could tell that the girl was visibly shaken. ¡°Why don¡¯t you use the sword?¡± She had no time however, as Scrublord brought his axe down on where she was for a follow-up attack. It took a last minute leap to the side to avoid the scar that was now deeply carved onto the dirt ground, which the guardian then used to spring herself back towards her enemy. ¡°Shield Bash!¡± This time, she rammed the entirety of her steel shield into the barbarian¡¯s side, causing an ¡®ooh¡¯ to escape from Scrublord¡¯s lips. A fist punched down upon her back in retaliation, knocking the wind out of her and slamming her onto the ground. It was then followed by the vicious blade of the axe cutting through the air with the intention of splitting her head open. Lifey immediately rolled to side to avoid the attack and scrambled back on her feet, her shield up high to block any opportunity strikes. Clang! The axe rebounded off her shield, generating an opening which Lifey did not hesitate to take. ¡°Armour Break!¡± A deep gash drew itself across Scrublord¡¯s abdomen, spilling first blood. He was also inflicted with a 15% armour decrease, an effect of the attack that belonged to the basic warrior skill tree. Instead of being furious however, he was grinning. ¡°This is why I love fighting you, Lifey.¡± ¡°Stop it with the creepy stuff. Cyclic Suppression!¡± ¡°I told you I am sick of-¡° Instead of the normal attack that the Guardian had used in the past, this time Lifey kicked off with enough force and twist that she arched her body 90 degrees, causing her to spin parallel to the ground more like a revolving chainsaw than a spinning top. Scrublord was so surprised by the sudden variation that he was forced to stop his sentence midway to drop prone, allowing Lifey to bypass him overhead harmlessly. He kicked out just as the girl landed, catching her square in the stomach before planting another foot into her chest. Her balance broken, Lifey stumbled and crashed painfully onto the ground. Within the next second, the barbarian was towering over the now-vulnerable guardian with his axe raised. ¡°That was a good move. I did not expect that.¡± ¡°Then you won¡¯t expect this!¡± Clenching her teeth, Lifey summoned all her strength into her one kick, which slammed right into the barbarian¡¯s groin. A howl of pain reverberated over the din of the war as Scrublord dropped his axe and clutched his family jewels in agony. It was all the time Lifey needed to scramble to safety and regain equal footing. ¡°You¡­ bitch.¡± ¡°You¡­ bastard?¡± There was a sadistic grin on the guardian as she mimicked the wounded babarian¡¯s words in jest. For that moment in time, the battle halted, bringing a brief reprieve to both combatants. The rain had stopped a while ago. Both leaders warily surveyed each other as droplets of rain and sweat trickled down their eyebrows. To them, the war no longer mattered. All they wanted was make their opponent scream and beg for mercy. Scrublord broke the reprieve first. Holding his axe in front of him, he started gathering his killing intent into the axe blade. Lifey realized what he was trying to do and moved to intercept but she was one step too late. ¡°Howling Axe!¡± Scrublord slashed, despite Lifey not being in range. However, from the blade of the axe rushed a killing intent so strong and quick that it cut through the air while breaking the sound barrier. For that instance, the reach of the weapon was multiplied two fold. Bang! Lifey barely side-stepped the phantom blade that sliced past with an emergency twist of her body but she did not emerge unscathed. Two pieces of a cleanly cut ribbon floated down onto the ground, unbridling her ponytail into a head of cyan blue hair that reached down to her shoulders. ¡°That looks much better on you, Lifey.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± The girl was trembling slightly. Anyone could tell that she was incredibly pissed. ¡°Use your sword, Lifey. Or you will not win.¡± ¡°Howling Axe!¡± Another blade of killing intent was unleashed, but Lifey coolly stepped out of the attack range, making it cleave only stone and mud. This time however, she had prepared a retaliatory move. As severed strands of cyan hair drifted through the air, Lifey¡¯s blade was already out and pointing towards Scrublord. ¡°Bless me, Sword of Antorine! BLADE BURST!¡± A sharp blast of high intensity blue energy gushed from the sword like a lance of death, impaling through Scrublord who could not react in time. As quickly as it had appeared, the residual energy dissipated, leaving a bloodied barbarian in its wake. Not one to rest on her laurels, Lifey immediately struck out with a series of slashes that her opponent attemptted to block, but could not due to his injuries. Several more wounds opened on Scrublord¡¯s body, bringing the man to a laughing fit. ¡°Yes! Yes! That is the power of the sword I could not get. Yes!¡± Scrublord¡¯s face was suddenly an expression of seriousness. ¡°Now we fight for real.¡± Time passed as the both of them stared into each other, each daring one another to make the first move. None of them did, for they were watching for any mistakes in their opponent¡¯s stance, ready to capitalize upon the slightest blunder made. Both guardian and barbarian were poised to strike for what would be their fourth round of combat when the sound of footsteps clattered from the darkness of the south districts. As they drew closer, burning torches came into view, illuminating the rugged faces of the newcomers determined to make a difference. From that direction, a group of poorly equipped soldiers mowed down undead skeletons and Hondurian soldiers alike as they charged towards the fallen south gates. Reinforcements. ¡°The Militia?¡± ¡°The Militia had come!¡± Shouts of surprise and relief came from the weary defenders who by then had noticed the advent of help. At the front, Knight Gordo paved the way for the city militia while he slashed with his sword, followed closely behind by Beast and Naomi. Both practitioners of the Penguin Dojo were lashing out with punches and kicks, destroying skeleton after skeleton with a combination of mana infused blows and healing magic. Behind them laid shattered fragments of skeleton bone destroyed by precise strikes and martial blows. As the militia joined the fray, the Caerheim¡¯s defenders fought with renewed morale and vigour turning the tide of the battle towards their favour once more. One survey at the new development was all Scrublord needed to drop his serious demeanor. Another private message received at that same time told him all he needed to know to react. The East failed. Something unknown is causing them to retreat. Oneshot. ¡°Seems that we will have to postpone this, Lifey.¡± Scrublord flashed a winning grin at the confused girl before he turned tail and ran, leaving blood splatters where he stepped. ¡°What? Wait!¡± While Lifey was left bewildered, the rest of the Hondurian army was in the same state of confusion. ¡°We are running already Scrubby?¡± The cutesy voice of Togepee sounded as she joined the barbarian in absconding with Chanciel in tow. The cleric wasted no time in repairing the damage his guild leader had suffered, stitching the gaping wound on the barbarian¡¯s shoulder with his healing powers. ¡°Yes. The west gate defenders are here.¡± Scrublord huffed, his wounds making it painful for him to speak. ¡°Normally I wouldn¡¯t give a damn, but they had someone who managed to kill Fyrzen.¡± Fyrzen might have been an arrogant fool, but his mana shield was known to be impregnable within the span of battle due to the amount of mana reserves and firepower the man was boasting. Therefore, Scrublord was understandably concerned about this unknown power that not only killed the mage, but also managed to preserve a substantial size of the militia in the face of his destructive spells. Besides, the element of surprise they had no longer exists, and the Hondurian troops were in disarray on both fronts. ¡°Altenius!¡± He caught the attention of the general who was trying to maintain order and direction atop the southern walls. ¡°What, miscreant?¡± ¡°Retreat!¡± ¡°Not when we are this close!¡± ¡°Then die for all I care!¡± The barbarian roared as he ran past the broken gates of Loyderidge. With the exit of Scrublord and his guild, the skeleton army that had supplemented the Hondurian Vanguard fell lifeless to the ground. With a substantial decrease in enemy numbers and no elite PKers suppressing them, the Caerheim players fought back with even more force. Even Altenius was soon forced to recognize that it would be better to retreat and regroup. ¡°Retreat! Retreat!¡± At his command, the Hondurian army began to file out of the city until not a single one of them were left within, leaving behind them a battlefield full of dead bodies and dropped items. Dawn broke, the rays of the virtual sun shining down on the death and destruction that had transpired under the cover of its absence. The first siege of Loyderidge was officially over. Next Chapter Chapter 29: Beneath the Surface ¡°Hey, that item is mine!¡± ¡°No, it is mine. I saw it first!¡± ¡°Screw you, f*cktard!¡± The language censor really worked very well in Ages Online, muting vulgarities on a very precise timing. Beast wondered how they managed to implement it. ¡°Well, screw you too!¡± By then, the two squabbling players had already drawn their weapons. One was a swordsman with his iron longsword, and the other a rogue wielding a dirk. Their object of contention ¨C a mithril short sword dropped in the most recent battle. Both of them seemed low-leveled, but they were ready to fight to death for their prize, at least until a dwarf went up to them to stop the disaster. ¡°Stop acting like kids or I will kill you myself!¡± Arctarus the Axemaster bellowed in their faces, making them cower in fear. ¡°The commander already declared that these will all be redistributed to those who can use them the most, not toys for kids to play with or sell!¡± Somehow, one of them managed to gather enough courage to retort. ¡°W-who are you old man? I don¡¯t take shit from anybody!¡± It was a mistake, because the rude player was immediately knocked flat on the ground by the angry Axemaster. ¡°It is Vice-commander Arctarus for you, brat! I am the one in charge of here while Commander Lifey is thinking over the recent battle and planning our future tactics back in the headquarters!¡± Of course, Arctarus dared not say that Lifey had left for her tent with a weird expression on her face, like she had eaten something bitter. Beast chuckled at the scene. It was natural that there would be scavengers and subsequent in-fighting for the spoils of war, and Arctarus had to break up a number of similar fights before this already. However the one who had the last laugh was Beast. Those idiots only bothered with looting valuable equipment dropped by dead players and NPCs from the battle so that they could profit off them after the war. They overlooked the far more inconspicuous items ¨C Bear hides, wild mushrooms, iron ore, sheep wool. These were all items he could use for his crafting. Because they were not equipment, they were also not appropriated by the Joint Operation to be redistributed for the survivors and Beast could take them unhindered. After a few rounds around the compound, Beast¡¯s bag slots were teeming with loot. He even found five bars of mithril ingots lying in a corner that nobody bothered to pick up.
-149HP!
You are under the effects of Taerra¡¯s Perseverance
-214 HP!
Your skill Chi has increased to Basic 8!
-277 HP!
Your Bare Hand Mastery has increased to Intermediate 4!
Taerra¡¯s Perseverance had expired!
Beast quickly dismissed all the notification windows that have stacked up during the fight via a swiping motion as he walked around picking items, having no desire to check them in-depth. The only important one he cared about was all the way below the stack.
Defend Loyderidge - Quest Update! Under the cover of the night, the Hondurian army had launched a siege on three fronts. Fortunately, they were repelled successfully through the bravery of the Loyderidge defenders. For this battle you have earned: 955pts ? 95 for defeating 19 skeletons ? 40 for defeating 4 soldiers ? 20 for defeating 1 knight ? 100 for defeating 1 fusion mage ? 500 for securing the West Gate ? 200 for securing the South Gate Total contribution: 1104pts
He had gained eight hundred points in a single battle, bringing his current contribution to a little more than a thousand and one hundred points, although he noted that a bulk of the points came from participating in the battles at the gates. This meant that those who had participated and survived would have received the same as well, making the only real difference to be the points gained via their kills and assists. Beast noticed an anomaly on the window, that killing Fyrzen was marked on the quest update and also gave a hefty 100 points for his death. It was weird considering how the Qqers were said to have mobilized without the King¡¯s sanction and were thus not supposed to be part of the event. A hundred points was nice and all to have but the more he thought about it, the more strange it seemed. It was as though the current Joint Operation was not giving away everything that was happening, both on the surface and beneath it. It was the same kind of feeling he had gotten when he had read about the world¡¯s politics back in Rydelin. ¡°Hey Sebast!¡± A hand slapped his back, making Beast nearly jump out of his skin. The sudden action made him close the window accidentally and interrupted whatever thoughts he had. Battle stance at the ready, he turned to face his attacker, only to meet face to face with one grinning archer called EmiyaX. ¡°Never thought I did see you here! I thought you said you are occupied somewhere else?¡± ¡°Yea I did¡­¡± Beast looked away. He was this close to unloading his whole mana pool worth of Chi into the archer¡¯s face. Thankfully he did not, because the archer himself seemed to have been roughed up by the recent fight. ¡°Well it doesn¡¯t matter I guess. I am glad you are here now. Have you registered with the Joint Operation Army yet? If you don¡¯t you won¡¯t get contribution.¡± Some things just do not change no matter in real life or the virtual world, things like personality or the way this person like to infringe on the personal space of others and grate on their nerves. Beast inwardly sighed. He should have stopped looting and gotten away from the vicinity of the South Gate as soon as he could. ¡°Actually I am with the City Militia.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I see. The battle was hard eh? Although I don¡¯t really get why they fled after the militia came, but I guess I should still thank you guys for the aid.¡± Beast could guess why the Hondurian army retreated however. Scrublord must have been wary when they arrived, especially since he of all people would have known that Fyrzen died in the clash with the supposedly low-leveled militia. Thus, a retreat would have been a wiser choice in the face of this unknown variable. Once Scrublord and his guild retreated, the combined might of the cavalry, militia and south gate defenders would naturally be able to overwhelm the invading enemy more easily. ¡°It is not a problem.¡± It was not like he planned for it. It just worked out this way. Emiya then pointed to the long lines queueing up before the erected triage tents, which Beast only just noticed. It seemed that his ¡®walk¡¯ had brought him to the triage line. ¡°So are you waiting for your turn to heal as well?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Once the battle ended, Beast had been replenished to maximum health by the courtesy of a certain someone. The rest of the militia had retreated back to the camp as well, having suffered minimal damage from the participation of the south gate battle which was easily remedied by the militia¡¯s healers. ¡°I am waiting for her.¡± At where Beast pointed, that certain someone worked furiously, moving from injured to injured with her healings hands. Even as she treated the wounded without rest, Naomi still managed to find time to heal the occasional player that approached asking for a mend. It was her working mode and nothing Beast said would dissuade her from helping out despite having nothing to gain from doing so. Therefore, he was stuck having to wait. A sly smile came over Emiya. ¡°Girlfriend?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Beast immediately replied. Any weird ideas the annoying archer might be getting needed to be crushed immediately. A player started demanding for Naomi to heal him, which led to shouting which in turn earned him a punch to the solar plexus and a ticket to the still muddy ground. ¡°Violent huh?¡± Emiya commented, to which Beast sagely nodded in agreement. It was a wonder that the system did not flag Naomi as chaotic on the spot. That probably had something to do with the player¡¯s intentions while performing the action, but it was an issue for another time. A loud boom sounded from behind them, destroying the wall arch above the south gate and forming an impromptu stone blockage with its debris at where the broken old gate was. Cheers rang out from the demolition team as they gave thumbs up from atop the wall to someone he could not see, but Beast would not be as happy as they were if he were them. The militia had done the same thing to the West Gate. While they had managed to plug up two gaping holes in their defenses, they also successfully obstructed their two of their four ways out of the city which severely limited their tactical options to basically turtling inside the city and waiting for either victory or death. Victory or death, the chances for the former seemed slim. Wait a second. ¡°Emiya.¡± ¡°Hmm? Yes?¡± ¡°Show me.¡± Beast gulped. If he was right, it would mean everything. ¡±Show me your joint operation quest.¡± The archer was surprised by the sudden seriousness from Beast. ¡°Why?¡± His question was answered by a somber look from Beast. ¡°Hey, relax. I will show it to you so chill out.¡± ¡°Joint Operation quest window.¡±
Displaying current Joint Operation ¨C Defend Loyderidge Trigent of Caerheim has beseeched the Guardian, Lifey, with the task of defending Loyderidge from the Hondurian invaders. Acknowledging her past achievements for the country, he lends her the kingdom¡¯s soldiers for the duration of this battle. Resolve the conflict via any means. Difficulty: B Failure Conditions: Loyderidge falls. Trigent dies. Note: Contribution points are earned for every effort put into the defense of the city and rewards will be distributed according to their earned proportions.
There was no victory condition. ¡°Emiya, back when you did the Troll Joint Operation, what were the clearing requirements?¡± He had to make sure. The archer scratched his head as he searched his memory. ¡°Well¡­ If I remember correctly, the quest mentioned that we have to kill five hundred trolls to drive them out? Or was it six hundred? I can¡¯t remember¡­ Why are you asking this though?¡± Beast was thunderstruck. How could he not see it? How could anyone not see it? There was something more to this joint operation than it appeared to be and everyone had thought that Loyderidge would be saved if they were to fend off the increasingly impossible attacks until Honduria gave up. If she gave up. Even when there was no specified victory condition nobody had thought to question it. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it is strange how the operation has no win condition?¡± By then, Emiya was looking at Beast as though he was crazy. ¡°How is that strange? Isn¡¯t this a siege where we are supposed to wait it out? Hello, are you feeling okay dude?¡± What the archer intoned was precisely what the masses believed in at the current moment, but they did not understand. It was exactly because it was a siege that Caerheim was denied the initiative of ending the war on their terms. So did that imply that Loyderidge was doomed to fall and that failure was the only option available? No wait¡­ His own quest did not have it but the clue was in the quest description ¨C resolve the conflict via any means. It was in innocuous sentence at the end of the paragraph but it told him all he needed to know. There were other ways. ¡°Emiya. Catch.¡± Fishing out a bottle of , Beast tossed it over to Emiya who caught it with a confused look. ¡°It¡¯s a complimentary gift.¡± ¡°What for?¡± The archer¡¯s question was left answered, for Beast had already ran off from the scene. ¡°Sheesh.¡± Shrugging off his bewilderment at his classmate¡¯s enigmatic actions, Emiya uncorked the bottle and gulped it down in one sitting. ¡­¡­¡­¡­. Somewhere in the corner of the internet, a forum thread exploded.
The Honduria ¨C Caerheim War Thread! (Who¡¯s your daddy) Latest Updates! This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.Pg 187 of 187
Fanged Hey, guys! The first round of siege for HC war just ended.
Anon10812 Honduria won!!!!1!
Fanged No they didn¡¯t. Honduria was repelled.
Bystandereffect Are you serious? Caerheim managed to defend against Honduria AND Qqers?
3nity Haha! Caerheim won, suckers! Who is your daddy now?
Fanged From what I heard, Qqers sent Fyrzen to the west gate, and left Oneshotakill as bait at the east. The rest of them went to the south. Scrublord, Togepee, Chancei and Myucrel were sighted. Fyrzen died, apparently.
SkepticalFool Don¡¯t know if ^ is trolling or completely serious. -_-
Isolationist Wasn¡¯t the West Gate defended by the militia? How did they even manage to kill Fyrzen? That dude is seriously hardcore.
MiscreptMallaebility They did regardless and yea, they defended quite well. I was watching the videos uploaded by the players after the fight. It was a win despite losing the South and West gate. You can search for the videos uploaded by Arctarus390 and adelemitty. They show a good perspective of what happened.
Uniminus I saw the adelemitty vid too. Anyone know who that dude that punched Fyrzen is and what skill he is using? Blue glowing fist is seriously awesome.
LeCaptainFalk FALCON PAUNCH!!!!
AdeleMittyFanboy adelemitty <3. Always listened to her radio shows on 95.8FM. Adele 4eva!
Lifeyislife Lifey FTW! You guys should have seen how cool she was when she fought Scrublord. No Lifey no life.
Tearsfilledjar Scrublord-sama! He was so sexy!
Deadears There was another video by another guy at the East Gate. My god, I could not finish it because of the sound quality. Don¡¯t know if it is my speakers or something but I thought I was going deaf. Then the npc soldiers started running for some reason. Could it be a glitch?
NeKoMiMi Managed to survive that horrible video. More curious about the class the person playing the lute have.
Milktastic I thought I saw the blue-fist guy back in Corelia just recently. He was pwning an ice mage in the middle of the streets like nothing. Estimated level around 90 or even over 100. How did he make it to Loyderidge in such a short time? Weird thing is he doesn¡¯t seem to be wearing equipment.
Anon18334 Hacker?
JusticarVII Probably summoned. Lifey did the same during the south gate battle didn¡¯t she?
Lifeyislife I know right? That scene was damn cool!!
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The ripple effect is happening. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Beast entered the militia camp, only to see Shadun the bard sitting forlornly by the entrance of the area. ¡°Hey! Welcome back!¡± Beast was elated at the sight of his bard buddy. He had been meaning to find Shadun to talk to him but had not the chance given the happenings at the South gate. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Shadun¡¯s face brightened up considerably when he saw Beast. At first he had been worried sick that his failure to gather reinforcements had somehow caused the demise of the entire militia and the fact that the camp was empty when he finally made it back served to reinforce the point. It had been a pleasant surprise when Gordo led the militia back in a while later, and now Beast was alive and well before him. ¡°Where¡¯s Naomi?¡± ¡°I left her at the South Gate since she wants to help with healing duties.¡± Cupping his hands together in a pose of apology, Beast continued. ¡°I am sorry we didn¡¯t send someone to inform you, Shadun. Somehow we managed to defeat Fyrzen and went to the south to help after no other enemy appeared here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I stayed at the East side for a while as well.¡± That would mean he took part in the East Gate defense. Beast was curious; it never hurt to have some friendly competition. ¡°So how many enemies did you defeat?¡± Shadun weakly raised an outstretched hand. ¡°Five? Well that can¡¯t-¡± The bard shook his head. ¡°Fifty?¡± Beast asked, amazed. He himself had not even break thirty kills and Shadun had managed to rack up that high a score. ¡°Five hundred.¡± ¡°Five what?¡± There was a full second of stunned silence. ¡°Wow. How did you do it? Is your contribution really high right now?¡± ¡°Not really. I friendly-fired and it took off most of the points.¡± Shadun sighed. Beast understood at once what transpired and he gave a silent prayer to those that had suffered. The atmosphere became a little awkward though so it was time to change the topic. ¡°Eh¡­ hey Shadun I am going to meet Gordo right now for something really important. I figured you will want to be there.¡± He held out a hand as an offer to help the bard to his feet. ¡°Alright.¡± Inside the commander¡¯s tent, Gordo was by the table examining a map of what seemed to be Loyderidge. The Royal Knight was deep in thoughts, until Beast caught the NPC¡¯s attention with a greeting. ¡°Knight Gordo.¡± Gordo looked up, recognition showing in his eyes. ¡°Beast. Shadun. What brought you here?¡± ¡°I would like to speak to Lord Trigent. Can it be arranged?¡± Shadun stared at Beast as though he was mad, while Gordo showed an expression of mild surprise. The knight¡¯s hand immediately went to his sword. ¡°What for?¡± The response came, a cold steely sentence that hinted that their answer would make a difference as to how the knight would treat the two of them afterwards. The Knight was fiercely loyal, Beast noted. When two nobodies suddenly requested a meeting with the most important person in this city without any prior reasons or inclination, it was through no fault of his that some caution would be raised. With the guarded response there was no doubt that Gordo was thinking the two might have less than pure intentions especially in light of the war. He would need to diffuse this situation. ¡°With no offence intended, I believe that the Lord knows something about this war that the masses are not being told of. We are led to believe that the siege will only be temporary, but the truth is that Honduria will continue her attack until she succeeds.¡± It was only a speculation but Beast knew he had hit jackpot, for colour had drained from the knight¡¯s face. Shadun was starting to show signs of disbelief. One final nail to drive through. ¡°In fact, I am inclined to think that there would be reinforcements from the central continent if the vanguard fails to achieve its original intentions soon. However, Honduria had the States of Paverun to consider who might take her moment of preoccupation to invade. Furthermore, Caerheim was a country born from Honduria. There was no reason for Honduria to conquer Caerheim when Caerheim offered no threat but plenty of trade opportunities.¡± The shadows caused by the sunlight filtering through the cloth of the tent danced on Gordo¡¯s face. ¡°If Honduria is this persistent to the point of risking attack and reputation, it makes me wonder what her true intentions in Caerheim are, which is why I seek to clarify this with Lord Trigent.¡± There was no retort, no denial. Beast observed Gordo, but the man was giving nothing else away other than silence, a silence that stated nothing but implied everything. ¡°Is this true?¡± Shadun asked, a lone voice in the quietness of the tent. The royal knight closed his eyes and took a deep breath, finally conceding with a grave nod. ¡°As expected of the historian. You have read our history well. That analysis was almost correct, except for one thing.¡± ¡°Which is?¡± ¡°I believe it would be better if Lord Trigent were to explain it to you himself. Follow me, but make yourself discreet. There is no need to induce unnecessary commotion.¡± A flutter of his cloak later, Gordo was out of the tent and walking down the dirt path. Shadun glanced over at Beast who blinked. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Did you think of all that?¡± ¡°Nah, when I came here I only had a feeling. Turns out it was true.¡± Beast shrugged and made to follow the Royal Knight¡¯s journey to the Central Keep of Loyderidge, closely followed behind by Shadun. The keep itself was a mini-castle nested in the central east portion of Loyderidge. High walls surrounded the crown of Caerheim, with its only way in and out located at the central square of the city. From the castle gate to the front double barreled doors was a short pavement of gravel decorated with exquisite flowers and well-trimmed bushes, but what took the Lore Keeper¡¯s breath away was when he entered the door into a wide-spanning chamber of lush carpets and walls of polished stone. Paintings and statues adorned the sides while a crystal chandelier hung from above. Beast had never stepped into the keep before, and thus took in all the sights and sounds with awe. ¡°Gordo.¡± Another man who was standing guard by the entrance and wearing the exact same armour design as Knight Gordo hailed them. He must have been a Royal Knight like him. In fact, all of the knights within this keep should have been royals knights dedicated to guarding Trigent¡¯s life. ¡°Riscele. I need to speak with our Lord.¡± ¡°¡­He is in the throne room.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The guard went back to his post and the three of them passed straight ahead towards another double barreled door. Unlike the front door however, this door was bordered with gold, a distinct symbol of a place of importance. With a loud creak of the oak, Gordo pushed the doors open, revealing an even more posh room than the lobby with a single man seated atop the lone elevated throne in the middle of the room. The man was cleanly shaven, though he had no crown to speak of atop his well-groomed hair. At first look, he appeared to be around mid-thirties, much younger than Gordo was. The Lord of Caerheim, Trigent Ashwald spoke with an elegant refined voice. ¡°Gordo. You¡¯ve brought visitors.¡± In a blink of an eye, two daggers were at Shadun and Beast¡¯s throats respectively, the assassins holding them literally appearing out of thin air. A Royal Knight appeared from behind a pillar and drew his blade at Gordo¡¯s throat. ¡°Explain yourself for bringing foreigners into our Lord¡¯s vicinity.¡± ¡°They seek an explanation with regards to the war.¡± Gordo answered without as much as flinching. Even so, there appeared to be a significant rank difference between the two of them. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± A female voice reverberated, bringing everyone¡¯s attention to a robe wearing girl who had appeared beside Trigent. Her robes were unlike an ordinary magician¡¯s, being embroidered with gold and silver thread. Beast knew instantly she was someone of high importance. ¡°I have checked with a Detect Invisibility and Read Intention spell. No one else is with them. They have no malicious thoughts.¡± ¡°Thank you Riwana. Stand down, Lugwen. Trisha, Tristan, please remove your daggers from our guests. I recognize one of them.¡± At the lord¡¯s command, Lugwen sheathed back his sword with a harrumph, while the two assassins disappeared back into wherever they came from, shimmering out of visible view. Beast massaged his throat tenderly where the sharp edge of the dagger touched. The feeling he had was too much like when Kiki went rogue on him that it gave him the chills. ¡°You are dismissed Gordo. Return to your duties.¡± The commander of the City Militia gave a salute to his lord before taking his leave out of the room. ¡°Now,¡± Trigent Ashwald directed his voice unto Beast. ¡°What do you want to ask?¡± Next Chapter
Author''s Notes: Heya! Perspective is back to Beast proper. Anyway, I would like a second opinion. Would the forum thread section look better with or without lines between the posts? Let me know so I can change it if needed. Cheers! Chapter 30: The Fellowship ¡°Good day listeners! This is 95.8 FM Radio Station for Gamers giving you a live update on the situation with our current big event in Ages Online. The war between Caerheim and Honduria has been ongoing for a few days now and the first big happening had just concluded within the last 24 hours. I am Adele.¡± The cheery voice of the female deejay was followed by silence unusual for a radio show. ¡°Toby?¡± ¡°Ah sorry, Adele. I was drying my tears. I am Toby, and I am sad to announce that Honduria failed to conquer Loyderidge after an extended battle for the city. Casualties were numerous for both armies and it is speculated that Honduria will need a day or so to actually regroup and reconsider their strategy. Will Honduria ever conquer Caerheim? For Honduria!¡± ¡°This will teach you Hondurians not to just waltz in like you own our stuff, Toby!¡± ¡°Ahem. Anyway today¡¯s main highlight is a detailed recount of the war from someone who had experienced the horrors personally. Remember last time when Adele said she would join the Caerheim defense? For your sake, our dear Adele had participated in the HC war to bring to those of you who were not at the war as close as possible to the ground. So how does it feel like right in the middle of all the excitement, Adele?¡± ¡°Well Toby, if I had to describe it in one word I would use frightening.¡± ¡°Understandable, considering you did meet Fyrzen of the infamous Qqers after all. Yes, you heard that right dear listeners! Our precious Adele faced off with the dreaded Fyrzen and survived to tell the tale. How would you describe Fyrzen, Adele?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ handsome? He is not my type however, not when he was so scarily destroying the West Gate of Loyderidge with his Meteor and Brimestorm spells. The way he made people explode is still giving me nightmares, and that Nova Conflagration spell¡­ I thought I was a goner for sure.¡± ¡°The Nova Conflagration is the most powerful area of effect spell of the fire elemental tree, but there is a catch. The spell blasts outwards from the user, so hiding behind thick cover would nullify most of the damage. Is that what you did, Adele?¡± ¡°Yes Toby. You know Naomi, the rising star of the militia we mentioned last time? I met her and she is really cute! She is really nice too! During the Nova Conflagration, she could not escape in time and I was so scared for her life. Luckily someone came and shielded her at the last second. ¡± ¡°Such chivalry. Much respect. But Adele, I think what the listeners are most interested to know is how exactly Fyrzen died. Even I find that hard to believe. Rumours are aplenty but I think most of us would prefer to hear it from someone who was at the scene.¡± ¡°Toby, I would say it is a team effort. At first he appeared to be impregnable. All my attacks were doing zilch to his Mana Shield. Actually, most of our attacks were useless, until the same guy I told you about dashed up to him and punched him with a blue glowing fist. That was when we saw the Mana Shield break. After that, wham! We concentrated fire and Fyrzen was history.¡± ¡°Thank you Adele for sharing with us your point of view inside the Loyderidge Siege. Listeners who wish to see the battle through Adele¡¯s eyes can also check out our Yuutoob channel where we have uploaded the video clip from Adele¡¯s machine.¡± ¡°Please support my channel everyone!¡± ¡°In any case, it seems that the blue-fisted man who is the target of all the rumours is real after all. Who would have known such a man existed in the city militia? Just how high a level is he? Is he an event NPC or a player? If he is the latter, why is he hiding in the militia instead of joining Lifey¡¯s Operation? There are so many questions that nobody had an answer to. However, we at 95.8 FM Radio Station for Gamers will strive to find the answers and bring them to you listeners as soon as possible. Stay tuned while we bring to you updates to the situation at our next session.¡± Before the program ended, the male deejay managed to add an afterthought. ¡°Oh and Adele¡¯s name in the game is not adelemitty, so don¡¯t harass some poor soul who might have that ID.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Beast felt the looks of everyone in the throne room fall upon him and gulped unconsciously. The pressure was far greater than what he had expected. ¡°My lord.¡± He steeled himself. ¡°I wish to ask if you know of a way to stop this war besides waiting out the siege.¡± He figured he should go straight to the point than beat around the bush. Beast felt the piercing gaze of the prince¡¯s blue eyes stare into him, as though evaluating him. For a long time they stayed like this, before the noble finally looked away. As he did so, there was a small but audible affirmation. ¡°Yes, I do.¡± On cue, a rotund man who looked like he had lived a comfortable life of excess food stepped forward. ¡°I am Court Historian Mealgar. Please allow me to explain the situation in my liege¡¯s place.¡± Just how many presences were there in this room that appeared empty at the start? Beast did not even bother concealing his surprise at Mealgar¡¯s appearance. It was a wonder how he had not detected the pudgy historian given the latter¡¯s body size. ¡°Boy, do you know about our lord¡¯s position with Honduria?¡± Mealgar fondled his curly mustache while he surveyed the two players before him. It was Shadun who answered. ¡°He was its prince.¡± ¡°No,¡± Beast hastily corrected. ¡°He was the crown prince.¡± ¡°Hoho, you do know your history.¡± Mealgar clapped his hands together with a wide grin. ¡°The fact that the Lord of Caerheim was the son of the Hondurian King Ashwald was commonplace. However, not many people knew that he was but one of four sons. Before our lord journeyed over here from the central continent, he was the prince that many thought would have inherited the throne from his father the king.¡± The pudgy historian paused for dramatic effect. ¡°He was the crown prince, and still is.¡± The cogs turned in Beast¡¯s head. With Mealgar¡¯s exposition, he was beginning to see the picture now. The whole reason this war happened was due to a single desire. ¡°They are after your birthright¡­¡± Beast breathed, realizing the exact cause. ¡°To be more precise, they were after this.¡± From under his cloak, Trigent Ashwald withdrew a familiar golden plate of authority emitting a faint glow of magic. Both Shadun and Beast widened their eyes in recognition. It was the Seal of the Lord that had been part of their quests a while back. It was also the one artifact that had threaded their fates together back at Torintu. Beast could not help but feel a tinge of nostalgia. ¡°My brother, Duplent, had marshalled his forces against me so he could take the symbol of the crown prince back to Honduria.¡± Trigent¡¯s hair covered his eyes, but Beast could see that they shone darkly. ¡°Father acquiesced to his request, and so the Hondurian army came to our doorsteps. This war and the lives that were and will be lost in it are all on my hands.¡± ¡°That is not true my liege!¡± Lugwen fiercely retorted. ¡°Oh it is, Lugwen. It is. Because of my hesitation and the subsequent estrangement between Father and I, we are now fighting a war without end. ¡± The knight fell silent, unable to reply. ¡°This seal is the only remaining link I have with Father, and yet Father would see that it was returned back over my dead body. Ironic, isn¡¯t it? Now that war has descended, there is no more chance of Caerheim returning back to Honduria¡¯s fold. My previous dilemma had become trivial.¡± Sadness. There was so much sadness saturating Trigent¡¯s words. Yet, he would not have been the lord of the region if he were to break from under the weight of the sadness. Beast would normally try to converse in this situation but for some reason, he felt that he need not speak here. The Lord¡¯s mind appeared to have already been made up and all he had needed was a spark ¨C a trigger that was an inquisition into the reason of this war - to propel him into action. The brief moment of vulnerability was over as soon as it started, and Trigent looked at Beast with renewed resolve. ¡°I have decided. Caerheim will no longer wait. Today, the Kingdom of Caerheim shall end the war on our own terms.¡± Beast inwardly noted that Trigent used the word Kingdom instead of Principality. ¡°What is your name, visitor?¡± ¡°Beast¡­¡± ¡°Beast,¡± The Lord of Caerheim repeated for emphasis. ¡°You are the first to know this much.¡± Handing the seal in his hands to Mealgar, Trigent Ashwald decreed. ¡°As such, you will deliver this seal to Duplent and negotiate for peace.¡± Dring!
Joint Operation Negotiate for Peace Lord Trigent Ashwald had divulged the reason for the war between Honduria and Caerheim. It turns out that Duplent, brother of Trigent, had wanted to obtain the symbol of inheritance Trigent had with him so that he will be appointed the new Crown Prince of Honduria at the expense of his own kin. In the face of this treachery, Trigent had decided to cut ties with Honduria. He hereby tasks you, who had discovered the true cause of the war, with the important job of delivering the Seal of the Lord to Duplent at Vanguard Pass and using it to sue for peace. Difficulty: B- Victory Condition: Honduria retreats. Failure Conditions: Loyderidge falls before peace is achieved Trigent dies before peace is achieved The Seal is stolen before negotiations are reached. You are the commander of this Joint Operation! As the commander of the Joint Operation, you are entitled to share the quest with others and recruit them into the operation. They will then gain a share of the quest reward based on their contributions to the operation effort. Current Operation Size: 3 NPCs
¡°I will have Court Historian Mealgar, Court Magician Riwana and Royal Guard Lugwen accompany you for this task.¡± ¡°Yes my lord!¡± ¡°Yes my lord!¡± ¡°Anything for my liege.¡± ¡°Until you depart for your mission, feel free to utilize the keep¡¯s facilities to prepare yourself.¡± Trigent stood up from his seat and headed for a small door set into the side of the throne room. A mild disturbance of air later, one of the assassins from earlier flashed into view to open the door for him. ¡°I truly hope that you will succeed, Beast.¡± Beast was stunned. What had been a session seeking answers turned into a Joint Operation quest, with him as commander to boot! The wonders of Ages Online never ceased to amaze. Riwana was already elaborating on further instructions while reading from a piece of parchment. ¡°Judging from the current situation, we should leave under the cover the night out of the North Gate and ride east. I recommend that we move in a small group of no more than ten people. The Hondurian Vanguard is currently still regrouping, so we should be able to break out of the siege unnoticed.¡± Wait a second. He was the commander. Was he not supposed to be deciding such stuff instead? ¡°Lugwen.¡± The court magician turned to the guardian. ¡°Prepare our steeds at the stable for use. Ten of our finest will do. When we ride, Mealgar holding the Seal will be in the center of our formation. We will protect him at all cost.¡± ¡°Yes, protect me with your lives ho ho ho!¡± ¡°If your tongue could function without your body, I would have torn it off already.¡± Riwana snapped, making the fat historian cower. ¡°Now, we will meet in front of the North Gate at 10 o¡¯clock. Got it, Beast? Bring whoever you think would be useful.¡± ¡°Yea¡­¡± Beast was stunned, for a different reason this time. It would appear that everything had already been decided for him by Trigent¡¯s retainers. ¡°If that is understood then we shall meet again at eight. Please excuse us, for we have much to prepare.¡± ¡°Ho, we have a smithy and an alchemy laboratory at the basement, if that interests you. You could find them useful.¡± ¡°I hope you know how to ride.¡± Lugwen was still giving the cold shoulder. The three members of Trigent¡¯s court bowed and left, leaving Shadun and Beast alone in the empty room. Beast sighed. He should have known from the start. There was no way anyone would entrust a mission of such importance solely to a stranger he had only just met. Furthermore, the operation is of a different nature ¨C an escort mission ¨C than that of defending Loyderidge. To put it plainly, he was merely a figurehead for this Joint Operation, a way to recruit others to lend their aid. Even so, a Joint Operation is a Joint Operation. The rewards for such missions are tremendous. Even if he was only a figurehead, it would benefit him greatly if he were to complete the quest. The only problem he would have to figure out was who exactly to invite into the operation. Or if he needed to invite anyone at all. This was a covert mission, one which did not require the use of brute force to accomplish. The lesser the people the smoother the operation will go, and the higher the rewards it would be for him to monopolize. ¡°Hey.¡± Shadun looked at Beast with expectant eyes. One look into those eyes were all Beast needed to know what the bard wanted. ¡°Yes?¡± He feigned ignorance. With the quest¡¯s potential reward it could not be blamed if he were to be a little selfish. Besides, he wanted to tease the bard like the time they first met. It seemed that Shadun had read his thoughts and was ready for him. ¡°Remember that one time I let you hold the Seal of the Lord?¡± The bard deliberately let his sentence trailed on, knowing that his intended effect had been achieved. ¡°Urgh.¡± Beast felt his mental defense crumble in one fell swoop from Shadun¡¯s emotional attack. The bard was much slyer than he had originally thought, but he was not without a point. Without that one artifact power Beast had received from the Seal, he might not even have come this far in this same amount of time. The Seal of the Lord - It was destiny indeed. He had owed it to him and because of that he was obliged to share. ¡°Joint Operation Invite: Shadun.¡± The edge of the bard¡¯s mouth curled into a smile as he accepted the quest to the sound of a pon, bringing Beast¡¯s party count up to five. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Naomi stepped into the Militia encampment, glancing sideways every now and then trying to find a single person. After being unceremoniously dumped by Beast, she had resolved to give her disciple a good smacking the next time she sees him. After all, no man should ever leave a female alone in an unknown place, even if she could perfectly defend herself. As his master, she will need to drill some gentlemanliness into him. Naomi was so engrossed in trying to pick out Beast from the people in the encampment that she unknowingly bumped right into the back of a person, sending him sprawling into the ground. ¡°Ooh! I am sorry!¡± She hastily helped the person up. As she did, she got a good look at exactly who it was. ¡°Aveye?¡± To her front, a cute boyish male dressed in full leather garb adjusted his helmet before giving the cleric a wide smile showing his white straight teeth. With big watery eyes and a smooth unblemished face, Naomi almost thought that she was staring into a porcelain doll. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Naomi-chan! Haha, don¡¯t worry about it. I am fine. Wasn¡¯t doing anything much.¡± Aveye tucked his long raven sideburns back beneath his helmet. The way he did it was sensual enough that it made Naomi¡¯s heart skip a beat. Effeminate and slender, he was exactly like one of those Korean flower boys. She then realized she had been staring and so jerked her head away in embarrassment. ¡°You are so kawaii, Naomi-chan.¡± Aveye teased, succeeding in making Naomi turn redder than before. ¡°You seem to be looking for someone, yea? Who were you looking for?¡± ¡°Beast¡­¡± Naomi muttered, still unable to look at Aveye in the eye. It was not like she had never met and interacted with the archer before. In fact, she did several times. Every single time the situation ended up similar to this where he would tease her like some older sist-, no, brother. It kind of made conversation hard. ¡°Beast? Is he the one that saved you from Nova Conflagration? The one who punched Fyrzen with his blue fist?¡± Suddenly, Aveye lapsed into a serious tone of voice, which reminded Naomi strongly of the time during the battle at the wall. If she could recall correctly, he was the one leading the archers in the fight. That and the fact that he was second in the contribution rankings said a lot about what his demeanor did not tell. ¡°Yea¡­¡± The atmosphere was beginning to feel weird. Aveye suddenly clung onto Naomi¡¯s arm, giving her a shock. What he said next surprised her even more. ¡°I am coming with you! I want to meet him too.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°He saved us from the scary PKer and the way he punched him was so cool!¡± Throwing a one-two punch of his own, the energetic archer tried to imitate the way Beast had socked Fyrzen in the jaw. Naomi could practically feel the vibe of a very enthusiastic fan rolling off him, and unconsciously took a step backwards from the aura. ¡°Okay¡­ so please calm down.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Aveye fist-pumped into the air in a childish show of delight unbefitting of a person his age. From then on, the two of them searched every nook and cranny for one single person of which they had vastly different intentions of. However, their object of search was nowhere in sight. It was as though Beast had disappeared into thin air. Gordo was not in his tent and even Shadun was nowhere to be found. Strange, the bard should have been back from the East Gate already, unless¡­ they had gone somewhere else without her. The audacity of Beast! Just at this moment, the broad figure of royal knight Gordo stepped into the camp, where he was immediately beset upon by two human hyenas starving for information regarding a certain Lore Keeper. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Beast stared at the royal smithy in awe. The equipment that furnished the workshop was of much higher quality that had been in the Corelia blacksmith. A sleek anvil lies next to a continuously running stream of cool water supplied using pipes laid into the keep walls, complemented by a hearth that already had a fire burning heartily. Various implements such as the polisher were entirely new to his blacksmithing experience. He had expected the royal smithy to be well-equipped, but this was beyond his imagination. ¡°Hey lad!¡± The man in charge of maintaining the keep¡¯s smithy hailed Beast. ¡°I have heard from Mealgar that you might be passing by here.¡± ¡°This place is very well-kept.¡± Beast nodded, to which the burly man beamed. ¡°Of course! Feel free to use anything you need.¡± It was the signal for free reign, just like the court historian had said. Shadun stepped forward pointing at his lute. ¡°Do you have anything for woodworking?¡± ¡°Why yes, let me show you to the woodworking room.¡± He then turned to address Beast. ¡°Sir, the alchemy laboratory is directly opposite this room.¡± The two of them stepped away, leaving Beast alone staring at the anvil. He did not notice them leave, for he was already busy concocting his plans for the incoming operation. From what he had gathered from the conversation earlier, they will be fighting on horseback. Since fists do not work well on horseback, he would need another way to fight. It took a bit of thinking but he had just the idea how to compensate. It was time to revisit one of his old skills from before. Rummaging through his backpack for all the ores he had picked up after the south gate battle, he threw all them into the furnace to smelt. Tink. Tink. Tink. The sound of a hammer hitting metal resounded throughout the smithy. Once they were refined to pure metal, he then started to fashion thin long rods out of them with their tips ending with a razor-sharp point.
