The Crucible of Immortality: Book One: Synthesis

by Leto Blackman

  "Alright you greedy little ball of delight, I'm going." I smirk at her. She flies in front of my feet almost tripping me. "Hey!" I laugh at her. I exit the door and begin digging around. I end up finding 2 Dim Cores, 3 Common Cores, 2 Hebra Claws, and 1 Rough Cotton Pant. Not sure what a Hebra is, but the claws are pretty sharp. I keep picturing a zebra with lion claws. I stand up and notice a mound on the other side of the hallway, near the corner.

  Congratulations! You have leveled up the Skill:

  Perception (Novice, Lvl 2)

  Hey! Good thing you are a nerd and were watching that fly. Your ability to notice hidden or concealed items, creatures, or other beings is increased by 2%.

  Mental Energy Cost: NA

  Experience awarded: 15

  I pump my fist in the air "Yes!". I crouch down and dig at the mound. There is a humanoid skeleton and next to it is a backpack. A prompt appears asking if I want to loot everything, I hit yes.

  Lorvyer Skin Bag (Crafted by Zuland Jferig)

  Rarity: Rare

  Quality: Superb

  Durability: 290/300

  Slots Available: 34/40

  -This is a Flux Bag crafted by Zuland Jferig with the rare skin of the Lorvyer Beast. A Luminous Core was used to imbue this bag with a Flux interior.

  -Do you wish to Core-Bind this bag? Y/N

  "I could kiss you, Kala! Thank you for reminding me to come back to this area. Now I can carry stuff in a real bag." I hold up the bag to show her.

  "Huh. I have never kissed before. Is it nice?" She asks me.

  "I can show you now, if you like." I say to her grinning.

  "Sure, why not." She says.

  She floats to be level with my face. I put my hands on her, she feels like tingling warm energy. I'm not quite sure where to kiss her, so I just kiss her right in the middle. I feel energy flow into my lips and I hear Kala giggle. I pull away and look at her, she is glowing a pink color, which I can tell is her blushing.

  "That was actually kind of nice. Thank you for giving me my first kiss, Jax." She says.

  "Yeah, I didn't know what to expect. But I agree, that was nice." We both are quiet for a minute and it feels a little awkward. "Anyways!" She laughs "That is a super nice bag. You should definitely bind it to yourself. That way you can't lose it, nor can it be stolen. But seriously, are you going to open it or what? Let's see what's in it!" She says excitedly.

  First I select yes and bind the bag, then I open it. It contains three Health Orbs, three Mental Orbs, three Stamina Orbs, and 3 items. The orbs seem to restore my health, mental, and stamina if crushed in my hand.

  Leather Shoes of Minor Speed*

  Rarity: Uncommon

  Quality: Fine

  Durability: 100/100

  Armor: 3

  -These shoes provide a speed boost while walking or running of 15%.

  *These shoes have never been worn and user may expend 50 Mental Energy to resize to fit.

  Crystal Ring of Raw Energy

  Rarity: Uncommon

  Quality: Fine

  Durability: 200/200

  Charge: 0/30

  -Effects 1: 1% Mental Energy Regeneration

  -Effects 2: This ring captures the residual energy from your Core and stores it. When fully charged user can fire a ray causing 30 damage of Raw Energy. Recharge takes 1 day.

  Congratulations! You have found the Skill Orb Shockwave. This skill will allow the user to leap ten feet and at the point of impact an explosion will occur knocking back opponents.

  Do you wish to learn this skill? Y/N

  "Damn! This dude was loaded. He had a new pair of shoes, a nice ring, and a Skill Orb." Kala says.

  "Yeah, he must have been some kind of Adventurer or something. I wonder what race he was? Part of me wants to collect his bones to study. This is proof of alien life!" I look down, but the bones have already been absorbed into the planet. "Dammit! I should have grabbed the bones first." I say feeling disappointed.

  "Calm it down. No need to collect bones. I'm sure you will have first contact soon enough." She says.

  "Huh, yeah that's a little frighting. But, one thing at a time. So? Should I use the Skill Orb?" I ask her.

