On horse and dinoback, it didn’t take us long to reach the new digs. The Uroks had erected wooden barracks outside the front of the caves. It looked somewhat similar to the Jotun longhouse, but also featured a palisade fence around the perimeter. The tribe members had repitched their hide tents inside the walls of sharpened posts, and the whole place was abuzz with activity. I nodded to the familiar guards as Leesha and I passed through the archway where I imagined gates would soon be placed.
“Welcome, welcome.” Chief Ugola was there to greet us, arms outspread. I didn’t question how he knew we’d be coming. Game logic, I assumed. “Soon, this will be the finest trade outpost in all of Tournia! A town made possible through the great deeds of Zane and Leesha. You’ll be happy to know you have been added to the list of founders so that your names may live on in the history of our tribe.”
“Uh…thanks,” I said. My imagination couldn’t help but wonder about the ramifications. Did towns all over MythRune have such a list, and if so, if a town stuck around for long enough, would that, in some way, immortalize those players who actually helped achieve those early quests? I shook the thoughts from my head. I could worry about existential gaming when Brandon was safe.
“We have a message from Tauren of the Frostfang Jotuns,” I continued. “They are grateful for your assistance in returning their sacred totems and want you to know you can call on them at any time if the need arises.”
This was met with a big smile from Chief Ugola and a new notification.
Good Deed Rewarded!
Chief Ugola is pleased that you repaired relations between the Horuk tribe and the Frostfang Jotuns — these strengthened ties may prove to be even more fruitful in the future. To recognize your work, the chief has bestowed two Unassigned Attribute Orbs to each member of your party.
Title Earned: of the Horuk Tribe
“Ha!” I said involuntarily as two Attribute Orbs appeared in my open hand. “I can level up again! And a new title!”
“Calm down, nerd,” Leesha said. But she’d already crushed her two orbs and was in the process of allocating them.
After nearly two straight days of travel, I was just glad to do something. Although we’d had no faster way to get out of the mountains, each minute I plodded along on Frank’s back was another minute Dart got farther away. The only comfort I found was knowing he had been just as far in the middle of nowhere as we were.
Without another thought, I crushed the Attribute Orbs in my hand and allocated them to my health and defense attributes.
Character Stats
Name: Zane
Title: Yeti-Bane (hidden)
Race: Urok, male
Level: 7
Total Attribute Points: 36
Attribute Points needed for next level: 4
Health: 9 (210/210) (Base 180, +30 Torc)
Attack: 7 (Arcana 140/140)
Defense: 9
Speed: 4
Agility: 3
Intelligence: 2
Luck: 2
Level Up! Congratulations, you have acquired enough Attribute Points to reach Level 7. You have received one Unassigned Skill Point that may be used in any Pursuit you have already unlocked.
I definitely hadn’t forgotten about the Skill Points I had just waiting to be spent. They were burning a hole in my pocket, but I didn’t want to be hasty, seeing as how I was getting into some of the more expensive skills.
“Thank you so much for all your help,” Chief Ugola continued as soon as I closed my menu. “You have been crucial to our success as a village, and if there is any way we can be of assistance, we would gladly do so.”
“About that,” Leesha said. “We need to speak to the Lucas Sevenday Trading Company.”
“Ah, yes, our new partners — again, thanks to the two of you.”
“Do you know where we can find Lucas?” I said. I didn’t want to be rude, but had no time for idle chitchat, either. Dart’s trail was growing colder by the second.
Chief Ugola responded by summoning one of his nearby guards. “Take these two to the new Lucas Sevenday headquarters, please.”
After accepting another round of thanks from Ugola, we followed the guard deeper into the fledgling town. “You guys have been busy,” I said as we made our way toward the caves.
“You don’t know the half of it,” the guard said.
