(A/N:
The game "Aground" is the legal property of the creative geniuses at Fancy Fish Games. I only own this fanfic plot and any OC's.)
"External Speech."
'Internal Speech/Thoughts/Commands.'
Gamer System
"ᛞᚱᚨᚲᚺᛖᚾᚴᛚᚨᚢᛖ (Drachenklaue)." - "Untranslated (Translated)."
'Telepathy.'
I double-checked my supplies as I prepared to set off eastward on Flamma's back.
40 Apples, 30 Steaks, 50 Arrows, the Rusty Axe, my Recurve Bow, an Enchanted Shield I found in the Ice Cave, 2 Cocoons, 4 Wyrms, the Shadow Cape made from the Shadow Furs of those mostly-invisible Panthers that roamed the woods at night, and just under two-dozen Jack O' Lanterns grown from those seeds I found in what I decided to call the 'Halloween Cave'.
Additionally, I was equipped with an Ultra Pack, a set of Steel Armor, a Steel Axe, my Lantern, and a Steel Pick.
I felt sufficiently prepared for what mysteries were held on the eastern island. At least, that was what I'd thought.
I'd also asked Alexander if he was coming, but he simply waved me off and said he'd 'meet us there.'
'Probably going to use teleportation… but then why didn't he investigate it before?'
All in all, getting to fly through the skies on the back of a living, fire-breathing dragon was quite exhilarating! There'd been some odd, balloon-like ichthyoid-ish creatures bobbing in the air as we neared our destination, but Flamma quickly dispatched them with her fire.
And, of course, upon landing on the new island - with it's pale jade grass and magenta soil - Alexander appeared in a flash of magic.
"This island is overflowing with magic - we are definitely in the right place!"
He turned his attention to a nearby purple growth-like mound poking out of the ground. Past it was a tall, crimson spire and a blue dome. "I've seen this kind of magic before. These structures are partially organic and are all hibernating. They'll need to be awoken."
He quickly zipped over to the purple mound. "I already know how to activate this purple chamber, but the other structures will require more study."
With a wave of his hand, the soil obstructing the rest of the purple structure was cleared away. "This should be a good base of operations. I'll set up some supplies."
Another wave, and a chest materialized next to the purple chamber.
Looking around, I felt a sense of awe; almost everything here looked alive to at least some degree.
Then, I returned my attention to the other two structures - still buried and dormant. "You said you knew how to activate this purple chamber, so any ideas on how we activate the other two?"
Alexander hummed to himself for a moment before speaking. "Clues for activating the other structures might lie with the Wyrms."
He gestured toward me. "You should follow one on this island and learn their secrets, while I translate some of these markings."
New Quest!
Alchemist wants you to find the secrets of the Wyrms.
- Requirements -
Find Wyrm Hive 0/1
? 0/1
I simply nodded. After catching all those other Wyrms on the first island, which I'd named 'Sanctuary', just finding one and following it seemed easy!
I slumped against the wall of the Wyrm Hive, exhausted. There'd been a Wyrm Queen (rather obvious, in retrospect), and while it did not directly attack me, all those Wyrms it kept birthing from its oral cavity were as annoying as heck!
Its corpse DID, however, cough up a purple crystal that the System identified as a Spirit Gem. Seeing the name, I couldn't help but wonder if it was related, in any way, to the Fire Gem I'd found in the "Fire Cave" back on Sanctuary. Additionally, further searching turned up two chests shoved away in the lower level that contained one Spirit Gem each.
Surely, these were what Alexander was looking for!
But now, as I began biting into some of the apples in my pack, I noticed something at the edge of my vision, dimly illuminated by my lantern.
Finishing my snack, my Stamina recovered, I approached what - by all means and purposes - looked like a smaller version of the mouth-like entrance to the Wyrm Hive.
'That… wasn't there when I first came in… was it?'
Curious, I decided to investigate…
And found myself in what appeared to be some kind of maze!
Looking at the surrounding passages, I couldn't help but wonder just how far these tunnels went.
And thus, I began trying to map out the maze, leaving jack-o-lanterns behind like those two children in that medieval tale.
