“Soooo, I’m probs going to have to log out soon,” Peter said. “I know it’s early but I have to get home before dark.”

Dani looked around, confusion evident on her face. “Uh, ok mate. You do that.”

“You can’t get signal in your house?” Warren asked.

“I can try, but you know my mum,” Peter waved a hand. “Or, maybe you don’t? Anyway, she hated The Age because my Dad worked on it. Now that they’re getting divorced she hates it more. If she finds out it’s the game I’m invested in, watch out.”

“Then we’re going to have to wrap it up soonish I suppose,” Pham complained. “We’ve barely started the run.”

“Ehhh, we’ve some a long way from Averton.” Peter countered. “Woz picked a fight with his cousin and we’ve just arrived in a new city.”

They had all left the house via the church and were leaning on the rail that looked out over the water. The wind ruffled their hair and brought the scent of salt water to their noses. Peter marvelled again at the realism of the game world he found himself in. Over the edge, seagulls wheeled and cried. They cold see the roiling masses as Travellers and NPCs mingled in the streets and markets. Many Travellers distinguished themselves with distinctively magical or powerful technological equipment, though many more were less identifiable as one or the other. In a city like this, the watch patrolled in matched groups, pairing a clear mages with high-tech partners.

When Peter pointed out this fact, Pham explained. “Tech interferes with magic, magic interferes with tech. You put a machine pistol in the hand of a wizard, it’ll jam. If an engineer picks up a wand, it could explode. Or turn into a duck. Duck. I’m trying to say duck, why can’t I say duck?”

“Profanity filter for underage players?” Peter suggested.

“Fork that.”

Dani’s confusion deepened, but she shrugged it off. She was used to Pham being weird by now. “So, if you have to head out soon on a solo quest, why don’t we stock up on consumables?”

“Ach, weel,” Warren agreed, “Tha’s a bonny idee. The dungeon we’re aboot to delve is full o’ danger. Peter’s gonnae need a potion belt anna full load. Furst stop will be the blacksmith though. Imma need some dents knocked out. Reckon Pham’ll need a spot ‘o parts an’ Dani’s short a shot or two I’d say.”

“Woz, is your accent back because you’re about to go up against your cousin again?” Pham asked.

“Ah dinnae ken what yer on aboot,” Warren stared off into the distance, Dorian style. :Nae wheest yersel.”

“You’re not entirely wrong, mate,” Dani said. “I’m getting a bit short on bolts for the crossbows, but I’m not sure how that’ll go now I’ve got the new bang stick.”

Knowing they were on a timetable, the four took a funicular to the bazaar to stock up for the next night’s adventure. Their first stop was, as Warren suggested, the blacksmith shop.

Unlike Averton, the shop the entered was purely devoted to supplying melee fighters with protective apparel. There were no weapons on the walls, just pieces of armour in various hues and weights. Peter marvelled at a codpiece on a rack in the deepest recesses of the shop, close by to the forge itself. It was held at chest height on a rack made of what appeared to be solid steel, and thick steel at that. Peter tried his Appraise skill on it, but only received a series of question marks in response. All he could glean was the name, Codpiece of the Donkey, Slayer of Dragons.

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Must be well above my level, he realised as he read the description. I hope that thing has some spectacular disease resistance.

Warren strode straight up to the smith and held out a suit of armour in a pile. Peter recognised it as the suit Warren had worn in the fight against the Paragon of Lust, the person who claimed to have been in a relationship with his father. Peter was a little conflicted about having absorbed the soul of that person, but only a litte. That said soul was now being used to power Bani’s house definitely offset any guilt.

Peter left the blacksmith and went looking for a place that specialised in leather armour. His own protective equipment was looking a bit worse for wear after his last respawn. After angering the Heart of the Forest, every single mob in the whole zone had descended on him and he’d not gone quietly into the night. His fight or flight instinct had kicked in, and his wings weren’t yet big enough to support his weight.

Dani and Pham went shopping together. Despite their differences, the components they needed were quite similar and sold at the same shops.

“So what you’re saying is that your needle launcher still consumes resources?” Phma asked.

“Yeah, the tier two shots need stuff to power their effects,” Dani said. “It came with a full tank, but I used up a whole bunch of components while we were hunting in the woods.”

“So where does it go in?” Pham asked, intrigued. “It’s not like there’s a funnel or anything.”

“I’m running a bit short of basic poison,” Dani held up the weapon she’d received from defeating Lust and completing a Geas. She pressed on a catch and the base of the barrel-like buttstock opened on a hinge. She took what looked like a bound tuft of grass from a pouch and dropped it in and closed the lid. After a moment, one of the crystal chambers swirled with bubbles and filled slightly with green liquid. “That was snake grass from the Grogmarsh. Not the strongest toxin I have, but this thing doesn’t seem to care.”

“So what you’re saying is that any toxin will do to fill the poison chamber?” Pham marvelled. “The nature of the toxin doesn’t matter?”

“The more exotic the toxin the more it drains the chamber,” Dani explained, “but also the more exotic the component the more it fills, it seems.” Dani popped open the butt of the weapon and produced a vial with a glass dropper. “Necrotoxin, one drop.” The single drop filled the chamber completely.

“Daaaaaang, where’d you get that stuff?”

Dani paused for a moment to think. “Some bloke called Asano, I think? An affliction specialist.”

“Affliction magic?” Dani pulled a face. “Ugh. I hate magicians.”

“I’ve noticed that, but why?” Dani asked.

“Because it all happens by magic,” Dani grimaced. “In this world everything happens via either science or magic. I can figure out how the science part works. You can run the numbers and get solid results. When you introduce magic anything can happen. The rules go out the window.”

“Magic has rules too, you know.”

“Sure it does,” Pham dismissed, walking off.

When the four met up once more in the square that looked over the water, they compared their finds. Dani’s weapon was slung over her back, bubbling with liquids of multiple hues. Pham had a small riot of clanks following him. Warren and Peter were still wearing the same armour as before but had a few new accessories.

“So,” Peter said, “I gotta go now, but we hit a dungeon tomorrow night, yes?”

“Aye, tis true,” Warren confirmed. “I see your new belt is full Peter. Ancient potions?”

Peter modelled his new potion belt, the four loops bearing red flasks. “Yeah, they taste pretty good. Pricey but worth it.”

“And they’ve been tested so they don’t give you a bad reaction?” Dani confirmed.

Peter nodded, knowing what happened last time. “Pham, you seem to have built an army there.”

“Pffft,” Pham dismissed. “This isn’t an army. I’ve just been experimenting with the scales. Each one of my new friends has a different effect. I was just able to measure the payload more accurately.”

“Payload?” Warren asked. “Last time you used that word I got very worried. Should I be worried this time?”

“Oh yeah, for sure. We are headed into the same dungeon, after all.”