AlterWorld

Apparently, I shouldn't have wasted my time waiting for signs of appreciation. "You're welcome," I mumbled and began dressing. The rustle behind my back stopped and I could barely hear her guilty voice.

"Thanks…"

I turned round and gave her an encouraging smile. "Not bad for a train. What was it, a pull gone wrong?"

Taali stood there looking over me as if wondering whether I was worth continuing the conversation. She swung her bangs again, squinted at the sun and lowered herself into the meditation position. Finally, she condescended, "Yeah, kind of. Pulled a couple too many."

"What's the point? Virtually no experience, is there? They're small fry for you."

Taali cringed. She didn't seem to be too forthcoming. Still, eventually gratitude got the best of her. She took the gnoll's bracelet out of her bag and showed it to me.

"Do you farm them?" I asked. "Are they for sale?"

A tear glistened in the corner of her eye. Biting her lip, she nodded and looked away. I just didn't get it. She got sadder with every question. Better leg it, if I didn't want to get stuck here for the next thirty minutes serving as a shoulder to cry on.

I crouched over my gnolls and picked up my loot. The gnoll worker dropped a couple coppers and a pretty blue stone.

"Sorry," I couldn't help asking. "One last question. Any idea what this is?"

She barely glanced at it. "A laurite. A rare drop. In a shop they'll give you three silver for it."

"And if I offer it to other players?"

"Could be four. Could be more. Those who level jewelry, they buy them sometimes."

Then she lost all interest in me and stared ahead, meditating, as she waited for hits and mana to restore. The girl could use a bit of cheering up. I fumbled with the stone and handed it to Taali. "A present. Take it. From a surviving partner in combat."

She looked up at me, surprised, and shook her head with apparent regret. "No, thanks. You keep it."

"Just take it. It's my second one today," I lied.

I forced the stone into her narrow hand and smiled. "I'm off to town, then. Good luck and good hunting!"

The girl gave me a shy smile. "Thanks."

"Come on, Rover. Great deeds await us!"

Chapter Six

After a few more minutes of leisurely walking along a well-trodden path, I reached the edge of the forest with a view of the town wall. Here, Rover and I had to part ways. I was ru

Higher-level Necs normally had a special spell to put the raised undead to rest. I was forced to utter the trigger word, "Begone!" With a guttural groan, the zombie fell apart. Its translucent soul flitted up to the skies while the earth swallowed the remains of its flesh. RIP, dude.

The small area in front of the town gate bustled with people. Players and NPCs—that is, AI-controlled characters—buzzed in and out of vendors' stores, either getting rid of petty loot or stocking up on basics. Others searched for hunting parties to join, while even more were busy striking deals in the safety of a popular public place.

I wasn't in a hurry, though. The vendors weren't interested in offering a fair price, exploiting the gamers' penchant for a quick sell. Not that I had something to worry about, not with my few pelts and petty gnoll loot. Still, it wouldn't hurt to investigate. I networked with the vendors a bit, memorizing a price or two to compare them later to those in town.

Ten guards stood watch by the gate, mainly level 100, plus a sergeant and a mage, both 130.

I respectfully spoke to the mage, "Would you be ever so kind, Sir, to direct me somewhere where I could spend the night without too much strain on my wallet?

He looked me over with his typical customs officer's eye and laughed. "Won't do your wallet any good, straining. It shouldn't even try to cough if you ask me. Past the gate, turn left and keep walking until you come to the market square. Ask for the Three Little Pigs I

I froze, thunderstruck. The mage guffawed. "Love to see this sort of reaction from your kind. The i

I nodded and followed his instructions. Leaving the thick tu

I found a small shop that traded in everything that moved. Their prices indeed were five percent higher than those behind the city limits. Now I was nine silver richer. The coins bore a profile of a stern-looking Elf against the backdrop of the rising—or, alternatively, setting—sun. Add to them two handfuls of coppers I'd farmed earlier, total count 260. Their current rates were 1:100 silver to copper and 1:10 gold to silver. In total, I had one gold, one silver and sixty copper.

On top of that, I could sell a dozen bracelets for a couple dozen copper apiece. Virtual gold converted to real-life US dollar at 10:1. So all of today's loot wouldn't buy me a beer in the real world. Not good.

My eye caught on a shop sign which featured, besides various blades and armor, also a few octagonal Soul Stones. That's fu

"We don't buy trophies," he murmured and continued polishing an equally beastly broadsword.

"I wouldn't dream of insulting you with any such offer, Sir Gu

Gu

"Keep going, stranger. These stones don't drop from rabbits nor are they sold at jewelers'. You don't look as if you can afford rabbit crap."

That hurt. Really. I undid my bag strings and dug in for a handful of stones. "How's this for crap?"

His face froze. In one smooth swift motion, he stole past me and barred the door. Then he turned round and laid his heavy hand on my shoulder. I braced myself for more trouble.

"Welcome, brother."

Quest completion alert! You've completed a secret quest: Dark Brotherhood.

Reward: 1 gold

Your relationship with the Dark Alliance has improved!

Your relationship with Gu