It was a decent enchantment for any given weapon. It improved the overall damage output by about 40 percent and increased – though not repaired – its durability. It was a bit lower than my initial design, but that was only the first part of my plan. I couldn’t wait for Malkyr to return to implement the second part.
It was nearly morning again. I’d lost track of time while I enchanted through most of the night. Bek was sound asleep and snoring loudly. Vic was sitting atop a large piece of debris, looking bored.
He looked at me when I stood to stretch my limbs. “All good, Boss? You’ve been away for several hours.”
“Yeah, I just had an inspiration about how to properly craft Malkyr’s axe. You see –”
“What the crap?” Vic and I cried in unison. Aside from us, there was no one in sight.
Kaedric? I sent my thought. How are you contacting me?
I gave a short laugh. Damn, Kaedric, you nearly gave me a heart attack. Vic almost soiled himself.
So how are things in the settlement? I inquired.
That’s good news. What about Rhynorn? Does he give you any trouble?
Great. Well, if that’s all, I should really get some sleep …
I had a bad feeling about what he was going to say next.
12 – Inner Demons
I woke up late in the morning, the sun shining brightly overhead.
I’d only slept for a few hours, and my tired eyes opened slowly. I’d been awake most of the night speaking with Kaedric. Apparently, new players had started to appear in Goblin’s Gorge. So far, they were playing nice. I instructed Kaedric to keep an eye on them and give them quests that would further our clan’s needs.
Despite my sleepless night, I perked up immediately when I saw Malkyr standing over me.
“Malkyr!” I exclaimed. “Give me your gauntlets!”
The big man backed away. “Eh? Why? What for?”
I ignored his protests. “Never mind that. I need them. Give!”
Grumbling, he removed the masterwork steel gauntlets that he had crafted on his own. They were of excellent workmanship and able to hold up to six runes.
I set to work immediately and opened the design mode. My grin broadened as I saw the information displayed. My improved skill level kicked in, increasing the maximum allowed runes by 16.5 percent. It was just enough to allow for seven runes to be grafted onto the item instead of six, or three and a half runes for each gauntlet. Perfect.
Working on the first gauntlet, I started by placing the socket rune on the palm. I then added a connector rune that stretched toward the fingers where I put a binding rune. I watched as the runes interacted, spreading to cover the fingers. If my plan worked, this design should transfer energy from the socket, through the fingers, and into the axe.
I then repeated the exact same process on the second gauntlet. Once both gauntlets were done, I put them side by side and drew a single strengthening rune on both of them, so when they were apart each gauntlet had half a rune.
Weapon schema discovered: MegaTok [Enhanced Channeler]
This time the crafting didn’t take me nearly as long as before. I already knew exactly what I wanted to achieve, and I didn’t have to go through the tedious work required when increasing an item’s durability. As before, the schema name differed from the actual rune sequence, but it didn’t seem to cause any issues.
I powered up both gauntlets, infusing them with 630 MP, finalizing the enchantment.
Runecraft skill level increased to 24.
I rubbed my hands together. This day was simply full of progress.
High-Quality Steel Gauntlets of Channeling [Runecrafted]
Description: Made by a Master Smith and enchanted by a goblin Totem, these gauntlets allow the wearer to intercept energy-based attacks and channel them outward. A proper grounding, depending on the type of element, must be used to safely discard the harmful energy. This item is part of ‘The Roaring Inferno’ set; its true power will manifest only when joined with its counterpart.
Type: Armor [hands]
Rank: Unique, set
Durability: 50/50
Armor: 10
Effect: +20% resistance to disarm, channel energy-based attacks
Base Price: 2,500
Malkyr picked up the Greataxe and examined it closely. “Oh man, that’s beautiful. How did you manage to give it sonic damage? Heck, you even increased the base damage. Wow – and the max durability? That’s really something! Weird name though. Why Fire Song?”
It was obvious his ability to read the item description was limited; otherwise, he would have mentioned the item being part of a set.
“That old thing? It’s nothing. Here, try this on.” I threw him the gauntlets.
He looked at them, frowning slightly as he no doubt tried to understand what ‘channel energy’ meant, then shrugged and put them on.
“Now grab the axe with both hands,” I instructed.
He did as I asked. As soon as his hands touched the weapon’s handle, the change was evident. The axe came to life.
Red glyphs spread over the weapon like channels of magma while also extending down, covering the gauntlets themselves. The axe’s head began thrumming softly, shining with a sinister red glow.
Malkyr’s face was a wonder to behold. A mixture of awe and admiration shone in his eyes as he lovingly gazed at his brand-new toy.
Even Hoshisu looked impressed. I hadn’t noticed she was there until just then.
I let them admire the weapon while I secretly pulled out my Fire Rod. I loaded it with one of my lowest grade void crystals, a level 5 one. “Hey, Malkyr, hold out your hand please.”
It seemed I had proven myself in the ‘weird requests’ department. Malkyr didn’t even ask why this time and simply complied.
