Call of Carrethen: A LitRPG and GameLit novel (Wellspring Book 1) Read online

  “You think we’re ever getting out of here!? You think he will ever let us leave? Wake up! It’s kill or be killed. Or do you want to be like those sheep back in Stoneburg, just waiting to die?”

  Chaucey’s words running around in my head like a tornado of knives.

  It was the worst I’d felt since arriving in Carrethen. The Ripper’s arrival, the first raid on Stoneburg, and Gehman’s death all felt like things that had been completely out of my control—they were. But I couldn’t help but think that the most recent raid, and the bodies of Cavey’s men lying out in the town square were on me. And the fact that I was still wrestling with my own morality scared me.

  What was I going to do when we reached the Crimson Catacombs? There was going to be a battle, that much was for sure. But taking prisoners didn’t seem possible, not with Sinful. They were too high level and too fierce and angry to ever submit.

  No, I thought as Cavey opened the door to Gehman’s hut. You know what you have to do…

  I shielded my face as the door swung open, expecting to be greeted again by a cloud of black smoke. But to my surprise, no such thing happened. The hut was clear, and I could easily see inside to the anvil, where a tall man was beating his hammer on a short sword.

  “Kattenschind!” Cavey called out over the sound of metal on metal. “Kattenschind!”

  The man stopped hammering and turned his head in our direction. “Yo!”

  “Got some people for you to meet.”

  “Well, bring ‘em in already!”

  His voice was gruff and had a no-nonsense quality about it. The complete opposite of Gehman. I realized as we stepped inside, just how much the shop had changed as well.

  The workbench was now on the back wall, and the anvil was front and center, a few feet from the forge. Some sort of wooden venting system had been put in place, and I understood why the whole room wasn’t filled with smoke and ash like it had been when the place belonged to Gehman.

  There was an enormous haul of raw materials sitting a few feet from the forge. Bars of all kinds of metal, with many more stacked up on the work bench. My inner gamer couldn’t help but nerd out for a moment while I imagined just what kinds of bonuses those bars would give my armor, or what kind of suits could be made from them.

  “Well, well, well,” Kattenschind roared, tossing aside his enormous leather gauntlets as he came over to us. “What’s going on, fellas? Come to pick up something from Carrethen’s best blacksmith?”

  I didn’t even have to look over at D to know he was rolling his eyes. D hated openly cocky gamers more than anything, which was ironic considering he was one himself. I had no doubt in my mind that if this was pre-The Ripper Call of Carrethen, D would be unloading on this guy with everything he had.

  “That’s you?” he asked sarcastically.

  “Damn right it is.” He laughed, extending his hand. “Anyone tells you otherwise is a damn fool!”

  Not wanting to make things awkward, I took his hand and shook it. “I’m Jack.”

  “Well met!” he roared with a deep laugh. “What can I do ya for?”

  “I’ll leave you guys to it,” Cavey told us. “Come find us when you’re ready.”

  “We were looking for some armor upgrades,” I told Kattenschind, who was rubbing his hands together in anticipation. This was a guy who really loved his job—or was insanely wrapped up in his own greatness. He looked me up and down.

  “This is player made,” he remarked.

  “That’s right. Gehman made it for me last time I was here.”

  “Gehman,” Kattenschind mused. “He was the smith before me, right?”

  “That’s right. Good guy too.”

  “Well, just ‘cause he was a good guy doesn’t mean he was a good smith!” Kattenschind laughed. “Hand it over and let me take a look at it.”

  What…?

  His comment pissed me off immediately, and I turned around to look at the rest of my group. D didn’t seem any more bothered than I’d expected him too, Vayde wasn’t paying attention, and Baltos just threw me a sort of half-hearted, anxious grin.

  Maybe I was just being sensitive. Kattenschind didn’t know Gehman or about what happened to him. He was just Stoneburg’s new resident blacksmith—a cocky one at that, and more than likely didn’t mean to offend me with his comment about Gehman’s workmanship.

