27. Aftermath
“Hagi? Can you hear me? Where did you go?” Mariselle asked through party chat as I was studying the rewards for reaching the Dungeon Core. “Did you do something? We all just got a ton of experience and gold!”
“I didn’t do anything,” I lied, examining the pop-up which displayed my rewards . Most importantly, in my opinion, was the massive amount of experience which pushed me halfway into level thirty-two, but there was also a good amount of gold, and thirty Runebound Dolls, another sort of vanity pet. “I just got teleported out of the dungeon. I don’t know where all of you are.”
“Weird,” she said, “We tried following you through the Circle of Return, but it wouldn’t let us. Now it’s saying that the dungeon is about to close and we’re freaking out because we think it has something to do with your challenge quest.”
“I don’t know, it might have,” I admitted. “Don’t worry about it too much. If anyone gets angry about it, they’ll blame me, not you.”
“That’s not what has me worried,” she said. “Hagi, are you … are you like Hail?”
“Like who?” I said, trying to sound innocent. “Mariselle, I’m just someone who’s really good at ferreting out challenge quests like this. Don’t get so--”
“Bullshit! I just searched your name in the forums and you also just happened to have the same name as a mage who destroyed a lair and fought a giant serpent,” Thalrin, the pyromancher challenged. “You’re totally part of the game, aren’t you?”
I was silent for a moment. The timer was ticking down, and in a few seconds the dungeon would close, returning us to the meeting stone out front. I didn’t really want to face them, so I opened my Fast Travel menu to get it ready.
“What does it matter?” I asked.
“I knew it! I knew you were that chatbot! You’re too good to be real!” he exclaimed. “What did you do to the dungeon? Is it gone for good or what?”
“I don’t owe you anything, Thalrin. Not even an explanation,” I said. I marked him with Karmic Balance and the rest of the party with Karma. I dropped the group, and I Fast Traveled away as soon as I was teleported out of the white room.
I had elected to return to Prowlhaven, in Eolstree. After emerging from the Nexus Point, I found the nearest Liecha bar and ordered myself one so hot it almost scalded me when I tested its temperature. Getting comfortable, I opened the chatroom with my other selves and gave them an update on my current status.
Warrior
Hagi is probably burned as an alias. If we want to be anonymous we should start using some other name.
Lord
That was always going to happen. I’m surprised it didn’t happen yesterday with Mage blowing up a Lair.
Acolyte
It will take a little while for the news to ripple out that we’re assuming false identities. There’s no reason to alter today’s plans.
Warrior
There’s more. I’m level 32. I need a vote. Do I change to Duelist? Do we use the sixth slot and level a new warrior from the start if we want to keep tanking? Or do we hold off and keep things like they are.
Archer
Why didn’t we decide this before we split again? Oh, right, we did. Go do the quest to change your class already.
Warrior
I’m having second thoughts. And if I’m having second thoughts, that means that all of us will have had second thoughts about it tomorrow.
Lord
Warrior is right. I’m having second thoughts as well. Remembering tanking is one of the things getting me through the tedium at the moment.
Mage
I vote duelist now, as planned
Archer
Seconded
Acolyte
We know how easy it is to level with warrior now. And it will be even easier the second time. I vote duelist now.
Lord
I also vote duelist now.
Warrior
Yeah, I thought as much. I just had to bring it for a vote or I wouldn’t have felt right about doing it. There’s another thing. And it’s a big thing. Runeheld Ruins is going to be a Raid in the near future.
Lord
Wait, in The Near Future, or as in ‘in a few days from now?’
Warrior
Sorry. Not the Divergence. I’m guessing the change will happen in seven weeks.
Mage
How the *&89h did that happen?
Warrior
It listed evolving into a raid as an option if I fed the dungeon another core. So I did that.
Lord
See, that is something that we should have brought to a vote.
Warrior
Would anyone have done any different in my place?
Lord
…
Archer
He’s got a point. I’d have done it without a second thought.
Lord
Still, what do we do about it now?
Acolyte
Tell Tarisha so that she can cash in on the future knowledge, I’d guess.
Archer
Not much else to do about it. Not unless we want to post it on the forums and brag.
Mage
Yeah, that’s a terrible idea. Let’s not do that.
