Yvlena looks around the ruins once again alone until she calls forth her summons once more.
"It's going to be a treacherous journey back to town if I don't call my summons." Yvlena says.
She walks back toward the path ready to exit the forest's depths.
"I could have sworn I had some kind of torch at least, I'll have to check my inventory when I get back to town." Yvlena says summoning her party members.
[Class Skill: Summon Leveled Up]
"Good to see you guys." she says, the three of them swiftly head out of the forgotten depths and unto the main path of the Bloom Forest, backtracking until they find themselves back at the Meadow.
Yvlena wastes no time, drinking from the stream and letting the refreshing feeling wash over her.
[The Lake Rejuvenates You, Full Health To Party]
They encounter a few minor enemies but it's no trouble for them and soon the party is back in town.
----------
"First things first." she says, getting the rusty hoe and tilling a patch of land next to her other crops. She plants the ancient seed and waters it, watching a tiny bud sprout from the ground.
"Good thing it doesn't take long for these crops to grow." Yvlena says, watering the other little plants, some seem ready to be harvested.
A few crops stick out from beneath the dirt, while others grow into stalks as tall as the weeds she had cut down before.
[Subclass: Leveled Up
Herbalist(Harvest Guardian) 4/10]
"Nice!"
"Now let's scan that inventory." Yvlena says to herself, she scrolls down taking note of the remaining wild seed.
"A Grass stone? And one more Fire stone?" she mutters. "That's right I've never actually tried casting spells with the stones have I?"
Finally, she finds the simple torch recipe stashed beneath all the other stuff in her inventory she hadn't bothered to organize.
"I really should try putting these somewhere." Yvlena says sheepishly.
[Simple Torch
***
Type: Recipe
A common Torch
Used to light the player's way in certain circumstances
***
Fiber: x1
Wood:x1]
"Easy enough." Yvlena says. She picks up a wooden branch, (acquiring her wood) and takes some fiber from her inventory.
The game guides her hand, assembling the torch as though she has the experience of a seasoned outdoorsman.
[Yvlena Acquired
***
Simple Torch x1]
The elven girl examines the simple object in her hands, her torch is a piece of wood wrapped with the common plant fibers from the Rose Manor garden.
'How am I going to light this though? Do I use the fire stone?' she wonders.
At that moment she gets an idea.
"Alright Sprite do you think you could cast Sting on this?" Yvlena asks, holding up the newly made torch.
The fairy creature flies up to her and aims.
[Sprite cast Sting (01 MP)]
[Yvlena Acquired
***
Fairy Lit Torch x1
Fairy Lit Torch recipe (Rare)]
"Wow." Yvlena gasps, staring at the white and blue flames dancing on the surface of her torch.
"Sprite this is wonderful." the little fairy puffs her chest out in pride. Flitting around the glowing light. "With this, we'll definitely be able to explore those old ruins, but for now—" Yvlena uses her hand to turn out the beautiful light.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
"Now I'm heading off to the library to ask Laurent about the ruins. Take care of the manor alright?"
"You can count on me!" Sprite says flitting around. Rabbit Knight nods.
Yvlena laughs, running out the Rose Manor's gate and into the streets of the floral district.
----------
"Good Day Laurent." Yvlena says with a nervous smile. She rests her palms gently on the welcome counter, recalling the man's harsh countenance, she doesn't want to upset him further.
[Affinity with Laurent increased +1]
The man's bespeckled eyes glance over her with an annoyed expression, it's less than before but still deeply unwelcoming.
At his silence, Yvlena speaks. Beginning the conversation about the ruins she had found.
"Hi, so I stumbled upon the ruins in Bloom Forest's Depth." Yvlena starts.
Laurent lifts his head, an expression of surprise flits across his face, he sits up in attention.
'Did they use motion capture for this, it's so real!' Yvlena thinks.
[You've Piqued Laurent's Interest, Affinity with Laurent increased +5]
"Go on." He says smoothly.
"I would like to know if you know anything about it maybe, have there been any lost buildings in Bloom Haven's history?"
Laurent adjusts his glasses.
"There are too many books to count on the subject of Bloom Haven's history, mayhaps you'd like to narrow it down." Laurent says in a surprisingly gentle tone.
"Old temples?" Yvlena says.
"There used to be a temple far out into the forest for travelers going to and from Bloom Haven, back when the trade ways were still open. That was before my time."
"Wow so during the war of the gods?"
[Affinity with Laurent increased +1]
[Laurent considers you an acquaintance]
"I'm impressed by your perceptiveness, but yes Bloom Haven used to be a thriving trade town. The miasma all but decimated the Floral District and almost the Artisan one too." he says. "With it, no one can go in or out, we're essentially trapped here."
"That's so sad." Yvlena says. Laurent sighs.