  I opened my character sheet, selected my armor and dragged it over to Kattenschind’s trade window. With a ding, it transferred my whole set from my inventory to his.

  “Oh, this is way too low level for you!” he told me confidently. “I’ll break this down into scrap and fix you up with a new set no problem—”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” I shouted. “Don’t break it down!”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Just—upgrade it for me!”

  “It’s much easier if I just make you a new set,” he replied. “And cheaper.

  “I don’t care,” I replied, shaking my head. “Gehman made this set for me, and I’m not going to just break it down into scrap!”

  I already knew what D was probably thinking, but I didn’t care. Under normal circumstances, I would have just broken it down and have him build me a fresh set, but Gehman’s suit of armor was all that was left for me to remember him by. Maybe I was just being sentimental, but I didn’t care. I didn’t even care that Kattenschind was looking at me like I was out of my mind.

  “Okay,” Kattenschind shrugged. “But I’ll have to charge ya. Upgrades cost more materials and skill, and I only have so much scrap.”

  “Looks like you’ve got plenty to me,” D chimed in, nodding to the countless bars laid out by the forge. Kattenschind smiled a guilty smile.

  “Fair enough,” he replied. “But did you help me gather any of that? Nope! And if you want me to use more of my personal stash because you have some sentimental attachment, then it’s going to cost you extra.”

  “What a dick—”

  “It’s fine!” I said, quickly interrupting D before he could start an argument. “What can you do for me?”

  “Well I can upgrade the armor level,” Kattenschind said, as though it was obvious. “I can also add any specific defense you want. Slashing, Ice, Magic Defense, Fire—”

  “Fire!” I said firmly. Images of Chaucey’s fire arrows streaked through my mind. The next time I saw him, I wanted to be fully prepared for whatever happened.

  “Mmmm,” Kattenschind mused. “Someone in particular bothering you, eh?”

  He stepped over to his rows of bars and plucked one from the stack and brought it over.

  “Red Garnet,” he said with pride, setting it down on the anvil.

  The bar itself was silver but infused with a vibrant red with a strange sheen that seemed to move on its own, making it difficult to focus on, almost like the bar itself was flickering with a fire within.

  “That’s awesome,” Baltos said, stepping up beside me.

  “Pretty,” D said, running his hand over the bar.

  “Pretty?” I asked, looking at him with surprise. He scowled at me.

  “Yeah—that’s what I said!”

  “You guys want something?” Kattenschind asked my party. “Can’t do much for you, Mr. Mage.”

  “Vayde.”

  “Can’t do much for you, Vayde,” he continued. “But I can whip you guys up some studded leather if you want.”

  “That’d be awesome,” Baltos said excitedly.

  “Why don’t you guys come back in ten or fifteen and I’ll have this sorted out for you, and you can check out my studded leather sets,” Kattenschind suggested. “I got some stuff you’ll like. Guaranteed.”

  “We’ll go stock up on kits and arrows,” I told him. He nodded and turned back to the forge.

  “Oh, I’ve got this too,” I said, turning around and pulling out my Executioner’s Blade.

  “Ooooh,” Kattenschind remarked as he took it from me. “Nice.”

  “Can you do anything with it
? It’s a drop, not player made—”

  “Absolutely, I can,” he replied, almost offended that I had even questioned his expertise. “Swords are easier than entire suits of plate. You’ll be pumped when you see it.”

  “Thank you.”

  We left Gehman’s hut and stocked up on essentials: arrows, Health Kits, Health Potions. Baltos took our junk loot and sold it at the general merchant. I could feel the anticipation of our return to the Catacombs growing inside of me.

  My First Aid skill had progressed enough that I was able to use Gifted Health Kits and Potions, which healed significantly more than the Superiors we’d been using.

  I looked over the town of Stoneburg and the rest of Cavey’s guild, some of whom were milling about and conversing, and others who were getting ready to head out to do some leveling.

