image [https://i.imgur.com/FIlHLs5.jpg]

With sixty minutes left on the timer, I sheathed my sword after a quick word of appreciation. “Thanks, Gladdy. I’m going to put you away until I reach topside. It’s time to boogie.” I rose to the tube’s surface and leaped into the organ room using Amphibious’s jumping ability.

If the cavitation event wasn’t as bad as Gladius predicted, I might even return to look for another celestial core.

After diving into the flooded stairwell, I entered the star chamber. The stagnant, settled mud in the room reminded me that my whirlpool fight against the undead lizardfolk happened four months ago, and no evidence of combat remained aside from piles of bones picked clean after months of fish meals. Not even the god rays from the oculus invaded the space, for I left the dungeon at nighttime.

The still water gave clear visibility to the surface. As I swam through the oculus, I could see the giant moon Laros silhouetting the shadows of a dozen hulls tangled with lines. It seemed a fitting reception for a destroyer of the dark magic relic.

I leaped from the lake onto a catamaran, for I didn’t recognize which I’d taken from the lizardfolk until I spotted a paddle between pontoons. Since every watercraft looked as unpleasant to power as the next, I tied off and paddled away from the other boats toward the disbanded settlement.

After laying the paddle across my lap, I pulled out Gladius before an hour had passed. “Hey, pal. I thought you might enjoy this.”

The sword hummed its appreciation. “I must say, you are a creative wielder. I could have easily wound up in a palace trophy room or collector’s private quarters. It’s great fun to be in the field.”

“I imagine all swords want a few war stories before someone mounts them.”

“Seeing the world is more fulfilling than knowing about it.”

“I’m happy to oblige.”

As I untangled a vessel from the flotilla, I felt an unsettling rumble in my chest. An upwelling of water followed, creating a gentle wave that pushed us from the temple as if hinting not to return.

I didn’t take the hint.

“I can’t say I’m sorry to have missed the fireworks, but that was a letdown.”

“You would have been Stunned and crushed by the temple underwater. It’ll be a while before the mud settles.”

“That’s alright. After four months of fighting, I’ve developed patience.” After only a few minutes, I decided curiosity still trumped my self-control. I sheathed my blade and ducked into the water to see the results of the core’s destruction.

Particulate thickened the water into a soup. It obscured details of the temple, but the gloomy silhouette of the structure still stood. A plume of mud drifted from the oculus like an angry volcano, but its outer structure remained intact.

My trident didn’t have mud-breathing, so I tightly wound a scarf over my mouth and nose before descending into the murk. I let up Presence when I reached the temple’s apex that smoked with mud. While the spell made things impossible to navigate by the Orga River, I had nearby walls to orient myself.

Using Dig to suck up the worst of the filth ahead of me, I carefully backtracked to the crypt. Despite the bloom of particles in the water, the mother-of-pearl walls glistened from the light of my spell.

Casting Detect Magic, I spotted a small glow buried under a fine layer of sand.

Item

Necrolith, Unique Purple Core

Rarity

Celestial (purple)

Description

Level 65 core

Celestial Bonus 1 Duplicitous

Celestial Bonus 2 Deadly

Celestial Bonus 3 Dark

Celestial Bonus 4 Empty

As sinister as its descriptions, nothing about the core showed a curse. Duplicitous suggested the quality of a spy item, which probably employed illusionary effects. “Deadly” and “eternal” seemed fitting bonuses. It took little imagination to figure out how they might apply to weapons. But “empty” didn’t seem to fit the theme until I remembered dark spells stemmed from a school also known as void magic. How would “emptiness” affect an item?

These wouldn’t do Hawkhurst or me any favors by installing into a building, so I resolved to keep this for an item.

I snatched it and rewound my way to a catamaran.

My newfound purpose energized me as I paddled toward the lizardfolk. Delivering news that they could renew their settlement would buy Hawkhurst a windfall of goodwill. Even if the lizardfolk sought no diplomatic ties, it was nice to know we’d have friendly neighbors on the opposite side of the lake.

I reached the shoreline by the morning.

