And scavengers had access to so many.
For a moment, I dreamt of being that player everyone came to for the best gear. As hard reality brought me back down to the present I was just grateful for the bump in power I might achieve for engineering items. Although something told me this would be my last great spree.
On that note, I’d also made upgraded versions of the caltrops. Steel caltrops were much like their lower-tier iron cousins – cheap to make – so I’d made 30 of those.
Steel Caltrops
Item level 16
Scatter spikes upon the ground to catch unwitting enemies.
Damage: 80-95 piercing
Applications: 15/15
Making these had also brought me up to rank 5 in Blacksmithing and the benefits had been the same as in Engineering.
All other ore had been set aside to allow for an upgrade to the crossbow, but I’d had one further stroke of inspiration from Ignatius.
Back when I’d fought Gingey and the rogues, it had been a bit of a pain to manage potions and runes in the middle of combat. Even rearranging my inventory space to have the essentials near the top would still require time for me to open it, drag out what I wanted and use it. Not to mention the impaired vision from the bag display while I did so. Precious moments in a fight could be life or death, and while normally it wouldn’t matter so much, I needed every edge possible. Having watched Ignatius use his toolbelt to great convenience, I’d decided to make one of my own, well, more of a utility belt.
I still had the burglar’s sash I’d looted from the rogue Biterzogg outside the archmage’s chambers. Rather than breaking it down for scraps, I strapped it over my right shoulder and bound a few mana potions, slime vials and now my grenades onto the belt by using the heaps of spare wires that lay around the workshop. As far as my character sheet was concerned, I wasn’t wearing the belt. Just like there wasn’t a bayonet on my crossbow. However, I’d be able to grab what I needed from my utility belt far easier now, although there was a risk of the vials smashing should I take a hit. I’d held back on adding rune pouches on there too, as I didn’t want to risk losing them. Potions were one thing, slime I had in abundance and grenades I might always make more of, but my runes were limited.
Armed visibly to the teeth, I’d like to think I strutted an imposing figure, with the black leather sash over my oak brown armor set and my head obscured by a dark cowl. Then people would see my level and class and laugh, but that would be their mistake.
Oh, and my crossbow? I hadn’t forgotten about that. I’d gained a lot of steel ore from breaking down the tools and other engineering components, namely cogs and fuses, but I’d needed to combine the majority of it together to make the mithril ore that was necessary for an upgrade to epic quality.
To cap it all, my new rank in engineering would grant the new crossbow a +5% boost in its power. If only I had rolled as a gnome instead of a human, then I’d have gained another +5% power to engineering items just from the racial trait. Seeing how annoying Ignatius was, I may well have gone mad in that starting zone if I had opted to go that route.
With nothing more to do, it was time to upgrade my weapon. I brought it out and noticed its durability was dangerously low at 8/45. I suspected the rogue hacking at the frame during my last fight had caused this but upgrading the item should make it good as new.
So, I went ahead and used Tinkering.
Success! Precise Shot has been upgraded to Deadly Shot level 23
+24 Crafting EXP
+79 Engineering EXP
Deadly Shot
Crossbow
Quality: epic
Item level 23
Requires level 13 to equip
Damage: 95-105 piercing
Durability: 50/50
+3 Might
Knockback Chance 15% on hit
Attachment slots 1/2 – Mithril Scope
+10% chance to hit
This item is upgradable, but soul bound to you.
It felt heavy, a solid, sturdy weapon. Upgrading it had repaired a heavy durability loss and it looked pretty sick now; with a pristine white string, a sleek frame that had been reinforced by magically infusing metal into the wood itself, and a gleaming steampunk-looking scope on top. I’d reattached my makeshift bayonet as well, and I was certain that I would shred through level appropriate mobs if I had been fighting them.
The main thing was the crossbow had a second attachment slot. Unfortunately, I needed an empty barrel chamber and a trigger to make a grenade launcher. I’d found no more flare guns, and these weren’t components I could craft. Ellie had been right. With a heavy sigh, I sheathed the crossbow.
“What’s the matter?” Ignatius asked, his tone being one of annoyance rather than curiosity.
“I’d hoped to make a grenade launcher attachment for my crossbow but I can’t find the parts here, and I can’t make them either.”
“Do you require it?”
“Well, I guess not,” I said. “I can still throw my grenades, after all. It’s just, well, a friend of mine very much wanted me to make it. She always suggests what’s best for me.” Ignatius absorbed this moment of emotion from me and looked as though he might be sick. “But,” I added, “it’s also because a grenade launcher would be so freaking cool!”
Ignatius nodded knowingly, then he raised a finger and his green hair stood on end. I could almost see the light bulb hovering above his head.
“Tell you what, Zoran. You can have my launcher.” He rummaged inside his decompression pouch and pulled out what appeared to be a miniature canon; it grew rapidly in his hand, enlarging into a large brass barrel with a fat clip beneath to hold grenades. Emblazoned onto the brass were the words, ‘Hands Off! Property of his Royal Highness, Prince Ignatius Brightspark.’
My jaw dropped. “You just – you just have one lying around?”
