Grand Game 127: A Goblin’s Revenge (Patreon)

Day Five. Mid-Morning.

The door to the chamber opened so quietly that I almost failed to hear it.

My head jerked upwards to see the Howler shaman and a squad of guards appear. My gaze slid from Hyek to the soldiers at his back. They looked tense.

I rose slowly to my feet, bare blades in hand and showing no sign of being intimidated by the shaman’s show of force. “You’ve been observing all this time?” I asked casually. The goblin’s reentry was too well-timed to be a coincidence.

Hyek nodded wordlessly as his eyes swept the chamber. “I underestimated you.”

I jerked my chin towards the soldiers. “Is that why they are here?”

The shaman smiled. “I thought you might need the help.”

I sheathed my blades. I had begun to fear he meant to betray me. “Thank you,” I murmured. “I managed just fine.”

“I see that.” Hyek chuckled. “Not many can break through a mage shield so readily.”

“What do you know about them?” I asked curiously. He sounded knowledgeable about the spell.

“Even the weakest mage shield requires a magic skill of rank ten to cast,” the shaman replied easily. He glanced at Ishan’s dead body. “Which is why most players can’t learn the skill until after they’ve reached level hundred. A few mages survive long enough to get to that point, though.” He kicked at the corpse and bared his sharpened teeth. “More’s the pity.”

I eyed the shaman askance. He appeared more at ease than when he had left the room not long ago, and interesting as his information was, I was more curious about why his mood had improved. “I take it you do not doubt my information anymore?” I guessed.

Hyek nodded. “The behavior of Ishita’s dogs was enough to confirm your tale.” He shook his head. “I should never have trusted them in the first place.”

Before I could respond to that, the shaman went on. “I also took the liberty of contacting the god-emperor’s envoy while you were... busy here.” He met my gaze. “As a precaution, no more, you understand.”

I stilled in sudden trepidation. “Oh?” I asked, readying myself for anything. “And what did you learn?”

“His response was most swift,” Hyek replied, his eyes narrowing as if he sensed my renewed tension. “Captain Talon confirms that you have indeed been authorized to act as an intermediary on his behalf.” The shaman paused, then added, “It seems you are trustworthy after all.”

I snorted and folded my arms. “You should not have disbelieved me in the first place.”

The shaman inclined his head in acknowledgment. “And you should have told me what you were after. Then there would have been no need for this,” he said, gesturing to the corpses. “Although, I suppose there is a certain satisfaction to be derived from their deaths.”

I inhaled sharply, not missing his implication. “You have the shield generator?” I asked, my gaze fixed on Hyek.

The shaman shook his head. “No, I don’t. But I know where it is. My people are the ones who helped the mages install it.”

“Where?” I demanded tersely.

“In the last place anyone would think to look,” Hyek said mildly. “In the lair of the wyvern mother.”

Closing my eyes, I lowered my head into my hands, fighting off a sudden wave of despair.

