A Song of Shadow Read online

  The timer counted down the seconds dispassionately. Four. Three. Two. One. The damage from the blighted ground hit the rogue making him visible again. Despite his full health bar, he didn’t risk it and immediately disappeared again, without giving me the opportunity to shoot my missiles at him. I didn’t have any more AoE spells so there was no way to make him reappear.

  After the first time he’d killed us, Chip spent a long time asking Sloe about the rogue’s skillset and I recalled that they were especially afraid of taking hits while they were camoed. And that in battle he could only use his camo three times. After that, a long cooldown set in. Oto had already used his camo twice, so the question was whether he could find me in complete darkness before the blighted ground damages him again. Given all this, the smart move was to retreat. I cannot let him do that.

  “Run along now, noob!” I shouted cheerfully, canceling the Shadow Haze. The world once again regained its customary colors, while I took a potion out of the bag and restored my mana as if everything was peachy. I won’t have much time soon.

  Damage taken: − 0 HP. {640 damage (critical hit: backstab) – 640 damage blocked (Shadow Shield). HP remaining: 320/320. Attacker: Otolaryngologist the Grassy (Level ​​43)}

  “What the...?” cursed the rogue, but I already strummed my strings, casting the magic missiles.

  With the buff from the Song of Courage, a 50% increase to my stats from the blighted ground and a bonus to damage from the natural environment trait, one salvo of the magic missiles (one of which missed yet again), I took off almost all of Oto’s HP. He quaffed another potion to restore his HP, while I cast another salvo...The battle ended a half minute later. It seems he had less than ten potions with him. He managed to take out two of my three materia shades before I sent him to respawn. Oto never stood a chance. And I didn’t even have to resort to Geranika’s last present: I didn’t feel like showing all my cards.

  The rogue turned into a wisp of half transparent smoke and disappeared, a little heap of gold jingling to the grass where my missile had found into him.

  Achievement unlocked:

  ‘Duelist I’ (19 player kills until the next rank).

  Achievement reward: +1% to damage done to other players.

  Quest updated: Way of the Apprentice. Step 1.

  1 of 30 biota killed.

  Woohooo! I was jumping and dancing from the surge of adrenaline. I had won! And my PvP kills count toward my quest! Life is great!

  Only when the euphoria subsided did I notice how much my hands were trembling. It may be just a game and all, but it sure does make your nerves sing. I’ll need to ask Sloe or Chip to spar PvP with me so I can get used to it. I’m not always going to be so lucky. After all, I’m not a calculating, rational PKer, but a lucky noob. My unexpected victory had made me completely lose my mind.

  And there was something to think about. First of all, I have a quest with a deadline and need to hurry. Secondly, I had used my Shadow Haze again and wouldn’t be able to move on to sowing those stupid seeds for another hour. Thirdly, Oto wasn’t alone in this location and I’m sure he’s already ringing his buddies out in meatspace, telling them where to find me. I won’t be so lucky next time, especially since I don’t know a thing about ​​the tactics used by other classes in this game. I never had a particular reason to find out about them. My only hope was the new spell from Geranika.

  The more I considered the situation, the sadder I got. It looks like one way or another I’m screwed. Sooner or later. If I get out today, they’ll get me tomorrow. And leaving the game for a day or two to lie low wasn’t an option either. So, I need to take a risk and finish what I started, before Oto’s buddies make their move.

  I picked up the coins, richer by two dozen gold, adjusted my settings to receive the minimum possible info while in combat and got on with my quest. The sowing of seeds for the future labyrinth went by without incident so I spent the time remaining on my Shadow Haze cooldown studying my spellbook. My eyes alighted on the spell for summoning the instrument’s soul:

  Summon Instrument Soul.

  Description: A true master puts his soul into his creations, but a true bard can awaken this soul and acquire a devoted companion.

  Requirements: Instrument of type Rare or higher.

  Casting cost: (Bard Level × 2) MP.

