Anti-Mage

“What is the Labyrinth?” Bard parroted, “Well, that’s a long discussion and I have a Tavern to run. Besides, the truest answer I can give you is that no one actually knows, other than sometimes dungeons are connected to it and you can travel from one dungeon to the next through it.”

“Would the SYSTEM Shop, have information on it?” Anton asked.

“The SYSTEM Shop has information on everything if you’re willing to pay the price,” Bard said. “You’ll have to visit The City to visit the Shop though. None of the merchants in town carry much in the way of information concerning the Labyrinth.”

Anton looked thoughtful for a moment and then asked, “Thanks for the info, Bard. Last question, Is there a place I can rent a room near here?”

“Sally’s across the street has a couple of rooms she rents out. I wouldn’t normally suggest her because she’s pricy but for a gold piece a night you’re guaranteed complete privacy.”

“How does she manage that?” Anton asked.

“Through the SYSTEM Sally has upgraded the building so that privacy is guaranteed. Well more guaranteed than anywhere else here,” Bard said.

“Thanks again, Bard,” Anton said as he placed a silver piece on the counter which Bard casually pocketed, “I think I’m going to head over to Sally’s. I’ll make sure to let Sally know you pointed me her way,”

“You do that,” Bard said with a good-natured smile and moved on to the next customer.

Anton stood and walked out of the Tavern, very aware that others were eyeing him. It seemed he might have been a little too flashy with his funds after all. Still, Sally’s was a three-story wooden building across the street that looked a lot like a hotel from the early 20th century. There was even a small lighted sign that read, “Sally’s Bed and Breakfast” above the main entrance. He had noticed the building before but he’d been drawn into the Tavern by Aredhel’s singing and ignored his surroundings until now.

As he looked up and down the street he realized that except for the Tavern, Sally’s, and a couple of merchant shops, there wasn’t much to this little hamlet on the main street. Outside of the area he stood in there were only small one-story shacks and tents that made up the rest of the population of this little area. If Anton didn’t know better this area had been recently developed and was growing quickly.

Anton walked across the street and through the door which opened automatically and closed behind him. As he stepped inside an elf, in what suspiciously looked like a casual light blue business suit, complete with a power tie covered in bright blue and gold patterns stood behind the counter. Anton turned and walked up to the counter.

“Good evening, Sir. Welcome to Sally’s. How may I help you?”

“Good evening,” Anton said politely, “I’m Anton and I need a room for the night.”

“Very good, Sir. What kind of room would you like? We have our Economy Class which will contain a bed and lavatory for 1 silver per night. Our next tier is our Gentlemen’s, or Women’s, class which will provide a bed, desk, lavatory, and simple warding to prevent scrying as well as spell reinforced door. That will be a 1 gold for the night. Finally, we have our Premium Tier which is our most secure and elegant class. For only 1 platinum piece your room is an alternate pocket dimension complete with a small cottage, all the amenities, and a small creak with woods behind. The Cottage is set in perpetual twilight, though we do have a few rooms that contain a daytime setting if that is your preference.

Anton considered for a moment and then asked, “Your Premium rooms, the portal that leads into them is magical in nature, yes?”

“Yes, Sir!, the concierge said.

Anton couldn’t use those rooms then. There was that little problem with being completely immune to magic that he had to deal with. Though if his Anti-Mage field was at skin level, he might be able to pass through the portal created by the magic…No, it would be better not to test that unless he absolutely had to.

Anton pulled out a Gold and a Silver and placed it on the counter, “I’d like one of your Gentlemen’s rooms for one night.”

“Very good, Sir,” The concierge said as he picked up the coins and then made some motions on a SYSTEM screen that only he could see. When he was done he looked up to Anton as he pulled a key out of the drawer and handed it to him, “You are in room 31 which is the first room on the left of the main stair landing on the 3rd floor. This key will open the door to your room. We do hope you enjoy your stay here at Sally’s “

Anton accepted the key as he said, “Thank you,” and then turned to walk up the main stairway which was opposite the main entrance. The ground was covered in nice rugs with a couple of works of art on the wall that reminded Anton of museum pieces from France and England he’d seen growing up. It seemed that this hotel catered to those of high society if both planets had the same types of individuals.

