System Launch

by M D Siskind

  Datum: This item is Epic Ranked. To equip it, you must bind it to one of your account’s Epic Rank Equipment Slots. You will not be able to sell, trade, drop, or lose this equipment. This cannot be undone without destroying the item in question.

  Ben blinked, then pulled up his equipment page to try and make sense of the message. Epic was clear enough, but Ben wasn’t sure what it meant by epic equipment slots. Quickly enough he realized what was going on. He could have, at maximum, 3 pieces of Epic Ranked Equipment. Using the sword would require binding it to his account. The only way to undo it would be to destroy the weapon.

  Examining the item’s specifications, Ben saw something that sent him scrambling to the wikia for confirmation of his suspicions. Examining the item’s specifications, Ben blinked at the stats.

  “The devs did say the DM-AI had its own views on balancing, but Pavlov would be proud.”

  Name: Flashing Blade

  Item Class: Equipment

  Item Type: Sword, Growth

  User: Last Falcon

  Rank: Epic

  Level: 0

  Grade: Low

  Upgrade Requirements: Unknown

  Stats:

  + 1 to Power

  + 1 to Agility

  + 2 to Damage

  Abilities: (Rank: Common)

  Active 1 - Discerning Eye (Appraisal Skill, Rank: N/A Level 0): Provides information and insight regarding targets. (No Cooldown)

  Active 2 - Flashing Blade Aura (Sword Skill, Level 0): Grants Boon: Flashing Blade Aura for 1 attack. Flashing Blade Aura: Increases Attack Range to 5 meters, +50% Base Damage. Cooldown: 15 Minutes.

  Datum: Boon: Flashing Blade Aura and Boon: Stealth are incompatible. Most recently acquired Boon will remain.

  As a Growth-type Item, the Flashing Blade would become more powerful over time. Ben was imminently satisfied. According to the information Ben could find on the official site, the item was bound to his account because it leveled right along with him. The level of the Flashing Blade would always be his current level. Not having to worry about finding a weapon that was up to his current level was blessing. That it was a short sword, and thus well suited to his style, made it all the better.

  Ben unequipped the sword he’d received from the tutorial and replaced it with the Flashing Blade. Satisfied, he reached down for the book, and picked it up.

  Skill Book: Double Tap (Rank: Epic, Level N/A, Grade N/A) - Teaches the skill Double Tap with a maximum potential rank of Epic.

  Another quick search on the website told Ben this wasn’t quite as powerful. In fact, Ben had a suspicion this was the more standard reward from completing the tutorial with an Epic, or orange, rank. This skill book was valuable mostly because it meant he’d never have to find another skill book for Double Tap. If it were a Valuable, or blue, Rank copy, on the other hand, he’d have to find a Rare, purple, or Epic rank copy to avoid a plateau in his training progress.

  Regardless he used the Skill Book and then examined his new Skill.

  Combat Skill: Double Tap (Rank: Common, Level 0, Grade Low) - Allows the player to strike twice as a single attack for 1 attack. Critical Rate increased by 5% for each strike. Each strike inflicts 60% base damage.

  Ambush Skill: Double Strike - Allows the player to strike twice as a single attack for 2 attacks. Critical Rate increased by 5% for each strike. Ambush Critical bonus applies to first attack only. Each strike inflicts 60% base damage. Cooldown: 20 seconds Double Tap/ 1 Minute from second Double Strike

  “All in all, not a bad haul.” Ben concluded as he set his sights on the next objective. Now that he was in the actual game, Ben needed to get his own alchemical practice started as soon as possible.

  Players would always need items. In VRMMO games Non-Player Character shops and merchants provided price ceilings or floors depending on the items they sold. Inevitably those ceilings and floors were unreasonably high for players.

  Combat players, countless thousands of explorers and adventurers, made up the majority of any VRMMO, Such players burned through consumables at astounding rates. Meanwhile, Artisan Players and Merchant Players alike lived and died in the gaps between those price ceilings and floors by providing players with access to consumables at prices far lower than the NPCs would offer.

  For Ben’s plans to succeed his Guild would need a footprint in all three aspects of that triangle.

