by Arthur Stone
In order to balance your new Sword Mastery, we recommend you improve the following stats as soon as possible: Dexterity: +8 (whether by leveling up or by increasing your modifier).
Cheater wheezed, face smeared with the blood-moist dust of the tomb’s floor. Bloody hell—“minor inconvenience”!? While his muscles burned, Cheater felt far better than he had moments ago. After all, a skill had been conferred upon him by this digitigrade species, those whose legs bent the opposite way. Judging by the persistent pain in his knees, the System had attempted to reverse their direction in kind. It had not succeeded. Cheater was relieved, at least, that the System chose not to turn him into a Cyclops. Flinching from pain, Cheater opened his stats window to check if he’d gained any new disabilities from this new Sword Mastery of Master Sqhmazazuo Tkree. Dammit! The System had docked 0.2x from his Willpower stat! Yes, he had gained a total of 0.3x to other multipliers, but he still felt robbed—after all, he’d been specifically pumping his magic-related skills. It frustrated him to see much of his progress yanked away. He could make up for this loss by pouring all of his remaining distributable points into Willpower, but he was not about to do that.
Glancing at his Health meter, he was pleased to see that it remained nearly in the green, despite the painful event he’d just endured. Cheater had only just cleared his remaining negative buffs; he had no desire to suffer more of them. So far, the only obvious effect was a change to his multipliers…and, of course, the pain coursing throughout his body, his devastated knees, and his newfound need for intensive PTSD counseling. With no good way of testing his swordsmanship, he could only visualize his grip on a katana or swing at an approaching infected. His imagined fight didn’t go so well; Cheater doubted he could win such a battle. He might have a chance toting a pistol loaded with armor-piercing ammo, but a flimsy piece of metal? No way.
Cheater made no hurry to rise. Everything ached—it even hurt to think. His muscles and bones had received unforgettable torture, so he gave himself ten minutes to lift his head. Once he rallied, a moment of magical clairvoyance revealed four nearby items ready for inspection. Upon recognizing their details, he smiled grimly. A swordsman needed a sword, of course; the System knew that full well. As expected, a sword sat steps away from where Cheater lay. He collected this item first of all, gathering it from where it lay in the main tomb.
As he moved, he noted that the place didn’t really resemble a tomb. He wasn’t accustomed to vertically-positioned corpses, and their pipe-like, angular burial vessels unsettled him. Each was carefully shaped and fit together tightly, fine gravel filling any gaps. As it aged, the construction had taken on a nearly-natural appearance. Cheater was relieved to have brought a crowbar on his mission, as a hatchet would be useless against a monolith like this. Moments later, he had broken through, his final blow cracking the stone wide open to reveal the alien’s remains.
The skeleton of the great master Sqhmazazuo Tkree, worthy warrior of the race of Shgrazqu. As the ages have passed, he—like all in this world--has turned to dust.
The System’s description clearly exaggerated, as several skeletal chunks of the humanoid still remained. Those who preserved him had done so impressively. The tomb’s shape supported the humanoid’s pelvis, ribs, shoulders and skull, preventing them from shifting as his skeleton decayed. Cheater tried not to touch the bones, but those unsupported promptly collapsed, pulling the others along with them. Unfortunately, Cheater had no choice but to vandalize the remains to reach the bottom of the pipe grave.
Sword of the Great Master Sqhmazazuo Tkree, of the Shgrazqu Race. Found in a tomb in the black lands. Enhancements: none. Unique weapon of the Former. Guaranteed to accept 6 modifications, with a 95% chance of a 7th and an 80% chance of an 8th. Note: Attempting to install a 9th modifier has a high probability of causing the loss of all modifications and breakage of the weapon! Visible properties: when equipped, this weapon boosts Strength, Dexterity, Stealth, Endurance, and Reaction. Increased penetration. Its edge is remarkably sharp and strong. Self-sharpening when faced with minor damage. Significant damage to this edge is uncommon, and self-sharpens more slowly. Hidden properties: upon request, this blade can be recalled to its owner’s hand after having been lost in battle. Maximum return distance: 40-70 meters. Note: This recall property can only be triggered if the blade is bound to you, or if it has been lost no longer than 3 minutes ago. Upon recall, your character regains all of the item’s bonuses. This weapon’s former owner can no longer reclaim it. Current owner: none. You can bind this sword to yourself and become its owner. After binding, you can give the sword a name, which will be displayed to all players.
