Escape From Litchfield Read online

  "Arrgg!! Again!," shouted Jare, barely registering the country bumpkin gnome nodding.

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  "Arrgg!! You bastard cheating gnome! Again!," shouted Jare

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  As Jare activated rush, a wind picked up, first stopping him from moving, but then it increased and he flew back into the wall, pinned by the force of air. Azdel combined his wind spell with a flame spell, creating a fire tornado and burning Jare to a crisp.

  "Arrgg!! Again!," shouted Jare

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  Jare jumped high into the air to avoid any obstacles, as he got caught by the wind and thrown into a tree. The simulation ended when Azdel knocked the tree down, on top of Jare.

  After many, many defeats, Jare eventually conceded his defeat to the gnome.

  ***

  Auth, Jare, and Azdel have been training together the past week. Azdel was an experienced gnome, having the same age as dirt had its uses. The gnome was in the backline, keeping them from wiping out in the nearby Dungeon Crimson. They had finally made it to 20th floor. The mobs were now showing up on average as level 35, which gave them a decent amount of loot and experience.

  "These potatoes are so good!" Clocking his companion's food, the gnome added, "You guys better ketchup, or I'll finish before you!"

  Jare said, "Why are we racing?" He looked up from sharpening his sword, looking from gnome to human. For some reason, the gnome had a mad grin, while the noble had a smirk. A few seconds later, he accused, "You didn't tell me!!" His competitive side awakened.

  Azdel and Auth watched the warrior dig into his meal with gusto.

  Auth finally chuckled. "Jare wouldn't get such an ancient joke, Azdel."

  "Hrummph, younguns don't get any education these days! That was a perfectly good joke!"

  Meanwhile, Jare was in his own world, shoveling potatoes as fast as he could.

  After their meal, Azdel stood up and motioned for silence. Everyone quieted down out of respect. Azdel said, "So. We've got a good deal down. Jare, keep your wits about you when fighting. You need to be listening to your teammates! Remember to watch the monsters as they come in and try and keep track of where they go and what they are doing. You got sloppy on the last pull. One actually tried to attack me. Pffft! Like I'd be that easy to hit. Anyhow, if possible, make sure they are all attacking you, or being handled in some way." He turned to the noble and said, "Auth. You are on slow and immobilization duties. Remember to focus fire on one guy. Jare's target if possible."

  Jare boldly asked, "What will you be doing, Azdel?"

  "Overseeing the troops and calling out our tactics. Let's attack the next room!"

  Jare walked to the center of the occupied room and turned around to wait for the monsters. As the monsters came into range, Jare tagged the first monster with Knuckle Stun, the concussive force exploded out, stunning the entire enemy group. He followed up with a Whirlwind and Cone Wave combo. Then he followed it up with a Heavy Strike and Double Strike combo on the most powerful foe. Cone Wave was a warrior special skill that allowed the warrior to focus energy and release a cone shaped air in an area effect attack. Whirlwind allowed him to swiftly strike all enemies with air blades formed from his sword. This combo ensured all the monsters it hit would be focused on the warrior, rather than Auth. Even a pair of fireballs wouldn't peel them off Jare, but anything more might.

  Immediately after Jare launched his combo, reaping hate, Auth opened up with fire darts and wand attacks, focus firing on Jare's initial target. He was playing it safe in this instance. Fireballs can explode, hitting multiple targets, however, they had a number of downsides. For instance, they hit friends and foes alike. And they had a tendency to attract unwanted attention from the monsters that Jare wasn't focusing on.

  Jare screamed, "You don't have the GUTS to face me!"

  Jare has learned the skill, Divine Jester

  Jare gained 1 level in Divine Jester and now it is 1

  Auth lost concentration and his spell backlashed on him. He grunted out, "Oof."

  Azdel chortled to himself and muttered, "No guts, haha."

  Strangely, the skeleton's empty eye sockets glowed red with rage at Jare's taunt. They all focused on him with a determination to eradicate all jokes from the world.

