by Prax Venter
“Ahh…” the captain said, and Jack turned to see his lion head nodding in approval.
“Now,” Alt said raising his voice. “Two remain. And whoever is left will face the combined strength of those that stand unified against the guilty one. A short and grim future indeed.”
“Make your accusation!” shouted 005, and the man looked like he was going to have a heart attack. The blue-skinned Bellhop just stood with his hands at his sides and a consistently over-my-head look plastered to his face.
“Only one of you endlessly roves the ship all day and only one of you could appear in guest rooms with food and not cause suspicion. Only one of you regularly accessed the kitchen. 005, would you please restrain the Bellhop.”
The Bellhop with blue skin and round hat started laughing as he clutched something under his uniform. 005 tried reaching for him, but a magical explosion sent the man flying over to the not-guilty side of the deck. Thunder crashed above their heads as the Bellhop continued to laugh in a deeper register while continuously swelling in size and muscle mass.
Jack and his team took their normal positions with the Lancer poised to utilize his boss-melting Revenge ability when the captain and his team charged past with their batons held high.
Instead of their normal plan, Jack called for the ranged attackers to stay behind them and offer support.
“You’ll never stop- Gah!”
The morphing Bellhop shut his mouth as huge chunks of summoned ice slammed him in the face. Jack turned to see the Arcane Scholar joining the fight wielding his ice rod, and nearby, the Singer helping 005 get back into the fray.
One of the nameless Security guards took a serious blow to the head from the swelling Boss’s fist, but Yatts was right there behind him channeling life back into the temporary Tower entity.
Alt got in a round of eye beams, and Jack tagged the grotesque swelling young man with his own red laser once, but against the unified forces of everyone left alive, the fight was over in seconds. The Floor 50 Boss detonated as if a mortar shell firework exploded on the deck and Jack moved to Hero Level 51 with a rush of indescribable pleasure.
All the guests and crew of the Gilded Breeze turned in unison and bowed to the Heroes under the gentle falling rain before each of them dematerialized. Three objects phased into existence where they stood. Two golden chests and the door to Floor 51.
“Ooo-wee, it’s been a while since I leveled,” Jack said, checking his inventory first and finding a unique Leather Chest item.
Aviator Jacket - [Chest | Value: 270 | Floor: 50]
| Def: 315 |
| Max HP +300 |
| Max MP +100 |
| Dodge +75 |
~ Brave the wind, Sky Captain
It was a clear upgrade and it didn’t look half bad either.
“They’re just gone,” Belda said quietly. “I can’t believe we’d ’ve just hacked them to nothing if it weren’t for Jack and Alt.”
“We will have a long story to tell the people of Angelshade,” Yatts said, rubbing her back. He turned his sharp blue eyes up to Jack’s. “There is no outcome where we do not join your Kingdom. You’ve made your character well and known to us.”
“Thanks, Yatts,” Jack said. “I know a certain Sage with his own Wizard’s Athenaeum back in Blackmoor who would love to meet you.”
“Hmph! Perhaps I should also go with them, dear?” Yatts said only half-joking.
His Fighter wife shook her head. “Haw-! Not a chance. You think I’ll be able to recount the great spans of knowledge we’ve been exposed to? Even if Sevik comes back with us to help, we’d still forget something.”
Jack shot her a grin before checking the two Floor 50 Rewards Chests. The first one held the normal higher-value items, but nothing anyone could use- especially since everyone on his team were even higher-level. But what he found in the second chest made his mouth hang open.
Time Walker Loop - [Ring | Value: 550 | Floor: 50]
| Def: 50 |
| Max HP +50 |
| Max MP +50 |
| Ability: Summon Time Walker Droid [5-second duration | Once Per Day] |
~ Friends in far-ahead places
Jack moved the silver band with blue glowing runes to his palm and held it before the other Heroes.
“Wow,” Jack said, unable to put out any clearer expression of his thoughts. “How do you guys want to decide who gets this?”
“Both of mine have three times the HP,” Belda said taking a step back.