  Normally, it would have brought a smile to my face. The town had been laid out perfectly, obviously by a designer who took real care and pride in his job. It was a perfect combination between an idealistic village and a Northern outpost for adventurers to gather at before heading out on their adventures. If things had gone differently, I could have seen myself spending lots of time socializing in the town square, chatting, trading, and just enjoying the atmosphere. But now, things were different.

  Tainted. That was the best way I could describe it. Even if we were able to defeat The Ripper, and somehow the world of Carrethen and the game were restored to the way they were supposed to be when they were originally created, I doubted if I’d ever be able to look at the town of Stoneburg again without remembering the terrible things that had happened.

  “So, have you thought about it yet?” D’s voice beside me made me jump and I turned to see him coming up behind me.

  “Thought about what?” I replied.

  “What you’re going to do?”

  He didn’t elaborate, but he didn’t need to. I knew what he meant. What was I going to do when we went back to the Crimson Catacombs and faced off with whoever was there?

  “I don’t know,” I admitted.

  “Well, you better make up your mind soon,” he told me. “Because if you don’t think you can go through with… it, then maybe you better just stay here.”

  “What?!” I roared, feeling a surge of anger rise within me. “What are you talking about?”

  “Jack,” he said quietly. “I’m not trying to piss you off. I’m just saying… things are going to get ugly there, and—”

  “You don’t think I know that?!” I bellowed, taking a step towards him. “You don’t think I know what’s going to have to happen next!? Gehman died right in front of me!”

  “And yet you still let Chaucey go,” D replied firmly. I tried to read his expression, but his face was like a slab of stone—no emotion whatsoever.

  “You think I shouldn’t have,” I said, not sure if I was asking him or telling him. D simply shrugged.

  “What do you think?” he asked. “You think Cavey would still have lost those men if you hadn’t?”

  I wanted to hit him. I wanted to hit myself. I wanted desperately to just log out and be back home again. This wasn’t how things were supposed to be!

  I wanted to scream. I can’t make decisions like this!

  “I—I don’t know, D,” I replied, walking away from him towards the blacksmiths. “I don’t know…”

  38

  Double Damage

  I was standing in a cluster of trees at the edge of the hill that led out of town. I just needed a moment to myself. I hadn’t really had one since I’d come to Carrethen. Everything had just been so hectic. We’d been fighting for survival against other players, killing monsters, question, and the stress was getting to me. Being back in Stoneburg, seeing the bodies of Cavey’s men and questioning my responsibility in their death—was almost too much for me to handle.

  Slowly, I opened my character sheet and scrolled to the log out button.

  It won’t work! I told myself. I was just being stupid. But part of me was thinking, what if it does work?

  “Idiot.” I scolded myself, closing my character sheet. I slammed my fist against a tree trunk beside me, again wishing I was able to feel at least a tiny amount of pain. Something to take my mind off things.

  Behind me, I heard Kattenschind’s hammer stop and I knew it was probably time to be getting back. Regardless of how I was feeling, we were on a clock. Every second we spent waiting was more time Sinful would be leveling. They could come back to Stoneburg any time, and we had to do something to stop them.

  I walked back up the hill and pulled open the door to Gehman’s hut.

  “Ready to be amazed?” Kattenschind bellowed as I entered. When I saw my suit laid out on the work bench, and saw what he had done to it, I couldn’t contain my shock.

  “Wow! That looks good!”

  “What did I tell ya?” Kattenschind cackled, relishing in my reaction.

  He’d completely transformed my suit of armor. I could still recognize all of Gehman’s work, the ornamentations he’d created, but now, fiery red-orange lines twisted along beside them like a decorative paint that had infused with the metal. Just the sight of it raised my spirits and I couldn’t stop myself from nerding out.

  “That looks sick!” I shouted, bending over for a better look, examining every inch of my upgraded suit.

  “It is sick,” Kattenschind corrected me.

  “Looks like a boss drop or an epic quest reward!” I told him.

  “It wasn’t easy,” he replied, definitely hamming it up. “But I almost doubled your armor level from 975 to 1750.”

  “What?”

  “And you’ve got a 20 percent fire resist across the board!”

