Alistair took a minute trying to compose after making an ass out of his slip-up and distracted himself by taking a look at his avatar window. It showed him in all of his gear, mixed with his earth-like clothes and sneakers. He looked like a halfhearted cosplayer who gave up after making the armor. He made a mental note to make under clothes that would go with his new armor, glancing out the window that he just now noticed and realized that it was dark outside.
What time is it? Alistair asked Myst
[Top right, next to the “Mini-map” I added for you, it should show you the local time.] Myst said, making the time flash a bit to get Alistair’s attention.
It's getting late, huh? Alistair asked, Should we find somewhere to sleep?
[Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.] Myst said, [There was a bed up on the first level, remember.]
Ahh, yeah. You’re right. Alistair said, remembering the bed he saw in the room with the painting, It looked super comfortable too.
[Yeah it did…]
Alistair made his way to the staircase that led him back up to the first floor with the entrance. As he made his way to the first floor, he remembered that intricate staff he inspected on his way down before.
If I remember correctly, that staff had a level requirement of 5, didn’t it? Alistair asked himself more than anyone in particular.
[Yes, the Staff of Night] Myst answered.
Alistair could easily see it now that Myst had highlighted it while he walked through the weapons floor. He grabbed it and inspected it again.
Staff of Night (Weapon) (Two-Handed)
Required level: 5
Quality: Uncommon
Damage (Type): 12-18 (Physical)
Damage (Type): 18-22 (Magic) (Dark)
An intricate staff crafted from a branch of a dead elder tree at midnight. Shaped for optimal balance and toughness before being infused by Dark Magic.
Finally, a worthy staff for the mighty stick wielder.
Alistair snickered as he read, noting a distinct omission of the snarky comment about his level no longer needing to be level five like it had previously.
This staff has two different damage types, what does that mean? Alistair asked.
[Physical type damage is exactly as it sounds, physical, or melee.] Myst continued, [Magic damage is a bit different. This staff in particular when you wield it, you will have the option to infuse mana into your melee strikes. It will cost mana when you do, but it will add damage to your strikes.] Myst explained. [You also have to take into account your enemy’s magical affinities. They will alter how much damage the element will do to them.] Myst finished.
Affinities? What do they have to do with my attacks? Alistair asked before the answer entered his brain. It was about their defenses to elements they were more in tune with.
[I see you answered your own question, but I'll explain it further.] Myst said, [If you were to attack a monster for instance, who had a high affinity to the Dark element, he would take significantly less damage to someone who had for example, a high Light elemental affinity, they would take double damage since it is the exact opposite of the Dark element.] Myst finished, sending images of a light and a dark-looking monster getting hit by Alistair’s staff and displaying numbers over their heads with a minus in front indicating the damage they took. The dark monster had only taken twenty-five damage and its identical but also opposite-looking shiny and bright-looking monster took a whopping fifty-five damage.
After doing the mental math, Alistair concluded that the magic type damage halved if it were attacking the same element type as the dark staff, and doubled the magic damage if attacking the opposite. So the Physical damage never differs? I’m assuming it stayed the same for both. Alistair asked, making sure he did the math correctly.
Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
[For this scenario both received the same physical damage, but in terms of physical damage differing, that has to do with the monster's armor and how clean the hit was received.] Myst started. [Glancing blows usually do only about half damage, whereas critically landed and placed attacks do double. And if you swing with less force than your maximum, it will adjust accordingly too.] Myst finished before adding in, [Can have you going around tapping people on the head with your staff and do the exact same amount of damage as a full wholehearted swing to the same spot.] Myst said.
Alistair thought about a random guy walking in a crowded street with a needle that had high stats, and poking them in their chest where their heart would be, and critically striking them with minimal movement killing anyone with ease. Yeah, I see where you're going with that.
[Anyway, let's go and find out how comfortable that bed is.] Myst said with a bit too much excitement for Alistair’s comfort.
What was that? Why are you so excited? Alistair asked, It sounded creepy.
[Creepy? No, I just never slept before. Do you think it’s anything like when you passed out before? Because that was scary, but I heard of people dreaming and have always wondered what it would be like to dream.] Myst answered.
