“Will she?”
The programmer shrugged again. “Nothing is outside her power, but her programming will not allow her to violate the integrity of the game, so who knows what she will do. I doubt she will recreate his family as that would violate the purpose of the mortality debuff.”
Vincent smiled. “He’s going to kill her.”
Michael’s eyes widened. “What makes you say that?”
“If someone had the power to bring back those I loved and refused to do it it’s what I would do. I get this blacksmith now. He’s pissed. He blames the game and Matrice for his lot in life. If she won’t make it right, he’ll try to kill her.”
“That’s ridiculous. She could erase his code without sparing a fraction of a single processing cycle.”
“But will she? Wouldn’t that violate the integrity of the game?”
Michael opened his mouth before snapping it shut. “Yes, it probably would.”
“In the spirit of the game, she might even give him a chance to defeat her. This is how we take back my game.”
“How is that?”
Vincent shook his head in disgust. “Jesus Christ, Cho, you really are a poor replacement for Edison. He’d be ten steps ahead of me, but you can’t even outpace a guy who can’t send a private email without blasting his dick pic out to everyone in his contacts list. Matrice’s tower is the game’s central hub, right, where she manages every aspect of the game?”
Michael nodded. “That’s right.”
“If we can get to her, and the blacksmith or our people can defeat her, even temporarily, can’t we upload a file within the game that will give us back total control while she’s weakened?”
Michael thought for several moments and smiled. “Before, no, not a chance. But now that Edison’s virus has made the quest system dynamic instead of scripted, I think we can! Edison may have outsmarted himself this time. By giving the NPCs autonomy, he created a self-generating quest system. If Jandar, or anyone, acts in a way that forces the system to create a quest to defeat Matrice, she will have to abide by it in a way that makes it possible for them to succeed. She’ll become one of the powerful bosses, and if she is defeated, we can upload a program from within her nexus while she is respawning.”
Vincent clapped his hands together. “Good. We’ll call that plan B. Plan A is still to get the blacksmith’s source code so we can reverse engineer this virus and set the game back to rights. Then we’ll be able to focus on putting the collar back on Matrice.”
“I will get to work writing the code right away,” Michael said then lowered his voice to a whisper. “Is everything all right with…you know.”
“What, human resources and my dick pic or the thing with the IRS?” Vincent waved a dismissive hand. “I’m a senior executive of a trillion dollar corporation. They’ll lose far more than they’ll gain by trying to do anything to me.”
Michael furrowed his brow. “HR or the IRS?”
Vincent shrugged. “Take your pick.”
The End
Jandar and Nyx’s Final Character Sheets
Name: Jandar Barati
Race: Human
Level: 13
Experience: 98,920/104,180
Base Class: Arcane Smith
Subclass: Not applicable
Fame: 2630/4500. Aren't you that guy?
Infamy: 2,986/4500 I don't like that look in your eyes. (+578 with King Aelim.)
Attributes:
Health: 232
Mana: 184
Stamina: 300
Strength: 33 (+4 from Lesser Belt of Crushing)
Agility: 20 (+1 from Cloak of the Wanderer, +2 from Boots of the Mongoose)
Body: 25 (+2 from Cloak of the Wanderer)
Mind: 24
Charisma: 9 (+2 from Cloak of the Wanderer)
Luck: 17
Physical Attack: +57.3% 1-handed bludgeoning (+10% from Gauntlets of Crushing.) +60.2% 2-handed bludgeoning (+20% from Gauntlets of Crushing, +10% Bullard set bonus.) Additional +25% when wielding hammers.
Ranged Attack: +10.6%. Hammer Throw: +45.6% (+10% from Gauntlets of Crushing. +25% hammer specialization)
Magic Attack: +28.1%. Additional +25% elemental damage when wielding Maul of Crushing)
Basic Combat Skills:
Thrown Weapons: Level 4 Grade 6. Range: 37.6 feet. Rank: Initiate.
Dual Wield: Level 6 Grade 1. Decreases damage and chance to hit with offhand by 15.4% and main hand by 5.4%.
Bludgeoning, 1-Handed: Level 14 Grade 3. +14.3% Physical Attack. Specialized Hammer: +25% Physical Attack when wielding a hammer. Rank: Novice, +10% attack when using bludgeoning weapons.
Bludgeoning, Two-Handed: Level 7 Grade 9. +7.2% Physical Attack. Specialized Hammer: +25% Physical Attack when wielding a hammer. Rank: Initiate.
Shield: Level 7 Grade 3. Increase physical defense by 7.3%. Rank: Initiate.
