Crystal Shards Online Omnibus 1

by Rick Scott

  It’s only when my mom coughs from out in the living room that my spirits dampen and I’m pulled back into reality again. I feel a pang of guilt in my stomach. Was it even right to have this much fun? I almost don’t want the answer. No matter what, I’ve got to keep focused. I have to remember why I’m doing all of this. I take a deep breath to clear my head, and then get up to check on my mom.

  Chapter 16: Uneasy

  I log in early the next morning to do some quick admin before breakfast. I pay for a couple months’ rent in advance and restock on meds for Mom. Then I head to the kitchen where Mom’s waiting and order us up a semi-extravagant breakfast of cinnamon rolls with butter and hot coffee, just like she likes. The meal sets us back 100 credits a pop, but that’s easily affordable now, even with just the earnings I got from leveling last night.

  Mom’s eyes go wide as I set the plate down in front of her. “Is it my birthday or something?”

  I grin as I fake hobble to the other end of the table with Mutt and Jeff. “I kind of got a new job.”

  “Oh? Doing what?”

  Darn. I was kind of hoping she wouldn’t probe, so I wouldn’t have to lie too much. I stall for time by digging into a cinnamon roll. It tastes amazing! Even for a cheap nano-processor like the one we have. It’s like a little slice of heaven to me. “Well, I was listening to Mike,” I say between bites. “About how getting a real job could pay more, you know? And I kind of found one.”

  “Yeah?”

  “It’s a small company . . .” I try to be as honest as possible with her. Val Helena’s guild is kind of small, isn’t it? “But there’s opportunity to move up the ranks, which is pretty good. I got a bit of a signing bonus, too . . . as you can taste.”

  That gets a laugh out of her.

  “In a few weeks, I might be able to earn some really decent money, too.” Enough to afford you the best surgery possible, I want to say. But that will have to wait until I can actually afford it.

  “So, you won’t be playing Crystal Shards anymore? I thought you really loved it there.”

  Good old Mom. She really knows me best. Man, it sucks having to lie to her, but it’s for the best. “Well, I’ll still be on Crystal Shards from time to time, but work will have to come first now.”

  She nods. “I see.”

  “Which reminds me, could you let Mike know? I can’t really have him yanking me out of my rig when I’m at work.”

  My mom’s eyes drift off to someplace else as she thinks. “I actually haven’t seen him come home yet. Have you heard from him?”

  The thought immediately irks me. Here Mom is, dying, and she’s worried to death about him? All that selfish jerk can do is think about himself. I almost lie to cover for him, just for Mom’s sake, but my anger gets the best of me. “No, I haven’t heard from him.”

  “Oh,” she says, a bit sadly. “I hope he’s okay . . .”

  “What is it you think he does out there?” I ask bluntly. “I don’t think he works.”

  Mom only sighs. “I’m sure it’s something important . . . whatever it is.”

  I really feel like punching Mike now. He has Mom believing some fantasy about what he’s doing, because the truth would probably kill her. What the heck is he doing down there in the hub? And why does he act like such a jerk all the time?

  “He loves you very much, you know,” Mom says out of the blue. “He really wants what’s best for you.”

  He has a funny way of showing it, I almost let slip. But then I remember that Mom knowing that Mike and I are at peace will bring her peace of mind as well. Even if it brings me none.

  “Yeah, I’m sure he does,” I say.

  But my words come out bitter . . . and false.

  * * *

  After breakfast and getting my mom set up for the day, I log in to see a message from Gilly. It immediately changes my mood. I’m a bit excited as I open it, but am equally disappointed when I read it.

  From: Gilly

  Hey, Reece! Bad news. D: I’m not going to be able to log in until very late today. My family and I need to head down to the hub to buy some stuff. But don’t wait for me to level! Get to work! I expect you to be a Ninja by the time I get back! :D

  *hugs and kisses*

  -Gilly

  Her message makes me smile. Gilly really is the best. It’s not the first time she’s mentioned her family, but she’s never really gone into much detail about who they are or what they do. It makes me feel a bit guilty that she knows so much about me, but I’ve never really taken the time to ask her much about herself. I’ve never asked about who she is beyond the game.

