Escape From Litchfield Read online

  One odd fact about credits. If you steal something, it's still deducted from your credit amount. For instance, if you have a balance of 100 credits, then steal merchandise worth 1000 credits, you'd have -900 credits to your name. This meant that theft was not that lucrative unless you were willing to go completely without the credit system. Therefore, the cashier station was technically redundant. Everyone could walk in. Take an item off the shelf. Then leave. Their personal credit would automatically be deducted the cost of the item or service. However, there are those who want hard currencies or have a negative credit balance. Even then, it's not really an issue for the merchant, they get paid regardless. The correct deduction is that Maybelle simply loved to provide superb service!

  Finishing up with her customer, Maybelle looked up to see Auth, her face lighting up with a smile. She inclined her head to indicate that she saw him, then she quickly made her way to him. "Greetings Auth! What brings my favorite customer here this afternoon?"

  "I recently chose the Jeweler profession and have need for a craft room and a tutor."

  "A Jeweler, you say! What a lucrative profession! If you have the wits and the skill, you can retire wealthy beyond measure!" She nodded with enthusiasm and approval with Auth's choice. "We have several craft rooms available. Would you like a small, medium, or large room? Each room is stocked with common ingredients, but the larger rooms have more variety and punch!"

  "I'll take a medium sized room. I would also like to purchase a number of ingredients to be decided after the session."

  Nodding her head, she replied, "The medium room rents for 10 credits an hour, while the tutor can be arranged at another 10 credits an hour. Your total will be 20 credits an hour for both."

  "That's just what I need!" Replied Auth.

  Maybelle led Auth to a back room. The door was secured by both physical and magical means. She unlocked the door, and she turned on the lights with a command." Several tables were set up as enchanting stations, each with their own supply of common materials. Against the wall were shelves full of enchanting materials, all labeled by name, rarity, and purpose. "Feel free to get started! Everything you use at the workstation is included in the price, but the materials on the back wall are extra. The stations should include a primer and even the enchanting spell if you haven't picked it up yet." She paused to check that he was still on the same page and had no questions before continuing. "I'll go get your tutor unless you have a preference? Also, keep in mind that we do purchase items made in sellable quality. Lower level items that my craftsmen can make reliably, we'll buy back at material cost. You will basically get your skill for free!"

  "No preference. Just whomever you feel would best teach me the material. I'm planning to keep the items I make for this session because I am enchanting gear for several people at the moment. In the future, I should be free to sell back to you." He didn't mind working for free to improve his skill, but at the moment, he needed to concentrate on gaining the skill to create dual slot items.

  Nodding, she said, "Merick will probably be the best fit for you. I'll be right back!"

  Auth opened the desk and pulled out an Enchanting Primer and an Enchanting spellbook. Flipping through the pages, he wondered if he would ever be able to create items that would rival Tamara's work. After browsing for a couple of minutes, he flipped back to the basic chapters, looking for a simple recipe. It was time to create!

  His first jewelcrafting quest was to enchant any gem of any level. Not too hard. He pulled out a level 6 core out of his new dimensional bag, also called a mid-Tier 1 core. Cores were rated by the monster they were obtained from. For enchanting attributes, it was a 1 to 10 ratio. Cores from monsters 0 to 10 provided +1 attributes, 11 to 20 provided +2 attributes, and so on. That was an excellent guide to estimate the power of your enchantments. It was standard to refer to the cores from monsters 1 to 10 as Tier 1 cores, to reflect the +1 attribute gain, but some old school craftsmen still referred to them as Tier 0 cores to reflect that even level 0 monsters could drop them.

  Auth theorized that it had to do with the disjunction between collectors and crafters. People who hunt monsters for their cores would be more interested in the levels of the creatures they hunted, while the craftsmen would view the cores for what they could make. Sometimes, craftsmen will refer to the mid-Tier 1, or even high Tier 1 label to distinguish between 5 to 10 or 7 to 10 monster cores. But this reference wasn't generally relevant to the typical craftsmen.

