I gave a meh expression and raised my hands up. “Is there a spear or javelin that does this?”
“What? An orb where you cast a spell to create a five-pound javelin or fifty-pound spear and then hurl it? You have to be jesting? He is jesting right, you would sap a strength orb in moments and at most fire one spear.” Francine asked and Cyrene had no good answer.
I walked up to Francine and whispered in her ear. “I can hurl a five hundred pound spear no problem probably. Let alone a fifty-pound one.”
“Fine, you can come into the backroom later. I rarely get to take folks back there. I have a dusty orb up there that might work for you,” Francine said out loud with a wink.
“Back to archery. Okay, you both got nice bows and infinite arrows. When you go up the rank ladder they will hit harder and do more damage. These are more than enough and really, a step up would drain your mana so fast you would be using regular arrows quickly. You should know this, a well-purchased projection shield will deflect this with ease. There are counters to everything really. We can discuss those during the drive to the dungeon we pick out. Next is your pet row. Archers typically want two pets. A tank pet and a disengage pet or maybe one good one. Most archers choose two for the redundancy. Two also allows you to handle the situation if one dies and hits a respawn timer or gets too injured to continue effectively,” Cyrene said while taking us to the longest wall in the entire place.
“Holy shit,” Nicole exclaimed while looking over the options on the wall. “Wait I don't have an emergency pet.”
“Good call, get one and swap out your area heal for now. It is most effective when the groups start to reach twenty-plus members. Our bags are over there so keep the spell in for now,” Cyrene said while walking to a disengage section of pets. “There is good news. You are on Thur which is a jungle planet. We have everything poisonous imaginable in our jungles. I recommend two types of cheap pets here. This kyru is a lizard bigger than a wolf that has a flickering tongue that applies a paralyze. Five-second stun that avoids most anti crowd control measures. The problem is the kyru cannot stun the same target twice. The other options are the myriad of tigers. Tigers are assholes, right bothersome assholes. If we go jungle farming we will get ambushed, and ambushed again. The purples on these…”
“Down to twenty silver. That right there is another trade item. You buy a hundred of those cheap here and then take them to a non-jungle planet. Say one with dense woods but no jungle canopy and they will tear up the stuff you go to farm. Problem is portal costs mean you have to sell a bunch and that is just one way. Anyway, get the tigers over the lizards. They will fight to the death. Where the lizards stun and stand there like idiots. Also, I recommend two tigers for the archers. Keep one on standby or in a bag. If you ladies can shoot as well as I think you can the tigers will learn to kite out your opponents as they dodge-tank. The only thing better is an armored dinosaur. Which Red should get,” Francine said while pointing to me. “He will need a backup tank. Expensive but worth it. If you three get tigers you will save a lot of money and be able to level them quickly. Hell, the mythic are only five thousand silver a piece. Again, legendary ones are out of your range as they are exceedingly rare. The boss is a level hundred thousand you have to spend a month on foot fighting endless tigers to get to him. Many expeditions have been lost in the Jungle Dungeon of Doom as they call it.”
“What is the difference between an epic and a mythic?” Zoey asked while looking at the different patterned tigers. “Are there any differences between the species? There are so many, this whole wall is nothing but tigers.”
“Strength, damage, agility, respawn timers, and more. Maybe go one slot without a backup and take a single mythic each. I have no idea where we are on the balance sheet with Shala leaving,” Cyrene said and I raised a finger to point at a giggling Barq and Shala.
“Here they come. How about you pick out one mythic tiger each and leave your last two slots for a self-heal and water for now? Disregard. That was not a question but an order,” I said and that solved that problem. “Shala how did it go?”
“Barq is apparently not a slouch. He is a full ten levels higher than me and knows his ice magic. We picked out robes and staffs that go with our magic types. I will miss the pink but still look dashing in yellow. I can cast three types of lightning and then have a self-heal and a dinosaur tank. Expensive, but Zari said there is no finer tank and I can resell at seventy five percent. It’s a strago something. Got the blue version to not be overwhelmed quickly when or if I spawn it in a panic,” Shala said and then tossed an arm around a blushing Barq. “This handsome gnome picked himself up some upgraded spells. A better ice snare. A low damage slowing blizzard that is cast in an area. And an ice ball bolt type spell. He picked some small brown bear mount he gleefully squealed over when he saw the price.”
