Author's Rant: Hello fellow penguins! This time of year is quite busy for me (and for you too probably). Anyways, my goal is to keep writing but also self edit my own chapters. The real tedious work is re-colouring the dialog. I wish to make your reading experience better so if you enjoy the MC's blue speech, please let me know! Of course, if you have any other suggestions, I would be happy to hear them. I do read all the replies (like all authors ehehe), so feel free to let me know what you think.
Enjoy the chapter~
***
Chapter 21: Pursuing Your Heart
It’s been five days in-game since Yunni went missing. The guilt weigh on Marcus’s mind. Lately he felt he's been doing nothing right. Questions kept pounding on his head for the past few days, the thought of Yunni only made Marcus all the more depressed; and like all depressed people, Marcus found himself sulking at the local tavern.
“Hey Barry! Another glass please!” (Marcus)
“Here you are kiddo” (Bartender Barry)
Slouching against the bar, Marcus took a sip of warm milk. Of Course just below his stool, Diloria was helping herself to milk as well.
“Woof!” (Diloria)
Diloria has grown to be a rather fine pet. She’s reached her peak size at level 20, from the tip of her nose to the tail, she was roughly 1.5 meters (4.9 ft) long. Her soft brown coat had changed to a darker brown. She resembled an Alaskan Malamute.
The reason Marcus was sitting at the bar was because he was out of mana and stamina. Whenever he’s not resting at Hansbridge, he’s out searching for Yunni; but as the search grew longer, Marcus's will was reaching his breaking point. He was worried. As he continued to drink the milk to restore his mana, an old friend came to visit Marcus.
“Hey Hero, I heard about Yunni” (Tessel)
“Please stop with the Hero. I don’t deserve to be called that” (Marcus)
“Alright then. Still searching for the little missus?” (Tessel)
“Yeah… no luck… it’s been 5 days now” (Marcus)
“Hey Marcus, come with me, I have something that could help” (Tessel)
Marcus followed Tessel out the tavern to the back of the ‘Hunter’s Guild’. The sound of a mother weeping softly could be heard behind the walls. Marcus didn't want to be there. He could only recall bad memories. Tessel turned to Marcus, signalling him to stay quiet. They snuck inside and crept towards the storage room. The room was filled with mountains of dusty books and paper, with some interesting weapons hanging from the wall.
“Hey Marcus. I know the feeling of losing a loved one. I’m not suppose to do this, so this stays between you and me” (Tessel)
“Gotcha. So why did you bring me here?” (Marcus)
Tessel picked up a small book and blew off the dust... Perhaps that wasn't Tessel’s brightest moment.
“Ah-ahhh-CHO!” (Marcus)
“Who’s there?!” (Tessel’s Wife)
“Ah, Sorry honey! Just cleaning up the storage room!” (Tessel)
“Okay. Make sure to take out the garbage too” (Tessel’s Wife)
Both Tessel and Marcus sigh in relief, Marcus got the hunch Tessel was also hiding this from his own wife. Whatever Tessel was holding in his hand must be something important....
[ping]
You received a pet skill book: Scent Tracking
Restriction: Pets with keen noses
Tessel whispered to Marcus while pointing towards Diloria.
“I think it’s possible to teach your pet this skill. Maybe she’ll be able to track down Yunni” (Tessel)
New hope had filled Marcus’s soul. This was it. He held the book close to Diloria’s nose. He didn't know how to teach a skill to a pet, he was hoping something would happen. As luck would have it, the book started to glow. After a brief moment, the skill book vanished from Marcus’s hands.
[ping]
Diloria has learn a new skill: Scent Tracking beginner lvl. 1
Marcus was overjoyed. Now he had a way to track down Yunni! Marcus was excited but remained quiet as they were still hiding from Tessel’s wife.
“Okay Diloria, find Yunni!” (Marcus)
“Eurf?” (Diloria)
Diloria stood there wagging her tail.