  As the lead skeleton recovered from the stun, Jare shield bashed it, along with a few jabs of his sword. His shield was spiked and loaded with acid injectors that dropped a healthy dose of acid on his nearest enemies. His skeletal friends moved around him to attack Jare, giving them all a healthy dose of acid spray. Auth launched an iceball to potentially freeze or slow them down.

  Jare has defeated a level 30 being and has earned 36 raw experience! After bonuses applied, 60 experience was earned!

  Jare has defeated a level 30 being and has earned 36 raw experience! After bonuses applied, 60 experience was earned!

  Jare has defeated a level 30 being and has earned 36 raw experience! After bonuses applied, 60 experience was earned!

  Auth has defeated a level 30 being and has earned 36 raw experience! After bonuses applied, 60 experience was earned!

  Auth has defeated a level 30 being and has earned 36 raw experience! After bonuses applied, 60 experience was earned!

  Auth has defeated a level 30 being and has earned 36 raw experience! After bonuses applied, 60 experience was earned!

  After the battle, Auth said, "Jare. No. No more taunting."

  Jare looked at Auth puzzled. "Why not? I got a cool skill. Check it out!"

  Auth's screen informed him that a group member wanted to share with him the skill text for "Divine Jester." He accepted the screen request and regretted it immediately, emphasizing it with a groan.

  Skill Divine Jester: Your words anger your opponents and amuse the Gods. A variable amount of extra anger added to your opponents. Chance of a tip.

  Azdel commented excitedly, "Jare. That's a great unique skill. You are the first that I've seen with that skill! And you managed to anger the undead, that's actually pretty amazing! You're even more annoying than I gave you credit for!"

  Nodding his head, Jare accepted the praise.

  Dumbfoundedly, Auth shook his head as Jare ate up the backhanded compliment. The guy was puffing out his chest and looked ready to beat it and yell out a roar like an ape. Sighing, he decided to occupy his time with something else. He had enough problems of his own without adding oil to the flames. Jare was still sore about losing completely to the wizard. They were bonding.

  Azdel said. "Good job on the intercept Jare! Your new skill will help you keep their attention. One potential suggestion is that you get another area effect attack. Scrolls, skills, or maybe a new weapon might help." Turning to Auth, he frowned. "A wizard must keep his cool. A spell backfiring is worse than simply doing nothing. You lose time and mana casting the spell, then you need recovery time from the backlash. After the dungeon, we're going to practice your channeling. It needs work if a taunt can distract that much!"

  Auth cringed at the comment about practicing his channeling. Getting attacked while casting wasn't his idea of fun, and he looked dejected as he said, "But Jare amused the gods with that taunt! Surely that's an exception!" Brightening up, he sang out, "Oh wait! I need to practice for Precision Magic!" Precision Magic was a skill unlocked for higher tier mages. When a mage has enough skill to control his magic, he can start casting area effect spells that don't hit his allies. Unfortunately, you need to have the mage class to unlock this skill. Tamara would be able to use the skill if she sub-classed as a Mage, or if she learned incredible control over her magic. For Mages with the skill, it was effortless.

  Up ahead a trio of skeletons stood guarding a door.

  Jare said, "This group is small enough for us to take without pulling them here."

  Azdel and Auth nodded in agreement.

  Nodding in acknowledgment of the agreements, Jare turned back to
the trio. He activated his Rush skill and shouted, "I've got a bone to pick with you!"

  Auth rolled his eyes, then started his spell, while Azdel chortled. This was going to be a long dungeon dive. The longest!

  Jare has defeated a level 30 being and has earned 36 raw experience! After bonuses applied, 60 experience was earned!

  Jare has defeated a level 30 being and has earned 36 raw experience! After bonuses applied, 60 experience was earned!

  Jare has defeated a level 30 being and has earned 36 raw experience! After bonuses applied, 60 experience was earned!

  Auth has defeated a level 30 being and has earned 36 raw experience! After bonuses applied, 60 experience was earned!