Of course. Why would it be anyone else but there?

~~~

After he’d delivered his unwelcome news, the shaman and his escort rushed out of the chamber. Now that his tribe’s survival seemed assured, Hyek was almost jovial.

And eager to go to war.

Whatever enmity lay between the two tribes, it was great enough to cause even the otherwise-rational shaman to become overcome. He is a bloodthirsty bastard, after all, I thought, watching from the window slit as the gigantic goblin strode through the courtyard below, shouting out orders to the soldiers.

By Hyek’s own estimation, his people would be ready to march out from the fort before noon. And if the shaman got his way, before day’s end tomorrow, the Howlers and Red Rats would meet in battle—and the Rats crushed.

It was an attitude that suited me just fine.

I wanted the goblins gone quickly, lest the shaman took it upon himself to have a longer conversation with the Tartans. So far, it appeared my web of lies was holding up, but I was not sure how long that would last.

After the two tribes met in battle, I expected at least some of the mistruths I’d told to come to light. But by then, I hoped to be long gone.

Turning away from the window slit, I surveyed the chamber. It was a mess of half-burned banners, knocked-over ornaments, and of course, drying blood.

Examine the bodies first, I thought. Striding to the two corpses, I searched them thoroughly, stripping both of their valuables.

You have acquired 6 enchanted rings, 1 enchanted bracelet, 2 enchanted robes, and 3 spellcasters’ wands.

It was a tidy haul. But somewhat lacking, I felt, for such high-leveled players. Other than the items I’d looted, the rest of the mages’ gear was worthless trash. The pair hadn’t even been carrying coin pouches.

Perhaps they feared being ambushed. Rightly so, it turned out.

Further inspection of the loot revealed that only three of the items were usable by me. Before equipping them, I took the time to examine each more carefully.

This is a rank 3 bracelet of natural armor: troll’s talisman. This item decreases the damage you sustain by: 6% and stacks with any armor you may be wearing. This item has no requirements to equip.

This is a rank 2 ring: the gift of the unbound. This item has been enchanted to allow its user to resist tier 1 and 2 entanglement spells, these being spells that restrict motion. Its enchantment can be replenished with mana. This item requires a minimum Dexterity of 8 to use.

This is a rank 2 ring: the band of stillness. This item has been enchanted to allow its user to resist tier 1 and 2 mental spells. Its enchantment can be replenished with mana. This item requires a minimum Mind of 8 to use.

Surprisingly, it was only Ishan that had a ring of free motion. It explained why Worca had not tried to flee. Her own webbed field would have trapped her. Without further delay, I equipped all three items.

You have equipped the rank 3 bracelet, troll’s talisman. Status effect added: troll skin.

You have equipped the rank 2 ring, gift of unbound. Status effect added: unbound.

You have equipped the rank 2 ring, the band of stillness. Status effect added: still mind.

After I stowed away the rest of the loot, I finally turned my attention inwards and examined the waiting Game messages.

You have reached level 68!

Your dodging has increased to level 48. Your sneaking has increased to level 59. Your two weapon fighting has increased to level 47.

Your light armor has increased to level 40. Your skill in light armor has reached rank 4, decreasing your light armor penalty to 30%.

Your chi has increased to level 39. Your telekinesis has increased to level 36. Your telepathy has increased to level 36.

I had profited hugely from the battle, acquiring five more levels and earning multiple skill gains. Deciding how to invest my new attribute points was easy.

If nothing else, the battle had shown me that I could not rely only on my swords to inflict damage. I needed to increase my repertoire of Mind abilities—and soon.

Your Mind has increased to rank 26.

With my player progression seen to, I hurried out of the keep and back towards the safe zone.

After thinking the matter through, I realized while the shield generator’s location complicated matters, it did not make escape impossible. I knew where the device was now, and I knew what dangers I’d face to reach it.

I could still make it out of the sector with time to spare. I needed to make a few preparations first, though, and before that, I needed to find some rope.

~~~

You have acquired a coil of rope.

The goblins had more than enough rope lying around, and I’d helped myself to a decent length of it.

As I approached the gate leading into the safe zone, I saw that it was still shut and that the goblin patrols atop the inner wall were still present. Hyek had told me that they would be the last to abandon their post. Once the rest of the soldiers had finished mustering outside the fort, the inner wall guards would join.

The patrols had been instructed to let me pass, so with no more than a wave to the guards at the gate, I rushed up the steps leading to the ramparts.

Atop the wall, the complaints and angry shouts of the players gathered outside the sealed gate carried clearly to me in the crisp morning air. Crouched down low to make certain I wasn’t spotted, I crept away to an isolated section of the wall that was free of passing players. This will do.

Two nearby goblin warriors were watching me curiously. I waved one over. “You know who I am?” I whispered.

He nodded emphatically. “You’re the one that convinced Hyek to let us wipe out those scummy Rats.” He gave me a toothy grin. “Let me buy you a beer tonight.”