  As expected, the higher Tier cores tended to provide more power and enchantment. Although, nothing stopped an enchanter from using a powerful core to create something substandard. For instance, nothing stopped an enchanter from using a Tier 10 core to create a +1 intelligence gem. Of course, a Tier 10 core would be worth hundreds of credits, while a +1 gem would net about 10 or so credits. Dungeons often dropped gear with gem slots, and he'd rather be ready with a temporary gem than wait around for the perfect one. He can reslot the gem at any time, so he lost nothing by using a temp gem.

  He drew the enchanting circle with magic chalk and placed the materials into the circle: one mid-Tier 1 core. As he chanted his spell, the core glowed a bright blue as it absorbed Auth's mana. Finally, it flashed a blinding light, and a +1 intelligence gem sat in the enchanting circle.

  Quest Completed!: 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 has earned 100 raw experience! After bonuses are applied, 165 was earned!

  Auth gained 1 level in Deep Gem Enchant and now it is 2

  As he finished his quest, someone knocked on the door. Maybelle called out, "Auth, your tutor is here."

  Maybelle and Merick entered. The tutor was a tall human with graying brown hair and sturdy shoulders. He had the look of a man who used to be an adventurer sometime in his youth. He immediately smiled a warm, kind smile. "Hello, Auth. I'm Merick. I'll be your tutor for this session. I understand that you are a novice jewelcrafter seeking to get the beginning quests out of the way?"

  Auth immediately warmed to his tutor. Smiling back, he responded, "Yes. I'm trying to cram a few crafting sessions into this one, then I'm off to rescue a friend! I need every edge to pull her out of the frying pan."

  Nodding sagely, Merick said, "Then you've come to the right place! And you've chosen the right profession! jewelcrafting is one of the most powerful and useful professions in the world. With the right gear, you can multiply all of your skills and stats. And at higher levels, you can even create extra slots. Some jewelcrafters even opt for self-only perks that make it even more worthwhile to train and level their skills."

  Maybelle said, "Enjoy your crafting time," with a cheery voice before she left again.

  Auth raised his staff up to bring Merick's attention to it, then asked, "How much skill do I need to make something like this?"

  Merick examined the staff, his mouth dropped open... Drool came out. "I have never seen anything like this!" The workmanship is exquisite, but the runes on this staff are breathtaking. The gem at the top is incredible. What manner of beast did the core come from? A dragon?" Merick started trembling, and Auth could tell that dark thoughts were crossing his mind as he tried to covertly assess Auth.

  Auth put a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Merick. You're a craftsman. I'm a combat veteran. Tell me what you're thinking."

  The trembling stopped, and his greed glazed eyes were replaced by scholarly ones. "Sorry. I was not myself. This item identifies as a normal item, but it is at minimum an artifact grade work of art. Perhaps even Diety classed. The runes written all over the staff were carved by a high level enchanter, probably for a Disciple or head of church. The powers of the staff aren't particularly spectacular individually, but combined they weigh in at artifact level." His eyes met Auth. "No mortal can create a staff like this. Craftsmen like us can only dream to create something li
ke this. We use spells to enchant items, but even magic itself would not be able to create details so exact and fine like these." His fingers traced the runes like a lover as he talked until he reluctantly handed the staff back to Auth. "This staff represents more credit than I can imagine. Kings have signed away their lands and people for less."

  Auth gazed at his staff, pondering how Tamara could create an item with such ease that would completely overwhelm Merick. "So. I take it that I will never make an item like this?"

  Merick chuckled. "No. Do not be perturbed. No mortal could copy this work of art. Not only are the runes beyond our magic, but the item completely ignores all of our enchanting lore. This staff has several passive runes, one active one, and it grants a mana pool. This would require a blacksmith of incredibly high skill. Then they have to be professional Blacksmith. Even then the enchantment has to be from a highly skilled enchanter with a massive mana pool and deity level knowledge." His eyes lit up and he said excitedly, "Perhaps a pair of high skilled Blacksmith and Enchanter working together could create this artifact. That would be possible. But the massive mana pool doesn't seem feasible. And the monster that dropped the core had to have been an insane being. A dragon maybe?"

