Endless Fantasy Online

by Devin Auspland

  Basic Phoenix Kingdom Book of Lore, Bestiary (uncommon) x1 obtained. This book contains the basic knowledge and lore of common and uncommon creatures around the Phoenix Kingdom.

  The book was heavy and hundreds of pages long. Opening it Luke saw crude illustrations of creatures with names, habitats, favorite foods and things of the sort. “You guys mind if I take this? I also found some rare mushrooms back there. If it’s ok with you guys, I’ll take the book, mushrooms and my cut of the gold?”

  “Can I smoke the mushrooms?” Backstab asked.

  “I think it might kill you but I guess you’re welcome to try.” Luke smirked.

  “Hard pass.” Backstab made an 'x’ with his arms before grabbing the daggers.

  The group continued to divide up the loot until everyone got something. Backstab took the enchanted daggers, Penny took the curved sword and Nanoc took the pair of orange potions which turned out to be strength enhancing. The group also split the gold. Backstab and Penny got fifty while Luke and Nanoc got forty-nine because there was 198 in total and Penny had to buy a new shield. They also agreed to donate the wand to anyone who needed it in the guild.

  After looting the room, a panel in the wall behind the stage retracted into the floor to reveal a staircase leading up. Proceeding to the stairs, Luke turned around to take in the scene before him. He had just helped slay a massive boss monster among people he truly considered his friends. He had a pet he cared deeply about and could shoot healing magic from his fingers. Endless Fantasy Online, trapped or not, was changing him for the better.

  Smiling, he proceeded up the stairs and toward the exit, toward his friends.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Learning More

  When the party reached the city, something big seemed to be going on. People were rushing in and out at a frantic pace and guards were rushing crates in all directions. The group approached one guard who was catching his breath to ask him what was going in.

  “The King…” Pant. “He’s getting ready…” Wheeze. “To visit the Elk Kingdom.”

  “The Elk Kingdom?” Luke asked.

  The guard took a large swig of water from his water skin before continuing. “Yeah. The Elk Kingdom.” The party just gave him unknowing looks for a moment, so the guard continued. “Man, you travelers don’t know anything. The Elk Kingdom is the realm of the Elven King Lorsan Virfield. He wants them to join the effort against Shadow Incarnate.” The guard bowed and excused himself by grabbing another crate and running into the city.

  “I knew it!” Backstab snapped his fingers, and the group gave him their full attention. “I knew there had to be some nice elven ladies in this game.” The group all frowned and Penny punched Backstab on the shoulder.

  “We should probably report this, and the location of The Den, to Shrapnel,” Penny suggested. When she received no objections, they all headed for the guild headquarters.

  It took them a while to reach the outskirts of the city where the shady warehouse they called their guild headquarters was located. When they got close, they noticed just as much commotion coming from the guild house as there was at the city gate. People were running around like crazy and horse-drawn carts were being loaded with goods. Penny started looking for Shrapnel and pointed him out to the others when she spotted him.

  “Guild Master Shrapnel, what's going on?” she questioned.

  “Ahh Penny. I’m glad you and your team are back, lots going on and lots to do.” Shrapnel moved back allowing space for a guild member carrying an over-sized crate to squeeze by. “It’s great news! The King is headed for a neighboring city.”

  “We heard. Why is that great news?” She gave Shrapnel a puzzled expression.

  “The King is promoting the guilds with the highest reputation to City Guilds! Thanks to our actions during the Crimson Shadow’s attack, and someone in our guild clearing the game’s first discovered dungeon, we have a ton of reputation with the city. We’re being given a guild hall near the castle, with easy access to the city gate.” He shouted his next words so everyone could hear him. “No more walking an hour to get outside the city!” Loud cheers could be heard from everyone around.

  “Actually, that's kinda why we came. We wanted to report what we found.” Penny explained their day: finding the dungeon, the goblins inside, the loot they found, and the massive goblin boss they had to fight.

  “Wow! That sounds amazing. I’ll get word to the guild cartographers so they can update everyone with the dungeon’s location. I want to get parties out there starting tomorrow! If we can only enter once a week, I want groups to start clearing it immediately. Thanks for the information and great find.” The group smiled and nodded. “Sounds like you all had a rough day though. Why don’t you all take the rest of the day off? If anyone complains that you didn’t help today, I’ll remind them of who found their new favorite grind spot.” The group’s small smiles now turned to huge grins of happiness. They began to leave before Shrapnel called them back. “Wait. I don’t know if you noticed, but the guild also leveled up from this. We voted and purchased a passive skill that gives us all 1% more experience. Now none of the guild will miss the 1% we tax.”

  “You’re just full of good news today aren’t you?” Backstab commented.

  Guild Master Shrapnel laughed and warned them to leave in a hurry or he might change his mind about giving them the day off. After marking the new guild headquarters on their maps, the party ran faster than when the wolves chased them.

  After they were a good distance away, Nanoc spoke up. “Same plan tomorrow?” He asked no one in particular.