  "Sure! You might want to sit down first. From my understanding using Skill Orbs can be quite the experience."

  I look at her and then at the Skill Orb. Hmm, alright let's do it. Being able to leap ten feet sounds pretty cool. I sit down and select yes. The orb glows brightly and my mind is slammed with images and information. I feel like I have vertigo and I feel dizzy. I quickly lean over and barf.

  "Ugh, my head is pounding. That was not fun at all." I wipe off my mouth.

  "It's a small price to pay to gain a new skill. Those things are worth a ton. You are really lucky to have found that. You feel ready to move on?" She asks me.

  Congratulations! You have learned the Skill:

  Shockwave (Novice, Lvl 1)

  Really? Stealing from a dead body? What if that skill orb was for his nieces birthday party? Well, fuck his niece. This skill will allow the user to leap and at the point of impact an explosion will occur knocking back opponents.

  Range: 10ft

  Damage Radius: 4ft

  Damage: 10-15 Physical

  Stun: 5% chance

  Stamina Cost: 20

  Experience awarded: 15

  "No, chill Kala. I need to put on my new kicks. The ring won't do me any good for a day because it needs to charge. I also want to check my Character Sheet, and see what kind of badass I'm turning into." The last part is a joke. I've always been the quiet, nerdy science guy. Being able to throw bolts of energy has done wonders for my confidence. I sit back down and focus on my new shoes, pouring my Mental Energy into them so that they fit me. The shoes flash with light and my head feels light for a moment, but no headache. I slip them on, they fit perfectly. A new pop up appears as soon as I put the shoes on.

  Congratulations! You have learned the Skill:

  Medium Armor (Novice, Lvl 1)

  Well look at you. Fully clothed. Good for you. Level this skill to gain benefits to Medium Armor.

  Effect 1: While wearing Medium Armor user gains a 1% armor boost.

  Effect 2: Each additional piece of Medium Armor adds a 1% boost to armor.

  Effect 3: Each level provides 1% to evasion.

  Experience awarded: 15

  "Huh, I got a new skill just by putting on my shoes." I say to myself. I look up at Kala and shrug. I slip my ring on, it tingles a bit against my skin, but that's all that happens. Alright, lets pull up my info.

  Name: Jax Stone

  Age: 28

  Gender: Male

  Level: 2

  Experience: 17%

  Synthesis: 100%

  Race: Progenitor

  Focus: Undermined

  Fame: 300

  Health: 125/110

  Mind Energy: 320/300

  Stamina: 110

  Health Regen/sec: .51%

  Mind Regen/sec: 3.2%

  Stamina Regen/sec: .51%

  Strength: 11

  Constitution: 11

  Endurance: 11

  Dexterity: 11

  Agility: 12

  Intelligence: 27 (32)

  Wisdom: 27 (32)

  Luck: 25

  Base Melee Damage: 6-10 (Unarmed)

  Weapon Damage: 15-20

  Base Ranged Damage: 0

  Weapon Damage: 15

  Base Mind Power: 27 (32)

  Base Armor: 2 (5.05)

  Afflictions Resist Chance: Physical (5%)

  Mental (20%)

  Critical Hit Chance: 8.45%

  Critical Hit Damage: 150%

  Evasion Chance: 6%

  Abilities:

  Mark of Synthesis: Once per day you may use Soul Touch to gain an intrinsic understanding of an inanimate object. May allow access to varying rewards. You must be in physical contact with object.

  Mental Cost: 100

  Effects 1: Learning new skills is 25% easi
er.

  Effects 2: Permanent increase of 10 to Luck Stat.

  Effects 3: Allows user to open Progenitor Lock Boxes.

