System Launch Page 7

Then, as though recognizing great peril, the Fog Goblin began scrambling to get out of the water. Ben took up position near the shore and activated Stealth. He’d get it when it came to shore.

  That was when he noticed one of the ripples moving closer. Settling back, Ben watched. Might as well find out what was in the lake. He prepared Discerning Eye, targeting the ripple. As soon as the icon on his skill bar went from grayed out to full color, he activated the ability.

  A one second gauge popped up. It timed out as the ripple reached the Fog Goblin.

  Name: Silt Toad

  Type: Water Elemental

  Rank: Common

  Grade: Lowest

  Level: 18

  HP: 95/95

  MP: 105/105

  As the window popped into existence before Ben’s eyes, a creature lunged from the water. Two long back legs bent and twisted to run parallel to the ground. Shriveled front legs that couldn’t possibly do more than angle the body up or down. A body that practically split in half to consume the near-dead Fog Goblin. Its body was covered in a shell of gravel and sand mixed with brack and water plants. It landed and disappeared into nothing more than a ripple.

  Then the ripple moved off into the water, and Ben let himself breathe again, disabling his Stealth skill. Glancing at his MP gauge, he calculated that the entire affair had taken 8 seconds or less.

  His heart and adrenal glands both begged to differ, and he took a few moments to compose himself.

  It was as he was running down a second list of things he could perceive that Ben spotted the glint on an islet. Curious, Ben considered the positioning. The islet was on the way to the hill at the center of these three lakes. That hill was his best vantage point.

  So he could check the islet and identify that glinting light, then continue on across this lake to Triple Lake Hill itself, and try to track the Pride of Rubina from there. With a little luck, he’d be done with this quest before the last of the quadruplets finished the tutorial.

  Chapter Eleven

  Plan set, Ben got himself situated aboard the canoe and set off. The system gave him a certain level of feedback and assistance with using the canoe. Ben knew that a stupefying amount of data regarding various activities had gone into the game’s design.

  Chances were high the game was literally guiding him through the basics of canoeing as it guided him through paddling and moving the canoe forward with only one occupant. Ben had never gone himself. No one really did, given the acidity of river water.

  Ben was feeling pretty good about his successes so far when he spotted something unexpected. A ripple had just popped into existence. And they were now on a collision course. He cursed and began trying to slow and turn right at the same time.

  He had little interest in joining that dart-throwing Fog Goblin as an elemental’s lunch. He wasn’t at all sure of the enemy’s engagement range, but it was faster than he was.

  Within seconds it was passing Ben. He watched as he and the ripple passed one another. Too close for Ben’s nerves, but not close enough to set off the Silt Toad.

  Letting out a breath he hadn’t been aware of holding, Ben returned his attention to the islet with the odd glimmer. This time he was far more attentive of the ripples on the lake. He dodged three more encounters with Silt Toads, by much greater margins, before pulling the canoe up onto shore.

  Stretching out, Ben considered the islet. He’d only hurt himself by assuming he knew anything. His encounter with the Silt Toad had reminded him of that.

  Especially with how fond of traps the Fo- there it was.

  Ben spotted what looked like a tripwire. It was set low between two trees not three meters ahead. Looking around, he spotted the crossbow the tripwire controlled. Clever.

  Certain now that the island held Fog Goblins of some sort, Ben carefully picked his steps. He couldn’t simply activate Stealth and rely on that to close the distance. The MP cost incurred made that a current impossibility. Ben suspected that would change down the road. Right now permanent Stealth was beyond his capability.

  So instead Ben did what he could to avoid detection the old fashioned way. Tucking himself into a crouch, Ben tried not to shove things out of his way, picking paths that already existed in the grass and shrubbery. Picking and choosing his steps, Ben did his best to muffle every sound of movement. It was a slow process, but five minutes later Ben had evaded two more crossbow-tripwire to make visual contact with another one of those dart throwers.

  Ben crouched down and used Discerning Eye. The gauge popped into existence and began to count off 5 seconds. Finally it came back with results.

