Spell 18 : The Arts

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THE STRAITS TIMES REPORT : MAJOR MOVEMENTS AHEAD FOR LATEST GAME WONDER, ROYALROAD[/p]

In a press conference held last Friday, Unicorn Inc. has stated that many changes will be coming to the game in the upcoming month.

'Most gamers,' said Unicorn President, Mr Chia, 'are unhappy with several factors of the game. For example, some complain the pain factor was too much for them. In response to this, we have introduced a pain slider, where players can adjust the pain threshold that they will experience while taking damage in the game. This gives the players the freedom to choose the kind of playing experience they desire. Of course, damage calculators will remain as they are.'

In short, Unicorn Inc. has declared that in light of the popularity of the game, it has decided to move in a new direction to give players control over the kind of gaming experience they are looking for, rather than decide for them.

Here is a list of factor changes you will come to expect :

1. Pain Slider.

2. New PVP system : Players MUST agree to fight in duel invitations, unless they are already flagged for PVP. Failure to do so will incur upon them the Murder Mark, recognisable by players and NPCs alike.

3. New Quest Design System : Players can now give quests to other players, within certain parameters. No quest given can involve killing NPCs or players. If players wish to design a long quest storyline, they are to submit a storyboard for approval by game management.

4. AI Components Improved : You may now interact on a more intimate level with the NPCs. Their responses have also been slightly tweaked to suit their created personas.

5. More monsters and areas added.

6. Death Penalty : A maximum amount of 10% of their current gold can be stolen. Items that are soul-bound cannot be stolen. In addition, when players die, they will not be logged out of the game. They will be revived at a nearby temple of their chosen Aspect. If they do not plan on selecting an Aspect, they will instead be revived in a nearby graveyard instead. Players also suffer 75% loss in durability for their equipment when they die.

7. Aspects : Aspects are celestial beings that have left a touch on the world of RoyalRoad. New faiths and religions have sprung up in the name of these Aspects. Players can only have one Religion at a time.

When asked if these changes will in future include a new name for the game, Mr Chia said, 'I don't have to change it. It's being changed every second. People aren't playing RoyalRoad; they're already playing out a story they call their own.'

Not too much of a political answer, but we will take it.

I let out a low whistle as I read the newspaper in the living room. These changes were huge; they basically affected everyone who were playing RoyalRoad. It seemed like Unicorn Inc. was trying its best to please all of the gamers while at the same time trying to make the game more fair for its players.

I went up to my room and took out my notes to study. The thing about living in an Asian country is that we're pretty much too hyped up with education. Everything is all about studying hard and making the hours count. Every moment of procastination is seen more as a crime than a sin.

But of course, luckily for some of us, we were born with academic prowess in exchange for athletic flaws. I finished my readings in about an hour, and went straight into RoyalRoad.

I was in the same city where I had previously left off the night before. Here in Steam Society, everything was all about steam power. The entire city was laid out in neat rows, and in between each row was a river where ordinary citizens were doing their daily laundry. Transportation around the city was pretty much supported by their air-tram network. Wires that resembled power grids hung about 50 metres above ground and from time to time, carriages would just swing past with either people or cargo inside. The only form of military presence here were mechanical robots that patrolled up and down the streets. What am I doing here, you ask? To discover the secret of steam magic.

As always, I am alone in my travel here. On a quest sent by the Council, my official task here was to act as a diplomat. But my true purpose for coming here was to discover the secret behind steam engineering. And find some way to enhance the arcane sentinels the Forest had for its own protection. Before I left the Forest, one of the Council members, Arcanist Ghud, had taught me a few spells to aid me in my quest.

*DING*

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You have learnt a new Spell : Tempest Seal

Tempest Seal Beginner Level 1

Places a Seal on an enemy target. For every instance of damage received, the target will be slowed and take damage over time. This effect can stack up to 10 times.

Manacost : 250

Cooldown : 30s[/p]

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You have learnt a new Spell : Ward of Arcana

Ward of Arcana Beginner Level 1

Summons an immobile ward that shoots out Arcane bolts at enemies at close range. Attacks have a chance to bounce to a nearby enemy target.