  Mark of the Watcher: You have been awarded an Unbonded Unique Companion. Mark of the Watcher grants the player a one time use of Petition of the Watcher, the Watcher will hear and grant one request. (Uses 0/1)

  Perks:

  Iron Mind

  Skills:

  Analyze: Level 2

  Unarmed Combat: Level 1

  Stealth: Level 2

  Sneak Attack: Level 1

  Staffs: Level 2

  Meditation: Level 1

  Teleportation: Level 1

  Dark Shield: Level 1

  Perception: Level 2

  Shockwave: Level 1

  Medium Armor: Level 1

  Chapter Five: The Lair, Part 2

  Feeling pretty awesome with my new gear I head back into the first room with Kala. The door to the next section is open, it is very dark, but I can make out a few rooms to the sides of the hallway. I enter Stealth and peek into the rooms on the left and right sides of the hallway. There are some empty shelves and a collapsed cot. I wonder what this place used to be? I see a door at the end of the hallway. When I get within a few feet the door opens with a swish, dust falling everywhere.

  I rest a few minutes to regain my stamina. The next room is a bit smaller than the first, and there are no glowing metal blocks. There is enough of the bioluminescent moss that I can see fairly well into the room. There is a what looks like a console near the back of the room and recessed into the wall there seems to be twenty square storage units. They are all open and empty, except one.

  I enter the room in Stealth and head towards the console. A few feet into the room I notice a very large mud burrow in the corner behind me. I freeze. Shit, what do I do? My stamina will run out soon. I pick up a rock from the floor just in case. I begin moving towards the console again, while watching the burrow. My feet trip over each other and I fall to the ground. As I hit the floor I hear a deep gurgling noise come from the mud house. A huge Gibling lumbers out of its home. It's twice the size of the other ones I have fought. I quickly use Analyze on it.

  Elite Cave Gibling

  Level 6

  Health: 300

  Stamina: 215

  Mental: NA

  Race: Humanoid

  Disposition: Hatred

  Skill 1: Screech

  Skill 2: Maul

  Loot: Uncommon

  Oh shit, level 6? I use Teleportation on the stone in my hand trying for its brain. I see the rock fall beside its head. I pull up the combat log,Elite Cave Gibling resisted the Teleportationattack.

  Crap. I fire off a dark bolt at the monster as it turns towards me. The bolt hits its side and knocks off five percent of its health. I follow it up with my new Shockwave skill. I feel energy build in my legs and then I'm flying through the air and land behind the Gibling. The Shockwave slams it against the wall and it falls down on its stomach, another ten percent health gone. It screams in pain and anger and flips over, then it uses Maul. I try to jump out of the way but it hits me three times quickly, the final hit sends me flying across the room, sixty percent of my health gone.

  "Hey tubby! Pick on someone your own size!" I hear Kala yell over my moans of pain. I try to get up, but collapse back down in agony. I hear the Gibling scream and I look over to see it on fire.

  "Fuck him up, Kala!" I yell.

  I remember the Health Orbs in my backpack. I quickly get one out and crush it in my hand. My health surges back to one-hundred percent. Wow, those things are awesome! I jump up and fire another dark bolt at the Gibling as it rolls on the ground trying to put the fire out. I activate my Dark Shield as I run up to it and slam it in the head with my staff. Its health is over half gone. I get an idea and Morphmy hand into a sharp point that ends in bone. I yell out in pain, almost passing out as I skewer it through the eye into its brain. It's health disappears instantly. You have killed Elite Cave Gibling (Lvl 6). You receive 150 experience points.

  Congratulations! You have completed the quest:

  The Gibling Lair

  You have cleared the lair of all Giblings.

  Quest Type: Normal

  Difficulty: Hard

  Rewards: 150 experience

  Congratulations! You have increased to level 3. You now have 10 attribute points to disperse.

  "Well, that was fun." I say to Kala. I Morph my hand back, a little disgusted by how it looks. Kala is already over by the console examining it.

  "No, it's fine, I'm okay. Don't worry about me." I say sarcastically to her. I decide to hold off on distributing my stat points. I stand up and look at the dead Gibling, I kick it and say "Asshole.". I wave my hand in front of it and loot the corpse.

  Gibling Bone Necklace

  Rarity: Uncommon

  Quality: Primitive

  Durability: 40/40

  -This necklace will provide the user with Stun immunity and a 10% chance to Stun an opponent with all attacks.

