Durability - Magical
Br+2
Qu—
In—
Wi+2
Pe+1
Ch—
Co—
Lu—
Every four hours, user can double the armor rating of all armor worn by speaking the word “turtle.” Effect lasts for one minute.
But the other suits I saw had green names, and low bonuses. They were all very well crafted, and in pristine condition, so I understood why the gnome and drow wanted them in their collection.
“We have more armor in the other direction,” Baron Yinnia said as I reached the end of the suits and moved to the weapon racks.
“I look forward to seeing them,” I said. I was about to thank him for letting me look at his collection, but then I stopped myself again. Damn, I really missed Sal. He would have been able to go toe to toe with these two in negotiating. I guess it really didn’t matter, as long as I got the relic, but it would be nice to know I wasn’t going to get taken advantage of.
The next part of the gallery was the weapons, and there were dozens of racks filled with all sorts of swords, daggers, axes, maces, bows, staves, war hammers, spears, flails, and crossbows. There were even some more exotic weapons that looked Indian or Asian in design.
I touched a short sword on the rack, but my UI didn’t pop up until I twisted my hand around the grip in the way that typically brought up the menu.
Short sword of Brawn
Damage: 10% above standard - short sword
Durability - Magical
Br+1
Qu+1
In—
Wi—
Pe—
Ch—
Co—
Lu—
The name was in green letters, and I moved my hand to another weapon. This one was green also, as was the next, and the next. All of the weapons on the rack were much like the armors. They weren’t very powerful, but were aesthetically pleasing. I moved over to a longsword that stood in its own display pedestal, and reached my hand up to the handle. The name displayed in blue on my UI.
Longsword of Leeching
Damage: 20% above standard - longsword
Durability - Magical
Br+2
Qu+1
In—
Wi—
Pe—
Ch+1
Co+1
Lu—
User recovers 1% of their health each time they deal cutting damage to living flesh.
“That is one of my best weapons. Would you like to feel its weight?” the gnome asked.
“Maybe, I’ll keep looking.”
“Very well,” the man said, and I noticed his eyes harden a bit. I felt like this was a bit of a play on his part though. I hadn’t seen one purple item so far, and this was the second blue item. I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t even have anything as unique or as powerful as the two items I was carrying, and they were probably trying to keep from drooling all over the floor.
I walked to an axe on the display stand, but while it looked impressive, it was green and didn’t have anything but a trivial bonus to Luck. I was soon done looking at all of the display stand weapons, and while I had seen a crossbow and flail that were blue, everything else was green.
“Anything interest you?” the baron prompted again. “Would you like Lady Feeyaz to tell you more about a particular item?”
“Not yet,” I said as I looked back on the racks. There was a plain curved saber on the rack that I thought might be interesting, since it seemed a little out of place when compared to the other weapons next to it. I moved over to touch it, but the item was also named in green:
Saber of Minor Embellishment
Damage: 10% above standard - saber
Durability - Magical
Br—
Qu—
In—
Wi—
Pe—
Ch+1
Co—
Lu—
Once every 48 hours, user can charm a creature of equal or lesser Charisma. Effect lasts for as many minutes as user’s Charisma attribute. Once effect has passed, target has a 1 in 5 chance of realizing they were charmed.
I snorted after I read the description, but then I brought my right hand up to my mouth and pretended it was a cough.
“That is a nice sword, a bit too plain looking for my tastes, but Lady Feeyaz liked it when she first saw the blade.”
“It is nice. I’d like to look on the other side.”
“Mrumph,” the man grunted. “Sir Lennox, I can understand that you want to trade, but I’m beginning to wonder if you are pulling both of our legs. Are you interested in trading your items for one of mine? I have some nice ones here, and you haven’t even asked Lady Feeyaz for more information on any of them.”
“Baron Yinnia, I am absolutely interested in trading. I think the crown and the staff will be amazing additions to your collection. They might even become your major pieces. I just haven’t seen anything I’ve been interested in yet. I know that I will though.”
“Very well. Apologies for being a bit short with you. You are obviously a man with fine taste. Let’s continue.”
We walked past the alcove where Lady Feeyaz sat, and then I began to look at the other armor. Most of the suits were green, but I did find two blue suits of scale mail, and a single purple suit of studded leather armor that was dyed a dark brown color:
Goat Spirit
Armor Rating - 10
Durability - Magical
Br+3
Qu+3
In—
Wi—
Pe+2
Ch—
Co—
Lu—
Wearer can consume any material that can be chewed and it will provide substance. Wearer can also drink any liquid and it will hydrate as if pure water. Wearer is immune to all consumed poison. Wearer can carry 50% more weight without feeling the usual fatigue and takes half falling damage.
Baron Yinnia said nothing as I touched the suit, and I withdrew my hand without commenting. I moved to the last piece of armor, and saw his shoulders relax a little. I’d never been much of a poker player, but this was another lesson Sal had tried to teach me. I guessed that this was one of his nicest pieces, and I also guessed that he would be willing to trade for either the staff or the crown. The armor was great, and would be amazing for an adventure, but the crown or staff were works of art that would probably be the talk of the city for the next few years.
