“Are the ogres all dead?” he asked, his voice distant.
“Yes. Come over here.”
“What are you doing?” Jandar asked.
“He probably saved my life and took two of those brutes out of combat. I think his music also helped our stamina regen.”
“I thought I heard a harp. Huh. I should have gotten more tired than I did.”
“Maybe he might not be so useless after all.”
“Possibly, but does this make him anymore trustworthy?”
Nyx placed her hands on her narrow hips. “Look, we’re following a quest that is well above our paygrade, and we need any edge we can get. Besides, I think he’s too much of a coward to overtly betray us and too stupid to do it successfully even if he tried.”
They both jumped when Lexon appeared right next to them, neither of them having seen or heard him arrive. “That’s not true! I’m just pragmatic and respect the things that are capable and have the desire to kill me. It just so happens that that is most things, and I might not have a lot of fancy book learning, but I’m street smart. No, that’s a lie. I am a hopeless coward, and me mum always said if brains was swords, mine wouldn’t be big enough to butter toast. But I am useful!”
Jandar looked at the skinny man. “Can we count on you in battle even when all looks hopeless and death is inevitable?”
The bard squared his shoulders and stood tall. “Absolutely! I will stand with you shoulder to shoulder until the bitter end. Nope, that’s a lie. I’ll stand way in the back out of sight, and if things turn badly I’ll run like me ass was on fire. But I’m with you right up until then, you have me word, and me word is worth more than all the gold in the world to me.”
Jandar and Nyx stared at him silently for half a heartbeat.
“Wait, that’s a lie. Me mum always said if integrity was gold, I couldn’t afford half a cup of piss.”
“You see,” Jandar said, “the man is a deceitful coward and a liability.”
Lexon clenched his fists. “You’re right about all that. I’m a self-serving coward, but those things are the only reason I’ve managed to stay alive this long. Fact is you got the smell of destiny on you.”
He touched his finger to the side of his nose. “We bards got a nose for that sort of thing, and I know me destiny is somehow tied with yours, and if I ever want to be more than a cowardly rat digging through filth to survive, I need to be by your side…but farther back, away from swords and fangs, and claws. Please, give me a chance. The moment I become a liability, you can cut me loose.”
Your party has been offered the quest: A Ballad for the Ages. Difficulty: Unknown. Reward: Increased fame and/or infamy. XP: Variable. Do you accept, Yes or No.
Jandar stared at the man for several seconds. “Fine. I don’t trust you, but I trust Nyx’s judgment. You just better not make me regret it.” He turned and stalked toward Saefa.
Nyx held Lexon back with a dagger resting against his throat. “If you become a liability, I’ll cut your tongue loose and pull it through your neck.”
“We must go now,” Saefa said as Jandar approached. “I did not want to travel the path at night, but I fear it will be too dangerous to stay here any longer.”
A howl cut through the night, followed by others. Jandar knew wolves had not made them. Nyx caught up with Jandar as Saefa led the way down the treacherous trail.
“Those were some interesting fighting abilities,” she said. “I’ve never seen them before, not even in beta. You’re like an arcane archer but with melee weapons, but you’re definitely not a spellsword.”
“Is that right?”
“Yes, it is.”
“How long can you channel mana to me?” Jandar asked, changing the subject.
“If I leech from two targets, I almost break even, and that will improve to a net gain as I increase in level. How much does it take for you to empower your weapons?”
“One point per second for one weapon, 1.5 for both. If a secondary effect triggers, it costs me fifteen mana, thirty if I call for it.”
Nyx bobbed her head. “With me nearby and enough mana sources, you could keep your weapons empowered throughout the fight no matter how long it lasts.”
“That was my thought as well.”
“And with Lexon’s ability to increase our stamina regen, we will have more staying power than most, even if we’re underpowered compared to our enemies. We just have to make fights like that a marathon instead of a sprint.”
Jandar had no idea what a marathon was, but he guessed it was some sort of long distance running. “Exactly. We just need to stay alive long enough.”
