by Adam Drake
The great doors slowly rumbled open, and the group cheered again. Cautiously, they entered.
I'd moved to a boulder closest to the door and crouched there, waiting. After the last player entered, the doors slowly began to swing shut.
Bolting from my hiding spot I ran for the shrinking opening. I had to wait as long as I could before entering in case someone was watching.
Just as the doors were closing I dived through the small space and landed in a roll. I quickly moved to a dark corner and crouched.
Behind me, the huge doors clicked shut.
I looked around, half expecting to be caught. But the group had already moved on past a bend in the entryway tunnel, their shadows playing along the walls. They hadn't even bothered to post a rear guard to watch.
I love cocky guilds, I thought to myself.
Then, keeping to the shadows, I followed.
CHAPTER TWO
The cavernous tunnel extended ahead. The group marched on headless of their flank or even bothering to search for secret doors. Their focus was entirely on getting to Xorrox.
My research showed there were three minor bosses to face before the big guy, and as the guild turned a corner, I could hear them launch into battle with the first.
Carefully, I approached the sound of spells and clashing of steel which filled the air. I hurried ahead to catch the fight, but even before I peeked around the corner it was all over.
A large three-armed titan was splayed out on the ground. Around him, players picked through the loot items it'd dropped while others held their noses up and continued on.
As the last player left, I slinked over to the corpse and checked it for any leftovers. Other than the sub-silver piece trash, there was one small sword left behind.
You have acquired an item: Short Sword of Defense
Required Strength: 25
Damage 40-65
+15% Parry
Value: 3 Gold Pieces.
I shrugged and stuffed it in my pack. That makes for 3 gold pieces I didn't have before.
Again, the sounds of combat echoed off the walls. I hustled down the tunnel to find the group finishing off a stone lion which crumbled into large pieces when it died.
Once the group left, I looked through the large rocks of the lion corpse and found three small potions and a pair of clawed knuckles, carved from stone.
You have acquired an item: Small Health Shot Potion(x3)
Heals 50 hit points instantly. Cannot be stacked.
Cooldown: 30 seconds.
Value: 50 Silver Pieces.
You have acquired an item: Stone Claws of the Lion
Durability: 28/30
Damage: 25-32
+1 Strength
Value: 5 Gold Pieces.
The third and final minor boss proved to be a bit more of a challenge. A towering humanoid-shaped demon, wielding a large twin-bladed axe, kept the group on their toes. Once they realized this wasn't going to be a pushover, the players got their act together and organized a better attack.
The demon, for its part, had several nasty tricks up its demonic sleeve. The twisted horns on its head would occasional fire an arc of lighting at the players near the back, which was composed mostly of ranged attackers and spell casters. Several of them took serious damage while a cleric was rendered unconscious.
The twin-bladed axe also would suddenly become a whirling buzzsaw that the demon would thrust down at the warriors hacking at its knees.
Still, this was a tough group, and they hadn't come all this way, and through so much, to wipe on a minor boss. In short order they wore the demon down until they killed it. The final death blow was given by an anthropomorphic eagle Slayer, who used a glowing blue broadsword to cleave the demon's head in two.
The loot this time garnered more attention and debate, particularly over the huge axe. Eventually, a centaur Barbarian won that prize after a quick game of determination dice. The other players picked through the rest then continued on.
On inspection I found the corpse of the demon picked clean. But as I turned to follow the others my vision snagged on the horns on the creature's head. They were short, about an arm's span in length, and the dark material they were made of was marbled with deep blue veins.
On impulse I grabbed at one and pulled. It came out of the demon's head with a pop, and I admired my luck.
You have acquired and item: Demon Horn of Lightning
Required Intelligence: 25
Durability 40/40
Casts Lightening Bolt – Cooldown 45 seconds.
Damage: 85-120
Value: 85 Gold Pieces
I whistled in amazement. This was sweet. Unfortunately for me, my Intelligence was only 15 and too low to use it. Still, it was worth a good chunk of gold.
The other horn popped out as well. Chuckling, I put both the horns in my pack. “Arrogant guilds,” I said, shaking my head. I needed to stalk these clowns more often.
As I entered the tunnel, I found it empty up ahead. Suppressing a mild panic attack I sprinted forward until reaching a wide curve. Carefully tip-toeing around it, I was surprised to find the entire group loitering in a large chamber just outside a massive square doorway.
It took me a second for my brain to catch up. They were taking a rest break before the final showdown. Some players would step out of their simulation suits without logging off and go do their business. While this happened, the group would chat amongst themselves and cast last minute auras and spells.
Happy I hadn't lost them, I squatted down in a shadowy corner a short distance away. Here, I was totally invisible and confident that even if they happened to look right at me, they wouldn't know I was there.
