Alex was so exhausted from the last fight that he immediately collapsed onto his bed when he returned to his room. Waking up the next day, he had a quick breakfast before going over yesterday's spoils.
[Named Boss Core Consumed: Alice, Bloonar's sole survivor]
[Available Traits: Regeneration, Physical Resistance, Vampiric, High Light-Element Weakness, Dark-Element Resistance, Blood Lust, Blood Sense, Strong Body, Natural Weapon(Claws, Fangs), Iron-Stomach, Weak-Mind, Weak-Will, Weak Mental Defence, Unaging]
"Select Strong Body." Alex chose after a brief moment of silence.
[ERROR!]
[Action Can Not Be Executed]
[Incompatible Trait Detected: Scarred Body]
[Available Traits: Lesser-Regeneration, Physical Resistance, Vampiric, High Light-Element Weakness, Dark-Element Resistance, Blood Lust, Blood Sense, Strong Body, Natural Weapon(Claws, Fangs), Iron-Stomach, Weak-Mind, Weak-Will, Weak Mental Defence, Unaging, Enhanced Senses]
"Figures, well, I wasn't really expecting it to work." In REALMS, certain traits can't be chosen with each other; lore-wise, it's explained as a people being unable to withstand having contradicting aspects, but it's pretty clear this rule was made for balance's sake. The only reliable way to bypass this limit was to use items that temporarily grant the desired contradictory Trait to the player, for example, a player playing a blind character using glasses that can temporarily grant perfect vision.
Although annoying, Alex understands that it would ruin the fun if players could ignore negative Traits by choosing the opposite positive ones. "Hmm, well, I guess the lore explanation is more important to me now than the meta explanation. On the bright side, I don't have to worry about accidentally killing myself by selecting contradictory Traits." Alex examined the available options as he considered which one to pick.
"The safest option would be to increase my regeneration whenever I can, as you never know when the next opportunity will be. Physical Resistance is also a good choice, although I'm hesitant to use a named Boss Core on a relatively common Trait. Vampiric is completely useless right now, along with Dark-Element Resistance. Blood Lust and Natural Weapons aren't very useful for my current build. Blood Sense has a lot of potential, but I'm unsure how useful it can be without Enhanced Senses. Considering how some places I need to go are described, I'm not even sure I want Enhanced Senses."
[Compatible Traits Detected: Lesser-Regeneration, Lesser-Regeneration]
[Fusing Traits: Lesser-Regeneration + Lesser-Regeneration = Moderate Regeneration]
[Trait Limit for Prolouge Has Been Reached]
"-Tch- Why did this game element have to appear when others couldn't?" Alex groaned, flopping onto his bed. "Are stats and an inventory too unrealistic for you, but not this?" Like with contradicting Traits, the Trait limit is a game mechanic that restricts the number of permanent Traits a player can have based on their progression. For REALMS, it depends on the main storyline progress, while Realms at War uses a standard level cap. Unlike contradicting Traits, the Trait limit is purely a gameplay feature designed to prevent players from trivializing encounters by farming Traits. The main issue is that the Trait limit significantly hampers many of Alex's plans, especially those that depend on acquiring certain Traits before specific events.
Alex sighed and sat up, acknowledging there's no use in complaining about things he can't change. He decided to modify his plans and consider this limitation moving ahead. As he stood, he stretched, feeling stiff, and noted that he was running out of time before he had to return to work. After freshening up, Alex dressed in a more suitable outfit, packed a few essential items, and exited his room.
If there is one thing Joswa has learned in his several years of working as a barkeep, it's that everyone has a story, no matter how small they think it is. When you listen to enough stories, you also learn to recognize the patterns and behaviours people with certain stories often display. Tired workmen would order drinks strong enough to dull their aching spirits, but not enough to get them completely wasted, so they could still go to work the next day. Young men who want to impress their friends or a crush would order strong drinks to appear more mature. This often results in them making a fool of themselves later that night, and they then would swear off drinking, only to come back the week after to repeat the process.
Of course, there are always those who go against the typical pattern, and for Joswa, it's those people who have stories worth listening to. "So what are you ordering, young man?"
