Depths of Camlan
Page 20
Before she casts, I have time for just one more arrow, one more ranged attack from behind Erinocalypse's protective bubble.
Aim, fire!
[+ 2500 XP]
As soon as my arrow strikes, I can barely see the sorceress collapse behind the flurry of game messages.
Congratulations! You have defeated Marilyn, the final boss in White Rock Ravine!
DUNGEON COMPLETE!
Reward: 100 Gold, + 2500 XP, Cloak of the Hidden Army, Helm of Bloodlust
Reward: Cloak of the Hidden Army
Description: +1 Dexterity, +5 Armor, +3 Stamina, +10% Stealth effectiveness
Reward: Helm of Bloodlust
Description: +2 Armor, +3 Strength, -1 Dexterity
This cavern is your new save point.
Accept?
Nice.
Congratulations! You have reached level 24!
You have one attribute point to distribute.
Name: SirAsh3r
Level: 24
Strength: 27
Intelligence: 27
Dexterity: 25
Stamina: 26
Magic: 28
Skills: Woodcraft 3, Slash 2, Club 3, Paddle 1, Climbing 1, Stealth 3, Archery 8, Power Perception 3, Backstab 1
Abilities: Initiative 2, Focus 2
Professions: Cooking 2
Affinities: 12% Earth; 16% Water; 10% Fire
Fame: 350
Achievements: First Explorer of Lake Galavant, First Explorer of Foyle Forest, First Visitor to Allynton, Friend of Water
I exhale a long, slow breath.
Even though he annoyed me at first, it is disappointing that TexBadass has to miss all this. All this loot is fantastic, but none of this is the jewel we are here for. We can't leave this room until we find it. As I accept my new save spot, equip my new cloak and helmet I just looted and close out the messages, I realize Callidus is way ahead of me. He reaches high above his head for the chest near the top. An open, empty chest rests at his feet, complete with a bloody smudge near the lock. He may need to go through every one of these, and we’re almost out of time. The eighteen hours that Toterra Online will allow us to be logged in is running out.
Chapter Forty-Seven
The thin metal pick clicks to the right, unlocking the wooden container.
Callidus kneels on the ground and opens the small chest, flooding the room with the golden yellow glow that emanates from within.
"I found it!"
We crowd around, and over his shoulder I see a bright jewel the size of a football, delicate facets cut in.
Name: Cambion Jewel
Description: The source of Marilyn, the sorceress's, power, this Jewel has not left the dungeon in centuries. Guard it carefully
Callidus picks up the jewel carefully, with both hands, and before our eyes it disappears into his inventory but leaves an exact copy in the chest on the ground. Cho was right—there will be copies for each of us to save one.
Well, each of us except TexBadass.
I go next, carefully saving the Jewel in my inventory and stepping back to allow the others to grab their copies. I check my inventory again. Good, it's still there. I look around the room, amazed that we actually made it through the dungeon. At so many points the odds seemed stacked against us. I check my game clock. We are just about up against our eighteen hour limit.
Back in the dark corner off to my right, the one area of this chamber that does not have a lit torch, my Power Perception reveals a faint green glow. I move closer and realize there is a narrow stairway. I wonder where it leads.
The others finish saving their loot and a faint ding in my ear alerts me to a message:
SCho: You're coming up on the time limit. You've got it, right? You're done?
SirAsh3r: We've got it. We're good.
SCho: Good. Log out. Rest before the next phase. I'll see you soon.
It's difficult to read emotions in text, but I can't imagine Cho as anything other than matter-of-fact. We saved her company from a huge scandal, and public embarrassment, and possibly even saved her job. And all I get is 'good'? I cast my eyes to the enticing green glow and sigh, pulling up my in-game dashboard.
Are you sure you want to log out?
I nod. I'm ready.
Thank you for playing Camlan Online!
This time when I regain consciousness in the real world I’m more ready for it. The dim lights and the familiar white noise is soothingly welcome after the blood and magical blasts of the battle we just finished. Theresa waits for me, a white fluffy robe ready to wrap me in.
“Good job,” she whispers.
“Thanks,” I grunt. It doesn’t feel like a good job. We let Tex die. “So, that’s it then? We’re done?”
“Um, actually …” Theresa looks over my shoulder and when I follow her gaze I realize Cho and Talbot are both standing by the door, the other players surrounding them in a whispering huddle.
“Damn straight I want to go back,” TexBadass says above the murmurs.
I almost laugh out loud.
“Yes, of course,” Talbot says soothingly. “We’d be happy to have your help. All of your help.” He gestures to me and the others, including us all in his compliment.
“The code you were after is contained for now,” Cho says. “But there’s one more step we need to be sure it remains harmless.”
“The queen that last boss mentioned, Queen Vivian, rules a castle situated just above the dungeon,” Talbot explains. “You’ll need to make your way through that castle to the throne room to reinstall the Cambion Jewel.”
“Wait.” SteelFeather holds up his hands. “You’re saying the ‘one step’ is that we conquer a castle? A castle ruled by a Queen more magically powerful than the boss we just had to fight?”
Cho pauses before saying shortly, “Yes.”
“I can’t tell you how much we appreciate this,” Talbot says. “I’m sorry that there’s still more we need to ask your help with. I know it must be hard to be away from your real life for so long.”
I grin. “I can’t wait.”
Thank you so much for reading Depths of Camlan!
The adventure continues in the third book of Camlan Realm, Guardians of Camlan. Join Asher and the party as they make their way through Queen Vivian’s castle, before the noobs can.
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Depths of Camlan: A LitRPG Adventure is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright 2017 by A.T. Gilbert
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
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