You call this a sword? Cheater hardly took its amazing properties for granted, of course, but its enormous weight astounded him. Clearly this Sqhmazazuo Tkree had truly been a great master…great as in huge. The sword hung on a sling below the humanoid’s waist, resting in a sheath of leather-like material devoid of seam or thread. Cheater attempted to pull on the strap, but something prevented him. After light prodding, he realized that the stone protrusions weren’t interfering—this was just a prohibitively heavy sword. The blade was a meter long, as wide as his hand and as thick as his pinky finger. Its metal was far denser than ordinary steel. It was tinged an unnatural blue, and its patina was unblemished by centuries in the tomb.
You really couldn’t call this behemoth blade a “sword”. Cheater guessed it was over a hundred pounds, but inspect mode embarrassed his dramatic estimate: it weighed in at around sixty pounds. As his body still reeled from the cramps, everything seemed far more taxing than it truly was. The hell is this thing made of? Uranium? He struggled once more with the sword. This blade had increased penetration power, which was patently obvious; that was unnecessary information to include in its visible properties. All who saw it could assume the weapon, if properly wielded, could sever a tank’s gun from its frame. It certainly looked menacing, but it was of no use to him. Even if Cheater could swing it, he’d be wide open to attacks, and a skilled stabber could practically perforate him in that time. He could also forget about parrying, unless…could he spin the sword around? As his blood started pumping more quickly, the sword’s weight began to seem comfortable. He wanted to run—to climb—to jump—to destroy. He felt like he’d taken a microdose of spec. Opening his stat window…he gasped.
Base Stats
(1.46+0.2) 1.66x Physical Strength: 37 + 15 = 52
(1.49+0.3) 1.79x Dexterity: 32 + 10 = 42
(1.29+0.2) 1.49x Speed: 37 + 10 = 47
(1.49+0.2) 1.69x Endurance: 33 + 10 = 43
1.30x Willpower: 92
Character level: 231/5 = 46. Distributable points: 5880
Bonus Stats
1.39x Perception: 34
1.47x Stealth: 33
(1.65+0.25) 1.90x Reaction: 44 + 15 = 59
2.95x Accuracy: 42 (+30 bonus levels which do not count towards overall Bonus Level)
(2.24+0.1) 2.34x Luck: 69 + 5 = 74
1.17x Ward of Styx: 63
1.15x Talent Rank: 34
Bonus Level 319/7 = 45, distributable points: 6633
Experience: 31 (+ 62% experience for leveling base stats)
Gently lowering the heavy sword to the stone table, Cheater opened his character stats window once more. The plusses to his stats and their modifiers disappeared entirely, as did his feeling of mild euphoria. Cheater reached for the handle again. As soon as he held the sword, his Strength, Dexterity, Speed, Endurance, Reaction, and Luck skyrocketed. As he feinted at swings and lunges, the weapon miraculously obeyed. If he held it by its handle rather than its scabbard, its weight was perfectly comfortable. He might not do so well against a nimble opponent, but he could probably take a raffler. Unable to resist temptation, he attacked a corner of the table; the sword sliced clean through, the piece of stone rattling to the floor. Somehow, the blade’s surface was unscratched, utterly mirror-perfect. Impressive. Cheater still wasn’t sold, however—the weapon was simply too heavy.
> A physically strong player with 30 Strength could wield a heavy machine gun, even if its muzzle brake were primitive. At 35 Strength, the weapon’s recoil became easy to ignore. Common knowledge maintained that a level 40 player could bear a heavy machine gun as if it were a light hunting rifle, even sans muzzle brake. This sword boosted his Strength to 52 with a 1.66x multiplier, meaning the effective stat was 82 plus his base level bonus. His resulting Strength was colossal. With these numbers, he could wield the largest caliber machine gun available in both his right and left hand. Well, he could…if he had a third hand in which to hold the sword. The weapon was at least fifteen pounds too heavy to be comfortable, but it could easily chop through a raffler, a trampler even. Taking them down with a bow was far safer, of course, but that kind of attack depended on arrow supply, and ranged attacks weren’t always possible. This sword, however, could be withdrawn from its sheath and kill in an instant.
