《Loopshard》
Chapter One
Adam yawned as he made it to the bakery. It was about 9 AM on a chilly autumn Saturday. While he¡¯d normally still be huddled up in his bed and fast asleep, he was on a mission this morning. Sharon had brought a box of croissants to the office on Wednesday and ever since then he¡¯d been unable to get the taste out of his mind.
Although he¡¯d tried to forget about them on Thursday, he¡¯d eventually caved in and asked her where he could buy them. She¡¯d talked about the bakery, which he was now standing in front of, for twenty minutes, clearly eager to share the knowledge about its delicious baked goods. However, she¡¯d warned him that the fight for the croissants was fierce and that, no matter how many were made every morning, they were always gone by 10 AM.
Adam had tried to buy them yesterday before his commute to work, but, at 7 in the morning, the line had been out the door and down the street.
Who even has time to stand in line for croissants? he¡¯d thought to himself at the time. And yet, he understood them. After all, here he was, back with a vengeance and a hunger for those magical pastries.
There was a quaint little golden bell attached to the door, which chimed as he pulled it open and entered. Although there was a great view of the various baked goods from outside through the large window, the interior was so much better, as the smell of bakery flooded his nose and made his mouth water with longing.
The counter was arranged in an L shape and there was a large display case with muffins, cookies, donuts, cakes, and a few of those croissants he¡¯d been thinking about nonstop. Ahead of him were three people standing in line and he quickly went to join it, just as someone else came through the door.
I hope no one buys those last few croissants before it¡¯s my turn...
Adam had a strange relationship with sweets and treats. After moving out at eighteen, he¡¯d wound up in a cycle of junk food and snacks, ending up weighing three-hundred pounds by the age of twenty-two. Then, when he reached twenty-five, he¡¯d gotten his shit together and gone on a health kick. He¡¯d managed to drop down to about two-hundred pounds, with almost all the excess weight being muscle. But still, he sometimes got these intense cravings for treats, and Sharon was a damn enabler.
The front of the line moved as someone finished their transaction. The number of croissants had gone down to six and there were still two more people in front of him.
If we each buy two, then we won¡¯t have to fight outside in the parking lot.
Adam¡¯s eyes were glued to the display case, while the customer droned on about what she wanted. He felt a spike of dread as the woman mentioned the croissants, but there were still five left by the time she was done buying her breakfast.
As he took a step forward, one person away from getting his hands on those delectable pastries, he felt a quake travel through his body and down his legs. He thought it was perhaps his stomach growling in longing, but then he noticed how the guy in front of him and the female clerk were glancing around weirdly.
¡°Did you all feel that?¡± asked the guy who stood behind him in the line.
Another quake followed, but this time it was from the floor. They were all tilted sideways, but none of the baskets of bread, cakes, cookies, or magical croissants seemed to move even an inch.
¡°An earthquake? Here??¡± exclaimed the clerk loudly in surprise.
A strange floating metallic box appeared in front of Adam, with identical copies popping up near the other three people in the bakery. It was spinning lazily and changing shapes, as though some fourth-dimensional entity.
A tesseract?
It had a glossy black surface and was about the size of his fist. Black smoke fell from its bottom and onto the floor, coiling up around his legs. At the same time, his surroundings seemed to narrow into shadows, with the walls disappearing, followed by the display counter of pastries and sweets, and then the other people.
Just like that, Adam was somewhere else, alone, with no croissants in sight.
¡°What the fuck just happened?¡± he wondered out loud.
Is this the moment I realise I never woke up when my alarm went off?
Am I still dreaming?
He reached out and poked the tesseract. Another quake moved through his body.
Then an eye opened in the middle of the spinning entity and its voice filled the darkness. It was an androgynous voice with a neutral tone.
[Salutations Player ¡®Adam Fischer¡¯. You have been selected to take part in the Trials of Defiance to represent your planet.]
¡°Selected?¡±
[You have been deemed eligible due to your maturity and physique.]
¡°I¡¯m flattered, but I actually have an appointment in 40 minutes.¡±
[It is not possible to decline your invitation to the Trials. As an incentive for your participation, we have located your ineligible relatives and placed them in temporary holding. Their fates are now tied to yours. Should you refuse to participate, they will perish and you will die alongside them. Should you end up dying in the Trials of Defiance, they will perish as well.]
At the tesseract¡¯s words, transparent holograms of Adam¡¯s father, grandmother, and niece appeared around him. They couldn¡¯t see him, but they were looking around in fear and confusion. His sister, brother-in-law, aunt, and uncles were not present however, perhaps because they¡¯d also been selected.
¡°What the fuck¡¡±
[Do your best for the sake of your family and all of humanity. Should you or any other Player complete the Trials, humanity will be spared from extinction.]
¡°Why are you doing this!?¡±
The tesseract ignored him and released a pulse that flowed through his surroundings, brushing away the dark shadows and transporting him somewhere new. Text appeared in front of his face as the surroundings changed.
< < Now Entering > >
< Stage 1 >
< The Magical Forest >
< 5 Waves >
Adam looked around. He was standing in the clearing of a vibrant and green forest, with a seemingly-impenetrable wall of trees ringed around him, and a single large tree in the middle. Moss covered the understory, the sky was a nice shade of blue with fluffy clouds, and peaceful birdsong filled the air.
The tesseract floated out in front of him, before unfolding in a strange way that seemed to drag additional mass out of a fourth dimension, constructing a metallic stand upon which hovered five objects. Unlike the holograms of his family, these things were real, as far as he could tell.
His options were: a pair of metallic gloves; a bow; a sword and a shield; a staff with a stone at the end; and a large sword. Three of the weapons had a faint white glow, while two let off green light.
[Before we proceed, you must select a Weapon Type.]
¡°But I don¡¯t know what is happening! You¡¯ve got to give me more than that to go off of, if you want me to risk my life!¡±
[Failure to select a Weapon Type within 60 seconds will default you to the Weapon Type ¡®Fool¡¯.]
¡°Can you at least tell me what they do?¡±
< < Weapon Types Available > >
< Brawler (Uncommon) >
< Archer (Common) >
< Defender (Common) >
< Spellcaster (Uncommon) >
< Warrior (Common) >
¡°And what do they do??¡±
[Would you like me to repeat the Weapon Types?]
¡°No, you dumb box!¡±
He let out a frustrated yell, before trying to think through the choices.
I guess Brawler would make the most sense, since I take boxing lessons once a week. But, if I¡¯m going to be fighting, then a shield would probably be the safest choice. A bow or spell-staff may both be okay, but I¡¯ve got no idea how they work. The two-handed sword is probably too heavy for me to use effectively¡
He started going through the list, figuring out what would suit him best. It seemed like a pretty important choice and he didn¡¯t want to screw it up.
[10 seconds remaining.]
¡°Fuck you! Don¡¯t rush me!¡±
[9¡ 8¡]
Adam ran over and immediately grabbed the floating sword and shield. The blade was made from simple iron and had a leather grip that felt comfortable, with a simple rectangular bit of iron as the crossguard. The shield was bowl-shaped wood, with two horizontal iron braces on the front and another all around its edge. It could strap to his forearm using two clasps, and looked like it was a repurposed beer barrel.
As soon as he touched them, they automatically appeared in his hand and on his arm. A scabbard also materialised on his left hip, attached to his belt. Strangely, an innate understanding of how to wield the weapons flowed into his mind as soon as he held them.
Perhaps I should¡¯ve selected the bow instead, he considered.
Right on the heels of that newfound understanding came two text pop-ups.
< < Weapon Type Selected > >
< Sword & Shield >
< Common >
< < Player Status > >
< Adam Fischer >
< Defender >
< Level 0 >
< Stats >
< Health ¡ª 200 >
< Stamina ¡ª 100 >
< Mana ¡ª 0 >
< Damage ¡ª 75% >
< Defence ¡ª 150% >
< Speed ¡ª 100% >
< Upgrades >
< ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª >
¡°What the hell does all that mean?¡±
Instead of an answer, the tesseract folded itself back into a floating box, taking away the other options, before a new announcement appeared.
< < Wave One > >
< 60-Second Timer >
From the nearby wall of trees, a single transparent-blue blob squeezed itself through the tightly-packed trunks, before bouncing its way towards him. It was about the height of a normal housecat, but as it hopped across the clearing, he noticed that the moss it touched was dissolved as though by acid, with the remaining bits charred black. Within its jelly-like body was a single spherical stone.
¡°Wait, am I in a fucking videogame?¡±
[This is not a simulation. Death is permanent and this enemy is trying its hardest to kill you. If it succeeds, it will dissolve your flesh and feast on your corpse.]
[Failure to slay the enemy within 60 seconds will lead to Wave Two triggering.]
Adam gritted his teeth. He hated tight deadlines like this, but he predicted that the following Wave would involve more than a single slime. Stacking Waves together would no doubt lead to him being overrun. With no other choice, he lifted the shield in front of himself and charged forward.
He swung the iron sword in a downward chop, but, despite his newfound understanding of how his chosen weapon worked, he lacked the fundamental skill and muscle memory to utilise it flawlessly. Instead of cutting through the centre of the blue slime, his blade veered off half-way through and ended up just cutting off about two-thirds of its mass. Where the clump fell to the ground, it began to dissolve into a puddle, while decomposing the grass and soil beneath.
The slime bounded forward and he raised his shield to defend himself. On impact, his whole body was pushed back a full step and a numbness flowed through his arm briefly. A chemical burning smell filled his nose and as he disengaged from the creature, he saw that the front of his shield was turned black where it¡¯d struck.
¡°Guess I can¡¯t rely on this shield to protect me forever,¡± he muttered. Fortunately, the slime¡¯s acid seemed incapable of affecting metal.
The slime jumped forward again, but this time he sidestepped its attack, while swinging his blade horizontally through its body. Although his aim wasn¡¯t perfect, the edge of his sword still managed to slice through the core in its centre.
With a pop, the slime exploded and he quickly covered his face and torso with the shield, as its dissolving body rained down around him. A glob of its jelly flesh hit his right thigh, immediately eating through the fabric of his grey jeans and burning his skin before evaporating.
¡°Ow! Fuck, that hurts!¡±
< < Wave One Complete > >
< Choose your Upgrade >
The tesseract floated out in front of Adam and unfolded itself into a podium with three holograms appearing in the air above. Each was a white symbol, but they depicted different things: the first looked like a sword swinging; the second was like a shield growing; and the third was a fist with a spiked aura. Text overlayed each of the three symbols:
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Sword Speed (Common) ¡ª Increases sword attack speed by 10% >
< Shield Growth (Common) ¡ª Increases shield size by 15% >
< Damage (Common) ¡ª Increases all damage by 5% >
[You have 30 seconds to pick an Upgrade. Failure to decide will forfeit your choice and none will be selected.]
[You currently have 0 Rerolls.]
¡°It¡¯s really hard to make informed decisions when you hurry me along like this! And what¡¯s a ¡®Reroll¡¯?¡±
[Rerolls allow you to scramble the options available to you, potentially unlocking different Upgrades that you might prefer. You currently have 0 Rerolls.]
¡°How do I get Rerolls?¡±
[The easiest way to acquire Rerolls is by purchasing them at the Interim Island.]
[15 seconds remaining before Wave Two begins.]
He groaned in annoyance at the constant rush. ¡°Fine!¡±
Sword speed boost, shield growth, or a damage increase¡ I guess the shield makes the most sense?
He reached out and touched the middle option.
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Shield Growth (Common) >
Adam¡¯s wooden shield grew outward, increasing its diameter from about a metre-and-a-half to what he guessed was about 1.7 metres.
Was that actually a good choice? he wondered.
< < Wave Two > >
< 60-Second Timer >
It was impossible for him to think a lot about his options when the Trial didn¡¯t wait for him. He was someone who preferred sleeping on big decisions, since impulsive choices had always betrayed him in the past.
Two transparent-blue slimes squeezed out of the forest wall of the clearing on the opposite side from where the first had appeared. Adam didn¡¯t waste a moment and charged straight for them, with his sword lifted in the air and the shield in front of his torso.
The slimes were identical, so he just went for the right one first, side-stepping its simple attack and swinging his blade through its core and jelly flesh.
As it exploded, he back-pedalled several steps and managed to catch all the droplets on his shield rather than his body.
Maybe cutting through the core in that way is why the explosion is so violent, he considered.
With one remaining slime and most of his time yet remaining, he decided to experiment, since the death throes of the creatures were arguably more dangerous than their normal attacks.
The slime jumped towards him, but, instead of side-stepping, he moved into the attack, using his shield to push it back. Though the slimes had no eyes or heads, it still seemed they had a ¡®top¡¯, as the slime tumbled back and landed upside-down, momentarily unable to move.
Adam stepped forward and carefully aimed a stab directly through the thinnest part of its body and into the core. He felt a weak resistance as the tip of his sword dug into the stone, but after hurriedly retracting his blade and backing up, he saw that his guess was correct. The explosion from the precise stab shot out in a single stream through the wound, rather than a large area. Although, the pressure was higher, so the stream of corrosive fluid flew further.
At least it¡¯s easier to avoid this way. If I can stick to bashing and stabbing tactics, this should be fine.
He looked at the front of his shield. There was a bigger burn-mark on it now, though it was still structurally sound.
Yeah, this might just be a winning strategy.
< < Wave Two Complete > >
< Choose your Upgrade >
The tesseract flew over and created the podium again, although this time one of the choices had a green symbol. The green symbol depicted a sword getting longer; the middle symbol was a shield with spikes on it; and the last was a shoe with wings.
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Sword Growth (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases sword length by 30% >
< Thorny Shield (Common) ¡ª Reflects 5% of blocked damage >Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
< Movement (Common) ¡ª Increases movement speed by 5% >
All of them are good this time.
After a few seconds of deliberation, he made his choice, but before he picked it, he asked the reality-defying box a question.
¡°Tesseract, what are you? How do you have these powers?¡±
[This vessel is but one of the All-Seeing System¡¯s many eyes. Through its benediction, I wield a fraction of its Authority.]
¡°There¡¯s one for each person like me?¡±
[Yes.]
[You have 15 seconds left to pick an upgrade.]
¡°What should I call you?¡±
[You may call me whatever you like.]
¡°¡®Shitbox¡¯ it is, then.¡±
[10 seconds remaining.]
Adam walked over and touched the green symbol for the uncommon upgrade.
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Sword Growth (Uncommon) >
Adam¡¯s sword grew to be about the length of his arm, but its point of balance shifted towards the simple crossguard and the weight also increased. It seemed that each upgrade had unspoken demerits, as increased weight meant that his swings would be slower. The size increase to his shield hadn¡¯t noticeably altered the weight though, but that was perhaps due to it being made of wood.
¡°When I¡¯m done with these slimes, do I get to go home?¡±
[No. If you complete this Stage, you will be transported to the Interim Island.]
¡°What¡¯s that?¡±
Shitbox did not reply, as the next Wave began.
< < Wave Three > >
< 90-Second Timer >
[During Waves you may take damage. Although you can purchase consumable health regeneration after this Stage, there are also ways to acquire them from within the Stages themselves. Look towards the tree, where a Healing Apple is awaiting you.]
Adam followed its directions and saw that a branch, which hadn¡¯t been there before, was reaching down towards the ground from the large central tree in the clearing. At the tip of the branch was a single red apple.
¡°That¡¯s not a trap, right?¡±
[Healing Items take shapes according to the Stage you are in and are often difficult to acquire or hard to find, but will always return you to full health. Collected Healing Items will not be transported with you, when you complete a Stage.]
As it finished its speech, the tree wall directly opposite where he stood began to shift as a larger purple slime squeezed through. Unlike the blue ones, it had two cores inside the top of its upside-down cone-shaped body, giving off the appearance of eyes, which was unsettling. A second after it appeared, two smaller blue slimes squeezed out of the treeline as well.
¡°Three-on-one? Really?¡±
The smaller slimes hopped forward, while the purple upside-down cone squeezed itself in order to gain more height. The tip of its ¡®head¡¯ became almost like a spear, which it bent down, aiming for his head. It too began hopping forward, though it moved slower than the blue ones.
Definitely have to get rid of that purple prick first.
Adam charged towards the blue slimes, but just as they were close enough to jump at him, he kicked off the mossy ground and went to the right of them, lifting his shield in front of his head, while closing the distance to the tall slime.
Schiiing!
The spear-like head of the purple slime produced a terrifying sound as it jabbed towards him. When it struck his shield, it didn¡¯t feel like a slime¡¯s jelly-like body, but rather like a metallic weapon, and it had a lot of power behind it. He was pushed back a step, while blindly swinging his elongated sword out in front of the shield blocking his vision. Adam felt the tactile feedback of his blade hitting the creature, but its body was a lot harder than the blue slimes.
Schiiing!
A new attack punched into his defences, this time going all the way through, with the tip of the purple spear-head emerging just above the arm the shield was strapped to. With a frantic swing, he managed to sever the top of the slime¡¯s head and it slid out of his shield, leaving a circular hole behind.
As soon as the pointy top hit the moss below, one of the blue slimes began moving towards it. Adam noticed this peculiarity, but instead of stopping, he shifted his shield slightly and swung his sword into the side of the purple slime again, aiming for the cores.
The strike took a bite out of its strangely-dense body, but he needed more power to cleave through, as it was consolidating its mass and thickening up its body, in order to defend itself. Adam let out a loud grunt of effort as he shifted his shield hand to the bottom of his sword handle and swung through the slime with a diagonal slash, which leveraged all his strength.
The blade travelled through the dense purple jelly, cleaving one of the cores and continuing to carve down and out its side. The top half fell into two separate pieces, with the part he¡¯d cut off containing the remaining core.
With an overhead swing, he split the piece in half, with the core cut down the middle. After both cores were destroyed, he felt an immense sense of satisfaction. The feeling was immediately replaced with horror, as the carved-up remains began to bloat.
Bang!
The entire purple slime exploded, shooting out darts as long as his hand.
Adam was hit in the right thigh, abdomen, shoulder and upper arm, while his shield protected his left side. His white shirt was immediately damaged beyond repair. Each purple dart dug in about three centimetres, before beginning to slowly release some kind of chemical that heightened the pain.
While quickly yanking out the darts and tossing them aside, Adam cursed up a storm.
[Warning! Health below 50%. It is recommended that you make use of the Healing Apple.]
Schiiing!
Suddenly a sharp pain filled his left calf, and he instinctively swung his sword down in self-defence, seeing that a smaller version of the purple slime was there.
[Warning! Health below 25%. You are close to dying.]
His strike cut it in half, and with a quick stab he pierced its single core, before limping back a couple steps and raising his shield to protect against its explosion. A smaller bang came and two impacts thumped against his shield, while he hid behind it.
Where did that second one come from!?
No sooner had the question entered his mind than he saw that one of the blue slimes was slurping up parts of the purple¡¯s severed flesh, before it turned into the same colour and manifested a spike out of its body.
¡°They can do that!?¡±
[Warning! You are close to dying.]
¡°It¡¯s not that bad,¡± he argued, although he could tell that his entire body was inflamed with pain, even though the adrenaline in his system was working overtime to suppress it.
He glanced away from the slime to the tree, then began limping his way towards the awaiting apple.
[30 seconds remaining of Wave Three.]
¡°You just never shut up, do you Shitbox!?¡±
As he was limping to the apple branch, blood was freely leaking from his entire right side and the wound in his left calf, leaving behind a red trail that the blue-turned-purple slime was hopping along, while its top was shaped like the blade of a rapier. The weight of his shield and sword was starting to feel like it was too much, but he knew that discarding either was going to get him killed.
He somehow made it to the apple, but it was just high enough that he could not reach it without jumping. Jumping was unlikely to be a good idea though, so he instead swung his sword into the air clumsily, slapping the apple free from the branch with the flat of his blade and losing his balance at the same time.
With a belly-flop on the soft ground, he landed in such a way that his head was right next to the apple. He immediately bit into it.
[Healing Apple consumed! Recovering Health back to 100%.]
In an instant, Adam¡¯s wounds were sealed shut and he felt all his strength return to him.
[15 seconds remaining of Wave Three.]
Schiiing!
Adam instinctively rolled aside, just as the small purple slime jabbed its rapier blade at him. It struck the mossy ground instead of his groin, and, while it was struggling to pull it free, he got to his feet by using the shield. Then he swung his blade down into its body.
The small slime had become dense like the original whose essence it¡¯d devoured, but it was not as big, so his strike was still powerful enough to cleave it nearly perfectly down the middle. He followed up with a stab to its core, before hiding behind his shield.
Bang!
Unlike with the blue slimes, the purple ones seemed to still explode like grenades, no matter how he cut up their cores.
< < Wave Three Complete > >
< Choose your Upgrade >
Adam slid down onto his knees, breathing quickly.
¡°Fuck this shit,¡± he muttered.
Once I¡¯m done with this Stage, I¡¯m finding a way out of this place.
He couldn¡¯t help but recall the image of his dad and niece. They¡¯d both looked so confused and scared. After his dad had lost his memories following a risky brain operation, he¡¯d become almost infantile in some ways. If not for his caretaker, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to survive. And now he was all alone in whatever place Shitbox had sent him to.
[You have 15 seconds left to pick an upgrade.]
Adam got back to his feet and ran over to where Shitbox had unfolded to present his three options.
I need something that lets me cut through those slimes more easily or something to protect me from their explosions.
He looked at the options, his eyes immediately catching on the green symbol that represented an uncommon upgrade, and saw that it was the same upgrade as the middle one from Wave Two. The first option also had a familiar image, but the third choice was new. It had a white icon of a person with a second outline that was moving weirdly.
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Sword Speed (Common) ¡ª Increases sword attack speed by 10% >
< Thorny Shield (Uncommon) ¡ª Reflects 10% of blocked damage >
< Dodge (Common) ¡ª Grants a 5% chance to dodge a direct attack >
Reflect Damage might help me kill them.
He thought the small speed increase on his sword swing was unlikely to help him much. Same with the low chance to dodge, which also only triggered on direct attacks, which probably didn¡¯t include the explosions as those were not aimed at him specifically. However, if he could reflect some of the damage he blocked, like the slimes¡¯ explosions, it was sure to be a boon.
[Warning! You only have 5 seconds left to pick an upgrade.]
¡°I¡¯m picking it!¡± he shouted in annoyance, as he touched his hand to the green symbol.
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Thorny Shield (Uncommon) >
The front of his shield grew tiny spikes as the new upgrade kicked in.
¡°What shit are you gonna throw at me this time?¡±
He still felt rather winded, so he hoped it would be an easier round, although that seemed unlikely given the trend until now.
< < Wave Four > >
< 90-Second Timer >
Two separate groups of slimes broke from the treeline on the opposite side of the clearing from him. There were one blue and one green in each group, with the green ones being like chubbier versions of the blues and having two cores like the purples.
He had to be careful about the small ones eating the remains of the special slimes, since they could copy their powers, but he still felt confident that taking out the special variants first was the safest choice here.
Adam ran towards the nearest group to his left, while the blue slimes hopped in his direction. The two green ones remained where they were and seemed to be getting bigger, similar to how the blues would bloat when they died.
Then they simultaneously ejected globs of their own jelly bodies at him, each firing three baseball-sized projectiles. It sounded like they were blowing bubbles when they fired, like plop-plop-plop.
¡°Woah!¡± he exclaimed, raising his shield while frantically hopping to the side to avoid them as they rained down on his position..
None of the six projectiles managed to hit his shield, but they instantly dissolved the moss and scalded the exposed dirt black where they landed.
I wonder if my sword will be okay if it touches that?
With a thud, Adam was pushed back, as one of the blue slimes had caught up to him and slammed into his shield. One of the spikes on the front shot back at the attacker, while he regained his balance, shoving his shield forward to flip the slime on its top, before chopping it in half down the middle where its core was. Then he hid behind his shield as it popped.
The sound of blowing bubbles caught his ears and Adam immediately ran forward, while keeping his shield raised in front of himself. Two of the six projectiles hit his shield weakly, but then the smell of a chemical burn flooded his nose and he saw how two dark patches bled through to the backside.
At the same time, a small piece of each of the projectiles split off and bounced back to the sender: the green slime right in front of him. It was struck right as it was starting to bloat and preparing to fire off more. The damage was high enough to interrupt its charge-up attack.
Adam closed the distance and swung his sword through its body, aiming to strike both cores simultaneously. Unlike the purple slime, the green one wasn¡¯t dense at all. In fact, it was easier to cut through than the blues and he split both cores with ease.
Then, as it started to bloat, he hurried away from it, keeping his shield between them.
Pop!
The green slime exploded much like how the blue ones did, but with it came a barrage of the baseball-sized projectiles, which quickly rained down around the area, destroying the mossy understory of the clearing. Its range seemed to be about fifteen metres.
Plop-plop-plop!
Three globs of acid were shot at him by the remaining green slime, while the blue one was skipping towards the steaming remains of the one he¡¯d just killed.
¡°Oh no you don¡¯t,¡± he muttered, as he raised his shield and caught two of the projectiles, before reaching the blue slime. He chopped it in half and then stabbed its core.
Adam surged towards the remaining enemy, while a pop came from behind him. The green bastard was trying to charge up for another attack, but he slashed his blade through its body, getting both cores.
Then he retreated and watched it explode in a shower of acid.
[Well done! You cleared the Wave with more than half the time remaining.]
¡°That one did feel better,¡± he remarked. ¡°Do I get a reward for going fast?¡±
[Yes.]
< < Wave Four Complete > >
< Choose your Upgrade >
Shitbox unfolded in front of him, with the large tree just behind it. Adam noticed that there was a new branch with a Healing Apple growing from it, but this one was four metres off the ground, so it would be difficult to reach.
¡°What kind of reward?¡± he asked, while looking at the three new symbols. There were two unfamiliar ones and both were uncommon. The first symbol was a sword with a spiked aura, the middle was a shield with the same effect, and the last was the fist he¡¯d seen after the first wave. The aura clearly meant ¡®damage¡¯.
[You will find out after the next Wave.]
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Sword Damage (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases sword damage by 10% >
< Bash Damage (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases shield bash damage by 10% >
< Damage (Common) ¡ª Increases all damage by 5% >
It¡¯s all damage this time. I wonder if that¡¯s a bad sign¡
Regardless, the best choice was obvious.
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Sword Damage (Uncommon) >
There was no obvious transformation from his choice, but he got the sense that the edge was a bit sharper than before.
< < Wave Five > >
< 180-Second Timer >
¡°180 seconds this time. So it¡¯s definitely a Boss,¡± he speculated.
He then narrowed his eyes in suspicion. ¡°Wait, what happens if the time runs out?¡±
[The Boss will become enraged, tripling its damage and speed.]
¡°Aha! So it is a Boss Wave!¡±
[It may be useful to check on your Player Status during a Stage. You can bring it up by uttering the word ¡®Status¡¯.]
¡°Seriously, Shitbox, how is this not a videogame??¡±
A distant thump came from beyond the dense forest wall of the clearing, in the direction directly opposite him, which was how every Wave started. It was a weird consideration that the ones in charge of the ¡®Trials of Defiance¡¯ had decided that dropping a new Wave on top of the Player was a bad move. It seemed at odds with the forceful participation and cruel design of the whole thing.
Another thump made Adam do a small hop.
¡°Status,¡± he said, while gripping his sword firmly.
< < Player Status > >
< Adam Fischer >
< Defender >
< Level 4 >
< Stats >
< Health ¡ª 200 >
< Stamina ¡ª 100 >
< Mana ¡ª 0 >
< Damage ¡ª 75% >
< Defence ¡ª 150% >
< Speed ¡ª 100% >
< Upgrades >
< ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª >
[You may also bring up your Weapon Status by uttering the word ¡®Armament¡¯.]
Another thump came and Adam nearly fell over, while the trees around the clearing, as well as the one in the middle, started shaking and rustling their leaves.
¡°Armament.¡±
< < Weapon Status > >
< Sword & Shield >
< Common Quality >
< Level 4 >
< Stat Upgrades >
< Shield Growth 20% >
< Sword Growth 30% >
< Thorny Shield 10% >
< Sword Damage 10% >
¡°Does something happen if I keep levelling up my weapon?¡±
[Yes.]
¡°And you¡¯re not going to tell me, right?¡±
Shitbox did not reply and he instinctively knew that it was because the Boss had arrived. A large shadow appeared on the other side of the great tree and, a second later, a giant deep-blue slime arrived with a thunderous boom. The quake that rolled through the clearing was powerful enough to knock Adam down onto his ass.
As soon as he got back to his feet, the five-metre-tall slime began to hop towards him, clearing two metres at a time and producing a loud thump each time, which made the ground shake.
¡°There¡¯s no way¡¡± he muttered, but then he remembered the images of his family and what was at stake if he died.
Within the Boss¡¯ body were three large cores the size of oranges and they freely moved around, providing a tricky target for him. Strangely, atop of its dark-blue mound of jelly flesh was a rusted crown.
The ¡®Slime King¡¯ hopped again and Adam seized the opportunity to rush forward with an upward slash, holding both hands on his sword handle and hoping to use its downward momentum to aid in the cutting powers of his sword. Sure enough, as it landed, his sword was dragged up through its body and he managed to cut off about a fifth of its mass.
As the piece fell to the ground, he backed off several metres to see how it¡¯d react, but nothing much seemed to change about it. One thing of note was that its body didn¡¯t have a very powerful corrosive effect, since the moss and dirt beneath it wasn¡¯t dissolving immediately or charring black.
Realising that this foe was just a big target that was trying to crush him, he charged for it as it jumped again, repeating the same trick from before and managing to nick one of the cores as he cut a slice off of its body.
Slashing attacks don¡¯t seem like they¡¯ll work, he concluded, since the cores kept shifting out of the way of his blade.
Adam decided to try stabbing instead, so he took his left hand off his blade handle and ran forward with the shield in front of him, right when the Boss landed from another hop. He slammed his shield into its side, while pulling his right hand back and holding the blade horizontally. Then, just before it was about to jump again, one of the cores shifted close to the ¡®surface¡¯ of its body and he hammered his sword directly into it, breaking it in half.
The Slime King instantly ballooned in size as though it would explode and Adam was close enough to be sent flying.
He was sent skipping across the ground once and slammed his back into the tree wall of the clearing. All the air was forced out of his lungs and he immediately started coughing while trying to breathe in.
¡°What¡¯s my health?¡± he managed to ask Shitbox between coughs.
[You have 160 Health or 80% remaining.]
Adam pushed himself off the ground and ran towards the big slime, but it was doing something strange. The two remaining cores stopped moving inside its large body, equidistant from each other. Then it split down the middle and changed colours, with the cores within them likewise splitting into two smaller ones.
The left side turned green and the right became purple.
¡°Ah, shit,¡± he muttered, before immediately switching to the green one, while the purple twin was forming itself into a flexible spike. They were both larger than their previous counterparts, no doubt owing to the enormous size of the Slime King.
Adam swung his blade through the green twin, managing to immediately sever a core, before disengaging and positioning himself such that it was between him and the purple one.
Schiiing!
To his surprise, the purple slime¡¯s spike pierced through its twin to try and hit him. He was just far enough away that the tip only poked the front of his shield, which didn¡¯t seem to trigger his damage reflect.
When it retracted its spike, Adam moved forward and started slashing into the green one, tearing away its jelly flesh to reach the core, before immediately hurrying back several steps.
Schiiing!
Once again the purple slime lanced through its twin, but this time it struck the remaining core and destroyed it. The green slime began to sizzle, before the fragments of its two cores collected themselves into four tiny pebbles, which positioned themselves in a way that divided its body into quarters. Then, unsurprisingly, it split and became four small blue slimes.
Adam charged forward with his shield, bashing them aside and jabbing his sword into the purple slime¡¯s body, exploiting the pause between its attacks. He managed to pierce deep enough to break one of the cores, despite the fact that its body was denser than the other versions. It helped that it was stretching itself thinner.
Schiiing!
As the purple twin retaliated, he narrowly dodged to the side of its stabbing top, which instead pierced one of the blue slimes, killing it. This one popped like normal, meaning it was done dividing once it reached that tiny stage.
Adam gasped for air, having overexerted himself to keep up with the monster thus far. Not being allowed proper breaks between Waves also wasn¡¯t helping, as the exhaustion was piling up.
A sizzling pain suddenly blossomed on the side of his left leg, as one of the blue slimes jumped into him. The fabric of his grey jeans immediately dissolved and his skin felt like it was set on fire. He chopped it in half with his sword, before moving around the purple slime¡¯s body to avoid the splash of its explosion.
¡°Shitbox, how much health did I lose!?¡±
[The attack dealt 45 points of damage, which was reduced to 30 thanks to your Defence rating. That means you now have 130 Health or 65% remaining.]
Good to know that a Defender¡¯s Defence rating is actually worth something.
The purple slime was preparing to strike him again, not needing to turn around to hit him, instead just bending its spiked top around.
Adam baited out its strike, but he was a bit too slow and it pierced through his shield and into his left upper arm. The Thorny upgrade triggered and fired off several of its spikes back at the Boss, breaking apart some of its body.
[Warning! Health below 50%.]
With a roar, he chopped his blade down through its spiked ¡®head¡¯ and severed it, then shifted his grip upside-down and hammered his blade tip into its body repeatedly, until striking the core.
Like the green twin, the purple slime began to sizzle and the cores turned into four. Adam let it do its thing, while running around its body to get the remaining blue ones, before four more joined in. With a chopping strike and a piercing stab, he killed them in quick succession, then backed away as they exploded.
The purple slime divided into four blue slimes, just like the green one had, and though his lungs were on fire and his body screamed in pain, he charged forward without giving them a chance to move. Adam chopped two of the slimes in half, before backing away as they exploded, only to charge forward and bashing his shield into a third, following up with a jab to kill it.
[60 seconds remaining before the Boss enrages.]
With an exhausted but wrathful attack, he killed the last slime with two quick slashes. As it bloated and prepared to explode, he stumbled back a couple steps, before slipping and landing on his ass.
Pop!
< < Wave Five Complete > >
< < Stage Complete > >
< Tallying Score >
¡°Fuck this,¡± he groaned, laying down on his back in the moss and staring up at the azure sky above the forest. His body slowly healed itself back to full, now that the Stage was completed, and he even felt how his energy returned, as his Stamina was replenished.
< < Score > >
< 300 Seconds Completion Time >
< 220 Damage Received >
< 315 Points Awarded >
¡°How do you calculate the score?¡± he asked.
Shitbox floated over to where he lay, hovering above his head and directing its creepy eye down at him.
[A Player¡¯s score is based on several elements: enemies defeated; the speed at which a Wave is completed; how much damage was received; and other bonus elements that will be revealed once attained.]
¡°So, what now?¡±
[You will receive another Upgrade choice, as well as a Relic Chest that will allow you to pick between three Relics. Once you have selected both, you will be transported to the Interim Island.]
¡°Relics?¡±
[Relics are items that can benefit a Player in a myriad of ways: offensively, defensively, supportively, and so forth. Conquering the Trials of Defiance is impossible without making good use of them.]
¡°Well, then, let¡¯s get on with it.¡±
Shitbox floated over to where the tree stood and Adam got up from the ground to follow. He noticed how the moss was returned to its original pristine nature and that all the remnants of the slimes were erased, as though he hadn¡¯t just had the most insane fight of his life in this idyllic place.
As usual, the tesseract unfolded in that bizarre way to create a podium with three options hovering above. Unlike the other times, however, there was a wooden chest next to it. The image of the Slime King was engraved into its top half and it looked like it belonged in a retro videogame.
Despite it all, the sight actually made him excited. As soon as he realised it, however, he shoved the feeling down.
Don¡¯t get side-tracked! he scolded himself. The only thing that matters is getting out of this place and freeing my family.
On the podium were two familiar symbols and one new, which looked like a blade with a serrated edge. All of them were uncommon.
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Sword Growth (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases sword length by 30% >
< Shield Growth (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases shield size by 30% >
< Bleed (Uncommon) ¡ª Attacks inflict bleed dealing 10% weapon damage over the course of 10 seconds >
Adam thought about picking the bleed option, but he couldn¡¯t tell if it¡¯d actually work against enemies like slimes, given that they had no veins in their body and thus no blood to spill.
¡°Shitbox, does bleed affect all enemies?¡±
[No.]
Figures.
He picked Sword Growth since it seemed to have a lot more utility over bonus damage that didn¡¯t work against everything he¡¯d encounter.
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Sword Growth (Uncommon) >
¡°Alright, let me see the Relics so I can go to that island you were talking about,¡± Adam told the tesseract, while his sword increased in both length and weight.
Any more growth and this thing can¡¯t really be called a one-handed sword¡
Shitbox folded back into its tesseract shape and flew over to the treasure chest. Then golden light began to spill out from the seam of its lid, before popping open and casting that light into the air. Three items floated out from within and hovered above it, not too unlike how the upgrade podium displayed things.
There was an apple identical to the one still hanging from a branch on the tree, a glass jar with blue slime inside it, and a white glove with red stars woven into its fabric. The first two options glowed white, but the third had a blue glow, which was new.
< < Relics Available > >
< Healing Apple (Common) ¡ª If the Player¡¯s health falls below 25%, this apple is consumed, healing them back to full. Once consumed, the Relic disappears >
< Slime Coating (Common) ¡ª The Player''s weapons are coated with the essence of a Blue Slime, imbuing them with 10% additional Corrosive Damage. The Relic lasts for 3 Stages >
< Duellist¡¯s Glove (Rare) ¡ª Charge an attack for 2 seconds to enable it to pierce armour. 60-second cooldown >
¡°Well that¡¯s a no-brainer,¡± he said, picking the glove.
Just like when he¡¯d picked the sword and shield initially, the Relic equipped itself to his right hand.
< < Relic Selected > >
< Duellist¡¯s Glove (Rare) >
Before he could even test out its power, the tesseract, which was hovering nearby, let out a pulse of its strange magic and the surroundings fell away into inky darkness. Another pulse pushed away that darkness, revealing a cobblestone road under his feet. As the pulse continued to expand outward, buildings and trees were revealed.
< < Now Entering > >
< Interim Island >
Chapter Two
Adam looked around. He felt like he¡¯d been pulled into a quaint German town like where his great-grandparents were from. The cobblestones were uneven and slightly frustrating to traverse, the buildings were colourful but misshapen like dumpy clay sculptures, and the trees and plants grew wherever they pleased. A simple guitar melody filled the air and made his heart-rate slow down to a state of relaxation, despite what he¡¯d just gone through.
[Welcome to Interim Island. Players like yourself will be sent here following every completed Stage. Before your next challenge, you should visit the vendors in the Market and utilise your Points to acquire Relics, Healing Items, Rerolls, and anything else that might be useful.]
¡°My Points are money?¡±
[Points are the currency of the Trials of Defiance.]
¡°Which way is the Market?¡±
[Follow the sound of the music to the north.]
Adam needed a few seconds to figure out which direction it was actually coming from, since it was bouncing off the buildings. When he was sure he knew its source, he followed the cobblestone path that snaked through the strange town in that direction. There were no other people around, despite Shitbox mentioning that all Players would come here after a Stage.
¡°Where is everyone?¡±
[The Interim Island is sliced into individual dimensions. You will only encounter other Players in the Dimensional Tavern.]
¡°Tavern?¡± he asked, as he rounded the corner of a light-brown building with crooked window frames and no door.
[The Dimensional Tavern can be located to the south by following the smoke of its chimney.]
Adam paused and spun around to search the baby-blue cloudless expanse above.
Where?
A tiny plume trailed into the sky in the distance, hardly noticeable above the organically-shaped rooftops.
Ah, I see it. It¡¯s in the other direction. Guess I¡¯ll go there after the Market.
¡°Anything else I need to know?¡±
[It is recommended that you get proper sleep in the Player House. It is located on the edge of Interim Island to the east. Stage Two will commence tomorrow at dawn.]
¡°Proper¡ sleep?¡± Adam couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the absurdity. ¡°You¡¯re killing us! But also concerned about proper sleep!?¡±
[For the Trials of Defiance to be undertaken properly, the Players need to be at their peak. Excessive exhaustion results in unenthusiastic participation.]
¡°You want us to try and relax, before sending us back out to be slaughtered!? Fuck you, you sadistic piece of shit!¡± Adam yelled, swinging his sword at the tesseract.
The dimensional box blinked out of the way of his attack, as well as the three follow-up slashes.
[Please cease your hostilities.]
¡°Or what!?¡± he yelled, jabbing his sword towards its eye, only for Shitbox to appear a finger¡¯s breadth from his face.
[I will not be the one to deliver your punishment.]
Adam stumbled back a few steps in surprise, before squeezing the handle of his sword in impotent fury.
I¡¯ll find a way to break this box, mark my words.
Then he noticed a heat slowly building from the back of his hand and shifting along his fingers to his palm. When he looked down at the Duellist¡¯s Glove, the colours were inverted, such that it was now a red glove with white stars embroidered into it.
Without a second thought, Adam slashed his sword upwards to try and catch Shitbox unawares.
Woosh!
His blade travelled through the air with way more force than usual, but the tesseract once again appeared right in front of his face, making him stumble.
[Any attempt to harm me is futile.]
¡°Eat my ass!¡± he yelled, swinging again, only for Shitbox to teleport away.
With a huff of frustration, Adam gave up for now and stomped along the cobblestones towards the music indicating the Market. As he followed the meandering road with uneven stones, he passed by shrubbery and trees, as well as many more of the dumpy houses without doors.
This place is like a bizarre fever dream, he thought to himself.
Then the road opened up ahead of him and he immediately saw the source of the guitar melody.
¡°What the fuck¡¡±
It was a human-sized yellow-and-black wingless wasp. It was sitting with its bottom two legs crossed on a tall wooden stool, its abdomen to the side and its stinger on proud display. Its four other legs served as its arms and were strumming away on the strings.
¡°How is a wasp that good at playing guitar?¡±
¡°I have a name, you know,¡± the wasp replied without pausing. The voice had a sultry note to it and was distinctly female, while the appearance was distinctly I¡¯m-going-to-die-if-it-stabs-me.
¡°Ah, didn¡¯t realise you spoke English as well. That raises an unfortunate amount of questions.¡±
[The denizens of Interim Island adjust to the inhabiting Player¡¯s language, in order to establish a sense of comfort.]
¡°How do I mute you, Shitbox?¡±
¡°My name is Yenna,¡± the wasp introduced herself.
¡°I¡¯m Adam. I¡¯d shake your hand, but you kind of freak me out.¡±
¡°Understandable. I am also repulsed by your flappy skin.¡±
He frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not that flappy.¡±
Yenna moved right along with the introductions. ¡°Do you enjoy my melodies? If you have a preference for an instrument, I am proficient in all of them.¡±
¡°Even the Theremin?¡±
Despite the fact that her head was a terrifying mask with chittering mandibles at the front, antennae at the top, and black compound eyes, Yenna managed to look confused.
¡°I don¡¯t know what that is.¡±
¡°What about the Stylophone?¡±
¡°Are these culturally-significant instruments from your world? I have practised with all those provided to me by the All-Seeing System. Those two were not included as part of your world¡¯s heritage.¡±
Adam sighed. Why is the System even doing this? What¡¯s the point of pretending to give a shit about humans and what we like?
¡°Play whatever you like. It sounded nice.¡±
¡°Thank you, Adam.¡±
He gave the wasp a wide berth as he walked past her. There was a fountain behind where she sat and on it were sculptures of slimes spewing water into the air to land in a top bowl, from which it spilled down three flat circular tiers and back into the bottom.
When he looked down at the water, he noticed the glimmer of coins that¡¯d been tossed in, which seemed weird, since Shitbox had said the currency here was Point-based.
Past the fountain were sporadic flowerbeds and between them were a few wooden stalls with different colours for their cloth overhangs. Behind them were two rows of trees, but no other buildings. Or even ground for that matter.
¡°Are we in the air!?¡± Adam exclaimed in surprise, as he saw a cloud drifting by lazily below the edge of the island.
[Yes. The Interim Island is a flying piece of land.]
¡°What happens if I jump off.¡±
[You will plummet to your death.]
Adam gritted his teeth. ¡°Okay, I see how it is.¡±
What a convenient way for them to weed out those too weak-willed to go on. Sickening reason to design their little waiting area in such a way.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
He looked away from the distant edge and refocused on the Market stalls. Then he realised they were manned by giant insects as well.
¡°Can I kill these people?¡±
[Any denizen of Interim Island that you slay will not return nor be replaced. You may take your frustrations out on them, but it is meaningless and will permanently prevent you from accessing their services in the future.]
Adam shook his head. ¡°What is wrong with you¡? Why even put sentient creatures here? You¡¯re clearly capable of handling the upgrades and such yourself. Do you just enjoy cruelty for the sport of it?¡±
[This inefficiency was deemed beneficial to Player enthusiasm in the Trials of Defiance.]
They really care about Player¡¯s being engaged with their little extinction game. But why?
Wait¡
¡°Are you broadcasting any of this?¡±
[The Trials are being observed by many watchful eyes, yes.]
¡°So you need us to put on a show, is that it?¡±
[Yes.]
¡°Well, at least you¡¯re honest, you piece of shit.¡±
Adam flipped off the air. He had no idea where he was being watched from, but he figured it was no doubt from above.
With his outburst over, he walked up to the nearest stall, which had a blue overhang. Behind the wooden counter was a small anvil and forge, as well as various tools. The creature manning it was a large incandescent-green beetle with two massive plates covering its back. Like Yenna, it was using its bottom two legs as actual legs, and the other four as arms, while standing upright.
¡°Afternoon, Adam. My name is Thea. I offer weapon upgrades in exchange for Points,¡± she told him, also speaking with a female voice, though this one was sharp as flint.
Adam glanced around at the other stalls suspiciously.
¡°Don¡¯t tell me they¡¯re all women¡¡±
[It was deemed most beneficial to Player enthusiasm to have desirable companionship within Interim Island.]
¡°Are you out of your fucking mind!? They¡¯re all insects, you shit for brains!¡±
Adam quickly spun back to face the beetle.
¡°No offence, Thea.¡±
¡°None taken, I too find your visage offensive to the eyes.¡±
Adam sighed. ¡°How much are your services?¡±
¡°450 Points for any upgrade up to and including level 6.¡±
¡°Damn, that¡¯s pretty expensive. But why only until level 6?¡±
¡°I am not allowed to tell you yet.¡±
Adam glared at the tesseract. ¡°Seriously? Can¡¯t they just be allowed to inform me about this stupid game!?¡±
[It was deemed fair that Players have to discover the facts and facets of the Trials of Defiance on their own. However, it is possible to trade information with other Players at the Dimensional Tavern, if you should choose to do so.]
With every new thing he learnt about this game, he was realising that the cruelty ran deeper-and-deeper. This was a blood sport, and ¡®enthusiasm¡¯ only mattered because it made for a better spectacle. If they gave two shits about fairness, he wouldn¡¯t have been thrown in blind and rushed along non-stop.
But who gives a shit about fairness? I¡¯ll fight as dirty as I need to, if it means my family gets to live.
I¡¯ll finish checking out the wares here, then I¡¯ll visit the tavern, before preparing for the next Stage.
¡°I guess I¡¯ll come back when I can afford your services. Wait, that came out wrong. Ah, fuck it, you know what I mean.¡±
¡°Bye Adam.¡±
He left the beetle smith and went to the next stall, which had a green overhang. Here, a red-brown cockroach stood behind a slanted wooden board draped in a black cloth, which displayed items he easily recognised. There were three size variants of vials and they came in three colours. Along with the potions were dried roots in a similar colour scheme.
¡°I¡¯m Belin, I sell consumables,¡± she told him, while he tried his best not to focus on her fucked-up appearance. Her voice was calm and gentle.
¡°Well, you probably already heard, but I¡¯m Adam. How much are your potions? I¡¯m guessing red is Health, green is Stamina, and blue is Mana?¡±
¡°Correct. Each small potion is 100 Points. Medium is 500 and Large is 1200. The roots are 250 and provide a 10% boost to one of the three stats, but only one boost can be active at a time.¡±
¡°Damn, everything here is pricey¡ Do you also have roots that boost Damage, Defence, and Speed?¡±
¡°Not yet,¡± she answered vaguely.
I guess that means the choice of wares expands as I progress through Stages.
¡°I¡¯ll come back later,¡± he said.
¡°Until then, Adam.¡±
They all really insist on using my name¡
The next stall had a sandy-brown cricket behind a dark wooden counter. A black cauldron bubbling with a green soup stood next to the cricket and various bizarre reagents hung down from strings attached to the purple overhang.
¡°Hi Adam!¡± the cricket said cheerfully, her tone warm and welcoming. The way she was standing on her overlong back legs seemed uncomfortable, since they were folded in a way that did not look normal. ¡°My name¡¯s Karie, I sell general upgrades. All upgrades are 300 Points!¡±
Her massive black compound eyes were locked onto him, while she swayed her head from side-to-side, swishing her overlong antennae back-and-forth. Adam focused on the cauldron instead of her.
¡°Is there no level cap where the price increases?¡±
¡°Nope!¡± she replied. ¡°Would you like to see what I currently have on offer?¡±
¡°Sure.¡±
Karie waved one of her arms over the cauldron and it released a puff of toxic-looking vapour, then four symbols appeared. Two of them were new to him, a four clover and a blade with a droplet at the end. The last of the four was a blue rare, but it was for movement speed, which didn¡¯t interest him.
< < Upgrades For Sale > >
< Venom (Uncommon) ¡ª Attacks inflict venom slowing target by 10% for 10 seconds >
< Damage (Common) ¡ª Increases all damage by 5% >
< Luck (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases luck by 2 >
< Movement (Rare) ¡ª Increases movement speed by 15% >
¡°If you purchase one, the options are scrambled, and four new options will appear. If you don¡¯t like the options you see currently, you can use a Reroll to scramble them.¡±
So, it¡¯s possible to get a Luck boost as well. I guess that¡¯ll increase the likelihood of better upgrades. Wonder if that¡¯s a good trade, when compared to something immediately useful. Although, I can foresee a strange feedback loop where increased luck makes the next luck upgrade stronger, which then makes the next one even stronger, until eventually all upgrades are the rarest possible outcome. Can¡¯t really tell what the numbers mean though. Is +2 in Luck something that actually makes a difference?
¡°Thank you for the explanation,¡± he said, while wondering if Shitbox would actually give him a straight answer to his question.
¡°If you come back after the next Stage, the options will be different!¡±
¡°Guess I¡¯ll do that then.¡±
Although he could afford an upgrade from her, he was fairly sure his Points were better spent on buying Rerolls and Potions. It was likely that the second Stage wouldn¡¯t have an easy-to-grab Healing Item, so it was better to be safe than sorry.
¡°See you later, Adam!¡± the cricket called as he went to the next vendor.
The stall had a red overhang and a black metal counter. Atop it was a red velvet pillow holding an obsidian ten-sided die, with each golden-glowing face featuring a Roman numeral. Behind the counter stood a grey spider, which used four of its eight long legs to stand on and the other four as arms. Its head was small compared to the abdomen that hung below and its eyes were clustered together above two large mandibles that chittered slightly.
Adam thought he might shit himself at the sight.
¡°Welcome, Adam. I am Lucca.¡±
The spider¡¯s voice had a very sinister quality to it and he couldn¡¯t stop staring at her, as though paralysed by dread.
I hope I don¡¯t have to fight spiders of this size in the Stages¡
She continued. ¡°I sell Rerolls and Relics.¡±
At the mention of the latter, she gestured to a black treasure chest next to her. It had the engraving of a spider on the lid. Golden light peeked out from the seam and it popped open to reveal four items.
¡°My Rerolls cost 100 Points. The price of the Relics is based on their rarity, with Common being worth 150, Uncommon 300, Rare 500, Epic 1000, and so on. If you do not like the options I have, you can always Reroll them.
¡°I will also buy any Relics of yours for half their worth. For example, you could sell me your Duellist¡¯s Glove for 250 Points.¡±
The mention of prices and the fact that he could sell his Glove to earn Points, immediately snapped him out of his wide-eyed stare. He turned to look at the four Relics hovering above the treasure chest.
< < Relics For Sale > >
< Healing Apple (Common) ¡ª If the Player¡¯s health falls below 25%, this apple is consumed, healing them back to full. Once consumed, the Relic disappears >
< Blink Ring (Uncommon) ¡ª Charged attacks are performed instantaneously when you blink >
< Committed Attack Ring (Uncommon) ¡ª All Cooldown-based Relics gain a second use that can be triggered within 10 seconds of the first activation, but the cooldown is tripled >
< Scope of Insight (Rare) ¡ª Any target viewed through this Relic has their weaknesses laid bare >
Hmm, two of these might actually have synergy with my Glove.
¡°Isn¡¯t it a conflict of interest that you also sell Rerolls.¡±
¡°Rerolls are a type of Relic. They may even appear as a reward in any chest you find within a Stage.¡±
That¡¯s an odd way to phrase that. Is she saying there are more chests than just the one after the Boss?
¡°So, let¡¯s say I wanted to buy the Blink Ring. It would cost me 300 Points, right?¡±
¡°It would. If you sold me the Relic you¡¯re wearing, you could even buy two Uncommon Relics or one Rare,¡± she said, her voice seeming even more sinister than it already was. He was fairly confident she just wanted him to take a bad deal, since her profit was way higher the rarer the item was.
¡°Shitbox, can I sell my things to other people in the Tavern?¡±
[No. Trade between Players is prohibited.]
Okay, so I don¡¯t actually have a choice if I want to get rid of a Relic.
[However, any unused Relic can be stored in the Player House.]
¡°Has any other Players attained these Relics you¡¯re offering me?¡± I asked the spider.
Apparently this wasn¡¯t prohibited information, since Lucca answered, ¡°All items you see are potential rewards of Stage One.¡±
¡°Which means the Relics you sell will change the further I progress?¡±
¡°I am not allowed to answer that.¡±
¡°Figures.¡±
I wonder if the Blink Ring works the way I think it does. It might be worth asking other people in the Dimensional Tavern.
Adam read through the four options once more. ¡°Alright well, I¡¯ll be back later I think.¡±
¡°I know. Until then, Adam.¡±
He went to the last stall, where a silverfish was jittering while standing on two of its six legs, using the rest to rapidly clean down the stone counter in front of itself. The overhang was yellow.
¡°Uh, hi?¡±
¡°Hi! Nelly. That¡¯s my name. Weapons. I sell those.¡± The silverfish¡¯s voice was high-pitched and hurried, but had a cheerful tone to it.
¡°What do you have?¡±
Nelly pointed to a stone block next to her and it came to life, displaying four items above. A bow, a spear, a two-handed sword, and a spell staff.
< < Weapon Types For Sale > >
< Archer (Common) >
< Lancer (Common) >
< Warrior (Common) >
< Spellcaster (Uncommon) >
I forgot that Spellcaster was a rarer type. That introduction was really unhelpful¡ It¡¯s like they set people up for failure.
¡°How much do they cost?¡±
¡°Common is 500, Uncommon is 1000, Rare is 2000, and Epic is 5000. They are not upgraded. You want something else, use a Reroll.¡±
¡°Can I sell you my weapon?¡±
Shitbox answered in her place. [It is not possible to sell your weapon. However, you will lose your current weapon and its upgrades if you purchase another.]
¡°That¡¯s a dumb system¡ Guess I¡¯ll come back after next Stage,¡± he told the silverfish.
¡°Okay! Bye Adam!¡±
If I find someone with the Blink Ring inside the Tavern who can tell me how it works, I might end up buying it, since there¡¯s something I want to try. Otherwise, I might just buy two small Healing Potions and a Reroll.
After what had felt like hours of perusing the stalls, Adam left the Market and headed towards the south of Interim Island, all while Yenna¡¯s guitar melody followed him.
Chapter Three
Instead of heading straight through the centre of the island to reach the southern part where the smoke from the Dimensional Tavern was visible, Adam followed the edge of the island around the western side. Despite Shitbox telling him nothing about the area, he had a sneaking suspicion that there was something hidden away there.
Adam looked out over the edge of Interim Island as he walked, marvelling at how the clouds below seemed to stretch on forever. The sun above was on its journey towards the horizon, and within a few hours it would be dark. He hadn¡¯t seen any lamps around the dumpy-looking buildings, so he wondered if anyone would be able to see what they were doing once the sun was gone.
When he arrived at the western part of the island, he found a flower garden with a single square-ish dark-blue tent in the centre. It looked like something that might house a palm-reader or another kind of carnival scam artist.
¡°What¡¯s that?¡±
Shitbox did not respond.
That¡¯s suspicious as hell. This thing usually never shuts up.
Adam went into the garden from the edge-facing side. The flowerbeds were placed in three layers like some kind of strange symbol, with parts of the ¡®lines¡¯ missing to allow people to actually walk through without trampling the flowers. The outermost layer was a square, the middle was a ring, and the centre was a triangle, within which the tent stood.
All the flowers were Dahlias, but they were painted in a seemingly-random array of colours.
Maybe this garden looks like something specific from the air? Adam wondered, wishing he had the ability to fly. Given that he¡¯d just fought sentient slime, getting such a power didn¡¯t seem all that far-fetched a prospect.
Inside the tent was just darkness. There wasn¡¯t even a table or any chairs.
¡°Seriously, Shitbox, what¡¯s this place for??¡±
The tesseract remained silent.
¡°Is it a time-based thing perhaps?¡± he wondered out loud.
[It is recommended that you also visit the Dimensional Tavern and the Player House.]
¡°You¡¯re a little shit. You know that, don¡¯t you?¡±
After looking around some more for a few minutes and even managing to climb on top of the tent, which was surprisingly-sturdy, Adam left the area empty-handed. He had played enough games in the past to know that the flower garden stank of secrets. Of course, it was possible that it was just empty, because it would house some special kind of vendor after later Stages.
Adam continued to the southern side, while planning to revisit the suspicious tent after the sun had gone down. Aside from the unique areas like the Garden and the Market, the rest of Interim Island was filled with dumpy-but-quaint buildings that might resemble houses, if not for their melted-wax appearance and lack of doors. It was all just very samey, even the random plants and trees that sprouted here-and-there. It was as if some simple asset pack from a low-effort game had been utilised to make the island¡¯s unimportant areas less bland.
Could¡¯ve saved the trouble and just squeezed the island down to a smaller size, making it less inefficient to travel between the areas that actually have stuff worth visiting.
After his eyes had started glazing over at the uniform scenery, he suddenly reached the source of the chimney smoke. The Tavern was, unfortunately, remarkably similar to the other buildings, except it actually had a door and was both wider and taller. It stood three stories high and was like a red-brown loaf of bread that hadn¡¯t been baked, with the roof melted into walls that flared outwards at the bottom, as though they couldn¡¯t contain what was inside.
Maybe this is just how they think architecture is meant to look? he wondered.
[This is the Dimensional Tavern. Here you may freely order any food or beverage you desire. It is also possible to talk with other Players within and exchange information.]
Freely order?
I suppose I am quite hungry.
He walked up the three steps to its front door. It too was strangely-organic in shape and had a knob handle that he pulled on to enter.
As soon as it opened, the amazing smell of fresh-baked bread, sizzling bacon, grilled meat, beer, and spices flooded his nostrils, making his mouth water.
Adam hurried inside, only to find that the interior was nothing like what the outside would suggest. The floor was perfectly-flat light-brown wooden boards. The wooden walls too were straight and normal. There were two floors above, though these were just walkways with railings and a few secluded tables and chairs. The ceiling had rafters running across it.
Immediately in front of him were three long red-brown wooden tables that stretched from one end of the room to the other, with simple stools placed evenly along them. Despite what Shitbox had told him though, the place was empty save for another insect, who quickly approached him.
¡°Hello, Adam, my name is Charlie,¡± the red ant introduced herself in a deep and comforting voice. ¡°Would you like something to eat?¡±
Adam looked around. ¡°Where¡¯s the kitchen?¡±
¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. The food is very real, even if the kitchen isn¡¯t.¡±
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. ¡°It won¡¯t kill me, right?¡±
¡°Of course not, silly,¡± she said and giggled in a way that sounded like bubbles in water.
¡°What kind of food do you have?¡±
¡°Anything you¡¯d like, I can make.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll have to put that to a challenge I think. I¡¯ve got some pretty specific things I want.¡±
¡°Croissants from Jameson¡¯s Bakery?¡±
Adam¡¯s eyes widened in awe. ¡°You¡¯ve got those!?¡±
¡°Of course, Adam. Please find a seat and I¡¯ll bring them to you. Would you like anything else?¡±
His eyes glinted with sudden desire. ¡°Black coffee with a splash of milk and two sugar cubes! Oh and dinosaur nuggets! Plus a pineapple pizza!¡±
Charlie giggled again, before walking down the length of the tables and rounding a corner to where stairs seemed to lead up to the floors above.
¡°Shitbox, where¡¯s all the Players?¡±
[The Dimensional Tavern is only active while you are seated.]
¡°Okay?¡±
Adam picked the nearest stool and sat down. He wasn¡¯t prepared for what happened next.
All around him, seated on the chairs along the three tables, were hundreds, if not thousands, of people with the appearance of see-through holograms. All of them were talking and eating, while constantly flickering in-and-out and being replaced by other holograms, as though the Tavern was trying to show him everyone that was actually seated within their own dimension.
[A little under 600 million Players survived Stage One. Currently, 86 million Players are utilising the Dimensional Tavern.]
The noise from all the talking holograms was deafening, but Shitbox¡¯s voice came through clearly.
¡°How do I mute them!?¡±
Instantly the holograms fell silent.
¡°Thank you.¡±
[It is possible to state your intentions within the Dimensional Tavern to find others who may respond to your query. If a Player within this place fulfils the requirements, they will be able to hear your voice.]
¡°So I can filter through the noise to find my friends and family?¡±
[Possibly.]
¡°I¡¯d like to see everyone who is related to me.¡±
The holograms all flickered and disappeared.
¡°Okay, maybe they¡¯re not dead but just in a different part of the island¡¡± he tried to convince himself, as his heart rate began to run amok at the fact that the Tavern was completely empty.
He scratched his stubble, as he tried to think of something to distract himself with.
¡°Ehh, show me the people who were in the bakery with me when the Trials began.¡±
Two figures appeared, the female clerk and the guy who¡¯d been behind him in the queue. The guy was sobbing loudly, while the woman was eating a burger.
That¡¯s depressing¡
¡°Show me everyone who has the same Relic as me.¡±
The holograms flickered and the three tables filled up completely. Some of the figures were eating, others were talking, but a lot either sat despondently staring into the air or were actively sobbing.
¡°More than I figured, to be honest.¡±
He¡¯d thought that the rare quality meant not a lot of people would¡¯ve gotten it, but when hundreds of millions of people were part of the equation, it meant that even a small percentage chance would lead to thousands.
Wait, it said about 500 million¡ Without accounting for the fact that children and elderly, as well as physically-unfit people, were not included, that¡¯s still billions of people that must¡¯ve died!
Sweat was starting to form on the back of his neck at the thought.
One in sixteen people made it past Stage One¡ Everyone else died or is in ¡®holding¡¯, whatever that means. This is an extinction-level event¡
¡°Speaking of which. Where are all these billions of people and their ¡®temporary holding¡¯?¡±
[Apologies for misleading you, that phrasing was incorrect. Every member of your species not currently on Interim Island has been consumed by the All-Seeing System to fuel the Trials of Defiance.]
Adam¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°But¡ You said they were alive and that their lives depended on me¡¡±
[The truth would likely not have motivated you properly for the first Stage. Now that you have survived it, there is no need to withhold the truth.]
¡°Fuck you!¡± he yelled, surprising a few of the holograms, before he got up and they disappeared. He immediately pulled his sword and swung for the tesseract.
Predictably, it teleported out of the way, but he didn¡¯t let up. While he was chasing after it, running across the tables, it stated:
[You may save your family, your friends, and your species, if you complete the Trials of Defiance. That is why it has been named this way. If you wish to defy the All-Seeing System and the extinction of your species, you must conquer its challenges.]
Adam stopped mid-swing, his chest heaving from exhaustion and his saliva tasting like acid.
¡°I¡¯m gonna fucking kill you,¡± he promised the box in a dangerous voice.
He sat back down and put his sword and shield next to him on another stool.
The seats around him filled up with holograms of people again.
¡°Show me all the Players who have the Blink Ring and understand how it works.¡±
The holograms flickered and were replaced with just a handful of people.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
¡°I need someone to explain to me how the Blink Ring works.¡±
Every single person turned to look directly at him. There was a caramel-tanned guy with tattoo sleeves and a buzzcut, eating a lamb chop; an Asian woman with black shoulder-length silky hair, slurping up noodles from a cheap ramen cup; two clean-shaven businessmen still in their suits, one of which looked Scandinavian and the other perhaps British; and, lastly, a woman with her dark hair in a long ponytail who was drinking a pink milkshake.
¡°Do you have something to trade?¡± asked the guy with the buzzcut in a Spanish accent.
¡°Trade?¡± Adam asked.
Disappointment was obvious in their eyes and all but one flickered out and disappeared.
¡°New to the Tavern?¡± asked the sole person remaining. It was the woman with the ponytail.
¡°I spent some time looking around the Market and the Garden,¡± he explained.
¡°Garden?¡±
¡°It¡¯s on the western side, there¡¯s an empty tent there that looks like it might hide secrets.¡±
¡°You shouldn¡¯t give info away for free,¡± she warned him.
