Lesser Holy Shock has gained a level. Damage +1, Increase Physical Damage to Target +1
“Okay, that’s how that works,” I said.
Objective: You have one chance to cast ‘Lesser Holy Shock’ against the
This time there were three simulacra. My ally was beating the tar out of the
I waited until the last moment and interrupted the spell. But nothing happened. The Simulacra didn’t fade. I realized then, I should have checked my UI, it said I had 2 allies this time, making it a three on one encounter. The one I thought was my ally was also a
While I waited for this simulation to end, I noticed my game clock had been replaced by a timer that was ticking downwards. This was like the Puzzle Room I had first learned the skill ‘Meditation’ from. I would gain experience or levels to the skill for each scenario I solved in the one-hour the ‘Meditation’ allowed.
Finally, I ‘died’, and the scenario began again.
Once I started treating the scenarios like puzzles to be solved, I had a great deal more success. I cleared 22 more puzzles before I opened my eyes back in the Mind Temple.
Beginner Holy Shock
Level: 3
Experience: 0.00%
Spell Damage: 116-121
Spell Cast Speed: Instant Cooldown: 30 seconds
Spell Mana Cost: 306
Spell Effect (Active): A shock of holy energy attacks the nervous system of your target stunning it and increasing physical damage received by 116 for 5 seconds.
“I am going to abuse the hell out of this,” I said, grinning stupidly. Granted, the puzzles got harder and harder as I went through them and I was sure that had something to do with the level of the skill . . . or at least I hoped that was the case. I also remembered every detail of the puzzles. Nothing was taken away from me.
I was very tempted to jump right back into the Intellect Meditation and try it again with another spell or maybe even the same spell if it allowed, but I needed to find out what the Charisma Meditation did.
I briefly considered stepping out to check in with my friends but decided they would be fine without me for another hour . . . maybe two, I really wanted to try that Intellect Meditation again, but for my ‘Justice Strike’ skill. I would wait until after I finish the Charisma meditation before I decided anything.
I opened the menu back up with only a thought of ‘Meditate’
Welcome to the Meditation Mind Temple
Select Meditation focus
Intellect
Wisdom
Charisma
Exit
I selected Charisma this time.
Charisma Meditation Selected
Select a quest.
Extended Guard Duty: Protect the Daughter of Ivaldi
Survive!
Welcome to the Rebellion 1
Holy Crusade
Demon’s Rising 1
Back
I felt my brows crease slightly. That was only five quests. I could understand it not including the repeatable quests for the bear meat gathering, the rock giant hearts, or the capturing of Anvilton soldiers. But why did it exclude my quest for the next evolution of my spear? Was my level too low? Or was it because it was a Legendary quest? Or was it because I already knew what was needed to complete the quest.
“Only one way to find out,” I mumbled. All these quests were pretty straightforward, I didn’t know what meditating on them would accomplish. The only one that wasn’t very straightforward was the ‘Welcome to the Rebellion 1’ quest. I still hadn’t met with the rebellion. I didn’t know if Olaf had even met with them yet. Heath might have since he was working with Gras so much. I hesitated before selecting it. I felt my eyes drawn to the ‘Holy Crusade’ quest. I felt like there was something important there, but I couldn’t tell you why. My gamer intuition had never led me wrong before . . . okay, that wasn’t true. I had gotten into plenty of scrapes when I trusted my gut, but, more often than not, I was better for it in the end.
My choice made, I mentally commanded, ‘Holy Crusade’.
The world faded to black once again.
When it faded back in, I was part of a massive celebration in the center of the valley. The Shale Dwarves and Bronze Dwarves mingled and drank and celebrated. Gras and Mardi stood atop a large platform constructed for the occasion, waving to the gathered Dwarves. Then I heard a loud double crack from somewhere in the mountains around me. It was amazing I could hear it over the noise. Then there was a scream, several screams actually. I followed the pointing finger of one of the Dwarven women. She was pointing to the stage where Mardi and Gras were both collapsed, their HP meters reading zero.
All of a sudden, there was anger and finger pointing between the Bronze and Shale Dwarves. It quickly erupted into an impromptu fight. The war hadn’t ended, it just stalled. It reeked of Chaos to me. This was exactly the kind of thing Chaos would do. What I saw was so much more chaotic then the battles I had been in so far. It was then everything faded to black.
I could prevent that from happening. I knew of the possibility now. So long as I remember it, I would be able to prevent it. I wondered if that was what meditating on the quests did? Did it show me possible futures? Possible consequences?
This time when I came out of the darkness I was in an office. Mardi was behind the desk. She looked older, much older if her silver hair and wrinkles was anything to go by. She set down a quill and leaned back sighing. She looked absolutely exhausted.
“I am sorry, I do believe I am about to fail my quest, father,” Mardi said softly to the empty room. “I fear I have simply run out of time. Tell mother I love her, and I will miss her for me. I am ready,” she said weakly. She took one final deep breath and let it out. She didn’t breathe back in again.
