Chapter 013

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‘ ‘ for thoughts.

“ “ for speech.

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Thanks to CanadianBacon for proofreading

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Jacob droned on at work. After his first six months, he was habituated to it. ‘This shit is boring. But meh, it pays the bills.’ Jacob thought as he heard Adam calling him.

“Jacob, it is time for lunch. Let us go!” Jacob got up from his cubicle and noticed that all three of his friends had gathered. Jacob sighed and told his friends:

“The first day at work after vacations is such a bitch, damn it.” Carlos looked pissed and grumbled something which sounded like ‘traitor’. They made their way to the cafeteria, and were discussing about the latest developments in Asunder Online. Jacob was pinning for the sweet embrace of his FuDi capsule, and had a grumpy look on his face.

They sat down on their usual table and continued discussing about Asunder Online. Dion looked visibly excited and said:

“Guys I finished my quest and changed from warrior to a Paladin! I didn’t get any healing spells, though I got some cool buffs! So what about you guys? Anything interesting over the weekend?” Carlos immediately replied:

“Guys I picked up alchemy! Brewing potions is good way to gain money. I also partied with this hot warrior babe and leveled up to lv33! While she was swinging her claymore, her chainmail clad bubble butt was ---“ Adam interjected:

“Looks like you had a nice time. I regret becoming a priest. Pray and donate to get more Faith. And every fucker begs for free heals. But I leveled up to 34! That’s got to count for something!” Adam had a forced smile on his face. Dion said:

“Yeah praying for faith is shitty, but you aren’t alone. Also you get cool spells! I got one which allows me to light up my weapon on fire! And due to focusing on my class upgrade quest I am just a sad lv30. How about you Jacob? Did you finish that quest you were in the middle of?” Jacob replied:

“Yeah, I had to kill some goblins, a few bandits and a spellcaster miniboss. But the reward was shitty.” Jacob grumbled recollecting the sudden loss of 50 gold towards enchanting. Carlos immediately inquired:

“What do mean by a shitty reward? Goblins are fucking lv45! The highest known player is some obsessed rich lv42 Korean who pours in a lot of RL money ingame.”

“Well I had problems dealing with the goblins. But turns out, my quest was just for investigating the kidnappings. I didn’t just investigate, but solved the kidnapping and collected plenty of loot. Turns out 5 gold was the maximum cash reward. I also got a chance to learn enchanting…but had to pay 50 gold for it! I barely have 40 gold now, but on the plus side I am lv43!” All three of them were open-mouthed at this revelation. Dion collected himself and said:

“Lv43? Shit that means you had soloed all of them. And Enchanting is a poor choice of a crafting skill for someone short on money though.” Jacob looked puzzled and asked:

“Well I had the choice between alchemy, blacksmithing and enchanting. I didn’t want to run around collecting herbs and I don’t really use metal armors so I picked up Enchanting.” Hearing this Carlos said in a mocking tone:

“Jacob, you haven’t tried enchanting anything yet have you? Each enchanting attempt reduces the durability of an item. You can mine ores and gather herbs for smiting and alchemy, you actually have to pay for repair costs! Well unless you have crafting skills like blacksmithing, carpentry and tailoring to repair metal, wooden and cloth items yourself.” Adam and Dion looked at Jacob with pity, but Jacob seemed unconcerned and replied:

“Meh, I’ll manage. I got access to an apprentice enchanter’s workshop. I will grind my enchanting there. We should all save up for our future guild. Now let us get going, lunch is almost over anyways. And you guys know our boss…” Jacob was secretly pleased at this turn of events. ‘This means I can grind Mana Repair, and consequently Mana Control too!’ Jacob thought as he planned to grind his Enchanting skill.

Jacob finished work, drove home and had a quick dinner. He was impatient as he climbed into his capsule and connected to Asunder Online in the library. Jack had finished memorizing the book on the basic of enchanting. It consisted of runes for each basic stat, each basic element, offense and defense.

