PA-01. Den Of Thieves, page 4
part #1 of Pantheon Online Series
Description: A little worse than a bee sting, but not by much. Is this really all you’ve got? Gods, man, get to an armory!
Gunnar gripped the small blade tight in his fist, raising it up by his shoulder, ready to stab the first guard to make it to the roof.
Sheira shook her head. “You’ve got no reach like that. Hold it out in front of you, as though it were an extension of your arm.”
He flushed, feeling like a dumbass. But he’d really never fought with a dagger before. He always chose much, much bigger weapons. Apparently, he truly started at zero in this game. Sheira showed him the stance, and he mimicked it, flipping the blade around.
“Don’t stab. Slash,” she said. “And whatever you do, don’t throw it.”
He swept it through the air, and the woman nodded.
Unlocked Skill: Slashing Blow
Skill Type: Physical, Combat
Linked Attribute: Strength (+65% Development)
Affinity Level: 5
Requirements: N/A
Cost: 3 Stamina
Effect: Increases Damage of each attack, with further increase based on critical hit points
Description: It won’t get you far with that little poker, but it’s better than nothing!
New skills already? Gunnar thought. This is great! And it meant that he needed to be strategic with the location of his attacks.
“Remember, they’ve got sabers,” Sheira said. “Greater reach, but a slower attack. Red Cloaks are the lowest-level guards, and thankfully, their best and brightest don’t patrol the docks in the middle of the night. But don’t get too cocky.”
Gunnar liked this woman a hell of a lot better than Azmar. He was learning a lot. If this went well, he would probably level up soon.
A surge of excitement shot through him as he anticipated the fight. His Stamina had climbed back to 80% while they’d paused on the roof, but it wouldn’t have time to reach full capacity. He could hear the rest of the Red Cloaks at the top of the ladder.
“You attack first,” Gunnar said.
Sheira raised an eyebrow.
“You’re obviously better with daggers. I’ve got an idea. Just keep him close to the ladder.”
She nodded and prepared herself near the edge of the roof.
Gunnar crouched a few yards back.
The first guard appeared, and a notification provided some less than encouraging information.
Red Cloak Guard
Level: 3
HP: 30/30
MP: 20/20
Description: Not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he’s stronger than you!
Level 3 already? So much for a tutorial quest, I guess.
Gunnar wondered briefly whether he’d made a mistake somewhere. But then again, he did have Sheira with him, and she was clearly more advanced in this game.
The Red Cloak stepped onto the roof, but before he could scan his surroundings, Sheira let out a cry and leapt forward. Apparently she’d had another dagger stowed somewhere in that cloak of hers. She dual-wielded the small blades, attacking with a quick succession of blows, driving the man back.
There were two more Red Cloaks on their way up, so he needed to be quick. Sheira stepped back, leaving space right in front of the ladder. The Red Cloak charged, and Gunnar seized his moment.
He leapt into the soldier like a linebacker sacking a quarterback, shoving him hard toward the edge.
Unlocked Skill: Sheer Strength
Skill Type: Physical
Linked Attribute: Strength (+65% Development)
Affinity Level: 5
Requirements: N/A
Cost: 10 Stamina
Effect: Allows you to exert a burst of focused strength
Description: You know, like those moms who can lift cars to save their babies. Except you’re just saving your own sorry ass.
The guard’s saber clattered on the stone rooftop, and the man plunged over the side right as the second Red Cloak reached the top.
Both guards tumbled to the street below with a sickening thud.
[Critical Hit! You have dealt +30 Damage to Red Cloak Level 3.]
[Critical Hit! You have dealt +30 Damage to Red Cloak Level 3.]
Gunnar and Sheira leaned over the edge. Neither guard moved, but there was a large pool of blood expanding from their bodies.
A moment passed.
[Congratulations! You have defeated two bloody Red Cloaks! You have earned 20 XP with a 2x multiplier for your first kill. You’re nearly halfway to Level 2. Hey! You might actually be worth something in this place.]
