Lion's Quest: Dual Wield: A LitRPG Saga

by Michael-Scott Earle

  Durability - Magical

  Br—

  Qu—

  In—

  Wi—

  Pe—

  Ch—

  Co—

  Lu—

  User of staff gains the following abilities:

  Death Burst Shadow 80, Mind 50. Area of Effect Ground Spell. Death power emerges from the bottom of The Darkest Death and radiates out for third of the user’s overall Shadow attribute in feet (10). Enemies caught in the blast will suffer half their health in damage over 5 seconds. They will also be stunned for 5 seconds.

  Death Wave Shadow 70, Mind 50. Cone Ground Spell. Death power emerges from The Darkest Death in the form of a wave that travels half of the user’s overall Shadow attribute in feet (16). Enemies caught in the wave will lose 10% of their health every second for 10 seconds. They will also be stunned for 10 seconds.

  Death Point Shadow 30, Mind 20. Targeted Ray Spell. Death power emerges from the user’s fingertip and travels user’s overall Shadow attribute in feet (32). Enemy hit with Death Point will lose a quarter of their health over 5 seconds. They will also be stunned for 1 second.

  All enemies killed with The Darkest Death will reanimate as undead under control of the user that killed them.

  User must have an overall Shadow attribute of 350 to use The Darkest Death, or they will die.

  User may not use a mana fatigue causing ability, other than Death Burst, Death Wave, or Death Point within ten minutes of using one of the listed abilities of The Darkest Death, or they will die.

  A new user must kill an enemy with either Death Burst, Death Wave, or Death Point within an hour of initially using an ability that The Darkest Death grants, or user will die.”

  The party was silent after I finished reading, and the horror on their faces was apparent. Except for Cornalic, who looked somewhat bored and was picking at one of his nails with the tip of his newly acquired dagger.

  “It is a cursed item,” Wicum whispered.

  “Cursed if you don’t have a ridiculously high Shadow attribute, and don’t like killing people!” Bylem’s voice was half terrified, and half giggling. “I was almost turned into an undead skeleton! This dungeon was way too tough for us to explore. I can’t believe that we killed her. With that crown and that staff? What would have happened if she had ever escaped here? She could have turned Arnicoal into a dead city within a few hours. By the Light.” The fenia ran one of his paws over his face.

  “She didn’t kill us, or escape here, so you are worried over nothing,” Mirea let out a gentle laugh, and rubbed her gloved hand on Bylem’s shoulder.

  “I’ll look at this robe,” I said as I set the staff next to the crown. The staff had looked plenty evil, but I hadn’t really got that feeling from it when I picked the thing up. Now that I knew what it did, the thing felt like a live cobra in my hands, and I didn’t really want to touch it again.

  But this was just a game. If I wanted to go into the Shadow attribute, and play some sort of necromancer type class, the thing would be an amazing asset. It would probably be stupidly easy to get whatever relic I wanted if I had an army of skeletons at my command.

  I grabbed the dark black robe off of the floor, and a silver medallion fell out of the folds. It must have been wrapped around the skeleton queen’s neck, and I guessed that it was another magical item. I already had the robe in my hands, so I turned it over in my grip until the UI opened a window.

  “Robe of the Shadow Mind

  Armor Rating - 6

  Durability - Magical

  Br—

  Qu—

  In+3

  Wi+3

  Pe—

  Ch—

  Co+3

  Lu+3”

  The text of the garment was blue, but it didn’t have any unique abilities.

  “Hmmm. That is really nice,” Bylem said with a purr. “What about the amulet?

  I reached into the pile of bones and pulled the necklace out. It was of matching design as the crown, with silver skull etched metal wrapped around an amethyst gem the size of a quail egg. The color of the text was blue, so I guessed that it wasn’t as powerful as the crown or staff.

  “Jewel of Queen Dorni

  Durability - Magical

  Br+2

  Qu—

  In—

  Wi—

  Pe—

  Ch—

  Co+2

  Lu—

  Once every 100 hours, user can trigger Dorni’s Wrath. User’s next 3 magical or physical attacks will do double damage. If any of those attacks kill an opponent, Dorni’s Wrath will reset in 10 hours instead of 100.”