You have completed - Copper Javelin Thrown, Consumable A copper javelin fashioned to be thrown with deadly speed and accuracy. The javelin is made with amateur hands and is thus of low quality. There is a high chance that the javelin will distort upon impact. Base Damage: 15 - 15 Crafted by Beast
The hammer steadily rises and fall.
You have completed - Iron Javelin Thrown, Consumable An iron javelin fashioned to be thrown with deadly speed and accuracy. The javelin is made with amateur hands and is thus of low quality. There is a high chance that the javelin will distort upon impact. Base Damage: 20-20 Crafted by Beast
By the end of it all, he had around fifty javelins ready. That was how much he had managed to loot from the drops of dead players. The only metal he had not bear to use was the mithril bars he had found. Surely those could be used somewhere better than being a consumable throwing spear. Tink. With one final hit of the hammer, he finished the last of the javelins tips before quenching the red hot metal in the water. The satisfying sound of steam echoed and he drew the cooled weapon back out. It was at this moment a notification window chose to pop.
Your Ancient Blacksmithing has increased to Basic 8!
Beast wiped the sweat from his brow from both the exertion and the heat. It had been difficult but he had managed to level up his ancient blacksmithing twice as well as restock for his throwing skill. ¡°Now I just need to add the special ingredient.¡± He muttered to himself. From his bag full of loot, the Lore Keeper withdrew all sorts of things that were obviously poisonous, ranging from red toadstools to dark-spotted herbs. There was even a fruit identified as a Toxxi Berry that was only revealed to induce fatal spasms due to his Identify skill and knowledge from Ancient Alchemy. Beast could not help but grimace when he thought of how the players had been running around with these in their inventory to keep as food. Regardless, he ground them all in the big mortar that was in the room opposite the smithy, producing a paste of brown viscous liquid.
You have completed - Toxxi-venom Cocktail Consumable This poison is created by the haphazard mixing of multiple poisonous substances, grounded to a paste like fluid. The most notable ingredient in the concoction is the Toxxi Berry, a poisonous fruit of the rare Toxxi Tree that only grows in the forest of Elithinia. This cocktail is usable for 100 times. Due to the haphazard mixing, the quality is poor. ? Number of uses -40% ? Effect of Paralysis -50% ? Poison damage +33% Low probability of inducing paralysis Afflicts Poison Damage 210 HP / 10 seconds Uses: 60/60 Crafted by Beast
Your Ancient Alchemy has increased to Basic 7!
Straight away, he applied the paste to all fifty of his javelins before keeping the rest. ¡°Done!¡± His potion supplies were still fine so he was almost done with whatever minimal preparations he could do. The only thing left that he could probably refine in the keep basement was the Antroach Mandibles and the pile of broken iron that was once the Ceremonial Sword. The only reason why he delayed refining the Mandibles was due to his insecurity in his own skills but attempting to repair the Ceremonial Sword might worthwhile to do. Besides, it could teach him how he should handle magical items in the future. It was at this time the man from earlier came back to the workshop. ¡°Hey, how is it going? I took a little longer than expected due to an errand.¡± Beast glanced at the in-game clock and nodded in agreement. It had been almost four hours since he started smithing. ¡°Need any help lad or should I bugger off?¡± The offer for help was like a godsend. He who is in charge of the smithy should have at least some experiences with magical items and item restoration. There was a problem though. Beast had not asked the man¡¯s name. ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Call me Fostner. I ain¡¯t too formal with people.¡± ¡°Fostner, do you know if I could restore a broken and rusted artifact weapon?¡± ¡°A broken¡­ rusted¡­ artifact?¡± Fostner repeated, as though he could not believe what he was hearing. ¡°Show me.¡± Beast took out what was left of the ceremonial sword and laid it on the workbench. Fostner eyed the weapon carefully before giving his verdict. ¡°Blessed-steel huh¡­ Interesting item you have here. It might be possible to restore the weapon by polishing off the rust and re-molding it with new metal but if you say is true¡­ the artifact¡¯s magic might be lost.¡± Fostner scratched his head. ¡°I could give it a try though. I come from a respectable line of blacksmiths, so I do know how delicate these things are.¡± Beast looked up at his savior in the eyes with a resolute gleam. ¡°Yes please!¡± ¡°No guarantees lad. Do you by chance have some metal leftover? At the latter¡¯s request, Beast gladly supplied the mithril bars he had and the two of them went to work, filling the smithy with the sound of fire and metal once more. It was another half hour before a sword of mithril blue was finished.
Mithril Lanos Longsword Equipment,Weapon The Mithril Lanos Longsword is a sword re-forged based on the Ceremonial Sword of Lanos, which was used to knight outstanding individuals to commemorate their promotion into knighthood in the past. The blade was painstakingly crafted under the guidance of Fostner Gren, the royal crafter of Caerheim who descended from a long line of respectable crafters. Durability: 40/40 Damage: 33-38 Level restriction: 39 Value: 20g Crafted by Beast
One look at the item window however left Beast crestfallen. There was no artifact tag. ¡°I am sorry lad, the core was too badly damaged. What we were doing was essentially giving it a new body. There might have been a way to preserve the power but you will have to speak to an Artificer about that. And before you ask, no I am not an Artificer. I am only a blacksmith of our Lord¡¯s court.¡± ¡°Thank you all the same.¡± Beast bowed. He did not have much expectation regarding the sword anyway. Despite it being a failure, he did learn valuable knowledge from Fostner. It turns out that the magic behind magical items are highly dependent on the material they are made from. Once that material degrades, its magical capabilities are also decreased. Without its power, the sword might as well be just another ordinary sword. Beast finally realised why the blacksmith in Rydelin recommended that he buy a new weapon instead. It was also all the more reason why he should wait until he has enough proficiency before crafting the mandibles. It was through the session that Beast felt he understood artifacts better now.
Archaeology has increased to Intermediate 1! +5 Intelligence You can now identify up to Mythological artifacts.
Beast raised an eyebrow. After his Archaeology skill had reach 99% of Basic 9, it had become stagnant even though he had been spamming the skill on almost every item in his inventory. To think that it actually required a further understanding of the system for it unlock; Ages Online is really more than it seems to be. ¡°Fostner, thank you for your help.¡± ¡°No worries. Your friend is waiting for you at the front chamber.¡± ¡°Oh crap. Shadun!¡± He had totally forgotten about the bard after being too engrossed in his work. Rushing out from the basement and up the stairs to ground level, he was greeted by a strange sight. Shadun the bard sat on a chair strumming his lute while trying his utmost best to ignore two annoying pests in the shape of Naomi and Aveye. The former was skittering around him trying to wrangle out more information while the latter seemed to be conducting an imaginary interview of sorts with the bard. It should have been the cue for Beast to sneak away, but he was too late. Aveye caught sight of him before he could disappear into a side passage and the two pests swarmed like locusts to their main target. ¡°Beast! Come here you!¡± ¡°It is Beast-kun! I am Aveye and I am your fan! Nice to meet you!¡± Very soon, he was cornered with nowhere to run. ¡°I already heard from Shadun.¡± Beast glanced over to the bard with accusing eyes, but was splendidly ignored. ¡°Let me into the quest. I will treat it as settlement for leaving me alone back at the south gates.¡± Naomi waved her fist angrily. Aveye on the other hand was giving him the puppy-dog eyes. Beast had to look again to confirm that the person before him was male. ¡°A new quest? Wow, Beast-kun is full of surprises. Can I join in too?¡± It¡¯s a trap! The one sentence flashed across Beast¡¯s mind in an attempt to keep his wits around him, but it was useless. In the end, he succumbed to the both of them and it was how the party count went up to seven. Next Chapter
Author''s Notes: And it is Chapter 30! As with every 10 chapters, I will hereby humbly ask for reviews and comments :) Please continue to support my work. Cheers! Chapter α - Side-story: The Court of a King Side-story ¦Á He strolled along the palace¡¯s balcony, adjusting the lens of his glasses and enjoying the warmth of the sunrise fall on his face. From that high ground, he watched the world wake from its slumber. Birds and animals were the first, chirping and crowing to the morning. Then, the humanoids were next. Humans, beastmens, elves, dwarves, gnomes, and orcs all started coming out of their abodes for their activities of the day. Soon, the streets were bustling with people and from there came the sound of life. ¡°You are early Vanadic.¡± A male voice yawned. ¡°Antorine.¡± He greeted, his eyes still fixated on the scenery before him. ¡°So are you.¡± ¡°Not as early as you, my friend.¡± He snorted, before turning back to face the newcomer who was dressed in full armour. A long sword and a shield hung from the man¡¯s back and his boots clinked with his every step. ¡°What will people say if they knew that the bodyguard of our King is not as disciplined as they think he is?¡± A feigned look of horror came over Antorine, who retorted. ¡°Well we are at peace. So I am just there for show. So, what are you looking at? Ooh I see a pretty elven lady.¡± Antorine is a human like him and the guy had a decent personality, if not a little goofy. Being the King¡¯s bodyguard, he was stationed right in the capital instead of given his own fief so that he could be by the king¡¯s side at all possible moments of time. He had always complained about that supposed biasness and mocked the position at every chance he had, but Vanadic knows that deep down Antorine held his job in high regards. In fact, all of them do. ¡°So¡­ why do you think he decided to hold court after so long?¡± Antorine unbuckled his equipment and leaned back on the railings besides Vanadic, his brown unruly hair fluttering to the wind. ¡°I mean I don¡¯t mind seeing you all again but why now?¡± ¡°I have no idea. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be the closest to him?¡± Antorine shrugged, giving an expression of nonchalance. ¡°All I know is that everyone is arriving throughout the night, even the one person I did not really want to meet.¡± As if on cue, a female voice shrieked throughout the quiet palace, shattering the tranquility of the morning and possibly waking everyone in it. ¡°ANTORIIIINEEEEE!!!¡± ¡°Ooohh, help me. The Dark Hand is going to kill me...¡± Antorine stressed the title of the voice in question and trembled in feigned fear. ¡°¡­ if she could.¡± ¡°What did you do to her again?¡± He asked like it was none of his business as he began flipping through the pages of a simple black tome. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°I think I might have left an Antroach in her pantsu.¡± The pages stopped. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at Antorine in the eye for a second confirmation at what he had just said. When the bodyguard nodded with a serious face, the two men broke into silent laughter. It was after a few seconds before he managed to catch his breath back. ¡°I think you will need to get new cod-piece from Gutrand soon. Get it before he leaves for Scelenia.¡± He commented pointedly. It was at this moment that they both could not hold it in any longer. Hearty chuckles rang out from the balcony at the absurdity of it all. ¡°Hey,¡± He said, suddenly changing the topic. ¡°Do you think our peace will last?¡± Antorine pursed his lips, as though he was giving the question a great deal of thought. A few seconds later, the man shrugged. ¡°No idea. I prefer not to think about it.¡± ¡°What does your goddess think then?¡± He noticed Antorine eyeing his shield. ¡°Well, she is the goddess of cycles. Her answer will most definitely be no. In her eyes, nothing is permanent, not even her Chosen.¡± ¡°And I would agree with that.¡± He is a historian after all and one thing history taught him was that nothing last forever. Not life. Not love. Not even the greatest of empires had withstood the passing of time. They rise and fall like cycles, which was why ages and eras existed. It made him wonder if the peace they have fought so hard to attain would one day crumble like a castle in the sand at the mercy to the cycle of the sea tide. ¡°Maybe I should change my religion to Balces. I will ask Gutrand later.¡± ¡°You really should not joke about things like that.¡± Antorine flapped his hands dismissively. ¡°Like I would give a damn. Well, let¡¯s get down to the hall for some food before court is held. I am so famished.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s.¡± ¡°I think you will like the breakfast, Vanadic. Alexandrian style is much like Alvastran¡­¡± The two friends re-entered the palace with warm smiles on their faces. Next Chapter
Author''s Notes: I have recently come to the attention that several ships have set sail for Ages Online. As a formal survey I will conduct a poll on the subject to gather some information. :) Feel free to elaborate on your choices. If you choose ???, please do elaborate, otherwise I will not have any idea what you are referring to. Cheers! Chapter 31: North Gate Sebast exited his capsule, letting out a yawn. Like a mechanical robot he moved his body across the living room to the kitchen, where a woman waited for him with a packet of rice on the table. One look was all it needed for him to know that it was bought from the local stall near their house, and if it was anything like before, it would be packed to the brim with food. They are not a well-to-do family, but they got by just fine. ¡°Mum.¡± ¡°Sebast. Your dad won¡¯t be home for dinner.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Without another word, Sebast sat down and began to eat. It was after a few mouthfuls before the dreaded words reached his ears. ¡°Your aunt was here just now. She came to give us some souvenirs from her overseas trip.¡± Sebast¡¯s mother poked at the plastic bag before her, not even wanting to check whatever was inside. Sebast eyed the bag before surveying his mother¡¯s face. It was overcast, just like it would be whenever his aunt came over. It was not like they were on non-speaking terms. In fact to every other person, his aunt and his mother were chummy with each other, good friends even. Yet underneath the calm exterior, there exists a deeply entrenched rivalry between them with regards to their position in the family, namely through the value and worth of their respective sons. It was not visible at first glance, even to their own family, but over time the scars showed. Which was why Sebast found himself right in the middle of it. It was also why Sebast felt the imminent danger approaching, only to be unable to abscond because there was too much food left to finish quickly. ¡°You know what she asked me? She asked me where you were.¡± She was obviously referring to his aunt. ¡°She also made some disparaging remarks about how you have been playing games the whole day again. The nerve of her¡­¡± Sebast learned from years of experience just to agree with a simple ¡°kay¡± and continued eating his dinner. To be entirely honest, he could not give a damn about how his aunt thinks. If she thought he was a worthless gaming addict then so be it. The only problem was when his mother thinks otherwise. ¡°Sebast. I just checked the bank accounts for the month.¡± His mother had just dropped a bomb, pushing an open bank book towards him. On one of the lines nested in-between the steady stream of deposits his mother had been making in his name was a prominent $300 payment to Y.Corps. ¡°What is this three hundred dollar bill for?¡± ¡°A new game I signed up for.¡± Short and sweet, and Sebast figured that it would be better if he told the truth. She would always find out anyway. ¡°A game?¡± His mother was now looking at him as though he had just committed a great sin. ¡°You are not studying and using money to go play a game?¡± It started. ¡°Did you not hear what I just told you? Your aunt is belittling you precisely because of such things. Don¡¯t always stay in that stupid capsule of yours.¡± ¡°But everyone is playing it.¡± He felt like a whining child with that one sentence but it was the truth. It was the hottest topic in town in the nowadays and offered the most revolutionary features that virtual reality gaming had to offer, replacing most of the case studies that his professors had been using to demonstrate their lectures. He had to get it or risk irrelevancy, seeing how his university major is on that very same subject. ¡°I need it to study.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Her voice was gradually getting louder, enveloping the whole room with her presence. ¡°You think I don¡¯t know anything? Don¡¯t treat your mother like a fool.¡± Sebast sighed. It was the main reason why he had chosen free-to-play games in the past that depended solely on the micro-transactions payment model, so that he could fly under the radar with regards to precisely this kind of situations. Whoever heard of a game design undergraduate without any gaming experience? ¡°For your sake and mine, please get your act together. Do you know what she told your grandfather in the last fortnight? That you are a hopeless couch potato and I am spoiling you!¡± In the end, it was like that again. Everything voiced down to the opinions others had. Not the three hundred dollars. Not the game. Not him or his studies. ¡°I don¡¯t really care.¡± ¡°Then care or I will make you.¡± She basically hissed in his face. It was then Sebast knew that there was no point carrying on the conversation anymore. ¡°I¡¯m full. Thanks for the meal.¡± Without a word more, he stood and began clearing the table, all while his mother descended into a rant of her own. ¡°You better listen to me, young man. I have worked so hard to raise you not so you can waste your life away in a capsule! Do you know how difficult it is for me to explain to others why you stay in that stupid tube all day? Why can¡¯t you be like other people and go out and see the world more? Look at the son of the auntie living next to us. He is already a successful businessman running his own company! How about Lyn from the next block? She works at a respected bank-¡± Comparisons. Comparisons. And more comparisons. Sebast quietly walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him to block out the sound. His mother¡¯s shouting only became louder, penetrating through the temporary sanctuary the door offered to reach his ears. It was muffled, but it was still clearly audible. He needed some way to shut it off. Eyeing the basin tap, Sebast turned it and soon the sound of running water mixed into the background, drowning out the noise that he desperately wished to escape from. How did it turn out like this? He did not know. All he recognized was that the catalyst for her rage is his aunt. That his mother had been slighted by her careless comments and now seeks to offload her own self-induced angst onto him by trying to mold him into something akin to a statement against his aunt. Perhaps the main problem lay in his own self, but Sebast could not really care anymore. Every time he wished to express his own thoughts, his mother would simply suppress it and substitute it with her own by shouting louder than he could speak. The more he persisted, the harsher she became. It became pointless to talk. Sebast dunked his head into the water and began scrubbing his face with his hands, feeling the coolness of moisture soak into his skin. He emerged seconds later, lifting his head to stare at the person in the mirror above the sink. Jet-black pupils stared back, water dripping off his sharp face and drenched raven hair. A song unconsciously left his lips, one from way before he was born. ¡°When will my reflection show? Who I am¡­ inside¡­¡± The noise had subsided. His mother probably went back into her room to fume. With a wry smile, Sebast left his refuge for his safe haven, Ages Online. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Beast slowly walked down the dim streets of Loyderidge towards the meeting point. Despite the recent siege battle, the usual lights of the city flickered in the darkness of the night as NPCs and players alike went about their own businesses. Of course, players were there for the event participation but even when there had been sufficient time for evacuation, some of the NPC inhabitants of the capital had preferred to stay where they were -home. It was a feeling of sentiment that bonded them to the place that they knew all their lives, and even the rampant death and destruction at such proximity was not enough to deter them from it. Warm feelings touched Beast¡¯s heart at the thought, filling him with renewed resolve to end the war once and for all. The curved moon hung low on the night sky, reminding him of an item that he had obtained in what seemed like a long time ago. With his increase in skill, there should no longer be a problem for him in identifying it. Fishing out the silver cloak that shimmered softly as if it was a fabric woven from moonlight, Beast muttered, ¡°Artifact Identify.¡±
You have discovered the hidden artifact - Lunar Fleece Type: Mythological Artifact, Equipment, Accessory This cloak is made using leather pelt taken from the mythical guardian wolf of the Argent Forest, who bathed under the light of the moon for so long that its fur shone with a soft silver colour. The guardian became imbued with lunar essence, giving its coat magical properties that insulates it against magic The cut of the leather was shoddy, causing some of the properties to be lost. ? Durability -33% ? Defense/Magical Defense -50% ? Artifact Power -1 Max Charge Durability: 20/20 Value: 95g Defence: 2 Magic Defence: 5 Level Restriction: 15 Artifact Power : Lunar Reflection Passive Cost: 1 Charge Reflection is able to reflect one magical projectile that impacts upon the item back to the attacker. When that happens, the power is lost until it is recharged by absorbing moonlight for 8 hours. The item is able to hold only 1 charge of reflection at any time.
+1 Wisdom +9 Luck
Beast cursed. Back then he had already known that using a broken sword blade to cut the pelt would have consequences, but he had not expected it to be this significant. One additional chance of nullifying and reflecting magical damage was nothing to laugh at, and judging from the description he would have had a full-body anti-magic armour instead of an accessory that barely covered his back had he not fudged it up back then. In fact, he would rather call it a cape than a cloak. But what was done was done. Besides, the weakened effect is still nothing to laugh at. It could function as a one-time ward against magical backstab and with precise timing, he could still utilize the power to the best of his ability. The only problem he had was with the way the cloak recharges. It seemed that he would be spending more eventful nights in the outdoors from the day onwards. Eight hours out in the open at night is not considered safe, not even in villages and towns where many look to prey on unsuspecting fools. Furthermore, the cloak gains no charge if there is a new moon or if he were to be in a place where the moonlight does not reach. This was the price for its power and being a passive skill meant he had no way of priming it with the tome to bypass the charge requirement. If only he could. Catalytic consumption would always be replaced by a fixed 200 mana cost whenever he primes the skill, and the only thing that carries over would be cool-down time. Because no cool-down was indicated on the cloak, it would mean that he could possibly have a magic reflector up at all times. Powers with cool-downs however is a different story altogether. Beast was crushed when he originally found out that he could not continuously prime Mana Drain due to the afore-mentioned limitation, but he got over it quickly. It would be too much of a cheat if he were able to do so, he reasoned. ¡°Beast! Over here!¡± A female cry caught his attention. Over by the North Gate, a group of people were waiting for him with horses in tow. Naomi in particular was waving animatedly in his direction while Riwana the Court Magician frowned disapprovingly at the ruckus the Cleric of Taerra was causing. Beast could understand why. This was supposedly a covert mission. Luckily, there was not a single soul at the North Gates. Those inside the single remaining watchtower might have heard something, but so far there has been no indication of it. ¡°You are late.¡± Riwana addressed Beast pointedly. Mealgar chortled at the guilty expression Beast gave while Lugwen clicked his tongue. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°I am sorry. I was held up by some stuff.¡± ¡°Like getting your new cloak?¡± Shadun spoke up, glancing over the silver leather with a curious expression. ¡°Seems like you are finally wearing equipment.¡± ¡°Beast-kun, this is so nice to feel. When did you get it?¡± Aveye the archer had also been attracted over by the shiny equipment, followed closely by Naomi. Their hands were all over his new Lunar Fleece in seconds, making Beast feel a little uncomfortable. ¡°It was something I got in the past but I forgot about it until preparation.¡± ¡°Forgotten? So you got it when you are just starting? I don¡¯t think I have seen it before. Is this a rare item? Which monster have you hunted to get it? What is your profession?¡± If virtual reality still supported the sweat-drop emoticon like MMORPGs of the past, he would have already done so. ¡°Ahem.¡± Riwana cleared her throat authoritatively, saving Beast from Aveye¡¯s inquisition. ¡°We are already past schedule. Lugwen.¡± The royal guard disappeared behind one of the crevices in the wall and soon enough the gates groaned as they swiveled open just enough to allow a horse through. One by one, they filed out of the city into the wilderness beyond. Outside the city however, Beast stopped them once again. Rummaging through his bag, the Lore Keeper fished out what appeared to be buds of wooly material made from loot he had gotten. ¡°Here, please take a pair each.¡± He then gave them out, much to everyone¡¯s confusion. The only person who was not amused at the scene was Shadun and Beast had a feeling the bard knew what it was for. ¡°We might need them later on so please keep it properly and wear them when I say so.¡± ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°How are you supposed to use this?¡± The NPCs were naturally bewildered at the balls of wools in their hands, having seen nothing of the sort before. Naomi kindly demonstrated by stuffing the wool into her ear, the action of which they copied. While that was happening, Beast carried on to help stuff some of those ear-buds for the horses. The next question followed naturally, made by the slightly perturbed Riwana. ¡°Why do we need to block out sound?¡± ¡°Please just trust me.¡± Beast shrugged, while Shadun sent him a full-on glare. He returned back an innocent smile before mounting up his horse with a heave of the saddle grip. Naomi and Shadun followed suit without a problem while Aveye required an assist from Lugwen before managing to mount his horse properly. Beast took this time to conduct a scan of the party.
Displaying Party Info Beast L57 (Leader) HP: 2480/2480 MP: 2510/2510 Riwana L85 NPC HP: 1355/1355 MP: 4600/4600 Lugwen L85 NPC HP: 3400/3400 MP: 750/750 Mealgar L80 NPC HP: 1800/1800 MP: 1800/1800 Shadun L63 HP: 1065/1065 MP: 920/920 Naomi L22 HP: 910/910 MP: 320/320 Aveye L45 HP: 750/750 MP: 875/875
It was truly a bunch of misfits he had gathered. ¡°We ready? Please follow me.¡± Lugwen asked. Everyone nodded their heads at the mission they were about to conduct. Their current objective was to bypass the Hondurian army line without being caught, by first going into the area northeast of Loyderidge and routing around the enemy encampment back to the east. After getting some distance away, they will then return to the main road and make way for Vanguard Pass. At least that was the plan. If they do encounter enemies along the way, they will fight it out. If the enemies were too overwhelming for them to break out of, there was always the secret weapon they could fall back on. Beast eyed Shadun. If he is smart enough and Beast was inclined to presume he is, the bard would know what to do when the time calls for it. It was also why he gave out the earbuds beforehand, to let the latter know that they were prepared for any contingency plans. ¡°Let¡¯s ride.¡± Lugwen led the way through the path leading out of Loyderidge to Port Lucke, galloping at full speed with six other riders close behind. Riwana and Mealgar, despite their status as a frail magician and a fat man, had no problems staying in control of their steed. The players on the other hand were having a bit of trouble. Naomi was tugging at the reins as though she was wrestling with her horse, while Aveye looked like he was hanging on to dear life as his steed jerked up and down on the bumpy road. Only Shadun looked at ease with horse riding. Beast on the other hand, had to count himself lucky he had a riding skill generated back when he first became a Lore Keeper to help him with the ordeal. If they were to be ambushed right now, there was no telling what would be the consequences. Fortunately, they encountered no one, allowing them time to get used to their mounts. The Hondurian Army really did not bother coming in from the north. A distance down the path, the royal guard swerved off the main road into the undergrowth and from then onwards, it was a constant battle against the environment as they journeyed east. Broken twigs and trampled bushes laid in their wake. Soon enough, a whole cacophony of flickering lights came into view. It was the Hondurian camp and it was huge. Lugwen held up a fist as he came to a stop, causing the people behind him to halt. He then dismounted and started pulling the horse by the bridle. ¡°Make minimal noise.¡± Like clockwork, all seven of them moved slowly using the shadow of the vegetation as cover to escape the sight of the Hondurian lookouts. Even though they were some way away, there could be no denying that those who were posted as watchers were usually the ones with the sharpest eyesight. Even from his position, Beast could make out a black figure atop one of the watchtowers moving around every so often. As what they always say, if you can see someone, they can also see you. It was halfway through when, the black figure started gesturing suddenly, even pointing furiously at their apparent direction. He could see the figure making a wave like motion with his hands and was starkly reminded of his new cloak gently fluttering in the night breeze on his back while reflecting the light of the moon. Crap. Reprimanding himself for the oversight, Beast voiced out. ¡°We should hurry. I think they saw us.¡± It was an understatement. They quickened their pace, but the gates to the camp opened a while later to spit out a platoon of horsemen that quickly converged onto their direction to intercept their path. ¡°Mount up. We are charging through!¡± Lugwen declared, before swinging up his steed. With a mighty rear of their horses, the seven of them charged down their intended route with all pretense of subtlety forgotten. As Beast rode as fast as he could, he reached into his backpack and pull out one of the spears he had made. Wait for it¡­ wait for it¡­ there! The javelin launched from his hand with a well-aimed throw, striking the closest enemy rider through the chest. The man was subsequently pelted by an arrow and a fireball before being thrown off his horse from the combined force of the attacks. He then lapsed into a spasm as the toxxi-venom took effect.
Your Throwing skill had increased to Basic 8!
Emboldened by the success, Beast threw three more javelins in quick succession, taking down three more enemy horsemen. ¡°Faster!¡± Lugwen bellowed. ¡°Ho ho ho! Protect me people!¡± Riwana was composed as she fired spell after spell on horseback. ¡°Shut up, Mealgar! Fireball!¡± With a combination of Aveye¡¯s arrows and Riwana¡¯s spells, it seemed like it would be possible to keep their pursuers at bay, until they broke into a small clearing where something else happened out of the blue. ¡°Beast, watch out!¡± Naomi¡¯s voice came a second too late as an arrow burrowed through Beast¡¯s shoulder, almost unseating him from the abrupt impact.
-334 HP!
In front of them about a hundred meters away, a line of bow horsemen were in place with their arrows ready to fire. Beast swore. ¡°Damnit, when did they get in front of us?¡± Then a sharp pain gripped his wounded shoulder blade.
You are poisoned. -125 HP / 10 seconds
¡°Poison! Urgh!¡± ¡°Beast!¡± ¡°Now is not time to talk!¡± ¡°Ho Ho Ho!¡± ¡°Evasive maneuvers!¡± ¡°GO! GO! GO!¡± Their situation had become dire. However, there was nothing else they could do except to plunge headlong into danger. Beast launched a javelin with his uninjured arm, taking down one of the bowmen with deadly accuracy. However, it was not enough. With a loud twang of taut string, a blockade of arrows flew towards the fellowship and everyone swung their weapons in an attempt to parry the shots. Beast in particular tried to shield Naomi as much as possible due to her lower level while mitigating some of the damage with his Chi Body skill. The only thing they needed to do was to close the distance. Fifty meters. Thirty meters. Twenty meters. By this time, a look of panic flashed across the horsemen¡¯s faces when they realized that their arrows were not slowing down their targets. Ten meters. Zero. Beast punched with all of his might as his horse tore past the enemy line, impacting right into an offending horseman¡¯s face with a fiery blue pulse of energy. The combination of the thrown fist and the momentum from the charging steed created a loud cracking sound as the man¡¯s face caved in and carried his body meters away from where his original spot were.
Your Riding skill has increased to Basic 3!
