by Daniel Annan
Suddenly, there was that familiar sound of a male choir blaring in my ears, which startled me. I got to see why when I saw another golden prompt.
HA-HA-HAA-I-YAH!
Thanks to your hero class, you also gain super powers at level 5, 20 and 50 as would any hero of your town.
You have gained your first super power: On Glory’s Wings
As a leader of a fledgling kingdom, you have reached heights no traditional hero has achieved. As such, the heroes of old will heed your call, rising from the dead to fight for you for one hour out of respect.
Note: Number of summoned heroes at this level is 5 and limited to once per engagement.
That was a very impressive superpower. Being able to summon five different heroes to fight for me for one hour would turn the tides in any battle I faced. If any of them were as powerful as Clarent or the Shaman though, things might just get interesting.
Some extra notifications appeared.
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Fei’s Health replenish ability has reached level 2!
Health bonus increased by 5
Cooldown reduced by one minute
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Fei’s Mana replenish ability has reached level 2!
Mana bonus increased by 5
Cooldown reduced by one minute
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Fei’s screech ability has reached level 3!
Range increased by 60 yards
Mana cost reduced by 2
Her Screech ability can now cause confusion!
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Fei’s mental connection ability has reached level 2!
Range increased by 250 yards
IQ share increased by 50%
You can now send images to each other!
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My dear, how do you feel?
Smarter, I should think. But I’m still somewhat unhappy with your behavior earlier. Your callous regard for your own life is-
Despite her haranguing, I felt tears well up in my eyes. First, Fei sounded like an eight year old child with her diction and mannerisms, which was cute but problematic in serious situations, like the battle. But now, my lovable pixie sounded a bit mature, like a sixteen year old. It was like watching your daughter suddenly grow up.
Wiping the tears, I called her down. She heeded my request anxiously, feeling that she might have said something out of turn. It was nothing like that. I simply palmed her, using my nose to tickle her.
“Hahaha! Eww! Stop that!” she cried while putting up a weak struggle against my assault.
“Oh Fei… you complete me,” I sighed contently, giving her my most indulgent smile. Fei gave me a skeptical look and turned away from me with a ‘hmph’.
Clarent snickered and tapped my shoulder. “I leveled up once during the fight, thanks to the chieftain and his dog. What should I invest in?” While this was a weird question, since he should decide his own fate, I realized that he had essentially pledged his soul to me. Whether or not my goals aligned with his, he would still carry out my wishes. Suddenly, I felt very aware of the fact that I had a soul bound to me for what seemed to be eternity.
The gravity of his pledge seemed cool at first but now, I realized that it’s more than that. I had a duty to him just as much as he had a duty to me. An obligation to make sure that I never gave him cause to regret his eternal pledge.
“Focus on the areas you have been working on before you met me. I need you to be Clarent, not perfect. Being yourself is as perfect as you can be,” I stated sagaciously, stroking a nonexistent beard. It was times like these that I really wished I had my Legendary Sage look.
“You do realize that makes no sense… right?” He asked with a raised eyebrow, a ring of smoke wafting from his nose in frequent intervals.
“I know, but it sounded wise,” I replied with a smirk.
I dealt with the final prompts remaining before we reached the town.
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Well done! You have learned the skill ‘Mining’
Hitting shiny rocks can grant you shiny metal.
“I’ve been mining iron for years… when will I ever turn up something of value? Hmm? What is that reddish liquid? Could it be? Ah… shit.”
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You have gained a skill level!
Mining has reached level 1
Metal harvesting speed +1%
Metal harvesting increased by 1%
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Well done! You have learned the skill ‘Woodworking’
With an axe and a disrespect for Mother Nature, you can harvest and transform wood like a magician.
“Argh… Arghh… Yaha! TIMBERRR!! Huh, is it just me or is it suddenly dark? It wouldn’t be that this large tree is falling this way, could it?”
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You have gained a skill level!
Woodworking has reached level 1
Wood harvesting +1%
Wood harvesting speed +1%
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Well done! You have learned the skill ‘Stonecutting’
You have gained the ability to cut stone! What an achievement! Must’ve been your lifelong dream!
“Yep. I’m a real ladies man alright. I’ve got money, horses and wenches by the plenty. Huh? What’s my occupation? Well, that’s none of your business alright?!?”
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You have gained a skill level!
Stonecutting has reached level 1
Stone harvesting +1%
Stone harvesting speed +1%
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Beware!!
On this day, you have routed a camp of Goblins belonging to the Akresh Clan. This has lowered your reputation with them to Harsh Enmity!
Note: Due to your seamless ability, you have effectively declared war on the Akresh Clan. Your actions have consequence for both you and your town. Tread carefully!
The last prompt made my heart beat a little faster. Declared war? I purposely routed all the Goblins to… ah. Gork. The Archer I let go free. Shit. This was my own stupidity. My concerns about my humanity were justified, but should not have hampered my logic so badly. By letting even one of them free, they had warned the rest of their kind about our actions. Worst of all? They knew where we live, but we didn’t know where they lived.
