New Game Minus: The Complete LitRPG Fantasy Trilogy

by Sarah Lin

  Might +3

  Durability: 25/25

  Rarity: Very Uncommon]

  "Yes, I think these will work. They can't replace Danniah's gauntlets, but I'm pretty sure she can wear these underneath. Unless the enchantments interfere with one another."

  "They'll probably work together, though you never can be sure when you start layering spells." Gharavi waved the issue aside with one hand. "More importantly, did you have any success with the poison on the knife?"

  Meara couldn't help but grimace. "I confirmed the type of poison, but that was the most I could do. I guess a simple herbalist girl just isn't suited to create such things."

  "Whereas simple herbalist girls do create drakeskin armor?"

  "Apparently so!" Meara had a better quip in mind, but at that moment they were interrupted by the door opening. Since she knew it was Danniah, Meara wasn't concerned by her arrival, but the look on her face immediately captured her attention.

  "Umm... I'd like to try something." Danniah came into the room and set a glass bottle down on the table - it hissed with a red liquid that trembled like it was boiling. Meara instinctively pulled her hand back from it, feeling the potential of the potion if not the details. "I showed the knife to some people at the Adventurers Guild and asked about ways to clear poisoning. They sold me a rare potion and said that it could purge my system... if I survive it."

  Meara listened, but she was focused more on the potion, forcing a box to appear.

  [Corporeal Purge

  Drinking this potion will deal an immense amount of damage to the user, but in the process remove poisons and other physical effects, including some that would otherwise be permanent. Health buffs and enhancements will have no effect on survival, which will be determined primarily by the Vitality statistic. Survival is unlikely, but would increase Vitality and resistance to poisons.

  Rarity: Uncommon]

  While Meara looked at the box's grim pronouncements, Gharavi was shaking her head. "Danniah... this isn't a good idea. This isn't rare... well, there aren't many of them, but not because they're valuable or hard to make. They're rare because they'll most likely kill you."

  "That's... I was pretty sure about that." Danniah squared her shoulders and stared at them. "But we need to fight our enemies and you can't keep slowing down to take care of me. I think I might be able to survive the potion, if we do things right."

  Though Gharavi still looked skeptical, Meara began to nod. "Looking at the box, it does seem like you're well-suited to potentially survive it. I don't like taking a risk, but everything is risky right now. But we need to make sure to prepare for this."

  "Yes, I was thinking about that too. Can you take me to that merchant the enchanter mentioned before? I'd like to get a bit tougher before I try this."

  "Of course. We can make it there fast." Meara stood up to join Danniah, leaving Gharavi to frown skeptically at the deadly potion.

  They headed back out into Edsdam, making their way to the secret market. As they went, Danniah seemed to grow stronger and moved more surely, as if making her decision had granted her new purpose. Still, there was one potential problem with the plan.

  "A potion like that isn't going to come cheap, you know. I can't create potions that powerful and I'm not sure if we want to risk stealing one."

  "No, I think we can afford it." Danniah reached to her stomach and tapped her armor. "Uh... I've been trying to save up money for a while. For the orphanage I've always talked about. But when I saw how much everyone was committed to this... I realized that I can't hold anything back. We need to treat this like our last fight or it might really be the last."

  "That's admirable," Meara said, but she sensed the sorrow beneath Danniah's words. "You're right: you're not giving up on your goals. Just laying a foundation for them."

  "Sometimes... I do worry that the orphanage will be something I always talk about and never do. That we'll just keep getting swept up in conflicts and I'll forget."

  "Don't worry, we won't let you forget. I won't be satisfied until I can mercilessly mock Bloodwraith for being a protector of orphans."

  Danniah gave a choked laugh and looked toward her, smile obvious even within her helm. "Thank you, Meara. With you saying it that way, it's easier to believe it."

  "Of course, Danniah. Now, shall we get you ready to do something phenomenally stupid?"

  They entered the hidden market and found the appropriate merchant, which was easy enough since Meara was quite familiar with potions. Even here, they only had a very small number of potions that the boxes declared increased Vitality.

