by A P Gore
He selected Zombiemancer. His character sheet changed again, so he looked at it.
Name: Noah
Class: Cursemancer
Second Class: Zombiemancer
Stats
Strength 5
Dexterity 5
Constitution 5
Intelligence 5
Wisdom 10
Chance 0
Charisma 2
Health 175
Stamina 100
Mana 50
Spirit 100
Skills
Poison Orb (level 1): Hit a target with a poison orb. Damage: 5, Spirit Cost: 5
Curse of Creation (Physical, level 1): Create a curse that mimics a re-animated physical attack on the target. Damage Penalty: 85%. Reduce 1% damage penalty with each level. Requirement: One Crystal. Crystal rank determines the attack captured.
Noah stared at the goddess’s face, confused. He couldn't decide if it was a good class or a bad one.
“What's the creation curse? What does it do?” Noah asked.
“That's the trump card of your class, and no one knows about it. Wait until you get to level three.” She winked yet again. “Anyway, my time is almost up. But before I go, I wanted to give you two things.” She put her hand on his head. A violet notification popped up in front of him.
Congratulations! A new title is available to you. “Friend of Demons.” Title effect: Gain neutral reputation with all the demons in BlackFlame Online. Do you want to select it? Yes/No?
That was a no-brainier. So that's how she’ll make me unkillable by the demons. Good.
He looked at the second violet notification.
Congratulations! You have gained a unique sentient skill: Crystal Constructor. This skill allows you to tinker with a crystal with a chance to enhance it, merge it, upgrade it, or break it into its components. Beware! Once modified, a crystal can't be reverted. Skill type: Sentient. Skill usage restriction: Once per day.
Congratulations! You have gained a new utility class (Profession): Enhancer. Tinker with magical things at your will. You can have a maximum of two utility classes active at a time. No skill points can be added to the utility class. Practice it to gain new levels, or pray to your deity to gain points in the class.
Congratulations! You have gained a unique sentient skill: Future Vision. Access a future skill available to your class once a week. No other sentient skill can be accessed on that day. Skill restriction: +10 skill level from current player level. No experience gained for 1 hour after using the skill. Requires a monster crystal level copper-3.
“Is this the seventy-five percent skill promised by the asshole demon?” he asked.
“Yes. I've got to go now. Chill out, and have fun.” She vanished with a smile on her face. Once again, Noah was unsure if she had helped him or tricked him into something dangerous.
He’d have to figure it out later. It was time to get into the game world without worrying about the demon shit.
8. Demon Tongue
W ith a beaming smile, Noah thanked the vanishing goddess. She had done him a huge favor, saving him from agonizing pain and the self-destruction of his mind.
Before leaving the room, Noah looked into his drawer. To his surprise, a small bag and a fresh set of clothes were present. Maybe it was a gift from Sumara, or maybe it was because of the class change. Either way, he needed them. Going back into town almost naked wasn't a good choice.
He took a deep breath and stepped through the door, expecting a tail to pierce his throat or some other body part. In a fraction of a second, he was standing on his normal spot in the temple. Dried blood marks from his previous encounters with the demons still painted the ground.
The demon in blue pants waited for a clear shot.
Noah screwed his eyes shut when the black-eyed demons lunged forward. His heartbeat sped up with every passing moment. He prayed to Sumara, expecting a tail to pierce his body at any moment.
A few seconds passed, but nothing happed, so he opened one eye to peek. A black arrow head hovered in front of his eye. It was so close he could count the red veins running over the demon’s tail.
“Edithe Eystios Edthis.” The demon spoke in a strange voice, breaking the silence.
“Oh, yes. I forgot to bless you with the tongue.” Sumara's voice echoed in the temple. The demon in front of him dropped to the ground with his head touching the floor.
Congratulations! You have been blessed with the Demon Tongue. Now you can speak and understand the demon language. Don't you think you are getting too many blessings? Did you butter up that deity, or what?