“Excellent. Can you check with Francine to see how much is left and then give me an amount, please? I need to buy robes and a leather set and then visit a back room apparently,” I asked and Shala skipped over to the owner of the store.
“Follow me, him only,” Zari said and we walked behind the counter. We went up a flight of stairs then did a U-turn into a new hallway. A bedroom door opened after five bolts were undone. There even was a trick to open the door without a trap. “You may enter now. We change it frequently. Not that this would stop you if you are in here.”
“And what is here?”
“Divine stuff, not divine orbs. Orbs found that mortals cannot use.”
I twisted my cheek to the right in apprehension. “Okay, while I belong, I am not following. I play by the same rules as everyone else.”
“No you don't.”
“Extrapolate please,” I sigh with a sigh.
“Look Red… You are a demigod at worst. Which means there are spells that can sync to you better than others. Your output ratio to mana consumption is different. What is your best spell?”
“Super strength,” I said not revealing too much.
“Perfect I have a shield. Floor one hundred. You have a punch strength of one hundred levels. You are correct your mana pool is the same as mine at one hundred. There are a few spells you will get a bonus to reduced consumption. You punch my shield and we should stalemate assuming were are at or near the same level. That will not happen if you are attuned to a physical attribute. Hello, you are a fucking walking hunk of muscle. You are physically attuned. You pass out casting magic or using your strength more?”
“Magic and I burn insane amounts when casting lightning but stabbing a spear is like nothing…” I said connecting the dots. “So gods have an unfair advantage.”
“Yup, unfair is in the eye of the beholder. It takes billions of years to generate a ‘natural’ god and only one demigod per god so… They should get an advantage in my book. Anyway, philosophy aside let’s go in and hurry before Cyrene comes and stabs me. Dryads are jealous bitches when…” Zari paused as a knock on the wall alerted us we had a visitor. “Oh hey, Cyrene. Just saying nice things about you.” Cyrene appeared in a huff and saw us fully clothed and she relaxed immediately. “I can’t leave you alone in here no matter how hard you stare at me Cyrene.”
“I will be quick. I need a spear or javelin orb please.”
“No javelin. There is a spear orb over here. Try not to check out my fine curves as I reach down low,” Zari said and Cyrene slapped it. “Thanks for forgiving me. I get that way too with Bart if he’s alone with a dryad. Ah, here it is. Epic and dusty. The mana consumption for this got it pulled off the shelves. Too valuable to recycle and too worthless to leave on the shelves where it will never sell. Orbs like this find themselves in storage. Mom will sell this at cost. Which means I need to pull this book out. The sticker on it is one two six two two.”
She opened a dusty book and handed me the spear orb with an epic dot on it. She leafed through the pages and went back and forth for a few moments. Here finger stabbed at the book and landed with a thud wh
en she found the line she needed.
“Aha, it appears the seller knew this orb was a dud or mom explained it was. She is really good at this business. I would have offered five times this. Fifty five silver.”
“Sold,” I said and she closed the dusty book to set it back on the shelf.
We retreated back down the stairs and I saw the girls trying on brown robes. When I neared Shala spoke up.
“How much did you spend up top?” Shala asked.
“Fifty five silver and a great deal it is,” Zari replied to the gnome. Francine was about to talk when Zari cut her off. “Yes mom I double verified and Cyrene checked over my shoulder.”
“Assuming you want to keep ten percent in reserve which is ten orite you have roughly two orite left. Call it one after they buy those robes,” Shala said and Cyrene huffed.
“They can wear cheap robes. Since you are melee you cannot wear cheap leather. An orite will be too little. I will give you an extra five orite as a dowry and we will get you some good armor. Come over here. Ah… Daughter in my belly tonight…”
I stopped and plastered a devious grin on my face.