  Casting time: Instant. You must perform something on the instrument whose soul is to be summoned. If you change instruments, the inactive instrument’s soul is dispelled.

  Level of summoned soul: (Instrument Level + Summoner).

  Spell Duration: Until spell is canceled or the summoner dies.

  Number of skills and spells available to Summoned Soul: (Instrument Level ÷ 10 + Writing + Summoner).

  It turns out that Eid will become my companion as he is my active instrument. And he will have some skills. That could be useful. I cast the spell, but instead of the familiar soul, a swirling amorphous ghostly blob appeared in front of me.

  Attention! You have summoned the soul of Cypro’s legendary instrument for the first time. You assign the role that Eid will play in your party: Tank, Healer, Physical DPS, Magical DPS, or Support.

  Attention! Once you make a choice, you can no longer change the role the summoned soul plays in your party.

  Ho-hum. Not only do I get a companion, but I can even choose what his job will be? Great. Tank all the way. I really need a good tank...

  Selection accepted.

  The shapeless blob began to swirl, increased in size and thickened, forming a ghostly figure. Eid looked like the first time we met: the same looming figure ensconced in plate armor, though even a little more looming without his cape. And the shield on his back was larger than the previous one too. I could easily hide myself behind a fellow this big—even my pony-tail will be tucked away. Another ghostly companion. Chip was right, I’m like a damn Ghostbuster.

  “Well met, fair Lorelei,” Eid said in his rich, bassy voice.

  “My friend, you have no idea how glad I am to see you!” I confessed sincerely and even hugged the dumbfounded spirit from the excess of emotion filling me. He was quite solid to the touch—I even banged my forehead against his breastplate. Eid’s temperature, however, was exactly as the temperature around us.

  “I’m afraid to even imagine what has caused such a torrid outpouring of joy,” a slight note of mockery sounded in the spirit’s voice.

  “They want to kill me here,” I replied. “And here you are riding in on your dark stallion. Life is getting better!”

  “Oh, well, that explains everything,” Eid chuckled and then asked, “And who dares imperil the life of my musical accompaniment?”

  “Yo!” I even forgot about my potential pursuers from indignation. “If you’re going to insult me, I’ll start to sing show tunes and dirty ditties. Maybe then you will learn the difference between a musician and ‘musical accompaniment.’”

  “Alright, alright!” Eid waved his hands in a conciliatory manner. “Let’s compromise on ‘troubadour proprietor.’”

  “Deal,” I agreed after a little hesitation. “And now let’s see what you can do. I can’t see your innards, so spill the beans...”

  “Spill the beans?” The spirit asked, surprised. “But I haven’t any beans on me...” he continued uneasily.

  Well, I’ll be...I must be more careful with the slang. Eid is a resident of a fairy-tale medieval world after all. He’s a bit behind the times, you could say.

  “Forget it, I used the wrong word. Tell me what level you are. I can’t see your attributes.”

  “That’s because I do not belong to you,” Eid explained. “I cannot wield my full power with you. My level is limited by yours and can only slightly exceed it due to your Summoner trait. At the moment I’m Level 23.”

  Okay. So he’s one of those peculiar scaling quest items I’d read about. His levels grow with mine and his stats jump instantly when they do. On the other hand, the level of my newly-minted tank will grow and this is e
nough for me. So, what kind of abilities does he have?

  In the group interface, Eid’s portrait appeared next to Salamander’s and Anica’s. It’s a good thing that I did not take them with me. They would have died either from the sentries’ fireflies or from Oto’s malice. This way, I’m sure they’re sitting on the grass somewhere with the local druids, admiring the natural wonders of the Hidden Forest. But I’m getting off topic.

  Eid had five abilities, just like the spirit of the Salamander King: A ‘Taunt’ spell which was traditional for tanks and which caused enemies to aggro him; a ‘Shield Bash’ that would interrupt enemies’ spells and abilities; a ‘Knockdown’ attack that was self-explanatory; and ‘Soul Link,’ which allowed Eid to take half the damage I received for ten seconds. His last skill was passive and was called ‘Metamorphosis.’ It was this ‘Metamorphosis’ spell that seemed impossible to understand without first having a few stiff pints, as Beast liked to say.