  Combat players capable of running dungeons and engaging in virtual reality paramilitary conflicts to make up the Guild’s core membership and main forces. Merchant players that kept the guild’s coffers full by finding ways to reliably undercut both the competition and the game’s price ceilings. Artisan players that supplied the Guild with consumables and concoctions both commonly available and accessible only to contracted members in good standing.

  He was already a Combat Class and skilled Combat-type player. His experience and skills as a Merchant-type player required goods to sell. His skills as an Artisan-type player were, to Ben’s mind, the next point of focus. Both as a way to gain goods, and a way to test a hypothesis.

  The tutorial had rewarded him, and handsomely at that, for being the first to achieve certain things. Ben wondered if the game would similarly reward players for being first to do, or attempt, other things. He set off to find the local artisan shops as quickly as he could.

  Fortunately, the majority of dedicated Artisan players were weak combatants at best. While the tutorial system would no doubt have ways for them to complete the tutorial, chances were high they would be slower than Ben. Enough so that, if he hurried, he had a chance to beat even the best of them to the local Alchemist’s lab.

  Chapter Six

  Unfortunately, he arrived just in time to watch someone else walk through the door. Ben frowned but followed after the other person. First or second, he had a job to do here.

  Entering the shop, Ben saw that the other player was inspecting the shop’s wares rather than speaking with the NPC behind the counter. Ben grinned to himself. Hello, opportunity.

  Walking up to the NPC behind the counter, Ben nodded politely. “Greetings. I’m seeking instruction in the fundamentals of alchemy, and was hoping you could provide some assistance?”

  The NPC’s eyes widened, and she shook her head. “No, not I. However, Master Culvins is in the back. Please, just one moment while I speak with him.”

  Ducking into the back, the shopkeeper was back within thirty seconds. “Traveler, Master Culvins asks to know if you possess a Dragon’s Emblem?”

  Ben smiled and nodded. Following a prompt in the upper-right corner of his vision, Ben held up the back of his dominant hand. A slight burning sensation told him something was happening. The NPC stared at his hand with ever widening eyes.

  Okay, so he’d just shown her the emblem. That makes sense, Ben decided, as the shopkeeper scampered back into the back room. Looking over at the shop’s other occupant, who was now staring at Ben in frustration, he smiled and winked.

  “Please, traveler, step into Master Culvins’ workshop.”

  Ben nodded and did as he was bade. Behind him, he could hear the other occupant cursing as he stalked over to the shopkeeper NPC. Probably frustrated he missed such an obvious quest source, Ben decided as he let his eyes adjust to the light in Master Culvins workshop. Not necessarily dimmer but more diffuse than in the main shop.

  Off in one corner he could see a reading nook, tables and chairs and bookshelves set up for comfort as much as function. That was the only spot of comfort Ben could see from the doorway, as functionality was the name of the game in the rest of the room. Shelves stuffed with ingredients lined the far wall, interspersed with tomes held by bookends and scrolls stacked in cubby holes. Barrels stood clustered in corners and at the end of workbench like tables running the center of the room. Ben could see tools ranging from mortars and pestles to distillation system
s. Hanging from hooks on one wall were an array of cutting boards, and below them were knife blocks of various types and designs. Standing at a table at the end of the room was the only occupant.

  At that moment the man straightened up from his workstation. Rotund by any standard, cheeks red of complexion and tonsured hair gone salt and pepper, the man bustled over to Ben and barred his passage further into the room. Then he spoke in a voice far too reedy for his body.

  “So, you’ve got a Dragon Emblem? Let’s see it.”

  Wasting no time, Ben again held up his hand and felt the slight burning sensation of the Emblem appearing. Culvins, for the rotund man was the room’s only occupant, looked the emblem over for several moments before nodding sharply. Then he motioned Ben to follow as he walked back to the table he had previously occupied.

  “You wanted something. I want something. Let’s see if we can make a deal.” Culvins spoke bluntly and to the point, something Ben could appreciate. “What do you want?”

  “To study the mysteries of alchemy.”

  Culvins snorted. “I can show you the basics and get you started well enough. How far you go is on you.”

