Sorry for not posting for nearly 3 months. I had an issue logging into my account to post the chapter, and by the time the issue was resolved I was so caught up with my work that I forgot about this chapter.
Credits to LD, Snow, Curv and Nox for helping to PR this chapter and helping to bounce ideas around. To my other avid readers whom I provided with the benefit of reading this chapter, you probably would have read this chapter before. Sorry!
I'm not sure if I would be posting regularly after this, it's not easy trying to pick up a work that you put on hiatus for a long time. Rest assured, however, that I will do my best to see this FF through this time. Thanks again for the support!
*
Time of Report: XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX hrs
With all the action being focussed towards the central and northern parts of the Versailles continent, the West looks to be a vacation in comparison. Yet, underestimate the dangers of the Grand Western Desert at your own peril.
This place is home to a number of exotic and dangerous creatures such as the Desert Manticore, Salamander Wyvern and Cockatrice. In addition to that, the mercilessly hot sun, lack of water and food as well as its many traps combine to form an area where the odds were constantly stacked against you.
It was also at this very place where Heroes used to gather. Many great exploits and feats of bravery and cunning were recorded here.
The denizens of the unforgiving desert followed a particular code of honor there, and they strongly believe in bonding through battle. Mortal enemies would take up arms and band together against an immediate threat before continuing their feud. It is then that bonds are created, and it was the highest level of dishonour to die before the dispute could be resolved.
- Adapted from the Royal Tattler, which is written by a certain Luigi-Chan.
**
2 months ago.
Sharima Desert. Evening.
“Here, Tetsu, take this.” She handed me a knife.
“Tetsu” was her nickname for me due to my preference for heavy armor.
“But… isn’t this your favourite one?” I asked, staring at the dagger which had been the bane of many monsters. It was as red as the blood it spilt.
“I think this little one would want to keep travelling.” She said simply, and I looked, dumbfounded by the use of the pronoun because well… it’s a dagger. I took it anyways, and she gave me a small smile.
My heart was torn at the sight, as I recalled the big grins that she always flashed, that winning smile that warmed the hearts of many in the unforgiving desert. I busied myself with repairing the equipment. I really wished I had something else to say to her.
I racked my brains.
“Do you… really have to leave?” I asked, and that smile vanished.
Was that the wrong question?
“I’m sorry, but something personal came up.” she said, her expression grim. “I won’t have time to play anytime soon.”
“But…” I began, and then clamped up. I didn’t have anything to say to that. She gave me another one of her smiles and didn’t say anything else.
There was a pause as the quiet smothered the remains of our conversation. We sat on the dunes and watched the setting sun in companionable silence.
The sun’s glorious radiance dimmed with every drop, a sign that our short but memorable time would soon come to a close. I gazed at her, hoping that the helmet would obscure my intent. Her beautiful ebony hair was cast in a golden glow.
“Beautiful...” I muttered to myself.
I really wished I had something else to say to her...
“By the way, what will you do now?” she asked suddenly, startling me. I suspect that she was playing me. She could always guess when I was looking at her.
“Me? I suppose I would keep doing what I am doing now.” I said, sharpening my sword to a razor’s edge. My swordsmanship isn’t exactly the best, but my master always made sure I learnt to keep my weapons sharp.
“Don’t you ever think of finding a place to settle down though?” came the one question I could not answer.
“No, not really.” Why would I, when there was stuff to fight, monsters to be killed on sight?
“Oh.” she became quiet for the rest of the evening.
I honestly wished that I had something more to say to her that time.
Because when the sun finally set and she logged off, that was the last time I ever saw her.
**
I woke up to the immensely toothy grin of a Dwarven Blacksmith, and did my best to keep my posture impassive. It was a good way to suddenly jolt awake and lose your appetite for breakfast at the same time.
I rubbed my head as I endured the incessant sounds of the hammer pounding on metal.
That dream again…
I must have dozed off due to boredom. The dwarven blacksmith gave me a hearty pat on the back.
