Grand Game 297: A Negotiated Price (Patreon)

You have entered sector 1 of the Forever Kingdom.

A shield generator is in place around the city, preventing portals from opening anywhere except in the designated teleportation zones.

You have entered a safe zone.

I kept walking even as I exited Cara’s portal, deftly weaving through the players crowding the teleportation dais and stepping off before the knight on duty could accost me.

Cara and I had not left the tavern immediately, after all.

I’d shared a bit more of what I planned with her, but I’d not told her everything. Once we were safely in the tundra, there would be enough time for that.

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw she was right behind me. Gesturing to her to follow, I mapped a path to the emporium. The safe zone was as busy as usual, and I felt like an old hand navigating the streets this time around.

We reached the emporium’s walled compound without incident, and the giants on duty waved us through the moment they caught sight of Cara’s red robes. It was not soon after that that we were ushered into the old merchant’s office.

Kesh looked up, her brows rising as she saw my companion. “Agent, what are you doing here?”

“We must talk,” Cara said soberly.

Kesh’s eyebrows rose higher, sensing something in her tone. “In private?”

Cara hesitated, then glanced at me, and I nodded. “Yes,” she replied.

Kesh’s eyes narrowed fractionally, catching the exchange. “I see. Can it wait until after business?”

Cara shrugged, and the merchant turned to me, her features smooth and unruffled. “You’re back as well. I assume this doesn’t bode well for the tavern?”

I smiled. “On the contrary, matters have been resolved.”

“Permanently?” she asked sharply.

“Not yet, but I have a plan. For now, things should return to normal, and your communication with Saya can resume when you… uhm, send another agent there.”

Kesh’s eyes tightened again, not missing the subtext. She didn’t remark on it, though. “What about the merchant who acted as our intermediary?”

“He was bribed,” I said and filled her in on the details with the Marauders.

“Marauders,” Kesh muttered when I was done. “I never liked them.” She frowned at me. “But I don’t see how you will stop them from resuming their blockades. Kalin won’t give up easily.”

“I’m working on it,” I said, not yet ready to share my plans.

She didn’t push further. “It’s your tavern.” She reached beneath her desk. “I have something for you. Two somethings, actually.”

“The wayfarer gloves?” I asked, stepping forward.

“And something else almost as good,” she said with a half-smile.

Leaning over the table, I inspected both items.

The target is the legendary item: the Wayfarer’s Gloves. This item is indestructible. Find more pieces in the set to increase the benefits received. The gloves increase the Dexterity of the wearer by +4 ranks and allow him to handle even the most toxic and hazardous of materials without incurring damage. Cost: 12,000 gold.

The target is a nether absorption skillbook. Governing attribute: Magic. Tier: master. Cost: 1,000 gold.

My eyes widened. “You got it!” I exclaimed, my gaze jerking back to Kesh. “How did you pull that off?”

“The brotherhood took some persuading,” Kesh allowed, her smile growing. “But in the end, I convinced them it was wise to sell you the tome.”

“How?” I asked, still not able to believe she’d manage the feat.

“Your notoriety helped.”

It took me a moment to work out what she meant. “You told the stygian brotherhood about the mantis hunts?”

“I certainly did,” Kesh said. “I convinced them, too, that they would benefit from having a player like you by their side when they ventured into the nether.”

“Well, I’m just glad my fame was good for something.” Stretching out my hand, I reached for the skillbook.

Kesh got there first. “Not so fast,” she said, covering the book with her hand.

“I don’t mind the cost,” I said, thinking that’s why she had stopped me. “It’s expensive, but I expect it will be worth it.”

Kesh shook her head. “You might want to hear the brotherhood’s terms first.”

I looked at her sharply. “Terms? What terms? I thought this was a purely monetary transaction?”

“It isn’t,” she replied. “The brotherhood desires more than money. They want you.”

I stared at her. “Me?”

