Reward:
Title: Witness to Greatness
A passive ability, Seeing the Unseeable, Level 1: +0.5% to your chances of seeing what is hidden, such as secret doors or stashes. If you already have this ability, this boosts it by one level.
+5 to strength
To see similar messages, go to the Action section of the attribute window.
It wasn’t the best time for an action. Like those monsters are going to stand there and wait while I read everything.
I frantically groped my way through my pack and pulled out the scroll with the fire spell. It was a shame to use it, but it would have been more of a shame to die. Wait, how do I activate it? Maybe by unrolling it?
Ripping off the ribbon tying the scroll shut, I unrolled it. Nothing happened. There were squiggles and doodles all over the inside, but not a single spark came out.
The ring around me was closing in. The room was so small that even the slow-moving stone beasts didn’t need much time to reach me.
“Come on, damn it!” I yelled, shaking the scroll. “What are you waiting for?”
To activate the single-use spell scroll, pronounce the command: Use.
Happy that the program was smart enough to tell me what to do, I couldn’t help but note that it hadn’t given me those instructions back when I’d first gotten the scroll. Shame on you!
For a second, I thought that a quiet female voice whispered in my ear, How rude! But I had more important things to worry about. Huge stone swords were already being raised above my head when I bellowed out the command.
“Use! Fi-i-ire!”
The flames instantly shot up out of nowhere, filling the entire space. Even my feet disappeared in the thick, powerful fire. The sensation I felt was incredible, however. I was standing in the middle of a raging inferno, completely impervious to its effects. It was better than any amusement park ride I’d ever been on.
The flames disappeared as suddenly as they had appeared—one whoosh and they were gone. I was surprised to note that my vision wasn’t impaired in the least, as I’d spent the entire 45 seconds worried that I wouldn’t be able to see a thing once the fire dissipated. Instead, everything was just as visible as it had been before I used the spell. The first thing I did notice was that, while the flames were gone, the stone beasts were not. They stood frozen in the poses they’d been in when the fire engulfed them, just much redder and bereft of their ability to move. I could tell they were making an effort to move, or at least wiggle something, though it wasn’t happening. The effect did not, unfortunately, appear to be very long-lasting. The steam that poured out of them initially finally thinned into a light wisp.
They’d been heated up, I realized, and the steam was easy to explain, too. The temple was situated in a jungle that had dampened the statues. It wasn’t exactly one of the pyramids, and it was anything but dry. The wall of fire had sizzled its way through the water that had collected on them.
Another one tried to move, making a sound like ripping pants. A small crack appeared in the warrior to my left, and it started leaking crumbled rock.
Heated rocks can split, I’d read somewhere, though I couldn’t remember if that had been in reference to gems or just normal, everyday stone. Who cares?
My sword whipped through the air, and the head of the first warrior tumbled to the ground. The blade certainly didn’t cut through the stone like butter, and I didn’t cut anything off myself; as soon as the sword struck the stone neck, the head rolled off on its own. The body, robbed of its uppermost part, collapsed into a pile of rocks.
Realizing what I needed to do, I flashed from one side of the hall to the other, doing my best to decapitate the stone monsters as fast as I could. .The red color was fading, and they were starting to move with more and more energy. Once the eighth was dead, I was especially happy to see a notification pop up.
You unlocked Level 57!
Points ready to be distributed: 5
The final statue even tried to defend itself, though it wasn’t as mobile as it would have liked to be, and the result was yet another pile of stones on the temple floor.
As soon as I dispatched him, I heard a creaking sound. My sword at the ready, I looked around. The sound turned out to be coming from the grill enclosing the key. It was lowering slowly and unwillingly.
You passed the Test of Strength and earned the right to collect the Key of Bravery.
Additional:
Time spent: 06:34
Intelligence shown: 72 of 100
Efficiency: 88 of 100
You got the bonus reward: Warrior’s Aid, a small set of potions.
That actually took me by surprise, as the whole experience had made me forget about the timer. Although… I decided to check out the set later, first grabbing the key and getting out of there before anything else could appear out of the walls or the grill could close again. Who knows with developers like these?
I walked over to the niche, in which the large key was shimmering a crimson color, and picked it up.
Key of Bravery
Quest item
As if I didn’t know what it was. The job was done, but I wasn’t in a hurry to calculate how expensive it would be for me to beat the rest of the quest at that rate. I just needed strength in that temple, though the others would make me think as well. And considering what perverts the developers are…
“Ah, you’re alive,” Ur said, greeting me with his deep voice. “When we saw the fire inside, we thought you were a goner.”
“Was it a success?” Lane was as laconic as ever.
“Yep,” I replied with a sigh. “Though it wasn’t easy.”
“What did you think it would be?” Lane slipped his sword back in its sheath—he apparently had been about ready to charge into the temple after me. “People always protect their valuables, and this wasn’t just some dead village; it holds the power of the dead gods. They were protecting secrets as well as their valuables.”
“Well, let’s head to Maykong.” Ur was practically hopping up and down from the suspense. “What are we waiting here for?”
I opened a portal, and we stepped into it.
