Lifeblood Chaos: B1 Chapter 13: A Vendor in The Tower (Patreon)

Ray wished he had some popcorn. It would have been a nice addition since he was spectating the fight up ahead.

The trio were not finding their new adversary easy at all. Not compared to the monsters they had been fighting in the rest of the dungeon.

“Watch out!” Dory called.

The Raptor had rammed its head against Maya’s shield, the power behind its blow overpowering the woman and sending her sprawling back. It was immediately about to follow up with a lunging bite. That was what had prompted Dory’s rather unnecessary warning.

But then the monster froze. Randall had used his trapping skill. Thin golden threads had popped to life all over the creature, locking it in place.

Just long enough for Maya to get out of the way.

The Raptor broke free seconds later, turning its attention to Randall. Unlike Maya, he had precious little to protect himself with.

That was when Dory’s summons swooped in. The flame-winged bird-of-prey scratched at the Raptor’s face, quickly dodging away when the monster tried to clamp its jaws around its much smaller cousin.

The distraction allowed Maya to get a blow in. It joined the half-dozen other slashes she had left on the monster’s flank.

In that manner, the fight went on for a while. Bit by bit, the trio was wearing down the Raptor’s health. It helped that early on in the fight, Randall had used Gutting Blow to set off a Bleed status on the Raptor, which steadily kept reducing its health. The whole battlefield was littered with red stains.

Ray was impressed by their doggedness and how well they held themselves together. He also thought it was rather lucky the big Raptor hadn’t called in a horde of its smaller versions as reinforcements.

At times, it did get a little hairy. Ray was tempted to jump in when the Raptor kicked out and left a deep gash on Maya’s arm.

At another point, the monster veered off and rammed into Dory, throwing her back. She didn’t get up, clutching her midsection in pain. Possibly a broken rib or two. Thankfully, the other two had managed to head off the monster before it landed a killing blow.

Plus, they all had some amount of Recovery to reduce the impact of any damage they received.

Finally, the trio executed a nice combo to kill off the Raptor.

After trapping it for an instant again, Maya had been able to block the Raptor for a second and get off a Counter Strike. This stunned the creature enough that all three had been able to attack at once. Randall with his Gutting Blow, Maya with a heavy, jumping attack, and even both Dory and her summons attacking together.

[Dungeon Cleared—Everair Traversal Park III]

Rewards

·       1 Tier Point

·       Feathered Armband: Raises Agility by 5

·       +300 Essence

·       Reputation: +5 Cunning, +5 Cooperative

[Reputation Threshold Crossed]

For reaching the 25-point threshold, your Cunning now adds additional 5% critical chance with every attack. At 5% critical chance, approximately every twentieth attack will be a critical hit. A critical hit triples damage and hastens the proc of any associated afflictions.

[New Personal Achievement—No “I” in Team!]

You have worked together with others of your kind to accomplish an objective. United you stand, divided you may also stand, but with some more effort.

Reward

·       Reputation: +15 Cooperative

Ah, interesting. Despite not being an official member of Maya’s party, Ray had still received that achievement for cooperating. For now, he put the extra Tier point into Primal Summons.

“Whew.” Dory wiped off the sweat on her forehead, still clutching her stomach as she sat down roughly.

The others followed suit, clearly relieved that it was over.

Ray clapped as he walked over. “Great job! Now, anybody want this armband? My accessory list is already full.”

***

They decided to rest once they were outside the dungeon through that rear exit behind the area with the large Raptor. There, as they finally took some time to rest up, Ray learned that they had all received slightly different gear rewards.

Maya had gotten grieves. “This is going to make walking a bit more of a pain…”

She did accept Ray’s new armband ,just to help offset that.

Randall had gotten new boots that silenced his footsteps while Maya had received an improved staff over the one she currently used.

All in all, a decent haul for the trio. Ray hadn’t received anything of note, but his expectations had been low to begin with. After everything he had had received in a Tier 7 tutorial zone, he hadn’t expected a Tier 3 dungeon to provide him much.

Even the Essence from the monsters Maya’s group had killed was divided among all three of them evenly. In other words, if Ray had officially joined their party, then he would have received even less Essence. His growth was already too stunted. He needed to find a more secure way of advancing quickly.

