by A P Gore
The creature was jostled by the movement of the earth, and the acid spray hit it in the face. As the acid sprayed the creature’s only eye, it screeched in pain so loudly that it took 40 life from Jon.
Damn.
Jon’s hands automatically went to his ears. Wetness emerged from his ears. When he inspected the liquid, it became his turn to scream in pain. That fucking creature had made his ears bleed.
Anger rose to his throat. He’d had enough of this shit.
Turning back, he cast another Acid Vine. Another sapling rose and turned into a wicked teethy vine that shot acid.
For the next five minutes, Jon and the elemental went back and forth. The creature kept hiding under the ground. Acid vines kept shooting acid sprays, and Jon kept casting Land Mold to make the stupid creature receive the damage.
Finally, the creature died after the nearly fifteenth acid spray hit him. God, he should have increased his Acid Vine level. Those vines were hitting the creature for just 6 damage every attack.
But it finally ended, leaving him exhausted and drained.
Casting a Heal Space below him, Jon dropped on his butt. He’d had to jump around to evade the Earth Elemental’s attacks. Thank god the creature wasn’t intelligent, so it kept falling for the same trick again and again.
System: You have killed an Earth Elemental. You have gained 600 experience. (150* level difference)
A white light washed over him.
System: Congratulations. You have leveled up. You gain 3 skill points and 5 stat points.
There were no new spells to choose from, but that wasn’t what Jon was looking for. His gaze was fixed on a shiny object lying on the ground near his hut. When he had cast his first Mold Earth, something had come up along with the deepest soil layer. Something shiny. A shiny metal box.
Chapter 15
Devon finished going through the last document on his screen, then relaxed in his leather chair. Lowering the AC temperature a little, he pulled the curtains down to reduce the direct sunlight intruding into the room. The Laxania buildings were always star-facing, providing direct sunlight to the higher ups. He fucking hated it.
Rubbing his eyes, he glanced at the list once more. The list he’d received today looked promising. Once done, he would have another five hundred prisoners joining their work in BlackFlame Online. Free labor. How much better could it get?
In a few days, his work would finish on planet R46, and he would apply for a month-long vacation. He fucking deserved it.
Extending his hand, he picked up the glass of apple juice from his desk and took a sip. This planet had the best apples in the whole star system, so he would pack few crates on his spaceship before leaving.
A blinking red dot on his screen pulled his attention back to his work.
“Max, what is it? This better be good, pissy,” he shouted at his PC—his personal communicator—which was strapped to his wrist.
A display formed in the air and his assistant Max’s monkey face stared at him from the display.
“Boss, it’s Denis. He’s going crazy. Can you talk to him?”
Devon rubbed his forehead. The sweet apple taste still lingered on his tongue, but Denis would sour it soon enough. The old man always came with a new problem to deal with. Couldn’t he just manage fifty farmers at the end of the continent?
“Put him on the line.” Devon pulled a special headset from his desk drawer and put it on his head. It was the in-game communicator. With this, he could connect with a person in the game.
“Boss, the new guy received a class.” Denis shouted through the receiver.
Devon almost tore off his headset and threw it away. “For devil’s sake, Denis. Stop shouting.”
Denis cleared his throat. “The new guy, Jonathan Bacardi, has received an in-game class. A unique class, too, which isn’t supposed to be available for players.”
“What the...” Devon tapped on his screen and pulled up a report. Scrolling through the thousands of names, he zeroed in on Jonathan Bacardi.
Jonathan Bacardi - Convicted for killing a lightning mage.
Remaining term: 30 years.
Family: A daughter.
Task given: Weed Farming.
Post: Outpost 45.
Class: Arch Druid.
Level 2.
“What the fuck, man? How did he receive a class?” This was bad. The corporation made sure prisoners didn’t get a class. A class meant the game would treat the character as a normal player, and they would lose every restriction the corporation put on them.
He dialed Baltazar on another line. This needed to be reported to the big boss.
As expected, Baltazar shot a few curses at him before even agreeing to listen.
Once Devon managed to relay the information, his boss sighed. “It’s simple, Devon. Pull him out and create a new character for him. Do I have to tell you that again, mate?”
Devon nodded and initiated the proper protocol on another screen.
A red alert popped up.
Error: Body not found. Body disposed with lot 346.
“Fuck!” Devon pounded his fist against the desk, but there was no going back now. “Boss, this is bad.”
Baltazar’s image stared at him from the communicator screen. “What’s bad?”
“We accidently destroyed his body with lot 346.”
Baltazar cut the line without another word.
Chapter 16
The afternoon wind blew across farm 43, spreading the fine dust that had been left behind after the mayhem Jon and the earth elemental had visited upon the landscape. The wind brushed Jon’s face gently, adding a thin layer of dust to his handsome face.
Jon licked his lips, tasting the fine dust settled on his dry lips. It tasted like the soil from his home world, R67. Some thought it was creepy to taste the soil, but for Jon it was a farmer’s task. The soil always told a story. The way it smelled, the way it tasted told him what minerals were missing, what it needed to improve the quality of the next crop. He could tell from this dust that the soil needed lots of phosphorus.
