Ring of Promise: A LitRPG novel (Elements of Wrath Online Book 1)

by J. A. Cipriano

  As she clicked off the phone, I looked up from the paperwork. Before she could say anything, I had taken a deep breath and set myself. “I’ll take these, okay? I’ve filled out enough government papers in the past seven years.”

  “Max,” she said with a shake of her head as she walked out of the kitchenette, “I didn’t want to drop this on you.” She sighed deeply. “You don’t deserve to have to worry about this on top of everything else.”

  I knew it sounded crazy, but I didn’t think I was ever entirely grown-up until that moment. Certainly, I was tempted to agree with Roxanne, to argue that I really shouldn’t have to worry about this, but I was about sick of not taking a hand in controlling how my life was going. Yes, I did suck at most things in life, but that didn’t mean I shouldn’t try.

  “Maybe,” I shrugged, “but this is about our life and our family. Deserved or not, I need to do whatever I can to help.” I shook out my good hand and reached for one of the pens on the table. “If filling out paperwork might make a difference, I have to do it, right?”

  Roxanne leaned against the wall by the fridge and smiled. “So, I suppose all those therapy sessions are finally sinking in, huh?”

  I laughed because if my therapists had been dead, they’d have rolled in their graves at that. “I guess so.” The good humor didn’t last long before I looked up from the papers. “How long before Dr. Fontaine cuts us off?”

  “A month, maybe two, if we’re lucky.” She ran a hand through her hair. “It’s more than the research grant, such as it is, but my own salary, if I defy Mom and stay here. That not only takes away from the household budget, but it adds all my expenses to that. We can't handle that alone unless you have a secret pile of cash tucked under your bed. If we can get another research group or a university or something to pick up the tab, everything will be okay.”

  “A month or so ….” My brow knit in thought. It would be close, but maybe there was enough time. “Well, if you don’t mind fixing some lunch and getting some coffee, we can see about busting through all this.”

  Roxanne’s eyes went wide. “Lunch? Just what time is it?” She pulled her sleeve down to glance at her watch. “God, Mom, you put me behind schedule!”

  It was worth a laugh from both of us, a little bit of catharsis in light of what was weighing down on both of us. As she started to mix up a pot of soycafe and flicked on the food rehydrator, I got down into the paperwork.

  Honestly, I think we both knew that what we were trying here was a fool’s errand. Even if we crammed through these stacks of busywork and got them sent off, the chance that any of these institutions would lend a hand in time for it to matter was somewhere between slim and none.

  There were millions of people in need and many of them were far worse off than we were. Even if the Fontaine Institute pulled all its aid to us, we could limp by on government aid, and my meager income.

  We’d lose Roxanne though, and while she might be able to help some, she wouldn’t be here nearly as much. Both Chrissy and my therapy would get behind, our health would dwindle, and well, it couldn’t end well in the long run. The thought of it made my heart ache and my eyes watery. It would be the slow, lingering end instead of a stark, dramatic tragedy but it would suck all the same.

  I took a moment to let my vision clear, flexing the fingers of my good hand before getting back to the paperwork. As I ticked off check boxes and filled in data, the back of my mind was drawn back to the game, both with dreams of what we might be able to achieve with Crystalfire and the possibilities of what I might be able to do with this newfound fame. If I hadn’t been dead set on the idea of streaming, I was now. I had to do whatever I could do to keep us afloat and that meant not only did I have to stream, but I had to make damned sure we got to the Keep first.

  Elemental Modification Gems change the core Elemental property of a connected Ability or Passive Gem. This alters the cosmetics of some Abilities, the damage type of damage-dealing Gems, and how the Gem interacts with the Elemental Affinities each Race has. The exception to this are Prime Elemental Gems (Light and Dark) which not only alter these previous properties but alter the Gem into an entirely new Ability or Passive.

  From the Modification Gems section, EO Internal Wiki

  The dense tangles of untamed forests along the north end of the Grand Trade Road have long been the homes of outcasts, bandits, and other malcontents that cannot abide the strict, honorable culture of the Earth Kingdom. From the Briarheart through the Tanglespur and eventually into the Earthfire Forests, all reasonable people shun these unruly regions. If the bandits were not dangerous enough, there are rumors of darker, more dangerous things in the depths of the forests.