  Name: Dregs Scout

  Type: Fog Goblin

  Rank: Common

  Grade: Lowest

  Level: 1

  HP: 23/23

  MP: 48/48

  A scout? Ben considered. Tracing its sight line, he saw a metallic glint.

  A treasure chest, Ben realized all at once. The Scout was guarding a treasure chest. Whether it was waiting for reinforcements or was simply there to challenge players who didn’t pay enough attention, Ben wasn’t sure. What he did know was that treasure chest was now officially his. The Fog Goblin just didn’t realize it yet.

  And with HP that low, Ben could kill the Fog Goblin before it realized its mistake. Ben grinned and activated Stealth. One activation of Double Tap, and the Dregs Scout was gone. Leaving Ben to consider the chest.

  The presence of a Fog Goblin guarding it made him wary. So far he’d only encountered Fog Goblins on land, no elementals. That, combined with the extensive trapping around the canoes, left Ben suspecting the entire Triple Lake Hill Zone was a Fog Goblin territory. Great for his bounty hunting, but terrible for avoiding traps.

  Sure enough, Ben spotted land mines, snares, and pitfalls scattered around the chest. Including a snare set directly around the chest itself. After ten minutes went by without spotting another new trap, Ben decided to scout around the islet. The Fog Goblins didn’t seem to work alone, so this scout likely had company.

  Another ten minutes. Another two dead Fog Goblin Scouts, but no Scrappers. That made sense to Ben. Scouts could harass passing human watercraft, possibly bait them into running afoul of the Silt Toads. Scrappers would be left to curse impotently at passing players. On land the Scouts could use their traps to augment their defenses while kiting attackers. Another sweep of the island turned up no other threats, and Ben turned his attention to the treasure chest he’d discovered.

  Ben’s first objective, so far as he was concerned, was to disarm the snare trap laid around the chest. It took nearly ten minutes to find the trigger and disarm it. By the end, Ben was considering simply walking away. His objective was the Pride of Rubina and he hadn’t even found the ship yet. This chest, while nice, was a distraction.

  But every time he considered walking away, Ben remembered the bonuses he’d gotten for being the first. So far, the system was throwing extra prizes at Ben as a reward for breaking new ground. He’d have to ask his contacts in development if that was a permanent feature or an early-game incentive.

  The answer would play into his plans in the long term. In the short term though it didn’t matter. The guarantee of this chest having a first-to-open bonus was a strong deciding factor to Ben.

  He disarmed several more traps before finally deeming it safe enough to assess the chest. To his surprise the system didn’t ask him to perform any sort of lock picking minigame. Instead a gauge appeared over the chest indicating the time until it was opened. The gauge counted off 8 seconds before there was a click. A brilliant line of light cut along the opening in the chest.

  Congratulations Last Falcon! You are the first Player in the Southeastern U.S. Server to open this Field Zone Chest. Contents Enhanced.

  Ben grinned like a loon as he opened the chest and saw 4 items within. A vest, 2 pill jars, and what looked like
a set of notes sewn together with course twine.

  Ben decided to start with the vest. If it was armor he could use then it would be a huge boon to completing this quest. Targeting the vest, Ben cast Discerning Eye. Then frowned over the results. Leather armor, but class-exclusive to Berserker. Useful in trade or to support another member of the Adventure Group. Much less so for Ben’s quest.

  Moving on to the pill jar, Ben invoked Discerning Eye. The first was a trio of Least Health Restoratives that Ben gratefully added to his own stores. The second, to his surprise, wasn’t a pill at all.

  Least Poison Coating Uses: 5/5. Description: Applies coating to weapon. Coating applies additional effect to attacks. Duration per application: 1 Attack Skill. Effect: Envenomed Strikes - attacks inflict additional poison damage, chance to inflict poison status.

  Ben considered the jar in his hand. Restoratives were nice, but they were the most basic items players needed. He could profit from them, true. But far better to let restoratives be what drew in players. Coatings like this were luxuries in one respect. But Ben thought back to all the traps and other tools he’d seen back in town. Thought about all the traps he’d encountered out here in Fog Goblin territory, against Level 1 Lowest grade Dregs.