“Sure,” Ignatius said, as though it were as natural as having forks in the cutlery drawer. “I might be a mecha-rider at heart but what self-respecting gnomish engineer doesn’t have his own modified grenade launcher? Come on, human, use your noggin.”
He held the launcher out for me.
Fully expecting some trickery or prank, I cautiously approached him, keeping an eye on his face for signs of a hoax. But there was none. In fact, he seemed genuinely pleased with the idea of my having his own item.
I took it, turning it over a few times, and inspected it.
Ignatius’ Fury
Grenade Launcher
Item level 40
Can be attached to rifles or crossbows.
Adds a kick to all grenades launched from it, increasing blast radius and damage dealt by 20%. The range that grenades can be thrown is greatly increased.
I wondered if the gnome had named the weapon himself. I reckoned he had and this thought made me smile. There and then, I decided a fourth thing about Ignatius Brightspark; he wasn’t such a bad egg, after all.
“Thank you,” I said, still half-expecting him to take it back. “Truly, thank you. This will be a huge help.”
“Oh, it was nothing. You need every edge you can get you squishy scavenger. I wouldn’t normally grant such gifts but you seem quite serious about fighting these intruders and I’m impressed. You’re extremely brave, Zoran, or utterly idiotic, and I admire both. Besides, I’ve been thinking of building a new one anyway.”
He waved me off as though it were nothing, but I could tell this pained him a little and must have taken quite a lot to make him part with it. I assumed that few other players would ever receive such treatment. Considering he was an NPC off the beaten track, I wondered if anyone had encountered him before now.
“Well, it’s a real help,” I assured him. “I’ll attach it to my crossbow and see how it looks.”
Before doing anything else I unwrapped the bayonet, placing the dagger and silk wire carefully to one side. Turned out I needed my blowtorch in order to weld the launcher in place, so I had to use another fire rune to power it. I st
ill had 11 of those spare, and the boost to my grenades was worth well worth the exchange of a single rune. Blowtorch and hammer in hand, I began attaching the launcher. Once done, I thought enough was enough on the upgrades for now. My crossbow was beginning to have more text on it than an airport departure board.
Deadly Shot
Crossbow
Quality: epic
Item level 23
Requires level 13 to equip
Damage: 95-105 piercing
Durability: 50/50
+3 Might
Knockback Chance 15% on hit
Attachment slots 2/2 – Mithril Scope, Ignatius’ Fury
+10% chance to hit
+20% radius and damage to launched grenades
This item is upgradable, but is Soul Bound to you.
Aesthetically, the launcher sat under the frame and close to the handle where a secondary trigger had appeared. I assumed that by leveling the crossbow up and pulling the new trigger I’d fire whichever grenade was inside the barrel. Not wanting to waste one of my actual journeymen grenades, I looked around for something grenade-shaped to test on. Coming up short, I took a vial of slime and shoved that down the barrel instead. I still had plenty of those spare and it would be useful to find out whether I could launch my secret weapon a great distance as well.
Bracing my feet, I aimed upwards. Unlike before, a small target area appeared at the other end of the workshop with a dotted line tracking the flight path of what I’d be firing from the launcher, which was a sweet addition. Otherwise, aiming it properly would be little better than shooting from the hip in the dark. I pulled the second trigger; the launcher boomed and out flew the vial of slime. It soared along its predicted path to shatter against the Ectoplasm Extraction Unit. Turns out I could launch slime from it, and I intended to put that to good use.
“I hope you plan on firing more than bottled bogies from my baby,” Ignatius said. He frowned, perhaps second-guessing his decision.
“Don’t worry. I’m planning on reining all manner of hell on the intruders.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” said the gnome. “And now, if you’re feeling suitably geared up, I’d like to be escorted to the walls.”
I bit my lip, casting another glance around the room by way of stalling. I’d rather not venture out into the Spire without Ellie, but she’d not even crackled since leaving. She’d been gone a worryingly long time. That aside, I still needed the crystal that Ignatius was holding to ransom, one way or another. It was worth too much money to pass up. On top of that, I still had over an hour and a half until Kreeptic would be ready with the poison.
Ignatius cleared his throat loudly. “Ahem. Maybe I ought to be clearer. You will take me to the walls, right now. We’ve tarried long enough.”
“You’re right,” I said. “Let’s go.”
We left the workshop together, Ignatius leading the way to the palace grounds through a servant’s staircase. I just hoped Ellie would come back to me soon.
28
Out in the palace grounds, Ignatius and I spotted a group of two players marching atop the perimeter wall. Once the coast was clear, we’d sprinted for the relative safety of the bushes at the base of the northern wall.
The sun beat down as it rose towards its midday zenith. I could feel sweat gathering on my neck, back, and all down my legs under the leather armor. Hedgerows and shrubbery offered some relief but we daren’t move too much lest we drew attention.
Crouched low amongst the foliage, I carefully peered up to the parapet above, pushing back the twigs and leaves that were creeping across my face.
“The patrol will be back before long.”
“Good thinking picking the northern side,” Ignatius whispered. “If the devils face south, they’ll have the sun right in their eyes.”
“Let’s hope they don’t even try looking down.”
Not long after that, a notification made it clear there were enemies nearby.