Manacost : 50

Cooldown : 5s[/p]

And of course, I didn't had to wait to Invoke the two...

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You have gained a new Spell : Tempest Storm (Unique Invoked)

Tempest Storm Beginner Level 1

Conjures up a Tempest field with an AOE(Area of Effect) for a duration that depends on the level of Ward of Arcana. All enemy units in the field will be silenced and slowed. In addition, enemies who take damage while under the effects of Tempest Storm will take additional Arcane damage and stunned for a duration based on the level of Tempest Seal.

Manacost : 1200

Cooldown : 60s[/p]

Now imagine if I used all 3 spells together at once. I don't have to tell you that the combination of all 3 spells together at the same time will deal widespread devastation to groups of enemies placed together. Who can run away from being slowed, stunned and silenced at the same time?

He had also taught me the ability to Blink, a common Mage spell to teleport a short distance away from where I stood, as well as Arcane Knowledge, which further enhances my magically heightened senses to detect magical traces in my surroundings. A detailed map of Steam Society was also given to me.

So here I was, a level 108 Invoker in a small coffee place right next to the dull river, more prepared than anyone in this city to study its finest secrets. The game had also taken the liberty to add the newspaper feature into literate cities, so I had purchased a copy of the city's paper to read for myself. Prior to this, I had zero knowledge of the city so I thought that it would have been good for me to read up on it first.

Thanks to Fast Reading, my first ever basic Skill, reading was a breeze. I finished my coffee and paper and stood up. The waiter flew over with the bill, which I paid for with 50 additional Silvers as tip. He bowed most graciously and would not stop thanking me until I was out of the shop.

It was extremely warm outside. With the entire city being run on steam power, naturally the temperature of the environment would also be high. No plants ever lived here either. Fortunately, the sun wasn't blazing hot or else this city would have been a complete desert. I pulled up my hood to cover my face and I walked down the street. Inconspicuous was the way to go when doing spying work. These days, only the low levels went about with their faces revealed, and they were the ones usually being stopped for questioning. Most people left the high levels alone to conduct their own business for fear of retribution.

My first stop in mind was the Central Engines, Steam Society's government building. They were aware that I am coming here, and so I was taking no chances until I could be absolutely sure I wasn't being followed around by unwanted eyes.

I felt like I had stepped into an asylum or a mental hospital of some sorts. Everything was just a bleak white. The walls, the tables, the lamps etc. Nothing had any sort of color in it. And the temperature had dropped to a low single digit Celcius. The doors shut behind me automatically with a click. Another set opened on my right, and a clean-shaven gentleman entered briskly in his white blazer and trousers. The only thing that wasn't bleached on him was his hair and pupils.

'Welcome, to the Central Engines, Magi Crow of the Council. We have expected your arrival. Please follow me. Our President would most like to see you at once.' He said, extending a gloved hand behind him. I nodded and followed him down the corridor. The longer I stayed in this place, the more I felt like I was losing my mind. Everything was just too...Clean. Like pristine. It wasn't just being neat and tidy with this organisation. I felt like I stood out so badly that I had nowhere to hide myself. As if I was completely exposed. Silently, I cast Barrier. Not that I expected any attack, but emotionally it stabled me.

The steward led me through another set of white doors. This room contained a lot more people wearing whitewashed items. They were all standing around, holding glasses of champagne. Evidently, I had just walked in on a mini-party. It was all I could do to stop myself from swearing out loud. And lucky I did too, for the one with a head full of red hair approached me and shook my hands.

'Magi Crow, welcome! Do take a seat. Maholey! Get him a glass of champagne this instant, or I will fire you!' Red-hair said and gestured me towards a conference table. The room grew quiet as everyone stopped their discussions and followed suit in taking up seats at the conference table as well. The steward came back with a glass half-filled with champagne. I took it and thanked him graciously. Returning my attention to Red-Hair, whom I noticed, had been staring at me ever since I sat down.

'Magi Crow, so pleased that you can make it here to my humble abode. When did you arrive? We had thought that you were caught up in some delay.'