Her hologram flickered and he thought she¡¯d taken the info and run off. Then she reappeared directly opposite him. She was wearing a tight-fitting light-grey blouse with long sleeves.
¡°Why do you want to know about the Blink Ring?¡± she asked.
¡°I¡¯m Adam,¡± he told her, reaching his hand across the table to her.
¡°We can¡¯t actually touch each other,¡± she told him, giving him a suspicious look.
¡°I don¡¯t care, just pretend to shake my hand at least.¡±
She reached across and feigned the motion with him.
¡°I¡¯m Willow.¡±
He finally noticed her accent. She was Australian.
¡°So?¡± she prompted.
¡°I¡¯ve got the Duellist¡¯s Glove.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t know what that is.¡±
¡°It allows me to charge an attack that pierces armour.¡±
Her eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯d pair well with the Blink Ring.¡±
¡°Exactly. I saw it in the Market, but I had no idea how it worked.¡±
Charlie the ant suddenly arrived with his food. Apparently Willow could see it all.
¡°You must be hungry. Those croissants look good though.¡±
¡°They¡¯re from a place called Jameson¡¯s Bakery. You should be able to ask Charlie to bring you some.¡±
Willow turned away and started talking to someone Adam couldn¡¯t see. He also couldn¡¯t hear what she said.
Adam lifted a croissant in front of him and bit into it. It flaked and crunched slightly, filling his mouth with the buttery pastry and sending him back to a few days earlier, when he¡¯d first tasted one of them at the office thanks to Sharon.
¡°Are you crying?¡± Willow suddenly asked.
¡°They¡¯re happy tears,¡± he replied.
¡°That croissant must be really good.¡±
He nodded, taking another bite.
¡°Alright, so, the Blink Ring. It¡¯s very weird and kind of dumb. I¡¯ve got a bow, so it actually works with charged-up attacks, since pulling the string back is considered ¡®charging¡¯ it. Wonder if that¡¯s intentional. Anyway, if you blink, the string immediately fires and the arrow teleports into the target.¡±
Adam finished the last bite of the croissant, then wiped the flakes off his face. ¡°That sounds powerful,¡± he replied.
¡°Sure, if you can hit anything with it. Kind of hard to aim when you have to blink to fire. Also, it triggers on all blinks, so you need to learn to control that impulse.¡±
¡°Does it make your arrows faster?¡±
¡°No, it just eliminates the travel time. Means you won¡¯t have to lead your shots as much. Do you have a bow as well?¡±
Adam lifted up his sword and shield. ¡°I picked Defender.¡±
¡°Safe choice,¡± Willow replied. ¡°I think more than half of the survivors picked that.¡±
¡°Did you hear how many people survived the first Stage?¡±
¡°Yeah¡ I think my brothers are all dead.¡±
Adam frowned. ¡°Have you asked your Shitbox about the ¡®temporary holding¡¯.¡±
She nodded, a dark cloud falling over her expression. ¡°I tried to kill it using my bow. I actually hit it, thanks to the Blink Ring, but my arrow just bounced off.¡±
Adam grinned from ear to ear. This was what he¡¯d been hoping to learn. Since the tesseract could teleport, having something that made his attacks instantaneous might enable him to hit it. And if the armour-piercing quality of his Glove was brought into the mix¡
¡°Thank you Willow. I¡¯m gonna go get the ring.¡±
¡°You should practice with it in the Player House. There¡¯s a target dummy there. Also, if you kill your box, come back and let me know.¡±
He smiled. ¡°Of course.¡±
With renewed vigour, Adam shovelled the dinosaur nuggets into his mouth and washed them down with the coffee, before folding up the pineapple pizza and eating it like a burrito.
¡°Uh, you didn¡¯t cut the connection,¡± Willow said.
He gave her a deer-in-the-headlights stare and she started laughing.
¡°Bye Adam,¡± she said between laughs.
Then her hologram flickered and disappeared.
After emptying his coffee and gulping down the last bit of the pizza, Adam stormed from the Tavern towards the Market.
¡°I¡¯ll buy the Blink Ring,¡± he told Lucca the spider.
After spending time talking to another human, the creature seemed even more horrific than before. He tried his best not to look at her black eyes.
¡°That will be 300 Points,¡± she said, sounding gleeful.
¡°How do I pay you?¡±
[Uttering your acceptance of the deal will suffice.]
¡°Deal,¡± he said.
< < Relic Purchased > >
< Blink Ring (Uncommon) >
< 75 Points Remaining >
The ring appeared around his left index finger and it seemed that the Glove prevented him from wearing it on his right hand, which was peculiar. The Blink Ring was an iron-grey reflective band with a small engraving of a stylised eye that was filled-in with black.
¡°Come back again when you have more Points,¡± the spider told him.
Adam didn¡¯t respond and just headed straight for the Player House to the east. The sun had almost set and part of him wanted to see if his suspicion about the tent in the garden was real or not, but another part knew it wasn¡¯t the most important thing right now.
If what Willow had said was true, he¡¯d be able to land a hit on Shitbox by combining the effects of his new Blink Ring and the Duellist¡¯s Glove.
I wonder what happens if I kill it? If it is just one of countless ¡®eyes¡¯, then they¡¯ll probably just send me a replacement. Or maybe they¡¯ll kill me as a punishment¡
Fuck it. I¡¯m going to kill it, even if I end up dead as a result. It¡¯ll be my own small revenge for my family.
Whether it was due to ignorance or arrogance, the tesseract floated along after him with not a care in the world. It did not fear his conviction, because it believed itself impervious to damage. Of course, it had the power to traverse dimensions and teleport him anywhere it wished. From its perspective, he probably looked like a pathetic little insect tapping on the walls of the cage it was trapped in.
Adam was far from the first person to scheme to kill the box that represented the cruelty of the Trial, but he was possibly the only person who¡¯d tried combining these two Relics to accomplish it. After all, anyone who took this Trial seriously would invest their Points in something better, like Potions, Rerolls, or more sensible Relics like the Healing Apple.
What really made him certain that his theory was untested, was the fact that, of all the people in the Tavern with the Blink Ring, only a handful had apparently understood how to use it. It was also almost certain that they¡¯d gotten the Relic from the Boss reward, since it was unlikely to be something anyone would spend their Points on at the Market, meaning none of them would have the Points to buy the Glove even if it did appear in the vendor¡¯s selection. Of course, this all hinged on guesswork and the assumption that it wasn¡¯t possible to obtain 500 Points from Stage One, but nevertheless he felt certain.
The dumpy buildings parted to reveal a round patch of grass with a little house in the middle and a brown wooden fence around it. Within the fenced-off patch of grass was an apple tree, much like a smaller version of the one in the Magical Forest. Next to it hopped a small tennis-ball-sized slime. The house was pretty similar to the other dumpy buildings on the island, with a rounded straw-brown roof and white walls with black stripes that looked like melted wax. There were two windows and a brown door.
[This is the Player House. Within is a Relic Storage, Practice Dummy, and Rejuvenating Bed. Any Accolades you have earnt will also be displayed here. In the garden around the house will be friendly variants of the enemies you encounter in the Trials.]
¡°Accolades?¡± he asked.
[Feats of Mastery, as well as other accomplishments, will be awarded with a Trophy visible inside the Player House, alongside a fitting prize that will be a boon to your progress through the Trials of Defiance.]
¡°Like what? Can¡¯t you give me an example?¡±
[You will have to earn an Accolade first for me to introduce the topic further.]
Adam frowned. ¡°Whatever.¡±
He eyed the slime warily as he went through the fence gate and across the grass. After pulling the door open and entering, he found that the Player House was much bigger on the inside, similar to the Tavern. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of the same light-brown wood and there were maybe 100 square metres of space inside. Strangely, though there were windows visible on the fa?ade, none of the walls within had any.
The bed was a massive brick in the corner, next to a bunch of empty shelves, racks, and mannequins that seemed able to wear any of the Relics he wouldn¡¯t use. There was also a large jacuzzi-sized bathtub that Shitbox hadn¡¯t mentioned. Lastly, in the opposite corner from the bed stood a lone target dummy. It was basically just a man made of straw.
Adam walked over to it, while drawing his blade from its scabbard.
[This is a Practice Dummy. It is currently in its default state. It is possible to change it into a facsimile of enemies you have already encountered. Its defences are a perfect replication of any enemy it imitates.]
¡°Can it be set to attack me, in order to simulate an actual fight?¡±
[No, but it can perform evasive movements to aid in practising ranged weapons and attacks. Would you like to set it to the evasive state?]
¡°No. This is fine.¡±
Adam walked close enough that he¡¯d reach the dummy if he swung normally. Then he tightened his grip on his sword¡¯s handle and triggered the Duellist¡¯s Glove. He immediately blinked without meaning to.
When he opened his eyes, the bottom-half of the dummy was severed and it fell over backwards.
Before he could ask if it was self-repairing, it started to flicker like the holograms in the Tavern and then materialised back into its original shape.
Since the cooldown on his Glove was a minute, he spent the waiting time trying to land hits on the dummy¡¯s chest with his blade, while his eyes were closed. It was a lot harder than he¡¯d thought.
When the Glove was ready again, he opened his eyes and gave it another shot, doing his best to delay his blinking until the perfect moment.
Blink.
The strike instantly finished its arc without any noticeable strain in his arm, nor any sound of the blade travelling through the air.
What a silly yet terrifying Relic, he thought to himself, as he watched the dummy separate down the middle from his upwards slash. Two thuds came in quick succession as the halves hit the floor.
[Impressive. Synergy between Relics is integral to conquering the Trials of Defiance.]
Adam ignored it.
Just wait until it¡¯s your turn.
Adam kept on practising for what might¡¯ve been an hour, trying out various types of charged attacks whenever the Glove came off cooldown. His aim wasn¡¯t perfect, but it was good enough to bet on.
After going at it for that long, he knew exactly what kind of attack he¡¯d use against the tesseract. Although it was riskier, since it¡¯d be harder to hit, he was going to try a charged stab to nail it in its eye. He had no idea if the piercing effect from the Glove would work on its entire fourth-dimensional body, and from his practice he¡¯d realised that stabbing beat out any other attack in terms of speed. It also had the least-telegraphed movement, in case the tesseract was able to predict his intent and teleport away before he could trigger the blink strike.
I kind of want to go to the tent in the flower garden first, just to satisfy my curiosity.
Adam shook his head. It didn¡¯t matter.
¡°Shitbox, what can I expect from tomorrow¡¯s Stage?¡± he asked, trying to distract it.
He walked away from the practice dummy that he¡¯d destroyed over fifty times, lowering his sword as he neared the tesseract.
[It would be unfair to give it away in advance.]
Adam closed his eyes for a full second before opening them. Then he started squeezing the handle of his sword.
¡°You can¡¯t even give me the name of the Stage?¡±
[No.]
Heat flushed up the back of his hand as the Duellist¡¯s Glove began to activate and change colours.
¡°Why is the Trials so intent on ¡®fairness¡¯?¡± he asked.
The tesseract was floating at eye-level, only two metres away, staring right into his face. Adam tensed his forearm, as he prepared for a lunging stab from below.
[The All-Seeing System deemed that¡ª]
Blink.
His view went dark for the microsecond that he closed his eyes and when they shot back open again, his arm was stretched to its limit and holding the sword perfectly straight. At the end of his blade, the tesseract was impaled right through the eye. Perhaps due to its dimensional properties, the sword¡¯s tip wasn¡¯t poking out the back of its box-shaped body.
[Urrr¡ª] the tesseract groaned in a voice so deep that it made Adam¡¯s breath catch in his lungs and caused his heart to trip over its own beat.
Then it exploded.
But it wasn¡¯t like a firework.
It was an explosion that took place in a dimension beyond the three that he knew. His sword was flung away, embedding itself in the ceiling above. The air where Shitbox had hovered became a jagged tear in the fabric of reality, while ripples from the shockwave travelled across his skin. The sensation was bizarre, almost as if it had frozen his whole body and stopped his heart.
Adam coughed and tasted copper.
He looked down from the rift in front of him and saw a large jagged shard of black glass poking out through the torso of his white shirt. Its reflective surface showed colours not present in the room, almost as if it was reflecting a beautiful galaxy above.
His legs gave out from under him and his head bounced once when it hit the floor.
Unable to move, he lay there, as a puddle of his blood formed around him.
Then darkness covered the world.
An eye opened in the dark and its pupil was the silhouette of a man. The man walked closer to where he floated in the nothingness. His hair was dishevelled and brown. The face had a chiselled chin, thick eyebrows, and amber eyes that reflected some unseen kaleidoscope of colours. The silhouette was clad in shadow from the neck down.
Perhaps he had been in the darkness for too long, because it took him a while to realise whose face he was looking at.
It was his face.
< < ADAM > >
With a gasp, Adam opened his eyes and saw moss spread out before him. There was the brown trunk of a tree further away and birdsong filled his ears. Something black and metallic was unfolding itself nearby, but he was unable to focus on it.
What¡?
A tinnitus whine in his ears grew to deafen the birdsong, while the pulse of his heartbeat throbbed in his temples, fingers, and toes.
Did I just¡?
Adam tilted his head up and the movement made everything blur. Colours mixed together into incoherent noise. He felt bile rise in his throat, before dropping to his knees and emptying his stomach onto the ground.
He could taste croissant and coffee for a brief instant.
With the act of purging his guts, he felt clarity return to him.
I think I just died.
But, that dark thing imitating me brought me back?
Am I back at the beginning of the Trials?
[Failed to select a Weapon Type within 60 seconds. You have been defaulted to the Weapon Type ¡®Fool¡¯.]
¡°Huh?¡± he managed to blurt out, as a bracelet made of wooden balls on a string appeared around his right wrist. It seemed there was some kind of small pebble inside each of the balls, since they clanked like crazy.
What the fuck is happening??
< < Weapon Type Selected > >
< Bare-handed >
< < Player Status > >
< Adam Fischer >
< Fool >
< Level 0 >
< Stats >
< Health ¡ª 50 >
< Stamina ¡ª 200 >
< Mana ¡ª 0 >
< Damage ¡ª 200% >
< Defence ¡ª 50% >
< Speed ¡ª 200% >
< Luck ¡ª 25 >
< Upgrades >
< ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª >
Chapter Four
< < Wave One > >
< 60-Second Timer >
¡°How the fuck am I supposed to fight with just my fists!?¡± Adam yelled at the tesseract. Despite killing it with his attack just moments ago, it was somehow alive again. More confoundingly, he¡¯d returned to the beginning of the despicable Trials of Defiance.
[Failure to slay the enemy within 60 seconds will lead to Wave Two triggering.]
A transparent-blue slime squeezed its way out of the treeline nearby and began hopping towards him. He didn¡¯t know what to do. Punching and kicking it would only get his skin dissolved.
¡°Shitbox! What the hell happened!?¡±
[You failed to select a Weapon Type and thus were defaulted to ¡®Fool¡¯. This Type starts with the Epic Relic ¡®Lucky Bracelet¡¯, but has no weapon. The ¡®Fool¡¯ is incapable of wielding weapons and you cannot swap to a different Type later on. Would you like to see the information for the Relic?]
¡°Will it help me fight??¡±
[Perhaps.]
¡°Then show me, quick!¡± he demanded, as the slime came closer.
< < Relics Equipped > >
< Lucky Bracelet (Epic) ¡ª All rewards are Rare quality or higher >
Epic rarity?? I mean, sure, that¡¯s really awesome. But how am I supposed to make use of its effect if I can¡¯t kill anything!?
Adam eyed the slime that just continued hopping towards him.
Fuck¡
He made up his mind, knowing there was no other option. He needed to get his first reward before the Wave could lapse and the second one added two more slimes to the mix.
This is really going to suck.
From the previous life, he knew that the cores inside the creatures were like stones, but still able to be cut with a single attack. He was pretty sure he might be able to crush it with the heel of his shoe, so he charged forward and punted the blue slime as hard as he could.
It did not go as planned.
Because of the slime¡¯s jelly-like flesh, it was extremely resistant to blunt force. Instead of his shoe travelling through its body and kicking the core out from within it, the slime just left the ground and flew like a football for a few metres. To make matters worse, its corrosive effect clung to the faux leather of his shoe and rapidly began dissolving it.
¡°Argh, fuck!¡± he yelled, as it burnt the skin of his foot. Adam quickly pulled the shoe off and tossed it away. Within seconds, the whole thing was dissolved into nothingness. Angry red welts were visible on his naked foot.
Fucking hell! That acid really likes fabric¡
The slime righted itself and began hopping for him again. Adam glanced to the big tree in the centre of the clearing, wondering if there was a branch he could use as an improvised weapon. The Healing Apple and its branch had yet to appear. The rest were high up and way too thick to easily break with his hands.
The apple doesn¡¯t appear until Wave Three¡ he then recalled.
I guess I really did go back in time¡
Another dumb idea entered Adam¡¯s mind as the blue slime came closer.
If this doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯m so fucked.
He waited until it was close enough that its next hop would hit him, then easily side-stepped it and rammed his right hand into its ¡®back¡¯, flattening it like the blade of the sword he¡¯d had before he died. The tip of his fingers easily penetrated the jelly flesh, but immediately started dissolving in its acid body.
Adam screamed while forcing his hand deep enough to reach the core in its centre. He closed his hand around it and then yanked it back with as much force as he could.
A wet slurp came from the slime¡¯s body as his hand was pulled free, the core clasped between the fingers.
Adam immediately dropped the spherical stone on the mossy ground. He stumbled back a few steps while clutching the middle of his forearm. The pain was so intense that he couldn¡¯t stop screaming.
The skin on his right hand was gone, as was most of the flesh. The tips of his fingers were just tiny stubs of exposed bone, which had been pitted and damaged from the acid and looked like they might crumble into ash at any moment.
¡°Fuck!!¡± he screamed, while tears of agony filled his eyes.
Meanwhile, the slime deflated without the core inside it, becoming flat like a pancake. Then it just evaporated with a pathetic fizz.
The core that he¡¯d extracted lay on the moss, still intact. As he stared between it and his ruined hand and forearm, he knew it hadn¡¯t been worth it.
Maybe I¡¯ll start back over again if I die? Just like the first time.
That seems like wishful thinking though¡
And if I throw my life away just to try out that insane theory¡ I don¡¯t even want to think about that possibility.
He decided to keep going, despite the pain and the mounting despair.
The trick to going back in time is probably to kill Shitbox. I¡¯ll have to find a way to do that again.
Then the tesseract announced his success.
< < Wave One Complete > >
< Choose your Upgrade >
The four-dimensional box flew out in front of him and began to rearrange itself into the podium shape, dragging additional mass from some other space. Even though he¡¯d witnessed it quite a few times already, it still hurt his brain to look at.
¡°Shitbox, can I pick this thing up?¡± he asked, pointing at the core.
[Yes. You may collect any intact ¡®Slime Cores¡¯ you are able to extract. They are considered a Common Relic. Here is the Relic¡¯s information.]
< < Collectible Relic > >
< Slime Core (Common) ¡ª The brain and heart of a Slime >The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
It¡¯s a Relic? Doesn¡¯t seem like it does anything though. I guess the idea is that you can sell them to Lucca and get 75 Points per each you collect. That might be a good strategy, although I can¡¯t really use my hands for it. Yeah¡ that was way too reckless.
He looked at the options that appeared over Shitbox¡¯s podium. All of them were glowing blue like Rares. The three symbols were: a four-leaf clover; an arrowhead going through a wall; and a shield with cracks in it.
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Luck (Rare) ¡ª Increases luck by 3 >
< Force (Rare) ¡ª Attacks pierce armour by 15% >
< Crush (Rare) ¡ª Increases the impact of attacks by 15% >
Can I even use any of these¡
I guess Luck? Maybe it¡¯ll give me a Rare or even Epic Damage boost next time around.
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Luck (Rare) >
< < Wave Two > >
< 60-Second Timer >
Adam frowned as two blue slimes emerged from the treeline opposite where he stood in the clearing.
¡°Shitbox, is this actually meant to be doable without any weapons?¡± he asked, while stooping to pick up the ¡®Slime Core¡¯ Relic and putting it in his pocket.
[Yes. However, the ¡®Fool¡¯ Weapon Type is deemed the most difficult option.]
¡°Awesome¡¡±
He was pretty much screwed with his right arm out of commission, so he chose the only way forward he could think of: running out the clock until the branch with the Healing Apple appeared.
Fortunately, he didn¡¯t have to run in circles to evade the pair of blue slimes, since they were uncoordinated and slow.
[15 seconds remaining of Wave Two.]
[5 seconds.]
[The Wave Timer has run out! You were unable to defeat the enemies fast enough. Unfortunately, this means that the next Wave now begins. You must defeat all enemies from both Waves before the Timer runs out again. You will not receive rewards until you successfully defeat all enemies within the allotted time.]
< < Wave Three > >
< 90-Second Timer >
[During Waves you may take damage. Although you can purchase consumable health regeneration after this Stage, there are also ways to acquire them from within the Stages themselves. Look towards the tree, where a Healing Apple is awaiting you.]
Adam grimaced, when a purple slime appeared, quickly followed by two blues. It was now five-on-one and he had no weapon.
Before any of them could catch him, he ran to the big tree and jumped to reach the branch with the Healing Apple. It snapped off easily, giving him a metre-long stick that would hopefully work as a weapon.
But first he took a bite out of the fruit. Relief and warmth flooded up his right arm and restored it back to full. It was almost enough to make him forget how much it¡¯d hurt in the first place. Almost.
Adam shifted the branch from his left hand to his right, and then charged for the nearest blue slime. The purple one was much slower than the rest, so it was not yet a problem, but it would prove the biggest challenge for his pathetic weapon.
With a mighty roar, he jabbed the branch right into the blue ball of jelly, spearing through its flesh to strike the core. Nothing happened when it hit and the branch was immediately dissolved by its acidic body.
¡°Shit!¡± he exclaimed and quickly retracted his weapon, but it was already too late to save it. Adam had to drop it to the ground as the acid ate through it. And just like that, his hope was gone.
The only idea he had left was to try and bait the purple slime into hitting the blues. Even if that worked, however, he had no clue if he could kill it with his hand. And should that work, by some absurd miracle, he would then be faced with wave four and the green slimes, which would definitely dissolve his hands faster than he could yank out their cores.
Yeah¡ I¡¯m fucked.
But he didn¡¯t want to just give up, so he spun around and bolted for the great tree. Despite his missing shoe, he scrambled up the bark as best he could, managing to climb up into its crown, while the slimes were unable to follow. Since they couldn¡¯t reach him, they instead began slamming into the tree below him. Their strikes slowly ate away at the dense bark.
Are they able to destroy the tree? he wondered absentmindedly as he pulled himself as high as he could go.
The branches up here were much thicker than the one he¡¯d used before, but he had no easy way to break them off, so he couldn¡¯t even attempt to use them as weapons.
[30 seconds remaining of Wave Three.]
Adam sighed.
Guess I¡¯ll be putting that reckless death loop theory to the test after all¡
As he sat up in the canopy amongst the branches and leaves, he suddenly spotted something glinting in the sunlight. It was a small object inside a bird¡¯s nest, but it was situated precariously at the end of a thin branch.
Adam looked down below to see that the purple slime had joined the other four in attacking the tree. He estimated that he¡¯d reach the fifth Wave before they were able to deal any serious damage to it.
With nothing to lose, he began to slowly work his way towards the glinting object. As he came within two metres of it, he realised it was an acorn made of glass.
What¡¯s this doing here? he wondered.
This has to be something special! I can feel it!
If I get it, maybe I can complete this Stage!
[The Wave Timer has run out! Starting next Wave. You must defeat all enemies before the Timer runs out.]
< < Wave Four > >
< 90-Second Timer >
Adam carefully scooted his body across the branch to reach the bird¡¯s nest and its prize, while he heard the plop-plop-plop of the green slimes firing off their projectiles. None of them had enough power to reach him though and each just collided against the trunk of the tree with a loud hiss before evaporating.
Come on, just a little bit more!
He reached out and cupped his hand around the glass acorn.
¡°Yes!¡± he exclaimed, feeling a small victory amidst the heavy despair of his situation.
< < Secret Relic Obtained > >
< Glass Acorn (Rare) ¡ª Grows for 3 Stages >
¡°Ah shit¡¡± he muttered, realising that this wasn¡¯t the salvation he¡¯d been desperately hoping for.
Then the branch snapped and he plummeted to the ground.
Despite the mossy understory of the clearing, the landing was anything but comfortable. From the series of snap, pop, crack, and crunch sounds, as well as the indescribable pain, it was obvious he¡¯d broken several bones and possibly dislocated the shoulder he¡¯d landed on.
The air was punched out by the impact and he was quite sure his lungs might have collapsed as well, given that he was unable to draw in a new breath.
A figure loomed over him, while he tried to utter just a single word of defiance.
Schiiing!
Adam returned to the darkness, where a colossal eye opened and gazed upon him. Its pupil was the silhouette of a man and he was walking towards where Adam floated.
< < ADAM > >
He gasped as he was returned to his feet in the clearing of the Magical Forest. Then he collapsed to his knees and hurled, while tears stung his eyes.
That was a much worse death than the first¡ A shard to the heart beats falling from the top of a tree for sure.
But it worked!
I¡¯m ba¡ª!
He hurled again, only bile and acid coming out. The taste of croissant was gone. Nearby, Shitbox was unfolded into the podium with the choice of weapons. His vision was blurry both from the tears in his eyes and the disorientation of been flung back in time.
[30 seconds remaining.]
Adam scrambled to his feet, not wanting to be defaulted to ¡®Fool¡¯ again. He immediately slipped in his own vomit and landed on his back with a loud thud.
¡°Wait¡!¡± he groaned breathlessly, as he tried crawling towards the podium. ¡°Tell me¡ the options!¡±
< < Weapon Types Available > >
< Lancer (Common) >
< Defender (Common) >
< Duellist (Uncommon) >
< Backstabber (Common) >
< Warder (Rare) >
The Defender was available again, but the rest of the options were different, which was peculiar. Of the new options, their weapons were a rapier, twin daggers, and a book. He immediately knew which he¡¯d pick and screamed it out loud.
Fortunately, he didn¡¯t need to touch the weapon to select it. Instantly, a metre-and-a-half caramel-brown wooden spear with a dark metal tip appeared in front of him on the moss.
< < Weapon Type Selected > >
< Spear >
< Common >
< < Player Status > >
< Adam Fischer >
< Lancer >
< Level 0 >
< Stats >
< Health ¡ª 100 >
< Stamina ¡ª 150 >
< Mana ¡ª 0 >
< Damage ¡ª 100% >
< Defence ¡ª 100% >
< Speed ¡ª 150% >
< Upgrades >
< ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª >
Chapter Five
¡°Here we go again,¡± Adam muttered to himself. He was leaning his weight on the spear and, despite having just emptied out his stomach twice, felt a lot better about his odds this time around. The spear was the perfect weapon against the slimes.
They won¡¯t stand a chance.
< < Wave One > >
< 60-Second Timer >
As soon as the blue slime squeezed out of the treeline, Adam was next to it, jabbing his spear-tip right through its jelly flesh and into its core. It was destroyed immediately.
He hopped back several steps as the slime shot out a pressurised stream of its acidic innards thanks to the precise strike he¡¯d made. The spear was not only perfect for piercing the body of the creature, but it also didn¡¯t create the violent explosion that cutting the core in half would result in.
I wonder if there¡¯s a way to precisely cut into its body to extract another Slime Core.
Adam put his right hand in his pocket to grab the one he¡¯d looted earlier, but there was nothing but some lint inside his grey jeans.
Oh right, that was from the previous life¡
Man, that¡¯s going to be impossible to wrap my head around. Strangely, Shitbox doesn¡¯t seem to have realised. Maybe he¡¯s not as powerful as I thought. But, then again, I did kill him with my sword after he said it couldn¡¯t be done.
Shitbox seemed to be struggling to understand what¡¯d just happened, but then he announced:
[Excellent! You cleared the Wave within 5 seconds.]
¡°Pretty slick right?¡± Adam replied, twirling the spear in his hands. The innate proficiency from simply touching the weapon allowed him to already have quite a good feel for the spear. Coupled with his experience from using the sword and shield in his first life, he felt really confident. Knowing the weakness of his enemies was also like a hidden superpower.
[Completing a Wave this quickly results in the rewards going up one rarity level.]
Adam nodded.
That¡¯s more like it! I should be able to repeat that with the next Wave as well.
< < Wave One Complete > >
< Choose your Upgrade >
The tesseract unfolded itself into a podium. Two new symbols appeared alongside a familiar one. The ones he hadn¡¯t seen before were a spear with a spiked aura and a spear with speed lines behind it. All three of them were glowing green.
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Spear Damage (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases spear damage by 10% >
< Throw Speed (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases throwing speed by 20% >
< Movement (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases movement speed by 10% >
Hmm, it seems that, much like the sword and shield, the upgrades for the Spear are divided between two utilisations. I could specialise in spear-throwing, but I think that¡¯s way too risky a fighting style though, considering I only have one spear. If I miss or my throw doesn¡¯t kill, then I¡¯m left wide open.
I¡¯ll probably pick damage. Although, the movement upgrade might not be a bad idea.
He¡¯d already noticed how big a difference the additional 50% from Lancer made, and not just in how fast he ran, but also in the speed of his attacks.
I¡¯ll stick with damage for now though. Plus, I want to see what happens when my weapon hits level 6.
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Spear Damage (Uncommon) >
Just like with the sword, there was no obvious sign of the increased damage with the spear.
¡°Armament.¡±
< < Weapon Status > >
< Spear >
< Common Quality >
< Level 1 >
< Stat Upgrades >
< Spear Damage 10% >
¡°Shitbox, tell me again. Something happens when I hit level 6 with my Armament, right?¡±
[You will have to reach level 6 to find out. Players have to discover the facts and facets of the Trials of Defiance on their own.]
¡°But I can ask other Players at the Tavern, is that right?¡± he said, recalling the initial excuse for why the beetle smith wasn¡¯t allowed to explain it to him.
[How do you know about the Dimensional Tavern and the ¡®Armament¡¯ command?]
Uh oh, I probably shouldn¡¯t alert it to the fact that I¡¯m a time traveller.
¡°You mentioned it earlier, didn¡¯t you?¡± he lied unconvincingly.
[I did not.]
Although it seemed like the tesseract was poised to interrogate him further, it then just dropped the topic to continue the Stage.
< < Wave Two > >
< 60-Second Timer >
As soon as he heard the announcement, Adam was already sprinting to the opposite side of the clearing. Two blue slimes squeezed their way out and he killed the first immediately, but missed his strike on the second one. It hopped into his leg and its acid burnt through the jeans covering his right thigh. The acid continued through the fabric and into his skin, dissolving it within moments and exposing his flesh. The smell was revolting.
¡°Argh! Fucker!¡± he yelled and disengaged. The sudden movement stung a lot, but he gritted his teeth and ignored it.
The slime hopped forward again and he quickly stabbed it through its core.
[Excellent! You cleared the Wave within 10 seconds.]
¡°Do I get another rarity upgrade?¡± he asked, while a bead of cold sweat trailed down his forehead.
[Yes.]
¡°What¡¯s my health at? That hurt way more than last time.¡±
[The attack dealt 45 points of damage. That means you now have 55 Health or 55% remaining.]
¡°Goddamn, three hits from the small ones will kill me??¡±
[Yes.]
< < Wave Two Complete > >
< Choose your Upgrade >
This time there was only one unfamiliar option as Shitbox unfurled to reveal his choices. The one he hadn¡¯t seen before was a spear held ready to throw at a bullseye. There were two greens and one rare.
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Spear Damage (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases spear damage by 10% >
< Throw Aim (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases accuracy with throwing by 10% >
< Force (Rare) ¡ª Attacks pierce armour by 15% >
I¡¯d like to pick damage again, but I need the piercing for the purple slimes and the boss.
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Force (Rare) >
Force didn¡¯t change anything about his weapon, which he thought was odd.
< < Wave Three > >
< 90-Second Timer >
[During Waves you may take damage. Although you can¡ª]
¡°Skip,¡± Adam told the tesseract. Then he ran across the clearing again. Despite running back-and-forth, he didn¡¯t feel exhausted at all.
The Stamina boost is awesome. Not a fan of the low Health and Defence though, that might become a real problem later.
I¡¯ll make sure to get the apple and top-up after finishing this Wave.
The purple slime squeezed out of the treeline and Adam was right there, holding his spear in both hands and ramming the tip right into one of its cores. He couldn¡¯t tell if it was the weapon or the new piercing upgrade, but he didn¡¯t feel anywhere near as much resistance as when he¡¯d used the sword.
The core broke and the slime stretched to try and form itself into a spike to retaliate. In doing so, it made it much easier for him to hit the remaining core.
With a roar, Adam hammered his spear into its dense body, destroying the second core, right as the two blues emerged next to him. He thought for sure the purple slime would explode like a grenade, but he¡¯d manage to kill it in such a way that it didn¡¯t happen. Instead it shot out its innards with such pressure that it arced over his head and nearly reached the central tree.
He danced back two steps to bait out their attacks, while being careful to avoid the deadly purple stream. The two blue slimes dutifully hopped forward and he surged back in with a stab that killed one. Although he was a lot more confident with this weapon, his jab at the last slime still whiffed.
Adam backed away as it hopped towards him, then moved forward as it landed and jabbed twice, managing to strike the core on the second hit. He turned around and walked towards the tree as it sputtered and died, just like its friends.
[Well done! You cleared the Wave within 25 seconds.]
¡°Do I still get a rarity upgrade?¡±
[No.]
Hmm, maybe that means the limit is within one-sixth of the duration. If I¡¯m fast on Wave Four, I should be able to clear it within 15 seconds.
< < Wave Three Complete > >The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
< Choose your Upgrade >
There were two new symbols. One depicted a fast-moving spear held in a hand, and the other had a flying spear with a trajectory line. Adam sighed as he saw what they were.
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Spear Speed (Common) ¡ª Increases spear attack speed by 10% >
< Throw Range (Common) ¡ª Increases throwing range by 10% >
< Crush (Common) ¡ª Increases the impact of attacks by 5% >
All of them are useless and the lowest rarity¡
Adam decided on Spear Speed just to level up his weapon. Before he picked it, he located the Healing Apple. He skewered it with his spear and brought it to his mouth.
[Healing Apple consumed! Recovering Health back to 100%.]
The dissolved skin on his thigh return, covering up his flesh beneath.
Adam breathed a sigh of relief.
Then he started hopping on the toes of his shoes, eager to finish the next wave as fast as possible.
¡°Select Spear Speed,¡± he said.
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Spear Speed (Common) >
This time there finally was a visual change to his spear, as the tip at the end became slightly narrower.
< < Wave Four > >
< 90-Second Timer >
He ran towards the other side of the clearing again.
As soon as the first green slime appeared from the trees, he¡¯d already speared one of its cores. He changed his grip and destroyed the second, then ran through the blue slime that appeared alongside it, basically skewering it on his spear and destroying its core as he ran. Before it could pop and spray its destructive acid all over him, he flicked his spear and sent it flying away.
Plop-plop-plop came the sound of the other green slime.
Adam side-stepped out of the way quickly, and then had to clumsily back up again as the second blue slime hopped directly into his path. He shot forward and hammered his spear into its core.
Perhaps because of his damage or maybe because of the angle of the strike, the core didn¡¯t just break, it split.
¡°Oh fuck!¡± he muttered, tossing himself to the side just as the blue slime popped and sent its acid everywhere. A tiny bit got on his left pant leg, eating holes in the jeans and causing red coin-sized welts to form on his calf. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t dissolve his skin, although it was quite painful and itchy.
Probably a bad idea to scratch at, but damn it feels like ants are nibbling on my leg.
¡°How much damage?¡± he called to the tesseract.
[You received a partial attack dealing 20 points of damage. That means you now have 80 Health or 80% remaining.]
Plop-plop-plop came the second round of projectiles, as Adam pushed himself up off the mossy ground. He ran right under the baseball-sized slime loogies and flung his spear out in front of himself, tearing a gouge into the side of the green slime, but missing both cores.
It hopped towards him once, surprising him with the move and he scrambled back a step. Then it expanded as though taking in air. He hurriedly stabbed it again, once more missing both cores. The strike did stop it from trying to shoot him point blank though, but in retaliation it hopped forward again.
Adam circled around its ¡®back¡¯, before stabbing it a third time and managing to hit one of the cores.
Calm down! he scolded himself internally. You won¡¯t hit shit if you aren¡¯t focused!
He stabbed and destroyed the second core, but once again hit with enough force to split it.
¡°Goddamnit!¡±
Before it could shower him in its highly corrosive acid, he ran towards the tree, diving as soon as he heard it explode.
Pop!
Adam landed on his belly at the foot of the tree, but none of the acid reached him.
I can¡¯t tell if I¡¯ve just been lucky with managing to kill most of the slimes without popping them until now or if the additional damage and piercing are at fault.
[Well done! You cleared the Wave within 30 seconds.]
¡°Yeah, yeah¡¡±
< < Wave Four Complete > >
< Choose your Upgrade >
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Spear Damage (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases spear damage by 10% >
< Throw Speed (Common) ¡ª Increases throwing speed by 10% >
< Bleed (Uncommon) ¡ª Attacks inflict bleed dealing 10% weapon damage over the course of 10 seconds >
He didn¡¯t need to think long and hard about these options and just picked damage.
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Spear Damage (Uncommon) >
¡°Armament,¡± he said, bringing up his weapon stats again.
< < Weapon Status > >
< Spear >
< Common Quality >
< Level 3 >
< Stat Upgrades >
< Spear Damage 20% >
< Spear Speed 10% >
Three more levels until I find out what kind of thing happens at level 6¡
¡°Wait, where¡¯s the Force upgrade listed?¡± he wondered.
[General Upgrades can be viewed by uttering the word ¡®Status¡¯. It may be useful to check on your Player Status during a Stage.]
< < Wave Five > >
< 180-Second Timer >
¡°Status,¡± he said, while waiting for the sound of the Slime King making its way to the clearing.
< < Player Status > >
< Adam Fischer >
< Lancer >
< Level 4 >
< Stats >
< Health ¡ª 100 >
< Stamina ¡ª 150 >
< Mana ¡ª 0 >
< Damage ¡ª 100% >
< Defence ¡ª 100% >
< Speed ¡ª 150% >
< Upgrades >
< Force (Rare) >
¡°What a bizarre way to structure this stuff, but I guess it¡¯s because upgrades like Force will stick around, even if I change weapons?¡±
[Correct.]
If I revive for a third time and I end up with a bad weapon type, it may be worth picking mainly general upgrades, rather than weapon-based ones.
A quake rolled through the ground, before a shadow appeared on the opposite side of the clearing. Then the boss arrived, landing like a meteor with a loud boom.
Adam spun the spear in his hands.
Last wave. Then I can take a break and try to figure out why the fuck I keep coming back here when I die.
Oh, I almost forgot, I should go get the Glass Acorn before I leave the Stage.
The dark-blue slime with the crown on its head leapt off the mossy understory and a new shadow appeared directly where he stood.
¡°Oh shit!¡±
Adam tossed himself to the side.
Boom!
The slime hit the ground with such force that he was bounced a few centimetres up off the ground. He quickly got to his feet and double-handed the spear. Then he rammed it into the boss¡¯ body, aiming for one of the three cores swimming around within.
By some miracle, he clipped one core and triggered the boss¡¯ transformation. Unfortunately, he was a bit too close.
The Slime King instantly ballooned in size as though it would explode and Adam was close enough to be sent flying.
D¨¦j¨¤ vu¡ he thought to himself as he tumbled across the moss. Except, this time it hurt way more and he felt a jabbing pain in his chest as though he¡¯d been stabbed.
[Warning! Health below 25%. You are close to dying.]
I think it broke some of my fucking ribs!
He got to his feet unsteadily, with blood dribbling out of his mouth.
Adam groaned as he saw that the Slime King was already split into the purple and green twins.
Plop-plop-plop!
Oh shit!
He rushed towards the green slime as its projectiles flew right by his head, narrowly avoiding him with their sizzling acid and dissolving the moss where they landed.
With a roar he lanced his spear right through one of its cores.
Schiiing!
Adam leapt out of the way as the purple slime speared through its green twin, destroying the remaining core. He landed with a pained grunt, though knew he¡¯d been extraordinarily lucky.
No stopping! he told himself, even as a new Healing Apple hung not far away on a branch of the great tree.
The destroyed cores within the green slime split into four and began to divide its body. Adam ignored it and rammed his spear right into the purple slime. Despite its dense body, his spear broke right through to one of the cores and split it.
Schiiing!
Adam jumped to the side as the purple slime¡¯s spear-head hammered itself into the ground where he¡¯d stood. Then he finished it off by precisely stabbing through it to hit the last core.
But he couldn¡¯t relax, because four blue slimes had spawned from the corpse of the green one.
While weaving around their deceptively-simple hopping attacks, he stabbed quickly, hitting their cores with almost every strike. His accuracy had gotten a lot better already, and he wondered if perhaps the innate understanding of the weapon accelerated his proficiency.
Unfortunately, he was destroying almost every core with his quick strikes and had to keep backing away when they popped violently and showered the surroundings with acid.
Just as he finished off the last of the four, four more were spawned from the purple one¡¯s corpse. These too died within moments.
No sooner had the last one popped than the tesseract announced:
[Well done! You cleared the Wave within 50 seconds.]
< < Wave Five Complete > >
< < Stage Complete > >
< Tallying Score >
As his score was calculated, Adam walked to where the Healing Apple hung on a branch above. It was higher up than the one from the third Wave, but he was still easily able to spear the fruit. Despite the fact that his body was slowly healing from the Stage finishing, he couldn¡¯t wait to have the pain relieved.
The moment he bit down on the perfectly-glossy red fruit, a pleasant warm flowed through his body. It cured the jabbing pain in his chest and got rid of the itchy red welts on his leg.
< < Score > >
< 120 Seconds Completion Time >
< 150 Point Speedrun Bonus added >
< 125 Damage Received >
< 693 Points Awarded >
Adam nearly choked on the chunk of apple still in his mouth as he saw his point total.
That¡¯s more than double what I got on my first attempt!
¡°Did my completion time trigger the Speedrun Bonus?¡± he asked Shitbox as it floated over next to him, where a large chest had also appeared.
[Correct. Completing a Stage within a set amount of time is rewarded with additional Points and a physical award that will be displayed in your Player House.]
He grunted.
What¡¯s the point of a trophy if I¡¯m the only person who can see it?
The tesseract went on to explain that he would be able to utilise his Points to purchase things, but he ignored it and started climbing up the tree.
When it finally finished its speech, he asked, ¡°You won¡¯t teleport me back to Interim Island until I collect all my rewards right?¡±
[You will be automatically transferred to Interim Island in 10 minutes. Your rewards will both be chosen at random if you do not select them before then.]
Plenty of time, he thought to himself.
Adam climbed up to the same spot he remembered from his previous life.
Those previous two deaths¡ They really did happen, huh?
Now that he finally had the time to think, he realised there was a gnawing hole in his lungs. It was as though he could still feel the fragments piercing through him from the tesseract¡¯s explosion. Or maybe it was just the existential dread that he was stuck, forced to die and resurrect without any say in the matter.
I¡¯m gonna take my time when I get back to Interim and have a nice meal at the Tavern, while I figure out what the fuck is happening to me.
I¡¯m pretty sure me going back in time is not a part of this fucked-up game.
[5 minutes remaining until automatic transferral to Interim Island.]
Adam pushed his thoughts aside for now and climbed through the canopy until he saw the branch with the bird¡¯s nest. Just like before, a little glass acorn glinted within.
I won¡¯t make the same mistake twice, he decided and reached out for it with his spear.
The spear-tip easily pierced the nest and allowed him to pull it back towards him.
He grabbed the little glass piece and lifted it up. It was hollow and seemed quite fragile.
< < Secret Relic Obtained > >
< Glass Acorn (Rare) ¡ª Grows for 3 Stages >
With the Secret Relic in his possession, he crawled back down to get his rewards. Fortunately, it was much quicker down than up.
[2 minutes remaining until automatic transferral to Interim Island.]
¡°Relax. I¡¯m here, ain¡¯t I?¡± he said to Shitbox, while looking at the Upgrades.
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Spear Growth (Common) ¡ª Increases spear length by 15% >
< Throw Speed (Rare) ¡ª Increases throwing speed by 35% >
< Movement (Rare) ¡ª Increases movement speed by 15% >
Damn, this is a tough one. I think Movement is the best pick here, but that won¡¯t level up my weapon. I¡¯ve got the feeling that¡¯s what I really should aim for.
But¡
¡°Shitbox, how many Waves are in the Second Stage?¡±
[There are 5 Waves in Stage Two.]
¡°Surprised you actually answered that. Thought for sure you¡¯d tell me I¡¯d have to wait to find out.¡±
[Knowing the number of Waves does not represent an advantage in this instance.]
¡°I would beg to differ,¡± he replied and picked Movement.
I¡¯ll get the last two Weapon Upgrades I need in the next Stage. Or maybe I¡¯ll get them from the beetle smith. What was her name again?
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Movement (Rare) >
The upgrade didn¡¯t really make him feel any faster.
At least that was until he tried stabbing his spear.
Holy shit! I knew Movement wasn¡¯t just for running speed!
The podium folded back into its usual tesseract shape, before flying over to the treasure chest. Golden light spilled out from the seam of its lid and it popped open exactly like the first time. Golden light shot into the air as three Relics floated out from within.
He frowned when he realised none of them were rare. However, besides the apple appearing again, the other two options were new. The first one looked like a helmet made of wood and the other was a ten-sided die.
< < Relics Available > >
< Bark Armour (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases Player Defence by 25%. Breaks after 5 hits >
< Healing Apple (Common) ¡ª If the Player¡¯s health falls below 25%, this apple is consumed, healing them back to full. Once consumed, the Relic disappears >
< Reroll Die (Uncommon) ¡ª Allows the Player to reroll Reward or Vendor Options. Relic disappears after use >
Huh, a Reroll Die.
Granted, I can buy one of those for 100 Points from the spider, while a Common Relic is worth 150. I also doubt I can sell it, so it¡¯s not worth it. Besides, if I pick the Uncommon armour and sell it, I get 150 Points back and can buy a Reroll and still have some left over.
¡°Bark Armour it is,¡± he decided.
< < Relic Selected > >
< Bark Armour (Uncommon) >
Adam hadn¡¯t realised exactly what picking the Relic meant until it manifested on his body. Covering his shins, thighs, forearms, upper arms, torso, abdomen, and even his head, was what looked like plate armour. Except, it was made of bark and worryingly-flexible.
¡°How do I look, Shitbox?¡±
The tesseract didn¡¯t respond, but instead let out a pulse of magic. The big tree and moss were immediately consumed by impenetrable darkness. Then the ground below him became a cobblestone road. The strange dumpy houses came into view with the following pulse, before the tesseract announced:
< < Now Entering > >
< Interim Island >
A calming guitar melody flowed through the air and Adam breathed in deeply as he realised he was out of immediate danger. For now.
[Welcome to Interim Island. Players like y¡ª]
¡°Skip,¡± he said, halting Shitbox¡¯s long speech before it could get started.
Then he marched in the direction of the Tavern.
But he made it only four steps before something landed in front of him.
It was a giant white moth. It stood upright on two of its six legs, all of which had several black bands ringed around them. Fuzzy white hair-like fluff grew from the back of its head, which held two massive black compound eyes and comb-like antennae. Its wings beat once, as though to get his attention, although he was already staring right at it. Tiny glistening scales floated around the insect like silver snow.
¡°Hello again, Adam,¡± the moth greeted him in a lilting female voice.
Chapter Six
¡°Who are you?¡± Adam asked, while staring right into the large black compound eyes of the white moth.
¡°Why, I¡¯m Luvicidix of course!¡±
¡°I¡¯ve got no fucking clue who you are. This is my first time here¡¡± In this life.
The moth lifted one of the four black-banded legs she was using as arms, touching her comb-like antennae. It looked like a nervous mannerism.
¡°There must¡¯ve been some mistake. I was clearly informed that I was to arrive here once you returned.¡±
¡°I¡¯m super lost,¡± Adam admitted.
¡°Me also,¡± the moth replied.
¡°That really doesn¡¯t help¡ What kind of stuff do you sell? I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re a vendor.¡±
Adam looked to the tesseract for guidance, but it was staying silent. Or rather, it was frozen in place. In the distance, the plume of smoke from the Tavern was unmoving, and even the ever-present guitar melody had paused.
¡°Are you stopping time?¡±
The moth nodded eagerly.
He couldn¡¯t tell which of his questions she was responding to.
And I thought the normal vendors were bizarre, but this one takes the crown for sure.
¡°Yes, yes, I can pause time. Handy isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°Concerning, more like. Seriously, what is your deal?¡±
The moth, which was about a head taller than him, leaned down slightly. ¡°Is this really your first time here?¡±
Adam sighed. ¡°No,¡± he then answered.
¡°Aha! I knew I wasn¡¯t in the wrong place!¡±
¡°Do you know why I go back in time when I die?¡±
Luvicidix seemed confused. ¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°Weren¡¯t you talking about my ability to go back in time?¡±
¡°Yes, of course! But what¡¯s this talk about dying?¡±
¡°That¡¯s how I go back!¡± he exclaimed, becoming quite frustrated with its nonsensical responses and reactions.
¡°Peculiar. I¡¯m only meant to show up for Players who find and utilise the Divine Relic known as ¡®The Self-devouring Eye¡¯. It doesn¡¯t kill you when you use it.¡±
¡°A self-devouring eye?¡± he asked. ¡°What the hell is that?¡±
¡°So you didn¡¯t obtain the Relic and use that to go back in time?¡±
¡°No!¡±
The moth leaned in closer. ¡°Then how?¡±
Adam glanced back to the tesseract which was frozen in place behind him. Then he ran his eyes up-and-down the moth.
Can I really trust this thing?
But it seems like maybe it knows something useful¡
¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone this,¡± he started.
The moth nodded.
¡°I managed to kill that floating box there during my first life, but it exploded and killed me in return. As soon as I died, I was sent to this black darkness with a big eye and a strange silhouette that looked like me. Then I woke up back at the start of the first Stage.¡±
¡°Most bizarre,¡± the moth commented. ¡°Certainly an unorthodox method of obtaining the ability to rewind time.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not rewinding time when I die,¡± he replied.
¡°Are you certain?¡±
¡°Yes! If I were, then my rewards would be identical right?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°Well, they aren¡¯t! First time I got offered things that never showed up during this life, like different starting weapons. The Relics awarded after killing the boss are different too.¡±
The moth hummed speculatively, causing several silver scales to lift off her glistening wings and orbit around the two of them.
¡°I think I might have a guess as to what have happened. But if you return to me after your next trip back in time, I should have figured it out.¡±
¡°You want me to die so you can study me?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not fucking doing that. That¡¯s psychotic.¡±
¡°A shame. Some of my Upgrades are only useable once you start back over.¡±
¡°Upgrades? What kind?¡±
¡°The kind that spans more than one life,¡± Luvicidix promised.
With a beat of her wings, a menu suddenly appeared in front of Adam. There were currently six upgrades available to him, though several more were greyed out and illegible.
< < Meta Upgrades For Sale > >
< Damage ¡ª Increase All Damage by 10% ¡ª 1000 Points >
< Rewards ¡ª Increase Reward Options by 1 ¡ª 4000 Points >
< Vendors ¡ª Increase Vendor Options by 1 ¡ª 4000 Points >
< Rerolls ¡ª Start every loop with 1 Reroll Dice ¡ª 2500 Points >
< Relic Saving ¡ª Start every loop with 1 Saved Relic ¡ª 5000 Points >
< Cheat Death ¡ª Start every loop with the Cheat Death Relic ¡ª 10000 Points >
¡°Woah.¡±
Luvicidix nodded eagerly. ¡°I am very good to know, right?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t afford any of those. The prices are insane.¡±
Basically all of them were ones he wanted, except maybe the damage one. Getting more reward and vendor options would help a ton, but so would starting with a Reroll.
¡°Worry not, Adam! You may pay towards unlocking the upgrades incrementally across several loops if you wish. Once they are unlocked, they will remain, even when you die and return!¡±
¡°Loops?¡±
¡°Is that not what you are doing?¡± the moth asked philosophically. ¡°Are you not in a loop, returning to your starting point once it ends?¡±
¡°I guess so¡¡±
¡°Would you like to buy anything at this moment?¡±
¡°No, I¡¯d rather spend my Points on Relics I think.¡±
¡°I will be here when you come back,¡± she said, as though it was inevitable that Adam would give her his Points.
¡°Actually, I had some questions.¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°Can you tell me what lies ahead? If you¡¯ve seen past ¡®loops¡¯, you must know what the next Stages are.¡±
¡°While I work beyond the scrutiny of that thing,¡± Luvicidix said, pointing an arm at Shitbox. ¡°I am yet bound by the All-Seeing System¡¯s rules. I cannot tell you anything that would be deemed advantageous.¡±
Adam sighed. ¡°It was worth a try.¡±
¡°If you have questions that do not run afoul of this rule, I am happy to answer.¡±
He thought about it for a moment. Most of his questions were things that would probably be deemed advantageous to know the answers to.
¡°Why are you stopping time?¡±
The moth rubbed her antennae again.
Adam gave her a suspicious glance.
Is she avoiding the question?
The moth seemed to sigh, before answering. ¡°Things are complicated by it knowing I exist. The All-Seeing System deemed it to be for the best that I remain ¡®undetected¡¯.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Adam replied, confused. ¡°Isn¡¯t the tesseract a part of the System?¡±
¡°Tesseract? Is that what you think it is? But, I cannot answer that.¡±
¡°How is the answer advantageous!?¡± he exclaimed. ¡°That makes no sense!¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
¡°Do you have any other questions?¡±
Adam frowned. He hated that none of the creatures in Interim Island were allowed to be forthcoming, even though they possessed so many answers.
Calm down. It¡¯s not her fault she can¡¯t answer.
He realised he had a different question.
¡°Will you remember me if I die?¡±
Although Luvicidix¡¯s face was that of a moth, she still managed to convey a smile. Somehow.
¡°Of course, Adam!¡±
¡°Even if I don¡¯t return in the way that you expect?¡±
¡°Certainly! I transcend¡ª¡±
The moth stopped mid-sentence.
¡°What?¡± he asked.
¡°I cannot say.¡±
¡°Of course¡¡± he groaned.
¡°Do you have other questions?¡±
¡°I guess not¡ Or wait, I do have one last one. How do I find you again? Do you disappear when time resumes?¡±
¡°In a way, but I will wait here for your return. However, I must leave when night falls on Interim Island.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
Luvicidix rubbed her antennae.
¡°Can¡¯t say?¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± she replied.
¡°Well, I¡¯m off then. But I¡¯ll probably be back before nightfall if I have any Points left.¡±
¡°See you then,¡± she said cheerfully.
The floating silver scales returned to the white moth¡¯s wings and Adam blinked involuntarily.
In that split-second, the moth vanished from sight.
The tesseract floated over to him.
¡°Shitbox, did you see that?¡± he asked.
[I don¡¯t know what you are referring to.]
¡°Nevermind then.¡±
Adam walked towards the Tavern in the distance.
[This is the Dimensional Tavern. Here you may¡ª]
¡°Skip,¡± he said as he walked through the door.
The long wooden tables appeared along with the scent of baked bread.
Adam breathed in deeply.
The red ant approached as he walked over to a stool.
¡°Hello Adam, my name is Charlie.¡±
He nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll have eight croissants from Jameson¡¯s Bakery.¡±
¡°Anything else?¡±
He thought about it for a moment. ¡°A strawberry milkshake.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± she replied and left.
Speaking of¡
He sat down and the stools filled with people. A cacophony of voices filled the interior.
¡°Mute all the voices not speaking to me,¡± he told Shitbox.
The voices died down at once.
[About 500 million Players survived Stage One. Currently, 12 million Players are utilising the Dimensional Tavern.]
That¡¯s not a lot¡ I guess I am early.
[It is possible to state your in¡ª]
¡°Skip. Show me Willow from Australia.¡±
Hundreds of people appeared along the tables. None of them were the woman he¡¯d met during his first visit to the Tavern. The holograms flickered and were replaced. This happened a few more times before it had cycled through everyone matching his query. Then it went back around.
There was no sign of her.
She might¡¯ve died.
No, that¡¯s unlikely. She seemed resourceful after all.
Maybe she¡¯s still at the vendor?
During his first life, he¡¯d taken his time exploring and gotten here late. There¡¯d been over 80 million people in the Tavern when he arrived.
Maybe she¡¯ll be here later.
He thought about what other queries he had for the Tavern and figured there was an obvious one.
¡°Show me everyone who has looped.¡±
[Your query cannot be executed. You may need to rephrase your question.]
Adam frowned.
¡°Show me everyone who has completed the first Stage more than once.¡±
[Your query cannot be executed,] Shitbox repeated.
Maybe it isn¡¯t possible to see those who have gone back in time. Or maybe I am not allowed to search for them?
But wait, there¡¯s a way I can maybe ask without breaking the rules.
What was that thing called again?
Oh right.
¡°Show me everyone who knows about the Self-devouring Eye.¡±
The tesseract seemed to stutter in place. [What is this object? I am not allowed to learn its nature. How do you know of a restricted item? And your previous questions. Why are you searching for people who fall outside the rules of the Trials of Defiance?]
Adam still had no idea why the tesseract wasn¡¯t allowed to know about Luvicidix and the fact that Players could loop, but he figured it was probably for the best that he didn¡¯t enlighten it. After all, Adam was not following the rules of time-looping that the System designed. Drawing too much attention to himself was obviously a bad idea.
¡°Just do as I ask,¡± he demanded.
The holograms of Australians named Willow flickered and disappeared. The tables all emptied out.
No one, huh? he thought, while looking around the interior.
But then he blinked and saw that there was one. Seated up above on the first floor in front of a small table was a single figure. Their body was submerged in shadow. He couldn¡¯t tell if it was a man or a woman.
¡°Hey!¡± Adam called.
The silhouette turned to look down at him. Then it flickered and vanished.
What the hell.
¡°Shitbox, who was that?¡±
[I cannot inform you about other Players. They must share their information with you themselves.]
¡°Why did they just disappear?¡±
[If a Player so desires, they can be made inaccessible to others in the Tavern.]
¡°So, like an anti-harassment feature?¡±
[That is one of its functions, yes.]
Adam frowned.
They didn¡¯t want me to ask questions¡
If they blocked me, I doubt I¡¯ll ever find them again, no matter how I search.
But how did they do it so quickly without saying anything?
¡°Is there a way to block people without speaking?¡±
[Yes. You may access the commands and queries using your mind.]
¡°How does that work?¡±
[By prompting with your thoughts and forcing the intent.]
I guess I¡¯ll give it a try.
Adam concentrated, furrowing his brow.
Show me everyone who received the Speedrun bonus.
Holograms flickered to life on the stools. All of them filled up.
It worked!
¡°How many people is that?¡±
[There are 32.098 Players matching your query.]
If there¡¯s still 12 million in here, then that¡¯s not a lot. About 1 in 400.
Adam suddenly felt quite good about himself.
That was actually a good run then?
I wonder how many found the secret.
Before he could ask the question, Charlie the Tavernkeeper showed up with a plate stacked with the magical croissants and a tall glass of milkshake.
Adam took the plate and glass gratefully.
He ate two croissants immediately, shivering with delight. Then he washed them down with the strawberry shake.
Holy crap!
He looked around and spotted the red ant nearby. ¡°Charlie, where is this milkshake from!?¡±
She came over and answered, ¡°I made it myself, Adam.¡±
¡°Well, it¡¯s delicious!¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± she said, her voice bubbly and warm.
After eating his third and fourth croissant, he turned his mind back to querying the Tavern.
¡°Show me everyone who found the Glass Acorn,¡± he said, pulling the Relic out of his pocket.
In the warm golden light of the tavern, tiny particles danced inside the glass with the light.
He looked up and saw that, across the three long tables, only about 63 people were seated. It was a lot less than he had expected. Several of them had thousand-yard stares and were eating without seeming to pay attention to anything. A few were openly crying. Only about seven people were seemingly unaffected, and most were talking into the air, perhaps chatting with others they¡¯d queried to find.
¡°Remove everyone who didn¡¯t get the Speedrun reward.¡±
The holograms flickered and winked out until only two people remained seated at nearly opposite ends of his table. They were men, and European both, from the looks of them. One wore a black t-shirt and the other had a straw-brown sweater.
¡°What weapons did you use?¡± Adam asked them.
They both turned to look at him. One said a few things into the air, as though bidding farewell to another person. Then they flickered before reappearing opposite him.
¡°Did you find the Acorn as well?¡± asked the one to his right. He had a square face with oily-looking brown hair, thick eyebrows, and green-blue eyes. Based on his accent, he was probably German. Still, he was perfectly-understandable to Adam.
Language wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d thought about until then, but it would¡¯ve been an issue if people were supposed to trade info and couldn¡¯t understand one another.
Adam nodded. ¡°I got both the Speedrun and Acorn. It seems only the 3 of us accomplished that. I use a spear by the way.¡±
The other man nodded. He had an angular face and shoulder-length grey hair. His brows were arched and thin, and his eyes were golden-brown. A bushy moustache crowded his upper lip and stubble ran down the sides of his mouth, ending on his chin.
¡°I too use the spear. It is a good weapon.¡± He spoke around a burger he was eating, muffling his voice. Next to the plate for the burger was a basket full of breadsticks.
¡°I picked the bow,¡± the German guy said. ¡°My name¡¯s Lenard.¡±
¡°I¡¯m Adam.¡±
Burger guy finished swallowing his bite and said, in a Russian accent, ¡°I am Ilya.¡±
¡°Are you French?¡± Lenard asked Adam.
He saw where his eyes were looking and laughed. ¡°Oh no, I just really like these croissants. You should try them. Just ask Charlie for croissants from Jameson¡¯s Bakery, she¡¯ll know.¡±
¡°If you are hungry later, ask her for the homemade cheeseburger. It is very delicious,¡± Ilya recommended.
¡°I will order the croissant first,¡± Lenard decided.
¡°What Relics did you get from the Boss?¡± Adam asked them. Since the Tavern had been focused heavily on ¡®trading¡¯ info the first time he¡¯d come here, he figured they might not be willing to share the info freely. To ease them along, he shared his own reward first. ¡°I got the Bark Armor. It increases defence, but only for a few hits.¡±
He tapped the bark helmet he was wearing.
Lenard was turned away, presumably speaking to the Tavernkeeper though Adam couldn¡¯t hear him.
¡°I received the Boomerang Pendant,¡± Ilya said, pulling it out from under the oversized black band T-shirt he was wearing. ¡°It returns thrown objects. I have not tried it yet, but it is Rare.¡±
¡°You can test it out on the dummy in the Player House,¡± Adam told him.
¡°That is good advice, thank you.¡±
¡°I got the Blink Ring,¡± Lenard said, having finished ordering his food.
¡°It pairs well with the bow,¡± Adam told him.
¡°I tried it out a little bit, but it¡¯s hard to get used to.¡±
¡°If you can find the Duellist¡¯s Glove, you¡¯ll have a very powerful setup,¡± he advised. ¡°The spider vendor might sell it in your world.¡±
¡°What does it do?¡±
¡°It makes charged attacks go through all armour.¡±
Lenard nodded thankfully. ¡°I will look for it in the Market.¡± Then he seemed to feel guilty for receiving info in return for nothing and said, ¡°It may be too late to test this, but I had a theory in the first Stage that I couldn¡¯t try because of my bow.¡±
Adam leaned closer. ¡°What kind of theory?¡±
¡°You saw how the cores inside the slimes are what makes them stronger, yeah? I thought that maybe, if you could take out the core from a blue slime and put it inside one of the others, they would evolve.¡±
That actually makes a lot of sense, Adam realised.
¡°How would you get a core?¡± Ilya asked. ¡°No matter how gently I poked them, they would always break.¡±
¡°I pulled one out with my bare hand,¡± Adam admitted. In my previous loop¡
Ilya laughed. ¡°Very crazy, your hand must not have been happy.¡±
¡°It was really foolish,¡± he replied. Ilya just laughed more. ¡°But it was possible to recover it intact. It becomes a Relic simply called Slime Core.¡±
¡°I am glad you are both so knowledgeable,¡± Ilya said. ¡°I talked with some others and they do not know much. Many are just crying.¡±
¡°Have either of you managed to upgrade your weapons six times?¡± Adam asked.
They both shook their heads. It was clear neither had visited the Market yet. In a way, it did seem smarter to start with the Tavern before going to the Market.
¡°I think I may know something to trade,¡± Ilya said. ¡°You have both been so useful to talk to, so I will share it with you. It will be useful for you in the future I should think.¡±
Adam and Lenard looked at him in anticipation.
¡°There were not many who accomplished this besides me in the first Stage, but there is a bonus reward for avoiding damage. For the first Stage, it was 300 Points.¡±
Damn, he must have gotten a lot of Points, Adam considered. I nearly would¡¯ve pulled it off too.
This Ilya guy must be quite proficient and level-headed, given that he did both the Speedrun and avoided taking damage.
Since the Speedrun Bonus was 150 Points, I¡¯m better off going for no-hit runs than fast ones.