“Examination’s over, friend. Thanks for your time.” he said, and deep inside I gave a sigh of relief. On the surface, however, my expression remained impassive. I inclined my head and walked out of his smithy, in the direction of Chi’s place.
I made sure that the dagger that hung on a belt around my waist was there as I moved off.
***
Bjorn watched the armoured figure leave, and turned to his brother Bjorne (with an ‘e’), who was busy beating a slab of mithril into the shape of a sword. It was a joke to take the same name at that time, but now it was a little annoying. And very troublesome.
'Bjorn and Bjorne', said the sign outside of the smithy.
“Quiet guy, ain’t he?” Bjorn picked up his notebook and scribbled a few notes as Bjorne looked up from his work. He pursed his lip as he wrote down the following:
- Nothing out of the ordinary with the Subject this time round, although further examination of the markings on the cuirass warrants examination.
- That aside, the craftsmanship on the armor is exquisite. In fact, it would be difficult to replicate this level of ability, although I suppose Hermann might have a good chance of doing so, considering his area of expertise. Even if we do not obtain the secrets of creating -
“He has every right to be.” replied Bjorne (with an ‘e’) as he continued his monotonous work. “Guy must be bored out of his mind.”
“Think he might hold the secret to creating that?” Bjorn asked as he set down the notebook and picked up a breast plate, carefully marking the portions where the runes were with a pencil.
“You know what he is, Bjorn.” Bjorne chuckled. “He may not seem much, but he is the closest chance we have to creating one of the very best armors in the game.”
A pause as they considered the ramifications.
“You know,” began Bjorn after careful thought. “I hope you are right. He gives me the creeps though.”
“Hah, brother, you know I’m always right.” Bjorne puffed up his chest.
“Except for that naming decision.” came the retort.
“... Except that.”
***
Time of Report: XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX hrs
My stay at Kuruseo continues. Fortunately, they didn’t have that much work for a scribe, so I am generally left alone, and thus am at freedom to probe around and ask questions.
The residents are friendly enough, and are willing to answer my queries regarding the hauntings which are reportedly ongoing. There is speak of a possessed armor that walks the streets. Although generally peaceful, I was warned that it will be wise to leave it alone, for fear of the repercussions.
However, no repercussion is too big for Ramses-Dono!! Especially when this one writes for the people!! Indeed, it is worth going into danger just for the sake of the people.
In my quest, I walked along the road where the smithies were, and am pleased to report that there is are clanking sounds at night - and the blacksmiths are generally considerate creatures. Surely it must be the clinking of armor!! I now advance in my search, hoping for answers to the many questions which flood my mind. Stay tuned, readers.
Of the mysterious Mister W.B. Smythe, I have not managed to obtain any further detail, but I suspect it will all fall into place eventually.
- Adapted from the Royal Tattler, which is written by a certain Ramses-dono.
****
I looked up at the night sky. The full moon was exceptionally bright, casting the smithies in its silvery glow.
Although I didn’t see the need to, I instinctively stretched my limbs luxuriously and let out a deep breath.
“It’s so peaceful… What an uncomfortable peace.”
It will soon change, however.
Tonight should be good hunting. I increased my pace, dashing towards the place where I knew Chi would be. A chance to let loose every once in a while.
My footfalls were noisy as my boots clanked heavily against the ground.
****
Time of Report: XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX hrs
I found no further evidence of the clanking noise for today and decided to call it a day, instead opting to try out some of the dungeons that Kuruseo has to offer. I then heard tale of a forest dungeon nestled within the Mountains along the outskirts of Kuruseo. Home to a war tribe of Night elves, it is a dungeon fraught with traps, angry fanatics and the constant feeling that you were not welcome here. Players would do well to constantly keep on their toes while hunting there.
Night Elves tend to be extremely territorial and believe heavily in being one with Nature - as such they harbour the utmost dislike for technology and see Kuruseo as a blasphemous place. They would often send a token group of elves to raid the villages which is quickly put down in short order by what some of the residents claim is their security system - a suit of Living Armor.
