Chapter 61 – Change of Pace

Cobra scowls at the dead Ghoul while lightly nudging it with his toe. The big guy is clearly dissatisfied about not being able to kill it alone, but that’s life for you sometimes. It’s dead now though, and I can’t waste even more time than we already have. I drop to my knee and start looking through its belongings.

[Cursed Necklace. Legendary. ???.]

… Is that all?

What the hell! The job description promised me some powerful gear, and all I get is a stupid unidentifiable necklace!? What gives?

Cursed necklace… I’ve never even heard of that. Is that a thing? I grind my teeth. Cursed items. In other games, these items usually hold tremendous power, but they also almost always come with some nasty side effects. Hell, sometimes they only have a nasty side effect. It’s also common that the effects are not apparent until you actually put it on, and it’s also common for the item to be impossible to remove afterwards. A highly risky endeavour, so to say. In my opinion, you would have to be mighty stupid to equip one of these items without knowing the effect. I wonder if there is some way for me to figure out what it does? It’s got the legendary tag, so worst comes to show, I might be able to sell it for quite a handful of gold.

But how much could it be worth with the Cursed tag? To be honest, I’m insanely lucky to get a Legendary item drop. I already know they only have a fractal of a percentage chance to drop during hard-rated quests, and finding one should actually make me roll around on the ground in an ecstasy-fueled craze. Cursed items though. That might just turn this entire find into the digital version of a joke. I just can’t find it in myself to be happy until I figure out what it does.

With a grunt, I pocket the necklace and start looking around. I’d be damned if that is all the loot I’m getting after this shitstorm, and I’ll rather spend half an hour tearing this place brick-by-brick to find something of value rather than leave nearly empty-handed.

There really aren’t that many places to check though. There’s a couple of sarcophaguses near the walls and the room is already strangely devoid of urns after Cobra’s little runaround. The only thing left to check is the still-open coffin. Heading over, I peer inside.

[Black Silver Gambler’s Cap. Uncommon. 17% Physical Resistance, +5 Charisma, +3 Luck. Requires Level 11. *Contraband*]

[Black Silver Gambler’s Pauldrons. Uncommon. 17% Physical Resistance, +3 Endurance, +3 Charisma, +2 Luck. Requires Level 11. *Contraband*]

[Black Silver Gambler’s Vest. Uncommon. 22% Physical Resistance, +6 Endurance, +5 Charisma, +2 Luck. Requires Level 11. *Contraband*]

[Black Silver Gambler’s Gloves. Uncommon. 17% Physical Resistance, +4 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, +2 Luck. Requires Level 11. *Contraband*]

[Black Silver Gambler’s Pants. Uncommon. 22% Physical Resistance, +6 Endurance, +3 Charisma, +2 Luck. Requires Level 11. *Contraband*]

[Black Silver Gambler’s Boots. Uncommon. 17% Physical Resistance, +5% Movement Speed, +2 Agility, +3 Charisma, +2 Luck. Requires Level 11. *Contraband*]

[7 Gold, 3 Silver, 5 Copper.]

Oh, yeah. That’s what I’m talking about. I grin. The job didn’t fuck me over after all! Nice! I was getting worried there for a moment. This stuff. Oh, yeah. This is quite an insane power boost for me. Not only am I gaining a couple of extra percent of resistance to physical damage, but I’m also gaining a whole bunch of attributes in both Charisma, Luck, and Endurance. With these items, I’m not in such a bad spot after allocating most of my attribute points towards Charisma anymore. I quickly put on my new gear and check the increased attributes.

Nice. Fifteen points to Luck, ten to Charisma, Five more to Endurance, and a single point to Dexterity. Hell, I’m not even worried I lost the one point in Wisdom at all. With these bonuses, my skill power will increase tremendously, AND I can recruit two more underlings. This is exactly what I need!

I quickly go into my inventory settings and deactivate the cosmetic upgrade I purchased for my gear. I usually forget about it, but I should really start deactivating it whenever I have my Villain’s Mask on. My armor blurs around me for a few seconds while the enchantment disappears. I’m left standing in a full set of darkened leather armor covered by a thin sheet of black silver. The metal is light and covers most of my vital spots, but it leaves my joints exposed to not hinder any movements. My favourite piece is the helmet which reminds me of a lighter version of the helmet of a greek hoplite from ancient times. You know, without the feathers on top.

The whole armor gives off a dark and ominous vibe, and I’m surprised this getup is what a Bard would choose to wear. In my experience, Bards usually like to dress to draw attention and not like some Assassin whose out on a mission. I’m not complaining though as I look pretty damn badass if I gotta say so myself. A pity I can’t wear this stuff out in public. It would draw the eye of every greedy rogue from here to the capital, and that’s not the type of attention I would want.

