8

The immediate interior of Brigstone looked to be some kind of shopping district. Tall, two and three-story buildings with big signs hanging off the sides to advertise their functions. Wagons and carts moved in a steady flow on the right side of the road while foot traffic and horses made their way through much faster. Iron pennies clinked in rusted cans as beggars swished them around, seeking more coins from passing pedestrians. Young men and women called out from the porches of buildings, advertising their patron’s special deals. Guards patrolled routinely, walking in tight clusters and scanning the streets for any signs of misconduct.

I made my way through a torrent of people, waiting at a street corner for Gaz to join me—hoping he would clear customs just as easily as I had. I took the opportunity to check my new skills.

[-]Non-combat

Deception (Rank 0) (Next rank in 90%): Each rank of Deception improves the plausibility of lies by a percentage equal to the character’s charisma attribute. Some uses of Deception can be modified by other attributes other than charisma.

Persuasion (Rank 0) (Next rank in 95%): Each rank of Persuasion improves the likelihood of influencing another being to do or believe something by a percentage equal to the character’s charisma attribute. Some uses of Persuasion can be modified by other attributes other than charisma.

I toggled the opacity of my character sheet, bumping it down to 50% to do a quick scan of the crowd. Still no sign of Gaz, but I also couldn’t hear any shouting or signs of outright disaster over the noisy clamor of city life. I bumped up the opacity to 60%, making it easier to read the text while still being able to see the people around me with ease. Just as I suspected, I wasn’t able to rank up either skill with the use of my single Hero Point which was available to assign into any other ability on my sheet.

It was a little strange that I had just unlocked Persuasion and Deception, though thinking back, we’d had few NPC interactions and none where I had tried to press for better quest rewards or lied to people. In MMOs and RPGs, I tended to enjoy combat in bulk, but also tended to play a neutral or good aligned character without the lust for innocent bloodshed. I rarely played characters where I devoted development resources into things like talking, trading, and things of that sort. It was more of John and Kirsten’s forte actually, but with Clarence in our group, they hadn’t needed to upgrade their charisma at all.

I clicked the ‘Next rank in 90%’ button, underlined and highlighted like text that would expand and give me some kind of tooltip insight on how non-combat abilities worked.

Non-combat abilities rank up through use rather than the investment of character or attribute points. Progress is tracked in percent remaining variable track to the next rank rather than an implicit xp count.

Furthermore, some non-combat skills can improve a character’s non-combat attributes through ranking up without the need of attribute points. If this occurs and a character’s attribute that is higher than their race’s starting stats is ranked up, the character will be refunded attribute points equal to the difference following standard attribute leveling rules. Attribute points refunded in this manner still count toward the character’s overall attribute point cap of 200. A maximum of 10 non-combat attribute levels can be gained this way.

I was perplexed. More from the fact that I just learned more about the overall leveling structure of the game. At level 11, we were still gaining one attribute point each time we leveled.

I still couldn’t see Gaz, but I didn’t want to walk closer to the gate and potentially draw suspicion from the guards, not yet at least. A quick search of the ‘settings’ tab of my UI allowed me to filter out a lot of the visual clutter, removing the ‘???’ text floating above all the NPCs’ heads as they moved around the city. The city felt organic, unscripted, like it was some kind of mechanical masterpiece, wound up and set loose to run through an incalculable amount of permutations. There had to be some kind of loop I wasn’t seeing, something to ease the computational strain of trying to calculate infinity. If the authenticity of this place was cheapened by coding parlor tricks, I wasn’t seeing how

Dressed like a commoner, I wasn’t attracting attention to myself, but I was growing more concerned and anxious. I played with a loose cobblestone beneath my boot, wriggling it around as I waited beside a tall wooden building in clear sight of the gate.

A man approached me, walking up slowly from one of the side roads. He wasn’t human, but I couldn’t identify his race either I toggled the information feed from my UI, trying to get a quick read on him. I focused intently and more information than normal floated above him, though it wasn’t helpful.

???

Level: ???, ???

HP: ???

