Deas moved silently through the empty tomb. The sound of the players still celebrating followed him, even as they began to fade. He was looking for something. A hidden doorway to a secret chamber where he had stored many useful artifacts in case this day ever came.
Where was it again? Deas frowned as he searched his dusty memories. Ah, that's right. There were just a few more turns between himself and what he sought. Hmm, I should check my progress. I'm sure I heard that annoying sound we set to alert the players they had leveled up a few times.
Level 6, Deas sighed. At least it was progress. Next, he eyed up the stat points he had to spend. Which only amounted to ten. That's the problem with those lingering in the mortal grade. It takes too long to gain real power. He instantly dumped the points equally into Intelligence and Wisdom. After all, they were the most important stats for his class.
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Name: Deas Thalios
Race: Risen
Class: Necromancer
Grade: Mortal
Level: 6
XP to Level 7: 1250/2500
Stats:
Health: 200/200
Mana: 220/220
Stamina: 180/180
Strength: 15
Dexterity: 12
Constitution: 18
Intelligence: 30
Wisdom: 27
Charisma: 10
Luck: 8
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After he had resolved that minor issue, he returned to the tomb. The flickering torchlight cast long shadows over the ancient walls as Deas stared at an alcove on his left. It was dusty, and many spiders had made it their home over the years.
Excellent, Deas chuckled. It remains untouched.
He placed a bony hand upon a particular area of the wall. A smirk played on his skeletal face as he sensed a small part of his old, dark energy thrumming within it. Come to me.
The magical energy he had imbued in the stone channeled into him. Then, it dispersed into nothing as Deas no longer had the capacity to contain it. A moment later, the illusion was broken. Now, a thick, reinforced door stood in place of the blackened stone bricks.
As Deas opened it and passed through into the next room, he took in the sight of the chamber he had prepared. "From now on, this will be my sanctuary."
The air within was stale, but everything else was immaculate. This hidden room had been sealed for eons, making it impossible for it to be affected by the passage of time. Deas' eyes glowed softly as he studied the ancient scrolls, tomes, and artifacts on the shelves and inside the display cases.
After a few moments passed, Deas lay his eyes on a crystal ball. It was ornately decorated with arcane runes—so tiny, one would think they were a constellation of stars. I forgot about you.
To be precise, Deas never forgot anything. There were just so many memories in his head that it was difficult to find one among them. At that moment, he recalled the long-forgotten enchantment he placed upon it.
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Farseeing Crystal:
Allows the user to view a wide area of their surroundings from above.
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Perfect. Deas stared at the artifact with tender affection as he picked it up. With this in my possession, I can monitor the village and the players from afar. Nothing will escape my sight. He placed the crystal ball on the room's central altar. Deas wanted to make sure it would always be within reach.
Next, he glided over to one of the many chests. Resting inside were several tools he had prepared for this moment. Deas carefully rummaged through them, searching for something in particular. Ah, found you.
His orbs glowed slightly brighter as he removed a velvety black tome from within the chest. It was what the players would call a Skill Book. However, it was actually a manual on how to learn and cast the singular spell recorded within its pages.
How do mortals do it? Existing like this is so... tedious.
This was a first for Deas. He had never needed to learn spells before. They just appeared in his mind as the mortals of the myriad worlds reimagined his capabilities. Luckily, he held the collective experience of the many souls he had interacted with.
Deas flipped open the tome's pages and rapidly devoured its contents. I see. No wonder all those mages I guided in the past complained.
His eyes flickered briefly as Deas easily accessed the Arcane Sea. So, this is what they called the Sea of Stars. He found himself more amused than awed by the sight in his mental landscape. Much like the crystal ball from before, numerous constellations of arcane runes spread out before Deas.
However, there were only two of these seas in different colors. One ocean of runes glowed with a muddy brown color, while the other cast a black light over their surroundings. It was a strange concept for any mage to wrap their head around. After all, how can darkness light up the darkness? But that's precisely what was happening.
