I leave the cavern behind, pendant tucked safely away, and follow the twisting paths back to the overmap point. With a thought, I return to the settlement, appearing just outside its flimsy gate. The undead soldier trails me, sword still held at a ready angle. I push through the gate, ignoring the stares of a few adventurers who've seen me come and go in rapid succession. Let them gossip. I have more pressing matters.
The clerk barely looks up when I approach the counter. He's busy stacking parchments, taking stock of who knows what. I drop the pendant on the wood with a dull thump. He glances down, eyes widening slightly.
"You got it," he says. "Didn't expect that." He picks it up, inspects it under a weak lantern, then nods. "Well done. Here's your reward." He slides over a pouch of coins and a slip of parchment. My vision flickers:
Quest Complete: Retrieve the Lost Pendant from Thorne's Gulch
Reward: 150 EXP, 50 Coins, Minor Artifact Fragment (1)
A fourth fragment. Perfect. My level nudges up, not enough for a full gain, but I'm close to Level 6 now. I also find something else in the pouch: a thin, lacquered slip of wood covered in runes. A skill scroll, perhaps. I focus on it, and text flares before my eyes:
Skill Scroll: Summon Undead Archer (UC-Tier).
Requires Level 5 Battle Summoner. You meet the requirements.
Use Skill Scroll? Yes/No
I don't hesitate. "Yes." The scroll vanishes in a shimmer of particles, and a surge of power ripples through me. I open my status panel.
[Status Window]
Name: Cid Tassadin
Class: Battle Summoner (Tier 1)
Level: 5 (EXP near next level)
HP: 100/100
MP: 45/45
Stamina: 100/100
Strength: 14
Agility: 12
Vitality: 15
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 10
Luck: 8
Available Attribute Points: 0
Skills & Abilities:
Summon Undead Soldier (C-Tier)Summon Undead Archer (UC-Tier) [New!]Basic Swordplay (Passive)Analyze (Basic)Summoner's Command (Passive)
Inventory:
Battered Longsword (Common)Patched Leather Armor (Common)Wolf Pelts, Bone Fragments, Scorpion Carapace, Serpent ScalesArtifact Fragments (3 Minor, 1 Regular) Total: 4Coins: 120
A new summon at UC-Tier is a step up. My soldier is C-Tier, basic and loyal. The archer might provide ranged support, increasing my odds in tougher battles. Of course, my max summons is still one at a time, unless I find a way to increase that limit. Battle Summoner sounds grand, but right now it's just me and my undead lackeys, one at a time.
I think back to the clerk's words about combining fragments. There must be a method. I glance around the settlement. It's a rough place, half-broken huts and a shabby guild hall. If anyone knows about artifacts, it might be one of the older adventurers or maybe a traveling merchant. I recall seeing a figure by the far end of the fence line—a cloaked stranger selling odd trinkets. Might be worth a look.
I walk across the uneven ground, my footsteps quiet. The undead soldier follows, silent. The stranger is there, hunched over a low table spread with rags and metal scraps. As I approach, the figure raises a hooded head. I can't see their face clearly, but I feel their gaze.
"Need something special?" the voice asks, neither high nor low, a rasp that gives nothing away.
I lay a single artifact fragment on the table. "I need to know what I can do with these."
The merchant tilts their head. "Fragments. You're collecting them. Good. With enough fragments, one can form a Lesser Artifact—an item that can raise the tier of a summon or push the summoner's limits." A thin hand emerges from the cloak, tapping the fragment. "You need at least three of the same quality to form a Lesser Artifact. You have three minor and one normal fragment. Minor and normal fragments aren't the same quality. They won't fuse neatly."
I frown. "So I need either three minor fragments or three normal fragments of the same type?"
"Exactly." The merchant rummages under the table and produces a small pouch. "If you need more fragments, you must seek them in harder dungeons. Or buy them." The hint is clear.
I open my coin pouch. "How much for another minor fragment?"
"Fifty coins," the merchant says, voice flat.
