Emerilia Series Box Set 3

by Michael Chatfield

  Jung Lee sat back in his seat, the tips of his fingers pressed together. “Much has changed since I’ve been gone,” Jung Lee said, a sad light to his eye but also understanding. “I thank you for all that you have done. I still do not understand this new world much but I have always been one to enjoy an adventure.” Jung Lee’s eyes crinkled as he smiled.

  “Well, instead of sitting down here like a bunch of old fossils, let’s go and get some food and I can show you Terra,” Malsour said.

  “Food.” Jung’s stomach shifted. He had not needed to eat as the Affinity spirits had kept his body alive. That was not to say that he did not desire food.

  “Lead on, please.” Jung smiled.

  “Certainly. Do you have any dishes you would be interested in?” Malsour stood and guided Jung Lee out of the lab as a screen appeared.

  ***

  Quest Completed: Possessed by Spirits

  You have released Jung Lee from his prison and assisted him in regaining control over his body by suppressing the Free Affinity Spirits within his body.

  Rewards:

  Gained 5 stat points to use at your discretion

  Gained Jung Lee’s friendship

  3,000,000 EXP

  You Have Created a Weapon of Power

  You have unleashed a weapon that can change fates and alter the path of Emerilia’s future.

  Quest: Dwarven Master Smith Level 5

  You have created a weapon of greater quality than the quest, completing this class quest.

  Rewards: Unlock Level 6 quest

  +10 to all stats (stacks with previous class rewards)

  500,000 Experience

  Quest: Dwarven Master Smith Level 6

  You have created a weapon of greater quality than the quest, completing this class quest.

  Rewards: Unlock Level 7 quest

  +10 to all stats (stacks with previous class rewards)

  600,000 Experience

  Quest: Dwarven Master Smith Level 7

  You have created a weapon of greater quality than the quest, completing this class quest.

  Rewards: Unlock Level 8 quest

  +10 to all stats (stacks with previous class rewards)

  700,000 Experience

  Quest: Dwarven Master Smith Level 8

  You must craft 3 Weapons of Power, 20 weapons of SS quality, or 150 of S Quality with your Smithing Art (Currently 2/3, 0/20, 0/150)

  Rewards: Unlock Level 9 quest

  Increase to stats

  Class: Dwarven Master Smith

  Status:

  Level 7

  Effects:

  Allowed access to all Dwarven Mountains and smithies.

  Allowed to take on smithing apprentices.

  +70 to all stats

  Access to special quests.

  Level 236

  You have reached Level 237; you have 55 stat points to use.

  Dave sighed. After saving up his stats for so long, naturally raising his different abilities, he was coming to the end of the large reserve that he’d built up.

  Dave smiled, thinking on those first days when he’d been tempted to raise his stats immediately. It had been frustrating to see all of those stat points yet not dare to place them within his stats as he played the long-term game.

  It had paid off, allowing his level to not reflect his actual ability. He had gained a good number of classes, many more than most had.

  After these stat points were gone, it would be incredibly hard for him to gain levels. Already it took nearly two million experience for him to gain a level.

  He would have to rely on his classes to boost his abilities and his own machinations and creations that would allow him to compete with those stronger than him and suppress those weaker.

  Dave grinned to himself as he once again added stat points to his character sheet.

  He placed twenty into Intelligence and eight stat points into all of the other attributes. He didn’t know when he’d be able to put more stat points into his character sheet.

  He smiled and looked at his character sheet.

  Character Sheet

  Name:

  David Grahslagg

  Gender:

  Male

  Level:

  237

  Class:

  Dwarven Master Smith, Friend of the Grey God, Bleeder, Librarian, Aleph Engineer, Weapons Master, Champion Slayer, Skill Creator, Mine Manager, Master of Space and Time, Master of Gravitational Anomalies

  Race:

  Human/Dwarf

  Alignment:

  Chaotic Neutral

  Unspent points-0

  Health:

  46,100

  Regen:

  23.32/s

  Mana:

  15,380

  Regen:

  56.20/s

  Stamina:

  5,120

  Regen:

  48.40/s

  Vitality:

  461

  Endurance:

  1,166

  Intelligence:

  1,538

  Willpower:

  1,124

  Strength:

  512

  Agility:

  968

  For a while, Dave looked at his character sheet before he rose from his bed and dismissed the screen.

  “Damn, so only need to make one more Weapon of Power and I’ll get another class increase—easy.” Dave rolled his eyes, his fatigue from earlier falling away. Distributing the stats and not just dumping them all into his attributes made him feel full of energy, but not that god-like state that he’d had when dumping stat points into his character sheet.

  He used his hot bar; clothes appeared on him as his hand rested on the hammer in his belt. “Lox’s set is complete. Now it’s time to finish Gurren’s,” he said to himself, a determined fire in his eyes as he stepped toward the apartment door.

  ***

  Lox, Gurren, and Steve had been fighting within the Six Affinity Temple, allowing them to get stronger. They’d received a hasty message from Kol and raced back to Terra.