  I make a mental note to do so the next time we meet.

  I log into Nasgar, and spend the next couple hours leveling Elemental Mage from 1 to 5. It’s by far the most boring thing I’ve done to date in-game. After unlocking the class at the Mage’s guild in North Timberdale, I learn the one spell they give you for free: Earth Crush.

  It’s a ranged attack that does moderate damage and costs about 10 TP to cast. I spend the morning distancing myself from the mobs and chain-casting Earth Crush until I kill them. Super boring. To me, anyway. At Level 3, I get Earth Bind, which is a root spell that holds monsters in place for a few seconds. This helps me take on bigger things, like the young black bears. I actually manage to kill one, but it takes me ages, and I come close to dying when the bear hits me for nearly all my HP.

  Thankfully, I’m Level 5 by then, and my days as a Mage are over. I’m sure the class must be awesome to some people, but staying in the backline just doesn’t suit me. It’s not as heart pumping, I guess. Or maybe I’m just an idiot who likes to take blows to the head every once in a while.

  I dump all my extra points into Agility and Dex in preparation for my next real job: Thief. I then head back into town and look for the NPC that issues the Thief class, only to realize that I don’t really know where the Thief’s guild is. I don’t even know if there is one. I hit up the Ragnarok chat to see if anyone there knows. I’m sure someone must.

  (RNG)Reece: Hey guys, do you know where I have to go in Timberdale to unlock Thief?

  I don’t get a response, but it’s early, so perhaps no one else is logged in yet.

  (RNG)Jax: Head to the markets and look for an NPC next to the dude selling fish.

  (RNG)Reece: Cool, thanks!

  (RNG)Jax: Gratz by the way. Heard you got Warrior to 15 already.

  (RNG)Reece: Yeah, thanks!

  (RNG)Jax: Looks like you might be able catch up to us in time to fight the Beast Kings after all. ;D

  After all? Was there some betting pool against me?

  (RNG)Reece: Thanks.

  I think.

  I head to the markets. The crowd here is thin of players. I guess everyone has to take a break from playing Crystal Shards sometime. I spot the NPC Jax was talking about. It’s a stereotypical Halfling wearing a hooded vest and padded armor named Schmitty. I probably could have spotted him as the Thief class NPC even without Jax’s help.

  As I approach, Schmitty beckons to me. “Hey, could you do me a favor, lad?”

  “Sure,” I say.

  You have been offered a Quest: Jail Break.

  “Excellent,” Schmitty says. “I’ve got a friend who’s had a nasty run-in with the magistrate. He could surely use a helping hand to get an early release, if you know what I mean.”

  Okay? I laugh at the dialogue. “Help how?”

  “Glad you asked.” The Halfling produces a key. “I’d do this personally, but let’s just say I had a ‘nasty run-in’ with the magistrate not too long ago myself. A fresh face like you would barely turn a head.” He then points toward the city center. “Head down to the garrison and slip past the guards to reach the stockades. Give this key to the fella in cell number three.”

  “Cell number three. Got it.”

  You have accepted the quest: Jail Break.

  Avoid the city guards and deliver the cell key to Schmitty’s friend.

  You have receive
d a Small Cell Key.

  “Good luck, mate,” Schmitty says. “And if you get caught, you don’t know me.”

  I smile. Seems like a fun, easy quest. The garrison is at the center of the city, within a small keep. An indicator on my mini-map shows me which way to go. When I reach it, I see that the main gate to the garrison is wide open. The guards outside seem to be on a set pattern of rotation. It’s dead easy to wait until they turn their backs for a second. When they do, I slip by and into the keep. I repeat the process a couple more times until I get to the back of the keep, where the cell blocks are.

  I see three thick wooden doors with a small slot to deliver food in each one. I drop the key through the slot of the door marked #3, and a gruff voice says, “Good on ya, mate! Give old Schmitty my thanks.”