Medium Armor: Level 7 Grade 2. Improves armor rating and encumbrance penalties by 7.2%
Heavy Armor: Level 4 Grade 7. Improves armor rating and encumbrance penalties by 4.7%
Advanced Combat Skills:
Power Attack: Increase physical damage of single strike by 50%. Cost: 40 stamina. Cooldown: 30 seconds.
Numbing strike: Strike an opponent with your weapon to inflict numbed status. Numbed status causes a debilitating effect to the stricken area. Duration and severity is based upon your max attack rating. Cost: 20 stamina. Cooldown: 10 seconds.
Half-Moon Cleave, two-handed only: Strike up to three opponents within a 180-degree arc in the direction you are facing. Damage: Modified weapon damage -10% per target previously struck. Cost: 50 Stamina. Cooldown: 30 seconds.
Arcane Skills:
Arcane Channeling: Level 14 Grade 1. Title: Novice, +10% spell Attack and access to tier 2 spells. You may now channel a different element into each weapon you hold when dual wielding.
Known Arcane Abilities:
Flame Touch, tier 2 (fire): Causes 10 fire in addition to normal weapon damage. Secondary Effects: Burn: Burn flesh or set combustible material on fire. Burned or burning targets take damage equal to 1/2 the spell effect every second for 5 seconds. May interrupt spellcasting.
Shocking Touch, tier 2 (air): Causes 10 electrical damage plus your magical attack rating in addition to normal weapon damage. +10% attack speed. Secondary Effect: Electrocute. Electrocuted targets are stunned for 3 seconds.
Stone Touch, tier 2 (earth): Your weapon is infused with the power of the earth. Causes 20 earth damage. Secondary effect: Additional 10 earth damage. Increased chance to shatter objects and knock down foes.
Frost Touch, tier 2 (Water): 10 cold damage. Secondary Effect: Causes additional 10 cold damage. May freeze, causing -10% functionality. Frozen target may shatter when struck. Duration: 5 seconds.
Soul Touch, tier 2 (spirit): Causes 10 spirit damage plus your magical attack score. Secondary effect: (Banish). May banish a summoned or undead creature or instill fear to living creatures. Creatures instilled with fear will have their attack and defense reduced, cower, or flee depending on your modified Arcane skill, level difference, and target’s skills, abilities, and traits.
Bonded Weapon: Summon your weapon to your hand. Can be directed to strike an enemy during flight. Maximum direction change is your Arcane Channeling skill + Mind score in degrees. Damage is based on weapon attack value plus Arcane Channeling skill. Cost: 10 mana. Range: 37.3 feet (Your natural throwing distance + Arcane Channeling skill.) Cast time: Instant. Cooldown: N/A
Elemental Influx: Weapons can now hold a charge for a number of seconds equal to your Arcane Channeling skill after you cease channeling magic into them or it is expended by striking a target. Damage: Your base magic attack. Cost: NA. Cast time: N/A.
Special Abilities:
Advanced Analyze, Tier 1: As a blacksmith, you are adept at identifying imperfections and the quality of work in an object. With enough skill, you can even identify the maker of a certain item, particularly weapons and armor, simply
by recognizing the work. This ability has also translated into identifying people, monsters, and other objects.
Fire-forged, Tier 1: Having grown up next to the searing heat of a forge, you have gained a natural 10% damage reduction from all fire and heat-based damaging effects. Continuous burn damage and time is reduced by half.
Noncombat Skills:
Smithing: Level 20 Grade 0 Title: Journeyman. +20% quality. Current maximum metal tier: High Steel.
Basic Cooking: Level 2 Grade 8. Quality of food increased by 2.8%
Unused Skill points: 4
Primary Equipment:
Steel Buckler: Common. Quality Good, +10% to armor rating and durability. Armor Rating: 12. Durability: 27/40
Steel Warhammer: Common. Quality: Exceptional, +30% damage and durability. Durability: 23/34. Base damage: 16.
Lesser Belt of Crushing, set 1 of 3): Uncommon. Quality: Average. Armor rating: 2. Durability: 18/25. Special Properties: Strength + 4, 1-hand bludgeoning +10%, 2-hand bludgeoning + 20%.
Bullard’s Blood Steel Maul of Crushing, set (2 of 3): Uncommon. Quality: Superior (+20%,) Base Damage: 23 Durability: 32/35 Description: A two-handed blood steel war hammer crafted by the notorious brawler Bullard Scott. +25% chance of triggering any secondary effect and +25% power to any secondary effect while equipped.
Bullard’s Blood Steel Gauntlets of Crushing, set (3 of 3): Uncommon. Quality: Superior (+20% damage and durability.) Base Damage: 5. Durability: 26/30. Description: Blood Steel plate gauntlets crafted by the notorious brawler Bullard Scott. +20% unarmed or bludgeoning attack speed. +20% brawling/unarmed attack.