  But though Danniah picked up one of them, Meara found herself skeptical. All the boxes warned that the beneficial effect would decrease as the base statistic increased, and Danniah's Vitality had become extremely high indeed. Instead of any of the standard potions, Meara instead picked out another one that caught her eye:

  [Greater Potion of Vitality

  Permanently increases Vitality even for the strong. Effect decreases with extremely powerful attributes and subsequent potions.

  Rarity: Rare]

  It took aggressive negotiation to get it down to a price they could afford, even with Danniah sacrificing all her savings. But once they did, they still had several golds left over. Danniah began to look at the smaller Vitality potions, but Meara directed her attention to a different merchant altogether.

  "Danniah, look at that necklace. Do you like it?"

  "Umm..." Danniah eyed it uncomfortably as she spoke. "I'm not really a necklace person, Meara. My neck isn't very elegant, so I'd rather not draw att-"

  "I'm sure you'd look like a pretty pretty princess, but I'm talking about the enchantments on the necklace. Here, let me explain..." With that, she read out the impression she'd managed to glean from her makeshift box.

  [Necklace of Burning Fists

  Might +3, Quickness +2, Flame Skills +25%

  Rarity: Rare]

  Though Danniah looked excited for a moment, she almost immediately turned her eyes downward. "It does seem good, but... shouldn't we focus solely on things that can make me tougher? I need to survive the poison before I can make any use of other equipment."

  "Don't think that way - assume that you're going to survive and invest in your future self."

  "Well... alright, Meara. I hope you're right." Though her voice sounded reluctant, Danniah did straighten up a little.

  Negotiating for the necklace proved even more difficult, since they didn't have much left, but in the end they walked out with both items. On their way back to the inn, Danniah drank the Greater Potion of Vitality, saying that she didn't want to risk it getting stolen or broken somehow. It led to her entire body trembling and Meara needed to support her as if she was drunk, but it did seem to help her.

  When they got back, Gharavi was pacing in the small room. As soon as they entered, she cast them a cool gaze. "If we're going to do this, we do it right. You'll wear your equipment, you'll go in properly enchanted, and we'll keep watch over you."

  "Thanks, Gharavi." Danniah moved forward to touch the red potion, but then backed up to sit on the bed. "Alright, I leave myself in your hands."

  First Meara used her knowledge of the boxes to make sure Danniah was wearing all their equipment that enhanced Vitality, though she wasn't sure if the enchantments would actually reach inside her. While they did that, she managed to create a potion that improved Vitality at the expense of all other statistics. Gharavi wove a simple healing and strengthening enchantment over the bed for an extra boost.

  When it finally came time, Danniah stared at the potion a long time, then forced herself to drink it. She blinked a few times, then set down the bottle.

  "Weird, I don't feel any dif-" She cut off the next instant, choking painfully as the magic seized her entire body. Meara and Gharavi had been prepared, catching her and laying her down on the bed.

  For a while they just watched as Danniah twitched and groaned. She looked like she wanted to scream, but he
r teeth were locked closed. Worst of all, it seemed to just go on and on, with no sign of abating. Meara had planned to feed her some potions to help the process, but the way her neck was convulsing, she was afraid Danniah might choke.

  They did other work while watching her, but the hours stretched on and on. Danniah stayed on the bed, all her muscles locking up as she twisted and groaned. It seemed clear that the process would not be finishing immediately, so eventually Gharavi rose with a sigh.

  "I want to support her, but... it's getting to be the time that I need to pick up my staff from the enchanter."

  "Go," Meara said. "Even if she's capable of noticing us, she'd get more encouragement out of the fact that you were moving forward instead of doting on her."

  "Heh, I suppose that's true." Gharavi gently smoothed Danniah's hair away from her face on her way out, then headed into Edsdam.

  Without Gharavi, Meara wasn't entirely sure what to do with herself. Watching Danniah in pain wasn't pleasant, but there was nothing more she could do to help. Once they did this, they should probably leave Edsdam. Maybe they could stop Marrin, but Meara was starting to feel that might be too difficult.

