"The First Lamp"
Liora's eyes flew open, with the sensation that she was about to fall off the chair because of the awkward position she had ended up in before entering the game. Her breathing was a little shaky.
The silence of the shelter was so deep that it thundered in her ears, and all at once the loneliness weighed on her. She had only spent a few hours in that world, but they had been the happiest of her life. She had eaten hot food, laughed with people who didn't look at her with contempt, and… she had met the oni who had made all of that possible.
She didn't want to waste another minute staring at the darkness that surrounded her on all sides. Only the blue screen blinking in front of her lit up the empty room.
She carefully climbed down from the chair, hugging a mana vial she used as a lantern. The bluish light cast her tiny shadow across the walls as she ran toward the entrance. The door was enormous and heavy; she had to push with her whole little body, gritting her teeth as she strained. For a moment she thought she wouldn't be able to, but little by little the hatch closed with a deep clang that gave her a sense of relief.
She lifted her mana vial to inspect the lock and saw that she could secure it with a metal bar. Without hesitating, she slotted it into place until she heard a click.
Then she ran to the capsule room. One by one, she began to grab the heavy cylinders and dragged them to the bedroom. There, she carefully stacked them on a mattress. Afterwards, she went to collect the mana vials and arranged them on another bed. When she was done, the entire room glowed with a blue radiance that looked almost magical.
Only one thing was left: bringing the computer.
She stood staring at it with a knot in her stomach. She was so afraid of breaking it… but she didn't want to leave it so far away. So, carefully, she moved several wheeled chairs and lined them up, then gathered all the pillows she could find and piled them around. Fortunately, the computer wasn't too big: the model she had turned on was a cabinet with an integrated screen. Just like the others had explained, pressing a button made the screen retract into the body of the machine.
With trembling hands, she pushed the cabinet onto the chair. As she let it drop, she let out a startled squeal, terrified it would shatter into a thousand pieces. But the mountain of pillows held it, and the computer remained intact.
She took a deep breath and climbed down from the table. Then she pushed the wheeled chair toward the room, using all her little strength. Once there, she pressed the button again, and the screen unfolded with a soft hum. The Drunai icon glowed at the center of the blue screen.
She closed the room door and locked it. Even if it wasn't necessary, it made her feel safer. Finally, she took the blanket her grandmother had knitted and pulled it up to her nose.
The protective dome that enveloped players while they were connected shone with a gentle light, made of mana, that shielded them from the weather, from illnesses… and a little from harm. Although that last part didn't help much, everything else was more than enough for someone who would spend so much time there.
Before touching the Drunai icon, she felt a slight itch on her back and on her head. She didn't realize that, little by little, the roots of her hair were turning even blonder than before.
…
"I did it," Liora announced when she reappeared in the game. Her voice sounded a bit steadier, as if just seeing them again filled her with courage.
Lua looked at her calmly and nodded. "Did you remember to create an alert in case your body needs more nutrients or if you get sick?" she asked quickly, with a hint of worry she didn't bother to hide.
"Don't worry, boss. I even used all the energy I'd stored up until now to set up a light surveillance in the base where she is," Sia immediately explained in a calm voice.
"And what good will that do if we can't get there?" Lua replied, a little irritated by the helplessness she felt. If it were up to her, she would have brought her back immediately.
"Hehe… boss, she's in a scientific and technological base. Trust me… there are many ways to protect her," Sia said in a mysterious tone, as if she didn't want to give more details just yet.
"As long as she's safe and well… that's fine. You can use all the energy you need. And if more is needed, I'll go kill more monsters myself," Lua answered seriously, her voice so firm that no one doubted she meant it.
"Looks like you've grown attached to her very quickly," Sia murmured.
"Yes," Lua said, without taking her eyes off Liora. Her voice came out soft, almost a whisper. "She's just like me."
Meanwhile, the others, with their stomachs full, spent a while gazing up at the sky.
"It's such a shame we can't go hunting at night," Loli said, a little annoyed, as everyone remained gathered around the fire.
"Honestly, I could use a good night's sleep… but I'm still not sure if I want to sleep here or log out," Sig commented, letting out a long yawn.
"If you want to sleep here, you'll first have to build some kind of bed… or maybe a house. Come to think of it, sleeping eight hours here is equivalent to four hours in real life," Bert said quickly.
