They shook their heads as they stared at the object.
“That can’t result from fate.” Tom stated firmly. “It’s like they were listening?”
“Come on, Tom, there’s no like in that statement. That’s definitely a deliberate temptation and I doubt it was from DEUS.”
“You want it don’t you?”
“Didn’t I just say that? Of course I do.”
Paired necklace of Physical Projection - Legendary (Soul bound)
Allows the wearers for five minutes a day when in a perfect astral projection space to physically touch and interact with each other.
Any damage inflicted in the space is not carried into the real world.
Minimum Bid - 27,000
Time to offer end / sale 1:21:00
“However, there is no way I’m getting it.” Everlyn finished.
“Why? I thought you were just wishing to hold hands.”
She looked down. “A few reasons. It’s a waste of resources and if being physical is important.” She glanced away. “We don’t need to do it in here?”
“Is that an offer?”
She stuck out a tongue at him. “Yes.”
Everlyn smiled, as it was Tom’s turn to look away, his cheeks heating.
“And while the attraction between us it has there it has been less than two weeks. We don’t know how long we’re going to last and I wouldn’t gamble on a soul bound object that is useless if we don’t make it.”
“Harsh but fair.”
“There’s no point pretending otherwise. Tom, I like you, but I barely know you. Hell, like the rest of us you barely know yourself. We’ve all been alone for so long that who knows what’s going to happen.”
“Still, I suspect that’s an incredible bargain.”
“They are.” Everlyn said quietly. “In ten years’ time, that’ll probably sell for a million credits. To the right buyer it’ll be incredibly valuable. But ultimately they’re a quality of life spell and convenience is not worth that much to me.”
“Nor me.” Tom agreed. “Especially when there are actually workable options. Which one do you want?”
Ranger Druids Bow - Epic (soul bound)
This weapon synchronises with Range Druid identification to improve the shot. Effective skill in all ranged skills is increased by total skill levels in Range Druid identification. This improvement applies to both passive and in unlocking threshold benefits.
Grows with the user.
Minimum Bid - 10,000
Time to offer end / sale 1:23:00
“The bow’s good. I raised archery in DEUS’s trial to forty-eight. It means I have a real chance of boosting my archery skill to above the thirty-two threshold level quickly and sixty-four reasonably fast.”
“Its colours also match your helmet.”
She looked at him in disbelief. “Like that’s a coincidence.” Then she laughed and pointed. “See. Not a coincidence. The next one matches as well.”
Ranger Druids Nature Boots.
These boots enhance stealth in the wild by reducing the sound of footsteps, killing scent and reduces the tracks left.
Minimum Bid - 10,000
Time to offer end / sale 1:24:00
“I know on face value the bow is better, but I’m not an assassin or hunter and I’m a jack of all trades with a speciality in scouting. If I was by myself, I would go with the bow but in a large.. Or a small group,” she corrected hastily. “The boots become superior.”
“It has no synergy with your helm.”
“There is no direct synergy, but when we’re out of the plains, the community’s going to need me as a scout. Avoiding the deadly monster is more important than having an extra bow to add damage when we stumble upon it.”
“Does it overlap with your traits?”
“I think adds to my traits.” Everlyn looked conflicted.
Tom laughed. He couldn’t help himself. “I know that look. The brain is saying boots, but the murderhobo in you that you’re trying your hardest to suppress says bow. Which one? Muderbot or boring watcher?”
“I don’t know. I’m tempted to say the cheapest.”
Tom laughed at that.
“I’m serious. For their price they are both great but neither is fundamental to my direction. What do you want me to get?”
“What do you mean?” Tom asked cautiously. “Your build is your own.”
“It’s clear you’re not planning on staying with this group long term. When you strike off into the wilds, what’s going to be more important to you. Scouting or damage.”
Tom thought about it. “I don’t know.” He admitted finally. “There’s just too much that’s unknown. I can’t split the difference. Improved range damage versus more mobility when scouting. Both will help.”
“You politician.” She shrugged, her eyes flicking between the two options. “Let me think about it for an hour? Now for yours.”
Elemental Summoner Cage Ring
This ring grants the elemental summoner the ability to store an elemental in the ring for later use. Can be used for any elemental type and up to the greater elemental level of power. Elemental bond decays at one hundredth of the normal rate.
