The Achievement Junkie

As the sun was setting behind the mountains by the now distant valley, Jack and Rydel entered the city.

The two adventurers had made an agreement to always talk telepathically whenever they needed to communicate. It made things easier and safer, avoiding any possible wandering ears.

'Jack, let's find an inn for the next couple of nights. Then, let's gather information about what's happening with the catacombs. If the other noble families plan to arrive at the same time as the Treall family, they'll probably be here sometime tomorrow morning.'

'Okay, lead the way.' Jack gave a silent nod and followed the hunter through the crowded streets of the small city.

Soon they found a decent inn. It wasn't the most luxurious but it also wasn't the cheapest. They felt it was well worth their money and decided to scope out the tavern on the first floor for information.

After ordering two specials and a round of brundy, both of them listened carefully to their surroundings.

"Did you hear about the catacombs? I can't believe how many nobles are coming."

"Including the Pon Family that owns the catacombs, the Lyre and Maronn Families are coming too!" Two drinking buddies were going back and forth, trying to one-up the other with gossip.

"Don't forget the Treall Family! They came by special invitation from Reinolt. Rumor says they plan to desert Reinolt for the Zuran Empire."

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean they'll do better than the other families in the catacombs. Everyone says there are zombies and other monsters down there. To find treasures, they'll have to beat those first."

True, true. Hey, you think we'll get a chance to enter?"

"Sure, they're letting others go too, so long as they're lv. 20 or higher. But if you go without a background, they'll make you share all the treasures you find."

Jack and Rydel glanced at each other, both smiling wide. They quickly understood that they would be able to join the families in the mine, though they'll be at a disadvantage with only the two on them.

'Sounds like we can get in. Think the zombies will be any trouble?' Rydel mentally asked Jack.

Jack shook his head as he sipped his brundy. 'Nah, if they're letting lv. 20's in then the zombies can't be much stronger than that. Maybe they'll even set a level cap on those who enter? That way there are fewer chances of the Pon Family losing their treasures to powerful experts they can't force to cough up items.'

"Makes sense. Anything else we need to know? According to them, the catacombs will be opened to the public tomorrow evening, so we've got till then to collect info."

Jack chuckled and glanced at the two men who were now aimlessly chatting. They were drunk and were already struggling against intoxication. Two seats from them sat another pair of drinking buddies and they were equally drunk.

Seeing that this would be too easy, Jack disappeared from his seat and reappeared between the two pairs of people.

"Shut your yap!" Jack yelled as he threw a punch to the drunkest man of the four.

The drunk was floored and fell from his seat. He scampered to his feet, looking at the two men across from him with fuming anger.

Already back in his seat, Jack chuckled and watched the show with Rydel who remained quiet.

"You! An ugly pestro like you tells me to shut up!" The man stepped forward and punched the man he believed to have shouted at him. It surprised that other man, but he handled the punch decently and stayed on his feet.

"What did you say?!"

"You heard me, you pestro!"

"That's it!"

Without warning, all four men starting throwing punches and throwing themselves at each other. Bottles were smashed and mugs were shattered. Everywhere they went, the bar was flipped upside down.

"Break it up! And get out!" Before long, the bar manager arrived and separated them all. As they were swiftly kicked out of the tavern, the atmosphere quickly returned to normal.

'What was that all about?' asked Rydel, curious why Jack had started a bar fight.

Jack was looking at his most recent achievement with a smile on his face. 'Nothing special, just doing what I need to get stronger."

Rydel was eyeing Jack. He wasn't quite sure how to respond. Getting stronger? All he did was cause a bar fight, and he didn't even fight himself. How can that make him stronger?

With seventy-eight points, Jack purchased Penetrating Fist. With only three skill points left and a smile on his face, Jack downed his brundy and scarfed down his meal. 'Let's walk around town. There's something I want to check.'

Not complaining, the two paid their tabs and left the bar. As it got later, the streets were becoming less crowded.

Heading to the town's center, Jack wore a pensive face. He couldn't help but feel like he should know something about the Ponlinne, but he was certain that the town had never existed in Ancient Kartonia.

'Rydel, is there anything special about Ponlinne?"

'Not that I know of, other then what I've already told you.' Rydel shrugged and looked ahead. 'What's got you acting strange? Was there something about Ponlinne during ancient times?'

'No, but that's the weird thing,' sighed Jack. 'I can't shake the feeling that I'm supposed to know something about it. The name is familiar but I don't remember a single town by that name.'

