With what sounded like the snap of a finger, I found myself sitting beside Toni, surrounded by big clay jars scattered around us like forgotten relics. Hey! I really liked that cutscene—why'd you pull us out? And did we drink all these jars during the flashback? Seriously? How long were we in there?
"That's the first time we met him," Toni said, his voice laced with nostalgia, his eyeless sockets seeming to glisten as if brimming with unseen tears. "Tarnum the Druid." He took a long chug from one of the jars, followed by a rumbling burp that echoed off the cavern walls.
"He alone united us—the red-garbed gnolls, the goblins, and us troglodytes. Oh, it wasn't an easy feat. Everyone was throwing accusations at each other, which now seem so petty. 'They stole this!' 'They did that!' 'I don't like how they look.' 'They smell funny.' 'They're mad-dogging me.' But with his wisdom—and of course, his undeniable power, which was downright scary—he eventually won our trust." It looked to me like a do-or-die scenario, the kind where alliances formed in the heat of desperation.
The name Tarnum rang oddly familiar, but I couldn't pinpoint when or where I'd heard it before. My brain wasn't firing on all cylinders right now—probably because I'd nearly died a couple of times in the last hour.
"I'm sorry, bro," Toni said suddenly, his tone shifting. "Looks like my ride's here. Let's hang out again sometime."
"What!? You didn't even tell me the whole story, bro!" I snapped, annoyance bubbling up.
"Yeah, my apologies, lil' bro. Tell you what—the next time we see each other, I'll fill you in. Aight?" He flashed a wide smile and threw up two thumbs.
"No fair," I grumbled, crossing my arms like a toddler who'd just been told no to extra candy.
"Nothing is, believe me," he replied with a wry chuckle. "But the good thing is, you've got these four eggs right here. For them, I'll trade you two of any items I have for sale, plus two invaluable pieces of information. How's that sound?" His smile turned into that of a genuine businessman, sharp and inviting.
"I'd rather get four items for it," I muttered under my breath.
"Trust me, you'll need those two pieces of info. Your handsome older brother won't rip you off—promise." He raised his nonexistent brows twice, trying to look extra convincing.
"We'll see about that," I said skeptically.
"Alright." He pulled his sack bag forward and set it down in front of me. "Any two. Armor, weapons, spells, potions—anything but just two."
A prompt popped up in front of me, displaying his inventory contents. My stomach twisted. "Ugh..." It showed all sorts of animal and insect parts—limbs, bellies, eyes, innards, and disgustingly more.
"Oh, sorry—that's the good stuff," he said hastily, switching the view. "There you go." He wiped sweat from his nonexistent forehead.
"What the hell, bro?" I shook my head, trying to erase the image from my mind.
"Businessman of sorts," he said, pointing to himself with a grin. "Everybody wants different things—some weapons, some potions, and some... shall we say, exotic." He whispered the last word like it was a trade secret. "Go on, choose." He began carefully lifting the eggs and placing them on the ground.
Another prompt appeared, like a spreadsheet unfurling before my eyes. The contents listed:
- Sword of Frost: A bastard sword with silver inlays. Amplifies frost skills/magic by 25%. *Frost Tip*: Everything the blade touches freezes over time.
*Set Item: Frost Wyvern's Gust Set*
*Current skill "Force" negates properties of the item.*
- Bow of Scylla: Long arrows released from this bow entangle an enemy with a tentacle. Evasion increases by 20%.
- Right Bracer of Giant Strength: Increases strength by 25%. Item Skill: Boulder Toss—lift something heavy and hurl it at a distance.
- Hood of Shadows: When worn, wearer gains 15% sneaking skill, 10% evasion. Shadow: Become a shadow in a dark environment.
- Ruby: Can be inserted into socketed items. Adds 15% fire damage to weapons, or 15% fire resistance for shields or armor.
- Aquamarine: Can be inserted into socketed items. Adds 15% water resistance or 15% water damage.
- Potion of Speed: Increases speed by 25% for 5 minutes.
- Potion of Stone Skin: Skin turns to stone, increasing damage resistance by 50%.
- Potion of Health: Heals wounds.
- Potion of Mana: Replenishes mana.
- Gnoll Helm: A helm shaped like a snarling dog. Increases slash resistance by 10%, piercing resistance by 10%. Berserk Mode: Go berserk, attacking everybody—increases damage by 20%, speed by 20%, strength by 20%, but damage received also increases by 20%.