To effectively enchant an object, mana has to be channeled in the form of a rune on the item. This is usually done by carefully engraving the desired runes, and using the skill Bestow Enchant on it. Each failed attempt would distort the etched rune also reducing its durability. Once an object was successfully enchanted, the etched rune had no utility. In fact, the standard practice was to file off the runes used after a successful enchant, so as to keep the runes a secret.

Jack reasoned that since he had Mana Control, he could manually embed the object with the rune by directly using mana and avoid engraving. While learning the runes seemed cumbersome, an Enchanter had to learn a rune only once before he could enchant it! In comparison, Alchemists and blacksmiths had to gather the raw material multiple times, even after they learnt an advanced recipe or technique related to their skill!

The effect of an enchanting rune depended on various factors. It depended on the type and quality of the item being enchanted. For example, a basic fire rune on a melee weapon added a bit of fire damage to it. The same fire rune used on a piece of armor would give fire resistance. Furthermore, as the enchanter grows in skill, he can use multiple runes to enchant a single object, and also combine runes into glyphs for various effects!

‘I am lucky I have Mana Repair and Mana Control, it seems to complement enchanting nicely. I don’t know any good hunting grounds now so might as well grind my enchanting and repair till I have to meet Captain Zubin in the weekend.’ Jack thought as he made his way to the Enchanter’s Guild. He found his way to the apprentice workshop without much trouble and grabbed a nearby iron ring.

Jack noticed that there were a few other apprentices doing the usual engraving and attempting to enchant items. Jack found an isolated corner and focused his Spirit Senses on the iron ring in his hand. He could see a roughly uniform bland mana emanating from it. In contrast, his enchanted ring and bracelet’s mana signature throbbed gently with psychedelic colors.

‘So it seems, that I have to use the enchanting runes until the mana from this ring changes permanently.’ Jack thought as he quickly identified and repaired the Grade F iron ring. Jack tried using bestow Enchant with system assist, while thinking of the HP rune. His spirit sense allowed him to see a mild change in the mana of the iron ring before it quickly returned to its default state.

Jack also noticed that the iron ring had lost a bit of its durability. ‘Seems like it will be forever before this stupid system assist can bestow a simple enchant on this shitty ring.’ Jack thought irritably as he repaired it to full durability. Jack then entered a light meditative trance and pictured the HP rune clearly. He then proceeded to shape mana from his index finger into the shape of the rune in thin air.

It took quite a few attempts before Jack was able to maintain the delicate shape on his finger tip. Jack then tried to infuse the iron ring with his rune shaped mana. He found out that too much mana, cause it to dissipate quickly in a bright flash, while too little mana caused the mana signature to become bland slowly. After about a dozen attempts, Jack was successfully able to enchant the iron ring with the HP rune.

Jack got excited when he saw the familiar psychedelic glow of mana from the iron ring. He quickly identified the now enchanted ring and sighed loudly in frustration. “I get only 20 HP?” Jack questioned aloud as he went back to grinding his Enchanting skill.

Meanwhile, unnoticed by Jack, a certain skinny apprentice left the workshop. He went to meet the Head Enchanter and told him:

“Master I was observing the traveler Jack, as you instructed. For the past few hours, he was just touching an iron ring and muttering to himself. Just now, he exclaimed about a +20HP enchantment. What does it mean master?” The Head Enchanter smiled and said:

“It means that he has a lot of potential in Enchanting. With his talent, if he is dedicated, he can hope to create legendary or even epic enchants! Unlike you useless lot, who can at best hope for a rare enchant. Now shoo! Go watch him some more and report, perhaps you will learn a thing or two.” The apprentice grumbled mentally in jealousy as he went to the workshop again.

Jack spent the weekdays in game grinding his Enchanting skill. Before heading to Captain Zubin, Jack had enchanted his leather gloves, boots, pants and armor with +VIT enchants. He figured since vitality gave both HP and PP, it was the best stat to enchant. He also enchanted all four of his weapons with the Offense rune.