"Serpent Shot on the rocks." The young man replied quickly, without even glancing at the menu. It was still a bit early for Joswa to interpret what that might signify, but he was confident he'd understand soon enough. As he prepared the drink, Joswa took the chance to observe the customer more closely. Aside from his tinted glasses and expensive suit, the young man looked rather unremarkable, like someone you might see in the background of a comic or cartoon.
'It doesn't seem like he's with anyone else, and he seems a bit too young to get in here by himself.' Joswa mused as he smoothly mixed several drinks into a metal shaker. 'Either he's meant to be here, or he somehow managed to get past security. Whatever it is, it doesn't concern me.' He concluded as he poured the mixture into a glass filled with ice. "Here you go, Serpent Shot on the rocks," Joswa said as he slid the drink over.
"Thanks," Joswa watched as the young man downed the whole drink before gently setting it down on the counter and sliding over the exact amount of Credits it cost. "Something stronger, please."
"Coming right up," Joswa answered after putting the Credits in the cash register. "So what brought you here to our fine establishment?" He asked as he mixed up another drink.
"The upcoming auction."
"Ah! You must have pretty deep pockets to partake in that."
"You can say that." The young man absent-mindedly answered as he looked around the room, lightly drumming on the counter with his right hand.
"Do you have an item you hope to get, or are you just window shopping?" The young man stopped his drumming to do the so-so gesture before continuing.
"Eh, a little bit of both."
"Ooh, care to elaborate?"
"There’s one item I've confirmed will be auctioned here tonight," the young man replied after a brief pause. "I'm confident I can win it, as I doubt many people would want it, given how niche the item is. As for the other items that will be part of the auction, I'll need to see if anything piques my interest."
"Seems like as good a plan as any other I heard before." The young man nodded. "Here you go." Joswa pushed the new drink toward the young man, who immediately drank it in one gulp. It was hard to tell what the young man was thinking with the dim lights and the tinted glasses they were wearing, but Joswa is sure he enjoyed the drink.
"Does this drink have a name?"
"Not officially, but I like to call it Molten Ice," Joswa answered with a grin.
"How much?"
"32 Credits." The young man nodded before sliding the empty glass and 100 Credits over.
"Another one, please, and keep the change."
"Coming right up, kind sir!" As Joswa went ahead and started mixing another Molten Ice, the stage curtains at the back of the room opened up to reveal a lanky man in a suit illuminated by stage lights.
"WELCOME GUYS AND GALS TO TODAY'S AUCTION!" The man's voice echoed as applause erupted throughout the room. "I'M HAPPY TO SEE SO MANY FAMILIAR FACES ALONG WITH A LOT OF NEW ONES!" Joswa slid the drink over to the young man, who just nodded at him as he took the drink before turning to look at he main stage. "LET'S NOT MAKE ALL THESE FINE GUYS AND GALS WAIT TOO LONG! SO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, TONIGHT'S FIRST ITEM!"
Joswa whistled as a tall, slim blonde in a bright red dress stepped onto the stage, pushing a cart filled with identical boxes. The auctioneer opened one box and revealed a metal ink pen encased in glass. "THIS IS THE PEN THAT THE LATE QUEEN ANASTASIA LOCKHEART USED TO SIGN THE TREATY THAT ENDED THE VOID WAR! THE BIDDING STARTS AT 100K!"
"110!" A man yelled at the front while raising a paddle.
"130!" Countered a woman on the far end of the bar counter while raising her paddle. As this continued, Joswa noticed the young man in front of him subtly tracking the bidders as he sipped on his drink. This continued for a few minutes before the auctioneer called out the winner.
"SOLD TO NUMBER 98 FOR 900K!" The auctioneer announced while pointing to an older man wearing a brown coat. "NOW LET'S SEE WHAT'S UP NEXT!" The auctioneer said as he opened another box and brought out a golden pocketwatch on a silver chain. "THIS HERE WAS GIVEN TO US BY THE FAMOUS ENCHANTER GUILD! THIS ARTIFACT CAN HOLD UP TO TWELVE DIFFERENT SPELLS WITH TWELVE USES EACH! ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS TURN THE BIG HAND TO THE DESIRED NUMBER AND PRESS THE TOP TO ACTIVATE THE STORED SPELL! WHILE THE SMALLER HAND KEEPS TRACK OF HOW MANY USES OF THE SPELL YOU HAVE LEFT! THE BID WILL START AT 25K!"
