The Pyramid Game Page 11

  Kira flinched at the sudden moment, searching for the class emblem on the back of his hand. Sure enough, it had appeared along with his stat-sleeve as soon as he’d drawn the pair of scissors, the icon of a Rage. It was really the only possibility, since the crafting tool now stuck all the way through the thick table; it obviously carried a massive damage bonus from the class perk.

  Judging from the embellishments around his class emblem, his level was maxed at the current system cap of 175. Kira took a breath and swallowed. It was thirty levels above her own.

  He could probably kill all three of us without breaking a sweat.

  Regardless, she stepped closer before the Rage had the chance to throw them out altogether. “Umm, would it help if we told you that we don’t exactly have good intentions for being there.”

  Larkin froze mid-way through an annoyed huff. “Meaning?”

  Ginger slinked up behind Kira and placed her hands on her shoulders. “Meaning, that Berwyn and his house may not be a problem for you if we’re successful.”

  Larkin held stock-still for a moment. Then he smiled. “Well, why didn’t you say so? If that is the case, I’ll make sure the three of you turn heads, and if what you say is true, I would even waive my fee.” He clicked his tongue. “That is, if what you say is true.”

  “That’s more than reasonable,” Ginger’s fingers relaxed on Kira’s shoulders, “but we’re not really looking to stand out. For what we have planned, it would be much better to blend in.”

  Larkin let out a loud laugh and dropped his journal to the table beside him, its back cover open with his inspector showing a few lines of text.

  “I’m not sure that’s possible. Honestly, you lost the ability to blend in when you pledged your loyalty to Rend. How that happened, I have no idea.” He leaned to the side and glanced at the small glass screen beside him. “Not to mention that your Archmage is a level 147 fairy Breath Mage.”

  “What’s wrong with that?” Kira threw her hands to her hips and shifted to one side.

  “Nothing. It’s just unheard of.” He stared down at her. “I’ve never seen a fairy over level fifty, and the Archmage title almost always goes to a Cauldron. Occasionally, a Venom Mage gets it, but never a Breath. They’re too squishy and have no offense. The Overcast skill that the title comes with is a waste on healers. What are you going to do, pulse something to death?”

  “Wanna find out?” Kira snapped open a caster and narrowed her eyes.

  “Okay, that’s enough of that.” Ginger stepped in to push Kira away before she started a fight she couldn’t win.

  “I’m not complaining.” Larkin chuckled to himself. “On the contrary, I don’t think I would want it any other way. I craft unique items and gear. It only makes sense that they should be worn by a house that’s equally,” he clicked his tongue, “unique.”

  Kira settled down.

  “Shall we get started?” Larkin began moving before anyone had a chance to answer, dashing to the wall and pulling several bolts of fabric from the shelves. He dropped them on the table, then walked a circle around Ginger with one hand tapping against his chin. “As Lady of the house, you get to be first.”

  Ginger shifted uncomfortably for a second but found her bearings, dropping one hand to her waist and arching her back just enough to draw attention to her chest.

  Larkin looked her over without lingering on any part of her more than necessary. He let out a long, “Hmm,” then snapped his fingers. “You seem like a dangerous woman, beautiful but treacherous. Although there’s something else about you. Sort of an air of reluctant responsibility. There’s a conflict there. Like someone who wants to take what the world has to offer but holds themselves back.”

  Ginger’s posture faltered. “Umm, I guess, that’s accurate.”

  “Of course it is.” Larkin picked up the bolts of fabric again and lifted them close to her face without warning. “I read people. It helps me personalize my work.”

  Ginger took an uncomfortable step back as he stood a little too close.

  “No. Nope. Close but no.” He dropped the first three bolts of fabric to the floor before settling on one containing a green silk that matched her eyes. Larkin dropped it as well, holding the end of the fabric so that it unraveled to the floor. He tossed it in the air, letting it drape around her shoulders like a shawl. Then he took a step back to admire his choice. “This is silk from the giant spiders that dwell in the Gu Caverns. Have you ever been there?”

