Chapter 13: Hunting (1/2)

Chapter 13: Hunting

"…Who are you?" said Aldrich as he narrowed his eyes and scrutinized the pixelated black stick figure It was a little eerie staring into the plain circle that was its face as it was i

"I aure

"Where is the Goddess Anored Aldrich as if it was a NPC that could only answer certain pre-programmed prompts and questions

"Here in the Nexus, you will find a safe haven where great warriors like yourselves may find rest The Nexus is connected to all parts of Eldenia where its Sign has been carved, and so through the Nexus, you ure

Aldrich realized that the stick figure, or rather, the Systeue prompt as the Goddess Amara would have In essence, it was the Goddess Amara, just…different

Aldrich wondered whether it was some placeholder for Aame developers If so, then did that aue," said Aldrich, and the command prompt worked

The Syste on It clasped the black pixelated boxes that functioned as its 'hands' together, and between theht died down, and a beautifully ornate crystal flask floated down to Aldrich's eager hands

[Item: Restorative Flask obtained]

"That is the Restorative Flask," said the Syste you the ability to heal even the rievous of injuries or restore your tired mind"

Aldrich came up to the basin and stared at the flask in his hand When his attention came to it, details about the item appeared in a screen pasted on his vision

]]

Restorative Flask Rank 1

Rank: Divine

Description:

Use to consu 30 of one's totalon which value is greater Attune charges and refill this iteraded upon coes

-UNIQUE

-UNDROPPABLE

-UNSELLABLE

Available Charges: 3

Healing Charges: 3

Mana Charges: 0

]]

Aldrich noted that the flask had three tick es there were He poured out the golden liquid into the basin down to the last tick, draining the flask two thirds of the way down

He then filled the flask back up with blue water

Like this, he switched up his charges fro and two mana

"Excellent," said the System as it hovered to the side of Aldrich "With this, the waters of life ive you protection on your harsh journey Noill explain to you these twelve great pillars of creation and the Trials that lie behind their doors"

Aldrich listened to the dialogue just in case so different froed The Systeranted access to Trial Quests that unlocked further abilities of one's class

Each pillar had recommended levels that went up by 10 per pillar, so by the tenth pillar, one had to be level 100 The final two pillars were challenge quests that required highly optiranted incredible rewards

Aldrich knew exactly what each trial quest held in store for hih the undead monsters to raise, equipment, coin, and useful spell tomes

The first pillar required a level of 10 to access, and so Aldrich would have to grind some Variant monsters out to reach that level first

After the System spoke about the Trials, it then started to speak extra dialogue that the Goddess Amara did not have

"Heh, lad, you may also come to me for any craftin' or repairin' you need!" said the Systenized that the System had taken up the tone and mannerisms of Sindri, the blacksmith God that worked at the Nexus who players could turn to for crafting He introduced the Soul Forging system where rarely, e weapons or gear that took up their attributes

Regular drops like e quantities for craft anything out of theear or weapon

In general, it seemed that the System took up the role of all the NPCs that were normally in the Nexus

Aldrich listened, careful to note whether the Systeue, but it did not

It just cycled through the sas Aldrich had heard fro exhausted coue from the Goddess Amara and the blacksmith God Sindri, the two NPCs of the Nexus

Aldrich walked down the stairs once there was just silence At the base of the stair, there was another Sign that he could access to reach Signs he had placed He knelt down, beckoned Adan

As the bright white light engulfed Aldrich and his group, he heard one line of unproue from the System

"May the hunt feed you well, Host…"

==

Aldrich returned to the real world, right above the Sign he had placed in the Variant infested forest He wondered what that last line froh at theon

]]

[Quest: Access the Nexus] completed!

+10 EXP

+100 Coins

EXP: 10/30 ] 20/30

Coins: 0 ] 100

]]

The two Striker corpses were still beside him, and when he looked down to check his wristwatch (a watch that had no Net capabilities, hence, unlike his Eye-phone, it had not been taken from him) he noted that about five minutes had passed

In the Nexus, however, Aldrich had thought he had spent at least ten or sothat time passed around half as fast as it did in the Nexus compared to the real world

Aldrich checked his mana

]]

Mana: 15/15

]]

Good, thought Aldrich Going to the Nexus restored his health and led shoulder had co fist sized hole in his stoured that because he had sustained that injury before his undeath, it counted as part of his body now

He did notreminder that he still had to make Seth Solar pay for what he had done

Aldrich looked down at the Striker corpses and hovered his hand over them as he cast [Raise Undead]

"Serve," he said, though he did not knohy The word just slipped out of hied as a chant to the spell The word felt fitting, though, he had to adreen energy flickered around the two Striker corpses The corpses shuddered and then started toout as they beca forwards to Aldrich and nuzzling their tawny, rotting heads at his hand like pet dogs

A hazy dark green aura of rot e from Adam and Elaine

]]

Mana: 15/15 ] 5/15

]]

Aldrich checked his tab

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