Jack abstained from enchanting additional accessories as he vowed to earn his 50 gold back. He also abstained from using absorb enchant on his accessories, as it provided a much higher bonus than he could manage to enchant. Jack reviewed his status once, before meeting Captain Zubin.

STATUS WINDOWNameJackClassBhikkuRaceHumanGenderMaleLevel43 (83.51%)Fame / Infamy90 / 10TitlePackrat, Vermin ExterminatorCONDITIONHP5658/(5458+200)HP/s6.6764/sPP6930/6930PP/s56.8288/sSpirit Energy0/110SE/s- 0.9% current SE/sSatiety / Thirst96% / 96%Weight Limit69/200Active EffectsControlled Breathing (Intermediate lv3)BASIC STATSStrength100Vitality175 + 10Dexterity94Agility110Intelligence231 + 10Willpower178+10Free Stat Points0SPECIAL STATSLuck10Endurance81Sustenance73Balance70Flexibility65Concentration132+10Wisdom128+10Indomitable Spirit35Elemental AffinityPhysical19%Soul21%Void15%Fire6%Elemental ResistancePhysical3 + 5%Soul4%Void3%Fire1 + 5%Ice0 + 5%

SKILL LISTAmbidexterity (Trait)Enigmatic Wisdom (Trait)Spirit Senses (Trait)Dagger Mastery (Beginner Lv 4: 12.38%)

Assassinate (Beginner Lv 5: 02.86%)

Enchanting (Beginner Lv 3: 01.38%)

Bestow Enchant (Beginner Lv 3: 12.62%)

Absorb Enchant (Beginner Lv 2: 96.47%)

Mana Control (Beginner Lv 5: 36.48%)

Imbibe Projectile (Beginner Lv 8: 58.46%)

Mana Blade (Beginner Lv 3: 52.26%)

Mana Identification (Beginner Lv 8: 07.83%)

Mana Repair (Beginner Lv 7: 21.76%)

Meditation (Intermediate Lv 6: 05.13%)

Meditative Stasis (Trait)

Controlled Breathing (Intermediate Lv 3: 11.43%)

Spirit Eater (Intermediate Lv 1: 00.00%)

Devour Soul (Beginner Lv1: 00.00%)

Eternal Rest (Beginner Lv1: 00.00%)

Survival (Beginner Lv 5: 83.92%)

Opportunistic Striker (Trait)

Danger Sense (Beginner Lv4:23.53%)

Survival Cooking (Beginner Lv 5: 13.15%)

Survival Stealth (Beginner Lv 5: 18.13%)

Thrown Weapon Mastery (Intermediate Lv 2: 71.18%)

Improvised Missile (Trait)

Axe Throwing (Beginner lv 5: 87.34%)

Boomerang Throwing (Beginner Lv 9: 12.25%)

Chakram Throwing (Beginner Lv 6: 67.34%)

Dart Throwing (Intermediate Lv 2: 19.87%)

Javelin Throwing (Intermediate lv1: 29.54%)

Knife Throwing (Intermediate Lv 1: 27.78%)

Unarmed Mastery (Intermediate Lv 3: 17.02%)

Mana Fists (Beginner Lv 9: 12.23%)

Mana Gloves (Beginner Lv 5: 26.81%)

Spiral Mana Bolt (Beginner Lv4: 31.76%)Soul Strike (Beginner Lv5: 62.34%)

Jack analyzed his status. He had gained some fame, infamy and quite a bit of experience from completing the kidnapping quest, thought it wasn’t enough to levelup. ‘Why do I get infamy for threatening that asswipe of a village chief? Stupid AI.’ Jack grumbled mentally. On the bright side, grinding his enchanting for a week had gained him a few mental stats along with some dexterity and sustenance.

Jack went to the market square and bought a dozen health potions and 30 darts spending over 60 silvers. He noticed that some players were hawking mildly enchanted gear. Jack had an hour in game left, before he had to report to Captain Zubin, but he browsed a few of them.