  Even with their bulky physiques, they quickly and easily crossed Terra, headed in a straight line for Dave’s smithy. When they got to the front of the smithy, an assistant guided them to an elevator and took them up to the top floor.

  What is going on? Gurren saw the Terra smithy’s elite smiths had abandoned their work to look into a single workshop.

  Gurren, Lox, and Steve went over. Their mouths opened in shock at what they saw within the workshop.

  Dave sat back in a chair, drinking from a canteen as he panted slightly. He was covered in soot and looked as if he hadn’t slept in days. Still, his eyes shined brightly as he looked at the two massive sets of armor that hung on racks in the middle of the workshop.

  The metal surface was mixed ebony and steel with a titanium mesh.

  Just looking at it, Lox and Gurren felt as though they had been punched in the gut.

  After a few minutes, Dave looked away from the armor, his eyes falling on Gurren and Lox. “Well, you want to give them a try?” Dave’s throat was raw and his eyes red from working in front of the furnace for so long and lack of sleep.

  Lox and Gurren continued to look at him blankly. The armor exuded strength and power. Demanding respect and giving rise to a sense of formidable strength from those who looked upon it.

  Steve pushed the two of them, making them stumble and recover from their shock.

  They looked angrily at the smiling Steve before they moved. Without being told, they stepped forward, both of them feeling an Affinity with one set of the armor more than the other.

  Gurren pressed a hand on the armor. Although it looked like some ageless statue, he could feel the power within. The hairs on his neck rose as the armor moved slightly, its face looking down on him. He felt as if he were being examined by the armor.

  Gurren’s mind went blank. He knew that this armor was great, and he had felt an undeniable energy coming from it, but now that he was just feet away f
rom it, his barely restrained hopes were confirmed.

  It’s a Weapon of Power! This thought rang through Gurren’s heart.

  He took a cool breath of air and looked up at the armor’s faceless helmet. Being the grandson of a Dwarven Master Smith, he naturally knew that to gain the control over a Weapon of Power, he would first need to be judged by it.

  As his hand touched the armor, images, memories, and thoughts seemed to roll through his mind. He closed his eyes. Faint traces of emotions whistled by. Gurren’s face turned from pale fear to red anger, as well as every emotion in between.

  The flashing images stopped. Gurren opened his eyes to look at the armor; he felt a thread of Mana from the armor, as if extending out a hand to finalize an agreement.

  Gurren extended his own Mana toward the armor.

  The link was established. The armor in front of him no longer seemed domineering, but rather relaxing to look upon.

  Gurren unsheathed his sword, slightly cutting his thumb and pressing the blood against the armor.

  The blood seemed to disappear as a screen appeared.

  You Have Soul Bound a Weapon of Power to Yourself

  Weapons of Power contain a part of the consciousness of the Smith who made it. The Weapon of Power now sees you as its master. However, if you are to carry out actions that go against the soul thread left behind by the creator, this weapon might search out a new master.

  You have created a contract with: Devastator Armor

  Devastator Armor

  Forged by Dave Grahslagg, this item has been made for his good friend Gurren. This armor is not only meant to protect, but to strike fear into all who face it.

  Quality: Weapon of Power

  Abilities:

  Able to cast spells/use skills with a 20% increase in ability

  All Stats are increased by 5%

  Grows in power through use

  Can summon:

  Sword

  Shield

  Bolt thrower

  Safe Escape

  Charge: 1,000,000/1,000,000

  Durability: 392,158/392,158

  Gurren let out a shaky breath. The work that had gone into this armor—Gurren only needed to look at Dave’s smiling face.

  It gave rise to a smile on Gurren’s face.

  Another screen filled his vision.

  Devastator Armor

  Would you like to enter the Devastator Armor?

  Y/N

  (Can change settings for entering/exiting armor within Devastator settings menu)

  “Yes,” Gurren said. In a flash of light, he disappeared from everyone’s vision.

  Gurren felt his power soar. To him, it didn’t seem that he had entered the armor but had instead just grown to fit its size. The Devastator felt like a second skin.

  He rose his fists and looked at them as he opened and closed his hands. Claws appeared over his hands. Gurren looked on in shock.

  He noticed a new hot bar at the bottom of his screen and he activated one of the buttons. A sword as black as night appeared, with black flames covering it. With the sword, a wheel appeared in Gurren’s vision. He changed the wheel; the black flames turned red and then green.

  “Holy shit, it can change Affinities by itself!” Gurren said.

  With another click on his interface, a bolt thrower materialized out of gray mist that surrounded his arm. Again, a color-coded Affinity wheel appeared.

  Another touch and a shield appeared in his hand.

  Others looked at the armor in awe. The different Master Smiths muttered to one another, an excited tone here and there.

  “Dave, did you use our projects to make this armor?” Jesal stared at the armor. It was impossible for her to not notice her own creations as Gurren and Lox, lost in their own worlds, started testing out the armor.

  Dave gave her a cool smile. “Well, I couldn’t have coded the damn thing all by myself!” He burst into laughter.

  The other Dwarves, instead of feeling sour that their work had been used to make these incredible Weapons of Power, were instead happy to have been part of the project. Their eyes were once again opened by the Dwarf Halfling Dave Grahslagg.

