by Dakota Krout
A notification appeared in front of everyone in the circle. You are standing within the effect of ‘Predator’s territory’. Since the blood from player [Tiona] was used as a component, all beings to level [18] will be frightened away. Any beings above level [18] will be drawn to this area and attack to assert their dominance. A healing potion was used in the construction of this area! If you sleep here, you will leave [well-rested] after four continuous hours of sleep. Wounds will heal twice as fast while relaxing in this area. Time remaining: 7:53 until territory fails.
“What is this? What did you do?” Tiona was incredulous at the effect, and the entire party was now looking at Joe.
“Hello, I’m… amazing.” Joe winked at them, but no one laughed. Oh right, it was dark! That’s the reason for sure. “It’s something I found in the library. Rituals are a type of magic that anyone can use, but they are stupidly expensive and mana-intensive. Since I am basically a human nuclear power plant for mana, I feel like it is the right type for me to learn. Pretty much only utility spells or a long, long build up for damage dealing spells.”
“Can I look at the book?” Dylan tried to read it, but handed it back right away. “Right, dark out. Sorry, can I look in the morning?”
“Sure thing.”
“You could make a killing with these mobile shelters though. You created a way to be outside of towns at night!” Chad’s eyes were practically cartoon dollar signs as he said this.
Joe was already shaking his head as Chad spoke. “Not really. The cost to create this particular ritual is about… thirty gold.”
Choking sounds were heard all around, and Dylan’s voice wavered as he spat out, “You spent three hundred dollars to create an eight hour shelter?”
“Let me amend that. That’s what it would have cost if we had bought the Core.” Joe nodded and explained a bit of what he knew about the component costs. The others looked wonderingly at the luminescent Core that Joe handed around to them.
“So you blew three hundred gold and five hundred experience?” Dylan was even more aghast.
“What can I say? You guys are worth it.” Joe laughed at them as they sent rude hand gestures at him, but they did start to laugh along after a moment.
Charisma +1!
Nice! “But after studying the original ritual, I made this one a bit more efficient. So it only cost about half of what it normally does, which is why the Core is still here. You need a magic class in order to mess with the formula though.” Fibbing a bit was better than explaining his class.
“Alright, thanks to Joe we have a chance to survive the night. Let’s try to get some sleep, and we’ll pick up here in the morning.” Tiona issued her orders and set up a rotating guard schedule. The group settled onto the packed earth and tried to get what sleep they could with the snuffles and howls of unknown horrors around their place of rest.
It wouldn’t be a lie to say that everyone was a bit surprised when light peeked above the horizon and they were still alive. Tiona watched shadowy horrors melt into standard monsters and animals. “So they all just transform at night? That explains why no one was able to find their burrows or ambush them during the day. Good to know. Though, I am surprised. I thought for sure we were the first to sleep outside at night-” The deep tone of a huge gong cut her off.
Server alert! For the first time, a group of travelers has braved the deep darkness of unprotected night… and survived! Each of them gain +1000 experience and the title ‘...In darkest night’. This is a milestone moment for all travelers! As you have shown yourselves capable of protecting yourselves in the wild, safe zones such as towns and cities are now available to find… as well as susceptible to night raids by the creatures of darkness! Prepare yourselves, for if you let down your guard through the night, it is likely you will not see morning!
The group went pale and looked at each other. Guess shrugged and said what they were all thinking, “Oops.”
Dylan looked at his status screen. “Hey! It’s a broken title!”
The others seemed to perk up a bit. Joe spoke up, feeling a bit left out, “Broken? As in, makes us extra powerful?”
“You wish,” Chad intercepted the question. “It means the title is only a portion of a full title. It is strong by itself, but you can equip it with another broken title to create a unique saying. Ya gotta be careful though; if they don’t synergize well, you are left with a cool title that gives a crappy effect. The more fragments you add together, the more powerful the title effects are.”
“At least in theory,” Tiona grumped at Chad. “It isn’t guaranteed because no one has gained enough title fragments to know for sure.”
Joe nodded along with the explanation, and looked at the title for himself. Title: … In darkest night. Effect: Gain passive skill Darkvision (or +1 to skill if already unlocked), as well as 50% bonus resistance to dark-aligned magic. This title is broken, combine it with another title to gain additional effects!
Bonus effect from the Hidden god: This title proves your commitment toward learning the powers of the Hidden god. Dark magic unlocked! Spell learned: Shadow spike.
Shadow spike (Novice I). Effect: Create a spike from any shadow that impales target. Damage if cast perfectly: 10n where ‘n’ is skill level. (Dark-aligned magic) Cost: 10n mana. Cooldown: None, but hand gestures must be completed to cast.
As you have learned a mage ability, you have unlocked the mage class! Mage class has been absorbed by ritualist class! Would you like to set your public class to mage? Yes / No
Nope. Gonna keep on pretending to be a cleric. Joe looked at the next notification, which was about the experience gained and felt a sudden rush of energy as he leveled up. Golden energy swirled around him, into him, then exploded away as a supernova effect. He was set gently on the ground as the light vanished, and he looked around to see his teammates looking much refreshed.
