Grand Game 440: Venturing Out (Patreon)

Note from Tom: I've realized that the week after a book release is possibly one of the worst times to write. There are just too many admin tasks to attend to and things left undone or forgotten as a result of trying to push a book out.

Anyway, enough excuses. I've resumed writing and will catch up on with my chapter postings over the next few weeks.

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I couldn’t leave for the tundra immediately, of course.

First, there was the small matter of the other Game message patiently waiting for my attention. It had arrived as soon as I’d stepped through the portal, but caught up with scrutinizing the surroundings, I’d not attended to it.

I did so now.

Congratulations, Michael! You have completed Draven’s Reach.

You have accomplished the feat: Apprentice Dungeoneer! Requirement: complete any 3 dungeons. You have been awarded an additional life! This life may be assigned to yourself or your familiar.

“Huh,” I murmured, “curious.”

“What’s that?” Adriel asked.

“I just earned the apprentice dungeoneer feat,” I said, scratching my chin thoughtfully.

Nyra frowned. “That’s a good thing—isn’t it?—but you don’t sound all that pleased. Why’s that? I thought all feats were a welcome bonus.”

“They are,” I agreed. “But it so happens, I’ve already earned the master dungeoneer feat.” I’d gained it in Draven’s Reach after slaying my first elite. “This feels like…” I shrugged. “A step backward.”

Adriel laughed. “That’s because you’re doing things in the wrong order.”

I smiled. “I suppose that’s true.” I doubted there were many players foolhardy enough to enter an elite dungeon as early as I had. Still, the additional life was welcome, and seeing as I already had four, I had no hesitation in bequeathing the new life to Ghost.

Your familiar has been awarded 1 additional life. Total lives remaining: 4.

The pyre wolf’s ears flickered up as she felt the change. “Thank you, Prime.”

I inclined my head. “It’s no more than you deserve.” I glanced at Adriel. There were two more matters for me to attend to before I could get going. “What about my blood awakening?” I asked, addressing the most pressing issue.

“Ideally, you should awaken your blood straight away,” the lich said, “but given the circumstances, I’m not sure that is wise…” She pursed her lips in thought. “How much did the ritual combat awaken your blood?”

“Enough to gain three lesser blood memories.” I paused. “Or one greater one.”

The lich’s eyes widened.

I grinned. “I would ask which you think I should acquire, but from your expression, I take it that awakening a greater blood memory is the way to go?”

Adriel nodded emphatically. “It is. You remember the spell Loskin used on you before you killed him?”

“The power word?”

“That’s the one. All power words are greater blood memories, and if you ask me, each, on its own, is worth more than any number of lesser ones.” She paused. “And that’s not counting how your champion Class would further empower it.”

My eyes narrowed. “But would I even be able to use a power word? It’s a spell, right? And if you recall, I’m—”

“—spell-illiterate,” Adriel finished for me. “Trust me, I haven’t forgotten that particular trait of yours. Blood spells—all blood memories for that matter—are not true spells or abilities. None of them use mana, stamina, or psi. This is part of what makes them superior to Force abilities.”

My brows drew down. “That’s an interesting—”

Adriel waved her hand dismissively, cutting me off. “Sorry, I’m getting sidetracked. None of that’s relevant right now, and we can discuss the relative merits of Force abilities and blood memories some other time. The important thing to note is that it’s your blood that fuels your awakened memories, and in the case of a power word, it is your blood that will form the casting. Even spell illiterate as you are, you will be able to use it.”

I nodded slowly. “Then, assuming I awake a greater blood memory, how long will it take me to recover?”

“Three days,” Adriel answered.

I winced. “That long?”

“Yes,” she replied firmly. “And not a minute less. The process is strenuous.”

I sighed. “I see. Then, I suppose you’re right. I will have to leave awakening the blood memory for later.” Withdrawing the Blood Talisman from my pack, I considered it for a moment.

To reach my allies in the guardian tower, I would have to first find a merchant. Unfortunately, I could not use the aetherstone bracelet to go to the tundra, because the artifact could only be activated from inside a safe zone—and this sector’s safe zone had already been locked down by the Devil Riders.

That left me with only two options.

The first being walking across the sector’s boundary to an adjacent sector in the hopes of using its safe zone to teleport out. That, though, required the neighboring sector to be unowned—something Adriel and I considered unlikely since the Game message had already made clear there were three rival factions present in the region.

The second option was more promising.

There was more than one way to travel between sectors, and if I found the right merchant, I could buy the items necessary to take me to the nether-infested sector. From there, it was only a short hop into the guardian tower.

