Danver was a marvel of a city. Dusty, daunting, crude, busy, and full of commerce and life. It wasn’t the biggest city I had ever seen, not by a long shot. I’d visited New York, Chicago, San Diego, and those real cities made Danver look like a tiny little village in comparison.
However, those cities no longer existed in this fantasy world. And to my other half, Milton Musgrave, this would have been the biggest city he’d ever seen.
I did get ten experience points for discovering Danver, instead of five, so that was a plus.
There were people everywhere, including a fair amount of Kurskins, whom I avoided. After being alone for the most part since I ‘met’ Val, being so close to so many people made me feel claustrophobic. I could handle it, but I didn’t like it. I was a bit of a loner back on earth. Sure, I had friends, but I would pick a night alone with my wife over any party. The only parties I went to were the ones she dragged me to. Don’t get me wrong, I had fun. I liked people, but I just preferred the quiet life.
I’d have to leave that part of myself behind to achieve my goals. I won’t just need to be powerful; I would need allies. I needed to become influential to make a real difference in this game. It was a shame I couldn’t just add points to my charisma, so people liked me and naturally wanted to follow. I’d have actually to put in the work.
But before I could gain any influence and delve into that part of the game, I needed more experience.
‘So, Val, whatcha got for me?’ I thought as I walked along the busy cobblestone road.
“There are many options available. I am trying to determine which one would best suit your skills.”
‘If you don’t pick one soon, I’m just going to start talking to people.’
“Fine. Turn left at the next intersection.”
I smiled and continued my journey. The people here had a rustic flair. Many wore cotton or silk, but most preferred leathers, hides, and furs.
The building style reminded me of a Bavarian mountain town. The larger buildings were three stories tall, with tiered peaks, large overhangs, and multiple balconies.
These buildings all appeared to be for commercial use. One of the signs above a door near me read, ‘Cobble and Hose,’ and another store was called ‘Francesca’s Flight of Fancy.’ I was kind of curious about Francesca's. The curtains were drawn behind the window, so I couldn’t peer in to see what the heck was so fancy.
I took a left at the next intersection and immediately noticed a deviation from the large, tidy buildings and bustling commerce.
This road was made of packed dirt, not cobblestone, and the houses verged on derelict. Some people sat on their steps, watching the day go by, while others mended to their homes. Clearly, this was a residential district and a rather poor one at that.
‘I turned left, now what?’
“Knock on the door of the sixth house on your left,” Val said. “Tell them you heard their plea yesterday in the town square and are here to help.”
‘But I wasn’t in the town square yesterday.’
“He won’t know that. He’s just an NPC. I should add that this is an organic quest, but I think you can handle it. Unfortunately, the premade quests here have either already been initiated by other Players or are too difficult for you to achieve at your current level. We’ll have to play it carefully with the organic quests for now.”
I counted doors and quickly reached number six. The house was not unlike the others, but it was in a better state of repair, which said something of the occupant.
I knocked twice on the door and waited.
A chain lock clattered behind the door as it was detached. And then another. And then what sounded like a deadbolt, followed by a click on the floor. This person was either paranoid or Danver had a high crime rate.
The door cracked open, and a bloodshot green eye peeked through the darkness. “Yes?” he asked.
“I, uh, I heard some of what you said in the square yesterday. Thought I could lend a hand?”
The door opened a bit wider, revealing another eye, this one blue. He peaked around behind me. “Only you?”
I shrugged. “Yup. Just me.”
“You must be very brave.” He pulled the door open and bowed awkwardly. “Please, come in.”
I stepped inside and was struck by the unexpected aroma of copper, burned metals, and chemics. The windows were shuttered, but a few candles lit the interior enough to see. The man before me seemed to be in his late thirties, thin and wiry with unruly dirty brown hair. He hadn’t shaved in days.
“Forgive me, sir,” I said, trying to sound like a brave adventurer. “But I only heard the end of your story and barely that. Could you share it again from the beginning?” I took a step forward and stuck out my hand. “Perhaps we can begin with your name. I’m Ethan. Ethan Hill.”
The man sort of skipped forward – it was weird – and returned my handshake, thankfully with a decently firm grip.
“I’m Delen Brim, engineer, inventor, and elektricist.
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I raised an eyebrow, “What’s an elektricist?”
He looked at his shoes and smiled. “There are very few of us. We devote ourselves to harnessing the power of lightning.” He held up a finger. “Before you say that’s impossible, let me ask you a question. Have you ever had a cat rub against your leg and give you a little shock? Or have you rubbed a piece of rabbit fur and then touched your finger near a friend? It’s a common prank among some in this city.”
I nodded, understanding he was referring to static electricity, but it would be strange for someone like me to know that, so I’d play dumb. “I’m very familiar. It’s like a tiny bolt of lighting.”
He snapped his fingers. “Exactly. It is the same force as lightning but much smaller, and we call it electrics. We few elektricists are searching for ways to create this power at a whim, to harness and control it.”
I smiled. “My gut says you're onto something.”
“Then it is most auspicious that you, a brave and inquisitive soul, came to aid me in my time of need.”
“Ah yes, that is why I’m here. Please accept my apologies for forcing you to recant the same tale, but could you share your needs with me again.”
Delen nodded solemnly.
“I had a breakthrough. I’ve created a handheld machine that can create an electric charge, lightning in the palm of your hands.” He said it like it was the most profound news one could share.
“How many volts can it produce?” I asked.
The man stepped back as if frightened of me. “Where have you heard that term before?”
