World: MSS - Loading...
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｢ +11 EXP ｣
｢ +9 EXP ｣
｢ +2 EXP ｣
｢ +14 EXP ｣
The EXP was rolling in.
At this point, there were so many monsters that the [Rot Slimes] couldn’t keep up anymore. I was running low on Mana as well, so I recalled the [Darkness] skill, dancing between the stalactites. I stopped blowing on the Neung-uh’s Ocarina, stemming the tide of monsters. Then I danced between the last few, making sure to get the last hit in for the experience.
My body exploded into light as the last monster died and I felt my body grow stronger –I had just hit level 38.
And as it’s corpse drifted away into starlight, I looked around the field that was littered with the spoils of my hunt.
Loot.
Loot covered the ground.
Swords. Helmets. Boots. Rings, Necklaces and Armor. Everything that I could name was here. Perhaps I was exaggerating, it wasn’t a mound of items like a Dragon’s Hoard –Which actually existed in this world by the way. But there was certainly enough to be worth a small fortune. Drops from Grade-7 monsters aren’t the best, most of them ranking among rare to unique. But they were certainly going to be better than anything I was wearing.
I mentioned it before, but as we started entering higher-difficulty dungeons, just being good at combat wasn’t enough. We needed tools like rope, saw, boats and the skills necessary to utilize those things. That’s because the environment we’d be coming up on would change drastically. The Twilight Maze’s ice or this island’s lava, that was nothing. There were some places where we wouldn’t be able to take a single step without a rope to make sure none of us got plucked off by a monster without the others knowing.
That same logic extended to equipment as well. Soon, we’d have to start upgrading, and I’m not talking about our weapons. Boots, Rings, Helms… everything. Accessories that we could swap out depending on the monster we were hunting, helms that provided [Darkvision] or even [Nightvision]. Armor that could withstand the stress of different status ailments and monster attacks, the list was endless.
‘Yeah, it’s definitely time to start saving up gold.’
Once we got this quest done with, I had a dungeon in mind we would enter.
Ragnia Mountain.
‘But that’s for way later.’ Not wanting to get ahead myself, I started rummaging through the items.
“This one should be good for Aurora…” A pair of boots that gave someone the [Immovable Status] once activated. If I had this during my fight with Coum, it could have made a big difference.
I picked up a small charm for Kyrian as well. It was a small blue feather from the monster, [Eritategoromo], a grade-7 monster. It was surprising that it lived here, it usually only survived in Ruin-type fields. Regardless, I could fashion an accessory for Kyrian using this feather.
Which brought up the question: Who were we going to have become the Crafter of our little party?
The Crafting System in MSS is a whole other beast. Usually, a party ends up making a contract with a Blacksmith or an Alchemist. They weren’t always mutually exclusive either. We’d need a Blacksmith to take care of our gear, both to make filler gear while we farmed better equipment, for repairs of our end-game gear and possibly tweak them. That’s because the Crafting System in MSS allows you to slot in monster parts to armor for better effects.
That’s right. Sometimes, you had to cast [Preserve]. You had a smaller chance of getting a Core but higher chance of getting the monster part you wanted. One of the frustrating things about farming for monster parts was that even Monster Parts had grades from 10 to 1, with 1 being the best of course. That had been another whole big discussion on the forums –best ways to preserve Monster Part Quality while farming them. It was inevitable that monsters would spit out parts that were grade 10 to 9, if you beat the shit out of it.
But that wasn’t the end of it. Depending on which monster parts you slotted in together, they showed synergistic and varying effects.
Well, that was the Blacksmith’s job.
But we also needed an Alchemist, specifically for little trinkets. Like the Eritategoromo feather or the Hwacha’s Hair piece could be fashioned into an accessory.
I remembered Kyrian teaching it to Stole before. He said you can’t have too many Charms because their Mana signatures interfere with each other. I hadn’t joined in before because Lock Slaveborn should have no idea how many exactly. But the number of charms you can have varies. 1 for Mages, 2 for Religious Classes (like the Holy Knight, Priests and Witch Doctors) and 3 for Adventurers.
The Accessories were much simpler. Two rings, one bracelet and a necklace each. And these trinkets could be fashioned into either Charms or Accessories, and of course, depending on the quality of the trinket (which counted as a super rare monster part) and the Alchemist’s skills… well, it would change the overall stats on the item.
That’s right. Another variable.
And there are literally thousands of monsters in MSS.
Yeah, this game doesn’t get any easier. It just gets harder the closer you get to the end-game. Actually, around level 40 to 60 is when people quit the most. Not only do the monsters get a huge power-spike, you now have to deal with Monster Parts, Armors, Accessories and Charms, as well as recruiting a Blacksmith or Alchemist who can do those things for you. Then the questlines start to get more complicated…
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And even now, most players probably haven’t finished their Racial Traits yet.
