Dragon of the Shield 2

Chapter 2: Adventure, Assessment, and Accusations

The next morning the three dumbasses and I were brought to the throne room after being served breakfast. Honestly as strange as it may sound, that was the part of this that weirded me out the most. I'd had to teach myself how to cook before I was ten, and pretty much every meal since then I made. The last time I “ate out” was… about eleven months ago? Maybe a year?

I didn't like this setup. The Dealer providing “assistance” and “security” on jobs was almost as bad a warning sign as Corpos promising vague payments. Not to mention how much of a Corpo feel I was getting from the King.

So I was actually relieved when none of the “adventurers” seemed all that interested in joining me. It'd be tougher but it was no fun without a challeng…

“Excuse me, Sir Shield Hero?”

Oh for fuck's sake, I turned to the redhead. Pretty enough, but she had an air about her that felt less stable than a drunk minotaur on a hoverboard. Quirking an eyebrow, I asked, “Yes? Do you need something?”

“I volunteer to join you in your journey. I cannot bear the thought of a brave hero such as yourself traveling alone.”

The hint of pity made my wyrmblüt roar in outrage, but I kept my face blank. Instead, I asked, “Name, skills, gear, and harvest mods.”

“Of course, Sir Shield Hero. I'm Mein Sophia, level 19. I have some skill with the sword, I have my basic armor and sword. I'm afraid I'm not familiar with… harvest mods?”

“I figured, but wanted to check,” I said with a sigh.

“I… see. Shall I collect our allowance from the King? Then we can get some better equipment.”

Yeah, no way was I letting anyone touch my money if I could avoid it. Fortunately I got a one time bonus on account of only having one volunteer. For once, my wyrmblüt rose up in something besides anger. The clinking of metal coins awoke something in the blood I'd taken into my body.

Still, I couldn't just hoard it, I needed better armor than my Runner clothes. And since my gun didn't get brought with me (probably got blown up) I needed something to fight with as well.

“Sir Shield Hero! Wait!”

Oh right, Red. Well I didn't know where anything was so I guess I could put up with her for as long as it took to find the local equivalent of a Chopper.

Fortunately, she led me straight to a shop that had an assortment of weapons and armor that wouldn't be out of place at a Knight Faire. Red made a beeline for the higher end equipment, I guess it had been a while since she'd been able to upgrade her gear. I on the other hand made my way to the proprietor.

“Who makes all this?” I asked as I stopped by the counter.

“You're looking at him,” the bald, bearded man remarked with a look of pride.

Just a glance around the store showed that he was right to feel proud, there were more melee weapons and metal armor here than I'd ever seen.

“Do you take commissions?”

“Depends on what it is you're asking for?”

“Nothing fancy, just a particular kind of knife. Do you have something I can draw what I'm thinking?”

Not five minutes later, I had sketched out a basic drawing of a bowie knife.

“The blade itself should be about as long as a forearm, and if you have it, I'd prefer antler for the handle but I'll take what you can make.”

The shopkeeper looked over the design with a critical eye. Before nodding, “It's not a design I'm familiar with, but I can see a lot of uses for it outside of stabbing someone.”

I didn't say what immediately came to mind, instead I asked, “How much for it and when can I pick it up?”

“Hmm… we'll say ten coppers now, and three when it's finished. I don't have any antler on hand, but I know a merchant who'll be coming through tomorrow. Let's say… four days.”

Nodding in agreement, I placed the required coins on the counter moments before Red dropped an armful of equipment onto the counter.

“Add these to the bill!” she all but screamed.

“No. You have your own money, you can pay for it yourself,” I snarled. My wyrmblüt was grumbling over the amount I'd need to spend just to properly outfit myself, I wasn't going to pay for the unwanted tag along.

“But… Sir Shield Hero, if I'm to accompany you on your adve…”

“Either pay for yourself or leave. It makes no difference to me.”

Red stared at me, before dropping a bag of coins with her gear as I started perusing for myself. I eventually settled on some chainmail and a gambeson for the armor (the straps of the Shield growing enough to let the armor pass through before cinching back down) but encountered a problem with the weapons.

“Problem, Shield Hero?” Red asked, hiding her satisfaction at my troubles, but I heard it all the same.