As the bid war started again, Joswa noticed the young man took a paddle from a pouch on his side and raised it. "50k!" Joswa was curious to see if he would continue bidding, but the bid ended with the young man only calling once.
"I'm guessing that wasn't the item you came here for?" Joswa asked as he cleaned a glass.
"No," the young man answered while sliding over his glass with another 32 Credits.
"Didn't want it bad enough to continue bidding?"
"50k was all I was willing to pay for it." Joswa nodded before raising a brow when the young man grabbed a flask attached to his side and downed it.
"To think I'll see a customer drink something they brought along while I mix them their order." Joswa chuckled while he slid over another Molten Ice. "Couldn't wait?" The young man shook his head as he attached the flask to his side before grabbing the drink.
"You can think of it as medicine I need to take occasionally."
"I could think of it as medicine? Meaning it's not?" Joswa smirked.
"It's medicine as long as that allows me to drink it at work." Joswa couldn't help but bark out a laugh at that response. Joswa continued working while keeping an eye on the young man. After an hour of disinterest, the young man finally perked up when the auctioneer brought out what looked like a bundle of bright red grapes in a glass box.
"WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A BUNCH OF RED ICOR BERRIES! THESE CAN ONLY BE HARVESTED NEAR GRADE FIVE OR HIGHER RIFTS ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS! THEY CAN BE EATEN RAW TO DE-AGE YOUR BODY OR USED TO MAKE COUNTESS PRICELESS POTIONS! THE BID WILL START AT 50K!"
"55k!"
"60k!"
"70k!"
"100k!"
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
.
.
.
"SOLD TO NUMBER 152 FOR 500K!"
"Are you an alchemist?" Joswa eventually asked. The young man slightly tilted his head to look at him as he lowered his paddle. "Because if you look any younger, we might have to kick you out to avoid any rumours of us serving alcohol to minors."
"No," the young man answered as he tilted his head back. "But I know a skilled alchemist."
"Skilled enough to spend 500k on one potion ingredient?"
"Maybe, maybe not, I'll wait and see."
"Was that the item you came here for?" The young man nodded.
"Yeah, though I wasn't expecting so many people to bid for it." Joswa couldn't help but chuckle at the comment.
"How old are you? You probably aren't older than 30, maybe around 25. I doubt you'll get it, but take it from someone who hasn't had a morning without any soreness in years—people my age would pay anything for a more youthful body."
"Hmm, I guess it has been a while." Joswa couldn't hear what the young man murmured when he sipped on his drink, but he decided it wasn't worth the hassle of asking. Joswa didn't pay much attention to the auction until the auctioneer called out an item he wasn't expecting to hear that night.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I'M EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE OUR NEXT ITEM!" He walked next to a box and took out a colourful bag tied with a shimmering ribbon. "YOUR EYES ARE NOT PLAYING TRICKS ON YOU. THIS IS A GEUINIE BAG OF DREAM CANDY!" The auctioneer paused, the room filling with murmurs before continuing. "YOU HEARD THAT RIGHT, GEUINIE DREAM CANDY! A TREAT SO SWEET YOU'LL THINK YOU'RE DREAMING! THESE CAN ONLY BE AQUIRED FROM THE ELUSIVE RIFT CARNAVAL! A MAGICAL PLACE THAT PEOPLE CAN ONLY RARELY ENCOUNTER WHEN ENTERING A RIFT! WITH TEN YEARS AGO BEING THE LAST RECORDED INSTANCE OF IT APPEARING!"
