by Prax Venter
“Don’t worry, Father,” Lex said, her head still on Ryea’s shoulder. “It’s for the defense of Blackmoor.”
Jack nodded as he held out his hand to the Input Chest.
“Speaking of which, after I dump these, I need to head to the Wall and talk to Kron about assigning our Arcane Mage to that new building.”
Harrak’s eyes narrowed before he hooked a huge thumb over his shoulder.
“Then let’s go and get back before all the remaining cheese gets gobbled up.”
“Out of curiosity,” Lex asked, “what was our haul today?”
Jack checked his HUD for the total.
JACK HP 355/355 MP 194/224
LEX HP 507/507
HAYLEE HP 211/211
Coins: 7425
Inventory Value: 17,856
Alt Value: 24,996/250,000
“Seventeen thousand, eight hundred and fifty-six.”
Harrak snorted with indignation. “Everything I know tells me that’s impossible, but apparently everything I know is now irrelevant, Jack.”
After he finished unloading his giant pile of loot, the whole group began moving toward the crossroads along the clean, paved path.
“Haylee, you’re already Level 33?” Sol said, a single dark eyebrow raised. The young Hero turned her gray eyes up to his, and Jack could tell from the way her shoulders slumped forward slightly that she was bracing for a verbal attack. The tall owlish man smiled instead.
“I’m so proud of you. You must be a big asset in the Tower for everyone to grow so quickly.”
Haylee just blinked, caught off guard by her father’s words.
“She is irreplaceable,” the Bastion said with a solemn nod.
They came to the crossroads, and the group split with Jack and Harrak both heading for the Wall. Jack kissed Lex on her forehead and promised to see her soon.
Not a word passed between Jack and the Combat Master until they were south of the Inn. Then Harrak turned to him and broke the silence.
“What I said about not knowing anything was true, Jack. You are changing the rules everywhere you step, and now that I feel the weight of responsibility for the people of this Town once again and also because you have grown… close to my daughter, I believe I need to hear exactly how you are doing what you do- despite what it might do to my fragile sanity.”
Jack slapped the shorter yet muscular man on his back.
“The last thing you are is fragile, old man. But you’re right, I think it is time I involve both you and Kron with what I am capable of doing for Blackmoor. Thymus already knows everything, but I hope we can catch him before he sits down at the Storm to eat. He is crucial to my plans.”
“That cowardly mage is already at that strange structure, hiding again.”
Before Jack could say anything, Lex’s father put up one of his huge hands. “I know what you are going to say, but I honestly tried. Every time I look at the man, I am filled with anger and hatred for letting my… my wife, Emme… die alone.”
They walked in silence as Jack tried to think of the right thing to say. He still hadn’t come up with anything when they passed under the Watchtower, and all further thoughts on trying to mend a potentially unfixable friendship ended when he caught sight of the new building out in the grass to his right. The structure itself looked like a squat seashell, and its pearlescent surface spiraled up into a point about three stories up. Floating in midair around the building were three spheres of various sizes and materials, each lazily orbiting the bizarre structure at different speeds. Its scale was hard to tell from this distance, and with the dwindling light, but it looked to be larger than any building in Blackmoor.
“What is it?” Harrak asked.
“A Wizard’s Athenaeum.”
The Bygone Hero walking beside him let out a big sigh.
“Maybe I should stop asking questions until we meet up with that walking pile of metal by the gate. No point in repeating yourself.”
Jack gave him a smile and nodded.
A few minutes later, Jack, Kron, and Harrak stood inside the barracks and out of the damp. The place was warm and immaculate but not very big. Four beds lined two walls, and near the back was an area with a table, a few chairs, and some chests for storage.
“Well?” the shorter Combat Master said, tapping his boot. “What foul magics are ya using, and what does it cost ya?”
Jack cleared his throat and collected his thoughts.
“As you’ve probably guessed, I am not originally from System Sana. I was brought here by a powerful being that lives somewhere between my world and yours. You asked what it cost me? I’m pretty sure I died and was given a second chance by Alt- that’s his name. The cursed sword belt was his way of tethering himself to me and a conduit through which he can affect the world.” All three of them looked down to the now extravagantly ornate sheath against his leg. He continued.
“Alt says he’s been watching System Sana for a long time but unable to do anything to help. His motivations are clear. If the Corruption consumes this world, it will come for his next. This otherworldly entity has given me significant advantages with the intent to defeat our enemies. You’ve seen what my unique ability paths can do, but he also changed my inventory to have nearly infinite slots. He helps me, Lex, and Haylee fight in the Tower as a fourth party member, and does what he can outside for the Town. But he must be careful. If he affects too much of this world, too quickly, the Corruption would notice him and start consuming him as well.”
The two men were staring at him as if he were speaking another language. Jack sighed and continued.
“I know this is a lot to absorb, and there is so much more to all this… but let me just get to what this all means. Thymus doesn’t know it yet, but this new structure will teach him to permanently copy his Lightning Turret ability to the Wall with something called an augmentation ritual.”
Harrak and Kron glanced at each other, and Jack saw the spark of recognition.
“So, you guys have heard of this sort of thing before?”