“Hey Marcus, you need an item that belonged to Yunni. Let your pet smell it, then it will follow the scent” (Tessel)
“Hm…” (Marcus)
Marcus was now in a dilemma. He was thinking what possible items he had that would smell like Yunni... then it clicked. Marcus pulled out a silky white cloth and showed it to Tessel. Tessel’s jaw dropped as Marcus continued to pull out several more similar cloths.
“W-where did you get that?!” (Tessel)
“Yunni gave them to me every time I…disappeared. She kept saying to use them if I ever get lonely. She must have known this would happen!” (Marcus)
Tessel was in disbelief. He never imagine Marcus was so innocent.
“This should work, right?” (Marcus)
“I-I suppose?” (Tessel)
Tessel’s hands trembled as he took the cloth and placed it in front of Diloria. The dainty piece of silk made a small ‘V’ shape as it hung from both fingertips. Diloria took a sniff and started to bark! Marcus knew it worked!
“Good girl! Lets go find Yunni!” (Marcus)
“Woof!” (Diloria)
Sprinting towards the horizon, Marcus didn't give Tessel any time to say goodbye. The hunter was left in disbelief. He stood there silently as his wife barge through the door.
“Tessel! What’s all that noise?” (Tessel’s Wife)
“Uh...” (Tessel)
“Hey... what’s that in your hand?” (Tessel’s Wife)
“Uh-” (Tessel)
“P-P-PANTIES?! WAIT! ARE YOU CHEATING ON ME?!” (Tessel’s Wife)
“...” (Tessel)
***
Marcus was shadowing Diloria’s every step. Quick as a fox and light as a feather, they made their way through the forest and entered the grassy plains. Before they could continue, a familiar voice called from behind...
“Hey wait up!” (Stephanie71)
“Eurf?” (Diloria)
“What is it Stephanie? I’m busy” (Marcus)
Stephanie leaped from the trees and landed gracefully with a twirl. She had an apologetic face as she approached Marcus.
“Um. I’m really sorry for what happened! I-um, want to make it up to you” (Stephanie71)
“Don’t worry about it... besides, Diloria learned a new skill, we should be fine on our own” (Marcus)
“But I can help too! My job class makes it easy to follow people, I should be able to help you track her down!” (Stephanie71)
“What’s your job?” (Marcus)
“Stalk- erm. I mean thief...” (Stephanie71)
“Doesn't sound like it would be useful” (Marcus)
“Ah-it’s super useful! I can pick locks and um, scout far ahead!” (Stephanie71)
“Sigh...okay, come with us” (Marcus)
Stephanie was delighted to get the chance to make amends. Through her -Eavesdropping- skill, she quickly figured out the whole situation and felt guilty for being the cause. Even though Yunni was a potential love rival, she wanted to play on a level playing field; taking Marcus all to herself while he was down in the dumps wouldn't sit right with her.
“Hey, lets make a party! That way we won’t get lost!” (Stephanie71)
“Uh, okay?” (Marcus)
“Oh! And add me to your friend list!” (Stephanie71)
[ping]
Stephanie71 has invited you to a party, do you accept?
Stephanie71 has invited you to her friends list, do you accept?
“Yes” (Marcus)
Marcus instantly saw Stephanie’s name appear above her head. It was green. Like every mmos, experience share, japtem distribution and party benefits, such as tracking party members, could be accessed and changed by the leader. All party members names (but not level) are revealed above their heads. This made it easier for players to distinguish friends from foe, but also helped them follow their party members through crowded streets. Stephanie explained the basics of ‘partying’ to Marcus before heading out.
Marcus was surprise how well Stephanie kept up with his movements. From every step to every jump, Stephanie mimic perfectly what Marcus was doing. The reason itself was actually quite simple. Stephanie was using her skill, -Shadow Chaser-. A skill that could only be used with line-of-sight, it allowed a player to copy someones movements to a certain extent. The combat potential of the skill is weak, but when it came down to stalking chasing someone, it was a very useful skill.