He was shocked to see that an Uncommon Grade E leather Armor, not too different from his own, with +5AGI went for 8 gold! The unenhanced leather armor could be bought from NPC shops for just 3 gold. Jack inquired the somewhat chubby player merchant about tis inflated price. The merchant glanced at jack and replied:

“You don’t look like a noob with the armor and sword you have equipped. There are a very few players picking up enchanting, as it requires significant investment at the start. Those who do are mostly supported by their RL friends and are assured to be dedicated craftsmen in future guilds.” The merchant paused. Jack replied:

“But you are a merchant right? You should have skills to buy this cheaper from NCP shops. And you can also get it enchanted for a discount at the Enchanter’s guild. Considering that, shouldn’t you be selling this for cheaper?” The chubby player snorted as he said:

“While it is true I can get items from NCP shops for a discount, the Enchanter’s guild charges a hefty fee depending on the type of item. They don’t provide discounts to me. Furthermore, each enchant is slightly random. I could have easily got a +3 AGI on that, while paying for it to be enchanted. I am just a low level merchant, without other players supporting me. I don’t have any combat skills, and level up by making profitable transactions. In fact, I haven’t killed anything other than rabbits and foxes.”

The player merchant looked quite dejected as he ended his monologue. Jack thought for a bit ‘I can enchant his merchandise by undercutting the enchanter’s guild!’ Jack then offered

“What if I can broker an enchanting service with cheaper fees than the guild? How much would you pay for having equipment enchanted to say +3 stat and above?” The merchant player sized up Jack for a bit, before replying:

“I will play half of the enchanting fee.” Jack sighed:

“Now be realistic. I could go with this offer to any other merchant. Like you said, players enchanting themselves are taking a risk of incurring repair costs with every enchant attempt. How about 80% of the enchanting fees?” The chubby player then replied:

“But I too want to make additional profit, too. If I sell your enchanted gear at market price, I will be hard pressed to sell them fast. I have contract costs to cover too, dealing with another player. I will not go above 65% of the enchanting fees, and only if your enchanter can deliver.”

Jack did not have time to actually deliver now, because of Captain Zubin’s quest. Jack pondered for a bit and replied:

“Hmm, can you provide me other services? Like buying consumables at a discount and selling loot for a premium?” The merchant player had a salesman smile stuck on his face as he replied:

“Sure! I can buy potions and other consumables for a 10% discount. 12%, if you buy more than 50 of an item at once. I can also sell identified loot for 10% more to NCPs. Now these rates are already 2% higher than my competitors, so they are non-negotiable. In addition, if I find any usable piece of equipment which can be enchanted and sold, I will pay you 20% more than what you would get by selling to NCP shops.”

Jack analyzed the merchant’s offer. ‘This guy is smart. He wants loot to be identified before he buys it. NPC shops usually play 25% of an item’s value. So he is offering me 30% of an items value for resalable loot. Whereas, he has to buy equipment from NPC shops at around 80%, if the rates he offers is anything to go by.’ Jack replied:

“To me this is just a bit more profit, but for you it is level ups too! I agree with your first two terms, but I want 70% of the cost of the equipment in NCP shops.” The merchant player had the salesman smile plastered over his face as he replied:

“Make that 65% and you give me the equipment at maximum durability, then we can have an official contract.” Jack sighed and said:

“OK, fine. I will be a bit busy for a week in game. I am Jack, add me to your friend’s list and I will contact you later to finalize the contract.” The merchant nodded, and said:

“Nice meeting you Jack, I am known here as Timon. Send Friend Request to Jack.” Jack didn’t receive any notification. ‘Ohh, I have them disabled except for alarm.’ Jack realized as he mentally summoned the latest notification.

You have received a friend request from the player Timon. Do you wish to accept?

“Accept friend request from Timon.” Jack said. He said farewell to Timon, and went to meet Captain Zubin. ‘Good thing I don’t have phobia of spiders…or I would be screwed in this extermination quest. I should have thought about buying potions from player merchants earlier though’ Jack thought as he left the market square.