“Yeah, my life leech isn’t going to replace a proper healer, not until it’s a lot stronger anyway. I can make some minor healing potions, but they’re pretty limited as well.”
Nyx pulled a few small bottles from her inventory and gave them to Jandar.
You have received potion of minor healing x4. Restores 1.5 HP per second for 20 seconds. Effects or duration does not stack with other Heal Over Time (HOT) potions. Can be used in conjunction with instant effect heal potions.
“Thanks,” Jandar said and placed the bottles in his inventory.
Lexon shoved his way between them. “You wouldn’t happen to have a couple more of those on you?”
Nyx shook her head. “Only for Saefa. If you get attacked, all the potions in the world aren’t going to do you any good.”
“I suppose you’re right. Just more incentive for me to keep out of everyone’s way.”
“That’s right.” Nyx gave him a more appraising look with her enhanced perception skill, but Lexon was as unimpressive as she had first thought. “I overheard you say that you studied at the Piersym Bardic Academy. Is that true?”
“Absolutely!”
“In Bragantium?”
Lexon opened his mouth then snapped it shut. “No, that was a lie. My tutor was a drunken derelict in Dumatha. But his name was Piersym!”
Nyx crooked a smile and shook her head. “Anyway, thanks for the assist.”
The bard clapped a closed fist against his chest. “You can count on me. I’ll work hard and pull me weight. Nope, that’s a lie. I’m an irresponsible, lazy git who will shirk his duty at every possibility. But I will be consistent! It’s like me mum used to say, ‘Lexon, you’re like me morning bowel movement. You stink and you’re a pain in me ass, but at least your predictable.’”
“That’s awful!”
“You don’t know the half of it. Took all morning to air out the house. The neighbors set the start of their work days to her like an odiferous, grunting rooster.”
The group picked their way down the path, stubbing toes and using each other or the chasm walls to catch themselves from falling—most of the time. Saefa finally called a stop when the cleft began to widen enough that the possibility of another ambush was unlikely.
“We will rest here for the remainder of the night, but no fire. The ogres are not likely to come this far down the mountain unless we are foolish enough to attract their attention.”
“I’ll take first watch,” Jandar announced.
“I’ll stay up with you,” Nyx said.
As players, whose bodies were technically already asleep, they did not need rest as long as their stamina bars were full.
“You going to check out the results of the fight?” Nyx asked.
Jandar nodded, leaned against a rock, and opened his battle log.
You gained 4,182 experience points (challenge rating, pain level, and racial bonus applied.)
+2 Strength
+1 Body
Your Bludgeoning (1-Handed,) Dual Wield, Medium Armor, and Arcane Channeling has increased. You cannot manually raise strength, Dual Wield, Medium Armor, or arcane channeling any further until you reach your next level.
Congratulations, you have reached level 8. Your strength has increased by 1. You receive 1 attribute point and 1 skill point. All manual skill and attribute leveling limitations have been reset
.
He placed his attribute point in Mind, raising it to 15. He was about to put his skill point in bludgeoning since it was the highest skill he had, other than smithing, but he had new skills and spells coming available soon. Those could prove far more advantageous than a couple of skill points in his weapon, which would level on its own.
Jandar noticed another icon on his character sheet labeled Concise/Summary. He toggled it and his character sheet changed.
Name: Jandar Barati
Race: Human
Level: 8
Experience: 18,382/23,550
Base Class: Arcane Smith
Subclass: Not applicable
Fame: 10/500. Never heard of you.
Infamy: 1,286/1500. You make me nervous.
Attributes
Health: 138
Stamina: 216
Mana: 120
Strength: 25 (+4 Bullard’s Belt of Crushing)
Agility: 11
Body: 18
Mind: 15
Charisma: 6
Luck: 8
Physical Attack: +46.6% 1-Handed Bludgeoning. +45% 2-Handed Bludgeoning (Additional +25% any hammer, -25% all non-bludgeoning weapons)
Ranged Attack: -0.9% (Thrown)
Magical Attack: +11.4%
Basic Combat Skills:
Bludgeoning, 1-Handed: Level 11 Grade 6. Rank: Novice, +10% attack.
