by Jamey Sultan
James placed the new set of crystals in his pouch alongside the others, then reviewed his notifications from the fight. Once he’d finished checking his notifications, he would investigate the hidden room and examine the anatomy of a Lion-Ant Queen.
You have killed a Lion-Ant Queen (Boss: Level 10).
+ 82 experience points
Congratulations! You have killed your first boss. Boss monsters are much more powerful than similarly leveled monsters, and give bonus experience.
That was a lot more experience than anything he had killed before. Over 10 times as much as a level 3 Lion-Ant Scout. James was pleased with that, even if he hadn’t leveled up.
Achievement Unlocked: Solo Dungeoneer
Solo Dungeoneer:
+ 10% damage when fighting alone.
+ 3 Resilience
+ 3 Strength
- 1 Wisdom
You came. You saw. You conquered. And you did it all by yourself. Impressive.
Awesome! A permanent percentage boost to damage and a huge stat boost completely negated any negative feelings James may have had regarding the drop in Wisdom.
Surprisingly, that was it. He’d been expecting more notifications, maybe some Skill Ranks. Maybe he was getting to a point where his combat skills would start to level slower. He tried to ignore his disappointment - he couldn’t expect his skills to increase every time he fought something. That would be ridiculous.
After he finished dealing with his notifications, James retrieved his dagger and got started on the carcass. Grabbing the loot after an epic battle was his favorite part of any RPG, and he’d been looking forward to it.
While James worked, he thought about his fight. The Lion-Ant queen had spoken to him.
Did that mean she was sapient?
When he’d started learning to fight, he thought he’d have more of an issue killing anything, especially sapient creatures. But he’d just killed something that had spoken to him, and honestly, he felt nothing.
Well, no use dwelling.
James pushed his worries down, trying to enjoy himself as he butchered the Lion-Ant. His mind wandered to the earlier fights and how his blade had penetrated the Lion-Ants much easier after he had imbued his weapon with shadow magic.
After an hour of gruesome work, James harvested a Lion Pelt and a Monster Core from the Lion-Ant Queen. He wasn’t sure what the Monster Core was for, but he’d harvested it from a boss monster, so it would probably end up being useful at some point.
Lion Pelt:
Rank: Common
The pelt from a Lion-Ant Queen. It feels soft.
Monster Core (Earth):
Rank: Unusual
The core of a level 10 Lion-Ant Queen.
The prompt was right; the pelt felt soft. James wasn’t sure how he felt about burying his head in the fur of a being he’d just slaughtered, but he shrugged it off and focused on the Monster Core. He thought it was a sphere, but on closer examination, it was actually a multi-faceted gemstone. The entire thing glowed light green, but not enough to hurt his eyes. When he held it, he could feel energy swirling around inside. But it felt alien to him, not like the Mana Crystals where the energy felt like he could conjure it at a moment’s notice.
Shrugging, James placed both items in his pouch and moved on. He only had one potion left, and he still needed to find his way out of the dungeon after he’d finished looting.
James inspected the broken wall. It looked like a thin layer of stone had been covering a secret doorway. When he’d been flung into the wall, he’d hit the thinner secret door instead of the reinforced wall next to it. It had been a one in a million shot.
The majesty of the room struck James like a hammer when he entered. It was the first room he’d seen that the Lion-Ants hadn’t reached, and as such was the only one that wasn’t mostly covered in stone. The room gave him his first glimpse at what the dungeon might have looked like back when it was a temple, before the Lion-Ants had desecrated it. By this point, he was pretty sure he was in a temple dedicated to a storm god, probably Syreus if he went by the amulet.
The room was well preserved, with bookshelves lining the walls. One of the shelves held a small chest, but James wasn’t paying attention to that. His eyes were on the carved banisters that lined the edges of the room. Wooden burls, carved so that their twisting patterns tumbled around the room like the surge of the tide, decorated the outskirts of the room while a ring of intricately carved chairs surrounded a central table. In the middle, a yellowed, stained parchment, held down by a staff. A thin layer of dust coated everything in the room.
James lifted the staff and examined it, blowing dust off of the wood to better visualize the arcane carvings flowing over the weapon.
Keeper’s Staff:
Rank: Rare
+ 50% damage when channeling Water, Fire, Air, and Lightning spells.
- 50% Mana cost to Water, Fire, Air, and Lightning Spells.
Given to the Keepers of the temples of Syreus, the Keeper’s Staff was a symbol of the power wielded by his followers. The crystal at the top was designed to channel small amounts of Mana to create a storm in its center. The storm would be individualized based on the caster’s Mana types and power level. It was a great point of pride.
Crafted from gnarled wood, the staff was topped with a large crystal sphere. When James touched the staff, he could feel it pulling his Mana upwards, towards the crystal, which filled with a black energy. The energy built up in the staff, dark sparks flying around the gemstone as James felt his hand burn with an icy heat.
