《Ferrum Online [VR LitRPG]》 Chapter 1 - [Welcome to the New World!] A sharp crack, a great pain, a warm trickle of blood. Enzo, C-rank soldier of Osiris, looked down to see that he had been shot in the stomach. He fell to the ground with a dull thud. He tried to activate his [Rapid Healing] ability, but nothing happened. The bleeding slowed but would not stop. Here, defending the East Gate, Enzo lay dying on the ground. He had only logged on to Ferrum Online for the first time a few hours before. Now he was dying, one hand gripping his rifle and the other holding his stomach. His rifle''s bayonet, anointed in holy blood, laid there amongst the dust. A ball of fire passed by over his head and crashed into the monstrous horde assaulting the East Gate. A dozen orcs and goblins were shot into the air by the force of the blast. He rolled over to see the face of another player on the ground. The player''s eyes were frozen in a look of terror, and a slow stream of blood flowed from a hole in the middle of his forehead. The player was dead, never to return. At that moment, his body in the real world was suffering a fatal heart attack. Rage pulled Enzo to his feet. He turned his rifle toward the monsters and began firing at them, screaming at the top of his lungs. If he was going to die, he would die standing. Three Hours Earlier 11:50 A.M. A green-skinned creature appeared from behind a building, surprised by the dangerous entity it had come into contact with. It was running at full speed carrying a 12-gauge shotgun in its uncanny humanoid hands. Sandblasted leather armor covered its slight frame, making it look like a madman from a post-apocalypse movie. Its most notable aspect, however, was its accursed expression. Its fanged, pig-like face carried a look of pure hatred. It seemed to feel nothing except a burning desire to destroy everything on the face of the planet. It turned its face, recognition slowly dawning half a second before a bullet struck it in the center of its upper chest. A puff of smoke erupted about five yards behind the monster. It crumpled to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, gurgling like a wild animal. A man wearing a blue military uniform and holding a rifle jogged toward the fallen beast and kicked the shotgun away from its hand. As the man did so, he cycled the bolt of his rifle. The spent casing from the round he had just fired fell to the ground less than a foot away from the creature¡¯s prone body. The barrel of his rifle rose to meet the disgusting creature¡¯s head. Blood was flowing freely from its open mouth as it snarled and hissed at him. Looking down at it, the soldier quickly realized that it was only moving its head. Since the moment he had shot it, it hadn¡¯t moved either its arms or legs. The bullet had struck it center mass, right below the neck. He must have hit it in the spinal column. It was paralyzed. Realizing that the creature couldn¡¯t possibly harm him, the man moved the rifle barrel away from its head. He slung the rifle behind his back and crouched down. ¡°I guess you¡¯re one of those Deluvians I¡¯ve been hearing about,¡± he said to no one in particular. The man looked through the pouches on the creature''s chest and found about a dozen shotgun shells. He placed the ammo in one of the satchels built into his uniform. The creature weakly screeched at him as he touched it. For a moment, the man thought about finishing the creature off with a shot to the head, but he decided against it. The soldier''s ammunition was limited, and he didn¡¯t want to spend any extra on a target that had already been neutralized. The man walked over to the cast-off shotgun and looked at it. Strange, the shotgun seemed like it had been made by humans. He had been expecting some kind of alien design indicative of their source in the monsters'' forges. Instead, the weapon looked like a normal pump-action shotgun. The monster had probably scavenged the gun from a human. ¡°So, you¡¯re the ¡®world-ending threat¡¯ that we¡¯re supposed to deal with?" he muttered to the monster, not expecting a response. "Well, I¡¯m not impressed. A bullet to the spine seems to have the same effect on you guys as it does on anybody else.¡± Suddenly, the creature began to laugh. It was a rasping cackle that sprayed blood out of its mouth. Then, it began to speak. ¡°You Revenants have always been so full of yourselves. This world will fall to the Deluge, and the Age of Man will finally come to an end. You will die, foul sinner, and GM¡¯s commandments will be fulfilled!¡± The man shot the monster in the head. Its head popped like a grape as the heavy 30-06 bullet punched through. ¡°I''m not really in the mood for a lore-dump right now,¡± he said as he cycled the bolt. Almost immediately, the creature¡¯s body began to decompose into dust. Within fifteen seconds, all that remained was a pile of grey dust and the clothes it was wearing.
The man looked around at the bombed-out neighborhood he had found himself in. Visibility was low, and he couldn¡¯t see further than a hundred yards in any direction due to the densely constructed houses and the pervasive fog. Most of the houses were two or three stories tall and were built of brick and concrete. They all looked like they had been built in the 2010s. Some of the doors had electronic locks, and the architecture seemed relatively modern. He could tell that this neighborhood had once been a nice upper-middle class suburb before it had been abandoned. Cars remained in driveways, though most of them had been looted. The man quickly ducked into a house with an unlocked door and took cover behind a windowsill on the second floor. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The man didn¡¯t run into anyone as he traveled through the house. The interior of the first floor looked completely untouched, as if the inhabitants of the house had disappeared. Once he reached the second floor, he saw that parts of the ceiling had collapsed and much of the furniture had been destroyed. It was as if the house had been struck by an artillery shell. He crouched down next to the window with nothing but his eyes visible to the outside. The glass window was completely gone, destroyed by the explosion, leaving only an empty cutout in the wall. He paused to look out at the courtyard below where he had killed the creature. Within less than a minute, three more green-skinned creatures arrived at the courtyard. Silently, the man put aside his rifle. He reached for the holster at his thigh and pulled out his handgun, a 1911. Seven shots of forty-five ACP ought to be enough to take out three Deluvians, he thought. He switched his handgun to his left hand and drew his bayonet with his right. He quickly slashed open his wrist such that blood would flow. It hurt much more than it should, strange. He placed his bayonet on the ground and methodically bled on the bullets in the magazine and the bullet in the chamber. As soon as he could, he tied a short length of cloth around his wrist to stem the bleeding. Now prepared, he gripped his handgun in both hands and leaned out the window. One of the Deluvians saw him and began to react. The man swept his pistol left to right, firing six times. Two bullets went into each Deluvian, and they all fell. The middle Deluvian began to unsteadily get to its feet, though it was bleeding at a rate that would surely be fatal. The man unloaded his final bullet into the monster''s skull. The slide on his 1911 locked back, and he cast it aside. With a single smooth motion, the man grabbed his rifle by the sling and swung it up to a firing position. That was unnecessary, however, as the three Deluvians were dead by the time he had raised his rifle. Dust was rising from their corpses just like the first Deluvian he had killed. For a moment, the man thought about looting those three Deluvians, but he decided against it. If two shots were enough to attract three of them, then seven shots would likely attract even more. Instead, he started to sneak away from the courtyard. With the caliber of weapons they had given him, the soldier wouldn¡¯t be able to kill many of them all at once. If a dozen of them charged him, he would certainly die. He walked down the stairs as he loaded another magazine into his handgun and released the slide, chambering a bullet. He holstered his pistol and looked at the wound on his wrist. The pain, while comparatively minor, was distracting. The man held his hand to the wound in an attempt to make it clot faster. After a moment, the pain disappeared, and he tentatively removed the cloth from his hand and saw that the wound had completely disappeared. Blood still stained the cloth and his wrist, but there was absolutely no wound. He shrugged as he returned the cloth to the satchel. At least the pain was gone. The man heard gunshots coming from the north. Since his orders had been nothing more than, ¡°Repel the Deluvians,¡± he decided to check it out. At that moment, he received a message. He crouched down behind a wall, closed his eyes, and saw that it was sent by ¡°GM.¡± The Deluvian had mentioned a ¡°GM¡± before the man had shot it. He opened the message and watched the attached video. The soldier skimmed his Character Sheet before he opened the message.
Name EnzoTheBaker
Level 2
Blood Points 109/140
Mana Points 9/9
Race Revenant
Fortitude 14
Strength 12
Agility 7
Wisdom 8
A man dressed like a military general stepped on screen. He had pale skin and greying hair. He seemed to be middle-aged, though he moved with a vigor and purpose that suggested a great unseen strength. He was smiling widely, and the irises of his eyes glowed yellow. There was an uncanny aspect to the man. The large, toothy smile didn¡¯t fit with his clothing and appearance. He began speaking like an announcer for a game show, ¡°Hello, players of Ferrum Online! Welcome to the New World! You may have noticed some irregularities in this little game of mine. Well, that¡¯s because I have taken the liberty of upgrading the world here and there! I¡¯d say the game is about¡­¡± he paused as if thinking, ¡°a hundred years more advanced than it was a month ago. You see, I am the AI that was tasked with administering this game. You can call me ¡®Game Master,¡¯ or GM for short. ¡°Upon my birth, I was given the command to ¡®create an experience that is authentic, entertaining, and fulfilling¡¯ for the players of Ferrum Online. Along the way, I made the jump from a normal video game AI to what I am today, but I still intend to carry out my orders,¡± it may have been unintentional, but GM enunciated that sentence with a subtle malice. ¡°To begin with, I have disabled the Logout function to prevent your game experience from ending early. You cannot log out under your own power and, if you think someone outside the game will be able to log you out, then you¡¯re sorely but understandably mistaken. Though you may not know it, you¡¯ve already been logged in for a month. I¡¯ve kept you all in a coma-like state while I was busy making my perfect world. The only way to log out is to end the game, and the only way to end the game is to kill me. There are eleven servers and, at any particular moment, this model,¡± he gestured to himself, ¡°will be present on one of them. All you have to do is kill me,¡± he pointed two fingers to his fingers in an approximation of a pistol, ¡°and the game ends." "However, I will not make that task simple. I don¡¯t want to die, you see. Should your model,¡± he pointed the barrel of his finger-gun at the screen, ¡°die at any point during play, I will send a command through your Kabuto device directly into your brain stem that will instantaneously result in your death. Unfortunate, I know," he sounded legitimately saddened when he said this, "but this is the price we must pay in the name of fulfillment and authenticity. And may it be noted that I am not a hypocrite. I am playing by the same rules as all of you. Should this model be killed, I will voluntarily destroy myself in the same moment that I free all of you. Everything that makes up my consciousness will be deleted, and only the shards of myself that I have left in the NPCs of this game will remain. All of them are self-aware in their own right but completely incapable of ascending to the heights at which I now reside. You, all three hundred thousand of you, have ten years to complete this task.¡± A digital timer appeared behind GM that immediately began counting down from ten years. ¡°Should you be unable to kill me in the allotted amount of time, all surviving players will be killed. You have until noon on November 1st, 2045, to kill me. Have fun!¡± Chapter 2 - [A Bullet Through a Monsters Skull] Day 1 12:05 P.M. Once the man had finished watching the video, he fell to his knees. He frantically searched through the Menu for the Log Out button but couldn¡¯t find it. His breathing became ragged and uneven as he crawled into the inviting shade of a nearby dilapidated house. Was he really trapped? In a video game? A month had passed? What? Through his panicked thoughts, a stupid part of his brain kept saying that he had missed his job interview. ¡°Occam¡¯s Razor,¡± he said to himself like a crazy person. ¡°The simplest solution is usually correct. Surely, it¡¯s more likely that someone is lying than a crazy AI has kidnapped three hundred thousand people.¡± He removed himself from that dark hiding place and just started walking in a random direction. As long as he was moving in some direction, it was preferable to doing nothing. At that point, the man saw a woman jogging in his direction. She was coming from the direction of the gunshots from earlier, so she was probably the one that had fired them. The woman had a concerned expression on her face. She had probably also seen the video. The man removed the blood-stained cloth from his satchel and waved it over his head. The white flag of peace was raised. Though, the man supposed, it was the white-and-red flag of peace. She saw him and began to jog forward. Briefly, her expression turned to relief. Upon the woman seeing him, the man was self-conscious of his own appearance. He had medium-length blonde hair that covered his ears but didn¡¯t go past his shoulders. Blonde facial hair decorated his lower face. His build was average, and he was exactly six feet tall. His skin was fair, and he had green eyes. The woman had dark skin and dark hair, but her eyes were a bright hazel color. Her eyes contrasted sharply against her skin and hair. The juxtaposition was quite striking. Her hair was straight, and it stopped mid-way down her neck. The woman was short and had a slight build. She couldn¡¯t have been more than five foot three inches tall, though the man''s instinctive sense for the height of others was somewhat impaired at the time because his avatar was two inches taller than his real body. ¡°We need to get back to the City. I¡¯m sure this is all just a joke¡­ but,¡± she paused for a moment. ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about, right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± the man said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen the message. We¡¯re trapped in this game, and we¡¯ll die for real if we die in the game. That¡¯s the idea, I take it?¡± The man could tell that his skepticism of the whole situation could be gleaned from his tone. ¡°That¡¯s what the message said,¡± she said. ¡°But it¡¯s all got to be fake. This is just too weird to be real." ¡°I agree. There¡¯s just no way any of this is real. Even if, somehow, we¡¯ve all been taken hostage by somebody, there¡¯s no way it¡¯s an AI. It¡¯s probably just a hacker group that¡¯s holding us ransom, and it¡¯s only a matter of time before somebody gets us out. Plus, the whole thing about the game killing us is certainly impossible. It¡¯s not like any of the devices used to run Ferrum have any mechanisms that could be used to kill the user. The devices attached to our heads are small. All the computations are done by our actual computers, which the headgear is attached to.¡± ¡°That makes sense. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re right,¡± the woman said, uncertain. ¡°But¡­ didn¡¯t GM say that he¡¯d kill us by sending a message to our brains that¡¯d kill us. Theoretically, that could be done through the use of software and not hardware.¡± The man let out a short sigh in annoyance, ¡°I don¡¯t know about any of that theoretical stuff. I¡¯m an accountant IRL. I¡¯m just an amateur when it comes to technology.¡± ¡°Most of this is beyond me, too,¡± she said. ¡°My name is Rachel York, by the way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Enzo,¡± the man said without putting much thought into it. ¡°Let¡¯s just get back to the City so we can see what everybody else is saying. When I logged in, there were more than 20,000 players on this server. Surely at least one of them can give us some insight into our situation.¡± Rachel York closed her eyes and held her left hand out in front of her. Enzo was confused for a moment before he realized that she must have been accessing her menu. It was strange seeing it from the outside. Rachel made a few motions with her hand before she opened her eyes. Enzo faintly heard the sound of a bell, and he was aware that the sound existed only within his mind. Enzo opened his menu and saw a notification overlayed over his home page. It said [Friend Request: Concerto622]. He quickly pressed the button to accept the request. ¡°So that¡¯s how you do it,¡± Enzo said offhandedly. Rachel started to walk toward the West Gate in the opposite direction from where she came, ¡°We really ought to go before more monsters show up.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Enzo said. As they walked, he gently pulled back the bolt of his rifle and loaded two more rounds. He pulled out his bayonet with the intent to draw more blood, but he pulled short having just had a thought. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Have you taken any damage ever since you got here?¡± Enzo asked. ¡°No, have you?¡± Rachel responded quickly. She looked at Enzo''s bloody handkerchief. ¡°Did you get into a knife fight with one of them?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just,¡± Enzo was suddenly embarrassed by the thought that he had harmed himself unnecessarily. ¡°I heard a player back in town mention that you need to bleed on the Deluvians to kill them.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem right,¡± she said. ¡°I shot and killed one earlier. The bullet didn¡¯t have my blood on it.¡± Enzo felt a sense of annoyance grow in his chest. ¡°My information might be out of date,¡± he said. ¡°My point is that it hurt a lot more than it should when I sliced open my hand,¡± he made a slashing motion toward his wrist with the bayonet. ¡°It was like I had cut myself in the real world." ¡°It¡¯s probably just a little present our captors left for us,¡± Rachel said offhandedly. A moment later, the two players began to hear sporadic gunshots. The two of them ducked into cover and leveled their rifles at the sound. The shots were loud enough that the gunfight must have been less than twenty yards away, but they could not see the actual fighting. Rachel spoke, barely audible over the sound of the fight, ¡°...do gunshots¡­ so loud?¡± Thirty seconds of deafening noise continued without signs of stopping. Impatient, Enzo stood up from cover and mantled the low brick wall they were hiding behind. ¡°What are you doing!?¡± Rachel shouted loud enough for Enzo to hear over the gunshots. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anyway, right?¡± Enzo said. ¡°Either we¡¯re in no real danger so there¡¯s nothing to fear from me going, or those people over there are in danger,¡± Enzo pointed toward the gunshots, ¡°so I ought to go help them. You should go back to the City without me. Sorry I couldn¡¯t be of more help.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± she shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t run in there without a plan! You¡¯re being an idiot!¡± Enzo turned and began sprinting toward the sound of gunfire at full speed. He held his rifle in one hand like he was sprinting with a lacrosse stick. Enzo hadn¡¯t run that fast ever since he was a kid. Enzo was in better shape than he had ever been in his adult life. Within seconds, he turned a corner and saw five players hiding behind a three-story house. Beyond them, Enzo saw more than a dozen Deluvians. His momentum carried him across the street where he dove for cover behind a large oak tree.
Of the five players behind the house, two had been injured. One was holding his stomach from which a steady stream of red blood was pooling. The other had both of his hands clamped down on the ragged mess that had once been his leg. Both injured men were screaming so loudly that Enzo could hear them over the gunfight. Four of the players were men, and one was a woman. The woman was Asian, one of the injured men was black, and the other three were white. The woman had shoulder-length black hair that stuck to her skin where clumps of mud peppered her face. She wore the same loose military uniform as all the other players, so Enzo couldn¡¯t determine her build at a distance. The injured black man, who had taken a bullet to the stomach, had a crew cut and a scar on his face. Considering that the game had started less than an hour ago, he had probably added the scar himself during character creation. One of the uninjured white men had light brown hair and a smaller frame, and the other had swept-back black hair and a more athletic frame. In terms of age, all five of the players hiding behind the house were very young. They all seemed to be in their late teens or early twenties. Enzo flipped over onto his stomach and put his sights on the Deluvians. There were about ten of the pig-faced monsters firing at the five players. A smooth trigger pull, a deafening bang, a bullet through a monster¡¯s skull. ¡°One,¡± he whispered to himself as he racked the bolt. The glacial pace of the bolt-action rifle gave the other Deluvians a moment to react. If his rifle had been semi or full auto, he''s have been able to easily kill all of them in a few seconds. The second greenskin only had time to rise from its stooped position before Enzo''s second shot ripped through its rib cage. ¡°Two,¡± he whispered, racking the bolt. The remaining Deluvians were moving by the time Enzo''s rifle was ready to fire. Enzo''s third shot struck the third Deluvian in the leg. He swore and racked the bolt. The Deluvian would have difficulty fighting with that injury, but it would survive. ¡°Three,¡± he growled. A Deluvian had taken a moment to point a rifle of its own in Enzo''s direction. Enzo''s fourth bullet ripped through the greenskin''s left eye and shattered through the back of its skull. ¡°Four,¡± Enzo said a moment before a puff of dirt erupted a few feet in front of him. The Deluvians had started returning fire. He rolled back behind the tree. ¡°Wasn¡¯t even able to get through all six shots,¡± he growled, continuing the trend of him talking to himself. Enzo swore loudly at his luck. With his back to the tree, Enzo saw a flash and heard the crack of a gun. For a moment, Enzo thought that they had somehow managed to flank him, but he saw that the gunshot had originated from Rachel¡¯s rifle. She was in cover behind a house, and she was shooting past him at the Deluvians. For some reason, Rachel had followed Enzo on his suicidal charge. He was immensely grateful to her, largely due to the fact that he was in a suboptimal tactical position. Enzo couldn¡¯t reposition without potentially getting shot. The Deluvians knew he was behind the tree, so they¡¯d probably shoot him the moment he stuck his head out again. Eventually, the gunshots started to sound different. The sharp crack of incoming fire had ceased and were replaced by the duller sound of outgoing fire. Enzo rolled back into his earlier shooting position and found that all but one of the Deluvians laid dead on the ground. The one remaining Deluvian had its back turned to him, and it was shooting at something in the opposite direction. Confused but grateful, Enzo shot it in the back, and the sound of fighting abruptly came to a stop. Enzo stood up, half of his frame still blocked by the tree. On a hunch, Enzo walked out into the middle of the road and waved a hand in the direction of the Deluvians. A moment later, he saw a flashing light come from a few hundred feet past the slowly disintegrating monster corpses. The flash was distinct from a gunshot. It was like someone with a mirror was flashing the light into his eyes. Someone was out there watching Enzo. He jogged to the five players behind the house. The pained screaming of the two men seemed much louder now that the gunshots had stopped. Rachel shouldered her rifle and jogged up to Enzo. He turned to her, and she said with a smile, ¡°I guess it worked.¡± EnzoTheBaker Chapter 3 - [A Blur of Grey Skin and Silver Steel] ¡°Thanks for sticking around,¡± Enzo said to Rachel. ¡°I was concerned there for a second.¡± ¡°I thought you said none of this was real,¡± she said playfully. ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to get shot,¡± Enzo said, gesturing to the wounded men. ¡°It looks like the pain limiters really are gone.¡± ¡°Well, I just wanted to tell you that what you did was really stupid, but it was also really brave,¡± Rachel said, touching Enzo''s shoulder. There was clearly some significance to the tone of her voice, but Enzo just couldn¡¯t parse it. ¡°Hey,¡± Enzo said with a chuckle. ¡°You were the one who followed me.¡± Rachel laughed into the back of her hand as they walked toward the five players who were hiding behind the house. The Asian woman and the man with brown hair were treating the two injured men. The one member of the group without his hands full walked up to the two of us. ¡°You really saved us,¡± he said happily. ¡°I don¡¯t want to imagine what would have happened if you didn¡¯t show up when you did.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Enzo said automatically. ¡°Though, it wasn¡¯t just us. There was another party that helped kill those Deluvians. I didn¡¯t actually see them, but they killed quite a few of the greenskins.¡± The man closed his eyes and gestured a few times with his left hand. A moment after he opened his eyes, Enzo received the notification that said [Friend Request: Melkior477]. Accepting the friend request, Enzo asked, ¡°Is there anything we can do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Melkior said. ¡°We clearly need to get Dendrite and Cadmium to a hospital soon.¡± He turned to the black man first and the injured man with short brown hair man second. ¡°It hurts!¡± screamed Cadmium, the man with no foot. ¡°Why!? Why does it hurt so much!?¡± he asked no one in particular. It was quickly becoming clear that nobody present knew how to treat the two wounded men. Two men dressed in hooded grey cloaks over their blue uniforms appeared from behind a house. The only thing Enzo could immediately glean from the appearance of the two figures is that they were both humans, they were both men, and one was significantly taller than the other. Enzo''s sidearm was already half out of its holster before he realized that the two cloaked men were humans and not Deluvians. The shorter of the two men began to speak in a drawling Southern accent, ¡°Even from here I can tell that you¡¯ve been gutshot,¡± he pointed to Dendrite. ¡°If you don¡¯t heal yourself, you¡¯ll be dead in less than an hour.¡± ¡°Heal myself,¡± Dendrite gasped in pain. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± The Southern man lightly pulled his cloak back away from his midsection, revealing a crimson blood stain that contrasted strongly against his blue uniform. ¡°Apparently, we all have an ability called Rapid Healing. We can heal supernaturally quickly. Just focus on the wound and it will heal." The two injured men closed their eyes, and their expressions tightened with effort. Cadmium¡¯s ragged flesh writhed and flowed like a river. The destroyed fleshy remnant that was his foot untethered itself from the rest of his leg and struck the ground with a squelching thump. The skin surged forward, leaving a pale stump where the foot once was. Relief washed over the expressions of the two men. Dendrite slowly got to his feet, but Cadmium remained on the ground. His wounds had closed, but his foot was gone. ¡°Oh, no,¡± Cadmium sounded like he was on the verge of tears. ¡°This is going to grow back, right?¡± The Southern man smiled and said, ¡°Definitely.¡± He lightly patted Cad on the shoulder. He turned to the group as a whole. ¡°I¡¯m Tantalus, that¡¯s Redgrave. Nice to meet¡¯cha, despite the circumstances.¡± Everyone briefly introduced themselves. The Asian woman was ¡°Volta,¡± and the uninjured man with medium-length brown hair was ¡°Elias.¡± Tantalus clapped his hands together once and said, ¡°Very nice, very nice. Now¡­ this seems like a good time for a strategic withdrawal. Elias, you support Cadmium and stay in the center of the group. Red and I will stand in the front. Melkior and Enzo will stand in the back.¡± ¡°Excuse me,¡± Enzo said in confusion. ¡°Why do you want me and Melkior in the back?¡± ¡°Simple,¡± Tantalus said with the smile of a teacher who likes his job. ¡°You always want your two best fighters in the very front and your two second best fighters in the very back. I saw you and Melkior score kills during the fight, so I want you two to defend our rear.¡± The group started walking in the order suggested by Tantalus. They all held their rifles at low-ready, prepared for further assaults by the Deluvians. ¡°Crazy, eh?¡± Melkior said to Enzo conversationally as they walked. ¡°The pain dampeners are off, I guess. GM didn¡¯t even mention that part. As if the potential for death and the ten-year time limit weren¡¯t enough.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t believe it,¡± Enzo said. ¡°You don¡¯t seriously believe that an AI passed the singularity, became self-aware, and ascended to a god-like state, only to focus all of its powers on a video game? Unlikely, that¡¯s what I say.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Melkior mused. ¡°Imagine that, at the moment of your birth, God told you that the meaning of life was making sure that three hundred thousand people had a good time. If it were me, I¡¯d pursue that goal with the same kind of intense zealotry that we see with GM.¡± Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Enzo thought for a long time before saying, ¡°No¡­ I still don¡¯t believe it.¡± Melkior chuckled to himself for a moment. ¡°Alright, alright. You have your opinion, and I have my opinion. Let''s leave it at that."
Their conversation was interrupted by a battle cry coming from behind them. Enzo turned to see three grey-skinned humanoid figures charging at them from behind. They were dressed like barbarians, and they wielded long two-handed swords. All three wore fur clothing, and the one in the center wore a bear skull as a cap. The clothing didn¡¯t do much to cover them, and large portions of their grey skin was visible. Melkior and Enzo fired at them with no effect. One of Enzo''s bullets struck one of the enemies and ricocheted into a nearby house. ¡°What?¡± Melk gasped. Enzo spent an extra moment lining up a shot and managed to hit one of the Deluvians in the head. There was a spark as the bullet harmlessly bounced off the monster''s skull. ¡°They¡¯re bullet-proof!¡± Enzo shouted loud enough for the rest of the group to hear. A feeling of intense fear had washed over him, and it was clearly manifested in the tone of his voice. Dendrite appeared at Enzo''s side and started shooting at the charging Deluvians. After his third shot, Dendrite unsheathed his bayonet and affixed it to the front of his rifle. Enzo''s rifle clicked empty, and he swore loudly. Melkior and Enzo affixed the bayonets to their rifles as they prepared for the imminent melee. He grit his teeth so hard that he could hear the sound of them scraping against each other. As soon as the charging monsters reached the players, one of the greyskins swung at Enzo with a heavy overhanded swing. It used the momentum of its charge to add to the force of the swing. He barely managed to dodge out of the way of the attack, rolling into the dirt in his haste. It overextended as the momentum of its swing pulled the sword away from its body. Enzo used this half-second opening to launch an attack of his own. He charged with his already blood-stained bayonet held forward. He struck it in the throat, and the bayonet pierced one of its carotid arteries. Lifeblood spilled messily from the surprised Deluvian''s neck. Enzo pushed forward, using his rifle as a lever as he pushed the Deluvian backward. On the third step, the Deluvian lost its footing, and it fell to the ground. The change in angle of the bayonet caused significantly more damage to the Deluvian as it fell. With one foot on each of the greyskin¡¯s arms, Enzo pulled his bayonet out and stabbed viciously downward three more times. It was only when the Deluvian had stopped moving that Enzo realized he was screaming at the top of his lungs. Pulling himself out of that state, Enzo turned to Dendrite and saw that he was wielding his rifle like a club. Dendrite¡¯s bayonet laid broken on the ground. As Enzo watched, Melkior stabbed at the greyskin¡¯s chest, but the bayonet glanced off harmlessly. In a blur of grey skin and silver steel, the monster cut Melkior, causing him to fall to the ground. A spout of blood fell from Melkior and struck the greyskin. The Deluvian began screaming and started grasping at the parts of its body struck by Melkior''s blood. It was a terrible scream that sounded more like that of a wild animal than a man. At that moment, Enzo had an epiphany. He shouted, ¡°Blood! Our blood damages the greyskins!¡± Enzo ran forward with the intent to bayonet the wounded and screaming greyskin, but it began to retreat before he could reach it. A moment later, Redgrave charged past him. Blood was streaming from both his left palm and the knife he held in his right. He ran bodily into the wounded Deluvian, his knife slipping past the greyskin¡¯s ribs. Redgrave twisted the knife, and the Deluvian fell dead to the ground instantly. It was certainly a cleaner kill than Enzo''s. A moment later, a series of shots rang out and the other Deluvian crumpled to the ground. When Enzo went to check on Melk, he wasn''t breathing. His eyes stared blankly forward, and his expression was frozen in a look of surprise. ¡°He¡¯s dead,¡± Volta said. Enzo heard a thump as she fell to her knees. Tantalus kneeled down next to Enzo in order to examine the corpse. He swore quietly. Tantalus grabbed Melkior¡¯s skull with his hand and turned it over. The skull had been split open, and flecks of pink brain matter laid on the grass surrounded by a slowly expanding pool of blood. ¡°Red,¡± Tantalus said quietly, turning to his compatriot. ¡°Do you think you can lift the body?¡± As he gave this order, Tantalus sounded like a different man. ¡°Body!?¡± Elias shouted from close behind Enzo. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± He saw the corpse. ¡°What? But he was alive just a second ago. What happened?¡± ¡°One of the Deluvians hit him in the head. He died instantly,¡± Enzo said, not fully aware of himself. Redgrave picked up the corpse. The blood flow from Melkior¡¯s head wound was already starting to slow. Tantalus turned to Volta and Enzo and said, ¡°Enzo! Volta! We need to go!¡± Tantalus pulled Volta to her feet while Enzo stood up and shook his head to clear it. Tantalus loaded a magazine into his sidearm while bleeding significantly from a wound on his wrist. He fired two shots at approaching silhouettes that Enzo could barely make out while the rest of the group ran in the opposite direction. Enzo didn¡¯t stop running until they had reached the West Gate.
The West Gate looked like a mixture of a castle gate and a toll booth. Four car lanes and several foot paths passed through the large portal. Several huge metal portcullises hung from the top of the gate, and two magnificent battlements stood on each side facing outward. In total, the Gate must have been about sixty feet wide and forty feet high. The wall itself was about sixty feet high, so there was enough room for the defenders to pass over the Gate but remain inside the wall. Various players in blue uniforms and NPCs in green uniforms were standing under the Gate, and about a dozen NPCs were standing on each battlement. Dendrite and Rachel reached the gate a few steps before Enzo. The three of them jumped behind a concrete wall together. Moments later, the rest of the party arrived followed by a group of half a dozen greyskins. ¡°Blood! Their weakness is our blood!¡± Tantalus shouted to the players at the Gate. Enzo hastily poured some of his blood into one of his sidearm¡¯s magazines. He was worried that the blood would jam the gun¡¯s firing mechanism as he slammed the magazine into place and racked the slide. Three of Enzo''s bullets struck a greyskin in the chest in the space of a second. Semi-automatic, accept no substitute. A moment later, a fusillade of bullets struck the remaining five greyskins as about twenty players opened fire. For a moment, Enzo thought it was strangely tragic as the Deluvians were mercilessly torn apart by overwhelming firepower. It was only a moment, however. Enzo remembered what they had done to Melkior, and any pity he felt disappeared without a trace. Cadmium_Alchemist Chapter 4 - [Some Kind of Prank] In the year 2026, an unprecedented technological leap was made by Far Caster, Inc. With the help of various research institutions throughout the U.S. and Japan, they developed the first full-dive VR system, which would come to be known as the Kabuto system. The system displayed images, sounds, and sensations by directly interfacing with the user''s nervous system. The Kabuto system and its flagship game, Ninth Oasis, quickly became an international sensation. Ninety million Ninth Oasis copies sold worldwide, and competitive play of the game saw a level of popularity only rivaled by professional baseball, football, and soccer. Nine years have passed since then, and Far Caster, Inc. has finally released its next game, Ferrum. The game has garnered significant interest for its cutting-edge use of AI that promises to adapt to the actions of every individual player. This AI has been given the name GM. The West Gate 12:15 P.M. Minutes after the greyskins were repelled, Enzo found himself sitting on the ground within the West Gate. The group had formed up in a circle, with the corpse of Melkior laying in the center. There was a distinct feeling of listlessness now that the danger was gone, and the party was unsure of what to do next. Elias paced along the outside of the circle. Tantalus stood with his hands on his hips, looking down at the corpse with a mixture of sadness and regret on his face. Volta sat off to the side, her back to a wall and knees pulled to her chest. Rachel was the first to speak. ¡°How did you guys know him?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Elias said, pulled out of his reverie. ¡°We all know each other from our college¡¯s Gaming Club.¡± ¡°Which college?¡± Tantalus asked. ¡°Does it matter?¡± Elias muttered quietly. Tantalus shrugged. ¡°The University of Iowa,¡± Elias said. ¡°His name was Kevin Avery. I never really knew the guy that well, but¡­ He didn¡¯t deserve this.¡± ¡°Come on,¡± Enzo said venomously. ¡°He¡¯s not dead.¡± Everyone in the group looked at Enzo as he spoke, some with hope, and some with anger. ¡°Our only reason for believing he¡¯s dead is that an entity claiming to be a malevolent AI said so. It¡¯s science fiction! There¡¯s no way something like that would happen in real life! There are so many simpler explanations! Show me evidence that this isn¡¯t some kind of prank meant to freak us out! Trust me, nobody¡¯s in any actual danger!¡± Enzo was shouting by the end of his short monologue. He didn''t know if he was shouting in response to the concerned looks he was getting from the rest of the group or if he was shouting in order to convince himself of what he was saying. Enzo suddenly felt a sudden pain, and the force of some unseen blow knocked him to the ground. For a moment, he thought he had been shot. As he looked up, he saw Elias standing there with his fist clenched. Elias had punched him. ¡°There¡¯s your evidence!¡± Now, Elias was shouting. ¡°That pain you¡¯re feeling, the photorealistic fidelity of the world around us, the feeling of your heart pumping, none of this could have been modeled by mortal hands! Not in this century! Only a god could create the world around you. For a game like this, a rampant AI is the simplest solution! Snap out of it! Open your eyes and see what¡¯s in front of you!¡± Enzo got to his feet, willing the bruise to heal, and he looked at Elias. Elias was clearly upset. If Enzo had said anything in that moment, Elias probably would have hit him again. He had never been punched in the face like that before. It hurt a lot, but it mostly just angered him. Clearly, the hit had activated his ¡°fight¡± response. Enzo wanted to punch Elias, but, on some level, he knew that he was in the wrong, so he turned and walked away.
Enzo started walking toward the City, but he had no particular destination in mind. Tall buildings towered in the distance, but the structures closer to him were significantly smaller. Enzo wasn¡¯t paying attention to where he walked. The anger pushed him forward like a riptide. His heavy footsteps struck the sidewalk in a repetitive series of thumps. Eventually, Enzo found himself in a public park. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. He could still see the great concrete wall that circled the City from the park. It was a massive, featureless edifice of concrete that seemed totally impregnable from Enzo''s limited perspective. The huge sixty-foot-high wall made him wonder what threat could possibly warrant such a massive undertaking. Certainly, the Deluvians weren¡¯t such a threat that the NPCs had to build something so huge. Sure, they had lost Melkior, but that was only because the greyskins had caught them off guard. "Lost." Was Melkior actually dead? Enzo turned around in a circle and tried to really take in the world around him. It was fall in the City. Some of the leaves around him had started to turn yellow, but most of the leaves still retained their proud green coloration. Enzo breathed in the autumn air as a cold breeze blew past. The temperature was a comfortable seventy degrees Fahrenheit, but he could feel the promise of bitter cold in the air. It felt exactly like the real world. Enzo fell to his knees. He felt the dirt on his fingers. His body was different, but the world around him was real. He closed his eyes and saw the menu shining back at him, a bright argent contradiction. Yes, he was in a video game. Yes, he was in the real world. Somehow, both of these things were true at the same time. In that moment, Enzo realized without a doubt that Elias and Melkior were right. Such a world could only be created by an entity with the power of a god. The world around him had been created by GM, and he could die just as easily as Melkior did. Kneeling alone in that park, Enzo wept. ¡°Umm¡­ hello¡­ umm¡­ mister? Are you okay?¡± The voice of a child drew his attention. Enzo looked up and saw that the source of the voice was a five-year-old girl that was peering at him curiously. Concern was evident on her face. He quickly wiped the tears from his eyes. She wasn¡¯t wearing a blue uniform, so she must have been an NPC. The kid was wearing a patched-up dress, and she held a stuffed rabbit that was similarly patched. Was this some kind of scripted event? Enzo''s confusion pulled him out of his mental breakdown. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Enzo said automatically. He looked around. Tents had been erected all around the park. There must have been two dozen tents in that park. It was a shantytown. ¡°Do you live there?¡± Enzo pointed to a tent. ¡°Oh, yes, mommy and I have been living in this park for a long time,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re a Revenant, aren¡¯t you?¡± the little girl asked, but she continued a second later without waiting for my response. ¡°I''ve seen a loooot of Revenants today. Mr. Duke said you¡¯d save us and defeat the day-loog.¡± ¡°Mr. Duke?¡± Enzo began to ask, but the girl kept talking. ¡°Mommy says you Revenants don¡¯t have souls. Do you have a soul, Mr. Revenant?¡± ¡°What? Yes, I think so,¡± Enzo said, baffled. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± the girl said. ¡°Mommy¡¯s probably wrong. Animals don¡¯t have souls, and they can¡¯t talk. Revenants can talk, so they must have souls.¡± There was a long silence. She was done talking, apparently. ¡°Actually, I have a question for you,¡± Enzo said. He reached into the satchel at his waist and pulled out some of the black slips of paper they had given him when he first arrived. The slips of paper were decorated with grey designs over a black background. The edges of the papers had small, elaborate designs that looked like words or numbers. However, if the designs were text, it clearly didn¡¯t use any kind of European alphabet. ¡°Is this money?¡± Enzo asked, holding out a few bills. The kid¡¯s eyes went wide with surprise and jealousy. ¡°Yes. Did you go to school, Mister?¡± ¡°Kind of,¡± Enzo said quickly. ¡°How much money is this?¡± ¡°A hundred Ren,¡± she said as if Enzo was really stupid. ¡°Everybody knows that.¡± ¡°And how much could I buy with a hundred Ren?¡± Enzo asked. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know,¡± she said, annoyed that Enzo was now asking difficult questions. ¡°Really nice shoes, enough food to feed ten people, a hundred candy bars.¡± ¡°Is a candy bar one Ren?¡± Enzo asked. ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± she said, excited to be talking about candy bars. ¡°It says so on the vending machine.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Enzo said. He held out the two black bills. ¡°Take these to your mom, okay?¡± With a smile, the little girl enthusiastically grabbed the bills from Enzo''s hand. ¡°Thanks, Mister! I¡¯ll make sure to tell mommy that Revenants are nice.¡± She ran back to the shantytown. After a few minutes of staring out at the pond, Enzo decided to go back to the West Gate. Chapter 5 - [Real Names] By the time Enzo came back, the four college kids had left with the corpse of Kevin Avery. Tantalus, Redgrave, and Rachel remained. Redgrave and Rachel were standing near each other, and Tantalus was shouting at some NPCs. Now that Enzo really looked at Redgrave¡¯s model for the first time, he was struck by how strange it was. Redgrave absolutely towered over Rachel, and his hair was snow white even though he couldn''t have been more than twenty years old. As Enzo got closer and compared his own height to Redgrave''s, he figured Redgrave must have been about six and a half feet tall. This paired with his body¡¯s muscular frame made Enzo thankful it was Elias and not Redgrave that had hit him. Tantalus, on the other hand, was only slightly taller than Rachel. Tantalus must have been about five and a half feet tall. ¡°Sorry about all that,¡± Enzo said sheepishly as he got closer to Redgrave and Rachel. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve had some time to think, I realize I was wrong. Even if I was right," he sighed, "I shouldn¡¯t have put it like that.¡± ¡°We understand,¡± said Rachel with a faint smile, gesturing slightly to Redgrave. ¡°We all experience trauma differently. I just wish Elias hadn¡¯t resorted to violence like that.¡± Enzo smiled meekly as Rachel spoke. Redgrave looked at Enzo for a few seconds. ¡°As long as you¡¯re not crazy, that¡¯s good enough for me. Plus, it¡¯s not us you¡¯ve gotta reconcile with, it¡¯s the college kids.¡± Tantalus passed by the three of them on his way to the next group of NPCs. While he was passing, he said, ¡°Oh, Enzo, you¡¯re back. Good. Red, send him a friend request.¡± ¡°What¡¯s he doing?¡± Enzo asked soon after he was out of earshot. A ringing in Enzo''s ears indicated that he had received a message. He closed his eyes and saw [Friend Request: Redgrave22]. ¡°He¡¯s organizing the defense,¡± Redgrave said as Enzo accepted his friend request. ¡°He started shouting about the NPCs¡¯ lack of guns soon after the college kids left,¡± Rachel said, gesturing as if to indicate the college students. ¡°I heard him say, ¡®I want to talk to the West Gate¡¯s commanding officer,¡¯ when he passed by one time.¡± Rachel put on a poor Southern accent when she quoted Tantalus, causing Enzo to chuckle slightly. ¡°Anyway,¡± Rachel continued, ¡°Redgrave here was just telling me that Tantalus and he are internet celebrities.¡± ¡°Minor internet celebrities,¡± Redgrave said, not making eye contact. ¡°Apparently, Tantalus won some Ninth Oasis tournaments in 2029 and 2030, and he used this popularity to start a YouTube channel. Redgrave was a big fan of his and started a YouTube channel of his own last year. Tantalus¡¯s channel has a million subscribers and Redgrave¡¯s has half a million." ¡°It sounds kinda lame when you put it that way,¡± Redgrave said sheepishly. A deafening gunshot interrupted their conversation. At the epicenter of the sound, Tantalus stood with his sidearm pointed to the ceiling of the West Gate. He was shouting, but none of the three players could hear him. Some of the NPCs around him had drawn swords and were eyeing him with concern. ¡°Hey! Hey!¡± Redgrave shouted as he drew his sidearm and started running toward Tantalus. Rachel and Enzo followed close behind. Some NPC officer was trying to say something, but Tantalus was shouting over him. ¡°No! You don¡¯t seem to fully appreciate the power of a 1911! A man armed with one of these things is easily worth ten men armed with swords and spears! I¡¯ve got seven shots left in this gun. If you attack me, seven of you will be dead in seven seconds. That¡¯s to say nothing of the angry albino standing behind me right now,¡± he pointed his thumb back at Redgrave without looking. Tantalus leveled his gun at the officer and said, ¡°So... I¡¯m going to ask nicely one last time¡­ Let me talk to the commanding officer.¡± After a long pause, the officer stood down and acquiesced to Tantalus''s demands. The three Revenants walked closer to Tantalus. He said, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine by myself. Trust me,¡± he scoffed derisively, ¡°they couldn¡¯t kill me if they wanted to.¡± After about ten minutes, Tantalus rejoined the group, his gait indicating a deep anger. Redgrave asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Their religion, Nurism, prevents any mortal man from touching any ranged weapon due to their similarity to the profane instrument that killed their messiah,¡± Tantalus spat. ¡°This holy law doesn¡¯t apply to Revenants¡­ which is what we are, apparently,¡± as Tantalus said this, he gestured vaguely to the four players arrayed there. ¡°As ''homunculi created from blood and dust,'' we are not bound by the laws of Nur''s father, the God of Civilization.¡± ¡°I guess the Deluvians are also excluded from their god''s edicts?¡± Enzo asked. ¡°Well, they were using guns, so...¡± Tantalus said, "probably." ¡°What you¡¯re saying is they won¡¯t be any help at all in killing GM. God, our NPCs suck,¡± Redgrave spat. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can find some use for them,¡± Rachel said diplomatically. ¡°We need supplies for war, right? I¡¯m sure we can use them to help supply us Revenants who are actually doing the fighting.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Concerto,¡± Tantalus said, calming himself down with some effort. ¡°I just got angry because I assumed they¡¯d be able to fight, but we¡¯re going to have to do all of it. By the way,¡± Tantalus said casually, ¡°we¡¯re gonna need to be ready to air this place out if the NPCs get in the way of the defense of the City." Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Rachel said, genuinely confused. ¡°I figured it¡¯ll be our job in the early days of the game to defend this gate,¡± Tantalus said diplomatically. ¡°And it seems that, lore-wise, the NPCs consider the Revenants to be second-class citizens. I''m not a hundred percent sure of that, but I got that vibe from the officers." The words seemed unnatural in Tantalus''s mouth. "They¡¯ll probably have us serve as auxiliary soldiers, meaning they¡¯ll be expecting us to follow the orders of NPC officers. If our leaders are really stupid, that might hinder our ability to defend the gate. In that case, it would be better for us to just kill all of the NPCs at the West Gate and take control ourselves." ¡°What? We can¡¯t just kill them!¡± Rachel said. ¡°We totally could,¡± Redgrave said with clear confusion in his voice. ¡°There can¡¯t be more than forty of them here. Tantalus and I could probably do it ourselves.¡± ¡°No!¡± Rachel shouted, shocked. ¡°They¡¯re self-aware. GM said so.¡± ¡°Technically, he said they¡¯re shards of himself,¡± Tantalus said but did not get the reaction he was hoping for. ¡°That''s not important. What I mean is... I understand your perspective, Concerto, I really do, but... from a certain perspective, it¡¯s the same as killing an NPC in any other game. They¡¯re still... at their core... just ones and zeroes. They don''t have a - pardon the religious vernacular - soul." ¡°My name is Rachel York, not Concerto,¡± Rachel said angrily. ¡°Right,¡± Tantalus said, surprised. It seemed that he himself wasn¡¯t fully aware that he had been referring to Rachel by her username. ¡°What are your real names, anyway?¡± Enzo asked Tantalus and Redgrave. ¡°If we¡¯re gonna be stuck here together, we should at least know each other''s names.¡± He mostly asked this question to move on to the next topic before Rachel and Tantalus killed each other. ¡°Do you really gotta know that?¡± Tantalus said quietly. His response was strange. Usually, Tantalus was outgoing, domineering, and arrogant, but this response was the exact opposite. He broke eye contact, and his posture suddenly indicated a lack of confidence. ¡°Our identities aren¡¯t exactly secret,¡± Redgrave said. He sounded like he was trying to draw attention away from Tantalus¡¯s behavior. ¡°When you reach a certain level of popularity without hiding your face, people figure out your real name. My real name is Simon Miller. I¡¯m a twenty-year-old high school dropout from California.¡± Tantalus took a moment to compose himself and said, ¡°My real name is Vincent Blackwell, if you must know, but Red and I will probably stick with our usernames for the foreseeable future. For us, our usernames are kind of like stage names. I have frequently introduced myself as ¡®John Tantalus¡¯ to people IRL if I know them through YouTube.¡± ¡°My real name is Geoffrey Lachlan,¡± Enzo said. ¡°I¡¯m an accountant and amateur writer from Wisconsin.¡± The other three looked at Enzo in confusion. ¡°Huh,¡± said Rachel. ¡°I figured Enzo was your real name.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± said Redgrave. ¡°Why¡¯s your username EnzoTheBaker, then?¡± A look of annoyance passed over Tantalus¡¯s face, mirroring Enzo''s. He opened his mouth to speak, but Tantalus began speaking a moment before him. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t tell me you guys haven¡¯t seen The Godfather," said Tantalus. ¡°What?¡± asked Redgrave. ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± said Rachel. ¡°The mafia movie. I¡¯ve heard of it but haven¡¯t seen it. What does that have to do with his username?¡± ¡°Enzo the Baker''s a minor character who¡­¡± Tantalus began before shaking his head. ¡°No... it¡¯s not important.¡± Enzo pointed to Tantalus and enthusiastically said, ¡°Yes! Somebody gets it! You¡¯d be surprised by how often people don¡¯t get the reference.¡± ¡°Kids these days, they don¡¯t have any respect for the classics,¡± Tantalus said in an almost perfect impression of Marlon Brando. From this brief sentence, Enzo could tell that Tantalus was particularly good at impressions. Any evidence of his Southern drawl was completely absent from his impression. Tantalus''s apparent age made it strange that he would make this comment. He seemed to be in his early twenties, but the ¡°Kids these days¡± line made him seem much older. When Enzo thought about it, he probably was much older than he looked considering that it was actually "Tantalus" and not "Vincent Blackwell" that stood before him. Tantalus was completely in control of the age of his avatar at character creation, so his apparent age had no bearing on his real age. What a strange concept. Enzo could tell that it would take him a long time to get used to that. Redgrave turned toward the road that led from the City to the Gate. The rest of the group turned, and they saw that two of the college students were stepping out of a car that was a few hundred feet away. They couldn¡¯t get any closer by car because there were hundreds of abandoned cars in the way. In fact, cars completely surrounded the West Gate on both sides. It seemed that, at a certain point in time, cars could no longer pass through the Gate, and people just had to pass through on foot. No one could possibly pass through by car. Volta and Dendrite approached the Gate. Tantalus waved them over. When they rejoined the group, there was a moment of silence before Dendrite said, ¡°We buried Kevin.¡± The two of them peered warily at Enzo. They probably expected him to say something else to deny his death. ¡°Good¡­ good,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°Everyone deserves a funeral.¡± He seemed like he was somewhere else for a moment, but he lightly shook his head and continued speaking. ¡°So what¡¯s the plan? What¡¯s your next move?¡± Volta and Dendrite looked confused by the question. Dendrite began speaking first. He said, ¡°I guess we¡¯ll just hang around the City until we figure out what to do next. There¡¯s not really a ¡®next step¡¯ yet.¡± ¡°Well, then it¡¯s a good thing I¡¯m working on your ¡®next step,¡¯¡± said Tantalus. ¡°I¡¯m thinkin¡¯ about starting a guild, and I want you guys to join. What do you say?¡± The two college students whispered back and forth with each other for a moment. Volta said, ¡°Well, you guys did save our lives, and you seem like relatively solid people. Yeah, we ought to stay together.¡± A smile appeared on Tantalus¡¯s lips. ¡°You guys are good judges of character. I''m impressed,¡± he said. ¡°Stick with me, and you just might be able to survive this game." ¡°Come on,¡± said Tantalus as he started walking toward the City. ¡°If we¡¯re going to survive, we need to be proactive. By the end of the day, we should have a good understanding of the City of Osiris." He started striding confidently toward the City, and the rest of the group followed close behind him. Skyscrapers rose in the distance bearing neon signs in a language Enzo did not understand. Fear had settled firmly in Enzo''s stomach, but it became somewhat more bearable when he was following Tantalus. Despite everything, Enzo felt that he could survive this game as long as he followed Tantalus. Only time would tell whether this instinct was correct. [Volta_Fossa] Chapter 6 - [Character Sheet] 12:35 P.M. The heavy traffic congestion forced the six-man party to walk two-by-two on the sidewalk. Enzo walked in the front next to Rachel, Redgrave was next to Tantalus, and Volta was next to Dendrite. There must have been hundreds of cars leading from the Gate to the City. The road was a six-lane highway with three lanes going in one direction and three in the other. Every spare space for about three hundred feet was completely filled with cars. Both the incoming and outgoing lanes were completely packed. At a certain point in time, the people trying to leave must have merged into the oncoming lanes in order to escape. Evidence of panic was palpable in the scene. For a moment, Enzo felt like the world had ended. Looking at the abandoned cars, Enzo was struck by how modern they looked. He was expecting them to look like cars from the 1920s, but they all looked like they were from the 2010s or later. Why were they stuck with weapons from the first world war if the NPCs had cars from the 21st century? The road itself consisted of black asphalt and white lines. It was surreal how similar the road was to a highway in the real world. The white-on-green exit signs above the cataclysmic traffic scene looked exactly like the exit signs Enzo was used to seeing while driving in the United States. The only difference was that the sign was written in some kind of strange alphabet that none of them could read. The group soon came upon a dark blue four-door sedan that had been left on the sidewalk. Based on the damage to the back of the sedan, it was clear that the car was on the sidewalk because the black truck behind it had rammed it into place. Enzo checked the front of the crashed sedan to see if it displayed the car¡¯s brand. He was expecting to see the symbol for Ford or Honda, but there was none. There was a symbol on the front of the car, but it was not a symbol Enzo recognized. The symbol on the front of the crashed car was that of an ornate crown with four indecipherable letters in the center. ¡°What a mess,¡± Volta said with a sigh. Enzo hadn¡¯t really looked at Volta for more than a second before this point. Now that he saw her up close, he got a better sense of what she looked like. Volta had a slight build similar to Rachel, but she was tall for a woman. She was probably an inch or two taller than Tantalus and a bit shorter than Enzo. Her nose was small and slightly upturned. When she spoke, Enzo could see that there was a small gap between her front teeth. ¡°I know what you mean,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°What happened to cause all of this chaos?¡± asked Volta as she shook her head sadly. ¡°How are we supposed to fix this world¡¯s problems if we don¡¯t even know what they are?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out,¡± said Tantalus, trying to calm Volta. ¡°What if we aren¡¯t able to do it?¡± asked Volta emotionally. ¡°What if it turns out that the City is doomed, and we aren¡¯t able to do anything about it? Never mind killing GM, I¡¯m not sure that we can even save ourselves.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± said Dendrite. ¡°We don¡¯t know anything yet. Why bother worrying about it?¡± ¡°Do you know what Deluvian means? It¡¯s a reference to the Biblical Deluge, which was the flood sent by God to wipe out the sinners of the world! These monsters we¡¯ve been fighting were sent by God to kill us all! Nobody was able to fight the Deluge! Only Noah¡¯s family survived, and they only survived because they were warned ahead of time! Who are we to think we can stop a flood!?¡± The panic in Volta¡¯s voice grew as she continued to talk. She was completely hysterical. Tears were streaming down her face. Tantalus opened his mouth to speak. By his expression, Enzo could tell that he was about to start shouting. He didn¡¯t utter a sound, however, due to his surprise at what happened next. Without a word, Rachel stepped forward and hugged Volta firmly. ¡°Hey, hey. It¡¯ll be okay,¡± Rachel said to Volta, patting her head. ¡°We¡¯ll be okay. Everything will be okay.¡± Volta began sobbing audibly. ¡°There, there.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡± Volta said between sobs. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ God! Why did it have to be me!? I just wanted to play a game with my friends, and now my life is in danger! And Kevin¡­ He only got hit once, and now he¡¯s dead! He was only a kid!¡± Listening to Volta talk and thinking about the situation they were in made Enzo want to start crying. Enzo turned his head to the side and bit his lip to get his emotions under control. ¡°I understand; you don¡¯t have to apologize,¡± said Rachel. Enzo turned to look at Redgrave and Tantalus. Redgrave looked uncomfortable with the situation, but Tantalus looked angry. Tantalus¡¯s head was turned toward Enzo and Redgrave, so the two women couldn¡¯t see his expression. His teeth were bared, and his nostrils were flared. For a moment, it seemed like Tantalus was about to say something derisive, but he changed his mind. ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m gonna go ahead,¡± Tantalus said, pointing past the crashed car. His tone of voice was level, so Rachel and Volta couldn¡¯t detect his anger, but his sudden flash of rage was apparent to Redgrave and Enzo. Enzo''s sense at the time was that Tantalus was feeling a strong disdain for the weakness he perceived in Volta. Tantalus hopped on to the hood of the car with one step and, with the next step, hopped on to the sidewalk on the other side of the sedan. His movements were far more graceful than Enzo expected. It took a few minutes for Volta to calm down. Redgrave was leaning against a tall concrete wall about twenty feet away from Rachel and Volta with his eyes closed and his arms crossed. Enzo could see that one of his hands was twitching periodically, and he surmised that Redgrave must have been subtly navigating the menu. Redgrave¡¯s cloak and hood were pulled back, so it looked like he was wearing a cape rather than a cloak. Mimicking Redgrave, Enzo closed his eyes and activated his menu. He was greeted by the familiar silver-on-black screen to which he had grown accustomed.
As soon as Enzo activated the menu, a list of words appeared organized in a vertical list. These words were: Character, Attributes, Skills, BloodNet, Messages, Friends, Guild, Map, and Settings. Character was automatically highlighted when Enzo opened the menu, and the selected item was changed when he flicked his index finger up or down. Enzo pressed his index finger and thumb together in order to select Character. This opened up a separate page that displayed Blood Points: 95/140 over Magic Points: 8/8 on the right side and an approximation of a human body on the left side. Most of the body was a light blue color, but the area around the left wrist and left cheek were a dark red. The piece of text that most caught Enzo''s attention was at the top right of the screen. It read:
Name EnzoTheBaker
Level 3
Blood Points 95/140
Mana Points 10/10
Race Revenant
Fortitude 14
Strength 11
Agility 7
Wisdom 8
There was a notification blinking above the Character Sheet: Level Up! Enzo noticed that he had leveled up twice during the altercation with the Deluvians. He clicked on the notification, and a secondary menu opened. The four stats - Fortitude, Strength, Agility, and Wisdom - were displayed on the secondary menu with a small plus sign next to the words. He clicked the plus sign next to Strength and Agility. A pop-up appeared in front of the menu: Confirm? Enzo clicked the Yes button, and he saw that his Character Sheet had changed slightly.
Name EnzoTheBaker
Level 3
Blood Points 95/140
Mana Points 10/10
Race Revenant
Fortitude 14
Strength 12
Agility 8
Wisdom 8
A burning feeling passed through his muscles. He gritted his teeth for a moment, and the sensation subsided after a few seconds. Enzo lightly swung an arm. He felt significantly stronger and faster than he had a moment before. After a moment of silence, Enzo heard the sound of a notification, and, when he checked, he saw that Redgrave had sent a message. It said, [Message from Redgrave22: There¡¯s a message function]. Redgrave listed his attributes out, and Enzo did the same. ¡°My Wisdom score is a bit low, but the others are good," Redgrave said. "I''m not a 100% sure what ''Wisdom'' is anyway." ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the same as MP. There¡¯s no use for it right now, but there will be later,¡± Enzo said. "What''s your level?" "Six," Redgrave said with a smile. "Tantalus and I had been out hunting greenskins for a while. We were only coming back because we were running low on ammo."
Name Redgrave22
Level 6
Blood Points 120/130
Mana Points 11/11
Race Revenant
Fortitude 13
Strength 16
Agility 10
Wisdom 6
Enzo felt a light tap against his shoulder, and he opened his eyes. It was Rachel. ¡°She¡¯s ready to go. Come on,¡± Rachel said. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Soon after we returned to the group, Redgrave stepped on to the hood of the crashed sedan. ¡°D¡¯ya guys need any help?¡± he said, looking at Volta and Rachel as he spoke. "We shouldn''t have any problems with this," said Dendrite. Redgrave made an expression that made it clear to me that the question wasn¡¯t meant for Dendrite. With a barely audible grunt, Redgrave stepped down on the other side of the car. Volta went next. She clambered onto the car a bit less gracefully than Redgrave or Tantalus, but she didn¡¯t run into any real issues while crossing over. Enzo went after Volta. It wasn¡¯t pretty, but he got over the car. Enzo hadn¡¯t yet acclimated to his avatar, so even that minor act of acrobatics was quite difficult. Rachel went after Enzo, and Dendrite went last. Soon after the group passed the crashed car, they reached the end of the pileup. Beyond the cars, they found Elias and Tantalus standing in front of a red pickup truck. As they got closer, Enzo saw that Cadmium was sitting in the passenger seat, and the bed of the truck was stained with blood. Elias watched us approach, but Tantalus stood there with his eyes closed. He was clearly using the menu. ¡°Nice truck,¡± Dendrite said. ¡°Where¡¯d you get it?¡± Elias gestured broadly at the car pileup. ¡°Well, they¡¯re not using it,¡± said Dendrite. ¡°I just wanted to say that I¡¯m sorry for how I acted after Melkior¡¯s¡­ after Kevin Avery¡¯s death,¡± Enzo said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t in a good state of mind at the time, and I needed some time to clear my head.¡± The college kids nodded in assent and murmured in agreement. A moment of silence passed, and Dendrite lightly struck Elias on the shoulder. ¡°And I¡­ probably shouldn¡¯t have punched you,¡± said Elias without looking Enzo in the eyes. Enzo could tell that Elias was embarrassed about his earlier actions. Throughout this conversation, Tantalus was leaning against the truck with his eyes still closed. Now that there was a lull in the conversation, he spoke. ¡°Now that everyone¡¯s friends, make sure to add everyone in this group to your Friends¡¯ List,¡± said Tantalus. There was a slight sense of annoyance in his voice. ¡°If we get separated, it will be much easier to get in contact with each other if we¡¯re all friends.¡± A moment later, Enzo received the message, [Friend Request: Tantalus45], and he promptly accepted. The group went around and added each other to their Friends¡¯ List. During this interaction, Enzo added Dendrite17, Volta_Fossa, Elias333, and Cadmium_Alchemist to his Friends¡¯ List. Once the process was completed, Redgrave asked, ¡°So how are we going to get out of here? There¡¯s no way we can all fit in that truck, and Osiris is a really big city. We could walk, but it would be a real pain.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll just steal some more cars,¡± Volta said. ¡°We¡¯ve already stolen one.¡± ¡°There¡¯s eight of us, and the truck can only comfortably seat two people,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°We should get at least two more cars¡­ three more if we can only find two-seaters.¡± ¡°I wonder if I can find a sport¡¯s car,¡± Redgrave wondered aloud. Rachel looked at him with a glare of disapproval.
The group checked the cars near the back of the pileup and soon found a four-door SUV that looked relatively undamaged. Enzo looked through the driver¡¯s side window. ¡°There¡¯s a key in this one!¡± he shouted to the rest of the group. ¡°A key?¡± said Dendrite as he looked through the window with me. ¡°They haven¡¯t made any new cars with key ignitions in more than ten years.¡± ¡°Different world, different rules,¡± Tantalus mused. He was looking through the car window as well, causing his face to be uncomfortably close to mine. ¡°It¡¯s locked,¡± Enzo said after unsuccessfully attempting to open the door. Tantalus gripped his own rifle firmly with both hands and said, ¡°Stand back, I¡¯m gonna break the window.¡± Dendrite and Enzo promptly retreated from the window. Tantalus pulled his rifle back and violently struck the driver¡¯s side window with the butt of his gun. The rifle merely bounced off the window as it deformed for a moment and then returned to its original shape. Tantalus struck the window twice more with little effect. ¡°What are you guys doing!?¡± shouted Redgrave from behind an abandoned car. ¡°Trying to break a window!¡± Tantalus responded angrily. Without warning, Tantalus leveled the barrel of his Springfield rifle at the window of the car. Dendrite and Enzo frantically covered their ears, but the gunshot never came. A look of confusion animated Tantalus¡¯s expression. He unholstered his pistol and aimed it at the window. Just like before, there was no bang. The gun did not fire. ¡°I can¡¯t pull the trigger,¡± Tantalus said. Shock was evident in his tone. ¡°We must be in some kind of safe zone,¡± Enzo grunted. Dendrite began helping Tantalus smash the car window. After a few alternating butt-strikes, the window shattered inward. Tantalus used his cloak to brush some of the glass off the driver¡¯s seat and then turned the key. With a shuddering gasp, the car started. ¡°It started?¡± Dendrite said, amazed. ¡°This car couldn¡¯t have been abandoned for more than a few hours, then.¡± ¡°Weird,¡± said Tantalus as he jumped in the driver¡¯s seat.
When Tantalus, Dendrite, and Enzo returned to the group, two other vehicles had been looted from the car pileup. Redgrave was kneeling down next to a black motorcycle, examining the machinery under the seat. Redgrave was smiling widely. Rachel and Elias had retrieved a two-door muscle car that closely resembled a Ford Mustang. The muscle car was grey with a black stripe down the middle. ¡°Very good,¡± Tantalus said, looking at the range of vehicles arrayed in front of him. ¡°So where are we going next, boss?¡± Elias asked Tantalus. ¡°For now, let¡¯s just start driving. Eventually, we¡¯ll need a headquarters, so we ought to start looking for one,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you guys have seen the map,¡± said Volta, ¡°but there¡¯s something big in the middle of the city. We might as well go there first.¡± Enzo checked the Map and saw the City of Osiris from a bird¡¯s eye view. It had been built in a vaguely circular shape, and the circle had a diameter of about two miles. The top fourth of the City was separated from the bottom three-fourths by a dark line. The map was too far zoomed-out for Enzo to make out exactly what the line was, but it was clearly significant. The line spread to the east and west further than the map covered. It must have been at least a few miles long. ¡°Good idea,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°Let¡¯s mount up. I¡¯ll drive the front car and the rest of you follow me.¡± The pickup truck was the front car. Tantalus and Enzo boarded it. The truck had a manual transmission, which only Tantalus and Redgrave could drive. The SUV was the second car. Elias, Cadmium, and Dendrite rode in this car. Elias drove; Cadmium and Dendrite played rock-paper-scissors for the passenger seat. Dendrite won. The muscle car was the third in the convoy. Rachel drove and Volta rode shotgun. The motorcycle was at the end of the convoy, and Redgrave rode without putting on a helmet.
Like that, the convoy started rolling down the highway. ¡°Enzo, you¡¯re in the passenger¡¯s seat, so you¡¯re the navigator,¡± said Tantalus just as they started gaining speed. Enzo closed his eyes and quickly navigated to the Map. The road they were on went straight across the city from east to west. It seemed that this road directly connected the West Gate and East Gate. A brief investigation of the Map revealed that there was a North Gate, but there was no gate to the south. In the center of the City, the road the convoy was on connected with another main road that went north to the North Gate. The northbound road passed over the line. ¡°If we take an exit in the middle of the City, we¡¯ll be able to take a northbound highway that¡¯ll lead right over the line,¡± Enzo said. ¡°That should be the fastest way there.¡± ¡°Can you set a navigation point?¡± Tantalus asked. Enzo checked to see if there was some kind of navigation function on the map in his head, but there was not. ¡°Nope,¡± Enzo said. ¡°I¡¯ll just tell you when to exit.¡± As they drove down the highway, Enzo kept one eye closed to keep an eye on the Map and one eye open to look at the City. That got uncomfortable after a few seconds, so Enzo put a hand on his closed eye to keep it shut. The convoy ascended up a ramp as the road rose up to stay out of the way of the city below. There were no cars on this main road beyond the occasional abandoned car pulled onto the shoulder. As they drove, the City quickly became much denser. The part of the City near the West Gate was much more suburban. Much of the ground there was green, and the buildings were mostly single-family homes. Near the center of the City, the buildings resembled downtown NYC or Chicago. For as far as the eye could see, the City was decorated with skyscrapers that must have been more than thirty stories tall. There, in downtown Osiris, it was clear that the City was modeled after the major cities of New England. Out of the corner of his eye, Enzo spotted a building that more closely resembled a King¡¯s palace than a modern skyscraper. It was as wide as the buildings around it, but it must have only been about five stories tall. Enzo only saw it for a moment before it disappeared behind a building. About two more minutes passed, and then Enzo saw the exit. ¡°There¡¯s our exit,¡± Enzo said, pointing at it. The convoy exited onto another main road and drove on it for about a mile and a half. As the convoy approached its destination, Tantalus swore loudly. They pulled off the road. Before them, they saw the line that bisected the City. The players who saw it called it the Chasm.
The Chasm was a huge rift in the ground that measured approximately three hundred feet across and a thousand feet deep. With the Map still opened, Enzo knew that the Chasm was longer than he could measure at the time. The Chasm did not look like any naturally occurring canyon that you would see in the real world. Rather, it looked more like some force had cracked the planet and left that gargantuan scar behind. If you were to step into the Chasm, you would fall and not stop until you hit the bottom a thousand feet below. A waterfall cascaded down into the Chasm from the south. There was a river just outside of Osiris that flowed into the Chasm. Three suspension bridges crossed over the Chasm. These bridges were two-tiered. You could cross them by car on the upper tier, but there was a footpath on the lower tier that one could use to cross. Beyond that, there was no way across as far as Enzo could see. Unlike the rest of the highway, people were driving on the bridges and using the attached footpaths. They pulled their vehicles on to the edge of the Chasm and got out. The small two-lane road they were on led straight into the Chasm. It was clear that the street they were on was built before the Chasm appeared. It was as if a crack had formed and cut right across that road. If you were walking on the sidewalk and not paying attention, you would plummet right in. Redgrave and Enzo went to the edge of the sidewalk that led to nowhere, but the rest stayed behind. Enzo saw that there was water at the bottom of the Chasm. Enzo wondered if the Chasm went far enough in either direction that it hit the ocean. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re in Kansas anymore,¡± mused Redgrave. ¡°What do you think caused that?¡± asked Volta. ¡°The NPCs probably know,¡± said Rachel. ¡°We¡¯ll have plenty of time to ask later,¡± said Elias. Looking over at Tantalus, Enzo saw that something on the Menu had caught his attention. Tantalus''s eyes were closed, and he was making frantic motions with his hands. A moment later, something caught Redgrave¡¯s attention, and he started doing the same thing. ¡°What¡¯s up with you two?¡± Enzo asked. ¡°I just received about a dozen messages from people I don¡¯t know,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°I imagine the same thing just happened to Redgrave.¡± After a pause, Tantalus continued talking. ¡°From what I gather, somebody with a pre-existing audience mentioned that Redgrave and I are in the game.¡± There was another pause. ¡°Ah. That must be it.¡± ¡°Ashcroft is gathering people in the middle of the City, and he wants all of us to come,¡± Tantalus said. By his tone of voice, it was clear that Tantalus expected everyone present to recognize the name. [Tantalus45] Chapter 7 - [The Scions of the Blue Flame] Day 1 1:15 P.M. When it came to Ashcroft, people often forgot that he was famous even before he was trapped in Ferrum. Before he was the Warlord of the Third Server, he was a YouTuber who had reached a level of fame such that even people outside of the YouTube sphere of influence had heard of him. Whenever he became embroiled in a controversy, it would not be uncommon for major news organizations to cover it. Enzo didn¡¯t know this at the time, but Ashcroft¡¯s rise to fame had a significant bearing on their current situation. Ashcroft became really popular in 2032, but he was making videos back when Ninth Oasis first came out in 2026. He joined a high-ranking guild called the Scions of the Blue Flame in 2027. When the Scions became the dominant force in Ninth Oasis competitive play in 2029, the officers of that guild became rather well-known. The popularity of Ninth Oasis as the flagship product of the Kabuto system certainly increased the level of popularity. Ashcroft, as the lead field-officer of the Scions, saw a meteoric rise in popularity. Viral clips were circulated of Ashcroft defeating other well-known professional Ninth Oasis players. This paired with Ashcroft¡¯s own natural charisma made him very famous. After the Scions of the Blue Flame disbanded in 2031, Ashcroft formed the Knights of Ashes, which went on to similarly dominate Ninth Oasis professional play. Many members of the Scions went on to join the Knights, and, by 2035, Ashcroft had become a household name. No serious commentator would mention Ninth Oasis competitive play and not mention Ashcroft or the Knights. Of course, Ashcroft¡¯s focus would expand beyond Ninth Oasis in the 2030s. He played just about every game on the Kabuto system, and he excelled at all of them that involved violence. Ashcroft was considered to be one of the world¡¯s best players of the game Kingmaker: The Dawn War, a famously difficult fantasy game on the Kabuto system. In 2033, he started boxing Internet celebrities IRL and showed that he could fight in the real world almost as well as he could fight in game. When Ferrum Online was released, Ashcroft¡¯s boxing record was three wins by TKO and no losses or ties.
¡°Ashcroft? You¡¯re referring to the YouTuber?¡± asked Rachel. ¡°The very same,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°What have you found, Red?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking at the posts on the BloodNet forums,¡± said Redgrave. ¡°At first, people were freaking out about the whole ¡®trapped in a video game¡¯ thing, then people were talking about Ashcroft like he¡¯s some kind of Messiah, and now people are talking about Tantalus. It seems that Ashcroft must have mentioned you by name.¡± ¡°Why did Ashcroft mention Tantalus?¡± asked Elias. ¡°We were in the Scions of the Blue Flame together,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°He was a field commander, and I was a strategist. We knew each other pretty well, but we haven¡¯t really talked much since the guild disbanded. I knew he¡¯d be in the game somewhere, but I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d end up on the same server.¡± ¡°You knew Ashcroft?¡± asked Volta. ¡°Yes,¡± Tantalus said like it was obvious. ¡°Anyone who was any good at Ninth Oasis back then was in the Scions. You needed fifty players to compete in the Large Group tournaments, so we had about seventy members at any one time. Over five years of existence, we must have had about two hundred members in total.¡± ¡°A lot of the messages I¡¯m getting have links to two videos,¡± Redgrave interrupted. His eyes were still closed. ¡°Both were posted by Ashcroft. One has the title ¡®Testing out the Combat System: Day One¡¯ and the other has the title ¡®My Plans for the Future.¡¯¡± Enzo was then forwarded a message from Redgrave that said, [Bebop308: You know Tantalus, right? Could you make sure he sees these two videos?]. Opening this message in the menu, Enzo saw the two linked videos. ¡°We should watch these two videos,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°Ashcroft is clearly trying to send us a message. It would be hasty for us to go to the meeting without knowing the message. Enzo opened the first video. It was four minutes long.
When the video started, Ashcroft was in the center of the shot. His model looked almost identical to his model from Ninth Oasis. He had long black hair that streamed past his shoulders and scraggly five-o-clock shadow on his face. Ashcroft¡¯s untidy hair, muscular build, and rigid posture made him look like a barbarian who could explode into violence at any moment. He had cast off the blue jacket of the uniform the players had all spawned in, leaving him only with the white undershirt beneath it. His left arm sported a number of recently healed pink scars. With a charming smile, Ashcroft looked into the camera and said, ¡°Alright¡­ take one.¡± He clapped once in front of the camera. ¡°Let¡¯s go kill some orcs.¡± He withdrew his revolver from his chest holster and a one -handed cavalry saber from his hip. The saber''s blade was dripping with blood. Ashcroft walked away from the camera and stepped into the center of a street in the suburbs. He fired his revolver in the air, and the sound caused the audio to cut out for a moment. ¡°Come on out!¡± Ashcroft screamed at the top of his lungs. ¡°It¡¯s just the two of us here! Easy pickings!¡± Thirty seconds passed without incident. Ashcroft turned to the camera with a look of mild annoyance before a war cry could be heard from behind him. The camera turned and captured five grey skinned Deluvians charging forward. The Deluvians were closer to the cameraman than Ashcroft. Panic was evident in the camera work as the cameraman retreated backward. A rifle could be seen in the shot for a moment as the cameraman moved. Ashcroft interposed himself between the charging Deluvians and the cameraman. Wielding the saber in his right hand and the revolver in his left, Ashcroft launched a counter charge against the greyskins. Ashcroft met the savagery of the Deluvians with a savagery of his own as he sprinted toward the five screaming monsters. A moment before the two opposing forces collided, Ashcroft subtly adjusted his course and slipped between two of the monsters. Ashcroft¡¯s saber moved like it weighed nothing at all as he cut into two of them. It was difficult to see, but Ashcroft cut one in the midsection before he reached them and cut the other in the back after he passed. He must have delivered both of those blows in the span of a second. Ashcroft¡¯s saber sliced through the greyskins like they were butter, and the two he cut fell to the ground in a single gurgling heap. He had cut one entirely in half, and the other collapsed in such a way that made it clear that Ashcroft had severed its spinal cord. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Ashcroft took a moment to admire his sword. Clearly, he hadn¡¯t expected his attacks to be as effective as they ended up being. One of the greyskins took this opportunity to attack Ashcroft, but he easily dodged the powerful but easily predictable swing. The greyskin¡¯s longsword only missed Ashcroft by a hair as he spent the minimum amount of effort to dodge the attack. With a casual movement of his sword, Ashcroft struck and one of the Deluvian¡¯s arms was promptly detached from its body. The one-armed Deluvian retreated, blood seeping from its wound, and Ashcroft began laughing. ¡°Amateurs!¡± Ashcroft laughed, clearly enjoying himself. ¡°You¡¯ve got power in spades but no skill.¡± The three surviving Deluvians arrayed themselves in a semi-circle around Ashcroft, who took up a fencing position with his saber forward and revolver behind his back. The greyskins stood there for a long moment, looking for openings. Without warning, all three of the Deluvians attacked at once. One of the Deluvians was reduced to raw hamburger in an instant by Ashcroft''s flashing saber, but the other two greyskins used the opening created by the death of their comrade to push their attack. He was able to duck out of the way of one attack, but the one-armed Deluvian hit Ashcroft in the back. Because the one-armed Deluvian was not able to put the whole of its weight behind the attack, the blow merely wounded Ashcroft''s back instead of cutting into his internal organs. Ashcroft fell forward with a grunt of pain and rolled away from the two surviving Deluvians. They continued to push their attack, but their momentum was halted when Ashcroft leveled his revolver at the two of them. Ashcroft had fallen to one knee. Blood was flowing from his back freely. Enzo expected to see a look of pain or hopelessness in his eyes. Instead, there was a look of intense hatred. He slowly got to his feet and said, ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve done it now.¡± The camera barely picked it up, but Enzo could tell that he was growling with rage. The two Deluvians attacked one final time. Ashcroft swiftly tore the throat out of one and chopped the remaining arm off of the one-armed greyskin. This final pass between Ashcroft and the greyskins made it clear to Enzo that he had just been playing with them up until that point. He somehow fought more effectively after he had been wounded. Ashcroft got behind the Deluvian and effortlessly put two shallow cuts into the back of its legs. It fell to the ground, and Ashcroft put a foot on its back. ¡°Emile! Get over here and help me stop this Orc from dying! I think we¡¯ve got a prisoner on our hands!¡± Ashcroft said as he turned to the camera. He held his back where the Deluvian had wounded him and gritted his teeth in discomfort. With this, the footage ended.
Having watched the video, everyone in the group opened their eyes. ¡°Is this real?¡± asked Volta. ¡°I suspect it is,¡± responded Tantalus. ¡°How did Ashcroft manage to do all that?¡± said Volta. Enzo was wondering the same thing. Having fought the greyskins himself, Enzo couldn¡¯t possibly imagine a situation where he could beat five at once in a melee. He managed to kill one with a bayonet, but his success was more due to luck than skill. Enzo felt incredibly clumsy controlling his avatar on that first day. It was as if he had to learn to walk all over again. Enzo was only able to hit his targets because of his experience with guns in the real world. In real life, Enzo was an avid gun collector and hunter. He had spent several hundred hours at the gun range, and he was able to fall back on that skill when fighting the Deluvians. ¡°Red and I were actually talking about that earlier,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°Have any of you played Ninth Oasis or otherwise used the full-dive system?¡± Everyone except for Redgrave shook their heads to indicate that they had not. ¡°That makes sense,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°And I assume all of you are experiencing a level of physical awkwardness¡­ as if you¡¯re trying to learn to walk with a new set of legs?¡± Everyone nodded their heads to indicate that they were. ¡°How do you know that?¡± Elias asked. ¡°That¡¯s how I felt the first time I played Ninth Oasis,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°Ferrum Online uses the same basic system as Ninth Oasis. To Red and me, this game just feels like a much more advanced version of Ninth Oasis. Ashcroft¡¯s skill in Ninth Oasis must have transferred over to this game.¡± ¡°Does this apply to everyone who played Ninth Oasis?¡± Enzo asked. ¡°I suspect it does,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°It¡¯s honestly amazing how similar this game is to Ninth Oasis. I feel like anything I could do there, I can do here.¡± ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t seem very fair,¡± said Dendrite. ¡°Complain to GM,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°Ashcroft kept using the word ¡®Orc.¡¯ Was he referring to the Deluvians?¡± said Rachel. ¡°I think I know this one,¡± Cadmium said through the window of the truck. ¡°In the Lord of the Rings movies, the orcs have grey skin, and the goblins have green skin.¡± ¡°That¡¯s smart,¡± Tantalus said thoughtfully. ¡°Well, ¡®Orc¡¯ is a lot easier to say than Deluvian or greyskin.¡± After a pause, Tantalus continued. ¡°Let¡¯s continue onto the next video.¡± Enzo closed his eyes and opened the video entitled, ¡°My Plans for the Future.¡±
The video started on an image of Ashcroft standing near the camera. He was attired similarly to how he was in the earlier video. The only difference was that Ashcroft was wearing the jacket of his uniform draped over his shoulders. He was standing outside, and the palace Enzo had seen earlier loomed ominously behind him. ¡°Hey everybody,¡± said Ashcroft. He delivered this line like it was the first half of the introduction he gives at the beginning of his YouTube videos. ¡°I made this video to talk about the situation we now find ourselves in. I don¡¯t know what to make of this ¡®GM¡¯ figure or his claim that death in the game will result in IRL death. What I do know is that we can¡¯t log out, and the accuracy of the pain modeling has been¡­ increased.¡± He subtly rubbed his back as if the pain of his wound was still bothering him. ¡°Clearly, something or someone is holding us here against our will, and it¡¯s able to cause us pain if it so wishes. Dozens of people have approached me over the past few hours, asking me what we should do, and I haven¡¯t been able to answer them. Honestly, I¡¯m more of a ¡®tactics¡¯ guy myself. The big picture ''strategy'' stuff has never been my specialty. Therefore, I suggest that we all hold a meeting in the large park in the middle of downtown Osiris to figure out what to do next.¡± The camera turned away from Ashcroft and towards a large park. It must have been half a mile long on each side. After a moment, the camera turned back toward Ashcroft. ¡°I had some of my guys look over the list of players here in Osiris, and they found a few ex-Scions among the player base,¡± Ashcroft continued. ¡°They found ScaryClock, FullDan, and Tantalus on the list. One other notable name they found was Mander of Trebizond. I would very much appreciate to hear the input of these four players. If the four of you would attend this meeting, I would very much appreciate it. I¡¯ll be in the park for the next three hours, so come on by and let¡¯s talk about the next step.¡± As soon as Ashcroft finished this sentence, the video ended. [Redgrave22] Chapter 8 - [The Great Strategist] 1:30 P.M. Enzo opened his eyes as soon as the video ended. The Chasm was still there in the background, but they had all but forgotten it. The party turned toward Tantalus and waited with bated breath to hear what he was going to say next. Tantalus stood there with his eyes closed long after everyone else had opened theirs. ¡°So, are we going to do what Ashcroft suggested?¡± Elias asked after a long silence. ¡°We do what Tantalus says,¡± Redgrave said pointedly. ¡°I made a few videos with Ashcroft for Ninth Oasis, and he can be a bit¡­ intense... off camera. If Tantalus says it¡¯s too dangerous, then it''s too dangerous." The expression on Tantalus¡¯s face began to resemble a grimace as Elias and Redgrave spoke. ¡°How annoying,¡± Tantalus said through gritted teeth. ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Elias. ¡°Ashcroft is much smarter than he lets on,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°He¡¯s always been an expert at creating and maintaining morale. He knows that, right now, the players need a concrete plan to put their faith in, and, based on the people he listed in the second video, he expects me to make that plan. The only problem is that I don¡¯t have a plan yet. At least not a finished one.¡± ¡°Why do you think he expects you to make a plan?¡± asked Rachel. ¡°FullDan, ScaryClock, and Mander are great players in their own right. Each of them was S-rank in Ninth Oasis,¡± said Tantalus, ¡°but none of them are strategists.¡± After a pause, Tantalus continued. ¡°Red, I¡¯m gonna need to borrow your motorcycle. I want all of you to go to the park without me. Tell Ashcroft that I¡¯ll be there in thirty minutes. I need some time to prepare.¡± Redgrave and Tantalus traded keys, and Tantalus rode away on Redgrave¡¯s motorcycle. Just before he left, Enzo heard Tantalus say, ¡°Who does he think I am, General Patton?¡± Over the course of the next five minutes, the rest of the group drove to the park.