The lizardfolk hailed me with upraised arms, and I returned the gesture.

I drew my sword to understand their language but didn’t stay long enough to dock the catamaran. My journey north would be long, and I didn’t want to lose daylight. Their ragged condition dampened my spirits, but my news should turn their fortunes soon enough.

The vulnerable lizardfolk had struggled to survive without a formal settlement. Some seemed skittish and ducked inland at the sight of my weapon, but everyone’s nerves settled after Rither appeared.

“Rither! How goes life after the manitou?”

The lizard flicked his tongue. “We are getting along, though we face many difficulties.”

“You’ll be happy to know you can kick off another settlement. I destroyed the magic that called away your previous rulers.”

“Truly? We are free to grow?”

I nodded. “If you wish to trade, Hawkhurst welcomes your people on the north shore of the lake.”

The lizardfolk exchanged puzzled looks, but Rither bowed in gratitude. “We want nothing but protection from wildlife. Now that we can settle, we can erect proper defenses.”

“Is there anything you need help with in particular?”

Rither shook his great lizard head. “No. These are natural predators that will turn away from our lands once we establish a permanent occupation again. We are again indebted to you.”

I grimaced at his words. Had they known I’d released the relics, they might not have been so grateful, but I wouldn’t let something so unimportant as honesty come between us.

A settlement dot appeared on my interface map, denoting the re-founding of Kirthos. I waved once more from my catamaran and paddled north along the shore of Otter Lake.

A large shape in the sky appeared over the western shore. “Beaker? Is that you?”

My pet had grown in four months. Even his feathers looked bigger. And when he preened, he looked almost twice as big. At least the size of his mother.

“How are you, pal? It seems you avoided getting yourself killed.”

Beaker answered with a deafening cry.

“I’m sorry that I’ve been gone so long. Have you been good?”

The griffon fluffed his chest feathers, and I leaned over to give him a good scratch, causing him to croak and cluck with approval. Telepathic messages appeared in my head. “Meat bits!”

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I grinned and handed him chunks of worm and ram chunks. He caught them in his beak, and it occurred that the pieces looked now too small to be substantial treats.

“It’s time to go home, pal. It sure is good to have you here again. Trust me, you wouldn’t have liked where I’ve been.”

Despite his size, the catamaran’s stability accommodated Beaker’s new size without capsizing.

A tailwind made for easier paddling. Straddling the starboard pontoon didn’t destabilize the watercraft, even with my Familiar frequently shifting his position.

Beaker eventually found a suitable perch on the front crossbar. He took off and landed on it without tipping the catamaran. If anything, he acted as a sail, catching the wind and hastening our journey. I held my arms up, trying to get him to open his wings, but he only clucked in curiosity at my strange behavior.

Beaker looked hefty enough to carry me without a problem. If I could convince him to pick me up by my shoulders, we’d be in Hawkhurst within fifteen minutes. Despite his size, he seemed as oblivious as ever to my needs. I didn’t bother trying to teach him to take a shortcut.

The catamaran’s stability appealed to me, but the design had a few drawbacks. It wasn’t as maneuverable or comfortable as a canoe, and I needed to remove my boots to avoid dragging them in the water. Its lack of cargo space relegated it to a one-time use.

Improving the conditions for the lizardfolk left me in high spirits, and the downwind trip home felt like a victory lap. Destroying the fourth relic made me so upbeat I opened the chat channel to give Fabulosa the good news.

Apache joins The Great RPG Contest channel.

Apache Hey Fab, are you there?

Fabulosa Right here. What’s up?

Apache I just destroyed number four.

Fabulosa Four? Grats! You must be up to your eyeballs in cores.

Apache I wish. I haven’t had much luck in that department.

Fabulosa More earthquakes?

Apache Something like that. All I need to do is destroy the orc one.

Fabulosa Yeah, it sounds like you’re taking care of business.

Being cagey about details made for poor conversation, so our discussion fizzled out, as did everything in the chat. Besides, I wasn’t certain I wanted to mention that I’d picked up a second core. She might see me as a threat.