  “That seems like a lot,” I replied. “Is it?”

  “It is.” he nodded. “Just about used up all my Red Garnet too! So if you come across any while you’re out, you better not forget about me.”

  “Speaking of which, how much do I owe you?”

  “Ya know what?” Kattenschind said with a smile. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “Don’t worry about it?” I asked, shocked. “What happened to it costing more because of your time and materials and all that?”

  “Cavey came by while I was working,” he explained. “Told me about you guys, the raids, about what you’re trying to do in the Catacombs. You sound like good people, and I’d feel bad charging you.”

  “Thank you,” I replied, not sure what else to say.

  “I also saw the inscription on the breastplate,” he added. “May this steel keep you safe in the darkest of times… Gehman.”

  “He was a good guy,” I replied with a solemn nod.

  “I can tell you, as a blacksmith, he’d be happy to see you taking care of his armor.”

  The door opened behind me and I turned to see the rest of my party come inside.

  “All set?” I asked them. D nodded and Baltos grinned like a little kid as he rushed over to the workbench.

  “What’d you make for us!?” he asked eagerly. I had to laugh. Nothing got an MMO player more excited than new loot.

  “Chill out, Baltos,” D scoffed, playing it cool as usual, but I knew deep down that he was just as excited. In the last MMO we’d played together, Infinite Quest, D had spammed my computer with so many messages that the sound from the alerts woke me up in the middle of the night. All so he could show off the new suit of armor he’d gotten in a dungeon. “Well, luckily for you guys,” Kattenschind replied. “I had some Rubicire bars leftover from a job I did yesterday. Not enough for a full plate set, but enough for a couple of these.”

  Kattenschind lifted two studded leather breastplates and handed them to D and Baltos. Baltos gasped and D did his best to control his excitement.

  “Whoa,” D said flatly, doing his best Neo impression.

  “You can say that again!” Baltos exclaimed, taking his breastplate and immediately equipping it. I hadn’t realized just how shoddy the armor he’d been wearing was until I saw the new stuff. I
was blown away.

  The leather just looked stronger. It was thick, rich, and had a healthy sheen, and was darker than what he’d been wearing. It had thick shoulders built in and the metal studs were a vibrant red that sparkled when the light from the forge reflected off of it. It was like something a king would wear.

  “Is there more?” Baltos asked eagerly. It was a little rude, but Kattenschind was relishing the reaction he was getting, and produced the rest of the set: leggings, sleeves, and boots.

  “I didn’t have enough to stud up the boots,” he said, almost apologizing. “But they’re a lot better than what you were wearing before.”

  Baltos threw on the rest of his set and inspected the stats. His eyes almost bugged out of his head.

  “Wow! 670 armor level!” It wasn’t much compared to my plate of course, but for studded leather, it was fantastic.

  “Good overall elemental resists too,” D added with approval. “Nice.”

  Nice? I thought. That was a major compliment from D to someone who wasn’t one of his close friends. Too bad Kattenschind didn’t know that.

  “Man, everybody gets a present today,” Vayde said sarcastically, waving his arm so the folds of his robe swished through the air.

  “Don’t worry, Vayde.” Kattenschind laughed. “I didn’t forget about you.”

  “What’d you make him?” D joked. “A plate mail robe?”

  “Just one of these,” Kattenschind said with a sly smile as he pulled something else from behind him and set it on the workbench. It was a shining yellow plate mail helm with a narrow slit in the front for the eyes and mouth. “Got enough strength for this?”

  Vayde’s eyes went wide as he took the helm and inspected it.

  “Looks like a Lamborghini,” Baltos remarked.

  “Big Bird style,” I replied.

  “Your stuff’s so pretty, dude…” D said slowly.

  Pretty? I thought. Is D going insane?

  “Thanks, D.” Kattenschind grinned.

  “Yeah, I can wear it!” Vayde replied, equipping the helm. It was actually a pretty good look with his Robe of the Witching Woods. The combination made him look pretty intimidating.