  Chapter 34: Party Zero and the Six Affinity Temple

  Deia felt awkward as Alkao gave a deep bow to Anna, Quindar, and herself.

  Today, the Devil’s Crater brigades had finished their training exercise against one another. The battle had been intense, both sides having to push themselves past their previous limits.

  Alkao had personally overseen the battle. With his position as the leader of Devil’s Crater, he didn’t directly lead a brigade. Instead, he was the head of Krenua’s forces.

  The mysterious group who had absorbed the teachings of the various trainers were on a different level when compared to the normal soldiers of the DCA. Few were able to pass the tests to get into the Black Hands’ ranks. Those who did were tenacious fighters and trainees.

  “Thank you for all that you have done for my Devil’s Crater Army,” Alkao said, before slowly raising his body up again.

  The three ladies smiled at Alkao, accepting his gracious thanks.

  “We must be going. We are needed back at the Six Affinity Temple.” Deia looked to Anna, who nodded.

  Alkao’s serious face turned into a grin. “Well, don’t let me keep you. Have fun and look after yourselves.”

  “Thank you.” Deia smiled.

  “Make sure you keep up with your training. Once I come back from the temple, we’ll have to see if you’ve been lazing around these past couple of months,” Anna said.

  Alkao’s grin deepened into a smile. “I’ll be ready for you,” he declared.

  “You really are an odd couple. Well, I am going to see the children and find out what my errant husband has been up to. If you ever need me, you know where to find me,” Quindar said.

  After they said their good-byes, they went their separate directions.

  Deia left first, allowing Anna to talk to Alkao for a bit in privacy. Deia flew slowly. The baby within her stomach kicked, as if they, too, were excited for the raid on the Six Affinity Temple.

  ***

  Suzy looked at Party Zero gathered in the outpost that faced the crack into the Six Affinity Temple.

  Over the last two weeks, a great weight had been lifted from their shoulders. The secrets of the Jukal had been revealed to the leaders of the Stone Raiders. The impact of that information was still creating waves within these figures. Yet, there was still a sense of relief. They trusted the leadership of the Stone Raiders. Even with a matter as great as this.

  She looked over her party. Dave and Deia were off to the side, talking to each other in light tones, their eyes clear and bright as they smiled. Dave hugged her from behind as Deia held his hands over her large stomach. They were a picture of reserved happiness.

  Steve and Gurren were having an arm wrestling contest, Steve’s massive metal hand clamped within Gurren’s black armored hand.

  Malsour maintained the table beneath them as Lox officiated the contest.

  Anna and Induca stood off to the side, shaking their heads at the others’ antics, clearly amused.

  Suzy let out a sigh, the stresses of the last week easing away as she walked forward.

  Party Zero noticed her, greeting her as Steve and Gurren continued to fight on.

  “All right, it’s a draw, you two metal heads!” Deia admonished, rolling her eyes at Gurren and Steve’s contest.

  “I’ll get you next time!” Gurren said. The two of them relaxed their hands as Malsour commanded the table to once again descend into the ground.

  “Come on, let’s get going or else we’ll miss the next raid group heading into the temple,” Deia said.

  Everyone checked their gear as Suzy moved with the group.

  “So, looks like that armor worked out.” Suzy walked next to Dave and Deia as Induca stood on her other side, her fingers entwined with hers.

  Anna walked with Malsour, the two of them talking qui
etly.

  “I don’t think I ever want to get out of it,” Gurren declared.

  Lox chuckled, but it was clear that he agreed with Gurren. They had been the two weakest members of Party Zero, but now, with their armor, their abilities and strength made them as strong as Steve.

  They moved with a new confidence, as if stepping forward into their roles fully.

  “As far as I know, they haven’t got out of it since they stepped into it,” Dave said, a self-deprecating smile on his face.

  “Well, best to get used to it—needs lots of training.” Lox’s hand balled into a fist.

  “And the Six Affinity Temple is perfect for it!” Gurren said.

  “While we are here to blow off steam, this is also a good time for us to make sure that we are all ready for the upcoming event. We haven’t fought much since beating off Esamael’s army—need to make sure cobwebs haven’t sprouted up.” Deia’s tone was light, but it had the undeniable weight of a leader.

  As they passed through the outpost, people made way. Quiet mutterings were issued by those who saw Party Zero.

  They truly were the hidden talent within the Stone Raiders. Even their name, Party Zero, had been a joke by the Stone Raiders’ guildmaster. He thought that the members of the party would wish to change the name of their party, but with time it had grown on them, becoming a phrase that garnered interested glances and praise.

  The members of Party Zero weren’t the strongest within Emerilia, but they had the tenacious attitude of all Stone Raiders. They wouldn’t give up; no matter the obstacles in front of them, they would endure and fight onward.

  “Those suits of armor are actually Weapons of Power,” one person said. The others around her had wide eyes as they stared at the twin metal giants that were as large as Steve.

  “Weapons of Power? Who would be able to make entire armor suits into Weapons of Power?” someone said, refusing to believe that two people had been gifted with such grand Weapons of Power.