This Game Called Life
By: Bubbajack
Betas/Co-Authors: IcySnowSage, Heliosion, Loamy Coffee, Geoffry Lannister
Disclaimer: We do not own the following anime/manwha, comics, or tv shows or to the following: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Goblin Slayer, references to Highlander, Highschool DxD, How not to Summon the Demon Lord, I'm Really not the Evil God's Lacky, Overlord, references to Lord of the Rings, Percy Jackson, Solo Leveling, Solo Max Level Newbie, Star vs the Forces of Evil, or Wardstone Chronicles.
Ch.4: Whole New World.
Xander awoke to the sound of a cock crowing and the moos of cows. Stretching, he did his exercises sans his run in the dim light provided by shafts of light shining through cracks in the barn. Now thoroughly awake, he poked his head outside and saw some farmhands going about their day. 'The sun's just coming up.' Xander thought as he stretched, getting the satisfying feeling of his back popping.
"Good morning Sir Alexander!" Haylee called.
Turning to her voice he almost fell over, because she was leaning against her windowsill completely naked. 'Holy shit, that armor covers up a lot,' Xander thought to himself. 'She is stacked! Tarousa indeed!' Giving his head a shake, he waved and called, "Morning!"
"I'll be making breakfast in a little bit! So go wash up, the well is over there." She pointed off to the right, before walking off giving him a good view of her back.
'Damn… are all women in this dimension like that?' thought Xander.
[I thought tits didn't matter to you, Player 2?] The System asked.
'They don't, but when they're in my face like that,' Xander replied as he hauled up some water from the well, 'Even I can't resist, I'm only human you know?'
[True, also, you might wanna check your stat screen.]
'Why?' Xander asked as he splashed brisk cold water on his face and ran it through his hair, getting rid of his bedhead.
[I didn't want to interrupt what you were doing the other day, so I didn't notify you when you went past certain stat thresholds. You've got some free perks to look at. Also before you go to the farmhouse, you might wanna check the price of the shed. Just a tip.]
Doing as his 'Dark Master' suggested, Xander checked the crude sign out front and read the popup. It said, [Simple Barn. Would cost 10 gold to purchase, however due to being in such a state of disrepair, the price has been lowered to 5 gold. Talk to the current landowner about the purchase.]
Heading into the house, Xander smelled eggs and warm bread and… 'Is that cheese?' He wondered.
He looked around, it was a simple log cabin design, the entranceway split off into two separate rooms, one was likely a living room and the other unless his ears deceived him was the kitchen. Poking his head into the kitchen, he saw Haylee wearing an apron over some overalls of all things, she had two plates in her hands full of scrambled eggs mixed with cheese, a slab of thinly cut beef on the side and a couple hunks of warm bread slathered in butter.
"Hi, Sir Alexander! Did you sleep well?" She asked, smiling as she set a plate for him down on one side of the table before sitting down herself.
"I did, thank you," Xander replied as he tucked in himself and stacked the eggs and beef on a slice of bread before topping it with another, making a quick breakfast sandwich. He almost took a bite, when he saw Haylee looking at him, "What? Is there something on my face?" He asked.
Shaking her head she said, "No, not at all…" She proceeded to copy his actions and take a bite herself. "Mmm, that's good!"
"Yep," Xander said, digging into his own food. "I have an offer for you, Haylee. If you're willing, that is?" Xander began.
"Oh," She said, intrigued, licking a bit of butter off her lips. "What is it?"
"Since I don't know how long I'm going to be in the area, I'd like to buy the barn from you to use as a base of operations. I'll give you seven gold and fifty silver for it."
'He's willing to give me that much for that old barn?' Haylee wondered 'That's about as much as I got paid the other night for the Minotaur hunt.' she nodded briskly, "I accept,"
"Okay," Xander reached into his inventory under the table and pulled out the required amount. It came in its own pouch. Sliding it across the table to her he said, "Here you go,"
[Congratulations, you have bought the Simple Barn! It is now Base #2. Fast Travel between bases can now be utilized, provided you buy the Cullis Gate upgrade for both bases. Additionally, you have gained "Recipe: Cullis Pendant" and has been added to the crafting menu.]
'Interesting,' Xander thought, 'Stats'
[Congratulations! You've become somewhat charismatic! People might not actually view you as something nasty they stepped in now by not being a total misanthrope. You now pay -2.5% less when buying and gain +2.5% more when selling items. Additionally, you may add one extra member to your party.]
[Congratulations! You've become somewhat lucky! To the equivalent of not getting seen by a dog as a fire hydrant. You have also unlocked the Sneak Attack feature if your current Path doesn't already grant it. If you perform a sneak attack on an unaware target you +100% damage.]
Xander scanned his stats and was surprised to find his Luck stat which was previously at twenty was now at a whopping thirty-two. 'How did it get so large so quickly?' He wondered.
[Due to you wearing the Amulet of Artemis and having the Apocalyptic Maiden Saver perk, your Luck stat rose tremendously in the dungeon yesterday.]
'Wow, neat,' Xander thought.
"Sir Alexander, is everything alright?" his Hostess asked.
Clearing his throat, Xander replied, "Everything is fine… Elphaba said she'd be by sometime today to teach me magic, so I'm gonna check out the barn and see what I can do to fix it up a bit. Do you need anything important out of there or can I use what I find?"
"Go ahead, we don't keep anything important in there," Haylee told him. As he got up to put his plate in the sink she waved him off, "Oh don't worry, I'll take care of that."
"Thanks… and Haylee?" Xander decided to speak up about something he'd noticed last night.
"Hmm?" She said, turning to look at him through her bangs.
"Forgive me if I'm being a tad too blunt, but I think you might want to consider cutting your hair. With it being that long, if a monster gets your helmet off, you'd be in big trouble. Plus it's gotta be a bit hard to see, right?"
"Oh!... You might have a point…" She said quietly as she ran a hand through her crimson locks. "I've been so busy lately, what with adventuring and looking after the farm, I haven't had time to… and then before that…" She shook her head, "Anyway, thank you for the concern. I'll do that after I finish cleaning the plates."
