The moment I stepped inside, Tin-can’s voice chimed in, “Welcome home, Miss Charlie. I am sorry about what happened. You had a visi—”
“Hello, Tin-can,” I cut him off, waving dismissively at the camera perched on top of the TV. “Not now. No hard feelings, but I need to play. Bye.” I tossed my shoes next to the capsule, along with the rest of my things, including the bag Lucas gave me, and dove into the game.
Logging back in, I found myself in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by the comforting scent of pine and the quiet hum of the forest. I took a deep breath, inhaling that earthy sweetness. Who ever said our reality was better than this? Jogging along the dirt path, I passed a few wolves burying themselves in the mud, barely sparing them a glance. My mind was already racing ahead, focused on getting to the Main Village Number Four.
<table style="background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(52, 52, 52, 1); margin: 10px auto; width: 90%; border: none; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 2px">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: left; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(245, 245, 245, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">[Lucas] Where are you?
[Princess] Meet me at the auction house.
[Lucas] Roger, ETA 20 minutes.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Unlike the wilderness, the village was brimming with clever design and charm. The elves had chosen their location well, nestled between a mountain and a winding river. Thanks to this, they could farm around the village, and as I approached, I passed many tiny farms scattered like dirty bottles in the morning bar.
It was a win-win situation, because they got a wood they needed for their houses by clearing the trees nearby and creating more farmland at the same time. Their wooden houses didn’t have any order, like in the big cities down by the river; they lacked the modern urban planning. Some of them rotted away, some of them were on a verge of falling apart.
Players were even trudging along the same path as me, pulling heavy stones, trees, or bags of something. Ah yes, the early quests were preparing them for the life. I might have joined them in a different simulation.
Here?
Sure, it was nice and immersive, but compared to a fight with a werewolf? Not really my speed. So I couldn’t help but grin as the crowds of players passed, each absorbed in tasks that were little more than fantasy day labor.
Navigating the village wasn’t hard, thanks to my trusty minimap that traced my path wherever I went. Not that I’d need it—my destination, the auction house, towered above the rest, its pointed green roof reaching skyward like an elf’s ears. Imaginative, devs. Very subtle.
Although the auction house was built to host hundreds, only a handful of players loitered here now, their purses as light as an empty whiskey bottle.
Why the Main Village Number Four, when there were dozens of other options? Simple: a few interesting people were based here. Not everyone, of course, but at least two that mattered to me. And besides, at Village Number Seventeen was a juicy exploit and my favorite warrior streamer, Katherine.
As I made my way inside, I searched for Ryan. Back in the day, before the game, he was a small-time entrepreneur, but he moved straight to the auction house when the game launched.
Months later, when I ran into him at the bar, he’d gone on and on about how Irwen had killed him personally—it was painful to listen to. We’d talked more than once, mostly because he was somehow related to Patrick, maybe a third cousin or something like that.
Originally, I’d planned to meet him only after leveling up a decent character, but time wasn’t exactly on my side. Thanks to my worn-out clothes, I blended right in; no one gave me a second glance as I walked in. Here, players could rent private booths and act as clerks if they wanted. Ryan had rented one, so I headed over. Faster, dammit!
Out of all the booths, the one he choose, was the most “reasonably priced,” which meant it was the cheapest. Two wooden poles held together a rough counter, with a piece of moldy old cloth draped between them as a makeshift roof—even though the booth was indoors.
“Hello, Ryan!” I greeted him with a smile and extended a hand. This younger version of Ryan could still get touchy about his bald head—one of his two big no-nos, along with haggling. But, for a guy pushing fifty, he was in great shape, and my heart felt steady. Lucas, Patrick, and Ryan were fine for casual chat, but Ian triggered my random panic attacks? What was up with that?
“Welcome, miss. Do we know each other?” he asked, shaking my hand while giving me a sharp, business-like once-over.
I grinned and mentioned that Old Patrick had spoken highly of him, which brought me here to trade. His eyes lit up, and he leaned over the counter, his hands just grazing its edge. “Old Patrick, you say? Ha! Haven’t seen him in over two years! Did he show you that picture of us from our army days?”
The game was so realistic, it even captured Ryan’s habit of spitting, and I instinctively took a step back, shaking my head. “No, he didn’t mention that—just pulled out an old photo of you with the president. You are someone with connections, aren’t you? Now, let’s get to business. Please appraise this.” I handed him the mace.
He eased back into his chair, examining the mace and even giving it a few knocks. Just use appraisal, Ryan. Time is of the essence! I nearly let my frustration slip, but held back. After a thorough inspection, he placed it on the counter and nodded thoughtfully. “Hm, a very good item. Players are leveling up in the dungeon right now, so this is prime time to sell. I think we can get a high price—around five gold.”
I bit my lip, considering, and let out a sigh. “But I need cash, and I need it fast,” I said.
