“Ha… ha… ha… ha…”
The rumbling sound echoed around them again, and accompanying it this time was dark, ominous laughter that sounded like a bass rumble. It was a deep sound that made their blood run cold. Adam grimaced as he pulled Susan behind him to protect her and warily observed their surroundings.
“Let’s leave now,” Adam said to everyone.
“Ha ha ha ha.” The laughter became even more distinct. The sound was followed by a voice. “Look at this. Look at this. It looks like some tasty humans have made their way into my lair. Do not be in such a hurry to leave, humans. It has been so long since I’ve had anything to eat.”
“Run!” Adam shouted to everyone as he pushed Susan off him and began prodding her and the others toward the hallway they had entered.
At that moment, something massive appeared within another hallway several dozen yards to their left. They could see nothing of it at first, but then a massive foot emerged from the darkness. It was nearly two times bigger than they were tall. There was no flesh or muscle on this foot. The pure black bones looked like something Adam would expect to see from a charred corpse. The foot was followed by a leg and another foot. Then, appearing before them in all its glory was a massive skeleton clad in rusted chainmail, black armor, and wielding two claymores that were at least two times bigger than Adam.
“Good evening, humans,” the skeleton said, though its mouth did not move. It was like this creature was speaking directly into their minds. Adam was reminded of espers who had telepathic abilities, but they did not chill his blood like this thing did.
“Don’t stop and stare at the giant skeleton! Move!” Adam commanded.
“Do you really think I would let you run away?! All of you are staying here! Now, let yourselves be devoured!”
When Adam and the others began running, the giant skeleton bounded after them. The floor shook each time its foot struck the ground. Susan was knocked off her feet from the shaking, but Adam scooped the girl into his arms, carrying her like a princess as he ran full speed ahead.
“It’s a good thing you’re so light,” he muttered.
Susan just blushed.
They ran past the archway that led into the hall they first emerged from. The giant skeleton slammed into the wall and extended its arm to try and grab them, but Kureha launched a [Fireball] from her place on Adam’s head.
-2,250!
“Grrraaaaaa!!!”
While the attack didn’t do much damage, the skeleton jerked its hand back as if it had been stung. This presented them with an opportunity to escape.
“Damn fox! Wait until I get my hands on you! I will make you suffer for this!!!”
They raced up the stairs. The damage went from -30 to -10, then to -5 before finally going back to -3 as they traveled through the crypt. They didn’t bother fighting any of the undead inside and instead ran until they emerged from the crypt, gasping and panting for breath.
Adam was still holding Susan as he looked at everyone else. Fayte was hunched over on her hands and knees, shoulders heaving. He couldn’t see her face, but her eyes were wide. Lilith appeared much more calm than she was. However, the skin around her eyes was a tad paler than usual.
Now that they were no longer in the crypt, Titania’s [Song of Refreshing Rain] was able to quickly recover the damage being done to them by the [Death Curse]. However, none of them wanted to remain here any longer.
“Let’s head back to Hope Village,” Adam said. “I’m sure several hours have passed, so we should log off and get some rest. We can log back on later tonight or tomorrow and continue on to Solum.”
Everyone nodded their heads. They were all exhausted from this latest ordeal. It was time to get some well-deserved sleep.
Another Hidden Class
After logging out, Adam took a quick shower and made lunch for himself and Fayte. It wasn’t anything special. He whipped up a quick salad by chopping up some vegetables, added chickpeas and other annul legume with a good blend of protein and fiber, then made his own sriracha style dressing to give the food some kick. He made sure the sriracha was milder than normal so it wouldn’t be hard on Fayte’s pallet.
Fayte had thanked him for the meal before saying she was going out to stretch her legs. Adam had learned there was a gym in this complex. He had never been there. Fayte told him the equipment was all very old, but it at least contained a treadmill so she could get her cardio in without having to leave the complex.
While Fayte did her own thing, Adam went to Aris’s room and talked to her, telling her about everything he had done while playing Age of Gods. He had a bit more to say this time since his party had just come back from a dangerous quest.
As Adam talked to Aris, he wondered if she could hear him. She was basically frozen in time right now. The cryobed was also sturdily built and airtight, with heavily reinforced glass that could withstand bullets, meaning it was probably sound proof as well. He didn’t think she could hear him. That, however, did not stop him from wishing she could.
Adam logged back onto Age of Gods at 3:00pm, the designated time for their group to meet back up in the game. Lilith was already there. Titania and Kureha were, of course, also present since they could not leave the game like he and the others did. When he appeared before them, Titania was merely fluttering through the air while Lilith was playing with Kureha.
“Aren’t you just the cutest thing ever! Who is super cute? Is it you? Is it you?”
Lilith was sitting on her haunches and rubbing Kureha’s belly. The cute little fox yokai was making mrrring noises that were like a fox’s version of purring. Lilith was so into pampering the fox that she didn’t seem to have realized he had logged on.
It was very rare for Adam to see Lilith act like this, and while he knew he should have let her know he was present, some part of him felt like standing back to watch.
“Adam,” Titania suddenly greeted him when she noticed his arrival. “You have returned.”
