Paragon of Weaponmasters

As we ride, I finally give in to the pestering notification from my talent tree.

Instead of another row of talents appearing at the bottom of the Wall of Swords tree, the other two trees appear. I re-read the description of each before exploring my options.

One-armed Swordsman: Wielder of one weapon, you focus all of your power into powerful strikes. A single-minded damage dealer that quickly dispatches single targets.

Armorer: Your options are as plentiful as your weapons. A versatile damage dealer that spreads his weapons around a single or multiple enemies.

Wall of Swords: The best defense is a good offense, a lesson you've taken to heart. A tank with illusionary abilities to confuse enemies as you get their attention from multiple directions.

Well, as it stands right now, I only have one weapon. So I read the one-armed swordsman talent.

What Doesn't Kill You - Subsequent strikes on the same enemy deal 1% more damage.

That seems ridiculously broken, and it pairs well with my petrification shield for long fights. Might as well check the other tree before making any decisions, though.

Armory - Unlock a 3rd weapon slot.

Short, sweet, and… I don't have three arms. This tree must lean very heavily into telekinesis. With this talent I wouldn't be caught empty-handed when my only weapon is off somewhere else, like I was during the guard captain fight. Figuring out what one would deal more damage is too much math for me, so I go with the talent that requires the least thinking; Armory.

I open my character screen to see the 3rd slot. I still have my iron sword, so I equip it to the third slot. It appears on my right hip, opposite from my hammer. I hover over it, looking at the stats.

Iron Sword - Uncommon Sword - Require Level 40 - Minimum Strength - Minimum Slash damage

I know I need to replace it ASAP. My eyes wander over to my shield, and I audibly gasp as I see the durability. 75%. I need to go get repairs too.

As the road becomes significantly bumpier, I look up and see we've reached our destination. A huge tree, taller than even Peter's wizard tower and ten times as wide dominates my vision. I have to turn my head to look at anything else.

"Wow." I say.

Drahziel still stands. Perhaps not all is lost.

Is that the tree's name?

Yes. Drahzeil, the great tree that holds the world together. Their roots are buried deep and wide.

"Drahziel." I say, sounding out the word.

At the utterance of its name, the tree shakes. Like a chill moving up its trunk and out the branches, the sound of it is deafening. Creaking and groaning wood, along with leaves rustled by a fierce wind.

"Tho..zur?" The enormous oak speaks in a voice like an avalanche.

It is I, Drahziel.

"Where have you… been?"

I know not. I have only returned moments ago in the possession of this mortal.

The tree doesn't have eyes or a face, but I feel when it turns its attention to me.

"The uniter… is an orc?" the tree asks, scrutinizing me.

"Sorry." I say, having at least some context for why that's surprising.

"Correcting the… sins of your brethren."

"I had the help of a satyr." I inform them.

"Where are… they?" they ask.

Hmm. How to explain to an N.P.C. a player has logged out.

"He required rest and stayed behind." I finagle. "He'll come later for his reward."

"Mmm…" The tree intones. I can feel the sound in my chest. "Your reward. Carry it well… continue to right the wrongs of your… people."

As the tree finishes speaking, branches high above rustle. Something descends from on high, slowly coming to rest in my open hands.

Leviathan, the Deceiver added to inventory.

Leviathan, the Deceiver - Epic one-handed wand - Low intellect - Low poison damage

Sentient: This weapon has a consciousness. It can operate and think independently.

Floating: This weapon has the ability to hover close to the ground.

Apaki?

Thozur floats over to observe the short rod.

"Another god?" I ask.

Not quite…

"Maybe they're locked away, like you were?" I hazard a guess.

Perhaps. Have they said anything?

"Got to equip it first." I tell my hammer, doing just that.

Greetings, wielder. How may I be of service? The wand asks.

Apaki! The hammer shouts, clearly on this psychic voice channel.

I'm called Leviathan.

I feel the hammer squint. I couldn't explain the sensation if asked, but I know that's exactly what it is.

Do not allow the trickster to deceive you, orc.

"I do have a name you know." I tell them. "It's Earl."