Joswa let out a whistle of amazement. 'To think I'll see real Dream Candies again in this lifetime,' he thought while listening to the auctioneer hype up the crowd. Rifts that lead to the carnival look identical to any other rift. Without knowing when it would appear, you can't prepare to take advantage of it without risking being unprepared for a normal rift. That, along with the fact that no one truly knows how to get the tickets, the currency of the carnival, means that if someone finds themselves in the carnival, they wouldn't waste what little tickets they can scavenge on something trivial like candy. However, that just makes the candy even more valuable for those with deep enough pockets.
"THAT'S NOT ALL! WHAT WE'RE AUCTIONING ISN'T JUST ONE BAG OF DREAM CANDY BUT TWENTY!" The auctioneer waited as the murmurs intensified. "THE BID WILL START AT 75K!" He continued once it quieted down, only for the room to erupt once more when people started shouting their bids.
"80k!"
"100k!"
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.
.
"SOLD TO NUMBER 2 FOR 20 MIL!" Joswa chuckled when he heard the groans and swearing from those who lost the bid around the room. He understands how rare and thus valuable Dream Candy is, but that doesn't change the fact that, in the end, it's just sweets. Joswa smiled and shook his head, once again reminded of how the values of the rich greatly differ from those of people like him. When the auction finally concluded several hours later, Joswa saw the young man bid on a total of eleven items, winning only thrice. With the main event over, the young man didn't seem inclined to watch the late-night show. Instead, he turned around to face Joswa and ordered another drink.
"Gotta admit, I'm quite impressed with how much you can drink. This is your twentieth drink, and you don't even look tipsy." The young man grimaced as he sipped on his drink.
"Yeah, it's an unfortunate side effect I didn't consider until now."
"You weren't always this good at drinking?"
"It's something I got quite recently." At first, Joswa wasn't sure what he meant, but it quickly dawned on him.
"You ate a Boss Core?" The young man nodded. Joswa couldn't help but let out an impressed whistle. "You've got some balls to even think about doing that. I've heard my fair share of horror stories about people's greed getting the better of them. Hell, I personally know someone who ate a Fire Tiger Core hoping for fire immunity, but ended up growing cat ears and a tail instead. So what did you end up getting?"
"Iron Stomach." The young man grumbled, causing Joswa to burst out laughing.
"I always thought that any power you gain from a Boss Core must come at a cost, but who would have expected that being unable to get drunk would be one of them? For most, that might seem like a benefit, but for someone who enjoys drinking as much as you do, I guess it wouldn't feel that way," Joswa chuckled. "Well, this reinforces my belief that I should never consume a Boss Core because who knows what ironic punishment I’d end up with?" The two continued chatting for a few more minutes before the young man paid for one last drink and stood up from his chair.
"What happened to her?" The young man asked after downing his last drink.
"Hmm?"
"The friend of yours who grew cat ears, what happened to her?" Joswa furrowed his brow before nodding in understanding.
"Oh, did I imply she died?" he chuckled. "Sorry if I startled you, young sir, but my friend is completely fine, so there's no need to worry. If you watch the upcoming show, you'll get to see her. Trust me, you won't miss her, and it will be quite the show." Joswa said with a wink. The young man shook his head.
"I'm fine," the young man placed a few hundred Credits on the counter. "A tip for making this night a pleasant one." Joswa smiled, pocketing the Credits on the counter.
"Thank you, young sir and have a great rest of your night!" The young man nodded.
"You too," he replied before walking away. Even after the night ended and all the guests had left, Joswa kept working, wiping down the countertop until it started to shine. However, he was interrupted when his boss, a middle-aged man in a black suit, approached him.
"Joswa." The man greeted.
"Looking fine as always, Erik."
"Have you encountered anyone suspicious while working?" Joswa raised a brow at the question.
"Did the thief strike again?" Erik nodded. "What did they take this time?"
"The late queen's pen."
"What was the excuse this time?"
"That the holder of the pen withdrew it from the auction."
"They bought that?" Erik grimaced.
"Yeah, but it took a bit of bribing."
"You can't hide something like this forever; eventually, news that our items are being stolen will come out." Erik glared at Joswa.
"I know, and that's why we're investing so much in finding this thief. But so far, we've got nothing." Joswa hummed and nodded. "So, did you encounter anyone suspicious recently?" Joswa shook his head.
"Can't say I have."