  Ginger shook her head.

  “I don’t blame you. It’s a terrible place. Everything there is aggressive and inflicts a poison status of one kind or another. The monsters even attack each other. As a result, the spiders, which are at the top of the food chain, have gained what you might call a super venom by consuming the smaller enemies. It causes paralysis, weakens defense, adds a vulnerability to all elements, decreased strength, and obviously adds a particularly deadly poison effect. It doesn’t last long, but it’s a nasty piece of work.”

  “And that is important why?” Ginger adjusted the silk on her shoulders, which was starting to slip down on one side.

  “It’s important because any garment made from this fabric will add the same effect to your weapon damage. You can lock any opponent in place for a couple seconds with the paralysis effect and drop their HP by about a thousand before it wears off. Of course, there is a lengthy cooldown of ten hours before it will activate again, so don’t waste it. You’ll need that ability to protect the rest of your house after all.”

  “What about the defense stats?” Ginger asked.

  Larkin gave a shrug. “Unfortunately, there is a price to pay for fashion.”

  Ginger raised an eyebrow. “Meaning?”

  “Meaning, don’t get hit.”

  “Oh.” Ginger deflated.

  “I’m kidding.” I have something for that. He spun on his heel and disappeared into a closet, only to reappear dragging a treasure chest behind him. He snatched a strange tool from the wall, some kind of reverse bear trap looking device.

  Kira wasn’t sure what to expect; then she noticed a telltale detail on the chest’s side handle. They were bent slightly. She immediately materialized her wings and shot up a few feet as Larkin unlocked it and threw open the lid.

  “Holy shit! A mimic!” Ginger shrieked as two rows of gleaming, silver teeth snapped open, and an enormous, barbed tongue flapped out to search for the man that had disturbed the chest.

  Larkin moved in what seemed like a practiced motion, thrusting the bear trap like tool into the creature’s mouth and pulling a pin. The device snapped open, lodging itself in the jaws of the wicked chest.

  “Well then.” Larkin passed underneath Kira to grab a pair of pliers from the wall. He stopped on his way back to the mimic, holding his hand up to let some of the sparkling dust that fell from her wings land on his skin. Rubbing his fingers together, he examined the particles. “Interesting, I didn’t know pixie dust was actually real. I’ve never seen one of your kind with a level high enough to have wings. Do you think you could come by sometime later and let me collect some?”

  Kira floated back down. “I guess so, but it fades away after a few seconds.”

  “I might have a way to preserve it.” He stared off at a row of jars on one shelf. “Maybe I could craft some kind of health bomb.” He shook off the distraction. “Sorry, where was I? Oh, yes.” He marched back over to the snarling chest. “Sorry about this, Joe.” He clasped the pair of pliers he carried around one of the thing’s teeth and yanked. “I named the mimic Joe, by the way.” Then he pulled another few teeth, which was when Kira noticed that the chest was already missing several.

  He set the silver teeth down on the table and dragged the angry chest back into the closet. He came back out holding on to the end of a rope, which he promptly yanked. The strange bear trap tool slid out of the closet tied to the other end, and he slammed the door shut. Noise erupted from the other side, like a teenager throwing a tantrum. Larkin pushed
away from the door.

  “He’ll go back to sleep in a minute or so. Mimics are ambush predators, so they tend to settle down if there’s nothing within reach. I’ll lock him back up later.”

  “That was probably the most horrifying thing I’ve seen in a while.” Farn let loose a full body shiver.

  “Yes, I realize that, but it’s easier for me to keep one of those things around rather than to go find and kill one every time I need teeth.”

  Kira poked at one of the silver fangs on the table. “And why did you need them?”

  Larkin swept the gleaming items into one hand. “Mimic teeth can be melted down and formed into or added to almost anything. They’re an excellent method of implanting stats and effects to a new piece of equipment. I’ll use them to force some defense into some of the detail work of Ginger’s dress. You’ll still want to be careful about taking damage, but you won’t be completely vulnerable.”