Warrior
So...I’m going to notify Tarisha that there’s going to be a new Raid spawning, then change class to Duelist. Anyone else have anything to report?
Lord
Boring paperwork. Wanna trade?
Mage
Everything is going according to the master plan for me. Should be on schedule to hit thirty five before we link up again.
Acolyte
Yeah, same here. Except not 35. 27, maybe 28 by the end of today? Got a good group, we’re cruising through lairs. That might change if I get outed though.
Archer
I’m burning through quests as fast as I can, as planned. I think I might be able to hit 23.
Warrior
Alright. Good work, me. I’m totally a badass.
Since I was in Prowlhaven, I considered paying my step-father a visit. I decided against it for two separate reasons. First, I’d have to break the rule that Hail can only be on one location at a time. Second, Lord would probably get experience from visiting him. I could try visiting him as Hagi, but I doubted that my explanations would make sense to him, and trying to do so might in fact get me into trouble in Eolstree. Pretending to be nobility wasn’t that serious of a crime, but it was a crime. Hail was the Earl, not Hagi.
I walked into the dueling arena and sought out one of the masters-at-arms. After a brief discussion, I was able to express my intention to change my class and obtained a fairly straightforward quest. Equipping my [Blade of Eclipse], we entered the arena, and he spent two hours drilling me on the footwork and abilities of the [Duelist] class. It differed significantly from how I’d been fighting as both a [Spellblade] and a [Warrior], but before long I got the hang of it. When the prompt asked me if I was certain I wished to change my class, I clicked yes without hesitation.
I thanked the Armsmaster for his time, then swung by the auction network to optimize my gear. I could no longer use the fancy mace I had just gotten from Runeheld Ruins, although I decided to keep it in my inventory, and most of my other items which were designed to help me stay alive were less than optimal for dealing damage, especially now that I was once more a Dexterity based class.
Satisfied after spending a few hundred gold on equipment, I brought up my status for review.
Name
Hail Jeoran
Level
32
Guild
None
Strength
50
Health
20621/20621
Dexterity
88
Energy
1468/1468
Vitality
64
Skill
100/100
Endurance
46
Experience
14788/22400
Intelligence
41
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
Age
15
Wisdom
21
Race
Human (blood of the travelers)
Charisma
86
Class
Duelist
Armor
19
Job
Earl
Attack Power
276
Titles
Dungeon Master I
Critical Damage
2.55
Serpentbane
Weapon Damage Rating
C
Veteran of The Battle for North Shire
My survivability stats had taken a hit. I had lost seven thousand health after I’d changed classes and gear, not to mention almost forty from my armor rating. I couldn’t wear heavy armor anymore, not without impacting my Energy and Skill regeneration. In exchange, I’d gained a significant amount of Attack Power and increased my Critical Damage as well. I worried about my ability to off-tank, but I was certain that my damage would increase significantly.
Not just because my numbers had gone up, but because my abilities had changed as well.
Sustained Assault
Deal increasing amounts of damage the longer a single foe is targeted. Damaging a secondary opponent resets this bonus
Sudden Proximity
Rapidly close the distance to the target
Vanishing Retreat
Shirk 80% of AOE damage for 3 seconds, rapid movement and repositioning assistance for 6 seconds
Active Strikes (Skill)
Dragon’s Bite
Eagle’s Claw
Whispering Slice
Phoenix Blade
Basic Attacks(Energy)
Crimson Riposte
Vorpal Thrust
Vorpal Slash
Feint
I needed to practice for a while, but similar to [Warrior], [Duelist] had active strikes that used different resources. Skill regenerated at a constant, rapid rate. Energy at a much slower rate, but I started out with a significant amount. Interestingly enough, my basic attacks acted much like my old [Thrust] and [Slash] without cooldowns attached. I could very swiftly run out of energy if I chained them exclusively, but while they were easy to activate, they did less damage than the abilities powered by [Skill].
According to the forums, they also had a significantly lower critical hit chance, except for [Crimson Riposte], which was higher damage than any of my other moves but could only be activated while I was being targeted. That really shouldn’t be a problem, however, as once I was practiced with activating my other Active Strikes I’d only be using one or two Basic Attacks between chaining the other four abilities together. In fact, I was really looking forward to mastering this combat style.