Anton made his way upstairs and found his room easily enough. Once inside his room, he locked the door and dismissed his clothing and weapons as he walked into the bathroom, used the facilities, and jumped into the bathtub which also contained a shower. In fact, as Anton looked around the lavatory it didn’t seem that there was too much of a difference between this bathroom and any bathroom he’d used back on Earth. The toilet looked the same, the sink had a spout and handles to control a hot and cold valve. The tub had the same with the diverter to reroute the water flow and turn the bathtub into a shower. If he didn’t know better he’d think he was back on Earth?

Anton stood in the hot show for at least 30 minutes before he exited and dried himself off. When he was done he walked out of the shower completely nude. This was why when his perception noted the sword hilt coming in from the corner of his eye, he failed to bring a blade up to block the blow. He had no dagger or sword to draw as his body reacted. The hilt of the sword slid right past his weaponless hand and slammed into his temple.

The attack did not affect Anton, except to make him angry. He hadn’t even felt the hit. Anton made eye contact with his attacker, smiled maliciously, and activated Mind Bolt. Anton’s attack was much more effective as blood exploded from his attacker's eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. His attackers eyes lost focus and he fell forward onto the carpet outside of the bathroom door. Anton checked to see if his attacker was still breathing and kept an eye on him while he pulled up the Combat Log to find out why the surprise attack to his head had not had any effect.

Warning you have been struck by a Critical Strike from the skill Incapacitating Blow.

Incapacitating Blow inflicts a single point of damage and also converts the full damage of the attack into a bonus to incapacitate.

Base Damage: 8 / Strength Bonus:+26 / Critical Strike Bonus x3 / Chance to incapacitate x2

Attacker Total Damage 102 / After Conversion to Incapacitation / Chance to incapacitate: 204%

Defender must make a Willpower Check to remain Conscious: Willpower attribute bonus +232%

Chance to be knocked unconscious (202% - 232%) -28%

The Defender is NOT knocked unconscious

Attack Clean-up Notes:

Damage inflicted 1 point due to Skill Incapacitating Blow

Damage Resistance: 1

Damage negated by Damage Resistance.

So, he’d been lucky. That skill his attacker had used would have left him unconscious if not for his incredibly high Willpower. Also, he would have taken a single point of damage but his Damage Resistance had negated it. Lucky indeed.

Anton checked his Combat Log to see what his Mind Bolt had done to his attacker.

Mind Bolt

Base Damage: 12 / Willpower Bonus Damage +232 / Critical Strike Bonus: 0

Attacker Total Damage: 244

Defender Defense: Base 0 / Mental Resistance: 0 / Willpower Bonus: +26

Damage = 206 (232 – 26)

Mental Attacks have a 1% chance per point of damage to incapacitate Target for a number of Combat Turns = to Damage – 100

Willpower Save versus 206%

Defender failed Incapacitation Check

Defender is incapacitated for 106 combat turns or 17.67 minutes.

It looked like his attacker had no resistance to mental attacks other than his natural bonus for his Willpower which, if his math was correct, would have been 62. Compared to Anton’s Willpower of 474 his attacker’s willpower was low but realistically, that willpower was quite high if the maximum human value was normally 10. What level was this guy? Anton activated Analyze on the person crumpled on the floor in front of him to check.

Tier 1 Burglar / Level 81 / Hit Points: 477/683 / Status: Incapacitated

It looked like he still had 477 of his 683 hit points but he was going to be out for a while. Before Anton did anything else he summoned his default clothing and weapons from inventory. Next, he walked over to the bedside nightstand with a phone on it. This place actually had a phone? He picked up the phone and put it to his ear.

“Front Desk?” The concierge said as he picked up the call on his end.

“I have been attacked in my room. The thief is unconscious right outside my bathroom. Please send someone to clean this up.”

“Right away, Sir, My apologies…”

Anton hung up and activated Specter. There was a good possibility the hotel staff wasn’t part of the attack but it was just as likely that they were. Anton would watch from the adjacent dimension and see what happened.

Less than a minute later 4 people teleported into the room and looked around. Anton watched as one of them called out “Sir!” but he ignored the four of them and watched. Three of the responders, searched the room while the fourth, who was a human woman in a set of red robes walked over to the phone and waited.

Anton watched two of the responders continue to look around the room while the third made his way over to the thief, shook his head, and said something Anton couldn’t hear through the dimensional barrier. A moment later a portal opened and the thief was unceremoniously thrown through the portal. The man brushed the dust off of his leather armor, stood straight, and said something to the female by the phone.

