Merchant of Death
Page 22
Faction Specific: No
Soul-Bound Item: No
Potion of transmutation that makes its drinker transform into a powerful Root Golem.
Attack stats increase by 2,800 points
Defense stats increase by 2,200 points
60% increase in taking no damage when attacked
80% increase of instant kill with a single blow
Effects last six minutes
“I have attempted to increase the length of the transformation time, but I haven’t had much joy yet,” Brother Cedric said. “However, once you see the effects, I think you’ll agree that six minutes as a Root Golem could change the tide of even the most toughest battle.”
John took out the cork and gave the potion to Scabs. “Okay Scabs, your moment is here.”
Scabs scrunched up his face. “Tis dark sorcery, sire! Why does poor Scabs get all the awful jobs?”
“Quit complaining and drink it,” John said. “Believe me, you’ll not regret it.”
Grumbling to himself, Scabs took a sip of the potion. His eyes lit up in surprise. “It tastes good!”
“Drink it all,” Brother Cedric instructed, “quickly now.”
The jester nodded and downed the rest of the potion in one gulp. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, Scabs’ chalky face turned a dark shade of green. His eyes widened and he raised his arms.
“It’s best if we stand back,” John said, and he and the others backed away to the doorway.
In a few moments, Scabs had grown to twice his height, and a thick mossy-like substance worked through with bark and rock spread over his body. As the potion kicked in, the jester transformed into a hulking, heavily muscled creature whose arms now ended in thick tendrils.
“How do you feel, Scabs?” John asked.
Scabs let out a bellowing roar and raised his arms above his head. He lumbered over to a pile of crates and smashed them with a sweep of his hand. Brother Cedric took an Enlightened rifle out of a nearby chest and fired off a few rounds at Scabs’ chest, but it caused barely any damage. Next, he used a Scroll of Holy Fire on Scabs which engulfed his body in fire. Scabs rolled around on the ground for a few moments and put the fire out. He got to his feet completely unscathed and went over to a suit of armor that had been erected in the corner of the courtyard and tore it apart like paper. Scabs had time to carry out a few more demonstrations of his strength before he returned to normal.
“Good job, Scabs,” John said. He turned to the other guild heads. “Well, ladies and gentlemen, what do you think? I can supply you about a dozen of these potions straightaway and give you a competitive edge in your battles and as a counter deterrent to any Griffin attacks.”
The guild leaders talked amongst themselves for a few moments and then Dwarfporn went over to John and stuck out his hand. “Done,” he said gruffly. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”
Chapter 14
Now that John had established links with several guilds within the Enlightened, Seven Paths and Holy Seal factions, he began to focus his energies upon a pet project he had been thinking about for months.
As well as selling new and salvaged equipment to his list of customers, he also began collecting various Seven Paths talismans, scrolls, spirit fetishes, along with Holy Seal prayer books, spell books and enchantment guides to add to his cache of Enlightened gear, clockwork devices and schematics. Using the skills provided by his Analyst profession, he was able to determine how all these items worked and combine various features from all three factions to create schematics for specialized equipment.
Obtaining the necessary materials he required (supplied to him by the Tong slaves), he began to build prototypes in his workshop to show to his customer base to entice them to either buy the schematics for them or—which was more profitable to John—let his organization supply them to order.
Some of these new designs included:
Item: Pain Bomb
Minimum LVL: N/A
Durability: N/A
Faction Specific: No
Soul-Bound Item: No
Specialist item created by the Merchants of Death
Similar to Enlightened Flash Bombs, the Pain Bomb is enchanted with the dangerous spirit of a Seven Paths Torturer Spirit. When activated will detonate in two seconds, causing 15 + damage. At the moment of explosion unleashes the Torturer Spirit contained inside it which will attack and pursue designated target until either the target is dead or it returns to the Astral Realm.
Torturer Spirit remains in material reality for 4 minutes and cannot be harmed by conventional weapons.
When writing up the description, John had put it that all of the items he was designing were created by the ‘Merchants of Death’, which was the name he had decided to give to the criminal faction he had been building. It was a bit over the top for his personal taste but Kate had described their little group in an off-the-cuff remark, and John had liked the sound of it. It invoked a sinister image which appealed to his dark sense of humor, and would give the impression on his customers and potential customers that they were an organization that meant business.
His other creations certainly emphasized the Merchants’ darker edge.
Item: Mana Vampire Cartridge
Minimum LVL: N/A
Durability: N/A
Faction Specific: The Enlightened
Soul-Bound Item: No
Specialist item created by the Merchants of Death
Item is only compatible with Mana Vampire Rifle.
Bullets made of a dark enchanted metal that specifically targets mana levels and depletes them by 30%.
Spellcasting classes suffer instant 40% drop in health when hit by one of these bullets.