  Auth has defeated a level 30 being and has earned 36 raw experience! After bonuses applied, 60 experience was earned!

  Auth has defeated a level 30 being and has earned 36 raw experience! After bonuses applied, 60 experience was earned!

  ***

  Deep in a virtual reality jungle, Auth snuck up on a trio of goblins. His robe swished softly as he crept from tree to tree, occasionally getting grabbed by a branch. The birds and wildlife were happily ignoring the humanoids, so his movements were easily masked by the busy sounds of the forest. Being a city wizard, he was not that stealthy, but as a boy, he had gone on boar hunts where he had to position himself quietly as the other hunters flushed the animals towards the hunters. Chanting softly and gesturing, he cast his Fireball, taking the goblins by surprise. The noble Fireball spell was the workhorse for the adventuring mage. It affected a small area around the target, allowing the spell to hit multiple targets with the same intensity. This meant the Fireball could be extremely mana efficient if you hit more than one target, however, it was far more effective when the average hitpoints of the enemies were known, allowing for predictable outcomes. For instance, if the hitpoints of the targets are known, then a straightforward plan could be made to destroy the enemy. Additionally, if you attack correctly, you don't need to expend additional mana to exclude friendlies from the attack. But of course, if necessary, true mages had the skill and mana to protect their friends.

  He was using the VR room to run scenarios to help him decide his subclass and profession. He had his Spacesteel robe and Staff of Ultimate Mageness, handmade gifts from Tamara. The robe was soft and warm, but it still provided a 30% bonus to armor. His staff had a clicky fireball rune and an external mana pool. The VR room was an amazing piece of technology that the original settlers of Last Redoubt had built, and it was one of the few relics that had survived the Cataclysm. It had the ability to create realistic battle scenarios. You could create your own battlefield, enemies, and abilities all from scratch. Or you could use the already defined objects.

  Currently, Auth has auto-scanned his stats, then added the 25% Elementalist boost to himself. He then added various common Last Redoubt monsters. Usually, the mobs reacted once the scenario started, but Auth had given them a number of restrictions, so he could test out which set of spells worked best. In this particular scenario, the mobs could move and attack aggressively, but they would not do any real damage to his avatar. He wanted to see how his spells would react to real-world mobs in different scenarios and develop new strategies to use his powers.

  Muttering to himself, Auth wrote in his journal, "Scenario 265: Elementalist. As expected, the 25% power gain from subclassing overwhelmed the enemy readily. As a positive side-effect, casting fire-based spells has a tendency to dry out clothes. In the jungle scenario, the sweat and humidity worked to saturate my robes with water. Prior to engagement, my robes were 100% saturated. Post engagement, the robes were dry. Must research this effect further. Is it because taking on the fire aspect briefly causes water, fire's natural enemy, to retreat in fear? Or is it that I stood a bit too close to the crispy goblins that caused the water to evaporate?"

  The last scenario he had run was for the Arcanist subclass, which had some great spells, but ultimately didn’t seem that powerful. Subclassing for a mage was a big deal since they gained large bonuses to spells in their field of specialization. Elementalists worked with the four elements: water, air, fire, and earth. They had the most potential for destruction and creation, however, the Arcanist got a bonus for all the other magics. It is well known that the Arcanists started weak but if they survive to the upper levels of their field, they will outstrip an Elementalist of many levels higher.

  The catchphrase was, “If they survive.” Statistically, about one in four mages will choose Arcanist, but after ten years about one percent survive. In other words, for every four hundred mages, 300 will choose Elementalist, 100 will choose Arcanist. Only one Arcanist out of that group will survive ten years later. Bad odds, since you can choose a second subclass until level 100. Although, as mentioned, the trend will continue, the arcanist who subleveled earlier will generally outstrip any equivalent level Arcanist who subleveled at level 100.

