by Nikita Thorn
Before Seiki could completely make sense of the revelation, the dragon started swooping toward the ground.
Second, a look at something in plain sight.
Slightly ahead of them sat a fortress. Its back was built into a hill to the north and its remaining three sides were protected by a stone wall and a ditch. Within the fortress were three identical buildings not completely unlike the ones in Muraki Fort, two stories high with slanting roofs.
From its location, Seiki knew it was one of the lower-level War Instances, although its name escaped him at the moment. The grounds were occupied, not by Shinshioka forces but by patrolling groups of Demonic Clan soldiers. Seiki guessed there were at least five hundred of them, roaming in units of about fifty, both within the walls and out in the area directly in front of the gate in a scouting mission. More soldiers were stationed along the ramparts, equipped with bows and arrows.
The dragon leveled its flight just slightly out of detection range of the Demonic Clan troops and started circling the fortress.
Third, a hint of a threat that is hidden.
Seiki was not sure what it was that he was supposed to see. He did everything he could to take note of the defense: a wooden bridge led to the only entrance, which was the main gate, but attacking it from the front would mean being exposed to the fire from all the archers stationed on the walls. The ditches were also deeper, closer to the back, and Seiki noticed that the Demonic Clan had large wooden planks that could be lowered from within to pour more troops out from the backside of the fortress to trap the players’ forces as they tried to break down the gate.
That was when he realized he could see through the building walls. If he stared at a structure in the same way he inspected an item, they became darkened silhouettes of themselves, showing details inside, allowing him to spot the extra demonic troops as well as stacks of stored weapons.
At first glance, the easternmost building was the most uninteresting. It held barrels of supplies in its bottom floor and common demon troops on the second, which would probably pour out to meet the players should they manage to break in.
Directly under the building, however, was a slab of darkness, outlined in a different shade than the rest of the underground features.
“The building has a basement,” Seiki whispered. It was difficult to make out the details, but it was definitely there.
Fourth, a taste of the danger to come.
Right then a violent tremble shot through his body, starting from the middle of his right hand, where he had been holding the Shadow Key. Artificial terror exploded in his mind, and for a brief second, he thought he saw countless streaks of shadow bursting from the underground chamber toward him.
It was over before Seiki could gasp, as the White Dragon suddenly yanked him up toward the sky, out of range of whatever the power that had reached out to him. A split second later he was back in the cold night air, shivering slightly as he tried to recall what he had experienced. He was still clutching the Shadow Key, but it had gone back to being a cold, lifeless piece of glass as it had been the whole journey.
I can only show you knowledge I possess. The Demonic Clan grows stronger. There are areas of such powerful sorcery now that even my sight cannot penetrate.
Seiki understood what he had just seen. It was where the demon rune door was hidden: in the secret basement of the particular War Instance, and he wanted to ask the White Dragon a thousand questions, but again, he found himself unable to form words.
The dragon was still flying upward, higher and higher into the night sky.
Be careful, young warrior of Shinshioka. Not even I know what lies beyond the shadows. Only proceed when you are ready.
Seiki found himself halfway between the dark landmass below and the star-speckled sky above. Shinshioka was only a dim glow of light slightly to the east, insignificant in the grander scheme of things. As he scanned the terrain below, he spotted another cluster of light further away, much fainter from the distance, which he guessed was where Fuoka was located. Surrounding the two cities was the endless Wilderness that extended all the way from the mountainous borders on the west to the perfectly smooth arc of darkness on the east, and there, at the edge of the world, a full silver moon was hung low on the horizon, its twin sister reflecting on the shimmering surface underneath.
“That’s the ocean,” said Seiki breathlessly. It was one thing to hear it spoken of, but to witness its concrete existence sent deep shivers running through his body.
The world is vast, young warrior. Battles can be fought on many fronts, not one less significant than others. My citizens have been guided long enough. Now I have bestowed upon you all the gifts to walk your own paths. What lies ahead is yet unwritten, and how the future comes to pass will depend on your choices. Each individual thread has a part to play in the grander design of reality.
The White Dragon’s soundless voice was much gentler now, like a distant thunder in the deepest part of his awareness. Far in the east, the first glimpse of light had touched the watery horizon, a strip of ghastly white framing the great curvature of the world. Seiki had always made it a priority to watch sunrises, from high branches in the Wilderness forests and tall towers in Shinshioka, and he had witnessed them in all manners: pinkish purple, blazing golden, cloud-shrouded. But now, high up in the sky, as he stared at the very first light in the east that was barely visible between the retreating darkness above and the unlit water below, he finally felt it within reach.
“Thank you. That’s all I needed to see.”
He was not sure if he had said it out loud at all, but the dragon started to descend, and Seiki felt its firm grip around his body loosening. Air rushed against him, but there was no sense of vertigo, and, as if rising from a long, restful sleep, he suddenly found himself standing in front of the White Dragon in the silent courtyard of Mani Shrine once again.
“Seiki?” Ippei’s voice woke him from the dreamlike state.
