~‌‌ ‌‌2.27 ‌‌-‌‌ Twelve Special Cores ~‌‌

Dustgrove

4th Moonday of the Full Moon

As Flea and Bob entered the blacksmith’s shop, the soot-covered Dwarf broke out in a big smile at seeing Bob again.

“You bring me some more iron, cat?”

“We have indeed. We also found a gem cluster as well. Could you tell us what it's worth?”

“I wouldn’t know it's true value, but it would be mighty high. Jewelsmiths and enchanters work with gems. Best speak with them.”

“Thank you. We have a hundred and eighty-three iron ore for you.”

“Oh boy, that’s going to help me out a ton. I’ll give you 20 silver for the lot. It should get me out of the debt I’m in. Thank you again.”

Flea pocketed the coin, and the two left the blacksmiths shop. Getting outside, Flea noticed Bob looking around, then settling his gaze. Looking in that direction, he saw two massive dogs sitting on the porch of the shop close by. They seemed to have a keen interest in the duo.

“Any other errands we need to do before we head to Stuglegen, Bob?”

The cat looked up at Flea in confusion for a moment before finally catching on.

“Negative, we should have everything we need for our travels. Let’s head back to see if that old Elf is back yet.”

The Gnome and cat walked back to the inn. The two looked over to greet the barkeep and was momentarily surprised when the Elf shook his head no and pointed his chin towards the door for them to leave. Getting the hint, they turned around to go but stopped when they heard someone yell Bob’s name from behind them. Turning around, they were met by the fake Genji.

“Bob! Where have you been? We brought more cores to the camp for you two nights in a row, but you never showed. We thought you had left us without helping.”

The fake Genji tried to give those sad looking puppy eyes all dogs are famous for.

“I’m sorry, Genji. I was a part of that fight that took down the Dragon Eater, then we died, and fought the Desmox at the mine. It’s been a roller coaster of new emotions and experiences,” said Bob.

“No worries, my friend. It’s good to see you back. Is this your companion? How is it that he’s out of prison already?”

“Yes, this is he. His name is Flea, and it’s a long story. What’s important right now is, we can help you with your friend’s problem.” Bob lowered his voice toward the end, using a conspiratorial tone.

“Good, good! Come with me. We found your scent and followed it here. You used the room in the back too many times, as your scent was strongest there. We figured this is where you came to eat, so we waited for you here.”

Bob and Flea followed the imposter into the back room. The barkeep gave a look of concern as they passed by. Opening the door to the room, the duo found the fake Zan and a couple of others that Bob had not seen before.

“Hey Zan, we're here to talk about your friend that needs rescuing. I looked for you guys, but couldn’t find you. I thought being in town was dangerous for you right now?”

Zan looked a bit angry at Bob, but then seemed to level off. The pug looked to Flea, then back to Bob, and nodded.

“Good. We can enter and leave the town through means only known to us. Don’t worry about it. We are careful. When can you attempt to rescue her and the others of our kind?” asked the fake Zan.

“In four or five nights. Tonight we need to rest. Tomorrow we will go to scout and plan. What can you tell us about where they are being held?”

“There is a large building at the back of the compound. It’s a stone structure with only a few windows against the mountain. They are being held in a small cave at its back. That is the only information we have.”

“Thank you. We will try and plan how to rescue her tomorrow night. Did you say something about wards before? What can you tell us of those?”

“The manor, central tower, and the wooden food storage tower in the back seem to have wards on them that alert the guards.”

“Why wouldn’t the barracks building, holding your friends, not have them?” asked Flea.

The pug seemed to be getting angry again at Flea’s question.

“I don’t know. I’m not the ball-less baron. How would I know how they plan their security?”

“Alright, I can see you are upset. We’ll rescue them, don’t worry. Meet back here in two days to go over our plan?” said Flea.

“Yes, please come back and let us know what you plan on doing,” said the fake Zan.

Leaving the inn, they walked to the north gate and made the grueling hike up to the Lorien. Entering the front door for the first time, they could smell something coming from the small kitchen.

“Was curious where you two had gone off to,” said Tenzin, coming into the room.

“Oh, thank Babbage. We need your help with a rescue mission,” said Bob.

“It has to be soon. I have enough Energy for another couple of days before I need to travel to The Spire.”

The three sat down in a front room that would make some castle estates look poor and went over both plans’ details. Tenzin asked his questions to make sure he understood.

“So as soon as she spawns at the Crystal, thirty-six hours after she dies, you want me to jump in, grab her and bring her here. I can do that, but the baron may figure out my involvement. If for any reason, the baron suspects I’m involved, he can make the life of Zyla and her mother troublesome. I want you to swear you will help them relocate once this is finished.”

“We can do that for you. We plan on heading to Stuglegen after we finish here,” said Flea.

“Good. Now, I have gifts for both of you. But First, have you two been contacted by any of the gods or deities?”

Bob and Flea both looked at one another.

“No, I don’t think we have,” said Flea.

“Give it time. The longer it takes for one to contact you, the more choices you will have. Knowing my intentions of ascending The Spire, they sought me out pretty quickly. I have chosen to champion for one of them in the second game and have received a great boon in doing so.”

“Who did you choose, and what kind of boon?” asked Flea.

“Sorry, but such matters should never be told to others, as they can be used against you. I only tell the both of you this much because Bob was the reason for my obtaining it, by sharing his core with me.”

“Understood,” both Bob and Flea responded.

“Alright then. Bob, I sold everything from the Dragon Eater for quite a few Royals. With those Royals, I bought a few things for both of you. These items I felt would best help you and your companion in the long run. I’ve obtained for each of you five Brilliant Cores. That should be more than enough Energy to open up your second Mana Gates. With those open, you can both use these Skill Cores.”