System: Congratulations, you have tasted the soil to understand its mineral composition. You have gained a new skill: Soil Tasting. This skill allows you to taste the soil and know the mineral values. Well, quite dirty and creepy, but hey, whatever works for you, man!
He waved the nasty message away, uncaring.
Jumping to his feet, he approached the half-buried silver box. When he touched it, a sharp current shot inside his hand. There was magic on this box. Fortunately, the current didn’t do anything to him, and once the current was released, the lock on the ten-inch-long box fell apart.
Jon opened the box. The inside was clean despite being buried in the ground for god knows how long. The box contained three things: a glass-pen filled with black ink, a small leather book, and four small flags. The flags had a golden border around them, so they were formation flags.
A smile crept across Jon’s face as he lifted them for a closer inspection. The only difference they had from Grimish’s flags was a lack of any sort of symbol on them.
Hmm. Why the difference?
Never mind. Seeing those flags, Jon’s spirits rose. The possibilities were endless now. With his Land Heal spell, he’d boosted his crop to a Superior level. What would happen when he used the formation flags along with his spell? Would his crop be even better?
Wow!
But first, he needed to see if the flags worked like Grimish’s did. For now, he put them inside his Bag of Holding. He wouldn’t be opening it in front of Grimish again. He had learned his lesson.
Next, he examined the book. It was an old book. The paper had already turned yellow. The writing seemed older too.
He opened to the first page. The title read, “Glory of the Formation Master.”
Formation Master? Jon rubbed his chin. The game forums had information about the Formationist utility class. What was this Formation Master? Was it a unique class like his?
E
xcitement ran through his veins as he turned to the next page.
It read, “I—the last living Formation Master of the Abomination continent—am writing this in hope that someone from the future will learn the ways of a Formation Master and embark upon the glory of the Formation Masters in the world of BlackFlame.”
So, it was a class. Jon carefully flipped the yellowed page, not wanting it to tear and half-expecting it to disintegrate between his fingers.
“My death is near, and it’s unfortunate that I can’t pass my legacy on, as everyone on my continent has died at the hands of theAbomination. Soon, he will be here, and then he will embark upon the next continent. And the people on that continent will perish if this Abomination is let loose on them. Those poor people who haven’t seen the wrath of the Abomination will lose all hope if this Abomination crosses the last bridge that connects the two continents—Abomination Forest.”
“But there is still hope, hence I—the last survivor of the Formation Masters Guild—am setting up the last formation of my life. The formation will thrive in the Abomination Forest and create a ward that will prevent the Abomination from entering other continents.
“This is my last service to humankind. Live well, my friends!”
Abomination Forest. Was that the forest next to the farms?
A chill ran through his legs. What the heck was this? Was there something evil in the game that hunted mankind?
No. There couldn’t be. This was just the lore associated with the game. Something that happened thousands of years ago, maybe. Why was he worrying for virtual lives?
Sighing, he flipped to the next page.
“I don’t know if I can find a perfect candidate to become the next Formation Master, but I can at least provide a way to anyone willing to walk on the path of glory. Below are the requirements to become a Formationist and a Formation Adept—the first steps to becoming a Formation Master.
Formationist
Learn and master the following formations:
Amplification Formation: A formation that will amplify the effect of the things inside the formation. It can be used to amplify damage, Mana or Spirit generation, healing, or any utility function.”
What? A formation that can amplify myriad things? Was the owner of the journal kidding? A formation to amplify spirit regeneration or healing. He didn’t know if it worked or not, but there were many usages of this formation. The simplest effect was amplifying the sapling growth, which he had seen with his own eyes. The flags Grimish and Kron possessed did that. Did the symbols on their flags indicate that?
Jon rubbed the back of his neck. This was interesting.
“Jon, you there?” A voice pulled him out of his ruminations. Kron stood at the edge of the farm, waving a hand at him. “I thought you were in trouble. You didn’t come for lunch.”
“Ah, lunch!” Jon quickly slipped the leather book into his Bag of Holding. “I’ll be there in a moment.” He stood and observed his farm. It was a complete mess. Only half the crop he’d planted was intact; the other half was destroyed by his fight with the earth elemental. He would have to replant it soon.
Sighing in regret, he walked toward Kron. A hunger debuff was on him, so he’d better get something to eat. While he did, he could learn more about formation flags from Kron.
Chapter 17
Jon sat across from Kron after washing his face. His clothes and other things were squeaky clean, thanks to the level up. That was one of the good things about the game; leveling up always returned the tattered clothes to their original condition.
Thinking about clothes, he needed to find some underwear soon. Without it...
Damn, thank god there were no girls around. But surely, the game developers must have a sordid sense of humor to send people into the game world without underwear.
Kron placed the pot filled with porridge in front of him. It smelled delicious, and his stomach growled, but Jon wasn’t so easily sidetracked.
“Where can I buy clothes?”
“Market.” Kron answered without looking up from spooning porridge into his mouth.