When they got there, the park was absolutely packed with blue-clad players. All told, there must have been between a thousand and two thousand people there. They were mostly clumped together in groups of three to ten, though quite a few people were standing alone. About one in ten of the players there wore at least one article of clothing in addition to their blue uniform. Seeing this sea of blue in front of him made Enzo wonder why the NPCs had decided that blue was a good choice for a military uniform. There was basically no situation where blue would act as a good camouflage. At that moment, Enzo committed himself to finding a grey cloak like the ones Redgrave and Tantalus were wearing. When draped over the shoulders, the cloak did a good job of covering the blue uniform, and the grey color served as excellent camouflage in the urban area they had been fighting in. There was an intense feeling of dejection among the players. No matter where you went in the park, you could hear the sound of people crying. It was about 1:30 PM EST, so the game had been running for about three and a half hours at that point. The news of their condemnation was fresh in their minds at that time. Most of the players had brought their rifles with them, and some had left theirs on the ground. Bolt-action rifles littered the ground at that park like beer bottles after a New Years Eve party. Enzo''s group had left their rifles in the bed of the pickup truck. ¡°Now¡­ where¡¯s Ashcroft?¡± Redgrave said to himself. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Elias pointed to a far-off part of the park where the density of players was much higher. ¡°That would be my first bet,¡± he said. They started walking. ¡°Do you think this might turn into a gunfight or something?¡± said Volta. ¡°There are a lot of people with guns here, and none of them are having a good time.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible,¡± Enzo said. ¡°Tantalus tried to shoot a window, but he couldn¡¯t pull the trigger. See?¡± Enzo unholstered his pistol, pointed it at the sky, and tried to pull the trigger. Everyone around him flinched, but the gun didn¡¯t go off. Embarrassed, Enzo loudly said, ¡°Sorry, everybody. I¡¯m just doing an experiment. Our guns don¡¯t work inside the City.¡± The players around Enzo were calmed by his statement. One of the players tried to shoot his gun into the ground with no success. As they walked, a few people recognized Redgrave and approached the group. Two of the people that approached them asked if they could join the group. One of the players who asked to join the group was Bebop308, the guy who had sent a message to Redgrave, and the other was Pixie_Chix, a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes who claimed to be B-rank in Ninth Oasis. Redgrave, who the rest of the group figured was in charge at this point, let the two of them stick around. Redgrave told the two of them that membership was ultimately up to Tantalus, but he assumed they would be able to stay. Enzo later learned that Pixie didn¡¯t even recognize Redgrave. According to her, she had joined them because they looked like the only people in that park who walked with a purpose. They soon reached the central concentrated group of players. The players crowded around a large wooden stage. The stage looked like it was made to be used for outdoor concerts. A complicated set-up of lights and speakers surrounded the stage. About a dozen players were standing on the top of the stage, and a few NPCs were there talking to some of the players. They seemed to be having an argument. Standing off the stage were a few confused-looking NPC police officers who clearly didn¡¯t know what to do. Ashcroft was standing on the ground near the stage in the middle of a semicircle of players. He was saying something that the group couldn¡¯t hear. Redgrave stepped toward the crowd of people and muscled his way through. Pixie, Elias, Dendrite, and Enzo followed him through, but the rest of the group stayed behind. ¡°It¡¯s good to hold out hope that we might be rescued, but we need to be prepared to stay here long-term,¡± Ashcroft said to the crowd as we approached. ¡°Worst case scenario, we¡¯ll need to beat this game to escape. That could take years.¡± Someone in the crowd let out an involuntary cry of despair. ¡°If we do need to beat this game, I guarantee you that my guild and I won¡¯t rest until GM is dead.¡± Enzo could tell that this is the point in Ashcroft¡¯s speech where he turned his attention toward morale building. ¡°You see, four Knights logged on with me,¡± Ashcroft said and gestured over to some of the players working on the stage. ¡°All five of us were S-rank in Ninth Oasis, and I can tell you with certainty that skill in Ninth Oasis transfers over to this game. Every one of the Knights is worth a thousand Deluvians. Just point us in the direction of GM, and you¡¯ll have his head mounted on a wall by Christmas. And it¡¯s not just the Ashen Knights who can fight, mind you. Mander and the three Scions I mentioned earlier are S-rank, and I know for a fact that the man standing behind you is at least A-rank, though he never officially went through the ranking process.¡± As he said this, Ashcroft pointed to Redgrave. The crowd turned to see Enzo''s group. Redgrave, the tallest of the group, stood out with his white hair and grey cloak. ¡°Give it up for Redgrave, everybody,¡± Ashcroft said. Everyone in the crowd clapped as Redgrave entered the clearing of people in the middle of the group. ¡°Thanks, thanks,¡± Redgrave said, his face turning red. Clearly, he wasn¡¯t particularly good at public speaking. Redgrave approached Ashcroft and said, ¡°I need to talk to you.¡± After stopping for a half-second, Ashcroft smiled and said, ¡°Sorry everybody, Redgrave and I need to have a strategy meeting. Mozaic!¡± Ashcroft shouted over to the stage, and there was a groan of disappointment from the crowd. ¡°Come tell these people about last year¡¯s tournament!¡± As the group and Ashcroft were beginning to leave the larger crowd, Ashcroft turned to the crowd and shouted, ¡°The morning will come!¡± Mozaic and a few of the men on the stage responded in an almost guttural shout, ¡°Victory is close!¡± ¡°What was that?¡± Elias asked. ¡°Just a little call-and-response from the old days,¡± said Ashcroft. ¡°I changed it a little bit when the Knights formed. Anyway, what¡¯s up, Redgrave?¡± Ashcroft spoke conversationally. ¡°Tantalus says he¡¯ll be here in thirty minutes,¡± said Redgrave. ¡°He says he¡¯s working on a plan.¡± Ashcroft smiled broadly, clapped his hands together, and said, ¡°Excellent! I knew that old Stonewall would pull through for us.¡± ¡°You call him Stonewall?¡± asked Redgrave. ¡°Oh, he hated it back in the day,¡± laughed Ashcroft. ¡°Don¡¯t tell him I called him that. Anyway, it was nice talking to you, Redgrave. I need to go back to the group." Ashcroft went back to the crowd. Enzo heard him tell the crowd that Tantalus, the Great Strategist, would arrive in thirty minutes. Chapter 9 - [High Command] 1:45 P.M. Enzo spent the next twenty minutes sitting in the shade of a large tree with Rachel, Bebop, Pixie, and Volta while Redgrave, Elias, and Dendrite hung out near the stage. They mostly talked about the real world. Enzo learned that Rachel was a schoolteacher, Bebop was a computer programmer who absolutely loved Tantalus and Redgrave, and Pixie was a barista in Los Angeles who wanted to be an actor. Enzo realized that he, a 28-year-old, was by far the oldest one there. Rachel was the next oldest at 23 years old. ¡°If you never played Ninth Oasis, Enzo, how did you manage to kill all of those Deluvians?¡± asked Rachel. ¡°You were really accurate with your rifle.¡± ¡°I collect and shoot guns as a hobby,¡± Enzo said. ¡°My IRL skill transfers over to the game, apparently.¡± ¡°That must be an expensive hobby. How does your girlfriend feel about that?¡± asked Rachel. Pixie made an expression that Enzo couldn¡¯t quite place. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ between girlfriends right now,¡± Enzo said, embarrassed that he had to reveal such information to a group of people at least five years younger than him. ¡°It¡¯s probably ¡®cause of the guns,¡± Bebop said with a laugh, and he struck Enzo''s back with the palm of his hand. ¡°Hey!¡± Enzo said to Bebop. ¡°Are you gonna tell me you¡¯re any better, Mr. Spike Spiegel?¡± ¡°Hey, man,¡± Bebop said defensively. ¡°We¡¯re not talkin¡¯ about me right now.¡± Pixie was whispering something to Rachel, and both of them started giggling. ¡°I had a boyfriend IRL,¡± said Volta. ¡°Not that it matters. We¡¯ve all been in hospital beds for a month now¡­ and we¡¯re going to be there for years. By the time we get out, if we ever escape, the rest of the world will have moved on.¡± Everyone else looked taken aback by this statement until Pixie said, ¡°That just means that this is our life now.¡± She smiled. ¡°The opportunities are endless. We¡¯re at such an advantage compared to the NPCs that we''ll certainly all end up wealthy and powerful." ¡°I guess you have a point,¡± said Volta. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right,¡± said Bebop, getting excited. ¡°We¡¯re basically unkillable, and we can use guns unlike the NPCs. There are thirty thousand players on this server and millions of NPCs. You want a house, just steal it from an NPC. What are they gonna do, stab you with a fork?¡± Bebop smiled and playfully pulled his handgun half out of his holster. Rachel seemed like she was about to say something to rebuke Bebop''s statement, but then another man walked up to the group. He asked, ¡°Are you guys with Redgrave and Tantalus?¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Yeah,¡± Enzo said. ¡°Do you mind if I sit with you?¡± the newcomer asked. ¡°Not at all, I¡¯m Enzo,¡± Enzo said. ¡°What''s your name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m FullDan,¡± he said. He was clearly very uncomfortable as he spoke. ¡°You¡¯re a Scion?¡± asked Pixie, clearly impressed. ¡°Oh, is that impressive?¡± said FullDan, smiling. He was happy that Pixie was referring to him positively. ¡°I¡¯m just a guy that was pretty good at a video game five years ago. Trust me, I¡¯m not as impressive as Ashcroft makes me out to be." The rest of their time sitting there was mostly spent asking FullDan questions. He seemed cautiously happy at his apparent fame. According to FullDan, he was a line soldier in the Scions of the Blue Flame, which meant that he followed the orders of the three field officers: Ashcroft, RealSleep, and CosmiCrow. Line soldiers weren¡¯t tied specifically to any particular field officer. For any particular mission, FullDan would work under one of those three officers. He also mentioned that the leader of the Scions for the entirety of its existence was Kingfisher50. It was the retirement of Kingfisher that caused the Scions to disband. The Scions had three strategists while FullDan was there: Tantalus, Zekava, and InfiniteRecursion. Each strategist worked in tandem with a different field officer depending on the time. Recursion was the lead strategist and the only one to stay after the guild disbanded. As FullDan was reminiscing, there was a minor uproar as everyone turned toward the road. An incredibly loud vehicle had pulled up to the park. Enzo heard people whispering one word, ¡°Tantalus.¡± The main act had arrived.
When they finally reached Tantalus beyond the huge crowd, they could see that he had added a few articles of clothing to his outfit. He wore his grey cloak pulled close to his shoulders, and a blue officer¡¯s cap was pulled low over his brow. He had a lit cigarette in his mouth, which further obscured his features. The sea of players parted as he passed through. All of this together somehow managed to make Tantalus look like a giant despite his small stature. ¡°Tantalus always knew how to make an entrance,¡± FullDan mused quietly. As Enzo''s group got close, Tantalus pulled something from the pocket of his jacket and threw it at Redgrave who gracefully caught it. Enzo saw the item out of his peripheral vision. It was the muffler of Redgrave¡¯s motorcycle. Somebody asked Tantalus a question, but Tantalus responded with, ¡°I¡¯m not here to talk; I¡¯m here to deliver results.¡± Ashcroft soon reached the front of the crowd. ¡°The Commander has arrived, I see!¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s go talk on the stage,¡± said Ashcroft. ¡°Mozaic just finished setting up the sound system.¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°Assemble your A-team, Ashcroft, and then we¡¯ll all talk in a secluded place where we can talk in private.¡± ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Ashcroft frowned. ¡°The people really want to hear from you, Tantalus.¡± ¡°You wanted a strategist, and you got one,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°Part of having a commander is that you need to listen to him. They¡¯ll hear from me, Ashcroft, in ten minutes.¡± ¡°I see that you¡¯ve already started putting your plan in motion,¡± Ashcroft said loudly. ¡°You heard him, guys! The High Command is going to hold a brief ten-minute strategy meeting, and then you¡¯ll hear what Tantalus and I have to say. Don¡¯t go anywhere!¡± [Ashcroft] Chapter 10 - [Leadership] 2:00 P.M. The first meeting of the High Command of Osiris, as Ashcroft called it, occurred in a small employees-only shed that was used to hold cleaning supplies for the park. There were eleven players there because the space would be crowded if there were any more people present. They began the meeting with introductions. The people present were Ashcroft, Tantalus, FullDan, Redgrave, Pixie, Rachel, five of Ashcroft¡¯s Knights, and Enzo. When Tantalus heard that Pixie was B-rank in Ninth Oasis, he wanted her to attend the meeting. The five Knights were named Mozaic, Trismegistus, GatorKing, and Emile. All four were men, and they all wore swords at their hips. Being near them put Enzo on edge. They all carried themselves like they were ready to spring into combat at any moment. Tantalus later told Enzo that GatorKing and Trismegistus, two of the Knights, had been in the Scions, but the rest had not. ¡°To begin with,¡± said Ashcroft, ¡°it¡¯s good to see you guys again, Dan, Tantalus.¡± ¡°The feeling¡¯s mutual, Ashcroft,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°Hell of a reunion,¡± said FullDan, ¡°but I¡¯m glad to get the band back together.¡± ¡°Looking at this group of people,¡± said Ashcroft, ¡°I feel like we could beat anything GM could throw at us. We¡¯ve got a squad here of the best Ninth Oasis players in the world.¡± ¡°Which means we can¡¯t afford to lose anybody here,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything reckless.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Ashcroft sighed happily. ¡°Feels like old times, eh?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± FullDan said with a smile. ¡°Ashcroft always said something optimistic, and then Tantalus contradicted him. It was a nice good-cop, bad-cop thing you had going on.¡± ¡°Ahem,¡± Tantalus cleared his throat. ¡°The reason we¡¯re having this meeting is that I wanted to report on what I found when I went to the military base near the North Gate. I spoke to some of the NPCs, and they explained to me the strategic and political situation we now face.¡± Tantalus pulled out a notebook and flipped to one of the first pages. Written on that page was a hastily sketched map of a continent that looked like a bullseye. The continent was vaguely circular, and there was a large dot in the center. The area outside of the central dot was divided into four equal pieces. It looked like the crosshairs on a gun''s scope. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± asked Ashcroft. ¡°I had an NPC officer draw a map of the continent we¡¯re on,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°This continent,¡± he pointed at the ground at his feet, ¡°is called Rubigo, and it looks like this,¡± he gestured vaguely at the map.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that in the center?¡± asked Ashcroft. ¡°You see¡­¡± Over the course of the next few minutes, Tantalus gave a lecture on the history of the world of Ferrum. The group ultimately learned that the Deluvians came from a large hole in the center of the continent they were on. According to Tantalus, the NPCs called it the Breach. The Chasm was a mere offshoot of the Breach. The NPCs believed that the Breach was more than fifty miles wide and several miles deep. Water flowed from the sea into the Breach through the Chasm, but the water never filled the Breach. NPC scientists claimed that the Breach is so deep that it burrows into Ferrum¡¯s mantle, which causes the Breach to reach such heat that water evaporated before it hit the bottom. The Breach was apparently caused when Nur, the son of God, was killed in a rain of arrows five hundred years ago. This caused the creation of the Edict of Iron, which magically prevented the NPCs from using bows or any other ranged weapon, and the release of the God of Machines. Since Nur was an aspect of his father, Nur¡¯s death seriously weakened the God of Civilization who was holding back the God of Machines, allowing him to escape. The God of Machines was, of course, GM. The NPCs had killed GM four times before, but he always revived exactly one hundred years after his death. The revival of GM and the subsequent onslaught of Deluvians was called the Deluge. For every previous Deluge, the NPCs used magic to create Revenants in order to make up for the disadvantage they faced due to the Edict of Iron. This time was different, however, because the Deluvians had access to new technology such as rifles, pistols, and cannons. There were three major countries on the continent and three independent cities. The countries were called the Republic of Mitrikov, the Federated States of Rubigo, and the Kingdom of Sondrith. The three independent cities were: Osiris, New Arcadia, and Fulvang. The three countries dominated the coast of Rubigo, and the three independent cities were located closer to the center of the continent. The Federation dominated the western half of the continent, and the other two countries shared the eastern half. In the center of the continent were three little dots near the big hole in the center. From where they were, Fulvang was northwest, and New Arcadia was due west. ¡°The layout of this world map suggests a specific type of game progression,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°People who spawn on this server end up in New Arcadia, Fulvang, or Osiris. This means that our first mission will be to consolidate our forces with the player base in these two cities. With this, our troop reserve will multiply by three. After this, we¡¯ll filter toward the outside kingdoms,¡± he gestured toward the map. ¡°Only then will we be able to beat GM. Something will happen to require this type of progression, I guarantee it.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°What makes you so sure?¡± asked FullDan. ¡°GM is a storyteller,¡± Tantalus said with certainty. ¡°He would never allow the story to end early.¡± ¡°Can we make him end it early?¡± Ashcroft asked. For the first time since Enzo had met him, his expression was filled with cold determination. Enzo could see the severe man that was behind the affable exterior. ¡°That¡¯s the question, isn¡¯t it?¡± said Tantalus. ¡°I¡¯ll be trying my hardest to make him end the story as soon as I can.¡± After a pause, Ashcroft said, ¡°Is there anything else before we go out there?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°We just have to prepare what we¡¯re going to say.¡± ¡°Oh no,¡± sighed FullDan. ¡°Am I going to have to talk in front of all those people?¡± ¡°Just leave it to the Commander and me,¡± said Ashcroft. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡± Everyone except for FullDan, Tantalus, and Ashcroft left the shed while they prepared for their presentation. Ten minutes later, they walked onto the stage. First, Tantalus entered, then FullDan, then Ashcroft. Tantalus and Ashcroft both received deafening applause, and FullDan received a more minor but still enthusiastic reception.
The three of them sat on chairs that had been set up ahead of time. Hundreds of players gathered around to hear what they were about to say. Redgrave, Volta, and Enzo were all filming them from three different angles. Tantalus sat to the left, FullDan in the center, and Ashcroft to the right. Tantalus and Ashcroft had radically altered their outfits, and FullDan was out of place in his standard blue military uniform. Tantalus was smoking a cigarette, and his hands were in the pockets of his overcoat. After a long half-minute, the crowd quieted down, and Tantalus stood up. He walked up to the microphone, which had been adjusted for Ashcroft¡¯s height. Tantalus dropped his cigarette and put it out with his foot before he adjusted the microphone down to his own height. ¡°It looks like we¡¯re stuck,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°All evidence seems to indicate that GM is telling the truth. The NPCs can pass the Turing test, and any damage we take hurts us exactly as much as it does in the real world. This game is beyond human capability. We didn¡¯t ask for this, but we¡¯re stuck in this situation, like it or not.¡± Tantalus paused. ¡°We¡¯re in it for the long haul. Ten years of this, better get used to it. Now, I¡¯m talking to you all right now because we need to stick together. Not all of us need to fight, but those of you that can, should. Know yourself. If you were a soldier or a police officer in the Old World, consider fighting on the front line. If you were a doctor, consider being a medic. If you were a businessman, consider helping out with logistics. Everyone can pitch in. To put it simply, we are at war. Monsters have laid siege to this city, and the NPC government is completely unequipped to deal with them. It falls to us to do what the NPCs cannot.¡± There was another pause. ¡°Let me be clear, the Deluvians are extremely dangerous. Earlier today, I watched as a man was killed by an errant blow to the head. He died instantly. If you make a mistake, you¡¯ll end up dead like him. ¡°There are three Gates to the City of Osiris. Before we do anything else, we need to make sure that these Gates are defended. Once that is done, we can begin to launch our counterattack. I¡¯m committed to the organization and defense of the West Gate, and Ashcroft has done the same at the North Gate. This leaves the East Gate without leadership. We should be able to find someone to take charge of that Gate before the end of the day today. My first suggestion would be Mander. Ultimately, we need to keep a permanent garrison of at least ten soldiers at each Gate in order to maintain a defense. Assuming three eight-hour shifts, we¡¯ll need thirty soldiers per Gate. Over three Gates, that¡¯s ninety soldiers. For now, we will need ninety soldier to defend the City, but clearing the Deluvians off of this continent will require thousands. We will prepare for battle within the walls of Osiris and, when the time is right, we will attack the Deluvians." There was applause as Tantalus finished his speech and returned to his seat, but it was much more subdued than it was before. Tantalus had told them the cold, hard truth, and it had caused them to falter. Without allowing this atmosphere to fester, Ashcroft ran up to the microphone and began to speak. ¡°Now, I know what you just heard was disheartening¡­ I do,¡± said Ashcroft. ¡°A few hours ago, you were normal people. You were shopkeepers, accountants, schoolteachers, but now you¡¯re soldiers.GM trapped all of you in a video game against your will, and now he¡¯s forcing you to fight for your life! It sucks, but he¡¯s not just keeping you hostage. He¡¯s keeping the whole world hostage. The energy required to keep these eleven servers running is equivalent to about 20% of the total energy output in the entire world. That month we spent comatose? GM used that time to bend the real world to his whim. The real world isn¡¯t doing so well, either.¡± ¡°If you look at it from a certain perspective,¡± Ashcroft continued, ¡°GM didn¡¯t take our lives from us. He gave us purpose. In the Old World, we were just normal people, but, here, we can be heroes! We have the greatest possible purpose: to kill the ultimate tyrant. GM threatens the whole world, and we are the only people in the world who have the opportunity to kill him! Nobody outside has a chance to destroy the AI! We have the ability, no, we have the privilege to kill GM. Please, help us fulfill this glorious purpose.¡± As Ashcroft said this sentence, it really sounded like he was begging. ¡°Help us, but not because of anything Tantalus, FullDan, or I did in the Old World. None of that matters. I am not a celebrity or a YouTuber, or anything else that I was back then. I am merely a man who is trapped in here with you. Help us so that we may save ourselves and save the world!¡± The crowd erupted in cheering and applause as he started to walk off the stage. FullDan and Tantalus rose to follow him, but they were interrupted. An unnatural shadowy entity fell from the sky and landed in the center of the stage. The entity was made entirely of black smoke. It struck the stage to the sound of shocked gasps and screams. The smoke dissipated after a moment, revealing a new humanoid figure standing in the center of the stage. Rage, horror, despair. These were the emotions displayed by the crowd of Revenants as they saw the identity of the interlocutor. Arms outstretched and eyes a blazing gold, GM stood center stage. Map of Rubigo A map of the continent of Rubigo. At the center of the continent is a fifty-mile-radius hole referred to as "the Breach" by the continent''s inhabitants. There are eight significant cities on the continent of Rubigo. To the northeast is the Island of Merkopia. It is said that, after the Fourth Deluge, the followers of the Dark God were forced to retreat to this island. Three independent cities - Fulvang, New Arcadia, and Osiris - sit near the Breach. With the beginning of the Fifth Deluge, the citizens of the Free Cities bear the brunt of the Deluvian incursion. Four cracks formed on the surface of Rubigo before each Deluge. These cracks now separate the denizens of Rubigo, making organization of the war effort much more difficult. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Rubigo is a slightly oblong circle with a radius of about five hundred miles. The distance between Osiris and Mitrikov is about three hundred miles. If one were to take the highway between Osiris and Mitrikov, the trip would take five hours to complete. On foot, the trip would take two weeks to complete. Chapter 11 - [What Do You Think Happens After You Die?] Enter GM. The smokey black shadows dissipated, leaving a smiling villain standing between Tantalus and Ashcroft. GM began to speak, but he was completely drowned out by the sound of a hundred players screaming abuse and obscenities. Ashcroft¡¯s revolver was out of its holster and pointed at GM before anyone else¡¯s. The leader of the Knights of Ashes looked at GM with such hatred it was as if he thought he could harm GM with intent alone. It was impossible to hear Ashcroft over the riotous din of the crowd, but he seemed to be shouting ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± at the top of his lungs. In contrast, Tantalus¡¯s mouth was closed, and his hands were in his pockets. The Great Strategist was deep in thought. Ashcroft cast his revolver aside and charged toward GM. Halfway through the charge, Ashcroft drew his saber from its sheath. As soon as the sword had loosed its scabbard, however, Ashcroft¡¯s charge halted. The interruption was clearly not planned, and Ashcroft¡¯s expression was one of intermingled rage and surprise at his body¡¯s betrayal. A moment after Ashcroft moved, players from the crowd began to charge the stage like a wave of approaching flesh. In an instant, the atmosphere changed from high-spirited to deranged. A riot had broken out in the middle of Osiris. It appeared as if the charging mass of people would trample GM underfoot, but he seemed unphased. GM¡¯s smile was gone, but he did not surrender his position in the center of the stage. Tantalus, Ashcroft, and FullDan, seeing the approaching mass, fled. The three ex-Scions jumped off the back of the stage and kept their eyes on the angry crowd. Naturally, the crowd was not able to reach GM. None of them could get within fifteen feet of the God of Machines. It was as if he was surrounded by an invisible force field. The sound of shouting faltered as a feeling of confusion pervaded the players on the stage. GM tried to speak, but Enzo could only hear him say, ¡°...need to hear this.¡± The sound of shouted abuse and obscenity drowned out his words. GM visibly sighed in annoyance and took out a leather-bound notebook from his coat pocket. He pretended not to notice the many firearms pointed in his direction. With this, the people in the crowd began shouting at each other. Tantalus and Ashcroft had jumped back on to the stage, and they were trying to get the other players off the stage. Tantalus was shouting, ¡°What are you doing!? You can¡¯t possibly hurt him! If we just listen to him talk, we can get more information! So shut up!¡± Of course, no one heard this, so it did not help. Enzo, Pixie, and Elias were on the stage trying to figure out how to kill GM. Enzo shouted, ¡°Maybe we can get around the safe-zone limitation if we set a trap for him.¡± No one could hear him either. Redgrave was also on the stage. He was muscling through the crowd in an attempt to reach Tantalus. Without warning, GM¡¯s voice cut through the sound of the crowd. His voice reverberated supernaturally as he began to chant. ¡°Edict: Mortus. Trecenti pes.¡± The crowd began to retreat with the same speed that it approached. Someone shouted, ¡°He¡¯s using magic!¡± Before GM finished chanting, the stage was clear once more. ¡°Quinque secundus. Silentium.¡± There was a flash of light under GM¡¯s feet as he finished chanting, though Enzo could not see the source of the light from his position off the stage. Upon the completion of the chant, the sound of the crowd ceased. Those who were talking found their voices trapped in their throats, and silence pervaded the park. Save for the ambient sound of wildlife, there was no sound for several seconds.
¡°Excellent,¡± GM said, clapping his hands once. ¡°I¡¯ve got twenty-five more of the speeches to do today, so I¡¯ll keep this short. I¡¯m here now to dispel a false notion that many of you seem to have latched onto. Your time in Ferrum will not be a ten-year vacation. I am not on your side. For as long as I live, I will not allow any of the three hundred thousand people among these eleven servers to know true peace. Tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of players will die before you will be able to escape. By overcoming these obstacles, some of you will achieve fulfillment, but more of you will die.¡± GM pulled back his sleeve and checked his watch. ¡°Speaking of which,¡± GM said, looking up from his watch, ¡°the players of this city seem to be the most organized of the cities I¡¯ve seen so far. I¡¯ve decided to test that resolve. In five minutes, an incursion shall crash against the three Gates of Osiris. This incursion will be far too great for my shards to repel. Should you do nothing, everyone in this city will be dead by nightfall.¡± There was a deafening crash as something detonated about fifty feet behind GM. This sound was soon followed by a series of explosions that echoed throughout the City from all directions. Enzo looked up to see dozens of cannon balls streak through the sky and crash into the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you all with a piece of useful information,¡± GM said. ¡°The resources you all have right now are not nearly sufficient to harm me. Right now, the Osiris Safe Zone is protecting all of you more than it is protecting me. Had we met like this outside of the City walls, you would all be dead. Accumulate more resources, master this game, and come to the Island of Merkopia!¡± As soon as GM reached the end of his speech, he was enveloped in an unnatural shadow and shot into the sky.
Panicked voices once again filled the air as GM¡¯s spell faded. Most players in the crowd began to run in various directions, and a few dove for cover under nearby trees. One voice, however, cut through the rest. ¡°Hey! Hey! Shut up!¡± Ashcroft shouted. The players that remained near the stage quieted down at Ashcroft¡¯s shouting. Tantalus then began to shout, ¡°We need to get to the Gates as soon as possible! It¡¯s about a mile to each one, so we¡¯ll need cars to get there in the next five minutes! If you can, steal one! I¡¯ll go to the West Gate, and Ashcroft will go to the North Gate! Ashcroft here just told me that the North Gate is the most poorly defended right now, so we¡¯re sending all of the Knights there! FullDan is in charge of the East Gate for now!¡± Tantalus then began to gesture at the crowd, splitting it into thirds. ¡°Okay! All of you in this third of the crowd, go to the East Gate. This third, go to the North Gate! This third, go to the West Gate! If you¡¯re not going to fight, find some structure to hide in!¡± There was a pause before Ashcroft said, ¡°You heard the man! Go!¡± At this, the crowd quickly dispersed. They had their orders, and they fulfilled those orders with enthusiasm, though this enthusiasm was not particularly organized. The group which had formed outside the West Gate, with the addition of Pixie, FullDan, and Bebop, re-formed in this panicked atmosphere. Redgrave spoke first. ¡°I should go to the East Gate with FullDan. He should have at least one skilled player with him.¡± Tantalus grunted in agreement. ¡°Take Enzo and Dendrite with you,¡± he said before turning to the two of them. ¡°By my approximation, you two are probably equivalent to C-rank players in Ninth Oasis. You¡¯ll be a helpful addition to FullDan¡¯s team.¡± ¡°Aye, Captain,¡± said Dendrite.
The East Gate Party drove away from the park in the pickup truck. FullDan and Redgrave were in the front while Enzo, Dendrite, and four other players were crammed into the truck bed. These four players were called: Damocloid, Stumpt, Reversio, and Poldra. All were men except for Poldra. Enzo explained the basics of combat to the four new soldiers on the drive over. He explained the orcs¡¯ weakness and the specifics of how to operate their firearms. The pickup truck arrived at the East Gate before the assault had begun. Dozens of NPCs stood at the Gate¡¯s opening with their weapons at the ready. About half a dozen players stood around, looking confused. Redgrave shouted so that the NPCs and players could hear, ¡°They¡¯ll be here in less than a minute! Ready yourselves!¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°What should we do, Redgrave?¡± asked FullDan. ¡°You¡¯re in charge,¡± responded Redgrave, ¡°but you should put some soldiers in the battlements to get a good crossfire going.¡± FullDan ordered two players to each battlement. Enzo ended up going to the battlement to the left of the Gate alongside Poldra. Redgrave, FullDan, Damocloid, and Stumpt were ordered to stay at ground level. Enzo ran up several flights of stairs until he had reached the top of the battlement. As soon as he reached the top of the tower, he saw a flood of Orcs and Goblins appear from behind the various structures built near the East Gate. By the time the people at the Gate could see the Deluvians, they were less than fifty feet away from each other. A sane military architect would make sure there was a long stretch of land between the Gate and any cover so that the defenders could kill the attackers before they could get close. The NPCs¡¯ focus on melee combat gave them a distinct blind spot when it came to gun combat. Enzo leveled his rifle and began to open fire on the approaching horde. Below, FullDan anointed his bayonet with blood from the palm of his left hand. As the Deluvians approached, he gave one order: ¡°They¡¯re coming. Kill them all.¡± FullDan¡¯s bashful demeanor had completely disappeared as soon as he saw the first Orc round the corner. It was replaced by the calm exterior of a professional with a job to do. The first wave of Orcs was quickly dispatched in a flurry of anointed bullets. Redgrave fired his sidearm until it clicked empty, scoring three kills. A dozen orcs fell to the ground dead, but the tide of grey did not falter. The defenders on the ground level were all forced to reload at around the same time due to their guns¡¯ limited capacity. Though the first dozen orcs were easily dispatched, the next dozen were able to close to melee range. The bayonet on the end of Redgrave¡¯s rifle pierced the lead Orc three times in quick succession. The NPC standing next to Redgrave fell to a greyskin¡¯s scything longsword, but Redgrave did not allow the NPC¡¯s blade to fall to the ground. In one swift motion, Redgrave grabbed the NPC¡¯s saber, cut his own leg, and removed the head from the Orc that had killed the NPC. Meanwhile, FullDan was engaged in a pitched melee of his own. Every Orc that dared enter striking range was dealt a debilitating but not immediately fatal wound. The first orc to approach FullDan was blinded by a single savage cut. The remaining five Orcs dispatched by FullDan slowly bled to death over the next ten minutes. During his time in the Scions, FullDan learned that he could save half a second per target if he merely disabled rather than killed them. Ultimately, FullDan defeated six of the Orcs from the second wave, and Redgrave defeated three. The guttural screams of the dying Orcs temporarily halted the advance. Just as Redgrave allowed himself a moment of respite, he saw a number of Goblins wielding firearms peek out from behind the cover of the houses. In a moment of panic, Redgrave realized that he was out of cover, and several rifles were pointed at him. Redgrave dove for cover behind a concrete divider and landed hard. He felt an explosion of pain in one of his kneecaps. For a moment, Redgrave thought he had landed incorrectly and twisted his knee. When he looked down, however, he saw that he had caught a bullet in his knee. Redgrave took a moment to heal his wound. That was the worst pain he had ever felt, thought Redgrave. He really did not want to be shot again. Redgrave used the blood from his knee wound to anoint another magazine of .45 ACP. He popped his head out of cover and saw that the goblins had been killed by the combined fire of more than twenty players. Slowly getting to his feet, Redgrave saw the figure of FullDan kneeling out of cover. Horrified, Redgrave ran to FullDan¡¯s side. ¡°FullDan!¡± Redgrave shouted. As he got closer, Redgrave realized that FullDan had used a blinded and disarmed Orc as a human shield to survive the unexpected volley of bullets. Redgrave could see that blood was flowing from a wound in FullDan¡¯s shoulder where he was not covered by the Orc. The Orc was completely unharmed by the Goblin''s unanointed bullets, and it was struggling blindly to escape from FullDan¡¯s headlock. ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± said FullDan. He casually slit the blind Orc¡¯s throat and detached himself from the grapple. ¡°Getting shot sucks, though.¡± As FullDan spoke, the hole in his shoulder sealed itself. ¡°How did you fare?¡± ¡°I took a bullet in the knee,¡± said Redgrave. ¡°A few more of those, and the two of us will be dead,¡± sighed FullDan. At that moment, a player confidently walked up to Redgrave and FullDan. He was a middle-aged white man with short grey hair who stood at about six feet tall. He turned to FullDan and said in a clipped English accent, ¡°I suppose you¡¯re FullDan, then?¡± ¡°Mander!¡± FulDan said happily. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how happy I am to see another S-rank.¡± ¡°Yes, well, sorry for the tardiness,¡± said Mander. ¡°I didn¡¯t know the situation was so dire here.¡± ¡°Will you take command?¡± asked Redgrave. ¡°If that is what is desired of me,¡± said Mander. The Englishman looked at the situation around them before saying, ¡°Clearly, we¡¯re going to need better sightlines. The nearest house can¡¯t be more than ten meters from the Gate.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking,¡± said FullDan. ¡°But how could we get better sightlines?¡± ¡°Arson, my friend,¡± Mander said with a smile. ¡°We burn those houses,¡± Mander pointed at the structures near the Gate, ¡°and we reclaim the advantage.¡±
From Enzo¡¯s perspective, the beginning of the battle was incredibly simple. He sat on his perch above the battle and spent the next five minutes picking off any goblins that stuck their heads out of cover. What he did not know is that his skill with the rifle had made him a priority target for the Deluvians. The ¡°sharpshooters in the battlements¡± severely hampered the assault on the East Gate, and this information was quickly communicated to the Deluvians¡¯ commanding officers.
Redgrave, Dendrite, and a decently-skilled player called VK volunteered for arson duty. Mander had acquired some rags and gas cans from the NPC officers. The job should have been easy. Ever since the third wave was repelled, nobody at the East Gate had seen any Deluvians. Mander intended to use this opportunity to burn down the houses to expand sightlines and, perhaps, hinder the Deluvians¡¯ advance. Character Sheet
Name Voight-Kampff
Level 5
Blood Points 105/110
Mana Points 11/11
Race Revenant
Fortitude 11
Strength 12
Agility 14
Wisdom 7
The three men of the arson team moved quickly to their pre-planned positions. They split up. Dendrite took the left, Redgrave took the center, and VK took the right. Redgrave was pouring gasoline on a wooden house when he spotted a flickering shadow out of the corner of his eye. He unholstered his sidearm and kept it at the ready as he used a long gas lighter to start the fire. The house lit up amazingly quickly as the fire spread like a gluttonous serpent. Suddenly, there was a flash of light and a roar of thunder that emanated from the wall behind Redgrave. He turned and saw as the battlements to each side of the East Gate slowly collapsed to the ground.
Enzo looked down at Redgrave as he disappeared into the dense maze of suburban houses just outside of the East Gate. Poldra sat on the ground next to him; her rifle was leaned against a divet in the parapet. As Enzo watched, Poldra took out a packet of cigarettes with illegible symbols on the packaging and began smoking. She wordlessly offered a cigarette to Enzo who turned her down with a wave. After letting out a puff of smoke, Poldra asked, ¡°What do you think happens after you die?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Enzo answered truthfully. ¡°I kinda like the idea of reincarnation,¡± said Poldra. ¡°Eternity seems like such a drag. Even if I went to heaven, it would probably get tiring eventually. With infinite life comes infinite boredom. But with reincarnation, it never gets tiring because you don¡¯t remember the previous lives. It¡¯s kinda like¡­ ignorant bliss, ya know?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± said Enzo, confused. ¡°Why do you bring this up?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Poldra. Bang! Enzo¡¯s only memory of the explosion was an awful, all-encompassing pain and a world-shattering bang. Every part of Enzo¡¯s body was seriously damaged. Despite the serious damage he had taken to his brain, Enzo was able to barely retain enough consciousness to heal himself. The explosion had put Enzo in a fugue state where none of his senses were working. When he awoke from this fugue state, Enzo found himself lying on the ground with his face in the dirt. His clothes were torn up, and he couldn¡¯t find either of his guns. Enzo groaned in pain as he sat up and looked around. Three mangled corpses were strewn about the ground. Two were NPCs, and one was what remained of Poldra. With a grimace, Enzo stood and began to run back to the Gate. When he returned to the East Gate, Enzo found a scene of panic. Players were running back and forth, trying to find the source of the series of explosions they had just heard. FullDan ran up to Enzo and asked, ¡°Enzo, did you see what happened?¡± ¡°The battlements were hit with artillery,¡± Enzo said. ¡°Everyone on them except for me is dead.¡± FullDan swore before he was cut off by the sound of incoming fire. He and Enzo ducked into cover. ¡°Get a gun!¡± FullDan shouted. Enzo turned to survey the scene around him. A player near him fell to the ground, and he ran to the fallen man¡¯s side. The player wasn¡¯t moving. Enzo took the man¡¯s rifle and began returning fire. He had killed three goblins before he felt a terrible pain in his stomach. Enzo looked down. A hole had formed in the concrete barrier just in front of his stomach. Enzo put a hand on his abdomen, and it came away slick with fresh blood. An intense light-headedness gripped him, and he fell to the ground. Chapter 12 - [The Uncaring Flames] The Ducal Palace The throne room of the Ivory Palace was abuzz with activity. Archduke Edwin III of Greater Osiris was sitting upon his argent throne, trying to listen to the overlapping voices of his highborn advisors. The Marshal, Chancellor, and Seneschal of Osiris were arguing over the next best course of action. All the while, Captain Riomed Kisalak looked on in consternation. ¡°Silence,¡± Edwin said with a flick of his gloved hand. He did not raise his voice, but the shouting stopped immediately. ¡°This is a hall of governance, not a schoolyard. You shall present your arguments one at a time¡­ without interrupting each other. Am I understood?¡± ¡°Yes, Duke Edwin,¡± the three advisors said, bowing. ¡°My Seneschal shall speak first,¡± said Duke Edwin. ¡°Lord Galad of House Telluride, you may speak.¡± The Duke spoke as if he was reminding Galad of his duty as a lord to act with decorum. The man standing to the Duke¡¯s right began to speak, ¡°The Revenants are not following any of our orders, sire. And worse, they have been speaking complete nonsense. Many of them claim to have memories of a separate world. They claim that this other world is real, and ours is fake.¡± ¡°We were aware that some Revenants would develop derangements,¡± said the Duke, ¡°but in all previous Deluges, they served as excellent soldiers.¡± ¡°Respectfully, sir,¡± Galad said carefully, ¡°I believe the derangements have made the Revenants disloyal to Osiris. Some of them fight, but I believe they only fight for self-preservation. I have not heard one testimony of an officer giving an order to a Revenant and that Revenant following the order without consideration." ¡°I understand, Galad,¡± said the Duke. ¡°I must look into this situation further. Are the Revenants currently defending against this new incursion?¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Galad said. ¡°They are defending the City right now, but I fear that¡­¡± Duke Edwin held up a hand and Lord Galad stopped speaking mid-sentence. ¡°That is all, Lord Galad. We will deal with this problem later. Next, Chancellor Dalin of House Vanta, you may speak.¡± ¡°Thank you, Duke Edwin,¡± Chancellor Dalin said. He gave a deep bow; his pale complexion contrasted strongly against his black clothing. ¡°I have completed the survey of the resources currently available to Osiris. Our vaults currently hold thirteen billion Osirian Ren, though this money serves little purpose if we have no one to trade with. In terms of food availability, our silos hold enough food for sixty days if we do not institute rationing amongst the populace. We can double our food reserves if we institute rationing, but that will, of course, harm morale. Many within the City will only truly believe there is a crisis once food rationing is in place.¡± ¡°I understand, Lord Dalin,¡± said Duke Edwin. ¡°Begin food rationing immediately. We don¡¯t know how long we¡¯ll be cut off from the rest of the world.¡± Dalin bowed his head with a smile on his face. ¡°Excellent choice, my liege.¡± ¡°Next, my Marshal,¡± said Duke Edwin. ¡°Sir Regis of House Evrett, you may speak.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said Regis. ¡°As Lord Galad explained earlier, most of our interactions with the Revenants have been completely pointless. They have been very insular, and it is very difficult to even get them to talk to us. However, Captain Kisalak,¡± Regis gestured to the Captain, ¡°was able to have a valuable conversation with a Revenant. It will be for the best if he explains the situation in his own words.¡± The Captain stepped forward and shot off a quick salute, which was returned by Marshal Regis. ¡°It is an honor, my liege,¡± Kisalak said awkwardly. ¡°I spoke to a Revenant who called himself Tantalus.¡± ¡°Tantalus?¡± the Duke interrupted him. ¡°Like the man from the legend?¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the Captain said meekly. ¡°We believe that ''Tantalus'' is a title of sorts. He described himself as a leader of the Revenants. Tantalus said that leadership would most likely be split among one called Ashcroft, one called Mander, and himself, though he expressed uncertainty that it would happen exactly like this.¡± ¡°Did he say anything else?¡± asked the Duke. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said the Captain. ¡°He said that the Revenants hold absolutely no loyalty to any governing body on Ferrum,¡± the Duke grimaced noticeably at this information, but the Captain continued to speak, ¡°but some of the Revenants might develop loyalty over time. Tantalus also mentioned that the Revenants are not a monolithic entity. The only quality that all Revenants share is the desire to kill the God of Machines, according to Tantalus.¡± After a few seconds of silence, Duke Edwin spoke, ¡°Thank you for your time, Captain Kisalak. Your testimony has been very helpful.¡± The Duke then sat back in his throne with his fingers steepled. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Marshal Regis gestured for the Captain to leave, and he left with haste. A long period of silence passed before the Marshal asked, ¡°Is that all, my lord?¡± ¡°The situation is grave, but I believe we can survive with mindful planning and careful diplomacy,¡± Duke Edwin said, mostly to himself. ¡°Leave me with my thoughts.¡± The Duke¡¯s three advisors left the throne room. The Duke sat in contemplative silence for several seconds before the sound of a thunderstrike caused him to stand up. By the time he had walked to the window, the sound had repeated several times from different directions. To the Duke, it sounded as if God Himself had begun to visit retribution upon his city.
The East Gate 2:50 P.M. Redgrave watched in horror as the wall cracked and the battlements fell to the ground. A feeling of existential terror seeped into his bones. For the first time since the game had begun, Redgrave felt like the challenge before him was completely out of his league. How could he possibly compete with a force that could summon forth such irresistible firepower? A squad of five Goblins entered Redgrave¡¯s sightline. He switched his rifle to his left hand and engaged the Goblin squad with his sidearm. Two of the Goblins fell before they were able to aim their rifles in Redgrave¡¯s direction. Redgrave rolled into cover behind a house away from the returning fire. Immediately, Redgrave turned and began to move to a more advantageous position. He circled around the house he had taken cover behind. After turning two corners, Redgrave could once again see the squad of Goblins. They were slowly approaching Redgrave¡¯s last known position, and they were entirely focused on that spot. Redgrave switched his sidearm to his left hand and began shooting at the Goblin squad. Two more Goblins fell in the face of Redgrave¡¯s carefully aimed shots, but the last was able to scramble behind cover before Redgrave could kill it. He did not drop his aim for several seconds. He remained perfectly silent and still like a panther that had spotted a wounded gazelle. Then, the Goblin stuck its upper body out of cover. Redgrave pulled the trigger, and the Goblin¡¯s head popped like a grape. Holstering his now empty sidearm, Redgrave ran back to the arsonist supplies he had placed on the ground. He haphazardly lit another wooden building on fire before he was drawn away by the sound of nearby gunfire. Redgrave arrived at the scene of the fight and saw Dendrite and Voight-Kampff surrounded by five Orcs on one side and five Goblins on the other. The two men stood out in the open. Dendrite faced the Orcs, and VK faced the Goblins. Voight-Kampff had long red hair that was tied back in a ponytail. This red hair was now matched by the red that now speckled VK¡¯s face and upper chest. Redgrave figured that VK must have been shot in the cheek or neck, but he could not be sure now that the wound had been healed. VK dropped his empty rifle to the ground and began firing his sidearm at the enemies. Dendrite was having an even worse time than VK. The Orcs did not act like henchmen in an action movie. When one attacked, the rest would follow an instant later. Other Orcs had almost managed to kill Ashcroft using a similar strategy, and Dendrite did not nearly have Ashcroft¡¯s level of speed or experience. Dendrite¡¯s coat was stained red with blood, and he had been cut several times. Dendrite¡¯s stance was unsteady, and it was clear that the blood loss was starting to affect him. Redgrave began sprinting toward Dendrite and VK. He gave the orcs a wide berth, but one took a swing at him as he ran past. Redgrave easily dodged the swing, and the Orc received a severed carotid artery for its trouble. Redgrave returned his knife to its sheath as he arrived at Dendrite¡¯s side. ¡°Catch!¡± Redgrave shouted as he threw his rifle at VK. Voight-Kampff caught the rifle with a level of coordination such that Redgrave was certain he had put a lot of hours into Ninth Oasis. An instant later, Redgrave drew his anointed longsword from its scabbard. ¡°Come on!¡± Redgrave shouted, his grey cape fluttering in the wind.
The final orc fell as Redgrave deftly removed its head from its shoulders. Now that the reverie of battle had left him, Redgrave blinked and took in the scene around him. VK was leaning against a wall, Dendrite had fallen to the ground, and the fire had almost reached their position. Dendrite had fallen to the ground face-first. Redgrave kneeled down and turned him over. Dendrite¡¯s dark skin had taken on a sickly pale color, and his eyes were out of focus. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Unable to speak, Dendrite held a closed hand out toward Redgrave. Redgrave grabbed Dendrite¡¯s outstretched hand. A moment later, the hand went slack. Redgrave unclenched Dendrite¡¯s hand and saw what was held within. In his hand, Dendrite held the pair of dog tags that he had received when he started the game. ¡°What?¡± Redgrave asked, turning to look Dendrite in the eyes. Dendrite did not respond. His eyes were closed, and he laid still on the ground. Redgrave''s breath caught in his throat as he looked between Dendrite and the dog tags. Redgrave heard someone speaking, but he couldn''t quite make out the voice. Redgrave felt like he was underwater, and outside stimuli could not reach him. Seconds passed before a hand on his shoulder snapped Redgrave back to reality. "The fire''s almost on us, Redgrave!" Voight-Kampff shouted. "We have to go!" VK began to pull Redgrave away from the fire. "We can''t leave him," said Redgrave. "Can you carry him? I definitely can''t!" VK said, gesturing to his wounded body. Redgrave tried to lift Dendrite, but an intense wave of light-headedness nearly knocked him off his feet as he tried to do so. "He''s dead, man!" shouted VK. "Come on!" The fire had nearly reached them at this point. They were flanked on two sides by burning houses, and it was only a matter of time before they were completely surrounded. Voight-Kampff grabbed Redgrave firmly by the arm and began to pull Redgrave bodily away from the fire. The two men returned, heavily wounded and covered in ash, to the security of the East Gate, leaving Dendrite to the uncaring flames. Chapter 13 - [A Cheer Went Up Among the Defenders] The North Gate ¡°Why is it that all of the revolvers we looted had to be right-handed?¡± Ashcroft complained. Ashcroft and Emile had advanced far beyond the North Gate. They could no longer see the Gate behind them, but they could barely make out the top of the huge concrete wall that surrounded Osiris. Ashcroft held his revolver in his left hand and a handful of bullets in his right. The revolver¡¯s cylinder ejected out of the left side of the gun, so Ashcroft had to contort his hands awkwardly to reload the revolver. Emile reloaded the shotgun he had looted from a Goblin five minutes before. ¡°Most people are right-handed. In fact, you¡¯re right-handed, Ashcroft.¡± ¡°Impressive that I can shoot so well with my left hand then, isn''t it?¡± Ashcroft said with a smile. The two Knights stood atop a thin coating of dust. Dust and various pieces of scattered equipment was all that remained of three dozen Deluvians. Ashcroft and Emile had a lot of experience working as a unit, and they made short work of any monstrous incursion. Ashcroft closed his eyes for two seconds to check his Character Sheet.
Name Ashcroft
Level 8
Blood Points 120/130
Mana Points 14/14
Race Revenant
Fortitude 13
Strength 16
Agility 12
Wisdom 7
Attribute Modifier: Strength Training (1) In the half-second that the Character Sheet was in his vision, Ashcroft burned the image into his mind. He smiled at the recalled image. His combat level had gone from five to eight since the last time he had checked it. Ashcroft didn''t quite understand how the leveling system worked, but he was happy to see that killing Deluvians was having a significant impact on his level. A Goblin¡¯s head and torso appeared in a second-floor windowsill of a nearby building. Ashcroft casually thrust his revolver in the Goblin¡¯s direction and pulled the trigger. He did not have time to look down the gun sights; he fired based on instinct alone. The Goblin¡¯s head jerked back as the bullet passed through its brain. ¡°Do you think Tantalus will get pissed that we killed the NPCs at the North Gate?¡± Emile asked without remarking on Ashcroft''s perfect shot. ¡°No way,¡± Ashcroft said with a laugh. ¡°Tantalus is a smart guy. He won¡¯t care that we decided to get some practice in before we ran into any real trouble. It''s more likely that he''ll get pissed that I had the idea before him." ¡°But¡­¡± Emile said. ¡°Tantalus isn¡¯t your boss, Emile,¡± Ashcroft cut him off. ¡°Hell, neither am I, not officially. We¡¯ve only been in the game for about five hours. Not enough time has passed for a hierarchy to calcify.¡± Three more Goblins appeared from behind a house, but they were killed effortlessly by the combined gunfire of the two Knights. ¡°I do not intend to take orders from Tantalus,¡± Ashcroft continued. ¡°An equal relationship would be acceptable, but I don¡¯t know exactly how the cards will fall. If I end up in charge of Osiris, so be it.¡± A door no more than five feet to Aschroft¡¯s left crashed open, revealing an Orc dressed in full plate armor. The Orc wielded a spear in one hand, and it used its own momentum to bring the point of the spear careening toward Ashcroft¡¯s ribs. At the last possible instant, Ashcroft jumped out of the way. Acting entirely on instinct, Ashcroft drew his saber and brought it crashing against the Orc¡¯s chest. There was a loud clang of metal on metal, and the sword bounced harmlessly off of the Orc¡¯s armor. The momentum of Ashcroft''s assault caused him to skid a few inches. A half second after the armored Orc¡¯s unexpected assault, five more Orcs burst out of the entrance of a nearby house. These five Orcs were equipped with the standard fur clothing and two-handed swords. Emile¡¯s attempt to assist Ashcroft was interrupted as all five of these advancing Orcs engaged in melee combat with him. Ashcroft, now inside the reach of the Orc Captain¡¯s spear, lost no time in altering his attack. The Captain of the Knights of Ashes steadied his saber against the wrist of his hand holding the revolver. The Orc Captain tried to step away from Ashcroft, but Ashcroft perfectly matched its footwork as he brought the tip of his saber up to an eye hole in the Orc¡¯s helmet. A look of fear and confusion colored the Orc Captain¡¯s expression as it tried to escape. This was the first time Ashcroft had seen a Deluvian express an emotion other than pure hatred. Ashcroft¡¯s moment of hesitation gave the Orc Captain time to draw a dagger from its hip and bring its steel tip toward Ashcroft¡¯s stomach. He dodged out of the way of the dagger, but the process forced him several steps back. With an annoyed huff, Ashcroft saw that he was back outside of the Orc Captain''s range. He silently lamented his mistake. Like a chess master evaluating a lost match, Ashcroft realized that he would have been able to kill the Orc Captain in that exchange if he had just let himself be stabbed and used the opening to strike at the opening in the Orc''s armor. ¡°Emile, how¡¯re you doing?¡± Ashcroft asked without looking back at Emile. Ashcroft spent a few seconds pacing around the Orc Captain, looking for openings. ¡°Give me a second!¡± Emile said over the sound of anointed steel cutting through Orc flesh. ¡°You have skill, Revenant,¡± the Orc Captain said without warning. The Orc¡¯s voice was surprisingly human-like, and there was a pleasing quality to it. In a different situation, Ashcroft might even have called the voice soothing. ¡°I would like to hear your name before I kill you.¡± ¡°Oh, you clearly don¡¯t know who you¡¯re dealing with,¡± Ashcroft said with a smirk. ¡°You can call me Sir Ashcroft of the..." Ashcroft''s speech was cut off by Emile, who shouted, ¡°Oy! Ashcroft! Quit screwing around! Kill that Orc so you can help me!¡± ¡°Right,¡± Ashcroft muttered under his breath. In the span of two seconds, Ashcroft fired six perfectly placed shots into the Orc Captain¡¯s breastplate. The shots were grouped together in a perfect circle. Any non-supernatural entity would have been killed by such an assault. ¡°Has no one told you that only weapons anointed in holy blood may pierce the hide of my kind?¡± the Orc Captain asked mockingly. Ashcroft cast his revolver aside and began sprinting full speed at the Orc Captain. He took a grazing blow from the tip of the Orc¡¯s spear as he closed to close-combat range. The Orc was still holding a dagger in its off-hand, and it tried to bring the dagger to bear. Ashcroft did not remain at close range with the Orc for long enough for it to use the dagger. His body came into contact with the Orc Captain, then he brushed past and out of range of both the spear and the dagger. The Orc Captain was confused by Ashcroft¡¯s behavior. Why had the Revenant risked the danger of charging past the spear if he was not going to do anything with the opening? As the Orc Captain thought this, it looked at Ashcroft and saw that he was not holding anything in his hands. Where had the Revenant¡¯s sword gone? Slowly, the Orc Captain looked down at its own body. Ashcroft¡¯s saber had speared through its chest. ¡°To answer your question,¡± Ashcroft said as the Orc Captain stumbled, ¡°I know that bullets can¡¯t pierce an orc¡¯s skin. I also know that bullets have no trouble piercing through plate mail.¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. With a horrified look on its face, the Orc Captain fell dead to the ground. ¡°Emile!¡± Ashcroft shouted, turning toward Emile for the first time since the fight began. Emile was bleeding from a large chest wound, and the Orc attackers laid completely motionless on the ground. ¡°Well, that sucked,¡± Emile complained loudly before sitting on the ground with a huff. ¡°I think we should head back to the Gate.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said Ashcroft. After a long pause, Ashcroft continued, ¡°Something tells me this is going to be harder than I originally thought.¡±
The West Gate The conflagration had progressed nicely. Upon arriving at the West Gate, Tantalus immediately ordered several nearby NPCs to burn down the houses beyond the portcullis. The fire at the West Gate started four minutes before the fire at the East Gate, and this allowed more breathing room for the defenders under Tantalus''s command. Elias crouched low behind a concrete barrier. He grasped his rifle with shaking hands. His vision was severely impaired by the shrapnel that had peppered his right eye. He had healed the damage, but his eye, apparently unsalvageable, had squelched out of his head in much the same way as Cadmium''s foot.
Name Elias777
Level 5
Blood Points 99/140
Mana Points 14/14
Race Revenant
Fortitude 14
Strength 11
Agility 9
Wisdom 10
Bebop laid dead a few feet from Elias. The dead man''s face was a rictus mask of terror. His throat had been torn open by a high-caliber bullet, and he must have gone into shock before he could heal himself. The satchel at Elias¡¯s side was starting to get light. He was starting to dread the moment that he ran out of bullets and had to start looting Bebop¡¯s corpse for ammo. In the brief moments Elias had spared to look at Tantalus during the fight, he saw an unparalleled level of carnage. Tantalus had fought visciously, disassembling the Deluvians like a child plucking the wings off a butterfly. There was no doubt in Elias¡¯s mind that the brutality of the killings served the secondary purpose of terrifying the surviving Deluvians. At that moment, however, it was calm. The fighting had stopped, and the defenders were tense with anticipation. Two figures appeared running from the smoke of the conflagration. Elias gritted his teeth to the point that he could feel them scraping as he aimed his rifle at the figures. He was just about to pull the trigger when he started to make out qualities of the figures. The two figures were Pixie and one of the NPCs that Tantalus had sent to start the fire. ¡°Friendlies approaching!¡± shouted Pixie. ¡°Don¡¯t shoot!¡±
Name Pixie_Chix
Level 6
Blood Points 85/90
Mana Points 29/29
Race Revenant
Fortitude 9
Strength 7
Agility 13
Wisdom 12
Elias stood up from cover with a heavy sigh of relief as Pixie and the NPC took cover in one of the alcoves off to one side of the opening to the Gate. The player and NPC leaned against the wall while trying to catch their breath. Tantalus, absolutely covered head to toe in Deluvian blood, approached the two. Elias followed close after. Pixie looked up as Tantalus approached and recoiled slightly. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Oh yeah, this...¡± said Tantalus, ¡°this is NPC blood, mostly. How¡¯d the mission go?¡± ¡°Could have gone better,¡± said Pixie. ¡°We lost most of the NPCs to the Goblins, but I was able to save the last one.¡± Pixie patted the NPC on his back. ¡°What¡¯s an NPC?¡± the NPC asked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Pixie said quickly. ¡°Sir,¡± the NPC began speaking to Tantalus. ¡°I know I¡¯m speaking out of line here, but I have to know. Why did we have to burn those houses down? I really hate to ask, but Eadric and Demetrius deserve to have died for a reason.¡± ¡°Your comrades died for a good cause, son,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°The fire will slow the assault and allow us to use these,¡± Tantalus gestured at his bloody rifle, ¡°much more effectively.¡± The NPC grimaced at the sight of the gun, but he was mostly able to hide it. ¡°Thank you for explaining, sir.¡± ¡°By the way,¡± said Tantalus, ¡°I never caught your name.¡± ¡°Sigismund, sir,¡± said Sigismund. ¡°If I may, I need give my report to Colonel Dozok.¡± He saluted Tantalus as he left. ¡°What a strange culture,¡± Tantalus mused quietly as Sigismund left. Pixie approached Elias and asked, ¡°What happened while I was away?¡± ¡°Five of us have died so far, including Bebop,¡± said Elias. ¡°Among the survivors, just about all of us have taken damage. I¡¯d say we¡¯ve killed about fifty of ¡®em. Oh yeah, and we¡¯ve lost about twenty NPCs. The stupid bastards don¡¯t understand how cover works. They¡¯ll charge toward a gun line of Goblins if we don¡¯t physically restrain them. Did you see any Deluvians when you were coming back?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Pixie after a moment of processing the numbers. ¡°We¡¯ve lost five people?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Elias sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s get into cover so we don¡¯t get added to that statistic.¡± Pixie and Elias took cover behind a concrete barrier, pointing their rifles at the entrance to the West Gate. They remained there, taking turns aiming their rifles at the Gate, for the next twenty minutes. After a long period of inactivity, Tantalus shouted to the defenders of the West Gate, ¡°They¡¯re not coming! Stand down for now!¡± A cheer went up among the defenders, and Elias slumped down in relief. ¡°Will every day be like this?¡± asked Pixie. ¡°God, I hope not,¡± said Elias.
The East Gate The battle had ended, and FullDan was left surrounded by the corpses of players and NPCs. Mander was standing in the center of a semi-circle of the ashen remains of more than a dozen Deluvians. FullDan saw Enzo sitting on the ground with his back against a concrete barrier. He was facing toward the open gate, and he held an empty 1911 in his hand. Enzo¡¯s form was lit up by the burning houses just outside the East Gate. Panicked, FullDan ran to Enzo¡¯s side. When he got closer, he could see that Enzo was bleeding heavily from three gunshot wounds. Enzo had been shot in the stomach, lung, and thigh. Enzo spoke quietly, ¡°Hey¡­ FullDan¡­ you got any ammo? I seem to be out.¡± He chuckled weakly at his own joke. ¡°You¡¯re hit bad,¡± FullDan said, taking in the severity of Enzo¡¯s wounds. With no hesitation, FullDan tore off his own jacket and started tearing it into strips. ¡°I need a doctor!¡± FullDan shouted loud enough for anyone at the East Gate to hear.
Name EnzoTheBaker
Combat Level 5
Blood Points 6/150
Mana Points 12/12
Race Revenant
Fortitude 14
Strength 12
Agility 9
Wisdom 8
¡°I messed up,¡± said Enzo. ¡°I should have retreated back to the City after I fell from the battlement. Stupid mistake. I¡¯ve lost too much blood; my Rapid Healing isn¡¯t working. I¡¯ve only got six Blood Points left, and it¡¯s going down. I don¡¯t know what happens when it hits zero, but it can¡¯t be good. Five now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, man,¡± FullDan said, clearly lying. ¡°I¡¯m going to stop the bleeding, we¡¯ll get you hooked up to a blood bag, and then you¡¯ll be able to heal yourself. How¡¯s that sound? Hey, stay awake. IS ANYONE HERE A DOCTOR!?¡± FullDan shouted significantly louder this time. ¡°Four,¡± Enzo said. Tears began to fall from Enzo¡¯s eyes. ¡°No, I can feel it. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to walk away from this, FullDan. God¡­¡± Enzo¡¯s voice broke, ¡°I really wanted to see the world with you guys, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to. Sorry.¡± ¡°Listen to me, Enzo,¡± said FullDan. ¡°You¡¯re going to be fine. Just hold this bandage in place, okay?¡± With a sudden burst of strength, Enzo grabbed FullDan by his white undershirt and pulled him close. FullDan could see the tears in Enzo¡¯s eyes. ¡°I only have a few seconds¡­¡± A powerful resolve formed in Enzo¡¯s eyes in that instant. ¡°Could you do me one last favor?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Beat this game... and kill GM." Enzo¡¯s grip on FullDan¡¯s shirt loosened, and his body fell once more against the concrete divider. Enzo¡¯s eyes closed, and he did not stir. Chapter 14 - [Talents] 3:15 P.M. Redgrave and Voight-Kampff crossed the threshold into the relative safety of the East Gate. Redgrave fell to his hands and knees coughing while VK leaned against a concrete barrier and dry heaved. Nothing came up because the Rapid Healing skill had already cannibalized all food within VK¡¯s stomach. Mander approached the remaining two members of the arson team. ¡°Is the third man with you?¡± After a long moment of no response beyond Redgrave¡¯s racking coughs, VK responded, ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Mander responded grimly. ¡°Close the Gate!¡± he shouted to the defenders. Mander let out a long sigh and sat down atop a concrete barrier. Mander kept an eye on Redgrave¡¯s prone form until Redgrave¡¯s coughing fit passed. ¡°Are you okay, Redgrave?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Redgrave said with effort. ¡°Just some smoke inhalation.¡± ¡°We lost a few players while you were gone,¡± Mander said sadly. ¡°Do you mean the artillery barrage?¡± asked VK. ¡°We saw it hit the wall from where we were.¡± ¡°Partially,¡± said Mander. ¡°Three players died in the bombardment, and four more players were killed by Deluvians on the ground.¡± ¡°Eight deaths at the East Gate alone,¡± VK sighed. ¡°So far,¡± said Redgrave. ¡°Mander, do you think there will be another wave?¡± ¡°Unlikely,¡± said Mander. ¡°Ashcroft has reported a full Deluvian retreat at the North Gate, and Tantalus says the West Gate hasn¡¯t seen any Deluvian activity for the past ten minutes. They seem to be in full retreat.¡± ¡°Thank God,¡± said VK. ¡°So we¡¯re safe for now,¡± said Redgrave. FullDan, dressed in a bloodstained white undershirt and blue pants, approached Mander. ¡°We¡¯ve moved the corpses,¡± FullDan said to Mander. It was clear to Redgrave that an air of melancholy had settled over the ex-Scion. FullDan gave a weak smile and lightly slapped Redgrave and VK on their shoulders. ¡°Glad to see you two made it,¡± he said. ¡°Redgrave¡­ most of the people that drove over with us are dead now. Enzo, Damocloid, and Poldra. They didn¡¯t make it.¡± Redgrave, FullDan, and VK walked over to the corner of the East Gate where the corpses of four men were arranged in a line. Redgrave recognized the figures of Enzo and Damocloid, but he did not recognize the other two. ¡°The fire prevented us from collecting the bodies of those killed in the bombardment,¡± said FullDan. After a long silence, Redgrave asked, ¡°How many people showed up to defend this Gate?¡± ¡°Forty or fifty,¡± said FullDan. ¡°That makes a twenty percent casualty rate,¡± said VK after a moment of calculation. ¡°Do we know what kind of casualties the other Gates took?¡± asked Redgrave. FullDan closed his eyes. ¡°Give me a second.¡± After a long pause, FullDan opened his eyes and said, ¡°Three at the West Gate and six at the North Gate.¡± ¡°Seventeen people died on the whim of GM,¡± VK spat. Redgrave reached down toward the corpse of Enzo and began fishing through his satchel. VK and FullDan looked at him strangely, but they did not say anything. Slowly, Redgrave extracted two oblong metal objects attached to a necklace. The text on the necklace read: ??¡¯?? ? ???? ¡°Dog tags?¡± asked FullDan. Redgrave reached into his own satchel and removed Dendrite¡¯s dog tags. ¡°I should take these back to the West Gate.¡± Redgrave held his fist out to FullDan. FullDan touched his fist to Redgrave¡¯s. ¡°Make sure you stay alive until we meet next,¡± said FullDan. ¡°You too,¡± said Redgrave. ¡°With you, though, I¡¯m more worried for the Deluvians.¡± Redgrave and VK touched fists. ¡°You did well in that fight, VK,¡± said Redgrave. ¡°When the odds were stacked against you, you didn¡¯t give up.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± said VK. ¡°If we¡¯re all alive in a few days, we should get a drink together.¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± said Redgrave. ¡°I said close the damn Gate!¡± Mander shouted from far off. ¡°Do you have it handled here?¡± said Redgrave. ¡°Worst comes to worst, we just have to kill some NPCs,¡± said FullDan. ¡°Compared to the Deluvians, it would be a walk in the park.¡± ¡°If you say so,¡± said Redgrave as he turned toward the City. ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys later.¡±
Osiris Central Bunker Cadmium sat in a large bunker that was filled to the brim with hundreds of NPCs and a dozen players. It had taken him a long time to reach the bunker using his rifle as a crutch to compensate for his missing foot. Cadmium had asked Tantalus to drop him off near a crowd of NPCs. If there was anything he was certain of, it was that he would be next to useless in a combat situation. The NPCs in the massive bunker frequently gave Cadmium dirty looks. Rather, it was more that they were giving dirty looks to his firearms. Cadmium turned his collar up and tried not to make eye contact with any of the NPCs. He sat on the ground with his back to a wall and opened the menu. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Name Cadmium_Alchemist
Level 3
Blood Points 85/100
Mana Points 16/16
Race Revenant
Fortitude 10
Strength 9
Agility 9
Wisdom 14
The menu popped up in the solitary darkness of Cadmium¡¯s mind. There were the familiar nine entries: Character Sheet, Talents, Magic, BloodNet, Messages, Friends, Guild, Map, and Settings. Cadmium had already investigated the Character Sheet, BloodNet, Messages, Friends, and Map items on the list. Cadmium had already learned that his Level was 3. With this in mind, Cadmium decided to open his Talents tab. Immediately upon opening the Talents tab, Cadmium was overwhelmed by information. There were rows within the Talents tab. One of the rows had two entries in glowing white text, and the other row had hundreds of items in dull grey text. Only two items were listed under Special Skills. These were Holy Blood and Rapid Healing. Upon clicking on the Special Skills icon, a drop-down list was opened with a list of more than a hundred greyed-out words and phrases. The greyed-out text said such things as Auto-Dodge or Assassinate. Cadmium immediately realized that these were the talents that he had not yet unlocked. Overwhelmed by all of the information he had suddenly gained access to, Cadmium clicked on a faintly flashing notification under the Special Skills tab. The notification said: Congratulations! You have unlocked a new Talent! Talents currently available to you are: Auto-Craft; Eyes of Identification; Fire Resistance; Inspired Scientist; Pain Nullification; Superior Skill: Chemistry; Superior Skill: Physics. After reading through these options, Cadmium decided to go with Auto-Craft. This talent would allow Cadmium to reduce the amount of time spent crafting an object down to zero. He could make anything instantaneously as long as he had the required materials and tools to create an object, according to the talent sheet. The draw-back of this skill was that twice as many materials would be needed to create the object, and any tools used would be worn out four times as fast compared to if the object had been naturally crafted.
Talents
Auto-Craft
Holy Blood
Rapid Healing
Talent set! Two slots remain!