***
Leaving Lane and Ur at their favorite pub, I made a beeline for the hotel I’d noticed on my last trip to drop the key in my trunk and check out the set of potions.
Warrior’s Aid
Collected and packaged with the direct participation of the Western Academy of Wisdom.
The Western Academy of Wisdom: we know our potions and spells!
Set contents:
1 Strength of a Bull: boosts strength by 10 for 1 minute and 30 seconds
1 Armor Bubble: wraps the user in a cocoon that cannot be penetrated by edged weapons for 30 seconds
1 Forever Young: instantly restores life energy to 80%
1 Weasel: boosts agility by 13 for 1 minute and 30 seconds
3 health potions, 800 health (multilevel)
3 mana potions, 800 mana (multilevel)
20% discount on a consultation with a mage professor at the Western Academy of Wisdom
The Western Academy of Wisdom: it doesn’t matter if you want to find, ask, or enchant something—we’ll get you the best results. Our mages have passed the test of time!
When I finished reading the description, I was probably reminiscent of a fish out of water. For a little while, I stood there, my mouth opening and closing. Not a word came out.
“Well, that’s something,” I finally said, dumping the set into my trunk. I held onto the life and mana potions, reasonably figuring that, if they were already not that big of a boost, they’d only get worse as time went on. The rest was fine lying in my trunk; it wouldn’t spoil.
Next, I sat down on the chest, pulled up my friend list, and checked to see if Joker was online. He was, thank God.
Hey, can you meet me at the Maykong hotel in about ten minutes? The one by the Free Companies’ pub. There’s something you’ll be interested to hear. Hagen.
&nb
sp; Joker replied in the affirmative, and I walked back downstairs eight minutes later with Lichtenshtain’s shield. Yep, time to sell it. My endless greed and boundless stinginess had taken me to the point where I’d outgrown what was an excellent shield. I certainly could have used the bonuses it would have given me, and they were even better than the shield I was using, but I needed the money. And it was the possession I felt the least bad about losing—everything else was much more valuable. My chances of finding the sword to go with it were slim to none, anyway.
The decision wasn’t an easy one, but my musings led me to the conclusion that I absolutely had to bank a nice tidy sum if I wanted to keep playing. First, I’d have to buy my way out of the Free Companies sooner or later, and, second, all my expenses were beginning to add up: more scrolls than I could count, hiring people, and everything else. I could have accepted the Gray Witch’s offer and let the Hounds of Death buy my way out of the Wild Brigade, something nobody would have had a problem with, though… It just didn’t feel right.
I also wanted to see how Joker did business, as well as what price he’d offer me—if it would be in line with market rates or if he’d try to pull one over on me. Zimin’s question about what I planned to do after I finished the quest had gotten me thinking. Really, what’s next? I wasn’t terribly interested in the game for its own sake, and I didn’t plan on playing much further, though I knew I didn’t want to just abandon everything I’d collected. Even if I had to take a discount or pay a commission for the bank transfer, I would still be putting real money in my pocket.
Before I’d logged into the game, I’d wandered around some fan sites. It would have been dumb to expect information on how much bugs sold items for on the official site—the whole thing wasn’t prohibited, but it certainly was discouraged to the point that threads of that nature were nipped in the bud. I searched long enough to get a picture of more or less how much I could expect for set, legendary, and elite items.
I didn’t even think about the auction since that would have brought down a world of problems on my head. Sales of even mid-level items had to be tracked by the clans, I figured, and I could only assume that the Thunderbirds weren’t behind the curve on that one. Going around my clan to sell my shield on the open market would have been tantamount to declaring war on it. All in all, the nerves I spared were more than worth the money I left on the table by going the private route. Oh, and too many people would find out how much money I have, and my low level would make me a prime target.
Joker was already waiting near the entrance, and I waved to him.
“Hey!” He was in a fun, relaxed mood, presumably after completing a successful deal.
“Hi, I have something to sell,” I replied, jumping right in.
“What is it?” Joker’s face turned serious. “It’s not some kind of trash, is it? If it’s less than elite, you should be on your way to the auction.”
“See for yourself. Just keep your voice down when you finish reading.”
I copied the description and sent it to him via the internal mail system. That may not have been the smartest idea since it was probably monitored by the admin and I could have exposed Joker. On the other hand, the cut he took was compensation for the risk he bore.
“Oh, wow,” Joker said with a swallow, his eyes showing how surprised he was. “Set?!”
“Yes, yes,” I replied quietly, looking around as I did. “Let’s go over to that corner, so we aren’t sticking out like sore thumbs.”
“Sounds good. So you want to sell it?”
“Yep. But first I want to hear what price you can pay.”
Joker stared at me, his lips moving as he ran the calculations and maybe even checked with someone. I decided not to hurry him. Instead, I enjoyed the view of the fountain and basked in the warm sunlight. After my visit to the dusty, dark, and very dangerous temple, I was back to enjoying the little things in life: peace, quiet, and safety.
Finally, Joker pronounced his figure, “350,000 gold.”
Ah, you disappoint me, my friend. That was less than half the price I was looking for, even considering the fact that I knew it wouldn’t be as high as it otherwise might be.