“I am willing to acquiesce your request,” I said and she grew confused. “I will stuff your tight little pussy until I bust a huge load in you!”
I chuckled and her face went stoic. “Dryads are different and the first time can be rough. I hope you are up to the challenge.”
“Um…”
Barq slapped me mid-back as that was as high as he could reach. “Get ‘em, tiger.” Everyone was in on some joke beside me. I guess I would learn tonight.
“Armor me up buttercup,” I said not letting my mood sour. There was an excitement to ditch the thin metal and kilt for something made in this universe for this universe. I watched Cyrene, Zari, and Francine eye me up and down while looking over orc and cyclops armor. I winked when they gazed in unison while sizing me up. “Too big, I know I hear that often.”
“In the case of dryads you wish you were smaller,” Zari said and that sounded super ominous.
“Um… I am not going to lose my dick right. Kind of partial to the big guy?”
“Oh… Adorable he really does not know. So I will let it be a surprise because there are little children shopping over there. But no Red, your manhood will be intact and I most certainly will be pregnant. Dryad are super fertile,” Cyrene said in a matter of fact tone. “Ugh this set is nine orite but it is the best.”
She walked over and she sized me up against the armor. There would be a little wiggle room but that was great for flexibility.
“Gear score is done by a spell. Come to the back and try it on. I will cover gear in more detail later.”
I followed the swaying hips of the dryad as she led me into the back of the store. A tag was handed out by a new smirking dryad as we went into an extra-large dressing room. When the curtain closed and it was just us; I kissed her neck. She let her armor slowly settle to the ground as I turned her. She stripped me naked quickly while our lips locked. I felt tears on my lip and tasted the iron in my blood.
“Lay down and relax husband,” Cyrene said and I felt woozy and I tried to shake it off. She kissed me again and grasped my cock. I felt a second sting on my lips. “Lay down husband and relax. You are very strong.”
The second time she said it I stripped my bottoms off and laid down. I saw her kiss my cock and little thorns jutted into my penis. It looked weird and scary as trickles of blood ran down my shaft but the feeling was euphoric. I watched as she slid my girth into her vagina and the insane pleasure hit in a spike of pain. A brief panic was overridden, as my cock was literally pumped like a hard squeezing hand. Her vagina felt like a moist warm hand job. A few minutes later and I nearly fell asleep. I don't even remember hitting a climax but I did. I was softening and Cyrene was purring on top of me.
A knock on the wall startled her and Cyrene opened the curtain to retrieve a bucket with a rag. I saw blood on the rag and grew confused. I was regaining my senses and definitely confirmed there was blood.
“What happened?”
“We coupled. The first sexual encounter between a dryad and her mate involves a defensive pairing. We tend to be clingy and that drives most males away. So if we seduce you we usually drug you for the first round. I drugged you with a little bit of thorn elixir. That will be the one and only time I have to sedate you. My body will accept you without issue since I now have your seed and probably our daughter in me. I hope you can forgive me.”
“This was normal for the first and won’t happen again. Got it. Also, you are forgiven. I will do many things to get home to my family, getting seduced and used is easily one I can accept. I take it you healed my damage?”
“Yup. Now get up since you are clean and try on this awesome armor set. Armor is quality based. This is epic or purple in the crafting result. That means thin yet tough leather. The outfit is made of high-quality stitching and thread. More force is required to pierce or slash through this hide. There are attributes magically embedded in most gear that comes from the crafter. For this armor set, you get less drain from physical exertion. Which will work nicely with a certain orb of yours. There is a boot set too. No gloves and no helm since this is leather. An off-tank generally does not wear a helmet but we can get you in one if you want. How does it feel?”
I had donned the gear while she talked me through it and I had free range of motion. I did a high kick and some air punches in rapid succession. I could do flips in this set.
“Perfect. I love it. Thank you, Cyrene,” I said with sincerity.