¡°Blue Fist!¡± Beast had no idea who yelled that in all the chaos but it sounded very much like Aveye. There was no time to find out as an even larger group of soldiers appeared in their line of sight at their front. Dozens of armoured cavalrymen with pikes and swords stood in their way, their entire body and steed both clad in metal chainmail. The time for drastic action was now. ¡°Earbuds everyone! Shadun!¡± It was the cue. Beast locked eyes with Shadun who returned a look that said ¡®can¡¯t-be-helped-just-this-once¡¯. The others hesitantly plugged their ears with the balls of wool that Beast had provided before they started. Regardless of whether they knew what was about to happen, they complied anyway and it was sufficient. However when Beast tried to wear his own protection, the woolen earplugs gave him an electric shock that made him drop them and it was with abject horror that he remembered that he could not equip anything that was not an artifact. F*ck. As the song started to pick up on its starting notes, Beast¡¯s world turned black to the sound of a machine dying down. Next Chapter Chapter 32: Estrangement Sebast blinked. The darkness stared back at him. What in the world just transpired? Did the power trip or something? Before he could make head or tails on what was happening, the hatch of his game capsule opened with a mechanical creak of its hinges to the face of his mother. In the background, the voice of his aunt could be heard from the living room, conversing with what seemed like his uncle. Sebast knew that they lived nearby, but to come over twice in a single day was surely intentional. He immediately recognized what had occurred. ¡°Mum.¡± His voice was laced with resentment. ¡°Your aunt and uncle came over again. Go entertain them.¡± It was bad timing at its finest. Right when he was in a circumstance of life and death in Ages Online, control just had to be robbed from him via an external factor, leaving him helpless to affect the outcome. Right now inside the game, he had no idea how the situation was or if they had even managed to break out successfully. He had no choice. He needed to go back immediately. Taking a deep breath, Sebast reigned in all the frustration and anger he had felt when he realized his mother had switched off the capsule on him. A fight right now was not what he wanted. ¡°Mum¡­ I am in the middle of something important.¡± He reached over for the switch, only to be stopped by a wrinkled hand. Even though she appeared perfectly calm, Sebast could feel cold fury rolling off her in waves. ¡°Then pause your game.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t pause an online game!¡± Sebast cried out indignantly. Back in the living room, the conversation died down at the outburst. They heard. ¡°Go. Out. And. Talk. To. Them.¡± His mother hissed through clenched teeth. Her self-control was in danger of falling apart. Sebast could not understand. Did it really matter so much how others perceived them, perceived him? Did it matter so much just to prove a point? If he had been free, he would gladly do so but now was not the time. He was about to retort when the door swung open. ¡°Michelle, are you alright?¡± It was his Aunt Kathy. In an instant, all hints of anger were erased, all facial contortions of barely restrained rage disappeared beneath the skin. The oppressing atmosphere vanished entirely as his mother turned to his aunt with a sickeningly sweet voice. ¡°Nothing Kathy, I am just talking to Sebast here. Sebast, greet your Aunt.¡± ¡°Aunt Kathy.¡± ¡°Kathy, please go sit down for a moment? We will be right over.¡± Sebast rolled his eyes, but he said nothing as his aunt returned back to the living room. Right as the door closed and the both of them were alone again, his mother reverted back to her original demeanor. The only difference was that this time round Sebast have had enough. In a moment of recklessness, Sebast sarcastically said. ¡°Mum, I am going out.¡± ¡°What?¡± His mother was flummoxed at his reaction. ¡°Where are you going at this time?¡± ¡°To take a walk.¡± If she were to prevent him from proceeding on his important quest that would decide the fate of a kingdom, then he would just go find a capsule somewhere else. Sweeping up his wallet and handphone from his bedside table, Sebast strode out. ¡°Aunt, Uncle, I am going out.¡± ¡°Wait-!¡± His mother came out of the room after him, but he knew that with his Aunt around, she would never be able to bring herself to destroy the fa?ade she had set up. It was with such that he boldly walked out of the house without looking back. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°Crap¡­¡± Sebast slumped down on one of the side-benches that dotted along the whole stretch of road. After that satisfying show of defiance, reality finally caught up to him. His wallet, having been ¡®governed¡¯ by his parents since he was young, had not enough money to pay for a pod at the local VR-LAN shop and he had forgotten to bring his debit card, also under governance, along. Therefore he had absolutely no idea where and how to find a working capsule to get into the game. Actually his first intention after his exodus had been to seek shelter at the dojo. Besides, the Penguin Dojo has a capsule that he could possibly use. But on further thought, Naomi would already be occupying it so Sebast abandoned the idea. He looked at the time on his phone. Half an hour had passed ever since he disconnected, which equated to an hour and half in-game. Much would have already happened and the anxiety over the inability to be on the ground was gripping him. His friends were in trouble and he could do nothing about it. Friends¡­ That is right! His whole class is playing Ages Online! If he could contact them and ask for help, it would resolve the problem he currently had. Picking up his phone to check his contacts, Sebast¡¯s face fell as the pages showed up blank; He had forgotten that he had yet to make any friends in school. Sighing deeply, Sebast once again slumped back onto the bench. He was so screwed. ¡°Sebast Koh?¡± It was a familiar voice, causing Sebast to jerk his head up to look at the newcomer. Wong Xiang Jun stood at the roadside, with a plastic bag of groceries hanging off his left hand. He wore a faded t-shirt and bermudas with slippers but to Sebast¡¯s eyes, the man was nothing short of a knight in shining armor. ¡°Wong Xiang Jun!¡± ¡°Hey¡­ what are you doing here?¡± ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Sebast asked back. Xiang Jun closed the distance, his slippers clacking noisily against the tarmac. ¡°I live nearby and am just going home after grocery shopping.¡± All Sebast heard from that sentence was ¡®live nearby¡¯ and ¡®going home¡¯. He could not believe his luck. Here he was lamenting about his situation and fate decided to provide him with a way out with the one classmate that he was the closest with. ¡°Xiang Jun, can I borrow your capsule?¡± ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°It is a long story. I will explain on the way to your house.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ okay?¡± This was how Sebast forced himself into Xiang Jun¡¯s home. Entering the apartment complex, Sebast was surprised by the emptiness of it. From the outside, it looked average and plain, but when he crossed the door he could immediately see the distinct lack of human life. Dust coated the shelves, an indication of minimal maintenance; It was a stark contrast from his own well-kept home. ¡°Make yourself at home. Do you need anything to drink?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Sebast surveyed the place with curiosity. ¡°Do you live on your own?¡± ¡°My parents are overseas so I have the whole place to myself.¡± Xiang Jun emerged with two cans of cola and a packet of cup noodles. Placing one can down in front of Sebast, he started eating his dinner. A few seconds of awkwardness ticked past. ¡°So¡­ running away from home huh? I didn¡¯t know you do such things.¡± ¡°S-since when did I said I ran away?¡± Sebast fiercely denied. He was very particular when it came down to defining such terms. ¡°I merely needed to borrow a capsule and went for a walk.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Xiang Jun sounded like he was not convinced. ¡°Speaking of which, where is your capsule?¡± ¡°First room from the right. Wait¡­ wait a minute, dude!¡± Sebast halted in his tracks. He would have disappeared into the room already had the other man not called him. Sebast narrowed his eyes. Was the guy going to renege on his words or attach strings to the deal? ¡°You should at least give your mum a call. I think she should be pretty worried about you right now.¡± Sebast¡¯s eyes softened. ¡°I know¡­ I will do that later.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Beast logged back into the game, only to find his body being shaken by a pair of violent hands. ¡°Beast! Beast! WAKE UP!¡± Naomi basically screamed into his ears, causing him to jerk up from his prone position on the ground when the audio feed finally picked up. ¡°Hey, stop that!¡± ¡°You were out for almost two hours, Beast-kun.¡± Aveye¡¯s face was close¡­ too close. Beast instinctively reared back, frantically reminding himself that it was a trap. ¡°Good grief, I thought you did it purposely to avoid my singing.¡± ¡°I am sorry. I got disconnected.¡± His wound was gone and so was his poisoned status. He would have to properly thank Naomi later. Around him, the rest of his human party sat. The NPCs however were nowhere to be seen. Beast voiced his question on the matter, fearing that they had somehow failed the quest. He was answered by Shadun with an annoyed expression. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°They went over there to calm themselves and the mounts. Should be back in a minute or so.¡± As it turned out, the three of them did not really wear their earbuds properly, thinking it was redundant to so do. It resulted in them being afflicted partially with maladies that would take time to clear and was partially why they had stopped for a breather. Beast inwardly wondered if his disconnection had been a blessing in disguise. In any case, they had managed to successfully break away from their Hondurian pursuers with the advent of their secret weapon and were currently on track to Vanguard Pass. The only thing he had missed was in no specific order, Naomi¡¯s shocked face when she saw people falling off their horses left and right after Shadun broke into a song she could not hear due to the earplugs, the big scare when the others realized he had slumped unconscious on his horse and then the constant complaining when they had to handle and lug his body around after his disconnection. Riwana was said to have been pretty vocal about it, or as vocal as she could be while feeling nauseated. In the end, the situation had resolved itself even without his input. ¡°So¡­¡± Beast felt that he should make up for his blunders with some attempt at conversation. The whole thing had come about because his cloak gave them away. ¡°I am sorry.¡± ¡°What for? If it is because you DCed, it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Shadun was being surprisingly understanding. ¡°What has happened, happened.¡± The rest of them nodded in agreement, oblivious as well. Unfortunately, that was not the matter Beast was apologizing about. ¡°I-¡° ¡°Hohoho that was really snazzy.¡± ¡°Seriously, warn us better next time.¡± The pompous court magician remarked, breaking through the undergrowth with a slight rustling of leaves. The return of the three NPCs interrupted Beast¡¯s words, making them stuck in his throat. Because the timing had been ruined, he forced them down again with great difficulty. It was just as well. What has happened was already in the past, like Shadun had said. There was simply no use harping on it. Deep down inside, Beast made up his mind to make up for it in the future. ¡°Let¡¯s move on.¡± With the fellowship back together again, the seven of them mounted up their horses and continued on their journey towards Vanguard Pass. This time round, they were far enough away from the Hondurian encampment to be able to travel down the road without any more need for subtlety. Besides, after what he had heard from the rest, the enemy would not be very interested in chasing them for a period of time, at least until they realise that their object of interest was already gone. In other words, their journey east was uneventful. The only other noteworthy event of interest was when they were halfway down the road to Vanguard Pass. At their front, a black mass blocked the way. Lugwen brought the group down to a slow trot, ready to give the signal to escape the other way should it be an enemy encounter while he himself took the lead to investigate. It was not clear at first due to the darkness of the night, but a small caravan appeared into view after the seven of them came close enough. On first look, it appeared to be simply a normal merchant caravan heading east down the road with goods and supplies. This caravan that consisted of a carriage and a wagon of items was slowly being pulled by a lone steed, of which was a weird choice for a steed, as it was revealed to be an alpaca of all things upon closer inspection. It was larger than the usual alpaca, and apparently strong enough to carry both its owner and the caravan at once. Atop the saddle, the owner of the caravan seemed to be taking his time with the procession, even humming a song to the moonlight. ¡°Hey travelers!¡± The merchant spotted the group, hailing them with a raise of his hands. There was a wide grin on his face, like he was overjoyed in seeing people other than himself. ¡°What brings you on this path on this boring night?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Nobody answered, for they were all wary of the stranger. Lugwen, being the honorable knight that he is, returned the greeting after a few seconds of silent consideration. ¡°Good sir, may I ask where you are heading to?¡± The merchant answered without hesitation. ¡°Vanguard Pass. Duh! This road leads only to that place after all.¡± Everyone else stiffened. It was common knowledge that trade between Loyderidge and Vanguard Pass had been blocked due to the siege. This implied that the merchant was either smuggling items, or he was someone from the enemy camp. The merchant must had guessed the atmosphere, because he quickly fished out a parchment from his bag and showed it to the party. ¡°Look, I have a pass for it. See?¡± On what appeared to be a trade document stating that the bearer is allowed to conduct trade between Loyderidge and Vanguard Pass, the crest of both Honduria and Caerheim shone in bright red ink at the end of the page. It was an amazing feat, considering how both countries were currently on bad terms but yet still potentially possible due to the gift of gab inherent in all merchant classes. Beast idly wondered how much he had sacrificed to obtain that permit. ¡°I am just a poor merchant trying to make a living. I have spent all my fortune on my goods in Kagel and thought I could sell them in Loyderidge. But then the war came and I am stuck outside the city so I had to beg my way past to go trade in Vanguard Pass. Right, Alpy?¡± The alpaca steed gave a hum as though it was confirming its owner¡¯s words, at which the merchant gave the llama-lookalike a gentle stroke on the neck. There was a brief scene of intimate affection as mount and human looked into each other¡¯s eyes, creating a world of their own that only had space for the both of them. Suddenly, a look of realization drew itself across the merchant¡¯s face before it turned dark. His voice came, doubtful and unsure. ¡°You guys¡­ are not r-robbers, aren¡¯t you? At this time of the night¡­ only robbers would wander around the roads.¡± His eyes took on a tinge of desperation as they flitted from the alpaca to his wagon and back again. ¡°T-this is all I have left. Please spare my Alpy. I will let you take all of my goods but please don¡¯t kill Alpy.¡± ¡°Surely not!¡± Lugwen indignantly denied in face of the accusation for robbery and slaughter. Before Beast or anyone else could stop him, the royal guard spewed more in righteous anger. ¡°We are knights from Loyderidge, and we will not stoop to something as low as robbing merchants or killing their faithful steeds!¡± ¡°Knights?¡± The merchant was unconvinced. ¡°How could knights from Loyderidge be here? They are under siege!¡± ¡°We broke out.¡± Riwana chipped in, accepting that the damage had already been done. ¡°That is all you need to know. As a gesture of our non-hostility, let us escort you to Vanguard Pass. In return, we would request that you let us join as your bodyguards, even when entering town.¡± It seemed that the court magician had contrived of a way to make use of the merchant to bypass the town¡¯s security. It was a brilliant tactical move, but Beast was not sure if the plan would work like Riwana expected it to. ¡°What if you are lying?¡± ¡°Then you would already be dead. But you are not.¡± It was a barely concealed threat at its finest. ¡°Y-you are right.¡± The merchant looked like he was finally persuaded. ¡°Fine.¡± Riwana grinned, having gotten her way. If they could enter Vanguard Pass on legit grounds then there would be no need for troublesome things like sneaking in for an audience with Prince Duplent. Meeting this merchant was like a heaven-sent that resolved most of their problems at once, regardless of the merchant¡¯s origins. Besides, what threat could a merchant be? Even if he were to suddenly turn hostile, there was no reason why the seven of them could not handle a single person and then return back to their original plans. It was with this thought that Riwana and the NPCs began to escort the caravan east in earnest. Beast, however, did not let his guard down. He was not taken in at the slightest. It was hard to see at night but despite his ragged appearance, the merchant¡¯s entire body was emitting a light blue glow. Next Chapter Chapter 33: Vanguard Pass As the coastline narrowed, the continent-spanning bridge known as the Grand Crossing came into view, the ultimate marvel of Hondurian engineering shimmering under the moonlight and forming a wavy reflection upon the water¡¯s surface. As one end of the glimmering bridge led into the dense sea mist supported by thick pillars of stone, the other originated from the inland town called Vanguard Pass that they were nearing. Vanguard Pass might have been classed as a town, but it was closer to a fortress than a normal border checkpoint where people cross into the other country. Built in the early days of the Western Expedition, it was the spearhead into the part of the western continent which eventually became the Kingdom of Caerheim. Nowadays, it functions as a mere stop-over before or after the long journey through the Grand Crossing, with ramparts extending out from both sides to form an effective barrier that funnels travelers through the town and keep out any illegal border hopping. To think that it would become the perfect spearhead for the Caerheim Invasion in this war. Even from afar, Vanguard Pass looked heavily fortified. Despite being more than half the size smaller than Loyderidge, temporary watchtowers had been erected to cover all directions along the ramparts that separated the peninsula the town sits on with the rest of the continent. The town was brightly lit, as though its inhabitants were on high alert the entire time. It was logical, considering how Vanguard Pass was technically staffed by the Hondurian military as an outpost, further amplified by the presence of royalty. The seven members of the fellowship silently proceeded at the side of the merchant¡¯s caravan, trying to act as normal as they could. Lugwen and Riwana took the front, while Mealgar, Aveye and Shadun filled in the center. Naomi and Beast covered the rear and he was busy grappling with how he could get across the message that the merchant was not what he seemed to be without blowing everything they were doing. One wrong move and he could alert the merchant. If the latter were to perchance run away, the whole of Vanguard Pass would be on the lookout for their arrival, rendering the already difficult mission impossible. Then again, it was not like they should just follow him like lambs to the slaughter. Beast was sure that Riwana is no fool, but they might be underestimating just what this merchant could do. Naomi suddenly rode closer to him. ¡°Beast¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Beast answered as softly as he could. ¡°My father sent me a message from the capsule¡­¡± The girl was unsure if she should continue on what she was about to say. ¡°¡­ Your mother called the dojo.¡± She was surveying Beast¡¯s expression for signs. ¡°She asked if you were with us.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh.¡± Beast gave a distracted reply, his mind still on the previous matter. Unfortunately, it made him sounded aloof. Naomi¡¯s face furrowed. ¡°Can you not be so detached? This is your mother we are talking about. I don¡¯t know what happened between the both of you but papa said she sounded very worried.¡± Instead of the reprimanding, bossy tone that she liked to take with him, this time Naomi sounded¡­ concerned. What changed? ¡°In any case, papa told her that you are with us and told me to tell you to settle this matter with your mother soon, if you are a real man. In his exact words, he said he did not want a little shit for a grand-disciple and will not hesitate to kick you out of the dojo even if he had retired.¡± Somehow it had become a threat all of a sudden. The mood whiplash was jarring. Beast weakly nodded, trying to ignore that jab at his masculinity made by Naomi¡¯s father he had yet to meet. ¡°Hey¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± If there were more threats, she should simply just say them all at once. ¡°If¡­ you need to talk about anything on your mind¡­ you can talk to me.¡± A small smile crept into Beast¡¯s face at Naomi¡¯s offer. ¡°Sure.¡± He lightly replied. For that moment and a few others after that, the atmosphere was heartwarming, amplified under the serene light of the moon. Then, a third person joined in the conversation seconds later and ruined it. ¡°Psst. Hey boy, I am sorry to interrupt your flirting but I would like to ask something.¡± It was Mealgar the historian. ¡°What is it?¡± Beast whispered with a small degree of irritation at the same volume the historian approached them with. Mealgar took a glance at the front to check if the merchant was paying attention before he asked his question. ¡°Do you notice something off about the merchant we picked up?¡± It was logical that Mealgar, being of the historian class, would have the Detect Mana skill as well, thus allowing him to see the faint blue glow of magic emitting from the merchant. Despite that, Beast was unsure of how to answer; He did not know how the pudgy historian would react. Naomi on the other hand, reacted for the both of them. ¡°Something is wrong with him?¡± She inquired, sensible enough to keeping her voice down. The subject in question was currently humming a tune alongside his alpaca steed. Mealgar nodded. ¡°I originally thought my eyes were playing tricks on me but he is not what he seems. That man¡­ is hiding something.¡± Beast nodded in affirmation. ¡°Ah, I knew you could see it too. Very well, that confirms my suspicions.¡± ¡°Mealgar, could you inform Lugwen and Riwana? They need to keep their guards up.¡± Beast said a matter-of-factly. ¡°Lugwen and Riwana are already cautious, but they want to use this opportunity to get inside the town I think. I will just relay the information when I see the opportunity to. Well then, just letting you guys know about this.¡± With an apprehensive nod, the historian returned back to his position by the caravan, leaving Naomi and Beast alone again. Beast supposed that the conversation was the game¡¯s equivalent of hinting things. The three NPCs chosen on this joint operation was designed such that their skills covered a balanced spectrum, allowing leeway for all the myriad party combinations that could be brought on the quest. This was so that even a heavily skewed party would not be screwed from the start, even if their chances of succeeding would not be very high. ¡°Naomi, if there ever is an emergency, I want you to escape in a random, different direction and find somewhere safe to hide. Summon the party using Taerra¡¯s Aid after five minutes, not a second more or less.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Naomi however, continued to keep her gaze on him. ¡°Beast, you already knew about this.¡± It was not a question. ¡°Uh¡­ yea.¡± ¡°Then why did you not tell us?¡± She looked hurt, so much that it made Beast feel a little guilty. ¡°I... was not really sure on the situation. Besides, everyone else seemed to be going along with it so¡­¡± ¡°You need to stop being so passive.¡± Another statement, one that resonated within Beast¡¯s soul. How many times had he gone along with the situation just because he was undecided on what to do and thus screwed himself over? The incidents with Lortan, the fiasco with Kiki and even in real life¡­ Naomi was right, he had been quite passive. ¡°I am sorry.¡± ¡°There is no need. Just don¡¯t always keep things from us next time.¡± Naomi stuck out her tongue as she refused Beast¡¯s apology, leaving him stupefied. ¡°Besides, I think you can lead pretty well.¡± Girls, he had no idea what they are thinking. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Vanguard Pass was mighty up close. Riding down the road towards the tall stone gates that is the entrance into the town, Beast could feel hundreds of eyes locked onto him. If he were to hazard a guess, most of them had already locked their weapons, ready to fire at a moment¡¯s notice. The only thing between them and death via arrow shower was the merchant they were escorting and the certificate he had. ¡°Halt.¡± A voice called from above the walls. ¡°State your business.¡± ¡°I am here to trade and I have permission.¡± A minute passed before the gate creaked open to let out a Hondurian soldier. He beckoned for the merchant to hand him the proof of permission, to which the latter obliged. They conversed some, but it was not audible at their distance. Would the merchant suddenly betray them? As the soldier¡¯s eyes darted across the parchment, Beast could feel his heart pounding rapidly in his chest. He was sure the rest were the same, looking upon the scene with hopeful, yet anxious eyes. One shout was all it needed to change their situation entirely, and he was already poised to flee at the slightest sign of trouble. Then, the soldier announced, ¡°It is okay. Open the gates and let them in.¡± The merchant flashed them a grin and held up his thumb in victory. Seven sighs of relief were released simultaneously while they were ushered into the fortress town. Entering Vanguard Pass proper, the heavy gates shut behind them with a loud bang. They might have managed to pass the first stage, but it also meant that from then onwards, they would not have much of a way of escape. It was the point of no return. Glancing at the density of the town¡¯s security as he walked down the streets, Beast wondered just how much effort it would take if they were to do the quest in the conventional stealthy way. Vanguard Pass was filled with patrols all over the place, so much that it was as though there was another army right here ready to march at a moment¡¯s notice. Beast was right; Honduria would not give up on Loyderidge that easily. Actually, the more appropriate question would be if Loyderidge would be able to hold up long enough against the onslaught of another Hondurian attack for them to even enter the town, much less find Duplent to negotiate. Even trying to find a relatively undisturbed dark alleyway free of people took much combing to achieve. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°I have fulfilled my end of the deal, yea?¡± The merchant looked at Riwana with pleading eyes and then to the rest of the party. His hand gripped the reins of his alpaca tightly as he awaited his verdict. The court magician nodded. ¡°Thank you for your aid, merchant. I suppose this is where we part ways.¡± Now that they were in Vanguard Pass proper, there was no real need to associate with unknown liabilities anymore. Their next step of action would be to find out where Duplent Ashwald is located. They already had a guess; the prince should most likely be protected inside the keep. ¡°Uh¡­ wait!¡± it seemed that the merchant was not ready to be abandoned. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Are you looking for someone?¡± The merchant glanced nervously at his alpaca. ¡°My correspondence here might be able to help you. She is a blacksmith and makes rounds to the keep occasionally.¡± Beast narrowed his eyes. Riwana looked as though she was contemplating the offer. ¡°Yes, we-¡° ¡°No thanks, but we don¡¯t even know you. You can go about your business and we can go about ours.¡± Beast politely interrupted. Riwana glared at him for a second but let it slide after Beast did not back down. It was a harsh but necessary refusal. Besides, there was something fishy about the man that he did not like, as though he was deliberately trying to make things simple for them. That and the original suspicions he had was enough to break ties as soon as he could. Without any hesitation, Beast turned and walked off, followed behind by the rest of the party. If Beast had stayed around for a while longer, he might have seen a few things he would normally not. He might have seen the merchant¡¯s nervous expression drop like a well-worn mask, only to be replaced by a creeping smirk under the shadows of the alleyway. If he had stayed, he would have heard¡­ things. ¡°Alpy. Pass me the Pigeon Mail.¡± Alpy the alpaca hummed as it obliged its master¡¯s will, rummaging through the caravan before returning with a scroll in its mouth. The merchant then took out a golden feather pen from his pocket and scrawled words on the paper. After his act was done, there was a brief flash of light as the paper fold itself into the shape of a small bird and shot up into the night sky. Mounting up the alpaca mount, he gently patted the animal¡¯s head. ¡°Well then Alpy, it is time to find Olurin.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. The town¡¯s keep was as well-guarded as the town¡¯s wall defenses. Fortunately, that served as a good indication of the prince¡¯s location. Unfortunately after surveying the grounds, every entrance into the grounds was vigilantly watched over by at least one guard and moving shadows behind those well-lit windows only hinted at more patrolling forces. There seemed to be no way in without alerting the security to their presences, much less navigating the keep to where they needed to be. Mealgar had urged them before that it is of utmost important that they have as private an audience with Prince Duplent Ashwald as possible, because there is no reason why he could not take the seal from them forcefully with the amount of military power available to him otherwise. In other words, the success of the mission rest entirely in them getting to Duplent¡¯s room undetected. Currently, the seven of them were hiding behind the corner of a building near the one of the town¡¯s keep entrance that was the least guarded among them, discussing how they could best gain entry. Naomi was advocating that they break in with pure brute strength, while Riwana suggested using a sleep spell. The former was disregarded without mercy while the latter merited some thought, only to be ultimately dismissed due to strain and mana issue of having to cast the spell on every guard they come across. ¡°We could use Shadun again¡­¡± Beast eyed the bard, who gave him a disgusted look. Technically it is not considered detection if the guards were dead or unconscious. ¡°What? No!¡± Three people protested at once ¨C the NPCs. Beast shrugged. ¡°Hey, it is not like you are the ones without earbuds¡­¡± It was as well that his suggestion was shot down. The Shadun option would be a little too prominent in this kind of situation. Once the soldiers outside the keep realise that an unknown bard is wreaking havoc inside, they would be swarmed and overwhelmed in a blink of an eye. Furthermore, Beast did not really want to keep relying on Shadun¡¯s singing and he somehow gets the feeling that the bard himself is not really proud of it. Therefore, they would have to approach the infiltration via another angle. The only problem was that they could not come to a consensus on the matter. If this were to carry on, they would not be able to get anything done anytime soon. Standing up fully, Beast suddenly strode out of their hiding place towards the lone guard standing by the keep¡¯s entrance, much to the horror of everyone involved. ¡°Hey there.¡± He gave a friendly smile. The guard stared at him. ¡°Tonight is a good night for you?¡± The look in Beast¡¯s eyes suddenly changed, setting off the guard¡¯s danger bells. However, before the guard could yell out for help, Beast was faster. His fist flashed a dangerous blue as it smashed into the man¡¯s jaw to a loud satisfying crunch of broken bone.
You have activated Predator Sense! +30% damage!
You have gained the skill: Dazed Blow Skill: Dazed Blow (Basic 1) Passive The impact of your punches is strong enough to cause slight disorientation to the enemy. 0.5-2.5% chance of inflicting dazed status
Beast stepped behind the guard in a fluid motion a split second after the hit was registered, his other hand already by the mouth and muffling whatever sound of pain that leaked out. Then, he constricted his arm across the man¡¯s neck to deprive him of air, dragging the barely conscious guard back to the hiding place to everyone¡¯s stunned look. ¡°What are you all looking at? Quickly strip his uniform and change into them. We are doing this the old-school way.¡± Six pairs of eyes blinked in response. ¡­¡­¡­ Ten minutes later, another guard approached the guard post. ¡°Hey, Wingu. I am here to take the shift. Wingu?¡± The figure stiffened and turned slightly. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Wingu, your voice¡­ and your face¡­¡± The second guard abruptly blushed. ¡°You have become prettier¡­¡± It was all the second guard managed to say before the white of his eyes turned and he collapsed onto the ground in deep sleep. Riwana took off her helmet before stepping on the man¡¯s face with her foot in loathing, making sure to push in as hard as she could. ¡°Pervert.¡± She spat. ¡­¡­. ¡°Say, Argo went to take the shift yea?¡± Two guards quietly conversed with each other as they walked down the dark path towards the guard post. They were holding what appeared to be bottles of liquor. ¡°If so, where is Wingu?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. All I know is that Argo should be bored and lonely. Which is why we are here right?¡± ¡°Yea! Let¡¯s drink the night away!¡± It was then they saw two figures in the darkness approaching from the opposite direction. ¡°Oh, there are the both of them. They are walking towards us. Hey guys! If you are here, who is guarding?¡± Two simultaneous punches lashed out at once, followed by loud thuds of a sword hilt and a lute bashing against hard skulls. Before they could recover, arms were already around their neck, strangling them and robbing their ability to speak. A minute or so later, they finally fell motionless and were quickly stripped bare, their bodies abandoned in the bushes. ¡­¡­¡­. ¡°Hey, have you heard? They say that the back entrance was left unguarded. The guard who was supposed to be there disappeared.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard people have been sent to investigate and orders had come down from above that everyone is to keep their guards up at all time.¡± ¡°No wonder there is some abnormally high activity in the keep at this time of the night. Who do you think it might be?¡± ¡°No idea. Reports did come in from Loyderidge that a group of people broke out of the siege and were heading here. It might be them.¡± ¡°You are right.¡± ¡°Who-?¡± An arm snaked in from behind, choking the guard before he had time to react. Clawing and flailing in desperation, he was then dragged into a dark corner of the keep where the sounds of struggled died and another person wearing the exact same uniform emerged a while later. Mealgar cleared his throat, the discomfort with the tightness of his new attire showing on his chubby face. Even so, he nodded at the five other people in the group, signaling that he was ready. Beast grinned. The plan was going smoothly. Next Chapter
Author''s Notes: Good day readers! As a friendly reminder, do rate and review if you enjoy the story and have yet to do it. It is a simple process if you just go to the main index page and scroll down to the bottom. Just give a star rating which you think is best and press submit. :] Cheers! Chapter 34: The Princes of Honduria ¡°Halt.¡± The commanding voice of a knight sounded, causing the sound of footsteps to stop in the halls. Six people froze in their tracks, unsure of how to respond to the statement. In the ensuing silence that followed, punctuated by the clinking of the knight¡¯s metal boots, one could hear six hearts pounding furiously. ¡°Oh, the patrolling team? Who is it that you got there?¡± The nameless Hondurian royal knight pointed his finger at Beast with a suspicious stare. Naturally, Beast who could not wear anything that is not an artifact would not be able to disguise himself as one of the soldiers of Honduria. What he could do on the other hand, is to be himself. ¡°Sir, we captured a foreigner causing trouble near the back entrance. It seems that he knocked out guard Wingu and sneaked inside.¡± Shadun bowed his head as he reported. As if on cue, Mealgar and Lugwen roughly flipped Beast around to show that his hands were being tightly bound, causing Beast to give them both a glare. It was meant to be a glare of annoyance, but the rest interpreted it as an act to play along. Perhaps they were being far too engrossed in their role. ¡°A foreigner?¡± The knight muttered. Foreigner, out-worlders, travelers, they all refer to the same thing ¨C players. ¡°Yes, a foreigner. He appears to be from Caerheim and sneaked into the Pass using a stealth skill. We found him before he could do anymore damage.¡± ¡°Good work. Keep your eyes out for his companions. Foreigners rarely work alone.¡± The knight commended, his wariness disappearing into a warm smile. ¡°Thank you sir, we will take our leave.¡± The shuffling of feet sounded again as the group began to move, relief written all over their faces. The knight however, paused in his position for a moment to think. ¡°Stop.¡± For a second time that night, Beast and company almost jumped out of their skins. ¡°Where are you taking him? The dungeons are not that way.¡± Crap. A shaking Shadun hastily tried to explain it away. ¡°We¡­ we are bringing him to our lord so that we can interrogate him for his companions¡¯ location. Our lord can also decide on the intruder¡¯s punishment on the spot.¡± ¡°I am not telling, not even in the face of your stupid lord!¡± Beast shouted in defiance. He figured that since he was already in the role of a prisoner, he might as well act the part. ¡°Gag him.¡± At the knight¡¯s order, Aveye immediately fished out a piece of cloth from somewhere and unceremoniously bounded Beast in the mouth. The incoherent protests he made at the treatment only served to make the act more real. Beast swore that the feminine boy gave him a devious smile before turning away, making him break out in cold sweat. This person¡­ is dangerous. Meanwhile, it might have been the innate charisma of the bard class but the knight somehow accepted their terribly flimsy explanation. ¡°Go, but do not trouble the lord for too long. He is still resting in the study on the highest floor from his trip from Honduria.¡± Beast blinked. It might have just been a throwaway comment, but did the knight just give away the location of the second prince? From the expressions on the others¡¯ faces, it looked like they were not expecting this windfall as well. Thanking the knight for the information, they took their leave to the second floor. Beast of course, was still gagged. It took some continuous eye-shifting and blinking before they finally realized what he wanted. ¡°Pwahh.¡± He sighed after Aveye removed the cloth. ¡°Aveye you are having too much fun with this.¡± ¡°Sorry, Beast-kun~¡± After letting Beast catch his breath, the archer gagged him again. ¡°Urgh.¡± The rest of the journey was uneventful. They passed by several patrol groups that did not even question their purpose or destination, giving Beast a poor view of the Hondurian forces. Were they not supposed to be the elites? How was it that they could be this lax? Or was it pure complacency? Even the guards that stood outside their goal gave passage when they said they were bringing the prisoner to the prince. Perhaps it was the old saying of ¡®Act confident enough and others would think you are entitled to do so.¡± He did not know. All he knew was that the oaken double doors that were currently before them would lead them to the second prince of Honduria. Pushing them open, they passed into a large study of lush carpet and elegant furniture, of which was occupied by a lone man. Beast eyed Riwana, who returned with a negative shake of her head. Only then did he proceed. After that one time he was surprised by Trigent¡¯s retainers, he had been wary of hidden presences in rooms that appeared to have only one person. Duplent Ashwald was penning something down on parchment when the group entered. Blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, he looked almost like Trigent, only a little older with the wrinkles that adorned his handsome face. Without missing a beat, he called out from his seat. ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± ¡°My lord, we have captured a foreigner-¡° ¡°I did not ask for him.¡± It seemed that the older Ashwald is more authoritative than the younger one. ¡°Who told you to come up here?¡± ¡°One of the knights, my lord.¡± Shadun smoothly answered. ¡°Who? It must be Eago¡­¡± The only reason why they have not been busted through and through was because there was no such thing as instant communication in the medieval age. Spells exists, but they take time to cast while whispering only works for players. ¡°Take him away. I do not wish to bother myself with such paltry things.¡± Duplent¡¯s attention was on his parchment, so he did not realize Lugwen bearing closer and closer ever so slightly. By the time he did, it was already far too late. Drawing his sword, Lugwen placed the blade by Duplent¡¯s neck. ¡°I am sorry, but we can¡¯t do that.¡± The deadly edge glinted under the light. ¡°You know what will happen if you were to shout for help.¡± To his credit, the prince did not flinch even after having cold steel pressed onto his skin. He kept writing as though confident that the people before him would not even dare to wish him harm, as though they were nothing more but negligible beings. ¡°Yes. What is it?¡± It was the exact same sentence he said when they first entered. This time, Duplent was addressing them as outsiders. By then, Beast had been freed from his bonds, leaving him free to speak again for the party. ¡°We wish to negotiate, Prince Duplent.¡± ¡°Negotiate?¡± ¡°Prince Trigent sent us to reach a peace settlement with you, Your Highness.¡± ¡°You were sent by Trigent? Pahahahahaha!¡± At one moment, he was laughing like he was told the greatest joke in the world and the next, he was completely somber. ¡°Get out.¡± The coldness of his words cut through the air. ¡°There will be no negotiations. I will raze Loyderidge to the ground. Kill me, and my father will do it in my stead.¡± The severity of the prince¡¯s declaration hung on them, exerting a pressure of its own. Nevertheless, they already expected something like this to happen. ¡°Ho ho, even with this?¡± Mealgar drew out the Seal of the Lord from his pocket. At once, Duplent¡¯s eyes widened in shock. That calm dignified demeanor that he held all but dissipated and desire showed in his face. They finally had his attention. ¡°¡­ I am open to negotiations.¡± The moment the green light is given, Mealgar went into business straight away. It was his role as the court historian anyway, not to fight but to speak. ¡°Prince Duplent, as per orders by Lord Trigent of Caerheim, we beseech you to withdraw all existing Honduria forces from Caerheim and designate Vanguard Pass as a demilitarized zone. In exchange, we will offer the Seal of the Lord and the assurance of your life. The damage and losses suffered by both sides shall be borne respectively.¡± It was a well-crafted sentence, one that should cover the bases they need for the mission to succeed. ¡°So all I need to do to get the seal and my life is to simply withdraw?¡± He snorted, seeming to find the prospect ridiculous. ¡°And if I refuse?¡± ¡°Then-¡° Mealgar moved to protest, but Beast stopped him. With a nod that said to let him take over, Beast responded. ¡°Your highness can propose other terms. This is a negotiation after all.¡± He gave a wry smile, knowing full well of the irony of the situation. ¡°You do know that once I shout, I can have my guards take that from you.¡± ¡°And that sword would cut your neck. But you would not, not when your goal is to sit on the throne of Honduria. You would not risk your life when you can obtain what you came for with a simple command.¡± ¡°Should I die, Caerheim will not be allowed to exist.¡± ¡°Which is why it would be best if your highness would accept the offer, to save us all the trouble that would otherwise be brought about.¡± Beast paused for dramatic effect. ¡°You losing your life, and us losing our kingdom. I am but a foreigner, Your Highness. I care not about Caerheim in the slightest.¡± ¡°W-what are you saying?¡± ¡°You little¡­¡± That sentence caused no small amount of indignation in the three NPCs that followed them, but Beast ignored them to keep his concentration on Duplent. With one wave of his hand, he quietened them. There was a period of silence as both sides stared into each other, searching for the truth in their words. It was an unspoken dare, to see who had more at stake and who is willing to risk everything to get their way. Finally, the prince broke his gaze and looked away, pained. Beast knew that he had won the mental battle. ¡°Does Your Highness have any other conditions?¡± Duplent¡¯s tone was bitter. ¡°No need. I will accept the terms. ¡± There were looks of surprise on the NPCs¡¯ faces. ¡°Then I will have court historian Mealgar draft up the agreement¡­¡± ¡°No, I will do it myself.¡± Setting aside the original document he was working on, the second prince of Honduria procured a new parchment and started writing down the terms and conditions of the treaty. ¡°Trigent¡­ you bastard.¡± He rasped as he scribbled, a mad gleam barely visible in his blue eyes. ¡°You took away what should have been mine for so many years, and now you simply give it back. I came here to defeat you, to crush you¡­ and yet, I won¡¯t even get my revenge¡­¡± He had written so hard that the quill pen was almost bent out of shape and the words were etched with sharp, unforgiving edges. Beast was a little worried for the man¡¯s sanity but he knew better than to disturb him. He might have not known what had happened between the princes, but he needed the treaty for his quest¡¯s success. Minutes passed, and the treaty was done. ¡°There.¡± Duplent hissed while Mealgar took the official document from him, checking its contents for accuracy before passing him the Seal of the Lord in return. Normally, he would have second thoughts about giving up the Seal this easily, but Beast did not bat an eyelid; he had already catalogued the artifact and its effect long ago. ¡°Now can I have the sword off my neck?¡± ¡°If you would give the order immediately and let us leave.¡± Beast mildly said, motioning for Lugwen to keep his stance. He was not foolish enough to give Duplent a chance to maneuver out of the agreement, and would even use him as a hostage to secure a safe exit if necessary. ¡°Very well. Guards!¡± Duplent called out, knowing that he had no choice but to honor his promise. In that moment before his men were summoned, Duplent nodded his head at Beast with an unreadable expression. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°What is your name, youngster?¡± ¡°Beast.¡± ¡°Beast...¡± It was all he said as the prince turned away, leaving the Lore Keeper confused and a little afraid. That action could mean anything from nothing to blacklisting him for future bans into Honduria the next time he sat on his throne. Maybe he had gone a little too far when handling the next successor in-line to be a country¡¯s king. ¡°GUARDS! What is taking you idiots so long?¡± As in on cue, the door to the hallway opened, not to the faces of avid soldiers ready to carry out their lord¡¯s orders, but to the splattering of blood and the ominous thud of two corpses across the doorway. Their faces were immediately recognizable; they were the two who were supposed to stand guard outside. From the opened door, the sound of battle could clearly be heard. Beast was dumbfounded at the development, but he was doubly surprised when four other soldiers also bearing the mark of Honduria crossed over the bodies into the study with their swords poised to strike. Did he just manage to find himself embroiled in the middle of a coup in progress? ¡°Beast.¡± Duplent uttered, breaking him out of his stupor. ¡°I am assured of my life, yes?¡± This sly fox of a man¡­ ¡°Yes.¡± The treaty must be maintained. ¡°Then protect me.¡± Even though he did not wish to oblige, Beast had no other choice. If Duplent were to die at this crucial moment then all their efforts would have been in vain. It was with this thought that he rushed forward to engage one of the incoming soldiers. ¡°Lugwen, Riwana, Shadun, take an enemy each! Mealgar, Aveye stay behind to protect Duplent. Take pot shots if you see any.¡± Turning to face his own foe, Beast ducked just in time to avoid a horizontal swing from the soldier¡¯s blade. In retaliation, he returned a straight punch into the man¡¯s abdomen, knocking the wind out of him with a painful gasp. That was all he needed to pounce onto the soldier and bring him to the ground from the impact. From there on, it was simply a continuous landing of punches onto the soldier¡¯s face. Even if the soldier¡¯s level was higher than his, there was nothing he could do if his movement were to be neutralized by another person¡¯s weight on his chest. Beast knew as much, and even if the man was strong enough to throw him off, the former made sure there was no breathing room for him to catch back his senses to do so. Every blow Beast landed struck off a portion of the NPC¡¯s health, until the latter finally took his last breath. It was about that time that the rest were done with their opponents. Shadun¡¯s enemy was beaten black and blue, Lugwen¡¯s was impaled cleanly on the end of the royal guard¡¯s sword and Riwana¡¯s foe was badly burnt beyond recognition. For the moment, the coast was clear. ¡°So¡­ what in the world is happening?¡± Beast glanced expectantly at Duplent Ashwald. After all that had happened, he wanted an answer. The man in question was looking at everything with a cold calculated gaze. ¡°Quarent¡­¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Quarent, my brother and the fourth prince of Honduria.¡± The prince paused for a moment to let it sink in. ¡°There is no time to explain. You need to get me to the eastern exit of Vanguard Pass as soon as possible. I have planted trusted agents there just in case this sort of backstabbing treachery might happen.¡± ¡°What?¡± Flat. What. Beast was sure he was not the only one who said that. It was starting to make logical sense. So that was why it had been far too easy to navigate the keep. If he were to assume that Quarent already had his men scattered among the Hondurian army, it would be easy enough to make a deliberate oversight to allow them to reach Duplent¡¯s chambers. An order from a position of command to ignore them would simply suffice. That knight they encountered, he even straight up told them where Duplent was in the guise of a casual slip of the tongue. Then after making the ¡®audience¡¯ successful, they only began to move after ascertaining that a particular object of import was the focus of the meeting ¨C the Seal of the Lord. In other words, it was an internal conflict between the princes of Honduria. Was this a natural progression of the joint operation? Or had it been there ever since the entire invasion started? Beast felt as though he had been doused in cold water. This level of politics was beyond him. To be honest, whoever became the crown prince was none of his business, but while he could technically abandon Duplent and open negotiations with the fourth prince, it would only end in failure. The only bargaining that they had ¨C the Seal ¨C would have already been in Quarent¡¯s hands. ¡°Follow us.¡± Beast urged. In the hallways, Hondurian soldiers were clashing with other Hondurian soldiers in a chaotic tandem of battle, making it nigh impossible to tell friends from foe. Their attention was solely focused on killing each other, so much that they did not even notice when Beast and company sneaked past. It was just well, for their main objective was not to fight but to sequester the prince away to safety. Unnecessary fights would only increase the risks of Duplent dying and Duplent dying would most likely mean their quest failing. Rounding the corner of the stairs to the third floor, they ran into the nameless knight from before leading a platoon of soldiers. From their posture and blood-lusted demeanor upon seeing Duplent, there was no doubt in Beast¡¯s mind that he was working for the other side. ¡°Ah. My prince. You have come.¡± A lightning fast strike lashed out with the aim of taking Duplent¡¯s head, only to be parried by a well-timed positioning of Lugwen¡¯s blade. ¡°Eago. You traitor!¡± Duplent hissed. Beast had to grab the man to prevent him from going forward to strangle the knight. As the other grunts lapsed into battle stance, another group of soldiers rushed out of the corner down the hallway and started to engage the other faction. Within moments, the originally peaceful corridor had turned into a battleground of dancing swords and shields. ¡°There is our lord! Protect our lord!¡± ¡°Kill the betrayers!¡± ¡°Seize the prince!¡± Eago yelled out to his own squad as he surged forth, but found himself blocked by the armored body of Lugwen. ¡°Take the prince out of here! I will take care of this dishonorable disgrace to knights!¡± Beast needed no telling twice. With a turn of his cloak, he led the prince down to the ground floor and then down where they originally entered from. The door to the rear courtyard was unceremoniously kicked open, the path to the back entrance hastily trodden, but what greeted them beyond there was not freedom. Lying in wait, an entire regiment of soldiers flashed their weapons the moment Duplent showed his face. ¡°Oh crap.¡± Scores of arrows flew through the air. ¡°Fiery wrath surges. Volcanic ash rumbles. The wreath of flames scars the land and the living! Lava Wall!¡± At once, the air before them burst into intense burning fire, swallowing most of the incoming arrow projectiles before they could reach their targets. Riwana clasped her hand together on her staff before she began to mutter another spell. Seeing that there was a mage in the group, the soldiers began to charge forward knowing that they have to prevent the spells from being cast. When it seemed that Riwana would easily be overwhelmed by sheer numbers, one person placed himself at the forefront, bravely warding off enemies from reaching the court magician. He was Shadun. ¡°Go! We will take care of this!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°The plan. Follow it!¡± Shadun yelled as he smashed his lute against an encroaching enemy. The spell completed, generating column of fire in the midst of enemy formation and bringing about cries of torment. ¡°Don¡¯t die!¡± ¡°Meh, I can just respawn.¡± As they escaped towards another direction, Beast could faintly hear Shadun¡¯s voice becoming softer and softer. ¡°How can you see into my eye, like open doors leading you down¡­¡± The only people left with him were Aveye and Mealgar. Eastern exit¡­ Eastern exit¡­ They have to get to the eastern exit. Which path should he take? If the plan had been set in progress, they would have to try and wrap everything up in a maximum of ten minutes. It was unavoidable that Beast was starting to panic, especially when he did not really know the layout of Vanguard Pass that well. ¡°This way! I know the safe house where my men are at.¡± Duplent shouted, solving the problem nicely. The trio followed the prince¡¯s lead down the streets of Vanguard Pass. The situation outside was no different from that of the keep. Several times, they had to duck into winding alleys or reroute around due to existing skirmishes happening in their path. Once, a soldier was foolish enough to appear in their way. ¡°You-¡± A javelin pierced through his abdomen and a blue fist collided with his face before he could even finish his sentence. Regardless of affiliation, Beast pummeled the man into unconsciousness before continuing on his way. Aveye was no slouch either. Several times, an approaching soldier would have already been weakened by a continuous barrage of arrows from the archer before Beast reached him for an easy beat down. No mercy. Every enemy soldier they met, he smashed them all. Exactly six minutes and twenty-three seconds later, they found themselves running down an alleyway. Emerging from there, the safe-house they were gunning for would be right across the street. They would deliver Duplent and the seal into the hands of his trusted men, and then their mission would be accomplished. The narrow slit at the end of the road beckoned at them under the moonlight, urging them to make haste. Just as their goals were within reach, a voice sounded. ¡°Hey.¡± The image of man and an animal crossed into view, blocking the exit. It was the merchant and his alpaca steed. ¡°Nice moon, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You?¡± Beast warily skidded to a stop, quickly followed by the rest of the party. ¡°I have a name you know.¡± The merchant smiled as he and the alpaca entered the side-road. Beast instinctively took a step backwards. ¡°Mealgar, take Duplent and run back where we came from.¡± ¡°Oh that won¡¯t be happening.¡± Behind them, a pretty cat woman of the beastman race blocked their retreat. With fluffy ears and a swishing black tail, she was dressed in overalls and short pants and held a gigantic hammer in both hands. Ordinary hammers were usually metallic, but said hammer was entirely made of a translucent white crystal reminiscence of the ones buried under Lanos. Even from the distance, Beast could see the weapon giving off a faint glow of magic. Artifact! It flashed across his mind. Even so, what was more worrying was that there was a red name above the catgirl¡¯s head. Olurin. Where had he seen that before? It was¡­ It was the name of the crafter of Fyrzen¡¯s ring! Dread filled Beast¡¯s heart as he connected the dots. This could not be happening. The merchant before him frowned in disapproval. ¡°Sheesh. You revealed your name too early Olurin. Where is the drama in that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah well¡­ might as well.¡± Another red name flashed over the merchant¡¯s head. ¡°Greetings. I am Alpyrius. This is Alpy. And we will be killing you gently.¡± Next Chapter
Author''s Notes: Dun dun dun. Chapter 35: vs Alpyrius A merchant is a weak casual class. This is the view that many people held of the merchant profession not just in Ages Online, but in most VRMMORPGs available. It is a job mainly for those who like to explore, to go from place to place buying and selling items to raise their wealth. Accounting and economics, a merchant must be well-versed in those areas in order to survive and prosper. Rarely does one see a merchant in the frontlines fighting, for they have almost zero attack abilities. Most of their skills involve the handling of money, usually to aid in the act of bartering such as getting discounts in stores or selling their items for a higher pay. With their gift for persuasion and bargaining, they are usually the go-to class for inventory management and market trade. Guilds needed them, the market needed them and the ordinary player public definitely needed them. Therefore, even though they are labelled as ¡®casual¡¯, they are indispensable. At this current moment, a merchant stood in front of him with his red name visible for all to see, proclaiming that he will ¡®kill him gently¡¯. Under normal circumstances, anybody would snort at the boast, but this was not any normal circumstance. ¡°All of you¡­ stay back.¡± Beast protectively moved his own body between the incoming danger and the party. If his guess was correct, the man is a PKer and the only PKers around this region right now are the Qqers. The Qqers is a band of players who specialise in player killing and it would be logical to assume that Alpyrius was no exception. But a merchant who specialized in player versus player combat? Thinking about it hurt Beast¡¯s mind. The notion of it was too much for him to reconcile in a short span of time. Anyway, the main point was not how he does it, but the fact that he could. That alone made him more menacing than any other ordinary merchant. There was also the chance that a merchant was not his real class as well. The last time someone he knew belittled a ¡®merchant¡¯, he ended up stabbed in the back and through the neck. Beast had no wish to end up the same. ¡°What do you want?¡± He asked, trying to drag the time so he can scan his surroundings for weakness to exploit. So far, the Olurin girl did not seem to have any intention to move. That was good. ¡°The seal of course.¡± At the mention of the seal, Beast¡¯s mind snapped to the other name associated with the artifact. ¡°Quarent?¡± ¡°Quarent?¡± Alpyrius opened up a status window to check something as he came closer and closer. ¡°Yes, that does seem to be his name alright.¡± Even though he had already considered its high possibility, hearing it straight to the face still left Beast astounded. It was why he had received points for killing Fyrzen. It was also why Scrublord had been cautious with his members¡¯ lives during the siege, despite the fact that they should be able to resurrect within 24 hours real time as they were supposedly outside the event. The reason why the Qqers suddenly joined the war with seemingly no benefits to themselves was not because they wanted to sate their own bloodlust, but because they too had a joint operation given to them by none other than the fourth prince of Honduria. ¡°Well¡­ Olurin and I don¡¯t really like to fight because it gives penalties to our business. So how about this, you give us what we want and we can treat it as though we have never met each other.¡± Beast just glared at the man as though he had made a ludicrous request. ¡°No? Then that¡¯s too bad.¡± In a blink of an eye, Alpyrius closed the distance with speed thought impossible for a merchant to achieve. Something too fast for Beast to follow lashed out, generating a bloody gash across his unprotected chest. ¡°Urk!¡± The pain came moments after the deed was done.
-232 HP!
Before he could recover enough to retaliate, the man was already out of his range. That was not all, for a metallic object slammed into Beast¡¯s forehead a second later with enough force to cause his head to flick backwards from the impact.
-155 HP!
