Vol. 3: Chapter 17
The morning of the invasion’s second day found Kael refreshed after a full night's rest. He was ready to make the journey from Elderbloom Valley to the Elderbloom Sanctuary proper.
A thick fog clung to the valley floor, creating a strange chill despite the bright sun high above. He pulled on his Soul Cloak and proceeded with caution.
The path was lined with exotic plants and vibrant, alien-looking flowers, but Kael didn't dare touch any of them. Though it was called Elderbloom Valley, the masters of the Sanctuary, the Valekeepers, were known to outsiders by a less welcoming title: the Masters of Venom and Remedy.
Any given flower could be a life-saving panacea one moment and a fatal toxin the next. Peeking beneath the lush foliage, he could see bones scattered in the undergrowth, and he couldn't tell if they were animal or human. One misstep, and he'd find himself respawning back at Ironclad Citadel with a multi-hour flight ahead of him.
After walking for half an hour, following a path etched into his memory, Kael arrived at the entrance to the Elderbloom Sanctuary. Two young men were at the gate, hauling baskets on shoulder poles, presumably filled with freshly harvested herbs.
Kael quickened his pace and greeted them with a friendly smile. "Excuse me, can I have a word?"
The herb-gatherers started at the sound of a stranger's voice. They turned, their eyes widening in surprise. "Who are you? How did you get here?"
From their expressions, Kael gathered they didn't receive many visitors. He quickly explained himself. "I've come from a distant village called Starlight. I was told to seek the Valekeeper's help for my brother's illness."
"Starlight Village? Never heard of it," the younger one said, shaking his head.
The older one was more cautious. "Who sent you? What business do you have with the Valekeeper?"
Kael scratched his head. "I'm not sure about the details. The man who sent me is Isaac, a healer from our village."
"Isaac?"
The two apprentices exchanged a confused glance. Clearly, the name meant nothing to them.
Kael figured they were too young; Healer Isaac’s dealings with the Sanctuary might have been decades ago. "I have a letter from him," he said quickly. "It describes my brother's condition. I'm sure it introduces him as well."
The older apprentice held out a hand. "Let me see it."
Kael wasn't about to hand over something so important. He shook his head. "No, this letter is for the Valekeeper's eyes only."
"Then you've come at a bad time," the younger one said. "The Valekeeper is in deep meditation. You won't be able to see him today."
"When will he be finished?" Kael pressed.
"Hard to say," the older one replied. "Could be a week."
Kael's heart sank. A week? Deep meditation can easily last longer than that, maybe even a month. I don't have that kind of time. I'll miss the entire defense of Starlight Village.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
As Kael stood there, trying to figure out his next move, a tall, striking woman with an air of authority emerged from within the Sanctuary.
The two apprentices immediately bowed their heads. "Lady Greenfield."
The woman gave them a slight nod. "Hurry up. I need those herbs for my work."
"Yes, ma'am!" they replied, quickly hauling their baskets inside.
The woman’s gaze then fell on Kael, her expression one of mild curiosity. Kael's jaw dropped. He recognized her instantly.
This was Aurelia—the future Valekeeper of Elderbloom Sanctuary. So, her family name is Greenfield.
He was about to call out to her, to plead his case, but she turned her head and walked inside without a word.
"Wait!" Kael took half a step forward to follow.
He was immediately hit with a sharp command. "Leave this place!"
A faint, sweet fragrance washed over him. A sense of alarm flared in his mind, but it was already too late. His thoughts grew hazy, his body heavy.
"Wait... why do you have my mother's..."
Kael heard Aurelia's surprised voice trail off as the world dissolved into blackness.
***
On the third day of the invasion, at the stroke of midnight, the system broadcasted two more critical messages in the wake of the spy-scam reveal.
System: Technology Upgrade Complete. The Armory has been restocked with new supplies.
System: The Points Leaderboard is now live and will update in real-time until the event concludes.
Both announcements were monumental. The quality of the Armory's stock would directly influence the final battle against the Burning Horde, while the leaderboard would determine the event's ultimate rewards.
Players swarmed the quartermaster, their priorities clear. A collective gasp went through the crowd as they inspected the new inventory.
"Holy shit, a 20,000 HP potion for only 10 points!"
"A hundred points for a party-wide +5% attack buff!"
"A thousand points for +1000 Strength for 15 seconds! That's insane!"
"And look at this, 1500 points for a Revival Charm."
"That's nothing! Scroll over, there are five pieces of Exalted gear for sale!" (Exalted-tier gear was rated higher than Ascendant, but below Mythic).
"Where? I don't see it."
"It's on a separate tab, marked 'Server Unique'."
"Oh, oh, I see it! Let's see the price... sixty thousand points?! Who the hell has that many points?!"
"You'd be surprised. Have you seen the leaderboard?"
"Let me check..."
Points Leaderboard:
Hazel: 65,178
Lila: 65,125
Rena: 64,957
Dreadfang: 54,338
SoulSpark: 54,135
LunaBloom: 54,131
SolarFlare: 53,225
IronRoot: 52,922
...
Caleb Mordant had been playing cautiously ever since his mistake during the Raid the Supply Depot quest. He had reacted quickly to the Apprehend the Spy mission, only missing the first Phantom Warbrute and successfully hunting down the other five. Even so, his team's point total was nowhere near the 60,000 mark.
MiraStorm hadn't slept at all. She was glued to the leaderboard, ready to wake her guild leaders the second anyone threatened their top spots.
The entire server was buzzing with an electric excitement. The new system updates, combined with the anticipation of the final battle, had everyone on edge. For three straight days, players had been grinding quests and earning points, all to prepare themselves for this single, climactic fight.
But while the masses were focused on the impending invasion, one player was engaged in something else entirely.
In the secluded heat of a private forge, a shirtless man stood over an anvil. In his hand, he held an Exalted hammer—the Starcrusher Maul. With rhythmic, powerful swings, he hammered away at two weapons that were slowly taking shape on the block.
He worked like a relentless automaton, oblivious to the passage of time, his movements precise and relentless. Before him, under the ceaseless blows, the two weapons began to gleam with an inner light.
VMMMMMM—
The dim forge erupted in a blinding flash of light, a radiance so brilliant it rivaled the sun.
At the same instant, a new message flashed across every player's screen.
System: Player Gilded Hand has forged two Exalted-tier weapons!
The announcement hit the Earth server like a shockwave.