She picked up the phone, said a couple of words, and then nodded once. The three guards that were with her vanished. She hung up the phone and vanished a moment later.

Anton didn’t know if they had been part of it but he wasn’t going to take any chances. He spent 240 Psychic Energy to extend the duration of Specter. Next, he activated Battle Meditation for 2 minutes to recover the 240 points of Psychic Energy and then spent 240 more Psychic Energy to extend the duration of Specter out to 8 hours. Then he dropped into normal Meditation and rested. It wasn’t sleep but it would do and he should be relatively safe in a dimension adjacent to this room.

When he woke from Meditation 8 hours later he felt fully refreshed. Anton looked over the room, didn’t notice anything amiss, and deactivated Specter.

He walked out of the room, which he hadn’t used, except to shower, and made his way downstairs. As he made it to the first floor an elderly woman walked up to him and scrutinized him with a skill.

Anton did his best Mr. Spock impersonation, even trying to lift a single eyebrow, as he looked at the woman questioningly.

“Excuse me for being so blunt Mr. Thomson, Alex failed to get your name yesterday and I wanted to know how to address you. I am Sally, owner and operator of this Bed and Breakfast. It is my understanding that you had an issue yesterday.”

“Good Day, Sally. Yes, I was attacked as I left the shower yesterday about a half hour after I entered the room. Do you know who he was?”

“Yes I do, he ‘WAS’ one of our former employees who did house cleaning each day. It would seem that he and a gang of his had been preying on the rich that visited the Tavern and this Hotel.

“And the individuals that visited my room last night?” Anton asked.

“They are part of a team of individuals that I pay very well to make sure that my guests are protected. When they couldn’t detect you on the premises they left,” Sally said.

“I see,” Anton said.

“Of course, your fee will be compensated, and here is a card that will let you stay in any of my establishments for the next year at no cost,” Sally said as she pulled out a black credit card with three diamonds on it; silver, gold, and platinum.

Anton accepted the card and placed it in his inventory after he verified that the card was plastic and even had a magnetic strip on the back.

“Is there anything else we, or I can do for you?” Sally asked.

“Actually, yes. Why does this hotel resemble a 20th-century hotel from Earth? We’re not on Earth.”

“You’re from Earth too?” Sally asked.

“I am. How did you get here?”

Sally shrugged as she said, “It’s a long story. The short version is that The SYSTEM came to Earth. Me and my friends entered a Dungeon while we were trying to level and we never made our way back to Earth. Eventually, we exited into The City South of here. After a bit, I found a niche in the service industry that was very easy to exploit. You should have seen this place 5 years ago. Most houses were still using outhouses or the magical equivalent. I brought plumbing to the City and then established this hotel chain which has three branches. One in the city and two in outlying hamlets. One of which is the one you’re standing in.”

“So, you came through the Labyrinth then?” Anton asked.

“If that’s what you want to call it. To me, and those of my friends who made it or survived and were separated from the group, it was just a series of planets, tunnels, and other places that we were thrown into over and over. One interesting thing about the Labyrinth. The SYSTEM didn’t work exactly like it does here.”

“Interesting,” Anton said, “So you just created plastic and everything else here?”

“Yes and no. Some of the things look familiar but a degree of magic is still used. For Instance, instead of boreholes down into the ground to refill the water tower, there is a rune that draws moisture from the air and fills the water tower as it empties. The toilets flush into a septic tank that evaporates the water and then destroys the solid materials left. And of course, the Platinum rooms open into a pocket dimension which I paid a very powerful Arch-Mage to make for me.”

“So the best of both worlds?”

“Of course. We even have cheeseburgers and fries from our Kitchen, which the locals still have a problem producing.

“A cheeseburger and fries,” Anton said, his mouth already watering.

“Yes, would you like to eat lunch here, on me of course,” Sally asked.

“I would like that very much. Will you be joining me?” Anton asked.

“Unfortunately no, I need to get back to the City…You know what, I think I will, it’s been a while since I sat down to eat with someone from Earth.”

Anton nodded graciously and then asked, “Why does everyone only refer to the place south of here as ‘The City?’”

“Oh, that? Simple enough really, The City Lord changes every time the previous City Lord is killed. That happens a lot,” Sally said.

“So the City doesn’t have a name?”

“It may have had one in the far past, but no one alive remembers it. Also, there are so many factions vying for that power that the smart people stay out of it,” Sally said.

