Astral Flow

Chapter 3

Three days, it had been three days since the initial dungeon exploration, a couple of groups had gone through the dungeon since, nothing was found aside from some simple upgrade materials and an inaccessible door.

The capital had quickly become filled with more and more players, many seeking shelter from the outside world while others wished for help after nearly dying on their own. There easily had to be at least two hundred players using this place as home now, many looking to Aranea and other beta testers for guidance.

Ryder leans against a wall, observing the bustling central plaza with a half hearted smile. Oto, Lily and Aranea were standing in various spots instructing the various newcomers on what to do.

It'd certainly been a surprise to see so many people flock back after getting through the dungeon, yet his mind couldn't help but wonder... if they just barely survived against that boss, then how many had ventured further and fallen since then? It could be just a handful, or it could be most of the player population. There was no way to know a full number at this point.

The sound of footsteps draws his attention, causing him to look to his right. Approaching him was the mountain of a man from the first night, the forger who looked like he could easily break through any shield. Kindly he smiled and offered a short wave as he neared, Ryder offering the same in return.

"Hey, you're Ryder right? Heard about you from Aranea and Lily, good job finding that dungeon and getting back in one piece.'' He stands next to Ryder, observing the crowd as well. "I would've met with you sooner but, since I'm the only forger in town, I got stuck with all the repairs and upgrades."

"You wanted to meet with me?" Ryder looks over in confusion. "Why? I didn't do much, just helped clear a bossfight."

"Hey, at this point that's more help than you realize. It's thanks to that we know what to expect going into those catacombs and that flare stones can be used to blind creatures." He pauses and looks over. "Your little trick will probably save more lives than you'll know."

"I guess, I never thought about it like that... I was just trying to give us any advantage at that moment." Ryder shrugs a little to brush off the compliment. "So what's your name or handle? I know you were the first to join Aranea but I don't remember getting a good look at your name."

"Ah name's Radogan, and before you ask, yes it is supposed to be like the final boss of that old game." Radogan speaks, seemingly slightly embarrassed about the name he's stuck with.

"I see, well hey at least you chose a cool name. Not something like Dungeater or noobslayer74" Ryder lightly jokes while smiling a bit.

"Yeah, that's fair." Radogan lets out a loud sigh of relief before leaning back against the wall to get a bit more comfortable. "So, you got a unique drop from that dungeon huh? Lily and Eleanor were talking about it yesterday."

"Oh yeah, got it right here." Ryder replies, patting the still wrapped tome on his side. "Haven't had a chance to really ask anyone about it yet, after all with the influx of players everyone's been a bit busy."

"Definitely, but I think I know two people who are actually free at the moment. Or at least free enough to help with that." the forger crosses his arms in thought, seemingly unsure about his statement.

Ryder looks over, not really believing it for a moment. "Really? I figured everyone would be too busy right now. Even you were busy until just recently, yeah?"

"Oh I was, but here's the thing. I'm both a forger and a tactician." Radogan motions to the crowd. "And tell me, do you see any spell casters?"

Ryder scans the crowd, stopping upon realizing there are none to be seen. "Surprisingly enough, no I don't. I figured there'd be at least one or two."