They continued walking and were now in a park. It marked the center of town and was a common place to visit for some peace and quiet. No merchants were allowed to sell anything inside the park, showing how important it was to the town.

In the very center of the park, the two adventurers approached a large, golden statue. At its base was a plaque, which read:

"Ponlinne, a great hero of the Zuran Empire."

"After the Holy War, when most heroes started to vanish without a trace, Ponlinne remained to guard this growing town. No matter the monster and no matter the number of foes, Ponlinne fought them all and won. In memory of the great hero, Ponlinne, we name our city in honor of your legacy."

'Ponlinne! It's actually Ponlinne!' Jack was shouting inside his head, barely able to contain himself.

Startled to hear Jack's mental screams for joy, Rydel asked, 'Well yeah, but what's so special about a dude with a weird name like Ponlinne?'

'You don't get it, Ponlinne was famous for a short time during Ancient Kartonia. Though he wasn't the strongest, he rose up the ranks and created a guild of clerics and healers of all kinds. It was the first of its kind! Never before had there been such a guild, but it quickly gained support from everyone as their healing skills were needed by everyone,' explained Jack. 'Ponlinne, that same Ponlinne stayed after the Holy Wars'

Wanting to clarify a hunch, Jack opened his achievement list again. As he expected, another new achievement had appeared.

[Find the tomb of Ponlinne: in progress]

'Rydel, I think I know where to find the life spring.'

The hunter laughed, 'Let me guess, in the catacombs?'

'Yes and no,' answered Jack. 'Inside the catacombs, if I'm not mistaken, there's a hidden tomb, or more specifically, Ponlinne's tomb.'

'Okay, so we get to raid another tomb. What's new?'

'You don't get it.' Jack shook his head and laughed hysterically. 'Ponlinne wasn't like the weak hero we found last time. Ponlinne was maxed out.'

A look of shock and awe appeared on Rydel's face all of a sudden. 'You mean…"

'Mhm, Ponlinne was lv. 85.'

This was the first time that Jack would be able to find a lv. 85 hero's tomb. Not only was he excited to get the eighty-five skill points for opening it, but he was ecstatic to get his hands on Poninne's treasures, weapons, and items. He would be loaded! No wonder a life spring was hidden there yet no one had found it!

'The Pon family should know something about this, but they're not as sure as I am. They must want to find Ponlinne's old treasures too. And after failing so many times, they invited others to join the search, making their jobs easier,' stated Jack.

'Can you find it, Jack? Didn't you need to have an item the person owned to find the tomb last time?'

With a nod, Jack turned and left, letting Rydel catch up. 'Yup, that's exactly what I need.'

'Then why are you smiling like it's too easy?'

'Because it is that easy,' answered Jack. 'Did you notice anything special about that statue?'

Rydel squinted and looked back at the golden figure. It was almost twice the size of the average man, yet the staff seemed to be a little small in comparison. Other than that, everything looked normal.

'The staff maybe, but what's the big deal?' Even with his Eagle Eye, Rydel was unable to notice anything peculiar about the statue.

Shaking his head, Jack chuckled, 'Don't trust your eyes for everything. Sometimes your gut feeling is more important, like now. That staff should be Ponlinne's old weapon. It must be layered in gold, but I can recognize a custom, player-made staff when I see one.'

'That was his weapon?! A weapon used by a lv. 85…' Rydel was lost in thought. Anyone over lv. 50 were all legends to him. Lv. 85 was comparable to a deity in his eyes, so if that staff were really that high of a weapon, then it was a priceless treasure across the continent.

'Wait, you don't plan to--'

'Oh I don't plan to just steal it, I plan to make it disappear without anyone knowing the wiser,' Jack laughed. His blood was pumping and the adrenaline was already filling his veins. 'I'll wait for nightfall. Until then, let's head back to the inn.'

Like he said, Jack waited patiently at the inn with Rydel all night. After midnight came and the streets were dead, Jack waved goodbye to Rydel before he vanished.

Rydel could only laugh to himself, waiting like a happy child for his mom to come home from the candy store.

In the dead of night, no one noticed a shady figure stroll through the park. There was a fraction of a second where he had become illusory, but he returned to normal just as fast. Soon, that person walked into an alley behind an inn. There, he disappeared into thin air.

Inside the inn, Jack reappeared with a giant smile on his face.

The next morning, an incident was reported to the town guard, something about the beloved statue missing its staff. Yet, no matter how they searched, no one was able to find a single trace of the missing staff.