Magic School
Page 16
Wow. She had sure told him.
“Forty?” He was surprised. Then again, most dwarves looked the same age to him, stuck in their late twenties or early thirties. Except for the older ones with white or gray hair. Dwarves aged pretty well, he realized suddenly.
“You should try to get laid, too. I’m sure there’s some woman in here that would love to hook up with a handsome young buck like you.” Janine ignored the comment about her age and took a large swig of beer.
Getting laid did sound nice, but Azure had never been the love ’em and leave ’em type. Besides, wooing women took effort, and he was way too tired for it right now. Not to mention he didn’t feel particularly handsome covered in scabs thanks to the pustules having not fully healed yet. Right now, he was lady repellent.
“Miss me?” Uden asked when he returned. The look Janine gave him said it all. That and a whole lot more Azure hadn’t wanted to read into.
“Well, I’m going to bed,” he declared, not in the mood to watch this train wreck happen.
“I think I’ll join you,” Lonnell said, pushing his empty horn aside.
“And where shall I stay for the night?” There was way too much suggestion in Uden’s voice.
“On the floor.” Azure scowled at him.
Playing into his hands, Janine leaned in and whispered into Uden’s ear. A soft chuckle escaped his lips, and he glanced up at Azure as if to say he had won.
“Meet us at The Adventurers Guild first thing in the morning so that we can turn in the quest and divvy up the loot,” Azure told Janine, unsmiling.
“You got it.” She gave him a thumbs up.
He shook his head as he walked away, glancing over at Lonnell, who was stumbling by his side. “You don’t think that’s a bad idea at all?”
“That’s their thing. They’re both consenting adults. Let them do whatever.” He sloppily threw his hand back over his shoulder.
Azure grunted. Whatever happened between Uden and Janine was out of his control now—had been this entire time. He just hoped that their night of fun didn’t make her avoid all of them afterward. After all, Janine was the only real link Azure had to the life he’d known before.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE REALM – Day 77
A horrible hangover accompanied them to The Adventurers Guild the following morning. Janine was nearly thirty minutes late, and both Azure and Lonnell had begun to worry if she’d show up at all. Out of all three of them, she had the most pep in her step, seeming in a particularly good mood. Uden hadn’t returned to their room last night, which meant that he must have stayed in hers. Azure didn’t want the details.
“The line is already kind of long,” he complained. “Better file in.”
It took them half an hour of awkward silence to reach the front. Although the wait wasn’t very long, it seemed like an eternity.
“You guys finished this quickly,” Mel, the E line clerk, mentioned, though he didn’t seem particularly impressed. As soon as he stamped their paper, he went to get the box that held their rewards. “Do you plan to take another one?”
“Nope. I’m good for now,” Azure told him.
“Are you sure?” Lonnell quickly asked. “I think we can go again.”
He looked at his friend. “I have magic school to get back to, and Janine said she doesn’t want to do another dungeon.”
Janine said nothing to the contrary, seeming lost in her own world, only along to collect the reward.
“But what about Uden? We need to help him level up.” There was a strange sense of urgency to Lonnell’s demeanor.
“Not my brother; not my problem. You probably shouldn’t be dragging him into a dungeon right now anyway. He needs to level up a bit more.” Azure promptly thanked Mel and scooped their rewards from the box before walking toward the door, leaving Lonnell and Janine no choice but to follow.
Congratulations! Quest: The Heightened Haunted Mansion has been completed.
You braved the forbidden basement in Digby Mansion. Unfortunately, Radclyffe Smithe, the current owner, had already fallen victim to the ghosts within. At least his servants will now have closure. You have earned 3 gold, 4 silver, 1 Quest Point, and 330XP. You have also received the following items:
Small Skill Token
Item Class: Uncommon
Quality: Average
Weight: 0.0 kg
Uses: Spend a Small Skill Token to gain 100 points in any one skill.