  As they talked, Auth continued to complete quests under the experienced Enchanter's guidance.

  Quest:Profession Quest II: Jeweler

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

  Reward:200 experience.

  Failure: This quest can’t be failed

  He immediately took the next quest.

  Quest Completed:Profession Quest II: Jeweler

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

  Reward:200 experience.

  Failure: This quest can’t be failed

  Auth has earned 200 raw experience! After bonuses are applied, 330 was earned!

  Auth gained 2 levels in Deep Gem Enchant and now it is 4

  Merick congratulated Auth as he progressed, even as he lectured on various principles of enchanting. "The materials used in the crafted item will affect the quality and power of the final enchantment. Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Steel are the most common base materials. In this case, the value of the metal is a pretty close approximation of the final product, but it isn't always the case, especially when it comes to picking your gems."

  Quest Completed:Profession Quest II: Jeweler

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

  Reward:200 experience.

  Failure: This quest can’t be failed

  "How do the materials change the enchantment?"

  Auth gained 1 level in Deep Gem Enchant and now it is 5

  "The top tier metals, Platinum and Gold will soak up a great deal of mana, allowing you to cast more powerful enchantments. While the lower tier metals, such as steel, will absorb less mana while being more durable. Other properties such as casting speed may affect your enchantment as well."

  Quest:Profession Quest III: Jeweler

  You have chosen the profession Jeweler. Create a gem using a Tier 2 core. This has a Level F difficulty.

  Reward:300 experience.

  Failure: This quest can’t be failed

  Auth gained 2 levels in Deep Gem Enchant and now it is 7

  "What do you mean casting speed?"

  "For instance, if you enchant a +1 intelligence enchantment, it's always on, so casting speed is not a factor. However, if you create the same fire dart enchantment using one made of gold and another made of steel, the gold will always cast faster than the steel one. Now, in most cases, this is not significant, but if you were to create complicated experiments, this would be a significant fact. For instance, when you need to synchronize spells." The enchanter must have seen Auth's "I'm never going to synchronize spells look," since he gave further explanation. "You may think you will never need to synchronize enchantments, but it is far more common than you'd think. Mages are constantly experimenting and needing enchantments to exacting standards. They specify the metal, enchantment quantities, and in some cases the year and time of day."

  "Why?"

  "Astrology. Superstition. Special events. Diety blessing. The number of things that can alter enchanting is much too large to go over!"

  Quest Completed!:Profession Quest III: Jeweler

  You have chosen the profession Jeweler. Create a gem using a Tier 2 sized core. This has a Level F difficulty.

  Reward:300 experience.

  Failure: This quest can’t be failed

  Auth gained 2 levels in Deep Gem Enchant and now it is 9

  Auth has earned 300 raw experience! After bonuses are applied, 495 was earned!

  Quest: Profession Quest IV: Jeweler

  You have chosen the profession Jeweler. Create a dual gem ring. This has a Level D difficulty.

  Reward:400 experience.

  Failure: This quest can’t be failed

  Merick beamed at his promising student. "Now, the next quest is a bit trickier. Innately, you have the ability to create a dual-slot item, but it will be a lot easier having a guide to help you the first time!" He pulled out several molds, one for a ring, and one for a core slot. "Normally, you can create a core slot out of any material, but it's easier using iron for dual-slot jewelry. The issue with creating dual-core items is with the mana bleeding from the enchantment, so if you have iron, you can insulate the enchantment. Of course, it could potentially weaken the overall integrity of the item. Once you've got the hang of it, you don't even need the iron."

