by Aleron Kong
The Symbiosis Boon of your Mark of the Adventurer may now access the perk gained from the blood of the Tovuut Mauler: Leader of the Pack. This Boon awards the skill Beast Bonding if you do not already possess it. It also modifies the skill in the following ways:
+50% Maximum Number of Pets
+10 effective skill levels in Beast Bonding
+10% to level of Tamed Pets
Richter read the window twice just to be sure. He had basically gained the mauler’s Pack Leader ability! This Boon was a wet dream for anyone that wanted to Tame monsters. Not only would it increase the number of pets he could safely control, but it also made it way more likely that each time he cast the spell he’d succeed in mastering a creature’s will. It wouldn’t help for the upcoming battle, but in the future, he could see it becoming his most used Boon.
After everything had been addressed, the chaos seed just laid his head back down on the pillow. He was himself again, but his soul still felt weary from the effects of using such strong Blood magic. He must have dozed, because the next thing he knew, Hisako was shaking his shoulder gently. When he opened his eyes, she was gazing kindly down at him with her smooth yet matronly face.
“Are you well, Lord Richter?” she asked him gently, while resting a small hand on his cheek.
He gave a small, languid stretch from where he was lying in bed, “I am,” he replied contentedly. “Thank you, Lady Hisako.”
Richter just lay there smiling up at her until her hand pulled away from his cheek, then came speeding back to deliver a head-ringing slap.
“When did you start playing with Shadow magic, you damn gyoti?” Her tone had the sharp crack of a Boston nun… and not in a sexy way.
“Hisako,” Richter cried out in protest. He looked over at Randolphus for support, but his Companion just pursed his lips slightly, shaking his head. Again, he didn’t even look up from his papers, clearly wanting none of what Hisako was dishing out.
“Do not, ‘Hisako’ me! I swear I thought one idiot son was enough, but if you insist on playing with magic you do not understand then I will treat you like a child as well! Do you have any idea how dangerous Shadow magic can be?”
“Actually, yes!” Richter replied indignantly. “I was attacked by a shadow bat.” He sat up in bed so he wouldn’t have to keep looking up at an angry woman that was a foot and a half shorter than him. Even still, his arguing position was seriously undercut by the fact that he was bucka naked under the blanket. He had nothing to be ashamed of down there, of course, but still, you wanted a bit of protection for your bits when an angry woman was hitting you. Alma squawked in protest at being dislodged from her perch on his chest.
“You were bitten by a Shadow creature?” Hisako screeched, her voice rising two octaves. The Life Master immediately began casting a diagnostic spell upon him.
“Yes,” Richter replied, recognizing the spell form. “But I already cured myself of the Shadow Sickness disease.” Alma trilled in protest. Rolling his eyes, he corrected himself, “Alma already cured the Shadow Sickness disease.”
The Hearth Mother completely ignored him, finishing her spell. When she was sure he wasn’t infected, she harrumphed, “You are lucky. Both that your familiar shows better sense than her master and that the strain of sickness you were infected with was common. If the disease had been of a higher class, her tier-one Cure Disease spell would not have worked.” She went on to explain that infections had ranks like most things in The Land: common, infectious, contagious, aggressive, deadly, resistant, malignant, virulent, insidious, incurable and sentient.
Richter’s eyes grew wide as he heard the last qualifier. A thinking disease? Before he could ask any questions though, Hisako just shook her head to forestall him, “Do not even ask, Lord Richter. Such a disease is one of the most destructive forces in The Land. What you must remember is that though you are progressing well in your Life magic, you are still only an initiate. The Shadow Realm is a dangerous place and almost every creature in it will sicken you with its bite. Shadow bats are among the weakest of the denizens of that dark place. If you are infected with a more powerful disease and not healed, death is not the worst that could befall you. Your alignment could plummet, your soul could sicken, and your body could change until you could not bear the touch of the sun.” She looked at him severely, “You would become evil.