The offending object clattered to the floor, revealing itself to be a single gold coin. Beast gawked at the flat disc on the ground. ¡°What the heck are you?¡± ¡°A merchant.¡± Alpyrius lightly replied. ¡°Lies.¡± ¡°I assure you it isn¡¯t.¡± He moved again with that speed, but this time Beast was ready. He still had no idea what the merchant used to attack with but he would be damned if he were to get hit twice in a row. He might not be able to see what it was, but he could still detect the arc of the slashing movement. With an evasive footwork well honed in the Penguin Dojo, Beast cleanly stepped away from the path of the attack. The look of surprise on the Alpyrius¡¯s face when his attack fell short was priceless, and so was the window of opportunity opened up by that miss. Sticking out his foot to trip the merchant, he also borrowed the momentum from side-stepping to launch a punch into Alpyrius¡¯ cheek, activating a skill as he did so. ¡°Desperado Backlash!¡± The resulting couple sent Alpyrius crashing onto the ground but the man rose up soon after as though he had not suffered significant damage at all. ¡°Good try but not good enough. For our sakes I will make this quick.¡± Upon his declaration, Alpyrius took out five bottles of liquids of different colours and began downing them one by one. With every potion he took, an aura of the potion¡¯s corresponding colour wrapped around the man and Beast could sense him becoming distinctively stronger. It was buff potions, and seemingly high quality ones at that. He moved again, and this time, Beast could not even react in time anymore. Another laceration instantly joined the first.
-371 HP!
-225 HP!
Another hit. Another gold coin. That was almost a 50% increase in damage. ¡°Beast-kun!¡± The male archer almost rushed to his side before Beast stopped him. He fumbled as he uncorked a healing potion of his own to drink, deftly avoiding another gold coin that almost struck his eye. ¡°Stay where you are Aveye, and keep an eye on the other one!¡± ¡°But-¡± This man must have been extremely rich to afford such dispensable luxury items, even to the extent of throwing gold coins as projectiles. Usually, the only class that would have such money to spare would be the merchant class, but he was only half convinced. ¡°How did you get that trade permission?¡± ¡°Forgery.¡± The answer was plain and simple. ¡°That speed¡­ and defense?¡± ¡°Equipment. Extremely high-end equipment and enhancements.¡± Enhancing is the high level art of reinforcing existing equipment that is known to only a select few blacksmiths in Ages Online. Rather, most blacksmiths are not at the level where they could learn enhancing yet, and specialized equipment and materials are needed to even perform the act. This lack of supply and the useful abilities and stat increases that could be imbued into equipment made it an extremely expensive service to buy. The glowing equipment he was wearing should also be at least on the level of magical rare, if not legendary items that would cost a small fortune to obtain. If what he claimed of him being a merchant is true, that would be the most probable reason why his speed and defense were so high despite him being of a non-combat job. It is the power of money at its finest. ¡°Seems that you are starting to accept that I am but a mere merchant.¡± ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t really care.¡± Despite Beast¡¯s show of nonchalance, anyone could tell that he was mentally shaken. At his current level, even his inflated stats would not be enough to help him bridge the difference in pure power that the merchant is getting from his myriad of buffs and equipment bonuses. There was no other choice; he would have to unveil his trump card or lose. ¡°I call upon the power of that which runs in the blood of kings. Prime: Bloodline Aura!¡± Bloodline Aura, the skill given to him by the very thing he was trying to protect right now. As the Vanadic Tome fluttered to the section detailing the Seal of the Lord, a dim red power glowed from the artifact¡¯s page, enveloping Beast¡¯s body and giving him a 30% boost to all his stats. Coupled with the invocation, it brought his effective level to the high 90 at a massive drain of 200 mana cost. In that instance, several things happened at once. Another gold coin flicked past, narrowly missing Beast¡¯s throat. Someone, probably Duplent, gasped. ¡°That power! How in the world¡­?¡± Beast, with his newly enhanced dexterity, charged at the merchant, stopping right at the last moment for a feint. Alpyrius fell for it hook, line and sinker, dodging a blow that would never come. Instead, he opened himself up wide for Beast¡¯s sweeping kick that took his feet from right under. As he collapsed onto the ground, a follow-up fist smashed into the merchant¡¯s face, adding onto the momentum that would soon translate into pain. Before Beast could enter his favorite combo for the last few seconds of his Aura, a sudden sharp wound sliced open on his shoulder blade, causing him to falter in his strike. It was that same attack again. This time though, he could see what it was. Hidden under the merchant¡¯s cloak was a coiled horsewhip that lashed out and back within a fraction of a second. Before Beast could react, the same horsewhip coiled around his hands, restricting his movements. ¡°ALPY!¡± A loud hum sang, followed by sudden galloping that filled Beast¡¯s ears. His instincts told him to dodge, but his body was bound in place. Alpy the alpaca slammed into the Lore Keeper at insane velocity and would have tossed him meters away if not for the whip tied around his hands. Beast felt as though his arms were about to detach as pain racked his entire being. In just one attack, his health had been reduced to below 20%. ¡°Urgh.¡±Beast groaned face down in the ground as the residual hurt was washed out by his ragged breathing. Thank goodness this was simply a virtual reality game. If it were real, Beast shuddered to think what the consequences would be. It was just like he had been hit by a freight train. Moreover, there was a wet, uncomfortable feeling on his back¡­
Your Lunar Fleece maximum durability has decreased by 1
Your Lunar Fleece maximum durability has decreased by 1
What in the world? Beast arched his neck backwards in horror to see the alpaca chewing happily on his newest equipment. With every chomp, the state of the leather deteriorated.
Your Lunar Fleece maximum durability has decreased by 1
Your Lunar Fleece maximum durability has decreased by 1
¡°What the f*ck?¡± A boot struck his stomach right after he cursed, decreasing his health further into critical zone. ¡°I admit you are a little interesting with that skill of yours. Seems that it is time-based too.¡± Alpyrius dusted his clothes. Beast had not noticed before this but it was no longer ragged wear and instead luxurious finery easily worth thousands. The appearance had changed, most likely due to a skill the merchant had used. ¡°But you are still no match for two of us Qqers.¡± T¡­two? He must have unconsciously said it out loud. ¡°Alpy here is a member of the guild too, don¡¯t you know? Oh wait, you probably won¡¯t. We aren¡¯t as attention-seeking as that twit Togepee. Right Alpy?¡± Alpyrius cooed as the man gently stroke his alpaca¡¯s head. That innocent-looking llama-horse hybrid was good enough to be a full member of the Qqers? He needed to wash out his ears. There must have been something wrong with them.
Your Lunar Fleece maximum durability has decreased by 1
On second thoughts, maybe not. ¡°STOP EATING MY CLOAK!¡± Beast angrily kicked out with his foot in order to prevent the precious durability points of his already nerfed cloak from decreasing even more. He had no idea what the beast¡¯s defense were, but it eliciting a painful cry from the animal all the same. ¡°Alpy!¡± Straight away, Alpyrius was clouded with worry for his alpaca pet, so much that he momentarily took his attention off of Beast. Taking this opportunity, he quickly scrambled away from the merchant-steed duo and drank a recovery potion to repair the damage sustained. They are more dangerous than they appeared to be, even after the first reveal. Beast finally realized the full extent of it. One decks out in full high-tiered equipment and performs multiple stat enhancements while the other specializes in enemy equipment deterioration and support. It was a terrifying combo aimed at achieving maximal ability gap between their opponents and them. This was the reason why there was no need for the catgirl to join the fray; he could not hope to win to begin with. ¡°You. Hurt. Alpy.¡± The merchant bit his words with gritted teeth. He seemed positively livid. However, Beast was not about to entertain that. ¡°Prime: Bloodline Aura!¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Instead of charging forward like everyone thought he would, he retreated backwards in full speed. Beast then grabbed onto the second prince much to the latter¡¯s bewilderment. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± A look of confusion appeared on the merchant¡¯s face. Regardless of whether Alpyrius guessed what he had intended to do, the former quickly dropped the defensive posture he had assumed and advanced to close the distance. He was only deterred by a narrow miss of an arrow shot by Aveye the archer, who began to attack now that Beast had moved out of the way and freed his line of sight of the merchant. ¡°Arrow Vulcan!¡± In a well-honed movement, Aveye slid arrow after arrow out of his quiver and shot them at Alpyrius and Alpy. Beast inwardly thanked the archer for knowing what to do in this situation. That distraction was much appreciated. ¡°Your Highness.¡± Beast gripped and summoned his strength to his arms. ¡°Fly.¡± ¡°Hey wait-¡° Their objective was not to win, but to send Duplent to safety. If Beast were to drag anymore, they might not even be able to do it. With all of his might, Beast boosted the man up high, upon which he barely grabbed onto the roof edge of the adjacent house with a crash.
Your Throw skill has increased to Basic 9!
It was fortunate that this was a town with low buildings. Any higher and they would not be able to make it. ¡°Mealgar, climb! Go after him.¡± ¡°What? You are asking a fat man to climb up?¡± Incredulity was written on the historian¡¯s face. ¡°Do it!¡± Beast hollered as he fished out a javelin and threw it at Alpyrius in addition to Aveye¡¯s arrows, forcing the merchant to keep his attention on him. Mealgar had no choice but to scale up the building wall after Duplent, who had recovered from his daze and was starting to pull himself up the ledge. At least the second prince knew what to do. The merchant, however, was not amused. ¡°What the f*ck-!?¡± Using the remaining time left on the aura, Beast threw javelins after javelins at the Qqer. With the intensity of the barrage, Alpyrius had no choice but to return fire with coin projectiles. Arms burning from the exertion made earlier and the abuse he had suffered, Beast¡¯s aim lacked power and his spears were easily deflected but it locked the merchant down all the same. Suddenly, Alpyrius took out a scroll from his pockets and tore it. In an instant, a ball of swirling wind coalesced with the scroll at its origin before blasting down the alleyway like a shotgun of moving air, dispersing all the arrows and spears in its wake and buffeting Beast with the violent gale. It was a spell scroll, magical slips of expensive paper which had an invocation written on them that cast their designated spell upon consumption. It was a system inherent in most games, mainly to allow non-magician classes to be able to conduct some form of magic, but most people usually do not bother with them because of their high prices and low efficiency. Alpyrius on the other hand seemed to be an exception. Oh wait, he forgot that the man was filthy rich. In that brief reprieve that followed the disruption of Beast and Aveye¡¯s attacks, Alpyrius tore another scroll. This time, a flash of white lightning crackled through the air towards them at top speed. With his bearings in shambles, Beast had no chance to dodge the incoming attack. Instinctively, he turned his back to the spell and braced for impact.
Reflection has been activated! Recharge: 7hr 49 mins
To everyone¡¯s surprise, instead of dealing damage the spell rebounded off Beast back towards Alpyrius and struck the astonished man right in the chest. Electricity coursed through the merchant¡¯s body to the smell of burning flesh, temporarily paralyzing him. Despite it being a direct hit, it seemed that it did not deal much damage; Alpyrius magic defense is as high as his physical one. Yet, what it did do was to buy Duplent enough time to run across the roofs of the houses with parkour and disappear out of sight. Beast silently thanked the Lunar Fleece for its power. ¡°You!¡± Alpyrius cried upon realizing that his objective had given him the slip. At that moment, he switched his priorities and turned to chase. Beast was behind him in an instant. ¡°Your opponent is here! Prime: Bloodline Aura!¡± Infusing all of his remaining mana into his fist, Beast launched a vicious punch towards the man¡¯s unprotected back, slamming into him with a powerful impact.
Dazed Blow has been activated!
Not only did it destabilize Alpyrius¡¯s balance, it also inflicted disorientation. The merchant stumbled, but managed to keep his footing after a few precarious steps. ¡°ALPY!¡± Once again, the alpaca steed leapt into the defense of its owner. Beast was already prepared for that. He dodged just in time to avoid the same charge attack that would have instantly taken out all of his remaining health this time round. With the miss, the alpaca¡¯s uncontrolled momentum caused it to charge right into the wall, slamming into it with ferocity. It was that chance that Beast took, and he took out a javelin and aimed it straight at the dazed creature. If he could get the paralyzing effect to work on the alpaca, it would break the sickening merchant-pet combo and definitely make the battle much easier. Before the throwing spear could pierce the animal, a body threw itself into the spear¡¯s path, hitting it instead. Alpyrius the merchant grimaced as the effects of the venom kicked in, but he then took out from his inventory what appeared to be an antidote, his intentions of nullifying them clear. At that very moment, an arrow shattered the glass bottle, spilling the clear liquid onto the ground. Beast flashed Aveye a thumbs up as a sign of a job well done as he got back into battle gear, launching several punches that forced the merchant to go on the rare defensive. It looked like they might actually win after all. That thought vanished as quickly as the aura surrounding him did. Beast was immediately beset upon by the lightning fast horsewhip which lacerated his thigh the moment the effect left him, followed quickly by it coiling around his hands in a move similar to the one before. Caught and restrained, there was nothing else he could do but brace himself for the impact amidst the ominous humming. Powerful alpaca hooves kicked at Beast, slamming him to the side of the building.
-566 HP! You have been stunned!
¡°Thank you Alpy. Now go occupy the archer.¡± Within seconds, Alpyrius had him suppressed. Aveye saw the situation and wanted to help, but was blocked none other by Alpy the alpaca. The most he could do was to fire arrows from a range in order not to repeat the pounding Beast had received under the hands of the alpaca combo. ¡°You have been very annoying, do you know that?¡± Alpyrius took out another vial of antidote and downed it. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Now you do. I have wasted quite a bit of money trying to deal with you so I am going to take it back.¡± ¡°How are you going to do it? Make me pay you back?¡± Beast scathingly retorted. ¡°Precisely. Extortion!¡±
You are the target of Extortion. A random amount of money has dropped from your inventory.
Gold coins scattered all around them, all from Beast¡¯s own pockets. Beast himself had no time to lament or be horrified over the monetary loss, for Alyprius had moved on in his threats. ¡°Besides money, do you know what else merchants specialize in?¡± ¡°No.¡± Beast answered out of spite more than anything. ¡°Items.¡± Alpyrius whispered in his face. ¡°Ransack!¡±
You are the target of Ransack. An item has been forcefully dropped from your inventory.
A heavy thud slammed into his back at full force, surprisingly dealing no damage. What it did however, was to cause an item to fall out of his inventory with an audible clink. A ring clattered against the pavement for all to see, much to Beast¡¯s alarm. That could have been one of his artifacts, or even worse, his Vanadic Tome! ¡°That¡­¡± A new voice he had not heard before resounded through the alleyway. ¡°That is Fyrzen¡¯s ring.¡± It was the catgirl with the crystal hammer. At the ring¡¯s appearance, she took what would be her first step from her position. Slowly but surely, the catgirl began making her way towards the heat of action. Aveye was perturbed by the sudden addition of a third Qqer into the battle, but he held his wits just fine, shooting arrows after arrows in both directions. The only problem would be that they had not much effect on the outcome and he was rapidly losing ground. The alpaca was simply too fast for him to land a hit, much less the other Qqers. This meant that Alpyrius had free reign with Beast. ¡°I will teach you what a merchant knows about poison.¡± Beast felt something pierce into his body. The merchant had taken one of his discarded throwing spears and stabbed it through his chest, pinning him to the ground.
-235 HP!
You have been afflicted with Toxxi-venom! -210 HP/10 seconds
It was lucky that the spear¡¯s base damage was pretty low, but the poison applied to it was a totally different story. Then, Alpyrius took out another flask of dirty green liquid which he smeared the tip of another spear with. This time, he grazed the tip across Beast¡¯s arm, taking time to make sure that Beast felt the poison pumping into his bloodstream.
-19 HP!
You have been afflicted by Adder¡¯s Tongue -320HP/ 10 seconds
Another flask of red liquid. ¡°This one is pretty expensive.¡±
-33 HP!
You have been afflicted by Rancid Flayer -370HP/ 10 seconds
That dropped his health to below the 100 HP range. The next tick he would be dead. ¡°You know what?¡± Beast uttered through all the pain he was feeling, a sadistic grin on his face. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You lose.¡± Pon.
You have been summoned by your party member Naomi! Yes/No
One jab of his finger with his remaining strength was all it needed to generate a blinding flash of light that illuminated the alleyway as though it were day. After the flare faded, the only living beings left at the scene were Alpy, Alpyrius and Olurin. ¡­¡­. ¡°Urgh¡­¡± Beast heaved. He had emerged in what seemed to be a small empty house. The time was exactly 10 minutes after the plan had been activated. Around him, all six of his party members were worse for wear, but still alive. Shadun in particular, had several cuts while Mealgar was sweating and panting like he had just done five years¡¯ worth of exercising all at once. He breathed a sigh of relief. There was a bustle around him almost immediately. ¡°Oh my god. Beast. What in the world happened?¡± ¡°Naomi-chan! Please heal him! Hurry!¡± ¡°Mealgar¡­¡± He had not much time left. Even if Naomi were to heal him he would still not make it. He needed to confirm the most important thing. From his prone position, he caught sight of a large object entering his dimming field of vision. ¡°Did Duplent make it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Okay good.¡±
You suffer ongoing damage from Toxxi-venom! -210 HP
You suffer ongoing damage from Adder¡¯s Tongue! -320 HP
You suffered ongoing damage from Rancid Flayer -370HP!
You have died and suffer a game lock out penalty.
Next Chapter
Author''s Notes: My apologies for the release delay. I recently had a lot on my plate, and is also falling sick :( Also tried to participate in the valentine''s day contest so I can get a chance to showcase this story on the front page. In any case, please continue supporting Ages Online. Cheers! Chapter 36: Commotion The capsule opened to the sound of released air pressure, freeing Sebast from the white-washed container as he was forcefully logged out from Ages Online. His body was sore all over. His death had been by poison, which was not the best way to go in real life or in-game. Muscles aching, Sebast pulled himself out of the capsule and walked out of the room. ¡°You look like you need a cold drink,¡± Wong Xiang Jun said from the sofa. He had been watching anime on the television and was surprised by the sudden appearance of a ragged Sebast. Indeed, Sebast was drenched in sweat and his heart was still pumping furiously in light of the ad-hoc torture he had received before he died. His mouth was dry and his voice croaked as he replied the owner of the house. ¡°Ye-yea.¡± ¡°Here.¡± Xiang Jun pushed a can of cola towards him, which Sebast gratefully took. With the signature sound of the can being opened, he put it to his lips and began gulping thirstily. ¡°Better?¡± Sebast nodded. The feeling of cool liquid flooding his insides was very relieving and effective in calming him down. ¡°Seems like a bad death huh?¡± ¡°No shit.¡± It was an understatement, really. ¡°Telling?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Man, you are making me regret not buying the capsule-television link cable so I can hook it up to my TV and see what happened.¡± Ever since the capsules have been commercialized, the company making such products had introduced many side-modules to complement the basic unit. While the basic unit was sufficient for one to play any online game offered in the country, the side-modules offered additional utility. The link cable was one of them, allowing people to display what the player in the capsule was seeing on the television screen. Similarly, there is the video-recording module that players can use to record their gameplay so they could upload them to sites like Yuutoob. Adele Mitty, the relatively famous radio personality on 95.8 FM, and her channel adelemitty where she uploads her experiences in VRMMOs is one prime example of the module¡¯s usage. Now that it has become a trend to sleep in the capsules and also play while asleep, there was the comfort module aimed to give the players optimal sleeping support. Of course, Sebast never bothered with such side-modules. They usually cost a lot and are totally unnecessary. ¡°Well¡­¡± Sebast relented. Xiang Jun did lend him use of the capsule after all. ¡°I met a Qq-er.¡± He knew at once he spoke too much. The other male was immediately riled up by his last sentence. ¡°A Qqer! Honduria attacked again? I thought we still had a day or something. Shit, I need to get back.¡± Xiang Jun almost jumped out of his seat in an attempt to rush to his capsule. ¡°Hey wait up! They have not attacked yet. I¡­uh¡­ went to them.¡± ¡°Holy shit, you are suicidal!¡± Xiang Jun was now watching him with a weird gleam in his eyes. Sebast had no idea whether it was a look of admiration or amazement. All he knew was that he had triggered something strange. ¡°So how did it go? How did it go?¡± ¡°I died.¡± Sebast simply replied to the other¡¯s disappointed face. If he divulged any more, he would then have to tell his classmate everything that happened during the time he was in his capsule, starting from the meeting with Trigent, to Vanguard Pass and Duplent. Everything regarding the political situation would have to be revealed. Frankly speaking, Sebast was not sure if it was up to him to say them. People who divulge state secrets are usually silenced. Even if was just a game, Sebast wanted to enjoy his game time without the constant threat of death looming over him. ¡°Meh.¡± Xiang Jun folded his arms above his head as he settled back into his sofa. ¡°Oh well, if you don¡¯t want to talk, I won¡¯t continue asking. It is probably something you want to keep secret.¡± Sebast felt a tinge of guilt invade his mind. Just a little. ¡°So¡­ I guess you will be staying the night, yes? I will get the guest room ready then. The phone is by the door, so feel free to use it.¡± Xiang Jun stood up, disappearing into an adjacent room. He had his own hand phone, so why was Xiang Jun telling him that? Was that a hint or something? Sebast eyed the sleek black phone lying innocently on a stand and he was assaulted by a flashback. ¡°You should at least give your mum a call. I think she should be pretty worried about you right now.¡± Sebast¡¯s eyes softened. ¡°I know¡­ I will do that later.¡± Oh. Right. Picking up his own phone, Sebast dialed his house number. The familiar sound of a dial rang as the call was being patched through. Seconds ticked by without anyone answering and Sebast glanced at the clock hanging above the television. The time was 1.30 past midnight; his parents were usually asleep at this time. Maybe it was best that he waited till morning after all. Just before he ended the call, a person on the other end picked up. ¡°Hello? Sebast? Is that you?¡± It was his mother, her voice hoarse. She sounded as though she had just woken up. His mind surfaced an image of his mother waiting by the phone for his call ever since he left the house. ¡°Mum.¡± He felt a sense of guilt invade his conscience. Here he was, keeping his mother up when she could be resting for her work the next day. ¡°Sebast!¡± There was an interruption of loud coughing before her voice returned. ¡°Are you ¡­ safe?¡± ¡°Yes, I am safe.¡± ¡°Good¡­ Please give my thanks to Naomi and her father for taking you in.¡± He had almost forgotten that Naomi¡¯s father had blocked the bullet for him. That would be something he had to get his story straight with and probably find an opportunity to repay for in the future. ¡°Don¡¯t trouble them too much.¡± ¡°I know. I will be back tomorrow.¡± ¡°Sleep properly okay? It¡¯s getting late.¡± ¡°Will do. Take care of yourself mum. Good night.¡± ¡°Good night.¡± The line went flat as he broke the connection. That went better than he thought it would. Sebast released a breath he had no idea he was holding. It was about that time Xiang Jun came back out into the living room. He had a wide grin on his face. ¡°Done?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± So his abscond was intentional, to give Sebast some privacy. This fellow might be cheekier than he thought he was. ¡°Good, and it is almost time for the bi-hourly update report on Ages Online. I¡¯m going to sleep after that.¡± Xiang Jun plopped himself down on his seat, changing from the channel which was airing a rather mindless show about soul reapers fighting in some spirit realm, to the official state channel for VR games. Sebast had once raved about the show like most people his age did. The concept was great and the premise where one¡¯s weapon is part of one¡¯s soul allowed for unlimited potential. However, he soon grew out of it as the story took a turn for the worse. In any case, that was a story for another day. The report was starting. ¡°Good night to everyone and welcome to the late night Games Updates featuring the hottest and latest news in Ages Online.¡± An energetic female voice came over the background of a flashing Yashita Corps logo, which then turned into the signature emblazoned letters of Ages Online. The screen instantly cut to a video clip told through the eyes of someone in the midst of a battle. Bodies and debris laid everywhere, making the effort that went into the clean-up after the first siege go down the gutter. ¡°Just less than two hours ago, the Hondurian army launched yet another siege attempt at the walls of Loyderidge city¡­¡± The screen switched to a bird¡¯s eye view of the city, showing the damage that it was taking, before zooming out to show a female news reporter holding a bunch of documents behind a sleek wooden counter. ¡°You told me they are not attacking yet!¡± Xiang Jun exclaimed in dismay. ¡°Oh no, Derrilene is going to skin me alive¡­¡± The other boy seemed like he half wanted to jump inside his capsule that very instant, and half wanting to keep his sleepy eyes glued to the screen to find out more. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t know. Really.¡± Sebast was as clueless as to what happened. According to Riwana, the Hondurian army was still regrouping their strength so they had little to gain and much to lose from attacking so haphazardly. Just what could have happened to cause the invaders to act in such a way? Less than two hours ago, the fellowship was sneaking across the camp. It¡­ might have been them who triggered the second siege because they had been discovered and thus caused a misunderstanding that Loyderidge was counterattacking. If that was the reason why¡­ Oops. ¡°¡­ So far they are not making much progress. The Guardian Lifey and her guild, Proctor Initialis, are defending to great effect, refusing to give grounds to the invaders. Anytime now, we are fully expecting the Qqers are going to join the fray and tip the battle in Honduria¡¯s favor.¡± The reporter seemed expectant, as though she was wishing the Qqers would show up already. Beast, on the other hand knew that it would not be happening. Their main objective was not in Loyderidge anymore, so they had no more obligations to aid the invasion. If anything, they should be on their way back to Vanguard Pass. A sudden brainstorm hit him. Could it be that Scrublord actually managed to convince the Hondurian army to attack so that there are no chances that either side would head back to Vanguard Pass to reinforce Duplent or Beast? If he did that, it would be one hell of a tactic. If he did not¡­ In any case it did not matter anymore. Meanwhile, there seemed to be a disturbance in the news station. A plain-shirt employee suddenly rushed into the scene and handed the reporter a new set of documents. ¡°Wait a minute, what is this? We have just received news that Vanguard Pass is currently in anarchy!¡± The screen which had been showing a close-up of Lifey¡¯s face suddenly cut to a view of the border fortress. On the ramparts, Hondurian soldiers were fighting one another in a mass of chaotic struggle for the town. Beast idly wondered how they managed to switch the view so suddenly ¨C it must have been a special extension module or an exclusive right to film in-game. ¡°What is this? What is happening? Honduria is fighting among itself! ¡± Confusion was in the reporter¡¯s face as she hurriedly described everything in detail. What should have been a five minute quick update on the current situation in the game turned into a fifteen minute description of the skirmish in Vanguard Pass as the channel covered the entire town in short snippets. The walls, the streets, the keep, everywhere were as Sebast remembered it. He had no idea how heavily infiltrated Vanguard Pass was, but it would probably take a day or two before Duplent could stabilize the situation. That would not be his concern; enough time would have already passed in game when he re-spawns. ¡°This has something to do with you isn¡¯t it?¡± Xiang Jun asked in disbelief. ¡°I guess so.¡± Before Xiang Jun could say anything else, there was yet another exclamation from the reporter at the news station. ¡°The Hondurian Army is retreating from Loyderidge! And they are not staying in the vicinity! The defenders of Loyderidge are confused. Does this mean that Caerheim had won the war? If so, what a strange turn of events it was! There are¡­¡± Sebast had already tuned out the reporter. Duplent kept his word. That was all he needed to know - that his quest was a success. Even if he had died, it was all worth it now and the lock-out time will have reverted back to the original 24 hours. ¡°Seems like you do not need to go back in, Xiang Jun. We won.¡± ¡°We-we won?¡± ¡°Yea.¡± Patting the confused boy on the shoulder, Sebast stood up and went to the guest room that Xiang Jun had prepared for him. In an instant, he collapsed onto the bed, letting the soft mattress carry his fatigue away. As Sebast drifted off into sleep, the internet forums were on fire once more. ¡­¡­¡­¡­
The Honduria ¨C Caerheim War Thread! (Who¡¯s your daddy) Latest Updates! Earplugs. Pg 254 of 254
Fanged To alaK: It is beyond me why both belligerents would suddenly mass order earplugs from their craftsmen. I could not think of a logical reason.
Fanged Guys¡­ did anyone saw the news?
MiscreptMaellability I did. Had to get my eyes checked.
JusticarVII I did. Don¡¯t know what the hell was happening. :/
SkepticalFool Did Caerheim just win the war? I can¡¯t believe this.
Lifeyislife LIFEY-SENPAI! ALL HAIL LIFEY! She scared Honduria away!
Fanged Vanguard Pass had a revolt or something? Could someone check?
Anon154 Checked. There was a revolution.
Brokenflight If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.Lies. There would not be any players in Vanguard Pass during this event. Don¡¯t believe Anon154. No players from Honduria would be there and definitely nobody from Caerheim would be too.
Patriot (¨s¡ã¡õ¡ã£©¨s¦à ©ß©¥©ß OTZ
Nosoul My world is ending. Caerheim actually won the war. It¡­ must be a conspiracy! Protestors, we march tomorrow against Yashita Corps!!1!
3.14159265 Be right back. Time to collect my money from the bookies. Thank you Caerheim, I will sacrifice a goat in your name! Muahahahaha!
AdeleMittyFanboy I can¡¯t believe this. Gonna wait for Adele¡¯s vid. Maybe she will show us something good.
Weereereeree Can we all stop behaving like a bunch of headless chickens? So far we don¡¯t know what really happen so we have to wait for more news or an official statement. Patience is key guys.
Tearsfilledjar Where are the Qqers among all these? Where is Scrublord-sama?!
BraveFencerMusa I am raging so bad right now. I think I should go sleep it off.
PetBottle [BANNED] FK! WTF IS THIS? THIS IS DUMB. ADSLDKAKDLASLK.
3nity I bathe in Hondurian tears.
Anon18334 Did someone hack the system?
JusticarVII Possible. The NPCs should not be behaving like that.
RiddricksonTheThird [MOD] Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Yashita Corps has the most secure systems ever. There is almost no chance of it being hacked. Also, first warning to PetBottle. Watch your language.
Nosoul All the more to PROTEST! My brothers, they have pulled the wool over our eyes long enough! It is a sham!
PetBottle [BANNED]
PetBottle [BANNED]
Fanged I just received some insider news that a while ago, there was a disturbance from the Hondurian vanguard camp. Word is that someone or something had tried to sneak past the siege line. For what reason, I have no idea but it might be the reason for this epic saga going down.
Assumptionist Deserters, maybe? Whatever they are, they are probably dead.
CokeFactory Anyone saw what they were doing on tv? Whatever those soldiers were smoking I want some of that shyt.
Rook9ght We need clarity now!
Clarity You called?
Rekt Honduria lost? Hmm I need to go check for myself.
JusticarVII It is Rekt! Rekt, why did Honduria lose? What happened?
Nosoul Join me everyone! We demand an answer. #WarGate
adelemitty Hi guys. So glad to see that Caerheim won the war! ^^ I am alive and well. Stay tune to my channel for insider info on what exactly happened!
AdeleMittyFanboy OMG ADELE!