The first 'exit' seemed to just lead to another section of the maze.
The second, however, was much more interesting!
I'd found myself surrounded by soil upon exiting the second passageway. However, this type of soil was not the magenta soil of the island of magic I'd started at, and it was darker than the fresh soil of Sanctuary.
I began tunneling straight up, wondering just how far those tunnels had taken me, and found myself in front of what seemed to be an Inn!
"Hey kid," My attention was called to a shifty figure wearing a dark overcoat and wide-brimmed hat that obscured his features in the dim night. "Would you like some rare goods? You can't buy these anywhere else!"
He pulled out a familiar-looking cape. "How about this Shadow Cape? Wearing it will render you invisible, and it can be yours for only 1500 coins!"
I shook my head, holding up my own. "I already have one of my own."
"Then… how about a Jetpack for 16K? Batteries not included, of course-"
"Pass, WAY outside my current budget!"
He looked at me, his obscured visage betraying nothing. "Well, how much DO you have to spend?"
"About five-thirty-two."
He hummed, then searched through the folds of his overcoat for something. "The only thing I have that I'm willing to sell ya for 500 is - I still have one somewhere- AH, one of these beauties!"
He brandished a sleek, grey horn. At first glance, it looked to have come from a bull, but it was larger than any bull-horns I'd ever seen!
"What, what is that, exactly?"
I could feel him smiling under his collar. "This, kid, is a Minotoar Horn! VERY hard to come by, these horns are!"
I gave him a look. "If they're so hard to come by, then why is this one the cheapest ware you're selling?"
He shrugged. "Cause other than making for a good conversation starter, these Horns don't seem to be useful for anything. I've got a feeling about them, but until someone finds something they're actually useful for, I'm just trying to sell 'em out so somebody can let me know, so I can sell them for a higher, justified price."
I shook my head. "Maybe another time. Anyway, could you tell me where I am, exactly?"
He stared at me for a couple of seconds, then bent over laughing. "Have you been livin' under a rock, kid?!"
"A dried grass roof, actually. But I think it's a LONG ways from here."
Getting his laughter under control, the Dealer finally answered. "You're in Sunset Haven, the main settlement of those who survived the ship crashing down!"
I blinked. From what I could recall from Trista's maps, Sunset Haven was to the west of Sanctuary, but the magic island had been to the east.
There was no way those tunnels were that long! If anything, I'd crossed a distance that should've taken about a full day in less than a half-hour!
I sighed and decided to drop the thought for now, simply accepting it as some kind of Wyrm magic.
"I'll come back sometime… When are your business hours?"
"I'm 'ere in front of the Golden Key Inn ev'ry night!"
He pointed his thumb over his shoulder at the doors to the Inn. "Mortimer is a stingy one, but he charges fair prices for rooming. At least, he usually does, but with the power kaput, nobody is booking any beds. But if you tell 'im I sent ya, he might let ya take a sit in the lobby for free if he's in one of his better moods."
I blinked. "Uh, well, thanks, I guess?"
He tipped his brim with a black-gloved hand. "Thank you for your business. Sorry, no refunds."
I tilted my head. "But, I didn't buy anything…"
"Ya sure? Time is money, after all!"
I blinked, then snorted, getting the joke, before turning back to the tunnel in the ground that I'd just exited.
Already I was now wondering where else those tunnels led!
Deciding to put my curiosity of the tunnels on hold for now, I made my way back to the Wyrm Hive by following the jack-o-lanterns I'd been strategically dropping as I went, then making my way to the trio of structures where Alexander was scrutinizing the red structure.
"Alexander, I found a Wyrm Queen in the hive, as well as something I think you'll find very interesting!" I held up one of the Spirit Gems as I approached.
I could practically feel Alexander's eyes widen under his hood as he beheld the crystal. "What's that? There was a Wyrm Queen?" He waved a hand. "That's irrelevant,-"
'Figured you'd consider that part irrelevant.'
"Look at the Spirit Gem you found! I'm certain this is what we need to make a breakthrough!"
