"Fine, I'll pay you as much as you'd wish. Regardless of how absurd the price is, I'll make sure that I find a way to pay you!" Drevic insisted rising to his feet. Still the two remained unmoved as Jarren opened the exit for him. Seeing his efforts turn futile, he could only let out a sharp sigh as he took his leave.
'It would be foolish of me to provoke this bastard of a butler!' He cursed inwardly as he made his way to he door. Now alone in the halls, he grit his teeth as he took his leave.
...
"Your coach has been prepared, miss." Jarren mused flatly, his eyes half open glancing at Lyssara. "Perfect, carry me." Still, she wanted to see if he would break from his act however much to her dismay, he didn't falter. "Of course miss." His tone calm as he went on his knees showing his back, serving as a mount for her.
Rising to his feet, the two made their way down the halls and out the reception where they checked out. Their frame attracted strange glances however for the two, neither seemed to care as they made they way to the front of the establishment where Lyssara's coach was. Gently placing her down, he opened the door for her boarding and gently shut the door behind her.
"Make it quick, you wouldn't want to disturb mother, now would you?" Jarren flashed a smirk as he made his way to the coach seat and grabbed hold of the reins. "No we wouldn't." Still maintaining his act and slowly the coach pulled out of the inn and onto the road. By now the sun had set, darkness already creeping in.
Their arrival at the gate raised brows. "It's far too dangerous for you to out at a time like this, it would be better to wait till tomorrow for you to leave." One of the guards posed, in his hand a gun strapped over his shoulder and the other a spear.
His attire rowdy as the air around him seemed stern and grim. Not far from where the two were bodies could be seen hauled away, a testament of how cruel and unruly the tide could be. "It would be in your best interest that you let us pass." Jarren's eyes glimmering in the flickering light of the torches.
Back at the streets of Dunvale, lamps of gold lit the town however some of them were missing. Some scavenged and meant to serve as alloys for the manufacture of firearms for the Motley Court. The man glanced at the coach, ordinary at first glance however he knew the man he conversed with wasn't ordinary.
"Your wish." He gave in, reaching for his radio and cooing some words. The loud groan of the gates could be heard open, people from the town baffled with who would bother to go this late at night. Once gaining clearance, the torches that lit up the carriage turned into a star for the coach in the darkness.
The road ahead was rather smooth, the path ahead well lit and what the left behind a thing of the past. Neither cared about the outcome of the town, both aware that it would meet its demise the day after. Alone in the coach with silence as her companion, Lyssara recalled about the mask gifted to her.
Still, a flash of hesitance made her falter from putting it on. Recalling her estoc, a part of her was intrigued of what the mask would affect her in the game and with a final sigh of acceptance, she took it out of her inventory and assessed it. There were no whispers, no odd guttural instincts warning her to put the mask away.
She looked at the work, the way the mask would shine at the illumination at the light of the torches outside. Something about it's glow put her at ease but not to make her raise her guard, just enough to make her wonder what would become of her is she did.
...
The darkness of the night shifted and replaced with the sharp glow of the sun beaming down on her. Still the realism of the place had utterly fooled and amazed her. Recalling the mask, she put it on unlike with the one prior, there were no notifications flooding her vision or anything that jumped out to her.
[{Congratulations on completing your first floor}]
It was then that it clicked for her, recalling how sudden the last fight was before she was summoned by Jarren into the white oblivion. Her estoc flashed in her hand, the game didn't bother with notifying her of the weapon that glistened in the sun's rays.
[{Due to an unexpected error, any items acquired in the last dive were lost as well as any form of experience}]
'Of course.' She sighed recalling the absurdity of the game. 'I might as well redo the entire floor once more.' She scowled at Jarren aware that he knew the consequences of the mask and yet he pushed her through it.
[{New function unlocked from completing the first floor}]
[{You are favored by the creators of this world. This affects your encounters with the people of this world and the type of items that you will receive}]
[{Due to the ownership of an unranked weapon, no weapons past the rarity of epic will be given to you}]
The piece of information taking her by surprise before her brows began to furrow. 'It would seem that there is more to it than just a simple clear.' She sighed ready for another dive. This time she chose the estoc and the crossbow, certain that she would gain some benefit with the long distance weapon.
'This should be able to take care of those persistent pests.' Her frame entered the cave arriving at the first floor once more. 'It would be too reckless of me to leave the first floor should there be an item of use to me in the second floor. After all an item would make the dive far more tolerable than one without it.'
The walls of the cave now familiar to her and as expected smaller mobs of enemies began to appear.
