Orc Wars 2 : Lazarus

Chapter 43 - Stage Three

Ash was staring at Jace.

"What?"

"What do you mean what?"

They had both logged out of the game and met for dinner after Lazarus was administered another dose from his special potion stash. The assassin recovered much to the relief of all in the room.

"What happened in there?'

"Umm ... everyone went crazy?" Then he smiled broadly, "... including you. I didn't know you cared so much."

"Shut up."

Jace laughed at Ash's sheepish expression.

"So, did you get it? The purple beetle? I can face hungry rats and the undead dead but I don't really want to meet that crazy body switching witch again. She was ... ughhh!"

"Ha ha ha, you will never find a girl if you keep running away from all the ladies I hook you up with. First that lovely spider lass and now the beautiful Priestess."

Ash shuddered. "Your taste in women is so warped."

"But yeah, we did it! We completed Constantine's Trial!!"

Ash gave a whoop, drawing attention from the other diners. He waved and grinned at them before settling down into his chair.

"That means all we have to do now is level up! Yes!!" Ash pumped his fist in the air. "I'm halfway through to level 76 and you are only one more level to 80."

"Yeah, if we do some serious time in there this time, I think we can level up."

"What do you mean, this time?" Ash laughed. "That potion the Keeper gave you, is it one of Isis's? It revived Laz when I thought he was a goner."

"Umm, yes and no."

"Huh?"

"It's Isis's latest brew but I copied some symbols onto the bottles. Different bottles, different symbols. It affects the potions inside. I'm experimenting."

"What symbols? Does it work?"

"The symbols etched on your cursed saber. They are powerful runes to enhance one's health. That's why whoever who wielded it was invincible. It was not that he doesn't get hurt, it's just that the saber generates back his health so fast that it was almost impossible to drain off his health and kill him."

Ash's mouth formed an 'O'. "That's what you needed it for, research." He smirked. "I thought you were getting addicted to it and didn't want to give it up. I was preparing to set you up as the next cursed soul."

"Very funny. I'm safe from its effects if it's in my Inventory. As long as I don't use it too much or hold it too long, I'm okay. It takes over Laz's mind and body, but it's bliss when I'm holding it," he said longingly. "All the pain goes away."

"You've exchanged Isis's golden rose for her orb and gotten Kirana's when you killed Kwan. When are you giving me my saber for my Orb?"

"I'll give it to you last to activate the portal, until then I need it's occasional health boosts. You saw what happened."

"So it works?"

"The cursed saber works. It's magical runes are awesome. The experimental enhanced potions are proof of that. I've even combined several of the runes to test for optimum effect. I'm still experimenting. I haven't told Isis about it. Some work better than the others, like the one Laz took after the trial."

"Let me get this right. Isis is experimenting on you with her concoctions ... and you are experimenting further on yourself."

"I'm not experimenting on me. I'm experimenting on Laz."