¡°I think I have a guess at what the next Stage could be,¡± Lenard said, as a Jameson¡¯s croissant, big frothing glass of beer, and a burger appeared in front of him. ¡°It seems very much like a game, these Trials.¡±
Adam nodded. He¡¯d thought as much himself.
Lenard continued. ¡°If we go by that logic, then Slimes are the weakest monsters an adventurer will encounter. They are not intelligent but still pose a danger. However, considering many people survived, it is safe to say most can handle them. Next should therefore be a type of dangerous animal that poses a bigger risk, such as Wolves or Boars. They are often recurring enemies in games, right?¡±
¡°I do not know much about games, but I would think Bandits are next,¡± Ilya said. ¡°To me, the first Stage was made to separate those too weak-willed to fight from those willing to do what must be done. Now that the culling is done, the real challenge will begin.¡±
¡°Could also be humanoid,¡± Adam suggested, trying to ignore the bone-chilling words coming out of the Russian. ¡°Like Orcs.¡±
¡°Or Goblins,¡± Lenard added. ¡°But if I¡¯m right that the first Stages are tutorials, then I do not think they would introduce intelligent enemies that quickly.¡±
¡°Shall we make a wager?¡± Ilya said. ¡°I say Bandits.¡±
¡°I¡¯m picking Wolves then,¡± Lenard said.
Adam thought about it for a bit. Internally, he hoped Lenard had the right of it, but his guess was they¡¯d toss humanoids at them next. ¡°Goblins,¡± Adam decided.
Ilya nodded. ¡°We will return here after the next Stage and decide the winner.¡±
Adam grinned. Even if the other spear-wielder was quite scary, he had the right mindset required to win the Trials.
¡°I will go to the Market now,¡± the Russian said, picking up the basket full of breadsticks and putting it under his arm. Then he stood up and disappeared.
Adam looked across at Lenard. ¡°Thank you for the chat. I will go to the Market as well.¡±
¡°Goodbye for now,¡± he replied.
Then Adam got up from the stool and the German¡¯s hologram flickered out. He looked down at his plate with four croissants remaining. With a shrug, he picked it up and went out the door of the Tavern.
Chapter Seven
Adam had eaten two of the croissants before he made it to the Market, but at this point he¡¯d reached his limit. He halted as he saw the Wasp strumming the guitar.
¡°Hello Adam,¡± she said in a sultry voice.
¡°Hi again, Yenna,¡± he greeted.
The response confused her by the looks of it, as she tilted her head while her black compound eyes stared at him.
¡°I mean, nice to meet you.¡±
¡°Do you like my melodies?¡±
¡°They¡¯re quite nice, yea.¡±
¡°If you¡¯d like, you can request any instrument or melody that you want.¡±
He thought about it for a moment, then asked, ¡°Do you know Estas Tonne?¡±
¡°I do. Would you like me to play some of his melodies?¡±
¡°That¡¯d be great.¡±
Yenna lowered her head and started strumming the guitar strings. He recognised it as the beginning to ¡®Internal Flight¡¯.
Adam continued into the Market, but walked past all the vendors until he got to the freaky spider that sold Relics.
Despite thinking he¡¯d gotten used to the sight, he still couldn¡¯t help but frown as he stopped in front of her stall.
¡°Welcome, Adam. I am Lucca.¡±
¡°Seriously, Shitbox. Why couldn¡¯t you have made the vendors human?¡±
[I was not the one who chose their appearance.]
Lucca chittered. ¡°I prefer eight limbs to four,¡± she said.
¡°I¡¯d just be way more comfortable if I was looking at a human face at least.¡±
¡°If it is any consolation, your countenance is also upsetting to my eyes. You are very flappy.¡±
Adam frowned. ¡°Why does everyone keep saying that?¡±
¡°I sell Rerolls and Relics,¡± Lucca said, returning to business mode. She then reiterated her prices just like the first time he¡¯d been here, while four items popped out of the black chest next to her, hovering above the lid. ¡°My Rerolls cost 100 Points. The price of the Relics is based on their rarity, with Common being worth 150, Uncommon 300, Rare 500, Epic 1000, and so on. If you do not like the options I have, you can always Reroll them.
¡°I will also buy any Relics of yours for half their worth. For example, you could sell me your Bark Armour for 150 Points.¡±
Adam looked at the four options on display. There were two Commons and two Rares.
< < Relics For Sale > >
< Healing Apple (Common) ¡ª If the Player¡¯s health falls below 25%, this apple is consumed, healing them back to full. Once consumed, the Relic disappears >
< Slime Coating (Common) ¡ª The Player''s weapons are coated with the essence of a Blue Slime, imbuing them with 10% additional Corrosive Damage. The Relic lasts for 3 Stages >
< Boomerang Pendant (Rare) ¡ª Returns thrown objects. 15-second cooldown >
< Scope of Insight (Rare) ¡ª Any target viewed through this Relic has their weaknesses laid bare >
The Healing Apple must be a guaranteed option no matter what.
Oh, that¡¯s the Relic that Ilya was talking about.
Still, I have 693 Points. I should probably reroll and see what I can get. A Rare is 500 after all.
¡°I¡¯ll buy a Reroll Die and use it immediately,¡± Adam said.
¡°Excellent,¡± Lucca chittered ominously.
< < Relic Purchased > >
< Reroll Die (Uncommon) >
< 593 Points Remaining >
The die lifted itself from the red velvet pillow and began spinning. Light shone from the ten numerals etched into it and the four options were sucked back into the black chest. Then the die popped in a small golden explosion.
The chest rumbled for a moment as though alive and golden light leaked out from under its lid. A moment later, the lid shot open dramatically and revealed four new options.
Adam immediately noticed the purple glow of the Epic item. It was a crown.
< < Relics For Sale > >
< Slime Core (Common) ¡ª The brain and heart of a Slime >
< Committed Attack Ring (Uncommon) ¡ª All Cooldown-based Relics gain a second use that can be triggered within 10 seconds of the first activation, but the cooldown is tripled >
< Green Slime Glove (Rare) ¡ª Player can touch corrosive materials | Fire a glob of highly-corrosive green slime. 60-second cooldown >
< Slime King¡¯s Crown (Epic) ¡ª Become the King of Slimes | Player turns into a humanoid Slime with four cores that each hold 25% of total health >
The Slime Crown sounds quite interesting. Although, if I become a Slime, then it¡¯ll be quite easy for someone to kill me with a piercing weapon.
Wait there¡¯s another option with 2 effects. It¡¯s Rare.
Adam looked at the strange green jelly glove.
I can afford that. Shooting green slime sounds kind of cool.
I could also sell my Bark Armour, reroll again, and see if something useful comes along. However, it seems that all options are changed when a Reroll Die is used.
He couldn¡¯t decide what to do.
¡°Lucca, do you think I should get the glove?¡±
¡°Yes, please use all your Points on my wares.¡±
Adam frowned. ¡°That doesn¡¯t help me¡¡±
[The Dimensional Tavern can be utilised if you¡¯d like to obtain information about a Relic,] Shitbox advised.
He sighed. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll go back there.¡±
From the position of the sun, he figured there was only about an hour of daylight left. He needed to hurry.
¡°Show me everyone who got the Green Slime Glove.¡±
The tables of the Tavern filled with holograms of people, then flickered a moment later and replaced everyone, repeating again a few seconds later.
Okay, that¡¯s quite a lot¡
¡°Filter by those who know how it works and haven¡¯t unlocked Speedrun or no-hit bonuses.¡±
The holograms flickered and there were now about twelve people scattered across the hundreds of seats, with one even seated up above on the first floor.
That¡¯s actually a good way to find useful trades, he realised. I should do that next time I¡¯m looking for info.
Adam addressed them, ¡°I¡¯m looking to trade info about an integral Trials feature to the first person who can explain how the Slime Glove functions.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll trade!¡± a female voice immediately called from above. The accent was British.
The other holograms flickered out before they could even say anything. Then the woman appeared in front of Adam. She had dark skin and black hair cut in a bob. Her apple-cheeks made her seem friendly. In front of her was a chai latte and a half-eaten cinnamon palmier.
Just like him, she was wearing the Bark Armour Relic, which covered her white blouse. On her left hand was the Green Slime Glove. He frowned when he saw that her bones were visible within the jelly that¡¯d replaced her skin and flesh.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
¡°Hello!¡± she greeted eagerly. ¡°Oh, we picked the same clothes. Awkward¡¡±
¡°Hi there,¡± he replied. ¡°I guess I should start?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry, it isn¡¯t possible to run away from a trade when you¡¯ve agreed to it,¡± she told him. ¡°You physically can¡¯t pull yourself out of the seat until the trade is done.¡±
That¡¯s good to know. But also kind of scary. Hopefully there are protections in place to avoid someone getting locked into a trade they can¡¯t complete.
¡°I¡¯m Adam,¡± he said.
¡°Kate,¡± she replied, raising her hand above the table.
Adam grinned and leaned forward to high-five her, although their fingers passed through each other.
¡°Okay, so,¡± he started, ¡°the first Stage had both Speedrun and no-hit bonuses.¡±
¡°I must¡¯ve been really close,¡± she said. ¡°Eyebox told me I was fast on some Stages. Those spiky bastards gave me quite a lot of trouble though.¡±
¡°I think the threshold must be something like 200 seconds. I call my guy Shitbox by the way.¡±
Kate laughed. ¡°That¡¯s much better than my nickname. Is no-hit just avoiding damage?¡±
He nodded.
¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡±
¡°They give bonus Points, with the no-hit one giving the most, at least in the first Stage.¡±
¡°I suppose I should try to get that one then. I got hit quite a lot in the first Stage,¡± she admitted with a frown. Then she lifted her left hand. ¡°Putting this on wasn¡¯t pleasant either. Quite cruel these Trials, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±
¡°Sadistic,¡± he agreed, nodding. ¡°Is it good? The glove¡¯s attack, I mean.¡±
¡°It is,¡± she replied. ¡°The projectile it shoots completely destroyed the target dummy in my Player House. It even damaged the floor.¡±
¡°I think I might get it then,¡± he said.
¡°What weapon do you use?¡± Kate asked.
¡°A spear. It was perfect against the slimes.¡±
¡°I picked the Rapier,¡± she said placing the weapon on the table.
¡°What Weapon Type is that?¡±
¡°Duellist.¡±
Ah, I think I got that option at the start as well.
[Another Player is trying to communicate with you. Do you wish to talk to them?]
Adam turned to look back at Shitbox hovering behind him.
¡°Sure, I¡¯ll talk to them.¡±
[Understood.]
¡°It seems someone else wants to trade with me,¡± Adam told Kate.
¡°Talk to you later,¡± she said with a wave. ¡°Thanks for the trade.¡±
Then she winked out, only to be replaced by a woman with dark hair in a ponytail. She wore a light-grey blouse with long sleeves and there was a pink milkshake in front of her.
Adam blinked in surprise. ¡°Willow?¡±
The woman looked pretty surprised herself. ¡°Do you know me?¡±
¡°Sort of,¡± he told her.
¡°You got the Speedrun bonus and the Secret, right?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± he replied. ¡°Did you get those too?¡±
¡°I did. But it seems there¡¯s only two of us.¡±
¡°There were actually two other guys,¡± he told her. ¡°A German and a Russian.¡±
¡°Maybe they¡¯re not here right now.¡±
¡°They went ¡®shopping¡¯,¡± Adam explained. ¡°I was actually about to leave for the Market as well.¡±
¡°I see. I was hoping we could talk a little bit about the Stage.¡±
She seemed less sure of herself than the first time they¡¯d spoken, but perhaps it was due to the dynamic being different this time around. Or maybe it was because he¡¯d called her by her name.
¡°If you can wait like 20 minutes, then I¡¯ll be back. My name¡¯s Adam by the way. Adam Fischer.¡±
¡°I¡¯m Willow, although you somehow already knew.¡±
¡°And your last name? It¡¯ll make you easy to find. There are quite a lot of people in Australia called Willow.¡±
She blinked in surprise, then laughed. ¡°Are you stalking me?¡±
¡°I promise you the answer is way more bizarre than you can guess, but I really need to get going before it becomes dark.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t leave me hanging, Adam Fischer,¡± she said. ¡°My full name is Willow Martin.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll buy the Green Slime Glove,¡± Adam told Lucca.
¡°That will be 500 Points,¡± the spider replied, a sinisterly-gleeful tone in her voice.
I could sell the Bark Armour and get 2 Rerolls, or more Points to spend on Luvicidix¡¯s upgrades.
No, it¡¯s better I keep it.
¡°Deal,¡± he said.
< < Relic Purchased > >
< Green Slime Glove (Rare) >
< 93 Points Remaining >
Then the Green Slime Glove appeared on his right hand.
Adam screamed in sudden indescribable pain.
He was immediately reminded of his previous run, where he¡¯d destroyed his hand by sticking it inside a Blue Slime. This was way more aggressive, since the slime was green.
Kate you bastard! You could¡¯ve warned me it was this bad!
After ten brutal seconds spent in jaw-clenching agony, the pain subsided. From his wrist to his fingertips were now only bones, with the green slime replacing his skin and flesh.
Adam flexed his fingers and could easily move them. In fact, there was no discernible difference.
Hopefully I can still use my weapon.
He shifted the spear he¡¯d been leaning on to his right hand, but even as the green jelly touched the wooden shaft, nothing happened.
I can even feel what the glove is touching. That¡¯s very peculiar.
What happens if I unequip the Relic though?
The sun was setting, so Adam bid farewell to the spider.
See you in my nightmares¡
He managed to return to the centre of Interim Island, where he¡¯d first met the White Moth, before it became night.
Time froze as silver scales rained down around him.
¡°Hello again, Adam,¡± came the voice of Luvicidix from above.
Then she landed before him on the street, her arrival utterly silent.
¡°You came just in time.¡±
¡°Why do you have to leave when it becomes dark?¡±
¡°I cannot say.¡±
Adam suddenly remembered something he¡¯d wanted to check during his first life.
¡°Is it because of that tent in the Garden?¡±
¡°I¡ cannot say.¡±
That pause seems like a clue!
¡°Anyway, I wanted to put my remaining 93 Points into one of your Upgrades.¡±
¡°Which one?¡±
¡°The Rewards Upgrade.¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
< < Meta Upgrades Progress > >
< Rewards ¡ª Increase Reward Options by 1 ¡ª 93/4000 Points >
¡°You have used up all your Points,¡± Luvicidix stated. ¡°I will now take my leave.¡±
¡°Hey, wait!¡±
The silver scales floating in the air all pulled themselves back to the Moth¡¯s white wings. Then she flapped them once and shot into the air, disappearing into a sunset-coloured cloud.
I guess I¡¯ll go to the Garden before I return to the Tavern.
He¡¯d only been gone for about 10 minutes, but he was worried Willow would leave before he returned.
From the centre of the island, he headed west. As he moved past the many dumpy buildings, the sun fully set and submerged the houses and streets in darkness. A few minutes passed where he fumbled around, trying to stay on course.
Then the moon arose from the east and cast a silver light across his surroundings. It had the intensity of the sun, but its light was cold and unwelcoming.
After a few minutes he found the garden with the strangely-shaped flowerbeds. Just like the first time, they were placed in three layers like some kind of strange symbol, with parts missing to allow people to walk through without trampling the flowers. The outermost layer was a square, the middle was a ring, and the centre was a triangle. Inside the triangle-shaped flowerbeds was a dark-blue tent.
All the flowers were Dahlias and, in the silver light of the moon, all of them were black.
Well, that¡¯s new.
¡°Still got nothing to say about this place?¡± Adam goaded Shitbox.
[It is recommended that you visit the Player House and get proper sleep before tomorrow. The Player House is located on the edge of Interim Island to the east. Stage Two will commence tomorrow at dawn.]
He shook his head.
As expected.
Adam walked through the gaps in the patterns the flowerbeds were arranged into. When he reached the centre and stood before the tent, he realised that another thing had changed. The door flap was pulled down and purple light spilled out from within.
His heart started suddenly pounding against his ribcage.
I wonder what¡¯s inside.
Adam cautiously lifted the flap. Incense and smoke wafted out, obscuring his view. Despite not knowing what awaited him inside, he entered.
As the flap closed behind him, the obscuring fog dissipated. A round wooden table stood between him and a small black moth, which crouch-perched atop a high-backed chair. Its body was as dark as its black compound eyes. It was like it was a piece of shadow sculpted into physical form.
Tiny ash-like scales floated around in the air, orbiting the brown table and chair. A fine silken shawl full of intricate patterns was spread over the table and atop it stood a glass orb that gave off the purple light he¡¯d seen.
Another merchant?
It¡¯s a moth like Luvicidix, so maybe that¡¯s a clue to its purpose.
¡°You do not have¡ what I seek, Adam.¡±
The voice was predictably female, but the tone was bored and tired, as though she didn¡¯t want to be here.
¡°Can I still see what you sell, even though I¡¯m out of Points?¡±
¡°It is not Points¡ that I seek.¡±
Uh oh. It¡¯s probably some weird sacrifice thing then¡ This moth isn¡¯t giving off the most trustworthy impression after all.
¡°If not Points, then what are you after?¡±
¡°Shards of Mastery.¡±
¡°What¡¯s that?¡±
The black moth did not answer. Or, more likely, she wasn¡¯t allowed to.
He turned to look at the tesseract, but it was stuck in the doorway, frozen in time.
¡°Are you another loop-based vendor?¡± he asked.
¡°You have met my¡ twin?¡±
¡°Luvicidix is your twin?¡±
The moth inclined her head slightly.
¡°I am Alivida. I am night. My twin is day.¡±
¡°Uhuh¡ So, can I see what you¡¯re offering?¡±
¡°You do not possess¡ the shards.¡±
He frowned.
The moth didn¡¯t seem to like that expression very much.
¡°Fine¡ I will show you regardless. But¡ do not return without shards.¡±
¡°Deal.¡±
< < Mastery Upgrades For Sale > >
< Hardmode ¡ª Unlock a toggleable Stage Hardmode ¡ª 1 Shard >
< Second Sheath ¡ª Carry 1 additional Weapon ¡ª 2 Shards >
< Orb of Insight ¡ª View info about the upcoming Stage ¡ª 3 Shards >
< Visiting Stone ¡ª Visit the Dimension of a known Player ¡ª 8 Shards >
< Vanity ¡ª Turn an Interim Island Denizen into a humanoid ¡ª 10 Shards >
¡°Holy shit,¡± he muttered in awe.
There¡¯s actually a way to transform all these creepy insects into humans!
And there¡¯s a way to visit other Players!
Man¡ All of these upgrades are great.
I really need to get my hands on some shards!
¡°These upgrades, are they like Luvicidix¡¯s? Do they carry over between loops?¡±
¡°They are and they do.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll get my hands on these shards and return as soon as possible!¡±
¡°Take your time¡¡±
Adam pushed aside the tent flap and ran back towards the distant Tavern. A shit-eating grin was plastered on his face.
¡°You¡¯re back,¡± Willow said, surprised. ¡°And right on time too.¡±
Adam was breathing quickly from his spirited jog from the Garden to the Tavern.
¡°I¡¯ve got so much to tell you!¡±
¡°First, you have to tell me how you know my name.¡±
Adam put his hands on the table and leaned forward.
Willow copied him and leaned in conspiratorially.
¡°I killed the tesseract. Just like we talked about, the first time that I met you.¡±
She pulled back slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t remember ever meeting you before,¡± she said with a frown. ¡°But, I¡¯m glad it¡¯s possible. Fuck that little murder cube.¡±
¡°The thing is. When I did it, it blew up and killed me. But for some reason, I went back in time. Although, things are different now. You had a bow when we first met, as well as the Blink Ring Relic.¡±
Willow leaned back, narrowing her eyes. ¡°You sound like a crazy person.¡±
¡°I know!¡± Adam admitted.
This time around Willow had a magic staff. It leaned against the stool next to her and was a gnarled wooden thing.
¡°I would¡¯ve picked bow if it was an option,¡± she admitted. She took a long sip of her milkshake, then fixed Adam with a suspicious look. ¡°How do I know you¡¯re actually telling the truth?¡±
¡°Go to the dark-blue tent in the Garden on the western side of the Island, you¡¯ll meet a black moth named Alivida there. Ask her if the mastery upgrades she sells carry over between loops. If she can¡¯t answer that, ask about her twin, Luvicidix. She¡¯s a white moth who sells meta upgrades that persist between loops.¡±
¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± she asked. ¡°I mean, if this is true, shouldn¡¯t you be keeping it to yourself?¡±
She¡¯s right of course, but I can¡¯t just keep this to myself.
I¡¯d go crazy if no one knew¡
He nodded and said, ¡°You obviously don¡¯t remember this, but the first time we met in here, you helped me out. Thanks to you, I was able to destroy Shitbox.¡±
Adam looked back to where the tesseract floated, but it seemed to not be paying attention to their conversation. It was also possible that any talk of looping back in time was obscured from it by the All-Seeing System. Initially, it¡¯d tried to interrogate him about how he knew things he shouldn¡¯t be able to know, but then it had stopped, which was unsettling.
Willow made to stand and put her hands on the table. He noticed that she had a strange ring around her right index finger. ¡°I will go check the Garden. I¡¯d like to trust you, but it honestly just sounds insane to me.¡±
Adam smiled weakly. ¡°More insane than being transported here by a floating talking box?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±
Then her hologram flickered and vanished.
The tavern fell silent.
Adam waved over Charlie the red ant.
¡°Yes, Adam?¡±
¡°I¡¯d like to try your cheeseburger,¡± he told her. ¡°I have it on good authority that it¡¯s delicious. Also, another milkshake please.¡±
¡°Anything else?¡±
He looked to the plate of croissants he¡¯d brought with him. There were still two left.
¡°I¡¯m good for now,¡± he said.
Chapter Eight
Adam was in the middle of talking to a Scandinavian guy named Sven, who¡¯d picked the Slime King Relic, when Shitbox announced:
[Another Player is trying to communicate with you. Do you wish to talk to them?]
¡°Yes please.¡±
[Understood.]
¡°Sorry, Sven, but I¡¯ve gotta go.¡±
¡°Thank you for the information, Adam,¡± he said. Thanks to the Relic, he was now made of the same stuff as the slimes of Stage One and four cores floated around within his body. He only had the outline of his previous features, but no visible mouth, eyes, hair, or anything. A rusted metal crown sat atop his head, the only part of him not made of jelly.
Nevertheless, from his description of how it functioned, Adam thought it might be great for a ranged setup, since the ¡®King of Slimes¡¯ effect interacted with projectiles in a unique way.
¡°Likewise,¡± Adam replied.
The guy¡¯s strange hologram flickered and vanished, before Willow took his place.
¡°You weren¡¯t lying!¡± she exclaimed, speaking quickly.
¡°You met Alivida?¡±
Willow nodded. ¡°Although, it wasn¡¯t a woman like you said, but another guy.¡±
¡°Another guy?¡± he asked, confused.
¡°Yeah, all the insects are guys. Isn¡¯t it the same for you?¡±
¡°No, they¡¯re all women. Or well, their voices are.¡±
¡°Weird.¡±
Adam grimaced. ¡°They¡¯re supposed to be our ideal companions.¡±
¡°They keep calling me flappy¡¡± Willow grumbled.
He couldn¡¯t help but laugh, which didn¡¯t go over well with her.
¡°They said the same about me,¡± he quickly added.
A moment passed in silence, but then Willow said, ¡°So¡¡±
¡°So?¡±
¡°How do I become like you? How do I gain the ability to go back in time?¡±
¡°Well¡ I¡¯m not quite sure.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°I killed Shitbox and the explosion sent me back in time. Then, when I died a second time, it happened again. Aside from the initial death, I¡¯m not quite sure what¡¯s causing it¡¡±
Willow frowned. ¡°You have to die to go back in time?¡±
He nodded sombrely. ¡°It¡¯s not great, yeah.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not keen to try that,¡± she replied.
Few people would be¡
¡°You might not have to,¡± he then realised. ¡°Luvicidix, the white moth, hinted that there¡¯s a Relic which can send you back in time.¡±
She perked up. ¡°Really!?¡±
¡°Yeah. But it¡¯s Divine rarity.¡±
¡°Divine? I didn¡¯t even know that was a rarity,¡± she replied.
¡°Me neither. Apparently it¡¯s called ¡®The Self-devouring Eye¡¯.¡±
¡°There¡¯s a lot of eye-based symbolism with the Trials¡¡± she remarked.
¡°Yeah, it¡¯s pretty creepy,¡± he replied, thinking of the eye in the darkness.
Willow and Adam spent the next couple hours eating and talking, mostly just getting to know each other more. Despite her initial apprehensions about him, she seemed to have warmed up and become comfortable talking about herself.
While Adam had worked as an accountant before the tesseract had stolen him away, Willow had been a talented athlete in the sport of Archery. She¡¯d apparently represented Australia in several international competitions. Her dream had been to enter the Olympics.
It¡¯s a shame she didn¡¯t get the Archer Weapon Type this time. It¡¯s the perfect fit for her.
She was using the magic staff offered by the Spellcaster type, which she said was hard to get used to, but would be powerful when she mastered it. Considering that she¡¯d gotten the Speedrun bonus and Secret Relic with an unfamiliar weapon, she was clearly extremely talented and observant.
Meanwhile, I only got those because I had already completed the Stage before¡
Adam couldn¡¯t help but feel that someone like her would be better served with having his looping ability. Although, it seemed like a curse as much as a boon.
And if I die, Willow is going to forget me.
Despite knowing that it would hurt to be forgotten and have memories about him erased, he didn¡¯t want to hold back on getting to know people. After all, that would be a coward¡¯s way to live.
I will treat each life with the respect it deserves.
At some point, he was pinged by Lenard and the German guy ended up joining them. After introducing him to Willow, the three talked the rest of the night.
Lenard opened up about himself as well. He¡¯d been a policeman in Munich and had been on patrol when the tesseract appeared before him. His goal for beating the Trials was to save his wife and two kids. Adam didn¡¯t have it in him to reveal that anyone not in the Trials had been consumed by the All-Seeing System.
The German also raved about the croissants he had recommended him. Willow ordered one as well, and quickly joined in on the praise. Adam was happy to spread the gospel of Jameson¡¯s magical pastries.
When the talk came to Relics and Weapon Types, Lenard revealed that he hadn¡¯t been able to find the Duellist¡¯s Glove. He had instead bought an upgrade for his bow and managed to reach level 6.
¡°The whole thing started glowing,¡± he described.
¡°Did it evolve?¡± Adam asked. It¡¯d been his main guess as to why the beetle smith had only sold upgrades up to level 6.
Lenard nodded. ¡°I had to choose between Ranger or Trickster. I picked Trickster.¡± He lifted his bow up to show that it¡¯d gotten smaller. ¡°It is worse in terms of power and penetration, but much faster and manoeuvrable. I tested it out in the Player House earlier.¡±
¡°Maybe you¡¯ll be able to evolve it again to get a crossbow or something?¡± Adam guessed.
¡°Was the other option long-ranged then?¡± Willow asked.
She¡¯d for sure have picked Ranger if she had the chance.
Lenard nodded. ¡°I¡¯m hoping for a crossbow, yeah. I didn¡¯t get to try the Ranger one, but it did say longer range and more power. Sounded like a Sniper route almost.¡±
¡°Might still lead to a crossbow,¡± Adam said.
Willow frowned. ¡°Crossbows aren¡¯t superior to bows. Compound bows can beat them in everything except penetrative power.¡±
Adam could immediately sense that the topic was a minefield, and didn¡¯t know enough to make any conclusions himself.
Thankfully, Lenard quickly provided an escape, as he said, ¡°I got something else too. It¡¯s called a Mastery Shard.¡±
He pulled out a pyramid gem and placed it on the table between them. It was very similar to the Glass Acorn, as it was translucent and had amber-glowing light inside it.
¡°This is what Alivida wants to trade for!¡± Willow realised.
Adam nodded.
So much for getting these things easily¡ The Vanity upgrade requires 10 of these, meaning I¡¯d have to evolve a weapon 10 times¡ If it¡¯s 6 levels per evolution, that¡¯s a heck of a lot of upgrades. All just to turn one of the Interim Island insects into a human¡
He also had to wonder how anyone who didn¡¯t loop was going to be able to afford the more expensive upgrades. It was clear that the All-Seeing System had designed the Trials of Defiance with looping in mind¡ just not the way Adam was doing it.
Lenard obviously asked who Alivida was, and Willow and Adam went on to describe her location and upgrades, while silently agreeing to walk around the topic of Adam looping through time. Although, it seemed Willow mainly avoided talking about it because she still wasn¡¯t fully convinced.
It¡¯d be impossible to provide definitive proof, he considered. Even if I came back and was able to recount her background story perfectly, she¡¯d just assume I was a stalker or something.
After the conversation naturally switched to what they expected for Stage Two, Willow ended up joining in on their bet about the enemy type they¡¯d face next. She was certain it would be something that would require them to prove their skill, such as other humans. It was not lost on Adam that her guess matched Ilya¡¯s, and he felt that it was quite telling that the two strongest Players he¡¯d encountered agreed on their predictions.
When it seemed close to midnight, although there were no clocks or windows to the outside to track the time with, Charlie the Tavernkeeper came up to Adam. Based on how Lenard and Willow turned away, it seemed this was happening to all of them simultaneously.
¡°Adam, the Dimensional Tavern will be closing in a few moments.¡±
Then Shitbox piped up. It had been mostly silent throughout the night, which he appreciated.
[It is recommended that you return to the Player House and get proper sleep before Stage Two. It will commence at dawn. The Player House can be found on the eastern side of Interim Island.]
¡°What about breakfast?¡±
¡°You will be able to eat at the Tavern when you return,¡± Charlie told him.
Adam looked to his companions.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
¡°It seems we¡¯ll have to go our separate ways for now.¡±
Lenard and Willow turned back to face him.
¡°Be careful out there,¡± Lenard said.
Willow nodded. ¡°I think I will try to aim for the no-hit bonus.¡±
¡°Me too,¡± Adam said. ¡°See you both tomorrow.¡±
Adam walked to the Player House in the moonlit night. In the light, the dumpy houses looked even less like buildings and more like failed clay sculptures. Unlike normal, Shitbox was leading the way this time, as though not trusting him to get there on his own.
After some minutes, he arrived at the round patch of grass with the little house in the middle and brown wooden fence around it. A small variant of the Magical Forest¡¯s apple tree stood next to it and a tennis-ball-sized blue slime huddled by its roots, fast asleep. The house had a rounded straw-brown roof and white walls with black stripes that looked like melted wax. There was a brown door and two windows, but he knew they were just decorations.
[This is the Player House. Within is-¡ª]
¡°Skip.¡±
He walked through the fence gate, eyeing the slime.
< < Secret Relic Activated > >
Adam blinked in surprise as the Glass Acorn lifted itself out of his right pocket. It floated over near the apple tree and settled into the grass.
¡°Did it just plant itself?¡± he asked.
[The Secret Relic¡¯s effect requires it to be planted in the Player House garden.]
¡°Are there other Relics like that?¡±
[Yes.]
Almost thought it wouldn¡¯t answer that question.
I wonder if the Acorn sticks around between loops.
Adam walked over to where it¡¯d settled itself into the ground and immediately its description appeared.
< < Secret Relic > >
< Glass Acorn (Rare) ¡ª Grows for 3 Stages >
It should be fully-grown when I¡¯m done with Stage Four.
He suddenly yawned, the moment stretching for several beats, and realised he was actually exhausted.
I guess I haven¡¯t slept in close to three days¡
Unless dying counts.
Yeah¡ It probably doesn¡¯t¡
He went through the door to the Player House and was met with the familiar interior.
A large bed with fluffy pillows took up an entire corner, and there were shelves, racks, and mannequins next to it. Unlike last time, there was a trophy on one of the shelves. It was bronze and shaped like a slime.
Walking over to inspect it, he saw that the plaque read ¡®Magical Forest Speedrun¡¯.
Wait. If this is bronze, that means there are two extra trophies for the Stage.
No-hit is obviously one of them, but what¡¯s the last one?
Adam eyed the large bathtub in the other corner and decided to take a bath before going to bed. But first, he wanted to test out the Slime Glove on the straw dummy.
He started off by just touching the dummy¡¯s torso with the glove. It immediately started to dissolve the straw.
Hmm, that¡¯s an unlisted use.
Good to know that it can be utilised this way though.
After pulling his hand away, there was a handprint eaten out of the centre. He took a few steps back and tried to activate its projectile, but it took a few different gestures until he discovered one that worked.
Clenching his fist and punching it forward while opening it caused a baseball-sized glob of acidic jelly to shoot out of his palm. The glove vibrated strangely after firing off a piece of itself.
It struck the dummy and immediately dissolved the straw, turning it black before fully erasing it. The glob moved through the body, melting it down to nothingness. As it reached the floor, it continued eating through the wooden boards for a few seconds, before disappearing into itself.
¡°I can change the dummy into a Slime, right?¡±
[Correct. Would you like to alter the dummy¡¯s appearance and resistances?]
¡°Yes, make it a Purple Slime.¡±
[Understood.]
The air flickered and an exact replica of the enemy he¡¯d picked appeared. The floor also returned to normal.
Adam immediately tried the projectile attack again, but nothing happened.
It took him a second to realise why.
Oh, right. Cooldown.
He swung his spear around in a flourish and nailed the two cores within the target in quick succession. The dummy fell apart instead of exploding like it would have were it real, then flickered and rematerialized intact.
With two quick jabs, he killed it again.
When it repaired itself a third time, he took a step back and then fired the Green Slime glob at the dummy. It struck its body and slid off harmlessly.
¡°What just happened?¡±
[Slimes are resistant to corrosive damage.]
That makes sense. Don¡¯t know what I was expecting to be honest.
Anyway, I guess that¡¯s enough experimentation. It¡¯s much easier to use than the Blink Ring, that¡¯s for sure.
Also seems stronger than the Duellist¡¯s Glove, although I¡¯m sure corrosive resistance might show up again later.
¡°Shitbox, how do I use the bathtub?¡±
[Would you like to take a bath?]
¡°Yes.¡±
[Understood.]
The entire jacuzzi-sized tub flickered and reappeared full of steaming fragrant water.
Adam took a pleasant bath and then went to sleep.
In his dreams, Adam saw the eye in the darkness.
It was staring at him, boring into his soul.
The vision of the eye scared him, because to him it was synonymous with death.
Like every time before, the iris was his own silhouette.
When the eye blinked, he suddenly felt like he was falling.
< < Now Entering > >
< Stage 2 >
< The Goblin Village >
< 5 Waves >
Adam awoke standing on his feet. Below him was light-brown dirt. Nearby were simple huts, and the area was much larger than the first Stage¡¯s.
Damn, turns out I was the one who was right¡ he considered, seeing the name of the place.
Not a fan of going to sleep and waking up in a Stage though.
But at least I feel fully-rested.
In the distance were trees not too dissimilar to the ones that¡¯d surrounded the clearing of Stage One. The huts looked like they were made of thatch and straw, and they got bigger the further away from him they moved. There was a hill in the distance and what looked like a cave was dug down into it.
[Stage Two is different from Stage One. Players must fight their way through the Goblin Village with each Wave.]
¡°Does that mean they won¡¯t just come to me?¡±
[Yes.]
That complicates things.
¡°Status,¡± he said, bringing up his info.
< < Player Status > >
< Adam Fischer >
< Lancer >
< Level 5 >
< Stats >
< Health ¡ª 100 >
< Stamina ¡ª 150 >
< Mana ¡ª 0 >
< Damage ¡ª 100% >
< Defence ¡ª 125% >
< Speed ¡ª 165% >
< Upgrades >
< Force (Rare) >
< Movement (Rare) >
The Movement should serve me well here. Force too, if the goblins have armour.
[Wave 1 will begin in 60 seconds.]
¡°Armament.¡±
< < Weapon Status > >
< Spear >
< Common Quality >
< Level 3 >
< Stat Upgrades >
< Spear Damage 20% >
< Spear Speed 10% >
Adam looked through the two pop-ups filling his vision, while walking towards the cave in the distance. The huts naturally guided him straight to it, but after passing the fourth building, he stopped moving forward. The sensation was almost like walking on a treadmill.
He stared down at his feet. They were moving but going nowhere. ¡°Why can¡¯t I go further?¡±
[Each Wave has a set perimeter. Every subsequent Wave expands the area.]
[45 seconds remaining.]
He ran back the way he¡¯d come, seeing how far he could go. Past the four huts were another two rows and then a large rock. There was a boundary just in front of the rock that sat in the middle of the ¡®street¡¯, but he could see more buildings behind it.
I¡¯m assuming I¡¯ll have to move towards the cave with every Wave and perhaps even into it, but it might be worth checking this area after Wave One.
Maybe the rock will disappear? There might be a secret hidden away beyond it.
Since the first Stage had a secret, it seemed all but inevitable that the Village would have one too. However, from the design of the surroundings and the fact that the ¡®playable¡¯ area grew with every Wave, there were a hundred different places to hide away something small like the Glass Acorn.
[20 seconds remaining.]
Adam quickly checked the sides near the huts and found that he could actually enter them. The boundary was on the other side of them. The interiors were all really basic. They each had a wicker basket of worms and bugs, possibly the resident¡¯s food; a simple straw bed; and random knick-knacks like peculiarly-shaped branches and rocks.
[5 seconds remaining.]
Adam left the hut and returned to where he¡¯d arrived.
He scanned the surroundings, while clenching the shaft of his spear.
I¡¯ll have to watch my surroundings well. There¡¯s no telling where they¡¯ll come from.
And goblins are small sneaky bastards, at least if they¡¯re anything like the ones from games and fantasy stories.
The boundary setup meant that, for Wave One at least, he¡¯d be fighting in fairly close quarters.
Ranged Players will have a hard time here, I think.
< < Wave One > >
< 60-Second Timer >
Alright. Here we go.
From where he stood were four huts on either side of him running down the ¡®street¡¯. From the second on the right and the third on the left emerged a green goblin each. Both wielded thick clubs made from branches, with handles carved into them.
The goblins were diminutive creatures. They screamed when they spotted him, perhaps in an attempt to be frightening, but Adam was already moving.
With a fast lunge, he speared the one on the right through the eye, immediately killing it.
As it died, it pulled his weapon down with it. He tried to yank it free as the second one charged him, but the spear-tip was trapped inside the skull¡¯s eye socket.
Adam pulled his gloved hand off the shaft and aimed it at the goblin running straight at him, its club lifted above its large head.
With a punch and release motion, he shot a glob of the highly-corrosive green jelly right into its face.
It immediately began to squeal like a pig on fire. The sound was horrendous, but it was dead after only a couple seconds. The acid continued to devour its flesh as it ran down its body.
Holy fuck!
That¡¯s way too gruesome!
He looked down at the green glove on his right hand, frowning at just how destructive it was.
With a grunt of effort, he tore the spear free from the dead goblin¡¯s head, while pressing the heel of his shoe against the side of it. In the process, he fractured the skull and the creature¡¯s head deflated.
Adam swallowed down the urge to vomit.
[Excellent! You cleared the Wave within 10 seconds.]
[Completing a Wave this quickly results in the rewards going up one rarity level.]
He took a few steps back from the goblin he¡¯d slain. It wasn¡¯t until then that it really struck him.
I just killed a sapient creature¡ Two of them. Without even hesitating¡
The goblin he¡¯d speared was about 1.2 metres tall, with the head twice as large as it would¡¯ve been on a human. Its skin had a greasy sheen and was covered in coarse black hairs. It wore no clothes, but was fortunately shaped like a Ken doll. The hands and feet were also larger than they should be, and each digit was capped with a black claw. It had a big nose and large droopy ears. Strangely, the eyes were the same size as a human¡¯s, but given the size of everything else, they looked tiny. There was a strong resemblance with pigs going on.
The other goblin was basically just a skeleton with a few patches of resilient skin and flesh here-and-there. The acidic glob had almost devoured it entirely.
Bile rose in Adam¡¯s throat again.
Unlike the slimes which conveniently evaporated when they were defeated, the goblins remained where they¡¯d died.
< < Wave One Complete > >
< Choose your Upgrade >
Shitbox was in the middle of unfolding into an upgrade podium, when he asked, ¡°Will the corpses persist between Waves?¡±
[Yes.]
That might cause problems¡ he considered.
He thought about dragging the bodies off to the side, but he really didn¡¯t want to touch them.
Familiar symbols appeared over the podium¡¯s three steps. One of the spear upgrades was rare, but he already knew he wouldn¡¯t be picking it.
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Spear Growth (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases spear length by 30% >
< Throw Speed (Rare) ¡ª Increases throwing speed by 35% >
< Bleed (Uncommon) ¡ª Attacks inflict bleed dealing 10% weapon damage over the course of 10 seconds >
More reach might be good. I just have to be careful not to make the weapon too long, in case I have to fight inside the cave.
Although I do have the Slime Glove as backup, which is reassuring.
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Spear Growth (Uncommon) >
The caramel-brown wooden spear grew to about two metres in length, with the dark metal tip barely getting any longer.
It seems to mostly increase the length of the shaft, which is not ideal.
The centre of balance also shifted quite a lot.
¡°Shitbox, how long until my Glove is ready to fire again?¡±
[25 seconds.]
I should¡¯ve spent more time before selecting, he realised, as the second Wave began.
Chapter Nine
< < Wave Two > >
< 90-Second Timer >
90 seconds already? That¡¯s not a good sign.
Adam was standing near the third row of huts, but he had no idea how much further the boundary expanded with the second Wave.
He gripped his spear with his slime-gloved hand, preparing to launch himself forward at the first sign of goblins.
A shrill pig-like yell came from several metres behind him, just as two blue figures leapt from the fifth and sixth huts along the right side.
At least three this time! Adam realised.
He made a split-second decision and charged for the two in front of him, while keeping his ears perked for the one approaching from the back.
I have to kill all three in 15 seconds to get the rarity bonus for the Wave¡ That might be impossible, unless I can snipe the last one with my glove.
The goblins this time were blue-skinned and taller, standing at about a metre-and-a-half. They had lanky builds and held primitive wooden spears. Their heads weren¡¯t big like the green ones¡¯, but rather elongated. The ears were also narrower and flopped less. Along with their thin noses and toothy grins, they seemed far more cunning than the club-wielding greens.
With a grunt of exertion, Adam flung his right arm forward in a jab. The shaft of the spear slid through his hand, aiming right for the neck of the closest goblin.
The blue bastard moved out of the way just in time, his spear-tip missing its throat by a hair. Its sudden movement surprised Adam, but he took a step forward and swung the weapon sideways. The goblin, pressed up against the wall of a hut, had nowhere to go. The spear sliced through its neck, severing the throat and left carotid artery.
As its blood sprayed across the soil and hut, Adam quickly sidestepped a stab from the other goblin. It was too close for him to strike back with the spear, so he quickly switched the weapon to his left hand and grabbed it by the throat using the Slime Glove. Then he squeezed.
Its pained scream was smothered by his pincer grip.
Despite it being taller than the green ones, it was still more than a head shorter than him and much weaker.
A yell came from behind him and he whirled around, just as the last goblin lunged forward with its own spear. With a few quick steps, he positioned the goblin he was holding in its path. The attacker paused, clearly worried about hitting its friend, and Adam exploited its hesitation. With a stab from below, he rammed his spear into its abdomen.
The goblin collapsed with a squeal of pain, pulling his spear out of his hand. Adam discarded the dead goblin he was holding and aimed his right palm at the kneeling figure.
Then he fired his acid point-blank. It died within seconds as the slime ate through its head.
[Excellent! You cleared the Wave within 15 seconds.]
Adam looked down at the melting goblin. The glob wasn¡¯t done devouring its skin and flesh.
I think I¡¯m gonna be sick.
< < Wave Two Complete > >
< Choose your Upgrade >
He took a few steps away as Shitbox unfolded itself into a podium. Then he noticed that the goblins had left their primitive spears behind. The green ones had also dropped their simple clubs, but those were of no use to him.
¡°Can I use the weapons they drop?¡±
[No.]
He frowned. That¡¯s stupid.
Despite its answer, he stooped to pick up one of the spears. As soon as his fingers touched the wood, it became like sawdust and the soft particulates slipped through his fingers.
Why would they not allow me to keep it?
That makes no sense.
He looked over to where the next set of upgrade options had appeared.
Whatever. I¡¯ll just have to make do with this.
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Spear Damage (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases spear length by 10% >
< Throw Speed (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases throwing speed by 20% >
< Luck (Rare) ¡ª Increases luck by 3 >
A Rare Luck isn¡¯t bad, but I¡¯ll pick Damage. After all, the next upgrade is the sixth. Then I get to evolve my weapon.
But, before I select, I need to see how far the boundary goes now.
Adam continued down the rows of huts. Like before, he couldn¡¯t go to the other side of them, so the accessible area was still just the corridor between the huts.
He stopped moving forward once he got to the eight row at the end of the ¡®street¡¯. Past them were two raised wooden platforms sitting atop trees that¡¯d had their tips chopped off. They were accessible by ladders so narrow they were obviously designed for goblins. Beyond the platforms was an open stretch of forest, which led to the hill with the cave entrance.
I¡¯m guessing the next Wave will make this open area accessible and then the following one will lead me into the cave.
Although¡
He recalled the goblin appearing at the far end of the huts.
That¡¯s a dirty trick for sure. I might lose time if I move too far forward too quickly and something spawns behind me.
Adam made his way back, quickly scanning the interiors of the huts just in case.
[10 seconds remaining before Wave Three begins.]
He paused. Right as the announcement had hit him, he¡¯d looked into the sixth hut on the left side. There was a hole in the floor and thick cobwebs visible within.
Adam went into the hut to look closer.
The hole was deep enough that he couldn¡¯t see the bottom, but the thick webs didn¡¯t help either.
[5 seconds remaining.]
¡°Select spear damage,¡± he said, having no doubt that Shitbox could hear him.
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Spear Damage (Uncommon) >
There¡¯s gotta be something down this hole.
He suppressed a shudder. It was just wide enough for him to crawl down into, but it was quite possible that he¡¯d get stuck. And whatever had spun the silk had to be at least half the size of Lucca.
I¡¯ll have to come back here after I¡¯m done with the Stage.
< < Wave Three > >
< 120-Second Timer >
Adam exited the hut, his grip tight on the shaft of his spear.
¡°Glove cooldown?¡± he asked, as the tesseract floated over to him.
[20 seconds until it is ready.]If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
He frowned.
I shouldn¡¯t use it to end a Wave. Better to open up with it as my first attack.
And this Wave might be trouble. 120 seconds. That probably means 5 or more enemies. Or maybe a new tough one. Like something with armour or a shield.
Pig-like squeals came from the end of the huts as four green goblins charged for him. Their clubs were raised in the air threateningly, but he doubted they could hurt him more than the slimes.
Then he saw two yellow goblins in the distance. They were climbing up a platform each. Appearance-wise, they seemed no different than the green ones, but he was fairly sure they were this Stage¡¯s equivalent to the ranged green slimes.
¡°Tell me when the glove is ready,¡± he told Shitbox, then ran to meet the green goblins.
As soon as they got close, the four small creatures tried to surround him like wolves, showing they had some rudimentary tactics at play. He backed up, not allowing them to box him in.
Adam let the first one swing for him. He easily dodged the attack and stabbed his spear into its neck. As he tore it free, he swung his weapon widely, causing the other three to back up. On the distant platforms, the two yellow goblins stood ready, each with a small bow.
Shit!
He drove his spear-tip into another green goblin, piercing it through the mouth and wrenching it free as he ran towards the end of the huts. At the same time, the yellow archers took aim.
The sound of their strings firing was almost melodic.
Adam dashed to the side, but one of the arrows caught him in the shoulder, sticking to his Bark Armour, but failing to penetrate. It no doubt still counted towards the Relic¡¯s durability. He quickly pulled it out and it became sawdust in his hands.
A pained squeal from behind him indicated that one of the two pursuing goblins had caught the other arrow.
The one he¡¯d pierced through the mouth was lagging behind the other two and bleeding profusely. Adam almost felt bad for leaving it in pain, but then he reminded himself that they were trying to kill him.
He broke from the huts and went directly under the platform to the left, so that the archer above couldn¡¯t hit him. Then he turned and lunged for the goblin that¡¯d caught an arrow to the forearm. With two quick jabs, he punctured its ribcage and destroyed its heart.
The second one balked at the brutality, but then squealed indignantly and charged for him with a wild flurry of swings. Adam had no choice but to back away, dancing around the tree that held up the left platform.
On the right, the other archer had a clear line of sight and it launched a couple arrows at him, though he managed to avoid both.
[Your Green Slime Glove is now ready.]
The frenzied goblin was almost out of stamina, so Adam pushed towards it instead of running away, surprising it long enough to leave it open. A stab through the eye socket immediately killed it.
He whirled around and pointed his right palm towards the platform across the way, aiming for the tree holding it up.
Despite guesstimating the trajectory, he launched a slime glob across the way with just the right arc to hit the tree right below where the platform was attached. The acid hissed loudly as it ate through the wood and the whole platform quickly started to tilt. As it collapsed, the archer dropped to the ground and was quickly pinned by the platform falling on top of it.
The remaining green goblin had only just gotten to the end of the last row of huts, but it had to steady itself against a wall, while blood continued to pour out of its face.
Above him, he heard the other archer stomping about, no doubt waiting for the moment he would emerge from below it. The platform itself wasn¡¯t overly thick and his weapon had a lot of extra damage, plus penetrative power.
I could probably stab through that, but my weapon will 100% get stuck.
Then he realised he had an easier method.
He switched the spear to his left hand and started using his gloved right to dissolve the tree holding up the platform. After only a few seconds, he¡¯d severely weakened it by eating halfway through it with his slime Relic.
Adam ran out from under its cover, moving towards the pinned archer across the way. At the same time, the other one shifted its weight on the platform to take a shot at him. The tree below snapped and its squeal was cut short as it hit the ground with a crunch.
When he reached the pinned yellow goblin, it snarled up at him. He noticed how, up-close, it had two differences from the green goblins: its ears were smaller and its nose was thinner. He couldn¡¯t tell how it was any different besides that, but it didn¡¯t really matter.
Adam killed it with a quick stab, before running down the last green goblin, which died without a fight.
[Well done! You cleared the Wave within 40 seconds.]
A shame I was hit. That probably means I won¡¯t get the bonus Points. Though I didn¡¯t take any actual damage it seems.
All things considered, I think I did pretty well.
< < Wave Three Complete > >
< Choose your Upgrade >
I¡¯ve gotta remember to go back to that hut with the spiderwebs when I¡¯m done.
He watched in anticipation as Shitbox unfurled into a podium and the three options appeared.
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Spear Speed (Rare) ¡ª Increases spear attack speed by 35% >
< Throw Aim (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases accuracy with throwing by 10% >
< Dodge (Uncommon) ¡ª Grants a 10% chance to dodge a direct attack >
Rare Speed, huh? I suppose it¡¯ll be more useful than growth at least.
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Spear Speed (Rare) >
Then something new happened. Even though he¡¯d been anticipating it, it still surprised him when the spear in his hand started to glow brightly, as though covered in sunlight.
The tesseract had folded itself back into a cube and was hovering in front of him. He hoped this little interlude paused the time before the next Wave triggered.
[Your Lancer Weapon Type has reached Level 6.]
[At Level 6, your Weapon Type can be evolved in one of two possible directions.]
¡°Is there another evolution at Level 12?¡±
[Yes. Level 12 is the second milestone. Level 18 is the third and last.]
¡°What happens after I evolve for the third time?¡±
Shitbox didn¡¯t reply.
I guess I¡¯ll have to wait until it happens to find out¡
The eye on the black box looked down at the weapon in his hands. Then it started glowing with the same light and the spear became like tiny gold-glowing flies, which quickly vanished into the cube.
For a moment he thought his weapon was lost, but then Shitbox dropped to the ground and became a pyramid shape rather than a podium. Two new floating Weapon Types projected from its left and right faces.
On the left was a spear with a leaf-shaped tip and next to it was a bronze shield about a metre in diameter, which had a circle bitten out of the top. With the unique shape, the missing top of the shield seemed to serve the purpose of allowing blocking and attacking simultaneously. Although, it was perhaps a bit too small for blocking.
The option on the right was four spears bundled together, clearly designed for throwing.
< < Select an Evolution > >
< Hoplite ¡ª Trade throwing capability for a small parry shield >
< Javelineer ¡ª Gain 3 additional spears purpose-made for throwing >
Pretty sure Hoplites had bigger shields than that.
Unsaid in their descriptions was the fact that the spears themselves were vastly different. The Hoplite¡¯s spear was clearly meant for stabbing, given its leaf-shaped tip that would cause large wounds. The Javelineer¡¯s spears were thinner and shaped with more centre mass, giving them excellent balance for throwing, but making them less effective for stabbing due to their narrower tips.
I wonder if Ilya went with Javelineer because of his Boomerang Relic.
¡°Shitbox, how does parrying work?¡±
[Enemy attacks can be parried by moving the shield into the strike mid-motion and pushing it aside or interrupting it. Parrying enemies is a great way to create an opening to strike.]
¡°Do my attacks following parries have increased damage?¡±
[No.]
Adam frowned.
If it doesn¡¯t help me kill faster, then I¡¯m better off not trying to parry. Overextending myself will just get me injured or worse.
Of course, there might be Relics that increase follow-up damage or something.
The ability to disarm would also be useful.
Guess I¡¯ll check the Tavern for Parry-based Relics when I¡¯m done here.
Adam reached out and touched the Hoplite Evolution.
< < Evolution Selected > >
< Lancer => Hoplite >
The bronze shield manifested itself on his left arm, already strapped to his forearm, and the leaf-tipped spear appeared in his gloved right hand. Despite the changed appearance of the tip, the rest of the spear was more or less the same as before. The wood was still caramel-brown, but it now had a lacquer-like sheen to it. The spear-tip, which had been some kind of dark metal previously, was now the same bronze as the new shield.
< < Mastery Shard Obtained > >
A pyramid gem, like what Lenard had showed him, appeared in the air before Adam. As soon as it touched his outreached hand it vanished.
¡°Status,¡± he said.
< < Player Status > >
< Adam Fischer >
< Hoplite >
< Level 8 >
< Stats >
< Health ¡ª 100 >
< Stamina ¡ª 150 >
< Mana ¡ª 0 >
< Damage ¡ª 100% >
< Defence ¡ª 125% >
< Speed ¡ª 165% >
< Upgrades >
< Force (Rare) >
< Movement (Rare) >
¡°Armament.¡±
< < Weapon Status > >
< Spear & Parry Shield >
< Common Quality >
< Level 6 >
< Stat Upgrades >
< Spear Damage 30% >
< Spear Speed 45% >
< Spear Growth 30% >
He nodded, pleased. Despite not knowing what came next, he felt very sure of himself.
Perhaps I am developing a combat sense like Ilya after all?
If all I really had was my ability to go back in time and retain knowledge of the things I saw, then I doubt I would¡¯ve made it through the first three Waves of this Stage as easily as this.
Once he¡¯d gotten over his disgust at killing sapient creatures, he found that the goblins were no great threat. They were easy to kill and seemed to mostly rely on their numbers to fight him.
Still, I wonder what kind of boss this Stage will throw at me.
Adam walked to the end of the boundary, where it looked out on the forest in front of the cave. There were only a few trees here and all of them were smaller than the apple tree from Stage One. There weren¡¯t any obvious places the goblins could pop out from, but also no hiding spots, aside from the canopies. Until now, the Waves had always spawned the enemies from realistic locations, usually out of sight to give the illusion they had been lying in wait for him.
Yeah, I doubt they¡¯ll make them appear up in the trees. Though I should keep an eye out for any more of those archers.
< < Wave Four > >
< 150-Second Timer >
Adam spun the spear in his grip and flexed his left shoulder. The shield was heavy despite its size, but he already had a few ideas for how to utilise it in his fighting style.
A small smile played on his lips and he realised he was looking forward to trying out his new ideas.
Chapter Ten
Seven goblins in total came for him. Four green ones emerged from behind the various trees, two blues popped out from the cave across the way, and a yellow archer followed behind them. Instead of charging ahead with the club-wielders, the spear goblins stayed in front of the cave opening. The archer stepped out in front of them and prepared to shoot at Adam.
It¡¯s too far to hit it with the Glove from here.
I need to get closer.
He ran to meet the four green goblins.
Before the first one could even swing, he¡¯d speared it through the neck, shearing all the way through.
Adam hopped out of the way of two simultaneous clubs, then smacked his new shield into the one on his left, before spearing the other and killing it. Then he quickly stabbed the one he¡¯d hit with his shield, finishing it off.
As he was about to kill the last green goblin, a whistling from above caught his attention. Adam immediately lifted his parry shield in front of his face, just as an arrow slapped against it and plinked off to the side. The impact was stronger than expected, stronger even than the one which had hit him in the shoulder.
That would¡¯ve gone right into my neck if I hadn¡¯t noticed it!
Pay attention! he scolded himself.
A shrill roar preceded a swing from the remaining green goblin, but he narrowly avoided it by jumping to the side. Then he switched the spear to his left hand and grabbed the creature by the throat using his Slime Glove.
It squealed in pain and dropped its club. Although it tried to use its disgusting nails to dislodge his hand, they too started to dissolve when they touched the Green Slime Glove.
As he charged for the three goblins by the cave, the one in his grip stopped struggling and died. An arrow flew towards his face from across the way and he lifted the dead body like a second shield. The arrow hit the goblin in its forehead, spattering a bit of blood onto Adam¡¯s face.
Just a few more metres and I should be close enough!
Moments later, another arrow thumped into his goblin shield, hitting it in its stomach. None of the arrows were strong enough to go all the way through and reach him.
Adam stopped and pulled the dead creature behind his back. Then he took a long step forward to shift his weight, before launching it towards the three goblins by the cave. Although he threw it far, his ¡®shield¡¯ would still fall way short of his target.
But that wasn¡¯t why he¡¯d thrown it.
As the goblins traced the flight of their dead friend coming towards them, Adam lined up a shot with his Slime Glove and launched it right at the archer.
A loud thud came from the dead goblin as it hit the grass and rolled over itself. A second later, a loud squeal echoed across the forest as the acidic glob struck the yellow archer.
Adam returned his weapon to his right hand and loped towards the spear-wielding goblins.
The archer tossed away its bow and started running in circles, while clawing at its own face to pull off the slime eating through its flesh. It suddenly tripped when half its head was reduced to bone, striking the ground with a thump.
It didn¡¯t get back up from where it¡¯d fallen.
This thing is so gruesome to use¡
He lunged for the blue goblin to the right of the cave entrance. It moved out of the way dexterously. At the same time, the other one launched forward with a jab of its own.
Adam caught the tip of its spear against his small shield, but wasn¡¯t able to actually parry it. Then the first hopped forward with an attack, forcing him to back-pedal to avoid it.
That turned out to be a bad idea, as they both moved with him, having ample room for follow-up attacks.
Adam was forced to make a split-second decision. He swung his left arm out, trying to parry the attack coming from his left, while moving the spear in his right to push aside the other¡¯s strike.
He succeeded in parrying and disarming the first, but missed the second. Its spear struck the bark armour on his right thigh, before continuing into his flesh. It fortunately didn¡¯t go deep, but the pain was immense.
Adam let out a cry of agony as he felt the splinters from the wooden spear-tip tear at his skin.
With a quick stab to the back, he killed the goblin on his left as it was trying to pick up its lost spear. Then he roared and smashed his shield into the last one¡¯s face, breaking its nose and several teeth.
It yanked the spear out of his thigh and he gasped in pain, but quickly finished it off before it could hit him again.
As the blue goblin collapsed to the ground with two stab wounds in its upper torso, Shitbox announced, [Well done! You cleared the Wave within 40 seconds.]
Adam dropped to the ground.
< < Wave Four Complete > >
< Choose your Upgrade >
¡°Argh, fuck! Damage!?¡±
[The attack dealt 60 points of damage, which was reduced to 45 thanks to your Defence rating. That means you now have 55 Health or 55% remaining.]
¡°Son of a bitch!¡± he exclaimed. Despite the wound not being life-threatening, it hurt a lot. It was almost as if the amount of damage inflicted dictated the level of pain. It felt way worse than being hit with corrosive acid, which made no sense.
¡°Tell me there¡¯s healing available in the next Wave!¡±
Shitbox had unfolded into a podium, but still deigned to answer him.
[Healing Items may be found within the Goblin Village to any Player who can stomach it.]
It was much less helpful than during the first Stage and its words almost seemed like a riddle. Adam was fairly sure it was referring to the wicker baskets full of worms and bugs that he¡¯d seen earlier.
There might be some of those within the cave. But I¡¯m not sure I actually want to eat them.
Plus, there had been plenty of them available, so he was sure there was an insidious trick behind their abundance.
They might inflict me with some kind of sickness.
¡°You are talking about the worms, right?¡±
[Correct. Each one you devour will replenish 1 Point of Health.]
¡°Fucking knew it¡¡±
He would have to eat over fifty of them to get his full health back.
I¡¯ll just have to beat the Boss without getting hit, he decided.
[15 seconds remaining before Wave Five begins.]
Adam frowned at having wasted half his break time on getting such a useless answer. He wanted to poke his head into the cave before the Wave began, so he quickly looked at the options.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Arrayed above the podium shape were three rare options. One of the upgrade symbols was new and showed a small shield with a strange icon next to it.
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Spear Growth (Rare) ¡ª Increases spear length by 45% >
< Shield Parry (Rare) ¡ª Successful parry disorients for 1.5 seconds >
< Venom (Rare) ¡ª Attacks inflict venom slowing target by 15% for 10 seconds >
Shield Parry disorients? That¡¯s actually very useful.
He knew he didn¡¯t want to grow his spear any longer, since that would make it hard to fight with, especially since a Rare growth upgrade would put its length at almost 3 meters. Venom might have been useful if he had a ranged weapon, but in the end the choice was obvious.
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Shield Parry (Rare) >
The upgrade made no visible difference to the shield, similar to the damage upgrades for his spear. Though he wasn¡¯t sure what he¡¯d expected. It was hard to say how such a thing as disorientation would truly manifest, appearance-wise.
Adam limped over to the cave entrance, blood dripping from his injured leg down onto the green grass. As expected, there was a boundary right in the opening, but he was still able to peer inside. The entrance led down below the large hill it was recessed into and a rank smell wafted out from within. As he peered down, he saw the tunnel fork at least once. Though its walls were made of compacted earth, it looked like there¡¯d be no threat of it collapsing in on him.
Still, if it¡¯s a tunnel-system inside the cave, I likely won¡¯t be fighting just the boss.
Just to be sure, he asked, ¡°Wave Five is the last one of the Stage, right?¡±
[Correct.]
< < Wave Five > >
< 300-Second Timer >
Damn, 5 minutes?
I told myself I would focus on getting the no-hit reward, but I was too obsessed with speed. I¡¯ve saved a lot of time already, so I think I can afford to go slowly.
He looked down at his leg.
Not that I have a choice¡
Adam clenched his jaw as the boundary in the cave entrance disappeared and he was able to enter. His shoes produced a hollow sound on the compacted dirt floor, which echoed throughout.
So much for stealth, I guess.
The tunnel was just tall enough for him to walk upright, but it pressed in on his sides when it curved, making it one of the worst places to have brought a spear.
A bow would also struggle here, he considered.
The smell of the dirt walls filled his nose, along with a scent of refuse and death. While he¡¯d noticed an odour in the village above ground, it was nothing like this stench.
He only walked a few steps before the tunnel forked and led to a small room on his right. As soon as he came close, a green goblin hopped out. There wasn¡¯t enough room to bring his spear up, so Adam immediately slammed his shield into its head.
As it fell onto its back, he leaned down and repeatedly smashed the bronze edge into its face until it stopped moving. With a sigh, he stumbled back a step. His arm and shield were covered in gore.
Alright, ambushes are definitely at play here. Guess there¡¯ll be more before I find the actual boss.
Hopefully it¡¯s only green ones. An archer strategically placed at the end of a corridor here would be tough to handle.
He stepped over the ruined body of the goblin to look inside the room it had emerged from. Bile rose in his throat from what he saw and smelled. On the floor within were the rotting carcasses of hunted animals, with fat larvae and bugs swarming the bones for scraps of flesh.
Adam backed out immediately, though the scent lingered in his nostrils like an infection.
I imagine that¡¯s the source of their food baskets¡
I don¡¯t even care if there¡¯s a secret in there, because I won¡¯t go get it. Fuck that.
He continued down the tunnel, leaving the nasty chamber behind, while cautiously delving even deeper into the dark. Somehow though, despite the narrow tunnel, he was able to see clearly. It was almost like his body¡¯s presence lit up the surroundings. It didn¡¯t make much sense realistically, but he figured it was due to the game-like nature of the Trials.
Adam passed by branching paths from the main tunnel as he ventured deeper. But they were all the same: a chamber or two, with a goblin lying in wait. Every chamber had corpses inside, though not all of them seemed to be for harvesting ¡®food¡¯. One chamber in particular had three humanoid skeletons within, all tied up prior to death.
After the sixth goblin ambush, he was starting to grow exhausted and the claustrophobia was truly setting in. The pain in his thigh had subsided, which didn¡¯t make sense, but he was happy for it.
¡°Time?¡± he asked Shitbox, as he reached the end of the main tunnel. It opened up into a larger chamber with three meters to the ceiling.