I quickened my steps, noticing space warping around me a little faster than it usually did. Clarent also picked up the pace, sensing my alarm and drawing out his blade. I wondered if armies benefitted from the spatial distortion as well? What was I saying, of course they did. After all, this particular form of alteration was created primarily for armed forces on the move.
Worried that they may have mounted a revenge attack on my little hamlet, I burst into a full sprint with Clarent just a hair behind me. The landscape flew by us so quickly, that I wondered how motion blur like this was even possible. If this was how the Flash felt when running, then he must be immune to vertigo.
For some reason, even though we were under 3 miles to the town, I couldn’t see much else but a vague outline of the town’s walls as I remembered them. Admittedly, it was the same when we were approaching the forest, but a forest is a forest, vague or not. It was only when we entered the zone that it fully rendered. I practically leapt through the last mile, entering the zone marking our township with my heart beating wilder than ever.
My worry turned out to be for naught, as sudden fanfare played out from all around me, trumpets blowing the call of majesty. I realized that there were a few hundred people arrayed at the gate, all wearing a different garb, some in rich silks and others in commoner apparel. There were an array of guards lined on either side of the gate, sw
ords pointed overhead, creating a path that was meant for a VIP.
That was not what stole the show however. Mira came riding down the path of glory, her steed a fine warhorse of impressive size, his white mane blowing majestically in the steady breeze. She came with an entourage of what looked to be priestesses and an honor guard, a carpet of red and gold being laid before them as they approach by young boys and girls. The trumpeting slowly reached its climax as the party came to a halt before Clarent, Fei and I.
All three of us had our jaws hanging slack, uncomprehending. Not only the event, but the sheer growth of the tiny town we left behind a few hours ago. Now, even from out here, it looked less like a town and more like a city. With whitewashed stone walls, parapets and even ballistae, breaching our defenses became a lot more difficult.
“My Lord, you are welcome from your adventure. I hope you achieved all that you wanted when you were out?” Mira asked with a slight curl to her lip that told me she was dancing with joy at my surprise.
Snapping my jaw shut, I looked around to see that all eyes were on me. Me, with a hole in my attire from the Shaman’s mana attack, rips and cuts from low level goblins as well as smears of black blood on different parts of my body. I looked more like a vagrant than a Lord, but this wasn’t my first time in public limelight. I had held many a public conference on my groundbreaking tech, with thousands of eyes upon me. Instantly, my focus sharpened and I went into charismatic mode.
“Yes, Madam Advisor. We did find a bit of a bounty in our recent travels. Though, the highlight of it all is the marvelous job you’ve done in bringing our fledgling town from its humble beginning to such splendor.”
Mira immediately frowned at my recovery, realizing that her Lord was not in fact, a bumbling oaf under the eyes of many. Gritting her teeth, she smiled – or attempted it – dismounting her horse and giving the reins to me.
“My Lord, Please accept this humble steed as a gift for your return, so that you may ride him into town, showing your strength and majesty,” She offered with her unwelcome smirk coming back.
Oh no you don’t. I saw your plan. Have me ride the warhorse that looked like it could stomp the life from me in public? Then I’d end up either falling off or making a total fool of myself – to her delight of course. What did I do to earn such a wicked advisor? I’d prefer Jafar from Aladdin over this bunny girl.
“Thank you, Advisor. I gladly accept the gift and formally commend you for your efforts. I would ask that you walk with me through the entry, so that people may see our solidarity as a team.” I walked past her and mounted the warhorse in one jump – thanks to my augmented strength – settling it down as it skittered about nervously. “Whoa there. Calm down boy… or girl.”
After a bit of fidgeting, the horse did come to a rest, tilting its head to look at me in the eyes. I gave it a wave and nodded my head, showing that I meant it no harm. The horse looked away and straightened, ready for my command to move forward. I was sure if I looked at Mira right now, she’d be red to her ears in anger and frustration. Horse-riding was something that we did in Ghana. There was no way I was gonna get thrown off at this age. I had enough of that when I was 10 years old. My efforts awarded me a new prompt.
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Well done! You have learned the skill ‘Horseback riding’
You can ride trained horses without falling off.
“CHARGE MY NOBLE STEED! LET US VANQUISH OUR FOES!!”
“Come on Bolt, don’t look at me like that buddy. It sounded better in my head.”
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You have gained a skill level!
Horseback riding has reached level 1
Horse stamina increased by 5%
Horse speed increased by 5%
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With a shit eating grin, I jolted the charger into motion, moving at a slow trot. The fanfare picked up again, this time playing the Theme of Kings, bathing me in tones that could swell any man’s ego – and mine was swelling fast. Mira sullenly walked alongside me, defeated and betrayed, while Fei flew about in a loop, similarly basking in the love and cheer. I could definitely get used to this.
Clarent walked haughtily down the walkway, spitting gouts of controlled fire into the sky, raising the cheer even higher.