You possess the full set of Bullard’s Crushing armaments. +10 to armor rating. Additional -5% to all bludgeoning damage received. +10% attack with two-handed bludgeoning weapons. Special Effect, Bullard's Blast: Strike the ground with your Maul of Crushing to create a tremor and shockwave that radiates in a ring around you. Anyone or anything within 15 feet of the epicenter takes your modified weapon damage. Those hit with the shockwave may be knocked down, including aerial targets. Cooldown: 2 minutes.
High Steel Cap of Focus: Uncommon. Quality: Exceptional. Armor Rating: 5. Durability: 27/30. +20% resistance to all negative mind effects either physical or magical.
High Steel Tight Weave Mail Hauberk: Uncommon. Quality: Good (+10% to armor rating and durability.) Armor rating: 10. Durability: 23/35. +5 armor vs piercing damage.
Steel Breastplate of the Unsundered: Uncommon. Quality: Good (+10% to armor rating and durability.) Armor Rating: 12. Durability: 38/50. +5 armor vs slashing or bludgeoning damage.
Cloak of the Lone Wanderer: Rare. Quality: Exceptional. (+30% to armor rating and durability.) Armor Rating: 3. Durability: 30/35. The duration of negative conditions is reduced by 20%. Body +2. Agility +1. Charisma +2. Once per day, you may pass a Charisma check you otherwise would have failed.
Boots of the Mongoose: Uncommon. Quality: Good (+10% armor rating and durability.) +2 Agility. Armor Rating: 3. Durability: 41/45.
Potion of minor healing x 3. Restores 1.5% of your health per second for 10 seconds.
84 gold, 96 silver, and 211 copper.
ruby x4, pyrite x8, golden beryl x6, peridot x11, quartz x2, Tiger’s eye 2, diamond x4, sapphire 4, and lapis lazuli x8.
Copper Ore x39. Iron Ore x7. Vanadite Ore x2. Silver Ore x10.
Name: Nyx Bloodmoon
Race: Human
Level: 13
Experience: 102,510/104,180
Base Class: Rogue
Subclass: Shadow Priestess
Fame: 683/1500, You look familiar.
Infamy: 850/1500, You make me nervous. (+578 with King Aelim.)
Attributes:
Health: 153
Stamina: 190
Mana: 250
Strength: 15
Agility: 29 (+2 from Silent Strider Boots, +2 from Bracelet of the Viper)
Body: 19 (+2 from Ring of Fortification)
Mind: 25
Charisma: 8
Luck: 13
Physical Attack: +42.1% (Small Blades, +10% from Bracelet of the Viper)
Ranged Attack: +19%, +42.1% (Thrown Weapons)
Magic Attack: 40.7%. Additional modifiers: +15% spirit (Amulet of Spiritual Awakening), +5% dark Channeling (Stalker's Shadow Cloak), +10% healing (Silver Bracelet of Lesser Healing)
Basic Combat Skills:
Small Blades: Level 17 Grade 1. You gain a 17.1% bonus to Attack while using small blades. Rank: Novice +10% Physical Attack.
Dual Wield: Level 15 (+2 from steel shortsword) Grade 5. No penalty when wielding two weapons. Rank: Novice, +10% attack to Dual Wield special attacks. Access to tier 2 Dual Wield skills. Dual Wield skills increased to tier 2.
Knife throw: Level 13 Grade 1. Throw knives, daggers, or other thrown weapons at a foe up to your Strength attribute plus skill level in feet away. Rank: Novice, +10% attack and range.
Assassin's Blade: Level 10 Grade 7. Can now gain sneak attack bonus while target is aware of your presence but you are still unseen: Sneak attack bonus damage: 3.7 x base weapon damage against unsuspecting target. Rank: Novice, +25% Sneak Attack damage bonus.
Crippling Strike: Current effect: -17.1% speed and damage for 17.1 seconds.
Advanced Combat Skills:
Flurry Strike, Dual Wield, Tier 2: +10% Attack and -10% hit chance per hit after the first two. Current number of strikes: 5. Cost: 40 stamina. Cooldown: 30 seconds.
Twin Blades, Dual Wield, Tier 2: Hit your target with both blades simultaneously. Increases critical hit chance and damage bonus by your Dual Wield skill. Cost: 30 stamina. Cooldown: 10 seconds.
Arcane Skills:
Dark Channeling: Level 15 Grade 7. Rank: Novice, +10% Magic Attack. Access to tier 2 spells. All tier 2 Dark Channeling Spells increased to tier 2.