After cutting through the grass, Marcus and friends stumble upon a dirt path. Stephanie briefly mentioned how this route connected the three major cities, Rohan, Ilragorn and Solaris. Diloria continue to head up north on the path. Upon reaching a fork, Diloria took the path towards the forest. There was an eerie feeling coming from the woods. Marcus couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Was it the fake skulls dangling off the trees? Or the ‘keep out!’ signs place along the path? Well, it didn't matter. Marcus was too focused on finding Yunni; because of his focus, he failed to notice the group of bandits following from behind.
“Psst, Marcus!” (Stephanie71)
“What is it?” (Marcus)
“We’re being followed” (Stephanie71)
“Really?” (Marcus)
Stephanie was the master of stalking following people, it was an easy task to sense the presences of a fellow stalker thief. Since Marcus ‘abandon’ her at Rohan, she upgraded her job class from thief to stalker thief.... In the game of Golden Age, every job class had the ability to evolve. Not all requirements were the same. Some required a specific items, while other required a certain level. In Stephanie case, she had to give gold to the thief guild to advance her job to... well, ‘thief’. The reason you ask? Nothing complicated. She just wanted to follow a certain person till the ends of the earth.
[shiiing]
Marcus followed Stephanie’s example and pulled out his weapon. He couldn't sense anyone's presence but he was confident Stephanie wouldn't be joking at a time like this. Just as she predicted, several men appeared from the thickets. Their face were covered with the shadow from their hoods, their outfit were all different, but they resembled bandits you would be commonly found along the mountainside. They all unsheathed their swords as the closed in on their prey.
“Hey, this forest is off limits, get out!” (Bandit?)
“I’m looking for a fairy, you wouldn't happen to have seen one flying around?” (Marcus)
“Hey Marcu-” (Stephanie71)
“Fairy? Kid, if you want to purchase a slave, you gotta go through the right channels. You’re in luck, we happen to stumble upon a fairy a few days ago” (Bandit?)
“Slave?!” (Marcus)
Marcus’s muscles started to tense, his teeth started to grind. A similar feeling started to well up from inside. The same feeling he had when he fought the Galzar King.
“Yeah. If you want the purchase that fairy, head over to the slave auction house. We don’t deal with customers” (Bandit?)
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Veins were bulging on the side of Marcus head. He was pissed. The bandits didn't pay much attention to the bloodlust Marcus was emitting. What can two children with a pet dog do against several grown men? Marcus stood there, gripping his axe and hoe. The bandits became impatient....
“Hey kid. How long are you planning to stick around? Get moving!” (Bandit?)
[ping]
Through special action(s): (New skill) Rage beginner lvl. 1
+20% attack during rage
+100% stamina consumption during rage
Lion's roar: -25 mp
“YOU BASTARDS!” (Marcus)
“Eek!” (Stephanie71)
In that brief moments, the bandits were paralyzed in fear. The bandits were only stunned for a single breath... A single heart beat...
[ba-dump]
Marcus became a beast. The bandit at the front could only watch as the lion pounce through the air towards his face. The beast looked menacing. The axe looked bigger than usual. The hoe was more intimidating than he thought. Like lightning crashing down, the bandit soon found himself in a dark place.
[BOOM]
“A-attack!” (Bandits?)
It was pandamonium. The first bandit wasn't dead, but his head was stuck in dirt and his body was limp with fear. The impression of a one hit KO sent shiver down their spines. Marcus didn't hesitate but he completely lost his mind. All he wanted to do was to kill those bastards who kidnapped Yunni and sold her as a slave!
[kling-kling]
The bandit's usual coordination was thrown in disarray. They desperately started attacking Marcus with sloppy movements and poor tactics. Marcus dove head first into the fire. He didn't bother with any fancy footwork or technique, he just dodge by the skin of his teeth and swung as hard as he could. Whenever he had the chance, he would immobilize the bandits for a few seconds by burying them under the earth. As the battle dragged on, the bandits began to compose themselves. They were hurt but the damage wasn't as high as they first assumed. From behind Marcus, a bandit was ready to strike his back.
“Die brat!” (Bandit?)
