by A P Gore
Water of Light: 1458/10000
Additional Spell Granted:
Light Clone: Create a light type clone of yourself that will explode, dealing 45% of your life as a group heal. Can be detonated at will. Clone doesn’t use any skills or effects of the user. Time: 1 hour. Cost: 200 life. (Disabled)
Set Completed
Set bonus:
Child of Light (Passive): All healing spells have 50% increased effect (Effect is additive).
Blessing of Light (Passive): Bless any living light type creature/plant to speed its healing by 50%.
Shared Vision (Passive): Share all senses with your clone, so you can view through his/her eyes at the world.
Requirement for repair: 1000 healing souls.
When Sharia first revealed this ring, he’d spotted the white aura around it, matching to the Ring of Darkness aura he wore. Somehow, he knew they had a connection. How could they not be, with so many things matching? The names, the text, and the auras? By the time he observed the ring, his intuition had grown so strong that he didn’t hold back on the money he spent.
When Sarana delivered the ring, and he touched it, he knew his premonition was one hundred percent right. A sharp current passed through his hand when he touched it, indirectly imploring him to wear it.
And when he put the ring on, the extra properties appeared.
Bingo. Now, he had a full set of items. Apparently, a set consisted of different items that gave bonuses when the player wore two or more things.
Rays of joy flickered through his eyes as his gaze fell on the black ring.
Ring of Darkness
Class: Unique
+2 Constitution
-1 Intelligence
Shrouds the wearer in a dark mist, rendering others incapable of casting perception on the wearer.
Generates a drop of Water of Darkness every ten days.
Water of Darkness grants +20 Wisdom, +20 Constitution for 12 hours. Cooldown period of 24 hours after the use. Water of Darkness can boost a darkness type creature to go into a frenzied state, increasing its attack speed and damage by 40%.
Water of Darkness: 155/10000
Additional Spell Granted:
Dark Clone (Passive): Create a dark clone of yourself that will explode, dealing 45% of your life as darkness. Can be detonated at will. Clone doesn’t use any skills or effects of the user. Time: 1 hour. Cost: 200 life.
Set Completed
Set bonus:
Child of Darkness (Passive): All darkness spells have 50% increased effect (Effect is additive).
Blessing of Darkness (Passive): Bless any living darkness type creature to speed its healing by 50%.
Shared Vision (Passive): Share all senses with your clone, so you can view through his/her eyes at the world.
The best thing was, it worked. The passive skill, Blessing of Darkness, worked on his Vine of Darkness, reducing the soul devour requirement by 50%. Now he just had to feed it 500 souls to unleash it.
If only that bastard in Gen 05 hadn’t raised the bid on Soul Orb so much. He would have bid over twelve hundred, but Grimish was crying and constantly reminding him that they needed the money for village, so he had to stop.
Now, he was worried about the effect of the Cloak of Zero. He didn’t like the bright red diamonds. But wait... didn’t his special effect of Ring of Darkness hide his state? Could he hide the shiny effect of this cloak?
“Grimish, can you see the Cloak of Zero on me?” Jon asked after donning the cloak.
“Yes.”
“Damn.” Jon stroked his chin. If he wore this, it wouldn’t suit his handsome face at all, but if he didn’t the BP issue would get worse and worse. What should he do? The Double Dip skill’s BP bonus was too awesome to let go, but he couldn’t wear this and look like a fool.
God! Why was it so hard to choose?
While he pondered this, his gaze fell on the clothing shop he had visited before. The owner was a specialist who could sew special clothes. Maybe the tailor could help him with this?
Why not?
Chapter 33
An old man sat behind the cash counter at the tailor’s shop, humming a popular tune from Jon’s childhood—and when Jon thought about his childhood, that was fifty years back.
The old man shot Jon a questioning gaze as he stepped forward.
“Are you from Spectra 5?” Jon asked, glancing around. Other than the old man with a wrinkled face, dark gray eyes, and a deep scar running over his right cheek, nothing else had changed in the shop. Not even the stinky smell.
The old man furrowed his brows. “How do you know me, young man?”