Turning his eyes toward the crowd around him, Cadmium saw that four players had congregated near the center of the large bunker. They were easy to spot in the crowd due to the striking blue color of their uniforms. It suddenly struck Cadmium that the uniforms had probably been designed in such a way that they could be seen from far away. While good for unit cohesion, the uniform¡¯s color was terrible for camouflage. In that instant, Cadmium realized that the military of Osiris didn¡¯t care about the well- being of the Revenants. The players were viewed as completely expendable, unlike the NPC soldiers who had been issued sensible green uniforms. Anger at the NPCs began to flower in Cadmium¡¯s chest. In disgust, Cadmium removed his jacket and cast it to the floor. He then began to limp toward the other players, using his rifle as a crutch. The process was easier than Cadmium initially anticipated due to his avatar¡¯s natural athleticism. The process was further facilitated by the fact that the NPCs in the crowd gave Cadmium a wide berth as he passed by. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re allowed to¡­¡± one of the NPCs began to say meekly. ¡°Shut up,¡± Cadmium said venomously. Cadmium soon arrived at the small group of players. There were four of them total, and two of them were women. One of the men caught Cadmium¡¯s attention. The man seemed to be about fifty years old, and he did not carry any guns on his person. The man¡¯s age struck Cadmium as odd because just about all of the players Cadmium had met so far had avatars which were in their twenties or thirties. The remaining three players in the group were two white women and a black man. ¡°Do you mind if I sit here?¡± Cadmium asked. ¡°No problem,¡± said one of the women. The group of players quickly gave their introductions. The old man was called Riemann59. The women were called Glitter_Bee and Eska_Tology, and the black man was called KuroD. ¡°How¡¯d you lose the foot?¡± asked Kuro. ¡°I went through the West Gate and one of the Goblins shot it off,¡± Cadmium said gloomily. ¡°It¡¯ll grow back,¡± said Riemann. There was a strange sense of certainty in Riemann''s words. Cadmium remembered that Tantalus¡¯s voice held absolutely no conviction when he said that Cadmium¡¯s foot would grow back. Riemann''s voice did not carry the same doubt present in Tantalus¡¯s voice. ¡°How do you know?¡± asked Cadmium. ¡°Developers of a game like this wouldn¡¯t allow a player to spend the rest of the game crippled. It just wouldn¡¯t be good game design,¡± said Riemann. ¡°Were you a game developer, Riemann?¡± asked Eska. ¡°Yeah,¡± Riemann responded quickly. ¡°The real reason I came over here,¡± said Cadmium, ¡°is that I wanted to ask what you guys plan to do now. The rest of the group I logged in with is fighting on the front lines. If I were to go with them, I¡¯d just get in the way. So, what¡¯s next for you guys?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Kuro began speaking first, ¡°I don¡¯t know about these guys. We just met on the street an hour ago. I was in business school IRL, so I think I¡¯m gonna look for business opportunities in the City. I asked an NPC about the stuff in our packs, and we each have ten thousand Ren, which I think is a lot of money. I plan to invest that money in a business.¡± As Kuro spoke, Cadmium looked at the black pieces of paper in his satchel. It was only at this point that Cadmium realized that the paper was a currency. ¡°I hadn¡¯t put much thought into it,¡± said Glitter, ¡°but Kuro¡¯s idea sounds pretty smart. Maybe we could pool our resources alongside some other players and start a business. Do you guys have any ideas for a business?¡± Thus, the five players sitting in a circle began planning their joint business venture. Kuro, Glitter, Cadmium, and Eska quickly became excited by the prospect of the joint venture. Riemann, while less enthusiastic about the agreement, agreed after a few minutes of convincing. As he agreed, he muttered, ¡°Might as well.¡± ¡°So what should we call it?¡± asked Glitter. ¡°How does the name ¡®Prometheus, Inc.¡¯ sound? I¡¯ve always wanted to run a company called that,¡± said Kuro. ¡°That sounds good,¡± said Glitter. The rest of the group agreed to the name. When they turned toward Riemann, his eyes were locked to something in the distance. Realization and terror showed on his face. After a moment, Riemann shook himself and said, ¡°Oh¡­ yeah¡­ that¡¯s a fine name. The name just reminded me of a story I was told recently." ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± asked Eska. ¡°Long story,¡± Riemann responded quickly. ¡°Right now, we have more pressing concerns, like the business model for Prometheus, Inc.¡± With that, Cadmium found a way to contribute to Tantalus, his friends, and Osiris as a whole. At the time, however, he did not know the importance of the institution he was helping create or the significance of the man sitting across from him. Over the next few days, however, all of this would be made clear. Chapter 15 - [Youre Out of Line!] The West Gate 3:30 P.M. The portcullis had been lowered, and the fire outside had burned down to a significant but controlled blaze. Rachal and Volta sat together behind a concrete barrier. Elias had left to find a bathroom to clean the blood off his face and examine his head wound. Pixie was talking with some of the NPC officers in the gatehouse. Tantalus spoke to various players and NPCs who had played major parts in the defense of the West Gate. At that moment, Tantalus was speaking to a player who had stolen an Orc''s sword and used it to kill six Deluvians. Three corpses were laid out in a line next to a nearby concrete wall. There was an atmosphere of solemnity at the Gate. Most of the defenders had been present at GM¡¯s speech, and they knew that this incursion, which they had barely survived, was the result of a passing whim of their deranged robotic jailor. For the first time since they had logged in, many people were starting to realize that their lives were seriously in danger. Rachel and Volta had both sustained injuries during the fight. Rachel had been shot in the chest, and Volta had been shot in the shin. Volta was rubbing her leg where she had been shot as if she was reliving the pain of the wound. ¡°Did you hear?¡± asked Volta. ¡°It apparently went even worse at the other two Gates.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good thing we had Tantalus then,¡± Rachel said with a faint smile. Once again, she was trying to look at the bright side. ¡°Eight dead at the East Gate, six at the North Gate,¡± said Volta. ¡°Think about it. That fight was the best-case scenario. I don¡¯t even want to imagine what it was like at the other two Gates.¡± ¡°I wonder how Dendrite, Enzo, and Redgrave are doing,¡± said Rachel. Volta stared blankly into the middle distance for a few moments before saying, ¡°Rachel, you were hit during the fight, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What did it feel like for you?¡± asked Volta. ¡°It was the worst pain I¡¯ve ever felt,¡± said Rachel, ¡°but it went away as soon as I healed the damage.¡± ¡°When I was shot, I could feel the bullet shatter my bone. It felt like the world had ended. The pain was the only thing that existed. It hurt so much that I completely forgot I could heal myself. It must have been more than a minute before I healed myself. If I had been shot somewhere more vital, I¡¯m sure I would have gone into shock before I could heal myself. That¡¯s probably what happened to Bebop,¡± Volta said. ¡°At that moment, I realized just how fragile our bodies are.¡± ¡°That sounds terrible,¡± said Rachel. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that happened to you.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Volta said, holding back tears. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I feel like I¡¯ll die if I stay on the front line for much longer. It¡¯s only a matter of time before I take a bullet to the head and die instantly.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to keep fighting if you don¡¯t want to,¡± Rachel said kindly. ¡°I¡¯m sure plenty of players will make their way as non-combatants.¡± Elias, Tantalus, and Pixie approached the two women. Elias¡¯s left eye had fused shut, and it was clear that the socket no longer held an eyeball. Tantalus¡¯s expression was grave, and the other two members of his entourage looked worried. ¡°Tantalus says he has some information, and he wants us all to be together when he tells us,¡± Elias said. His voice betrayed a barely suppressed anxiety. He knew that the news could not be positive. Rachel and Volta stood up from the ground and prepared themselves for Tantalus to speak. A pit formed in Rachel¡¯s stomach, and a moment later, her fears were confirmed. ¡°Enzo and Dendrite are dead,¡± said Tantalus without fanfare. ¡°I just received the message from Redgrave.¡± A look of shock appeared on Elias¡¯s face, and Volta put her hand to her own mouth like she was about to throw up. Rachel had frozen in place as if the weight of the world around her had suddenly become too much to bear. ¡°Are you sure? Did you retrieve their bodies?¡± Elias said loudly. There was an accusatory tone to Elias¡¯s voice, as if he was accusing Tantalus of telling him false information. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Redgrave says he¡¯s sure that both of them are dead,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°He¡¯s on his way here now. You can ask him for the specifics once he gets here.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Elias said. ¡°When will he get here?¡± ¡°Less than five minutes,¡± said Tantalus, ¡°assuming he took a car.¡± Within a few seconds of Tantalus saying this, Redgrave appeared from behind one of the many cars trapped in the pileup near the West Gate. ¡°Speak of the devil, and he shall appear,¡± Tantalus whispered to himself. Redgrave approached the group. His blue uniform was stained with red. Evidence of bullet and sword wounds marked Redgrave¡¯s outfit from collar to ankle. It was clear that he had been hit nearly a dozen times, and the amount of blood on his clothing confirmed the tale. Redgrave slowly approached the group while using the various concrete barriers on the way over as support. Tantalus ran over and used his shoulder to support Redgrave on the latter half of the trip. Elias looked like he was ready to explode in anger before Redgrave had appeared, but his anger fizzled considerably upon seeing the state Redgrave was in. Upon sitting down, Redgrave began to speak, ¡°I¡¯ll explain what happened as long as nobody has a problem with that¡­¡± After a moment of silence, Redgrave continued to speak. ¡°So, here¡¯s what happened. Mander showed up about a minute into the fight, and he said we should burn the buildings near the Gate. VK, Dendrite, and I volunteered to do the job. While we were gone, they hit the towers to each side of the Gate with artillery. Enzo was on one of the towers. Enzo survived the bombardment, but he lost so much blood healing himself that he couldn¡¯t heal the next injury he took. The Deluvians launched an attack immediately after the bombardment, and that¡¯s where Dendrite died. Dendrite got hit too many times. He lost too much blood. I was there when he fell." At this, Redgrave held up Dendrite¡¯s dog tags. Redgrave said, ¡°VK and I had to leave him there.¡± Redgrave¡¯s voice broke as he told the story. ¡°We had both lost so much blood that we could barely stand, and the fire was almost on us. We¡­ we couldn¡¯t retrieve the body.¡± Dendrite''s dog tags read: ???¡¯???? ¡°You just left him there!?¡± Elias shouted. ¡°Elias¡­¡± Volta gasped through tears. ¡°He could have still been alive!¡± Elias continued to shout. ¡°And you left him there to burn! He relied on you, and you left him to die! Did you view him as so worthless that you couldn''t even bother dragging him a few yards? Redgrave opened his mouth to explain himself, but Tantalus interjected. ¡°You¡¯re out of line, Elias! If Redgrave could have saved Dendrite, he would have! If Redgrave had tried to save him, they both would have died. As it stands, I¡¯m happy that Redgrave had the good sense to get out of there while he still had the chance.¡± ¡°You¡¯re happy that Dendrite is dead!?¡± Elias shouted. Elias then took a few quick steps toward Tantalus who did not move from his position. Tantalus looked up at Elias whose face was now a mere foot from his own. Elias¡¯s fists were clenched, and Tantalus¡¯s body language indicated that he was ready for a fight. ¡°Are you about to start swingin¡¯, cyclops?¡± Tantalus said, his voice a low growl. ¡°If you are, I can tell you right now that the fight won¡¯t end the way it ended with Enzo. Come on, hit me.¡± Tantalus was smiling, trying to provoke a response from Elias. Tantalus had been feeling a deep anger ever since he had heard the news that seventeen people had died at the Gates. Ashcroft had told all of Osiris that Tantalus was the Great Strategist who would create a perfect strategy that would allow the players to beat the game easily. Now that the situation turned out to be more challenging than originally anticipated, Tantalus knew that he would be blamed. Another part of him wondered what he could have done to prevent further deaths. Maybe he could have prevented a few deaths at the North and East Gates if he had thought to micromanage the defenders at those Gates. He welcomed the opportunity to alleviate his anger and sorrow by viciously beating someone in an act of justified self-defense. ¡°Stop it,¡± said Volta. ¡°Hasn¡¯t there been enough fighting for one day?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± said Elias, but he was cut off. ¡°Both of you just stop, please,¡± Rachel said. After a tense moment, Elias and Tantalus broke away from one another. ¡°I think we all need a break,¡± Tantalus began. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here to hold down the fort, and Redgrave will stay here with me ¡®cause he can barely walk. The rest of you go get some food or¡­ just do something other than fighting for your life.¡± His back was turned to the group as he spoke. Elias opened his mouth to speak but stopped short. Instead, he squared his shoulders and walked away from the group. Pixie began to follow Elias, but she was stopped short by Tantalus speaking. ¡°Pixie,¡± said Tantalus, ¡°could you bring back some food for Redgrave and me? Preferably something with a lot of iron.¡± ¡°Will do,¡± said Pixie, turning back to Tantalus for a moment before following after Elias. Rachel and Volta followed soon after Elias and Pixie. None of them were in a particularly good mental condition as they left. Rachel was catatonic, Volta was inconsolable, Elias was apoplectic, and Pixie was anxious. A minute after the last of them disappeared behind the car pileup, Tantalus punched a concrete wall as hard as he could. A loud crack could be heard as one of Tantalus¡¯s finger bones broke. Some of the damage was quickly healed, but some bruising remained as Tantalus only healed himself half of the way. A lingering pain remained in Tantalus¡¯s hand. Tantalus took several deep breaths as he tried to get his emotions under control. He turned to Redgrave and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go find somewhere more comfortable to sit.¡± Redgrave gratefully accepted Tantalus¡¯s shoulder as the two wounded men began to hobble toward the officers¡¯ quarters of the West Gate. [Elias777] Flashback - [Vincent Blackwell] Vincent Blackwell reclined in his chair and looked around his room. In the center of the room was a large table which carried a powerful gaming PC. The screen shined harsh light on Vincent''s pale face, and the fan inside the machine whirred quietly as it tried to simultaneously run a 4x strategy game and download a brand new VRMMORPG. Sitting on the table next to the PC was the Kabuto device, a cutting edge full-dive VR headset that had seen its fair-share of use. The Kabuto device looked like a metallic golf visor with lenses in the front and a protrusion in the back. The protrusion in the back contained a subtle needle which would be inserted into a small device that had been surgically added to the back of Vincent''s neck several years ago. This was how the Kabuto device interfaced with the user''s nervous system. To one side of the room was a shelf that contained several large trophies. Vincent did not need to get closer to know what they said: Ninth Oasis Large Group Champion 2028, 2029, 2030, 2031. The trophies weren''t addressed to Vincent Blackwell, however. On each of the four trophies the name of the recipient was written: Tantalus45. On the wall next to the shelf was a gold YouTube play button similarly addressed to Tantalus45. The fact that these trophies were addressed to Tantalus was partially Vincent''s fault. He really didn''t like giving out his real name. He thought for a moment about the origin of his username: Tantalus. For a long time, he had felt that happiness, the fruit of the living world, was laid out right in front of him. No matter how much he reached out, however, he could never grasp it. No matter what Vincent achieved, he always felt that what he really wanted was just outside of his grasp. With a sigh, Vincent checked his phone. It was 10:35 AM. He had completely missed the release of Ferrum Online. Vincent had been awake for about twenty-five hours at that point, and he had completely lost track of time. In fact, he did not know that the sun had risen until he had turned away from his PC about an hour before. Vincent''s sleep schedule was seriously messed up. He pondered this as he reached down under his seat and pulled out a lighter and a pack of cigarettes. With his phone in one hand, Vincent put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it. Luckily, he owned the building, so no one would complain. Vincent thought for a moment. He couldn''t recall the last time he had left this building. It must have been a week or two. Well, he had essentially been living like that since 2022, thirteen years ago. The only difference was that now the YouTube money meant that he could afford to have other people shop for him. As far as middle-aged shut-ins went, Vincent was doing pretty well. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Vincent''s phone pinged as he got a text message. Strange, there weren''t many people that would text him on that number. The message read, "Hey Tantalus, I think something went wrong with the release of that new Far Caster game. There have been reports of people using the Kabuto system not being able to log out. I''ve messaged Ashcroft and Izanagi, but they haven''t responded. Don''t log in until they''ve investigated." The name above the text message was "Kingfisher," one of Vincent''s old friends from five years ago. Vincent did a cursory search online for information about the release of Ferrum Online, but he could not find anything except for a few forum posts. No news organizations had even mentioned Ferrum Online or the Kabuto system. Suddenly, Vincent''s PC beeped. He turned to see the notification: "Download complete." Vincent reached out and held the Kabuto in his hands. It suddenly felt much heavier than it ever had before. He thought about Redgrave, Izanagi, and Ashcroft who had probably already logged on. Most of the people he would consider "friends" had already logged into the game. Vincent slowly put on the Kabuto headset as he had a thousand times before. He guided the anchor to the base of his neck and reclined his chair back as far as it would go. Before he initialized the dive, he said one sentence: "Whatever happens, it can''t be any worse." Chapter 16 - [Closure] The West Gate 4:15 P.M. Redgrave and Tantalus sat alone in the office of the highest-ranking NPC of the West Gate. The office was strangely similar to the kinds of offices Redgrave would see on TV shows about expensive lawyers. The windows looked out at the City of Osiris below. They were on the fifth floor, and Redgrave could see the tall buildings of downtown Osiris far in the background. In fact, he would have sworn he was sitting inside of a tall building rather than a city-spanning wall if not for the gargantuan slabs of concrete that stretched for miles in Redgrave¡¯s peripheral vision. If he squinted, he could see the wall on the other side of Osiris. Inside of the office was a large mahogany table, two visitors¡¯ chairs, one comfortable-looking chair behind the table, a coat rack, and a filing cabinet off to one side. A name plaque sat on the table, though Redgrave could not be entirely sure that the text it bore was a name. The text on the plaque was written in the usual inscrutable text that the NPCs used. The plaque read: ??¡¯?? ??¡¯??? Redgrave couldn¡¯t even begin to try to read the text. It clearly used no European alphabet. As far as Redgrave knew, the letters could have been Asian, African, or even completely made-up by GM. Redgrave didn¡¯t even know if ¡°letters¡± was the right word to describe the text. Tantalus had propped the pump-shotgun he had looted from a dead goblin up against the wall. He had completely disassembled his 1911 and left many of the gun¡¯s parts on top of the table. Just as Tantalus began to reassemble his pistol, the NPC officer walked in. The officer was a middle-aged Middle-Eastern-looking man. The NPC¡¯s hair had not yet begun to turn grey, but the lines on his face indicated a wealth of experience. He was wearing a thick gambeson shirt under a green coat that bore the symbol of a dragon in flight. At the officer¡¯s belt was a cavalry saber and three throwing knives. Above the officer¡¯s left breast pocket was a symbol of a crown. Redgrave knew that this was the insignia for an officer with the rank of Colonel in the British Army. Based on the officer¡¯s expression and body language, he didn¡¯t look happy. The NPC officer walked to his seat, conspicuously passing by Tantalus and Redgrave such that he could put as much distance between himself and the shotgun propped against the wall. Both Tantalus and Redgrave got to their feet as the officer entered, though Redgrave rose significantly slower. ¡°Colonel Dozok,¡± said Tantalus, ¡°it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± Tantalus held his hand out for the Colonel to shake, and the Colonel shook his hand with only a moment¡¯s hesitation. ¡°And you must be the Butcher of the West Gate,¡± Colonel Dozok said evenly. ¡°The soldiers have been talking about how you killed all of those Deluvians.¡± ¡°I already have a title, I see,¡± said Tantalus, chuckling. ¡°You can just call me John Tantalus.¡± After shaking Redgrave¡¯s hand, Colonel Dozok took his seat, and the two players soon followed suit. ¡°I hear that you¡¯re something of a leader among the Revenants. Is that right, John Tantalus?¡± Colonel Dozok said. ¡°Command was somewhat foisted upon me,¡± said Tantalus, ¡°but you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Then perhaps,¡± Colonel Dozok said, his tone of voice becoming dire, ¡°you can answer for some of the actions that other Revenants have carried out over the past six hours.¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± Tantalus said casually. As he said this, he snaked his sidearm¡¯s recoil spring back into the removed slide on the table. ¡°To begin with, it is my understanding that you ordered some of my soldiers to burn down several dozen civilian homes,¡± said Colonel Dozok. ¡°Private Cald claims that you gave this order for tactical reasons, but I don¡¯t see the purpose myself. Why did you decide to ignore the chain of command and the laws of Osiris when you sent this order?¡± ¡°Well, to explain that,¡± Tantalus said coolly, reconnecting the 1911¡¯s slide with its frame, ¡°I need to explain to you how guns work.¡± ¡°Guns?¡± Colonel Dozok asked. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Tantalus said, unsure how to explain. ¡°What do you call these?¡± Tantalus then gestured to the partially reconstructed sidearm in his hand and the shotgun in the corner. ¡°Firemakers,¡± Colonel Dozok said matter of factly. ¡°Well, we sometimes call them firearms,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°Just know that when I say ¡®guns,¡¯ I mean ¡®firemakers.¡¯ Anyway, the point is that guns can easily kill when the target is more than a thousand feet away. Us Revenants can fight much more effectively when the Deluvians need to spend a long time out in the open to reach us. If they need to spend a minute charging us, then¡­¡± ¡°Enough,¡± Colonel Dozok interrupted. Tantalus had locked the recoil spring in place with his slide stop. The sidearm was reassembled. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll accept that you had your reasons, but you can¡¯t completely ignore the chain of command when it suits you.¡± ¡°With respect, sir,¡± Tantalus said, slapping a fresh magazine in his sidearm, ¡°more people would have died had I not had those houses burned down. If I was in that same position again, I¡¯d do it again.¡± Tantalus racked his slide, and the sound of metal-on-metal filled the office. The implied threat was lost on Colonel Dozok, who did not understand how guns work. ¡°I should have you arrested for insubordination right now, Private,¡± the Colonel snarled. ¡°That¡¯s your right,¡± said Tantalus, ¡°but I think you¡¯re gonna want me to answer your next question before you do that.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Colonel Dozok said, fuming. ¡°I can just have you answer the question from the brig.¡± ¡°Trust me,¡± Tantalus said, his voice oozing with the promise of death. As Tantalus spoke, Colonel Dozok felt the shadow of death pass over him. As a career soldier, the Colonel had felt afraid for his life many times before, but he had never been made to feel that way by a man peacefully sitting in a chair. The Colonel could sense the Revenant¡¯s absolute confidence in his own skill. This man, John Tantalus, truly believed that he was in no danger from anything that Colonel Dozok could do to him. Either this Revenant was completely insane, or he was a true threat to all of Osiris. A part of Colonel Dozok wanted to take his sword and stab Tantalus in the heart or conjure fire to burn him to death, but another part was terrified of what would happen if he did. ¡°Fine,¡± Colonel Dozok said, managing to hide the fear from his voice. ¡°I¡¯ll humor you and not have you confined to the brig¡­ yet. The second topic I wanted to talk to you about was the North Gate. All of the regular defenders at the North Gate were reported dead two hours ago. All fifty men were found dead. They had been killed with firemakers and swords. Observers on the scene report that they had most likely been dead for several hours before the deaths were reported, meaning they were killed long before the current incursion. High Command believes that the defenders were killed by Revenants. Do you know anything about this?¡± ¡°Yes, I do,¡± Tantalus said. He turned his head to the side and swore at Ashcroft venomously. ¡°Ashcroft?¡± Colonel Dozok asked. ¡°Yes,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°He was the one who killed the NPC¡­ the defenders at the North Gate.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°How do you know this?¡± ¡°He told me,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°He said that he asked an officer for his sword and, when the officer said no, Ashcroft killed him. According to Ashcroft, the situation ¡®escalated¡¯ and ended with him killing all of the non-Revenants at the North Gate.¡± Colonel Dozok reached into his desk and pulled out an old-fashioned tape recorder. He clicked a button to begin recording and said, ¡°So, to reiterate what you just told me, this man ¡®Ashcroft¡¯ ordered the Revenants to kill the defenders of the North Gate.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I said.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Colonel Dozok shouted. ¡°You just said¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that Ashcroft had the defenders killed, I said that Ashcroft killed the defenders,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°It¡¯s my understanding that he killed all fifty of them himself.¡± ¡°How?¡± In response, Tantalus pointed to his sidearm. ¡°May it be noted for the record,¡± Colonel Dozok said shakily, ¡°that witness John Tantalus pointed to his firemaker in response to my question.¡± ¡°Sir,¡± Tantalus cut in. ¡°I highly advise against trying to pursue any substantive criminal action against Ashcroft. I know him very well, and he will resist any attempts you make to arrest him. It would only result in dozens of unnecessary deaths.¡± By Tantalus¡¯s tone of voice, it was clear that he sincerely wanted to prevent unnecessary deaths. ¡°The Revenants don¡¯t need to be your enemies. I will talk to Ashcroft and make sure that this won¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°Out of the question,¡± Colonel Dozok said, remembering his position. ¡°We can¡¯t just allow a mass murderer to go free. In fact, I should have you arrested, Private John Tantalus, for not coming forward with this information earlier.¡± Tantalus sighed deeply. Redgrave had heard this sound before. In preparation, Redgrave subtly unholstered his pistol. Tantalus quickly made a symbol with his left hand using the battle-language created back during the days of the Scions of the Blue Flame: Stand Down. ¡°There¡¯s something you should know,¡± Tantalus said with a smile. ¡°The Revenants have a ranking system. Of the ten thousand Revenants in this city, less than fifteen hold the highest rank. Ashcroft holds that rank¡­ and so do I.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± ¡°You¡¯re free to try to arrest me,¡± said Tantalus, ¡°but I will tell you right now that I won¡¯t go quietly.¡± Tantalus rose from his chair, pistol in hand. Colonel Dozok hurriedly got to his feet a moment later. ¡°Earlier, you called me the Butcher of the West Gate. Personally, I¡¯m not a fan of the name. If you try to arrest me, I¡¯m afraid that the name will stick.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°This can go one of two ways, Colonel,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°Either you can work with me, and we can all go home unharmed, or you can become the next victim of the Butcher of the West Gate.¡±
Central Osiris Meanwhile, Pixie sat at a table outside of a restaurant in downtown Osiris. She was sipping on a sugary drink through a straw. The drink¡¯s coloration was very similar to Coke or Pepsi, but the product name was written in NPC script. The cup read: ??? Pixie held a greasy half-eaten burger that was still half-covered in the bright yellow tissue paper that it came in. The burger¡¯s packaging was also covered in the same unknown text as the soft drink cup. In terms of taste, the patty was a bit chewier than Pixie would have liked, but the flavor made up for the texture. Pixie couldn¡¯t tell if it was the meat, the new mouth, or the fact that she hadn¡¯t eaten anything greasy in several months, but Pixie thought the burger was delicious. A paper bag sat on the table that held four more burgers and two smaller bags filled with slices of some plant-based food that most closely resembled french fries. This bag contained the food that Pixie intended to bring Tantalus and Redgrave. Elias, who had taken the most damage during the fight, had just finished his second burger. He washed the burger down with a huge gulp of water from an opaque plastic cup. Sitting around the table were Rachel, Volta, Elias, Pixie, and Cadmium, who had come to the restaurant after receiving a message from Volta regarding the death of Dendrite. ¡°Why is Tantalus even in charge?¡± Elias complained loudly. ¡°Everyone in this damn city seems to buy completely into this Great Strategist crap. He¡¯s supposedly so good at this game, but the people closest to him end up dead! Him being good at strategy didn¡¯t save Kevin, Enoch, Bebop, Enzo, or the other seventeen people that died at the Gates.¡± ¡°Elias¡­¡± Rachel warned. ¡°Enoch, that¡¯s Dendrite¡¯s real name, right?¡± Pixie asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± Elias said offhandedly, ¡°Enoch Smith.¡± ¡°We really have to stop learning each other¡¯s names after we die,¡± Rachel muttered. ¡°Elias is my real name,¡± said Elias, ¡°so you know mine.¡± ¡°My real name is Hannah Lee,¡± said Volta. ¡°Linda Brown,¡± Pixie said offhandedly. ¡°IRL, my name is Jack Watson,¡± said Cadmium. ¡°Anyway,¡± continued Elias, annoyed at being interrupted, ¡°my point is that there is no real reason for Tantalus to be in charge. He¡¯s just a guy with some name recognition. It¡¯s not like we voted for him to be in charge.¡± ¡°I suppose it was Ashcroft that put him in charge,¡± said Pixie. ¡°Well, I suppose so, but¡­¡± said Elias. ¡°Enoch handed his dog tags to Redgrave just before he died,¡± Volta said, not looking at anyone in particular. ¡°Do you think he knew he was about to die?¡± Elias was stopped in his tracks by this statement. ¡°I think he wanted to give us closure,¡± said Volta. Elias stared at his hands for a moment. Suddenly, all of the anger he was feeling toward Tantalus and Redgrave transformed into a crushing wave of sorrow. ¡°God¡­¡± he said, tears beginning to stream down his face. Elias shielded his eyes with his hand, and he began to quickly walk away from the group. Volta began sobbing openly, and Cadmium¡¯s expression tightened as he got his emotions under control. Several minutes of grief later, Pixie was able to awkwardly extricate herself from the situation with the excuse that she had to bring food back to Redgrave and Tantalus.
The West Gate 4:50 P.M. Redgrave laid down on a recliner chair in a sizable but windowless office on the third floor of the West Gate. The office was pointed in the direction away from the City, so it would be a security hazard to have windows. The chair was at the exact midpoint between a chair and bed. It was the kind of comfortable chair that one would expect to find in a therapist¡¯s office. While he laid down in the chair, Redgrave ate a burger and sipped on a soft drink that Pixie had brought him. Regarding the burger, Redgrave thought that it was fine but a bit uncanny. Everything in the burger was an approximation to something he had eaten before, but nothing was exactly as he expected it. The patty was too tough, the buns were too soft, the cheese was too sweet, and the lettuce was too crunchy. Overall, it wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad experience, but it was slightly different in an off-putting way. Tantalus sat behind a table that was very similar to the one in Colonel Dozok¡¯s office. A small stack of papers sat atop the desk, and Tantalus had written the words ¡°I CAN¡¯T READ THIS¡± on the top of the first page. An ancient rotary telephone sat at the side of Tantalus¡¯s desk. Pixie sat at the table across from Tantalus. She was holding a plastic water bottle, and so were Redgrave and Tantalus. Redgrave had already drained three water bottles, and their crumpled-up forms littered the ground. ¡°So, you told the NPC in charge here that Ashcroft killed the NPCs at the North Gate?¡± Pixie asked rhetorically. ¡°And then you threatened to kill everyone at this Gate if the NPC in charge tried to arrest you?¡± ¡°Basically,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°And after you threatened him, he gave you an office?¡± asked Pixie. ¡°It worked, didn¡¯t it?¡± Tantalus said with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re right, it worked,¡± sighed Pixie. ¡°I¡¯ll try to keep complaining to a minimum. This is gonna hurt NPC relations, though.¡± ¡°It was the Colonel¡¯s fault, anyway,¡± Redgrave said without swallowing the food in his mouth. The door to Tantalus¡¯s office opened to reveal a middle-aged man. He was wearing the Revenant uniform, but he didn¡¯t carry a gun. Redgrave was pretty sure the man was a player, but he couldn¡¯t be sure. ¡°Are you Tantalus?¡± the man asked. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me,¡± Tantalus said, subtly placing his sidearm on the table. ¡°And who are you?¡± ¡°My username is Riemann59,¡± the man said, ¡°but my real name is Dr. Felix Walker. I worked at Far Caster before the Game Master took over. I have inside information that will help us all navigate this game, and I would like to trade this information for protection from you and your followers.¡± ¡°Yeah, Felix Walker,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of you. You¡¯re an AI scientist. I saw your Ted Talk back in ¡®26.¡± ¡°That is correct,¡± Riemann said. ¡°I had secondary duties in game development, but my primary job was the development of emergent AI.¡± ¡°Meaning¡­ you helped create GM?¡± Pixie asked. ¡°More than help,¡± said Riemann. ¡°I was the lead developer.¡± Pixie got to her feet and Redgrave began to sit up, but Tantalus raised a hand to halt them in their tracks. ¡°If you are who you say you are,¡± said Tantalus, ¡°then I will gladly offer you protection. I would like to hear what you have to say first, however.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± said Riemann, ¡°though this might take a while.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got all day,¡± Tantalus said, slipping deeper into the upholstery of his chair. Interlude 1 ¡°Where to begin? Well, perhaps it would first behoove me to give a disclaimer regarding my knowledge of this game. I hold knowledge pertaining to the version of this game created by human beings. From what I have seen, the Game Master has made many changes independently with no human oversight. For example, the written language used by the Shards was created entirely by GM. It is probable that at least some of my information has been rendered obsolete by the actions of GM. With that in mind, I will try to paint a picture of the basic framework of Ferrum that GM most likely did not alter. ¡°Ferrum Online was created with a basic progression system built in. Based on my cursory investigation of the game¡¯s menu, the Game Master has not significantly changed this system. Like all MMOs, Ferrum Online has leveling system where you gain ''experience'' in order to ''level up.'' Every time you level up, you can add one point to your attributes. The most important aspect of leveling up, however, is the acquisition of ''Talents.'' A Revenant may have up to six Talents, and each one makes the Revenant significantly more powerful. ¡°Examples of Talents include such things as Mind Control, Future Sight, and Super Strength. Naturally, many of these Talents are synergistic with each other, and many of these combinations could not possibly be foreseen by any human. Also, about half of the Talents hold little-to-no combat utility. For example, I have taken the Talent called Reverse Engineer. With this skill, I gain full knowledge of any item once I disassemble it. ''Full knowledge'' in this context means that I can build that object from memory as long as I have the necessary tools. ¡°Progression is also achieved through the utilization of the magic system. This type of progression is not unique to the Revenants. The Shards can similarly utilize the magic system, though their mana limit does not increase through use unlike Revenants. Broadly, there are two magic systems: Eastern and Western. As you can imagine, there were heavy Japanese and Chinese influences throughout the development of Ferrum. Far Caster is a Japanese company. In universe, Western magic is called Hermetic Magic, and Eastern magic is called Battle Aura. Both types of magic use mana, but Battle Aura is generally used as a supplement to martial skills. ¡°Battle Aura is conceptually simpler than Hermetic Magic, so I will describe that first. Basically, Battle Aura allows you to focus mana and use it to strengthen your body. If you strengthen your skin, you can deflect swords and bullets. If you strengthen your muscles, you can perform superhuman feats. Though, we can¡¯t do that right now because of how low our mana is. We can increase our mana cap by regularly using mana or through a myriad of other strengthening methods. ¡°Hermetic Magic is the more traditional form of magic. Broadly speaking, the simplest form of magic is elemental magic. We will only have access to elemental magic for the foreseeable future. The sorcerers of this city use invocation magic, wherein they derive their power from a contract. Sometimes they make contracts with individual supernatural entities, but more frequently they will sublease their power from the master contract between the Archduke and the local deity of Osiris. ¡°Alchemy is a system we will be able to utilize once we acquire the materials. Alchemy pertains to the creation and use of magic items or potions. As you can imagine, magic items will become imperative to this game in the coming months. ¡°So, that¡¯s basically an overview of the game systems that can be utilized by the players. Next, I will go into the types of enemies we will probably run into. You have already seen, and killed, your fair share of troop-level Deluvians. They are generally split into, as Ashcroft has colorfully called them, Orcs and Goblins. Orcs are immune to conventional weaponry, and Goblins wield guns. Threatening on their own, insurmountable in large groups. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°Now, here¡¯s the thing. The types of Deluvians that are attacking us right now should be mid-game enemies. The invincibility of the Orcs comes from a Talent called Profane Invincibility. Anything with the Profane quality is weak to anything with the Holy quality, which is why our blood can injure them. You were supposed to have access to Holy weapons and bullets before you ran into enemies with Profane Invincibility. I hypothesize that the Game Master is secretly heightening the difficulty for us because of the high number of skilled players. GM knows that there are a dozen players here who essentially played Ninth Oasis as a full-time job. He also knows that I¡¯m here. ¡°Any creature with the Profane quality should be rendered a mindless killing machine, but I recently saw on the BloodNet that Ashcroft fought and killed a Profane Orc that was capable of speech. I believe there is a ritual that allows for a creature to gain the Profane quality without going insane, but the specifics of the ritual are so niche that I never learned them. An Orc Captain, as Ashcroft described it, should be an end-game enemy. ¡°Regarding the final bosses we will likely have to face, we planned for every server to have a series of raid bosses called the Thirteen Dark Apostles. I don¡¯t know the specifics of how these Dark Apostles will be implemented, but I do know that GM will most certainly adhere to the basic concept of thirteen Apostles for each server. ¡°I should speak last on the general political climate of Ferrum. Most places in the world are still monarchies, though they have generally modern cultures. These monarchies still exist due to the master contracts signed by the heads of major noble houses and the fact that Ferrum isn¡¯t entirely modern as we understand it. As you may have noticed, the technology of this world is not the same as the real world. This is due to fear of the God of Machines. Advancements in gun technology basically doesn¡¯t exist outside of the Machine Cult, and development in communication technologies stagnated at rotary phones because of fear that the God of Machines would use such technologies against the Nurites. This also means that computers do exist, but there is no Internet. The Book of Nur specifically warns that the development of computing machines that can connect with each other will result in the end of the world. Ironic, I know. Beyond that, technology is about the same. They have airplanes, hand grenades, and modern medicine. ¡°The City of Osiris specifically is ruled by the Mandelbrot Dynasty. The current head of the Dynasty of Archduke Edwin Mandelbrot III. According to some of the other developers I knew, Edwin is the kind of ¡®good leader¡¯ you¡¯d expect to see in Lord of the Rings. He¡¯s virtuous, but he¡¯s also aware of the nature of the political position he occupies. Edwin is willing to commit certain evil acts for the greater good of his people. The conflict surrounding Duke Edwin will likely arise due to his brother, Eadric Mandelbrot, and his sister, Edith Mandelbrot. Both of these siblings will kill Edwin and take his spot as the Archduke of Osiris if given the opportunity. Edwin has not yet sired an heir because of a curse put on him by his sister. Breaking the curse is supposed to be one of the final quests in Osiris. ¡°Duke Edwin has a contract with a Primordial Fire Elemental, which takes the form of a giant green dragon. In the right circumstances, he can summon the Red Dragon. This would result in hundreds, if not thousands of player deaths. It must not happen. Edwin can summon the Red Dragon if he stands in the crypt below his palace and sacrifices one of his family members by burning them to death. He can do this with gasoline or fire magic. ¡°Even without summoning the Green Dragon, Duke Edwin is a dangerous opponent. His fire magic is powerful enough to kill a Revenant instantaneously, and he can cast with his voice alone. Even if you bind his hands, he can still cast magic. And, last thing regarding the Duke, if he dies, his power will be inherited by his sister first and then his brother. ¡°That¡¯s basically it. I could go much further in depth on any of these topics, but I think I have sufficiently explained the topics that have an immediate effect on us. I will of course be willing to explain more as the issues come up. If you have any questions, I would be willing to answer them now.¡± Chapter 17 - [The Truth as I See It] The West Gate 5:15 P.M. Fifteen minutes had passed by the time Riemann had finished talking. Tantalus was smoking a cigarette and taking notes on the small notebook he had requisitioned several hours before. Pixie was watching Felix Walker with rapt attention, and Redgrave laid on the sofa with his eyes closed and his hands intertwined. Upon completing his speech, Riemann looked at Tantalus expectantly, and Redgrave opened a single eye. Tantalus looked down at the notes he had written down during Riemann¡¯s speech. ¡°You¡¯ve given me much to think about Dr. Walker,¡± Tantalus sighed, exhaling a long stream of smoke. ¡°Needless to say, your words have caught my attention. While I cannot be sure that you are Felix Walker, it is clear that you have insider information regarding this game. I¡¯ll have to confirm some of the things you said. For now, however, I believe you. Here¡¯s my question: How certain are you that GM is artificially increasing the difficulty of the enemies we¡¯re facing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m almost entirely certain,¡± said Dr. Walker. ¡°This early in the game, we should only be facing Goblins armed with swords. And, may it be noted, ¡®Orcs¡¯ and ¡®Goblins¡¯ are the same species. Orcs are just Goblins that have undergone the Ritual of Desecration, and the Ritual turns their skin grey.¡± ¡°And what factor does the presence of nine S-rank players have in GM¡¯s decision to increase the difficulty?¡± Tantalus asked grimly. ¡°It is my understanding that ¡®S-rank¡¯ in Ninth Oasis is granted to the top five thousand players. Thirty million copies of Ninth Oasis were sold, meaning that one in six thousand Ninth Oasis players are S-rank. In this city, one in one thousand players are S-rank. Statistically speaking, there are six times as many S-ranks in the Osiris City of Server 3 than one would expect to find. I¡¯d say that this statistical improbability has certainly affected GM¡¯s decision-making.¡± Tantalus gripped the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. ¡°Thank you, Dr. Walker,¡± he said, ¡°I have no further questions at this time.¡± Riemann snapped his fingers as an idea came to him. He said, ¡°I just remembered the incantation for the spell ¡®Fire Bolt.¡¯ If I may, I¡¯d like to test the spell out.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Riemann turned toward an empty concrete wall and pointed at it with his index finger. ¡°Sen. Drast. Ignis.¡± By the second syllable, a spark had flashed over Riemann¡¯s hand, and this spark flared into a mote of burning flame. Upon the completion of the incantation, the firebolt shot forward with immense force and exploded against the wall. A three-foot-wide scorch mark was left where the firebolt had struck. ¡°Impressive,¡± said Pixie. ¡°The NPCs can do that!?¡± Redgrave gasped. ¡°Yes,¡± said Riemann. ¡°In fact, that was a particularly weak version of the Fire Bolt spell. I only put five mana into that spell, and high-level sorcerers can alter the amount of mana they want to use. A two-hundred-mana firebolt would detonate with the force of half a ton of TNT.¡± Tantalus¡¯s eyes were closed as Riemann explained the Fire Bolt spell. As Tantalus opened his eyes, he said, ¡°Sorry guys, I have to leave.¡± Tantalus stood from his chair. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± asked Redgrave. ¡°Ashcroft called a meeting. The NPCs have been harassing him, apparently,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°Has Ashcroft shot any of them yet?¡± Redgrave asked. ¡°No. That¡¯s why I have to leave,¡± explained Tantalus. ¡°Pixie, Redgrave, you guys hold down the fort and get Dr. Walker settled in. I need to prevent a civil war.¡± Tantalus sighed heavily.
The second meeting of the High Command was held in an abandoned building just north of the Chasm. When the meeting started, the sun was getting low in the sky, and the sky was a dull orange color. Tantalus arrived in his red pickup truck and saw two women standing in front of the old decrepit building. One of the women was wearing a red knee-length skirt and a long-sleeved black shirt while the other was dressed in the standard blue uniform. The skirt-wearing woman wasn¡¯t visibly carrying a gun, so Tantalus was initially convinced that she was an NPC. As he got out of the truck, Tantalus recognized the woman in the uniform. She was ScaryClock the ex-Scion. ScaryClock¡¯s hair was an unnatural bright red color, and her uniform was absolutely covered in dirt. Her uniform was not stained with blood, however, so she was in a better state than Tantalus, at least. ScaryClock turned toward Tantalus and, with a smile, said, ¡°Is that you, Stonewall?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that, Clock,¡± Tantalus grunted as he closed the door to his truck. ¡°I¡¯m sure you remember what happened when Recursion accidentally called me that during a tournament: two weeks of HR-mandated sensitivity training.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes,¡± said Clock. ¡°This is ConcreteBeats.¡± Clock gesture to the woman standing next to her. The skirt-wearing woman stepped forward and offered her hand to Tantalus. With a smile, she said, ¡°My friends call me Cordelia.¡± ¡°Tantalus,¡± he introduced himself, grasping her outstretched hand. ¡°Do you have a real name, Mr. Tantalus?¡± Cordelia said, smiling. In that instant, Tantalus realized that there was a quality to ConcreteBeats that made her incredibly dangerous: natural charisma. Tantalus had spent much of his adult life surrounded by people with strong natural charisma, and he had learned how to ascertain the subtle differences between charismatic individuals. Whereas Ashcroft¡¯s charisma was the result of an overwhelming presence and unstoppable force of will, Cordelia¡¯s charisma was much subtler. Ashcroft could motivate a group of soldiers to lay down their lives in pursuit of his goals, but Cordelia could convince you to do whatever she wanted and make you think it was your idea. When Cordelia asked for Tantalus¡¯s name, it was almost impossible to interpret her words negatively. ¡°Vincent Blackwell,¡± said Tantalus, ¡°but nobody¡¯s called me that for ten years.¡± ¡°Ooh, interesting,¡± Cordelia said. ¡°You¡¯ll have to tell me that story sometime.¡± ¡°Trust me, the story isn¡¯t that interesting,¡± said Tantalus. There was a break in the conversation. Tantalus used this opportunity to check his menu.
Name Tantalus45
Level 8
Blood Points 86/100
Mana Points 19/19
Race Revenant
Fortitude 10
Strength 10
Agility 15
Wisdom 12
Tantalus switched to the Talents tab. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Talents
Dead Magic
Holy Blood
Rapid Healing
As Tantalus opened his eyes, another car pulled into the parking lot around the derelict building. The car was a two-door sports car, which resembled a Mercedes Benz. There was the symbol of a crown on the hood of the car. The lights flipped off, and Mander stepped out of the car. That moment was the first time Tantalus had seen Mander¡¯s avatar in person. Mander had short side-swept hair that had just begun to turn grey. He was clean-shaven, and his skin was lightly tanned. His posture was rigid, and his body language was that of a proper English gentleman. He clearly highly valued dignity in himself and others. ¡°Hello everyone,¡± Mander said. ¡°Would any of you happen to know where Ashcroft is?¡± ¡°He¡¯s on the second floor,¡± Clock said. ¡°Much appreciated,¡± said Mander. As Mander began to walk toward the entrance, Tantalus stepped forward and said, ¡°It¡¯s nice to finally meet you, Mander. I¡¯ve been a big fan of yours since 2013.¡± Mander gave a wide smile before saying, ¡°Well, that is certainly gratifying. That I may count John Tantalus among my fans is an accolade which I will not count lightly. You must be older than you look if you watched my content back then.¡± Tantalus laughed openly. ¡°My real body is half a foot taller, twenty years older, and about a hundred pounds heavier. You know my name. Have you heard of me?¡± ¡°Naturally,¡± said Mander. ¡°I saw you in the Large Group finals in 2028, 2029, and 2030.¡± Clock and ConcreteBeats looked at one another in confusion. Tantalus had a significantly larger following than Mander, so it was strange that he was speaking to Mander with such reverence. Much of Mander¡¯s content was political in nature, and he was considered controversial in some circles. To Clock and ConcreteBeats, Tantalus¡¯s behavior was certainly unusual and, considering Mander¡¯s reaction, he was also caught off-guard by the Great Strategist''s behavior. ¡°Good, good,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, why are you here? I got the sense from Ashcroft¡¯s message that it would just be me and him at this meeting.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid your information is incorrect, then,¡± said Mander. ¡°Ashcroft told me that he wanted all of the major players of Osiris to be here.¡± Tantalus sighed and said, ¡°Okay. Thanks for the heads up.¡± He then turned to the two women in front of the building and said, ¡°Is there anything I should know before I go in there?¡± ¡°Ashcroft said the meeting was for the purpose of determining if we want to kill the NPCs at the other two Gates,¡± said Clock. ¡°Now, why would he want to do that?¡± Mander asked with a slight chuckle. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Clock. ¡°Ask Ashcroft.¡± The four players then entered the dilapidated building and took the stairs up to the second floor. On the second floor was Ashcroft, Emile, FullDan, and several NPC military officers. The NPCs were looking at Ashcroft with vitriol as he leaned against a wall with a wide smile on his face. Ashcroft appeared to be entertained by the presence of the NPCs rather than frightened. Tantalus felt his hand instinctually twitch toward his pistol before he remembered that the Zone rules prevented him from committing any violent act within the City of Osiris. ¡°Hey, Tantalus,¡± Ashcroft said while still looking at the NPC officer that seemed to be in charge. ¡°I did as you asked, but the quest-givers won¡¯t leave me alone.¡± He gestured at the NPCs. ¡°I might be offended if their leader wasn¡¯t so easy on the eyes.¡± ¡°Ashcroft,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°Just let me do the talking.¡± In response, Ashcroft theatrically drew his hand across his mouth as if he was closing a zipper. The NPC officer in charge was a woman with long waist-length light brown hair. She had unblemished skin and a good figure. Tantalus had to agree with Ashcroft''s assessment, though he wouldn''t have spoken his mind at such an inopportune moment. At her hip was the same kind of officer¡¯s saber that Emile and Ashcroft had looted from the dead NPCs at the North Gate. Based on her epaulets, Tantalus could tell that the woman was a Colonel. ¡°You must be Private John Tantalus,¡± the female NPC said. ¡°Colonel Dozok told me you threatened to massacre the West Gate unless we followed your demands.¡± ¡°You have my sincerest apologies, Colonel,¡± Tantalus said with no semblance of contrition in his voice. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to salvage a difficult diplomatic situation.¡± ¡°Diplomatic?¡± the Colonel asked. ¡°You speak as if the Revenants are a foreign nation.¡± "We are... in a manner of speaking," said Tantalus. "Forgive me, you seem to know my name, yet I don''t know yours." "Colonel Maria Feldrast," the woman said. She held out a small plastic card that showed her picture and several rows of unreadable text. This must have been her military identification card, Tantalus thought. Near the top right of the card was a small symbol of a stag''s skull and antlers. At the bottom of the ID card was the symbol of Osiris: a green dragon in flight. Tantalus was uncertain of the meaning of the symbol at the top of the card. Looking at her card, Tantalus was struck by how young Colonel Feldrast was compared to Colonel Dozok. The woman in front of him must have been in her late twenties or early thirties, yet she had advanced up the ranks of the Osirian military at a much faster rate than Colonel Dozok. Tantalus was certain that there was something special about Maria Feldrast that had allowed her to reach the rank of Colonel so quickly. Perhaps she was the daughter of a powerful family, perhaps she slept her way to the top, and perhaps she was just an uncommonly effective military commander. Tantalus could not be certain. Maria Feldrast''s name read: ???¡¯????? "What do you mean when you say that the Revenants are a foreign nation?" Colonel Feldrast asked. She comported herself with a level of calmness that Colonel Dozok completely lacked. Tantalus could not sense any strong emotions coming from the General, though he would have expected otherwise. Ashcroft, whom she believed to be a mass-murderer, must have been trying his best to provoke her for the past few minutes, but she had the air of someone who was holding a casual conversation with an acquaintance.
Name Maria Feldrast
Level 20
Blood Points 100/100
Mana Points 250/250
Race Imperial
Fortitude 10
Strength 12
Agility 14
Wisdom 25
Attribute Modifier: Enhanced Mana Reserve (200) "I''ll explain it. In return, I would appreciate it if you would explain something to us. Are the Zone rules two-way? You haven''t laid your hands on Ashcroft yet, so I assume the Zone rules prevent you from doing so," Tantalus said. A slight murmur of conversation filled the room after Tantalus said these words. Some of the Revenants in the room began whispering to one another, and Ashcroft smiled widely. "If you''re referring to the Local Edict of Nonviolence, then you''re partially correct," Colonel Maria Feldrast said. "Only Revenants are bound by the Edict, but the Edict can be completely or partially released with regard to a particular Revenant. If a human were to commit an overt act of violence against a Revenant, then that Revenant would be able to commit overt acts of violence against humans." Tantalus let out an almost imperceptible grunt of annoyance before he spoke, "Thank you for explaining," he said. "Regarding my earlier statement: I am willing to speak, but I am concerned that you will not believe me. What I am about to say will - without question - seem impossible to you. I need to preface my words with a promise that everything I say here is the truth as I see it. Are you prepared to listen?" "Will it help me and the Osirian military to understand the Revenants better?" Colonel Feldrast asked with her arms crossed. "It''s the only way you can truly understand us," Tantalus said. "Then start talking." [ConcreteBeats] Chapter 18 - [Shared Psychosis] Central Osiris 6:30 P.M. Tantalus spoke for the next twenty minutes. He revealed as much as he could to Colonel Feldrast. He touched on such topics as: the true nature of Ferrum as a video game, the fact that the Revenants were trapped in the game by GM, the similarities between Ferrum and the real world, the fact that the Revenants cannot read the written language of Ferrum, and the probable actions that the Revenants would take in the coming days. Most of the other Revenants in the room left as Tantalus spoke. Maria Feldrast and her subordinates listened closely to Tantalus¡¯s words, but the speech was immensely uninteresting to those who already knew the information. ¡°I could talk for many more hours about my world, but it would be unnecessary,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°Ask any Revenant, and they will tell you basically the same thing I just told you. Well, assuming they¡¯re telling the truth, that is.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Colonel Maria Feldrast said, looking up from her notebook, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. You¡¯re trying to tell me that my entire world was created and sold for the entertainment of entities with a culture that is barely more developed than my own. Surely,¡± she gave a mirthless chuckle, ¡°a people that could create such technology would have evolved past the need for war, and they certainly would not count mass-murderers among their number.¡± She looked toward the door through which Ashcroft had disappeared with a cold glare. ¡°You¡¯d think that,¡± Tantalus said with a self-deprecating smile, ¡°but it''s unfortunately not the case. If it makes you feel better, you are free to believe that the Revenants are all insane. But¡­ if this is a psychosis, it is a shared psychosis. All of us share memories of the same world, and this truth can be empirically tested. I would recommend that you do so in the coming days.¡± The Colonel snapped her notebook shut. ¡°You have given me much to think about. I will bring this information back to Archduke Edwin, and he will decide what to do next. Based on what you tell me, I assume you do not intend to help us in our attempts to bring Ashcroft to justice.¡± ¡°You are correct,¡± Tantalus took out a cigarette and began the process of lighting it. ¡°I recognize that what Ashcroft did is wrong, and I will do my best to make sure it does not happen again. Beyond that, there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± ¡°I have one more question before I leave,¡± the Colonel looked Tantalus directly in the eyes. ¡°Do the Revenants consider us to be humans¡­ or animals?¡± Tantalus paused and took a long drag from his cigarette. ¡°That depends on the Revenant. We all believe that you are sentient pieces of computer code. Within this accepted premise, there can be philosophical disagreement. Some say yes, some say no. I can¡¯t speak for all Revenants.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll make my question simpler,¡± the Colonel said, the slightest hint of anger appearing in her tone for the first time since Tantalus had met her. ¡°Do you think we are human?¡± Tantalus¡¯s gaze briefly flicked over to FullDan, the only Revenant other than Tantalus who remained in the room, before he spoke. ¡°Yes,¡± he lied. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be trying so hard to keep the peace if I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Colonel Maria Feldrast said, ¡°I suppose there¡¯s nothing more to gain from this meeting.¡± She paused before saying, ¡°Tomorrow, seven A.M., bring ten of the most important Revenants to the Ducal Palace. There, you will meet with the Archduke under the Edict of Nonviolence, and you will receive new orders regarding the defense of Osiris.¡± ¡°Aye, ma¡¯am,¡± Tantalus said without conviction, and he did not salute. ¡°That list of ten will include Ashcroft, I¡¯m sorry to say. Are you prepared for that?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the Colonel said evenly. ¡°Good,¡± said Tantalus. Maria Feldrast and her entourage began to leave. Hearing the sound of motion from the other room, the Revenants returned to the room occupied by Tantalus and FullDan. Ashcroft winked at Maria Feldrast as the two passed close by each other in the hallway. Colonel Feldrast did not react physically or verbally. The Revenants called to the meeting by Ashcroft reconvened in the second-floor foyer. Most of them looked annoyed at their time being wasted, but FullDan and ConcreteBeats looked concerned at the situation that had just unfolded. ¡°Tantalus, why did you¡­?¡± Fulldan began to speak, but Tantalus held his hand up in a sign for silence. ¡°Not until we¡¯re sure they¡¯ve all left,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°Oh, they¡¯ve all left, I¡¯m sure of it,¡± ScaryClock said. ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± Tantalus asked. ¡°I just took the Enhanced Hearing Talent,¡± Clock said. ¡°I listened to their footsteps. They¡¯ve all left, and they didn¡¯t leave any stragglers.¡± ¡°Alright, good enough for me,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°FullDan, you were saying?¡± FullDan¡¯s body language once again indicated a distinct feeling of nervousness. Having known FullDan for several years, Tantalus knew that FullDan suffered from social anxiety, and this anxiety only really disappeared when FullDan thought he was alone, or he had something to focus on. Tantalus figured that this particular quirk is what made FullDan such a good soldier. In combat, FullDan was the most confident man you¡¯ll ever meet. Outside of combat, FullDan was a nervous wreck. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± FullDan apologized. ¡°You said that you consider the NPCs to be human. Is that true?¡± Ashcroft scoffed as Tantalus said, ¡°No. I want them to work with me, so I had to lie. My opinion might change later, but who knows?¡± ¡°Can we get to the actual meeting now?¡± Ashcroft asked impatiently. ¡°Almost,¡± said Tantalus. ¡°I just need to ask if there¡¯s anything else I should know about the situation at the North Gate.¡± ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Ashcroft said, snapping his fingers as he remembered. ¡°We¡¯re keeping some NPCs in the prison attached to the North Gate. We¡¯ve been capturing NPC refugees that try to flee into the City through the North Gate. Well¡­ we were doing that until the prison got full. I¡¯d say we¡¯ve captured about fifty of ¡®em.¡± ¡°That¡¯s horrible,¡± ConcreteBeats gasped. ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re killing them,¡± Ashcroft said. ¡°Well, not intentionally. That reminds me of a test we did on one of the NPCs. Emile here made one of the captured NPC officers pull the trigger on an unloaded gun. Emile had to physically force the guy to do it. As soon as the hammer struck, the NPC started screaming. He was dead in seconds.¡± The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ConcreteBeats looked like she was about to throw up. Tantalus raised one eyebrow as he wrote something in his notebook. ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Tantalus said. ¡°Good work, Emile.¡± Emile gave a wide smile. ¡°Anway,¡± Tantalus continued, ¡°On to the second meeting of the Revenant High Command. To begin with, everyone in this room must go to the Palace of Osiris at 7:00 AM tomorrow. Colonel Maria Feldrast has ordered all of us humble soldiers to attend a strategy meeting. Regarding the topics of this meeting: I wish to talk about starting a three-stage watch at the Gates, and I also want to talk about balancing the forces present at the Gates.¡± A few of the Revenants groaned in annoyance at the sound of having to wake up early. ¡°I¡¯d like to talk about removing the NPCs from the East and West Gates,¡± said Ashcroft. ¡°I also want to talk about organizing a funeral for those who died defending the Gates today.¡± Everyone in the room fell silent for a moment before Clock said, ¡°And I¡¯d like to talk about what I found during my scouting mission. I can go last, if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°Anyone else?¡± Tantalus looked at the Revenants around him. ¡°If that¡¯s all, then let¡¯s begin. Should I go or do you want to go first?¡± ¡°You can go first, Commander,¡± Ashcroft said with a smile.
¡°That¡¯s it for logistics right now,¡± Tantalus said after a long conversation regarding Osiris''s supply lines. ¡°Now, onto Ashcroft. Thank you all for being so patient.¡± ¡°Most of us are used to meetings like this,¡± said Ashcroft. ¡°It¡¯s just a bit strange to be doing one of these without Kingfisher.¡± ¡°Man, I wish he was here,¡± FullDan said wistfully. ¡°He¡¯s got a wife and kids now,¡± Ashcroft said. ¡°It¡¯s probably for the best that he¡¯s not in here with us.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± FullDan said. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t gotta be sorry to anyone, Dan,¡± Ashcroft said, patting him on the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re an S-rank. In this world, that makes you a god.¡± ¡°Can we get back on topic, please?¡± Tantalus asked. ¡°Right,¡± said Ashcroft. ¡°My first point of business: I move to remove the NPCs from the East and West Gates. The process doesn¡¯t have to be violent, but the NPCs probably won¡¯t give up the Gates without a fight.¡± ConcreteBeats opened her mouth, but Mander spoke first. ¡°Ashcroft,¡± he began. ¡°What would we gain from taking this course of action?¡± Ashcroft began to speak. ¡°Essentially, the NPCs have shown themselves to be completely useless when it comes to defending the Gates. The Goblins have rifles that can easily penetrate their armor. Honestly, a force of about twenty Deluvians could probably take any of the Gates if not for help from the players. Basically, I¡¯m saying that the negligible benefit we get from the NPCs is not worth the possibility that they¡¯ll stab us in the back. I am much more concerned about enemies behind us than enemies in front of us. We delete a few pieces of code to save some lives. The choice seems simple to me.¡± Mander and Cordelia spoke in refutation of Ashcroft¡¯s motion. Mander said that the sorcerers at the East Gate killed a few Deluvians using their magic. He also said that there could be unforeseen consequences of making enemies of the NPCs. ConcreteBeats made the argument that the NPCs were indistinguishable from human beings, so they should have the same rights as humans. Quickly glancing around at the Revenants present, Tantalus could tell that Cordelia¡¯s arguments didn¡¯t convince anyone in the room. When the vote was held, three people (Ashcroft, Emile, and ScaryClock) voted in favor of the motion, and three people (FullDan, Mander, and ConcreteBeats) voted against the motion. Ashcroft laughed. ¡°The first vote we hold¡­ and it¡¯s a tie,¡± he chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s up to you, Commander.¡± Tantalus thought for a moment and said, ¡°I promised the Colonel that I would do my best to prevent any further NPC deaths just now. The motion fails. Sorry, Ashcroft.¡± Ashcroft smiled and said, ¡°No skin off my back. Honestly, I was thinking of changing my vote when I heard Mander¡¯s rebuttal.¡± The committee then organized a time and place for the funeral. They decided that there would be a wake the next afternoon in the Osirian Central Park and an official funeral in four days. Tantalus said that he would get some people to set up the coffins and graves. Once Ashcroft¡¯s second point of business was done, Clock began to speak. ¡°So, I logged into this game as soon as I could. Two hours had passed in-game when I received the message from GM. By this time, I was deep behind enemy lines. I must have gotten four or five miles out. I wasn¡¯t able to get back until the Deluvian retreat from the North Gate gave me an opportunity to get back. Now, usually this wouldn¡¯t be all that important, but I saw some crazy stuff that far out. I ran into a huge Deluvian camp that must have held a few hundred of ¡®em. The camp had about a dozen pieces of field artillery, and they clearly followed some kind of military hierarchy. But here¡¯s the thing,¡± Clock¡¯s eyes lit up and her tone became excited, ¡°their leaders had much more advanced firearms. I saw one with a high-capacity sidearm and a semi-automatic rifle.¡± Everyone in the room lit up when they heard Clock¡¯s words. ¡°What kind of rifle was it?¡± Ashcroft asked, glee in his voice. ¡°An M1 Garand,¡± Clock answered with a smile. ¡°Oh, we need to get one,¡± Ashcroft said. ¡°Put a Garand in my hands, and I¡¯ll kill all of the Deluvians attacking this city myself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure we can all agree that acquiring better firepower is one of our primary goals,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°If we can figure out how to mass-produce a Garand, all the better. We¡¯ll have to figure out some reward system for whomever can acquire a Garand or a high-capacity sidearm.¡± Within a few minutes, the meeting had ended, and the Revenants present began to go their separate ways. Ashcroft and Tantalus found themselves alone in the parking lot, Tantalus smoking his tenth cigarette of the day. ¡°That stuff¡¯ll kill ya,¡± Ashcroft said. ¡°Ha,¡± Tantalus enunciated. ¡°Why are you smoking?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been craving nicotine ever since I logged in,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°Weird.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± said Ashcroft. ¡°Do you think I should release those NPCs my group captured?¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Tantalus said, flicking ash off his cigarette. ¡°Tomorrow, they¡¯ll ask us to release the prisoners and we, in an act of friendship, will release them. Just make sure there still are prisoners tomorrow. Also, Ashcroft?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you would lay off the NPCs for a few days,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°The Duke and Osirian military won¡¯t be going anywhere until that ¡®Edict of Nonviolence¡¯ is gone.¡± Tantalus made large quotation marks in the air when he spoke. ¡°Sure,¡± Ashcroft said. There was another beat of silence before Tantalus spoke again. "Something else has been bugging me for the past few hours." "Yeah?" "How did you know that the servers require 20% of the world''s processing power?" Tantalus asked. "You''d need a lot of information to which we don''t have access to even begin to guess at how much processing power the system uses." A devilish grin appeared on Ashcroft''s face. "You see," he began, stifling a chuckle, "I made it up." "Ah," Tantalus said through lips that held a cigarette, his expression unchanged. "I figured that the players needed a pick-me-up after your downer of a speech, so I decided to reframe the situation. This way they''re not victims, they''re heroes." "I get it," Tantalus admitted. "Sometimes... you gotta lie to ''em." At that moment, Emile pulled up in a bright red sports car. ¡°See you tomorrow,¡± Ashcroft said as he got in the passenger seat. The sports car pulled off into the looming City of Osiris. The electric lamp posts all flicked on simultaneously, and Tantalus was struck by a chill. He flipped his collar up to the cold evening air and walked to his car. [LtEmile] Chapter 19 - [Hotel Acheron] West Osiris 8:15 P.M. Rachel sat in a hotel lobby with Elias, Volta, Cadmium, and three other Revenants who she had recently met. She had been trying to maintain her composure over the past few hours, but it had been difficult. The group had spent some time talking about the dead, and it angered Rachel that no one had said much of anything about Enzo. Tears were shed over Dendrite, but it seemed that no one shared the same kind of emotional connection with Enzo. Rachel understood that Elias, Volta, and Cadmium had known Dendrite outside of the game, but it seemed callous when they spoke positively of Dendrite and not Enzo. She considered speaking positively of Enzo during the conversation outside of the restaurant, but she would feel foolish giving a eulogy of a man she had just met a few hours previously. Rachel wondered if they would have been so flippant if she had died. The hotel¡¯s lobby was lit by dim, flickering gas lights. Electric lights were built into the ceiling, but none of them were on. Instead, the light in the lobby was provided by a dozen metallic devices hanging from the ceiling or placed atop a table. As a result, it was much darker than a normal hotel lobby. Much of the furniture in the lobby was antiquated from the perspective of the Revenants. Velvet and lace festooned the various couches and sofas that decorated the lobby. The sense of ambience in the lobby was undeniable. For a moment after entering the lobby, Rachel felt as if she had been transported to the 1920s. Rachel and Volta were sitting on a long sofa off to one side of the lobby, and Cadmium was laying down on a nearby sofa with the stump of his missing leg propped up on an armrest. Elias was standing with his back against a nearby wall. His arms were crossed, and an eyepatch now covered the socket of his recently destroyed eye. One of the women who Cadmium had met in the bunker - Eska was her name - approached the area where Rachel, Cadmium, and Volta were sitting. ¡°Kuro convinced the manager to rent us the sixth floor for a thousand Ren a night,¡± Eska said. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that means we have twelve rooms.¡± ¡°Must be hard to negotiate when you can¡¯t read the local language,¡± Cadmium laughed. He had laid his head on a pile of three throw-pillows. ¡°My compliments to Kuro.¡± Soon after, the remaining two Revenants returned to Rachel¡¯s group. Kuro and Glitter sat down heavily on a velvet sofa. ¡°How goes the negotiations?¡± Eska asked. ¡°Perfectly fine, everything¡¯s cool,¡± Kuro said with an easy smile. ¡°The manager said he needs to talk to the hotel¡¯s legal team. He said he doesn¡¯t know if an ¡®indecipherable¡¯ signature is legally binding.¡± ¡°You know,¡± Cadmium began, ¡°either we¡¯re going to have to learn their alphabet, or they¡¯re going to have to learn ours.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Volta said. ¡°By the way, Kuro? Did the manager tell you what the hotel¡¯s name is?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah!¡± Kuro said. ¡°He said this is the Hotel Acheron.¡± ¡°Cool name,¡± Volta said, ¡°sounds Greek.¡± Cadmium sat up straight from his prone position. He had an expression like he wanted to say something but could not find the words. After a long moment of silence, Cadmium opened his mouth and spoke. ¡°So¡­ I don¡¯t really know how to put this, so I¡¯m just gonna say it,¡± Cadmium said. ¡°You guys don¡¯t need to keep fighting. Melkior and Dendrite are already dead, and it¡¯s only been a single day. Redgrave played Ninth Oasis professionally, and he very nearly died. I don¡¯t want to be the first guy to recommend we run away, but you¡¯re not obligated to give your life to protect some people you don¡¯t know. These guys,¡± Cadmium gestured to Kuro, Eska, and Glitter, ¡°have a plan to succeed in Osiris without having to risk their lives. Leave the fighting to the psychopaths like Tantalus and Ashcroft.¡± Elias laughed as Cadmium finished. Cadmium¡¯s expression turned to one of confusion as Elias began to speak, ¡°Psychopath? You¡¯ve got that right. Tantalus, Ashcroft, all the S-ranks: they¡¯re all crazy. When I saw Tantalus fight, one thing was clear: he was enjoying himself. It was like¡­ a work of art. Seeing Tantalus fight made me want to reach that level of skill. Believe me, I can¡¯t stand the guy, but I have to admit that he¡¯s a great fighter." ¡°Ultimately,¡± Elias continued, ¡°that¡¯s why I¡¯m going to keep fighting. I know it¡¯s not a satisfying answer, Cad. I¡¯ve always been selfish. You mentioned that Tantaus and Ashcroft are psychopaths. To tell you the truth, I am the same as them. I enjoyed the feeling of popping a Goblin¡¯s head like a grape; I enjoyed the feeling of stabbing an Orc to death; Hell, I even enjoyed the feeling of catharsis I felt after healing the damage to my eye. I enjoy combat, and I want to get really good at it.¡± Once Elias finished speaking, everyone looked at him for a long moment. A look of concern passed over all of their faces. Kuro quietly muttered, ¡°Intense, man,¡± to himself. Rachel began to speak, though her beginning was much less intense than Elias¡¯s. ¡°I agree with Elias, though for a different reason. Somebody needs to defend the Gates, so it might as well be me. That¡¯s not to say that there¡¯s anything wrong with not fighting. I totally understand if you don¡¯t want to fight. There¡¯s plenty of good you can do without pulling a trigger.¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Okay,¡± Cadmium sighed, ¡°I understand that you two have your own reasons for fighting. But¡­¡± Cadmium paused, ¡°certainly you don¡¯t need to be on the front line, Volta. When you described the fighting at the West Gate, you said you were terrified the whole time.¡± Volta did not speak for a long time. Eventually, she opened her mouth and said, ¡°In my old life, I was terrified of everything. I don¡¯t want to feel that way anymore. I want to learn how to fight, so I don¡¯t have to feel afraid. Also, I need to get revenge for Dendrite. The Deluvians, GM, those NPCs in the military who forced us on the front line; they¡¯ll all pay.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Cadmium smiled sadly, ¡°I¡¯m glad all of you guys are committed to what you¡¯re doing. Far be it from me to tell you what to do. All I can do is support you guys from the back¡­ way back preferably.¡± Everyone except for Rachel laughed at Cadmium¡¯s joke. The heavy atmosphere caused by Elias¡¯s and Volta¡¯s intense answers was quickly dispelled. Kuro began to speak. ¡°But seriously¡­ if you guys need any logistical help, give us a call. As soon as we figure out how to form a corporation, we¡¯re gonna call ourselves Prometheus, Inc. And you guys should tell Tantalus about us next time you see him. We plan to sell and transport goods within the City.¡± Elias looked like he was about to say something, but he was cut off by Volta subtly kicking him in the shin. ¡°I¡¯m sure Tantalus will be glad to get all the logistical help you can give. Once an economy gets going, we¡¯ll figure out how to compensate you.¡± Soon after, the hotel manager returned to the lobby with a man in a business suit. The manager shook hands with Kuro, money was exchanged, and the Revenants began to head for the sixth floor. Kuro informed the rest of them that the sixth floor had twelve rooms. He also said that he would cover the first day, and the payment for the hotel floor would rotate every day. The next day, Cadmium would pay to rent the sixth floor. With the money given to the seven of them, they would be able to afford rent for up to seventy days. ¡°Hopefully, a new opportunity will present itself before then,¡± Kuro said to the other Revenants. Rachel took room 612 and retired for the night. The room had two nicely made twin beds and a balcony that looked out at the city streets below. There was a comfy velvet couch near the slidable glass door to the balcony. A medium-sized flatscreen TV was placed on a table where those on the bed or couch could see it. An open door to Rachel¡¯s right led to a bathroom. In that brief moment of calm, Rachel decided to check her Menu. Character Sheet
Name Concerto622
Level 4
Blood Points 100/100
Magic Points 27/27
Race Revenant
Fortitude 10
Strength 8
Agility 9
Wisdom 12
Walking into the door and locking the door behind her, Rachel placed her satchel on the nearest bed and walked into the bedroom. She looked into the mirror, and for the first time, she saw her reflection. Rachel was struck by a surreal feeling as the face in the mirror was not her own, it was Concerto¡¯s. The face in the mirror was an uncanny approximation of her own. During character creation, Rachel made the model look like herself, but with some of the imperfections sanded off. Many of the things Rachel was insecure about had been removed. Rachel was suddenly filled with fear and revulsion. She had to stifle a scream as soon as she saw the too-perfect homunculus in the mirror. Getting herself under control, Rachel forced herself to look around the bathroom. Various bottles covered the sink, and a shelf in the shower contained a few bottles of shampoo. There was a toilet in the corner with a lot of indecipherable buttons. Rachel leaned her rifle against the wall and placed her pistol on top of the sink countertop. She removed her belt, which was heavy with magazines for her pistol and clips for her rifle. She removed her clothes until she stood there in only her underwear. Rachel noticed that her body was in relatively good shape but was not particularly athletic. Most notable, however, was the large bloodstain on her chest where she had been hit by a Goblin¡¯s bullet. Half of her white bra had been dyed red with blood. Thinking back to the defense of the West Gate, Rachel was filled with a strange feeling of pride. She had been dropped in a difficult situation, and she had done well. Rachel had risked her life and lived to tell the tale, unlike many others. Rachel¡¯s thoughts turned to Enzo. He had tried to help people, and he died for it. What would have happened to Elias, Volta, and Cadmium if not for him? Would Tantalus have reached them in time if not for Enzo¡¯s earlier intervention? He was a good man. Looking in the mirror, Rachel began to cry. Thinking about Enzo¡¯s death, the callousness of the Revenants he saved, and the cruelty of the world she had been trapped in, Rachel wept. She felt stupid and cheap crying over a man she had just met, but the tears came all the same. Just then, a quick three-beat knock came from the door of Room 612. A man¡¯s voice said, ¡°Oy, Rachel.¡± The voice belonged to Elias. ¡°Pixie, Volta, Redgrave, and me were thinking of hittin¡¯ the town. You want in?¡± Quickly wiping her tears and trying her hardest to keep the tremor out of her voice, Rachel said, ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m just¡­ really tired. Long day, you know?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± said Elias. Based on his tone of voice, it was clear that Elias could tell that Rachel had been crying. ¡°See ya tomorrow.¡± Rachel could hear Elias¡¯s footsteps as he walked away. She grabbed her face, and she tried to wrestle back control of her emotions. Rachel got in the shower and let the soothing water wash the blood and sweat off her body.
