Odyssey

by Tony Corden

  Leah was at 40% HP and 30%SP. Both her KP and MP were also below 50%. It was some time before everyone was healed and ready to talk tactics. After Leah harvested the Mages, she discovered that they had passive defence rings; Goblin only of course. Wisp had been able to get past the ring as it only protected from ranged attacks. In the end, they continued to use similar tactics although Leah started with Rain of Fire and then attacked the stunned Mage. It still wasn't as effective as planned, so they tried various iterations, In the end, all the battles on the final floor were long and drawn out with most of the group near their limit. Finally, after clearing all the rooms, they were ready to harvest ore and gems.

  The final gem was a white opal, and it took the three of them over an hour before it dropped.

  Leah had been at the Apprentice Mining level 4 for some time, and she kept digging hoping to reach Level 5 in time for the Gold mine. After fifteen minutes, she not only raised her level but also found another white opal. The Scavengers discovered a secret compartment and the main storage shed for the mine. Unfortunately, they were on opposite sides of the Level, and Leah had to use two luck potions. The results were worth it.

  You have opened a secret miners storage compartment:

  6 Platinum Coins minted with an image of the Goblin Silver Mine at Gumus

  6 Gold Coins minted with an image of the Goblin Silver Mine at Gumus

  6 Silver Coins minted with an image of the Goblin Silver Mine at Gumus

  1 Earth Spell - Mine Blast

  6 Bottles of Goblin Whisky - ‘Johnny Ain’t Walking Anywhere’

  1 Map of the Goblin Silver Mine at Gumus

  You have opened the Main Storage Shed of the Goblin Silver Mine at Gumus:

  6 Malachite Gems

  6 Topaz Gems

  6 Tourmaline Gems

  6 White Opal Gems

  1 Skill Spell of Learning ‘Goblin Patter’

  1 Map of the Goblin Mines throughout Vatan

  Thad and Zack shared the Whisky. The spell meant both Zack and Leah could have one if necessary. Amy learned the Goblin Patter and Leah got the map.

  As soon as they had finished dividing the spoil, a message appeared:

  Level 3 Dungeon Achievement: First 1 (6, Ruby)

  Atherleah (Level 61, you have completed a hidden Level 3 Area:

  Goblin Mirror Mine of Gumus

  You are the first player to complete this area. This is your sixth, 'First 1 (Ruby)' achievement.

  Reward 1: 1000 x 61 = 74420 (+22%) Experience Points (72000/72000)(51532/74000)

  Reward 2: + 2% to all future Experience

  Reward 3: 6 x 1 Platinum = 6 Platinum

  Fame: 500 Fame Points (16950)

  A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

  Note: This achievement will be published on the Dunyanin achievement forum. Do you wish to retain your privacy?

  [Y] [N]

  “Yes.”

  A door appeared in the wall of the cavern. It was silver and had an octagonal shape in the middle and a place for Leah to put her hand. She looked at everyone, and they all nodded, so she pressed it. They all transported back to the starting room, the first door was now blank, and a handprint had appeared on the second silver door.

  Atherleah checked everyone’s statistics:

  Atherleah - Leader

  Level 62 (34156/55000) (+24%)

  Annairë the Wize

  Level 42 (39089/42000) (+24%)

  Thad_Kickyourbuttson

  Level 51 (42836/52000) (+10%)

  Amelia_Quickfoot

  Level 49 (48296/49000) (+10%)

  Zachary_Bonehelm

  Level 50 (33243/50000) (+10%)

  Jim_Firedrake

  Level 49 (1250/49000) (+10%)

  Amy said, “Congratulations everyone! Wisp, you're at Level 42, and most of us are now almost Level 50. So what does this mean?”

  Thad shared, “We can now see the names and levels of everyone just by scrutinising them. It’s harder to level up as the amount you are required to get increase by 2000 each level; you get one less Characteristic Point to allocate and one more Skill Point per level.”

