Basil stumbled back from the game. It was done. He was done. The quest confirmed it.
Digital Adventurer (Hidden Quest):
Play every slot machine on the first floor, 150 out of 150 complete.
Quest complete!
Rewards:
New Title awarded:
Sleuth:
You found a hidden quest and completed it!
+1 to intelligence
Pacifist:
You cleared a dungeon floor without engaging in combat a single time!
+1 to all stats
+1000 reputation, +10000 chips
Basil’s eyes bugged out. He had to stop one from falling out of his skull with his quick, dainty lady hand. Not one, but two titles for the quest, and a whole mess of reputation, as well as enough credits to live in luxury for centuries. He could turn around, cash the chips out for silver, for gold… for platinum. He could raise his entire family out of poverty, push every one of them to level five, and find a nice place somewhere in the Undead Empire. Not in the core, not even close. But somewhere better than a single dark room in the basement of a half-rotten skyscraper. He could. And that was just from the first floor.
“Dare I?”
His voice was rough, more so than usual. It must have been some time since he last spoke. Without realizing it, he found himself in front of the bouncer at the back of the floor. The golem stared at him mutely for a long moment, then lifted the rope. Basil walked through the doorway, curious as the world around him faded to black.
–––
Raven and Kyra sat side by side. They were both crying hard. It had been a long, bloody, awful day. They were coated in grime and gore. Neither cared, nor did they notice the clean rivers their tears cut down their cheeks. Kyra felt light-headed for the first time since the system had cured her cancer. Pain throbbed behind her eyes, in her ears, her nose, and the dryness of her throat. It didn’t stop her.
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She clutched Raven’s hand tighter. Raven held on just as tightly. They continued to pray, to cry, to hope. Both of them felt the presence, and knew instinctively they should keep their eyes shut. It would be too much for them.
“Be calm, my children. I have heard your prayers. I can help you, just this once. I will pay a great price today.”
The silence in the camp was suddenly deafening. Nothing moved. Nothing breathed. Nothing dared to, not in her presence. A warmth blossomed in the tent. Light bathed the entire fort. Then it faded, and with it, the world returned to life.
A racking cough sounded harsh after the hush. Kyra opened her eyes and fell forward, burying her face into his chest and sobbing hard enough to rock them both.
“Ow, stop, ow! That hurts! I think I have a broken rib… or ten.”
She let out a laugh that turned into another sob. He gathered her into his arms.
“I’m here. I don’t know how, but I am.”
“Keep it down, the world is ending inside my head,” griped the woman laying next to him. Raven threw herself on the woman, wrapping her arms around Liz in a tight embrace.
“Thank the gods,” Raven whispered into Liz’s hair.
“Thank Caitrín,” Kyra whispered. Then she rolled to her side and hissed in pain. Adam coughed again, unable to turn to see what was going on.
“What? What is it?” He coughed again, wincing as blood spattered across his face.
Kyra screamed in agony. Smoke poured from her waist where she clutched her hands. In a moment, it was over. Tears of a different sort poured from Kyra’s eyes, but only a moment later, she was up and leaning over Adam.
“Hold on. You’re not fully healed,” she breathlessly said. Then she tried to channel her divine heal. Nothing happened. She tried again. Another failure.
“What?” She shook her head and used her mundane Lesser Heal spell. Her hands glowed and suffused Adam with a dull light. “Good.”
Her eyes rolled up, and she fell next to Adam. Both were deeply unconscious, but breathing. Raven checked them both, then let out a sigh.
“They’re alive. I wonder what that was about?”
Liz sat up slowly, stretching stiff muscles. She then pulled Raven in and held her girlfriend tight, kissing her head.
“We’ll find out in time. For now, let’s just enjoy the moment. We still have each other.”
–––
Name: Alabaster Blackwood
Race: Half-dead Human-Zombie
Faction: Blackwood Company
Job: Half-dead
Age: 20
Renown level: Unknown
Renown: 1280
Level: 10
XP: 101/150
HP: 3700/3700
HP regen per second: 1.85
MP: 880/880
MP regen per second: 0.44
Stamina: 1700/1700
Stamina regen: 0.85
Strength: 190*
Agility: 85*
Constitution: 185*
Wisdom: 44*
Intelligence: 56*
Charisma: 47*
Luck: 46*
Free points: 4
Titles: Centurion, Delver (100), Investigator, Noble II, Pacifist, Primal Rebirth, Prime, Prime Realtor, Primordial, Reborn, Royalty, Sleuth, Star-born: Dragon, Titanic
Skills: Unarmed Combat
Abilities: Earthen Bulwark I
Spells: None
Notes: English, Zombie Common
Chakras:
Crown: Locked.
Third Eye: Locked.
Throat: Locked.
Heart: Locked.
Solar Plexus: Locked.
Sacral: Locked.
Root: Unlocked. 1 of 3 assigned: Earthen Bulwark I.
The End