“Uh, uh,” I stammered. “I don’t know,” I lied. “It just seemed like the right word for measuring the power of lightning. It just sort of came to me.”
His demeanor changed, like he had suddenly become very interested in me. He came close and looked at me, his head cocked to the side. “This word has come to me in the same way. When I had created the lightning, I thought to myself; how do I measure the power of this thing?”
He pointed at me. “And you come in here and casually say the same word I have chosen.” He reached out and almost touched me but decided against it. “Don’t you see? This is a force once lost, yearning to be rediscovered.” And I am at the frontier of new science.”
This guy was weird and extremely full of himself, but I enjoyed his earnestness. I liked him.
“I believe you, my friend. Now, can you share why my services are required?”
“Ah, yes,” he said, pulling a stylus out of his unkempt hair and twirling it between his fingers. I tried my best to keep my inventions a secret. I only showed them to a few of my most trusted peers; however, I fear one of them betrayed me. Two nights ago, I was robbed, and the only item stolen from my house was my inventors. Let’s call it a volt crank for now. I must have it back.”
He clenched his fists, “I need it back quickly before those scoundrels lay claim to it as if it is their invention.”
“Do you know who has it?” I asked.
He nodded. “It is highly likely that the Engineer’s Guild has it in their possession. They are undoubtedly trying to back-engineer my work as we speak.”
“So, what do you need from me?”
“Get it back,” Delen said. “Don't kill anyone, but I don’t care if any of those bastards catches a black eye. I just want my invention back.”
“How many are in the guild?” I asked.
“Twenty, at the minimum,” he looked me up and down, “Which is why I find your volunteerism valiant and brave. You must be formidable to take on the entire Guild.”
‘Val, this is out of my league,’ I thought.
“Oh, don’t be a baby. We can do this.”
‘We? Are you going to help me for once instead of trying to kill me?’
She huffed at me electronically. “I know all the locations of every NPC and player within a hundred-yard radius. It’s a crude example of my true powers, but as you now know, I seek to rectify that. I’ll be your eyes as you find Delen’s device.”
‘Still, it's twenty or more opponents. I don’t have the skills for that!’
“Not with that attitude you don’t. Trust me on this, Ethan. If you follow my lead, you will complete this quest and be showered with experience and perks.”
I trusted Val as far as I could throw her, which was to say that trusting Val was currently an impossibility. Still, if I wanted to stay alive in this world and see my wife again, I’d need to do a lot of quests. If I had to beat up many fellow engineers, so be it. I’d burn the world down if it meant I could find Elena amongst the ashes.
I smiled at Delen. “This is a rather lofty request, Mr. Brim. What would I get in exchange for it?”
He nodded, knowing my services wouldn’t come free. “Have you ever heard of a timekeeper?”
I shook my head, even though I assumed he was referring to a watch. My suspicions were proven correct after he pilfered one from a messy drawer.
The band was treated leather, nothing special, but nice enough. The watch face, on the other hand, was truly spectacular. A clean concave glass covered the top of the watch, and you could see every gear and gizmo within. A clear circular plate was suspended in the center, with marks showing the day's hours. It only had one hand and didn’t seem to be moving.
“It’s quite the lovely mechanism,” I said. “But I’m not sure what it does.” I jangled it around like I was a confused monkey.
Delen stepped forward. “Allow me.” He took the watch from my hands and showed me a small winder on the side. He spun it until it stopped, and then he let it go. Immediately, I heard a soft whirring and noticed the gears spinning, some slowly, some quickly.
“This timekeeper will now count the next thirty hours with near-perfect accuracy. It’s truly remarkable, and I’m not saying that just because I created it. I believe that soon after I work out all the kinks, timekeepers such as this will be worn on the wrists of countless citizens across Vedera.”
I smiled, hoping he was right and soon to be rich. “How much is this wat…” I stopped myself from misspeaking. “Uh, this timekeeper. How much is it worth?”
He smiled brightly. “If you were to sell it, I wouldn’t take less than fifty gold.”
That was a satisfactory quest reward, especially considering Tara never paid me the other half of our agreed-upon contract. Then again, I had left her to detox alone in a dark cave after she tried to kill me. I considered it a wash.
“We have ourselves a deal, my friend,” I said. “But busting into a guild and tossing the place all by my lonesome might be difficult, even for me. I'd be grateful to know if you have any other information relevant to your device, the guild, and those who might be particularly interested in it.”
He rubbed his hands together, considering the question. “The guild hosts a weekly open house, where ordinary folk can come in to gander at their wonders for a small donation. Non-guild members are strictly prohibited from going anywhere but the first floor. You could easily get in that way. Although, those guildies are so pompous and proud that they’d probably let you in if you knocked on the door asking to see their inventions. They love showing off and pretending they're better than everyone else.”
That was surprisingly useful information. I thought I’d rather go in with a crowd, and perhaps I could find a way to slip away undetected. Val seemed confident she could get me through this. I just hoped it didn’t involve any fighting.
I had a notification flashing on my peripherals, and I quickly selected it.
NEW QUEST: LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE
Delen Brim has requested assistance in retrieving his stolen invention, which was taken from those shady Engineer’s Guild members. They think they have a monopoly on new ideas. Perhaps you could knock some of those ideas out of their thick skulls. Retrieve the device by any means necessary!
You will fail this quest if you die, fail to locate the device before they can back engineer it, or if the device is irreparably damaged.
Well, it seemed simple enough. If Val was good for half of what she claimed to be capable of, it should be a walk in the park. Right?