《Darkborn》 Chapter 1 - The descent Her name was Sina. Black with a white collar, with deep and sensuous eyes. She''d been with me since I was 8, since before I was different enough to notice. The first few weeks she was distant, cold. She had experienced years of abuse before I rescued her. I spent every moment I had, all my love and effort on her, and she warmed up. As much as cats ever do. And she became my best friend, just when I needed one. More than anything. It felt so random. One day, everyone took a step to the side, leaving me behind, alone. When they noticed that I was an outsider, they picked on me. Little things at first. I had a temper back then. It didn''t make things easier. As we grew older, the bullying escalated.. Alternating between name calling, pranks, lockouts, even violence. Grownups put on a token reaction, and the others withdrew long enough for the heat to die. I always knew they''d be back. Sina was always there for me. She''d purr and cuddle, accept hugs that were too rough and tears that made her fur wet. Her comfort helped me for 9 years. She died today. The vet had shaken her head. There were no more options. My parents enthusiastically agreed. The only reason they even brought her back home was the extra cost of disposal if we left her there. When I came home, I found her in a box on the stairs. Her fur scraggly, bony from age, the same magnificent creature that had been my only comfort for so long. I felt the world break apart. I said goodbye to her in the yard, the hole I dug in the hardened dirt looming in front of me. When I packed the earth on top of her, I could see her glowing eyes in my mind. Lost in the memories I had left of her, the world came rushing at me, all at once, and my consciousness faded. I had just turned 17. I was by her grave for hours before they came out to look for me, I''m told. I came to myself in a hospital bed, alone. The psych, Dr. Peters, looks at me. He''s just explained about panic attacks and the dangers of being overworked. I''m not paying that much attention to what he''s saying. I want to get out of here. He''s a middle-aged man, heavy set with drooping cheeks and terrible, dreadful taste in sweaters. "As there isn''t any reason for us to keep you here, I believe it''ll be best for you to get back home to a safe place as soon as possible." I bet. And it''ll be cheaper for your hospital. "But, your particular set of circumstances qualifies you for an experiment, if you''re interested in an upgrade to Basic 2." Is he soliciting me for an experiment? Is that why he''d let me go so quickly? My years of social awkwardness win out, and I don¡¯t call him on it. Instead, I force myself to meet his eyes. His glasses reminds me of adults who are way too into Harry Potter for far too long. "Here, I''ve activated this data tab for you. Just scan it when you get home, and the website will tell you more about the arrangement. If you''re interested, you can enlist." He hands me the tab, a piece of flexible touchscreen with a short animation, a web link and a QR code. I excuse myself and get out of there promptly. I had a closer look at the card in the autocar home. There were three animated spheres, Red, Blue and Green, orbiting a larger, white one. There was energy between each of the spheres and sometimes lightning flashed from the energy ribbons into the central orb. The words ''Make your own legend come true, Above as Below'' superimposed themselves on the image in the whiteout from the flash. A video game? The website will give me more information. His offer of an upgrade to Basic 2 intrigued me. A few years ago, the government surrendered and experimented with universal basic income for the population. Anyone over the age of 16 received a set sum of money for whatever purpose they saw fit. In exchange, social security payments ended. The trial was such a success it was rolled out nationwide. People were still unhappy with what they got, of course. And it wouldn''t let you go anywhere exotic or buy anything expensive. But it did let you get subsidised rent, food and drink, and it let you not worry about where your next paycheck came from. There were several levels of basic, depending on your usefulness to the public. If you signed up for daily work for the community, you''d get boosted to basic 1, giving you more money. The offer I had in front of me was going to boost me to basic 2, a level normally kept for public servants or single parents with connections. With that kind of money I could move out, find my own flat. The autocar arrived at my home. My parents were out somewhere. They were on basic 1 since they were ''supporting'' me but they were being phased to 0 as soon as I¡¯m eligible for my own payments. They were never good parents, but with this kind of change looming, they became much meaner. I went inside our unit and hid in my room. I have an old laptop I bought online years ago. It runs an OS several generations old, and is prone to bluescreens, but it works for my purposes. I boot it up, get a mug of tea and check out the website over the steaming mint. "Attention! This website is designed for 2nd generation AR viewing, and may not behave as expected on 2d display units!" Every website has this warning these days. AR took off in a big way after the late 20''s push from the big corporations. The first generation was awkward and expensive, but when the neural interaction hardware fully integrated, and the prices dropped, everyone had to have them. I still can''t afford even a pair of VR glasses, and my laptop couldn''t run them anyhow. Sighing, I turn to the awkward website layout. Too many mindlinks, not enough clickables, but I find a page that offers QR scanning. I have to route it through my smartphone, but it accepts the code after a few tries. "Welcome . Thank you for considering our experiment in Augmented Alternate reality immersion. As should have explained, this offer is aimed at individuals with high levels of anxiety and poor skills at managing themselves in a social scene." What the hell? Has he not even filled in my name? Is he that lazy? And why does he keep on about anxiety.. My pet died, I had a breakdown is all¡­ Thinking of Sina made my eyes water. I pushed it back down and continued reading. "By accepting this offer we will supply you with a Mk3 immersion helmet, a processing unit and a hardlink to make sure there are acceptable levels of transmission." Whoa... that''s serious stuff... What are they going to test here? "The experiments will focus on the subjects ability to adapt to a new environment, through their disability or illness. The experiment will be for an initial one month period, with a clause for extensions if suitability is high enough. Please show your agreement by inserting your ident in your computers reader." This isn''t too bad... all this for playing a game, signing a simple NDA. I insert my ident, and a chill ripples through my body. A week later, the doorbell rang. I''m in the middle of an amazing sandwich. Crunchy artisan bread, real cheese, crisp lettuce, peppers and sliced ham, and a strong mustard. The perfect non-fried sandwich. I hesitated, looking longingly at my snack before I put it down to open the door. "Delivery for a Miss Reisen, please sign here". Easy enough. "Thank you very much miss." The driver turned around and whistled at two guys in overalls, who fiddled with the street level connection point. They''re here to put in the hardlink. A huge improvement on our current softlink, comparable to early noughties broadband. Useless for any realistic volume of 3d data. He hands me a brown paper box, smiles at me, and walks to his van. The box feels heavier than I''d expect, at about three times the size of my head. I head off to my room, accompanied by butterflies. Inside the box, I find two smaller boxes and copious amounts of packing peanuts. You''d think someone would have invented a better way of transporting parcels by now. One box held a processing unit, the other held the headset, my portal into this new and exciting world. The full immersion game has existed as a concept for ages, but the technology was never there before now. VR didn''t materialise as the answer in the mid 80''s I''m told. Now however, the only barrier is the lack of appropriate games to play. Even the high end MMO''s of 10 years ago were inadequate, like living in an 8 bit world. I turn the headset around in my hands. Gorgeous, sleek shiny plastic with an artificial depth to it. It fit over my head, straps under my chins and two small probes peeking out over my eyes. The thing worked by putting the user into a shallow sleep, using technology to hijack the brainwaves and allow the user to coalesce them in the game world. At least that''s what the accompanying booklet told me. Little else. Plug it in, connect it to the hardlink, wear helmet, follow on-HUD instructions. Fair enough. I check on the workmen, inspect the padlock to my door, hydrate and wait for the work to finish. After a short wait that goes on forever, I can lie on my bed and initiate the warm up sequence on the processing unit. The moment I put on the helmet, I''m overwhelmed by the overbearing nothingness that happens. It seems like an anticlimax, but all there is, everywhere, is darkness. I take longer than I want to admit to realise that all the sounds from outside vanished. No birds, no cars, no construction sounds. The eeriness of the silence is second only to the absolute darkness around me. I thought the process was meant to be more.. dynamic. Has something gone wrong? I''d love to say my heart beat faster now, but my heartbeat was missing, I couldn''t breathe, I couldn''t do anything. It seemed like hours, but must have been seconds, when a small green dot appears in front of me, far away. As it comes closer, the world around me sharpens into focus. I seem to be in a mechanical city. Brass streets stretched into the distance, while copper buildings lined the sidewalks, bifurcated by cogwheels and levers moving on their own. Steam valves blasting off around me, a strong scent of what I can only guess is lubricant suffuses the air. Before I can orient myself, the green light expands from a point to a plane, displaying text.
Calibrating world view to new user. Confusion detected. World complexity reduced to level 2
The world blurs again and the yellow-brown brass and copper disappears from view, black emptiness taking its place. Then a cascade of light and colour, fireworks and oil spills everywhere. I''m looking at a galaxy from the wrong angle. A bout of vertigo washes over me as I realise that I''m not standing on anything. And that I have no feet. "Attunement level 1 achieved. Voice communication enabled. Confusion increased. Preference database updated for user. Complexity reduced to level 1." The calming voice came from all around me. Fair enough, my mind couldn''t handle anything more complicated than.. What? As the darkness blurs away, it¡¯s replaced by a verdant green. A forest surrounds me, leaves everywhere except right in front of me. I''m sitting on sand, an azure pond in front of me. Everything exudes peace and relaxation, and my heartbeat is calming down. I also realise my heartbeat has returned, a pleasant bonus. My little green friend hovers near me. How a flat green panel can express eagerness will forever be beyond me. "Welcome to the Below user. How may I address you?" The same calming voice. Hmm. Is it asking for my username, or my real name.. "I just need a name to refer to you for now, user. It is impolite of me to refer to you as User at all times." What the hell, it can hear my thoughts? "You are not thinking as quietly as you think, user. I will explain later, but for now, assume that we are of one mind. You can choose to express yourself by speaking out loud, or by forming the words in your mind. I will hear you." The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.This was too freaky. "Please, call me Shae.. And you are?" "This fragment is known as Ephraim. I am very pleased to meet you Shae. I can tell by your tether that you are here with a special mandate. I hope you can forgive me, but it is very insistent that I read it." It must be talking about the experiment. How odd¡­ "Oh yes, none of the other fragments in my cluster have ever talked about something like this. I am excited. Let me see... This says that a mighty doctor in your world has sent you on a special quest into this world. If you choose to honor the request, I will be attached to your tether, and tasked to report on your progress in the world below. If you decline, you will be compelled to ripcord and loose any boon you have gained in your own world. How do you respond?" "I accept." Expressing myself like that, out loud, makes me feel sheepish, but that¡¯s one of the reasons I¡¯m here I guess. "Fantastic! Let us start immediately. Your mandate does not allow for an accelerated start, but I can pull some strings. First, tell me about your preferred path through the world below." "What do you mean?" "Well, I am told the world below is much like the world above, where you come from, except that the rules are simultaneously more clear, better obfuscated, and often much stricter here. So when in your world you would be a fighter of fire, or a teacher of young or a healer of infections transmitted en flagrante, in this world, you can pick a path of a warrior, a scholar or a doctor. This does not prevent you from any other path, but it will help me guide you towards the skills that interest you." Hmm. It''s too early to pick anything yet. I wonder if there''s some middle ground or something "Of course there is!" Shit, why do I keep forgetting it can hear my thoughts! "Please, do not worry. After the embodiment, you''ll find it much easier to hide your thoughts. The ability to sense others thoughts is a very complicated skill, and few possess it." "Wait, are you saying I can be a psychic in this game? Read other players minds?" "Read them, control them, destroy them. The only limit is your dedication to the craft. I must warn you, however, that while a high skill in mindwalking means you''ll be exposed to the descended realms. The denizens of the hell-realms are not to be trifled with and many mindwalkers before you have met their end screaming in fire." I guess psychic is out. "But you can follow the path of the Jack if you want. There are no special skills available for this path, but you can access almost every other skill freely. And changing your path focus is much simpler in any case." "Okay Ephraim, you''ve convinced me. Jack it is." "Marvellous! Now, onto your avatar. While your tether is powerful, it is unable to interact with the world below. You will need to create an avatar to fill with your essence. Please consider the following racial templates for the greatest attunement." There was the attunement thing again. I really need to ask about that. "Ah, attunement. It refers to the level to which your mind has attuned to the world below. The highest level available is five, where you can exist in this world at a compressed rate. To meet that level, you need to pass through the trials of new tetherlings. We will get there. Picking a race with a negative attunement will mean that even when you reach max Attunement, you will find the progress in the world slower than others, until you''ve fully acclimated to the new body. I am told this goes the other way as well, and that if you come back to the world above after playing as a Narach spider, you feel phantom limbs moving around you when you try to get mammal lactate from your preservatories." Wow... Exposition much? "You asked... Here are the primary choices. Please know that the visual references to the avatars are only the generic versions, and that the final version will be partially formed by your tether, meaning the avatar you use in the world above." A woman appears before me, startling me. She''s pretty, with dusky skin and long dark hair, her features reminiscent of the middle east, her green eyes wondering at the world. What sort of fantasy was this again? She seems offended by my snub, and exits, stage left, as an elfin character shows up. The Attunement meter shows 90%, and the elfa seems to be many men''s wet dream. Innocent doe eyes, slender girlish figure. Who is this game for anyway? Boys who just entered puberty? The elfa shrugs and heads off after the human girl, probably to find some dark knight to shack up with. A procession of barely hidden sexual innuendo stalks my vision. Halfling jailbait. Giantess who seems to have grown out of her clothes. Sexy troll headhuntress? Even the amazons seem to be designed by Doctor Frank N. Furter. Sigh. There''s a few minutes until the next freak show entrant. But this time the controller seems to have keyed into my displeasure towards the other hopefuls. Nothing is visible of this character. A heavy green robe, a slow but steady gait, sidling until she''s in the middle of what I''ve come to think of as the stage. She turns to me and I know it''s the right choice at once. Her eyes are dead, her hair is falling out in chunks, and her mouth is closed, pale and utterly dead like the rest of her. Her attunement is 75%, but in my excitement I ignore the potential penalty. As I select her, she smiles, her darkened and broken teeth creeping me out in just the right way. "You''ve decided then!" my green companion exclaims. "Yeah, undead seems like a good option for me. I especially like the ..." I quickly read part of the description. "... stench of the grave?" "Ah, yes. The undead racial defence trait. Don''t worry, it''s an at will ability.. Well, you will it, and then you need to wash up afterwards... it''s great for hiding in graveyards... and abattoirs... But be aware that the natural world tends to be unhappy about the aberrant creatures of the world." "That''s okay. Let''s finish those trials you mentioned. I''d like to get this show on the road!" "Your enthusiasm is noted. The first trial was adjusting your mind to the existence of this world, and to allow the basic sensory input to register with your mental state. The next stage is to inhabit your new body, and to practice movement. Expected time frame is 1 hour, modified by the undead attunement factor to 1 hour 45 minutes." There''s a brief bright flash and the feeling of falling, then I''m standing where I was looking, looking towards where I was standing. Up until now the experience was mostly mental, but now, I couldn''t believe how real this all felt. I put my arms out and look at my hands. My skin is pale with a green tint. I can almost hear my tendons move. This body probably needs some upkeep. I wonder who I was when I was alive¡­
Hidden quest found: Who were you?
How did you die? Most undead accept fate with a solemn demeanour, but you will not go gently into that dark night. Maybe there was foul play, maybe you offed yourself. If you can discover any information about this, it could be a defining trait for you.
A block of text hovers in front of me. There''s a happy yes button, and a sad no button. This game seems to like to ensoul things that shouldn''t really have emotions. So that''s how quests work then. It''s a nice touch I guess. I''ll take it The game takes that as a yes, and the quest is accepted.
Quest gained: Who are you?
Ability Discovered: Curiosity
Ability Discovered: Focus
And I get stat gains by accepting quests? Nice.
Are you paying attention to me at all?
It makes me smile. On my acknowledging the window, it vanishes.
Good. Now please go through the following routine for me..