*Whoosh-Whoosh-Whoosh
Quick with the trigger, she shot multiple arrows that much to her surprise weren't regular arrows but black fire bolts of inferno that completely lit the small pack of rats ablaze. She froze, glancing at the weapon before realizing that it had something to do with the mask. Now intrigued she began to test a theory.
With the lack of information from the game, she knew that she would have to fill in the gaps herself. She shot down the empty hallway, a burst of three black bolts lighting the way till a heavy thud echoed in her ears. 'Looks like I'll have to call this skill... Black Bolt.'
[{The skill Black Bolt has been acknowledged by the system}]
A metallic voice echoed in her mind that made her curios of what she had to as a player. Before she could take another step, another piece of notification obstructed her vision.
[{The player Seryn has joined the game}]
With a dive already commenced, she would have to wait before partying up with Seryn for a dive. Some screeches drew her attention as she waved the message away and once more, three black bolts shot out ending the lives of the rats as usual. A faint grin flashed beneath her smile as she went deeper into the first floor.
'I wonder how the first fight with the elite will go.' She couldn't help but wonder, her path completely clear of any mobs.
*Shriek*
A sound made her figure flinch, her grip on the crossbow tightening before the source was visible to her. With a look of disgust, she didn't hesitate as she shot out an array of black bolts at the creature that blocked her path. It was a gnawlings and it's presence all the way out here made her wonder.
'Will I face a new set of enemies this time?' With how mysterious the game turned out to be with each turn, she could only expect the unexpected. A few more steps followed before she made her way to the first elite. This time the scenery had changed once more, this time the metallic platform was gone, replaced with a regular cave that made her spine tingle.
Her crimson eyes darted from corner to corner of the room, faint whispers ringing in her ears.
*Boom*
A loud figure crashed from the ceiling and much to her dismay it was her least favorite elite to face, the Broodgnaw.
[{Kill the Broodgnaw Matriarch}]
Her instructions clear to which she didn't hesitated as she brought out her estoc.
[{Echo Step}]
Before the Broodgnaw could start it's first phase, Lyssara was already a few feet away from it and with a slash of her blade lit the beast ablaze. It's shriek further driving her to perform her second attack as she leapt into the air raining down bolts of black fire onto the womb of the Broodgnaw Matriarch.
Its cries persisted and now fearful of Lyssara, it dug into the ground for an escape. She could already tell that she was far stronger than her previous dive. Her body was loose and quick, the shrieks that would slow her movements now not an issue for her to deal with. 'It would seem that Miss Callista is fine with this item then.'
Unsure why recalling Jarren's words but she was glad that she could finally clear the first floor. Her curiosity of the latter floors drove her insane and it would seem that her questions would finally be answered.
[{Echo Step}]
Now in the next room, unlike last time the Broodgnaw Matriarch was missing which unnerved her. 'It would seem that it won't be as easy as I thought.' Her thoughts interrupted with a snarl, the Broodgnaw Matriarch flashing it's teeth at her. Without a care it charged at her rather than feast on it's own kin.
Still she didn't back down from the clash, her estoc easily cleaving through the tough exterior of the skull exposing a deep gnash on the beast. Before the beast could back away, she persisted with her attack as she followed this with her crossbow attack pelting not just the matriarch but the entire room in flames.
The fire that writhed around her highlighting the monster than wore the mask. No longer was she the prey, now she was something completely reborn and reforged from her past mistakes. 'Look at you, playing with your toy.' Callista's words echoed in her mind that made her freeze. "What?!" Her face portraying her shock as she recalled of the fight she was in backing away from the Broodgnaw.
The beast now covered in flames and with no other means of recuperation chose a last ditch effort and let out a shriek, a move she was wary off.
[{Blood Cry}]
Shielding her face with her estoc, her flames began to waver with the wave of sound that threatened to make her deaf.
[{70% of your health has been depleted}]
A message that made her face turn sour as she saw the wounds she had inflicted on the Broodgnaw begin to heal.
[{Echo Step}]
'You're going to regret that!' She vowed with her tuck in hand gleaming with raw power and with a vertical slash manage to end the beast in a single blow. The feat taking her by surprise. 'It's not bad however it would be better to have you suffer, but with Seryn around she should be a more fitting candidate.'
And with that Callista's words ceased to echo in her mind. 'So they can see my progress and converse with me.' She sighed as she swung her blade to the side wiping the blood clean off her estoc. Returning it back to her sheath, a notification caught her by surprise.
[{You have received the skill Infernal Reclamation I}]
[{This skill allows you to make lesser than mimics of the foes faced. These copies can be used for assault, stealth or scout. The amount of mimics formed is tied to limit of enemies marked under Vampiric Mark}]
Reading through this, she was intrigued. Eager to test out the skill as she made her way to the next elite.