  “Can I take this off now?” Ginger lifted the silk from her shoulders.

  “Oh, yes, sure.” Larkin waved a hand in her direction, then spun on Kira. He clasped his hands and pointed in her direction with both index fingers. “Now for this little one.”

  A tingle swept through Kira’s body, sending the hairs on her neck standing on end. She wasn’t looking forward to her turn.

  “Ah, that’s interesting.” He stepped closer, his gaze dropping to the pendant resting on her collar bone.

  “What–” Her voice got stuck in her throat for a second before she started again, “What is?”

  “That amethyst matches your eyes perfectly.” He stood silently, looking the rest of her over.

  To her surprise, Kira relaxed. She knew what it felt like to have someone’s eyes all over her, but strangely, Larkin’s gaze was different. He wasn’t undressing her with his mind, but the opposite. It was like he was mentally trying on every style of dress he could imagine.

  Larkin pointed to her neck. “Can we lose the pendant?”

  “I wish,” Kira muttered before explaining, “It’s bound to my character. So no.”

  He dropped his hand down at his side. “Well, I can’t match that color with what I have. But…” He chewed his bottom lip, then shifted his eyes to the mannequin in the corner, draped in white silk. He let out a sigh and crossed the room to pick up the beautiful material. “If I can’t match that amethyst, I might as well make it pop.”

  Larkin returned to her and gently lay the silk over her shoulders, being careful not to cover her pendant as he wrapped it around her chest. The silk was cool against her neck. For a moment, it made her feel confident—and maybe a little sexy. Of course, then her entire face burned red to betray her.

  The fashion-obsessed Rage stepped back with a peaceful expression. He let out another sigh. “I guess I can’t save it forever.”

  Kira clung to the fabric with both hands. “What is it?”

  He laughed. “That is a sheet from the bedchambers of Dorian, the Nightmare of temptation. I wasn’t able to kill the actual boss, but I was able to escape with that stored in my inventory. I’ve been saving it for the right project.”

  “What makes it special?” Kira asked.

  “Well, it can store mana for one. Which makes it perfect for an Archmage, since the Overcast skill increases consumption. It will give you a reserve supply of at least a thousand. And second, it’s the purest white I’ve found, so it should make your eyes and pendant shine. Not to mention, it’s basically the embodiment of temptation. A bedsheet the color of virgin snow that holds the promise of unimaginable pleasure. You do the math.”

  Kira squirmed as her body warmed.

  “But wait, there’s more.” He ran to one wall and reached for a bucket, dropping it on the table and grabbing a handful of tiny crystals from it. “These are morning stars in their raw form. They’re pricey but not uncommon. You’re probably already wearing some if you have any accessories that regenerate mana.”

  Kira raised one hand, where a thick band of platinum wrapped around one thumb. “This gives me one point of MP every three seconds, but there’re no crystals on it, just metal.”

  Larkin took her hand in his and examined the item. “That’s where you’re wrong. Metals in Noctem don’t carry any magical properties on their own. So if you look close here, there are flecks of something reflective in the platinum. Those are morning stars.” He released her hand so she could see. “Most crafters will crush the crystals with a mortar and pestle and add the powder to the metal while it’s in liquid form.”

  “Why don’t they just set the crystals at the center or something?” Kira examined her thumb ring.

  Larkin clicked his tongue. “They’re too small, mostly. So just a few won’t make for very impressive jewelry, but if I use them as they are in the hundreds as part of a dress, I could max out the game’s mana regeneration, maybe close to two MP per second.”

  Kira’s heart skipped a beat. “That’s insane. I’d be able to add Overcast to almost every spell I use. I mean, I’d still agro every monster we face by using that much mana, but man, that would still be pretty cool.”

  “Plus, you’ll sparkle like a shooting star.” Larkin let the crystals sprinkle from his hand down the silk surrounding her.

  Kira suppressed an excited squeal, opting for a controlled smile instead. “Okay, I’m sold.” She didn’t bother asking about her defense. Low physical stats were pretty standard for most fairy gear anyway.

