The Dragon's Wrath: Ashes of the Fallen by Brent Roth Read Free Book Online Page A

touch in the end.
    The only real drawback to dungeon grinding was the monotony of it all, but if you had a good group of people that you enjoyed spending your time with you were essentially set. That reminded me though, that I needed a few things before I could return to the grind.
    The most important and essential item, was a mask of some sort.
    Wading through the crowd, I finally found a clothing store that was advertising items such as fur coats and one-size-fits-all leather jerkins outside of the store front and figured it couldn't hurt to take a gander.
    I mainly needed a piece of cloth that I could wrap around my face.
    Something as simple as a bandana would do, really.
    Entering the store, I soon found myself waist deep in an assortment of piled clothes of various shades and sizes. Along the walls were racks with numerous jackets and coats, and slightly off to the side of the door was a small counter, with a sales clerk hiding curiously behind it.
    Somehow, I was the only person inside the shop.
    Of all the people roaming the streets, none of them had taken an interest in the goods for sale in these smaller shops that littered the town. It was a bit of a surprise but it made sense in a way. I figured most players didn't have a lot money to spend at the moment, so it did little good to waste time perusing a store.
    The game was still relatively new anyways, and people were just now experiencing their first dungeon. The blacksmith and bowyer were busy, as were the proficiency trainers and the trade post.
    That was expected, though.
    If I was a crafter ahead of the times, I could have made a fortune.
    There were at least one or two crafters attempting to ply their trade. Though they were largely inexperienced they were certainly on the right track.
    Well, I had larger goals in mind and my NPCs would bear the brunt of the labor in the long run while I reaped the rewards. Not to say that I was or would take advantage of them. I believed in fair profit for all involved even if they were just limited artificial intelligences.
    Yeah, I wanted a happy town, not one filled with corruption.
    There's enough corruption in a person's daily life anyhow, no reason for people to bring it with them inside the game, where most of us come to escape from our reality.
    "Ah, hello there," I said to break the silence as I eyed the goods messily spread throughout the store. As I nodded at the man behind the counter, he cleared his throat before acknowledging my presence.
    "What can I do ye for?" he asked kindly with a hint of sadness to his voice.
    "I'm looking for a mask," I replied slowly, so as not to appear impertinent. "Or, something that can at least be used like a mask, preferably a cloth of some sort so that I can breathe a bit better in the dungeon."
    The man looked depressed but feigned a smile as he turned his gaze to a corner of the store. He was clearly an NPC but it was rather strange to see such clear emotions on him. Well, I couldn't really be bothered by it, as there were more pressing needs than the emotions of a random NPC.
    "Hmm, yes, we have something like that," replied the clerk while pointing to a spot in the store. "Check over there, I believe you'll find what you're looking for in a small pile behind that large one with the blue coat on top, just over there in the corner."
    "Will do, thank you," I said plainly while giving him a nod and a weak smile.
    Shuffling through the packed store proved slightly difficult as there were simply too many articles of clothing lying about. Though it took some effort I eventually found my way to the large pile of outerwear with the blue coat on top. It was a rather ugly coat, but I was sure there was at least one flamboyant person out there that would love to showcase it out on the streets.
    But, good luck finding that one guy, mister store clerk.
    A few steps past that large pile was the small one that the clerk had pointed out, which was literally just a pile of bandanas, scarves,