by Jez Cajiao
“Yes!” I shouted back, and he shook his head.
“We need to go below now! We can’t work in this!” he bellowed back, gesturing at the few gnomes that were still in sight, mainly huddling on the floor, clutching desperately at ropes or fixtures, and hiding their faces. “These buggers haven’t seen this before, ever! It’s like hell has come for them! We need to skirt the storm, or they’ll be useless!”
“Get them working, or we’re all dead!” I bellowed back. “I’ll make Jian skirt the storm!” I spun and ran for the wheelhouse, practically stomping on a gnome who’d lost his footing and was frantically dragging himself across the deck on his hands and knees.
I jumped over him, landing hard and nearly taking the door off its hinges when I slammed into it, entering the wheelhouse with a gust of wind and a spray of rain.
“Turn us around!” I shouted to Jian as Stephanos shoved the door shut behind me, and the noise level dropped dramatically. “Turn us around…” I repeated, shaking myself and sending water droplets flying. “… we need to skirt the edge of the storm, or we’ll never get the gnomes to finish. They think it’s the end of the world out there…”
“Gnomes!” Jian replied in annoyance, shaking his head. “We’ve not even hit the storm yet, Jax; this is the outer edge. We just got a bit blasted forwards, that’s all. I’ve spent most of my life outdoors; this will pass in a few minutes, then we’ll have a patch of peace, and then the real storm will hit…”
“Well, we can’t do anything like this!” I retorted. “Seriously, the gnomes are useless out there, and…” I glanced to the side, spotting three pairs of boots poking out from under a desk, and crouched down to look. Four gnomes were piled into a space I’d have called restrictive for just me to sit within. I shook my head, straightening up and calling to Miren and the others. “Sorry, guys. Your break just got canceled. Get out there and round up the gnomes, or we’re all dead,” I said to the rest of the team, while gesturing at them to remove the four under the desk. “Jian, I need you to keep us free of as much of the weather as you can, and quickly.” I ordered.
“I’ll bring her about and try to ride the outer edge, but it means they’ll close on us. I can’t dodge them and the storm…” Jian warned me, and I sighed, nodding my acceptance.
“Then it’s back to a fight,” I confirmed, dumping my bag on its side. Reaching in, I eagerly began hoping that the damn helm that I’d looted from the Vault was as good as it looked.
Helm of Imperial Right
Further Description Yes/No
Details:
This Helm was crafted to be worn by the Warden-Inquisitor of the Prax Glorious Retribution, and grants the following bonuses:
+5 to Wisdom
+5 to Perception
Bonus Ability: Inquisition
Once per day, at a cost of 100HP and MP the wearer may demand an answer to a question, if the target refuses to answer, lies, or withholds information, they will feel the wrath of the Inquisition. It gives a bonus of +7 to resisting physical damage.
Rarity
Magical
Durability
Charge:
Legendary
Yes
99/100
1/1
I grinned to myself and lifted the helm up, sliding it down onto my head and shuddering involuntarily as the changes took hold.
My eyes burned, as did my ears and nose. My mouth felt like I’d rubbed freshly-cut Dorset Naga’s across my tongue, and all my skin tingled, while my brain felt like worms were crawling across it, but after a handful of seconds, it was over, and I nodded in satisfaction.
The air felt slightly different to me now, and I spotted the signs of the air pressure dropping even further, even as Jian slowly angled us outwards. I moved to Tang’s side and drew both enchanted blades from his scabbards, sliding one into a bag of holding and gripping the other. I’d decided that I would be better off with that than anything else for this fight.
I pulled up the notifications as well, dismissing them quickly as unimportant, even the skill gains from my alchemy, despite being pleased that I’d hit level fourteen. I skimmed through, quickly finding the ones I needed.
Congratulations! You completed the Quest: ‘Fix the Fixers’
You have discovered the chilling secrets of the Prax ‘Glorious Retribution,’ discovered a working, if unpowered, portal, killed the ‘Master’ and his unwilling servants, and looted the Vault.
Due to the level of difficulty involved, and the bravery shown by your acceptance of the realities of your situation, the Goddess Jenae has increased your rewards, and altered the Success Conditions of the Quest.
6) Recruit the Gnomish Survivor: 21/27
7) Recover sufficient manastones to power the ship ‘Interesting Endeavors’: 43/40
8) Eliminate Bartholomew the Lich: 1/1
9) Find and prepare the ship ‘Interesting Endeavors’ and use it to escape: 1/1
10) Bonus Condition: For each SporeMother killed, receive an additional 10,000xp. 2/?
