4 Nilan the Great

Lucan woke and looked at the bloody remnants of his cloak that was now bound around his foot. It no longer hurt but it still suffered from the status condition [Broken]. If he were to put weight on it, he would feel pain and his movement speed would be cut in half. The more he moved around the longer it would take to heal.

For the time being, Lucan decided to stay put. This was his first time killing another player, he didn't know how long his name would stay red. With no immediate threats he pulled out a piece of bread and a small jar of honey. He ate his meal before washing it down with water.

Being a solo player, Lucan was accustomed to getting stuck or having to wait. To pass the time he pulled out his woodworking kit. Originally, he had grand ideas about becoming a famous wood worker, he would earn enough money in game so that he wouldn't have to worry about money out of the game.

However, that wasn't the case. It was hard to get recipes. Buying them from the auction house cost a fortune. Same with the supplies. You would need a network of subordinates to acquire all the materials then he would also have to put in a tremendous amount of work. For Lucan, it wasn't a profitable business, but it did allow him to make his own wands for a fraction of what it would cost to buy one.

Time passed as he whittled free the designs trapped in the wood. He would split apart the wands and place different cores in them before resealing them. He made 12 wands before a notification brought him out of his menial labor trance.

[You have been in the Depths of Despair for over 24 hours. You have become inflicted with mild insanity.]

Lucan knew he needed to leave this place but what could he do? A death right now would lose several weeks' worth of work.

With a new day started, Lucan was able to resummons his familiar to his side. Lucan chose the small mouse again to take form. Instead of sending it to go scout the area he started conversing and laughing while making wands. The mouse couldn't understand what the warlock said but Lucan laughed and enjoyed himself like he was talking with a long-lost friend.

"What are you doing nibbling that rock you goofball. Ha ha ha, since when do you eat rocks?"

"Ha, ha, that reminds me, I haven't asked about your mouse wife. How are the mouse kids? Fat and healthy I hope."

"Ha, ha, ha, you're to kind."

[You have progressed to the third stage of beginner woodworking]

Lucan spent another day cackling to the mouse while making wands.

[You have been in the Depths of Despair for over 48 hours. You have become inflicted with second degree mild insanity.]

Lucan looked at the time outside. He was getting close to his 16 hour limit for the day. He decided to log out after putting his supplies away. The warlock and his mouse disappeared while the game continued on.

***

Brax open his eyes and took the full dive helmet off and stared at the ceiling from his bed.

'What a shitty day.'

He sat up and stretched. He was stiff and sore. Right now, he didn't have the funds to go out and buy a top of the line capsule. He had to make do with the game helmet. Soon he wouldn't have any funds coming in at all. Brax works or worked at a research firm.

Six months ago, his boss pulled him into his office and explained that he would be let go in the future. His boss, who had gone to high school with Brax, did the courtesy of letting him know in advance. Boss Green explained that Brax had been with the same company for 8 years and never had any significant moments in his career. The company could pay 3 people straight out of university with what they paid him.

Boss Green did let Brax know it would be better to take the vacation days he never touched rather than have them rolled into his severance package. At the end of the meeting, Brax packed up his desk after his 6 months of vacation had been approved. Next week he would get his last paycheck along with his severance package, which was another 4 months of his wages.

Now wasn't the time for big expenditures. Brax didn't live above his means so he wasn't worried about his financial future right now. For the time being he would continue to keep playing 'Evolution'. However, days like today made it seem less than fun.

'I got nothing going for me in my real life, I can't let Lucan's life fall into shit too.'

Brax got up and headed outside to go for a jog. 'Evolution' had taught him the importance of staying fit. He found the better condition he was in, the easier it was to preform in the game without needing a rest. Sure, the stats of your character are important but if your heart starts racing from walking up the stairs it is harder for you no matter how great the character is.

Brax spent the day active as he ran errands, restocked the fridge and spent time exercising. After dinner he pull the full dive helmet back on and reentered 'Evolution'.

Lucan's name had returned to the normal white color. In a few more hours his foot would be good as new. He spent his time running through the last of his woodworking supplies.

"Finally." Lucan said as he gently put weight onto his left foot. There was no pain, his mobility had been restored.

Able to move freely, Lucan began to creep down the tunnel. It wasn't long before he found a chamber off to his right. He peered in to find an empty room. That wasn't true, there was a skeleton sitting in the corner with its arm resting on a small locked chest.

The mouse entered the room first. It made its way over and touched the skeleton. Nothing happened, it circled around, rubbed up against the chest but there were no reactions. The small mouse scurried back to Lucan.

The warlock cautiously entered the room and crossed to the other side. With his wand ready, Lucan squatted down next to the skeleton and poked it in the forehead. He could hear something crack. He held his breath as the skull slid from the skeleton and toppled onto the ground. Lucan waited without moving.

Nothing happened.

"Phew." He said while calming himself. Lucan began to take a closer look.

The clothing and armor were all in rags. They began to crumble the moment Lucan reach out to touch them. The small chest on the other hand looked to be in pristine condition, as if it was made yesterday. He put his hand on the small metal container and could feel a strong magical essence.

"Ha, ha, ha, I have found a supreme treasure." In his insanity Lucan forgot where he was and started shouting and screaming like a raving lunatic.

"He, he, I will nurture the source of this strong power and become limitless. One day they will all acknowledge my power and bow down to my supreme might. Ha, ha, ha." Lucan had gone full, head back, laughing at the gods, crazy. Until he remembered…

He had no way of opening the lock.

'Unless…'

Unfortunately, the overseers key was to big to fit in the lock. Lucan would deal with the lock later. It was his fortune that he could store the small chest in his bag. However, there was a warning that said it was guaranteed to drop if he died.

"I must protect my treasure." He said with eye filled with madness.

Lucan spent another minute scrounging around the skeleton before he found something that hadn't aged with time or worn away. It was a small golden ring. He picked it up and took a close look at it.

[Nilan the Great's ring]

[Epic Heirloom item]

[Once equipped the item can never be traded, dropped, or sold. The items level will always match your level.]

[Nilan the Great is the best thief you have never heard about. But you have defiantly heard of Amber Shawl, a thief every great merchant is warry of. This ring allows its user to maintain two identities.]

[Nilan's ring attributes]

>Increase agility by 5%

>Increase intelligence by 5%

>Allows a new identity. Once activated, user will have a new name. The ring will also reveal different character information if the user is investigated with objects or by magical means while the second identity is active.

>User is given one additional class slot. The new class can be anything, even if the user's original class restricts the options.

>Every time the user gains 50 levels while wearing this ring a new effect will be added.

"Goodbye bad luck, here comes redemption." Lucan danced around and cheered. The effects of insanity had caused him to release all inhibitions and give into the slightest whim.

Once the 15-minute dance performance for the little brown mouse ended, Lucan took a look at the ring again and smiled before putting it on. As a warlock he was allowed to take two other classes and two professions. Right now, he had only a single class and a single profession. He had been presented with options twice so far, but nothing felt like it fit right.

"Okay Little Brown. Let's find a way out."