by Arthur Stone
After filling a few cells with saltpeter, mold, and copper ore, Dark proceeded. According to the map he was about three hundred yards from his target.
Before he reached half that distance, he stopped. Up ahead, he saw an ominously bright glow. It was greenish in hue, but a different green than the mold.
Moving his lantern behind him, he squinted, trying to let his eyes adjust and see the details. At first, he thought the glow was growing in intensity, but no.
It was growing in proximity. Getting closer to him.
Dark was becoming more certain by the minute that a new hostile creature was about to come into view. Something unlike anything he had encountered.
What sort of beast was coated in phosphorus?
His lamp had apparently caught the creature’s notice, and now it moved hastily towards him, stopping for nothing else.
Nervously twirling his pickax in his hand, Dark stood in the center of the mine, preparing to deal the creature a mighty blow upon its manifestation. These plans fell apart as the being approached.
It was no ordinary mob. And even without a description, it was clearly some otherworldly being, some magic phantasm.
A gleaming green ghost, adorned with the same type of mining helmet he had seen on the skeleton, flew across the mine without touching the floor. Thanks to the forums, Dark knew that these creatures had no susceptibility to ordinary weapons. Players carried special elixirs or magic items with them in case they encountered such beings. Mages had an easier time, as they had spells to deal with ghosts.
Dark had no magical weapon, but he did have a spell with complicated properties.
Stowing his pickax around his waist once more, Dark pulled out his knife and slashed his arm.
Now he was wounded, so his magic was activated.
Once the mob was five paces away, Dark hit it with Onslaught of Light, at maximum manage consumption.
The ghost emitted a flash so bright, he had to squint. Then, it melted into a shimmering puddle.
Note: Personal victory! Ethrian Miner’s Ghost killed! Common mob. Level 7. Location sensation level: 30%. Personal sensation level: 80%. Note: Phantasmal flying mob! You receive triple XP! +428 progress points received. Note: Phantasmal flying mob! Triple distributable progress points! 85 distributable progress points received.
The following skills played a significant role in this battle: Magic Accuracy.
+428 Magic Accuracy progress points.
Note: You have discovered a new creature: Ethrian Miner’s Ghost. Common mob. Level 7. Base XP: 70. Note: Note: Phantasmal flying mob! x3 base XP! Health: 505. Mana: 538. Stamina: 498. Aggression: aggressive. Magic abilities: Life Drain, Stamina Drain. Poison level: not poisonous. Chance of valuable loot: moderate. Description: An entity that arises from the remains of ancient Ethrian Miners, among the mold and the damp darkness. It mercilessly attacks all living things. Even inanimate objects may suffer from its aggression. Lives deep underground, in places where it can sense prey from a distance. Ethrian Miner’s Ghost cannot be harmed by ordinary weapons.
Note: No player in the history of X has ever encountered an Ethrian Miner’s Ghost! You receive +250 Knowledge progress points. You receive a bonus +1 to any skill. The leaders of the Explorers League may present you with a reward for adding creatures you have discovered from your personal bestiary to the league archives. Congratulations! Keep discovering new things to unlock more generous rewards!
More Knowledge points. Hopefully he had nothing to fear from them, since he had experienced no increase in Knowledge for two full days.
Plus, 250 progress points was a drop in the bucket when his level was 70. He needed three times that just to increase his Knowledge by 1.
When he searched the glowing pool, Dark discovered some Primitive Ectoplasm and a level 7 Soul Essence.
He needed level 6. No higher, no lower.
Was this trip into the mines in vain, or should he keep searching? After all, similar mobs might differ by one level, even when externally they seemed to be exactly the same. According to the map, this mine was immense. Miles and miles of tunnels, with room for hundreds and hundreds of ghosts.
Dark had an easy way to kill them. As the Ancient Evil had said, the Light could be a terrible force against certain kinds of creatures. Including ghosts. This one hadn’t even had a chance. The damage Dark had been able to deal it far exceeded its health points. In fact, there was no need for him to wait around for his Mana to regenerate before he proceeded. He would systematically scour the dungeon, blasting its green residents one after the other with beams of light.
Another one was on its way this very moment.
Perhaps he didn’t even have to search—they would fly over on their own! Either they had a patrol path, or they could somehow sense that a living creature was present.
Dark rose and winced as he slashed his arm again. The first wound had been too small: His hit points had already returned to full.
His ability may have been Light Magic, but the need to inflict self-harm gave it quite the dark twist.
Chapter 43
The First Task
Total stat levels: 35 +2.
Character level: 5.
Mastery level: 4.
Dark had been correct: the ghosts’ levels varied. Some were level 5, others level 6, and still more level 7. Other ghosts were larger, up to level 10, but they were a different type altogether, so they had given Dark another discovery bonus.
Along with the Knowledge boost.
In the central area of the underground complex, Dark encountered a new opponent: a stronger ghost of level 12. This one took a long time to defeat, unlike the others. It cast long-term debuffs on Dark and drained two-thirds of his hit points, as well as most of his Mana. And part of his armor’s Durability. The being’s Corrosion ability worked particularly well against copper and bronze.