He pulled a rose-colored set of crystal goggles from his robes and handed them to me. "Here, try these Spirit Goggles. The markings helped me invent them, and while they didn't help me see the secret behind these structures, they may help you see what we are missing."
Curious, I accepted the goggles and slipped them over my head.
The moment I opened my eyes, it felt like I'd really opened my eyes in a new… ethereal way!
Everything was tinted with some sort of energy that reminded me of soap in clear water, and I could see what looked like light-red jellyfish lazily drifting through the air above us, directly underneath the floating island with snow dripping over the sides.
"This is… incredible!" I looked to Alexander, excitement seeping into my voice. "What next?"
He chuckled. "It is good that you are so eager to learn about magic with me, I have two things to say."
He pointed inland, where a wooden fence was erected. "Firstly, that forest to the east feels dangerous. I set up a Fence, and I recommend you don't go beyond it."
He then pointed toward the sole active structure. "Second, I need a bit more time to study this. Why don't you rest in the purple chamber?"
I then began to realize the faint aching in my limbs from my subterranean exploration, and nodded in agreement.
As I rested on a seat inside the purple chamber, I'd taken to watching Alexander experimenting with various phials of what I could only assume were alchemical samples and reagents.
As he did, he would jot down his observations in a leatherbound journal, on a page for the day's number.
I blinked, the number was higher than the days since the crash of the colony ship. Which meant…
"You didn't crash with the rest of us?"
"No," Alexander put down his equipment to meet my gaze. "I was part of a scouting mission for the colonization program."
He held up a metal badge, scratched and worn, but still clearly cared for, depicting the words:
U.P.S.D. #4
Alexander Magenta
'Unoiks Project Scouting Division…'
He sighed. "We were four. But, the other three died, and when they came soon after, I knew this planet was cursed."
Alexander returned the badge to its place within his robe. "I barely survived, using what I'd learned of magic. Perhaps if I'd had those Spirit Goggles back then, things would've been different."
I blinked, the way he'd said 'they' was setting off alarms in my head. "They were here?! After you?"
Alexander nodded. "Yes. I believe they were jealous of my magic." He paused, then put a hand to his chin. "Or frightened of it? It's hard to say for sure…"
Some time later, after I felt fully refreshed from my break, Alexander came up to me, excited. "I have determined that a Spirit Gem can capture a spirit of fire or water, resulting in a Fire Gem or Water Gem. The infused gems should allow us to activate the structures."
The System displayed the Quest, and the requirements were pretty much what you'd expect. Activate the Forge and the Synthesizer.
'That answers the question of what these are, somewhat, I suppose?'
I then noticed what looked like an ethereal pillar between the chamber and a resting Flamma.
I pointed. "By any chance, do you know what that pillar is?"
Alexander just grinned. "It's better if you experience it for yourself."
Curious, I approached it, before carefully laying a hand on what I perceived as its surface.
In that moment, I could feel information flow from the pillar into my mind!
The pillar reveals this enchantment:
Rusty Axe + {Fire Tusk, Diamond} = Ancient Axe
I stood in awe for a moment. This was some form of magic-based information-storage, capable of uploading information directly into the mind of the user!
I hoped I could eventually understand this magic, maybe even replicate it!
When I finally pulled my hand away, the image of the pillar faded - not completely, but enough to go unnoticed if I didn't pay attention to it.
After shooting enough arrows into what looked like a larger, fiery cousin of the typical Boar - which the System called a Fire Boar, I returned to Alexander holding aloft the Rusty Axe and one of the two Fire Tusks from the Fire Boar.
"That Fire Tusk… what kind of creature did you get it from? It seems to resonate with the Rusty Axe, perhaps that is the magical ingredient we were looking for!"
Taking the axe and tusk from me, Alexander uttered some kind of chant. In response, the Fire Tusk burst into motes of light and was absorbed by the axe. Restored to its former glory, it was now a brilliant teal with waves of energy - which faintly reminded me of the images I'd seen of Exotic Matter back on Earth - rippling across the head.
