Quest Rarity: Epic
Quest Reward: 800 experience, Wood pieces of Staff repaired.
Description: You gathered the necessary ingredients, and the master repaired the wooden sections of the staff.
You have completed the quest!
Success! You’ve reached level 18.
Atlas ran his hands over the now smooth staff. The gemstone shone brightly while the polished metal glimmered. His examination was interrupted by someone clearing their throat. He looked down to see the old Woodworking master staring at him.
“Yes?”
“You going to complete that thing or what? I’d like to see what it really is.”
“Oh yeah, sorry.”
He turned his attention to the original quest.
Quest - Return to the Living
Requirements
• Level 15
Rarity: Unique
Quest Reward: 800 experience, 600 Woodworking experience, 600 Jewelcrafting experience.
Description: You repaired the staff back to its former glory, but it is far weaker than before. Take the staff and work to strengthen it.
Do you wish to turn in this quest? Yes/No.
Atlas mentally selected Yes. The staff in his hands burst with a brilliant green glow and pulled out of his hand. It floated to the middle of the room and hovered a couple feet off the ground. Large slashing arcs of green energy coalesced around the staff and circled it in a vortex of power before the power shrunk down and absorbed into the staff.
The staff floated back to Atlas and hovered in the air until he grabbed it. The piece looked like a genuine work of art. Intricate runes appeared scrawled over all the surfaces. With nervous anticipation, he examined the item to see its actual identity.
Item - Breath of Life
Requirements: Level 15
Rarity: Unique
Quality: Masterwork
Class: Living Weapon
Special Properties: Soulbound
Attack: 4
Magical Attack: 4
Defense: 3
Magical Defense: 3
Durability: 225/225
Weight: 6.5 lbs.
Slot: 2H Weapon
Level: 1
Experience: 0/100
Traits: A rare and elusive Living Weapon. This staff feels as though it has a mind of its own.
This staff is sweet! I’m a little disappointed in the stats on it for a Unique level weapon. I mean, no attributes? Seriously?
The key benefit Atlas saw was it contained boosts for both his physical and magical attacks. It was the first weapon he’d seen in the game that did both. Two other factors made this weapon more attractive than he could reasonably explain. A soulbound property meant it would stick with him through death and it couldn’t be looted from him. It was the first item he’d seen with that property.
The second, and possibly most intriguing of all, was the level and experience portion of the weapon. He wasn’t sure what a living weapon was, but if it could level up and grow in power, it would be a game changer for him. His clock showed he only had an hour until he needed to log out, but his curiosity was too much to fight.
Dashing for the door, he finally noticed the Woodworking master’s face. A look of childish joy framed the man’s expression.
“In a bit of a rush, thanks for your help. I’ll come by and see you later if you want to get a closer look at the finished item,” he told the master as he ran past and out of the door.
Ignoring everyone around him, he ran for the gate near his house. He realized he’d leveled up turning in the woodworking quest, so he put a point in Constitution and the other in Intellect. The guards blurred by his vision as he passed in frantic motion. The closest area for monsters near the city wasn’t far from this gate, and he made a path directly for it.
An antelope was his intended prey, and he rushed toward the animal in the grassland around the city. It didn’t take him long to work his magic and finish the creature, but he was disappointed in the notifications.
Grassland Antelope died.
You gained 80 experience.
His heart fell as he looked at the staff. The experience counter on the weapon hadn’t moved. With his hope deflated, he slunk back to his house near the gate, locked the door, and immediately crashed on the bed. The prompt to log out soon greeted him and he hit Yes.
Chapter 23
Crashing Down
Atlas opened his eyes to the familiar hum of the electronics in the pod. He searched the glass dome for the technician outside. A burly man with black hair and a goatee stood at the control panel as he tapped away on the screen. The top popped open and Atlas slid out of the machine.
“Welcome back,” the tech said as he scanned the control panel and looked back up, “Atlas.”
“Thanks. Where’s Jean? She working today?”
“No, sir. She’s off work today.”
Atlas sighed and thanked the man before he walked off and took his direct path for the restroom. Taking care of his business, he continued his normal dull trek back home. Only a handful of people littered the hallways and the lobby as he exited.
His old car fired up, and the belt squealed under the hood as he shifted it into gear. The sound continued until he cleared the parking garage and gave it some gas. The partially burned out neon from a small burger place caught his attention and he went through the drive through to grab a bite to eat on his way home.
Entering his apartment, he looked around in despair. The bland place was the same boring spot he was used to. He immediately missed his adventure, the smell of sawdust, the thrill of fighting, and the fresh scent of the forest. His time outside of the game was slowly dragging down his spirit.
His afternoon and evening consisted of him cleaning up the apartment, including himself, and making sure his clothes were clean and ready for work the next day. He rewarded himself by sitting on the couch and watching anime. When he began to nod off, he stood up, brushed his teeth, and walked to his room to collapse on the bed. Soft snoring soon filled the place as his head hit the pillow.
***
“What do you mean, let go?” Atlas fumed.
He arrived at work as usual to see
