Beta Life, page 28
part #1 of Digital Sorcery Series
It was at this point that a stream of notifications decided to fill my vision.
You have been killed by Human Commander.
174/527 gold dropped.
Congratulations Eldertits has defeated level 11 Human Warrior! As a party member, you have earned 147 XP.
Congratulations Eldertits has defeated level 11 Orc Warrior! As a party member, you have earned 149 XP.
Congratulations Eldertits has defeated level 8 Goblin Rogue! As a party member, you have earned 73 XP.
Congratulations Eldertits has defeated level 10 Dark Elf Soldier! As a party member, you have earned 127 XP.
Congratulations Eldertits has defeated level 10 Dark Elf Warrior! As a party member, you have earned 127 XP.
Congratulations Midnight Rondo has defeated level 11 Dark Elf Rogue! As a party member, you have earned 146 XP.
Congratulations Elaria has defeated level 10 Dark Elf Warrior! As a party member, you have earned 127 XP.
Congratulations You have defeated level 10 Dark Elf Dark Knight! You have earned 132 XP.
Congratulations Elaria has defeated level 10 Human Warrior! As a party member, you have earned 127 XP.
Congratulations You have defeated level 9 Goblin Rogue! You have earned 112 XP.
Congratulations Elaria has defeated level 10 Dark Elf Knight! As a party member, you have earned 131 XP.
Congratulations Eldertits has defeated level 11 Orc Barbarian! As a party member, you have earned 144 XP.
Congratulations You have defeated level 13 Human Commander! You have earned 183 XP.
Congratulations you have reached Level 11!
HP: 84 → 91
MP: 144 → 156
You have 5 unallocated stat points.
You have 6 unallocated skill points.
For discovering their secret exit and killing members of the people, you have earned -1000 reputation points with Maleuhur.
Your reputation with Maleuhur has gone from Neutral (-99 to 99 points) to Hatred (-1000 to -4999 points). All members of this faction hate you and will treat with distrust, if not open hostility.
Jesus, Tits was an animal, I thought after looking through all the notifications of the enemies we killed. Easily half of them were hers. I'd have to remember to thank her for helping to level me up. It's a pity that Viltria and Turin weren't in our party, or they'd have gotten the experience too. I'd have to add them to it before we moved again.
"Well, I guess all that's left to do is to wait for Elaria to arrive and then we can head to Ithielthiel so Turin can let his parents know he's alive," I said having finally cleared my HUD of clutter.
"And then we find a safe place for us, right?" Viltria asked staring at me.
"And then we find a safe place for you two," I agreed.
Chapter Twenty: Return to Ithielthiel
Following the battle with the Gray Brothers and the dark elves, we spent a relatively uneventful couple of days returning to Ithielthiel. It was the calmest time I can remember in my life since coming to the world of Alderoth, and I was extremely grateful for this.
The madness of respawn left me shaken even though I was fine physically. The second time had been far worse than the first, and I worried that I might not come out of it next time. I'd technically still be alive, but I don't know if I'd call that living.
Eldertits, who also experienced her second death during the battle, had not been her usual joking self during the journey back. Instead, she was reserved and focused inward. I had no doubt that she would soon revert to her old ways, but it was nonetheless disconcerting.
When we reached Irune, Eldertits gave her cloak to Viltria so the latter could walk freely through the forest and into Ithielthiel without getting killed. If the dark elf was found out, we were in for a world of hurt. The cloak worked like a charm for Eldertits in Maleuhur, so I had confidence that the same trick would work again.
The rangers that met us once we entered the domain of Ithielthiel paid little mind to the dark-skinned hooded human and instead greeted Elaria warmly. She seemed especially pleased to be back amongst her old comrades, because she genuinely looked happy for the first time in days.
Her mood had been progressively darkening the closer we moved towards her home. She seemed to take it very personally that she was among the group who were freely bringing "the enemy" into Ithielthiel.
"I'm excited to finally get to see your home," Rondo said to Elaria as we walked. "Do you have a house?"
Elaria looked at him and smiled weakly, "I live in the barracks."
"Oh," Rondo said and quickly added, "Well, I'm sure your city is amazing."
"It is the greatest city in the whole world," Elaria replied ignoring his surprise and disappointment about her lack of a house.
Elaria's tone towards Rondo softened considerably after the battle. She seemed to be holding herself somehow responsible for his death. Even though she was holding his hand before he was ripped away from us, I failed to see how she could hold any liability for what had happened to him, and Rondo certainly didn't hold her responsible.
Privately, I warned Rondo that the elves, much like the dark elves, seemed to hold their race above all others, and as a human he would be treated as a second-class citizen. They weren't hostile towards us, but there would be a lot of degrading remarks coming our way. At least that's how it had gone the first time I visited the city.
"I don't think this is such a good idea," Turin said.
This was the third time in the last hour or so that our young noble tried to talk us out of this plan. He was growing increasingly nervous the closer we got to his home. At first, I thought it was out of worry for Viltria, but as time went on it became more clear to me that he was speaking about himself. He seemed particularly worried about facing his mother, though from our brief but embarrassing visit with his parents I couldn't see why.