“Well, one dungeon down.” Maya looked at her younger companions with a glint of pride in her eyes. “We’ve got some levels, so now we should be able to clear up even more.”

The other two shared her growing enthusiasm. Ray smiled. Despite the fact that their earlier group had been decimated, these three had been determined to forge on, and with a little bit of help from him, they were succeeding. It was nice to see.

Proper rest included some decent sleep, so they decided to get some shuteye in while each of them took turns keeping watch. Ray understood that, even if he didn’t want to stay in a party, there were definite benefits of being in a group versus being alone. Maybe what he needed was some way to get the best of both worlds.

Ray also learned a little bit about the others. When he was about to hand over watch duty to Dory, he struck up a little conversation as sleep lulled him in.

He learned that both Dory and Randall were seniors, the former at UWM and the latter at UW-Whitewater. Or had been, before everything had ended. Dory had been looking forward to graduating and starting her real job, while Randall just wanted a break from studying.

But it was Maya who had it the hardest.

“She’s strong,” Dory said fondly. “Despite getting separated from her family, she’s trudging on, doing everything she can to keep us safe. I don’t know if I’d have been able to keep going in her place.”

Maya had a kid and a husband. She had no idea where either of them was. None of them knew each other. In fact, not all of them were even from Milwaukee. Maya was actually from Chicago. It seemed the System hadn’t cared about past locations or allegiances and placed them all in random starting tutorial zones.

“Maybe she wants to get back to her family more than anything,” Ray said.

“Yeah maybe,” Dory smiled at Maya’s sleeping form. “And I’ll make sure that happens.”

The next “day”—there didn’t seem to be any actual day-night cycles inside the Tower of Forging—they got a move on.

Maya and her group wanted to see if they could find and tackle one of the Brighthorns now, especially if they were in a larger group. That had been their first encounter with the monsters, which was what had driven them away to get stronger in a dungeon.

“But won’t your pet bird lose us if we move?” Randall asked.

Dory and Randall had also enacted their plan to find other people. The little firebird was already off, Randall’s Mark riding upon it. As soon as it found more humans, it would transfer the Mark and allow the trio to track down their new targets.

“It’s magic, Randall,” Dory said, with a swish of her hair. “My bird can find me no matter where I go. Although, its search radius will change if I move, so there is that.”

“That’s also something I’m concerned about. What if we’re moving away from other people?”

“We’re all heading in the same direction.” Ray pointed to the spire rising into the sky in the distance. “And I have a feeling a lot of people will be heading towards that too. So if anything, you’re more likely to run across people than less.”

Satisfied with that, they got going.

It was a bit sad they didn’t have any sort of guidance for any specific locations to head towards. There was that central tower, sure. But what if they wanted to find another dungeon? What about a spot where those dark, sinuous trees grew and might hold a Mana fruit? How about a body of water?

Ray’s old Map Fragment was only good for the tutorial zone, but could they somehow find something similar for the First Floor? They resolved to keep an eye out.

As it was, they still managed to reach one of the little groves of dark trees within a few hours. They spotted other monsters here and there, though nothing attacked or was close enough to consider defeating to gain some Essence.

“Look, we got some of those alien mutts too,” Randall said, pointing out where a group of five Brighthorns were patrolling the lone tree with the Mana fruit.

Ray smiled at his new friends. “I’ll let you guys take this one again.”

They looked dubious about that, just as they had in the dungeon, but they didn’t argue back. And like in the dungeon, they were successful. Sure, they had to work for it, but after some careful execution of their teamwork, they had killed all the Brighthorns and taken the Mana fruit.

It wasn’t just their stats and skills improving with every level. They were also getting a lot better at working together. Every encounter they had, every opportunity that involved them combining their various skills, kept raising their ability to cooperate. They were turning into a well-drilled machine.

“You think it’ll have the same effect even if we cut it up?” Maya asked, holding up the bright blue fruit sceptically.

