Orion pulled a white bandana from his inventory. After placing it over in his eyes, it was tied around the back of his head.
Silence.
Ruffle.
Orion unsheathed his sword and dashed forward, swinging in the direction of the ruffling noise.
The sound of a rabbit cry reached his ears followed by a thud. He had successfully killed a mob without using his eyes.
Increased Swordsman Mastery: Beginner Level 2
Increased damage by one-handed swords (+6%)
It was increasing slowly, but he managed! He had spent around one hour practicing this way and he continued for another hour until…
“Ow!” someone shouted. His entire body froze except his heart, which beat wildly. He could even feel the color drain from his own face. Did he just stab someone?
“Is someone there? Hello?” the voice said. Orion pulled the bandana from his eyes to around his neck, but he couldn’t see them.
Only after looking around did he eventually look to the floor where he found a small cat that should technically be dead, but wasn’t. It must have been hunting the rabbits Orion was targeting.
“Hey, you,” the cat said in a feminine voice. “You’re just in time… I need your help!”
What… the… hell?
“I’ve been stabbed,” she continued. “Do you have anything to heal me?”
Orion searched around his inventory before shaking his head. He had used his potions in the fight with Diablo a week ago and had traveled without potions since.
“Damnit… can you take me to the nearest town?”
He waited for the words saying that a quest had been triggered, but nothing happened. He debated on leaving her; after all if there’s no quest, there’s no point in helping. But seeing her bleeding and struggling, he couldn’t not help. With a sigh, he gently put his hands underneath her and lifted her up.
When he entered the town, he was first met with a pile of leaves that blew towards him in the wind. The buildings looked rustic, like they’d been there without maintenance for years. Since the sun was setting and darkness was beginning to creep in, the town even reminded him of some sort of ghost town.
You have discovered Wild Pines!
The ground crunched from pebbles and dead leaves as he walked through the town. If there were people inside the houses and shops, they weren’t coming out. He eventually found a house with the symbol of a potion embedded on the door, so he knocked.
No answer.
“Hurry,” the cat pleaded.
Orion picked up the pace a little bit as he continued to search the town. Eventually he stumbled upon a gate that stood between him and a mansion. Unlike the other buildings, this one was well kept. The black iron gate was cracked open slightly, so he slipped through and approached the door. This time someone answered his knock.
A young woman wearing a maid’s dress greeted him at the door in a weary voice. “May I help you?”
The first inch of her hair was black, but the remaining hair that traveled down to her shoulders was light brown. Her skin was tanned and perfectly smooth. Orion felt captured by her beauty for a second before remembering why he came.
“There was an accident with this cat,” Orion explained. “I don’t have any healing potions with me so I was hoping someone in town could help me.”
“Nobody is in this town.”
“You’re in this town. Can you help? Please, I can repay it.”
“No, I’m sorry,” she said as she began to shut the door. Orion stopped it with his hand.
“Please.”
The woman shifted her gaze behind her before looking back to Orion. Something was off. Orion watched her; one of her hands were trembling like she was nervous or afraid, but she contained it well. That being said, there was one sign of uncertainty that is unavoidable. Orion could see it because of his experience in the military. Deep in her eyes there was warmth, her real emotion, covered by the coldness of her emotional mask.
“You can come in,” she said. “But I beg you: don’t leave the main hall. You must wait here for me.”
“I’ll do that.”
The doors creaked until they closed behind him. The woman disappeared, so Orion took in the scenery in silence.
It was incredibly dark; the only light in the room was a chandelier that wasn’t on. Therefore the only light was from the moon, which was beginning to emerge in the sky and peered through the windows. A rug led to a staircase that traveled halfway to the second floor before splitting to the left and to the right. On the wall in the middle of the staircase was a large painting, but Orion couldn’t see what it was of.
She said just don’t leave the main hall, right?
Orion walked closer and gazed upon the painting. It was a very, very old man who looked well over 100 years old. The painting was so large that the man was as tall as Orion himself. The chandelier above suddenly turned on.
“A guest,” someone said. Orion followed the voice to the right where a man stood at the top of the stairs. He looked to be in his 20’s, about as old as Orion. He wore a fancy suit and twirled a cane. “What a surprise.”
Just then, the woman returned. “Duke Wilde!”
“Ah, Jenovine. I assume you granted this stranger entry to my mansion?”
Jenovine began to speak again, but Orion spoke first. “Forgive us, uh… Sir Duke… You see my cat here is dying so I was seeking help.”
“I see, I see! Jenovine, dear, come take our guest’s cat, will you? Nurse her back to health and make haste.”
“Yes, master.” The woman hurried up the stairs and disappeared with the cat.
“My grandfather,” Duke Wilde said, pointing his cane towards the painting. It was true that the two men resembled each other. “But please, join me as I walk my mansion. It is not often we are honored with visitors!”
The two men traveled the halls with the Duke often pointing at pieces of art and providing commentary.