Seiki blinked, turned to look at his friends, before glancing back at the dragon at the edge of the courtyard. It was as if nothing had happened, but the memory of the journey, the fresh air, the expansive scene of the seemingly endless world was crystal clear in his mind. His hands were cold. Even colder were the few metal bits on his gear that touched his skin, a testament to the degree of elevation to which they had been exposed. All at once, the sense of excitement from what he had just witnessed caught up with him, jolting him wide awake.
“The big picture,” he said breathily. “I think this game is one giant puzzle. It’s all connected, and hidden, like cryptic clues, and the worldbreakers, or whoever they are, are trying their best not to let anyone else solve it.”
Mairin drew a long breath. “The dragon told you that?”
Seiki closed his eyes and tried to remember everything he had just seen. “He gave me hints. The Shadow Key, I mean, Yamikai Key. The label popped up for a second to confirm it.” His eyes snapped open as he recalled the most important bit. “It’s unique.”
His friends stared.
“That’s why the worldbreakers wanted our specific key,” said Mairin slowly.
Seiki nodded. That also implied another vital thing. Simply by stubbornly holding on to it, they could thwart whatever plan the worldbreakers had.
“I think every Shadow – Yamikai Key is unique, and each opens a specific door, and I know where our door is. Up north, there’s a fortress with three buildings and a ditch around it. The door is in a secret underground room.”
Ippei’s eyes widened. “Kitane Keep.”
“You know where it is?” asked Mairin.
“The fortress, yes. It’s one of the beginning War Instances that people don’t really explore anymore, so it’s possible that no one’s ever found the secret basement.”
Seiki nodded. “And maybe the secret floor is only accessible if you have the right key in your possession.”
The dragon spoke again:
My fif
th and final gift, a means to knowledge itself.
By demonstrating your willingness to pursue knowledge over power, wealth or influence, you have unlocked the [Loreseeker] Path Element.
The group let out an excited cry. Seiki saw the option fade into his mental menu.
Available Path Elements:
[Shinshioka Patriot]
[Demonsbane]
[Loreseeker]
With this development, Seiki could no longer put off experimenting. He dropped the Primary Avenue Slot, and picked the [Demonsbane] for the Secondary Avenue. The menu suddenly filled with information. At the top, the word Neutral faded away, replaced by the title of the new combined Path.
Path of Worth: Demon War Scholar
[Tier 1]
You now recognize basic runes that mark hidden demon locations.
Fatal attacks you receive from Ranked Demons have a small chance to miss.
Primary Avenue
[Loreseeker]
Allows access to the first room in the Hall of Archives in the Shogun’s Palace.
Secondary Avenue
[Demonsbane]
Demonic Blood Gems no longer need to be equipped in a Charm Slot to be used.
Congratulations! You have discovered the Demon War Scholar Path! As you seek expertise in the history of the Demonic Clan, your adventures might lead you to unusual rewards, unheard-of skills and unspeakable secrets that will shake the very foundation of the world.
Congratulations! You have discovered your first combined Path of Worth!
Achievement earned: A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step! 250 XP gained.
Seiki felt lightheaded. “I guess this is how we find that secret room in Kitane Keep.”
Yamura nodded. “I don’t know what it means, but I’m going to say this is way better than a scalable upgrade.”
“Now I don’t know what to pick.” Mairin was glancing into the air and switching her available Path Elements around to discover all the possible combinations.
Ippei had a thoughtful look on his face as he pondered their recent discovery. “The most important bit is they acknowledge the Shadow Key, I mean, Yamikai Key. They confirmed it as part of lore, and… lore is important.”
Flooded with so much new information and new things to consider, Seiki turned back towards the White Dragon. “Thank you. It’s really… beyond my expectation.”
“It’s super awesome,” cried Mairin. “You’re the best dragon ever. Best Festival, too. I forgive the Rogami for reaching Level 30.”
Kentaro heaved a little sigh. “I hesitate to say this, but… I might be down for lore.”
A delighted grin lit up on Ippei’s face. “War Games, the new frontier of lore. Please, please tell me now my recruitment pleas over the past few months didn’t fall on deaf ears.”
The dragon gave a solemn nod as if to acknowledge their enthusiastic response, before speaking for the last time:
Find your own Path, warriors of Shinshioka. May it guide you well.
Leaving the rumbling final words lingering in their minds, the mystical beast leapt into the air, climbing higher and higher until it vanished into the lofty altitudes above the City. The pre-dawn sky had slowly been getting lighter by the minute, and as soon as the dragon completely disappeared, the hazy dreamlike fog that Seiki only now realized had been around all this time finally lifted, letting the first golden rays of the early morning sun peek through the rows of pine trees that lined the eastern shrine wall.
Quiet chatters of the crowd on Trade Street slowly faded into his consciousness, and Seiki guessed that they had now been phased back into the public instance. Whether the group had taken longer than average to finish the instance or if there were still some minor instancing at work within the shrine, the courtyard was still nearly empty, with only a few mid-level players from other clans lingering near the entrance and an NPC Shrine Keeper sweeping the leaves with a wooden broom.
Something was missing, and it took Seiki a moment to realize that all the lively noises from the street stalls had completely disappeared, leaving Shinshioka feeling a little more sober than usual.
