Duncan sat down on a chair in Elland’s store and activated his Reading skill. The notebook was thick but it was only a quarter filled and the knowledge he could use from it was minuscule.
Elland didn’t write what he already knew and only wrote down the things he didn’t know or was not sure of. Duncan finished it after less than five minutes and went back to the preparatory room to return it.
Elland turned toward Duncan as he walked in and asked, “Done already.”
Duncan nodded. “Yeah. I don’t think it was of much use. Did you check any of the books for curses?”
“Yeah. That pile over there is clear,” Elland said and pointed at a pile of books near the entrance.
“Can I take one?” Duncan asked as he walked back toward them.
“You don’t have to ask, they are yours after all. I would appreciate it if you let me read them later though,” Elland replied.
Duncan nodded and took the book on top of the pile and stashed it in his inventory.
“I will go visit Wazsh now. As you said, maybe he can help me translate these books,” Duncan said.
Elland nodded as he replied, “He does have a knack for languages. I just wish he was more forthcoming with the information. I always feel like I have to drag everything out from him.”
“I am sure he has his reasons. I will check on you tomorrow or see you at Wazsh’s?” Duncan asked.
Elland nodded and looked at the pile of stuff and shook his head, “I will see how far I come with these. Maybe I visit for a glass of wine when I am tired.”
Duncan smiled and left after that.
As he was walking toward the bar he noticed an unfamiliar icon by his health bar. Duncan imagined clicking it and it opened up to a window that made him stop.
[ CONGRATULATIONS ]You have reached level 50.CHOOSE YOUR REWARD[ CONNECTION UPGRADE] [ RANDOM STAT +25] [ RANDOM SKILL +10 ]
Duncan was perplexed by the first reward. The other two were pretty straightforward and to him didn’t matter much. He still decided to ask Wazsh about the first one before he chose one.
He continued his walk and entered the bar. Wazsh was not at the front so he immediately went to the kitchen.
“Hi Wazsh,” he greeted his lazy instructor who was peeling something that looked like violet potatoes.
“Hi. You are back. What did Elland want?” Wazsh immediately asked as he laid eyes on him.
Duncan frowned since he knew it would upset Wazsh but he still decided to spill the information, “Elland thinks the Mayor is building an army of undead using corpses she is buying from outside from the kobolds and goblin traders.”
“Woah. Wait a minute. How did he come up with that?” Wazsh asked, shocked at the sudden revelation.
“I told the story to the guards and we went to the crypt again and confirmed that a door covering a staircase is the same as the one covering the entrance to the mine. Elland also thinks she is not acting alone but that this village is one of many where her people are making an army of undead,” Duncan explained and waited for Wazsh to process the information.
Wazsh dropped the knife and stood up. He started walking up and down the kitchen for a while before he asked Duncan, “What do you plan to do about it?”
“Me? I plan to get stronger and survive,” Duncan replied.
“Yes, you. I mean, you have been here for four weeks and uncovered a conspiracy that has been possibly going on for a century,” Wazsh explained his thoughts.
“Has it been four weeks already,” Duncan asked.
Wazsh shook his head, “A bit longer but that’s beside the point. We can’t let them succeed. With your growth potential, handling them should be a piece of cake for you in a couple of months.”
“I leveled the guards today so I will have helpers but still going against a whole species who are determined to build an army of undead does not seem like a good survival strategy,” Duncan replied waiting for a rebuke.
Wazsh sighed before saying, “I am sorry. I am putting too much on your shoulders. You have no quarrel with Mahondrians. When I think about how I got here and… It just makes me so angry that I am once again faced with them. They should not even be here. They should have burned up in the fires of that star they consider as their god.”
Duncan waited until Wazsh calmed down before he asked him about the reward, “Wazsh, I got a reward for reaching level 50. Do you know what the Connection upgrade means? It was one of the choices for rewards.”
Wazsh turned around swiftly and looked at Duncan, “You reached level 50 already?”
Duncan nodded and Wazsh continued, “Let me check the manual. Connection upgrade is… Oh, here it is. It gives you double time off, double the transfer inventory, and double the transfer stats. Looks like a good choice. What are the others?”
“Random increase of 25 points for a stat or random 10-level upgrade for a skill. Nothing I can’t live without,” Duncan explained.
“You should take the connection upgrade then,” Wazsh said, now fully calm and composed.
Duncan nodded and brought the reward window back in front of him and confirmed the reward. There was a tingling sensation all over his body followed by some pain but it quickly passed and Duncan didn’t feel any different.
“How is it?” Wazsh asked.
“Nothing seems to have changed. I will see what it does on the other side I guess,” Duncan replied as he looked through the menus.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
Wazsh nodded before asking, “What is your plan now?”
“To get stronger. That reminds me. Do you have the proto-Elvish written and spoken language pack?”
Wazsh frowned as he stated, “I have 18 different proto-Elvish packs. Every region where Elves have settled has one. Do you know the region you need?”
“No. How much are they?” Duncan asked.
“5 silver each. So 90 silver or 50 for all of them and 50 for the reading symbol pack. Let me try something,” Wazsh said and there was silence for a while as Wazsh played with his menus.
“I managed to combine everything into 75 silver,” Wazsh happily announced.
Duncan nodded, “I’ll take it.”