Despite the fact that Kuruseo is careful enough to clean up any evidence of such encounters, careful observation revealed several potholes which seemed to be caused by a weapon skill, the likes of which I have never seen before.
While I still heavily doubt this and would credit this to the constant number of top players which come here on a daily basis, there is some credibility in the premise.
Scourge of town, now turned defender? This tale is starting to get taller and taller the deeper I delve into it. Nevertheless, I shall persevere!
- Adapted from the Royal Tattler, the article written by a certain Ramses Dono.
*****
I stopped at the entrance to the Mountain Forest Dungeon, as emotionless as ever.
The area gave off a scary aura as dead trees interlocked their gnarled branches, forever in death’s embrace. It created vivid impression of an imposing sentinel, making itself look as uninviting as possible. The full moon hung gloomily above did nothing to soften the atmosphere, but rather accentuated it.
I felt no fear.
Deep inside, in fact, I was grinning like a little school boy as I strapped on my gauntlets. Runes were inscribed carefully over them to make it lighter and easier to use, but I knew that the whole thing was at least a near-solid slab of heavy Mithril. It was near impossible to be used with proficiency by warriors within its requisite level range, unless they distributed exclusively to their strength stat. It looked impressive, but it was also horribly impractical.
Chi always had this propensity to create crazy stuff like this. And I was the only one crazy enough to try and use them. I got to my feet and threw a few punches. Oh yeah, they are really going to feel that for a while.
I was surprised she would even let me go off with that piece of equipment without batting an eyelid. In fact, she practically helped me choose the weapon, taught me how to put it on, and waved me off with a smile on her face.
I made a note to gather as much information as possible regarding these gauntlets. It’s the least I can do to repay her. Channeling mana through my armour, I activated the ability of my equipment and cast several buffs on myself as the runes on the chest plate began to glow:
[Decent Rank “Ironside” buff cast. Defense Rating + 20%, Durability of equipment + 50% for the duration of the buff.]
[Decent Rank “Clarity” Buff cast. Critical hit rating + 10%, Concentration + 5%, MP regeneration + 30%]
[Decent Rank “Iron Fist” Buff cast. While using fists, Attack rating + 30%, Attack Speed + 20%, “Relentless” applied.]
[Decent Rank “Wings” Buff cast. Movement speed + 20%, “Float” applied.]
[Decent Rank “Spirit Guard” Buff cast. “Shield” applied, Damage reduction + 15% for the duration of the “Shield”.]
Several rare equipments have this ability to grant you usage of a weaker variant of certain buffs. They were very expensive and you will most likely get stronger effects by getting the buff from the respective classes itself, but they are a major boon for solo players like me.
Most of them were rewards from quests I have completed in the past, and I never needed to find any replacements, since then, instead opting to upgrade them constantly whenever I had the chance. They were my constant companions in the desert, where I had no one else for company.
It was ironic that they were to be the prison I was sealed in, however.
I recalled that moment when I discovered the remains of the Ruined King and shook my head. I only had myself to blame for this predicament.
I triple checked everything, and having deemed them to be in order, I walked into the dungeon.
****
The token troop of night elves dashed along the edges of the forest, their footfalls silent. Dressed in grey leathers and hooded coifs, they resembled ninjas, their movements graceful and wraith-like as they sought out their quarry.
Suddenly they simply stopped midway, standing as still as statues. One of them, presumed to be the leader, raised his hand, his ears primed as he cast out his senses. While the feeling is faint, there was the scent of iron in the air - more enemies are afoot. Worst, it was coupled with Magic - the worst kind unimaginable. This could only mean one thing -
The abomination had come again.
A murmur of voices as they came together in urgent conclave, and then the group split up, one trio continuing the hunt while the other group dashed in earnest, a new target in their sights.
****
I made my way into the deeper parts of the forest, where I was sure I can find a clearing to work with. The forest was really dark. The trees were bent, arched in anguish, their bare branches indistinguishable from one another in the shadows. The dead foliage crunched under my feet with every heavy step I took.