Ring of Fortune
Type: Jewelry
Durability: 7/7
Item Class: Uncommon
Quality: Average
Weight: 0 kg
Traits: Doubles the amount of coin found on defeated enemies.
Strike Ring
Type: Jewelry
Mana Cost: 5
Range: 6 feet
Cooldown: One Minute
Durability: 7/7
Item Class: Uncommon
Quality: Average
Weight: 0 kg
Uses: Does 10% of your base Stamina in damage to a targeted enemy. Can only be used in hand-to-hand combat. Spends 1 Durability for each use.
Congratulations! You are now Level 12! Your base stats have been boosted. You have earned 3 points to assign to your characteristics. Please note that adding points to some characteristics(Vitality, Intelligence, and Strength) will further boost your base stats. You may also advance any 1 skill of your choosing by 1 level.
“Wow. That was a lot of experience.” Janine’s eyes widened.
“Bounty quests are usually pretty good for that,” Lonnell told her.
Azure was too busy assessing their new items to get in on the conversation. Honestly, none of it was as impressive as he had hoped. Monsters rarely dropped coins, and none of them used hand-to-hand combat. Oh well. At least he could sell whichever item he received.
“I know we were originally going to halve everything, but I think Janine earned her fair share,” Azure said to Lonnell.
He nodded in response, giving no argument.
Promptly, Azure handed each of them 1 gold and 1 silver, keeping the extra for himself, feeling that was fair since this was his quest.
“Shall we Rock, Paper, Scissors for who gets what? Or do you guys have a preference?” Azure looked from Lonnell to Janine.
“I kind of want the Strike Ring,” Janine confessed.
“And I want the Ring of Fortune. But I’m sure you want it, too.” Lonnell locked his gaze with Azure.
Azure was torn between wanting the ring and the Small Skill Token. Ultimately, though, the Ring of Fortune would be more valuable to him in the long run, especially if he planned to master magic.
“Yeah. Let’s Rock, Paper, Scissors for all of it,” he decided finally.
“Why all of us? If neither you or I want the Strike Ring, she can have it.” Lonnell nodded in Janine’s direction.
“True.” Azure promptly handed the Strike Ring over to Janine.
A smile spread across her lips as she slipped the ring onto her finger.
“All right. Let’s go.” Azure balled his hand into a fist and placed it on his palm. “We’ll Rock, Paper, Scissors for the Ring of Fortune. Loser gets the Small Skill Token.”
“Sounds fair.” Lonnell nodded in agreement.
Then the count began.
Azure had hoped that placing points in Luck would have helped him, but no dice. Lonnell ended up with the ring, but Azure wasn’t heartbroken about it. The man had won fair and square.
Azure handed the Ring of Fortune over, and the three of them walked outside.
“So, what are you guys going to do now?” he asked, turning to his friends.
Lonnell gazed toward the inn. “I’m going to find Uden and see if he wants to take on a quest together. Maybe we can find an Easy or Medium bounty.”
“And you?” Azure looked at Janine.
“It’s back to Monster quests for me. W
hich means back into The Adventurers Guild.” Her body was already twisted slightly, as if she was ready to depart and continue on with her business.
“I suppose I’ll meet up with guys at the tavern later then. I’m going to go sell my loot, then take the rest of the day off before starting back to Hawking’s tomorrow.”
“Sounds good. See you guys later.” Janine waved over her shoulder as she headed back inside.
Lonnell was about to leave as well when Azure stopped him.
“What is it?” he asked.
“We have about a week left until rent is due. Depending on how much I made from our quest, I’m going to start renting my own room.”
“Really? Still wanting to waste money.” Lonnell smirked at him.
“Three dudes. One bed. It’s a little crowded for my taste.”
“Well, then I suppose you will want to do more Bounty quests in the near future. Rooms at the inn aren’t cheap.”