“I’m from planet R46.” Jon smiled. It was nice to meet someone from the same planetary system. Spectra 5 had fifty-two planets. Most of them were industrial planets. Only a handful were trade planets, so Spectra 5 had much less population than other Spectra systems.
The old man nodded. “I’m from R24. So, what do you want young man? If you think I’d give you a discount because we belong to nearby planets, then you are wrong.” A haughty smile covered his face.
Jon shrugged. Did he ask for a discount? Or did he look like a beggar? How could that old man think of a handsome man like him as a haggler? “No. I don’t want a discount. I was surprised to hear that tune you hummed. It was popular when I was eight.”
“So, you are still in your teen years.”
“You might say that.” Correctly speaking, Jon was past his teen age and into his young adulthood. In the real world, most people lived 150-170 years, so being fifty-six was like being just out of his teens, but that would change once he walked out of the game. He would be 100+ and that would be past his prime. Wait, as promised by Balthazar, he would get a 56-year-old body only, so that wouldn’t be a bad thing.
“I’m Jonathan Bacardi. May I know your name?” Though eccentric, the old fool belonged to Spectra 5, so he was his neighbor.
“I’m Gavin. People call me Old Gavin on the street. My game name is Blazer. So, what do you want? Tell me fast. I have little time.”
Jon was dumbfounded for a moment. Did Old Gavin hate people or what?
Jon sighed. “Are you the tailor who sewed that shirt on the display counter?”
“Why? Don’t I look like a tailor? Do I need to stick the needle in my eye, or what? Or is there someone else in the shop behind the cash counter? Do I look like a thief to you?” Old Gavin’s voice shot up in tone and then he slapped the counter in front of him, shaking everything in the shop.
Jon took a step back. Old Gavin wasn’t only eccentric, he also seemed to have a personality disorder as well. In a moment’s notice, he had turned violent.
“Old Gavin, when did I say that? I’m here to ask for help, and I’ll pay for it.”
Old Gavin’s face softened, and his eyes glittered. “Tell me more. What do you want?”
Jon pulled the Cloak of Zero out of his bag and placed it on the counter. “Is there a way to hide the soft glitter coming out of this item and replace the shiny red buttons?”
Old Gavin lifted the cloak in his hand and studied it carefully, his hands tracing over the diamonds like an expert. Even his simple touch seemed profound.
“This is difficult, but not impossible. However, Unique items are at the top of their craft, so I won’t touch it.”
“How much money do you want?”
Old Gavin threw up a palm, stopping Jon from speaking. “Young man, let your elder finish speaking. I said I won’t touch it, but there’s another way to solve your issue. However, it will cost you three hundred gold.”
“Three hundred gold! Are you stupid?” Grimish said.
Old Gavin moved his hand, and an unimaginable pressure descended upon Jon and Grimish. Somehow, Jon remained standing, but Grimish sprawled on the floor.
“Did I allow you to speak?” Old Gavin asked.
“Old Gavin, please let my slave go. I’ll apologize on his behalf.” Jon glared at Grimish. Next time, he wouldn’t bring the old b
ugger with him. Grimish had put him in enough trouble already.
“Now it will cost you three hundred fifty gold.”
“Fine.” Jon dropped the gold on the counter.
Old Gavin swept it up greedily and put it in his Bag of Holding. “Here you go.” Moving to the display counter, he pulled the nice-looking white shirt out and handed it to Jon.
For a moment, Jon stared at the shirt, dumbfounded. It was the same shirt he’d wanted to buy before entering the auction house, but the cost was too much. Why had Old Gavin handed it over as a solution?
“Does this hide the effect of the cloak?”
Old Gavin groaned. “Are you dim-witted?”
This was unbelievable. Tension rode over Jon’s spine. The old man was talking nonsense now. Jon reached for his Bag of Holding to pull out his Lock flags. The old man was getting on his nerves.
“How can a shirt hide the cloak? You wear the shirt inside the cloak, don’t you?” Old Gavin said, walking around the counter.