“-Slit throat-” (Stephanie71)
Like an assassin, Stephanie slip from the shadows behind bandit who threaten to stab Marcus.
[sliiith]
Silent but deadly. Stephanie slipped back in the shadows before the other bandits even realized what happened. The combinations of the party was working to Stephanie’s advantage. She needed someone to distract the enemy while she performed her assassination techniques. Marcus and Diloria was doing a great job at that. One by one, the bandits were falling with their heads lopped off. The whole fight took less than 3 minutes, but as the last bandit fell, Marcus was completely out of breath.
“Hah...hah....” (Marcus)
[ping]
Level up!
+200 infamy
Marcus ignored the infamy notice and started planting some herbs to recover his stamina and health pool. Though it was probably more effective if he created a salve, Marcus just munched on the raw leaves. During his time at Filoria, Marcus spent some time enhancing the grade of his healing herbs from C to A. The healing effect dramatically improved, he was now healing 30 hp(or 25 stamina)/leaf. He offered some to Stephanie but she was already full hp.
After a short break, they resumed their search. Stephanie suggested to search the bodies for any clues. As luck may have it, they stumble upon a simple map and a set of keys. The map itself wasn’t needed thanks to Diloria, but the keys may be useful. They headed deeper into the forest with Diloria in the lead. She was still tracking Yunni’s scent. Like most typical bandit-style hideout you could imagine, there was a cave with 2 bandits guarding the front. Marcus was angry but he didn’t want another confrontation with the bandits. Stephanie drew up a plan for them to sneak by. Going back to the corpse of Bandits, Stephanie and Marcus changed their outfits and smudged some dirt on their face.
In the game of Golden Age, outfits had another function besides autoclean. It was called autofit. Clothing created for a specific set of race had the ability to change size for whoever wore them. This eased trading armor between players of different size to a certain extent. Of course, races such such as orge or giants needed their own set of clothing.
After several minutes, they return back to the cave entrance. Stephanie did the talking while Marcus tried to look as intimidating as possible.
“Hello, we caught an animal” (Stephanie71)
Stephanie held Diloria on a leash while trying to do her best impression of a bandit.
“Hm. You guys aren’t from around here. Who recommended you?” (Guard)
“The bandit chief himself of course! He told us to prove ourselves by catching a wild beast!” (Stephanie71)
Sweat started to trickle down Stephanie’s back. She was hoping they wouldn’t see through her lies. The guard stared down Stephanie and Marcus. He was an NPC and was affected by the player’s fame and infamy level. Unknownst to Marcus and Stephanie, thanks to their tiny increase in infamy, they actually appeared more criminal-like than they normally would. The guard nodded while motioning them to move through.
“Phew” (Stephanie71)
“Psst-how did you know their boss was a guy?” (Marcus)
“I didn’t, obviously!” (Stephanie71)
They walked through a series of tunnels which lead to an underground cavern. Diloria stopped at the edge of a dock and started to bark. It was a dead end. They could see the sun pouring in from the exit of the canal. Wherever Yunni was, she wasn't here....
“Hey! The ship already left yesterday! You can move the mutt to the storage room” (Bandit?)
A typical bandit with a snarky attitude approached Stephanie from behind.
“Um, excuse me. Did you happen to see a fairy on board the ship?” (Stephanie71)
“Oh, that feisty little pipsqueak? Yeah, we had to cuff magic runes on her so she wouldn’t be able to cast any magic. She made a total mess of the storage room” (Bandit?)
“YOU-!” (Marcus)
“Marcus!” (Stephanie71)
Stephanie held Marcus arm to signal him to calm down.
“What’s the matter boy?” (Bandit?)
“It’s nothing! We’ll move this mutt to the storage room then, thanks for the info” (Stephanie71)
Marcus whispered to Stephanie, he was still upset over the whole situation. He wanted to destroy the whole hideout, but Stephanie knew better.
“Shh-we still need information. Calm down and let me do the talking” (Stephanie71)
Stephanie ran up to the sailor and started to put on a show.