Still, searching for a merchant meant wandering the sector and interacting with other players. This was not something I wanted to do with either Nyra or Adriel in tow. My apprentice was too low leveled and lacked deception, while the lich would set tongues wagging.

Then, too, there was the Blood Talisman to consider.

It, more than anything else I carried, was irreplaceable, and I was loath to travel with it on my person. “I better leave this with you, then,” I said, holding out the Blood Talisman to Adriel.

“Bury it, rather,” Nyra blurted before the lich could take it.

Raising one eyebrow, I looked at her questioningly.

“No one will search these ruins in the hopes of finding buried treasure,” the young woman explained. She gestured to Adriel. “However, if someone, uh, uhm…” Her face flushing, she made stabbing motions with her hands.

“Kills me, you mean?” Adriel asked with a wry grin.

Nyra nodded mutely.

The lich laughed. “You’re right. Players are more likely to rifle through my pockets than some dusty ruins.” She smiled lazily. “But you’re assuming they’d be able to slay me in the first place. Do you think I’m so easy to kill?”

Nyra’s face grew more heated. “I didn’t mean to suggest—”

“Relax, girl. I’m only teasing. Your suggestion makes sense. We should bury the blood talisman.” Adriel withdrew her phylactery. “And this with it.”

“Agreed,” I said, glancing at Ghost.

Correctly interpreting my request, the pyre wolf rose smoothly to her feet and headed to the darkest corner of the room where she proceeded to dig, her sharp stygian claws tearing through the rock underfoot.

“Bury this when she is done,” I said, handing the talisman to Nyra.

The apprentice took it, and I sat down cross-legged.

“What are you going to do?” she asked curiously.

“The last thing I need to do before I can leave—save the portal’s coordinates so I can return to it when I need to.”

✵ ✵ ✵

You have etched an aetherstone with the aether coordinates of nether portal 1 in Kingdom sector 75,172.

Currently stored aether locations: 4. Charged and unetched gems: 1. Uncharged gems: 0.

Storing the portal’s location took only a few seconds—I’d already charged the gems with mana during my time in Draven’s Reach—and it meant I could return to the portal tower from any kingdom safe zone—as long as I was not blocked from doing so, anyway. In fact, it took me longer to weave a disguise around myself than to prepare the bracelet.

You have cast facial disguise, assuming the visage of Jasiah, a level 152 human duelist. Duration: 3 hours.

Adriel’s brows eyebrows rose in mock surprise. “What, no Taim? Have we seen the last of the intrepid explorer?”

I grinned. “I doubt it, but I don’t want to use an alias recognizable to anyone from Draven’s Reach. If any New Haveners somehow manage to exit the dungeon, they could inadvertently—or even deliberately—give me away.”

The lich rolled her eyes. “Your paranoia truly knows no bounds, doesn’t it?”

I threw her an affronted look, but before I could defend myself, she went on, “So, who are you supposed to be this time?”

“Jasiah,” I replied, “a rank fifteen duelist, and someone who is hopefully low leveled enough to go unnoticed.”

The lich nodded. “Wise choice.”

“Thank you,” I muttered and turned my gaze to the far corner of the room. Ghost and Nyra were nearly done, and the apprentice was stamping on the ground and doing her best to otherwise conceal the freshly buried artifacts. “Why did you bring your spirit vessel with you?” I asked Adriel suddenly. “Wouldn’t it have been safer to leave it back in Draven’s Reach?”

The lich shook her head. “Me and my phylactery are bound by the same limitations as Ghost and her Cloak—both must be in the same sector at all times.”

“I see,” I said and glanced out the open door of the portal tower.

“You best get going,” Adriel said, catching my look.

“You’ll look after Nyra?” I prompted.

“Of course,” the lich replied. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t get into any trouble.” She pursed her lips. “And seeing as we have some time on our hands, I’ll make sure to further her education while we wait for your return.”

I hid a smile. If I knew Adriel, that meant Nyra was in for a rough few days. It’ll do her good. “You still plan on heading north?” I asked, changing the topic.

“I do,” the lich replied. “We’ll spend at least three days in the foothills. If things are as I remember, it will be a good training ground for the girl.”

According to Adriel, sector 75,172 was the northernmost of the sectors that made up the Eastern Marches, and in her day, the northern foothills had been sparsely populated by rock trolls. The creatures were solitary in nature, and usually hard to find, but Adriel was certain she’d be able to locate a few.

“Be careful,” I warned.

The lich smiled. “I’ve survived this long without you looking over my shoulder. What makes you think I can’t manage a few more days on my own?”

Wisely, I refrained from further comment. “Let’s go, Ghost,”
I said, turning to the door. “We have a merchant to find.”