  So yes, Ben decided, these sorts of items were luxuries up to a point. After that they’d become gap closers between players and the in-game monsters. Players already used items like this to close gaps with other players. As Ben suspected that Seeds of Lysium was designed to push players even as they pushed the system’s limits, he didn’t doubt that weapon coatings and other tools would become standard in combat given time.

  Ben pulled out the bound set of notes and used Discerning Eye. He had a suspicion they were for Artisans but that was it. Five seconds later, Ben was reading the description window and realizing he was right. It was for Artisans.

  Alchemist’s Private Journal Provides research notes and details on producing a line of alchemical concoctions. Use allows the user to create duplicate recipes of all concoctions from the line that they can produce. Contains notes for: Regeneration Pill Line.

  Ben clicked on the Private Journal and was surprised when he was met with a confirmation window.

  “Do you want to enter the Private Alchemist Space at this time? Note: You may only enter once.”

  Ben realized that he couldn’t simply use the journal like he had previous skill and artisan books. Clicking no, Ben considered the journal. He’d make that the priority as soon as he returned to town. Better to know what this Private Space was about, as well as this Private Journal. Being able to create recipe copies would be a financial boon for the Guild. He’d be able to detail any number of people to make these pills. Supply would always be a limitation, but having more people capable of making a specific pill could only help with that issue.

  Besides, this Regeneration pill was an alternative healing option. While the Least Health Restoratives restored health instantly, they restored fixed amounts. Right now, 20 points of health was an immense amount. Ben had no doubt that players would outgrow that amount in short order. Regeneration was usually percentage based, meaning players didn’t outgrow the effect. It was also slow, meaning it wasn’t a perfect replacement option.

  Ben put the journal away and made his way back to the canoe he’d ridden across to this islet. He had a hill to climb. It required Ben dodge another five of the ripples that indicated deadly toads, but he managed to reach the shores of Three Lake Hill itself.

  It was as Ben was wrapping up another Fog Goblin Scrapper that he saw the group chat with his siblings light up. Someone else had cleared the tutorial. Ben popped open the chat to see who’d cleared the event. And grinned. Yeah this was gonna cause some friction and he was gonna love every second of it.

  JazzyHands - I honestly expected that to involve more fighting.

  Last Falcon - You chose an artisan class as base, right?

  Jazzyhands - Well, yes. Does that make a difference?

  Last Falcon - Yeah it makes a difference. Not everyone in the system’s going to be a fighter. If your account’s an artisan or merchant account, the tutorial focuses more on those aspects of the game. It leaves you to figure the rest out in situ.

  Jazzyhands - That explains it. I honestly expected Leah to finish before me.

  Dancing Wind - Me too! Damn she’s gonna be pissed.

  Dancing Wind - David, BTW.

  Ben chuckled. Then, after sending his siblings his location and a friend request to Rebecca, Ben continued for the top of the hill. His extra time was running out.

  It was just as well, then, that Ben reached the top of the hill without major delays or interruptions. More fortunate still that the Pride of Rubina, a cargo barge ran aground on what looked like another islet, was the only landmark of note in the lake closest to the Fog Goblin Grove.

  Ben began jogging down the hill and toward the grounded barge. He’d need to grab another canoe. Still this was faster than navigating around the lakes.

  One more Fog Goblin donated an ear to Ben’s collection. The other donated itself to a Silt Toad’s dietary needs. Then Ben was able to grab a canoe from their position. It was a relatively straight shot to the Pride of Rubina. Looking across, Ben saw the canoes clustered to one side of the ship.

  Whatever opening the Fog Goblins had found or made was there.

  Chapter Twelve

  It took precious little time for Ben to reach the side of the ship and pull his canoe ashore with the others. Looking at the ship, he saw the hole torn in the side. That had to be the entrance.

  Ben took several minutes to confirm that the entry way was free of traps before entering.