Nevertheless, other than the scuffling sounds of the wildlife that dwelt around here, the place felt surprisingly tranquil.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
However, I couldn't shake this eerie feeling, now that I wasn't distracted with bantering with Chi. It was as though something is boring holes at me, leaving my skin feeling all tingly. I was being watched.
The hostility felt pretty palpable, so thick you could probably cut it with a knife.
My suspicions were soon answered. Immediately I was aware of hostile eyes glaring angrily at me. I was very likely not welcome here. Damn Nature sees me as an abomination. Well, it's not our fault how we were made right?
I stopped in mid movement and extended my presence, attempting to understand the situation. Let's see... Three... No, four hostiles approaching rapidly. I stood my ground and made a stance.
At that moment, elven warriors leapt out from within the shadows. Judging by the purplish tint of their skin they were probably of the Dark Elf variety. Their slender lithe bodies were difficult to make out in the forest, and they were clad in grey leather which helped them blend into the darkness.
One of the elves stepped forward.
‘Oh good, we are going to have some friendly banter before we fight.’ I grinned wryly to myself as I took advantage of this to study the environment about me. Not that the elves can notice this, in my full suit of armor and full face helmet, all they can see is an impassive and emotionless figure.
My master always told me to calm my emotions, and I quote, "calm yo titz, brah." And I was so glad for the advice, as "ghetto" as it sounds.
“You abomination of nature, how dare you step into the territory of the Dark Elves. Do you have a death wish?” the elf called out haughtily, brandishing his Shiv in front of him. The curved short sword glinted wickedly in the moonlight.
I said nothing, but continued to stand still and study the place. My statue-like stance seemed to infuriate the elf, whose veins were starting to bulge. His face was also slowly reddening from anger. Excellent, excellent. Anger never helped anyone. Except for me.
"Ignore me, will you? No one ignores Destrin Moonstrider and lives to tell the tale!!" the elf dashed towards me, Shiv drawn back for a thrust.
I let my body tilt to the left, just enough to narrowly dodge the attack. The elf, thrust having met no resistance, lost his balance, but recovered enough to swivel out of the way of the left hook I sent flying his way.
Ugh, these gauntlets are seriously unwieldy. I decided to relax, and let my fists drop.
Let the weapon do the fighting for you.
He stabbed his Shiv forward again, and I parried it with another punch, pivoting on the spot and swinging the massive gauntlet down, letting the weight gather momentum. My feet were planted firmly on the ground as I assailed the night elf with a fusilade of swinging punches, each of them narrowly dodged by his inhuman reflexes.
His face was slightly grazed from the force of my punches as we broke off from our little skirmish, but I don’t think I dealt any significant damage, since his health bar remained in the green.
He kicked back and created some distance between us, and we were back to a staredown as we circled each other. The elves had the advantage, being greater in number and martial ability, but I was certain they couldn't take a hit. In that case, I would have to be on the defensive.
The elves were approaching cautiously, so it seems they were wary of my attacks. It won't be easy to find an opening.
Then again, if we stand off like this it will be impossible to break this stalemate, and they have time on their side to call for reinforcements. I channeled mana through the gauntlets. In that case...
“Ifrit!!” I shouted, invoking the name of the ancient fire spirit. I immediately felt great strength coursing through my arm muscles for a split second, and slammed down the gauntlets onto the ground, sending massive shockwaves flying at them.
The elves were caught by surprise and were knocked down by the blow. A spiral icon appeared above their heads, signifying the stun status.
****
The trio of night elves ghosted along the trees, their movements like the wind. Their senses picked up on several signs of their quarry’s progress - a snapped twig here, a plucked oak tree there, a crop of herbs stripped bare for all to see.
The elves bristled with anger. It was sacrilegious to over-harvest in the forest - take nothing more than what you deserve, then touch them no more. The thought of someone just taking from the forest without bothering to return the favour was anathema to them.
Their eyes constantly roved the scene, drawn to sights of their glorious nature being destroyed.
So caught up they were in their anger that they did not notice an additional thing that was just dropped into the ground - an acorn, marked with a magical symbol.
A flash of light, pain and then nothing.