His eyebrows shot up, and he gave me an uncomfortable, direct stare. “Ah, I see. For a second, I thought you were questioning my appraisal.” He paused thoughtfully. “Alright, we could get the money within the hour if we set the price at four gold. Or, you could sell it to me directly for… twenty-seven silvers.”
One gold was ten silvers, one silver a hundred coppers. Damn, Ryan—you can smell my desperation, can’t you? I sighed again, giving in to his absurd offer. “Thanks, Ryan. And what’s the current exchange rate for gold to real money?”
“The price of gold pieces has surged. Originally, it was ten gold to one credit; now it’s two credits per gold. What were they thinking with that initial rate? Hardly anyone was selling gold back then! The whole point of this game was to build an economy, so of course the price shot up.”
I shot Lucas a quick message to move his ass and grinned as Ryan and I shifted to our favorite topic: the game’s economy. “Oh, let me tell you about…”
While waiting for Lucas, Ryan and I chatted about the economy and upcoming features that might be added. NPC clerks had three windows, but only one was ever staffed, so you either had to wait in line or ask Ryan. So that’s how he built his starting capital.
After a while, my identification expert showed up. “Lucas! Over here!” I waved, giving him a welcoming grin. Lucas stumbled around a few crates, and as soon as he was within range, I shoved the staff and books I’d picked up in the dungeon into his hands.
I waved goodbye to Ryan, grabbed my trusty mage by the hand, and dashed toward the carpenter’s shop. Lucas looked completely bewildered, so I shot him a reassuring grin. Don’t worry—everything’s under control.
“Charlie, calm down. I know we need money, but there’s no need to get this worked up.”
Thankfully, there was no line at the carpenter’s, so we hurried in as I replied, “Yes, yes. I won’t rest until we’ve got ten thousand in our account.”
A frail old elf was hunched over a half-finished bow when I interrupted him. “I need to learn your craft, please. And I need a saw, a chisel, and a knife.”
The elf looked up from his work, his eyes crinkling. “Yes, of course. I’m always happy to teach young cra—”
I dropped six silvers and five coppers onto the table. “I need it fast, please! Lives depend on it!”
He sighed, shaking his head. “Young folks these days, always in a rush. Craftsmanship takes time, young lady. But so be it. Twenty-five coppers for the skill, and four silvers for the tools.”
“Deal! I’ll take it as a secondary job.” I accepted as quickly as I could.
<table style="background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 75, 122, 0.93); margin: 10px auto; width: 90%; border: none; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 2px; padding: 0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">[You have learned the secondary job: Carpentry]
[You bought carpenter tools]
[You lost 245 coppers]</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
I grabbed Lucas’s hand again—still very confused—and we rushed over to the alchemy and the enchanter’s shop. The owner had organized it like a cluttered warehouse, filled to the brim with ingredients, scrolls, potions, glassware, and more.
A lingering smell of something burned hung in the air, reminding me of that time I’d raided Felix, the storm-breaker; his potions had been a real pain. I skimmed quickly through the scrolls, my eyes landing on the two I’d been searching for.
<table style="background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 75, 122, 0.93); margin: 10px auto; border: none; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 2px; padding: 5px 15px">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">
<table style="margin: auto">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th style="text-align: center; padding-bottom: 5px" colspan="2">[Rune of Intelligence]</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">Quality: </td>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">1-common</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">Effect:</td>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">Adds intelligence to the equipment</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">Ingredients:</td>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">1x Enchanting powder</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">Price:</td>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">20c</td>
</tr>
<tr></tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table style="background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 75, 122, 0.93); margin: 10px auto; border: none; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 2px; padding: 5px 15px">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">
<table style="margin: auto">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th style="text-align: center; padding-bottom: 5px" colspan="2">[Rune of Fire Resistance]</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">Quality: </td>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">1-common</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">Effect:</td>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">Adds fire resistance to the armor</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">Ingredients:</td>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">1x Enchanting powder, 1x Essence of Fire</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">Price:</td>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">1g</td>
</tr>
<tr></tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Though the price was steep, I had no choice but to accept it—the runes were essential for my plans. The enchanting powder was cheap enough, only one silver for a bag of 100, but the Essence of Fire came in at a whopping two silvers apiece.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
The lady at the counter, with her long gray hair and a warm smile, looked over the scrolls I brought forward. “Planning to enchant, are we?”
“Yes, that’s the idea,” I replied. “I’ll start with a basic intelligence enchantment, and once I’ve got the hang of it, I’ll move on to Fire Resistance.”
She grinned, placing her hand on my items and giving them a quick once-over. “Sounds like a solid plan. Want me to teach you the basics of enchanting? If you’re buying these scrolls and ingredients, I’ll throw in a lesson for free.” I nodded eagerly and quickly added three more bags of powder and three Essence of Fire to the pile.
