by EA Hooper
I could try to line them up for Void Gun. But can I really waste ethers on every single encounter I come across? I’ll run out before we even reach the next City-World playing like that. No, I need to be able to fight without Void Gun sometimes.
The Ranger stepped around the corner, lifted his hood, and brandished his longsword. “Come at me, you fiends.”
The goblins drew their longswords and looked him up and down. “Ruff-mah, yon-dung,” one said to the other.
Both the goblins chuckled at the comment.
“You’re not taking me seriously?” Vincent replied, his voice full of irritation. “Really? I’m the adventurer that’s here to kill your boss and take your loot. You can’t treat me like this.”
The goblin to the right lifted his helm and stuck out his tongue.
Vincent charged at the goblins and raised his sword. The monster on the left met his attack, and their blades clashed several times. The other goblin snorted, watching the fight without worry.
The human and goblin went back and forth, slashing and blocking one another. Sometimes when their blades met, they tried to push each other into the wall. After thirty seconds of fighting, Vincent disengaged and took several steps backward.
This blasted guard is evenly matched with me? Maybe I should’ve Scanned these guys first.
Gray Goblin Elite – Monster Class: C | Age: 25 | Sex: Male | Number of Offspring: 35 | Personality: Sociable
Gray Goblin Elite – Monster Class: C | Age: 28 | Sex: Male | Number of Offspring: 7 | Personality: Rude
So they’re not the normal gray goblins that are on the low end of the C-Class. These elites probably fall closer to the middle of the range.
The sociable elite put his sword over his shoulder and eyed Vincent. “Yuk-yuk?”
Yuk-yuk means forfeit in goblin tongue. I remember reading that once.
“No,” Vincent told it. He readied his sword again. “I’m not giving up now. I’m already this far, so I might as well go all the way. Is Sharky past you guys?”
The sociable goblin smiled and took a fighting stance. “Yip-torp.”
They charged one another, and their blades clashed once more. Vincent let go of his sword with one hand and uppercut the goblin in the exposed section at the bottom of the monster’s helm. His fist connected with the goblin’s chin, and the elite’s head jerked back with the blow. Vincent spun, gathering momentum, and decapitated the goblin with a powerful swing. The elite’s head rolled across the ground before his body crumbled into dust.
“Garf!” the other goblin shouted in despair. The monster jumped at Vincent with a downward swing.
Vincent sidestepped, and the tip of the enemy’s blade cracked the floor tile. The Ranger tried to take a quick swipe at the goblin, but the monster shoulder-rammed Vincent, knocking the human off his feet and removing his Mana Shield.
The goblin raised his sword above Vincent’s head. “Jer-rahm!”
Quinn appeared behind the goblin, tapping the monster twice on the back of the head with her knuckle. The Breaker energy smashed his helmet with the first strike, and his skull cracked open from the second. The goblin toppled onto the Ranger before turning to dust.
Vincent smiled at his teammate. “Great timing.”
“Sorry we’re late!” Xan called, hurrying to catch up to them. “You wouldn’t believe how many goblins we had to kill to get here. I mean, Quinn killed most of them.”
“You got like three of the full-grown ones and several of the young adults,” Quinn told the girl. “That’s a lot better than I would’ve guessed. Your dad trained you well.”
Xan flashed a nervous smile. “Thanks.”
>Vincent: Jim, we’ve regrouped. I think we’re at Sharky’s hideout.
>Jim: Awesome, man. I’m following Quinn’s path of destruction right now. There’s goblin dust and items freaking everywhere. Tell me if you kill Sharky. If you three wipe, I’ll try to sneak in and grab his treasure anyways. I think I only need to take one item for it to count.
Quinn entered through the doorway the elites had been guarding, and Vincent followed her inside. He stepped into a great hall that had several branching corridors. Four more elites stood at the sides of the room, but the three players eyed the goblin at the end of the hall.
A massive, large-bellied goblin with rune-covered skin sat atop a throne. Three small chests sat behind the throne, but female goblins blocked the players from seeing the chests clearly. Those held wine goblets and trays of food that they gave to Sharky. Vincent Scanned the Dungeon Boss before it spotted them.
