Life Reset- Hobnobbing, page 38
part #3 of New Era Online Series
“Excellent.” I did have a ton of Viridium spheres to enchant, after all.
“Is Tika around?”
“She is out on the oxsaurian hunt, my lord.”
“She went again?” I said in exasperation. “I said I didn’t like her doing that while she’s pregnant.”
Kaedric’s twitching mandibles were the only response I got.
Vic said.
“When are they due back?”
“Tomorrow, my lord.”
“Go back to sleep, Kaedric. I’m going to my house. We’ll talk again when you get up.” There was no point in wandering around the settlement while everyone was sleeping. I cast Shadow Teleport and disappeared into the darkness.
***
Despite not sleeping the night before, the adventure had left me full of adrenaline and wide awake.
Reappearing in the Chief’s Haunt, I went to the meeting room and started rummaging through my inventory. It was time to sort out the loot. I started by analyzing the two items Terdamesh had dropped.
Dread Totem Ring [Set 3/4] [monster only]
Description: This well-crafted item is a piece of The Ritualistic set. Complete the set for the full bonus.
Rank: Magical
Type: Armor [finger]
Effect: +7% to the maximum level of enemies that can be influenced by the Dark Mana skill.
I let out a low whistle. That unassuming description was hiding a real increase in power. At my current Dark Mana level, I could affect targets up to level 60. With this ring, my reach now extended to enemies up to level 64. Even more exciting, I was now one item away from completing The Ritualistic set. Up until now, each item had been dropped by an especially challenging enemy. I had a hunch I wouldn’t have to wait long for the final piece, and I was eager to see the set’s full effect.
I equipped the ring and examined the second item I’d looted off the shaman.
Skill Book: Runecraft
Description: Contains knowledge of the Runecraft skill.
Rank: Rare
Effect: Read the book to gain the skill.
Cost: 25,000
I winced. Unlike the ring, the second find was underwhelming. As I already had the Runecraft skill, I couldn’t use the book. It was still worth a fortune, but that was small comfort. Back at my own clan, I didn’t have much use for gold.
I flipped through the book’s pages, more out of habit than actual interest. Colorful shapes flashed past my eyes, and I froze like I’d been struck by lightning. I started leafing through the pages one by one, hardly believing my luck. Each page was full of complex rune formations; dozens of pre-made schemas. I could already spot new and unknown runes in the mix, but I couldn’t learn any of them. Not yet. I would have to decipher each schema first … break it down to its base components and isolate new runes. I rubbed my hands in pleasure. The process would be tedious, but the knowledge would be priceless.
Lastly, I took out the greatsword I had looted from Calger.
Flaming Greatsword
Description: The weapon’s markings identify it as dwarven made.
Type: Weapon, two-handed
Rank: Magical
Durability: 65/90
Damage: 15-30 slashing
Effect: The wielder may channel his mana into the sword to manifest fire along the blade. Every 10 MP will add +1 fire damage.
Base Price: 1,500
Compared to the first two items, the sword wasn’t all that interesting. Travelers with flaming weapons were a dime a dozen. Though it was not as formidable a weapon as The Roaring Inferno axe I’d enchanted for Malkyr, it was still better than what my troops were using. I made a mental note to gift it to one of the veterans.
Barring the loss of nearly a hundred Viridium spheres, taking on the entire armed forces of Akzar turned out to be quite beneficial. That also reminded me … I had yet to check on another side benefit.
“Vic, please show me the skill progressions from the last day.”
● Lucky Bastard 48 (+2)
● Mana Infusion 27 (+2)
● Runecraft 61 (+1)
● Dark Mana 60 (+1)
● Mana Shield 40 (+1)
● Shadow Teleport 18 (+2)
● Direball 22 (+3)
Overall, not a bad haul.
I’ll get it done as soon as the Dreamer’s Lodge is constructed, I promised.
New Era Online [Internal messaging service]:
From: Raystia
Subject: Almost there
Oren, we made it inside the guild’s outer walls. It’ll be dark enough for us to move in two hours. I’ll message you again when I reach the inner courtyard.
Penelope
My heart skipped a beat. It’s almost time.
Two hours in a player’s city translated to roughly 24 hours on my end. For better or worse, my revenge was just one day away.
Everything was falling together perfectly. The Dreamer’s Lodge would be ready tomorrow, the hunting party would return, and the doorway to the heart of my nemesis’s stronghold would open.
There were many things I could do to further prepare for the coming fight, but there wasn’t enough time to do them all. Selecting the most important item, I sat back comfortably in my chair and started leafing through the book.
***
Runecraft skill level increased to 62.
I had spent two hours pouring over the book’s schemas with a very specific goal in mind. The golem’s biggest downside was its inability to recover from damage. I needed a generic ‘fixer’ rune but hadn’t found one so far. It was hard going. To discover a new rune, I needed to decipher a blueprint containing it. But I had no idea what each schema did, and unraveling its function was not straightforward. So instead of concentrating on a single schema, I leafed through the book, trying to ‘feel’ my way through it. The skill increase was the only reward I got for my efforts. It was obviously going to take a lot more time than I could currently spare.