“Then where’s it?”
“Town.”
The one-line answer frustrated him. But what could he do?
“Why do you always cook porridge?” Jon lifted some porridge with his metal spoon and shoved it inside his mouth, rolling the lumpy, watery substance over his tongue. It did taste good. Even better, his hunger debuff vanished.
“It’s cheap. You get it as rations. If you want real food, you need gold,” Kron replied indifferently, stabbing his own porridge. By the way he stabbed it, it looked like he hated it.
“How long have you been eating the same food, day in and day out?” Jon spooned up another bite of porridge. It tasted better than it looked and filled his stomach pleasantly. He wondered how other food would taste.
“Around two hundred fifty years. Next year, I go back.” A smile formed on Kron’s oft-emotionless face.
Jon grinned. “That’s great. It’s good to see people are getting out of this hell. Anyway, can you tell me more about the Formationist class? Do you know what the symbols on your flags mean? Also, is there a way to buy flags?”
Kron gave him an are-you-insane look. “They cost ten gold each. And the market is far away. Only Grimish goes there.”
“Interesting. Isn’t the city far away from here? Like two weeks?” That’s what Devon had said, anyway.
“He dumps his points in Dexterity. His running speed is good. He can get there in two days. He finishes quota early. Sells his extra quota in the town of Chinari.”
“Wow! So, you can sell extra quota in the town market. I didn’t know that.” Now it made sense why the fucker needed so many flags. “Anyway, tell me more about the Formationist class. What are those silver borders around your flags?”
Kron shook his head. “I know little. I only have the class and the flags. Grimish knows more, since he goes to the city.”
Again, Grimish. Why was he involved in everything?. “Do you know how much the crop sells for in town?”
“One crop for one copper.”
“Even Superior quality?” Jon asked.
“Grimish knows. I don’t.”
Jon wanted to smack Kron. Grimish knows this, Grimish knows that. Was there anything Grimish didn’t know? Maybe he should go and ask Grimish. What’s the worst he could do? Kill him? It wouldn’t be so easy anymore.
Jon gave up that line of questioning for the moment. “Do you know where earth elementals come from?”
“They have a nest to the west of farm number 1. They like weed crop.”
A crazy plan formed in Jon’s mind. Maybe he should pay that nest a visit. He had to grow stronger to fight Grimish, and the earth elementals would help with that.
When Jon finished his food, he thanked Kron and cast a Land Heal on his crop to speed its growth. Alas, it didn’t increase the quality of the crop since he cast it on already-growing seedlings.
He headed back to his farm. All he wanted to do was read the journal, but before he could do that that he had to plant another thousand seeds in his wrecked farm.
After planting the seeds and casting Land Heal on them, a notification popped up.
System: Land Heal spell progression has reached 100%. Land Heal advances to level 2.
Mold Earth spell progression has reached 100%. Mold Earth advances to level 2.
Wow! So that’s what the skill progression percentages did. The game was truly unique. An option popped up to remove the progression bar of the skill from his menu, so he chose it. The less clutter the better.
He quickly accessed his character sheet and dumped his points into Strength and Wisdom.
Name: Jon (Level 2)
Class: Arch Druid
Second Class: Locked
Stats:
Strength 18
Dexterity 5
Constitution 7
Intelligence 5
Wisdom 15
Chance 2
Health 285/285
Stamina 185/185 (5.49/S)
Mana 50/50 (5.25/S)
Spirit 150/150 (7.25/S)
Utility Class: Formationist
Stat points available: 0
Skill points available: 3
Experience 1100/4000
Skills:
Passives:
The Circle of Land
Mana Manipulation (Level 1)
Land Tasting (Level 1)
Spirit Cycling (Level 1)
Active:
Mold Earth (Level 2)
Healing Space (Level 1)
Acid Vine (Level 1)
Land Heal (Level 2)
Elemental Shield (Level 1)
Utility Skills:
Perception (Level 1)
He noticed the game had allocated 2 points in Constitution and 1 point in Wisdom automatically when he leveled up. Strange. Maybe it did that to prevent stat dump, but it hadn’t allocated points automatically when he didn’t have a class.
It was a good thing to know. That must’ve been how Grimish was dumping so many points into Dexterity. It wasn’t a bad idea, actually. Putting points in Dexterity helped him with his Health pool as well as speed.
By that time, the sun had moved to the east, and soon the moon would replace it. Now was the time to cast Land Heal on the crop he’d planted that morning. The four-hour cooldown was over, and the crop was ready to grow again.
It took him one more hour to cast the spell on the thousand crops he’d planted that morning. He seedlings—which were already a few inches above the ground—grew a couple more inches when he cast Land Heal. Seeing them growing like this, he wished he had similar magic in real life. The magic he’d had there had been useless. He could only burn waste with it, nothing else. What else could a fire mage do?
By the time he finished his work, the moon was up. Now wasn’t the time to go and look for the earth elementals, so he would rest in his hut and read the rest of the journal. There were many mysterious things in there, and he was looking forward to learning them.
Chapter 18