  After placing silver into a crucible, he melted the metal with a flame spell, then poured it into the ring mold. Next, he did the same for the iron for the gem slots. The ring was perfectly fitted to allow the iron gem slots to fit in it, so heat and a few taps from a hammer melded the two together, ready to accept gem cores.

  Auth messed up at least a dozen times before he had a perfect ring. It was easy to misjudge the heat and force needed to make a perfect ring, but practice makes perfect!

  Quest Completed!: Profession QuestIV: Jeweler

  You have chosen the profession Jeweler. Create a dual gem ring. This has a Level D difficulty.

  Reward:400 experience.

  Failure: This quest can’t be failed

  Auth gained 2 levels in Deep Gem Enchant and now it is 11

  Auth has earned 400 raw experience! After bonuses are applied, 660 was earned!

  Chapter 12

  The third floor was an undead level. As they entered the floor, the smell of decay wafted over to them and Sol took one sniff before he said, "I hate fighting the undead." The walls on this floor appeared as brick and mortar, while the floor was some type of solid gray concrete. The air was mildly more refreshing with lower humidity than the previous floor, which surprisingly was a welcome respite from the cave.

  Tamara arched an eyebrow.

  Sol saw it and said, "Bad memories."

  Myst scouted ahead and found a room guarded by a pair of skeleton warriors and archers each.

  Tamara said, "Sol, I'm going to try something different. Let's not use any extra cores on this fight. No tanking on this one, let them chase me."

  He nodded and said, "Ready."

  Tamara levitated and began wiggling her fingers into runic magic. "Pull in five minutes." She had been levitating off and on since she'd learned the trick, but she couldn't move particularly fast. Pushing off the ground with her feet allowed her to move through the air, but eventually, she'd stop. She needed another method of motion. When she finished her spell, a high powered stream of flame gushed out of her cupped hands, clumsily propelling her into the wall at high acceleration, dropping her to the ground when she lost the channeling from both the gravity based levitation and Flame spell.

  Shaking her head as she got up, she mumbled clearly, "Let's pretend that didn't happen. Note to self, propel Flame behind me, not forwards." Over the next couple of minutes, she tried Flame in m
ultiple variations: cupping her hands behind her, dual casting Flame for each hand and even Flame propelled from her feet. She settled for dual casting for each hand, since it gave her good mobility, attack potential, and channeling over three spells at a time was too much for her.

  She stealthed, then pushed off a wall to float into the room. She allowed herself to fall, then pushed off the floor and flipped over to land on the ceiling, feet first, grabbing onto a stalagmite. She entered into her spell mental space and initiated the new spell she nicknamed, Shield Drain, even as her fingers wiggled out a dual cast of flame. This runescript used the target enemy rune since she was using her body's free gravity ball, she didn't need to add any mana, nor did she need to refresh it. The script used multiple runes and glyphs to create a multi-tasked spell. As such, it took a full minute to complete. This was not a spell that she could use solo.

  She had this idea. What happens if instead of hitting a target and letting the gravity dissipate back to her, she repurposed the spell to bounce to a new target? Would this be better than her original strategy of backstab and spell smash? She couldn't wait to find out.

  As Sol poked his head in to cast a prepared fireball, the skeletons ran after him. Tamara unleashed her spell, confident she wouldn't be seen on the ceiling.

  The ball flew to the lead skeleton, damaged it 10 points, then bounced to his teammate. Normally, gravity ball would hit for around 30 points, but undead seems to be naturally resistant to the spell. Gravity propagated at the speed of light, but the gravity ball's script had a significant delay between bounces. The gravity ball bounced between the four skeletons every couple of seconds, pushing each back and taking a small toll in damage. To a normal observer, it looked like the punched hard away from its nearest teammate. The skeletons attempted to move, but the knockback caused by the gravity ball was enough to cause them to stumble. The skeletons broke off their attack on Sol to pursue Tamara. The half-elf, on the other hand, was speeding away as she blasted the skeletons with Flame. Additionally, Tamara played Aria's Slumber Song to help her kite the group in circles.