  Quest Objective updated: Sneak out of the garrison and return to Schmitty to let him know the job is done.

  I do so easily, and have another chat with Schmitty when I arrive.

  “Well done, mate,” Schmitty says. “If you’re ever in the need for a hustle, come look me up anytime.”

  Congratulations! You have completed the Quest: Jail Break

  Congratulations! You have earned the title: Jail Breaker!

  You have received 100 experience points.

  You have received 100 credits.

  Congratulations! You can now become a Thief.

  I laugh at how easy that was. I hope obtaining Ninja will be as easy as this, but I have a feeling it won’t be. I change classes to Thief and take a look at my new stats.

  Reece

  Class: Thief

  Level: 1

  Strength: 6

  Dexterity: 20

  Agility: 23

  Intelligence: 4

  Mind: 6

  Vitality: 8

  HP: 22/22

  Stamina: 18/18

  TP: 13/13

  My Dex and Agility seem to be coming along nicely. I’m eager to see how they perform on a class that’s actually built to use them. I dash over the auction board to pick up some new gear. I reuse my leather armor from Warrior, since it’s still all I can wear at Level 1, but I purchase two daggers: a cheap Level 1 dagger for about 30 credits, and a top-notch dagger +3 for when I hit Level 8 that sets me back 1500. If Gilly and I go adventuring in that swamp again, a weapon like this should really help out.

  I hit the forest to take on some of the wildlife and am immediately disappointed with the results. It doesn’t feel much different than Warrior, except I hit for much less damage than I did with my short sword. And I have less hit points when I get hit by the stupid rabbits.

  “What the heck, man?” I grumble to myself. “I thought this was supposed to be better.”

  “Maybe you should try actually avoiding the hits, instead of standing there like you’re Val Helena.”

  I stiffen and glance over my shoulder to see Aiko standing right behind me!

  I jump half a foot in fright, and she laughs at me with her creepy cackle.

  “Did I scare you?” She gives me a wicked-looking grin that makes her violet eyes sparkle. “Sorry about that, pretty boy.”

  “I, ah . . .” I’m still lost for words as I recover from the surprise visit. But even when I do find some, I find myself taken aback by Aiko’s statuesque elven form. She’s much shorter than Val, and just a bit taller than me. Her deep blue bob matches her dark Ninja garb perfectly, accentuated now by a red scarf that billows away from her neck with a wind of its own. Hanging from her curvy hips are two dagger-like blades about the same size as my short sword. She stands there with her arms crossed, leering at me with a smile that tugs suggestively on her black-painted lips.

  I don’t know what to make of her. Where Gilly is definitely cute and lovable, and Val Helena is powerful and imposing, this woman is like the living embodiment of sex itself. I half wonder if she has some kind of secret stat for it. But still, that jacked up laugh of hers has me cringing every time.

  “You should try moving more,” Aiko says in her sing-song voice. “Agility-based classes allow you to do that. What is yours, by the way?”

  “Um . . . Thief?”

  “I meant, what’s your Agility, pretty boy.”

  “Oh! 23.”

  “Not bad. You’ll need a lot more than that to tank Vulnar, but it’s a start.”

  “How much do you have?” I ask.

  She winks. “Enough to tank Vulnar. Why not give those rabbits another shot? At 23 Agility, you should have slightly more responsiveness than you would in real life.”

  “Okay,” I say, and tackle another hare.

  “Don’t try to hit it, just practice avoiding its attacks.”

  I nod and do so. I wait for the hare to spring up, and then shift.

  The Forest Hare misses you.

  Your Evasion skill increases by 0.3.

  “Whoa. That seemed much easier than before.”

  I get it to miss me a couple more times, and get another skill up before I finish it off with my dagger.

  “That’s because you were dodging before. All classes get Dodge. It’s an active skill that uses Stamina. But Agility-based classes like Thief and Ninja get evasion as a passive ability. You can bob and weave through easy attacks and save your Dodge for the tough ones. Of course, knowing which ones to bob and which ones to Dodge is a bit of an art.”

