War Aeternus: The Beginning Page 5

  There are seventeen establishments selling alcohol within the Satterfield area, none of which contain a beverage which you can afford with your: 0 copper.

  Well, I guess that answers that. Lee frowned. Do any of the three quests give me money too?

  Of the three quests, two of them reward an appropriate amount of money upon completion for efforts rendered. One has no tangible reward.

  One has no reward? Then what is the point of doing it?

  Quests without tangible reward often boost one’s Fame, one’s reputation with the town, one’s influence over the denizens of a region, and, on rare occasions, there is a chance to permanently boost one of the secondary stats.

  Influence over the denizens of a region . . . Lee got caught up on those words. That would be really helpful with my quest. Wait, what are secondary stats?

  Secondary stats like Intelligence, Charisma, Faith, Honor, Courage, Fame . . . are non-combat-related stats. These stats improve one’s ability to learn or execute skills, perform secondary professions, interact with other fellow NPCs, improve status effects, or assist in travel and exploration of the world. These stats can be leveled up through non-EXP related activities and are not directly tied to, reflected, or impacted by one’s level or race.

  Oh. Having just entered this game world, there was so much to do, so much to learn, and so much to contemplate. He wanted to spend time studying the system so that he could find a solid place to start from, such as choosing a profession or class or whatever he was supposed to be, but he was suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of panic. Only, it wasn’t his own: it was fear flooding into him from the little mouse he had created. It was strange to think of a golem as anything other than an unfeeling automaton, much less as a sentient creature capable of being afraid, but thanks to the effects of the book he had read, he knew that it was.

  A cat. Thanks to the bond between him and the mouse, Lee instantly knew what the small golem was afraid of. Even if it wasn’t currently in his view, he knew that there was a cat stalking toward the mouse that had perched itself on his shoulder. Ethan slid off of Lee’s shoulder and into his breast pocket, curling up into a tiny ball.

  Lee quickly turned around and grabbed the cat, catching it midair and stopping it from destroying his fresh creation. Its claws dug into his arm as his hands wrapped around the leaping feline, tearing away far more flesh than any normal house cat could have managed.

  What the hell? Lee thought as he instinctively threw the cat down. The persistent Grimalkin rebounded quickly, launching another offensive against Lee’s poor little Ethan. The golem darted off Lee’s shoulder and into his pocket as Lee, much more aware of the cat’s hostility now, did his best to grab the little lunging leopard of a housecat and restrain it so that it couldn’t attack again. When he finally had his hands wrapped around the devilish creature, he also made sure to hold the pesky pet at arm’s length and as far away from him as he possibly could. The feisty creature continued trying to swipe at him with its claws, scratching and tearing at his arms, but there was no way for it to deal any serious damage. The prompt popped up to display that some of the furball’s scratches were dealing between one and two hit point each, but it wasn’t anything to worry about.

  “Hey! Stop it!” Lee yelled at the giant, evil kitten while looking around for the owner. “Quit it!” he grumbled. I do not need to lose all my hit points to some undomesticated rat exterminator chasing after dirt. Should I just let Ethan die and avoid taking any extra damage? I can’t kill it, can I? I mean, people worship cats back home on the Internet, so it stands to reason that it’s probably similar here too, right?

  Just as he was about to give up and let the cat take his precious little golem, he heard someone shout out to him. “Hey! You’ve got to be kidding me?! How did you find that little bugger? I’ve been going all around town looking for him! Do you mind letting me have him, please? I’ve been looking forever, and I really want to just be done with this.”

  “Huh?” Lee turned, still firmly gripping the cat, to see a tall, lanky, dark-skinned man clad in leather running up to him. His first instinct was to get rid of the annoying, far-from-domesticated feline, but as he went over the words that the man used, he realized it wasn’t actually his cat. Wait, why does he want him?

  “What do you want him for?” Lee asked instead, deciding not to be generous even as the cat stripped another hit point off of him.