Your Mana type [Dark] is incompatible with this item. Only [Fire], [Water], [Air], [Lightning] can be channeled through this staff. You really should be more careful with magic items.
“Aughhhhhh!” He screamed, trying to release his grip on the staff.
Nothing happened. His hand wouldn’t respond, and the pain increased. It felt like he’d stuck his hand inside a vat of liquid nitrogen.
The crystal, now filled with black mist, let out a pulse of magic, blowing James back and causing him, thankfully, to let go of the staff.
Breathing heavily, James cradled his hand and sat on the floor, letting relief wash over him.
When the pain subsided, he gingerly used a rag to grab the staff without touching it and deposited it in his pouch.
With an abundance of caution, James picked up the paper, careful not to damage the fragile page.
Today I inherited the position: Keeper of the temple. This should have been the day of my greatest triumph, but instead it was the darkest day of my life. All those years dedicated to the service of the temple. Dedicated to Syreus, Lord of the Storm. My heart sits heavy in my chest as I write this message, but someone needs to know the truth in case I disappear. I have stumbled upon a conspiracy of epic proportions. Everything I believed… a lie.
I guess I should start from the beginning.
My Journey started as an orphan, raised in the temple of Syreus, Voice of the Wind. As I grew older, so too did my devotion to my god. The Keeper at the time took notice, and helped me rise through the ranks of the temple, preparing to replace him when he died. On the eve of his death I was brought to the temple of fire and the Rite of Listening was performed. I meditated for three days at the eye of the world, but heard nothing. The wind failed to whisper in my ear. I was crushed. Why wouldn’t Syreus, Bringer of Rain want me? Was I not devoted enough? When I shared my shame with the Elder of Fire, he told me that it was okay, that I would make a fine Keeper, anyway. Surprised, I asked him what he meant. He told me that nobody actually heard the Voice, that we merely performed the Rite for tradition.
Blasphemy! I couldn’t believe what I was hearing and reached out to the temples of Water and Air but got no reply. I traveled across the continent to the temple of Lightning and spoke to the Watcher himself. He refused to give me a straight answer, telling me that Syreus, Face in the Mist had not spoken to a Keeper in years. I returned to my temple and pretended to accept their exp
lanations while secretly doing my own research. I was shocked to find that there had been no accounts of Syreus, Ruler of the Sky speaking for over three hundred years. Three hundred years ago, when the previous Warden died, and the new Warden took over his position. I wrote a letter to the other Keepers, detailing my suspicions. Not a single one answered me.
I believe Syreus was betrayed by his followers. I do not know what manner of being could harm a god, but I fear the worst. Lately I have felt a Presence watching me, and I fear that my time on this world will come to an end soon. I am leaving tonight and sealing the temple. My life is in danger and I must find answers. I will be heading towards death, but I must do my part. I do not know who to trust anymore, so I leave this letter for you, adventurer. If I die, someone needs to take over my quest. Please find out what happened to my god.
- Darious, 415th Keeper of the Cloud Temple.
Quest Update: Splintered Past I
Find out to what happened to Darious, the previous Keeper of the Cloud Temple.
James stared at the paper. How had he stumbled upon a legendary quest chain of this magnitude so soon after arriving on Novis? He couldn’t imagine that every single person living in this world had God-given quests or Legendary objects. Sure, he was special in that Someone had brought him to Novis, but James was unsure if it was luck, or something more sinister.
Before leaving, James took another look around the room to make sure he hadn’t missed anything, and realized that, with all the pain and intrigue, he’d forgotten about the chest.
Mentally chastising himself, James walked towards it, rubbing his hands together greedily. This was what it was all about.
He pulled at the lid.
Locked.
Of course it was.
James sighed and looked for a key. He checked every corner of the room, to no avail. Maybe the key was somewhere else in the dungeon, or not. Either way, he didn’t have the time to search. He needed to head to the surface before his last potion ran out.
It was time to do things the old-fashioned way.
He placed the chest on the ground, pulled out his worn dagger and, using the pommel, he hammered at the wooden chest until it burst open. A pile of gold, silver, and copper coins spilled out, along with a half-smashed glass bottle. Whatever had been in the bottle had gotten all over the coins and melted them, leaving most of them unrecognizable. Cursing his impatience, James gathered the 3 gold, 9 silver, and 10 copper that weren’t malformed.
When James examined the broken chest, he realized that the bottle had been hooked up to a mechanical contraption that he couldn’t figure out. Probably something nasty, whatever it was. He gulped, resolving to be either more, or less, careful in the future. He honestly wasn’t sure which had saved him. The system seemed to agree.
You have gained the skill: Traps
Traps (Skill Rank 1):
+ 1% to trap detection.
Sometimes the dumb decision is also the smart one.
James let out a yawn as he checked the timer on his Darkvision potion. It had been a long day, and he was ready to go home.
