The Land: Catacombs (Chaos Seeds Book 4)

by Aleron Kong

  More and more of his villagers were coming up to him. The fact that he hadn’t gotten up from where he was lying on the grass filled some of them with fear that he had been mortally injured or was afflicted with some malignant spell. It didn’t help at all that Richter had accessed his personal interface so it looked like he was randomly staring off into space and mumbling to himself. The villagers’ voices grew louder as they started shouting to him. Richter absently noticed that apparently in every world, people believed that if they only spoke louder, then other people would finally understand them. With an irritated start, Richter realized he was wasting even more time and just pulled up his status page.

  First, he dumped the 200% of skill points into Enchanting. That done, he quickly looked at the rest of his status page.

  Name: Richter

  Age: 24

  Level: 28, 70%

  Health: 589 Mana: 454 Stamina: 300

  Strength: 37

  Agility: 32

  Dexterity: 38

  Constitution: 46

  Endurance: 30

  Intelligence: 41

  Wisdom: 24

  Charisma: 24

  Luck: 17

  Abilities:

  Limitless

  Gift of Tongues

  Fast Learner

  Bounty of Life

  Psi Bond

  Qualities:

  Resolute

  Honorable

  Implacable

  Skills:

  …

  Marks:

  Master of Mist Village

  Blood Oath

  Forge of Heavens

  The Dragon’s Cauldron

  Dragonkin I

  Resistances:

  Air 50%

  Earth 20%

  Fire 5%

  Life 50%

  Mental 55%

  Spiritual 15%

  Race: Human (Chaos Seed)

  Reputation: Lvl 3 “You seem like someone worthy of my attention.”

  Alignment: Neutral

  Language: All

  There wasn’t any one area that he was particularly lacking in, but Richter knew he didn’t have time to waste. He checked and saw that he had thirty points to distribute and quickly dumped ten points into Constitution. He could always use more health. He also put five points into both Endurance and Intelligence. His eyes scanned the rest of his stats and in a near panic he placed another three into both Wisdom and Charisma and finished by placing the final four into Luck. He pushed accept on all of his choices and breathed out in relief. He had made it! Richter immediately promised himself that he would never leave his leveling to the last minute again.

  Richter looked around to see a truly large crowd surrounding him. He reached out his hand and one of the guards helped him to his feet. The villagers bombarded him with questions which Richter answered as best he could. “Yes, I am fine.” “No we aren’t under attack.” “Yes, I’d be happy to talk to your… ‘cheating whore of a husband.’”

  Terrod saved him just as his patience was running out. He showed up with a contingent of guards who shooed everyone away.

  “Welcome back, my lord,” he said once Richter had some breathing room.

  “That’s it?” Richter asked. “No, where have you been? Or what’s going on? Why aren’t you panicking like everyone else was?”

  Terrod smiled. “I may not have ever reached such heights personally, but I have met Professionals before. The portal to their Trial is always a black disc. The hand that Sion and Beyan described was something new, but the Trials are said to last a week, so I expected you back sometime today. If you hadn’t returned, then I would have started to worry.”

  Always dependable Terrod, Richter thought with a smile. It was good to be home. It was a bit strange to hear confirmation that he had actually been gone for a whole week, but the village was still standing and Terrod didn’t seem panicked so Richter decided to take a beat for himself. He took another look at Terrod and saw that the captain’s gloves, boots, and chainmail pants were now a creamy white color.

  “New threads?” Richter asked, examining the moonstone armor. The quality was all superb.

  Terrod smiled appreciatively. “Krom is to thank. The mist workers have been working daily to bring in more ore. We did have a problem where one day they did not return. The next morning, I led a squad to the ore vein and found signs of a fight and harvested ore strewn about on the ground. I’m not sure what destroyed the workers, but it was clear why they didn’t return. I assigned two five-man squads to oversee the retrieval of the metal and safeguard the workers as they return to the village. Since then, we haven’t had any other major issues, though the strike teams have had to kill a few animal predators.”