The new Horuk village was certainly more organized by the looks of things, but had also seemed to double in size over the course of days. I wondered if word was spreading to other nearby tribes or if the Horuk had additional family members who hadn’t been at the original camp. As we passed through the village, I saw the beginnings of what looked to be a stable, an armory, a smokehouse, and more.
“It’s ZANE! Hi!”
I turned in the other direction and spotted Durk waving at me, axe in hand, surrounded by split wood. I waved back at him as we passed, though we didn’t stop. Taking in all the change, I couldn’t help but feel a little proud of the entire tribe’s change of fortune.
We finally came upon a large tent pitched right against the rock outcrop and featuring the Lucas Sevenday Trading Company logo on it: a blue background with the golden letters “L,” “S,” “T,” and “Co” quartered by a cross.
Judging by the size of the tent and its location near the caves, which we’d been told were currently used as secured storerooms, it was clear the Lucas Sevenday Trading Company had big ambitions for the Horuk village.
The Urok guard led us inside the big circus tent, around a stack of unmarked barrels and crates. Loud voices echoed inside. We found Lucas and a handful of others gathered around a map-covered table. Several scribes were hard at work nearby, taking notes with quill and parchment. Lucas, busy trying to get some point across with much arm-waving, stopped mid-sentence when he spotted us.
“Zane and Leesha!” Lucas smiled then quickly waved the rest of the group away. I was surprised at how fast they excused themselves. “The two of you stumbled on a real asset here. And to think we’d spent so long avoiding it.”
“You’re a lot more of a hard-ass than I remember when we met,” Leesha said approvingly.
Lucas laughed. “Unfortunately, in order to get things done around here, you have to be. It’s not easy setting up a new trading route, and with the raiders still on the prowl, we’re still in a bit of a bind.”
“Raiders?” I said. “I thought Leesha and I already cleared that up.”
“That’s what we’d hoped. But it was all wishful thinking. We sent word to our headquarters in Crystal Fen that we were open for trade, but we think our courier was lost along the way. Until the Horuks can put together an escort for us, we’re sitting ducks. Whoever leads these Blue Hand Raiders is much more organized than we originally gave them credit for.”
I looked to Leesha as I reached for the signet ring. “We might have another clue about that. Check this out.”
I handed the ring to Lucas, and his eyes widened instantly in recognition. “Do you have any idea what you’ve found here? This symbol here” — he pointed to the hand on the ring — “is the emblem of the Livermoor Guild. This is no simple ring you have found. It is used in sealing correspondence between high-ranking guild officials and their associates. Only a merchant high up in the company would have access to something like this, and they keep it on their person at all times.”
“Dun, dun — the plot thickens,” Leesha said in her best dramatic voice.
“So, what does this mean?” I asked.
“It means that someone high up in the Livermoor Guild circle may be actively hiring Blue Hand Raiders to attack caravans,” Lucas said. “It all makes sense now. We wondered why Livermoor had never actually suffered any losses in the caravan raids, but none of the other trading companies had any proof to suggest it was anything but luck.”
“I don’t really get it,” I admitted. “We found the ring in the temple. What does that have to do with—”
Lucas scoffed as if the answer was
the most obvious thing in the world. “They want to create a trading monopoly in the region. If they secure exclusive rights with the Sylvads and pit the Urok and Jotun tribes against one another, there’s no profit for the rest of us.”
“So they stole the totems?” Leesha said.
Lucas nodded. “It would seem so. One of them must’ve been killed in the process and lost their ring. I can inquire around on my end about that. I’ll see if there are any members of the guild who have gone missing. But to do that, I’ve got to get back to our headquarters in Crystal Fen. It’s the trading hub for every company in the region, including the Livermoor Guild. This is where the two of you come in.”
Quest Updated: Hands of Gold (Party Quest)
You have taken the signet ring to the Lucas Sevenday Trading Company, who identified it as belonging to their rivals, the Livermoor Merchant Guild. They believe the Livermoor Merchants are working with the Blue Hand Raiders — who are apparently not eradicated — but need more concrete proof before making any accusations.