Gunnar pumped his fist. “Hell yeah!”
Sheira nodded to him. “Nice work! I’m a little sorry to lose those experience points, though.”
“Well, I can leave the last one for you.”
The last Red Cloak clung to a rung halfway up the side of the building. The man glanced up at them, shook his head, and then quickly descended the ladder and fled the building entirely.
“Whoo!” Gunnar shouted after him. “Run, you pathetic bastard!”
He stood up and his vision blurred for a moment. The run and the fight had taken more out of him than he’d realized. His Stamina meter inched its way back to full strength, but for the first time, he noticed a green Health meter beside it, which had also dropped. Apparently it only showed when you were wounded.
“You’re bleeding,” Sheira said, pointing to his stomach.
Gunnar cursed. There was a small slash in his shirt, and it was stained with blood. He must have been too caught up in the rush of the moment, but now, it stung fiercely, and his Health meter was not moving at all.
[Health: 70% — What? You really think you can recover from a sword wound by just waiting around twiddling your thumbs?]
“Damn it! Health doesn’t regenerate?”
“It does,” Sheira said. “Just very, very slowly unless you master regenerative spells. Too bad those bodies are on the street. Red Cloaks usually carry healing potions.”
The wound definitely stung more than he expected in a game, even if it was full immersion. Who the hell would design a game where you actually feel pain?
Gunnar grimaced. “Let’s go down, then. This is starting to hurt like hell.”
“You’re not going anywhere!”
Gunnar turned at the sudden gruff voice, a sinking feeling coursing through his gut.
Six Red Cloaks emerged from a door across the roof. Led by the Red Cloak who’d run off.
That pathetic bastard hadn’t fled at all.
He’d gone for reinforcements.
6
CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD
The guard from the ladder stepped forward. Just moments ago, Gunnar had thought him a sniveling coward, but he strode forward with confidence now, flanked by five other Red Cloaks. A jagged scar ran along the left side of his face.
Red Cloak Captain
Level: 6
HP: 70/70
MP: 40/40
Description: Well, you had to kick the hornet’s nest, didn’t you? Pathetic bastard!
The man crossed his arms and smiled as the other five guards stepped forward to face Gunnar and Sheira.
Gunnar snatched up the saber of the guard he’d shoved off the roof, not bothering to assess its stats. It had to be better than his tiny blade. He stowed the iron dagger in his belt and brandished his new weapon.
Sheira met his gaze briefly. No words of wisdom, no last-minute advice.
She charged the nearest Red Cloak, daggers flashing in the moonlight. The woman was brilliant. Though the daggers were weak weapons, with two of them she was able to deflect the guard’s blows for long enough to find an opening.
With a slash to the throat, the first Red Cloak crumpled to the ground.
If they fought too close together, Gunnar worried the sheer numbers would be too much for them to handle, but for the moment, the captain hung back and watched his guards work. That left two each.
Can I handle two Level 3s? Only one way to find out.
Gunnar backed away from the group, hoping to draw a couple of the guards away. But only one followed him.
He held his saber out in front of him. He knew some basic maneuvers from previous games, but Pantheon was different, more realistic. Though a light class weapon, the saber felt heavy in his grasp. It was meant to be wielded with one, but he gripped it with both hands.
The Red Cloak lunged, and Gunnar barely managed to meet the attack. He swept the blade away, and a thrill of excitement and terror coursed through him.
Unlocked Skill: Parry Blow
Skill Type: Physical, Combat
Linked Attribute: Dexterity (+95% Development)
Affinity Level: 8
Requirements: A melee weapon
Cost: 5 Stamina
Effect: Increases Resistance to enemy attacks
Description: Look at you defending yourself with a real sword. Oh, they grow up so fast!
The guard grimaced and attacked again with a quick succession of blows. Gunnar’s body thrummed with adrenaline as he narrowly managed to keep up with the Level 3 guard. Sheira cried out across the roof, and he knew he had to be quick.
