Might as Well

The first thing he did was to import the recordings of the items he wanted to auction, then created a small slide show for them, showcasing their looks and their descriptions. After that was done, he did a little research, looking up the current prices and mood of the Shadowlands.

It was funny to see that everyone was clamoring for super items in the game, hoping to gain an advantage over others. Apparently, the absence of the usual gear treadmill had thrown most of the gamers into chaos. Because they just couldn’t buy or get the current best weapon, skill became the biggest difference between them. Even then, the internet was full of videos of people showcasing skills and giving tips or training instructions to them. Everybody had a unique way of interacting with the revolutionary system of the game and it was made very obvious by the comments under such videos.

Instead of thankful messages, they were full of people complaining about how the instructions were a wash and nothing works.

Sam had to admit, it was much easier to master skills with the memories of a person who watched instructional videos made after years of research and experimentation by professionals.

Still, while procrastinating a little, he watched a few of those videos, especially ones focusing on swords and wind magic, to see if he could glean anything interesting.

Sadly, it was a disappointment. Apparently, he was so far ahead of the curve that they were bragging about things he did in the first days. Nevertheless, this showed that while the masses were grappling with the general usage of the skills, the pros were comfortable sharing this kind of information, meaning they were way beyond it.

‘Fights are going to become harder and harder…’ he mused, a little sad, but mostly excited. After all, fighting in giant magical battles was a man’s romance!

Returning his attention to the planned auction after a bout of daydreaming, he began drafting the message.

He outlined that he was working as a broker for an anonymous player, wishing to sell the items. Described their history, describing the boss at the end of the Fracture Dungeon, leaving out how it was defeated, and then simply posted the description of the weapons followed by the small slide shows that showed the weapons’ look and in-game status screen.

Sam spent a few minutes fiddling with it, formatting it until it was to his liking, then took a short walk to his kitchen for a drink and to think. Returning to his desk, he read through it once, then with a decisive movement, posted it to the site.

He even set it so that people had to pay a small amount of money to see it. ‘Why not make more money…’

Thanks to his work in the not-so-past, people avidly followed his account, as based on his inherited memories he had managed to become a rather famous information broker. This fame didn’t disappoint. As soon as the post went live, it was bombarded by comments, and his private message box filled up within five minutes with people wanting to outright buy the items.

To forestall these kinds of things, he posted a simple announcement:

‘I’m but a humble broker. My client deemed it necessary to auction these items off, thus that will happen. There is no buyout or any best offer. The auction will start in a week’s time and you can bid on the items there! Thank you for your understanding!’

Naturally, this response didn’t lessen the interest in the Fracture loot. Actually, it drove the members of the site into a frenzy, which was exactly what Sam wanted. The gaming news sites were full of people bragging about their loot from the Fracture Dungeons that spawned with the events (then whining about being spawn camped until they dropped it) and the people were thirsty to get their hands on these powerful items.

Especially the players of Ironwood, where it was a mystery to the general populace the identity of the team that cleared the big dungeon. Naturally, the big guilds lost some face in the race, as they all bragged that they would be the first ones to the goal. And now that there was a chance to acquire at least one of the weapons, they were all chomping at the chance.

Sam had the urge to buy a big wooden desk, set it up in the living room before the giant windows, and laugh manically sitting at it as he rubbed his hands together.

‘Let the chaos commence!’ he thought mirthfully. Then he shot off a message to Lucy to keep her abreast of the happenings and closed the tab which had the website on.

He spent some more time on the computer dealing with things, then stood up and headed for his wardrobe. His kitchen was running low on things, so he needed to do a grocery run…

Returning to the game, he once again found his mouth full of silken shadow wolf fur. Sam spent a few minutes ‘fighting’ with Lucky for the right to breathe, then he did a short wake-up routine; just stretches and a few basic magic exercises to get his engine running, then after a quick equipment check, he left his room to look for the others.

He found them in the commissary, eating their breakfast with different levels of enthusiasm. Dan was reading a book while eating the seasoned porridge with giant spoon bites. Katie was basically inhaling the food, not paying attention to anyone else, while Clarissa was sitting next to her and trying not to look at the carnage.

Sam chuckled seeing that and sat next to them after a short greeting with his own bowl and began eating.

After breakfast, they had a little meeting, making sure everyone was on the same page, then after a quick report to the mining site’s manager, they headed out.

Sam was using his Mana Sense to pinpoint the biggest concentration of mana disturbance he could feel that felt like a fracture.

They once again weaved through people going to work, returning from mining, machines belting out dark black smoke, wagons laden with ores and metal, and a few with precious crystals.

The entire area has been mined for the last few decades, so there were deep holes surrounded by terraced mountainsides where people went up and down like ants in a busy colony. They descended amidst the general noises of the mine, with Sam keeping up a low-level wind shield to filter out the small particulates carried by the wind and the almost ever-present smoke that not even the enchanted shields around the kilns could keep in.

After almost half an hour of journey, they finally reached the first mine entrances that lead even deeper. The team approached the shaft that was guarded by a team of mine guards, with two of them facing outwards and four facing inwards.

Sam had to show off his token received from the Silvercrest family as well as the permission received from the mine manager before they were let in.

The mining shaft was exactly the same as all the mining shafts they visited previously. Dark walls marked with the equipment that was used to create said shafts. The walls were supported by ironwood beams and at equal intervals lamps were radiating creepy yellow lighting, leaving small areas in shadows adding to the creepiness of the surroundings.