“Those are some of the more benign consequences, and disease is not the only danger of that place. There are creatures that could eat your very soul! Even with your ability to be reborn, you might not come back whole from that. And if you did, you might never truly be yourself again. The soulless…,” she stopped and shuddered, closing her eyes. When she continued, her voice was thick with sincerity, “Better the true death than to be one of those accursed things. Now, I already know that you do not possess the knowledge of any Shadow magic spells, and I assume your ability to Shadow Shift has to do with that ring you’re wearing. Tell me the whole story.”
If Hisako had wanted to scare him, she’d succeeded. Even though the shadow bat was apparently only a weak monster, it had still done him some serious damage, and Richter was no pushover. He already knew the Shadow realm wasn’t to be used lightly, but he had no idea it was as dangerous as she had just made it out to be. He filled her in on how he had gotten the Ring of Shadow from the Death Knight Nien. Despite her warnings though, he told her he still intended to use the ring. It was too powerful to just ignore, “The mauler might have killed us if I hadn’t used the Shadow realm to get behind it. It gave me enough time to cast Tame.”
The Hearth Mother sighed. She hadn’t expected Richter to give up a new source of Power. It seemed that her ally could not help but seek more power. Instead of wasting breath on further warnings, she just told gave him information that might keep him alive. “I am sure you have already noticed that time moves slower in the Shadow Realm. You can increase that time by staying in darkness. If you enter the realm in the full light of day, you will find time moving faster than if you do so in the dead of night.
“Also, the only Basic Elements that will work there will be Dark and Light magic. I cannot speak to other types of magic, but remember that even a simple light spell could keep lesser Shadow denizens away from you. Of course, it might enrage and attract stronger monsters of that realm as well. Similarly, Dark magic will answer your call while in the Shadow Realm, but I have heard tales of it strengthening some Shadow creatures. I cannot speak to this, and you will have to find out for yourself.”
Sighing, she placed a hand on his head and one on his heart, “You have finally advanced far enough to learn a minor attack spell of Light. May this serve you well, my ally.” Power coursed down both of her arms and he knew!
Congratulations! You have learned the spell: Minor Sunbeam. Fires a beam of concentrated sunlight at an enemy doing 25-30 Damage. Chance to cause Blind and Burn. This is a spell of Light Magic, level 11. Cost: 125 mana. Duration: 1 second. Range: 50 feet. Cast Time: 4 seconds. Cooldown: 5 minutes
Richter blinked, his mind sorting and filing the complex calculations that were always required to cast magic. Years of research and trial and error had just been dumped into his mind all at once. As his mind cleared, he smiled and thanked her. He also took the time to tell her that he had finished the original quest she’d given him in his first days in The Land.
She checked her own interface, before looking at him in surprise, “You waited days to tell me about this?”
“I was busy,” he protested lamely.
Hisako shook her head, but still gave him his quest reward for Protect the Forest I.
Congratulations! You have been awarded 5,000 (base 4,000 x 1.25) Experience Points
Richter thought the next quest in the chain might be coming, but all she said was that they would ‘have to talk’ after the lich had been dealt with. If that wasn’t a trigger for the next link in the chain, he didn’t know what was. He contented himself to wait. After his reward had been dealt with, Hisako very poi
ntedly asked him a question, “She told him she was happy to help, but then asked, “Are there any other quests, objects or magics you would like to tell me about?”
Answers immediately starting shooting through Richter’s mind: Ranock Din, the lost royal weapon of a dwarven kingdom; the kobold egg; the artifact map that had been hidden in the titan steel safe; his ability to make scalable items; the defaced chapel in the Catacombs; the fact that he was going to start raising an undead army; and several other things that he was sure she would want to know about. Even though there were many possible answers, it was a strange facet of male biology that when a woman asked if there was anything she should know, any answer that could potentially get you in trouble was immediately discarded. There was one thing that he really could use her help on though, “Yes, actually,” he responded animatedly. “Uhhh,” he said, thinking about his nakedness again. “Would you mind waiting outside while I throw some pants on?”
Hisako rolled her eyes, “I am a Life Master and healer, you know. You have nothing I have not seen before.”