"What about the guy you were keeping an eye on the whole night?"
"Hmm? Oh, the young lad?" Joswa shook his head. "I just noticed how young he looks and figured he must have his fair share of interesting stories." He paused for a moment. "He was old enough to be here, right?" Erik nodded.
"Our system didn't ping him, meaning he was old enough to enter and didn't have a criminal record."
"Damn, I was sure he was a kid who someone bypassed the sensors." Erik scoffed at the comment.
"Be realistic, our systems are so advanced that that would never happen," Joswa rolled his eyes.
"I'll just take your word for it. I can never understand all the technical rabble you're so confident in." Erik rubbed the bridge of his nose before letting out a deep sigh.
"I don't know why I bother, just notify me if you see anything suspicious."
"Got it, boss." Joswa nodded as Erik grumbled something under his breath while walking away.
A woman in a tight-fitting orange outfit wearing a red bag over her shoulder walked up to an ordinary-looking house a few blocks from the auction house. She quickly glanced at her surroundings as her feline ears darted around before tapping a brick next to the door, causing it to glow green. The woman nodded with a grin when she saw the green light before it disappeared. Using a key from her bag, she entered the house before closing the door behind her. Turning on the lights, the woman placed he bag down before walking into the kitchen and grabbing a cup of water.
"Is this disguise recent?"
"Ah!" Startled, the woman splashed her water towards the voice.
"-Sigh- I guess I should have seen that coming." Catching her breath, the woman slowly backed away as she inspected the intruder. He was a man a head shorter than her, wearing tinted glasses and an expensive-looking suit. She cautiously kept her distance as the man walked towards her living room.
'A spell caster!' The woman realized when she noticed the slight shimmer around the man and the water on him turning into steam. "How did you get in here?" she asked while slowly moving towards a set of cupboards.
"You'll be surprised how easy it is to learn how to lock pick, and add to the fact that I'm quite skilled with my hands, if I say so myself, it made it quite trivial to get inside." The man paused to look at her. "Though I'm guessing that wasn't meant, what you're really asking is how I got past the alarm?" The man looked around the room as if he could see invisible lines running through the walls. "I gotta admit the weave is quite impressive for an amateur. However, next time I wouldn't recommend tying them to such rudimentary runes. Though to be fair, you didn't need it to be that complex, so what you made was perfect for what you needed it to do." The man turned to look at her again. "As for how I got past it? Let's just say that with how you have it set up, someone can easily create a temporary anchor and use it to reroute the mana flow from one section long enough to get inside before removing it."
"Bullshit! To accomplish something like that, you would need to know the locations and connections of several thousand Mana treads and how the mana flows between the runes. That is not something someone can achieve in a single day without triggering it, let alone in a few hours!" The man nodded.
"I agree, that's why I did it in a few minutes."
"Do you think I'll believe that?"
"I unders-" The man was interrupted when the woman threw a knife at him. His hands blurred forward, causing the knife to stab through his hand instead of his chest. Swiftly removing the knife from his hand, he side-stepped the woman's attempt to slash his arm before flicking his hand at her, sending blood flying into her face. The woman quickly blocked the blood using her arm before attempting to thrust the knife in her other hand into the man's chest. Intercepting the knife with his arm, he then grabbed onto the woman's arm. The woman yelped in pain as a flash of heat burned her arm, causing her grip to loosen enough for the man to be able to yank the knife stuck in his arm away. However, he felt something restricting his leg before the man could press his advantage.
Glancing down, he saw an orange tail wrapped around his leg. Glancing back up, he tried to duck when he saw the woman's fist flying towards him, but stumbled when the tail yanked him forward. Groaning as the fist impacted his cheek, the man went down in a crouch before jumping upward, headbutting the woman's stomach and sending her a few feet back. The man stood up and spat out a wad of blood, spit and a few teeth. While the woman steadied herself, she glared at the man, her puffed-up tail thrashing back and forth.
"I'm guessing it's a bit too late to say I didn't come here to fight?"
"What do you think, asshole? Do you think I'll believe that after you broke into my home?"