  The world wavered in a way Ben was becoming familiar. He’d entered an instanced zone. Checking to confirm Ben saw that his location read as Pride of Rubina - Bilge.

  Glancing at the small window that occupied the center of his vision, Ben saw another Congratulations! message. This one told him he was in the first generated instance of Pride of Rubina, and that all rewards would be suitably enhanced.

  Ben took a few moments to consider what this meant. For one thing, it meant he didn’t have to worry about being ambushed by other players. Instanced zones were perfectly isolated duplicates of a specific event. His instance, his version of the event and its accompanying zone, was identical to every other instance that would ever be generated, excluding the improved rewards for this first run. No one could enter his instance once he’d begun the event, although they could wait for him outside the event zone.

  Considering that, Ben checked something in the system, nodded slowly. The time for this zone was identical to Triple Lake Hill zone, so when night hit outside he could simply wait inside the zone for sunrise.

  That led Ben to another thought. He abruptly realized that he was now sitting on an entire zone full of first kills, first treasure chests, first anything and everything. He’d racked up a number of such achievements so far. While the 2-4 items weren’t overwhelming numbers by most VRMMO standards, the news from the Open Contract Adventures chat painted quite a different story.

  According to what his people were hearing, and discovering, item drop rates were atrocious. Ben would have to ask his developer contact during his shift in reality, but if that held true then the value of these first achievements was immense. They’d have to consider exploration a priority, at least for now.

  It also gave him a few hours to explore the ship and find all the loot he could grab. It also gave him time and a secure place to poke around on the forums and official site. With the system live and hours of perceived play time invested, he would find far more data than he had previously.

  But first, Ben mused, he’d have to actually clear out the Pride of Rubina. That wasn’t a problem to Ben - more Fog Goblins to destroy. But it did require he get moving.

  Ben pressed against the wall next to the open side. He
glanced into the room beyond. The room was split into zones, one low ground area between two elevated zones. He could see section of a railing and could just see the bend of a corner. Stairs, Ben suspected. It was likely the boxes had shuffled around when the ship ran aground, creating dead ends and choke points. If that railing had broken, then the same would be true on the low ground. And, Ben conceded, the high ground behind him as well. Or rather, the cargo storage behind him, and the walkway between the two sections of cargo.

  Why the game had put ah heavy cargo storage flanking a lowered walkway, rather than the opposite, Ben wasn’t sure and wasn’t about to ask. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen the exact same boneheaded decision on cargo gravlines..

  Ben leaned forward slightly, hoping for a better sight line. He got it, and spotted a Fog Goblin patrolling on the high ground. It stepped to the edge and stood, scanning its eyes over the area below for several moments before turning and shuffling on with its patrol. Ben waited until he saw the Fog Goblin return to the same point and repeat the process, but saw no other enemies. So either just the one or the others were behind him. The system could have pulled something sneaky with patrol routes, Ben conceded, but he’d seen no signs of another enemy in the room from one sighting of the patrolling Fog Goblin to the next.

  Still better to be safe than sorry, especially in an instanced zone. They had a bad habit of being significantly more dangerous than whatever zone from which they manifested.

  Considering that, Ben examined the door carefully. Grinned when he saw the wire that would trigger if he flung the door open without thought. Carefully disarming the trap, Ben checked again. Spotting nothing Ben engaged his Stealth skill, and slipped into the main room. Climbing the stairs that led to the first Fog Goblin he’d spotted, Ben found a spot to wait and watch.

  Seconds later, the Fog Goblin Scrapper came within range. Launching his Ambush, Ben struck out with Double Strike. The enhanced Critical Strike Chance for successful ambush, combined with the boost from Double Strike, left the Scrapper a corpse when both attacks produced critical hits. Ben pulled the body into hiding and settled in to watch. Sure enough, he spotted another Fog Goblin on the other side of the bilge. Moving quickly, Ben headed back down the stairs and up a mirrored set, and around the back of the second Scrapper. His second application of Double Strike left the beast nearly dead, and Ben’s barrage of attacks finished the job.