This must be why I met so few mages talented in dark magic. Deas grinned. As the living concept of death, Deas was naturally attuned to the Earth and Dark magical affinities. Which, when combined, could create spells of an Advanced magic branch named Decay Magic.
Naturally, this was what the Necromancer class excelled at. Even though necromancy itself was only a small selection of spells from this particular branch of magic.
Deas hummed as he sent out tendrils of mana toward the runes he identified from the book. With the careful precision of a surgeon, Deas stitched the sequence of runes together in the order the tome had described.
As more runes joined the tapestry he was weaving, Deas could feel a slight pressure in his skull. Hmm, that'll take some getting used to. Eventually, Deas completed the operation, and the runes pulsed rhythmically with power.
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Active Skill Acquired: Life Drain
Description: Steal health from a target, restoring your own vitality. Scales with the user's Intelligence stat.
Cost: 10 Mana
Cooldown: 10 seconds
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Deas grinned sadistically. Such a... practical skill. Healing through the suffering of others had long been a principle held close to his non-existent heart. Even going as far back as... As far back as when? Deas frowned as he realized he was struggling to fish out that memory from the infinite well of his mind.
Well, it doesn't matter. Deas gave up on his trip down memory maze and retrieved a second tome from the chest. This one wasn't for his own use. No. He had prepared this one to scam... Ahem... to provide the players with guidance.
When read and understood, the tome would allow any magic class to change into a necromancer. Deas was certain the players would be hungry for it. After all, it was something they should only come into contact with once they developed their arcane knowledge far beyond their current level.
They'll eat this up. Deas could already see their eager faces. Desperately throwing away their hard-earned XP and gold to gain this opportunity. He silently imagined the chaos that would unfold if he raised an army of unkillable necromancers.
I should track down any knowledge that will allow the other classes to advance on the darker paths. Deas casually amended his future plans to account for this train of thought. He knew players quite well.
They would quickly forget about him altogether if he had nothing of relevance to offer them. That can't happen. His eyes flashed dangerously from even considering the thought.
Over the following several minutes, Deas collected some items from the other chests.
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Hermit's Robe: An earthy brown robe that raises the wearer's Wisdom by +5.
Serpent's Staff: A gnarly staff made of slitherwood. Raises the wielder's Charm by +5.
Amulet of Anure: An iron amulet designed to look like the arcane rune for knowledge. Raises the wearer's Intelligence by +5.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
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As Deas tossed various other relics, potions, and long-outdated currency into his inventory—that was a tricky part to arrange—he realized he hadn't prepared as well as he should have.
Deas had spent so long as Death that he never stopped to consider all the equipment he would need. He'd just stockpiled the things he considered essential. Entirely forgetting about things like boots, gloves, and other equipment.
I'll have to remedy that. Deas groaned as he cast a critical eye around the chamber. The only thing that looked remotely out of place in that room was the large, luxurious bed tucked away against the far wall. Deas frowned as he briefly recalled the day his friend—one of the other gods— dropped by with it as a gift for him.
However, he never figured out why they thought he would need it.
As Deas continued his observations, he made several plans for the hidden chamber and the tomb in general. Yes, that'll work. He would fortify it, set new traps, and enslave undead to guard him. He would do everything within his power to keep unwelcome visitors far away from his new home.
First, I need more resources. And information. Deas nodded with satisfaction as he finally felt like he was regaining control over his fate. The players are the perfect tool for the job. So long as I keep them believing they are helping themselves, they will continue to serve me well.
Deas' grim laughter infected the room as his eyes flickered ominously. Yes, let them scurry like rats. In time, they will build my empire for me. All to fuel my reascension.
With those thoughts in mind, Deas left the hidden room. After manipulating his mana flow and embedding it into the door, the room was sealed. It's a pity I can't hide it with an illusion anymore. Only then did he realize he could no longer hear the small group of players he had brought along.
They must have moved on. Deas hummed as he navigated the main tomb. Without the need for caution, he quickly approached the exit and stepped out into the forest.
Deas' eyes dimmed as they adjusted the brightness. The canopy overhead blocked much of the evening sunlight as shadows played among the trees. The sounds of distant battles brought a sense of disharmony to his surroundings as Deas set off for Greystone.