  Richter congratulated the captain on a job well done. Then he told Terrod to gather Randolphus and other important people and to bring them to the high table. While he was at it, Richter sent out a mental summons to Futen.

  Terrod nodded and said, “Very well, my lord. What are you about to do?”

  “Have lunch, man. I’m starving!”

  Terrod chuckled. As he walked away, the captain said offhandedly that he had dealt with the issue in the mines and that a squad would be patrolling them from now on. Richter thanked him, confused as to what he was talking about, but too hungry to press the issue. He went to the food table and made himself a heaping plate of cold meat and hot vegetables. He sat down and tucked into the meal. After washing it down with a cup of ale, he felt one thousand percent better. As he waited for everyone to come fill him in, he checked his notifications. As soon as he opened the first prompt, the sound of trumpets filled the air. Richter looked around in surprise, but didn’t see anyone else reacting to the music. He quickly realized the music was only in his head.

  Baaa-baba-baba-ba-baaaah!

  Congratulations! You have discovered your Profession! You are an Enchanter! Your efforts will bring magic and wonder to The Land. A ring is no longer a simple band to you, it is a pathway to power. A sword is not only for a soldier’s hand, it can also grant the power of flight. Scoff at those who put their faith in the fleeting might of muscles or the taxing strength of spells. Your enchanted creations will last until the Universe grinds all stars to dust and their power shall rival the gods!

  You have earned new Talent Points! As a Chaos Seed, you earn 15 points per level as opposed to the usual 10! For having a 100% affinity in your chosen talent you receive an additional +5 Talent points for each level this holds true! For affinities of 95-99% you will receive +3 per level and then +1 of an affinity of 85-94%. As a human, you have no bonuses or penalties to choosing the Enchanter Profession. Choose your path well, it will affect the progression of your life and most likely determine the nature of your death. Revere your craft, take your power, LIVE!

  You have: 160 Talent Points. Do you wish to expend them?

  He selected “Yes,” and then his eyes widened in amazement. The next prompt was unlike any that Richter had ever seen before. It was nearly opaque. What was more impressive though was that the background wasn’t the standard monochromatic black, grey, or white. Instead, Richter felt like he was gazing into a nebula of shining stars surrounded by gases of various colors. Rich reds, blues, and greens contrasted with patches of black space, and sprinkled throughout were the shining jewels of stars. Floating above it all was a series of pale blue glass spheres connected by filaments of light. The central sphere was the largest and it glowed with a soft light. A single word was emblazoned across its surface: “Enchanter.”

  Six glowing filaments extended from the central sphere, roughly following the x, y and z axes. Each of the filaments ended with another sphere attached to the opposite end. More filaments extended out from those spheres, but these threads were dark and the entire picture grew hazy and distorted past the initial six globes. Richter could faintly see more spheres through the haze but couldn’t make out any wording. The six attached to the central sphere were easy to make out, however. Each sphere had word
s written on it. Richter found that he could change the orientation of what he was looking at with a simple thought. He examined each in turn.

  Increase Enchantment Potential I: Increase the number of enchantment slots on the object you wish to enchant. Increases enchantment slots by 10%. Cost: 5 Talent Points.

  Deconstruct Items I: Gain the ability to deconstruct an enchanted item. Increase this Talent to improve chance for successful deconstruction and to increase chance of obtaining better items after item is destroyed. Cost: 5 Talent Points.

  Increase Enchantment Success I: Increase this Talent to improve the odds of an enchantment taking hold. Cost: 5 Talent Points.

  Macroenchantment I: Increase this Talent to have your enchantment affect larger items. This is extremely helpful for creating enchanted buildings, ships, engines of war, and other large projects. Cost: 5 Talent Points.

  Increase Number of Charges I: Increase the number of charges on items with finite uses. Will increase number of charges by +10 or by 10%, whichever gives greater yield. Cost: 5 Talent Points.