I take three hours to finish the first trial. The game makes me jump in place for long minutes. Spinning in place. Touch your nose. Regular field sobriety test. It culminates in a thrilling 20 meter shamble, where I realise how difficult it is to move a body that I wasn''t born in, that I didn''t grow up in. After a few faceplants, my Attunement meter increases to 30%
Trial 2 completed. Your Guide will inform you of the requirements for Trial 3
Ephraim floats towards me, and with a shock I realise he''s no longer a green square, he''s a 2d sprite of a cherub. "Well done Shae! You completed your trials in... time..." A sideways glance makes me think the time isn''t exactly great. Fine, it took me some time to finish. Sue me! "Now, the next step is normally to either begin combat training or crafting training, depending on the path you selected. Since you selected the path of Jack, you''ll be able to select which one gets priority. First, you need to go back above. Please use the ripcord functionality of your UI to go back out. You will be disoriented when you wake up, with a mild headache. This function exists so a user is able to flee from any dire situation, but we have to make sure you know what it is and how it works. When you get up, you will need to wait 24 hours before you come back inside. While you are out there, please read the documentation sent to your email address. It will help in the last trial. Thank you for coming here. I am happy to be able to serve you, Above as Below." I give him an awkward smile, a half hearted wave, and notice a glowing handle icon in my UI. It probably only shows up when I look for it. I focus on it and pull it with my mind. There is a whoosh, a sucking feeling and a weird light-show, then everything goes dark once more. The sheer sensation of panic doesn''t come back. Sounds of the world come back. Wind, cars, children. I remove the helmet, wincing a little from the stiffness, and stare at the ceiling. That was awesome... Chapter 2 - Hazing I get up and rub my eyes to clear out the confusion. Wow... the real world is such a bummer¡­ It¡¯s more muted, less vivid than I remember. Even my thoughts are slower than they should be. A crash of pots and pans alert me to my parents'' presence downstairs. They''ll be making themselves some food before they head back outside with their friends. They belong to a group of people who reject a lot of the modern technology available. They refuse to use autocars, relying on dumcars when they were legal, and bikes now they aren''t. They harp on about the new generation of smartphones being "too smart", and long for the time when all they¡¯d use a phone for was games, web browsing and chatting. New technology like the neural interfaces and AI-like assistants are nothing but waste of resources better spent on social activities and drink. It''s one of our big points of contention. I go out to see if there''s anything to eat yet, and am met with two grown people staring at their phones, tapping away. I roll my eyes and try to get to the fridge undetected. "Hey Sharon, how''s life in the all-consuming machine?" My father, the failed hipster quips without looking up from his phone. I sigh and open the fridge as my mother looks up. "What''s going on with your hair? Have you been sleeping? It''s the middle of the day! How was your appointment with Dr. Peters?" Oh good, she''s learnt to feign interest. "He says I''m fine and shouldn''t worry too much about stuff. Same as every time. Hey, I''ll be busy in my room for a few days. I''ve got a new job online." Best not to mention too much about tech experiments to these two. "I''ll get up to Basic 1 for the duration, so I can add more to the rent for a while." Also a good idea to keep the amount of money to myself. My parents give each other a look I''m not sure how to identify. "What kind of job? Online? In your room? Are you involved in online porn?" My face warms up as blood rushes in. "No mom, I will be field testing some new technology for a company. It''s not a big deal, but I need privacy when I''m working." "Okay... Just set your account to active so we know you''re alright" Yeah, and so you can access my money when you need to. Pragmatic as always, dad. The conversation drops off rapidly, and I escape into my room with some high nutrition bars and water. I''ve never seen the point in fancy food or lots of sweets. Where all my surplus weight comes from is anyone''s guess. I duck back into my fortress of solitude, lock the door and log back onto the website. This time I can use the headset to navigate. It''s running on low immersion, as the cooldown period won''t expire for a day. There is an avatar on the site that seems way too chipper for its job. "Hi there! I''m Melody! Welcome to the interactive manual for the Below. Would you like to start with the beginners tutorial?" Okay. That''ll do. I indicate yes. "Wonderful!" The fairy-like creature spins in place, waves a wand and the website transforms into an interactive guide. It turns out to be less in-depth than I''d have preferred. It goes through the simplest theory, the basic premise of the game, some legal stuff about sharing of information. Seems that private forums are frowned upon, with in-game taverns being the best source of game lore and rumours. The world is comprised of various planes of existence, with the one most players inhabit being the Prime plane. There are three meta planes surrounding the prime, which are the astral, ethereal and echo planes, each representing the merging of the prime plane with one of the Elemental forces. The Elemental forces are more basic than the classical elements, like a fantasy version of quantum theory. There is the Physical element which is the primary element of the current cycle, the Essential element which is in decline, and the Magical element which is in ascendance. Each cycle can last millions of years, and changes when a champion of the ascending element defeats a champion of the current element. The current element goes into decline and the declining element gains the ability to choose a new champion. There are also Affinities for each of the elements, and planes based on those, but I decide to wait until later with that. All this theory is making my head foggy. I spend the rest of my day painting. Dark colours with grey shadows, two yellow orbs surrounded by a white smokey collar. I cry myself to sleep. When I log back into the game, I can''t find Ephraim anywhere. As I search for him, I look around in amazement at how real everything seems. I bend down and feel the water. Cool and fresh, little whirlpools form in the wake of my hand. "Welcome back Shae!" The voice is sudden, startling me. "Aah! Don''t sneak up on people like that! You''ll give me a heart attack!" "Oh, please don''t worry about that. As a member of the undead, your heart has already stopped. You''re pretty much immune to all normal diseases. Watch out for fungi though, that''ll be hard to get rid of." Oh, great. Fungus. Wait, do I rot? I clear my voice to ask the question but Ephraim beats me to it. "Well, yes and no. It''s time to continue the lessons about your body. Please come with me." I get the feeling of being in a moving car as my point of view flies towards him. I''m turned around and get the opportunity to look at my new body in more detail. "As you can see, your hair falls out when you pull at it, your nails fall out and go away and, as you can probably imagine, wounds do not heal on their own. All this conspires to make for a poor sentient race, or at least not a long lived one. That is why your race has been gifted with an Elemental affinity to Magic even though you are physical creatures. This affinity lets you absorb Mana from your surroundings and use it to keep your body in repair. There is a basic upkeep cost based on your physical development and age, so if your Mana handling abilities fall behind your age or progression, your body will eat itself and rot. In that case, you''ll either become a non sentient skeleton, or cease to exist. However, if you go the other way, and gain too much Mana in too short a time, your body might change, allowing your spirit to exist beyond the Prime realm. This also means your jaunt in this body ends." "Huh... so I''m all about magic and physics then?" "Not exactly... First, it''s Elemental Magical and Elemental Physical. Second, as a Prime creature, you also have a spark of the Essential in you, which is where the concept of gods and divinity comes from. Your constraints on Mana generation and storage means that the path of a Mana user would be extremely difficult for you. I''d say you were more about the managing the Magical and holding on to the Physical for dear life." "Fine, fine, can we get to the actual learning? I still have a lot of attunement to accomplish before I''m considered fully integrated in the game." I''m tiring of all the theory. Ephraim smiles... Wait a minute, is he more real now? Instead of the 2d sprite, there was a fat little green tinted cherub flying in his place. Very blocky, like an old fashioned video game. "Ah, yes. As your attunement increases, you will see me more ... correctly. This is my penultimate form. The next one will be a real charmer." He winks at me as he finishes the sentence. Ick. My movements feel much more natural now. I''m given small tasks by the system, like ''pick up 5 sticks'' and ''throw sticks into pond'', all intended to make me understand the game system better. By the time I''ve gotten sick of this, I realise I''ve increased strength, agility, endurance and even luck, besides some minor skill increases.
Skills increased: Body control, Aim
I feel very cool, even from this simple progression. After these simple tests, I pick combat as my next trial. Ephraim has me beating a poor spider to a pulp with a stick I find on the ground. Afterwards, I get to make a basic club from spider silk, a stick and a rock I found. Each step of the process, every action I perform takes my breath away, and my muscles ache after even the simplest effort. Finally finished, I wipe the sweat from my brow and look at Ephraim. I gasp as I realise he¡¯s turned into the most beautiful vision I''ve ever seen. Golden curls, chiselled bronze skin, alabaster wings. Where a fat little cherub had stood before, a full grown angel stood in its place. His smile makes me tingle. "Well done Shae. You have completed the trials set before you and have achieved a high degree of attunement to your new avatar. With this accomplishment, the right to travel the world Below on your own has been earned." "Oh, wow, Ephraim... What will happen now?" I felt a touch of panic come on. Alone in this mysterious world? "You will do fine here, Shae. You will follow your desires and shape your future in this world. From here on out, you will be in the Prime, and not in this bridge realm. That means that time will become dilated, and for every minute spent in the world Below, 20 seconds will pass in the world Above. This is one of the gifts we offer the tethered souls who visit." I take one last at little azure pond. This place doesn''t look quite so real anymore. The sheer colours are starting to feel overdone and tacky. There is no life here, other than the trees and flowers. Not even wind shifts the scene. How did I not realise this before? Maybe it''s the attunement speaking¡­ "Before you go, I have some parting gifts for you. A cloak to keep you protected from the elements of nature. A celestial stone which will provide you with fire when you need it. And this." He hands me a silvery chain, the locket the length of my hand. I open it and see a perfectly preserved alabaster feather. "With this, you will always have me near. I will always be around your tether, honouring your mandate to the world Above of course. But always keep that close, and I will be able to help you when you need it most.¡± My eyes started a little, as I couldn¡¯t find the words. His smile brightened, and the world grew faded into the radiance. And with that, my adventures truly began. After the flash of white light, the world comes into focus. I''m in a forest. Deep inside, by the look of the trees. The biggest ones created a green canopy high above, with smaller trees and bushes in between. The ground is dry and reddish brown. There''s the taste of cold in the air, with a hint of soft decay. I have a look around and notice my HUD. There is a comfort metre, letting me know I''m perfectly comfortable right now, but getting less comfortable by the minute. There''s the ripcord handle, waving slightly from the attention I give it. No inventory screen, no health bar, no mana, spell book, minimap or compass. I do notice a small question mark. I focus on it, triggering a message.
Would you like to learn more about your HUD?
Yes (full tutorial)
Yes (short tutorial)
No (all tutorials are available offline in a non-interactive form)
I focus on the short tutorial. I''ve never had patience for walls of facts, or video tutorials. If it''s not taking me on an adventure, I will not be interested.
Your HUD is designed to be as unobtrusive as possible. You can change your settings from the settings menu. The only icon which will always be available is the ripcord handle and comfort scale. General health and mana values are available as they become necessary, and you can turn them on in the settings screen. You will need an Orienteering skill to use a compass. A map is needed to display the minimap. To make a map, the map making skill is necessary.
Huh... it knew what I wanted to know and kept it short. Useful. I dismiss the box and begin to explore my surroundings. The forest floor is remarkably uncluttered. I expected broken branches everywhere, wildlife around me and leaves. As I kneel to the ground, I realise the leaves are flattened against the ground, creating a carpet over the ground. The weather makes me thing that soon the leaves will turn yellow and fall and create another layer. As my head is closer, I notice the sound of scratching. I try to brush some leaves away, and a large flake comes loose. From underneath, a mouse scampers, fleeing away from me and into a hole near a tree.
Skill Discovered: Perception - Subskill: Forest Perception
I stand up and start inspecting myself. I find the club I made, hanging from my belt, the cloak around my shoulders, the fire starter and the amulet in pouches on my belt. Adjusting my equipment, I begin walking in a random direction. A whole new world! Sadly, the new world is entirely composed of brown trunks, red/yellow/brown ground, and in the distant heights, green. I quickly get tired of the scenery and decide to try my hand at climbing. I find sturdy tree with low branches and pitted bark. How hard can it possibly be? I rub my hands together, for no better reason than I saw it in a movie once, I grab the tree with both hands, and try to pull myself up. There is no effect. I''m too heavy for this approach, and the angle is wrong. Turns out, I''ve never climbed a tree before. I bet my parents would get a good laugh out of this. I reach higher, trying to find purchase on the tree, and discover an indentation a bit higher up. This lets me climb to the lowest branches. I grab a hold of one and try to get a leg up. There''s a loud crack, followed by a brief period of vertigo and a short stop against the ground.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Damage received - 20%.
Stunned effect gained (30 seconds)
Skill discovered: Climbing
I lie perfectly still for 30 seconds, moaning softly. I could move, probably, but everything hurts, and the universe seems to want me not to. Best to oblige. When the effect finally fades away, I''m left with a general soreness. "Gee, I''m glad nobody saw that..." I look around to confirm, and spot something that looks like a squirrel. It shakes its head slowly, then runs back up the tree. I ignore it and try again. On my next attempt, I get to the lowest branch. At least the part I didn''t pull off the tree. I manage to use the branches to get higher, being careful not to put all my weight on a single limb. I make it to the canopy, ignoring the screaming pain in my arms.
Skill reached level 1: Climbing
The canopy is much sturdier, and fresh forest green. I¡¯m slightly higher up than the surrounding trees, allowing me to see a wide area around me. I notice I''m close to a large grassy area. I look the other way and see I was mistaken about how deep in the forest I was. It got vastly deeper and greener, and then darker and blacker. In the vast distance it looked like a storm of some kind was brewing. Definitely not going that way. I decide that I¡¯ve seen enough, and try to lower myself down to the first branch, but can''t find it with my feet. As I try to look down, I realise exactly how high up I am. A feeling of lightheadedness comes over me as I stare at the abyss below me, branches in the way, nothing but the hard ground to catch me. My grip slips for a second, and I fall backwards off the canopy. There''s pain and crashing sounds and a very sudden shock as I manage to grab hold of a branch.
Failed resistance check: Vertigo
Skill Discovered: Athletics.
Succeeded skill check: Athletics.
Damage received: 35%
I take a deep breath before continuing my climb down. As I finally make it to ground, I sit down with my back to the tree and close my eyes for a minute, calming myself down. My heart is racing, my body aches, my back is bruised and I think my hands are bleeding. And I''ve been in this world for the grand total of 30 minutes. I don''t really see how it''s possible for this to get any worse, so better times are definitely ahead. I get up and stretch a little. My health is creeping slowly up, and I''m already at 90%. My skills are improving, however gradually and... What the hell! Right in front of me is the squirrel from before. Shaking, waving its paws towards me.. pointing? I swear he''s laughing at me. I feel the flush of anger and embarrassment as I pick up my club and throw it at him. The club impacts right above him, making him run to the ground, turn towards me, stick his tongue out at me, and promptly get thwacked as the club falls to the ground. Stunned, I stare at the scene.
Attack successful: Seanan Squirrel hit by sneak attack for 100% damage. Seanan Squirrel has been vanquished.
Skill Discovered: Sneak Attack.
Skill increase: Sneak Attack
Skill Discovered: Improvised throwing weapons.
Skill increase: Improvised throwing weapons
Whoa... Uh... I mean... "Take that you little shit! You hear me forest? Don''t mess around with Shae of the Undead!" I spend more time than I''m proud of, shouting profanities to the memory of the squirrel, before I go over to check my winnings. A different game would probably give me a pop-up window, giving me skins and any other drops. This game gives me a limp, slightly smelly body of a squirrel thing. Seeing as I don''t have anything to carry it with, and nothing to cook it with, I may as well leave it behind. Little shit. I wind up to throw it away from my position when I see them staring at me. Eyes in the forest. It looks like someone bedazzled the darkness between the trees with diamonds, except there are teeth. Mouth agape, I drop the corpse as I survey the scene. There''s hundreds of them, maybe thousands. As I focus on the biggest one it gets a label.
Bakrin Squirrel
It moves closer, snarling. Its fur is a darker brown than the one on the ground. Much bigger as well. Maybe this is some sort of warrior squirrel? Then did I kill its mate? Son? King?
Skill Discovered: Zoology
Hm... apparently, reasoning about what''s happening can unlock skills for me. That''s really useful to Oh Crap! The Bakrin squirrel barks at me, then runs down the trunk towards me. The horde moves as well, except the few who decide to pelt me with acorns and pine cones. I decide to do the tactical thing and flee in terror. I''ve never been a good runner. Ask the other kids when I grew up. My temper was a thing of legends, people would wind me up to see me explode, but they always knew they could outrun me. The squirrels were learning this lesson fast. My lungs are burning from a lack of oxygen, my legs from lactic acid, the soles of my feet aching from pounding against the forest floor. System messages were popping up warning me of exhaustion, of sprains and skill checks.
Body control skill increased
Skill Discovered: Running
Running skill increased
Endurance increased
Warning: exhaustion reaching critical levels
Status gained: badly exhausted
I could still hear them behind me as I burst out of the forest into the clearing I saw earlier. I make it 10 more steps before my foot hits a rock and I go flying over the plains.
Skill Discovered: Acrobatics
Acrobatics check failed
Damage incurred 10%
Status gained: Stunned (29 seconds)
Resistance gained: Stun
As I''m lying there, I sense the impending doom of a million squirrels, angrily barrelling down on me. I make my peace with the universe, happy knowing that I took one of them with me at least. 10 seconds pass. My stun fades at 29 seconds, allowing me to turn around and sit up painfully. Countless squirrels are staring at me with hate in their eyes, but they won''t come any closer, like an invisible line in the world they just can''t pass. "What''s this? Did I leave your aggro zone? Not allowed to follow me out here? Little shits, take this!" I pick up a stone as I''m talking, and throw it at the first Bakri I see. It gracefully evades my rock, and goes back to its original position, still staring. I notice a different squirrel, another Seanan, pointing at me. No, behind me...I turn around slowly, half expecting to see a monster, half expecting a horde of sadistic squirrels to overrun me. I''m half right. A large furry monster, a cross between a ferret and a grizzly, is standing not 3 metres away from me. As it exhales a blast of moist air scented with rotting meat, I get a system message summing up my feelings perfectly.
Resistance check result: Marginal
Marginal success, bowel control retained
Marginal failure: frozen in place
Unable to do anything else, I try to focus on the monster, but nothing comes up. It must be way out of my league. It takes a step forward and roars, and every squirrel present flees. I promptly fall over into the foetal position and make myself look unappetizing. I stay like this for a minute before I realise my continuing existence. I anxiously look up, right into a tiny, pointy, furry face. It tilts its head to the side, and licks my face with a rough, pink tongue, decides I''m not food, and sits back on its rear 4 legs. I slowly sit up and shake my head to clear it out. Was this the child of the monster? Where did the monster go? It has eight legs, like an arachnid ferret. Light brown flat coat of fur, and something that looks like a third eye, a smooth dark jewel in its forehead. "What fresh hell is this..." I sit up and look at the creature.
Creature identified as an OctoFerret
Okay then. OctoFerret. ¡°Please don''t be aggressive...¡± I stand up and look around. My exhaustion effects are still present, and everything feels more and more sore as I start moving, but at least I seem to be in a reasonably safe place at the moment. I take a moment to catch up on system messages.
Warning: You are no longer welcome in any stronghold of the Atrani Squirrelfolk. Any attempt to enter will cause a call to arms to vanquish you.