  Leah said, “So what do you want to do? We’ve been back in for almost four hours. We’ve at least two hours, and I suggest we head through the second door. The dungeon at Gumus has Cave Goblins and Slimes.”

  Everyone agreed that it was time to hit the second door. James wanted a few minutes to finalise his allocation of points, and then they were ready. Leah removed her spider rings as they hadn't worked since she reached level 50. She kept her coins collection quests unanswered until after the Odyssey. She equipped the Signet Sword of Clan Karanliklar and placed her hand on the second silver door.

  They materialised outside a dark, dank castle.

  Atherleah, you and your companions are charged with completing the Dungeon of Sumuk the Slime Queen at Gumus.

  This is a Special Instance of the dungeon at Gumus. Even though you are the first to complete this particular instance, many players have already completed the dungeon, and no additional rewards are offered.

  The starting level for the MOBs in this dungeon has been provisionally set at 50 as this is your group’s current mean level. There are five levels to this dungeon, and the final boss level has been increased from +10 to +15. So Queen Sumuk is currently Level 65. Also, there are several additional challenges beyond the normal. Enjoy!

  They could see Goblins on the battlements of the castle and the Barbican with an open portcullis. It was night, and the few torches on the walls gave away little information. Amy wasn’t confident to cross the forecourt unseen as goblins had excellent night-vision, so Wisp went to scout out the inside. When she returned, she reported that there were two guards at every staircase and though she wasn’t able to reach the battlements, she counted sixteen soldiers, all with bows and swords. The gate to the inner castle wall was closed, and she could see nothing. The castle was octagonal with two guards doing a circuit on each side. They would meet in the middle and then walk to the end, peer along the next side, turn and return to their route. Four staircases climbed to the battlements.

  Wisp could conceal the group, and that would get them into the outer court but without a way to get onto the battlements the portcullis close and they would be trapped, fighting to gain the higher ground. Leah suggested that with her Hands of a Spider she could make it up the outside wall and onto the battlements. Wisp drew a map, and together they chose the guards Leah would attack initially. The plan was to attack the guards just before Thad and Zack struck the stairs from below. Wisp would need to get Thad, Zack and the others into position.

  Leah crept to the wall using Hidden Quietness and then muttered ‘Hands of a Spider’. The wall was fifteen metres high. She scuttled up and peered through the crenellations waiting for the goblins to meet and turn. As they turned, she swung through the embrasure, took one step after a guard and drove her knife deep into his brain. She turned and ran in the opposite direction and did the same to the second guard. She kept running and equipped her bow, so just as the guard from the adjoining section turned the corner, she fired into his face from a distance of two meters. Jumping forward she made sure he was dead before turning and shooting at the guard on the opposite end of the wall who'd just discovered three of his fellow soldiers were already dead. Leah's arrow hit him mid torso and a second drove him to his knees.Meanwhile, Thad and Zack had finished their job and were pounding up the stairs. Leah left the far guard for the others and knelt down, casting Echolocation. Just for a second, she could make out a guard running down the battlement toward her. He was four meters away. She stood and readied her knives. As he turned the corner, she buried one knife through his eye and then knocking an arrow prepared for more guards to come running.

  The group were in control of one side and one staircase. They needed, however, to defend in three directions. Two had been assigned to each access point. James and Zack covered the stairs while Wisp and Thad worked the b
attlements in one direction as Amy and Leah worked in the other direction. Each group had both a healer and a close fighter. When Amy arrived, Leah moved forward, with Amy covering the far corner. A soldier peeked around the corner and saw them, but an arrow from both Amy and Leah drove him back. As they got close, Leah again cast Echolocation, she perceived five soldiers bunched around the corner. Raising her hand she indicated ‘five’ to Amy. When the next one poked his head around the corner, Leah cast Chain Lightning, stunning all five. Together she and Amy turned the corner and began firing arrows from a distance of two metres. It was soon over, but more soldiers were climbing the stairs. Leah cast Rain of Fire and then as she got close she cast Chain Lightning. Taking out her new sword she practised the six sword forms she had learnt. She flowed through the five stunned soldiers. After ten minutes the team controlled half the battlement, the goblins continued to attack up the stairs and were systematically destroyed.