"I have done it!" Alexander cheered as he returned the Ancient Axe to me. "I wonder who made this Ancient Axe, and how old it is? If you want to make more, I added the recipe to the laboratory."
Excited, I check the stats on the Ancient Axe.
Ancient Axe
Attack: 4
Cut: 6
Knockback: 5
+Stamina per Hit: 1
Always gets a critical hit.
Can be used underwater.
Enchantment: 600/600
Weight: 10
Sell: 452
'Four base damage, doubled by the critical hit, means eight damage total.'
Swapping out my worn and now inferior Steel Axe for the Ancient Axe, I set off to catch some Spirits!
After activating the Forge and Synthesiser, I found myself utterly amazed at their capabilities!
The Forge appeared to utilize magical ingredients to imbue equipment with various enchantments - as well as fabricate objects from dragonblood and diamonds, and the Synthesiser could not only refine objects (mostly food for now) - but even directly convert stored magical energy into physical matter!
Even now, I was enjoying a slice of synthesised pie in the purple chamber with Alexander in celebration.
"You met them on this planet ten years ago?" I put down my pie, shocked. "That's before they tried to wipe out humanity and destroy Earth!"
Alexander nodded. "Correct. I was the first to encounter them, and the first they tried to kill."
He sighed, wistfully. "I don't know what I could've done differently to stop the war. They arrived suddenly with their biological weapons and attacked without a word."
I sighed, my earlier celebration gone. "If only there was a way to communicate with them…"
"We probably could communicate with them now, using my magic translation."
He shook his head. "But, hopefully we'll never encounter them again, now that they seem content to ignore us."
Suddenly, something clicked in my mind. "Wait, they attacked with organic weaponry, but these magic structures are organic as well…"
I sat up straight. "Could this have been their homeworld?!"
Alexander paused, mulling over it for a moment. "Now that I stop and consider it, that is more than likely."
"Then, perhaps the reason they attacked was because they were protecting their secrets?"
"Maybe…"
Later…
"I have done it! I have created an Alter Gem! This will allow us to transform Wyrms - and probably other creatures - into usable equipment!"
'If only I could peacefully speak with one of them.' I reminisced. 'I would've loved to learn how this magic works.'
"We must continue to explore this branch of magic!" Alexander handed me a purple-blue crystal and the Wyrm I'd lent him earlier. "Take this Alter Gem and use it on a Wyrm yourself! If you need more Alter Gems, I have added the recipe to the synthesiser."
He held up a finger. "Make sure you use Alter Gems on well-fed creatures. Hungry creatures won't stay transformed long!"
As Alexander rushed off to another part of our excavation site, I went to retrieve the Alter Gem from the Inventory, only to find a new prompt.
[Transform]
[Discard]
Selecting Transform, a list came up, listing what I had that it could transform via the Alter Gem - which, right now, was just the Wyrm Alexander returned to me.
Wyrm
Damage: 3
Mining Speed: +1
Feed: 1K/1K
Weight: 4
Transform
Wyrm Drill
Mine: 4
Enchantment: 2K/2K
Weight: 4
Confirming the process resulted in me now holding a large grey limb with what appeared to be a wheel of Wyrm-teeth on the end.
'Let's test you out, my utilized friend!' I prepared to head to the tunnels, only for my eyes to catch on the glowing segment of runic stone beneath me.
I had noticed it before, but that material was beyond the capabilities of my Steel Pick.
But with the Wyrm Drill, maybe…
Experimentally, I pressed the teeth of the Wyrm Drill to the stone. Upon making contact with the rock, the wheel spun to life and tore through both the targeted 'tile' and the one next to it!
'Now I can finally see what this leads to!' I thought to myself as I eagerly tunneled along the spirit trail, before I sensed a cave identical to the one Alexander resided in back on Sanctuary.
My excitement replaced with perplexion, I followed the trail to the mouth of the cavern and - after hesitating for a moment - entered…
And came face-to-face with something in a purple carapace.
(A/N: Now we're about to reach one of what I believe is the BIGGEST deviation from the main game!
Everyone stay healthy and I'll…
See you in the Game(s)!
-poaling12