The last suit was green, but the armor had very decorative ring links across the surface, and it was only granting a small bonus to Comeliness.
“You have another gallery?” I asked the green clothed man.
“Ayyeeh, but if you are looking for adventuring gear, this will be your best bet for a selection. Did you like any of these pieces?”
“I did like a few. You have a great collection. I can understand why it is the talk of the city. I’d like to see the rest of it before I decide.” We were walking back to the alcove, but the baron’s face looked slightly angry.
“I would like to show Leo Lennox the rest of our fine collection,” Lady Feeyaz said from the smaller room. Her voice was like thick, sticky honey, and I felt my body vibrate with desire. I needed to find this relic, give them what they wanted for it, and then get the hell out of here.
This woman was dangerous, but I still walked into the alcove and gave her my arm so she could lean on me.
“It is up one level,” the gnome said as he pointed back to the stairwell.
I nodded to him, and walked out of the weapons and armor room.
“What were your favorite pieces in that gallery?” the drow woman asked as she fondled my bicep.
“They were all quite nice,” I said, and I thought my words sounded sincere enough.
“But you didn’t have one you desired in particular?” She emphasized the word “desired” when she spoke, and I exhaled to calm myself a bit. I couldn’t even see this woman’s body
and she was driving me crazy. Was it some sort of spell? Maybe it was, but how could it affect me in a game like this? No, it was probably that she was just really damn sexy, and I had a thing for seductress-like women and bad girls.
“I did like that longsword. I might pick that one, depends on what I see in the last gallery.”
“That sword has interesting powers. When you cut into an opponent, it heals you a small amount. It also makes you stronger, quicker, more charming, and better looking. I must say though,” the woman squeezed my arm again and then traced her fingers up my shoulder. “You already have such glorious muscles, and you are very handsome.”
“If I didn’t know any better, I would think that you are trying to seduce me, Lady Feeyaz.” I let out a small chuckle, and turned to her, but I couldn’t see her face because of the hood. We were halfway up the steps to the next level, and I couldn’t see Baron Yinnia on the stairs ahead anymore.
“I am trying to seduce you. Is it working? I hope it is,” she purred.
“Of course it is,” I laughed. “You are good with compliments.”
“That isn’t all I’m good with.”
“I don’t doubt it, but—”
“We are here. I certainly hope that Sir Lennox can find something he likes in this collection,” the gnome man said with a tinge of annoyance.
“I am sure we will find something that Leo Lennox will be willing to trade for, if not, I’m sure he will accept gold, or even other payment in trade.” The drow’s sultry voice made it obvious what she meant by “other payment,” and I was a bit surprised that the gnome didn’t raise an eyebrow. It was clear that they had a working relationship, but I wondered what kind of services that the drow would provide to the gnome that would allow her to live with him. Sure, identification was a useful skill, but I got the feeling that she might actually be the dominant one in the relationship. That might have made more sense if they were lovers, but the gnome man didn’t seem jealous of her obvious flirtations.
Maybe I was being hustled? Perhaps my run-ins with Cornalic were making me jaded, but this could be the way the baron and drow normally conned people who came to them with magical items. The woman played the “good cop” and tried to seduce the seller, meanwhile the gnome was the “bad cop” and acted grumpy about his is time being wasted. Maybe the dark elf really did sleep with the men to get the magical items, and I was just falling into the trap that everyone else had.
I reminded myself that this was just a game, and I wasn’t going to be having sex with anyone in it; else I fall into the virtual pit of insanity. I had a goal, a quest to find these relics, and I needed to focus on that while giving Zarra feedback about the design.
I was being paranoid. It was obvious that they wanted both the crown and the staff, and either was going to be a great addition to their collection.
“Here is the last gallery,” the gnome said with a bored gesture.
“Can you close the curtains for us, please?” the woman on my arm said to the gnome, and I noticed that there were fewer windows in this large room, and they all had thick velvet drapes hung from heavy golden rods above the glass.
“Of course.” The man smiled at her, and then moved to close the blinds.
I waited with the woman for the half-minute it took for Baron Yinnia to pull the drapes, and then I walked the final few steps away from the stairs so that I was in the gallery. There were still plenty of emberbrands on the walls, but the daylight only peeked through a few small cracks on the sides of each window.
“Ahhh, much better. Thank you, my friend,” Feeyaz sighed as she pulled the hood of the robe back from her face. She still left it on her head, so that it covered most of her white hair, but I could see her mint colored eyes now, and I experienced the full effect of her seductive smile.
“Some of these items are less conspicuous than weapons or armor. We have wands, rods, interesting magical devices, smaller pieces, and the like.” The woman gestured around the room as she spoke, and then pointed to the closest display. “This is one of my favorite pieces. It is a wand that can create both darkness and colored light. It won’t be much use for you, but do you see how the surface of the piece glows with a multicolored array of light?” The beautiful woman leaned over a bit so that she could study the crystal looking wand, and the back part of her robe pulled taut against her rounded ass.