“Yeah. Probably. We’ll see for now, though.” Azure glanced in Malina’s direction. Her cart was parked in its usual spot, and she was busy smiling at a customer as she sold him a bouquet. Janine’s words rang through Azure’s mind about not wanting to try to start any relationships in The Realm. Maybe it was best for him not to try either. While he didn’t know if he was stuck here for eternity or not, there was no point in hurting someone else if he would one day be sent back to his own world. That seemed a crazy way to think, though. For all he knew, this could be his permanent new life. He admittedly hadn’t placed much thought into trying to get back.
“All right. Well, let me know what you ultimately decide. We still have time. And remember that we’re all trying to save money.” Lonnell gave him a pointed look.
Azure had admittedly expected him to argue more, but it seemed that Lonnell had other pressing concerns. He walked back toward the inn, and Azure turned his attention to Malina. He took a step in her direction, then thought better of it and went to the blacksmith instead. While he didn’t need to buy any weapons, Azure had grown to enjoy doing business with Garion.
“What do you have for me today?” the burly man asked, wiping his hands on a cloth before walking over.
Azure pulled the items he had for sale out of his Bag of Holding one at a time, creating a pile on one of Garion’s tables. The blacksmith examined them before offering a sum, “36 gold, 9 silver, 6 copper. You must have just finished a bounty quest.” He smiled.
“That I did.” Azure shoved the items toward Garion to show that he wanted the coin. “For the sake of curiosity, how much is this worth?” He slapped the Black Barbed Whip down on the table.
“Oh. Whoa! This is an interesting item.” Garion abandoned fishing out the coin to look at the whip, picking it up by the handle and letting it out. “Step back for a second.”
Azure did as he was told and then watched the blacksmith snap the whip with far more skill than Azure thought the man would have with such a weapon.
“This is a damage dealer.” Garion nodded, pleased. “And an extremely rare piece. More of a woman’s weapon, if I’m being honest, but still incredibly expensive.”
“So how much?” Azure gestured for him to continue.
The blacksmith looked the weapon over as if it examining it for flaws. “Hm. I would give you 30 gold, 3 silver, 3 copper for it.”
“30 gold! Are you serious?” Azure’s mouth dropped open. “That’s almost as much as you’re giving me for all of this stuff. “His gaze shifted to the pile of items on the table.”
“Like I said, it’s an extremely rare item. In fact, I’ve never seen anything like it before. I probably wouldn’t be able to sell it, but I know who would. So, do you want to sell it?”
“No.” He shook his head, reaching for the whip. “At least, not yet. Probably in the future. But I’m going to keep it for now for the stat boosts.”
“You don’t get the boosts if you don’t have it equipped,” Garion reminded him.
“Yeah.” Azure affixed the whip to his belt, being careful not to stick himself with the barbs.
Once the blacksmith handed over the coin owed, Azure thanked him and went on his way. He still had a bit more shopping to do before he could return to the inn and relax.
Thinking that he was overdue for a local adventure, Azure detoured to the alchemy shop, even though it was a bit out of his way. The inside was about what he had expected it to be. Bottles and vials of various liquids lined the shelves, and there was an atelier in the back behind a counter. The large cauldron bubbled with a lime green liquid that filled the shop with the scent of chemicals. A coil of incense burned on the counter to combat the smell, but it was fighting a losing battle. Azure wrinkled his nose as he browsed the selection, not sure which disgusted him more, the chemical odor that seemed to permeate every fragment of oxygen in the room or the exorbitant prices of the potions.
This is highway robbery, he thought as he picked up one potion that cost almost as much as he’d made on his Bounty quest.
“Can I help you?” a feminine voice came from behind Azure, and he turned to see a petite woman with a cropped haircut. With a smattering of freckles covering her rosy cheeks and a short, stubby nose, she looked young.
“Jasmyne Swailes?” he asked.
“Yes. That’s me.” She smiled up at him.
“Hi. My name is Azure. I’ve done some work for you through The Adventurers Guild.”