  “Wooooow,” Bylem gasped. “That is really good.”

  “I agree,” Mirea said, and her brother nodded. I glanced at the half-orc, but he was now using the tip of his dagger to clean out the space between his fangs, and the green-skinned man wasn’t even looking at me.

  “I don’t think it is better than the staff or the crown,” I said.

  “No, well, the crown is really good, and useful. The staff is… scary. I don’t think anyone will actually be able to use the thing. Grrr.” Bylem shook his head as he looked at the black weapon.

  “You said earlier that 350 is a high Shadow attribute?” I asked.

  “I’m not much traveled,” the fenia mage began, “but I’ve been to a few cities a bit larger than Arnicoal. I’ve never heard of anyone having an attribute over 175, and that particular person was one of the most sought after warriors in the continent of Rinniji.”

  “Where is Rinniji?” I asked, and I realized that I hadn’t studied a map of Ohlavar’s world yet. There had been one hanging on the wall of the Adventurers Guild tavern, but I hadn’t asked Switt about it. I would need to learn more when we got back.

  “It is one of the larger land masses on the western hemisphere,” Mirea said.

  “Leo, can you make your choice already?” Wicum sighed as he bobbed the longsword in his hands.

  “What do you all think would be more valuable to these noble types? The crown or the staff?” I asked them.

  “They are both powerful, I believe the crown would be more useful to people, but the staff might be more attractive to the noble. Grrr. It is rather gaudy, and will make an excellent display piece,” Bylem said.

  “Just pick already,” Wicum said, and I spared the man an unappreciative look.

  “What do you think, Cornalic?” I asked the half-orc. Maybe I didn’t care for his opinion, but I found it odd that the man hadn’t said anything yet.

  “Dearest Leo, I believe that the staff will be worth exponentially more than the crown for the right buyer, but it might be impossible to find that buyer, or anyone that actually wants it, so I think you should pick the crown.”

  “Alright. I’ll take the crown.” I’d already figured that the crown was a better choice, but the man’s confirmation made me feel a lot better about the choice.

  “I will take this sword then,” Wicum said.

  “You should take the Amulet. It will help you do more damage in combat,” Mirea argued.

  “No. I want the sword, and it is my choice.” The man shrugged at his sibling.

  “But I’m blocking all of the attackers. It makes the most sense for me to have—”

  “It was my pick, and I picked the sword. You can have the amulet.” The man’s voice turned into a dark growl, and the siblings faced each other silently for a few moments.

  “Fine. I will take the amulet,” Mirea said as she held her hand out to me.

  I gave her the piece of jewelry, and the woman shot her brother an angry glare when she fastened the necklace around her neck. The purple gem color went well with her hair, and the chain drew my attention to the beautiful curve of her neck, but the warrior tucked it into the front of her armor before I could comment on the piece of jewelry.

  “I will take the robe,” Bylem said. “I don’t have one, and this will give me a nice bonus to the attributes that I use.” The feni
a picked the garment off of the ground where I had laid it, and I helped him put it on. I had expected to see some burn marks, or cuts in the cloth, but the robe didn’t look damaged in the slightest, and it even smelled slightly of flowers.

  “Well. I do feel smarter, and wiser, and luckier, but it is doubtful that I could be even better looking than before. I was already incredibly handsome. Grrr.” The fenia laughed, and I chuckled with him.

  “I suppose the staff is mine then,” Cornalic said as he walked to the weapon. He flicked his toe under the middle of the length, and the staff popped up into his hands as if he’d used some sort of telekinetic powers. The half-orc spun it around in hands for a few twirls and then looked at me.

  “Here, friend Leo,” he said as he held the black weapon out to me.

  “Huh?” I asked as I looked at his arms.

  “I would like you to have it.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “Because I think of you as my brother, and I want you to be happy.”

  “No, really, why?” I asked as I shook my head.

  “Well, I do feel awful about the mix up with the money I borrowed from you earlier today at the restaurant.”