  Five minutes later, all sixteen soldiers from the battlements were dead and all eight of the stair guards. Thad and Zack dealt with a pair of guards who were overseeing the portcullis. They sent Amy down the stairs, but she was unable to find any other guards in the inner courtyard. While Leah harvested what she could from the various guards, the others searched for anything that was out of the ordinary. Besides the usual coins, daggers, bows and swords the goblins had nothing spectacular. Gèng had checked the guides, and one of the guards was supposed to have a key to the inner court which was where the dungeon proper started. They decided to search the outer court and battlements again.

  It was Thad who discovered the clue. He had been trying to increase his mining skill and had been carrying his pick while looking at things hoping that even this small application of the skill would help. As he searched the outer court, one of the sections of the inner wall lit up with green as if suitable for mining. He called Zach and Leah over, and they decided if the key wasn’t available then why not try tunnel through the wall. There was only room for one, so Thad had the first go. It took several blows, but some of the stone flaked away. After his stamina dropped to half, Zack had a go, and then Leah. It took almost an hour, but they managed to tunnel through the two-meter-thick wall and into the inner courtyard.It was almost nine, and the place looked eerily empty.

  Wisp did a quick reconnoitre. She reported lights in both the windows of the great hall and the keep. Everywhere else was dark and empty. The guides claimed that the way to the Slime Dungeon was through the Keep basement, so they headed to the Keep.

  The outside door was locked. Thad checked, and there were no indications that the wall of the keep could be tunnelled through. They concluded that only way in was through the roof or via the great hall. Moving to the Great Hall, they peeked in the windows. Inside were thirty goblins all standing and listening to a larger, more muscular goblin who was holding a silver sword in one hand and a mace in the other.

  LORD OF GOBLIN KEEP (Level 60) 6200HP 5500 EP

  The only way appeared to be through the front door. Leah doubted they could defeat all goblins in the room, but there seemed to be no other way in. After discussing various options, it was Amy who suggested that as she knew Goblin Patter why didn’t she try and talk to them, just from the doorway. If they started to fight, she would step back, and as they came out the door, they would cut them down slowly. Leah proposed that Amy take one step into the room so Leah could sneak through and get behind the Lord. After discussing several scenarios Amy and Thad flung the door open. Amy shouted, “Goblins, please remain still, I wish to speak with you about the slime scourge beneath the castle.”

  What came out her mouth was a series of rough guttural sounds with various clicks, glottal stops and rasping. Meanwhile, Leah stepped into the room behind Amy and using the spell of Hidden Quietness made her way behind the Lord. Several goblins began to move toward Amy but stopped at a bark from the Lord which Amy heard as “Stop! Let her be!”

  He turned to Amy and said, “How did you get in here? Where are my guards?”

  “Dead! We would rather just get to the dungeon below the keep but they, and now you, are in the way.”

  “Ha! So did you defeat them by yourselves or are there more than two of you.”

  “There are more. So can we go through your keep?”

  “No, I think instead I will give my soldiers practice for when they go and clear the shell-less snails themselves.”

  “Is there any way we can avoid a fight?”

  “No! I have plenty of soldiers and can replace these. We goblins love to fight, and killing humans is good. The only thing better is killing elves.”

  In English, Amy said, “So, fight it is.”