“Lord Jax! Lord Jax! Lord Jax!”
“Cla-rent!! Cla-rent!! Cla-rent!!”
You’d think we went to war and routed a whole army. Wait, that was technically what we did, wasn’t it? I mean, 2 fighters versus what seemed to be around 300 foes? That was a tale of legends. If only they knew that I succeeded only thanks to Vena’s gifts and Clarent’s OP – overpowered – existence. The guy was a one man army to be sure. It certainly explained why the people were so ecstatic, but that also brought another question to mind.
“Mira, How did you know when we were coming?” I asked my advisor in a shout, as the music had yet to die down.
“We received a prompt that told us you had routed a camp of Goblins. Guessing that you would be on your way back, we prepared a triumphant entry for you,” She answered quietly, yet every word reached my ears.
Huh, so everyone that is considered a citizen of my city received a notification about my victory. I wondered how differently they’d feel if they knew how close I came to respawning. If it weren’t for Clarent, I’d be dead and waiting on Vena’s good graces to come back to life. My new companion was vital in my early game success and it was all thanks to the seamless ability.
I looked to my snarky companion and realized that despite his seemingly brash attitude, Clarent was not as loud as he should be. It seemed like he had subdued his nature from the moment he laid eyes on me, only showing his true colors in battle and select situations. From the tavern fight to the contest in the woods, it was clear that the Dragonkin was more than he let on. It was then that I realized I hardly knew anything about my faithful companion in the truest sense. He had a way of… fading to the back of my thoughts when we were together due to his silence.
“Clarent, brother. Why don’t you talk much when you’re in public?” I asked him in dragon tongue, feeling the powerful words flow off my tongue heavily.
“Because the human language is too limited, brother. Besides, Dragons are not ones for talk. We prefer the glory of battle and the heart of fire,” He answered me in the tongue of his people.
I thought on his words. Was it really possible for someone like him to be flippant yet somewhat reserved? I guessed his very existence was the answer to that. Still, it felt like he could be… more.
“Clarent, are you purposefully holding yourself back?”
He blinked in confusion, scratching one of his chest scales idly. “Well, I wouldn’t say so, Jax. But with Mira’s presence here and all, I have to be what everyone envisions a Dragonkin to be,” He replied simply.
So he was essentially stuck between what he was expected to be and what he wanted to be. Well, let’s make things simpler for him.
“From this day forth, I would ask that you no longer comply with any social norms that do not fit with your character. I want you to be a hundred percent yourself at all times, regardless of company and location.”
He eyed me curiously for a moment, wondering what I hoped to achieve by this before shrugging and grinning, displaying a set of dangerous fangs. “This is gonna be a wild ride. I hope you can keep up.”
I smiled back, pleased that I helped remove the façade my companion was forced to keep. “Easily.”
We crossed through the gates and were admitted into the town proper. I blinked in utter confusion when I saw how far the city had developed. When I left, there were three cottages, a barracks and warehouse and a few other essential buildings, but there was a wealth of empty land yet to be claimed. Not so anymore. Now, every plot was occupied by a building, giving the town a developed feel.
That wasn’t the only source of my bafflement. There was also the fact that no two buildings of th
e same category possessed the same aesthetic value. Every building was painted in its own color, with different designs and murals on them. The simple cottages I had left had grown in size to rival small townhouses. The Barracks changed from a small building with a training ground to a military headquarters with multiple fields. The marketplace had changed from one or two stalls to a bustling square, with all sorts of goods being traded there.
“Mira, how did you manage to do all this in 6 or so hours?” I asked with a hint of awe in my voice.
Her ears twitched and shifted a bit as she eyed me askance. “6 hours? My lord, it has been a week since you left,” She answered.
If I were drinking something, I’d have spit it out. As it were, I settled for letting all the air in me whoosh out, the revelation shocking me to my bones. Six days? So that meant, when adventuring in a zone, an hour was equivalent to a day.
Huh. I guess it makes sense? It gives my town ample time to grow without me, at the same time, allowing time (and events) to pass while players are adventuring.
I started to wonder, what if one of the games Vena smashed into this was an RPG only or RTS only? How would the latter especially work? It meant you could only play as a Kingdom’s lord without ever getting the chance to pick up quests, but you will be decidedly invulnerable unless your town was totally destroyed. An RPG only player would probably unlock a quest chain that would lead him to become a leader of an establishment or institute, but we all know how slow those quests were. They normally reached up to VI and beyond for bigger establishments. This made me ponder if I should travel to another city zone and take a few quests. I would definitely do that tomorrow.
For now, I traversed the newly minted road from the gate to the townhall – which had also seen expansion – occasionally waving to cheering citizens and blowing kisses to the young damsels. It was important for population growth that I get to know all the burgeoning females, so that we may work together in making our town a great place.
“Bullshit.” The voice of Keith echoed in my head, causing me to grin wolfishly.
Upon reaching our destination, I dismounted the horse and handed the reins to a youth who rushed up for them, turning to my advisor and my companion.