  “You mean stole,” I corrected. “And you are going to pay me back 200 gold pieces. I already said I was fine with that.”

  “True, you did, and you are quite honorable with your forgiveness. However, I have acquired three new weapons this exploration, and everyone else has acquired two items. If I take this I will have obtained four, and you only one. It does not seem fair to me, especially when I recollect our recent adventure and your contribution to the party. Please, take it with my blessing.”

  “That is the way we divide the loot though. The staff is yours,” Wicum said to the half-orc.

  “And that means it is mine to give away. I want my dear friend Leo to have it. He would do the same if our positions were reversed.”

  “Really? Are you sure? I feel like there is a catch,” I said to the muscular man. I didn’t believe for a second that Cornalic would just give this to me with no strings attached.

  “There is that place I told you about, with the pleasant women that will comfort a man’s—”

  “I’m not going with you to a whorehouse, even if you give me that staff.”

  “Well, then there are no strings attached. Please take it, and use it along with the crown in an attempt to get what you need from Baron Yinnia.” The muscular man took a step closer to me, and put the dark staff in my hands.

  “That is very nice of you, Cornalic,” I said. “Thank you. I ahh… I don’t know what else to say.”

  “You don’t need to say anything else, or give me your thanks. I only want us to be friends and brothers for the rest of our days. Will you please accept my friendship and love?” The man smiled at me and his yellow eyes seemed to twinkle under the hood of his cloak.

  “Sure,” I said to the half-orc man, and even though I meant the word, I still wondered if I was falling for another one of his cons.

  “Splendid!” The muscular man clapped his hands and then turned to the rest of the party. “Now, dearest friends, what do you say we figure out how to get out of here with all the loot we’ve left in the previous room?”

  “Should I read the inscription on that smaller dais first?” I said as I pointed at the podium between the columns.

  I walked over to the stone and cleared my throat before reading what the orange text of my UI displayed

  “The prince was only five years of age, and he trusted his mother to protect him. He had no understanding of his eternal danger when she tied him to the sacrificial altar. The Iron King was too late to save his son, and he watched from across the dungeon floor as his beloved wife sliced his offspring’s chest open with her shadowblade. The prince screamed, as did the king, as did the queen.

  As did their country.

  Then they all became creatures of death and shadow.”

  “And now they are deader. Or dead once again, or whatever you call undead that aren’t trying to kill you anymore,” Bylem said with a nervous laugh. “Now, by the Light, can we all get out of here?”

  We all nodded, and then we moved to the double doors that exited the throne room.

  Chapter 19

  “How do you feel?” Dr. Dimopoulos asked over the speakers as I put my robe on.

  “Good. Maybe a little tired. That felt like a long session. I logged in during the morning hours, and the sun was rising when I got back to Artus’ place to sleep.”

  “It was a long time, Leo,” Zarra’s voice came over the speakers. “But we didn’t want you to log out because it seemed like you were progressing through that dungeon at a good pace.”

  “Yeah,” I said as I stepped out of the privacy alcove. “I got that cool crown and staff. I’m going to try and set up a meeting with Baron Yinnia today, or tomorrow, or whenever I log on next. I told Allurie and Artus that I needed to rest a bit, but—”

  “Leo, can you sit down on the stool please?” Dr. Dimopoulos interrupted me.

  “Sure. I guess we have to do our check up thingy, did you guys all see that crown? And Cornalic gave me that staff. I think he might be trying to trick me again. Well, I am confident he is trying to trick me again. When we killed the queen it seemed to make all the other skeletons in the dungeon un-animate, so we just had to worry about getting all the loot out past the bridge where the giant snake was. Did you guys see that thing? It was crazy scary. We got back just fine with all the treasure though, it was no problem at all once we got past the snake. Oh, Zarra, you really need to turn down the scent feedback again. I felt like I was going to puke when that thing was next to us. Would I puke into the mouthpiece? I’d imagine that—”

  “Sit down,” Trina said. The middle-aged woman put her hands up on my shoulder and gently pushed me down onto the stool.