“Then how does it help me to hide the effects of the cloak? Wasn’t I clear in my question?” Jon gritted his teeth. One more word, and Jon was ready to pull his flags out.
“No. To hide the effects, buy a Potion of Concealment from the market. That will do the trick. They are quite cheap too.”
Jon’s heart churned, wanting to run out of his ribcage and slap the old man. “Then why did you charge me three hundred fifty gold?”
Old Gavin smirked. “Two hundred for the shirt, one hundred for the advice, and fifty for your slave’s impudence.”
Jon cast the incantation of Acid Vein, and went for his bag of holding to pull out the flags. This was highway robbery, and he wouldn’t allow it.
A strong pressure shot from Old Gavin’s body and covered Jon, pushing him to his knees, squashing the thought of fighting from his mind. “Do you have a problem, young man?”
With immense effort, Jon raised his chin and stared in Old Gavin’s gray eyes. “No. Absolutely no problem. I even think I got a good deal.” Fighting. That would be possible if he could move his hand. The old man was much too powerful for him. If he had attacked, he might have died on the spot. With just pressure, Old Gavin had pushed Jon and Grimish to the ground. What would happen if he fought instead?
“That’s a good young man. Now scram. I’ve got work to do.”
Jon nodded and turned right away. Maybe someday he would come back and teach the old fool a lesson. But revenge could wait.
A sudden message distracted him for a moment.
“VIP 10, do you want to trade Apple of Mana for cash? Contact me on my username – Vivian.” – VIP 11.
Jon was about to reply when a slender man wearing a black cloak jumped Jon’s path. “Finally, I found you, VIP 10.”
Chapter 34
A slender man and a provocative female stood close, staring at him with sharp, piercing gazes. She had intense curves and a deep neckline that induced a sudden jolt in his lower body.
What the heck? How could a woman arouse him so much that his blood flow reversed to his waist? Even the stunning Maggie and heavenly beauty Miraha didn’t have that strong an effect. Was he losing it? Was it because of Grimish constantly staring at women, making Jon more aware of them?
The slender man smirked, his thick eyebrows drawing together. “VIP 10. I never thought I’d find you here.”
“Who are you?” Jon asked as he sent a mental command to Grimish to scram. Thank God, Grimish had walked behind him and vanished into the shadows when the man first called out to him. At least Grimish could leave peacefully if things turned bad. He may have been a level 20 player, but due to lack of class he was of no use to Jon.
But how did the slender man know about his room in the auction house? It was supposed to be a secret.
Something was off about this.
“Hand over the Ring of Light and the Cloak of Zero, and I might give you a painless death.”
Jon smirked, casting perception on the slender man.
It failed, and that meant he was a high-level player, at least level 15. A player could cast a successful perception on any player up to 5 levels above him. Of course, he had the special perception scroll and Intrinsic Vision, but it wasn’t worth it to use them on the man in front of him. He simply wasn’t interesting enough.
“Do you really think you can make me do it?” Jon curled his lips in a faint smile. He hated bullying and despised people who bullied. He always took calculated risks, and this time he wouldn’t be scared off. This man didn’t give him a bad feeling like Old Gavin or Miraha did. He definitely wasn’t a level 50+ player.
“Shadow Bind,” the man shouted, and tendrils of shadows appeared around Jon, rendering him immobile.
Jon furrowed his brows. This was bad. A shadow spell that bound him instantly.
But he was just a level 10 player, and any spell could bind him easily.
With all his might, Jon tried to feel himself or cast a counter-attack, but he couldn’t even lift a finger. The binding proved to be too powerful for him.
Yet, he wasn’t worried much. The situation was similar to the one he’d faced in the tailor shop. When Old Gavin locked him in that aura, he’d tried multiple solutions, and while trying he had found a trace of connection with God’s Garden. At worst, he could try that one.
But that would be his last choice. Until that time came, he glanced around, taking in his situation. The duo had caught him at the end of the alley, and he was around one hundred yards away from the town wall. Something moved in the corner of his eyes. Two guards were walking around the wall. Must be patrolling. Soon, they would be here. But would they help him outside the walls?
