Zakesh leaned back against the stone wall. His blue skin clashed against the onyx bricks. The wall felt real, as did his mismatched leather and chainmail armor. The hilt of the virtual sword on his hip certainly did its best to make him feel like it was digging into his side. He had a helmet, but it was toggled off so that it still provided protection without limiting his vision. The only piece of non-standard gear he owned was the red cloak draped across his shoulders.
He did his best to make do with the gear he picked up through quests instead of the auction house. It cost one thousand gold to buy the basic player home. There was seven hundred gold in his bank so far and it was as close as he had gotten. He'd have had enough for the house by the weekend, as long as he didn't have to spend too much on potions and repair bills.
"Time," he requested.
"It is two thirty-five," the computer voice was gentle and androgynous.
He pulled out the stone tablet, ran a finger along the length, and waited for contacts list to load. There was a total of twenty names, but seven of which were alternates.
"Beans," he muttered. "I've been waiting for fifteen minutes. What the hell, man? You said you could do this. I'm going to solo it and I'm sending you the repair bill if I die."
He hit send and slid the tablet back into his inventory. The server refreshed at midnight, which meant that there was minimal traffic at two in the morning. It was the best time to head into a hostile area that would be swarming with bloodthirsty players in a few hours.
The packed dirt trails out of the small-town split into three directions. Zakesh took the one of the left and started to jog. The gentle hills around him were dotted with trees and tangles of bushes. Bandits and beasts laid in wait for a player to stray from the path. They weren't a challenge in small groups, but they had a habit of calling for help.
Broken slabs of stone began to mingle with the lush hills. He angled away from the path once they had been overtaken by shards of obsidian. A warning flashed that he was entering hostile territory as set of forgotten rails led him to a collapsed mine access tunnel which meant player versus player was active in the area. He circled around the hill to a side entrance.
He came to a stop as another warning came up to inform him that it was a competitive area. Quests completed in the zone would count toward ranking and any player versus player would allow for full access looting rather than just bragging rights.
"This is new," he muttered as his eyes scanned the warning.
Zakesh entered the mine. The sound of metal on stone got louder with every step. His vision adjusted to the dim light just in time to make out the shape of a skeletal miner nearby. Stark white bone peeked through the layers of dust and grit. Gnarled fibers were gathered in sloppy knots in the joints. Empty eye-sockets turned to him. Its jaw dropped as though it meant to scream but no sound came out. The undead miner rushed him.
Rust flaked off of the pickax as it chopped through the space that Zakesh had been standing a moment before. He drew his arming sword as he spun out of reach. The pickax screeched against the stone and the miner clinked forward. Zakesh sprang forward. His blade sang as it sliced high. The skeletal miner crumbled to the ground as the distressed vertebra shattered on impact.
Zak stared down at the pile of bones. He'd been ambushed by a crawler more than once. A message alerted him that he had collected one silver and a rusted dagger. He moved quietly as he ventured deeper into the mine. Stealth wasn't one of his strong skills. Beans was the sneaky one. The rogue would have slipped by the skeletons and taken out the necromancer foreman. Silent but deadly. That wasn't an option, which meant Zak would have to fight his way to the foreman and then hope he could kill the necromancer before reinforcements showed up. The skeletons crumbled without someone there to animate them.
He moved slowly through the near-darkness. Zak winced as his foot crunched on something. He looked down to see that he had stepped on a pile of bones. A rusted pick lay discarded nearby. He hunkered down and focused on the sounds around him. Metal on stone had grown quieter. A wave of hot air whipped up the grit that coated the tunnel.
He wasn't alone."Damn it," he whispered as he started to move again.
"Healed up?" A male voice asked.
"Yeah," Another answered. "Running low on bombs."
"Already?"
"You pulled aggro on every single skeleton along the way."
"Not the first one."
"Fine," the other voice said. "Give me a minute to craft some."
"How long will this take?"
"Calm down. It's not even three AM."
The voices got louder as Zakesh reached an open chamber with toppled mine carts scattered about, but the players were still out of sight. He inched forward to get a better look. Two figures stood in front of a large stone door on the far side of the chamber. The bomber was a small green man with pointed ears, a goblin. He wore a dark leather bandolier full of ready-made grenades. His partner wore a chainmail suit that had been tinted red and a helmet that covered the entirety of his head but didn't appear to have a weapon. Neither of them had a sword above their heads, which meant they were marked for PVP yet. Not that it was much of a comfort in a competitive zone. Even cordial players were liable to go attack-happy when it came to ranking up. He wouldn't be able to tell their names, or level, until he got closer. His perception was good enough to turn the dark tunnels into a low-light, but identifying players in that haze wasn't something he could do yet.
