Chapter 10

  Other types of notifications flooded Ben’s vision. Ben was overwhelmed by the sheer amount. He quickly dismissed them.

  However, one notification remained. This one wasn’t able to be dismissed.

  [You are the first in Eternity to kill a regional boss. This achievement will be announced through the game world. Would you like to reveal your name or hide your name?]

  Ben didn’t even have to think about it.

  “Hide,” he said.

  [A player and their party from Zone 21, within the American Server, is the first to defeat the Savage Dire Grizzly regional boss. They will receive the following reward. 100 Gold coins. 1 Gold chest, 1 Gold key, and 50,000 experience point]

  All over the world, players received the notifications via their system windows. The regional and global chat exploded with banter.

  “What? Someone defeated a regional boss already. Does anyone know the streamer?”

  “It wasn’t a streamer I am pretty sure. Their stream would for sure be on the front page. Look, none of the popular streamers are near that boss.”

  “Why didn’t they reveal their name?”

  “I know that boss. It’s level 10. What crazy people are strong enough to defeat that thing this early. Are they cheating?”

  Ben paid no attention to the chat. Something more important had happened. He and the stranger leveled up once more. He hit level 8.

  He couldn’t have been more pleased. He walked over to the stranger. She was inspecting herself. Upon level up, her clothes had healed from the many claw marks that the bear had left.

  “Thank you. I would have been a goner without your help. My name is Benaiah,” Ben said.

  He gave his in-game name, as was common in Eternity.

  The stranger reached a hand forward to politely shake his hand. Ben noticed right away how small and delicate her hand was.

  He finally got to take in her features. She wore a long black, hooded cloak that obscured her features from the back. However, her clothing was revealed when looking at her from the front.

  She didn’t wear any armor. She wore the starting outfit. That fact astonished him.

  “How did she get this far without any decent gear?” He thought.

  What was most obvious about her was the wolf mask she wore on her face. It covered most of her face except her mouth, which allowed her to drink potions unimpeded.

  Ben recognized it as the mask that players could get after clearing the beginner quest to slay some Forest Wolves.

  Lastly was her height. She was short, very short, and generously gifted in all the ways he liked. She was his exact type and it was rather distracting. He quickly pushed those intruding thoughts away. He had no time for such things.

  She smiled at him. Ben had the sneaking suspicion that she was rather beautiful, but the mask obscured most of her features. More thoughts he had to force away.

  Ben noticed that she didn’t give her name.

  “May I ask your name?” Ben said.

  He let her hand go and looked at her expectantly. Instead of speaking, Ben saw her pull up her chat interface. She silently typed into the keyboard.

  “Eve,” she typed.

  Ben was immediately reminded of the party invite. Since she was part of his party, he could check his system window to see her name and level. Introductions were still good manners.

  Ben was thrown off by her choice to type instead of speak. He heard her voice earlier. He knew she could scream when she wanted. That brought up a thought. Could she be mute in real life? Would the system give her the ability to speak in-game? He had never met a mute person to test it out. Could mute people scream?

  Either way, he wouldn’t press the matter. If she wouldn’t or couldn’t speak, that was her business.

  Conscious of time, also a little excited, Ben turned his attention towards the shining treasure chest that hovered in the air above the corpse of the dire bear.

  “We barely survived, but we did it. Thanks to you. Shall we take a look at the spoils?” Ben asked.

  She smiled and nodded.

  Ben led the way over to the boss chest. He reached forward and touched it. He immediately received a pop-up notification.

  [For your participation in the slaying of the Level 10 Savage Dire Grizzly Regional Boss, you receive the following reward]

  [5 Gold]

  [50 Minor Enhancement Stones]

  [10 Mid-Grade Enhancement Stones]

  [10 Minor Healing Potions]

  [10 Minor Mana Potions]

  [10 Minor Stamina Potions]

  [3 Mid-Grade Healing Potions]

  [3 Mid-Grade Regeneration Potions]

  [3 Mid-Grade Mana potions]

  [3 Mid-Grade Mana Regeneration Potions]

  [3 Mid-Grade Stamina Potions

  [3 Mid-Grade Stamina Regeneration Potion]

  [3 Town Return Scrolls]

  [Equipment will now be distributed based on the party loot setting: Need Over Greed]

  Ben was impressed by the array of items that he received.