“Very funny. All right, I’ll be seeing you…” I held my hand out to shake his goodbye. “I’m going to head over to the auction then. I imagine somebody will buy it in less than a minute if I tack even just a couple hundred thousand on top of that.”
“Okay, okay, relax,” Joker replied, smiling slyly. “I had to try, didn’t I?”
Sure, and try you did—well done. Now you’ll never get the benefit of the doubt from me ever again.
He offered a new price, “500,000,” though he added another fifty thousand when I sighed, and another twenty thousand when I rolled my eyes.
Our whispered negotiations went on for a while, with both of us getting up and leaving a few times, though we finally came to an agreement: 700,000 gold (I agreed knowing full well that I was losing a good 150,000 in the deal), with one commission-free transaction in real life. He may not have been telling the truth about that last part, but it was still better than nothing. We stood there for another half-hour waiting for the money. Once it hit my mailbox, we completed the deal.
“Nice work by you,” Joker said, giving me a thumbs-up. “Your level isn’t that good, and you still managed to pick up a set shield somewhere. I wouldn’t have thought that was possible.”
“You still shouldn’t,” I advised him. “And you should forget about the whole thing; it’s better for you that way.”
“Already forgotten,” Joker assured me. “If you need anything else, send me a message.”
I took the money straight to the hotel, worried about thieves, then headed to a stand to buy five scrolls, and went back to the base. Tomorrow’s a new day, and I’ll be starting from there. I really didn’t want to put off the temples; they had me worried. Everything had been simple with Fomor and the spider—there they are, go kill them. With the temples, I didn’t know what was waiting for me, and I wasn’t a big fan of the feeling. That Wednesday was weighing on my mind as well—something like a rotten tooth in your mouth or a crumb in your bed.
***
Vika was calm, almost as if she’d completely forgotten about my upcoming date at the restaurant. It may have been a mask, but it was an awfully realistic one if it was. Zimin’s obviously a smart guy who’s been around the block a few times, but maybe he’s wrong about this time. There’s an exception to every rule, though that only serves to prove the rule…
Whatever the case, Vika was as sweet and carefree as ever. She was chirping around in the kitchen like a bird on a branch, and her crystal laugh punctuated her story about how Yushkov, who had given up drinking, had gotten into an argument with the sports department on that account. That day, he’d yelled at Stroynikov, who’d rearranged their responsibilities while Yushkov had been out drinking; Yushkov was left dealing with all the editorial junk. After some Tarzan-esque whoops, Yushkov had taken off after Gennady, first chasing him around the office and then down the building corridors in an effort to beat some fairness back into the paper.
The sports department and editorial staff heard the pair’s yells, brought some beer, and had a great time commentating on the chase. Nice sprint! That was your best run yet! A few people offered to take bets.
Everything ended the way it usually did: Mammoth came running when he heard the ruckus, threatened to twist everyone’s necks, and shooed everyone back to their offices. I couldn’t help but think back to the Forester from Noobland.
Then it was my turn to talk about the plans to expand the paper, hire more people, and, when it came down to it, offer Vika the next step up the career ladder. Being in charge of three people was one thing; being in charge of six was quite another.
She cheered up when she heard the news, though a shadow crossed her face when she thought about having competitors around—especially of the female variety. The donkeys we had were a known commodity, and she was
about to bring on three question marks. What if one of them has bigger boobs and longer legs? I heard her thinking.
That didn’t really bother me, as I wasn’t planning on changing anything, but Wednesday… Wednesday promised anything and everything.
***
That morning, I paid a visit to the office. For Yushkov, I had a McLaren model I picked up at a kiosk (I named him Alonso, though I wasn’t sure the real Alonso drove a McLaren). I also had a suggestion that he not bury his talent. I gave Stroynikov a copy of The Order to Survive. While the book may not have been written about him, I observed, the title was more than fitting. Samoshkinov just got a pat on that back that was praise for being the only one in the office to get some work done. I didn’t say anything about the expansion, and Vika had strict orders to keep her mouth shut, as well.
The editorial written, I shook my fist at the group, telling them to stay in line and letting them know that I’d show them who was boss if anything else happened. I headed home satisfied with a job well done and promising myself that I’d take the next two days to knock out the other two temples. They were starting to wear on my nerves. Fortune doesn’t shine on you forever, and I knew the companies would be reformed soon. Then I’d be off traipsing around villages and everywhere else, with all the surprises that always entailed. Either I go get the second key today or…well, no, I’m getting it today. It’s the principle of the thing.
Chapter Twelve
In which we find that agility isn’t a gift given to everyone.
There was a strange feeling that hit me every time I found myself back at the base. It was a burden being tied to a particular place, especially since that was happening in a game. We spend our whole lives in the real world tied to something from beginning to end. School, the army, work, family, the mortgage…the list is never-ending. As soon as you start walking and talking on your own, you no longer have free will and the ability to blink your eyes and pretend you don’t understand. It’s at that moment that you’re thrust onto a carousel called You Should. Every year there’s another “should.”
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