“You did what?”

“Well, I fought against a big copper golem…”

“This, eventually, okay, but without weapon nor armour?”

“Well, it was kinda easy, you just had to avoid hits while Gandock fought! But he was also weaponless, so he used his fists!”

“Wait a second, I’m looking for it…”

Arriving in the room with the projector, Aunty Priscy put the lunch on the table before starting the video of my day.

The speed was accelerated, beginning with the meal with Gandock, Emile and Jean, then our training against the dummy with the wooden sword, the travel on the horse to the mine on the stoned road and under the shadows of the forest trees, the preparations to enter the mine, the copper extraction, and finally the second level underground.

The light came from the walls, in a turquoise blue colour a little bit eery.

“Did you know that I was the one who came with the idea for the light in the mines?”

“Well, no, where does it come from?”

“It’s golem cores. The more monster there are in the mine, the stronger the light gets. And for them to appear, they just need space in contact with the walls, ceiling or ground of course.”

“And they appear just like that?”

“Yes, for the details on their birth, and so on, you will have to ask the concerned service. I don’t know how it works…”

“I’ll ask Gandock.”

“You think he knows everything?”

“I don’t loose anything in asking him. Oh, look, it’s here!”

My fight with the copper golem.

***

Mood change.

Where there was still light coming from big chimneys going up to the outside, there is just light emitted from the golem cores.

We can hear the echo from the footsteps, then my pickaxes hits in the big back wall.

The space got largely bigger, and the ceiling goes up to 5-6 m high.

It’s weird to see me like this, from outside.

“And you go on the wall like that? At least you knew there was a mini boss who would come from it?”

“No, nothing. Gandock explained me what to do if I met medium or big size golems, but not that I would fight one!”

The big golem came from the wall, the core visible, illuminating the whole gallery.

“It’s quite the golem, made of copper. In your undead corridors, you will most certainly get in touch with limestone golems, but they’re much more brittle. The rock the most brittle! Here, it’s true metal!”

“There are golems in Komyshany?”

“Of course! Ask your favourite knight how to make them appear!”

“What is the use of limestone?”

“A long time ago, students used to write on slates with chalks, and teachers kept on writing with it even a long time after the discovery of notebooks and pens, on blackboards. You can make chalks from limestone!”

“Cool!”

“I understand better what you told me: you didn’t fought, Gandock did everything!”

The fight was reaching its climax!

***

“Bof, deceiving, not that incredible, really…”

“It’s you who kept being surprised! For me, it was normal!”

“It’s not normal to face a metal golem after three days ingame! That is incredible! But the fight in itself…”

The golem is most useful to take hits, but not against someone like Gandock.

As for us, we just had to avoid the hits running in all directions.

Golems, so slow creatures!

“So, anyway, did you tell him you would take part in the races war?”

“Yes, he gave me plenty of advices… But I will keep on doing the quests he gave me with the extension until tomorrow night. We wait for Friday before really preparing it.”

“Mmh… okay, I trust you guys on this one. I really need these information! I trust you!”

“I will do what I can…”

“No! You have to succeed! And prepare yourself to receive a really good present if I learn more on the psukhôstasis, I will be able to improve the last projects I work on. The next game extension is already done for the level and place design, we are already working on the one after.”

“And why would the psukhôstasis help you?”

“To better understand the ecosystems. I have plenty of ideas but not technically realistic, as 9 times over 10, they tell me “technically impossible!” I’m fed up with it! I want to make huge things! But I go wrong with the technique…”

“And with ecosystems…”

“I want to design levels integrating this question. It’s real challenge!”

***

The return to the undead is in Zymivnyk.

I note for the first time that the walls are really different from the ones of the mine…

The only light comes from the mushrooms.

My eyesight is much better in the dark when I am an undead.

In a corner of this corridor dead end, a few motionless undead are waiting that someone connects to play in their body.

There is an auto mode that allows someone in safe zones to disconnect, and the avatar walks alone to the checkpoint altar, or at least the closest one.

The road between Zymivnyk and Komyshany is safe, so my ghoul must have moved alone up to here.

Jean is as usual connected before me.

He plays with our slimes, who try in vain to eat the mushrooms on the ceiling.

“Wow, you took your time for sure!”

“My aunty is super talkative. We watched together our fight against the golems too.”

“I impressed you, isn’t it!

“I have to confess that I didn’t know you could send spells without a wand!”

“Stop mocking me… spells are much more destructive when you have the appropriate material, but I can send a spell without any item to concentrate my mana…”

“Cool!”

“What do we do today?”

“I have the daily quests, of course, but first, I’m curious to know why Mal Tharek became amnesic.”

“Is it not because he came to war?”

“I don’t think so. Let’s ask him.”

“Okay!”

“Mal Tharek, here we come!”

***

“I am Mal Tharek?”

“Yes, it’s what Elongoic told us!”

“It’s not possible. I’m nameless. And past less too…”

“Of course yes! You were altar builder! It’s so cool, all what you did!”

The old man looks vaguely into space, staring, lost, off.

It’s crazy to be amnesic like that!

“Listen, if I really was an altar builder, then it’s necessary that I improve the village altar! Would you like to help me on this challenge?”

Zymivnyk quest: Becoming a town.

Zymivnyk is maybe a village today, but with Mal Tharek as an altar builder, it could become a town sooner than later! The first step is to get a real chapel.

State of quest: Capel 10/100 (Altar 10/10; Seats 0/40; Building 0/50)

Difficulty: F

Reward: +100XP

“You unlocked a quest for every inhabitant of the village, and for those who want to help. You can get help from architects, the chapel plan is quite simple. It’s twice as big as a stone house, with a few openings. The seats are just flat pebbles.”

“Okay, leave it to us, and we will transform this little quiet village in a big town like Komyshany!”

This quest was going to open fully new possibilities to interact with other players, as well as NPC.

Up till now, with Jean, we preferred to play leisurely together, but to build a chapel, we will need much help.

It will have to fight against one of my most painful flaw, that Jean also shares a little: the shyness to go to people I don’t know yet!