  Ben nodded. “Sensible. You wanted something as well. If I can help you with it, perhaps we can work something out.”

  “Maybe, maybe not. That’ll depend on how you do with the basics.” Culvins said as he moved over to another table, motioning for Ben to follow. At a glance Ben could tell that the set up was far less complex than what Culvins used. An apprentice’s station, or even one set up for teaching the fundamentals to would-be alchemists, Ben surmised.

  In front of Ben’s eyes the table faded out slightly as a window faded in. He could hear Culvins speaking in the background and listened to the NPC’s instructions even as he considered the window. It held herbs, a knife, and small colored spheres that the system labeled as berries.

  “To complete this recipe, you’ll need all of these. If you can complete this task I will provide you with a copy of the basic Alchemy Skill Book. At that point we’ll discuss the other task I need done.”

  Ben nodded, but said nothing. After a moment, Culvins grunted and then set to showing Ben the basics of Alchemy in Seeds of Lysium.

  “There are three phases to the alchemical process. Preparation, integration, and stabilization. The most basic recipes move through this in a linear fashion.

  “Meaning that the more complex recipes will go back and forth between phases... How long can a stabilization state last?” Ben asked.

  Culvins grinned. “That varies dramatically, but you’re correct. More complex recipes move back and forth between phases. They can also involve more complexity in each phase of the process. Now, let’s get to this one, shall we?

  Ben’s vision returned to its unfaded state and he got to work. Culvins walked Ben through roughly chopping the herbs. Then he instructed Ben to light the Alchemist’s Cauldron on the table in front of them. Ben looked at the device. The name was, to Ben, not entirely accurate. It was more like a kiln, an enclosed space with openings for adding components and a chimney for venting gases.

  No reason to quibble about the name, Ben decided as he lit the Cauldron. As he did so a window opened up in Ben’s field of vision, centered on the Alchemic Cauldron. Inside that window Ben could see the flames dancing at the bottom of the cauldron and could see the occasional tongue licking up the side of the inner surface.

  Looking over the structure, Ben saw that there were several openings on the cauldron.

  “Which one do I add ingredients to?” Ben asked, motioning to the openings. Culvins’ smile was slow and canny.

  “Depends. In this case, any will do.”

  Considering, Ben took one of the pieces of herb and dropped it into the opening at the top. To Ben’s surprise it floated down into the center and hovered there.

  Instantly the interface window over the Alchemist’s Cauldron came alive. The flames leapt towards the herb, and Ben felt the pressure against his hands and forearms. He did his best to control the heat and temperature, yet seconds later he watched as the flames consumed the piece of herb.

  Culvins nodded as though unsurprised. “Try again.”

  It wasn’t until the third piece of herb that Ben figured out how to keep the flames from consuming the herb. With that, coaxed out a few droplets of fluid. Instantly the plant matter crumbled into black soot and fell to the bottom. Culvins gave a satisfied “hmph”, but instructed Ben to complete the rest of the herbs before moving on to the berries.

  Ben nodded but didn’t immediately add the other herbs. Instead he considered the process he’d just completed, dimly acknowledging that the fluid he’d extracted from the third herb fragment had evaporated. It was, he mused, like shoveling sand out of a hole. If you weren’t paying attention it’d slip in from the other side and fill the hole. If that happened the herbs would burn.

  Nodding, satisfied with what he’d determined, Ben got to work extracting fluid from the herb pieces. Once he was done, he added in the berries. First he added one. Then, after confirming that there was little difference in keeping the flames from burning up the berry and the pieces of herb, Ben added berries by the handful.

  He was surprised when the window changed. Culvins spoke quickly.

  “You’ll need to stabilize the formula in order to craft an alchemy pill.”

  Ben saw pill spinning in the central space. Stabilization, he realized, might well be a literal thing. Reaching out, Ben could feel the rush against his palms. It was like a breeze, or the current from a fan.

  Gently, Ben pushed further and tried to slow the spinning pill by grabbing it. It shuddered, and he pulled back immediately.

  A second. Two.

