The king’s teacup settled on his saucer. He held up a finger and it flashed bright, catching everyone’s attention. The goblins snapped awake. “The grand council will commence shortly.” His voice was textured but smooth and youthful. Typical for a Draconian. “Please inform those running late that the primary discussion material will be top secret and the chamber will be sealed when the time comes. In the meantime, we will hear other mundane issues the council wishes to discuss.”
Oh no…
The human queen—a tier six world boss—looked to be itching with problems. The goblins too. Similar with the dwarves. Okay, everyone appeared to have issues to present and resources to request. Every guild, Light’s Justice and Enchanters (Dorian’s guild) included. They had been low on wood, stone, and ward crystals for a year now, halting the expansion of their joint city.
Lance winced at the announcement and leaned over to Dorian, whispering.
Jonathan pulled up his in-game browser and began streaming a popular sitcom. An hourglass icon appeared over his head, signaling this adventurer was busy. NPCs would assume he was accessing the adventurer market or whatever from afar.
Or suffering from adventurer madness—kind of a running, hard-coded joke among the NPCs. Whenever a player mentioned the real world or referred to this world, Aeon, as a game around NPCs, they’d assume adventurer madness. A mind-curse suffered as the price for being a chosen of the gods.
The king’s finger flashed twice, signaling the meeting has commenced. “Let’s begin.” That finger thing was part of his unique, casual personality. It made him more… approachable.
The goblin chieftain stood in an instant and started complaining about the southern brown drakes and ogres yet again.
Jonathan inwardly groaned and sank into his velvety seat, losing himself in the comedy sitcom. Thank the AI controller for accepting the in-game browser directive. Synaptic had wisely issued it back in alpha.
* * *
Three forty-minute episodes passed and Jonathan yawned while the dwarf king bemoaned the loss of the present dude in Stonehurst. They valued their kind down to the last dwarf. They lived for centuries, longer than the Draconians. An ancient race. Few in numbers. Extraordinary engineers. They’d advanced to rudimentary steam engine technology a couple years back, allowed by the AI controller. Or granted by the gods as they claimed. A few players had attempted inventing electrical technology, but a mysterious magic had stopped their contraptions from working.
Xapham held up a wrinkled palm. “We understand your loss and grieve with you. Rowan Black will be brought to justice.”
Justice for adventurers usually meant a large gold fine or debt. Or guild expulsions and suspensions, excluding them from activities such as raids. Player houses and soulbound gear had been confiscated a few times before and held in a special stasis. That had put players on their best behavior since.
The darkies would likely be thrown in adventurer jail for years. They’d have no choice but to cancel their subscription for months or hope for a breakout. LeMort and co had rescued Not Insane twice now. Most players and NPCs refused the boring and menial but dangerous task of being a prison guard. Even when offered handsome gold salaries.
The dwarf king finally returned to his seat after a short argument over Rowan’s imprisonment duration and requests for additional imperial guard and adventurer presence. They’d dug too deeply again and flooded another mine with elementals. Earth elementals this time. It was unavoidable in crystal mines. Gems were a natural focus of mana.
The human queen stood again and withdrew a request for additional adventurers. Lance had shared a few hushed words with her while the dwarves spoke. She hadn’t been informed of what had gone down in Stonehurst, unlike the human king. Her middle-aged face was now strained, her hand tight around her staff.
“Very well,” Xapham said, offering a kind smile, “Are there any more issues?”
The goblins chattered among themselves for a few seconds before dropping silent when the chamber shot them disparaging looks. The non-important issues had dragged on long enough. There was big news to be had.
Xapham stood and the chamber held a breath. He chanted a long verse in the primordial language and golden mana enveloped the chamber in a dome. It swirled and sparkled in radiance, bathing Jonathan in warmth and light mana. As impressive as Lance had described.
Xapham reseated and steepled his fingers. “What we're about to discuss shall be withheld from the general public to prevent a panic…” He paused, brows furrowing.
Fair and reasonable. Few knew of the dark class hierarchy as well.
“We wasted three hours by listening to all that nonsense,” Dorian whispered from Jonathan’s right, “Rowan could be in a deep, remote jungle by now.”
By now? Jonathan lifted his chin his direction. “LeMort has dark spawnstones hidden around the world. Ambiguous would’ve teleported them away several hours ago.”
Dorian sighed. “They weren’t with her when she first ported. I think they had remaining business in the area.”
Not this again. They’d been discussing why Rowan and LeMort hadn’t really shown themselves and used illusions since the demolition began. Jonathan strained to keep his voice quiet. “It’s a designated starter area and we thoroughly swept it years back. There’s nothing there—”
Xapham resumed in a measured tone, “Firstly, I want to inform you that another light-aligned Oculus has been unearthed and is operational. A nature oculus in the elves’ continent.”
That was news. Jonathan’s brows shot up his forehead. This would definitely cause riots if the NPC public knew. The Oculus’ was a means to commune with the gods. They’d give quests, knowledge of advanced technology at a painful pace, and grant various other boons from time to time. Dorian’s Fire Lord advancement was one.