“Why doesn’t someone just take over the city and sell it back to the SYSTEM?”

“Because they can’t, of course. One of the previous owners used what little wealth he had to purchase a SYSTEM option that prevents the sale of the city to the SYSTEM. It can be sold to another individual, who will receive the rights and take on the responsibilities but it can not be sold for less than the full value of the city. The SYSTEM will not accept the transaction. The scholars think it has something to do with the Dungeon underneath the keep and the population being over 1 million sentient beings,”

“What do you think?”

“I think someone was smart enough to purchase SYSTEM insurance, if that’s a thing, to prevent people from taking over a city without investing in it,” Sally said.

“That’s a thing, Domain Insurance?” Anton asked.

“It has to be. A couple of people have tried to sell The City and failed each time. One person was so adamant that they tried to force the SYSTEM with a skill or ability to do something it did not want to do. No one has heard from that ruler since.

Anton laughed, “Yeah, if you do something the SYSTEM doesn’t like you end up in the Void. I’m speaking from experience,” Anton said ruefully.

“That doesn’t sound like The SYSTEM,” Sally said.

“I’m sure you know that the old SYSTEM was absorbed by a different SYSTEM, at least that’s the way I read it when I received the notifications,” Anton said.

“I remember seeing those notifications but that was over 10 years ago,” Sally said.

“10 years?” Anton asked.

“10 years, why do you look surprised?”

“For me it’s only been, at most, maybe three years, using my SYSTEM clock,” Anton said.

“I was in the Labyrinth until 3 years ago, when I stepped out into The City, I was in the Dungeon or Labyrinth for at least 7 years. I made a lot of levels in there so I’m sure the time passage has to be accurate,” Sally said.

“I believe you,” Anton said as he gathered his thoughts and then said, “Two more questions if you don’t mind. First, who is running The City? Second, how do I get into The Dungeon?”

“The Answer to your first question is no one. No one is currently in charge of the City. There’s a committee of elders and prominent figures, including the nobility of the area that meet and decide how things are going to be run but for the most part, there is no ruler. Smart people don’t want it because it puts a target on their back,” Sally said.

“And the Dungeon?” Anton asked.

“To enter the Dungeon, you need to prove yourself to the Adventurer’s Guild. To even have an attempt at getting into the Labyrinth you need to be Tier II and while I do not know what the ‘Specter’ class is, I know it’s only Tier 1 and that you are only level 34,” Sally said.

“A very good point but not one I’m too concerned about,” Anton said.

“So what will you do now?” Sally asked.

“It depends, what happened to my attacker and his crew?” Anto asked.

“There is no legal system here. Their deaths helped my allies grow, probably you too, at least for the Burglar who died.”

Anton checked his log and sure enough, there was a notification that had been buried.

Congratulations! You have helped defeat a level 81 Burglar. You receive 20% of the XP award. 1,620 XP Earned

“I did. It wasn’t enough to get me another level,” Anton said, “As for what I’m doing next, “With that team out of play I’ll probably head into The City, stop by the shop, and then go join the Adventurer’s Guild. I’ll need to level to get into the Dungeon, or at least prove to someone in charge that I’ll be fine if I do go in.

“You think you’ll be fine?” Sally asked.

“Oh yeah, not even an issue,” Anton said.

“Very well, it’s your life. But before you go, would like to join me for lunch. I believe there’s a Cheeseburger and Fries with your name on it?”

“Sounds good,” Anton said.

Two guards led the way for Sally who was followed by Anton who was in turn followed by two more guards. They entered a small room that looked like any hotel dining room complete with premade food on platters for everyone load their plates from. The guards each grabbed a small plate and drink and sat nearby at two different tables while Sally and Anton sat at a table and reminisced about the things they missed from Earth. 30 minutes later two plates, complete with metal lids were brought in and placed before them. The waitress lifted metal lids to reveal a Cheeseburger and fries on each plate.

The aroma of a freshly cooked cheeseburger complete with lettuce, onion pickle, and tomato filled his sense of smell. Before he even realized he was moving, he’d picked up the cheeseburger and took a very large bite out of it. Until that moment, he had not realized how much he’d missed normal food. He’d relied on his ability to keep him alive for so long that he’d forgotten how to enjoy the simple things in life. He vowed not to let that happen again. Anton nodded to Sally and they both ate their meals in silence as they enjoyed their cheeseburgers and the camaraderie of someone from a similar culture.