"Well it's up to you… if you need help, come find me, I know a thing or two about cutting hair, before I arrived here, my former party members were women," Xander stated remembering the times in the past when he would help Willow trim her hair or offering Buffy advice on her own.
"Oh!" Haylee was surprised to hear that. "I see… groups like that don't usually last long… for various reasons,"
"My feelings for them became strictly platonic. Anyway, just holler if you need help. I'll be in the barn," He said as he made his leave.
'He said his feelings became platonic,' Haylee noted as she cleaned her dishes, and watched him get to the barn from her kitchen window, 'I wonder what happened between them?'
(...)
Buffy was now on day three of Operation: Weeping Willow. The redhead in question was in the fetal position on the floor the first day, a sniffling snobbing mess the second day, and today? Today, she was sullenly watching Star Trek while eating a tub of chocolate ice cream. "KHAAN!" She cried out with all the emotion of a chronically depressed chain smoking French mime, "That was Xander's favorite part…" she warbled.
"Now now Wills, c'mon now don't let Xander get you down," Buffy cheered, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, you just need to catch the right one… or bring better bait, one of the two."
"Better bait?" Willow sniffed.
Buffy nodded. "Yeah you know like… a makeover! Reinvent yourself. Show Xander what he could've had if he had said yes, you know?" 'Sorry Xan, I don't mean to throw you under the bus but Willow needs this right now,' she thought. "Lets make you look so good, that by the time you go back to school, even the jocks will want you!"
"I…I mean, I guess we could," Willow stammered. She got bolder as she continued to babble, "I-I actually kinda like the idea a-actually… Yeah! L-Let's do it who needs Xander!"
"Yeah that's the spirit! Boys who needs 'em." 'Again, sorry Xan,' The Slayer apologized to her absent male friend. 'I'll make it up to you… That is, if you ever come back to school! Where are you, you big lug?'
"Are you gonna be okay Willow?" Buffy asked after being at the mall for hours.
"I think so?" The Redhead said, "This still sucks Buffy, it just feels like there is an emptiness in me that I can't fill…"
"That's the depression talking Wills," Buffy assured her friend having gone through more than one break up in her time… albeit she usually caused them and was sad for all of like, a day before she set her sights on some other boy that struck her fancy… 'You're not that kind of person anymore Buffy, what you feel for Xan… I mean Angel is real… Why did I just think of Xander?' Shaking her head she told her best female friend, "Wills, you are the second strongest woman I know."
"Me?" Said girl pointed at herself, "Buffy, you can bench press a car,"
"Not that kind of strength," Buffy said with a shake of her head, "The other kind, the emotional strength. The only other person I know who's stronger than you is my mom… and she left my dad after she found him cheating on her with his secretary… and she was my age."
"Eww squick," Willow said as she made a scrunched up disgusted face.
Buffy nodded knowingly with her arms folded, "Yep… I went back to LA for the summer, but only because I made dad pay for my shopping sprees."
Willow shook her head, "You're terrible, Buffy."
"Considering what he put mom through in the divorce… he tried to get alimony from her… I think I went pretty easy on him," Buffy huffed. "But anyway this isn't about me and my problems, this is about you! Do you feel strong? Do you feel badass? Do you feel sexy? Cause if you don't after a full day of shopping, I've honestly failed as a friend."
Letting out a long sigh Willow answered," Yeah, I do, at least a little bit."
"Good, now let's go back to your place and you can explain this whole Picard and Kirk thing," Buffy stated as the two walked off from the mall.
As they carried their bags, Willow thought, 'Buffy's right! I'm a strong, powerful independent woman… maybe not as strong as Buffy herself, but still… which is why when Xander rears his ugly head, he's going to rue the day he shot me down… so get to ruing, buster!' Willow thought as her eyes briefly glowed crimson.
(...)
Meanwhile, in a world of Dyce and Daemons, Xander was going through the Barn. He didn't find much. Just some odds and ends which included old farming tools, broken equipment, and old trophies he guessed from Haylee's adventuring. If he was being honest, Xander understood why the barn was so cheap, there just wasn't much in it.
[You find two bales of hay, a bundle of twine, a blunt ax, broken wooden furniture, x6 wooden pales, an ox yoke, Minotaur femur bone, a harvesting scythe, leather hide, a tanning rack, some iron nails, and three coppers. All other materials were too damaged to be counted as resources.]
Deciding to see what he could do with the materials he had on hand, Xander opened up the crafting menu and tried his hand at making something. Taking the blunt ax, a stone, and some leather he combined them and got…
[You obtained Uncommon [Copper] item: Razor Keen Sure-grip Waraxe.]
Then on a lark, he combined some hay, cloth, and twine trying to create a voodoo doll.
[You failed to create a voodoo doll, you lost 0.22lbs/0.1kg of Cloth and Hay, and lost 1ft/30cm of twine.]
'Okay, so I can fail at making things, good to know,' Xander thought as he tried six more times to create a voodoo doll before he finally succeeded.
[You have created [Gold] item: Voodoo Doll. Your delving into the Hatian Creole magic arts has caught the attention and interest of Patron: Boogies Down with the Dead.]
[Boogies Down with the Dead salutes you with his shot glass. Well, hello there! Are you a new constituante? I can show you the ropes such as they are, I guarantee.]
"Sort of?" Xander replied hesitantly, "I'm new at this."
[Boogies Down with the Dead, slaps his knee and downs his shot before saying, Everyone is new at something they haven't tried before boy! Now, what kinda deal can I make wit'chu?]
Clearing his throat, Xander asked, "What're you offering and what do you want in return? Cause my soul, other people's souls, and human sacrifice are not on the table," He told the deity resolutely.
[Boogies Down with the Dead laughs. You got spirit, kid! I respect that, I do! But nah, I just like to have a good time, good drink, good smoke, good food, and good fun. Your tribute to me would be the likes of booze, cigars, and food. Particularly, chicken if possible!]