Very well, Earl. Be wary of the foul whispers this one will speak into your ear.

"Got it." I don't think the limited personality in the wand is capable of such a thing, but I'll keep an eye out.

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"Is your reward… Satisfactory?" The tree asks.

"Yes, thank you." I tell it.

The tree settles into the ground, drifting back to sleep. Why did they have this wand, and why did they give it to me? Was it keeping it safe since Odin did whatever he did to Thozur and Apaki?

My thoughts are interrupted by a chat message.

Paragon Lovelymoose says: I'm harvesting here today if you're joining me

She sends me a map marker, and a group invite.

Paragon Lovelymoose says: Oh you're already there.

She makes her way over to me from where she was nearby.

"Hey." she says.

"Good morning." I respond.

She nods, and one of her eyes goes smokey.

"Good morning everyone. We're back in the Gormer forest with Earl, this time harvesting mistletoe. Voting for the next herb opens after today's stream, don't forget!" she talks to her chat.

"Did they vote for mistletoe?" I ask.

"Yes, after the stream yesterday." She tells me.

"I see." I smirk.

"What?" she asks, squinting at me. Her eyes go wide after she thinks about it for a second. "You guys!"

"Don't worry about it." I laugh. "Where can we find it?"

She looks up, scanning the branches.

"There." she points at a bush growing on one of the limbs of the giant tree.

I open my mouth to ask how we can reach it, and shut it as she casts a spell on us. I look at the buff icon that's appeared under my health bar.

Leaf on the Wind - Temporary limited flying enabled

She gracefully ascends to the branch she pointed out. She must have lots of practice with this spell, because no matter how much I try to lift off of the ground, my feet are firmly grounded. I jump, and will myself to continue going up instead of returning down. Thankfully that works, and I join her on the branch just as she finishes harvesting.

We hop from branch to branch, pointing out bushes as we go. She answers questions from her chat. On one branch, she pauses, looking up. A mistletoe bush is growing just above our heads. There's a heated back and forth between her and chat, before she harvests the plant. She gives me a funny look. I know exactly what they're saying to her without having to ask. She starts to say something to me, but something catches her eye behind me.

She casts a spell over my shoulder, I turn to see the huge eastern-style dragon slithering its way to us on the branches.

Hoggmite, Root Eater. Level ??

The spell wraps the serpent in vines, binding it in place.

"Run!" Lovelymoose shouts, jumping up.

I follow her lead, watching Hoggmite wriggle its way out of the vines and after us.

"We can't fight it, what do we do?" I ask, while she casts the binding vines spell again.

"We can't outrun it either. We have to hope we run into one of the other creatures that live in the tree, they'll defend us!" She tells me, casting the spell a third time.

I watch her float away, much more easily and quickly than I'm capable of. I look down at the snake, free yet again, racing to us.

"You go get them, I'll keep it busy!" I yell, commanding my weapons out. Thozur flies into the serpent's face, Leviathan fires green bolts of energy from over my shoulder. The monster takes the bait, attempting to snap its jaws around my hammer instead of chasing us further up the tree.

Without my instruction, Thozur launches lighting bolts. I wonder to myself if they are reading my intentions, or if the hammer is making its own decisions. Regardless, Hoggmite is completely distracted, chomping frustratedly. Their fight reminds me of the one I had with the red-eyed spinosaurus, back then my hammer wasn't fast enough to escape the jaws of our opponent.

My attention turns to a sudden braying above us, four huge cervids have appeared alongside Lovelymoose. Their furs are different colors, and their antlers are shaped like different phases of the moon. A red elk with long circular antlers, a green deer with inward-facing half-circle antlers, a blue reindeer with full round antlers, and an orange moose with outward-facing half-circle antlers.

Dai, Guardian of Summer. Level ??

Dva, Guardian of Spring. Level ??

Dun, Guardian of Winter. Level ??

Dur, Guardian of Autumn. Level ??

The four descend on Hoggmite, each jabbing the beast with their pointed antlers. I recall Thozur, to no effect.

Hey, let's let the deer handle this one.

I do not abandon fights.