  The pill began spinning again. This time it was wobbling in place slightly. Ben had a suspicion that meant a worse product, but he’d confirm that later. Instead he tried to approach the matter like a spinning globe or top. Reaching out and gently providing counter-spin.

  Quickly Ben realized he didn’t actually need to reach all the way to the pill itself. In fact, the pill seemed to react better when he stopped just shy of contact. Either way, it took several minutes of gentle counter spinning to bring the pill to a stop in the center of the screen.

  After a moment, the window chimed and popped up a word Ben loved.

  Success!

  Chapter Seven

  Culvins waved his hand. To Ben’s surprise the Cauldron both immediately went out as the pill floated out and landed in a small stone bowl.

  Culvins gently lifted the bowl and examined the contents. First he inspected visually, then with a sniff test. Letting the pill roll around the bowl, he seemed to lean closer and listen to its progress. Then Culvins took a scalpel, sliced off a small piece of the pill and tested it his between his fingers. Finally he licked his fingers clean and tasted the results.

  “Not bad at all for a rookie attempt.” Was Culvins’ final assessment before handing Ben a Skill Book. Glancing at it, Ben confirmed that it was the Basic Alchemy Skill Book. Deciding he might as well find out what the skill did, he used Discerning Eye.

  Alchemy Skill Book (Rank: Common, Level N/A, Grade N/A) - Teaches the Basic Alchemy Skill. Maximum Skill Rank: White.

  Ben nodded, then decided he might as well ask Culvins. “What’s the difference between maximum skill ranks?”

  “In a word, potential.” Culvins said knowingly. “Your progress is identical regardless of the skill’s rank - its grade that tends to say more about progression speed. A higher ranked skill, however, can be developed further.”

  “I’m guessing level has something to do with it?” Ben asked, fairly sure he had the shape of the idea. Culvins nodded approvingly.

  “Yes. Skills of a given rank cannot progress beyond level 25 in that rank. At that point you either find a higher rank Skill Book or simply accept your limitations.”
<
br />   Culvins comment made Ben grin. He’d never been very good at that. “You said you had a task that needed doing. Could we, perhaps, negotiate a better ranked skill book into that task’s payment?”

  “Perhaps, perhaps.” Culvins said jovially as he wandered back to his initial table, motioning Ben to follow him. “I must ask first, what do you know about the Pride of Rubina?”

  Ben knew a quest hook when he heard one. “Not much, I’m afraid. But ignorance is solvable.”

  A laugh as Culvins shoved a note into Ben’s hands. “Yes it is! Let me deal with this first, and I’ll be right with you. It will exit the stabilization phase soon. Give that to my clerk and she’ll leave you alone.”

  Ben nodded and watched as Culvins turned back to his work. Stepping over to the door, Ben decided there was no time like the present. He opened his inventory and used the Alchemy Skill Book.

  Immediately a second skill bar appeared, off-set behind his first. With a thought Ben brought the second skill bar to the front, and saw that it held one skill at the far end. He focused on it, and its description came into view.

  Artisan Skill: Alchemy (Rank: Common, Grade: Novice, Level: 0) - Permits use of Alchemy Skill. Fulfills Alchemist Prerequisite for All Other Alchemy Skills.

  Satisfied, Ben stepped out into the store proper. The clerk from earlier was at the counter. As was the other Alchemist Ben had noted earlier. He looked, to Ben’s eye, apoplectic with fury.

  “Doctor Delirium?” Ben muttered to himself. It wasn’t a name he knew. Either a casual player or someone newer to the professional scene.

  Still he was a berserker, which meant he was in the combat-archetype tutorial, same as Ben. He’d finished the tutorial ahead of the majority of Combat-class players. Made him someone worth paying attention to if they could complete the tutorial ahead of the majority of players.

  Ben watched as Doctor Delirium tried to bully the clerk into going back and interrupting his meeting with Culvins. The man loomed, his character model set for greater than 2 meters in height with shoulders to match. Buzz cut blonde hair over a rough hewn face, the man had a scar across his nose that Ben suspected was an aesthetic choice. Leather armor similar to that worn by Dumb back in the tutorial was matched up with a two-handed wooden club.