Mardi never finished my spear? I suppose, if she needed to remain in Hammerton it would be more difficult . . . maybe even impossible to complete the quest. But then she could make trips to Root City? Surely, I could bring her with me for some of my adventures? But then, maybe her people needed her more?
Everything went dark again. When the light returned, I was with Gras, still relatively young. We were in a forest, a very dark forest with a lot of dead trees and a fog that covered the ground at our feet. He had a dagger in one hand and pistol in the other. “Traitors!” he howled, firing a shot into the dark. Two arrows struck him in the shoulder, he lost his grip on the pistol, his arm completely limp. I heard the twang of more arrows from the woods around me. This time, Gras dropped the dagger.
A Dwarf walked into view. “You never should have stopped running.” It was Colonel Grandmite . . . General Grandmite. “Did you really think the Duchess would let it go after you tried to kill her?”
“It was my city, my people. She had no right to usurp my power,” Gras snapped back, a wild look in his eyes.
“Your own people asked her to take power from you. You may have been a great soldier, Gras du Anvil, but you were never a leader,” the General stated.
“My birthright-” Whatever he was about to say was cutoff . . . along with his head.
“May the Gods grant you peace,” General Grandmite kneeled before Gras’s body and prayed for him.
Gras was a good soldier. I knew that. I also knew he wasn’t very trustworthy. I couldn’t see him being a good leader. And when that failed, he would resort to what he knew. Fighting. Killing Mardi would have ensured he kept his leadership. Except, he would have
been just like his father then, wouldn’t he?
I think these were possible futures. Meditating was making connections based on what I knew of these people, what I knew of Chaos to show me what might happen. The question I kept asking myself was simply ‘how do I prevent this from happening?’ How do I make sure Mardi completes her quest? How do I stop Gras from becoming like his father?
The view faded away again. The view before me was me . . . well, my friends and me along with Gras and Mardi. We were standing together in a large, dark throne room of some kind. And sitting on the throne was a Shale Dwarf, his face wrapped in shadows. I assumed this was the Duke of Anvilton.
I watched as the fight began in earnest. Rose attacking first to establish aggro. Baby flew up near the ceiling, casting her heals and dodging behind the columns that supported it. The details were blurry, I didn’t know what the Duke’s abilities were and I didn’t know exactly how the fight would go but this was about the way I had imagined it.
When the Duke was near death, he used a final ability and died. We all took damage but Mardi and Gras, they both died. It was over, the battle was won, but to have lost Mardi and Gras like that. We failed despite saving Anvilton and Hammerton.
The light faded again. I was back at the celebration. But there was no Mardi or Gras. Instead, there was a statue. It was tall, dauntingly so. Mardi and Gras stood facing each other, their cities at their backs. Their hands were clasped together in peace.
Then as if someone had hit the fast-forward button, time raced forward as the two cities grew into the valley until they were one large sprawling metropolis, Bronze and Shale Dwarves and something in between.
Was this really the only way I saw for there to be true peace between the two cities? Did Mardi and Gras really need to die? There had to be a better way, didn’t there?
Light faded away again, and I was back in my mind temple. My cheeks felt wet. When did I start crying? I wiped away the tears. They were just computer programs. I shouldn’t care about them, not enough to mourn for them. I was ready for the memories to be stripped away like they had been with the Wisdom Meditation, but they didn’t fade away and I was left with the knowledge that Gras and Mardi would die . . . no, might die, if they came with us to face Shrove. And if they lived . . . that wasn’t much better.
I must have missed something. I decided there had to be more. I called up the ‘Meditation’ menu again.
Welcome to the Meditation Mind Temple
Select Meditation focus
Intellect
Wisdom
Charisma
Exit
I selected Charisma again.
Charisma Meditation Selected
Select a quest.
Extended Guard Duty: Protect the Daughter of Ivaldi
Survive!
Welcome to the Rebellion 1
Holy Crusade (Blocked by Higher Power)
Demon’s Rising 1
Back
What the hell was ‘Blocked by Higher Power’ supposed to mean? Was the God Ivaldi blocking me? Was the Goddess Issara? Or was this Chaos at work?
I cursed loudly and angrily for a good minute, part of that spent calling whatever this ‘Higher Power’ was, every name in the book and some made up ones on top.
Finally, I thought ‘Back’ then ‘Exit’
I blinked a few times to adjust to the mostly darkened room I was still sitting in. I was surprised to find Rose was curled up in the chair next to me, having shoved me over to make room for her.
“Rose,” I whispered softly.
Rose mumbled something unintelligible.
“Rose,” I whispered again, this time I gave her a light shake.
Rose breathed in suddenly and blinked a few times, then she hugged me. “What the hell happened? We came back and you were like, a statue. You weren’t breathing or anything. We thought maybe something . . . happened in real life.”
I blinked in surprise. “I’m fine. I’m sorry. I didn’t know that would happen. I was using ‘Meditation’.”