"Oh… well that's not a problem then," The 'knight' thought glad he dodged a proverbial bullet.
[Boogies Down with the Dead grins showing his golden teeth. Grand just grand, now do you know anythin' of magic, of the white left hand and the black right?]
Xander shook his head, "Nope not a clue. In fact, magic and me don't usually mix."
[Boogies Down with the Dead blinks. Surely you jokin wit me? I sense a wellspring of power about ya much like the hurricanes of the coast of Hattie. You have power, I guarantee.]
Now it was Xander's turn to blink. "Do I?" He looked down at himself as if expecting to see said wellspring for himself. "Nope I'm not feeling anything."
[Might I suggest using your meditation skill Xander? The latent energies of the hellmouth might be preventing you from accessing greater powers.] The System advised.
"You're talking about the meditation thing… Heaven and Earth…" Xander had forgotten all about it honestly, he just figured it was a better option than the other perk that gave him a stat increase based on his… 'Oh shit, I've been corrupted all this time,' Xander realized.
Sitting down cross legged in the barn he thought 'Okay, so how exactly do I do the whole meditation thing?'
[Moon Blessed Maiden pipes up. Just breathe in and out, find your center, it should be a spot just below your navel. Let your thoughts come and go as they will.]
'Okay, thanks Arty…' Xander did as instructed and found his body quickly relaxing; his mind was calm yet blank. His thoughts tended to flit from one subject to the next nonsensically. 'I wonder when Ellie will get here? What will Haylee be making for lunch? Are Theresa and Morgana doing okay? The floor is cold… I want a Twinkie…'
Suddenly in what felt like no time at all a popup appeared in front of his vision. [You have meditated for an hour. Heaven and Earth has been used for the day, your corruption level has been reduced from 62.05% to 37.05%. Internal poisons have been purged. Fatigue has been reset to 0.]
'Well, my corruption level has been reduced by a quarter. That's good. Plus it seems that whenever I do this, I reset my fatigue… So maybe I should save this skill till the end of the day? Or after a difficult quest where I'd be exhausted.'
Xander noticed the puddle of black gunk surrounding himself. Also the smell of rot in the air. "Eww, what is that?" He wondered before [observe] on it.
[Pure Corruption [Adamantium Rank]: Liquid Corruption in its most primeval state. It is usually only found in the Elemental Chaos. If safely stored could be used as a high level crafting material. Be warned. Contamination of Pure Corruption can lead to drastic changes of alignment, personality, and morality.]
Using the crafting system and taking some glass, he created some vials, Xander carefully scooped up the black liquid, putting a cork stopper on top and sealing them with wax for good measure. He then put them in his inventory. He had just finished putting the last vial away when he heard a knock at the barn door.
"Sir Alexander… it's me…" The breathy voice of Elphaba West called.
"Hey, you could let him know we're here too, you know!" Morgana's voice snapped out.
"I wanted… to surprise him…" The Witch said with an extra sigh in her tone.
"Oh," The wizard said. "Well you should've told us before we arrived."
"It should've been… obvious…" Elphaba replied.
"Why you…" was Morgana's reply.
Xander made his way to the door before a fight could break out and pushing it open, he found Theresa pushing her party member back going, "Now now, she's our senior remember? We shouldn't go picking fights with her."
Morgana looked away, "You're right I suppose, Theresa… Just like you were right the other day…"
The blonde just did her best to smile, "Oh… Please don't worry about that Morgana… We made it out alive, we should be grateful for that."
Clearing his throat, Xander said, "Hey… Elphaba I expected, but you two are a pleasant surprise," He waved to the Witch in question, "Hey Ellie, ready to get started?"
"Good… morning… Alexander. Yes… I am," She replied as she took a puff on her pipe.
"Umm, no offense, but could you not do that in here, this place is kinda… highly flammable?" He requested.
"Of… course." The witch replied snuffing out her pipe before she stepped into the barn and looked around, "This place… is simple… but nice. Reminds me… of my home… in the woods."
"Yeah, it needs some cleaning up but once I get it fixed, it'll make a good base of operations," Xander figured.
"Where did you sleep, Mister Alexander Sir?" Theresa asked, she didn't see a bed or even a cot anywhere.
"On a haybale," He replied easily enough.
"Honestly, that… girl…" Elphaba sighed, shaking her head with one hand on her hip, "If I'd have… known you were… going to be in… these conditions… I would've… had you stay in… my room… with me," She finished her airily speech while giving him a playful wink.
"While I appreciate the sentiment Ellie, I don't think either of us would be getting much sleep if I did that," Xander joked.
"We'd pass out from exhaustion… eventually…" the witch said with a smirk on her face.
As the priestess listened to them talk back and forth, she felt her face get redder and redder. 'How can they speak so brazenly?'
Morgana was less amused, "Oi! Are you going to teach him magic or flirt with him?!" She snapped at the witch.
Said witch glazed at the magician, "Magic can be taught… in various ways… Why I've heard… tell of a set of magical instruction… called the bedroom arts…where magical instruction is… passed on through sex… would my dear pupil perhaps… like to try this method? I hear … it is most… efficient…"
Xander coughed into his hand hiding his own blushing, "Another time perhaps, we have company."
"They can watch… they might learn something… simply from… watching the experience…" the witch teased a catlike smirk on her lips as she looked at the now flush magician.
"Ellie… enough," Xander said with a bit of force behind his tone. He knew she had been hung up on a certain spearman for a while and he knew she found him… interesting… but he didn't expect her to come on quite so strong. Not that he minded all that much.
"Very well…" She said, "Shall we… begin properly then?"
The Californian nodded, eager to begin "Let's, what do I need to do first?"
"Firstly, what type of magic do you wish to learn?" the witch inquired.
"One sec," Xander said before he opened his rewards screen. He recalled a certain something from earlier that might help him right about now. A quick look around and he found it,
[Choose your reward of one spellbook of your choice.