Objective: Travel to Crystal Fen and find evidence within the Livermoor Trading Post that proves they are corroborating with the Blue Hand Raiders to attack other caravans and incite war between the Urok and Jotun.
“So,” Lucas asked, “what do you think? Are the two of you up to the task?”
“I think it goes without saying,” Leesha replied, looking over to me.
I nodded. This wouldn’t just be a way to continue on the quest in hopes of getting a token, but a way to find Dart, who would likely be on a crash course with us in terms of quests.
“I think I’ve figured it out,” I said.
“What?” Leesha asked. “Why you decided to create such an ugly character? We really need to talk about that blue mohawk.”
“I thought that Dart was on the same thread of quests as us, only one step ahead,” I said, ignoring her jibe. “But what if he’s on a mirrored version of our quest chain? That would explain why he was trying to return the totem to the temple instead of checking in with Tauren first.”
“You can’t know that for sure,” Leesha said. “For all we know, the NPCs only have memories of people within certain quest threads. Maybe there’s another version of Lucas riding off with Dart right now to advance the next stage of the quest.”
“Hold on,” Lucas cut in uncharacteristically. “There’s no one else in all of MythRune who’s me except me.”
“Hmm…” Leesha tapped her foot on the ground, deep in thought. “What if he’s working with the Livermoor Merchant Guild?”
I nodded. “I was just thinking the same thing.”
“Yeah, right?” Leesha said. “How stupid are we?”
“But then how did he accept an opposing quest when he joined us?”
“Underground Pursuits, dude. Aside from player freedom, there are certain skills he could learn that would allow him to bounce between whichever faction benefits him most at any given moment. I’m only ashamed I haven’t done it myself because of your Boy Scout ass.”
It all added up. Dart hadn’t just been playing us. He’d been playing everyone. And that would be his downfall.
46
Rest Mode
Z: I need you to check into something for me
B: What else am I good for?
Z: Opposing Quest Lines
B: Come again?
Z: So, I have a quest thread I’m pursuing right now, and it turns out there’s a rival guild working against the one I’m allied with
Z: What are the chances that there’s another actual player behind that?
B: Pretty high. The longer this game is out, the crazier the stuff is that surfaces. It’s like some twisted sandbox of chaos.
B: A lot of quests are handcrafted, but there are also a lot that are procedurally generated based on all the countless factors going on around them.
Z: and yet somehow this doesn’t just destroy the game’s logic?
B: Think of the AI this way. It bends, but doesn’t break. The algorithms adapt.
Z: got it…that’s…a lot to warp my head around
Z: *wrap
B: Hey…I’ve been thinking about something. Wanted your opinion…
Z: Yeah?
B: Don’t take this the wrong way. I totally know you’re doing everything you can, but after what happened in the ice temple…what if I logged into the game to help you out?
Z: Absolutely not.
B: Oh come on! You need all the help you can get — why waste a perfectly good character that could be partied up with you? I can hook up to your old VR headset. It wouldn’t be a problem at all.
Z: Brandon, no. The whole point of this is to make your heart better. It’s not worth the risk. The game could send you into A-fib without any warning. It’s not worth the risk!
B: I don’t want to just sit here while you save my ass! I’m not helpless! It’s not like I’m going out to run a marathon. I’m playing a stupid game. You don’t have to be a freaking hero all the time.
Z: We’re not talking about this. I’ve got everything under control. DO NOT log in!!!
B: …
Z: I freaking mean it. Promise me.
…
….
Z: Brandon, PROMISE ME
B: …fine.
Z: Say it.
B: it
Z: ever the smartass
B: I wouldn’t be me if I wasn’t.
47
The Escorts
Day 12 — Eight Days to Tournament Start
We left the Horuk village the very next morning. The Lucas Sevenday traders had a caravan of six wagons ready to roll at dawn. I was still itching to get moving. Against my wishes, Leesha and I had waited for them to finish up their business, which took most of the previous day. Given how close I felt we were to finding Dart, I’d argued to head out the night before, but Leesha had pushed back.