[ Custom proto Elvish language and Symbol reading pack ]
All proto-Elvish languages and symbols
Learn
[ YES ] - [ NO ]
The knowledge flowed into Duncan like a never-ending stream. After about five minutes his head started to slightly ache. After fifteen minutes a raging headache was making him grit his teeth. After almost thirty minutes the ordeal was finally over and Duncan collapsed in front of Wazsh.
“Are you alright?” Wazsh screamed at Duncan while holding Duncan’s shoulders and shaking him.
“I will be once you stop shaking me,” Duncan replied, screaming back at Wazsh.
“Sorry. I didn’t expect that there would be so much information,” Wazsh replied as he stopped panicking.
Duncan stood up but he was woozy and sat on the closest chair.
“I need a minute. My head hurts but otherwise, I don’t think I damaged anything,” Duncan explained.
Duncan closed his eyes and the elven symbols started to float in front of him. He could understand them now. There was no order to the words that floated in front of his face and they did not form complete sentences. Duncan figured it was similar to Chinese, just simpler and made with a more nature-oriented design in mind. There were actual minimalistic drawings of trees and flowers in between the symbols.
Duncan shook his head and breathed in.
“I hope this stops when I go to sleep,” Duncan muttered.
“What stops?” Wazsh asked.
“Elven symbols floating in my vision once I close my eyes,” Duncan replied.
Wazsh frowned, “It should be temporary. I am sure it’s just temporary.”
“You don’t sound convincing,” Duncan replied as he looked at Wazsh.
Wazsh tried to explain himself and had already opened his mouth when Duncan stopped him.
“I am kidding. I asked for this. Whatever happens, it is my fault. Give me a beer and some food if you really want to apologize,” Duncan said.
“I can only give you food for free. You know that,” Wazsh said.
Duncan nodded before a Boar steak appeared in front of him and a bottle of beer.
“Thank you. I am sure after I eat this I will feel much better. It has been a long day,” Duncan said as he dug into the food.
Wazsh went back to peeling the purple vegetables which looked like potatoes as Duncan savored the taste of food.
Duncan closed his eyes after a while and the symbols were mostly gone. He could hardly distinguish between them now. He figured they would be gone completely before going to bed.
“Can I have another beer?” Duncan asked Wazsh.
“Sure. Let’s move into the bar. I am sure Bolgar and Elland will come soon,” Wazsh replied.
Duncan nodded and walked out of the kitchen with Wazsh following behind him.
“What else did you find in the mine?” Wazsh asked as Duncan sat down at the bar.
“A Spectre, eight Wraiths, and lots of Guardian Skeletons this time,” Duncan replied, grabbing a beer that Wazsh put on the bar.
“How did the guards perform?” Wazsh asked as Duncan was pouring his beer.
“They did as well as they could do. They can’t help me with Wraiths and we dropped a giant rock on the Guardian Skeletons,” Duncan replied.
Wazsh shook his head before trying to confirm if what he heard was right, “You did what?”
“We rolled a giant rock down a stairwell while forty Guardian Skeletons were climbing it and it crushed them to bits,” Duncan explained and continued to sip his beer.
Wazsh shook his head laughing hard, before saying, “You really are something. Was that idea yours?”
Duncan nodded.
“Fenris was panicking and the others were quiet waiting for his orders. My inventory is huge compared to the rest of them. They were all in shock when I pulled out the giant rock,” Duncan explained.
“Must be so you can store all the materials for all the different trades you can learn,” Wazsh tried explaining the situation with Duncan’s inventory.
Duncan shrugged, before saying, “Anyway, in this expedition, the rock was more useful than any of them but I am sure if we ever meet smarter enemies the guards will be of much better use than the rock. I doubt I can handle any one of them if they go full-out on me. The type and the quantity of the enemies down there really messed with their capabilities and now they are all sulking. Especially Fenris.”
“I am sure they will get over it. Must have been a blow to their confidence that’s all,” Wazsh replied just as Bolgar walked in.
“Heya guys,” Bolgar greeted and came to the bar. After a few unsuccessful tries to jump on a bar stool he gave up grumbling and sat at the nearest table.
“How have you been?” Duncan asked.
“There have been no new shitty orders. So I have been great,” Bolgar said with a laugh.
Duncan nodded and asked, “I might have a bunch of stuff for you to fix soon.”
“Ohh. What kind of stuff?” Bolgar asked intrigued.
“Old Elven swords, armor, spears mostly,” Duncan replied.
“Like the sword from the Guardian Skeleton?” Bolgar asked as his eyes almost lit up.
“Yes. There is gear left over from forty of the Skeletons and also some stuff from the Wraiths,” Duncan explained.
“Come by whenever you can. I can actually level my skill by fixing that stuff. Not like those shitty iron swords the Mayor makes me do,” Bolgar grumbled as Elland walked in.
“Good evening,” the ever-formal Elf greeted.
“Hi, Elland. How are you progressing with the stuff?” Duncan asked.
Elland frowned as he said, “Slowly.”
“When do you think the weapons and armor will be ready for pickup?” Duncan asked.
Elland’s frown deepened as he asked, “Are they a priority?”
“Of course, they are a priority,” Bolgar jumped into the conversation.
“No. They are not,” Duncan said, getting a glare from Bolgar and glaring back.
“It should be done in a week’s time. I need a glass of wine now. I have been cooped up in the preparatory room almost the whole afternoon,” Elland complained.
“When did so much time pass? I was at your place not so long ago, ” Duncan asked Wazsh.
“More than two hours passed when you activated your reward,” Wazsh replied, getting a shocked and confused expression from Duncan.