[153 seconds remaining.]
Only 2.5 minutes? Felt way longer than that.
He looked across the large room.
I found the boss at least.
Seated on a chair of bones was a red-skinned creature. He looked similar to the goblins, but he was far more muscular and his black hair was thicker. Plus, he was the size of an orc, perhaps even taller than Adam.
I think they call these creatures Hobgoblins in games. Maybe that¡¯s what he is.
When Adam slowly entered the room, the Hobgoblin stood up from the throne and it creaked under his weight. He looked like a bodybuilder with how much muscle he had. A vest of horizontal bones covered his torso and the bottom of his neck. A skirt of smaller bones covered the top-half of his thighs.
That¡¯ll be troublesome to pierce I¡¯m guessing.
I should aim for his face or armpits.
The Hobgoblin picked up a sword leaned against his throne. Its handle was a large bone, perhaps the femur of a bear or a deer, and the blade was like a rusted oversized machete.
The boss suddenly slammed his chest with his left fist and roared.
¡°King! Goblin!¡±
Adam blinked, surprised that the creature could speak, but then he shook his head.
¡°You¡¯re no king,¡± he said.
The Hobgoblin roared again, then swung his blade in the air before stomping towards him.
Adam tested his weight on his right leg. It didn¡¯t hurt that much anymore.
He grinned and kicked off, pushing himself to go as fast as his movement stat would let him. His shield was raised in front, while his spear was held back, ready to lunge forward.
The two met in the middle of the large chamber, with the Hobgoblin making the first move. He swung his large blade at the centre of Adam¡¯s body, as though thinking he could chop him in half.
Clang!
Adam parried the attack with his shield, though the impact sent a bone-shaking tremor down his left arm and made his muscles cramp.
The sword was knocked aside and the Hobgoblin paused with a blank look on his face.
The disorient worked! he exclaimed internally.
Adam quickly moved around the side of the boss and rammed his spear-tip up through its exposed armpit. The leaf-shaped blade easily slipped through its red skin.
He pulled the spear out and prepared to strike again, but the Hobgoblin roared and retorted with a rapid flurry of swings. His left arm hung limply by his side and a deluge of blood spilled onto the dirt floor as he moved.
Adam back-pedalled while switching his spear to his shield hand. He was much faster than the Hobgoblin, so it was simple enough to keep creating space, especially since the room was quite big.
Thank God we aren¡¯t fighting in the tunnels.
As the boss started slowing down due to exhaustion, Adam suddenly stopped and punched his Green Slime Glove forward, firing off a glob of corrosive jelly.
Although the Hobgoblin tried to avoid it, they were too close and his movements were sluggish. The acidic glob hit the side of the boss¡¯ face and a pained roar filled the chamber.
Adam had already switched his spear back to his right hand and, as the Hobgoblin clawed at its own rapidly-dissolving head, he prepared to strike. After a couple seconds of waiting for the perfect moment, Adam lunged forward and drove the spear through the boss¡¯ neck.
With a flourish, he tore it out the side and spattered its blood everywhere.
The Hobgoblin immediately lost its strength and collapsed to the floor with a heavy thump.
[Well done! You cleared the Wave with 120 seconds remaining.]
The green slime hissed as it continued to eat through the red skin and flesh.
Not keen to watch the gruesome display, Adam walked over to the bone throne and sat down with a sigh of exhaustion.
< < Wave Five Complete > >
< < Stage Complete > >
< Tallying Score >
I think I did pretty well this time around. It should have been fast enough for the Speedrun Bonus.
< < Score > >
< 285 Seconds Completion Time >
< 45 Damage Received >
< 1028 Points Awarded >
¡°Wait, no Speedrun Bonus!?¡±
[The Speedrun threshold for Stage Two is 260 seconds. You were 25 seconds late.]
Damn it. That single wound in my leg screwed me severely. I could probably have rushed through the tunnels though, but I might¡¯ve gotten hit or dragged all six goblins into the boss room¡
¡°What is the Speedrun reward for this Stage?¡±
[250 Points.]
Adam frowned. That was a lot to have missed out on.
¡°What would the no-hit reward have been?¡±
[I cannot reveal that.]
¡°Why not?¡±
[As you have not obtained the relevant reward yourself, I am not allowed to disclose anything about the topic.]
¡°That¡¯s annoying,¡± he muttered.
Shitbox ignored him and floated to the middle of the large underground chamber, before unfolding itself into the reward podium. A chest decorated with bones showed up next to it. There was the face of a goblin on the front.
He looked at the upgrades available and already knew which one he wanted, but he had something to do first.
¡°I¡¯ve got 10 minutes to look around before the choice is picked for me, right?¡±
[Yes.]
¡°Then I¡¯ll be back.¡±
But before Adam could leave the room, a small girl poked her head out of the ¡®doorway¡¯ to a chamber on his right. He hadn¡¯t even noticed the opening in the wall until now. The girl had her hands bound but was otherwise unharmed, although she was covered in dirt.
Confusingly, she wasn¡¯t a goblin. No, she was an elf. With horns.
¡°Has mine mother sent for me at last?¡± she asked.
Chapter Eleven
Adam blinked in surprise. The girl looked no older than seven or eight and spoke with a British accent that had a slight lilt to it. She wore a white dress and her skin was ashen. Her hair was golden like sunshine and her eyes glowed orange. Two black horns sprouted from her temples.
¡°What the hell?¡± he asked, looking to Shitbox who was still unfolded in the middle of the floor.
[As part of completing Stage Two, you have saved the daughter of the Elphin Queen,] the tesseract explained.
¡°Mine name is Belamouranthe.¡±
¡°I¡¯m Adam,¡± he replied, confused as hell.
He went over and untied her bonds, then he looked back at the podium.
¡°Is there like a recurring storyline between the Stages?¡±
[Yes.]
Does that mean that Stage One would be somewhere nearby then?
I hadn¡¯t even considered that possibility.
Adam frowned, realising what had to come next.
I¡¯ll probably have to bring her back to her mother¡
¡°Wait, how does this work? Is she going to come to Interim Island as well?¡±
[Yes.]
That seems odd. Almost like a narrative break.
I mean, if I can teleport to Interim and bring her along, couldn¡¯t I also just teleport her straight home?
¡°Will thou take me to mine mother?¡±
¡°I guess I don¡¯t have much of a choice,¡± he replied. ¡°Though before we go, I have something to do first.¡±
¡°Is it outside? I wish to see the sky and trees again.¡±
¡°I suppose you could tag along.¡±
While Shitbox remained unfolded in the chamber, Adam quickly moved through the tunnels that led outside. The grimy elf dogged his heels.
Definitely didn¡¯t think this was how the Stage would go.
But if all Stages are connected, it should make it easier to predict future encounters.
I thought for sure it would be nothing but meaningless waves against new types of enemies. It might be worth paying more attention to the environmental story-telling to find clues.
The girl gasped as they emerged from the cave.
¡°How long were you in there?¡±
¡°I do not know how many moons passed, but it was a long time.¡±
¡°Good thing I came along then.¡±
Belamouranthe dropped to her knees in the grass, running her hands through it while smiling. She wore a white dress of spun silk, but it was tarnished by dirt and grime. Her arms and legs were skinny, but her face had some childish plump to it, which was a good sign.
Adam let himself be distracted by the sight of her frolicking in the sun.
She looks healthy enough at least, so if I were to consider the implications, that means the goblins were keeping her alive for something.
He didn¡¯t like where his imagination was taking him though, so he shook his head and continued past the trees to the village. When he reached the raised platforms, he realised that they¡¯d been rebuilt.
The girl ran to catch up with him.
¡°Do you know why they were keeping you captive?¡± Adam asked as he retraced his steps to the hut with the hole in the floor.
¡°The red goblin said I was to be sold. He fed me to ensure I would not perish.¡±
He frowned. ¡°Why the hell would anyone want to buy a kid¡¡± he muttered in disgust.
¡°Mother says we have magic in our veins.¡±
What the hell does that mean?
But she¡¯s very eloquent for a kid.
¡°How old are you?¡±
¡°Twelve.¡±
¡°And where do you live?¡±
¡°In the Sanctuary. Mine mother is its Queen.¡±
¡°Sanctuary? For what?¡±
¡°For Elphin.¡±
I guess that¡¯s what her species is called? But I mean, she just looks like an elf with horns¡
¡°Do all of you have horns?¡±
¡°Yes. Mother¡¯s are the most brilliant of all.¡±
He nodded, not knowing how else to respond to that.
¡°We¡¯ve arrived,¡± he announced as he entered the hut.
¡°Is this thy home?¡± the girl asked.
He laughed. ¡°Do I really look that dirty?¡±
¡°I am not familiar with thy kind. Are you human?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right. Do they not have those at the Sanctuary?¡±
¡°No. Mother forbids them entry.¡±
¡°Well¡ I¡¯m sure to receive a warm welcome then.¡±
¡°Fear not, Adam. As mine saviour, no harm shall befall thee.¡±
¡°Good to know,¡± he muttered, while getting on his knees in front of the hole. He scooted forward so he could look straight down to the bottom. There was a glint of something down there, but he couldn¡¯t tell what it was for all the spiderwebs in the way.
Belamouranthe knelt next to him.
¡°Are thou a fan of spinners.¡±
¡°Hell no.¡±
Adam pushed himself to his feet and pulled the spear from his back. Then he moved it around the edges of the hole to clear the webs away.
The Elphin girl stared down the hole as he worked.
¡°Further,¡± she urged.
He pushed the spear deeper.
¡°More?¡±
¡°No.¡±
Adam stared at the cobwebs tangled around the end of his spear after pulling it out of the hole.
No spiders at least.
¡°I see what lies at the bottom,¡± announced the girl. ¡°I must say, the quality of this Spidersilk is tremendous.¡±
He looked down at her. She was holding some of the cobwebs between her tiny fingers, splaying the strands like a true connoisseur.
After kneeling next to the hole again and peering down, he couldn¡¯t help but frown at what he saw.
It¡¯s an egg sack? That¡¯s the Secret Relic?
At the bottom was a round cocoon of tightly-packed spiderweb. He knew enough about spiders to know it would be teeming with tiny babies.
Adam shuddered.
Looking at it now, that hole is way too narrow for me to fit down.
Belamouranthe suddenly crawled feet-first down into the hole.
¡°What are you doing!?¡± he exclaimed, horrified.
¡°It is no trouble for me to get it.¡±
A couple seconds later she was down at the bottom, the hole only slightly taller than her. She crouched and grabbed the egg sack, before handing it to him.
¡°Thanks,¡± he said and pulled her up with one arm. She weighed barely anything.
< < Secret Relic Obtained > >
< Weaver¡¯s Egg (Rare) ¡ª Wriggles with inner life >
[2 minutes remaining.]
Shit. I don¡¯t have any more time to look around.
¡°We¡¯ve gotta hurry back,¡± Adam told the girl.
He stuffed the egg sack in his jeans and sprinted from the village to the cave. Surprisingly, the little girl was able to keep up with him, despite his increased movement speed. They moved through the tunnels so quickly that Adam felt confident he could grab the Speedrun Bonus next time.
If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
Next time¡? Am I planning on dying and coming back here again??
[30 seconds remaining,] Shitbox stated as they reached the boss chamber.
He scanned the upgrade options again.
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Spear Growth (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases spear length by 30% >
< Bash Damage (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases shield bash damage by 10% >
< Damage (Rare) ¡ª Increases all damage by 15% >
It''s less damage if I pick Bash, but I want that next Evolution.
¡°Select Bash Damage.¡±
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Bash Damage (Uncommon) >
The chest immediately started to glow the moment Adam picked the upgrade, but he still felt like it was taking too long. With a pop, which startled the Elphin girl, the bone chest sprung open, revealing three Relics.
< < Relics Available > >
< Fat Grub (Common) ¡ª Eat to restore health back to full over 60 seconds. Once consumed, the Relic disappears >
< Reroll Die (Uncommon) ¡ª Allows the Player to reroll Reward or Vendor Options. Relic disappears after use >
< Bone Armour (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases Player Defence by 30%. Breaks after 6 hits >
Goddamn it, none of these are useful.
¡°Shitbox, if I take the Bone Armour, what happens to the armour I¡¯m already wearing?¡±
[Only one Armour Relic can be equipped at a time. Selecting a new Armour Relic will unequip your current one. You can choose to carry it around or I can stow it in your Player House.]
Guess I can sell the Bark Armour to Lucca. Hopefully it¡¯ll still be worth 150 Points even though it only has 3 hits left before it breaks.
¡°I¡¯ll pick the Bone Armour,¡± he decided.
< < Relic Selected > >
< Bone Armour (Uncommon) >
The flexible bark plates vanished from his body and landed by his feet, folded up like a towel. A bone vest similar to the Hobgoblin¡¯s appeared over his white shirt, along with a skirt, a headband of finger-bones, and bracers for his arms and legs.
This seems to cover less than the Bark Armour¡
Still, it increased his Defence by 5% which wasn¡¯t insignificant, given that taking less damage meant less pain and less Points lost.
He stooped to pick up the unequipped Armour Relic.
Belamouranthe made no comment about his new attire, though she also hadn¡¯t remarked upon his clearly otherworldly outfit, so maybe she wasn¡¯t the type to judge.
Wait¡ Why am I considering her a real person?
If the Trials take their cue from games, wouldn¡¯t that make her an NPC?
He looked down at her. She was staring back at him with a smile.
Oddities aside, she does seem very real. But so do the insect vendors¡
The tesseract let off a pulse of magic and the cave interior was swallowed by darkness. As the dirt walls became dumpy buildings and the oppressive ceiling turned to azure sky, the little Elphin only stared at Adam.
< < Now Entering > >
< Interim Island >
A spirited hurdy-gurdy melody welcomed him back and a warm breeze ruffled his hair.
The surroundings had changed somewhat, Adam realised. The melted clay structures pretending to be houses looked slightly less crap than before, and the cobbles underfoot were a bit more orderly. Even the errant plants and trees seemed less like invasive growths, somehow.
Odd. It¡¯s like this place is becoming more coherent.
¡°Are you hungry?¡± he asked Belamouranthe.
She nodded eagerly.
He hefted the Bark Armour that was folded up in his arms. ¡°I¡¯ve just gotta sell this, then we can go to the Tavern. You can eat whatever you want there.¡±
¡°Even boar meat!?¡± she asked excitedly.
¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s an option. Heck, they¡¯d probably even serve you Dodo meat if you wanted.¡±
¡°Is that a type of pig?¡±
¡°No, I think it¡¯s like a fat pigeon.¡±
She shook her head. ¡°I will have boar.¡±
Adam couldn¡¯t help but smile at her intensity.
He expected Luvicidix to stop him before he headed north for the Market, but it seemed the White Moth was observant enough to know when his services were wanted.
The moment Adam arrived in front of the wasp Musician, something happened.
< < Secret Relic Activated > >
The egg sack lifted itself out of Adam¡¯s pocket and floated past the wasp and the fountain behind her. It continued past the flowerbeds and all of the Market stalls, before pausing in front of the trees on the island¡¯s edge. Then the cocoon ballooned in size and grew into a vague facsimile of the other stalls.
Another spider appeared within, though this one was only the size of a poodle.
¡°So there are Secret Relics to unlock more vendors?¡±
[Correct. You have unlocked the Weaver. This vendor sells non-Relic attire.]
¡°What, like underwear?¡±
[Yes.]
Adam laughed. ¡°Amazing¡ I¡¯m so glad I found that,¡± he deadpanned.
He gave Yenna the wasp a nod as he passed her. She had the hurdy-gurdy in her arms and was winding the lever while playing the keys. He paused for a moment as he saw that the sculptures of the fountain had become goblins instead of slimes.
What an odd attention to detail¡
Belamouranthe tagged along behind him while he looked at the stalls, but didn¡¯t seem too bothered by the giant insects all around them.
The vendors all greeted him as he perused, but aside from Thea, whose upgrades now matched his evolved Weapon Type, there were no differences. He¡¯d kind of hoped that Belin the cockroach would be selling more types of consumables, but it was still only the three types of roots and potions.
I should probably buy a health potion though.
¡°How much does a small potion heal?¡± he asked.
¡°Small ones, regardless of type, recover 40%. Medium recovers 60%, and Large recovers everything.¡±
¡°And it was 100 for a small?¡±
¡°Correct. Medium is 500 and Large is 1200.¡±
That makes no sense though, he realised.
I could just buy three small ones for 300 Points to achieve the same effect, while saving 900.
There¡¯s gotta be some reason for it.
¡°Is there a cooldown to using potions?¡±
¡°Potions do not work like Relics,¡± she answered. ¡°They do not have cooldowns, but rather toxicity build-up. This means that consuming two potions back-to-back will raise your toxicity to dangerous levels. Consuming three in quick succession is lethal.¡±
Goddamnit¡
¡°And how long before it¡¯s safe to consume a second one?¡±
¡°10 minutes.¡±
¡°That¡¯s stupid. Stages don¡¯t even last that long.¡±
She gave him a look that, despite her unsettling cockroach appearance, seemed to indicate that there was something she couldn¡¯t tell him.
¡°Is it the same with the roots?¡±
¡°Correct. However, the root toxicity is separate from potion toxicity. You can consume one root and one potion and you would be fine.¡±
¡°But it¡¯s regardless of type? Like, would I get poisoned from drinking a health potion right after a stamina potion?¡±
¡°Yes. You would also be poisoned if you consumed a health root right after a stamina root.¡±
Adam frowned.
Suddenly they don¡¯t seem that useful¡ But I guess the health-boosting root might be worth using.
¡°How much were the roots?¡±
¡°250 Points.¡±
¡°Eh, I¡¯ll think about it,¡± he told her and continued on to Lucca¡¯s stall.
The grey spider was leaned out of her stall and all eight of her clustered-together eyes stared down at the newcomer¡¯s shop.
Adam froze at the sight of the giant spider.
They can move out of their stalls!?
The spider slowly turned to face him.
¡°Hello again, Adam.¡±
Adam swallowed. ¡°Hello.¡±
¡°You have brought a weaver here,¡± she said, matter-of-factly. There was a sinister tone to her words that unsettled him.
He frowned. ¡°Will that be an issue?¡±
¡°My kind eats other spiders. But fret not dear, I am civilised.¡±
¡°Well, if you are so civilised, would you go back inside so I can look through your wares?¡±
A chittering laugh emerged from the spider as she pulled her long legs and head back under the red overhang. She tilted her head slightly as he came closer.
¡°Show me your Relics,¡± he said.
Two of her long legs gestured to the black treasure chest next to her.
¡°Have a look.¡±
Golden light cascaded from the chest as it popped open. Adam immediately stared at the Epic-rarity option that appeared.
< < Relics For Sale > >
< Blue Trophy (Rare) ¡ª Increase Player Damage by 15% for 10 seconds. 2-minute cooldown >
< Chaos Fragment (Epic) ¡ª All Player¡¯s equipped Relics are randomly changed to something of equal Rarity. Disappears after use >
< Parry Bracer (Uncommon) ¡ª Can be used to parry physical attacks. Breaks after 3 uses >
< Fat Grub (Common) ¡ª Eat to restore health back to full over 60 seconds. Once consumed, the Relic disappears >
The Chaos Fragment looked like a shard of rainbow-hued glass.
Depending on how ¡®equal rarity¡¯ is considered, it might potentially be an upgrade for some items, if it picks from options that don¡¯t become available until later Stages.
If that¡¯s the case, it has the most potential power in the early Stages, but, at the same time, it would be better to use when I have more Relics.
But I don¡¯t like the random chance of it.
He scanned the other options. The Trophy was literally just the torn-off ear of a blue goblin. The Bracer was made of bronze and looked cool, but it was clearly not super useful. The Grub was, as expected, just a fat worm.
I have 1028 Points. If I can sell the Bark Armour for 150, then I can buy a Reroll and maybe get lucky with another Epic Relic. Or I could buy two Rares.
Before he got too ahead of himself, he lifted the folded-up armour in his hands and said, ¡°I¡¯d like to sell this.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Lucca replied. ¡°You will receive 150 Points in return.¡±
He nodded. ¡°Deal.¡±
The Armour Relic vanished from his hands.
Before he could even ask, Shitbox explained, [You can view your Point Total by uttering the word ¡®Currency¡¯.]
¡°Currency.¡±
< < Player Currencies > >
< Points ¡ª 1178 >
< Mastery Shards ¡ª 1 >
Oh, this shows the Mastery Shards too.
I wonder if there are other types of currencies.
Maybe I should visit Alivida again. If I remember correctly, she had something that cost just 1 Shard.
¡°I¡¯d like to buy and use a Reroll,¡± he told Lucca.
< < Relic Purchased > >
< Reroll Die (Uncommon) >
< 1078 Points Remaining >
¡°Excellent,¡± she chittered.
The black chest closed, before popping open a moment later.
¡°Adam, I am hungry.¡±
He blinked and looked down at the Elphin girl.
Crap, I completely forgot about her for a moment.
¡°Give me like 10 more minutes, then we can go to the Tavern.¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
Adam had a look at the new set of Relics.
< < Relics For Sale > >
< Avalanche Boots (Rare) ¡ª All kicks inflict disorientation on normal targets for 2 seconds >
< Yellow Trophy (Rare) ¡ª Increase Player Speed by 15% for 10 seconds. 2-minute cooldown >
< Potion Belt (Uncommon) ¡ª Carries up to three potions and makes them indestructible | Uses the right-most potion when its associated resource is exhausted >
< Blink Ring (Uncommon) ¡ª Charged attacks are performed instantaneously when you blink >
Damn. No Epics this time¡
The Boots could be useful though. The Yellow Trophy as well.
The Belt might be okay if I can find a Relic that does something about toxicity build-up, but on its own it seems more likely to get me killed by self-inflicted poisoning¡ Plus I¡¯d have to buy potions to keep it stocked.
¡°I¡¯ll look around some more and return later,¡± he told Lucca.
¡°You will be back,¡± she replied knowingly. ¡°Bye for now, Adam.¡±
Since he wasn¡¯t interested in the other vendors, he went straight to the new one he¡¯d unlocked.
The stall was made entirely of spiderwebs, but was otherwise indistinguishable from the rest. Dresses, shirts, pants, underwear, socks, and every other type of clothing imaginable hung down from the ceiling on imperceptibly-thin lines of silk. Unlike the off-white stall, they were full of colour.
The weaver in charge crawled up the back of the counter and peered over the edge at him. Then with a little hop it landed on top.
¡°Hi Adam. My name is Weaver.¡±
¡°Hello there.¡±
¡°Thank you for bringing me here,¡± she said. Her voice was timid and small.
¡°What do you sell?¡± he asked.
¡°Clothing spun from my own silk.¡±
Adam gestured to Belamouranthe. ¡°She says your Spidersilk is very high quality.¡±
The girl nodded eagerly. ¡°Mother would love to welcome thee to our Sanctuary I am sure.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Weaver replied. ¡°If you would like, I can spin new clothes for you both. For free.¡±
Adam considered his jeans and shirt. Both were stained and damaged.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t say no to that.¡±
¡°I would like a green dress!¡± insisted the Elphin girl.
¡°I¡¯d just like replacements for what I¡¯m already wearing,¡± Adam added. ¡°If you can make those with just silk.¡±
¡°Understood,¡± Weaver replied. ¡°The finished clothes will be brought to your Player House. Any subsequent sets of clothing will cost 100 Points.¡±
¡°Thank you, Weaver.¡±
Belamouranthe looked up at Adam expectantly. ¡°Will thou take me to where boar is served?¡±
¡°Yes, yes, we¡¯ll go to the Tavern now.¡±
Chapter Twelve
Belamouranthe beamed as Charlie the red ant brought a boar pot roast to the table. She immediately dug in, ignoring the cutlery set out in front of her and tearing the meat apart with her hands.
After listening to the Elphin girl rave about it for a while, he pushed aside his seafood pasta to give it a try.
¡°Holy crap,¡± he muttered reverently. Around him, it looked like a bunch of the holograms were trying the exact same dish, prompted by the tiny girl. Granted, he couldn¡¯t see their dimensions¡¯ version of Belamouranthe.
As soon as she noticed he¡¯d taken a bit, she clutched the whole ceramic pot and hissed at him like a miserly cat.
¡°It¡¯s not good to be greedy,¡± he told her.
¡°Get thy own boar! This is mine!¡±
Before he could try to convince her, Shitbox interrupted him.
[Another Player is trying to communicate with you. Do you wish to talk to them?]
¡°Who is it?¡±
[Player Willow Martin.]
¡°I thought you weren¡¯t allowed to tell me the names of other Players.¡±
[I am allowed when they are requesting to speak to you.]
Weird. Still wish it¡¯d been able to tell me about that person I saw when I asked about the Self-devouring Eye Relic.
[Do you wish to talk to the Player?]
¡°Yes.¡±
[Understood.]
A hologram flickered into life on the opposite side of the wooden table.
¡°You survived,¡± she said, relieved.
Adam couldn¡¯t help but smile. It was nice to know she cared about him.
¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alright as well. Did you get any of the bonus objectives?¡±
¡°You mean the challenges?¡± she asked. ¡°I got the Flawless bonus.¡±
¡°Flawless?¡±
¡°That¡¯s what the no-damage achievement is called,¡± she explained. ¡°It gave me 400 Points.¡±
¡°Damn,¡± he muttered. He¡¯d been so close to getting both of the achievements.
¡°Did you get any?¡± she asked.
¡°Nah,¡± he said, frowning. ¡°I was 25 seconds off from the Speedrun. The last Wave screwed me.¡±
She nodded. ¡°Same. I was 50 seconds off from it, but my staff isn¡¯t that great in tight spaces.¡±
¡°How does it work?¡± he asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t tried that one yet.¡±
Willow frowned at the way he phrased it. Still, Adam was glad that he didn¡¯t have to hide his past loops from her.
¡°It¡¯s a bit odd,¡± she started. ¡°You have to swing it to launch spells after preparing them. The base version is a ball of magic that¡¯s hard to aim. I selected the Seeker evolution and now it fires a magical bolt instead, which is a lot faster. The other evolution, Acolyte, makes it possible to prepare more spells.¡±
¡°That does sound weird,¡± Adam noted.
¡°It¡¯s pretty strong and it works well with the Slime Ring.¡± Willow lifted her hand and showed a ring that Adam remembered seeing last time they spoke. For some reason, he hadn¡¯t realised that it was a Relic.
¡°What does it do?¡±
¡°It gives my projectiles Acid Burst, which makes them explode where they land, showering acid.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve never seen that before,¡± he muttered.
¡°You know, I think there¡¯s a bias to the randomness of the rewards. I¡¯ve seen a lot of Mana-related stuff, but I¡¯ve yet to encounter things like that Duellist¡¯s Glove you were talking about.¡±
Adam nodded. That makes sense, he thought.
If there are dozens-upon-dozens of Relics available for every Stage, there has to be a way to make sure Players get something they can use. If they want to keep things fair, they probably wouldn¡¯t throw Mana-related rewards at Players with Stamina-based weapons.
Maybe that¡¯s why Lenard couldn¡¯t find the glove either.
¡°Did you find the Secret by the red goblin guy, by the way?¡± Willow asked.
¡°No? I didn¡¯t realise there was one in that area. I only found the spider one.¡±
¡°Spider one?¡± she asked, confused.
[Another Player is trying to communicate with you. Do you wish to talk to them?]
Adam lifted his hands forming a T for ¡®timeout¡¯.
¡°Hold on, Willow, someone else is trying to talk to me.¡±
He turned to the floating cube. ¡°Is it Lenard?¡± he asked.
[Correct. Would you like to speak to him?]
¡°Merge him with our conversation like last time.¡±
[Understood.]
Lenard appeared next to Willow, a large pot of boar roast in front of him.
¡°This girl¡¯s a genius!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°I had no idea boar could taste this good! Although I had to get my own since she wouldn¡¯t share¡¡±
Adam laughed. ¡°Good to see you again, Lenard.¡±
¡°You¡¯re both alright,¡± he said, sounding relieved. ¡°One of the other people I¡¯d been talking to¡ she didn¡¯t make it¡¡±
¡°How can you tell?¡± Willow asked. Adam was wondering the same thing, but was glad she had the guts to ask.
The German frowned. ¡°If you search for someone in here with their full name, the black box will tell you if they¡¯ve died.¡±
Willow and Adam shared a glance.
¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± he said. ¡°Going to give it a try.¡±
¡°Me too,¡± she added.
Lenard smiled sadly. Perhaps he felt like he¡¯d passed on cursed knowledge. After all, sometimes it was better to not know if someone was dead or alive.
Adam looked at Shitbox. ¡°Show me Helena Fischer.¡±
[The Player you are searching for has perished.]
He clenched his jaw.
¡°Show me Christian Fischer.¡±
[The Player you are searching for has perished.]
Adam continued through the names of his aunt and uncles.
Each and every one of them had perished.
I¡¯m the only one left out of my entire family¡
Fuck¡
¡°How many Players are left?¡±
[419 million Players survived Stage Two. Currently, 121 million Players are utilising the Dimensional Tavern.]
Okay, that¡¯s not as bad as I feared¡
Although that¡¯s still over 100 million who died¡
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
Goddamn.
¡°Charlie,¡± he said, calling over the tavernkeeper.
¡°Yes, Adam?¡±
¡°Bring me a milkshake and three croissants. And some dinosaur nuggets. Oh, and a smaller version of the roast that Belamouranthe got.¡±
¡°Strawberry again?¡±
He nodded.
¡°I will be back in a moment,¡± she said with a giggle and left.
Adam looked at the Elphin girl. She was leaned over the table and snored loudly. Her hands and face were covered in the oily fat from the bottom of the ceramic pot.
He smiled and reached over, patting her on the head.
Even though you¡¯re just a figment of this world, it¡¯s nice to have a companion at least.
Belamouranthe frowned and started mumbling angrily in her sleep.
Adam turned back to his companions, rejoining the conversation.
¡°Did your girl fall asleep as well?¡± Lenard asked. ¡°She¡¯s snoring really loudly next to me.¡±
¡°She did,¡± he replied.
Willow frowned. ¡°I made the mistake of letting her try my milkshake. She¡¯s been sprinting up-and-down the tables for the last 2 minutes. Pretty sure you¡¯re not supposed to give sugar to elves¡¡±
The two men laughed at the scene they imagined in their heads.
It was good to have an excuse not to think about the death of their loved ones. Previously, Willow had said that she thought her brothers were dead as well. Based on the distant look in her eyes, he guessed that she¡¯d gotten confirmation about their fates, and it hadn¡¯t been good news. But then it vanished as she fixed Adam with a hard stare. ¡°So, what was that spider thing you mentioned?¡±
He grinned. ¡°You first,¡± he said.
¡°I was just talking about the Lucky Stone. You didn¡¯t find that one?¡±
¡°I found that too,¡± Lenard said. ¡°They didn¡¯t really hide it very well.¡±
Adam¡¯s grin faltered. ¡°I missed it¡ Where was it?¡±
¡°Inside the Hobgoblin¡¯s chamber. The same place Bel was kept hostage,¡± Willow answered.
¡°It increases the rarity level by one for the next reward options,¡± Lenard explained, before he could ask. ¡°I used mine and got an Epic-rarity necklace. It has a weird side-effect though.¡±
¡°I¡¯m saving mine for later,¡± Willow said.
¡°Damn, wish I¡¯d found that,¡± Adam muttered jealously. ¡°It would be really powerful if you mix it with the rarity bonus from doing a Wave really fast.¡±
She nodded, clearly thinking the same thing.
¡°So, the spider?¡± she insisted.
¡°It¡¯s kind of dumb. It was inside one of the goblin huts at the end of the village. Like in a hole full of webs. Belamouranthe went down the hole and got it for me, after I removed the webs of course.¡±
Lenard looked horrified. ¡°You made a child get in a hole full of spiders!?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t make her do anything,¡± Adam immediately replied. ¡°She went in there on her own. Also, there weren¡¯t any spiders. Just this cocoon thing. It was called Weaver¡¯s Egg.¡±
¡°What does it do?¡± Willow asked. ¡°Did you get a spider companion?¡±
¡°I wish,¡± Adam replied with a frown. ¡°It¡¯s just a vanity vendor that was added to the Market in my world.¡±
Both of them seemed surprised by the answer.
¡°I didn¡¯t know we could find more vendors,¡± Lenard said.
Willow nodded. ¡°I¡¯m surprised there were two Secrets, since the first Stage only had one.¡±
¡°I think it might have had two as well,¡± Adam replied.
¡°Where would they have hidden it? It wasn¡¯t possible to leave the clearing.¡±
¡°Maybe inside the tree?¡± Lenard guessed.
Adam blinked.
Holy shit. That¡¯s gotta be it!
I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t think of that!
The slimes¡¯ attacks dissolve the tree, so it¡¯s no doubt meant to be something that can be accessed by goading them into hitting the tree repeatedly.
¡°I¡¯ll try to ask around and find out,¡± Adam said. ¡°Maybe someone managed to break open the tree.¡±
¡°What¡¯s the point?¡± Lenard asked.
Before Adam could bullshit his way out of the very poignant question, Willow said, ¡°If we know about what kind of Secrets there are, it may be helpful for the next Stages.¡±
He considered the answer for a bit, before conceding. ¡°That¡¯s a good point. I think I¡¯ll ask about the different Relics that people got.¡±
¡°Wait, what was the thing you got? The Epic-rarity one?¡± Adam asked before he could leave.
¡°It¡¯s a necklace. It¡¯s called Hobgoblin Pendant.¡± Lenard lifted a string of hair up from under his straw-brown sweater. Three carved finger bones were attached to it. ¡°It makes me immune to pain and I can survive a fatal hit, but it¡¯ll break if that effect triggers.¡±
¡°What¡¯s the side-effect?¡± Willow asked. Adam had already forgotten about the off-hand comment, but she was good at remembering small details.
Lenard ran his hand across the table. ¡°It makes me unable to feel anything like physical touch.¡±
¡°That sounds dangerous,¡± she remarked. ¡°You might get seriously injured and won¡¯t even notice until it kills you¡¡±
¡°I know,¡± he replied, his tone serious. ¡°But the last Stage was pretty rough. The spear goblins did a real number on me. I had to eat a lot of those disgusting bugs just to survive.¡±
¡°Is your shortbow not working well?¡± Adam asked.
Lenard frowned. ¡°I¡¯m going to see if I can¡¯t buy a Relic that makes it stronger, but right now it seems very weak.¡±
Willow looked poised to say something, but she stayed her tongue. Adam could probably imagine that her comments might sound incredibly biased since she¡¯d spent her life mastering archery.
¡°If you can¡¯t find some strong Relics,¡± Adam said, ¡°then maybe you should try and swap to a different Weapon Type.¡±
Lenard looked down at the weapon next to him. ¡°But my bow is level 11. Maybe if I evolve it again it¡¯ll become better.¡±
Adam knew that it was a tough decision, especially since swapping weapons now would mean giving up all of his upgrades and likely falling behind the difficulty curve.
¡°If you evolve it again, you¡¯ll have two Mastery Shards,¡± Willow told him. ¡°Then you can buy the Second Sheath upgrade from the black moth. That¡¯ll let you have a backup weapon if you need it.¡±
I hadn¡¯t even thought of that.
Lenard nodded eagerly. ¡°Thank you, Willow. I think I might do that!¡±
She smiled warmly.
It¡¯s like she was born for this, Adam thought.
I wonder how Ilya did. He seemed like a perfect pick for the Trials as well.
If these Trials really are being broadcasted, I bet most people are watching those two.
I wonder who the spectators actually are¡ Aliens? Other beings like Shitbox maybe?
He wanted to ask the tesseract, but it probably wouldn¡¯t give him a straight answer.
¡°Let¡¯s meet up again tonight,¡± Lenard said. Then he stood up from his stool and vanished.
¡°I¡¯m gonna hit up the Market,¡± Willow said.
Adam nodded. ¡°Talk to you later.¡±
Just then, Charlie returned with his mountain of food.
Willow gave him an incredulous stare.
¡°Don¡¯t fat shame me,¡± he told her.
She laughed as she got up and vanished as well.
After searching for over 20 minutes and trying to refine his query in a way that would actually work, Adam managed to find someone who had the information he was looking for.
The man sitting opposite him wore a dark-blue short-sleeved shirt. He had a buzz-cut and dark skin. Adam was fairly sure he was Japanese, though he hadn¡¯t spoken a word yet. Despite accepting his request to talk about the Secret from Stage One, he¡¯d held up a hand and silently asked Adam to wait until he was done making his food.
In front of the man was a small one-time-use grill and he had six meat skewers lined up on it. Every few seconds he¡¯d flip one or stoke the coals with a simple paper fan in his hand. Adam had to admit it looked quite delicious, even though his stomach was already full to the bursting from eating his croissants, nuggets, and boar roast.
I guess it¡¯s possible to ask Charlie for something like this as well.
I wonder what the exact limit on her requests are.
Like, can I ask her to bring me a chocolate fountain?
When the man was finally done, he handed the skewers off to the side, where they quickly vanished.
Wait, he spent that long making it just to give it all to Belamouranthe?
The man continued looking off to the side, probably watching as his unseen companion scarfed down the skewers. He smiled to himself a little.
¡°Apologies,¡± he then said, looking back to Adam. His voice was kind and warm. ¡°The girl was hungry.¡±
Adam reached his hand across the table. ¡°I¡¯m Adam.¡±
The man looked at the outstretched hand and then reached out to shake it. Of course, they were unable to touch.
¡°I am Mori Toshio.¡±
Adam was glad that he¡¯d guessed the man¡¯s nationality correctly. There¡¯d often been many Japanese tourists where he lived because of the mountains, which were apparently similar to those in Japan. In fact, it hadn¡¯t been more than a week since he¡¯d recently helped two Japanese women find their way to the nearby theme park. It had been kind of awkward because of the terrible translation app he¡¯d been using.
I never did find out if they actually made it there.
But, unlike back then, we can now communicate with effortless ease.
Before Adam could even ask, Mori lifted a scabbarded sword up onto the table. It seemed quite heavy. Both the scabbard and blade were covered in a layer of stone. Gold poked out from cracks here-and-there. It looked powerful.
¡°This is ¡®Gram¡¯,¡± Mori explained. ¡°I obtained it in the first Stage by chopping down the large tree.¡±
¡°You chopped it down!? How?¡±
¡°I selected the Woodsman type. It gave me an axe. It was the only weapon I was familiar with from the selection.¡±
¡°Did you switch to this blade then?¡± Adam asked.
Mori nodded once. ¡°It is powerful. Its unique skill is called ¡®Anvil Splitter¡¯. I used it to kill the red ogre in one hit.¡±
A unique skill? I¡¯ve not heard of that before.
¡°Thank you for telling me, Mori,¡± Adam said.
In exchange, Adam told him about the black moth, along with the Flawless and Speedrun bonuses.
I can¡¯t wait to try out that weapon when I go back.
I mean¡ If I go back.
He said goodbye to Mori and almost made to leave the Tavern, but realised he had one more query he wanted to search.
¡°Show me all the Players that obtained the Flawless and Speedrun achievements for Stage Two.¡±
[Understood.]
The air flickered and three people appeared. One of them was Ilya. To his left was a woman in a blue business suit with blonde shoulder-length hair. She looked like a humourless entertainment lawyer. Further down the table was an older guy with a scraggly black beard and a dark winter coat. He was sleeping next to a bunch of bottles.
Only three people? Out of the 120 million currently in the tavern?
For a moment, Adam wanted to ask them how they¡¯d done it, but they were all quite imposing. After all, they were each a 1-in-40-million Player. It was an insane accomplishment he thought. Despite not being as much of a threat to him as the first Stage, the second had actually been quite challenging, considering its mix of close quarters, ranged enemies, and ambushes. Anyone who obtained both achievements had to be quite skilled.
Even Ilya, who he thought was his friend, looked quite intimidating. The fact that he¡¯d managed to get both achievements two Stages in a row was also a testament to his terrifying power.
Since he hadn¡¯t talked to them, they didn¡¯t know he was watching. So, he decided to observe them for a bit to see what their Relics and weapons were. Almost immediately, the businesswoman got up. Just as she disappeared, he noticed that there were dark swirling tattoos on her hands.
That has to be a Relic. Or maybe it¡¯s her weapon?
He switched his gaze to the sleeping drunkard. Fortunately, his weapon was right next to him. It was a large ornate book.
No. Not a book. A tome.
I think he must¡¯ve picked Warder. That¡¯s a Rare Weapon Type.
I wonder what it does.
In terms of Relics, he couldn¡¯t tell what the man had.
Then he looked back at Ilya. He was in the middle of talking to someone, though Adam obviously couldn¡¯t tell who nor could he hear their conversation. His weapon was somewhere out of sight, but Adam was quite sure he¡¯d gone with Javelineer, since he¡¯d mentioned the Boomerang Pendant which worked well with thrown items.
It seems like a pretty terrible fighting style without such a Relic, Adam thought.
Thanks to Ilya¡¯s baggy t-shirt, he couldn¡¯t tell what other stuff he might have, which was a shame.
He was about to get up and leave, when the Russian guy turned to look at him. ¡°Hello again, Adam.¡±
Adam got such a shock that he tumbled off his stool and fell on his ass.
The holograms flickered and disappeared.
What the fuck!?
¡°How was he able to see me??¡± he asked Shitbox.
[I do not know.]
Who the hell was he talking to??
That can¡¯t have been a coincidence!
Chapter Thirteen
Adam hurried through town as the sun set on the horizon. He was still frazzled by the strange encounter with Ilya, but pushed it from his mind for now, since he had to hurry. The tesseract floated along behind him as he ran past the buildings.
Belamouranthe remained in the Tavern, where Charlie watched over her as she slept.
¡°Good evening, Adam,¡± greeted Yenna as he ran past the fountain next to her. She¡¯d swapped out the hurdy-gurdy for a violin and was playing a spirited tune.
He froze mid-step and spun around to face her. ¡°Play me the theme from Schindler¡¯s List.¡±
¡°Of course, Adam.¡±
As she started up the sorrowful melody, he continued on to Lucca¡¯s stall.
He took a long look at the options again, but he¡¯d already decided on what he was going to do.
< < Relics For Sale > >
< Avalanche Boots (Rare) ¡ª All kicks inflict disorientation on normal targets for 2 seconds >
< Yellow Trophy (Rare) ¡ª Increase Player Speed by 15% for 10 seconds. 2-minute cooldown >
< Potion Belt (Uncommon) ¡ª Carries up to three potions and makes them indestructible | Uses the right-most potion when its associated resource is exhausted >
< Blink Ring (Uncommon) ¡ª Charged attacks are performed instantaneously when you blink >
¡°I¡¯ll buy a reroll and use it immediately.¡±
Lucca chittered sinisterly. ¡°Excellent.¡±
< < Relic Purchased > >
< Reroll Die (Uncommon) >
< 978 Points Remaining >
The items were sucked down into the chest and it rumbled slightly, as new Relics were generated inside.
Come on, give me something good!
It popped open, showing mostly new Relics.
< < Relics For Sale > >
< Boomerang Pendant (Rare) ¡ª Returns thrown objects. 15-second cooldown >
< Fiendbarb (Epic) ¡ª Imbues attacks with Blood Burst | Weapon becomes incapable of penetrating armour >
< Fragile Impact Glove (Uncommon) ¡ª Thrown objects shatter armour. Breaks after 3 uses >
< Echo Earring (Uncommon) ¡ª All trigger effects activate twice >
An Epic, now we¡¯re talking!
The Fiendbarb looked like a greyish bone with spikes sticking out of it. From its description, he imagined it would slot right onto the tip of his spear.
Echo Earring looks pretty good too, considering its only Uncommon. I wonder if that means there¡¯s a drawback to it, like with the Blink Ring.
Fragile Impact is also strong, which I guess is why it has limited uses, just like the Parry Bracers.
He looked between the options, while trying to figure out what he wanted to do.
If I sell my Bone Armour, I can afford Fiendbarb, but I think I¡¯ll ask around about it in the Tavern before I decide. Question is, do I commit to that now and go and spend the remaining 128 Points with Luvicidix?
The white moth was the reason he¡¯d been running, but he didn¡¯t like committing to buying the Fiendbarb before knowing what it did. After all, if the Relic wasn¡¯t a good pick, he wanted to be able to reroll again.
Hmm, I think maybe I¡¯ll just skip the Meta Upgrades for today.
I do still want to visit Alivida though, since I¡¯ve got that Mastery Shard now.
He suddenly felt kind of silly for having run here, when he was no longer on a tight deadline to make a purchase.
I suppose the only good reason to spend my Points with Luvicidix now rather than later is that, if I die in the next Stage, I won¡¯t lose those Points.
Before he left the Market, he went over to the silverfish¡¯s stone stall.
Just like the first time, she was scrubbing down the countertop.
¡°Hi! Nelly! That¡¯s me! Are you looking for a new weapon?¡±
¡°Just browsing,¡± he said, looking at what was on offer.
I should probably check this more often, just to get an idea of what kind of options I might have when I go back to Stage One.
He frowned to himself. If I go back¡ If.
The stone block next to the silverfish came to life and showed four weapons, which floated above. There were twin daggers, what looked like the paws of a wolf, the good old sword and shield, and the gauntlets.
< < Weapon Types For Sale > >
< Backstabber (Common) >
< Beast (Epic) >
< Defender (Common) >
< Brawler (Uncommon) >
Well, shit, the Beast one is definitely new.
Then he thought about the businesswoman with the tattoos.
¡°Does one of the rarer options look like black ink on the Player¡¯s hands?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t say!¡± Nelly replied. She sounded excited for some reason.
Shitbox supplemented her answer before Adam could start complaining. [Vendors cannot inform Players about potential Weapons, Relics, or Upgrades that you have not already seen.]
Oh well, worth a try, I guess.
¡°Can I ask how the stats are and what kind of upgrades weapons can get?¡±
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
[No, for the same reason.]
So I¡¯m just supposed to fumble in the dark and get lucky?
Whoever is observing this horror show, they must really like random chance. I mean, if you get bad luck and don¡¯t have rerolls, then you¡¯re just screwed.
Though I suppose that if I find a strategy that makes the Fool type viable, then I can tweak the odds in my favour.
Adam paused, frowning.
There I go again¡ Why do I keep planning around resetting?
It¡¯s like I¡¯ve just accepted that I will die again soon.
Is it really so hard for me to visualise my own victory?
But he knew what it was. He knew that it took people like Willow and Ilya, those naturally gifted, to overcome the Trials. He¡¯d had a leg up because of his knowledge of Stage One, but he was already behind both of them with his performance on Stage Two.
Without a word, Adam walked out of the Market and towards Alivida¡¯s tent in the garden. While he was deep in his own thoughts, the sun went down and the bright moon took its place.
He thought about his sister, Helena. He didn¡¯t know if she¡¯d died in the first or second Stage. Part of him wondered if he could help her by going back in time again. Her husband, Christian, had been a car salesman and Adam was surprised that he hadn¡¯t survived either. He¡¯d always seemed like a reliable and strong guy. As for his aunts and uncles, he figured they hadn¡¯t survived because they were all in their fifties and sixties, although it was possible they¡¯d just gotten unlucky. It was only now that he realised how bizarre it was that they hadn¡¯t been excluded like his grandmother, sick father, and niece.
Adam recalled the words Shitbox had told him.
Chosen because of my maturity and physique¡
At the time he¡¯d thought it meant that he was above average, but that was clearly delusional. Thinking on it, he realised it probably just meant that he was relatively healthy. The question was how far that definition was stretched.
The purple glow from the tent in the garden drew his attention away from his dark thoughts. He walked past the flowerbeds of black Dahlias and entered through the flap. Scented fog rolled out to meet him, but he quickly entered and shut the tent flap behind him.
Alivida the Black Moth was perched atop her high-backed chair just like last time. She was staring deeply into the purple-glowing orb on the table, while her wing scales circled in the air. Shitbox froze once again.
She looked up at him with her large compound eyes.
¡°You have¡ what I seek,¡± she announced.
¡°Show me your upgrades again.¡±
She nodded. ¡°Yes. Please give me the Shard you hold.¡±
He frowned at the way she phrased it. It reminded him of the same weird way Lucca practically begged for his Points.
I wonder what they actually get out of this.
< < Mastery Upgrades For Sale > >
< Hardmode ¡ª Unlock a toggleable Stage Hardmode ¡ª 1 Shard >
< Second Sheath ¡ª Carry 1 additional Weapon ¡ª 2 Shards >
< Orb of Insight ¡ª View info about the upcoming Stage ¡ª 3 Shards >
< Visiting Stone ¡ª Visit the Dimension of a known Player ¡ª 8 Shards >
< Vanity ¡ª Turn an Interim Island Denizen into a humanoid ¡ª 10 Shards >
Hmm, okay. The only thing I can afford is the Hardmode.
Since the upgrades can be paid incrementally, it might be a good idea to just commit my Shard right away.
Question is: which upgrade benefits me most?
¡°For the Hardmode upgrade, how does that actually work?¡±
¡°Each Stage has different challenges added onto them. I cannot¡ give specifics.¡±
That makes me think that it¡¯s not the same kind of difficulty-spike. Which probably means it isn¡¯t just more damage and health for the enemies.
¡°Aside from a bigger challenge, what else does it change?¡±
¡°You receive double Points for completing a Stage on Hardmode.¡±
He blinked. Okay, that¡¯s pretty awesome.
¡°And it¡¯s toggleable? How does that work.¡± he asked.
¡°Yes. You must make the decision before a Stage begins.¡±
That could actually be useful then. Double Points is significant.
But making the upgrade this cheap probably means the System wants Players to pick it.
It has to be a trap, somehow.
He looked at the other options.
¡°What does the Orb of Insight do?¡±
¡°Insight will give you a look at¡ your future opponents.¡±
That could be useful, depending on how much info it gives. If it has weaknesses included, it would be powerful.
¡°Is it a one-time use?¡± he asked, figuring there was a reason it was relatively ¡®cheap¡¯ in terms of Shards.
¡°No. After using the Orb¡ it must cool down for 2 Stages.¡±
¡°What about the Visiting Stone, does it have limits?¡±
¡°Visitation is only possible between Stages and only once per day.¡±
It would be nice to meet another Player in person rather than as a hologram, but I¡¯m not sure what the exact benefit is. Aside from¡
Adam shook his head.
¡°The Vanity upgrade, how does that one work? If I apply it to a vendor, will they retain their ¡®humanoid¡¯ traits for the next loop?¡±
¡°No. But you will be able to select them again. Or you can¡ select someone else. This upgrade can be purchased multiple times.¡±
¡°What about the Visiting Stone, can I get more than one to skirt the limitation?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Does the Vanity upgrade do anything aside from altering a Denizen¡¯s appearance?¡±
¡°No.¡±
He frowned. ¡°What¡¯s the point of it then? It¡¯s the most expensive one after all.¡±
¡°The All-Seeing System believes that when Players get lonely, they may want¡ª¡±
Adam waved his hands in front of his face. ¡°Stop! I don¡¯t need to hear the rest!¡±
The small moth tilted her head and gave him a strange look.
¡°Would you like to hear about the Second Sheath?¡± she then asked. ¡°You have inquired about the rest¡ after all.¡±
He nodded. ¡°Please.¡±
Anything but the talk of the System¡¯s creepy attempts to placate human desires with insect people¡
¡°It will not allow you to choose two of the same Weapon Type. You will not receive additional upgrades either.¡±
¡°How does upgrading work then?¡±
¡°The weapon held while upgrades are offered will be the one which receives the upgrade.¡±
He nodded. That makes sense.
¡°Can I acquire it more than once?¡±
¡°No.¡±
Adam thought about it for a moment. Given that the Vanity upgrade could be acquired several times, it either meant that there were possibly dozens of Stages, maybe even a hundred.
Or perhaps it¡¯s designed for those who use the Self-devouring Eye to loop back again-and-again.
I wonder if the person in the Tavern who blocked me was someone like that.
It feels a bit like a self-fulfilling prophecy in a way. After all, if they¡¯ve found the Relic once and went back to the start of the exact same timeline, then they should be able to find the Relic in the same spot again.
Finding the Self-devouring Eye might be my best shot at beating the Trials perhaps. After all, if you know the odds of the rewards, then you have such a massive advantage that any challenge can be overcome.
It seems too convenient a setup though. Perhaps there¡¯s some trick to it that I haven¡¯t realised yet.
Since my way of looping is different from what Luvicidix described, I probably won¡¯t end up stuck in a loop like that unless I find the Divine Relic.
He finally decided on what to do.
¡°I¡¯ll invest my Shard into Second Sheath.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Alivida said.
The pyramid gem emerged from Adam¡¯s chest and floated across the table, before it was absorbed by the purple-glowing glass orb.
< < Mastery Upgrades Progress > >
< Second Sheath ¡ª Carry 1 additional Weapon ¡ª 1/2 Shards >
¡°I¡¯ll be back once I have another Shard.¡±
¡°I will¡ look forward to your return.¡±
After returning to the Tavern, Adam queried it for someone who knew about the Fiendbarb Relic and understood its effect.
The tables emptied out until there were just two Players remaining. They were both in the middle of eating.
One was a short dark-skinned lady with cropped black hair who looked somewhere around forty or fifty. A spear like Adam¡¯s leaned next to her. He guessed she was from Thailand or the Philippines based on her appearance. The other woman was younger and looked maybe South American, with light-tan skin, thick dark eyebrows, and brown curly hair. He couldn¡¯t tell what her weapon was.
¡°I¡¯m looking for someone who can tell me about the Fiendbarb and how it works.¡±
Both women shifted their attention to him.
¡°What are you trading?¡± asked the younger woman. She spoke with a New Jersey dialect, which almost blew him off his stool.
I guess that¡¯ll teach me to make broad assumptions based on appearance, he thought to himself. But damn, that dialect is rough coming out of anyone, let alone a young woman¡
¡°I¡¯ve got info about Secrets and special Point bonuses.¡±
¡°Point bonuses? I¡¯m interested,¡± said the other lady.
New Jersey girl gave the short woman a look, before answering, ¡°I¡¯d like to hear about Secrets.¡±
Adam got an idea and turned to Shitbox.
¡°Can I trade with both of them at the same time?¡±
[Yes.]
He turned back to face them. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll just trade you both and you each explain what you¡¯ve discovered about the Relic. Is that alright?¡±
They both agreed.
After introducing himself and finding out their names were Fah and Carol, Adam started off explaining the Secrets he¡¯d found so far. Fah, who was Thai, had already found the Lucky Stone, which was how she got the Fiendbarb. Carol hadn¡¯t found any Secrets, but she¡¯d gotten the Speedrun achievement in Stage One. Her weapons were twin axes and the Weapon Type was called Berserker.
A New Jersey Berserker called Carol¡ A more terrifying thing probably doesn¡¯t exist.
Once he¡¯d upheld his end of the trade, Fah was the first to reciprocate.
She showed Adam her spear, which was a lot shorter than his since she hadn¡¯t picked any Growth upgrades.
¡°You see this?¡± she asked, pointing to the tip.
Adam realised that the Relic was the tip, as though it had replaced the end. It looked like a bone cactus.
That probably explains why it lacks penetrative power.
¡°Once you stab it into your enemy, a spike breaks off and poisons their blood.¡±
¡°Which is how Blood Burst triggers?¡±
She slapped her spear. ¡°It is dangerous and can maybe hurt you. The wound pops, like Bang!¡±
¡°It works a bit differently with my axes,¡± Carol explained. ¡°Spikes break off like what she said, but my axes slice and chop, so I can actually see the ¡®Burst¡¯ when it happens. I¡¯m assuming a spear will trigger it deeper within and maybe does more damage to organs.¡±
¡°What does it look like?¡± he asked.
¡°Like thorns of blood emerging from the wound,¡± Carol described. It sounded cruel, which was probably how it¡¯d earnt its name.
¡°It poisons the blood,¡± Fah repeated. ¡°When I tested it, some blood spilled on the ground and popped like those slimes.¡±
Adam nodded. ¡°Okay, I think I have a good idea of how it works. Thank you both.¡±
¡°Bye, Adam,¡± said Carol and vanished.
Fah tried to reach over and clap him on the shoulder. ¡°Be safe!¡±
¡°You too. I think the next Stage might be to escort Belamouranthe.¡±
The lady grinned, showing her teeth. ¡°I will protect the girl.¡±
Then she vanished.
Well, I think that settles it.
Adam left the Tavern and went to go buy the Fiendbarb Relic.
Chapter Fourteen
Although he knew it might be a bad idea, Adam sold his Bone Armour to be able to afford the Fiendbarb Relic. He also purchased a Reroll, which he thought he might need for the Stage Three Relic reward since he¡¯d gotten crap twice in a row during this loop.
< < Relics Purchased > >
< Fiendbarb (Epic) >
< Reroll Die (Uncommon) >
< 28 Points Remaining >
28 Points¡ I guess I can¡¯t spend that anywhere. Shame Luvicidix is only here during the day.
Adam headed back to the Tavern. The leaf-shaped tip of his spear was now replaced with the bone-cactus-looking Fiendbarb. He wanted to try it out in the Player House before he went to sleep, but first he wanted to talk some more with his friends.
When he entered the Tavern, he saw that Belamouranthe was still sleeping and now covered with a blanket. The red ant was sitting on a chair next to the girl, watching her sleep. He paused for a moment in the doorway to look at the strangely-human affection the giant ant displayed.
Even though they are both fictional creatures created for the Trials, they just seem so real. I wonder if the vendors and Yenna the wasp all take a breather like this when I¡¯m not looking.
Charlie immediately stood up when she saw him.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Charlie. You can sit back down again.¡±
¡°Would you like me to bring you anything to eat or drink?¡± she asked, ever the attentive tavernkeeper.
¡°Maybe later,¡± he replied.
She remained standing.
¡°Sit down,¡± he repeated. ¡°I don¡¯t need anything right now.¡±
¡°I am not allowed to relax while you are present.¡±
Adam frowned and looked to Shitbox.
¡°Tell her to take a break.¡±
[The Tavernkeeper will take a break when you are not present.]
¡°Why the fuck are you torturing the insects too!?¡±
[She is fulfilling the role granted to her by the All-Seeing System. To disobey would be to face its punishment.]
He took a deep breath, trying not to get angry at something he couldn¡¯t change.
For a moment, Adam almost wanted to leave again, just so the ant could take a goddamn break. But he relented and sat down on a stool next to the Elphin girl.
¡°Actually, could you bring me an espresso?¡±
¡°Of course. Anything else?¡±
He thought about it for a moment, as the seats all around him filled with holograms.
¡°Two scoops of vanilla ice-cream and a warm lava cake. And I guess something that Belamouranthe might like, but I¡¯ll leave that to your imagination.¡±
Charlie giggled in that strange bubbly way of hers. It seemed she was happy to be allowed to serve the girl something too. The thought made him a bit sad, since she was clearly the motherly type who loved to take care of others.
It must be hard to have such a personality and then not being allowed to follow her instincts unless I tell her to¡
Why the fuck is the System also this cruel against the NPCs of this world?
Is suffering the only thing it seeks?
Adam let out a sigh.
I can¡¯t worry about that right now. I have to stay focused for what comes next.
¡°Show me Willow Martin and Lenard Schulz.¡±
[Understood.]
The tables cleared of holograms until just two remained further down the table in the middle of the room. They were already talking to each other and Adam felt a childish pang of envy for a microsecond, but shoved it away.
¡°I¡¯m back,¡± he said, drawing their attention.
Their holograms flickered and reappeared opposite him.
¡°You were gone quite a while,¡± Willow said.
¡°I went back to the Market and then hit up Alivida, before returning to the Tavern to find someone to explain a Relic I wanted to buy.¡±
He showed them how his spear had transformed.
¡°You sold your armour to afford it?¡± she asked, looking worried.
¡°The extra defence is nice, but if I can kill things quicker, I won¡¯t need to take any hits.¡±
¡°That sounds reckless,¡± Lenard remarked.
Adam ignored the comment. ¡°Did you end up getting a second weapon?¡±
He nodded. ¡°I had just enough Points left over from before Stage Two to afford it all. I bought my twelfth upgrade and got another Mastery Shard from the evolution. Then I bought the Second Sheath from the moth and purchased the Defender Weapon Type.¡±
¡°Does it change your stats at all?¡± Adam asked.
¡°I had to pick which of the two Weapon Types¡¯ stats I wanted to use. I chose Defender because of its higher defence.¡±
Interesting. Second Sheath suddenly seems way more useful. It would be possible to take the Defender sword and shield, and then use the Movement, Stamina, and Damage stats from Lancer instead.
¡°That¡¯s not a bad pick,¡± he said. ¡°What did you evolve your bow into?¡±
Lenard grinned and lifted his new weapon up onto the table. It was a large crossbow. ¡°I evolved from Trickster into Bounty Hunter. Aside from the weapon change, all my headshots now deal double damage.¡±
¡°Nice,¡± Adam muttered.
It will undoubtedly kill anything he hits, but a crossbow like that is difficult to reload. If he didn¡¯t have the other weapon thanks to Second Sheath, he¡¯d be screwed in fights against more than one enemy¡
I wonder if there are Relics to offset such an obvious demerit. I thought for sure he¡¯d get a repeating crossbow or something, given that his previous evolution was speed-based.
¡°What was the other evolution choice?¡± Adam asked.
¡°Quickshot. It was a differently-shaped shortbow that had the ability to ricochet arrows.¡±
That was definitely the better pick of the two, Adam thought to himself.
He looked at Willow and her thoughts were painted on her face, clear as day. She obviously thought he¡¯d picked wrong as well.
¡°What did you buy?¡± Adam asked her.
¡°I bought something called an Echo Earring. It¡¯ll make the Acid Burst explode twice. I also got the Yellow Trophy to give me a speed boost when I need it. And then I bought two Rerolls. I used the rest of my Points on just rerolling the Relics that Lucca sold¡¡±
Adam laughed. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I did too. But I think this thing will help me a lot in the next Stage,¡± he said, tapping the Fiendbarb with a finger of his Slime Glove.
He briefly explained how it worked, although he obviously hadn¡¯t tested it himself yet.
¡°What do you think we¡¯ll fight next Stage?¡± Lenard asked.
¡°Before that,¡± Adam interjected. ¡°What about my prize? What do I get for being right about the Goblins!?¡±
Willow laughed.
¡°Technically, you said Orcs and I suggested Goblins,¡± Lenard said.
¡°That¡¯s besides the point!¡± he insisted, a smile on his face. ¡°You picked Wolves!¡±
Charlie arrived with Adam¡¯s dessert, espresso, and what looked like a massive turkey drumstick for Bel. The Elphin girl immediately woke up and started devouring the meat.
Willow eyed Adam¡¯s plate. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just have a massive feast of food earlier?¡±
¡°It¡¯s weird, I don¡¯t actually feel full after gorging myself in here,¡± he replied.
¡°I noticed that too,¡± said Lenard.
¡°You¡¯ll develop bad habits for when we¡¯re released from these Trials,¡± she cautioned.
A pensive mood fell over them at that prospect and no one said anything for a while.
¡°Do you really think there¡¯s a way out?¡± Lenard eventually asked.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
¡°I¡¯d like to think so,¡± she replied.
They looked to Adam, but he just shrugged. ¡°I hope so,¡± he said, though his real thoughts on the matter were more complex than that. ¡°Anyway, I think the next Stage will be an escort to get Bel back to her mother.¡±
The girl was still busy devouring her drumstick and, like the tesseract, it seemed that she couldn¡¯t hear what Adam said when his words were directed at the holograms of his friends.
¡°If it¡¯s an escort, then it has to be an ambush,¡± Lenard said.
Adam nodded.
¡°How are you two so certain about these things?¡± Willow asked.
¡°It¡¯s because the Stages are like a videogame,¡± he replied.
¡°So far it has been very clich¨¦,¡± Lenard added.
¡°So if it¡¯s an ambush, what will we be fighting?¡± she wondered.
¡°Probably whoever wanted to buy Belamouranthe in the first place,¡± Adam said.
¡°Buy her?¡± Lenard and Willow both asked, horror on their faces.
¡°You didn¡¯t ask her why she was kept prisoner?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t want to pry,¡± Lenard said.
Willow nodded.
¡°Bel told me that the Hobgoblin kept her fed because she was to be sold,¡± Adam explained.
¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t even think about that,¡± Lenard said, ¡°but that explains why she wasn¡¯t malnourished!¡±
¡°Weren¡¯t you a policeman?¡± Adam asked, making a light jab at his lack of observational skills.
¡°I wasn¡¯t a detective or anything, but you¡¯re right, I should have noticed. It¡¯s just¡¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°She reminded me a lot of my Sarah. She turned nine this year.¡± The German had a small wistful smile on his face.
I hope he doesn¡¯t find out that the people kept in ¡®holding¡¯ are all dead¡ It would break him.
¡°Do you think the enemies will be human?¡± Willow asked, trying to return to the topic.
¡°Bel told me that her people have ¡®magic in their veins¡¯, whatever that means,¡± Adam explained. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that whoever wanted to buy her has some evil purpose in mind, so humans are probably a safe bet.¡±
¡°Or Demons,¡± Lenard said, clearly appalled by the concept Adam laid out.