Now you understand why I pulled all-nighters on weekends, putting notes together. MSS is a really complex game and there are a million combinations for you to get strong. The problem is the sheer amount of knowledge you have to have and figuring out the best route. The best hunting grounds and the best monsters… as well as the best build.
My thoughts idle, I started stowing the things in my Dimension Ring.
“Stole might be able to use these gloves… hmmm, Skaris’ gloves are always burning up too fast too. Maybe a pair of greaves for Aurora…” As I picked through the loot, my enhanced hearing picked up soft footsteps.
They were very soft and flitting, almost like the person was running.
“Arrosh?” I turned to look, trying to see if he needed anything from this pile.
It wasn’t Arrosh.
There was a blur of white and gray. I thought I could make something out like a little hairball the size of a small child darting to and fro. It darted to one pile of items and small childish arms poked out, pilfering through my loot with practiced ease. Then the hands quickly shoved aside the junk and picked out the most expensive items, stowing them in a tiny knapsack. Then it rushed towards another group of items, doing the same.
“Hey, what the-” Even as the words were out of my mouth, my legs were already moving.
But the figure had started moving even before I could start talking. Its tiny hands reached out and grabbed a steel sword –a classic longsword with a straight edge, glistening with icy-blue– and darted away out of the cavern.
Shit. That looked valuable.
The figure was fast, but I was quicker. But I wasn’t just Han, the rational gamer. I’d been living as Lock Slaveborn, an adventurer who started out as a slave for the better part of this year. Every couple of steps, I bent down and picked up whatever valuable-looking thing and stowed it in my Dimension Ring. Sometimes I didn’t even look, I slowed down just enough to sweep up everything if they were small enough and do the same. It was like even my brain had turned into a bona-fide adventurer.
The small child –I could tell now, it was a child with just really messy long hair– sped down the tunnels. Each step they took was sure and well-placed and the speed told me they definitely had a Core. How else would a child be able to outrun an adventurer, even if he was addled by his own greed?
But damn, they were quick.
It wasn’t just that they were fast, they knew this cave like the back of their hand. They turned the corners without hesitation. A brave choice, considering that there could be a monster lurking around the corner. Or foolish.
Or…
‘Or maybe this island isn’t as abandoned as you thought.’
Redoubling my efforts, I gave chase.
Along the way, I realized we stopped turning corners and slipping under rocky outcroppings. My boots slammed against smooth rock, like someone had taken the time and effort to smooth this part out. It was downhill as well and my greater mass lent a burst of speed, the small figure growing bigger and bigger in my sight. For the hundredth time that day, I thanked Arrosh for the Totem; if it wasn’t for the Darkvision I would have lost the thief awhile back.
Click
The figure’s cloak disappeared between two closing doors at the bottom.
“Tch.”
The double doors were made entirely of stone, almost like marble. Studying the surroundings, I found that everything around this place was made from the same material. They were cool to the touch, meaning we weren’t near the heart of the volcano.
I stopped myself from cutting the door open.
Because I recognized this door.
My heart started hammering in my chest.
Clearing my throat, I knocked on the door.
Even if I was looking for a thief, I wasn’t sure I wanted to make an enemy out of them right off the bat.
Besides… if I was right…
A little rectangular peephole slid open, revealing a set of heavyset eyes underneath heavier brows.
“Step back, stranger.” The voice was deep and gruff, and slightly annoyed.
I took a single step back.
“Take two more.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Really?”
When there was silence, I took two more backwards.
“Hands away from your sword.”
I gritted my teeth. But my senses were tingling, that there was something here. Something that no one else knew. Hidden Villages weren’t exactly rare in MSS, the continent was full of them. But right under the nose of a territorial field boss?
I lifted my hands up.
Finally the door opened a smidge and a pair of strong arms came out, laden with muscle. I sniffed: the scent of something acrid –like sulfur? Ash? Definitely something burning, reached my nose. What really caught my attention was the fact that the pair of arms dropped a knapsack on the floor, the exact one my thief had been carrying.
“Our business is done now.” The voice said and the eyes disappeared as they slid the clasp closed.
Well, that was new.
I checked the knapsack, making sure everything was there. Well, I had no idea exactly what or how much of my loot the thief took; but honestly besides the sword, I wasn’t interested in anything else.
The longsword had a hexagonal blade cross-section, and broad enough to be a palm and a half. The hilt was covered in black leather and fit my grip perfectly. I took it and snapped it back and forth, making whistling sounds in the air.
