by D Wolfin
In the search of new excitement, I had flown over here and settled down in the mountain range on the coast. Using my might I cleaved the top off of a mountain and dug my way into it, creating myself a new lair.
As for the tunnels they were incredibly simple, all I had to do was transform into a human and dig them out.
I don’t think much about being able to transform into a human, I have met plenty of others that could do it. The monkey that did the martial arts was considerably difficult to fight against, but the strongest had to be that man.
I was lucky to have been left with my life, he could freely transform from a six meter tall white wolf into a middle aged man about thirty five years old, the same as me. He had white hair, extending down his back in a rugged mess.
The most frightening thing about him was his speed. At the beginning of the battle I had tried to breathe hellfire at him, but before I could even let out a whisper of fire, he had appeared behind me in the blink of an eye. He launched ice attack from every direction, completely trapping me in my position.
His ice gave off a faint blue aura, like the aurora in the northern skies. I felt the chill simply looking at it, and my hellfire which was supposed to burn for six days and six nights was completely extinguished by it.
I ended up fleeing for my life. Fortunately, he did not give pursuit.
There was one thing I have learnt about the creatures like me, the ones that can transform into humans. We are all incredibly more powerful than the rest of our species.
The foolish monsters in the area immediately saw me as the ruler of this land. They even went and raided the nearest village, bringing me human women, men, and children. As soon as I found out what they were doing I immediately flew over, blowing hellfire all over the town to show those pitiful monsters how little I cared for humans.
I don’t know what they did with the humans, but I couldn’t particularly care to be honest. All I wanted was for them to stop bringing me woman with torn clothes and men on their knees.
All of a sudden, I sense a presence has entered my den. It is probably just some pitiful monster that has wandered into the wrong location, I will just ignore it.
The presence continue to get closer, until it arrives in the grotto I am currently resting in.
‘Congratulations, now that you have seen me. Feel fear, run with your tail between your legs.’
Strangely though, the creatures walked around to the front of me. With one eye open, I see a party of four humans. Well, three humans to be exact. The fourth person appeared to be human, but my sixth sense told me she was in fact not.
‘What is she? Is she a creature that can transform, like me? I don’t know what it is, but she carries a very familiar feeling.’
My attention left her, focusing on the hooded figure she was next to. This person seemed strong, and I felt excitement welling up inside of me just to fight him. I wanted to fight him so much that I completely forgot about the others, I even let them escape into one of the tunnels.
As the man went to run, I brought my tail down to test him.
Surprisingly, he somehow managed to instantly move a few meters and avoid my tail. Unfortunately, all he had was speed and the concussion the blow sent through the air blew him away like a leaf on a windy day.
He would have flown about fifty meters, where he lay slumped against a wall. I had gotten a little excited in the attack and actually put some of my killing intent into it.
Considerably bored, I took my time to see what his next move would be.
The coward ran into the tunnel!
I had considered just letting him go, but then I recalled exactly which tunnel it was he had entered, I felt a rage overcoming me.
‘That tunnel is the one with all my treasure inside!’
Letting out a roar, I bellow my rage while building up the hellfire in my stomach. A streak of white hair and a red dress flashed past, but it does not matter how many are in the tunnel, they shall all be incinerated if they think they can get to my treasure.
Lowering my head to the ground, I emit all the flames from my stomach into the tunnel. Unfortunately for the two in the tunnel, there is no escape.
With the deed done, I decide I will head out and get some food. I am a little hungry and a little too worked up to go back to sleep.
I’m not too worried about the treasure, I had already melted the coins together so I could carry them here over the ocean as solid lumps of gold. The rest of the goods could be replaced easily enough, I didn’t even have that big of a collection yet anyway.
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Returning from my hunt with a full stomach, I go to inspect the treasure room for what damage I caused.
I turn into my human form, naked as a newborn. Fortunately I had collected some clothes in the past for this. A dragon must maintain his dignity after all. I wear tight cloth pants and a simple pull on shirt. The clothes weren’t designed for me so they are a little small, but they fit just fine.
Next, I pull on my black leather overcoat. It is a large coat, it even reaches all the way down to my knees. My glossy black hair slightly curls as it falls onto my shoulders, which contrasts excellently against my violet pupils.
Walking down the tunnel I exert my magic to control the flames, before extinguishing them from existence.
Inside, everything is melted, broken, or turned to dust. I feel a little irritated about it, but I did cause it myself.
Rummaging through the ruins, I look for one item in particular. It is an item that my fire would not even be capable of warming up, let along breaking it.
I can’t seem to find it! I even transform my hands into draconic claws and dig through the lumps of metals in case it hardened around the object.
Vaguely I can smell something in the room. I didn’t notice because I could smell it the entire way down the corridor, but it is the scent of a human.
“So you survived… But you dare steal from me!? And you take the ‘Draconic Ember Essence’ I created!? Do not think you can escape from me human, I will find you, and I will make you experience hell!”