With a fluid motion, I brought up the Fire Rod, lined the shot, and fired. The rod’s durability dropped by five points as a jet of orange flames erupted from its end toward the surprised man. He yelped in alarm but couldn’t dodge in time. The flames reached his outstretched hand and were simply sucked into his gauntleted palm, leaving behind a very perplexed, yet unharmed, Malkyr staring gaping at his own hand.
The axe showed an immediate reaction. The dark red glyphs lit up in dim orange and the volume of its humming increased. The fire energy was channeled from the gauntlet and into the axe. The axe transferred the energy using the connecter rune, storing it inside the internal socket, powering up the enchantment.
“Holy hell.” Malkyr looked at me, wild-eyed. “What did you just do?”
I grinned. “Now grasp the hilt with both hands.”
He did as I asked. His free hand clasped the hilt, bringing together the two halves of the strengthening rune. The orange light burned brighter. The big man stood, his upper arms and weapon covered in glowing runes, making him an impressive sight.
“Let me see these again.”
He held out his axe toward me, letting go of one hand and causing the glow to dim slightly. I analyzed both items.
The Roaring Inferno, Gauntlets [Set 2/2] [Runecrafted]
Description: Made by a Master Smith and enchanted by a goblin Totem, these gauntlets allow the wearer to intercept fire-based attacks and divert them into the Greataxe, fueling it and increasing its destructive power. The wielder may wield the weapon with one hand while the other is used to absorb incoming fire attacks. If both gauntlets are used to hold the axe, the channeled power and its effect increases by 50%.
Type: Armor [hands]
Rank: Unique, set
Durability: 50/50
Armor: 10
Base Price: 22,000 [Set]
Effect: +20% resistance to disarm, channel, and empower fire-based attacks
The Roaring Inferno, Greataxe [Set 2/2] [Runecrafted]
Description: Enchanted by a goblin Totem. The weapon’s base attributes are enhanced by magic. Joined by the gauntlet, this weapon feeds off fire and converts it into sonic energy, with 22% of the energy held added to the axe’s base damage. The axe’s durability will also be increased as long as the energy is held. Maximum energy capacity: 200. Using the weapon spends all the energy at once.
Currently held energy: 50
Type: Weapon, two handed.
Rank: Unique, set
Durability: 66/107 [+11]
Damage: 18-33 slashing + 16 Sonic [+11]
Base Price: 22,000 [Set]
That axe and gauntlets – a 12-rune combination enchantment set – were no small achievement. The 22 percent effect was due to my skill level at Runecraft. It was the most advanced piece of enchantment I had made so far and I was still a relative novice. The potential of Runecrafting was truly amazing.
“That …” Malkyr almost whispered, “… that is incredible, man.”
I nodded. “Should come in handy when fighting demons. You can absorb their fire attacks, avoid taking damage, and charge up the axe. As far as I know, demons are not immune to sonic energy. The main drawback is that you need to be aware of their incoming attacks and actively intercept them.
“Impressive,” Hoshisu admitted grudgingly. “That axe and gauntlet could easily sell for twenty thousand gold.”
I smirked, “Thirty thousand would be closer. There are a lot of travelers who would be happy to use it against fire-based monsters. I bet it would be popular among dragon slayers.”
Her eyes filled with suspicion. “Travelers? You mean players?”
“Erm … I’m, that is …” I stuttered.
I steadied myself. “I meant players, of course. I’ve been mostly around NPCs lately, so I picked up on some of their speech patterns.”
She was silent for a moment then finally said, “I bet you did.” She threw a glance at her brother. He was still staring adoringly at his new weapon. Hoshisu’s voice lost some of its edge. “I don’t suppose you can make something similar with these?” She held up her two daggers.
They were both of average quality. Each could hold only two runes.
I shook my head. “I’m sorry, they’re not high-quality enough to hold a strong enhancement. At best, I could increase their durability, but it would take time that would barely justify the result.
She grimaced and threw an accusatory glance at her brother. “Trust Malkyr to hoard all the good stuff and only craft a couple of lousy kitchen knives for his poor sister.”
“Hey!” That remark drew her brother’s attention away from his new toys. “I did make you that bando–” He stopped abruptly as his sister shot him a withering look. “I .. I mean …” he stammered, “I can try to make you something better.”
She was hiding something, that was obvious. But I didn’t really care what sort of exotic trinket she was trying to keep a secret.
“I took a look inside the fort while you two were playing around.” She was obviously trying to change the subject. “Looks like the demons all cleared off. We can go in now.”
***
“That looks like a good place for a test run,” Hoshisu indicated ten minutes later, pointing at a pool of shimmering black and green.
That specific pool was surrounded by high piles of rubble on all sides, with only a single path leading to it, creating a natural chokepoint, which was perfect for our purpose.
“You’re up, goblin,” she said.
“Me?” Bek’s ears perked up.