Sharky the Mountainous (Dungeon Boss) – Monster Class: C+ | Ageless | Sex: Male | Respawn Time: Five In-Game Hours | Personality: Insatiable
A guard spotted them and shouted something in goblin tongue. The monsters glared at the trio, and Sharky released a deep bellow. The runes on his body glowed, and his roar released a shockwave that shook the great hall.
Vincent and Quinn withstood the tremor, but Xan fell onto her rear.
>Vincent: I’ll get Sharky with Void Gun. Quinn, you got the elites?
The woman didn’t even answer, instead Vanishing to the nearest elite and striking them with Breaker-charged blows. She’d slain the first elite by the time Vincent aimed his fingers at the Dungeon Boss.
Sharky’s runes charged with magical power, but Vincent didn’t give him time to try anything. He fired Void Gun, and the bolt of negative energy tore through Sharky’s two-layered Mana Shield and blew his brains onto the chest directly behind his throne.
The servant goblins screamed and ran from the room, and the other three elites roared in anger. The runes on Sharky’s body disappeared just before his body turned to ash, and then smaller runes appeared on the armor of the guards.
>Quinn: Crap, killing Sharky buffed the others.
She dodged one of the elite’s glowing swords and hit him several times with Breaker. His armor cracked, but the runes glowed brighter, holding the material together. She Vanished behind the goblin as he took another swing. Quinn ripped his helmet off and then twisted his head around, killing the elite.
The other two elites sprinted at Vincent. He blocked the first one’s sword swipe with Gazalblade1, and sparks of magical energy flew from their clashing blades. The goblin dipped to the left, and the other came in for a surprise attack. It cut through Vincent’s Mana Shield with a short sword, and then swiped his face with its offhand claw.
Vincent shouted in pain and tumbled away from the goblins. Streams of blood dripped down his face, and he panicked, trying to equip an elixir to heal the stinging wounds. The goblins didn’t give him time and jumped at him.
Xan blocked one goblin’s blades while one-handing her short sword. She pointed her offhand at the second goblin and blasted him with two Mana Guns. The first shot cracked his glowing chest plate, and the second blew apart the armor, knocking the monster back.
The young woman blocked another swipe from the goblin in front of her. She used Light Drain with her offhand as she struggled told hold back its blade. After several seconds of their blades pushing against one another, the goblin looked a little dizzy. Xan shoved harder, knocking the monster off its feet.
With his face still bleeding, Vincent used the opportunity to charge the goblin with the broken chest plate. He ran Gazalblade1 through the goblin’s heart, turning the creature to ash, and then turned to help Xan.
Quinn jumped past her teammates, smashed the goblin’s helm with two Breaker strikes, and then snapped its neck with a chop. The last goblin turned to ash before it even reached the ground.
The three players looked at each other. Quinn chuckled first, and the other two eased up and did the same. Vincent raised his fist and let loose a victory shout, and Xan gave a happy squeal. The young woman raised her hand toward Vincent’s face and healed his wounds with Healing Light.
“Sorry, but I don’t have Scar Repair yet,” Xan said, finishing the healing process. “So you’ll have those four marks across your face u
ntil you respawn.”
“That’s fine,” Vincent replied. “I don’t mind carrying around some battle scars until you learn that spell.”
>Vincent: Jim, we killed Sharky! His guards too.
>Jim: You three are awesome. I’m heading that way right now.
The trio approached the three small chests. Each player opened a different one, revealing piles of gild with a few items on top. Vincent smiled at his loot, but then glanced at the other two. “Let’s all leave Jim some. He did help a little.”
The women nodded, and the three teammates shoveled loot into their inventory.
1-Piece Gild Coin (x205)
5-Piece Gild Coin (x17)
10-Piece Gild Coin (x5)
Rating-Boost Rune (x1) – This rune can increase an item’s Magic Rating by 50 for five minutes. Can only use one Rating-Boost Rune at a time. Magic Rating on items cannot exceed 300.