  “No.” Penny started to shake her head. “I think the guild master has the right idea. We barely won that fight and it really hurt. I was literally being cooked alive in my armor. If Luke didn’t send that last minute heal to me, I would have burned to death. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m taking a day or two off to rest and find a skill trainer. It's clear to me that we’re not ready to take on challenges like that and I think we can afford a day off.”

  “A skill trainer?” Luke questioned.

  “Yeah. There are skill trainers for all classes. They can help you hone your skills and teach you new ones. I think it's a good idea if we all visit our respective trainers.”

  “But loooot,” Backstab complained.

  “Listen.” Penny put on a serious tone. “We have to start treating this like our lives now and not just a game. I can’t speak for you lot but I don’t want to die again. It hurts.” No one said anything, but they all began fidgeting as they remembered the last time they all died. “Were locked out of the dungeon for a full week, right? Let's all do some personal training and meet back up in a week. We can try the dungeon again and see how much we progressed.”

  “A fine idea!” Nanoc belted. “I know where my barbarian trainer is and I have a ton of questions on how I can better use my tomahawk and whirlwind skills.”

  “What about the new VR players? Won’t they catch up to us in level by then?” Luke asked.

  “They can get close to us, yes but you're forgetting something. The dungeon is instance based. They won’t be able to steal that leveling spot from us. Plus, if we hone our skills we should be able to take on much tougher foes than new players of our same level,” she countered.

  After talking it over for a while they all agreed on the plan and started going their separate ways. Before Penny could leave, Luke made her show him where the pet store was on his map. Taking care of Ringo was his first priority. They had only been together for a couple of days, but Luke cared deeply for his animal companion. Ringo clearly reciprocated the feelings, considering she gave her life for him.

  After a short walk, Luke was in front of a long rectangular building with a large wooden sign hanging out front in the shape of a dog bone. The sign read Critters and Creatures Pet Haven and Luke could see light coming from the window so he walked in.

  The door swung open past a bell that made a loud chime. “Hello?” A tall slender
man looked toward the door. He was tossing pellets out of a bucket into various open displays containing a variety of small animals. “Welcome to Critters and Creatures Pet Haven. My name is Edmund, how can I assist you today?” The man’s nasal voice greeted the newcomer to his shop. The man was wearing nice clothing but had on a thick smock to protect the front of his clothes. His long black hair was tied up in a ponytail and he appeared to have long ears like Rose. Not wanting to get caught starting again, Luke’s response came out quickly.

  “I’m looking for help taking care of my animal companion. I would like to get her some proper food and maybe some treats or something?” Luke was still unsure on how to take care of a living creature and doubly unsure what translated from his world to this one regarding pet care. Did they have chew toys? He thought as Edmund put the bucket down and approached him.

  “May I see your companion?” Luke thought nothing of it and pulled Ringo out of her pouch and began petting her in his arms. Edmund took out a monocle from his front pocket and placed it in his right eye as he moved mere inches from Ringo. “Ahhh! She is beautiful. Look at those markings.” His monocle began to glow blue faintly. “I see… An epic level alpha wolf… Amazing! Her bond with you is strong too. Color me impressed, young one. Few humans can bond with such a wild creature. Most of you bond with horses or birds, but an epic level wolf? That's very rare.”

  Luke wasn’t used to such praise and began to blush a little. He pushed his glassed up before speaking. “It’s really that rare?” he asked.

  Edmund switched his gaze to Luke and his monocle began to glow again. “Hmm… I see… things make more sense now… You are both a ranger and a nature affinity magic user. That certainly helps explain things.” He put his monocle back in his pocket and began walking toward the back of the store, gesturing Luke to follow.

  “I’m sorry but I’m a traveler and don’t really know what any of that means regarding Ringo and I,” Luke choked out.

  Edmund stopped walking, turned his head and raised a single eyebrow. “Ringo? Interesting name.” He faced forward again and started walking before continuing. “Having an animal companion is not rare. Many races, including monster races, are known for having animal companions. What makes your case special is the type of animal. Only races who are more in tune with nature can generally bond with more advanced life-forms. The bond you have created with your animal is imbued with nature mana. You literally share your soul with your animal.” The man went behind a counter and faced Luke head on.

  “Share my soul?” Luke questioned with concern.

  “Don’t be scared. All it means is that you are bonded on a spiritual level. As your bond increases, so will your feelings toward her, and your connection will begin to unlock a new world of possibilities. As I was saying, this bond must be accepted by the ambient nature mana of the world. Since you have your mana affinities unlocked, I assume you know the possible affinities?” He paused to wait for a response and Luke nodded slowly. “Well, each race has certain predispositions to each affinity. As a human, you are more likely to have dark, light, or fire affinities. Contrasted to that, you are less likely to have an air or water affinity, and it’s rare for a human to have an earth affinity. Earth affinities are most common among elves. In fact, almost all elves have earth as one of their affinities. Since you have nature, earth and water affinities, you were able to bond with this beautiful girl of yours.”

  Luke scratched Ringo’s head and her tail began to wag. “I guess that makes sense.” He wasn’t sure he understood everything, but it helped explain why he felt so close to Ringo in such a short amount of time and why she would give her life for him. “Thanks for the explanation. Would you mind teaching me a little more about taking care of her?”