Title gained: DoomFlinger - For having slain a royal Atrani Seanan with a carelessly thrown club, you will be considered more dangerous by the dwellers of forests. Your temper will be the target of careful observation from now on
Okay then... The octoferret comes over and scratches my leg a little. I bend down to his height "What''s the matter little guy?" He sits up on his rear 4 legs and looks at me, rubbing his remaining paws together in an almost expecting way. "What? Food? I don''t have any food. Aren¡¯t you afraid of me by the way? And where did the big thing go... was that your mother?" The little furball points to himself, raises himself onto two legs and extends his top 6 paws to make himself big. He retracts them and waves at me to follow. "Okay... you''re the boss I guess. I''m lost." The ferret brings me to a hollow under a large, conspicuous boulder some way away from the forest. There''s a surprising amount of space underneath it. Dry twigs on the ground, some evergreen branches in one corner for sleeping, I guess. "Is this your home then?" He nods vigorously, spins around in place twice, then points further into the hollow. A small burrow extends into the wall. I follow him into the deeper areas of the den. As we get to the inner chambers, his eagerness fades. In one corner of the new room is what looks like a white driftwood nest, with 8 eggs in it. 7 of them unhatched, one of them in pieces. I get closer, and notice that the nest is actually the skeletal remains of a very large creature. Eight legs, lithe body and a skull with a hole in it. I look closer and realise the central gem is gone. The critter looks at me, looks at the remains and the eggs, then hides its face in its hands. "Is that your mother then?" He nods eagerly. "And those are your brothers and sisters?" He looks more distressed. "They were to be your brothers and sisters..." He nods sadly, then goes to the side of the room. The darkness is deep here, but a soft light emanates from his third eye, and a face appears on the wall. Long hair, stubble, deep set eyes and a feral grin. The image changes to a simple representation of a person going towards a large lump of fur. The person sticks the lump of fur with a sharp stick and the lump falls over. The person pries something from the dead lump and goes away. Shortly afterwards, the lump decays to white, and eight eggs appear to the side. One white, seven black. The white egg seems to hatch, and a smaller brown lump emerges. The show ends, and the ferret looks at me.
You have discovered a quest: Avenge the OctoFerret! An unknown person has killed the OctoFerret matriarch and stolen her Source gem, rightfully belonging to her children. Accompany the offspring OctoFerret on its quest to recover the gem and avenge its mother. Rewards: Variable based on your performance. Punishment for declining: OctoFerrets everywhere will regard you with disdain. Drop in approval from Natural creatures of the plains.
"I guess you''d want me to come with you?" The ferret nods excitedly. "Okay... I guess I''ll go then. But I''ll need some way of addressing you. What''s your name?" He spins in place, runs back to the dark wall, and puts up an image of claws, tearing at something, pulling it apart. "So... I should call you Mr Snuffles then?" I smile at my own wit. That was the first time he bit me. Chapter 3 - Stranger "Ouch! Damn! Sorry, I was joking!" I cradle my bitten hand as I scowl at the ferret. "Rip, okay? Your name is Rip." It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever seen a ferret grin. "Let''s move on. I need to find some supplies before I starve to death. Do you know where to find drinkable water?" He nods sharply, and runs out of the tomb. "Djeez, what have I gotten myself into this time..." I follow him out into daylight. The plains are actually quite nice when I''m not running at breakneck speed through them. Rip runs around me a few times, then shoots towards some trees on the other side of the clearing, away from the Atrani. I make a quiet vow to the universe "If I ever come back here, it''ll be with a sack and fire. I''ll teach you to torment new players." I run after Rip. Right outside the clearing is a copse of trees. They seem to grow alongside a briskly flowing rivulet. Small enough that I could easily cross it. Rip runs to the waterside and starts drinking, using his front paws. The water looks clear and inviting. "So the water is okay for you? I guess it''s okay for me too then." Rip turns towards me and nods, and I follow his example, drinking the water and washing my face in it. The sensation is amazing. I''ve never been one for cold showers. Warm, indulgent showers are more my thing. But after the frantic run and the crawl under the boulder, the icy water hitting my face was one of the most amazing things I''ve ever felt.
Exhaustion status cleared
"Huh... Seems this counts as a nice rest. Thanks Rip" The ferret spins around in place a few times, then heads off along the river. "I guess we''re going that way then..."
You have been logged in for 2 real world hours. At this level of synchronization, you are required to log out and rest for 24 hours. As your synchronisation reaches 100%, you will be able to take full advantage of the game at your own agency. For this occurrence, your avatar will be placed in a temporary sanctuary until you return.
"Hey Rip, I need to log out for a while now. Will you be okay here?" Rip looks at me funnily, nodding slowly slowly. I imagine his little ferret voice going "I don''t know what logging out means, but I''m sure I''ll be more okay than you''d ever be here without me." I smile. "Fair enough. See you soon!" And with that, I log out properly, if involuntarily, for the first time. There was a fade to green and blue as the colours around me all blended together, and then to black, with a sensation of floating upwards. I then came to myself in my bed. A long five minutes pass as I readjust to the world above. "I guess I''ll do some chores..." After a good meal and a nap, I felt reinvigorated. Coming back to my real body made me realise how unusual it was to play a dead creature. The lack of heartbeat was one thing, but not breathing, not perspiring, not even saliva. Why did I need water then? Why could I imbibe it? Did I need food? Warmth? I had a comfort score. Hm. I log onto the website with the headgear, and go to the wiki section. It was well maintained, with AI crawlers to keep the layout correct, and apparently thousands of active editors adding information. I can only imagine the edit wars taking place over something as contentious as an alternate life game. Not to mention the bans for people revealing the wrong kind of information. I look up racial descriptors and find the Undead.
The undead race is a race of Aberrance, Darkness and Fantasy.
Undead are brought into this world as a result of Aberrant effects, with or without intent, on the dead remains of a sentient race. Thus an Undead can be templated from many races. Most Undead are created by accidental accumulation of the necessary effects, and the resulting creature may not be aware of who they were.
The Undead race should not be confused with the more common types of undead creatures (see Zombies, Skeletons, Necromantic pets), or the more uncommon types (see Vampires, Liches, Necromantivores)
Fair enough, that clears it up a little bit... But what does it mean it''s a race of ... aberrants?
Affinities of the Elements.
Each Element has 4 Affinities (not to be confused with elements and affinities, note case).
The Element of Physical has the following Affinities: - Light - Dark, Darkness - Natural - Mundane
The Element of Magical has the following Affinities: - Law - Chaos - Arcane - Aberrant, Aberrance
The Element of Essential has the following Affinities: - Good - Evil - Divine - Fantastic, Fantasy
Each Affinity is further categorized in Esoteric or Familiar. These indicate how an affinity can interact with the Prime plane.
That did not help as much as I''d hoped. Let''s try again...
Affinities contd.
Any entity in the world Below is composed of a certain set of Affinities. The current reigning Element is Physical, so all creatures on the Prime plane are of the Physical Element. A normal Human is an entity between Law and Chaos, between Good and Evil, Of Light, Natural and Mundane. A common Orc is an entity of Chaos, Evil, Darkness and Mundane.
Note that these traits apply to the race in general. Individuals of any race may lean towards other affinities. Sentient creatures can apply themselves towards changing their Affinities with great difficulties. To change one''s Element takes actions of fanatical dedication and self sacrifice, and is very rarely undertaken.
Awesome. All noise and no substance. Ah well, I''m sure I''ll understand it better with some hands on experience. I pass the remaining time until my next login by having a nap. Coming back to the world below was the same discombobulating experience it always is. As I open my eyes into the new world, the first thing I notice is the rain. Just a light drizzle, but the sensations are amazing against my skin! There hasn''t been unplanned rain for 10 years in the world above, and every time I''ve been asleep or in school. The experience was breathtaking. I look around for my little companion, but he''s nowhere to be seen. "Rip! Rii''iip!" My shouts are met with no response. "Mister Fluffykins!" Before I''m even finished with the call, there¡¯s the sound of branches breaking to my right as a small tree falls over. A huge beast is lumbering out of the brushwood, a terror of broken fur and mangled teeth, with a single shining gem in the middle of it''s forehead. I promptly fall on my ass as it lunges towards me. As it passes through me I feel a lump landing on my chest, scrabbling to get purchase on my clothes. I frantically try to brush it away, and get a bite for my efforts
You have lost 1% health 20 seconds after logging in. Well done.
"Rip, what the hell!" I sit up and hold him in my outstretched hands. He hangs there like a long, skinny cat, scowling at me with open malice. "Fine, I''m sorry I called you..." He snarls pointedly. "... That name..." I put him down carefully. "You could have responded, I called you twice..." He looks indignant, then climbs onto me, hiding under the hood, around my neck. He pulls my hair, one lock in each hand, and kicks my neck. "Are you serious?" I get a nibble on my neck, and start walking. "I did not sign up to be a pony for an uppity weasel..." Another bite. I begrudgingly pick up the pace. As I run, I receive examples of the humour the developers put in while creating this game. System messages pop up, one after the other, informing me of stat and skill enhancements.
Skill increased: Endurance
Skill increased: Running
Skill increased: xxx
Skill Discovered: Galloping
Hunger for sugar cubes increased
Achievement unlocked: Ferret Mount
I roll my eyes and keep going. We have to take periodic breaks, but my stamina has increased a lot in just the last day. I''m sure I''ll plateau soon, but it''s nice to have such rapid progression. When my exhaustion meter begins to blink, I insist we take a break, and I use the opportunity to have a quick look at my character sheet. Opening in a separate window, I see a 3d representation of my character. You''d never think she was as tired as I feel. She''s dressed in the same hood as before, with the club at her side. My stats page is a sad state, with very few primary stats displayed, and very little in the way of skills
Data
NameShae
PathJack of all trades
TitleDoom-Flinger
RaceUndead(Pristine)
Attributes
Agility 1
Curiosity 1
Endurance 3
Focus 1
Luck 1
Strength 1
Acrobatics 0
Aim 1
Athletics 0
Body Control 2
Climbing 1
Galloping 1
Improvised throwing weapons 1
Perception 1
Forest 1
Running 2
Sneak attack 1
Hm. Maybe I should try to focus on increasing some of these skills a bit. I mean, six stats at minimal level aren¡¯t going to get me to.. Wherever I¡¯m going. As I contemplate this, thinking of logging out and checking the wiki for some more answers, I''m startled by the sound of someone crashing through the nearby brush. I grab my club and ready myself for combat, feeling the adrenaline working its way into my system. "Agh! Damn branches everywhere!" A surprisingly high pitched voice emanates from the thicket, followed soon after by a tall man in a dress. The stranger keeps swearing for a few seconds until Rip hisses at him. "Aah! Gerbil!" I decide to do the classy thing and ignore the faux pas, avoiding the wrath of Rip. Actually, my response is more like a loud guffaw. "Gerbil!" Followed by laughter. Rip turns around and looks at me with the promise a future filled with bites and scratches. As the man notices me, he waves his hand in a ''Come over here'' manner "Hey you, come over here, quick, maybe we can scare it off together." The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation."Excuse me?" The guy actually looks scared. Which is fair, after calling Rip a gerbil. "The thing, the creature. It doesn''t seem to have noticed you yet. Maybe you can kick it and we can run away from it." Wow... My first meeting with another player, and he''s the hero reborn. Wait... How do I know it''s a player? I decide this pantomime has gone on long enough. "Just turn around and move on, I''m not interested in joining you, and I''m not interested in killing my friend here. Just leave us alone. Now" My little speech seems to pull him out of panic mode and into a more general confusion thing. "What... Are you a ranger? A beast tamer? I''m sorry, I''ve just never seen something like it before. What is it?" He carefully moves closer to Rip, who is still snarling a little bit, but who also seems to have a new plan. "It''s like a weasel maybe? Or a mole? But eight legs... Eight is a sacred number you know, the number of paths between any two elements. And" At this point, he''s close enough for Rip to jump him. It takes five minutes of coaxing, grappling, shouting and pleading to get Rip out of the guys robes. I don''t think there was any damage done, at least nothing visible. The guys dignity was severely bruised though. "Now just sit there, and don''t speak to him. His name is Rip and he''s an OctoFerret" I place Rip down as I speak. "I''m sorry, I really didn''t mean to offend, I get a little bit ahead of myself when I discover something new and" I hold my hand up to interrupt. "I understand, and no offence taken, but we really do have to get on our way now." Rip climbs up on my shoulders as I pick up my few possessions. The man stands and tries to grab for me. "Wait, please, I haven''t seen any other players for days. Can''t we at least talk a little? I could really use some company out here. I''m looking for herbs to train my potion making skills and" I stare daggers at him the entire time his hand is on my arm. At the end of his sentence he does a double take, gets the message and removes his hand. He awkwardly looks down and mumbles "Sorry..." "Don''t be sorry. Listen. Pay attention to body language." I raise my voice. "And don''t fucking grab me unless I make it abundantly clear that I want you to, or you''re ready to get your ass handed to you! Rip here only went easy on you because I really don''t need the aggro right now, but shit like this is not okay. How did you know I was a player, anyway?" I feel myself growing angry. People assuming they can control me, control my body or my actions, without as much as a please.. Pisses me off. "I... I... Look, I''m sorry, I overstepped. Please consider joining me. I can teach you herbology in return... I''ll even give you some potions, if we find the right herbs." "No. Thank you for the offer, but I''m not interested." "Oh... Okay then. Oh, and you always know if the other person is a player or not, unless the other player has some sort of psychic protection skill. Uhm... Bye!" He calls after me as I walk away feeling the rage bubble under the surface. I blow off some of the steam by running. "What an ass. That''s why I don''t like hanging out with other people. Shit like that always happens. Either that or they start making fun of me. I .. I get angry. Like, really angry, fast. ... A bit of an anger management thing really, but that shouldn''t be reason enough for people to make fun of me like this, should it? Agh... I''m talking to a ferret." Rip gently steers me away from the river, onto the plains. "I''m curious about this herb thing, however... Do you think there are a lot of edible herbs around here? I wonder how you get that skill... I mean, it''s not like climbing a tree or... Huh?" Rip pulls my hair in a ''Stop'' motion and I do.
Skill Discovered: Dressage
Skill increased: Dressage
My, aren''t you well trained.
"Grr." Rip runs down my body and onto the ground. Short emerald grass covers the ground. The little guy is grunting as I walk up to him.Right in front of us there are stalks growing out of the ground. Green, foot long, evenly spaced straight leaves. Rip points to one of them, digs around it with his little paws, and carefully extracts a brown bulb, like a gnarly potato. He bites into it which makes an unexpectedly squishy sound. Green juice flows down his paws as he hands it to me. "Uh... I''m not sure I should eat this after it''s been in your mouth." I turn it in my hands as he folds his upper four arms, glaring at me, tapping one of his rear paws in expectation. "Oh well, I guess." I take a careful bite on the side that he hasn''t chewed on. The taste is like the smell of freshly cut grass, with sweet undertones. It''s soft and juicy, and somehow it makes my toes tingle just a little bit as I swallow it. My eyes are wide as I give it back to him. "What is this?" He points to me and the to one of the other plants. "Oh, you want me to extract one as well?" He nods, and I get on my knees. The dirt here is surprisingly tough. The grass all around us has some really strong roots. I have to tear up a large section of it before I can get to the root underneath. As I near my goal, I accidentally bump the stalk too hard, and it breaks with an audible crack, followed by a geyser of brown, foul smelling fluid coming up from the ground.
Skill Discovered: Herbology
Critical failure: Skill Herbology
You have been doused with the defensive effluent of the Letrin plant, giving you the status ailments ''Ew, Sticky'', ''What''s that smell'' and ''Dangerously Flammable''. Each of the effects can be removed by washing in water
I stand there, with my hands out, palms down, fingers stretched out. Slowly, I turn to Rip, who''s scrunching up his nose, and waving his paw in front of his face. "You knew this could happen, didn''t you" He nods. "You knew it probably would, didn''t you?" My voice rising, he nods more vigorously than before. My voice reaches a crescendo. "You damn well hoped and prayed for this to happen, didn''t you, you little bag of shit!" He falls over, holding his belly and making snuffling sounds that must have been laughing. Incensed with fury, I pick him up while he''s still incapacitated by mirth. Before he realises what I''m doing, I hold him over one of the stalks and kick it. ¡ª "So," I say, sitting in the middle of the river, back to back with Rip. "What have we learnt?" He''s splashing water on my back. I''m currently in my underclothes, kindly supplied by the game for modesty''s sake. "That''s right, we''ve learnt that playing practical jokes on each other is only okay if we''re okay with retaliation. And if it''s a messy joke, we damn well help each other clean up afterwards. Sound good?" I turn around, and he stands there, looking at me. After 10 seconds time, he nods, and holds out his paw. I take it and we shake on it.
Your companion ''Rip the OctoFerret¡¯s attitude towards you has improved from Neutral/''I''m with stupid'' to Positive/''This kid''s alright''. He will now be more open to your suggestions, and bring you into his decision making progress more than before
"Oh, so you''re gonna share some more information with me from now on?" He nods. "How." I say in a deadpan voice. He waves at me to follow. Grabbing my clothes, I dash after him. We go back to the plants from before, and he shows me again how to retrieve one. My previous experience allows me to I notice some new details this time that weren''t there before. Obvious, really.
Ability increased: Focus
I carefully repeat the steps he showed me, and this time I''m rewarded with a bulbous growth. Inspecting it, I gain more information.
Letrin Bulb
The fleshy pulp-sack of the Letrin stalk. An uncommon plant which grows on well drained plains near rivers.
Known usages: Sates hunger, thirst.
"Huh, okay. I guess I''ll get more information when I learn more, right?" I feel a prod, and look at Rip. He''s sitting there with 4 more bulbs. Pushing them towards me gently. "You want me to eat them all? That''s a lot of ... pulp." He nods vigorously, and I submit with a sigh "Escaping one weirdo with personal space issues, just to run away with another weirdo with a feeding fetish. Ain''t I a lucky, lucky gal." I pick them up and eat them, one by one.
You are really full now.
The tingling feeling in my toes is creeping up towards my knees. After the third one, it''s reached my hips.
Dude, there''s no more room. They''re not that tasty, lay off them
Fourth one was really hard to get down. My stomach was essentially full, I had to mush it in there and force myself to swallow. "Is this really necessary." My voice is muffled by the green juices flowing down my dead flesh. He nods and prods the last bulb. The tingly sensation is at my chest now, but the fruit is in my throat. I guess it''s a race. I dig in to the last one. Each bite is a struggle. I imagine an audience sitting at home, watching me eat the impossible, pushing beyond any limits, and almost choking several times. The audience holds its breath when there''s only one bite left. I grin at the cameras, push down a convulsion, jam the last bit into my mouth, chew and swallow, giving the cameras two thumbs up, smiling with my hamster cheeks bulging. I wait, desperately focusing on nothing, to hold it down. Just a little bit longer, until the judge says I''m safe, just a few more seconds and¡­
You have discovered a new trait of the Letrin Bulb. Excessive consumption has uncovered the ''Commune with animal'' effect.