  He also received some random crafting materials that he paid little attention to. His mind had a habit of glazing over details that weren’t immediately important. He had no intention of taking on crafting, alchemy, and the like, in this life, so he didn’t take note of many miscellaneous items that dropped from every monster he killed.

  He imagined that the loot was designed for a party of four or five. Since he and Eve defeated the boss with just a party of two, they got a more generous division of the goods.

  The most exciting part was yet to come, the boss equipment. Ben knew it would be good.

  [Congratulations on being the first to defeat the Savage Dire Grizzly Regional Boss. Boss drops will be upgraded]

  Ben felt a chill run up his spine. That meant that the loot would be at least a tier higher in rarity. He had forgotten this feeling. The first item materialized.

  [Rod of the Faithful]

  [Rarity: Rare]

  [Quality: Common]

  [Effect 1: Increase the potency of Faith-based spells and abilities by 25%]

  [Effect 2: Able to produce magical projectiles that deal damage based on 100% of your faith score]

  Ben quickly read through the details of the rod. In addition to its special effect, it also gave minor boosts to attributes, mana, and mana-regen, typical of a rod. He glazed over those details and focused mostly on the rarity and special effects.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Him and Eve were both faith-based classes. The rod would be perfect for either one of them. Spells could be channeled through the rods, so they wouldn’t need to put it away to cast. In his past life, Ben often fought with a shield in one hand, and a one-handed weapon in the other. A rod was a perfect fit for him. Unlike a staff, which required two hands, a rod would allow him to wield a shield to make up for the defensive vulnerability of the summoner.

  In addition, the Rod was Rare. Given the notification about the loot upgrade, that meant that the boss usually dropped Uncommon gear, which made sense for a level 10 regional boss. It was a hard fight, but a lot of the difficulty was because Ben insisted on going at it solo and underleveled. Level 10 players would be very happy to receive uncommon items, yet now those drops were Rare. Even better.

  Ben wasn’t sure whether to select it or not. He felt a great debt to Eve for her help. If she wanted it, she could have it.

  Before Ben could think about it further, he received a notification.

  [All other party members have passed. You receive Rod of the Faithful.]

  Ben glanced over to Eve. She maintained that same contented smile.

  “Thanks…again,” he said.

  She nodded and returned her attention to the next item that appeared. This time it was a necklace.

  [Necklace Of Summoning]

  [Rarity: Rare]

  [Quality: Common]

  [Effect 1: Increase the wearer’s maximum summoning capacity by 50%, rounded up.]

  Ben’s eyes widened as he read the Necklace’s description. He received a notification almost immediately.

  Eve passed on the item and it went into Ben’s inventory. Ben just smiled in satisfaction.

  The necklace was a huge windfall. If all Ben got was the necklace, he would have been happy.

  Ben could tell that the boss loot was tailored to the party, which is why faith-based items and summoning items dropped.

  The necklace was even better than he thought. It gave 50% increased summoning capacity. Ben imagined that the standard summoning necklace was uncommon rarity, and gave only 25% summoning capacity. This necklace had been upgraded due to the first-kill achievement.

  Being first really did pay dividends.

  The next item was a staff.

  [Staff Of The Faithful]

  [Rarity: Rare]

  [Quality: Common]

  [Effect 1: Increase the potency of Faith-based spells and abilities by 50%]

  [Effect 2: Able to produce magical projectiles that deal damage based on 125% of your faith score]

  In addition to the staff’s special abilities, Ben noted that it had a large boost to maximum mana and mana regen, along with its other boosts to attributes typical of a staff. It needed to be wielded in two hands, so a player wouldn’t be able to use a shield with it, but it was perfect for a mage or backline support.

  Ben passed on it right away and glanced over to Eve. She admired the staff in her inventory and quickly typed a message to him.

