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BCB Chapter 10

Chapter 10

“I don’t know man,” Kopius protested, “I’m pretty sure ‘written’ communication is in the ‘verbal’ communication department.”

“We can debate the nuance all you like,” Oh-jin was pointing out, “As far as your quest is concerned, they are different!”

“Don’t get too caught up in names, lad,” Cici insisted. “A wizard is a mage is a warlock, it's all the same.”

“No. No it is not!” Oh-jin groaned. “A wizard wields their power through an item, like a wand or a staff! Mages draw their magic from manifesting their mana. Warlocks,” Oh-jin scoffed, “well, they are given power through possession or some other bartered item—like their soul.”

“They all fight with magic though,” Cici added, trying to salvage his comment.

“Clearly then, anyone who can throw a piece of meat on hot metal is a cook? Hmm?” Oh-jin retorted.

Cici started to say something but thought better of it. He raised his hand halfway to make a point but quickly dialed that back too. The big man had a face that was busy reflecting on something and when it was all over he gave Oh-jin a big shrug with a shake of his head.

“Very well then,” Oh-jin said, getting back to the original topic. “Your first three quests for Communications will be the following: Verbal, Non-Verbal, Written. Much the same as with Fighter; once you complete these three, seven more will be tailored depending on how these were finished. Do you understand?”

“I think so,” Kopius grumbled. He had little to no enthusiasm for these quests. It most certainly involved talking or interacting with others, a chore he avoided where he could. “Hopefully these aren’t, you know, judging a fish on its ability to climb a tree type stuff.”

“Not your best euphemism lad,” Cici joked.

“It's more of a metaphor, I think,” Kopius answered.

“Analogy.” Oh-jin stated. “Focus boys. We need to get through this last part before you make your way to Cawbachu. You do not have to do this now but with your Practice tab open, any visible Challenges can be completed. If there is a description for the Challenge, it can be completed along with any other detailed Challenge. Is that clear?”

“Crystal,” Kopius replied, not wanting to pull open the window at all.

“Excellent,” Oh-jin replied, “My hope is that Cici will be able to provide guidance if you have any questions.” The old man made obvious he was talking to Cici and the big man nodded in agreement.

“Perfect,” the chemist clapped. “What do we have remaining…”

His words faded as he looked around his lab. He eventually focused on the small pile of goods Cici had collected and his pointer finger shot up in the air like he had just had an epiphany. “Goods!” was all the old man shouted and he shuffled out of the room. The two remaining men gave each other a look and a shrug, opting to remain in the room.

Kopius ducked under various pipes and made his way through the maze of shelving to have a look at what Cici had gathered. Nothing remarkable stood out at first or second glance. There were two small empty vials, similar in size to blood vials at donation centers; a leather pouch large enough to store the vials; two wooden spoons with deeper than normal bowls; and assorted candles. Normally, Kopius would inquire about such an array of items but he had already spent the first half of the day getting slammed with information, so he wasn’t in a hurry to add to it.

Oh-jin returned to the lab with a tray filled with his own sundry of items. He had a few familiar looking empty potion vials as well as what looked like dried out food. Also on the tray was a small leather pouch with two vertical bulges, a rolled up scroll with a thick, red colored ring holding it bound and another book.

Kopius gave the book a scowl. He wasn’t against reading, he was against the act of reading; the monotony of it. That’s why Cory had embraced audiobooks; especially Fantasy and LitRPG genres. Some of those talk jockeys could really bring a story to life. At one point, he even thought he might write his own but that never happened.

“No,” Kopius mumbled, “I’m living it instead.”

“Living what now?” Oh-jin peeped as he sorted the items out so they were separated.

“Living the dream,” he replied as dryly as possible.

“I like the positivity,” Oh-jin beamed. “You will need that for your Communication quests!”

“I bet I will,” Kopius said with all the glee of someone about to clean a concert outhouse with a moldy sponge. He washed his mind of that visual and tried toning down his normal doom and gloom. Fake it til you make it, advice from an old mentor, was going to be the best way forward regarding these quests. At least, until he found a better way forward.

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“What do we have here?” Kopius finally asked.

“Rations,” Oh-jin said, pointing to the dried food. “Refills for your potions, hammer with chisel in the pouch, further reading, and this.” Oh-jin finished by holding up the scroll with the thick red ring. “A map of every door that leads here.” He held out the scroll at arms length, much like he had with the pugil staff, before continuing. “Like this and then imagine pulling it into your mind. Once you have the proper focus, think of the word ‘import’.” He handed the rolled parchment to Kopius.