Those arms had belonged to a dwarf. Plus the scent of fire…
Realizing what I needed to do, my mind became cold as I held the sword above my head. I pushed out thoughts of the loot, the Myung-sa and even this race against the others. Right now, I was a swordsman and the blade would guide me –there was no room for anything else in my heart. Holding the blade in Arrosh’s salute, I went through a basic sequence, slowly working up mana from my heart and sending it into the blade.
The blade began to hum as its innate ability began to activate, leaving frosty ice crystals trailing its path. The sword began to greedily suck up more mana and I strained, controlling the flow to something manageable. In a battle, I would shove as much mana as I could in this thing, but what I wanted wasn’t battle right now. What I wanted was art, to show off my form and skills.
And it worked.
My mana streaked through the blade and the ice crystals disappeared, leaving waves of purple, green, blue and yellow in its wake. A miniature aurora. Not only that, wherever my footwork began to leave little frosty footprints on the ground.
Sliiiiide
I smirked, hearing the sound of stone scraping on stone. I had an audience now.
Then the blade hummed as my dark gray Aura came to life.
It fused with the icy energy. My [Aura] was at Stage 4 now, which happened back in the Scavenger’s Hideout. Each stage of mana didn’t just come with an increase in the defense penetration and increase in true damage, but it came with new mechanical advantages. Stage 3 was what allowed me to fuse my Aura with various elemental properties, while Stage 4 allowed me to imbue items with it after throwing it; like I did with the Lunar Shield.
At stage 4, my Aura was much stable. The Aura and Ice-type Mana met together in a harmony of snow and truth, innocence and clarity. The sword began to let out tiny little motes of noise while the my aura turned pure white, extending about an inch out from the blade.
Then it began to snow.
“That’s enough.”
I put [Snow Scream] down, my arms aching. I looked at my free hand, noticing that there were freezeburns all over the skin.
Turning, I saw that the door was open.
And of course, a Dwarf stood there with his arms crossed over his chest.
His gray braided hair reached down to his back, tied in a neat red hairband. His brows were the same color and so was his beard. There were so many rings braiding his beard that I almost couldn’t see his face, but none could mistake the icy-blue eyes that shone from underneath the heavy brows. He wore a simple cloth overall with a leather over it.
Behind him was the little thief.
She was a tiny little thing, even for a dwarf child. She had bright white hair –reminding me of Kagura. But whereas Kagura’s hair had been supernaturally white, this girl’s white reminded me things that lived in the dark. Things that eventually lost their sight, skin color and the need for communication. Her body was thin –painfully so, and the cloth wrapped around her was nothing more than rags.
I gave a slight bow to the Dwarf.
“Lock Slaveborn.” I said with a slight smile.
“Doror Stonehammer.” He didn’t reach out with a hand for a greeting. He jerked his head to the girl peeking out from behind him. “This one took yer spoils, so I fit to give it back to you. You should have made yourself git afterwards. What’re you doing in front of our village, causing that racket, eh?”
I ignored his jibe at Arrosh's Swordsmanship ‘racket’.
I pointed at the door. “I recognize the door, Master Smith.” I tried to meet his eyes. “I’ve heard tales of a long lost clan of Dwarves that have hidden villages throughout the continent. Sometimes hidden in mountains, sometimes underneath water. And it seems that sometimes… right beneath a monster’s lair.”
“They all have the exact same door, without an emblem, without design and without marking. Because a true Master Smith does not believe in a sign for their smith, but believes that fate alone leads the right people to their doorsteps.” I continued, “But destiny alone isn’t enough to entice a Master Smith. Because Time and Fate aren’t the same things. I wanted to see if my swordsmanship was enough to lure a Master Smith out from behind this door.”
He scoffed. “Flowery little words from a human. Who told you this story?”
“...My master.” I lied.
“Did he tell ye why we’re in hiding?” His brows knit together, glowering at me.
“Humans.” I answered bitterly, unable to keep the rise of anger out completely. “They destroyed your cities in the past, fearing your weapons.”
“Aye.” The Dwarf answered. Then he muttered, “But yer not one of them from the Empire, are you?”
“No, I’m not. I’m from the North.” I said.
He snorted. “Makes no difference whether ye duel with orcs or dances with humans. Yer still a human, through and through.”
I smiled.
“Then why,” I asked innocently, “Did you step out from behind the door, Master Stonehammer?”
He scowled, having no answer for that.
He finally gestured to me. “Might as well drink a cup of tea while yer down here. Get on with it then, I’ll show you around.”
“Enter and be welcome, Swordsman.” He said, walking into the darkness. “Lest yer blade turn on ye.”
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