"It will be fine Turin," I responded trying not to let the exasperation in my voice show. "Your parents will be overjoyed to see you."
"Maybe," he said shrugging, though he didn't look like he believed it.
I let the conversation die, because I really didn't have anything else to say on the subject. Turin would need to fight this battle on his own. No one else was going to be able to tell his parents how he felt, though I had a strong suspicion that Viltria would try if needed. She was very protective of Turin and was used to taking the lead.
Upon reaching the city, Elaria led us back to the training grounds where I was amused to see Daeron still barking orders at those practicing. I wonder if the ranger leader ever did anything else?
Upon spotting Elaria and Turin he turned, broke out into a broad smile, and said, "Elaria, welcome back, I see you succeeded in guiding this human."
Elaria grinned and replied, "Ryland actually did an admirable job, and we had a lot of help," she said gesturing at the group.
Daeron frowned slightly, but upon noticing Eldertits grinned and said, "Of course. It looks like you've grown Eldertits. You might even make a fine warrior for Ithielthiel one day."
Tits, who had been staring off into space, turned her head upon hearing her name and said, "Perhaps."
This was about as much as she had spoken since her second death. Even though I got annoyed with her ridiculousness on occasion, I think I actually preferred it over this sullen and largely absent version of her. The troll was part of who she was, and I would rather see my friend joking and happy instead of silent and shell-shocked.
"Turin, I'm glad to see you safely returned to us," Daeron said and then turning to me added, "Ryland, well done. You will always be welcome among our people now."
Congratulations you have completed the quest: An Elf Lost in the Dark! You have earned 5000 XP, 500 gold, and 1000 reputation points with Ithielthiel.
Your reputation with Ithielthiel has gone from Neutral (-99 to 99 points) to Minor Friendship (1000 to 4999 points). They are close to viewing you as a full-fledged friend and will treat you in this light.
Congratulations you have reached Level 12!
HP: 91 → 98
MP: 156 → 168
You have 7 unallocated stat points.
You have 8 unallocated skill points.
Your passive ability Immunity of the Phoenix I has been upgraded to Immunity of the Phoenix II.
Immunity of the Phoenix II
"Phoenixes are highly resilient creatures, whose immunity to disease and poison is well known, and your bloodline which is awakening grants you some of their resistances."
20% resistance to disease
20% resistance to poison
Congratulations you have reached Level 13!
HP: 98 → 105
MP: 168 → 180
You have 9 unallocated stat points.
You have 10 unallocated skill points.
Congratulations you have reached Level 14!
HP: 105 → 112
MP: 180 → 192
You have 11 unallocated stat points.
You have 12 unallocated skill points.
Congratulations you have reached Level 15!
HP: 112 → 119
MP: 192 → 204
You have 13 unallocated stat points.
You have 14 unallocated skill points.
Your passive ability Birthed by Flame I has been upgraded to Birthed by Flame II.
Birthed by Flame II
"Like a mother's touch, the first thing a Phoenix feels when it is born is the kiss of flame and ash."
20% resistance to fire
20% resistance to heat
20% bonus damage to fire-type spells
You have been rewarded 500 gold.
Total gold: 353 → 853.
That's a lot of gold, perhaps you should think about depositing it.
You have received a new quest: Don't Store it Under the Mattress
"You've accumulated a lot of gold. Not only is this heavy, but it's also dangerous to carry this much money around. Open a bank account and deposit some of your gold."
Type: Common
Reward: 100 XP
Penalty for Decline or Failure: None
Do you accept this quest?
Yes or No?
I quickly accepted this quest and reveled in the four new levels I gained. Completing this quest had been exhausting but well worth it for the five thousand experience I gained. It was by far the most experience I gained in a single instance since starting this game and really showcased the importance of quests.
The upgrades to my passive abilities were also appreciated. Maybe the ten percent extra resistance would keep me from almost dying the next time I got bit by a toxic fish, though a twenty percent bonus to resistance wasn't immunity, so I would still need to be careful.
"My power level is over nine thousand!" Eldertits said from behind me making her first joke in almost two days.
She was also clearly appreciating the experience gain she received for helping to complete the quest. In fact, it was the happiest I'd seen her since she left the battle. I didn't know anybody in this world that didn't enjoy leveling up and growing stronger.
"I'll always appreciate the friendship of the elves," I said smiling at Daeron.
"I must admit, I didn't expect you to succeed human, but you have proved you are worthy of our trust," Daeron replied.
"I've been known to surprise people once or twice in my life," I said back to him.
"I hope you all managed to inflict some pain on those vile blacks before you left," Daeron said.
Quickly, I glanced at Rondo and Viltria before responding neutrally, "Let's just say that I don't think we'll be welcome back anytime soon."
Elaria, who was watching the frown on Rondo's face, quickly added, "It's good to see you Daeron, but we're going to take Turin to House Parthanuun so he can tell his parents the good news."