<table style="background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 75, 122, 0.93); margin: 10px auto; width: 90%; border: none; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 2px; padding: 0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">[You have learned the primary job: Enchanting]
[You bought Enchanting powder bag x6]
[You bought Essence of Fire x3]
[You lost 2220 coppers]</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table style="background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 75, 122, 0.93); margin: 10px auto; width: 90%; border: none; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 2px; padding: 0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">[You learned: Rune of little intelligence]
[You learned: Rune of Fire Resistance]</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
The shopping spree had drained my funds completely, leaving me with almost no money—or time. I grabbed Lucas and practically dragged him out of the shop, heading toward the village outskirts. Faster! Or so I thought—until he yanked me back. Ouch.
“Charlie, hold up! What the brick are you doing? Let’s talk about what’s going on here. Yesterday, today… Forget about the money for a second. We need to think this through.”
“Lucas, my mage with one foot in the grave, let me do my thing! If any problems pop up, I’ll just drink them away!” I shot back, giving him a playful punch on the shoulder—my favorite motto in action.
Classic me: never solving problems, just running from them. Lucas sighed, clearly unimpressed with my problem-solving philosophy.
I dragged Lucas past the farms, and as we entered the forest, the rustling leaves and chirping birds filled the air. The fresh scent of wood hit me, but I ignored it, scanning the area for a decent branch.
I spotted a low-hanging twig within reach and gripped it with both hands, pulling with all my might. It creaked, but my pitiful strength wasn’t enough. “Come on!” I muttered, planting my feet against the trunk for leverage and yanking with everything I had.
Finally, it snapped, coming down with a loud crack that cost me six hit points—not that it mattered, as I healed it right away. Being a healer is perfect for a masochist.
As I worked on cleaning up the piece of wood, Lucas sat on the ground, a sad look in his eyes as he watched me. Silly Lucas, I thought, everything I’m doing is for your sake.
<table style="background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 75, 122, 0.93); margin: 10px auto; width: 90%; border: none; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 2px; padding: 0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">[You created Broken Spear]</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table style="background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 75, 122, 0.93); margin: 10px auto; border: none; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 2px; padding: 5px 15px">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">
<table style="margin: auto">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th style="text-align: center; padding-bottom: 5px" colspan="2"><strong style="color: rgba(157, 157, 157, 1)">[Broken Spear]</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">Quality: </td>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">0-broken</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">ATK:</td>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">1-1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">Durability:</td>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">1/1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)" colspan="2"><em style="color: rgba(204, 221, 255, 1) !important">This spear is a disgrace to their brethren; it will break on first hit</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
What a lovely item I’d crafted, right? Opening the enchanting window, I noticed it looked almost identical to the magic interface, except it only had two rune slots. I selected the [Rune of Intelligence] and watched the tutorial. Easy enough.
With an intentionally shaky hand, I sprinkled the sparkling powder unevenly around the spear, then clumsily tried to trace the rune with my improvised stick. Honestly, I couldn’t have drawn it right even if I’d been trying.
<table style="background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 75, 122, 0.93); margin: 10px auto; width: 90%; border: none; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 2px; padding: 0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">[You failed to enchant the Broken Spear]
[The item had lost 1 durability]
[The item Broken Spear is Broken]
[You failed to enchant the item, you lost 1 enchanting XP]
[You lost 1 rank in a job. Operation terminated; the level of the job is zero]</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Reaching into my inventory, I grabbed a chisel and used it to “repair” the spear. With that done, I ‘tried’ the enchantment process again.
<table style="background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 75, 122, 0.93); margin: 10px auto; width: 90%; border: none; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 2px; padding: 0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">[The item Broken Spear is now repaired]
…
[You lost 2 ranks in a job. Operation terminated; the level of the job is zero]</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Yes! As I attempted to enchant the weapon again, the internal counter ticked up another rank. This was it—one step closer to greatness!
Lucas watched Charlie for what felt like an hour, his gaze filled with sadness and despair.
She was dusting a tree branch with powder.
Then she traced a rune in the air.
Then she set the branch on fire.
Then she tapped it with a chisel—and started the entire process over again.
Hundreds of times.
He shouldn’t have brought her into this. No, he shouldn’t have gone to the loan sharks in the first place! But that wasn’t who he was; he had to go, had to ask, had to play the stupid game. Charlie had told him to stop, but he hadn’t listened. And now? His best friend John was gone because of him. How was he supposed to live with that?
This Charlie was even crazier than the old Charlie.
She ran barefoot through the game like her life was on the line, not his. It was his fault she’d gone off the deep end, lighting branches on fire over and over. For him. His eyes grew heavy, and he couldn’t hold back the tears. Why was this happening? Strangely, the flames Charlie conjured had a calming effect, and he felt himself drifting off, lulled by the steady rhythm.