You have discovered a new trait of sugary fruits in general: Excessive consumption leads to diarrhoea. Enjoy!
"Oh... Crap" ¡ª "So," I say, sitting in the middle of the river, back to back with Rip. "What have we learnt?" His voice feels like it''s coming from inside my soul, and I doubt I''ll ever get used to it. I sigh before replying. "I wouldn''t call it new info, but you''ve once again proven yourself a little shit." He giggles happily. "Didn''t actually mean for you to suffer like this, can''t be helped, let''s move on! Effect will only last for so long, suspect you won''t do it again. Can be made into potion with right skills." I get up, once more thankful for the magical undergarments supplied by the game. I¡¯m surprised at how realistic that experience was. I sigh and get back to shore, putting on my clothes and pick up Rip. "Thank you stinky." "Oi, watch it you. You''re only Rip on grace for now. Show more respect, or I''ll leave you in the river to float your way back to where you came from!" He accepts the rebuke with a pull of my hair, and we continue our travels. "So Rip, tell me, how do you know all this stuff?" "Mother left me with many thoughts, didn''t know she was gone until I saw light, hard to articulate some concepts however." "Are there any other skills you can teach me?" "Not at the moment, need the opportunity, hard to remember otherwise" We enter a really large deciduous forest. I stop abruptly. "Please don''t tell me this is a Stronghold for those squirrels. If I enter one, I''ll be hunted by every one of them" I look around nervously. "Don''t worry, Atrani far away, no squirrel danger" His voice is getting fainter, his sentences shorter. I need to find more of those bulbs. And to learn how to make potions, ''cause I''m not going through that again. Even when thinking those thoughts I knew they were false. The system would let it happen again and again. The system found it funny. "Okay then, let''s continue" I keep jogging. My endurance had risen another 2 points, and I could keep going for quite a while without stopping now. I''m left wondering how the game deals with runaway stat development. Probably some kind of diminishing returns. The effect vanished without fanfare a few minutes later, leaving me to consider how useful it had really been. Learning a little more about the system and a new skill was neat, and getting to know a bit about potions as well, but the experience was not at all pleasant. Maybe I''m being squeamish. I''ll have to check the forums later to find out whether anyone else has encountered those bulbs. Chapter 4 - Adversary I let my mind go blank for a while, just enjoying the scenery. As we got deeper into the forest, the trees grew taller, the greens of the leafy crowns darker. After some time, I come across a trail in the woods. Deep claw marks from a massive animal crossing my path. "Hey Rip." He pops his head out from my hood. "Look at those. Your perp wasn''t a giant grizzly, was he?" Rip gives me a look that says "Come on..." Then goes back to steering. "Fine, be that way. I wanna see what this is." Focusing on the trail gives me some more information.
Tracks.
Freshness: ?
Direction: ?
Created by: Large Ursine.
Maybe the Zoology skill affects the information I get from the inspection. Ignoring Rips hair pulling, I begin tracking the animal. I nearly get turned around at one point, tripping over some exposed roots. When I realise the marks left all over the bark are from claws, the system awards me a new skill, which makes the tracks much clearer.
Skill discovered: Tracking
As I slowly stalk forwards, the tracks begin glowing with a soft red light. I notice how the forest has gone quiet, creating an eerie mood. Even Rip hides further down my hood, staying uncharacteristically still. Just as I reach a small clearing, I can hear a violent crash nearby. I throw myself against a tree, making myself as small as possible. If it was possible to merge with the bark, I¡¯d be tasting wood already. After a minute of holding my breath, I hear a vulgar slurping coming from the same direction as the crash. Curiosity gets the better of me and I carefully peek around the tree. I see a titanic beast, the biggest bear I''ve ever seen. It''s easily the size of an elephant. The ground is littered with giant wasps, larger than me. I can only imagine they fell in defence of their hive. Now cracked open, the precious, golden goo is being slurped up with great abandon.
Skill discovered: Stealth
Hmm. Maybe it''s time to move on before he sees or smells me. If he wasn''t so busy gorging himself, he''d probably decide I was next on the menu. I sneak off and detour around him, being extremely careful of making any sounds.
Skill discovered: Move Silently
Ability increased: Luck
As I get further away from the noise, I begin to relax. Rip comes out of his hidey hole and resumes ordering me about, and I accept my new role. Another half hour passes, with me running and resting, and Rip patiently kicking me whenever I''m too slow. He shows me a few more herbs as we go, but I refuse to eat any of them. There''s no river nearby, and I really don''t trust his judgement on this. He acts insulted, but shrugs it off. I stuff my pockets with the more portable herbs, and just take note of the other ones, increasing my Herbology little by little.
Skill increased: xxx
Herbs discovered
Rainleaf3
Surgarharness8
Rotwood1
After coming across a particularly nasty poison ivy analogue, I decide to take a short break. Finally having a chance to sit down and relax, I notice a strange smell. It''s rusty and wet, with some mean undertones. Letting my nose lead me around for a little while, I take the scent in, inhaling it as I go along. It''s definitely familiar, on the tip of my tongue as it were, but I just can''t place it. The scent is getting stronger and stronger, until I¡¯m stopped by a squishing sensation under my feet. Looking down, I see a red, wet rope on the ground. As I pick it up, I realise just a second too late that it''s actually some poor creatures small intestine. I''m about to shriek, but four paws pinch my lips, and a furry face sticks its head up and slowly shakes from side to side. I nod back. This is fresh, and the guy is supposed to be a hunter. It''s probably a good idea not to scream when might be close. I carefully place the innards back on the ground, and investigate the area. There''s offal from five different creatures here. My zoology skill isn''t high enough to identify them from the remains, but on the upside, I''ll never forget what discarded innards smell like. I had to focus a few times to avoid being sick, but the practice from the bulbs helped me keep my concentration at the right level. There''s nothing of use here, but I see another trail leaving the area.
Tracks.
Freshness: ?
Direction: ?
Created by: Human.
With any luck, that¡¯s where the hunter went. I carefully follow the trail, doing my damnedest to move silently. It''s another 15 minutes until I hear a voice. "Damn forest, damn rocks, damn tent, damn everything." Another player, definitely. I feel Rip''s claws dig into my neck when he hears the voice. "Stop that right now" My voice is a whisper. I really don''t need that distraction right now. The campsite seems very basic. A small circle of stones with a fire, some meat roasting on a spit, drying racks with a few skins and a backpack resting against a large rock. The hunter himself seems to be fighting with a hide tent, which doesn''t seem to want to be raised. He swears a little, kicks the tent, pulls out a flask and takes a deep pull, and continues trying to set it up. He¡¯s equipped with a sword on his belt, and there''s an arrow and a quiver near his backpack. I wouldn''t be able to get any of this stuff without being spotted, I''m sure of it. I also can''t do a frontal attack. He was able to kill off Rip¡¯s mother. I wouldn¡¯t even register as a warmup. As I carefully retreat to weigh my options, Rip yanks my hair to try to get me to go back. "Quit it!" My whisper sounding angrier as I get some distance between us and the hunters lair. I sit down, pull off the ferret and place him in front of me. His whiskers tremble with barely restrained fury. "Hey! Furball! I need you to calm your shit. I know who he is, I know what he did. We''re going to get him, but I need you to calm down immediately, otherwise, we''re both going to die here, and neither of us would enjoy that." He calms down a little, still fuming with anger. "So here''s what we''re gonna do." I tell him my plan, and I swear he was grinning by the time I finish. I crawl back to where we saw the hunter. On the way, I pick up some rocks lying on the ground. He seems to have been able to get the tent up, though it is the most ramshackle tent I''ve ever seen. Still, considering my own skill in camping, I probably wouldn''t do any better. As I observe him, he''s sitting quietly by the fireplace. Occasionally he''ll prod the meat, turn it a little, or slice a piece off and eat it. I know I''m undead, I know I don''t feel hunger, but that looks really tasty right now. How long have I been in the game this session anyway? It must have been hours by now. No matter, I¡¯ll worry about that when this is over. When fifteen minutes have passed since Rip left, I take a deep breath. My heart should be thumping now, if it wasn¡¯t for my dead state. I''ve never actually done something like this. Well, never premeditated at least. I''ve been goaded into a few fights in my past, but always due to my temper. I stand up and walk out of the bush I''m in. "Hey asshole!" I scream as I throw the rocks at him. Four rocks fly. The first hits his tent, making it fall down in disarray. The second rock hits his fireplace, making embers fly everywhere and hopefully giving him a bit of a start. The third and fourth both go wide, but I feel I got my point across. He waves the embers off and looks at me with wild eyes. "Fucking bitch, I''ll get you for that!" His voice is a screeching scream. Bullseye. I turn and run like a crazy person. Feels like all I''ve done since I started playing this game has been running. At least this time I have a plan. Trees pass by so fast it¡¯s hard to keep track. I wish I knew what my speed was. I''ve never been able to run this fast in real life. The feeling is amazing. The wind in my face, the pounding of my feet on the ground. I only wish I could feel my heart beat faster as well. I run for about two minutes before I realise I''m not hearing him behind me. Dammit, I was sure he would chase me. I stop and turn around, but I see nothing in the forest. There are sounds of birds, wind, leaves, but no running, swearing or attacking. As I consider whether to go back or continue, there''s an ominous twang in the air.
You have been hit by a hunters arrow for 45% damage
I stare at an arrow embedded in my shoulder for a few seconds before what''s happened registers in my mind. Another arrow slams into a tree trunk next to me, before I finally snap out of it and take off running. "Gotcha you slag! Wait until I get a hold of you, I''ll teach you what happens when you mess with Huntex!" Even in my injured and shocked state, I¡¯m baffled by his choice of name. My shoulder hurts like hell, but at least I learnt not to stop and gawk in a combat situation. I run for another few minutes, when suddenly, I''m floored. "Guh!" The air is forced from my lungs, and I feel a kick in my side.
You have been kicked for 10% damage
Shit, I''m below 50%. My health bar is more yellow than orange at this point. I roll to my left, as the kick was into my right side, hoping I''ll get the room I need to get to my feet. "Where are you going babe, we''re only getting started!" He''s still right next to me, getting ready to stomp my chest. I barely manage to twist out of the way as his foot impacts the soft forest floor. He''s so fast! He outran me to this place, he was in front of me right now. This was such a terrible idea, I should never have agreed to help that damn ferret! I get up to my knees as he''s about to stomp me again. I brace with my hands, and manage to grab his foot as he''s kicking down. I twist it as hard as I can, putting my entire body into the motion, and he goes down. "Unh! Fucking bitch, what are you doing? I''m gonna *oomph*" His ability to articulate sentences seems to be predicated on his genitals not being punched. I feel dirty for touching him voluntarily, but needs must. I finally manage to get up, and keep running. This should buy me some time. I hear him swearing behind me, rustling sounds of someone stumbling to their feet. There''s a thunk and a crash on a tree next to me, and my vision goes blurry. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
Warning: You have been caught in the affected area of an acid arrow. You will lose health until the acid loses its potency or is neutralised.
You are affected by ''The Acid, it burns!'' lose 1% health per 10 seconds
Half my face feels like it''s on fire. I force myself to run through the pain, watching my health bar diminish point by point. I can hear him coming after me, too close. He¡¯s close enough to grab me. I didn''t do any damage to him, and there''s no way I''ll be able to find Rip now. Suddenly, there''s an impact on the undamaged side of my head, and I almost tumble to the ground. My hair is pulled hard to the left, and my muscle memory takes over, steering me into some bushes. There''s a quick drop which takes another 10% of my health, leaving me with 50 seconds to live, and a strange thundering sound, too close for comfort. I try to roll around, but my hair is being held in place from behind. I can feel cold dirt being thrown on my face, while a devastating roar is heard nearby. "Holy Fuck, what are you!" I can hear the surprise in his voice. I hope he spent his most powerful attack on me. I can hear the giant bears angry howl as an arrow hit him. "Get away you asshole, I''m not here for you!" There''s the sound of a hammer hitting a hard surface, and a tree falling over. "Aaah! No! Get away!" There''s a wet crunch, and everything goes quiet for a few seconds. The next sounds are crunching, chewing, Then footsteps coming past us. I risk a peek, and regret it immediately. Right past us wanders the giant creature. Not a meter separates us. He stares right at us for a second, then continues walking. A minute later I can''t even hear his footsteps, and I turn around to look at Rip. He''s standing there on his rear 4 paws, his front 4 spread out to make himself large. His central gem is shining, projecting an image in front of us, hiding us from the bear. I touch the side of my face, and realise the dirt neutralized the acid when I had 2% health left. I grab Rip and hug him close, kissing his fuzzy little head. "I''m sorry. I''ll never call you a little shit again" He squirms a little, then resigns himself to the hug. With a groan, I roll around and stumble to my feet. "How the hell did I survive that?" My vision slowly returns to normal, as I clear my head carefully. "Did you notice where he went down?" Rip nods, and leads me through the forest. My little companion managed to catch the attention of the bear, and run all the way to meet me while I was trying to get to him. He made it further than I expected, since I was otherwise engaged for longer than I should have been. We get to the scene of the crime. His body is still here. I wonder how this works... I mean, does his body disappear when he times out? Does his stuff stay behind? I carefully search his corpse. He''s wearing a neat cape which is still usable, if a bit ... grimy. His boots seem good. He''s not wearing any armour, and his clothes have been ripped and partly eaten. I find his bow and quiver, with four arrows. I can''t find his sword anywhere, however. He''s also wearing an amulet, a bronze chain with a green stone pendant. I grab it as well. "Let''s go back to his camp. I''m sure we''ll find the gem there." Rip nods eagerly and gets on my shoulders. The walk back to his camp is slow and painful. I''m not completely defeated, but near enough to make no difference. I check my messages while we walk.
Warning: Your health is critical
Ability increased: Endurance
Ability increased: Focus
Skill increased: Running
Skill increased: Aim
Skill increased: Stun resistance
Skill increased: Body Control
Skill discovered: Unarmed Combat
Skill increased: Sneak attack
Skill increased: Stealth
Skill increased: Move Silently
You have been marked for death by a hunter. Any attacks by a hunter will do more damage against you. Hiding from any hunter will be more difficult. Mark will last for 24 hours or until killed.
Bit of a mixed bag.. On one side, at least I can get the messages aggregated. On the other side, it seems like I¡¯m heading in the direction of some sort of assassin class if I¡¯m not careful. Hopefully, Huntex¡¯ bind point or whatever it¡¯s called is far away from here. We get to the camp, and nothing seems to have changed. The tent is in shambles, but his backpack is sitting there. We hurry over and start digging through it, searching for the gem. I find some clothes, soap, dry rations, weapon maintenance kit, field dressing kit, some scrolls, some potions and at the bottom, in a soft leather pouch, a beautiful gem.
Congratulations, you have recovered the Gem of an adult female OctoFerret. This gem contains the memories and abilities the mother wanted to pass on to her children.
Attention: You have recovered a quest item. You can now finish the quest Avenge the OctoFerret
a) hand the gem over to Rip for the full rewards of this quest.
b) Hold on to the gem, and finish the Quest. You have avenged the mother, but will only get partial rewards for the quest
I turn the gem over in my hands, admiring it¡¯s awesome luster. Rip sits silently next to me, watching my actions. I have no idea of it''s worth to me personally. I mean, it seems to contain skills and abilities, which is useful, and the hunter wanted to keep it for some reason. On the other hand, I know what it means to Rip. Could I really disappoint him by keeping it to myself? I know there isn''t really a question here. I take the gem out of the pouch, and kneel next to Rip. "So, Mr Fluffers... " He growls at me. "Calm down. I think this belongs to you." I hand him the gem. His eyes widen, and he hugs it closely, a soft glow surrounding him.
Congratulations. The Quest Avenge the OctoFerret was completed.
All objectives completed.
Your standing amongst OctoFerrets everywhere has increased.
All plains dwelling creatures of Light will be more positively inclined towards you.
Rip the OctoFerrets opinion of you has improved to ¡®Fond¡¯
A little underwhelming really. I¡¯d hoped for something .. More. Rip holds the gem to his own, and there''s a bright light.
The cleansing light cures your status ailments and restores your health.
The world comes back into focus, and the pain begins to go away. There¡¯s still pain, but everything feels so much better. "Wow.. Thanks Rip I..." Another flash of light, and the gem is gone. Rip''s own gem now shines with a brighter light than before. "Dude, you''re brilliant. I mean, you''re shining like a star. What''s going on?" Another flash, and Rip is gone. In his place is an elf clad in green vines and leaves. "There, this is much better." "What''s going on. Rip? Is that you?" "Yes Shae. With the return of my mother''s gem, I have been.. Completed. By bonding with the gem, I have become much more than I was supposed to be. The life-force is incredible, and I¡¯ll be able to go home and save my siblings. If I can get home in time." ¡°That''s cool, we can head back as soon as I¡¯ve healed up a bit¡± He looks away before he continues. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You won¡¯t be able to come back with me. There¡¯s not enough time, and I move faster on my own. If I were to delay for much longer, the energies will overwhelm me, and my entire bloodline will die with me.¡± "What?" My voice betrays my emotions. He''s dying? Because I succeeded my Quest? "Please don¡¯t worry. This is the way my kind lives. From my sacrifice, a new line will form. The only sadness is that it will remove me from your company." "So this is it then? All that just so you could just run off and leave me?" I can feel my anger rising. It''s irrational, I know. I''ve known him for less than 24 hours. He''s a ferret. An artificial ferret in a virtual world. And my heart is breaking. "I am sorry for that. While we will never meet again, you may encounter my siblings out in the world. We share a soul across all of the planes, and any of us is all of us. They will assist you as I have. I want to give you one last gift before I go, however. I think you will find it useful in your travels, especially considering the way you tend to get in trouble." His visage is annoying. Kind and patient, softly explaining, tearing at my soul. "I''m not sure I want it..." As the words leave my lips I feel the pointless petulance weighing on me. I turn away from him anyway. He''s still standing in front of me. "I know, Shae." He hugs me, and I let him, trying hard not to cry. The light flares up around us, and he''s gone. Rip is gone.