The slender man chuckled. “Don’t even think about it. Unless you have the power of a noble, the guards won’t care even if I kill you in front of them. So, the best thing for you is to hand over the items.”
“Honey, do you want me to use my charm on him?” The woman with the deep neckline finally spoke, her dark green eyes flickering with desire.
This was bad. While Jon didn’t fear the slender man in the slightest, this woman emitted a dangerous aura—an aura of seduction. She had the power to arouse his desire with a mere glance. He didn’t lack desires, but he controlled them. Yet the girl reduced his control to almost nothing. The primal desire of an animal was a dangerous thing. And that only meant one thing. She had some dangerous means to make him talk.
A woman who could control his desire was a hundred times dangerous than a man who could kill him at any moment. Dying wouldn’t be an issue as long as his mind remained in his control.
“Shut up, bitch!” The man yelled at her, his forehead twitching uncontrollably.
“Can’t you forgive me, honey?” she begged, tears rolling down her fair skin.
Suddenly, Jon found his desire in check.
Interesting. The moment that chick lost control of her emotions, his blood calmed down. She had used some kind of charming skill on him. He’d better find something to guard against it soon.
“No. I won’t. Who the fuck told you to bid twelve hundred gold for that stupid item?” The man’s face was red as a tomato. Clearly, he was barely restraining himself from beating the woman.
“But we found him, yeah?” The woman’s voice deepened. Again, Jon found his blood boiling. The bitch had activated her seductive aura once again.
“Don’t you dare use your bewitching skills on me. Don’t forget, I’ve stacked enough Dex to be free of that.”
Dexterity. Wow. That stat was like magic. Speed, protection from charms. What else could it do?
The man continued venting his anger on the woman. “If we hadn’t found this bastard by chance, I’d have lost my life to the guild leader. Did you forget that money was for the Ring of Light, and not for that stupid Soul Orb?”
A fire lit in Jon’s eyes. Now he knew how the pair found him. They were from Gen 05 room, and they must have seen him displaying the Cloak of Zero in the tailor shop.
&nb
sp; “And you,” he turned his attention back on Jon. “Are you fucking giving me the ring or not? Else I’ll castrate you here, right in front of the guards and then bind you forever. Don’t even think of killing yourself, because you can’t even lift your finger once my shadow spell binds you.”
Is that it? Jon smirked inwardly but displayed a frightened expression outside. Time to play his trump card.
“Dark Clone,” Jon muttered and vanished into thin air.
Chapter 35
The man in the white shirt flickered in place, sending chills across Deadeye’s back. For a moment he thought he’d lost VIP 10, but it turned out to be a futile escape attempt of a dying man.
Deadeye sneered. “I told you, it won’t work.” VIP 10 must have tried something, but he didn’t know that Deadeye had used a high tier magic scroll to bind him. With that scroll, he could lock a level 40 player easily. If VIP 10 had broken that spell, Deadeye would’ve vanished. Actually, it was a test to probe the power of his opponent, because his perception had failed on VIP 10. But since VIP 10 had failed to free himself, that meant he wasn’t a level 40+ player. So, he wasn’t a threat to Deadeye.
VIP 10 didn’t speak and remained in place, staring at Deadeye with a weird crazy gaze.
“I’m fine, even if you don’t talk right away. I have ways to make you talk.” Deadeye smirked. When Agatha lost that twelve hundred gold, he lost his cool and was about to kill the bitch. But then the ugly Cloak of Zero reappeared, and his mood lightened. After spotting it inside the tailor’s shop by chance, they’d waited outside to grab VIP 10. Now, it was only a matter of time and he’d have what he wanted. The cloak, the ring, and the gold on that man’s corpse.
If VIP 10 spent twenty-five hundred gold like coin at a fruit stall, how much more money would he have with him?
Suddenly, Deadeye felt a tingling cold sensation between his brows. What if that man belonged to a first-tier guild, or a super guild?
Fuck! If VIP 10 wasn’t level 40 +, why couldn’t he use perception on him? That meant he had some other powerful item. An item only higher-level guilds could possess.