  From the Earth Kingdom section, EO Internal Wiki

  15

  My good hand was cramped from paperwork by the time we were finished and I was glad to have my chance to get back into the dive. The proverbial die had been cast in that department and by the stated numbers, our benefits would increase if things went as Roxanne predicted, but even that was less of a fix for the situation and more of a Band-Aid.

  Corners would still have to be cut, corners we were already cutting down to the bone (mixing my metaphors, I know), and while we weren’t going to be thrown out on the street, I didn’t see how this situation could be sustainable forever.

  Yes, the government would not let us die outright, but Chrissy and I would be maintained at that basest level and that alone wouldn’t be enough. I couldn’t stand for that, not anymore.

  So, Elementalis Online beckoned. It was both an escape and a possible salvation, now so more than ever. I had a well-reviewed free streaming app (BoarRide Free Edition, I appreciated the name) to try out in preparation for the next main event, and I found myself smiling as I brought the visor down, looking forward to seeing my friends again, especially Kayla. I suppose my old therapist was right. Even when things looked dark, you were still allowed to embrace the bright spots you find.

  The usual comet ride down to Granholm was soothing as my focus shifted from the world above to the world below. I had a new shield to play with, and a powerful new Gem that invited a lot of testing and play, not to mention a possible trip into Bandit Country. Heck, maybe there might be even more good news. Maybe Crysta had heard from Vanni and maybe Burndall had decided I deserved a nice big bonus.

  Hey, it never hurt to hope!

  That feeling of strength and wholeness that entering Shale gave me was even more appreciated than it usually was. The NSAF gear was as good at taking pain away as it was in inflicting it, even if both were temporary, and I always appreciated being able to walk under my own power. As soon as Granholm Plaza resolved around me, the Herald was already pinging in my ear, signaling me to a bevy of messages eagerly waiting in my inbox.

  From: Kayla, Subject: Bandit research

  From: Burndall, Subject: Got a brilliant idea!

  From: Nahma, Subject: Biggest fans

  There were more on top of that, but the rest of them didn’t catch my eye. Nahma stuck in my head; I wanted to say I had seen that name attached to one of the crowds of groupies. I didn’t even want to look at the Social pane. The introverted hermit in me truly feared a number of friend requests I had sitting.

  Shafts of afternoon sun cut through the canopy of branches and lighting up the enclaves of groups forming to sally forth as I found the nearest bench on which to idle and read.

  Deciding to leave what I hoped would be the best for last, I started with Burndall’s note. It was a middle ground between good and unknown for my tastes. It was on the same singed paper as before but the lettering was in a fancy gold leaf now. The kid was loaded; maybe he was willing to flaunt it a little more now that we were getting a bit of fame. I let out a huff of a sigh and read.

  Hey, dude! I know you’re a businessman, right, and I figure you’re dropping a lot of jobs to do this with us. I’m paying you as much as I can spare for your time, but I think you could make a lot of gold off these fans, right? Cel
ebrity access, digital autographs, meet-and-greets, all kinda stuff. Especially if you can lay down a real sob story that doesn’t break the Filter, right? Maybe I can even be your manager, man, no charge. I’m good with peeps! Let me know!

  Boy, was I already ahead of him! Still, maybe the kid could help. He certainly wanted to talk to people a heck of a lot more than I ever did. I held off on a reply for the moment, though. Snapping my fingers, I banished Burndall’s letter into my archives and summoned up Nahma’s. It was the simple yellow parchment that cost the bare minimum cost to send, literally a newb’s letter.

  Hello, Mr. Shale! I really hope you take the time to read this with how busy you must be. Let me introduce myself: I’m Nahma and I’m the one organizing what I hope to be the biggest fan club for the Firsters on the server. We were the ones that celebrated your success in the Needle yesterday, if you didn’t realize.