Air
Alteration
Arcana
Battle
Celestial
Chaos
Chronomancy
Conjuration
Curses
Destruction
Divination
Forbidden
Hydromancy
Illusion
Life
Miracles (Theurgy Magic)
Nature
Necromancy
Primal
Protection
Pyromancy
Rune
Song
Storm
Technomancy
Terramancy
Transformation
Umbramancy (Shadow magic)]
Xander immediately chose Necromancy, figuring it was of the 'save or die' variety. "I've got a spellbook on necromancy I found in a treasure chest in the mine. Will it work?"
[Boogies Down with the Dead approves of your choice!]
"Most would've… burned that book… upon finding it…" Elphaba noted. "But you… want to learn its secrets? Curious."
"You want to learn Necromancy, Mister Alexander Sir?" Theresa asked, looking concerned, "But that's usually only a dark art practiced by… Non-Prayers."
"Non Prayers… Non-Prayer Characters? NPC's?" He asked, as he thought, 'The god's of this world had a sense of humor I see,' So thinking, he said, "I want to learn necromancy, not specifically for forcefully raising the dead, but for efficiency in killing my enemies."
Morgana picked up on that,showing she was not considered a prodigy of the mages school for nothing, "Efficiency… you're talking about the instant death spells. Spells where one either has the ability and will to resist the lure of death, or they die instantly."
"Got it in one Morgana," Xander nodded. "Spells like that make quick work of… a lot of things." He reached back into his inventory and pulled out several items saying, "That reminds me, I found some other things in that chest too, things you all might find useful. Here."
He handed Morgana a spellbook on Pyromancy, Theresa the Holy Mace he'd gained, and he went into his crafting menu and tried his hand at making something for Ellie because he didn't want her feeling left out.
[You have combined Raven Feathers, The Goblin Shaman Staff, and 30cm/1ft of Twine together to create Witches Raven Wing Staff: Allows for the use of Wind, Flight, and Summon Familiar Raven spells, and fire spells are treated as one level higher. Wielder is permanently under the effects of feather fall.]
"And this is for Ellie," he handed over the Raven Wing Staff, the bone covered staff was now covered in raven feathers and the skull had runes carved into it that glowed in a nice violet light that complimented Ellie's dress ironically enough.
"It's so… beautiful… Thank you… Alexander. I shall… Treasure it… always," The witch said gratefully, accepting it and holding it close with both hands.
"This book has more advanced fire spells. Produce Flame, Orb of Fire, Flame Wall, and Burning hands, which I already know and others," Morgana smiled, "This is a princely gift Alexander, are you sure you just want to give it to me?"
"Same with me," Theresa said, as he hefted the mace easily, the thick metal weapon taking on a slight golden tinge, "I mean it feels… right in my hand but…"
"Theresa… What is your goddess' favored weapon?" Xander asked.
The blonde Priestess was quick to reply, "The mace or flail, why?"
Sighing, Xander told her, "Yeah you need to use that from now on rather than the staff."
"But.. but I was always told it wasn't proper for a priestess…" Theresa mumbled.
Running a hand down his face, the teen told her, "Doing things like you've been told nearly got you killed, Theresa. If you want to survive, you need to stop doing what you've been told and start… start using common sense. Use your brain. Laws are meant to be followed when able but when circumstances are dire, you only have yourself and your comrades to rely on. Your goddess hasn't punished you for wielding the mace so she must agree right?"
Hesitantly, the little strip of a blonde nodded. "You… aren't wrong."
"Morgana… same to you, the whole reason I told you to turn your stave into a spear is so you have something to keep monsters away from you with while you complete your incantations."
The magician blinked owlishly, "That makes… a lot of sense."
He looked around at the three of them… "All three of you need to wear some form of armor under your clothes. I don't care if its fucking leather or chainmail, anything is better than cloth."
The three nodded, knowing how seriously Xander was taking this. Seeing they were listening, he took a breath, "Well, class with me is over, Magic one-oh-one with Miss Elphaba West is now starting."
Chuckling behind her hand, Ellie began while taking a deep breath, "Indeed. Since you have chosen… the ancient art of…Necromancy, we shall skip…to the more important bits. Magic is formed by… words of power. Three words… create a spell…" She raised a finger, "Each individual word… However, has its own power. Not much, but some."
"Of course!" Morgana began, "Words, names have power by separating the words of power even beginner mages don't have one spell, but four, and the more spells one learns…"
The Witch nodded, "The more options… for one's spells… they actually have," She continued, "I shall demonstrate… but we'll need… to go outside first."
The group relocated and Elphaba placed some scrap iron Xander had on hand, up against a stone wall. "Observe, Sagitta…inflamarae…radius."
A bolt of flame shot forth and blasted the iron into so much slag. She then turned to her pupil. "As you… witnessed. Spells are created… from three words… of power. Sagitta, arrow. Inflamarae, flame. Radius, ray."
"Hmm," Xander said, before asking, "Do a majority of spells if magic missiles use the term radius or ray?"
"For the… most part, yes…" Ellie replied. "Why?"
Aiming a hand at another lump of metal, Xander said, "Sagitta Mortus radius," A black ray shot out, hit the metal and when it cleared a lump of rust was in its place. 'I knew reading all that damn latin for G-man would pay off.'
"Death ray, Mister Alexander Sir?" Theresa asked, pouting slightly, still not thrilled about the fact he was using death magic.
Shrugging he said, "It worked, didn't it?"
Fixing her glasses, Morgana walked over and tapped the hunk of metal. It collapsed into fine powder. "It's certainly effective," She drawled. "There is clearly no question about that."
"Quite… Alexander, you seem… to be a… quick study…" Elphaba noted approvingly.
'Magic isn't that hard to figure out,' Xander thought to himself, 'You just take the effect of the spell, the area of effect type of spell you want, and the range.'
He felt a sudden wave of fatigue wash over him, his head felt slightly fuzzy. 'Okay that kinda sucks.'
[Your magic levels are low for your level due in large part to your corruption level, decrease it to increase your ability to cast more spells.]