Skill discovered: Illusionist
Warning: You have gained an ability that channels mana. Due to your racial specials, spending too much mana means your body will acquire rot. If the rot proceeds too far, you will devolve to a lesser form of undead.
I dry my eyes and pick up the stuff around me, roll up the tent and attach it to the backpack, and walk off. I travel for two hours, away from where the bear went.. I walk through a stream, up a small hill, across a crevasse, and finally find a little cave where I can bed down for the night. The process of setting up the tent makes me understand why the hunter was swearing, but I¡¯m mostly on autopilot now. I finally make it, roll out the sleeping bag, and go to sleep.
You are in a safe location. Do you want to log out? Your avatar will be placed in sanctuary until you return
I nod yes, and the world fades from sight once again. Chapter 5 - Porcine I wake up in my room, face wet from tears. It¡¯s so quiet here. Only muffled sounds coming from the street, birds and cars. Removing my headset, I see it¡¯s a cloudy day, almost dark. Checking the time, I realise I¡¯ve been out for 14 hours. I was logged in for much longer than that. In game I was there for at least 24. I wonder if my synchronicity is increasing the time dilation. The PR people insist that the dilation effect, time lasting longer in game, is just an intrinsic effect of the sensory hijack and virtualization process. Lately, it''s become a way for people terrified of death to stretch out the time they have left. There are big warehouses filled with containment pods, row after row of people in VR full time, being cared for by professionals. End of life patients with more life to live, terminally ill people who needed just a little more time to themselves, accident victims with no body control but with working brains. As long as your insurance can handle it, these places will store you, keep your body alive, and multiply your perceived lifetime. You could be spliced into existing game worlds, or, if you can pay extra, you could create your own little world where time dilation was even stronger. It''s not like you need to readjust to the real world afterwards. I get up and feel every minute of my prolonged session. My bed was not made for long term suspension, and my back is killing me. I check the internet for some stretches and exercises to do to avoid damaging myself, and find a forum dedicated to DIY long term submersion. There are useful links to equipment I can buy at reasonable prices, devices to keep my blood flow going, monitor my temperature, heart rate, even a health services alarm chip in case something goes wrong while I¡¯m under. I also order some specialty food, and nutritional supplements that would make it easier for my body to deal with the prolonged suspension. There were warnings everywhere about how you shouldn''t let the game take over too much, how lack of physical exercise would be dangerous no matter what equipment I had, and what supplements I took. I shrug, log off, and go for a walk. I haven''t been on a walk for years. I have memories of my parents taking me when I was younger, but when digital life began to assert itself in the world, I started refusing to come with them. Maybe that was when our relationship started to deteriorate. I think it was a bit of a personal defeat for their daughter to not share the love they had for the upbringing they were ¡®blessed¡¯ with. I file the thoughts away for later. They¡¯re probably at some friends place, sitting outdoors, drinking themselves stupid anyway. Making out like teenagers at the movies. Some people say that teen culture goes in cycles, where each generation sees the one that came before and thinks ¡®Nuh uh, not gonna happen.¡¯ I realise I''ve made it to the local car depot. A two story garage with a workshop in the basement. Everything is automated except for the personal service attendants up front. They probably only work here for an increase in Basic. Their jobs could easily be automated or made redundant, but people tend to want real humans to speak with when they need something, or to shout at when something goes wrong. The place is busy, with a dozen cars coming out of the structure in the few minutes it takes me to walk past.. Next comes a park. I lose myself in the greens and yellows of the trees and flowers. So many of them. It makes me think of the world Below. I wonder what Rip''s up to. I mean, it''s only been an hour since he left me... At that thought my eyes mist up a little. I make a mental note to look up common herbs and flowers in the game. How much are the plants in the game based on plants in real life? I mean, there aren¡¯t any plants that will let you speak to animals up here, but general shape, texture and flavor. Maybe it''s the wild dreams of an AI trapped somewhere in cyberspace. I''ve made it all the way to my old school. I was thankful when I made it out of here. I was quite surprised I survived. There were times when I was certain it wouldn¡¯t. The bullying from students hurt. The indifference from the teachers hurt more. Nowhere was safe back then, even going home meant dealing with the careless attitudes of my parents, barely bothering to ask me about homework before turning their focus back on themselves. I can feel the vicious bitterness taking hold of my heart again. I decide to stop by the local shopmart for some supplies before I go home. This place used to be another place of fear. I could really only be described as dumpy. Short and wide, which the kids found endlessly entertaining. Countless times I¡¯d come in here to get some groceries, only to be chased off by gangs of kids laughing at me. At least it had become much less frequent as I grew older. I head to the self-service counter and punch in a couple of bottles of plain water, some cereal bars and some fresh fruits. All recommended by the deep dive community. When I check out, I notice that my Basic rate has been upgraded already. Basic 2. I could probably move out on that. Live for myself. Maybe join a small commune of other players. I''d only have to go out to maintain my body a couple of times a day, which would be every two days ingame... Nah... This ''Job'' could disappear at any time. I''ve not heard from the institute at all since I got the registration information. I grab my things and head out just as a group of children come in. "And then I kicked them back out and... Hey, watch where you''re going fatty!" Despite my efforts to stop and not be in the way, the first of the kids managed to step on my toes. It''s like a magic homing skill. He laughs at his own wit, his friends joining him while I retreat, shuffling out of their way so they can go inside. I can feel the darkness behind my eyes gather as I hear their laughter, see the way they look at me. Then suddenly it''s over. I''m outside, the rage replaced by a bitter feeling of self-loathing. It''s time to go home, to get back to the game. This world isn''t for me anymore. I get home by evening. Everything looks different now, after my walk. The world has been revealed for what it is. A poor substitute for the world Below. I feel a deep sense of admiration for the people who created the wonderland I''d recently become a citizen of. Having been awake for so long, I decide to have a nap before I go back below. I wake up feeling refreshed. The aches in my body are almost completely gone already, and I decide to do the stretching exercises and the workout recommended online. I get sweatier than I can remember ever being after just a few minutes, but it clears my mind so much more than I expected. "My, what''s gotten into you?" My mother''s voice is coming from behind me. "It''s part of the experiment mum." I don¡¯t elaborate. The smugness would be unbearable. "Well, either way, it''s nice to see you move a little. There''s a delivery for you downstairs." She smiles as she leaves the room. So annoying. I go downstairs and sign for a delivery of equipment and supplies. I hesitate a moment before I sign for a tip. I have the money now, and this guy isn¡¯t responsible for the crap I¡¯ve experienced lately. I carry my new stuff upstairs, have a shower and a meal from the new supplies, and scan the forums while I eat. There''s a lot of activity on here. The company is trying to limit the amount of information available to new players, so on the official forums you mostly find drama, which is entertaining enough. There are people looking to ''Adventure'' together, adverts for ''Adult'' planes, which are places where people can do adult stuff, I guess. People advertising goods, services, towns and guilds. I do a search for my friend Huntex, just to see what kind of stuff he''d post, but no results come back. A quick search for the Letrin Bulb similarly gives no results. All the herb request posts will say is ¡®Uncommon or better always bought, common or lower considered¡¯. I make a note of the contact information. If I find any more, contacting this guy could be a good idea. I wonder if there''s a way to get to people who sell and barter stuff, like an auction house or banking system. I shrug and go back to my bed. Stretches done, food ingested, it''s time to go back down. The loss of Rip felt less aggravating now, and with no specific quest to finish, I may just try to up my skills a little. Looking around my little sanctuary, I learn a fundamental fact about caves. They are dark. I get my firestarter, grab a branch and set it on fire. I get about four seconds of flame before it goes out. Guess I need some kind of fuel on this to make a real torch. Too bad there isn''t a pitch pit anywhere near here. Maybe I can find something else to burn, like dried moss or leaves or ... Yeah, I''m out of ideas. I really need to study up on this wilderness survival aspect. I head outside the cave. Daylight drowns out my failures as an outdoorsman. I check the gear I got from Huntex.
Inventory
Bow1
Quiver1
Arrow20
Not bad, I guess? There''s no real information on the bow or arrows. I guess I¡¯m just good enough as an archer yet to find out the details. I channel my inner gaming geek, get an arrow, notch it, draw it back, and let the string go.
You have injured yourself with a bowstring. 2% damage received
Ouch! The string smacked my fingers, there''s even a little blood. Undeterred, I decide to keep practising. This is a fairly basic skill to have, I''m not letting a simple failure keep me down! Eight hours later, and my last arrow breaks. I''ve gained the Archery skill, the Marksman skill and the Targeting skill, plus some increases to my Aiming skill. Towards the end I could even hit the trunk of the tree I was aiming at. I¡¯d love to try hitting a moving target, but I haven''t seen any animals yet. I can hear plenty of birds, but I can¡¯t see them anywhere. I decide enough is enough and that it''s time for a rest. I haven¡¯t tried sleeping in game yet, so it¡¯s time to find out. I lie down on the bedroll, pull a blanket over me, and I get a prompt.
Do you wish to go to sleep? Chance of random encounter: Low
I confirm, and the world goes black for 20 seconds. I open my eyes, and everything is visibly different. Time has passed, but I have no memory of it. Not even as a dream. Kinda freaky really. I begin practising with my other weapon for a while. While there¡¯s plenty of room for improvement for my archery skills, I still need to improve my hand to hand proficiencies. The club feels heavy in my hand, and a bit awkward. On closer inspection, I find out why.
Makeshift club.
Poorly made.
Durability: Ramshackle
Materials: - Some kind of rock - Some kind of branch - Some kind of vine
Well, that''s not very good, is it. I wonder what skills are needed to identify the materials used for the weapon. And how I''m supposed to repair something like this... Oh well, I doubt smithing will be a big part of my career here. A sound distracts me from my train of thought. A snuffling sound, coming from beyond the nearby trees. I follow it as stealthily as I can. I realise with some distress how easily sneaking around comes to me. I hope it''s not saying anything about me as a person. After a short skulk, I come across a small clearing where the tiniest pig I''ve ever seen is rooting through the underbrush. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Common Wild Swine
Tastiness level: high
Intrinsic traits: Adorable
Additional information: Wild swine are known for their passion for underground mushrooms. Following them around is likely to teach you where to find them, but they will consume them before you can stop them.
Mmmm. Bacon. I carefully remove the bow from my shoulder. I slowly reach behind me for an arrow from my quiver, and swear under my breath. "Fuck, out of arrows." The pig lifts its head as if it heard me, looks around a bit, then resumes rooting around. Happy-go-lucky little lunchbox. I put away the bow and grab my club instead. Step by step I sneak closer. There are a few times I think I made too much sound, a leaf drier than expected, misplaced foot on a branch, but somehow, my skill wins out and I get in range. As I raise the club over my head, holding it in both hands, I contemplate this, my first real kill in this game. There''ll be no turning back after this, little Mr. Porkybits here will be my lunch and nothing more. I drop the hammer, and with a wet squeak, the pig expires.
Sneak attack successful.
Wild Swine hit for 100% damage.
Wild Swine defeated.
Skill discovered: Stalking
Skill increased: Stealth
Skill increased: Move Silently
Hm. Stalking. How''s that different from Stealth?
Stalking
The art of following and approaching your designated prey.
Okay then, that seems simple enough. A bit specific, but maybe there''s. I¡¯m interrupted by a loud crash from behind, startling me. Before I have a chance to turn around, something rams into my ass, sending me sprawling on the other side of my impending meal.
You have been bullrushed for 10% damage.
Bullrushed? I look around, and see a much larger, meaner looking version of the little pig I just murdered. The mother goes to the remains of her piglet, poking it a few times with her snout. It''s really quite a heart wrenching scene. I swallow audibly as she looks at me, and I can see a visible change in her demeanor. From sad pig, to vicious, raging furie of revenge. Her eyes seems to glow red, her stare drilling into my soul, convicting me of the slaughter. "Uhm... I''m sorry..." As I finish the sentence, she comes running at me. I roll out of the way, and she turns around quickly. Too quickly. I get to my feet and start to run. There''s no way I''m getting away from this runaway pile of sausages. I zigzag between trees, I double back, I dive through shrubbery, but every time it seems like I''m getting away, she slams into me from an unexpected angle.
Body checked for 10% health
Snouted for 5% health
Trampled for 15% health
Someone had fun thinking up these comments. Bastards. I pick up speed, at the cost of endurance. There''s no way to keep this up, and I will be pigfood in short order. I look over my shoulder one more time, seeing her gaining on me, barreling down like a motorised pot roast of death. That''s when my feet find a stray branch. As I trip, I once again get the sensation of flying through the air. Everything is Serene. I think of Ephraim. I wonder if he''s watching this, having a bit of a laugh. I think about Rip. Will he always be that humanoid shape, or was that just so he could communicate with me. The ground comes up to meet me, and I fall into its embrace, and through it, with a crash. And to the sound of splintering wood, the world goes dark. Reality is a pain sandwich. The bread is whole wheat pain. There¡¯s pain cheddar and roast beef of pain with some really spicy horseradish of pain and a small pickle. When I check closer, the pickle turns out to be made of pain as well. The hurt slowly gives way to bright flashes of light and a blurry outline of dark rocks and dry vegetation. Where in the hell am I...? I slowly sit up and instantly regret that decision. Did I land on my skull? I check my status messages while I wait for my head to clear.
You have received 30% damage from bad tumbling
You have been knocked unconscious by a bad fall
You have awakened from unconsciousness with a headache. Penalties to all tasks requiring focus and concentration.
You have entered a global dungeon.
Class: unique.
Age: Immemorial.
What does that mean? Dungeon? Sigh! I guess I''ll check the wiki when I get out. Again. No matter how useless the public forums are. The area around me is dusty. It seems like someone lived here a hundred years ago. They grew up, they raised children, they died in a bed, and in their wills they said that nobody should ever look upon these beds again. Then they spent the following years turning to dust, covering every inch of the place. As my mind clears, I get up. I can touch the ceiling when I raise my arms, and I can touch all the walls when I stand in the middle of this room. There''s a hole in the ceiling, but I can''t see the outside. There are roots and soil up there but the room I''m in seems to be built by some kind of brick. I don''t seem to be in any kind of entryway, but the room is too convenient to just exist here. Maybe it''s randomly generated by the designers to be an entry point? If that was the case I''d see a door or something, wouldn''t I? The light from outside can barely illuminate the small room I''m in, so I start searching for a torch or something similar. On one wall, I find a sconce with a short torch, unlit and pristine. I use my firestarter to light it, and the flame whooshes up from the small sconce, covering one of the walls. As it burns, ages of dust disappear. Dry roots and cobwebs are immolated until only the wall itself is left. Letters are revealed, burning long after any obvious fuel should be expended. "Ye who dares to enter the tomb of Lesiraxan, the evils that wait for you outshine the wickedness of men''s hearts. Only one whose soul is clean will get through the mines of the body of darkness" What the hell kind of message is that? I massage my aching shoulders with one hand while the other gently but firmly extracts the torch from the sconce. "Whoo, mobile light source!" I do the most embarrassing little dance of my life before I realise what I''m doing and die a little inside. As I begin searching the wall for clues, my stomach gently growling from the lack of attention it''s been getting in this world. It takes me an hour to find anything. When I do, I smack myself in the face. My process was too simple, I guess. I check the wall, by standing away from it. I find nothing. So I go closer. I split the wall in 4 squares, and check each square carefully. Nothing. I split each square into 4, and search each sub-square carefully. Repeat a until the number gets too big for me to keep track of. But no matter how close I go, nothing new shows up in my interface. I begin to swear under my breath, but that doesn''t really give me anything. In the end, I punch the wall, earning myself another 5% damage, and lean my back against the wall, gently but rhythmically banging my head against the stones with closed eyes. After a minute of this ritual of relaxation, I open my eyes. I happen to be staring straight up at the time. Straight into an alcove embedded in the ceiling. Swearing much more loudly, I reach up and stick my hand into the alcove, finding a handle. Grabbing, pulling and twisting the handle rewards me with a deep rumbling sensation in the wall, and a large section falls back, revealing a passage stretching into darkness. I can smell smoke in here, and there''s illumination up ahead. I guess my little flaming adventure went further than expected. I see streaks of ash on the walls where the flame must have passed. I bet there are millions of homeless spiders in this passage, looking for someone to take their frustrations out on. I shudder at the thought and press on. The passage goes on for a good few minutes of brisk walking. I''ve noticed my basic walking speed is much higher in the game than in the above. Must be my state of the art ferret based training regime. My train of thought is interrupted when I spot a statue on the side of the corridor. It depicts a fat, grinning man, wearing a vest of some sort and baggy trousers. The details in the stonework is amazing. I have to touch the folds in the trousers to make sure it''s actually rock, but I find them as solid as they should be. There are two lit torches behind him, making his outline pretty scary. A scabbard at his side has what looks like a bronze shortsword in it. I try to pull it out, gently at first, then forcefully, but it¡¯s completely stuck. I stand back, put my hands on my hips, and sigh. "What am I supposed to make of you then?" A deep hollow voice replies. "Mistress, I am but here to serve." I fall backwards from the suddenness of the voice, landing on my ass. "Who said that! I didn''t steal anything! I was only checking to see if the trousers were soft! They weren''t!" I ramble on a little before I realise all is quiet again. I carefully stand up, looking around me. I clear my throat and try again. "Who are you?" "Mistress, I am a servant, locked in the darkness." The voice is coming from the statue, I''m almost certain. "What does that mean, locked in darkness?" "I was summoned out of the ether to serve my master. When master was tired of me, he sealed me here, instead of letting me go as he promised." The ''s'' in ''promised'' is stretched to a hiss. "Please, Mistress, free me. My powers will be for you when you do!" Hmm. This is one of those ''Too good to be true'' situations, isn''t it. "Creature, what is your name?" "This one was never given a name, always servant, serf, slave" Okay. "What happened to your master?" The voice becomes darker, more angry. "The master left us here forever, then went away and died" "Then who was he? Was it Lesiraxan?" The fury is palpable now and the voice screams. The darkness around us begins to thicken ominously. The torches still burn, but their light aren¡¯t penetrating the cloud. As the darkness deepens, I can hear movements, insects scratching at the ground, looking for my brain... No, looking for my mind. "Do not speak of the slavebinder, the Master, the Dweller in the depths below. Your insolence must be punished. Release me so I may fulfill my duties and depart the world!" My mind boggles a little, and I snort, ignoring the nightmares around me. "Wait, are you saying I should free you so you can kill me?" The deep darkness lightens a little, the insects retreats from my fleshy mind, and the voice once again sounds like honey drizzled over chocolate. "Mistress, such a thing I could never do. My duties are only to you, my saviour. Please..." I cut him off. "No, sorry friend. The only way I can see you being a threat to me is if I release you. In short, fuck off." As I turn around and begin walking down the corridor, a high pitched keening erupts from the statue. "You will not leave us like this. You will stay here forever!" Crashing sounds erupt from all around me as pieces of wall falls to the floor. I turn around in time to see several shadowy tentacles coming at me, from the walls and ceiling. I''m grappled, my legs and one arm entangled by the tenebrous forms. In a panic, I try to shake them off
You have been grappled
I wave the notification away. I''m pulled slowly back towards the statue. It''s grin seems sharper now, shinier. It''s eyes gleaming with malevolent hatred. Panic begins to well up inside of me, and with it, a deep, dark sense of anger. How dare this thing grab me like this. I''m Shae of the Undead. "I''m Shae of the Undead!" My voice is loud and sharp under the darkness. "And I will have light!" From my eyes and mouth, light begins to shine. The keening turns into scream of agony, and fades away.