Mairin let out a tiny wistful sigh, and the last notification confirmed her sentiment:
Thank you for participating in the Pacchi Festival. The event has ended. Festival Reward Booths will remain available for the next 48 hours. All players who had participated in at least one activity during the Festival have gained additional experience equal to that required to reach their current level from their previous level.
The group gasped in unison, and Ippei’s jaw dropped. “Did they just level a whole bunch of Level 29s to keep Zengoro accompanied in end game?”
Even Mairin sounded faint. “It’s almost a free level.”
Seiki heard nothing his friend had said, being suddenly overwhelmed by a familiar personal joy coursing through his body. Tingling shivers raced down his spine and his head filled with visions of exploding colors.
Congratulations! You have reached Level 18. HP increased to 2854. Max energy increased to 1280. New ability slot available. New Supporting Route Slot available.
He felt like letting out a yell, but no sound came out. The level had been a milestone he had been looking forward to for a very long time. Glancing up, he saw his friends’ attention on him. They had noticed what had happened, and their smiles were both delighted and amused, as they knew what this meant.
Eyes widening, Seiki dropped everything and dashed across the courtyard toward the Hall of Fallen Heroes.
Like all his past visits, his arrival was enveloped in the strong yet calming smell of incense smoke. The righthand wall of the Hall was filled with engraved names of soldiers who had fallen in their duty defending Shinshioka, and the rows of flickering candles in front of it normally lent the building a solemn feel. Right now, however, Seiki could not quite force himself to slow to a respectful walk as he rushed through the main hall toward a particular antechamber.
The old swordsman’s altar was an intimate sight. The wooden tablet with Master Tsujihara’s name sat next to an incense pot among eclectic items that had slowly accumulated over the months, a bottle of yuzu wine, a few Charms, plus several Favor treasures, mostly small wood and jade carvings that Seiki had found particularly aesthetic.
Laid horizontally across the stone altar was a long piece of wood, whose uninspiring gray paint was meant to mislead new players about its true worth. Seiki had held the Sheathed Blade in his hands a thousand times before and imagined what it would become. As always, the item was deceptively light in his grip as he picked it up, but this time was different.
He stared at the item for a few seconds, took a deep breath to rein in his wild excitement, and decided to give it the respect it deserved.
Carefully laying the Sheathed Blade back on the altar, he lit an incense stick and placed it in the middle of the metal pot, pausing to let the familiar, gentle Peace of Mind effect wash over him.
Seiki then picked up the Sheathed Blade, took a step back and sat down on his legs, before looking up at the golden characters on the black spirit tablet. “It’s finally time, Master Tsujihara.”
One hand on what would become the scabbard, and the other on the hilt, Seiki held the item up in front of him and unsheathed the weapon.
The first thing he felt was its growing weight, as wood slowly transformed into metal. In his right hand, he could feel the tidy texture of the hilt coming into existence. The wrap was made of dark gray ray skin, on top of which were black silk threads firmly braided into diamond-shaped patterns to allow for a better grip. He continued to pull, and the hand guard followed, a four-lobed oval, in the middle of which were intricate wirings in the shape of windswept clouds around a half-concealed disc of reddish metal.
In his left hand, the scabbard started to form, black lacquered wood, with a red fabric cord knotted around its side knob.
Finally came the blade itself, slowly appearing
out of the polished sheath, a length of elegant silver steel, slightly curved in the shape of a standard katana, with wavelike folding patterns along the back of the blade. Clearer than a winter lake, the blade seemed to exude a crisp, cold wave of air as it completely left the scabbard. It was about two inches longer than the Hikari, slightly heavier as a result.
Fully unsheathed, the cutting edge of the sword suddenly flashed, lighting up like molten metal, a slim thread of gold running the whole length of the blade from point to hilt. It faded a second later, leaving no trace of a glow.
You have received: Asateru – Blade of the Blazing Dawn. +74 attack. +33 speed. Damage 4.0. Speed 1.9. Range 1.2. Effect: dragging the tip of the sword along a surface allows the user to declare a Barrier of Dawn, which lasts 8 seconds in the environment and deals an equal percentage of damage to enemies that cross it to the percentage of energy the user has used to declare the Barrier, up to a limit of the user’s maximum health. Scalable.
Seiki held his breath. His mind could not comprehend right now what the effect on the sword meant, but it was scalable, and that was everything he had ever hoped for.
Potion of Divine Luck activated (Charge 2/3). Effect upgrade! Asateru has gained an additional effect.
Effect: the user may now choose to link their own health to the Barrier of Dawn. As long as the user maintains their grip on the hilt of the sword, Barrier of Dawn becomes impassable. Attacks on the barrier transfers 75% of the damage directly onto the user. The Barrier may be cancelled by the user at any time, but automatically breaks at 15% health. Allowing this to happen deals damage equal to 10% of the user’s health to the user and disorients them for 6 seconds.
Potion of Divine Luck activated (Charge 3/3). Item upgrade! Asateru has gained a related quest.
Blades of the Same Steel: Another companion blade was forged alongside Asateru. Find and claim it to gain additional effects on both weapons. Do you wish to accept?