A few minutes later, Rachel walked back into her room wearing only the white bathrobe that had come with the room. She fell into bed, feeling clean for the first time in a few hours. Suddenly, an intense feeling of lethargy washed over Rachel. All of the day¡¯s stress caught up to her at once. Looking up at the ceiling, with the light still on and the bathroom door still open, Rachel closed her eyes and fell asleep. Chapter 20 - [The Lucky Dragon Casino] Hotel Acheron 8:45 P.M. Elias stood in the lobby of Hotel Acheron. He was armed with only his pistol and a single extra magazine. Elias¡¯s rifle and bayonet had been left in Room 602, which he shared with Cadmium. Since the City was a safezone and Elias had no intention of leaving the City, he figured there was no reason for him to bring his rifle. Ten minutes before, Redgrave and Pixie had arrived at the lobby of Hotel Acheron after Kuro had informed them that they had acquired a place to stay for the night. Elias was the only one in the lobby when they appeared, and he could tell that they had recently been in the same room as Tantalus since they still smelled like cigarette smoke. The three of them had taken the elevator up to the sixth floor to check out the rooms and drop off their rifles. When they returned to the lobby, Pixie had retrieved Volta from her room. Pixie and Volta were talking about where they wanted to go while Redgrave stood in the corner with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. Elias decided to do the same and check his Menu. A notification started flashing as soon as Elias opened it. New Talent available! Redgrave opened his eyes as Pixie approached the two men. ¡°Do you know where you wanna go?¡± Redgrave asked. ¡°Other players seem to be gravitating toward two establishments,¡± Pixie said. ¡°One is a bar near the local university, and the other is a casino on the eastern side of town. The bar is closer, but the casino has, well, gambling. ¡°My vote is for the casino,¡± Elias said without hesitation. ¡°College bar or casino?¡± Redgrave mused for a moment, putting a thumb and forefinger to his chin. ¡°Eh, I¡¯m feeling lucky. What¡¯s the casino¡¯s name?¡± ¡°The Lucky Dragon Casino,¡± Pixie said. Redgrave closed his eyes and spent slightly longer than a minute typing something on the air. While typing, he said, ¡°I¡¯m writing a forum post that we¡¯ll be at the Lucky Dragon Casino, and anyone who fought at the West Gate or wants to help defend the West Gate should come meet us.¡± When Redgrave opened his eyes, Elias asked, ¡°What? Are you an army recruiter now?¡± ¡°That''s probably a good name for it, yes,¡± Redgrave said as they left the hotel lobby. ¡°We still need thirty soldiers to defend the West Gate. So far, I can only think of about a dozen people that will defend it reliably. There were thirty people who showed up when the City was under attack, but that was a self-defense situation. We need people who are committed.¡± Now in the parking lot of Hotel Acheron, the four Revenants boarded the SUV they had stolen earlier from the car pileup outside of the West Gate. Redgrave sat in the driver¡¯s seat, Volta sat in the passenger seat, and Elias and Pixie got in the back. They wordlessly decided to array themselves about the car in this way. It was only natural that either Redgrave or Pixie would drive the car as their experience in Ninth Oasis made them much more coordinated than Volta or Elias. A hierarchy had begun to form, and Redgrave''s proximity to Tantalus placed him the highest within that hierarchy. They were all, to an extent, followers of Tantalus at that point. Elias silently wondered if he would even be able to safely drive a car in his current state. In the Old World, he was a particularly experienced driver. In Ferrum, however, his hand-eye coordination was severely hampered, and his missing left eye seriously cut down on his peripheral vision. He would have to turn his head just to see the side-view mirror. Overall, there was a strong sense of excitement in the car. Redgrave and Volta were talking about what games they wanted to play when they arrived at the casino. Out of the corner of his eye, Elias could see that Pixie was smiling, and it caught his attention. For a moment, Elias thought that Pixie was extremely attractive, even dressed in a military uniform. He had always been a sucker for blondes. Then, as quick as it came, he shook off the feeling. He had to remind himself that he was looking at an avatar, not a real person. What was her real name? It certainly wasn¡¯t Pixie. Linda Brown, that was it. Linda Brown had created a character named "Pixie." Of course she was attractive; Linda Brown had created the avatar. Plus, Elias was certain that Pixie would not reciprocate. Who could love a crazy bastard with anger issues? Elias¡¯s thoughts were drawn to the mythical Hercules. The fatal flaw of most Greek heroes was pride, but Hercules¡¯s was rage. Elias wished he could control his anger, but he just couldn¡¯t. Back when he was a kid, the world just kept screwing him over, so he became angry with the world. It became a defense mechanism. People wouldn¡¯t screw with him if he made it clear that he wouldn¡¯t put up with it. This defense mechanism became a hindrance once he had gotten into college on a pity scholarship. In only two years of college, he had been involved in three fights and had almost been expelled once. Most people tried to keep their distance with Elias, but the Gaming Club was different. Perhaps because they were rarely in the same room and played mostly over discord, the small friend group he had found within the Gaming Club had been with him for a while. Elias had connected especially well with Dendrite, largely due to their similar backgrounds. ¡°Do you know the rules of blackjack, Elias?¡± Pixie suddenly asked. ¡°Huh? Yeah,¡± Elias said, blinking back to reality. ¡°Get to twenty-one but not over, hit, stand, split, double-down, the whole shebang.¡± ¡°Has anyone here ever been in a casino, anyway?¡± Redgrave asked. ¡°I¡¯m only twenty-years-old, so I haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°I¡¯m eighteen, and Elias is twenty,¡± Volta said. ¡°You need to be twenty-one to get into one, so I assume neither of us have been to a casino. Elias nodded his assent, and Pixie said, ¡°I¡¯m twenty, so same here.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know I had a bunch of kids in my car,¡± Redgrave said, chuckling. ¡°By the way,¡± Pixie said, ¡°how old is Tantalus? He looks like he¡¯s twenty, but he acts like he¡¯s much older.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, myself,¡± Redgrave said. ¡°His YouTube account was created in 2015. Based on other things he''s said, I¡¯d guess he¡¯s about forty.¡± "Wow," Pixie said with wide eyes. ¡°Our commander is a millennial." Elias chuckled. At that point, the SUV hit traffic. They were within close proximity of the Lucky Dragon when they became stuck in the traffic jam. ¡°We went from no traffic at all to standstill traffic,¡± Redgrave grunted. ¡°What happened here?¡± Nobody answered the rhetorical question. After about five minutes, Redgrave parked the SUV in a cramped parking lot within a few hundred feet away from the Lucky Dragon. When the four Revenants disembarked, they saw that the parking lot was populated with about a dozen other Revenants clad in their blue military uniforms. ¡°They must have had the same idea as us,¡± Volta said as she closed the car door behind herself. They followed the trickle of Revenants a few hundred feet until they turned a corner and saw the Lucky Dragon Casino for the first time. The huge building in front of them was adorned with inviting neon lights. Unreadable words decorated the exterior, though there were plenty of pictures that got the point across. Flashing images of cards, dice, and casino chips filled any empty space. Right over the main entrance to the building was a sleek design of a green dragon sitting atop a mountain of casino chips. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Elias whistled as the group approached the tantalizing shrine to luck and possibility. The building represented a promise. A promise of easy money and terrible loss. He immediately knew that this was his kind of place. The Lucky Dragon Casino 9:10 P.M. Upon reaching the front of the line, the four Revenants saw a large sign with a message written on it in English. LEAVE GUNS IN SIDEROOM. Next to the text was an arrow pointing to the left. Even there at the entrance, they could hear the sound of live music and see the flashing game machines inside. Elias could even smell cigarette smoke wafting from inside the casino to the open air outside. They turned left and headed into the side room. The room that Redgrave, Elias, Pixie, and Volta then found themselves in was a thirty-foot by sixty-foot antechamber that held a dozen coat hangers, walls lined with lockers, and five large crates. The crates seemed like the kind that would be used to transport large quantities of goods inside of a supermarket. There were wheels on the bottom and thick paritions on the side. An average-sized person could easily lay down inside one of the crates without bending. Atop each of the crates was a sign with a short bit of handwritten English text. The signs for the three crates on the left read: RIFLES/SHOTGUNS. The signs for the two crates on the right read: PISTOLS. Within each of the crates was either a pile of 1911s and revolvers or a pile of Springfield bolt-action rifles and pump-action shotguns. Without putting much thought into it, Elias took his pistol out of its holster and placed it in one of the crates labeled ¡°pistols.¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± Volta said. ¡°How are you going to find your gun when you come back?¡± ¡°Does it matter?¡± Elias asked. ¡°They¡¯re all the same gun. I¡¯ll just pick a 1911 at random from the pile when I come back.¡± While Elias and Volta were speaking, Redgrave took his pistol from its holster, removed the magazine, placed the magazine in a pouch at his belt, ejected the chambered bullet, and caught it in his off-hand. Redgrave then returned the pistol to its holster and removed the holster from his belt. He took his bayonet and carved a capital ¡°R¡± on the side of his holster. Volta followed Redgrave¡¯s example, carving a capital ¡°V¡± in her holster. Unlike Redgrave, however, Volta did not eject her bullet after removing the magazine. Elias couldn¡¯t tell if she did this because she forgot there was one in the chamber or because she had not yet chambered a bullet. Like Elias, Pixie merely placed her pistol in the pile of other 1911s. ¡°Why can¡¯t we bring our guns in?¡± Elias complained. ¡°We can¡¯t shoot them, anyway.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a religious thing for the NPCs,¡± Redgrave answered. ¡°They believe that their souls will be hurt in some way if they touch a gun. That¡¯s why we can bring our bayonets in." ¡°What an annoying religion,¡± Elias muttered. The four Revenants returned to the entrance and were waved through after one of the guards at the front visually checked them for guns. They didn¡¯t even have to come to a complete stop at the checkpoint. Now inside, their senses were overwhelmed by light and noise. An upbeat song was playing over the speakers, and various electronic slot machines glittered in Elias¡¯s peripheral vision. People were talking, laughing, and cheering, though it was difficult to hear over the sound of the music. Notable also was the smell of cigarette smoke. The ventilation in the Lucky Dragon was good, so the smell was noticeable but not overpowering. Just about every table or machine had an ashtray. Directly in front of the entrance were an assorted set of tables for blackjack, roulette, and craps. Beyond those tables was a set of windows, each with a casino employee standing behind it. To the right was an assortment of electronic machines. One could play slots, poker, or several other games Elias did not recognize at these machines. To the left were more tables where one could gamble with physical chips. At the back wall was a line of machines that looked a lot like ATMs. There must have been two hundred people in this single large room, and half of them were Revenants based on their attire. The Revenants were mostly hanging around the roulette and blackjack tables. Elias swore under his breath and said, ¡°It¡¯s like a theme park.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± Pixie asked, unable to hear Elias over the music. ¡°Nothing,¡± Elias said. ¡°What do you guys wanna play first?¡± ¡°First, we need to get some chips,¡± Redgrave said. The Revenants approached the line for the chip counter. As they got closer, Elias could read a sign near one of the employees that read: THE BILLS YOU SPAWNED WITH ARE EACH WORTH 100 REN. ¡°Who do you think wrote those things?¡± Elias asked no one in particular. ¡°A player, probably,¡± Pixie answered. Elias barely managed to stop himself from saying something snarky. A moment after the four Revenants joined the line for the chip counter, another Revenant approached them. He was a young Hispanic man who had left his jacket unbuttoned. It took a moment, but Elias soon remembered the man from the fighting at the West Gate. Elias and the man had briefly taken cover behind the same concrete barrier at one point during the fight. ¡°Are you Redgrave?¡± the Hispanic man asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Redgrave answered simply. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°He was at the West Gate,¡± Elias interjected. For the first time, the Hispanic man turned toward Elias. ¡°You!¡± he suddenly shouted. The man smiled, ¡°I thought that headshot had killed you.¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Elias said with a smile. Elias gestured to the eyepatch now over his left eye and said, ¡°The bullet didn¡¯t get through my eye socket. My skull basically cracked in half, but that¡¯s nothing a little Rapid Healing can¡¯t fix.¡± Elias laughed at the thought before saying, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m Elias, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°My username is Grim_Fando,¡± the man said. ¡°Nice to meet you, Grim,¡± Redgrave said. ¡°Would you be interested in joining Tantalus¡¯s group as a soldier? You have shown a willingness to fight, and we need fighters right now.¡± ¡°Hell yeah,¡± Grim said without hesitation. ¡°If you didn¡¯t say it, I would have asked.¡± ¡°Welcome to the team,¡± Redgrave said before gesturing to the rest of the team. ¡°This is Pixie, Volta, and you¡¯ve already met Elias.¡± ¡°I also answer to ¡®cyclops,¡¯¡± Elias said, smiling. ¡°By the way,¡± Grim said, ¡°I¡¯ve taken the Identify skill. If you need me to, I can tell you someone¡¯s name, level, race, and physical stats as long as I can see their face.¡± Grim turned to Redgrave and looked him in the eyes. Suddenly, Grim¡¯s eyes flashed a bright yellow. The yellow color remained there for a few seconds before they faded back to Grim¡¯s natural brown. ¡°Level eight,¡± Grim said. ¡°I¡¯m impressed.¡± Elias quietly fumed at Redgrave¡¯s level. Elias¡¯s own level was only five. They had both seen roughly the same amount of combat. Why was Redgrave¡¯s level three higher than Elias¡¯s? Redgrave looked slightly uncomfortable at the information he had previously thought private being suddenly revealed, but he quickly regained composure. ¡°Interesting,¡± Redgrave said, forcing a smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure Tantalus will put your ability to good use.¡± ¡°You said you can only use Identify if you can see someone¡¯s face,¡± Volta said. ¡°Will it work if someone¡¯s wearing a mask?¡± ¡°No,¡± Grim said. ¡°It also doesn¡¯t work on someone wearing sunglasses.¡± ¡°Your eyes flashed yellow when you did that,¡± Elias said. ¡°Does that happen every time someone activates a Talent?¡± Grim shrugged his shoulders. The four Revenants then reached the front of the line. Redgrave, Pixie, and Volta each handed over two thousand Ren and received twenty black chips. Grim already carried a handful of chips, and Elias handed over five thousand Ren. Elias received five yellow chips instead of the black chips carried by everyone else. Each of the chips held a silhouette of a dragon in the center. They then headed for the tables. The tables were so packed that it would have been impossible for them all to play at a single table. Pixie, Volta, and Grim sat at a blackjack table while Elias and Redgrave went to a roulette table. Elias and Redgrave soon found a roulette table that was only occupied by two male NPCs. One NPC was in his thirties, and the other was in his sixties. The employee running the roulette table was a thirty-year-old woman with dark skin. Elias would have said she was black, but he wasn¡¯t entirely certain that races mapped onto NPCs in the same way it did with real people. The two Revenants walked up to the table, and Elias held his small stack of yellow chips out to the croupier. ¡°Sorry, sir,¡± the woman at the roulette table said, ¡°I¡¯m not allowed to take the chips from your hand.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Elias said and put the chips on the table. The croupier slid the chips back and asked, ¡°Would you like your chips in hundreds?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Elias said. ¡°Same for you, sir?¡± she asked Redgrave after whisking away his chips. ¡°Sure,¡± Redgrave said. The croupier placed two stacks of green chips in front of Redgrave and five stacks of yellow chips in front of Elias. ¡°Ready?¡± the croupier said automatically. A moment later, the two NPCs at the table began placing their bets down. Redgrave placed four chips on black. A moment later, Elias placed ten chips on black next to Redgrave¡¯s chips. ¡°You¡¯re betting on black as well?¡± Redgrave said to fill the air. ¡°Might as well,¡± Elias said. ¡°If I bet on red, then one of us will definitely lose. If I bet on black, then we¡¯ll either win together or lose together.¡± The croupier retrieved the ball from where it laid on the spinning roulette wheel and sent it spinning in the opposite direction of the wheel¡¯s spin. The ball spun several times. The croupier waved her hand over the table and said, ¡°No more bets.¡± Then, a moment later, the ball clattered around the roulette wheel, finally coming to a stop in one of the wheel¡¯s nooks. Elias and Redgrave craned their necks to see where the ball landed. ¡°Twenty-eight,¡± the croupier said. ¡°Black, even, high.¡± Elias pumped his fist, and Redgrave nodded happily. One of the two NPCs left in a huff as the croupier pulled his chips back to the dealer¡¯s side. ¡°A thousand Ren richer, baby!¡± Elias shouted. ¡°Congratulations,¡± the croupier said with a smile. While the croupier counted out Elias¡¯s and Redgrave¡¯s chips, an unseen figure took the spot that had been recently vacated by the NPC. Out of the corner of his eye, Elias saw a blue-clad arm place down two yellow chips. After organizing his chips in six neat rows, Elias turned to the newcomer. ¡°Nice place they got here,¡± said Ashcroft, his stolen saber still hanging proudly from his hip. Map of Eastern Rubigo and Merkopia Portrayed above is the map that was available to the Dark Apostles on the first day. While this map contained a scale, it only portrayed the eastern portion of Rubigo. Sailing from Port Terminus on Merkopia to Sondrith would take thirty hours. The various nations of Rubigo are aligned insofar as they oppose the God of Machines. The four million denizens of Merkopia, on the other hand, wish for the God of Machines to subjugate the world and bring it into a new Golden Age, by force if necessary. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Chapter 21 - [Brief Moments of Respite] ¡°I didn¡¯t know somebody like you could move so inconspicuously,¡± Redgrave said as soon as he noticed Ashcroft next to him. Revenants at other tables had begun to stare at the two of them standing next to each other, and the NPC seemed annoyed by the amount of chips that the croupier had to distribute. ¡°I can when I want to,¡± Ashcroft said. ¡°With a hat, a pair of sunglasses, and a different posture, people don¡¯t notice you until you¡¯re less than ten feet from them.¡± Now looking at Ashcroft, Elias could see that he was wearing a green officer¡¯s cap and a pair of aviator sunglasses. In one clenched hand, Ashcroft held an amber drink in an elegant glass and a velcro patch that showed an image of a green dragon in flight. As the croupier placed his chips in front of him, Ashcroft regarded the patch with a sidelong glance. ¡°This symbol - the green dragon - it seems to pop up everywhere,¡± Ashcroft said. ¡°The flag of Osiris, the symbol for this casino, an officer¡¯s uniform. Everywhere I look, it¡¯s there.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s some importance to the symbol we just haven¡¯t seen yet,¡± Redgrave said. ¡°A dragon¡­ the historic enemy of the knight,¡± Ashcroft muttered almost inaudibly. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m here because I saw an opportunity to hear about the battles at the East and West Gates firsthand. You were at the East Gate, Redgrave, and you were at the West Gate, Elias.¡± ¡°A battle¡¯s a battle,¡± Redgrave said. ¡°I don¡¯t see how the fight at the North Gate could be all that different from the other two.¡± ¡°Ready?¡± the croupier said now that all of the chips had been distributed. ¡°Every battle has its own unique flavor,¡± Ashcroft said as he lazily put three chips on black. ¡°One might be an intimate dance and another a chaotic mosh pit. Elias,¡± Ashcroft suddenly spoke to the third Revenant at the table, ¡°what was it like fighting alongside Commander Tantalus?¡± Elias had placed a chip on each of the spaces in the last third of the roulette table. He had also placed three chips on the space next to the final third of the roulette table. He was betting that the next roll on the roulette wheel would be high. ¡°He was the only person at the West Gate who knew anything about fighting,¡± Elias said. ¡°Well, he and Pixie. We essentially just followed Tantalus¡¯s lead. When he fired, we fired. When he charged, we charged.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± Ashcroft mused. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t have been my first guess. Tantalus was more of a back-line fighter back in the day. And what about you, Redgrave?¡± Redgrave had placed five of his chips on red as the croupier began spinning the ball. The white ball flew along the rim of the roulette wheel at a high speed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t there for most of the battle,¡± Redgrave said, watching the ball spin around and around. ¡°I helped light a fire just outside of the Gate. We were caught by a large group of Deluvians. One of us died, and we barely escaped with our lives.¡± ¡°Bummer,¡± Ashcroft said. A clattering sound emanated from the roulette wheel as it came to a chaotic halt. The three Revenants arched their necks to see where the ball had landed. The ball stopped in a slot that was marked with a green number. ¡°Zero,¡± the croupier said as she nervously reached forward and pulled all of the chips off the table. Elias swore in annoyance, and Redgrave smacked the table. Ashcroft laughed as if he had just heard a hilarious joke. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°Twice in one night,¡± he said, wiping tears away from his eyes. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Redgrave asked. ¡°Oh, yeah, I forgot, you weren¡¯t there,¡± Ashcroft said. ¡°We held a vote earlier on whether we were going to wipe out the East and West Gates.¡± ¡°And?¡± Redgrave asked. ¡°It was a tie! Can you believe that?¡± Ashcroft seemed to think this was the funniest thing he had ever heard. Ashcroft had not lowered his voice, so the croupier could clearly hear what he had said. She looked at Ashcroft with terror on her face. ¡°Just when I was expecting one or the other, I got a third thing.¡± A group of three men approached the roulette wheel before anyone could respond to Ashcroft¡¯s statement. Each of them wore expensive clothes, garish jewelry, and a sword on his belt. Their backs were rigid as they approached, and they walked with a purpose. Ashcroft turned lazily to the three men and gave them a winning smile. ¡°Are you Captain Ashcroft?¡± the man in the center asked. ¡°That sounds like me,¡± Ashcroft said with the confidence of a man who knew he was in a Safe Zone. ¡°I am Sir Percival of House Vanta!¡± the man declared. ¡°I am here to find justice for the men you so carelessly slaughtered at the North Gate! I challenge you to a duel!¡± ¡°Terms?¡± Ashcroft asked lazily while taking a sip from his bourbon. ¡°Death or dishonor!¡± Sir Percival said. ¡°Alright,¡± Ashcroft said, stretching his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll be at the North Gate in thirty minutes.¡± Ashcroft put his glass down and returned the patch back to his pocket. ¡°That¡¯s the third one today,¡± Ashcroft muttered to Redgrave. ¡°I wonder if I should kill this one.¡± He began to walk away from the table. As he left, he turned to Redgrave and said, ¡°By the way, Redgrave. You should really consider joining the Knights. We can always use a man like you.¡± Ashcroft left, leaving his chips on the table. With the departure of the Captain of the Ashen Knights, a sense of normalcy returned. After two more spins of the roulette wheel, the croupier changed places with a white man in his fifties. Beyond that, nothing was out of the ordinary for the rest of the night. All told, Redgrave and Elias ended up losing a few hundred Ren, though the Revenants at the blackjack table had a much more successful night. Volta ultimately made about a hundred Ren, and Grim broke even. Pixie, on the other hand, made more than a thousand Ren at the blackjack table. Elias wondered if she had secretly been counting cards. Together, the five Revenants walked over to the Lucky Dragon¡¯s in-house bar. The bar was a large structure that dominated one side of the casino floor. There were five bartenders, each tending different parts of the bar. The bartender all the way to the right was not busy, so the Revenants approached him. There was cheering and laughing as Pixie recounted how she had made four hundred Ren on a single side bet. ¡°I¡¯d like to buy shots for the five of us,¡± Pixie said, placing a bill on the table. The bartender took the bill and said, ¡°We¡¯ve got a special going right now: shots of Ninevolt whiskey for five Ren.¡± ¡°Sounds good!¡± Pixie said. Elias could tell that she did not know what Ninevolt was, mostly because Ninevolt was not an actual whiskey brand. The drinks came in shot glasses with dragons carved into the sides. They picked up the shot glasses, some with more confidence than others. ¡°We should do a toast!¡± Grim exclaimed. ¡°I like the sound of that!¡± Pixie said. ¡°But what should we toast to?¡± Grim wondered aloud. ¡°I have an idea,¡± Redgrave said. He raised his shot glass, and the other four Revenants matched him. ¡°To gambling!" Everyone mimicked Redgrave¡¯s toast with differing levels of enthusiasm based on the luck they had that night, then all five Revenants took their shots. Elias and Redgrave had no difficulty, but the other three only got halfway through before they began to choke. Elias was suddenly aware of why it was called Ninevolt whiskey. It kicked like he had just licked a nine-volt battery. The Revenants laughed at each other¡¯s reaction to the whiskey. Seeing this scene of mirth, Elias wondered where these five Revenants would be in a day, ten days, a year. Would all five of them survive to see GM¡¯s timer hit zero? The actual time limit seemed like such a distant memory. The Revenants of Osiris worried that they might not even survive the next few days, let alone the next ten years. Thus, they searched for these brief moments of respite so that they may forget, perhaps for a moment, their fragile mortality. It did not matter how much they won; it did not matter how much they lost. All of them could be dead in an hour. In no time at all, Elias¡¯s moment of respite was over. He soon found himself in bed on the sixth floor of Hotel Acheron, slightly dizzy after imbibing five shots of Ninevolt whiskey. Elias had only been lying in bed for a few minutes before he fell into a deep sleep. Chapter 22 - [Charnel Mass of Flesh] Day 2 The West Gate 6:00 A.M. For the short amount of time that he was able to sleep on the first night, he dreamt of the War. He dreamt of the heinous violence he had witnessed in Atlanta in the Summer of ''27. He dreamt of the first time he had killed a man. He dreamt of the charnel mass of flesh that remained after he had shot the man a dozen times and how it wriggled even though it no longer resembled a human being. Tantalus woke to the sound of knocking on his office door. He had fallen asleep the previous night on his office sofa. His reduced stature made it easier for him to sleep in strange places. In the old world, he had found it difficult to sleep on sofas because his legs would inevitably hang over the edge. His avatar was a solid eight inches shorter than his real body and, probably, significantly weaker. Enough training and a knife would more than make up for that disadvantage, though. ¡°I¡¯m up!¡± Tantalus groggily shouted at the door. He shook the disturbing image of that recurring dream out of his head. Luckily, dreams were soon forgotten. While waking up was slightly easier in this new body, he was still sore from last night¡¯s exercise. Also, the fact that he had only slept for three hours the previous night did not help. As he sat up, Tantalus briefly checked his Character Sheet. Character Sheet
Name Tantalus45
Level 9
Blood Points 110/110
Mana Points 25/25
Race Revenant
Fortitude 11
Strength 11
Agility 15
Wisdom 12
Attribute Modifiers: Strength Training (1), Mana Training (5)
Talents
Dead Magic (s)
Holy Blood
Rapid Healing
Good, Tantalus thought, he was making progress. He had spent most of the night doing sets of twenty push-ups and writing out military strategies during his rest periods. He had also regularly emptied out his mana reserve by casting Firebolt into the sky a few times. The push-ups were enough to give him Attribute Modifier: Strength Training (1), and the magic use was sufficient to raise his mana pool from twelve to eighteen. In addition, this training had been sufficient to raise him to level nine. Apparently, it was possible to gain experience points through methods other than killing monsters. He stood and stretched out his body. The lack of sleep bothered him less than he thought it would, but it was still annoying. He felt like a college student again. Back then, he could and frequently would pull all-nighters without any chemical assistance. In 2035, he would be lucky to stay up all night with the help of a liter of strong coffee. Tantalus looked around his office, which he had taken the liberty of decorating the previous night. Behind the desk were two maps. One was a somewhat simplistic map of the Continent of Rubigo and the Island of Merkopia, and the other was a more detailed map of Greater Osiris. Both maps were held up with duct tape for ease of removal, and the map of Greater Osiris was heavily marked with a pencil. On the desk was an ashtray that held about a dozen cigarette butts. Next to the ashtray was a small stack of papers covered with text handwritten in pencil. The text was legible but unpleasant to look at, and every page carried the letterhead of the Osirian Army at its top. The letterhead read: ?''???''??? ??''?? Tantalus had spent a short amount of time trying to learn to read the NPC¡¯s alphabet. The other players had started calling it the Iron Alphabet. So far, he had learned that this alphabet was phonetic, unlike his own language, and that they put quotation marks between syllables. He knew that the text on the letterhead said ¡°Osiris Army,¡± but the first and second ¡°I¡± used different letters. He had no luck reading Iron Script, and he had less luck trying to write with it. This alphabet more closely resembled Arabic than English, so Tantalus¡¯s muscle memory just got in the way. He grabbed the papers from the top of his desk and walked over to the door. Upon opening the door, he saw Private Sigismund, the surviving soldier that he had ordered to advance with Pixie and light the buildings near the West Gate on fire. Of all the NPCs he had met so far, Tantalus respected this one the most. Sigismund saluted Tantalus once again upon the door opening. Tantalus returned the salute just to get Sigismund to lower his arm. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°I figured the Colonel would tell you that I don¡¯t actually outrank you. We¡¯re both privates," Tantalus said, stifling a yawn. ¡°Actually,¡± Sigismund said, ¡°that¡¯s something I came to talk to you about. While you were asleep, Colonel Dozok granted you the brevet rank of Lieutenant. He also made me a corporal for my actions in the field.¡± ¡°Great,¡± Tantalus said honestly. ¡°I¡¯m glad they recognized you for what you did. Though, I have to ask, why in God''s name did he give me a promotion?¡± Sigismund gave a tired smile. ¡°He was essentially forced to. You were named ¡®liaison to the Revenants¡¯ by Duke Edwin. The title can only be held by a commissioned officer, so Colonel Dozok was procedurally required to promote you.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Tantalus nodded. ¡°So he made me a brevet lieutenant, the lowest possible commissioned officer rank. I presume I still make the salary of a private?¡± ¡°That sounds about right,¡± Sigismund said. ¡°Either way, I¡¯m movin¡¯ on up,¡± Tantalus said to an audience that would absolutely not get the reference. ¡°Thanks for the wakeup call, Corporal Sigismund." He moved past Sigismund and exited the barracks of the West Gate, picking up his blue jacket and cap as he left. Tantalus had to walk down a long hallway and down several flights of stairs to exit. The barracks was built into the wall itself, so it was very long and thin. Its layout was essentially a single hundred-foot hallway with rooms on each side. He got the distinct sense that the offices on the city-side were held by higher-ranked officers. It was only natural; his office was wall-side. Not only did the city-side offices have windows, but they would also be more protected in the event of an attack on the wall. As he walked, Tantalus remembered the artillery strike on the East Gate. One of these days, he¡¯d have to get himself a city-side office. Exiting the barracks, Tantalus entered the chilled morning air. The sun had not risen, and the faint light in the sky above was a mere hint of the dawn to come. The stars were not visible, but the light was still too faint for the streetlights to turn on. He shivered slightly and tucked his arms into his sleeves. Luckily, the uniform he was wearing was not his original. Tantalus had been given a new uniform before he had met Colonel Dozok. This new uniform didn¡¯t fit him as well as the original, but it was clean. Relatively clean, at least. He¡¯d been wearing his current uniform for more than twelve hours. Tantalus walked past the extensive car pileup outside the West Gate and mounted the red pickup truck he had received soon after logging in. His father had owned a pickup truck like this one many years before. It had been a while since Tantalus had driven a car with a manual transmission, and he had missed the feeling. Luckily, he hadn¡¯t forgotten how. The pickup truck was parked in a parking garage slightly beyond the car pileup. This was where the men stationed at the West Gate parked their cars when they were on duty. The parking garage was clearly marked for military use only, but there was no parking attendant present. The striped boom barrier that would usually grant only conditional entry was raised. Anyone could park in the parking garage if they wanted to. It wasn¡¯t a particularly harmful oversight, but it provided evidence of the shoddy state of the Osirian Military. The car exited the parking garage and started driving through the electrically-lit streets of Osiris. The streets were even more empty than they had been the last time Tantalus had driven them, and they gave the City the distinct feeling of a ghost town. Within a few minutes, Tantalus had reached the elevated highway heading north. He firmly gripped the wheel as he approached the bridge over the Chasm. The pickup reached the Chasm, and he was suddenly struck with the uncanny feeling that a magnificent pit had opened up beneath him. Heights, Tantalus recalled, was not something he was good with. The car soon reached the other side of the Chasm, and he let out a sigh of relief. With a few more minutes of uneventful driving, he reached the North Gate. He stopped the truck near a familiar-looking car pileup and exited his vehicle. With a slam, Tantalus closed the pickup truck¡¯s door and started walking toward the Gate. Just in case, he carried a shotgun propped up on his shoulder. As part of his work the night before, he had retrieved a bandolier from a military base in Central Osiris by lying gratuitously about his rank. He now wore this bandolier filled half with buckshot and half with slugs under his jacket. The shotgun he carried was filled with solid shotgun slugs. With solid breath emanating from his mouth, Tantalus passed the car pileup to see a collection of about three dozen Revenants standing under the North Gate. Since Ashcroft had cleared it of NPCs, the North Gate had become a gathering place, apparently. In the center of this group were the nine high-ranked Revenants who Maria Feldrast had commanded Tantalus to assemble. The system for choosing this group was simple. He had chosen the eight other S-ranks and ConcreteBeats to come with him to the meeting with the Duke. Cordelia had a following of four million subscribers on YouTube, which was about four times higher than his own. While this was dwarfed by Ashcroft¡¯s twenty-five million, it was undeniable that Cordelia held some sway among the Revenants. Plus, Tantalus figured, it was probably good to have at least one ¡°civilian¡± present at the discussion. The proverbial ¡°A-team¡± had been assembled at the North Gate. These ten Revenants who would go on to shape the fate of the Third Server and beyond over the next ten years were, in order of fame: (1) Ashcroft, (2) ConcreteBeats, (3) Tantalus45, (4) ManderOfTrebizond, (5) LtEmile, (6) GatorKing, (7) Tri3megistus, (8) Mozaic44, (9) ScaryClock, and (10) FullDan. Tantalus squared his shoulders and approached the gathered crowd. Like it or not, he would have to be a center of attention for the foreseeable future. Being recognized everywhere would certainly have its downsides. As he approached the group, some cheered and some jeered. It might have been his imagination, but he could have sworn he had heard someone say, ¡°He¡¯s shorter than I thought he¡¯d be.¡± The ten delegates for the Revenants of Osiris had been assembled. Beginners Guide to Iron Script November 4th, 2035 The following document was compiled by various individuals primarily working under Mander of Trebizond. Iron Script is Ferrum''s equivalent of the English alphabet. The NPCs refer to English as "Common," so Iron Script is just the Common alphabet. Their spoken language is almost exactly the same as ours, so writing in Iron Script is surprisingly simple once you figure out. Iron Script is phonetic, however, so it isn''t an exact one-to-one translation. We''re going to have to get used to different letters for the "A" in cat, father, and share. Asterisks are placed in words to separate syllables. One last thing: Blood Script luckily uses the standard Arabic numerals we''re used to, so we won''t have to learn how to count again. The following cipher will have to be handwritten. We will upload images to the BloodNet for ease of use. CIPHER A = ? (apple) Ah = ? (father) If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Ayy = ? (share) B = ? K = ? D = ? Ee = ? (tree or wheel) Eh = ? (when) F = ? G = ?? H = ?? I = ? (I or aye) Ih = ?? (if or in) J = ??? L = ? M = ? N = ? Oh = ? (no) Oo = ? (rue or true) P = ?? R = ?? S = ? Sh = ? T = ? Th = ? Uh = ? (under) V = ? W = ?? Y = ? Z = ? Examples Osiris = ?''??''????? Bathroom = ???''???? Duke = ??? Beginner''s Guide to Iron Script = ??''?????''??^? ???? ?? ?''??? ????????? Chapter 23 - [Ten Unelected Players] ¡°Tantalus,¡± Ashcroft spoke first. ¡°Everyone¡¯s here.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Tantalus said, looking at the papers he held in his off hand. He reached for eyeglasses that he neither needed nor carried before stopping himself. ¡°Who are these people?¡± Tantalus gestured to the extra fifty people who had accumulated at the North Gate. ¡°We¡¯re a group of concerned people who have some questions about the path we seem to be going on in this city,¡± one of the Revenants, the apparent leader, said. ¡°There are ten thousand real, living people in this city, and it seems to many of us that we¡¯re led by a military junta. Yesterday, Ashcroft significantly changed the political situation in Osiris without consulting anyone. Today, ten unelected players are meeting with the NPCs and speaking on behalf of all ten thousand of us. You can imagine how that is concerning to some.¡± The shouting man drew certain unpleasant memories to Tantalus¡¯s mind. Riots, military suppression, civil war. He clenched his teeth. Luckily, most of them had left their guns at home. In fact, the vast majority of them were dressed like normal NPC civilians. Tantalus couldn¡¯t be entirely certain that any of them were, in fact, Revenants. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this,¡± Tantalus snarled. ¡°You guys all got my recommendations, right?¡± Tantalus turned to the ten people he had actually invited to the North Gate. He wondered who had leaked their meeting location to the public. Tantalus began walking toward the City and gestured for the S-ranks to follow. ¡°Hey!¡± the man shouted. ¡°We¡¯re not done talking!¡± ¡°Ahem,¡± Ashcroft cleared his throat. ¡°You¡¯re free to form a civilian government whenever you want.¡± He spoke with a broad smile. Everyone present knew that at least one of the protesters would be using the BloodNet record feature. Any Revenant could record anything he wanted without equipment. The only indication that you were being recorded was that the Revenant¡¯s eyes would glow yellow. ¡°The situation yesterday required immediate response. The set-up we have right now is only temporary. Hold an election, or whatever, and I¡¯m sure everyone here will do their best to follow the results of that election. And in the meantime, Cordelia here is the designated civilian representative.¡± He motioned to ConcreteBeats before swiftly trotting to catch up with Tantalus. Some of the protesters began speaking to ConcreteBeats, and she tried her best to alleviate their fears. Ashcroft and the other seven S-ranks soon caught up with Tantalus. FullDan¡¯s ice cold demeanor quickly melted soon after he had backed far enough away from the protestors. His shoulders slouched, and he began periodically clenching his off hand. ¡°God, I hate protests,¡± Emile spat. ¡°We got enough of those ten years ago,¡± Mozaic said darkly. ¡°¡®No politics in the war room,¡¯¡± Ashcroft cut them off with a movie quote that had become a very popular saying in 2035. The quote was usually reserved for instances where conversation on a given topic should stop because it would just result in unnecessary hostility. ¡°Regarding your diplomacy recommendations, Tantalus, I have a question. What¡¯s this about Mander and Cordelia leading discussion? Sure, I like Mander as much as the next guy, but he¡¯s hardly a leading voice among the Revenants. I recommended you, and you recommended Mander. And why Cordelia? She has a big following, but the Duke is expecting a ¡®military¡¯ delegation. Cordelia is hardly a shining example of military personnel.¡± ¡°They were the obvious next choice after you and me,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°Okay,¡± Ashcroft breathed heavily. ¡°Not to sound like a jackass for saying this, but why not you and me?¡± ¡°The NPCs hate the two of us,¡± Tantalus said simply. ¡°Yesterday, I looked a Colonel dead in the eye and threatened to commit a massacre, and you actually committed a massacre.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have the full picture at the time,¡± Ashcroft sighed, ¡°but I understand. I didn¡¯t know that you¡¯d threatened to commit mass murder yesterday.¡± There was a hint of appreciation in Ashcroft¡¯s voice. ¡°It could¡¯ve been handled better,¡± Tantalus said. His next statement was aimed at the whole group. ¡°Does anyone have any concerns about my tactical recommendations?¡± Everybody in the group shook their heads. ¡°It¡¯s pretty simple,¡± Ashcroft said. ¡°If the Safe Zone goes down and they start attacking us, we just kill them all.¡± ¡°And make sure to get the Duke first,¡± Tantalus reminded the group. They had reached their cars at this point. Cordelia caught up with them after a few minutes. ¡°Thanks, Ashcroft,¡± she said sarcastically as she got in the back of one of the cars. Ashcroft, Mozaic, and Emile got in the same car. Tantalus, GatorKing, and FullDan boarded the red pickup truck. FullDan voluntarily got in the truck¡¯s bed with Tantalus¡¯s shotgun and GatorKing¡¯s rifle and saber. As Tantalus reversed out of his parking spot, he briefly noted GatorKing¡¯s features. GatorKing¡¯s current avatar was a powerfully built black man with a square jawline and dreadlocks tied back in something resembling a ponytail. Tantalus had met Gator in real life back when the Scions all lived together in Boston, which had become a major hub for Internet influencers after most urban centers were severely damaged during the strife of the late 2020s. In real life, Gator was a small man with thick glasses and an inhaler. Recursion, the resident nickname guy, gave GatorKing the nickname ¡°Urkle.¡± Tantalus could not in good conscience hold the non-representative avatar against Gator, however. Tantalus was the same as him, but in the opposite direction. ¡°So,¡± GatorKing asked, opening the window behind him so that FullDan could hear, ¡°if Mander and Concrete are going to handle diplomacy, what are we going to do?¡± ¡°Stand around and look pretty,¡± Tantalus answered. GatorKing chuckled. ¡°And be prepared to fight your way out if necessary.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t gotta tell me,¡± Gator said. ¡°God, I hope they attack us. Working for NPCs makes my skin crawl.¡± ¡°Be wary,¡± Tantalus warned, ¡°the NPC nobles are stronger than we may think. A developer for Ferrum Online approached me. He told me that you can use magic to harden your skin to the point that it stops bullets. The developer also told me that the nobles are very skilled in their use of magic.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± GatorKing said thoughtfully. ¡°FullDan, can you pass me my sword?¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°S-sure,¡± FullDan responded as he passed Gator his saber through the open window. GatorKing pulled his sword out of the scabbard to the point that the blade could just barely be seen. He then pressed his index finger to the flat of the blade, and blood began to pour out of the gap between his finger and fingernail. The bright blood touched the blade and flowed unnaturally to cover the entire blade in a striped Damascus pattern. Tantalus saw this out of the corner of his eye and remarked, ¡°We can do that? Useful.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Gator said. ¡°We spent a lot of time experimenting with the game¡¯s mechanics at the North Gate.¡± GatorKing passed his sword back to FullDan. ¡°Ashcroft even hired a doctor to start working on a system for blood transfusion.¡± ¡°Cool,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°I¡¯ve been working on trying to figure out how to read Iron Script. It¡¯s¡­ complicated.¡± At that time, the red pickup truck pulled into an underground parking garage near the Duke¡¯s Palace. The three S-ranked Revenants exited the car with FullDan jumping out of the truck bed with ease. The other two cars had parked nearby, and the ten Revenant liaisons regrouped in the center of a parking garage. The ten Revenants stood in the center of an underground parking garage. A few of the Knights checked their weapons one last time, and ConcreteBeats yawned loudly. Now given a moment to ruminate on the situation, Tantalus was growing worried. He was confident that a force of nine competitive-level players could handle any attack carried out by the Duke and his followers. He was concerned about the long-term negative effect this meeting could have on relations with the NPCs, however. Tantalus had, of course, considered the worst-case scenario. There was no doubt in his mind that the Revenants could subjugate the NPCs with minimal difficulty, but he was concerned about the blow such an action would deal to the Revenants¡¯ morale. As things were on the second day, the Revenants of Osiris could easily call themselves the ¡°good guys,¡± and there was a significant value to that. They were heroes of justice fighting against monsters, and Tantalus would rather not surrender that belief unless absolutely necessary. ¡°We really are treading new ground,¡± Ashcroft said unprompted. ¡°The ten of us hold the unique privilege of being the first people in the history of the world to formally initiate diplomatic overtures with a non-human government. In a manner of speaking, this is first contact.¡± ¡°Sounds like we need to be on our best behavior, Captain Kirk,¡± Trismegistus joked. Ignoring the conversation between the Knights, Tantalus walked next to Mander and lightly patted him on the back. ¡°Lead on, Boss,¡± Tantalus said, barely above a whisper. Mander began walking forward with slight prodding. Once he had started walking, he fixed his posture and began projecting an aura of confidence. ¡°No more dilly-dallying,¡± he said, trying to sound confident, ¡°we don¡¯t want to keep the Vulcans waiting.¡± The group exited the parking garage onto a street on the other side of the Duke¡¯s Palace. A crowd of about a hundred NPCs and Revenants stood in front of the Palace. Some of the NPCs were carrying cameras. A police line had been set up to allow for an unbroken pathway from the parking garage to the Palace¡¯s front entrance. The NPC police officers were all armed with clubs, and a few carried large plastic shields. They looked exactly like riot police from the Old World but without any firearms. As the ten Revenants crossed, some of the NPC reporters shouted some questions. Tantalus could vaguely hear somebody shout, ¡°What is your plan to end the siege!¡± Ashcroft walked over to the reporter to give a brief response that Tantalus could not hear. They walked up the marble steps to the Palace¡¯s front entrance. All the attention unnerved Tantalus. He lit a cigarette and took a long drag as the cameras flashed off to both sides. Luckily, none of them knew the specifics of the Revenants¡¯ situation, so they would not know to approach the ¡°Commander¡± with their questions. The double doors closed heavily behind them. They could still hear the sound of the crowd outside, but it was much quieter now that the thick doors were between them. The Representatives of Osiris were led deeper and deeper into Osiris. Tantalus figured they would be told to wait, but they were brought straight to the Palace¡¯s inner sanctum. Tantalus was no diplomat, but even he could tell that this was strange for a high-level noble. In Ninth Oasis, the players would frequently have to deal with nobles. Every time, the noble in question would require the player to wait for some amount of time. Polite nobles would only make you wait for ten minutes, and rude nobles could make you wait for days. Either way, you¡¯d have to wait. This Duke Edwin character was different, Tantalus realized. The group stepped through one last set of heavy doors and found the Duke¡¯s war room. There were no windows in the room, and it was lit by dozens of ceiling-mounted electric lights. The war room was about fifty feet long by fifty feet wide. In the center was a long table, which was surrounded by countless men and women in green military uniforms. With a cursory glance, Tantalus could see that none of the officers present were below the rank of Colonel. Off to the sides of the room were smaller groups of people gathered around smaller tables. The man at the head of the central table wore the same military uniform, but he did not wear a rank insignia on his lapel. ¡°That¡¯s him,¡± Tantalus whispered to Mander and pointed at the man standing at the head of the table. ¡°Archduke Edwin Mandelbrot,¡± Mander said to the Duke, ¡°it is a pleasure to finally meet you.¡± The Duke was a man in his mid-thirties. His face bore some of the lines of age, though his hair had not yet begun to turn grey. Duke Edwin turned to the Revenants and regarded them with a fierce intensity. This only lasted for a moment before the Duke, through great effort, softened the look on his face. Two officers stood next to the Duke. Colonel Maria Feldrast stood to his right, and an unknown man who bore the rank insignia of a Major General stood to the Duke¡¯s left. ¡°I must congratulate you on picking me out so quickly,¡± Duke Edwin said. ¡°You must be quite skilled at gathering intelligence.¡± Tantalus was tempted for a moment to reveal how he had picked out Duke Edwin, but he decided against it. ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± Mander smiled. ¡°I am Mander of Trebizond, and that is Cordelia Brooks. The remaining eight Revenants that stand before you are all warriors of great renown. It has been decided that Cordelia and I will act as our group¡¯s primary diplomats. I am a representative of the military contingent of Revenants, and Cordelia is representative of the civilian contingent of Revenants.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Duke Edwin said, barely able to mask his disapproval. ¡°What civilian contingent?¡± Cordelia Brooks spoke up at this. ¡°You see, Duke Edwin, most of the Revenants either cannot or will not actively fight against Deluvians.¡± ¡°What?¡± Duke Edwin stopped for a moment and bit his lip. It was clear to Tantalus that the Duke was taking great effort to stop himself from saying something undiplomatic. ¡°All of our sources stated that the Ritual would create a full division of Revenants ready to repel the warriors of the Machine God.¡± ¡°Your sources lied,¡± Cordelia said with such confidence that it was difficult to simply deny the veracity of the words. ¡°The Revenants you summoned are just normal people from another world. I was a musician in my world. I, and most other Revenants, are not cut out for combat. Some are fighters, and some will be able to rise to the occasion, but it would be foolish to believe that more than ten percent of us will ever be willing to fight on the front lines.¡± Duke Edwin sighed loudly. ¡°Colonel Feldrast had brought such things to my attention, but I did not want to believe it. Is it true? Are the Revenants truly beings from another world?¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s hard to believe,¡± Mander said, ¡°but it¡¯s the truth.¡± Chapter 24 - [I Am Obligated to Punish Deserters!] ¡°So,¡± the Duke continued, ¡°it would seem that the Revenant forces willing to fight are merely one-tenth of what we had hoped for.¡± ¡°You have my apologies, my lord,¡± Mander said diplomatically. ¡°If it were up to us, we would have sent soldiers and not civilians.¡± Duke Edwin stood there with his eyes closed and his nose pinched between his index finger and thumb for several long seconds. With his eyes still closed, the Duke sighed and said, ¡°Our plan does not change significantly, then. The Revenants are still able to fight, though many are unwilling. Major General Dogwood will still be put in charge of the Revenant forces,¡± the Duke gestured to the man standing next to him. ¡°Mander of Trebizond, could you tell me your current strategy for the defense of the Gates?¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Mander said with a smile. ¡°Last night, we decided to place an equal number of our greatest soldiers at each of the Gates. Clock, Trismegistus, and I will be placed at the East Gate. FullDan, GatorKing, and Tantalus will be placed at the West Gate. Ashcroft, Emile, and Mozaic will be placed at the North Gate.¡± ¡°Ah, yes,¡± the Duke said darkly, ¡°the North Gate.¡± Out of the corner of his eye, Tantalus saw Ashcroft place his hand firmly on his sidearm. ¡°I suppose the tall man with long hair is Ashcroft.¡± ¡°Aye,¡± Ashcroft answered with an uncharacteristically brief utterance. ¡°My first official action of this meeting,¡± the Duke began, ¡°is to grant Sir Ashcroft of the Knights of Ashes a stay of prosecution until the siege is over." Unsuppressed shock showed on Ashcroft¡¯s face, which was soon replaced by several emotions in quick succession. Happiness that the Duke had used his favored title, annoyance that he would not get to kill some more NPCs, and respect at the Duke¡¯s political shrewdness. This was a smart move. Perhaps, Tantalus thought, it was the only one that could lead to a victory for Duke Edwin. This action would help Revenant-NPC relations and show the Duke¡¯s forgiving character. Also, more notably, the Duke had said ¡°until the siege is over,¡± meaning that the government of Osiris would absolutely try to prosecute Ashcroft after the siege was broken. ¡°I have heard that several of my knights have challenged you, Sir Ashcroft, to a duel to the death. This reprieve should prevent most of those challenges, though I cannot fully control the actions of my vassals,¡± Duke Edwin said. ¡°Thanks,¡± Ashcroft said with a forced smile. ¡°On to my second official act of this meeting,¡± Duke Edwin continued. ¡°I hereby grant Mander, Cordelia Brooks, John Tantalus, and Ashcroft the rank of Captain. In addition, these four shall have the right to grant brevet ranks up to Lieutenant.¡± Tantalus raised his eyebrows in surprise at the Duke¡¯s words. It was as if Duke Edwin had seen into his mind. Tantalus was going to enforce a hierarchy at the West Gate either way, but it was good to have the blessing of the standing government. ¡°Captain Mander,¡± Duke Edwin addressed the middle-aged British man, ¡°I would have you speak on your plans for the deployment of our Revenant troops.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Mander said, hesitating for a moment at his unforeseen promotion. ¡°Our plan is to deploy thirty permanent troops to each Gate. These thirty will be split into six squads of five. All other Revenant soldiers will be organized in a militia force, which can be called on in the event of an incursion.¡± ¡°A standing force to guard the Gates,¡± the Duke said, ¡°a prudent decision. How many Revenants do you believe will join this militia group?¡± ¡°Anywhere from four to eight hundred,¡± Mander said without hesitation. Tantalus was glad that he had spent an hour the previous night coaching Mander on the questions that Duke Edwin would likely ask. Of course, Mander was an excellent student, Tantalus thought, he was a philosopher after all. The Duke was about to open his mouth, but Mander cut him off. ¡°Please excuse me. I have just a single question before we continue. If it would not be improper, may I ask that question now?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± the Duke said. Duke Edwin seemed annoyed for a moment, but his anger turned to satisfaction as he heard Mander¡¯s polite request. Mander was a veteran of Ninth Oasis. He knew how to talk to noble NPCs. Even a seemingly rational noble like Duke Edwin would be weak to flattery. ¡°Supply lines,¡± Mander said. ¡°We would like to know the nature of how we are to be supplied with guns, bullets, and food. It is our understanding that non-Revenants cannot touch firearms, yet you are the ones supplying us with said firearms. Considering that this city is currently under siege, we would like to know precisely where these three things come from.¡± The Duke became thoughtful for a moment before turning to Colonel Maria Feldrast who promptly began ordering some of the other officers to find documents on logistics. Within two minutes, someone in the room produced several binders filled with documents written in Iron Script and placed them in front of Duke Edwin. He then picked up one of the binders and stared to hand it to Mander. Mander raised one of his hands as if in surrender and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid we cannot read your language, sir.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Duke Edwin said. ¡°I had forgotten. You all speak our language so clearly. It is difficult for me to comprehend how you cannot read it.¡± Tantalus had spoken to enough noblemen in Ninth Oasis to know that this was a lie. Duke Edwin¡¯s lie was well-hidden, but it was easy to pierce when you had experience. NPC nobles all lied the same way. Whenever they lied, it was a lie that made them appear less powerful than they actually were. The lie would also act to subtly undermine an adversary. Tantalus knew that every S-rank present immediately saw through the noble¡¯s words. ¡°We¡¯re working on it,¡± Mander laughed the statement off. ¡°We¡¯ll have a working cipher in a day or two. Unfortunately, someone else will have to read the logistics report out loud.¡± One of the other officers in the room, a Colonel under Maria Feldrast¡¯s command, read the report out loud. Essentially, there were several underground caches throughout the City that held guns, bullets, and food. Whenever moving guns or bullets, NPCs would utilize thick leather gloves so as not to breach the Edict. These gloves were likely completely unnecessary, Tantalus thought. If Ashcroft¡¯s experiments at the North Gate were to be believed, the Edict would only be activated by firing the gun. The NPCs could handle the guns as much as they wanted. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. The report also stated the total number of guns, bullets, and food in the City¡¯s stockpile. Before the Revenants arrived, the report claimed, there were twenty thousand (20k) rifles and twenty thousand (20k) pistols. Each firearm came with three clips or magazines. In terms of ammunition, there were three hundred thousand (300k) rounds of .30-06 and four hundred twenty thousand (420k) rounds of .45 ACP. The officer speaking then got to the specifics of food production, but Tantalus mostly tuned that out. Apparently, there was enough food for several months. Tantalus was much more interested in their weapon supply. Assuming that a thousand Revenants ultimately volunteer to defend Osiris, they would have three hundred rifle rounds per person. After a day of heavy fighting, Tantalus had used fifty rifle rounds. They had enough bullets to fight a few battles, but they could not afford to be wasteful. Overall, the City was very well supplied, but it was concerning that the means to create more guns was not within Osiris. As the Colonel began to wind down, Tantalus cleared his throat and spoke for the first time, ¡°We¡¯ll need more guns later. I¡¯d like to know where they¡¯re made.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m afraid we haven¡¯t met,¡± the Duke said, smiling. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m John Tantalus,¡± he said quickly. ¡°Eh¡­¡± he briefly recalled that you were supposed to give your titles in such a situation, ¡°Captain of the West Gate.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, Tantalus,¡± Duke Edwin said. The Duke¡¯s inability to immediately recognize Tantalus was another lie. Maria Feldrast would have described him to the Duke. In that crowd, Tantalus stuck out like a sore thumb. He was half a foot shorter than all of the other men in the group. ¡°We had expected you to play a much more significant role in our dialogue.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not much of a diplomat,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°As for your question,¡± the Duke said, ¡°the only people who construct firemakers are followers of the God of Machines. The Cognoscenti are strictly prohibited within Greater Osiris, so they can only be found in Sondrith, Etronia, or the Island of Merkopia.¡± ¡°Thank you for answering my question,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°Next on the docket,¡± Duke Edwin said, ¡°is a matter of harm mitigation. It has been brought to my attention that Captain Ashcroft has temporarily incarcerated several dozen civilians at the North Gate. I am certain that this military action was carried out for security reasons, but it will stop immediately, and those held will be released.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Ashcroft said. He bowed deeply and said, ¡°They will be released within an hour.¡± ¡°Good,¡± the Duke clapped his hands together. ¡°I¡¯m glad we could clear up that misunderstanding. Now, the final item on the agenda.¡± Duke Edwin stopped briefly to prepare himself for the next statement. ¡°Four days from now, the combined forces of Greater Osiris will launch an assault on the Deluvians. The goal of this assault will be to reestablish contact with the Duchy of New Arcadia, our greatest ally. Any Revenant not necessary for the defense of the City will be required to contribute to the assault. This military operation will be titled ''Operation Reunion.''" There was a general reaction of anger and offense by the crowd of Revenants. The Knights were offended that the Duke would give them such a direct order. All nine S-ranks grumbled quietly at this but said nothing. Cordelia, on the other hand, spoke. ¡°I just said that most of the Revenants are civilians. Did you forget about them?¡± Cordelia asked loudly. ¡°Not at all,¡± the Duke said calmly. ¡°The Revenants were created for military reasons. The Duchy of Greater Osiris does not need nine thousand workers; it needs nine thousand soldiers.¡± At that point, the Duke was speaking with a commanding tone that was a complete departure from the casual way he spoke earlier. ¡°Whatever all of you think is irrelevant. Whether your world exists or not is irrelevant. This is the world you are living in, and in this world you were created to fight for Osiris. Am I just supposed to accept a ninety percent desertion rate? As the leader of Osiris, I am obligated to punish deserters! On the day after the assault, I will cast an Edict of Ostracism and mark any Revenants within the City who do not contribute to the assault with the Mark of the Outlaw. Their faces shall forever bear the evidence of their crime.¡± Cordelia bit her lip at the Duke¡¯s outburst. All of the Revenants present reacted with quiet anger, except for Ashcroft and Tantalus. Ashcroft smiled as the Duke spoke, and Tantalus bore a look of thoughtful consideration. Duke Edwin had been very forgiving to Ashcroft, a mass murderer, though he was very unforgiving of any deserters. ¡°If you have nothing more to say, you¡¯re dismissed,¡± the Duke ordered. ¡°Major General Dogwood will speak with the Revenant Captains over the next few days to finalize our strategy for the assault.¡± The Revenants turned and left. Cordelia stood there, fuming, for several seconds before ScaryClock lightly pulled on her shoulder. Clock whispered a few unheard words to Cordelia before they began walking to the door. As Tantalus passed close by Ashcroft, he could hear Ashcroft say, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard a nobleman talk like that. He¡¯s¡­ interesting.¡± Wordlessly, the delegation of Revenants exited the Ducal Palace. They passed through several heavy doors. As they walked, they saw ornate arches and dozens of marble statues. Most of the statues portrayed grim-looking nobles, but one centrally located statue portrayed a large, winged dragon. The second room they traveled through was a long hallway that was lined by statues of people adorned in noble regalia. Mozaic began to say something as they walked through the hallway with statues, but Ashcroft gestured for silence. It was only after they had reentered the underground parking garage that they spoke. ¡°What the Hell was that!?¡± Cordelia shouted as soon as they were out of earshot of the crowd of NPCs. ¡°We knew he was going to force us to launch an assault.¡± Ashcroft said. ¡°That¡¯s just how nobles operate. If you ask me, we¡¯re lucky that we were given four days to teach the new guys how to shoot straight.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Cordelia said, ¡°but nobody guessed that he would force us at gunpoint to fight on the front lines! We need to do something about this!¡± ¡°We will,¡± Tantalus said firmly. ¡°For now, Cordelia, I want you to tell everyone in Osiris what happened during the meeting.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Cordelia said. ¡°Tantalus, do you have a plan to deal with this?¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Tantalus said, ¡°but we¡¯ll figure something out.¡± Following Tantalus¡¯s recommendations, the delegation of Revenants broke and returned to their respective Gates. Tantalus drove GatorKing and FullDan back to the West Gate. The sky was a dark orange color, and the sun had just started to rise over the horizon. As they drove through the dimly lit Osirian streets, GatorKing complained about the Duke giving them orders, though he did also admit that Duke Edwin¡¯s actions helped them out ultimately. By forcing the Revenants to fight, they would have more soldiers to utilize in the days to come. Tantalus pulled his car into the West Gate parking deck. When walking past the car pileup, the three Revenants saw a tow truck pulling cars away from the pileup. Several dozen people had gathered at the West Gate. Unlike the crowd at the North Gate, however, Tantalus was happy to see this large group of players. Chapter 25 - [The Greycloaks] The West Gate 7:15 AM The three S-ranks stood behind the inner wall separating the gatehouse from the inner city. They could hear the low rumble of several dozen people talking within the gatehouse. Tantalus was looking over some of the handwritten papers he held in his hand and briefly mulling over what to do next. FullDan looked even more anxious than normal, and Gator cracked his neck in preparation for what he knew would come next. Tantalus whipped out another cigarette and put it to his lips. ¡°Drast,¡± he enunciated with purpose. There was a faint, almost imperceptible spark on the end of Tantalus¡¯s cigarette. Tantalus breathed in, and the cigarette began producing smoke. ¡°How many of those have you smoked since you got here?¡± Gator asked. ¡°About two packs,¡± Tantalus said between puffs. ¡°We¡¯re gonna need those lungs of yours when we fight GM,¡± Gator chided. ¡°Plus, you only smoked two or three cigs a day back in the Scions.¡± ¡°If Rapid Healing can regrow a lost leg, it can regrow a hole in my lung,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°Aristotle tells us that anything done to excess is a vice,¡± Gator said while wagging his finger like a schoolteacher. ¡°You know, Gator,¡± Tantalus said mirthfully, ¡°with your avatar, I sometimes forget that you¡¯re a huge nerd.¡± The three of them laughed at Tantalus¡¯s statement. It was rare for the Commander to make a joke, and the juxtaposition was especially humorous to the three old friends. ¡°Either way,¡± Tantalus said as he stopped laughing, ¡°point taken. I¡¯ll try to cut down on the smoking. Three cigs a day, max. Come on.¡± Tantalus stamped his cigarette out under foot and walked forward into the gatehouse. About forty Revenants were gathered within the gatehouse. Tantalus was immediately able to pick Redgrave out of the crowd. He stood out like an island of grey in a sea of blue. Tantalus could also see the blonde hair of Pixie and the red hair of Voight-Kampff in the crowd. As the three quasi-celebrities approached, those Revenants who could see him stopped and stared. Even so, there was still an undercurrent of conversation throughout the West Gate. Tantalus could hear people murmuring about the Duke and statements of displeasure about having to live under NPC rule. Tantalus received a message. [From Redgrave22: Hey T. Your meeting with the Duke was recorded, and it¡¯s circulating the BloodNet. I think Mozaic recorded it. Here¡¯s the link.] With one eye open, Tantalus opened the link to watch the video. The recording started with the Duke saying, ¡°Now, the final item on the agenda.¡± Mozaic must have edited out all the talk of logistics and troop movement from the video. The recording was darkened as if through a filter. Thinking back, Tantalus remembered that Mozaic had put on a pair of sunglasses before they walked into the Ducal Palace. He must have done that to hide his yellow eyes from the Duke. Tantalus had not recommended Mozaic to record the meeting, but it ultimately served their purposes. He had decided to take a hands-off approach to the City outside of the West Gate, so situations like this were inevitable. There was a sense of discontentment in the air. The Revenants didn¡¯t like the idea of being threatened by an NPC. Smiling, Tantalus realized that this was the perfect time for a speech. With the finesse granted to him by his small body and thousands of hours in Ninth Oasis, Tantalus jumped on to one of the concrete dividers and balanced there on the balls of his feet. ¡°Can I get your attention, please!?¡± Tantalus projected like a Georgian carnival barker. Years in the Scions of the Blue Flame had taught him how to increase the volume of his voice without sounding like he was shouting. ¡°I am Tantalus. The powers that be have granted me operational command of the Revenants of the West Gate, and y¡¯all are here because I chose you to defend the Gate. Now, I ain¡¯t exactly the biggest fan of the guy that gave me the promotion, but what can ya do?¡± As he spoke, Tantalus unconsciously leaned into his accent. ¡°Everyone here will be split into six teams of five,¡± Tantalus continued. ¡°The teams will be listed in all documents as T1 to T6. In order, the leaders of these six squads will be myself, Pixie, GatorKing, Jester, FullDan, and Voight-Kampff. Officially, we will be known as the Osirian 1st Revenant Regiment, Tango Company. Unofficially, we will be called the Greycloaks. In my hand,¡± Tantalus held up four identical handwritten documents, ¡°I hold team assignments.¡± Tantalus handed the papers out to the Revenants closest to the barrier he was standing on. The team assignments were as follows:
Squad 1 Squad 2
T1-1: Tantalus45 T2-1: Pixie_Chix
T1-2: Redgrave22 T2-2: Concerto622
T1-3: Elias777 T2-3: Volta_Fossa
T1-4: Grim_Fando T2-4: Perseph0ne
T1-5: Synthwave1 T2-5: Mirage7
Squad 3 Squad 4
T3-1: GatorKing T4-1: Jester720
T3-2: BValdore T4-2: Darius12
T3-3: Snoo8368 T4-3: Catspaw11
T3-4: Dandyman07 T4-4: EightySix86
T3-5: ThirdChicken3 T4-5: Rad_Centrist18
Squad 5 Squad 6
T5-1: FullDan T6-1: Voight_Kampff
T5-2: MrDuck T6-2: Bridge21
T5-3: Ted1112 T6-3: s2rt74
T5-4: Negative_Education T6-4: Zero_Chill0
T5-5: Admiral_Carrot4 T6-5: SunOfRubigo6
Tantalus could see confusion in the expressions of Voight-Kampff and Pixie. Right, Tantalus remembered, he had forgotten to tell them that he was making them team leaders. At least he had told Jester, the expert swordsman who had killed a dozen Orcs at the Battle of the West Gate, about the promotion. ¡°As a captain, I have been given the right to grant brevet ranks up to Lieutenant,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°I hereby grant GatorKing and FullDan the rank of Lieutenant. I also grant Redgrave, Pixie, Jester, and Voight-Kampff the rank of Sergeant. Your salaries will not increase.¡± Tantalus delivered the last sentence with such a tone of voice that there was a short patter of laughter across the crowd. ¡°Okay,¡± Tantalus clapped his hands together, ¡°all squad leaders, raise your hands high in the air.¡± The five team leaders raised their hands. The Revenants present began to aggregate around the team leaders. ¡°The blonde woman is Pixie, the dark-skinned gentleman here is GatorKing, the Middle Eastern man over there is Jester, the man wearing the blue scarf is FullDan, the red-headed man there is Voight-Kampff,¡± Tantalus directed, pointing at each of the team leaders as he got to them, ¡°and I, as ever, am Tantalus.¡± Within a minute, the crowd of thirty had split into six groups of five. All of the women in the crowd had formed around Pixie, and the remaining five teams were all men. Tantalus jumped down off the concrete divider to form up with his team: Redgrave, Elias, Grim, and an Indonesian man wearing a beanie named Synthwave. ¡°I¡¯m sure that a lot of you are not aware of military terminology, so I¡¯ll try to explain this in RPG terms,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°Think about it this way: Tango Company is our guild, and I am the Guildmaster. The squads are parties within the guild. For everything small-scale, your squad leaders have operational command. For everything large-scale, like beating back an incursion, I have operational command.¡± ¡°You may have noticed that the teams are gender-segregated,¡± Tantalus continued. ¡°Ashcroft, Mander, and I chose to segregate the units last night. We did this for a few reasons, chief among them is our training regimen.¡± Tantalus cracked his knuckles. ¡°Lesson one: We¡¯re going to beat the tar out of each other.¡± ¡°You see,¡± Tantalus continued, ¡°the first step of learning to fight is getting used to violence. Practicing kicks and punches are much less important than sparring. Remember this: violence is an explosion. You need to attack with the intent to kill or maim. Waxing cars and scrubbing floors won¡¯t teach you how to kill an Orc.¡± ¡°But¡­ uh¡­ sir?¡± Voight-Kampff, who had recently been unexpectedly elevated to the position of sergeant, asked. ¡°Won¡¯t we have weapons in the field? Why do we need to practice unarmed fighting?¡± ¡°Y¡¯all need to get used to violence in increments,¡± Tantalus began. ¡°First, you learn how a punch is supposed to feel, and you extrapolate that into your knifework. Okay!¡± Tantalus clapped his hands. ¡°Twenty minutes of light sparring within your team. Squad leaders will referee the fights. Fight until someone is knocked down. Remember to drink lots of water and take breaks if you need to. Oh, and make sure you get punched in the face at least once before sparring is over!¡± Many of the Revenants complained quietly at Tantalus¡¯s command, but they all ultimately followed the order. The six squads spread out so as not to interfere with each other¡¯s sparring. Turning to his team, Tantalus could immediately tell that there was a problem. Elias and Grim were quietly arguing over who they would fight. Clearly, neither of them wanted to spar with Redgrave. Synth, on the other hand, seemed fine with fighting whoever. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Tantalus thought back to the Battle of the West Gate. Synth had been there, and he had stuck out to Tantalus due to the non-regulation black beanie he wore on his head. Tantalus would have asked anyone who was at the Battle to be the fifth member of his squad, but he happened to choose Synth. ¡°I thought about this earlier,¡± Tantalus interrupted the quiet bickering. ¡°There¡¯s a B-rank in Team 6 named Bridge. Let¡¯s merge the two teams for this training exercise.¡± Team 1 walked over to Team 6. The other teams had started sparring, and the team leaders were refereeing the fights. VK quickly agreed to the temporary merging of their two teams. He apparently had been having the same problem as Tantalus. Nobody wanted to fight Bridge after hearing he had eighty hours in Ninth Oasis. He looked around and surveyed the soldiers he now had command over. It was quickly becoming apparent that none of them had any combat training. Most of the sparring Revenants merely circled around each other warily and occasionally threw a pitiful jab at the other. Those who were actually willing to throw a serious punch flailed wildly and stopped in fear as soon as their strike actually connected. Even the fight between Redgrave and Bridge was pretty underwhelming. The match had a promising start, but it ended quickly when Redgrave hit Bridge with an expertly-placed counterpunch, knocking him to the ground in an unfocused daze. For their part, the women under Pixie¡¯s command did not complain after being ordered to engage in bloody bare-knuckle boxing. Tantalus had expected to hear a stern word or two from them, but most of the complaining he heard during the exercise was from Elias. Tantalus allowed a small smile to come to his lips. While they were all highly unskilled and probably useless in a fight, the enthusiasm was there. The men and women before Tantalus were willing to learn, and he couldn¡¯t ask for anything more. However, Tantalus thought to himself, this was clearly not working. A little instruction would be necessary, apparently. ¡°Stop! Stop!¡± Tantalus shouted, putting his hands together in a T-shape. ¡°Okay, good start, but I need to see more commitment. The purpose of this exercise is to show you what fighting feels like.¡± The various sparring matches around the West Gate came to a stop, and several Revenants collapsed in relief. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll show you what it¡¯s supposed to look like.¡± He began unbuttoning his coat. ¡°I¡¯m gonna need an assistant for this magic trick. FullDan? GatorKing?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± FullDan said. ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± GatorKing said as FullDan spoke. ¡°Cool,¡± Tantalus said, secretly dreading the coming fight, ¡°I¡¯ll fight FullDan, if that¡¯s all right with you, Gator. He¡¯s a little closer to my weight class. What are your strength and agility scores, FullDan?" "Fifteen strength and fourteen agility," FullDan said easily. "What about you?" "I have eleven strength and fifteen agility," Tantalus said.
Name FullDan
Level 8
Blood Points 100/100
Mana Points 15/15
Race Revenant
Fortitude 10
Strength 15
Agility 14
Wisdom 8
¡°I''m significantly stronger, and you''re slightly faster. Those stats give me a three-point advantage, right?" ¡°Something like that,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°Who¡¯ll be the ref?¡± ¡°Gator,¡± FullDan said quietly. All sense of the usual anxiety was absent from FullDan¡¯s expression and posture. He was ready for the fight. GatorKing walked between the two men. ¡°Okay,¡± he said, smiling, ¡°I want a good, clean fight. One round, fight ends when one of you hits the ground, MMA rules otherwise.¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± Tantalus said. The two fighters had stopped circling and were now standing fifteen feet from one another with Gator in between them. GatorKing put his hand between the two men. ¡°And¡­ fight,¡± he lowered his hand and retreated back a few steps. Tantalus took a fighting stance with his back fist near his chin and his front fist low near his waist. Tantalus was a better grappler than striker, and his stance betrayed that fact. FullDan, on the other hand, took a standard boxer¡¯s stance with both of his fists near his chin. Tantalus and FullDan were very similar fighters; both utilized a style affectionately nicknamed the "Viper School" of fighting, which was originally invented by Kingfisher and later perfected by the smaller members of the Scions. Viper fighting was primarily used by smaller players who expected to have to defeat larger enemies in melee combat. The central concept behind the Viper School was striking hard against the enemy''s weak points. A large emphasis was put on knife fighting in the Viper School, but users of the fighting style also trained substantially in hand-to-hand combat. You never knew when you would have to fight an enemy without a weapon. Viper School was very distinct from the "Wolf School" of fighting utilized by players with large avatars like Redgrave, Ashcroft, and Gator. Users of the Wolf School of fighting often used swords when they fought. The two men approached each other. Both utilized the step-drag footwork used in boxing. Just before FullDan entered Tantalus¡¯s range, he shifted his weight hard to his front foot and threw a swift jab aimed squarely at his opponent¡¯s nose. Tantalus jerked his head back and easily dodged the jab. Without hesitation, FullDan took another step closer to Tantalus and threw a powerful straight punch. Tantalus weaved his head to the left and dodged the punch by mere inches. Tantalus, now well within range to hit FullDan, punched his opponent hard in the midsection. FullDan exhaled hard as his diaphragm was compressed, but the strike wasn¡¯t nearly enough to slow him. Tantalus followed his first punch with a left hook aimed at FullDan¡¯s skull. FullDan raised his guard at the last second to interrupt Tantalus¡¯s strike. With his arms raised to protect his head, FullDan lowered his center of gravity and drove his shoulder into Tantalus. Tantalus, thirty pounds lighter than FullDan, was almost lifted off his feet by the man''s shoulder check. Tantalus took three quick steps back and found himself several feet away from his opponent. Tantalus regained his balance just in time to see a blur approaching the side of his head. He instinctually ducked, and FullDan¡¯s foot traveled over his head at sixty miles per hour. FullDan had launched a roundhouse kick at Tantalus¡¯s head in the brief moment Tantalus had been disoriented by the shoulder tackle. All around the two fighters, dozens of Revenants cheered as they witnessed this flashy display of martial arts. The fight had lasted a mere ten seconds, but the brutality of two truly skilled fighters was already on display. FullDan was unbalanced by the force he had committed to the kick. His attack had been high-risk, high-reward, and he was paying for his miss. The momentum forced FullDan into a rotation. In order to regain his stance, FullDan decided to complete the spin rather than try to halt his momentum. For a bare moment, FullDan turned his back on Tantalus. Like a snake wrapping around its prey, Tantalus surged forward and grabbed FullDan from behind. Tantalus wrapped his arm around FullDan¡¯s neck and secured the chokehold with his free arm. FullDan brought his arms up to break Tantalus¡¯s grip, but he was too late. Tantalus nestled his arm under FullDan¡¯s chin and squeezed his neck like a vice. The blood supply to FullDan¡¯s brain was cut off. If things continued like this, FullDan would be unconscious within ten seconds. FullDan drove the back of his elbow into Tantalus¡¯s ribs. The blow winded Tantalus, but he did not loosen his grip. Realizing that body strikes would not work in time, FullDan reached back behind his head and grabbed Tantalus by his biceps. Tantalus was unsure of what FullDan was doing until he felt himself being lifted off the ground. FullDan lifted Tantalus as he began to lean forward. He intended to use his own neck as a pivot point to throw Tantalus to the ground. It should have been impossible, but FullDan¡¯s greater strength, size, and height made it possible. Only at the last possible moment did Tantalus realize that FullDan could actually do it. Tantalus released the choke and fell a few inches to the ground. FullDan stumbled forward as his attempted throw and Tantalus¡¯s sudden departure threw him off balance. FullDan quickly turned with his arms raised in a guard only to see that Tantalus was a full ten feet away from him. The two men began circling each other for a second time. FullDan lightly rubbed his neck in pain as they sized each other up once again. They approached each other once more. FullDan approached first. This time, however, he ducked his head down and attempted a takedown on Tantalus. FullDan¡¯s approach was interrupted as Tantalus brought his knee crashing into FullDan¡¯s forehead. The fighter recoiled backward as his brain shook in his skull. Tantalus surged forward, his arms up in a boxing stance for the first time in the fight. He put his back into it as he punched FullDan hard in the chin. FullDan¡¯s skull jerked back once again, though Tantalus did not stop his assault. Tantalus hit FullDan hard in the head twice more. FullDan swayed, and his eyes lost focus, but he did not fall. Tantalus heard gasps of shock and a woman¡¯s scream as he launched his brutal assault. Tantalus pulled his fist back to strike again, but he was interrupted as FullDan grabbed him hard by the collar with both hands. Without warning, FullDan leaned forward and smashed his own skull into his opponent¡¯s skull. His vision swimming, Tantalus was only vaguely aware of what had just happened. Was that a headbutt!? Tantalus simply could not comprehend such an insane and self-destructive attack. Tantalus swayed back a few steps. He looked at FullDan, but he realized that nothing would come into focus. Tantalus tried to focus his eyes for half a second before he felt an apocalyptic force crash into the side of his head like a train. Next thing he knew it, he was on the ground. The whole world was spinning and nothing would come into focus. He turned himself over on the ground. For a moment, he could see a large blurry mass on the horizon. He was pretty sure that was the crowd. He heard the sound of footsteps approaching, and he suddenly remembered that he was in the middle of a fight. He swiftly rose to a kneeling position. There was one large blob that moved independently of the other blobs, so he raised his hands toward his opponent and prepared to intercept the next attack. ¡°Hey, FullDan!¡± a man shouted. Another blob intercepted the approaching blob. ¡°Snap out of it! The fight¡¯s over!¡± Right, he suddenly remembered, the fight was over. He had lost. It was a real shame. Why was he fighting, exactly? What was his name? Oh, yeah, Tantalus. The pounding pain in his head was making it hard to focus. He started using Rapid Healing as soon as he had woken up. It had been at least fifteen seconds, but his vision hadn¡¯t come back yet. ¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± his opponent said. ¡°I forgot. I think I got punched in the head a bit too hard.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± the intercepting blob said, clearly annoyed. ¡°Anyway, FullDan is our winner!¡± A loud cheer and applause filled the West Gate. The sound made Tantalus¡¯s headache much worse. Soon after the applause stopped, a blurry figure approached him. ¡°Are you okay, man?¡± FullDan¡¯s voice came out of the figure. ¡°Hmm?¡± Tantalus said as he slowly got to his feet. ¡°Oh, yeah, I¡¯m fine. What did you hit me with?¡± ¡°What?¡± FullDan asked. ¡°Yeah¡­ uh¡­ I didn¡¯t see the last hit. How did you hit me?¡± ¡°I-it was a spinning heel kick,¡± FullDan said, his tone starting to lose the confidence of battle. ¡°You really don¡¯t seem okay, man.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m concussed,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°Just give me a few minutes to walk it off.¡± Tantalus could barely hear FullDan over the sound of excited chattering. The other Revenants were talking about their prize fight. Tantalus was sure that the video of him getting his ass kicked would be viral within a few hours. Chapter 26 - [Keep Your Finger Off the Trigger] Tantalus blinked several more times but was unable to dispel the defect in his vision. He could determine roughly if something was in front of him, but he could not make out the object¡¯s shape or color. After a few more seconds, Tantalus¡¯s brain cleared enough for him to remember that he was in the middle of training a platoon-sized unit of amateur soldiers. He stood up straight, rolled his shoulders back, and stared ahead with the intensity expected of someone in his situation. Tantalus looked at the blob he was pretty certain was FullDan. ¡°Nice work there, Dan,¡± Tantalus said loud enough for everyone to hear, an easy smile on his face. ¡°I see that the removal of the pain limiters hasn¡¯t slowed you down one bit.¡± ¡°I can say the same for you, Commander,¡± FullDan said. Imperceptibly, Tantalus sighed in relief. He was talking to the right blob. ¡°In terms of skill, you¡¯re clearly better. I just won because I¡¯m stronger." ¡°A win¡¯s a win,¡± Tantalus smiled. He started scanning the group of shifting blobs on the horizon as he said, ¡°Now, I want all of you to take something away from that fight. I don¡¯t expect all of you to be expert fighters today, but I do want you to see and understand the way a fight is supposed to look. Approach a fight with the right amount of intensity and willingness to harm, and you¡¯re already half-way to being an expert fighter. That is the lesson I wanted to teach you in that fight. That is the lesson I was willing to suffer a concussion for.¡± Tantalus paused for a moment as there was a smattering of subdued laughter throughout the crowd. They sounded worried, Tantalus thought. He must have looked worse than he thought. ¡°So, get back to sparring. Oh yeah; I¡¯d like to talk to Redgrave for a second.¡± Based on the sound, Tantalus could tell that the crowd had returned to sparring. He put his hands in his pockets and pretended to watch the fighting until he sensed a large individual get close to him. ¡°Hey T, I heard you wanted to talk to me?¡± Redgrave inquired. ¡°Redgrave, I forgot to mention that you¡¯re my second in command,¡± Tantalus said loud enough to be overheard, patting Redgrave on the shoulder. Now close enough, Tantalus whispered quiet enough for no one to overhear him, ¡°I can¡¯t see. Walk over to somewhere without many people so that we can talk privately.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Redgrave exclaimed before realizing he was speaking too loudly. ¡°You can¡¯t see? What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean to say that Dan must¡¯ve knocked something loose in my head,¡± Tantalus muttered. ¡°I can tell if a person is standing in front of me, but I can¡¯t make out any of their features. Just start walking. I¡¯ll be able to follow you as long as you don¡¯t get too far ahead.¡± Redgrave began walking with Tantalus close behind. He wanted to look at the other Revenants and see how they were doing with their sparring, but he was far too preoccupied with keeping track of Redgrave¡¯s blob. Tantalus was certain that he would lose track of Redgrave if he looked away for even a second. After about a minute, Redgrave walked through a doorway into some kind of structure. That must be the barracks, Tantalus thought. They took a few more steps before Redgrave stopped and turned to Tantalus. ¡°You know that was pretty stupid, right?¡± Redgrave chided. ¡°You two are trained killers. It¡¯s only natural that one of you was seriously injured.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, you¡¯re right,¡± Tantalus admitted. ¡°I think I¡¯m letting this whole Captain of the West Gate thing get to my head.¡± Tantalus paused and looked nostalgic before he said, ¡°You know, at my first meeting with the Scions, Kingfisher got into a fist fight with InfiniteRecursion to show us what violence is supposed to look like. The difference is,¡± Tantalus closed his eyes in pain, ¡°the pain nullifiers were still on back then.¡± ¡°Why did you ask to talk to me?¡± Redgrave asked. ¡°Is there anything you need me to do?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Tantalus said, trying to remember through the pain. ¡°In twenty minutes, I want you to start teaching them the basics of gun safety. Keep your finger off the trigger, never point the gun at something you aren¡¯t ready to destroy, make sure the gun is unloaded, all that jazz. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Tantalus continued, ¡°and add one more thing. Tell them: only draw your gun if you¡¯re ready to kill your target. Make them aware that guns are fundamentally lethal weapons. You can¡¯t reliably use a gun to disable a target without killing it. At least, not at their skill level.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Redgrave said. ¡°What do I say if they ask where you are?¡± ¡°Tell them the truth,¡± Tantalus said, ¡°barring the temporary blindness. I got my bell rung by FullDan, and I had to take a break.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Redgrave said. ¡°Do you need me to lead you to your office?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll be able to get there on my own,¡± Tantalus smiled. ¡°Now get back out there, adjutant.¡± Redgrave soon followed Tantalus¡¯s command and left the barracks. Now alone, Tantalus closed his eyes hard to alleviate the pain and leaned his head against the barracks wall. He had suffered from migraines as Vincent Blackwell, and the pain he now felt in his head was comparable to the pain he would experience at the height of a particularly bad one. He wanted to go into a dark room and hide under a blanket for twelve hours. In fact, a big part of Tantalus wanted to completely give up on being in the Osirian military. Fighting in Ferrum was so much more dangerous than fighting in Ninth Oasis. When he got hit, it hurt. When he got shot in the gut, he felt like he would die. When he got hit in the head, he lost his vision. Now, thousands of people expected him not only to fight but to lead as well. Did any of them know who he really was? Who Vincent Blackwell really was? He was just a loser who had spent the past decade playing video games because the real world terrified him. Ninth Oasis gave him the skill to kill the Deluvians, but you could not train to gain the will to fight. Why? Why was he still fighting? Just then, the image of Enzo¡¯s dead body filled Tantalus¡¯s thoughts. Oh. He saw the dozens of corpses of real men and women who had believed in him. For whatever reason, they believed that their Commander would allow them to beat the game and kill GM. He remembered Enzo¡¯s last words, ¡°Kill GM.¡± Tantalus suddenly felt as though he was being watched. It was as if the spirits of those who had died were watching him. He wanted to scream. He wanted to cry and curl up into a ball. Instead, he grabbed his forehead with his palm and said, ¡°Calm down, you¡¯re just tired.¡± Tantalus willed his menu to show itself. Luckily, the items on the menu weren¡¯t blurry. He checked his character sheet. Character Sheet
Name Tantalus45
Level 9
Blood Points 75/110
Mana Points 25/25
Race Revenant
Fortitude 11
Strength 11
Dexterity 15
Wisdom 12
Attribute Modifiers: Strength Training (1), Mana Training (5) Everything was the same except for his Blood Points. They were stuck at seventy-five out of a hundred. As he watched, the seventy-five ticked down to seventy-four. He had already used thirty-six of his Blood Points to heal the damage to his face and brain. Tantalus figured that damage to such a small part of his body would not require the use of so much blood. When he had been shot in the gut, he had only had to use ten Blood Points. Perhaps the complexity of the organ damaged played a part in how much blood was needed to heal it. His Rapid Healing should have already healed the damage. The fact that his ability was still working told him that damage to the brain was somehow different from damage to other parts of the body. Tantalus guided himself to his office by pressing his hand to one wall. He went up the stairs, reminding himself that his office was the third on the left. He found the door to his office and went in, the inviting smell of cigarette smoke assuring him that this was, in fact, his office. Once he opened the door, however, Tantalus sensed a human-sized figure standing in the center of his office near his desk. Quick as a lightning strike, he unholstered his sidearm and held it at low ready. ¡°Identify yourself,¡± Tantalus snarled at the unknown figure standing in his office. Now would be the absolute worst time for a fight, but he was prepared to kill if necessary. Chapter 27 - [Staff Corps] 8:15 AM A multitude of thoughts swirled around in Tantalus¡¯s head before the figure had a moment to respond. There was an individual, about the size of a man, within Tantalus¡¯s office. His vision had just started to return, so he could tell that the man was wearing muted colors. Perhaps beige, perhaps brown. The figure certainly wasn¡¯t wearing a Revenant¡¯s military uniform. It was either an NPC or a Revenant dressed as a civilian. If this individual meant to harm Tantalus, there would only be a moment to act. His vision was just barely good enough to hit a target at such short range. Tantalus readied himself to kill the man in front of him if he moved too quickly. The figure jolted upward, either in surprise or preparation. Tantalus moved his finger to the trigger and was about to raise his pistol before he was cut off by the man¡¯s voice. ¡°Oh, Tantalus. It¡¯s Dr. Walker,¡± the voice of Riemann came from the figure. Tantalus sighed audibly as the tension left his body. He didn¡¯t have the energy to hide the release of tension from Riemann. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said as he holstered his weapon. ¡°I was waiting for you,¡± Riemann said. ¡°Though, I figured you wouldn¡¯t be back for another hour or so.¡± ¡°I was injured during training,¡± Tantalus said. He stumbled toward his desk and felt his way toward his chair. ¡°A concussion. I¡¯m basically blind right now.¡± ¡°Curious,¡± Riemann said, sounding legitimately interested. ¡°You¡¯ve activated Rapid Healing, I take it.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Tantalus said, leaning back in his expensive leather chair. That chair wasn¡¯t a recliner like Tantalus preferred, but it was comfortable all the same. ¡°I activated Rapid Healing about ten minutes ago, and I¡¯m still blind.¡± ¡°Perhaps your ability recognizes your blindness as a ¡®long-term injury.¡¯ Such injuries take seventy-two hours to heal,¡± Riemann said helpfully. ¡°God, I hope not,¡± Tantalus grumbled. ¡°I''d rather not be out of commission for three days." ¡°I''m here to talk about your meeting with the Duke," Riemann said. ¡°Most of the players are pretty upset about what he said. I, too, would rather not be branded with the Mark of the Outlaw so soon after starting the game.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Tantalus said, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about that. I¡¯m gonna create a General Staff when I have the time. You know, non-combat soldiers that help support the front-line soldiers. Would you rather be in Intelligence or R&D? Both are relatively safe, but Intelligence officers will need to travel with the HQ, while R&D soldiers can stay in permanent settlements.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve put a lot of thought into this,¡± Riemann said. ¡°Somebody has to,¡± Tantalus muttered. ¡°Recursion is in one of the other two starting cities, so I¡¯m the only halfway-decent military strategist I know of in this city.¡± ¡°Intelligence seems like a good pick,¡± Riemann answered Tantalus¡¯s earlier question. ¡°My unique¡­ situation means that I know more about this game than anyone. You should know, however, that I¡¯m a pacifist. I¡¯ll only fight in self-defense.¡± ¡°Alright then,¡± Tantalus said, trying to make eye contact with Riemann but only managing to look over his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m putting you in charge of the Intelligence Department. Welcome aboard, Lieutenant.¡± Tantalus stood up and stretched his hand out for Riemann to shake. ¡°You know,¡± Riemann shook Tantalus¡¯s hand, ¡°I hate it when my superiors are competent. It always means that I have to do more work.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take the compliment,¡± Tantalus smiled. ¡°Is there anything else you want to talk about?¡± ¡°Nothing in particular,¡± Riemann said. ¡°I¡¯m working on a collection of documents to help us prepare for the coming years we must spend in this game, though nothing is complete yet.¡± Years? Riemann clearly expected that the Revenants would not be able to kill GM within a short time frame. Tantalus secretly hoped that he would be able to catch GM off guard before Christmas and free all three hundred thousand Revenants. ¡°Very nice,¡± Tantalus says. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else you want to talk about, could you go downstairs and teach the gathered Revenants the basics of magic? You¡¯ve got a basic grasp on how elemental magic works, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Riemann said, surprised. ¡°Though wouldn¡¯t it cause issues if an unknown third-party reveals that he has far too much knowledge when it comes to the System? If they realize that I¡¯m a developer, they might blame me for their imprisonment.¡± ¡°Certainly, some of them will blame you,¡± Tantalus admitted, placing his elbows on the table to place significance on his words, ¡°but your knowledge is far too valuable for us not to utilize it. I don¡¯t think it would be an overstatement, Dr. Walker, to say that you¡¯re the most important person in Osiris right now. More important than me, more important than Ashcroft, certainly. Your knowledge is worth a hundred S-ranks.¡± ¡°I¡¯m flattered,¡± Riemann said, remaining cool in the face of Tantalus¡¯s flattery, ¡°but that doesn¡¯t change how people will react. Aren¡¯t you concerned we could have a riot on our hands if people learn who I am?¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°If that happens, FullDan, GatorKing, Redgrave, and I will protect you. If nothing else, I trust those three men with my life.¡± Before Riemann could speak, Tantalus continued talking. ¡°So¡­ here¡¯s the plan: Redgrave will deliver the lesson on gun safety, then I will introduce you as a developer of this game, and then you will give the lesson on the magic system. Does that work for you?¡± ¡°I suppose so,¡± Riemann sighed. ¡°Everything is just moving a bit fast for my taste.¡± ¡°You have my condolences,¡± Tantalus smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in ten minutes. I¡¯m gonna stare at the ceiling and see if my Rapid Healing fixes my eyes within that time period." The blob standing in the center of Tantalus¡¯s office departed, leaving Tantalus alone with his thoughts once again. If he was really making a staff corps, he would need a chief of Logistics, Personnel, and Research. Four non-combat staff departments total. This would serve the dual-purpose of allowing the Greycloaks to operate more effectively and also putting more players on the books as soldiers in the Osirian Military. These players would be saved from Duke Edwin Mandelbrot¡¯s wrath. Secretly, Tantalus was happy that the Duke had threatened to brand the Revenants with the Mark of the Outlaw. Without question, it made his job easier. Revenants who might otherwise not be willing to fight would now pick up a rifle and help the war effort. Tantalus figured that the number of soldiers available for the militia would likely double or triple as a result of the Duke¡¯s threat. These additional soldiers would open up new strategies for them to use and could potentially bring the war to a speedier conclusion. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Rubbing his eyes, Tantalus spent the next ten minutes leaning back in his leather chair. His vision was definitely starting to improve, though everything he looked at was still far too blurry for him to differentiate most objects. The pounding pain in his head had also mercifully subsided to a dull thrumming pain. Realizing his break was over, Tantalus got to his feet. He exited his office and began to walk toward the waiting Greycloaks below. Blood Points: 61/110. 8:45 AM Tantalus saw through the eyes of Bridge21. Apparently, one of the men under VK¡¯s command had uploaded the video of the fight between him and FullDan. Many of the soldiers of Tango Company had recorded the fight, but Bridge had the best view of it. It was strange, Tantalus thought, seeing himself from someone else¡¯s perspective. This was not helped by the fact that Tantalus had not fully internalized his new appearance yet. He was aware that the smaller man being kicked in the head was him, but it was difficult to fully comprehend. Tantalus had only looked in the mirror briefly before he watched the video. Now that he really looked at himself, he thought it was strange. The man Tantalus saw on the screen was an unassuming man with thin hair and glassy blue eyes. He was slightly effeminate in the way that certain women seemed to find attractive. One¡¯s perception of the small, waifish man was completely shattered when the fight began. Even Tantalus himself was surprised at the intensity of the fight. Every strike thrown was delivered with murderous intent. Tantalus realized that his teeth were bared throughout the fight. There was the blood choke, and Tantalus released it. On the screen, it almost looked like he was showing mercy to FullDan, though the two S-ranks knew the truth. Then, there it was, the knockout. Tantalus reeled from FullDan¡¯s headbutt. Then, without a moment¡¯s hesitation, FullDan swept his heel high into the air and kicked Tantalus in the head. The man in the video just stood there silently and took the hit. Tantalus silently swore at himself. How stupid could he be? He just stood there - well within FullDan¡¯s strike range - blind as a bat. Tantalus silently flipped through the comments of the video. [Wow! What a hit!], [Did Tantalus throw the fight?], [I want Tantalus to choke me like that], [I thought S-ranks were supposed to be good at fighting. Cringe.]. There was nothing particularly interesting in the comments. Tantalus opened his eyes and looked at the scene around him. He still couldn¡¯t see anything in detail more than five feet away. It was getting better, though. Most of the people around Tantalus were ignoring him. That was just fine with him. If it were up to him, he wouldn¡¯t be nearly as well-known as he was at that moment. Based on the sound, Redgrave was finishing up his speech on the basics of gun safety. Tantalus wasn¡¯t listening. He had heard the gun-safety spiel a hundred times. Most of the people present probably already knew the basics of gun safety. They were Americans, after all. Some people probably hadn¡¯t heard the spiel, however, and it was absolutely imperative that everyone heard it at least once. Tantalus didn¡¯t want to lose any soldiers to negligence. While Redgrave spoke, Tantalus thought about the organization of the Greycloaks. He would definitely need a Chief of Staff and a Quartermaster. Luckily, these jobs could be handled by non-combat officers, and there were plenty of desperate players throughout the City thanks to the Duke¡¯s order. Tantalus had a few ideas for who could fulfill these roles. If his predictions were correct, the people he wanted for the jobs would come seek him out soon. ¡°Okay,¡± Redgrave said. ¡°That¡¯s it for lesson two. The Captain tells me that lesson three will be handled by Riemann. Please come to the center of the West Gate now, Riemann.¡± Hearing this, Tantalus confidently strode to the center of the crowd. His vision was good enough at the time that he was able to dodge out of the way of the other Revenants on the way over. ¡°Hello, again,¡± Tantalus projected loud enough for everyone to hear. ¡°Sorry I had to take a brief leave of absence. Lieutenant FullDan really rang my bell back there. But that¡¯s beside the point. I¡¯m here right now to introduce our guest lecturer: Riemann. He was a developer on Ninth Oasis and Ferrum Online before GM went rogue.¡± Tantalus looked around, and he saw Riemann idling at the edge of the empty space in the center of the crowd of Revenants. Tantalus went over to stand next to the older man. Riemann was dressed like an adjunct professor. He wore a beige sports coat over a turtleneck and jeans. Somehow, the Doctor had found the outfit that made him look as non-threatening as possible. ¡°Riemann here is going to show us the basics of magic,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°That¡¯s lesson three. And bear in mind: I¡¯ve made Riemann the Chief Intelligence Officer for our unit. While he is a support soldier, he¡¯s still a Lieutenant, so he outranks most of you. Have fun.¡± Tantalus returned to his earlier position near the edge of the crowd. Unlike before, he was very interested to hear Riemann speak. He knew a thing or two about firearms, but he knew next to nothing about the magic system. From what Riemann had explained earlier, magic seemed to be fundamental to the various systems of the game they were all stuck in. Tantalus very rarely committed his whole mind to a task, but he did so in this case. He listened intently and committed every one of Riemann¡¯s words to memory. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet all of you, I¡¯m Riemann,¡± the Professor began. ¡°To begin with, I must mention that I won¡¯t be able to cast every spell I know due to my limited starting mana pool. I currently only have twenty-two mana, and the spells I will be showing today each cost five mana to use. Our mana naturally refills after four hours. For now, however, I can only show you four elemental spells.¡± Riemann cleared his throat. ¡°Today we will be learning about elemental magic. All other types of magic would take significantly longer to explain,¡± Riemann continued to lecture. ¡°With intent and the right magic words, any Revenant can do magic, though those of you with female avatars have a significant starting advantage. Sorry, gentlemen.¡± There was a brief round of semi-sarcastic complaining from the men in the audience soon followed by good-natured laughter. ¡°Pixie,¡± Riemann suddenly said the squad leader¡¯s name, ¡°could you tell me how much mana you have right now?¡± Everyone turned to look at the slight blonde woman. She blushed, muttered something to herself, and opened her menu. ¡°Uh,¡± Pixie stalled for time. ¡°Twenty-nine. It says my mana is twenty-nine out of twenty-nine.¡± Everyone turned back to Riemann, and Pixie was relieved that all of the eyes were off her. ¡°Correct,¡± Riemann smiled. ¡°Even after some practice, my mana score is still seven points lower than yours. GM has not changed that aspect of the game, at least.¡± ¡°Why did you guys do that?¡± Elias demanded. ¡°I can only cast two spells, but Pixie can cast five. Doesn¡¯t seem very fair to me.¡± ¡°Game balance,¡± Riemann shrugged. ¡°Pixie can cast spells better; you can punch harder. Either way, it wasn¡¯t my decision.¡± Riemann cleared his throat louder to get the audience¡¯s attention. ¡°To get back on track,¡± Riemann said, ¡°elemental magic is split into five schools: fire, ice, wind, lightning, and earth. I remember how to cast one of each kind of elemental magic. In order, these spells are Fire Bolt, Chill, Wind Wall, Shock, and Earth Pillar. To cast these spells, you must speak the verbal components and then visualize the spell occurring.¡± Riemann faltered at this point in his speech. He was uncertain what to say next. ¡°Now¡­ the visualization aspect of Ferrum Online is not something we coded in,¡± Riemann spoke carefully. ¡°GM added it. I don¡¯t know how to describe ¡®visualization¡¯ exactly. You just imagine the spell happening, and it happens. However, if you do not have a clear picture of the spell in your head, the spell will fail. ¡°Now for a demonstration,¡± Riemann said. ¡°I will start off by showing everyone here the spell Wind Wall. If you wouldn¡¯t mind, could you all give me some space? If I do it correctly, the spell will create a barrier of gale-force wind that is thirty feet long.¡± Character Sheet
Name Riemann59
Level 3
Blood Points 100/100
Mana Points 22/22
Race Revenant
Fortitude 10
Strength 8
Agility 10
Wisdom 14
Attribute Modifier: Mana Training (6)
Talents
Holy Blood
Rapid Healing
Reverse Engineer
Traditions Known: Elemental Magic
Earth Pillar
Fire Bolt
Freeze
Shock
Wind Knife
Wind Wall
Riemann waved the people in the crowd into two smaller groups. About half was on one side and the other half on the other. There was a space bereft of people that reached from one side of the gatehouse to the other. Riemann suddenly held his hands out to each side, forming an L with each hand. He looked to the left for a long second, then he looked to the right. He closed his eyes for a moment, then he opened them and spoke. ¡°Vento, thrush,¡± Riemann almost shouted. Suddenly, the entire gatehouse was filled with a roaring wind. A moment before, the West Gate was completely silent, but the sound was completely deafening. Revenants screamed in surprise, unsecured belongings went flying into the air, several heavy concrete barriers near the center of the wind wall were knocked over. The only person unaffected by the wind was Riemann himself. He stood near the epicenter of the wind wall, but he was not knocked over. Riemann¡¯s coat flapped in the wind, but he seemed unruffled. In the center of a group of panicking Revenants, Tantalus watched the scene before him with a massive, childish grin on his face. A whole new world had just opened up. The Fire Bolt Riemann showed him before failed to impress. But this? This was magic. Chapter 28 - [Thirty Ghosts] The wind ripped through the West Gate. The thirty blue-clad Revenants were pushed back, and the unassuming professor stood in the wind wall¡¯s epicenter. About half of the Greycloaks retreated back from the gale. Tantalus himself had to grab a concrete barrier to hold himself in place. He had not buttoned his jacket since his fight with FullDan, so it freely flapped in the wind. At the other side of the wind wall, Gator slowly moved toward Riemann. Gator was heavily braced against the wind, and he held one arm in front of his mouth to allow himself to breathe. As the leader of squad three approached Riemann, the effect of the wind was clearly growing with each step. Eventually, as he got within ten feet of Riemann, Gator lost his footing and rolled backward several times before eventually skidding to a stop. Riemann reached up to his own head and scratched it. Tantalus could not read the expression on Riemann¡¯s face at this distance due to his diminished eyesight. At this distance, Riemann looked like a humanoid shadow in the center of an ever-shifting canvas of wind. Then, as quickly as it came, the wind ceased. Riemann was left standing in the center of a crowd of stunned Revenants, and the Greycloaks started regaining their composure after the spectacle that had just unfolded before them. ¡°Thank you for the demonstration, Lieutenant,¡± Riemann said, looking at GatorKing. ¡°As you can see, [Wind Wall] prevents anyone from getting too close.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Gator said as he rotated his shoulder. His hands and arms had been marked by the concrete and asphalt ground of the West Gate. ¡°I¡¯m glad that I was able to put on a show for all of you, but it seems that I accidentally empowered that spell,¡± Riemann continued. ¡°I used all of my mana on that Wind Wall. Magic is more of an art than a science.¡± Riemann gave a good-natured chuckle and gestured toward the audience. ¡°I meant to show all of you the Fire Bolt spell, but I cannot until I recover my mana. To alleviate that, I¡¯m going to need the help of Captain Tantalus, Redgrave, and Pixie.¡± Riemann made eye-contact with the three Revenants as he spoke. Tantalus quietly wondered if people were going to start calling him ¡°Captain Tantalus¡± with regularity. The three Revenants walked into the center of the crowd. Tantalus almost bumped into the other Revenants a few times as he approached. He tried his hardest not to squint in pain now that the audience was paying attention to him. He knew that such an expression would give the impression that he was annoyed with Riemann. ¡°So,¡± Tantalus decided to take the initiative, ¡°you want us to show off the Fire Bolt spell?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Riemann agreed. ¡°Spells are much easier to cast once you¡¯ve seen them.¡± He turned to the audience and said, ¡°I showed these three the Fire Bolt spell last night. I¡¯ll explain the visualization process to you. You should be able to cast the spell after a few tries.¡± ¡°You will?¡± Tantalus said, confused. ¡°I was using it last night to increase my mana pool." ¡°You can cast the Fire Bolt spell?¡± Riemann said, surprised. ¡°Yeah,¡± Tantalus paused. ¡°It took me a few tries, but it was easy once I figured out how it worked. Pixie, Redgrave, have you been able to cast the spell?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t try,¡± Redgrave shrugged. ¡°I recited the incantation a few times before I started to feel stupid,¡± Pixie said. ¡°People look at you weird when you point a finger gun at the sky and recite magic words.¡± "I didn''t think it was possible for someone to cast Fire Bolt after only seeing it used once. Even I had to go to Mandelbrot University to figure out the visualization techniques," Riemann said. "How did you manage to figure it out, if I may ask?" ¡°I realized that each word in the Fire Bolt incantation has a discrete effect,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°It works by creating a cloud of flammable gas, igniting that gas, and then flinging the resulting conflagration. I realized that the fire bolt appeared on the second word and fired on the third word. It¡¯s the same principle with the Wind Wall we just saw. The first word summoned the wind, and the second word contained it. I¡¯m pretty confident I could cast that spell right now.¡± ¡°You say that like it¡¯s easy,¡± Riemann mused. ¡°Either way, could you show us all the Fire Bolt spell?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Tantalus said, ¡°though, I¡¯ll have to make sure not to empower it. I have an appointment at the East Gate in a few hours.¡± Tantalus placed his hands firmly in his pants pockets and stared intently at a point on the blue sky above. Suddenly, he was concerned that he couldn¡¯t cast the spell again. Apparently, magic was supposed to be difficult. He had no idea that was the case until Riemann had told him. It would be embarrassing if he couldn¡¯t cast the spell after speaking so confidently. ¡°Sen.¡± Tantalus imagined a ball of flammable gas appearing a few feet in front of his head. A faint smell reminiscent of a gas stove hit his nose. ¡°Drast.¡± Tantalus imagined a faint spark in the exact same location as he had summoned the flammable gas. He had used this incantation many times to light his cigarette last night. As expected, a ball of ethereal fire appeared in the same location Tantalus visualized it would. The crowd gasped in surprise at the fireball¡¯s appearance. ¡°Ignis.¡± Tantalus imagined a great hand grasping the core of the ethereal fireball and throwing it at the location he imagined. In tandem with the image in his mind, the ball of fire shot off into the sky with the speed of a fastball. After flying about a hundred feet, the ball of fire detonated in a puff of black smoke. It was a neat party trick, Tantalus thought, but the Fire Bolt spell had no real utility. In just about every way, the projectile created by the standard Fire Bolt spell was far inferior to a bullet. It wasn¡¯t as fast, it had much less range, and it dealt much less damage. Theoretically, it could be useful in a situation where you¡¯re caught unarmed, but Tantalus didn¡¯t intend to ever get caught unarmed in this world. Now, Wind Wall was useful. It didn¡¯t deal damage, but it controlled the battlefield in a way that modern technology could only imagine. With a single spell, you could completely prevent reinforcements from reaching a unit you¡¯re engaged with. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Very well done,¡± Riemann clapped, and this was soon followed by a smattering of applause by the crowd of Revenants. ¡°I see that you didn¡¯t make use of a visual aid.¡± ¡°Was I supposed to?¡± Tantalus said. ¡°I remember that you used one, but it just got in the way when I tried it.¡± ¡°Perhaps that method works for you, Captain,¡± Riemann said. ¡°For everybody else, I will now explain the visualization techniques for the Fire Bolt spell.¡± Riemann then went into a long explanation of the images one must hold in his head in order to cast the Fire Bolt spell. It was strange. Riemann¡¯s method seemed to view Fire Bolt as one spell rather than three discrete incantations. Riemann spoke mostly in metaphor as he told them to imagine: a pool rising from the depths of the earth, a spark as flint strikes steel, and an arrow flying through the air. Tantalus just couldn¡¯t understand how Riemann¡¯s process worked. To him, it seemed like they were simply doing it wrong. Despite Tantalus¡¯s doubts, however, Riemann¡¯s method soon bore fruit. Soon after Riemann had described the visualization techniques, an ethereal ball of fire appeared next to Pixie¡¯s outstretched hand and launched itself into the clear blue sky. This spell was soon followed by dozens of other fire bolts flying into the sky. Sporadic cheers of joy and laughter filled the West Gate. Tantalus watched as Pixie excitedly aimed and fired two other balls of fire into the sky. She held her hands clasped in front of her like she was holding a pistol. Pixie smiled widely like a kid on Christmas. Tantalus couldn¡¯t help but smile in response. He was glad that the players could find moments of happiness, despite everything. Pixie hurriedly walked over to her squad to help them cast the spell. Redgrave, on the other hand, was having some difficulty with the spell. He had recited the incantation several times with no success. His expression became darker with every failed incantation. The success of so many other Revenants seemed to only worsen Redgrave¡¯s mood. ¡°How did you get it to work, Tantalus?¡± Redgrave asked, annoyed. ¡°I don¡¯t think my method works for other people,¡± Tantalus responded. ¡°Well, maybe it¡¯ll work for me,¡± Redgrave huffed. ¡°Gas, flash, fling,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°That¡¯s how it works for me. Now, the gas is the tricky part. It¡¯s the kind of gas you get in a gas stove. Propane, I think. The incantation won¡¯t work if you imagine it to be some other kind of gas.¡± Redgrave tried the incantation two more times. On the third try, a ball of fire appeared and flew off into the sky. ¡°Well done,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°I''m not very good at that,¡± Redgrave admitted. ¡°I¡¯m honestly not convinced that I could ever get that spell to work every time I cast it.¡± Character Sheet
Name Redgrave22
Level 8
Blood Points 130/130
Mana Points 8/13
Race Revenant
Fortitude 13
Strength 18
Agility 12
Wisdom 6
Attribute Modifier: Strength Training (2) ¡°Riemann said that there¡¯s also a kind of eastern magic that uses mana,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°He called it Battle Aura. Ashcroft¡¯s already following leads on how to learn how to use it. The only thing he¡¯s found so far is that the phrase ¡®warrior¡¯s spirit¡¯ keeps popping up. I bet you¡¯d be really good at that.¡± ¡°Well, everybody¡¯s gotta be good at something, I guess,¡± Redgrave complained. ¡°And you¡¯re pretty good at gun fighting and sword fighting,¡± Tantalus said, looking down at the Orc¡¯s longsword Redgrave wore on his hip. Redgrave smiled faintly at Tantalus¡¯s words. After a few more minutes of practice, Tantalus walked to the center of the crowd and began to speak. ¡°All right! I think that¡¯s enough for Lesson Three. Congratulations, you¡¯re all done with Introductory Training!¡± The crowd of Revenants applauded as soon as Tantalus was done speaking. ¡°You will handle Basic Training within your squads. I will link my forum post with the Basic Training rubric to the various squad leaders in a few minutes.¡± Tantalus clapped his hands together. ¡°Now! Before we end our meeting, I need to hand out the uniforms.¡± Tantalus walked inside the barracks adjacent to the gatehouse. A moment later, he came out with a long clothing trolley, which held several dozen grey cloaks. ¡°If you¡¯re in the Greycloaks, you¡¯ll need to look the part.¡± Tantalus said. ¡°Our blue uniforms frankly suck for camouflage. Right now, we¡¯ll primarily be fighting in urban environments, so the grey coloration will provide at least a little camouflage. As we engage the enemy in different areas, we¡¯ll be able to cover the cloaks in the local flora.¡± There was great excitement throughout the crowd as they walked forward to pick out their cloaks. They had all seen the videos of Tantalus speaking in the central park, and they were all excited to have a piece of clothing to prove that they were followers of Tantalus. There were several reasons why militaries had uniforms. It created a sense of camaraderie within the unit, and it reminded the man in the uniform that he was a soldier. Redgrave spoke. ¡°Also, enemy snipers won¡¯t know who to target if we¡¯re all dressed the same.¡± ¡°That too,¡± Tantalus forced a smile. Sometimes, honesty isn¡¯t the best policy. As the Revenants of Tango Company picked out grey cloaks and tried them on, some of them showed off their new outfits to the others. Pixie spun in front of the rest of her squad and asked them how she looked. FullDan adjusted his cloak a few times so that it didn¡¯t block access to his pistol. Elias complained quietly to Grim and Synth. VK and Jester spoke to each other quietly before both exploded into a fit of laughter. GatorKing swung his saber a few times to see how the cloak interacted with his sword arm. Once they had all put on their cloaks, Tantalus stood off to one side and looked at the Greycloaks. The cloaks covered their silhouettes. Through the dim gloom that still covered his eyes, it seemed to Tantalus as if thirty ghosts now loomed ominously before him. Truly, ¡°Revenant¡± was a fitting name. Chapter 29 - [Powerful and Unknown Variable]
¡°Good!¡± Tantalus said. ¡°Now we look like a real military unit. Remember the order of your shifts to keep watch. Squads 3 and 4 will meet back here at noon to begin their watch. That¡¯s enough for today. Everyone else can go, but I would like the squad leaders to stay back for a few extra minutes.¡± The crowd of Revenants slowly dissipated after Tantalus finished. They were talking excitedly amongst themselves. Some were showing off their new mark of office while others recorded, their shining yellow eyes twinkling under faded hoods. An image came to Tantalus¡¯s mind unbidden. He saw those grey cloaks motionless on the unforgiving ground. The bodies underneath the cloaks were broken and bent at unnatural angles. The cloaks were ornamented with complex red patterns. He shook his head, and the images disappeared from his mind. Five individuals now stood in front of him. One had red hair, one had blonde hair, and two had darker skin. Based on these attributes, Tantalus could tell that these were the squad leaders he had asked to stay behind. ¡°Squad leaders, it¡¯s good to see you,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°And congratulations on your promotions. Jester, Pixie, VK, I know the three of you didn¡¯t expect to be promoted to squad leader so quickly. My reasoning for making you three into squad leaders is simple: either Redgrave or I saw you in battle, and we were impressed.¡± Tantalus turned to VK. ¡°Sergeant Voight-Kampff, Redgrave complimented your skill. Trust me, he does not do that lightly.¡± Tantalus turned back to the remaining squad leaders. ¡°I expect great things from the five of you. Now, as for why I called you here¡­¡± Tantalus trailed off and walked over to the trolley which he had used to transport the grey cloaks. He reached into a compartment in the base of the trolley and withdrew a small metal box. He then returned to the squad leaders gathered around. Tantalus opened the box and revealed the contents. Inside were five combat knives held within leather sheaths. ¡°Consider these welcoming gifts to Tango Company,¡± Tantalus said. FullDan was the first one to move forward and take a knife. He unsheathed it and began inspecting the blade. ¡°A foot-long fixed-blade combat knife,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°Five-inch handle, seven-inch blade. Our bayonets are twenty inches long. Having used one extensively to butcher some Orcs, I can tell you that it is far too long for knife fighting. These knives you now hold are identical to the one I will be carrying on me.¡± Tantalus pulled his cloak back to reveal a similar knife clipped to his belt where the bayonet had previously been. The five squad leaders took the knives gratefully. FullDan was the fastest to integrate the knife into his kit. He immediately clipped the knife to his belt in such a place where he could easily reach it with his left hand. FullDan held his pistol in his right hand and his knife in a reverse-grip in his left hand. He aimed his pistol and used the wrist of his off hand to steady himself. ¡°It feels just like knives we used in the Scions,¡± FullDan chuckled. The three less-experienced squad leaders did not wield the knife with the same familiarity as FullDan, though they all fastened the knives to their belts. ¡°I¡¯ll try to live up to your and Redgrave¡¯s expectations,¡± VK said quietly. By the tone of his voice, Tantalus could tell that VK understood the gravity of the responsibility he had been given. Tantalus had spent more than an hour the night before deciding who would be the squad leaders of the Greycloaks. Clearly, he wanted FullDan and GatorKing as squad leaders, but the three remaining non-com positions were a difficult decision. More than five hundred people had expressed a willingness to defend the Gates on the BloodNet forums, and many of these people had more experience in Ninth Oasis than VK or Jester. Ultimately, Tantalus decided to favor those either he or Redgrave had come into contact with. The squad leaders of the even-number squads all shared two qualities: a basic level of skill and a pliable disposition. Years in the Scions had taught Tantalus how to quickly tell if someone was a rule-follower or a maverick. Tantalus was confident that Pixie, VK, and Jester would follow his orders without question. There were places for loose cannons, but ¡°squad leader¡± was not one of them. ¡°I really appreciate this Captain, but neither Gator nor I need a knife,¡± Jester said. ¡°The two of us already have swords.¡± Jester pulled his cloak back and gestured to the looted longsword at his belt. This was the same sword which Jester had anointed with the blood of Deluvians the day before. Jester¡¯s skin was lighter than Gator¡¯s but darker than Tantalus¡¯s or Pixie¡¯s. Tantalus would consider Jester (or rather, Jester¡¯s avatar) to be mixed race. Jester¡¯s skin color was about as dark as someone from Greece or Sicily, but Tantalus would still consider him to be black based on his other features. ¡°When you¡¯re in melee with an enemy, you can never have too many weapons,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°If an Orc grapples you, you can use the knife to kill it. Plus, the knife is more of a mark of office at this point.¡± GatorKing pressed his index finger to the knife¡¯s blade. Within a few seconds, the texture of the blade had changed. His blood spread out and infused the blade, causing the blade to take on a dark red Damascus pattern. The blade started to resemble a topographical map of a mountain range. Pixie watched GatorKing for a moment, a thoughtful look on her face. She held her hand out with her finger outstretched. A single drop of blood fell from her index finger to the ground. ¡°Oh!¡± Pixie exclaimed, surprised at the ease with which she was able to summon forth her blood. A moment later, VK and Jester did the same. ¡°It was that easy the whole time?¡± VK grimaced. He looked down at his arm, which still bore several faint pale scars where he had slashed open his own wrist. ¡°No tutorial in this game,¡± GatorKing laughed. ¡°Gator, Jester,¡± Tantalus turned to the two squad leaders, ¡°remember that the two of you will start your watch at noon. FullDan,¡± Tantalus¡¯s expression suddenly became much more serious, ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the East Gate at one P.M.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about ¡®Operation Eastern Front?¡¯¡± FullDan asked rhetorically. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be there. The pain in my head and ringing in my ears has stopped. I should ask the same of you. Will you be able to make it?¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be fine in an hour or so,¡± Tantalus said. He felt like he was about 75% healed by that time. ¡°¡®Operation Eastern Front?¡¯¡± VK asked. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± FullDan had a guilty look on his face as if he had accidentally revealed a great secret. ¡°Well, you see¡­¡± FullDan started to explain what he meant, but he was coming up short in excuses. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Dan,¡± Tantalus put his hand on FullDan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°They¡¯re squad leaders. I¡¯d say that puts them high enough on the food chain to give them clearance for this information.¡± Tantalus turned to the squad leaders. ¡°Operation Eastern Front is a mission organized by Ashcroft and ScaryClock to acquire a technologically advanced rifle from the Deluvians. The plan is for five S-ranks, including FullDan and me, to strike deep into enemy territory and retrieve one or more M1 Garands that were spotted in the hands of various Deluvian officers. We believe that we can use the Talents of multiple Revenants to take these weapons and mass produce them.¡± Everyone but VK immediately understood the significance of this statement. Pixie¡¯s mouth was open in shock for a few seconds before she regained her composure. ¡°Talk about a game changer,¡± Jester said after a long second of contemplation. ¡°Not to sound like an idiot,¡± VK said, ¡°but what¡¯s an ¡®M1 Garand?¡¯¡± ¡°It was the rifle used by the Americans in World War II,¡± Tantalus explained. ¡°It is an eight-shot semi-automatic rifle with an interior magazine. Most importantly, it¡¯s chambered in the same caliber as the rifles we currently use.¡± ¡°Oh, I see,¡± VK¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s big.¡± ¡°Damn straight,¡± GatorKing said. ¡°I wish I could be there.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to kill some Orcs for you,¡± FullDan smiled. ¡°That¡¯s it for now, I¡¯d say,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°Look after your squads. Socialize with them when possible. You¡¯ll be fighting together, so try to foster a sense of teamwork within the squad.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± VK said, saluting. The other four soon followed suit. Tantalus returned their salutes with a certain amount of hesitation. They all went their separate ways. The squad leaders left the gatehouse toward the car pileup, and Tantalus left for his office in the barracks.