No matter its downsides, Cheater simply couldn’t let the weapon go. The character boosts it offered were amazing, though he lost them the minute he let go of the sword. Once his fingers left its handle, his world returned to normal—an irritating condition. For now, at least three more items awaited him, ones no doubt worth smashing graves for. Cheater’s first pick was instant; he’d seen its shape clear as day. He’d used this kind of weapon regularly in the past, so it was a natural choice.
Axe of a Valiant Shgrazqu Warrior. Found in a tomb in the black lands. Enhancements: none. Rare weapon of the Former. Guaranteed to accept 2 modifications, with a 75% chance of a 3rd. Note: Attempting to install a 4th modifier has a high probability of causing the loss of all modifications and breakage of the weapon! Visible properties: none. Hidden properties: none. This weapon’s former owner can no longer reclaim it. Current owner: none. You can bind this weapon to yourself and become its owner. After binding, you can give the weapon a name, which will be displayed to all players.
This weapon was a simpler alternative. While its craftsmanship was rougher and lacked dramatic luster, Cheater knew this axe had serious value; even the simplest weapons of the Former could fetch a pretty penny. Even if it didn’t bolster his stats, the axe was easier to wield than the heavy sword and required little practice to master. Two items remained, awaiting Cheater in their graves. While they weren’t weapons, they left Cheater shocked by their power. He’d heard of such pieces, but only in improbable tales told by implausible raconteurs. Nonetheless, they lay before him, very much real.
Protective Bracelet of a Valiant Shgrazqu Archer. Found in a tomb in the black lands. Enhancements: none. Unique item of the Former. Guaranteed to accept 3 modifications, with a 75% chance of a 4th. Note: Attempting to install a 5th modifier has a high probability of causing the loss of all modifications and breakage of the weapon! Visible properties: +5 Accuracy. Hidden properties: if a damage-dealing projectile is released in the direction of this bracelet’s owner (whether from a weapon or manually thrown), the owner experiences an extremely disturbing sensation for the whole duration during of the projectile’s journey. This item’s former owner can no longer reclaim it. Current owner: none. You can bind this item to yourself and become its owner. After binding, you can give the item a name, which will be displayed to all players.
The bracelet was a complicated plate covering the forearm from elbow to wrist. Part of it was covered by a cleverly-crafted stretch of the same leathery material comprising the sword’s scabbard. The bracelet would sufficiently cover an archer’s hand, and the leather would prevent the bowstring from damage by the metal beneath. After fastening his find to his left forearm, Cheater found his Accuracy had gained five points. There was no multiplier boost, but he didn’t mind—it was a nice bonus, and he had little trouble with Accuracy. He decided to safely test the bracelet’s hidden property by lopping a chunk of rock from the table with the sword and tossing it over his head. It flew towards the vault’s ceiling, but as it fell towards his forehead…
…Danger! Danger! Danger! An obnoxiously-bright scarlet warning blinked before his eyes. Meanwhile, the pebble plopped down on his head and rolled to the floor without inflicting an iota of damage.
Note: You can change the text of the warning inscription in the item settings for your Protective Bracelet of a Valiant Shgrazqu Archer.
Cheater considered changing the phrase to something like “Bullet”. Already infatuated with his new bracelet, he knew it couldn’t save him from any short-range gunshot, yet appreciated it as a barrier to a faraway sniper’s round. No bullet moved instantaneously; if a sniper was more than five hundred yards away, their shot could take a second or more to cover its ground, depending on the weapon and ammo. During that window of time, his brain would blare with the aggressively lurid message. If his reaction skill was developed sufficiently, it wouldn’t be difficult to dodge the shot in time. In short, this bracelet was a blessing.
The final item awaiting him wasn’t crafted from metal, but a translucent green stone akin to high-quality jade. Half the size of a billiard ball, it bore an intimidating, hideous demon face and was strung up on a cord of the other objects’ black “leather”. It hardly looked like a necklace, just as the bracelet hardly seemed a bracelet—but it was dazzling.
