Inside the game, Anton continued playing to level up. He proceeded to go to kill Nihlathak and then fully explored the zones. Everything was very easy now since he was level thirty-three and he added a lot of skill points to Frozen Orb and Cold Mastery. He knew for a fact that the Frozen Orb sorceress was very strong during the last part of Normal and the whole of the Nightmare difficulty.
Even though he knew what to expect since he had played the game for so many hours, it was different and more thrilling playing it with him in the Diablo world in person. The process of casting the spell using his own body, feeling the mana coursing through his veins gave him a sense of power that he felt like an ultimate evolved being. Anton had the urge to shout “I’m the most powerful in the world” while casting his spells. It was absurd but the urge was there.
The one disadvantage of playing the game in person was the process was very slow. Instead of taking the normal length of time to complete the quests and zones it took way much longer. Walking and running in the fields and zones was way different compared to just clicking and pointing in front of a screen. He could still do it that way using the on-screen option but playing the game taught him how to wield his power more efficiently and effectively and Anton knew that it would be useful in the real world if kept playing in person.
Anton leveled up to thirty-five and spent his remaining skill points on Frozen Orb and Cold Mastery. He then put his newly earned stats to vitality so he would not be so squishy. He reached the Ancients guarding the World Stone Keep and was about to engage them when he heard a voice. He went back to Harrogath using the town portal scroll and minimized the game. He saw that the carriage had stopped and when he checked, it was lunchtime.
“Anton wake up! We’re about to have our lunch,” Anders said to him loudly.
“Father I’m awake. I’m sorry for meditating so deeply.”
“That’s fine. It’s what gives you power. Take some food out so we can start preparing and help Anna with the horses. When you take care of the horses they bounce back faster.”
Anton went down and took out the box of bread and barrel of stew from the Private Stash and then he went to the horses to give them some mana water and heal them using the Prayer Aura. When they returned to the carriage, everyone already started eating so he and his sister took their share and he immediately kept the food in his private stash to keep it hot and fresh.
While they were eating, he whispered to his Father and Anna that he had grown stronger but he had learned all the spells that he was supposed to learn. His meditations would now only make all the spells that he had learned grow stronger and his body stronger as well.
“That’s still a lot of spells brother,” Anna whispered back.
“Yes it’s a lot but it’s alarming that all of them were geared towards battle. I do hope that it’s not because you will be summoned to war by whoever gave you that power,” Anders whispered as well with a worried look on his face.
“You don’t need to worry Father. I think the gift that I received was for me to get a head start on the road to wizardry and to make sure that we arrived safely at the end of our journey. Once I start learning real wizardry, I will be able to wield more diverse spells,” Anton consoled Anders.
Anders and Anna looked relieved at Anton’s statement and after lunch, they went back to traveling. They would arrive at the next village the next day and he planned to join his father in conducting their business. He would need to learn how to talk to the people of this world so he wouldn’t look and sound so alien although he never encountered anyone indicating so much as that.
Inside the carriage, Anton practiced his scales on his lute for an hour and played some complicated classical songs for about half an hour to make sure that his hands were well-oiled machines when it came to playing the instrument then he went back to playing the game.
He defeated the Ancients in the Arreat Summit, journeyed into the World Stone Keep level one to three, and reached Baal’s throne room, the Throne of Destruction. He killed all the unique monsters and their minions that Baal summoned and after that, he defeated Baal completing the Normal Difficulty of his game. That fight granted him a total of four levels leveling him to level thirty-nine. He spread his stats into strength and vitality and put the skill points into Frozen Orb and Cold Mastery.
Unfortunately, he didn’t find any useful items at all. His next plan was to do the Cow Level to hunt for a crystal sword that he would use to create the Spirit runeword weapon and would probably remain in the normal difficulty for a while to hunt more runes, gems, and better charms. He needed the gems and jewels to upgrade his other items and sadly due to the lack of space in his private stash and inventory, he needed to sell most of them but now since his stash and inventory were way bigger, he could start his favorite past time of grinding for items.
With grinding, he could play the game using the on-screen option and would only enter the game virtually to practice the mana manipulation of his spells outside the Rogue Encampment.
Anton was so glad that he had a browser that let him search the internet since he would have the resources to inquire about the best gear and the best place to hunt them.
Since he completed the Normal Difficulty, he checked the time and it was twilight so he minimized the game because soon, he was sure that they would stop for the night. Several minutes later, Anton’s father called out to him saying that they had found their campsite for the night and he told his father that he was awake.
Anders stopped the carriage and Anton went out. Anna was with Lucas’s family as usual and they all started preparing the camp for their night stay. Lucas and his family didn’t allow Anton to help them set up the camp but of course, he still took care of the horses since he was the only one who could provide the animals mana water, and healing.
When the camp was set, they all sat beside the fire and Anna served everyone food from Anton’s magical space.
“Father, as I’ve said, I would join you in conducting your business in the village tomorrow since I need to learn how to talk to common people.”
“I understand. I will teach you what you’ll need to know.”
“Are you going to tell us a story tonight? You could also play your lute and sing us a song,” Anna said to his brother.
“Hey, I’m not a bard! I’m a wizard but yes I’ll play the lute tonight.”
Anton took out his lute and entertained his family and his guard’s family while Lucas and Devon remained vigilant.