“Oh.” Jasmyne perked up. “That’s very kind of you. I’m always in need of ingredients. What can I help you with?”
“It’s a nice shop you have here.” He looked around.
“Thanks.” She stood patiently before him, her hands clasped in front of her.
“Now I’m the one in need of ingredients.”
The corners of her lips dipped slightly. “I’m sorry, but I don’t sell ingredients here. Only complete potions. I can recommend Zach’s shop, though. It’s on the right corner of town square closest to us.” Jasmyne made an inward motion with her hand. “He usually carries alchemy components for basic recipes. He’s got gray hair and mutton chops. Kind of hard to miss.”
Azure thanked her and went on his way, feeling a bit guilty for not buying anything. Seeing the prices of her items made him think he was in the wrong business. Leaning alchemy could be very profitable. In fact, now that he thought about it, there was a pretty good loophole for making money just by crafting Potions of Minor Healing.
With nothing better to do, Azure thought he might take the rest of the day to exploit it. He went to Zach’s stall with the plans to buy up as many Empty Vials, Garlic, and Red Mushrooms as he could. Of course, the merchant ended up having a limited supply, but Azure still bought him out for 2 gold and 7 silver.
You have received the following item:
Empty Vial
Quantity: 59
Item Class: Common
Quality: Average
Weight: 0 kg
Uses: Alchemy Component
Red Mushroom
Quantity: 64
Uses: Alchemy component, Restores +10 HP if eaten
Garlic
Quantity: 12
Uses: Alchemy component, Restores +15 HP if eaten
As it was, the loophole wouldn't work because he would actually need every potion he made this round. Maybe he'd return after completing his magic school quest and see if the man had restocked.
Azure visited a few more merchants in search of Garlic but ended up returning to the inn empty-handed. The room was blessedly vacant, so he was able to sit and craft Potions of Minor Healing in peace, using up all 12 bulbs of Garlic and about two hours of his time.
You have received the following item:
Potion of Minor Healing
Quantity: 6
Item Class: Common
Quality: Average
Weight: 0 kg
Uses: Heals 30 HP
Potion of Minor Heali
ng
Quantity: 5
Item Class: Common
Quality: Poor
Weight: 0 kg
Uses: Heals 25 HP.
Potion of Minor Healing
Quantity: 1
Item Class: Common
Quality: Good
Weight: 0 kg
Uses: Heals 35 HP.
Once that was done, Azure decided to pull up his character sheet to figure out where to assign his newly acquired characteristic points from leveling up. He also had his Small Skill Token to spend and had saved back the ability to level two of his skills.
Name: Azure
Race: Human
Level: 12, 22% of the way to next level
Health: 203 / 300
Mana: 310 / 270 (320)
Stamina: 310 / 290 (320)
Vitality: 18
Intelligence: 15 (5)
Strength: 17 (3)
Agility: 14
Dexterity: 13
Charisma: 11
Luck: 12
Skills: Archery Lvl 4; 75% of the way to next level
Stealth Lvl 3; 93% of the way to next level
Analyze Lvl 10; 82% of the way to next level
Cooking Lvl 5; 52% of the way to next level
Alchemy Lvl 4; 68% of the way to next level
Foraging Lvl 10; 76% of the way to next level
One-Handed Weapons Lvl 9; 8% of the way to next level
Tracking Lvl 2; 40% of the way to next level
Two-Handed Weapons Lvl 6; 55% of the way to next level
Fishing Lvl 3; 0% of the way to next level
Drinking Lvl 2; 25% of the way to next level
Land Magic Lvl 2; 55% of the way to next level
Languages: Common Tongue, Sprite, Goblin-Tongue, Elvish
Adventurer Rank: E
It seemed the easiest choice, so Azure uses his Small Skill Token on Archery. All he had to do was think about spending the token on Archery to have it add its point to the skill and evaporate in his hand. Instantly, he received a notification.