  Eid’s soul had two kinds of stats: native ones and bonus ones, which he received from me. As I gathered from the description, my main stats were distributed between all of Eid’s stats in the following proportion: 50% went to Constitution, 25% to Strength, 15% to Agility, and 10% to armor bonus and magic resistance. Apparently this was to compensate for the impossibility of equipping the spirit. The damage that he did and the chance of his shield block also somehow depended on my stats, but there were no additional explanations and formulas and I didn’t feel like delving into this issue. I will explore the details later when things are a bit more relaxed. At the moment, I was more interested in something else:

  “Tell me, what happens if you die?”

  “I cannot be killed as long as the instrument is intact,” the spirit explained. “When my incarnated body is destroyed, I return to the eid. It collects the vitality flowing through the world and stores it, allowing me to reincarnate in a corporeal likeness.”

  “And how long does this process take?” I asked.

  “Depends on many factors, but on average—twelve hours. If the eid is located in a nexus of vitality or it is filled with vitality by someone who wields such spells, I will return much sooner. The reverse is also true—in lifeless places, my reincarnation will take longer.”

  “And if I want you to disappear for a while? Will you return to the eid?”

  “All you have to do is say so. But bear in mind that with disincarnation, not all of the vitality returns to the instrument with me. A new incarnation will take some time. Not much,” the spirit added, foreseeing my question. “An average of about thirty minutes.”

  “Uh-huh,” I concluded profoundly.

  It’s great and interesting and all, but I’m not sure what I’m supposed to with all of it. The tank is not particularly useful against other players: they will simply ignore him and focus me. If the attackers have a pirq with them, then there is no option at all—a strong and hardy fighter will take me out using his natural resistance to magic. Although...

  A plan developed in my head over a couple of minutes. An unreliable one, with yawning gaps, but there was simply no other.

  By the time the Shadow Haze cooldown had expired, no one had come to have a word with me. Either Oto’s friends were out in meatspace and it took time to mobilize, or for some reason they could not reach our location quickly enough. One way or another, I was faced with a decision: Save the miracle-spell for a future battle, or cast it again and continue planting the seeds. After hesitating a bit, I chose the second option. Time is valuable, and Oto might have so many friends that even a perfect execution of my plan would do no good.

  Running from the sentries according to the worked out scheme brought me even closer to the Arras. If my calculations are correct, there were only two areas remaining. And while the blight spread, I remembered Sasha’s tales and prepared an ambush of my own on the branches of a gnarled tree. Although my racial trait was supposed to hide me from any unwanted guests, I still couldn’t help but feel nervous.

  I could see Eid quite clearly. He stood nearby, in the very center of the patch of blight. His sword in its scabbard, the shield behind the back, a tranquil expression on his face and his attributes still hidden. He was skeptical about my idea but he helped with the preparation with such gusto that he gave himself away to me: The eid’s soul was that of an adventurer.

  After an hour, I was almost certain that no one would come—when a biota hunter named Cunning Fig stepped out from behind the trees. I wonder whether the fig is supposed to be the fruit or something else. Fig was escorted by the strangest beast I had ever seen. The phrase ‘of the canine family’ didn’t quite do it justice, since the animal was clearly of vegetable origin. Instead of fur, it had a thick covering of leaves, and its teeth and claws were of a bark-like material. Do these creatures grow on the Tree too? It wasn’t a small dog either, about a meter at the whithers.

  At the sight of Eid, Fig readied his bow, but the spirit stopped him, saying:

  “Greetings, traveler! Stay awhile and listen...”