Throw Hammer: Level 0 Grade 1. Range: 25 feet. Rank: Initiate.
Dual Wield: Level 3 Grade 1. Decreases damage and chance to hit with offhand by 16.9% and main hand by 6.9%. Rank: Initiate.
Medium Armor: Level 3 Grade 0. Improves armor rating and encumbrance penalties by 3%. Rank: Initiate.
Advanced Combat Skills:
Power Attack
Numbing strike
Arcane Skills:
Arcane Channeling: Level 6 Grade 4. Rank: Initiate.
Known Elemental Imbuements:
Flame Touch, tier 1 (fire)
Shocking Touch, tier 1 (air)
Stone Touch, tier 1 (earth)
Frost Touch, tier 1 (Water)
Soul Touch, tier 1 (spirit)
Abilities and Traits:
Advanced Perception, Tier 1
Noncombat Skills:
Smithing: Level 20 Grade: 0 Title: Journeyman. +20% quality. Base workable metal tier: High Steel.
Basic Cooking: Level: 2 Grade 7. Quality of food increased by 2.7%. Rank: Kitchen Porter.
Unused Skill points: 1
Jandar gave the abridged character sheet an appreciative nod. It was much easier to navigate and get a sense of his strength and abilities with just a glance.
Nyx opened her character sheet and saw that the ogres had garnered her a goodly sum of experience and raised her dexterity and mind attributes by one along with several of her skills. It wasn’t quite enough for her to gain a level, but one more decent fight should do it.
She closed her character sheet and silently glared at Jansen. The man presented an unknown, and she did not like unknowns, especially in a game where death was permanent and ignorance was the number one killer.
“I’m going to take a break before my mandatory logout period forces me off. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Just a few more experience points, Jansen, and I’ll be able to read you like a book, she thought to herself as her avatar faded from Jandar’s view.
Chapter 13: Breaking Quarantine
“UH, SIR, WE HAVE a problem,” Jamika, now a senior day shift ACR operator, said.
“What is it?” Michael and Vincent both said at once.
Michael Cho glanced at his boss and wondered if the man ever went home. Given his disheveled appearance and increasing body odor, he doubted it.
Jamika’s eyes flicked between the two executives. “Uh, system logs show instances of the mortality debuff in Capria.”
“Well fuck my ass with a broomstick!” Vincent swore. “How many?”
Jamika double-checked the logs. “One-hundred twenty-seven carrying the lesser variant and three with the greater. The majority of those inflicted with lesser mortalitatis amplecti are concentrated in one area west of Talgav along with two of the greater. The third major mortalitatis amplecti carrier, along with three lesser, is southwest of that location near the border of Crag Cross in Truale.”
“Isn’t there a smuggler’s pass in that region?” Michael asked.
“Yes, sir.”
Michael nodded. “How many instances of the debuff in Crag Cross?”
Jamika turned her eyes back to her screen. “Nearly the entire population, sir.”
Michael ignored Vincent’s expletive. “The four here must have used the smugglers’ pass to cross into Capria. What about the others? What’s in that area to draw so many of the infected?”
“There’s a tomb there, one I believe has a high likelihood of dropping an eternity stone. It’s the lowest level boss we’ve found with such a probability. We think there’s another NPC who’s gone off script leading them.”
“I thought I told you to lock down the borders!” Vincent snapped at Michael.
Michael stared at the monitor, his mouth hanging slightly open.
“The NPC leading the large group is a powerful khan,” Jamika said, coming to her boss’s rescue. “He must have snuck the players in to help with whatever he has planned.”
Michael’s eyes sought out the other group nearer Cragcross. “I wonder if the other group—”
Vincent stabbed his finger toward the monitor, cutting him off. “That’s the blacksmith!”