Sneak Increased!
Level 4
Congratulations, you can creep past drunks without drawing their attention. Not exactly song worthy but it’s a start!
“They must be right above us,” I whispered. “It’s a long way down once you’re up there. And there’s a moat too – how will you cross that?”
“I have a few more gizmos to hand,” Ignatius said. “I must say, you’ve proven yourself valuable. If you’re ever passing by Tinker Town, look me up at the races.”
“Thank you, your Highness. If I ever get the chance, I’ll be sure to do so.”
Your reputation with the Mecha-Riders is now Honored!
Your reputation with the Brightspark Faction of Gnomeland has decreased to Friendly
These rep notifications were interesting. It suggested that there were many sub-factions within wider racial factions, and perhaps many more groups beyond. I’d actually lost favor with the main gnome faction, probably because their favor was linked to how the King of Gnomes felt about me and I’d just aided his wayward son to escape his apprenticeship and return to a life of street racing. A good thing I’d started off as honored with the gnomes as part of the Imperium to begin with, or I might have entered more dangerous neutral territory.
I wondered what would happen to Ignatius at the next reset. Would he simply pop back to the workshop? The fact my reputations had altered suggested not. Ellie had said that if sufficient parameters were met or players drove major actions then she had the flexibility to alter the world accordingly. Once this was all over Ellie would assess how best to adjust Hundred Kingdoms in light of events at the Spire.
Her now prolonged absence sent a twinge of nerves up my spine.
She couldn’t have been that mad at me, could she? Likely it was a more tangible problem rather than hurt feelings. I couldn’t help but worry at her position. Every minute that passed it must be getting harder for her to resist Azrael’s hack. And she could feel in some way, that much I’d gathered. She must be struggling greatly, through a version of pain I’d never be able to comprehend.
Chancing another glance upwards, I saw the backs of the patrol players on their way to the western portion of the walls. Once they were a good distance away, I clapped a hand on Ignatius’ shoulder.
“Time to go.”
“This will be fun,” the gnome said, smiling brightly as he aimed the grappling gun. “Farewell, Zoran. So far as scavengers go, your company has been quite tolerable.”
I smirked. “Farewell to you too.”
It felt nice to be letting the gnome pursue his dream. I got a fuzzy feeling inside that I dare say ran the risk of feeling ‘warm’. Something, I admit, I hadn’t felt in quite some time.
Ignatius fired the gun. Taut wire and hook whistled out of the chamber, ending in a neat clunk as the metal gripped onto the ledge. He tapped the retraction button on the gun and shot upwards.
I watched him go, marveling at the smoothness of his journey. The device was as slick as one could hope for.
When he reached the walls, I very nearly screamed. I slapped my hand across my mouth to prevent myself shouting out – he’d not given me the arcane crystal!
“Hey,” I hissed loud as I dared. “Ignatius. The crystal?”
Ignatius hesitated and for a moment I thought he was about to double-cross me. But he dug the crystal out of his pouch and laid it down upon the parapet.
“Too risky to throw it down to you, it’ll break if you don’t catch it. Here,” he added, lobbing down the grappling gun which he must have deemed sturdier. I caught the gun awkwardly, the barrel cracking against my head for 80 points of damage.
“Good luck, Zoran.”
Before I could say anymore, the gnome vanished from view.
Not wanting to waste time, I aimed the grappling gun just as Ignatius had and fired. I pressed the retraction button only to feel a jerk as the device pulled me swiftly up to meet the hook. I grabbed onto the ledge, less gracefully than Ignatius had, arms and shoulders burning as I pulled my
self up.
Clumsily, I got to my feet, deciding I’d need more practice with the grappling gun before I could call myself Batman. Immediately, I swooped upon the crystal, placing it into my inventory and sighing with relief.
I’d just placed the better part of a thousand dollars into my bag. No small thing.
A moment of serenity washed over me, the kind you get from scratching a darn good itch. I’d done it. I’d grabbed enough cash to make everyone see playing games was not a waste of time. And I decided to savor the moment, taking in the view from my new vantage point.
Beyond the crenulations, I saw Ignatius flying a hand glider device over the park of Argatha. He soared straight and true, his little body taut as he cut through the air.
To the west, the patrol players continued to beat their route, none the wiser about my presence. Dominating the skyline behind them was a great domed structure, far enough away it appeared like a blue-gray mountain. To the east, I reckoned I could make out the rim of a colosseum, as large as a football stadium. The imperial capital must be huge indeed and filled with many awe-inspiring constructions beyond the Spire alone.
However, it was movement along the eastern bank of the moat that drew my eye. And my concern. Players were on the march, riding war horses and a slew of other mounts from wolves to raptors. Hundreds more walked on foot behind them, heading for the gatehouse of the drawbridge on their side of the shore.
Could they be intending to mount an assault? Didn’t they know what would happen if they got killed in-game; this wasn’t some cool event designed for fun. This was real life. As real as it gets.
Azrael’s men were readying. I could see them lighting fires under oil barrels, spreading themselves out along the wall for maximum reach, manning two ballistae and aiming them to face the massing army.
Battle Spire Page 29