“I may have oversold your worth as a player during the negotiations,” she admitted. “Now, they seem fixated on the idea of you participating in their hunts. Specifically, Huntmistress Kartara—that’s the brotherhood’s leader—wants you to join them on three nether expeditions at a time that is mutually acceptable to both parties.”

Stepping back, I folded my arms across my chest. “Request different terms. I will pay more if necessary.”

Kesh shook her head ruefully. “I tried. I managed to negotiate the huntmistress down on everything else, but on the matter of the expeditions, she will not budge. I’m afraid these are the best terms you will get.”

Before I could say anything else, Kesh pointed to the book. “As a gesture of good faith, Kartara is willing to sell you the tome before you fulfill your end of the bargain so you can complete your Class configuration, but she has left strict instructions with every merchant the brotherhood deals with not to sell you any other stygian gear until her say so.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, thinking hard. None of this sounded good. “What’s to stop me from buying the book and not complying with the rest of their ‘requests?’”

“I wouldn’t advise it,” Cara said, finally speaking up.

I glanced at her.

“The brotherhood has ties with every major merchant house in the Game, and if they blacklist you… well, at the very least, it will be problematic.”

Kesh was nodding. “Not to mention, I gave the huntmistress my word.”

I took her meaning at once. Kesh was standing guarantor for the deal. Breaking the terms of her bargain with the brotherhood would effectively mean getting blacklisted by the emporium too. The question was, how badly did I want the skillbook?

I sighed. Too badly to pass up this opportunity.

“Very well, I will accept their terms. But I can’t go running to the brotherhood anytime soon. I have other more important matters to attend to first. The huntmistress will have to wait.”

Kesh eyed me. “For how long?”

“Four months,” I said, without having to give the matter much thought. Until I brokered peace in the valley, I was not going to shackle myself to the brotherhood.

“I can negotiate that,” Kesh said and lifted her hand. “Go ahead. It’s all yours.”

“Thank you,” I said and retrieved both items.

You have acquired a nether absorption skillbook.

You have acquired the wayfarer’s gloves.

You have lost 13,000 gold. Money remaining in your bank account: 1,655 gold coins.

The Adjudicator has allocated you a new task: Brotherhood Obligations. You have accepted Huntmistress Kartara’s terms concerning the sale of the nether absorption skillbook and are honor-bound to join the brotherhood on 3 expeditions into the nether.

Objective: Report ready for duty to Huntmistress Kartara after 4 months.

“Excellent,” Kesh said, sitting back. “Now, is there anything else I can do for you?”

“Yes,” I said, laying down a piece of paper with scribbled notes. “I require this equipment as well.”

Kesh’s eyebrows rose as she inspected the sheet. “This is a long list—and a strange one too.”

“It is,” I said. “Cara has already prepared the items, but she wanted you to approve the transaction. The funds will have to be taken from the tavern’s account.” On cue, Cara set down a bag and a few other items on the table.

Kesh’s eyes darted from the list to the bag, and a moment later, she grunted, “Approved.”

“Thanks,” I said, taking the bag and items.

You have acquired a large bag of holding containing 29 sets of winter gear, 470 caches of cold weather supplies, and 1 cache of advanced items.

You have acquired 5 x rank 4 nether protection crystals, 5 x rank 4 disease protection crystals, 5 x scent concealment crystals, and 5 x mental concealment crystals.

Money remaining in the Wyvern’s Roost bank account: 9,850 gold coins.

Now that Loken’s envoy had agreed to keep the Marauders away, I didn’t think Saya would need as large a surplus of funds, and I didn’t feel bad about drawing from the tavern’s account again.

Kesh eyed me speculatively. “I don’t suppose you want to tell me what all that is for?”

“You’re better off not knowing,” I said with a smile.

She disdained to reply.

I glanced at Cara. “I’ll meet you at the Wanderer’s Delight as agreed?”

She nodded.

Inclining my head, I backed out of the room. “It’s time I let you two ladies chat.”