Necklace of a Shgrazqu Hunter Wizard. Found in a tomb in the black lands. Enhancements: none. Magical item of the Former. Guaranteed to accept 4 modifications, with an 85% chance of accepting a 5th and a 70% chance of accepting a 6th. Note: Attempting to install a 7th modifier has a high probability of causing the loss of all modifications and breakage of the weapon! Visible properties: Willpower +6, Spirit of Styx Regeneration +8 units per hour. Hidden properties: has a high chance of allowing its owner to escape detection by means of Continental abilities. Has no effect at 17 meters or less. The greater the distance of the seeker, the better the chances of escaping detection. This item’s former owner can no longer reclaim it. Current owner: none. You can bind this necklace to yourself and become its owner. After binding, you can give the necklace a name, which will be displayed to all players.
Riding the high of his good luck, Cheater was surprised by the sudden surge of avarice within him. He thought not of the pleasant-enough Willpower boost—it was the hidden property that stood out, as well as the Mana Regen boost. Cheater’s Ward of Styx level was currently 63, which gave him +12.6 mana per hour—before applying the multiplier of 1.17x, of course. 14.7 was his effective value before any penalties or bonuses from Pleasure and so on. His Chameleon ability consumed 60 points per hour, along with its activation cost and that of any other skills he used. Mana regeneration improved during sleep, even a little when a character had his meters at maximum...but not quite enough to close the gap. Everyone had mana problems now and then, so it helped that the necklace gave him an additional 8 mana regenerated per hour. Impressive. Before this new find, even a full day’s rest couldn’t refill his mana meter completely; after all, its maximum was currently 413.
When combined with his improved Chameleon ability, the necklace’s hidden property could make Cheater truly invisible…as long as he avoided erratic movement and proximity to sensors, that is. He doubted anyone would see him at all, to be honest. Indulging in a fleeting, cocky fantasy, Cheater imagined perching on top of a bustling restaurant’s food counter, unnoticed by its oblivious patrons.
Cheater had seen players armed with weapons of the Former before, sometimes even finding them on sale. His bow was an example. However, he’d never seen nor heard of Former bracelets or necklaces. He imagined that players carrying such valuable items wished to keep them secret, lest they risk a knife to their throat. As expected, the flimsy beginner brochure hadn’t remotely touched on this, but Cheater was beginning to notice that players pursued more than just weapons.
Employing Omniscience twice, he examined the tomb again, but noticed nothing new. While the System’s attempts to reform his legs made his knees ache, Cheater forgot the spirit-crushing pain—in fact, he could practically jump for joy! Chuckling, he turned
towards the exit.
Note: You have discovered an Ancient Tomb of the Shgrazqu and the great treasures within. Bonus: +1000 Perception progress points, +0.01 Perception multiplier, +500 Luck progress points. Congratulations!
Wait, just one hundredth of a multiplier point…and to Perception, of all things? That was the most meager reward the System could possibly offer! Still, Cheater’s smile remained. His joy at discovering the backpack of food and water in the face of starvation was immense, sure, but his current joy completely dwarfed it. With fortress at his disposal to ransack as he pleased, cheery Cheater now knew that luck was on his side.
Chapter 9
Life Nine. Training
It was Cheater’s second day attempting to awaken his inner swordsman. After suffering those terrible, tomb-bound convulsions, he had to make the agony worth it. He pretended the cacti were Romeo flanked by henchmen, or Tat with her sword aimed at his gut. He chopped left and right and downward, lunging at them from unpredictable positions. He tried out jumping, rolling, lying down and sitting up, all to no avail. He probably looked amusing—but his goal was to be a swordsman, not a clown. Perhaps the sword’s description had been a joke, perhaps Cheater had misread it…or perhaps the sword was too damn heavy. What’s more, there were no trees nor bushes in the area, and he obviously couldn’t make a light training sword from a cactus. The sword’s oppressive weight made him feel like it was controlling him, not the other way around. He might as well have been fencing with a barbell. Infuriating.