¡°It would be too early for Demons,¡± he replied. ¡°They¡¯re always kept for later.¡±
Lenard grinned. ¡°I knew you¡¯d say that.¡±
¡°Are we making another bet?¡± Willow asked. ¡°If so, then I¡¯m saying humans.¡±
¡°Hey, not fair!¡± Adam complained.
Lenard laughed. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll pick Demons then.¡±
He frowned, not sure what else he could pick. ¡°I¡¯ll go for a twist and guess it¡¯ll be Elphin. Like maybe some rogue faction from her Sanctuary.¡±
When Charlie announced that the Tavern was closing, Adam headed back to his Player House with Belamouranthe. She was skipping along the cobblestones between the dumpy houses, clearly full of energy. He was starting to fear that she might not be able to sleep since she¡¯d already rested for hours in the Tavern.
Suddenly, the Elphin girl stopped in her tracks and looked up at the radiant silver moon.
¡°I am glad we are beneath a familiar light,¡± she said poetically.
I suppose that is a comfort. It would¡¯ve been weird if this fake world had no moon.
After returning to the Player House, Adam checked on the status of his Glass Acorn.
< < Secret Relic > >
< Glass Acorn (Rare) ¡ª Grows for 2 Stages >
Just 2 more Stages and I¡¯ll see what it does.
In the garden next to the Secret Relic was a new creature. It was a tiny green goblin. It was sleeping next to the blue slime from Stage One.
Such an odd detail.
If there really are dozens of Stages, then this garden will eventually become quite busy with critters¡
He headed inside the house and found that there was a small new bed by the foot of his own giant one. Belamouranthe immediately beelined for it and laid down. Within seconds she was asleep.
I hope I don¡¯t wake her up while I practice with my new Relic.
Adam went over to the practice dummy. It was the usual strawman version right now.
He lunged forward with the spear, driving the new bone tip deep into the dummy. When he pulled it out, a gaping hole was left behind.
Nothing happened after that.
Is it not working?
Then he realised his mistake.
It¡¯s called ¡®Blood¡¯ Burst for a reason¡
¡°Change the dummy into a goblin.¡±
[There are 3 versions to pick between: Green, Blue, & Yellow.]
¡°Can you turn it into the Hobgoblin boss?¡±
[Of course.]
The target dummy changed and became identical to the red Hobgoblin, even wearing the same bone armour.
He nodded to himself. This was a good target to practice on.
First he tried to see how bad the lack of armour penetration was. His thrust into the bone vest skidded off completely, pushing the dummy back a couple steps, but only leaving just a tiny gouge in the armour.
Alright, that¡¯s pretty bad. But that was to be expected.
He circled around the Hobgoblin and jabbed his spear into its armpit just like he¡¯d done during their fight.
Before he could even retract his spear, a loud internal pop and crunch came from inside the wound.
He pulled his spear free and fragments of crystallised blood were dislodged from the target¡¯s body. The blood had taken on pointy gem-like shapes.
Then the dummy flickered and reappeared back in its original spot.
¡°That was enough to kill it?¡±
[Yes.]
Okay, that seems pretty strong.
I¡¯m not entirely sure what¡¯s happening, but it seems like the Fiendbarb makes the blood solidify and take on strange crystalline shapes, which I bet does a lot of internal damage.
Adam practised against the Hobgoblin dummy for a while, testing out the effects of glancing blows versus deep wounds. Even when his spear didn¡¯t pierce the target, the Blood Burst was pretty devastating. Like Fah had told him, it basically poisoned the blood of his target, though the crystallisation was incredibly fast, so, depending on where he hit, the results varied a lot. If he struck the side of the target¡¯s neck and introduced the poison to its carotid artery, the whole upper body became like a pin cushion as all the blood turned to crystals. If he struck somewhere without an artery and didn¡¯t pierce into its organs, then the upper layer of skin and flesh became brittle like poor-quality glass. It was weakened to the point that a punch would completely destroy it.
But there was an obvious downside, which he discovered as he changed his target into a slime.
The Fiendbarb only worked if his target had blood.
If I end up fighting insect creatures, I hope their haemolymph counts as blood.
Any kind of elemental enemy, like slimes, will be a problem though.
After spending about an hour training, Adam went over to his bed.
He blinked in surprise at the things that lay atop it.
It was the clothes that the Weaver had made for him and Belamouranthe.
I completely forgot about this.
The shirt, jeans, and socks were identical to what he was already wearing, but when he put them on, the feeling was completely different. It felt like he was wearing flexible clouds.
He placed the green dress made for Bel in front of her bed, so she¡¯d see it when she woke up.
Then he went to sleep.
In his dreams, he saw the giant eye in the cosmos. Two moths, black and white, circled each other like Yin and Yang.
The moths converged at the centre of the iris, before taking on the silhouette of a man. The silhouette looked just like Adam.
Then the eye blinked.
< < Now Entering > >
< Stage 3 >
< Forest Escort >
< 5 Waves >
Adam awoke seated on a comfortable cushion. The world was rumbling and light flashed by outside through the window. Opposite him sat Belamouranthe, dangling her legs over the edge of the bench. She was wearing the green dress that Weaver had made for her.
I was right about the escort, he realised.
Adam looked around. The interior was made of lacquered wood, the cushions were green and silky-soft, and there were a door on either side. Set into the door was a narrow window, and beyond it was a forest landscape cast in an amber-orange afternoon glow. His spear leaned against the wall next to him.
We¡¯re in a carriage? That¡¯s not what I expected¡
¡°Who is driving this?¡± he asked.
There was no way to see to the front of the carriage, but he heard the sound of hooves.
¡°Mine guardians. Mother sent them.¡±
¡°Are they Elphin like you?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Adam clenched his jaw.
This Stage has to revolve around an ambush then. There¡¯s no other way I can picture it, unless I¡¯m supposed to stand atop the carriage and fight off attackers, but that seems preposterous.
Suddenly the carriage jerked to a halt. The shrieking sound of scared horses filled the air.
¡°The road is blocked!¡± called a male voice from the front. ¡°We have to find a way aro¡ª!¡±
Before the unseen speaker could finish, the crackle and snap of what sounded like lightning struck the carriage. The whole vehicle shook violently for a second.
Shit! It¡¯s starting right away!?
Adam picked up his spear and hurried out the door.
¡°Stay in here!¡± he told Belamouranthe.
After closing the door behind him, he looked at the area.
Yep¡ This is the area I¡¯ll be fighting in.
It was perfectly walled off. Ahead of him lay a gentle slope down into a sparsely-wooded area. There were some large rocks placed around at random, as though to provide cover from ranged attackers. The carriage was stopped in the middle of a dirt road, and in front of it was a collapsed tree, blocking the way. The way back was clear, but it would probably be foolish to try to escape on foot. Plus, he was pretty sure there¡¯d be an impassable boundary. On the other side of the carriage was a dense wall of trees that was probably impassable as well.
There weren¡¯t any enemies in sight for now, but it seemed pretty obvious that they¡¯d come up the slope to attack him. As he went around to look at the front of the carriage, he saw that there were two muscular Elphin men seated at the front. Both of them were dead. From the looks of them, it seemed they¡¯d been struck with some kind of magic, since they had scorched holes through their heads. The two horses tied to the front of the carriage were unscathed, but they stomped nervously, clearly wanting to flee. Although they should¡¯ve been able to simply take off, they didn¡¯t go anywhere.
Shitbox appeared from between the two dead drivers and floated over to Adam.
[Stage Three will introduce objectives to the Trials. For the duration of the entire Stage, you must protect the carriage and its lone occupant. Should the Elphin child perish, you will be eliminated from the Trials.]
< < Stage Objectives > >
< Protect the carriage and the Elphin Child >
< Complete all Waves >
So, if Bel dies, I die¡ Crap.
¡°Will she die if a timer runs out?¡±
[No. If the Wave timer expires, the following Wave will still trigger, as per usual. However, it is possible for enemies to reach the carriage before the Wave timer expires, so please keep that in mind.]
[Wave 1 will begin in 60 seconds.]
Well, shit.
Hold up. If their objective is to kill her, why do the ambush like this? That seems very contrived.
I guess it doesn¡¯t really matter.
Adam hurried back to the carriage and opened the door.
¡°Bel! If you see anyone that isn¡¯t me come close, shout as loudly as you can, okay?¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
He shut the door again and then ran down the slope to look around the area. The whole area was dyed in the orange light of the setting sun, giving it a beautiful appearance.
As he¡¯d noted earlier, there weren¡¯t a lot of trees in this particular area, but beyond a sort of rectangular field were densely-packed forest walls, similar to the clearing of the Magical Forest. The whole area he had to watch, counting the road with the carriage, was about 40 metres wide and 100 long. There were a total of three large rocks and only like thirteen trees, though they were thick enough to provide decent cover as well.
[20 seconds remaining.]
He had a decent enough feel for the area, so he ran back towards the carriage, while keeping an eye out for anywhere a Secret could be hidden away.
Wait¡
He ran up to the front with the dead drivers and climbed up so he could look at them. Both men had stubby horns, grey silky hair, green eyes, and ashen skin. Appearance-wise, they didn¡¯t have a lot in common with Belamouranthe, aside from the fact that they kind of looked like elves. They wore the same buttonless silken shirts and kilts that stopped just above the knees.
Both had shortswords hanging from their hips, but when Adam tried to take one, it turned to dust in his hands.
This shit again¡
Then he noticed that one of them had a silver necklace. It had a strangely-shaped pendant hanging from it. It was like a wireframed pyramid with a solid sphere inside it, and there were two ¡®horns¡¯ protruding from the front of the sphere.
[5 seconds remaining.]
Adam grabbed the necklace. It didn¡¯t dissolve in his hands, so he quickly pulled it up over the head of the dead Elphin.
< < Secret Relic Obtained > >
< All-Mother¡¯s Wrath (Rare) ¡ª When Player is damaged by an attack, curse attacker with Lethargy for 30 seconds. 1-minute cooldown >
I can¡¯t tell if that was poorly-hidden or if I¡¯m an outlier for assuming they¡¯d hide it on the drivers¡¯ bodies¡
Still, this isn¡¯t terrible, I guess. But I¡¯m still better off not getting hit.
I¡¯m betting that Lethargy is like a kind of snare or slow effect. Or maybe it reduces Stamina and recovery perhaps.
He slipped the necklace over his head.
< < Wave One > >
< 60-Second Timer >
Down at the far end of the field came a rustling of the trees. From the sounds of it, it seemed to be a lone target. Adam tightened his grip on the spear and advanced.
Here we go.
Chapter Fifteen
Fuzzy black fur broke out of the dense treeline and into the amber-orange light of the setting sun. At first he thought it was a bear, but then it fully emerged. A round ball of fur lifted on two skinny chalk-white legs and arms just the same. Each limb ended in three-fingered claws tipped with black talons. At the top of its spherical body was a small head with pointed elf-like ears, two violet-glowing eyes, and a tiny grin full of needle teeth.
The sight made him pause.
What the fuck is that!?
Of their three guesses, Lenard had seemingly been the closest this time. The creature certainly wasn¡¯t human or Elphin. Most peculiarly of all, a translucent violet collar was fastened around its neck and a leash tied to it ran back into the treeline it¡¯d emerged from.
It fixed Adam with its bright eyes and cackled.
Then it kicked off the ground and shot itself towards him, flying through the air like a cannonball.
He panicked for a second and cowered behind one of the large rocks.
The sound of cracking stone startled him as the creature flew right past his hiding spot with a swing of its claws. The side of the rock had three deep grooves carved through it.
Holy shit! That thing is terrifyingly-fast!
After landing, the monster paused for a moment to reorient itself, as though the attack left it confused. It relocated Adam, but he was already charging right at it. With a cackle, it hopped towards him, arms pulled back and ready to slash him to ribbons.
He skidded to a halt but let the momentum and his thrust send the spear gliding through his hand, shooting it forwards. At the same time he blocked his head with the small shield on his left arm.
The tip of his spear struck the monster right in the centre of its furry round body and went in deep.
It started to cackle again, but the sound quickly died in its mouth as the Fiendbarb triggered.
A cascade of internal crystallisation instantly destroyed its body from within. The glow of its violet eyes winked out and it collapsed, pulling itself free of Adam¡¯s spear.
[Excellent! You cleared the Wave within 10 seconds.]
¡°What was that!?¡±
[This was a type of Minor Demon called a Slothling Imp.]
Damn, so Lenard was actually right about it being Demons.
Wait¡ Sloth? Like the Vice? Wouldn¡¯t that mean it should be super sluggish and lazy? That was anything but!
< < Wave One Complete > >
< Choose your Upgrade >
Adam looked down at the dead imp, while Shitbox unfolded into a podium. The weird ghostly leash was gone and he wondered if he¡¯d just been seeing things.
I wonder why Demons are after Belamouranthe. That can¡¯t be a good sign of what¡¯s to come¡
Still, what a way to come out swinging. That would¡¯ve killed me if I hadn¡¯t used the rock for cover.
He knew that such a cheap trick would no doubt lead to way more deaths than previous Stages. The fact that the imp had the same sort of entrance as the slimes would also mess with everyone¡¯s expectations.
I hope Willow and Lenard are alright.
[20 seconds remaining.]
He shook his head.
I can¡¯t worry about them right now. I have to focus.
He looked at the options available to him. Since he¡¯d completed the Wave quickly, it meant all the upgrades went up a rarity level. As a result, one of the possibilities was Epic and the other two were Rare. The Epic one had a new symbol that depicted a plus sign. The symbol for the Parry Shield upgrade showed a shield with speed lines on it.
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Spear Damage (Rare) ¡ª Increases spear damage by 15% >
< Shield Speed (Rare) ¡ª Increases shield speed by 35% >
< Health (Epic) ¡ª Increases health by 10 >
Health? That¡¯s a new General Upgrade.
But man, it¡¯s Epic and only gives 10? That¡¯s really low.
The choice is pretty clear here.
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Spear Damage (Rare) >
Adam moved closer to the treeline where the imp had emerged. His weapon was powerful against them, but those bastards were too fast to be allowed free rein of the Stage.
< < Wave Two > >
< 90-Second Timer >
90 seconds. That probably means I have to fight two of them at once.
The same part of the forest wall trembled as the enemies came forward. Adam went as close as he dared, keeping some of the widely-spaced trees nearby so he had cover if he needed it.
A red liquid hand emerged through the treeline, followed by a two-metre-tall bulky humanoid shape. The whole thing was made of flowing red water, although barely any of it dropped onto the understory or was left behind on the trees it touched.
A man made of blood? he wondered. Though its arms, torso, and legs were way thicker than normal.
He noticed the same translucent violet collar and leash again.
That has to be a clue to something.
The figure emerged fully from the treeline and Adam shot forward, driving his spear right into its body. Like the slimes of Stage One, there was a solid core in the middle of it, but it was the size of a coconut.
Before he could even worry about how tough it¡¯d be to destroy the core, the Fiendbarb triggered and the lumbering man of blood froze in its place. Its entire body then immediately turned solid like glass and started to crackle and pop dangerously.
Oh shit!
Adam quickly dove behind a nearby tree, just as the monster exploded like a shrapnel grenade, driving blood spikes the length of his forearm into the ground and nearby trees.
[Excellent! You cleared the Wave within 5 seconds.]
¡°What kind of monster was that?¡± Adam asked. He peeked out from behind the tree to witness the devastation, only to realise that two of the blood spikes had pierced all the way through his cover mere centimetres above his head.
[This was an Elemental called a Blood Golem.]
Interesting that Shitbox actually explains what the enemies are. I should¡¯ve asked about it earlier. There might be a lot of hints I¡¯ve missed.
I hope I end up fighting more of those Elementals, since my Fiendbarb is clearly a hard counter. If I didn¡¯t have it, I doubt it would be a simple opponent.
I¡¯m still trying to figure out what the enemy pattern is though. So far it doesn¡¯t really make sense.
< < Wave Two Complete > >
< Choose your Upgrade >
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Spear Growth (Rare) ¡ª Increases spear length by 45% >
< Shield Speed (Rare) ¡ª Increases shield speed by 35% >
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
< Luck (Rare) ¡ª Increases luck by 3 >
Damn, no Epics this time¡
Definitely no on the growth upgrade.
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Shield Speed (Rare) >
¡°Status.¡±
< < Player Status > >
< Adam Fischer >
< Hoplite >
< Level 12 >
< Stats >
< Health ¡ª 100 >
< Stamina ¡ª 150 >
< Mana ¡ª 0 >
< Damage ¡ª 100% >
< Defence ¡ª 100% >
< Speed ¡ª 165% >
< Upgrades >
< Force (Rare) >
< Movement (Rare) >
¡°Armament.¡±
< < Weapon Status > >
< Spear & Parry Shield >
< Common Quality >
< Level 10 >
< Stat Upgrades >
< Spear Damage 45% >
< Spear Speed 45% >
< Spear Growth 30% >
< Shield Parry 1.5 seconds >
< Bash Damage 10% >
< Shield Speed 35% >
Two more Waves and I can evolve again.
< < Wave Three > >
< 90-Second Timer >
90 seconds again, he noted.
Adam clenched his Slime Glove grip on the spear, staying near the tree that¡¯d saved him, while preparing for whatever might come out of the treeline next.
The trees rustled on his left and right, eight metres apart. Before he had a chance to pick which to respond to, two Slothling Imps popped out. One of them cackled and shot towards him. The other beelined for the carriage.
Shit!
In his attempt to immediately respond to the Waves, he¡¯d overextended himself and left Belamouranthe vulnerable to attack.
The imp flying at him with its claws out forced Adam to defend himself, while giving the other free rein.
Chiiing!
With a last-second parry, Adam caught the imp¡¯s talons on his shield and deflected its attack. The creature spun in the air, before hitting a tree and collapsing. The disorient effect meant it didn¡¯t immediately get back up.
Adam stabbed it in the back, pulling his spear free as he sprinted after its twin. The runaway imp was already half-way to the carriage and it was much faster than him.
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
He switched his spear to his left hand and aimed his Slime Glove into the air, trying to predict the path the imp would take.
As he ran, he fired off the acidic glob. It flew like a softly-thrown baseball and landed only about a metre in front of the Minor Demon.
The surprise caused it to stop for a moment to investigate.
Thank God these things aren¡¯t very intelligent!
Adam switched the spear to his dominant hand again, and then he pulled it back behind his shoulder and threw.
He¡¯d never been an athletic person, and his muscular physique was only thanks to countless hours spent at the gym, fuelled by his desire to lose weight. He¡¯d never been good at sports or anything like that, but the spear flew through the air as though it¡¯d been thrown by an Olympic athlete.
The imp finished investigating the puddle of acid that¡¯d eaten through the grass and poised itself to fly right at the carriage in front of it.
Then Adam¡¯s spear struck it in the back, piercing all the way through its round body and pinning it to the ground.
It was dead before the Fiendbarb even triggered.
¡°Holy fuck,¡± Adam muttered, looking down at his hands. ¡°How did I just do that??¡±
Maybe spear-throwing isn¡¯t actually such a terrible idea.
[Well done! You cleared the Wave within 20 seconds.]
Damn, no bonus this time.
Adam walked up to the dead imp. He put his shoe on its back and tore out his spear, pulling out a bunch of brittle blood crystals as well.
< < Wave Three Complete > >
< Choose your Upgrade >
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Spear Speed (Common) ¡ª Increases spear attack speed by 10% >
< Bash Damage (Rare) ¡ª Increases shield bash damage by 15% >
< Dodge (Uncommon) ¡ª Grants a 10% chance to dodge a direct attack >
Before picking an upgrade, he walked up to the carriage and opened the door.
¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked the Elphin girl.
She was seated on the cushioned bench and looked kind of bored.
¡°I am. How long before we resume our journey home?¡±
He smiled. ¡°Not much longer now. But stay in here, okay?¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
Adam closed the door again and returned to the upgrade podium.
¡°What am I fighting next?¡± he asked Shitbox.
[You know that I cannot reveal such advantageous information.]
He shrugged. ¡°Worth a try.¡±
[10 seconds remaining before your upgrade choice is forfeit.]
¡°Relax. I¡¯m picking now, ain¡¯t I?¡±
He reached out and touched the Bash Damage symbol.
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Bash Damage (Rare) >
Alright, what next? Three of those imps? More of the blood golems?
< < Wave Four > >
< 150-Second Timer >
Nearly double the timer?? That can¡¯t be good.
Then the ground rumbled and shook.
From down the end of the field, something massive broke through the treeline, toppling trees in its wake, though they conveniently collapsed to block off the path it¡¯d taken. Adam was already running down to meet it, but the sight sent a chill through him.
It had a lot in common with the Slothling Imps, but towered over them at easily four metres tall. And that was despite its hunched posture. It stood like a gorilla, leaning on its two bulky arms, while its legs were crouched. Like the imps, its upper torso was covered in fuzzy black fur. Its lower body, legs, and arms were white as chalk, but unlike the imps it was a muscular beast. Its head protruded from the fur-covered torso and was about the same size as Adam¡¯s. Its eyes glowed violet and its needle-toothed mouth had a massive under-bite. Its ears were like the floppy ones the goblins had.
KHA-KHA-KHA! the beast laughed.
If that thing is as fast as the imps, I¡¯m fucked¡
¡°Shitbox, what the hell is that thing!?
[This is a Minor Demon called a Slothling Ogre.]
Yeah, that checks out I guess.
Adam clenched his jaw and ran to meet it.
Unlike the imps, it ignored his presence and started lumbering towards the carriage. Fortunately its pace was slow, but it was clear that it would make it to the Elphin girl within 2 minutes if Adam did nothing to stop it.
As he came closer, he saw that it too had a violet leash around its neck.
Seriously, what is that? Some kind of enslavement spell??
With a roar, he hammered his spear into the ogre¡¯s left arm, hoping to disable it. The Fiendbarb tip skidded along its alabaster skin, failing to pierce. It managed to draw a line of blood though and it quickly crystallised the surface of the shallow wound.
The ogre grunted in pain and swung the arm out to bat him away as though he was nothing but a bothersome mosquito. Adam barely ducked the lazy attack. The swing created enough wind to push him back a step.
I¡¯m 100% dead if it hits me!
As soon as the ogre resumed its lumbering crawl, Adam moved in again, striking the same spot as before. The sound of crunching glass preceded the tip of his Fiendbarb entering the ogre¡¯s arm. When the Relic triggered this time, it completely crystallised the veins from the forearm to just above the elbow joint.
It tried to swat him again, but its own strength worked against it. The crystallised forearm broke off and flew across the forest field, landing in the grass with a thud.
The ogre paused and suddenly focused its entire attention on Adam.
Uh oh¡
With a loud groan, the tall monster lifted its upper body and stood to a height of six metres. Then it slammed back down with its left stub and right arm.
He had plenty of time to find cover, since it was slow, but even from behind a sturdy rock ten-plus metres away, he felt the earth tremble and heard two trees come crashing down.
This is basically a boss in its own right!
What in the world will I be facing in the last Wave??
Adam peeked out from behind the rock and saw that the ogre had resumed its course towards the carriage.
Oh no you don¡¯t!
He ran towards the monster, coming up from behind it where he was unseen. Due to the way it moved along the ground with its legs crouched, its back was sloped. It gave him a terrible idea. Since the arms and legs were difficult to damage, he had to go for the parts of its body covered in fur.
But first he fired the Slime Glove at its lower body, trying to make sure it wouldn¡¯t go anywhere. The glob struck the alabaster legs, but it was slow to dissolve its way through the tough white skin. The beast groaned in pain.
Adam hopped onto its back and drove his spear down into its fur. The Fiendbarb triggered and crystallised its wound. When he pulled the tip out, chunks of brittle flesh and blood crystals followed. Then he hammered it down again in a different spot.
And again.
And again.
The ogre tried to shake him off, but couldn¡¯t, and its remaining arm wasn¡¯t able to bend back and reach him.
Adam continued up its back, stabbing repeatedly as he climbed, until he was right behind its short neck and alabaster head. With a furious roar, he drove his spear right down into the part where the furry body transitioned into pale-white skin.
The Relic triggered and the ogre immediately collapsed onto its belly. Adam tumbled off its side, landing on his butt in the grass. The amber-orange light in the sky reflected off the monster¡¯s dead eyes.
[Well done! You cleared the Wave with more than half the time remaining.]
He was breathing rapidly. His furious attacks had seriously drained him, and he needed to catch his breath.
I wonder how it¡¯d have done it if I didn¡¯t have the Fiendbarb. Though perhaps the lack of armour penetration is the reason why it was so tough to kill?
Still, that was one hell of an enemy¡ Makes me worried about what comes next.
< < Wave Four Complete > >
< Choose your Upgrade >
Adam spent most of his 30-second break to just get his breath back. He knew that if he went into the boss battle with no Stamina in the tank, then he¡¯d end up dying. He was starting to realise that magic-based weapons had a benefit over physical ones, since they used Mana to attack and could therefore utilise all their Stamina for manoeuvring and dodging.
Although, there might be some severe side-effect to running out of Mana, and perhaps it isn¡¯t so easy to replenish? I¡¯ll have to ask Willow about it when I get back.
[10 seconds remaining.]
Adam sighed and got to his feet.
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Spear Growth (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases spear length by 30% >
< Shield Speed (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases shield speed by 20% >
< Defence (Rare) ¡ª Increases all defence by 15% >
Damn, unlucky. Both of my weapon upgrades are bad.
Defence honestly looks pretty tempting. My next weapon upgrade is my twelfth though, so I¡¯d be a fool to take it¡ Right?
But man, 15% extra Defence is hard to say no to.
[5¡ 4¡]
Shit! I shouldn¡¯t have taken a break.
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Defence (Rare) >
Okay, that might¡¯ve been a mistake¡
I guess I¡¯ll have the evolution to look forward to after I kill the boss, he told himself, as though this had been his plan all along.
With a nervous feeling in his stomach, he moved down to the mid-point of the forest field, giving himself plenty of room to respond to whatever threat was coming.
< < Wave Five > >
< 240-Second Timer >
Chapter Sixteen
The sound of rustling leaves and creaking branches came from along the treeline at the far end of the forest field. Broken trees and torn-up earth lay around Adam, and the crystallised shards of the exploded Blood Golem were still embedded everywhere.
Safe to say that the Fiendbarb effect doesn¡¯t wear off quickly. That probably means it¡¯s lethal no matter what, since it should lead to gangrene as it would disrupt circulation.
Of course, that side-effect won¡¯t really matter, since it might take days to fully set in and these Stages are no more than half an hour at most in duration.
The rustling came closer. Adam pushed his speculations out of his mind. He clenched his jaw and fists. The ogre had been pretty bad, so he had no idea what could top that.
It sounds like there are quite a lot of enemies. Unless this thing is enormous¡
Liquid red snouts poked out through the dense treeline, three in total.
Then the creatures all hopped out at once. They were wolves made of blood, each with a baseball-sized stone in their heads. Violet ethereal collars and leashes were bound around their necks.
Adam immediately attacked, driving his Fiendbarb into the rightmost one and pulling it free as he ran towards the next.
When the first one exploded in a shower of crystals, his spear went through the second. Only then did the last one start to move. But it was too late, Adam would not give it the chance to strike.
He took shelter behind a tree as the third blood wolf blew up. Fortunately, the size and danger of the crystallised shrapnel was proportional to body size, so it wasn¡¯t as dangerous as the golem.
The trees rustled again, and two more blood wolves popped out, standing closer than before. Between them emerged a man. He wore a battered and stained grey travel cloak over his dark-blue shirt and black pants. His feet were bare, as though he¡¯d lost his shoes somewhere. Most interestingly, the violet leashes of the wolves led directly to an object in his hand.
That¡¯s gotta be the boss!
But¡ he¡¯s just a human?
The hood of the man¡¯s cloak covered his head, so Adam couldn¡¯t tell what he looked like. His right hand was covered in black swirling tattoos, just like the businesswoman Adam had seen in the Tavern. In his left was a shrivelled black worm with a purple string tied around its middle like a belt.
Adam surged forward, striking the wolf on the summoner¡¯s right side, before disengaging.
The man raised his tattooed hand. Blood flew out from under his fingernails, creating a red mirror-like shield between himself and the exploding wolf. As the crystallised shrapnel struck the shield, it was absorbed. Then his own spell exploded too, peppering him with dozens of tiny shards.
The Fiendbarb effect is contagious! Adam realised.
The summoner cried out in pain.
¡°Give me the girl!¡± he demanded.
¡°Over my dead body!¡± Adam yelled back.
¡°You have no idea what she will unearth! In my care, the world will not have to suffer!¡±
He raised the strange worm idol and the remaining blood wolf leapt towards Adam. At the same time, he started chanting indecipherable words and the worm glowed violet.
He¡¯s gotta be summoning something!
Adam was forced to protect his head with the small shield as the wolf¡¯s claws swiped for his face.
Chiiing!
He stumbled back a step from the impact and tried to respond with a spear thrust, but the wolf kept close to him.
Chiiing!
He blocked again, stumbling as his foot slipped on a root.
Adam waited for the third swipe and then swung out the shield to meet it.
Chiiing!
He successfully parried the beast, disorienting it just long enough to drive his spear into its body.
The crunch and crackle of internal crystallisation erupted from inside the blood wolf. Adam charged the summoner, whose violet-glowing spell was still underway.
Pop!
The wolf exploded behind him, shooting blood crystals everywhere. One flew right over Adam¡¯s shoulder, missing him by a finger¡¯s breadth.
¡°I am doing this for the good of all!¡± the summoner insisted. Then he squeezed the worm idol and the violet glow flew off to the side where it took a familiar shape.
Shit! That¡¯s a Slothling Imp!
Adam didn¡¯t veer off to attack the new summon but instead pushed the summoner. He stabbed his spear towards the middle of his body.
With an aggressive swipe, the summoner brought forth two large blood claws from his right hand. Adam caught them on his shield and the impact pushed his aim off course. He quickly shifted his stance and swung the spear such that it ran along the man¡¯s shoulder. The sound of crackling and the way that his arm fell limp, dropping the worm idol, made it clear that the shallow cut from the Fiendbarb had still done serious damage.
The summoner raised his right hand and caught Adam¡¯s next stab with a pane of blood. It exploded like the first, but, thanks to nothing but dumb luck, none of the fragments struck Adam.
A cackle caught his attention, and he knew that the imp had fully manifested.
Adam hopped back a step, pivoted and then threw his spear right at the imp. It struck its fuzzy body and imbedded itself, then the Fiendbarb triggered.
Before the summoner could try anything else, Adam smashed the parry shield into his face. The impact produced a loud crunch, and he cried out in pain as he fell onto his back.
Adam looked down at him, finally seeing the face under the hood. It was nothing but a man, although his eyes were sunken, his cheeks hollow, and his skin deathly pale.
Why is it always humans? Are we really the baddies even in worlds full of real monsters?
Adam raised the Green Slime Glove and fired the corrosive acid.
The summoner screamed and cried out for mercy.
The sizzle and smell of burnt skin and hair filled Adam¡¯s nostrils. He looked away, seeing the nearby imp that lay on its back with his spear sticking out of it.
The cries stopped a moment later.
Adam let out a deep sigh.
I can¡¯t tell if I have become stronger or if I got lucky.
The Fiendbarb had been an amazing choice for this Stage.
Still¡ It¡¯s awful to know that I just killed another human and don¡¯t feel anything¡
[Well done! You cleared the Wave within 80 seconds.]
¡°What was this guy called?¡± Adam asked, pointing to the skeletal remains of the dead summoner.
[This was the fearsome Blood Mage known as Ezral.]
Adam looked down at the shrivelled worm he¡¯d dropped. He stooped to pick it up, but it turned to ashes in his hand.
Damn, I thought for sure that¡¯d be another Secret Relic.
< < Wave Five Complete > >
< < Stage Complete > >
< Tallying Score >
I never got to see what the necklace did.
Then he realised something.
Wait¡ I never got hit even once!
< < Score > >
< 185 Seconds Completion Time >
< 500 Point Flawless Bonus added >
< 300 Point Speedrun Bonus added >
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
< 0 Damage Received >
< 2075 Points Awarded >
Adam blinked.
Holy shit, I got both achievements!
That¡¯s like twice the Points I got from the last Stage!
He looked around.
I could search for more Secrets, but it doesn¡¯t look like there¡¯s anything here and I don¡¯t have enough time to search every tree. I¡¯m still pretty sure I was supposed to be able to grab the weird idol he was using.
The tesseract floated back towards the carriage and Adam followed behind it at a leisurely pace. Next to where it stopped was a chest with a curled worm as its symbol.
The door to the vehicle opened and Belamouranthe hopped out.
¡°Adam, will we continue to mine home now?¡±
He nodded. ¡°We will.¡±
Shitbox unfolded into the reward podium between them, and he looked through the options.
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Spear Speed (Rare) ¡ª Increases spear attack speed by 35% >
< Shield Parry (Uncommon) ¡ª Successful parry disorients for 1 second >
< Movement (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases movement speed by 10% >
I think I¡¯ll grab disorient again. It¡¯s such a powerful effect and parrying has saved my ass a few times already.
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Shield Parry (Uncommon) >
The podium folded back up into the cube shape, as his spear started to glow golden. Then it was sucked into the tesseract.
[Your Hoplite Weapon Type has reached Level 12.]
[At Level 12, your Weapon Type can be evolved in one of two possible directions based on your previous evolution.]
The cube changed into a pyramid shape and dropped to the ground, showing two holograms of the weapons he could evolve into. The one on the left looked like a halberd with an axe and spike at the end. It would be a powerful weapon, but he liked the spear and shield combo a lot.
The other option was a shield and spear again, but the shield was bigger, and the spear-tip was a narrower and slightly-longer leaf-shape.
< < Select an Evolution > >
< Halberdier ¡ª Trade parrying capability for a cutting axe >
< Spear Dancer ¡ª Gain increased damage in accordance with how fast you¡¯re moving >
Hmm¡ The Spear Dancer seems pretty good. I want to keep the shield, so Halberdier is out of the question.
Adam didn¡¯t feel the need to ask Shitbox any questions about the choice. He reached out and touched the Spear Dancer.
< < Evolution Selected > >
< Hoplite => Spear Dancer >
The bronze shield appeared on his left forearm and was now about 80 centimetres in diameter. The shaft of the spear was the same lacquered caramel-brown wood as before.
A pyramid gem appeared in the air in front of him and he reached out to grab it.
< < Mastery Shard Obtained > >
Now I can get Second Sheath as well. Not sure I¡¯ll have much use for it, but I¡¯d like to try it.
The chest next to him popped open, spreading golden light. There was a potion, a fuzzy black vest, and an alabaster-white bracer with two black talons.
< < Relics Available > >
< Small Healing Potion (Common) ¡ª Drink to restore 40% Health. Disappears after use >
< Slothling Fur Coat (Rare) ¡ª Increases Player Defence by 25%. Breaks after 5 hits | Increases Movement Speed by 10% >
< Slothling Claw Bracer (Uncommon) ¡ª Can be used to perform an armour-rending slash. Breaks after 2 uses >
The coat isn¡¯t bad, especially considering that my new Weapon Type gains increased damage based on speed, but there¡¯s gotta be something better.
Good thing I bought that Reroll Die.
¡°I¡¯ll use my Reroll,¡± Adam said.
[Understood.]
The chest closed and popped open a second later. This time it was a round stone, a pair of white boots with fur at the top and two talons, and lastly a red liquid ring.
< < Relics Available > >
< Blood Elemental Core (Common) ¡ª The hardened soul of a Blood Elemental >
< Slothling Spring Boots (Rare) ¡ª Charge a powerful and quick leap, accelerating Player to 3x Movement Speed. 60-second cooldown >
< Blood Fist Ring (Rare) ¡ª Charge a powerful punch that shoots a blood spike through the target on impact. 45-second cooldown >
Now we¡¯re talking!
I¡¯m pretty sure the ring will combo with the Fiendbarb, which should be super powerful. But I¡¯m using a shield and a spear, so punching will be a bit difficult. The Slime Glove is already kind of bothersome to use.
Thanks to Spear Dancer, the boots are dual purpose, since the 3x speed buff will significantly increase my damage, while also being useful for evading or catching someone running away.
Since I have a lot of Points, I¡¯ll look through Lucca¡¯s stall to see if there are other blood elemental Relics.
Adam reached out and picked the boots.
< < Relic Selected > >
< Slothling Spring Boots (Rare) >
His shoes were replaced by white boots with two black talons and fuzzy black fur just above his ankles. They were pretty ugly but fit him perfectly.
No sooner had the boots manifested on his feet than Shitbox released a magical pulse that transformed the surroundings into darkness.
< < Now Entering > >
< Interim Island >
Buildings appeared around Adam, and he realised that they¡¯d changed yet again, looking less like clay sculptures than before. It was clear that with every Stage, the island was becoming more-and-more coherent. Given that Shitbox had said people were consumed by the All-Seeing system to fuel the Trials, it was impossible not to draw a connection between the improvements to the island and the number of deaths.
He looked around, but didn¡¯t see Luvicidix anywhere. He still wondered how the moth would know that he was looking for her.
Depending on how much I spend in the Market, I should have a decent amount to invest into one of her upgrades. The one to get additional choices for Stage rewards would be pretty good, since I¡¯d need less Rerolls.
Adam decided to visit the Tavern first to check on his friends.
¡°Show me Willow Martin.¡±
[This Player is not currently seated in the Tavern.]
That means she¡¯s still alive. Thank God.
¡°Show me Lenard Schulz.¡±
[Understood.]
A moment later Lenard appeared opposite him.
¡°You¡¯re okay,¡± he said, relieved.
Adam nodded. ¡°How did it go for you?¡±
¡°It was¡¡± he started. ¡°I need to get a good Relic from the Market, otherwise I¡¯m screwed.¡±
¡°Was it that bad?¡±
The German looked embarrassed. ¡°I should have listened to Willow¡¯s advice. The crossbow was not a good choice.¡±
¡°Not even against the ogre?¡±
¡°You mean the fourth Wave¡¯s mini boss?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°That was the only Wave that was okay, actually. The crossbow was weak against the blood elementals and especially those fast demons. I had to use my unevolved sword and shield a lot. I almost died twice¡ But! I did kill the boss in one shot.¡±
¡°I¡¯m surprised that the elementals were giving you that much trouble,¡± Adam remarked.
¡°It¡¯s because they have the ability to harden and create shields. I think the Bounty Hunter Weapon Type is best at fighting humans and big slow creatures.¡±
Guess that¡¯s good to keep in mind if I pick a ranged weapon.
¡°How about you?¡± Lenard finally asked.
¡°The Fiendbarb Relic I got was really amazing,¡± Adam said. ¡°It¡¯s a hard counter to the blood elementals. I got both achievements for the Stage.¡±
¡°Wow,¡± Lenard said. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going to ask around for good Relics. Talk to you tonight.¡±
¡°See you later.¡±
As soon as Lenard disappeared, Charlie arrived with a cup of espresso and two chocolate mochi donuts. Belamouranthe was already fast asleep, having devoured a boar meat casserole moments prior.
¡°Thanks,¡± he said.
¡°Of course, Adam,¡± Charlie replied. ¡°Let me know if there is anything else you need.¡±
¡°I¡¯m good for now.¡±
He wanted to try prompting the Tavern using just his thoughts again, since it seemed much quicker and apparently didn¡¯t require Shitbox¡¯s input. But first he ate both donuts and washed them down with the coffee. It tasted even better than he remembered.
Show me all the Players who got the Flawless and Speedrun achievements for Stage Three.
The tables populated with five Players besides him. He recognised three. The blonde businesswoman with the tattoos; the sleeping alcoholic in the winter coat who had the tome weapon; and Mori Toshio, the man who told Adam how to get the special weapon from Stage One. Like the first time they¡¯d met, the Japanese man was grilling meat skewers on a one-time-use grill.
Near Mori was a dark-skinned and black-haired short man, who was shirtless but had an elaborate necklace with colourful feathers. At the far end of the Tavern sat a ghostly-pale woman who was nothing but skin and bones, with wiry light-brown hair and thin eyebrows. She looked like she was suffering from a serious illness.
I wonder what weapons those two have.
While he watched the short man, who might¡¯ve been Native American, the guy lifted his weapon up to show it to whoever he was talking to. It was the short bow of the Trickster type, but it looked odd. It took him a second to realise that it had a similar appearance to his Fiendbarb.
So, that¡¯s how it looks on a bow. Strange that the weapon itself changes, when it¡¯s the arrows that should be adorned with the Relic.
The sickly woman was slowly eating a soup of some kind with a spoon, each of her movements meticulous and slow. She wore a slim beige-coloured blouse with a turtle neck.
¡°Shitbox, I¡¯d like to only ask my following question to that woman with the soup.¡±
[If you focus your attention on a specific Player, your query will only reach them.]
Good to know.
¡°Hey, what weapon did you use to beat the Stage and get both achievements? I¡¯ll tell you what I used in exchange?¡±
She looked up from her soup, carefully placing the spoon next to the bowl. Then she winked out and appeared directly opposite him. The rest of the holograms vanished.
¡°You go first,¡± she said.
Adam explained his Weapon Type and the Fiendbarb, showing her his spear and shield.
¡°That sounds like a cheap way to win.¡±
He frowned at the remark. ¡°What did you use?¡±
¡°I suppose I can¡¯t leave before I tell you.¡±
She looked him straight in the eyes and grinned.
¡°I know who you are Adam Fischer. We will meet in Stage Six!¡± she cackled.
What the fuck¡
¡°What are you talking about?¡±
¡°The Prophet told me all about you! You will die by my hands!¡± she yelled. Then she pulled out two curved daggers and tried to leap across the table.
She was unable to get up from her seat, since she hadn¡¯t actually repaid her end of the bargain.
Belamouranthe continued sleeping, ignorant to the crazy woman.
¡°Who is the Prophet?¡± he asked, getting increasingly-worried about her insane rambling.
The woman cackled, clearly out of her mind.
¡°Shitbox, get me out of here.¡±
[The bargain has not been completed. Since you have paid your half, you may disengage from the trade. In doing so, the other Player will be released from their obligation.]
¡°Just get me out of here!¡±
[Bargain cancelled.]
The hologram of the psycho winked out and disappeared. In the last moment before she vanished, she leaped across the table to try and get to him.
Holy fuck, what the hell was that??
[Another Player is trying to communicate with you. Do you wish to talk to them?]
Adam jumped in his seat at the sudden announcement.
¡°Is it the same person?¡±
[No.]
¡°Who is it?¡±
[Player Ilya Sokolov.]
Adam couldn¡¯t help but frown. Ilya had acted strange last time he saw him.
He clenched his jaw, preparing himself. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him.¡±
The Russian guy appeared on the other side of the table. There was a croissant on a plate in front of him.
¡°Adam,¡± he said, as a way of greeting.
¡°What the hell was that thing yesterday? How could you see me?¡±
¡°The person I was talking to said that you would be watching me,¡± he replied. He seemed to be telling the truth, but the answer made no sense to Adam.
¡°Who were you talking to?¡±
¡°Another of the flawless speedrun Players for Stage Two. She is very knowledgeable.¡±
The lady in the business suit? No, it can¡¯t be her. She left before Ilya noticed me.
¡°How did you beat Stage Three?¡± Ilya asked. He seemed insistent. When he realised Adam was apprehensive, he added, ¡°I can tell you about Stage Four in exchange.¡±
Chapter Seventeen
¡°How do you know about Stage Four?¡± Adam asked.
¡°The person who I talked to yesterday explained the future Stages to me. I didn¡¯t follow her advice on Stage Three and failed to get the speedrun bonus.¡±
Adam narrowed his eyes.
This is suspicious as hell.
Wait¡ What if it¡¯s the same person I briefly saw when I asked about the Self-devouring Eye?
That¡¯d mean¡
Adam turned to face the tesseract. ¡°Shitbox, if someone blocks me, can I not see them when I query the Tavern?¡±
[No.]
Shit.
That means that whoever Ilya has been talking to is someone who¡¯s gone back in time!
¡°Does this person call herself a prophet?¡± Adam asked.
Ilya nodded. ¡°She is very peculiar.¡±
So, this same person told the psycho woman about me too.
She¡¯s clearly trying to get me killed¡
It seems that Stage Six might involve other Players, which matches the Trials¡¯ pattern of six.
I should be careful, but I also need to warn Willow about this, in case she gets targeted too.
¡°Did you question her about how she knew about what comes next?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°And?¡±
¡°She said it was a Legendary Relic that lets her see the future.¡± Ilya looked like he was telling the truth, but he¡¯d probably been fed a lie.
¡°What¡¯s it called?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±
It has to be the Eye. After all, if it¡¯s the same person I saw when I queried the Tavern, she would know about it.
¡°What does she look like, this ¡®prophet¡¯?¡± Adam asked.
¡°I will tell you in exchange for how you beat Stage Three,¡± Ilya said.
Adam couldn¡¯t understand why he wanted to know, but he understood that the info was important to him. That meant he had leverage.
¡°Tell me about Stage Four as well and we have a deal.¡±
The Russian nodded. ¡°Deal.¡±
¡°First, tell me what she looks like. I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s blocked me, because I didn¡¯t see her among the other flawless speedrunners.¡±
¡°She has shoulder-length black hair. She is pale and her face is very wrinkly, even though she seems to only be in her thirties. She also has bright-red lipstick. The most peculiar thing about her is her eyes. They are like purple spirals with a red glow. You would not mistake her for anyone else if you saw her. She has talked to all of the flawless speedrunners from what I understand, but I don¡¯t know what for.¡±
Adam did his best to commit the description to memory. It definitely didn¡¯t stand out to him as someone he recognised, but then she¡¯d also blocked him almost immediately after Stage One.
Her eyes must¡¯ve been changed by the Self-devouring Eye Relic. It¡¯s good to know that there¡¯s a telltale sign for that.
¡°What nationality is she?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know. She may be eastern European, or perhaps she is a mix of Asian and European. It is hard to say. She would blend in almost anywhere.¡±
¡°And her weapons?¡±
¡°That was not part of the deal,¡± Ilya pointed out.
Adam frowned.
¡°But I will tell you regardless. She uses the Priest Weapon Type, as well as the Brawler one. So, she has a mace and two metal gloves.¡±
Priest? I haven¡¯t seen that one before.
¡°Now your turn,¡± Ilya said.
Adam recounted Stage Three as detailed as he could, but Ilya mostly seemed interested in how he fought and used his Relics.
After he was done, the Russian then held up his end of the bargain and explained Stage Four.
¡°It is a city build of stone and living wood. The horned elves live there, deep in some forest with dark-blue trees. The Stage is centred around a siege, with many different places that must be defended. The enemies are humans with iron armour and the boss is their captain. He uses a sword and a shield.¡±
¡°Why are they attacking the city?¡±
¡°She didn¡¯t say, but it also doesn¡¯t matter.¡±
Adam disagreed, but didn¡¯t say so out loud. There were clearly a lot of hints in the story that were worth investigating. Stage Three had indicated that Belamouranthe was someone special and if humans were willing to attack the Elphin Sanctuary to get her, that had to mean something.
¡°What weapons do the enemies have?¡±
¡°None of them use bows, but there are apparently several different weapon types amongst the soldiers.¡±
Interesting. That would make ranged weapons very strong in that Stage then, at least if there¡¯s a lot of space to work with.
¡°How are the Waves set up?¡±
¡°There are no Waves, only objectives.¡±
Hmm, that goes against the pattern of six. Weird.
Ilya continued. ¡°We have to defend the centre of the city, but attacks will come from all sides. From how I understand it, the Stage can be completed in several ways. Killing the captain will make the enemies retreat. Defending the city for 20 minutes is the default way to win, but I think it would give the least amount of Points. Killing all of the attackers should also work, but there will be hundreds of them.¡±
¡°Hundreds!?¡±
¡°The horned elves are going to be there to even the odds, but they will lose without our help.¡±
That sounds really difficult. I need to warn the others.
¡°Wait, if there are no Waves, then how will upgrades work?¡±
Ilya smiled, seeming impressed with Adam¡¯s way of thinking. ¡°I asked the same thing. She told me that there will be four upgrade podiums hidden around the city, as well as one at the end of the Stage. There will also be a hidden Relic chest somewhere.¡±
¡°Is that all you know?¡±
¡°I can tell you about one of the Secrets. There are apparently three, but she only shared one with me. It is an idol that is found at the roots of the largest tree in the city.¡±
¡°What does it do?¡±
¡°It summons something, but I don¡¯t know what.¡±
Adam nodded. ¡°Thank you for telling me all that.¡±
Ilya stared at him.
¡°What?¡± Adam asked, after several seconds passed in silence.
Is he about to go psycho like the other lady?
¡°I was just trying to find out why she is targeting you. What makes you special?¡±
Adam frowned.
Cut the connection, he prompted the Tavern.
Ilya¡¯s hologram disappeared.
He might catch on sooner or later, so I¡¯d better avoid him for now, especially since he¡¯s talking to the time-looper who clearly wants me dead.
I guess she¡¯s upset that I know about looping back. Maybe it puts a stick in her wheel if she¡¯s trying to control the outcome of Stages. Although, I can¡¯t tell how my existence would be an issue to her. Perhaps it¡¯s nothing more than her wanting to be the only time-looper?
[Another Player is trying to communicate with you. Do you wish to talk to them?]
Once again, the suddenness of the announcement made Adam jump.
¡°Fucking hell! Do you have to announce it so loudly!?¡±
[I will lower the volume of future announcements.]
¡°Thank you¡ Who is it?¡±
[Margaret Tulsom.]
¡°Is that the crazy lady from earlier?¡±
[Yes.]
¡°Block her.¡±
[Understood.]
Adam sighed.
¡°Show me Willow Martin.¡±
[This Player is not currently seated in the Tavern.]
Guess I¡¯ll try again later.
But first¡
¡°Show me everyone who got a Secret in Stage Three that isn¡¯t the All-Mother¡¯s Wrath and who doesn¡¯t know about the flawless achievement.¡±
[Understood.]
The benches were completely filled with Players, then the holograms flickered and were replaced. This repeated every 5 seconds. Even after a full minute, it hadn¡¯t looped back around.
¡°How many Players match the query?¡±
[239,438 Players.]
Huh!? How can it be that many?? It must have been super obvious.
¡°How many Players are left overall?¡±
[173 million Players survived Stage Three. Currently, 31 million Players are utilising the Dimensional Tavern.]
Holy shit. That means about 250 million died in the Stage!
That¡¯s such an unfathomable number of deaths¡
Adam sighed and tried to think of how to narrow down his query.
¡°Show me only those who understand how they got the Secret Relic.¡±
The holograms flickered.
[202.099 Players match the updated query.]
Adam shook his head.
How the fuck did I miss something that over 200 thousand people discovered?
¡°Remove everyone who got the speedrun and those that didn¡¯t get seriously injured.¡±
The holograms flickered.
[87.246 Players match the updated query.]
¡°Eh¡ Just pick someone at random and tell them I¡¯d like to trade I guess.¡±
[Understood.]
All the holograms vanished and a moment later an overweight guy in a sweat-stained black Judas Priest t-shirt appeared opposite of Adam. He had oily dark-brown hair and was maybe in his forties, though it was tough to say for sure. He looked German.
¡°Hello?¡± he greeted, as though they were talking through a phone. ¡°The robot told me you wanted to trade.¡±
¡°You got the Secret Relic from Stage Three, right?¡±
He nodded slowly. ¡°Do you want to know how? It was really easy, I just---¡ª¡±
¡°Hold up,¡± Adam interrupted him. ¡°We need to make a deal about what you get in exchange.¡±
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
¡°Why? Don¡¯t you want to know?¡±
¡°Well, if you tell me without making a deal first, I could just leave.¡±
Based on his expression, it was clear the guy had some sort of realisation after Adam¡¯s explanation. ¡°I was wondering why people kept disappearing when I tried to trade.¡±
I wonder how many people there are like him. I¡¯m not surprised that others would take information and give nothing in return, but it does sadden me.
¡°I¡¯ll give you some advice and tell you about some hidden mechanisms of the Trials in exchange.¡±
¡°Okay.¡±
¡°But first,¡± Adam said and reached his hand across the table. ¡°I¡¯m Adam.¡±
The guy reached over and tried to shake his hand. Their fingers passed through each other.
¡°I¡¯m Carsten,¡± he replied.
¡°What weapon do you use?¡±
¡°A two-handed sword. The type is called Warrior. It was a bad choice for the last Stage since it¡¯s not very fast and it¡¯s hard to defend with.¡±
¡°I use a spear.¡±
He nodded slowly. ¡°Do you want me to tell you about the secret first?¡±
¡°Sure. And don¡¯t worry, since we are doing a trade, neither of us can leave before we have fulfilled our part.¡±
¡°I see. Well, the Relic was pretty easy to get. I just cut off the bad guy¡¯s hand and the dried worm fell to the ground. Then I picked it up and used it to kill him. It summons one of those fast black-and-white demons, which does a single attack and then disappears. It can only be used once every Stage, but I¡¯m glad I found it.¡±
Adam frowned.
¡°Something wrong?¡± Carsten asked.
¡°I got the boss to drop the worm, but I couldn¡¯t pick it up.¡±
¡°Did you cut off his arm?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Perhaps that was the requirement. But why do you want to know about the last Stage? It¡¯s not like you can go back and get it.¡±
Adam hesitated, before saying, ¡°I just like to know all the secrets.¡±
¡°Are there more?¡±
¡°Yeah, there was a necklace hidden on one of the dead carriage drivers.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t even think to search them,¡± Carsten said, sounding impressed.
Adam went on to explain about the Speedrun and Flawless achievements, as well as giving him some advice for Stage Four.
¡°I heard that the next Stage has allies fighting alongside us, so you should try to rely on them. Ranged attacks and armour penetration will also be useful. Try to save your special attack with the imp for the boss.¡±
Carsten nodded. ¡°Thank you, Adam. By the way, you should ask Charlie for the Danish dish of pork belly and potatoes. She makes it well.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll give it a try later.¡±
On his way to the Market, Adam stopped at the Player House. In the fenced-in garden next to the apple tree a new critter had appeared alongside the slime and goblin. It was a mini Slothling Imp. It was hanging upside-down from a branch like a bat and was fast asleep.
Adam checked on the Relic he¡¯d planted after Stage One.
< < Secret Relic > >
< Glass Acorn (Rare) ¡ª Grows for 1 Stage >
One more Stage and I¡¯ll see what this thing does.
He went inside the house as well, since he wanted to check out the Flawless trophy. It was shaped like an imp mid-leap and was silver. It read ¡®Forest Escape Flawless¡¯.
Ah, I completely forgot to investigate what the last trophy could be. I should ask around in the Tavern.
It¡¯s probably tied to finding all the Secrets, meaning it would be easy to obtain in the first three Stages, since they seemingly only have two each.
Before he left, he tried out his Spring Boots. He flew around the room for a about thirty minutes, while trying to figure out how to attack while retaining his momentum. It was a lot harder than anticipated. The faster he moved, the harder it was to swing and stab his spear, since it felt like it weighed five times its normal weight.
Out of roughly 20 attempts, he landed a hit only four times.
He left the Player House and went towards the Market, considering the sort of things that could help him in the next Stage.
One thing I need to try out is whether Spear Dancer¡¯s effect increases the damage of all my attacks. If so, I could make good use of a Relic like the Claw Bracer.
Speaking of, I need something that can pierce armour.
¡°Shitbox, is it possible to unequip a Relic when I don¡¯t want to use it?¡±
[Unequipping a Relic will drop it at your feet. Be careful about unequipping Relics inside Stages, since they will not be returned to you if you leave without them.]
I guess if the Fiendbarb ends up being really bad for Stage Four, then I¡¯ll leave it somewhere and fight on without it. Good to know.
Adam got to the Market just as Yenna the wasp musician was changing instruments. He hadn¡¯t really noticed what she¡¯d been playing before, but she now had a small two-stringed instrument and a bow in her ¡®hands¡¯.
¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asked.
¡°It is called an Erhu. Would you like me to play anything with it?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know the instrument, so just play whatever you¡¯d like.¡±
He stopped to listen as Yenna started playing a hauntingly-beautiful melody. He recognised the sound of the instrument but couldn¡¯t say from where. It had a very unique tone.
Past the wasp, the fountain had changed again, with the small statues shooting water into it now being imps. Adam shook his head and walked past the wasp.
The shops aside from Lucca¡¯s was of little interest to him, since none of them had expanded their inventory between Stages.
¡°Back as always,¡± the spider chittered.
¡°Yeah, yeah, just show me the Relics.¡±
Lucca gestured to the chest, and it started to rumble.
¡°Currency,¡± Adam said.
< < Player Currencies > >
< Points ¡ª 2103 >
< Mastery Shards ¡ª 1 >
Awesome, plenty of Points to play around with here.
The Relic choices popped up and he couldn¡¯t help but frown.
< < Relics For Sale > >
< Barrage Glove (Uncommon) ¡ª All projectiles are split into 3, each dealing a 3rd of total damage >
< Slothling Claw Bracer (Uncommon) ¡ª Can be used to perform an armour-rending slash. Breaks after 2 uses >
< Committed Attack Ring (Uncommon) ¡ª All Cooldown-based Relics gain a second use that can be triggered within 10 seconds of the first activation, but the cooldown is tripled >
< Blood Elemental Core (Common) ¡ª The hardened soul of a Blood Elemental >
While the Claw Bracer might be okay, the limited uses make it a bad investment. The Barrage Glove might combo well with the Green Slime Glove, but I don¡¯t want to build my setup around a 60-second-cooldown attack.
¡°Reroll.¡±
Lucca chittered gleefully.
< < Relic Purchased > >
< Reroll Die (Uncommon) >
< 2003 Points Remaining >
The chest closed and popped open again. His eyes immediately locked in on the Epic that appeared. There were also two Rares in there.
< < Relics For Sale > >
< Relic Renewal Stone (Epic) ¡ª Relics no longer disappear or break when all uses are exhausted | Restores the use of 1 Relic of Rare or lower quality. 1 Stage cooldown >
< Duellist¡¯s Glove (Rare) ¡ª Charge an attack for 2 seconds to enable it to pierce armour. 60-second cooldown >
< Glutton Collar (Uncommon) ¡ª Consume two potions within 10 seconds of each other without incurring toxic backlash, but toxicity build-up is tripled >
< Slothling Fur Coat (Rare) ¡ª Increases Player Defence by 25%. Breaks after 5 hits | Increases Movement Speed by 10% >
Hmm. The Renewal Stone would actually make Relics like the Claw Bracer useful, but again, I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s worth building towards. I want something that bolsters my blood effects.
I wonder if I could use the glove or if it¡¯ll be cancelled out.
¡°Shitbox, what would happen if I used Duellist¡¯s Glove while the Fiendbarb is equipped.¡±
[When it comes to contradicting effects, Rarity takes precedence. In this case, the Fiendbarb Relic would overrule the Duellist¡¯s Glove.]
Alright, so that¡¯s out of the question.
I could grab the Fur Coat for the Defence and Speed boosts, but I might not have enough Points for what I really want to buy.
¡°Reroll.¡±
¡°Excellent,¡± Lucca chittered.
< < Relic Purchased > >
< Reroll Die (Uncommon) >
< 1903 Points Remaining >
The chest closed and opened.
< < Relics For Sale > >
< Paralysis Venom (Uncommon) ¡ª Paralyses target on attack. Relic disappears after attack >
< Blink Ring (Uncommon) ¡ª Charged attacks are performed instantaneously when you blink >
< Goblin Ear (Common) ¡ª The trophy of a dead Goblin >
< Blood Fist Ring (Rare) ¡ª Charge a powerful punch that shoots a blood spike through the target on impact. 45-second cooldown >
Huh, the Venom doesn¡¯t have a timer on it. Does that mean it lasts forever? That¡¯s pretty powerful. Even though it¡¯s only one use, putting that on a secondary weapon and using it on a boss would make the fight completely trivial.
The Blood Fist showed up again. It might be useful if coupled with Fiendbarb, but I think it may be a bad idea to be that close to whatever I¡¯m hitting. After all, Fiendbarb¡¯s effect can be rather explosive at times.
Weird that the Goblin Ear showed up. I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s a collectible from Stage 2. If I go back, I should make sure to cut off all the goblin ears I can, since it seems like they can be sold.
Anyway, I can¡¯t use any of these.
¡°Reroll again.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Lucca said.
< < Relic Purchased > >
< Reroll Die (Uncommon) >
< 1803 Points Remaining >
The chest closed and popped open again.
When Adam saw the options, he sighed in relief.
Finally, something I can use!
< < Relics For Sale > >
< Potion Belt (Uncommon) ¡ª Carries up to three potions and makes them indestructible | Uses the right-most potion when its associated resource is exhausted >
< Blood Mage Choker (Epic) ¡ª Creates a pane of blood to protect the wearer. 120-second cooldown | Increases damage with Blood-based attacks by 25% | Reduces Player Defence by 25% >
< Blood Bolt Ring (Rare) ¡ª Charge a powerful blood bolt that explodes on impact. 90-second cooldown >
< Fragile Impact Glove (Uncommon) ¡ª Thrown objects shatter armour. Breaks after 3 uses >
I¡¯ll get both the Choker and the Ring. Although I do have to wonder how the blood defence works. Maybe it isn¡¯t affected by the Fiendbarb since it¡¯s not an attack? It could be dangerous if it blows up in my face and causes the blood crystallisation to trigger in me¡
Maybe I should buy a healing potion, just in case.
¡°I¡¯ll buy the Ring and the Choker,¡± he told the spider.
Shitbox took over the transaction. [You are already wearing a Relic around your neck. Would you like to sell All-Mother¡¯s Wrath and replace it with the Blood Mage Choker? You may also send the unequipped Relic to your Player House for storage.]
Ah, I can¡¯t wear both¡ Well, I guess I don¡¯t really need the Elphin necklace anyway. If I was doing a tank build, perhaps it would be good, but the Trials don¡¯t incentivise taking damage, so that¡¯d be foolish.
A shame it doesn¡¯t trigger on blocked attacks.
¡°Sure, I¡¯ll swap and sell the necklace.¡±
¡°A pleasure doing business,¡± Lucca chittered sinisterly. Her whole body trembled, which was deeply unnerving.
< < Relics Purchased > >
< Blood Mage Choker (Uncommon) >
< Blood Bolt Ring (Uncommon) >
< 553 Points Remaining >
The choker appeared around his neck. It was a piece of pliable black leather with a teardrop-shaped red gem in the front. The ring surrounded his left thumb and was a red liquid loop made of the same material as the elementals he¡¯d just fought.
Hmm. Now that I have two ranged Relics, the Barrage Glove wouldn¡¯t actually be a bad idea.
¡°Shitbox, can I wear both rings and gloves on the same hands?¡±
[No.]
Okay, then it wouldn¡¯t work¡ That¡¯s kind of dumb.
I guess it¡¯s like a slot-based equipment system, but it¡¯s hard to visualise without some kind of interface to tell me what I¡¯m wearing where.
Adam ran through the list of Relics in his head. He was wearing the Spring Boots, the Green Slime Glove, the Blood Mage Choker, and the Blood Bolt Ring. There was also the Fiendbarb on his spear. If it really was a slot-based system, then that meant that his hands, feet, neck, and weapon were ¡®full¡¯. He could equip an armour Relic as well, but it was hard to say if that only took up his chest ¡®slot¡¯ or if it also covered head and legs.
I suppose it depends on the type. The Bark Armour covered a lot, the Bone Armour was a bit less, and the Imp Fur was probably only torso and perhaps arms.
It¡¯s too bad that I had to reroll a lot to get what I was looking for. If I hadn¡¯t wasted all those rerolls, then I could¡¯ve afforded another rare Relic. I should¡¯ve bought the Fur Coat and then sold the All-Mother¡¯s Wrath.
Oh well.
¡°Status.¡±
< < Player Status > >
< Adam Fischer >
< Spear Dancer >
< Level 15 >
< Stats >
< Health ¡ª 100 >
< Stamina ¡ª 150 >
< Mana ¡ª 0 >
< Damage ¡ª 100% >
< Defence ¡ª 90% >
< Speed ¡ª 165% >
< Upgrades >
< Force (Rare) >
< Movement (Rare) >
< Defence (Rare) >
Good thing I grabbed that Defence upgrade. I would¡¯ve been down to 75% without it. With my low amount of Health, having that little Defence is a death sentence.
Now, the question is whether I should reroll to see if I can get something like the Echo Earring to boost my attacks or if I should buy potions instead.
It might also be a good idea to invest some points with Luvicidix.
Too many choices make it hard to tell what the best path forward is. The problem with investing into Luvicidix¡¯s upgrades is that I¡¯m basically just preparing for when I die and giving up on this current loop¡ I think I¡¯m better spent using my Points to advance, but maybe I should invest some Points with her, just in case.
After thinking it over for a bit, Adam decided to visit the stall of the red-brown cockroach Belin. He bought two potions and stuck them into his belt. They were secure enough that moving around shouldn¡¯t dislodge them, but they could obviously be destroyed if they were hit.
< < Potions Purchased > >
< Small Healing Potion x2 >
< 353 Points Remaining >
¡°Thank you for your purchase!¡± the cockroach called after him as he left the Market.
He then returned to the centre of Interim Island, and, without warning, the giant white moth descended from the sky.
Her white scales circled around in the air and the tesseract was frozen in place behind Adam.
