Drake
We were all huddled around in a circle around Grog, waiting to see what he would do.
He smiled that weird smile of his and let out a booming voice. “What you are about to witness will both shock and amaze you, it will make you wonder if you are really seeing what you think you are seeing, it will manipulate your mind and confuse you if you are not prepared. I present to you… GROG’S PACK OF WONDERS!!!” He said, in a loud and jovial tone, swinging his pack around and showing it off for us.
Emily clapped violently and whistled. Brock just clapped once and grinned, obviously more excited about the contents of the bag then the bag itself.
As for me I was interested in what we would receive. The quest hadn’t been too difficult but I wasn’t sure if that meant anything important. I could only hope that it was a good opportunity to get replacement weapons for a bit until we completed the tutorial. But that felt like a waste.
Better to try and get something that could last me for a while than a temporary weapon. As I thought quietly to myself, Grog started to rummage around in his pack, occasionally glancing at us all.
He suddenly stood up straight and beckoned Emily forward. “This item I will show you is the best current option I can give you from my wares that suits you the best. You don’t have to choose this item but it will make it easier on yourself if you do.” He told her.
Emily nodded and Grog handed her a circlet made of silver and had gems embedded in the metal. I scanned it to see what it did.
Circlet of the Divine: Circlet, Growth Item(F-Grade): This circlet is made from a high priest who used metal gifted from a god of healing and love. It is currently very poorly made but still has great effects for an F-Grade Item. This item will grow alongside you but will require the proper resources to advance a grade.
Effect One: This Circlet boosts all healing spells used by the wearer or there allies by 10%
Effect Two: This Circlet can be consumed to resurrect someone. The circlet will come back anywhere from one month to two years.
Effect Three: This Ciclet is made with the intention of love. You can save someone from the brink of death by simply channeling enough mana into the circlet. This effect can only be used once a month.
I whistled softly. That was a nice circlet.
Emily smiled and held it gently. “This is perfect. Thanks!” She said, practically beaming.
Grog then started to shift around in his bag again before triumphantly pulling out a pair of shoes and holding them out to Minya. “Here are the items most suited to you.” He says, with a grin on his face.
The shoes were sneakers with lightning running along the sides, and not just paint, there was actual lightning flowing down the sides. They were white besides the lightning bolts, which were a startling gold color with flashes of gray.
Sneakers of the Lightning God: Sneakers, Growth Item(F-Grade): These sneakers are made from the footsteps of the Lightning god, taken into a master cobblers workshop and made into an item of much praise. It is made amazingly but is held back by its grade limit. This item will grow alongside you but will require the proper resources to advance a grade.
Effect One: These Sneakers, when both worn, will boost your speed by 10%
Effect Two: When running with both of the sneakers on, you will gain momentum over time until you reach your maximum speed, which is 400% of your natural speed, including the speed benefits of the sneakers.
Effect Three: You can run on walls while you are wearing at least one of the sneakers. You can walk on ceilings if both are on. Your center of gravity will shift depending on what you are walking on.
Those were also amazing. Who knew that sneakers could be so good? Minya happily accepted the sneakers and put them on instantly, running off shortly after admiring them. Grog just watched her run away before turning back to us.
“Who should be next…” He mused to himself, slowly looking all of us up and down, pondering on who the next lucky person should be. After some debate he gestured Brock forward and brought out a steel armband.
Brock took it and looked at it. I scanned it as well.
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Band of the First Titan: Armband, Growth Item(F-Grade): This Armband was made from the fragments of one of the First Titans failed creations. It has great potential but is trapped inside of its weak shell. The band is made out of simple steel, but the inside is lined with titanium. This item will grow alongside you but will require the proper resources to advance a grade.
Effect One: While wearing this armband, you can shift between your old form and new form. This means different things depending on the user. The armband will change with you.
Effect Two: While wearing the armband, you can create a suit of armor that is 50% larger than you made out of ethereal gold. This armor cannot be used while the previous effect is working.
Effect Three: While wearing this armband, you instantly understand what things are made of and the process required to make them. This does not allow you to make them on your own unless you understand the process enough and have the right materials and requirements to make it alone or with others.