Richter sighed heavily then just looked at her. Chuckling slightly, Hisako agreed to wait by the Great Seal. Once the door was closed, Richter hopped out of bed. Randolphus stood as well and helped his lord get dressed, the consummate chamberlain. It was a bit weird having a deadly Spy help him get his clothes on, but when Richter had mentioned it once, Randy had told him the jobs he had had to do for old king of Yves had been much more compromising. The chaos seed had left it at that.
After slipping on his smallclothes, a beige shirt, brown leather pants and his new jumping shoes, he slung his Bag of Holding over his shoulder. Randolphus opened the door and they both walked towards the Great Seal. There were guards stationed throughout this first floor of the Catacombs. Richter ordered them all to leave and wait at the entrance.
They were given instructions to not allow anyone to pass. Then he looked at Randolphus, considering. He wanted to keep the information regarding what he was about to reveal compartmentalized, and he hadn’t forgotten about his latest Companion’s evil nature. Still, he was trusting the man with a lot more than one item. If Randy wanted, he could disappear into the mists and never return. Richter decided to let him stay.
Hisako had watched the preparations with a bemused look on her face. Curiosity over what her ally was about to reveal kept her from interrupting. The first time he had shown her something of import, it had been a staff, a corrupted weapon that had concealed the chrysalis of a pixie. The end result of that was the return of the other half of her people’s souls.
The time after that it had been a Magic Core. The third instance he had revealed those horrid black crystals from the dark aberration. She shuddered just thinking about them. As disgusting as those trapped souls had been, they had also been remarkably rare and noteworthy. She had no doubt that Richter was going to show her something amazing this time as well. When the chaos seed finally reached into his bag and revealed his latest prize though, all she could do was lightly slap a palm to her forehead and mutter, “Gyoti.”
In Richter’s hand lay cradled the Heart Crystal he had been awarded after the Duel with Nien. A completely clear and flawless crystal, it allowed someone to tap into the very ley lines of The Land. Randolphus stared at the item in shock. Even though he had just commented about how his lord seemed to attract items and people of power, seeing a Heart Crystal so casually held in Richter’s hand rendered him mute. Once again, he revaluated his liege lord. The man always seemed to have another miracle up his sleeve. It would be wise to never underestimate him.
Richter wasn’t aware of any of the chamberlain’s internal musings. He was just looking at Hisako, “What?” The Hearth Mother just kept looking at the crystal and lightly shaking her head, “What! I didn’t use it at all. In fact, I’ve been keeping it secret and safe until we could find a private minute to speak!”
The Hearth Mother overcame her initial surprise. She realized Richter was right, and he had indeed shown wisdom in keeping this information compartmentalized, for once. “Tell me how you gained this.”
Richter told both of them what he had left out before. That the Death Knight had actually been a Master of his own Place of Power, how they had fought a formal Duel, and how Richter had won with Alma’s help. Hisako and Randolphus listened to all of it without interrupting. Both witnesses to the chaos seed’s story were skilled manipulators and veteran travelers of the pathways of power. They each filed away the information they gained from his story, especially his previously unknown and extremely dangerous capability to now perform Thought-based attacks.
“When I won the Duel,” Richter continued, “there was a prompt saying I could find a use for the Heart Crystal. Obviously, it could give someone Mastery of wherever this Place of Power is, but do you know anything else that it can do?”
“Oh yes,” Hisako responded, staring at the crystal in his hands. “Place it upon your Great Seal and your question will be answered.”
Shrugging slightly, Richter placed it in the center of the four spirals and the room exploded with color!
CHAPTER 90 – Day 149 – Kuborn 39, 0 AoC
Congratulations! You have slain another Master and in doing so acquired their Heart Crystal. Truly, even predators should fear you! Not only that, you have survived to tell the tale and have brought it back to the center of your Place of Power. To the victor goes the spoils!
Blue and purple-black light was blazing from the Heart Crystal and all four spirals of the Great Seal had come alive with the colors of their respective Powers. Gold, black, yellow and blue pulsed beneath the light show of the item Richter had placed on the ground.