“Come on, I earned it!” he said. Noah snapped back at the quirky comment of the notification.
The demon in front of him jumped up and stared at him. “You speak the demon tongue?” His black eyes dilated, exposing the real color of his eyes: blood red. Other than the red eyes, the tail and horns, he looked like a thirty-year-old normal human. He wore a brown shirt and blue pants.
Not a good sense of style.
“Goddess Sumara blessed me with it. I'm Noah. What's your name, sir?” Noah asked, politely. He didn't want to trigger any hostile reaction. The agony of death still lingered in the back of his mind.
“The Goddess blessed a human?” The demon’s eyes grew wide as saucers. “Come. I take to head demon.”
Head demon.
“Yes, sir.” Noah followed him.
Sumara was right when she’d called it a town hanging by a thread. There was nothing that looked like a town, other than a few ruined buildings bearing testament that there had been something decades ago, but next to nothing had survived whatever happened there. Small patches of gray-colored grass had devoured the road they were walking on. Nature had taken over the buildings surrounding their path.
The demon passed through various dark alleys. Noah kept his eyes open, absorbing as much as he could see in the darkness. Lots of houses were flattened to the ground or half broken into construction stones. An air of dread hung over the town. The air somehow smelled like death and fresh forest, simultaneously. Noah spotted red eyes peeking through the rubble of stones in some spots.
The demon stopped after twenty minutes of walking. By that time, his tail had vanished into his pants, so it hovered no more in front of Noah’s face. That eased Noah’s mind. The title was working.
Good!
“Head Demon in council hall.” Demon pointed towards a small, man-sized hole below a broken pillar. The pillar barely supported the rubble that had accumulated over it.
Fear clutched Noah’s heart when he ducked under the pillar to pass through the hole that led to a large door. The door opened into an enormous hall. In its prime, the hall must have been the heart of the city. The intricate stone work hinted at that, but now it was nothing more than rubble, occupied by some lowlife demons. Noah would be out of this town as soon as possible. He didn't want to stay there any longer than required.
Noah sighed and entered through the large door. A huge empty space greeted him. There were small statues placed at the corners, and they still held their complete structure and figure, though time had washed over the colors of their clothes. The whole room wasn't different. Though clean, a lack of maintenance showed through the cracks on the ground that extended to the high chairs placed at the center of the hall in a half circular fashion. One large demon, almost twice Noah’s size, sat in the middle chair. He had to be the head demon. There were few other figures sitting in the chairs around the hall, but he ignored them.
Noah rushed forward and bowed in front of the head demon, figuring it wouldn't hurt to show respect.
“Human, what are you doing here?” His language was surprisingly accurate. Noah had expected demons to be lowlife creatures, that the small demon who had brought him here proved he was correct. That was clearly not the case.
“Head Demon, sir. I'm Noah. I was sent here by mistake, and I would leave the town with Goddess Sumara's blessing tomorrow morning.”
Sudden
ly all the heads on the chairs turned to him.
A pointy-nosed demon coughed. His face was hidden by his hood. Only a long nose was visible peeking out from beneath the hood. “Human. How do you know about the Goddess?” His tone was normal, but he was still intimidating.
“Yes, sir. I was sent here by mistake by another god, and she corrected it and gave me the title so I can have safe passage.” He lied, since he doubted NPCs understood anything about game errors.
“He has the title, High Priest.” Another demon with a scar on his face rose from his chair and walked forward. He wore a long, grayish robe and a casual cotton jacket. That was another cultural shock for Noah. A demon with a cotton jacket. Where the heck was he, really?
“I can see that, High Mage Roderich. I don’t need a handicapped low level demon telling me that.” The pointy-nosed demon spun toward the demon mage, tail poised as if for attack.
The mage was taken aback by the sudden display of animosity and stepped back. “Apologies Esteemed. I was excited at seeing a human for the first time.”