“Back to town, then?” Guess motioned to the gate that was now standing wide open.
“Sounds good.”
Joe looked at his character sheet as they walked towards breakfast. Since he had reached level four, he didn’t get any characteristic points to spend, but his intelligence, wisdom, and perception had all increased. Almost as an afterthought, Joe turned off the full status sheet option, selecting to only see character data so his view didn’t become overly cluttered as they walked.
Name: Joe ‘I’m a healer! I swear!’ Class: Cleric (Actual: Ritualist) Profession: Locked
Level: 4 Experience: 6253 Exp to next level: 3747
Hit Points: 50/50 (50+10 per point of constitution over 10)
Mana: 525/525 (12.5 per point of intelligence, +100% from deity)
Mana regen: 5.25/sec (.25 per point of wisdom)
Stamina: 50/50 (50+(0)+(0))
Characteristic: Raw score (Modifier)
Strength: 7 (0.07)
Dexterity: 8 (0.08)
Constitution: 9 (0.09)
Intelligence: 21 (1.21)
Wisdom: 21 (1.21)
Charisma: 13 (1.13)
Perception: 21 (1.21)
Luck: 13 (1.13)
Karmic Luck: 0
Not bad for less than a real-world week in game. Joe looked at all of his stats and decided that he should really start focusing in on his future progression. To this point, he had been reacting instead of his normal method of planning carefully and deciding his future. He had gained four more skill points, and while he was interested in becoming a jumping Sage, it would likely be better to devote those points to something more… immediately useful.
They walked through the gates, getting a respectful nod from the guard on duty. Luckily, this early the streets were practically empty, so they didn’t need to worry about upset gamers coming to scream at them. They walked to the barracks to report in, getting a mixed response from guild master Aten. “Guys, I’m really happy you survived and happy for you in general, but please don’t spread it around that you are the ones that were outside last night. A lot of people are re
ally freaked out right now, and I need to go to a meeting to determine how to protect the city. The players might lash out and blame you for not being able to party all night anymore.”
“No worries.” Tiona waved at the rest of her team. “Take the day off, y’all. Even if we have the well-rested bonus right now, we all know it was a rough night.”
She got nods in return, and the group scattered to pursue their own interests.
~ Chapter Sixteen ~
Joe walked toward the library, the only place he could think of to go relax while everyone else was outside of town desperately trying to level. Aten wasn’t wrong when he said that people were afraid of what the night would bring, but to their credit, they were facing this almost gleefully. Weapons were being forged, armor was getting repaired, and fortifications were being erected. While they may not know what to expect, they were trying to be ready for anything. In classic gamer style, they were ready to throw themselves against overwhelming odds.
Walking into the library, Joe was met with a piercing stare from Boris. “Good morning!”
“You level five yet?” Boris cut straight to the point. “That why you’re here?”
“Not yet!” Joe cheerfully responded. “I was actually hoping to study up on rituals and see if I can’t make them more… accessible.”
“Humph. Can’t help you there unless you are a scholar.” Boris peered at him from behind his spectacles. “You’ll have to go to the mage’s college to learn more about that kind of magic. Or, perhaps a temple, since you are a cleric.”
“A temple?” Joe hadn’t even thought about that. It made sense though; his mana was doubled due to the patronage of the Hidden god. Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to go visit his shrines and learn more about him? “Thank you for the information. Also, I’m trying to plan my future. Is there any literature about potential class advancements?”
“Class…? Pah!” Boris released a derisive snort. “You’d have better luck searching a common pig for gold! That kind of information isn’t available just anywhere! Class holders hoard the knowledge of their advancement with the same greed and avarice that Dragons exhibit, forcing others to struggle as much as they did if they want to parse their secrets. Knowledge must always be found twice, it seems. What little we have is restricted to the highest rankings of scholars, just to ensure a spy in our midst cannot destroy what we have been able to collect.”
“Ah. Is that why the city is hiding the fact that there are other paths than just the ones they offer?” Joe’s mouth seemed to have run ahead of his wits with this question, because Boris’s face darkened instantly.
“No one is ‘hiding’ that information. Those classes are attempting to recruit, and for good reason. Everyone wants a rare and powerful class, but what happens when you get to your next advancement and it is impossible for you to rank up? The Kingdom needs third or fourth tier classes in order to survive.” The air temperature seemed to drop with his icy tone. “If people are unable to think for themselves, and are willing to take whatever class they can find… is that the fault of the Kingdom?”
“Ah, sorry, Boris, I-” Joe tried to apologize.
“Perhaps,” Boris turned his eyes to the papers on his desk, “you should spend this day elsewhere. Perhaps boosting your wisdom will help you learn not to spout treasonous conspiracy theories without thinking.”
Joe took the hint and ushered himself out of the library. As he stood blinking in the bright light, he had to sigh and slap himself. “I can’t believe that just happened.” Having no real objectives for the day, he tiredly interrupted a conversation between two citizens and asked for directions to the temple. A somewhat unfriendly person pointed off into the distance, and the people hurriedly walked away.
