Quest Complete: Crownshatter!
- 1000 EXP
- Ring of the Masked Thief
The rush of energy that followed was almost overwhelming, practically euphoric. In my hand appeared a small silver ring, intricately crafted into the shape of a snake devouring its own tail. Its surface gleamed with a polished sheen, and the delicate scales etched along its length gave it an almost lifelike texture. The snake's eyes, though devoid of color, seemed to shimmer with an eerie vitality, as if watching me with quiet intent. It was a piece that felt both ancient and purposeful, exuding an aura of quiet power.
Ring of the Masked Thief (Uncommon)
This ring once belonged to an unknown thief who targeted the nobles of Irisvale.
- +5 Looting (cannot be upgraded further until the Looting skill is acquired)
- +6 Astral Body
"Finally!" I muttered, grinning to myself. This ring would bring me one step closer to achieving my hoarder dream. Having one hundred hides in my inventory that I never get to use is important for adventuring.
Sure, it sucked that the skill bonus was tied to the ring, but I couldn’t complain, it was better than nothing.
I quickly pulled up my status to check my progress.
Name: Alex
Titles: Ascendant (???)
Level: 56 (16234 / 16,530 EXP)
Attributes:
- Astral Body: 41 (+6)
- Astral Mind: 75 (+4)
- Astral Spirit: 44 (+6)
Skills:
- Levitation (Common) - Level 18
- Manifestation (Common) - Level 39
- Astral Sight (Common) - Level 19 (+4)
- Inspection (Common) - Level 17
- Astral Echo (Unique) - Level 6
- Looting (Uncommon) - Level 5
I glanced at my temporary team. They were busy checking their own rewards, grinning as they scrolled through their menus.
“Good shit?” I asked.
Llin waved a gleaming new dagger in the air. “Hell yes! This beauty can cut through armor like butter.”
Joro proudly donned a new helmet with improved visibility.
Thal held up a ring with a satisfied smile. “This stores healing charges. Perfect for emergencies.”
Sylvan admired an intricate earring. “Mine adds range to my spells!”
Bel grinned as he inspected a feather he attached to his bowstring. “This adjusts my arrows for wind automatically. Neat, huh?”
“I got a Looting ring,” I said, holding up the snake-like band. “Want me to take care of the boss?”
Llin shot me a pout. “Hey, don’t steal my job!”
The group erupted into laughter, but Sylvan shook her head. “We should let Llin handle it. Her skill level’s higher than yours.”
Joro muttered under his breath, “That’s all she’s good for anyway.”
Llin spun around and socked him in the shoulder. She instantly regretted it, shaking out her sore fist. That only made us laugh harder.
“Whatever,” she huffed, kneeling beside the amalgamation’s remains. She activated her looting skill, drawing out the usual blob of energy, but this time it came with two additional items: a crown and a scepter.
Bel inspected them carefully. “Both rare items. The scepter enhances magical attacks, while the crown allows you to multitask much more easily.”
Everyone was buzzing with excitement, but Bel turned to me. “Alex, you should pick one. It’s only fair.”
I hesitated. The crown was tempting, but it didn’t match my fighting style, at least, not yet, and I already had the circlet.
“Actually, I think Sylvan should take the scepter, and you should keep the crown, Bel.”
Are you certain?” he asked, pulling a small ring from his pocket. “Then Take this instead. It’s an uncommon Ring of Holding. The storage space is about the size of a closet. It’s not as fancy as these, but it’s useful.”
He handed it to me before I could argue. “We all have one already, and we still owe you.”
“No, you don’t. You’ve helped me plenty,” I said.
Sylvan patted my back. “It’s nothing. We’ve got about an hour left before we have to leave. Ask us anything.”
Thal added, “You’ll also need your share of the energy crystals.”
Bel nodded. “We’re close to having enough for the entrance fee.”
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“Entrance fee?” I asked.
Bel explained, “There’s a tournament held every few years. You have to be between Level 100 and 200 to enter. The winning team gets a legendary item and a bunch of skill books.”
Llin lit up. “There are three contests! An unanchored world run, a team battle, and individual duels.”
“That sounds awesome!” I paused. “Wait… how do you measure time here?”
They burst into laughter, and Sylvan showed me a crystal device resembling a phone. “This is an astral calendar. It uses energy to measure time.”
Joro added, “The tournament’s usually held in an unanchored world. They only share the location last-minute to prevent cheating. We’ve got about a month.”
Then Bel and Sylvan exchanged a look before turning to me.
“Alex, would you like to join our team?”
“Are you sure? I’m still a noob.”
Llin laughed. “Oh, we noticed.”
Sylvan shushed her. “You risked your life to save Joro.”
Joro nodded. “And you’ve got great instincts. A few more runs, and you’ll be ready.”
I grinned. “Then I’d be honored. Thank you!”
Llin hugged me, and Joro gave me a shoulder pat that nearly knocked me over.
Sylvan handed me a simple pendant. “This lets you contact me when we’re both in the astral. You can also share your location.”
Llin tossed me a small bag that clinked when I caught it. “Thirty uncommon energy crystals. You’ll need seventy more for the entrance fee.”
“Thanks. Can I ask one more thing?”
Bel nodded.
“Can you tell me more about auras ?”
Thal lit up. “Certainly. Alex, you have the Astral Sight skill, right?”
I nodded.
“Activate it and look at us one at a time.”
I did, filtering out the overwhelming golden threads around me.