I exhaled loudly. Damn it. It was obvious I wasn’t going to find the answer to the problem any time soon. I need another solution … I thought numbly.
Then it hit me. I quickly pulled up the Settlement Interface, accessing the Religion Blessing tab, and selected Liquid Darkness, targeting Aidanriel.
Ineligible Target
The selected individual does not meet the requirements for the blessing.
That was disappointing to say the least, though I’d half expected it. As a free-willed VI, and a golem to boot, Aidanriel was the very definition of an ‘ineligible target.’
I yawned loudly. The adrenaline had run its course, and the long, sleepless hours had finally caught up with me. I was positively exhausted and had barely five hours of sleep to look forward to.
Tomorrow was going to be a very important day, so despite my apprehension about being unprepared, I forced myself to close the book and went to my bedroom. I collapsed in my large, comfy bed and instantly fell asleep.
***
The cave loomed before me, bigger and darker than ever.
Without hesitation, I sprinted forward. The irrational fear was behind me, conquered by my previous epiphany.
The ground shook and started to drop behind me, but I just leaned forward and forced myself to run faster.
The cave was getting closer, and as before, a small flickering light shone from its depths. The crumbling ground raced at my heels.
My run had almost carried me to the cave’s mouth. The light revealed itself as a small white pedestal that emitted faintly glowing threads crawling over the cave’s walls.
Then the ground finally caught up with me, and I fell into the endless oblivion.
***
Despite my fatigue, I was too anxious to sleep for long. For now, I put the disturbing dream behind me.
My plans were coming to fruition. Today could be the day the fate of my clan – and by extension, my own – would be decided.
There were preparations to make and plans to execute, and that meant I had to get an early start.
As usual, Kaedric was waiting for me when I left my house. “Good evening, my lord.”
“Kaedric.” I nodded. “Let’s go for a walk.”
We moved off the road to cut through the open field. Despite wanting to get an early start, I had obviously overslept. The valley was already filled with workers chopping, hauling, and doing other manual tasks. Since most of them were level 13 or higher, the work was quick and efficient. From a distance, I could see the two farmers pulling the heavy plow at a run while simultaneously seeding the ground.
We continued walking, heading toward the workshop complex.
“Barzel, Kadoc, Baja,” I called when we arrived at the flower-shaped structure.
The three goblin smiths stepped out of their workplaces and bowed respectfully.
“I have something for you,” I said and retrieved a spatial satchel from my inventory. The three metalworkers’ eyes bulged when I pulled out the golem core and lifted it, struggling to hold it in the air. The thing was about the size of a volleyball and weighed almost as much as I did.
“Dread Totem …” Barzel looked at a loss for words.
“That is a piece of cast Viridium,” Kadoc continued. “It is well beyond our abilities to duplicate.”
I shook my head. “That’s not what I wanted to show you.” Let it all out, I said mentally.
Come on already, I can’t hold up your core much longer. Spill it!
A small rift appeared at the bottom of the core, and out of it poured a torrent of greenish plates.
Baja’s eyes went wide. “Glassteel!”
Luck is what I do, I said mechanically.
The torrent continued as the golem ‘evacuated’ its storage space. A few moments later the rift closed, leaving behind a pile of the green mineral as high as my hip.
“I think this will make for some nice new armor, don’t you?” I said smugly.
The three smiths exchanged uncertain looks.
“What is it?”
“Dread Totem,” Barzel said apologetically. “I’m afraid glassteel requires special training to work with it. None of us are qualified.”
“Shadow-crap,” I muttered. I picked up a glassteel piece and analyzed it.
Glassteel Strip
Description: Glassteel is a unique mineral that gains metal-like properties when treated with certain alchemical substances. It is highly durable and lighter than steel, making it an ideal component for crafting armor.
Minimum Required Smithing Skill: 40
Type: Crafting component
Base Price: 25
My smiths were right; it was beyond them. At level 13, and with a Physical attribute of 15, their various smithing skills had reached their cap at level 25. I doubted even Malkyr’s skill had risen high enough to work the mineral. Luckily, I knew someone who was more than up to the task. And she was making her way to the valley this very moment.
“Kaedric, have the pile moved to the warehouse. It’s still guarded, right?”
“Yes, my lord. Two soldiers are keeping watch from within, as you instructed.”
“Good. I forgot to mention it earlier, but we’ll be receiving three additional members to the clan soon. One of them, Duladeen, is an expert smith, capable of working this mineral. Make sure she gets access to it.”
“Yes, my lord.” My seneschal gestured to several nearby workers. They dropped what they were holding and started hauling the green resource away.
“While we’re on the subject, how’s the troops’ equipment?” I asked.