****
A chance!! I leapt upwards, hands raised for another attack, only for them to recover quickly from the stun and roll out of the way. My gauntlets left large potholes where they struck.
"Hmph, Abomination, your attacks are strong, but to us, you are just like a clumsy bear." The elf Destrin taunted, having retreated to a safe distance.
"At this rate you can just stand there while we use you for target practice." He raised a glowing hand and fired a low level magic bolt at me.
Damn elf had to be a spellsword too...
His companions, chuckling to themselves, raised their bows and started to fire a steady barrage of arrows at me.
However, I was in a heavy suit of armor, and the arrows bounced off. However, the magic seemed to have a strong effect against the armor, and it grazed against the armor, leaving a small chink in it.
[ You have lost 230 durability (19770/19990). Max Durability fallen by 10. ]
I was wearing a pretty thick piece of armour though, but eventually they will wear through it. My heart fell as I considered the ridiculous cost for repairs. Lost durability was not cheap to restore.
Did they even know of the effort it took for me to procure that set of armor?!
Destrin, having noticed this signaled to his friends, and wind started to gather around the arrowheads.
""And the archers had to be proficient in magic as well..." I grumbled to myself as I took a stout stance and prepared to brace against the onslaught.
I was in a pickle. I was unable to catch them, and they just negated my defensive advantage with their magic. They are now able to pick me off leisurely from a distance while kiting me the whole time. Worst of all, even if I live through this, I still have to pay for the results of their “Target practice”. No wonder the owners at the local Gun Range charged so much.
[You have lost 200 durability.]
[You have lost 250 durability.]
[You have lost 270 durability. Maximum Durability fallen by 50.]
My durability was dropping steadily. At this rate, I might really die. I had to do something and fast.
'This calls for something complex,' I decided.
I opened up my spell interface - a hologram marked with many different runes. The “Concentration” required for this skill was immense, and using the manual interface helped to reduce the complexity of the action.
Tapping the interface with my fingers rapidly, I entered the commands:
[Executing Cadence] > [Multicast Programme/Ifrit/Loopcast]/ [Cast/Stance/Sustained]
Macro having been set, I gathered mana with my fists and legs and repeatedly slammed the gauntlets into the ground.
“Multicast - Ifrit!!”
*CRASH* *CRASH* *SMASH* *SMASH* *SMASH* *SMASH*
"What the?! That crazy sonabitch!!"
Punching and kicking down wildly, I smashed the ground repeatedly, causing it to rupture. With loud cracking sounds, the trees began to fall, one by one. There was the fluttering sound of wings as flocks of colourful birds were forcibly evicted from their homes.
The elves tried to attack, but they couldn’t find a steady foothold and quickly lost their balance. The barrage of ranged attacks they were firing at me came to a halt.
Trees continued to fall. I would have given a silent prayer that the environmentalists don’t see this, but my concentration was completely focused into channelling the Multicast. And besides, I already had 4 environmentalists over there stumbling and falling down around me.
The ground rumbled, and Destrin screamed his frustration, his face now a beetroot red from anger.
"KILL IT!! KILL THAT GODFORSAKEN ABOMINATION!!" He raised his hand, and the fire ball he was about to throw at me doubled in size. The archers pulled back their blows as much as possible while keeping on their feet, and the wind around the arrowheads began to intensify.
It seemed that they intended to end this as quickly as possible. Their duty was first and foremost dedicated to the preservation of the forest after all. I was however, ignoring this and continued to smash the ground. They soon lost their balance anyway and fell back down.
At this point, we seemed to be in an impasse.
However, at that moment, all my “concentration” suddenly came flooding back to me. Surprised, I looked up, and was greeted with multiple instances of the following sentence:
[ You do not have enough mana to use this skill. ]
Oh. Damn it.
****
A cowled figure carefully looted the drops. Night Elves tend to be sparse in their offerings, but nevertheless every bit was picked up and kept. She wasted nothing.
She paid no thought to the shaking of the earth. There were probably other people hunting as well.