'My apologies, sir. I arrived yesterday actually. I was just settling into my accomodations.'

'I do hope that you are comfortable with your lodgings. If you find anything displeasing at all, pray do tell us. We could always shift you here, where it is much more comfortable than you can imagine.'

'I thank you for your kind gesture, sir, but I must decline. I am afterall, just a humble diplomat.'

'Nonsense! Any friend of Steam Society is welcome to stay here! Still, I understand that you require your privacy so I shall leave it to you. Our doors are always open, should you change your mind, Magi Crow.'

'I thank you, sir. Now, I believe we can move on with the agenda?'

And so the conference began. It was just on the usual topics of diplomacy, and on trade and agreements. The meeting concluded with a success, according to Red-Hair. I hastily excused myself when I found the opportunity to disappear.

The truth was, I had no intention of staying any longer. That was meeting was just a facade. As I have mentioned, my true order of business here was to learn their secret, but that meeting did nothing at all to point me in the right direction.

I did learn one thing though. I was really being trailed. I had no idea who, and how, but they gave themselves away when they sent the steward to bring me into the conference room directly. Protocol dictates that anyone with an unknown identity has to go through security screening first before entering a conference room filled with government officials. I never declared my identity, but they somehow knew I was coming, and had even gotten the entire government ready as soon as I entered. I lied too about arriving the day before. A decoy was sent ahead instead of my real self to the hotel I was staying at yesterday. Red-Hair did not look surprised at all when I told him my arrival date, which confirmed my suspicions that he had already known beforehand that I had arrived yesterday. And he would never had known unless he was keeping a watch on me.

Which makes this secret order of business a few notches tougher because there was no way I could do anything in private unless I determine and shake off whoever or whatever that was keeping tabs on me.

Luckily, I came prepared for this. I had a Communicater, which could let me hold conversations with whoever it is holding onto its pair. I spoke into it.

'Hello? Is that you, Crow? I hear you loud and clear. How is the mission going? Have you found out anything yet?'

'Not at the moment unfortunately, Aeryssya. I managed to close the trade agreements with them. But they were not too keen on discussing other things, so I left. Also, they have a trail on me. I don't know how they are doing it, but it seems like I'm safe in my hotel. They didn't manage to pick up on the decoy we sent, you see.'

There was a silence on the other end.

'There is nothing I can find here on my side here in the Forest either. If their informant is not able to spy on you while you are inside a building, they could be somewhere in the environment. Try looking outside, and see what you can find. As a precaution, stay away from the windows. My apologies, but I cannot help you much on this.'

'Anyway, I hope you can swiftly end this mission and return. I am anxious to start our quest into the Sands of Time to find my sister. I know the Council set you this mission to prove your worth, and so I wish you success in this. Return safely, Crow.'

And so the conversation ended. I kept the Communicater in my trunk locked and left the hotel again. I went back to the same coffee place. The waiter greeted me most enthusiastically and gave me the table by the balcony when I asked for an outdoor seating. I ordered some food and the waiter left. I looked around the room, and with the help of Arcane Knowledge, I studied the room. There was magic in the room, but it was mostly concentrated near the appliances, where steam energy is giving power to these appliances. There was nothing out of place about this room.

Could it be some rogue that's invisible?

And so it was, I spent the next 2 days walking around the city, learning as much as I could about it. I gathered that since the only legal way for me to find out about the steam magic was unavailable, I could only turn to unlawful methods. And that was to seek out the city's misfits. But I could not seek them out directly, until I manage to shake off whoever that is following me. I knew I was still being followed, because from time to time I would still receive parcels courtesy of the government at my door whenever I return back to the hotel.

For lunch and dinner, I would return back to the same coffee place. The waiter that I met on the first day had become my steady friend. He would always reserve for me the same balcony table and would linger for a moment to chat whenever he brings the food.

'Dear sir, here's the steak you ordered. I am pleased to see that you enjoy our food so much to keep coming back here.'

'Yes, the food is excellent. It is quite near to the hotel I'm currently staying at too, so it is really convenient.'

'Convenience is our trademark here, sir, in Steam Society. Our trams make travelling so much easier. You should try using the trams to get around the city.'