“The armory has been fully stocked,” he replied without hesitation. “All the melee tanks have been issued steel brigandines and shields. The scouts and the melee damage dealers were all fitted with Vrick’s new and improved oxsaurian leather armor. Everyone’s using at least standard-quality weapons. The veterans and lieutenants were issued the weapons you retrieved in your raids. All weapons are enchanted – Hoker was able to reproduce the enchantments you created.”
“Excellent,” I said.
A small benefit of having the Breeder’s Den destroyed was that without many new soldiers to equip, we had concentrated our efforts on beefing up our existing soldiers. Each and every one of them was geared with items that would put a similar-level traveler to shame.
“Let’s go check out the latest addition to the clan,” I said.
The workshops were situated on the north side, not far from the valley’s walls. We walked the road parallel to them, passing the quarry and Barzel’s smithy before reaching our destination.
The Dreamer’s Lodge was still unfinished. Goblin builders were climbing all over it, putting on the finishing touches, but already the structure looked impressive. The walls were made of obsidian. The advanced stone colored the building black and gave it an aura of strength and durability. Metal rods were embedded between the blocks of stone, giving it even more strength, and void crystals were fixed at regular intervals along the walls. I could sense their power flowing over the unfinished walls, redirecting the ambient mana and funneling it inside.
I opened the Construction Interface and checked the progress. A hundred BP remained to finish. I could have waited the two hours that were left, but I was eager to get to work. Besides, I had over 10,000 energy at my disposal.
Rush Dreamer’s Lodge for 105 EP?
I confirmed the message. The unfinished parts of the building glowed with the familiar blue energy and then patched themselves up on their own.
New Building added to your settlement: Dreamer’s Lodge
As one, the goblin workers walked away from the finished building, heading to their next construction project.
I was reaching for the sturdy door when a voice cheered behind me, “Woohoo – it’s finished!”
I turned around and saw an overjoyed Hoker running my way. I smiled, despite myself. “Would you like to join me inside?”
He beamed at me. “Yes, Dread Totem.”
The heavy door swung smoothly on its hinges, revealing a mostly empty space. The dark obsidian walls instilled a gloomy vibe, but the sense of raw power was thrilling. The crystals in the walls somehow acted as a magical focus, redirecting the flow of ambient mana and funneling it toward a large obsidian block in the center of the room. The enchanter’s worktable looked suspiciously like an altar.
Hoker yelped in joy and ran toward the table, running his green hands over the smooth surface. “It’s perfect,” he whispered. “The raw power … with proper direction, enchantments done here will be better, stronger.”
I frowned. There was an obvious absence of tools or components of any kind. “Isn’t it sort of empty in here?”
Hoker glanced at me. “Oh, that’s nothing. Just tell the carpenter to add some storage appliances. That’ll take care of stockpiling suitable components. As for specialized tools, those are rare and hard to find.”
“We can start with this,” I said, pulling out the Enchanter’s Sphere. As soon as I held the magical item in my hand, I felt a powerful force drawing it to the table. I did not resist the urge. The moment it met the worktable, the sphere began emitting a faint glow and slowly hovered. Then it soared a meter above the table and remained motionless, fixed in the air, glowing.
Dreamer’s Lodge Upgraded!
Existing Effects: +10% enchanting speed, +10% enchantment strength.
Added Effect: Enchanter’s Sphere: Apply an enchantment to 10 suitable items at once.
“Yes!” I exclaimed.
Hoker’s eyes bulged so much he looked like a fish. “Unbelievable!”
“Oh, wow, this place is like … a dark laboratory on steroids,” a voice filled with wonder said from the doorway.
I instantly recognized it. “Malkyr!”
The large men bent his head and walked inside. “Hi, man – it’s been a while.”
“Yeah.” I realized I hadn’t seen him, or his sister, for over a week. “Feels like ages. How’ve you been?”
He flashed me his boyish grin. “Me? Never better. My smithy’s doing great. I get commissions from the other players for better gear, and we even arranged a couple of raids while you were gone.”
I frowned. “Raids? On whom?”
“The kobolds, of course.” He seemed surprised at my lack of knowledge. “Didn’t you know? Several dozen of them attacked the clan about a week ago. I and a couple of the others fought them off, then we decided to scout the tunnels they came up from. Turns out, it leads to an extensive cave system with kobolds and other subterranean monsters. Long story short, we discovered a type of worm that eats through the rock. The kobolds use them to excavate new tunnels. It took a little group effort to bring one of them down, but once we did, it dropped a bunch of top-grade metal. I’ve got my hands full with new orders at the moment. Everyone wants a Wormmetal weapon.”
“Wormmetal?”
Malkyr smirked. “Sounds better than ‘Giant stone-eating worm’s droppings.’”
“I can’t argue with that. Anything else?”
“Hmm … oh, both sis and I made it to level 35.”