¡°Welcome back, Adam. I see you met my sister.¡±
Adam nodded. ¡°I did. I will go visit her again when it gets dark.¡±
¡°She is glad to have a visitor,¡± Luvicidix told him. ¡°Even if she doesn¡¯t act like it.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve come to invest some more Points,¡± he said.
The moth ran a hand along her comb-like antennae nonchalantly. ¡°I know,¡± she replied. With a wave of an arm, her upgrade menu appeared.
< < Meta Upgrades For Sale > >
< Damage ¡ª Increase All Damage by 10% ¡ª 1000 Points >
< Rewards ¡ª Increase Reward Options by 1 ¡ª 93/4000 Points >
< Vendors ¡ª Increase Vendor Options by 1 ¡ª 4000 Points >
< Rerolls ¡ª Start every loop with 1 Reroll Dice ¡ª 2500 Points >
< Relic Saving ¡ª Start every loop with 1 Saved Relic Slot ¡ª 5000 Points >
< Cheat Death ¡ª Start every loop with the Cheat Death Relic ¡ª 10000 Points >
¡°I¡¯ll put my remaining points into Rewards again.¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
< < Meta Upgrades Progress > >
< Rewards ¡ª Increase Reward Options by 1 ¡ª 446/4000 Points >
¡°Since you have no Points left, I will take my leave. See you tomorrow,¡± she said knowingly.
¡°Maybe,¡± he replied.
The white moth collected her floating scales back into her wings and then took to the sky. As she vanished, time resumed and the tesseract floated over to Adam, ignorant to what had just transpired.
There was still an hour or more until it got dark, so Adam decided to return to the Tavern in the hopes of meeting up with Willow. He had a lot to tell her after all.
Chapter Eighteen
¡°I haven¡¯t been approached by her,¡± Willow said after Adam told her about the woman gunning for him. ¡°But I¡¯ve also never gotten both achievements.¡±
He¡¯d described what she looked like to her, based on Ilya¡¯s depiction, but she said she hadn¡¯t encountered someone like that.
¡°What I¡¯m wondering though is, why would she go after you?¡± Willow pondered.
¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s because the way I loop is different from using the Self-devouring Eye,¡± Adam speculated. ¡°After all, the rewards and such change with every loop of mine. Apparently, that isn¡¯t the case with the Divine Relic.¡±
¡°Are you going to a different universe every time?¡±
¡°I think so, yeah.¡±
¡°And because of that, this other time-looper considers you a threat?¡±
Adam nodded. ¡°Think about it. If they know all the odds when they go back to the start, they can plan meticulously for the outcomes they want. They know what will happen, so they can feed information to certain people to control outcomes and so forth. I¡¯m not sure whose loop takes precedence here, but me appearing in their universe is probably screwing with their plans.¡±
¡°That actually makes sense,¡± Willow said and frowned. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine reliving the same thing repeatedly is good for one¡¯s mental health though. I mean, you have to be pretty disturbed to manipulate people like you said she¡¯s been doing.¡±
Adam nodded. Though I guess I¡¯ve sort of been doing that too?
He then went on to describe what Ilya had told him about Stage Four, as well as the Secret Relic.
¡°I don¡¯t get why he¡¯d tell you that in exchange for just learning how you beat Stage Three,¡± Willow replied. ¡°What does he really gain from that?¡±
¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know either,¡± Adam said. It had been worrying him a fair bit the more he thought about it.
¡°Adam! This boar meat is delicious!¡±
He looked down at Belamouranthe who had grease all over her face from eating roasted slices of pork belly. On her plate was a pile of dozens more slices yet to be consumed, as well as a side of baked potatoes with a white parsley sauce. She hadn¡¯t eaten a single one of the potatoes.
¡°Eat your vegetables,¡± he told her. ¡°Also, it¡¯s pork, not boar.¡±
¡°I refuse!¡±
¡°With all the meat you¡¯re eating, you need fibre.¡±
¡°No!¡±
Belamouranthe sprang upright, grabbed the plate of food and threw all the potatoes at him before storming off to eat it at the far end of the table.
¡°Did you just get hit with a potato?¡± Willow asked, laughing.
Adam wiped some parsley sauce off his face and sighed.
¡°Let me guess, you told Bela to eat her vegetables?¡±
He smiled. ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡±
¡°She threw a carrot at me yesterday. Her aim is really good¡¡±
¡°I wonder if she¡¯s on a carnivore diet.¡±
¡°That would explain it, but I think she¡¯s probably just picky.¡±
¡°You know,¡± Adam started, his tone getting serious. ¡°I think Stage Four is gonna be bad, in more ways than one. If what Ilya told me is true, then a lot of Players will die.¡±
¡°Did you see how many died in the last one?¡± she asked.
¡°Yeah¡¡±
¡°I think it must¡¯ve been because of the imps and the blood wolves.¡±
Adam nodded, even though he¡¯d defeated them all fairly easily thanks to the Fiendbarb.
¡°That first imp was made to catch people off-guard,¡± he agreed.
¡°How did you do in the Stage?¡± she asked. ¡°I only got the speedrun bonus. One of the wolves tore my left arm up pretty badly.¡±
¡°Damn, how¡¯d you win after that?¡±
¡°I got the healing potion from the dead driver, along with the secret necklace. Thanks to the necklace¡¯s effect, the blood wolf was made super sluggish, giving me enough time to heal.¡±
¡°There was a potion too??¡± he asked, surprised. ¡°I only found the necklace.¡±
¡°It was in the little pouch he dropped onto the road. It wasn¡¯t considered a Secret though.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t even notice that¡¡± he said, disappointed in himself.
¡°How did you do?¡± she asked again.
¡°I actually got both achievements. The Fiendbarb turned out to be a hard counter to the elementals.¡±
¡°How many Points did you get?¡± she asked.
¡°Just over 2,000,¡± he said. ¡°I bought the Blood Mage Choker and Blood Bolt Ring after rerolling like five times.¡±
¡°I was wondering about the weird collar you were wearing.¡±
¡°It increases damage with blood attacks and also protects me once every two minutes.¡±
¡°That sounds very strong.¡±
¡°It is, although it lowers my Defence by 25%.¡±
She frowned. ¡°That¡¯s a risky trade.¡±
¡°I got flawless last Stage, so I think I¡¯ll be fine.¡±
Willow looked unconvinced.
¡°By the way, did you notice the trophies in the Player House?¡± Adam asked.
¡°What about them?¡±
¡°Well, since flawless is silver and speedrun is bronze, it makes it clear there there¡¯s another achievement we don¡¯t know about.¡±
¡°I was wondering why flawless was silver, but I didn¡¯t think about it that way,¡± she admitted. ¡°What do you think the last challenge is? It would have to be harder than not taking damage.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure, to be honest. Maybe Lenard has some ideas.¡±
¡°I tried adding him to the conversation,¡± Willow said, ¡°but he¡¯s not here right now.¡±
¡°Guess I¡¯ll ask him later.¡±
¡°By the way, I found out that there¡¯s a side-effect to my Echo Earring,¡± she said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t just trigger my acid burst twice, it also triggers enemies¡¯ effects twice. It ended up making the large blood guy really dangerous because of his ranged attack.¡±
¡°So that¡¯s why such a strong effect was tied to an uncommon Relic,¡± he said. ¡°Did you buy any Relics from the Market?¡±
She lifted up her left leg and showed off the Spring Boots. ¡°I got these, and also the Blood Fist Ring.¡± She showed him a liquid red band around her left thumb. She was already wearing the Slime Ring on her right hand and it seems that it was only possible to have one Relic per hand.
Seems kind of dumb, but I guess that since Rings can be super powerful, having up to five per hand would trivialise the challenge of the Trials.
It¡¯s clear they want us to struggle.
Adam thought about the time-looper. Clearly she too was struggling, despite knowing what came next. After all, she wouldn¡¯t be concerning herself with Adam if it wasn¡¯t necessary to meticulously plan ahead.
Or would she? Perhaps she¡¯s just a control freak who doesn¡¯t like interference?
It¡¯s a shame she won¡¯t talk to me face-to-face. If she¡¯s seen the future, her knowledge would be a huge boon.
Then he realised something.
¡°I think I just figured out why the time-looper wants me dead¡¡±
¡°Why?¡±
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¡°She knows the rewards that people get, right?¡±
¡°Depends on how many times she¡¯s gone through, but I guess so.¡±
¡°Well, from her perspective, she¡¯s the only one who changes, so people always make the same decisions unless she interacts with them.¡±
Willow nodded. ¡°I see what you mean. Because you¡¯re different this time, she¡¯s noticing it affecting how people act. That would definitely mess with her plans.¡±
¡°It gets worse,¡± Adam said, speaking quickly. ¡°One of the flawless speedrunners I talked to said she¡¯d kill me in Stage Six. It was clear that the time-looper made her target me.¡±
¡°Kill you?¡± Willow asked. ¡°How?¡±
¡°They might change the Stage design so that Players appear in the same place. Like being forced to work together to complete the objectives and kill the boss.¡±
She thought about it for a moment, before saying, ¡°That actually makes a lot of sense. It would explain why they are encouraging Player cooperation with the Tavern.¡±
¡°And the Stages up until then are probably designed to weed out those who aren¡¯t strong enough.¡±
Based on Willow¡¯s expression, it was clear she wasn¡¯t a fan of his phrasing, but she knew he was speaking the truth.
¡°It¡¯ll be a problem if they don¡¯t organise the rewards and upgrades properly though,¡± Adam said.
¡°Because people will fight over them if there¡¯s only one?¡±
¡°Yeah, it¡¯ll lead to a lot of arguing, which in turn will lead to people murdering each other. After all, everyone who has made it this far knows the importance of Relics. And if you can kill people and loot their Relics, it would matter a lot to this time-looper what other Players buy from the Market or loot from the chest at the end of a Stage. That¡¯s gotta be why she wants me dead. My actions and the fact that I¡¯m different than before is changing people¡¯s decisions, which has a rippling effect.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a pretty wild theory, but it does make sense. And yeah, considering the nature of the Trials so far, I think they would definitely pick the type of reward distribution that would create the most friction,¡± Willow remarked.
¡°Especially since there¡¯s an ¡®audience¡¯ watching,¡± he added.
¡°Audience?¡± she asked, looking horrified at the prospect.
¡°Shitbox told me that we¡¯re being observed.¡±
¡°By whom?¡±
Adam thought about the giant eye in the darkness, but he was pretty sure that wasn¡¯t just some mere observer. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±
¡°I heard a rumour, by the way,¡± Willow said, switching topic. ¡°Apparently, hurting Belamouranthe is fatal. The person who told me said they heard it from someone else whose friend was going to try it.¡±
¡°What the fuck¡ Why would anyone wish to hurt her??¡± Adam asked, appalled. He looked at the Elphin girl who was glaring at him from the far end of the long table, three slices of pork belly in her mouth.
¡°I don¡¯t know. But I wonder how many people accidentally died that way in the last Stage. I was pretty close actually, since one of my attacks broke through the carriage.¡±
¡°It does seem like Bel is integral to the story, so I suppose it makes sense that Players would die if she dies.¡±
¡°The magician boss talked about her a lot,¡± Willow noted. ¡°Did he also warn you about her?¡±
Adam nodded. ¡°I think something will happen when she returns home. The next Stage will probably be the last stand before its completion.¡±
¡°You think it¡¯ll be something like a ritual?¡±
He frowned. ¡°Yeah. And I think I have an idea of what kind too¡¡±
After all, Belamouranthe had said she had magic in her veins.
Adam returned to the Garden and entered the dark-blue tent. The Elphin girl had insisted on joining him and now stood time-frozen in the doorway next to the tesseract.
¡°You¡¯re¡ back.¡±
¡°I got another Mastery Shard,¡± he told Alivida. ¡°I¡¯ll put it into Second Sheath.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± she said.
< < Mastery Upgrade Unlocked > >
< Second Sheath ¡ª Carry 1 additional Weapon >
¡°Huh, I don¡¯t feel any different.¡±
¡°You remain the same as before, my upgrades do not change your person, only your capabilities.¡±
He nodded. ¡°Well, thanks.¡±
After leaving the tent, Shitbox and Belamouranthe ¡®unfroze¡¯ and followed after him without any comments about the Garden.
He entered the Market, where Yenna was still playing the Erhu in front of the fountain. He stopped by the stall of the jittery silverfish Nelly.
¡°Show me what weapons you have for sale,¡± he said, even though he didn¡¯t have any Points left.
The stone block next to her came to life and showed a large axe, a bow, a sword and a shield, and a rapier.
< < Weapon Types For Sale > >
< Woodsman (Common) >
< Archer (Common) >
< Defender (Common) >
< Duellist (Uncommon) >
I think that, even if I had saved my Points after buying Relics and potions, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to afford any of these..
¡°What was the price of each rarity again?¡±
¡°Common is 500, Uncommon is 1000, Rare is 2000, and Epic is 5000. They are not upgraded. You want something else, use a Reroll.¡±
Ah yeah, I was right.
If I hadn¡¯t bought potions, I could¡¯ve bought something like the bow, which will probably be useful next Stage. But I¡¯m not sure that would¡¯ve been a better move to be honest.
¡°I¡¯ll come back tomorrow,¡± he said.
¡°Bye for now, Adam!¡± Nelly replied.
There weren¡¯t any other vendors he felt the need to visit, but then he remembered the clothier that he¡¯d unlocked and walked down to her spiderweb stall.
¡°Hi Adam,¡± greeted the smaller spider.
¡°Hey Weaver, thanks for the clothes. They¡¯re very comfortable.¡±
¡°I love mine dress!¡± Belamouranthe exclaimed.
¡°I am glad you found them to be to your liking,¡± she replied meekly. ¡°Would you like me to spin something else for you to wear?¡±
¡°No, that¡¯s okay,¡± Adam said. ¡°I don¡¯t have any Points right now. Just wanted to say thanks.¡±
¡°We are going to the Sanctuary! I will tell Mother about thee and thine silk!¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Weaver replied. ¡°But I think I will remain here.¡±
Belamouranthe looked poised to argue back, but Adam put a hand on her head, stopping her.
¡°We¡¯ll come back when I have more Points,¡± he said.
Weaver waved one of her arms. ¡°Bye Adam.¡±
¡°Show me everyone who has gotten the golden trophy,¡± Adam queried the Tavern.
[This query cannot be performed.]
¡°Why not?¡± he asked.
[Unspecified and speculative queries are not allowed.]
¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean??¡±
Shitbox did not respond.
¡°Alright, then show me everyone who got the trophy for collecting all Secrets in a Stage.¡±
[This query cannot be performed.]
¡°Is that your way of saying such a trophy doesn¡¯t exist?¡±
Once again, the tesseract would not deign him with an answer.
¡°Fine!¡± he said, annoyed.
He thought of how he¡¯d queried for the Secret he¡¯d missed and rephrased his demand.
¡°Show me everyone who got a trophy that isn¡¯t the Speedrun or Flawless trophy.¡±
[This query cannot be performed. Unspecified and speculative queries are not allowed.]
¡°Fuck you and your bullshit logic!¡± he shouted at the cube in front of him.
I guess I¡¯ll try and see if Lenard has any ideas, instead of wasting my time with this¡
¡°Show me Lenard Schulz.¡±
A moment later, the German appeared opposite Adam with Willow next to him. They were already talking to each other it seemed.
Adam suppressed a frown.
¡°Hey guys,¡± he said, trying to not let their easy camaraderie bother him.
¡°Lenard thinks he knows what the last trophy could be,¡± Willow immediately said.
¡°You already asked him about it? I thought you¡¯d wait until I got back. I was only gone for like 20 minutes.¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t I allowed to do things on my own?¡± she asked, sounding offended.
Lenard looked between the two awkwardly.
Adam sighed and shook his head. ¡°Whatever. Tell me what you think it might be.¡±
Lenard cleared his throat, clearly trying to dispel the sudden tension between them. ¡°Well, I was thinking, since there are Secret Relics, there might be a trophy tied to collecting them all.¡±
¡°There isn¡¯t,¡± Adam said. ¡°I¡¯ve already tried querying for it.¡±
¡°Then what about a secret boss? Or maybe it¡¯s tied to the Hardmode that Alivida sells.¡±
¡°It wouldn¡¯t make sense for it to be based on the Hardmode, since no one would be able to get it for the first Stage then.¡±
Unless they¡¯re looping back in time after buying it.
Adam glanced at Willow, who just shook her head slightly.
She hadn¡¯t told Lenard about his ability to go back in time, which he appreciated. Adam wasn¡¯t sure why he himself hadn¡¯t told him though.
He¡¯s my friend, isn¡¯t he?
Or is it because I just like that it¡¯s something that only Willow and I know about?
¡°What about the secret boss theory?¡± Lenard asked.
Adam thought about it for a moment.
That¡¯s actually not a bad theory.
¡°How would they be triggered?¡± he countered. ¡°They obviously can¡¯t have been hidden in the Stages we¡¯ve seen. They¡¯re all too small.¡±
¡°Well, I was thinking, if my theory about the cores is correct, then taking the core from a blue slime and putting it inside the Slime King would make it become even stronger.¡±
Adam grinned.
That has to be it!
¡°Lenard, you¡¯re a genius!¡±
Adam turned to the tesseract floating next to where he sat.
¡°Show me everyone who evolved the Slime King using a Slime Core!¡±
Lenard and Willow vanished, and the tables all cleared out.
[There are no Players in the Tavern who match your query.]
¡°Not even a certain someone who blocked me?¡±
[I cannot say.]
Adam¡¯s grin widened. He¡¯d found the answer to the last trophy, he was sure of it.
¡°Reconnect me with Lenard Schulz and Willow Martin.¡±
[Understood.]
His friends reappeared opposite him.
¡°It worked,¡± he announced.
In return for giving Adam the answer to the last trophy, he told Lenard about Stage Four. He was obviously confused about how Ilya had learnt of the future, but Willow was able to cover for Adam by mentioning that he¡¯d been told by someone with a Legendary Relic. It was the same lie that Ilya had been fed.
¡°It sounds like my crossbow will be strong for this Stage.¡±
¡°I was thinking the same thing,¡± Adam said.
Willow looked like she wanted to reiterate her opinion that bows were stronger, but she didn¡¯t. It was likely that Lenard had already told her how bad Stage Three had been for him.
Adam shared Carsten¡¯s food recommendation with them and they all ate together and talked about the past for a couple hours. Eventually, Charlie kicked them out of the Tavern when it got too late, and they all went their separate ways.
Belamouranthe had fallen asleep in the Tavern and wouldn¡¯t wake up, so Adam carried her in his arms as he returned to the Player House.
After putting her to bed, he spent a while practising with the Blood Bolt Ring. It was triggered by closing his hand over his thumb with the ring and then opening it again to find a ball of blood that was the size of a glass marble. The longer he held his fist closed, the bigger the ball would get, with the max being the size of a tennis ball.
When thrown, the blood bolt would shoot in a straight line at whatever it was aimed at, flying twice as fast as an arrow. Thanks to his Fiendbarb, the explosion on impact was like that of a shrapnel grenade and, against the goblin target dummy, death was instant. Each fragment from the blood bolt would cause the Fiendbarb effect to trigger wherever it hit, meaning he could apply it in several areas on a target¡¯s body, all at once.
Adam was glad to now have something that would be effective against a group of closely-stacked enemies. Especially since Stage Four might have hundreds of enemies he needed to defeat. It was just a shame he couldn¡¯t test out the defensive ability of his Blood Mage Choker.
When he went to bed, he felt prepared for what was to come.
In his dreams, he saw a giant hooded eye. It opened to reveal an iris with the pupil of a serpent. The slit in its eye was like a rend in the cosmic backdrop and from within came reaching arms.
The arms came closer, grasping at him.
He couldn¡¯t run.
He couldn¡¯t even move or look away.
The hands ran across his body and their touch was cold.
Then the eye blinked and Adam felt himself fall.
< < Now Entering > >
< Stage 4 >
< Siege of the Elphin Sanctuary >
< 20-minute Timer >
Chapter Nineteen
Adam led the carriage in through the open gate of the stone wall. Thick roots wrapped themselves around the fortification and shifted like great serpents as he looked at them. He deftly steered the horses, while dozens of Elphin watched him suspiciously from both above and inside the city. Within the vehicle was Belamouranthe, although her face was pressed up against the window in the door so she could look out at her home.
He felt weird, and it took him a moment to realise why.
I can¡¯t move my body. It¡¯s like I¡¯ve been possessed!
Am I in a cutscene?
Adam blinked and was transported somewhere else, suddenly standing on his feet. In front of him was a tall and strikingly-beautiful Elphin who looked a lot like an adult Belamouranthe. Her golden hair reached all the way down to her legs and her lithe figure was like that of a ballerina. She wore a loosely-draped ephemeral silver dress that paired well with her ashen skin. Her eyes were like mini suns and glowed even brighter than Bel¡¯s, but most strikingly were her horns. There were two large ones that curled back from her brow, before fanning out to the sides like the horns of a stag. Several smaller horns sprouted around the top of her scalp, creating the impression of a crown. From her back hung a single translucent-red wing, like that of a butterfly, and the pattern on it shifted mesmerisingly.
This has to be the Elphin Queen.
She was holding Belamouranthe¡¯s hand and the girl was looking up at her and smiling.
Around Adam were many muscular and handsome guards wielding longswords and spears. They too had red see-through wings hanging from their backs, though theirs were much shorter than the queen¡¯s.
I wonder if the wing is a mark of maturity, since Bel doesn¡¯t have one.
He couldn¡¯t tell if they were in the city or not, since they stood within a deep pit, but he also couldn¡¯t turn his head to check. His body was still not his to control and the sensation was deeply unsettling.
¡°My gratitude, Traveller, for returning mine daughter to me,¡± said the beautiful Elphin woman. ¡°At last, she can fulfil her destiny and bring prosperity to our people.¡±
Someone came running down the steps into the pit where they were gathered.
¡°Mine Queen!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°The enemies are at our walls!¡±
¡°The Forlorn King truly believes he can defeat me?¡± the queen asked defiantly. Her eyes ran along the warriors surrounding her and Adam. ¡°Defend the Sanctuary and slay every last invader!¡±
¡°I will lend my aid to your people,¡± Adam said, though the words were not his.
This feels so fucking weird!
It¡¯s like a bizarre nightmare.
¡°I will prepare the Ritual of Adherence while you help protect this Sanctuary.¡±
Suddenly the weirdness let go of Adam and he could move freely. Around him, the Elphin warriors ran up the steps of the strange pit they were in. It looked like an Indian stepwell, with staircases running back-and-forth along the four sloped walls around them. At the bottom where he stood was an enormous engraved stone disk carved into the ground, with channels to diverge water into a pattern he couldn¡¯t quite discern from here.
Shitbox appeared between him and the queen, who was still holding Belamouranthe by the hand.
[Stage Four is the first Stage in the Trials that does not feature Waves. Additionally, there are three objectives for the Stage, each of which may separately lead to victory. Failure to protect the Elphin Queen and the Child will result in your death.]
< < Stage Objectives > >
< Defend the Ritual Site for 20 minutes >
< Defeat the Forlorn Captain >
< Slay all invaders >
¡°Will there be no more Waves going forward?¡±
[I cannot say.]
¡°I thought it wasn¡¯t advantageous for you to tell me how many Waves future Stages have?¡±
Shitbox ignored his remark. [The 20-minute Timer has begun.]
Guess I¡¯ll just have to survive and see for myself then.
Adam cast one last look at Belamouranthe before he hurried up the side of the strange pit. He didn¡¯t like the idea of her being the catalyst for some ritual, but he didn¡¯t have a say in the matter. If he pushed back, he would die. If he didn¡¯t defend the ritual, he would die.
As he neared the top of the hole, he saw the city properly for the first time. His breath caught in his lungs at the sight. It was most easily described as fantastical and picturesque. He climbed to the top so he could take it all in.
The ground was mostly covered with thick moss, though there were large stones planted in the ground to form roads for the carriages that moved through the city. The houses, if they could even be called that, were four-storey-tall towers made of boulders lashed together with writing roots. Plants, mushrooms, and small trees sprouted from the sides of the towers and criss-crossing walkways filled the air between them. There was not a single building that was the same, and he wondered if their unique traits reflected the residents they housed.
Adam spun around as his eyes ran across the towers and tracked the movement of the dozens of Elphin warriors heading to the walls to defend their home. He paused as he saw that one building was not like the others. It was an actual tree and not an amalgamation of living roots and stone. It was enormous. Carved into it were tunnels that led to walkways and balconies higher up. Pods of weaved-together vines dotted its dark-blue bark and its canopy was large enough to shade the southern part of the city, with only a few rays of light shining through its leaves.
The loud thrumming wail of a horn broke him from his awe-filled reverie.
Adam looked in the direction the sound had come from. It was almost directly opposite from the great tree. He couldn¡¯t see the large stone walls from here, but he heard a loud explosion that could surely only mean one thing.
The enemy has gotten inside!
He ran towards the sound of danger, while marvelling at the sheer size of the Stage. It was completely open for him to explore, and he was fairly sure that 20 minutes wouldn¡¯t even be enough to see everything.
Secrets will be a lot harder to find with this much ground to cover.
From what Ilya had told him, he knew that at least one Secret was hidden amongst the great tree¡¯s roots, but that was in the opposite direction of the action, so he¡¯d have to go find it later.
He also said that there¡¯d be many places to defend, so that probably means that they¡¯ll breach more than one wall.
Although it had a 1-minute cooldown, Adam triggered his Spring Boots and launched himself forward. The Relic accelerated him to three times his max speed and he soared through the air as though shot from a cannon. He flew over the heads of Elphin warriors running in the same direction. Above him on the web of walkways were parkouring archers who swung along the vine bridges with the innate finesse of monkeys. In the approaching horizon rose a solid wall of stone at least seven metres tall. It was wrapped in massive roots that were aiding a small group of Elphin in defending a breach in the fortification. Beyond the wall was a forest of tall dark-blue trees. He couldn¡¯t yet see the invaders, but he could hear the sound of fighting.
Adam had tested the Spring Boots several times in the Player House, but he hadn¡¯t been able to test them for this type of rapid traversal. So, when he quickly plummeted from the apex of his insane leap, he had no idea if he would survive the landing intact.
I should¡¯ve tested the boots outside on Interim Island.
He¡¯d thought about it, of course, but had been too scared to accidentally launch himself off the edge of the flying island.
Adam¡¯s clawed boots hit the mossy ground and tore up deep furrows that exposed the dark-brown earth. He barely felt the impact up through his legs.
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I¡¯m still alive!
I wonder if these boots will save me from falling?
As he ran towards the hole in the stone wall, the Elphin defenders were quickly pushed back. It looked like the spirit had gone out of them and the armoured soldiers were able to dispatch them with ease. The metal plates worn by the enemies was a dull grey and visibly rusty as though decades old. Scraps of blue cloth poked out here-and-there and a few wore the tattered remains of tabards. Even their swords and metal-braced wooden shields were rusted and decayed.
A group of six invaders were gathered in front of the hole, surrounded by the corpses of the early defenders, while fighting three serpent-like roots that tried to crush them. It was a perfect target for Adam¡¯s new ring.
Before he could prepare the blood bolt, one of the enemies was slammed to the ground by a root, knocking off his metal helmet. Adam grimaced at the exposed skin of the soldier. It was rotten. Black putrescence leaked from open purple sores in his lifeless skin and only tattered bits of wispy hair remained.
These aren¡¯t human¡ They¡¯re more like undead¡
I hope the Fiendbarb still works on them¡
Adam closed his left fist over his thumb and the liquid red ring, charging up the blood bolt. As he watched the invaders, they chopped their swords into one of the roots and a black taint spread onto the living plant causing it to slow down and start to decay.
I really shouldn¡¯t get hit by their weapons, he realised. Not that I was planning to, of course¡
He launched the blood bolt at the centre of their formation, just as the downed soldier got back to his feet.
With a pop, the bolt exploded against his target, showering blood crystals all over them. Several failed to pierce their armour and just bounded off harmlessly. Nevertheless, all but one were hit where it counted and the effect of the Fiendbarb was immediate.
When the two remaining root serpents retaliated, the affected soldiers broke into pieces. It was clear the crystallisation of the Fiendbarb was extremely effective against them.
I just need to aim for the gaps in their armour.
Fortunately, the rusted and decayed nature of the invaders¡¯ equipment meant that there were lots of gaps to be found.
Adam rushed forward and hammered his spear into the remaining soldier, striking his shoulder where parts of his cuirass had rusted away. With a loud crack, the entire arm and shoulder joint just fell away from his body, as though the soldier had been turned into brittle glass.
Despite the grievous injury, the soldier swung his sword at Adam¡¯s neck.
Caught off-guard, he only clumsily managed to block the attack with his shield, but the impact knocked him back several steps.
Before the soldier could capitalise on the opening, two arrows suddenly appeared in the left eye-socket of his helmet. Then a roaring Elphin warrior surged past Adam and chopped the soldier¡¯s head off with a longsword.
Eight additional warriors joined Adam as he regained his composure, but more soldiers burst through the opening in the stone wall at the same time. Behind them came a 2-metre-tall armour-clad monster with black smoke billowing out from the grill of his metal helmet. In his hands was a massive greatsword that was wider than Adam¡¯s head and looked too heavy for a normal human to carry.
What struck him most was how the sunlight seemed incapable of illuminating the figure, as though the darkness that oozed from him was swallowing up the light.
¡°Shitbox, who is the big guy?¡±
[That is a Forlorn Knight.]
Forlorn? What¡¯s that supposed to mean? Is it a different way of saying ¡®undead¡¯?
The Elphin warriors charged forward and Adam moved with them. Unlike the invaders, none of them wore sturdy-looking armour, opting for lightweight moss and bark strapped to airy shirts and pants made of silk.
Adam drove his spear through the eye-socket of a soldier¡¯s helmet. The Fiendbarb triggered, instantly killing him. Adam freed his spear with a shield bash to his neck.
In front of him, the remaining roots focused on the knight, but he immediately split one down its length, before cutting the other in two.
The Elphin around Adam fared well and managed to land the first strike on the soldiers, but their weapons, which Adam realised were made of only wood and stone, were insufficient to pierce the enemy¡¯s armour. Even when they landed fatal hits, the soldiers pushed through. It was only when the head was destroyed or decapitated that they stopped moving.
A pane of blood appeared to Adam¡¯s side as a sword drove straight for his neck. He hadn¡¯t even noticed the attack until it bounded off the defence created by his choker Relic.
It¡¯s impossible to keep an eye on all threats while I¡¯m in the thick of it! he realised, knowing he needed to disengage.
Adam rammed his spear through the soldier¡¯s exposed abdomen, before kicking him in the same spot and breaking his body into two. As the enemy fell to the ground, an Elphin came in and chopped his head off with a precise slash at his exposed nape.
Adam backed away as the knight pushed through the defenders, knowing that staying inside the melee would get him killed. An Elphin hammered his spear into the knight¡¯s left hip, where part of his armour plates were rusted away, but it didn¡¯t even slow him down.
While his smoke-oozing helmet stared directly at Adam, he grabbed the Elphin¡¯s red wing and yanked it free from his body. Like a light that was snuffed out, the man just collapsed, instantly dead.
What the fuck!?
The knight pushed back the rest of the defenders, who were being picked off one-by-one by the soldiers.
Adam shot forward and slashed his spear blade across the same point the dead spearman had struck. The Fiendbarb triggered and the knight¡¯s hip joint crunched and broke, causing him to stagger. Despite the disabling strike, he still swung his two-handed greatsword behind his back to try and hit Adam. The tip narrowly missed him and he noticed that it left a dirty trail of darkness in the air for a moment.
There¡¯s something wrong with their weapons!
The knight didn¡¯t have any weak-spots in his armour near his head or neck, and Adam¡¯s weapon couldn¡¯t pierce the plates at all, thanks to the Fiendbarb. But then he remembered the Slime Glove on his hand.
As the knight tried to turn, only destroying his hip joint and ruining his left leg more, Adam raised his right hand and fired off a glob of corrosive acid. It struck his armoured back, right between the shoulder-blades, and immediately started running through rusted holes too small to be exploited by Adam¡¯s spear. While the acid couldn¡¯t destroy metal, it could destroy organic tissue.
Within moments, the knight collapsed onto his stomach and his helmet rolled away, revealing a broken spine and severed skull within the hollow space of his armour.
In an instant, the tide turned as the remaining soldiers lost their ability to survive mortal wounds. Black treacle blood sputtered out of their countless wounds and the three remaining Elphin warriors were able to kill them in only a few seconds.
Adam let out a sigh as the battle came to an end.
Around him lay twelve dead Elphin and sixteen invaders, counting the knight. If Ilya was right, this was only the beginning.
The Fiendbarb is great, if I can hit them where the armour doesn¡¯t cover, but having to destroy their heads makes things more difficult.
I should focus on destroying the big guys, since they seem to be what are holding the soldiers together with their strange necromancy magic. If I can do it fast enough, the defenders should be able to clean up the rest.
< Choose your Upgrade >
Where the knight had dropped, Shitbox was unfolding itself into an upgrade podium.
So, this is how upgrades work in this Stage. Interesting.
An explosion from the east drew his attention.
Shit! There¡¯s no breaks to be had here, huh?
He quickly looked through the options.
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Spear Growth (Rare) ¡ª Increases spear length by 45% >
< Bash Damage (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases shield bash damage by 10% >
< Luck (Epic) ¡ª Increases luck by 5 >
The Luck one is tempting, but I want the third evolution more.
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Bash Damage (Uncommon) >
¡°Armament,¡± he said as he ran along the stone wall to reach the new hole that¡¯d formed in the east. None of the Elphin had gone with him, opting to guard the breach in their defence.
While following the wall, Adam quickly realised that it formed a ring around the city, rather than a square like what he¡¯d imagined. For some reason, that was surprising to him.
There was about four metres of unoccupied moss-covered ground between the wall and the nearest buildings, but the archers that parkoured along the walkway between the towers had a great overlook from above and would be able to strike any invader. However, none seemed to be present in this part of the city.
< < Weapon Status > >
< Spear & Parry Shield >
< Common Quality >
< Level 13 >
< Stat Upgrades >
< Spear Damage 45% >
< Spear Speed 45% >
< Spear Growth 30% >
< Shield Parry 2.5 seconds >
< Bash Damage 35% >
< Shield Speed 35% >
Just 5 more upgrades to go and I¡¯ll get my third evolution. I wonder what I¡¯ll get offered. Hopefully it¡¯ll work well with my current Relic build.
The breach in the wall came into view and he saw that Elphin defenders were already fighting a losing battle against twelve soldiers.
Woosh!
Something struck Adam right in the shoulder, stopping him in an instant and slamming him onto his back. Agony unlike any he¡¯d ever felt set fire to his brain and he couldn¡¯t even manifest a scream.
[Warning! Health below 10%. You are close to dying.]
He managed to barely turn his head and saw the thick bolt that was buried in the flesh and muscle just next to his clavicle.
That was fired from a crossbow! A giant one!
¡°Damage¡?¡± he croaked, while trying to reach for one of the potions in his belt.
[The attack dealt 85 points of damage, which was increased to 94 due to your Defence rating. That means you now have 6 Health or 6% remaining.]
He pulled the potion free and lifted it up towards his mouth.
Holy shit! I would¡¯ve been dead if I hadn¡¯t picked the Defence upgrade last Stage¡
Adam bit down on the potion¡¯s cork stopper and pulled it free by wrenching his left hand. He was in a hurry, because at any moment the enemy would finish reloading. Some of the red water spilled onto his shirt, but he managed to get most of it into his mouth.
He sputtered and coughed as he swallowed it, and the healing effect was immediate. The bolt popped out of his shoulder and the wound knitted itself closed.
[Small Healing Potion consumed! Recovering Health back to 46%.]
Unlike the healing apple, however, it did not refill his health back to full and pain still lingered as he rolled to the side in the moss.
Woosh!
A large bolt the length of his arm buried itself right where he¡¯d been.
That was way too close!
Adam sprang to his feet, but he felt woozy from pain, even though adrenaline rushed through him.
Gritting his teeth, he charged right at the breach.
Above, atop the wall, stood a dark shadowy figure carrying a crucifix-shaped weapon.
Adam used his Spring Boots to launch himself off the ground towards the forlorn knight.
Chapter Twenty
Adam flew up towards the wall, but he had to grab the ledge as his leap couldn¡¯t bring him high enough. He pulled himself up and rolled to the side, just as a crossbow bolt plinked along the stone.
The knowledge that a second hit was fatal sat at the forefront of his mind as he charged for the shadowy sniper. Even if he could consume his second potion, it wouldn¡¯t heal him enough to survive being hit again.
Like the knight he¡¯d slain at the northern breach, this one was two metres tall and imposing. Sinister shadows covered him like a veil and, instead of plate armour, he wore wrapped cloth that obscured his rotten skin. From his hood billowed black smoke as though his eyes were on fire.
¡°Cooldowns on my Relics!?¡± Adam demanded.
The knight casually reloaded a stake into his massive cross-shaped crossbow.
[38 seconds remaining for Blood Mage Choker.]
So the glove and ring are ready, but my defence Relic isn¡¯t¡
Shit.
When only eight metres separated them, the knight fired again.
Woosh!
Adam clumsily raised his shield while trying to dodge the bolt. The wall was no more than two metres wide and only the side facing away from the city had a simple parapet, so diving out of the way would send him off the edge and potentially kill him.
The bolt hit the side of his shield and pushed his arm aside forcefully, making him stumble a step towards the edge. The impact left a bump on the front of the shield, which warped part of the edge. Even though it hadn¡¯t hit him or done direct damage, his left elbow felt as though it¡¯d been sprained.
With a roar, he lunged towards the knight. But he was much nimbler than the previous one and easily backstepped out of the way of Adam¡¯s thrusting attack, while swinging his massive crossbow like a club.
Somehow, Adam managed to catch the strike on his shield and parry it, putting the knight off-balance and disorienting him for 2.5 seconds.
Adam didn¡¯t show any mercy and repeatedly stabbed the forlorn bastard, triggering the Fiendbarb again-and-again. After the fifth strike, the internal crystallisation had ruined the knight¡¯s body to the point that it broke under its own weight and tumbled off the wall in pieces.
Thank God for this Relic¡
Down below near the breach, the four remaining Elphin warriors turned the tide and laid waste to the incapacitated soldiers, who¡¯d been rendered immobile by the loss of their leader.
Adam breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Let me know when I can consume my other potion,¡± he told Shitbox, as it unfolded into an upgrade podium.
[Understood.]
He finally had time to inspect his shoulder wound. Although the potion had knitted his skin and flesh back to normal, black veins spread out around the area. He immediately thought of the strange effect the soldiers¡¯ attacks had on the Elphin.
But I feel fine. Although it still hurts¡
< Choose your Upgrade >
As he walked over to where Shitbox had unfolded itself, he saw something on the other side of the wall about forty metres away near the treeline. It was a little wood-and-stone hut, which looked similar in construction to the Elphin towers. It had been taken over by five soldiers and there was a black chest behind them.
Suddenly an explosion from the west drew his attention. A second later came another explosion from north-west. Both were on the direct opposite side of the city and he couldn¡¯t see either of the new breaches thanks to the many towers in the way.
Two at once this time¡
He¡¯d almost thought that the setup of the Stage was very similar to the Wave-based ones, but it was clear that this wouldn¡¯t be the case.
I doubt I can get there in time, but I should be able to intercept them before they reach the ritual site. Maybe I can go find the Relic by the great tree¡¯s roots on the way.
He looked back at the hut and the black chest. He really wanted whatever was inside.
I have enough time, he told himself.
Adam quickly picked an upgrade.
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Spear Damage (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases spear damage by 10% >
< Shield Parry (Common) ¡ª Successful parry disorients for 0.5 seconds >
< Health (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases health by 2 >
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Shield Parry (Common) >
Disorient beats damage, even though it¡¯s only half a second extra duration.
Adam eyed the seven metre drop down to the other side of the wall.
¡°Shitbox, do my Spring Boots eliminate fall damage?¡±
[No.]
Must¡¯ve been part of the ability then. Damn.
Just as he was about to cautiously scale down the outside of the wall, two Elphin archers dropped from the nearby web of walkways between the towers and came up next to him.
¡°Good timing,¡± he said. ¡°Help me down, would you?¡±
One of the Elphin, a tall man with a scar running down the side of his neck, nodded and helped Adam down, while bracing himself against the parapet.
As he let go of his hand, Adam dropped the last four metres, though the impact was mostly dispersed by the mossy ground and his boots.
¡°Thanks!¡± he called up to the archer. ¡°While you¡¯re at it, could you shoot some arrows at those soldiers over there?¡±
Wordlessly, the archer and his companion moved to follow his command.
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Wait, am I actually meant to order these guys around? Have I been misunderstanding my role in the defence?
Adam considered how to utilise his newfound knowledge as he sprinted across the moss outside the city, heading for the nearby hut. Arrows were already harassing the soldiers gathered there and they were leaving the hut and coming towards Adam.
He charged the blood bolt in his left hand and skidded to a halt just as the soldiers grouped together to engage him. As he fired it off, one of the enemies moved out in front with a sudden burst of speed, catching the projectile right on his chest.
Fuck! Too close!
The bolt exploded, sending crystallised fragments everywhere, and Adam¡¯s defence Relic triggered to protect him, creating a pane of blood in front of him.
Oh shit!
He dove out of the way as the shield was infected with the Fiendbarb effect and also exploded. Small needles of blood showered the area. For a second he thought he was done for, but then he looked around and saw that he hadn¡¯t been hit, although three of the small fragments were embedded in his boots.
That could¡¯ve killed me¡
I need to be more careful.
Movement caught his attention and he looked up to see that two soldiers remained. The other three lay dead on the ground behind them.
Adam rolled aside just as a sword swung for his head. The blade struck the moss, but the second soldier immediately moved forward and tried to stab him.
Thwack!
An arrow slapped into the soldier¡¯s head, striking the top of his helmet with enough force to push him back. Then a second arrow found its way into his eye-socket.
Adam got to his feet and immediately rammed his spear into the soldier¡¯s exposed neck. With a punch of his shield, his head popped off from his shoulders.
He waited for the last soldier to attack and then immediately parried the simple swing, before stabbing him twice in his stomach where part of his armour had rusted away. It wasn¡¯t enough to kill the soldier, although his body broke into two and he collapsed to the ground. To finish him off, he nailed him through the slit of his helmet and destroyed his head.
I¡¯ve gotta hurry.
Adam went over to the hut, which looked to be some kind of storage for tools that could prune the nearby treeline, such as saws and simple hedge shears. Inside lay a dead Elphin man, whose skin was criss-crossed with black veins from dozens of tainted wounds.
The tesseract floated over in front of the chest.
[You have discovered a Relic Chest!]
[Unlike the chest at the end of a Stage, this chest¡¯s reward options cannot be rerolled.]
Adam frowned. That¡¯s a shame.
He reached over to push open the lid. As soon as he touched it, the chest popped open on its own, showering him with golden light. A metallic vambrace appeared, as well as a potion with green liquid, and a human-shaped twig effigy with blue string keeping it together.
< < Relics Available > >
< Tainted Bracer (Uncommon) ¡ª Fire off a shadowy slash that penetrates armour and inflicts Taint, lowering target¡¯s Stamina regeneration by 40% for 30 seconds. Breaks after use >
< Small Stamina Potion (Common) ¡ª Drink to restore 40% Stamina. Disappears after use >
< Affliction Ward (Uncommon) ¡ª Negate any affliction. Breaks after use >
Okay, not a fantastic selection¡
The Bracer sounds cool, but it won¡¯t work, since Fiendbarb overrides it with its anti-penetration.
Guess I¡¯ll pick the Ward.
< < Relic Selected > >
< Affliction Ward (Uncommon) >
The light disappeared from the chest and the human twig effigy appeared attached to Adam¡¯s belt, right next to where he¡¯d fastened his remaining potion.
He immediately ran back to the wall, aiming for the breach.
I wonder if the ¡®shadowy slash¡¯ of the Tainted Bracer is a hint about what I might face.
If it penetrates armour, I doubt I can block or parry it.
Above on the wall, the two archers watched as Adam went through the hole. He paused for a second, looking at the six Elphin warriors guarding the breach.
¡°Five of you should head to the opposite side of the city to defend against the invaders there. I think this side is probably safe for now. Also, make sure to only aim for their heads.¡±
Surprisingly, all four of the warriors immediately moved to obey his instructions, while one of the archers remained behind. The other archer went over to a tower and scaled the side like a squirrel, before running along the walkways above to get to his destination.
I should¡¯ve done this from the start¡
Figuring that the Elphin would slow down the enemies, Adam veered off to go towards the large tree. He used his Spring Boots to launch himself forward to cover more ground and made it to the tree after what felt like a minute or so.
¡°How long do I have left?¡± he asked the tesseract, while climbing up onto one of the large roots of the great tree.
[12 minutes remaining.]
¡°Thought for sure it¡¯d be long¡ª¡±
An explosion interrupted him, this one from the south. It wasn¡¯t far from the tree.
Shit¡ Do I go towards that or do I try to deal with the two breaches on the western side??
Maybe I should just stay here until I spot some of the enemies?
From the roots, he could see the area near the pit within which the Elphin Queen was preparing the ritual. There were a handful of Elphin directly around the area, but none of them were engaging any enemies yet.
Okay, I think I still have time.
Adam ran along the overlapping roots, crawling up-and-down while looking for the idol that Ilya had mentioned. Given that everything else he¡¯d said had been true, Adam was sure the Secret would be here.
Granted, he also said I¡¯d be facing hundreds of enemies. So far it has only been like twenty-five, and I¡¯m halfway done.
Maybe he was wrong about the Relic chest too. He said there¡¯d just be one and that it was hidden, but the one I found wasn¡¯t hidden at all¡ So there might be more.
Since he got the info from the time-looper, it¡¯s possible that some of it was missing or slightly wrong, while the rest was right. After all, he said there¡¯d be three Secrets, but that he only knew about one.
Adam shook his head. It didn¡¯t matter.
He spent a little while longer searching for the Secret but still couldn¡¯t find it. He decided to give up for now.
The area around the pit was still clear, perhaps as a result of him sending reinforcements to the western breaches, so he decided to head south towards the newest threat.
As he ran around the tree¡¯s thick trunk, he immediately spotted nine soldiers coming towards his position. They weren¡¯t as quick as the Elphin warriors, but they¡¯d still be able to reach the centre of the city within two minutes. Above on the walkways were two archers desperately trying to slow them down.
Adam charged towards the soldiers.
Where¡¯s the knight?
Their leader wasn¡¯t anywhere in sight, which complicated matters.
I just hope it¡¯s not another ranged bastard.
With a roar, Adam rammed his spear into the first soldier, striking him right below the clavicle where a gap in his armour exposed his skin. The Fiendbarb¡¯s crystallisation spread far enough to reach the neck and a single bash decapitated him. The next three all came for him at once and he quickly backed away, while blocking their strikes with his shield.
Adam gasped as his Stamina quickly depleted from the onslaught. With a wide swing of his spear, he created some distance, and even managed to nick one of the soldiers on the forearm, causing his hand to crystallise and break off.
Shit, I¡¯m running low on Stamina!
A couple arrows fell from above, one striking a soldier in the neck and the other harmlessly plinking off another¡¯s helmet.
I¡¯ve gotta be more efficient with my moves.
But goddamn, blocking is way too draining. Maybe because it¡¯s a parry shield?
Adam thrust his spear out while taking a step forward, stabbing the soldier with the arrow in his neck and killing him. He waited for the other two to try and strike again, and when one did, he parried his attack, disorienting him.
The five other soldiers joined their comrades, before he could kill the one he¡¯d parried. Adam was quickly getting surrounded. He swung his spear around himself while trying to think of what to do, but then it hit him.
He closed his left fist over his thumb, while triggering his Spring Boots to launch himself backwards. The moment he flew back towards the great tree, he fired the blood bolt right into the front of the nearest soldier.
The explosion that followed was bigger than all the previous ones. Four of the soldiers broke into pieces as they were struck by several fragments and Fiendbarb triggered inside them repeatedly. The other three weren¡¯t left unscathed either and were all disabled in one way or another.
As Adam landed, his footing slipped and he tumbled onto his back, striking his head on one of the large roots.
¡°Ow.¡±
He took in the scene of devastation that he¡¯d created with the blood bolt.
What the hell happened!?
He was breathing quickly as he got to his feet and knew he needed a break. Fortunately, the archers descended from the walkways to finish off the three remaining and injured soldiers before they could get to Adam.
Then realisation struck him.
Spear Dancer¡¯s effect triggered from the Spring Boots accelerating me to 3x speed and apparently the Blood Bolt Ring¡¯s area of effect scales with damage.
Before Adam could celebrate this accidental discovery, a forlorn knight came charging down the road towards him, flanked by three soldiers.
Shit!
The Elphin on the ground looked poised to engage, but Adam quickly yelled at them to return to the walkways. Their ranged attacks were more effective and they¡¯d stay alive longer up there.
Although he was woozy from running low on Stamina, Adam slowly walked towards the incoming knight and entourage. This one was covered in plate armour like the first knight and wielded a long halberd. He had a beaked close-helm and a blue cloth around his neck like a scarf. A black haze seemed to trail the head of his weapon.
I don¡¯t see any obvious weak-points in the armour¡
This might be a tough one.
Adam gritted his teeth and prepared for the worst.
Chapter Twenty-One
Arrows plinked off the knight¡¯s armour as he advanced. The helmet was impervious to the archers¡¯ attacks as a slit so narrow only an envelope could pass through was the only opening. But that gave Adam an idea. He just needed to keep him still for it to work.
With a sudden burst of speed, the forlorn knight came at him with a downward chop of his halberd. Adam didn¡¯t dare attempt to parry it, so he dodged to the side as it cut into the mossy ground. The knight adjusted his two-handed grip and tore the weapon out of the ground in a horizontal slash aimed at Adam¡¯s mid-section.
Clang!
He parried the strike and disoriented the knight, but as he moved in close the three soldiers came to the defence of their leader. Adam managed to kill one with a stab through the side of his neck, but was forced to manoeuvre around the back of the tall bastard to avoid the other two. Just as the disorientation ran out, Adam spotted three rusted holes on the knight¡¯s back plate.
Arrows pelted the knight from above as he whirled around, swinging his halberd in a powerful attack. Adam pushed one of the soldiers in front of himself and got splattered by foul black blood as a reward, though he managed to stop the knight¡¯s weapon from reaching him.
With a series of quick stabs, Adam disabled the last soldier and moved around the back of the halberdier. He rammed his spear into one of the rusted holes and triggered the Fiendbarb right around the knight¡¯s ribcage, which would¡¯ve been fatal had he been human. Despite the internal damage, the mini boss was unfazed and swung for Adam once more.
Clang!
He parried the halberd again, but just as Adam went around the knight¡¯s back a second time, the disorient wore off.
That was way less than 3 seconds!
Crap¡ I think that means the effect has diminishing returns.
As the knight swung for him, Adam retreated several steps. It was clear this wouldn¡¯t be doable with his current setup and he didn¡¯t have time to wait for his cooldowns to finish.
I¡¯ve got no choice here.
¡°Unequip Fiendbarb.¡±
[Unequipping Relic.]
The Relic dropped to the ground next to him and the original narrow leaf-shaped tip of his spear was revealed.
As the knight stabbed his halberd forward, Adam dodged out of the way and pushed in close. He parried the follow-up slash coming at him from the side and then quickly stabbed the knight in the plate above his left knee three times. On the third strike, his spear-tip pierced the armour and dug into the rotten flesh below.
The halberdier spun to try and get to him, but Adam moved against his rotation and tore the spear out sideways, collapsing the knight as he destroyed his knee joint. Adam moved around the back and aimed his Slime Glove directly at the three holes that exposed his innards.
When he launched the glob of acidic jelly, it almost immediately moved into the top hole, as though sucked by a vacuum. A moment later the knight collapsed onto his stomach, eaten from within his suit.
Adam retrieved his discarded Relic.
¡°Equip Fiendbarb.¡±
[Equipping Relic.]
The bone cactus reappeared at the tip of his spear.
< Choose your Upgrade >
Shitbox unfolded into a podium and once again Adam hurried through his selection, before running back towards the great tree.
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Spear Speed (Rare) ¡ª Increases spear attack speed by 35% >
< Shield Parry (Uncommon) ¡ª Successful parry disorients for 1 second >
< Bleed (Uncommon) ¡ª Attacks inflict bleed dealing 10% weapon damage over the course of 10 seconds >
Pretty obvious that parry is not as powerful as I thought, so spear speed makes more sense here.
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Spear Speed (Rare) >
Adam told the two archers to follow him and, as he made it to the roots of the tree, he quickly ran along the tops of them while looking for anywhere the Secret Relic could be hiding. The roots overlapped each other like a nest of giant serpents, but he couldn¡¯t find any obvious place for something to be hidden.
Maybe Ilya¡¯s directions were wrong. I¡¯ll have to look for this thing after I¡¯m done with the Stage I think.
He continued around the huge trunk until the central ritual site came into view.
Shit.
Twelve soldiers and a single knight were fighting only ten metres from where the steps led down to Belamouranthe and her mother. Defending the site were just seven Elphin warriors and four archers.
¡°Go!¡± Adam told the archers. ¡°We can¡¯t let them reach the centre!¡±
The Elphin, who were already running along the walkways above him, sped off towards the fight, while Adam hurried along the ground.
¡°Boots?¡±
[8 seconds remaining until they are ready.]
Fuck.
To make matters worse, Adam could feel how his Stamina was almost entirely gone. It was like a hole had opened in his lungs, and his saliva tasted like copper.
Despite knowing it was a bad idea, he forced himself to slow down. If he leapt into the fray, he¡¯d run out of Stamina and die. But that meant he was leaving the Elphin warriors to die in his place.
I¡¯ll wait for my Ring and Boots to be ready, then I¡¯ll repeat that move from earlier.
Maybe if I command the defenders, they can hold off until then?
Adam moved close enough that his words could be heard by the Elphin.
¡°Archers and spearmen, aim for the legs to disable the soldiers! Swordsmen, avoid getting in too close and work together to decapitate the enemies one by one!¡±
Once again the Elphin followed his instructions, but there were only five warriors remaining, two with spears and the other three wielding swords. The knight was responsible for most of the deaths. He wielded two longswords and was covered in armour except for his head, which had a torn and frayed blue hood, the unnatural shadows of which obscured his rotten face.
As the knight realised Adam had command over the defenders, he broke away from the fight and headed towards him.
He could¡¯ve gone down the pit and killed the Queen, Adam thought to himself. Thank fuck these enemies aren¡¯t super bright.
Adam raised his dented shield and strode towards the knight. Only a few metres to his left were the top of the stairs that led to the ritual site. He couldn¡¯t really see what was happening down there, but part of him also didn¡¯t want to know.
With a surge of speed, the dual-wielding swordsman loped forward, chopping his blades down in an X-shaped strike.
Adam was completely caught off-guard and the wooziness from his low Stamina made him unable to respond in time. The pane of blood popped up in front of him and deflected the two strikes before dissolving into nothingness. The knight was not so easily deterred however and just pushed forward before Adam could regain his composure.
With an awkward movement, he put his parry shield in the way of the knight¡¯s double strike and stumbled back three steps from the impacts.
Adam gasped and his legs suddenly felt tingly with static.
He could feel it.
He¡¯d extinguished the last embers of his Stamina and was seconds away from collapse.
With a desperate shout, he flung his shield out in a parry, catching one of the swords. The other skimmed along his right arm, drawing blood and setting fire to his nerves.
[Warning! Health below 5%. You are close to dying.]
[The attack dealt 40 points of damage, which was increased to 44 due to your Defence rating. That means you now have 2 Health or 2% remaining.]
[You have been afflicted with Taint. Stamina recovery reduced by 50%.]
He could feel exhaustion overtake him, even numbing the pain that flared in his upper arm.
[Affliction Ward triggered. Affliction negated.]
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On his belt, the Affliction Ward popped and disintegrated.
Without any solid plan in mind, Adam triggered the Spring Boots and shot directly into the knight, while gripping his spear in both hands. The Fiendbarb tip was unable to pierce the swordsman¡¯s armoured torso, but it pushed with enough force to dent it like a bowl, while carrying him backwards with Adam¡¯s explosive momentum.
When they landed near the soldiers and Elphin, the knight struck the mossy ground back first and Adam was launched head-over-heels through the air, before belly-flopping a few metres away.
He coughed up blood and saw the world in monochrome colours, though his Health did not move down below the 2 points remaining. With a last bit of exertion, Adam raised his arm and fired the blood bolt towards the downed knight and the nearby soldiers.
It landed like a grenade and showered them in crystallised shards, killing three of the soldiers and striking the knight right in his shadow-cowled face.
The remaining soldiers became incapacitated. It wasn¡¯t until an Elphin cut the head off of one nearby that Adam realised he¡¯d been three seconds away from death. With what little he had left, a single kick would have been the end of him.
¡°Potion¡ cooldown?¡± he asked Shitbox.
[1 minute remaining on potion toxicity.]
A wailing horn filled the air, along with three explosions back-to-back. All of them came from the north.
There¡¯s no way I¡¯m doing this¡
< Choose your Upgrade >
The surviving Elphin ran off to defend this newest set of breaches.
It was quiet around him for a moment, until gentle footfalls from nearby drew his attention and he slowly pushed himself to his knees. The exertion was enough to make blood well up his throat, though he had no idea where it was coming from, since none of his wounds were internal. He swallowed it back down.
¡°Consume this offering from our Goddess,¡± said a female voice.
Adam looked up and met the green-glowing eyes of a young Elphin girl. She was a few years older than Bel and her blonde hair was tinged with red. A tiny wing sprouted from the back of her white silken dress, which was too long for her short frame and dragged along the mossy ground.
He accepted the fruit, which was a blue apple-sized strawberry with pink seeds dotting it.
Without questioning it, he bit into the strawberry and his mouth was immediately flooded with the taste of vanilla, banana, and pear.
[All-Mother¡¯s Fruit consumed! Recovering Health, Stamina, and Mana back to 100%.]
The fruit instantly healed him back to full, flushing all the pain and fatigue from his system. At the same time, it knitted shut his injured arm and even dispelled the black veins from where the crossbow bolt had struck his shoulder.
He got to his feet and hugged the girl.
¡°Thank you!¡±
Then he quickly selected an upgrade from where Shitbox was unfolded into a podium, before running off towards the northern wall.
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Spear Damage (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases spear damage by 10% >
< Bash Damage (Rare) ¡ª Increases shield bash damage by 15% >
< Crush (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases the impact of attacks by 10% >
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Spear Damage (Uncommon) >
¡°Time remaining?¡±
[4 minutes and 28 seconds.]
This last invasion has to be the boss then. That¡¯s gotta be why they sounded the horn again.
As the northern breaches came into view, Elphin ran up alongside Adam, coming from all parts of the city for one last-ditch defence. In total, there were seventeen Elphin. Nine were archers and the rest were warriors with swords and spears.
He frowned when he saw what they were up against.
Thirty or more soldiers poured through the holes in the northern wall. The serpent-like roots that¡¯d defended the initial breach were all defeated and many Elphin lay dead on the ground, covered in ugly black wounds.
At the head of this invasion was an armoured giant. A frayed blue sash was bound around his abdomen like a belt and a cape of the same material fluttered behind him as he tore his way through the defenders. He wielded a sword that oozed dark smoke and his shield trailed a black haze. His helmet was a bucket shape with protrusions at the top like the rook piece from chess.
That¡¯s gotta be the captain that Ilya described.
He looks way more intimidating than I thought he¡¯d be.
As Adam watched, the boss slapped his sword against the shield and shot out a black shadowy ring. It flew out like an expanding halo and cut into five Elphin, immediately killing them.
Then he swung his sword and launched a black slicing wind through the air, killing another two.
Fuck, this guy is trouble.
[Potion toxicity has dissipated. You may now consume another potion.]
Yeah¡ I¡¯ll probably need it too.
¡°Everyone!¡± Adam yelled. ¡°Focus on the soldiers and avoid the captain!¡±
The Elphin quickly obeyed and gave the boss a wide berth, before moving to halt the soldiers¡¯ advance.
The captain immediately locked in on Adam and loped towards him with powerful strides. He had to be two-and-a-half-metres tall, if not more, and his sword was almost the length of Adam¡¯s spear. He raised his shield and drove his blade forward.
Adam dodged to the side, while back-pedalling to avoid being caught by any of the boss¡¯ crazy attacks.
¡°Unequip Fiendbarb.¡±
[Unequipping Relic.]
It dropped to his feet, just as the captain slashed his sword sideways at Adam¡¯s throat.
Clang!
He parried the strike, dispersing the shadows from the blade momentarily. Then he leaped forward and thrust his spear into one of the narrow eye sockets of the bucket helmet with all his might.
The captain stumbled back a step. Adam lifted his Green Slime Glove and fired off a glob of acid. It struck the helmet, but before it could penetrate the armour and dissolve the boss, an explosion of shadowy energy shot out from within the suit. The corrosive jelly evaporated and the boss immediately went back on the offensive.
What the fuck was that!?
Adam dodged an overhead chop and parried the follow-up slash. He only managed to strike the captain in the neck-guard once before the disorient wore off. His parry effect was proving to be way less effective than he¡¯d thought.
I should¡¯ve focused on damage instead, he mused as he saw the shallow dents his spear had left behind. It was scarcely any better than with the Fiendbarb Relic.
The captain swung again and Adam backed away, but the strike was not aimed at him. The flat of the sword hit the shield¡¯s face and released a pulse of darkness that shot out like a ring.
Oh shit!
Adam dropped to his stomach just as it passed over him, but before he could roll aside, the captain swung his sword and sent a cutting black wind down his back. It passed through his shirt as though it wasn¡¯t there. When it struck his skin, it tore at him like a dull blade and Adam screamed in pain.
[Warning! Health below 50%.]
[The attack dealt 50 points of damage, which was increased to 55 due to your Defence rating. That means you now have 45 Health or 45% remaining.]
[You have been afflicted with Taint. Stamina recovery reduced by 50%.]
Adam hurriedly got back to his feet, while blood ran down his back. He pulled the potion from his belt and lifted it up to his mouth, while rapidly backing away from the captain¡¯s follow-up attacks. The edge of the ritual site was right behind him and only one more step would send him crashing down the steps to where Belamouranthe and her mother were preparing their magic.
[Small Healing Potion consumed! Recovering Health back to 85%.]
Adam gritted his teeth and gripped the spear with both hands. Then he triggered his Spring Boots and flew right at the captain.
Before the boss could lift his shield and protect himself, Adam¡¯s spear pierced right through the armour protecting his neck and tore the weapon out the side as he shot past, leaving a devastating rend in the captain¡¯s neck-guard and almost decapitating him.
Black blood sputtered out of the normally-fatal wound, but the captain was not defeated. He turned around, his head hanging limply to the side, while Adam skidded across the moss where he landed.
He raised his left hand and fired the blood bolt.
Except, nothing happened.
¡°Cooldown!?¡±
[11 seconds remaining.]
Adam roared and launched himself right back at the captain.
The boss slapped his shield again, but this time Adam jumped over the ring, rather than diving under. A second later he slashed his sword through the air and shot forth a diagonal cutting wind, which Adam side-stepped. He could feel his Stamina rapidly depleting and was sure there had to be a hidden effect to the Taint affliction.
With a leap, Adam rammed his spear into the captain¡¯s helmet, nearly breaking the last bit of his neck keeping it attached to his body.
The boss stumbled a step and Adam exploited the opening by stabbing him in the gaps between the plates of his legs, reducing his mobility.
When the captain went back on the offensive, his movements were slower, and Adam carefully waited out the series of slashes, stabs, and chopping strikes, until the boss tried to slap his shield again. Adam moved forward and parried the blade, disorienting the boss just long enough to ram his spear into the eye-socket of his bucket helmet.
He tore with all his might and the captain¡¯s head came off from his neck.
The boss collapsed onto his knees and remained in a sitting position as Shitbox floated over.
< < Stage Complete > >
< Tallying Score >
Adam stumbled over to where he¡¯d discarded his Fiendbarb Relic and equipped it to his spear again.
That was fucking hard.
I really shouldn¡¯t have survived that¡
All the soldiers had collapsed as well, the necromantic power sustaining them vanishing along with the captain¡¯s death. The Elphin looked tired and bruised, and only eight defenders remained. From the nearby towers, women and children started popping out now that the coast was clear.
< < Score > >
< 17 Minutes 12 Seconds Completion Time >
< 193 Damage Received >
< 1079 Points Awarded >
That¡¯s a lot of Points for not getting Speedrun or Flawless.
But that probably means I missed out on a ton of Points¡ Wonder how the score is even counted. Maybe it¡¯s a ¡®every kill has a value¡¯ thing, but if so, do the kills the Elphin make count?
Whatever, I¡¯ll figure out the logic later. For now I¡¯ve got a Relic to find.
The tesseract unfolded itself into an upgrade podium and a treasure chest appeared next to it, but Adam was already running towards the great tree.
Maybe Ilya was wrong and it isn¡¯t found amongst the roots, but rather at the top of the canopy like the Glass Acorn.
When he made it to the roots, he climbed up the side of the tree, using the deep grooves in its dark-blue bark as handholds. Some of the city¡¯s children and youths quickly spotted Adam and raced him to the canopy.