[Quote]Legendary Weapon Breach of Agreement!

A Hero can’t use any other weapon with the intent to fight other than the one Legendary Weapon in their possession.[/quote]

That's… that's dumb. What kind of idiot designed this system? Well at least I can still use poisons.

[hr][/hr]

By the time I got out to the plains outside the city, I’d discovered a couple tricks with the shield despite the dumbass weapon restrictions. For starters, by having it absorb materials through the big green gem in the center, it unlocked new types of shields. It also had an “inventory” function, which immediately contained my money. From everything I’d heard, it sounded like it’d be more secure there than in a bank back home. No interest, but that’s fine.

On the bright side, I managed to lose Red. For claiming to be an adventurer, she sure was stupid. She was probably the local equivalent of a corpo kid, one who decided to go into wetworks or whatever they had here.

In any case, almost as soon as I was in the plains, I was attacked. By orange balls with eyes, teeth, and made noises like a rubber ball I had when I was a kid.

“I'm pulled to another world, treated like shit, have a corpo bitch try to latch onto me, and now I'm being attacked by what are either angry or amorous sports equipment.”

While the ball monsters were certainly aggressive, I had six biting on various parts of me, they weren't biting hard enough to hurt. Pulling off the one that was all but gumming my head, I concentrated my wyrmblüt into my saliva and spat into its eye.

Skreeeeeeeeee!!!

Well it certainly felt that. But it wasn't dying quite yet. I didn't have any weapons, so I brought my fist down on top of it, making it pop.

[Quote] +1 Exp[/quote]

Great. One experience point. And I needed how many?

[quote]Name: Naofumi “Sigurd”

Class: Level 1 Shield Hero (1/99)

Equipment:

[list]

[*]Small Shield (Legendary Weapon)

[*]Simple Chainmail[/list]

Attack: 2

Magic: 15

Physical Defense: 72

Magical Defense: 39

Dexterity: 19

HP: 213/213

SP: 60/60
MP: 57/57

Skills:

[list]

[*]Wyrmbüt (Poison)

[*]Wyrm Breath (Cost: 2 SP/sec.)[/list]

Spells: None[/quote]

… if I was right, it was looking like I'd have to kill basically a hundred more of these little leeches in order to level up. Sighing in frustration, I look over the balls still trying to gnaw on me.

[quote] Wyrm Breath: Chlorine Poison equipped [/quote]

Taking in a deep breath, I breathed out a cloud of noxious green gas, the balls almost immediately bursting and the grass it touched turning black. Cutting off the flow as soon as I could, I fought back the urge to cough as the back of my mouth and throat burned.

[quote] +5 Exp[/quote]

Six down, ninety three to go. Joy. There had to be a more efficient way to do this than risking permanent damage to my throat by breathing out chlorine gas. If the balls grant a single point, then there had to be monsters that granted more.

Still, I grabbed the remains of the balls and fed them into the shield. Waste not and all that. A look around the field showed no further creatures, but… was that Red? Shit!

[hr][/hr]

I managed to shake her, again, and continued to search for creatures to earn experience points from, and managed to hit level two at around three in the afternoon. But I kept at it, continuing to grind until the sun set.

I considered trying to open an apartrift, but… I admit I was nervous. I didn't know if being in a different world would affect the portal at all. If it did, would I lose everything?

In the end, I decided I'd see about renting a room in the city. It couldn't be worse than sleeping in back alleys, right?

I found an inn and ordered the cheapest meal they had. Eating out three times in two days, what happened to me? I needed to find a place of my own so I could cook for myself again. At least it was real food and not the processed crap most grocery stores peddled back home.

I was getting ready to head to the room I rented when a certain parasite showed up.

"Sir Shield Hero!"

Oh for fuck's sake. As Red ran up to me, I leveled a glare at her, making her stop in place. With half the inn staring at us, barely holding onto the last threads of my patience, I snarled out, “I'm tired, so piss off, Leech.”

Without bothering to give her a second thought, I stormed up the stairs to the room I rented for the night. Should have opened an apartrift when I was still outside the city.