Giving himself some space, Kopius stepped closer to the center of the room and followed the instructions. First he grasped the scroll by the red ring, its smooth surface chill against his palm. He then imagined pulling the scroll into his mind but found it difficult unless he closed his eyes.

“You don’t need to close your eyes, Kopius,” Oh-jin whispered.

“I’ve told him that!” Cici also whispered.

“I need them closed!” Kopius snapped at the two. “Shhhh!”

Placing his attention back to the item in his hands, Kopius closed his eyes again and focused. A few deep breaths and several attempts later he felt a sensation push into his hands and race all the way to his brain. In the split-second this occurred, the scroll in his hand disintegrated and he opened an eyeball in time to see the dust flutter to the ground. He opened both eyes once he saw the plume was no longer a threat. With the coast clear, he opened his map before Oh-jin could say something.

“I only see the two,” Kopius said after his inspection. Two green triangles had added themselves to his map, a map that was heavily covered in the Fog of War–the blurred out areas meaning he hadn't visited any of it yet. The only parts of his map that showed actual terrain were the places he had been already. Just like all the video games he had played in the past, the map only showed where he had traveled.

“More will show themselves in time,” Oh-jin claimed. “Once the Blur clears, more will appear.”

“How close do I need to get?” Kopius asked, assuming the ‘Blur’ was the same as ‘Fog of War’.

“Oh,” Oh-jin said as his fingers did some math. “A few thousand paces or so?”

“A thousand feet?”

“Feet? No,” Oh-jin spat, “That would be terribly inconsistent.”

“What then, are you guys on the metric system or something?”

“Units are a better source of measurement than body parts my friend,” Cici chimed in.

“Well, what’s a pace then!?”

“It's a generalization, is what it is Kopius,” Oh-jin lectured. “The length of taking a step forward. It is not exact.”

“Can you at least give me an idea where I might find them? In some other city or towns, a mountain range or a river? Anywhere?” Kopius pleaded.

“Certainly, my boy,” Oh-jin offered. “I was going to get to that. There are thirteen in total. Six are here on the western edge of Metem, one in the Deep Southern Mist, three in Greater Metem to the east, two that you will likely never come across and the last one inside the Maca Dami.”

“You’ve seen the Maca Dami, Oh-jin? It’s–real?” Cici inquired, practically in awe.

“I have my boy.” Oh-jin admitted solemnly. “It was only one time and a time too many if you ask me.”

“So the stories are true?” Cici asked like a child hearing the monster under his bed might be real.

“It is more likely that the stories are not true enough,” the old chemist grimaced with a shake of his head.

“Have you ever seen the Val-jin?” Cici queried.

“Unfortunately, I have. A pale bunch of hairless, spiteful souls with red, glowing eyes like embers. Their bald heads grow elaborate bones–like horns or antlers–that arch back over their skulls. I have often tried to forget it all…” Oh-jin trailed off. He only let the memory haunt him for a moment. “But they are an obstacle for another time my boy. To my knowledge, the Val-jin have not been this side of the Torrent in ages.”

Every time the Val-jin came up, Kopius felt a bit nauseated. He didn’t feel queasy or anywhere close to throwing up but he did get the icky’s. Not that the subject had come up often, just that the original story Oh-jin had told him was not very pleasant. Now that the chemist had offered a brief visual description of them, the icky’s were a little stronger than before. If all was to be believed, they were the ones who dragged him here in the first place. He should be pissed.

“Amazing,” Cici expressed, “I’ve met a lot of people in my day, many indeed. I’ve even spent some time east of the Torrent, you’re the first to have met one.”

“I hope to be your last,” Oh-jin replied curtly. “Now I have allowed us to stray from our path. We need to replenish your goods and get you on your way.”

“Fair enough,” Cici replied. The big man groped in his fanny pack and pulled out his own dried, skunk smelling wad that looked like someone had taken crushed leaves and cobwebs and then mashed them together. “Would you be interested in some snickerleaf for these goods here?”

“Ha,” Oh-jin laughed, his worries gone in flash. “I haven’t had that in a very long time. You know, I think I will.”

“What's snickerleaf?” Kopius asked.

“That’s the plant you tried to steal from me lad!” Cici bellowed.

“You grow this?” Oh-jin pressed.

“I do!”

“I did not try to steal your plants.” Kopius tried to insert but was ignored.

“Are you an Herbalist too?”

“I am!”

The two blathered like school girls gushing over the new boy in class. They talked of plants and soils; watering cycles and night blooms. Kopius was going to interrupt to get things back on track but paused instead. He watched them for a moment, their excitement over the subject mildly infectious.

Man, I wish I could get half this excited… about anything.