The smell of sawdust filled his air as he looked around the room. Small racks lined the walls, and piles of staves lined each one. Little signs marked each one with prices listed on them. It reminded Atlas of price tags back in the real world. As he moved farther into the shop, the amount of staves on the racks diminished, but the prices rose.
One of them near the desk even stood in a glass case. A price tag on the box listed it at two gold. This thing must be super high level! An examination of it proved him wrong.
Item - Wizard’s Meditation
Requirements: Level 15
Rarity: Epic
Quality: Exquisite
Attack: 8
Defense: 5
Magical Attack: 14
Durability: 205/205
Weight: 3.0 lbs.
Slot: 2H Weapon
Traits: A staff made of the sturdiest, yet lightest wood and imbued with magical power. It grants the wielder the following traits:
Increases Intellect by 3.
Increases Spirit by 4.
Increases experience gained from kills and quests by 15%.
Holy crap. That thing screams overpowered. No wonder it commands such a high price.
The greedy part of his soul wanted to buy it. The experience gain would be invaluable once he hit level 15. The practical part of him told him he was stupid. The problem with low-level items like this was obvious. You’d out level its usefulness eventually, and when you did, you wouldn’t get nearly enough money trying to sell it. The price rarely paid off as a solid investment. The stats on it were higher than anything he’d seen so far, so he guessed this would be a formidable weapon until at least level 20, maybe 25. After that, something better would come along. He also focused more on physical attack than magic, so there was that to consider.
“Admiring that beauty are ye?” A small man said as he walked into the room and took his place behind the counter. He couldn’t be over four and a half feet tall. A bushy beard covered his face. It could be described as a Santa Claus beard by how thick it was, except his was a dark black and not white. A bulbous nose sat in the center of his face and thick furry eyebrows cast shadows over his eyes.
“Sure was. That thing is sure nice. Don’t think it’s worth the investment, though. Too much money for something I can outpace with leveling in a short time.”
“Aye, there is that. It’s for the people who value their time far more than their money. The added experience boost helps them climb higher, faster. It’ll be here for a while. Items like that usually sit and wait for one specific person. But that’s neither here nor there. I’m Kilkanic, purveyor of this shop. What can I help you with…,” he let the sentence hang as if waiting for Atlas, so he slipped in his response.
“Name’s Atlas. I was just browsing your goods. I am a druid myself and a woodworker. I’m sure I’ll eventually come by to sell merchandise to you.”
“Druid you say? I guess your training with Master Greenfoot?”
“I actually just arrived but, yes, he’ll be my druid master. I was looking for his place when the sign drew me in here.”
“You’re not far away. Go back to the main road and head toward the center of town. The next road up, take a left and follow it. It’s a little of a hike, but his house is about a quarter of the way around the circle. If you came from Lairthyn, you’ll spot it immediately. It has a similar design to Master Proth’s house. Proth apprenticed under Master Greenfoot for a while and picked up some of his style.”
“Thanks for the info. I’ll stop by and visit when I have something to sell.”
“You do that. Don’t be afraid to come looking for something to buy. Your staff looks like it’ll serve well for at least a few more levels, but you’ll eventually need an upgrade,” the man called as Atlas walked away.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he chuckled as he walked outside.
The directions were straightforward, and he followed them through town. The merchant, who Atlas assumed was a dwarf but didn’t want to seem rude if he was wrong, wasn’t lying about how far the trip was. By the time he reached the building, his legs hurt. Part of that was the trip here in the first place, but he’d been on his feet for a long span of time with no rest.
The house was indeed almost identical to Master Proth’s, if his house was twice its current size. The same style of trees lined the front porch, and similar wood patterns marked the outside of the building. Even the smell of the wood remained identical as he walked through the door.
An older man looked up from the desk he sat at. Patches of gray stood out in his hair and beard. He puffed on an old pipe of carved wood and his midsection looked like he enjoyed eating. His jovial smile made Atlas immediately forget those details. He emitted a warmth, almost like a comforting blanket with that simple expression.
“Welcome, young druid. What brings you to me?”
“Master Greenfoot?” Atlas asked.
The older man only nodded in response.
“I’m Atlas. I’m here to continue my druid training with you,” he said as he walked forward and presented the letter from Master Proth.
“Ah, little Proth. How is he faring anyway?”
“Last time I saw him he was sitting at a table, drinking tea, and reading a book,” Atlas answered honestly.
“Sounds like he’s living his dream. He’s always been a fan of reading. Looks like taking that quiet post out there truly paid off for him after all.
“By the looks of things here, you showed your knowledge of all previous spells and you picked up all three of the