Dark had to take a breather after the fight to let his meters refill. During the break, he hacked at the wall. Anywhere a ghost dwelt was a good bet for valuable materials in the wall. Perhaps some lingering memory or habit from life drew the ghosts to areas with high mineral concentrations. Several pieces of copper ore fell from one spot, rock crystal was common, and after the most recent, serious fight, Dark got his first bit of high-quality amethyst.
At last he decided to do something more productive than a full sweep of the mine’s depths. Returning to the place where he had encountered the first ghost, Dark walked the remaining two hundred yards to the map’s target, but slowed down towards the end. At the intersection of two large caves, another paranormal mob flickered with that familiar green. Unlike the others, this one acted like it was blind. They had quickly noticed Dark from far away, despite his absurdly high Stealth. But this being made no response.
He checked the map to make sure this was the right location. It was in the corner of the intersection that the cartographer had drawn a crude cross to mark the location of the stash. Perhaps the ghost was here to guard the hiding place.
Whoever wished to loot its contents would have to deal with the phantom first.
This being looked exactly like the one Dark had just nearly been defeated by. With a sigh, he pulled out some of the elixirs he had looted from the zombies. One increased his Health regeneration speed (5 points per second), and the other instantly reduced direct magic damage (by 10%). Chewing some River Lily Root he had cooked with spices from the city gained him +1 Endurance for a half hour. He repeated this for +2.
Steeling himself for the pain to come, he charged.
Note: Personal victory! Ancient Ethrian Oremaster Ghost killed! Common mob. Level 11. Location sensation level: 30%. Personal sensation level...
That was odd. The mob guarding the hiding place was a little weaker than the previous ghost as far as level was concerned, but this had not reduced the pain or intensity of the battle. Despite the elixirs and the food buff, Dark had suffered about the same amount.
In the typical green puddle left behin
d—besides the ectoplasm, soul essence, and a silver ring that was essentially worthless—Dark discovered a bronze key. He looked around for a potentially matching chest, but there was none to be found.
Carefully he combed the area where the map featured its dark cross, shifting around every last pebble. There it was: a barely noticeable keyhole in the wall.
The key slid into the lock.
Note: You have discovered an ancient moderate-level hiding place. Bonus: +150 Perception progress points, +50 Luck progress points.
Note: This is the first hiding place you have found. Bonus +1 to any base skill. Always pay attention to your surroundings! The world of X rewards you generously for finding its secrets.
Turning the key, Dark pulled it towards him, opening the skillfully hidden door. It truly was indistinguishable from the rock around it. Inside, he found 5 Lesser Modifiers and 14 heavy Silver Ingots.
He smiled at the find: the silver would be useful for jewelry and smithing. The modifiers would come in handy in the future, as well, for improving good-quality weapons and armor.
Now, would that future ever come?
Note: Ancient Hiding Place quest complete! +350 Perception progress points received.
Note: You have completed your first quest. Congratulations! Bonus: 500 distributable base skill progress points.
There—Dark had accomplished what he had come here to do. He had completed the quest from the tower scroll and found mobs with level 6 soul essences—all the way up to level 12.
However, he would have to spend a long time killing these ghosts. Perhaps a very long time. Leveling an ability from level 6 to 7 required 70 level 6 soul essences. Since they didn’t drop from every enemy and were strictly determined by mobs’ levels, Dark would have to eliminate about a hundred more ghosts.
That was only for one of his abilities, and he had three.
He had spent half a day killing mobs now and had cleared about one quarter of the lower level of the mines. That had obtained him 42 level 6 essences, 34 level 7s, 20 level 8s, 12 level 9s, 7 level 10s, 1 level 11, and 1 level 12. At this rate, he would likely destroy all of the cave mobs in two more days—and that would still leave one ability unleveled.
There was no telling how quickly the ghosts would respawn. The forum listed varying numbers for varying mobs, situations, and locations. Sometimes respawning took hours, sometimes days, and sometimes even weeks.
There was no telling until he tried.
Perhaps he would satisfy his need for level 6 soul essences here without spending too much time. But while many level 7 and 8 essences dropped as well, he needed more of them. The mold would consume him before he had enough time to harvest enough. There were simply too few mobs of the required levels here.
He had to go to the city. But there, unlike here, he could not challenge only one zombie without challenging them all. Running was impractical, as well—the horde would chase you to the very ends of X. Luring the creatures into the slag patches was the only know way of fighting them. But zombies didn’t drop soul essences when the chitin hunters killed them.
He had to kill them with his own hands. Even partymates could not get around this limitation. The forum was full of player complaints about how difficult it was to level abilities.
He could explore more territories, of course. Perhaps he’d find the ideal mobs, something that was easy to hunt. Like the hesh’ells: gathered in a huge heap, easily lured from their fellows, and wielding relatively painless attacks.
Exploring risked immense bonuses and a flag from the system. Assuming the voice that had taken over Ancient Evil had been telling the truth.