You have captured the Heart Crystal of the Shadow Trench. The former Master of this Crystal had advanced his Place of Power to level two in both Water and Death Power. As one of these Powers is also contained within your own Place of Power, that bonus is doubled. Do you wish to:
Deconstruct the Level 2 Death Magic Power and earn 1,500 Settlement Points?
Deconstruct the Level 2 Water Magic Power and earn 3,000 (base 1,500) Settlement Points?
Deconstruct the Level 1 Death Magic Power and earn 500 Settlement Points?
Deconstruct the Level 1 Water Magic Power and earn 1,000 (base 500) Settlement Points?
Know This! Deconstructing all levels of this Heart Crystal will cause it to shatter. At some point in the future, in days or centuries, it will reform over the physical center of the Shadow Trench. At that point it can be claimed by anyone who finds it.
Richter looked over at Hisako, across the sea of light. “What-” The words died in his throat. The Hearth Mother was frozen. Even a wisp of hair crossing her face defied gravity by hanging in midair and refusing to fall. He looked to Randolphus, and to his surprise, the man was completely frozen as well. Even a fold of his robe was furled in a way that it should shift and fall in the next second, but it remained as motionless as if it were carved from stone and not woven from cloth.
The prompts flashed in his vision, demanding his attention. One more appeared.
CHOOSE, Lord Richter of the Mist Village.
CHOOSE, Chaos Seed.
CHOOSE, James of Georgia.
This choice will never come again! You will not remember this frozen moment, but it will determine your path. One day will be given for you to use these Powers, but the consequences of this choice will last forever. CHOOSE!
Richter chose.
The light winked out.
A cracking noise sounded like the sundering of the world.
Time resumed.
Richter blinked.
All was quiet.
“Was something supposed to happen?” Randolphus asked.
Hisako looked at Richter knowingly.
“It did,” Richter said. He was somewhat confused himself, but he knew one thing for sure. “I chose.”
Prompts flooded his vision.
Congratulations! You have siphoned Power from a captured Heart Crystal.
You have chosen to deconstruct the Level 2 Death and Water Powers as well as the Level 1 Water Power of the Heart Crystal of the Shadow Trench.
Any claiming ownership of this Heart Crystal will have to unlock these Powers to gain spell bonuses or abilities.
The Level 1 Death Power remains intact, and whoever takes Mastery of the crystal shall benefit from the bonus to Death Magic.
Congratulations! You have gained 5,500 Settlement Points.
Your Level 1 settlement allows you to instantly achieve feats in the following categories: Buildings, Research, City Mechanics, Resources, Dungeon, and Terrain.
You have one day to expend these points or they will be lost forever.
Richter’s jaw dropped. Did Settlement Points literally let him change the landscape of his village? He asked that very question of Hisako.
“Yes,” she responded with a faint smile. “Settlement Points are extremely difficult to come by, though if you unlock the second level of all your Powers, you will be able to earn them very slowly.”
“I didn’t even know there was a second level of my ley line Powers until I dueled Nien,” Richter commented, shaking his head.
“As I have said before, my ally, you have much to learn. There are a few other ways to earn Settlement Points. You have already come across one of the most profitable, and most rare: taking a Heart Crystal from another Master by force. Choose well how you will advance your settlement, Lord Richter, for I doubt you will be given this opportunity again anytime in the near future.”
Hisako leaned over and picked up the Heart Crystal. It looked exactly the same as before, just a clear jewel that fit into his hand. She handed it to him with parting words, “I believe you have shown wisdom in not completely depleting it, Lord Richter. I do not know the location of this crystal’s Place of Power. I do know, however, that many creatures... man, beast, monster and worse... will fight and kill to obtain this. I do not know of any other way it can directly help you right now, but you may indeed find another use for the Heart Crystal.” She gave a faint laugh, “Perhaps next time you find an item of such importance though, you can ask my advice earlier rather than later.” She smiled and patted him on the cheek before affectionately murmuring, “Gyoti,” and leaving the room of the Great Seal.