  As for a profession, he wanted to pick one synergistic with Tamara. Jeweler was the most logical choice, although he couldn’t confer with Tamara, he was pretty sure she’d pick Blacksmith, Cooking, or one of the Barding professions. With the Jeweler class, he could enchant gems for the gem slots in various weapons, armor, and jewelry. Tamara could enchant gems using her runes, so that wasn't a huge bonus, but a Jeweler can create jewelry with extra slots. Base jewelry has only one slot, so Jewelers always make jewelry with two gem slots or a single gem slot with 50% extra power. In Jewelry making, having a high mana pool could be important, but it was mostly having the right skill level and monster core. Enchanters used a core, spell, and a gem to create a specific type of gem. But Tamara seemed to create the same enchanted items using her runes, which was a huge advantage because enchanters used increasingly higher levels of mana for higher quality enchantment versus Tamara who used her Rune Magic and Runemaster skills.

  Taking a deep breath, Auth chose Elementalist.

  Elementalist subclass chosen.

  You have gained a new skill, Elemental Fury.

  Auth gained 1 level in Elemental Fury and now it is 1

  Elemental Fury: All Elemental spells are 25% more effective. Cumulative with element skill.

  Quest:Discover your Power

  You have chosen the subclass Elementalist. Gain a deeper understanding of the elements. This has a Level C difficulty.

  Reward:500 experience.

  Failure: This quest can’t be failed.

  Next he chose the Jeweler profession.

  Jeweler Professional chosen

  You have gained a new skill, Deep Gem Enchant.

  Auth gained 1 level in Deep Gem Enchant and now it is 1

  Quest:Profession Quest: Jeweler

  You have chosen the profession Jeweler. Create a gem. This has a Level F difficulty.

  Reward:100 experience.

  Failure: This quest can’t be failed

  ***

  "Auth, you did well to seek me out for advice on how to become an Elementalist," said the Guild master of the Mages Guild. "Young mages are always choosing Elementalist, then promptly getting themselves killed! All the mages that seek me out before going into the field to 'Learn about the elements,' have a significantly higher chance of surviving!" His voice became louder and more animated towards the end. Booming, he said, "STOP RIGHT THERE. You have to earn the Elementalist title by learning the elements truly! If you don't learn it properly, you'll only get a minor increase in your elemental spells. Do you want to be a master of the elements or the whipping boy of the elements?" Tapping his finger on the desk, the Guild master waited for a response.

  "I want to be a Master of the Elements, Sir," replied Auth without any hesitation.

  The Guild master nodded with approval, "Good good! The first step is to take a supplementary class. After taking it, you must contemplate the elements. What does it feel to be that element? How does it interplay with its environment, and how does it react to its adjacent elements. How about its opposite element? And my best advice to you is tha
t remember that magic is the purest form of art."

  Auth nodded. "So. Basically, you want me to gain a deeper understanding of the elements?"

  "That and more, my boy! Go! Go! I appreciate you spending time with an old mage, but you need to be out there experimenting and growing!" The Guild master pushed Auth out the door and made shooing motions.

  ***

  "Welcome students! The appointed time has come, and class is in session. This is a special lecture designed to refresh your memories on the basics of spellcraft. After the review, we will launch into the necessary steps to reach your subclass. I am Professor Auraleus Fall." He was a tall man with brown graying hair. The lecture hall was medium sized and could fit fifty students comfortably. Adding to that effect, the well padded seating was curved around the lecture space. As the professor talked, he strayed from the center of the room to pace back and forth from one side of the room to the other, keeping eye contact with the students and his body in motion.

  "Spell crafting is an art form. With our mind and body, we bring forth powers beyond the mundane. How do we do this? Well. First, we must have mana, which also means you are at a minimum Tier II Awakened. Second, we must craft the spell by using incantation, somatic, and sometimes physical components.

  It is known that every being on Redoubt has a core. Yes, even humans. Would anyone want to take a guess why this is a good thing?" Gazing over the students, the professor pointed at a blue-robed male student raising his hand. "Go ahead."

  The student stood up and confidently said, "It is known that the core is the main region that produces and stores mana. Without mana, we would not be able to cast our spells." He sat back down as the professor nodded in agreement.