Along the way, he paused to observe a party of players engaging a wolf pack in combat. Deas wondered if the players were hunting the wolves of their own volition or if the villagers had triggered a quest prompt.
The twin orbs in his skull grew smaller as he considered the possibility. It's probably the case, Deas groaned. Although the people of this world had no notion of quests in the same way as players understood them, it was a secret function that forever ran in the background. Anytime someone asked something of someone it would create a quest.
From that point, if the person accepts the task, they've essentially accepted a quest without ever being aware of it. They would then gain XP upon successfully completing said quest.
This happened numerous times every day. All Deas had done was link the players' souls to the world's event log, allowing them to see these quests when the locals couldn't. In other words, Deas gave the players a way to cheat and accelerate their growth by granting them access to the World Events Log.
"Stop dodging!" one player shouted as another of their fireballs missed their target.
"These enemies are bugged!" another screamed in utter frustration as they struggled to swing their sword correctly.
I should be thankful for the players I rounded up before, Deas thought in amusement as he watched this group struggle to understand how skills worked.
For magic-type skills, it was as simple as going through the process Deas had to learn his latest skill. After that, it was simply a case of thinking about the spell to cast it. The only real problems mages faced were memorizing and successfully linking the required runes and practicing their aim.
Meanwhile, the physical classes had to imagine many stars around their body. These stars marked specific points a weapon's blade or point had to pass through in the correct order to activate their skills.
Idiots, Deas shook his head as another player was bitten when they failed to activate their skill. But they'll learn. It's nothing a bit of pain can't fix.
That's right. The players would feel actual pain when they got hurt. This was an unfortunate side effect of linking their souls to this world. And if they die... Well, that was a problem Deas could address when it came up.
"Hey, guys! Look over there! Isn't that the weird NPC from the tomb quest on the forums?" one player called out as their party finished off the last wolf.
Deas frowned at the comment. Is word already spreading? Ah, of course. With a thought, Deas opened his player interface and clicked on the forums tab. Pinned at the top was the most viewed post. Naturally, it had come from xXxBlazingDragon420xXx. In it, he boasted how they were the first to defeat a boss. The post was accompanied by screenshots of the quest and Deas in action.
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HairyMary commented: That NPC is OP! Why does he have to be so ugly? I'm crying over here!
ImWatchinU commented: Hahaha! Look at you, noobs! The NPC wouldn't have had to bail us out if I had been there! Git gud!
PollyIsACracker commented: Poster above. Does anyone even say that anymore? I think you're the noob here.
LonelySoul commented: Bro! Gimme that NPC's skills, now!
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Deas chuckled as he dismissed the interface while the other players of the nearby party started to pay attention to him. He felt a shiver down his spine as their eyes lit up.
"Yo. Do you think he's got another quest?"
"Come on, let's find out."
While the players jogged toward him, Deas ignored them. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the village and continued on. After all, it was important for him to maintain a quiet air of mystery about himself. He felt like that character from a children's fable on Earth. What was he called again... That Piper fellow... A dark chuckle escaped his mouth as more players kept joining the crowd behind him.
Upon returning to the village, Deas and the little chicks following him were met with curious stares and hushed whispers. There was no doubt in his mind the players were hoping to pick up more quests. However, Deas maintained his distance from them as he sat on a crumbling wall.
While gripping his staff, he exuded an air of authority, power, and mystery. The players hesitated as the twin blue orbs in his skull passed over them. They couldn't help but feel as though they were cattle having their worth evaluated.
"Um, excuse me," a nervous rogue said as she stepped forward. "Do you have any quests?"
Of course, Deas ignored their use of the word quest. No matter what, he had to keep up the illusion he was simply an NPC. There was no way he could slip up and cause the players to wonder how he had knowledge of games, or Earth, for that matter.
"Hmm, I have some tasks I require help with. If that's what you mean," Deas' voice was low and deep like an incoming storm. "But I will only give these tasks to those who prove themselves worthy."