Potential Occupations: Ruffian, Mercenary, Rogue, Criminal

New Skill Learned!

Quick Analyze

I dismissed the notification, prepared to read my new skill later and talk to this man now.

“It’s nice to see you, Edwin.” His voice sounded familiar, and I knew I had heard it before.

“Who are you?” I asked, resisting the urge to place my hand on the crappy sword on my belt. A better look at this man told me that was a bad idea. Even with my armor and full suite of abilities, I might’ve had trouble dealing with this guy.

He wore a gray cloak over baggy clothes that struggled to mask armor below against his slender frame. His skin, pale and chalky, was accented by high cheekbones that arched and pointed outward in a sharp, unnatural angle. The pupils of his eyes were a vibrant purple with a supernova pattern seared around his corneas. His long black hair was gathered in a bun that made him look like some kind of necrotic samurai. There were daggers on his belt, two of them on opposite sides, sheathed on the black leather in reach. He wore a sword as well across the back of his belt, strapped horizontally. From the sword’s unique looking sheath, the weapon looked like a cross between a cleaver and a katana, an interesting weapon to say the least.

He shook his head as though just remembering something. “Oh right, sorry.” He disabled something, and information materialized, almost as if he was actively blocking it before.

Player: Jun

Level 9 Catalyst Barrowblade

HP: 35

Essence: 10/10

Runes: 0/0/0

Faction: ???

The familiarity in the voice was well placed. His race, catalyst apparently, was changing his tone, adding a layer of grit to his usual subtle Asian accent. For losing a week so early in the competition after being killed by Jason, I was surprised to see he was only two levels behind me and the rest of my party. “And before you ask, I’m not here to kill you or attack you, I’m not an asshole that gets off on killing other players,” Jun said.

I relaxed immediately. Jun was Jason’s former teammate, one of the ones Jason had killed to gain his powers from the Titan Xanrath. Jun warned us about Jason and fed us information that helped save our lives in that first terrifying encounter, and that wasn’t something I had forgotten.

“How did you know it was me?” I asked.

“My race. You couldn’t see I was a player until I let you. The Catalyst are an oddity. In fact, if your willpower wasn’t so high, I’d probably appear as a normal human. My kind isn’t really liked, but the benefits far outweigh the cons.”

“I’m confused, that wasn’t a playable race when we created our characters. It also looks like you have a class: the Barrowblade, whatever that is.”

“You’re right, I’m not entirely corporeal or organic anymore either. Something between a zombie and a Shade to give you an idea. It’s a long story, but it’s also one I’d love to discuss later if your group would like to meet.”

I nodded hesitantly, trying to decide whether or not I should be concerned with Jun’s sudden appearance. This didn’t feel like a chance encounter, not in the slightest. It also didn’t feel like he had just arrived in the city. Jun either knew I was coming, had some way to detect other players with surprising range. The Anti-Tracking trinket in my pocket seemed to eliminate the second option. I decided to address it head-on. “How did you find me, Jun?”

“My Perception skill is Rank 12, you wouldn’t believe the way my vision works with this race. I was walking through Brigstone and spotted floating blue text. In the distance With my Rank 5 Analyze skill, I knew who you were immediately and thought I’d say hello. Thank you for killing Jason by the way.”

I nodded. “What happened to the other two girls in your party?”

“They’re in Brigstone with me, I was just off checking on a contract by myself. As I said, there is probably a lot we have to learn from one another. Where is the rest of your group?”

“Gaz should be coming through the gate any second now, and Kirsten is laying low outside the city until we can find a way to get her in. John died a couple days ago, but we expect him to make his way here and meet with us.” I didn’t want to go into specifics with him, not in a place so open and public. Two guards walked passed us, engrossed in their own conversation and paying us no mind.

Confusion, then recognition and understanding flashed across Jun’s skeletal face. “So you’re the group of players who caused all the trouble in Briarthorn.” Jun took another look at me, appraising my traveling clothes and the crappy sword I wore on my belt. “No offense, but it doesn’t look like this is the type of gear that gets a character to level 11 without a hard carry from an NPC, but I don’t think that’s the case since the system announced your kill on Jason. I’ve seen what that jerk can do first-hand, and I know it would take some serious skill or luck to take him down.”

