by N H Paxton
“Okay, need focus.” I pulled a cigarette from my pouch and lit it between my lips with a snap of my fingers, triggering Purifying Fire. I took a hard drag on the tobacco I had laced with Elves’ Thread, a moss that improved Intelligence and Spirit when smoked. The flavor of trees, earth, and water, all at once, flooded my mouth and rolled deep into my lungs.
I puffed the smoke out through my nose as I handled the components. I used a basic wood-and-steel base for the stock of the crossbow, which I augmented with Reconstruction, allowing me to infuse it with a metal. It was the same skill I had used to improve the Ebenguards’ weapons.
After the stock, came the barrel that would house the bolt, or in this case, energy discharge. I affixed it to the front of the stock, followed by the charge mechanism. For this, I used the Shadow Elemental Crystal. I housed it in a small charging base created through infusing glass with molten Darkshard Ore, giving the space a shadowed feel. I affixed the trigger unit, the butt, and the sling, as well as a cross guard for my hand. The final touches were to create a heat vent by drilling holes in the barrel.
I was concerned at first about the energy splashing everywhere when I fired it, so I decided to test it.
I made a couple minor adjustments, then stood in the middle of the room. I took aim and fired a charge—or expected to fire a charge. What happened instead was that the energy overflowed, and I got a huge handful of liquid shadow energy, which acted like a very rapid and incredibly painful poison. It burned my fingers, my palm, and my wrist, and it ate through my gloves like a moth on steroids.
“Shit!” I shouted as I threw the entire weapon on the ground, flicking my glove off, trying desperately to get the caustic goop off of my skin. “Cannot even make weapon right in this world!”
I walked around for a moment, smoking another cigarette as I worked through the problem of the energy coalescing. I struck upon an idea that was obvious, but very easy to overlook. The limbs on a crossbow act as both a lever and a reducer for tension in the string. They improve the distance a bolt can be fired, and in fact, a bolt cannot be fired from a crossbow without them, but they also reduce the overall tension on the weapon.
“Is simple, need energy conductor and dampener. Vlad spent too much time in fantasy world, losing touch with weapons making.” I shook my head at my own stupidity as I went to work casting a pair of crystalline energy modulators out of Darkshard Ore, forging them into limbs for the weapon.
One final touch that was necessary was to affix a leather sling to the weapon so I could carry it over a shoulder. I hooked a pair of steel rings into fixed points I had added to the barrel and stock during their production, then fed a long length of flattened, folded, and sewn leather into them. I buckled the ends of the sling together with a steel tension clip and gave it a solid tug. The leather held up remarkably, with little give.
“Is done, is beautiful.” I held up my newly created weapon, admiring the angles of the body, how the limbs of the crossbow were actually augments for the energy accumulation, and the decorative work I had done on the barrel and the stock.
I was, perhaps, most proud of how I had made it condense shadow energy from the surrounding atmosphere to generate the ammunition. Utilizing latent energy flows inherent in the world of Eldgard, the knowledge of which came courtesy of my job specialization, I was able to create a weapon that would harness the flow of a given element through the ability Energy Manipulation. I could only use a single type of energy at a time currently, but at a higher level, I was sure I could make weapons that would utilize several.
The downside was that I needed a crystal that matched the type of energy I wanted to manipulate. But that wasn’t a problem, thanks to the Darkshard Crystal I had found.
I inspected the newly crafted weapon’s statistics.
<<<>>>
Shadow Reaper
Weapon Type: Engineered; Chargebow
Class: Legendary; Two-handed
Base Damage: 44
Primary Effects:
20 points shadow damage + (0.3 x character level)
Intelligence bonus: 0.15 x character level
Increases shadow damage output by 20%
Secondary Effects:
+130 XP per kill
Can be used one-handed with a damage reduction of 25%
In shadow we walked, in shadow we lived, in shadow we were reaped, long live the shadow.