As we waited, I indulged in my compulsive habit of checking my stats.
Name: Vivian Valesh
Race: Human
Class: Thief
Subclass: Shadow
Level: 46, 24% toward next level
Hit Points: 1250, Mana: 120
Attributes:
Strength: 37
Agility: 46
Constitution: 40
Wisdom: 15
Intelligence: 15
Charisma: 20
Main Skills: (Level 3 or greater)
Archery: Level 8, 82%
Acrobatics: Level 3, 56%
Climbing: Level 7, 22%
Dodge: Level 7, 12%
Parry: Level 6, 58%
Sneak: Level 8, 12%
Swords: Level 9, 73%
Minor Skills: (Under level 3 - Select to view)
Like most players using a sub-class, I didn't have that many main skills. Of course it made sense to focus on the skills you used the most, but I was now at a point where nearly all seven of my main skills were difficult to increase, save for Acrobatics.
I started to consider bringing up some of my sub-level 3 skills particularly ones that would allow me to use different weapons better, like Maces or Axes. One thing I was really keen on, though, was increasing something that would help farm better materials for crafters. There was good money to be had in nearly all crafting professions with practitioners desperate for mats to use in creating their wares.
One skill I'd idly toyed with the idea of raising was Herbology.
Herbology Skill
Is the study of basic plants and fungi. Advancement in this skill allows for the ability to effectively cultivate various flora.
Mine sat at Level 1 with 25% progression. I barely used it at all, mostly because I was too busy tromping over plants instead of picking them. But if I could raise it enough, I could start to find ingredients to sell on the market.
As I idly perused my skill numbers, I suddenly noticed movement ahead of me. Looking, I was surprised to see a large turtle lumbering in my direction. It was a pet of one of the players and it seemed to be exploring its surroundings.
The animal was as large as an overturned bathtub, with thick stubby legs extending from its sides. Steel spikes bristled from its huge shell which
had been fused with segmented metal plates across its surface. No doubt the beast was used for engaging enemies and keeping their attention while its owner attacked from a safe distance.
The thing trundled about, checking the walls and lowering its head to the floor, sniffing. Could it smell me? As its explorations got closer to where I sat, I tensed up, ready to move. The little tank got closer, and I suddenly felt the illogical urge to see how close it could get.
Turns out, really close. The turtle came within two paces of me, its neck stretching outward with its head to sniff the air.
My heart was beating wildly. I needed to move. If I did it slowly, it wouldn't see me. But I found myself sitting there like a fool, drunk on adrenaline.
Its head angled close enough that if I reached out, I could touch it.
“Hey!” Someone called out.
Both me and the turtle turned to look.
One of the players, a gnomish archer, was glaring at the turtle. “Get back here,” he said, his voice stern.
The huge turtle turned its body and moved toward its master, the large spikes on its shell nearly grazing the edge of my cloak.
Both gnome and turtle-tank returned to the group.
I exhaled, my heart rapidly pounding in my chest. That had been strangely exhilarating. But I knew I'd been stupid. Why risk everything I'd worked so hard for just to throw it all away for a cheap little thrill like that? What was I thinking?
Before I could consider this age old argument, the players of the group began to stand and organize themselves. It was time for the big show.
Shaking my head at my own stupidity, I waited and watched.
The guild leader gave a quick pep-talk about how great they all were and how they'd earned the right to be here at this final encounter. They would be victorious and the world would know how great they were when they defeated Xorrox. Blah blah blah. It was all for show. He knew, as well as everyone else there did, that many wouldn't survive the fight. But it was the risk they were willing to take for the glory of their annoying guild.
Finished with his little speech, the leader walked through the huge doorway and into the vast chamber beyond. The rest of the group quickly followed behind, chatting nervously to each other in excited tones.
I was in no hurry to follow. This was the end of the line and there was no where else they could sneak off to where I could lose them.
As I casually walked to the entrance, a work message suddenly popped up at the corner of my screen. I blinked at it, not expecting to be disturbed so soon since logging in.
The message said that the Icestation was beginning to shift to a new location and requested that I be present to supervise.
I almost laughed. Me? Supervise? That wasn't even in my job description. I was at the station simply for the company to exploit an insurance loop hole. As long as a human was present, they could operate without a specialized license, or some nonsense. I'd never been clear on the details. I was just happy to have a paying job that allowed me to delve into UFW all I wanted.
Frowning at the strange request, I dismissed it. The station AI could take care of things as it always did. It didn't need me as a glorified cheerleader.
I moved to stand within the doorway. Beyond was a vast rocky chamber with high vaulted ceilings. Rivulets of lava snaked down the walls to vanish into cracks around the floor's edges.