“No idea,” Ray said. “But it is a fruit, so…”

It turned the fruit’s power did indeed decrease if one consumed less of it. But that was still strong. Ray received one quarter, and he felt like he’d had the old, dried version in the Marauder’s Caves instead of the fresh one.

Good enough. The same infusion of shivering energy coursed through him, relieving all his fatigue and slowly-building hunger and thirst.

“We’ll need to secure a supply of these,” Maya said.

Dory licked her lips like she couldn’t get enough of the taste. “I would definitely not say no to more of these Mana fruits.”

“Unless we find a way to grow other kinds of food,” Randall said.

Ray looked around. The ground still looked pretty dead. But then, he was definitely no expert on soil fertility. “Good luck on finding a farmer.”

After taking some time to rest, they got going again. Their next target was either more people or another dungeon, whichever they reached first. But what they came across turned out to be neither. In fact, it was new even for Ray.

“Hello there!” the creature said, waving a short, stubby arm at them. “Yes, you all! I’m waving at you, yes. Please, come over. Virko the Halftyr’s Emporium is open for business!”

Ray sent out a few pulses of Lifeblood Sense. There were no other living beings in the vicinity except for this Virko.

“A merchant?” Dory hissed. “Is this normal?”

“Pretty sure all our ideas of normal are way too warped by now,” Randall said.

Ray started walking towards Virko. “Let’s go see if there’s anything interesting we can find.”

The others followed suit.

[Warning!]

Presence of the Primordial has been blocked by Galgatium Locket of the Void and Trade Secrets [Tier 17].

“Jesus Christ,” Ray muttered. A Tier 17 ability? Also, what in the world was Galgatium? Sounded like a new material.

Maya looked at him sharply, especially since his gait had slowed. “What’s wrong?”

“This guy is loaded. I can’t tell how strong he is, but I can say for certain he’s got powerful items and gear with him.”

“That doesn’t sound good.”

“Come, come!” Virko beckoned them all again. For a small guy, he definitely had a deep voice. “I assure you, I pose no danger. Only opportunity!”

“I’m all of a sudden not very sure of things,” Ray said. “So be careful.”

Virko reminded Ray of fauns. Or maybe satyrs. He wasn’t sure what the difference was, but one of those goat-legged mythological beings with horns coming out of their heads. The only difference was that Virko was short. The top of his horn barely came up to Ray’s chest.

The merchant was also very well dressed. He wore a white silken tunic that was embroidered with silver, with a golden belt cinching it at Virko’s waist. This guy was rich.

“Welcome again.” Virko smiled at them all like his dinner had just walked in and presented itself for his consumption. He waved a hand at the floating carpet next to him, which was filled to the brim with various odds and ends. “Come take a look. I’ve got the finest of nearly anything you could need. Provided you can afford it, of course.”

“Who are you?” Ray asked.

Randall stepped up as well. “What are you?” They all stared at him. “What? It’s a valid question!”

Virko laughed shortly. It sounded almost like a bleat. “I am a Halftyr. My original home is on Setsetayne-8, but now I’m here, hoping to start a business on a new Tower. So please, avail yourself of my wares.”

Ray wasn’t sure that answered any of his actual questions, but he got the feeling that was the best he was going to get.

“How much for this?” Maya asked. She had pulled up a sword that looked like a stylized question mark, like one of those Egyptian khopesh. Ray blinked. It was pretty similar to the one Kredevel had used.

“Good choice! It’s one of the prized heirlooms of the fifty-third regiment leader of the mythic Sylvan company, Golden Teeth. I think I can part with it for a very reasonable seven hundred and thirty Mana crystals.”

He held out his hand like they could conjure up the required Mana crystals at a moment’s notice.

“Mana crystals?” Maya asked. “We’ve got none of those. Are you open to bartering?”

“No Mana crystals?” Now Virko looked like someone had popped his birthday balloon. “None at all? My, that’s quite tragic. Aren’t you aware that Mana crystals are the currency we use in our economy?”

“We’re kind of new to all this,” Dory said.

“Hmm, I suppose you are new Denizens…”

Ray smiled. “No discounts for the poor, new Denizens who are way in over their heads?”