Yatts followed her. “And I need my Magic Power more than that once-a-climb novelty.”
Jack turned to Sevik and watched as his metal mask phased into his inventory. He then bowed his head.
“I would be honored if his grace the king claimed this immeasurable treasure for himself.”
“Seriously? You can just go back to Angelshade if you keep that up!”
Sevik cracked a rare grin. “Seriously, Yatts is right about the novelty not outweighing our existing stats. As you don’t have any rings, the choice is clear.”
Jack slipped it into his first empty Ring-Slot and thrust out his fist with the intent to test its ability.
The band round his finger sent out a digital tone and a small time-breach expanded nearby. Before it reached full size, one of the familiar sleek bipedal robots from the future dove through. It had a smooth head with no real eyes or any facial features- just a smooth black helmet head that continuously scanned through the drizzle for threats.
“What’s your name?” Jack asked and it turned to face him, but his movements didn’t imply understanding, only a machine waiting for orders.
Then, almost as soon as it appeared, the Droid fell back through another portal that formed around its body and it was gone.
“Welp,” Jack said, rubbing his chin, “the thing could get a few melee strikes in I suppose.”
Angry Sun Alt responded, “I’m sure you’ll figure out a way to abuse its limitations.”
The King of Blackmoor and the two Heroes heading to Exit to Angelshade spent another few minutes saying their goodbyes and well wishes as they all moved back down to their room with the Exit Orb. With promise to reunite as soon as possible, he watched the Fighter and the Light Mage disembark the Gilded Breeze.
Jack selected “Blackmoor Cove” from his list of Exit destinations and then turned to Sevik.
“You ready to see my home on the other side of Mother Sana?”
“I wasn’t ready for any of what I saw today, but I shall follow where you lead, Jack.”
“It’s been a pleasure fighting with you,” Alt said, hovering close. “Since you do not plan on spending any more extended time in the Tower, this is likely the last time we will meet.”
Sevik nodded deeply. “I’m still not clear on what you are, but I feel privileged to have met such a benevolent energy watching over us.”
With that he touched the orb and Exited.
Lex’s impending embrace suddenly overwhelmed him, but their climb was over, and so Jack sent the Angry Sun sizzling under the light rain a “see you at the office tomorrow” kind of nod and then followed Sevik out of the Tower.
A crisp breeze and salt of his home sea-side home replaced the warm drizzle, and King Jack saw all three Town Leaders and dozens of his subjects all waiting to welcome him back- but their faces were sour and something was clearly wrong.
His golden-haired wife was easy to spot front and center, but it was Sol who immediately stepped forward to grab him by the chest armor. The man was livid.
“My daughter never came home, Jack.”
“What-?” Fear and terror from both him and Alt saturated his brain but unhinged laughter from behind him drew Jack’s focus away from the owlish Mayor. He turned to see Andor and a few other people standing with linked arms in front of Blackmoor’s infinite Tower.
“Your rule is over!” the insane man screeched as Jack turned to see fresh madness before him. There was now a curved iron sheet of metal over the entrance d
oor and a total of five people stood as a human barrier against it.
He recognized the guy who’d come with Farrah when Emberstone fell, but the other four were strangers. Two of them were dressed as in moderate plate gear from the Tower.
Jack’s brow came down as he realized what they were trying to accomplish.
“You’re trying to stop us from feeding Blackmoor?”
“You’ll have to kill us, monster king!” Andor screamed again, and Jack shifted his gaze to his guest from Angelshade. Sevik wasn’t as stoic as Kron, but his normally refined grace was now gone, and he stood with his mouth agape at the unthinkable tactic.
Movement caught his eye, and Jack noticed the long legs of Farrah walking toward him followed by Cabe and Kron from those gathered close to the Tower.
“He won’t listen to reason,” the Assassin said. “He’s truly gone, Jack. Him and these… Gardeners he brought back with him.”
Lex came up behind him and finally wrapped her arm around his. Her contact did wonders for his sanity.