  I only wanted to let you and your group know that we support you all the way, and if there is anything any of our club can do to help you on to the finish, please don’t hesitate to ask! You guys are the best!

  I found myself reading over the letter multiple times. It looked like Burndall was right. Between offering streams and simply asking for money for ‘support’, I could turn this newfound success into a more stable income, assuming we could keep our lead. Still, there was something about the whole affair that didn’t sit entirely even with me. I just couldn’t put my finger on it.

  Finally shrugging to myself, I focused instead on the potential for a fatter bank account and the session ahead. Nahma’s letter went into the Archives as well, and I mentally filtered through my Social tab for the friend request from him (her? I didn’t know for sure) to accept it.

  On to the last letter I felt like I had time for. One last flick of the brain and Kayla’s note, a rather substantial scroll this time, fell into my lap. When she mentioned research, she wasn’t kidding! The thing was sealed with blue wax and the mark of the Sisters of Artemis. Breaking it with my thumb, I unrolled it to begin reading.

  Shale, I know you have a lot going on so you probably want to make the most of your time. I promise I shouldn’t be far behind you this afternoon, but I took a little time to do some research about the bandits in the North Earth Kingdoms, compiled some wiki links to the MOBs there (you probably know most of them leveling up here), anything that might maximize our time together.

  Oh, I also got you something to help fill up those banner Gem slots. I’ll bring it when we meet up. Experiment with that Light Gem, too! We have a long road to ride when we meet up, and I want to get to the truth of it all!

  What followed was exactly what Kayla promised. I thought I loved to be prepared, but she had me beat here. I would never have gone to all this trouble. Then again, it made sense when I thought about it. Kayla was obviously an Arena aficionado and success in Arena matches could hinge on altering your Gem loadout to match the next opponents you have coming up.

  Glancing at the timestamp on the letter delivery, I figured I had some time before Kayla would get on, and yes, I would want to make the most of my time. Given my druthers and my past experience with those forests (exactly as Kayla figured), I settled on playing with Gems instead, especially with the prospect of an extra gift to come … not that I thought I entirely deserved it.

  I got up off my stony rear and stretched. No one had noticed me or more precisely who I was quite yet, so I made my way quickly down the lane toward Chiselmark Row and my usual sit-down spot. As the Smith’s Hall came into view, I was thankful to see that none of my new ‘friends’ were there. While I was thinking about leaning on their help, I didn’t want to deal with them quite yet, not when I needed to think.

  The smithy was its usual hammer-beat-box self, the quiet weaving between the echoing anvils to bring a soothing rhythm into my mind. At least one of my choice points that night would be butt-simple as I settled down at my usual thinking bench.

  The Guardian Shell Fragment was a clear upgrade over my old obsidian shield, and I imagined that the ‘scalable’ tag meant that it would continue to stay potent for the next nineteen levels. Let’s not talk about the five sockets; my old shield had three, two linked and one lone one.

  I unsocketed everything out my slab of a shield (Shield Slam, the Earth Elemental Mod Gem, and my Shield Master Passive) and set them out on the table as I summoned up the Fragment from my bag. Much like the icon for it, the shield looked exactly like a broken segment of the Solar Guardian’s roundish body and glowed faintly with that same pure, warm light. Though the edges were jagged and cracked, the rest of it continued to shift and morph slightly as the Guardian did. The five sockets (two linked pairs and one individual socket) were set inside the single black space, a line that ran from one side to the other, likely where the silver ‘eye’ had once been.

  I set the Fragment against the bench to my right and the Banner across the desk. There were a lot of potential configurations I could try now, with so many slots for modification. I was light on Mod Gems in general, but I had several spare Ability Gems, a set of normal Elemental Mods, and the big whammy of the Grade S Light Gem.

  Well, I would start with the easy things. I put Shield Slam right into one of the two sets of linked sockets and Shield Master (a basic core Passive that upped my Block Rate considerably) into the solo socket. I’d give Shield Master a test linked to the Light Gem, of course, but best to start with the basics. I had a feeling the more dramatic changes would be in the Active Gems. What to put in the other dual socket, though?