I hear the echoes of my shout. Despite being impressed at his survival, I am incredibly infuriated by the theft. But I have confidence in finding him. I have his scent now so following his tracks should not be too difficult.
He is going to feel my wrath a hundred fold.
Laughing like all the evil in the world combined, I start following his scent from the cave. I am going to have to do this in human form else I will probably not be able to pick him out amongst all the other minuscule humans.
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-Lost-
I feel a shiver run up my spine, almost as if somebody is talking about me. Well, given my infamy, they are probably constantly talking about me anyway.
“I am incredibly grateful for your help. Someone else may have beaten you to saving the villagers but your efforts are still greatly appreciated.”
I am back outside the burnt down inn with my ear against the door. The town is full of NPC’s now, all of which give me strange looks at the sight of me eavesdropping.
I wonder who it was that rescued them though. When we left the mountain range, all the players were still fighting the kobolds and ogres. Perhaps someone had the idea to go around them and rescue the prisoners, just like I did.
“It is fine. I am only shamed that the dragon managed to flee.”
Naturally the uncle is speaking with Prince Charming, the guy who selfishly accepted his request.
“The citizens are safe, so I am simply relieved. I can’t give you any rewards, but I would like to give you this.”
I hear some rustling behind the door and the prince asking what is it.
“It is a letter of recommendation. My brother runs an inn in Grenton and is always looking for helpers with odd jobs. It isn’t much but he doesn
’t usually ask much of many people.”
“Thank you sir. It is my honour to receive this letter.”
I sincerely doubt he means it. But at least we got something in the end.
I still can’t figure out what this orb is, but hopefully I will figure it out eventually. I don’t know exactly what it is, but it looks valuable.
Just like that, we started our journey towards Grenton.
Chapter 12 – Two Brothers
- Lost-
Verde, Prince Charming, Fen and I left Leaz with the new letter of introduction. Although, it ended up in my hands after the prince simply discarded it.
"I have no need for a measly letter of introduction to an innkeeper."
Those were his words, but it will definitely be useful later on, so I made sure to pick it up and store it in my inventory.
A little out of town, we stop inside a small clearing in a forest, the evening sun completely shaded by the foliage. Calling a break, we agree to log out and meet here again in an hour, after dinner.
When I return to my virtual locker, Fen is already there. Somehow, she is able to connect to and return from End Online considerably faster than I can. I almost wonder how she does it.
Leaving virtual reality I place my VL down on the bed next to me. I hope Fen doesn't get too bored in there when I am gone, but she seems to have been fine so far.
‘Speaking of which, what does she do when I’m gone?’
Apparently, while the VL is not connected to a power source and is not in use, the internal battery will last up to 10 years. Truly such an advanced device, but that kind of battery life is required for the VL to be used for 12 hours without the power being plugged in.
The energy required for the device to be able to intercept signals leaving the brain is clearly no small amount.
Getting onto my wheelchair, I rolled myself into the kitchen. The time is around seven in the afternoon, and with the skies are storming, the house is filled with a grey failing light.
The kitchen all of a sudden turns quiet. Eerily quiet. Even the normal rattling of the refrigerator stops
Rain comes pelting down upon the roof and winds howl outside the windows. There are a lot of people who find themselves nervous in such weather, but I feel peace at the sound. Outside the house is almost like the raging inferno I am feeling inside my chest, reflecting my feelings of wanting to do better.
I switch on the light switch in the kitchen, except the room remains dark. Flipping the switch a few more times, I realize the power has gone out.
With a slight sigh, I wonder if the others in the game will wait for me, or continue on without me.
Opening one of the lower cupboards I remove two cans of ready-made beef stew. Fortunately, I have a gas oven and a lighter to light the flame, so no electricity is required. Pouring the two cans of soup into a pot, I also use a frying pan to lightly grill some bread into toast.
Dinner is incredibly simple. Reheat the stew, and pour it on the cooked toast. This is about the best I eat outside of End. I have nothing to gain from cooking any large or fancy meals here anyway.
It may be simple food, but it is incredibly tasty. I find that most people don't realize it, but, quite often the simple things are the things that taste the best.
With dinner out of the way, next on my agenda is having a bath to wash off all the sweat I have built up over the past day. I would much rather be back in virtual reality, but I do still care for personal hygiene.
Relaxing in the warm water, I allow my mind to wander. I think about everything I have done until now in the game, and how I can improve on it. One of the most important things will have to be raising my level, and then get better equipment.
Since I found myself in this condition, I have greatly improved how well I can move around. Easily sliding into and climbing out of the bath are just some of the many things I can do with ease.
With nothing else to do for the night, I go to sleep much earlier than I normally would have. With no electricity, I cannot connect to the internet after all.