“Alright team, keep your eyes peeled. I can’t sense anything but the fracture, but who knows…” he stated while giving them a warning glance.

Katie stepped forward, ready to mince up anything that came at them. Dan and Clarissa followed her, walking next to each other while Sam walked at the back, making sure to protect the team’s back.

Surprisingly, their trip downwards was only met by gently misting powder falling from the ceiling as they headed deeper and deeper in the direction of the fracture. As they approached the mana vortex that was the entrance, Sam had to admire how much different the access to this fracture was in the future that he inherited memories of.

The corridors were widened enough that almost ten people could walk side by side comfortably, with almost ten feet of ceiling height and a train track in the middle, where small carts ferried people up and down from the fracture.

He couldn’t help but look forward to the future when his company would be the one that would be operating the area. He could already see a small company-operated shop with amenities next to the fracture. ‘Oooh, private carts for those who wish for it… Damn, that’s going to make so much money…’

Soon, they reached the swirling vortex of mana that was in the middle of a juncture, radiating brown light, tinted with sickly green and some metallic silver.

They investigated the area, but they found nothing but the menacing-looking fracture entrance.

After a short discussion, they simply decided to enter no matter what may happen.

[You entered a new fracture!]

[Fracture: Mining Shaft #789/IM/SE/B-42]

[A working mining shaft that has been temporarily closed down due to anomalous events. The workers are afraid to enter it after an entire team bravely tried to investigate the portal in hopes of riches. The workers are waiting for the competent authorities to arrive and deal with it.]

[Time limit: Until the Outpost Guard team arrives!]

[Charges: Unlimited]

As soon as they emerged into the dark corridor, Sam grinned at the others.

“It seems I was right! This is an unlimited one!”

“What does that mean, exactly?” Dan asked, though Sam could see the beginning of excitement in his eyes.

“That means, after we are finished with it, I can go back and report about it and we, as in the company, are going to set up the area,” he explained to the team. “That means transportation, accommodations and most importantly, tickets and taxes!”

Clarissa grinned, and Katie let out a delightful laugh.

“That means we get a lot of money, right? Right? I read the contract and it said we get paid a percentage from the dungeons!” she belted out, half happy and half worried, looking at Sam with big dewy eyes.

“Yeah, Katie, that’s correct. For the exact amount, you’ll have to get Lucy to calculate it for you, but you’ll definitely get a discovery fee,” he said as he looked at them with an easy grin.

“Wow…” Dan uttered with a small wonder on his face, and Sam wondered if he even read his contract.

“Yes!” Katie celebrated by jumping up in the air and pumping her fist. “New weapon, here I come!”

Clarissa simply nodded in satisfaction, as if happy that Sam was keeping his end of the contract.

He clapped his hands together, generating enough noise to get the others’ attention and for the sound to echo down the corridor.

“Alright, don’t celebrate something that we don’t have yet. Let’s go, there is a dungeon waiting for us!” he exclaimed, then unsheathed his weapon and pointed down the corridor shrouded in mysterious shadows. “To adventure!”

The beginning of the dungeon was the same as the previous ones. Dark and empty. Suspiciously empty.

They walked forward carefully, keeping an eye out for anything that may want to jump them, while Sam and Dan, who had Mana Sense, made sure they weren’t attacked by something that was invisible to the naked eye.

Clarissa made sure that the buffs were kept up on them, and Katie was like a revved engine, ready to be unleashed.

After almost five minutes of walking, they finally heard something.

A sort of shuffling sound could be heard from behind the darkness.

Sam motioned them to stop, and they all got into ready stances and waited for the monster to be revealed. The shuffling sound continued until a shambling form entered the area, illuminated by Sam’s and Clarissa’s Light Ball spell.

It looked like a zombie, but its skin was craggy as if covered in dried and cracked mud, with the cracks shining with black light. Its upper torso was covered with a tattered mining uniform while one of its arms was fully missing, replaced by a metal abomination that some demented people would call a prosthetic arm, ending in claws that dripped with disgusting green fluid. The lower part of its head was also covered by metal, adding an underbite made from the same material (and same style) with triangle-like teeth. The upper part of the head was covered by the same craggy skin. The eyes shined with malicious green light.

As soon as the monster entered the illuminated area, it raised its metal arm, pointed at them, and let out a hoarse roar that had a metallic undertone.

“RAAARGH!”

Katie responded with her own roar and launched herself at the monster. As Katie began to play with her prey Sam carefully observed the monster to make sure it was the same as the ones in his inherited memories.

In his memories, they were called Cyborg Zombies by the players, even though the prosthetics were more in line with steampunk than cyberpunk. Their bodies were made from fallen miners fused together with simple golems, augmented by metal prosthetics and weapons.

All in all, they weren’t the most dangerous monsters, as they were mostly slow and dumb, but the mini-bosses and the final boss were decently big challenges. The drops were more important. They dropped a lot of ores, golem-related materials as well as mining-related equipment on account of being made by dead miners. Basically, even the smallest drop was worth enough money that in the future it was farmed twenty-four-seven by several guilds.

As the first zombie fell under Katie’s ministration, Sam took a deep breath and motioned to the others to move forward after picking up the simple ore that dropped from the poor monster.

They had money to make…