  “Thank you,” she typed.

  “Don’t mention it.”

  The last item was a robe.

  [Robe of the Faithful]

  Ben passed on it right away without looking at its attributes. He could already guess its details, and robes weren’t suitable for him anyway.

  Unlike other casters, Ben didn’t wear robes. Robes provided very little in the way of defense, but they were great for casters. As a summoner archetype, Ben wasn’t really a caster, at least, not in the traditional sense. He cast spells, but his primary spells were summons. He didn’t need to constantly keep blasting or healing, so such heavy focus on casting stats had severe diminishing returns.

  Ben’s strategy was to pump his faith attribute upon level up, but at the same time, wear as heavy armor as he could, given his mediocre strength. That meant either light or medium armor. Given that Ben was rather proficient at dodging, weaving, and rolling, he gravitated towards light armor, which provided more maneuverability.

  His physical stats were low, but in a lot of situations, he didn’t need to be the fastest or the strongest, he just needed to be fast and strong enough. A summoner traded raw power for versatility. In his past life, his versatility put him ahead of most other summoners. He passed challenges that others wouldn’t have thought possible.

  This most recent battle highlights his skill and ingenuity. That was just a taste of his vast experience.

  “Well, this was a rewarding and also extremely dangerous experience. I still consider myself in your debt. If you ever need help with anything, just ask,” Ben said.

  Eve was clearly pleased to see that Ben sent her an in-game friend request. She quickly accepted.

  “Well, farewell and God bless,” he said.

  Ben turned to leave but was stopped by a text.

  “Wait,” the text said.

  Ben looked back at Eve. She was pointing towards a certain location across the cavern. Ben raised a brow. Eve turned around and walked towards a particular spot. Ben curiously followed her.

  She walked for a while before arriving at a particular part of the wall. There was a glow stone in a suspicious place. She pressed the glow stone and the wall immediately opened up, like a door.

  Ben was amazed. Eve smiled and ushered him to follow. She led him into the room that was revealed behind the wall.

  The room seemed extremely out of place, given that it was hidden in a mountain, and guarded by a dire bear. It looked like a cross between a wizard’s study, and a garden. There were bookshelves filled with books. Branches and vines snaked up along the bookshelves, but the books were left in pristine condition.

  There was a desk where several glow stones and pieces of paper lay. No one occupied the room, but it was clear that it belonged to someone.

  What was most notable was what was in the center of the room. A glowing crystal hovered in the air, as if waiting to be taken. Eve stepped forward and touched it. A notification window popped up.

  [To the worthy adventure who finds this room. I trust its contents to you. I wish you great things. All I ask in exchange is that if you meet a druid, direct them to his place so they may continue my work and share in my accumulated knowledge.]

  Ben nodded in understanding of the message.

  “So this was a druid’s man-cave, literally,” Ben said.

  Eve giggled. Hearing the woman’s voice threw Ben for a loop. It was brief, high-pitched and…familiar. He tried not to dwell on it too much. After the betrayal in his last life, he was in no mood to think about women in that way.

  Eve snapped him out of his thoughts by approaching the crystal that once hovered in the center of the room. Ben took a look at it and went wide-eyed.

  [Minor Attribute Crystal]

  [Rarity: Epic]

  [Effect: The user may choose an attribute and upgrade it to the next rank. One-time use.]

  As soon as Eve could see that Ben recognized what it was, Ben received a trade notification.

  [Eve wishes to trade the Minor Attribute Crystal to you. Will you accept?]

  “Eve…do you know how much this is worth?” Ben asked.

  She nodded with a pleased smile. The trade window popped up again in front of Ben.

  Ben shook his head.

  “You should take it. You saved me. Consider us even,” Ben said.

  Eve’s smile dropped. Once again, Ben saw his trade window pop up. Ben looked at her awkwardly.

  “I can’t take this. You found it,” Ben insisted.

  Eve thought for a moment before putting the crystal away. Ben sighed in relief. He thought the issue was resolved. However, Eve immediately started typing frantically.