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¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°WHAT IS HAPPENING?¡± Daika Yamamoto thundered as he barged into the relatively silent moderator headquarters. The two GMs on duty jumped wide awake at the sudden intrusion of their superior, snapping into a respectful and embarrassed bow all at once. ¡°Can someone,¡± the head GM said through panting breaths, ¡°Tell me why the Honduria NPCs are behaving like that? Some people are even saying that our servers are hacked!¡± With a slight push of a button, the wide screen in the center akin to that of a command center flashed an overview of Vanguard Pass. Like the scene from the TV report, the NPCs were in complete disorder and fighting against each other. It was at this time the returning remnants of the Hondurian Vanguard came back and joined in the battle, making the situation even more chaotic than before. Seeing that nobody spoke up, Daika narrowed his eyes at the two people in front of him. ¡°Were the both of you sleeping?¡± Two slight nods answered him. Daika groaned. As he had thought, he could only rely on himself after all. Things just had to happen when he was off-duty. Heck, if he had not been reading the message boards before retiring for the night, he would not even have known that something this big occurred. It was not like he could not empathize with his fellow colleagues for falling asleep at this ungodly hour. Watching landscape and data flow could be extremely boring after all, but without a physical observer at that specific point of time, they would not be able to determine exactly what happened. Damn those laws dictating that VR video feed were to be wiped at most two hours after recording to protect players¡¯ privacy. ¡°You, run a trace and determine if our systems had been compromised.¡± Daika pointed at one of the GMs on duty. ¡°You,¡± He pointed to the other one. ¡°Analyse the output data from more than 3 hours ago from the Caerheim region and tell me if anything extraordinary happened. This will be your punishments for sleeping on the job.¡± ¡°Y-yes sir!¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± Hours passed with the tacking sound of keyboards filling the room. Even though it was late into the night, Daika Yamamoto showed no signs of being tired, instead sustaining himself with a cup of coffee from the vending machine outside the command center. It was not like he could just call it a day anyway; by the next morning, Old Man Yashita will have already caught wind of this and be demanding an answer from his moderator team. It was about 4 am in the morning before he got his answers. ¡°Daika sama! The trace shows an all clear. The system is not tampered with in any possible way.¡± ¡°Noted. What about you?¡± ¡°I am detecting a 95% all clear, except for skills being used and NPCs being killed approximately around 11pm at the Hondurian Vanguard Camp. It would appear that 4 players and 3 NPCs broke out of the siege towards Vanguard Pass!¡± ¡°Who are they?¡± This was important news. If anything, the revolt at the border town should be linked to the actions of that group. ¡°Data signatures of the NPCs belong to retainers of Trigent Ashwald¡¯s court.¡± Trigent Ashwald is the sovereign for Caerheim. For him to send his retainers anywhere else in the time they were supposed to be protecting him was strange. This was getting more interesting. ¡°And the players?¡± ¡°Unknown. The data was deleted in accordance to the Consumer Privacy Act.¡± Damn that stupid player privacy law once again. This was why they had always advocated a policy of maximum two hours response time. Daika slammed his fist into the table in frustration. ¡°Do you know what skills they used?¡± ¡°Yes. They had used heal spells, arrows, a song and an attack enhancement spell called Chi.¡± So that made it a cleric, a bard, an archer and someone else with a possible martial arts background. Chi -the weird energy flow thing that martial artists claimed to exist in one¡¯s body though Daika never believed in that kind of stuff. ¡°They infiltrated Vanguard Pass and met with Duplent Ashwald. There was a transfer of an item called Seal of the Lord. That was when the Hondurian Soldiers started behaving erratically.¡± Duplent Ashwald? Seal of the Lord? Daika¡¯s best guess was that the players who infiltrated Vanguard Pass had triggered a secret alternate route involving this seal from the current Joint Operations. That subsequently caused such a reaction from all the NPCs in the town and the sudden ending of the Honduria-Caerheim war. It was definitely possible, however improbable. In any case, those were only his speculations. Without real-time data, there was nothing he could do. He could not even pin-point the exact players that caused this commotion. ¡°One of the players in the group eventually died to another player.¡± ¡°Team-kill?¡± It would be an interesting but strange turn of events. A traitor, perhaps? ¡°No idea sir, the data is very messy at this point of time. It is very difficult to make it out as it is.¡± Curses. Sometimes, he wished he could actually play the game himself so that he could be more familiar with how intricately the Joint Operation system worked as well as the player-to-player dynamics in-game. There were many secrets that the world of Agaia withheld and yet here he was, stuck behind a screen watching everything from the sidelines because of his status as a moderator. And he did not even have everything to work with in the first place. Daika sighed. He will have to think of something to let Kanonji feed the public with. For now, he would just have to let this slide. ¡°Keep me updated for any new information. I will be in my office.¡± Eyeing the two GMs who had screwed up, he beckoned them to go back to work while he himself headed to his office to draft a script for Kanonji. It was too late to go back home anyway, so he might as well remain in the office. When morning came, the Adele Mitty video arrived on Yuutoob. ¡­¡­¡­. ¡°SEBAST! SEBAST!¡± Xiang Jun burst into the room with a loud din, stirring the subject from his sleep. ¡°¡­ huh? What¡­ is it? Is it afternoon already?¡± Sebast groggily fished out his hand phone to check the time, and was greeted by bold lines depicting 07:45 on the screen. With a groan, he closed his eyes and snuggled back under the blanket in an attempt to go back to the most satisfactory sleep he had in days. Their lessons are in the afternoon that day and the earliest he could log back into Ages Online was at night. So Xiang Jun should stop bothering him and leave him be. However, the other male had a different idea. With a single flip sweep, Xiang Jun stripped the blankets off Sebast and pulled him up from the bed with strength he never thought the former had. ¡°What the hell?!¡± ¡°You need to see this.¡± It was all Xiang Jun said. Practically dragging Sebast across the apartment, Xiang Jun hoisted him into the capsule room where a laptop was placed on a study table. In the screen, the fancy web design of Yuutoob was prominently displayed, with a video at its focus. That video in question was rapidly gathering viewers with its view counts jumping up by the thousands every five seconds. It was a video posted on the Yuutoob channel of adelemitty, the radio personality. At first Sebast was disinterested. Why would he care about the video of someone famous who is not even related to him in any way possible? He is not like those mindless fanboys or fangirls who flocked to popularity and coerced others to do the same. In fact he despised these types of people the most. To think that Xiang Jun was one of them. He was about to tell Xiang Jun off for disappointing his judge of character when the latter set the video in motion. What he saw set him into shock, because right on the screen displaying frame by frame was the whole process of his Joint Operation out of Loyderidge and into Vanguard Pass. The exodus out of the North gate and through the siege barrier, the infiltration of Vanguard Pass and the keep, the negotiations with Duplent Ashwald and the chaos that ensued, even the battle with Alpyrius the merchant and the fight to send Duplent to safety was showcased in great detail. The entire video was almost two hours long, but Sebast found himself glued to it in a mixture of fascination, horror and bewilderment. Blue fists and especially blue fists, were filmed in great focus as though the recorder was right there in the midst of the actions. The only saving grace that is between the party members and worldwide fame is the poorly made block censors that covered their eyes throughout the clip and the muted silence that happened whenever their names were uttered. ¡°Bro, that is you isn¡¯t it?¡± Xiang Jun easily connected two and two together and made the inference that the person with the blue fist on the screen was Sebast. Besides, he had seen his equipment make up; who else in their right mind would fight unarmored? Sebast dumbly nodded as his mind wandered to the one person that could have done all of these. Aveye. Next Chapter Chapter 37: Business Deals School was in an uproar, especially because of the video that Adele Mitty, no, Aveye uploaded. The only things he could hear in the lecture hall pre-lesson were in no specific order, ¡®Adele Mitty¡¯, ¡®Blue Fist¡¯ and ¡®Honduria-Caerheim War¡¯. More precisely, they were discussing the legitimacy of the video clip. ¡°Did you guys see that? That Blue Fist and his group are the ones who resolved the war. He even fought a Qqer!¡± ¡°Bullshit. Lifey is the one who resolved the war!¡± ¡°Yea she defended Loyderidge throughout the war so she deserves credit. Besides, it is so obvious that Honduria retreated because it was a futile effort to siege anymore.¡± ¡°That video is obviously fake! I don¡¯t understand a single thing in it.¡± ¡°Why are they fighting over some stupid item?¡± ¡°It looked doctored.¡± ¡°And there is no way he could fight a Qqer and survive.¡± ¡°How else would you explain that NPCs from the same faction would suddenly attack each other then? If Lifey could cause them to go crazy from Loyderidge then she must be hacking.¡± ¡°The forums are right, it was a revolt.¡± ¡°Why are they fighting over some stupid item? It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± ¡°Is that even a Qqer?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never heard of Alpyrius? That alpaca duo is infamous for being ruthless in the trading world.¡± ¡°Then explain why the video uploader felt the need to censor his face? If Blue Fist is a hero, he should just step up and show us who he is.¡± ¡°He has something to hide!¡± ¡°What class is he? That skill seems like a self-buff but it could be more.¡± ¡°It could be that Blue Fist was just lucky to be there at that time. The real cause might be another thing entirely.¡± ¡°Zombie outbreak?¡± ¡°Stop your stupid speculations.¡± It was a total divide. None of them were able to reach a definite consensus, not even with the video clip as proof. There were three distinct camps, the first being that Lifey¡¯s group was the main contributor to Caerheim¡¯s victory, due to the coincidental retreat of the vanguard. The second school of thought and also the one with the most people was that Blue Fist and his companions triggered a revolt in Vanguard Pass and thus forced the Hondurian Vanguard back. The third and smallest camp was a conspiracy theorist haven, where the entire event was a sham made by Yashita Corps to generate more publicity. Blue Fist ¨C That was the name they had taken to calling him, mainly due to Aveye shouting out ¡®Blue Fist¡¯ whenever he punched with maximum infused Chi. It was nothing fancy like those callsigns that famous world class gamers go by and Sebast felt a little miffed that of all the English vocabulary available to them, they named him something so average. Then he reminded himself that he was not even supposed to have an alter-ego in the first place. Lifey was mobbed by students as usual, mainly being pestered with questions regarding the war. Sebast bemusedly noted that the poor girl was as confused as the people asking her were, her face being in a perpetual scowl at being asked questions she had no answers to. She might also be a little angry that someone had surfaced from literally unheard of anonymity to steal part of her credit for defending Caerheim. Cast to the side were the members of her guild Proctor Initialis, of which Xiang Jun is part of. Sebast caught the archer¡¯s eye and gave the motion of slitting his throat to which the latter gulped and nodded. After being threatened not to reveal his identity to anyone else, Sebast has total confidence that Xiang Jun would keep his mouth shut. If not, well¡­ he knew where Xiang Jun stayed after all¡­ As usual, he was sitting alone at the corner of the furthest row away from the front of the hall, preferring to be by himself while the rest are congregated near the middle of the lecture theater. Sebast had no wish to mingle and gossip with the rest of his less-informed course mates, having already known much of the background details of the recent developments. This was of course interpreted by the rest as him being anti-social. ¡°That Sebast Koh, he doesn¡¯t want to talk huh? Not even about something else other than the war in Ages Online. ¡± ¡°Just leave him alone. He has always been this way since ages ago.¡± ¡°Bah, snob¡­¡± Even if they were perfectly audible as per their original intentions to rile him up, Sebast shrugged it off. He never cared about other people¡¯s opinions so why would he start now? Folding his arms behind his head, he was about to lapse back into a quick nap when someone suddenly sat down beside him, uninvited. ¡°Care for a conversation, Beast-kun?¡± A cool sassy female voice resounded softly in his left ear, accompanied by the elusive scent of a light fragrance of lavender¡­ or was it rosemary? Sebast wanted to brush her off at first, but half a second later his mind registered the fact that she used his in-game name and was thus someone he should probably take note of. Snapping wide awake, he found himself staring face-to-face with a sunglasses-wearing beauty that he had never seen before in his entire life. Sebast found his eyes instinctively travel down to her assets accented by a form-fitting black long sleeve overcoat and long black pants. From the gaps that her clothing did not cover, he could see smooth unmarred skin. With classy locks of dyed brown hair and an exotic jaw line of part Asian and part Western heritage, she easily fits the ¡®ideal¡¯ woman type for most men in the world. ¡°Are you checking me out?¡± She suddenly pursed her lips to ask. ¡°Yes¡­ I mean no, miss?¡± He trailed off, a little embarrassed at being called out. He had a slight suspicion as to who this lady might be. She gently laughed, a melodious chime to Sebast¡¯s ears, as she removed her sunglasses to reveal the most mischievous green eyes he had ever seen. It was the very same pair of eyes that he had been familiar with for at least a day in Ages Online, even if most of her face had been covered by a leather helmet. ¡°Mitty. Adele Mitty.¡± Bingo. The way she addressed him was a dead giveaway, although the pitch was an octave higher than that in-game. ¡°Aveye¡­ no, Adele.¡± He corrected. ¡°Why are you here? How did you know I would be here?¡± The first emotion he felt was indignation. He had a whole lot of questions he wanted to ask when they would finally meet in-game, but since the person he had wanted to confront had suddenly appeared before him, it was the perfect opportunity to demand for explanations. ¡°What was that for?¡± He asked, a little too heatedly. ¡®That¡¯ was of course referring to that video she had uploaded. She held a finger to his lips, hushing him. ¡°Let¡¯s talk outside.¡± Putting back on her sunglasses, the radio personality stood up. With a sashay of her hips and the classy steps of her black stilettos, Adele exited the lecture hall through the backdoor. With his burning questions begging to be answered, Sebast had no choice but to follow her out. While they had been mostly unnoticed, it did not prevent some degree of rumours from spreading across the student population. ¡°Who is that with Sebast? Such a hot lady, man¡­ She is top class!¡± ¡°His girlfriend? They looked pretty intimate.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that Adele Mitty?¡± ¡°Adele Mitty? Impossible! Why would a celebrity associate herself with such a snob?¡± ¡°You must have been mistaken dude. That isn¡¯t Adele.¡± ¡°That anti-social probably doesn¡¯t even know who Adele is. Don¡¯t be stupid.¡± The rumours died quickly, squashed by the self-beliefs of Sebast¡¯s course mates. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡°So¡­ how did you find me here?¡± They have moved to a secluded corner near the lecture hall in the school compound. Tables and benches aplenty were left around by the school committee for students to study at, making no lack of places for them to continue their conversation in peace. Adele disinterestedly punched in a few letters on her phone. ¡°Naomi-chan of course.¡± ¡°N-naomi?¡± ¡°Yea. It was not that hard to make her give me your real name, and tracking you down here afterwards is but a piece of cake.¡± Sebast blinked. If ¡®tracking¡¯ meant finding out the exact class and exact schedule he had, then¡­ this person is really dangerous. In his mind, his imagination ran wild, thinking of the various torture methods that must have been employed to force Naomi to cough up his information, something he had absolute belief that Adele would have no qualms on using. ¡°Anyway I told her where we are. She is coming over now.¡± ¡°What?¡± So Naomi had been compromised. ¡°You heard me. I figured having someone you know around would make you trust me more on what I am about to say so I invited her along.¡± Sebast narrowed his eyes. ¡°What are you going to talk about that needs her?¡± For the second time, Adele put her finger to Sebast¡¯s lips. ¡°My my, impatient fellow aren¡¯t you?¡± She teased with a twinkle in her eyes, shutting Sebast up in embarrassment. The result was a tense, awkward atmosphere, at least to Sebast anyway. He was saved minutes later by a familiar voice. ¡°Hi guys!¡± ¡°Naomi-chan!¡± ¡°Wow, Adele you looked so pretty in real life.¡° ¡°Nao-¡± Sebast turned his head to greet his master, but was stunned by what he saw. ¡°-mi?¡± Instead of the baggy gi and hakama that Sebast was accustomed to seeing in the Penguin Dojo or the unflattering leather armour in-game, Naomi was wearing a fashionable white spaghetti strap top with a pair of sky blue hot pants that displayed her toned athletic figure. Her black hair, usually tied up in a ponytail was let down to her shoulders, under which she was carrying a cream coloured tote bag. It was a totally different Naomi he had never seen. The first thing she did when she sat down was to clap her hands together and bow her head towards him in an apologetic posture. ¡°I am sorry Sebast!¡± ¡°Huh? What for?¡± Sebast was still trying to reconcile the Naomi at the present with the Naomi he knew. ¡°I should have been faster in healing you. I¡­ caused your death.¡± Sebast needed a second before he realized what she was talking about. ¡°Oh. It¡¯s alright.¡± He replied without breaking a sweat. Really, he never felt the need to blame Naomi for his death. She could not possibly out-heal the poison damage anyway and the recovery status spell takes time to take effect. By then, he would still be dead. ¡°Okay.¡± Sebast watched Naomi for any darkening expression, but found nothing. Well then, that was quickly settled. At least it went better than that time with Kiki. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s get down to business.¡± Adele spoke up, having finished whatever business she was conducting with her phone messenger client. ¡°I am sure you have seen the video, yes?¡± At Sebast¡¯s affirming nod, she continued. ¡°After you died, Beast-kun, I revealed my true identity to Shadun and Naomi-chan and negotiated a deal with them. You see, with what had transpired there is no way I would not upload my video onto the net.¡± ¡°Adele asked us for our permissions to use the video for herself.¡± Naomi helpfully added. It was not surprising, considering the amount of commotion that one video had stirred up. ¡°Yes. So I get to upload my video of the whole process of the infiltration with the conditions that none of you guys would be named and exposed, not even in my radio program. In return, I will pay each of you a thousand dollars each for the trouble.¡± ¡°A thousand-!¡± Sebast could not wrap his mind around the fact that he is getting so much for doing so little. ¡°Yes, one thousand. If you are concerned about the money, don¡¯t worry. I am making several times more from the advertisements money generated by the view counts.¡± Adele nonchalantly explained. ¡°I know that this is a little backwards, but please give me your permission to use the video.¡± At that, she pushed an envelope towards Sebast. ¡°You seem to be forgetting something.¡± With terms like this, he found it hard to stay angry at Adele, but he still wanted a formal apology at the very least. He was not about to let it slide just like that. ¡°I am sorry?¡± Adele meekly said, doing her best impression of her puppy-dog eyes. She catches up on things fast. ¡°F-fine, apology accepted.¡± With that out of the way, Sebast spared no glance at the fat packet of notes as he pocketed it without hesitation. There was no need to think over it. After all, the video had already been uploaded. Shadun and Naomi had already given their permission. Even if he forced Adele to take it down, others would just re-upload it again. As the saying goes, what has been posted on the Internet lives forever. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Nice! I like your style. It took me longer to convince the others that this was real. Alright, that settles our current business deal.¡± Sebast idly noted that she used the word ¡®current¡¯. ¡°So Beast-kun, I am thinking of using the name Blue Fist to create a new mystery figure for future videos and discussion topics that people can chase after and wonder about. This last video has already proven that to be a successful formula to work with. Besides, things around you seem to be unexpected and fun, so I feel that we can have a go at it.¡± Her phone rang and Adele silenced it with a flick of her slender fingers. She seemed like a busy person. ¡°Of course, you will be adequately compensated, as will everyone else who appears in the videos.¡± She glanced at Naomi as she spoke. ¡°The terms still apply - your appearance and in-game name will be covered up and in my radio program we will simply refer to you as the Blue Fist. You are not required to explicitly manage anything as well, only that I will continue staying by your side as Aveye and be responsible for the recording the footage as well as the video editing. All you need to do is to agree. What do you think?¡± ¡°¡­ How much?¡± ¡°You have a good mind for asking.¡± Adele held out both her hands, showcasing her pink polished nails. ¡°Ten percent?¡± The radio deejay nodded. ¡°Of course, the actual amount will be determined by the view counts garnered by the video but I can guarantee you a higher number than what we have this time round. So do we have a deal?¡± Sebast had to be a fool not to take what he was offered. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ He was on his way home after school, still musing over what had happened after Adele left the compound grinning. ¡°So why are you here?¡± He asked. Naomi looked up, revealing an envelope of her own. It was similar to the one that he had received from Adele. Sebast¡¯s mouth form a silent ¡®O¡¯ in response and he nodded in enlightenment. So Naomi was there simply to collect her share and Adele had a familiar face which to persuade Sebast with. What a way to kill two birds with one stone. Maybe he should start heading back to class. ¡°Sebast,¡± Naomi started suddenly, catching his attention. ¡°Have you thought of how to appease your mother yet?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± He shrugged. He had no idea if she even needed appeasing. Every time they had quarreled, it just took some amount of time before they returned to talking conditions and the status quo. ¡°When you are going home later, take some money and buy some flowers for your mother. Girls love flowers the most. Or cakes. Definitely cakes.¡± Sebast almost snorted, but held himself in time. It was not false to say that it was sound advice, but the expression she made when she suggested that seemed as though she was in her own fantasy of receiving her own bouquet from an imaginary prince, making Sebast wonder if she was speaking from her own point of view. ¡°I will think about it.¡± The perfect words of ambiguity that showed neither the acceptance nor refusal of a suggestion. ¡°What are you going to do with your money then?¡± He asked in an attempt at changing the topic. ¡°I am going to renovate my dojo!¡± Sebast blinked. That sounded like it would take more than a thousand dollars to accomplish. ¡°But first I will treat myself to some good food. Maybe¡­¡± Sebast blinked again. After crashing his lectures for the day and eliciting weird stares from his course mates at this unknown girl who suddenly turned up in their class, Naomi had dragged him out to a patisserie to eat some ¡®good food¡¯ to celebrate their windfall of one thousand dollars, which included cakes, cakes and more cakes. At first, he questioned why he was even there in the first place, to which Naomi replied that she did not want to feel sinful by herself. Only after sampling no less than ten different types of artisan cakes did she release him, with a promise of more training at their next lesson to burn away the calories they had just taken in. So here he was, with a stalk of sunflower in his hand, loitering in front of the door to his house, wondering if he should enter. He had ended up adopting Naomi¡¯s advice and was wondering if one mere stalk was sufficient when the door opened. His mother stepped out of the house, prepared to water the potted plants outside their apartment as per her usual routine when she caught sight of Sebast looking like a deer caught in the headlights. He half-expected her to break into an angry tirade and start berating him for his recent behavior, but none of that happened. ¡°Sebast.¡± She simply said. ¡°Mum.¡± Sebast replied, glad that the worst was over. ¡°This is for you.¡± He passed the sunflower to his mother, who took it and gave it a small whiff. ¡°Why, thank you. I will find a vase or something for it.¡± She definitely seemed noticeably happier - the flowers were as effective as Naomi had said. That would be a good trick to know for the future. ¡°Then I will be in my room.¡± His mother nodded before she returned to tending the plants. ¡°Be back out for dinner at 6.30. I cooked your favourite fish today.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± He cheerfully answered, kicking his shoes off before entering the house with a smile. At least the house would be at peace again for a little while. ¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Beast logged back into Ages Online, finding himself before a familiar plaza where a small fountain resides. It and its surroundings were worse for wear, with chipped porcelain and broken tiles littering the streets indicative of the storm that had just passed. It seemed that he had re-spawned back in Vanguard Pass. Had the state of the town been chaotic still, he would probably have re-spawned in another nearby friendly town such as Port Lucke or Loyderidge. It was not crawling with soldiers like before and it was good to see that the town is slowly recovering its functions after the revolt; the basic shops for essentials were already reopened for business. However, the first thing on Beast¡¯s mind was not the state of the town, but the state of his own self. ¡°Status window.¡±
Status Window
Name:Beast
Level:58Profession:Lore Keeper
Race:HumanGender:Male
Titles:Genocider +15 to all stats
Fame:155
-
Health:2270 (+220)Mana:1720 (+800)
Strength:234 (+15)Intelligence:110 (+60)
Dexterity:246 (+15)Wisdom:114 (+30)
Stamina:144 (+15)Luck:45 (+15)
Bare Hand Mastery, +22% to bare hand damage, +3% critical damage Iron Body, +12% resistance to all damage, +230 HP
Equipment Effects
Vanadic Tome of Artifacts: +500 mana Vanadic Signet Ring, +10 Intelligence Sundered Gloves of the Conquerer, +35 Intelligence/ +15 Wisdom/ +300 Mana
Relations
Caerheim: 86 Scelenia: 200
That one death since a while had cost him dearly in 7 stat points in strength. As a slight consolation, he had leveled somehow along the way, probably from punching some of those Hondurian soldiers. Beast wondered if the stat loss from death is in any way related to the length of time gone without dying. It did seem that way, but that would probably belong in the domains of a conspiracy theorist. What Beast could not stomach however, was that his Bare-handed Mastery decreased a level to Intermediate 3, which meant hours of grinding it back up again. A quick check of his inventory told him that he was left with a single measly gold coin after Alpyrius had used the Extortion skill on him. One single gold coin and it was probably from catching one of those coin projectiles the merchant had been flinging. That Extortion was one wicked skill if he had anything to say about it. Even if he was not as money-grubbing as many other people out there, it was still a painful blow to his wallet. At least, he only lost the ring he took from Fyrzen, which amounted to an almost zero net gain item wise. His poisoned spears were running low from that spam attack on Alpyrius while his potions stock remained healthy. He still had 60 more uses of Toxxi-venom to go¡­ No, wait, there was something else missing from his inventory ¨C His Antroach Mandibles! A quick double check confirmed that they are indeed nowhere to be seen. Beast slumped down onto the hard pavement in defeat. His hard-earned artifact. Gone. The gold he lost could not even compare to this. He slammed his fist into the ground, ignoring the pain that reverberated through his bones from the impact. Curse that darned merchant and his alpaca. Before he could descend into darker thoughts, a bright boyish voice sounded behind him. ¡°Looking for these? I really wonder where you got them. It would make a good story.¡± ¡°I have to admit I am curious too.¡± ¡°This is-!¡± A distinctively familiar pair of large mandibles belonging to a fusion between an ant and a cockroach floated in front of him, held up by a smooth slender hand. That was right, he did not die while in enemy hands, so whatever item he dropped would have been picked up by his comrades! Beast jerked an entire hundred and eighty ¨Cdegrees to meet face-to-face with a grinning Aveye the archer. Beside him¡­ her¡­ it - he had no idea how to address her any more- the rest of the party was present, Shadun with his stoic face and death spewing mouth and Naomi who is seemingly preoccupied by the reparation work being conducted on the town¡¯s damaged buildings. ¡°You guys actually waited for me?¡± There was a warm and fuzzy feeling blossoming in his chest¡­ ¡°Not really.¡± Shadun wasted no time in crushing it. ¡°It is just that we were holed up in the house Naomi found for us for the entire duration of the revolt until just now. It was boring. Naomi was complaining the entire time.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Naomi asked from her preoccupation, having heard her name. ¡°Never mind.¡± Shadun and Beast both answered. Without any further part in the conversation, Naomi returned to watching the soldiers work. Was this where she got her renovations ideas from? Beast shrugged. ¡°So where are Mealgar and the rest then?¡± ¡°They left for Loyderidge just a while ago ahead of us. We are supposed to travel back and find Trigent in Loyderidge, but someone was dead and had to respawn¡­¡± ¡°¡­I heard that. Anyway, give those mandibles back, Aveye.¡± Pon.
Aveye wants to register as friends! Yes/No
Beast raised a questioning eyebrow at the person who simply dangled his Mandibles in front of him like a hostage. ¡°You know you didn¡¯t have to do that, right?¡± He stated with a wry smile. Immediately, Sebast pushed the ¡®yes¡¯ button to a sound of confirmation and got his artifact back for his trouble, while Aveye broke out into a cheer. ¡°Let this mark the beginning of a productive business relationship! Onwards!¡± And with that, they departed from the town of Vanguard Pass. Next Chapter Chapter 38: Pass Go. Collect $200 Fame is a fickle concept. It is the amalgamation of large amounts of attention, and once big enough, may become self-sustainable. However, it is also as fleeting, requiring large amounts of effort and novelty to maintain. Yet, that did not stop people from hankering after fame and doing everything within their means to achieve it. That is why Daika Yamamoto is currently having a migraine. A sharp, nasal voice chose that moment to blast from the speakers. ¡°Hi, I am Blue Fist-¡° ¡°For the love of god, mute him!¡± ¡°Hai!¡± With a click of the mouse, the irritating quacks were silenced. Daika rubbed his throbbing temples in relief. ¡°Daika-sama, the Blue Fist shown in the videos fits the description.¡± ¡°Place a marker on the video uploader and track all of his subsequent uploads.¡± Daika wearily ordered, his eye-bags showing under the bright light from the screen. ¡°Hai!¡± ¡°Daika-sama. I found another one. Do we mark this as well?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But its views are pathe- ¡°Do it. Mark all of them,¡± Daika irritably growled. After Old Man Yashita had come by and demanded a detailed report on what netizens had termed The Vanguard Revolt, they have been working overtime to track down the four players who were known to be at the scene. At first, the only clue they had was dead, killed by the incongruity of the data output. Then, the adelemitty video arrived on the net. It showed everything they needed to know, up to and including why the soldiers went seemingly berserk and provided clues to the identity of one of the four. Some had decried it to be fake, but they knew that with a celebrity staking her reputation on it there was no way it could be. The video would have proven to be what they needed for a complete report if not for Adele Mitty herself. The radio personality had declined a request to meet up through her manager, stating that she was busy. Their chase came to a grinding halt and there was nothing they could do, lest they were sued for harassment. Just when they thought they were back to square one, a fellow moderator noted that he had seen the Blue Fist on another clip on the net and proposed the idea that Blue Fist himself could have uploaded his own video. Thus, it prompted the current search. The only problem was that there were too many to count. After the adelemitty video took the Internet by storm, copycats had crawled out of their holes by the droves, wanting to hitch a ride on the fame of this phenomenon. Each and every one of them had taken to calling themselves Blue Fist and claimed to be the one who had caused the Revolt. They also mimicked Blue Fist¡¯s characteristics with varying degrees of success. Some had blue luminescence poorly photoshopped into the frame ¨C those they did not even bother to consider ¨C but a surprisingly good number of them looked real enough. Most of them were barren, getting views only in the hundreds range. Usually, all these videos would be shunned by the average viewers, doomed to fall into obscurity forever against the onslaught of an ever -increasing number of video uploads. However, because it was the only lead they had at the current moment, the moderator team had not much choice but to trawl through the dark side of Yuutoob for a longer while. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.
Defend Loyderidge ¨C Quest Update! The Hondurian army has retreated back to Vanguard Pass and a ceasefire is declared. Loyderidge still stands, an effort made possible together by the brave defenders of Loyderidge¡¯s militia. The history books will forever speak of the day Caerheim finally broke away and declared her independence from the shadows of her origin country, Honduria. The Joint Operation is successful. You may collect your reward from the Militia Quartermaster located at the Militia camp. For this battle you earned: 0 pts. Total Contributions : 1104 pts
Pitiful amounts of contribution equates to a pitiful reward. Not like he cared about this quest that much. The real deal is in the next one.
Negotiate for Peace ¨C Quest Update! You have successfully sued for peace with Duplent Ashwald of Honduria. As per agreements on the signed paper. Duplent has sent orders to withdraw his troops back past the Grand Crossing after containing the revolt in Vanguard Pass. Honduria has resumed neutral ties with Caerheim while they settle their internal conflict in the central continent. The Joint Operation is successful. You may collect your reward from Trigent Ashwald. For successfully completing the mission you earned: 7058Pts ? 2000 for delivering the Seal safely ? 1000 for handling the negotiations ? 2000 for esorting Duplent Ashwald to safety ? 80 for defeating 8 soldiers ? 60 for defeating 3 bow knights As the commander of the operation you earn an additional 10% points from your operation members ? 1200 for completing objectives ? 718 for assorted kills Total Contributions: 7058pts
This was the reason why being a commander of a Joint Operation is so lucrative. Gaining 10% of your operation member¡¯s kills often propels the commander into the top rank without much trouble. The only way for the commander to not appear in the top ranking list would be to do nothing at all, and even then it would be difficult, depending on the total number of members. Beast idly wondered how much Lifey would have received in ¡®Defend Loyderidge¡¯. A boatload, he supposed.
Your Riding skill has increased to Basic 4
At the moment, they are riding down the paved road towards Loyderidge at a relaxed pace, allowing Beast to look through all his leftover notifications at his own time. Unfortunately, that also meant that others had time to pester him, namely Aveye. ¡°That seems to be one interesting item you got there.¡± The archer had gotten closer. ¡°The mandibles, why are you keeping those things around for? ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°When I tried to identify it, I got nothing.¡± Aveye shrugged. ¡°If I were you, I would have thrown them or sold them away a long time ago. So I thought there would be a purpose in you keeping it.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Beast could feel the rest riding closer as well, as though they wanted to listen in on the conversation. ¡°¡­ I thought I could make a weapon out of it.¡± ¡°What kind of weapons?¡± ¡°I have no idea. Daggers maybe? But they are not for me.¡± Beast felt he might have spoken a little too much, for Aveye looked as though she had caught onto something big. ¡°Who are they for then?¡± She asked, a little too eagerly. ¡°Someone I know.¡± He curtly replied in an attempt to cut off a dangerous route of conversation. However, the archer would have none of it. It might have come as an occupational hazard of being a radio deejay. ¡°Awww. So, what is her name?¡± ¡°Huh? And how did you arrive at the conclusion it¡¯s a ¡®her¡¯?¡± ¡°So it is a girl¡­¡± ¡°Hey. Wait. What?¡± Did he just fall for her trap? Aveye looked as though she was processing the information with a thoughtful look, making Beast become more and more flustered. ¡°I might be a little jealous.¡± ¡°No thanks!¡± Beast cried. He could see Shadun and Naomi sniggering in the background, which was not helping the situation any. In the end, he made up his mind to simply shut up so as not to provide more ammunition for Aveye to fire at him. That persisted until they finally reached the East Gate of Loyderidge. Being one of the two remaining gates left of the war-scarred city, it still retained its original grandeur despite the massive damage sustained during the battle. Giant emblems of an eagle soaring about the Caerheim coat of arms were engraved into the stone, and banners of victorious gold and red hung overhead from the over-arching parapets. Above them, the distinctive towers of the Loyderidge palace peek over the stone walls, shining proudly under the warm sunlight. It was an awe-inspiring sight, designed to take away the breath of any newbie. As a person entering the capital of Caerheim officially for the first time, Beast could not contain a sudden feeling of pride that gushed out from within. This is the city he had defended. His city. ¡°Halt.¡± A Caerheim guard shouted as he impeded their path. Behind him, several others noticeably tensed. ¡°Identify yourself!¡± Beast raised an eyebrow at the sight. Perhaps coming straight from the road leading from Vanguard Pass right after a war might not have been the brightest idea after all. ¡°The East gate is currently closed to those who would come from Honduria. Please turn back to where you came from.¡± The sound of weapons being drawn did not go unnoticed by Beast and his party. ¡°Are we going to fight?¡± A voice came from behind. ¡°No, Naomi, wait.¡± Beast hastily replied before things went beyond the point of return. He was in a dilemma as to what to do when Shadun stepped forward and procured a letter from his pockets. ¡°I have a letter from Court Historian Mealgar requesting our presence before Lord Trigent. Please let us through.¡± The guard looked unconvinced, but took the letter over all the same. After opening it to read it through, he distinctively paled as though he had just made a grave mistake. It was good thinking that Mealgar had already expected something to this effect and prepared a letter in advance. ¡°Ah¡­ You are the esteemed Beast and his friends.¡± The tone of voice had changed noticeably, turning from hostile to friendly. ¡°Please forgive my behavior. We are all jumpy from the last invasion by Honduria and there is the recent re-surfacing of bandits looking to take advantage of the aftermath of the war. I hope you understand.¡± ¡°Sure. So can we pass now?¡± ¡°Anytime.¡± The gate guard bowed in a mark of respect. ¡°In fact, the Court Historian requests in his letter that we escort the saviors of Loyderidge up to the palace.¡± Trust Mealgar to be this excessive. On the other hand, Saviours of Loyderidge; it did have a nice ring to it. ¡°That would be fine, but we would like to visit the militia camp before we head to the keep. Is that okay?¡± He wanted to meet up with Gordo and collect the first joint operation reward while at it. ¡°As you wish.¡± The guard complied. Having an NPC guard following behind as they walked through the streets of Loyderidge proved to be attention-grabbing. Many stares were shot their way, especially at the gate guard who was tagging along. It was uncommon to have an NPC follow someone, much less a gate guard, so people were wondering if somebody in their group have committed a crime to warrant such behavior. Beast simply did not care and continued walking until he reached the Militia Camp. By now, it had already been emptied out except for the occasional player who was there to collect their reward and soldiers who had not been released from their duty. Upon entering the premise proper, Naomi stopped in her tracks. She was trembling slightly. ¡°Naomi?¡± Aveye probed, putting her hand on Naomi¡¯s shoulder to provide some source of comfort. ¡°I¡­ I am alright. I am just thinking about things from before.¡± It might be a different kind of feeling, jarring even, to see the camp during and after a war, especially when she had been there for most of the war¡¯s duration. The flood of emotions that welled up could be overwhelming enough to cause a few moments of weakness. Beast could sympathize. Just then, a familiar royal knight spotted them and came over. ¡°Naomi! You youngsters!¡± It was Gordo, beaming. ¡°Oh, and if it isn¡¯t Jack from the East Gate.¡± ¡°Sir!¡± The gate guard following them snapped into attention. Gordo returned the salute before turning back to them. ¡°Good job! Through your efforts Loyderidge and Caerheim is safe.¡± ¡°N-no problem, sir.¡± Naomi stuttered, face slightly red. ¡°Have you met the quartermaster yet?¡± They shook their heads in unison. ¡°If that is the case I will give you your rewards in his place. It is the least I could do as thanks.¡± Dringgg!
You have completed the Joint Operation ¨C Defend Loyderidge. The Hondurian army has retreated back to Vanguard Pass and a ceasefire is declared. Loyderidge still stands, an effort made possible together by the brave defenders of Loyderidge¡¯s militia. As part of the brave militia who contributed to the city¡¯s defense, you are entitled to a reward from the city¡¯s coffers. Total Contribution: 1104pts +20 fame +110 Public Relations with Caerheim +5 gold
You have levelled up!
As expected, his share was not extraordinary. Five miserable gold coins were hardly enough to cover what he had lost to Alpyrius, but a reward offered is still a reward to take. Besides, there should be many more who died during the West Gate defense and thus got screwed out of the gate defense bonus. Their scores were probably lower than his. ¡°Now, I am glad that you stopped by the militia barracks, but do remember to meet Lord Trigent. I believe he is quite eager to see you all.¡± ¡°Sir, I will make sure of that.¡± Jack, the gate guard, affirmed. ¡°Good, now get going. Soon this camp will be closed. Foreigners and locals alike would not be able to enter.¡± ¡°Closed?¡± Naomi¡¯s startled voice rang out. ¡°Yes, it has no other purpose for now. The soldiers have all returned to their homes after the war. Even I will be returning to my post among the Royal Knights. So shoo. Don¡¯t stay and clutter up the scenery. ¡± They were then unceremoniously evicted from the camp by the forceful hand of Knight Gordo. With that out of the way, they made way for the Loyderidge palace under Jack¡¯s guidance, but not before Naomi gave the place she spent her newbie life in one last glance. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. The throne room was as before. Trigent Ashwald sat on his seat, flanked by his loyal retainers. Mealgar was grinning, Riwana struggling not to show a smile and Lugwen was wearing his perpetual frown as usual. Trisha and Tristan, the assassin pair, were no longer cloaked. They stood silently by Trigent¡¯s side, but their alert eyes told Beast that they were on guard the entire time. ¡°You may take your leave, Jack. Thank you for bringing them here.¡± Trigent spoke, his elegant voice ringing through the chamber. ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± With a soldier¡¯s salute, the gate guard made his way out, leaving the players alone in the room. ¡°Now, it is time for us to conduct some administrative work.¡± Beast could not contain his excitement. His well-earned reward is coming. ¡°I received reports from Mealgar and Riwana that you and your friends successfully met up with my brother and negotiated a treaty of peace. Mealgar informed me personally how well you handled the negotiations in his place and I must say I am impressed.¡± Trigent smiled. ¡°I also hear that my little brother had some part to play in the chaos that followed. Even though it was out of our expectations, it still proved beneficial for us. For that, good work.¡± He raised his hand. ¡°However-¡° In an instant, Trisha and Tristan disappeared and reappeared before them with weapons raised to their necks. Beast flinched at the sudden hostility, as did almost everyone else. Even Mealgar dropped his grin, surprised at the development. He raised a questioning eye towards the sovereign of the country. ¡°It has come to my attention that there are some rumours already going around regarding this little bout of sibling rivalry. Of course, rumours will die down soon enough, but as an Ashwald in name and in blood, I would prefer not to air my family¡¯s dirty laundry in public.¡± His hand dropped, and the assassins lowered their weapons in kind. ¡°I believe you understand.¡± Trigent returned Beast¡¯s gaze with his piercing eyes, as though directing the weight of his entire sentence unto him. Even if he had been smiling the whole time, it still did not discount the fact that Trigent meant what he said. Beast unconsciously gulped and nodded in silence. While Aveye was the true perpetrator behind this with her video, it was logical that Trigent would suspect the whole group instead of a single person since he had no clue of anything outside of the game. Right at this moment, he was giving them the benefit of the doubt in what could constitute as a warning. A glance at Aveye showed the archer wide-eyed in alarm. Beast hoped that she realized the gravity of what she had almost caused. ¡°Now that we have gotten that out of the way, thank you all for saving Caerheim.¡± In one sentence, Trigent switched the somber tone into a joyous one. Beast had no idea how to react, until the notification window popped up in front of him. Dring!
You have completed the Joint Operation ¨C Negotiate for Peace You have successfully sued for peace with Duplent Ashwald of Honduria while preserving the sovereignty of Caerheim. For this, the lord of the country, Trigent Ashwald, is eternally grateful, even though the consequences had riled up rumours he would rather not have. Total Contributions: 7058 pts +135 fame +700 Public Relations with Caerheim +35 gold
You have levelled up! You have levelled up! You have levelled up! You have levelled up! You have levelled up!
Seven hundred public relation points! Thirty five gold pieces! Five levels worth of experience! While all the above were extraordinary for a quest reward, Beast could not help but feel a little disappointed. The Joint Operation had been ranked B- and was as hard as it had been to accomplish. Surely there should have been more... No, he should not be greedy. He shall be thankful for what was given. ¡°As a personal commendation for a job well done, Mealgar had recommended that I allow each of you to pick an item from the palace vault as an additional prize. I agreed.¡± Trigent nodded to his court, who stepped forward towards them. It was quite the pleasant surprise. Beast sent an appreciative look at the rotund historian who returned with a wink. ¡°Mealgar, Riwana and Lugwen will escort you personally to choose your reward. Because there are only three of them, Beast will remain here first.¡± The Court Historian, Court Magician and Royal Guard all headed towards Aveye, Shadun and Naomi respectively. ¡°Bye Beast.¡± ¡°See you later.¡± ¡°We will be going first.¡± Beast blinked. Why is he being singled out of the four of them? It may seem innocuous enough that there simply were not enough retainers for everyone in one sitting, but Beast felt that there was something more to it than what was said. And he was right. ¡°Beast.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± With only Trigent and the assassin pair left with Beast in the throne room, the lord of the castle wanted a private talk with him alone. ¡°Duplent sent me a message after the war had ended.¡± Trigent pursed his lips, displaying the fact that he was not all too happy to be corresponding with the person who had sieged his city merely days ago. ¡°He wanted to meet you.¡± ¡°Wha-what?¡± Beast exclaimed. Was he not blacklisted? Why did Duplent want to see him now?¡± ¡°I am quite surprised myself. But his exact words were ¡®Please tell Beast to see me in Garkan if he ever passes by Honduria.¡¯¡± Dring!
Duplent¡¯s Invitation You have received an invitation to visit Duplent Ashwald at his abode in Garkan city of Honduria, sent via Trigent¡¯s Ashwald word of mouth. Garkan is the second largest city in Honduria next to its capital and it forms part of the Honduria Trinity surrounding Lake Foria. Difficulty: E Note: Ignoring this quest will result in its failure, upon which appropriate penalties will be taken. Time Limit: 50 days
¡°I don¡¯t know what you did, but to catch the attention of my brother like that, I am impressed and appalled at the same time.¡± Beast could only smile weakly at Trigent¡¯s comment. Normally he would have jumped at the opportunity for a hidden quest but when it concerned meeting soon-to-be one of the most powerful man in Agaia, it became daunting. ¡°He never really cared for others, much less Foreigners, so you must have been someone special. What did you say your profession was?¡± ¡°A historian, sir.¡± ¡°I see. Then it is too bad I already have Mealgar, or I would have considered poaching you right from under his nose.¡± ¡°Y-you jest.¡± Beast laughed weakly. ¡°Maybe I am.¡± Trigent chuckled. ¡°And they are done.¡± Right on cue, the side door swung open and three pairs of people re-entered the throne room. Shadun, Naomi and Aveye were all holding in their hands the item of their choice. Aveye chose an archer¡¯s hat while Shadun had a small box as his reward, and¡­ ¡°What the heck? Is that a pair of heels?¡± True enough, Naomi emerged five inches taller, walking like a newborn lamb with a pair of steel stiletto heels. Every step she took was accompanied by a small wince and Beast inwardly wondered why she chose to undertake this suffering when she was obviously not familiar with it. When asked, Naomi bravely replied through her apparent discomfort. ¡°I thought it looked useful¡­ owww.¡± ¡°¡­ What can you use it for?¡± She tilted her head. ¡°Fighting?¡± Beast had to suppress a sigh. Never mind the fact that somebody crafted such equipment ¨C he should have expected it actually ¨C but her reason for taking it was bizarre. How exactly are heels useful for fighting? They impede movement and cause instability. If anything they should be a liability. As a martial practitioner who placed importance on footwork and balance, she really should have known better. ¡°If you are done, the rest of you can wait outside the throne room for your friend.¡± While the other three were ushered out, Mealgar led Beast through the side door. After that was a long winding passageway and a flight of stairs before they finally reached an inconspicuous door set into the wall. Pushing it open, Beast was awestruck. Weapons and armours of all kinds adorned the walls and racks that littered throughout the vault as far as his eyes could see. In one corner, there was even a pile of accessories proudly displayed on a shelf. It was truly a treasure vault. ¡°Go on,¡± Mealgar urged with a tilt of his head towards the items waiting to be discovered. ¡°I know you have a better eye than most of them.¡± The court historian chuckled at his own reference. Beast nodded. He could indeed detect slight traces of blue aura interspersed among the clutter of items. It would be great if he could find an artifact out of them. With that in mind he went to work. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°Identify¡±
Fostner¡¯s Longsword of Sharpness Rare, Weapon, Magical The sword crafted by royal blacksmith Fostner Gren of Caerheim for Prince Trigent. This sword is imbued with powerful magical enchantments after crafting that allows it to cut through steel. It was wielded during the expedition into the West Continent to great effect and now rests in the vault of Loyderidge. Enchantment: Sharpness +10% damage Strength +10% impact Durability: 60/60 Value: 78g Damage: 58-63 Level Restriction: 55
Nope. That was not what he was seeking. Most of the items were products of Fostner and while they are undoubtedly fine products made with greatest care, he could not use them. Beast skipped over what would be his twentieth item to a small contraption lying on the table he had used to place all the glowing items he could find. It would be the last glowing item he gathered in this treasure vault, hidden under a pile of otherwise ordinary weapons. Had it not been emitting a faint blue glow he would definitely had missed it. It better be what he needed or he will be emerging from this chamber empty handed once again. It seems that Caerheim is too young a country to have a substantial collection in her vault. He should not have gotten his hopes too high. It was a strange weapon, with curved blades protruding out of both handle pointed forward in the same direction, making the weapon seems not unlike a short u-shaped pair of horns. Gripping it by the handle, he was surprised to find it a good fit with his fist, the sharp blades that curved adjacent to his knuckles and towards the front giving penetration power to his punches. It was like holding a pointy horseshoe. ¡°Identify.¡±
Burfrest Weapon, Artifact
He did not even wait for the rest of the description to load before exclaiming ¡°Artifact Identify.¡± in glee.
You have discovered the hidden artifact - Burfrest Type: Historical Artifact, Weapon Tempered Elvensteel forged under the fires of a phoenix using the Crystalsmith Hammer, this small but deadly weapon was one of Gutrand Gren¡¯s greatest works. One half of a whole, this weapon had been lost in time since ages ago. Those who can figure out the correct way to use this weapon will find it exceptionally versatile in all ranges. Durability: 75/75 Value: 285g Damage: 79-84 Level Restriction: 130 Job Limitation: Nil When equipped: +14 Dexterity Artifact Power: Mana Blade Passive -35 mana per second Elvensteel is a good conductor of mana. Burfrest is able to coalesce injected mana into a solid extension of the weapon at will, increasing its range as long as mana is continuously flowing into the weapon.
+ 8 Strength + 2 Dexterity + 10 Luck
Despite being a level 130 weapon, level requirements are halved for him so he was perfectly able to equip it. Feeling the cool Elvensteel against his hand, it was a welcomed change from his weaponless days, even if the stats of the weapon seemed subpar for its level. ¡°Is this it? Hoho, good choice.¡± Mealgar¡¯s voice came from behind, surprising Beast from his self-indulgence. ¡°Y-yea.¡± This fat man had an uncanny knack of moving around unseen, so much that he had forgotten he was here with him. ¡°Well then, let us get back to your friends. They have been waiting for quite some time already.¡± Beast looked at the jolly man questioningly, ¡°Are you not going to ask me about what I just did?¡± He was of course referring to his excited yell that must have been audible within the vault. ¡°Not exactly.¡± Mealgar shrugged. ¡°After all, why should I need to question the Lord Historian?¡± Beast froze. Lord Historian¡­ That is something most people should not have been aware of. ¡°How?¡± Mealgar simply tapped his personal ring on the ruby crown with a knowing smile. ¡°I am a historian too, you know.¡± Next Chapter
Author''s Notes: And Beast finally got a weapon! Yay!! Do let me know if it is too overpowered though, and give me suggestions on how to adjust it and I will see what I can do. As usual, do comment and rate the story! Edit: As people have pointed out. It does seem strange that Beast did not search through the treasury for all artifacts. So I have edited a small part in the chapter to make the transition better. Cheers. Chapter 39: Weapon Test ¡°So, where is everyone going from here onwards? I am heading west.¡± Beast popped the question to his party. Now that the war has officially concluded, there was no real need to stick together. Despite the fact that he would eventually have to head to the central continent to find Duplent for the quest requirement, that was more than a month away, giving him time to settle his outstanding business first. Besides, he really wanted to return to what he had been doing before he was summoned across the continent by Naomi. Speaking of which, she was starting to look more used to the heels. It was still an odd sight though, garnering some amount of passing stares. ¡°I have some unfinished business left near Freeum, so I will be going west as well.¡± Shadun replied. Beast nodded in acknowledgement. At least he would have a companion for some of the way; Freeum is a town situated in between Rydelin and Loyderidge he will be passing by. ¡°And I will be sticking right by you Beast-kun!¡± Aveye cheerily said, interlocking her arm with Beast¡¯s elbow all of a sudden. ¡°H-hey. Stop that.¡± Beast pulled his arm away while Aveye pouted. Now that he had gotten used to the archer and her tendency to infringe into personal spaces, it had become easier to draw the line unlike the time back in school. Maybe the boyish look and voice in-game might have something to do with that as well. While they were technically business partners, they were nothing more than acquaintances who barely knew each other. For now, she should simply stay as a source of passive income for him. ¡°How about you Naomi?¡± Naomi shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. They closed the camp.¡± The girl looked like a lost lamb that could use a shepherd. ¡°Well, the next step from Loyderidge is either Freeum or Port Lucke. Unless you want to head to other continents early, why don¡¯t you follow us for now? I think they might have quests along the way in Freeum and appropriate leveled monsters to level on.¡± Naomi had leveled a grand total of eleven times from the Joint Operations, bringing her level to 33. With that level she was already too high for newbie quests. It was about time she headed out into the wide world of Agaia. ¡°Okay.¡± Their talk was suddenly interrupted by a woman approaching them. She was wearing a rather striking red leather tunic and pants, coupled with a bronze scimitar that hung loosely from her side belt. ¡°Hey! I overheard you people talking about going to Freeum. I have something here that require an escort there. I am Anna.¡± She pointed to a group of seven males behind her. ¡°And this is Chris and his men.¡± The leading male raised a gruff hand in greeting. They were all warrior types holding axes. She pointed at crate loaded atop a wagon. ¡°Care to help?¡± It was not very obvious whether Anna was an NPC or a player at first, mainly due to a lack of a quest notification window after stating her need, but a player would have either sent a party request long ago. She did not demonstrate any capabilities specific to players, which made it even weirder. Was this supposed to be an NPC quest, or not? Questioning glances were shot. ¡°I am neutral.¡± Aveye replied, looking disinterestedly at the new female. ¡°I am okay with anything.¡± Naomi said. ¡°So am I.¡± Shadun agreed. Beast shrugged. ¡°I personally prefer to travel by ourselves though. It is faster that way.¡± ¡°That is true.¡± ¡°Since Beast-kun disagrees, then I am against it.¡± It made sense. Escort quests would only slow them down, and the level of the quest for the escort would not be high enough to worth their while. It looked like the rest of his party would agree with his opinion when the woman spoke up. ¡°C¡¯mon, don¡¯t be so picky. We¡¯re in need of mercenaries right now due to the re-emergence of bandit gangs.¡± She said. ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°How about this? I will give you an additional commission if you join. Please help me or I won¡¯t be able to make it in time.¡± Beast sighed. He was not one to refuse someone in need. If they really needed the help, then he supposed he could make time. He was fine either way anyway. Shadun had picked up the conversation from where it was left, trying to get more information. ¡°Could you share more details with us? Like what we are escorting?¡± The woman shook her head. ¡°Trade secret. Like I said, I am offering a commission. How about I pay you 10 gold now? I can pay you the rest after we reach the destination?¡± On her words, she immediately handed over ten gold pieces. Beast narrowed his eyes at the scene. It did seem like a lot for what was supposedly so little. And there was no quest. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, you still want more money?¡± While Anna was still preoccupied with Shadun, Beast moved towards the crate on the pretext of greeting the half dozen men. His true objective was to determine what was inside it. As he rounded the cart, there was no sign of magical emissions. Furthermore, he could detect a faint smell of grass, almost like the herbs he had gathered to make potions for. It begged the question of why Anna would need to escort a box of herbs and being so forceful about it. The men who were supposed to be her mercenaries looked like they were around level fifty each. That would have been more than enough to handle bandits around the area. They were also tense, as though anticipating something. One could even say that they were hiding something. Beast formed a silent ''O'' in realization. He knew what exactly they were up to. If they wanted to do it their way, he could add in a twist of his own. ¡°... We will help.¡± He said to Anna, to the surprise of the rest. ¡°Really? Thank you! Thank you!¡± "Are you sure, Beast?" Shadun looked flabbergasted. "Yea, they don''t seem like they will give up either." Beast shrugged. "They wanted us no matter what." In his right hand, he gripped Burfrest tightly, knowing that the chance to test his new weapon was soon. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Sure enough, it was not even five kilometers out of town when Anna and her gang showed their true colours. It started out as a break, initiated by Anna. Beast and his companions were seated under the shade of a tree when they surrounded them in an enclosed circle. Then, all of them drew their weapons in tandem, with Anna declaring a battle cry of ¡°Anna Raiders, get em!¡± in what would be a smug look of assured victory. ¡°Kill the Foreigners!¡± Fortunately enough, Beast had already informed the rest via whispers on what was going on. The look on Anna¡¯s face when all four perfectly dodged the incoming blows was priceless. In a flash, heavy blows from flying fists to the blunt end of a lute smashed into the stunned bandits without mercy, drawing blood and yelps of pain. Beast liked the feel of Burfrest as he punched his target bandit down to the ground. Everywhere his fist landed, two bloody punctures appeared on the enemy. Add that to his improved base attack damage, it took no time for him to take down the bandit. The rest were handling themselves well ¨C Shadun was taking on two at once, reminiscent of that time back in the Bandit Hideouts near Torintu while Aveye had made some distance into the trees and was shooting arrows at any pursuers. Naomi in particular, performed a front kick so fast that the stiletto staked through one of the bandits¡¯ solar plexus and left him standing arched in agony. It was followed quickly by a roundhouse kick to the vulnerable exposed head, nailing the man onto the dirt ground with the pointed tip of her footwear. Beast just so happened to catch sight of the brutal takedown after finishing his own foe that his jaws dropped in disbelief. He¡­ he will take back what he thought about heels and combat. ¡°Who are you people?¡± Anna exclaimed in dismay as two of her men went down in an instant. She had first targeted them because they looked weak and seemed easy to overpower, so why was it that her men were the ones being overwhelmed right at this current moment? ¡°Just a bunch of travelers.¡± Beast replied. ¡°Split Axe!¡± Chris roared and charged straight towards Beast. But Beast was faster. Before the axe could even reach within a meter of the Lore Keeper, the latter was already circling to the former¡¯s side. Rearing his weapon arm back, Beast smashed Burfrest into the bandit¡¯s trunk and was rewarded with the sound of cracking ribs and punctured lungs. Chris crumbled almost immediately. This attacking power was what he had been lacking in his Lore Keeper life! That was when Beast felt a rush of wind incoming from his side. He instinctively swung out with Burfrest, parrying what would have been a slash from a bronze scimitar. It was Anna, trying to aid her ailing comrade. Back in the past, Beast would not even have considered parrying the blow. However, now that he had something in between the vulnerable flesh of his bare hands, it is an entirely different story. Changing his target to Anna, Beast extended his right leg to hook the woman¡¯s foot. Once he felt that he had latched on, he pulled back with all his strength, literally yanking her feet right out from under her. Anna was sent down to the ground on her back, and Beast followed up with a downward strike of his fist. It would have hit for massive damage if not for Anna rolling out of the way in the nick of time, causing Beast to punch bare ground. He was not about to let Anna escape relatively unscathed. Laterally striking out from where he had punched, Beast slashed sideways after her, successfully drawing a laceration wound on the female bandit. By then, Chris had recovered enough to slash at Beast from the back.