“She’s talking to me.” I pushed past the others and stood at the edge of the pool.
I could feel it thrumming with energy. It wasn’t mana. It was a more refined type of magic force. There were, after all, other types of magic in this world.
Holding my arm above the pool, I released some of my mana, forming a connection with the pool. I tried to emulate the way a Pyrolith made the mana fluctuate. A beam of magical force hit the pool, causing it to stop shimmering for a second before resuming its normal rhythm. Nothing happened.
I released a breath I’d instinctively held and tried again. It would be embarrassing to fail now, especially after my bragging. But again, I couldn’t activate the pool.
I shook my head. It’s not working.
He chuckled.
“What’s wrong?” Hoshisu demanded.
I grimaced. “It’s a tad more complex than I thought.”
“I thought you said you had it all figured out.”
Malkyr came to my defense. “Give the guy a break, sis. He’s doing the best he can. It’s not like these things come with an instruction manual.”
A manual! His words sparked an idea. I opened my inventory and retrieved a book.
“What’s that?” Malkyr asked.
“A manual.” I winked at him.
It was the Book of the Damned, an item that allowed its holder to contact the lower planes. The same one Barska had used to gain his powers. I’d meant to browse it before, but until now, it didn’t seem that urgent. I leafed through the pages, seeing a long list of different demons, each with its unique summoning preferences, and some additional lore.
“Ah, here it is!” I exclaimed, finding a picture of a magic pool almost the exact copy of the one in front of me. “It says here each pool is attuned to a specific activation method.” I frowned, trying to make sense of that information. I was sure I got the Pyrolith guardian’s exact mana signature. What else would it be ‘attuned to’ …? I mulled it over.
I frowned. What did it do … Then it hit me. Of course! It roared!
“I think I know what I have to do now.” I closed the book.
“Can I have a look at that?” Hoshisu asked.
I thought of refusing her, but I needed to stay in her good graces for her cooperation. I gave her the book.
She opened it randomly, staring at the page, then looked up at me, her expression blank. “There is nothing readable in here. I only receive a prompt asking if I want to activate this item’s summoning power.”
Damn, I should have expected that. This was another aspect of playing a hybrid race. As part monster, I was able to delve deeper into the underlying logic that governed this world. In comparison, players only got to see the highlights.
Myriad possible answers ran through my mind, but it was clear the woman was already suspicious of me, so I simply shrugged, smiled, and held out my hand.
She stared at me for a long moment before finally deciding to let the matter drop, handing the book back to me.
“Get ready,” I said.
I concentrated and held the mana pattern firmly in mind, then I opened my jaws and roared, unleashing the power through my mouth.
A thunderous, monsterific roar erupted and a stream of cascading mana hit the pool surface, which immediately started to bubble up. It wo
rked!
I moved back, Malkyr letting me pass him at the narrow path but then stood firmly at the pool’s edge. Standing at the rear, activating my shield would be counterproductive; it severely limited my mobility and could potentially interfere with my companion’s mobility.
The pool continued to bubble. A creature’s head popped out, then another, and another. They came slithering out of the pool. Dozens of Pyroliths, smaller versions of the one we had met before.
Pyrolith [Demon]
Level: 15
HP: 85 , MP: 140
Attributes: P: 2; M: 13; S: 0
Skills: Fireball 15*
Traits: Demon (summoned), Serpent (constrict), Regeneration (fire: 5)
Resistances: Fire: 100%, Cold: -50%, Holy: -50%, armor: 18
Description: The Pyrolith are hell’s combat acolytes and excel at wielding fire-based offensive magic.
Their level varied, though most were between level 13 to 15. They tried to climb over the piles of rubble, but only a handful of them found enough perch to slither up; the rest were forced to funnel toward the only exit, where we waited.
Standing firmly at the front, Malkyr held his axe with one hand, waiting for the creatures to come to him. Hoshisu was just behind him, crouching with her daggers at her sides.
Bek and I started bombarding the demons with spinning drilling arrows.
Three Pyroliths led the charge, opening their maws. Fireballs and other kinds of fire spells flew at us. Malkyr, however, was ready for them. Holding up his gauntleted hand, he intercepted the attacks and three flashes of fire were sucked into his palm. His axe flared bright orange. Clasping his axe with both hands, making the rune glow even brighter, he bellowed a war cry. Malkyr swiped his axe horizontally, hitting all three monsters. The axe easily cut through demonic flesh, cleaving two of them in half. Their remains sank into the pool.
Though it was critically wounded, the third Pyrolith survived the hit and was coiling to pounce. Malkyr’s swing left him open and vulnerable for a counterattack. Before the demon could lash out, Hoshisu shot forward. Rolling between her brother’s legs, she came to her feet with her daggers leading the way and intercepted the injured monster. Her daggers flashed, doing enough damage to finally kill it. She then rolled back again as more Pyroliths prepared to launch their fiery attacks. Malkyr was already waiting for them.
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