The players could clearly smell something interesting in Deas' words as they chattered loudly. Some began to ask if Deas held the first quest for the main storyline. Others thought he must be the tutorial guide for their village.
"What do you need us to do to prove our worth?" One player, a warrior by the looks of him, asked as he stepped forward, patting his chest. "My party and I will take on any task you have for us."
Deas smirked as he pushed a list of quests to the nearby players in a window. The players voices grew louder as this was the first time they had triggered an NPC with multiple quests. As they scanned the quests Deas offered to them, some sharp-minded players said they must be reputation quests.
The other players quickly agreed with them. Farming an NPC's reputation to gain access to items or better quests wasn't strange. But it was weird there didn't seem to be anything to indicate how much rep they would gain from each quest.
"Where do we start?" the rogue asked her party before they agreed to gather some herbs.
They're nothing but sheep. Deas' eyes pulsed as he studied them while the players accepted simple fetch quests. And I am their shepherd.
Yes. This was how Deas planned to recover his power in the shortest time possible. Like a farmer, he would water and feed his crops with quests. Then, when they were ripe, the reaper would come to collect his due. In this case, that meant selling them skills and other items for XP and gold.
The collective XP of hundreds or thousands of players would quickly level him up. How will they react when they discover every transaction in this world requires spending XP? Deas mused as he studied the excited faces before they ran off in groups to complete his tasks.
After thirty minutes or so, the first players returned. Deas stared into their expectant eyes as he studied the herbs they presented to him. "Thank you. Here is your reward."
Deas handed the players some coins he retrieved from his inventory, and the players whooped in joy. However, Deas was ready to hit them with a curveball.
"You have proven to be of some worth," Deas continued as he dropped his voice to a low whisper suitable for deals made in a back room. "I can offer you a small portion of what I have to offer. You should work harder if you want to see more."
"Show us!" A mage amongst them eagerly said, his eyes flashing with a hint of madness.
"Very well."
With that, Deas opened his store using his NPC interface and pushed it to the group. It was full of low-level items that he had recovered from the tomb. But occasionally, there was an item worth far more on the list.
"What the hell is this?" The mage almost puked when he saw that everything came with a cost, not just in gold but in XP.
"Is this a joke?" Another player asked, their face flushed in anger.
"Nah, this is right." A warrior nodded, full of confidence. "I read about this on the forums."
"You've got to be kidding! What a crappy design choice by the developers. We need to complain about this until they change it."
"Yeah, but that could take a while. Let's just buy something for now so we don't fall behind."
Deas smirked under his hood. The players were reacting exactly how he expected. But that was fine. None of them would want to fall behind, so some would definitely buy his wares. Then, once one did it, the floodgates would open. Everyone would crave better items, and they would forget all about the cost.
Suddenly, the mage player among them yelped as if he had been burnt. "This... Is this for real?"
"What's up?"
"There's a class change tome in here!" The mage replied, his breathing turned heavy. "It's for the Necromancer class! I thought it was an advanced hidden class! I've got to have it!"
The mage couldn't hold back any longer. The player gritted his teeth and paid the asking price. Deas smirked as an easy 300 XP jumped into his experience bar.
The player didn't actually receive the tome. No, he received a copy of it that would vanish from his inventory once used. After all, Deas had to maintain his monopoly over this unique gift he could give them.
Foolish mortal, the temperature around Deas dipped slightly due to his disdain. You have no idea what you've given to me. I must thank you for that.
Yes, Deas could already see a glorious future on the horizon. One where he held sway over an army of immortals. While the players would undoubtedly become stronger and a force to be reckoned with, they would accelerate Deas' growth far more than their own. They would never be able to outpace him in leveling speed.
Deas' thoughts were interrupted by the approach of a familiar group. Each of them sported a piece of equipment that was better than the other players' gear. Ah, they've finally come.
FlameEmpress locked eyes with Deas, her expression entirely unreadable. "Do we qualify for one of your secret tasks?"
"Yes," Deas smirked. "You do. You proved yourselves more than worthy during the tomb's cleansing."