On the opposite side stood a giant humanoid demon. Its massive arms and legs were manacled with chains to the floor and the wall behind it. Long, curved horns sprouted from its huge head, each the length of a tree. Its skin was blood red and its eyes glowed a bright yellow.
Xorrox.
The players had assembled themselves opposite this captive terror, with fighting classes in the front, and magic casters and range attackers behind them. Standard group formation for practically every group encounter since the dawn of MMO gaming.
Xorrox glared at the group, snorting steam from huge nostrils and stomping its cloven hooves on the ground.
The great demon spoke, and the room boomed with its voice. “Who has come to my prison?”
The leader of the group came forward, a tiny gnat compared to the monster before him. “We have, foul creature!”
“To free me?” Xorrox shouted.
The leader shook his head, his helmet reflecting the light. “You're imprisonment is too lenient a punishment for your terrible crimes. We have been tasked by Grenwall the Great to destroy you once and for all.”
Xorrox sneered. “You think you can destroy me, petty insects? What courage does it take to attack one who is bound?” The demon suddenly strained against the large chains which held it.
“Prepare to be sent back to the sewers of Hell, demon!” The leader shouted.
All of this dialog was according to script, with little deviation. Once finished, the first stage of the encounter would begin.
The leader shouted an order and the archers and mages attacked. Arrows and spells hit the demon across its body, and it roared in anger. Then, a large contingent of the fighters ran forward and assaulted its legs.
Xorrox roared and stomped and steamed.
For my part, I leaned inside the doorway and watched, mildly bored. My research showed this was the easy part. Once enough damage had been done to Xorrox, he'd be free of his bounds and attack the group wholeheartedly. Then I'd get a clear idea whether this whole endeavor had been worth my while.
Sure enough, Xorrox broke the chains, doing so one at a time for dramatic effect. All the while the players buffeted the demon with all they had. The more damage they could do now, the better.
Freed, Xorrox swung the mighty chains hanging from its wrists and dashed away several players to the ground.
The fighting continued. Xorrox smashing with his chains and using a breath of flame attack, and the group using every available offensive tactic in their arsenal. All the while, clerics cast heals and archers fired their bows.
The hours passed. Inch, by agonizing inch, Xorrox's health bar diminished. I took this time to surf the forums and check the latest Stelar News updates. I even considering slipping out of my suit to go grab something to eat, knowing I wouldn't miss much, but the risk was too great, so I stayed.
Eventually, after a lot of damage was given and received, Xorrox was defeated. The great demon collapsed to the floor in a massive heap and was still. The surviving members of the group cheered and gave each other hugs and high-fives.
I perked up. Time for my part in this little drama.
A huge treasure chest materialized before Xorrox's body, and the group cheered again. With its lid closed, one could only guess at the wonders it contained. But I knew one specific item it did have.
The black knight leader stepped toward the chest. This was my cue.
Still in Shadow form I darted along the wall of the chamber, mindful of the lava that cascaded down its surface.
The leader gave another speech, something about their guild's greatness, and how victory would always be theirs. Etc. I didn't care, my focus was getting as close to him as possible.
Once I'd reached the back of the chamber, and positioned behind the splayed body of the demon, I moved inward. Slinking across the floor, I came up to Xorrox's corpse which completely blocked anyone's view of me. On the other side I could still hear the leader jabbering on. Carefully, I edged around one huge horn and peeked.
The leader's back was to me, the closed chest beside him. Here I could plainly see all the faces of the players watching him with naked avarice. They wanted their share of the treasure, but had to wait for it first. Such were the rules of being in a civilized guild.
My heart was pounding in my chest. I was effectively standing in front of all these high level players. As soon as I moved in front of them, they would see me, Shadow form or not. But I had a trick up my sleeve, or should I say, Cloak.
The leader finally ended his agonizing spiel and turned to the chest.
Here we go, I thought. But I needed
to wait. I couldn't act until the chest was actually open.
The leader placed his hand on the chest's lid, caressing it. “We worked hard for this, my friends,” he said. The maudlin words sounding sickly to my ears. Hurry up and open the thing!
As I waited on pins and needles, coiled to spring, a pet broke from the group and wandered in my direction. Alarmed, I saw the stupid turtle-tank walking toward me.
Uh oh.
“And this,” the leader said, patting the chest. “This is our just reward!” He opened the lid. Within was a large number of loot items which stuck out of a massive amount of gold coins. The chest overflowed with them.
Everyone leaned a little forward to get a better look.
The turtle was coming right at me and was several paces away. I was convinced it had sensed me somehow, but couldn't worry about that now.