I was shocked. If that first effect meant what I think it did… Brock could become our height again if he needed to. That would be very helpful for making buildings and other things. And he could also make armor bigger than him, that was frightening.
Next up was Layton. After some fishing around Grog brought out a golden ring.
Ring of Aphrodite: Ring, Growth Item(F-Grade): This ring was originally the goddess Aphrodites, but she lost it and it fell down to the planet, losing much of its former glory. It longs to be back to its original self, and has a will of its own. This item will grow alongside you but will require the proper resources.
Effect One: While wearing this ring, your charisma is effectively doubled and your personal beauty is slightly enhanced.
Effect Two: While wearing this ring, you can expend a charge to attempt to charm someone. Your charisma is pitted against their wisdom, and if you win they will like you, with varying effects depending on how much you win by. This ring has 3 charges and regains 1 at dawn everyday.
Effect Three: While wearing this ring, all of your clothes and the clothes in close proximity to you, are refined and cleaned. This effect stretches out to 10 feet in all directions.
At this point I wasn’t even surprised at the ridiculous amount of power these items had. It felt like everything was going amazingly for us. It definitely didn’t FEEL like nightmare mode. As I was thinking about this the others got their items, until it was finally time for me to get my reward.
Headband of the Arch Vampire: Head band, Growth Item(F-Grade): This headband was made from the cloth of the arch vampire's cloak. It has been repurposed to become a headband but in doing so has lost a lot of its power. This item will grow alongside you but will require the proper resources.
Effect One: While wearing this headband blood is naturally drawn to you, inching toward you in a 20 foot radius, extending from the headband not you.
Effect Two: This headband has the dormant power of the arch vampire. It will let you resonate more with the aspects of vampirism. If you are not a vampire you become like a vampire. If you are close to a vampire you can now drink blood to gain power, cast blood spells with greater efficiency and transform into a bat on a full moon. The sun makes you more susceptible to attacks and holy attacks are more effective against you. As a trade off during the night you are faster and stronger than you normally would be, by about 50%, this ability does not affect those who are already full vampire.
Effect Three: While wearing this headband you can sense lifeforms with blood inside of them within 30 feet of you. Those with a different form of liquid flowing through their veins can’t be sensed.
I gaped in awe at the item. It was everything I asked for and more. I tugged the headband around my head and I instantly felt weaker. Looking up, I realized that I was standing in the middle of the sun and I quickly retreated to the shade of the trees.
The others were already long gone and I looked around for them trying to find any one of them.
All I saw was empty skies and swaying trees, they could be anywhere on the island for all I knew.
As I turned around and looked at Grog he smiled at me again.
My blood ran cold. I realized that with my new blood sense, I couldn’t sense him at all, only see him.
He didn’t have a drop of blood in his veins.
His form started to contort and shift and his tusks became horns and he was surrounded by a sinister black cloud that obscured him for a couple of seconds.
He stepped back out and he was utterly changed.
He had two gleaming devil horns, red skin and teeth that looked like daggers. His hands were now something closer to claws and they were opened wide as Grog grinned at me. I took a hesitant step backwards and felt my legs shake. What was happening!?!
In a couple short seconds he had gone from an ogre to a demon.
He took a shuddering breath of pure happiness and continued to grin at me. “Well?” He asked, gesturing to himself. “Do you like my new form? I think it suits me more, don't you think?” He said, and started to walk towards me.
I started backing away. “Why would you give us such good gifts if you wanted to kill us?” I asked hesitantly, backing away as quickly as I could without running into anything.
He laughed. “The system required me to give you something good enough for the quests. I just did the opposite. Those items are TOO good for you. They are the absolute best F-Grade Items you could possibly get. Which means more people will try to take them from you if you do happen to survive me. Not only that but the requirements to upgrade each item is incredibly difficult and expensive to retrieve. You will not be able to advance with these items.” He sneered at me and continued to follow me.
I gulped. There was no way I could fight him on my own. I turned around and sprinted as far away from him as I could only sparing a glance to try and scan him.
Night-Mare
Level: 49
My blood ran cold as I ran away.