“Oh, thank goodness,” Rose said, sagging in relief. Then she punched me. And I swear I felt a rib break from that punch. “I’m going to bed,” she said, seemingly satisfied with my punishment. She stormed out toward the stairs only to pause at the bottom. She spoke softly, “Stop doing things like that. I . . . just stop, please.” She then rushed up the stairs. I’m sure if she could have slammed doors without waking anyone up, she would have.
“I really hope she’s not like that in the real world,” I complained, casting a heal on myself and repairing the damage. Unfortunately, the heal did absolutely nothing for the crushing guilt I was now feeling. Then I realized the thought I just voiced. I was thinking about meeting her . . . in the real world. As in, face to face. As in, I would get to see the real person . . . and she would get to see me. Would that be something she was even interested in? We had only been on two real dates . . . awesome dates . . . best dates in the history of my dating life . . . but were we ready for that? Was I even ready to bring that up yet?
I tried to shake the thought from my head, but it wasn’t going anywhere. “I need a drink,” I mumbled.
I fumbled with the lights in the kitchen for a moment and when the lights came back on, I was surprised to see Heath, he had a loaf of bread under one arm, meat in one hand and a pitcher of something in the other.
“Bye-bye,” Heath greeted me. “Um, sandwich?” he offered, raising the food slightly in my direction.
“Sure,” I said, feeling my stomach burble slightly, reminding me I hadn’t eaten since lunch.
Heath and I sat and ate in silence, eating our sandwich and drinking beer.
“How did everything go?” I asked.
“Good. Took out the last Anvilton resource tonight,” Heath answered. “I gave my team the rest of the night off. Tomorrow night, we’ll be infiltrating Anvilton again, time to start preparing for the invasion.”
“That’s great, good job,” I said, not really paying attention to what he just said. I was staring at the Thief.
“Have I got something on my face?” Heath asked, wiping at his face.
“No,” I said slowly. “Heath, I have an idea.”
“Okay,” said Heath, looking at me unsure if he wanted to know.
“How would you feel about another mission?” I asked.
Heath studied me in silence for a moment. “Alright, what have you got in mind?”
Chapter 30
The next morning, Rose gave me the stink eye when I entered the dining room, that familiar guilt rose up in me again. I didn’t care for that feeling. I cared for it even less as it meant I had hurt Rose, inadvertent though it may have been.
“Bye-bye, good to see you back with us,” Olaf said. “Mind explaining why we came back to find your corpse like that?”
“I finally used ‘Meditation’ yesterday,” I answered.
“So, it makes it look like you’re dead?” Olaf asked. “I haven’t used it yet, myself. What’s it like?”
“It might just be the most useful skill any of us has,” I answered, earning a surprised look from the rest of the table. Heath, Gras, and Micaela were the only ones missing. I knew Heath was sleeping, I assumed Gras was as well, which made me curious as to what happened to Micaela. Actually, it was kind of a good thing. As far as I was aware, only she and Heath didn’t have the ‘Meditation’ skill. I could tell Heath about it later and Olaf could inform his wife . . . better him than me. As for Gras, I wasn’t worried about him at the moment. I looked Mardi’s way and she was staring at me interestedly.
“Do you know the skill ‘Meditation’, Mardi?” I asked.
“I do not, we do not have a Puzzle Room in our temple. They are not usually found outside of the Temples of All Gods and Goddesses,” Mardi replied. “And the Priests and Priestesses are usually very stingy when it comes to granting access to them.”
“Right, well, if you ever get the chance then I would very much recommend it,” I said. Loo
king at Mardi reminded me of what I saw during my most recent ‘Meditation’. I quickly shook the thought away, I needed to focus.
“Why do you say that?” Olaf asked.
I explained what meditating on ‘Wisdom’ and ‘Intellect’ could do first.
“And ‘Charisma’?” Olaf prompted me.
“Quest clues,” I answered. I believed that is what it would usually do. The more I thought about the ‘Blocked by Higher Power’ message, the more I believed that what I saw was non-standard. I believed that the same ‘Higher Power’ may have interfered with what I saw. I would need to test that theory out later but for now, it suited my purposes.
“Jack,” Rose began. “Next time you try something new, leave a note or warn us.”
I wasn’t sure if that was her way of forgiving me, but I hoped it was at least an icebreaker. I knew I would still need to do something more to get back into her good graces.
“Anyway, I saw Heath last night, he and his team took out the last of Anvilton’s resource nodes,” I said.
“That man is a menace,” Olaf said with a chuckle. “Thank the Gods he’s on our side.”
“Yeah, anyway, he and Gras are probably still sleeping. He mentioned he and his team would be sneaking back into Anvilton tonight to start prepping for the invasion,” I added.
“We should check in with Colonel Grandmite,” Olaf said. “Find out what her plans are for the invasion and find out where she needs us.”
“I did it!” a loud, familiar voice cheered from the front room. The door to the dining room burst open a moment a later and a repeated cheer of “I did it!” Micaela bellowed, smiling brightly.
World Tree Online: The Mountain Valley War: 2nd Dive Concludes Page 52