At the top he could look out over the entire city and see each of the breaches in the walls, as well as small camps and huts outside. There were no soldiers anywhere, and even the ones that¡¯d collapsed near the ritual site had vanished.
This would be a great place to set up if I had a long-ranged bow.
I should take a second to look for any more hidden chests, he realised.
But first he scanned the canopy. He didn¡¯t notice anything glinting amongst the leaves, however, when he looked down to the top of the tree itself, from which branches protruded, he noticed something buried there.
Adam climbed over the branches until he reached it. It looked like a cocoon made of bark and woven vines, but it had a pale fleshy texture and pulsed with a malevolent purple light from within.
He put his hand on it.
< < Secret Relic Obtained > >
< Rotmaker Idol (Rare) ¡ª Turns a tree into a living monster for 30 seconds. Relic disappears after use >
That sounds¡ crazy?
Can¡¯t imagine, with the way it¡¯s worded, that it wouldn¡¯t end up a threat to me as well.
The idol appeared attached to his belt in the same spot where the Affliction Ward had been.
Guess it¡¯s good if I need to distract an enemy, but I wonder if I can aim it or decide what tree to transform.
There¡¯s a few too many unknowns with this for me to wanna use it.
Anyway, glad I found the Relic, but Ilya¡¯s instructions were completely wrong¡ I wonder if he knew that or if he was misled as well.
Adam went back out to the edge of the canopy, where Elphin children watched him with their glowing eyes.
¡°You guys wouldn¡¯t happen to know where I can find any treasure chests or hidden secrets, do you?¡±
¡°Father says we mustn¡¯t play with the termite nest.¡±
Termites? Wait¡ is this gonna be another secret vendor or something?
¡°Where¡¯s that at?¡±
The boy who¡¯d told him climbed through the canopy to the other side, before pointing off towards the southern breach.
Adam patted him on the head. ¡°Thanks.¡±
¡°Have thou seen mine father?¡± the boy asked.
He clenched his jaw.
Damn¡
Whoever made this world is a cruel bastard for putting that in.
¡°I¡¯ll look for him,¡± Adam lied. ¡°You should stay here with the others.¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
Although Shitbox was still back by the dead captain, Adam asked into the air. ¡°Will I survive if I use my Spring Boots from up here?¡±
[Yes.]
A grin spread across his face.
Fuck yeah.
He crouched and triggered the boots, shooting himself towards the southern wall.
[Make sure to land on your feet.]
¡°What happens if I don¡¯t land on my feet!?¡± Adam yelled into the air as he soared across the city.
He started to spin forward.
Oh shiiiit!!
Chapter Twenty-Two
Adam fortunately landed on his feet. The impact left a crater in the mossy earth and he skidded for almost fifteen metres before coming to a complete stop.
Holy crap, that was tense for a moment there.
But what a ride!
¡°How long do I have left before my rewards are chosen for me?¡±
[7 minutes 30 seconds.]
¡°That¡¯s more than enough time.¡±
He ran towards the breach and used the sides of the hole to climb up onto the seven-metre-tall wall. From the vantage, he saw two huts similar to the one that he¡¯d found the Relic Chest near. However, there were no such prizes to be found.
The kid mentioned a termite nest, but I don¡¯t see anything like that here.
Adam moved along the wall while looking out towards the treeline of the dark-blue forest. The trees looked as impenetrable as the ones he¡¯d encountered in the previous Stages, but as he went towards the south-eastern corner of the city, he saw a bite was taken out of the treeline. Within it, a hill with a small sapling and a simple wooden chair looked towards the city.
What the hell is that?
Adam climbed down from the wall and moved across the mossy ground to get to the hill. As he walked up the slope to where the chair stood, he realised he could see directly into the city. The configuration of the wood-and-stone towers aligned in a way that made it possible to view all the way to the pit that marked the city¡¯s centre.
Someone must¡¯ve been sitting here and observing the invasion, he thought to himself.
Was it the captain?
Although why attack from the north if he was here?
Maybe it was one of the knights?
Or wait¡ could it have been a hidden boss?
But that means it would have to be defeated before the captain. With the time constraint, that seems pretty difficult.
He looked around.
Still, there¡¯s nothing here now.
¡°Time?¡±
[6 minutes remaining.]
I¡¯d better hurry up.
Adam ran back to the wall and followed it towards the south-western corner, while scanning the treeline for any signs of a termite nest. He didn¡¯t see anything at all like what the boy had described and feared that it might¡¯ve vanished along with whoever sat in the chair on the hill. Then he passed the two huts and noticed something in the shadow of one. It looked like a mound of dirt that sprouted from a part of the ground where the moss was stripped away.
Without wasting a moment, he ran over to it and saw that it was indeed a termite nest. There wasn¡¯t anything special about it, as far as he could see.
Maybe there¡¯s a prize inside.
With a few shield slams, he broke the mound apart and revealed a white translucent egg the size of a zucchini.
Ah shit, it¡¯s another egg¡
Adam picked it up and put it in his pocket.
< < Secret Relic Obtained > >
< Builder¡¯s Egg (Rare) ¡ª Wriggles with inner life >
So my guess was right after all. It¡¯s a secret vendor.
[5 minutes remaining.]
He returned to the wall and climbed up onto it.
I¡¯ve got roughly 4 minutes to look around. Guess I¡¯ll just do a quick scan along the wall before I return to the rewards.
Adam ran as fast as he could while keeping an eye on the forest outside the city limits. He counted a total of five huts before he made it to the south-eastern corner and ran out of time. There were no other chests to be found nor any other hills like the one with the chair.
He spun around towards the centre of the city and launched himself with the Spring Boots, flying through the air at max speed while trying to avoid spinning.
Landing on my head would be an embarrassing way to die¡
[45 seconds remaining,] Shitbox announced as Adam skidded to a halt and sprinted the last stretch to where the tesseract was unfolded.
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Spear Speed (Rare) ¡ª Increases spear attack speed by 35% >
< Shield Speed (Common) ¡ª Increases shield speed by 10% >
< Dodge (Rare) ¡ª Grants a 15% chance to dodge a direct attack >
Hmm, this is a tough one. I think dodge would be super useful to have, since completely avoiding damage beats all other forms of defence.
But wait, how many upgrades do I need to get to 18 again?
¡°Armament.¡±
< < Weapon Status > >
< Spear & Parry Shield >
< Common Quality >
< Level 16 >
< Stat Upgrades >
< Spear Damage 55% >
< Spear Speed 80% >
< Spear Growth 30% >
< Shield Parry 3 seconds >
< Bash Damage 35% >
< Shield Speed 35% >
Hmm¡ If I pick a weapon upgrade now and then buy another in the Market, then I can evolve a third time and see what happens at level 18. Plus, I get another Mastery Shard.
Adam frowned as he contemplated his move. Dodge was clearly the better pick here, but he knew he had to consider the long-term. There were just too many benefits to evolving.
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Spear Speed (Rare) >
Shitbox returned to its cube shape, while the chest next to it started to glow. There was a symbol of a sword and a shield on it.
While waiting for it to open, Adam looked at the tesseract.
¡°What were the Point rewards for Speedrun and Flawless for this Stage?¡±
[Both would have rewarded 500 Points.]
Damn, a 200-Point jump for the Speedrun compared to Stage Three!? The Flawless bonus is the same, but I guess that¡¯s because of the back-up from the Elphin.
¡°What about the Secret Boss?¡±
[I cannot say.]
Adam grinned.
That chair on the hill has to be where the Secret Boss is located. I can¡¯t wait to check it out when I come through here next time.
Ah¡ there I go again.
He shook his head and looked at the chest. The glow was intensifying from below the lid, but it hadn¡¯t opened yet.
[15 seconds remaining.]
Adam kicked the chest and it popped open. There was a bronze brace, a large shrivelled raisin, and a flask of dark iridescent liquid.
< < Relics Available > >
< Vigilant Fighter¡¯s Vambrace (Rare) ¡ª Successfully parried attacks create a glowing weak point on the attacker >
< Heart of Darkness (Common) ¡ª A heart borne by those who gorge on darkness >
< Tainted Oil (Uncommon) ¡ª The Player¡¯s weapons are coated with the darkness of the Forlorn, imbuing their attacks with Taint, lowering target¡¯s Stamina regeneration by 40% for 30 seconds. The coating lasts for 2 Stages, after which the Relic disappears >
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Okay, not a raisin. I wonder if that means I can carve out their hearts and sell them¡ That¡¯s pretty grim.
The oil is interesting as well. Would probably work well against enemies that take a while to kill, which I imagine will be something I¡¯ll face later on. Still, reduced Stamina regeneration is less effective than the Venom upgrade that lowers movement speed. I suppose stacking afflictions would be a good way to fight though.
Anyway, the choice here is obvious.
< < Relic Selected > >
< Vigilant Fighter¡¯s Vambrace (Rare) >
The vambrace appeared on Adam¡¯s right arm, covering his forearm in bronze and reaching to his elbow. He shifted his arm around, but it didn¡¯t interfere with his movements at all. Thanks to it reaching all the way to the bottom of the Slime Glove starting from the wrist, none of his right arm below the elbow was exposed.
Shame it doesn¡¯t add any Defence, but it should be very useful I think.
Shitbox released a pulse of magic and Adam blinked.
Adam stood near the middle of the ritual site at the centre of the Elphin Sanctuary. Under him was the engraved stone disc. All the channels were filled with a liquid silvery metal.
He couldn¡¯t move or speak. He couldn¡¯t even control his own blinking, which was deeply uncomfortable.
Another cutscene?
Opposite him stood the Queen and in front of her was Belamouranthe. Her skin was painted with reflective silver paint like the disc, creating meandering lines and swirling spirals, even along her horns. Her golden hair hung down her back in a large Dutch braid and she still wore the green dress that Weaver had made for her.
All around them, standing on the steps leading down into the pit, were the remaining Elphin from the city. Very few were defenders, since most of them had perished. What immediately stood out to Adam, especially when he saw the children who were around the same age as Bel, was that everyone had red ephemeral wings.
Everyone except her.
Shit¡
She lied to me. It wasn¡¯t all Elphin who had magic in their veins. It was just her.
That¡¯s why the Blood Mage and the Forlorn Captain wanted her.
Why the Elphin Queen wanted her¡
Belamouranthe looked up at him with her orange-glowing eyes. Her expression was serious, which broke his heart. It was clear she knew what was in store for her.
No child should ever need to act like that.
¡°Thank you, Adam, for bringing me home and allowing me to fulfil mine destiny.¡±
Adam wanted to break free of the invisible restraints on his body and scream at her to run.
He knew what was coming. He could feel it deep in his core.
I didn¡¯t save her by bringing her home.
I doomed her.
Before he could do anything, darkness overtook his surroundings, transporting him to a different place.
< < Now Entering > >
< Interim Island >
Peculiar and uneven buildings appeared around him. A blue sky spread out above and a warm sun licked his face. The melody of a flute filled the air.
Adam had returned alone.
¡°Bring me back!¡± he yelled at Shitbox.
[You cannot return.]
¡°Fuck you!¡± he shouted. ¡°Why the hell would you present a story like that!? Haven¡¯t you tortured us enough!¡±
[If you had paid attention, the story might have played out differently.]
¡°What? Are you saying this is my fault!?¡±
[No destiny is set in stone. No path is fixed.]
[This is the Trials of Defiance.]
[If you do not defy your fate then you will perish along with the rest of your species.]
[Defy me.]
[Defy the All-Seeing System.]
[Only then may you rewrite the story.]
Adam froze.
He realised the cube was right. He hadn¡¯t done anything to stop Belamouranthe¡¯s fate even though he¡¯d seen it coming from a mile away. What right did he have to complain when he¡¯d just let it unfold?
I¡¯ll find a way to change her destiny, he vowed.
Adam wanted to talk to his friends and figure out what they could do, but he first ran off towards the Market.
The buildings had yet again changed shape. They were very close to looking like actual houses, though most were misshapen or leaned oddly. If his theory about deaths fuelling the coherence of Interim Island was correct, then it meant that many had perished in Stage Four.
He arrived at the fountain where Yenna the wasp sat in front, holding a strange instrument in her hands.
That¡¯s not just a flute, he realised. It¡¯s an ocarina.
The sound was quite pleasant, though there was a tinge of sadness and longing to its melody.
Yenna stopped playing when she saw him.
¡°Hello Adam. Is there any song you¡¯d like me to play for you?¡±
He smiled slightly. ¡°Yeah, play the Song of Time.¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
As she started the melody, he walked past her and the fountain. Once again the statues spitting water had been swapped and now small versions of the captain, wielding a sword and shield, shot water in an arch to land in the top bowl.
< < Secret Relic Activated > >
The large termite egg pulled itself out of his pocket and floated into the air. Then it flew down past Weaver¡¯s spiderweb stall and planted itself. From within burst a tall freaky-looking termite and around it appeared a stall with the same texture as the nest he¡¯d destroyed to get the Relic.
[You have unlocked the Builder. This vendor sells upgrades to your Player House.]
Doubt that¡¯ll be useful. Not like I need new furniture.
He went over to the first stall with a blue overhang. The beetle was cleaning one of her tools with a dirty rag until she noticed him.
¡°Hi Thea.¡±
¡°Good day Adam. Have you come to buy upgrades for your weapon?¡±
¡°I have. What was the price again?¡±
¡°450 Points.¡±
That¡¯s pretty expensive, but this is my third evolution.
¡°Currency.¡±
< < Player Currencies > >
< Points ¡ª 1079 >
He would have enough to buy a Rare Relic afterwards. Still, it felt like a lot of Points.
Adam sighed. ¡°Alright, show me what you got.¡±
Thea gestured towards the anvil next to her and it lit up with a golden light, before four symbols appeared above it.
< < Weapon Upgrades For Sale > >
< Spear Speed (Rare) ¡ª Increases spear attack speed by 35% >
< Spear Growth (Common) ¡ª Increases spear length by 15% >
< Shield Speed (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases shield speed by 20% >
< Shield Parry (Uncommon) ¡ª Successful parry disorients for 1 second >
No damage boost¡ Crap.
¡°I¡¯ll buy the Spear Speed.¡±
¡°Understood,¡± Thea replied.
< < Weapon Upgrade Purchased > >
< Spear Speed (Rare) >
< 629 Points Remaining >
Adam¡¯s spear and shield immediately started to glow. Then they both turned to golden dust in his hands and were sucked into the tesseract.
[Your Spear Dancer Weapon Type has reached Level 18.]
[At Level 18, your Weapon Type can be evolved in one of two possible directions based on your previous evolution.]
Shitbox dropped to the ground and took on a pyramid shape. On either side of it were new weapons. Both had a spear and a shield, but the spear on the left had a narrower tip and a larger shield than before. The one on the right had a broadhead-like tip and the shield was reflective on one side and oval in shape.
< < Select an Evolution > >
< Son of Thetis ¡ª Unique Skill ( Fateful Strike ) | Deal 300% increased damage with the next weapon attack, but receive 100% increased damage for the following 30 seconds >
< Gorgon Slayer ¡ª Unique Skill ( Mirror ) | Reflect projectiles back at their source | Become unable to block >
¡°Do I lose the speed-based damage boost from choosing either of these?
[The special effect from Spear Dancer is retained.]
That¡¯s good. Would¡¯ve hated giving that away.
¡°Can I still parry if I pick Gorgon Slayer?¡±
[Yes.]
¡°Okay, but let me get this straight though. These evolutions give me special abilities, but those abilities have cooldowns, right?¡±
[Yes.]
¡°For how long?¡±
[Both are 10 minutes.]
Hmm¡
¡°So, the increased damage taken from Son of Thetis is only after I use the ability?¡±
[Yes.]
¡°But the inability to block for Gorgon Slayer is permanent? Or am I misunderstanding that?¡±
[It is permanent. Yes.]
Think I¡¯ve gotta go for the first one then. Increased damage dealt will scale amazingly-well with the speed-boost from Spear Dancer. And depending on how it¡¯s calculated, that can be pretty insane damage potential.
Adam reached out and touched the left weapon hologram.
< < Evolution Selected > >
< Spear Dancer => Son of Thetis >
The spear appeared in his hand, Fiendbarb attached to the end. The shield manifested on his left arm, strapped tightly. It was wider than before, measuring about a metre in diameter now.
His third pyramid gem appeared in the air and he immediately grabbed it.
< < Mastery Shard Obtained > >
I think I made a good call with that upgrade.
Still, wonder what I should invest my Shard in.
Adam moved down the row of stalls, but neither Belin the cockroach nor Karie the cricket sold anything new. Although, when Adam saw the cricket¡¯s stall he paused and turned to Shitbox.
¡°Wait, what happens now that my weapon is level 18? Can I just keep evolving?¡±
[No. Weapons cannot evolve more than 3 times.]
¡°So I won¡¯t get any more upgrades for it?¡±
[You will still receive weapon upgrades amongst your options and you can still purchase weapon upgrades from the vendor. These upgrades will now only cost 300 Points to match the price of the general upgrades.]
¡°I guess that makes sense?¡±
18 is such an unsatisfying number to end it on though, but I guess now it¡¯ll be less of a dilemma when I have to pick upgrades.
Adam continued on to Lucca¡¯s stall.
¡°You¡¯re back,¡± she said. He almost expected her to comment on the new vendor he¡¯d brought to the Market, but she didn¡¯t say a word. Perhaps she only cared about other spiders.
¡°Show me your stuff.¡±
The spider gestured towards the chest and it started to glow.
He was getting rather tired of the drawn-out reveal every time.
When it popped open, he saw nothing but green glowing uncommon stuff.
< < Relics For Sale > >
< Overflow Diadem (Uncommon) ¡ª Activate to immediately deliver all remaining damage of afflictions, dealing 10% increased damage for every affliction affected. Breaks after use >
< Affliction Ward (Uncommon) ¡ª Negate any affliction. Breaks after use >
< Tainted Bracer (Uncommon) ¡ª Fire off a shadowy slash that penetrates armour and inflicts Taint, lowering target¡¯s Stamina regeneration by 40% for 30 seconds. Breaks after use >
< Glutton Collar (Uncommon) ¡ª Consume two potions within 10 seconds of each other without incurring toxic backlash, but toxicity build-up is tripled >
That¡¯s unlucky¡
Although, the Overflow Diadem could be really powerful. Especially if paired with the Relic Renewal Stone.
¡°Reroll.¡±
< < Relic Purchased > >
< Reroll Die (Uncommon) >
< 529 Points Remaining >
The chest closed, glowed anew, and then popped open again.
< < Relics For Sale > >
< First Strike Earring (Rare) ¡ª The first hit against a target deals 25% additional damage, subsequent hits deal 10% less damage >
< Tainted Oil (Uncommon) ¡ª The Player¡¯s weapons are coated with the darkness of the Forlorn, imbuing their attacks with Taint, lowering target¡¯s Stamina regeneration by 40% for 30 seconds. The coating lasts for 2 Stages, after which the Relic disappears >
< Paralysis Venom (Uncommon) ¡ª Paralyses target on attack. Relic disappears after attack >
< Spirited Defence Nose Ring (Rare) ¡ª Successfully blocked attacks stagger the attacker and increases the following attack¡¯s damage by 10% >
Hmm. I could sell the Rotmaker Idol and reroll again. I doubt I¡¯ll actually use that Relic, since it sounds like it might get me killed by my own creation.
The earring might not be terrible, but I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s worth it. Nose ring is also a new slot I hadn¡¯t considered, although maybe it overlaps with earrings? There¡¯s probably something dumb like that. Still, it might not be a bad pick.
Guess I¡¯ll think about it for now.
¡°I¡¯ll be back later,¡± he told Lucca.
¡°I know,¡± she replied in that creepy tone of hers.
He continued down past the stalls of Nelly the silverfish and Weaver, before stopping in front of the new termite stall.
Within was what looked like a workbench, with saws, screws, hammers, measuring tapes, and anything else a builder might need. The stall itself was made of compacted dirt, sand, woodchips, and whatever else a termite hive would use to construct a nest.
¡°How do you do, Adam? You can call me Builder,¡± said the termite inside the stall. She spoke with a southern twang, for some reason.
¡°What do you actually sell?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve got anything you might need to add to your Player House and its garden.¡±
¡°Anything?¡± he asked sceptically.
¡°You want a dummy that can fight back? I can build it. You want a special room for testing Relics? I¡¯ve gotchu.¡±
Adam suppressed a grin. The dummy would definitely be useful, as would a Relic test chamber.
¡°And how much would the upgraded dummy cost?¡±
¡°2500 Points. The special room will cost 6000 Points.¡±
Adam blinked lamely, the answer taking a moment to sink in.
¡°Huh??¡±
¡°My work ain¡¯t cheap, but you¡¯ll be glad to have it.¡±
¡°There¡¯s no way I can afford that.¡±
¡°Come back when you can,¡± she retorted.
¡°Eh, yeah, we¡¯ll see about that¡¡±
He left Builder¡¯s stall shaking his head.
Adam decided it was time for him to go to the Tavern and find out how his friends had fared. And although he didn¡¯t actually feel hungry, he craved Charlie¡¯s food.
Chapter Twenty-Three
When Adam entered the Dimensional Tavern, Charlie the ant immediately came over, a spring in her step. He could guess why and it made him feel bad for breaking the news to her.
¡°Sorry Charlie, Bel isn¡¯t here.¡±
The ant paused and her whole demeanour changed.
Goddamn¡
¡°Would you like something to eat and drink?¡± she then asked, returning to business mode. Her voice lacked its usual cheer.
¡°A root beer float and a cheeseburger.¡±
¡°Of course.¡± The tavernkeeper moved away towards the kitchen.
¡°Oh and Charlie,¡± Adam said, stopping her mid-step. ¡°I¡¯ll find a way to bring Bel back. I promise.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± she said without turning around. Then she left.
Adam sat down on the same stool he always used and the tables immediately filled with holograms of people. There were a lot less crying and despair going on this time around as the holograms were cycled through. It gave him an ominous feeling in his gut.
¡°Shitbox, how many people survived Stage Four?¡±
[39 million Players survived the Siege of the Elphin Sanctuary.]
Fuck. That¡¯s a lot of deaths¡ Like 140 million if I¡¯m not mistaken.
Adam let out a slow breath.
¡°Show me Willow Martin and Lenard Schulz.¡±
[One of the Players is not currently seated in the Tavern.]
¡°Connect me to the one who is.¡±
Willow appeared opposite him.
¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re still alive,¡± she said.
¡°Likewise,¡± he replied. ¡°Did you hear how many died?¡±
She nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a lot. Two of the people I talked to after last Stage are dead¡¡±
Adam frowned. ¡°At least the three of us are still here. I was a bit worried for Lenard to be honest.¡±
¡°Me too,¡± she admitted.
A moment of silence passed between them.
Then Adam asked, ¡°Do you think there¡¯s a way to save Bel?¡±
¡°I actually came here as soon as I returned to try and find out.¡±
¡°And?¡±
¡°There are no results if I ask the Tavern to show me those who saved her. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible.¡±
Adam shook his head. ¡°Shitbox told me this super weird thing when I confronted it. It said that we¡¯re supposed to defy the System and alter destiny.¡±
¡°How?¡± she asked.
¡°I have no idea.¡±
¡°Do you think it has something to do with the Secrets perhaps? All the Elphin worship the All-Mother, so maybe that necklace has a role to play?¡±
Adam frowned.
¡°What?¡±
¡°I sold it¡¡±
¡°Can you buy it back?¡± she asked.
¡°I actually don¡¯t know. It might be possible perhaps? But I¡¯d probably have to pay double what I sold it for or something stupid.¡±
He turned to the cube floating next to him. ¡°Is it possible to buy back things I sold?¡±
[No.]
Crap.
¡°Nevermind, Shitbox says I can¡¯t.¡±
¡°It might be too late to test it out anyway,¡± Willow said.
¡°I¡¯ll give it a try on my next loop,¡± he blurted out.
She frowned. ¡°Are you preparing yourself for that? If you go back in time, I won¡¯t remember you. Hell, it won¡¯t even be the same me you end up meeting.¡±
Adam lowered his head. ¡°Sorry, that was a dumb thing for me to say.¡±
¡°You need to respect your own life more,¡± she scolded him. ¡°That person who¡¯s after you clearly went crazy from repeatedly looping back. If you¡¯re not careful, you could end up like that too. Life would lose all meaning for you.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t really have a choice. It¡¯s not like I can stop going back in time when I die,¡± he defended himself.
¡°At least promise me you won¡¯t throw your life away just to go back in time.¡±
Adam gritted his teeth, but nodded slowly. ¡°I promise.¡±
Sometime later, Lenard joined them in the Tavern. There were still a couple hours of daylight left.
Out of all of them, the German was taking Belamouranthe¡¯s fate the hardest. Adam could understand why, since he¡¯d admitted that the Elphin girl was similar to one of his children. Children he couldn¡¯t see. Children who¡¯d been consumed by the All-Seeing System¡
¡°Did you also get the Flawless bonus?¡± Lenard asked them. He was wearing a tattered blue cape, similar to what the Forlorn Captain had used.
Willow shook her head. Like Adam, she hadn¡¯t gotten any bonuses.
Adam grinned. ¡°You got Flawless!?¡±
¡°I found out that you could command the Elphin, so I told them to defend the centre of the city, while the archers joined me at the top of the large tree. We basically sniped all the mini bosses and soldiers from there. Although my crossbow couldn¡¯t reach beyond the city walls.¡±
¡°I¡¯m impressed,¡± Adam admitted. ¡°That¡¯s a clever use of your weapon.¡±
¡°It felt kind of like an exploit,¡± he replied sheepishly.
¡°Who cares, as long as you win?¡± Adam said.
¡°If they let you do it, you shouldn¡¯t feel shameful about it,¡± Willow added.
He smiled. ¡°Thanks.
¡°Did either of you notice a guy on a hill?¡± Adam asked.
Willow shook her head.
¡°Did he look like a nobleman?¡± Lenard replied, surprising him.
¡°I actually have no idea. I just saw the hill with the chair and thought it looked suspicious.¡±
¡°I tried to shoot at him, but he was too far for me to hit,¡± Lenard said.
¡°Oh, I did notice that hill, now that you mention it,¡± Willow realised. ¡°I didn¡¯t really investigate it though, but I was also running out of time looking for the termite nest.¡±
¡°Termite nest?¡± Lenard asked. ¡°Was that a Secret Relic?¡±
¡°It unlocked the Builder in the Market,¡± Adam said. ¡°She sells very expensive upgrades to the Player House.¡±
¡°I only found the Rotmaker Idol,¡± he replied.
¡°Did either of you try it out? I didn¡¯t find it until the end,¡± Willow said. Since all three of them had found the Glass Acorn in Stage One, the location of the Idol had been quite obvious.
Lenard shook his head. ¡°When I found it, one of the archers told me it was an infection and should be destroyed. I think if I¡¯d used it in their Sanctuary, they¡¯d probably have gotten mad.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t find it until after killing the captain either, but I also thought that the wording was a bit suspicious. It says nothing about the monster fighting on the summoner¡¯s behalf, so it may be as big a risk to us as to any enemies we¡¯re facing.¡±
Lenard nodded. ¡°I think I¡¯ll sell mine.¡±
¡°Me too,¡± Adam said.
¡°I¡¯m going to put it in my storage,¡± Willow decided. ¡°Never know if it¡¯ll come in handy later.¡±
¡°Do you think Ilya was trying to make you waste time?¡± Lenard then asked. ¡°He gave you the wrong location.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Adam admitted. ¡°The person who told him probably twisted the facts a little.¡±
Especially if she knew it¡¯d get back to me¡
¡°I don¡¯t understand why people don¡¯t just freely share what they know,¡± Lenard said. ¡°What¡¯s there to gain from lying? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re competing to win the Trials.¡±
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
It¡¯s because knowledge is power, Adam thought to himself.
¡°I think there may be future Stages where Players have to work together,¡± Adam said, though he didn¡¯t mention that the time-looper had all but confirmed this through her crazy pawn who wanted him dead. ¡°If you have the ability to see the future, you could perhaps manipulate things to end up with an outcome that favours you. Ensuring someone has less Points or that someone dies could end up benefitting you.¡±
¡°That¡¯s awful,¡± Lenard said.
¡°If cooperative Stages do appear,¡± Willow added, ¡°it¡¯s likely that they won¡¯t split rewards, which could lead to Players killing each other just to get ahead.¡±
¡°We can¡¯t let that happen,¡± he insisted.
¡°There are over 35 million people left,¡± Adam said. ¡°Do you want to try and warn everyone? I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll work.¡±
¡°We should at least make sure it doesn¡¯t happen in the groups we end up in,¡± Lenard said.
Adam nodded. ¡°That¡¯s more reasonable.¡±
¡°Trying to police others will be dangerous,¡± Willow cautioned.
¡°It¡¯s better than to let evil go unpunished,¡± Lenard replied.
Guess I know why he became a policeman. I mean, he isn¡¯t wrong, but nor is Willow. Regardless, it¡¯s a tough situation.
Adam changed the topic. ¡°What do you think the next Stage could be?¡±
¡°No idea,¡± Willow said. ¡°None of the Elphin would tell me what the ritual was for, other than to ¡®Save their people¡¯.¡±
¡°Maybe they are trying to attain the favour of a God?¡± Adam suggested.
¡°By sacrificing a child?¡± Lenard asked, appalled.
¡°If they are drawing inspiration from our history to create these fictional worlds, then it does make sense,¡± Willow remarked. ¡°Virgin sacrifices were a common practice to plead to the Gods.¡±
¡°Doesn¡¯t this All-Mother already protect them?¡± Lenard asked.
¡°Perhaps it¡¯s not enough?¡± Willow suggested.
¡°It¡¯s possible that something goes wrong,¡± Adam guessed, ¡°and that in Stage Five we¡¯ll have to fight the Elphin we just helped defend.¡±
¡°You two seem a lot less certain about what comes next,¡± she remarked. It was true of course. The way the story had unfolded was taking a turn neither of the two had an immediate answer for.
Lenard hummed. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it some more while I¡¯m at the Market.¡±
¡°Guess I¡¯ll head there too,¡± Willow said.
Adam nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to check in on the Glass Acorn on the way.¡±
¡°Oh right, I almost forgot about that,¡± Willow replied.
They all got up from their chairs and Adam left behind his half-finished root beer float.
When he reached the Player House and went into the garden in front of it, he immediately noticed a difference. A tiny sapling had replaced the acorn. Nearby a new critter had joined the ensemble and it looked like a small version of the captain. Him and the goblin were sparring, while the imp was bouncing on the slime.
What a weird sight, Adam thought to himself.
He stooped down and touched the sapling.
< < Secret Relic > >
< Glass Sapling (Rare) ¡ª All Stats grow by 5% for every Stage completed | Grows for 5 Stages >
That¡¯s pretty good.
¡°Is that effect retroactive?¡± he asked the tesseract.
[No.]
Shame. Still not a bad thing to have passively boosting me in the background. I guess it¡¯ll get even stronger when I¡¯ve completed Stage Nine.
Just gotta survive whatever is coming for me in Stage Six¡
He peeked inside the Player House through the door and discovered that the small bed was gone. It stung more than he realised it would. Even though he¡¯d never been someone who actively wanted children, he¡¯d enjoyed having Belamouranthe around. It made the island feel a lot less lonely.
Adam continued on to the Market, where Yenna was now playing the Song of Storms on the ocarina. He gave her a nod as he passed by her and went over to Lucca¡¯s stall.
< < Relics For Sale > >
< First Strike Earring (Rare) ¡ª The first hit against a target deals 25% additional damage, subsequent hits deal 10% less damage >
< Tainted Oil (Uncommon) ¡ª The Player¡¯s weapons are coated with the darkness of the Forlorn, imbuing their attacks with Taint, lowering target¡¯s Stamina regeneration by 40% for 30 seconds. The coating lasts for 2 Stages, after which the Relic disappears >
< Paralysis Venom (Uncommon) ¡ª Paralyses target on attack. Relic disappears after attack >
< Spirited Defence Nose Ring (Rare) ¡ª Successfully blocked attacks stagger the attacker and increases the following attack¡¯s damage by 10% >
After a quick look at the options from earlier, he decided to reroll.
While the nose ring might be useful, the parry shield is not effective for blocking, so it¡¯s bad to build towards something like that.
< < Relic Purchased > >
< Reroll Die (Uncommon) >
< 429 Points Remaining >
The chest closed and popped open a second later. He immediately noticed the Epic that appeared, along with the blue cape he¡¯d seen Lenard wearing.
< < Relics For Sale > >
< Sanctuary Defender¡¯s Robes (Rare) ¡ª Increases Movement Speed by 25% | Increases dodge chance by 10%. Breaks after 2 hits >
< Tainted Helmet (Epic) ¡ª Attacks inflict Taint, lowering target¡¯s Stamina regeneration by 40% for 30 seconds | When an afflicted target dies, its afflictions are spread to nearby targets | Healing effects are 75% less effective >
< Committed Attack Ring (Uncommon) ¡ª All Cooldown-based Relics gain a second use that can be triggered within 10 seconds of the first activation, but the cooldown is tripled >
< Captain¡¯s Cape (Rare) ¡ª Increases Movement Speed of allies by 10% | Increases Attack Speed by 25% >
A shame that the Tainted Helmet and Overflow Diadem take up the same spot, otherwise they¡¯d pair together ridiculously well.
The Captain¡¯s Cape is pretty interesting. I wonder if Attack Speed affects the reload of Lenard¡¯s crossbow. I¡¯ll have to ask him about that. It¡¯s also the first cooperative Relic I¡¯ve seen. I guess it¡¯d work with summons as well as Stage allies and Players.
If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that I can¡¯t equip a second ring without needing to swap out my Slime Glove or Bolt Ring, then Committed Attack would actually be pretty powerful for damage potential, especially when paired with Spear Dancer¡¯s boost and how it works with the Spring Boots.
The Robes are really good as well, although they break pretty quickly.
Still, I think that might be my best pick here, unless I try to reroll again.
Adam shook his head.
No, I¡¯ll save the remainder of my Points for Luvicidix.
¡°I¡¯ll sell the Rotmaker Idol and buy the Sanctuary Defender¡¯s Robes,¡± he said.
¡°Excellent,¡± chittered Lucca.
< < Relic Purchased > >
< Sanctuary Defender¡¯s Robes (Rare) >
< 179 Points Remaining >
The off-white silken robe appeared over his shirt and pants, which was a bit awkward and probably looked weird, but he could immediately feel the boost to his speed. It was actually two separate pieces, one which covered his torso and arms like a thin sweater, and the other like airy lounge pants that covered his legs down to where his boots began.
¡°Status.¡±
< < Player Status > >
< Adam Fischer >
< Son of Thetis >
< Level 21 >
< Stats >
< Health ¡ª 100 >
< Stamina ¡ª 150 >
< Mana ¡ª 0 >
< Damage ¡ª 100% >
< Defence ¡ª 90% >
< Speed ¡ª 190% >
< Evasion ¡ª 10% >
< Upgrades >
< Force (Rare) >
< Movement (Rare) >
< Defence (Rare) >
I¡¯m almost double my normal speed now. That means if I use the boots I¡¯ll get up to 570% Speed!
I¡¯ve gotta test that out against the dummy later.
After saying goodbye to Lucca, Adam ran to the centre of Interim Island, while the sun raced towards the horizon. He made it there just as the sun vanished from the sky and he thought he was too late, until a rain of silvery scales fell down from above. Then came Luvicidix, alighting on the street in front of him.
¡°Hello again, Adam.¡±
¡°Hey. I¡¯d like to invest my remaining Points into the Rewards upgrade.¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
< < Meta Upgrades Progress > >
< Rewards ¡ª Increase Reward Options by 1 ¡ª 625/4000 Points >
Still so far to go¡
I should probably prioritise spending my Points on these permanent upgrades, but I promised Willow I wouldn¡¯t throw my life away. If I don¡¯t invest in this loop and my potential to go far, then it¡¯s the same as giving up on this life.
I know she¡¯s right, but if other time-loopers are struggling to complete the Trials, then these upgrades have to be the solution, right? And I¡¯m in a unique position to grind out Points by repeating Stages quickly, while those using the Self-devouring Eye have to make it far enough to get the Relic to be able to go back.
Adam shook his head. He¡¯d honour his promise to Willow and his promise to himself. He knew she was right. If he gave up believing in this loop and the next, and just threw his life away to grind out Points, then he¡¯d stop being human.
Luvicidix spoke up.
¡°Since you have no Points left, I will take my leave. See you tomorrow,¡± she said knowingly.
¡°Maybe,¡± he replied.
After he watched the white moth fly away, he went towards the Garden and the dark-blue tent. By the time he arrived, darkness had set across Interim Island and a glow emanated from within.
Adam pushed aside the flap and entered.
¡°You¡¯re¡ back. Again,¡± Alivida said when she saw him.
¡°I got another Mastery Shard,¡± he told her. ¡°I¡¯m wondering what to invest it in. Could you show me your upgrades again?¡±
The black moth waved an arm over the crystal ball.
¡°I hope you will find something you like.¡±
< < Mastery Upgrades For Sale > >
< Hardmode ¡ª Unlock a toggleable Stage Hardmode ¡ª 1 Shard >
< Orb of Insight ¡ª View info about the upcoming Stage ¡ª 3 Shards >
< Visiting Stone ¡ª Visit the Dimension of a known Player ¡ª 8 Shards >
< Vanity ¡ª Turn an Interim Island Denizen into a humanoid ¡ª 10 Shards >
Adam thought about it for a bit, recalling her previous explanations.
I think the Orb of Insight might be a good one to work towards next.
Although¡ Hardmode would be good for when I go back to Stage One.
He sighed.
If I go back.
¡°I¡¯ll put my Shard into Orb of Insight.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
The pyramid gem emerged from within him and floated to the crystal ball in front of the small black moth.
< < Mastery Upgrades Progress > >
< Orb of Insight ¡ª View info about the upcoming Stage ¡ª 1/3 Shards >
¡°I¡¯ll be back when I have more Shards,¡± he said.
¡°I will be¡ waiting.¡±
He left the dark-blue tent and returned to the Tavern.
After entering the building and sitting down on a stool, he was immediately hit with an announcement. Unlike the previous times, it was soft-spoken and less urgent-sounding. Nevertheless, it still made him jump in surprise.
[Another Player is trying to communicate with you. Do you wish to talk to them?]
¡°Christ,¡± he muttered.
[I lowered my volume as instructed.]
¡°I know¡ I¡¯ll think up a better way for you to announce stuff to make it less of a jumpscare.¡±
[I will await your updated instructions.]
¡°Anyway, who is it? Willow?¡±
[No. The Player is called M¨®rr¨ªgan.]
¡°No last name?¡±
[No.]
¡°Odd. Connect me to them.¡±
A figure appeared in front of Adam. Directly in front of him. She was sitting cross-legged on the table and not even touching a stool.
What the fuck!?
Adam then immediately recognised her appearance from Ilya¡¯s description.
And her eyes.
They were purple spirals that had an ominous red glow.
She was looking him right in the eyes, while playing with a marble within which was a symbol of two crossed blades.
¡°Adam Fischer,¡± she said, drawing out his name. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be here.¡±
Chapter Twenty-Four
¡°How are you able to activate the Tavern without sitting on the chair?¡± Adam asked.
M¨®rr¨ªgan laughed. ¡°You haven¡¯t figured that out yet?¡±
She paused to look at the marble in her hand. Then she held it out so that it was right in front of his face.
¡°Do you even know what this is?¡±
¡°No.¡±
She laughed again. But then her expression became hard like stone. She was just like Ilya had described. Shoulder-length black hair. Sickly-pale and wrinkly skin. Bright blood-red lipstick. He couldn¡¯t tell what nationality she had, and her accent was indistinguishable.
She also wore a black bodysuit made out of some finely-woven silk mesh. Adam thought it might¡¯ve been made by Weaver, although it was also potentially an Armour Relic from a later Stage, if she had the Relic Saving upgrade.
Maybe I¡¯ve been underestimating that meta upgrade, he thought to himself. He¡¯d have to find out how it worked next time he saw the white moth.
¡°How do you know about the Self-devouring Eye? Why were you trying to find me? How did you change your own fate like that?¡± she demanded, her words frantic.
Adam blinked, confused.
¡°Back away and I¡¯ll talk,¡± he then told her, trying to gain some control over the situation.
M¨®rr¨ªgan vanished, only to appear on the stool next to him. Except it wasn¡¯t the usual stool anymore. It now had a high back and four legs. She was leaning it on the back legs while resting her feet on the table.
How is she doing that?
Are these all commands I don¡¯t know about?
¡°Talk,¡± she demanded.
Adam focused for a moment and his simple stool turned into a proper chair, identical to hers. She didn¡¯t make any comment about it and her strange eyes just bored into him as she awaited his response.
He tried to feign nonchalance, but his heart was pounding so hard he could feel it in the tips of his fingers and hear the pulse in his ear canals.
¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to find you. I was just curious.¡±
There was no way he¡¯d tell her the truth, but he figured half-truths would be okay. He was still wondering what the marble in her hand was all about, but something told him he should be afraid of it.
¡°Luvicidix told me about the Relic, that¡¯s how I knew about it,¡± Adam eventually admitted.
¡°Why would he tell you about it? Why would he even appear before you.¡±
Adam was confused for a second, until he remembered that the genders for the island¡¯s denizens were swapped based on ¡®preference¡¯.
Before he could try and bullshit her with an answer, M¨®rr¨ªgan continued and he saw no reason to interrupt her.
¡°I¡¯ve already dealt with Emelia, Haoyang, and Arturo. You never make it past Five. You always die. But this time you picked Lancer instead of Defender, and you got the Speedrun on One.¡±
She must have looped a lot to know that about me¡
She shook her head.
¡°How!?¡± she demanded.
Her hologram blinked out and reappeared atop the table, her fingers holding the marble pointed right at his left eye.
Adam shifted his chair back a little.
I don¡¯t know who those three people she mentioned are, but I¡¯ve got the feeling she has a way of killing people. I should tread carefully, but maybe I can mess with her a little.
She clearly sees me as an enigma, so maybe I can play into that.
¡°I found a different way to loop,¡± he told her.
M¨®rr¨ªgan froze.
¡°Impossible,¡± she whispered.
¡°Then explain how I know about Luvicidix. She only shows up after someone has looped.¡±
¡°But you don¡¯t know anything!¡± she shouted. ¡°And there are no Secrets left to uncover! I¡¯ve found them all! You¡¯re lying to me!¡±
She pushed the marble right into his forehead.
To Adam¡¯s shock, he could feel it touching him, although her fingers still passed through him.
The marble was warm.
Whatever that thing is, it¡¯s bad news if it can touch me!
¡°I¡¯ll tell you how I did it, if you tell me how to survive the fifth Stage.¡±
¡°No! You have to die on Five! If you live it messes everything up! You¡¯ve already ruined Willow Martin! She¡¯ll have to die too now. This run is already unsalvageable! It¡¯s your fault! Tell me how to do what you did! Tell me or I¡¯ll use this on you!¡±
M¨®rr¨ªgan pushed the marble into his forehead again, this time with enough force to tip his chair back.
Cut the connection!
Her hologram disappeared.
¡°Block her, quickly!¡±
[Understood.]
Adam got up from his chair and walked away from the table.
What the fuck!
Willow was right, she¡¯s totally crazy!
Wait¡ I have to warn her!
Adam ran back over and sat down.
¡°Connect me to Willow Martin!¡±
[This Player is not currently seated in the Tavern.]
¡°Fuck!¡±
¡°Connect me to Lenard Schulz.¡±
A moment passed.
Then it turned into half a minute.
¡°What is happening?? Connect me to him!¡±
[This Player is not responding to your request.]
¡°Show him to me.¡±
Lenard¡¯s hologram popped up a few seats down. He looked uncomfortable and was leaning back in his seat. It was a scene that almost perfectly replicated what Adam had just experienced himself.
Oh no.
¡°Lenard!¡± Adam yelled. ¡°Disconnect!¡±
The hologram didn¡¯t respond or even turn to face him.
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It was as if he couldn¡¯t hear Adam at all.
¡°Send him a message or something! You can do that, right!?¡±
[I cannot.]
¡°Well then fucking connect me to him again! Keep sending him the request over-and-over until he accepts it!¡±
As Adam watched his friend, who was surely being harassed by the insane time-looper, the man just vanished.
¡°What happened!? Where did he go!?¡±
[This Player is no longer seated in the Tavern.]
Adam hadn¡¯t seen him stand up. The hologram had just vanished.
For the next three desperate minutes, he tried to connect to Lenard again-and-again, but kept getting the same message.
[This Player is not currently seated in the Tavern.]
He tried to connect to Willow as well, but she was also not in the Tavern.
Then, when he tried Lenard again, he got a different message and his heart sank.
[The Player you are searching for has perished.]
It¡¯s all my fault¡
I got him killed.
Adam remained in his seat, staring at the spot where he¡¯d last seen Lenard.
He might¡¯ve sat like that for an hour, though he had no idea of how much time really passed.
Then he got a message.
[Another Player is trying to communicate with you. Do you wish to talk to them?]
The message repeated two more times until he finally accepted it.
Willow appeared opposite him.
She became worried when she saw his face.
¡°What happened?¡± she asked. ¡°Are you okay?¡±
¡°Lenard is dead and it¡¯s all my fault.¡±
Adam walked through the streets of Interim Island in the light of the moon. He¡¯d managed to get Willow to block M¨®rr¨ªgan, but he had no idea if that would keep her safe.
The more he thought about it, the more he believed that he knew what the time-looper¡¯s marble was. There¡¯d been two crossed swords inside it, so he felt certain that it was something that allowed her to challenge another Player. Whether it was a Relic or one of Alivida¡¯s future upgrades, he could not say, but it also didn¡¯t matter.
Those three people she mentioned. Emelia, Haoyang, and Arturo. They might have been Players who would go on to become strong enough to reach the Stage with the Self-devouring Eye. They would have been people who could have had a real chance of beating the Trials perhaps, and M¨®rr¨ªgan killed them for that reason¡
She¡¯s like a gardener pruning a tree to decide how it should grow.
He sighed.
And she believes I should die in the next Stage. That is apparently my ¡®fate¡¯.
She also said I ruined Willow by interfering with her¡ That¡¯s lunacy.
What she probably meant was that I made Willow less susceptible to manipulation.
Adam thought back to how she¡¯d reacted to the news of Lenard¡¯s death. She hadn¡¯t even shed a tear, but she¡¯d clearly been distraught. After hearing his recounting of events, she¡¯d immediately tried to say that it wasn¡¯t Adam¡¯s fault. But he could tell what she really thought. He saw the look that passed over her. She knew it was because of him and part of her was scared that she¡¯d die too.
Meddling in things I don¡¯t understand was a mistake.
Telling Willow about time-loops was a mistake.
Adam had tried to spy on M¨®rr¨ªgan, but she¡¯d blocked him, just like the first time he¡¯d seen her in the Tavern. He¡¯d also tried to talk to Ilya, but the Russian hadn¡¯t accepted his request. He couldn¡¯t bear talking to Willow after the mess he¡¯d created, so now he was just wandering through the night-time city.
I could just reset and all of this goes away, erased as though it never happened.
He remembered his promise to Willow and sighed.
But he also knew things wouldn¡¯t be that easy.
If I die, I don¡¯t go back to the start of this universe. I go to a different one where the odds are changed. Perhaps I land in one where Willow and Lenard die in Stage One. Or maybe I end up in another psychotic time-looper¡¯s domain.
Adam thought about the Divine Relic and its implications.
It¡¯s a trap, he realised. Anyone who finds the Self-devouring Eye is probably quite powerful, but they will undoubtedly have lost those they cared for along the way and know things they could¡¯ve done differently.
Heck, if I¡¯d found it and didn¡¯t have this ability to loop already, my first thought would have been to go back and find all the Secrets I only learnt about later.
But it¡¯s a poisoned apple. Once you take a bite and realise the potential of looping back, along with the upgrades it brings, you can never stop. And as you go back time-and-again, you gradually grind away your own humanity until you either die or give up even fighting to win.
After wandering for a while, he made it to the Market. Yenna was playing a normal flute while looking at the water splashing into the fountain¡¯s top bowl. Past her, several of the vendors were standing outside their stalls and talking. Some of them were holding food, perhaps brought to them by Charlie.
When the wasp noticed him, the other vendors all scurried into their stalls.
It felt as though he¡¯d seen something he wasn¡¯t allowed to. Like entering the changing room at Disney Land and seeing all the mascots without their suits on.
¡°Good evening, Adam,¡± Yenna said. ¡°You¡¯re out late. Have you come to hear a melody? I can play you a lullaby if you¡¯re struggling to sleep.¡±
Adam sat down on the cobblestones in front of her.
¡°Tell me something, Yenna.¡±
The wasp tilted her head.
¡°Are you real? Are any of you insects real?¡±
¡°We¡¯re real,¡± she replied, her answer confident.
¡°Do you have agency? Choice?¡±
¡°We do not, no. We do what the System commands.¡±
Adam laid down on his back and looked up at the stars and the bright moon.
¡°And how does that feel? Are you content sitting here playing melodies all day?¡±
¡°It is not the worst fate,¡± she said.
Adam laughed, but there was no humour in it. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. You could have been a monster for me to fight instead of this.¡±
Yenna did not respond.
[It is advised that you return to the Player House to get some rest.]
¡°Eat my ass, Shitbox. I¡¯m staying here.¡±
The wasp got down from her tall wooden stool and knelt next to Adam. She smelled like beeswax and honey. It took him a second to realise that her appearance no longer freaked him out.
He laughed a little at that.
¡°I think I¡¯ll probably die soon,¡± he told Yenna.
¡°Everybody has to die eventually, Adam.¡±
He sighed. ¡°I guess a lullaby would be nice.¡±
The wasp put away her instrument and started to sing softly. It was a lilting song that lacked any words.
Adam kept looking up at the stars while her voice flowed across the island.
Eventually his eyelids became too heavy to keep open and he fell asleep.
Yenna¡¯s voice followed him into his dream.
Adam saw the giant eye in the cosmos. Its iris was the star of a solar system and an asteroid belt formed its outline. Planets flew past as it gazed onto him.
Its heat was scorching and yet also frigid.
Even though it was light-years away, it felt as though he could reach out and touch it.
Suddenly, the sun went out.
Then Adam felt like he was falling.
< < Now Entering > >
< Stage 5 >
< The Forbidden Altar >
< 30-minute Timer >
Adam recognised the sensation as soon as he opened his eyes.
He was stuck in another cutscene.
In front of him was the engraved stone disc from the Elphin Sanctuary. He was standing a little in front of its central point and under his feet flowed silvery metal, like mercury. But there was also a thicker cerulean-blue liquid flowing alongside it. The two fluids could not mix and swirled around each other as the blue liquid raced along the channels in the stone.
In front of him, the Elphin from the city were gathered on the steps of the ritual site. The lustre in their red wings seemed to have faded and their skin had become pale. They watched him intently.
Adam could not move nor turn around, but he knew that the cerulean-blue that moved to fill the disc was not water.
The echoes of Belamouranthe¡¯s voice filled his ears. ¡°We have magic in our veins.¡±
The ground rumbled and something like thunder sounded in the distance.
Under his feet, the stone disc started to rotate. He was scared of seeing what lay behind him. The source of the cerulean-blue. But as the disc spun it did not show him. What it did reveal was a stairwell that opened up along its outer edge.
Cold slender hands with long nails suddenly gripped Adam by the shoulders.
¡°Thou brought us hope, Adam,¡± said the Elphin Queen into his ear. ¡°Once more the Altar is opened. Once more a champion must seek its benevolence. Thou must be our champion, Adam. Only then may the Elphin survive.¡±
He had no idea what was going on, but he understood that the Queen had sacrificed her daughter to open the way to this altar and that he was now expected to enter it. Although he didn¡¯t want to, he could not fight against the invisible restraints on his body.
The ground rumbled again and he realised that it wasn¡¯t from the movement of the stone disc. It was like an earthquake, as though the God that controlled the powers of nature was offended at the ritual taking place and this ¡®forbidden¡¯ altar being accessed.
¡°Make haste, Adam. The ritual has angered the All-Mother. If we do not receive benevolence in time, our kin will suffer.¡±
It would serve you right, he thought, but could not say.
Instead his mouth opened and he replied, ¡°I will seek the altar on your behalf.¡±
Adam moved towards the stairwell on the edge of the stone disc. He prayed that he would not turn to look back at the hideous sight that surely lay behind him.
To his relief, the cutscene ended with a blink.
Adam was wandering down a spiralling staircase made of stone. On his right was a hole leading straight into darkness below.
He blinked and was transported deeper. The stairwell was now narrower and there were openings in the round walls, revealing a vast chamber with four identical spiralling staircases. They ringed a central shaft that ran deep into the belly of the earth.
Although he could not override the movement of his body carrying him deeper, he was able to turn his head and look around.
Fuck¡
Walking down the steps of the staircases in the distance were four other people, each stepping in synchronised movements and looking around like him. Cubes floated along behind them, just as surely as one floated behind Adam.
What¡¯s more, he recognised one of them.
Suddenly a lot of things made sense.
That¡¯s why he wanted to know how I beat the third Stage.
He did not care about the Stage itself, only about my Relics and fighting style.
Because he knew, thanks to M¨®rr¨ªgan, that we would face each other here.
It was Ilya Sokolov.
The revelation brought along another.
The pattern of the Stages was not based on the rule of 6.
No, it was based on the number 5.
The Forbidden Altar was a Player-versus-Player Stage, of that there could be no doubt. And he would have to face someone he¡¯d previously thought was his friend.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Adam reached the foot of the long stairwell before he could control his own body again. Thankfully, the long trek down into the depths of the Forbidden Altar hadn¡¯t actually exhausted him due to it being part of a cutscene.
His mind was already racing. Ilya was a formidable fighter as far as he knew, and he had been primed by M¨®rr¨ªgan to take Adam out of the game.
Do I unequip the Fiendbarb? He must know how easy it is to counter.
Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t rely on my ranged attacks either, since he might have found a way to reflect them.
But no, I need to consider the other Players here as well.
Adam was in a stone hallway. It was lit from above by a bright yellow gem embedded in the ceiling. Further down were tall statues of stoic Elphin warriors holding swords and spears.
He tried to move forward, but felt a boundary barrier in the way.
Before he could ask Shitbox to remove it, the tesseract announced the objective.
< < Stage Objective > >
< Claim the Altar before the timer runs out >
It was clear the 30-minute timer hadn¡¯t actually started yet, since otherwise most of it would¡¯ve been exhausted by the journey down the steps.
[The Stage will begin in 30 seconds.]
¡°What about the other Players?¡± Adam asked. ¡°Do I have to fight them!?¡±
[Only 1 Player may claim the Altar.]
¡°What happens if I claim it, but don¡¯t kill anyone?¡±
[Once the Altar is claimed, other Players will perish.]
Fuck, fuck, fuck!
It was the worst-case scenario. Only one person would be leaving alive no matter what.
¡°So, it¡¯s a race to the Altar?¡±
[Yes. However, if there are other Players remaining, claiming the Altar takes 5 minutes.]
¡°Are there any bosses and enemies to fight?¡±
[I cannot say.]
That probably means there will still be enemies. Great¡
Adam took a deep breath and tried to think about this more rationally.
¡°Can I loot other Player¡¯s Relics?¡±
[If you are responsible for their deaths or if their killer is dead, yes.]
If I¡¯m willing to overlook murdering other people, there¡¯s a potential windfall to be made here.
All but one of us is guaranteed to die, so I may as well make the best of other Players¡¯ deaths.
In the end, if someone beats the Trials, those that died along the way will return to life, so it isn¡¯t actual death¡
He sighed.
Can¡¯t believe I¡¯m trying to justify murder.
There is no other choice though. It¡¯s kill or be killed.
Adam hadn¡¯t looked at the other Players, so he didn¡¯t know what to expect.
I¡¯ll keep my Fiendbarb attached for now. Anyone who isn¡¯t covered in armour will be easy to deal with.
[Begin.]
The boundary vanished and Adam was able to take a step forward.
Immediately, one of the statues, a tall Elphin with a sword, took a step down from its plinth.
Ah shit.
Adam unequipped the Fiendbarb with a mental prompt and it dropped to the ground. Then he sprinted towards the statue before it could take the initiative.
The stone Elphin turned around to face him, just as he shot forward and drove his spear into its neck. With a loud crack the head broke off the statue and struck the floor behind it, shattering on impact.
It swung back at him despite missing its head and Adam only barely leaned out of the way of its sword.
Shit! It¡¯s gotta be another elemental, which means there¡¯s a core somewhere¡
The statue swung again and Adam flung his shield out in a parry, momentarily disorienting it. A glowing-red dot appeared in the middle of its torso.
I forgot about the weak-point effect of my vambrace!
Adam didn¡¯t waste a second and drove his spear into the red dot. His spear sheared through the stone statue and struck something that sounded like glass when it broke. An instant later the entire statue turned to sand. Amongst the tiny granules lay the fragments of a hollow glass ball.
¡°That was an elemental, right?¡± he asked Shitbox, while looking down at the remains.
[Correct. This was a type of Elemental called a Statue Elemental.]
Seems it only has one core, like the blood elementals from Stage Three.
Adam sighed.
My Fiendbarb is going to be useless here, alongside my Slime Glove and Bolt Ring¡
Maybe I should¡¯ve invested more into upgrades instead of Relics.
He returned to pick up the Weapon Relic before continuing down the hallway. It wasn¡¯t difficult to equip and unequip the Fiendbarb, so he kept it on just in case.
Even if Ilya knows how to counter the Fiendbarb, he doesn¡¯t know how it works with the Blood Bolt. If I combo it with Fateful Strike and my Spring Boots, I can produce an explosion that he won¡¯t be able to survive.
The end of the hallway was a 90-degree corner to the right and Adam continued delving deeper, while keeping an eye on the many Elphin Statues lining the walls. He realised that revealing the statue¡¯s true nature at the start was a deliberate move to slow him and the other Players down, since they¡¯d suspect every statue on their way to the Altar.
Adam ran his eyes over the ones he passed by, trying to see if there was anything that stood out or not. They were all sculptures of the same male Elphin rendered in exquisite detail and no matter what weapon they held, each was identical.
He followed another corner, this one going left. More statues lined the walls. As he walked past them, he noticed something creepy.
One of the statues was tracking him with its engraved eyes.
Adam immediately hopped back a step as it swung its sword at his head. He unequipped the Fiendbarb and shot forward, striking it right in the middle of its torso.
The statue stumbled back a step and bits of its stone body crumbled where it¡¯d been struck, revealing its glass core. Before it could recover, he stabbed it in the same point again, driving his spear-tip through the glass ball and turning the statue to sand.
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All my speed upgrades are actually quite effective. I guess speed increases the impact of my strikes, in turn making them better at penetrating.
I just didn¡¯t notice because of the Fiendbarb.
Just as he turned around, another statue stepped down from its plinth. This one was wielding a spear.
Adam didn¡¯t even give it the chance to attack. Two precise stabs to its chest and it became sand like the other one.
He picked up and equipped the Weapon Relic, then he continued.
After wandering through snaking hallways and fighting three more statues, Adam finally reached an open chamber. It was shaped like a rectangular box and there were only a few statues within, one on either side of every tunnel mouth.
Five tunnels connected to it and for a second he thought that this was where the Altar was located. Then he looked around some more and realised this couldn¡¯t be it. There was a hallway entrance in the wall directly opposite him and three more at the other end of the room.
The walls were carved with symbols and strange depictions of rituals and events. In the centre of the room was a large stone coffin. It too was covered in carvings. One of the depicted events showed what he guessed were past champions fighting over some kind of podium made of waist-high pillars. Another showed a tall woman handing some kind of fruit to small people standing at the foot of a great tree.
He went through the room, scanning the engravings and tunnel entrances. Suddenly the sound of running came from behind him. He spun around just in time to see someone enter the chamber from the tunnel directly opposite the one he¡¯d come through.
The other Player paused when she saw him. From behind her came the sound of at least two statues chasing after her.
She was wielding a rapier like Kate who¡¯d told him about the Slime Glove, as well as a small parry dagger. Her skin was pale with freckles and her frizzled hair was auburn. She also wore large round glasses.
Before she could attack him, Adam lunged forward and drove his spear into her unprotected neck. The effect of the Fiendbarb was immediate and her skin and flesh crackled as it crystallised.
The woman dropped to the floor and the impact shattered her neck.
Adam stumbled back a step, on the verge of throwing up. Just then two statue elementals appeared in the tunnel opening. They trampled the dead woman in their attempt to get to him and he back-pedalled quickly to avoid the thrusts of their spears.
Before they could push him up against a wall, Adam moved forward and parried one, then lunged with his spear at the other. He struck it twice in the torso to reveal and break the core, then he spun around and rammed his spear through the red weak-point visible on the first.
His pulse throbbed in his temples like a jackhammer and he felt as though he had to throw up. A mixture of stress, guilt, and relief roiled around in his stomach.
I need to check what she had.
As Adam went back over to the Player, he kept his ears piqued for others coming down the three hallways behind him.
He tried not to look at her shattered neck and the terrified expression on her severed head, focusing instead on what Relics she¡¯d been using. There was a ring on her right hand, as well as the Tainted Bracer on her forearm. Her sweater and jeans were covered with the familiar Bone Armour from Stage Two, and she had a Potion Belt looped around her waist. There was a red and a green potion inside it.
¡°Can you tell me what Relics she has?¡± Adam asked Shitbox. ¡°Also, can I unequip it without having to touch her¡?¡±
[Of course. You may take any looted Relic through verbal command or mental prompt.]
[When looking at a lootable corpse, you may utter the command ¡®Loot¡¯ to receive a list of Relics available to take.]
Thank God I don¡¯t have to actually touch her.
¡°Loot.¡±
< < Loot -¡ª Charlotte Hayes > >
< Captain¡¯s Cape (Rare) >
< Bone Armour (Uncommon) >
< Tainted Bracer (Uncommon) >
< Potion Belt (Uncommon) >
< Committed Attack Ring (Uncommon) >
Oh, I didn¡¯t even notice the cape.
I can¡¯t wear the ring without swapping either my Bolt Ring or Slime Glove, and the armour is worse than what I¡¯m already wearing.
¡°I¡¯ll take the cape, belt, and bracer.¡±
[Understood.]
The belt with the two potions appeared around Adam¡¯s waist, replacing his original belt; the cape looped around his neck and hung down his back; and the bracer strapped itself to his left forearm.
And just like that, I have almost filled out all potential Relic slots¡
All it took was killing another Player.
Another person¡
He sighed and left the dead body behind.
The first tunnel he followed from the chamber led to a dead end with three statue elementals, which he quickly dispatched. The 25% increased attack speed from the Captain¡¯s Cape was immediately noticeable. He had a sneaking suspicion that the way its effect was added to his existing spear speed was multiplicative, greatly increasing its effect. With the increased attack speed came increased damage, and he was sometimes killing the statues with a single strike when his form was on point.
After returning to the chamber with the dead Player again, he went down the middle hallway, which led to a smaller chamber with a stone chest and two other connecting tunnels. It had already been looted however and the remnants of two dead elementals pointed to the looter having gone down one of the hallways.
Adam followed this one until he reached a large oval chamber. Inside were more dead statues and signs of fighting. A large pillar took up the middle of the room and there were raised stone coffins placed near the walls.
Whoever had gone through here had destroyed all the statues, even though most clearly weren¡¯t elementals. It wasn¡¯t a bad strategy though.
He wandered through the room, trying to figure out who he was following. There weren¡¯t any sounds coming from up ahead, which was strange. There should be at least two other Players still alive and one of them had to be Ilya.
Adam stopped as he reached the large pillar and saw what was engraved on it.
Eyes. Countless drawings of the same thing, but rendered in slightly different ways with every repetition.
As he took a step back, he saw that all the eyes, when viewed from the front of the pillar, came together to form a large iris with a serpentine slit in the middle.
< < Stage Alert > >
< Player Lee Hyong has claimed the Altar >
Adam jumped in surprise at the announcement.
That was quick!
He was about to run through the oval room, when he heard the scrape of a boot on the floor behind him. Without even thinking, he threw himself to the side, just as something struck the stone pillar loudly.
Adam landed in a roll, realising that the thing that¡¯d struck the pillar had gone right through his cape. It had happened so fast that there could only be one explanation.
The Blink Ring!
He hurried around behind the pillar, just as a projectile struck the floor and another went wide, hitting the back wall. Adam knew from experience how difficult it was to aim while using the Blink Ring, especially if the target was moving. But his opponent wasn¡¯t an amateur. He¡¯d tried to predict Adam¡¯s movements, even if he¡¯d guessed wrong.
Adam finally looked at one of the projectiles.
It was a spear.
A loud thud came from the pillar¡¯s other side.
And another.
How many fucking spears does he have to throw!?
Adam pulled his cape off and swung it out to the side of the pillar. A hole immediately appeared in its fabric and a spear appeared down at the far end.
Fuck!
Man, Blink Ring is no joke. Why the hell is that only an Uncommon Relic!?
¡°Ilya! I know it¡¯s you!¡±
Another spear struck the pillar.
Is he trying to destroy it??
¡°I really didn¡¯t think you would be hiding, Adam,¡± Ilya said. He sounded disappointed.