He could see three options: ambush them, talk to them, or wait until next week when the server went down for scheduled maintenance again. Zak took a deep breath and stepped out into the open.
"Looks like you had the same idea," He tried to sound casual.
The two turned to look at him. Their names faded into view as he stepped closer. The goblin was named Chuck and his partner, Ash. A silent conversation passed between the duo. The red armored Ash summoned a halo of fire. Chuck lit one of his bombs with the magical blaze and tossed it.
Zak hopped back into the darkened tunnel as the black sphere arced through the air. He took a few points of damage from the explosion, but the wall blocked most of the blast.
An engineer focused on bombs and a fire mage. They weren't front line fighters and, most likely, a kit build rather than custom. The armor on his left forearm expanded into a small shield as he activated his defensive stance. Zak hunkered down behind the protection then burst into the open area once the flames faded.
Another jet of flame licked at the bottom of his shield. He could feel the muted impact as his legs took the fire damage. The health bar on his shield drained steadily as the mage continued the assault. Zakesh crouched and spun out of the way of the stream of fire. He made it two steps before a bomb landed at his feet. His shield collapsed back into a bracer as the blast lifted him off his feet. Zak fell flat on the ground. He could see the duo at the edge of his vision. A little closer and he'd be able to return the favor. The space around lit up as the mage began to summon more fire. Zak hopped up to a crouch and dove toward Chuck, the goblin bomber. He slammed the little green man to the ground. Zakesh used the goblin to regain his feet. He had to act fast; the bomber would be stunned for another three seconds.
His foot shot out. It caught Ash in the chest. The red clad figure was knocked a step back. Zakesh pressed on. His sword arm worked like a piston. Every slice sparked a bit of energy along the blade. He paused the barrage, brought his sword down so the hilt rested near his hip, and released the built-up energy in an upward diagonal slash.
The mage fell to the ground in a twirl. Zakesh turned his attention to Chuck as Ash burst into shards and faded away.
"What the hell was that?" The bombed yelled he looked at the spot where his partner had been a moment before.
"Kit builds aren't the only way to go," Zakesh said with a smile.
The goblin tossed a bomb as he sprang to his feet. Zak titled a touch to the side as it arced over his shoulder. The exploded as it hit the wall behind him. His shield popped back into place. It hadn't recharged completely, but it had enough health for what wanted. He backhanded the goblin bomber with the edge of the shield. The little green man was forced into a one-eighty turn.
"I didn't want to fight," He said as he stabbed the sword forward into the exposed back.
Chuck spun to face him. A dagger had replaced the bomb in his hand. The jagged blade hissed under the shield. Zak grunted as the dagger sliced into his ribs. He grabbed the goblin by the bandolier and tugged. The little man was lifted off his feet. Zak brought his head down hard. The open area echoed from the impact. The goblin stumbled back a few steps. Zak closed the space. He brought his blade down in an overhead chop. The goblin fractured into thick slivers that swiftly replaced by another tied bag of loot.
A notification left him know that the two bags had been added to his inventory. He drank a health potion and let his energy recharge. The vast selection of skills made character progression a bit intimidating. Kit builds helped streamline things, but there were some downfalls to going that way. Each skill path was set up to support and enforce each other which meant that straying from the plan would mess with the build. Players that chose the other option, free-form progression, were potentially able to create something stronger than a kit, but it took preparation.
Zak stared at the stone door. He hadn't been in the mine for a while. It was a lower-level dungeon, good for farming gold, but light on the XP. Before there had been a couple dozen skeleton miners, two or three necromancer foremen, and a stone golem at the end.
The wide stone door was darker than the walls of the mine around it. A thick metal bar rested horizontally across the middle of it and there was a lever along the right side. Zak scanned the door for a clue, but the stone was smooth and unmarked.
He shrugged and pulled the switch. Something inside the door began to click as the bar changed from horizontal to vertical. A puff of stale air escaped as the seal broke. Zak rested his hand on the door and pushed. It opened to show the remains of an abandoned study, complete with a dead scholar sitting at a desk.