“They are not display pieces in your botanical garden, Roderich. They are a real threat, and I propose we finish this here and now.” The high priest turned to face the head demon, while his tail oscillated between Noah and the high mage.
Noah’s heart pulsed in panic. “Esteemed High Priest. Please give me a chance and show me a direction. I’ll be out by tomorrow morning.” Noah flashed the friendliest smile he could conjure.
“That’s not an easy task, human.” The head demon spoke in a deep growling voice. “The nearest human village from our town is twenty day’s distance, and looking at your level, you won’t survive that journey.”
Noah stared at the head demon. While the high priest’s voice was threatening, the head demon’s voice put Noah at ease. But at the same time, the high demon injected a dose of reality. He was right. Noah was a low-level character, and maybe demons wouldn’t kill him because of his title, but what about other monsters? “What should I do then, Head Demon?” He bowed again.
“You have the blessing of our beloved goddess. I doubt she still looks after us, but she surely has interest in you. I suggest you remain here for a few days, level up, and then make your path out.”
“But, Head Demon... He is—”
The head demon rose from his chair, towering over every other demon. “A human. I know. We despise the species, but he has the blessing. If I kill him, I’m afraid we may lose our last chance to prove our worthiness to the goddess once again. I want none of you to make any advance toward this human.” His voice rose. “Am I clear enough?”
Panic spread through the other demons. After a brief moment, everyone said yes.
“As for you, human. Make sure you don’t get caught in any wrong affair. Otherwise…”
The head demon’s sharp black eyes were enough to send shivers across Noah’s spine. “Yes, Esteemed.”
“Take this, human. It may serve you in battle.” The head demon threw a small weapon at him.
Noah caught it, and a prompt appeared in front of it.
Cheap simple dagger
Durability: 40/40
Damage: 2
9. Blacksmith
I t was colder outside than in the council hall, but that eased Noah's mind. The atmosphere in the council hall, with his life hanging in the balance, was too intense for him. It had been a long time since he’d felt that way. The last time was when he’d first exposed himself to the fourth dimension; the ravenous and famished aura the fourth dimension gave him was too much to take on that first time.
He shoved the thought away and focused on the present, rubbing his forearms to ease the goosebumps caused by the cold.
“This is a game, Noah. A game,” he said to himself, ten to fifteen times, before his breathing finally slowed. Noah was far from a combat mage in real life. He had conquered the Trials of Zeus to obtain his level five skills, but he did it with the help of a team and had acted in a support role. It was a common practice in the mage academy he’d studied in. Getting level three was easy for any real-life mage, but beyond that everyone had to go through trials. Some mage academies deployed a team for the new students, and that's how he got to level five—not that he was proud of it. He felt it had been a waste of time. He was a scientist, not a battle mage.
His work was mostly focused on researching the fourth dimension and intergalactic transportation using magic. Laxania was his home for most of his adult life until he married Serena, a fellow scientist. Even after their marriage he spent most of his time in lab. Then Serena had died in a freak accident, leaving two-year-old Tia for him to raise alone. He shut his eyes and let the tears accumulated at the corners of his eyes fall. His daughter’s blue eyes called to him.
I miss you, my love. I’ll do whatever it takes to meet you on the human side.
Even if it took becoming a killing machine in the game world.
Noah sliced his dagger through the air. A rush of adrenaline rippled through his body.
“That was a fearsome attack, human.” High Mage Roderich chuckled.
“Esteemed High Mage. What can I do for you?”
“I’m interested in you, human.”
Noah sized him up. What did he mean by that? “I’m not that kind of man…”
“What kind of?”
“The kind…” How can I say it? “You know… a man loving other men…”
Roderich’s face reddened—a deep tomato red. “I’m not either.” Silence reigned for a short while. “Now I understand. By interested, I meant in your species. It’s the first time I’ve seen a human with my own eyes.”
“Ah, now I understand.” Noah smiled. It was ridiculous to think about the high mage being gay. “I’m sorry, Esteemed High Mage. I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m sure you have a lovely wife.”