-256 HP
It was not too damaging, but it was painful all the same. Gritting his teeth in annoyance, he swung back at the bandit with Burfrest. The attack was barely halted by the flat end of the bandit¡¯s axe but it was not all that Beast could do. His off-hand flew towards Chris¡¯s face with blinding blue, ramming into his jaw with extreme prejudice. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Dazed Blow has been activated!
Dazed Blow has increased to Basic 2!
The force from the impact was all Beast needed to stun the man, causing him to release his stance and grip on his weapon and allow Burfrest to go through unimpeded. Two additional holes appeared on the man¡¯s chest. Rapid breathing, trembling hands, Chris was on the verge of death. Beast directed the mana flow from his hand into Burfrest and the Elvensteel greedily ate up the offering. In a flash, the curved ends of the weapon superheated from the mana injection, reaching critical density. Then, a burst of blue pulsed from the tips of the horns, forming a short blade of pure solidified mana that impaled through the bandit¡¯s chest before dissipating like flickers of starlight.
You have gained the skill Knife Mastery!
Knife Mastery (Basic 1) Passive +1% damage to knife attacks
The light in the man¡¯s eyes faded. Beast nodded to himself in satisfaction. That counted as two separate attacks. ¡°Chris!¡± Anna exclaimed in abject horror. Around her, her men were falling like leaves and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Shadun was about done with his two bandits, while those who went after Aveye had become nothing more than pincushions for arrows. Naomi was standing over the body of her bandit, the arch of her right heel pinning the poor guy¡¯s neck to the ground. Having finished off Chris, Beast turned towards her next, eliciting a fearful ¡®eep¡¯ from the bandit boss. With a menacing Burfrest in tow as he approached the fallen female, the historian looked like a harbinger of death. ¡°What¡­What do you want?¡± She could not even find the strength to hold up her weapon. This person was supposed to be the weakest of the four. ¡°You wanted to rob us didn¡¯t you?¡± Beast said as he kicked the scimitar away. It was not a question. ¡°Yes- I mean no, we didn¡¯t! I mean yes¡­ I mean¡­¡± A fist stopped right in front of her, the curved blades of the exotic weapon arcing dangerously close to her own throat. Any slight movement would rend it apart, ending her life there and then. That shut her up from her incoherent blabber, making her settle on a single word. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And you were planning to kill us to take them.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± It was all he needed to hear. His hand drew back to deliver the finishing blow. ¡°Wait!¡± Beast halted. ¡°Please¡­¡± Anna croaked, her eyes on the verge of crying. ¡°Spare me.¡± Beast¡¯s eyes momentarily softened. The bandits that had been killed were all NPCs. As an NPC herself, it was supposedly why she seemed so desperate for Beast to show mercy for the one chance she had at living. Even though she were nothing but electronics and data, Beast could not help but feel a slight twinge of hesitation at what he was about to do. And those tearful eyes, it reminded him of the promise he made to himself years ago¡­ No¡­ she is an enemy. If they had not been prepared beforehand, things might have turned out worse. Robbed, killed, a day prohibition from the game, it would have been a massive loss of progress right after he just came back from his death to Alpyrius. ¡°Would you have shown us mercy?¡± Beast asked in a small but firm voice. ¡°Eh?¡± Her eyes flitted around, until they settled on his face. ¡°I asked, if it were us-¡° A dagger flew towards his neck, unsheathed from a hidden compartment in Anna¡¯s clothes. She had taken what she perceived as a moment of weakness to strike, the thrust of poisoned steel her chance at victory and escape. ¡°You Foreigners will come back anyway!¡± However, as her hand extended towards her target, a knee struck her wrist, knocking the knife out of Anna¡¯s hands and its intended path. She had squandered her chance. In retaliation to this act of hostility, Beast activated Burfrest''s ability and slashed, its mana blade materializing from the weapon tips into something akin to a short sword. It took a single flourish for him to cut her down. For a full three seconds after Anna went slack, Beast held his gaze at the bandit''s lifeless body. ¡°¡­ I guess that was a no.¡±
-150 Public Relations with Red Lotus
You have taken down the bandit gang Anna Raiders! Anna Raiders is a small bandit gang who operate along the roads between Freeum and Loyderidge. They like to disguise themselves as merchants travelling between the towns and deceive gullible travellers to join them as an escort, where upon they would overpower them and kill them for their belongings. For ridding them, you have done Caerheim a service. +20 fame +45 Public Relations with Caerheim
¡°Beast! Are you hurt?¡± With the bandit gang destroyed, Naomi was the first to rush over. That one time she let him die might have caused a shift in her priorities somewhat. ¡°I am alright. She almost got me though. Are you alright?¡± Beast stated, more concerned for Naomi. She was covered in minor cuts and scratches and might have more trouble with her foe than he had thought. "Yea...." ¡°We should search them for loot.¡± The bandits were bare, but Anna¡¯s corpse contained 6 gold pieces. Add that to the down-payment of 10 gold and they have sixteen. Beast split 4 gold coins each. ¡°Everyone okay?¡± ¡°Yea, Beast-kun.¡± ¡°Mhmm. That is a nice weapon you got.¡± None of them were seriously injured, suffering minor damage at best. After topping off their health, the crate was opened up. Inside were approximately 20 healing herbs and antidote grass, just like Beast thought it would be and he divided them equally as with the gold. Then, they continued on their journey west. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡°Just asking, did anyone hear of the Red Lotus?¡± It was nightfall, and they were getting close to the town of Freeum. The journey had taken longer than usual due to the encounter with Anna Raiders but on the plus side, his Lunar Fleece was getting some of its shine back under the light of the rising moon. ¡°Red¡­ Lotus?¡± Shadun thought long and hard. ¡°¡­ Where did you hear that?¡± Beast stared at the bard in disbelief. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about Red Lotus? Are you sure you have never seen the name before?¡±¡± ¡°Nope and don¡¯t stare at me like that.¡± Beast blinked, breaking his gaze. ¡°Oh. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Did they not get the notification window regarding the public relations decrease with the Red Lotus like he had? Or was it only him who had the penalty due to him dealing the finishing blow on Anna? Beast wondered if he was getting himself into more trouble. ¡°So what about the Red Lotus, Beast-kun?¡± Aveye had picked up and turned the question on him. ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s nothing¡­ I just heard the name somewhere.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Shadun muttered. Beast was saved from Shadun¡¯s questioning look when the town gate of Freeum came into view. Known as the town situated between Loyderidge and Rydelin, Freeum functioned as the main waypoint of trade and supplies between the two cities. Normally brimming with merchants and travelers, it is a treasure trove of quests for new players stepping outside the safe area of the main cities. Even from afar, he could see the town bustling with businessmen and players alike still plying their trade at this hour. It was a pity he would not be entering it. ¡°I guess this is where we separate.¡± ¡°Okay. You¡¯re not even heading inside, Beast?¡± Shadun asked. ¡°The roads can be quite dangerous at night alone.¡± ¡°He won¡¯t be alone because I will be there!¡± Aveye exclaimed with no small amount of indignation. ¡°Oh I¡¯m sorry I forgot about you then.¡± Shadun replied patronizingly. Turning to Beast, he raised his original question. ¡°So?¡± ¡°I think I will just continue onwards.¡± His Lunar Fleece needed the recharging which he would not get if he were to spend the night in an inn. Besides, he had time to make the journey to Rydelin before he had to log out. ¡°Right. You will be around Corelia, yes?¡± Beast nodded in affirmation to Shadun¡¯s words. ¡°Then I will find you later when I am done.¡± "Take care of Naomi." "I will try." They both shared a knowing look. ¡°I can take care of myself! Beast, I will train up and come meet you in Corelia.¡± Naomi added, her eyes glittering with new resolve. The most recent battle must have fired her up and given her a new goal to work towards. With a brief goodbye their group of four split up, two heading into Freeum while the other two continued on the road to Rydelin. Ages Online Compendium Next Chapter
Author''s Notes: This wraps up the Caerheim War arc. :) As usual, please leave a review or a comment either here in the thread or in the main index page. Just scroll to the bottom of all the reviews and you will see a review option. Thank you in advance and keep supporting Ages Online for a meeting with an old friend and a new adventure. Cheers! Ages Online Compendium & Suggestion Box Author''s Notes: Good day readers! Because there is a demand for this, I have consolidate all the characters/names that have appeared up till now in a compendium which will be updated at intervals in the story. This thread will also be a feedback and suggestion thread free for everyone to post how they think the story should go. I based this off memory, so do let me know if I missed out anything.
Characters The character section will follow this format when applicable: Real Life name, In-game Name, Class Classmates: Spoiler : Sebast Koh - Beast - Lore Keeper
Wong Xiang Jun - EmiyaX - Archer
Beatrice Ann Chia - Yunnie - Mage
Ervin Liew - Bluelove - Cleric (Aluyyse)
Derrilene Ong - Lifey - Guardian
Han Xing Ting - XT - Rogue
Roger Mantel - ??? - ??? Non-Classmates: Spoiler : Naomi - Naomi - Cleric (Taerra)
??? - Shadun - Bard
??? - Kiki - Assassin
Adele Mitty - Aveye - Archer
??? - Caldrin - Forager
Qqers: Spoiler : Scrublord - Barbarian
Togepee - Necromancer
Fyrzen - Fusion Mage
Olurin - Blacksmith
Oneshotakill - Sniper
Alpyrus - Merchant
Alpy - NPC/ Alpaca
Chanciel - Cleric (Aluyyse)
Myucrel - Assassin
Rekt - Swordsmaster
???
???
Others: Spoiler : ??? - Lortan - Warrior
??? - Arctarus - Axemaster
??? - Ioriyn - ???
Daika Yamamoto
Kanonji Hitsuga
Prof Tony Toh
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
NPCs: Caerheim: Spoiler : Rio Verdan - NPC/ Librarian
Risette - NPC/ Daughter of Talos
Talos - NPC/ Alchemist
Apollon - NPC/ Torintu Guard
Filand - NPC/ Mayor of Torintu
Trigent - NPC/ Lord of Caerheim
Gordo - NPC/ Caerheim Royal Knight
Magdalene - NPC/ Saint of Loyderidge
Chester - NPC/ Magdalene¡¯s Son & Tailor
Mealgar- NPC/ Caerheim Court Historian
Riwana- NPC/ Caerheim Court Magician
Lugwen- NPC/ Caerheim Royal Guard
Trisha - NPC/ The Left Hand of Caerheim
Tristan - NPC/The Right Hand of Caerheim
Fostner Gren - NPC/ Caerheim Royal Blacksmith
Anna - NPC/ Bandit Leader (DEAD)
Jack - NPC/ Loyderidge Gate Guard Honduria: Spoiler : Altenius- NPC/ Honduria General
Duplent - NPC/ Second Prince of Honduria
Eage - NPC / Honduria Royal Guard
Quarent - NPC/ Fourth Prince of Honduria
Solent - NPC/ First Prince of Honduria (DEAD)
Lady Leiss - NPC/ Hondurian Concubine Pre-Sundering / Sundering: Spoiler : Agor - Lanos Knight
Vanadic - Lore Keeper
Antorine - Guardian
Savathrox the Conqueror - Lich
Deities: Spoiler : Thema - Goddess of Cycles and Change
Balces - God of Balance and Stability
Taerra - Goddess of Earth and Nature
Aluyyse - God of Water and Fortune
Lorq - Goddess of Ice and Death
Enki - God of Fire and Knowledge
Aptenia - Goddess of Wind and Art
Mulrecg - God of Lightning and Justice
Chapter β – Side-story: Claret Claret. That was the colour of the wine they ingested. Sweet, heavenly taste filled with the subtle scent of the Liliponia flower swished around his mouth with every sip, saturating it with the delicacy of the elves. It was definitely more exotic than the mundane ones humans currently produced or the beer that dwarves liked to drink. ¡°Brother, I don¡¯t think we should drink this early. Father won¡¯t like it.¡± The third had always been more uptight among them, but he was not without a point. The sun hung overhead, beating down mercilessly with its rays. They were only shielded from the heat by the shade of the courtyard tree they currently sat beneath. Drinking in this heat and time was akin to asking for suffering. ¡°Not like Father could do anything about it. Right, Brother? Cheers.¡± ¡°Cheers.¡± Two wine glasses tinkered together with a soft chime and they downed the red liquid in a single gulp. They still drank anyway because he could not be bothered to care. The second, ever pompous, simply did whatever that went against the old man¡¯s wishes. As a teenager himself, he could see why. Father had always been uptight about etiquette and tradition, and enforced it strictly upon the household. The third took it to heart, while the second openly rebelled. He, on the other hand, just went along as a front to save himself from unnecessary trouble. The youngest of them was more carefree. At a mere seven years old, he was still too young to come under Father¡¯s attention. It was why he could currently chase pigeons in the courtyard without regards to his image, making rounds about the tree and entertaining his brothers with his adorable antics. All of a sudden, the boy jumped at one of the white pigeons. All he managed to grab was air as he crashed onto the ground in a pathetic heap. He heartily laughed at the scene along with the second. The third clicked his tongue in disapproval at them before heading out of the shade to help. It was as usual. ¡°Hey Quar, don¡¯t cry. Here, let me see that for you.¡± He said as they came back, checking over the boy¡¯s arm carefully for any cuts like a big brother would. It just would not do if an inflammation develops from a neglected open wound; Father and Lady Leiss would never let him hear the end of it. There was one. ¡°It might hurt a little.¡± He poured what was left of the bottle on the cut. To his credit, the boy did not cry even as his arm stung from being drenched in the alcohol, although he grimaced and winced in pain. Soon after, the bottle was empty, ending the impromptu wound sterilization. ¡°Look, it is all okay now.¡± He grinned at his youngest half-brother. ¡°Thank you big brother!¡± Even though they were all brothers from different mothers, he still loved them all the same. He would give anything to continue this kind of lifestyle with them. Even as time passed and they grew older, he hoped they could still sit under this tree as brothers, drinking Liliponia wine and sharing stories about their lives and adventures. Alas, it was not to be. ¡°What the hell did you think you were doing?¡± A shriek came from the direction of the palace doors, revealing a woman dressed in the finest silk and finery in distraught. She hurried towards them with her lady-in-waiting, grabbing the youngest in horror the moment she came under the shade of the tree. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°Lady Leiss.¡± ¡°Mom-¡° ¡°Quiet!¡± After hushing the youngest in one word, she screeched at him in fierce accusation. ¡°What is the meaning of this? What did you do to him? Why is he bleeding?¡± ¡°It is wine, Lady Leiss.¡± A brief look of confusion flitted for a moment before she realized her misunderstanding but her voice came, harsh and shrill for the sake of maintaining her own self-esteem. ¡°I don¡¯t care. You better not be thinking of anything funny, Solent. If you dare harm my son, I will make sure you suffer the same fate.¡± The third tried to reason with the lady ¨C his personality unable to stomach the accusations she hurled. ¡°But Brother meant no harm. He even treated the wound for-¡± ¡°He will soon enough.¡± Leiss snapped, cutting the third off. She then said the one sentence that would prove to be the ultimate flaw of his dream. ¡°After all, there can only be one king.¡± Then, she stormed off with the youngest in tow, leaving the three of them slack-jawed under the courtyard tree. ¡­¡­ Claret. That was the colour of the blood he is spilling. The second stood over him with an expression of shock and horror, his sword glistening with claret liquid. The sounds of fighting seemed so near and yet so far, becoming gradually more distant by the second. What happened? Why was he here? Why did he look so pained? He did not know. All he knew was that his eyelids were heavy. He wanted to sleep, to turn his back on this stupid world where he was born a prince to three other brothers he loved so much. The throbbing in his chest started to ebb, making it easier for him to calm the chaos in his mind. Someone seems to be shouting his name. In the end, he settled on the one image from ten years ago that he had never forgotten, when they were all under the courtyard tree having the time of their lives ¨C drinking claret wine, chasing pigeons and simply enjoying the passage of time. It was a nice image to sleep to. And so he closed his eyes. Ages Online Compendium Next Chapter
Author''s Notes: Sorry for the delay, but I was planning to host a popularity poll for characters in this side-chapter, which is why I made the Compendium first. Also, I went back and added Next Chapter links to all of the previous chapters, so as to facilitate your (re-)reading. Just as a disclaimer, this chapter is a small tribute to the story Claret, by Innotui. Do participate in the poll! The question this time is which of the Qqers do you like the best and would like to see more of. It is not limited to a single choice, so vote away! Give your reason too! It may affect their future screen-time. :) Chapter 40: Loose Ends ¡°UNCLE!¡± A cannonball of hair barreled into his body as soon as he stepped through the door to Talos¡¯ Potions in Rydelin, knocking all the wind out of him. It took all he had not to be blown out of the house by the force of the petite thing that had come forward to hug him. ¡°Uncle huh?¡± Aveye looked on bemusedly from behind him. Beast blanched. ¡°Oh shut up.¡± He hissed back. A mirthful laughter sounded from the front, revealing a fatigued man with graying hair that he had known the day his gaming life took a steep increase in difficulty. He sure had been busy with his business. ¡°Talos¡­ Risette.¡± Beast greeted, gently trying to pry the little girl off. She only hugged him harder than ever. The bundle of energy had also been recovering well. ¡°We were wondering when you will come back. That war in Loyderidge had us worried.¡± ¡°You kept your promise, Uncle!¡± It was then Risette finally released her grip, looking up at him with her crystal clear eyes of innocent joy. He could not help but be drawn into them, leaving him all warm and fuzzy inside. ¡°Uh¡­ yea. How are you doing Risette?¡± ¡°Great!¡±
You have completed - Risette¡¯s Promise A gentleman¡¯s word is as precious as gold. As promised, you came back to visit her. It may not have been significant to you, but it was significant to her. The Little Blue Rock will be testament to that. +50 intimacy with Risette +10 intimacy with Talos
He could have sworn something in his inventory trembled for a moment, but Talos interrupted his thoughts before he could check. ¡°So who is this person you brought here?¡± ¡°Oh, she is just someone I met at-¡° Before he could say anything else, the archer took the lead to make her own introduction. ¡°I am Aveye, a friend of Beast. It is nice to meet you, mister Talos.¡± She went forward and grabbed Talos¡¯ hands, looking back for a brief second to give Beast a playful wink. ¡°You have such a beautiful daughter.¡± Her glance rested on Risette, who was currently holding onto Beast¡¯s side, for a moment longer than usual. ¡°Why, um, thank you.¡± Talos was unsettled by the sudden forceful introduction, but still beamed with pride when Aveye praised his one and only beloved child. ¡°You are pretty handsome yourself.¡± ¡°How is the shop doing, Talos?¡± Beast spoke up as he absentmindedly patted Risette on her head, evoking a soft purr of contentment as he did so. ¡°Great! My potions are being cleared way faster than I am making them. The rat tails you sold me had all been used up for making the speed potion.¡± Beast froze for a split second. ¡°Speed Potions.¡± He re-confirmed it as-a-matter-of-factly. ¡°Yes. Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Not really. Never mind me.¡± Beast smiled. He then mentally registered it as one of the items he would never purchase from Talos¡¯ Potions. It was at this time that Aveye finally voiced a question that seemed to have been stuck in her throat since she entered the shop. ¡°Cou-could I hug her? Risette-chan~¡± Without waiting for an answer, the archer suddenly advanced towards the girl. Her smile was wide but her eyes glowed with an almost predatory gleam. It was verging on scary even to Beast himself despite not being the target of such hunger. Before he could do anything though, Risette simply took one look at her and disappeared behind him with a terrified look like she had just seen the reaper. He could feel a tight but trembling grip on his pants through his cloak. And Aveye¡¯s face fell. ¡°I am sorry, but please pardon her behavior.¡± Talos scratched the back of his head with a weak chuckle. ¡°The child has a slight aversion to strangers due to past reasons.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She sounded defeated. ¡°Eh¡­ I am sorry all the same.¡± Judging by how the conversation is going, Beast felt that he should probably take Aveye and abscond early. ¡°Well, I am just popping by for a visit while I am stopping in Rydelin. I have things to do, so I should be going now.¡± He bowed, ready to drag Aveye out of the shop when the alchemist stopped him in his tracks. ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Both father and daughter simultaneously called out to him, but Talos was the one who continued speaking. ¡°I have something I would like to show you, Beast.¡± He then lowered his voice to a whisper. ¡°But I will need your friend to wait outside.¡± At that, Beast directed an expectant gaze towards the archer. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will see myself out.¡± She had apparently overheard and walked outside with a deadened expression. Talos shut the door after her without a second thought, while Risette looked visibly relieved. Guess intimacy with NPCs could not be forced after all. ¡°Come, follow me. What I want to show you is at the back.¡± Talos beckoned. They emerged through a door into a quaint room filled with hundreds of flasks and glass bottles, each of them filled with a liquid of different colours. Some were bubbling by themselves; some were being heated over a small fire by a lighted candle but most were set in holders, ready to be corked and stoppered before putting out for sale. The air was filled with a mixture of smells, and Beast could not decide if it was pungent or just weird. It was the epitome of an alchemist¡¯s laboratory. ¡°Look at this.¡± Talos excitedly held up a small vial containing a silvery liquid. It was almost like liquid moonlight. ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°The Moonglow, yes. Thanks to you, I managed to make it into a potion that will allow you to completely camouflage into the surroundings at night, like an illusion. You can take it and test it out. If it works for you, do come back for more.¡±
You received Illusion Potion x1 Illusion Potion Potion, Consumable This potion created by using the Moonglow flower as a major ingredient allows the user to blend into their environment at night, granting stealth that persists despite any actions. It is an extremely rare potion due to difficulty of obtaining its component. The effect last for 1 hour(s).
¡°You only made one?¡± Beast raised an eyebrow. It was the most polite way of asking why he only received a single vial. ¡°I have made several others in a batch of course, but they will be 2 gold pieces each. The first one is free just for you.¡± There was no doubt that Talos himself was still a merchant at heart, but two gold coins per vial for a situational effect was way too overpriced even if the effect was powerful. He had 35 gold pieces from the Loyderidge Joint Operation, but he could possibly spend them on something better. Something like what he was about to pull. ¡°Then I humbly thank you for this gift.¡± Effortlessly, Beast quickly led the conversation to where he wanted it. ¡°But Talos, you are quite well-versed with your trade, aren¡¯t you?¡± He laced his sentences with awe and praise. ¡°I doubt I could manage what you did. That potion must have taken quite some time and effort to make.¡± Well within his expectations, Talos puffed out his chest with pride. ¡°Yes, of course!¡± He had almost forgotten about it because of Aveye, but Talos here was an experienced alchemist who could possibly impart his knowledge unto him. Furthermore, his intimacy with the man would prove valuable with regards to the request so he had a high chance of actually succeeding should he bother to ask. ¡°Talos, I am actually trying my hand at alchemy now, so do you mind teaching me a few recipes?¡± The alchemist was taken off guard. Before he could regain his bearings and consider, the final nail was driven in when Risette piped up from Beast¡¯s side. ¡°Daddy, you will teach Uncle, won¡¯t you?¡± Beast patted the girl on her head. ¡°Uh¡­ha yes¡­ yes, daddy will.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. In the end, he could not learn the recipe for the Illusion Potion ¨C Talos was adamant about not revealing the secrets to a recipe he had newly created and was about to put on sale ¨C but he managed to learn all the standard basic potions from an alternative to the basic healing potion to the speed potion utilizing the dreaded severed rat tails. And for a discounted price too. Learning recipes cost a fair amount of money depending on the potion type and effect, usually ranging from a single gold piece to the hundreds, due to the merchant¡¯s desire to maintain a monopoly on their local market. It also depended on the intimacy one have with the NPC, so to say it was a steal when Beast learnt a total of 8 potion types for a measly 10 gold coins was a drastic understatement. Regeneration Potion (Small), Mana potion (Small), Strength Potion (Small), Speed Potion (Small), Defense Potion (Small), Intelligence Potion (Small), Stamina Potion (Small) and Luck Potion (Small) ¨C They provide a small boost to their respective domains, nothing insane like the ones Alpyrius used, but could prove handy for the extra oomph in certain situations. Luckily for Beast, the ingredients were easily obtainable along the way to Corelia, except for the luck potion requiring a four-leaf clover as a main ingredient. As far as he knew, he had never chanced upon a clover field in his travels and thus certainly would never have found a four-leaf clover among its three-leafed variant. He also bought two more Illusion Potions for 4 gold pieces. Potions aside, Risette surprised him yet again with the exact same quest that he had completed popped just as he was about to leave the establishment. Risette¡¯s Promise... Had it not been for that quest, he would not be sure if he would have dropped by Talos¡¯ Potions. Now, it had become a recurring quest that compelled him to visit the father-daughter duo whenever he was going to be in town. It might be slightly annoying, but Beast felt that he could bite the bullet and make time for the two NPCs he was closest with in Rydelin. ¡°How was it?¡± Aveye asked from the roadside, drained of all her previous energy. She was leaning against the brick wall observing the hustle and bustle that formed the busy streets of Rydelin but her eyes were dull and not taking in anything at all. Risette¡¯s rejection had hit her hard. ¡°Stellar.¡± ¡°Right¡­ so where are we going to now?¡± ¡°I am thinking of heading to the Library first before finding a carriage to get us to Torintu and then Corelia.¡± Aveye peered at Beast as though he had just said something crazy. ¡°Library!?¡± ¡°Yea, do you want to join me? It might get a little boring though.¡± It was an obligatory extension of invitation given that he was now stuck with her, but he was not expecting her to turn it down in a flash. ¡°No thank you!¡± The radio personality replied vehemently, uncharacteristic of her usual self. ¡°I may like to talk, but reading is not for me. Those horrible days I spent in fanfiction dot ne-¡± A random passerby had accidentally bumped into Beast, causing him to miss the last part of her sentence. ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Nothing. Never mind.¡± Beast shrugged. ¡°If that''s the case, do you mind getting us a carriage? I also wouldn¡¯t mind if you could help me gather some rat tails and wolf fangs in the meantime.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Well, I could do them myself, but then you will have to wait longer for me to be done.¡± With that one sentence, Beast could see the metaphorical gears in the archer¡¯s head moving as she weighed out the pros and cons of the situation. In the end, the factor of saving time won out and she reluctantly accepted the request. Hoisting her bow up, she shot Beast a look that said ¡®you owe me one¡¯ before heading for the gates. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Beast smiled. That went better than he thought it would. Time to pay a visit to the first NPC he ever met in Ages Online. Rydelin¡¯s library is as always, desolated and empty. A rare person or two could be found perusing some tomes at the self-study benches but that would be everyone other than the librarian inside the old building. ¡°Rio.¡± Beast leaned against the librarian''s counter, catching the attention of the NPC. The latter had been writing in an account book of sorts when he looked up at the mention of his name. ¡°Ah, mister Beast¡­ it has been a while.¡± ¡°How is the library going? ¡°Not very good. as you can see for yourself. Hardly anyone comes here.¡± It was strange. Rydelin was supposed to a newly built city, unlike Loyderidge which had been expanded from a simple village settlement, and even if Caerheim players could not be bothered to give a damn about the library, the NPCs themselves should still frequent the place. Why is it that the library is consistently bare then? It was as though people were deliberately avoiding the place. And why is it that the building itself appeared more ancient than the rest of the city? An in-depth examination of the building''s exterior revealed a slightly different design of architecture from its adjacent neighbour, adding on to the ever-growing enigma of the library building. Getting to the bottom of this mystery was one of the two objectives he had when he stepped inside. ¡°I noticed that the last time I was here. Do you know why though, Rio?¡± The librarian was quite nonchalant about it. ¡°It could be because everyone is trying to expand the frontier than sit down and appreciate some prose. We are a young country after all and our library selection is still limited. That and they say this place is cursed.¡± Beast¡¯s ears perked. That was something new and interesting. ¡°Cursed?¡± ¡°It is just a load of tosh, something about dead spirits haunting those who entered, but it is true that I should probably petition the town council to renovate this place soon.¡± ¡°Is that somehow related to the different building design?¡± Rio paused in his writing. ¡°You have a good eye. It is not common knowledge amongst you Foreigners, but this library was converted from one of the still intact infrastructure from the ruins of the city Rydelin was built over. That could very well be the origin for the rumours regarding the curse.¡± It was then a question unconsciously forced itself out of Beast¡¯s throat. ¡°¡­ Was that city part of Scelenia?¡± Rio¡¯s head snapped to his direction so fast that Beast was afraid it would break. ¡°How-How did you-?¡± The librarian stuttered, evidently shocked. ¡°I heard of it when I went to the Fort of Lanos.¡± It was moments before Rio could calm down enough to talk, and another few before he divulged what he knew. ¡°I see¡­ then you must have found something there.¡± ¡®Something¡¯ might be an understatement as to what Beast found. ¡°Many people went, and they all reported that it was a normal fortress filled with illegible writings. After decoding them, they only spoke of nonsense.¡± Rio paused. ¡°I am not sure if you knew, but Scelenia was one of the ancient kingdoms that existed before the Sundering destroyed it.¡± Beast nodded. He knew that already. Rio''s voice then dropped into a low whisper. ¡°It was a prosperous country, filled with the finest crafters and craftsmanship in that era, therefore trade naturally flourished and was followed quickly with expansion. Records of documents found that the territory of Scelenia was vast, stretching from Central Honduria to Lanos here in Caerheim. It was what sparked off the West Expedition in the first place ¨C to find more of these traces of the past.¡± ¡°Honduria? They had a Grand Crossing back then as well?¡± Considering the geography, it seems impossible that a country could be in two continents at the same time, unless¡­ Beast almost wanted to smack his forehead in disgust. How could he have not thought of that? ¡°No. The Sundering must have altered the coastlines.¡± ¡°That was what I believed.¡± Rio agreed, closing his book shut. ¡°Here, I have something you might want to see. We found it in the ruins of the old city when we first explored here.¡± Bending down under the counter, he emerged a minute later with a yellowing parchment tied with fraying string in his hands.
You have received: Ancient Scroll x1
Beast needed no telling to unroll it. Neat, spidery writing constituting shapes and symbols similar to the ones etched on Lanos walls unfolded before him. The words might be of an ancient language, but he could read them.
To My King, Scelenia is not prepared. The forces of the Sundering are much too powerful for our forces to withstand. Even as I write this, Fortress Lanos is being overrun by vile goblins and demons. Itsblan had already fallen, and the Saint Bishop is missing. The knights may not be able to hold for much longer unless aid is sent immediately. The people are frantic. They are fleeing. Villages at the borders are being razed and pillaged. I understand that every other kingdom is under attack by the same enemy and that reinforcements will be sparse, but I will delay them for as long as possible. Any decision you make, I will defer to, even if it amounts to abandoning Scelenia for the survival of Alexandria. I have faith that this calamity will definitely be resolved under your firm guidance and grace. May Balces save us. Gutrand Gren.
Ding!
You have discovered the mystery of Rydelin¡¯s Library and gained an in-depth understanding on the situation during the times of the Sundering. The kingdom of Scelenia was a kingdom present during those tumultuous times and had crumbled into ruins with the passage of time. Nowadays, only a few ruins remain as testament to its existence, one of which is the library itself.
+ 3 Intelligence
Your Archaeology has increased to Intermediate 2!
It was bleak. Very bleak. Beast was uncontrollably reminded once more of the power that the forces of the Sundering possessed. It was not that he had forgotten though ¨C The phylactery of Savathrox the Conquerer lay within his inventory, a constant reminder that the lich is within plain reach. Maybe he should take it out soon to do something about it. But what exactly? He had no idea. It could have been part of the pet system that most games boasted, but Beast had his doubts. Could a being that drove the Sundering to completion be tamed? Beast silently handed the document back over to Rio. ¡°Thank you for showing me.¡± He whispered. ¡°I suppose you need it back.¡± The librarian acknowledged with a slight nod before stashing the message back where he retrieved it from. ¡°Right, is there anything else I could help you with, mister Beast?¡± ¡°Yes, you can.¡± Beast cleared his throat. He was about to head into his second agenda for visiting the library. ¡°I wish to read books detailing any ancient ruins in the vicinity besides the Lanos Fort, especially for the Splinter Mountain regions. And if possible, a book on the pantheon in Agaia would be nice as well.¡± ¡°I will check for you.¡± A full five minutes later, Rio emerged from the back room holding a book in each hand. One is a small book with its cover page depicting a rosary under a fancy curvy title named ¡°Divinities¡±, while the other is a thicker non-depict leather bound book. ¡°Well, as I have said, our country is still young. The only documented place we had that fitted your description was Fort Lanos. There are no known ruins on Splinter Mountains, so I found you a helpful guide on the area instead. However, your second request was successful. Here is a copy of what we usually offer to new clerics-in-training who have no idea which deity they want to serve.¡±
You have received [The Ecology of Splinter Mountains] x1 You have received [Divinities] x1
¡°Would you be checking them out?¡± ¡°Check out?¡± Beast¡¯s mind was boggled. That was a phrase he had not heard of in a long time. ¡°Yes, this is a library after all. We do allow our clients to bring books out of the place to read at their own leisure. What you need is a membership pass to enjoy this service in all of the libraries supported by the librarian association in major cities.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Beast dumbly intoned. He felt stupid for not considering it before. Of course a library in a virtual reality would function similar to a real library, even if the setting was a little different. The only problem would be whether there were any strings attached to this seemingly attractive offer. ¡°Books that are checked out can be returned in other branches so there is no need to return them to the origin of borrowing. It would be 15 gold pieces as a deposit to sign up for a lifetime pass. All you have to-¡± Beast almost dropped the book he just received in surprise. ¡°15 gold pieces?¡± ¡°It would have come as a freebie if you had accepted my invitation to join back then, but what¡¯s done is done, isn¡¯t it?¡± The edges of Rio¡¯s mouth curled up into a smile, which Beast forced himself to match. He could technically refuse and read them in the library itself, but the ability to bring the books along in his travels and read them between towns would save precious time he could be doing something else worthwhile. Furthermore, it only required a one-time payment to enjoy the benefits and was thus an investment worthy to be considered. ¡°I¡­ I will get it.¡± It was only a moment before Beast succumbed and coughed up 15 gold pieces to add to the funds of the librarian association known as the World Scribes. In return, he received a shiny gold card with his name emblazoned on it. Below, a scribble of cursive writing indicated its endorsement by Rio Verdan of the Rydelin library branch. It was a fancy card, but nothing that indicated it was worth 15 gold coins. Striding out of Rydelin¡¯s library with his borrowed books in one hand and the card in another, Beast could not help but shed a tear for his ravaged wallet. Next Chapter
Author''s Notes: This must have been the longest time delay between chapters, but this week had been a long week for me. Being sick, multiple events to attend, but most importantly, the founding father of my country - Mr. Lee Kuan Yew - had passed away. The whole country is in a state of mourning. I would like to thank him here, as part of my appreciation to his contributions. Chapter 41: Blatta The Goddess of Cycles, Thema, watches over Agaia as one of the two main forces of the world. As a deity who advocates change, she actively participates in the world¡¯s events via her champion to propel change and prevent stagnation where she sees fit to involve herself. Thema is said to be the main reason for the ending of the Age of Gods to usher in the Age of Mortals, by the act of introducing random variables into Agaia ¨C the intelligent races of humans, elves, dwarfs, beastmen et cetera. Hence, she is also known as the Mother of Creation to all of her children. On the opposite end is Balces, God of Balance and Stability. He usually serves as a counteracting force to Thema, promoting constancy instead of change. Unlike Thema, Balces does not have a personal champion and is generally considered as a god of peace and equality. However, there are times when Balance and Change do not clash, and work together to influence the world. The Father of Monsters created leviathans from the corpses of dead gods and molded monsters, animals and the like to balance the power of the up and rising sentient races. Beneath them are the six lesser gods. Aptenia, Enki, Taerra, Lorq, Aluyyse and Mulrecg, each governing an element and an aspect of their domain. Aptenia, the eldest daughter of Thema, rules the wind and spurs artistic creativity in the heart of men. Enki, ever the fiery one, watches the flames and passion of knowledge. Taerra of Nature and Earth is the kindest and strongest of them while Lorq is cold and distant as the goddess of Ice and Death. Aluyyse favours those who take risks and is the patron god of Water for sailors against the mighty ocean. Lastly, Mulcreg is the lightning of justice that dispense divine retribution- ¡°Oww!¡± A bump in the road had knocked Beast¡¯s head against the wooden side of the carriage, disrupting his read. The book dropped onto the dusty planks that made up the bottom of the horse-drawn carriage. A snicker came from Aveye sitting beside him, while weird stares were made by the NPCs and other players on the same ride. Beast picked up his book sheepishly. ¡°Where are we right now?¡± He directed a question to Aveye in a low whisper while trying to maintain his dignity as much as possible. ¡°When you bumped your head? Near Corelia.¡± ¡°That was faster than I expected.¡± They had stopped at Torintu for a break, upon which Beast completed his troll quest left from before Lanos. Guard Apollon had mistakenly thought he sacrificed himself to drive away the trolls, given how long he had taken to return after accepting the quest, and was pleasantly surprised when Beast appeared before him once again. After completing the quest that gave him some experience and 25 public relations with Caerheim, he was well on his way up the beaten path through Tarron Hills to Corelia. Aveye was indeed correct. He could already see the sharp spindly tips of the Splinter Mountain range jutting out into the sky like a massive pincushion of needles. It was no wonder where the place got its name. There was supposedly a spring in there somewhere that he would need to find, which begged the question of how it would have occurred naturally in the first place. ¡°We are going in there¡­ right?¡± Aveye asked, also daunted by the view of the treacherous geography. The roads have become bumpier now that they had left the dirt path for a mountainous trail. ¡°Yea, but I will have to prepare something first.¡± It took a full second for the implication of that statement to hit Aveye fully. ¡°Again?¡± The archer groaned, her head lolling along with the shaking of the carriage. ¡°Please don¡¯t say that you want me to help you hunt monsters again.¡± ¡°Actually¡­ I may need your help getting some Rockbull meat while I head into the mine.¡± Aveye buried her head into her hands for a second before she looked back up and stared at Beast. ¡°Really?¡± Beast nodded. ¡°They are level 50 so I think it would be good for you to level up some before going into the mountains. The monsters there should be more powerful than a level 40 plus like you could handle.¡± ¡°Urgh¡­ fine.¡± Aveye rolled her eyes. ¡°What is it that you have to do there anyway?¡± ¡°Mine, of course. What else can I do?¡± Aveye grimaced. ¡°Sounds boring.¡± ¡°Well, I fully intend to level my blacksmithing.¡± The carriage rolled to a halt. ¡°To make your dagger?¡± A knowing smirk crept from the corner of her lips. ¡°To make my dagger.¡± Beast repeated with a soft smile as he got off the carriage behind the rest of the passengers travelling with them. The carriage had stopped just outside the town of Corelia and it was exactly the same as it had been the day he came by with Kiki. Refugees and merchants alike littered the overcrowded streets, spilling out into the outskirts along the Inpelmarr River. His objective, however, is not the quaint mining town nested at the foot of the Splinter Mountains, but the mine entrances located at the side in the face of a granite wall. The mines work the same way as in most other games, holding roughly the same veins and composition. Copper and Iron can be found close to the surface of the mine, while rarer minerals such as mithril will require one to head deeper in. Sometimes, depending on the player¡¯s luck stat, they have a possibility of unearthing a gemstone from the rock during the mining, which will prove useful in various blacksmithing and jeweler professions. Diamonds, one of the rarest gemstone of all, could sell as much as three thousand gold pieces in the market and are sometimes discovered among low level veins such as copper and iron. This prompted plenty of amateur miners who dreamt of getting rich filling up the higher levels and flooding the market with an abundance of copper and iron ore. Beast strolled past the legions of farmers until he found a relatively secluded spot and began his own mining operation. His Ancient Blacksmithing is at Basic level 7, and his aim is to bring that up to at least Intermediate 1 by the end of this trip. To do so, he will need tons of ore and possibly mithril to break into the next tier. Then, he can proceed with crafting his mandibles. The first strike of his pickaxe rewarded him with a lump of iron. It was a good start.