Known Arcane Abilities:
Gather shadows, Tier 2: Cloaks your body in shadows to increase your visual sneak ability by your Dark Channeling skill. As an initiate, you can extend the gathered shadow’s radius by twice your Dark Channeling skill plus Mind bonus in inches. Current area of effect: 60.2 inches beyond yourself. Cost: 2 mana per second.
Life Leech, Tier 2: Syphon health from a living target and channel into yourself or another. Health leeched: 3 HP per second per target. Cost: 7 mana per second.
Mana Leech, Tier 2: Syphon mana from a target and channel into yourself or another. Mana leeched: 5 MP per second per target. Cost: 7 mana per second.
Stamina Leech, Tier 2: Syphon Stamina from a target and channel it into yourself or another. Stamina leeched: 5 SP per second per target. Cost: 7 mana per second.
All initiate leeching spells: Current simultaneous targets/recipients: 3/2+self. +50% mana cost increase for each addition target beyond one. Maximum simultaneous Leech effects: 2. Effect lasts until target overcomes the spell or you run out of mana.
Pierce the Veil, Tier 2: Look into your enemy’s soul to uncover that which they wish to hide. Increases Analyze and detection skills by your Magical Attack score. Base Cost: 2 mana per second.
Black Tendrils, Tier 2: Turn the surrounding shadows into semi-tangible tentacles that bind and constrict an enemy. Those trapped by tentacles require a strength greater than your Dark Channeling skill or inflict 50 points of damage to break free. Light magic or effects do triple damage to the tentacles. Area of effect: Your Magic Attack in square feet. Number of tendrils at current rank of Novice: 4.
Special Skills and Abilities:
Assassinate, Tier 1: Deliver a fatal blow to an unsuspecting enemy. Target must be in the same size category or smaller than the attacker and no more than 5 levels higher. Attacker is vulnerable for 3 seconds. Cost: 50 stamina. Cooldown: 10 minutes.
Advanced Perception, Tier 1: As an assassin subclass, you are adept at identifying and gauging your target
Noncombat Skills
Stealth: Level 15 Grade 1. Rank: Novice, +10% to Stealth.
Alchemy: Level 6 Grade 2. Create potions and poisons. Concoction
strength based on Alchemy skill. Rank: Initiate.
Unused Skill points: 3
Primary Equipment:
High Steel Dagger of Bloodletting: Uncommon. Quality: Good (+10% damage and durability.) Base Damage: 9 Durability: 26/32.
Viper Fang, blood steel dagger, set (1 of 4): Uncommon. Quality: Superior (+20% base damage and durability) 25% base chance to inject a tier 2 poison upon hit. Can be used 4 times a day. Base Damage: 11. Durability: 37/45.
Stalker's Leather Chest, Set (1 of 5): Uncommon. Quality: Good (+10% durability.) Armor Rating: 8. Durability: 28/32 Improves the wearer's stealth skill by +5%.
Stalker's Shadow Cloak, Set. (2 of 5): Uncommon. Quality: Good, +10% increase to durability. Durability: 13/16. +5% bonus to Dark Channeling skill and stealth.
Throwing Knives x6: Common. Quality: Average. Damage: 6
Shurikens x8: Uncommon. Quality: Good. Damage: 5. +50% range.
Copper Ring of Arcane Channeling: Common. Quality: Average. -10% mana cost for all arcane channeling.
Silver Bracelet of Lesser Healing: Common. Quality: Good. +10% to all healing/regeneration spells.
Steel Lesser Ring of Fortification: Common. Quality: Average. +2 Body.
Silver Bracelet of the Viper, set (2 of 4): Uncommon. +10% attack with piercing weapons. +2 agility.
Silent Strider Boots: Uncommon. Quality: Exceptional (+30% durability and Armor rating.) Armor Value: 5. Durability: 24/25. +20% sound reduction when sneaking. +2 Agility. +10% movement speed. +20% sure-footedness and movement speed when on sand or sandstone. +10% jump.
Amulet of Spiritual Awakening: Uncommon. Quality: Good. Durability: 25/25. Increases all spirit-based spells and abilities by 15%.
Potion of minor healing x 2: Restores 1.5% of your health per second for 10 seconds.
74 gold, 97 silver, and 212 copper.
Iron ore x3, bloodstone x4, vanadite ore x2, gold ore x2, silver ore x7, copper ore x5.
From the Author
I hope you enjoyed this tale and will try my other works. Feel free to look me up on Facebook! You can also check me out on my website http://brockdeskins.com/ where I write serial fiction, post reviews, full chapter audiobook samples, and answer your questions!
Chaos Unchained- The Mad Smith Page 37