Closing the door shut behind me, I immediately cupped my right hand against the wall, fingers splayed out like I was gripping something round, and turned it thirty degrees left, seventeen degrees right, then forty degrees left again.

A tear in reality opened, and I stepped through before letting it close behind me. Letting out the breath I was holding, I looked around the sparsely furnished apartment with a small smile. It wasn't much, despite my years Running I hadn't made a big break, but it was home and it was mine.

Pulling the bag of coins out from the inventory space in the shield. I walked to my bedroom and tucked it under the pillow. It was silly, but it felt appropriate. With a sigh at the long day I'd had, I undressed and climbed under my sheets.

I drifted away to sleep, a soft smile on my face as I entertained thoughts about buying a bed frame now that I could afford it.

[hr][/hr]

The next morning I hummed a nameless tune as I went about my morning routine. Shower (the shield somehow not getting in the way), getting dressed (a Runner jacket over the armor I got yesterday), throwing together a cheap omelet (a couple button mushrooms, a diced jalapeno, a bit of breakfast ham, and two eggs) in a tortilla to make a wrap, and I was off.

Well, not quite. After I made my wrap I sat down in my recliner (and my one chair) and pulled up the status screen.

[quote]Name: Naofumi “Sigurd”

Class: Level 2 Shield Hero (122/253)

Equipment:

[list]

[*]Small Shield (Legendary Weapon)

[*]Simple Chainmail

[*]Runner's Jacket[/list]

Attack: 2

Magic: 19

Physical Defense: 80

Magical Defense: 45

Dexterity: 23

HP: 256/256

SP: 72/72
MP: 68/68

Skills:

[list]

[*]Wyrmbüt (Poison)

[*]Wyrm Breath (Cost: 2 SP/sec.)

[*]Wyrm Scales (Cost: 0.5 SP/sec.)[/list]

Spells: None[/quote]

Everything except for Attack went up, but I had no idea what the various skills, equipment and whatever did.

“Wyrmblüt?” I asked aloud, going out on a limb.

[Quote] Wyrmblüt (Poison)

Blood harvested from a venomous dragon courses through your body, providing a number of different perks and abilities, but also influencing your mind to be more like a dragon.

Required for:

[List]

[*]Wyrm skill tree

[*]Swamp Dragon skill tree[/list]

Benefits (Level 2):

[List]

[*]+10 Physical Defense

[*]+15 Magical Defense

[*]+3 Intimidation[/list][/quote]

Well, that worked. But it's not suggesting…

“Wyrm Breath.”

[Quote] Wyrm Breath

The quintessential dragon ability, you can breathe the element that courses within you in a devastating attack. Every element also possesses a secondary effect.

Element: Poison

Secondary Effect: Special

[/quote]

“Oh for fuck’s sake, it can’t ever be simple can it? Special.”

[quote] Wyrm Breath - Special

As poisons and toxins come in a myriad of lethalities and toxicities, so too can your Wyrm Breath have a number of secondary effects. The specifics of the secondary effect depends on the type of poison currently equipped.

Available Poisons:

[list]

[*]Chlorine Poison (Damage ignores target’s Defense values)

[*]Magebane (Damage dealt to target’s MP)

[*]Sleep Gas (Damage dealt to target’s SP with a chance of applying the Sleep condition)

[/list][/quote]

“Wyrm Scales.”

[Quote] Wyrm Scales

As a creature of physical and magical power, your very hide turns away spells and steel.

Effect: Your Physical Defense and Magical Defense are combined for the duration of this skill. Your total Defense value is equal to Physical Defense and Magical Defense added together.

[/quote]

Damn, if I was right about how this whole thing worked, that had some serious potential. In any case, it was probably best that I get back out there.

[hr][/hr]

I packed the leftovers from my omelette in a plastic bag for lunch before heading back to the castle city. It was still pretty early, so I should be able to grind some more before seeing if I could sell or otherwise make use of the remains of the monsters. The remnants of those orange, yellow, and red balls seemed worthless, but maybe today I’d find something that’d leave more usable remains.

I was nearly to the edge of the city when I heard the sounds of several feet running, accompanied by the sound of metal on metal. Turning my head, I caught sight of several of the local cops running with furious expressions on their faces.