“I sent all the Climbing heroes to Emberstone,” she said, her golden eyes holding his. “Demi and I have also incentivized them with free high-level rest bonus meals if they bring back their drops. The first shipment is due in a few hours.”
“And I’m immortalizing this group of filth for all time,” Demi said, and Jack turned to find her standing in front of an easel. He moved to her side to see an excellent ink drawing on a stretched piece of leather. The silver-haired woman had already captured each figure’s face and name. She made a fist around her quill and continued. “No one will forget this unimaginable… act of…”
The normally composed innkeeper stopped herself as her hand began to shake. She took a breath, and then continued to silently record this war crime in progress with precise strokes.
“Did the Corrupted Orchid Oracle send you?” Jack asked, taking a step toward them and now all five of them laughed.
“It is you who is Corrupted, Irrelevant King!” said one of the Gardener women. “We stand against your desire to upset the balance. We will all die to stop you.”
He turned back to Demi and kept his voice low as he leaned in.
“We’re inventing a newspaper right here and now, and I need you to listen.”
Her eyes snapped to his and her hand lifted from her work.
“After you finish this, make a new flyer, and it will be mostly text. It needs to be titled ‘Ivyset Crag attacks Blackmoor Cove’ and then add some short details of what they’re doing here. Absolutely include their names and Jobs but, and this is important, only state facts. Send these everywhere- as fast as possible.”
The innkeeper nodded slowly as she absorbed what he’d said and then began adding elegant lettering at the top of her drawing. It was the title he’d given her.
“Ah! King Jack!” Thymus said as he came pushing through the gathered crowd and he turned to see him with Pan and the young woman whose brother tried to climb the Tower before they left. “You’re just in time to comment on our plans to extract these foul creatures without incurring a Negative Mark.”
“No time,” Lex said, grabbing his bicep. “Jack, you said Haylee, Jip, and Ryea were most likely headed to Brittlehorn. I already have a merchant vessel set to depart as soon as you arrived.” She gave him a small smile. “It was already the plan.”
Jack pulled in a deep breath and tried to make sense of everything happening so fast. In the end, he could only say one thing. The thing he’d been saying over and over. He lifted his eyes and raised his voice to address his people.
“I cannot be more proud of all of you. We now face two dangerous foes. The Corruption closing in on all of us, and now misguided people like you and me who think doing nothing while the world dies is the correct solution. And although your King and Queen are about to depart across Mother Sana once more, I have unending faith that you will continue to show whoever gets in your way that there is no stopping us.”
Jack sent a glance back at Andor’s twisted, grinning face and then turned to Sol.
“Your daughter is beyond smart. Not only do I give you my vow that we will find our Makeshift Gamemaster, I have this powerful entity fluttering around in my skull who also gives you his vow.”
“I only want to know she’s safe,” the other man whispered, then looked past his eyes to address the AI behind them. “None could stop her, only… don’t let her get lost wandering too far, too fast.”
Jack gave him a sharp nod before turning to the Angelshade Lancer along for the ride.
“No one said it would be easy. Come on, our goals align. I’ll introduce you once we’re on the ship.”
Sevik nodded and took up a position opposite Lex at his flank while Jack began projecting his voice again as he slowly started moving for the stairs to the beach.
“Farrah, can I take Kron and Cabe from you? We have work to do.”
The two half-giants looked at each other and grinned. They knew what Jack would want them for.
“No,” she said, quickly matching his stride. “But you can take the three of us. Emberstone will run fine on its own for a few days.” She shot Sol a look who nodded in return. He’d make sure Emberstone got the message about where its Mayor went.
Jack called out others as his growing party of Heroes started walking away from his Tower and the traitorous Gardeners blocking it.
“Thymus and crew, Natch, Harrak, please come walk and talk.”
The shopkeeper business would be the swiftest, so Jack started with him.
“Natch, how hard is it for you to get lots of torches. What’s the max you can set the stock?”
The short, bearded man thought for a moment and then turned up to face him.