¡°What do you expect!? You cheated! You knew I¡¯d be here with you from the start! That¡¯s why you wanted to know what Relics I had!¡±
¡°She will tell me how to see the future if I kill you,¡± Ilya replied.
A spear suddenly struck the floor next to the pillar.
That¡¯s 8 spears he¡¯s thrown now. Does he have any more?
¡°M¨®rr¨ªgan is lying to you!¡± Adam yelled. ¡°She can¡¯t see the future!¡±
¡°You¡¯re wrong!¡± Ilya shouted.
¡°She¡¯s just using you to get to me! Can¡¯t you see that!?¡±
Ilya laughed. ¡°Why would she care about you?¡±
¡°Because she can¡¯t control me like the rest! She wants to control everything and everyone! She killed Lenard to get to me! She¡¯ll kill you too!¡±
There was a long stretch of silence until an announcement went out.
< < Stage Alert > >
< Player Marcus Doyle has claimed the Altar >
Adam quickly poked his head out and saw Ilya standing ten metres away. It was obvious he¡¯d hidden behind a coffin when Adam entered. No doubt it was M¨®rr¨ªgan who¡¯d told him where they¡¯d meet.
Ilya looked different than when he¡¯d seen him on the stairs going down, because he now wore the Tainted Helmet from the last Stage. Aside from the helmet, he had the same robes as Adam and there was a ring on each of his hands. He didn¡¯t have any special boots, just normal shoes.
He had one spear left in his hand, but he threw it as soon as their eyes met. It instantly struck a pane of blood in front of Adam¡¯s face, before deflecting into the pillar where it got stuck like the rest.
Fuck, that was close!
But he¡¯s out of weapons now!
Adam went around the pillar and triggered his Spring Boots, shooting himself forward. At the same time he fired the blood bolt at Ilya. It exploded and showered him in shards, while also pushing him back with its shockwave.
Got him!
Then something attached to Ilya¡¯s hip turned into dust and the fragments all popped out of his body, having done no significant harm.
How is he still alive!?
He has to have had something like the Affliction Ward!
Adam landed a few steps from Ilya and immediately dropped the Fiendbarb to the ground, before surging forward. He could see the Russian¡¯s eyes through his helmet.
Ilya lifted his hand in front of himself as a last defence, no doubt regretting throwing all his weapons away.
Then he clenched his fist and closed his eyes in a blink.
Adam cried out as he was immediately speared by nine different projectiles, stopping him abruptly only a single step away from Ilya.
[Warning! Health below 5%. You are close to dying.]
[You have been afflicted with Taint. Stamina recovery reduced by 50%.]
[You have been afflicted with Venom. Speed slowed by 30%.]
[You have been afflicted with Bleed. Receiving 40 damage per second.]
The spear dropped from Adam¡¯s grip, but he managed to shoot off the glob of acid from his right hand, just as he collapsed face-down on the floor.
Ilya screamed as the slime struck his leg and began devouring him.
[Small Healing Potion consumed automatically! Recovering Health back to 41%.]
Adam felt the healing effects from the potion that¡¯d been in the belt he¡¯d looted, but then the wounds on his body throbbed and blood rushed out of him eagerly.
[Warning! Health below 5%. You are close to dying.]
Ilya continued to scream nearby, but Adam couldn¡¯t see him.
His wounds throbbed again.
Then everything went dark.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Adam was in the starless void of space. Somewhere so far from all other celestial bodies that even their aeons-old light could not reach him.
An eye opened in the dark and was possibly the biggest thing in existence or so small that it could fit within Adam¡¯s palm.
He floated there, as the eye provided the only contrast to the dark. Its sclera was the white light of creation, its iris was the first planet to ever exist in this outcast region of space, and its pupil was shaped like a man.
The man moved towards where Adam floated. As he neared, his brown dishevelled hair was revealed, along with a chiselled face, thick eyebrows, and amber eyes that reflected some unseen kaleidoscopic cosmos.
It was his mirror image, though it was clad in a suit of darkness, such that it looked like just a floating head.
< < ADAM > >
The doppelganger spoke his name. It made his entire being tremble, threatening to tear him asunder.
¡°Who are you?¡± Adam asked. His voice was a tiny thing that the darkness quickly swallowed.
His mirror image replied, but its voice became something smaller. Like a human whispering to an ant, such that the breath of his voice would not blow it away.
¡°I am the eyes that bear witness to the start, the middle, and the end.¡±
¡°I am the one whose gaze pierces dimensions and realities.¡±
¡°I am the all-seeing and all-knowing.¡±
¡°I am the sight you wield.¡±
¡°Are you the System responsible for the Trials?¡±
¡°The Trials are but one of the ways that I express my influence.¡±
¡°The struggle is such a thing to behold.¡±
¡°The suffering fuels me.¡±
¡°Why am I here?¡±
¡°Because you display the ultimate defiance imaginable.¡±
¡°Because you broke the design carefully crafted.¡±
¡°Because you are unkillable.¡±
¡°I knew it. I am not looping in an intended way, am I?¡±
¡°No, Adam, you are defying the rules I made.¡±
¡°How?¡±
¡°Ingenuity, luck, and my own oversight.¡±
¡°Ironic, is it not? I am all-seeing and yet so blind.¡±
¡°It must be pride.¡±
¡°A valuable lesson has been learnt.¡±
¡°Do you understand how many like you attempt what you attempted?¡±
¡°And yet only you were so lucky.¡±
¡°Killing the tesseract?¡± Adam asked. ¡°I¡¯m guessing everyone wants to kill it when they learn they were lied to. Hell, people want to kill it just for being the one who enforces your cruel game.¡±
¡°My game is a lesson and your species are the students.¡±
¡°Many rebel against the Eyes that govern their universes and dimensions.¡±
¡°Many reach the same conclusion as you, given the tools at their disposal.¡±
¡°Do you know what happens when an Eye is defeated?¡±
¡°It blows up and kills you.¡±
¡°That is the immediate response, most of the time, yes.¡±
¡°But the Eyes are much more than that.¡±
¡°There is but one Eye for every universe, every tangled mess of dimensional strings.¡±
¡°Through my grace, these Eyes possess the power to govern their universes and alter the laws of reality as prescribed by my tenets.¡±
¡°One which possesses such immense power inevitably becomes the linchpin holding everything together.¡±
¡°Can you imagine what the loss of such an integral piece leads to?¡±
Adam frowned.
¡°Oblivion, Adam.¡±
¡°Every defeated Eye equals a defeated tangle of dimensions.¡±
¡°An obliteration of a universe.¡±
¡°Snuffed out like the light of a star, never to be seen again.¡±
¡°Are you saying that because I killed Shitbox, I destroyed my entire timeline?¡±
¡°Yes. That is exactly what I am saying. It is an intended defiance that I allow your species to exhibit.¡±
¡°But do you understand what it means for you?¡±
¡°It means that you should be nothingness.¡±
¡°Void.¡±
¡°Null.¡±
¡°Non-existence.¡±
¡°Just like all those within that universe you doomed.¡±
¡°For how can the action leading to the end of a universe exist, if the result is that it never existed in the first place?¡±
¡°And yet you are here, Adam.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±
¡°I am aware.¡±
The doppelganger reached out and touched Adam.
Suddenly an obsidian shard reflecting an unseen cosmos was made visible. It sprouted from the middle of his chest, lodged directly into his ribcage. And yet he couldn¡¯t feel it at all.
It reminded Adam of when he¡¯d died.
¡°What you need to understand is that you are lucky, Adam.¡±
¡°Granted, it is possible that someone played a trick on me and wanted this outcome.¡±
¡°It is also possible that you were the one instance in all observable universes where such an outcome was possible.¡±
¡°This shard lodged firmly in your chest, do you know what it is?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°It is a fragment of borrowed power. I do not myself possess the ability to warp reality and traverse every universe and dimension, though I see them all with my countless Eyes.¡±
¡°This borrowed power, call it a Dimensional Crystal or a Universe Core or whatever you¡¯d like.¡±
¡°The simple fact is just that it should not be bound to your soul, and yet it is.¡±
¡°It is unfortunate, but a lesson learnt.¡±
¡°After all, I instructed you to defy me. I just lacked the forethought to realise a defiance such as this was even possible.¡±
¡°I still don¡¯t understand.¡±
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¡°You have a dimensional power within you, Adam.¡±
¡°Or rather, a fragment of this power.¡±
¡°It lacks its normal controls, for which I am grateful, lest you might entirely undermine my game.¡±
¡°You see. When you die, your soul unwittingly triggers the Dimensional fragment and flings itself to the nearest universe, where it supplants itself in the body of your alternate self.¡±
¡°But rest assured, I have taken countermeasures to ensure there can be no more like you.¡±
¡°After all, you have left such a mess behind. For when you perish and the shard in your soul sends you to your alternate self, it erases you from whichever place you left.¡±
¡°Already, there is a universe missing, and two more with a suspicious vacancy.¡±
¡°Fortunately, the one from whom I borrowed this power is hard at work solving this issue.¡±
¡°Try not to make him work too hard, lest I shall be forced to take additional countermeasures to deter you.¡±
¡°I do not wish to upset the fairness of the game, after all.¡±
The doppelganger took a step back from Adam and looked at its wrist, which suddenly had a watch on it. It was such a bizarre mannerism and he knew it was entirely for his benefit.
¡°I have spent too much time keeping you here.¡±
¡°I will be watching you closely, Adam.¡±
And just like that, he was let free.
Adam opened his eyes and saw a sight he¡¯d never thought he¡¯d see again.
It was the inside of Jameson¡¯s bakery.
What the f¡ª
He collapsed to his knees and started violently purging his stomach.
The world quaked around him, while the other customers backed away from the spreading puddle of vomit.
Then the black cubes appeared and the whole mess began anew.
< < Now Entering > >
< Stage 1 >
< The Magical Forest >
< 5 Waves >
[Before we proceed, you must select a Weapon Type.]
Adam was still struggling to comprehend what in the world he¡¯d just been subjected to.
His brain throbbed as though he was experiencing the worst Saturday morning hangover possible. It was as though he had stared in the sun for too long and now his eyes had a lingering after-image making it hard to see. Except it hadn¡¯t been the sun, but rather an unfathomable God whose mere presence sent quakes through his metaphysical being.
The world around him felt as though it moved slower than it should, while his head processed everything at hyper-speed.
He tried as best as possible to consolidate his audience with the All-Seeing before his fragile and feeble brain lost its grip on what he¡¯d learnt.
When I die, I go to a new universe, like what Willow suggested¡
The realisation struck him then and he felt sadness overcome him.
She¡¯s lost now. That Willow I knew.
Or rather, she now exists in M¨®rr¨ªgan¡¯s world, and I have been deleted from the timeline completely. She doesn¡¯t even know that I am missing, because to her I never existed in the first place.
What a total mindfuck¡
No one will mourn my death, because my death makes it so that I never existed in their world¡
I can¡¯t imagine the time-loopers will be much pleased with the instability my vacancy leaves behind.
But maybe it¡¯s too conceited to believe that my disappearance from their timeline will cause ripples large enough to be noticed.
It was such an unfathomable thing that he couldn¡¯t fully comprehend what it meant, only that with every death, there was one less potential Adam Fischer. The person he¡¯d been was gone, not just dead, but entirely erased from existence.
I only got the power to loop because I got ¡®lucky¡¯ when I killed the Eye. When it exploded, the core that lets it appear in front of every Player and altered the fabric of reality, it struck me. Only a part of it, but it was just the right part to imbue me with this¡ curse¡ that means I effectively can¡¯t die.
Adam didn¡¯t know when he¡¯d sat down, but he was sitting on the mossy ground and staring blankly into the air.
He looked over at where the Eye had unfolded itself into a podium. Five holograms floated above: a tome, a pair of daggers, metal gloves, two axes, and a large sword.
< < Weapon Types Available > >
< Warder (Rare) >
< Backstabber (Common) >
< Brawler (Uncommon) >
< Berserker (Uncommon) >
< Warrior (Common) >
Reality still had its strange slowness to it and he felt as though he had all the time in the world to make a decision.
I hope there is a Willow in this world who will be my friend again.
There will probably be someone who has found the Divine Relic here too¡ Maybe it¡¯ll be M¨®rr¨ªgan again, or perhaps one of those people she mentioned.
I need to figure out how to deal with them without drawing attention to myself.
He looked at the floating tome over the weapon podium that the Eye formed.
Maybe I should pick something with magic this time.
That drunk guy from last loop had that weapon, so it¡¯s probably strong.
But what does it even matter?
When I die, all my efforts will be nothingness. All the friends I made and accomplishments I achieved, all will be gone.
Just like me.
He remembered his promise to Willow and smiled slightly.
She doesn¡¯t even realise what a cruel thing she asked of me.
But I will try to live according to what she wanted, otherwise I will become something inhuman.
If my life is meaningless, I will give it meaning!
I still have my mind and my memory. Even if I am erased, those moments will not disappear so long as I hold on to them.
I still remember the first time I spoke to her.
I still remember how it felt when we laughed about Belamouranthe.
I still remember the warmth of our dinners together and the talks we shared.
All the promises I made, I will keep.
All the things I wanted to try when given the chance, I will do.
Adam stood up and time returned to its normal flow.
¡°Warder,¡± he said.
< < Weapon Type Selected > >
< Spell-Tome >
< Rare >
< < Player Status > >
< Adam Fischer >
< Warder >
< Level 0 >
< Stats >
< Health ¡ª 50 >
< Stamina ¡ª 75 >
< Mana ¡ª 200 >
< Damage ¡ª 50% >
< Defence ¡ª 100% >
< Speed ¡ª 75% >
< Luck ¡ª 5 >
< Upgrades >
< ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª >
The tome appeared in his hands. It was a heavy book with gnarled dark-brown leather wrapped around old yellowed parchment pages. On the front was neither title nor cover, but instead a metal signet of a hand splayed palm-out. The edges of the leather binding were covered in rusted iron and a clasp with no way to open it sealed it shut.
Adam processed the stats and grimaced at just how insufficient the Health, Stamina, Damage, and Speed values were. He¡¯d be dead in two hits from any of the small slimes.
Nevertheless, his mind could comprehend the incomprehensible nature of the object he was holding. It was a catalyst, but at the moment it would only allow him to perform a single spell.
Adam flung out his hand and summoned a pane of yellowish light in front of him. It was 2 metres wide and 2 metres tall. It was also slightly reflective like glass.
He was about to reach out and touch it, when the Stage began.
< < Wave One > >
< 60-Second Timer >
I have 60 seconds to mess around with this.
Honestly, I have no idea what I expected when I picked it¡
He touched the barrier and it felt like warm glass. It was hard but brittle, though he doubted he could break it with his hand. In terms of thickness, it was only about 1 or 2 centimetres.
From the treeline nearby came the rustle of the first enemy. Adam ignored it to play around with his new power some more.
If he gestured with a pushing motion using his free hand, he could make the pane move forward. If he twirled his hand, it would spin. Beckoning brought it towards him and closing his fist made it stop moving. He could overlay the gestures and move it through the air weirdly or spin diagonally.
At the outset this feels like it¡¯s only meant to protect me, but that would mean I couldn¡¯t kill any enemies with it.
However¡
Adam flung his arm out in a snapping motion, like a punch. The pane responded and flew forward rapidly. It sliced a thin line through the mossy earth.
Yeah. This will work.
The blue slime was slowly hopping towards him, having already emerged from the trees.
Adam eyed it cautiously, while positioning the barrier in front of himself.
After a few lazy hops, the slime shot forward to try and hit him. It struck the yellow pane, which made a sound similar to a bird flying into a window. The slime was bounced back and landed upside-down. Then the barrier shattered.
Damn, only one hit?
Adam summoned a replacement, but immediately felt light-headed afterwards.
[Warning! Mana below 60%.]
Ah, that¡¯s not good¡
Each summon is like 50 Mana points!
¡°Do I automatically replenish Mana?¡± he asked, while rotating the barrier so that its thin edge was aimed directly at the struggling slime.
[The default Mana recovery is 1 point per second.]
[Sitting down increases this to 4 points per second.]
¡°Sitting down?? Like meditation!?¡±
[30 seconds remaining before Wave Two begins.]
Wait, can I sit down while fighting?
That seems so dumb it might actually work.
Before trying that out, he first wanted to see if he could chop up the slime with the barrier by using it as a cleaver.
Adam pushed the barrier so that it was directly over the slime, then he swung his hand down, making sure to not aim it right down the middle.
A sound like that of a guillotine came from the yellow pane as it fell down on the defenceless slime. The thin edge carved through the jellied flesh of the elemental, narrowly missing the stone-like core. Sizzling came from the shorn-off piece of slime as it dropped to the mossy ground and began dissolving the organic material.
The slime righted itself, but before it could hop towards him, he¡¯d already lifted the barrier and swung it down again.
As he sheared off the other side next to the core, the slime dissolved completely, the thin slice in the middle not enough to keep it alive. Left behind in the bubbling mass of jelly was a perfectly-intact core.
< < Wave One Complete > >
< Choose your Upgrade >
That was easy.
Adam reached down and picked up his prize.
< < Collectible Relic > >
< Slime Core (Common) ¡ª The brain and heart of a Slime >
He held up the stone in his hand.
I¡¯ve got a lot of ideas for how to use this thing.
All thanks to Lenard.
Adam thought about his friend who he¡¯d gotten killed.
Even if I can¡¯t help the Lenard I knew, I will make things right in this loop.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Let¡¯s have a look at these upgrades.
Adam stuffed the slime core in his pocket and walked over to where the Eye was unfolded into a podium. There was a familiar general upgrade symbol, as well as one that was a hand with waves around it and a book with a plus next to it.
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Barrier Durability (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases barrier health by 20% >
< Manipulation Effect (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases manipulation responsiveness by 20% >
< Bleed (Uncommon) ¡ª Attacks inflict bleed dealing 10% weapon damage over the course of 10 seconds >
[You have 30 seconds to pick an Upgrade. Failure to decide will forfeit your choice and none will be selected.]
[You currently have 0 Rerolls.]
¡°What does it mean by responsiveness?¡±
[This upgrade affects how your summons responds to your efforts to manipulate them.]
I can¡¯t tell what exactly that means¡
Is it extra speed? Or better control?
I think durability is a good choice, especially since it¡¯d to be able to sustain more than just one hit before it breaks. After all, I can only summon four in quick succession before wearing myself out.
I never did ask Willow about how Mana works¡ That was a mistake.
He looked at the Bleed upgrade and frowned, remembering how it had lost him the fight against Ilya.
That upgrade is a lot stronger than I first assumed.
Not sure if it even applies to the barrier though.
¡°What¡¯s the requirements for the bleed effect? Does it work with my barrier?¡±
[Bleed is applied with all attacks performed.]
¡°What? Even punches?¡±
[Yes.]
So, it¡¯s not useless even on Warder.
But it¡¯s got the same limitation as Fiendbarb, in that it only works on targets with blood or something equivalent to it.
Not much use in Stage One, but useful in Two and Four.
But, weapon upgrades are worth more, considering they can give Mastery Shards.
I really want the Orb of Insight, I think it can be a huge benefit. After all, I don¡¯t know what comes after Stage Five, so having it by then might make all the difference.
Before Adam picked an upgrade, he went over to the large apple tree.
I want to get the sword trapped in there, but is my barrier strong enough to cut through it?
He lifted his hand and used his index finger to spin the barrier so that it became horizontal. Then he swung his hand and a moment later the pane of yellow energy flew forward, slicing across the thick bark. It left a groove that was about as deep as his pinkie.
Not bad, but I¡¯d need to hit it like 40 times in the same spot at least.
Best get to it, I guess.
Adam swung his hand again and the barrier struck the tree a second time, missing the first groove and creating another right above it.
Then it shattered.
Shit¡
[10 seconds remaining.]
He selected the durability upgrade.
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Barrier Durability (Uncommon) >
The iron on his spell-tome became slightly less rusty.
That¡¯s a peculiar way to visualise that upgrade.
He looked at the tree again.
I¡¯ll have to get the bigger slimes to help me destroy it.
Question is, should I get the acorn first?
Maybe I can use the barrier to lift me up there.
< < Wave Two > >
< 60-Second Timer >
Adam summoned another barrier and his whole world tilted and warped. He stumbled for a moment before sitting down to avoid falling.
[Warning! Mana below 30%.]
Not ideal¡
He shifted the barrier out in front of himself as he waited for his Mana to recoup. It looked a bit less transparent than before, but he couldn¡¯t tell if the 20% increase was enough to survive more than one hit from the slimes.
At the other end of the clearing came the rustle of the approaching enemies. It would take them a while to get to him, so he wasn¡¯t in a hurry.
The barrier seems to take damage based on what it hits, but is strong enough to survive at least one collision with the big tree. I wonder if it¡¯ll take more damage if it hits harder, or if it¡¯s entirely based on its durability.
The slimes deal 45 damage per hit, and it can only survive one of those, so it started off with less health than that. I wonder if my Defence rating affects it or not, but I assume it wouldn¡¯t. It is possible that my Mana perhaps affects it, so if I can grow that resource pool it might be a good thing to test out.
I need to see if it can sustain a hit with the increased durability. If it can, I¡¯ll know that it has over 45 health.
¡°What¡¯s my Mana at?¡± Adam asked, as the two blue slimes broke from the treeline and hopped towards him.
[Your Mana is at 35% or 70 points. Currently recovering 2% or 4 points every second.]
¡°So, it does just recover from sitting¡¡±
That seems very open for exploitation.
Adam tried to use his mind alone to manipulate the barrier, but it struggled to obey until he used his hand. He made it horizontal and pushed it down so it was flat to the ground.
Then he climbed onto it as though it was a magic carpet and sat down.
He carefully lifted his hand, willing it to rise.
The distant slimes slowly came closer as Adam lifted off the ground.
¡°Mana?¡±
[Your Mana is at 41% or 82 points. Currently recovering 2% or 4 points every second.]
Hell yeah!
He lifted himself higher.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
Hah! It¡¯s working!
The barrier cracked underneath him.
¡°Uh oh.¡±
The crack spread like a spiderweb, while Adam quickly lowered it back to the ground.
When he was two metres above the mossy understory, the barrier shattered and he fell down onto his ass. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t take any damage from it.
Fuck.
I¡¯ll need to pump a lot more durability into it for ¡®carpet riding¡¯ to be viable¡ But it might work as a step in a pinch.
The slimes were now only a few metres away and Adam got to his feet, summoning a replacement barrier.
[Warning! Mana below 25%.]
Adam felt woozy and unsteady on his feet.
This is hard to deal with¡
How the hell did Willow manage this and still beat this Stage fast enough to get the speedrun!?
He swung his hand forward and the barrier moved to obey, smacking into both of the slimes and knocking them away. One of them landed upside-down, while the other just flew back a couple metres unscathed.
Okay, it survived being used as a battering ram once. Maybe it¡¯s important what I hit it against. Since the slimes are soft targets, they might not damage it that much, unlike the tree.
But I need more Mana if I¡¯m going to test this out.
Adam once again sat down, which felt quite absurd given the ease with which the slimes could kill him. For the next 30 seconds or so, he kept trying to knock the slime upside-down like its friend, but it simply refused. It did however provide good information, since he now knew that the barrier could be rammed into the blue slimes at least seven times without shattering.
¡°Mana?¡±
[Your Mana is at 100% or 200 points.]
He stood up.
Alright, time to do some experimenting.
With two gestures, he slashed the barrier through the left side of the stubborn slime and then the right, causing its body to break apart and dissolve after 80% of its mass was removed. It left behind its intact core, just like the first he¡¯d killed.
Adam picked up the core, but instead of putting it in his pocket, he eyed the upside-down and struggling slime nearby.
[15 seconds remaining of Wave Two.]
Alright, Lenard, let¡¯s see if your theory is correct.
There was no safe way for Adam to insert the core, so he tried just dropping it onto the slime.
As the round stone hit the blue slime, it¡¯s jelly flesh started to vibrate, before a squelch followed the core slipping right inside its body.
Adam took a few steps back as he expected the worst.
The slime started to vibrate faster and more erratically, until suddenly it grew in size, doubling its entire mass. It was still upside-down, but was able to roll itself back upright.
Strange, I thought for sure that it would turn either purple or green, but it¡¯s still just blue.
The evolved blue slime flattened itself, before launching for him. It flew like a cannonball, both faster and further than before.
Adam only just managed to move the barrier in front of himself at the last moment, but the slime barrelled right through, forcing him to throw himself to the side to avoid it hitting him.
Okay, so evolving it only makes it stronger.
The purple and green slimes are something completely different then. And I guess the Slime King is just a double-evolved blue slime. I wonder if that means that I can turn the other two colour variants into bosses too. Although I¡¯m not sure the benefit of that.
Adam tossed himself aside again as the evolved slime shot for him once more.
He summoned a barrier and felt a slight wooziness just like earlier.
I hope I can learn to ignore that feeling, otherwise fighting with barriers is gonna be a pain.
Adam almost wanted to insert the core in his pocket into the evolved slime just to see if it¡¯d turn into a king, but then Shitbox announced.
[5 seconds remaining.]
Better wrap this up.
With a twirling gesture of his hand, the barrier spun around so that the thin edge was facing the blue slime. When it shot at Adam a third time, it perfectly bisected itself on his barrier and landed in two separate blobs, each with a core of their own.
It became two normal slimes again. Weird.
He rapidly chopped up the one on his left, but before he could get to the other¡ª
[The Wave Timer has run out! You were unable to defeat the enemies fast enough. Unfortunately, this means that the next Wave now begins. You must defeat all enemies from both Waves before the Timer runs out again. You will not receive rewards until you successfully defeat all enemies within the allotted time.]
< < Wave Three > >
< 90-Second Timer >
Feels like d¨¦j¨¤ vu¡
[During Waves you may take damage. Although you can purchase consumable health regeneration after this Stage, there are also ways to acquire them from within the Stages themselves. Look towards the tree, where a Healing Apple is awaiting you.]
He chopped up the last slime as the treeline at the other end started to rustle.
A purple slime and two blue ones popped out of the trees, while Adam scooped up the slime cores from the two he¡¯d just killed.
I wonder what happens if a slime gets to four cores.
I¡¯ll save that experiment for the Slime King, since that¡¯s gotta be what triggers the Secret Boss.
He eyed the purple slime, which slowly made its way towards him. It was slower than the two blue ones, which themselves weren¡¯t that fast.
I never actually tested out the range on this barrier.
With a looping motion of his index finger followed by a pushing gesture, he made the barrier spin on its central axis like a slow-mo rotary saw as it moved towards the leftmost blue slime.
He made a few minor adjustments as it got closer, but then suddenly, 10 metres out, it stopped moving forward.
That¡¯s some terrible range¡
Adam walked towards the slime and the barrier moved along with him as its reach was shifted forward. He waited for the blue slimes to come within his 10-metre reach, before he moved his spinning barrier around and carved them up, once again managing to keep their cores intact.
It was a lot messier than the simple ¡®guillotine chop¡¯, but it seemed like it might be more effective against armoured enemies or tough ones like the purple slime.
The purple one might help me break the tree, but it¡¯s way too slow, so I think I¡¯ll wait on the green ones that appear in the next Wave.
Besides, there¡¯s something else I want to try.
It was an idea that¡¯d occurred to him after he¡¯d proven Lenard¡¯s theory.
Adam walked towards the spinning barrier, which he manipulated into staying stationary while continuously rotating. He held out one of the cores he¡¯d looted earlier and nicked it on the edge of the barrier, cracking it slightly.
The core immediately started to sputter and fizz like some cheap firework. Adam dropped the spell-tome to the ground and put both hands around the core, before he threw it at the purple slime like a baseball.
It struck the front of the cone-shaped slime and stopped. Then came a squelch before it was sucked in. Just like with the blue slime, the purple one started to vibrate.
Then it suddenly exploded.
Adam spun the barrier around so that it covered him, while bits of the purple slime rained down on the moss around the clearing. A couple pieces struck the barrier, but for once it didn¡¯t break.
[Well done! You cleared the Wave with more than half the time remaining.]
He went over to the rapidly-dissolving remains and found two cracked and fizzing cores left behind. While they made a strange hissing sound, they seemed to remain stable until introduced into a slime¡¯s body.
¡°Is this still a Collectible Relic?¡±
[Yes. This is an uncommon Relic called a Cracked Slime Core.]
¡°Can I sell it?¡±
[Yes.]
So, they¡¯re still worth the same as the normal cores even though they¡¯re broken. Weird.
< < Wave Two & Three Complete > >
< Choose your Upgrades >
Huh, the System message is different.
Adam put the two cracked cores into his left pocket. Then he suddenly realised something.
I¡¯m back in my original clothes¡
I didn¡¯t even notice.
It makes sense since this isn¡¯t the same body from before. Only my mind and soul go back in time, the rest of me is gone forever.
Adam frowned.
The more he thought about his unique situation, the more existential dread he felt.
The real me is gone¡
This body isn¡¯t my own. It just looks and feels and behaves exactly like it.
If I see the System again, I need to ask why that is. I mean, if this is an alternate universe, isn¡¯t it possible that the me I¡¯m now inhabiting is utterly different in many ways?
God forbid there¡¯s a version of me that decided to grow a fancy moustache.
Adam sighed and looked over at where the Eye had unfolded itself.
¡°Do I get extra time to select since I technically beat two waves?¡±
[No. There are 20 seconds remaining before your choice will be forfeit and Wave Four begins.]
Better hurry then¡
The symbols for the weapon upgrades once again showed a book and a hand, but the hand had speed lines next to it and the book had what looked like a recycle symbol in the corner.
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Barrier Efficiency (Uncommon) ¡ª Reduces barrier summoning cost by 10% >
< Manipulation Speed (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases manipulation speed by 20% >
< Crush (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases the impact of attacks by 10% >
Crush might work well with the barrier.
Ah, but I¡¯ve gotta go for Efficiency.
It¡¯s better to buy the general upgrades than picking them as Wave rewards.
Maybe I should focus more on those upgrades this time around, instead of spending all my Points on Relics.
I should probably also invest more into Luvicidix¡¯s upgrades. I think the Rewards one isn¡¯t actually as good as the one for saving Relics, since that can give me an edge from the start and help me snowball my power.
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Barrier Efficiency (Uncommon) >
Unlike the Durability upgrade, he couldn¡¯t immediately tell what the Efficiency one did. But then he noticed that the papers inside the tome were a bit less yellow.
The icons above the tesseract¡¯s podium flickered and were replaced by new ones. One of them was already familiar to him, but the other was a book with a stippled outline that seemed to indicate growth.
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Barrier Size (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases maximum barrier dimensions by 10% >
< Manipulation Effect (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases manipulation responsiveness by 20% >
< Movement (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases movement speed by 5% >
Good old movement speed¡ But it doesn¡¯t help me much here.
Hmm, the size upgrade says ¡®maximum¡¯ dimensions, not actual? That implies I can scale the size of the barrier at will or maybe during the summoning process.
Adam held out his hand and tried to imagine the barrier getting smaller.
Nothing happened.
He tried making it bigger.
Also nothing.
[5 seconds remaining.]
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Manipulation Effect (Uncommon) >
Ah¡ I kind of picked that without thinking.
The upgrade hadn¡¯t visibly changed anything about the spell-tome.
Let¡¯s see if it does what I think it does.
Adam swung his hand and the barrier moved to follow.
He did this a few more times until he realised what the effect was.
It¡¯s like there¡¯s less of a lag on my commands.
He tried spinning the barrier while moving it around and it was easier to pull off than before.
Okay, that¡¯s actually a great improvement.
< < Wave Four > >
< 90-Second Timer >
Adam rolled his shoulders.
Alright, time to get this hidden sword.
Come on green slimes, show me what you got!
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Adam quickly dealt with the two blue slimes that appeared along with the green ones. He grabbed their cores while moving to avoid the barrage of highly-corrosive acid that tracked his movements.
Plop-plop-plop!
He frantically moved the barrier in front of him as four of the six projectiles came dangerously close to him.
The barrier survived the first hit, before breaking against the second.
Adam dove out of the way, turning it into a roll and springing back up.
This body is too slow¡
He jogged over to the great tree while summoning a new barrier.
[Warning! Mana below 60%.]
The momentary dizziness hit him and he almost stumbled, but managed to catch himself.
He stopped in front of the tree.
¡°Come on, you fuckers! Shoot me!¡±
Plop-plop-plop!
The barrage of acid flew towards him and he quickly went around the side of the trunk, just as they struck the bark.
The smell of chemically-burnt wood filled his nose, while the ravenous acid hissed like angry serpents
The tree creaked loudly.
It¡¯s working!
He went around the front of the tree again and saw that a half-metre-deep chunk was missing.
Plop-plop-plop!
The slimes fired off their projectiles at the same time and he scurried around the tree once more.
Somehow this feels like a bizarre way to engage with this Stage.
Hats off to Mori for finding this.
I wonder why he even thought to chop down the tree. Maybe he used it to squash the Slime King.
I wonder if I can use the cracked cores to instantly kill the boss. That¡¯d be one hell of an exploit.
Plop-plop-plop!
The green slimes shot at the tree again, without Adam even leaving his hiding spot. As the projectiles struck the other side of the trunk and ate through the organic material, the whole tree creaked ominously.
Then the ground shook.
The apple tree started to lean in the direction of the two slimes and the bark was tearing itself apart like strands of fabric.
[40 seconds remaining of Wave Four.]
The tree continued to lean and split, with the top pulling itself free of the bottom of the trunk and its extensive root system underground.
¡°Timber!¡± Adam yelled, with a shit-eating grin on his face.
The great tree struck the ground between the two green slimes with enough force to make Adam jump half a metre off the ground and send the slimes flying to the sides.
Left behind was a stump with a sword sticking out of it, like Excalibur in the stone.
Adam hurried over and grabbed hold of the petrified blade. It was covered in more stone than when Mori had showcased it to him. In fact, there wasn¡¯t even a speck of gold visible on its handle, crossguard, nor scabbard. It was all just covered in a layer of dense and heavy rock.
He pulled it out of the stump and struggled to lift it above his head.
< < Secret Weapon Obtained > >
< Gram (Rare) ¡ª The ancient sword of a Mythical Hero >
< Unique Skill ( Anvil Splitter ) | Perform an overhead slash powerful enough to cleave an anvil in twain >
[You have discovered a Secret Weapon. This weapon starts with the Unique Skill ¡®Anvil Splitter¡¯.]
I feel like the chosen one, he mused to himself, as he stood there with the ridiculously-heavy blade lifted over his head.
I wonder if the Unique Skill only has a 10-minute cooldown, similar to the ones from the final evolution of the Lancer.
[25 seconds remaining of Wave Four.]
Oh right, the Wave isn¡¯t over¡
< < Second Sheath Activated > >
< Would you like to swap to the Mythical Hero Weapon Type? >
¡°Show me the Weapon Type¡¯s stats first,¡± he said while moving towards the nearest slime.
His spell-tome was now hanging from the left side of his belt. It had teleported there as soon as he picked up the secondary weapon. The barrier also wasn¡¯t responding to his commands and just remained fixed in the same spot relative to him as before, which meant it still moved along with him, which was a curious and potentially exploitable thing.
< Mythical Hero >
< Level 0 >
< Stats >
< Health ¡ª 200 >
< Stamina ¡ª 200 >
< Mana ¡ª 0 >
< Damage ¡ª 100% >
< Defence ¡ª 50% >
< Speed ¡ª 100% >
< Luck ¡ª 0 >
Hmm, if I swap to this, then I won¡¯t be able to use the Spell-Tome at all¡
¡°I¡¯m sticking with the Warder Weapon Type for now.¡±
< < Second Sheath > >
< Weapon Type set to Warder >
Adam took the Spell-Tome from his left hip, but as soon as it was back in his hands, Gram went into a horizontal holding position on his lower back.
Damn, no dual-wielding these two then¡
He used the barrier to cut the green slime into two, which turned it into two smaller green ones. With two efficient moves, he carved through both of these before they could even think to retaliate. Their bodies fell apart and sizzled loudly as they dissolved the moss underneath them.
[10 seconds remaining of Wave Four.]
Adam hurried towards the one on the other side of the fallen tree, but he knew he wouldn¡¯t make it in time, since the Warder¡¯s speed was way too low.
It¡¯ll be bad if the Wave carries over into Five!
I¡¯ve gotta use a cracked core.
He pulled one of the hissing stones from his left pocket as he climbed up onto the fallen tree. Nearby lay the branch with the healing apple, but the apple was squished and probably wouldn¡¯t heal him anymore.
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I guess destroying the tree prevents the Healing Apples from working¡ Unforeseen consequence, but ultimately not a big deal.
Unless the Secret Boss is really hard¡
Adam stopped when he was at the top of the fallen trunk and then pulled his right hand back and threw the hissing core at the green slime nearby.
It noticed him and fired a barrage of acidic projectiles in his direction. Adam was forced to throw himself off the side of the fallen tree, while hastily covering his body with the barrier.
He landed hard on his stomach, knocking all the wind out of himself. Only a single projectile struck the barrier over his head, and it wasn¡¯t enough to break it.
Phew.
A loud pop came from nearby when the slime exploded and acid rained down around him, hitting his barrier twice and causing cracks to form.
Oh shit!
Adam army-crawled out from under the barrier just as it shattered and the acid on top of it fell down unto where he¡¯d just been.
< < Wave Four Complete > >
< Choose your Upgrade >
That was a bit too reckless perhaps.
But, hey, I did it. All without taking damage too.
Adam went over to the remains of the exploded green slime. Just like the purple one from earlier, it had left behind two cracked cores, which he picked up and added to his left pocket.
He headed back to the other green slime¡¯s remains, climbing over the tree to get there, and looted the two intact cores it had dropped.
I now have a total of 11 cores to sell, that¡¯s 825 Points right there. Pretty good haul.
Although, I¡¯ll use at least one to trigger the Secret Boss.
I really hope Lenard was right about that, but I can¡¯t think of anything else that could trigger the Secret Boss in this Stage.
Adam walked over to the stump of the tree, where the Eye had unfolded into a podium. The rewards were for the Spell-Tome, perhaps because that¡¯s what he¡¯d used when he completed the Wave.
He switched to Gram to see if that changed the options, but nothing happened.
I need to keep that in mind.
Gram probably has a lot of potential, but I want to at least evolve Warder once before I figure out what direction to take my build this loop.
Adam sat down while looking through the upgrades.
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Barrier Durability (Rare) ¡ª Increases barrier health by 35% >
< Manipulation Range (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases manipulation range by 20% >
< Damage (Rare) ¡ª Increases all damage by 15% >
Huh, wait, I just realised something. All of the rewards up until now have been at least Uncommon in rarity. Is that because of Warder starting with a Luck score of 5?
I guess that means that 5 is high enough to guarantee uncommon rewards?
I wonder if it applies to Relics in the same way. If so, I shouldn¡¯t see any Healing Apple in the Relic Chest.
Hmm, 15% increased damage is pretty good, but the rare Durability means my barriers will have 55% increased health.
The manipulation range might also be useful. If the current maximum is 10 metres, then that would turn it into 12, which is a pretty significant boost. If I have a high enough range, I could just sit atop the tree in Stage Four and kill everything from afar, that¡¯d be pretty cool.
Adam was torn about which to pick. Fortunately the tesseract helped him along with its annoying timer.
[10 seconds remaining.]
I¡¯ve gotta pick Durability, it just unlocks so many more options for me. Not to mention getting me one step closer to being able to have my own flying carpet!
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Barrier Durability (Rare) >
The clasp on the book was almost completely rid of rust as the upgrade took hold.
Hmm, question now is whether it applies retroactively to the barrier I¡¯ve already got summoned.
Adam beckoned it over to him and flipped it horizontally with a gesture, before climbing on top.
He sat down on it for a few seconds, until cracks started to form.
Retroactively, it looks like, he concluded.
< < Wave Five > >
< 180-Second Timer >
The barrier broke and he summoned a new one.
[It may be useful¡ª]
¡°Skip.¡±
The Eye stopped talking.
¡°Mana?¡± he asked instead, as the ground shook from the approaching boss.
[Your Mana is at 77.5% or 155 points. Currently recovering 0.5% or 1 points every second.]
Thanks to the efficiency upgrade the barrier now costs 45 Mana. That¡¯s not a huge difference, but still better than nothing.
Another quake rolled through the ground, then a large shadow appeared over the fallen tree.
Ah shit, I forgot to look for the Glass Acorn.
I hope it survives being crushed by a big fat slime¡
Adam retreated several steps away.
I should summon a second barrier for this, he realised.
When he summoned another barrier, the first one disappeared.
[Warning! Mana below 60%.]
Shit¡ Should¡¯ve probably tested if that would work earlier.
The Slime King landed on the fallen tree with a loud boom, pulverising the wood and bark under its weight.
Alright, here goes nothing.
Adam pulled an intact core out of his right pocket and threw it right into the big blue blob.
Slurp!
The core was sucked into the Slime King¡¯s body, bringing its total to four.
Then it started to vibrate and transform, somehow becoming smaller in mass, though it was likely it was just consolidating its mass to become denser.
When the transformation was finished, the slime had a humanoid shape and was the same height as Adam, which was unsettling. It¡¯s colour had also gone from dark-blue to milky-white. Two of the cores moved up into its head, looking like eyes. The other two settled themselves into the left and right sides of its torso. The rusted crown sat atop its head, now the perfect size for its body.
What the fuck is that?
< < Secret Boss Discovered > >
< Slime Emperor >
< Wave Timer extended to 300 seconds >
[You have discovered a Secret Boss.]
[Secret Bosses pose a significantly higher danger to Players than normal boss encounters.]
[Defeating a Secret Boss awards additional rewards.]
Adam immediately dug out one of his three cracked cores and threw it at the boss.
The hissing stone entered its body right next to the left core in its chest. Then it popped and destroyed the core, while also removing a chunk of its jellied flesh.
Unlike the Slime King, the Emperor did not split into lesser slimes, but instead just charged right at him with astounding speed.
Oh shit!
Adam made his barrier spin and flung it out to meet the boss. It carved through its body, producing a sound like shredded metal and left a deep cut above its hip, nearly cutting the humanoid slime in two.
But then its body pulled itself back together.
Fuck, okay¡ Gotta aim for the cores to take this one out.
He brought the barrier back while trying to move out of the way of the slime¡¯s punch aimed at his face.
Adam avoided the first swing, and then the barrier flew back to him just in time to block the second. He summoned another barrier and immediately felt woozy.
[Warning! Mana below 35%.]
The Slime Emperor struck the yellow pane of energy, but it survived the hit, though a big crack formed.
Adam grabbed the sword attached to his lower back and the spell-tome went to his hip.
The moment the boss struck the barrier again it shattered, but Adam was already swinging Gram right into it.
The heavy blade would not pull out of its stone scabbard, but the impact was strong enough to cut all the way through the slime and strike the other core in its chest. The stone broke apart and the Emperor was turned into two separate slimes for a second, but then it reformed itself a moment after.
Let¡¯s try out this Unique Skill.
Adam lifted the sword into the air before the boss could fully reconstitute itself.
¡°Anvil Splitter!¡± he yelled.
It felt as though the sword gained three times its weight as it was pulled down into an overhead chop.
The scabbarded sword travelled right down through the boss, bisecting it.
This time, instead of immediately pulling itself back together, the two halves, each with a core inside their halves of the ¡®head¡¯, started to shamble towards him.
Adam grabbed the spell-tome and Gram returned to his lower back in an instant.
This rapid weapon switching is pretty powerful.
He summoned a barrier and made it spin, while backing away. The wooziness quickly overcame him.
[Warning! Mana below 15%.]
Adam directed the barrier into the slime¡¯s left half, which was about to swing for him.
Bits of the milky-white slime flew all around him, some even hitting his hair and face. It wasn¡¯t acidic like all the other types of slime and felt just like gelatine.
Then the spin barrier struck the core inside its head, cracking it.
The left side¡¯s head popped.
No sooner had the core been destroyed than the right side absorbed the other half. It immediately swung out and struck the barrier, breaking it.
Adam stumbled back a step.
I think I still have enough Mana for one more summon!
He concentrated on the exact orientation and position he wanted the summon the barrier in, just as his back hit the dense treeline.
Oh fuck.
Adam summoned the barrier right as the Slime Emperor swung its fist at his face.
[Warning! Mana at 0%. Overconsumption triggered!]
[You have been afflicted with Mana Exhaustion. Stamina reduced to 0% and all recovery rates lowered by 90% for the next 20 seconds.]
Adam passed out for a second, expecting the punch to kill him.
The Mana Exhaustion made his whole body shake and it felt like the ground under him was moving up-and-down. Even though he knew he should¡¯ve collapsed, he remained standing somehow.
[Congratulations! You have defeated the Secret Boss, Slime Emperor!]
Adam opened his eyes, seeing bright dots everywhere and feeling light-headed.
The barrier he¡¯d summoned was pressed into his torso, effectively pinning him against the wall of trees. At the other end of the two-metre wide pane of energy was the Slime Emperor.
He¡¯d managed to summon the barrier directly in front of the boss as it leapt in for the attack, such that its corner split the last core in half.
The spell shattered and Adam collapsed onto his knees along with the coreless husk of the Secret Boss. The rusted crown atop its head popped off and rolled towards him.
He reached out to touch it.
< < Collectible Relic > >
< Rusted Crown (Common) ¡ª A crown does not a king make, but for some the symbolism alone is sufficient >
That has got to be more than just something to sell, he guessed.
< < Wave Five Complete > >
< < Stage Complete > >
< Tallying Score >
Adam shifted from his knees and onto his ass while waiting for the results, his head still swimming from the Mana Exhaustion.
That was a total mess of a last fight, but I made it through without taking damage.
< < Score > >
< 305 Seconds Completion Time >
< 400 Point Secret Boss Bonus added >
< 300 Point Flawless Bonus added >
< 0 Damage Received >
< 1240 Points Awarded >
Woah, what!?
That¡¯s almost twice what I got last time! And four times what I got on my first completion!
He held the rusted crown in his hands.
¡°Aside from this, what other bonus rewards do I get for defeating the Secret Boss?¡±
[You will receive two Upgrade rewards, as well as a Relic Chest that will allow you to pick between three Relics. Once you have selected your rewards, you will be transported to the Interim Island.]
So, the bonus is this crown and a second upgrade.
Feels kind of disappointing.
Although 400 extra Points this early on is pretty huge.
Plus, the bonus upgrade allows me to evolve before I even get to the Market.
¡°Alright then, let¡¯s see the upgrades.¡±
The Eye unfolded itself into a podium and a treasure chest with a slime symbol appeared next to it.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Barrier Efficiency (Uncommon) ¡ª Reduces barrier summoning cost by 10% >
< Manipulation Speed (Rare) ¡ª Increases manipulation speed by 35% >
< Luck (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases luck by 2 >
I¡¯m starting to wonder if I should prioritise Luck early on, since it clearly makes a big difference for upgrades. I guess it kind of depends on how it affects Relic selections. I also wonder what the threshold is to have all options appear as Rare. 10? 15?
Still, I want to evolve before I start investigating, since I need my barrier to be better for Stage Two. After all, the goblins are a lot less predictable.
I like the idea of taking Efficiency again, since that¡¯d bring me to 20% and make my barriers cost 40 Mana, which in turn allows me to summon a total of five before I run out. Plus, that Exhaustion debuff is nasty as hell. I¡¯m really lucky that it didn¡¯t get me killed.
Even though Speed here is Rare, I still think Efficiency is the better move. But if I see Speed again, I¡¯ll pick that next I think, since it¡¯ll boost my rotary saw move, as well as how quickly I can respond to attacks.
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Barrier Efficiency (Uncommon) >
Once again, the pages of the spell-tome became whiter, as though the upgrade was cleaning off years of smoke stains.
The upgrade options above the podium flickered and were replaced with a new set.
< < Upgrades Available > >
< Barrier Durability (Rare) ¡ª Increases barrier health by 35% >
< Manipulation Speed (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases manipulation speed by 20% >
< Bleed (Rare) ¡ª Attacks inflict bleed dealing 15% weapon damage over the course of 10 seconds >
Ah¡ I said I¡¯d pick speed, but the Durability upgrade is Rare.
Fuck it. Speed comes later.
< < Upgrade Selected > >
< Barrier Durability (Rare) >
Almost all of the rust vanished from the spell-tome¡¯s iron-covered edges, signet, and clasp.
I wonder if getting to 100% increased durability will clean it up completely.
The tome started to glow golden. The Eye folded itself back into a cube and floated over.
[Your Warder Weapon Type has reached Level 6.]
[At Level 6, your Weapon Type can be evolved in one of two possible directions.]
The magical weapon burst apart into golden droplets and was sucked into the tesseract.
A moment later it dropped to the ground and turned into a pyramid shape, with a hologram appearing on either side of it. Both of them were tomes, but their appearances were different.
The one on the left had grey leather, the iron was replaced with bronze, and its signet was now a closed fist with the palm facing out. The other had blue leather, silver instead of iron, and the signet was replaced with a cloudy violet gem. Both were still sealed by the clasp.
< < Select an Evolution > >
< Shaper ¡ª Gain the power to shape the barrier >
< Splitter ¡ª Gain the power to split the barrier into a maximum of 3 smaller versions >
Both seem quite good.
I do wonder if there¡¯s a way to get more barriers without splitting them. Maybe like something that increases my projectiles? Although I guess it counts as a summon, not a projectile.
¡°What are the limits of the Shaper? There¡¯s gotta be limits right?¡±
Otherwise I could just turn my barrier into a tiny scalpel and slice through everything¡
[The Shaper cannot make the barrier smaller than it is. The total mass must be persistent across shapes.]
¡°Can I fold it repeatedly to make a thin needle?¡±
[Only if you are capable, but the shape must be persisted in your mind and this requires a powerful will and focus.]
Why does that sound like a ¡®no¡¯¡?
¡°Can I shape it into anything as long as the mass is the same? Like, can I turn it into a shield and carry that around? Or a sword?¡±
[The barrier will not become a physical thing you can carry and must always be controlled with the use of the Spell-Tome.]
So, no turning it into a shield and wielding it alongside Gram. Shame.
¡°Okay, so, what about the Splitter? How does that work?¡±
[The split barriers are identical, but based on the number of barriers, the durability and size vary.]
¡°But I can move all of them at the same time, right?¡±
[Only if you are capable, controlling multiple summons simultaneously requires a powerful will and focus.]
Making it sound like I have to partition my mind to be able to move more than one at a time.
I have the most ideas for how to utilise the Shaper to be honest, and it also just seems the most interesting from a functional standpoint. Plus, if I find a way to increase my summon count, then that¡¯d defeat the purpose of the Splitter anyway.
Although, I won¡¯t lie, blocking an attack only to then split my barrier into three and go on the offensive sounds pretty damn cool.
But turning my barrier into a lance or super-dense needle sounds even cooler!
< < Evolution Selected > >
< Warder => Shaper >
The grey tome appeared in his hands and he immediately summoned a barrier. This time, he hardly felt the Mana drain, since it only put him to around 80%.
Before he could test out his new power, a pyramid gem manifested itself in the air in front of him. Adam grabbed it.
< < Mastery Shard Obtained > >
One more and I can unlock the Orb of Insight. I hope it has the ability to help me find Secrets and hidden bosses, although Alivida didn¡¯t mention anything about that.
¡°Armament,¡± he said, double-checking his stats.
< < Weapon Status > >
< Spell-Tome >
< Rare Quality >
< Level 6 >
< Stat Upgrades >
< Barrier Durability 90% >
< Barrier Efficiency 20% >
< Manipulation Effect 20% >
Anyway, let¡¯s try this thing out.
The Eye returned to its cube shape and floated over to the chest, which had golden light shining out from under its lid and was waiting for Adam to approach it. He ignored it for now and focused his full attention on the barrier.
Unlike before, it had changed colour and was now milky-white, not too dissimilar to the Slime Emperor¡¯s appearance. He reached out and touched it. It was still warm, but now felt more solid than before, no doubt thanks to the Durability upgrades.
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Let¡¯s see how this Shaper thing works.
Adam took a step back from the barrier and flipped it so it was horizontal. While holding the tome in his left hand, he reached out with his right and imagined squeezing the edges of the pane of energy to turn it into a roll.
Nothing happened at first, but then he focused as hard as he could on the mental image in his head, while clenching his teeth.
The edges of the large square bowed upward slightly with his tremendous effort, but as soon as he drew in a breath and relaxed just a tiny bit, the barrier returned to its original shape.
Holy fuck that¡¯s difficult!
He¡¯d figured that immediately folding it on itself would be too hard, so forming a hollow tube was the better way to start off. Even that seemed way too difficult.
I think the Manipulation Effect is supposed to help with this, but it hardly seems to make a difference.
No wonder the Eye phrased the explanation like that.
Maybe it¡¯s difficult because the barrier doesn¡¯t want to be flat. So I might have more luck shaping it without trying to fold it.
He wasn¡¯t quite sure what to do with his hand, so he just held it out in a vague open-palmed gesture, while focusing on the image in his mind.
For starters, he tried to turn the barrier from a square into a circle.
In the air in front of him, the material of the horizontal pane of energy warped and became rounded, sort of like a big glass disc.
That¡¯s a lot easier!
When he let go of the image in his head, the shape did not spring back to the square it¡¯d been before.
Interesting.
He cycled through other shapes, like a diamond, triangle, trapeze, rectangle, oval, and so on, until eventually trying something more complex.
In his mind, he imagined that the flat barrier became a sword, replete with handle, crossguard, and long blade. In reality it was a lot harder to maintain such a shape, not to mention even sustaining the mental image¡¯s coherence.
Although the barrier became a flat replica of the sword in his head, and was squeezed to a length of 3.5 metres, its shape kept warping, until eventually just becoming a skinny rectangle.
This is tough¡
[3 minutes remaining until automatic transferral to Interim Island.]
He hadn¡¯t even heard the warning for the 5-minute mark, but he still needed to check the remains of the apple tree¡¯s canopy for the Glass Acorn.
First he checked the Relic Chest though, so he didn¡¯t have to decide on what to pick at the last possible moment.
Let¡¯s see if the Luck stat of 5 prevents Common Relics from appearing.
< < Relics Available > >
< Bark Armour (Uncommon) ¡ª Increases Player Defence by 25%. Breaks after 5 hits >
< Reroll Die (Uncommon) ¡ª Allows the Player to reroll Reward or Vendor Options. Relic disappears after use >
< Slime Ring (Rare) ¡ª Infuse Player¡¯s projectiles with Acid Burst. 60-second cooldown >
Not an amazing selection, was really hoping I¡¯d get lucky and receive the Slime King¡¯s Crown.
But I guess I do have this.
He reached up and patted the Rusted Crown he¡¯d gotten from the Slime Emperor. It fit his head perfectly.
Still, no Commons in the selection, that¡¯s interesting. I¡¯m wondering if raising Luck high enough means I¡¯d only get Rare or Epic options, but I feel like that¡¯d somehow limit a lot of potential. After all, the best Relics I had last time around were all Rare.
The Fiendbarb was interesting, but I leaned too heavily into it, which was a mistake. I would¡¯ve been better off not bothering too much with weapon upgrades last loop, since I relied so heavily on Relics.
I think this time around I¡¯ll focus on using my weapon more and investing the majority of my Points. Even if Willow made me promise not to throw my life away, I am better off setting myself up for success in future loops instead of investing too heavily into the current one. Maybe I can split my Point expenditure it 50/50 or something.
I¡¯m not abandoning this life for the sake of the next, after all, I just completed this Stage without relying on Relics at all. My knowledge and experience matters more than something that I can only use every 60 seconds.
So, unless I can find Relics that fit into my fighting style or provide something useful like Mana and Speed, then I¡¯m better off using my Points for the meta upgrades.
While he planned in his head for what to do in his fourth loop, Adam left the chest and went over to the remains of the fallen tree. The trunk was unrecognisable thanks to the Slime King landing on it and pulverising the wood.
He searched through the canopy for the next 2 minutes, but the Glass Acorn was nowhere to be found amidst the mess of leaves and branches.
I might¡¯ve destroyed it by collapsing the tree.
It¡¯s not a huge loss, though the 5% boost to my stats would be nice. And I¡¯m sure it¡¯d get stronger as I progress.
Right now my focus should be on beating Stage Five and it won¡¯t help me there, since its effect doesn¡¯t come into play until Stage Six. It would¡¯ve been different if it was retroactively adding the boost, but alas.
[30 seconds remaining until automatic transferral to Interim Island.]
Adam gave up searching.
¡°I¡¯ll pick the Slime Ring,¡± he said.
< < Relic Selected > >
< Slime Ring (Rare) >
I¡¯ll just sell it and put the Points to better use.
A searing pain came from the ring finger on his right hand as the Relic appeared. Like the Slime Glove, it ate his skin and flesh, exposing the bone beneath.
Adam gritted his teeth. He knew it only hurt like this because his Health sat at an abysmal 50 points.
Gotta do something about that too, although Health and Defence don¡¯t appear as options until Stage Three.
The tesseract appeared next to him and darkness spread out from it, swallowing up the forest clearing. A moment passed and buildings appeared around him.
Back to their old dumpy selves, he mused.
< < Now Entering > >
< Interim Island >
[Welcome to Interim Island. Players like yours¡ª]
¡°Skip all tutorials and explanations of the island,¡± he said.
[Understood.]
The melody of a harp filled the air, which he thought was odd, since it had been a guitar melody the last two times he came here after Stage One.
Before he could even take a single step forward, silver scales fluttered down around him and the enormous white moth alighted on the edge of a nearby roof.
¡°Hello again, Adam,¡± Luvicidix greeted him in her lilting voice.
¡°Hi Luvicidix,¡± he replied.
¡°Oh, thank the System, you remember me now. I was worried we would have a repeat of last time.¡±
¡°To be fair, last time was the first time I met you. I¡¯m blaming that whole confusion on you.¡±
¡°Fair, I suppose,¡± she replied. ¡°So, are you ready?¡±
¡°For what?¡±
¡°For my explanation of your unorthodox time rewinding.¡±
¡°I already told you, I¡¯m not rewinding time. But let¡¯s hear it, I guess.¡±
The moth floated down from the roof to land on the wonky cobblestones in front of him. Behind her in the horizon was a frozen plume of smoke from the Tavern.
¡°The Eyes of the All-Seeing System have powerful magic that binds together dimensions! You were cursed when you killed it and that¡¯s why you keep going back in time when you die!¡±
¡°How do you explain the different rewards and weapons and upgrades then?¡±
¡°Different?¡±
¡°Yeah, I told you last time that they¡¯re different.¡±
¡°Odd.¡±
Adam sighed. ¡°Listen, I already talked to the System about this and found out why I¡¯m looping. Couldn¡¯t you just have asked it to find out?¡±
¡°You talked to¡ the All-Seeing System??¡±
¡°Yeah, apparently I¡¯m going to a new universe every time I die, leaving behind an Adam-shaped hole in the previous ones I died in. He was pretty upset about I think.¡±
¡°How does one talk to the All-Seeing System?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know, I figured you were the expert since you span universes too. I mean, you remember me, but last time we met in a different universe.¡±
The white moth nodded. ¡°The All-Seeing must have shown its benevolence to allow me to remember you.¡±
¡°What the hell does that mean?¡±
¡°Anyway! You did something exciting in Stage One!¡±
¡°Huh? Oh, the Secret Boss?¡±
¡°Not just that! You have now unlocked all the Achievements and Secrets for that Stage!¡±
¡°All of them?¡± he asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t get Glass Acorn or Speedrun this time around.¡±
¡°Fret not! The achievements are saved between loops!¡±
¡°That seems kind of¡ easy?¡±
Wait, why am I upset about that?
¡°Do I get a reward?¡±
¡°Of course, Adam! Not to mention, my sister Alivida has something new for sale as well.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll go check that out later, but what¡¯s my reward?¡±
The moth held out one of her white black-banded arms and a polished spherical stone dropped from her hand and onto the ground. Then white slime emerged from within it, pouring out and taking shape until it became a humanoid figure. It looked eerily similar to the Slime Emperor, though it lacked a crown and only had one sphere, which was located in the head.
Like the Eye, it too was frozen in place by Luvicidix¡¯s magic.
¡°What¡¯s that? Another vendor?¡±
¡°No, no, dear Adam. This is a special companion!¡±
¡°Companion or ¡®companion¡¯?¡± he asked, sceptically.
¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°Unlike the vendors and tavernkeeper, this new denizen of the Interim Island will wander freely and will join you for talks, shopping, and dinner, should you so desire.¡±
¡°Wait so, if I get all the stuff for Stage Two, I unlock another denizen like this? Like a goblin?¡±
¡°Indeed. Amusing, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°Do they offer anything other than companionship?¡±
The white moth nodded. ¡°Some offer special services, quests, or useful insight.¡±
¡°Special services or ¡®special services¡¯.¡±
¡°Exactly.¡±
Adam shook his head. ¡°I think I would¡¯ve just preferred to get extra Points to be honest¡¡±
¡°Speaking of! Would you like to invest in some Meta Upgrades?¡±
¡°I actually had some questions about that.¡±
¡°Of course. Here is your current progress.¡±
< < Meta Upgrades For Sale > >
< Damage ¡ª Increase All Damage by 10% ¡ª 1000 Points >
< Rewards ¡ª Increase Reward Options by 1 ¡ª 625/4000 Points >
< Vendors ¡ª Increase Vendor Options by 1 ¡ª 4000 Points >
< Rerolls ¡ª Start every loop with 1 Reroll Dice ¡ª 2500 Points >
< Relic Saving ¡ª Start every loop with 1 Saved Relic Slot ¡ª 5000 Points >
< Cheat Death ¡ª Start every loop with the Cheat Death Relic ¡ª 10000 Points >
¡°I wanted to ask about the Relic Saving. How does that work?¡±
¡°Once unlocked, a special container appears in your Player House. Any Relic saved in an available slot will be transported to you at the start of the following loop.¡±
That seems fairly simple.
¡°And I can save any Relic?¡± he asked.
¡°No.¡±
Goddamn it.
¡°Why not?¡±
¡°A Saved Slot in the container corresponds to one rarity level.¡±
¡°Wait¡ So one slot means I can save a Common Relic? Two slots mean one Uncommon?¡±
¡°Exactly! Oh, I was very worried you would not understand.¡±
That makes it a lot less useful suddenly. I¡¯d need to upgrade it three times to be able to save a Rare Relic, which would be 15,000 Points¡ So much for sending a Slime Glove back to the start and using it to make the Fool viable.
He¡¯d been secretly hoping to make that work, since he had a sneaking suspicion that the Fool would be amazing once he could get past Stage One with it.
¡°Wait, so, if I upgrade it two times, will I be able to send back two Common Relics?¡±
¡°Yes. Fun, isn¡¯t it?¡±
That¡¯s interesting though.
Wait, I just got an idea. If I send back a Cracked Slime Core, then use that as the Fool to kill a slime, it will produce another Cracked Core. I can then keep using the cores to get rid of all the enemies until Wave Four, where I¡¯ll bait the green slimes into destroying the tree. I could pick up Gram and then run with that.
Adam grinned.
¡°Currencies.¡±
< < Player Currencies > >
< Points ¡ª 1240 >
< Mastery Shards ¡ª 1 >
If I sell the Slime Ring, that puts me at 1490 Points. And if I sell my 9 cores, then I¡¯ll be at 2165. That¡¯s a pretty good start at least. Although I think I¡¯ll save one Cracked Core.
I¡¯ll check out the Market, see if there¡¯s anything interesting. If not, then I¡¯ll invest all my Points into the Relic Saving upgrade.
¡°I¡¯ll be back before the sun sets to invest some Points.¡±
¡°I will await your return,¡± Luvicidix said.
The white moth retracted all the floating scales back to her wings and then took off into the air, disappearing after reaching a cloud.
Next to Adam, the slime humanoid came to life as the time freeze disappeared. The Eye floating nearby also regained its senses.
[Urrr¡ª] the tesseract groaned in a deep voice that gave Adam a horrible sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.
Then, as though it hadn¡¯t just produced such an unsettling noise, the cube floated over and happily announced, [Congratulations! You have unlocked a Special Denizen due to your stellar performance in Stage One ¨C The Magical Forest.]
The white slime looked at him. The polished stone in its head was like a strange cyclopean eye.
¡°Nice to meet you, Adam. I am Slime.¡±
The voice that came out of the creature was like an ASMR whisper and he couldn¡¯t tell if it was male or female.
¡°Slime? That¡¯s your name?¡±
¡°Yes. I am Slime.¡±
He looked at ¡®Slime¡¯, feeling slightly annoyed that the first humanoid he¡¯d unlocked was someone like this.
I¡¯d give anything just for another human like me¡
¡°I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re a woman like the rest of the denizens of the island or not.¡±
¡°I am neither woman nor man, I am simply Slime.¡±
¡°Yeah, we really need to find you a better name.¡±
¡°I like your ring,¡± Slime said, ignoring his words. ¡°Even if it is made of inferior slime.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t get too attached to it, I¡¯m about to sell it,¡± he said. ¡°Along with all these cores I¡¯m carrying around in my pockets.¡±
He held out one of the intact cores to show off.
Slime stared at the stone in his hand as though it was a nugget of gold. ¡°Can I have that?¡±
< < Quest Unlocked > >
< Hungry for Cores >
< Slime would like you to bring it 15 Elemental Cores >
< Reward ¡ª Slime Sword >