'Right, gotta work on that,' He thought. "Okay, feeling very mentally fatigued after that."
Taking him by the arm, Elphaba set him against a bale of hay, "It was your first time… casting a spell… take some time… to collect yourself… uncloud your mind."
He sat down taking several deep breaths and nodding, "Right, thanks."
"Hey!" Haylee's voice called out. She came bounding over carrying a reed woven picnic basket, "I hope you're hungry!"
(...)
"Anything?" Buffy who'd been a bit more morose after dealing with her 'friend' Ford asked.
Willow shook her head as she held a cardboard box that held all of Xander's worldly possessions in it. When she went to ask his parents if they'd seen him, his father answered the door, looking beaten and battered, saying no then shoved this box in her hands, telling her "When you see the boy, you tell him he ain't welcome here anymore, understand?"
"No, I can't find Xander anywhere… even his parent's haven't seen him. But it's not like they care. Stupid drunks," She said under her breath, but the Slayer heard her regardless.
'Sometimes I wish I didn't have super hearing,' Buffy thought with a grimace. Placing a hand on Willow's shoulder, reassured her saying, "We'll find him, don't worry. Let's go see Giles, maybe he'll have an idea on where to look, c'mon."
Making her way to the school library and walking in like she owned it, cause as far as Buffy was concerned this was Slayer HQ, said Slayer called, "Giles you around, we've got a problem."
"Yes, yes, coming," The Englishman popped his head out of his office, fixing his glasses as he did so, "Whatever is the matter this time? Not more old acquaintances of yours turning into vampires I hope?"
"No," Buffy said, shaking her head, "We can't find Xander anywhere. Have you heard from him?"
Cleaning his glasses, the brit replied, "Yes, he's staying at the old Calix building at the moment."
When he put his bifocals back on, he noticed Buffy and Willow doing their best fish impressions. "You're liable to catch flies if you keep your mouths open like that, you know?"
That snapped them out of it, and the resident Slayer scowled at her Watcher and pseudo-father figure, not that she would ever tell him that. Folding her arms, she said, "Giles! If you knew where he was, why didn't you say anything sooner? We've been worried half sick."
"That would be because you never asked," Giles replied calmly in the face of the slayer's bluster. "I also assumed you need to grieve the loss of your friend, Chevy."
"Ford," Buffy corrected. "And he's no friend of mine, he sold me out, Xander would never do that."
To this the Watcher nodded. "Quite," Noticing the box in Willow's hands he asked, "What is that?"
The hacker sullenly replied, "All of Xander's things. His dad kicked him out while he was gone and told me to give them to him when we found him."
The tweed wearing man scoffed, "Typical, I should've broken more of Tony's fingers," The two Scoobies blinked at him, prompting him to ask, "What?"
"You're the one who beat up Tony?" Willow said awed.
"He's an abusive drunk, Willow… I didn't take too kindly to it when I found out… we had words," Giles replied, cracking his knuckles.
Buffy found her respect for her Watcher going up a couple of notches. 'Note to self, destroy Tony's car on the way home from my next patrol,' With that mental note, she said, "Right, let's go."
"Where?" Willow asked, perplexed.
"The Calix Building duh," The Slayer replied. "We need to check up on Xan… and give him his things, I guess."
"We'll take my car, it'll be faster than walking," Giles said.
(...)
When the group arrived at the Calix Building, they were stopped by some sort of invisible force five feet from the doors. Buffy pushed against it, then banged against it with all of her Slayer given strength to no avail. "What kinda fresh hell is this? Why can't we get in?"
Seeing Giles pointing to something she couldn't see at eye height, he said, "That's why,"
"What, what is it? I don't see anything?" The Slayer replied vexxed.
Willow and Giles looked at Buffy surprised with the Watcher speaking up, "I assumed when you said you couldn't see screens anymore, it just meant yours, not all of them, period."
"I'm starting to think I might've made a very big mistake…" Buffy thought aloud. Sighing she said, "What's the screen say?"
Willow acted as a translator, "It says that the Calix Building is the Player Home of Player 2 and we have not been invited inside."
"Who's Player 2?" Buffy asked.
Giles opines, "Xander was last known to be staying here. So, when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. Thus, I'd hazard a guess it's Xander," Clearing his throat he said, "System, could you let Xander know we're out front please?"
[Certainly Player 4, it could be several minutes before he shows up however, he is currently… indisposed.]
'Oh dear, that can't be good,' the Librarian thought to himself before turning to the girls and saying, "We'll need to wait a bit, it seems. Xander's currently in the middle of something."
(...)
Xander who had just finished a very nice sandwich and a lemon water and was now actually reading his way through one of the skill books he acquired from the library. He was currently leafing through an old favorite of his, The Hobbit, and was halfway through when he received a popup.
[Player's 1,3,and 4 have arrived outside your home, they wish to speak with you, and are awaiting entrance.]
Sighing, Xander put a bird feather he found in the barn in the book to act as a bookmark before he stood up. "Well, it's been fun ladies, but I have to go take care of some things that require my attention."
Elphaba took a pull off her pipe before she asked, "Like… what? Where… are you going?"
"Yes Mister Alexander Sir, if you're going back to the Guild to pick up a Quest, would it be okay if Morgana and I formed a party with you?" Theresa asked her big blue eyes all but begging him to say yes.
"Don't lump me in like that!" The Wizard complained before she coughed and added, "But yes, I wouldn't mind joining you if you're okay with it."
"Count me in too!" Haylee replied, "It would be an unbalanced party with one person in the front row and three people in the back."
Xander raised his hands, calming everyone down, "Woah, woah, settle down everyone. I just need to head home real quick and check on some friends of mine, they're worried about me."
Haylee blinked. "Is your home very far away? Like a day's ride on horseback?"
"Eh, yes but also no…" Xander replied as he made his way back into the barn and picked up the ledger. 'Cullis Gate costs how much again?' He asked himself as he scrolled down the list. 'Five grand a piece,' He asked the System, "Can I buy two Cullis Gates from this ledger here connecting my bases?"