I looked around, lowering my voice. Jun didn’t look even slightly uncomfortable discussing this stuff in public like we were. “I didn’t want to draw attention from the guards, especially since we were coming from Briarthorn.”

“I’ve heard the rumors. If even half of them are true, then your group is well off, even if you did piss off some powerful people.”

“Please tell me you have something to keep Jason from tracking your location. He can do that now, you know.” My group had almost killed another group of players for this very reason before, but we weren’t necessarily in a position to do it again.

Jun shook his head. “I know why you’re concerned, but it isn’t an issue while we’re in Brigstone. I heard about what happened in the Westguard Township—that can’t happen here. Brigstone is too big, there are too many powerful and influential people here for Jason to try something like that. He’s probably too busy building his Guild to worry about the likes of us right now anyway.”

I nodded, Jun was probably right. “Have you considered which side you’re going to take in all this?”

“Like I said, I’m sure we have a lot to talk about, but I’m also not sure the Gods would be so inviting with my current predicament. Like it or not, there’s Titanic Energy flowing through my blood because of this race I’m playing. I chose to become this before we learned we were stuck here, but I have no intention of joining Jason any time soon.”

“How are you holding up with everything?” I asked.

Jun shrugged. “Better than I should be, honestly. This game is fun, and honestly, my life here is more interesting than it was on earth. Let’s meet later and talk more. I’ve got some work to do today, and I imagine you’ll want to get settled into the city.”

New Player Quest: A Chance Reunion

New Objective: Meet up with Jun for further conversation.

I looked back to check on Gaz, but still couldn’t see him. As I turned back to talk to Jun, I was surprised to see he was already gone. “I guess you’ll find me,” I mumbled, more perplexed than anything at the strange encounter. It was a strange encounter, but the more information we could get, the better, and I had very little reason to be distrustful of Jun, especially since he could have just slipped a dagger through my spine when I hadn’t expected it and walked away. His race and class were still a mystery from the snippets of his character sheet he allowed me to access with my Quick Analyze skill, it was apparent he was using two resources for spells and abilities my group had yet to encounter: Essence and Runes.

“Who was that man you were talking to?” Gaz asked, walking up to me. I had been so engrossed in my thoughts that I hadn’t noticed him clear security or approach.

“Geez, what took you so long? That was Jun. Did you see his eyes and skin?” I asked.

Gaz shrugged. “Just looked like a pretty normal dude to me. Well, he obviously didn’t try to kill you, so what did he want?”

We could talk about how or why Gaz couldn’t tell Jun was far from human later. “He wants to talk more, compare game notes, maybe more,” I said. “He’s playing a different race than the starting ones we had access to, I’m not exactly sure how that happened yet. He’s level nine.”

Gaz shrugged. “Maybe we can meet him later after we find Monica. Did he give you a good spot to find him?”

“No, but he had no trouble finding me this time, and I’m certain he isn’t using Tracking.” I produced the Anti-Tracking talisman from my pocket, showing it to Gaz who looked uncomfortable with the fact Jun found me so quickly.

“Let’s just be careful. This place is huge, I have no idea where to start.”

“Excuse me, sir,” I said, trying to get the attention of a common-looking man carrying a basket of goods from one of the nearby shops.

“Ehh?” he asked, stopping in his tracks.

“Do you know where we could find the Iron Calf Inn?” I asked.

“Artisan District, north of the forges. Better taverns all across the city. The smoke from the forges makes the beer taste like sulfur.” The man spat on the ground, looking at us with impatient kindness.

“Could you point us in the direction of that district? It’s our first time in Brigstone,” Gaz added.

The man’s expression softened, and whatever hurry he was in seemed to dissolve. “Oh, right. Just walk down Guthen Street and follow the signs. If you go straight through, you’ll get there a lot faster, but you’ll also be going through the Ghost District which you’ll probably want to avoid.” He turned and pointed. “See that smoke rising into the sky? That’s in the Artisan District. Just follow the sulfur smell and you can’t miss it.”