Another annoying feature of the chat involved the inability to know who else attended the messages. Keeping the interface engaged provided the only evidence of who entered or left the channel. Unfortunately, I became the last to learn this trick.

Over the two-day journey to Hawkhurst, I stayed on the channel to watch who popped in and out. It seemed everyone except Uproar had the same strategy—keeping their mouth closed and eyes open.

Uproar Hey, guys. Is anyone in Westlake? I saw Jawbone there.

Pixielite Dude, give it up.

Uproar Just because Crimson’s too cheap to give $10,000 bounties anymore doesn’t mean you have to turtle.

Pixielite Except no one believes you. There are only fourteen people left, and we all know you’re full of it.

Uproar Okay. But Jawbone is carrying a ton of loot. He’s there if you want it.

Duchess Does he honestly think anyone believes him?

Pixielite Who knows? He enjoys trolling.

Duchess He probably has nothing else going for him.

Pixielite No doubt.

Uproar I just realized something.

Pixielite That you’re a weed?

Uproar Hadee har har. No. If Fab and Apache are a power couple, and if she’s a lieutennant governor of Hawkhurst, that means Apache might be governor.

Pixielite Here we go again.

Bircht That is interesting.

Uproar And I learned Hawkhurst is a new settlement in the continent’s center. Apparently, they started a new trade route, and merchants are talking about it.

Chills ran down my spine despite my overworked shoulders, and I stopped paddling.

I felt the rush of panic. What could I say to dissuade this conversation?

I’ve never felt the impulse to embroil myself in comment threads from online articles. Usually, the anonymous postings ended in flame wars. Playing this game was different. Strangely, we weren’t anonymous in Miros—at least not regarding the contest. Crimson’s new features had taken care of that.

When the first 16 players dropped, they announced a $10,000 headhunter bonus to increase player collision. When the next 16 dropped, they released names. While the information didn’t give anything away, they provided clues to locating other players.

Crimson stopped awarding bounties, but this chat system allowed players to share information, making Miros smaller and turning The Great RPG Contest into a more social game. This evolution made much sense for reality series and would create compelling entertainment. By now, the audience would have learned our personalities, relating viewers to the contestants.

Even now, I could imagine viewers laughing at my reaction—my dropped jaw and my arms frozen in mid-stroke on Otter Lake. I self-consciously relaxed.

Sharing anything could lead to critical mistakes. I could live with myself if a game mechanic or better player knocked me out of the game, for all was fair with love and war. But contributing to my undoing would be unbearable.

I realize now that I mentioned going after the orc thing, thinking that a vague reference was clever enough to avoid entanglements. While no one knew what I talked about, they knew of the orc homeland. I cringed. I had to be more careful.

And I still haven’t figured out how to keep Uproar from vomiting everything he’s learned about us into the group chat. It made me wonder what Fabulosa thought of him. Was she hoping I would say something, or was she wringing her fingers, hoping I’d keep my mouth shut? I might know once I opened her mail.

Kidviscious How did you learn all this?

Uproar I heard about it in a tavern. I didn’t think much of it at the time. Skullcaps spotted Fab in the Ragged Hills—that’s above the Arwealds. But if she’s gone, then there’s only one member of their power couple in Hawkhurst. He’s probably just getting fat on tax money and buying magic items that pass through the city. That’s not exactly the path of a warrior. Does anyone here want to help me rub out a fat Burgermeister and split his loot?

Kidviscious And you’re saying you heard all this in a tavern?

Uproar Just the part about Hawkhurst and the trade route. Skull mailed me asking for help with Fab.

Pixielite I hate to say this, but he’s probably not lying. I heard about a new trade route, too.

Uproar You guys ought to thank me for all the intel I provide.

Duchess We’ll write you a theme song and call it even.

Uproar Oh! A theme song works for me.

Duchess It’ll use kazoos and slide-whistles. How about that?

Pixielite Hah! Good one, Duch.

Uproar Very funny. But you guys notice how Fab isn’t saying anything? Fab? Is there anything you want to say, Fab? Huh? Any thoughts about your partner all by his lonesome?