Oh… Okay, well let’s go and find out what it's like for you. Alistair said, making for the comfortable bed he found in the initial room, feeling just how mentally and physically exhausted he was.
***
Alistair stood, breathing frantically as he surveyed the strange new forest he seemed to be lost in. He briefly wondered why he was out of breath. Where am I? Where am I going? What is that sound? He thought to himself realizing the thumping he was hearing in his head wasn’t just his heartbeat, but what sounded like distant, huge, footsteps.
Boom… Boom…
Suddenly Alistair felt more scared than he had ever been before. The footsteps felt like they were growing closer and closer, accompanied by what sounded like trees being snapped, shattered, and crashing down in the wake of whatever was making those foot stomp’s path. It reminded him of that old dinosaur movie he remembered watching with his dad when he was a young boy, Jurassic Park.
[What the hell is Jurassic Park, and why aren’t you running away from whatever that is!?] A familiar voice said, startling Alistair.
“Who said that?” Alistair called out, not sticking around for a legitimate answer, as he took off running in the direction he believed to be the opposite of what was making those humongous stomps.
[Myst, remember? Do people lose their memories while they are in dreams?] Myst replied.
It took Alistair about three or four strides until he remembered who Myst was and another four to realize he was in a dream, or in this case, a nightmare.
God damn it, I’m stuck in a nightmare? Alistair rhetorically asked. Just my luck.
[So this is a nightmare? I find that I very much do not like these nightmares.] Myst said, [Why did you choose to put us in a nightmare?] Myst asked.
You don’t get to choose if you get a nightmare or a dream when you go to sleep. Alistair replied while gasping for air as he ran. He also took note that the footsteps, despite his efforts of running at full speed away from them, seemed to be getting closer rather than farther away.
[Well, that seems shit. Since we both know this is in your head, why don't you just make that big thing go away?] Myst asked.
You can't control dreams or nightmares like that. Alistair said while a brief memory about an introduction to psychology class he was roped into taking came to mind. It was about how one could take control of your dreams by doing certain things while you were aware you were in a dream. one of which he remembered. Alistair looked down at his hands and with his right, pointed with his pointer finger at his left palm and concentrated as he pushed them together. At first, nothing happened, his finger seemed to stop when he touched his palm, but after a second, his pointer finger pushed through his hand and as soon as that happened, time seemed to freeze. He even stopped mid-stride for a second, feeling uneasy about just being there, in the air, but also not weightless, just stuck. Then he fell the few inches he was suspended in the air and stepped on the ground.
[What just happened?] Myst asked.
I remembered from a class I took during my freshman year at MIT that if you ever found yourself conscious in a dream, you can learn to control your dreams by breaking the reality inside of them. Alistair said, recalling his lesson. One of the techniques I learned was pushing your finger through your hand, it forces your mind to accept that you are, in fact, not in reality.
[So then how did time, stop?] Myst asked, [What does that have to do with your finger and hand?]
Once you break a dream, it stops like this, you can choose to play, rewind, and even fast-forward if you desire and watch the dream or nightmare unfold, fully aware that it is now a dream or nightmare and watching it like a movie. Alistair explained. Or… You could simply change everything about the dream. Quick name something you would like to see from Earth or just make up something you want to see that I can visualize. Alistair said.
Suddenly, Alistair’s world changed before his eyes, he saw people hitting things with rocks, some throwing feces at another, and one thing in particular that looked almost exactly like Alistair, but with huge teeth and it was gnawing on a tree branch like a beaver.
“What the fuck?” Alistair said out loud.
[Holy shit, you can see this?] Myst asked. [How close am I to the Earth you described?]
“For fuck’s sake…” Alistair mumbled. Not even a little. He replied to Myst, once again speaking to him inside of his mind.
[I figured, I just wanted you to see how I see Earth based on what you described, Hahahaaa...] Myst laughed.
The “Beaver Alistair” was a nice touch. Alistair said, nodding towards it and smirking a little.
[I thought so too.] Myst said proudly. [Also, this gives me an idea.] Myst said, changing the world once again.
This can’t be good…