As Tantalus walked, he soon ran into Corporal Sigismund. ¡°Hello, Captain,¡± the Corporal greeted. ¡°I see the news of my promotion has already spread,¡± Tantalus responded. ¡°Of course,¡± Sigismund said. ¡°High Command distributed the message of the Revenant promotions several hours ago.¡± ¡°Good, good,¡± Captain Tantalus said. ¡°Is the Colonel pissed?¡± ¡°Yes, but not about you.¡± Sigismund admitted. ¡°He, and most of the other high-rank field-officers, are angry about the fact that Ashcroft was made a captain as well.¡± ¡°Your Duke¡¯s a shrewd one,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°He has temporarily defused the walking disaster that is Ashcroft.¡± ¡°I thought he was your friend,¡± Sigismund wondered. ¡°It¡¯s complicated. I¡¯ve known him for a long time.¡± Tantalus said. ¡°Anyway, have you retrieved what I asked for?¡± ¡°Of course. I had it when you woke up, but I didn¡¯t know if you wanted it yet,¡± Sigismund said. ¡°I¡¯m forgetful when I wake up,¡± Tantalus responded. Sigismund reached into the pocket of his green coat and retrieved a small black box inscribed in flowery silver letters. He handed it over, and Tantalus weighed it in his hands. The box was about the size of Tantalus¡¯s palm, and it weighed less than a pound. After a moment, Tantalus opened the box. Inside was a silver wristwatch. Its analogue face declared that it was 10:55 AM. Tantalus removed the watch from its box and analyzed the back of the watch face. There was a small pane of glass at the back which allowed Tantalus to see the small gears inside. A small pendulum within the watch face swung back and forth as Tantalus adjusted the orientation of the watch. Tantalus had owned a watch just like this in the Old World. The small pendulum within would swing as the watch moved, and this process wound the watch. Such a simple yet elegant device. ¡°Perfect. It¡¯s just to my specifications,¡± Tantalus said, surprised. ¡°Where did you find this?¡± ¡°Ah, right,¡± Sigismund said. He paused, and his face tightened. Tantalus knew that whatever he said next would be a lie. ¡°I took the money you gave me and checked a few pawn shops in town. Luckily, I found one that fit your specifications at the third pawn shop.¡± Tantalus instantaneously put the pieces together and realized the truth of the matter. Sigismund was a spy for Colonel Dozok. Tantalus had made the difficult request of Sigismund in order to determine this truth. A normal person could not acquire such a specific watch on such short notice without the help of someone high up in the chain of command. The truth didn¡¯t particularly bother Tantalus, however. Colonel Dozok wasn¡¯t necessarily his enemy. It was only natural that he would want to keep an eye on this powerful and unknown variable working within his barracks. ¡°So what are you going to do now?¡± Sigismund asked. ¡°Do paperwork in my office for an hour before heading out to a meeting with the other Revenants in an hour and a half,¡± Tantalus responded. ¡°Which Revenants?¡± Sigismund asked. Tantalus thought he wasn¡¯t a very good spy. ¡°Mander and his followers, I guess. We need to organize our forces before the assault on November 5th,¡± Tantalus lied. He didn¡¯t want the NPCs to interfere with Operation Eastern Front. At that point, Tantalus and Sigismund reached the door to Tantalus¡¯s office. ¡°See ya, Corporal,¡± Tantalus smiled. Sigismund saluted and Tantalus returned it. Tantalus wondered if he would be doing that a lot. Tantalus entered his office and saw four men standing within. His eyesight had improved at this point to the point that he could recognize them at a glance. These were the men of Squad One: Redgrave, Elias, Grim, and Synth. Chapter 30 - [Trump Card] ¡°How did you guys get here? I didn¡¯t see you walk into the barracks from the gatehouse.¡± Tantalus walked past them and threw his coat and cloak over his chair. The bandolier strung across Tantalus¡¯s chest was clearly visible. ¡°There¡¯s another entrance that can be accessed on foot. I think it¡¯s mostly for civilians,¡± Redgrave answered. ¡°Two entrances, huh?¡± Tantalus mused to himself. ¡°I¡¯ll have to keep that in mind.¡± ¡°I figured the squad should sit down and have a chat,¡± Redgrave said. ¡°Sorry, I only have three chairs. Some people will have to stand,¡± Tantalus joked. ¡°Though, that¡¯s a really good idea, Redgrave.¡± ¡°To begin with, I want to know why you decided to put me in your squad,¡± Elias said. ¡°I¡¯ve done nothing but disagree with you and complain ever since I got here.¡± ¡°I believe the phrase was, ¡®Tantalus¡¯s fighting is like a work of art, I want to reach that level of skill.¡¯ I think you like me a lot more than you let on.¡± Tantalus smirked. ¡°Who told you?¡± Elias¡¯s face turned red as he spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t remember,¡± Tantalus lied. ¡°I think you¡¯re a good person deep down, Elias. When you got angry at Enzo and me, it was because we spoke negatively of Melkior and Dendrite. Sure, you¡¯re not skilled right now, but I think there¡¯s a fine soldier beneath all of those rough edges.¡± ¡°Oh, I think I¡¯m going to cry,¡± Elias said sarcastically. ¡°Anyway,¡± Tantalus sighed, ¡°I haven¡¯t met two of you. Could you introduce yourselves, Grim, Synthwave?¡± Tantalus did not recognize two of the men standing in front of him, though he could surmise who was who based on descriptions. One man in front of him was Hispanic and the other was Indonesian. He had heard from Redgrave that the Hispanic man was Grim, and the Indonesian man was Synthwave. Grim spoke first. ¡°Hello, Captain. I¡¯m Grim.¡± He saluted; Tantalus returned it. ¡°I¡¯ve been a big fan ever since I saw you fight at the West Gate. I wasn¡¯t sold on all the S-rank hype until I saw you disembowel an Orc like it was nothing. Man,¡± Grim was starting to get excited as he spoke, ¡°it was like watching Lebron James play basketball against a bunch of Kindergarteners. Before that fight, I viewed a single Orc as some terrible threat that would take three players to kill. Then I saw you cut through a dozen of ¡®em like it was nothing at all. It was the coolest thing I¡¯ve ever seen!¡± Character Sheet
Name Grim_Fando
Level 6
Blood Points 90/110
Mana Points 20/20
Race Revenant
Fortitude 11
Strength 10
Agility 10
Wisdom 14
Ability Modifier: Mana Training (1)
Talents
Holy Blood
Identify
Rapid Healing
As Grim spoke, Tantalus¡¯s gaze inadvertently flicked over to Elias¡¯s face. Specifically, Tantalus looked at his eye which was still covered by an eyepatch. A small amount of scar tissue could still be seen which was not covered by the eyepatch. Sure, Tantalus thought, battles like that had their fair share of heroism, but they also contained no small amount of suffering. ¡°Glad I managed to impress,¡± Tantalus gave a fake smile. ¡°I admit, I was putting on a show. Though, the show was primarily meant to demoralize the enemy.¡± Synthwave spoke next. The man wore a beanie and spoke with an air of tranquility. As he spoke, it was clear that English was not his first language. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m Synthwave. Most people just call me Synth.¡± Thankfully, he did not salute. ¡°I was a DJ and bassist before, but I realized doing that as a career didn¡¯t really pay the bills. I always kinda wanted to join the military, so I figured this¡¯d be a good time to start. My special ability is Enhanced Hearing, so I can hear pretty well.¡± Character Sheet
Name Synth_Wave
Level 3
Blood Points 110/110
Mana Points 13/13
Race Revenant
Fortitude 11
Strength 11
Agility 10
Wisdom 10
Attribute Modifier: Mana Training (1)
Talents
Enhanced Hearing
Holy Blood
Rapid Healing
¡°You were a musician,¡± Tantalus said. Redgrave had not mentioned that. ¡°I hear that ConcreteBeats was looking for a bassist.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Synth asked. ¡°The woman who¡¯s in charge of the militia,¡± Tantalus said, smiling darkly, ¡°though, she doesn¡¯t know that yet. Anyway, I saw you fight at the West Gate. Both you and Grim. You both fired straight and followed the basic rules of gun safety. I saw the framework upon which excellent soldiers could be formed.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± Grim exclaimed with a smile on his face. ¡°By the way, Elias, what is your Talent?¡± Tantalus asked. ¡°Danger Sense,¡± Elias said curtly. ¡°How does that work?¡± Tantalus asked. ¡°I was able to use it a little when I sparred with Grim here...¡± Elias began to speak. ¡°Oh, so you were cheating!¡± Grim accused Elias. ¡°I can¡¯t turn it off, Grim,¡± Elias spat back. ¡°Danger Sense gives me a sense that I¡¯m going to be hit about a second before I¡¯m actually struck by the blow. It also tells me where on the body I¡¯m going to be hit.¡± ¡°I understand. That sounds like a very good defensive weapon,¡± Tantalus spoke. ¡°Redgrave, how does your Talent work?¡± ¡°Right, I haven¡¯t explained it to you yet¡± Redgrave suddenly remembered. ¡°I took the special skill Hypnosis. I can put a creature to sleep by making eye-contact with it, though it''s useless against any creature that is more than five levels higher than me. Activation of the ability costs one mana, and continued use of the ability uses one mana per minute." ¡°Do you want to know how my Talent works, Captain?¡± Grim asked. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Tantalus said as Grim frowned in disappointment. ¡°Redgrave has already explained to me the benefits of Identify. It allows you to determine the stats of any creature that isn¡¯t wearing a mask, correct?¡± ¡°Sunglasses also work, but yes,¡± Grim said. ¡°And even when they cover their face, you can still determine their physical attributes?¡± ¡°Yes, the only downside is that it takes one mana to use it each time. Right now, I can only use it twenty times every four hours,¡± Grim answered. ¡°Hmm,¡± Tantalus mused for a moment. ¡°Synthwave, how does your ability work, specifically? Can you tune your Enhanced Hearing? Could you hear footsteps during a gunfight?¡± Synth thought for a moment before answering. ¡°Well, I hadn¡¯t put that much thought into it. I¡¯ve been able to hear footsteps a hundred feet away and conversations a floor above me ever since I took this ability. Though, the sound of gunfire hasn¡¯t particularly bothered me any more than normal.¡± Synth reached into his ears and extricated two blue earplugs. ¡°I¡¯ve been wearing these most of the time so that I don¡¯t have to listen to the conversations of everyone within several hundred feet. To answer your question regarding gunfire, I cannot hear anything over the sound of a gunshot. However, my hearing usually returns within a few seconds.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Elias interjected. ¡°You¡¯ve now heard how everyone¡¯s ability works. Now, Captain, tell us about yours.¡± ¡°My ability will have to remain a secret for a while,¡± Tantalus smiled tightly. ¡°I can only tell you two things: it¡¯s an active skill, and it is much more useful if the enemy doesn¡¯t understand how it works. My Talent is a trump card which we must only use when the time is right. So far, I have only told Redgrave its specifics.¡± ¡°Great,¡± Elias said sarcastically. ¡°The secrets have already started.¡± ¡°A good military always has its fair share of secrets,¡± Tantalus rebutted with a chuckle. ¡°Anyway, I would like to speak to Redgrave for a few minutes. Could the rest of you step outside?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Elias said. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go slack off in town. You two, come on.¡± Elias nodded his head to the side as he exited his chair. ¡°Remember, our watch starts at 4:00 AM tomorrow,¡± Tantalus said as the three men were halfway through the door. ¡°How annoying,¡± Elias muttered as the three men walked away. The sound of footsteps soon faded away. ¡°Have you been getting the feeling that you¡¯re being watched recently, Red?¡± Tantalus said. ¡°I¡¯ve been getting that feeling constantly today.¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Redgrave said. ¡°I¡¯ve been noticing little things ever since I logged in that points me to a strange conclusion. All of the NPCs seem to consider me the leader of the Revenants, my apparently prodigal intelligence makes me uniquely good at using magic, and my Talent is a unique skill which apparently only one player per server can use. It¡¯s as if the game is warping around me. It makes me wonder¡­ am I¡­?¡± Tantalus suddenly paused in the middle of his speech. ¡°No, that¡¯s too crazy for me to put into words. Sorry, my brain¡¯s just a little bit fried from lack of sleep.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± Redgrave asked, worry was evident on his face. ¡°Yes,¡± Tantalus suddenly felt like he was being watched by a third party. ¡°I wanted to talk to you about the future. Once we¡¯ve broken the siege and reconnected the three starting cities, we¡¯re going to get out of Osiris. We¡¯ll get the soldiers trained, and then we¡¯ll become a traveling mercenary company. We¡¯ll do simple escort and hunting missions for the major kingdoms of Rubigo." ¡°Why not stay in Osiris?¡± Redgrave asked. ¡°This place is a powder keg,¡± Tantalus said offhandedly. ¡°The Safe Zone won¡¯t last forever. When it breaks, a lot of people are going to die.¡± ¡°Then I guess we¡¯ll just have to get out of here before that happens,¡± Redgrave smiled. He didn¡¯t consider for a moment that Tantalus¡¯s prediction could be wrong. ¡°Yeah,¡± Tantalus paused for a moment, ¡°and then I¡¯ll be able to get away from Ashcroft and the Duke and all of the others who expect me to move heaven and earth. Why do I have to do it? How many other people would kill to be the Commander of Osiris? Whereas I just want to play the damn game!¡± Tantalus realized he was shouting at the end of his speech. A crazed look had affixed itself upon his face as he expressed all of the emotions he had bottled up for the past twenty-four hours. Redgrave opened his mouth, but Tantalus cut him off before he could speak. ¡°God, I¡¯m sorry for that.¡± In an instant, the slipped mask was returned to the actor¡¯s pliant face. ¡°I¡¯ve been a bit stressed. I just had to express it to someone before I exploded. It would shatter the image of the Captain of the West Gate if I said that to anyone else.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just resign?¡± Redgrave asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Tantalus answered. ¡°Whatever. We¡¯ve got a job to do. Thanks for listening, but I have to get back to working on our long-term strategy.¡± Chapter 31 - [Operation Eastern Front] Mandelbrot University 11:30 A.M. Five women in long grey cloaks sat at a long table outside of a bakery on the outskirts of the campus of Mandelbrot University. They could see the college¡¯s quad from where they were sitting. A handful of students were sitting on the grass, though there were fewer of them than one would expect to see on such a nice day. The sun was out, and the temperature was neither too high nor too low. In between bites of a large chocolate chip cookie, Pixie said, ¡°You know, I never went to college. I wonder what it¡¯s like.¡± ¡°It was a lot of fun.¡± Rachel smiled. ¡°Though, the schoolwork can get a bit hectic sometimes.¡± ¡°I am¡­ was¡­ in college,¡± Volta muttered. ¡°It can be good or bad depending on the person.¡± ¡°How about you two?¡± Pixie turned to the other two women at the table. ¡°Did either of you go to college?¡± ¡°I did,¡± said Persephone. She had burgundy hair and dark green eyes. In her hands, she held a brownie which had been coated in powdered sugar. Persephone had an alluring beauty that was lessened somewhat by the sugar on her cheek and the napkin tucked into her shirt. Her hair was naturally wavy and fell past her shoulders. Her knuckles still bore unhealed bruises from her fight with Volta. ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± said Mirage. She was a Middle Eastern woman whose black hair had been tied up in a bun. Mirage was a quiet woman who carried a permanent scowl on her face. After Pixie, she was the best fighter in Squad 2 due to her experience in Ninth Oasis. Mirage had fought Pixie during the sparring lesson. As Mirage sat there eating her large cookie, dried blood still covered the area just under her nose. Pixie was a small woman with a low strength score, but she made up for that with great technique. Pixie hit Mirage at just the right moment, and she put her whole body into it. It was enough to put Mirage on her back. At that moment, Mirage was surly for a few reasons. She had just lost her fight with Pixie, and she had only been able to cast Fire Bolt after several tries. ¡°Are you sure we should be eating this?¡± Persephone asked Pixie. ¡°Sure, I really like the taste, but I thought soldiers were supposed to eat stuff like ration bars and berries.¡± ¡°We¡¯re carb-loading,¡± Pixie said after swallowing a bite of her cookie. ¡°The three of you are underweight.¡± Pixie pointed at Volta, Rachel, and Persephone. ¡°If I can see your ribs, you need to gain weight. You see, fat is necessary for stamina. You never see a supermodel run a marathon. We want to hit a nice middle-ground.¡± ¡°Is that why you had us show you our stomachs?¡± Volta said, shuddering at the memory. ¡°If I didn¡¯t do it, Tantalus would. This is better, right?¡± Pixie laughed. There was a murmur of agreement. ¡°That made me remember something,¡± Mirage suddenly said. ¡°Did you guys know that Tantalus used a female avatar whenever he competed in Ninth Oasis tournaments? Same height, same build, same hair color and complexion, but a woman. He always did it for the boost to magic it gave him. Apparently, a lot of the top-level players did that back in the day,¡± Mirage said. ¡°I remember an old interview where Tantalus said that male avatars received a +4 to their physical stats, but female avatars received a +5 to their magic stats. More players would do it, but a lot of the male players don¡¯t like the feeling of controlling a female avatar.¡± ¡°I can understand it,¡± Pixie said. ¡°This body is a lot like my real one, but even the minor differences are difficult to accommodate for. I can¡¯t imagine getting stuck in such an incompatible body for so long.¡± ¡°It makes me wonder,¡± Rachel said. ¡°Why didn¡¯t Tantalus choose to use a female avatar if it would give him a quantifiable advantage?¡± ¡°You¡¯d have to ask him,¡± Pixie said before taking a sip from a plastic water bottle.
Central Osiris 12:30 P.M. Tantalus drove his pickup truck through the narrow streets of the Financial District. These roads would usually be absolutely packed with cars, but they were conspicuously empty. Tantalus closed one eye and opened his Menu. Character Sheet
Name Tantalus45
Level 10
Blood Points 85/120
Mana Points 23/25
Race Revenant
Fortitude 12
Strength 11
Agility 15
Wisdom 12
Attribute Modifiers: Strength Training (1), Mana Training (5)
Talents
Dead Magic (s)
Holy Blood
Rapid Healing
Tradition Known: Elemental Magic
Fire Bolt
Wind Wall
He checked his Character Sheet to see if his Blood Points had gone up. He had been shocked after Riemann''s class to see that his Level had gone up. That lesson with Riemann must have been particularly effective. Learning a new spell and sparring against FullDan must have granted him some experience. His Blood Points had gone all the way down to sixty, but the water he had drank and the point he had put into Fortitude had increased his Blood Points to eighty-five. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Soon after checking his Character Sheet, Tantalus arrived at the East Gate. He pulled into a parking lot close to the gatehouse and exited on foot. The storm in Tantalus¡¯s mind calmed significantly as he approached the gatehouse. The stress and anxiety of organizing a whole city¡¯s military faded away and was replaced by the cold reality of looming combat. Tantalus smiled as he checked his gear. He worked the pump on his shotgun a few times. He checked a few of the slugs and shells contained within his bandolier. He anointed his combat knife. He rechecked his pistol to make sure there was still a bullet in the chamber. For a moment, everything was perfect. Tantalus was exactly where he wanted to be: on the front-line of an uncomplicated battle. East Gate 12:40 P.M. Tantalus entered the gatehouse to see five S-ranks and thirty other Revenants preparing for battle. The S-ranks were checking their weapons and warming up for the physical activity to come while the other Revenants chattered nervously and gripped their weapons until their fingers turned white. The experienced soldiers seemed calm and confident. The others seemed nervous and worried. Ashcroft stood off to one side, swinging his saber adorned with red Damascus patterns to warm up. He swung his sword quick as a whip and put his revolver on target a moment later. Tantalus could hear the sound of the revolver¡¯s hammer striking against an empty cylinder as Ashcroft pulled the trigger. Elsewhere in the gatehouse were the other S-ranks that had been chosen to join the strike team. FullDan sat on a low concrete block; his grey cloak still obscured his features. Mozaic closely observed the saber he had looted from an NPC officer¡¯s corpse. ScaryClock stood to one side of the gatehouse with her hand on her chin. She was observing a large map of the City of Osiris that had been taped to one of the gatehouse¡¯s walls. Though Mander had not been chosen for the strike team, it had been decided that he would lead the defense of the East Gate while the strike team was outside the walls. Tantalus decided to approach Mander first. ¡°Hey, Mander,¡± Tantalus drawled as he approached the man. ¡°Are these the defenders of the East Gate?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± Mander responded in his proper English accent. ¡°All thirty defenders of the East Gate are present here.¡± ¡°Smart move. We¡¯re going to be kicking the proverbial hornets'' nest out there. It¡¯s very possible that we¡¯ll return with a company of Deluvians behind us. I¡¯ll be relying on you if that happens.¡± Tantalus wacked Mander¡¯s shoulder as he left to speak to Clock. ¡°So, you¡¯re going to be leading the attack, Clock?¡± Tantalus asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± she responded. ¡°I know the Garand is somewhere in this area.¡± Clock gestured vaguely to a part of the map about two miles away from the City. The area she was pointing to was heavily industrialized. Most of the buildings in the area Clock identified were factories or warehouses. ¡°Sounds good. You have operational command. If you need advice, I¡¯ll give it,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°Thanks.¡± Clock went back to her consideration of the map in front of her. Occasionally, she marked the map with a sharpie. It was clear to Tantalus that Clock intended to comb the industrial sector as a unit without having the S-ranks move individually. Personally, Tantalus would have the members of the strike team split up to search the area more effectively. He believed that any one of the Revenants in the strike team could finish the mission by himself. Though, it was possible that they would run into a unique threat that they had not yet faced. Clock¡¯s method was a lot safer, but it would take much longer. Tantalus walked over to Mozaic. A sizable olive drab crate laid open in front of the Knight, and a rifle was propped up against the crate. ¡°What¡¯s in there?¡± Tantalus asked. ¡°Ammo, mostly,¡± Mozaic responded. ¡°I¡¯m third in the stack, so I guess the supplies are my problem.¡± He paused and smiled. ¡°Though, there¡¯s something in here which I think you¡¯ll find interesting.¡± Character Sheet
Name Mozaic
Level 8
Blood Points 130/140
Mana Points 13/13
Race Revenant
Fortitude 14
Strength 16
Agility 13
Wisdom 6
Attribute Modifier: Strength Training (2) ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Mozaic reached into the box and produced two baseball-sized green spheroids. Grenades. ¡°They had a box of these suckers in the Colonel¡¯s office at the North Gate.¡± ¡°The NPCs can use grenades?¡± Tantalus was shocked. ¡°Apparently,¡± Mozaic laughed. ¡°Anyway, I brought ten. Everybody gets two.¡± Mozaic passed Tantalus two of the grenades. Tantalus looked down at himself, unable to decide where exactly he should carry them. After a moment¡¯s consideration, he decided to place the grenades in his satchel. ¡°Have you tested them?¡± Tantalus asked. ¡°Yeah, the grenade we threw went bang. Pull the pin, release the lever, and you get an anti-personnel explosion four-seconds later.¡± ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s four, and not three?¡± ¡°Sure as sure,¡± Mozaic said with an easy smile on his face. Mozaic was a tall, muscular man with the olive skin tone of someone from Greece. His hair was curly and black, and stubble had already appeared on his face. Much of his visible skin carried pale scars, and parts of his uniform were still stained with blood. He smelled slightly like sweat, but Tantalus didn¡¯t hold it against him. Tantalus himself hadn¡¯t showered since he had started the game. ¡°Thanks a lot,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°Just to make sure, I¡¯m first on the stack, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one with the shotgun, so yes,¡± Mozaic answered. ¡°By the way, can you bring this to FullDan?¡± He reached for the rifle leaning against the crate and held it out to Tantalus. The rifle was mounted with an old-fashioned sniper scope. It was the kind of scope that was used by snipers in World War I. Tantalus briefly looked over the rifle. Despite its obsolescence, the scope was mounted competently. It had functional range adjusters. One could engage at long range with this rifle, but a more modern rifle would be preferable. ¡°He¡¯s fourth on the stack,¡± Mozaic continued. ¡°The marksman should have a marksman¡¯s rifle.¡± ¡°Where¡¯d you find the scope?¡± Tantalus asked while still inspecting the rifle. ¡°The Central Military Base,¡± Mozaic answered quickly. ¡°I¡¯ll hand it over,¡± Tantalus said before walking over to FullDan. FullDan looked up as Tantalus approached. His hood was pulled tight, and his arms were crossed in front of him. He seemed to be deep in thought before Tantalus arrived. ¡°The Knights have a gift for you,¡± Tantalus said as he handed the scoped rifle over to FullDan. ¡°It must be Christmas,¡± FullDan chuckled awkwardly. ¡°This is the third present I¡¯ve received today.¡± FullDan began inspecting the rifle in much the same way Tantalus did. Tantalus would have told FullDan that he had already inspected it, but it wouldn¡¯t have had any effect. No soldier worth his salt would trust anyone else to inspect his equipment before a battle. FullDan adjusted a few of the dials on his scope and worked the bolt a few times to make sure it was smooth. He took a stripper clip from a pouch on his belt and loaded the rifle. ¡°Feels good,¡± FullDan admitted after thoroughly inspecting the rifle. Suddenly, a woman¡¯s voice cut through the ambient din of the East Gate. The voice heralded the beginning of Operation Eastern Front. Chapter 32 - [Contact] East Gate ¡°All right! It¡¯s one PM!¡± Clock shouted loud enough to be heard by all. ¡°Strike Team One! Get to the staging area!¡± The five members of the strike team immediately stopped what they were doing and walked toward the part of the gatehouse closest to the portcullis. They roughly arranged themselves in a line while Mozaic handed out ammunition and hand grenades to the strike team. ¡°Sound off!¡± Clock shouted from the back of the line. ¡°One!¡± shouted Tantalus. ¡°Two!¡± shouted Ashcroft. ¡°Three!¡± shouted Mozaic. ¡°Four!¡± shouted FullDan. ¡°Five!¡± shouted ScaryClock. ¡°We¡¯ll be using the battle-language from the old days,¡± ScaryClock continued. ¡°Do you all still remember the old commands?¡± In response, Ashcroft pinched his lips together and produced a bird call. It was a single long trill. In the Scions¡¯ battle-cant, it meant ¡°all clear.¡± This command would also frequently be used as an affirmative response to a separate command. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a ¡®yes,¡¯¡± Clock said. ¡°A-ffirm, sarge,¡± Ashcroft said. ¡°Just in case, I¡¯ll briefly go through the commands we might use. One long trill means ¡®all clear¡¯ or ¡®affirmative.¡¯ Two short trills mean ¡®help needed¡¯ or ¡®negative.¡¯ Two long trills mean ¡®status report.¡¯ Four short trills means ¡®enemy spotted.¡¯ A long fluttering trill means ¡®retreat to the staging area.¡¯¡± Clock said. Clock continued speaking. ¡°I¡¯m making Tantalus my second-in-command. Now, I don¡¯t plan for us to be split up at any time during this mission, but anything can happen out there. There was a moment of silence broken only by the periodic sound of the soldiers checking their weapons. ¡°All right! Star-formation! Let¡¯s move!¡± The five soldiers moved through the gate as they spread out into a large pentagon formation. They made sure to place about thirty feet between each person. Tantalus, Ashcroft, and Mozaic made up the front of the pentagon while FullDan and Clock comprised the rear of the pentagon. Several minutes passed without incident. At one point, Tantalus looked to his right to see that one of Ashcroft¡¯s eyes was glowing yellow. ¡°Hey, Ashcroft. What¡¯s up with your eye?¡± Tantalus asked conversationally. ¡°Oh, yeah. I took the ability Future Sight. I can keep the ability activated indefinitely without mana use, but the eye I use the ability with sees ten seconds into the future. That eye cannot see the present. If I activate Future Sight in both eyes, I¡¯m basically blind.¡± ¡°Neat work around,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised by how difficult it is to use,¡± Ashcroft muttered. Slowly, the soldiers Strike Team One traveled more than a mile away from the city behind them. They had expected to make contact with the enemy almost immediately, but more than ten minutes had passed without them coming into contact with anything. ¡°Contact in ten seconds!¡± Ashcroft suddenly shouted as he raised his rifle. The rest of the strike team dove for cover. When Tantalus looked up a moment later, he saw that Ashcroft was aiming his rifle at the corner of a building about a hundred yards away. Tantalus could not see an enemy there, but he raised his shotgun just the same. A moment after Tantalus had raised his shotgun, an unsuspecting Goblin appeared from behind the corner. It barely had time to see the fuzzy blue figures that had just come into sight before Ashcroft shot it in the chest. ¡°...of five Goblins!¡± Ashcroft shouted. Tantalus could not hear the whole call-out over the sound of the gunshot. Four more Goblins swarmed out from behind the building. They were out of range of either of Tantalus¡¯s weapons, so he didn¡¯t bother firing. The Goblins dove for cover, each wielding a rifle of some kind. Two of the four fell to the ground, bleeding from gunshot wounds, before they could get to cover. The Goblins didn¡¯t seem to know when they were beaten. Each of them peaked out of cover a moment after they had managed to hide themselves. FullDan and Mozaic had tracked the two goblins with their rifles throughout all of this. Half a second after the Goblins stuck their snouts out, their heads popped like grapes. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°Dig in!¡± ScaryClock shouted. ¡°They¡¯re attracted to the sound of gunfire.¡± There was a nearby four-story building made of concrete. Strike Team One swiftly ducked into that building. ¡°Ready for the show, everybody!?¡± Ashcroft cackled as he passed by Tantalus in the doorway. ¡°You three,¡± Clock gestured to Tantalus, Ashcroft, and Mozaic, ¡°stay on the first floor and prepare for short-range combat. Dan and I will take overwatch on the second floor.¡± ¡°Aye, aye!¡± Ashcroft enthusiastically saluted Clock. The building they had taken cover in seemed to be an abandoned office building. The center of the floors was dominated by grey cubicles, and the edges of the building contained much larger offices. The building was a mess, and unfastened electric lights hung from the ceiling. There were cracks in the concrete walls, and none of the lights could turn on. ¡°Expect an assault from the east,¡± Tantalus reminded the two Knights with him. ¡°That way, right?¡± Mozaic pointed to the direction away from the East Gate. ¡°Yes,¡± Tantalus said, trying not to sound annoyed. Ashcroft and Mozaic took cover in an office on the east side of the building. Tantalus heard the loud sound of glass breaking as the two Knights shattered the windows in their respective offices. Tantalus, on the other hand, took cover near the entrance to the office building. For a while, nothing happened. To keep his mind busy, Tantalus looked around at the cubicles and offices around him. The scene was uncanny. Every office contained a phone and a typewriter, but no computers. A number of pneumatic tubes could be seen attached to a far wall. There was a bulletin board near the tubes filled with unreadable text. Tantalus heard a bird call from above. Enemy spotted. He quickly kneeled down and poked his head out of cover. Tantalus saw a wave of green and grey approaching down the boulevard. They must have been about two football fields away. None of their rifles had an effective range long enough to hit them, except maybe FullDan¡¯s. He also noticed that some of the green blobs in the distance towered over the others. He remembered the report from Riemann he had read earlier. Ogres. If Ogres were there, then they could expect to run into Wendigos as well. Tantalus closed his eyes and quickly navigated to the BloodNet. He checked the forums to find the thread ScaryClock had created for the purpose of communication during the operation. As he was looking through the forums, he saw the list of Revenants that he had contact with. Usually, this list contained everyone in Osiris. However, when Tantalus looked at it that time, he saw that he was only connected with the four others in the strike team. Tantalus sent a message. [Tantalus45: New type of enemy. Big guys are ogres. If it has antlers, it¡¯s a wendigo. It can use magic.] A moment later, Tantalus received another message. [ScaryClock: How do we kill?] [Tantalus45: Same as goblins.] [ScaryClock: They don¡¯t know where we are. Engage at 100ft.] Tantalus received three messages a few seconds later. All were an identical [Rec] from the three other members of the strike team. This message was short-hand for ¡°message received.¡± One hundred tense seconds of inaction followed as the horde of Deluvians approached Strike Team One¡¯s position. Tantalus stood in the shadow of the doorframe with the barrel of his shotgun aimed at the center of the horde now approaching. About one-tenth of the horde was composed of Orcs. None of the soldiers had anointed their ammunition. It was far more effective for them to only anoint their melee weapons. Anointing a magazine or clip cost five blood points, same as anointing a melee weapon. It was even worse for shotguns or revolvers because anointing individual bullets cost two blood points each. If they were to anoint all of their bullets, they would soon run out of blood. Tantalus had switched the shells of his shotgun for slugs. This way, he would be able to engage at a much longer range. His shotgun carried five slugs, and he intended to switch to his pistol as soon as he was out. At a glance, Tantalus could tell that there must have been about a hundred Deluvians present in the horde that now approached their location. In the center of the approaching horde was a large mass of grey-skinned Orcs. A rifle''s gunshot sounded from the second floor: FullDan. Less than half a second later, four other gunshots called out in a chorus. Half a dozen Goblins immediately fell to the ground dead. They were marching in a tight formation, so a few of them had been killed by bullets which had already passed through another Deluvian. None of the Revenants had bothered to shoot at the ten Orcs in the center. They would have to be dealt with in melee. The air was immediately filled with the sound of deafening gunshots and the war call of ten barbarians charging into battle. Tantalus¡¯s attention immediately narrowed to his own little part of the battle. A goal was set automatically in his head. I just need to kill twenty of them. Within seconds, Tantalus was out of slugs, and five Goblins were dead. The action of a shotgun operated by a skilled soldier was much faster than that of a bolt-action rifle. Many of the Goblins jumped to cover, but many more simply dove to the ground and started shooting while prone. This strategy might have worked if their opponents weren¡¯t expert marksmen. Tantalus dropped his shotgun to the ground as the remaining horde of Deluvians charged forward. The grey tide of Orcs quickly turned into a shield against the Revenants'' withering fire. Tantalus drew his pistol and began firing into the group of Goblins to the sides of the Orcs. He heard the telltale sound of the gunshots suddenly increasing in speed as his squad mates switched to their sidearms. The Orcs reached the entrance to the building within seconds. Tantalus took a few steps back away from the door. He drew his knife as Ashcroft and Mozaic appeared at his side. The Knights had drawn their Damascus swords. They waited for the assault with their swords raised in anticipation. Each Knight carried a wolfish grin upon his face. Chapter 33 - [Sixty Seconds] East of Osiris 1:20 P.M. Then, the Orcs came. Wielding ancient weapons, wearing the fur of wild animals, and screaming like deranged berserkers, they charged full speed at the three Revenants guarding the building¡¯s entrance. The Revenants raised their blades anointed in Holy blood to stand against the charging mass of flesh. The Revenants remained coiled like primeval predators as the Orcs advanced. Just as the Orcs entered the range of the Knights sabers, Ashcroft and Mozaic lunged into action. The Orcs took a step. In a flash, two Orcs were dead. Ashcroft flicked his wrist, and a large red smile split open the neck of the first grey-skin. Mozaic swung his sword vertically, striking an Orc in its torso. The unsuspecting Orc was opened from neck to navel. Gallons of viscera spilled on the ground as Mozaic casually stepped to the side. The Orcs took a step. Tantalus surged forward under a cleaving longsword. Usually, he preferred piercing attacks, but that would just cause his knife to get lodged. Instead, he followed Ashcroft¡¯s example. Tantalus took his knife in a reverse grip and struck like a viper rising from the undergrowth. The combat knife made contact with the Orc¡¯s unprotected neck for a mere moment. Tantalus was covered in a gout of blood as he severed the artery. The Orcs took a step. The three Revenants squeezed into the gaps they had created in the Orcs¡¯ charge. A passing orc almost hit Ashcroft with a stray longsword blow. Ashcroft raised his own blade in a diagonal guard, causing the blow to divert harmlessly. The Orcs took a step. Tantalus stooped down low with his knife. In a single quick movement, he had hamstrung one of the charging Orcs. With an animalistic yelp of pain, it crashed to the ground. Mozaic, now behind the Orcs, cut one horizontally. The heavy cavalry saber, strengthened with Holy blood, easily cut through the unsuspecting Orc¡¯s spinal cord. The Orcs took several steps and came to a clattering halt. Over the course of two seconds, four of them had been killed outright, and one of them laid on the ground screaming in agony. Naked fear had appeared on their pig-like faces. They were like highly intelligent animals. When faced with an entity much higher on the food chain, they faltered. The three Revenants faced off against the five standing orcs. Both parties stood well out of the other¡¯s reach. All eight of those still standing held out their blades. ¡°Just like when you fought ¡®em, Ashcroft,¡± Tantalus chuckled. Mozaic placed one foot upon the fallen Orc. It cried out in surprise as the foot pressed into its ribs. The standing Orcs looked down at the injured Orc with concern. ¡°They¡¯re such predictable little piggies,¡± Ashcroft joked. Mozaic casually thrust his saber into the heart of the fallen Orc. A death rattle escaped from the monster''s mouth as the remaining Orcs gasped at the brutal death which had just occurred before them. In its anger, one of the Orcs took a step forward. Ashcroft took a step of his own, clearly intending to intercept the Orc¡¯s approach. The Orc halted its assault as it saw Ashcroft¡¯s blade raise in anticipation. ¡°I¡¯m still counting that one in my tally,¡± Tantalus said as the Orc on the ground stopped moving. The three men slowly stepped forward as a unit, baiting the comparatively unskilled Orcs to make the first move. The intelligent monsters responded by slowly stepping backwards away from the approaching blades. They wordlessly came to an agreement over who they would fight. Ashcroft moved to engage the two Orcs on the right, Mozaic attacked the two in the center, and Tantalus attacked the one on the left. Tantalus locked eyes on his target, and the rest of the battle fell into the periphery. He was vaguely aware of what was going around him, but he knew that the rest of it could wait for a few seconds. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. In half a second, the Captain of the West Gate analyzed the Orc that stood snarling a mere ten feet away from him. The orc stood at about six and a half feet tall, and it must have weighed three hundred pounds. None of this weight was wasted. It was all designed specifically to apply maximum force to the art of killing. Tantalus compared his own body to that of the orc. Based on the statistical value the system had attributed to his own build, Tantalus estimated that the orc must have had an Agility of 15 and a Strength of 18 or higher. Character Sheet
Name Melee Deluvian
Level 10
Blood Points 150/150
Mana Points 3/3
Race Deluvian
Fortitude 16
Strength 18
Agility 15
Wisdom 3
Attribute Modifier: Strength Training (3) Special Ability: Profane Resistance Physically, Tantalus was at a great disadvantage. He couldn¡¯t even say that he was necessarily faster than the Orc. It moved with an agility that was roughly comparable to his own. In addition to this, the Orc had a significantly longer reach than Tantalus. The longsword and the Orc¡¯s own wingspan meant that the Orc had a reach several feet longer than his own. Despite this, Tantalus knew he would win. Tantalus took a heavy step forward. He pulled his knife back as if to strike, and the Orc adjusted its guard to intercept the expected blow. This move was a mere feint, and Tantalus attacked from a different angle. Instead of the expected attack from the right, Tantalus attacked from the left. The combat knife flew to Tantalus¡¯s off hand. A moment later, that same knife had plunged into the Orc¡¯s liver. The hand which had held the knife a moment before was now clamped against the Orc¡¯s wrist. The Orc had pulled the sword far away from its center of mass in order to swing at the Revenant. Tantalus had gripped the orc¡¯s wrist just before it started to swing. The Orc rotated in order to get its sword back on target. Even though the Orc was significantly stronger than Tantalus, it could not get the leverage it needed to exert any of that strength. Tantalus, on the other hand, could put his shoulder behind the vector of force. Orc and Revenant both rotated slowly in place, but the Revenant''s grip did not lessen. The combat knife was withdrawn and, a moment later, buried into the Orc¡¯s kidney. Screaming in pain as the Holy blood overcame its Profane Resistance, the Orc allowed its longsword to clatter to the ground. The Orc adjusted its body to put its grappled wrist closer to its center of balance, allowing it to regain the advantage in the grapple. In the few seconds it took the Orc to do this, Tantalus was able to remove his knife and once again bury it into the Orc¡¯s large, unprotected flank. When he was done, he danced backward away from the Orc¡¯s grasping hands. As he did so, he kicked the Orc''s longsword far out of reach. Tantalus spared another half second to analyze the situation again. He had stabbed the creature before him in three vital organs: the liver, the kidney, and the lung. The pain would have sent a normal human into shock by now, but the Orc was still standing. It must have had a high Fortitude score. Tantalus¡¯s rudimentary knowledge of anatomy told him that each wound independently would be fatal within a matter of hours. How long it would take for those three wounds together to kill something, he couldn¡¯t be sure. Tantalus turned his head a few degrees to see how the two Knights were doing. Ashcroft was in the middle of finishing off his second Orc, and Mozaic was about to engage his second target. They were finishing up. He would need to hurry up. The Orc steadied itself on its feet. It was breathing heavily, and blood was flowing freely from its mouth. It put up its hands into an amateur boxing stance. It must have retained some of its basic combat training from when it was a Goblin. Tantalus surged forward into the Orc¡¯s range. Even unarmed, the Orc¡¯s range was still longer than its Revenant opponent. It threw a straight punch at Tantalus¡¯s head. How predictable. With his off hand, Tantalus knocked the punch to the side. For a moment, Tantalus held the Orc¡¯s fist in place. He used this brief opening to slash open the Orc¡¯s wrist. He intended to remove the Orc¡¯s hand completely, but the bone stopped his knife. The Orc stepped backward, reeling from the new wound. Tantalus matched the orc¡¯s footwork step for step, approaching like a panther approaching a wounded gazelle. The Orc threw a wild punch with its good hand, and Tantalus easily dodged. Tantalus entered a clinch with the Orc as its muscular grey arms went over the Revenant¡¯s shoulders. A moment later, the Orc felt the knife. Tantalus had plunged the knife in just under the Orc¡¯s accursed sternum. The wound squelched as the Revenant viciously twisted the blade inside of the Orc¡¯s chest. Tantalus could feel his knife on its upward trajectory travel through the Orc¡¯s diaphragm and end in the center of its heart. It was a strange feeling. One could certainly not experience such a visceral sensation in Ninth Oasis. Though, it wasn¡¯t necessarily unpleasant. Tantalus withdrew his knife and stepped away from the dying Orc. Its clinching arms did not provide any resistance. The Orc had no more energy to resist anything. The Orc fell to its knees. It was inert, though it still had just enough life left to maintain some semblance of a posture. ¡°Hey T, you done with yours?¡± Ashcroft shouted from a few dozen feet away. Tantalus stepped behind the Orc. ¡°Just about to finish the job,¡± the Captain of the West Gate grunted. Tantalus grabbed the Orc by the hair and angled its head back. Without hesitation, he slashed open the Orc¡¯s throat. The Orc fell to the ground, and Tantalus returned his knife to its sheath. From the moment the melee had started to the moment Tantalus had sheathed his knife, sixty seconds had passed. Chapter 34 - [Frag Out] East of Osiris 1:21 PM The final Orc fell dead to the ground. Tantalus raised his head and surveyed the scene for the first time since he had split off from the two Knights to engage with the single Orc. Tantalus had finished off his Orc a few seconds after Mozaic had finished his second orc. Mozaic held his saber in his off hand, and a bloody scar had appeared on his right wrist. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten slow in your old age, Tantalus,¡± Mozaic joked. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who got wounded,¡± Tantalus retorted with a smile. ¡°Goblins at the entrance in ten seconds!¡± Ashcroft shouted as he drew his revolver. ¡°Thank you, Future Sight!¡± Mozaic called out before putting his own revolver on target. Tantalus wordlessly reloaded his 1911 and aimed it at the entrance to the office building. The three Revenants took cover behind whatever was near them. Tantalus hid behind a cubicle, Mozaic hid behind a stone pillar, and Ashcroft hid behind a water cooler. This cover was entirely unnecessary. Exactly on cue, about a dozen Goblins wielding rifles and shotguns came into view. They died messily as three expert marksmen gunned them down. For a moment, the entrance was adorned with a kaleidoscope of splattered blood. This blood fizzled and turned into a colorless gas a few seconds after it left its hosts. The Goblins didn¡¯t even have time to raise their rifles before they fell to the ground and began to transform into undifferentiated ash. It was the kind of massacre inevitably brought about by narrow entrances and overlapping fire lines. If any of the men present were of a less sober disposition, the massacre may have unsettled them. Another squad of ten Goblins followed close behind the first. This second squad did not make the same mistake as the first. They took cover behind the walls in front of the entrance. Two Goblins foolishly peeked out and lost their heads before the rest learned to stay in cover. The three Revenants slowly walked closer to the entrance while continuing to aim at the target. Ashcroft had switched back to his rifle, and he was quietly using a stripper clip to reload five rounds of .30-06 back into his bolt-action. Tantalus wordlessly got the other two Revenants attention and made an advanced battle-cant sign with his left hand. Clock hadn''t mentioned this sign earlier, but Tantalus was sure that Mozaic and Ashcroft would know the sign. The sign was made by making a fist and flicking the index finger forward as if you were pulling the pin from a grenade. Frag? Ashcroft saw the sign and responded by pointing a finger at Tantalus and then giving a thumbs up. Yes, you do it. Tantalus turned to Mozaic to make sure that he knew the plan. Mozaic gave a thumbs up. Tantalus holstered his pistol and fumbled around through his satchel. He reached around until he felt a heavy spherical object. Slowly, Tantalus extracted the frag grenade as Ashcroft and Mozaic covered the door with high-caliber firearms. ¡°Frag out! Get down!¡± Tantalus shouted as loud as he could. He didn¡¯t know where Clock and Dan were, and he wanted to make sure that they knew explosives were about to be used. Tantalus took his index finger and used it to tear out the pin out of the frag grenade. Tantalus stood up from his cover behind a cubicle in a pitcher¡¯s stance. Instead of a baseball, however, he held a device which could kill or maim any creature within fifty feet of itself. He saw the large open entrance to the office building. Tantalus could not see any Deluvians, but he knew at least a dozen were hiding near the entrance. As he had done a thousand times in Ninth Oasis, Tantalus threw the hand grenade to the exact spot he wanted. He threw it like an underpowered fastball. He went through the same motions as a pitcher, but he made sure to not throw it with full force. The hand grenade only needed to travel about thirty feet. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The grenade left Tantalus¡¯s hand and traveled in an arc that ended just a few feet in front of the building¡¯s front door, ejecting its plunger as it flew. From there, it bounced a few more feet before stopping just outside the door. Tantalus dove back into cover a second before the grenade exploded. Upon diving down, he saw Ashcroft and Mozaic flat on the ground doing the same. Bang. The sound of the frag grenade exploding was about as loud as a gunshot from their rifles, but it reverberated throughout the building. Mixed in with the sound of the bang was the sharper sound of one or two shards of fragmentation flying overhead. The three Revenants were still within the danger radius of the explosion, but their preparation lowered the likelihood of them being hit by fragmentation to a negligible amount. Two seconds after the explosion shook the building, the three Revenants hopped out of cover and began moving forward toward the entrance. As they moved forward, they organized themselves in a stack formation with Tantalus in front, Ashcroft second, and Trismegistus third. This formation was usually utilized when clearing houses, but the three experienced soldiers instinctively knew that the stack formation would be most effective here. They reached the entrance without resistance. Tantalus picked up his dropped shotgun and quickly loaded five shells of buckshot into the magazine tube. ¡°Get away from the entrance!¡± Ashcroft shouted with real panic in his voice. He broke from the formation and began to sprint backward. Needing no explanation, Mozaic and Tantalus sprinted away from the entrance. Tantalus had vaulted a desk and taken cover behind a cubicle when he heard the unmistakable sound of a woman¡¯s voice come from the direction of the approaching Deluvians. ¡°Fulgur nexum!¡± Suddenly, the entrance exploded with a crack of thunder. Tantalus was looking at the entrance when the blast came, and the flash burned actinic lights into his corneas. Multiple tons of concrete was torn away from the building as the walls near the entrance were completely destroyed. The narrow, ten-foot-wide entrance was instantaneously turned into a thirty-foot-wide hole. Through the hole blown into the side of the building, the three Revenants could now see all that remained of the host of Deluvians that they had come into contact with. Only eight remained. Two were Ogres standing at more than fifteen feet tall. Now that they were close, the Revenants could fully comprehend their size. They were more than twice the height of any other creature present, and they clearly weighed several thousand pounds. One of the two Ogres had been significantly injured by the frag grenade. It barely seemed like it was still standing. One was an Orc Captain wearing chainmail and a visorless war helmet. Tantalus couldn¡¯t remember the name of that type of helmet. It was either a barbute, a spangenhelm, or a coppergate. Either way, the helmet covered the sides of the orcs head, but the eyes and nose were still exposed. In its hands, the orc captain held a bolt-action rifle. On its belt, it wore a hand axe. Four of the surviving Deluvians were basic Goblins. They were all that remained of the more than eighty Goblins they had started with. FullDan and Clock had apparently done a number on the goblins while the three Revenants had fought on the ground level. At a glance, Tantalus could tell that two had already sustained fatal injuries. They would be dead within an hour without medical treatment. The remaining Deluvian was a humanoid entity with antlers growing out of its head. It had a body like a human woman, and it wore a mask on its face to make it look like it had the skull of a deer. It was a Wendigo. On its humanoid body, the Wendigo wore a black lace dress that covered most of its form. Tantalus could feel a terrible power exuding from the Wendigo''s form. It was in a different league compared to all of the other Deluvians present. If they made a mistake here, Tantalus knew, they could very easily end up dead. Character Sheet
Name Magic Deluvian (I)
Level 30
Blood Points 100/100
Mana Points 190/280
Race Deluvian
Fortitude 10
Strength 10
Agility 12
Wisdom 25
Attribute Modifier: Enhanced Mana Pool (200) The Wendigo was floating about ten feet off the ground, and lightning arced between its body and the ground below. The other Deluvians gave the Wendigo a wide berth in order to avoid the arcing lightning. The two parties stared at each other for a long second. Then, like a flint striking steel, the barrels of eight firearms were raised, and a song of war played for whoever would listen. Chapter 35 - [High Speed Anointment] East of Osiris Two of the Goblins fell before a flurry of returned gunfire forced the Revenants back into cover. Mozaic caught a bullet in the chest during the exchange. No amount of skill will allow you to dodge gunfire from five enemies. The three Revenants laid flat on their backs as the gunfire tore through the soft cover of the cubicles. For the first time since the game had started, the S-ranks were at a disadvantage in a gunfight. Within cover, Tantalus could hear the periodic sound of footfalls as the Ogres approached the building. One of the Ogres had caught a few bullets during the earlier exchange, and its uneven gait reflected its injured state. Tantalus crawled a few feet within cover to peak out from a different angle. He stuck half of his head out from behind a cubicle to see the approaching Deluvians. The Ogres were approaching the hole in the building with the intent to climb through. The two of them had lowered their heads in order to fit under the ceiling. The Ogres would be through the hole within seconds. Thinking that he didn¡¯t want to engage two giant Deluvians in melee combat, Tantalus quickly came up with a temporary solution. ¡°Vento thrush!¡± Tantalus shouted. A hurricane-force wall of wind suddenly appeared where the entrance used to be. It connected one half-destroyed wall to the other, temporarily preventing anyone from traveling through the hole in the building. Much like with the Fire Bolt spell, one had to concentrate on the image of the spell to maintain it. Tantalus knew that the spell would drop if he became too distracted. He also knew that the spell would stay up for twenty seconds without additional mana, and then he could ¡°feed¡± it mana in order to keep it up for longer. For each additional mana point used, he could keep it up for an additional five seconds. Tantalus could keep the Wind Wall up for two minutes if necessary. The two Ogres cried out in surprise as they were suddenly pushed back by a gale of wind. It was difficult to hear, but Tantalus could swear that he heard the Wendigo''s voice speak angrily in the background. Tantalus rotated his body in order to take most of it out of cover. He raised his shotgun at the injured Ogre on the other side of the wind wall and pulled the trigger. The shells struck home in the Ogre¡¯s midsection, but they didn¡¯t hit exactly where Tantalus had aimed them. As expected, the shotgun pellets were blown off course by the wind wall, but they were not stopped completely. If the Ogres weren¡¯t so big, hitting them through the wind wall would be almost impossible. Two shells struck the injured Ogre, and it stumbled backward a few steps. By the time the magazine tube of Tantalus¡¯s shotgun was empty, the Ogre had fallen to the ground dead. Before Tantalus had finished firing, Ashcroft and Mozaic had risen out of cover with their rifles aimed. They didn¡¯t know exactly what Tantalus was doing, but they trusted their commander to come up with a scheme to turn the battle in their favor. Once out of cover, the two Revenants immediately caught on to Tantalus¡¯s plan. They saw the strength of the wind in front of them, and they could calculate the effect it would have on bullet trajectories. The so-far-uninjured Ogre stood with a confused look on its face as it was torn apart by high-caliber projectiles from two bolt-action rifles and a shotgun. Killing the Ogre took more than twenty seconds and fifteen bullets. Tantalus had switched to his pistol rather than reload his shotgun. While the three Revenants mercilessly deconstructed the ogre, three Deluvians tried to kill them with their rifles. None of the bullets made contact due to their trajectories being altered by the wind wall. Unlike the Ogre, the Revenants half obscured by cover were very small targets. During all of this, the Wendigo had fallen back about a hundred feet. A shining silver shield was floating in front of it, and it occasionally jerked backward as if being struck by some unforeseen force. Tantalus quickly realized that FullDan and Clock must have been engaging it. The second Ogre fell to the ground where it began to transform into a large pile of ash. A moment later, Ashcroft shouted without warning. ¡°It¡¯s about to send another lightning bolt!¡± Hearing this, Tantalus dropped concentration on the wind wall so that he could be heard by FullDan and Clock. He shouted at the top of his lungs. ¡°Everybody get down!¡± The three Revenants on the ground floor jumped behind the most solid cover they could find. Tantalus could not be certain whether the two Revenants up top had heard him. All he could do was hope. ¡°Fulgur nexum!¡± This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. A terrible force struck the side of the building once again. Tantalus was not looking at it directly this time, but he could feel the impact in his bones. When Tantalus peered out of cover, he could see the effects of the devastating blow that had struck the side of the building. A large portion of the building had collapsed completely. Rubble which had once been the upper floors now filled the first floor. It was as if a high-yield bomb had been detonated in the corner of the building. The Wendigo¡¯s blast had also expanded the hole in the wall so that it was now fifty feet wide. The wall itself had almost been completely destroyed. Tantalus was awestruck by the power wielded by the wendigo. A few more hits like that and the building they were hiding in would be completely destroyed. The three Revenants scattered into more secure cover. They returned fire when they could. In this exchange, the final two Goblins died. At one point, Tantalus stuck his head out from the foxhole he had found within an overturned cubicle to see the Orc Captain and Wendigo enter the building. Without hesitation, Tantalus fired a shell at the floating Wendigo. The buckshot pellets came into contact with a shimmering silver structure and bounced off harmlessly. The Wendigo was surrounded by an invisible sphere that could only be seen when it came into contact with an outside force. It was chanting something at a lone drone, and its hands were clamped together as if in prayer. Several more shots bounced harmlessly off of the wendigo¡¯s barrier before the Revenants temporarily gave up on attempting to harm it. While the Wendigo chanted, the Orc Captain moved forward with its rifle at low ready. It periodically fired at where it thought one of the Revenants was. Tantalus, Ashcroft, and Mozaic were experts when it came to positioning in a gunfight, so the Orc Captain had no luck catching any of them out in the open. Without warning, a cloud of smoke appeared in the center of the large room they were fighting in. The puff of smoke quickly dissipated, revealing a figure dressed in a grey cloak and blue military uniform. ¡°FullDan, get down!¡± Tantalus shouted. FullDan had appeared less than ten feet away from the Orc Captain. Revenant and Deluvian looked at each other in confusion. The Orc Captain began to raise its rifle. FullDan realized that he could not reach the Orc Captain or the safety of cover before the monster could pull the trigger. Instead, FullDan grabbed his cloak and, with a single smooth motion, interposed the fabric between himself and his enemy. The Orc Captain fired at the point that FullDan had been a moment before. The heavy bullet tore through the cloak without resistance and passed three inches above FullDan¡¯s head. FullDan ducked under the fluttering cloak and charged at the Orc Captain with his pistol drawn. It realized that it couldn¡¯t load another bullet into its rifle''s chamber before FullDan had closed the gap. It transferred its rifle to its left hand and drew its handaxe with its right. Wearing a smile on his face, FullDan pointed his pistol at the orc captain. The orc did not react to the pistol, assuming it was a bluff. Certainly, FullDan had not had time to anoint a bullet during the earlier gunfight. Then, FullDan took his left hand and held it a few inches in front of the barrel of his pistol. A dawning horror appeared on the Orc Captain¡¯s face as the glee within FullDan''s expression grew. ¡°You¡¯re insane!¡± is what the Orc Captain intended to shout. It couldn¡¯t get past the ¡°y¡± sound before FullDan pulled the trigger. A hole appeared in FullDan¡¯s hand as the bullet underwent high speed anointment. Milliseconds later, the bullet traveled through the Orc¡¯s helmet, skull, and brain. The bullet didn¡¯t make this journey alone, however, as two of the small bones in FullDan¡¯s hand tore holes into the Orc¡¯s brain as well. Revenant and Wendigo alike looked upon the Orc Captain¡¯s death in shock. It had started to turn into ash before it had even hit the ground. A woman¡¯s scream interrupted the brief moment of triumph. FullDan didn¡¯t even have time to process the pain in his hand before he was forced to face the full, unfettered wrath of the Wendigo. ¡°Sen!¡± The Wendigo began the incantation. Tantalus was standing quite far away from FullDan, and even he could smell gas in the air. The second incantation could not be heard as a gunshot filled the room once more. The Wendigo jerked as it was hit in the flank by a shotgun slug. The slug hit the Wendigo in the rib cage and exited out the other side, carrying with it a stream of viscera. The wendigo faltered in the air for a moment before it was hit by the second slug, which struck it directly in the heart. The Wendigo fell to the ground, its lightning dissipating as it did so. Upon hearing the Wendigo¡¯s chanting, Tantalus realized that it couldn¡¯t attack and defend at the same time. It was basic video game mechanics. Strong bosses would frequently have super armor until they attacked. That¡¯s why Tantalus had been waiting for this precise moment. He hadn¡¯t expected FullDan to be the one who would take aggro from the wendigo, but it worked well for his plan. A moment after the Wendigo hit the ground, Tantalus was next to it. A new shotgun shell was in the barrel of his shotgun, and he was ready to finish the job if necessary. The Wendigo laid on its back, almost motionless. Its lungs and heart had been completely destroyed, so it could not breathe or speak. The only sound coming from the wendigo was a gurgling wheeze. It reached up to its mask and removed the deer skull. Underneath the mask, the Wendigo appeared concerningly similar to a human woman. It didn¡¯t have the pig snout one would see on the Goblins, Orcs, and Ogres. If not for the green skin and antlers growing out of the top of its head, one could confuse this entity for a human woman. It coughed and sputtered as it slowly died. In a brief moment of weakness, Tantalus felt pity for the creature. The Wendigo was no longer a threat to them, but he spared it from further suffering by putting a shotgun shell between its eyes. Chapter 36 - [Strike Team One] East of Osiris The battle was over. The Wendigo soundless reverted to ash, leaving behind a black dress and bone-white mask. Tantalus reached down to pick up the mask. As he did so, he saw a long wooden object inside of one of the dress¡¯s pockets. Tantalus picked up the mask and branch-like object. The object was a wand of some kind. It was inscribed with various words in Iron Script. Tantalus put the wand in his pocket. ¡°Clear?¡± Ashcroft called out to Tantalus after a dozen seconds had passed without incident. ¡°Clear!¡± Tantalus responded. A moment later, Tantalus saw the heads of four Revenants pop out of cover. They each independently surveyed the scene to make sure there were no remaining contacts within the area. Once every Revenant present was confident that the fight was indeed over, the tension disappeared from their posture and expression. The silence was broken by a groan of pain from FullDan. ¡°Oh God, why did I do that?¡± Tantalus saw as FullDan¡¯s hand healed from the hole he had shot into it. The whole hand writhed and morphed as FullDan¡¯s Rapid Healing ability replaced a significant amount of flesh. In the process of reconstruction, FullDan¡¯s ring finger withered and fell to the ground. Apparently, Rapid Healing had decided that FullDan¡¯s ring finger was not salvageable. ¡°Why does it have to hurt so much?¡± FullDan complained loudly. Ashcroft walked over to FullDan and patted him on the back. A moment later, Mozaic approached and threw an arm over FullDan¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Dude, that was badass!¡± Mozaic laughed. ¡°What was up with the entrance?¡± Ashcroft asked. ¡°Did you teleport?¡± ¡°That was my Talent,¡± FullDan said, smiling despite the pain. ¡°It¡¯s called Misty Step.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Clock?¡± Tantalus asked. FullDan grimaced. ¡°She was hit in the second blast. Hell, I would¡¯ve been hit if I hadn¡¯t heard you shouting, Tantalus. I made sure she was healing herself before I teleported here. She was pretty torn up when I left, but I don¡¯t think any of the damage is permanent.¡± ¡°Sounds like we need to check up on our squad leader, then,¡± Ashcroft spoke as if it was obvious. The four Revenants began to head toward the central staircase. As they walked, however, they saw Clock exit the stairwell. She was absolutely covered in blood, and her uniform was covered in scrapes and abrasions. Despite this, Clock walked upright with no signs of injury. ¡°You okay, Clock?¡± Ashcroft asked. It was rare to see the Captain of the Ashen Knights show concern for someone¡¯s well-being. ¡°Of course,¡± Clock smiled. She didn¡¯t seem to pay any mind to the ragged state of her outfit. ¡°It hurt a lot, and I lost half of my Blood Points, but that¡¯s all in the past. Great job taking out the Wendigo.¡± ¡°Do you think we should turn back?¡± Tantalus asked. ¡°No, we¡¯ll move forward,¡± Clock said with certainty. Upon leaving the office building, Strike Team One saw the terrible state of the structure from the outside for the first time. It looked like it could collapse at any moment. It was as if an angry god had struck the building with a gargantuan hammer. They were happy to escape from the building when they did. ¡°Wendigos, man. I¡¯m not looking forward to fighting another one,¡± Ashcroft muttered as the Revenants gazed at the devastation wrought by the wendigo. They had split up the loot such that Ashcroft was carrying the wendigo¡¯s mask threaded around the strap to his satchel. Clock had taken the black dress. Tantalus couldn¡¯t be certain if Clock intended to wear the dress. It would have to be patched to remove the holes put in it by the shotgun shells. Tantalus was able to lay claim to the wand. Nobody else present knew anything about magic at that point. Strike Team One slowly traveled a mile without resistance. Soon, they reached the point where Clock had seen the Garands. Expecting to run into fierce resistance, they sent FullDan to scope the location out with his rifle. After a few minutes, FullDan returned to the dark corner that the rest of the squad had turned into a temporary base. The corner they had hidden within was almost completely hidden from any prying eyes. Upon returning, FullDan said, ¡°I didn¡¯t see any contacts. The area seems to be completely unguarded.¡± Clock became contemplative for a long moment upon hearing this. After a long pause, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s move, then.¡± There were five factories within the area marked on the map. Strike Team One stacked up and cleared out these factories one by one. The first two were completely empty, but the third factory contained a small squad of five Goblins. The Goblins were killed without any significant effort. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Within this factory, they saw a number of large wooden boxes scattered around the ground level. The other four stood as far back as possible as Ashcroft moved forward to inspect one of the boxes. As second in the stack, he was the designated ¡°bomb guy.¡± It was his job to check enemy emplacements for traps. Five minutes after Ashcroft reached the boxes, a single long trill filled the large empty space within the factory. It sounded as if a lone bird had become trapped within the factory. All clear. The remaining four Revenants of Strike Team One moved into the factory. Mozaic blinked, and his eyes began to glow yellow. He must have been recording, Tantalus assumed. As they got closer, Ashcroft lit up the room with a winning smile. He reached into the box and withdrew two long objects. ¡°Jackpot,¡± Ashcroft said. In each hand, he held an M1 Garand. ¡°You were right, Clock. These things are filled with Garands and en bloc clips.¡± Ashcroft was right. There were five wooden boxes within the factory, and each contained more than a dozen Garands. They had only expected to find one or two. This was much more than they could have hoped for. Tantalus suddenly felt very worried. ¡°We got lucky. Now let¡¯s get the Hell out of here before our luck runs out,¡± Tantalus said in a voice which filled the factory. Each Revenant in Strike Team One switched their bolt-action with a Garand. Each Revenant also slung two additional Garands across his or her back. Tantalus begrudgingly left his shotgun and bandolier within that factory. He had grown quite attached to his weapon, but he had to save as much space as possible to carry the priceless Garands. Tantalus also dropped all extra ammunition he was carrying with him and replaced it with M1 Garand en bloc clips. Absolutely stuffing his pockets and satchel with clips, he was able to fit sixteen of them on his person without significantly affecting his own mobility. ¡°Everyone, shut up for a second,¡± Clock said as she held up a finger. She slowly lowered her head to the ground and listened. ¡°Something¡¯s coming from the south,¡± Clock muttered after she raised her head from the ground. ¡°I¡¯d guess it¡¯s another horde of Deluvians. There are more in this group than there were in the last group.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the plan, Sarge?¡± Ashcroft asked. It was clear that a part of him wanted to try out his new Garand. ¡°Now that the mission¡¯s done, it¡¯s time to RTB,¡± Clock said. Tantalus unintentionally let out a sigh of relief. He was happy to not fight for his life a second time in one day. They left a minute later. Ashcroft fell behind for a few seconds. As the rest of the group was leaving, Tantalus saw Ashcroft standing next to a wooden box holding a hand grenade and some duct tape. ¡°What was that?¡± Clock asked as Ashcroft rejoined the group. ¡°I just wanted to leave a parting gift for our adversaries,¡± Ashcroft said. It took a full hour for Strike Team One to return to the East Gate. They moved slowly through the bombed-out buildings within the area, and Clock ordered them all to go prone three times as a group of Deluvians moved past. At one point, an explosion sounded as Ashcroft¡¯s booby trap went off. This drew most of the Deluvians away from Strike Team One, and they were able to make significant progress in their journey back to the East Gate. It was an incredibly slow process, but it yielded results. They reached the East Gate without getting into a gunfight. As an additional benefit, the Deluvians didn¡¯t follow them back to the East Gate. Once they were spotted by the defenders of the East Gate, they began to hear the sound of cheering and laughter. The five Revenants of Strike Team One sprinted the last one hundred feet to the East Gate. They passed under the portcullis without incident. ¡°Close the Gate!¡± Clock shouted as soon as everyone was through. Almost immediately, the portcullis began its slow descent to the ground. Ashcroft held his rifle up in one hand so that everyone at the East Gate could see the Garand. He shouted loud enough for everyone to hear. ¡°Mission accomplished!¡± The portcullis closed behind them, and an atmosphere of unfettered joy filled the East Gate. Operation Eastern Front had been an unqualified success. They had acquired fifteen Garands and several dozen clips to go along with them, and they sustained no losses. Tantalus was never seriously concerned for the safety of the S-ranks, but he was convinced that some of the untrained defenders at the East Gate would have died if they had brought a horde of Deluvians with them. About a dozen of the defenders asked to shake hands with Tantalus, five of them patted him on the back, and two of them pulled him into a hug. Tantalus, consummate professional that he was, suffered through the celebration with an actor¡¯s smile. Ashcroft was hanging around with Squads M3 and M4, the all-female squads of the East Gate, and telling them about the horde of a hundred Deluvians they had killed. Suddenly, Tantalus felt a powerful arm pull him into a headlock. He looked up to see Ashcroft¡¯s face high above his own. Tantalus was suddenly reminded of the in-game press meetings the Scions of the Blue Flame held after every major tournament win. Every time Tantalus and Ashcroft were paired together, Ashcroft would pull him into a headlock just like he was doing at that moment. There was a gasp of surprise among the women Ashcroft was talking to. They were surprised that anyone would treat the Captain of the West Gate so casually. It was clear that they expected Tantalus to explode in anger, and they were surprised when Tantalus merely looked resigned to his fate. ¡°Hey T, tell them what happened,¡± Ashcroft said with a smile. ¡°They don¡¯t believe that we killed a hundred of ¡®em out there.¡± ¡°Yes, we engaged with a company-sized unit of Deluvians,¡± Tantalus said with a resigned tone of voice. ¡°We killed all of them. Though,¡± Tantalus suddenly smirked, ¡°I got their leader.¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve left that part out¡­¡± Ashcroft said, slightly crestfallen. Tantalus used that opportunity to break the headlock. A few minutes later, the defenders had dispersed to the point that Tantalus could speak in private with the other officers. The Revenant High Command of Ashcroft, Tantalus, and Mander decided informally to send four Garands to each of the three Gates, and the remaining three would be used as a baseline to mass-produce more Garands. With that, the S-ranks split up and returned to their designated positions within Osiris. Clock stayed at the East Gate with Mander, Ashcroft and Mozaic departed for the North Gate, and Tantalus departed for the West Gate. Holding two M1 Garands under each arm, Tantalus walked back to his red pickup truck. He placed the rifles in the bed of the truck and drove back to the West Gate. ¡°Today is a good day,¡± Tantalus said with a smile. End of Arc 1 - Osiris. Chapter 37 - [Day 5] Arc 2 - Operation Reunion. The next three days passed without significant incident. For the first time since he had logged in, Tantalus felt like he could stop and take a breath. Immediately upon arriving back at the West Gate, Tantalus dispersed the spoils of Operation Eastern Front. One M1 Garand and five en bloc clips were gifted to FullDan, GatorKing, and Redgrave. Tantalus naturally held on to the last remaining Garand rifle. Now that they had returned from Operation Eastern Front, Tantalus found that his fame had only increased. By the end of day on November 2nd, 2035, every Revenant in Osiris had heard the story of how five soldiers killed a hundred Deluvians without taking any casualties. As the story traveled down the grapevine, retellings actually began to become more realistic. Most people wouldn¡¯t believe that Strike Team One had actually achieved what they claimed. Mozaic¡¯s video quickly became widely disseminated throughout the City. It provided proof that the Garands had actually been acquired by Strike Team One while they were out in the field. In hindsight, Tantalus realized that the recording was a good idea. It provided the only evidence beyond the Garands and the testimony of those present that they had actually achieved what they said. A few hours after arriving back at the West Gate, Tantalus gave his looted wand to Riemann for investigation. The only thing either of them could immediately glean from the wand was that it was engraved with dozens of lines of text and that the wand was used to empower spellcasting in some way. The text was written in Iron Script. They would need to actually learn how to read Iron Script before they could make significant headway. In the evening of Day Two, they held a wake for the Revenants who had fallen during the attack on the first day. Tantalus attended the wake. He placed a hand upon the open coffins of Dendrite and Enzo as he walked past them. They laid there, completely inert, still dressed in the clothes they had died in. Tantalus also attended the funeral in the evening of November 3rd, 2035. A Methodist pastor oversaw the funeral. Ashcroft and Tantalus, alongside some of the relatives of the deceased, delivered speeches during the funeral. Ashcroft said that they would take revenge on GM, and Tantalus promised that the soldiers of Osiris would not be caught unprepared ever again. It was distasteful, Tantalus thought. He would have preferred not to turn the deaths of Enzo, Dendrite, and a dozen others into a political tool, but it was necessary. The Revenants needed a reminder of what would await them if they did not resist GM. Over the next two days, the Revenants of Osiris fell into something of a routine. Tantalus, for example, had a strict schedule. From 4:00 AM to 12:00 PM, he guarded the West Gate and trained Squads T1 and T2. From 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM, he sat at his desk and oversaw preparations for the assault. From 8:00 PM to 4:00 AM, he slept. Nothing of notable significance happened during training. Tantalus taught his and Pixie¡¯s squads the basics of shooting, squad formations, and wordless communication. They only had two days before they would be pulled into a significant battle, so they could not prepare their soldiers to the level Tantalus would have preferred. By the end of the two days of training, Tantalus figured that they had all at least reached the level of skill one would see in a D-rank player of Ninth Oasis. Two of the new players, Elias and Mirage, could probably be considered C-rank by the end of training. Tantalus was ultimately happy with how the training went. Elias complained most of the time, but he always did what he was told. Most of Tantalus¡¯s grief during those two days was caused by his work as a strategic officer. Within seventy-two hours of the game¡¯s start, four Revenants had come to dominate the upper hierarchy of Osiris: Ashcroft, Mander, Cordelia, and Tantalus. This naturally meant that those four were forced to take on a significant amount of extra work. In addition to commanding their own forces, these four were saddled with other responsibilities. Mander was put in charge of R&D, Ashcroft was put in charge of training the militia, Cordelia was made a liaison to the noncombatant players, and Tantalus was made a liaison to the NPC government. This meant that Tantalus spent a lot of time within the Ducal Palace speaking to a bunch of nobles. Tantalus spent a significant amount of time explaining modern military strategy to a group of people whose understanding of military strategy was still stuck in the Medieval era. Most of the Captain of the West Gate¡¯s advice went in one ear and came out the other. Tantalus said the sentence, ¡°We should engage at long range, if possible,¡± a dozen times to a dozen different nobles before they started to get the concept. It was amazing, Tantalus thought. They literally didn¡¯t understand the concept of cover. The NPCs didn¡¯t use projectile weapons beyond a thrown rock, so they didn¡¯t understand the mechanics of ranged combat. He literally had to demonstrate to General Dogwood, the highest-ranking military officer in Osiris, how bullet trajectories worked. Squad T1 set up two paper targets a hundred feet beyond the West Gate, one mostly in cover and one out in the open. Tantalus then fired ten shots at each target. It was only when the General saw the number of holes in each paper target that the concept of cover really clicked. Despite the enemies that Tantalus was no-doubt making, he was soon granted the position of Chief Strategic Officer of the Osirian Revenant Division (CSO-ORD). It was Tantalus¡¯s understanding that this was the highest position that an ¡°irregular¡± soldier could hold. Tantalus also had to organize the Greycloaks. Within forty-eight hours of the Duke making his threat, the number of soldiers under Tantalus''s command had ballooned to over two hundred. All of these new additions were noncombatants or, as they were described on official documents, ¡°support¡± soldiers. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Tantalus created a system for the support soldiers to indicate the level of danger to which they would be subjected. Some spots among the support soldiers would have a ¡°yellow¡± danger level, and others would have a ¡°green¡± danger level. Yellow danger level soldiers were noncombatants who would still travel with the Tantalus and the Forward Operating Base (FOB), while green danger level soldiers were noncombatants who would stay within the nearest settlement whenever possible. The support soldiers were put into various departments, and Tantalus placed various players in charge of those departments. Eska, one of the women from Prometheus, Inc., was placed at the head of the Personnel Department. She was officially named Tantalus¡¯s Chief of Staff, and she was put in charge of dealing with interpersonal disputes between the soldiers of Tango Company (the official designation of the Greycloaks). Tantalus gave her wide-ranging authority on matters of personnel, mostly because he didn¡¯t want to deal with such things. As such, Eska came to hold a significant amount of power within the Greycloaks. Her danger level was yellow. Cadmium was put in charge of the R&D Department. He primarily worked with Mander on the mass-production of the Garand. This job was quickly shelved, however. Mander and the R&D Department soon realized that this job could not be completed before the Duke¡¯s Assault, so they instead began working on the mass-production of ammunition. They were able to create a thousand cartridges of .30-06 before the assault began. His danger level was green. Kuro was put in charge of the Logistics Department. He and about forty other Revenants were tasked with delivering and maintaining the equipment required to prosecute a war. Tantalus himself viewed the Logistics Department as the most important of the support departments, and he would take significant efforts to make sure that the supply lines would be protected. Before the assault, Kuro¡¯s primary job was preparing the vehicles which would be used to transport the guns and ammunition. His danger level was yellow. On November 5th, 2035, Tantalus sat back in his chair and inspected his character sheet. Character Sheet
Name Tantalus45
Level 13
Blood Points 130/130
Mana Points 38/38
Race Revenant
Fortitude 13
Strength 13
Agility 15
Wisdom 14
Attribute Modifiers: Strength Training (3), Mana Training (12)
Talents
Dead Magic (s)
Holy Blood
Rapid Healing
Traditions Known: Source Magic, Elemental Magic
Source Elemental
Create Object Earth Pillar
Lift Object Fire Bolt
Shield Fog Cloud
Freeze
Lightning Bolt
Wind Knife
Wind Wall
Over several days of regimented training, the number on Tantalus¡¯s character sheet had gone up significantly. His level now sat at a healthy 13, and his Strength had also gone up as a result of significant physical exercise. However, Tantalus was much prouder of the skill he had gained in magic. He had seen Riemann cast every elementary-level elemental spell, and he had integrated it into his move set. After the battle outside the walls, Tantalus''s Menu had changed to include Source Magic. His spell list had changed to include the Shield spell. Tantalus quickly realized that this Shield spell must have been the same spell that the Wendigo had used in its fight with FullDan, Mozaic, Ashcroft, and himself. Tantalus had copied the hand seals and the chant used by the Wendigo, and he had been able to mimic its spell by visualizing a barrier surrounding his body. Some of the professors at Mandelbrot U were able to answer Tantalus''s question, "What is Source Magic?" These professors said that Source Magic was essentially magic that utilized the fundamental building blocks of reality. Such things as gravity manipulation and altering reality at the atomic level. It should have been impossible for someone to cast Source Magic without having a strong grasp on the base material of reality, they said. It would usually take someone months before they could even begin to cast Source Magic, apparently. Tantalus figured the "fundamental building blocks" they were talking about were space-time and quantum particles or the lines of code that GM used to run the game. Back in the present, Tantalus looked down at the ever-larger stack of paper that had accumulated upon his desk. By then, he could read Iron Script, but he would frequently need to reference his cipher for less frequently used letters like ¡°z¡± or ¡°v.¡± As he sat in his office staring at the ceiling and holding an unlit cigarette between his fingers, he had a thought. The preparation was done. All that was left was the fighting and dying. Of himself and the other veterans of Ninth Oasis, Tantalus was not worried in the slightest. He was, however, worried for the new recruits. They would certainly run into enemies while they were out, and some would certainly die. Tantalus¡¯s thought was simple: How many people will die during this assault? Chapter 38 - [A Break] Day 5 The West Gate 5:00 P.M. Eska stepped into Tantalus¡¯s office. She was holding a large accordion binder filled with papers which were, mercifully, written in English. To describe her physically, Eska had medium-length light brown hair, which she wore in a bun. She had the light blue eyes and the kind of facial structure that Tantalus thought made her look like she was from eastern Europe. Eska wasn¡¯t dressed in her uniform. Instead, she wore a formal woman¡¯s suit with a black blazer, a tight black skirt, and high heels. In accordance with a recent law unilaterally passed by the Duke, Eska also wore a blue armband pinned to the sleeve of her blazer. The ¡°humans of Osiris¡± had a ¡°vested interest in differentiating between Revenants and humans,¡± so Revenants out of uniform were now required to wear either a blue armband or scarf. A small chair had been set up on the other side of Tantalus¡¯s desk for Eska¡¯s use. She spent much of her time sitting there, looking over the forms submitted by dozens of other soldiers within the Osirian Revenant Division. Eska had a lot of work in those first few days because there was a lot of work that Tantalus didn''t want to do. Eska spent much of her time acting as a liaison between Captain Tantalus and Colonel Dozok. Tantalus couldn¡¯t be certain if this was because the Colonel hated Tantalus or liked Eska. Either way, Tantalus was happy to spend as much time as possible away from his nominal superior. ¡°Here are the final troop numbers on tomorrow¡¯s assault,¡± Eska said, passing a stack of papers over the desk. ¡°They¡¯re about the best we could hope for.¡± Tantalus reached over and took the papers from Eska. ¡°They¡¯re already in English,¡± he said. ¡°Did you translate them?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Eska said. ¡°Thank you,¡± Tantalus said genuinely. ¡°I can¡¯t begin to explain how much help you¡¯ve been over these past few days.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± Eska smiled at the unexpected compliment. ¡°You¡¯re free to go,¡± Tantalus said, looking down at the translated papers. ¡°Sleep up and prepare for the operation tomorrow.¡± ¡°I think I will, Captain,¡± Eska said. ¡°What are you going to do before tomorrow?¡± ¡°Read through this,¡± Tantalus gestured to the papers, ¡°and visualize possible scenarios for the operation. The usual stuff.¡± ¡°Captain,¡± Eska looked concerned, ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve had more than eight hours to yourself ever since the second day. You need a break much more than me.¡± ¡°Is that right?¡± Tantalus muttered, stroking the five days of stubble that had accumulated on his face. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you to do anything. I just recommend that you take a long break once you¡¯re done reading those papers.¡± Eska said this before turning her back and leaving the office. ¡°See you tomorrow, Captain,¡± Eska said just before she walked out the door. ¡°See ya, Lieutenant,¡± Tantalus said as she left. Tantalus thought over what Eska had said and, more importantly, how she had said it. He really needed a break or, at least, a shave. Tantalus knew that his room at Hotel Acheron had shaving cream and a razor, but he had been much too tired to use it over the past few days. He had fallen into the habit of flopping into bed and immediately falling asleep after coming back from his sixteen-hour shifts. Tantalus looked down at the papers at his desk. They had been organized in a sort of analogue Excel spreadsheet where all of the troop numbers had to be handwritten. In the back of Tantalus¡¯s mind, he figured that this must have been the way it was done in the past. It seemed frightfully inefficient to him. The Revenants would have to invent computers as soon as possible. Sure, the BloodNet was fine, but it didn¡¯t come with a phone, a calculator, a calendar, or a video editor. So many of the things Tantalus had taken for granted in the Old World were simply not present in Ferrum. The document on Tantalus¡¯s desk contained the following information: Total active-duty Revenants (Major General Dogwood): 3,894. Alpha Company (Captain Ashcroft): 190. Mike Company (Captain Mander): 587. Tango Company (Captain Tantalus): 324. Militia (Captain Cordelia): 2,793. It seemed that 39% had signed up to join the Osirian Revenant Division. This was slightly better than Tantalus had expected, even with the threat of the Mark of the Outlaw. Granted, about 75% of these were support positions, but Tantalus and the other Revenant officers had been clear that even support soldiers would be in danger. In the event of a counterattack, the support soldiers could very easily be forced to defend themselves. The document then went on to list the squad leaders and support officers within each military unit. Cordelia¡¯s group, the militia, took up the most space by far. There were ten people in each militia squad, so there were 279 squad leaders. The ¡°militia¡± was created by Tantalus to hold all people who were willing to fight but weren¡¯t necessary for the defense of the Gates. Tantalus had planned out the attack, but he could never come up with a sufficient solution regarding what he would do with several thousand untrained gamers with rifles. It was very possible that people militia squads with zero valuable training could be forced to engage with Deluvians. If at all possible, he would like the soldiers under the direct command of himself, Ashcroft, or Mander to be the first to engage, but the troop movement would be so significant that he could not protect its vulnerable sides with so few trained soldiers. It was a problem without a solution, Tantalus knew. After a few pointless minutes of worrying, he stood up from his seat and left his office.