“What happens if we just ride out ahead of them and they get ambushed? If Lucas gets killed before we get back to Crystal Fen, we’re screwed.”
“Do you think that could actually happen?” I asked, mortified.
Leesha shrugged. “At this point, nothing would surprise me. But why take the chance?”
Like last time, the traders had hired warriors to escort them in addition to us. Unlike last time, though, they consisted exclusively of Horuk warriors, so they’d be significantly more intimidating to the common raider. I hoped our numbers would be enough to dissuade any potential bandits.
After a short goodbye with Ugola, we made our way south toward the Trade Highway. Unfortunately, with this being a relatively new trading route, it meant the first couple of miles were pretty rough as we traversed open country. Leesha, who’d had nothing better to do the night before than get virtually hammered at the new, but already popular, Urok tavern, had elected to ride in the back of one of the wagons. Every time the wheel rolled over a rock or bounced across a dip, her groans carried out of the wagon. Beauty followed behind, tied to a lead rope. Of everyone in our party, he seemed to be the only one who had any pity for the hungover Sylvad.
For the first time in days, I didn’t have someone right at my side. I would have enjoyed the solitude, but all I could think about was Brandon. I’d pissed him off, but I didn’t think he’d be stupid enough to actually log into the game. He was mad, but he knew what was at stake. Were the roles reversed, I’d have already been logged in, but Brandon had always been the calm, collected one out of the two of us. I only hoped I was right.
The stress weighed down on me like an extra set of armor, and again I wondered what I could have done differently that might have prevented Dart from stealing our second token. Could we have better planned out our strategy with the yeti? Could I have convinced Tauren to lend us the help of his Jotun warriors?
The questions made me want to punch a hole in a wall. If we just could have beaten the dungeon boss, we would have been on our way to Mythgard at that very moment. Dart had been totally shit out of luck in that cage,
and I’d been the one to free him. Not Leesha, not Tauren, not Brandon. Me. I knew the decision would haunt me the rest of my life if it cost Brandon his.
A few more hours passed, and Leesha finally emerged from the wagon, cursing the devs for even allowing hangovers to begin with, but looking no worse for wear. By then, we’d reached the Trade Highway and were headed east. I found myself grateful for her company — if nothing else, her constant chatter kept me from sinking deeper into my brooding. What was done was done, I told myself over and over. But that didn’t make me feel any better.
Our pace picked up substantially, and by that night, we’d made it about halfway to Crystal Fen — farther south than Leesha or I had been since beginning MythRune. We made camp and, thankfully, the night passed in peace — good news because we’d both gone into rest mode with nothing else to do. I sent another message to Brandon and, to my immense relief, he’d replied. I knew he was still upset, because all he said before another terse goodbye was “I promise not to do anything stupid that will endanger me.” I’d let him know how much that meant, but the message status remained unread until it was time to return to the game.
Alone, in the blankness of the rest mode chat, I wanted to scream in frustration. We’d been so close.
I came to before Leesha ended her own rest mode, and snuck away from the circle of wagons. The guard on night watch nodded as I passed but didn’t ask where I was headed. I kept walking until I was out of hearing from the camp. There, alone under the stars, the frustrated tears ran freely down my big tough Urok face.
Sometime later, just as the first embers of dawn smoldered on the horizon, Leesha’s voice came from behind me.
“Hey, big guy.”
I felt a hand on my pauldron but didn’t turn around. A moment later, I saw her sit down next to me out of the corner of my eye. Although I’d stopped crying over an hour before, I couldn’t help but get the feeling Leesha knew exactly what I was doing out here. For a while, nobody spoke, we just sat and watched the sun begin to peek over the hills.
God Mode: A LitRPG Adventure (Mythrune Online Book 1) Page 30