First, however, I had to send a message to a friend of mine. I opened up a PM channel with Tarisha, and unsurprisingly it went straight through.
Hail
So, if I knew where a new raid was going to be opening up an earth week before it happened, how much would that information be worth?
Tarisha
What did you do?
Hail
I sort of made a new raid. I’m not sorry.
Tarisha
Is this part of your new abilities?
Hail
Not exactly. It’s not the first raid that I’ve made, after all.
Tarisha
I thought you were in North Shire today. That’s the only reason I left you alone!
Hail
Well, I was also in Kordock challenging Runeheld Ruins. And when I completed it, I got the option to evolve it into a Raid, so I took it.
Tarisha
Kordock? You’re really not making this easier for me, are you? Okay. Did you record the fights?
Hail
Yeah, of course I did. I’ll send them to you before I sleep tonight.
Tarisha
Hail, in Crescentis, is that also you? Are you Hagi?
Hail
Yeah. But don’t tell anyone that, leave them guessing. You can tell whoever you want about the raid, but I don’t want my secrets on the forums.
Tarisha
As you wish, but it seems that people are already connecting the dots on the forums. Nobody has mentioned a raid, though. I suggest you find a new name if you want to remain anonymous
Hail
I know. I don’t care, it might make LFG easier if people know who I am
Tarisha
Is there a reason you’re not partying with people from
Hail
I’m not ready to talk about it. I’m back in the guild, mostly. Isn’t that enough?
Tarisha
Hail, whether you remain part of the Mavericks, become a solo player, join a new guild, or start your own, it doesn’t matter to me at all.
Hail
You’re not saying that because having snitches spying on my every move makes it easier to keep track of me?
Tarisha
I don’t do that.
Hail
I’ve read your chat logs, Tarisha
Tarisha
That’s not what was happening. Peafowlet and Gummytiger were concerned about you, so we were discussing what you’d been up to recently. Is it wrong to be concerned about a friend, Hail? Why are we fighting about this?
Hail
I’m sorry. That’s not how I meant for this conversation to go. Tarisha … nobody really cares about me, do they?
Tarisha
I do.
Hail
Would you still if I wasn’t responsible for your income?
Tarisha
Yes. So would most of your friends in the Mavericks.
Hail
I’ve been reading Guildchat lately, Tarisha. I wasn’t before. Most of the guild doesn’t give a shit about me. The travelers without Marks of Karma spend the entire time trying to convince the ones with the Mark to convince me to do this or that for them. Half of the ones with the Mark are just as bad.
Tarisha
Oh. I’m sorry. Hail, those Travelers probably don’t realize that you might have … more access than you had before. I think that you might have been looking in on their group chats, and I doubt that the players would have spoken like that in front of you.
Hail
And that makes it better?
Tarisha
No, I suppose it doesn’t. Not if they were using subchannels accessible by anyone in the guild. It would be different, I think, if you went through their chatlogs entirely like you did with me. I’m still very concerned that you can do that now.
Hail
For what it’s worth, I don’t remember any of it except my impressions that you were telling me the truth and a few other details. And now I feel guilty for not trusting you more.
Tarisha
Hail … I’m very concerned for you right now. I’m going to share my concerns with your friends in your guild, including Daemon, Laurant, Phil, and the others.
Hail
That’s fine, I guess. I should get going. I just wanted to give you a heads up about the Raid forming.
Tarisha
Runeheld Ruins, right?
Hail
Yeah. Also, if you speak with other me, he might not know that we had this conversation until we sync up again, but he has the same feelings I do about the guild.
Tarisha
That’s useful information. And the Raid prediction will be valuable.
Hail
TTYL, Tarisha.
The conversation had not gone the way that I intended it to at all, but I felt better for having gotten some of those feelings off of my chest. I hoped that Tarisha didn’t resent me venting on her, but it was too late to take back what I’d said.
Deciding to use whatever time I had left in this login productively, I returned to the Adventurer’s guild and entered the LFG queue. Unfortunately, I was DPS now, and by the time I found a group that was ready to take me, it was time for me to log out and sleep. Now, more than ever, it was important that I get my rest, as I wasn’t used to splitting myself five ways yet. The group wasn’t terribly worried about my abandonment of them.