You have received Iron Ore x1
Oh, it seemed that someone else a distance away had found something. A brief gleam of something pristine and translucent indicated an uncut diamond find. Lucky bastard. Attributing it to luck and RNG, Beast thought nothing of it and continued at his task.
You have received Iron Ore x1
You have received Iron Ore x2
As Beast mined, he began to notice something weird going on with the same person. Every now and then, he would bend down and pick out an uncut gem from his payload of ore. The problem was not that he found them, but that it happened way too often to be true. Beast did a double check that he had not unknowingly wandered into the deeper levels by mistakes. Yes, he is still on the upper levels of the mines where gems should be rare; the deeper levels have monsters to contend with which interrupts mining every now and then. So what sorcery is this person wielding to be this fortunate in his draw? Hacking? That could be a possibility. Games of the past usually have some kind of resource hacks that basically allowed infinite returns at a certain task. Ages Online, however, prides itself on being hack-free. If he had been hacking, someone would have noticed and banned him a long time ago. ¡°Excuse me.¡± He could not hold in his curiosity any longer. ¡°Yes?¡± The man looked up from his toils. He was short and stout and framed with a muscular build that hinted at his dwarven lineage. Instead of the face-full of beard hair that dwarves were famous for, this particular dwarf is cleaned shaven with a prim and proper moustache to accompany his sharp features. Topless, he only had a pair of work pants to cover his rippling and toned muscles. ¡°How may I help you?¡± The man repeated, unsure of the silence that had followed. ¡°Ah¡­ sorry. I¡­ noticed that you are finding gems way more than me. I was wondering how you did it.¡± At first, the man was confused. Then, he broke into hearty laughter that rang throughout the tunnel once he realized what Beast was thinking. ¡°Oh, that.¡± He paused to gather himself. ¡°I simply have a lot of luck that is all.¡± When Beast maintained his questioning gaze on him, he elaborated. ¡°I literally pumped most of my stat points into Luck.¡± He corrected himself. ¡°All of them actually.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Beast had to actively stop his jaw from dropping. He had heard of people going for single stat build, such as Strength or Dexterity, but Luck? Never. The reason was simple ¨C Strength gives attacking power while Dexterity gives avoiding ability. Even Wisdom has its role in providing a maximal mana pool for sustained spell casting. Luck on the other hand, seems to have no visible benefit in any aspect of the game. ¡°Yes.¡± Beast shrugged. ¡°I have heard of min-maxers but this is the first time I¡¯ve encountered someone who adds purely luck and nothing else.¡± ¡°Is it really that hard to believe?¡± ¡°Well, considering that I have no idea how you survived this long with only Luck stats, yes.¡± At his comment, the dwarf shot him a look that spoke only of scorn and pity and Beast momentarily feared that he might have stepped on other¡¯s toes. ¡°Fighting isn¡¯t the only thing that awards experience laddie. If a blacksmith smiths, he gains experience as well. You are underestimating us ¡®casuals¡¯ too much. I suppose you are one of those elitist kids going around who think that the conventional classes are the bomb.¡± Beast was horrified. He had never intended it that way. ¡°I-I¡­¡± ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± The dwarf smirked as he flashed an uncut gem in Beast¡¯s face. ¡°Just know that I will be ten times richer than you once I sell these off. Bye~¡± With a finishing jibe, the dwarf cut the conversation and walked to another spot away from Beast, leaving the Lore Keeper speechless at his spot. It was a full ten seconds before Beast re-gathered his bearing and returned to his original task, all while muttering, ¡°This must be how the first PK happened.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. After gathering a substantial amount of iron and copper ore, Beast decided he should head down deeper into the mine for mithril. It was also the point in time he should keep his guard up. Anything can happen in the darkness of the deep mines, more so if one is too preoccupied in combat against a monster to defend their backs against a surprise attack. Many a miner had died in the deeper levels to monsters, and even more to opportunistic PKers who wish to rob them of their hard work. It was this exact reason that the lower levels were devoid of players except for dedicated miners. A shuffling of feet alerted Beast to something before him. Swinging his torch at the general direction of the disturbance, the light of the fire illuminated a mole-like creature that is known to infest the mines ¨C the Diggers. At level thirty-five, they are much weaker than the Rockbulls outside of Corelia, but they make up for their lack of strength with numbers and unpredictability. The sound of earth cracking could be heard from behind. Two quick jabs of Burfrest to the soft fleshy stomach of the creature to his front were enough to destroy it, and a roundhouse kick to the back disrupted the attacks of three more and knocked them back. A brief flare of blue burst forth, forming the blade of mana that would bridge the extra distance to cut one of them down. The power and brutality of their foe did not go unnoticed. They hesitated for a moment before the surviving diggers surged forth in tandem to attack with their claws specialized for cutting through rock. However, it was too slow. Before their claws could reach him, his fist already reached them. Smashing into a Digger with fistful of blue mana, Beast obliterated it. That was when a fifth Digger popped out of the ground from right under his feet and swept him off-balance. ¡°Crap!¡± When he found his balance back, the other Digger had taken the chance to attack.
-177 Hp
What the monster did not realise was that the thing about getting a successful attack also places it within attack range. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. A predatory grin surfaced on Beast¡¯s face, and if moles could widen their beady black eyes in fear, this one would have done so. The last thing in its life that it saw was a menacing pincer-like weapon shearing a bloody scar across its body with its sharp edge. The final Digger decided to flee. As it popped back down the hole it came out from, Beast immediately thrust Burfrest after it, activating the weapon¡¯s special ability while he did so. An animalistic grunt of pain sounded, indicating a hit and Beast subsequently deactivate and activated Burfrest again. Another grunt, another hit, and it was how the hole flickered black and blue until a dying squeal was finally heard. Beast froze in his position, his face illuminated by the light of his fallen torch in the dark mine. With only the sound of his pumping heart for company, he kept ears out for any other signs of life and was relieved when he could find none. It was a full ten seconds before he could relax and began setting up his tools for mining. ¡°You fight well kiddo. Thanks for clearing the area.¡± Wait. What? The dwarf from before sauntered in and set up his tools on an adjacent wall. The sound of pickaxe hitting rock rang out soon after. Beast could not help but stare at the back of the buff dwarf once more. Never mind the fact that he did not hear him coming, the latter had just implied he was following and using him for mob clearing. ¡°H-How?¡± Beast found enough of his senses to ask. Is the dwarf purposely tempting him to PK? He could barely restrain himself from sticking Burfrest up this infuriating dwarf¡¯s butt. ¡°Dwarves have low light vision. We need them for this kind of work.¡± He stopped his work and looked deep in thought. ¡°Though, I am curious¡­ You don¡¯t fight like a conventional class and I have never seen that weapon before.¡± ¡°I am a historian.¡± This time, it was the dwarf¡¯s turn to boggle his eyes. It was an entire minute before he found himself to talk. When he did, his tone changed entirely. ¡°A ¡®casual¡¯ too? Well I did never. I figured you might have been a warrior or something, especially with our prior conversation.¡± This might be a good time to clarify some outstanding issues. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to offend you, really.¡± Beast said. ¡°I know. And I am sorry for being a jerkass just now. I get too much elitist shit thrown in my face by stupid warrior types.¡± Beast wisely remained silent that he used to be one of these ¡®elitist warrior types¡¯, at least until Ages Online. The dwarf might have been a tad prejudiced against those, if prior interaction had anything to say about it. ¡°Caldrin. Profession, Forager. I harvest resource nodes.¡± Caldrin extended a hand towards him. ¡°Let bygones be bygones?¡± Beast looked into the dwarf¡¯s eyes. He seemed sincere enough in wanting a fresh start. ¡°Fine.¡± He grasped the offered hand in a firm shake. ¡°I am Beast.¡± ¡°Awesome.¡± Caldrin exclaimed. ¡°So¡­ What is a historian like you doing here? I doubt there is anything ancient about this place.¡± ¡°The same thing you are here for. I need materials for crafting.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you simply buy them? I need a market for my stuff you know.¡± ¡°I prefer to get my own materials I guess.¡± Beast shrugged. ¡°Excellent! I like your style.¡± Caldrin abruptly closed the distance between them and grabbed Beast¡¯s hands. When he released them, there was a small stone left behind in the middle of Beast¡¯s palms ¨C An uncut Sapphire of the deepest blue. ¡°Take this as a meeting gift and an apology for my attitude. If you use it in whatever you are crafting, you might be able to enchant it with magical properties.¡± ¡°But-¡° ¡°No buts. Besides, I am not doing a charity here. Take a good look at it.¡± Beast followed as told. As he surveyed the stone, he noticed a subtle crack at the bottom of the stone. It was a tiny flaw in an otherwise beautiful gemstone. ¡°See it? I¡¯d rather fill my inventory space with better quality stones, so it is yours.¡± It is true that some farmers prefer to maximize their payloads per haul by only taking the best with their limited inventory space. Beast had no idea to laugh or cry ¨C Laugh because even with the crack, the uncut gemstone is still a high quality item that required a long time of digging to acquire, or cry due to him being treated like a common disposal bin. He did neither and simply accepted it with a stoic face. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No problem. I will depend on you for any more monster attacks.¡± With that amount of compensation, there was no reason to refuse. ¡°Right.¡± The level of the mines was soon filled with the echoes of metal hitting stone and the occasional screams of Diggers dying. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ The furnace blasted with a few hundred degrees of heat, while Beast unwaveringly stared into the flames. With a flourish, he drew the mithril rod out of the fire before hammering the end of the rod into a pointed tip. When he was satisfied, the metal was dunked into a bucket of oil to quench.
Your Ancient Blacksmithing has increased to Intermediate 1. + 5 Strength
Ancient Blacksmithing (Intermediate 1) You gained Sharpen
Sharpen Sharpening a weapon using a whetstone allows a +10% effectiveness in damage for 1 hour.
Finally. That was the last mithril spear he would craft to reach Intermediate blacksmithing. After hundreds of throwing spears, he had finally broken the barrier into intermediate tier. Now he is ready to craft his dagger. On the table behind him laid the mithril ingots he had refined from the ores he obtained in the mine, as well as a cleanly cut sapphire gem that would be placed into the eventual dagger. Because of this gemstone, Beast had first asked around for people who could process it. When he received a hefty quotation of 5 gold pieces, he decided he could probably cut it on his own and spent additional hours carving wood and stone skewers to level up his carving skill. Aveye had returned from her hunting many times and they always had barbeque at the same resting spot near the Inpelmarr River before he sent her off to kill more Rockbulls. She looked miffed every time she came back to find that he was not yet done, but there was nothing she could do about it. Like this, they made hundreds of BBQ steak pieces for their rations as well as leveled Aveye up to 59. Beast also did not forget to boil some Inpelmarr Herbal Soup to pack for the trip and even received an increase in his cooking level from the excessive barbeque he was doing. The rest of the meat he could not keep or eat, he made Aveye peddle them off to other players while she went off to hunt. It came to a moment in time where he had to sacrifice all the cheap peridotite gemstones he had found during his own mining to push his carving to Intermediate 1. That was when he spent several more hours slowly cutting the sapphire stone with utmost care. Even Aveye knew better than to disturb him then. One mistake was all it needed for the entire process to fail and end up with a low quality item that would be a waste of Caldrin¡¯s ¡®gift¡¯. It was not that bad. At least the system guided him after he had obtained Intermediate Carving, causing him to instinctively know where to go with his knife. This was how he arrived at the current point in time.
You are fatigued. -50% Max HP -50% Max MP
It had been hours since he started the marathon towards crafting the dagger. Beast wiped the sweat off his brow with his sleeves. Just a while more and he would be done. First, he removed all the hair present on the Antroach Mandibles, revealing the serrated exoskeleton that would form the blade of the dagger. Then he grinded off part of the mandible that had been severed from its original body so that it will be clean-cut and dagger sized, making sure to keep the sharp edges untouched. Crack. A fault traversed up the section of the mandible he was working on and Beast could feel his heart metaphorically do the same. ¡°F*ck!¡± Oh god. Did he just ruin one of the pair of mandibles? Beast was rendered speechless. He had been careful and still¡­ The heartache he was feeling was so much that he had to stop for a few seconds to calm himself back down. Fatigue might have affected only maximum health and mana on the surface but it seemed to also have an effect on crafting too. Either that or he was too tired to notice he had overgrind and weakened that part of the mandible. Cursing himself for his stupidity, Beast drank a flask of Inpelmarr Herbal Soup to refresh himself before starting over again on the last remaining mandible, this time a hundred times more carefully than before. Generally, Beast could always fashion a hilt and pommel for the blade and be done with it, but the durability of the weapon might be poor for sustained combat or direct weapon clashes. Therefore he decided to fashion an external spine-like extension that would travel half-way down the mandible¡¯s blunt end to provide support and parrying power. Mithril bars went into the furnace to smelt into liquid metal, which Beast then set into a mold he had made in accordance to his design to forge the handle. Adjustments had to be done to fit the blade and the sapphire to be set. Every time the result was unsatisfactory, Beast made modifications to the mold and smelted more mithril. It was an arduous process with every step proceeding cautiously for fear of ruining the entire project, amplified by the costly mistake earlier on. He had even chosen to smith in the middle of the night so that the chance he was interrupted was minimized. One could not describe how relieved Beast felt when he reached the end of it all. With a satisfying clink, Beast attached the mandible to his mithril hilt and set the sapphire gem in. That was when an unexpected thing happened. Ding!
Please name your creation. You can cancel the window, but the chance to name your creation will be lost forever.
Beast pursed his lips. Name his creation? Had he just made something worthy of being named by himself instead of the system? His mind wandered to Burfrest; it could be that artifacts need to be named. ¡°Blatta.¡± It was the first word that came to mind. The german word for blade is blatt. Add an ¡®a¡¯ and it is a scientific name for the cockroach, but also a fitting name for a blade. Ding!
Blatta Type: Mythological Artifact, Weapon, Dagger A serrated dagger forged from the last living Antroach in existence, this weapon was personally made for a certain person in mind. This dagger can pierce through even the hardest steel. Reinforced by a mithril handle, it boasts both the attacking capabilities of the Antroach and the durability of mithril, granting devastating combat power. A sapphire gemstone had been set into the hilt, adorning this exquisite representation of the past and granting it slight ice properties. Durability: 80/80 Value: 190g Damage: 94-111 Level Restriction: 82 Job Restriction: Rogue Crafted by Beast When equipped: +20 Strength +15% increase to attacks from stealth +10% cold damage to attacks Enchantment: Nil Artifact Effect: Piercing Passive This effect arises from the cutting property of the mandible, of which is known to tear through even the hardest of armor with relative ease. All attacks made by Blatta ignore armor.
With all that options and effects, it is going to be one hell of a weapon. And it still had yet to be enchanted. Kiki will like it, but until he meets up with her, he could probably take it out on a spin. First, a break is in order. He would probably regret it later, but staying up the whole night to make this one dagger had taken and will take its toll on him. Clearing all the mess that had been littered around the forge due to his project, Beast logged out for school. Next Chapter Chapter 42: Assignment Sebast was definitely regretting his decision. His coffee cup rested at his side, unable to help him combat the drowsiness that was slowly overcoming him moment by moment. He had long since shut out the background noise, as well as the droning of the professor as he went about his lecture. To the others, he looked like a lazy bum out to tank the bell-curve in their examinations. Not that he cared for others¡¯ opinions. Sleep is much more important than mindless chatter, and he has to conserve his energy for the expedition into the Splinter Mountains that would undoubtedly follow after he gets home. Find the Spring, test out Blatta, and maybe- ¡°Sebast Koh.¡± An unwelcomed, feminine voice that sounded like cold steel rang out next to his left ear, interrupting any chance of him having a peaceful nap. ¡°Derrilene, you will wake him¡­¡± ¡°Which he should be, Beatrice. Trash like him who can¡¯t stay awake in class should just stay at home.¡± Well, if he could, Sebast would have chosen to stay at home. The only thing preventing him from doing so was dealing with his mother¡¯s rage for skipping lessons. Now if only the two females could just ignore him and go away. ¡°Oi, wake up!¡± A soft but firm hand gripped his arm and began shaking Sebast violently. When it appeared that the girls had no intention to leave him alone, Sebast had no choice but to force himself to open his weary eyelids. ¡°What is it?¡± He spoke in a dead monotone. Derrilene Ong, the resident ice queen of the campus, stared at him dead in the eyes with her own. Next to her, the flower of the school, Beatrice Chia, stood with an apologetic expression. ¡°We are in the same group.¡± Derrilene announced. ¡°We are?¡± He could almost hear the jealous mutters from the rest of his course-mates now. Derrilene and Beatrice are pretty girls in their own rights, and they had fan followings of their own not only in-game but also out of it. Cold but dignified, Derrilene exudes an aura of exclusivity, while Beatrice displayed more of the kind-to-a-fault personality that quickly elevated her to the pedestal of the class¡¯s angel. Working with either one of them was a distant dream for most of the guys in class, much less getting to know them better. And he just had to be grouped with both popular girls at once. Indeed, some of the guys and even girls are sending glares in his direction when they thought he was not looking. ¡°Yes, we are.¡± Something about Derrilene¡¯s tone of her voice told him that it was definitely not voluntary. ¡°We have an assignment to do.¡± ¡°Assignment?¡± Maybe he should have stayed awake during the lecture after all. The girl simply rolled her eyes and pointed at the big screen at the front of the lecture hall. Sure enough, along the list of names displayed, Sebast could distinctively pick up his name nested nicely in between Derrilene¡¯s and Beatrice, all of which are grouped under the name Group G in bold. Written above the list of groups in big letters was the title ¡®Project Assignment (Graded - 50%)¡¯. Graded projects are not uncommon in university, but one that constitute as much as half of the total weightage for the module is rare. This meant that getting a good grade for the assignment is essential if one were to score well for the module and could mean the difference between a high distinction and an ordinary merit grade. Everywhere else in the lecture hall, people were already moving about into their assigned groups and excitedly discussing about what they intended to do. All except for them, which was why Derrilene was being understandably impatient about it. Of course, Sebast still had no idea what they were required to fulfill for that particular task and Derrilene did not bother to explain. She either felt that he had the responsibility to find out for himself or seemed to hold some sort of satisfaction from keeping him in the dark for as long as possible. Beatrice, being ever the helpful angel, filled him in instead. ¡°Professor Toh wants us to complete an adventure together in an online game, Ages Online if possible, and provide a detailed report of the adventure. We are also required to evaluate our teammates¡¯ skills and contributions to the adventure. Credit will be given based on the amount and type of contribution made and the adventure itself on a case by case basis.¡± Beatrice rattled off in a single mouthful. The module they are doing the assignment for is called ¡®Party Dynamics in Virtual Reality¡¯. For aspiring game designers, finding the right balance in the class professions and their corresponding contribution to party dynamics is considered one of the most important aspects of gaming design. For well-designed games, even the most seemingly useless of professions will still be able to benefit the team in some way or another, and this particular module studies how classes could be better complemented with each other. It might have sounded ridiculous twenty years earlier, but whole papers had been published in specialized journals based on such topics. That, of course, gave people the perfect excuse to play more games. ¡°Just checking, you have a character in Ages Online right?¡± Beatrice suddenly asked in apprehension. Sebast wanted to groan out loud. Seriously, first impressions are really hard to change. He briefly wondered what would happen if he answered no. Derrilene might flip her shit. ¡°Yes I do.¡± ¡°Good. Good.¡± Beatrice looked visibly relieved while stealing a glance at her friend. ¡°We need to find a place and time to meet up in Agaia. The deadline is until the end of the semester so we have a month or so to plan. Derrilene and I have to help out with the reconstruction after the war, so we will not be available that early.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sebast acknowledged. That was fine with him. He had his own stuff to accomplish anyway. ¡°Okay, if that is all we will contact you again when we are done. Please stay around the Caerheim area if you can.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Beatrice nodded at Derrilene and the two girls turned to leave. Suddenly, the long raven-haired girl stopped in her tracks. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. Could you tell us your class so we can think of places we can go for our assignment?¡± ¡°I am a historian.¡± Sebast declared in slight pleasure as he watched the expressions on the faces of the two girls turn for the worse, and in Derrilene¡¯s case, barely concealed loathing. Then again, they had probably expected him to be a burden anyway, because it was quickly replaced by a look of resignation as they went back to their seats That settles that. Just when Sebast thought he could return to his sleep in peace, another stranger took the usually empty seat next to his, uninvited. With an inward groan, he turned to the newcomer. The male is a fit and tall blonde who looked like those who would demand to get his way. With branded goods decked from head to toes, he is the stereotypical spoiled brat with an inflated ego the size of his head. ¡°Yes?¡± Sebast asked with no small amount of irritation. ¡°I am here to warn you.¡± Sebast raised an eyebrow. What is with the sudden hostile threats from strangers he had never known? This is the first time he had talked with him for goodness sake. ¡°I don¡¯t know what bootlicking you have done to be grouped with Beat, but you have a choice¡­¡± Beat? Who is Beat? ¡°¡­For her sake, and yours.¡± It took five full seconds for Sebast to link Beat with Beatrice. Then it became apparent ¨C the motive of this sudden intrusion of personal space. ¡°I didn¡¯t realise I need to make a choice.¡± ¡°Now you do.¡± That condescending attitude of his is sickening. ¡°And what is the choice I need to make?¡± ¡°You can go up to the professor and tell him you are switching groups with me¡­¡± ¡°Or else?¡± ¡°There is no ¡®or else¡¯. I lied.¡± Sebast had to resist a snort. ¡°What is your name? I need it to switch don¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Roger. Roger Mantel.¡± Sebast scanned the displayed screen again and found the name Roger Mantel right in Group F with Xiang Jun and someone else he did not know. ¡°So¡­¡± ¡°Well Roger, I don¡¯t feel like changing after all.¡± As much as he found switching groups to be preferential, for some reason, Sebast felt vindictive enough to refuse so that he could crush that arrogant ego of this particular jackass. ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± Roger¡¯s face bloated up like a red balloon at being so bluntly rejected. ¡°Take it up to the professor yourself if you want. Now please excuse me.¡± The male bristled in rage. Sebast could see his fist balled together and ready to strike. But with so many witnesses in this lecture hall, he doubted that the bully had the balls to carry it out lest he gets slapped with a suspension for violent conduct. Without a choice in the matter, Roger slinked away. Feel strangely satisfied, Sebast drifted back into the sleep he had wanted since morning. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Blue streams of data gathered under the tree, coalescing into a humanoid form that whirled and jerked into life as her form fully materialized out of thin air. ¡°What¡¯s up with you? You looked so refreshed, even though I am sure you pulled an all-nighter.¡± It was the first thing Aveye asked after logging into her character. She looked sleep-deprived despite having logged out earlier than Beast. ¡°I had a good sleep, that¡¯s all.¡± Beast grinned. They had agreed beforehand on a specific time to log in, namely after Sebast¡¯s lessons and Adele¡¯s morning radio session. And to get into the Splinter Mountains proper, they will have to head through Corelia for the opposite exit. Beast finished packing up the camp before handing Aveye a full dozen vials of multi-coloured liquid. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°These are?¡± Aveye raised an eyebrow. ¡°Buff potions. I made them just now from the loot you got by killing the monsters. They should be useful for when we are in a pinch.¡± He did not say it, but his Ancient Alchemy had also reached Basic 9 from the amount of potions he brewed, thanks to Aveye¡¯s diligent hunting. Having the radio personality around might not be too bad after all. Making their way through the mining town, Beast could not help but notice that the crowd had lessened over the few days he had been here. With the war over, people are also leaving the town back to their original homes and businesses, returning Corelia back to what it was before the massive surge of people ¨C a quaint quiet base for craftsmen. Coming out from the north exit, Beast could feel the atmosphere change. For one, there was definitely fewer people around. Second, the monsters that roamed the mountainous region were totally different from that of the other end. There are no longer Rockbulls roaming the hills. Instead, they were replaced by level 60 scaly lizards that blended into the combination of pine trees and brown dirt of the surroundings. Scale Chameleons, they are called, were hard to differentiate from the natural foliage and were often static. The only way to see them is to look for the slight trembling blur of their outline when they breathe. Beast had to be extra careful that they did not accidentally attack one when there are several others behind it. Between him and Aveye, taking down one or two monsters was not a problem. A dozen on the other hand¡­ It might get a little sticky. Since there were many of those chameleons around that posed little risk, Beast took off his only armour-classified item ¨C the Gloves of the Conqueror ¨C to continue training his Iron Body skill. In addition, he also unequipped Burfrest and used a combination of his 1 mana Chi punch exploit and Blatta to grind his masteries. As a result, Iron Body leveled up to Intermediate 4, Chi leveled up to Basic 9 and Bare Handed and Knife Mastery leveled up to Intermediate 4 and Basic 5 respectively. He also activated Dazed Blows a number of times, leveling it up to Basic 3. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. It was a fruitful grinding experience. Regardless, Scale Chameleons became scarcer as they scaled the mountain. Then, it was around midway up when they started to encounter a new type of monster. Picking flesh from a mangled corpse was a ball of feathers with flashes of yellow beak darting in and out of the meat. Apparently carnivorous, it took Beast a double take to actually realise that the creature was part human. ¡°Scree?¡± It must have felt the presence of intruders, for the head cocked up towards them in the midst of its meal. Humanoid eyes peered back into his own. For a full second, nothing moved. Then, the harpy spread open its entire wingspan with a screech that reverberated throughout the mountain. Thank the gods that Ages Online is a game for all ages. ¡°SCREE!!!!¡± An arrowhead drove through the harpy¡¯s exposed chest, followed by another, causing it to stumble. But the damage was done. Several screeches echoed the original one, and soon multiple harpies began showing up from behind crevices and rocks. The bird had called its entire flock. ¡°Any plans?¡± Aveye nervously asked as ten harpies in total circled them as though stalking their prey. ¡°We kill them.¡± Beast replied, withdrawing both Burfrest and Blatta from their rest. He charged at the first original harpy with killing intent. And struck thin air. Beast had forgotten one essential thing ¨C this monster can fly. While he had dealt with flying types before, such as the Antroach, that was in an enclosed cavern. This time round, the sky was the limit, making him unable to reach it normally. That was how these level 70 harpies hunt. Even if there were stronger monsters on land that may lurk around the corner, it did not stop Beast from recognizing harpies as the undisputed queens of this mountain. Above him, the now-flying monster struck down with its talons, piercing his back and shredding flesh, making him pay for his complacency.
-345 HP!
-323 HP!
That was goddamn painful. ¡°Beast! Double shot!¡± Twin arrows embedded themselves into the wings, causing the harpy to tumble out of the sky. Seeing an opportunity arise, Beast quickly struck out with his new dagger, rending the bird from the abdomen during its trajectory downwards. The mortally wounded harpy flopped on the ground for a moment before becoming still. That was when the rest of the harpies began their attacks. ¡°Aveye, take out their wings! I will cover the ground!¡± Beast shouted as he parried a talon strike with Burfrest on one hand and downed a healing potion with the other. ¡°O-Okay!¡± On command, Aveye nocked an arrow and started firing a continuous stream of projectiles at the air-borne creatures. ¡°Arrow Vulcan!¡± ¡°Watch out!¡± Recognizing Aveye to be a greater threat, a harpy swooped down from behind the archer, knocking her off her feet and disrupting her skill. Another quickly descended upon the fallen woman, ready to strike with its beak when Beast plummeted into the monster in the nick of time. A glowing blades-attached fist smashed into its chest, dealing both blunt and stabbing force in a simultaneous blow, before it was ended with a slit to the throat with a dagger made from an insect mandible. Immediately right after, Beast flipped Blatta into a backhand grip and slashed downwards in an arc towards an incoming Harpy that had decided to swoop towards him in a strafing-esque move. ¡°Desperado Backlash!¡±
-461 HP!
A long bloody gash drew itself across Beast¡¯s back where the talon raked past. The harpy on the other hand, ended up far worse. It crashed into the dirt in two cleanly separated pieces.
You have leveled up!
Aveye gaped. The remaining harpies halted their attacks with an expression akin to fear. Even Beast himself was surprised by the destructive capabilities of Blatta. ¡°You made that?¡± Beast could not distinguish if the gleam in the archer¡¯s eyes was disbelief or excitement. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± It was all they said before the battle began anew, but this time round it was different. Beast and Aveye became more fluid as a team, covering each other as they fought despite the initial kinks. With well-cordinated attacks between Aveye¡¯s arrows and Beast¡¯s strikes, one could say that they were faring well. On the other hand, the harpies were not very intelligent nor as cooperative. It took two additional deaths of their comrades before the futility of the battle set in. That was when the survivors scattered and fled. ¡°Okay that should be enough.¡± Beast said as he glanced at the retreating backs of the harpies. Aveye slumped to the ground, exhausted. ¡°Here.¡± Beast took out a serving of Herbal soup from his inventory and offered it to the archer. ¡°Thanks. But we are just letting them go like this? What if they come back with reinforcements?¡± A smirk on Beast¡¯s face told her that it was exactly his plan. ¡°We can probably hunt them down later to level ourselves. Right now, what I¡¯m curious about is the body.¡± ¡°Body?¡± Beast did not reply and instead walked over to the mangled corpse that was being devoured by the first and original harpy. Upon closer inspection, it looked roughly human. There was a putrid smell lingering around the body. ¡°This should be an NPC that has been dead for quite some time.¡± He mused. Then, he plunged his hands into the bloody mess. Aveye instinctively covered her nose in disgust. ¡°Urgh, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Searching.¡± Right on cue, Beast pulled out a bloodied leather-bound book from the corpse.
You have obtained Melvin¡¯s Journal x1
Day 1 I just got news that I am recruited for the expedition to discover the source spring of Inpelmarr River! I am so damn excited, and they are leaving this very night! Living in Corelia, I have always heard old wives tales on how Splinter Mountains is a trove of treasures for adventurers. Now I finally have an opportunity to find out! Mother says I am mad, but these people are renowned adventurers. I am sure nothing bad will happen to us. If anything, I will just run back down.
There was a huge break of missing and blank pages before the next entry.
Day 19 We have been journeying in the treacherous terrain for almost three weeks. Food and water supplies are running low. The spring was nowhere in sight and the party tension is high. Some are saying that the leader got us lost or something. I have no idea. I am just a lowly porter so I do not have much say in the matter. I hope we find the spring soon or just head back down to Corelia.
Day 23 Damned harpies! They keep stealing food from right under our noses! This was despite us maintaining a high vigilance for such matters. I guess it can¡¯t be helped because we only have an archer and a mage in the expedition. The expedition leader still does not want to give up searching. He speaks like a man possessed. I am afraid. We have reached the peaks of the mountain a few times now and there is no spring anywhere. It is just like the stream began from nowhere. They are saying to head towards the grove of trees we found near the north peak to avoid the harpies. For some reason the harpies avoid that place like crazy. They say we will be safe there until we can decide what to do next.
The last entry was heavily smudged with blood and almost unreadable.
Day 3X I ¡­ done with them!¡­ Disagreement¡­ We split¡­ Heading back¡­ Corelia¡­ They¡­ attacking people. Harpies¡­ took Wilbur¡­. They found me!... Help! I don¡¯t¡­ Die¡­
Then the rest were illegible writing. Beast looked at the body sadly. NPCs normally disappear into data when killed for the game system to recycle. However, this one seemed to be a special case. The game wanted to set the body here for a reason. He had a guess as to what the reason is, but it is only a guess. Sometimes, when a generated quest is too difficult to solve, some games might compensate by adding clues to aid others adventurers in completing it. This is so that the quest would not be left hanging unresolved for an unspecified amount of time. Regardless, Beast felt that he should do something for this Melvin. ¡°Let¡¯s bury him.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Would you want your body to be left here as food for the monsters?¡± That silenced Aveye just fine. And the two quietly dug an impromptu grave for the poor man who died. Dring!
For showing basic kindness to a dead man, you have received the title: Undertaker +20% affinity to undead creatures
That¡­ was unexpected. Beast¡¯s eyes boggled. Aveye did the same, and Beast recovered enough to give her a smirk that said, ¡°I told you so.¡± ¡°If you are done giving me the look, we can continue onwards now.¡± Aveye huffed back indignantly. ¡°Right, I¡¯m a little interested in this grove that the journal spoke about. We should be able to find it along the way to the peak.¡± From what the journal indicated, there might be more than one peak on this mountain. Beast made a mental note in his mind to keep a lookout for anything that would resemble a small grove of trees. Just as they were about to set off, unfamiliar voices drifted up from the trail they came up from. ¡°You sure we are only halfway there?¡± ¡°Yes. Though it is weird there aren¡¯t many monsters around.¡± ¡°Someone must have come through before us. Heh, I need some urgent gold.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fool around.¡± It sounded ordinary enough, until one of the unknown people uttered a word that made Beast¡¯s blood run cold. ¡°We need to focus on the objective, Lortan.¡± Next Chapter Chapter 43: Pursuit The footsteps grew louder. Any time now, their new company would appear in their line of sight. Beast knew he had to make a decision fast. After what happened in the Fortress of Lanos, to say that Lortan would not be pleased to see him would be a grave understatement. While he might have gotten stronger in his travels and gained equipment such as Blatta and Burfrest which would give him more of a fighting chance, he was sure that the PKer warrior would have too. And Beast was not very confident of winning, given how he was trashed the last time round. He could meet them head on, or avoid and observe. Decisions, decisions¡­ ¡°Eh...¡± Aveye watched on, confused, as Beast grappled with his choices. ¡°There are about five to six people coming, if that helps.¡± Beast blinked blankly into the archer¡¯s face. How could she not have said that earlier? Going head on when they were outnumbered would only equate a pointless death. ¡°I took the tracking skill path.¡± Aveye shrugged at Beast¡¯s questioning stare. ¡°It goes well with my job-¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Beast had already pushed her behind a boulder at the side of the mountain trail. His hand instinctively went to cover her mouth before she could let out any remarks of indignation while the other extended a finger to his own as an indication of silence. ¡°Shhh.¡± Beast hushed, ignoring the muffled sounds coming from Aveye. He turned around to check that they were fully covered by the rock, just as a group of five players came into view. One of them was the silver armored warrior he knew full well with a large silver claymore for a weapon, only that his breastplate and boots were now a dull iron sheen. Beast briefly wondered what could have happened to Lortan before his attention was forcefully diverted to a more surprising figure. ¡°Caldrin?¡± There was no mistaking the muscular dwarf from the mines, now walking and talking among them. From where he was, Beast could barely overhear their conversation. ¡°¡­ Cald, you know your role here.¡± A tall lanky male human dressed with twin falchions strapped to his leather belt approached the dwarf. ¡°Yes. Yes. I know. After I harvest the Horn for you, I will go back to my mines.¡± ¡°Ever the antisocial one, Caldrin.¡± Lortan quipped with a sneer. ¡°A dwarf just can¡¯t leave his mines, can he?¡± ¡°Says the person who owes me thousands of gold made from those very mines. Don¡¯t get cocky until your pay back your debt, boy.¡± A distance away, Beast felt the heat of the burn that left the warrior blistering with rage. ¡°You little-¡° ¡°Stop quarrelling.¡± The same lanky male stepped in, breaking up the argument before it became explosive. He must have plenty of influence, for two of them meekly complied immediately after. ¡°Yes, Don.¡± ¡°Yes, Stefan.¡± Stefan¡­ Don¡­ whatever his name was, he turned to the fourth person of the party ¨C a cloth-wearing female who had several glowing stones levitating around her like some sort of display of grandiose. Beast had no idea what profession she was. The best guess he had was some sort of magician, probably an advanced one. ¡°Chelsea, could you get a fire going? We will rest here for a bit. And thank you, Mousebear.¡± At his words, the fifth and last member of the party ¨C a cleric judging from the staff he was holding ¨C withdrew a small pile of firewood from his inventory and dumped it onto the ground before the magician. With a silent nod, one of the floating cyan stones shone intensely before bursting into a beam of intense light and igniting a flame upon impact with the firewood. It appeared to be some kind of inanimate familiar that channeled energy, which would make the magician some kind of enchanter or summoner. Regardless, it seemed that they will be around for a while. A small tap on his hand alerted Beast back to the archer he had all but forgotten about. ¡°Oh shit! I am sorry.¡± Quickly releasing his hand from her mouth, Beast apologized as Aveye went into a gasping fit for air. He steeled himself for a retributory strike or scolding, but the other did neither. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so rough.¡± W-what? Beast soon realized why the archer, who was flushed and breathing heavily, said that. The crevice they were in was tight for space, prompting a need for close bodily contact lest they were to be revealed. What ever would people say if he was found in such a compromising position with an androgynous male? Or worse, what would become of him if Adele Mitty¡¯s fanboys knew of this? They would surely tear him from limb to limb. Suddenly, he found himself wishing that Lortan and his buddies would quickly pack up and go. But they will be around for a while. Beast groaned at the thought. ¡°Hey¡­ what is that over there?¡± A sudden interruption from the party sent a shiver down Beast¡¯s spine. ¡°Seems like a body.¡± He had forgotten to cover up the corpse. ¡°Some poor smuck died here?¡± The annoying voice of Lortan came. ¡°Seems like an NPC. Otherwise, it would have been dried bones. It is weird it did not disintegrate into data though. And it looks like someone rummaged through the body just recently.¡± ¡°They might not have gotten far.¡± ¡°Chelsea, would you please?¡± All of a sudden, their situation had taken a turn for the worst. Peeking out from behind the boulder, Beast caught a glimpse of several blue trails of light arcing across the air as the floating stones surrounding the magician girl spread out. He had seen and played enough games to guess that it was an area searching skill and they were in eminent danger of being discovered. ¡°Aveye, we need to run-¡° Just before he could throw all caution to the wind and burst out from behind the rock with his weapons drawn, a glowing stone peeked over the boulder. It stopped short and shuddered, as though it had chanced upon a scene that it did not want to see. ¡°Chelsea? What is wrong? Why are you blushing?¡± ¡°There¡­ behind¡­ rock.¡± From behind cover, Beast could feel the stares of everyone landing on the very boulder that separated them from the rest. For a second, nobody moved. Then, someone shouted. ¡°Get them!¡± ¡°Run!¡± It was the start of a chaotic mess of actions. Beast rolled out behind cover, letting loose a mana bolt he had gathered up in a direction he presumed the attackers were in. Multiple beams of light lanced down at the same time and narrowly missed him by a few inches. Using the momentum from the roll, Beast pushed off his feet and broke into a sprint towards the trail without giving second look back. ¡°Air Walk!¡± In an instance, the twin-falchion wielding man flipped overhead in a gravity-defying maneuver, landing gracefully in Beast¡¯s path. Two vicious blades came swinging towards Beast¡¯s neck right after. Clang! Beast had flashed out Blatta and Burfrest just in time to stop the blades in their tracks. He was not sure how critical hits really work in Ages Online, but going by how vital points translates to additional damage in most games, if those two falchions had landed he would have most certainly be dead or at best, critically injured. ¡°You are not running away, young man.¡± ¡°Beast?!¡± A voice came from the back. ¡°The merchant?!¡± ¡°You guys know him?¡± Don Stefan was briefly distracted, enough for a split-second interruption by Aveye who chose this moment to reveal herself from the rock. ¡°Beast, duck! Double shot!¡± Twin arrows flew true, grazing the head of Beast who chose to follow Aveye¡¯s order at the last moment and striking the falchions that had been hastily withdrawn into a protective stance against the sneak attack. Taking the opening given by his companion, Beast swept his leg under the swordsman¡¯s own, successfully knocking the latter off his footing while slicing his hamstring open with a well-timed dagger slash. As the swordsman crashed into the ground with a howl of pain, Beast sidestepped out of the way. Aveye caught up there and then, and they both ran off as fast as they could. At first, Beast thought he had shaken them off. Then, an array of laser beams started lancing in from all directions around them. ¡°Oh my fuc-¡°
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Although it dealt below average damage, there was way too much of them to avoid completely. Beast felt the concentrated beams of light burn through his clothes and skin even as he tried his best to dodge and outrun the glowing stones that had taken up position around them. One of them had struck his Lunar Fleece, activating the artifact effect that reflects the spell back towards the stone, destroying it in a spectacular display of debri. It gave him the idea that the stones can be destroyed and he began returning fire with balls of mana. However, for every stone destroyed, another rose up from the ground to take its place. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. It was endless. ¡°Beast!¡± Aveye shouted in anguish. Despite being more agility based, she was not faring any better. The more fragile archer was already below half health.
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¡°Run as hard as you can! Prime: Bloodline aura!¡± Beast shouted back, downing all of his potions he had in a desperate attempt to survive ¨C Health regeneration, dexterity enhancing, anything to help him out of this predicament. If the stones work on a familiar-based system, they would most definitely have an operational range. Mages are known to be slow; if they could get out of that range, they would be home free. But no matter how they ran, they never could seem to do it. The laser beams continued their fire.