  I considered the big Defensive Gems I had before with the banner, but there was something I hadn’t considered then, something more general purpose. I pulled out my Grade A Elemental Bastion and gave it a look of consideration.

  Grade A Elemental Bastion (Support)

  200 Elemental Power to activate

  1 minute cooldown, Neutral Element

  You summon up a protective ward for your group. For 15 minutes, your group gains +15% resistance to all elemental types.

  We had been running into plenty of Elemental damage on these quests and Bastion was an Active that could be easily fine-tuned with Mod Gems. Sometimes it was the constant little buffs that saved the day instead of the big power moves. With that in mind, I slapped it in along with the Fire Mod ruby I had used on Scorchtusk. We were going after bandits and they loved sparkshooters, after all.

  I took a deep breath now and pulled out the Grade S Light Mod Gem. Even the small Grade C diamond that Kayla had was incredibly beautiful and now, seeing the Grade S Gem in my open palms, my jaw almost dropped open. It was a large diamond, now quite the size of my palm, and flared with the light of the noon sun, rays refracting off the facets. By a huge margin, the Gem was the most stunning jewel I had ever seen in any medium.

  Grade S Light Element (Modification)

  Light Prime Element

  Infuses any connected Active or Passive Gems with the Power of the Prime Element of Light. Unlike normal Elemental Modifications, this will cause significant changes with the connected Gem beyond elemental realignment.

  Considering its transformative nature, I felt a moment of mental paralysis. There were so many things I could try connecting it to, and I was tempted to try every single one. I didn’t have all night, not if I wanted to do every other little thing I wanted to do, so I decided to concentrate on checking combinations with the main Gems mounted in my banner and shield. They were among my core gameplay options and had the most room for Mods with the connective links both had.

  Deciding to start with what would likely be the least dynamic change, I popped out the Fire Mod on Elemental Bastion and replaced it with the Light Gem. There was a faint pulse of light from the diamond as it sunk into place followed by an immediate system update.

  Grade A Elemental Bastion modified into Grade A Aegis of Light!

  300 Elemental Power to activate

  1 minute cooldown, Light Element

  You call up the protection of Primal Light to sh
ield you and your companions. For 15 minutes, your group gains +25% resistance to Light and Darkness Elemental Damage. In addition, all healing effects upon anyone affected by the Aegis are increased by 5%.

  While not drastic, the interaction was neat. Increased healing boons weren’t super common outside of Support-based Passives and resistance to Prime Element damage was rare. The diamond’s glow dimmed a hair as I unslotted it, Bastion returning to normal as I did so. Turning the shield in my hands, I next popped the Mod into place beside Shield Slam and waited for the glow to amp up once more.

  Grade S Shield Slam modified into Grade S Solar Shield!

  Requires an equipped shield

  200 Elemental Power to activate

  8 second cooldown, Light Element

  Focusing Primal Light directly into your shield, you expel that energy in a corona of sunlight that damages and blinds enemies. All enemies in a 90-degree cone in front of you take 430-710 Light Damage and are blinded for 3 seconds. This Ability generates double the usual threat.

  Now that was a more radical change. Shifting from a single-target melee strike with a stun to an area-of-effect blast that blinded was a big shift. Also, Solar Shield gained a small cooldown and double the resource cost but that threat generation was a nice cherry on top. Mixing that up with Defiant Display, Threat Transfer, and Impose could lead to some amazing threat control, which was my primary job, after all.

  Mulling it over, I took out the diamond and slid my banner closer to me on the desk. Two sockets were open on that big quad array, staring at me like black caverns. I didn’t hesitate to slot the Gem.

  Grade S Strength of the Mountain modified into Grade S Sacred Earth!

  Craggar only

  750 Elemental Power to activate

  5 minute cooldown, Earth and Light Elements

  Through your connection to the Earth, you infuse the ground around you with Primal Light. For 30 seconds, all your resistances (including Light and Dark) are increased by 30% and you heal 5% of your Health Points every 2 seconds. In addition, all enemies within 10 units of you take 220-330 Light Damage every 2 seconds and suffer 10% Vulnerability.