  The hunter blinked in surprise, lowered the bow, for some reason looked around and hesitantly moved closer to the patiently waiting spirit. I understood Fig’s doubts. He had gone to hunt an impudent player and came across an NPC-ghost loitering in the middle of the forest, obviously ready to issue a quest. On the one hand the player had a job to do, and on the other, here was this quest that it would be silly to pass up. What if this was the very NPC that would lead him to the new dungeon?

  The hunter decided to listen to Eid, who began to regale him with a sad story I had cooked up about his death at the paws of a terrible monster. The instrument’s sould showed considerable inventiveness in the process and even embellished the legend I had spitballed a little while ago. This is what it means to work in a creative profession!

  “I cannot find peace while the creature is alive,” Eid finished sadly. “But you are too weak for me to entrust this quest to you. There was a biota bard here before you. She was accompanied by a pirq. I too sent them to the monster’s den and they have not yet returned. Since I still have not left Barliona, either they did not dare to fight the monster in battle or the have failed.”

  “Where? Where did they go?” the hunter instantly perked up.

  “No one else should die in an unfair battle,” Eid said firmly. “Bring at least two companions with you and I will point the way to the monster’s den.”

  The hunter scratched his head pensively, looked back, and then said:

  “Was the bard’s name Lorelei by any chance?”

  “Yes,” Eid nodded sagely. “Have you two met?”

  “In passing,” Fig muttered through his teeth and waved his hand. A pair of biota appeared at the edge of blighted ground: A priest named Satanic Ladan and a necromancer with the odd name Aching Molar. Both of them were Level 40. It’s too bad, I was counting on more rogues, hoping to shoot everyone from my sniper’s perch up in the tree.

  “Well?” Fig asked, when his companions approached Eid. “Are there enough of us now?”

  The spirit did not have time to reply: I cast Canopy of Silence and sent the impact shade Geranika had given me flying at the priest. As this was the first time I had resorted to shadow magic in order to hurt someone, I half-expected a bolt from the blue, a curse from the gods and an avalanche of system notifications about how I had betrayed all that is decent and good in Barliona—but nothing of the sort happened. In my hands, the eid roared an overdriven A5/E chord followed by a pinch harmonic, and an ominous-looking shadow hurled itself implacably in Ladan’s direction. His shield absorbed some of the damage, so the priest survived, but his health dropped into the red. The healer’s hands immediately began to glow—he began to conjure a healing spell. His companions also did not tarry: They turned in the direction where my power chord had sounded and peered into the thorn bushes, looking for me. At the same time, Eid treacherously bashed the unsuspecting priest with his shield, interrupting the spell he was about to cast. Dumbfounded by such a tu
rn of events, the priest hesitated and my second impact shade sealed the deal before Ladan could quaff the potion in his hand.

  Quest updated: Way of the Apprentice. Step 1.

  2 of 30 biota killed.

  His friends, occupied with trying to trace my spell’s trail noticed Eid’s sneak attack too late. Eid turned on the hunter and I switched to the same target. Biota are very squishy creatures in general, so by focusing one enemy and forcing him to heal, we will quickly extinguish the dps they could normally hurl our way. Alas, it was not so simple. A wave of frost erupted from the mage, expanding in all directions. Eid froze to the ground and the hunter leaped wildly away from the spirit. His wolf leaped onto Eid with a snarl, while Fig and Molar focused their fire on me. If it weren’t for Geranika’s wonder shield and the buffs from the blighted ground, I’d be done in a second. Yet I simply cast another shade which ignored the difference in our levels, armor and resistances at the hunter. One shot, one kill.

  Quest updated: Way of the Apprentice. Step 1.

  3 of 30 biota killed.

  By this time, the mage had practically removed all of my materia shades and, seeing the sad fate of his comrades, instantly teleported about twenty meters from me, beyond the range of spells. Ordinary spells.

  Another impact shade flew from my strings and the quest counter ticked once again, reckoning the fourth victim. Hah! Easy as pie! Watch out, a cereal killer stalks these woods! I wonder what name the press would give me? I would gladly take something like ‘the Grim Minstrel.’