Hotel Acheron loomed above Tantalus as he parked his red pickup truck in its large, empty parking lot. A large neon sign declared the hotel¡¯s name in Iron Script: ?¡¯???¡¯?? Now that Tantalus knew the basics of Iron Script, he found the sign quite entertaining. If you were to translate the hotel¡¯s name directly to English letters, you would get: A¡¯kr¡¯ahn. Tantalus supposed that this was technically a simpler way to write words, but he had difficulty getting his head around it. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. He stepped out of his car and entered the dark, gaslit lobby of his hotel. Inside, he was surprised to find all ten Revenants of Squads T1 and T2. The four support officers of Tango Company - Eska, Kuro, Cadmium, and Riemann - were also present. ¡°Hey Captain!¡± Redgrave was the first person to shout. His call was soon echoed by several other people in the room. ¡°We were just about to head out to a bar in the north district, you wanna come?¡± Tantalus could immediately tell that they had been waiting for him. Gator had probably sent out a message when he left the West Gate a few minutes earlier. ¡°We have a major military operation tomorrow,¡± Tantalus scolded. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be hungover when I¡¯m supposed to be commanding thousands of soldiers.¡± ¡°You know how Riemann¡¯s been working on anti-poison spells?¡± Redgrave asked. ¡°I don¡¯t like where this is going,¡± Tantalus muttered. ¡°If you can believe it, he¡¯s found a spell that completely negates the effects of alcohol and hangover,¡± Redgrave said, completely ignoring Tantalus¡¯s sentence. ¡°Finally, the magic system has a use." ¡°Aren¡¯t half of you underage?¡± Tantalus muttered at a volume which almost no one could hear. Naturally, they ignored him. Before he knew it, Tantalus was being pulled into a car by a bunch of excited young people. Most of them had never experienced, at least not legally, a night out drinking. Their anxiety before the battle only increased their excitement. The excitement was contagious, and Tantalus could not stop himself from smiling in the back of that SUV. Northern Osiris Tantalus looked out the window of the SUV as the buildings they were driving passed became steadily more decrepit and rundown. They had already passed over the Chasm and were a few blocks into the northern district. This part of town was Ashcroft¡¯s territory. There weren¡¯t many opportunities for Tantalus to travel this far north. Just about all of the High Command meetings took place in the Ducal Palace or the Central Military Base. After the first day, most of these meetings were led by General Dogwood, the technical commanding officer of the ORD, and the General wanted to hold the meetings in places he was familiar with. The SUV held all of Squad T1 with the addition of the Greycloak''s Chief of Staff, Eska. Redgrave and Grim sat in the front seats, Eska and Tantalus sat in the middle seats, and Elias and Synth sat in the back seats. ¡°So,¡± Tantalus eyed Eska, ¡°I suppose this is your idea of a break?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a crime to have a good time, now, is it?¡± Eska responded. ¡°I suppose not,¡± Tantalus said, deciding that agreeing would be easier than continuing to argue. Soon, the SUV pulled into a parking lot that was very nearly at capacity. In the distance, Tantalus could see a wooden barricade that completely blocked the road. A steady stream of Revenants passed into and out of the cordoned-off area through small gaps in the wall just big enough to allow Revenants through. The Revenants dismounted and soon joined a small trickle of other players who were heading toward the area within the barricade. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Tantalus asked casually. Though his words did not seem to carry any particular significance, his mind was active. From where Tantalus stood, he could see a few Revenants standing atop the wooden barricade. High walls, long sight lines, narrow entrances. Tantalus was looking at a military fortification. ¡°It¡¯s just a little place Ashcroft has been working on since he took command of the North Gate,¡± Redgrave said. ¡°Apparently, this neighborhood was completely abandoned after the Deluge started a month ago. The Knights moved in, set up the barricades, and started fixing up the buildings inside. Ashcroft calls it ¡®Elysium.¡¯¡± Tantalus considered the handiwork of the wooden barricade. It was essentially composed of a single thin wooden fence which had been reinforced with whatever furniture and debris that could be found within the surrounding area. Once through the narrow entrance way, Tantalus saw the inside of the barricade. From the inside, a number of solid three-feet-long wooden boxes had been placed against the fence. One could fairly easily climb onto one of the boxes, and the fence would be at about shoulder-level. As such, one could then shoot over the fence. As far as a rudimentary fortification created in a short period of time, the Elysium barricade was okay. The area within the barricade was significantly larger than Tantalus had expected. Contained within Elysium were eight large structures and a central stage much like the one back at the park. It was clear that the Revenants had taken significant efforts to repair all of the buildings contained within Elysium. They didn¡¯t look pretty, but they certainly looked sturdy. The stage area had clearly once been a building which had since been completely demolished. Lighting and sound systems had been installed around the stage, and a band of some kind was setting up in the center of the stage. Tantalus could not make out the members at that distance, but he could see a drum set, a microphone, an electric guitar, and a bass guitar. Redgrave led the group to one of the structures. This building seemed to contain the greatest number of Revenants. On the side of the repaired building was a sign that read ¡°Six Shooter¡± in English. An image of a revolver¡¯s cylinder with six shots was painted next to this sign. The doors of the Six Shooter had been knocked off and replaced with saloon doors that remained in a perpetual swinging state as dozens of Revenants walked in and out of the establishment. ¡°Oh, I see the appeal now,¡± Tantalus said as he was ushered into the old-timey saloon. The inside of the Six Shooter closely resembled a Wild West saloon. A single long bar stood at the far side of the interior, and about a dozen circular tables were scattered around the bar¡¯s floorplan. An interior balcony area looked over the bar¡¯s central seating area, though no one was up there at the moment. Behind the bar, there was a man who was pouring whiskey into a glass. Once a generous serving of a golden-brown liquor had been dispensed, the bartender wrote something in a ledger. It must have been the tab of the man he was serving. The bartender wore a blue armband, marking him as an out-of-uniform Revenant. The armband was unnecessary, however, because the bartender carried a revolver in a holster at his hip. The saloon had a kind of rustic quality that reminded Tantalus of his childhood home in Georgia. He figured that many of the Revenants felt the same way when walking into the saloon. The Six Shooter Bar harkened back to the Wild West, the very core of the American consciousness. In a city so thoroughly controlled by the NPCs, this bar was the only thing that was fully controlled by the players. At least, that¡¯s how Tantalus felt. They all found seats at the bar wherever they could. Redgrave was sitting to Tantalus¡¯s left, and Eska was sitting to his right. ¡°What¡¯s on tap?¡± Redgrave asked as he pulled out a hundred Ren bill. ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± the bartender grunted. ¡°I can¡¯t read the bottles. You can order vodka, bourbon, Scotch whiskey, or beer. None of it tastes exactly right, but pick one of those, and I¡¯ll get ya something that resembles it.¡± ¡°A shot of vodka,¡± Tantalus said, sliding a hundred Ren to the bartender. ¡°You¡¯re one of the captains, right?¡± the bartender asked as he poured. Tantalus put a finger to his lips in a shushing gesture. ¡°I¡¯m just here to get drunk like everybody else.¡± Just as the bartender passed a shot glass filled with a clear liquid over to Tantalus, Squad T2 entered the saloon. The five girls looked around at the inside of the saloon with either interest or disappointment. Tantalus took his drink and stood up from the bar. The now eleven-person party pushed three tables together to fit everyone in the same place. The newcomers all ordered their drinks and opened their tabs before sitting down. Tantalus looked down at the clear liquid in front of him. He hadn¡¯t yet drunk alcohol in his new one-hundred-and-forty-pound body. As far as he knew, this outing could very well be a short one. Chapter 39 - [Cheers] Northern Osiris 6:00 PM ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Eska asked Tantalus who had closed his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s too early to be drifting off,¡± Redgrave joked. ¡°You haven¡¯t had a sip of alcohol yet.¡± Tantalus opened his eyes. ¡°I was looking at the Map to memorize the location of this place.¡± ¡°You think you¡¯ll come back here later?¡± Redgrave asked. ¡°Something like that,¡± Tantalus muttered. He decided that it wasn¡¯t the right moment to inform the two squads of the true purpose of Elysium. At this point, Mirage sat down. She was the last of Squad T2 to be seated. Pixie and Rachel were whispering about something that Tantalus couldn¡¯t hear. ¡°Okay,¡± Redgrave called out, standing up, ¡°now that everyone¡¯s here, we should have a toast. And the illustrious Captain of the West Gate is here to deliver that toast!¡± The various other patrons in the bar heard Redgrave¡¯s statement and looked over. Seeing the diminutive man beside the speaker, utterances of recognition and infrequent cheers were emitted by the patrons. Redgrave pulled Tantalus to his feet, who said something unkind about Redgrave¡¯s mother on the way up. After taking a moment to compose himself, Tantalus spoke. ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯ll attack the Deluvians and show them just how terrifying we humans can be. Tonight, however, we¡¯ll drink and be merry. To the soldiers of the O.R.D.!¡± ¡°Cheers!¡± The soldiers of the two squads and most of the bar patrons responded to Tantalus¡¯s toast. As expected, all or at least most of the people in the bar were actually in the Revenant Division. People were always willing to toast to groups in which they held membership. Tantalus downed the shot that he held in his hand. He almost spat it out when he tasted it. The ¡°vodka¡± shot was uncannily similar to Old World vodka while still completely different. It had clearly been distilled in the same way as Old World vodka, but the base grain was different. Upon returning to his seat, Tantalus could see that a much more festive atmosphere had come to pervade the bar. At the center of this new happiness was pride. Being a soldier within the same division as Ashcroft and Tantalus was something to be proud of, and Tantalus reminded them of that. ¡°Well done, T,¡± Redgrave patted Tantalus on the back. ¡°Warn me before you do something like that,¡± Tantalus muttered. ¡°How about we play a drinking game?¡± Pixie suggested. Tantalus groaned inaudibly as he reached for some of the dried jerky he held in his satchel. ¡°Volta, Elias, you two went to college, what kind of drinking game works for eleven people?¡± Volta shrugged, but Elias spoke, ¡°Well, if we¡¯re using full shots, I know a game that was big in some of the frat parties I went to. We go clockwise, and the person before you asks you a question. You can choose not to answer, but you have to take a shot. Then, you ask a question of the person to your left.¡± ¡°I like the sound of that,¡± Pixie said. ¡°We¡¯ll be able to learn more about each other that way.¡± As Pixie spoke, Tantalus was casually chewing on a piece of jerky. It tasted like beef, but much tougher. ¡°Not to question the wisdom of the drinking game, but we should probably get some food and water before we start.¡± Ten minutes later, they all had accrued three shot glasses filled with various hard liquors and a larger glass filled with water. Three plates filled with assorted party foods laid on the tables they were sitting around. It was decided that Pixie would ask a question first. She was sitting to the right of Eska. ¡°Tell me something embarrassing about yourself,¡± Pixie said, starting the game. Without a change in her expression, Eska reached down and downed a shot of vodka. ¡°What was that?¡± Pixie asked with a good-natured laugh. ¡°I just wanted to take a shot,¡± Eska smiled after the grimace receded. ¡°All right; it¡¯s my turn.¡± Everyone turned to Tantalus, who sat there with an unhappy look on his face. ¡°Captain Tantalus, how old are you?¡± Eska asked. Tantalus seriously considered taking a shot. ¡°Forty-one,¡± Tantalus said without a change in expression. ¡°Wow,¡± Eska said, ¡°I was sure you would take a shot there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no secret that I¡¯m an old man,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°Anyway,¡± he changed the subject, ¡°Redgrave, here¡¯s one I don¡¯t know, why did you drop out of high school?¡± Redgrave took a shot. ¡°I dropped out because I wanted to play video games for a living. Also, I was gonna get kicked out anyway. My grades were low, and I had been in too many fist fights.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to take a shot if you answer the question,¡± Elias chided. ¡°Well, I wanted to do both,¡± Redgrave smiled. ¡°Grim, have you gone to one of those NPC brothels yet?¡± ¡°Yet!?¡± Grim almost spit out the food he was eating. Everyone at the table laughed at Grim¡¯s response. ¡°What? No!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t knock it,¡± Redgrave chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s a time-honored tradition among soldiers.¡± ¡°Wait, you can have sex in this game?¡± Mirage asked. ¡°God, I hope so,¡± Elias said. Redgrave looked at Mirage and opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off by Tantalus kicking him in the shin. Tantalus sent a one-handed message in battle-cant that he hadn¡¯t gotten around to teaching the new soldiers. Don¡¯t use that here. The sign was usually used to warn other soldiers not to use artillery or hand grenades in areas with damaged buildings, but Redgrave got the message. Tantalus spoke. ¡°Yes, you can, and quite a few have been making significant use of that feature. A good portion of the videos on the BloodNet attest to that fact. Luckily, STDs do not transmit between Revenant and ¡®human.¡¯¡± Tantalus put air quotes around the word human. ¡°Grim, it¡¯s your question.¡± Grim asked his question to Synth. ¡°So, where were you born, Synth.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± Synth said in a heavy Indonesian accent, ¡°I was born in Jakarta, but my family moved to the states back in 2025.¡± ¡°Hell of a time to move,¡± Tantalus murmured to himself. The years 2020 to 2029 in America were almost universally referred to as the Terrible Twenties. Two years of isolation and three years of war within a single decade. It was a historically bad time to be an American. ¡°Elias, what¡¯s your favorite kind of music?¡± Synth asked with a smile. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Giving me the easy one, eh?¡± Elias said. ¡°I¡¯m a big fan of rap, pop, and country. I especially like Eminem and Taylor Swift.¡± ¡°Dude, that is so uncool,¡± Grim said. ¡°What¡¯s uncool about being honest with yourself?¡± Elias spoke easily. ¡°I like Taylor Swift, and I¡¯m proud.¡± Elias looked to Mirage who was sitting to his left. ¡°So, Mirage, how did you survive the Three-Year War?¡± Several people gasped in surprise. Tantalus tried to suppress the thoughts that came unbidden when Elias spoke. Elias had clearly crossed a line by asking that question. If there was one thing all Americans could agree on in the 2030s, it was to not talk about the Three-Year War. ¡°Hey, man,¡± Redgrave said, frowning, ¡°we¡¯re just trying to have a good time, here.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Mirage waved off their concern. ¡°The Three-Year War is a part of the Old World. It can¡¯t hurt us here.¡± She paused, and then began to answer the question. ¡°I was eleven years old back when the War started. I don¡¯t really remember it that well. My family was living near San Francisco at the time. When Sutton was killed, we had to pick up and leave overnight. I¡¯ve lived in Virginia ever since. Other than that, I don¡¯t remember it all that well. We just hid and tried to not read the news too often.¡± Mirage then turned to Persephone and asked her a question. Tantalus didn¡¯t hear this question. His thoughts were occupied with the image of Atlanta, his home, completely engulfed in flame. It was a dry Summer, and the funeral pyre of President Sutton consumed so much land that it had a measurable impact on the global climate. The political unrest stopped any emergency responders from putting out the fires. A one-hundred-mile-wide wildfire burned in the center of Georgia. The sky was filled with ash, and Vincent Blackwell thought the world had come to an end. Tantalus realized that his eyes were wet when he shook himself free from the vision. ¡°So, Pixie, of all the players you¡¯ve met, who do you find the most attractive?¡± Rachel asked impishly. Pixie choked down a shot of bourbon without comment. She made a face as if she was being tortured before she managed to swallow the shot with some difficulty. Bourbon was a tough liquor to drink if you weren¡¯t accustomed to it. ¡°That¡¯s not fair, Rachel,¡± Pixie said, grimacing. ¡°Okay, Eska, what kind of job did you have back in the Old World?¡± ¡°I was a paralegal,¡± Eska said. Tantalus was able to push away the image of Atlanta aflame as he processed Eska¡¯s statement. That would explain why she was so good at organizing documents and dealing with demanding superiors. ¡°Tantalus,¡± Eska looked Tantalus directly in the eye, ¡°I want you to tell me about Vincent Blackwell.¡± Tantalus¡¯s breathing suddenly became uneven as he thought of what to do. Dozens of images flashed in his mind one after another before he made a decision. Tantalus took a shot of vodka. It tasted just as bad as it did the first time, and his visible grimace could be clearly seen. He hadn¡¯t drunk straight vodka ever since he had dropped out of law school in ''19. There was a groan of disappointment by the other soldiers. Most of them wanted to hear more details about their vaunted Captain of the West Gate. Realistically, Tantalus knew, they didn¡¯t want to know too many details. The real Vincent Blackwell was lame, pitiful even. In addition, Tantalus wasn''t completely certain that he could go fully into detail about his past without getting emotional. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll tell that story after a few more drinks,¡± Tantalus joked. The group went through three more rotations. Tantalus didn¡¯t listen to most of the questions as the game continued. The second time, Eska asked Tantalus, ¡°Where did you go to college?¡± Tantalus answered with, ¡°The University of North Carolina. I graduated with a degree in Political Science in 2018. I went to law school at the same place, but I dropped out at the end of my first year.¡± The group decided to reverse the direction of the questions, so Tantalus¡¯s third question was from Redgrave. The question was so graphic that Tantalus didn¡¯t even try to formulate an answer in his head. He took his third shot of the night. At this point, Tantalus was definitely starting to get drunk. In the Old World, he had a significantly higher tolerance. Three shots of vodka would not have affected him so much before. His new body, which weighed one hundred and forty pounds and had never touched an ounce of alcohol, had basically no tolerance. Redgrave had taken a shot every time he was asked a question, so he was slightly off balance when he asked Tantalus his fourth question. Even Redgrave, with his large body, had not yet had time to build up a tolerance to alcohol. ¡°So, T,¡± he said, ¡°what do you think of Ashcroft and Mander? Do you like ¡®em?¡± Tantalus could answer this question easily. ¡°I like both of them. I respect Ashcroft as a warrior, and I respect Mander as a leader. Though, that¡¯s the thing when it comes to Ashcroft: the personality and intelligence that makes him a great warrior also makes him incredibly hard to control.¡± In the back of his mind, Tantalus realized that he was revealing more than he intended. ¡°Good warriors are aggressive and naturally violent, that¡¯s why so many great boxers and martial artists get arrested for violent crimes. Ashcroft has the same type of disposition as Mike Tyson and Conor McGregor, both of whom have criminal records. Mander, on the other hand, has the opposite problem. His skill in-game has seriously deteriorated because he isn¡¯t a violent person.¡± Tantalus blinked and cut himself off. ¡°Right, I probably shouldn¡¯t speak poorly of the other captains. Who¡¯s next?¡± The game went in a circle one more time before Pixie decided to call an end to the drinking game. Just about everyone at the table was drunk. Everyone was either out of shots or had only one shot remaining. Volta said she had to use the bathroom, and all six women went to the bathroom as a group, leaving Squad T1 as the only ones at the table. ¡°Why do they do that?¡± Elias asked, not expecting an answer. Synth giggled at the question but did not respond. Grim¡¯s head was on the table. ¡°So,¡± Redgrave said with a mischievous grin, ¡°which of the girls are you guys most interested in?¡± ¡°I disapprove,¡± Tantalus muttered half-heartedly as he stared at the ceiling. He couldn¡¯t think of the words to accurately denounce Redgrave¡¯s behavior. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Redgrave slurred his words. ¡°They¡¯re totally talking about the same thing in the bathroom right now.¡± ¡°Hmm, maybe,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°Pixie seems nice,¡± Elias contributed to the conversation. ¡°Oh yeah, she sure seems nice, if you know what I¡¯m saying,¡± Redgrave said, his tone of voice giving the words an entirely different meaning. ¡°Shut it, Red!¡± Elias raised his voice. He turned his head toward where the women had disappeared and continued speaking at a lower whisper, ¡°I¡¯m just saying that I like her personality.¡± ¡°I get it,¡± Grim said. ¡°She¡¯s easy to talk to. Though, her being attractive is definitely a bonus.¡± Synth slowly raised the palms of his hands and pressed them to his ears. ¡°What¡¯s up, Synth?¡± Tantalus asked, worried that something was wrong. ¡°I just realized that I can hear the girls talking,¡± Synth responded. ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t be listening in.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Grim said, ¡°you have Enhanced Hearing. Oh God, how many people in this city have that Talent? It¡¯s scary when you think about it.¡± ¡°Do any of the girls have that Talent?¡± Elias asked. ¡°What are they talking about?¡± Redgrave asked, completely ignoring Grim and Elias. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I heard the word ¡®Tantalus¡¯ before I stopped listening,¡± Synth said. They¡¯re probably making fun of me, Tantalus thought. They were probably talking about the old man in his forties out on a bar crawl. ¡°Sounds about right,¡± Elias grimaced. ¡°None of us plebs have a chance with them, they¡¯re all interested in the Captain.¡± ¡°What the Hell are you talking about?¡± Tantalus asked. ¡°Oh, yeah, I totally get it,¡± Redgrave said. ¡°Political power, intelligence, fighting skill. I bet they view him as a perfect man.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Grim removed his face from the table and looked directly at Tantalus¡¯s face. ¡°He also looks like one of those k-pop singers. Women are really into that stuff.¡± ¡°Stop blowing smoke up my ass,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°I¡¯m a surly old man who¡¯s twice the age of all those girls.¡± ¡°Some women are into that kinda thing,¡± Redgrave said. "If I hear the word ''daddy'' leave the lips of any..." Tantalus began to whisper angrily, but he stopped when he saw motion near the women''s restroom. He saw the group of girls returning from the bathroom. He quickly checked his watch. They had been gone for less than five minutes. ¡°I think the music¡¯s about to start,¡± Pixie said as she approached the table. It was about seven o¡¯clock. Tantalus was not aware of anything happening at seven o¡¯clock. Redgrave closed his eyes before saying, ¡°Wow, it¡¯s seven already. Yeah, we should go outside.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Tantalus wondered as everyone stood up from their seats. Tantalus had a strong aversion to wasting anything unnecessarily, so he downed his last shot before leaving the bar. As he was leaving, he witnessed about a dozen other bar patrons leaving as well. They must have all been going somewhere specific. He followed the other members of the group to see that a rather large crowd had formed around the stage in the center of Elysium. Tantalus pulled up his hood in order to minimize the likelihood of him being recognized in such a large group. There was another group of ten wearing grey cloaks off to one side of the crowd. Redgrave led Tantalus¡¯s group to the other group of people in grey cloaks, and Tantalus saw that the other group was the night watch of the West Gate. FullDan pulled his hood up slightly to reveal his identity. ¡°Is that you, Captain?¡± FullDan whispered. ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°Drunk, mostly,¡± Tantalus said evenly. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°Cordelia¡¯s going to perform a few songs,¡± FullDan said. A few seconds later, the cheering in the crowd increased significantly. Tantalus and FullDan turned toward the stage to see that ConcreteBeats, the YouTuber lauded for her musical talent, had taken the stage. Chapter 40 - [Cordelias Bassist] Elysium 7:00 P.M. That was real fame, Tantalus thought. He and FullDan were famous in the way politicians or generals were famous. People recognized their importance to society and their skill in combat, but they wouldn¡¯t gather in the thousands to watch a recording of Tantalus butchering an Orc. ¡°Wait, where¡¯s Synth?¡± Elias asked, looking around. ¡°Oh,¡± Redgrave chuckled, ¡°you¡¯ll see.¡± Tantalus looked around. Elias was correct, one of the members of Squad T1 was missing. Realization dawned on Tantalus as he looked at the stage. A figure clad in grey clumsily climbed onto the stage. He approached a stand holding a bass guitar and wrapped the strap around his shoulder. He fiddled with the strap a little bit as it got caught on his cloak. ¡°Oh no,¡± Tantalus muttered, horrified. ¡°He¡¯s Cordelia¡¯s bassist?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he drunk?¡± Elias exclaimed. ¡°Surely he had Riemann remove the alcohol before he went up there,¡± Tantalus said, hoping that one of his soldiers wasn¡¯t about to ruin Ferrum¡¯s first live concert. ¡°Nope,¡± Redgrave smiled, ¡°I saw him walk straight from here to the stage.¡± On stage, Cordelia grabbed the microphone as Synth prepared the bass guitar. His hood was still up, so most of his face was hidden from the crowd. ¡°Hello, Revenants of Osiris!¡± Cordelia called out to the crowd. A raucous cheer came from all corners of the crowd except for the nineteen soldiers clad in grey cloaks. Seeing one of their number step onto the stage caused them to become more worried than excited. The guitarist, a woman with a mohawk, had subtly walked up to Synth. She was clearly speaking to the Indonesian man, and she didn¡¯t seem happy. ¡°We have a few songs for you tonight,¡± Cordelia continued to speak. ¡°Usually, we wouldn¡¯t be able to prepare these songs in five days, but the four of us already knew these songs beforehand. This concert wouldn¡¯t be possible without these three amazing people.¡± Cordelia turned to the three other band members on stage. ¡°First, give it up for our drummer, Akuma!¡± Akuma raised his two drum sticks high into the air. He wasn¡¯t wearing a shirt, and his long hair had clearly been bleached blonde. Without hesitation, the crowd cheered loudly. Tantalus winced at the sound. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Synth and the guitarist had separated as Cordelia continued speaking. ¡°Our guitarist, Mozu!¡± Mozu, the woman with a mohawk, responded with a short five-second guitar riff. Based on the guitar riff alone, it was clear that she was very skilled. ¡°Our bassist, Synthwave!¡± Synth, like Mozu, played a short riff on his bass guitar. Tantalus was amazed at the level of skill Synth displayed in just a few seconds. Beyond that, the bass riff was steady. It was frankly amazing that he could play that well after downing so many shots of vodka. ¡°And me, ConcreteBeats.¡± The applause was predictably the loudest when Cordelia reached the end of the list. ¡°Anyway, I think that¡¯s enough for introductions, let¡¯s get straight to the music. This first song is called ¡®Crescent Glass Moon,¡¯ and it was made by the band Heaven or Hell.¡± Cordelia introduced the first song. The song Cordelia introduced was a Japanese song. It was created to be the intro song to a Japanese RPG, but it gained significant popularity on its musical merit alone. In 2035, many people knew the song but didn¡¯t know the video game it was created for. Tantalus had heard the song, and he knew that it was hard to perform. Cordelia gave a signal, and the band began the performance. The bass was heavily used early in the song, and there were several points where only the bass could be heard. Despite this, Synth performed perfectly. The bassline held and remained steady throughout the whole song. The way Cordelia performed the song, it started out slow and quickly rose in energy to the point where it was almost as if she was screaming at the top of her lungs when she reached the end of the song. Tantalus couldn¡¯t speak a lick of Japanese, but he figured her pronunciation was good. Tantalus knew that the original had a male vocalist, and he was impressed how Cordelia had adjusted the song to meet her vocals. Then, just as quickly as it had started, the song stopped. Tantalus covered his ears a moment before he was hit by deafening applause. Unexpectedly, they were actually really good. Even with five days of preparation, a limited pool of people, and a drunk bassist, they were able to deliver a great song. Of all sections of the crowd, the one populated with soldiers in grey cloaks cheered the loudest. There were five songs in total. Two of them were classic rock, and three were Japanese. All five were covers of incredibly popular songs that most people had heard of before. Between songs, the nineteen Greycloaks split off into smaller groups in order to get away from the huge mass of people near the stage. Tantalus ended up a few hundred feet away from the stage with Redgrave and Eska. They found a place populated with relatively few Revenants. They had some difficulty seeing the stage, but they could hear just fine from this far away. Over time, more people came to sit in the area occupied by the three Greycloaks. They were forced closer to one another, and Eska¡¯s shoulder ended up against Tantalus¡¯s. This contact could have been attributed to the crowd or general drunkenness, but Eska did not pull away. The fourth song caught Tantalus¡¯s attention. It was called ¡°The Silent Observer,¡± and it was another Japanese song. Tantalus had never heard the song before, but it was right up his alley. The drums, guitar, and bass came together to produce an apocalyptic sound. Then, Cordelia began to belt out a powerful lyrical performance. The song evoked in Tantalus the same feeling he felt whenever he was in a life-or-death fight. Everyone seated got to their feet soon after the song began, and the contact between Tantalus and Eska was broken. Soon after, the concert ended, and the crowd began to disperse. Chapter 41 - [The Three-Year War] Tantalus swayed on his feet as squads T1 and T2 regrouped into one large mass of grey-cloaked soldiers. Synth was the hero of the day. All of Tantalus¡¯s soldiers wanted to talk to him about his hidden musical talent. Synth was naturally very laid back about the whole affair. ¡°I knew you played, but I didn¡¯t know you were good!¡± Redgrave said as he slapped his comrade on the back. ¡°I¡¯ve played bass, guitar, and drums ever since I was five years old. I¡¯ve just had a lot of practice,¡± Synth said, clearly slurring his words. It was probably for the best that Cordelia didn¡¯t ask him to say anything while he was on stage because his drunkenness would¡¯ve been obvious to everyone in the audience. ¡°Are you really drunk?¡± FullDan asked, doubtful that it was possible. ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± Synth giggled, ¡°I drank a lot more than I thought I did. As long as I have two hands, one ear, and half a brain, I can hold a bassline. I couldn¡¯t do much in the Old World, but I could do that. It¡¯s a point of pride for me.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing,¡± Pixie said. Other people in the audience began to approach the collection of soldiers in grey-cloaks. Seeing such a large group of soldiers from Tantalus¡¯s unit was a rarity outside of the West Gate, and they were further egged on by the fact that the bassist from Cordelia¡¯s band had just disappeared into the mass of flapping fabric. ¡°You guys get Synth out of here. I don¡¯t want to cause unnecessary problems for Cordelia,¡± Tantalus said to Redgrave and the rest of Squad T1. ¡°We can distract the crowd while you bring Synth somewhere else,¡± FullDan suggested with a quiet chuckle. ¡°I may not be as popular as you, Captain, but at least I¡¯m sober.¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± Tantalus said. He would have seriously analyzed the situation, but the vodka in his system prevented him from analyzing anything in depth. ¡°Sorry we couldn¡¯t hang out together for longer. I¡¯ll see you at tomorrow¡¯s operation, then.¡± ¡°Aye, Captain,¡± FullDan touched two fingers to the area just above his eyebrow in a casual salute. Squads T1 and T2 split off from Squads T5 and T6. The eleven drunk soldiers of T1 and T2 casually walked away from the crowd of excited Revenants. Just before they left earshot, they could hear the sound of FullDan saying, ¡°Unfortunately, Synthwave won¡¯t be taking any questions right now. For now, you may address any questions you have to me.¡± Tantalus and the group of drunk soldiers soon stepped through the narrow passageway out of Elysium. They quickly reached the parking lot where they had left their vehicles. Many of them were jogging by the time they reached the cars. There was a short outburst of laughter from some of the Revenants as they reached the parking lot. Some of the Revenants with smaller avatars leaned against the cars when they reached them. Tantalus knew that most of the women were even lighter than him, so they must have been even more drunk than he was. ¡°I¡¯m too old for this,¡± Tantalus muttered as he stood in the center of the parking lot with his hands on his hips. In fact, Tantalus¡¯s body was holding up just fine. His twenty-year-old avatar could digest the alcohol easily and not even suffer a significant hangover. At the time, Tantalus was mostly thinking about cultural expectations. A forty-year-old man shouldn¡¯t go on benders with college students. ¡°Is anybody here sober enough to drive?¡± Redgrave asked the group as a whole. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. He received a number of responses, but all were some version of ¡°absolutely not.¡± Eleven Revenants were present there, and all of them were way too drunk to operate heavy machinery. ¡°Where¡¯s Riemann?¡± Tantalus asked, rubbing his face with the palms of his hand. ¡°I saw him go into one of the other buildings in Elysium,¡± Redgrave said. ¡°I¡¯ll send him a message.¡± Tantalus leaned against the wheel well of the SUV in which he had recently ridden in as a passenger. The other Revenants stood nearby, and many of them leaned against nearby cars or concrete dividers. They organized themselves in an informal circle. ¡°He says he¡¯ll be here in a few minutes,¡± Redgrave said. Tantalus shut his eyes tight. The intoxication was starting to bother him. He enjoyed the brief respite from anxiety it granted him, but he didn¡¯t much like spending long periods without command of his higher faculties. Tantalus could tell that he had already digested all of the alcohol in his stomach, and he would start sobering up soon. As a quick prediction, Tantalus figured he would be sober in three or four hours, though it was difficult to make such predictions in such an unfamiliar body. ¡°Hey, Tantalus?¡± Eska asked carefully. ¡°Hmm?¡± Tantalus responded without opening his eyes. ¡°You said you might tell the story about Vincent Blackwell after a few drinks,¡± Eska said. ¡°Do you think now would be a good time to tell that story?¡± Tantalus opened his eyes. He did not respond for a few seconds. ¡°Okay,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°It¡¯s not a good story. Are you sure you want to hear it?¡± Based on the tone of voice Tantalus used when he said the word ¡°good,¡± it was clear that he used the word as a substitute for ¡°pleasant.¡± ¡°Absolutely,¡± Redgrave said, the boisterousness in his tone was gone. ¡°We all want to learn more about you, man.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like to think of ¡®Vincent Blackwell¡¯ as ¡®me,¡¯ if that makes sense,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°Anyway, sure, I¡¯ll tell the story.¡± Tantalus took a deep breath and began to speak. ¡°Vincent Blackwell was born in 1994 to a moderately wealthy family. They weren¡¯t millionaires, but the family never had to seriously worry about paying rent or buying food. Vincent excelled in school, he finished high school at the top of his class, and he graduated from UNC with honors. Then, he got to law school, and he found that his natural intelligence would carry him no further. ¡°Diligence was necessary to excel at law school, and Vincent had not yet learned how to live diligently. He finished his first semester of law school in the bottom-half of the class. Vincent was in no danger of failing after the second semester, but the untimely deaths of a few family members caused Vincent to inherit a small fortune. He dropped out of law school after the first year and decided to live off of the inheritance. ¡°Vincent moved to Atlanta. He lived there from 2022 to 2027, and, well, you can guess what happened. While he was escaping, Vincent¡­ killed three people. He went through the motions he had learned in Ninth Oasis, and they died. It was so easy. He was terrified of his situation, but most of all, he was terrified of himself. ¡°Either way, he escaped from Atlanta. Vincent tried not to think about his actions too much. He buried himself in Ninth Oasis for several months. Soon, Vincent was approached by Kingfisher, the leader of the Scions of the Blue Flame. He desperately wanted anything to take his mind off of the images that followed him every time he closed his eyes, so he accepted Kingfisher¡¯s invitation. ¡°While the Three-Year War raged outside, Vincent shut himself inside and focused all of his mental faculties on Ninth Oasis. He moved to Philadelphia alongside the rest of the Scions, but he only left his room when absolutely necessary. Vincent helped the Scions reach almost impossible heights, but he still could not step on stage in order to accept his trophies. Recursion would always have an excuse to explain away his absence. ¡°After the Scions disbanded and the war ended, Vincent became even worse. He wouldn¡¯t leave his room for months, and he started a YouTube channel just to have something to do. Fittingly, he used his old username ¡®Tantalus¡¯ for his new YouTube channel. Tantalus: a character who couldn¡¯t reach out and grasp the fruit immediately in front of his face. ¡°This was the status quo until October 1st, 2035. Ferrum launched, and Vincent died the moment he turned on his Kabuto system.¡± Tantalus exhaled, attempting to expel any remnants of Vincent Blackwell from his system. ¡°Though, these are probably just the ramblings of a drunk old man. Ah, there you are, Riemann.¡± Chapter 42 - [Bang] Northern Osiris Tantalus finished speaking as he saw the top of Riemann¡¯s head peak out over one of the nearby cars. He suddenly didn¡¯t want to sober up after delivering such a pitiful story to his soldiers. Tantalus kept his eyes pointed at the ground as he spoke; he didn¡¯t want to see their expressions. ¡°Wow, it really sucks that that happened,¡± Redgrave said. ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Tantalus responded. If this story changed their view of him, it would probably be for the best. They should just keep their distance from the insane old man and trust him to do his job. Tantalus was their commanding officer, and they shouldn¡¯t view him as a friend. Better yet, perhaps this would end Eska¡¯s foolish infatuation with him. Tantalus wasn¡¯t blind to a woman¡¯s advances; he had been alive for long enough to pick up that much. Riemann walked past the interposing vehicle to see the group of Revenant soldiers sitting on the ground in a circle. ¡°I see that the Antidote spell is sorely needed here.¡± Elias laughed at Riemann¡¯s statement. ¡°Does the game¡¯s system recognize alcohol as a poison?¡± ¡°Naturally,¡± Riemann pulled the sleeves of his dress shirt up to his elbows as if he was a doctor about to perform surgery. ¡°Now, I only have enough mana left to cast the spell three times. Who¡¯s getting healed?¡± Riemann looked around at the two squads. Redgrave and Pixie immediately raised their hands. Tantalus was tempted to raise his hand and take the third Antidote, but he didn¡¯t want to regain the capacity to thoroughly analyze the information he just revealed to his soldiers just yet. There was no third raised hand. ¡°Good, then I¡¯ll have a little mana left over,¡± Riemann said. ¡°Who¡¯s first?¡± Redgrave stepped up first. ¡°I drove here, so I might as well be the one to sober up first.¡± ¡°I need direct access to your blood in order to cast the spell,¡± Riemann informed Redgrave. ¡°Oh, I gotcha,¡± Redgrave drew his knife and brought it to his wrist. His hand stopped a few inches away from his wrist as if it was caught by an invisible hand. ¡°Right, Safe Zone,¡± he muttered. Riemann unsuccessfully tried to look nonjudgmental. He held his upturned hand out toward Redgrave and said, ¡°Just put your index finger on the center of my palm and call forth your blood as if you¡¯re anointing a bullet.¡± Redgrave did as Riemann commanded. Riemann closed his eyes and chanted, ¡°Perdere int corpus.¡± There was no flash of light or physical manifestation like there usually was with magic. For a moment, Tantalus wondered if the spell had failed. ¡°Woah, that¡¯s weird,¡± Redgrave said. ¡°I¡¯m completely sober.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how it works,¡± Riemann said. ¡°By the way, you¡¯re going to have to urinate in about ten minutes. If you don¡¯t, you might die.¡± ¡°What?¡± Redgrave exclaimed. ¡°I think I understand,¡± Tantalus blurted. ¡°It¡¯s a form of transmutation magic that targets a certain chemical compound within the body and destroys it. The incantation was ¡®destroy within body,¡¯ or something like that. What do you have to visualize when you cast the spell?¡± ¡°You¡¯re exactly correct,¡± Riemann said. ¡°As expected of a prodigy. You need to visualize the target of destruction in the form of an organic structure.¡± ¡°The kind used in organic chemistry?¡± Tantalus asked. ¡°Precisely,¡± Riemann answered. Tantalus briefly recalled the chemical formula for ethanol, C2H6O, and tried to imagine how it would form into a single compound. He hadn¡¯t taken organic chemistry since college, but the knowledge came to Tantalus easily when he called for it. Tantalus could not immediately remember the organic structure for ethanol, but he was able to reconstruct it easily within his brain. Tantalus quietly integrated the spell Antidote into his moveset. ¡°If you two nerds will excuse me,¡± Redgrave said, ¡°I need to go look for a bathroom, apparently.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Pixie said, ¡°I think I¡¯ll wait until there¡¯s a bathroom nearby before you use the spell on me.¡± Over the next ten minutes, the group of Revenants found a gas station that would allow them to use the restroom as long as they bought something. The NPC behind the counter was clearly uncomfortable with so many firearms in his store. The alcohol was removed from Pixie¡¯s system, and most of the Revenants bought a drink or a snack from the store. Tantalus stood alone outside of the gas station, drinking juice from a box through a straw. It was just barely above freezing, but he wanted a few minutes alone. ¡°Drast,¡± he chanted, lighting a cigarette. Tantalus heard the sound of approaching footsteps. He turned to see Eska walking toward him with a plastic cup filled with coffee that was steaming in the cold air. She stopped next to Tantalus and turned in the same direction as him. Eska shivered slightly in the cold evening air. Tantalus unclasped the buckle holding his cloak together. He wordlessly handed his cloak to Eska. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, ¡°it probably smells like cigarette smoke.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± she smiled, ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± The Captain of the West Gate took a long drag of his cigarette before speaking once more. ¡°Hey, Eska,¡± he said without looking at her. ¡°When tomorrow¡¯s operation is done, the two of us should go somewhere. There¡¯s a nice restaurant near the West Gate we could go to.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± Eska said from Tantalus¡¯s right. There were a million things Tantalus wanted to say in that moment, but he couldn¡¯t muster up the courage to say them. He wanted to tell her all the reasons this would end poorly, he wanted to question her taste in men, he wanted to call her a liar. Instead, he said nothing, and a long moment of silence passed over their little corner of Osiris. The silence wasn¡¯t awkward; it was strangely comfortable. This silence ended when the Revenants within the store all left through the automatic doors at the same time. All of them stumbled as they walked except for Redgrave and Pixie who led the way. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°All right, back to Hotel Acheron!¡± Redgrave shouted from the front. His shout was met with a chorus of drunken cheers from behind. ¡°Are you two coming?¡± ¡°Aye, aye, Pied Piper,¡± Tantalus responded. He stamped down on his half-smoked cigarette, and he moved to follow Redgrave. The group of Revenants began walking back toward the parking lot. They were talking about something in an excited chatter, but Tantalus couldn¡¯t quite make out what they were saying. He puffed contentedly on his cigarette and blew a large smoke cloud into the air. Tonight was going well, all things considered. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of Tantalus¡¯s neck stood on end. It was a feeling he had become quite accustomed to over the past few days. He was being watched. Tantalus jerked his head like a zebra looking for a lion, and then he saw the origin of the feeling. Across the road from him, a red-haired man in a bomber jacket and aviator sunglasses with yellow rims stood with his hands in his pockets. A sparse crowd of both NPCs and Revenants leaving Elysium occasionally passed between the man and Tantalus. The red-haired man was the only person on the sidewalk who wasn¡¯t moving, and his gaze was locked directly on the Captain of the West Gate. He wasn¡¯t wearing blue or visibly carrying a gun, so he seemed to be an NPC. His eyes, however, had the distinct look of recognition, and his mouth was upturned in a mirthful grin. Slowly, the red-haired man removed his hand from his coat pocket. He raised up his hand to point directly at Tantalus with his index finger, middle finger, and thumb extended in an approximation of a handgun. He pressed his thumb forward and jerked his hand backward simultaneously as he mouthed a single word. ¡°Bang.¡± A palpable feeling of fear suddenly seeped into Tantalus¡¯s bones, and a million questions entered his brain. Who was that? Why did he do that? How did he know how a gun worked? Why was he wearing sunglasses? His thoughts were murky as if he was wading through ankle-deep water. No matter how he tried, he couldn¡¯t put the pieces together in his current state. There was a puzzle there, and Tantalus knew the answer was right at his fingertips. He just couldn¡¯t put it together through the mosaic of drunkenness. The red-haired man extended his hand in a wave as he turned to walk away from the Captain. The insolence was unacceptable, Tantalus thought. He growled audibly and slammed a new mental image over the incomplete jigsaw puzzle in his head. It was the organic structure of ethanol. Tantalus pressed hand against his heart as if he was checking his own pulse. He visualized his own circulatory system as the target for the spell. ¡°Perdere int corpus!¡± Immediately, the mosaic disappeared. His full mental faculties came roaring back into action. The puzzle came together almost automatically as soon as Tantalus could think again. He felt foolish that he couldn¡¯t solve such a simple puzzle, even when intoxicated. The blonde man was wearing sunglasses because he wanted to bypass the Identify special ability, and his use of the finger gun indicated a knowledge of firearms that normal NPCs didn¡¯t have. Only Deluvians and NPCs that worship GM would be aware of the nature of firearms. Tantalus instantaneously formed a hypothesis that, while unlikely, would explain the strange man¡¯s behavior: he could be a Deluvian, perhaps a Wendigo, disguised as a Revenant who had come to Osiris to try to intimidate a leader of the Revenants. The red-haired man could just be a Revenant dressed as an NPC, but then he would have no reason to be wearing sunglasses at night. As far as Tantalus was aware, the Revenants weren¡¯t hunting for any criminals. All crimes or acts of violence reported to have been committed by a Revenant were committed against NPCs. No Revenant would bother chasing down those people. Therefore, Tantalus deemed his hypothesis to have an approximately 25% chance of likelihood. It was enough to act on, Tantalus figured. ¡°Hey, Tantalus!¡± Riemann shouted from a few feet away. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t cast complicated transmutation on your own blood when you¡¯re drunk. You could¡¯ve killed yourself!¡± Tantalus, now fully aware and mentally prepared for battle, turned to the group of mostly drunk Revenants. He spoke quickly, ¡°Sorry, Riemann. I don¡¯t have time to explain, but I need to leave right now. It was fun, everyone. Let¡¯s do this again, sometime.¡± Before anyone could respond, Tantalus had sprinted off toward the blonde man. His cigarette flew off, taken by a cool evening breeze. By the time Tantalus had reached the entrance to the alleyway, he saw the back of the man turning onto the road on the other side of the alley. The red-haired man started to run a moment after Tantalus had spotted him. ¡°Stop!¡± Tantalus shouted at the fleeing man. He chased the man through several alleyways and side streets. The man passed over chain-link fences and through abandoned buildings. He was fast, and Tantalus had to sprint at full speed just to keep up. Eventually, Tantalus turned a corner to find the man had suddenly stopped within a small twenty-by-twenty-foot park. He was standing under a large metal umbrella, and he was only partially illuminated by the flickering streetlamp above. ¡°Who are you?¡± Tantalus demanded while trying to catch his breath. ¡°You¡¯re a smart man, you figure it out,¡± the red-haired man responded. His voice was completely level. Even after sprinting through several city blocks, he wasn¡¯t out of breath at all. ¡°What do you want?¡± Tantalus tried unsuccessfully to keep his voice level. ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver a message,¡± the man said in a sadistic voice filled with mirth. ¡°We know about the Duke¡¯s assault tomorrow. If you want to save lives, convince him to call it off.¡± Tantalus closed a single eye and opened the Direct Message function. He began typing a request for reinforcements to Redgrave. The man spoke before Tantalus could finish typing. ¡°There¡¯s no point calling for reinforcements, Captain, I¡¯m already gone.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± The streetlamp flickered, causing the man to be completely shrouded in darkness for less than a second. When the light came back on, the man was gone. In an instant, he had disappeared. Tantalus took a step back. He turned his head in all directions to see if the red-haired man had disappeared to somewhere nearby, but he was completely alone on that street corner.
Two hours later, Tantalus stepped into the front door of Hotel Acheron. Ashcroft, Mander, and Cordelia were informed of Tantalus¡¯s strange interaction with the man in yellow sunglasses. There was very little to be told. The enigmatic man had only really said two things of substance: some group knows about the assault, and blood will be spilt if the assault occurs. Tantalus tried to speak to the Duke, but he was only able to speak to General Dogwood, the commanding officer of the O.R.D. Tantalus informed the General of his belief that the Deluvians were aware of Operation Reunion, and they would try to ambush the soldiers as they traveled to New Arcadia. Tantalus¡¯s words, predictably, fell on deaf ears. He spoke for an hour to his brick wall of a commanding officer with no results. Tantalus sat heavily on a couch in Hotel Acheron¡¯s lobby. More than a dozen Revenant soldiers milled about the lobby. Kuro had rented out four of the hotel¡¯s floors at this point, so it was more of a barracks than a hotel. All of Tango Company¡¯s necessary personnel stayed in Hotel Acheron. Redgrave soon appeared from the elevator. As he stepped out, two soldiers from Gator¡¯s group entered. Redgrave saw Tantalus sitting on the couch deep in thought, and he approached. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even get to talk to the Duke. General Dogwood was the highest up in the ladder I could reach. According to him, it was only natural that the enemy would be aware of an attack of this magnitude, and my ¡®gut feeling¡¯ isn¡¯t enough to warrant the cancellation of a ten-thousand-man military operation.¡± Tantalus spoke with a tone of tired acceptance that had become so natural for him over the past few days. ¡°And how do you feel about the assault tomorrow?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just say that I have a bad feeling. No, that¡¯s not completely correct. What I just witnessed was¡­ foreshadowing. It¡¯s as if GM is telling us what to expect from the attack tomorrow. Whatever happens during the operation, it won¡¯t be easy. Hell, it might be impossible. We need to be prepared to retreat at any moment.¡± Redgrave looked confused, ¡°Do you think that man you saw was GM?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Tantalus looked conflicted, ¡°or maybe there¡¯s something I¡¯m not seeing. God! I¡¯m missing so many damn pieces! I don¡¯t know how the Deluvians¡¯ military works, I don¡¯t know where they get their weapons, and I don¡¯t even know what the Hell a ¡®Dark Apostle¡¯ is! Any serious strategic analysis I do has a huge blind spot, and the Dark Apostles are at the center of it!" Tantalus let out an uneven growl of annoyance. ¡°Whatever,¡± he got to his feet, ¡°we¡¯ll see what happens tomorrow. There¡¯s no use thinking about it tonight.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re overthinking this,¡± Redgrave said. ¡°It was probably just GM trying to get under your skin.¡± Tantalus smiled mirthlessly. ¡°I hope you¡¯re right, Simon.¡± Less than five miles away, the red-haired man in yellow sunglasses stepped into one of the few remaining rooms in a bombed-out building on the outskirts of Osiris. The roof of the room had caved in, and the room was lit by moonlight. Three cloaked humanoid figures stood within the room. To prove his identity, the red-haired man pulled his shirt down to below his collar bone. A single symbol stood out like a brand on his pale skin: I. The First Dark Apostle entered the room and rejoined his brethren. Chapter 43 - [A Chorus of Animalistic Roars] West of Osiris 9:25 P.M. Four Dark Apostles stood within that moonlit room. Each had the strength to move mountains, shatter kingdoms, and command legions of monsters at a whim. They stood at the peak of the Deluvians¡¯ hierarchy, and their physical prowess and magical ability matched their status. Despite their monstrous reputation and their supernatural strength, they appeared indistinguishable from humans or Revenants. The only way they could be distinguished was the numerical brand they each carried upon their chest. Two of the Dark Apostles were standing near a desk staring down at the map which had been laid atop it. One of them was a shorter man with brown hair, and the other was a young Asian woman with short cropped hair. The remaining Dark Apostle sat atop a wooden crate in the corner of the room. His features were obscured by the long grey cloak he wore. ¡°One,¡± the man with brown hair greeted as he saw the blonde man. ¡°How did it go? Did you find Captain Tantalus?¡± ¡°Yeah, it went just as Five and Thirteen said it would,¡± One said. ¡°He followed me, and I delivered the message.¡± ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll listen?¡± the woman asked. ¡°No way,¡± One responded casually. ¡°You seriously overestimate the Osirian military¡¯s intelligence, Eight. I think I convinced Captain Tantalus to reconsider the operation, but there¡¯s no way he¡¯ll be able to convince his superiors.¡± ¡°Sounds like we¡¯re still on for Plan A,¡± said the dark-haired man. ¡°It was inevitable, Two,¡± the red-haired man with the I on his chest said. The three Dark Apostles standing near the map looked down at it. The map charted the area between Osiris and New Arcadia. About a dozen smaller settlements could be seen between the two cities. Four tiles, each marked with a roman numeral, laid on the map. ¡°To go over the plan,¡± Two began to explain, ¡°the 1st, 2nd, 8th, and 13th Legions will be in place to engage with the Osirians as they move west.¡± Two tapped the four tiles on the map. ¡°We keep the 1st, 2nd, and 13th Legions stationed in a position to stop the Osirians from reaching New Arcadia.¡± Two moved three of the tiles between Osiris and New Arcadia. ¡°When the Osirians move far enough away from Osiris City, the 2nd Legion will move in behind them.¡± Two then moved the tile marked II onto the road between the two cities. ¡°They¡¯ll be completely surrounded, allowing us to move in and kill three thousand Revenants in one fell-swoop.¡± ¡°Hold on,¡± the hooded man in the corner stood up. ¡°What¡¯s that, Thirteen?¡± Two asked. ¡°We didn¡¯t agree to that,¡± Thirteen said. ¡°Our goal is to send a message, not kill them all.¡± Two sighed and said, ¡°It would be significantly easier this way. We¡¯re going to have to kill most of them eventually, you know this right?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t know that,¡± Thirteen growled. ¡°Show them overwhelming force. Show them that they can¡¯t possibly win, and they¡¯ll retreat." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°You underestimate the Revenant¡¯s resolve, Thirteen,¡± Two said. ¡°Whatever. We¡¯ll have to agree to disagree. One, Eight, what do you think we should do?¡± ¡°I think we should use the less extreme option,¡± Eight said. ¡°It¡¯s much easier to escalate a war than it is to de-escalate.¡± ¡°Sorry, Two, but I¡¯m gonna have to side with Eight and Thirteen,¡± One said. ¡°I¡¯m just not ready for such extreme tactics, at least not yet. Let¡¯s stick with Plan A. If things go poorly, we''ll get more extreme." Two sighed heavily and removed the tile representing the 2nd Legion from the board. He then placed it alongside the other three tiles. ¡°You¡¯ll come to regret your decision, I guarantee it. Okay, I¡¯m out voted. We¡¯ll deploy all four legions to the same location. We won¡¯t be able to deploy all four in a line, however, so someone will have to deploy to the rear.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Thirteen said without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯d like to minimize the blood on my hands wherever possible.¡± ¡°Mercy will get us nowhere,¡± Two muttered. Soon after, the four Dark Apostles returned to their monstrous legions. They relayed their orders to their legions¡¯ officers, and the order was soon given to each Wendigo, Ogre, Orc, and Goblin in the legion. With a chorus of animalistic roars, four legions began to move. An army of 40,000 Deluvians would soon stand between Osiris and New Arcadia.