“With the current size of the Kingdom and outside trade routes, I could set it to 50 with a 30 minute full restock, but that-”
“But that is exactly what I want you to do.”
Jack opened an interface window, moved 4,000 coins over and hit Accept.
“Please, Natch, this is as much as a direct order as I want to give. I want you to purchase every torch that spawns in your shop. All of them. Have someone put them in a box, build chests if you must- figure it out. You’re a smart guy. Never stop stockpiling torches.”
“I will do as you say,” he said with less of an argument than Jack expected and finalized the trade.
Jack thanked him and the shopkeeper split off to start his task. “Thymus, I want to hear what you’re doing about our protesting Gardeners, but I want to tell you some secrets of the universe first.”
“Oh? Secrets! Wha- where’s my logbook?” He waved around a quill but didn’t seem to be holding anything to use it on.
“Here’s one, Sage,” said the Ice Mage Jack had recognized from the other day. The one pleading with him to stop her Townsfolk brother from climbing the outside of the Tower. She handed him a custom-bound stack of pages and he grinned.
“Mm, yes. Thank you kindly,” Thymus said, bobbing his head as he took and opened the ‘non-system’ notebook.
Jack grinned. “So Greenja became your minion instead of her brother?”
“Yes,” Thymus said, as the young woman nodded. “Young Pike didn’t climb far- as you predicted, yet it was worth watching him apply the opposing forces to hold him fixed. Greenja here came over to ask what I was writing during my observations and… well…”
“Although I spawned a Hero,” the young Ice Mage said, blushing, “I’m not aptly suited for climbing- inside that is. Once I understood the hidden rules my brother dragged into light with his rope idea, I found the pull of the unknown calling me as well. Now, out with those secrets, King Jack.”
The sharp-eyed woman held her own book up, ready to duplicate whatever Thymus recorded, so he instructed them on how to build a non-system fire and boil sea water in a Tower-dropped helmet. He passed the Sage a few torches and the other requisite items used on the southern end of the world.
Everyone present was silent and foc
used on what he was saying, and King Jack made it clear that what he was saying was for Blackmoor Kingdom’s benefit only- for now.
They understood and agreed.
“Tier Two crafting materials?’ Thymus whispered. “Is there a three? What’s the limit?”
Jack shrugged as they hit the stairs.
“That’s your job. And before we head down, just tell me what you’re planning to do about those Gardeners blocking our Tower?”
The elderly Sage turned to Pan. “It was our Carpenter’s idea. We’re still drawing designs, but the concept is using gusts of wind from the sea to randomly trigger a boulder that rolls down a ramp into the front of the Tower, crushing any that chose to stand before the aforementioned ramp.”
Jack blinked at him. It was like a child’s idea, yet brutally gory.
“I think I can build it!” the gentle Lumberjack said with a clenched fist of determination.
For heartbeat, King Jack was going to step in and tell them to find a less violent option, but he just shook his head and went with it. If Velintanna was going to use out-of-bounds thinking, he’d let these people come up with their own responses to those threats.
“Well, I hope they get out of the way. Just make sure to have our people ready to stand guard so they just don’t do it again. And try not to knock down our Tower.”
With that, Jack, Lex, Sevik, Farrah, Kron, Gabe, and Harrak started climbing down the stairs toward the Dock.
“How’s the war front, you old wind bag?” Jack said to Lex’s father. But now that he got a good look at him, Harrak was way past old wind bag and closer to a hardened veteran.
“The Drop is a dream to defend and aside from a few runs testing our hold on Pinefall, there hasn’t been much activity. Which is fine as I hear we are now creating a second, more dangerous front on the other side of the map…”
“Yup,” Jack said. “We will all grow stronger, and I think having our seat of power in this tight corner will serve us well. Harrak, this is Sevik, a Lancer from Angelshade. I plan on leaning on him for much of the logistics of managing Heroes at this new front. Sevik, this is Blackmoor’s Combat Master I’ve told you about. Eventually, you two will have more of a chance to get acquainted, but I need you here keeping things humming.”