Reward: Improved technological capacity in the Great Tower, Possible technological boosts to the fleet, Survival , Gnomish exploration vessel ‘Interesting Endeavors’, ‘ 500,000Exp
*
Congratulations! You have killed the following:
37x Human Raiders of various levels for 277,150xp
36x DarkSpore for 1,440xp
42x DarkSpore Possessed Undead of various levels for 37,113xp
1x Immature SporeMother for 9,875xp
35x Sporelings for 1,400xp
A party under your command killed the following:
15x Human Raiders of various levels for 98,140xp
11x DarkSpore for 378xp
15x DarkSpore Possessed Undead of various levels for 14,312xp.
17x Sporelings for 875xp
Total Party exp earned: 113,705xp
As party leader, you gain 25% of all experience earned.
Progress to level 20 stands at 1,022,670/305,000 Exp
Congratulations! You have reached Level 20! You have 27 points to invest in your stats.
“Oh, hell yes…” I muttered, realizing that I’d gotten the experience for firing the explosives and killing the crews of the ships, as well as everything around them when they’d gone off. Adding that to my quest rewards…
Congratulations! You have reached Level 21! You have 34 points to invest in your stats.
Congratulations! You have reached Level 22! You have 41 points to invest in your stats.
Progress to level 23 stands at 174,936/420,000 Exp
Congratulations! Through hard work and perseverance, you have increased your Dexterity by one point. Continue to train and learn to increase this further.
Congratulations! Through hard work and perseverance, you have increased your Perception by one point. Continue to train and learn to increase this further.
Congratulations! Through hard work and perseverance, you have increased your Strength by one point. Continue to train and learn to increase this further.
I stood there for a long moment, frozen in shock, reading and rereading the notifications. I’d forgotten all about the insane boosts you got when you reached a multiple of ten. Much like the way that some of the XP requirements varied from level to level, Xiao had explained it simply as ‘It is the Gods’ choice; ask me no more questions, foolish boy’. That made me think either she didn’t know, or the Baron hadn’t told her, as there had to be a reason, surely?
I dismissed that train of thought, simply reveling in the fact that at level twenty, I’d gained twenty points, and a further seven more for each level I’d passed. Add that to the fact that I’d been so carried away with what had been happening earlier, and I’d not assigned the seven points I’d already got, not to mention the bonus two I got to Wisdom and to Intelligence from Jenae each level, and…
“WHAT THE EVERLIVING FUCK?” I snarled, glaring at the damning details that hovered before me.
“JENAE?!” I c
alled out, a mixture of fury and horror filling my mental voice, and I heard the sigh that echoed back from the Goddess of Fire.
“It’s time we had a talk, Jax…”
Chapter Thirty-Three
“Uh, yeah! What the hell happened? I thought I was getting an extra plus two points to my Intelligence and Wisdom every level since I became your champion?!” I half-asked, half-screamed into the void between worlds that separated us.
“Yes… well… I tried to speak to you about this a little while ago, but you were short on time… okay. Look, Jax, there’s no easy way to tell you this, but the simple truth is that I’m barely holding on. Most of my struggles wouldn’t make sense to you even if I could explain them, but in this realm, I am being hunted. That bitch Lloth knows I’m back and seems intent on finding me. I named you my Champion twice over; the first time, I named you my Champion, as a Title, not a class. The second time, I changed your Class to Champion so that I could award you further bonuses, and specifically the ability to ‘Seek That Which Is Hidden.’ Essentially, we did this twice; the first time, it was the only way I could save your life after you’d torn your brain open. The second was what I’d always intended to grant you.”
“So… what… you forgot to add in the points?” I asked her incredulously. “Because, let me tell you, Jenae, your aura of divine infallibility is looking pretty shitty right now…”
“Jax…” Jenae said, a clear warning in her voice, and I tried to calm myself down, feeling my rising anger warring with my determination to show her the respect she was due.
“Look, I’m sorry, your Goddessness. Truly, I don’t mean to be disrespectful here, but you forgot to award me quests in the past, then you forget to award me the bonuses you promised, and now you’re saying that you… what? You never meant to award them, and it was a cockup?”
“No, Jax. It was something I had to do to save your life; you know, just like when I had to step in and enhance Nerin’s spells to save you then, as well.” Jenae let out a growl of frustration. “If I could give you both, I would, but I’m barely surviving here myself, and that’s because I keep intervening to help you, you know… like WARNING YOU ABOUT THE SHIPS!”
We both paused for several long seconds, shocked by the anger and volume she’d used to make her point. I felt a burgeoning headache from the echo alone.
“Jax, I’m trying to help you here, because I’m well aware that I and my brethren need you, and you need us. I named you my Champion twice over, and that’s cost me more than I can pay, so this is how this will have to go from now on. I’m leaving the Champion title, but I’m modifying it, as I cannot afford to give you what I promised. Instead, I’ve been giving you far more incidental help than I ever have anyone, bar Amon himself, and then, I was at the height of my power. I’ll leave the ten percent experience gain, and I’ll honor the random Spellbook or blueprint, but I cannot give you the Intelligence or Wisdom points I promised. I’m sorry.”