With the next attack, his saber clattered across the rooftop, and Gunnar backed away. The Red Cloak grinned and stooped to pick it up.
Just as Gunnar hoped.
He reached to his belt and let his iron dagger fly. He’d played baseball in high school, and for once, his affinities paid off. The blade hit its mark, lodging in the man’s neck.
Unlocked Skill: Throwing Blade
Skill Type: Physical, Combat
Linked Attribute: Dexterity (+95% Development)
Affinity Level: 8
Requirements: A throwable weapon
Cost: 2 Stamina
Effect: Increases your Range of attacks
Description: This skill allows you to attack from greater distances. But it also leaves you without a weapon. Not the smartest tactic if you like living.
That was what Sheira had warned him about. But hey, it worked!
[Critical Hit! You have dealt +20 Damage to Red Cloak Level 3.]
With a graphic display, blood gushed from the deep wound, and the man slumped forward.
Gunnar retrieved his saber and was about to deliver a final blow, when another notification popped up.
[You have triggered the effect Blood Poison. You have dealt +10 Damage to Red Cloak Level 3.]
Gunnar was confused for a moment. Then, he remembered the dagger’s description. Some sort of enhancements his HUD hadn’t been able to identify.
Blades laced with poison? Well played, Sheira!
[Congratulations! You have defeated another bloody Red Cloak! You have earned 10 XP.]
His Glory meter shot up to 50%.
With a horrific sucking sound, Gunnar managed to get his poisoned dagger free, and he hurried to help Sheira. She had managed to kill another of the guards.
But now two attacked her at once, and she was struggling. They flashed around the roof in a blur, and Gunnar didn’t dare throw the dagger again for fear he would hit the only ally he had in this world.
The two guards were backing Sheira toward a corner. Gunnar shouted, trying to draw them away, but his words were cut off by a concussive blow to his back that sent him sprawling on the ground. His vision blurred, and pain seared his entire body.
His Health meter dropped to a dangerous 30%, and his Stamina hovered at 50%. The Red Cloak Captain stood over him, wielding an enormous warhammer.
Gunnar cursed himself for not paying closer attention to the captain. He had hoped it might be like some games, where you dealt with the lower-level mobs before facing the boss. The man had been hanging back. But no more.
Gunnar swept his saber at the man’s boots. The captain easily backed away, but it was enough space for Gunnar to spring back to his feet, and he quickly retreated out of range.
The captain paused for a moment, smiling evilly.
Sheira had reached the corner, but Gunnar realized that spot had all been part of her strategy. A smokestack towered above the rest of the wall, and with another impressive display of agility, the woman launched herself from the wall and over the heads of the guards.
It was his best window of opportunity, and he took it. Gunnar chucked his dagger again. It wasn’t as good of a shot as the first, but the blade caught one of the Red Cloaks in the shoulder, hopefully slowing him down enough for Sheira to handle them one at a time.
[Direct Hit! You have dealt +10 Damage to Red Cloak Level 3.]
Less damage than the last one, which meant it definitely mattered where he landed his attacks in this game.
Gunnar leapt out of the way of another attack from the captain. The warhammer thundered against the stone rooftop with a spray of sparks and a piercing ring. Gunnar backed away again, unsure how he could face the captain’s power with a lousy saber.
He parried the next blow, but that sent jarring tremors shooting up his arms.
In the corner of his eye, he spotted the glint of Sheira’s daggers in the moonlight.
He backed further away from the captain. The man paused again, holding his hammer with both hands.
[You have dealt +10 Damage to Red Cloak Level 3.]
Gunnar grinned. The poison was still working. The Red Cloak wrenched the blade out of his own shoulder, but it didn’t do him any good. He dropped to his knees.
[You have dealt +10 Damage to Red Cloak Level 3.]
The man keeled over.
[Congratulations! You have defeated another bloody Red Cloak! You have earned 10 XP.]