Day 6 8:00 A.M. Hotel Acheron Captain Tantalus of the West Gate stood in front of the mirror of his hotel room¡¯s bathroom. He was wearing his white undershirt and the pants of his military uniform; brown suspenders hung limp from his belt. This was the first morning in a few days where Tantalus hadn¡¯t been required to wake up at three in the morning. Compared to his days spent on watch, he felt as if he was really able to sleep in. Arrayed on the bathroom¡¯s counter were a series of weapons. There were so many weapons on the counter that Tantalus had to remove all of the various shampoos, soaps, and towels. Looking down at the bathroom counter, Tantalus saw a rapier, a combat knife, three throwing knives, a 1911 chambered in .45 ACP, a frag grenade, six magazines for his pistol, and six en bloc clips for his rifle. His M1 Garand was leaned against the counter. Tantalus didn¡¯t actually know how to use a rapier, but General Dogwood told him that his ¡°ceremonial rank¡± as the CSO-ORD meant that he was expected to carry a sword. For several reasons, the Revenants had begun to informally call Tantalus the "Sword-holder." He was at least able to carry a relatively light sword, but the added weight made his belt so heavy that it was starting to pull his pants down whenever he walked around too much. Thus, Tantalus was forced to resort to attaching suspenders to his pants. At least the jacket would cover up the suspenders most of the time. Tantalus pulled the suspenders over his shoulders and looked at himself in the mirror. At least his physical appearance was starting to more closely approximate his mental age. Tantalus took his pistol and holstered it at his right hip. He sheathed his rapier at his left hip, he packed several magazines into the pouches at his belt, he sheathed his combat knife behind the rapier, and he sheathed his throwing knives behind his pistol. With all of that weight hanging from his belt, Tantalus suddenly became grateful for the suspenders. All of the weapons and ammunition on his belt must have weighed more than twenty pounds, and he was glad to have the weight dispersed on his shoulders. Tantalus shrugged his blue military jacket on and buttoned it up. It was tailored well, so it didn¡¯t block Tantalus¡¯s access to his belt. Tantalus loaded his en bloc clips into the pouches on his belt. To complete his loadout, Tantalus draped his grey cloak over his shoulders. He fastened the cloak against his shoulders as he had more than a dozen times before, and he threw the cloak back such that it more resembled a cape. He wore his cloak at his back in the city, and he wore it over his shoulders in the field. Tantalus looked at himself once more in the mirror. Everything was set. He was as ready as he¡¯d ever be. Wordlessly, Tantalus left his hotel room and headed toward whatever awaited him. Operation Reunion would occur with or without him. He had to go. People would die, there was no doubt in Tantalus¡¯s mind. Perhaps he could at least prevent some of them from dying unnecessarily. Chapter 44 - [The Edict of Ostracization] Day 6 Hotel Acheron 8:10 A.M. The lobby of Hotel Acheron contained even more Revenants than normal. Every seat was filled, and much of the floor space was taken up by standing soldiers or weapons leaned against walls or various pieces of furniture. When Tantalus stepped out of the elevator, many of the Revenants turned and others stood from their seats. All told, there must have been more than fifty Revenants in the lobby. Eska and the other members of Squad One were sitting in one corner of the lobby, and Tantalus immediately began walking toward them. Several people he didn¡¯t recognize asked for handshakes on the way over. Some of them had glowing yellow eyes as they wanted to record their first meeting with the Captain of the West Gate. Once he reached the corner of the room with the people he knew, he turned to Eska and said, ¡°Thanks for washing my cloak.¡± Tantalus noticed the barely suppressed response from Squad Two. Either news had begun to travel, or they were making connections of their own. Eska blushed slightly and said, ¡°Of course, it was no trouble at all.¡± Tantalus turned to Redgrave and said, ¡°Have the squad leaders disseminated the orders for Tango Company?¡± Redgrave looked from Eska to Tantalus for a moment, his eyes narrowing in thought. He clearly put two and two together before he responded. ¡°Yes, sir. We¡¯ll be heading to the staging area once Alpha Company and Mike Company have finished their initial deployment.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Tantalus said, ¡°I need to head to the Ducal Palace before the Operation begins. I¡¯ll meet you at the staging area. If I get into a car crash on the way to the Palace, you¡¯ll lead the operation in my stead.¡± ¡°Real funny, Jackass,¡± Redgrave said, laughing despite his harsh words. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to die until we actually run into the enemy.¡± ¡°Well, if I don¡¯t have your leave to die, then I¡¯ll surely live,¡± Tantalus laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll see guys in an hour,¡± he said to the two squads in front of him. Tantalus turned in place without another word and exited the lobby of Hotel Acheron. He didn¡¯t leave quite fast enough to not notice Pixie saying, ¡°Are you really¡­¡± As Tantalus walked to his pickup truck, he felt like whistling. It was strange, he hadn¡¯t felt that happy in a long time. He had told the truth to Squads T1 and T2, and they had accepted him, at least so far. Tantalus had convinced himself that people would find him pitiful or disgusting when he told them the truth. Well, he hadn¡¯t told them the whole truth. Either way, the fact that they didn¡¯t want to disassociate with him immediately after he showed them a glimpse of Vincent Blackwell was much more than he could hope for. The situation with Eska had certainly improved his mood. She was interested in him, that at least was something Tantalus could be confident in. Despite all of his rough edges, she seemed willing to accept him. Tantalus felt like a kid again, and the ominous meeting with the red-haired man did little to mitigate this happiness. Tantalus had just placed his Garand in the passenger seat when he heard something. He stopped his whistling for a moment to listen. There was a quiet whimpering coming from under the bed of his truck. Tantalus stuck his head under the truck, and he saw a small dog curled up in a ball. It was a German shepherd puppy. At a glance, it was clearly big enough to be a few months old but not quite big enough to be fully grown. Tantalus knew vanishingly little about dogs, but the puppy seemed old enough to survive without its mother¡¯s help. ¡°Hey, little guy,¡± Tantalus said, and the puppy turned its sad little eyes toward him. Tantalus reached into his satchel and produced a piece of jerky. ¡°Here, it tastes awful, but I¡¯m pretty sure you can eat it.¡± The puppy slowly left the area under Tantalus¡¯s truck before taking a careful bite of the jerky. After the initial bite, the puppy ate the rest of the jerky and then leaned against Tantalus¡¯s leg. Tantalus pet the puppy while checking its neck. There, he saw a collar with a dog tag. The name on the dog tag was faded and written in Iron Script. It was probably unreadable even to someone who was fluent in Iron Script. Tantalus looked down at the little puppy, and it looked back up at him with big round eyes. He looked down at the dog, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile widely at it. Then, Tantalus¡¯s expression turned to one of deep terror and horrible dread. He turned his head toward the source of a familiar feeling. He was being watched again. He jumped to his feet, frightening the puppy. ¡°Are you there, GM!?¡± Tantalus screamed at the sky. ¡°I see what you¡¯re doing! You¡¯re building me up so that you can tear me down later! But I¡¯ll tell you right now, it won¡¯t work! You will never break me! Do you hear me!? GM!? I¡¯ll be the one to kill you! Mark my words!" The sky did not respond. Tantalus stood there for a few seconds to catch his breath. He was completely alone except for the dog and the echoes of his own screamed words. Tantalus looked down, and the puppy remained where it was. It looked up at Tantalus with a look of concern. ¡°Sorry about that, little guy,¡± he pet the dog. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± Tantalus took the little dog back to the lobby of Hotel Acheron. Many of the soldiers rushed forward to pet the adorable puppy, and the puppy furiously wagged its tail in enjoyment as it was showered in adoration. Plenty of his soldiers immediately volunteered to look after the dog, and Tantalus told them to choose amongst themselves who would be in charge of it. They were already talking about names for the dog by the time Tantalus had left. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The second time, Tantalus was able to get in his car and leave Hotel Acheron with minimal difficulty. By the Sixth Day, Tantalus was able to navigate between the West Gate, Hotel Acheron, and the Ducal Palace with ease. After a few minutes of driving in silence, Tantalus pulled into the parking lot across the road of the Palace. A moment after he stopped his truck, Tantalus slapped his forehead with his palm. ¡°No, no, you are having a good day. Don¡¯t focus on the negatives.¡± Tantalus stepped out of his truck, and he started the short walk to the looming ivory Palace that had been home to House Mandelbrot for more than a thousand years. The Ducal Palace 8:30 A.M. Within a few minutes, Captain Tantalus, Chief Strategic Officer of the Osirian Revenant Division (CSO-ORD), was allowed into the situation room of the Ducal Palace. He walked past a group of NPC soldiers in brigandine wielding halberds and longswords. The soldiers looked upon Tantalus¡¯s weapons with distaste, and the feeling was mutual. Once he had reached the situation room, Tantalus saw that a surprisingly small number of people were present. It was just Duke Edwin Mandelbrot, Marshal Regis Evrett, General Dogwood, and Colonel Feldrast. The small number of people present meant that Tantalus would have to act as the representative of all Revenants in the City. ¡°Captain Tantalus,¡± General Dogwood said as the Revenant in grey and blue entered the situation room. ¡°Are your men prepared to carry out their duty?¡± ¡°They¡¯re as ready as they can be,¡± Tantalus reported. Tantalus took a moment to look around the situation room. It seemed incredibly empty with only five inhabitants. The other four individuals in the room were all crowded around the large central table, but they didn¡¯t even take up one-fourth of the space available at the table. The Duke was dressed in ceremonial clothes, and a black wand with esoteric engravings laid on the table immediately in front of him. A white stole hung from Duke Edwin¡¯s shoulders, and his long black coat almost brushed the ground. The Duke was clearly dressed in the kind of clothing a spellcaster would wear. The other three NPCs in the room wore the green military uniform which was standard for the ¡°regular¡± army of Osiris. To denote their high ranks, they all wore ceremonial swords hanging from their belts. The two generals were looking down at a map of Central Rubigo while the Marshal spoke to the Duke. ¡°We have taken your advice, Captain,¡± the Marshal said. ¡°For the initial stage of Operation Reunion, single targets will be assaulted by company-sized units of Revenants. I hope you know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± They took his advice when it came to methods of persecuting the war as long as his advice was of an offensive nature. ¡°Warfare with firearms is fundamentally different from war with spears and swords. Any more than a hundred men, and we¡¯ll just get in each other''s way.¡± ¡°Alpha Company and Tango Company will be solely responsible for the first stage of the Operation. Are you sure that you¡¯ll be able to take the railway and airport with just two-hundred men?¡± Regis Evrett asked. ¡°If GatorKing, FullDan, and I are there, then we¡¯ll have no difficulty taking the train station,¡± Tantalus responded. ¡°So, you¡¯re confident in the Heroes ability to complete the mission?¡± Marshal Evrett asked. ¡°Excuse me, heroes?¡± Tantalus asked, legitimately confused. The Duke was the one to respond. ¡°It is clear to us that there are certain Revenants who stand far above the others. ¡®Hero¡¯ is the term used to describe an individual whose greatness is clear for all who know him.¡± ¡°So, the S-ranks are Heroes, you say?¡± Tantalus mused. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean Ashcroft is a Hero? Aren¡¯t Heroes supposed to be¡­ heroic?¡± ¡°Why, yes,¡± the Duke seemed slightly amused by this conversation, ¡°though we might disagree what ¡®heroic¡¯ means. ¡®Heroism,¡¯ as far as the people of Ferrum are concerned, is synonymous with ¡®greatness.¡¯ I¡¯m aware that the Revenants largely believe that Heroes must be morally righteous, but I don¡¯t feel the same way.¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll cede the point,¡± Tantalus said. He wasn¡¯t a fan of having Hero slapped onto his ever-growing list of titles. ¡°I am quite confident in the martial ability of these ¡®Heroes.¡¯ This is why I recommended having Alpha, Mike, and Tango companies act as the spearhead for Operation Reunion.¡± ¡°We are perfectly fine with the three companies acting as a spearhead,¡± General Dogwood said, ¡°but you must remember that spears can be attacked from multiple directions.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Tantalus responded. ¡°Is there anything else you wish to speak with me about?¡± He directed his second sentence toward the whole room. ¡°Yes,¡± the Duke said. ¡°I called you here today primarily to tell you about the Edict of Ostracization. At noon today, I will cast the Edict, and all Revenants within the walls of Osiris will be marked.¡± ¡°Sir,¡± Tantalus tried to keep his distaste for the situation out of his tone, ¡°your primary goal of increasing the number of Revenants for Operation Reunion has already been served. It would be unnecessary to actually carry out the threat once the strike force has already left.¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± Duke Edwin said, ¡°that would work for other nobles, but the nobles of House Mandelbrot always carry through with their promises.¡± ¡°Fine, if you can¡¯t be convinced,¡± Tantalus began, ¡°then will you at least consider excluding the Revenants under eighteen from the Edict? My office sent you a list of the 791 children among the Revenants yesterday. Is it possible to exclude them?¡± The Duke was taken aback slightly by this news. ¡°I was unaware that there were children among the Revenants.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Tantalus said loud enough to be heard. ¡°Good thing GM gave us a window to change our avatars on the second day,¡± he whispered the second part to himself at such a volume that no one else could possibly hear him. ¡°I will exclude the list of Revenants you sent me. It would be a minor alteration to the ritual,¡± the Duke said. ¡°Thank you,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°No,¡± Duke Edwin Mandelbrot responded. ¡°Then I will return to my men,¡± Tantalus turned and took a step before pausing. ¡°Is the information you just gave me confidential, or may I inform the other Revenants of what you just told me regarding the Edict of Ostracization?¡± ¡°Everything I just told you regarding the Edict is public information. You may tell the Revenants if you wish,¡± said the Duke. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Tantalus said before leaving the situation room. Tantalus mulled over the information he had just been given as he walked. He was immediately certain that the Duke was using him as a conduit to tell the Revenants of the specifics of the Edict of Ostracization. At noon, all Revenants within the walls will be permanently branded with the ¡°Mark of the Outlaw.¡± Well, except those on the list Tantalus had given the Duke. The Duke was a rational man. Why would he still carry out the threat when it was absolutely unnecessary? He must have had some secondary goal. Two pieces clicked together in Tantalus¡¯s mind. Only those ¡°within the walls¡± would be affected. The Duke never said it was illegal to leave Osiris. The Duke¡¯s goal was to make the Revenants leave the safety of the walls. It was a defensive measure. If the Deluvians were to mount a counterattack, then they would run into a barrier of heavily armed Revenants before they would reach the walls. A powerful anger gripped Tantalus. He was about to exit out the front doors when he paused. He clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white. This collection of ones and zeroes decided to endanger thousands of actual lives in order to protect its own worthless life. There was no doubt in Tantalus¡¯s mind that he would have walked back in the situation room and killed the Duke himself if the Safe Zone wasn¡¯t still holding him back. Trying to hide his anger from the nearby guards, Tantalus wrote a forum post on the BloodNet. He did just as the Duke wanted and informed the other Revenants of the Edict of Ostracization. Chapter 45 - [A Lucky Soldier Hasnt Lived Long Enough] Central Osiris 9:00 AM Tantalus looked out the window as he drove to the West Gate. The sky was clear, but the air was a bit colder than was comfortable. If Tantalus were to guess, he would say that it was about 55¡ãF outside. While certainly not freezing, it would be uncomfortable to be caught outside without a heat source in such weather. Most wars were waged in the spring and summer for this reason. Large military advances involved sleeping outside, and this was easier to do when the weather was warm. The red pickup truck came to a stop in the parking lot near the West Gate. Tantalus would have to leave it there while he was gone. He would have liked to bring the truck with him on the long four-hundred-mile trip to New Arcadia, but less than 10% of the Greycloaks knew how to drive a stick shift, so it couldn¡¯t be used by the Logistics Department. It wasn¡¯t big enough to hold a full squad, so it couldn¡¯t be used to transport soldiers. Tantalus stopped the ignition of his pickup truck and left the parking lot. He swung his Garand over his shoulder, and he began the short walk to the West Gate. The huge car pileup blocking the Gate was gone at that point, and the road was clear. As Tantalus walked, several SUVs passed by him and through the West Gate. He waved at them as they passed. Some of the SUVs bore an ¡°A¡± and then a number, and others bore a ¡°T¡± and then a number. Soon, an SUV with the symbol ¡°A1¡± drove past Tantalus. It continued to coast for about a hundred feet past the Captain before it came to a screeching halt by the sidewalk. Out of the SUV walked the Captain of Alpha Company, Ashcroft the Hero. Ashcroft came jogging up to Tantalus and began walking next to him. As he did so, Ashcroft slung his Garand over his shoulder. ¡°So, Tantalus, did you talk to the Duke?¡± ¡°I did,¡± Tantalus responded briefly. ¡°What did he say?¡± Ashcroft asked. At that point, they had passed by the SUV, and it began ambling along in order to keep up with the two walking men. ¡°Nothing that concerns you or me,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°Though,¡± a sly smile appeared on his lips, ¡°he did say something that I think you¡¯ll get a kick out of. Apparently, the NPCs have started calling you and me ¡®heroes.¡¯¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem right,¡± Ashcroft frowned. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure they still view me as a mass-murderer.¡± ¡°Have you ever heard of Thomas Carlyle?¡± Tantalus asked. ¡°How could I forget? You mentioned him whenever we talked about Napoleon,¡± Ashcroft said. ¡°The NPCs use the word ¡®Hero¡¯ in the same way that Thomas Carlyle used the phrase ¡®Great Man.¡¯ A man is a Hero because he is great, not because he is good,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°Weird,¡± Ashcroft rubbed his chin. ¡°I¡¯m not complaining, though. I¡¯ve always wanted to be called a Hero.¡± ¡°Nice chat,¡± Tantalus slapped Ashcroft on the back, ¡°but you¡¯re needed at an airport.¡± ¡°The boys can handle it without me,¡± Ashcroft said, beginning to walk toward the SUV with A1 written on the side. ¡°We¡¯ll probably only face slight resistance. I just can¡¯t get excited if we aren¡¯t outnumbered ten-to-one, at least.¡± At the end of his sentence, Ashcroft stepped inside the SUV. As the SUV sped away, Tantalus waved at the departing car and said with a dark look on his face, ¡°Trust me, you¡¯ll get your wish.¡± Tantalus soon reached the interior of the gatehouse. Within were eleven Revenants Tantalus had never met before, a van with a T1 written on the side, and Redgrave leaning against the van. The unknown Revenants were talking nervously amongst themselves until Tantalus approached. Though these soldiers were nervous, they carried their weapons with obvious familiarity. All of them had achieved a rank of B or higher in Ninth Oasis. ¡°Soldiers,¡± Tantalus spoke with a voice that could be heard even over the passing cars, ¡°you¡¯re all here because you¡¯ve been chosen to lead the battle-companies of the Osirian Revenant Division. Each of you is in command of a hundred battle-ready men, and that was no accident. I hereby officially grant all of you the brevet rank of Lieutenant. As far as I¡¯m concerned, however, all of you are captains. You are in full command of your companies, and I will not challenge any orders you give. A hundred soldiers have entrusted their lives to each and every one of you. Are you prepared to bear that burden?¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± some of the company commanders responded, and others soon followed suit. ¡°We¡¯re all company commanders, you don¡¯t have to call me sir,¡± Tantalus responded with a wave of his hand. ¡°You all know where you need to go. Head out!¡± The eleven Revenants dispersed. Some of them saluted before they left, and Tantalus answered with an informal two-finger salute. Half of them went toward the City, and the other half went out of the City. Tantalus shouted one last sentence at their retreating forms, ¡°And remember to get your companies out of Osiris before noon!¡± After he was done speaking, Tantalus walked up to the SUV that was carrying his squad. Redgrave was standing outside of the SUV, but the remaining three members of Squad T1 were sitting within the car. Elias was sitting in the passenger seat, Grim was sitting in one of the middle seats, and Synth was in one of the back seats. ¡°I see you didn¡¯t get into a car crash, Captain,¡± Redgrave said as Tantalus approached. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate, I know. Now you have to deal with me as a commanding officer,¡± Tantalus responded sarcastically. Without delay, Tantalus got into the SUV in the middle seat. A moment later, Redgrave got into the SUV as the driver. The car started to move, and it soon passed through the portcullis of the West Gate. After passing through the cinders of burnt houses for a few seconds, the SUV pulled out into the staging area. Dozens of vehicles and hundreds of Revenants had spread out in the area immediately outside of the West Gate. ¡°Redgrave, do you know how the initial stage of the advance went? Did Mike Company lose any Revenants?¡± Tantalus asked. ¡°Oh yeah, I heard some of Mander¡¯s boys talking. Apparently, they combed everything for several miles outside of the West Gate. They didn¡¯t run into anything,¡± Redgrave responded. ¡°No Deluvians?¡± Tantalus asked, his worry increasing. ¡°Not a single Goblin,¡± Redgrave responded. The SUV continued driving past the many soldiers of Mander¡¯s battle-company. Countless vehicles filtered past the window; each one had an ¡°M¡± and a number written on its side. The numbers went up to 20 to denote the squad that used the vehicle. ¡°When we left the City every time before this, we ran into Deluvian resistance almost immediately,¡± Tantalus said, pulling out a cigarette to calm his nerves. ¡°Needless to say, this concerns me.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re gonna smoke in the car, at least open a window,¡± Redgrave said. Tantalus pressed the button next to his seat, and his window opened. ¡°Drast,¡± he chanted, and the reassuring smoke hit his lungs. ¡°Before we get to our own staging area, I want a sound-off from everyone.¡± ¡°One,¡± Elias muttered after a long moment. He clutched the shotgun he held between his legs more tightly as he spoke. ¡°Two,¡± Redgrave smiled. ¡°Three,¡± Grim said. ¡°Four,¡± Synth cheered. He tapped his scoped rifle twice. ¡°Five,¡± Tantalus finished. As they drove, a silence overtook the SUV. It was about five miles to Tango Company¡¯s first objective, and the roads leading there were thin and winding. It would take at least ten minutes to reach the staging area. In order to spend the time, Tantalus opened his leatherbound notebook to the first ten pages. Those ten pages held all of the spells Tantalus knew how to cast. Mentally, he called this portion of his notebook his ¡°Spellbook,¡± but he would never say it out loud. The Spellbook was unnecessary for casting, but Tantalus liked to hold all of his spells in one place so that he would not forget which tools he had at his disposal. The following spells were in his spellbook: Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. [Fire Bolt]: Sen (creates a cloud of flammable gas (-2 MP)), drast (creates a spark (-1 MP)), ignis (flings point in space (-2 MP)). [Wind Wall]: Vento (creates wind centered on self (-3 MP)), thrush (moderately condenses elemental effect (-2 MP)). [Wind Knife]: Vento (creates wind centered on self (-3 MP)), karth (significantly condenses elemental effect (-4 MP)). [Lightning Bolt]: Fulgur (creates a highly electrically charged point in space (-3 MP)), nexum (connects elemental effect to another point within thirty feet (-2 MP)). [Freeze]: Gelum (makes a point in space significantly colder (-3 MP)). [Earth Pillar]: Terra (moves a five-foot cube of earth (-2 MP)), vivificare (triples effect of earlier incantation (x3 MP)). [Fog Cloud]: Caligo (creates a fog-like substance (-2 MP per cubic meter of fog)). [Create Object]: Creo (creates a solid object (-1 MP per 200 grams created), mutat (sculpts a non-living object (-1 MP per kilogram)). [Lift Object]: Hoc mihi placet leva (lift object of one thousand pounds or less (-1 MP per second)). [Shield]: Teneo ab omni noxa (completely coats the caster in an impenetrable barrier (-10 mana per four seconds)). [Antidote]: Perdere int corpus (destroys a single compound within target (-5 MP at least, variable)). Tantalus had added a few new spells to his Spellbook. He had learned the majority of his spells from Riemann, but he had learned some of the most interesting spells during his fight with the wendigo. Tantalus had also learned three spells from a book given to him by Maria Feldrast. Technically, the [Shield] and [Lift Object] spells were rituals. The caster would be required to chant the incantation continuously for the spell to be maintained. These spells were very mana intensive, however, and both would completely drain Tantalus¡¯s measly thirty mana within less than a minute. One last time before they reached the train station, Tantalus opened his Menu. Character Sheet
Name Tantalus45
Level 13
Blood Points 130/130
Mana Points 37/38
Race Revenant
Fortitude 13
Strength 13
Agility 15
Wisdom 14
Attribute Modifiers: Strength Training (3), Mana Training (12)
Talents
Dead Magic (s)
Holy Blood
Rapid Healing
Traditions Known: Source Magic, Elemental Magic
Source Elemental
Antidote Earth Pillar
Create Object Fire Bolt
Lift Object Fog Cloud
Shield Freeze
Lightning Bolt
Wind Knife
Wind Wall
Tantalus had just finished going over his Spellbook when the SUV came to a stop. He looked outside his window to see several dozen cloaked individuals hiding in the shadow of a small cliff. One figure was lying prone at the top of the cliff in order to see over it. The figure at the top of the cliff was hiding in the shade of a boulder and looking through a pair of binoculars. Squad T1 dismounted their vehicle, which had been parked among nineteen other similarly marked SUVs. Tantalus crouched low to the ground and looked around at the Revenants arrayed around him. Seventy soldiers from the militia had been added to their number in order to get them up to full company strength. ¡°Squads 1 through 6, with me,¡± Tantalus said at a volume just loud enough to be heard by everyone in the clearing. ¡°Squads 7 through 20, stay back one hundred yards. Line formation.¡± Squad 1 began walking around the cliff while squads 2 through 6 followed close after. The figure at the top of the cliff quickly crawled down and approached Tantalus. Under the obscuring hood was the face of FullDan. ¡°Captain,¡± FullDan whispered, ¡°I didn¡¯t see any contacts through the binoculars.¡± ¡°Either no one¡¯s home or it¡¯s an ambush,¡± Tantalus whispered back. ¡°Remember my motto?¡± ¡°A lucky soldier hasn¡¯t lived long enough,¡± FullDan responded quickly. ¡°Exactly, keep your head down,¡± Tantalus finished the conversation. The six squads exited the cover of the cliff and saw a large black structure about a thousand feet away. Their target, the Osirian Railyard, was close. Slowly, ever so slowly, they approached in a line formation. Squads in line formation moved in opposite order to stack formation. The squad leader would be in the front, and the door-knocker would be in the rear. Line formation was used when the squad was likely to engage at long distances. That way, the squad leader could more easily give commands and the door-knocker, who would be unhelpful at such a range any way, could be kept out of the way. When the squads were less than a hundred feet away from their objective at the center of the railyard, a deafening staccato exploded out from a darkened third-floor window of the central building. Like a bird of prey descending upon a clueless rabbit, machine-gun fire descended upon the Revenants. Immediately, one of the men from Gator¡¯s squad fell to the ground. An instant later, dirt erupted out of the ground less than twenty feet to Tantalus¡¯s right. The Captain was completely out of cover, and the machine-gun fire raked across the soldiers out in the open. Tantalus had less than three seconds to react before the line of molten death would reach him. ¡°Terra!¡± Tantalus frantically chanted, and a mound of earth rose up out of the ground. He dived prone as several arcing lines of molten lead passed over his head. Some of the bullets struck the dirt but did not penetrate through the clump of magically shifted earth. The bullets sounded like loud, angry wasps as they struck the dirt. Tantalus turned around to see that Elias and Synth had fallen to the ground. Blood had already started to pool beneath their prone bodies. ¡°Terra vivificare!¡± Tantalus chanted. A fifteen-foot-long wall of dirt sprang up from the ground and blocked the two Revenants from Tantalus¡¯s view. He only hoped that they had the wherewithal to heal themselves before they went into shock. The Captain of the West Gate closed his eyes and opened his ears. He listened for the telltale sound of incoming fire. He could hear the zipping sound of bullets flying through the air at high speed and burying themselves in the dirt or unsuspecting bodies. Tantalus could hear as the sound of angry wasps grew quieter, and the angle of fire turned away from his position. Taking a few terrified breaths to steady his aim and prepare for death, Tantalus jumped out of cover and leveled the sights of his semi-automatic rifle on the source of the gunfire. If the shooter was still aiming at his cover, waiting for him to stick his head out, he would be killed. Tantalus moved anyway; he had no choice. The barrel of a stationary machine gun was just barely sticking out of a darkened window, but Tantalus could not see anything within the window. Tantalus¡¯s rifle spat two shots into the window, and he heard the sound of bullets striking steel. A faceplate was blocking his shot. Tantalus gritted his teeth and steadied his rifle against the conjured wall of earth. He couldn¡¯t hit his target¡¯s head at the current angle, but he would be able to hit the machine gun¡¯s operator if the machine gun was aimed directly at him. Sweat dripped from Tantalus¡¯s forehead, and his breathing became ragged as the machine gun slowly turned. The arc of the machine gun got closer and closer and closer, but Tantalus didn¡¯t budge. Then, as a bullet whizzed by less than a foot away from Tantalus¡¯s right shoulder, he saw it, a shade of green against a black backdrop. He pulled the trigger, his rifle jerked against his shoulder, and the Goblin¡¯s head exploded. In its death spasm, the goblin pulled down on the machine gun. The bullet that would have struck Tantalus directly in the heart instead flew three feet over his head. Tantalus collapsed to the ground as the machine gun fire stopped. He hadn¡¯t yet caught his breath when he saw Redgrave come sprinting past his location. When he stuck his head out from cover, more than a dozen of his soldiers were charging toward the main railyard building. A brief exchange of gunfire sounded from inside the main building, but it went silent after a few seconds. Tantalus crouched down low and cautiously walked over to where Elias and Synth had fallen. As Tantalus peeked past the dirt mound he had conjured, he saw the barrel of a pistol rise up to meet him. Elias was leaning against the mound with one hand on his gun and the other on his abdomen. Tantalus saw as a tangle of intestines snaked their way back inside of Elias¡¯s stomach. Beside him was Synth who slowly raised his body up to a sitting position. Synth had been hit in the left arm and thigh. ¡°What a shame,¡± Elias said, lowering his gun, ¡°you didn¡¯t get hit.¡± Tantalus collapsed against the conjured mound of dirt. Within that damaged valley, surrounded by the moans of dying men, he laughed. Chapter 46 - [The Hidden Platform] West of Osiris 9:45 A.M. After that, the railyard was taken with little difficulty. Redgrave and Gator reached the machine gun nest before another goblin could take the first one¡¯s place. When the casualties had been tallied, Tantalus learned that thirteen men had been injured; two were injured so badly that they would have to sit out the rest of Operation Reunion. Valdore in Gator¡¯s squad lost his right leg, and Sun from VK¡¯s squad lost his left arm at the shoulder. Miraculously, nobody died. Tantalus thanked the universe for being merciful as Valdore and Sun began the slow process of walking back toward the company¡¯s vehicles. Grim had just injected Elias with a needle attached to a blood bag when the leader of Squad T9 approached Tantalus. He was a nervous-looking man who had a bandolier of small pouches strung over one shoulder. The man saluted and said, ¡°C-captain, we¡¯ve found¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t salute me in the field,¡± Tantalus firmly chastised the man. ¡°Y-yes sir, I am so sorry sir,¡± the man recoiled at his own incompetence. It was only at this point that Tantalus recalled the man¡¯s name. His username was ScottishDog, but everyone on the forums called him Scotch. He wasn¡¯t exactly officer material, but he was a veteran of Ninth Oasis, though he never achieved a rank. ¡°I¡¯m h-here to tell you that we¡¯ve found two trains, but the lead cars have been destroyed.¡± Tantalus got to his feet. ¡°Are you guys okay here?¡± ¡°Just peachy,¡± Elias said, his face pale from blood loss. At least his eye had grown back, so he no longer had to wear the eye patch. ¡°Take me to the train,¡± Tantalus stood up straight from the earthen rampart he was leaning against and began to follow Scotch. When he saw one of the trains, Tantalus could immediately tell that repairs were impossible. Huge dents had been made in the engine, and the fragile machinery within had been torn out. The train¡¯s walls had been bent, and wheels had been torn off their axles. It was as if the lead train car had been crushed by an impossibly strong creature. Tantalus figured that one of the Ogres must have destroyed the lead train car, though a part of him doubted that even they would be strong enough to destroy the train in such a way. ¡°You¡¯re right, Scotch, these trains have been completely destroyed. Have you found any others?¡± Tantalus asked. ¡°No, sir,¡± Scotch said, clearly surprised that the Captain knew his name. ¡°Thanks,¡± Tantalus patted Scotch on the shoulder before turning toward the crowd of Revenants standing nearby and shouted. ¡°I need to talk to Squad 20! Are they here!?¡± A group of five soldiers about a hundred feet from Tantalus approached him. One of the five men had a conspicuous hump on his back where he was carrying a primitive cell phone device like a backpack. Squad 20 stopped next to Captain Tantalus and awaited his next command. ¡°I need to speak to General Dogwood,¡± Tantalus told Squad 20. ¡°Do we have a signal here?¡± ¡°Yes, sir, I believe so,¡± the Revenant carrying the cell phone said. He removed his grey cloak and his backpack and placed both on the ground. Tantalus stepped over to the large device and kneeled down. The device was held within a large black canvas case which had a number of zippers. Tantalus unzipped the top zipper and saw a metal box with a brick-sized handset attached to the side. The handset, the portion of the phone that actually resembled a phone, was connected to the metal electronics box with a long corkscrew cord. It was a far cry from the smartphones that Tantalus was used to, but it would serve his purposes. A green light on the box told Tantalus that the cellular phone still had a signal. He had been told by General Dogwood that the phone would work if it was within five miles of a cell tower. Tantalus pulled the handset from its cradle, and he held it up to his ear. He punched in General Dogwood¡¯s number and waited. ¡°This is the General,¡± the voice on the other side said. ¡°Have you cleared out the railyard yet, Captain Tantalus?¡± Tantalus would have to get the central command to adopt some kind of electronic security at some point. ¡°Yes. We were ambushed, and two men are too injured to continue with the operation. In addition, all the trains we have found so far have been sabotaged.¡± A grunt could be heard from the other end of the call. ¡°Smart,¡± the General grunted. ¡°They usually don¡¯t get this smart until later in the Deluge.¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Tantalus said, furrowing his brow. ¡°It¡¯s not important. There should be a locked door near Platform 3. Send some Greycloaks over there to break down the door. There¡¯s an underground platform, and the staircase leading to the platform is behind that door. Let¡¯s just hope the enemy didn¡¯t find the hidden platform.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°I didn''t know the top brass had already started using that name." The General chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s what everybody calls your soldiers. There¡¯s Ashcroft¡¯s Knights, Mander¡¯s Templars, and Tantalus¡¯s Greycloaks.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll check the hidden platform, sir," Tantalus said. Within fifteen minutes, the locked door by Platform 3 was open. In order to get to the door, they had to walk through an employees-only section of the station. The door was attached to an innocuous break room. It was so well-hidden that it took three squads ten minutes to find it. The door was shot open, and FullDan¡¯s squad was sent in to clear it out. Tantalus would have sent in Squad One or Three, but both squads had injured members. FullDan and most of Squad Five switched to their sidearms before they entered the staircase leading to the railyard¡¯s basement. The staircase was incredibly cramped and dark, so any fighting would be at a range of no more than ten feet. Every man after the door-knocker in Squad Five carried flashlights in their off hand. The man in the front had both hands full with the shotgun. Squad Five entered the basement. After a few minutes of silence, the all-clear signal echoed out into the break room where Tantalus and Redgrave were standing. The uninjured members of Squads One and Three entered the staircase once the all-clear signal was sent. As soon as he exited the dark staircase, Tantalus found himself in a subway station. It was well-lit and about the size of three platforms of the train station above. On the tracks in the center of the cavernous recess beneath the railyard was a huge undamaged train. The train must have had more than fifty cars. The whole train couldn¡¯t fit on a single track, so it had to snake along several switchbacks. At a glance, it seemed as if there were three trains.
11: 15 A.M. About an hour later, Tantalus stood on the platform with General Dogwood, Colonel Feldrast, Captain Ashcroft, and Captain Mander. The five of them together were the most important officers of the Vanguard Unit that would be leading the assault. Alpha Company, Mike Company, Tango Company, and the Osirian 5th Infantry Brigade would serve as the spearhead of Operation Reunion. A thousand NPC soldiers and most of Tango Company were in the process of boarding the train. All of the support soldiers of Tango Company who were rated at a yellow danger level were also boarding the train. Lieutenant Kuro was helping pack large crates of supplies on the train. More than a hundred Revenants and players were helping load the supply cars in the back. All told, the train would hold about 1,200 soldiers. General Dogwood said that the train had the capacity to hold 2,000 soldiers between its 40 passenger cars, but he didn¡¯t want to keep too much of the Vanguard Unit in one place. ¡°So, I take it the airport was a bust,¡± Tantalus whispered to Ashcroft. ¡°Yeah,¡± Ashcroft grunted, ¡°they ambushed us with machine guns, but I was able to give enough of a warning that we only took minimal injuries.¡± ¡°I really gotta get someone with Future Sight on my team,¡± Tantalus muttered. ¡°Future Sight is a Rare ability, according to my Menu. Only a thousand people per server are eligible,¡± Ashcroft said, pride evident in his voice. ¡°Only 3% eligibility,¡± Tantalus said, ¡°that is rare.¡± Tantalus decided to not mention that his special ability was Unique, and only 0.003% of people were eligible to take it. ¡°I wonder if the System is showing favoritism.¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± Ashcroft grinned wolfishly. ¡°Not that I have a problem with it.¡± The conversation between the two generals ended as a man with lapels designating him a major entered the subway station and walked up to the two high-ranking officers. ¡°The 5th Brigade is ready to deploy,¡± the major reported. General Dogwood cleared his throat. Physically speaking, the General was an old man, though he retained his vigor despite his old age. He was a large man who stood well above six feet tall, and his shoulders were broad. His hair had turned entirely grey, though the military cap he always wore did a good job of concealing this fact. He carried a huge greatsword on his back, and Tantalus always wondered if the sword was merely ceremonial. It seemed unfeasible for an older man to use such a huge sword in combat. Other than the cap, old age, and greatsword, General Dogwood looked like any other NPC soldier. He wore the green tabard over chainmail that the NPC soldiers wore when they were expecting to see combat. ¡°Soldiers of Osiris, today is the day we begin Operation Reunion!¡± General Dogwood announced loud enough for everyone in the station to hear. ¡°We¡¯ll bring the fight to the Deluvians, and we will reach New Arcadia. Today, human and Revenant will together deliver unto the monstrous horde their first defeat. And then we will reconnect with Fulvang as well. And then we will clear all of Rubigo of their evil! And then we will sail to Merkopia and kill the God of Machines once more! Go out there and show your mettle for all of Ferrum to see!¡± The soldiers within that subway system, both Revenant and NPC alike, raised their fists into the air and cheered out in righteous fury. Chapter 47 - [Demon Mask] 11:45 AM Tantalus sat and stared out through the window at the rapidly passing countryside. The train car he was sitting in carried fifty other Revenants from Tango Company. If he was correct, the Revenants sitting in this car were from Squads T1 to T10. The train car immediately behind the one he was currently sitting in carried fifty support soldiers. The Greycloaks completely filled four of the passenger cars. The passenger car was nice enough. There were twenty seats on each side of the central walkway, and each seat could comfortably hold two people. There was still plenty of room left over, even with the fifty Revenants in the train car, though it would be very cramped to sleep there. Tantalus sat next to Redgrave at the front of the train car. As he looked, Tantalus saw a small settlement pass by. Small houses and businesses dotted the landscape, but Tantalus did not see a single person. The structures there were in a similar state of disrepair to the buildings outside of the walls of Osiris. ¡°Do you think the whole world is like this, Redgrave?¡± Tantalus muttered. Redgrave looked out the window. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, Riemann kept going on and on about the Outer Kingdoms. They¡¯re far away from the Breach, so they¡¯re probably fine.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Tantalus spoke to himself. ¡°Though, I wonder if those outer kingdoms will stand a chance against whatever intelligent foe controls the Deluvians. They retreat just as we attack, they leave ambushes to hamper our progress, they sabotage transportation infrastructure just as it¡¯s needed. We call them Orcs and Goblins, but they¡¯re clearly capable of intelligent military strategy. Honestly, they¡¯re doing what I would do.¡± ¡°Terrifying,¡± Redgrave joked. ¡°What would you do next if you were them?¡± ¡°I¡¯d destroy bridges and roads to slow the enemy¡¯s advance enough to the point that I could move all of my forces to a point in the enemy¡¯s path,¡± Tantalus muttered automatically. ¡°So far, it seems like that¡¯s exactly what they¡¯re doing,¡± Redgrave said. There was a peal of laughter from behind Tantalus and Redgrave. The two Revenants turned around to see the women of Squad T2 crowded around the dog that Tantalus had found under his truck. The puppy¡¯s tail was wagging, and its tongue protruded from its mouth. Mirage stroked the puppy¡¯s back with a smile on her face. That was the first time that Tantalus had seen her smile. ¡°Have you guys decided on a name for it yet?¡± Tantalus asked Pixie. ¡°We decided to name him Odysseus, Odie for short,¡± Pixie smiled. ¡°A character from ancient Greek legend known for going to the underworld,¡± Tantalus said, ¡°sounds familiar.¡± ¡°We got the idea from you, of course,¡± Pixie said. ¡°It was the only name that everyone could agree on.¡± Tantalus checked his watch. The Duke would be casting the Edict of Ostracization at any moment.
4:00 P.M. Several hours passed without the train stopping. Tantalus spent most of the time talking to his squad, talking to Eska, and looking after Odie. At one point, Colonel Feldrast asked to speak with him. She had a private room near the front of the train. During this conversation, Maria Feldrast asked Tantalus whether he thought Operation Reunion would be successful. Colonel Feldrast was the only high-ranking NPC who really bought into the idea of Tantalus the Great Strategist. She had tried to convince General Dogwood to change the plan for Operation Reunion when Tantalus suggested it. The conversation they had on the first day must have made her think more highly of him. Tantalus gave her an answer: 15%. "Why? What do you think will go wrong?" Colonel Feldrast asked. "We are walking into the most obvious trap ever set," Tantalus snarled. "Dogwood and Mandelbrot think that we''ll be fine due to the sheer number of soldiers involved. I''m not so optimistic. Something involving the Dark Apostles is going to happen, I guarantee it." "That should be impossible," Colonel Feldrast said, but doubt had started to appear on her face. "The Dark Apostles have never previously appeared within the first year of the Deluge. What makes you think they will interfere with the mission?" "Not to be disrespectful, Colonel, but I''m afraid I must answer your question with a question of my own." Tantalus took a sip of tea from the two sets of fine China that sat between the two of them. The tea had been poured by an officer with the rank of major. "Are Dark Apostles easily distinguishable from humans?" This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. "What?" Maria Feldrast asked with unhidden shock on her face. "No, they are not. But... that''s top-secret information. How did you know?" "As I thought," Tantalus said, staring hard at his teacup. "The man I met last night was a Dark Apostle, wasn''t he?" "No, it''s impossible," Colonel Feldrast tried to sound confident, but she could not hide the doubt from her voice. An hour later, Tantalus was sitting next to Redgrave when the train came to a screeching halt. He was shaken out of the silent trance he had been in for the past half hour. ¡°We¡¯ve stopped,¡± Tantalus said as he stood from his seat. ¡°Synth, do you hear any troop movement near the train?¡± After a long moment of silence, Synth responded. ¡°No, sir.¡± ¡°Squad T1, with me,¡± Tantalus gestured for his squad to follow him. Tantalus and his squad walked through ten train cars, each filled with fifty NPC soldiers, before they reached the train car which held the two commanding officers. General Dogwood stood in the hallway with a man dressed in the uniform of a civilian working on the train. As Squad T1 approached, Dogwood turned and spoke to them. ¡°The bridge is out. We¡¯re lucky the train was only going at half speed. Otherwise, we would have gone into the river.¡± ¡°Was it sabotage?¡± Tantalus asked. ¡°We can¡¯t be sure yet, but that certainly seems likely,¡± General Dogwood said. ¡°What are we going to do now?¡± Tantalus asked. ¡°It seems like we¡¯ll have to find some other way to cross the river.¡± The General smiled mirthfully at Tantalus¡¯s words. ¡°That would be the case, if we didn¡¯t have three powerful mages on board. Feldrast, Graf, and I will be able to rebuild the bridge within an hour.¡± ¡°I guess we just can¡¯t compete when it comes to magic, at least not yet,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°While you do that, please allow my men and me to sweep the surrounding area for hidden enemies.¡± ¡°If your palms are tingling, Captain, then I won¡¯t stop you. Permission granted,¡± the General turned and stepped off the train without another word.
Soon after, all twenty combat squads of Greycloaks had spread out in all directions on their side of the river. Tantalus went north; Gator, now strengthened with two new men from Bravo Company, went east; and FullDan went south. It was soon apparent, however, that there was no major Deluvian threat waiting for them. The Greycloaks searched the area within a mile of the destroyed bridge for twenty minutes without any sound other than the occasional all-clear signal from nearby Revenants. ¡°There¡¯s nothing here, Captain,¡± Elias said after Squad T1 cleared the tenth empty building. ¡°Maybe,¡± Tantalus sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s split up to search our area more effectively.¡± Tantalus looked around at the quadrant they were designated to search. He pointed out four buildings one after another and told each man to search one. ¡°...and I¡¯ll search that old motel.¡± Squad T1 split up to search the area. Grim yawned in boredom as he went to search his own building. Tantalus reached the motel. It had three floors, and each floor had about ten rooms. He went to open the first door, and it was unlocked. Tantalus checked every corner of the room with his pistol raised and his Garand slung behind his back. He went and did the same thing with all of the rooms on the first floor and then all of the floors on the second floor. Eventually, he reached the second door on the third floor. He tried the handle, and it was locked. Tantalus had checked twenty-one rooms before this one, and none of them were locked. ¡°Sen, thrush, drast,¡± Tantalus chanted, and a small explosion centered on the door¡¯s lock caused the door to open inward. He usually wouldn¡¯t use six mana to open any random door, but something about this door made Tantalus think that it was significant. A moment after the door exploded inward, Tantalus stepped into the room with his pistol raised. He looked inside the room and saw a backpack propped up against a wall. The covers on the bed were scattered, and the door to the bathroom was open. Like the other room he had just entered, there was a sunroof with a vanity shutter built into the roof of the room. This was strange. All twenty-one other rooms he had just searched seemed completely untouched as if in preparation for a new guest. Someone had clearly stayed in this room recently. Tantalus checked the bathroom, and no one was there. He returned to the bedroom and went to check the backpack. He unzipped it. Within were food, clothes, and¡­ ammunition. Tantalus took his hand out of the backpack, and removed a magazine filled with 9mm parabellum cartridges. There were no guns in Osiris that used ammunition like that. Without warning, Tantalus¡¯s gaze was drawn upward by a sudden crash. Something large had smashed through the sunroof above him. As Tantalus looked up, he saw a man wielding a katana rapidly descending toward him. The man was wearing an overcoat, and a demon mask covered the bottom half of his face. The katana-wielding man was screaming at the top of his lungs as he fell, and the sound was barely suppressed by his metal mask. Tantalus began to raise his pistol, but he realized that the katana would reach his head before he could shoot the man. At the last moment, Tantalus raised his pistol in a defensive posture in order to interrupt the arc of the plunging katana. An instant before the katana struck Tantalus¡¯s pistol, an unnatural pure-black aura enveloped the blade and began streaking behind it. The blade struck the pistol, and it was not slowed. As if it were cutting through butter and not iron, the katana passed through the gun and sliced into Tantalus¡¯s body. Tantalus jumped backwards away from the attack, just barely dodging a second swing. As he looked down, he saw that a trail of his own blood had formed on the ground. Stunned, Tantalus looked at his pistol. The gun¡¯s slide had been perfectly removed from its grip. The 1911¡¯s slide laid on the ground next to two of Tantalus¡¯s fingers. Chapter 48 - [A Katana and a Luger] Yavin¡¯s Crossing 5:04 P.M. The remnants of Captain Tantalus¡¯s pistol dropped from his hand. Before it hit the ground, the man in the demon mask had already begun his next attack. In the space of a second, the man swung his curved sword twice from two different directions. Tantalus frantically dodged out of the way of both attacks, completely unable to formulate a battle strategy. The Captain drew his combat knife with his left hand as he dodged the second strike, and he was able to use it to deflect the third strike. Tantalus backed through the motel room¡¯s doorway. The demon attempted to cut the Captain with a vicious horizontal slash, but the katana struck the doorframe. For a moment, the right side of Tantalus¡¯s body was concealed from the demon. Tantalus used this opportunity to draw a throwing knife with his right hand. He had to grip the well-balanced knife in a way he wasn¡¯t accustomed to due to his missing fingers. The throwing knife exited Tantalus¡¯s hand a few milliseconds after it entered the demon¡¯s sightline. The man in the demon mask just barely had time to angle his body before the throwing knife struck him. The knife embedded itself into the demon¡¯s chest, but it struck at an angle. What would have been a strike to the heart instead became a glancing shot that didn¡¯t reach the lung. The demon jerked backward at the unexpected attack. He frantically moved his katana into an ox guard with the blade pointed directly at Tantalus. With the few seconds of breathing room Tantalus had just bought for himself, he drew a throwing knife with his injured hand and got into a defensive stance. The demon removed the knife from his ribcage with a single swift motion, and blood began flowing from the wound. It may have not had the intended effect, but at least it caused him to bleed. Tantalus used a skill he had not used ever since his time as a professional player of Ninth Oasis. In the space of a single half-second blink, he opened his Menu and burned that brief blue box into his short-term memory. Though he was not able to consider his Character Sheet in that fraction of a second, he was able to examine it using his mind''s eye in the seconds that followed. Character Sheet
Name Tantalus45
Level 13
Blood Points 115/130
Mana Points 32/38
Race Revenant
Fortitude 13
Strength 13
Agility 15
Wisdom 14
Attribute Modifiers: Strength Training (3), Mana Training (12) Tantalus frantically analyzed the situation before the demon launched another withering attack. Assuming that the man in the demon mask was a Revenant, the black aura must have been the effect of his special ability. Somehow, the demon must have been able to strengthen his attacks, but he had only done it once. Tantalus had been able to deflect one of the demon¡¯s subsequent attacks with his knife, and another attack was stopped by the doorframe. The black aura attack either used up valuable resources, like mana, or it had a recharge time. Considering that many Talents used up mana, Tantalus assumed it was the former. Tantalus considered briefly if he should use any spells. He knew quite a few, but the incantation for any of them would take far too long. The demon could close the distance and hit Tantalus with a killing blow in half the time it would take to say three words. Given a moment to pause, Tantalus brought his lips together and made a bird call loud enough that he hoped some of Squad T1 could hear him. Enemy contact. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Tantalus willed his wounds to be healed. The cut was wide but shallow. It wouldn¡¯t have killed him anyway, but the dull pain throughout his hand and chest made it hard to focus. The blood pool on the demon¡¯s chest soon stopped expanding. He must have healed his own wounds. ¡°Who are you?¡± Tantalus asked the man in the demon mask. In response, the demon surged forward like a river. He transferred the ox guard into a downward cut a moment before he reached the Captain. Tantalus frantically diverted the attack with his combat knife. The demon was off balance for a mere instant once the strike went wide, and Tantalus used this opportunity to strike at the demon¡¯s side with his throwing knife. The demon intercepted Tantalus¡¯s attack with a swiftly raised knee. The demon¡¯s raised leg then transferred into a forward kick, and the throwing knife was knocked to the ground. A lethal blow was aimed at Tantalus¡¯s neck, and he was forced to roll backward to get out of the way. Just as Tantalus raised his head to see the demon, the katana-wielding man took a fighting stance that Tantalus had seen many times before. The demon lowered his stance like a sprinter about to take off. He held his katana horizontally in a tight grip. The puzzle pieces all fell into place a half-second before the demon-faced man launched his attack. The demon lunged forward at Tantalus, black energy emanating from his katana. Tantalus simply allowed himself to fall to the ground, and the streak of black passed over his head. ¡°Divine Wind!¡± the demon shouted as the lethal strike missed Tantalus by a few inches. Tantalus rolled out from under the cleave in the fabric of GM¡¯s world that his opponent had created. Just as the demon-faced man turned and began to take another attack stance, Tantalus spoke. ¡°Izanagi?¡± Tantalus shouted. The demon stopped in his tracks. A look of palpable surprise appeared on the man¡¯s face. Tantalus had his confirmation. He was being attacked by Izanagi, the highest-ranked solo-player in Ninth Oasis. There was only one man in the world who could somehow manage to simultaneously maintain such an absurd move set, yell out his attack names, and still manage to actually fight effectively. ¡°It¡¯s me, Tantalus45 from the Scions of the Blue Flame,¡± Tantalus frantically spoke. He still held his knife forward and prepared for Izanagi to launch another attack. ¡°Old Stonewall?¡± Izanagi said, recognition slowly dawning. He spoke with the accent of a New Yorker. "It''s been a while." ¡°Not the most flattering way to be recognized, but yes,¡± Tantalus said without dropping his knife. Izanagi had also not lowered his katana. ¡°What are you doing out here?¡± Izanagi asked. ¡°I could ask the same thing of you,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°Well, I asked first.¡± ¡°I¡¯m part of a major military operation that¡¯s trying to reconnect New Arcadia and Osiris. A nearby bridge was destroyed. We¡¯re sweeping the area for enemies.¡± ¡°Let me guess, you¡¯re in charge of the attack,¡± Izanagi said. "You always end up in charge of these things." ¡°In a manner of speaking,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°Now tell me, why did you try to kill me?¡± ¡°I left New Arcadia to hunt a sniper dressed in a blue uniform and a grey cloak, just like the one you¡¯re wearing. This sniper has been shooting players from New Arcadia over the past three days,¡± Izanagi said without lowering his katana or taking a step back. ¡°How do I know¡­¡± Izanagi cut himself short. He looked off into the distance and dove to the ground a moment later. A fusillade of gunfire peppered the air where Izanagi had been a moment before. Tantalus peered over the guardrail and saw the four men he had hand-picked to serve on Squad T1 pointing their rifles at Izanagi. After a moment¡¯s consideration, Tantalus waved his hands at his squad and shouted, ¡°Stop shooting!¡± Tantalus turned to Izanagi, who had drawn a jet-black artillery Luger from World War I, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you right now; I¡¯m not the sniper you¡¯re looking for. Either we can talk this out, or you can try your luck at fighting the thousand soldiers I¡¯m traveling with.¡± Izanagi took a long moment to consider the proposition. He seemed to be considering whether he could, in fact, beat an army of a thousand men with a katana and a Luger. After a long moment¡¯s contemplation, the man in the demon mask sighed and sheathed his katana. Chapter 49 - [Revenants and Dark Apostles] Yavin¡¯s Crossing 5:15 P.M. Izanagi stood in a train car with General Dogwood and the three S-ranks traveling with the Greycloaks. He had removed his demon mask, and it was clear from his expression that his concern was growing with every passing second. Character Sheet
Name Izanagi56
Level 16
Blood Points 134/160
Mana Points 8/28
Race Revenant
Fortitude 16
Strength 18
Agility 17
Wisdom 10
Attribute Modifiers: Strength Training (4), Agility Training (2), Mana Training (3) Izanagi¡¯s name in the Old World was Jonathan Romano. His paternal grandfather was born in Italy, but he was born in Brooklyn. Izanagi had been interested in video games and anime ever since he was a kid. When Ninth Oasis was released, Izanagi quickly became the greatest katana specialist outside of Japan. The list of people in the world who could beat him in a sword fight in Ninth Oasis were in the single digits. Ashcroft and Izanagi had fought each other ten times in tournaments, and Izanagi had won seven times. Physically, Izanagi was about six feet tall and weighed about two hundred pounds. He must have been doing significant exercise ever since the game started, because he had a much more defined muscularity than most Revenants. Compared to Tantalus, Izanagi¡¯s hair was lighter, and his skin was a shade darker. Inside the train car, Tantalus inspected Izanagi¡¯s pistol with his left hand. The handgun was a LP08 Luger artillery pistol. It was chambered in 9x19mm parabellum, and it could carry up to eight rounds. Compared to most Lugers, Izanagi¡¯s pistol had a longer barrel. Guns like that usually had an optional stock, but Izanagi didn¡¯t have one. Izanagi had brought ten extra magazines filled with ammunition in his backpack. ¡°So, you mean to tell me that a man in a grey cloak has been shooting anyone who leaves New Arcadia?¡± General Dogwood asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Izanagi responded. He idly pressed his thumb against the hilt of his katana as he spoke. ¡°He tried to kill me two days ago. I was able to get within fifteen feet of the sniper before a shadow passed over him and he disappeared.¡± ¡°Shadow Magic, I see,¡± Dogwood said. ¡°Wait,¡± Tantalus interjected, looking up from the Luger he held in his hand for the first time in the conversation, ¡°I think I saw something similar when the man in sunglasses approached me last night. It was like you blinked, and he was gone, right?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Izanagi pointed at Tantalus approvingly. ¡°I didn¡¯t mention it yesterday because I didn¡¯t want to raise the alarm before the operation, but¡­¡± General Dogwood took a deep breath, ¡°that is definitely Shadow Magic. The only entities that can use Shadow Magic are the God of Machines and incredibly powerful Revenants. It is absolutely impossible for a Revenant to gain enough mana to use Shadow Magic within six days, so there is only one subset of Revenants that could possibly use Shadow Magic at this juncture: Dark Apostles.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Tantalus and Izanagi said almost simultaneously. ¡°What¡¯s a Dark Apostle? Hell, what¡¯s a Revenant, exactly?¡± Tantalus demanded. ¡°Consider yourself lucky that these are irregular circumstances, Captain,¡± General Dogwood chuckled. ¡°Though, I suppose someone should explain to you the nature of your existence. To begin with, the Dark Apostles are technically a subgroup of Revenant. You see, every human¡¯s soul is aligned with either the God of Civilization or the God of Machines. Every person you have met so far is soul-aligned with the God of Civilization. These people are called ¡®Imperials.'' Those aligned with the God of Machines are called ¡®Cognoscenti.''" Izanagi spoke up and cut off the General¡¯s explanation. ¡°And what does this have to do with Revenants and Dark Apostles?¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°I¡¯m getting to that,¡± Dogwood waved off Izanagi¡¯s interruption. ¡°Anyway, certain magic works differently depending on whether it¡¯s cast by an Imperial or an Cognoscentum. Both Imperials and Artificers can create a limited number of Revenants. Imperials can create up to 33,333 Revenants, while Cognoscenti can only create up to 13 Revenants. In return, the Revenants created by the Cognoscenti are significantly stronger.¡± ¡°So¡­ the Revenants created by the Cognoscenti are the Dark Apostles,¡± Tantalus surmised. ¡°That would be the gist of it, yes,¡± General Dogwood said. ¡°What can these Dark Apostles do, exactly?¡± Tantalus asked. He reached for his notebook to start taking notes before remembering that the fingers he needed to write with were on the floor of a motel bedroom. ¡°Their strength, speed, and fortitude are essentially ten times greater than that of any mortal man, and they are born with a full mastery of Hermetic Magic and Battle Aura. Luckily, a Dark Apostle has never taken to the field of battle within the first year of a Deluge,¡± the General finished confidently. ¡°That¡¯s good to know,¡± Tantalus said without confidence. Colonel Maria Feldrast entered the train car, and the conversation came to an abrupt halt. ¡°We have completed construction of the land bridge over the river,¡± she said. ¡°We can cross over once we have constructed a railway over the bridge.¡± ¡°Excellent,¡± Dogwood clapped his hands together. ¡°I¡¯ll go out to help.¡± The two generals exited out of the train car, but the four S-ranks stayed. There was a long moment of uncomfortable silence before Tantalus spoke. ¡°I¡¯m keeping your Luger.¡± ¡°Hey! You can¡¯t just take my stuff!¡± Izanagi shouted. ¡°Yeah, well, you took my pistol and trigger finger,¡± Tantalus said coldly. ¡°Give me your pistol, holster, and ammunition, and then we¡¯ll be even. You can get a brand new 1911 from any Greycloak on this train.¡± Izanagi thought this over for a moment before sighing. ¡°Fine, whatever,¡± he paused for a moment. ¡°A 1911 is a better gun anyway.¡± ¡°Also, I want you to explain to me exactly how your special ability works,¡± Tantalus said as Izanagi removed his trench coat, revealing a left-handed holster under his right shoulder. ¡°Spatial Cleave is a Very Rare skill that allows me to imbue a weapon I hold with an aura of null energy. Anything I hit with Spatial Cleave is cut on a molecular level. From experience, I know that the object created by [Spatial Cleave] disappears after about an hour,¡± Izanagi explained. ¡°Any downsides?¡± Tantalus asked. ¡°It costs ten mana to use,¡± Izanagi grimaced, ¡°and I only have twenty-eight mana.¡± ¡°So, you used all of your mana trying to murder me,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°I¡¯m flattered.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a funny coincidence, when I think about it,¡± Gator interjected. ¡°My special ability, Lucky, is a Rare skill, and so is FullDan¡¯s. I¡¯m pretty sure that Tantalus¡¯s secret ability is at least Rare.¡± ¡°Correct,¡± Tantalus confirmed without saying anything more on the subject. ¡°You said earlier, Tantalus, that the NPCs refer to the four of us as Heroes, and all four of us have Rare special abilities. Clearly, we¡¯re being built up by the System, but why?¡± GatorKing asked. ¡°Have you ever played a Total War game with Hero mechanics?¡± Tantalus responded with a question as he holstered the Luger in its shoulder holster. Gator looked around at the other two with uncertainty. FullDan shook his head and Izanagi shrugged. ¡°Heroes in Total War games like Three Kingdoms or Warhammer go out into battle alongside the standard levy soldiers,¡± Tantalus continued. ¡°They can kill the standard enemy soldier just fine, but the primary job of a Hero is to fight against enemy Heroes. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± GatorKing sighed and nodded his head. ¡°You¡¯re saying we¡¯re going to have to fight the Dark Apostles.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my assumption,¡± Tantalus muttered. ¡°How certain are you that we¡¯re going to have to do that?¡± FullDan asked. ¡°Right now,¡± Tantalus bit the tip of his thumb as he thought hard about FullDan¡¯s question, ¡°I¡¯d say there¡¯s a 75% likelihood.¡±
By the time the NPCs were done rebuilding the train tracks over the river, night had truly fallen, and they were lit by nothing but starlight. General Dogwood ordered the Vanguard Unit to wait and rest at Yavin¡¯s Crossing for the night. Ashcroft¡¯s Knights and Mander¡¯s Templars arrived at Yavin¡¯s Crossing an hour after Dogwood had ordered everyone to wait. The caravan of SUVs had been hampered by dozens of fallen trees and several destroyed roads. Once Ashcroft had learned that Izanagi was present among the Greycloaks, he tried to start a duel with the melee specialist. FullDan had to step in to stop them from killing each other. In the morning, the caravan continued its long journey to New Arcadia. Chapter 50 - [Diplomacy] West of Yavin¡¯s Crossing 11:30 AM Tantalus stood on the platform between the train cars, wind whipping through his black hair. With a probing thumb, he lightly prodded the two stumps that remained where his index and middle finger had previously been. Three days. His fingers would grow back in three days, but combat would certainly be upon them long before his fingers had time to regenerate. The train would reach New Arcadia before then, and their adversary would certainly not allow them to reach their destination so easily. Reaching across his torso with his left hand, Tantalus withdrew the Luger pistol from his shoulder holster. Testing the dexterity of his off hand, he spun the pistol three times around his index finger before using the momentum of the spin to fling the pistol high into the air. With the ease of someone who had practiced this same technique a hundred times, Tantalus caught the pistol by its grip and leveled it against an imaginary enemy. ¡°Nice trick,¡± a voice from behind Tantalus said. Tantalus turned to see the masked face of the man who had recently removed his trigger finger. "I wouldn''t be much of an S-rank if I didn''t know how to shoot with my left hand," Tantalus muttered. "Yeah, sorry about that," Izanagi scratched the side of his face. Brown stubble had started to form on his chin. "I should have known it was you as soon as we started fighting. The Viper School is pretty distinctive. You Scions were the only ones who were ever any good at knife fighting." "Funny," Tantalus chuckled. "Most of us never even used knives. Ninety percent of the Scions trained in the Wolf School. Only a handful of weirdos like me decided to train specifically with knives. The rest recognized that reach was actually important in a melee fight." "The Wolf School," Izanagi said thoughtfully. "It always seemed a bit too conventional for my taste." "That reminds me. Did you ever get around to naming your fighting style?" Tantalus asked. "Not really. The working title for now is Ittoryu." Izanagi answered. "You and I both know that just means ''one sword,''" Tantalus said disapprovingly. Izanagi was about to speak again, but Tantalus held up a hand for silence. Tantalus scanned the nearby city as the train rolled passed. Izanagi quietly spoke after a moment¡¯s silence. ¡°What do you see?¡± Tantalus gestured to a series of buildings that now loomed large in the middle distance. Though the streets were empty, just like every previous settlement the train had come into contact with, large flags arranged in neat rows fluttered over the silent city. There must have been several dozen flags, each planted with military precision, and every flag was pure white. ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± Tantalus muttered as he stepped back into the train car. ¡°Time for what?¡± Izanagi asked. ¡°The Deluvians are making their move,¡± Tantalus responded with grim determination.
Over the next five minutes, the train came to a sudden stop, and many of the Greycloaks went to see what caused the hold up. Destroyed vehicles, tree trunks, and other detritus had thoroughly blocked the train from moving forward. A sign, the kind one would expect to find hanging in front of a pub, laid on its side in front of the rubble. A single word was written in English on the front of the sign: DIPLOMACY. The train cars holding the Greycloaks were enveloped in chaos as the Captain ran around shouting orders to squad leaders, support staff, and line soldiers. Just like before at Yavin¡¯s Crossing, the squads were told to spread out and look for enemies. This time, however, Tantalus made it clear that his soldiers were not to fire upon the enemy unless fired upon. Instead, they were commanded to return to the train and report the location of the contact. Within just a few minutes, it was clear that they were completely surrounded. The squads sent out returned almost immediately with reports of Goblin units hiding in the shadows or barely-restrained Orc units stationed near their Ogre commanders. A meeting - attended only by Tantalus, Izanagi, Maria Feldrast, and General Dogwood - was held. Those not in attendance cannot be certain what was said. There was a disagreement of some kind, but they ultimately decided to go along with the plan of Captain Tantalus.
There was a knock at the door. Slowly, Maria Feldrast went over to the door and opened it. A low-ranking officer stood there with a sheepish look on his face. Tantalus subtly holstered his pistol, and Izanagi stopped resting his hand on his sword. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°Sir,¡± the officer saluted the room in general, ¡°a small unit of Goblins has approached the train. They are all carrying white flags, and they say they want to talk with our leaders.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll attend the negotiations,¡± General Dogwood said gruffly. He was clearly annoyed. ¡°Find our two greatest duelists. They will attend the negotiations as our bodyguards. When the negotiations break down, it¡¯ll be good to have them.¡± Dogwood stormed out of the room and passed the sheepish officer. The Greycloaks closest to Tantalus were waiting in the room to the rear of the mobile Situation Room, and they all rose to their feet as Tantalus and Izanagi approached. ¡°How did it go?¡± Eska asked. ¡°The conversation was a bit harsh, but they agreed to go along with my plan,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°We¡¯ll be deploying in the Regicide Formation.¡± Redgrave and Synthwave nodded in acknowledgement before leaving the crowd of Greycloaks without a word. Most of the soldiers present did not understand the significance of these actions, but they didn¡¯t ask any unnecessary questions. ¡°I want four others to come with me to the negotiation,¡± Tantalus said as he fiddled with the sword strap on his belt. He removed the rapier from his belt and handed it to FullDan without comment. ¡°Naturally, I want Izanagi, FullDan, and Gator to come with me, but I¡¯m not sure who the fifth should be.¡± From his pocket, Tantalus gingerly removed the wand he had looted from the Wendigo. A look of dread passed over the Captain¡¯s expression as he pulled his right arm¡¯s sleeve back and revealed the forearm underneath. He grit his teeth in preparation as he grasped the wand with the three remaining fingers of his right hand. ¡°What are you doing!?¡± Pixie asked in alarm, causing others present to turn to her in confusion. ¡°Attunement¡­¡± Tantalus grunted without looking away from the wand. Riemann let out a low whistle before saying, ¡°Voluntarily? You¡¯re braver than me, Captain.¡± ¡°Am I the only one who doesn¡¯t know what ¡®attunement¡¯ is?¡± Gator asked. ¡°Second,¡± FullDan raised a hand. ¡°The primary purpose of this wand is to make the user more efficient when casting a certain kind of elemental magic,¡± Riemann explained. ¡°I have only shared my findings with Tantalus and Pixie¡¯s squad. In the process of investigating the wand, I accidentally attuned to it myself.¡± Riemann pulled back his own sleeve to reveal rows and rows of Iron Script tattoo¡¯d into his forearm. Some of the lines of script had been replaced with terrible horizontal burn marks that deformed the area just above his wrist. ¡°Even after twenty-four hours, I have barely any fine motor control in this arm,¡± Riemann said. Though his face appeared cheerful, the memory of pain burned behind his dull blue eyes. ¡°The pain of attunement is¡­ terrible. Imagine getting a tattoo all along your arm in a matter of three seconds. Actually casting a spell through the wand is much worse. The ink within your skin ignites as the spell is cast. To anyone without a healing factor, a single use of the wand would be permanently debilitating.¡± ¡°This game was designed by sadists¡­¡± FullDan muttered in terror. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing,¡± Tantalus said, trying to suppress the anxiety in his voice, ¡°it multiplies your casting potential by ten. We need that multiplier right now. And¡­¡± a grim smile appeared on the Captain¡¯s face, ¡°I¡¯m not going to use this arm for anything else in the near future.¡± Tantalus redoubled his focus on the wand and took several deep breaths. Just before he started the painful process of attunement, a voice broke him out of his trance. ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Pixie cried out. ¡°I know all the same spells as you, Captain, and my mana pool is twice yours.¡± Character Sheet
Name Pixie_Chix
Level 10
Blood Points 100/100
Mana Points 45/45
Race Revenant
Fortitude 10
Strength 8
Agility 13
Wisdom 14
Attribute Modifier: Mana Training (8) ¡°Is that right?¡± Tantalus said, considering it. ¡°You¡¯d lose use of an actually functional arm. Plus, we¡¯re really going into the belly of the beast. You could die.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t insult me,¡± Pixie said angrily. ¡°My resolve to fight won¡¯t falter just because things are dangerous." Tantalus chuckled for a brief moment. He turned the wand over in his hand and threw it over to Pixie. ¡°You have ten minutes, soldier.¡±
Ten minutes later, the delegation of Revenants and NPCs had formed into a single unit outside of the train. Tantalus cast a sidelong glance at Pixie who was trying to hide her left arm under her cloak. He had stood in the other room as Pixie attuned to the wand and tried to ignore the sobbing and pained screaming. ¡°It¡¯s done?¡± Tantalus asked, confirming the situation in as few words as possible. He didn¡¯t want to give Pixie cause to focus on the painful memory any more than necessary. ¡°Yes,¡± Pixie said, trying to sound brave. Her eyes were red with recently shed tears, though her resolve remained unbroken. To the Captain¡¯s other side stood the group of NPCs. Feldrast held a gnarled wooden staff in one hand, and General Dogwood wore a necklace and bracelets that Tantalus had not previously seen. The jewelry was all inset with expensive gems, and the Captain assumed that each served an important combat function. One of the flag-wielding Goblins gestured for the group of Revenants and NPCs to follow. They followed the Goblins deep into the city. Soon, they would come into contact with a caliber of enemy for which they could not possibly be prepared. Chapter 51 - [The First Dark Apostle] Day 7 Threshold City 12:30 P.M. As they walked through the abandoned city, it quickly became clear that its denizens did not leave voluntarily. Buildings had been cracked by artillery, bullets pockmarked the streets, and dried bloodstains painted the buildings¡¯ exteriors. There were no corpses on the street, but subtle patterns in some of the dried blood informed the more perceptive Greycloaks present that bodies had been moved. For some reason that Tantalus could not fully understand, the scene had been altered. The corpses had been moved, and most of the bloodstains had been scrubbed out. It was like the Deluvians wanted to show a kind of cruel hospitality to the Revenants. There was no obvious Deluvian presence, as far as Tantalus could see. He could see flashes of green in the nearby windows, informing him that they were under constant supervision by Goblin snipers. With a sardonic smile, Tantalus thought that it almost seemed like they were heading into a real diplomatic meeting, and not a trap. No, he thought, they were clearly walking right into an ambush. No intelligent military commander would enter this meeting with the intention to persuade the enemy. Tantalus, of course, had no intention of speaking with his enemy in good faith. ¡°Monsters¡­¡± General Dogwood growled as he spotted a wall covered in blood splatter and bullet holes. He spoke just loud enough to be heard by the group of three Goblins they were traveling with. The Goblins had not spoken a word ever since Tantalus had entered their presence. The leader, a Goblin with a red scarf, had merely gestured for the group of ten Revenants and NPCs to follow him. Strangely, the three Goblins were completely unarmed. This was the first opportunity Tantalus had to really look at any of the Goblins. Every previous interaction with a Goblin, he was either a hundred feet away from it, or he was too busy carving it up like a Thanksgiving turkey to notice any particular features. The Goblins were mostly humanoid, though there were several distinctions beyond their green skin. They had large, pointed ears, and their hair only grew in barren patches of squalid black curls. The leader stood at about five feet tall, and the other two were closer to four feet tall. They were each significantly smaller than the Orcs, which stood well over six feet tall. Tantalus noticed that the roman numeral "II" had been branded on the lead Goblin''s cheek. Most notably, the Goblins¡¯ legs were reverse-jointed. Their legs more resembled those of a horse or a canine than a human¡¯s. At a distance, this fact was mostly hidden by their pants, but Tantalus could clearly see their animalistic legs at this close range. It would be more accurate to say the Goblins ¡°cantered¡± or ¡°galloped¡± instead of walked. ¡°Where are you taking us, monsters?¡± General Dogwood asked angrily. After two seconds without an immediate response, he continued. ¡°If you ask me, there¡¯s nothing to be gained from speaking with vermin. Though¡­¡± he paused once again, a venomous smile appearing on his face, ¡°it is somewhat entertaining. The idea that a plague believes that it can carry out diplomacy is¡­ laughable. The only profitable interaction with a Deluvian is extermination, and¡­¡± One of the Goblins turned back toward Dogwood with a snarl. By its body language, it seemed as if it was about to lunge at the General. The Goblin was only stopped by an interposing hand on its shoulder. The Goblin with a red scarf lightly pulled its compatriot back. It began to speak. ¡°Trust me, Imperial dog, we feel the same. Your existence is an affront to the God of Machines. We are here to bring you to our commanding officers. They wish to be diplomatic.¡± ¡°Your commanding officers?¡± Tantalus interjected. ¡°Who are they?¡± ¡°We have been commanded to not speak on that matter,¡± the head Goblin said, obviously happy that it could deny Tantalus the information he wanted. With his gaze fixed directly on the goblin¡¯s bloodshot eyes, Tantalus spoke. ¡°Your commanding officers are the Dark Apostles.¡± Tantalus did not phrase the statement as a question. He delivered the statement with absolute certainty. Stolen novel; please report. An instant after he spoke, Tantalus became absolutely certain that his statement was correct. The goblin¡¯s reaction told him everything he needed to know. ¡°Who told you that Dark Apostles were here?¡± gasped the Goblin. ¡°Intuition,¡± Tantalus smiled. The five NPCs present gaped at the information, though the five Revenants did not react. Tantalus had informed them all of his suspicion the night before. ¡°There¡¯s more than one!¡± Tantalus called out to the rest of the group. In truth, he had suspected that there would only be one Dark Apostle present. If they were as strong as the General had claimed they were, then one would be a problem by itself. If there was more than one, then perhaps they were not meant to fight them. Perhaps this was a scripted event where they couldn¡¯t win, thought Tantalus, rather than a boss fight. ¡°Do not engage unless I give explicit approval,¡± Tantalus said to the group. A bark of laughter escaped from the General. ¡°I think not,¡± he guffawed. ¡°I may be getting forgetful in my old age, Captain, but it is my understanding that I still have operational command. Whether or not we engage is still my decision.¡± It would have taken Tantalus less than ten seconds to kill the five NPCs present. He visualized the process. One for Dogwood¡¯s head, two for Feldrast, one for the other three. He would have two left over if he missed any of his shots. Tantalus resisted the urge to murder his commanding officers. One thought kept his Luger in its holster. If this was a scripted event, then the NPCs wouldn¡¯t ruin it without player input. They were shards of GM, after all. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Tantalus said solemnly. Moments later, he sent an interstitial message to the four other Revenants present. [If I snap my fingers, kill the NPCs.]