Item: LVL 80 Mana Vampire Rifle
Currently Equipped: NONE
Minimum LVL: 80
Durability: 100%
Faction Specific: The Enlightened
Soul-Bound Item: Yes
↑ Attack + 555
↑ Defense + 470
Can only use Mana Vampire Bullets as ammunition. Heretic Hex ward worked into the metal means that if used by a spell user they will suffer an 8% loss in health and a 4% loss in mana.
Must be LVL 80 or higher and a member of The Enlightened to equip this item.
Item: Heresy Verse
Minimum LVL: N/A
Durability: N/A
Faction Specific: N/A
Soul-Bound Item: No
Specialist item created by the Merchants of Death
Item.
Heretic Verse infused with dark magic. When chanted will offend the gods and block the effects of all prayers offered up by the Holy Priest class within a half mile radius.
Item: Clockwork Canary
Minimum LVL: N/A
Durability: N/A
Faction Specific: The Empire of Seven Paths
Soul-Bound Item: No
Specialist item created by the Merchants of Death
Item.
Mechanical homunculus which can encase a summoned spirit inside it and allows its owner to see through its eyes.
Speed stat 750/750.
Has a 70% chance of avoiding ranged attacks.
Item: Spirit Bomb
Minimum LVL: N/A
Durability: N/A
Faction Specific: N/A
Soul-Bound Item: No
Specialist item created by the Merchants of Death
Item.
A fist-sized iron sphere containing the volatile energies of seven restless spirits. Activated by a specific word of power, and when thrown detonates on contact with the earth, causing a small explosion and sending chunks of shrapnel in all directions.
Item: Spirit of the Player Bullets
Minimum LVL: N/A
Durability: N/A
Faction Specific: N/A
Soul-Bound
Item: No
Specialist item created by the Merchants of Death
Item is only compatible with the Spirit of the Player Pistol.
Enchanted bullets that channel the wielder’s spirit into them when fired. Do less damage than regular bullets but are capable of bypassing all non-enchanted armor and do considerable damage to the spirit of the target.
Item: LVL 56 Spirit of the Player Pistol
Currently Equipped: NONE
Minimum LVL: 56
Durability: 100%
Faction Specific: The Enlightened
Soul-Bound Item: Yes
↑ Attack + 366
↑ Defense + 234
Can only use Spirit of the Player Bullets as ammunition. Heretic enchantment allows spirit of the wielder to pass into the ammunition and do harm to an opponent’s spirit.
Each bullet that hits its mark:
Reduces target’s Health by 18%
Reduces target’s Speed by 15%
Reduces target’s Defense by 8%
Reduces target’s Attack by 12%
Reduces target’s Mana by 14%
Reduces target’s Charisma by 7%
42% chance of target giving up fighting completely if successfully hit by four or more bullets
Must be LVL 56 or higher and a member of The Enlightened to equip this item.
Item: Clockwork Disrupter
Minimum LVL: N/A
Durability: N/A
Faction Specific: Empire of the Seven Paths
Soul-Bound Item: No
Specialist item created by the Merchants of Death
A spirit fetish that enables summoned spirits to interfere with and interrupt the workings of low level clockwork creatures.
Item: LVL 95 Lightning Spire Gun
Currently Equipped: NONE
Minimum LVL: 95
Durability: 100%
Faction Specific: The Enlightened
Soul-Bound Item: No
↑ Attack + 890
↑ Defense + 765
A smaller version of the Lightning Spire weapon, the gun can be carried and recharge rate after being fired is much faster than the traditional Spire. Recharge takes four minutes after firing.
Chain Lightning Special Attack: The Spire Gun can attack several targets at once but recharge rate doubles to eight minutes from the usual four.
Must be LVL 95 or higher and a member of The Enlightened to equip this item.
John was particularly proud of the Lightning Spire Gun. He had been inspired by the battle he had witnessed on the way to Heaven’s Shield. The Lightning Gun would make a formidable addition to an army’s arsenal. The schematics for all these designs were going to be kept under lock and key, and John would not part with the prototypes. He could sell the plans when the time was right, to obtain a big payoff. And as he was the only supplier of the diverse raw materials needed for each item—as they came from all three of the different factions—he would make a nice profit that way as well.
Now he had built up a connection amongst the criminal factions in all three territories, they would be able to supply these materials to his workshop through the tunnel network as well as providing specialist NPCs to build the items he needed. As he sat back and surveyed his work, he realized he was now a big step closer to funding his new life and escape from this deathtrap.
The thought filled him with excitement, but there was also a strange sense of sadness. Though, in theory, he could return to play the game when he had created a new identity for himself, the idea didn’t appeal to him. He would be able to reconnect with Kate and Mark if he wanted, but he couldn’t risk them knowing who he really was. To do so would risk all three of their lives, and the idea of pretending to be someone else around Kate didn’t sit well with him. Besides, he suspected she would know it was him straightaway. Kate seemed to know him very well, and that both worried and pleased him.