I thought that Zarra had a perfect body, and the purple-eyed woman did if one liked the athletic runner or ballerina build. Lady Feeyaz’s curves were more pronounced, and she looked as if she did a lot of heavy squats to build her impressive legs and ass. She was definitely the kind of woman that the old Brick House song had in mind.
“You aren’t looking,” the dark elf pouted, and I leaned in closer to her so that I could look at the crystal wand.
“Looks beautiful,” I said as I glanced at the light show cascading down the length of the item.
“My kind have a heat vision. I can see in pitch blackness based off of the warmth around me. It always excites me to see colors from the light, since most of my life has been spent in darkness.”
“I’m glad you like it up here,” I said as I smiled at her. Our faces were only a foot or so apart, and I saw her mint eyes drift down to my lips.
“I do, very much. Even though I don’t in fact leave this estate, I still love to stand on the balcony out back and stare down to the city, or even up to the stars. However, the sight of them terrifies me more often than not.” The woman gave me a small smile, and my already quickly beating heart began to race.
“Why don’t you leave the estate?” I asked with concern.
“Two reasons. The primary is that my kind is hated across most of Ohlavar, so I would probably be killed on sight by the city guards if I decided to go off of the baron’s property. Second is that, even at night the city lights still hurt my eyes, and I can only stand a few minutes of it.”
“Sounds lonely,” I said.
“It isn’t quite that bad. The baron is a marvelous friend, and he’s allowed me to work for him in the pursuit of our mutual hobby. There are also the frequent parties and galas he throws. During these I showcase his collection, speak with the other nobles, and participate in some of the city gossip. A few months ago, one of the other noble families invited me to attend a dinner at their home. They had extra guards on staff, of course, but I didn’t kill their children, or use my magic to enslave their souls, so I believe that I might be invited back.” She gave me a slight smile and rolled her light green eyes a bit.
“Not killing someone’s children seems like a good way to befriend them. I’m glad you were able to control yourself.” I winked at her, and the woman let out a delightful laugh.
“Still, it gets lonely sometimes. All alone in this bright, shining surface world. I’m a dark elf, but still an elf, and I have needs, Leo Lennox. Warm, wet, and wild desires that have gone unfulfilled for far too long.” I couldn’t tell if she was actually whispering the words, or moaning them, but my painful erection was guessing that it was the former.
The gnome cleared his throat behind us, and we both turned around to see his smirking face. “Lady Feeyaz, might I ask that you continue with the seduction of Sir Lennox after our business here is completed? I do have dinner plans tonight.”
“Of course!” the dark skinned woman sighed. “My apologies to both you and Leo Lennox. It has been a while since I’ve encountered someone like him. Please, let us continue.”
“Someone like me?” I asked as I walked with the drow woman to the next display pedestal.
“You are a strange one, Leo Lennox. Most men and women are terrified of my kind. It makes finding a lover very burdensome. Hard to get hard when you are terrified for your life, hmmm?” She smiled at me with a surprising amount of sweetness.
“I would guess so,” I said as I returned her smile.
“You don’t seem to have a problem getting hard,” she purred. “I’m intrigued.”
“Ahh.” I felt a s
hiver of pleasure dance down my spine again and crash into my groin. This was insanity. Yeah, the AI had done a fantastic job with Lady Feeyaz’s shape, and she was full of this unbridled sexuality, but this was just a game, and I shouldn’t be getting turned on by a virtual temptress. Especially with Zarra and her team watching me play. I wasn’t the kind of guy to get embarrassed easily, but I didn’t like the idea of anyone even watching this exchange.
The game just felt so real. I kept forgetting that it wasn’t.
“This is another interesting piece. One of my favorites,” the robed woman said when we reached the next display. There was a thick box of glass over the pedestal, and she unlocked it with a key that she pulled from the sleeve of her robe. “It is a ring that allows the wearer to project a false image of themselves. Try and touch it.”
Inside the display glass, a circle band of metal sat on a dark red velvet pillow. The piece of jewelry was odd because it looked to be made of three different types of metal; gold, silver, and a reddish rose gold. The ring also had a slight blurry quality to it, and when I reached my hand out to touch it, I only felt the thick pad of velvet. My fingers passed through it as if it was a hologram.
“Ha! I love seeing people’s faces when they try to touch it.” The woman laughed. “If you feel around on the pillow it rests upon, you shall find it.”
“Wow,” I said as I followed her instructions and felt the smooth metal brush against the tip of my fingers. I picked up the empty space that was really the ring and raised it in the palm of my hand so that I could see it better. The magical item shimmered into my vision for half a second, and then I saw it appear as if it rested on the edges of my fingertips, even though I could feel it lay in the center of my palm.
Never, the Ring
Armor Rating - 4
Durability - Magical
Br—
Qu+2
In—
Wi—
Pe—
Ch—
Co+1
Lu+1
For one minute every 2 hours, user creates a mirror image of themselves while they become invisible. This ring is part of the Never equipment set, and additional bonuses are granted with each additional item worn.
Lion's Quest: Dual Wield: A LitRPG Saga Page 32