After grabbing everything of value, it’s about time we get out of here. We spent far more time on this heist than I planned to, and we only have a couple of minutes left until the sermon is over.

My Cutthroats take point as our entire posse moves out. The crypts weren’t as large as I expected, so it only takes a minute to arrive near the entrance where we link up with my two agents. Reaching it, one of my Cutthroats immediately enters stealth and moves upstairs. Half a minute later, he returns, giving me a V sign and a thumbs up. Hmm. That means there are two enemies within sight, but they are both easily manageable. I suppose this is a great opportunity to try out the new blitz maneuver I came up with.

Both my Cutthroats immediately enters stealth and heads upstairs. My Prowlers activate their lesser stealth abilities and follow after, and the rest of us trails behind. My Cheap Shot ability still has a couple of minutes left on its cooldown, but as soon as I see who the two enemies are, I sincerely doubt I’ll need it. It’s the two Russians from earlier. At least it seems like the elf has come back online though. Not that a couple of level eight Clerics will be able to do much against us. Not surprisingly, the half-orc from earlier seems to be pretty pissed off.

“Suka! Because of you, I die to rolling cart. Why you not here!?” The powerfully built Cleric shouts to his pale companion.

“Izvini, Oleg. Natasha khotela, chtoby ya poshel po magazinam.” The elf says, shrugging.

“What? Natasha? I thought you say mother called. You… svoloch! Liar!” The half-orc screams.

“…”

The elf gasps in pain as a pair of bolts slams into his back. His body is flung forward, impacting the ground. Before the half-orc has time to react, a pair of rogues appear above the elf’s prone body, sinking their daggers in between his shoulder blades.

[You have killed Elf Cleric - VladTheNotVampire(8). Gain 30 Experience.]

“W-w-what… W-who..?” The half-orc stammers, taking a step back. That’s all he gets to say though before Cobra tackles him from the side, bringing him to the ground. He doesn’t even have time to gasp in shock before a sword finds itself embedded in his throat.

[You have slain Half-Orc Cleric - RuskieOlegie(8). Gain 0 Experience.]

By the time the two confused Russians are ready to respawn, my crew and I are long gone.

----------

“That really got my blood pumping.” I say as I slump into my office chair back at our hideout.

Cobra snorts. “That wasn’t so bad. I remember one time at the Tipsy Hare, I met this fine wench from the eastern continent. Best hips I’ve ever seen, I reckon. So when her husband-”

I chuckle. “As much as I’d love to hear the rest of that story, I’d like to grab a few minutes to eat something. Mind gathering up whatever loot you guys picked up from the three guards while I’m busy?”

“Sure thing, boss.” He smiles as he heads for the door. “Oh, and if you want to hear a great story, then I should tell you about the time Cripple Bill and I went to shank-.” His sentence is cut off as my mind disconnects from the game. Stepping out of my capsule, I do a series of light stretches before I put on my bathrobe.

I’ve started to make a habit out of only entering the capsule in nothing but the skin I was made in. Sure, wearing a pajamas or the thin polyester suit that came with the device would probably be more optimal for someone who’s ashamed of their body, but I can’t deny the fact that sleeping in that thing without any clothes on is the most comfortable I can ever be. It also doesn’t hurt that I get far less sweaty this way. Djeezes. Who even bothered to invent the pajamas anyway? Most unnecessary piece of clothing ever. Must have been some prude. Utterly pointless.

It’s only been almost half a day since I last logged off so I’m not hungry enough to eat as much as I usually do. A single packet of noodles is enough to sustain me for the duration of my break.

I head over to a bean bag that stands in the corner. Being the minimalist that I am, the bean bag is pretty much the only sittable furniture I have except for my bed. I’ve had it for as long as I can remember, but I’m proud to say that it has never sprung a leak. Not even once. Do you realise how impressive that is? I’m not sure that you do. Long-time bean bag owners understand though.

I sigh. That last battle felt a bit too draining on my psyche. It’s like the pent-up stress from these last couple of months is catching up to me, and I’m really starting to feel it. I haven’t fucked up too hard yet, but I’ve come uncomfortably close a couple of times this last week. Playing as a Thief Lord is much more entertaining than playing as a Necromancer, but there are so many unknown factors in my life right now that makes it difficult to really unwind after a hard day of grinding. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade this for the world, but I could use a vacation. Something different and stressless.