  “So, is that how you Dodge Tank?”

  Aiko grins at me. “A small part of it, perhaps. I’ll have to teach you more if you’re going to join me in a month’s time, but you’re off to a good start.”

  Oh, crap. I wonder if I should mention my deal with Val Helena. But I don’t want to tick her off, either.

  “You should really consider streaming your progress, you know. I have tons of viewers who are begging me to join you just so they can watch you level.”

  I forgot about her live stream. “Are you streaming right now?”

  “Of course,” she says. “You’re not shy now, are you?”

  How can I not be? The thought of a million people watching me gawk at her is embarrassing enough, but how am I supposed to break it to her that I’m going to join Val Helena for the world boss in front of an audience? I fear the kind of reaction that would be caught on camera for that one.

  “It’s great secondary income, too,” Aiko says. “Not that you’ll need it once we take down Vulnar. Come on, I’ll show you a great spot where you can level up your Thief.”

  Aiko invites you to join her party.

  Do you accept? (Y/N)

  My heart skips a beat as I hesitate. I wasn’t expecting to run into this today! Suddenly, I start getting messages from a million random people at once.

  Vilhelm: Yo! What you waiting for man???

  Dressy: Join her!

  Althena: Join her please! I want to see you level up, hot stuff! <3

  Injinho: Dude! You know how many guys would kill to be you right now? This is Aiko!

  Kukuklub: Hurry up! lol

  Crap, what am I going to do?

  “Come on,” she says again with a playful smile. “I’m not going to bite. I just want to show you a secret area. You’ll thank me later, I promise.”

  Injinho: Dude!! WTH is wrong with you?!? Go!!! GO!!!!!

  “Okay, fine,” I say, and hit yes. Immediately, my stomach sours like I just made a huge mistake. “This won’t take too long, right?”

  “Not unless you want it to,” Aiko says with another wink. And then she laughs with that cackle of hers that totally gives me the creeps.

  What the heck have I gotten myself into now?

  Chapter 17: Thief

  Aiko and I fast-travel to the port city of Swifttide, which sits on the eastern edge of the main continent, Anderrun. It’s a mid-level area not far from Timberdale, and thankfully, I already have it unlocked.

  We emerge on a weather-worn pier that extends out into a bay of deep blue water. Tethered alongside the pier are tall-masted sailing ships that have all manner of NPCs running about them, giving
the impression of a busy harbor. Sailors climb through rigging, while longshoremen haul cargo onto the warped and gnarled deck. The smell of the salt air and the chirp of seagulls completes the décor, transporting me from forested woodland to thriving sea town. This is another great thing about Crystal Shards—the variety of landscapes always give a sense of just how big the online world is, how much there is to explore. It reminds me that I’ve barely explored anywhere in Nasgar yet—besides all the mines, of course.

  I don’t see any other players about. We’ve traveled to a rather remote part of the city. Swifttide is much bigger than Timberdale, and contains several spawning points. This one is far from the central hub of the city, and is used primarily for people to board the ships ready to travel to the other continents in the game. I haven’t been to those, either.

  “Kill some of those seagulls to hit Level 5,” Aiko says. She points to the white-feathered birds sitting on the half-rotted decking of the pier.

  I take a look at one.

  Seagull

  Level: 5

  These noisy birds can be the bane of all seamen, but a blessing if you happen to be lost at sea.

  Affinity: Air

  “Remember to focus on evasion,” Aiko says, and un-parties with me so I can gain the XP. Then she folds her arms and nods for me to commence.

  Four levels higher than me, but what the heck. I can do this.

  I equip my dagger and lunge at the stupid bird. I hop from foot to foot as it squawks at me and pecks its hooked beak in retaliation. My stabs with the dagger are much faster than the short sword, and though I’m doing less damage, I whittle the bird down 10% with each poke. Then the bird flies into my face and gives me a nasty bite on my cheek which draws blood!