“Awesome. Some food, good ale, and we can debate on where to go. A quiet night in an inn and then tomorrow we can go off and adventure.”
With that said we settled our tab and made our way to prepare for the next day’s adventure.
CHAPTER 9
Cyrene led us to an inn called the Berry Rosey Inn. The place was fairly nice and mostly empty during our midday arrival. Whatever drug or poison Cyrene’s thorns had injected me with caused me to crash in an epic nap. I awoke to a light shaking from Nicole and Zoey trying to pull my pants off. Nicole swatted her hands and helped me dress. I was still in a bit of a fog that was clearing quickly. When we were ready I followed them down from our third floor room to the dining area.
The barroom held a private dining wing in the back of the inn. We walked past the curtained off section until we saw a guard in front of an arched door. The guard was given a token by Nicole and we entered a room that was illuminated by candles. When the door closed I heard a deep voice talking. I tried to see who it was but the back of their chair faced me.
“So I says ‘Fuck your orders.’” There was a round of laughter at a punchline joke we must have missed. The voice sounded more intimidating than Desmond, and that brute was an ogre which left me wondering how big this guy was.
“Ah welcome Red,” Fred said while waving me over and then patting the empty table spot beside him. “My painting is on the wall and there is a guard outside. I think it is time we had an honest chat. This is Kerso and another partner who is somewhat interested in our venture. He wanted to meet you first before deciding.”
I walked around the table and saw a foot tall fairy with a sword on his hip that would make an epic toothpick. There were wings but they were stationary as he sat in front of a small plate of food. Kerso was in a nice robe and smiled earnestly when I sat across from him.
“Um… hello Kerso. Fred, what would Kerso bring to our company? Not trying to downplay your importance…”
“You are right to ask. I am on the in with the portal guild. Which means I get reduced rates and quick transitions if there is a special portal way needed,” Kerso said with a big smile on his tiny face. I saw a mouth full of dagger teeth and imagined a bite from a fairy must hurt. “Fred is the team builder, you guys are the money makers, and I facilitate making planet transitions happen easier. The thing is I will only sign on as a council member if you
can convince me my short term leverages and losses will result in long term gains.”
“I am going to go on a plank and hope I don’t fall into some shark-infested waters while making the next few statements. You are not in the employ of Justicars or Inquisitors? Do you want to be on a council that will challenge them eventually?” I said and Kerso’s face went blank.
“You said he was special, do you even know how?” Kerso asked Fred with a frown. “I am not pleased Fred. No offense mean to you Mr. Red.”
“His marker is verified as from Ashrini. The depositor is marked as classified. No one ever gets marked classified by the bank. At least I have never seen it happen before and neither had the bank director.”
“By the creator…” Kerso was flummoxed. You could see him turning over his options. “You want to go big don’t you, and I am not talking Thur big or running Remi. You are wanting to go… universe big.”
“Yup. For both of you, now is the time to walk out that door.”
“Woah, Red… You may be thinking too highly of yourself. Many dream of being able to rival the big two. Hell, there are a few hundred guilds and companies that are massive and only drowned out by the big two. In a trillion years there have only been three or more players at the top for short periods,” Fred said while eyeing me. “What makes you think you can beat out the Justicars and Inquisitors?”
“He is from Prox,” Nicole said after sipping a glass of wine.
“Can I get a plate of food I am starving?” I said as my stomach rumbled. Cyrene left the room to get me food. “Connect the dots yet?”
“Ugh. Fucking gods and half answers. Give me the truth and I swear on my daughter I will never reveal it to another soul.”
“Fine, you probably won’t believe me anyway. My name is Gryff. Gryff the Harbinger and the creator’s right-hand alien has tasked me to bring the third faction into the warring verse. Or as he calls this mighty plan he manages - The Gaming Verse. There is no time limit, only a power limit. I must meet the strength of the other two and exceed them both. No idea how that strength is measured, but alas that was my task. You would be surprised what you forget to ask when talking with an actual god. The beings you deem gods are mainly super beings. I met the real deal recently.”
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