Minimum Bid - 10,000
Time to offer end / sale 1:22:00
“Don’t like it,” Tom said instantly.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“That’s an extra elemental when you need it. It’s a massive increase to your damage.”
“It’s evil. I’m not buying it.”
She raised an eyebrow but did not argue. A big flashy red cross went through it. She grinned, and he just rolled her eyes at her.
Earth Elemental Mana Ring (soul bound)
Provides a 128 reservoir of mana that can be used in the summoning of earth elementals.
Prerequisites. Earth or general elemental summoner class
Minimum Bid - 10,000
Time to offer end / sale 1:25:00
“This one is good isn’t it?” she asked.
“Good, not great. If it was lightning.”
“But you’re going to bid on it aren’t you? It’s not like my choices were incredible.” She finished bitterly.
“Maybe neither. There’s the third option. Lightning shoes.” He clarified as she looked blankly over the list.
Everlyn’s confusion cleared as the names of all the items appeared. Her eyes came through till she saw the item he was talking about.
Lightning Tank Boots. (soul bound)
These boots are designed to be used in conjunction with lightning step. They improve the strength of the ability by fifty percent.
Growth Item
Minimum Bid - 15,000
Time to offer end / sale 1:27:00
“From your new class.”
“Yes, and if you,” he gestured to indicate that he wanted to use the wall. He felt the control being passed to him. “I haven’t assigned my class passives yet. But…”
The screen changed.
Lightning Steps Boost Four points purchases a bonus skill level in Lightning Steps.
Lightning Dodge Boost Four points purchases a bonus skill level in Lightning Dodge.
Lighting tank Passive. Increases the effectiveness of all lightning tank skills and spells by 0.1%.
“These are the three key class passives. I had been holding the points to work out, which was the best to go for. I was thinking about splitting between the two boosts, but with these shoes the first one becomes strongest.”
“Do you really want to base your permanent skill allocation on an item?”
“The benefit of the class was not the skill tree but the points not getting cannibalised by Fate’s Agility and these two tier four skills.”
“What about the last three passives?”
They both looked at them.
Lightning Vitality Two points buy a single vitality attribute point.
Lightning Reinforced Shield Each skill adds a small reinforcement to your shield and reflects 0.2% of incoming damage as a lightning shock..
Lightning Weapon Each skill adds a small reinforcement to your weapon and adds 0.5% to the damage of the swing as lightning damage.
She frowned at the description. “I see why you don’t like that. A two for one-for-one tradeoff of a class point for an attribute is just bad and the other two skills, they look shit.”
“Not that bad if you think about it. By the time I get to level thirty-two, the first key threshold level the skill could let you reflect almost a third of damage of every blow you tank, or add a similar amount of lightning damage to each attack I land.”
She still did not look convinced. “I take it you’re bidding on the boots.”
“Yep.”
“You?”
“I’ll leave it to chance and get the cheapest.”
“Fine, but while we wait, how about you tell me about your life?” Tom said to spin the tables and avoid Everlyn quizzing him instead.
“Are you sure you want me to? Last time, it upset you.”
“I wasn’t ready for it. You look so young and hot. It was a surprise, that’s all.”
She looked torn. “Maybe we should have tried to buy that necklace.”
“When we’re emperor and empress of a city, we’ll have as much privacy as we need.”
She laughed.
“You’re silly. I’ll tell you, but this is how it’s going to go. We’re returning to the real world. You’re going to hold me for ten minutes. Then we’ll come in chat for ten and then out again.” He could see water in her eyes. “This is hard for me, too.”
“Sounds like a plan.” He went to wipe the tear away, but before his hand encountered nothing he found himself in the real world. Everly huddled into him her face snuggling into the crack of his neck. He could feel the vibrations rocking through her body. Somehow she managed to stop herself from sobbing to loudly. If anyone noticed, no one said anything if they were all deft hands at turning their eyes away from emotional outbursts.
Tom stoked her back and then got sick of the armour and instead gently massaged her neck.
“Okay,” she whispered almost too softly for him to hear. “I’m ready.”
When he was back in her system room, she was dressed in her armour but with a streak down her cheek, reddened cheeks, blood-shot eyes and a slight tremble to her lips.
“I shouldn’t have asked.”
She held a hand and took a deep breath. “No. We’re adults. I’m an adult.”
The room shivered, and he was in her featureless room with the single table and chairs facing each other. She sat down and he duplicated her. The table was narrow. Everlyn leaned forward, and he did too.