  “For the turn in, of course. I’m still wondering how you caught the cat. I’ve been searching all day since the quest was first made available. It was a level ten quest that seemed ridiculously simple, but it’s already eaten up like six hours of my time. I don’t know how a quest this difficult got ranked at such a low level,” the man grumbled. “I’m usually the best at finding things—I can always locate anything—so this really shouldn't have taken as long.” His accent was an incredibly odd mix between a British talk show host and a northeastern American news anchor, and it startled Lee just as much as finding out that the cat was related to a quest.

  He doesn’t know that the cat is trying to kill the mouse in my breast pocket. But if he’s the one holding him and not me . . . Lee scratched at his chin. He wanted to help this guy out, and he wanted to get rid of the cat, but he also was still painfully aware of the fact he had no idea where he was—and that wasn’t the only unanswered question he still had. There were several others like how he would get food, if he even needed food and water, where would he stay for the night, and how he was going to ever find someone to be a follower. That was why, even despite the fact that the small, damage-over-time-dealing disease of what should have just been a ridiculously cute furball was causing him no small amount of pain, he wasn’t ready to just hand it over.

  This cat is my first opportunity! “Can you share the quest?” he asked, honestly not knowing if that was possible. When he asked, he could see mixed emotions spread through the lanky man’s face. Ah, so it’s not without a cost. Completing a quest with someone else reduces the individual’s reward. I wonder if it’s a straight split.

  “Yeah, I guess I can,” the lanky man answered. “Here, join the party, and we’ll split the reward.”

  Donovan Miller would like to invite you to his party. Do you want to accept?

  “That seems fair,” Lee said, immediately replying yes.

  ‘Donovan Miller has shared the quest: ‘Cattywampus Catch.’

  “Lee, eh? That’s a good name. I’m Donovan Miller, but call me Miller,” the lanky man said, extending a hand.

  Lee looked at the hand, curious if Miller wanted him to attempt shaking it or if he wanted him to hand over the cat. Should I hold onto the cat just so he doesn’t ditch me? “Nice to meet you. I’m Lee, but . . . I can’t really shake hands with you. You know, holding the cat and all.”

  “Ah, yeah, sorry.” Miller pulled back his hand and awkwardly scratched his head with it. “Well, let’s go turn this in.”

  Lee was thankful that the cat stopped scratching him less than a minute after he accepted the quest, and he was able to carry it without much effort. He still didn’t hold it next to his chest, though, since he was worried that it might change its mind on being peaceful and go for the little morsel sitting in his breast pocket. That said, he also didn’t want to hand it over to Miller, so he just started following the guy down the dirt road with his arms held out, fully aware of how ridiculous he must look.

  “You know, if you don’t like cats, I can hold it for you,” Miller offered.

  “No, that’s okay. I just don’t want to squish . . .” Lee paused for a moment. He didn’t want to tell Miller about his golem because he still didn’t know if he should fully trust him. He had also started the sentence on reflex since he was used to living in a world where death wasn’t a likelihood around every corner. “I didn’t want him to squish my little statue. I spent a bit of time crafting it, and I’m afraid he’ll break it.”

  “Oh, okay,” Miller nodded. “That makes sense.”


  “So, leather armor,” Lee noted, switching the topic as quickly as he could. “I’m taking it you’re a rogue of some sort?”

  “Well, actually”—Miller reached into a brown satchel that was almost identical to Lee’s and pulled out a long spear, probably a few inches taller than the six-foot-eight-inch man. “I’m training to be a knight. I’m going to be the greatest knight in existence!”

  “Training to be a knight?” Lee blinked. “So, you don’t have the profession yet? What are you now?”

  “Oh, I’m only level three. I need another seven levels before I can unlock profession choices. Though, I’ve already picked up my secondary profession,” he bragged. Every additional word that flowed out of his mouth seemed to be filled with more pride than the last.

  As Lee studied the other man’s features, he realized he had a lot in common with the previous Firbolg that had bumped into him. That sloped forehead, the narrow ridge at the top with a fat bottom on his nose, those low cheekbones, those long and lanky arms and large torso . . . He’s just like the guy who bumped into me. Is he a Firbolg?