  If they made any attempt, it would have to be to find this Governor's Ordeal. Based on the circumstances, the dungeon was definitely a source of Outsider magic, but Marrin either hadn't attempted it or didn't know where it was. Meara had tried to read the landscape of the boxes and had a fair idea where it might be, she was just afraid that it might end up becoming too time-consuming.

  According to the local tales, the Governor's Ordeal had ten different floors, each larger and more dangerous than the last. There was also supposed to be some sort of magic that would prevent anyone from leaving, forcing them to finish it all at once or die. Since Meara doubted that anything within could be worth enough to delay that long, she wondered if they shouldn't ignore it and just go regroup with Bloodwraith. She hadn't needed to make a decision while Danniah was poisoned, but if she survived...

  Gharavi returned, bearing her staff in one hand. It looked finished, the wood polished and the axe blades glittering. Yet when Meara looked at it through the boxes, she frowned.

  [Incomplete Custom Weapon

  Until finished, this weapon's enchantments are inactive. It can be used as an ineffective improvised weapon.

  Rarity: N/A]

  "It still isn't finished?" Meara asked. "You've gathered so many components and completed so many steps, I just assumed..."

  "It's only lacking a core, which I was holding back." Gharavi smiled and pulled the Wand of Undead Dominion from its place at her side. "This artifact is powerful, but delicate, so I never liked wielding it alone. Now, it may not be perfectly suited for my magic, but... this is."

  Gharavi then revealed the bone wand she had been gathering Outsider magic with. Apparently she was using both as cores for her staff, making it capable of firing more flexibly with more types of magic. Then she began fusing all three together.

  Meara watched curiously, interested to see someone actually craft an object with real skills instead of cheating via the system. There was already a hole in the top of the staff between the axe blades, but Gharavi carefully widened it. Then she placed the bone wand into the hole before placing a plug of wood in the top and using a spell to fuse it all together. She repeated the same process with the Wand of Undead Dominion in the base of the staff.

  As soon as she was done, the staff's box changed.

  [Godseye Axe Staff

  Special Traits: Intellect +7, Lightning Damage +29%, Outsider Damage +19%, Necromantic Power + 11%, Accuracy +34%

  Damage: 15-16

  Weapon Mana: 27/27

  Durability: 30/30

  Rarity: Custom (Very Rare-level quality)]

  "My, my..." Meara could have led with snark, but she decided that this was a good time to let herself be impressed. "That is quite a weapon."

  "It's superior to my old staff, and I was quite proud of that one." Gharavi stared over it, but her eyes didn't soften until she looked up at Meara. "Traveling with all of you has been quite good for me."

  Using her new staff, Gharavi cast a few spells over Danniah that would ease her pain, if not help her in the survival process. But she was currently stirring less, having progressed while they were talking. She actually lay so still that Meara began to worry for her, despite the fact that her box declared that she was healthy.

  Then, out of nowhere, Danniah sat up abruptly, gasping for breath. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot, but she had obviously survived. Meara came to sit beside her. "Good morning, Danniah. It looks like y-"

  "Meara! Oh, gods, I could kiss you!"

  "Didn't we agree to stop that kind of thing?" Despite her smirk, Meara did pull Danniah into an embrace. After holding her there for a while, she spoke softly. "How are you feeling?"

  "I feel... good. Really good. Not just because the poison is gone, I actually feel a lot better!" Unable to contain herself, she jumped out of the bed, grabbed Gharavi in a crushing hug, and then gave a little laugh. "I feel like I could hit myself in the head with my own mace and I wouldn't even feel it."

  "Maybe let's not do that just yet?" But even as Meara spoke, she saw a new box forming in front of Danniah...

  [Congratulations! Your ally's natural Vitality has reached or passed 100!

  Physical Resistance +25%

  Magical Resistance +10%

  Stamina Regeneration +10%

  Constant in-combat health regeneration gained.

  Resistance to poisons substantially increased.]

  Though that was all good news, the last of the items made Meara smile. When she read the box aloud, Danniah shot her an astonished glance. "Seriously? I get resistance to poisons after I almost die from poison? That's useless!"