I don't know if you understand what a level is, but this snake is beyond us. We could fight it forever and never win.

There is no courage without fear!

The hammer buzzes around, still zapping the snake. I sigh.

"We should probably get out of here." Lovelymoose says behind me.

I turn to her, thumbling over my shoulder.

"Think I have to wait for my hammer to wear itself out." I tell her. "You go ahead, don't have to wait for me."

She watches Thozur fly around in circles, enthusiastically trying and failing to fell the beast.

"Ok. See you tomorrow, then." She says, teleporting away.

It is unfortunate that Thozur does not heed your command, master.

Leviathan floats at my side, having stopped shooting already.

Yeah, that might become an issue.

We both watch Thozur for a while. The four hooved guardians are driving the dragon back one branch at a time, while the hammer ineffectually sends bolt after bolt into its hide. My Sentient II hammer needing fewer directions from me to be effective is great, but losing control of them is already becoming a problem.

Hey, Thozur, I need to go to the city and take care of a few things. Are you staying here?

My hammer doesn't respond, they're locked in to the ongoing battle. I sign, then shrug, then use my herston. Leviathan and I appear in the Boar Tusk Inn, Thozur does not appear with us. I give Bert and Toebark a wave, and make my way to Gunner for repairs. My naked-but-for-the-apron minotaur friend smiles as I enter his leatherworking stall.

"Greetings" He says in his deep, mooing voice.

"How've you been, Gunner?" I ask, knowing he can't respond in any meaningful way. "I need my gear repaired and I have a bunch of junk to sell."

He nods, and I open the shop interface by focusing on him. My repair bill is 137 gold, a number I would've balked at if I wasn't sitting on over 70,000. The useless junk in my bags make up for the repair bill, too. I thank Gunner and make my way to the auction house to move the ore, stone, and gems I've been hoarding.

With the auction house back to normal after a bunch of idiots tanked the value of ore to spite me, the various mined goods I've collected are worth about 40,000 gold if they all sell. I list everything one by one, taking at least an hour. My goal of 500,000 gold is still far out of reach, and I have 22 days, 10 hours to get there.

Once I close the auction house window, I look down at my empty belt loop.

"Hmm."

Still fighting that dragon.

I don't want to force Thozur to abandon the fight, but at this rate they'll become some sort of legend, 'The Endless Battle of the Hammer and the Snake', or something like that. I use Recall and Summon Weapon, to no effect. I'm going to have to get creative.

When I unequip Thozur, placing them in my bag in the interface, then re-equip them, the hammer appears on my belt loop.

What?

Sorry, You didn't really give me much of a choice.

Thozur flies from my belt, and calls lightning down around us.

How dare you!

They fly through the air, and slam into my face. I am flung across the auction house, impacting the far wall behind the auctioneers. I gasp for breath and hold my broken nose, sputtering the blood I breathed in by accident.

Stop!

Thozur does not heed my command, landing a blow to my ribs, producing an audible crack!

Argh! I grit my teeth, ignoring the pain and focusing on the next hit. I raise my shield, blocking Thozur from striking me again. When I reach for Leviathan, instead of a wand, a sword appears in my hand. Without time to think about that, I swing the sword at Thozur, slashing their head. The hammer flies away, returning at deadly speed.

I manage to block one strike and return the favor with a slash, then take a hit to the back. They have me cornered in the auction house, when I try to maneuver away, I get knocked right back. After more back and forth, watching my health drop and knowing the hammer has far more durability than I do health, I use Wall of Swords to create a barrier between us.

Thozur! Stop this!

They continue the assault, striking the wall repeatedly until it runs out of time. As they wind back to come at me again, I lash out.

ENOUGH!

I let go of the sword and extend my hand to Thozur. Focusing all of my will into the palm of my hand, I command them to return. The hammer twists and spasms as it tries to resist the pull, slowly drifting into my hand. As the handle touches my palm, I close my fingers around it. A wave of electricity moves through me, making my muscles tense painfully. I activate Thunder God to gain control over that, too. Ignoring the looks from players who'd gathered to watch the spectacle, I holster my hammer and ride to the north, towards Jotunheim.