“This painting my grandfather had painted of his previous home before this mansion; he quite loved the outdoors, you see. It was much more modest and secluded. Ah, this statue was made of my grandfather’s first love; he demanded it to be made of marble and look more beautiful than any person could be. In here is my study…”
He opened a large door to a room with bookshelves that touched the roof and spread all along the walls. Orion had never seen a collection so large except for public libraries. His jaw dropped from amazement and when Wilde noticed, he laughed.
“Would you like a drink?”
“I’m not sure if I should…”
“Do you drink often where you’re from?”
“Yes, why?”
“Tell me, what is your favorite? If you’d refuse mine, you must tell me what you would accept! Nay, I employ you to make it for me so I can taste it first-hand!”
Orion had to ponder the question for a moment. Then he asked, “Will you lead me to your kitchen?”
“As you wish.”
Once Orion entered the kitchen he set out to find the ingredients. There were many barrels and cabinets that were utterly stocked. The Duke had fruit, beans, Applewood Whiskey, meats, seasonings, and so forth.
An orange produced orange juice, a grapefruit produced grapefruit juice, and he found a bottle of gin. After mixing the ingredients together he poured it into two glasses filled with ice and a slice of lime.
Item Obtained: Gin and Juice
Increased Alchemy Mastery: Beginner Level 1
Crafted beverages now provides bonuses to stats
Orion handed the glass to the Duke and they shared the drink together. After each had four glasses, they were both beginning to feel quite good.
“I must admit, my friend,” Duke Wilde said. “You know how to make the most delicious drinks. I must ask; will you stay long? I have enjoyed your company. In fact, might I ask a favor? I have been gracious in inviting you here, so I’m sure you’ll say yes! Jenovine always cooks the same meals and I feel like trying something different today. Will you help me?”
A Feast for a Duke Difficulty E
+50 EXP
Duke Wilde's Cane
Duke Wilde has requested that you prepare him a meal. The quality must meet the Duke's expectations.
Duke Wilde’s cane? What’s that? A weapon? Whatever it is, the quest is rank E so it doesn’t seem too worth it.
“I can’t possibly accept.”
“You misunderstand. I invited you into my home and offered to heal your pet. You will accept my request.”
A Feast for a Duke Difficulty E
+50 EXP
Duke Wilde's Cane
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Duke Wilde has requested that you prepare him a meal. The quality must meet the Duke's expectations.
Additional Information: Rejecting or failing this quest will cause Duke Wilde to turn hostile
“In that case, I accept…”
There was no telling how strong the Duke was, and while he can always respawn there were two things he had to keep in mind.
The first; dying results in one level lost, plus all of his items have a randomized chance of being lost forever. Players often visit the bank so in the event they die, they won’t lose their items.
The second; his cat companion might be an NPC and when an NPC dies, they never return. If they own a shop, a new shop owner will take their place. Towns and cities are often safe spots from player versus player which is why NPC’s aren’t typically outside of them unless there is a quest.
So if Duke Wilde attacked him, would he become hostile to the cat as well? He might respawn, but the worst case scenario… the cat would die forever…
“Excellent!” the Duke exclaimed. “Jenovine will join you shortly to assist you and I will be waiting with your companion in the dining hall.” Duke Wilde disappeared into another room and soon Jenovine joined him.
“I told you to not leave the main hall.”
“I didn’t, though. I just climbed the stairs and even that was halfway.”
“Hmph,” was her only reply.
“Do you have any recipes? What kind of food does the Duke like?”
“No! You must leave, now!” She began trying to force him out of the kitchen.
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“He has my cat.”
“Is that cat as valuable as your own life!?”
“What do you mean?”
“My master is not as you think,” she explained. “He will play games with you simply because he can. He will find a way to keep you here, like he has tried with your cat. You have two options: run away or be trapped forever. If you forget your cat, you can still escape. But if you stay, you will fail whatever quest he gave you. You won’t be able to fight back either, because he’s immortal.”
“Immortal? What do you mean?”
“Long ago, my master was the duke of Wild Pines. He founded it actually, it was named after him. My master feared growing old and he wasn’t ready to die yet, you see, so he employed a dark wizard. This woman preached black magic and convinced the Duke that he could live forever. He accepted her offer, which resulted in everyone in the Duke’s mansion being killed including my great grandmother.
Eventually everyone in the town left after a handful died due to the dark wizard’s magic. I came for revenge, but ended up trapped here for ten years. Now he will do the same to you unless you leave.”
“How’s he immortal?” Orion interrogated.
“I don’t know the spell the dark wizard used. I just know the results.”
“You said if I fail the quest he gave me I’ll be trapped. That means if I pass the quest everything will be okay, right?”
“What? …You can’t!”
“I can if you follow my lead,” Orion said, pulling the bandana off of his neck and retying it around his forehead.
‘I should probably forget about any recipes he has for now. He wants something that Jenovine couldn’t make. Though I still don’t have much experience… what can I make? What about something I’ve made in real life? Barbecue is always great, but there’s no grill in this world... but what if…’
“Jenovine!”