"You can't accuse me of breaking and entering if I didn't actually break anything to get in. I thought you, of all people, would understand that, as you do it quite often."
"I don't know what you're talking about." The woman tensed when the man lifted his arm, but froze when she saw what he was holding.
"I'll be honest, of all the items at the auction, I didn't think you'd take Queen Anastasia's pen. I understand it's quite valuable, but compared to some of the other items you could have taken. It kinda falls short." The man criticized as he inspected the metal ink pen inside the glass case. The woman's eyes darted across the room to notice her purse missing from where she had left it; however, it didn't take long for her to find it on the floor next to the man. Focusing her eyes, she could make out a thin, glowing translucent string attached to the bag's handle and the man's bloodied hand. Noticing her gaze, the man flicked his hand, causing the bag to be pulled upwards and into his hand. "A simple application of Mana threads. They're quite flexible and very durable if given sufficient mana." Ignoring his explanation, the woman continued glaring at him.
"What do you want?" The woman eventually asked when she realized she couldn't lie her way out of this situation or continue fighting without causing a lot of noise, and thus altering her neighbour. However, she was shocked when the man returned the pen to her bag and tossed it over to her. Catching it before it could hit the ground, the woman tensed her body, but instead of running away, she stood still when she noticed the man standing completely still.
"I wasn't lying when I said I didn't want to fight. I originally only came to this city for the auction, but when I realized you were in the area, I figured I might as well hire you for a job."
"Where did you learn about me?"
"Hmm, oh yeah. The whole untrackable thief aspect of your character. You don't have to worry about that. I only figured it was you when I heard Joswa talk about his cat friend." The man paused for a moment. "I gotta say, imitating a dead person is a bit much, don't you think?" The woman froze solid.
"H-how?"
"You're asking too many questions for my liking," the man exhaled sharply. "Alright, let's just..." he sighed again. "You don't need to worry about anyone discovering your secret. Forget how I got this information; my source is exclusive and inaccessible to others. I know about Ashly's death because it's a crucial detail about Joswa. No one else is aware she's dead, and you're impersonating her. I recognize who you are, so save the lies. Also, Ana, I think it's pretty low of you to steal a dead person's identity, but I don't care enough to stop you. Like I said earlier, I'm not here to fight; I just need you to steal something for me. And no, you can't trust me, but you'll ignore that fact because you have no other choice. That's everything. Can we stop with all these questions now?" Ana paused, processing everything she just heard.
"W-what? How?"
"Ugh, yes, Ana, I know who you are, and I already answered that; I don't feel like repeating myself." Realizing the man isn't going to elaborate on how he knew who she is, Ana figured it was best not to agitate him and motioned for him to continue. "Thank you." The man took several pieces of paper from a storage pouch that Ana had just noticed he was wearing and handed them to her. "Leorik Bonal. An eccentric historian and hoarder of many things. What I want is in a safe he keeps hidden underneath the floorboards of his bedroom. At the back of the last piece of paper I've given you, I added the code to the safe along with a picture and description of what I need you to steal." Ana flipped to the page the man told her to. On it, she saw a crude drawing of what looked like a purple peach.
"Vile Soul fruit, or more commonly known as the Demon Heart peach. A rare fruit that can only be grown on the corpse of people who committed horrible acts while alive. Oh, and so you don't think about eating it, I'll warn you now that it's extremely toxic. Though you're free to try anyway, with your abilities, you probably will be able to make it out of the mansion before you collapse. As for your payment, I'll give you half a million Credits now and the other half after you deliver it to me." Ana frowned at his offer.
"That's not even close to what I typically charge." The man nodded.
"On the pages, I've written several locations to other safes Leroik has hidden around his mansion, along with what they contain and instructions on how to open them. With your skills, I estimate you'll probably be able to hit five other safes after you get the Demon Heart Peach. As I mentioned before, he tends to hoard a variety of items, from gold and jewelry to ancient artifacts. All of these are extremely valuable." Ana examined the pile of papers, then looked up and realized the man had silently moved right in front of her. "So, what do you think? Are you in?" he asked, offering her his hand. Ana paused to consider her options, then nodded and took his hand.