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As I open my eyes, the rain is still coming down outside the widows. At least, the power appears to be back on.
Before logging back onto virtual reality, I decide to do a little research on my computer. Naturally, the best place to do this is the End Online Forums, or simply called the End Forums.
Having a look at what is most popular. The videos of the top ten players appear to be sky rocketing in popularity. In first place is Gladox, the strongest player in the game. His most recent video garnering a view count of just over two hundred million. There are hundreds of thousands of comments as well.
I decide to open the most recent video. Perhaps he will give hints on the best methods of getting stronger.
Gladox is a massive person a little over two meters tall. He is even bigger than that Prince Charming. Wearing a silver heavy armour set that shines with a red hue, I only wonder what kind of materials and stats it has. The armour covers him from head to toe, so complete he would just look like a glorious suit of armour if he didn't move.
Wielded in both of his hands is an enormous sword. The blade itself is red like blood, two hand spans thick and almost as long as he was tall. He is exploring some dungeon with tendrils of ice growing over walls of cracked brown stone blocks. The path he is in is about five meters wide, with the ceiling just as high.
The whole atmosphere seems to be in a frozen environment, but not quite like the Kingdom of Glace's weather. It is more like it is an atmosphere limited to the dungeon itself.
Four limbed monsters wreathed in shadow come swarming at him along the walls. Raising his massive sword behind himself, He lunges forth.
He looks incredibly slow in my eyes, but maybe that is just me. He is wearing a monstrous set of heavy armour after all.
His next movements completely captivate my eyes. Swinging his sword in a wide arc, small embers trail the path of the blade as he cuts into three of the shadow creatures. From the red line tracing the hit, flames burst out and engulf the monsters.
In a single minute, twenty of these creatures have turned to ashes. Gladox's health remains over ninety percent as he uses the weight of the sword to continue its momentum between attacks. From a diagonal slash to a low horizontal swing after a spin, it is almost as if it is one long chain attack.
He has complete control over the weapon. Though, I am most surprised as how he uses the environment, bouncing his blade off a stone wall or floor to reverse the momentum and continue his flowing attacks. It seems like impossible manoeuvres that you must have perfect timing to pull off.
He also appears to be able to use his sword as a shield, defending against attacks that way.
Gladox is completely different from me, a pure strength build. He does not have a whit of speed, but he compensates by not stopping his attacks.
The video was uploaded two weeks ago and comments are still flowing in.
Reino - What is with the ridiculous stream of attacks? How can one person do that?
Staxil - Defending with a weapon? That's just complete nonsense
FireHill - Guys, this is Gladox we are discussing. He isn't the strongest player in the game for nothing.
Jirob - Wow! I wish I could fight like that! I'm so getting this game when I turn 18 in two weeks!
Reino - Jirob, this video does not portray this game. Don't think the entire game is like this. Cause it's not.
Kond - Wow Reino, what a way to ruin it for someone else. Why don't you at least let him try the game and decide for himself?
The argument really sprung into life after that. One comment after another, and each more insulting than the last.
I decide it is not worth reading and simply leave the page altogether. There are other top players who are almost as popular, but I have never even heard of them.
This entire forum is run by Idea Imagine, the creators of End Online. Therefore, every regi
stered player can log on to their very own profile with the same login as they use for the game.
Logging in as Lost, the first thing I do is run a search on the strange stone I acquired. I use phrases such as 'Red Glowing Orb', 'Type of Flame Stones', even a broad search on all gems discovered. I could not find a single piece of information about it.
Lastly, I decide I will check on my auctioned goods, they should only have forty eight hours left anyway.
First is the 'Old Bronyx Plate Armour'. It has thirty people following the auction at a maximum bid of $178. My chest feels a little heavy, but I refuse to feel depressed about it. It is still better than nothing.
With the apple sales slowing down, to about half of what they are, I am going to need to and earn even more. PeachStar has sent a few payments through to my online wallet from the sales. Although it appears she eats about half of her share herself.
I open up the page for the auction on the 'Meridium Boots of Haste' and my jaw drops. The current bid is $1,360. With two days to go, that could easily become $1,500 or more.
A hundred and seventy followers, with nearly seventy comments about the item and asking about the seller. A lot of people want to know who this 'Lost' is, his level, and his skills.
I sit and silently stare at the page for nearly half an hour. Inside, my head however is not calm. There is a great big victory speech playing out in my mind as I imagine talking to everyone about what a success I have been. I also picture the proud looks on my two little sisters as they move back in with me.
'No, stop! I need to not get ahead of myself. I may have on lucky burst but I may never sell anything again.'
Killing my own mood, I return to reality and focus.
‘Time to return to End Online, get stronger, and acquire more items that will sell well.’
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-Grael-
I left my den in the search for the thief who took my 'Draconic Ember Essence'. Of course, I ensured to cave in the entrance into my treasure room, just in case any more thieves come.