  Increase Enchantment Strength I: Increase strength of enchantments by 5%. Talent Cost: 5 Talent Points.

  He frowned. Buying Talents was not exactly cheap. True, he had one hundred and sixty points to play with, but if he had understood correctly those points were from increasing his personal level eight times. Once those points were gone, he couldn’t expect a large windfall again.

  Without his bonus as a chaos seed and his boost from having 100% affinity, buying just one of these would constitute half of his spending for a level. He had to imagine that the cost would only go up the farther he got into the upgrade tree. He also had no idea what Talents were covered by the haze on the prompt. If he went down one line of improvements, he might miss something truly spectacular on another branch.

  Richter shook his head. He clearly had to learn more about this. He resolved to speak to Randolphus and Gloran to see if either could shed light on the situation. As he waited for everyone to show up, though, he couldn’t resist spending just a few of his points.

  He mentally clicked on the sphere for “Increase Enchantment Strength I” and bought it for five points. Richter figured no matter what, having stronger enchantments could come in useful. Both the globe and the filament leading to it started to glow like the central sphere and the name changed to “Increase Enchantment Strength II.” Examining it, he saw that the cost had doubled to ten points to gain another 5% bonus.

  Something else happened, though, he saw excitedly. A section of the Talent tree revealed itself. Three filaments lit up, leading from the Talent he had improved to three more spheres. The picture resolved to show more upgrades.

  Increase Strength Weapon Enchantment I: Accessing this Talent will increase the strength of any weapon enchantments by 10%. Talent Cost: 10 points.

  Increase Strength Armor Enchantment I: Accessing this Talent will increase the strength of any armor enchantments by 10%. Talent Cost: 10 points.

  Increase Strength Item Enchantment I: Accessing this Talent will increase the strength of any accessory enchantments by 10%. Talent Cost: 10 points.

  These spheres had even more filaments extending from them, but again, the new threads were muted and everything past those three globes remained shrouded. He wanted to see what else he could uncover, but decided to hold off on any further experimentation. Besides, there were more prompts to deal with and he could see Sion and Randolphus approaching from across the feast area. He quickly accessed them.

  You have been offered a Quest: Practice makes Perfect I. Trust thyself, every heart vibrates to that iron string. You are an Enchanter, in the same way that you are a man or a chaos seed. Practice your new Profession and honor who you are. Will you enchant ten items? Yes or No? Reward: Five Talent points.

  You have completed the Quest: Hunters or Hunted I. At your instruction, Krom has outfitted your hunters with better leather armor and arrows. Nothing special was done to complete this quest so you will be granted no extra rewards.

  Reward: 1,250 (base 1,000) experience.

  Reward: Village-wide Loyalty +5 (+10 for hunters).

  Reward: Increased regard of the hunters for you.

  You have unlocked the Quest: Hunters or Hunted II. Speak with one of your hunters for more information.

  You have completed the Quest: Splat the Rat! At your instruction, your chamberlain searched through the new villagers and found a human with the knowledge and ability to alter a standard repel vermin charm. Your food stores are now safe from burrower rats.

  Reward: 1,250 (base 1,000) experience.

  Reward: Village-wide Loyalty +5.

  You have completed the Quest: Noises in the Dark I. At your chamberlain’s order, your guard captain took a squad into the iron mine and discovered the source of the strange noises. It had been a nest of gibberlings. Though foul smelling and aggressive, in low numbers these monsters posed no threat to your guards and were quickly destroyed. Your miners are already back to work and normal iron production rates have been restored.

  Reward: 1,250 (base 1,000) experience.

  Reward: Village-wide Loyalty +5.

  Reward: Access to the second floor of the iron mine.

  You have unlocked the Quest: Noises in the Dark II. Upon exploring the second floor of the iron mine, signs of more monsters have been found. Sending your miners there without protection would risk their lives. Will you explore the second floor of the iron mine and do what is required to ensure the safety of your people? Yes or No? Reward: Unknown. Penalty: Failure to accept or complete this quest could endanger the lives of your miners.