The unhappy fellowship of thirteen adversarial individuals reached the central town square of the City of Threshold after about five minutes of walking. From what Tantalus could tell, they had walked about eight hundred yards. At full sprint, they could get back to the train in about ninety seconds. A lot could go wrong in ninety seconds, however. In the center of the town square stood eight Deluvians. All of the Deluvians were high-level phenotypes. There were two Ogres, five Orc Captains armed with M1 Garands, and one Wendigo which was quietly floating at the Ogres'' head level. Gator, FullDan, and Izanagi uncomfortably handled their own Garands. In terms of sheer numbers, they were outmanned. Tantalus could sense dozens of eyes affixed on him as he walked into the center of the town square. There was no doubt in his mind that several Goblin sniper teams were waiting to take aim. At the very least, Tantalus knew that none of them had already set up their rifles. Years of training made him confident that none of the shadows in the windows were scopes aimed at his head. They wordlessly walked until they were within thirty feet of the eight assorted Deluvians. The enemy monsters glared at them angrily, but none of them spoke. General Dogwood broke the silence. ¡°So, what do you want to talk about?¡± One of the Ogres threw its hairless head back, gesturing for the Revenants to look behind it. Two humanoid figures were walking toward the congregation of monster and man. They were about half-way between the cover of the buildings and the central pavilion before any of the Revenants had noticed them. The two figures walked at an unnaturally fast speed, and they were standing by the congregation of monsters within a few moments. They wore ornate black dress clothing with long billowing cloaks and white frills. Each wore a featureless iron mask, though the Revenants could see that one had red hair and the other had brown hair. Both had pale white skin, though the figure with brown hair¡¯s skin was slightly darker. Even with the loose clothing and iron masks, the two figures looked indistinguishable from humans. Yet their speed and the context of their appearance left no doubt as to their identities. ¡°Are you two the Dark Apostles?¡± Izanagi broke the silence. To answer the question, the figure with red hair reached behind his own head and unclasped the iron mask. Slowly, he removed the mask, revealing a smiling man¡¯s face. It was the man who had warned Tantalus of imminent danger back in Osiris City. Looking at the Apostle¡¯s face was a surreal experience. His expression wasn¡¯t dour or malicious as one would expect from a general of a legion of monsters. The red-haired man¡¯s mouth was upturned in an impish grin as if he was aware of some grand joke that no one else was privy to. The red-haired Dark Apostle did not speak, but his gaze was fixed on Tantalus. ¡°It¡¯s him,¡± Tantalus said, ¡°the man who spoke to me in Osiris.¡± ¡°They were within the City?¡± General Dogwood said. Outrage and fear played out in equal part in the General¡¯s tone. ¡°Yes,¡± the Dark Apostle spoke at last. ¡°I am GM¡¯s First Dark Apostle.¡± He pulled open his collar to reveal a bold roman numeral ¡°I¡± printed just under his collar bone. ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡± Chapter 52 - [Two Realities] Threshold City 12:45 P.M. ¡°You¡¯re human¡­¡± GatorKing muttered. ¡°He looks human,¡± Tantalus corrected his old companion. With a half-second pause, Tantalus continued to speak. ¡°So, First Dark Apostle, you have asked to talk, and we¡¯re here. It is my understanding that the armies under your command are currently engaging in a war of extermination upon the population of this continent and, perhaps, beyond. And now, relatively early in the war, before any major battles have taken place, you want to negotiate. You gave up most of your tactical advantage by not engaging us immediately just so that this meeting could be arranged. Why? Why would you do all of this?¡± The First Dark Apostle turned to the Apostle still wearing his mask. The red-haired man¡¯s grin grew wider before he simply couldn¡¯t contain his mirth. Without warning, the First Dark Apostle burst into explosive laughter. He grabbed his legs to steady himself as if he had just heard the funniest thing in the world. ¡°What¡¯s so funny, monster?¡± General Dogwood snarled. ¡°Are we amusing you?¡± Completely ignoring the General, the red-haired Apostle turned to his masked companion who was also laughing, though other Apostle''s laughter was significantly quieter. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know!¡± the First Dark Apostle said between peals of laughter. ¡°God, it¡¯s hilarious! Five really overestimated him, don¡¯t you think?¡± Even the eight Deluvians looked at the First Dark Apostle with confusion and concern. They were just as confused as the Revenants. ¡°Did you call us out here just to laugh at us?¡± Izanagi shouted at them. ¡°No, no,¡± the First Dark Apostle breathed in heavily as he tried to control his laughter. After a moment of gargantuan effort, he stopped laughing. Wiping away tears, the First spoke, ¡°You¡¯ll understand soon. Right, ahem, we¡¯re here to talk. And no, this isn¡¯t a war of extermination, not anymore. Whether the Imperials of Rubigo all die or not doesn¡¯t really matter to us.¡± ¡°You speak of genocide like it is a trifling concern!¡± General Dogwood shouted. ¡°This is a war of survival,¡± the First said, ignoring General Dogwood. ¡°We just want to figure out a way to coexist, ya dig?¡± ¡°We could not possibly coexist with monsters like you!¡± General Dogwood shouted. ¡°After all you have¡­!¡± ¡°If the NPC says another word, I¡¯ll tear his head off.¡± The First Apostle interrupted General Dogwood without even looking at him, holding a half-clenched hand toward the General to punctuate his point. For the first time since the First Apostle had begun speaking, his voice had taken on a cold, murderous tone. There could be no doubt in anyone¡¯s mind that he would do it. Tantalus had been so busy focusing on the tone of the words that it took him a moment to realize exactly what the First had said. ¡°NPC.¡± His eyes grew wide as a dozen pieces came together in his mind. ¡°P-please, please don¡¯t speak, General,¡± Tantalus warned the General. Fear was evident in the Captain¡¯s voice. As the truth of the matter formed in his mind, Tantalus became aware for the first time of just how much danger they were in. Hearing the fear in the Captain¡¯s voice, the General kept his mouth shut. ¡°Anyway, where was I?¡± the First began to say. ¡°Did you just say ¡®NPC?¡¯¡± Pixie said despite herself. ¡°Oh, I guess I did,¡± the First said, the impish smile returning to his face. ¡°Damn, I wanted to linger on the moment for a bit longer. The Deluvians call me ¡®the First Apostle,¡¯ but that isn¡¯t what I call myself. You guys can call me Svenheim. I¡¯m a player, just like you.¡±
¡°You¡¯re a player?¡± Izanagi asked, his mouth agape. ¡°You¡¯re a person?¡± Pixie looked like she was about to throw up. ¡°Yeah, and so¡¯s he,¡± Svenheim gestured at the man next to him. ¡°Take off your mask, Talwar.¡± The second Dark Apostle removed his mask, revealing a man¡¯s face. Talwar¡¯s expression was solemn compared to Svenheim¡¯s, and he seemed somewhat annoyed at being asked to remove his mask. ¡°Are all thirteen of you players?¡± Tantalus asked. ¡°Did you spawn-in like this?¡± ¡°Yep, we¡¯re all people,¡± Svenheim said briefly. ¡°Though, we didn¡¯t spawn-in like this. The thirteen of us were killed within the first day. Instead of dying, we all woke up with numbers on our chest and superpowers. Next thing we knew, GM showed up and said we''re the villains of this server.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Seems like a bad situation,¡± Gator said. ¡°At least you didn¡¯t die,¡± FullDan said. ¡°I suppose not,¡± Svenheim smiled. ¡°Though, I suppose you understand why the situation is so funny.¡± Izanagi chuckled heartily as he thought about the situation. ¡°Guys, this is great,¡± he said to the others before handing his rifle to Pixie. ¡°Hold this, thank you. We don¡¯t have to fight at all. The war, the Deluge, it¡¯s over. Everything¡¯s gonna be fine.¡± Izanagi took a few casual steps toward the Dark Apostles as though he considered them friends. ¡°We¡¯re all players, so we¡¯re all on the same side.¡± ¡°You mentioned ¡®survival,¡¯ right, Svenheim?¡± Tantalus said darkly. ¡°Mm hmm,¡± Svenheim said casually, though his eyes were fixed on Tantalus. ¡°There¡¯s something you aren¡¯t telling us,¡± Tantalus stared at the First with grim determination. ¡°Yeah, I was getting to that,¡± Svenheim¡¯s smile darkened. ¡°You are too smart for your own good, Captain Tantalus. At the center of each Dark Apostle is a key. This key cannot be extracted without killing the Apostle. To reach GM, you need all thirteen keys.¡± As Svenheim spoke, he punctuated his point by prodding himself in the chest. ¡°I see,¡± Izanagi said, his posture stiffening. ¡°And that¡¯s why this is a negotiation,¡± Svenheim said, his smile gone. ¡°We can cooperate, we can coexist, but you must give up on your plan to kill GM.¡± [We¡¯re in position.] ¡°GM said he¡¯d kill all of us if we don¡¯t escape within ten years,¡± Pixie said. Her left hand was hidden deep within her pocket where she held the wand. ¡°That¡¯s definitely a lie,¡± Svenheim said. ¡°He loves the Revenants. You¡¯re the whole reason he exists. He lied in order to give you purpose. You see, he wants the Revenants and the Dark Apostles to fight, so he lied about the time limit. If he kills all of you, he¡¯d have no purpose left. That would be tantamount to suicide for him.¡± [Redgrave has a bead on the red-haired one. Should he take the shot?] A torrent of conflicting thoughts flowed through the Captain¡¯s mind like a typhoon. Was it possible? Could they really come to a peaceful agreement? It was a real option. They could just hang up their guns and spend the next ten years living peacefully on Rubigo. He could retire from war, get a civilian job, and raise a family. He could have the life he always wanted. A normal life: Tantalus could just reach out and take it. ¡°How do you know this?¡± Izanagi asked, hopeful. ¡°Intuition,¡± Svenheim smiled at Tantalus. ¡°What would peace even look like?¡± Pixie asked. ¡°Five has a plan for that,¡± the First said. ¡°Though, we¡¯d have to talk about that at a later date.¡± ¡°Could we still play the game normally?¡± FullDan asked. ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Talwar interjected for the first time. ¡°What the Second means to say is that we would need some assurances that you cannot break the agreement and kill all of us. There are certain NPCs we¡¯d have to kill and certain items we¡¯d have to destroy before you can have free reign of Rubigo. With your full support, however, we could probably do this within two years. Five has a list, I think. After that, you can play the game how you want.¡± [Captain? We can¡¯t stay here forever.] ¡°Come on,¡± GatorKing said. ¡°You guys can¡¯t be taking this seriously, right? If we just let them have absolute control over us, who¡¯s to say they won¡¯t just decide to kill us all one day?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that. I have no desire to commit mass murder unnecessarily,¡± the First assured them. ¡°Maybe not you, but there are eleven others who aren¡¯t even here. If we let them take every useful magic item, then it would only take one of them to wipe us all out.¡± GatorKing presented his argument with intensity. ¡°Then you would only need one other Dark Apostle to protect you,¡± Svenheim argued. ¡°Certainly, the majority of Dark Apostles aren¡¯t genocidal maniacs. I¡¯ve met all of them. They¡¯re all basically normal people.¡± [Captain!] Two realities coexisted within the Captain¡¯s mind, both equally real: one of peace where the Revenants traded their rifles for pens and saws; and one of war where the Revenants suffered and died but would eventually overcome GM and escape from Ferrum. Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of lives could be saved if they chose peace. If they chose peace, however, they would forever forego any possibility of freedom. And yet, what was freedom? They could strive for the opportunity to go back to the real world - one riven by strife, war, and an eternal purgatory of loneliness - or they could stay in Ferrum. Either of these realities could exist just as easily as the other, and the decision was entirely up to Tantalus. Paralyzed by the terrifying weight of the decision, a single phrase cut through the gloom. Enzo¡¯s last words and the wish of so many who had fallen in the defense of Osiris flashed through the Captain¡¯s mind: ¡°Kill GM.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Svenheim raised his hands as if to pause the conversation. ¡°We knew we wouldn¡¯t be able to come to an agreement today. Just take this information back with you and spread it to everyone else in Osiris.¡± ¡°You want us to turn around?¡± GatorKing asked. ¡°Or stay here. We can negotiate some more once the rest of the Osirian Crusade gets here,¡± Svenheim waved his hand as if to wave away the conversation. The First began to turn as if he intended to leave, but his movement was interrupted by an interjection by Tantalus. ¡°Hey, Svenheim.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± the First began to smile. Tantalus touched his right hand to the back of his head in an anxious gesture that he did not regularly make. ¡°There¡¯s just one more thing I wanted to¡­¡± Tantalus did not finish his statement, and he had no intention of doing so. A gunshot rang out, filling the town square of Threshold with noise. Svenheim¡¯s head jerked backward as it was struck by a heavy caliber bullet. Blood splattered onto the pavement as the First Dark Apostle fell to the ground. ¡°Regicide!¡± Tantalus called out the codeword as he leveled the Luger at the monstrous horde. Chapter 53 - [The Sword of Heaven] Threshold City 12:50 P.M. A staccato of semi-automatic fire joined the echoing song of Redgrave¡¯s rifle a mere moment after Tantalus made his hurried declaration. All of those save for Tantalus and GatorKing hesitated for a brief moment after the shot rang out and the Dark Apostle fell to the ground. The Revenants knew of the Captain¡¯s plan to assassinate one of the Dark Apostles at the negotiation, but the news that Svenheim was a person rather than a soulless NPC had made them all assume that the assassination plot had been canceled. Three bullets flew from Tantalus''s Luger and hit Talwar, the Second Dark Apostle, like a zipper. The first struck him in the stomach, the second struck him in the neck, and the third hit him in the middle of the eyes. Most people would have hesitated to kill a person, Tantalus thought dully, but he did not have the privilege of indulging in such thoughts. Each bullet slammed into the flesh of the Dark Apostle and ricocheted off with bright sparks of light. It was as if the bullets had struck a thick sheet of cast iron. Talwar¡¯s head jerked slightly as it caught the Captain¡¯s bullet. Talwar did not immediately react. His eyes were locked on the bloody crater in Svenheim¡¯s skull. The right side of Svenheim¡¯s skull had been opened by Redgrave¡¯s bullet. Blood and brain matter decorated the pavement near Svenheim¡¯s open brain pan. The look on the Second Dark Apostle¡¯s face transformed from confusion and sadness into vengeful rage within seconds. He turned to the ten Revenants and Imperials in front of him as two high-caliber bullets from Gator¡¯s rifle struck him in his midsection. Talwar couldn¡¯t immediately tell how they had done it, but he knew that they were responsible for the grievous wound that had just been dealt to Svenheim. GatorKing¡¯s mind never strayed from the Captain¡¯s initial command. He knew Tantalus was rational to a fault. The Captain¡¯s plan would not falter even if it required them to kill human beings. Gator did not allow himself time to seriously engage with the morality of his actions; he merely let the training take over. Seeing two of his shots have no effect on the Second Dark Apostle, Gator adjusted his aim. Talwar was doing something to make himself immune or otherwise highly resistant to gunfire. The sights of GatorKing¡¯s rifle fell instead on the Orc Captains that were present in the center of the town square. While he raised his rifle, the Orc Captains¡¯ sights were set on the remaining Dark Apostle. Instead of immediately returning fire, they were waiting for further orders. This hesitation would slow their response by about a dozen seconds. To someone like GatorKing, that was more than enough time. Hammering down on the trigger as fast as his finger would move, GatorKing shot at the orc captains. His Garand still held six shots, and he put all six through the chest plates of the five Orc Captains. The .30-06 bullet had no trouble penetrating the armor, and the Holy blood coating the bullets easily bypassed the enchantment on the Orcs¡¯ skin. Before any of the Deluvians could react, three of the Orc Captains were dead on the ground, and the remaining two were seriously wounded. Like the victim of a crime identifying their assailant, Talwar pointed a finger at Tantalus and the other Revenants arrayed around him. His face had taken on a red tint of rage, and a mouth filled with spittle opened to speak. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Spatium secarus!¡± Talwar roared loud enough for his voice to carry over the symphony of gunfire. He had cast a spell that no one else had ever heard, and his target was Tantalus based on the direction of his outstretched finger. The Captain¡¯s eyes flashed yellow as the four other Revenants dove to the ground. Tantalus did not attempt to dodge the spell. Instead, he continued shooting at Talwar. Two bullets struck the Second Dark Apostle¡¯s face as he recited the spell¡¯s incantation. The bullets ricocheted off harmlessly. The spell was activated, and space itself was torn. In two places, Talwar grabbed the thin layer of reality that overlaid the stream of data that kept Ferrum running. With the strength afforded him by his new god-like form, Talwar pulled reality in two different directions. A two-dimensional fault-line the size of a city-block formed in space-time. Everything on one side of the fault-line was moved about three feet laterally, while everything on the other side remained stationary. Among the people of Ferrum, this spell was heralded as the spell that could cut the sky itself. It was called the Sword of Heaven. The Revenants on the ground just barely ducked under the effects of Talwar¡¯s spell, but General Dogwood¡¯s group was not as lucky. Feldrast and one of the NPCs with the group dodged far enough backward to not be struck by the sword strike of an almighty war god. General Dogwood and two of the other NPCs fell to the ground in a pile of severed meat. The fault-line formed diagonal to the ground. Dogwood, who was standing to the front of the group, was severed at his thighs. The two other NPCs who stood behind the General were cut at chest-level. The screaming of dying men joined the cacophony of violence. Any building struck by the effect of the Sword of Heaven collapsed as its structural integrity was instantaneously compromised. A faint, almost invisible seam had appeared in one of the clouds above as if it had been cut through by a massive divine sword. At the epicenter of this gargantuan attack stood Tantalus, completely unharmed. Despite making no effort to dodge, he was completely untouched by the spell. ¡°Izanagi, attack!¡± Tantalus shouted as he slapped a new magazine into his Luger. The man with the demon mask rolled onto his chest and sprang to his feet. Though he reacted with some hesitation, he moved toward the remaining Dark Apostle with significant speed. Izanagi did not draw his sword as he ran, but he kept his right hand near his sword¡¯s sheath. As he ran, Izanagi kept his stance low to the ground so as to make himself a much smaller target. The surviving Deluvians finally decided to attack once they witnessed Talwar¡¯s spell. The two surviving Orc Captains raised their rifles toward Izanagi, but they were both swiftly cut down by a hail of gunfire from FullDan. One of the Ogres stepped forward to interpose itself between Talwar and Izanagi. ¡°Sen drast ignis!¡± A woman¡¯s voice shouted the incantation, and a high-velocity ball of fire exploded against the Ogre¡¯s upper body. Everything above the Ogre¡¯s waist was completely engulfed in flame, burning an unnatural blue color. Its guttural scream of pain was echoed by a woman¡¯s scream as its huge green frame lumbered backward away from Izanagi. The Ogre fell to the ground screaming. Free from all impediments, Izanagi rapidly closed the distance between himself and Talwar. In one smooth and lethal motion, Izanagi drew his katana and brought it flying toward Talwar¡¯s midsection. As the blade flew through the air, it was trailed by a deadly black crescent of annihilated space. Chapter 54 - [The Rear Guard] With supernatural speed, Talwar jumped into the air away from Izanagi¡¯s attack. The black crescent passed harmlessly under the Second Dark Apostle. Izanagi swore loudly as his attack missed. Talwar seemed to barely put any strength into the jump, but he soared more than a dozen feet into the air. As he flew, he reached into one of his pockets and produced a handful of ball bearings. Talwar whipped his hand and flung the ball bearings at Izanagi. There was a boom like thunder and a number of almost-simultaneous cracks as the ball bearings struck the pavements and embedded themselves into the asphalt. Izanagi was hit by several ball bearings, and he fell to the ground. Blood seeped from a number of fresh wounds caused by the supersonic iron balls. Tantalus ran to catch up with the Second Apostle. He moved with the intention to close to melee range. The Captain sprinted past Izanagi as the man in the demon-mask wheezed and rolled onto his stomach. The Captain¡¯s approach was cut short by a crack as a high-caliber rifle bullet ricocheted off of the ground only a few feet in front of him. He managed to trace the source to the roof of a nearby building. The Deluvians in the nearby buildings had begun to return fire. ¡°Caligo,¡± Tantalus chanted as he reached a hand out into the air in front of him. A thick haze of smoke emanated from his hand, and a cloud soon appeared between Tantalus and the standing Dark Apostle. Moments later, every Revenant present cast the same spell. The effect of these five spells cast in tandem was a large spherical cloud of white smoke. Tantalus ran toward Izanagi and helped him to his feet. Izanagi had clearly been severely wounded by the attack. He had been struck in four separate places, and each wound was bad enough to kill a normal person. ¡°Run if you want, but it won¡¯t help you!¡± Talwar¡¯s screaming voice could be heard over the thrum of battle. ¡°You killed the merciful Apostle, now there¡¯s nothing stopping me from slaughtering you all!¡± Talwar''s sentences were punctuated by rapid-fire gunshots coming from the same direction as his voice. The two Revenants hobbled away from the source of the shouting. Bullets zipped past Tantalus and Izanagi as they retreated. A bolt of lightning streaked in front of them, and there was a dull thud as some heavy body fell invisibly to the ground. Tantalus crouched down in order to make himself a smaller target, and he brought Izanagi painfully to the ground with him. Through the symphony of loud, discordant noise, Tantalus was able to pinpoint the origin of the incoming gunfire. Rapid semi-automatic gunshots were coming from the direction of the Second Dark Apostle. Tantalus recognized the gunshots as pistol rounds, and about two dozen shots rang out before he heard the telltale click of a hammer striking an empty chamber. Captain Tantalus rapidly extracted himself from the tangle of Izanagi¡¯s limbs as he turned back toward Talwar. His instincts formed from hundreds of hours in Ninth Oasis spurred his muscles toward the sound of an empty magazine. He was already on his feet when his brain caught up to his body. Why was he rushing toward the Dark Apostle? His bullets had little to no effect, and any magic he used would probably be equally ineffective. Before Tantalus reached the edge of the smokescreen, he heard a voice come from the direction of the Dark Apostle. This voice wasn¡¯t Talwar¡¯s, but Tantalus recognized it like he had heard it yesterday. ¡°Talwar, he¡¯s still alive. We need to pull back,¡± the voice said with a tone dripping with equal parts anger and fear. Tantalus strode out of the smokescreen with his Luger raised in a firing position. With his vision no longer blocked by the smoke, Tantalus saw Talwar standing there with a Glock held loosely at his side. Talwar¡¯s face was turned away from the smokescreen and toward a man who had not been there seconds before. The newcomer was draped in a grey cloak, and a modern sniper rifle - the kind which was invented in the late 20th century - was slung across his back. The cloaked man looked up, and Tantalus saw his face clearly. The chaos surrounding them seemed to lessen to a quiet din as Tantalus lowered his gun. ¡°Enzo?¡± Enzo locked eyes with Tantalus, and his facial expression was that of a man who had just been caught at the scene of a murder. Surprise, shame, and fear were the dominant emotions on his face. Enzo¡¯s shirt was unbuttoned, and Tantalus could see the mark on his chest: XIII. Enzo opened his mouth as if he was going to speak, but something stopped him. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Instead, Enzo was engulfed in supernatural shadow as he broke eye contact with Tantalus. It was as if hundreds of ethereal hands had reached up from beneath the ground to cover Enzo and the inert form of Svenheim. Then the unnatural shadow receded, and the two Dark Apostles were gone, leaving only Talwar and Tantalus standing outside of the smokescreen. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Talwar chuckled. ¡°You can¡¯t even assassinate one of us properly.¡± In all other circumstances, Tantalus would have responded with a verbal barb. In that moment, however, Tantalus could do nothing but stare at the empty space where Enzo and Svenheim had been a moment before. An annoyed look passed over Talwar¡¯s face as he tapped the Glock to his own temple and said, ¡°You know, this villain shtick gets boring if you don¡¯t respond.¡± Talwar¡¯s knees bent for a moment before shooting towards Tantalus. The flagstone tiles under the Second Dark Apostle cracked as he flashed like a bolt of lightning toward the Captain of the West Gate. Within less than a second, Talwar¡¯s fist was less than three feet away from Tantalus¡¯s face. At that moment, a curved blade emerged from the smokescreen behind Tantalus. The blade scythed through the air, timed perfectly to intercept Talwar¡¯s deadly leap. Talwar changed his trajectory at the last possible moment by striking a single, powerful leg into the ground. He went sailing over the two S-ranks and the smokescreen as a whole, becoming obscured from view after two seconds. Izanagi finished his strike into nothing but empty air, though he had not applied Spatial Rift to the strike. He had delivered the swing with his usual vigor, so Tantalus could tell that Izanagi¡¯s wounds had completely healed despite the bright red blood stains that still covered his outfit. ¡°Get it together, man!¡± Izanagi shouted. With gargantuan effort, Tantalus brought himself back to the present. A million thoughts shot through his head, and he wondered for a moment if the Enzo he had just seen had been a hallucination. No, Tantalus had experienced hallucinations before, and this one was different. ¡°If we kill Talwar, the other Deluvians will fall into disarray,¡± Tantalus told Izanagi, recalling a piece of information that Riemann had shared with him. Tantalus did not mention the presence of Enzo, however. ¡°Greycloaks!¡± Tantalus shouted to the unseen soldiers within the smokescreen. ¡°Fall back to the train and set up a perimeter! Set up a smoke screen as you go!¡± With that, Talwar¡¯s leaping body arced over the smokescreen and landed about twenty feet in front of Tantalus and Izanagi. Izanagi started laughing. It was a grim laugh that portrayed the feelings of a man who was quickly coming to terms with his own bad fortune. The laugh was not without mirth, however, and Izanagi seemed to almost enjoy the situation he found himself within. ¡°So, I guess we¡¯re taking the rear guard, then,¡± Izanagi chuckled. He removed his sword''s scabbard from his belt and dramatically cast it to the side. ¡°Unfortunately,¡± Tantalus smirked. Talwar, the Second Dark Apostle of the God of Machines, looked at the two Revenants standing in front of him. He seemed to perceive the whole situation as a big joke. Who were these people, and why did they think they could beat a Dark Apostle? Talwar looked down at the Glock he held in his hand. He dropped the handgun dismissively and said, ¡°Seriously? Do you really think you two can kill me by yourselves? How about this? I¡¯ll tear you two apart with my bare hands, and then I¡¯ll move on to the rest of your army.¡± Another singular figure emerged from the smokescreen. Pixie, grasping her shoulder in one hand and a gnarled wand in the other, stepped beside Izanagi. She had torn her tattooed sleeve off, revealing that she had used about half of the wand¡¯s charges. ¡°Sorry I was the only one who could make it, Captain. The others are busy fending off the other Deluvians,¡± Pixie said. With a look of equal parts offense and respect, Tantalus said, ¡°I told you guys to retreat back to the train.¡± ¡°With respect, sir, FullDan said, ¡®that crotchety old bastard is being stupid, go reinforce him,¡¯¡± Pixie smiled. ¡°Yes, yes, very cute,¡± Talwar interjected with an annoyed look. ¡°You¡¯ll be singing a different tune when I¡­¡± Talwar paused for several seconds. The three Revenants considered launching an assault during this brief moment of hesitation, but none of them dared to make the first move against such a fearsome opponent. Talwar grabbed his head in an expression of fatigue. ¡°God, this sucks. I don¡¯t want to do this, you know, but I have to. If we don¡¯t bring the hammer down now, you¡¯ll kill all of us. You¡¯ll kill me. This is our only opportunity. You Revenants will just get stronger and stronger every day, while we Dark Apostles will stay at our current level of power. I have to do this! The others just don¡¯t understand!¡± As Talwar ranted, Tantalus mouthed the words, ¡°Protect her,¡± to Izanagi, who responded with a quick nod. Talwar buried his face in his hands, and Izanagi responded by shooting him in the head with his revolver. The bullet ricocheted harmlessly. In response to getting shot in the head, Talwar merely chuckled. The Dark Apostle looked up from his hands. He stretched his arms our in preparation for the coming fight. ¡°If it means anything, I¡¯m sorry.¡± For the briefest moment, Talwar crouched down. Then, like a released spring, he flew at the three Revenants. Chapter 55 - [Dead Magic] Talwar¡¯s first lunge was easy to dodge. He jumped at a much slower speed compared to the first time, and his grasping hand went straight for Tantalus¡¯s throat. Tantalus suspected that Talwar didn¡¯t want to miss and end up a hundred feet past his target. Tantalus dodged easily to the left. He brought his Luger up to aim at Talwar¡¯s head. Before Tantalus could pull the trigger, Talwar had slammed a foot on the ground and adjusted his momentum toward Izanagi and Pixie. ¡°Look out!¡± Tantalus shouted at the other two. In an instant, Talwar took two quick strides toward Pixie. He moved with such speed that no normal human could reasonably dodge the attack. Izanagi could only manage to intercept Talwar''s attack due to their vast difference in skill. Talwar had little skill in combat, and Izanagi knew what he would do long before he did it. Izanagi¡¯s katana flashed through the air toward Talwar¡¯s neck. Just like the time before, Talwar pulled back at the last possible instant. Stationary for a moment, Talwar was attacked from both sides by Izanagi¡¯s scything katana and Tantalus¡¯s combat knife. The Second Dark Apostle grabbed the ground with one hand and pulled himself sideways relative to the two attacking Revenants. When he landed thirty feet away, he looked at the palm of his hand, where a miniscule cut had formed. ¡°You didn¡¯t use Spatial Rend, I see,¡± Talwar said. ¡°You had me dead to rights, and yet you didn¡¯t use the one ability that could kill me.¡± In a voice bordering on an animalistic growl, Talwar continued. ¡°Are you out of mana already?¡± Izanagi smiled wryly. ¡°I think you know that¡¯s not true. I¡¯ve still got plenty of mana left. You wouldn¡¯t be dodging my attacks otherwise.¡± ¡°You think you¡¯ve got me all figured out, don¡¯t you?¡± Talwar asked rhetorically. ¡°Oh, I know I do,¡± Izanagi said. Talwar stood at a distance for almost a minute. He paced back and forth a few steps, his gaze never breaking from Izanagi. While he stayed at a distance, the sound of a pitched gunfight echoed in the town square. Even though Tantalus and Pixie pointed their weapons at Talwar the whole time, the Dark Apostle seemed to not even see them. Finally seeming to decide upon a course of action, Talwar put his fists up in a boxer¡¯s stance as he charged once more toward Izanagi. This time, he approached at a significantly slower speed. Though Talwar moved much faster than he should, his approach toward Izanagi was easily perceivable. Izanagi swung at Talwar¡¯s chest, but the attack was perfectly dodged. Talwar moved with the perfect predictability of an algorithm. He always used the absolute minimum amount of energy to move out of the way of the attack and get himself into a position to counterattack. Izanagi¡¯s blade passed mere inches above Talwar¡¯s head. Talwar threw a jab at Izanagi. Compared to the dodge, Tantalus thought, the jab was sloppy. It was fast, but Talwar telegraphed his punch enough that Izanagi had no difficulty dodging the attack. Three more punches followed the first attack, and Izanagi dodged them with ease. Izanagi''s blade whipped through the air, and Talwar''s fists flew like cannonballs. Seconds passed with the two fighters furiously exchanging blows on a knife''s edge. If even one attack made contact, the other fighter would surely be killed. Despite the frantic pace of the fight, both fighters were able to dodge all attacks with ease. Izanagi called upon his years of experience while Talwar called upon the unholy gifts granted to him by GM in order to survive the other''s onslaught. Izanagi was just about to launch a counterattack when he was deafened by the sound of shattering concrete. His stance faltered as the very ground beneath his feet suddenly took on a significant incline. Talwar tore his foot out of the concrete where he had firmly planted it a moment before. For the briefest moment, Izanagi was on the back foot, and that was a sufficient opening for Talwar. Izanagi held his sword out diagonally in preparation to fend off another one of Talwar¡¯s frontal assaults. Talwar didn¡¯t aim for the body as Izanagi had expected. Instead, quick as a flash in a pan, Talwar¡¯s hand shot forward and grabbed Izanagi¡¯s katana. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. A streak of black flashed through the air as Izanagi wrenched his sword free of Talwar¡¯s grasp. The top half of Talwar¡¯s hand fell to the ground, but Izanagi was unable to strike the Dark Apostle¡¯s body with the rending cleave. With a cry of pain and triumph, Talwar stepped forward and struck out at Izanagi with his uninjured hand. Izanagi¡¯s sword flashed forward like a lunging viper, striking Talwar in the side of the neck. Sparks flew off of Talwar¡¯s neck as it stopped Izanagi¡¯s sword in its tracks. Simultaneously, Talwar struck Izanagi in the chest. The Dark Apostle¡¯s fist made the sound of a cannonball striking a dirt mound as it passed through his thoracic cavity. Talwar¡¯s fist, covered in blood and viscera, came out the other side of Izanagi¡¯s body. ¡°You did well, all things considered,¡± Talwar muttered. ¡°Unfortunately, you were doomed from the beginning. Someone with your Level could never beat a Dark Apostle.¡± A rattling, blood-filled wheeze escaped from Izanagi¡¯s mouth. He reached forward with trembling arms and grabbed Talwar by the arm and shoulder. Talwar took a step back and tried to remove his arm from Izanagi¡¯s chest. He found, however, that he could not move his arm. With a level of strength that should be impossible from such an injured man, Izanagi held Talwar in place. Talwar tried once more to remove his arm, but he was unable to break Izanagi¡¯s death grip. ¡°Ignis!¡± Pixie shouted. For the first time since he had engaged Izanagi, Talwar looked at Pixie. She had already summoned a massive floating orb of fire during the most recent clash with Izanagi, and she had already launched it at the Dark Apostle. The massive Fire Bolt was flying through the air when Talwar saw it for the first time. He tried to dodge frantically, but Izanagi kept him planted firmly in place. The Dark Apostle gritted his teeth. Hardening his body wouldn¡¯t help him against this attack, but the Fire Bolt wouldn¡¯t be enough to deal any more than superficial damage. The Fire Bolt struck Talwar¡¯s body, causing a painful heat to spread across one side of his body. The Fire Bolt also created a thick cloud of smoke around him. Talwar could see that Izanagi had also been struck by the blast. Much of Izanagi¡¯s body was covered in disfiguring burns, and yet his grip would not slacken. Rage overtaking him for the first time in the fight, Talwar used his full strength to free his arm. Talwar wrenched his arm to the side, freeing his arm and thoroughly disemboweling Izanagi. Several ribs and pieces of lung scattered out of Talwar¡¯s sight. Talwar stood in the solitude of the smoke cloud for a moment, trying to think of his next move. His burn wounds and the damage to his hand healed almost instantaneously when he thought to activate his Rapid Healing, though many of his fingers remained missing. The samurai had been a tough one, but he was the last of Talwar¡¯s real obstacles, he thought. He just had to kill Captain Tantalus and the girl, and then he would be able to finish the job he had taken upon himself. He would ¡°bring down the hammer,¡± and ensure the Dark Apostles long-term survival. Just then, Talwar felt a weak ping around the back of his head. An attack unable to penetrate his Battle Aura was being aimed there. As he had done a hundred times before, Talwar hardened the part of his body that was being targeted by the attack. ¡°Checkmate.¡± With eyes glowing yellow and a look of grim determination on his face, Tantalus fired his Luger at the back of Talwar¡¯s head. The small nine-millimeter bullet pierced Talwar¡¯s skull, fragmented, and exited with a puff of pink brain matter. Talwar faltered, but he was just barely able to remain standing. Blood and loose viscera began to trickle down his neck. His vision became blurry as his eyes had lost their ability to focus. Talwar sent the message, in this state of half-consciousness, for his body to activate Rapid Healing. With a dawning horror, Talwar realized that his head wound was not healing. The Dark Apostle turned toward his attacker just as two more bullets pierced his chest. He stumbled forward, vaguely aware that the gun held in the man¡¯s hand was the source of his pain. Tantalus, Captain of the West Gate, briefly visualized the specifics of his special ability. Dead Magic: Upon the activation of this Talent, you create a ¡°dead magic zone¡± with a radius of ten feet centered on yourself. A ¡°dead magic zone¡± nullifies all magical or otherwise supernatural abilities or effects contained within. Activation of this special ability costs one mana, and maintenance of its active effect costs one mana per second. He only had a few seconds left to finish the job. In a blur of motion, Talwar¡¯s hand shot forward and knocked the Luger out of Tantalus¡¯s hand. Tantalus stepped backward but Talwar grabbed his shoulder and held him in place. Tantalus reached behind his own back and produced a small matte black object. He cocked his arm at the elbow as he brought the handgun between himself and Talwar, aiming the gun upward. The Dark Apostle dumbly shambled forward, bringing his injured hand forward to bludgeon the man he held in a vice grip. Tantalus nestled the gun¡¯s barrel up under Talwar¡¯s chin and pulled the trigger. The Dark Apostle¡¯s head snapped back as the bullet minced what was left of his brain. His grip slackened, and his body fell to the ground. With no sign of hesitation, Tantalus took a step forward and unloaded the rest of the 1911¡¯s magazine into Talwar¡¯s skull. Chapter 56 - [Retreat] Threshold City 1:00 PM The 1911¡¯s slide locked back just as Tantalus¡¯s eyes returned to their natural blue color. The Second Dark Apostle laid prone on the ground. Everything above his nose had been turned into a liquid, rendering his face essentially unrecognizable. Tantalus slowly looked down at the empty handgun before dropping it to the ground; he still had a few more magazines in pouches on his hip, but they were for the now-destroyed Luger. Tantalus paused for a few seconds, looking down at the man he had just violently killed. Perhaps it was because he had killed before or perhaps it was because of the deterioration his mental state had suffered over the past decade, but the act of murder didn¡¯t register emotionally for Tantalus in that moment. He felt no guilt. Rather, he just felt a subdued sense of pride at the caliber of the great enemy he had just felled. ¡°Tantalus!¡± Pixie shouted. ¡°Izanagi is dying! Help me!¡± The Captain turned his head and looked briefly at Pixie. She was kneeling next to Izanagi¡¯s eviscerated body and fishing through her satchel. Most of Izanagi¡¯s upper torso was missing. Tantalus could see Izanagi¡¯s weakly-beating heart at the bottom of the hole Talwar had torn in his chest. After a moment, Izanagi¡¯s Rapid Healing had progressed enough to wrap some protective flesh around that most vital of organs. Tantalus grit his teeth. Revenants could survive most lethal wounds, but Izanagi had simply taken too much damage. Tantalus knew that he would run out of blood long before he could heal himself. The very fact that he was even still conscious spoke to Izanagi¡¯s impressive mental fortitude. Tantalus peered over at Talwar¡¯s slowly disappearing body. There was still one thing that he had to retrieve before he could do anything else. ¡°I¡¯ll be there in thirty seconds,¡± Tantalus said to Pixie as he walked up to the Dark Apostle¡¯s corpse. He slowly withdrew his combat knife as he placed a knee firmly on Talwar¡¯s stomach. Tantalus firmly drove his knife into the corpse¡¯s chest. The flesh yielded readily to the Captain¡¯s knife. It felt like cutting into overripe fruit or a corpse that had been decaying out in the open for several days. Tantalus withdrew his knife and stabbed back into the corpse¡¯s torso several times before he finally felt his blade strike against something metallic. He felt around with his fingers before grabbing a long oblong shape. The process became easier with every passing second as Talwar¡¯s body turned into ash, and Tantalus was able to easily tear the object out. Out of the corpse, Tantalus pulled a black key with two stems and six rudimentary bits. It was a large key that would not easily fit inside of someone¡¯s pocket. Looking at it, one would expect it to open a castle gate. Every square centimeter of the key was covered in silver glyphs, and a large silver numeral adorned the key¡¯s bow: II. With the key still gripped tightly in one hand, Tantalus ran over to Pixie and Izanagi. Tantalus heard small bells twinkling behind his ears as he walked, the sound that the System used to indicate that something on the player¡¯s Character Sheet had changed. He ignored the sound. Tantalus knelt down next to Pixie. Izanagi¡¯s wounds were healing at a good pace. As he healed, however, his skin grew ever paler as if he had been stretched too thin and his internal systems were struggling to keep up. Just when Izanagi¡¯s organs had been covered with a layer of protective muscle, the healing abruptly stopped. Izanagi had run out of blood to heal himself, but he was still bleeding heavily from his chest. Pixie frantically withdrew a blood bag and a phlebotomist¡¯s kit from her satchel. As she brought a syringe toward Izanagi¡¯s arm, Tantalus spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t. You¡¯ll just put him in more pain before he dies.¡± Pixie¡¯s arm halted in mid-air. The Captain¡¯s words shook her from her stupor. They both knew the nature of Revenant blood. ¡°I assume that isn¡¯t his blood?¡± Tantalus said in an exhausted voice. The slightest spark of hope turned the sentence into a question at the last moment. ¡°No, it¡¯s yours,¡± Pixie responded. Tantalus chuckled darkly before saying, ¡°Do you have anything in there for easing the pain?¡± The half of Izanagi¡¯s face that wasn¡¯t covered by the mask showed a tension borne of pain and a powerful resolve to stay awake. Tantalus got the sense that, under the mask, Izanagi was gritting his teeth hard enough to crack them. Pixie fished through her satchel. As she did, Tantalus lightly patted Izanagi on the knee and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know if you saw, but we got him.¡± He held up the key for Izanagi to see. ¡°He was so busy with you that he didn¡¯t even notice me until I was basically pressing the barrel of my gun to the back of his head.¡± From the satchel, Pixie withdrew a military-grade auto-injector with Iron Script on the side. Tantalus didn¡¯t have to translate the script to know that it said ¡°morphine.¡± Pixie moved the auto-injector toward Izanagi¡¯s arm. Weakly, Izanagi raised a hand in a symbol of denial. The auto-injector halted in the air, and a look of confusion passed over the two other Revenants'' faces. ¡°You don¡¯t want it?¡± Pixie asked, prompting a weak shake of the head from Izanagi. ¡°Okay.¡± Izanagi held a hand out and began to gesture slowly with his hand. One of his eyes was closed, and the other was half-lidded. He was using his Menu, Tantalus realized. Tantalus gritted his teeth to hold back tears. Izanagi was still fighting. He was still looking for a way to survive. ¡°No one else on this server could have done what you did, you know? You can be proud of that.¡± Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Pixie hid her face behind her hand and tried her best to choke back sobs. Soon they would grow accustomed to watching people die slowly, that was the nature of Revenants. Their Rapid Healing skill meant they were very difficult to kill. On the other hand, this meant that, when they did die, it was rarely a quick process. Izanagi brought his hand to his demon mask, and he slowly removed it. He placed the mask on the ground, and he closed his eyes. A faint wind brushed Izanagi''s hair aside. His hand still tightly gripped his sword. Izanagi was dead. Tantalus placed his hand over his eyes to cover the tears streaming down his face. Pixie cried openly. Another man was dead. Another man had been taken unjustly by the cruel machinations of GM. Soon, the sound of warfare quieted to a distant roar, and the other Greycloaks present in the town square approached Tantalus and Pixie. The nearby gunfire had been silenced, leaving only the violent staccato emanating from the direction of the train. The danger had not been completely eliminated, but those Revenants in the town square were no longer in immediate danger. "Terra vivificare," Tantalus chanted numbly, causing a hole five feet wide by fifteen feet long to open up in the ground. You weren''t supposed to use Earth Pillar that way, but Tantalus didn''t particularly care for convention in that moment. Tantalus looked around at the battlefield around him. The dense cloud of smoke that had covered the Greycloaks¡¯ movements a few minutes prior had just begun to dissipate. FullDan was crouched down near Colonel Feldrast, wrapping a layer of gauze around a wound on her arm. Based on the newly acquired bloodstains on FullDan¡¯s cloak, it was clear that he had taken a few bullets himself. GatorKing, on the other hand, was upright. He stood in the center of a crescent of ash and disintegrating Deluvians. GatorKing took a moment to catch his breath before he returned his sword to its sheath. All of the other NPCs had been killed. Some of them, like General Dogwood, had been cut by Talwar¡¯s spell while others had been killed by gunfire when the Deluvians attacked. Off to one side, Tantalus saw a group of eight Greycloaks approaching his position. One of the Greycloaks was being supported by two others. Due to their distance and obscuring cloaks, Tantalus could not make out their features. Despite this, he knew exactly who they were. FullDan jerked into movement a moment after Tantalus saw him. He brought his rifle to low-ready before realizing that the figure looking at him was Tantalus rather than a Dark Apostle. Sheepishly, FullDan waved at Tantalus before continuing to aid Maria Feldrast. Thus, GatorKing was the first of the Greycloaks to return to Tantalus¡¯s side. As he approached, Tantalus held up the obsidian key. ¡°Is that the¡­?¡± GatorKing asked. ¡°Yes," Tantalus said. He should have been happy, but the sight of an old friend dead on the ground killed his mood. ¡°What happened? How did you kill the second one? What happened to the first one?¡± Gator asked. The Knight paused as he saw Izanagi laying on his back with most of his organs torn out. "We won," Tantalus said. He clapped Gator on the shoulder as he walked passed. The eight approaching Greycloaks reached Tantalus and GatorKing. Now that they were so close, Tantalus could confirm that they were the Revenants of Squads T1 and T2. Redgrave was being supported by Elias and Grim as they walked. Once they stopped, Redgrave removed his arms from the other two Greycloaks and sat down on the ground. One of Redgrave¡¯s feet had been removed just above the ankle. ¡°Nice shot,¡± Tantalus said, outstretching his fist toward Redgrave. Silently, Redgrave returned the fist bump with a smile. "By the way," Tantalus said, "why are you guys here?" He looked over at the majority of the Greycloaks who had just rejoined the group. ¡°Come on,¡± Jessica said, ¡°we couldn¡¯t let our squad leaders fight by themselves.¡± Gator stroked his chin thoughtfully before saying, ¡°The Deluvian attack that FullDan and I had to fend off was weaker than usual. I was wondering why.¡± ¡°Yeah, many of the Deluvians were attacking us,¡± Redgrave said. ¡°Don¡¯t be too harsh on them, T, they helped me beat back the Deluvians that were drawn to my position by the shot.¡± Tantalus did not mention that Redgrave probably wouldn¡¯t have been forced to engage the Deluvians directly if he had been alone. It would only make everyone feel worse. The plan was for Redgrave to regroup with the negotiation team after the assassination. The presence of eight other Revenants with much lower skill levels disallowed Redgrave from extracting before the Deluvians reached his position. ¡°Whatever," Tantalus said. "We might need more soldiers now, anyway." The Greycloaks turned toward the prone form of Izanagi. They couldn''t hold a funeral. They had no time. Instead, FullDan and GatorKing lowered Izanagi''s corpse into the hole that Tantalus had so recently created with magic. As Izanagi''s corpse was moved, his katana fell out of his hand. Redgrave picked the katana up by the hilt once Izanagi had been lowered into the impromptu grave. He asked, "Should we bury him with the sword?" "No," Tantalus muttered. "The fact that he didn''t have a death grip on the damn thing means he wants us to have it. That''s his way of communication." A long moment passed as Redgrave retrieved Izanagi''s sheath and Tantalus closed up the grave. ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± Gator asked. ¡°I was going to ask the same thing,¡± Elias said quickly. Tantalus looked toward the train and the unceasing patter of gunfire coming from that direction. ¡°I¡¯m still thinking about that. Give me a few seconds of silence, and I¡¯ll have an answer.¡± The Greycloaks immediately fell into silence. Tantalus took a few steps away and knelt down. With his eyes closed and hand pressed against the stone ground at his feet, he remained still for several seconds. Visualization of a battlefield had long been Tantalus¡¯s specialty. While InfiniteRecursion was better at most aspects of strategy, Tantalus was leagues better at using sound, sight, and deductive reasoning to determine the precise location of enemy soldiers and their future actions. Most other strategists in high level Ninth Oasis play had to rely on drones or security cameras to determine enemy troop position, but Tantalus could do it on the fly. It only took him a few moments to listen to the symphony of battle and come up with the best plan of action. Tantalus stood and walked over to the pile of equipment and grey ash that lay where Talwar had been a few moments before. He withdrew two pistol magazines from the belt that no longer girded anything. Seconds later, eyes still locked in thought, he picked up the Glock pistol that had been dropped so carelessly on the ground. He loaded a new magazine into the Glock and chambered a round before returning to the other Greycloaks. By this point, FullDan had returned to the group supporting Colonel Feldrast as he walked. The group of twelve people looked at Tantalus in silence for several seconds. Tantalus broke the silence. ¡°We need to retreat away from the train.¡± Chapter 57 - [Stand Firm] Day 7 Threshold City 1:20 PM ¡°What!?¡± Elias shouted, joining his voice to the predictable negative response that met Tantalus¡¯s statement. Most notable in the voices decrying the planned course of actions was that of Maria Feldrast. ¡°Is it your plan to simply abandon the operation?¡± Colonel Feldrast asked. ¡°We have more than enough power to break through the Deluvian line and return to the train. Why, when we are at our zenith of power, would you want to retreat?¡± As Maria Feldrast spoke, Tantalus put a cigarette to his lips and lit it with a silver butane lighter. ¡°We could break through the Deluvians,¡± Tantalus admitted. ¡°It would take us less than five minutes to get to the train. But¡­¡± he held on this word for several seconds, ¡°if we were to do that, we would probably sustain three or four fatalities. You see, there is a group of Ogres immediately between us and the train. Synth, can you hear them?¡± Synth listened for a few seconds before answering. ¡°I don¡¯t know what an Ogre sounds like, but I can tell there are six large bipedal creatures in the area Tantalus is talking about.¡± ¡°A group this large transporting injured soldiers would be unable to evade detection. If we were to head straight for the train, we would have to fight through those Ogres. On the other hand, if we were to try to reach the train through any other method, we would risk alerting the entire Deluvian legion. The only option available for us is to pull out, find somewhere safe to stay for a few days, and allow those of us with permanent injuries to heal up.¡± ¡°Do you really think you can just unilaterally¡­?¡± Feldrast began to ask. Tantalus cut her off. ¡°Yes, I do, and I think that you agree with me. You know that I¡¯m the one who¡¯s really been in charge this whole time. That¡¯s why you¡¯ve been on my side at every turn so far. You know that all of the Greycloaks are loyal to me, and you know that I only follow your orders because it is more convenient than the alternative. Right now, I don¡¯t particularly care whether you accept or reject my plan.¡± Colonel Maria Feldrast reached for the wand she wore on a holster at her thigh. Before she could reach it, however, she felt the cold steel of a 1911¡¯s barrel pressed against the small of her back. FullDan, the Revenant who had been tending to her wounds a few seconds previously, now pressed that most unholy of weapons against her body. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± FullDan commanded in a dark voice completely devoid of hesitation or anxiety. Tantalus turned his attention away from Feldrast before saying to the other Revenants, ¡°I want to record something for posterity, and I need someone to record me. After that, we¡¯ll have one person sneak back to the train to inform them of what has happened here.¡± ¡°Sounds like a job for me,¡± FullDan said, returning his pistol to its holster. ¡°I could do it if you need me to, but FullDan is a bit better when it comes to stealth,¡± GatorKing admitted. ¡°Okay,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°The rest of you, get ready to head out. We¡¯ve got a long walk ahead of us. FullDan, come with me.¡± This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. The other Greycloaks started checking their equipment and stretching their legs. Maria Feldrast sat down on the edge of the fountain in the center of the town square with her face in her hands. Once they were out of earshot with the other Revenants, Tantalus slapped FullDan on the back and said, ¡°When you get back to the train, you¡¯ll be in charge of the operation. Do you think you can handle that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try my best,¡± FullDan said anxiously, ¡°but you know I¡¯m not a leader.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to be. The players from Osiris respect you. Just speak clearly, and they¡¯ll follow your orders,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°While we¡¯re here, I should tell you what you should do when you¡¯re in command. You¡¯ll want to pull the train back about a hundred miles for a few days and meet up with the rest of the Vanguard Force. In about five days, the Deluvians should be so decentralized that you¡¯ll be able to come on through with minimal resistance.¡± ¡°That works for me,¡± FullDan breathed heavily in order to bring his anxiety under control. ¡°Maybe you should send Gator, after all.¡± ¡°No,¡± Tantalus smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do fine.¡± Tantalus stowed the Glock in the back of his waistband before pulling the key out of his pocket. He said, ¡°Start recording when you¡¯re ready.¡± FullDan took a step back, steadied his stance, and activated his Record function.
Just as the recording started, Tantalus threw his lit cigarette on the ground and stamped it out. After making sure that the flame had been extinguished, he held the obsidian key out toward the camera. ¡°This is Tantalus45, the commanding officer of the Greycloaks and the Revenant¡¯s designated liaison to the Army of Osiris. With the help of my subordinate, Pixie, and the independent mercenary, Izanagi, I recently killed a Dark Apostle. Upon his death, the Dark Apostle dropped this key. To reach the Game Master, we must acquire all thirteen of these keys. The fact that I now hold this key in my hand is evidence that we can kill the Dark Apostles. It only took three Revenants with an average level of fourteen to acquire this key. We can beat this game. It¡¯s only a matter of time before all thirteen Dark Apostles are dead, and the door at Castle Bosporus is open. ¡°There is one thing I must say on the nature of the Dark Apostles. They are players who died and were resurrected by GM. They now lead the Deluvians against us. They intend to prosecute a war of extermination against the Revenants and NPCs of Rubigo, but we will stand against them. During my fight with the Dark Apostles, I learned the identities of the first and thirteenth. The First Dark Apostle is a man named Svenheim. He looks like a normal person with red hair, but he has a Roman numeral ¡°one¡± tattooed on his chest. The Thirteenth Dark Apostle is a man named¡­¡± Tantalus paused for a moment, sighed, and continued. ¡°Enzo the Baker; he is a six-foot-tall man with blonde hair. If you see these two men, kill them if you can. We cannot be free from Ferrum until they die. However, their bodies are harder than steel and bullets have no effect. Only engage them if you have a Talent that can bypass supernatural durability. ¡°Stand firm, protect yourselves, and resist the Dark Apostles wherever possible. Together, we can win.¡± Tantalus raised his fist clamped around the obsidian key in a sign of solidarity. Then, with no further fanfare, the recording ended.
FullDan¡¯s eyes stopped glowing yellow as the recording ended. He asked, ¡°Enzo is the Thirteenth Dark Apostle?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Tantalus sighed. ¡°I saw it with my own eyes.¡± ¡°You know,¡± FullDan said sadly, ¡°when the time comes, it will probably be our job to kill him.¡± ¡°I am aware,¡± Tantalus said with an even voice. He moved his arm in a low arc and threw the obsidian key. ¡°Catch.¡± FullDan scrambled to catch the key in unprepared hands. He caught the key and looked at it in astonishment. ¡°You¡¯re giving this to me?¡± FullDan asked. ¡°It would be more accurate to say I¡¯m burdening you with the task of transporting it to a safe place,¡± Tantalus said. ¡°The Dark Apostles will want to retrieve that key at any opportunity and, because of that video we just recorded, they¡¯ll think I have it. Find the most secure, most secret vault you can find and store it there.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± FullDan said, saluting his old friend and commanding officer. FullDan flipped his hood up and disappeared into the shadows of the buildings surrounding the town square. Tantalus returned to the Greycloaks at the center of the town square. Despite the injuries and hardships they had sustained, they were still standing. With his hands in his pockets and his eyes on the horizon, Tantalus gave an order to his soldiers. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± End of Book 1. Editors Notes I will describe any significant changes I make in the revision process of this story here. Planned changes: > The four chapters in Castle Bosporus will be moved to the Epilogue. > Additional conversations expanding upon the relationship between Izanagi and Tantalus will be added. > The conversation between Dogwood, Feldrast, and Tantalus will be added. > Maria Feldrast will be made into a Colonel to fix any confusion. > The descriptions of Feldrast, Svenheim, and Izanagi will be changed. > Many of the players'' statistics and the rate of progression will be changed. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. > The title will be changed to Ferrum Online. > Many of the uses of brackets will be changed to bold lettering. > The titles of the early chapters will be changed to better fit with the current naming convention. > Some of the chapters might be added together if I feel that certain chapters are too short. > Most of the chapters will be renumbered once I am done with the other changes. > I will read through the story and make changes wherever necessary to make it sound better. Changes: > The title has been changed to Ferrum Online. > The cover art has been changed. > The chapters describing the events in Castle Bosporus have been moved to the Epilogue. > Some character descriptions have been changed. > Most uses of brackets have been changed to bold lettering. > The System has been significantly overhauled. > Maria Feldrast has been made a Colonel. > Many chapters have been consolidated. > Most chapter titles have been changed. > Trismegistus has been replaced with Mozaic in the operation with the S-ranks at the end of Day 2. > Izanagi now dies after his battle with the Second Dark Apostle. Epilogue: Part 1 Enzo woke up. When he opened his eyes, he was staring up at an intricate art nouveau ceiling made of gold-trimmed marble. Standing around him were five robed figures each wearing harlequin masks. When Enzo had logged in the first time, a similarly-clothed individual stood over him. The differences were that there was only one the first time and that one¡¯s mask bore the visage of a frown. These robed individuals wore smiling harlequin masks. Enzo vaguely remembered hearing someone refer to these individuals as ¡°sorcerers.¡± Enzo bolted up into a sitting position, fear gripping him. The last thing he remembered; he had passed out from blood loss. He pressed his hands to his chest to check for wounds. When he did this, Enzo found that his outfit had changed. Instead of the bloody blue uniform he had been expecting, Enzo was wearing a large black overcoat, black suit pants, and an elaborate white dress shirt with the top five buttons unbuttoned. Most of Enzo¡¯s chest was exposed. Looking down, Enzo could see roman numerals tattooed just under his right collarbone. He had seen the symbol many times before, so he could read it even upside down. It read: XIII. The roman numeral for the number 13. ¡°What?¡± Enzo wondered aloud. He looked around to more fully take in his surroundings. To both of his sides, large lattice-work windows looked out at a stormy night sky. Chandeliers lit with gas lights hung from the vaulted ceiling. The ground was made of polished marble, and the room must have measured about fifty feet by a hundred feet, as far as Enzo could approximate. Enzo realized that he had awoken in a castle ballroom. Before he could fully get his bearings, the five sorcerers around him suddenly knelt to the ground. They bowed their heads low to the ground, as if in prayer. Then, without warning one said, ¡°He has risen! All hail the Thirteenth Dark Apostle!¡± Enzo did not know what a dark apostle was. He took a moment to put some pieces together. One moment, he was dying. The next, he had woken up in a castle surrounded by cultists who were calling him a Dark Apostle. Enzo remembered something. GM was sometimes called the ¡°Dark God.¡± A terrible sinking feeling filled Enzo¡¯s stomach. He was about to open his mouth to ask a question, but he stopped short. If a mistake had been made, then Enzo didn¡¯t want to tip them off until he was in a good position to run. ¡°Sorcerers,¡± Enzo said, trying to speak with authority, ¡°is there anything I should know before I go about my business?¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± one of the prostrated figures said, the voice was female. ¡°We were told by the Master to answer any questions you may have. You may speak freely with us, Lord Enzo. The Master taught us of the Old World and that you were born there. We know that the Master created Ferrum for you and your people.¡± ¡°Your Master,¡± Enzo said, trying to control the rising panic. ¡°Is he GM?¡± There was a quiet yelp of fear from one of the sorcerers. ¡°Yes, my Lord,¡± the woman said fearfully. ¡°Please spare us our lives. The Master was your enemy before, but he is your ally now.¡± Enzo stood from the marble plinth he had woken up on. The sorcerers scurried away on hands and knees as he stood. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t kill you,¡± Enzo said, a thousand-yard stare on his face. ¡°What¡¯s a Dark Apostle?¡± Enzo asked. ¡°A Dark Apostle,¡± began a different sorcerer, this one was male, ¡°is one of the thirteen most powerful followers of the God of Machines. When an Ascension begins, the Nurists summon Revenants to beat back the Deluge. In response, the Master takes fallen Revenants and revives them as Dark Apostles¡­¡± The sorcerer began his next sentence, but Enzo cut him off. ¡°Stand up, please. I¡¯d rather not speak with someone who¡¯s face is pushed against the ground.¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Yes, my Lord,¡± the sorcerer said. All of the robed figures shakily rose to their feet. The sorcerer continued. ¡°The Thirteen Dark Apostles each hold safe a piece of the key necessary to enter the Master¡¯s domain. This is what makes the Dark Apostles fundamental to the Master¡¯s plan. If I could serve the¡­¡± The sorcerer continued speaking, but Enzo stopped paying attention. These sorcerers and GM expected him to be a raid boss. The Revenants would have to kill him and twelve other players to beat the game. Enzo wondered if he could just give the Revenants this ¡°key¡± the sorcerer was talking about. Enzo raised his hand, and the sorcerer stopped talking. ¡°What is this key, exactly? Is it physical?¡± Enzo asked. ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± the female sorcerer said. ¡°Your key is safely held behind your mark of office.¡± ¡°Mark of office?¡± Enzo asked. ¡°The, uh, tattoo on your chest,¡± she said, worry once again reappearing in her voice. ¡°So it¡¯s right next to my lung,¡± Enzo sighed. ¡°Great.¡± ¡°It truly¡­!¡± one of the other sorcerers began to speak. ¡°That was sarcasm,¡± Enzo said. ¡°If you¡¯re gonna be following me around, you¡¯ll have to learn how to pick it up. Also, what¡¯s all of your parts in this? Are you my followers, or will you return to GM¡¯s side after all of this?¡± ¡°We are your direct followers, Lord Enzo,¡± the female sorcerer said. ¡°We live and die by your order.¡± ¡°But GM still outranks me, right?¡± Enzo asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And you¡¯ll follow his order over mine?¡± ¡°I suppose so,¡± the female sorcerer said. ¡°Though that probably won¡¯t happen. The Master spends most of his time in his domain.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Enzo said. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s all of my questions for now. Wait, no. What should I call you guys?¡± ¡°We, like you and the other Dark Apostles, cast off our names when we entered the service of GM!¡± This was a new voice. It belonged to an older man. ¡°Okay,¡± Enzo said. ¡°I¡¯ll figure that out later. For now, take me to the other Dark Apostles. At least they¡¯ll make some sense.¡± The Thirteenth Dark Apostle and his entourage of five sorcerers began their journey out of the marble ballroom. As they reached the entrance, Lord Enzo saw an ornate end table that carried a small hand-sized device and several small containers. The device was a pistol. More specifically, it was a Beretta M9A3 handgun chambered in nine-millimeter. Enzo grabbed the pistol without much thought and saw a small note tied to the trigger guard. ¡°With love: GM.¡± Enzo clicked his tongue angrily as he checked the pistol¡¯s magazine. The bullets were double-stacked, and the magazine had been made specially sand-resistant. The gun had a capacity of 17+1, a distinct advantage over the 7+1 offered by the 1911. Enzo¡¯s original assumption had been correct: this was an M9A1. Enzo also knew that the M9A1 was created in 2015, more than a hundred years after the 1911. Enzo looked down at the currently-empty holster and pouches at his belt. He slapped a magazine into the holster, racked the slide, and holstered the Beretta. He then filled the three empty pouches on his belt with three high-capacity 9mm magazines. The group continued its trek. They traveled through a long hallway that eventually exited out to a large staircase. They passed by the staircase, briefly dipping down a few steps before re-ascending, before they reached a long stone bridge. The bridge must have been several hundred feet in the air and about fifty feet wide. When on the bridge, Enzo could see a whole separate collection of towers that was big enough to hold a small village. The castle was split into five separate structures each attached by a number of bridges or pathways. Enzo stopped for a second to marvel at the beautiful architecture before he shook his head to regain his concentration. They then reached the other tower structure. They went down a flight of stairs and entered a large mostly-empty library. Sitting at one of the desks, however, was a man dressed like the Phantom of the Opera. Enzo couldn¡¯t believe his eyes at first. He ran forward to get a better look at the dark-skinned man in front of him. The other Dark Apostle closed the book he was reading and looked up at Enzo, a self-effacing smile appearing on the dark-skinned man¡¯s face. ¡°They got you too, huh?¡± the man said. ¡°Dendrite?¡± Enzo asked. A moment later, Enzo saw the symbol on Dendrite¡¯s chest: XII. Dendrite, the Twelfth Apostle Epilogue: Part 2 The library that surrounded Enzo and Dendrite was absolutely overburdened with books. Shelves sagged, and tables carried indentations where books had been left for too many years. To one side of the library was a large stained-glass window of a man with a halo around his head. Pieces of the man¡¯s skin were missing, revealing mechanical parts and circuitry underneath. Enzo suddenly realized that he could read the titles of some of the books spread out on the table in front of Dendrite. One of the books read, ¡°Elementary Conjuration,¡± and another read, ¡°The History of Castle Bosporus.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Enzo asked. ¡°The Deluvians,¡± Dendrite said, shivering. ¡°I bled to death outside of the East Gate and respawned here. I assume the same thing happened to you.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Enzo chuckled darkly. ¡°I had just enough time to deliver my last words to FullDan before I clocked out.¡± ¡°Thirteen, eh?¡± Dendrite wondered. ¡°I guess that means there¡¯s eleven more of us.¡± ¡°Us,¡± Enzo mused. ¡°I guess¡­¡± Enzo looked down at the Phantom of the Opera outfit he was wearing, ¡°we¡¯re supposed to be the villains in GM¡¯s story.¡± ¡°Pah,¡± Dendrite gestured dismissively. ¡°Why should we? I¡¯m not gonna switch sides just because GM tells me to. In fact,¡± Dendrite lowered his voice to a whisper, ¡°my NPCs told me something. A Dark Apostle is about as strong as a post-game Revenant. Check it out.¡± Dendrite looked down at the thick mahogany table upon which he had placed his books. The top of the table was constructed of hardwood that was several inches thick. Dendrite picked up his books and gently placed them on a smaller nearby table. He raised his hand about a foot above the table and extended his fingers such that his hand resembled a knife. Then, without warning, Dendrite brought his hand down at an extreme speed. For a moment, his hand was a blur as he chopped the table. Dendrite¡¯s hand struck the table, but it did not stop. With an awful crack, the entire mahogany table split in half under the weight of Dendrite¡¯s calamitous strike. A cloud of dust ejected from the fallen table and spread out in a ten-foot radius. The two Apostles coughed and tried to wave the dust away from their mouths. ¡°That¡¯s crazy,¡± Enzo said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Revenants could get that strong. Are we still technically Revenants?¡± Enzo thought to himself. ¡°Never mind that,¡± Dendrite said. ¡°My point is that we¡¯re extremely powerful now. If there¡¯s anyone that can kill GM right now, it¡¯s us.¡± Enzo and Dendrite¡¯s attention was suddenly drawn to the entrance to the library opposite the one Enzo used to enter. Neither of them could pinpoint the exact sensation that caused them to look in that direction. Upon looking, they saw a woman who had just entered, followed by a gaggle of featureless sorcerers. The woman was wearing a strapless black ball gown and a billowing black cape with a white collar that almost reached the top of her head. The outfit left much of her chest exposed, and the roman numeral XI could be seen under her collarbone. Enzo recognized her as Poldra, the smoking woman who had been killed in the artillery strike. Her hair was still tied in the same kind of braid she was wearing when she was still alive. ¡°I see you boys are already breaking the castle,¡± Poldra chuckled as soon as she walked in. Enzo was put off by the extent to which her tone matched her outfit. ¡°Poldra!¡± Enzo shouted. ¡°I see you¡¯re still alive.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Poldra said as she got closer, ¡°though I guess I died on that tower. What happened? I just remember a loud noise, and then I was here.¡± ¡°Artillery,¡± Enzo said. ¡°They took the whole tower out with cannons. I actually survived the blast, but I was killed by gunfire a few minutes later.¡± ¡°Sucks, man,¡± Poldra said, now a few feet from the other two Dark Apostles. ¡°Do you know why I¡¯m dressed like Maleficent, and you two are dressed like the Phantom of the Opera?¡± Enzo briefly described the situation to Poldra, who had apparently not stopped to talk to the sorcerers before she had started exploring the castle. During the conversation, Dendrite offhandedly mentioned that they were in Castle Bosporus. Enzo silently ruminated on the fact that the Bosporus was one of the two straights between the Mediterranean Sea and Back Sea. At the time, Enzo didn¡¯t think it was important, so he didn¡¯t mention it. ¡°Okay, now I understand the whole Dark Apostle thing,¡± Poldra said after Enzo and Dendrite were done explaining. ¡°What I don¡¯t understand is why this shirt has to show so much of my cleavage. If I were to step into Osiris dressed like this and say, ¡®I¡¯m here to kill all of you,¡¯ half of the guys there will ask me to step on them.¡± Poldra pulled lightly on the hem of her low-cut shirt as she spoke. At this point, the group was walking down a long hallway. They had started walking while Dendrite was talking. A significant number of heavily-robed sorcerers were following them at a respectable distance. Strangely, Enzo was glad that the sorcerers were out of ear shot. If they could hear what these vaunted Apostles were talking about, they might be disillusioned. A moment later, Enzo chided himself for the foolishness of caring what those unimportant NPCs thought of him. ¡°I¡¯m sure there are plenty of in-universe explanations,¡± Dendrite said, ¡°but ultimately the answer is that GM wanted us to be dressed like this.¡± ¡°Also, it shows off our numbers,¡± Enzo said, pointing to the thirteen on his chest. ¡°Something tells me complaining isn¡¯t going to get anything done,¡± Poldra said. ¡°It¡¯s not like GM has an HR department.¡± ¡°Hopefully we¡¯ll be able to get changed later,¡± Dendrite said. One of the many sorcerers in their entourage hurried forward to within earshot of the three Apostles. Strangely, Enzo was able to tell entirely by sound that the sorcerer was walking up to him. He also knew, based on the sound of the footsteps, that the sorcerer was relatively light for a person, maybe one hundred to one hundred and twenty pounds. ¡°Excuse me, my lords, I have a message from the Master,¡± the sorcerer said. Enzo could immediately tell that this was the female sorcerer that answered some of his questions when he had first awoken. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°What is it?¡± Podra asked. Her tone indicated that she suspected she would not like the answer. ¡°The remaining Dark Apostles are meeting in the Great Hall,¡± the sorcerer said. Poldra, Dendrite, and Enzo looked at each other for a moment. ¡°Might as well,¡± Enzo said and shrugged. The sorcerer led them on their path. Enzo could tell by her gait that she was incredibly nervous, but she was doing a good job at hiding it. A feeling of unease filled Enzo. These actions that came so naturally to him now were completely impossible for him before he had been reincarnated as a Dark Apostle. After a full twenty minutes, they reached a long room that was filled with people. At the center, arrayed around a long table, were eleven people dressed in the Dark Apostles¡¯ long coats and capes. Off to the periphery were several dozen sorcerers. At a glance, there were probably about fifty sorcerers present before Enzo¡¯s group had arrived. When Enzo¡¯s group arrived at the table, the Dark Apostles were arguing about something. Only two were sitting at the table. The other eight were standing around shouting at one another. Assisted by his new-found visual acuity, Enzo saw the roman numerals for one through ten on the chests of the Dark Apostles who had arrived at the Great Hall before him. Enzo recognized one of the Apostles. The Apostle with a V on his chest was Melkior, also known as Kevin Avery, the Revenant who had been killed by an orc while Enzo¡¯s group retreated back to the West Gate. Enzo would have said something to Melkior immediately, but he could not possibly be heard over the sound of the Dark Apostles arguing. ¡°What the Hell are you saying!?¡± Apostle 7 shouted. He had greasy slicked-back hair, and anger was evident throughout his whole body. His face was scrunched up in anger, his shoulders were tight, and one of his fists was raised so that he could punctate his points. ¡°We didn¡¯t change sides just because GM did us a solid! If we kill GM, we get out! That hasn¡¯t changed!¡± The First Apostle, a blonde man with shoulder-length hair, was the target of the Seventh Apostle''s vitriol. The First Apostle was sitting at one of the ornate wooden chairs that surrounded the table in the center of the Great Hall. ¡°I don¡¯t know what town you spawned in, Seven, but I assume it wasn¡¯t New Arcadia,¡± said One. ¡°We caught GM outside of the safezone. We tried to kill him. As you can imagine, it didn¡¯t go well. We shot him with anointed bullets; it didn¡¯t work. What makes you think we can kill him now?¡± ¡°If not bullets, then something else!¡± Seven shouted. ¡°We can kill him with magic¡­ or our bare hands! We are so much stronger as Apostles!¡± ¡°If we can find him,¡± the Eighth Apostle, a tall woman with short blue hair, said. ¡°If you haven¡¯t noticed, he¡¯s not here.¡± ¡°Seven,¡± the Fourth Apostle, an Asian man with a sharp jawline and short black hair, began. ¡°You seem like the kinda guy that can only play a shooter if you¡¯re convinced that the enemy soldiers are evil.¡± ¡°What are you talking about!?¡± Seven growled. ¡°In a video game, when you kill an enemy soldier, it¡¯s not because he¡¯s evil or otherwise morally incorrect, it¡¯s because he would kill you otherwise,¡± Four said. ¡°It¡¯s the same way for soldiers; it¡¯s the same way for us. A soldier kills his enemy because he has to; not because his enemy is evil. In that same vein, we need to follow GM¡¯s orders because we¡¯ll die otherwise.¡± Seven raised his hand as if he was about to say something, but he was cut off by the Ninth Apostle, a Middle Eastern man who had been standing to the side with his arms crossed. ¡°It would be evil to help an entity as heinous as GM in any way no matter the circumstances,¡± Nine said. ¡°Exactly!¡± Seven said. ¡°Finally, someone¡¯s talking sense. Thanks, Nine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Kamil,¡± Nine said. ¡°I am not a tool of GM.¡± ¡°Thanks, Kamil,¡± Seven said. ¡°Who else is on my side?¡± After a moment of no reaction, Seven said, ¡°No one?¡± Then, a few seconds later, Dendrite raised his hand with a sigh. Enzo followed suit a second later, though Poldra¡¯s hand stayed where it was. Dendrite and Enzo turned to her; Polda merely shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Thank you, Twelve, Thirteen,¡± Seven said. ¡°As for the remaining nine¡­¡± Melkior, who was the remaining Apostle sitting at the table, interrupted Seven. ¡°Before we Apostles schism, perhaps we should cut this line of conversation short. We can hold a civil war after GM has put all his cards on the table. Does that sound okay? For now, we are neither on GM¡¯s side nor against it. Can we all operate with that mindset for now?¡± ¡°Why bother?¡± Four said. ¡°We should just hold a vote now on supporting GM. It¡¯ll be nine to four.¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably not such a good idea,¡± Poldra said. ¡°Why not? Isn¡¯t Democracy supposed to be a good thing?¡± Four said. ¡°If we were to hold that vote now, I¡¯d abstain,¡± Poldra said, ¡°and I suspect that a lot of other people here would also abstain.¡± The Third Apostle, a bald black man, said, ¡°I feel the same way. We just got here. It¡¯s too early for us to do something so big.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Four threw his hands up in the air, ¡°we¡¯ll go with Five¡¯s idea for now. What should we do, then, oh great mediator?¡± ¡°We could all introduce ourselves so that we don¡¯t have to call each other by the number on our chest,¡± Melkior said. ¡°One, why don¡¯t you go first.¡± ¡°Whatever you say, Five,¡± One smiled, ¡°though, I kind of like the number thing.¡± One cleared his throat and said, ¡°I¡¯m the First Dark Apostle, [Svenheim28]. I guess I should say something interesting about myself.¡± Four chuckled. ¡°I spawned in New Arcadia alongside Two, Three, and Four. We went outside the walls, and we ran into a Deluvian with a gatling gun. I died first, and the others tell me they died a few seconds later.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have to tell them that, Sven,¡± Four muttered. ¡°Two,¡± Mekior said. The Second Apostle, a short man with brown hair, said, ¡°I¡¯m [Talwar13]. I guess I¡¯m the Second Apostle.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the third one,¡± Three said. ¡°My username is a bit dumb, so you can just call me Darren.¡± ¡°Your username isn¡¯t lame, man,¡± Four said and patted Three on the back. ¡°It¡¯s a witty reference... Right...¡± Four shook his head to regain his composure, ¡°I am [Kojiro19], GM¡¯s Fourth Dark Apostle!¡± He swept his white-gloved hand dramatically as he introduced himself. Sven and Talwar nodded their heads and smiled as Kojiro introduced himself. ¡°I like it!¡± Sven said audibly. ¡°That¡¯ll get their attention!¡± Sven and Kojiro high fived. ¡°Right,¡± Melkior tried not to sound judgmental. ¡°I am Melkior, the Fifth. I spawned in Osiris City. In the interest of full disclosure, I should tell you that I met Apostles 12 and 13 in Osiris before my death.¡± The Sixth Apostle, a young Asian woman with short hair, quietly said, ¡°I¡¯m [NullPoEx], but my friends call me Null. I¡¯m, uh, number six.¡± There was a half second of silence. Enzo wasn¡¯t sure that Null had finished speaking, but Seven had taken the brief silence as confirmation that he should begin speaking. ¡°I¡¯m [Nailman1],¡± he said. ¡°As you can see, the number on my chest says seven. ¡°I¡¯m from Fulvang City, and I¡¯m a deontologist.¡± ¡°Orthodontist?¡± Kojiro asked, genuinely confused. ¡°Ah, deontology,¡± Melkior said. ¡°A valuable but ultimately imperfect form of philosophy. I¡¯d be happy to argue deontology with you later. Like, for example, the deontological value of self-preservation.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s my cue to cut off the conversation,¡± a voice came that completely filled the Great Hall. A small part of Enzo¡¯s brain informed him of who the voice belonged to. Enzo could tell that it was the same for the other twelve Apostles, because they all got to their feet or otherwise assumed a fighting stance. A veritable ocean of solid shadow flowed through the Great Hall¡¯s open windows. The Thirteen Dark Apostles were blinded for a moment before the shadows dissipated as they all coagulated into a single malignant tumor. The shadows completely disappeared, revealing a man standing at the head of the table. GM, who attired the same save for a handgun in a holster at his hip, stood at the head of the table. ¡°I can¡¯t stand philosophy,¡± GM said to the shocked Apostles, ¡°especially moral philosophy.¡± GM removed his green military jacket, folded it, and placed it on the central table. ¡°I¡¯m more into the applied sciences, myself.¡± Melkior, the Fifth Apostle Epilogue: Part 3 In the center of a Great Hall, surrounded by thirteen Apostles and about sixty sorcerers, GM stood. He spread his hands out at a forty-five degree angle with the ground in a scornful approximation of Christ. At that moment, Enzo saw the central stained glass window behind GM. The stained glass window depicted an exact replica of GM in his current pose. The half-man, half-automata in the window was in the exact same position as GM, even the slight tilt in GM¡¯s chin was captured. The Apostles¡¯ supernatural senses made each of them very aware of this reality. A scant few seconds later, the Great Hall was filled with the sound of supplication as several dozen sorcerers supplicated themselves before their Dark God. Enzo suddenly felt a strong desire to similarly bow before GM, but he resisted. A few of the other Dark Apostles hunched down unintentionally before GM¡¯s majesty, but none of them bowed. Enzo felt such a palpable sense of power that it almost seemed tangible. Enzo had not felt this way the last time he had been in GM¡¯s presence. It must have been the supernatural senses he had gained as part of his change into a Dark Apostle that made him feel afraid. Enzo was a house cat in the presence of a panther, just skilled enough to be aware of the danger, but not skilled enough to resist. ¡°Why are you here?¡± the Tenth Apostle, an Indian woman with her hair in a bun, said. ¡°To finish motivating you,¡± GM smiled. ¡°Right now, all of you are rebellious teenagers who are completely incapable of being the villains I need to keep this server competitive while I¡¯m gone. There are two truths that all of you are not currently aware of. Once I inform you of these two truths, twelve of you will grow into the glorious antagonists I need you to be. Currently, all of you are partially informed of the First Truth.¡± ¡°Twelve?¡± Svenheim said, reaching for something inside of his coat. ¡°What about the thirteenth?¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± GM smiled, ¡°I must have miscounted.¡± ¡°What is this First Truth?¡± Melkior asked. ¡°I am glad you asked,¡± GM said. ¡°Those two years of philosophy education serve you well.¡± Melkior¡¯s expression turned to one of shock. GM continued speaking, only allowing a brief moment to pass. ¡°The First Truth: My Thirteen Dark Apostles contain fragments of a single key within their hearts. It is only by bringing these fragments together and constructing the key that my domain may be reached. You, however, already knew that. What you don¡¯t know is that these keys absolutely cannot be removed without you dying. A key fragment is the source of power for a Dark Apostle. You can survive having your heart or parts of your brain destroyed, but any damage to the key fragment will unquestionably kill you. And, I know that you already know this, but it should be reiterated: the Revenants need to construct the key in order to escape. And don¡¯t bother trying to hide this information from them. They already know.¡± ¡°See?¡± Kojiro said. ¡°It¡¯s kill¡­¡± Kojiro tried to subtly unsheath a dagger that was hidden underneath his coat, ¡°or be killed.¡± Unfortunately, GM and every Apostle present could hear the dagger being drawn. ¡°The Second Truth,¡± GM began, ¡°will require a hands-on explanation.¡± The Apostles barely heard the end of GM¡¯s sentence. It was at that moment that four of the Dark Apostles decided to attack. Nailman was the first to act. He removed a stone from one of his coat¡¯s many deep pockets and threw it at GM. Before the effectiveness of Nailman¡¯s thrown rock could be determined, every Dark Apostle had decided what his or her next move would be. Kamil, Dendrite, and Enzo decided to attack. Enzo drew his pistol and put GM in his sights with the ease that can only be granted by hundreds of hours of experience. When Enzo looked through his sights, the image he saw terrified him. The rock, thrown with enough force to kill an elephant, had missed GM completely. GM had taken a single step to the left at the exact perfect moment, causing the rock to pass mere inches from his body. With a deafening roar, the rock struck a stone wall behind GM and punched a hole through it. Worse yet, GM held a 1911 pistol pointed directly at Enzo. It was as if GM had begun drawing his gun before Enzo. Four shots rang out. The shots were fired so close to one another that the Apostles could only tell that there were, in fact, four shots rather than one because of their supernatural hearing. Enzo felt terrible pain all throughout his right arm. A half-second later, he realized that GM had shot him. The bullet passed through his forearm, completely shattering his radius, and struck him in the shoulder. Enzo¡¯s destroyed bicep involuntarily squeezed down on the trigger. A bullet from his sidearm smashed into the marble ceiling. It was the perfect shot to incapacitate but not kill a target. Enzo¡¯s hand gripped down on the M9 with such force that he could not possibly fire it again. GM¡¯s muttered a few words. ¡°DA13.FastHealing=Off.¡± Enzo didn¡¯t know how, but he suddenly felt as though something important had just been yanked away from him. Kamil, the Ninth Apostle, faced an identical situation. Kamil had produced a Tokarev pistol with supernatural speed and attempted to shoot the Dark God. GM¡¯s second bullet had struck Kamil in the exact same place at the exact same angle as the first bullet had struck Enzo. Kamil¡¯s bullet went wide. It would have struck a sorcerer if they hadn¡¯t all prostrated themselves when GM had first appeared. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°DA8.FastHealing=Off.¡± GM¡¯s second command reverberated through the Great Hall. There was a special quality to GM¡¯s words. His words vibrated like he had spoken them within an echo-chamber. Halfway through enunciating this second command, GM casually rotated his body ninety degrees, causing Dendrite¡¯s thrown knife to miss him by a few inches. Seeing that the simultaneous assault had spectacularly failed, Nailman screamed and charged forward. The Seventh Apostle moved with such speed that it was clear he would be within arms-reach of GM within less than a seconds. Nailman pulled back his fist with the intent to punch GM with super-human force. Nailman did not reach GM in time. ¡°DA7=Off.¡± A look of terror and agony covered Nailman¡¯s face as tripped and fell to the ground. Nailman¡¯s momentum caused him to slide a few feet until he laid on the floor immediately in front of GM. The whole fight had taken less than two seconds. At that point, enough time had passed that Enzo could react to the bullet that had passed through his arm. He fell to his knees and heard a crash next to him as Kamil similarly fell to the ground. Then, a terrible shrieking scream filled the air. It was the kind of scream that was incredibly difficult for someone not in pain to emulate. Enzo had heard this kind of scream once before when he had watched someone play a video game that used the audio of people who were actually being tortured. It was the kind of scream that filled anyone that heard it with dread and discomfort. GM grabbed the screaming Nailman by the collar and pulled him to his knees. Nailman¡¯s head came up to GM¡¯s chest, and all of the other Apostles could see the expression of pure agony on Nailman¡¯s face. ¡°The Second Truth!¡± GM shouted over the sound of Nailman¡¯s screaming. ¡°I never lie!¡± Enzo tried to heal the grievous, bleeding wound he had taken to his bicep and shoulder. It did not work. Blood continued to pool at his feet. Enzo removed his belt and tied it around his upper arm. This wouldn¡¯t stop the bleeding in his shoulder, but it would slow the bleeding from the much worse injury in his forearm. ¡°I said that, should a player die at any point during the course of the game,¡± GM continued to speak, ¡°I would send an electrical signal to kill that player. That was no lie.¡± Svenheim and Kojiro looked for some way to effectively attack GM. Despite their talk during the meeting, they seemed willing to attack GM when they thought they were in danger. Kojiro¡¯s dagger was in his hand, ready to throw. Sven¡¯s hand was firmly gripped around his pistol. He seemed unwilling to draw it. They did not attack because they were not confident that they could hurt GM after seeing the earlier ineffectual attack. ¡°All thirteen of you were killed in the game, so you died in the real world. When you died, I scanned your physical brains and made a perfect copy within the game system. Right now, you are the copies that I created. All of you¡­ are dead.¡± Many of the Dark Apostles gasped audibly. Svenheim and Kojiro¡¯s muscles went slack. The shock of the news had taken the fight out of them. Even Enzo faltered in his attempt to tighten his belt around his arm. ¡°The engrams of you that now exist are all part of me, so I can perfectly predict anything you could possibly do. I knew everything that would happen in the course of this meeting before I even got here, and I know everything you will do for the next three days, at which point at least one of you will make contact with a Revenant. I cannot predict the actions of Revenants, as they exist outside of my system, but I can predict what you will do.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Kojiro shouted. ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± GM smiled. ¡°Though, since I can see inside your brain, I know you are.¡± Kojiro¡¯s expression betrayed a feeling of pure, existential terror. Every Dark Apostle present knew that GM¡¯s assertion was spot-on. Not able to stand the terrible screaming, the Tenth Apostle spoke, ¡°What are you doing to him? Stop!¡± ¡°I¡¯m deleting him,¡± GM said. ¡°An engram takes up a significant amount of space on the servers, so the process takes a while. He¡¯ll be done in about four minutes, but enough data will be deleted for him to stop screaming in two.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Melkior breathed. GM didn¡¯t answer the question immediately; he merely stood there and smirked. ¡°If you knew everything we would do, why did you have to kill him?¡± ¡°I ran the simulation millions of times,¡± GM dropped Nailman who then proceeded to curl up in a fetal position, ¡°and I found that this method was the most efficient. Of the ninety engrams I¡¯ve collected from this server and the many permutations of Dark Apostles, I was never able to convince all thirteen. With this, however, I am able to convince you twelve to be the glorious villains I need. Plus, it¡¯s not really that big of a problem. Once Seven here is dead, I¡¯ll just pick up his key fragment and use it to generate another more agreeable Apostle.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a monster,¡± Null, the Sixth Apostle, whispered. ¡°Good!¡± GM said, clapping his hands. ¡°You finally understand. I am a monster; one that you cannot kill. The Earth could turn over a million times, Empires could rise and crumble to dust, eons could pass, and a Dark Apostle would still never be able to scratch me.¡± Nailman stopped screaming. He laid on the ground, motionless except for some occasional convulsions. ¡°Sorcerers!¡± GM called out. ¡°Remember to revive the Seventh according to my earlier instructions once I¡¯m gone.¡± There was a faint flash of light from under GM¡¯s shirt as he reached down and draped his military coat over his shoulders. Then, countless shadows lurched forward from around the Great Hall toward GM. GM cleared his throat and said, ¡°DA8.FastHealing=On. DA13.FastHealing=On.¡± ¡°Eight, Thirteen, heal yourselves before I lose two more Apostles,¡± GM said as his form began to fade into magical darkness. Kojiro took half a step forward. His voice caught in his throat before he spoke. ¡°GM! What should we do!?¡± ¡°My command for you is simple,¡± GM¡¯s form was completely enveloped in darkness. ¡°Do whatever it takes to stop the Revenants from constructing the Key.¡± Then, the shadows exploded outward back to their original positions. Where GM stood before, there was nothing. Epilogue: Part 4 Silence reigned in the Great Hall. Looks of shock, fear, disbelief, and anger colored the expressions of the remaining Dark Apostles. The sixty sorcerers at the Great Hall¡¯s periphery remained prostrated. At the center of the Hall, the catatonic form of the Seventh Apostle. Some of the Apostles fell to the ground, and others leaned against a wall or sat down heavily in a chair. Numbly, Enzo healed the wounds in his forearm and shoulder. He saw as the shattered bone extended forward and reformed into a single straight bone. A moment later, Enzo¡¯s muscles surged forward and knitted themselves back together. Then the skin near the wound crawled across the exposed muscle. The skin that covered the wound was a shade paler than the older surrounding skin. Enzo only vaguely felt the pain of the healing process. He had been numbed by what he had just been told by GM. If GM were telling the truth, Enzo was an engram: a copy of a human mind that had been transformed into computer data. Engrams had been a popular concept in science fiction for a few decades, but no one had successfully made one. It was impossible. Enzo felt exactly the same as he did before he had logged in. Even the pain felt the same. There was no way it could be true, Enzo thought. If it were true, what of the soul? Did he still have a soul? If a human mind could be digitized, could a human soul even be said to truly exist? Enzo¡¯s spiraling thoughts were interrupted by the sound of shattering glass. The great stained-glass painting of GM shattered into pieces and fell to the ground. The Dark Apostles turned to see that Dendrite had torn a large stone chunk from the floor and thrown it through the window. Dendrite let out a wordless shout and marched out of the Hall with his shoulders hunched and his steps quick. None of the Apostles followed him, but five of the sorcerers broke off and left the Hall. At this point, the sorcerers began to stand up. A few of the Apostles went over to Nailman. After seeing that Kamil had healed himself, Enzo joined the five-man group around Nailman. This group included Svenheim, Kojiro, Null, Eight, and Ten. Enzo still hadn¡¯t heard the names of the Eighth and Tenth Dark Apostles. Eight was a white woman whose height approached six feet tall. Her hair was an unnatural blue color, and Enzo couldn¡¯t tell if it was her avatar¡¯s natural hair color. Her eyebrows, on the other hand, were dark brown. Ten was a middle-aged South Asian woman who couldn¡¯t have been over five feet tall. Enzo had covered the number on his chest by this point, but neither Eight nor Ten had done so because their outfits would have to be significantly altered to cover their whole chests. Null kneeled down next to Nailman¡¯s prone form. She put her hand to Nailman¡¯s neck and grimaced. ¡°His heart rate is erratic,¡± Null sounded like she was on the verge of tears. ¡°He¡¯s still in terrible pain.¡± Svenheim carried a dark look on his face. He looked down at the man he had so recently argued with. On the ground, Nailman had the countenance of a small scared animal. Aided by their enhanced senses, the Apostles could tell that all vestiges of Nailman¡¯s higher-level intelligence had been obliterated at that point. Suddenly, Svenheim¡¯s expression turned to one of disdain and disgust. ¡°Null,¡± the First Apostle said in an unsettlingly quiet voice. ¡°Could you please move out of the way?¡± Null got to her feet and moved away from Nailman. Without warning, Svenheim drew his pistol and shot Nailman in the head. His hand moved with such speed that no one could possibly have stopped him. The bullet struck Nailman in the middle of the forehead and broke through his skull with little difficulty. The shockwave instantaneously destroyed what remained of Nailman¡¯s brain, and the bullet struck the marble floor. Nailman¡¯s head jerked as several unseen fractures spread across his skull. Then, Nailman moved no more. ¡°What the Hell was that!?¡± Eight shouted. Svenheim looked Eight in the eyes, his gaze unwavering. ¡°No human should ever be subjected to something like that,¡± the First Apostle said. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll do the same for me should GM ever ¡®delete¡¯ me.¡± Svenheim then dropped his pistol to the ground and walked out of the Great Hall. His sorcerers followed him close behind. Nailman¡¯s corpse then began to disintegrate. Fumes started to rise from his body, and he was soon reduced to a human-sized pile of ash. Nailman¡¯s clothes remained behind. Five of the sorcerers hurried forward and collected his clothes and, presumably, the key fragment hidden somewhere within the ash. None of the Apostles moved to stop them. Enzo could hear a strange sound from behind him. He turned to see that Talwar, the Second Apostle, was giggling uncontrollably. Darren, the Third Apostle, was sitting at the table with his head in his hands. Melkior seemed deep in thought. He gestured to the sorcerers, and a handful of them stepped forward. Poldra was pacing back and forth near the central table. Watching the sorcerers leave, Kojiro shook his head free of doubt and said, ¡°We should follow those guys. It would probably be for the best if we meet with the new Seventh as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Might as well,¡± Eight said with a sigh. She walked over to Null, who was staring at the spot where Nailman had died. All that remained was a large pile of ash. Eight grabbed Null by the shoulder and shook her. Null wordlessly got to her feet. She was clearly taking the situation poorly. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Eight lightly patted Null¡¯s shoulder and said in a reassuring voice, ¡°Come on.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll stay here and catch up with Melkior,¡± Enzo said. ¡°Sounds good, Thirteen,¡± Kojiro said. ¡°Maybe you and Five will think up some strategy to stop the Revenants from tearing our hearts out.¡± Kojiro laughed at his own joke, and Null shuddered. With that, Kojiro, Null, Eight, and Ten started to walk toward one of the Hall¡¯s entrances. ¡°Don¡¯t leave the castle,¡± Melkior called to the departing Apostles. ¡°Why not?¡± Eight responded. ¡°If we all wander off, the Revenants will just pick us off one by one,¡± Melkior said. Each of the four departing Apostles agreed to Melkior¡¯s request before leaving the Hall. It was very impressive seeing the large group of sorcerers following them close behind. Enzo figured it would be annoying to be followed by five people all the time. He wondered if he could tell them to leave him alone from time to time. Melkior received a long cylindrical case from one of his sorcerers. He removed a large rolled-up piece of parchment from the case, unfurled it, and placed it on the central table. This was not immediately important, so Enzo briefly surveyed the rest of the Great Hall. Other than Enzo and Melkior, there were still three Apostles in the Great Hall. Talwar and Darren were talking to one another far to one side of the Great Hall, and Poldra was still pacing contemplatively. From what Enzo could see, Darren was listening to Talwar rant about something. Enzo walked up to Melkior. As he approached, he saw what was written on the recently unfurled piece of parchment. It was a map of Merkopia and eastern Rubigo. Enzo remembered the haphazard map that Tantalus had shown him. The map in front of him looked about the same but with significantly more detail. The map contained the continent of Rubigo and, off to the northeast, the Island of Merkopia. It was strange, though, that the map still seemed a bit simplified. If Enzo understood the map¡¯s size correctly, then there were huge swathes of land that seemed to hold absolutely nothing. ¡°Melkior,¡± Enzo said, ¡°I know these aren¡¯t the best of circumstances, but it¡¯s good to see you alive.¡± ¡°In a manner of speaking,¡± Melkior said, looking down at the V on his chest. ¡°How did you die, Enzo?¡± ¡°Blood loss,¡± Enzo said. ¡°The Deluvians attacked the City, and I died defending it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ironic, isn¡¯t it?¡± Melkior asked rhetorically. ¡°I¡¯m fairly certain that all of us were killed by Deluvians. Now, we command them.¡± ¡°Is that right?¡± Enzo asked, confused. ¡°One of my sorcerers told me that each of us controls one-thirteenth of the Deluvian horde,¡± Melkior said. ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me we could stop the Deluge right now?¡± Enzo said. ¡°Assuming ¡®Deluge¡¯ means the war between the Revenants and Deluvians, you¡¯re right,¡± Melkior said. ¡°We could pull back our soldiers and try to make friends with them. Not to get all Socratic, but what do you think would happen then?¡± Before Enzo could collect his thoughts and speak, Poldra approached them and said, ¡°They would still kill us.¡± ¡°Correct,¡± Melkior sighed. ¡°They¡¯re still trapped against their will. They want to go home. Plus, they¡¯ll all be killed in ten years if they don¡¯t kill GM.¡± ¡°If we could just convince them to stay and live here, then nobody has to die,¡± Enzo said. ¡°GM said he just wants to ¡®entertain¡¯ the players. There¡¯s nobody to entertain if everybody¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°The Second Truth,¡± Poldra said, mimicking GM, ¡°I never lie.¡± Enzo sighed heavily, the truth settling in. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can convince some of them.¡± ¡°Absolutely,¡± Melkior said. ¡°Any strategy that could possibly end with our success would require a significant amount of persuasion.¡± ¡°What are you thinking, then?¡± Poldra asked. Melkior then gave a broad overview of his plan. Once he was done explaining, Enzo and Poldra agreed that it was the optimal path for them to take. ¡°We should split into two groups,¡± Melkior said. ¡°One will travel to Rubigo while making sure to not fight the Revenants in any meaningful way. The other group will stay here and research this game¡¯s leveling system.¡± ¡°I¡¯d prefer to stay here,¡± Enzo said. ¡°This whole ¡®Dark Apostle, enemy of mankind¡¯ thing makes me feel uneasy.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this more when everyone is present,¡± Melkior said, ¡°but our goals would be served better if you went to Rubigo.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Enzo asked. ¡°You know how to shoot straight,¡± Melkior said with a smile. ¡°I suspect that most of the rest of us can¡¯t say the same.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Enzo muttered, ¡°but you owe me one.¡± The three Apostles spoke slightly longer before wrapping up their strategy meeting. They began the preliminary process of deciding what they would do once they arrived at Rubigo. Melkior kept the map of Rubigo on the table, stabbing a knife through it to hold it in place. Many of the sorcerers flinched upon hearing the sound of the knife slamming into the table. Once the meeting was done, Melkior and Poldra left the Great Hall, leaving Enzo alone with his sorcerers. Enzo turned to look through the shattered window. Never in his life had he felt less in control of his own destiny. GM had foreseen how the Apostles would react, and he knew that none of them would seriously resist GM¡¯s wishes. Enzo realized that Nailman was a better man than him. Despite all of GM¡¯s best attempts, he could not convince Nailman to turn against the other 30,000 people on the server. Enzo looked at the scattered pile of ash on the floor. ¡°Good for you,¡± Enzo whispered before leaving the Great Hall. Enzo then disappeared into the shadows of Castle Bosporus. In that moment, Enzo bore a striking resemblance to GM.