What she did pay thought to was the fact that a tree was now falling. She sighed, and took out a piece of purple crystal, casting a barrier which repulsed the tree trunk and sent it flying.
How inconsiderate.
She got up and continued to move in the direction of the shaking.
****
I tried to move, but it seemed that using the multicast left a considerable amount of backlash on me, causing considerable damage to my limbs and causing temporary paralysis.
Long story short, I cannot move. I am stuck.
The shaking stopped, and the elves shakily regained their footing, having been able to weather the worst of the shockwaves. Their health bars had dropped by a significant amount, but they were otherwise still rather healthy. Destrin sneered as he awkwardly strode forward, his smile not as confident as before.
“Damn it, abomination, you had us worried there for a second. Damn council will have our hide for letting you have your way with our forest. I think I will start my repentance by ending your intolerable existence here.” He raised his Shiv. “Begone, abomination. Your pathetic sight ruins my appetite.”
Have your friends ever tell you that you use the word “abomination” a little too much?
As much as I struggled, I could not move. I was pretty certain the accumulated damage to my armor weakened it considerably, reducing the strength and defense rating. A clean hit should finish me. Or they could take several. This was not an execution where a clean decapitation is needed anyway.
On the bright side, there's no need to clean up afterwards. How considerate of the game developers.
In any case, I was praying that I wouldn't lose the gauntlets (Chi will seriously kill me if I did.) when -
"You are in the way. Move."
A giant fireball, much larger than what Destrin was able to conjure thus far came hurtling at us. It struck two of the elves, and I could hear their screams as the flames consumed the flesh from their very bones. The reason I said that was because immediately after the screams, I had a glimpse of blackened bones as they turned grey and vanished.
That was some powerful magic. I swivelled my head as best as I could to see what was going on, and I managed to see a guy in a cloak. He or she spoke in a rather deep but muffled voice:
"You there, knight. Don't you have any idea that it is rude to fight in a dungeon when there already some one there? Shouldn't you have asked for permission first?"
"I was hoping you didn't mind. I wanted to test out my gauntlets."
"Well, your testing caused explosions that shook throughout the entire dungeon!! Did you have any idea what trouble you have caused?" The cowled figure admonished. "I nearly died when a tree fell on me! Did you pack your weapon with explosives or something?"
"Well, consider me chastised." I sheepishly said. "Now if you don't mind giving me a bit of help..."
"Actually I wouldn't mind letting them lop off your head." The cloaked individual said. "Nothing like a good decapitation to teach a guy not to resort to wholesale destruction…"
"Yeah, just leave us to dispatch the abomination and you can be on your way." Destrin was grinning, relaxed even as he raised his Shiv again. "Our priority is the abomination anyway. I think I can forgive your burning 2 of my comrades for that."
"... But, there is another thing about me..." The cowled figure lowered his cloak, revealing an almond face with rather striking feminine features (from what I can see from my awkward angle), her face twisted into a sardonic smile.
"I hate Night Elves."
"What are you talking abo- GAH!!" A flummoxed Destrin was immediately struck with a powerful thunderbolt that reduced him to ash in an instant. Deep inside, even though I cannot move, I pumped my fist with glee.
I couldn't turn my head any further to see anything else. What a shame.
I heard lightning, some really awkward screaming and then silence. I heard footsteps step closer to me and tried to make my voice sound as patronizing as I could.
"Uh, if you don't mind, could you dig into my armor pocket and dig out the bottle of oil I keep there? And can you help apply it to my joints? I seem to be... stuck."
I heard a light chuckle, and then felt a sharp impact as the stranger give me a kick in the area where my ribs was supposed to be. It didn't hurt. I heard a sharp intake of breath, and then...
"After what you have done, I think you deserve a little... time out to think over what you have done." I heard some rustling, and a tiny clink as she set down the bottle of oil on the floor next to me.
"Now..." She turned to leave, and I noticed, nor without a little bit of glee, that she did so awkwardly. "I guess I will see you around."
The irregular rhythm of her footsteps soon faded away as I struggled to grab at the oil bottle.