  “Perfect!” Larkin swept across the room toward Farn, who had been keeping quiet. “Now for your loyal bodyguard.”

  Farn gave a sudden snort and stepped backward. “I’m just going tomorrow for protection. There’s no need for anything special.”

  “I will have none of that.” Larkin threw a hand up in front of her face. “You are the First Knight of House Lockheart. I will have you dress accordingly. Now, which of these two are you in charge of keeping safe?”

  Farn paused to release an annoyed growl. It was obvious she wasn’t going to make it through the night without a makeover. She pointed unenthusiastically at Kira.

  “The little one is mine, I guess.”

  Kira couldn’t help but snicker at her wording.

  “Great, you should match her in some way, and think I have just the thing. I made a set for a Shield class a few months back, but he ended up not liking the stats, and I’ve been stuck with it ever since. Honestly, he didn’t understand the importance of fashion. It’s not enough to be able to take a hit—you have to look good doing it.”

  He led Farn over to the three mirrors near one wall and touched his fingers to the surface of one. “There’s a quick change system here, so you shouldn’t need any privacy.”

  Lines of text appeared on the mirror and he scrolled down to select each part of her new gear. “Now, I originally made this set for a man, but they turned it down on account of it being too pretty. So it should still have a good effect on you.” He gestured to the glass. “Whenever you’re ready.”

  Farn glanced over her shoulder at Kira and Ginger then back at her reflection. She gave one last groan in protest and reached her hand to the line of text that read 'Preview'. The second her finger touched the glass, her armor and clothing vanished in a sweep of glowing particles. At the same time, a second wave of light replaced everything seamlessly to keep onlookers from seeing anything they shouldn’t.

  Kira immediately placed a hand to her mouth.

  Gone was the visage of a rough, Viking raider that she’d grown accustomed to. In its place was something else.

  A white breastplate with a matching waistcoat seemed to fit Farn like a glove. Ornate silver clasps secured it in front, and black accents detailed her sides. A tunic made of metal scales peaked out from underneath like a skirt. Below that, black tights clung to her legs. A pair of matching boots and bracers covered from the knee down, both a solid color of matte white. Black fur encircled her shoulders, attached to a medium length cape that tapered to a point down her back. The fabric was white,
like the rest, but with a layer of more metal scales between the black fur on top and the rest of the cape.

  Larkin stepped back and took a bow. “I call this design, the Shield of Rose and Thorn, and I must say, it suits you well.”

  “Why rose and thorn?” Kira asked out of curiosity.

  “Oh, the gauntlet is called the White Rose, and, um, there used to be a sword with it called Black Thorn. But I sort of sold it separately.”

  “That’s okay. My sword is a contract item, so I wouldn’t want to use something else.” Farn turned in front of the mirror, checking herself out from all angles.

  “What’s your sword called?” Larkin tapped a few options on the mirror’s quick-change readout.

  “Feral Edge.” Farn gripped the weapon’s handle.

  “Okay.” Larkin tapped one last command to change the name of the equipment. “From now, this set is called Feral Rose.”

  “That works.” Farn held up her left hand to look at her new gauntlet. It was more compact, with slender silver joints covering her fingers. A round shield generator sat at the back of her hand, much smaller than what she’d had before. The rest of her arm was covered with a black sleeve attached to her waistcoat, her other kept bare to display her party readout. Farn stepped back and spun to face Kira and Ginger.

  “Okay, I might like this.” She let a goofy grin spread across her face.

  “You look like one of those gender-swapped, Disney prince drawings,” Ginger fanned herself with one hand, “and I have to say, it’s kind of working for me here.”

  “Very dashing. You can rescue me anytime.” Kira gave her a thumbs up.

  Farn laughed. “I usually do anyway.”

  She went back to the mirror and untied the ribbon that held back her hair, running her fingers through to fluff the mass of black curls. She pushed it all to one side so that it cascaded down past her ear. It matched the outfit better. “So what are the stats like?”

  Larkin raised one hand and tilted it back and forth. “Eh.”