She sniffed.
“My story. I was married, but by the end I might as well have been a well off single mother. He might have cheated he might not have, but we were both unhappy when the world was ended. As you know. I have three daughters and a son. James was twenty-two. My daughters Susan, Becca and Natalie. Twenty, fourteen and twelve respectively. For the older two, I hope to god they tapped out of the trial straight away, rather than putting themselves through that hell. Susan probably would have but Becca, if she got put into the trial. She was only fourteen, but.” She shook her head. “I fear for her. James too he would have fought and I feel so sad for him. I know on earth you were the same age as them, which feels weird, but when I look into your eyes, I’m not seeing a kid.”
“No. I have sixty years of life experience, but most of it spent killing monsters and being completely socially stunted.”
“I know,” she squeezed his hand. “What else do you want to know?”
“Tell me about it all.”
Thirty minutes later they were back on the couch looking at the display.
Ranger Druids Bow - 21,050
Ranger Druids Nature Boots - 12,150
Earth Elemental Mana Ring - 15,001
Lightning Tank Boots - 22,200
“Are you borrowing money from me bubs?” she asked teasingly.
“Will you lend it?”
“Of course, your lightning boots are better than my options. I’m thinking I won’t buy mine.”
“What?”
“We have thirty-five thousand and those two combined have almost reached that. If there is a late flurry.”
“What?” Tom scoffed lightly. “With the fate we invested—”
“Fate is not a panacea.” Everlyn interrupted. “It’s fallible. We both know that.”
“Well, yes, it can only bend probabilities so far.”
“And you know there is always a late flurry of bids.”
“Your boots are just as good.” He stared and then stopped. They both knew that was not the case. A few scouting bonuses, some of which overlapped with her traits could not compare to boots that boosted a tier three class skill.
“Are you sure?”
Everlyn nodded. “Delete all bids on Ranger Druid’s nature boots and direct all my credits towards Lightning Tank Boots.”
“I feel.” He started.
She patted the couch next to her like it was his leg. “It’s okay. It’s my choice.”
“It’s…”
“No, my choice.” She repeated firmly. “If we can only get one, then it’s your tank boots.”
“We could get both.”
She shrugged and shook her head. “There is no way they’ll be no more bids on the lightning boots and that auctions finishing after mine. We buy my boots you’ll miss out. We can bias next purchase in my favour.”
They waited. With their full thirty-five thousand dedicated to buying the boots, they were confident of being successful, but anything could happen.
The last-minute hit and they had the top bid. There was a flurry of additional bids that Tom matched.
“You were right.” Tom admitted.
Everlyn let out a relieved breath. “We could really only afford one.”
“And not even close to both. The two combined would have gone for forty thousand.” Tom said morosely. Everlyn’s insistence on not buying her boots had been the right choice.
She brightened. A radiant smile breaking over her face. She clapped her hands. “You have new fancy boots. Let’s see them.”
Reality distorted, and he was back in his body with a portal to open in front of him. He didn’t hesitate and pretty soon he had boots on feet. No socks yet, but self-clean did a marvellous job of getting rid of the caked dirt.
Everlyn cuddled into him. “You like?”
He nodded.
“Good. We sleep now” She gave him a kiss and then arranged him. Moving his arms and legs so she was cuddled in appropriately. “Good mattress.” She whispered.
Tom fell asleep trying not to move the next morning to dislodge her.
He kept going.
The day after that, thoroughly bored with the entire process he realised he could see the hills properly.
They were getting close.
There was no time to celebrate, but as he continued carving his way forward, the entire camp crowded behind him, pointing excitedly. For the first time in days, people were smiling. He increased his speed, and the hills got closer.
He returned to the group and gulped down some water. There were now three teams hard at work, supplementing his effort. Collectively, they were almost destroying as many hives as he managed.
“One last night and tomorrow we get out of here.” Michael told him.
“I’m going to try to get another couple of hundred metres.”
“But only that.” Michael warned. “We don’t want to get so close that we have to worry about monsters from the foothills hitting us.”
Tom was the last to finish and when he went to continue, Michael ran over to stop him.
When he got back, everyone was rowdy. Everlyn greeted him with her cheeks red.
“Baby,” she threw an arm around his next and smooched him. The stench of alcohol hit him.
“What’s happening?”
“We’re celebrating,” she told him excitedly.