  “Oh, sorry. I’m excited. Feel like I’ve got the right stuff to offer Yinnia, and—”

  “Shhhh,” the doctor said as she held a finger up to her lips. “I want you to close your eyes and think about taking twenty-second long breaths. Don’t speak, and try to let your mind drift from the game. Think about sitting on a beautiful beach somewhere.”

  “Or, not a beach. Maybe a forest,” Zarra corrected.

  “Oh, yes. Of course, a forest. Sorry, Leo.”

  “That’s okay,” I whispered, but I’d already begun to think about my trip to the Bahamas, and Sal. I forced my mind to instead think about the grove of trees where I had first logged in with Ohlavar Quest, and I counted my first twenty second inhale as she put the cold disk of her stethoscope against my chest.

  “Okay, everything seems fine,” the doctor said after five minutes.

  “Do you need to take my blood pressure?”

  “No, we have a monitor in the VRIU, the previous times I’ve checked it was just to confirm that the machine was correct. You are looking great Leo. Sounds like you had a wonderful adventure.”

  “I did! I’m eager to jump back in, but—”

  “Leo, can you sit there for a few moments and relax some more? That was a great deal longer than your previous sessions. I almost wanted to pull you out of the game, but you weren’t in a good spot to log out,” Zarra said.

  “I feel great though,” I said, but I kept my eyes closed and returned to thinking about taking deep breaths.

  “I know. We are going to service the equipment for a few moments. Just meditate for a bit. Okay?” the beautiful woman asked.

  I heard Zarra and Jennifer whispering from their spot in the alcove, and I heard Ky turning his paddle in the VRIU liquid. The sound kind of reminded me of the summer I had spent rowing every morning for training.

  “Okay Leo. I’d like to get some feedback from you, but I think you need to eat first.” Zarra’s fingers squeezed my shoulder gently, and I opened my eyes. She was wearing another one of her fancy black business suits. It had some silvery thread in the fabric, and it went well with her cream colored blouse. Sh
e frequently wore tight pencil skirts, but today she was wearing pants, and they outlined the shape of her incredible legs.

  “I’m pretty hungry,” I said with a laugh. “I hadn’t really felt that hungry in the game. Crazy how that works out. I’m really into it.”

  “Let’s get you some breakfast.” The beautiful dark-haired woman turned back over her shoulder to look at the glass room where Jennifer still sat. “I’m going to walk with Leo to the cafeteria, I’ll message you feedback.”

  “You got it, Ms. Zerne,” the lovely blonde woman replied. Jennifer saw I was looking at her, and she smiled shyly at me.

  “Let’s go through your suite, Leo. I can wait in your room for a few minutes if you want to take a quick shower, but it has to be quick.” Zarra gestured to my door, and I stood from the stool.

  “Ehh. If you don’t mind, I’ll just throw on the uniform and head out. Then I can catch a shower before I take a quick nap.”

  “I agree with just throwing on your uniform, but I disagree with the quick nap,” the woman laughed. “You need to rest for a significant time. I’ll meet you out in the hallway.”

  “Okay. One second,” I said as Zarra walked out of my suite. I ran into my bathroom, slid out of my robe, and then threw on one of my generic Arnacript uniforms. A handful of seconds later Zarra and I were walking down the gray hallway toward the cafeteria.

  “The NPCs are amazing, Zarra. I can’t believe how rich and colorful they are.”

  “Oh?” she asked with a raise of one of her perfect eyebrows.

  “Yeah. That Cornalic guy.” I let out a long laugh. “I can’t decide if I like him or hate him. Most games make it obvious who the good and bad guys are. What do think about him? Do you think he’s got a longer con going on? I can’t understand why he gave me the staff.”

  “Do you feel tired at all?” the woman asked.

  “No actually. I feel really excited when I log out, so I can understand why you want me to do some meditation, but I feel fine. Well, I’m starting to get hungry, but I guess that is expected. I noticed that you hadn’t put the clock on the UI yet. That would really help remind me of how long I’ve been in the game.”