The moment his name was spoken, Lilith squeaked and leapt to her feet like she’d stuck her finger into an electric socket. She turned her frightened eyes on Adam. He could not see her face thanks to her mask, but it wasn’t like he needed to. Even with everything covered, he could tell she was blushing.
Adam wondered what Fayte and Susan would think if they saw this.
“M-Master,” Lilith stuttered as Kureha, not sure why the nice woman clad in black had stopped pampering her, nuzzled against Lilith’s pants like a cat seeking affection. “This… this is just…”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you go crazy over something cute.” Adam scratched the back of his head and tried to smile, but he thought it felt awkward. He was glad for his mask. “Wasn’t it… five years ago?”
“Y-yes…” Even if she wanted to, Lilith could not lie to him. He doubted the idea of lying had even occurred to her. “It was… just after we escaped from Eden. You said we were… going our separate ways. I didn’t want that, but…”
“But I was going to see Lexi and wouldn’t let you come with me,” Adam said with a sigh.
Back then, after they had escaped from Eden, Adam had been determined to see Lexi again. He had tried to cut ties with everyone who escaped with him. He told them they were free and no longer needed to follow him, but all of his fellow escapees had refused.
And the most adamant among them had been Lilith.
“That was why you bought me that fox plushie. You said… even though we’ll be apart, I could think of you whenever I hold it…”
Adam rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of what to say. He wasn’t bad with words, could talk just fine, but he preferred not to, especially when the topic of their conversation was something he often tried to forget about.
“I still have it, you know,” Lilith confessed. “The fox plushie, I mean. It’s in my bedroom.”
“Ah. Well… I’m glad you like it,” Adam said, though he was cursing on the inside.
Lilith was no
t a normal woman. Older than him by several years, she was one of the more experienced members of Lucifer’s assassination unit. Cold and calculating, a terrifying beauty who could chill your blood just as quickly as she could make it boil, Lilith almost never showed any emotion. The only times she did was around him or when she saw something cute.
Like Kureha.
“I really wish you two would not talk about things I am unaware of when I’m right here,” Titania suddenly said.
While Lilith quickly looked away and tried to pretend this conversation never happened, Adam merely ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He’d completely forgotten about Titania.
“My bad,” he said.
Titania merely huffed.
Fayte and Susan arrived not long after that embarrassing interlude. He greeted the pair as Lilith remained silent.
They were still in Hope Village, so they mounted their horses and journeyed back to Solum (it took two days), where they paid the entrance fee and traveled to the Mayor’s house. Unlike last time when he was asked to wait in the entrance hall, this time they were led by the butler to the mayor’s office.
“You have returned,” Bromley Paxton said once they all entered. “And you brought friends, I see. I assume you three are otherworlders like Adam. Please allow me to welcome all of you to Solum.”
Bromley Paxton stood up and moved around his large desk, which had several stacks of papers on top. He smiled at the group, looking for all the world like an affable uncle.
“Thank you for your warm welcome.”
Fayte elegantly curtsied Bromley Paxton. Despite her face being covered by a veil, in spite of not wearing a sophisticated dress or something even remotely fashionable, the action was so smooth, so refined that even the old Mayor of Solum could not stop his cheeks from turning red.
“Yes… well… ahem… you are welcome,” he said, coughing into his hands several times. “N-now, I believe we should get to the point. I am assuming the reason you are here is because you had some success in the quest I gave you? Did you find out the reason for the dead rising in the Deadlands?”
“I think we did. I’m… not sure.” Adam stepped forward, placed his hands behind his back, and stood straight like a soldier giving his commanding officer a debriefing. “We journeyed into the Deadlands. While there, we encountered a… a monster.”
“A monster? What kind?” asked Bromley Paxton.
“I believe it was the Undead King,” Titania said, flying forward.
“The Undead King?! Truly?!” asked a now shocked Bromley Paxton, whose eyes had become the size of dinner plates.
“Indeed.” Titania nodded. “At the very least, the monster we ran into matches a description of the Undead King I read about in a book. It is said that the Undead King has absolute power over death. During the Great War, he raised an army of the dead and used it to destroy many cities. I suspect he is in hiding. The goddesses would not allow him to live if they knew he was there. The excess power his body constantly leaks is the most likely cause for why the dead have been rising. The [Death Curse] is also a result of his power.”
“Yes… that makes a lot of sense,” Bromley Paxton murmured, eyes going unfocused. Then he sighed. “If only we could contact the goddesses, but neither they nor their representatives have been seen for thousands of years. It is unfortunate, but it seems the only thing I can do is make the [Deadlands] off limits to everyone—at least until someone strong enough comes along who can take care of him.”
Ding!
[You have been offered a new quest: [Slay the Undead King!] This is a long-standing quest that does not have a time-limit. It can be completed whenever you wish. However, be warned that this quest may be offered to other players as well. If another person completes this quest, then it will no longer be available and will be listed as a failed quest. Failed quests result in a reduction of Reputation, so be careful when accepting quests. Do you accept the quest? Yes or no?]