But most importantly, each Oculus came with a thousand Divine Blessing charges and couldn’t be recharged. The blessing promoted any NPC to pseudo-adventurer status, granting them immortality and a few player-only features. Retaining soulbound gear on death was one. The ability to use an inventory pouch was another. A Divine Blessing was more or less the greatest desire of every NPC.
And the source of much evil in this world.
A civil war had almost broken out when the fire oculus had been discovered in the southern desert back in mid-alpha. Many NPCs had fallen to darkness in their desperation. That was how the Death-Knight raid boss among others was born and why the decision to occupy every dark temple had been made. The Oculus’ couldn’t be hidden. They were enormous structures once activated.
A commotion erupted and several NPC leaders stood.
The goblin chieftain said in a croaky voice, “Our champions deserve the blessing more than anyone else in this faction!”
“Yours?” the dwarf king said, pointing a pudgy finger, “Your lot nearly cost us the battle at our stronghold gate. We should be given blessings. Our people are few.”
Jonathan smirked. The dwarves and goblins hated each other for a myriad of petty reasons.
“That was your own fault!”
“Our fault? You brought in those wretched catapults!”
Xapham sighed and silenced them with a series of finger-flashes under the already bright dome. “The elves have jurisdiction over Oculus’ found on their continent. You must negotiate on their terms if you desire a blessing. It is out of my hands, as you know well.”
The goblin chieftain groaned. “Oh, come on! You have significant sway over their lot!”
“It is not in my place,” Xapham said, tone final.
“Arrrgh.” The chieftain struggled on the spot but sank back into his seat.
Dorian chuckled. “Even the so-called good-aligned NPCs are beyond selfish when it comes to immortality.”
Lance nodded. “Yes. But it’s only natural.”
Hadrian the calculating, calm officer said, “It’d be the exact same in real-life if these Oculus’ existed. You can’t blame them. They’re only
designed to be as human-like as possible. Good and evil.”
“True,” Dorian said and huffed.
Jonathan didn’t have a word to offer, conflicted over the Oculus’. The limited blessings were inherently unfair but were an exceptional game feature which no other MMO had. If this world wasn’t so life-like, he’d say he loved what the Oculus’ and blessings brought to the game. There’d probably be a few new dark raid bosses rising in the coming times.
But they already had one player Necromancer to deal with—growing in power by the minute.
The human queen said over the noise made by her own delegation of mayors and lords, “We shall send an envoy to the elves and hope for the best.”
The dwarf king nodded at her, grunting, while the goblins grew agitated. They shouted and jumped and two tumbled in a fist fight. Goblins. It was lucky they lacked any inherent dark mana despite their brutish tendencies.
Jonathan kept his breathing steady, his skin bristling in irritation as Dorian’s heat flared. He too was feeling the strain of these meetings. Sometimes he mulled why the king didn’t just put his foot down. And realized a second later: it’d be a totalitarian dictatorship and highly tyrannical.
The meeting stormed on, the NPC leaders broiling in the news under the golden dome. Jonathan attempted some small talk with Dorian to keep him calm. Those churning eyes of fire flared every few minutes, that inner demon of his threatening to surface. The king seemed to know, glancing at Dorian every now and then. Not with a look of distrust or disgust, but one of concern and care—like a father figure. The AI was too life-like. Uncanny.
* * *
The commotion settled an hour later and Lance stood at last to give his report, Jonathan and Dorian at his sides. Rain had secretly logged off hours earlier and Hadrian didn’t seem like the glory and fame type as the guild’s lead crafter. Jonathan appreciated that, someone more level-headed and down-to-earth in his circle of friends. His companionship was refreshing.
Lance’s voice washed over the heads, smooth and confident. “An adventurer named Rowan Black, the same Rowan who killed the dwarf, has fallen into darkness, aided by Gabby LeMort.” He spoke her first name with a hint of disgust. “We have confirmed he is of Ice-Dark mana and unlocked the Necromancer class through a dark temple hidden at Stonehurst, a starter town. LeMort slaughtered the Paladin guards and every villager.”
Several jaws had dropped, the dwarves and humans most shocked. The Goblins were steady while the ever-silent Draconian nobles were stoic. An arrogant lot they were.
Jonathan tensed for another mass outburst. Everyone here knew of the dark class power ranking. An adventurer Necromancer would likely cause havoc at the higher levels.
A female Draconian noble spoke to his surprise. Her voice was elegant and rang with a light echo. “And is that all? We’ve defeated Necromancers and Death-Knights before and they were world bosses. Tier fours and fives, I recall. They didn’t cause too much trouble.”
The dwarf king said, “Let’s not underestimate the situation… my lady. We haven’t bested LeMort a single time yet.”
“But she is just a fly on the run, is she not?”
Jonathan was about to speak before Lance nudged his arm. His fame was low and few NPC nobles knew him personally. It’d be best for Lance to deliver the news.
