It didn’t take long to get back to town, where I sold off the goblin loot, netting another 1,600 system credits. For some reason, the system paid anywhere from 90 to 120 credits per weapon, even if they were of terrible quality. I wasn’t complaining—it added up fast.
Still, I needed a better way to carry gear. My current ring was nearing its limit, and with how quickly things piled up during combat, upgrading storage seemed like the smartest investment. Opening the system store, I browsed the available options and was immediately greeted with a staggering list of enchanted gear, most boasting extradimensional storage magic. Unfortunately, even the cheapest of them made my credits feel like pocket change.
Letting out a deep sigh, I glanced around and spotted Maribel she was digging though the counter shelves for something. I didn't even think they had anything in them but shows how much I know about system ran stores, I guess.
"Maribel!" I called out, jogging over. "I need your help navigating the system store. There’s too much...stuff, and I don’t know what’s worth it or a scam."
She raised an eyebrow, smirking. "You're asking me, the merchant, for advice on shopping? I'm flattered, Lord Liam."
"Yeah, yeah, rub it in," I muttered, handing her the interface. "Just help me find something decent without bleeding me dry."
She scanned the listings with practiced ease, tapping her chin. "Alright, let’s see what we can do. Extra storage items are tricky, but there are a few mid-tier options that won't completely bankrupt you. Ever consider a storage satchel instead of a ring?"
I paused. "A bag? Won’t it get in the way?"
"Not if it’s enchanted properly," she replied, scrolling through the options. "Ah, here’s one! A Mana-Woven Utility Satchel, holds about three times what your ring does, adjusts its weight to stay light, and self-repairs minor damage. It’s only...7,500 credits."
"Only?" I groaned, looking at the listing. Still, it was far better than the five-figure prices I’d seen earlier.
Maribel grinned. "Think of it as an investment. You’re planning on bringing back more loot, right? This’ll pay for itself in no time."
After a moment’s hesitation, I mentally hit the "purchase" button. "Fine. But if this thing breaks on the first outing, I’m sending you the bill."
"You’re welcome," she said with a wink, handing the interface back.
The satchel appeared on the counter, so I walked up to inspect it. The bag was made out of some sort of grey leather material, with a black clasp on the front and one shoulder sling. Grabbing it and looking inside I saw nothing, not even the bottom of the bag. Reaching further in, I realized the power of spatial magic as my whole arm up to my shoulder disappeared. "Whoa, that's pretty neat..." grinning, I slipped it over my shoulder, and it attached to my hip with an audible popping sound. After rolling around a bit on the granite floor, the bag didn't move off of my hip at all. Now that my shoulder was sore from that stupid bit, I decided it was time to go check out the passage glyph.
Bram ushered me along a corridor across the room the Glyphstone console was in, and then we started descending down a narrow staircase. It barely had enough room to have two people walk side by side. The way was lit by some intricately designed wall sconces with blue flames, they wavered back and forth quite a bit as if they were eager to be extinguished. Upon reaching the bottom we ended up in a barely lit cavern with what seemed to be a hastily written ritual embedded on the floor. The only other thing besides that were a few more sconces and a marble pedestal.
Walking over to the pedestal expecting a book or some sort of mystical device but there was nothing but a shallow indentation in the surface, roughly the size of a large coin or medallion. I furrowed my brow and looked to Bram for an explanation, but he was busy inspecting the ritual on the cavern floor.
"Doesn't seem like your usual teleportation setup," he muttered, crouching down and tracing a finger over the etched runes. "This is...sloppy, rushed. If I didn’t know better, I’d say someone was trying to jury-rig a system connection down here."
"System connection?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.
"Yes, you know, using the system's magic without proper integration. Like taking apart a clock and hoping you can use the gears to build something completely different. Dangerous stuff, trust me, it's kind how I landed here with you." he said, standing and brushing his hands off.
I turned my attention back to the pedestal, running my fingers over the smooth indentation. "So, what goes here? A key? A medallion?"
"Could be anything," Bram replied, glancing around the cavern. "Though if this is tied to the system, it might require a specific item...or even someone with a high enough standing."
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
"Like a lord," I muttered under my breath.
Bram snorted. "Lucky you."
I hesitated, then reached for the unbound system mark I’d picked up earlier. It wasn’t much of a stretch to imagine it fitting into the pedestal. As I placed it into the groove, the mark began to glow faintly, and a soft hum filled the air. The flames in the sconces steadied, burning a brilliant azure.
Bram stepped back, his hand twitching nervously. "Uh, you sure about this? Jury-rigged systems can be...unpredictable."
"Too late now," I said, watching as the glow spread from the pedestal to the ritual on the floor. The runes flared to life, casting eerie shadows across the cavern walls.
The air grew heavy, and a low vibration resonated beneath our feet. The pedestal's surface rippled like water, revealing an inscription that hadn’t been there moments before:
"Speak the name of your destination."