Zak stood outside the door and took everything in. Packed bookshelves lined the walls. More dusty tomes were stacked along the length of a worn cot and spilled over onto the floor. His inspection turned to the door frame. It was unmarked as the outside had been and, as far as he could tell, was free from a tripwire or pressure plate. His attention went back to the bookshelves. They looked to be the only thing of worth in the room.
"You could step out of the light if you're going to linger in the doorway," A voice like the sound of fingers on dry parchment came from the room.
"Oh, sorry," Zak took a step to the side. "Is that better?"
"Yes, thank you," An avalanche of dust fell from the undead scholar as it shifted in its seat.
Zakesh pulled a torch from his inventory.
"I can provide some more light if you'd like," He offered.
"Decent of you," The undead scholar nodded.
The torch sparked to life.
"Do you have somewhere I can put this?" Zakesh asked as he stepped into the room.
"All my candles burned down years ago," The scholar sighed. "It's not safe to put fire so close to the books."
Zak nodded, "give me a moment."
He extinguished the torch and pulled up his crafting menu. A minute later he set a small stone brazier in the space between the desk and the door.
"You might have to shift a little, but it's the only space I can see that isn't close to a shelf," Zak lit the torch again and placed it in the crude stone bowl.
The undead scholar stood and examined the light. Zak studied him now that the details were visible. The scholar wore a tattered, but finely crafted tunic. Layers of dust made the original color hard to tell. Patches were missing along the ribs and the exposed bones glittered in the torchlight. The scholar didn't appear to have any weapons on him.
"Why are you here?" Zakesh finally asked.
"Not by choice," The scholar looked to the bar on the door.
Zak thought for a moment, "This doesn't look like you were tossed in a hole on a whim."
"I am not here by choice," The scholar looked to the bar on the door once again.
Zak had no idea why this room held a single undead, or what he was supposed to do. He didn't really want to fight the guy. The scholar didn't seem hostile, or even a little annoyed by his presence. Non-Player Characters, the important ones, were given more complex interaction options than simply wanting to attack. Their dialogue was limited but allowed for minor improvisation as long as it stayed on track. The loops were apparent the longer a conversation lasted.
"Is there something I should get from you?" He asked after another pause.
"My journal is of some interest," The scholar motioned to the desk. "I filled the pages long ago. I'll trade it to you for a book, if you have one."
"Let me check," Zak pulled up the window for his expanded inventory.
The transparent square hovered at shoulder height. There were tabs for weapons, armor, unidentified loot, and miscellaneous items. He flipped to the last screen. There were fifty items on the list. Most were random bits of loot that he planned to sell, or items he was saving for when he bought his house.
"I've got two books," he leaned a bit to look directly at the scholar. "One is the migratory patterns of the lizard-folk that inhabit the southern isles and the other is a steamy romance. I'll give you both."
"Then it is a trade," The scholar extended a hand toward his desk.
The journal zipped into his grasp. Zak looked down at the book. It had an exquisite leather cover and was held shut by a clasp. The gilded edges of the pages glowed even in the low light. Zak held out the two books and took the journal. The undead scholar returned to his place at the desk.
"I hope it's illuminating," The scholar whispered.
A message faded into view to inform he that he had started a new quest. Zak shrugged as he turned his attention to the mine. He didn't know how long it would take for those two players to gather some help. Soloing in a competitive zone didn't come with a long-life expectancy. The encounter with the bomber and the mage could have gone really bad if either of them could take a hit. He headed out of the mine and set his path to the nearby town.
The area was still sparsely populated. He made his way to the tavern and sat at a table. His health began to recharge slightly faster now that he was in a safe zone. The only way to get into a fight in a town was either a duel, or by pulling an enemy from the surrounding area. An envelope icon blinked twice to notify him that he had a message. He waved it away and opened his inventory.
"Let's see what you've got," He opened the first bag of PVP loot.
It contained three hundred and eight gold. The gear consisted of two player made explosives, a bomb making kit, leather armor infused with holy magic, as well as a dagger that did divine damage, and boots with a minor perception bonus. He'd get some coin with that if he dropped by a merchant. There was the option to put the gear up on the auction house. Some people tagged the list with the player's name. They said they did it to help people get their stuff back, but in reality it added insult to injury.
"Looks like I'll be sleeping in my own house tonight," He smiled and opened the other neatly tied loot sack.