[Yeah sure.]
"Thank you," He spent ten thousand gold and immediately a hexagonal stone pad ten feet across appeared in the barn letting out a low blue white light. Looking into it, he saw a golden sigil in the shape of an S with two dots near either curve in the center of the pad. 'Some kind of marking?' Xander wondered.
"Mister Alexander Sir, what is that?" Theresa asked awed at the new addition to the barn that formed from nothing.
Xander replied, "It's a Cullis Gate, a form of magical transportation. It connects to other Cullis Gates and will instantly transport me back home… Do you guys wanna come?" 'I didn't think this through,' He thought as the small pad suddenly became rather crowded. Yet he still managed to tap the screen labeled. [Base One.]
They all disappeared in a flash of blue-white light.
(...)
After everyone arrived at Xander's home away from home, he told his companions. "I'm going to go answer the door, please make yourselves at home."
As he left, his fellow adventurers began poking around their new environment.
"What is this place?" the Priestess asked, peering into a room only to jump a bit when light suddenly flooded the area from above. Looking up, she saw a small glass sphere illuminating the room she had just poked her head in. 'What is that? Some sort of magic item?' She wondered as she looked around, it appeared to be a larder, a large empty larder.
"What's… in there… Theresa?" Ellie asked.
"Just an empty larder, it's cold in here… but I don't know how since it's not below ground. More magic like the sphere above?" She wondered aloud.
The Witch popped her head in and shook her head, "No, I sense… no magic here. Something else is… at play here."
"Let me see," Morgana demanded as the other two shuffled further into the larder, allowing their companion access to the small glowing sphere above. "It seems to be a luminescent crystal ball of some sort. Though I imagine divination would be rather difficult with how bright it is."
"That's a lightbulb, ladies," Xander said, poking his head in the room and seeing what they were looking at.
"Light… bulb? What's it, Mister Alexander Sir?" Theresa asked excitedly.
"It makes light," Xander answered blandly.
"How does it work?" Morgana inquired.
Xander opened his mouth then closed it. "I don't know, we've had them around here for so long I never really asked myself how they work. But I guess the easiest explanation would be its lightning in a bottle."
"You have something that produces light on command that isn't a candle and don't bother to learn how it works?" Morgana asked with her hands on her hips.
Resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose, Xander replied, "We've had them for like a hundred or so years Morgana, give me a break here."
"Just where are we, Mister Alexander Sir?" Theresa asked.
"My home, I told you that," Xander answered, slightly confused at the question.
Fixing her glasses, Morgana rephrased, "What the priestess means is how is it so technologically advanced from our own kingdom?"
"Ah, well that's a loaded question, one I'd be happy to answer if you'd come out of my walk-in freezer," answered Xander cheerfully as all three girls noticed the room was slightly colder than a larder should be.
"What's a… freezer?" Elphaba asked.
Jabbing a thumb behind him, he said, "Just get out here, my friends want to meet you… also I need to get some food for this thing. The only things I'm liable to find in there right now are dust bunnies and spiders."
Coming out of the thing the knight called a 'freezer' the magic users found Haylee chatting happily with a group of three people. An older gentleman wearing a pair of bifocals on his face, and two girls around the age of Theresa and Morgana who were dressed akin to men. One had hair the color of wine, while the other had flaxen blonde hair that was darker at the roots.
"And that's how I met Sir Alexander," She finished as they approached.
Looking over at him and smirking a little the blonde said, "Sir Alexander? You're a knight now?"
Said boy shrugged his shoulders and responded, "I guess so."
The older man sighed. "You just can't stay out of trouble can you, Xander?"
"Hey, I think I did pretty well for myself. Thank you very much," The young man defended his actions.
Giles raised his hand. "Of course you did. Of course you could've waited like I asked…"
"Look, Giles… I hate to break it to you man, but I'm not the normal one anymore, no one in this town is normal anymore. I don't need to sit in the back row and wait for Buffy to be a hero anymore when I'm perfectly capable of doing the job myself."
The blonde put her hands on her hips. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Exactly what I said. You don't need to be the hero anymore. Isn't that what you've always wanted? To be normal? Well now you can be. This thing, this System lets anyone with enough effort become just as strong as you if not more so."
"Is that what you want Xander? To be me?" Buffy asked.
"Better to have someone who wants the job and is willing to do it, than someone who doesn't and is only doing it begrudgingly," retorted Xander thinking of all the innocent people who died while Buffy shirked her duty. He understood why she did it. That doesn't mean he had to like it though.
"You've got some nerve!" Buffy said clenching her fists at her side, "We were worried to death about you, you hadn't been to school in days! We wondered if something happened to you, and then you come back from some medieval world with girls you don't bother to introduce and tell me off?"
"Yeah pretty much, cause I dunno if you realized yet Buff, but this school, this town doesn't give a shit about us. Who cares if I don't go or not? My parents? Snyder? I'll just be labeled as another runaway and we both know what really happened to all of them, don't we?" He said, not backing down. Before the System, he would've been deathly afraid of inciting Buffy's wrath, now? Not so much. "Also, I don't owe anyone an explanation for where I'm going or what I'm doing. If my own parents generally don't care, I don't owe an explanation to anyone else."
Buffy took a step forwards getting ready to smack some sense into her Xander-shaped-friend, when a new voice spoke up.
"Ignus… Inflammare… Murus." A wall of flame jumped up between the Slayer and her friend.
Xander glanced behind himself. "Ellie, you didn't have to do that."
Lighting her pipe from the fire wall she'd just conjured, the witch replied, "Perhaps not… but I will… not let you… be harmed," Glaring at Buffy beyond the flickering flames, she said, "You are strong… but very immature… grow up, child."
"You have no idea what I've been through, lady." Buffy retorted glaring.
Taking a drag off her pipe, Elephaba replied, "Perhaps not… but as I… said, I will not allow you… to harm… my friend… just because his words… hurt your feelings. You wish to… prove him wrong? Then do so… with actions… become… the hero he… sees you as … not a two-bit… thug."