Thal’s aura glowed vibrant green, reminding me of my mother. Tears welled up in my eyes.
Sylvan rubbed my back. “His aura is attuned to life. It brings memories of loved ones.”
I nodded, wiping my face. Sylvan’s aura was electric blue, like a storm.
Joro’s was earthy brown, steady and solid.
Bel’s was light green and gold, evoking images of a lush forest.
Finally, Llin’s aura was dark and elusive, like a shadow slipping through my fingers.
“Now look at your own,” Thal instructed.
My aura was pure gold, but I didn’t feel anything inspecting it.
“Your aura hasn’t been attuned yet,” Thal explained. “It’s neutral right now, capable of mimicking other auras, but only to a weaker degree. This is normal until you discover your path.”
“How do I figure it out?”
“Introspection,” Thal said. “The more aligned your aura is with your true self, the more powerful it becomes. You’ll also be able to reinforce it with natural treasures.”
Bel chimed in, “But don’t rush it. The answer’s already within you. You just need to uncover it.”
I nodded, making a mental note to ask Velarion about this later.
The team answered every question I had until it was time to leave.
“We’ll probably won’t project for a few days to sell items,” Sylvan said.
“Thanks. I’ll work on leveling up in the meantime,” I replied.
One by one, they hugged me before dissolving into golden light.
“Until next time!”
I sat alone against the throne, the pull on the golden tether growing harder to ignore.
I occupied myself by thinking about new strategies, replaying every fight in my head. I’d been neglecting one of my most essential skills: levitation. It wasn’t just for getting around, I needed to start integrating it into my combat techniques. With the extended range of my manifested constructs, it could open up an entirely new approach.
As I mulled over the possibilities, the familiar tear in reality appeared. Velarion stepped through, its towering presence filling the throne room like a storm cloud.
It regarded me with its sharp gaze, the glow of its astral body casting flickering shadows against the cracked walls. “Hmm, you’re still alive,” it said, voice tinged with a mix of disdain and surprise. It began pacing the room, its hooves echoing faintly against the stone floor. When it reached the smoking remains of the boss, it stopped and inspected the heap with a critical eye. “You even fought this thing. You’re not as hopeless as I thought. Color me impressed.”
I was getting tired of its abrasive personality, the constant undercurrent of judgment in its words. If Velarion couldn’t crush me like an insect, I might’ve snapped back, but I swallowed the retort. Instead, I said simply, “I didn’t do it alone.”
Velarion’s gaze snapped back to me, sharp and unyielding. “Who was here?”
I hesitated but relayed everything that had happened, the elves, the fight, the loot. Velarion listened silently, its expression unreadable, then spoke. “You got extremely lucky. What did I tell you about trusting strangers?”
I tried to act casual, brushing off the warning. “It’s not like I had much of a choice. They would’ve tried something either way. Besides, you were watching, right?” I asked, attempting to sound confident.
The stag snorted, a harsh, dismissive sound. “No, I wasn’t. I have other responsibilities. In fact, we’re wasting time already.”
That admission hit harder than I’d expected. I’d always felt Velarion’s presence in the back of my mind, a safety net that had given me confidence to take risks. The idea that it hadn’t been watching made my stomach turn. No, it’s just messing with me. Yeah, that’s got to be it.
I cleared my throat and shifted gears. “So, we started talking about auras. Can you give me some tips on how to get started?”
Velarion let out a loud, exasperated snort. “You’ve only been introduced to this for two days. You need to focus on the basics first. The elves you met live in a society where the astral is a fundamental part of life, they’ve been taught to align with personal truths since birth.”
It nudged me gently toward the portal, its massive frame effortlessly commanding me to move.
“You, on the other hand, need to focus on getting stronger. But I guess there’s no harm in thinking about your aura, but don’t expect any miracles.”
We stepped through the portal, and I found myself back in my bedroom. My body was still sprawled on the bed, clutching the homemade spear I’d taken into the astral. The sight was almost comical. I couldn’t help but cringe. Thank god nothing happened to me, not because I was afraid to die, but because if someone found my corpse like this… holding a spear I’d made in my kitchen… I’d never live it down.
“By the way,” I asked hesitantly, “what happens if I die in the astral?”
Velarion fixed me with a look so scathing it made me flinch. “Then you die,” it said flatly, as if I’d just asked the most obvious question in the universe.
Yeah, figures… I shifted uncomfortably, then decided to press on. “So, I’ve been meaning to ask… how do worlds become unanchored? The elves I met didn’t seem to know much about it.”
For a moment, Velarion seemed almost thoughtful, its eyes glinting like polished stone. “Energy allocation would be as complicated for you as quantum physics is to a fish.”
“But you said Earth stopped producing Ascendants…” I started, only for Velarion to cut me off.
“It takes a very long time for worlds to become unanchored, long even by my timescale, let alone yours.”
I wanted to push further, to pry some deeper truth out of it, but its tone made it clear the conversation was over. Fine. I’ll figure it out myself.
Changing tactics, I asked, “Okay, what about the tournament? Do you think it’s a good idea for me to enter?”
Velarion tilted its head, considering. “It might be. We’ll see how you progress.”
Before I could respond, it nudged me toward my body with an unceremonious shove. No goodbyes, no parting words, just the same abruptness that defined every interaction with it.
I sat up in my bed, back in the physical world. The golden tether was gone, and the weight of the astral faded from my mind like the remnants of a dream. But Velarion’s words lingered, and I couldn’t help but feel that the stakes were rising faster than I could keep up.