  That is correct. He is a Firbolg. A Firbolg is a race indigenous to the north-western kingdoms. They receive a bonus toward the rate at which they gain nature-related skills and skills related to the use of two-handed melee weapons. They receive a bonus to power, but they also receive penalties to Coordination and Reflex.

  The prompt verified his assumption, albeit with unnecessary and repetitive detail.

  “So, is that why you picked a Firbolg?” Lee asked, trying to get a better understanding of how the game worked.

  “Picked? No, I’ve been a Firbolg since I was born. Honestly, when I’m a much higher level, I might try to quest for one of the blood-fused hybrid races like the Dragon-Donk or something, but that’s too far in the future to worry about right now . . .” Miller trailed off and thought for a minute. “Why? Did you find a way to change your natural race to a different starting one?”

  “Oh.” Lee didn’t want to let Miller in on his secret, the fact he wasn’t from the world that invented the game or the game world. It’s my secret to keep, and I don’t know what negative effects can come from letting others know. Accordingly, he just made an excuse. “No, but I heard you could.” He thought about adding ‘on the forums’ since that was how he often learned stuff too, but he bit his tongue on the detail instead.

  “Ah, well, if you’re doing quests, you must be one of the soldiers leveling up to become a knight too!” Miller said excitedly. “Are you going to join the royal army? Work your way up the ranks to serve in Red Ramen’s Royal Guard?”

  “Something like that. I . . .” Lee paused. This is awkward. My parents used to tell me never to talk about religion outside of a church. How am I supposed to just bring it up?

  “You . . .?” Miller pressed.

  “I’m trying to grow stronger so that I can help rebuild the great Church of Augustus.” He just went with it. What’s the harm in telling him this much? If he joins right now, that means I’ll have completed my first quota, right? Lee didn’t see any risks at first, but then his brain quickly reminded him of a very real possibility. Wait, will I be killed as a pagan for not being part of the local religion?

  “Oh, that’s cool.” Miller pursed his lips and looked away for a moment. “You do you, man. You do you. But, hey, at least you helped me get the cat.”

  Clearly not interested in religions. Lee sighed. He had kind of hoped that Miller might take joining the religion as a quest if the Firbolg viewed him as an NPC and thus a quest-giver. I still have to find a way to get a convert, but I’ve never done anything like that before. They walked in silence for a moment, and Lee started going over some of the questions he still needed to answer, specifically about lodging and food. He asked the AI several questions, but while the AI would confirm that there were ‘places one could purchase food,’ it wouldn’t actually tell him where or offer a map. He asked for more detail about the three quests, and the prompt assured him that the quests existed but wouldn’t lead him to them or tell him anything beyond that. After frustratingly trying to get a single piece of specific information from the prompts, he finally gave in and decided to try asking the braggart.

  “Well, I don’t mean to be rude, but where is a great place to get food and supplies? Or a cheap place to stay?” Lee asked.

  “Wait, don’t all of you, err, people”—Miller was clearly avoiding using the word NPC to describe Lee— “have knowledge of local town events and stuff?”

  “You people?” Lee asked, pretending to show mock outrage.

  “I mean, you know, humans,” he clarified. “I just . . . Umm . . . humans are generally really well informed is all.”

  You meant NPCs, you liar. Lee chided him internally as a grin appeared across his face. This guy is so polite. I bet he is the perfect stooge to bring around and show me places. “So, where are some of the good places in town? I just got here, and I was . . .”—What’s an appropriate truth—“I was kinda taken away from all the money I had.” There we go. No one can say I’m a liar since I really was ripped away from my comfortable life and, subsequently, all my bank accounts.

  Miller showed what looked like genuine shock at the news, raising his giant, red unibrow as both eyes shot open. “Really? You . . . you were kidnapped and robbed? That’s awful! I’m so sorry that happened to you. That must have been a dreadfully terrifying experience. How did you ever manage to get free?”