“Excuse me onii-chan~ Where was the ship heading too?” (Stephanie71)
Stephanie unbutton the top of her shirt and her dimples shot her cuteness meter over the roof. The bandit started to blush while looking to the side.
“Ah that ship? Over to Solaris of course” (Bandit?)
“Aw~ I really wanted to get our dog over to there. Is there any way for us to catch a ride?” (Stephanie71)
“Hm. Well the ship already left. You’ll have to wait a month for the ship to return. Maybe if you rush there by horse, you’ll be able to catch the auction in time” (Bandit?)
“Oh? Is there someone we should talk to at the auction?” (Stephanie71)
Stephanie used her finger to loosen her shirt to reveal some more cleavage. She meekly twisted her hip while flashing her lashes at the sailor.
“A-aye. You can speak with Kane, he's the head of the auction house” (Bandit?)
“Kane?” (Stephanie71)
“Yup, that noble bastard with the weird fetish. I can teach you a few tricks that would grant you some good favour with Kane...if you catch my drift” (Sailor?)
“Ehehe, your so cute onii-chan~ lead the way” (Stephanie71)
The bandit started to loosen his belt as he strolled towards a small cabin...
[sliith]
[thump]
“Stephanie?!” (Marcus)
“I already got 600 infamy, another 100 wouldn't hurt” (Stephanie71)
Marcus also wanted to kill the bastard but watching Stephanie toy with the man before plucking his head off sent shivers down his spine.
“Hey, don’t just stand there. Help me carry his body to the cabin!” (Stephanie71)
Marcus obediently followed Stephanie's orders, he dragged the body towards the wooden cabin located at the edge of the cavern. He kicked open the door and threw the body inside. At that very moment, Marcus and Stephanie froze.
“Hey, what the fuck is this?” (Bandit?)
“What the hell?” (Bandit?)
“Uh-oh” (Marcus)
“RUN!” (Stephanie71)
Stephanie grabbed Marcus arm and threw a smoke bomb inside the cabin.
[BOOM]
Marcus, Stephanie and Diloria started running towards the exit. Several Bandits were shouting from behind. Reinforcements were coming. Once they reached the exit, the two guards had a perplexed look on their faces.
“Halt! What’s happen-” (Guard)
[BOOM]
Marcus drove his hoe straight through the bandit’s face while burying his head in a block of stone. Stephanie made quick work with some flashy knife play and slit the bandit’s throat. Stephanie and Marcus could see several torches approaching them from behind. Like before, Stephanie threw another smoke bomb into the cavern to buy them some time.
“After them!” (Bandit?)
“Don’t let me escape!” (Bandit?)
The gang didn't waste time with making their escape. They ran for several minutes, but the Bandits were on their trail. Stephanie turned to Marcus and shouted.
“Hey! Log out!” (Stephanie71)
“What about Diloria?” (Marcus)
“What do you mean? Don’t you know pets disappear with their owners when they log out?” (Stephanie71)
“Huh? But I swear I could see Diloria playing with Yunni every time I log back in!” (Marcus)
“That’s cause Yunni is a companion! Not a pet! The pet will attach itself to a companion when the player isn't log in. But since Yunni isn't here, Diloria will disappear with you!” (Stephanie71)
“Really?” (Marcus)
Marcus wasn't too clever. He never actually thought about how the pet system worked in Golden Age. Pets and companions shared similar benefits but also have different functions. A companion is free to act on it’s own will, they are usually NPCs or highly intelligent monsters. The companion will remain active in the game regardless if the player is on or off. However, a pet required a companion or the owner to remain active. If either conditions aren't met, the pet will disappear along with the owner until they log back in. Also, a pet cannot be ‘captured’ or ‘stolen’. If the pet ever wanders more than 500 m away from the owner, the pet is instantly teleported back.
Marcus had to put his trust in Stephanie once more. Marcus nodded as Stephanie disappeared. Marcus took one last look at Diloria and gave her a weak smile...
“I’ll be back. Be a good girl while I’m gone...” (Marcus)
Log out
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