Near the top right of his vision, the red Glory meter was well over halfway full. He just might level up by the end of this damned quest.
The only problem was it meant he had to find a way to kill this captain, and Gunnar was running out of room to maneuver. He was uncomfortably close to the edge of the roof.
Time to mix things up!
Every move he’d made against the captain so far had been defensive. The captain knew he was scared. He knew he was more powerful. But he also wielded a much bigger and heavier weapon, and Gunnar understood now why the captain kept giving him time to back away. The captain needed to regain his Stamina after each attack.
Gunnar parried another blow, but the jarring impact was draining his own Stamina. He was down to 40%, and his Health was worse. If he took another hit, he was pretty sure he’d be done for.
The captain paused again, regaining his Stamina. Gunnar backed up, as though about to retreat again, but this time, he planted his foot hard and leapt forward. The captain barely managed to meet his attack with the unwieldy hammer. They exchanged a quick succession of blows, and Gunnar could tell the man’s strength was waning.
Gunnar attacked again. The captain brought his hammer down like an ax chopping wood and pinned Gunnar’s saber to the ground. He strained with all his might to wrench it free. He didn’t dare lose his only weapon. As he struggled, the captain turned and drove a thunderous kick into Gunnar’s stomach.
He staggered back, losing his grip on the saber.
His gut wrenched. He glanced around, but there were no more weapons anywhere near him.
The captain stalked forward, raising his hammer.
Gunnar smiled as the man prepared for his final attack.
The captain laughed. “You’ve gotten lucky so far, swine. But you and your heathen friend are no match for—”
The captain’s words were cut off.
Might have had something to do with the explosion that obliterated his head in a display like emerald fireworks. Blood and bone and brain matter flew everywhere.
The captain’s body slumped to the ground, and Sheira grinned, holding a strange weapon vaguely reminiscent of a crossbow, though it had fired no arrow, that was for damn sure.
The thing glowed with a haunting light, and the woman stowed it back in her cloak.
[Congratulations! You have defeated your foes with a combination of throwing things and dodging the blows of greater warriors. You have reached Level 9 in the skills Throwing Blade and Parry Blow. We all tremble at how powerful you are!]
[Congratulations! You made this way harder than it needed to be, and somehow you’re still here. You’ve earned the Skin of My Teeth badge:+1 to Constitution, +1 to Strength, +1 to Dexterity, +1 to Agility.]
[Congratulations! You have completed the quest Safe Arrival. Here’s 30 XP. Now, collect your loot and get the hell out of here!]
All of the Red Cloak corpses emitted a brief flash of blue sparks, presumably indicating loot, and Gunnar was excited to see what all these guards had been carrying. Meanwhile, his Glory meter had reached 90%.
Damn, so close.
Sheira spat on the captain’s decapitated corpse, then turned to Gunnar. She looked completely spent, though Gunnar was not sure whether that was from the combat or the magic.
She stooped down, looted a blue vial from the captain’s body, and downed it. Then, she produced a red one from what Gunnar presumed to be her Inventory, and drank it down in one gulp.
An almost instant change came over her as life and energy returned to her body.
“Thanks,” he said. “That was one hell of a first quest.”
Sheira shrugged. “Well, it’s not exactly supposed to play out like all that. You’ve got a lot to learn, boy, but you did all right.”
“That thing fires magic?”
“Arcane Bolt,” Sheira said. “It takes most of my Mana to operate and costs several Soul Gems to keep charged, so I save it for emergencies. But I couldn’t let you get any more XP. You might have leveled up before the fight was over.”
Gunnar looked up, confused. “What would have been wrong with that?”
He realized the answer a moment too late.
One of Sheira’s poison-laced daggers plunged into his gut with a searing pain.
The final 30% of his Health plummeted quickly, and he collapsed on the rooftop.
“Best you learn this lesson right away,” Sheira said. “This city is survival of the fittest. Most of all for us Maldans. Tread cautiously.”