  He accepted the quests and dismissed the prompts for the completed quests. His people had been busy while he was gone. Richter had never thought that asking Futen to keep Randy in the loop would have ever paid so many dividends. It was true that the rewards for each quest weren’t very much, but then again, he really hadn’t done anything to complete them. It was amazing that being leader of this community meant he could start delegating not only the work that needed to be done, but also experience-gaining quests. Richter supposed it made sense though. As the village got larger and larger, if he had to deal with people’s needs personally and by himself, then he would be run ragged within a week. He resolved to follow the old adage of the successful administrator: hire good people, then take credit for their work.

  Before he could ponder the implications of delegating quests any further, his Companion and chamberlain walked up. He clasped wrists with both and then Sion asked, “Back from your vacation? Always like a lazy human to disappear when there is work to be done.” The sprite plopped down across from him and grabbed some meat from his plate.

  Richter scowled at Sion, but he could only keep the expression on his face for a moment before he broke out into a wide grin. It was good seeing his friend again. “Trust me when I tell you, it wasn’t a picnic.”

  “Did you come back with anything nice?” Sion asked.

  Richter raised his arm and made a muscle. “You are looking at a Professed Enchanter. Feel free to be impressed.”

  “Congratulations, my lord,” Randolphus said with a bow.

  Richter forcibly raised his chamberlain’s arm until his hand was up. Then he gave the man a high five. “Randy! You totally crushed it while I was gone. Thanks for knocking some of those quests out while I was gone!”

  The chamberlain smiled weakly while he shook the hand Richter had slapped, slapped perhaps a bit too hard considering his thirty-seven Strength points. “It was my pleasure, my lord. I always endeavor to provide both for your needs and the needs of the village. If we are done slapping palms, however, there are several matters to discuss…”

  Richter chuckled and settled in. Same old Randolphus, he thought. The chamberlain proceeded to catch Richter up on the events of the past week. Besides resolving the quests, precious little had actually happened. One of the hunters had been injured by a wild boar, but otherwise, there hadn’t been any violent inciden
ts. The patrols continued to circle around the borders of the village, but except for the two groups stationed to protect the mist workers, stayed near the walls. Terrod had apparently curtailed all other trips deeper into the mists after the battle with the skaths. Futen had floated up while the chamberlain was speaking and now hovered silently over the table. Alma continued to gorge herself on meat off of Richter’s plate.

  At mention of the skath fight, Richter was suddenly reminded of the eggs. “Randy! Did Futen tell you about the eggs?”

  “Yes, my lord,” the chamberlain said, nodding. “We were lucky enough to have found a pair in the second wave of villagers with the skill Beast Taming. They are a bit… eccentric, but I have had them check in with me daily. They say the eggs are doing well. I would like to ask though, my lord, what exactly do you plan to do with them?”

  “I’d like to tell you that it’s all part of some master plan, Randy, but honestly I have no idea. I have already gained some interesting skills because of the clutch though. Let’s just see the eggs hatched, then we will go from there. Has an enclosure been built around the nest?”

  “It has, my lord.”

  “And is a mist worker stationed there to watch it every hour?”

  “I made a slight alteration to that command, my lord,” Randolphus said. “With the speed of construction happening around the village, not to mention the mining and ship building, mist workers are extremely valuable. Some of our new workers have very little in the way of useful skills however. I have assigned three to watch the skath clutch in shifts. In addition, I asked Captain Terrod to station three guards in the meadow at all times. Two to keep other villagers away from the lake and the third to guard the entrance to the waterfall.”

  Richter nodded in agreement. Conversation was halted briefly as he stood up to greet Krom, Sumiko, and Shivona. He embraced the women and clasped wrists with Krom before having them join him at the table. One of the village women brought more food and drink when she saw her newly returned lord holding court. He got a report from each in turn.