Virko pulled on a regretful expression. “I’m afraid the cheapest thing I can part with will cost ten mana crystals. But since you have none, there is nothing I can do. However, perhaps we can meet again when you’ve accumulated some wealth for yourselves.”

Maya let the sword drop back on the carpet. If she was dejected by the fact that she wouldn’t be able to purchase anything, she didn’t show it. Instead, she offered Virko a smile filled with promise. “Sure,  I don’t see why we can’t do business later.”

Randall eyed the pile of goods on the carpet with shifty eyes. Maybe he was thinking of taking something without Virko noticing. Thankfully, Dory bonked him on the head with her hand to make sure he didn’t do anything stupid.

Ray cleared his throat to make sure the merchant’s eyes were on him. “What’s the thing you can sell us for ten Mana crystals?”

Virko rummaged in the pile on his carpet and pulled out a little disc. For a second, Ray wondered if it was some kind of Talisman. Then he noticed there was a short chain extending out from the grey disc. A locket.

“This is a catalyst for Sorcerers,” Virko said. “Pretty good, I’d say, for Tier 1. It’s got the special ability to raise the power of any spell if your raise the volume with which you cast it.”

Interesting. So that confirmed what he had been suspecting already. Different spellcasting classes needed different kinds of catalysts to use their spells.

Ray, as an Arcanist, had his Talismans. Dory used a Staff as a Summoner. Now it turned out Sorcerers needed… a Locket? A Charm? Whatever it was, it apparently required the Sorcerer to actually call out the name of the spell. That seemed like a bit of a handicap, considering the name might give an intelligent opponent an easier time of coming up with a counter.

But all that was besides the point.

“You’re a merchant, right Virko?” Ray said, ignoring the catalyst. “A businessman. That means you surely buy things from others in return for Mana crystals, yes?”

Virko’s eyes were definitely on him now. Evaluating. Critical. “Do you have something to sell to me? Something worth purchasing?”

“It’s worth a look, at least.” Ray pulled out the Golden Ancient Golem Greaves from his Dimensional Bag. Virko had a really good poker face, but Ray could detect the slightest hint of want in the Halftyr’s posture. “What do you think of this? It’s Tier 5. Got a very interesting power too. Invulnerability, even if it’s limited, is worth a look, right?”

Virko made a show of inspecting it. “So this is why you wanted to know what I had for sale for ten Mana crystals. To make sure I don’t scam you.” He grinned at Ray, revealing a couple of teeth that were entirely golden. “Smart.”

“Since these are Tier 5, I want a hundred Mana crystals for them. Fifty per boot. I think that’s a fair enough deal.”

“Do you really think I’m going to pay a hundred Mana crystal for just a pair of Tier 5 boots?”

“Fine. I’ll cut down my asking price. But one condition. You tell me everything I want to know. In return, I’ll give you both boots for fifty crystals. Sound good?”

Virko stared at him like he was calculating the price of whatever information he could divulge in his disproportionately large head. “There are certain things I simply can’t tell you.”

Ray chucked him one of the boots. It was kind of satisfying seeing the guy struggle with the weight. “You got one boot. You’ll get the other if I’m satisfied.”

There was so much Ray could have asked. His mind pulled him in a dozen different directions. True Mana, Paragons, Tower Nodes, more about the Sylvans, the First Floor’s main objective, and so on. But he understood that he had to be careful. The questions he asked would reveal almost as much about him to Virko as he could learn from the merchant.

And if Ray could buy intel off Virko, then so could anyone else on the Floor. Including the Sylvans.

In other words, Ray needed to prioritize what sort of things he ought to ask for.

But before he could get going, a loud chirp sounded high above them. Seconds later, the firebird landed on Dory’s shoulder, where she scratched its beak affectionately.

“My Mark,” Randall said, sounding both excited and anxious. “It’s still on the bird.”

“It hasn’t transferred?” Ray asked. “What does that mean?”

Dory looked up from her summons with a hint of fear. “That means, for whatever reason, it’s not safe to transfer the Mark.”

“Still,” Maya said, a little breathlessly. Expectantly. “We’ve found them.”

Ray looked in the direction the bird had flown in from. Closer to the central tower. That’s where they would find more of their kind.