  “Consider it a prepayment,” she typed.

  Ben frowned in confusion.

  “Prepayment? For what?” He asked.

  “For taking me with you to level up,” she typed.

  Ben’s face dropped.

  “Look, Eve, I appreciate what you have done for me. Not to be rude but, I prefer to work alone.”

  Eve frowned. Ben could sense her disappointment even through her mask. Ben rubbed the back of his neck in discomfort.

  “It’s nothing against you. It’s just…that’s what I’m comfortable with,” Ben said.

  Ben didn’t really have a good reason to give her. He knew why he didn’t want to form a party with anyone. The betrayal he faced in his past life was devastating. In a way, it shattered his trust in people.

  It wasn’t just Sarah that betrayed him. It was his guild, at least, a certain segment of his guild. People he trusted. A scar like that couldn’t easily be mended.

  One year certainly wasn’t enough. If anything, it only made him more resolute in his path.

  He wouldn’t start a guild this time. He would avoid parties. He would go alone. That way he could monopolize experience, gold and loot drops.

  Most importantly, he could avoid drama, and potential betrayal. A long, uncomfortable silence fell between them. Eve was clearly upset but she didn’t know how to move forward. Ben forced himself to turn away from her.

  “I’m sorry. If you need some help with anything, you can message me. But as for general adventuring, I just need to be alone,” he said.

  Ben started to walk away, but he was once again stopped by a message.

  “Without me, you would be dead. I saved you an hour,” the text read.

  Ben sighed and looked back at the woman. She was biting into her bottom lip and fidgeting with her fingers.

  “I don’t want to seem ungrateful, but I think I’ve paid you back plenty,” Ben said.

  He tried to speak to her as gently as he could even though he was getting annoyed. Every second they had this little argument was another second that he could have been hunting.

  They had just met. She was expecting way too much out of him, way too fast. Ben released a small huff of exasperation when he saw Eve typing away at lightning speed.

  “Um…how about this. I saved you an hour. So, you can use that hour to level with me. If you still want to go solo after an hour, then I will respect that,” she typed.

  Ben read through the message and chuckled.

  “She’s persistent,” he thought.

  He smiled lightly and conceded.

  “Ok, just one hour. Then we part ways. Fair enough?” He asked.

  He wanted to make sure their boundaries were clearly stated. Eve immediately brightened up and grew a big smile. She bounced slightly on her heels and nodded.

  She hurried next to him and looked at him expectantly while typing something on her interface.

  “Lead the way and I’ll follow you,” she typed.

  Ben nodded.

  “Ok, but you have to do everything I say. I do things a little differently than others,”

  Eve gave a playful two-fingered salute. As they began to move forward, another notification popped up in front of Ben.

  [Eve wants to trade the Minor Attribute Crystal to you. Will you accept?]

  Ben looked back at her in exasperation. Before he could protest, Eve raised one finger, gesturing for him to wait while she typed.

  “If we are going to get the most out of this one hour questing session, I need you to be as strong as possible. The stronger you are, the better we will do. My abilities are purely to support my partner. My strength comes from my partner’s strength,” she typed.

  Ben thought about her words. To emphasize her point, she took out the minor attribute crystal and presented it to him again. She bit her lip nervously, hopeful.

  Ben sighed and gave a small nod.

  “Ok, I’ll take it. But I don’t want to feel like I owe you. In exchange…I’ll help you get to level 15. Deal?”

  Eve nearly jumped out of her skin. She bounded forward and engulfed Ben in a hug.

  Ben was certainly not ready for that. He tried to ignore how soft she felt, and how good she smelled. The Pain-Setting really made everything feel too real.

  Eve had a pleasant, fruity scent. It wasn’t overwhelming, but it was very noticeable. Especially since it was Ben’s favorite scent, strawberry.

  Ben imagined that that was one of the player customization settings that he didn’t bother with.

  Ben averted his gaze and accepted the trade request. He turned about and led her along while she walked next to him with a chipper and bubbly attitude.

  “Right, let's go.”