✵ ✵ ✵

After leaving the emporium, I headed straight to the safe zone’s only hotel and secured a room. Locking myself in the chamber, I pulled out my new purchases and laid them on the desk. It was time to see if they were everything I had expected.

Sitting down, I planted my elbows on the table and studied the two items. The skillbook was no different from any other tome I’d encountered, and at first glance, the wayfarer gloves didn’t appear remarkable either.

Like the wayfarer’s boots, they were made from supple black leather that did not look anything as indestructible as the Game claimed. Still, I did not doubt the Adjudicator and drew them on without further ado.

You have equipped the Wayfarer’s Gloves, gaining +4 Dexterity.

I smiled, pleased by the additional Dexterity. Twelve thousand gold is a lot to pay for a mere four Dexterity, but—

I broke off. Another Game message was unfurling in my mind.

Congratulations, Michael! You have equipped a second item from the legendary set: Wayfarer’s Suit, and have unlocked the synergies inherent between the two pieces. Tier 1 bonus activated.

Wayfarer’s Suit tier 1 bonus: the Dexterity boost provided by each piece of the legendary set is doubled.

Total Dexterity gained from equipped wayfarer items: +16.

“Wow,” I exclaimed, nearly falling off my chair.

Sixteen ranks in Dexterity. That was certainly worth twelve thousand gold. Naturally, it led me to wonder about the next tier of bonuses and what it would be like to wear the completed legendary set. I would definitely have to keep searching for more pieces, no matter how expensive or hard to acquire each proved. But consideration of the wayfarer suit and its promised benefits did not hold my attention for much longer.

Something far more enticing called to me.

Flexing my fingers, I turned to the second item on the desk. It had taken real willpower not to open the skillbook in Kesh’s office, and even now, I could barely curb my excitement. This was the moment I’d been working towards for months, and I wanted to savor it.

Slowly, Michael.

Flipping open the tome’s cover, I began to read.

You have gained the master skill: nether absorption.

Nether absorption attunes your void armor to the black void, allowing you to repel or absorb the nether’s harmful effects. Note the benefits provided by this skill are only active so long as you have mana remaining.

You have 0 of 6 void mage Class skill slots remaining.

New knowledge seeped into my mind, and I closed my eyes, letting it settle. My Class configuration was finally complete. Knowing what came next, I sat back in my chair and waited, nearly quivering with anticipation.

A Game alert beeped for attention.

Here goes, I thought and willed the Adjudicator’s message open.

You have fully configured your third Class.

Congratulations, Michael! Multiple synergies exist between your mindslayer and void mage Classes. You now have the option of combining your base Classes into a tri-blend.

My eyes snapped open. Options? I was being given options?

I was nearly giddy with delight at the thought, but Game messages were still scrolling through my mind, and I refocused avidly on them.

Three new paths lie before you.

Each focuses on a different aspect of the constituent Classes and, over time, will evolve further to provide improved benefits. None of your existing skills or characteristics will be lost through any of the offered paths.

The first path is that of the spectral assassin. This path will change your Class ability from void armor to void shift. Void shift performs the same basic functions as void armor, but in addition, it uses the mana absorbed from incoming attacks to phase your body out of the physical plane, temporarily turning you into a being of spirit. Void shift is an activated ability that does preclude you from attacking while in spiritform.

The second path is that of the voidstealer. This path will change your Class ability from void armor to void thief. Void thief decodes and temporarily retains the signatures of spells absorbed by your void armor, granting you use of the castings. The theft cannot be resisted and spells of any tier can be stolen.

The third path is that of the witch hunter. This path will change your Class ability from void armor to void blade. Void blade redirects mana siphoned by your void armor into your weapons, temporarily imbuing them with magic damage. You may apply any of the damage types you absorbed in the past day to your weapons.

Which tri-blend Class do you wish to meld your original Classes into: spectral assassin, voidstealer, or witch hunter?