Bram let out a low whistle. "Well, looks like you’ve activated it. Question is...do you know where you want to go?"
"Larksbury." saying barely above a whisper, it was the only settlement I knew of besides this one.
The darkness swallowed us whole, thick and suffocating, as if the air itself had been drained from the cavern. The glow of the runes and sconces vanished, leaving an oppressive silence. Then came the pain. It started as a low hum in my skull before erupting into searing agony, like molten iron coursing through my veins. My scream mingled with Bram’s, creating an echo that seemed to reverberate endlessly in the void. My knees buckled, and I hit the cold stone floor, clutching my head as if I could physically hold myself together. Bram's form flickered like a distorted image; his sharp, menacing grin replaced by an expression of raw pain. “What the hell did you do, Liam?” he managed to growl through gritted teeth, his usual sarcasm replaced by genuine panic.
“I just...” My voice cracked as another wave of pain surged through me. “I just said the name!”
The agony peaked, and then, as suddenly as it began, it stopped. The darkness lifted, replaced by a swirling vortex of light and shadow that seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction. The floor beneath us was gone, replaced by a shimmering, translucent surface that felt both solid and intangible.
Bram staggered upright, his form stabilizing but visibly shaken. “That...wasn’t normal.”
“You think?” I snapped, still gasping for breath. My body ached, my vision swam, but I managed to stand, wobbling like a newborn giraffe. Before either of us could say another word, a deep, resonant voice echoed through the space, vibrating in my chest like a drum.
“Unauthorized activation. Entity recognition: Descender. Destination approved. Proceeding with recalibration.”
Bram froze, his ears flattening against his head. “That...does not sound good.” The vortex began to twist and shift, forming what looked like a doorway made of pulsating energy. It loomed ahead, ominous and inviting all at once.
I glanced at Bram. “Recalibration? What does that mean?”
He shook his head, his usual smug confidence nowhere to be found. “No idea. But it doesn’t sound good.”
The doorway pulled at us, a force like gravity dragging us closer. I tried my best to resist, but it was useless. “Larksbury better be worth it,” I muttered as we were yanked through, the vortex swallowing us whole.
The last thing I heard was Bram’s dry laugh. “If we survive, you’re buying the drinks.”
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We arrived 10 feet from the surface of the ground and were unceremoniously dropped in a water trough for Abertroxes. Things happened then that will give me nightmares for many nights to come. It included a human mouth, tentacles and lots of vomit... We eventually got out of the pen and observed the settlement before us. It looked to be one step away from being called ruins. I initially thought the town of Hillgrove was small, but this place only had about 15 buildings and no defensive walls.
"Where is everyone?" talking to Bram as we continued walking down the only road in the village.
He let out an over dramatic sigh "Give me a second."
We made it about halfway through the small village as Bram entered one of the small houses with a half-rotted thatch roof. This place is either abandoned or something is really wrong... As I reached for the door of what I assumed was the town hall, it burst outward with a sudden crash and a tall figure filled the doorway, tall and imposing, already lunging at me with a sword. I barely leapt back and evaded most of the blow besides a shallow cut to my forearm, I fumbled withdrawing my spear, cursing at myself for not having it ready in the first place. His movements were unnervingly smooth as he fully emerged from the shadows, my heart stopped. It was a massive orc, towering in at least 6'7" and his muscles looked as if they were going to break free from his dark green skin at any second. My mind raced on what to do, I did the only thing I could think of and called for Bram through are mental link.
"Bram get your ass over here now, we are in trouble." I called out to him internally with a panicked urgency
Taking steps back with my spear aimed towards the orc,
"We is a lot of people." he chided I could hear the grin growing on his face.
The orc smiled menacingly as if he heard what Bram had said.
"BRAM! I'm not fucking around. Theres an orc!" I yelled no longer caring
The orc swung again aiming to break my spear in half, I withdrew it and tried slashing the spear at his neck. He evaded it by rolling his neck, my spear had come within an inch of his throat. He took a step forward at the same time now within four feet of me. I took several lunges back to gain distance, but he pressed on. I had to keep swinging my spear wildly at him, while moving backwards to keep out of reach.
"Bram where the hell are you?"
"I found something intriguing, give me a minute." he responded
"I'll likely be dead by then this thing is smarter, stronger and more evasive than anything I've fought."
There was no response, as the orc battered my spear to the side and jumped into swinging range. I let go of the spear and rolled forwards going underneath of his sword, barely missing his strike as I summoned my smaller spear. I lurched back as it appeared in my hand reversed, the spearhead piercing through his furs and into his lower back. He let out a deep guttural yell, as his whole body was engulfed in a red aura. Still facing away from me he reached back and pulled the spear out of himself.
Berserkers Rage, I know exactly what that was. Unarmed and defenseless, I did the only smart thing I could do in that situation. I turned and ran.