<<<>>>
The stats on it were considerable, much higher than I had anticipated. And there was another notification in my vision. I had gained enough XP when I finished making the Shadow Reaper that I had leveled up again! Apparently, combining all of the pieces constituted an invention, since one had never been made in Eldgard before. Creating a world-first was evidently worth a whopping 10,000 XP.
<<<>>>
x5 Level Up!
You have (25) undistributed attribute points!
You have (5) undistributed proficiency points!
<<<>>>
I chuckled to myself as one of the engineers yelled over to me. It had taken me so long to create the Shadow Reaper that I’d completely missed the fact that the Arcane Shadow Cannons were finished. I dumped my attribute points quickly, focusing on Intelligence and Spirit, with a small deposit in Vitality and Dexterity. I chose to place two of my proficiency points into Dismantle, bring it up to level 3. I had always wanted to take things apart with a thought.
“Cannot believe.” I walked amongst the row of Arcane Shadow Cannons, now made mobile on heavy wooden chassis with enormous spiked wood and steel wheels. They were a sight to behold, and I was very proud of their existence.
“Oi, let’s get rolling then, eh? We’ve gotta get those ported out to the tree line in an hour!” Cutter’s voice came from near the entrance portal—he must have come to tell us time was up.
I gave one final nod, and the remaining engineers began the process of moving the cannons out of the Shadowverse, their wheels crushing stone underneath them as they rolled.
Cutter came over to my side and slapped me on the back.“Well damn, I didn’t think ya had it in ya.” He gave me a rueful grin, then headed back up the tunnel.
“Was narrow.” I smiled in spite of the incredibly close call with time, but there was still the looming pressure of taking down Rowanheath, which I had seen with my own eyes. The walls were massive, the gates were sturdy, and the city was loaded with Imperial players and NPCs alike.
“Give Vlad impossible task, send into deadly shadow mines. ‘Make weapons move,’ he said, like is no big deal, like am wizard or sorcerer. ‘Make weapons small,’ he said, like can just make tiny version work like big.” I crossed my arms over my chest and blew out a puff of air. “Vlad did those things and made better.”
I was the last to leave the Shadowverse. The Murk Elf Shadowmancer who was manning the portal gave me a smirk, stretched a bit, then stepped off the stone platform. The portal to the Shadowverse vanished in a puff of inky smoke, followed by an audible snap, reality mending itself as though nothing awry had ever stood there. We walked the winding path up and out of the mines together, not a word shared between us.
At long last, I was finally able to breathe the wet, damp air of the marshes again. As I stepped out into the open air and the hot, stinking jungle, I saw the Ebenguard waiting for me. We traversed the distance to Yunnam as a group, mostly in silence as we all mentally prepared ourselves for the upcoming conflict. There was much more to be done yet, with little time to do it.
We had just arrived back in Yunnam when I heard a gentle ding in my ear, almost nonexistent, and noticed I had a new message.
<<<>>>
Personal Message – AA Missive 003
Vlad, by now you’re aware that one of the great leaders of the Imperial Legion has demanded the head of Grim Jack. If not, consider this your notification. You are to assist in the capture and destruction of him, as well as bringing forth any information you have regarding the base of operations in which the Crimson Alliance has bee
n staying. You may forward all information directly to Venkatin Almerov.
Your disobedience will not be tolerated.
Stay wise. Stay strong. Stay superior.
—Almaz-Antev Weaponeers
<<<>>>
Ah, yes, just what I needed. Another direct order from Almaz-Antev. I dismissed the message and considered the situation. I could ingratiate myself with my shadow directors by providing the information, but that would be betrayal of the man who had already done so much for me.
“Sent me to deadly mine, though.”
I shrugged after my audible thought. I didn’t die, it wasn’t so bad. And had he not sent me and my crew into the mine, we would not have accomplished anything. After careful consideration, I decided to pen a response.