“No, Jenae…” I said sighing. “I’m the one who should be apologizing, I was shocked when I saw it. I had not realized I wasn’t getting those points, and to be fair, I know I could fix that myself with my new influx, so it is what it is. I am sorry for yelling at you, though.”
“One day, I will find a way to show you my reality in a way that you will be able to understand, but for now, please understand that if I could grant you those points, and more, I would. For now, please, I need more devotion, and I need it quickly. Lloth is far more powerful than I at this stage, and my only hope is in escape and evasion. Beware, as I have no doubt she is hunting you as well.”
“I’ll get everyone sworn to you and your kin when I get to the Tower, Jenae. Two days, three at most, I hope. Can you survive that long?”
“I will have to, but knowing that is coming helps; thank you.”
I felt Jenae’s presence recede, and I let out a deep breath, shaking my head in frustration and irritation. I was angry still: gods, I was furious. What kind of a god gave out rewards then went back on them? But… I had to admit to myself that Jenae stepped in occasionally, like when I’d ripped the goddamn Valspar out of myself, and to tell me about the cache in the Vault here… and… yeah, and to warn me about the ships closing on my fleet, all while being hunted herself.
So, I was basically being a little bitch and whining that I wanted frosting on the top of the cake, and threatening to have a meltdown, rather than enjoying the party.
I shook myself and sighed, scrubbing my face with my hands. I still had a fuck-ton of points to allocate, and a very short time to do it in, before the fight started. That meant that if I wanted to live to get through this, I needed to go balls deep, and in the words of the great Lloyd Bridges, I’d picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.
I pulled up my character sheet and looked it over quickly, glancing from one section to the next and thinking hard. Eventually, I nodded to myself in satisfaction. I needed to start thinking more strategically, as I also had a Meridian node available, and several essence cores… I quickly sorted through my bags and pockets, spilling them out on the desk by my side, acutely aware that I was running out of time.
Fire Elemental Essence Core
Further Description Yes/No
Details:
This Essence Core was taken from a Fire Elemental and contains the last remnants of the eons-old creature summoned to this plane. Holding the Core makes you feel slightly energized and confident.
Rarity
Magical
Durability
Charge:
Rare
Yes
96/100
N/A
Air Elemental Essence Core
Further Description Yes/No
Details:
This Essence Core was taken from an Air Elemental. This creature had wandered the mountains for many years, and holding the core gives you a feeling of peace. Visions of the high places of the realm fill your mind, where the air is thin, cold, and crisp.
Rarity
Magical
Durability
Charge:
Rare
Yes
97/100
N/A
Beholder Greater Essence Core
Further Description Yes/No
Details:
This Essence Core was taken from a Beholder that called itself the Skyking. Due to the age of the beholder and its latent abilities, this Core is classed as a ‘Greater’ core, increasing the standard gains by 25%. The core gives you a feeling of distrust and a crawling, itching feeling on the back of your neck, as though you are being watched…
Rarity
Magical
Durability
Charge:
Legendary
Yes
98/100
N/A
Drider Essence Core
Further Description Yes/No
Details:
This Essence Core was taken from a Drider, a sentient hybrid of Drow and spider, grown to terrible proportions and unleashed on the world to wreak havoc in Lloth’s name. The core gives you a feeling of simmering anger and hatred for all living things.
Rarity
Magical
Durability
Charge:
Rare
Yes
99/100
N/A
As soon as I’d read over the options from the Cores I had, I quickly brought up the details on the slots, knowing I could choose to either ‘slot’ one of the essence cores in, or I could bind the node and improve myself without the yin and yang of the gains and losses that the various cores would inflict on me.
PRIMARY
Brain: 1/10 Spell Cost Reduction: -5% (Primary Bonus: 1 spell slot per point)
Head: Primary Node: Additional points invested will reduce mana cost by 5%.
SECONDARY
Eyes: 1/10 Vision Improvement (Secondary Bonus: x10% chance to notice important visual details)
Eyes: Important details will glow to your vision.
This will level with the relevant skill.
Ears: 0/10 Hearing Improvement
Ears: Important sounds will become clearer with concentration. High levels will aid in translation.
Mouth: 0/10 Vocal Improvement
Mouth: Your voice will become 10% more likely to have a desired effect on a target, soothing, seducing, persuading as required.
Nose: 0/10 Tracking and Detection Improvement
Nose: Scents will be stronger, aiding in tracking.
Heart: 1/10 Health Increase
Heart: You will gain an additional ten points of Health for each point invested in your Constitution.
Lungs: 1/10 Stamina Increase
Lungs: You will gain an additional ten points of stamina for each point invested in your Endurance.
Stomach: 0/10 Sustenance Improvement
Stomach: You will gain the abilities to resist poisons by 5% and to gain sustenance from more sources.
Legs: 0/10 Speed Increase
Legs: You will gain a boost of 10% to your speed, as well as better stability over various terrain.