He might risk it, but not now. Boring cleansing of the mine it is, then. Getting the soul essences he need would take forever. If the ghosts all died out, he would grab his pickax and start pumping his mining skills and getting resources. Or switch back to crafting, just to keep some variety in life. He seemed safe from discovering anything new here, for the time being.
* * *
It took only fifteen minutes for him to realize how mistaken that sentiment was. A massive ghost surged at him from the edge of the cave, hitting him with a mortally painful spell. It was likely an elite mob: the boss of the mine’s lower level and an alluring target for players. Whole parties of them would together attempt to take him down in exchange for heaps of experience and valuable loot.
Dark had no party, and no prospect for one in the future. On his own, he was no threat to this boss. A complete sweep of the mine was now out of the question. That corner, at least, he would have to leave well alone.
Meaning his plans, already painfully protracted, would be slowed even further.
Chapter 44
Six Days Later
Total stat levels: 42 +2.
Character level: 7.
Mastery level: 5.
“Oooooo!” Dark watched the ghost approach and attempted a zombie-like moan.
The result was spot on.
After all, at this rate of growth, he’d become a zombie himself before long. He felt like one with all the repetition. Sieve after sieve of monotony. Mobs, ore, mobs, metal, mobs, anvil, mobs... His choice was between the damp depths of the mine and the smell of the furnace, pounded into his mind by the beating of his hammer on the anvil. Each was a place of rote repetition, and his only conversation partner was Ancient Evil, whose vocabulary was beyond vexing.
Evil was just a program, anyway, not a person. A life filled with talking to AIs would earn him a ticket to the asylum, if he still had any chance at avoiding that.
Raising his hand, Dark struck the approaching ghost with a dazzling arc of light that drained 100 Mana per second—enough to wipe out a few hundred hit points.
It was overkill, but Dark didn’t mind spending a little too much Mana.
Ghosts were everywhere, but by now he had assembled a special set of jewelry and armor suited to fighting them. Seven rings, in fact, plus a necklace, an earring, a bracelet, a light breastplate, and a chainmail glove, all of which together gave him +14 Intellect. Each of those fourteen points gave +25 to his max Mana meter. An additional two rings and some ankle and wrist bracelets added +5 Endurance, giving his max Health meter +125 points. Even the strongest ghosts here couldn’t deal with those numbers.
Well, except the strongest ghost. He gave that corner of the dungeon a wide berth. None of the other ghosts hung around in that area, anyway, so there was no reason to frequent it. The boss could wipe out his Health four times over with a single spell.
One hundred yards ahead, there was an interesting spot for his leveling needs. It was a strange intersection of five tunnels at once, and a ghost of level 11 or 12 always inhabited the area. The exact level varied from one respawn to the next. Unlike the others, this ghost did not move—it was guarding the place. After its defeat, it would reappear in about thirty hours. When it saw a living creature, it would act in a predictable manner, like all of the ghosts.
He had to kill it quickly. Once it was provoked, several other ghosts level 6 to 8 flew in from four of the other tunnels to help. Dark only had a chance to finish them off if he killed the big ghost before they attacked. One mistake, and he would be waking up back in the tower. This made him hesitant to visit it often.
But visit it he had to.
His Mana strip recharged, he rushed in.
* * *
Ten minutes later, he shuddered in pain as he searched the green puddles the losers had left behind. Despite his combat experience and good equipment, he had been beaten to a pulp. Too many small ghosts had rushed to the aid of their big brother. He had started fighting four at once, and by the end of the fight—just as he was starting to relax—three more had come.
And they weren’t even the end of it. Before the last of them was dead, another three had joined. Dark wasn’t quite close to death, but these former miners’ magic was nasty stuff. His wounds felt like they had been drenched in acid.
But he had beaten them.
Four level 9 soul essences in one go. That made for a total of 303. Three more than he needed to get all of his abilities to the coveted level 10.
As he was doing these simple calculations, he drew his pickax and starting going after a promising vein of ore. He continued thinking as he did.
Level 10 abilities was the key milestone. If the mysterious voice speaking through Ancient Evil was right, every tenth level added a qualitative improvement to abilities. For Ethrians, that should apply up to level 20.
Let’s see if the voice was right. It had been six days of monotonous hard labor and seeing green instead of black when he fell asleep at night as his dreams were consumed by a ranging sea of ghost magic acid that dissolved him again and again.
But always with too few level 9 soul essences. He had needed 210 level 8 essences, but level 9 was a serious jump. It had taken nearly a week.
Dark had not obtained any bonuses that would attract unwanted attention from the system during those days. That was the sole happy part of the whole endeavor. Living under the ground for so long was certainly not a happy part. Claustrophobia got to him even though he normally did not suffer from it, and lingering loneliness mixed with persistent pain. His psyche was starting to weaken.
Now, if it turned out that all of those efforts were in vain and that Dark’s skills simply leveled up without any dramatic improvement, he might just go mad.
So he stalled. He could have raised one of the skills a long time ago, after all. But he waited until he had the full 300 essences so that he could fully enjoy all of the bonuses he had earned during the days of toil.
Or else plunge into despair.