  As she spoke the words, Leah lopped off the Lord’s head and cast Rain of Fire followed by Chain Lightning. Wisp stepped through between Amy and Thad, and cast Wave of Fire while James tried one of his new spells, it produced a small scorching ball of plasma which could burn right through an adversary. Amy equipped her bow and began to rain arrows on the crowd. Both Zach and Thad stepped into the room and began attacking the dazed and surprised goblins. Leah also worked her way through the dazed goblins, she was concentrating on moving the sword in a continual flowing movement from one position to the next. Leah cast Disc of Death, impaling some goblins and restricting the direction from which they could attack her. She cast Chain lightning again and cleared the goblins from inside the circle. Soon the battle had split into two different battle zones. Leah inside her ring of spikes and Thad and Zack holding the doorway. Several times Wisp sent Wave of Fire through the room and Leah used Rain of Fire once more as well. As the numbers decreased, Thad and Zack moved deeper into the room, drawing soldiers to them; and giving Leah some reprieve. James kept a constant eye on Leah and had sent his Plasma Dart across the room several times when he saw her almost overwhelmed. Suddenly, it was all over.

  No one in the group used the preset moves to fight any longer, and all of them were fighting at a standard well above their actual levels. After meeting Leah, Thad had looked through the various guides and determined that most people didn’t initially have the body strength and eye-hand coordination to be better than the presets.This meant that most people defaulted to the preset movements, attacks and defence. All five had found that by working at it over the last few weeks, Dunyanin Time, they had become better and more accurate than ever. This battle was proof of their improvement.

  The Lord of the Keep had a large ring of keys on him. And although the whole group searched the hall, top to bottom, there was nothing out of the ordinary except the Lord Goblin’s sword and mace. Neither were weapons anyone in the group was using so they added them to the group pile of loot.

  They also went through the keep from top to bottom, but it was empty of goblins. The keys opened all the doors, and they found several chests of coins which added up to over 153 Gold, 420 Silver and 3,415 Copper. They had about thirty minutes before they had to log out so they carefully made their way to the basement and there was nothing except a portal in the basement wall. They decided to log out and have a full twelve-hour break. But, just to be safe, they agreed on eleven-and-a-half Dunyanin hours.

  Leah grabbed some food and rang her mother to talk for a bit. She explained that she was on a quest and might not be finished by Sunday but would have a day off when she was done. They talked about school and how much Leah was enjoying it, even though she was holding out to attend MIT. Her mum said that Jimmy Loo had come by and asked that Leah call him some time. Leah knew Jimmy wouldn’t put himself out unless it was important, so after talking with her mother, she gave Jimmy a call.

  “Hey Jimmy, I heard you wanted to talk to me. How may I help?”

  “You’ve been virtual for one week, and already I’m hearing your name. I knew you were going to make something of the opportunity, but it's scary what I’m hearing.”

  “I don’t know what you’ve heard Jimmy. Come on, what is going on? You’ve scared my mum!”

  “Yeah, sorry about that! Lo
ok, the bosses from around here knew that someone who previously worked for me was going virtual. The word is that someone who sounded like a short fat you was involved in helping a whole lot of people we thought had gone missing. You know ‘Bluey’, the boss from out past Blackstone, well his girl rings up and tells a story of being trapped and set free by this eurasian looking dwarf. Now Bluey says he owes me. In fact, bosses from all over are checking if it's me they owe. We’re talking hundreds of favours, Leah. I’m just checking if I take credit for you or if someone else is responsible. I have a reputation.”

  “I thought you told me ‘a few people tried to get out’?”

  “Well, maybe I under-exaggerated the numbers, I didn’t want to scare you.”

  “Well, consider me scared. Honestly Jimmy, yes it was me, but I don’t want that getting around. Some people are seriously angry, and I’m kinda worried for my safety if the word gets out, so I prefer not to have any names given to anybody.”

  “Understood! That brings me to my second reason for needing to talk; there are some suits asking questions about the people who got free. We got the Federal Police, and we got lawyer types, and we got scary guys. Are any of them on our side?”

  “Nope! All three groups are pulling the other way. The ones who can help are all virtual or out of the country.”

  “So are you safe?”

  “Here in the Pod facility, I think so. I’m hoping to get home in a few days, then, or on the trip, I’m not so sure.”

  “You let me know when you’re coming and I’ll have guys meet you. Don’t argue, from what I hear we owe you.”