Steep. But I need power. My hand hovers over my coin pouch. I have 120 coins total. If I buy one more minor fragment, I'll have four minors. Still not the three of the same type? I have three minor and one normal. Wait—I must have miscounted. I check my inventory closely. The quest rewards gave me "Minor Artifact Fragments," while the crypt gave me "Artifact Fragment (1)." That's actually one normal fragment and three minors. I need either two more normal fragments or two more minors to make a set of three identical ones.
I sigh and decide to hold off. No point spending coins now for mismatched pieces. "Thanks for the info," I say, stepping back. The merchant shrugs, saying nothing more.
Back at the quest board, I note that I'm getting stronger and the tasks I've completed are the easy ones. To gain real strength, I need to tackle something more dangerous. I run my eyes over the top row of parchments. These are reserved for mid-level adventurers, or so I've heard. One catches my attention: "Raid on the Old Watchtower." It promises better rewards. It warns of deadly traps and a boss rumored to hold artifact fragments. Perfect.
I tear it from the board and bring it to the guild clerk. He reads it, then lifts an eyebrow. "You're still new. This quest is a cut above what you've done. That watchtower's infested with elemental constructs and a liege wraith guarding the top floor. You sure?"
I nod. "I'm sure."
"Fine," he says, stamping the parchment. "Clear the tower, bring back the wraith's crest. You'll be paid well, and rumor has it the liege wraith drops special loot. Don't cry if you die." He smirks, but I see a flash of respect in his gaze. Maybe he thought I'd never go this far.
New Quest: Raid on the Old Watchtower
Objective: Defeat the Liege Wraith and retrieve its crest.
Reward: 500 EXP, 100 Coins, chance at Artifact Fragment (Normal)
A chance. I'll take it. If I get one more normal fragment, I can focus on gathering two more to form a proper Lesser Artifact. That might be what I need to raise my max summons or promote my soldier to a higher tier.
I leave the settlement again, choosing the overmap route. The world blurs, and I'm standing before a crumbling watchtower of old stone blocks and twisted metal braces. The walls lean at odd angles. Holes in the structure suggest multiple floors, each likely filled with creatures. My undead soldier stands beside me, but I hesitate. Perhaps the archer would serve me better here. Ranged support could help fight constructs and wraiths that might attack from a distance.
I open my skill list and dismiss the soldier with a thought. It vanishes in a swirl of bone dust. Then I cast Summon Undead Archer. A swirl of greenish mist congeals into a skeletal figure clutching a longbow of cracked horn. It has thinner armor but a sharper look, as if ready to strike from afar. Its status hovers briefly in my vision:
Undead Archer (UC-Tier)
HP: 60/60, ATK: Moderate-High (Ranged), DEF: Low
Special: Poisoned Arrows (Low Chance), Increased Accuracy
This should give me an edge. I approach the watchtower's entrance. A prompt appears:
Enter the Old Watchtower? Yes/No
I swallow and select "Yes." The interior is dim, rotten wood planks littered around. A system message warns me:
Floor 1: Elemental Constructs (3)
Engage? Yes/No
I select "Yes." The archer readies its bow. Three constructs lurch into view, humanoid outlines of cracked stone and flickering runes. Turn order: one construct, then me, then the archer, then the others. The first construct hurls a shard of stone at me. My HP drops from 100 to 85. I rush forward and slash at it, scraping stone and breaking off bits of debris. The archer looses an arrow, the projectile thudding into the construct's core, dealing steady damage. Another construct tries to club me, dropping HP to 75, while the third flings more stone shards at the archer, dropping it to 50/60.
The fight is tougher than previous battles, but my new summon shows its worth. With each turn, I alternate attacks, while the archer whittles them down from a safe distance. Soon the constructs crumble, leaving broken stone and runes behind.
Victory!
+60 EXP
Loot: Stone Runes (2), Cracked Core (1)
Not bad. I climb to the next floor. Each level will hold something nastier, pushing me harder. Perfect. This is what I need. More fragments, more power. Once I have a real artifact, I'll ascend beyond these weak summons. Perhaps I'll command a deathknight, something stronger than a shambling soldier or archer. Then none of these creatures will stand a chance.
For now, I press on. The watchtower waits, its upper floors promising a deadly final foe and the fragments I crave. The archer follows, bow raised, and I ready my sword. It's time to shape myself into something they'll whisper about, something that can't be stopped.