  Edmund clasped his hands together and smiled. “It would be my pleasure.”

  Luke interrupted. “I’m sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Luke.”

  “It would be my pleasure, Luke.” he corrected.

  Luke and Edmund spent the next few hours going over basic pet care techniques. Luke learned that it was best to let Ringo eat raw meat and to allow her to hunt because it helped raise her stats. He also learned that he would be able to see her stats when she grew out of her cub status. Although raw meat was her preferred food, he could also feed her nutrient pellets. Edmund explained that they were stuffed with nutrients and would help Ringo grow, but to Luke they just looked like typical hard dog food from back home. When all was said and done, Luke ended up purchasing a bag of pellets and a sturdy brush for cleaning Ringo. Edmund then explained to him why brushing her fur out would not only be a nice experience for Ringo but would help raise their bond.

  “The key is just spending time with her. Do everything together! And make sure to set time aside each day to do something with just the two of you. Raising your bond will make you both stronger,” Edmund finished explaining.

  Luke thanked Edmund for all his help and for the information he shared with him before saying his goodbyes. He started heading out of the store before Edmund ran up and stopped him.

  “Luke… Let me ask you something. Have you put any thought into what your next class advancement will be?”

  Luke thought for a while before he responded. “Not really. I mean, I don’t know what my options are until I hit level ten so I don’t really know what I will choose until I see my choices.”

  Edmund grabbed some paper, a quill and an inkwell from under his counter. Dipping the quill into the ink he began to draw a diagram. After a few minutes he turned the paper around and pushed it across the counter to Luke. Luke grabbed the paper and studied it. It looked like a bunch of circles with numbers and lines connecting them. He couldn’t make heads or tails of it so he looked up at Edmund and waited for an explanation.

  “That is a crude diagram of class advancement.” He pointed to the first circle that had a one in it. “Everyone in this world starts at level one as the beginner class.” He moved his finger along the line that led to a ring of circles with the number three in them. “When someone hits level three, they are given their choice of basic classes. Their choices are determined by how they lived their lives up to that point. If you worked in a shop, you would be offered various trade classes. If you carry a giant sword around, you could be offered the barbarian or warrior class.”

  “I’m following you so far. Does that mean this smaller ring of choices is the next class advancement?” Luke pointed at the next ring of circles that all had the number ten in them.

  Edmund nodded. “At level ten you are given the choice of a specialization. This is different than your basic class choice and if you look at my diagram,” he pointed to the particular section in question, “there are far fewer choices at this stage and they all relate to your base class. For example, since you are a ranger, you will not be given the choice to select a knight or arch-mage specialization because your base class wasn’t a warrior or a mage type.”

  Luke followed the line farther up and saw a single circle with the number fifty in it. “Wait, you don’t get any choices farther up?” he questioned.

  “Exactly! You can get a lot of choices at your basic class and a handful of choices at your specialization but that’s it. When you specialize you make a choice to focus on a particular path of advancement. You’ll spend your next forty levels sharpening your skills and becoming the best you can be at what you do. Then,” Edmund continued traversing his finger up the diagram, “you will gain advancements at level fifty and one hundred. The gods will review your choices and your life up to that point and reward you with an advancement that fits you. It’s said to be extremely rare for two people to share the same advancement. There are similarities but no two people at level fifty or beyond are the same.”

  The gods he was referring to must be the game system. It looks like they review your play style and award unique new classes based on how you play the game. Luke fell more in love with this game at every turn as it appeared that everyone�
�s playthrough would end up being unique. His happy thoughts soon turned to concern when he realized there seemed to be a cap to his advancement. “So you stop advancing at level 100? I don’t see anything in your diagram past that point.”

  “Of course not. I just don’t know of anyone who has reached a high enough level to find out what happens. Even our King is rumored to only be slightly above level one hundred. Most knowledge of advancement beyond that point is all rumor and myths because it becomes insanely hard to advance your level at that point. You’re likely to die of old age before finding out if there is anything more,” Edmund added in his nasal voice.

  Luke looked overwhelmed by the amount of knowledge that was being shared with him. “Let me try to simplify things for you with an example. Let’s look at the Phoenix King’s choices. When he hit level three as a young boy, he was given a large list of choices for his basic class but he chose to be a warrior. When he hit level ten, he specialized as a holy knight of order. This is a rare specialization that is only offered to royalty who complete a legendary level quest. When he hit level fifty, later in his adult life, the gods awarded him the advancement of angelic knight. And finally, when he hit level one hundred, he became a war angel after proving himself on the battlefield countless times.”

  “That's… That's amazing! I have to tell my party, no, my whole guild about this. A ton of us are about to hit level ten soon and they should know that their next choice will be their last. Thank you for this information, but I have to go now.” Luke tried running out of the building but Edmund shouted for him to stop, and waved him back.

  “What is it with you young people? You always want to rush from one thing to the next. Can’t you ever just relax for a moment,” Edmund complained.

  “You’ve called me young several times now but, and I mean no offense, aren’t we the same age?” Luke asked.