- Forehead Protector: Protects the forehead and nothing else, but you look cool doing it.
- Gloves of the Mantis: Increases dexterity by 15%.
- Power Slippers: When worn, speed increases by 10%. Lightweight.
- Scroll of Fireball: Cast a fireball.
- Scroll of Magic Missile: Unleash 3 magic missiles.
- Scroll of Entangle: Cast vines into an area to immobilize anyone inside it. *Immobilizing more or bigger enemies decreases the chance of success.*
It also contained various ores, ingredients, questionable food I wasn't sure I wanted to touch, and leather apparel tailored for troglodytes.
There was too much to choose from, and some items were useless thanks to my ancient core skill—a real downer. Thinking about my current abilities, the Hood of Shadows was a no-brainer. But what for the other one? I could've just taken four items, but I was genuinely curious about his two pieces of information. After pondering for a while, Toni scooped up the eggs into his sack and slid it shut. "How can that even be possible?" I asked, eyeing the bag.
"Magic, baby," he said with a wink and a smile. "Have you decided what to take?"
There was no use prolonging this, I thought. "The hood and the bracers," I said finally.
He reached into the bag and handed them over, one after the other.
The hood was made of black mesh linen, adorned with a white X, square, triangle, and circle embroidered repeatedly near the edge—seamless patterns that screamed game-inspired design. "Nice," I murmured, running my fingers over the intricate stitching, a reminder that this world ran on RPG logic. The bracer was simple brown leather, sturdy upon inspection, sewn with threads that looked like fine wire, glinting faintly in the dim light.
"Put 'em on, bro," Toni urged, standing with his fists planted on his hips like a proud coach, waiting expectantly.
My lingering annoyance faded as I slipped them on. Slowly but surely, I started to look like the hero I'd always imagined myself to be. I couldn't help but praise myself inwardly.
"Whoo!" He clapped his hands. "You look sharp!" He gave me a hearty back rub. "Who's the good-looking hero? You are!"
"Cut it out, bro," I said, though a warm, fuzzy feeling spread through me.
He laughed—a sound like a choking cat—then cleared his throat, raising his right index finger. "Alright, info number one: Don't ever say that you are, in any way, a fallen one. At all times." His demeanor turned deadly serious. "And if they find out, run for it as fast as you can."
"Who, me? A fallen one? What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, confusion knitting my brow.
"A few days ago, while I was venturing through this forsaken place, I saw a meteorite crash from the sky. Didn't think much of it at first. To the best of my knowledge, nobody comes this far east of the Labyrinth because of its protector, the Gorgolin—that's why I picked this spot; it's mostly unlooted. That all changed when you saved me."
"Wait, what!?" I muttered. That was info overload, especially since I'd been knocked out a couple of times and missed the details.
"Listen, we don't have much time. A fallen one is someone who falls from the sky—meteor-style. So, whatever happens, keep your identity a secret, especially the part about you being a fallen one." He lowered his voice to a whisper, glancing around the shadows with his eyeless gaze.
"What's going on, bro? You're creeping me out," I said, a chill running down my spine.
"Remember what I said. Meet me at the back of the Cold Reed Tavern near the docks in New Numbria. It's south of the Labyrinth—you can't miss it. I'll tell you the second info and more. Now, please trust me: Go hide behind those rubbles over there, and fast." His voice grew urgent, edged with real fear.
"Can we just have this conversation now?" I said stubbornly, digging in my heels.
"Toni, you there?" A faint voice echoed from upstairs, drawing my eyes to the gigantic staircase looming above.
"Sorry, lil' bro—as I mentioned, do not tell anybody about your identity." He pushed me gently but firmly toward the rubble pile with a tap on the back. "Please trust me on this. Now go!"
I was confused, utterly lost about what was happening, but his concern hit me like a wave. It reminded me of my parents when I'd come home late from the computer shop as a kid—they'd shout and yell, teary-eyed, demanding, "Where did you go? We were worried sick! Are you okay? Are you hurt?" But in the end, they'd pull me into a tight hug, their relief washing over me.
I ducked behind the rubble and, under a nearby rock, covered my amulet. A prompt flickered into view:
Shadow: On
Then I watched my hand blend seamlessly into the shadow, merging with the darkness until I became one with it—invisible, unseen, a ghost in the gloom.