  Stun duration: 3 seconds

  I also got1 Luminous Core, a Hebra pelt, and a Fairy Crown. Wait, what? I get the tiny crown out of my pack.

  "Um Kala? Are there Fairies on this planet? Look at this crown." A new pop up appears.

  New Quest Alert:

  The Fairy Crown

  You have found the quest item Fairy Crown. The Gibling you slain was carrying this crown. Find the Fairy village and return the crown.

  Quest Type: Rare

  Difficulty: Very Hard

  Rewards: ?????

  Do you accept this quest? Y/N

  "Awww! Look how cute that crown is! Can I wear it?" Kala asks me.

  "Yeah, I'm not sure it would fit your non-exsistent head." I laugh.

  "Whatever! See if I ever kiss you again." She scowls at me. "Like I told you, when you came to this planet new mobs and beings were populated from the mythology of Earth." She says.

  "Well you know, if you want to choose your bonded form to be a fairy you can wear the crown then." I say to her.

  "I don't want to be a fairy! And don't joke about my bonded form. It's a huge decision." She continues to scowl at me. I hold my hands up in front of me

  "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I know it's a big decision. I just want you to be able to join me in the loot and experience." I offer her a smile.

  "Oh don't you worry your pretty little head about the loot, I'm taking half of everything you have once I have a new form." She does an evil laugh. I accept the new quest.

  I walk over to the Gibling's mud burrow. It's big enough that I can walk into it. It reeks of piss and death and I almost gag. I put my hand to my nose and look around. All I see is a small pouch on the ground near what I think is its bed. I grab it and run out, not able to stand the smell any longer. I open the pouch and dump the contents onto my hand.You have received 10 Dim Cores, 8 Common Cores, 3 Luminous Cores, and 1 Radiant Core.

  "Wow, that monster has been busy. Look at this Kala." I hold the cores up for her to see.

  "Damn! You're buying me everything later. Everything." She says the last part barely above a whisper. I laugh at her, she is ridiculous. "You might be careful with that Radiant Core though. Radiant and above cores can only be obtained from higher beings, like humans and such. If we ever make it to a village the inhabitants may question where you got that Radiant Core. Although, some higher level monsters can have cores that high, it is very rare. Just be cautious, we do not want to be know as murderers."

  "Well, alright. Thank you for the info. I'll definitely keep that in mind. Now, lets go check out that console." I say. We both move over and look at the device. It is shaped out of the same glowing metal from the first room. There are no markings or buttons on it. There is a small hole the shape of a cube right in the center. I pull out the key, it is the same size as the hole on the console and made out of the same metal.

  I look at Kala "So, what do you think? Should I put it in?" I ask her.

  "That
's what she said." Kala says and then laughs.

  "Dork." I say and smile at her.

  "Yeah, go for it. Just be on guard." She replies.

  I move the key over the hole and then the key snaps out of my hand and slides into the hole. A screen pops up in front of the console. It's an overlay of the twenty storage units, all are red images that overlay the open units. There is one green one at the end. I move my finger over it and select it. There is a hissing sound and metal grinding, then the unit opens and a four foot round glowing metal ball falls out. I jump away and point my staff at it and wait. Nothing happens. I pick up a rock and throw it at the ball. Before the rock can hit it a blue energy shield activates and the rock bounces away.

  "Wow, what the hell is that thing?" I ask Kala.

  "You don't know what that is? It's one of the balls of the Jolly Green Giant. How the fuck would I know what that is!" She says to me. Okay, fair point I think to myself.

  Congratulations! You have completed the quest:

  The Old Ones I

  You have used the quest item Key of the Old Ones. Investigate the further to unlock The Old Ones II

  Quest Type: Secret, Unique

  Difficulty: ????

  Rewards: ????, 300 experience

  I pause and look over the quest completion window. Damn, that's a lot of experience. I wonder why one of the rewards is still unknown? I dismiss the window and slowly walk up to the metal ball, I reach out to touch it, right before I do a pop up appears.

  Do you wish to activate Unit Beta X20? Y/N