“That is not all,” Lance said, tone grave, “There was also something entirely new. Somehow, someway, Rowan Black has been given a resurrection skill that is able to target not just adventurers or those with divine bless—”
“What?” the goblin chieftain shouted, “We must capture him and find out how that skill works!”
What annoying buggers those goblins where. Jonathan resisted a shake of his head.
“Quiet, you,” the dwarf king snapped. “Lance, please continue.”
Lance nodded and took a breath. “We encountered roughly one hundred resurrected children—”
“Children?” the human queen said but held up a palm a second later. “Sorry, please continue.”
Fidgeting with his fingers at his sides, Lance alternated eye-contact with various leaders and took a few breaths. Dorian nudged him.
Jonathan prepared for the worst—for a thunderous pandemonium. The birth of dark humans was a monumental shift in the balance of good and evil in this world. To evil. That little girl’s deranged shouts still gnawed at his insides. How could LeMort and Rowan willingly create such beings? Ambiguous had been so proud of them too.
“A hundred children and thirty adults were resurrected…” Lance said and swallowed, “However, when we examined them, they were labeled as Dark Humans. They had a frightening aura of dark mana and their personalities were extremely warped like they were possessed by demons. Perhaps they were. They had sickly pale skin and glowing red eyes. A small girl demanded to kill us to sight and every child knew the death bolt ski—”
A Draconian male cut him off with a chuckle. “Are you sure you’re not seeing things? Is your adventurer’s mind-curse playing up?”
Fools. And man, they were such a snobby, stuck-up bunch. It’d been too long since Jonathan dealt with these Draco nobles. No wonder the humans despised them.
Dorian growled, his heat flaring. “We are absolutely sure of what we saw.”
“That’s a tough story to swallow, laddie,” the dwarf king said.
“Indeed,” a different Draconian said, less arrogant sounding.
“I was there,” Jonathan said confidently and straightened his back, daring anyone to challenge him. He peeked at the stunned dwarves and braved to eye a portion of the horrified humans. Many tried to remain steady but a woman wiped her eye. Jonathan tore his gaze from then—nothing he could do or say to console them in here.
The Draconian male raised a brow. “Do you have a memory you can show us?
Dorian nodded and pulled a glass orb from his pouch. Wisps of fire mana swirled in the glass. A memory sphere. They were difficult to craft and even more difficult to use. Impressive.
Xapham finally said in a hard, pained voice, “Hand it over, please. Let’s see it.” He gestured to a memory projector commonly used by this grand council.
Dorian's fire blazed and he swirled to the king's side. He placed the orb in a slot within a torus-shaped white crystal, the focus of the projector. His hand glowed as he fed mana into the device.
Jonathan clenched his stomach. He didn’t wish to look into those terrible eyes again.
Then a dialog decorated in ruby and onyx popped into view.
World Event, The Dark Ruby Core, has commenced.
A demonic power below Greenwood Spine has been awakened.
Triggering Adventurer: Rowan Black
Difficulty: ?
Recommended level: ?
Location: The Dark Ruby Core, Demonic Citadel, Stonehurst Mine
Five deafening heartbeats rapped through Jonathan’s frame before utter pandemonium broke out under the golden dome. The NPC leaders would’ve gotten the alert too, the AI deciding who was important enough to be alerted.
Every muscle spasmed as Jonathan finished reading the alert for the sixth time. The name registered. The Dark Ruby Core. The king’s voice echoed from a distant crevice in his mind, the story of the sealed Demon Knight from a millennium ago licking his mind’s ear.
Rowan Black had released Zaine Everlight. A demigod, S rank world boss. Tier eight.
Now, they were truly in the deepest shit.
Chapter 30
Dummy
The papyrus activated in a flurry of fire and ash.
Rowan Black hunched over the ruby table and grasped his chest, a hot dagger piercing his heart. Fiery mana cracked through his nerves as a dialog appeared.
You have entered into a binding contract with Zaine Everlight (focus to reveal details)
Acting against any clause will inflict a permanent, crippling debuff on your character
“It is done,” Zaine said in a tone no child should speak.
Hacking on the li
ngering smoke and searing mana in his body, Rowan blinked back reactionary tears at the potent char. Not because he just made a deal with a devil child. This was too reminiscent of the deal made with that devil Roth. “Alright then,” Rowan coughed, patting his seared lungs.
“Aww it’s not that bad,” Gabrielle said and rubbed his back.
She had used one of her remaining resurrection stones when the negotiation began and barged her way into the contract. Sly as usual while Ambiguous had temporarily logged out for a quick lunch. Yes, for lunch. It was still mid-day in the real world, less than four hours passing since 8 AM. She wasn’t as interested in the contract terms—as long as lore tomes and Chaos-Mystic scrolls ended up in her hands. Gabrielle had tossed in that clause for her.
Zaine drummed his fingers on the ruby. “Now tell me, where is the location?”
Aeon Chronicles Online_Book 1_Devil's Deal Page 35