<<<>>>
Personal Message to Venkatin Almerov – VN Missive 001
Regarding information of the Crimson Alliance and their intended movements. The Crimson Alliance are planning on making a retreat under the cover of darkness. The organization will be led by Grim Jack, as a show of cowardice, in order to preserve his life. I will do what I can to stall the evacuation so that the Imperial Legion has time to put units in place. Recommend sending units from Rowanheath, as that is the closest available Imperial-aligned location.
Intended evacuation point is to the east, within the Shining Plains. A small hamlet called Gallows.
Best of luck,
Vlad Nardoir
<<<>>>
I had some considerable trepidation about sending the missive, but I chose to do so anyway. I sent it off and a shiver ran down my spine. What if they discovered I had lied? What would they do? What kind of repercussions awaited me for my disobedience? It was too late to consider, as the message was already sent, and I had things to do, and one of them was to prepare to take Rowanheath.
I had just closed out of the messaging system when I saw Cutter approaching.
“Oi, you game for this?” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder to where the troops were beginning to mass in preparation for travel. I saw my mobile shadow cannons in the line to be sent out.
“Vlad is game for all things.” I nodded with confidence I wasn’t feeling, then pulled my pipe from my pack, stuffed it with a wad of tobacco, and lit it.
Cutter smirked and just stood there.
“Is not all?” I blew a large cloud of smoke out, and he waved it away.
“You know what we’re doing, right?” Cutter raised an eyebrow.
“Complicated battle, take Command Center of Rowanheath, destroy center of Viridian Empire?” I cocked my head and shrugged. I took another quick drag from my pipe and let it sit heavy in my lungs for a moment.
“Yeah, but there’s more to it. We’ve got spiders involved, large-scale mobility operations. We have at least two breach teams—it’s complicated and technical, and you need to know what’s going on.” Cutter ran his hands through his hair. “Gods, I thought it would be easier to explain.”
“No, go on, is understanding.” I leaned against a nearby wall while Cutter explained the situation. I went through two bowls of tobacco as he detailed the entire structure of the assault.
The plan was to maintain a distraction on the ground, through the use of the Arcane Shadow Cannons, a largely spread-out militant unit, and lots of flashy spells and explosions. During that time, there would be a small detachment of units smuggled into the main area of Rowanheath proper. It would include an insurgency force to cause all manner of chaos within the city proper, as well as a contingent of spiderlings capable of mounting an assault on the Command Center directly. Hopefully the Crimson Alliance units would be able to maintain the assault long enough to keep the Imperials off balance, allowing us to take the Command Center.
“So, do you get it?” Cutter rubbed his forehead with the palms of his hands, looking exasperated.
“Vlad is not stupid man.” I narrowed my eyes at Cutter. There was a level of respect I needed to develop with him if things here were going to work out. He already liked my attitude, but I wanted to make sure we had an understanding.
“That’s not at all what I was saying, mate.” He put his hands up, showing no signs of hostility.
“Vlad may speak in stupid terms, but is language filter. Causes, how you say, complications.” I waved a hand through the air.
“Right, right, sorry, I just wanted to make sure you knew what we were doing, is all.”
“Yes, now, Vlad will accompany heavy artillery unit to ensure all goes to plan.” I shrugged my shoulders as I turned to walk away.
“Hold up, buddy.” Cutter grabbed my shoulder. “Jack wants you to stay here, make sure you’re good and safe.”
There was a look on Cutter’s face that told me he didn’t want to have to keep me here, since he would be taking part in the battle as well.
“Ah, no. Vlad will go, Jack can deal.” I left Cutter standing where he was, his mouth agape at my insolence. I walked in the direction of the makeshift armory; I needed to get some equipment.
Insolence, Arrogance, and Fall of Mankind...
I ALMOST MADE IT INTO the armory unmolested. My personal guard, the Ebenguard, were off preparing with last-minute drills. I stepped around to the side of the building and was brought to my knees by a sudden strike to my kidneys.
“Urk,” I sputtered as I fell to the muck.