"Mister Alexander Sir is a hero… at least, that's what I think," Theresa spoke up. "He… He saved me and," She glanced at Morgana who nodded. "He saved myself and Morgana from Goblins! Do you know what they were going to do to us?! They were going to rape and kill us! He saved us!"
"They're just goblins, how dangerous could they have been if Xander could take care of them alone?" Willow retorted wondering how such a tiny and weak creature could cause anyone harm.
With tears springing to her eyes at the memory, Theresa laughed though there was no humor in her tone. "Our party thought the same thing. Our leader coaxed me into joining them, thinking we could easily handle them… He died first, they ripped him to pieces."
"I," Morgana picked up where the Priestess left off, "Was stabbed with a poison dagger, my staff broken, my magic inefficient. The little devils were ripping my clothes off when Xander showed up,"
Theresa picked up from there, "Then there was Laura… she had her leg broken by a Hobgoblin, and had all of her clothes ripped off, thankfully Mister Alexander Sir showed up before they could do anything."
"And as sick as it sounds," Haylee continued, "They were the lucky ones. My entire village was wiped out by a horde of Goblins… even my best friend was found by them… I guess his sister tried to hide him, but Goblins have a really good sense of smell… There is nothing left of my hometown, only a field of overgrown grass and ruins of what once was," The minotaur hunter glared at the Slayer from across the fire. "I lost my uncle about five years later to a minotaur. So until you've lost everything to monsters, keep your damn mouth shut. You think you've got it rough? You're just a spoiled brat who doesn't know how harsh the world can be!"
"Even I," Elphaba began, "Have known hardship… the people of the village I grew up near, would come to my mother … for remedies … always in secret … not wanting it known … they received help … from a herbalist Witch of the Wood … they called her… then one day…a drought hit the village. Crops didn't grow… and as people… are want to do, started spreading rumors… that this was the curse of… the Witch of the Wood… Then one day… a drunken mob… burnt down the log cabin… that I lived in… with my mother… still in it. I escaped into the woods… as I heard my mother's… screams of agony as… an inferno roared,,, and consumed… the only home… I had known. I wish I had known… someone like… Sir Alexander… back then… maybe I would still… have my mother now."
"Ellie…" Xander said, sounding sad at the horror she had to have gone through, "I'm so sorry."
Placing a hand on his shoulder, she said, "Don't be, it happened… a long time ago."
Hearing one horror story after another, Buffy felt the fight leave her. 'I've really got it good huh?' She thought before she turned to leave.
"Buffy? Where are you going?" Willow asked, confused.
"Wills, there's nothing left to do here," The Slayer said, sounding defeated. "Xan, are you not coming to school anymore then?"
"Is there really any point?" Xander asked, "I mean you heard Snyder, "I'm the type of person meant to be put on a sacrificial stone."
"I don't think… I like this… Snyder person… Very much," Elphaba said with a scowl at Giles she asked, "Is that him?"
"No!" Xander said quickly, "No, that's Giles, he's cool."
"He doesn't look cold," Theresa noted.
Xander sighed, 'Right they don't understand slang,' he thought, "It's… he's fine Theresa, he's not Snyder. Trust me, you'd know Snyder if you see him, he looks like the offspring of a human who decided to mate with a bridge troll."
"But… but your education…" Willow began.
"Means nothing when I can make gold from doing quests," Xander rebutted. "Face it Wills, school is just a distraction at this point."
Willow opened her mouth to argue more, only for Buffy to interrupt her, "Willow, I think Xander has made up his mind. He's right, we're not his parents. So we don't have the right to make up his mind for him," She looked over to the small cardboard box Xander had roughly dropped by the front door. "He's allowed to make his own decisions now, I think."
Willow too, looked solemnly at the box, before scowling at the girls. 'So he'll turn me down and go right around to saving two girls from Goblins, huh? Pff, I guess he never really cared in the first place.'
[-10 affection with Player 3. You are now considered acquaintances. +5 Charisma for standing up for yourself to your Hero, childhood friend, and father-figure.]
"Xan," Buffy called getting his attention, "Does this mean we're on our own now?"
"What're you talking about, Buffster? Just because I'm not going to school anymore, and not acting like anyone's lackey, doesn't mean we're not friends. Call me if you need me. This place does have a working phone," spoke up Xander as Buffy and company were leaving.
"What's a phone, Mister Alexander Sir?" Theresa asked.
I'll tell you over dinner… we need to go shopping…" spoke Xander as he looked at all the girls and realized they wouldn't fit in with their current clothes.
"Is your city's market open this late?" Morgana asked. "Surely all the stalls are closed so close to dusk."
'Right medieval fantasy setting. They've never seen a damn Walmart,' "Umm, yeah we have something a little different around here," Seeing the eager puppy dog look Theresa was sporting, he sighed and said, "I guess you all want to come with me?"
"Obviously." Morgana replied, "I can't leave Theresa by herself she'll get into trouble."
"Oh, I'm sorry, who dragged your half dead poisoned corpse away from the goblins?" The holy magic user sniped. "You're heavy by the way, you might want to consider losing some weight. Do you want me to pray to the Earth Mother for you?" The usually sweet priestess replied, her sweet smile and kind tone never wavering for a moment.
"Why you!" Morgana proceeded to pull on her cheeks, mainly because spell fire wasn't a good idea.
Giving Buffy a bland look, he said, "Umm, I know we were just kinda fighting but… they stick out like a sore thumb and…"
"Clothes?" Buffy guessed.
"Yeah, I mean I'm brave but I'm not suicidal. If I went into certain stores with them…" Xander trailed off.
The Slayer nodded. "Yeah I get it," She put her fingers in her mouth and let out a shrill whistle, getting the attention of everyone, "Alright listen up, we're going shopping, and since there are some places Xander just can't go, we'll be going with you."