Spell-Boost Rune (x1) – This rune increases the power of magic attacks. Pure-Mana attacks will be increased by a rating of 50. It may increase the size or intensity of certain spells.
Strength Potion (x2) – Increases your Strength by 4 levels for 2 minutes. Cannot be stacked with other Strength enhancers.
Strength Potion (x1) – Increases your Strength by 6 levels for 1 minute. Cannot be stacked with other Strength enhancers.
Agility Potion (x2) – Increases your Agility by 3 levels for 3 minutes. Cannot be stacked with other Agility enhancers.
Agility Potion (x1) – Increases your Agility by 8 levels for 30 seconds. Cannot be stacked with other Agility enhancers.
Jump Crystal (x3) – This crystal flows with incredible gravitational energy. Use it at a Jump Gate to fly to a nearby world. Farther worlds may require multiple Jump Crystals.
Sharky’s Memento – A locket with a picture of cake inside.
Jim stepped into the great hall and hurried to the chests. He picked up the remainder of the gild they’d left behind. Quinn and Xan had to give him some of their slots of exploding powder just to carry the items they’d grabbed, and the team split up the items dropped by Sharky as well as his guards.
Vincent and Xan swapped out their clothes for full suits of oiron armor they’d grabbed off the elites. The armor was a little heavy, but Vincent felt like a tank while wearing it. He unequipped his cloak, however, because it got caught on oiron plates whenever he tried to walk around.
I can swap between this armor and lighter protection with my cloak, depending on the circumstance. It only takes a second to switch, so I might as well take advantage of that.
“I just need to exit the dungeon without getting hit, and my Class Quest will finally be finished,” Jim noted. “Did you three want to explore more down here? There’re literally miles of interconnected tunnels—not to mention a goblin city sitting below us.”
“Let’s not press our luck,” Vincent said. “This little practice adventure went pretty well. I think Quinn, Xan, and myself make a good team, despite my mistake of underestimating the intelligence of that gray goblin.”
“It all went well,” Quinn said with a smirk. “No one had to blow themselves up, at least.”
Xan chuckled. “Well, I almost swallowed the Lotus Capsule like three times.”
“Me too,” Vincent replied with a grin.
“Alright, team,” Quinn said. “Let’s head out before those goblins that ran away bring friends with them. I’ll take lead this time. Wouldn’t mind smashing a few more goblins on my way out.”
The four party members worked their way back up the cavern. With the 3D map half-filled out, they found it a lot easier to navigate. They encountered a few isolated goblins and one group near the entrance, but Vincent and Xan barely helped as Quinn tore through the monsters. She received a few gashes during the fray, but Xan was able to heal her with ease.
Their party paused at the entrance of the cavern to break the barrels there. Jim gathered up the dust into his inventory and hurried for the exit.
As they exited the mouth of the dungeon, Jim raised his hands in victory. “I did it! Class Quest completed! After all these years, I finally get to pick a subclass. Got the Master Thief’s Key too. It opens any door, gate, or container that’s not magically protected.”
“So, what subclass are you choosing?” Vincent asked. “I seem to recall you changing your mind between Fighter and Mage over the years.”
“Just picked it,” Jim replied. “Scan me and see.”
Player: Crow-Foot Jim
Class: Rogue
Subclass: Ranger
Real Age: 70
Highest World: Valmont
Vitality: Lv 40
Spirit: Lv 45
Resolve: Lv 43
Perception*: Lv 38
Agility*: Lv 53
Strength: Lv 41
“Ranger?” Vincent questioned.
“You inspired me,” Jim replied. “Maybe I’ll work on my own void spell now that I know it’s possible. Shouldn’t take me any longer than you, right?”
“Depends on if you get the lack of frequency down. I can give you plenty of tips, though. You didn’t need to pick Ranger to learn it.”
“There’re other reasons. First, my Perception felt a little low. You made me realize how useful that stat is. Secondly, I like how Scan lets you notice details other players can’t see. And finally, since the update, I’ve preferred to fight from farther away. I’ve been practicing my archery work a lot. Besides, I’ve only ever met a couple of Rogue-Rangers. It feels unique, and I bet the ladies will like it—makes me seem shadowy and mysterious. Maybe I’ll wear my Shadow Cloak when I’m walking the streets.”