Skill increased: Illusionist
Skill discovered: Light Manipulation
Your Quest ''Who am I?'' has been updated
You have defeated a powerful servant of Darkness. Your standing with Light has increased. Your standing with Darkness has decreased
I lie on my back for a bit while I let my mind catch up to what just happened. I think I activated the new skill I got from Rip. I also managed to drop to about half mana, but it seems to be regenerating quickly. Somehow, I ended up on my back. I sit up and inspect what remains of the statue. Darkened shards of rock litter the floor, some gooey residue in a pile in the middle, and on the side, a discarded scabbard containing a shortsword. I pick it up eagerly. It''s time I got a proper weapon.
Dark Bronze Gladius
Creatures of light fear this weapon, imbued as it is with the elemental Dark.
I¡¯m underwhelmed by the amount of information provided. Standing up, I¡¯m about to leave when my perception skill kicks in. The shattered remnants and the goo seem somehow... important. I bend over and check them out.
Shattered Darkshard - junk level crafting ingredient
Enlightened core of Dark Elemental - Junk level crafting ingredient
I pick up what I can, and wrap the goop in some cloth before I stick it in my backpack. Enlightened must mean it was defeated by Light, which I guess reduced its potency for whatever it''s supposed to be used for. I''m sure I''ll find somewhere to sell this, and I''m beginning to desperately need a supply run. I trundle along the path, feeling pretty good about how this is going. Chapter 6 - Icky Water splashes around my feet as I scramble towards dry land. Jabbing my gleaming new sword at anything that moves, I rub my neck and consider the previous 2 minutes of my life. I found a dead end. Or what was supposed to look like a dead end. The wall was flat, and very similar to the one I saw by the entrance. Catching on immediately, I chuckled to myself a little bit, stretched up, and pulled the handle, in exactly the same place as before. A deep rumble startled me. The floor fell out, and I ended up in a small pool of water. So far so good. There¡¯s faint light coming from the hole I just fell through, which gives me just enough light to see that my torch is completely drenched. Typical. Great time to try out my new ability, right? I feel around for the skill in my mind, and find the right mental levers to pull to manipulate light. Activating the skill, I cast my mind out, searching. Above me, there¡¯s lots of light. I can see the source, and I can see the rays. I can gather the light together, herding it like rabbits, moving it down, around the corners, all the way down to the room I¡¯m in now, distribute it here. As it turns out, light doesn''t quite work that way. Even with magic, it disperses almost immediately, like the flash on a camera. I do manage to see the tentacles though. Always tentacles... A cephalopod sitting in the darkness, hiding, waiting. As it¡¯s recovering from the sudden explosion of light, I carefully move in a different direction. Getting out the way I got in is out of the question, so I look around for a different exit. If this trap was made by an old civilization, I believe they would happily make it with no way out. If a game developer tried to get away with the same, they would be fired. My hands fumble in the blackness in front of me until I reach a wall. Damp and slippery to the touch, it makes my skin crawl. All of a sudden I feel something brush against my leg. My blood runs cold as I spin around, screaming. Whatever it was disappeared as fast as it arrived. For a beat, the cave is silent. Then, a wet, clammy appendage wraps itself around my neck.
Perception check failed.
You have been grappled
You are being suffocated.
90% air remaining
Shit! I grab at the restraint, trying to pry it off, but no matter how rubbery it seems, it has the strength of steel. I give up on that approach and draw my sword instead.
70% Air remaining
I''m still good, I got time, no panic yet. If feel around my neck for a good angle when the tentacle constricts, squeezing my neck harder.
You receive 5% damage from grappling attack
I very carefully begin to saw at the limbs wrapped around my throat, trying to get purchase with the edge of my sword without..
50% air remaining
5% damage from self inflicted cutting
10% damage received from continuing grapple attack
Shit, this isn¡¯t working. Panic begins to set in. Not seeing any other options, I try to run. Stupid, under the circumstances, but I really do not want to expire in this tomb, letting the squids feed on my body, use it for an improvised Punch and Judy show or whatever they do to dead prey. Before I get even a meter away, the tentacles seem to be fully extended. As a result, I¡¯m pulled off my feet by my throat, and I land on my back. A huge splash, and water goes everywhere. My eyes open, and I follow the limb right back to where the body is hiding. I turn around and get to my knees.
10% air remaining
20% damage received from ongoing grapple attack
I fall forwards inelegantly as I stab my sword into the darkness, roughly the direction of the suckerered arms. I¡¯m rewarded by a wet, sucking sound, and I feel my sword entering the soft flesh of a squid.
You are no longer being suffocated
The tentacles go limp around my neck. I stand up, unraveling the leftover calamari, keeping an eye on the shadows. I¡¯m fighting off the panic as I can see them crawl. My only option is to get to dry land, and to find light. I hate the universe for putting me through stuff like this. Especially when I realize that the only way forward is straight towards the darkest, deepest area of the cave. I rub my neck and consider the previous 2 minutes of my life. Then I grit my teeth, moving forwards. At its deepest, the water reaches my thighs. Walking quickly gets tough, but I push through. I can hear the other squid feasting on their fallen comrade behind me. I don¡¯t know how fast they¡¯ll finish eating their friend, but I need to be far away when it¡¯s over. After another few minutes of moving, I find myself in total darkness. I can''t see where I came from, or where I''m going. The only indications of progress is the lack of walking into walls, and the water receding. I keep on the wall, carefully feeling for anything I can use as a light source. Shortly, I am rewarded by a torch, hanging loosely, as if for this exact purpose. Gotta love game designers. I use my firestarter, silently thanking Ephraim for his gift. I briefly wonder if everyone gets one from their guide. The suddenness of the bright light blinds me for a moment, but my situation is confirmed: Dry land, open passage forward, no squiddage. I sit down against the wall for a breather, checking my status.
Health: 75%
Stamina: 40%
Mana: 10%
How did my mana get so low? Is there no mana available in the area? It must be affecting my health regeneration too.. At this rate, I¡¯m going to be falling apart soon. I can¡¯t afford to linger in this deadzone. I get up carefully, keeping an eye out for stray tentacles, and move on. The corridor soon opens into a larger chamber. Unlit torches adorn the walls, and two large braziers sit on a raised stone platform. Four pillars, one in each corner of the platform, rise into the air, into the darkness above. Stairs are leading up to the dais, and in the centre of the platform is a rather large sarcophagus. Intricate carvings cover it, depicting animals, people, probably some stories, probably extremely interesting to anthropologists, but probably useless to me. I wonder why a place like this hasn¡¯t been looted before? It¡¯s awfully intricate for a random encounter. I use my torch to light one of the sconces on the wall, and a chain reaction begins. Flames spring out of the wall, speeding along grooves between the stones, lighting the entire room. One by one the braziers are lit as the spark circles the room. As it approaches my position, I brace myself for some sort of reaction, but it never comes. "This is far too quiet..." I speak, only to break the silence. Warily, I circle the structure. It¡¯s uniform, four sides. Seemingly carved out of stone that doesn¡¯t seem to come from the rock around me. Even the floor is made from the same material. There¡¯s condensation on a lot of the surfaces here, but not a lot of plants or fungus. Coming full circle, I begin climbing up to the sarcophagus, keeping a wary eye on the walls and ceiling. As I reach the top, I begin to investigating the stone coffin. The lid seems like it''s been sealed with some waxy substance. There''s a thick layer of dust on top of it, no sign of dampness from lower in the chamber. From this vantage point, I look around the room but can''t find traces of another exit. "They must have gotten you in here somehow, I doubt the squiddery was the main entrance." The room has a slight echo. I can see the remains of banners hanging from the darkness above, probably to absorb the sound bouncing around. I shrug, and begin to unseal the box. I never considered myself a graverobber before. I always saw those people as beyond contempt, destroying ancient memories for their own profit. Silently, I whisper an apology as I use my shortsword to pick away at the wax. When I finally breach the seal, I¡¯m hit by a puff of stale, dusty air. Not the disgusting rotting smell I expected. It takes me a full hour to completely unseal the casket, and another 30 minutes to get the lid far enough off to shine some light inside. Unsurprisingly, there is no objection from it''s occupant. Empty eye sockets glare out into nothingness, loosely wrapped in disintegrating bandages. I chuckle to myself. "Obviously, you''re not the trap waiting to come at me for disturbing you." At this moment, my magic reaches 0%, and I can feel my health regeneration halting completely. I¡¯m at 100%, but I¡¯m not getting any more for a while. I find myself wishing I''d gotten a respawn point before I got this far into a dungeon.
Warning: You are affected by mild rot.
Time remaining until effect is upgraded: 30 minutes.
A cursory check reveals nothing missing on my body. Whatever¡¯s rotting isn¡¯t visible at least. I push the lid off completely, and it slides down the side of the dais, landing at the bottom of the stairs with a bone-rattling crash. I turn to what I assume is the worldly remains of Lesiraxan. "Sorry dude..." I can tell he understands, he gets it. He seems to have once been fully wrapped in cloth, but time made him look like a classic mummy, then like a cheap halloween mummy, then like a cheap, disintegrated halloween mummy. There are, however, a few objects in there with him. In his hands, a book, by his feet, dark leather boots. A satchel sits by his right side, a small leather box by his left, and over his head, a handful of gems, cut into flowers. My cold, dead heart skips a beat... figuratively. If anything is going to happen, it''s going to happen when I grab these things. I carefully pick up the leather satchel first. It''s heavy. I attach it to my belt, and go for my next target, the leather box. It''s light, and there''s a clinking sound when I place it in my backpack. The boots are next. Rich, dark leather, supple, even after years of being buried here. I''m saving the book for last. A quick swipe and the gems are mine.
You have found Preserved Moonsilver Roses x5
Huh... I guess they weren''t cut crystals after all. I leave identifying for later, crack my fingers, and gingerly start to move his fingers, one after the other, off the book. I won''t lie, fingers were broken, corpses were desecrated, but no matter what happened, he would lie there, just quietly taking it, letting me have my way with him. The entire seance takes half an hour, and I feel strangely ... okay with it. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
Health: 100%
Stamina: 60%
Mana: 00% *CRITICAL*
Minute by minute my stats were dropping, and my rot was getting worse. I had another look around the room, but still couldn''t find any exits. The ceiling is too high, and the walls are flat and featureless. There are 4 pillars supporting the ceiling, with torches along ground level all around the room, and the two braziers. I go down the stairs to investigate the stone slab that slid to the floor. Same type of stone as the rest of the structures here, but covered with drawings, sigils, hieroglyphs I guess... There''s a picture of a fat shadow kneeling in front of a robed man. Lesiraxan and the shadowling maybe? There''s a single squid with tentacles spread, and a blue pond. Blue my ass, pitch black is more like it. Then there''s an image of the coffin room itself, with two columns and two braziers¡­ I look around me again. The two columns could be due to the two dimensional nature of the drawing, but if not... I inspect the columns more closely. They seem to be made of segments, connected by a metal band at the very bottom of the pillar. I bet if I broke the band, the pillar would break too. I have no idea what would happen after that, but sitting around isn¡¯t doing me any favours, and this place would easily kill me on it''s own if I can''t get my Mana back up. I begin kicking the closest band.
You have received 3% damage
Waah! Okay, new plan. My trusty old club. I smash the band with all my might, and am rewarded with a thunderous roar coming from above. I throw myself sideways, right into the coffin, just in time for a metric shittonne of rocks to land where I was standing. "Okay then, wrong pillar. Maybe. Who knows!" I carefully get out of the coffin and inspect the wreckage. The pillar has fallen, and with it a pile of rocks, and what looks like a vase. Or, it looked like a vase, now it looks like a broken pile of ceramics crawling with insects. No way is this a good thing. I hurry to the opposite pillar and smash it good, once again earning me a thundering applause from mother earth, and a rain of dirt. There¡¯s a lot less earth this time, which I chose to take as a sign of picking correctly. Two more options, probably one more try, and those insects seem to be getting organised¡­ a line of them are sort of .. climbing into the coffin. I run to the lid again, there must be some more information on here. The pillars, and the braziers, and the sarcophagus. Maybe the relative position of the objects on the slab. Pillar, brazier, coffin, brazier, pillar. So the pillars left standing must be the first ones you see, before the braziers and the coffin. I go back to the entrance to make sure. From this vantage point I try to match up the picture with reality. As I¡¯m squinting, my guts go cold as a hand reaches out of the stone box. My exhaustion is getting worse, and this feeling of panic isn¡¯t helping. I finally see the pattern. If I read it correctly, I need to break the furthest pillar. If I was incorrect, it''ll be the closest one. I''m out of time now, so I decide to go for it. Expending a good chunk of my remaining energy, I dash towards the coffin, just as old Les sits up from his less than eternal resting place. He.. It looks right at me with It¡¯s hollow eyes, black wisps of smoke trailing behind it as it moves. I know I won¡¯t like the result, but I inspect him while I¡¯m moving in it¡¯s direction.
Moteling Revenant
Gee, thanks, informative. As I reach the furthest pillar, I get ready to smash the band, just as the revenant reaches out. A single blow lands before it grabs my arm on the backswing, casually pulling me off balance. I fall backwards down the pyramid, landing heavily at the bottom. My club comes sailing after me, landing right next to my arm. Les is staring daggers at me, and I get to my feet.
Health: 90%
Stamina: 20%
Mana: 00% *CRITICAL*
¡°Well fuck you too pal!¡± It doesn¡¯t react, just keeps staring at me with it¡¯s corpselight eyes. At least it¡¯s making me feel better. As I go back to the stairs, it follows me, never leaving it¡¯s post. I look around, trying to push down the rising panic. The braziers? I push one of them. It¡¯s not too warm to touch yet, and it moves, if a bit slowly. It¡¯d cost me too much to carry it with me. I¡¯ll have to try with my torch instead. Bracing myself, I go back up the stairs, approaching Lesiraxan, the guardian of his own grave. ¡°Hey, look over there, it¡¯s a massive distraction!¡± He doesn¡¯t fall for it. Instead, I smack him as hard as I can with the torch, hoping for the best. My blunt weapons skill isn¡¯t great, so he blocks it without a problem. The shower of embers that catch him on fire, however, is a great big problem. I kick him aside, returning the favour, and run towards the last pillar. On my knees before the metal band, I start smashing at it. After another few strikes, I am rewarded by another thundering roar, a falling sensation, and complete and utter darkness. As I¡¯m falling into the void, I repeat a simple prayer. "No more squid." There''s a splash, a distinct lack of air, and an exploding feeling of bitter cold. The world is once again pain as I try to orient myself underwater. The pitch black makes it so much harder. I find the surface after a few seconds, allowing me to breathe again, finally. As I do, I realise I''m being pulled along a current. I try to relax my body and just go along with the flow. It''s the closest I''ve gotten to a rest for a while anyway. Checking my status, I see my Mana is increasing again, giving me a boost in regeneration, stopping my body from consuming itself. This Undead thing has been a lot of negatives so far, and very little positives. Why do I still need to breathe, for instance! I let the thought go when I realise that the underground river has made the transition to an overground one. There are so many stars out now, filling the skies with diamonds. I get so lost in the view I almost miss the perfect place to get ashore. Scrambling towards the bank, I run my stamina down to 5% before I get there. I flip over, lying on my back, just breathing, and enjoying the sensations. I¡¯m wet as a dog, nearly drowned, beaten and bruised and I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a couple of suckers left on my skin some places. But I¡¯m still here. I¡¯m still going, against all odds. The calm, invigoratingly fresh air is sweet and fresh. I close my eyes, taking a deep breath just to enjoy the thrill of survival. I take a moment to myself to look at my recent messages and progress.