'I notice quite a lot of citizens don't make use of the trams much here though. Most of them are actually walking on foot.'

'Well... It is pretty expensive to maintain steam energy here, sir. The government has to charge higher fees for using these trams. It is a trade though; clean energy for higher monetary costs. Our government justifies it just right.'

'I see. Well, thank you for the meal.'

'You enjoy yours, sir. You can look at the trams from here if you wish, sir, though I have no idea why so many of them pass by whenever you are here, sir. Usually, it is so quiet around these parts. I must be going; a table is calling.'

I ate my meal in silence. As a tram rushed by, I managed to catch a glimpse of it before it zoomed away. It was completely empty. That felt odd to me. I mean, if was expensive to use these trams, why were empty ones moving around? Another one flew by after 5 minutes. This one too was empty. Then, it dawned on me.

These trams were the eyes of the government!

It all made sense! The waiter said that usually there would not be so many trams moving around these parts. Logically, one can assume it was because people of these parts don't take the trams much due to the high toll. And yet, whenever I am here, trams would rush about these parts ever so frequently. They couldn't wait for a full load of people before they sent out a tram, or otherwise I would be gone during the interval time between each passing tram. If I have to disappear, it had to be when there is no tram nearby. I waited for the next tram, and sure enough, this time it only had 2 passengers.

What the hell is this government doing? Are they so scared of outsiders in their city?

Knowing that I only had minutes, I had to disappear now. I leapt up from my table, knocking over my chair. Heads turned around to me in annoyance at the disturbance but I didn't care. The waiter came forward at once, worried that I might have found something displeasing about the food. I gave him a Gold piece and thanked him for the meal. He began his chant of thanks again but I had no time to pay heed to him. I left the coffee place and pulled my hood on. I looked about for a dark alleyway. The nearest one was across the river on the other side. The next tram would be along in about 2 minutes. Quickly, I strode across the bridge to the other street and made it just in time before the alleyway.

I pretended to lean against the glass of a sweet shop and do some window-shopping. The moment the tram left, I checked for any incoming trams. The coast was clear; I stepped straight into the alleyway and cast Mistcloak on myself. I emerged out of the alleyway, but this time, I was invisible. I had to get out of there immediately. Whoever that was spying on me would last see me near that alleyway and sweet shop. Once the next tram comes along and finds me missing, and that no other tram can find me, they'll panic and send the mechanical sentries in. Best be out of there before that happens.

I headed straight to the slums. By now the city's mechanical robots were in full activity. They were all rushing towards the direction I came from. I regretted the Council's decision to send me here as a diplomat; had I came here as a normal traveller instead, this would have been much easier.

There were no trams in the slums, because the government saw no need to build one. They knew misfits and criminals lurked around in the slums, but they were not afraid of these minorities. If anything, they could just send out a bunch of mechanical sentries in and conduct genocide.

Inside here it was much easier to move around because everyone kept their identities hidden. Mistcloak had worn off and I was visible again. Inconspicuous though I was, I felt I was being watched by 10 pairs of eyes. But I knew these were not the eyes of government officials; these were eyes of the rulers of the slums. As long as I played by their rules, I knew I was safe.

I walked around for quite a bit, and realised only too late I was lost. I walked right into a dead end and was just about to turn back when I found my exit blocked by a band of mean-looking thugs. They were all holding sharp weapons of some sort; some brute was even carrying a morning-star.

I mean, who the hell still uses a morning-star in this age?

Their leader, I take it from how he was standing in front, stepped forwards with his arms folded.

'What business do you have here, stranger and outsider?' He asked threateningly.

'I am here on rather unofficial business. I need to speak to someone about a secret.'

On hearing this, he laughed.

'You mean, you want to learn about the city's secret, isn't it? And when you could not learn it from the outside world, you thought that you could stand a chance here?' He laughed even more, and his group of thugs echoed after him.

'No one will hear you scream here. The slums belong to us.'

Almost immediately, his whole band of thugs charged forwards as one.

I clenched my fists angrily.

Seems like the time for diplomacy is over.