"You've been busy," Deas continued, his voice dripping with a calculated tone that added to the air of mystery about him. "If you believe yourselves worthy of my power, complete this task for me."
"Pfft," a lanky rogue who had just arrived scoffed. "What crappy roleplay. The developers could have done a better job with this character. Come on, he's a nobody. We should head to the nearest town and leave these losers behind."
Deas' eyes flashed dangerously as he stood up and appeared before the rogue. The player flinched as Deas loomed over him. "Little thief, it's best if you understand your place. There are forces in this world that can make your life hell."
The lanky rogue blinked as he stepped back. The force in Deas' voice threw him off balance as he sensed the atmosphere taking a dangerous turn. With a loud gulp, the rogue prepared to say something. But suddenly, he thought better of it before slinking away with his tail tucked between his legs.
FlameEmpress and the others chuckled and jeered at the arrogant player's misfortune. "Whatever task you have, Deas, we'll take it."
Deas nodded as he explained that he needed them to collect the soul of a powerful Direwolf in the forest. Essentially, it was the equivalent of a field boss. When they accepted the quest, Deas handed them a dark crystal that would guide them to the target and trap its soul once it was slain.
"You can count on us, Deas," QueenSlaya69 chuckled as she stroked her new shortswords. "We won't fail you."
The other players jealously glared at FlameEmpress' party as they vanished into the forest. Each of them thought about what it would've been like if they had been lucky enough to trigger Deas' first quest. Some even took to the forums to complain about the matter.
Deas gave a low chuckle once they had vanished into the tree line. FlameEmpress had no idea the crystal served another purpose. It would funnel experience points to him as if he were there and part of their party. By this point, it was getting late, and only a few stragglers lingered around the village. I should call it a day. Most of them will be logging off soon.
Who would ever think mortals could be so amusing. He thought during his return journey to the tomb. They're here to have fun and feel like they've accomplished something. That's fine as long as they continue to serve my purpose.
Deas casually listened to the quiet conversations of players as they made plans for the future while he passed. A few were still hunting wolves near the tombs, while others were completing his quests. They spoke about how realistic the game was as they sat around campfires and boasted about what they had seen.
Before long, Deas stood before the magically sealed door to his chamber. As he disarmed it and entered, his gaze went to the crystal ball. After sending his mana into it, the ball showed him the tomb's surroundings in vivid detail. He guided it through the forest, zooming in and out while studying what the players were up to.
Everything is coming along nicely, Deas thought as he tracked down FlameEmpress' party. A steady stream of XP kept coming to him through the enchanted crystal he had provided her. From the looks of it, they'll slay the Alpha Direwolf soon and return to me.
He nodded in satisfaction before turning away from the crystal ball. Deas busied himself with organizing the other treasures in his secret chamber he had yet to go through. Occasionally, he flipped through a tome he found interesting, gathering intelligence and knowledge common to this world.
Hours later, the sound of footsteps approaching his sanctuary reached Deas. He placed the tome he was studying down and turned to greet his favorite group of players, who were led back to him by his crystal. However, something was wrong. NoobMaster and xXxBlazingDragon420xXx were missing from their group. Not only that, but Deas recognized the new dents and damage to their armor as something the wolves couldn't have done.
FlameEmpress wore a grim expression as she stepped forward. QueenSlaya69 behind her looked shaken as FlameEmpress finally spoke. "We killed the Direwolf, but we ran into some trouble."
Deas raised an eyebrow at her. "What sort of trouble? Tell me."
"A man who looked important arrived on horseback, surrounded by knights as we killed it. He asked us a bunch of questions, some about you. We didn't know what to tell him, so we refused to answer. Then, he demanded the body of the Direwolf. But it was ours! We worked hard for it!"
Deas nodded for her to continue as he recognized the pain and frustration in her eyes.
"He ordered his men to seize the Direwolf's body, and Dragon blasted one of the knights with a fireball. Before I could do anything, the other knights killed him and NoobMaster as we ran away. It's so unfair!"
"That's not all," QueenSlaya69 chimed in with a sob. "I think they followed us here. I think they're coming for you."
Well, now, this is interesting.