The rest of his journey was straightforward. He’d walked through the tunnels past groups of dead Lion-Ants that looked like they were in the process of rushing to help their queen when they died. There wasn’t a single living thing left in the cavern, as far as he could tell.
Stepping into the cave, James blinked at the sudden brightness and held his hand up to cover his eyes. Shutting his eyes completely, he waited the last five minutes of the potion duration and opened them again once it wore off. It was nighttime. Too late to head back to Riverside.
James sighed, resigning himself yet again to sleep on the cold, hard stone of the cave instead of the warm soft covers of the inn. He needed to get some sleeping gear and wondered why he hadn’t already gotten any. It’s not like it would have been difficult to carry around. He had a pouch that could fit anything as far as he knew, and it didn’t even weigh anything. Why wouldn’t he want to lug around some camping supplies?
Before heading to sleep, he took out his book, Potion Making for Dummies, and started to read.
Chapter 19
James woke up feeling surprisingly limber, considering he’d just spent the night on another cave floor. Maybe his body was getting used to sleeping without a memory foam mattress. He stretched as he stood and put away his book. He’d fallen asleep learning more about the native plants and their uses.
Apparently Roundleaf, one of the plants he’d found in Nana’s garden, was an ingredient for a healing salve. He’d also found entries for the other herbs he’d picked. He could use River Maple to create a water-breathing potion, and he could chew Soldier’s Nettle to give himself a huge stamina regeneration boost. According to the book, if he were a higher level, then he could refine the Soldier’s Nettle into a potion that would allow someone to “Run for three days and three nights without rest.” The plant got its name from its popularity with soldiers, who would pick it off of the side of the road as they marched. James had been excited to try some until he’d read that it was technically banned for soldier use because it produced an incredibly addicting euphoria. He decided to forego the herb unless he really needed it. The last thing he needed was a magical cocaine addiction.
All that reading had given him a new skill, Alchemy, which allowed him to use raw ingredients to create potions, salves, pills, and elixirs. After staying up most of the night and reading through a quarter of the book, he was Skill Rank 5 in Alchemy, which gave him a +5% chance of success when crafting potions. It also gave him a 1% chance to discover a new use for an ingredient when harvested. He’d also gotten a quest to create a basic health potion.
You have been given a quest: Learning to Brew I
Learning to Brew I: Create one basic healing potion
Suggested level: None
Reward: One Health Potion
Penalty for failure or refusal: None
James accepted the quest, and it had prompted him to find one Roundleaf and two measures of Red Silkweed before he could brew the potion. Since he already had the Roundleaf, all he needed was the Red Silkweed which he knew, from an illustration in his book, was a group of long red strands that grew in cracks along the Crimson Mountains.
After packing up his book, James pulled up his status page. It had been a long time since he had reviewed it, and he wanted to see how things were looking after the dungeon.
James
Human (Warrior of Darkness)
Level: 10
Health: 121/169Regenerates 3.4/hour
Mana: 175/175Regenerates 3.0/hour
Stamina: 109/220Regenerates 3.4/hour
Stats
Strength: 22Dexterity: 17Constitution: 15
Intelligence: 20Wisdom: 19Endurance: 16Charisma: 1 Luck: 2 Resilience: 4
Spells
Shadow Step (Level 1)
Syreus’ Wrath
Abilities
Death’s Stare (1/7)
Imbue Darkness (4/10)
Knife in the dark (1/10)
Brands
Mark of Sytar
Divine Quest (Minor)
Achievements
Dumb Luck
Clumsy I
Solo dungeoneer
Not bad.
His stats were a bit uneven, but he’d collected three Spells, which he was excited about.
James scrambled up the rock face, nimbly placing his feet on small outcroppings that would have escaped his notice a month ago. Intuitively, he bent his knees to keep the weight on his legs and used his arms for balance. Once he reached the top of the ravine, he hopped to his feet and started along the path to Riverside, humming a tune. He was excited to turn in his quest and see what Nana would have for him next.
A few minutes into his walk, he felt a strange sense of unease. It was like the feeling he’d gotten from his Sixth Sense ability—a general feeling that there was something wrong, but nothing to tell him what it was. He looked around for the
cause of his unease. He was sure it wasn’t wolves. When they stalked him, he’d heard the slight shifting of the brush as they moved through it and their panting as they loped through the forest. He’d seen flashes of their pelt as they slunk through the trees.
This was different. James extended his senses, but he couldn’t feel anything. But it was more than that. It was a distinct nothing, as if all the surrounding creatures had abandoned the forest. It was silent.
Walking faster, James frequently checked over his shoulder, hoping to catch whatever or whoever was following him. Still, nothing. A fog crept in, growing noticeably thicker by the second. He quickened his pace.
You have gained 1 Skill Rank in Sixth Sense.
You are now Skill Rank 2.
It’s not really useful if you can’t figure out how to escape.
The fog thickened until James couldn’t see the path underneath his feet. “Whoever’s out there. I’m not afraid of you,” he called out with false bravado.