“You again?”

“Yeah. Look, before we fight…”

The music stopped. This was new.

“Doesn’t this all get a little, I don’t know. Samey? After a while?”

Turn 1 is always about getting to the potion safe from wherever I am in the lab, it’s not something I have to really think about much, and only 2 AP movement cost from this hex anyway. Plenty of time to spare for a dialogue tree.

“Sure, I suppose,” I said. “The fights are a little different, of course.”

“Of course.”

“Except when you show up. You’re, what, level 10? How are you even getting past the Guardian Wasps outside?”

She laughed. “There’s a back way in from the Crystal Caves. All the textures are broken, I think the devs left it in by mistake. Probably take it out in the next patch.”

I leaned back against the edge of the exam table - same hex, just an emote, no AP cost. “So you’re, what? Hoping to luck into some late-game gear while you’ve got the chance?”

“Well, yeah. Better than raiding Rek’s Castle again. I keep telling them, the Clockwork Waistcoat is like a 1% drop…”

“Better than that? Really?” I grinned, enough to let my teeth show a little. “At least with Rek’s Castle you’ve got a decent chance. All that’s going to happen here is I’m going to fold you like a lawn chair on turn 3. Again.”

“Maybe!” She had a good laugh, I thought. “Probably. Sure. I still haven’t figured out how to lock down that transformation, so you’re definitely just going to beat me up again.”

“Oh, definitely.”

She paid 1 AP to move a hex closer, then ended turn early. Odd, that. Not that giving me a free shot would make any difference, but it was new. I thought about going for the potion safe, but why not let this play out?

“If we fight. I think maybe we don’t have to?”

“Why wouldn’t we? I mean, not that it takes much effort on my part, but it is sort of fun. Diverting.” Was that a blush?

“I, uh. Sure? I mean?” She cleared her throat. “Being instanced, though. Doesn’t it get a little dull after a while?”

“…yeah, I guess? The fights can be fun, but…sure, dealing with people who are high enough level they’re supposed to be here usually takes a while. And yeah, after a while it’s just more of the same.”

“Yeah, I can see that. So…you wanna get out of here? Join my party?”

“Your party!” I laughed, not rudely. “I think I would be your party.”

She laughed, too. It really was a good laugh. Warm. “Yeah, my guild’s pretty pissed with me right now. But look, maybe it’ll be a little more interesting than sticking around here waiting for the next fight.”

“I don’t know. Rek’s Castle? Clockpunk is so overplayed.”

“Who said anything about Rek’s Castle? I know I’m just level 10 right now, but some of those potions have got to be buffs, right? You can’t have all this stuff just to turn yourself into a giant spider or whatever else.”

“No, that’s true. I can turn you into a giant spider, too. Or whatever else.” Definitely a blush, and a cute one at that.

“See, yeah, exactly! I bet I could handle the Upside-Down Airship that way. So how about it? Want to come along?”

“Oh neat, I can end combat now? Never could do that before.” And, really, what else did I have going on?

Hotfix Notes: 14.5.2917

  • Fixed broken passage from Crystal Caves

  • Forgotten Arcology zone now requires level 40

  • Mad Scientist NPC companion added

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