Tenzin pulled out two boxes from thin air, without reaching for his bag. Looking for his magic bag, Flea realized he didn’t have one he could see. Tenzin handed each of them a box.

“These Skill Cores are from my personal collection and are one of the rarest you could find. They will grant you the [Identify] skill. The use of such a skill has no limits. If you are able to afford to level it, you will find its uses are far greater than most Skill Cores. One warning regarding the skill, if you use it on a creature or another player, they will be notified or alerted. Players with a lower Wisdom level than yours won’t know who identified them, but those with higher Wisdom will. Creatures will always know.”

You have been identified.

The user has a higher Wisdom level than you and will remain anonymous.

“Oh! You’re both level 12 already and have opened your second Mana Gates. Then, you should both use the Skill Cores right now.”

“Thank you, Tenzin. We both greatly appreciate this,” said Flea.

“No, it’s I who should be thanking Bob. The gift he has given me is far more precious than these items I have for you. Trust me, when the time comes, you’ll understand. That said, this is for you, Flea. You’ll be able to use it when the time is right.”

Tenzin plucked out a metallic silver book from the air and handed it to Flea. The Gnome tried to [Identify] it, but nothing showed. Trying to open the book also proved to be fruitless, its cover remaining closed. Placing it into his bag, the inventory slot showed the title being Shattered Helix and nothing else to hint at what it was.

“You’ll be able to open it in about two cycles. Make sure you read it in its entirety, then give the information you gain from it to everyone you hold dear and trust.”

That’s about the most ominous thing one can say about a book.

“Now that you are both level 12, I would use some of that Energy on your magic bag. It’s far more important than you realize. Leveling it to 50 should be a priority when you can manage it.

“Next, I didn’t have enough time in Stuglegen to commission specialized items, so I bought what was available; keeping in mind what would help you both the most in the long term.”

Tenzin pulled out a dark red bow and handed it to Bob. Taking it, Bob got up and tried to pull back the bowstring, but could only manage half an inch. Bob looked up at Tenzin like he had been given a defective toy. The look caused Tenzin to chuckle.

“Orichalcum Bow. You won’t be strong enough to use it for a while, but once you can pull the bowstring back, then you will be a monster among men and Beastkin. I would try again when you’re closer to level 20. Most believe rangers and hunters to be a pure Dexterity build, but you will find Strength plays a larger role in the types of bows one can use. My advice is to match Strength and Dexterity to a one and one ratio.”

“Thank you for your wisdom and the new toy,’ said Bob, practically hopping in place.

“Now, Flea. This item is going to seem a bit odd if you want to play as a rogue. Some assassins are known to use them, but I found it to be one of the biggest parts of an old team member’s success. He, too, chose to play as a Gnome when we started the games. With having the bonus to Dexterity and Intelligence at level 20, you’ll find it easier to control.”

Tenzin pulled out a device that looked like a small folded fan and then a leather type of bracer with two straps on it. He threw the bracer to Flea, then with a snap of his wrist, the device in Tenzin’s hand turned into a wavy-seven-point star. The top of each point had what looked like a wide hole. The entire star had a dark red metallic shine to it.

The old Elf placed the star in the palm of his hand, the star being double the size of his palm. Tenzin, with his other hand, made a fist, then opened it palm down. The star jumped off his other hand’s palm, and blades shot out the slits at each point. Tenzin closed his hand, leaving his middle and pointer finger outstretched, and the star began to rotate faster and faster.

With a flick of his wrist, the star shot out and implanted into one of the bookcases on the far wall.

“Oh my. Sorry, I’m out of practice. It’s been quite some time since I’ve played around with one of these.”

“What is it?” asked Flea.

“They are called Manarikens. Mages and other casters heavily use them as a physical weapon. As a Gnome, you’ll get a bonus to your Intelligence stat every twenty levels. That will be more than enough mana for you to control it. If you find the weapon suits your tastes, then I would suggest a three to two for your Dexterity to Intelligence stat. Later on, you may be able to control more than one at a time.”

“That’s amazing. I’ve never seen a weapon like it ever. I can tell it’s going to take a lot of practice, but I think I could use it.”

Tenzin pulled his hand back, and the Manariken unlodged itself from the bookcase and came back to float above his palm. Closing his hand into a fist, the blades retracted and when he opened his hand, the weapon settled onto his palm.

“The armguard I threw to you has the controlling rune. With that equipped, it will be easier for you to control. If you have the mana and stop controlling its movements, it will safely come back to the armguard. If you run out of mana, it will fall to the ground, so be careful of your limits.”

Tenzin then handed them each a small sack; inside, the five Brilliant Cores. The old Elf then got up and walked back into the kitchen.

“Dinner will be done shortly. I must go to Zyla and her mother and explain that I’m leaving after we eat. I will wait near the town square over the next two nights. Make sure to have your target jump up and down as soon as they spawn.”

Flea and Bob ate with the old Elf. Tenzin spent most of that time regaling them with stories of his past teammates, family, and their fates. He looked forward to finding out what fates they had found after they entered The Spire.

Finished with the food, Tenzin went off to visit his family.

Flea couldn’t help but feel a bit sad that he and Bob couldn’t spend more time in the company of Tenzin. Dinner with the old Elf turned out to be one of the better experiences he had so far in the game. His stories that night while entertaining and drawing out from you a range of emotions, were also very insightful. Within each tale, there were subtle hints about what he and Bob may expect to experience down the road.

The Gnome looked over at his AI? Companion? Friend? The latter seemed to make the most sense. Bob was nothing like AI’s he had heard about. Once again, he found himself amazed by the advancements Neurolink had made with Shattered Helix.

The Gnome and cat walked back into the sitting room to level up and prepare for the rescue mission.