This one held one hundred and twelve gold. The gear was an enchanted crusader helm that boosted mana recharge, and a basic healing potion.
"Saints blood armor," Zak read the tag on the red chainmail. The flavor text said that the armor gave a holy aura that also infused attacks with divine energy.
Named gear meant the trip to the auction house might actually be worth it. NPC merchants were great for unloading junk, but they were set to pay half the value.
"Time," He requested.
"Three fifteen," The system replied.
He leaned back in the chair. The merchant that sold houses was in the city. It took about half an hour if he didn't get distracted on the way. His friend Twist had a mechanical cart that sat a driver plus one passenger. She wouldn't be on for another few hours and he didn't feel like waiting that long just to get a ride. Hiring a carriage from the NPC stables cost ten gold.
Zak smiled, "I have ten gold to spend."
He walked out of the tavern and across the compact square to where a wooden carriage waited. Two men lingered nearby. They went through a loop of simple gestures that marked them as NPCs. A menu melted into view as he approached them. He selected the city of Whitestone, confirmed the payment, and climbed into the carriage. The interior held two wooden benches for passengers.
The carriage took off once he took a seat. He knew he needed to stop by a mailbox to pick up his message, and he needed to read the quest that the journal had started, but he wanted to do that in the comfort of his own home. Even the basic player house had one.
His friends list hadn't notified him that Beans had logged on. The confrontation with the two players would have been easier with him around. Beans was an engineer with a flair for explosives and variety of gas grenades, hence the name. Zakesh didn't have many people on his friends list and Beans was one of them.
The carriage pulled to a stop.
"Whitestone Square," The driver called. "Bit cold this time of year. Course it's always cold around here."
Zak stepped out into the street. His boots crunched on the ever-present layer of snow on the cobblestone. The game had a day-night cycle as well as weather. Mud replaced the snow in the brief summer in this area of the world.
The city of Whitestone, like the rest of the planet, had very little in the way of technology. Its roads were cobblestone and the buildings were brick and wood. The only place to find a plasma blade or nano-weave armor was the store attached to the in-game store that only accepted currency that was purchased with real money. The free-to-play limitations kept players on one world, which was quite vast, but barely scratched steampunk levels of technology. Players with a subscription, or those who purchased a single use pass, were able to head off-world to join the larger game at hand. The top one hundred ranked players were given a free subscription as long as they maintained their placement. Enemies defeated there counted, as well as completed quests, and any successful PVP encounters. Players ranked in the top fifty were actually paid to play. It made competitive areas interesting. Last time he checked Zak was listed somewhere around three hundred. He thought it was pretty damn impressive.
Beans was twenty spots ahead of him and never let him forget it.
Zak made his way to an NPC merchant. He sold the loot for a sum of fifteen gold. The auction house was his next stop where set a listing the red chainmail. It was the only one listed to tell him a decent price. He put it at ten gold with a plan to dump it at an NPC merchant if no one bid on it.
The house merchant was an NPC dwarf that was stationed outside the bank. A transparent house icon hovered over his bald head. His bright green eyes followed the closest player to him. He would smile and beckon them over when they saw him.
"Back again, my friend?" The dwarf had slight Russian accent. "What can I help you with?"
"I'll take a deed for a cabin," Zak confirmed the purchase.
The dwarf nodded, "Let me show you to your new home."
Zak followed the merchant through an alleyway to a square that was dotted with trees and shrubbery. Twelve cabins defined the edge of the space. There were a few other player villages like this around the city, but each door led to a private home. It saved space and the merchant alternated the cabins to avoid a long line of players all trying to go into one house.
The merchant handed Zak a key, "That one right there."
Zak nodded and strolled over to his cabin. It was the second one down on the left side. He took a moment to admire the rich red bricks. He knew that there were many other players that had this exact cabin, but in that moment it was his alone. The key in his hand vanished when he touched it to the door.
The cabin had three rooms with the option to expand it with a cellar, attic, and stable in the back. He explored the space in silence. The main area had two smaller rooms attached on either side. A window hovered at shoulder height. It gave him options to place furniture and other décor. If he got started now he knew he'd be up all night. He placed the mailbox by the front door and logged out.
~-~-Note:This is a side project I was working on. I wasn't planning on posting it yet. Needed some recovery time due to life stuff and didn't want to miss a post. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Not sure when regular scheduled programing will return. Things are rough at the moment.