“Vlad, Vlad, Vlad...” A voice came from the shadows behind me as a swirling vapor of shadow materialized into a body. He was tall, lean, and wore heavy, oiled leathers. He appeared to be a Wode based on his skin and build. His hair was a short, oiled black that was slicked back like a businessman’s. His leathers were decorated in the Imperial Legion style, with the Legion’s crest on the shoulder of the padding.
“Who...?” The blow had knocked the air from me. I struggled on the ground to get up, but my body wouldn’t respond. I spotted a little red marker in my vision.
<<<>>>
Debuff Added
Paralysis: You have been paralyzed and are unable to move. Duration, 20 seconds.
<<<>>>
I had been foolish. I had felt so much confidence after my personal victory in the mines that I had completely forgotten to keep myself aware of my surroundings.
“You are fool to use real name in game world. So easy to track down.” The man spoke in broken English, with a heavy Russian accent like my own. His voice sounded familiar, but it had been so long I couldn’t put a name to it.
“I have...” I breathed heavy between the words. “No fight with you...”
I tried to curl, to defend my soft belly, but failed to evade the kick he slammed into my gut. My body shook with the blow, everything on fire.
“You have all fight. It has been long time since money was exchanged. Now, I take back.”
He popped his neck and pulled a pair of daggers from his hips. I felt a lump in my throat as his glistening blades rose in the air.
A sudden shout of my name from a distance stopped the man dead before he could strike.
“Here!” I shouted, my lungs finally working the way they were supposed to.
The assassin stared hard at me, then at where the shouting had come from. There was more shouting and the running of boots.
“You escape this time, Vlad Nardoir. Viktor will not forgive next visit.” With that said, he sprinted off into the surrounding foliage, vanishing without a trace aside from the pain in my body and the wearing off paralysis debuff.
“Lord Vlad!” Eberand was first on the scene, his hand already extended to help me up.
“Is not lord.” I coughed as I stood, my body working as it should. I took a quick status check, but everything seemed to be normal. No additional debuffs, no internal trauma.
“What happened? Who was that man?” Anya’s voice filtered in from a short ways away. Her sword and shield were at the ready.
“Is no one, was taken by surprise, is all.” I didn’t need them mucking about my past. If what he said was true, that was Viktor from th
e Russian Mob, and he had found me. It probably didn’t help that I was using my same name from Earth, but in a game this large, in a place so massive, how did he find me?
“He’s gone though, right?” Eberand turned in a quick circle, looking for anything that would pinpoint where Viktor had gone.
“Is hopeful.” I turned about, heading to the front of the armory. I still needed to get some gear, and Viktor had cost me a considerable amount of time. We only had a half hour before we had to get to the muster position.
“I’m glad we were here,” Anya whispered more to herself than anyone else as she sheathed her sword and stowed her shield.
“Should be training, or ready to move out. Please, go, Vlad will be fine.” I waved them off as I walked away from the group of them.
“Be careful!” Ken’s voice came from the shadows nearby. I hadn’t even known he was there. He was a good Rogue.
“Yes, yes, will!” I wanted to be free of them. I wanted to sit with my thoughts, and I needed to reflect on what had just happened and the drastic changes it would make to my life here in Eldgard.
I finally escaped the crushing grasp of the Ebenguard when my messages pinged again. My heart sank as I pulled up the interface.
<<<>>>
Personal Message
Vlad, now you know that I can take you at any time. Keep watching the shadows, I will always be ready to stab you in the spine. Your friends cannot be with you at all times. One day, when you least expect it, you will awaken with a knife in your neck. I will take my blood price for your lack of payment on Earth, and I will not be merciful.
Viktor
<<<>>>
I felt my body stiffen, a quick shiver running along my arms and into my neck. I was cold, but hot at the same time. I felt a prick of fear in my heart, and my brain fed it a million times over with new, unrelated information. I stood there for a moment, watching the shadows. If Viktor intended on making me paranoid, he had succeeded.
I waited in line at the armory as was customary, collected some upgraded crossbow bolts, just in case, then gathered improved boots, pants, gloves, and a circlet. I looked them over as I equipped them.