“Thank you, sir,” I thanked the man, reaching into my pocket and pulling out a couple copper coins to give him for his help.

When he saw the coins, he waved his hand dismissively. “Happy to help, welcome to Brigstone.” He walked away, and we started down the main street, passing stores, a diverse cast of citizens, and all kinds of strange, unique sights. Had it not been for our rush to meet with Monica as soon as possible, I would have loved to stay and shop around, looking for new and useful items and gear to aid us on our quest. According to Clarence, magic items would be hard to come by at prices we could or would want to afford, but the unknown still beckoned to be explored.

Brigstone was bigger than we expected, and what seemed like a short walk ended up being much longer. Traffic on Guthen Street thinned as we approached the Artisan district 20 minutes after starting our walk. The city scape had morphed and opened up, the well-maintained appearance of the Western entrance of Brigstone twisting into something old and forgotten. Where buildings were cramped in the entrance we used, the city was more open here, less maintained. The homeless sat in makeshift camps in alleyways of neglected buildings, peering out at us with detached interest. Even the road was in terrible shape here.

The yellow-hued smoke from the forges was getting closer, and I could smell it now. Tinged, burning sulfur mixed with a burning smell accented by the ever-present scent of the ocean.

“Why is it so empty out here?” Gaz asked.

I shrugged. “Let’s just hurry, we’re almost there.” As we reached the top of a hill, there was nothing but a long, stretch of more faded buildings leading to what must have been the Artisan District. Large smokestacks and industrial buildings towered into the sky, coughing out the sickly clouds of smoke we had seen from the entrance of the city. The structures didn’t look like the modern factories from Earth, but something closer resembling industry in a fantasy world with the conveniences of magic.

A figure darted into an alleyway ahead, instantly drawing my attention. Now that I was paying attention, Gaz and I were the only ones on this road within three hundred feet. Most of my abilities didn’t function unless I was wearing Ectos’s armor, but Temporal Control and Dimensional Recall were two I knew I could use without it. I considered activating Temporal Control to assess the Quick Analyze skill I had gained from trying to size up Jun’s character as he approached, but there was nothing around us, and I could read as we walked and save Temporal Control in case I needed it for something more pressing.

I was about to ask Gaz about the man up ahead, but he spoke before I could. “You saw that guy, right? I think he’s up to something. I don’t remember seeing him in front of us from the start.”

“I saw him,” I said. We’ll just keep walking, we’re almost there.” But the Artisan District was still about half a mile away. I pulled up my character sheet at half opacity, sifting through and finding my new skill which was filed in the non-combat section.

Quick Analyze (Rank 0) (2%): Instant. The character attempts to analyze a character or object, potentially discerning information. This skill can be boosted by other skills for better results.

Analyze (Rank 0): Passive. Channeled. Linked. Analyze’s rank is equal to the character’s rank in Quick Analyze. The character may spend more time attempting to analyze a character or object, increasing their chance of discerning more information. This skill can be boosted by other skills for better results.

So it works on items too, that’s cool, I thought. I would have to tell Kirsten about it, especially since she would be able to use this skill along with her Magic Identification skill for better results if she was able to learn in. She seemed to have a natural affinity for identification that surpassed even Clarence’s ability. In most games, magic items had to be identified by scrolls or other consumables, and some of the rarest, most powerful artifacts needed other players that had spent countless hours honing the skill. In all likelihood, Stratus Online would work the same way.

I closed my character sheet, focusing on the walk ahead. We passed the alley the figure in front of us disappeared in, but they were gone now. Broken windows in the buildings on either side of this abandoned road started out at us, the insides seemed stripped of anything and everything useful or valuable.

A figure appeared on the roof of one of the buildings to our left, wearing a small cloak over their bulky body. I immediately identified them as an orc. The orc raised a crossbow.

“Shit!” I yelled.