  "Not at all," Gharavi said. "We're going to face Marrin again, after all. Since your body survived her poison once and you've gotten so much tougher, we'll leave that to you."

  "You can count on me! Now come on, let's go clear out the Governor's Ordeal!"

  "Are you sure you want to, after surviving all that?"

  "Absolutely! We need to get ahead of that awful woman for once or this will have all been a waste!"

  Meara raised a finger. "That's true, but I have a counterpoint: you have been sweating inside that armor for many hours. Take a moment to get over your excitement and smell yourself."

  Danniah paused, sniffed, then blanched. "Okay, we don't have to go immediately..."

  ~ ~ ~

  Once she was cleaned up a bit and fully equipped, Danniah felt on top of the world. She had a bad feeling that Marrin or the dungeon or something even worse was going to smash her back down again, but until that happened she was going to enjoy it. As they marched along out of Edsdam, she had a skip in her step that put her ahead of her companions despite her shorter stride.

  From time to time, Meara bent down and picked up a large stone, placing it into her cloak. Eventually Danniah grew too curious and just had to ask. "What are you doing?"

  "Practicing. The two of you are getting fancy new equipment and amazing skills, but I'm not allowed to have either." Meara put a hand on her forehead in exaggerated woe. "But if I increase my limits, at least I can serve as a pack mule for everyone..."

  "Says the woman who can just cancel the magic of crazy Outsider box gods sometimes!"

  "Sadly, it's a bit hard to practice that, since crazy Outsider box gods are less common than rocks."

  They might have said more, but at that point Gharavi raised a hand. As usual she had been more focused forward, and now her vision was locked on something. "I think we might have arrived. Does that mound look like an entrance?"

  Even before Gharavi pointed to it, Danniah saw the entrance to the Governor's Ordeal. It was a grassy mound that didn't look like much, so she could believe that it had been missed until now. If not for Meara's ability to lead them straight to it, they might never have found it at all. But knowing what they were looking for, it became c
learer.

  The mound had once been an entrance leading into the ground, but much of it had collapsed. There was a narrow channel that led deeper, but when Danniah peered in, she quickly realized that there was no way she could squeeze through, much less Gharavi.

  "There's air flow through there," Gharavi said, "so there must be a large space below. But I don't think you can crawl through such a small space, even out of your armor."

  "Let's clear it out, then!" Danniah set to work and Meara moved up beside her, smirking.

  "You see? It all comes down to picking up rocks in the end..."

  They worked together to pull rocks from the collapsed area and shoved them at Meara, who somehow swallowed all of them into her cloak. Usually Danniah didn't think about it, but it was crazy how she could do that. The work wasn't very fast, so Danniah decided to fill the silence with planning.

  "I've heard a lot about how big the Governor's Ordeal is, but I was thinking we can try to clear it faster than normal. Meara can go first and trigger the traps, plus pull the monsters back toward us. If we can find a narrow corridor, I'm pretty sure I can hold them off and Gharavi can zap them from a distance. Maybe if we rush, we can get down several floors before Marrin has a chance to find us."

  "Are we sure the Ordeal will still be active?" Gharavi asked. "It's been blocked off for some time. Even if they have air, surely the monsters would have died and the traps all worn down."

  "I don't know, I've heard a lot about the powerful magic in this place. According to rumors, the third floor is a maze that's constantly changing, and the sixth floor is different for everyone who enters, and nobody knows anything about the ninth or tenth floors. I think it could have survived."

  Meara nodded in agreement. "Plus, this place is supported by Outsider magic. They really seem to like their traps. Actually, I suspect that everything about these dungeons and crypts isn't really natural to our world, even if people have gotten used to them."

  "Huh, you might be right." Gharavi paused her work, considering that for a time. "I certainly encountered far more of this sort of thing once I joined you than in all my prior travels."

  "I know it's not a ritual site," Danniah said, "but do you think you'll be able to absorb any of the magic here? There must be a way, since Marrin is doing it, but I have no idea how that will work."