“Yes?”
“I need brisket.”
“Okay… what else? Make a list and I’ll make sure to find what you need.”
Once Jenovine returned with everything he needed, Orion went to work. First, season the beef with salt and pepper. Then he put it in a casserole dish and fried it until it had an even brown color. Chopped carrots and celery was added, along with garlic and extra seasonings. Then he poured hot water on top to braise it and once the water was boiling, he put the lid on and threw it in the oven.
But what’s brisket without barbecue sauce?
To the side, Orion finely chopped an onion and garlic. Then he fried it, seasoned them, and threw in brown sugar to help caramelize the onions. Smoked paprika was then added for some heat along with vinegar. Finally a bit of ketchup and Worcestershire sauce was added that Jenovine made for him while he cooked everything else. When it had the consistency he wanted, he seasoned it a bit more and poured it into a bowl.
“Just like dad used to make,” he told Jenovine with a smile, but she only returned a confused look. She probably didn’t know what he was making. “So what does he usually like as, you know, a side dish?”
“Any vegetable, I suppose…”
“Potatoes it is!”
In salted, boiling water, Orion partly boiled them. Not too much so they started to fall apart, but enough so they would cook on the inside before burning the outside. He coated a pan with olive oil and threw the potatoes in while making sure they ended in one layer and none over lapped the others. After seasoning, he threw them alongside the still-cooking brisket.
When they were lightly golden, he pulled the potatoes back out. In a bowl, he poured olive oil and vinegar over rosemary, then added thyme and garlic. All of that went over the potatoes and then was thrown back into the oven.
Orion timed it so the potatoes and the brisket would finish cooking at around the same time. He pulled them out one at a time and put both dishes next to a single plate. He sliced some of the brisket, plated them, poured some of the sauce over it, and then added some of the roasted potatoes.
Beef Brisket with Roasted Potatoes Good quality
Stamina +25 for 5 minutes
Stength +5 for 5 minutes
Increased Cooking Mastery: Beginner Level 2
Fame +50
Good quality! The Duke was sure to love this. Orion sent a silent prayer of thanks to his dad before taking the plate to the dining hall. After eating, Duke Wilde’s face lit up!
“Delicious! You have certainly met my expectations!”
A Feast for a Duke Difficulty E
+50 EXP
Duke Wilde's Cane
You provided Duke Wilde with a dish that met his expectations.
Level up!
Orion opened his inventory and examined the item he was rewarded with. It was a miscellaneous item, so he couldn’t use it. Upon closer inspection he saw it’s true worth: he can sell it for 250 gold!
“You have done well, my friend. You must stay longer and continue cooking for me!”
“I can’t. I did as you asked and it’s time for me to go.”
“I see. You’re right, you cooked for me and I helped you. Therefore, we are even. You may go.”
His now-healed cat followed him to the door, but he was soon stopped by Jenovine. “Please,” she said. “You mustn’t go. I need your help!”
The Truth about the Duke Difficulty C
+300 EXP
+100 Fame
+100 Gold
Jenovine has expressed that Duke Wilde is evil and wishes to undo the spell of the dark wizard.
Additional Information: Failure or denying the quest will result in -100 Fame
The rewards were tempting, but Orion was hesitant. It was a rank C quest! Plus, the additional information revealed heavy consequences.
A player can lose fame by stealing, killing NPC’s, killing players, and failing quests. Once you have negative fame, you become an outlaw. He didn’t know the specifics to it and made a mental note to do some research once he was out of the game, but he had to decide on whether he was to accept the quest or not now. Orion could always come back and gain fame again, but it would take a lot of effort. Was it with it?
“I don’t know,” he said. “You said it yourself: he’s immortal. What could I do?”
“He must have information in his study! I beg you, go look!”
With a sigh, he accepted the quest. Since the Duke thought he left, Orion was forced to sneak around. When he found the study, he put his hand on the knob and shook it, but it didn’t budge. Locked.
‘Of course.’
“I can steal it,” his cat companion said.
“Wait, you’re still here? You can leave, you know.”
“You helped me so it’s only right that I help you.”
Orion decided to leave out the fact that he was the one who hurt the cat in the first place. “How are you going to steal it?”
“Are you kidding? I’m a feline; master of stealth. Wait here.”
The cat disappeared and soon returned, keys jingling in its mouth. After unlocking the door, Orion slipped in quietly and started to look around. If he had a journal, where might it be kept?
He dashed to the desk in the middle of the room and ruffled through the drawers. He found a small book in there and started flipping through the pages. As soon as he found a page talking about the dark wizard, the door to the study burst open.
“Well well,” the duke said. “You left as a friend yet you return as an intruder! An enemy!”
The duke pointed a palm forward and a bright light illuminated from his hand. Then, a bolt of lightning shot out and struck Orion in the chest. His health completely depleted!