Kron answered in a deep, monotone voice.
“There are stories of a distant city that had reached unfathomable Town Levels where mystics and wizards learned how to adjust a Hero’s abilities. In the tale, as it is told, there is always some equivalent cost associated with a gain in power.”
Harrak swallowed hard, his eyes locked on Jack’s sword belt.
“I always knew there was something off about that thing. From the very first moment… I knew.” The old man turned to look him in the eye before he continued. “You’re saying that decorative item in your Main Hand slot created our new high-level building out there while you were in the Tower?”
“Uh, he is kind of everywhere at once. But sure, if you want to think about it like that.”
Harrak’s eyes went wider than Jack had ever seen them as they darted around the room.
“Is… it listening to us right now?”
Jack felt amusement come from the relatively quiet AI in his mind.
“Yeah,” he said. “Alt can hear and see what’s going on right now.”
“But only you can hear this powerful being?” Kron asked, crossing his big arms.
Jack shook his head. “No, and let’s not get hung up on this. You both can talk to Lex, Haylee, or Thymus to get a good take on how someone from your world would describe Alt. Anyone that joins me in the Tower can meet him, and that invite is still open, Kron. I’m willing to bet that once we get these defensive structures augmented into the Wall, your job is going to become much simpler. Either way, I need to get Thymus reassigned to the Wizard’s Athenaeum so he can start making this happen. It’s still undecided if he can actually pull it off. Kron, I would like your permission to pull him from a Guard role under the presumption that he will scramble for the Wall if ever the alarm horn is blown.”
The man in the horned helmet held his eyes steady on Jack and then sighed.
“If I hadn’t seen the impossible feats of
the last few weeks, I’d have known without a doubt that you had lost your mind. Instead, I have begun to doubt everything I thought I knew. Jack, you are shaping this Town and its people into something more than I had ever hoped I would see, and I will not stand in your way. If you feel it’s best for Thymus to attempt… augmenting the Wall, I will follow your judgment.”
With a nod to both older men, Jack left the dry warmth of the barracks and began marching through the dark and hazy mist of Blackmoor Cove toward the twisted shadow of the new building. There were no paths that led there, and the chilling rain seemed amplified as walked through the wet, lush grass.
The armor helped, but it was designed to protect him from lacerations, not the elements. Jack addressed the being of pure energy linked to his mind as he hugged himself to keep warm.
“Next building you need to force is that general item store or whatever it is- the place where I can buy a damn hoodie or something.”
“It will come with the next Town level,” Alt assured him.
“So, if it weren’t for you meddling with things, would the Town just spawn random buildings or is there always an order to it?”
“To put it simply, when a Town reaches a new Level threshold, a series of structure slots are decided by random numbers. The first slot is always a 100% chance, meaning there will always be at least one new building. After that, the potential structure slots are decided with lower and lower chances of success. There are many other things that affect this initial calculation, but I won’t get into that now. After the number of empty ‘new building’ slots is determined, each potential building is chosen by another random selection from a set of all possible options. Some buildings have dependencies such as other buildings, Town population, local biome, or numerous other conditions. The Wharf, for example, has one of the highest probabilities for appearing in Blackmoor Cove. The General Store has a probable outcome, and the Wizard’s Athenaeum has an extremely low possibility to fill an empty slot, literally one in a million, but I can trick the code into thinking everything is fine with enough resources recovered from the Tower.”
Jack sighed, his breath condensing into a cloud of vapor the moment it left his mouth.
“Maybe someday we can create a list or something- like a build order cheat sheet for when we go to new Towns and want to manipulate the system into spawning what we want. Maybe even teach… others…” He trailed off as all sorts of applications came flooding into his mind. He envisioned something like a Climber’s Guild where teams of new Heroes could work out group dynamics and learn abusive strategies within the safety of Town.
“Oh, I like that,” Alt said in his mind after following Jack’s internal train of thought. “System Sana doesn’t really have schools because everything they think they need to know is pre-programmed into their minds. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, it’s this kind of out-of-the-box thinking that is going to win this multidimensional war.”
“Exactly,” Jack said as he stepped up to the strange new building. “But something to worry about later.”
The three spheres silently orbiting above him were only shadows against the darkening sky, and their hypnotizing, repetitive patterns invoked an odd mixture of unknowable dread and potent awe. He shook it off and pushed open the sleek iridescent door to the Wizard’s Athenaeum.
Glowing purple and blue crystals appeared to grow from the curved walls between rows of bookshelves bathing everything in bright, unnatural light. Strange apparatus of various shapes and sizes sat on tables- one as simple as a black box with a funnel on top, and another an impossibly intricate system of glass tubes. He looked up into the tight spiral of a ceiling and solidified the impression that he was standing within a giant seashell.
“Thymus?” Jack called out, and the old Arcane Mage’s head popped up from behind a pile of books.
“Oh! Greetings, Jack! Would you look at this profound store of knowledge? Isn’t it magnificent? I’ve heard of such a structure existing, but only in uncorroborated tales.” The time-lost Hero sighed contently. “It’s almost if this was built solely for my enjoyment.”