"Ah, of course. They'll be delighted to see their son back safely," Daeron responded dismissing us. "Send them my regards."
Leaving Daeron, we walked across the city to the wealthier section where House Parthanuun was located. Once again, I was struck by the home's beauty in seamlessly blending civilization and nature. It must have been interesting for Turin growing up here.
"Tits, you'd better wait here," Elaria said as we approached the house.
"I'll be fine. They've probably already forgotten about it, and besides, they'll both be overjoyed at seeing their son," Eldertits responded.
"You're waiting here," Elaria said in a tone that made it clear this wasn't up for discussion.
Eldertits sighed and said, "Fine, I guess I'll sit here and pen my memoirs: There and Back Again by Elder DD Tits."
Rondo chuckled slightly at this, but Elaria completely ignored it as she had no way of understanding the reference.
"Why does she have to wait here?" Viltria asked.
I was about to explain when Elaria said harshly, "An embarrassment that doesn't need to ever be brought up again.
"Oh," Viltria said simply, taken aback by the venom coming from the other woman.
"Actually, perhaps it would be best if you waited out here with her," Elaria added in a much less offensive tone.
"If you think," Viltria started before she was cut off by Turin, who said quickly, "No, I need her for this. I don't think I'll have the strength to say what I need to say to my parents without her support."
At this, Viltria reached over and squeezed the young elf's hand. Elaria turned away and rolled her eyes in disgust. She really didn't approve of their relationship, but she didn't protest, so the rest of us continued forwards towards the main archway of the house.
Once again, we were greeted by the household servant who seemed overjoyed at seeing Turin. He led us back to the sitting room where he asked if any of us needed any refreshments. I guess saving the son of the household entitled us to better treatment, though after last time, I'm still a little surprised he let any of us in. We all declined, and he quickly left to fetch Turin's parents.
"Do you have what you're going to say all figured out?" Rondo asked Turin after the servant left.
"No, I've been trying to figure it out since we left Maleuhur, but I just don't know," Turin admitted looking distressed.
Viltria moved closer to Turin and brushed his back while saying, "You'll do fine, I'll be right here with you the whole time."
"I know, but you don't know how my mother gets," Turin responded.
A minute later, Haldir and Fainauriel strode into the room with the latter rushing over to embrace her son.
"Turin, I thought we lost you," Fainauriel said refusing to let go of her son. "The horrors you must have endured in that awful place. Are you alright? Is there anything I can get for you?"
"I'm quite alright mother," Turin replied looking a bit embarrassed. "Really, it wasn't that bad."
Fainauriel ignored his response and turned to me and said, "Thank you, human. I know I doubted you, but you will always be welcome in my household for this."
"You're welcome, but I couldn't have done it alone," I said motioning to the rest of my party.
Ignoring my statement, Fainauriel began to fuss over her son, which while amusing, seemed to cause a large amount of irritation in Turin. His facial expression grew darker and darker the more she checked him over.
Finally, having had enough, he barked, "Mother please stop!"
Pulling back from her son Fainauriel wore an expression of hurt on her face.
Haldir's eyes narrowed at his son, and he said sternly, "Turin, that's no way to speak to your mother. She's been rightly concerned about you, we all have."
"I'm sorry father, mother," Turin said looking at both of them, "but I can't take being treated like a child anymore."
Fainauriel looked at Turin and sighed before saying, "I know what you've been through is tough, but that's no reason to push your parents aside."
This time it was Turin's turn to sigh before replying, "What I went through wasn't tough, it was actually the best thing that's ever happened to me. I wasn't kidnapped. I went willingly with Viltria, because she loves me for who I am. I didn't need rescuing from her. She would never hurt me. I only came back to tell you I am okay and to let you know I will be leaving again to find somewhere Viltria and I can love each other in peace."
As Turin spoke, I could see the fury building on his mother's face. By the time he said that he would be leaving again, it looked like her face might burst into flame. His father, on the other hand, had a much better poker face, and I couldn't get a read on what Haldir was thinking.
Clenching and unclenching her fists several times, Fainauriel finally said, "She must have addled your mind. We've got to get you over to a healer at once."
"She did not addle my mind. I'm perfectly sane, and this is my decision," Turin replied looking as if he wanted to run.
"But this is preposterous. You can't love a dark elf, and she certainly doesn't love you," Fainauriel said to him as if she was explaining something to an idiot. "This evil sorceress has tricked you, but don't worry, if it's love you want there are plenty of beautiful young elves we can introduce to you. Now, come along and let's get you upstairs, so we can discuss this later in private."
She motioned for her son to walk out of the room and looked surprised when he didn't move. This quickly turned to annoyance and then anger as he stood there defiantly staring her in the eyes."
"Mother, do not call her evil again," Turin said in something of a lecture. "I didn't come here to discuss this. I just came here to let you know that I'm okay, and I will be settling down with Viltria elsewhere."
She made a critical mistake here by calling Viltria evil. Turin may normally be a bit of a pushover but call his woman a name and he would push back hard.