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It was then Beast noticed a distinct lack of scenery to his front. It was almost like¡­ empty air. There is only one explanation: that they had been chased all the way to the point in the path where it turned back inwards. He skidded to a halt in abject horror as a vast view of the Splinter Mountain range came into view. Any further straight and they would have been running past a cliff edge and free-falling down to a rocky death. ¡°BULL CHARGE!¡± Beast felt a solid wall of metal crash into his back, knocking him forward with enough force to cause him to tumble frighteningly close to the ledge. ¡°You¡­ I have to pay you back for Lanos!¡± Lortan yelled with a mad gleam in his eyes. A mighty swing of the silver claymore followed, stopped short only by the last second parry with Blatta and Burfrest. ¡°When you are heavily in debt? It¡¯s okay.¡± Beast could not resist getting a jab in, drawing furious looks from the warrior. The lasers, he noticed, had stopped firing. The rest of the pursuers had caught up, cutting off any path of escape. The mage Chelsea was riding piggyback on Don Stefan who had his wound healed by Mousebear, which explained why they could not hope to outrun the laser array. Aveye was noticeably limping to the side cradling her burns while being surrounded by the glowing stones, unsure if she should attack when the odds were against them. ¡°You will regret the day you crossed the path of the Predators guild.¡± The weight on the claymore pressed down upon Beast¡¯s blades, threatening to break the only barrier between the latter and the sharp edge of a gigantic sword. ¡°Wait!¡± Caldrin stepped forward, putting his hand on Lortan¡¯s shoulder to pull the warrior back. ¡°Don¡¯t stop me you stupid dwarf. I want to kill him.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± ¡°Why would you want to save him? I didn¡¯t know you turned soft, dwarf.¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Don Stefan interrupted. He turned to the mage on his back for her opinion. ¡°Chelsea?¡± It was this action that the invisible hierarchy of this Predators guild became clear to Beast. Lortan and Caldrin take orders from Stefan, who in turned defer to the magician¡¯s command. The cleric was probably someone of no import, tagging along only for a heal and a bag inventory. The mage took one look at Beast and her face contorted, as though she had seen something disgusting. ¡°¡­ Kill.¡± ¡°She said it! I call dibs on that silver cape!¡± Lortan exclaimed, shoving Caldrin out of the way and raising his sword up again for a finisher. It was a mistake. Removing the weight of the sword freed Beast¡¯s hands momentarily from having to keep a threat at bay. With a flourish, the Lore Keeper slashed as hard as he could with his weapons at the warrior¡¯s legs, rending through iron into flesh and bone. The resultant agonized scream was loud enough to elicit an echo back from the mountain range. It was also the distraction Beast needed to grab Aveye and leap off the cliff edge with the screaming archer in his embrace. ¡°What the? BEEEEAAASSSSSTTTTTTTTT!!!¡± Even if he dies, Lortan would not be getting any of him. The last scene he saw was one of the glowing blue stone following down after them as they plummet. ¡­¡­¡­¡­. Darkness. Beast slowly opened his eyes, feeling the aching of his body flood through his nerves. He had expected himself to wake up in his capsule and was pleasantly surprised when glaring sunlight passing through the sparse shade of mountain trees greeted his return to consciousness. He was alive, and so was Aveye if her unconscious breathing body lying to the side were to indicate. They took a heck load of damage though, with his health tethering dangerously close to zero. Even so, had he not pumped all of his mana into Chi Fortify and cushion the fall for the archer, he doubt that they could have gotten lucky with the drop from above. High above, the cliff edge they fell from was almost out of sight, overshadowed by the spiny peaks of the Splinter Mountains. Broken branches lay all around them, with a soft bed of vegetation loosening the ground they had landed on. If he were to hazard a guess, they had fallen into one of the small valleys in the mountain range. Then, Beast saw it ¨C the lone blue stone that had followed them down. It floated a distance to the side silently, as though observing them. Should it not be already out of the magician¡¯s control range? Why was it still operational then? Beast had half a mind to destroy it with a mana bolt when the stone suddenly dropped to the ground with a small tinkle. Despite apparently losing power all of a sudden, the stone did not lose its glow. Beast could not decide what to make of this strange phenomenon. Finally, he went forward to pick it up. A Michelin stone shimmered in his hand, one of the materials best used for conducting mana. Supposedly rare, it should not have been able to shoot laser beams like the magician girl was able to make it. It was weird indeed. Something nagged at the back of Beast¡¯s mind, but he could not put a finger to it¡­ ¡°¡­K-?¡° ¡°Urghhh.¡± Just then, Aveye stirred from her resting place, breaking whatever train of thoughts he had. ¡°Feeling alright?¡± Beast asked in concern. ¡°Never better.¡± Aveye replied scathingly. ¡°Never. Do. That. Again.¡± She paused, as though rethinking her words. ¡°Or rather, tell me before you try that again. A girl needs to prepare her heart too, you know?¡± Okay, Beast concluded. Aveye was fine. ¡°So how did we survive that fall?¡± ¡°I have no idea.¡± Beast shrugged. It really was a mystery. There are skills and equipment that reduce falling damage, but those were usually unique to the rogue line of professions. Perhaps pure luck had been a factor. ¡°In any case, we need to head back up there again.¡± Aveye raised up a hand. ¡°Wait. Could you first let me know all about this feud of yours with the guys up there? That silver brute was so mad when he saw you.¡± Beast paused. After giving it some thought, he nodded. ¡°Fair enough.¡± Taking a seat back down, he started pulling up foodstuff from his inventory for some healing up. Only then did he begin to talk. Beast told Aveye all about his first encounter with Lortan, about how he was tricked into going into the Argent Forest where he became victim to the PKer¡¯s griefing actions, about the other girl who was there and how she too fell into a similar fate. Beast then spoke of the fortress of Lanos and how he chanced upon the warrior again. He talked about how he overestimated his own capabilities and was going to die once more when he was saved by the same girl that shared their fate. By the end of it all, Aveye nodded her head in comprehension. ¡°So, is this girl the one you crafted the dagger for?¡± Beast nodded, his hand unconsciously going to Blatta. ¡°Then where is she?¡± He had omitted Earth Lake from his story-telling and thus would prefer to keep Savathrox and his mind-control a secret. ¡°She¡­ left due to some circumstances.¡± ¡°A lover¡¯s spat? I see.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± Beast stared at Aveye wide-eyed. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will try not be jealous.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really care,¡± Beast declared, packing up the impromptu rest ground so that they can continue on their journey for the source spring. With a brisk walking pace, he set off, determined to regain lost ground before the sun sets for the night. ¡°Sheesh, you are no fun.¡± As he continued his arduous journey back up the slopes of the Splinter Mountains, he could not help but feel nostalgic after his reminiscent of the past, as though Kiki was journeying alongside him once more. Chapter 44: Hazards Then, night fell. The first thought Beast had in mind was that the mountains were god-damned cold. Because of the high elevation, as soon as the sun disappeared over the horizon and the moon peaked in the skies, the coldness of the night draft chilled him to the bones. Being in a valley of all places, they found themselves battered by valley winds over and over again, draining them of whatever heat that they had until the game saw fit to alert them via notification windows that they were dangerously close to freezing to death. They will need to find a cave or something for shelter soon. It might be a little too late though.
You are very cold. Movement -75% Regeneration -75% Warning: Further exposure to cold will cause life-threatening situations
¡°B-beast? I-I am fr-freezing and t-tired.¡± Aveye stuttered, her teeth chattering involuntarily. Beast drew his Lunar Fleece close and sniffed. ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°C-can I have your cloak?¡± ¡°No.¡± Without his fleece, all he would have left are the paper-thin commoner rags that every character starts out with. He would freeze in no time. ¡°T-then, could we stop and make a f-fire?¡± Beast looked at the shriveling state the archer was in and briefly wondered if he looked as pathetic. They had been bashing through the undergrowth of brambles and vines with no known paths in sight, it would be anyone¡¯s guess where they were heading towards. The only rough gauge they had was the direction of the sun before it set, which Beast had used to chart a course south towards Corelia, hoping to return back to a trail, but all it brought them was an endless hike in the middle of nowhere. Now that the night had fallen, everything looked the same ¨C black, which threw off whatever little sense of direction he had left. With the reduction in visibility, he had almost slipped on a rock earlier. The lookout for a cave of some sort to spend the night turned up fruitless. Add the biting cold and the movement penalty, and Aveye was right; it was high time they tried to break for camp. ¡°Okay. Help me gather some wood and twigs. I will make camp.¡± As soon as the materials were gathered, and a clearing made to the best of his ability, Beast took out his flint. It was neither as glamourous nor gimmicky as what the Chelsea mage had done but it should suffice. There was, however, one problem. ¡°Damn it!¡± Beast cursed as the flame died for the fifth time. The wind was too strong. Unwilling to give up, Beast tried several more times to no avail. Every single time the fire caught, a gust of valley wind would mercilessly blow it out in a puff of smoke and shattered hope. Even their paltry attempts at shielding were insufficient to allow the flame to become big enough for it to survive on its own. ¡°F*ck!¡± Beast threw the flint into the ground in frustration. This was not going to work. ¡°Oi, Aveye! Can you still move?¡± A thud answered him, realizing his worst fears. ¡°Oh shit!¡± Rushing to the archer¡¯s side, Beast quickly held her up, only to shrink back slightly at the biting touch of the female¡¯s cold skin. Her lips were already turning blue from the lack of blood flow. Hypothermia ¨C It did not take a rocket scientist to figure that out. Aveye was in a worse condition than he had thought. ¡°Aveye! Aveye! Stay with me.¡± Beast slapped her face a few times but it did nothing other than elicit an incoherent blabber. ¡°F*ck, you will die!¡± And he himself would soon too, a nagging voice in his head reminded him. To think he would encounter two death crisis within such a short period of time. Perhaps there was a justified reason why the source spring quest had been uncompleted even after it had been released for some time. Beast sighed, suddenly wishing that he had known better than to be hasty in regaining lost ground. The so-called Foreigner¡¯s hubris, where players who have the capabilities to continue playing through the three consecutive in-game days, often find themselves ill-prepared to face the dangers of night-time. Always trying to squeeze in a little more time, always trying to make the best and most efficient path, but to what end? But Beast refused to lie down and die. He had survived the long fall from the cliff; he will similarly get through this. Summoning whatever was left of his strength, he hoisted up the archer in his arms and began trudging forward. ¡°Don¡¯t think about the cold. Don¡¯t think about it. Don¡¯t think about it. Don¡¯t think about it. Don¡¯t think about it.¡± With every step he took, Beast repeated his mantra to himself. ¡°Don¡¯t think about it. Don¡¯t think about it. Don¡¯t think about it.¡±
You have contracted Hypothermia Movement -95% Regeneration -95%
Ages Online might be a virtual simulation of reality, but the root of it was still a game. Despite the fact that people may accomplish miraculous feats in real life with pure determination alone, a game would still have to uphold its own game mechanics. At his one hundredth and third step, Beast fell face forward into the ground with a soft thump, landing right atop Aveye. ¡°Mhmm, Toby¡­¡± Normally, it would have been cause for an awkward moment but they were both beyond caring. Then, Beast felt something wet on the back of his head. It was¡­ snow? Really? Who in the world programmed the Splinter Mountains to have this sort of screwed up microclimate? It was not just this. The valley they were in had been all sorts of strange; nothing like the valleys he had seen on the Internet where there were beautiful plains and lush forests. It was so strewn with chipped rocks and split boulders that it seemed indicative of something big, catastrophic even, that might have occurred within the mountains a long time ago to cause its current state. It probably had something to do with the distinct lack of wildlife in the area too. They encountered the occasional level 72 mountain elk which behaved exactly like how the antrollopes in Torintu had but otherwise, the valley was painfully bare. Having yet to encounter a single monster since night fell, at least, they will not die via being eaten. How he wished he had a heat pack in this kind of situation. Right on cue, something warm pressed against his back, providing Beast with much needed heat and cover against the chilling wind and drifting snow. It almost felt like he was being embraced by a whole layer of heat packs, making him so cozy that he could sleep to it. Or perhaps it was all his dying delusion. He was taking quite a while to think after all. What was he even thinking about? He just wanted to sleep. No, he should not. His eyelids were heavy. He had to stay awake. He could not keep them open any longer. Against his will, Beast slept. And the next moment it was morning. ¡°Huh?¡± Birds chirped in the background. A feeling of dampness was quickly forming on his back, making him uncomfortable. Beast stood up unsteadily, dumping a layer of melting ice off his Lunar Fleece, and he gasped. Snow. Trees, rocks, slopes, everything was topped by a thin sheet of snow. The whole area was painted a breathtaking white. As he surveyed the improbable landscape around him, accented by the warm rays of the sun that he had never thought he would miss, Beast subconsciously made the connection that once again, he was alive and well. Somehow. His health had taken a beating, but there was nothing which could not be remedied by a potion or two, and his hypothermia had disappeared. Aveye, though unconscious, had yet to die. The development was nothing short of a miracle. That was when Beast noticed another interesting phenomenon. Within a span of minutes, the snow that covered the land before was all but gone. In its place was a layer of clear, sparkling water that rose up to his ankles which then slowly, but surely, subsided to nothingness. Beast hoisted Aveye up to dryer grounds and curiously observed. Even with the sunlight, there was no way so much the water could have evaporated so quickly. Therefore, it logically should have flowed somewhere. But to where? Only one place resonated strongly in his mind ¨C the Inpelmarr Stream. ¡°This is¡­¡± Beast could feel goosebumps rising on his skin. It was implausible and yet¡­ ¡°¡­ the source spring?¡± It was no wonder nobody had ever found the source spring; everyone else had been looking out for a physical body of water this whole time. Yet, the unique microclimate in the valleys of the Splinter Mountains had formed a transient phenomenon that fueled the Inpelmarr River with no one the wiser. Anyone can recognize a body of water and head upstream only to find nothing at the end, because the origin of this water came not from the ground, but from the cold night sky. This was it, the mystery of the source spring. Beast felt excited. What seemed like a setback and a near-death experience had proven itself to be beneficial in ways he could not imagine. With this, they can start making their way down back to Corelia. However, the update to the quest never came. ¡°This is weird.¡± An update usually happens after figuring out the crux of the quest as a signal of objective fulfillment. Therefore it either meant that his hypothesis was wrong or incomplete. ¡°Display quest: Source Spring¡± Pon!
The Source Spring of Splinter Mountains The innkeeper of Corelia has divulged a town legend to you regarding the source spring at the top of Splinter Mountains that is rumoured to give the Inpelmarr Stream its unique properties. He is curious about its existence and wishes to find out within his lifetime. Bring back proof of the spring¡¯s existence or non-existence to the man to complete this quest. Difficulty: C-
Beast carefully read the quest again. ¡°¡­town legend¡­ Inpelmarr¡­ unique properties¡­ hold it.¡± There was a catch. If the snow was plain snow, then there should not be anything special regarding the water. Yet, when he had collected water from the stream previously, it mentioned healing properties that was not accounted for. That was the missing part of the puzzle, and it most probably had something to do with the grove of trees mentioned in Melvin¡¯s journal. ¡°Urgh.¡± Aveye groaned. Just in time. ¡°Finally decided to wake up?¡± Beast asked without looking, his gaze fixated on where the water had gone. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.¡°How did we survive¡­ never mind. I am feeling some form of D¨¦j¨¤ vu.¡± ¡°We have to go.¡± Beast tossed the archer some healing potions as an afterthought. There is much to do, the first of which would be to find a base of operation to conduct the search as well as to spend the night. ¡°You can dream of your colleague after we find a safe place.¡± ¡°At least give a lady some time- Hey, wait up!¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­.. The current plan of action was to trace the flow of water. Given his hypothesis that the water will join with the Inpelmarr Stream, it will at the very least lead them back to Corelia. Following water was easy. As long as the ground they tread was damp, Beast was convinced they were on the right path. If they were lucky enough, they might also find the grove along the way. Eventually, it led them to a section of the valley where they were surrounded on both sides by steep imposing slopes. They had been navigating the scree for an hour when a loud rumble suddenly reverberated through the valley. A handful of sand puffed over them, eliciting hacking coughs from the both of them. ¡°What was that?¡± On the talus of the mountains to their left, Beast could see several small dots rolling towards them. At first, he stood there dumbly, unable to make sense of what was happening. Then it hit him. Freeze. Thaw. ¡°RUN!¡± Grabbing Aveye¡¯s hand, Beast broke into a sprint. ¡°It¡¯s a landslide!¡± ¡°A what?!¡± Thunderous rumbling answered her. Only a few seconds had passed, but the ¡®dots¡¯ were already close enough to be seen more clearly. Boulders the size of cars tumbled down the talus, each one of them with enough momentum to maim and kill in a single hit. It was almost like a scene straight out of an action movie. ¡°We won¡¯t make it!¡± Aveye screamed. It was as she said, they were far too slow. While they managed to outrun the bulk of the rockslide, they found themselves right inside a rain of death soon enough. The ground shook from every impact of the boulders, the force breaking some of them up into smaller pieces of stone that expelled in all directions. ¡°Just run!¡± His eyes could be playing tricks on him, but Beast swore he saw some of the boulders breaking apart in midair. Then, he noticed the incoming threat. ¡°Watch out!¡± Beast pushed Aveye out of the way in the nick of time just as a large rock in particular slammed into him.
-958HP
Your Chi skill has increased to Intermediate 1! +5 Wisdom Mana regeneration increase +2%
Your Iron Body skill has increased to Intermediate 5!
It nearly concussed him there and then had he not activated Chi: Fortify in the last moment, draining all of his mana. Compared to the fateful encounter with Alpy the Alpaca, it hurt much much more. ¡°You okay?¡± Aveye pulled Beast upright, re-orientating the dazed Lore Keeper. ¡°Y¡­yeah. Let¡¯s go.¡± Not more than twenty steps away, another near death encounter awaited. This time it was Aveye who spotted it. ¡°Heads up!¡± A boulder¡¯s trajectory seemed as though it would ram right into them within the next few seconds. Beast and Aveye braked to a halt and took cover, just in time as it landed where they would have been at had they continued running. However, they could not stop to celebrate. Pathing their way around, the historian and archer duo came face to face with yet another obstacle. Their route out had been blocked by a wall of piled up stone. Around them, the rocks continue to fall. They will soon be buried alive. ¡°Goddamnit!¡± Beast yelled, brandishing Blatta at the blockade in a fit of desperation. It had been something done without calculated thought, so when the option to unleash Desperado Backlash came up, Beast opted for it without thinking. In a wild flurry, he slashed again and again upon the rock wall with his mandible dagger. Like a hot knife through butter, Blatta sliced the stone wall apart and where the dagger touched, deep scars surfaced over the stone, turning what had been boulders into several smaller chunks. ¡°Now what?¡± Aveye anxiously asked. What Beast had done did nothing to physically tear down the wall. ¡°I need a force to blow it open. Mana¡­ I need mana fast¡­¡± The Lore Keeper muttered, beads of sweat rolling down his face. He had used up all his mana seconds earlier and his regeneration is not quick enough to replenish it before they get buried, not even after drinking a mana potion. Ten seconds is far too long. If only he had a quick way of instantly filling¡­ wait. ¡°The stone!¡± Fishing it out of his inventory, Beast shattered the Michelin stone he found and absorbed the every bit of mana he had into his fist before smashing it straight into the epicenter of diced rock. A thunderous boom sounded over the rockslide as the weakened wall broke loose in every direction, causing it to crumble upon itself. As the jaws of Beast and Aveye dropped down in disbelief, the path ahead clears in a cloud of dust, offering a way out of the predicament that they took without hesitation. ¡°Now!¡± Tumbling out of the danger zone, Beast and Aveye sprawled over the valley floor in exhaustion. Behind them, the chaotic remnants of a rockslide laid, adding further credence to the lethality of the Splinter Mountains. Physically and mentally drained, it started with a small chuckle by Aveye. Then, they simultaneously burst out laughing, glad to be alive. ¡°Why is it that dangerous stuff always seems to find you?¡± The archer exhaled. ¡°My heart has been going doki doki non-stop ever since we set foot on this mountain.¡± ¡°No idea.¡± Beast shrugged. ¡°Well we can¡¯t head back. At least we have a place to sleep now.¡± Back where they had cut their way out, rocks and boulders had piled up such that there was a small indented alcove of which they can seek shelter in at night. With his intermediate carving skill that allowed him to carve stone, Beast chipped off and enlarged the entrance and alcove significantly, earning a skill level in the process. Now enclosed from the wind, they can finally raise a fire. While there definitely is the risk of recurring rockslides, as long as they were nowhere near in the day it would not be too much of a problem. Thus, a routine was established. During the day, they would head out to explore the area and return to the alcove before nightfall, usually to find it reinforced by more material. Then at night, they would either talk over the fire or log out. The first rockslide they encountered was still the worst, and Beast could not decide if they had been unlucky or otherwise. Food-wise, he still had his stores prepared before the trip, supplemented by hunting the occasional mountain elk they encountered, but even then it was rapidly dwindling. Despite the fact that they were two people, Beast had a growing suspicion that they were eating for three. He merely did not want to confront Aveye about it, given how females are usually quite sensitive about matters related to weight. The last thing he wanted was conflict at this juncture. In the end it was not a big problem, because they found the main stream on the fourth day of searching, confirming Beast¡¯s hypothesis. Then, on the sixth day by following the waterways, Beast chanced upon a small grass plain home to a herd of level 75 Bisons that were cousins of the Rockbulls at the foot of the mountain. Despite the overwhelming numbers and their fearsome gore attack, the bison were painfully slow, allowing Aveye to kite the beasts around in circles until they died. Both of them leveled a few times while dancing around the herd, gathering meat one after another. They had barbecued steak that night, and it was delicious. The fire cackled merrily and as they crowd around the campfire in preparation for the sudden dip in temperature, Beast suddenly thought of something. ¡°Hey, Aveye. Let¡¯s head out early tomorrow. I want to show you something.¡± Beast said in between a flurry of hand movements with his improvised sewing kit comprising of a sharp twig and his knife. ¡°Why? I want to log out for a bit.¡± Aveye yawned. The archer had yet to witness the morning snow. It always melts too quickly and having a fire around meant that there would not be any near their campsite. Special efforts would have to be made for it. ¡°Just log in earlier. It will be good, I promise.¡± Aveye eyed Beast suspiciously. ¡°Fine.¡±
Your Ancient Tailoring has increased to Basic 5!
¡°Here, take this too.¡± In his hands, Beast held a cloak made from thick bison leather. It was made without proper equipment, but thankfully his Ancient Tailoring had allowed him to circumvent that. ¡°It should help with the cold.¡± Aveye wrinkled her nose at the smell as she took the accessory. ¡°What about you? ¡°I can¡¯t wear it.¡± Beast shrugged. ¡°Anyway I am going to make another one if you needed it. We have enough materials to spare.¡± ¡°Right.¡± With a nod of her head, Aveye slumped onto the ground unconscious, her player having exited the world of Ages Online while Beast continued with his work by the flames. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ When the radio personality laid her eyes upon the white landscape for the first time, she unconsciously let loose a squeal of excitement. ¡°Oh my god.¡± Beast beamed. ¡°Told you.¡± ¡°It is beautiful. Thank you.¡± What Beast did not expect was her suddenly planting a kiss upon his cheek, leaving him stunned. By the time he recovered, Aveye was already in her own world, her journalist persona going into a tizzy. ¡°My video cam is working right? I need to document this. I am going to upload this. My fans will be so amazed.¡± As Beast slowly touched the spot Aveye kissed him in, a feeling of a strong killing instinct suddenly washed over him. He turned around on reflex, but there was no one there. Strange. Beast dismissed it as his imagination but he could never shake the feeling off entirely, even until the eleventh day. On the eleventh day, they found the grove of trees.
Author''s Note: I am back? :)) Intermission: Map of Honduria Well my proofreader had been silent with regards to my next chapter, so I am posting this here while I go and poke her for the chapter. This is a preview of what is to come for the next arc(s) after the resolution of the current one. Disclaimer: The map portion for Elithinia -the top half- is not completed. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Chapter 45: Hazards II And it arrives from my proofreader. :D Also people, don''t hate :).
They did not exactly find the grove as much as spotted it from afar. In fact, they would not have seen it at all had it not been for the archer¡¯s sharp eyesight. On the eleventh day, while navigating one of the tributaries leading to the main stream, they chanced upon a non-descript dirt path leading up off into the side. Thinking that it could possibly lead them back to a trail of sorts, Beast wasted no time in embarking on the path despite its steep incline and being covered with untrodden dust. They realized their mistake a tad too late when they found themselves entering a rock clearing full of stone obelisks and ledges, all of which were topped by a mess of twigs and dried leaves. Beast froze, as did Aveye. The brown feathers strewn about on the ground, and the white of egg shells occasionally littered in between held only a single conclusion. A harpy nest. And yet, they had not been attacked at the slightest. It was out of the ordinary given the harpies¡¯ territorial nature, unless the harpies in Ages Online are different from the games he played before. Beast fished out the ecology book he had borrowed from Rydelin¡¯s Library.
[Ecology of Splinter Mountains] Page 32 The Harpies and the Matriarch One of the most ferocious creatures that inhabit the Splinter Mountain range is the half-man-half-bird brown feathered harpy. They travel in packs and attack creatures weaker or smaller than itself for sustenance. Their sharp claws and beak form part of their arsenal of weapons against their enemies and the more intelligent of them, the Harpy Magus, are reported to be able to cast wind magic with relative ease. The harpy is also very territorial, behaving aggressively against any potential threats towards its nest and young. A typical harpy colony can contain up to as many as fifty nests, and they all attack in tandem at anyone who encroaches on their land. It is worthy to note that a harpy colony may also be large or old enough to be ruled by a Harpy Matriarch but this phenomenon is extremely rare. Twice the size of a normal harpy, it is well-versed in advanced wind magic, proving it to be a very dangerous foe. One can also identify the Harpy Matriarch by the Matriarch feather on the crown of her head or by the golden egg that it lays to birth the next queen. Legends speak of the Harpy Matriarch as the familiar of the wind goddess Aptenia who had participated in the fabled war of the gods in its mistress¡¯s name. As part of its reward, the goddess bequeathed it the mountains to rule, causing mountains where there are sightings of matriarches to be worshipped by those devoted to the goddess. Regardless, it is recommended that one refrain from entering or attacking any harpy nests for their own safety.
Useless. The book did affirm the territorial nature of the harpies, but provided nothing as to an explanation for their current situation. By all means, they should have been set upon by the harpies way before they entered, but this colony was eerily empty. Beast could feel his curiosity peaking. ¡°I am going to check it out.¡± He whispered to Aveye. ¡°You serious? This is a nest!¡± The archer hissed back. ¡°You are suicidal.¡± ¡°If anything happen, just run. I will be right behind you.¡± Stepping on the feathers and eggshells, Beast cautiously toured around the area. It was then that several things became clear. The changing weathers in the mountains may have erased them partially but the signs of battle were strikingly obvious. Collapsed pillars, boulders scarred by wind magic; all the eggs in the nests have been broken, spewing sticky yellow stuff into the twigs and giving off the smell of something rotten. Somebody had trashed the place and in the process, wiped out all of the harpies in the colony. Whichever party that did so must have been pretty skilled. ¡°All clear!¡± He hollered back to the waiting archer. In that instance, something caught Beast¡¯s eye. A tiny glint of gold shone under the afternoon sun, prompting his path towards one of the biggest nest that was situated right at the part of the cliff that leads to open air. There, in the middle, he found the smashed remains of what used to be a golden egg and was immediately reminded of the passage in the book. A matriarch. ¡°Wow.¡± He unconsciously breathed. Whoever wrecked the place also killed a Harpy Matriarch. He had to give this party more credit than he had originally. Could it have been Lortan and his gang? Had they came down to the valley? Are they even good enough to accomplish such a feat? While Beast pondered, Aveye had joined him and was looking out into the distance at the view from the edge of the nest. A sharp cry soon interrupted his train of thoughts. ¡°Beast, look.¡± Her finger pointed towards one of the spindly peaks of Splinter Mountains, attracting his attention. ¡°Over there.¡± ¡°Where?¡± Beast blinked to clear his vision, finally seeing what Aveye saw; a cluster of what resembled trees proudly standing atop a ridge. The major difference between those trees and the ones in the valley is that those appeared to be so much taller, such that it could be seen from a great distance. Beast flipped the book in his hands. He had read about something like this before.
[Ecology of Splinter Mountains] Page 75 Forests of Splinter Mountains The Splinter Mountains is mainly home to the Pinaceae tree family. They are usually found at the slopes of the mountain range and along some of the established trails in moderate density. Some can be sparsely scattered at the valley, a result of cone distribution by various dispersal methods. Brambles and vines form the undergrowth of the forest layer, but these are admittedly rifer at the valleys in between the mountain peaks. Rarely, people have reported the presence of towering large trees known as sequoias within the mountain range. These coniferous trees known as redwoods can grow up to as much as a hundred meters tall and ten meters wide and are some of the oldest trees within the mountain. Due to their nature, items made from them are rumored to have powerful earthen properties. While it is possible that sequoias exist within the Splinter Mountains, such claims are still contested within much of the geological communities of Agaia mainly because of the difficulty in collecting substantial samples and eyewitnesses¡¯ accounts from the hostile terrain. For now, experts at the Cartographic Landers have called it the Marisa Grove of Grand Sequoias after a famous character known for her curiosity.
¡°Marisa Grove of Grand Sequoias.¡± He muttered under his breath. The name is a mouthful but it is most probably modelled after a real place. It also sounds like an awesome place to visit. If the book is correct about the earthen properties, he would definitely want some of that wood for his own use. Beast briefly wondered if Lortan and his guild had already reached the grove and solved its mysteries. No, considering how he had taken the journal with him, they had no clue that they were supposed to look out for the grove specifically. Even then, they might not even make the connection between the morning snow and the source spring. Good, there is still hope for the quest. ¡°Let¡¯s go. This place is dead.¡± And they left the desolated colony behind. The journey to the grove was not easy. First, they had to hike back down to the main stream and then up another tributary that leads towards the grove¡¯s general direction. After all, it lays hundreds of meters above in elevation that only became apparent as the duo drew closer to the ridge. Thankfully, the dried tributary they were following contained plenty of footholds for them to slowly make their way towards their goal. That was until the path ended with a vertical cliff face with a small pool of clear water at its feet. There appeared to be no way around. ¡°A dead end?¡± Aveye huffed, not used to the intensity of exercise within the short period of an hour. ¡°No¡­¡± Beast held out his hand to touch the cliff and was rewarded with the feel of damp soil. ¡°This was a waterfall. The path continues above us.¡± He raised his head towards the cliff ledge and gauged it to be about twenty meters high. That would translate to an approximately five-story building they had to scale. Add on the fact that it was not exactly vertical but concave inwards due to the erosion of soil by water, it was a tricky feat. But not impossible. Aveye must have noticed the glint in Beast¡¯s eyes. ¡°Are we going to climb this?¡± Beast shot her a look that said the obvious. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will head up first and drop a vine or something.¡± Grabbing a foothold on the side, Beast kicked himself up and began to ascend. A rock outcropping here, a ledge there, he quickly found himself midway to the top. Ding!
You have received a new skill: Climb!
Climb (Basic 1) Increase wall climb speed by 1%
¡°See it isn¡¯t that ba-¡° Kek! The rock hold he was grabbing on detached itself from the cliff face and the subsequent loss of grip flung Beast backwards into empty space. Crap. Splash! Water assaulted Beast¡¯s mouth and nose, threatening to rush in to fill his lungs. Gathering his wits about him in a second, Beast righted himself and propelled himself up, emerging from the small pool. ¡°You alright?¡± Beast coughed. ¡°Yea, the water broke the fall somewhat.¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.¡°Which means that I can keep trying until I get it.¡± The second attempt progressed much faster, until the same point which had caused Beast to fall earlier. There, he took more time in charting out his path and testing the footholds for stability, but unbeknownst to him it was at the cost of his stamina. The toll on his strength became significant when he had progressed up to two-thirds of the way only to find that he could not pull himself upwards. Splash! Similarly, the inclined part of the wall proved to be difficult to overcome due to the need for constant arm and grip power. It was always at that last part before the end that he fails, having lost his strength due to previous exertions. Splash! He slipped on one of the rocks. Splash! Not enough reach. Splash! Just like that, Beast continued to try again and again, each time climbing faster and smarter, until he eventually hoisted himself over the ledge and his climbing skill reached Basic 4. Standing up on his weakened legs, Beast took the time to bask in his victorious conquest of the wall. He never felt so empowered before, and with the sunlight shining down upon him like a spotlight of attention, he felt that he could take on the world. It was a nice feeling. Surveying the area for something long and usable, Beast severed a nearby vine using Blatta and wrapped it around his waist. He lowered the other end down for Aveye at the bottom. ¡°Got it?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Hold tight!¡± Beast pulled. A sharp pain flared in his back at the unexpected strain. ¡°Goddamnit woman, you are really heavy.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± An indignant voice came from below. ¡°I follow a strict diet okay?¡± ¡°Whatever diet it is, it didn¡¯t work!¡± Instead of him pulling the archer up, Beast felt as though Aveye was dragging him down instead. If he fell over, he would have to climb back up all over again. Gritting his teeth, Beast dug down and began the painful process of pulling the archer up. It was after a while that he successfully hauled Aveye over the ledge before collapsing into an exhausted wreck. ¡°Umm, Beast?¡± ¡°Not now. I need to catch my breath.¡± ¡°A b-bear.¡± ¡°A what?¡± Beast swiveled to where Aveye had pointed, and was promptly greeted by a 2 meter tall grizzly bear at their front. A level 82 label above its head tagged its name as Brown Grizzly, who probably wandered close after hearing the commotion by the waterfall. ¡°Oh crap.¡± Every bit as imposing as its real life counterpart, the only saving grace was that the grizzly did not appear to be hostile, yet. It was eyeing them curiously, as though deciding whether they are food or otherwise until finally settling on a decision in its ursine mind. It barred its fangs. If that is how it wanted to go down, it was fine by him. Beast flourished his weapons in response. Blatta in one hand and Burfrest in another, he was not about to back down from this fight, even if he had undergone much physical exertion earlier. Breaking into a charge, Beast lunged towards the grizzly bear in a stabbing maneuver. A bear is large and heavy and thus slow, or so he had thought. Shock wrote itself on Beast¡¯s face when the bear suddenly jumped out of the way in a dexterity he had thought impossible, but not for long. It was complete with a swatting motion that slammed on the back of Beast¡¯s head as the grizzly mauled him onto the dirt floor.
-655HP You are disorientated!
Beast recovered his bearings just in time to roll out of the way as the bear went for a stomp on where he was lying moments prior. In retaliation, he slashed wildly with his weapons, lacerating its leg and drawing whimpers of pain from the beast. Whines turned to furious growls soon enough. Now fully angry at the pesky human before him, it reared up to its full height and looked to pounce on Beast had something else not happened first. Double arrows lodged themselves into the bear¡¯s chest, drawing blood and momentarily its attention. Grabbing that opportunity to scramble back onto his feet, Beast flashed Aveye a thumbs up, only to see the bear get down on all fours facing the archer. Then it charged. ¡°Use your strongest attack now!¡± ¡°V-Vulcan arrow!¡± In a rapid-fire motion, Aveye nocked and released projectile after projectile towards the incoming ursa. Despite the latter¡¯s constant pelting of arrows and inflicting what seemed like heavy damage, the lumbering bear did not appear to be slowing down at all. ¡°Prime: Bloodline aura!¡± Even with his aura-enhanced speed, it was still not enough for him to outrun the bear to reach the archer in time. Aveye had nowhere to dodge but off the edge. At this rate, she would be slammed back down below and he was not about to haul her heavy ass up again. So Beast made a gamble; He aimed and threw Blatta. The audible sounds of air being cut echoed in Beast¡¯s ears. Within the span of an instance, the knife covered the distance and impaled itself on the bear¡¯s hind leg. As its balance was disrupted by the sudden excruciating pain, it swerved off its original path and down the cliff¡¯s edge in its unstoppable momentum, missing Aveye by a hair¡¯s breadth. A second later, a heavy thud resounded, signaling the end of the encounter.
Your Throwing Mastery skill has increased to Intermediate 1! +10% to weapon base damage when throwing equipped item. Dexterity +5
You have leveled up!
Beast collapsed onto the ground as the adrenaline washed out of his system. Having spent all of his energy in the climb and the subsequent fight, all he wanted was to lie down, even as he had much to do - namely, retrieving Blatta from the bear¡¯s carcass. If only he had a skill that automatically returns items into his hands, he would gladly pay money for that. ¡°Hey,¡± It was Aveye. ¡°Um¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°Not a problem. Just let me rest for a while.¡± ¡°If there is anything I could do to help, just let me know.¡± Beast eyed the archer, an idea popping into his head. ¡°I do have something you can do.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Getting down was faster than expected, having Aveye lower him using a vine instead of scaling the cliff face again. ¡°Don¡¯t move away okay? I will signal for you to pull me up!¡± ¡°This,¡± Aveye¡¯s distant voice sounded out of breath ¡°is crazy.¡± Ignoring the archer in favor of searching for his dagger, Beast went around the pool. The dead animal was easy enough to sight, having hit the ground off to the side of the pool. That lunge off the edge head first probably did nothing to protect its cranium against the hard landing but Beast was more interested in the wound on its hind leg. Blatta was not there. Beast¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He blinked and looked again, but the wound remained as it was, bloody, and blade-less. It could have dropped nearby. He scanned the surroundings. It must have dropped somewhere. He searched the surroundings again to no avail. It was simply gone. Gone. Did his throwing skill consume the weapon? After all that effort and resources spent on the dagger, he will be damned if it did. Beast was pretty sure that the throwing system in Ages Online does not work that way. Multiple times in the past, he could pick up his spears to use them again. This should not be any different, much less the fact that Blatta should have been more durable than those spears. So why is it not here? ¡°Are you done yet?¡± Aveye¡¯s voice came again. Beast disregarded her. Had he been late in retrieving it? The carcass usually disappears after a while, taking everything with it. Therefore, Blatta might have¡­ No, the carcass is still here. He did not know when he had left the body of the bear and walked back towards the cliff face. He did not even seemed to realize that he had grabbed the vine and tugged. The improvised rope becomes taut and Beast pulled himself upwards, all the while in a blank stupor. Had he not thrown his dagger in an attempt to save the archer¡¯s life, nothing like this would have happened. On hindsight, why had he done that? This is a game; she could always respawn again. But there will only be one Blatta. ¡°Did you find it?¡± ¡°No.¡± It came out harsh, for he saw her shrink back as though pricked by the sudden hostility. But she deserved it, doesn¡¯t she? After all he had done for her, she could take it. How dare she act like the victim? It is all her fault. Yes, this is all her fault. Her fault. No. Stop. Don¡¯t overthink. Or it will only be like last time. Beast shook his head. He had almost descended into a spiral of dark thoughts. Putting on a forced smile, Beast shrugged in a failing attempt to appear nonchalant. ¡°It wasn¡¯t on the body.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Aveye looked stunned, realizing the implication of the sentence as well as the reason for the sudden change in attitude all at once. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If I had died instead, then you wouldn¡¯t have lost¡­¡± Silence answered her faltering voice as Beast plodded past like a cold wash of rain. A couple of steps later, he stopped and spoke in a dead tone that cut off Aveye¡¯s apology. ¡°It is okay. I chose to throw it to save you. And I never ever regret what I have done.¡± A finality in his tone told Aveye to drop the matter. Anymore and the dam might burst open in a torrent that could not be reined in. The remaining journey to the Marisa Grove of Grand Sequoia was made in a somber mood. Chapter γ - Side-story: Ouroboros He met her while he was in high school. By a stroke of chance, they met each other at a school event, where they were supposed to show designated guests around the school facilities in what was termed as a promotional tour. She fell. He caught her. She awkwardly expressed her gratitude before heading to admonish those who had pushed her. He discovered that they were taking a class together. Somehow or another, they exchanged contacts. He was a lonely reclusive boy who would prefer nothing but to play online games in the solitary haven of his home every day, while she was a brooding misanthropic only-child who could not be bothered to fit in with the girly girls her age. That was probably what gravitated them towards each other - the common feeling of being social pariahs out-casted by their peers. It was thereafter that they spent time hanging out after school, where she told him everything and anything about her and her life. How her friends laughed at her for being tanned. How she skipped practice because the coach was a jerk. How difficult the mock tests that day were. In return, he spent days listening attentively, always quick to relate with her joy and share suggestions for her problems. He had not realized it then, but it was the catalyst for things to come. One day, she told him thus. ¡°Hey, you know Ben? The one I told you I met at the library?¡± ¡°Yea.¡± Ben was a senior that he was well acquainted with, neighbors even. ¡°I think he likes me.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± It was not news; Ben had been asking him about her. ¡°But I don¡¯t like him at all. And he¡¯s bothering me a lot¡­¡± He went to confront Ben one day about his borderline stalking behavior while they were travelling home together. What the latter said was all forms of shocking. ¡°She said she likes me. What the hell are you talking about?¡± He stopped in his tracks, stunned. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You heard me.¡± His eyebrows furrowed. What was that supposed to mean? How could two opposing parties have completely contradictory statements? Who should he believe? One was his respected senior and friend, while the other was as dear as a sister. In the end he decided to do nothing. Soon enough, Ben graduated and disappeared into anonymity. But while he might have been the first, it was definitely not the last. It was not long before a similar case happened again, this time concerning another mutual friend named Neville. Neville was a jerk through and through, but that did not diminish how eerily similar the situation played out again. ¡°She doesn¡¯t like you, Nev, so give it a re-¡± ¡°She told me she likes me so you give it a rest.¡± Without a stand in the matter, he let the situation play out to its non-fruitful end again. There was a quarrel, or so she said, and Neville left, never to contact them again. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Months after the incident, while he was hanging out with her at their usual place, she suddenly became all shy and awkward. It was unlike her usual loud, abrasive self. ¡°Seb¡­ I want to tell you something.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± He replied in between mouthfuls of food. ¡°I-I love you.¡± It took all he had not to accidentally choke and die. Even though she might be troublesome at times, he likes her. It was the main reason why he had spent so many hours listening to her. Had it been someone else, he would not have bothered a long time ago. But what did he like her as? A lover or a sister? He did not know. Then came the question, Why him? He was not special, just an ordinary person who did nothing extraordinary. He did not even put any extra effort into making her feel important or loved. ¡°Why me?¡± He muttered. ¡°B-because you are always there for me.¡± Yet, even as he looked at her in the eye, he could not help but pull up his defenses against her, both Ben¡¯s and Neville¡¯s recounts echoing in his mind. What if he was simply her third ¡®prey¡¯? No. They were close. He should give her the benefit of the doubt. But the seed had been planted and would not go away. There were too many questions, too many unknowns. He did not know what to make of it. This ¡®love¡¯ she claimed of, he had no idea what it was nor what it was based upon. She was too immature to talk about love. And so was he. The more he thought, the more he felt lost. It was a spiral that would not end. The words swirled around and around in his mind, reinforcing each other, as though waves overlapping into bigger ones while crashing away at the shore of reason. It is an ouroboros of thought and with every iteration, a cycle of self-propagation occurs until the one point a single conclusion is reached. No. The logical conclusion to this drama would be to refuse. But when he told her of his decision, all he could see was her face on the verge of crying. The heart-breaking imagery only served to make the torrent in his mind more chaotic than ever. ¡°You mean to tell me you never felt anything for me?¡± He shook his head, even though it pained him to do so. ¡°And I loved you. How could you¡­¡± The guilt. It hung. ¡°You¡­ BEAST!¡± ¡°Jo-¡°He reached out for her, but she had run away in tears, leaving him all alone feeling as though he had screwed up his world.