“Well,” Jack began, “Alt did force this structure specifically with you in mind, and I hope you get enjoyment out of it, but it might not all be fun and games. You’ve got some serious work ahead of you and not much time to do it.”
- 25 -
“Work?” Thymus asked for clarification as he stood up.
“More like research,” Jack said. “Alt says the purpose of this place is to invent or discover certain mystical rituals that can cause all sorts of things to happen. There is a specific ritual Alt has in mind, and it would be of great benefit to Blackmoor if you were to succeed in unlocking it before we are attacked again.”
“This goes beyond Blackmoor,” Alt added in his mind. “If he pulls this off, it will create a clean system precedent that I could then discreetly use to potentially manifest these buildings in every Town you influence.”
Thymus was staring at Jack, waiting for him to continue.
“Sorry,” Jack said. “Alt is talking to me now and will do so again as we get this going. Apparently, your work here will benefit all of System Sana, not just our home.”
The old mage’s gray eyebrows came down, and a look of ironbound determination washed over his wrinkled face.
“What can I do?”
“Before we do anything, I need to reassign your role. Kron has already given his blessing.”
With a thought, Jack accessed his reassignment interface and moved Thymus to ‘Ritual Research’. The Arcane Mage swayed on his feet and used the wooden table to steady himself. While he recovered from his role change, Jack took the opportunity to Inspect him.
Thymus - Hero: Arcane Mage | Level 29
Ritual Research | 88% Proficiency
[Health: 260/260 | Mana: 520/520]
Relationship -
[Disposition: Respected]
“Fascinating…” Thymus muttered as he looked around the room with fresh eyes. “This all makes so much more sense now. Each individual station in this room can be used to probe the very fabric of reality.”
“Great,” Jack said, “but before you start probing, there is something very specific we’re looking to discover. Alt assures me with complete certainty that there is a ritual out there for augmenting buildings with Hero Path abilities. Your goal is to figure out how to merge your Lightning Turret with the Wall and create something called a Defensive Lightning Tower.”
The old mage’s eyes opened wide as they darted around the room.
“Yes… I see. That would be beyond helpful. Mmm, there are many books I need to consult and experiments of discovery I need to run… You expect me to unlock such a complicated process in only a few days?”
“Pretty much,” Jack said, shrugging.
“Tell him to start his journey of discovery by researching the Nature of Permanence,” Alt suggested telepathically.
“Alt has a bit of advice to get you moving in the right direction. He says to start your journey of discovery by researching the Nature of Permanence.”
Thymus began nodding. “Indeed. My turret and the wall share a semblance of immovable permanence. Very good! I will begin immediately!”
“Before you get too engrossed, just remember to report to the gate if you hear the horn. There is no guarantee this will work, and we still need your talents as a Hero to help defend our home.”
“Understood,” Thymus said, waving his hand dismissively as he turned to a bookshelf behind him.
Jack paused before he left the wizard to his work. “Should I have one of the guards bring you some eggs or something. You still need to eat, you know.”
“Mmm,” Thymus mumbled, already submerged in his studies.
Jack smiled, shook his head, and stepped out into the brisk, sea-scented air. The light drizzle had opened up to a steady downpour, spurring him to sprint the whole way to the Eye o’ the Storm.
He ate dinner with his frie
nds and snuggled with Lex through the stormy night before it was time to climb and loot again. The three Heroes took it slow this time and reverted to their “one Floor a day” method. The climb to Floor 33 consisted of stained-glass gargoyles, muscle-bound boxers, three-headed horses carved from jade, sentient black holes, and a world filled with aggressive candy.
On Exit, Jack was informed that two more Townsfolk had arrived from another trade vessel and that Harnal had secured another ongoing trade deal for coffee beans. The prospect of finally getting his hands on a hot cup of joe in the morning had Jack grinning ear to ear as he vigorously shook hands with the smug Dockmaster.
After the Town business was handled and he assigned the newcomers to the Wall, Jack headed to the Wizard’s Athenaeum to check on the ritual’s progress.
When he opened the door and saw Thymus standing by one of the contraptions using an intense red laser to blast a hole into what looked like a rock. Glittering motes of light traveled up the blood-red beam and seemed to be extracting something from the object held in the center. The time-lost mage noticed Jack and stopped dissecting the hunk of stone.
“Greetings!” Thymus called out. “I am very close to making substantial progress!”
“Oh yeah?” Jack said.
“I feed my Mana into this ingenious device, and it will help me pry into an object’s hidden secrets. This stone is just begging to tell me its shrouded truths.”
It had been an entire day since Jack had seen the old wizard last, and from his red-rimmed eyes, it was clear that he’d yet to take one break. It was then that Jack realized that this mentally twisted survivor of years in solitude just might be the only person who could do what needed to be done. Thymus continued.
“First, I will need to create a large circle on the ground and fill it with the correct runes. This ritual circle must be made from crushed stone, so I suggest you have our miller put the wheat aside and begin grinding rocks into powder- and uh, someone is going to need to go out and collect the rocks. I don’t know all the runes yet, but this little fella knows. And he’ll tell me soon.”