I stifle a yawn as I sink deeper into my bean bag. Nothing really springs to mind when I think about it, at least nothing that I can combine with leveling up my character, and I’m not sure if I want to make that sacrifice. It has to be something though.

Perhaps now is a great time to take a three-day break? I still have to stay under the radar for a couple of days to lose whoever pursues me, and my dad and sister probably won’t be able to log in for a few more days. I also have that weird meet-up with the silver saints planned. What if I just log on a couple of hours per day to send my underlings out on missions while I relax in real life? That sure as hell would feel great right now. I still have that book I want to finish reading.

I sigh once more. That would be terribly inefficient though. A couple of days offline means a couple of days without skill progression. Skill progression that might mean the difference between life and death for my dream. Ah, my dream... My childish, glorious dream. What sort of twenty-eight-year-old man follows his dream these days? It’s a bit early for a mid-life crisis, isn’t it?

Do you know what? Fuck that. Crisis or not, this is my life right now. I can’t afford no damn break. Did Adolf Hitler stop conquering Europe just because Poland started whining? No. Did Jack the Ripper stop gutting hookers just because people started chasing him? Hell no. Did Joseph Stalin admit he made a mistake when he slaughtered the very same people he was supposed to represent? Hell fucking no! Fuck everyone else. I can’t stop. Not until I win or everyone else is dead. Just like every other Villain in history.

If I need a break, then I’m going to sit safely on my ass making traps for three days straight. It’s safe, mind-numbing, and efficient. Perhaps listen to a couple of Cobra’s weird-ass stories. Hell, maybe I should talk to Anna some more. Oh, wait. Scratch that last one. That’s the opposite of relaxation.

I devour the lukewarm bowl of noodles before I curl my bathrobe into a ball and chuck it in a corner. Time to get my naked ass back to the game.

----------

Logging back in, I soon find myself sitting alone in the same chair as earlier; the only difference being the absence of Cobra and the addition of a small pile of items neatly stacked onto my desk.

[Cracked Earth Elemental Staff. Uncommon. 14-16 Blunt Damage, -10% to Spell Cost for Earth Spells. +6 Intelligence, +4 Wisdom. Requires: Level 10. *Contraband*]

[Enhanced Steel Cuirass. Uncommon. 50% Physical Resistance, 30% Magical Resistance. +6 Endurance, 4 Strength, 2 Agility. Requires: Level 10. *Contraband*]

[Noble’s Ring. Uncommon. +6 Charisma, +2 Endurance. Requires: Level 10. *Contraband*]

[2 Gold, 4 Silver, 1 Copper.]

Hmm, not bad. It seems like each of the three siblings dropped an uncommon item each. Just as expected from elite mobs, I suppose. Two of the items are sort of useless, but the Noble’s Ring brings a smile to my face. Sweet! That’s a huge boon to me. With that ring, my Charisma is up to eighty-one. That means I get to recruit three new underlings! Djeezes. Right now, my gear is absolutely insane. Apart from my necklace, each and every equipped item is above level ten, and each and every item is of at least uncommon rarity. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone told me I’m the best-geared level eleven player in the game at the moment. It almost makes me want to equip the cursed necklace just to see what happens. Almost. Okay, not at all. But I like the thought.

Anyway, it’s time to get the good old cogs moving. With the job completed, I’m actually only a hundred and fifty experience away from hitting level twelve. That’s an hour’s worth of hard work, max. Another job completion is all we need for that to happen since the sewers are off-limits for a few days.

It’s a bit annoying I’ve run out of daily jobs though, so I suppose two of my new underlings need to be Beggars. With my current underlings, I think we can probably complete four, maybe five jobs per day if we are really going for it. I don’t think it’s worth recruiting any more Beggars though as I doubt I’ll have the time or interest in finishing five jobs per day for the foreseeable future. At least not until I get to recruit another Lieutenant. Two Beggars will do, and I suppose I’ll recruit another Spotter for the increased firepower. I shortly consider recruiting another Specialist, but I don’t really see it as viable yet. Maintaining Specialists is a costly affair and I’m still not quite out of my economical crisis yet. Increasing my fighting capability should go beyond all else. Hmm. I suppose I’ll also have to buy some weapons and armor for the Spotter as well. That will probably cost me around seven gold. Another setback, but I’m sure it’ll pay off in due time. It’s better to build a strong base now to prepare for the future.

Okay, I guess this means I have a plan. Recruitment and obtaining all the items we need for fighting and crafting should probably only take an hour or two, and afterwards I can take a three-day break to focus on my crafting. I smile. It’s going to be nice not having to look over my shoulder for a few days.

I yawn, stretching my body. I wonder if we can manage to hit level fourteen?