As he sat back in his workshop, he brooded on the situation with Kate. He had grown extremely fond of her these last few months. He got the vibe that she felt the same way and wouldn’t say no if he suggested taking things further. The temptation was great but he couldn’t go there. It made things too complicated and he couldn’t, he wouldn’t put Kate’s life in danger.
No, he just had to focus on making the money he needed. Soon he would be free, and he would forget all about Kate and Eternal War Online.
Chapter 15
Brother Cedric heard raised voices coming from outside the door of his laboratory, and looked up in annoyance. He was in the middle of crafting a new and complicated potion for the Merchants of Death marketplace and had already failed three times to brew it properly. This time he thought he had it, but now he’d lost the thread completely.
“Quiet out there!” he snapped. “Some people are trying to work, you know!”
“Please help me!” a frightened voice came from the other side of the door. Cedric recognized it as belonging to Jurgy, one of the NPC enforcers who guarded the chapel.
Cedric frowned and got to his feet. Walking around the workbench, he headed toward the door. “Jurgy? What’s going on? What’s the matter?”
Jurgy let out a shout. Suddenly, he came crashing through the locked door, sending chunks of splintered wood everyway, and landed motionless on the floor. Cedric backed away in shock as a holy priest and two skirmish swordsmen wearing the guild colors of the Knights of the Noble Griffin barged in.
Cedric glared at them in anger. “How dare you come in here! Get out! Now!”
The three Griffins smirked at him. “Your days are numbered, old man,” said the priest. “We know what you’ve been up to, and we’ve come to shut you down permanently.”
“What are you prattling about? You can’t do anything to me!” Cedric said. He put on an air of defiance but something in the priest’s confidence took him off balance. They might close down his operation here but he’d just log on again and start up somewhere else. Now he was working with John, it would be a lot easier to do so.
“If you think this is just a setback to your little enterprise here, think again,” said a new voice from outside the door. “I’m going to make sure you never come onto this game again.”
Cedric stiffened as he recognized the voice of the speaker. The three Griffin players stood to attention as a fourth player strode into the room, wearing a gleaming outfit of gold trimmed armor with the stylized head of a griffin embossed onto the chest plate. From beneath an outrageously plumed helmet, Gilles’ smug face grinned at the older man.
“So you’re the famous Brother Cedric,” Gilles said in a sneering tone. “The infamous drug peddler of Heaven’s Shield. Aren’t you a little old to be playing games like this? It’s kind of creepy if you ask me.”
“You’re a fine one to talk about creepy behavior, Gilles,” Cedric replied. “I wonder what your little minions would think if they knew about some of your special interests.”
“If you’re referring to the blackmail dossier your boss is compiling on me, then don’t get your hopes up that it’ll ever see the light of day,” Gilles said in an overly confident voice. “I’ve taken steps to make sure this malicious attack on my good name and character goes no further.”
Cedric felt like Gilles had just hit him in the stomach with a sledgehammer. “How did you know?”
“Like the Merchants of Death, I have my own network of informants, isn’t that right, Scabs?”
Cedric suddenly noticed the small figure skulking by the ruined door. His brows furrowed together as the sniveling jester came to stand at Gilles’ side. “Scabs, why have you betrayed me?”
Scabs fell to his knees and clasped his hands in front of him. “Please do not hate poor Scabs, Brother Cedric! They caught me when I was couriering those potions to the garrison on Kraken Side. They threatened to torture poor Scabs if I didn’t tell them everything I knew! Poor Scabs has a delicate constitution;
I would not withstand such terrors! Please forgive poor old Scabs! I am a miserable soul!”
“I’m getting sick of this!” growled Gilles and he drew his sword. Scabs squawked in terror as Gilles proceeded to slice his head clean off, silencing his constant prattle. It tumbled to the ground at Cedric’s feet.
“I’ve been wanting to do that the whole way here,” Gilles said, handing his sword to the Holy Priest who quickly proceeded to wipe it clean. “How on earth did you put up with all that whining for so long?”
Cedric watched as Scabs’ body slowly faded away. Apart from those implanted with quests, NPCs that were killed never respawned. As the jester disappeared, Cedric felt a strange pang of sadness. “He was better than a lot of other NPCs in the Holy Seal territory,” he said thoughtfully, “and most of the players in that faction.”
“You’ll have plenty of time to grieve him,” Gilles replied. “You’ll have plenty of time to do a lot of things now you have so much free time.”
“What are you talking about?” demanded Cedric. “What have you done?”
Gilles sniggered as a notification flashed up in front of Cedric’s face.
NOTIFICATION OF SUSPENSION
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