His face saddened for a moment before turning back to normal. “A distant dream. Anyway, let’s talk about your living arrangements. I am tasked with easing you into the town.”
“Yes, a place to stay.” Noah hadn’t thought about that. Finally, he would be getting a nice comfy bed to sleep on. Finally, he would get something to eat. Though he would miss the burgers he could order in his respawn room. But he bet here he could get some lovely meals too.
“We have only one inn. Blacksmith’s Inn. The innkeeper is my friend, and I’ll get you admitted there. Let’s walk.” Roderich walked away from the council hall. Noah followed him, thinking about the nice food that surely awaited him at the inn.
They continued walking south without speaking a single word. After Noah mentioned Roderich’s wife, the high mage became silent and reserved, making Noah wonder if he had stepped on a nerve. After a few kilometers, they reached their destination. Blacksmith's Inn was a three-story house, a better one than what Noah had seen across the town. It was made up mostly of wood and a few stones to support the corners. He suspected it was built after whatever apocalypse had befallen the original town.
Roderich pushed open the half wooden door and went inside. A demon man with a large mustache, a brute expressionless face, and a heavy build flashed a warm smile at him until his eyes settled on Noah. Seeing Noah, his eyes turned black, and he drew his weapon.
Noah took a step back. The demon looked like nothing but a monster ready to slay him.
Roderich raised his palm. “Mathial, wait. He’s a guest of the town. Head Demon Rivas has offered him asylum for a few days.”
Mathial’s gaze shifted between the high mage and Noah, but he didn’t lower his hammer. “But he’s a—”
“Human. I know. But we have to treat him as a guest until he leaves town, willingly. Until then I hope you will allow him to stay in one of your rooms.”
Mathial lowered his hammer, but kept it at the ready. Noah's mind was far from eased. Being in the demon town was going to be difficult.
“If you say so, High Mage Roderich.” He tilted his head slightly, examining Noah. “And for you, human, a warning: give m
e a reason to kill you, and I’ll happily oblige.” He too had a clear tongue and distinctive voice.
“I won’t let that time come, Sir Mathial,” Noah said.
“Sir? This is Town of Demons, human. Not your regency or whatever crap you humans use. Mathial will suffice. No stupid human customs,” he said in a voice richly marinated with a sarcasm.
“Yes, Mathial. I’ll be out of town as soon as possible. Just a few level ups here and there, and I’ll be gone.”
“Good for you. A room will cost ten coppers.”
“Coppers?”
“Money. It's the same all over. Doesn't matter if you are a human or demon. I don't fill my stomach and my kegs with human blood.” Mathial grinned, clearly trying to be funny, but it scared the shit out of Noah. He hadn't forgotten the last few painful deaths yet.
“Money?” He had some of it. He’d paid silver for the coffee, but how did he retrieve it?
“You’re quite dumb for a human. I heard they had a great intellect and discovered many new things, but looking at you I wonder if it was just a rumor.” Mathial jumped across the bar and pulled a small pouch out of Noah’s pocket. “If I were you, human, I’d put the money inside your soul bound bag.”
“My what?”
“Your bag. It's soul bound. I can sense it.” He pointed at the bag hanging around Noah’s waist. “And will it to disappear, so no one would see it.”
“What do you mean by soul bound?”
“It’s a bag of holding, you fool. It’s bound to your soul so no one can steal from it. You just drop your things in it, and it will auto-sort. It’s strange magic, but pretty useful.”
“Oh, I never heard about it.” Noah grabbed his bag and emptied his money pouch into it. An inventory screen appeared in his vision with twenty blocks. Three of them were filled with Gold, Silver, and Copper. He had 100 gold, 200 silver, and 500 copper. It must be the starting bonus. He willed ten copper to come out of it, and ten copper coins appeared on his palm.
He studied the bag to read its properties.
Bag of Holding: Soul bound. Store twenty items inside. Can be enhanced to obtain new properties and extra space.