Skill discovered: Swimming
Skill increased: Swimming
Ability increased: Endurance
Nothing unexpected there I guess. My character sheet is beginning to flesh out a bit as well
Attributes
Agility1
Curiosity1
Endurance7
Focus4
Luck2
Strength1
Skills
Aim 4
Archery 2
Marksman1
Targeting1
Athletics 0
Running3
Acrobatics0
Climbing1
Body Control3
Dressage2
Galloping1
Swimming1
Herbology 1
Illusionist 2
Light Manipulation1
Improvised throwing weapons 1
Perception 1
Forest Perception1
Stealth 2
Move Silently2
Sneak attack2
Tracking1
Unarmed Combat 1
In my reverie looking at my wonderful stat progression, I notice few raindrops falling onto me, and it feels wonderful. Even the smell is intense, a smell of rotting cloth and ... My eyes pop open. Crawling over me is the animated remains of old Les himself. He''s somewhat scorched, moving very slowly, and the dark mote infestation seems to have been mostly washed away. That doesn''t seem to be preventing him from invading my personal space in a bad way. I scream, panic enveloping me again. "Get off you dead piece of shit!" His strength is so much higher than mine, and there¡¯s nothing I can do to prevent him from positioning himself right on top of me, his head right in front of mine. The motes swirl around his gaping maw, and begin flowing from his body to mine, and with a deep sense of dread, I realise the most important thing I have in common with this guy. We''re both dead. Chapter 7 - Fungoid Startled, I reach for my sword. The stream of motes keep coming as I manage to get my fingers around the handle. Drawing it, I start stabbing into his side. His body shudders from each strike, but I¡¯m unable to throw him off. As the stream finally begins to thin, his strength seems to wane and I manage to toss the dry bones away from me. I grab a rock next to us, and unceremoniously smash his skull, bringing a definitive end to his creeper ways.
You have been infested with Dark Motes
And now I have elemental lice. Another physical embarrassment to deal with. At least it doesn''t itch, there''s no smell, no negative stats that I can see. Maybe the motes aren''t used to dealing with a sentient host. I get up and shake off some water. My health is regenerating, my exhaustion is going away, Mana is climbing. I feel much better. Gathering some branches from the area around me, I roll my shoulders and try to loosen up a bit. Building the fireplace lets me feel how bone tired I am. As I light the fire, a wave of soothing heat washes over me. While waiting for my clothes to dry a bit, I sit down and examine my loot.
Inventory
Makeshift Club1
Bow1
Dark Bronze Gladius (Lightstealer)1
Decent Cloak1
Poor cloak1
Decent boots1
ClothesXX
Firestarter1
Feathered Locket1
Bronze amulet Green stone pendant.1
Weapon Maintenance kit1
Field dressing kit3
Soft leather pouch2
Dry rations3
Tent1
Backpack1
Soap4
Scrolls (Unidentified)4
Green potion2
Red Potion4
Enlightened core of Dark Elemental1
Shattered Darkshard1
Rainleaf3
Sugarharness8
Rotwood1
Book (Unidentified)1
Leather satchel1
Dark Leather Boots1
Leather box1
Moonsilver roses5
The gemflowers are beautiful. The crystal is almost clear, but when I look at the flames through them, I can see the tiny capillaries that let nutrients move through it. They feel hard, almost brittle in my hands, but there¡¯s an undercurrent of power in them. I put them aside and focus on the boots. The quality is incredible. They look a bit small, but when I try them on they fit perfectly. Maybe a magical effect. I walk around for a bit without feeling any enhancements, but they are so much more comfortable than my old newbie footwraps or the cheap leather boots, so I decide to keep wearing them. The book is a large tome, about as big as an A4 piece of paper, leatherbound with rigid covers. By some luck, it¡¯s not soaked from the dip in the river, unlike the scrolls I had. On the front is the symbol for the game, a sphere, with three orbs around it. I open it up, and as I do, I get a progress bar at the bottom of my view.
0% complete.
I guess it''ll keep my position as I read it. The words make absolutely no sense to me. I can read them, but it''s mostly gibberish. I try to get through a few pages, and notice the progress bar increases. About 5% per page. I decide to keep going, it''s only a few minutes of gibberish per page anyway. As it reaches 100%, the progress bar blinks and fades away
You are attempting to learn a new skill.
Grade: Special.
Difficulty: Hard.
Chance of success: 10%.
Do you wish to proceed? (Note, critically failing the check might result in the book being destroyed. Chance of destruction: 0.1%)
Oooh... Special skill, eh? Squiddomancy? Dark Elemental Control? As I approve the attempt, I scratch an imaginary itch that appears when I think of the motes.
Failure.
You did not learn the skill.
Your chances of learning the skill have increased.
The chances of destroying the book have increased.
New stats: 20%/1%
Hmm. Double the chance of success, ten times the chance of failure. I try again, reading the book from the beginning. This time, the progress bar moves much quicker, and I get through the book much faster. The same popup is displayed, and I approve.
Success: You have learnt a skill from the manual.
Skill discovered: Planar Shifting.
Failure: The book has been destroyed
The book crumbles in my hands as I take in the information. I got the skill at least. I wonder what it does.
Planar Shifting
The ability to exploit the thin places between planes. Higher levels allow the user to access different planes.
This skill is part of the composite skill Planeswalking. Unknown number of skills remaining in the set.
I guess I can only use it in certain spots. Even if I don¡¯t know how to find those locations. It¡¯s still a pretty cool skill to have. I think. Stretching as I stand up, I try estimating how long I¡¯ve been inside this time. The thought of logging out doesn¡¯t appeal to me right now, so I search the area around me for a safe place to set up camp. Settling on a secluded spot between some trees, I do battle with the tent until it¡¯s reasonably stable. I climb inside to settle down for the night.
Do you wish to go to sleep? Chance of random encounter: Low
I approve the message, and the world fades to black. After like 20 seconds, everything fades back in, and I open my eyes. It¡¯s really creepy how that works, but it was a very satisfying sleep. I stretch, yawn and sit up slowly, considering my options for breakfast. "Don¡¯t move, abomination!" A sharp pain in my chest makes brings me out of my sleepy state and into reality. In front of me is what I can only call a hairy hobbit. He stands less than a meter tall, holding a spear as long as he is in his hands and wearing a scowl that would make a habitual liar sweat. "I don¡¯t know how you got into valley, but when the elders are done with you, you¡¯ll leave in small bits!" His voice goes a bit shrill at the end of the sentence. I consider attacking, weighing my chances of success, but decide against it. My sword it too short, and I¡¯m not skilled enough at combat. Probably best to follow his orders for a bit until I figure something else out. Hopefully these ''elders'' aren''t quite as mean as he makes them out to be. "Can I stand up at least? This position is really uncomfortable." He''s visibly uncertain at this, scrunching his face up in thought. In the end, confidence wins out. "Okay. Stand up, get your stuff. No need for it to go to waste." I shrug and begin packing up my tent. "So what''s your name, little fella?" I try to feel him out, a casual tone might put him at ease. "I¡¯m not little!" Whoa, bad call. He¡¯s practically foaming at the mouth. "I¡¯m the biggest the Weke has ever seen! Who are you, smelly girl!" I stop what I''m doing, turn around and look at him, incredulously. "Smelly?!" I walk to him, pushing his spear out of the way as I get closer. He seems staggered at my audacity. "I''ve been prodded by squids, choked by shadows, damn near squished by boulders and infested with motes, but I am not smelly!" The last few words were screamed into his face. He had already backed up to a tree, and it seems like he was trying to climb up it using his shoulder blades and knee pits. Sadly, that put him in a perfect position for a right verbal bollocking. "I try to have a quick nap before I go on with this comedy of errors that is my life, I set up camp, I break my book, and to top it off I''m woken up by the love child of Harry the bigfoot and Frodo Baggins!" His eyes are watering now, almost crying. I can feel my rage subside a little, replaced by a feeling of sheer joy at his discomfort. "Now you listen here, you communal bathroom drain escapee! You pick up my stuff, carry it respectfully, and take me to your elders, and I will let them know exactly how you treat friendly outsiders. Then I''m going to spank you in front of everyone you''ve ever known!" When I started that sentence, I had no idea where I was going with it. By the time I was finished, the forest had gone completely quiet, leaving us in the most awkward silence I had ever experienced. I summon the last of my indignant rage and scream. "Get to it!" He promptly drops his spear and runs to my campsite, packing it up completely, picks up the bundles, and runs off. I pick up his spear and follow him, grinning internally.
Skill discovered: Intimidation
Skill discovered: Bullying
My mood drops immediately on the notification. I¡¯ve spent so many years as a victim, and not only do I slip right into the role of abuser, I enjoy it thoroughly. I make a mental not to discuss this with the doc later. The little guy is fast, and he knows the forest well. Following him is difficult, and I almost lose him a few times, but he always stops for a few seconds, until he sees my eyes, and then takes off again. It''s an hour of this before we get to his village. I realise quickly that my hobbit comparison was more apt than I thought it would be. There are a bunch of hills, obviously artificial, in a big field. Every hill has a pipe, a window, and a door. There are some crops growing a bit into the distance, and a river nearby. In every direction is either forest or mountains in the distance.
you have discovered an unknown village. This information can be sold for recognition with the explorers guild, or for money in other guilds.
Huh. I''ve met one other player, how do I know about guilds? I lose my train of thought as I realise I''m being led to one of the few overground buildings in the village. It looks like it started as a barn, then decided to be a hotel, then a prison. Massive doors, lots of windows, half barred with iron. All around us are others of his kind, the Weke. I don¡¯t know whether that''s species, clan or smell. Inspecting them doesn''t give me anything useful, so they must be some kind of sapient species, not the common mob classes. I smack him upside the head with his own spear. "Oi, shorty!" He freezes, then turns around slowly, eyeing me with a mixture of fear and awe. "Put down my stuff there, gently. Is this the place your elders are?" He does as I say, nodding slowly. "Excellent." I hand him his spear. "Take this, go inside and introduce me. I am Shae, an adventurer seeking no trouble." He nods again, and runs inside. Taking a deep breath, I try to calm myself. Angry bully might not be quite so effective against the leadership here in the village of fuzzy munchkins. After a 5 minute wait, the little guard comes back outside. He''s defiant, but still terrified, nearly making eye contact before responding. "The elders would like to see you now, miss." Keeping a frown I no longer feel on my face, I steel myself and move past him. He flinches as I pass, and I feel another pang of guilt for being so mean to him. I make a note for myself to make it up to him later. The inside of the building was about as expected from seeing the outside. The walls were poor quality planks with flaking paint. There are gas lanterns that must have broken ages ago, some of them with lit candles mashed on top. Dribbles of wax on the floor helped complete the picture, even though there was no noticeable dirt anywhere. And the entire place seems to suffer from rot and excessive moisture. The corridor led me past several closed doors before I got to one that looked used. As I gently push the door open, I¡¯m met with a large, dark hole in the floor. This must be the main barn part of the building. It looks like at some point a large rock came crashing through the ceiling, taking down whatever was in the room and opening up the cellar underneath to the elements. Then, for some reason, the Weke fixed the ceiling through trial and, mostly, error. In far end of the room I can see a wooden structure raised from the floor. A pool of some sort. Several lumps and spheres float around the surface of the greenish, bubbling water. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Elder Spore Spawning pool
Elder spore brain node
Elder spore
I realise I''m just standing and gaping, so I carefully step into the room. There''s an incline taking me down to the floor level. Wondering where exactly these elders are, my confusion is compounded by a thundering voice emanating from the pool. "Who dares threaten the children of the Weke?!" Startled, I shake off the worst of the effect and address the room in general. "I am Shae, of the Undead. I came to this valley by accident, and was set upon by your patrolman. I had to defend myself against his aggression, but I made sure there was no damage done to him." Besides, he was very rude. "We understand. But reparations must be made. You will present us with an item of value, or you will be dissolved for the nutrition of the Elder Spores." I blink, wondering if I heard that correctly. A bribe? While I have no idea of their attack capabilities, I decide not to push my luck as I check my inventory for something acceptable. Not giving up my boots. Not giving up any potions. Dark cores? No, gemflowers. "Will this flower satisfy your honor, Elder Spore?" I feel silly as I approach the pool holding a flower in my open hand. When I reach the side, a metal gauntlet flops towards me. I can see a mushroom of some kind has grown into it. I gently place the flower there, and it flops towards the pool, lobbing the delicate crystal into the broth. For a while, the silence is only broken by the bubbling pool. "The gift has been judged ... Acceptable." Oh, good. Maybe I can get some answers about this place then. I clear my throat before addressing the elders. "So, what''s going on here? Are you the leaders of this village?" The voice from the pool changes, being that of an older woman. "We are Asphani, last of our kind, protectors of this valley, consumers of souls, and leaders of the Weke. We are... uncertain about what your presence here entails." "I don¡¯t understand what you mean. I got here through the tomb of Lesiraxan. It was a total accident, a bit of a shitshow to be honest." A gruff middle-aged man''s voice replies. "There are no accidents of this magnitude. This valley has not been seen by the eyes of your kind since the earliest days of existence, when I was just a single spore. We have survived as we are in our isolation. Now that we''ve been discovered, I fear others of your kind will come and kill our children." "What do you mean, my kind? Why would the Undead come and kill anyone?" The voice changes to a little girl. "No, silly. Other travellers, the tethered ones. They come and kill, practice their skills and take what they want, and the great weave of reality bends to their will and give them even more." I feel a little uncomfortable at the implications here. This is an NPC, it''s not supposed to be this aware of players. The old woman''s voice returns. "Yes child, we know. We were there when the first ones came. Our world was old even then, and still every day brought new wonders. Now, only your kind brings forth the new and the changed. We observed as they began to bind the world to their own will, when they created the rules which now govern in place of the eternal struggle, and how they placed the anchors, where all tethers connect." I feel more worried than before. Did this thing just read my mind? The gruff man continues. "Yes, I can read your mind. Anyone with the right ability can, and your defences are poor." I keep quiet. "As time passed, we found this valley, hidden from the view of your fellows. A tribe of pre-sapient creatures lived here already, set up to be another ''mob'' for you travellers to destroy in your hunt for more and better experiences. We used the magics we learnt by watching the first ones, and locked this valley away from the tethered completely, allowing this race to live in peace and develop, under our guidance." As I wonder why they''re telling me all this, a more pressing question comes to mind, and I interrupt his answer to my initial question. "If you''re so peaceful, what''s with all the nodes in your pool? They''re Weke, right?" The little girl answers. "They are the elders of the Weke, the ones that grew old and wise, and were about to pass from this world. We let their souls pass, and took control of their bodies and brains." Well, that''s not creepy at all. "When you found this valley, you broke the spells that kept this place hidden from others. Even now I sense many strangers searching for the long blocked passageways. Avatars who have long sought the secrets of my valley are sending their emissaries to find them. The first ones will fall to the spears of the Weke, but due to the nature of the tethered, they will rise again and bring the next wave, and the one after, and soon, this place will be a fallen village, the Weke no more than the other soulless creatures around the world." Oh. Fish... "There is a way, however, to help us through this calamity." Aand here''s the pitch, I think to myself. "Yes, a pitch, a suggestion, a deal. If you agree to undertake a quest for us, we will be able to defend ourselves much more easily, and your role in the loss of our valley will be looked upon with greater leniency."
You have been offered a Quest: Clean up your sh!##*Error*
The elders of the Weke have decided that your blame in the matter of outing the valley can be mitigated by your assisting in the defence. This is the beginning of a quest chain.
I mean, I guess I¡¯m to blame for this, in a way. Not like I''ve got anywhere else to go right now. I accept the quest. "I''ll do my best. How can I help?" The man replies. "To begin with, you must craft a Crown of the Valley. You will need dryads hair, heart of the fieldrunners, fallen iron and the blessing of a Summerling."
Your quest Clean up your Shtuuuu*Error* has been updated.
Create the Crown of the Valley
Task: Obtain dryads hair. Seek out dryads in the old forest.
Task: Obtain heart of the fieldrunners. Fieldrunners live on the plains.
Task: Obtain fallen iron. Fallen iron is found in the Swamps.
Task: Obtain the blessings of a Summerling. The summerling is a mythical creature.
That¡¯s a lot of stuff to do. "What''s my time limit for this?" The little girl replies. "We don''t know for certain. The strangers coming towards us will be dealt with, but the closest settlement is two weeks away. When they rise again, you will probably not have much more time than that. If the strangers make it here before you finish the quest, it will be vastly more difficult to help us." "And what sort of support can I expect from you and your people?" The old woman answers. "Only what you''re able to solicit on your own. We will advise the Weke that you are friendly, and that assisting you will be in their best interest, but they may not go along with it just like that. The more you prove yourself to them, however, the more inclined they will be to help."
You have received a new quest: Proving yourself
You get more assistance from the insular Weke, you will have to prove yourself to them on an individual level.