"We're playing while our bodies are technically asleep. What difference does it make?" Sig replied, shrugging.
"I'm sorry… I think I'm sleepy too," Bert confessed, with a slightly silly look on his face. After eating, it seemed the exhaustion had finally caught up with everyone—except those who had actually rested well, like Joe, Dean, and Alfred. After all, the most addicted players had been logged in nonstop for almost two days. And when they did log out, it was only to help Edward before coming right back in.
"We'd like to keep hunting," Joe said, speaking for himself and Dean, who nodded enthusiastically. Apparently, the thrill of battle was still boiling in their veins.
"I think you all have a solution for that," Lua suddenly interjected, interrupting the conversation as she held a recipe in her hand.
Everyone crowded around to read the information, their eyes going wide with surprise—especially Sig, Bert, and Edward, who instantly grasped the value of that discovery.
"With this, we'll be able to hunt at night and take advantage of the two hundred percent drop rate and experience bonus without the extra damage monsters get," Bert said, now fully awake.
Meanwhile, Liora tilted her head a little, looking at the recipe without quite understanding it, but her quick little mind connected a few dots.
"Here. You use it—you're the one who found it," Lua said, handing her the recipe. Liora stared at her, confused, while everyone else gaped at her in shock.
"That way you'll be able to get mana stones without needing to go out hunting," Lua added calmly.
For the first time, everyone could see Liora's name and level.
[Liora Lv.10 – Goddess of Fortune]
"What? Another Goddess of Fortune?" Loli asked, unable to hide her surprise.
"Does she also have luck 10?" Sig asked, a little envious. After all, everyone knew what luck could do for drops. There was a reason they used Loli as the group's "official dropper."
"Wow… if that's the case, we could take her with us to hunt beasts," Joe said, grinning from ear to ear.
"No," Liora answered immediately, clutching Lua's leg with determination, making it clear she wasn't going into the forest with anyone else.
"She doesn't like it," Lua remarked, staring at Joe as if she were about to kick him in the chest.
"Hey, don't look at me like that! I was just saying it out of reflex," Joe quickly clarified, scratching his head guiltily.
"Wait… did none of you notice she's already level 10?" Sig said, staring at Liora's panel and then at her own level, which was barely brushing up against 9. She was only a bit of experience away from leveling up, and still, the newcomer had already surpassed her.
"Little Liora, how many luck points do you have? Is it 10 like me?" Loli asked curiously, completely ignoring her friend's annoyance.
"Luck?" Liora repeated, tilting her head.
"You just have to say 'status panel,' and some words and numbers will show up. Look for the part that says 'luck.' Do you know how to read?" Loli asked, suddenly remembering she was talking to a child. A child who, to make things worse, was almost the same height as her. She urgently needed to evolve and get her stature back.
"Yes, I know how to read. Grandma taught me," Liora replied confidently. "Status panel," she said in a clear voice. Her eyes immediately widened as all the letters and numbers appeared in front of her.
She brought a hand to her chin, thoughtful, while she scanned the lines. Even though it took her a good while, everyone waited patiently. Nobody wanted Lua to look at them with that threatening expression that seemed to promise a flying kick.
"Here it is," Liora finally said. "Luck… it has a 2 and a 0… 20!" she exclaimed, looking at everyone.
"What?" they all said almost in unison, their faces frozen in disbelief.
"Wasn't 10 the maximum?" Sig asked, frowning.
"Maybe she got confused and read another stat," Bert said, leaning down and speaking gently. "Little one, you have to look at the number right next to the word 'luck.'"
"It's those… the 2 and the 0," Liora insisted, nodding innocently.
Lua sighed and clarified calmly, "She has a passive ability that doubles her luck. That's why she broke the cap and ended up with 20."
Everyone went completely still.
Sig was the first to react. She turned to her friend—the bright little fairy beside her—and declared solemnly:
"Loli, you're fired."
Everyone burst out laughing.
"Hey!" Loli protested, a bit offended, but in the end she smiled too.
"Hey, why don't you try it with that thing? Maybe it'll drop better stuff," Joe suddenly suggested, pointing at the giant ant still lying nearby.
"Can you do it, little Liora?" Loli asked in a gentle voice.
"Sure," Liora said without hesitation.
Following everyone's instructions, the girl stepped forward and touched the ant to loot it.