  “I’m not sure I have,” Lee answered. After all, he was still a prisoner in the game world thanks to that annoying deity.

  “No wonder you’re so religious.” Miller paused. “Well, how about, I’ll buy you a beer at the cheapest tavern in town after we turn this quest in. I know exactly where it is since I’m staying there. Their lodging is so cheap that I can’t imagine the split income off this quest wouldn’t be enough to cover it.”

  Excellent. Lee smiled. Free sustenance and a guide to where I can get lodging. His happiness flickered as he thought about the fact that it meant he would be sleeping here in this strange world and not in his own comfortable bed with his perfect down feather pillow and 1200-thread-count sheets. No matter what, he was stuck in an unfamiliar land with no real timeframe of when he could return home. That thought stifled whatever little joy he got from the prospect of not going hungry and sleeping outside.

  “Thanks a lot, man,” he answered. “I appreciate it.”

  “No problem. It’s the least I could do. If it got dark before I found the cat, my quest would have failed,” Miller said.

  So, there are time limits to the quest. That’s odd. Would they not want the cat back tomorrow? He didn’t have much time to think about it or use the information to puzzle out how other quests might work since Miller took an abrupt right turn into one of the houses, and they came face to face with a man who was obviously the original quest giver. He was a small, bald, attenuated man with hollow cheeks under a scraggly black beard.

  “Oh, oh, thank Heavens! You’re back! I was worried sick!” the man said as soon as he saw them holding the cat. When he came over and took the cat from Lee’s hands, the friendly prompt appeared.

  You have completed the quest: ‘Cattywampus Catch.’ Your party has been awarded 35 coppers and 350 Experience, of which your share is 18 coppers and 175 Experience. Townsfolk in Satterfield have a slightly better opinion of you.

  Your Charisma has also improved by 1 for helping out an old man in need. Charisma improves how positive others will naturally view an individual and improves prices when buying or selling by .25% where applicable [Will not allow the other person to take a loss from the transaction]. Current Total: 1

  You are now Level 2. You need 66 Experience to reach Level 3. Your level increase has boosted all primary stats by 1. Your current Power, Toughness, and Spirit have been adjusted to 12.

  Thank go— Lee was about to silently express his relief, but the turn of phrase sent a chill down his spine as he remembered what deity
he was currently being forced to serve. No, don’t thank him. This is his fault to begin with. “It was no problem at all. I’m just glad I could help,” Lee said as he stepped back away from the cat. Even though some distance had been put between the two, the feline continued to follow him with its sharp, amber-yellow eyes.

  “It seems he likes you. That’s good! He only likes good people, and he always scratches the bad ones far too much. I can’t even have friends over if they aren’t good people,” the man said, causing Lee to twitch as he realized that meant the cat thought he was evil. I’m down to less than seventy-five health thanks to your cat!

  “Well, we were just happy to be of service,” Lee said, and both he and Miller turned around when the man stopped them.

  “Wait, before you go, you didn’t happen to see my daughter out there, did you?” the man asked. “She was devastated by the disappearance of our cat, so . . . Well, she went out to find him, and I haven’t seen her since. There’s no chance you saw her when you were out, did you?”

  “The one who was with you when you asked for help this morning?” Miller asked.

  “Yeah, that’s the one,” the old man replied. “Have you seen her?”

  As the old man pleaded with them for information, the familiar blue box once more was in front of Lee with new text:

  Mr. Ying’s daughter Ling has disappeared. Will you help find her and let her know that the cat has already been returned safely home? It would mean a lot to Mr. Ying. This quest will provide no monetary compensation. Quest Level: 10.

  “No, we haven’t, but we absolutely will go out and let her know the cat is home safely. You have our word! We’ll get on that right now!” Miller emphatically agreed before Lee could even finish reading the text.

  A member of your party’s word has been given for the success of this mission. It will generate additional Experience and stat compensation when completed, but you will suffer a penalty if the quest fails or completes without your assistance.