[Affinity with Laurent increased+1]
"Truly, my family was known for being book collectors. We'd venture far and wide collecting all sorts of rare tomes, but as I said, that's in the past now."
Yvlena inhales, asking another question.
"Do you have any books on the War of the Gods?"
"There isn't much but Second level, 22nd shelf, row 18 G for Gods." Laurent says.
"Thanks, you're the best!" Yvlena says with a bright smile. She doesn't even hear him chuckle at her excitement.
[Affinity with Laurent increased+1]
"Now I can basically kill two birds with one stone! If the temple was connected to one of the gods that caused the war it would explain why it's been long forgotten." she says.
Quickly finding the right row she pulls out a worn brown book with pages nearly falling out. The tome is heavy in her hands, even with her strength stats.
"Just like a real book."
[The Gods Of Moon Valley
***
Moon Valley is home to several gods, not just the gods of Bloom Haven, Vaelindor and Selendriel.
Amongst the elves, there are several gods, as well as amongst the beastkin, goblins, dwarves, humans, and many other races of Moon Valley.
Often times it is a harmonious coexistence and other times it is not.]
"That can't be all, right?" Yvlena flips the page.
[The Gods Of Moon Valley pt.2
***
Like all things, there are two sides to them. Just as there are gods of the people, there are those that seek to thwart them.
The gods of Moon Valley have enemies even amongst themselves. For some gods, pride far outweighs sense in any regard.]
"The gods didn't like each other, that must have been what started the war! But who came out victorious?"
[War of the Gods 1.5% completion]
"Ah, I was right."
[The Gods Of Moon Valley pt.3
***
Most gods will choose a champion from their followers, someone to carry out the will of their gods.
Some champions represent order, and others just the opposite.
Do not be fooled, chaos isn't always evil, just as order isn't always good. Nature in itself is chaotic and so are the patron gods of Bloom Haven.
One must always be discerning.]
"Vaelindor and Selendriel are gods of chaos? Usually gods of chaos are the bad guys. That doesn't seem to be the case here." Yvlena says.
[The Gods Of Moon Valley pt.4
***
Champions are not the only servants of the gods, there are other creatures, helpers if you will.
Creatures that serve faithfully and with devotion to their chosen deity.
The gods of Moon Valley have several of these but most notable are the titans.]
The game notifies her the book has nothing more to offer her, she sets it aside.
Yvlena pauses, resting her hands on her hips as she squeezes her face in thought.
"I was wondering if the gods had any servants other than the champions. Guess that answers that question. But what's a Titan? and what does any of this have to do with the miasma or even the ruins I found?"
"The ruins might be a temple just like Laurent said but I have to go check it out myself."
----------
"Thanks again for your help, I'll be back if I have more questions." Yvlena says.
"My pleasure." Laurent says.
[Affinity with Laurent increased +1]
Yvlena returns to the Floral district wondering if Beatrice would be able to tell her something.
Suddenly a shrill noise rings through her head, forcing her to log out.
----------
Aya pops the Revista off her head, frantically searching for the source of the shrill ringing. Beside her, her phone screams.
Aya dives, grabbing the phone and checking for any calls or messages only to find an alarm.
"Oh, I forgot I set that." She says, she swipes her home screen, quieting the loud ringing.
"11:27 PM, just in time for me to get to bed." She says yawning.
While she didn't like getting pulled from the game so abruptly, it was better than spending a whole night in the game, after all, she had work tomorrow.
"I wonder, did Vaelindor and Selendriel fight too? To protect Bloom Haven?" She says to the darkness.
"No more Moon Valley, I need to go to sleep."
----------
Within the bowels of the Lumos Inc. archives, Fred Barkley is once again speaking to the CEO.
The older man approaches the desk, inspecting the old computer still transmitting its mysterious data. There was no doubt in the CEO's mind that his brother set this up somehow.
He turns to Fred, asking.
"Have you found any more clues to the whereabouts of the player activating the computer's transmission?"
"Yvlena you mean." Fred says sipping from a giant mug of coffee, the man rubs his tired eyes prompting the CEO to sigh in worry.
"Did you take the weekend off at all?" The CEO of Lumos Inc asks.
"Nope and I don't plan to, this is the single most interesting thing you've given me since you allowed me to play the grumpy librarian in one section of the game."
The CEO chuckles fondly at the brilliant but reclusive man.
Fred frowns.
"Sir you mentioned before that Yvlena might have some connections to your missing niece. Care to tell me about that?"
The CEO's face grows weary and Fred senses he might have said something wrong.
"Sir if it's too personal—"
The CEO holds up a hand, silencing Fred.
"She is the only remnant of my brother. I need to find her, I need to know she's safe."
Fred takes a swig of his cup, gulping down the rest of the coffee instantly.
"Well sir, I do love a cryptic puzzle."