Joe trudged over to the temple area, and was astounded by the size and complexity of the building. For such a small seeming building, it seemed to stretch a huge distance. The room was dazzlingly bright at one end, and filled with impenetrable darkness at the other. Hundreds of shrines and statues of varying size and ornateness filled the open space. Seeing another person nearby, Joe inquired about how to navigate the place.
“Who’s you off ta worship?” Joe winced as the excessively hairy man loudly scratched at the underside of his arm.
“I’m not sure of his name, but he is a neutral god of-”
“Sure, sure.” A meaty finger pointed at the north end of the building, then the south, east and west. “North for good, south for evil. East for darkness, west for light. The more well-known or powerful your god, the more ornate their shrine. Have fun.”
Joe stood nonplussed as the man walked away. Looking around indecisively, he wandered toward the center of the building. “Neutral alignment, dark and water,” Joe mumbled as he stared at the shrines he was passing. In the exact center of the room was what must have been the four purely elemental deities. Neutral and without darkness or light, their altars were grand and incredibly ornate. Most of the people walking around the building were either going toward or away from these particular shrines; looking at each other with distaste whenever their paths crossed.
“Strange.” Joe would have thought that people under the same banner would be friendly toward their fellow parishioners. He decided to stay on task; he wasn’t here to parse the interpersonal relationships of others. Joe was here to find answers. Stopping at an empty space where a shrine should be, he looked down at the tile on the floor. It had a few simple carvings on it, but otherwise it appeared that there was nothing to be found. Joe stepped forward, kneeling on what he was sure was the Hidden god’s space. “Hello?”
Joe blinked and in that instant, found himself transported into a grand temple situated on a mountaintop. Smiling benevolently down on him was the Hidden god, who swiftly shrunk to be Joe’s height. “Welcome, Joe! I am so glad that you found and visited this place. Since I now have an active ‘cleric’, I was able to start building my shrine again!”
“Oh, I’m glad.” Joe looked around at the empty temple. There were no decorations, no furniture other than the throne, and the place felt a bit… depressing when he noticed these details. “Uhm, I had a few questions.”
“What can I do for you? Actually,” the glowing figure held up a hand, “just so you know, you can ask anything, but I may not be able to answer you. There are rules that I must abide by.”
“Gotcha.” Joe gathered his thoughts, “I’ve been here a few days and leveled up a bit, but I’m wondering how I should focus my talents in order to rank up.”
“How have you been focusing them so far?” There was a wry grin on the deity’s face.
“Well, I got my ‘jump’ skill to Master. It only took a few skill points, so I’m really hoping that it wasn’t a massive waste.” Joe waited for a reaction but kept talking before the silence grew awkward. “From here onward, I’m not sure what to do. I was hoping for advice on skill increases and on ranking up.”
“Ranking up? Specializing? Don’t worry about that for now, you have plenty of time before you reach level ten. Talk to me again at that point, and we’ll see if you’ve earned enough favor for me to be allowed to give you a hint. Bring a map at that point.” The dusky face blanched suddenly as he grabbed his throat. He gagged, trying to breathe. After a moment he calmed down. “Said too much. Ow.”
“Are you okay?” Joe was looking at the man-shaped being with great concern.
“Remember I mentioned that there are rules? I just bent one a little too far by offering you advance knowledge that you haven’t earned. Action, reaction. Or should I say overreaction,” he muttered as he rubbed his neck, a bruise in the shape of a chain forming. “Next, your skills. Don’t discount the fact that you have a Master rank at level four. Dang near impossible for that to happen, but have you been exploring the benefits of that skill? Have you even jumped once since attaining master rank?”
Joe shook his head. “I haven’t. Well, I did jump at a monster, but it was only about two feet away. With my health and stamina, I sup
pose I am pretty nervous about hurting myself again. Not gonna lie, jumping off that cliff might have given me a bit of a fear of heights.”
“Yet it wasn’t the fall that killed you, and I don't see fear in your eyes when you think of rock.”
“That’s not the point! The feeling of being totally destroyed like that…” Joe’s brow furrowed. “Actually, it doesn’t seem that bad now… why?”
A terribly uncomfortable look crossed over the deity’s face. “Since you asked about it, I can tell you… but are you sure you want to know why?”
Suspicion bloomed throughout Joe’s mind. “Yes. Why does it not seem so bad now?”
“It is because we numb the pain and remove the trauma from you. Pain, fear, and doubt are interactions in your brain. Why do you think so many people are willing to go out over and over again after being attacked by wolves and having chunks of flesh torn out of them by bears?” the deity answered in a rush of words.
Not knowing how to handle this information, Joe simply decided to think on it later. “Alright, we’ll circle back to that eventually. Now, let’s go back to talking about skills. I’m Catholic, and the reason I hate using my ability to pray is because it feels sacrilegious to pray to you. This really bothers me, more than I’ve even realized until now.”
“Understandable.” The god nodded along. “Here is the thing, I’m a god of Eternia, I’m not God. I am not the creator, I am a part of this… game. Think of using your praying ability like… using a search engine. You send a query or a request to me, I return answers if possible. You know what? I’ll update your skill for you if it’ll help.”
Skill: Pray has been renamed to Skill: Query. All effects and requirements remain the same.