You have obtained:
Gauntlets: Fire Fists
Ant Carapace x2
Fire Ant Fang x2
5 Copper Ore
3 Iron Ore
2 Mana Stones
Common Beast Blood x1
Everyone stared in astonishment at the number of items, especially the Fire Fists.
"Fire Fist"
Common
Type: Gauntlet
Class: Light Armor / Melee Weapon
Defense: +5
Damage: +3
Durability: 120/120
Abilities:
• Persistent Flame – Each strike applies Burn, dealing 2 fire damage per second for 5 seconds.
Description:
A gauntlet so hot it makes you think twice before scratching your nose with it. "Tss… it burns!" is the first thing everyone says when they try to use it carelessly. Perfect for anyone who enjoys watching their enemies catch fire while screaming that it's not such a big deal.
Joe looked at the gauntlets as if he'd just fallen in love. He lunged to grab them so fast he looked like a miniature velociraptor, leaving everyone stunned by the speed of the tiny minotaur.
He picked them up carefully and held them in front of him, speaking with total seriousness:
"Sorry, little one… but you're fired," Joe said, throwing a playful look at Loli.
"Hmph, you'll still want my cooking," Loli retorted, pretending to be annoyed, though deep down she was smiling.
Meanwhile, Lua was explaining to Liora how to use the recipe. The girl carefully split it in two, and a soft light glowed before being absorbed into her body.
"Now you can craft those things and sell them to the players. I'll make some space next to me if you want to trade," Lua said in a calm voice.
"All right," Liora replied, with a smile that showed that, for the first time, she felt useful.
"Wait… if you've already learned the recipe… would it be possible for you to craft one now for us? Or maybe a couple, if you can. We'll pay you," Joe asked quickly, stepping closer as he slipped the gauntlets onto his hands with visible excitement.
"Hold on, man… first she needs the resources to create it," Sig said, stopping Joe before he could insist further.
"Little Liora, tell us what materials you need. Maybe we can see if we have everything here," she added, turning to the girl with a kind tone.
"How do I check that?" Liora asked, confused.
Loli approached slowly and explained in a gentle voice how to open her profession's recipe book. After a couple of minutes and several questions, Liora finally understood and began reading carefully, following each line with her finger.
"…Luminous crystal… magic thread… mana stone fragment… and any kind of casing," she finally said, looking up after reading everything slowly.
"I have no idea what the hell a luminous crystal is. The rest is simple," Sig commented, crossing her arms seriously.
"This," Lua interjected, drawing everyone's attention. She calmly pointed toward the pile of glowing crystals Liora had been sorting on the blanket. "It seems you were right… picking up everything useful so you don't have to go looking for it later," Lua said, gazing at her with a hint of pride.
Liora felt delighted, as if, just for a moment, her grandmother was there with her, validating every step she took.
"Come, I'll help you," Lua said gently, sitting down on the bench where she usually made talismans. Liora happily settled next to her, her little legs swinging with excitement, and she paid attention with all the seriousness she could muster.
In reality, that lamp was very simple to craft. The process was quite similar to the ones Lua herself had made to light up the camp, so it didn't take them long to assemble the base where all the components would go. The only thing left was for Liora to use her profession to activate the final mechanism.
"And… how do I do this?" Liora asked, frowning in curiosity as she stared at the empty surface.
"You have to carefully trace the runes that will appear above. Can you see them? With your profession, the lines will show up automatically. All you have to do is follow them with the brush without leaving the guide marks," Lua explained slowly, handing her a small brush with soft bristles.
"Yes… I can," Liora nodded in a steady voice. She took the brush in her little hands and put on an expression so focused it was almost heart-melting.
It was the most complicated part of the whole process. Everything else had taken just minutes, especially with Lua's help. But this… this was like writing the object's programming itself, etched in runes.
Every time Liora finished a line and it lit up with a bluish glow, everyone held their breath. They knew that if she made even a single mistake, she would have to start all over again. But Liora, with a patience none of them expected from someone so small, completed rune after rune without losing her calm.
And so, in just ten minutes, she finished her first lamp.
"Yeaaah!" everyone shouted at the same time, breaking the tension in an instant.
Liora lifted her face, surprised by the sudden applause, and smiled with such pure happiness that anyone watching could swear that, for a moment, everything in that place felt a little warmer.