"Mister Alexander Sir?" Theresa asked, unsure if she could trust someone who was just about ready to fight her savior not long ago.
Xander reassured her by smiling at her, "Don't worry, Buffy just has a short fuse. She means well most of the time."
"Hey! I'm right here, you know?!" The Slayer said, sounding offended.
"I'm well aware," Xander drolled, looking at Ellie he said, "You can do away with the firewall now, Ellie."
"Very well… Alexander… if you are sure… she isn't a threat," stated the literal flaming hot witch.
At that, Xander laughed, "Buffy, a threat when shopping is promised? No never."
Trying her best to scowl at him but also not laugh, she just managed to say, "Your lucky I like you Xan."
"You mean you're happy I'm paying for this extravaganza, be right back," Making his way to his office he asked the System, 'Is there any way I can trade gold coins for cash?'
[Check the shop.]
Doing just that he found a new tab that said [Coin Exchange]. Clicking it he found the current price for gold. [Each gold coin weighs 1.6 ounces. The current price of gold is 288.60 an ounce. Meaning you will get $462 per coin. Note that coins can be turned into cash but cash cannot be used to buy more coins.]
"Noted," Xander said as he exchanged ten coins for almost five grand. 'That should cover everything,' He hoped anyway. Changing out of his armor and into his normal apparel he made his way back downstairs now clad in jeans, a t-shirt, his tims, and a red and blue leaf patterned Hawaiian shirt.
"Gah my eyes! In the name of the God of Knowledge, Sir Alexander! What is that garish thing you're wearing? It's fit for a jester!" Morgana said, averting her gaze from his shirt.
"Seriously," Xander said while looking down at himself, "What is wrong with my shirt?"
"Everything, it is an assault on the eyes! It should be considered some form of psychic mental warfare to go around wearing such a thing," The Wizard complained.
Circling around him, Theresa said, "I like it, it's very colorful, and must've been very difficult to make with so many different dyes in its make."
"It's very vibrant… Alexander… colorful," stated Elphaba plainly while trying to hide her giggling behind her hand.
"I think you could scare a goblin with that," Haylee said with a giggle.
Rolling his eyes he said, "Yeah, yeah, Buffy is going to take you ladies shopping for new outfits… because I hate to say it, but you stick out like sore thumbs dressed in your normal clothes."
"We do… so we have to dress like men?" Theresa asked.
"No, they have dresses, it's just people haven't dressed like you ladies do for about oh… a hundred or so years longer? At the very least since landing on this continent."
Something he said sparked Morgana's understanding of their current situation. "We… aren't in the Four Cornered World anymore, are we Alexander?"
He looked at her as Elphaba, Theresa, and Haylee looked back and forth between them. Finally he shook his head, "No, you're not, but that's what happens when you ask to come with someone and don't ask the destination."
"Another world… I have so many questions!" the Wizard declared pointing a finger at him borderline accusingly as her eyes shined with intrigue and wonder!
He just thought she was kinda cute in a petulant child kinda way just then, "Can it wait till we buy you clothes?" He asked.
"And food?" Theresa asked, as her stomach let out a low growl like a mountain lioness making the poor girl's face shine like the morning sun.
"Ohh, very well, but you will answer my questions Alexander," Morganna stated as she understood her friend must have been starving.
Turning and walking towards the exit he replied, "You'd be better off reading a history book than playing twenty questions with me, Morgana," He called over his shoulder, "C'mon you're in for your first experience with a car."
"Excuse me?" Giles replied vexxed.
"Well of course you're driving us G-man, an English gentleman such as yourself would never make ladies walk who knows how many miles to the mall, would he?" Xander said grinning knowing he had the man by the short hairs.
"Bloody yank, knows me too well," Giles said under his breath," As he said aloud. "Alright everyone, proceed to the wheeled metal cart. Get in a seat, and put a seatbelt on."
"Are you a mage as well, mister Giles?" Morgana asked.
"I was… but that was long ago… I did things I regret," mused Giles as he looked up at the sky as they walked out.
"Warlock?" Elphaba said knowingly.
"Why yes, how did you know?" the Watcher asked.
"Like knows like… Mister Giles," The Witch replied with a tip of her pointed hat.
As they made their way outside the Witch saw a machine of polished metal and glass. 'This is no cart,' she thought, "What is that thing? She asked, perplexed and intrigued.
"It's called an automobile, now please get in and buckle up," Giles replied, pulling open the door for her to get in.
(...)
Word Count: 9,213 Number of Pages: 23 Date Completed: 5/22/2022
(...)
AN: Hello one and all and welcome to the long awaited chapter 4 of This Game Called Life. Snowy and I do hope you all enjoy it. Speaking of, here's Snowy because he probably has something to say.
Snowy: Words cannot describe how I feel about this chapter. I am satisfied but also not. We are showing how these worlds grow and develop. Xander is trying his hardest but he is only one person. Who knows what threats are out there for him to face.
Thanks for the input Snowy. Well that just about does it for us this time boys and girls ladies and gentlemen. Until next time, here is Xander's updated stat sheet. Peace!
Name: Alexander 'Xander' Lavelle Harris
Path: lvl.5 Fighter
Titles: Friend of the Strange, Goblin Slayer
Perks: Apocalyptic Maiden Saver, Cretin King, Cultivation of Heaven and Earth, Evasive, School of Hard Knocks, Head of Lead, Midnight Guard
Skills: Adrenaline Rush lvl.1 Novice, Scrapper lvl. 2 Apprentice, Alchemy lvl.1, Bowmanship lvl. 1 Journeyman, Cooking lvl.2 Novice, Harvesting lvl.2, Taunt lvl.1, Moment's Respite lvl.1, Jog lvl.3, Alertness lvl.1, Tracking lvl.1 Journeyman, Vigilance lvl.1, Observe lvl. 2.
Perk Points: 0
Attributes:
Strength: 21 Intelligence: 32
Dexterity: 22 Wisdom: 33
Constitution: 21 Charisma: 38
Fatigue: 25 Luck: 32