"Are you the owner?"
"I am, but don't tell my husband." Others laughed, and Tilly winked. "Naws thinks he is master here."
"Perfect. I'm actually looking for room and board for the night, if it isn't too expensive."
"Five shekels for room and board, or a single shekel to sleep in the common room," a newcomer said as he followed Tilly out. He was almost as tall as Tilly, bald, and limped. He didn't look human. He paused to check the sorceress out. "I'm Naws, the owner of this pub, Asha."
Naws. Half-hobgoblin human hedge witch (Lvl 46). +8 Light.
"So I've heard," Asha replied, pressing her hands together before her, and bowing respectfully. "I am honored to meet you, sir. I am Asha, but newly arrived in this realm. I would stay here tonight if it pleases you."
He wore a plain white shirt, long sleeves rolled up, and brown trousers. He was barefooted, as were most of the patrons. Tilly stroked his arm lovingly.
"If you're paying with coin, then it pleases me," Naws said, looking Asha over. "If you're paying with labor, talk to my beautiful bride."
Asha quickly counted out five copper coins into Naws' hand. He smiled and led her to a small table.
"I'll get you a plate. We're serving roasted goat, if it pleases you, Lady Elf," he said. "We also have a stew of goat meat, potato, and various herbs and vegetables."
"I'll have the stew."
After he bowed and hurried back to the kitchen, Asha waved Tilly over.
"I'm new here, confused, and have some questions, if you're willing to indulge me?"
Tilly smiled, nodding as she sat opposite the sorceress. "I bet you have a million questions. Go ahead, my dear. I'll answer them as best as I can."
"Well, the most important is…" Asha paused, looked around, and leaned forward. Lowering her voice, "How do I exit the Game? Even my help button has vanished."
Tilly cringed. "I was afraid you'd asked that."
Asha's blood ran cold. That was not the reaction she was hoping for. Then a wizard at the next table glanced at her, looking more amused than drunk, and chuckled. He turned away and took another long pull off his mug.
"I'm afraid no one has ever figured that trick out, my dear," Tilly said. "That's one of the reasons they call us Immortals. We always come back from death, and we never leave the Game."
"You can't be serious. We actually cannot get out of the Game?" Asha asked. She looked around the common room. Others were looking at her with sad eyes. Her heart started hammering, and it got very hard to breathe. "W-What happens to our bodies in the real world?"
The hedge witch shrugged. "We don't know. Maybe we die. Maybe we continue on, unknowingly leaving a bit of our consciousness inside this realm of the Game. But no one has ever escaped the Game that I know of."
"But there are rumors that some have gone back," the drunk wizard said. He turned around and held Asha's eyes. "Secret dungeons that take us back to where we came from."
"Do you know where I could find such a dungeon?"
"Ignore that crazy drunk. Rudolf is a conspiracy theorist who collects tall tales," Tilly said. She stood and turned away. "Sorry, but I see customers who need assistance."
Rudolf quickly moved over to Asha's table, taking the seat next to her on the short bench. And then he scooted over to press against her. The wizard leaned in to whisper in her ear, and her breath caught with the stench of alcohol on his breath.
"You're very pretty, Asha," he whispered. Rudolf bit his lip as he looked down her cleavage. "I could help you. Help you a lot."
She leaned away from him, while checking him out.
Rudolf. Human wizard (Lvl 39). -7 Dark. PK: 8.
"I'm not sure we are thinking about the same kind of help," Asha said. "I think you're actually trying to take advantage of me, and help yourself to all I have to offer."
"You have a lot to offer," he muttered, eyes still locked on her breasts. His right hand quickly drew a rune on her thigh under the table, and she felt icy cold flow through her body. Asha couldn't move for a long second. "Give me what I want, and I might help you as well."
The elven sorceress leaned toward him, pressing up close as she felt an overwhelming desire to please him. His head tilted, lips parting. She saw the hungry look in his eyes, and felt desire explode within. She mirrored him, offering her lips to the Dark wizard.
"Rudolf!" Naws shouted. "I warned you about bespelling my patrons for the last time!"
Asha snapped back to reality. Heat flushed through her, warming her face up as she realized what he'd done. Rudolf was already backing away, shaking his head.
"You vile little man!" she cried, pulling her sword as she stood and overturning the bench.
Rudolf cried out, snapped his fingers, and a polished staff of ebony appeared in his hand. She dropped into a fighting stance as Naws and Tilly shouted something, and the wizard began chanting. The staff started glowing blood red, so Asha lunged toward her foe and thrust the sword through his heart.
Asha jerked her sword back and watched the Dark wizard collapse to the floor. Rudolf vanished, leaving behind his black robes and staff.
Congratulations! You've earned enough experience points to move up one level. You are now a Level 12 sorceress!
Congratulations! You've earned enough experience points to move up one level in Swordsmanship. You are now Level 2!
"I'm sorry," she said. "He attacked me."
"That's it!" Naws said, turning on his wife. "That was the last straw. Rudolf is banned for life!"
"I agree. He went too far this time," Tilly said. Then to Asha, "Are you okay, my dear? He didn't do anything… Untoward, did he?"
"No, you caught him in time," she said. "I was about to… Never mind."
"Would you like to take your meal in your room?" Tilly asked.
She noticed Naws had a bowl of stew. He was about to set it on the table, but paused for her answer.
"Yes. That would be nice." Asha turned to Rudolf's remains. She picked up his staff.
Congratulations! You have won the Staff of Dark Dominion! Capture your enemies and make them your minions. Must be -5 Dark and level 20 or higher to use.
Congratulations! You've earned 3 Player Kills and won a Dark Object of Power, thus giving you 1 Point to Dark!
"Eww, that is so Dark," she said. "But I can still sell it."
Asha carefully placed the Staff of Dark Dominion on the table and picked up the wizard's black robes. The fabric looked rough, but was soft to the touch. There were several mended holes near where she thrust her blade to kill him, but no blood.
Congratulations! You have won Robes of Concealment!
Her face lit up. She recalled how useful Tiana's enchanted mantle of stealth had been in a fight. She'd test the robes out later. If they were half as good at Tiana's mantle, then she scored big time. Best of all, there weren’t any requirements to use. That mean it wouldn't cost her any mana to use.