“Yes, sir, that was my assumption as well. It fits what we’ve been able to track of his movements.”
“And we still have no idea how to reverse engineer this damn debuff?” he asked.
“No,” Michael answered. “We dissected the three player characters with the greater strain who quit the game after they died in Whitbell, but they did not carry the algorithm key. I am certain only Jandar, being the one directly infected by Edison, carries the key to decode it.”
Vincent studied the map displayed on Jamika’s terminal. “Is the debuff persistent? I mean, does it stay on after a character dies?”
“Only the players,” Michael said. “There are a few NPC diseases that remain infectious on their bodies until the game reclaims them, but the one Edison created is not one of them.”
“Good. Have your heralds order Capria’s king to send troops to eradicate the group near Talgav along with anyone else we can identify as carriers. Make sure they use only ranged weapons and spells and not to go anywhere near the area until the bodies disappear. Find someone to intercept that blacksmith and his group as well.”
“Sir,” Jamika said, “it will take several days for King Aelim to gather a sufficiently large force to deal with the big group. We can get border guards and perhaps a few mercenaries to the smugglers’ pass, but they will almost certainly become infected as well.”
“I don’t care,” Vincent replied. “We can kill them easily enough once the job’s done. The important thing is we get that damned blacksmith’s code so we can undo this mess. If we can’t contain this new outbreak, we’ll have to do a full purge of the region so it doesn’t keep spreading. If we lose control of Capria, we’ll lose the entire game and Edison wins.”
“Yes, sir.”
Michael answered his phone as Vincent stormed out of the ACR. He hung up a moment later and chased after him.
“Sir, I have word of Edison’s location!”
Vincent flicked two fingers over his shoulder. “In my office.”
“Tell me,” he said once they were inside and he secured the room.
“We managed to find and kill his avatar in the game. Our intrusion detection team was then able to trace his stream back to its source.”
“You know where he is?”
“Yes, sir. He was using several proxies, but Matrice had no problem following the signal hops and destroying their firewalls. Do you want me to inform the authorities?”
Jandar had no idea what “logging out” meant, especially since there were no trees anywhere around them. He thought it might have something to do with wherever she had disappeared to. He thought it odd that no one else seemed bothered by her vanishing act.
The sun had risen just enough to change the landscape from black to dark grey when Nyx reappeared. As if waiting for her return, Saefa rose from his sleeping roll and gathered his things. Jandar tossed a rock at Lexon who was sitting on a boulder with his eyes closed when he was supposed to be keeping watch.
“Who goes there?” the bard demanded as he nearly tumbled from his perch.
“You know, they execute soldiers who fall asleep on guard duty,” Jandar grumbled.
“I weren’t asleep! Since me eyes is useless in the dark, I was listening.”
“Liar.”
“I am not and I can prove it.”
“How?”
“You farted eight times in your sleep.”
Nyx laughed, cutting off Jandar’s impending retort.
“We need to head out,” Saefa said without ceremony.
Lexon scowled at him. “Without breakfast?”
“You can eat while you’re walking.”
“I can’t bloody well cook while I’m walking, can I? Not unless I light the big one’s farts on fire and roast a piece of meat on a stick whilst trailing behind him.”
Saefa ignored his protests and Nyx’s chortling and began heading down the hill.
Lexon shrugged on his pack and looked over his shoulder at Jandar. “I still ain’t walking behind you.”
“I see you’ve been making friends while I was gone,” Nyx said.
“I’m not here to make friends,” Jandar replied.
“Well someone got up on the wrong side of the neural interface helmet today.”
Not knowing what she was talking about, Jandar wisely chose to remain silent. Nyx took his reticence as a hint that he wasn’t in the mood to talk, so she dropped back to guard their rear. She did not bother to engage in her acrobatics routine as she had already reached her maximum manual attribute improvement for this level. Instead, Nyx pulled out a stack of flashcards she had made with math problems written on them and tried to solve each one in her head as they walked.
Chaos Unchained- The Mad Smith Page 20