I couldn’t bear to read Uproar’s trolling. It felt like I’d put Fabulosa in a tough corner. Her silence was a damaging answer in and of itself. It sounded as if I were as weak as Uproar insinuated—yet she wouldn’t say anything with my neck on the line.

Fabulosa already had survivor’s guilt over RIP, ArtGirl, and PinkFox. And Charitybelle sacrificed herself to keep Fabulosa’s game alive. I couldn’t let her take the heat for this.

Apache I’m in Hawkhurst. What of it?

Uproar Giving away your loc means nothing at all. You sleep tight and cruise through your game.

Kidviscious They could both be there.

Bircht I don’t know. Uproar pieced together a few things to pull this out of them. I think it’s legit.

Uproar Of course it is. If anyone wants to raid Hawkhurst, mail me.

Pixielite I still wouldn’t trust you, Uproar, not after what you did to Roadmachine.

Uproar Don’t believe what you read, Pix. Road was playing both sides. If you don’t want in on the Hawkhurst stomp, that’s your loss. Don’t worry. I’ll get takers—especially for a fat pigeon like Apache.

Apache Bring it on. I’m sure you remember your tussle with Fab. There’s a reason why she hasn’t knocked me out of the game.

Bircht That’s true. Power couples tend to be equal partnerships.

Apache You can bring along your NPCs. I’ll have my city at hand.

Duchess Hah! Do it, Uproar.

Pixielite Popcorn ready!

Uproar And here I am, without any resources. Gosh, I feel foolish now.

Kidviscious Settlements are impossible to get going, and mandates are garbage.

Bircht I’m not so sure. If he got to pick his mandate, maybe he got something good. I know some towns give better mandates than others. And it’s not based on size—which surprises me. Does anyone know more about mandates?

Pixielite They’re not worth the trouble.

Duchess I’m always looking to upgrade mine. Asking about mandates and deities is the first thing I do when I meet someone from a new city.

Uproar City? Please. He’s running a one-torodon backwater—a trading post at best.

Toadkiller I’ll look into it. I’m not sure, but I think Bircht has a point. If they have a settlement, they’re picking powers off another menu.

Bircht Depending on the town’s size, he commands a militia.

Kidviscious From what I’ve heard of Hawkhurst, it’s only a startup.

Uproar I’ve heard the same thing, too. Apache is in the middle of the wilderness.

Bircht Don’t forget. Governors pick the town deities, and founders become elders. Religion is always a wildcard.

Toadkiller That makes even me nervous.

Uproar Come on, Toad. You gotta be kidding me. After all your knockouts?

Toadkiller I’m not as powerful as you think.

Pixielite Yeah, I bet. I heard you have over ten kills.

Toadkiller Darkstep feeds me info. It saves a lot of legwork.

Duchess Is there a reason why he’s not in chat?

Uproar I mail Dark a lot. If he helps attack Hawkhurst, then you’re in—right?

Toadkiller I don’t think Dark attacks much. I don’t know if he even has a kill.

Pixielite I hear Dark mails a lot of people, but he hasn’t talked to me yet.

Duchess He’s the puppetmaster!

Pixielite I don’t know—maybe. It’s hard to believe what anyone says.

Uproar So you’re up for it, Toad?

Toadkiller I’ll sit this one out. Besides, I’ve got something else cooking.

Uproar Aw, come on.

Kidviscious Bircht is right. Deities are a wildcard.

Pixielite And your demon probably doesn’t jive with religions.

Toadkiller It’s not like that, but whatever.

Kidviscious And don’t forget—me, and Clootie, Ladycat hooked up outside a small town near Ul Itor. Fabulosa was on my tail, and we set up an ambush with some deep elves. She wasted us! Only me and a few deep elves survived. She has something called Aggression that does double damage in cities. If you’re hitting Hawkhurst, count me out.

Uproar No one asked you.

Pixielite It sounds like the perfect solo quest, Uproar.

Uproar You guys are such weeds.