Jim equipped his cloak, and a shadow fell over his entire body.
“I’m sure the women of our generation will dig that old-school Batman vibe,” Vincent said, chuckling.
“I am the night,” Jim said in the deepest voice he could muster. “I am Crow-Foot Jim.” He whipped his cloak around, and then dashed into the distance.
>Vincent: You leaving us behind? We’re going to the Jump Gate after we sell this powder and stash our items.
>Jim: I’ll meet you there. There’s something I have to do first.
“What’s he up to?” Quinn asked.
A confused expression fell over Vincent’s face. “No telling.”
Chapter 11
Player: Noble Vincent
Location: Teramor (World) | Knightrest (City) | Glass District (District)
Class: Ranger
Subclass: Mage
Vitality: Lv 32
Spirit*: Lv 38
Resolve: Lv 35
Perception*: Lv 45
Agility: Lv 37
Strength: Lv 32
It took two hours for Vincent to find a merchant willing to buy all of their exploding powder. Even then, they’d only made two hundred gild off of it. Only goblins had the right kind of magic to ignite the powder, however the merchant had been experimenting with the powder’s other properties. Mainly, its ability to hold certain shapes when players applied mana to it. An entire keg’s worth of powder could be imbued with a moderate amount of mana and then removed for later usage.
Vincent thought it interesting, but didn’t stay long to hear the merchant describe its other properties. He, Quinn, and Xan traveled to the North Gate, left Knightrest behind them, and followed the road to the Jump Gate.
“You sure you don’t want to say goodbye to your family?” Quinn asked Xan. “You might not see them again for decades—or even centuries.”
“If I say goodbye, they’ll try to convince me to stay,” Xan replied with a sad tone. “I’d rather keep looking ahead. Besides, the other City-Worlds should have holographic communication stations. I’ll be able to see their faces on the display. And they can private message me at any time.”
“If you say so,” Quinn told her. “I’m just worried you’ll change your mind after we’re off-world.”
Xan clenched her fists. “I won’t. I’m determined to move forward, and
I know I can’t stay here forever. Maybe my dad and sister will get the same idea and follow me one day. My sister leaves the city sometimes to adventure, and my father hasn’t had many new apprentices lately. Surely they’ll get tired of Teramor. This is a game, after all. We’re meant to challenge ourselves—to climb as high as we can go.”
“That’s right,” Vincent said. “The people of Knightrest will follow us one day—maybe in ten years, maybe a hundred. Eventually, they’ll get that call to adventure. Your dad and sister will get it. Jim will get it. How can they not look up at the worlds above us and not want to leave this place? There’s so much to explore on the World-Tree. It’s human nature to chase adventure. If I’m to be stuck in this game, then I want to see what’s up there. I want to see what’s at the top.”
“And maybe if we’re lucky, we’ll escape early,” Quinn noted. “Get back to our real lives—see our family and friends that weren’t in-game during the update. Do you have a family, Vincent?”
“I had a wife, but she passed away two years ago,” he replied, sadly. “In real time, that is. I guess it still feels that way. All the time here doesn’t make my real-world memories feel any older.”
“I understand that feeling,” Quinn said. “I still feel like I just watched my husband and son leave the house a few minutes ago. Like I just put on that stupid headset.”
“Do you have children or grandchildren?” Xan asked Vincent.
“Monika and I had a son, but he only lived a few days,” Vincent told her. “That was before modern technology let you fix any defect before birth. We had planned to try again, but then we went through years of economic hardship. We kept pushing back our plans to have another kid, and then when we finally had a house and good jobs, we felt too old. It seemed like we were too late. I guess we should’ve anyways, but that’s when Monika started having health issues. Modern medicine could’ve prevented it if she’d been ten years younger, but by that point all they could do was slow it down and ease her difficulties.”
“I’m so sorry,” Xan said, her face full of sadness.