Were I back home, I'd have split as soon as I saw the cops. But I suppose a part of me had hoped that this place would be better. That's the only explanation I can give for why I let them catch me and haul me to the castle. They took the armor I’d purchased, my lunch, even my damn jacket. Just about the only things they didn’t take were my cargo pants and the shield on my arm.

Course, that left my wyrmblüt’s injection point fully exposed, the yellow-green scales on my arm on display as I was dragged before the King. In addition to the stuffed Corpo bastard, the three dumbasses, several lesser ranked corpos, and, in front of the Corpo bastard, looking smug as an imp lawyer, was Red.

“From the moment I laid eyes on you,” oh the Corpo was talking.

“Can we skip the show trial and get to the point where you either put a bullet in my head for knowing too much or you slap an obedience chip in my skull so I can’t so much as take a shit without your say so?” I interrupted.

“BE SILENT, RAPIST!” one of the lower ranked corpo bitches shouted

“Be grateful that we are even allowing you the dignity of a trial, demi-human filth,” Corpo snarled, making me blink at the unfamiliar term.

“I admit, that’s a new insult, normally it’s along the lines of Gutter Rat or Low-Born Street Trash. Never been called demi-human though,” I mused aloud.

“SILENCE! Were you not needed to fight against the Waves I would have you cut down where you stand!”

“And there it is. Let me guess, the same sort of bullshit that makes it so that I can’t pick up a knife unless it’s for cooking also means that you’re stuck with me and I’m stuck here. That about right?”

Corpo looks fit to burst a blood vessel or two. Normally I’d be more respectful to a Dealer, even a corpo one, but I really should have seen this shit coming. I’d been a Runner for four years, you don’t last a month without seeing this kinda shit coming.

“While the coming Waves of Calamity mean that I cannot have you executed like you deserve, you will no longer receive any assistance from the Crown. As you are demi-human, you shall receive all the rights and privileges fitting your kind. Guards, remove this scum from the castle,” Corpo decreed, giving an overly dramatic gesture with his arm.

Oh joy, I get to be pushed around by a bunch of men in shining metal and long spears, how lovely. Yeah, no. As soon as the doors to the Corpo’s chamber were closed, I shoved the hands off my shoulders and leveled a glare at the cops.

“I know the way out,” I growled, pulling on my wyrmblüt.

They tried to hide it behind sneers and looks of disdain, but I could see the wariness in their eyes. Now, what the fuck was I supposed to do next? I had my pants, the shield on my arm, the coins and other crap I’d stuck in the shield, and that was it. Much as I wanted to say I’d solved worse problems with less, that was a lie.

Sighing as I stepped out of the castle and into the city proper, I ignored the stares and whispers. I’d probably lost anything even remotely approaching good will with anyone in this city, so I couldn’t rely on anyone being willing to sell me shit. That reminded me, I still had clothes in my apartment, I should pop over and get dressed. Again.

[hr][/hr]

I’m fully dressed again, but that still doesn’t solve my problem with being able to lay down the hurt on monsters. Oh sure, the chlorine breath thingy could certainly kill enemies, but it was murder on my throat and I couldn’t count on it not killing me from that.

“You appear concerned, young man,” a slimy, used-car salesman type voice called out from an alleyway.

“What do you want?” I snapped, in no mood to deal with the bullshit of the locals.

“I offer a service. Unless I’m sorely mistaken, you’re in need of assistance on your journey. After all, it is well known in… certain circles that the Legendary Shield greatly cripples the ability of its bearer to deal harm. That won’t do, not if you’re to stand a chance against the upcoming Waves of Calamity.”

“And so you took it upon yourself to help me out of, what? The goodness of your heart?”

The man laughed, “Goodness no, I live here, of course I don’t want the world to be destroyed.”

“You said service, and you don’t look like the kind of person who’d enjoy themselves in a fight. So you’re probably offering mercs?”

“No, not mercs. Couldn’t trust them anyways, they’re only loyal to whomever holds the purse. No, I’m offering individuals who cannot betray or lie to you. I’m offering slaves.”

I quirked an eyebrow, intrigued. Technically slavery was illegal long before Alaska broke away and went independent, but it was still relatively commonplace in practice if not in name.

“Show me.”