I smiled. “Some other time, maybe. Right now, I need your help.”

The warrior’s gaze slid from me to the rope looped about my arm. “You want me to let you down?”

“I can manage that well enough on my own, but when I’m down, I need you to throw the rope to me.” I didn’t want to leave it behind for some errant player to spot and use in turn. “Can you do that?”

He nodded vigorously. “I can.”

~~~

A short while later, I was back in the safe zone with the rope stowed away. My entrance had gone unnoticed, and if possible, I wanted to keep it away.

Stuffing my thief’s cloak into my backpack, I re-equipped the mage’s cloak that I’d looted what felt like ages ago. As disguises went, it wasn’t perfect but would serve in a pinch.

Pulling the cloak’s hood low over my head, I strolled leisurely into the village. The streets were busier than I had seen before, but no one gave me a second glance.

I reached my destination without incident. Walking up to the closed door, I knocked softly. There was no answer. I kept knocking.

Eventually, the door was yanked back. “We’re closed. Now, go—”

Gelar broke off as he got a close look at me. His gaze darted beyond me to the passing players. No one was paying us any attention. “Get in.”

I slipped past the gnome and into the room, taking a slow look around. The alchemist’s chamber was unchanged since my last visit.

Gelar closed the door behind him and, seating himself on one of his couches, glared at me. “What do you want?”

I sat down opposite him. “You seem more worried about my presence now than during my last visit,” I said, deliberately avoiding his question.

The gnome’s scowl deepened. “Did you have to go and kill so many of Ishita’s followers the last time? Do you know how long her blasted sworn questioned me after that?”

At my blank expression, he waved irritably. “Bah! I see that you don’t. Just tell me why you are here? You can’t have slain the wyvern yet.”

Removing the alchemy stone from my pocket, I placed it on the table between us.

Without prompting, Gelar picked up the object. “Ah. You’ve been busy at least,” he said grudgingly. Pulling out his pipe, he puffed energetically on it as he inspected the stone. “For these ingredients, I’ll give you—”

“I don’t want money,” I said, interrupting him.

Gelar lowered his head and peered at me over his spectacles. “What do you want then?”

“Antitoxin.”

The gnome stared at me wordlessly for a moment. “To take on the wyvern, I suppose.” He paused. “You really mean to try slaying the beast?”

“If I must, I will,” I replied obliquely. “Can you make something that will cure her venom?”

He nodded. “With what you’ve given me, yes.”

I exhaled in relief and waved at the stone. “Will the other ingredients in there cover the cost of making the antitoxin?”

“They will,” he replied. After a moment, he added, “There will be a fair bit left over, too. Do you want anything else?”

Whatever else the gnome was, he appeared fair. About to reply in the negative, I paused as something else occurred to me. “What about healing potions? Can you make any of those?”

Gelar snorted. “Not with the ingredients I have available in this sector.” He chewed on the end of his pipe for a moment in thought. “But... I do have some in stock already. I warn you, though, they are pricey.”

I sat up in sudden excitement. “How much?”

“I have three full healing potions,” he said. “Each will cost you fifty gold over and above what I’ll give you for the ingredients in the alchemy stone.”

I winced at the price, but it didn’t matter. I needed the potions. “I don’t have that much with me, but I will get it,” I assured him, wondering if there was somewhere I could sell my looted items. The Tartans would have been a good bet, but I wanted to avoid the captain until strictly necessary.

“You have at least a few hours to come up with the money. It will take me that long to brew the antitoxin.” Gelar stared at me, his gaze unwelcoming. “I expect you have somewhere to wait?”

I stifled a yawn. Thus far, adrenaline alone had been keeping me going, but now that I’d sat down, the aches in my body were making themselves known again. I needed rest, I knew.

“I’ll be at the tavern,” I said. Rising to my feet, I waved farewell to the gnome and slipped out of the shop.