Adam and the others stared briefly at the new window that appeared, but it was only for a moment before he reached out and pressed the “yes” button.
“Don’t worry,” Adam said to the mayor. “We aren’t strong enough to defeat him yet, but I’m confident we can beat the [Undead King] in quick order once we’re stronger.”
“Truly? This will be a tall order, but… hm… yes, I believe if you are the ones accepting the quest, you may just be able to succeed,” Bromley Paxton said. “In either event, you have done what I asked of you. I believe we can consider this quest a success.”
“Certainly,” Adam agreed.
Ding!
[The quest: [Slay the Undead King!] has been accepted!]
Ding!
[Congratulations! You have completed the quest: [Journey into the Deadlands]! +100,000 experience points! +20,000 Reputation! +10,000 AP!]
“Now!” Bromley Paxton clapped his hands while Adam and his party were distracted by the announcement. “For the reward. Because the quest was accepted by you, Adam, I can only give you the reward. However, I do have several items for you to choose from. Come with me. I will take you to my treasure vault, and you can select one item from inside. This might not sound like much, but I assure you that all the items in my vault are priceless artifacts you cannot find anywhere else.”
Since Adam was the only one allowed inside the vault, the others were asked to wait outside of the mayor’s house. They were led away by the butler, Geeves. In the meantime, Adam followed Bromley Paxton through a series of hallways, down two flights of stairs, and up to a large door that reminded him of a high-security vault in a bank—except without the lasers and security cameras.
The vault was guarded by two guards who were both at level 60, signifying even more than words how much value the mayor put on whatever was inside. Opening it required the guards to insert a pair of keys at the same time, which unlocked the mechanisms keeping the vault shut. They opened the door and allowed Adam and Bromley Paxton inside.
Having never actually seen a vault in a fantasy-style VRMMORPG, Adam was not sure what to expect, but whatever he had been expecting, the neat and orderly room with rows of shelves containing various kinds of equipment was most definitely not it. Maybe he really had been expecting something more fantasy-esque. Where were the piles of gold? The massive amounts of treasure chests? This looked more like a blue blood’s museum of unusual artifacts.
“Feel free to choose any one item you see here,” Bromley Paxton said with a sweep of his hand. “Please remember to limit yourself to just a single item.”
Adam nodded as he walked into the room and began perusing the shelves. There were a lot of items. He found swords, shields, spears, bows, magic staffs, and scrolls. Adam walked up to one shelf and looked at one of the items titled [Bow of Prosperity].
Name: Bow of Prosperity
Item Type: Bow
Grade: 3-star
Use requirements: Can be equipped by Archers level 40 and above
Description: The Bow of Prosperity was given to the Bromley Family by the Fairy Clan before they disappeared. It is one of the highest class of bow in existence
Abilities: Physical Attack+400%; Hit-Rate+200%; Luck+40
Special skills:
Arrow Storm: Fires a hailstorm of arrows
Damages all enemies within 150 feet of targeted enemy
Bewildering shot: Fires an arrow with deadly accuracy to hit an enemy’s funny bone
100% chance of causing Confusion
Critical Shot: Fires an arrow with 100% chance of being a critical hit
Does x4 critical damage
The bow itself was pretty amazing and had some of the most impressive abilities and stats he had seen thus far in the game… but it was too bad the bow was useless right now. It would be perfect for Susan once she reached level 40. However, that was so far off there wasn’t any point in thinking about it right now. It would probably take at least a year of heavy grinding and dungeon raids to bring her to that level.
He moved on.
Like the [Bow of Prosperity], there were a multitude of powerful items that were all 3-star, possessed incredible stats, and offered a wide range of skills, but the levels required to use them caused him to turn away. What good was a magic staff that offered a 500% Magic Attack increase if it required someone to be at level 50 to use it?
Just as Adam was beginning to wonder if he would find anything that would be immediately useful, he came across a small shelf filled with scrolls. Most of them were spell scrolls. There was a [teleport scroll] that would allow him a one-time opportunity to teleport to any location he had already been to. He also saw a [Fire Blaze scroll], which activated a [Fire Blaze] spell that caused -100,000 damage to every enemy within a twenty yard radius. Among all the scrolls, the one that interested him the most was the [Fairy Archer Scroll].
Name: Fairy Archer Scroll
Item Type: Hidden Class Scroll
Grade: 4-star
Use requirements: Can be used by players with an Archer class profession.
Description: The Fairy Clan was once very close to the humans. To honor their friendship with humanity, the Fairy Clan created scrolls that would allow humans who have done them a great service to change their class into a fairy class.
Abilities: Changes Archer class to Fairy Archer class.
Leveling System:
Strength+1 = +3 Physical Attack
Constitution+1 = +5 Health; +5 Physical Defense; +5 Magical Defense
Dexterity+1 = 20% Hit-Rate; 15% Dodge-Rate
Intelligence+1 = +2 MP; +4 Magical Attack
Speed+1 = +4 Movement
Skills:
Fairy Shot: increases accuracy by 50%
If enemy is hit, critical damage is dealt
X2 critical damage.
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