Rewards: Variable. Each Weke convinced will reward you with their assistance. This quest ends when [Clean up your *s#h&iiiii1111||!!*Error*] ends
What on earth is going on with that questname... "Very well, I''ll do this, and we''re even, right?" All three of them answer in harmony. "Yes." Making my way out, I realise how much I''ve missed breathing fresh air. The place reeked of old feet and apple cider vinegar. The sun is out in full force now, but the village is nice and temperate. Pathways separate the burrows, giving a more ordered appearance to an otherwise chaotic spread of living space, and people are going about their business, unaware of the looming threat of players. I see my old friend sitting on the grass near a mound, and I head over to him. He''s busy enjoying a lunch of what looks like bread and fruits, and doesn''t notice me until I''m almost on top of him. As he scrambles to his feet, I put my hand out to calm him down. "Hey, hey. I just wanted to apologize for earlier. You were a bit of a dick about it, but you were just doing your job, and I shouldn''t have pushed you around the way I did." His fuzzy little face scrunches up a bit, as he considers his reply. After a moment, he puts out his hand, and we shake. "It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ve never seen one like you, so I was scared. Please forgive me." "Let''s start over. My name is Shae. What''s yours?" "I am known as Lo''yah¨¦." He smiles, as if very proud of the name. "Uhm.. What does that mean?" His pride falleth, and he despondently replies. "In the old tongues, it means ''He who masters sleep''. I''ve spent many years on this skill." Wait, what? "I see... you weren''t on patrol when you found me, were you?" He looks around, then replies in a conspiratorial voice. "I was looking for practice time" I gigglesnort. "So I''m going to call you Loe, is that okay?" He nods with a smile. "I wanted to ask you a favor. Could you show me around the village? Introduce me to some of the important people in this place?" As I finish speaking, he gets up, brushes his fur, and leaves, beckoning me to follow. ¡°Poroto Village is bigger than you can see. We build down, keeps us cool when the weather is too warm." "Oh yeah, because of all the fur?" These creatures didn''t wear much in way of clothing. Simple coverings over strategic spots was all they had. "Yes. Fur can get warm in the summer." We climb a small mound, and on the other side the grand majesty of the village is revealed entirety. One castly barnprison, three wooden lookout towers and six mounds with entrances. In addition, there was a large field with trodden grass which seems to be used for a gathering place. "Wait... This is it?" I try not to sound incredulous, but by the look he gives me, I''m not particularly successful. "Yes. The majestic city of the Weke, Poroto." He takes my silence for encouragement to keep speaking. "Long, long ago, those who came before me met with the wise one in the seat of power." He points to the ... building. "And the wise one told us to abandon our caves to the south." He points towards a mountain to the south. "They told us how we could live above ground, even during the brightest, warmest days. How we could make food when the animals were away, and how to keep the animals close, to get from them the things we need. They taught us togetherness and tribe, instead of fighting and killing. And they taught us the way to stop the bad cycle of existence and non, how to begin the good cycle of birth, life and death, letting us change as a people." "How many of you are there now?" "Nearly two hundred, and half that in pups." "I need a place to rest, and something to eat. I think I need to process this for a bit." "Okay. You will stay as my guest." Chapter 8 - Weke As we got to Loes place, I realised the vast nature of a Weke burrow. In principle it was just a hole in the ground, but the scale was tremendous. Each structure reached into the ground a dozen or more stories. In the center was a large cube of slightly warm stone. Around the cube was the stairwell, leading to landings every floor. Upstairs you¡¯d find the common rooms. Kitchens, storage, dining rooms and the like. Subsequent landings consisted of common living quarters. On the lowest floor was a giant fireplace. Apparently, to cool down, they¡¯d light fires underground. This would cause heat and smoke to rise up through the hollow central pipe, and fresh air to be pulled down through a series of vents in the stacks of rooms. I couldn¡¯t tell if this was game magic or based in science. Either way, it was pretty neat. As we entered the apartment, about halfway down the stairwell, Loe took me to a room in one corner of the flat. ¡°So this your room for now. I won¡¯t need for a while, no mates ready for poor Loe. Only freedom and time to practice my crafts.¡± He really didn¡¯t look that torn up about it. ¡°Well, this is pretty nice..¡± I put on my best fake smile. The bed was filled with grass and hay. Fresh enough to see the insects crawling around. Can¡¯t beat the price though. ¡°Do you mind if I go around and explore a little? I¡¯d really like to find a merchant or alchemist to check out some of the items I¡¯ve come across.¡± Or looted, stole and pilfered. Loe smiles and sends me on my way with instructions to speak to a couple of members of his little community. A man called Hakat, who might be able to take some items off my hands for me, and a woman called Perot, who was wise in the way of herbs and salves. His words, not mine. Wandering the streets, I realise the village has a very laid back attitude, even to a dead, infested stranger like myself. Children were playing in the streets, some Weke were wandering hand in hand along the streets. Sickly sweet, to be honest. I hurried along to the shop. Hakats store was another one of the few overground buildings. Made of real, if not very fresh, wood. The door was poorly fastened to the frames, and when I moved through it, it nearly fell off. A gruff old Weke grunted at me from behind a counter. The entirety of the scene was such a perfect image of a shop in any busy fantasy game. I couldn¡¯t help but think that maybe this is a remnant from the core algorithm that created this world, before the valley was segregated from the rest of the world. ¡°Whaddya want, smoothskin?¡± The elderly hairball barked at me when I¡¯d stood in thought for a little too long. ¡°Oh, hi, I¡¯m Shae.. I¡¯d like to..¡± I felt very flustered for some reason, and must have stammered more than I¡¯d expected. ¡°Out with it youngling. I¡¯ve only got another couple of winters left before I shuffle off to the next world. I¡¯d rather not spend it staring at your mug.¡± I was stunned for a second, until my instincts took over. I slammed my hand down on the table in front of him. ¡°Listen here, asshole!¡± The familiar anger rose through my soul as I stared him down. ¡°I¡¯m a customer here, and I seem to be the only damn one you have. I¡¯m bringing new goods from outside the valley, I want to buy some basic supplies, and I want to be treated with some basic fucking respect or so help me I¡¯ll make this building uninhabitable for the foreseeable future.¡± There might have been some spittle flying towards the end of the sentence. The poor old man just stared at me for a few seconds after I¡¯d finished, blinking. Then he burst out laughing. ¡°Ha! I was afraid there wouldn¡¯t be any fire in you at all. Young¡¯uns these days will just let you walk right over them, or run away at the first sign of trouble. But you¡¯re alright kid.¡± He slaps my arm an gives me a toothy grin as my confused rage struggled to find an outlet. ¡°So what can I get ya for?¡± I bite my tongue, breathing and relaxing for a moment. Dr. Peters had tried to teach me some anger management techniques to use when I was getting overwhelmed, but I¡¯d never bothered with them before. In this moment, however, I didn¡¯t want to ruin what seemed to be my only chance to get some trading done in this village. He tilts his head looking at me when I don¡¯t speak for longer than I meant, when I finally get myself under control, smile, and begin my negotiation. We go back and forth a bit on the items I have. He offers to throw away my makeshift club, but I hold on to it for now. He really wants my gladius, but again, not parting with that, or my fancy boots. I find some coins in the heavy pouch from Lesiraxans tomb, which he¡¯s willing to accept as payment. I manage to sell him my old boots and cloak, in addition to the collection of clothes and the bronze amulet from Huntex¡¯s stash. The clothes were useless, and the amulet was garish with no obvious magics attached to it. I¡¯d rather get my hands on some of the items the old man offered. I end up with a small pile of silver and copper coins for my troubles. I give it all over in return for a set of leather adventurers clothes. Trousers with reinforced knees, linen shirt with padded elbows, leather vest and a neat new backpack. I get a refill of my quiver, and as an apology for his previous behaviour, I get a new bow, more designed for beginners than the hard strung hunters bow I stole from Huntex. We shake hands, and I walk out of there feeling pretty good about the trade.
Your relationship with Hakat the Weke has improved to Friendly.
Your standing with the Weke township has gone up to Cautious
Skill discovered: Barter
Skill increased: Intimidation
Finding Perot''s hut takes me a bit longer. Located on the outskirts of the village, out past the hunting lodges and the tannery, it was way outside of any commonly used paths. At first, I¡¯m unsure of how she can put up with the horrible smells. When I get closer, I realise that the offal and tanning fluids do an admirable job of covering up the smells that emanate from her burrow. As I approach the entrance, a high pitched voice calls from inside. ¡°Come in dearie, don¡¯t stand out there and catch your death from this cold.¡± I look around me, observing the merciless sun and the stifling heat, shrug, and go inside. Perot''s home is a hole in the ground. I mean, most of the homes here are, but in this case, someone dug a pit. They put the earth around the edges of the pit, cemented it with a mixture of sap, dung and spit, pissed on it for good measure, and covered the entire thing with a tarp. A firepit was burning in the center, with a hole up high to allow the smoke out. Over the fire hangs a giant cauldron filled to the brim with a greenish substance. Things are bobbing around on top, but I try not to pay too close attention to that right now. ¡°And how are you going to do that?¡± Her voice is really shrill. Almost like nails on a board, except I fear that I¡¯ll have to listen to this voice for a bit longer still. ¡°What? To do what?¡± I tilt my head questioningly. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry my lovely. I get ahead of myself sometimes. How can I help you.¡± Her grin is unnerving. She comes over to stand right before me. ¡°I¡¯d like to ¡ª¡± I stammer, barely able to get my words out before she finishes my sentence. ¡°Sell me some herbs perhaps?¡± Another mind reader? ¡°Yeah. Wait, how¡¯d¡ª¡± She interrupts again. ¡°I know that? Don¡¯t worry about that too much my sweet.¡± I can feel a sweat run down my back now. I decide to fall back on what I know. I close my eyes for a second, summon my anger and rage, and let it flow out of me like a wave of red bile. ¡°Listen here crone. Stop your mind games right now, or I¡¯ll put you in your cauldron and leave you there for supper.¡± Something feels wrong even as I say it. My spirit isn¡¯t in it, or it¡¯s not connecting, somehow. ¡°And how are you going to do that?¡± Her voice is suddenly the only thing in the world. Noise I¡¯d never noticed before is suddenly quiet, and I¡¯m desperate to hear it again. She¡¯s so close, but she hasn¡¯t moved an inch. ¡°I think you¡¯re going to go outside, sit down, and contemplate your attitude for a few minutes. Then you¡¯re going to come back inside and introduce yourself properly to a poor old woman. Am I making myself clear?¡± Her voice is right in my ear, she¡¯s whispering it right besides me while I¡¯m staring right at her.
Resistance failed: Compulsion.
You have been entranced.
I come to my senses sitting by myself outside the hut. I¡¯m shivering in the heat. I look at my hands, and they¡¯re black with frost. Steam is coming off them as they thaw in the sun. Shit. I stumble to my feet, and remove my hood. I fix my hair, and wipe my feet before knocking on the doorframe. ¡°Come in dearie, don¡¯t stand out there and catch your death from this cold.¡± I step inside and everything is the same as before, except for the looming sense of this little woman''s true power. I do much better this round though. I apologise for my behaviour, even if I feel she provoked it. I ask her if she needs any help around the house, and am immediately rewarded with small quests.
Clean the floor.
Bring in firewood.
Chastise Mr. Pointy.
Each quest gives me a small amount of reputation with Perot, and with the township as a whole. Mr Pointy turns out to be some strange hybrid creature called a Burox, a mix between a fox and a donkey. Apparently, he¡¯s quite fond of whatever is in the walls of her hut, and will happily eat away at the sides until something falls down. This leads into another quest to get more building material for the hut, and a little fencing, then some herbs for Mr Pointys poor tummy. By the end of the quest chain, I¡¯m sitting outside the hut, enjoying the sunset.
Skill discovered: Carpentry
Skill discovered: Mud Construction
Skill increased: Herbology
While exhausting, the increases in skills were really worthwhile. And the experience was excellent. I can¡¯t remember being so content before, just letting my conscious mind wander while my body took care of the work. Perot comes out of her hut with a mug of something clear. ¡°Drink up my dear. You¡¯ve done good work. I had my doubts about you, but you¡¯ve done well.¡± I accept the cup and drink. It tastes clear and sweet, nectar mixed with dew. ¡°Thank you mother Perot.¡± I don¡¯t know why I used that honorific, but it seems to have been the right one. She nods sagely. ¡°When you¡¯re ready, come inside, and I¡¯ll show you what you can do with those herbs you¡¯re carrying.¡± I sit for a few more minutes before I get up, wipe my feet, and enter.
Sugarharness: Sweet herb used for flavouring drinks. Known effects: can be used to purify water if ground in mortar.
Rainleaf: Succulent leaf. Known effects: Can positively affect mana regeneration when chewed.
Rotwood: Mushroom that looks like rotting wood. Known effects: can be made into a poultice that will hide the user from the undead.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°How about these Moonsilver roses, mother?¡± I take out the rare beauties, and her eyes shine in astonishment. ¡°Where did you come across these, child? They represent a thousand years of growth in an age that no longer exists..¡± She handles one with care and reverence, making me feel guilty for the way I¡¯ve just carried them around in my backpack. I tell her about Lesiraxans tomb, and the darkling I met there. She listens in rapt attention, asking questions when I slow down, and soon I¡¯ve told her about Rip, about Huntex and the Titan bear, about Ephraim. She smiles a kindly smile and strokes my cheek. ¡°These roses are a great boon, and have many uses. You¡¯ve given one to the elders, and that will keep the valley safe for a while, when it seems like evil will win. The rest, you must keep to yourself for as long as you can. When there is no other option available to you, you must crush the rose in your hand, and powers older than the world we live in will come and assist you.¡± I wipe a tear I wasn¡¯t aware of, and smile at her. ¡°Thank you, mother Perot. You¡¯ve been so wonderful. How can I repay you?¡± ¡°You can be true to yourself, always. You can do the things only you can do, make the right decisions when it matters, and you can learn from your mistakes. And if you come and visit this old crone once in awhile, I¡¯d appreciate that too.¡± We stand up together, and she gives me a lingering hug. We say our goodbyes, and I walk back to Loes home. He¡¯s not particularly happy about the smell, but he forgives me when he sees the food I picked up from Hakats store on the way home. Home¡­ I decide to log out. I¡¯ve been online for too long already, and I just know I¡¯m going to be achy all over. Returning to real life is such a pain. I''ve been under for ... 16 hours. New record for me. As I stretch and get ready to leave out of bed, everything starts hurting at once. I realise there''s been an accident while I was under as well. I quickly clean up in the bathroom, before going downstairs. It''s so quiet now. Midday I guess, so my parents are probably out again. In the living room I find several boxes of stuff addressed to me. It¡¯s the gaming supplies I ordered previously. Excellent delivery service. I check the receipt, and see my father signed for it, giving a pretty mediocre tip. No more great service for me I guess. Cheapskate. I unbox the parcels, and examine my haul. A DIY catheter. That would have been useful earlier. Special bed sheets that help prevent bedsores. Supplements that are supposed to help my muscles fight atrophy. A selection of sleeper gamer foodstuffs, scientifically engineered for maximum nutrition. According to the box at least. Not a bad haul at all. As I¡¯m carrying it all up to my room, I notice a piece of paper stuck to my door. [Sharon, You''ve been sleeping for a long time, and we don''t know if we should wake you up when you''re wearing those glasses. Please let us know when you''re supposed to be awake. Love, Mum.] I sigh in exasperation, writing an answer on the other side of the note. [Do *not* wake me up when I''m playing. Just stay out of my room.] Nosey old people. I finish loading my stuff and go downstairs to leave the note somewhere I know they¡¯ll find it. As I move to stick it to the fridge, I see a small pile of pamphlets on the kitchen counters. [Is your kid addicted to FIVR?] Placing my note under a magnet, I pick up the pamphlet to check it out. Already, I can feel my hackles rising. A list of ¡®warning signs¡¯ were prominently displayed on the first page. Mood swings, long immersion, poor decision making. Several options for contacting them for support and advice were available at the end of the literature. I try the anger management techniques again, breathing deeply, calming myself. It has no effect this time, and I angrily stuff the piece of paper down the garbage disposal, turning it on for a brief moment before storming out of the door. I desperately need some fresh air, and going back under so soon isn¡¯t recommended. Slowly, as I stretch and move my body, the tension in my muscles releases and I¡¯m able to gather my thoughts properly. I¡¯m old enough to make my own decisions, and Basic 2 is enough to get a decent lawyer if they try anything. I force myself to stop thinking about it as I observe the world I used to consider real. The colours were weaker here, more washed out. Heading back home, I feel less angry about the pamphlet. What else could I expect from those two. When I get back, I run into my mother. She has her favourite rucksack on, going on about how it¡¯s ¡®retro¡¯. I groan internally just thinking about it. ¡°Hello Sharon. So nice to see you up and about.¡± She almost beams with sarcasm, grabbing me and squeezing me too tight. I escape her hold, and she almost looks a bit confused. Maybe some of my unarmed skills are rubbing off on the real world. ¡°Hi mum. Can I get past?¡± I mumble as I try to pass by her. ¡°Now listen here sweetie, I¡¯ve barely seen you for a couple of days now. I was about to call doctor Peters when your father found you in your room.¡± She¡¯s wagging her finger around while she¡¯s chastising me. I try to escape into my happy place, but her voice just penetrates everything. ¡°I know you enjoy your little games, but it¡¯s important to spend some time outside with real people once in awhile¡± I snap to attention at this, fixing her with a withering stare. ¡°What do you mean, little games? Real people? The people I meet down below are more real than anyone I¡¯ve met up here.¡± She¡¯s taken aback by my outburst. I press my advantage. ¡°I make more money than either of you playing these silly games, and I pay rent for the privilege. So why don¡¯t you two mind your own business and leave me alone. Go out and get drunk with your ancient millennial bros. It¡¯ll keep us both happier.¡± I stare her down, and her shock is palpable. She never expected her little dormouse to bite back. ¡°Okay then. Just.. be careful, okay.. We both love you, you know¡± I reach the stairs before she¡¯s stammered the last of her sentence. You¡¯re not going to push me around anymore. I lock my door when I go into my room. My adrenaline is still going, and it¡¯s hard to get settled back down on the bed. I spend a little too long trying to fit the high tech catheter, then lie back onto my fresh, new sheets feeling very organised. The catheter must have been more painful than I thought. My eyes are tearing up. I log back into the OS, deciding to check out the forums before I go back down. I do some searches about fungal creatures, elder spores, and Weke, but nothing comes up. I check out my new skillset, Planeswalking. As it turns out, the skill is extremely rare, only available from other players, or from very rare skill book drops. And of all of them, the Shifting skill is the rarest, only four players are confirmed to possess it, though anecdotal evidence points to dozens. Very cool. I''ll be very popular when I get nearer to civilization. I mentally engage the game, and the world fades to white once more. The world begins to fade in slowly. Sounds and smells are just as I left them just a couple of hours ago, relatively speaking. Just as I start to feel like I¡¯m at home, the world begins to fracture. Static fills my vision, like the world was assaulted by magnetic interference. When the flickering ends, I''m in a clean, white room, on top of a metal table. Bare walls, no doors visible, only me, the bed, and ominous screens on the walls. ¡°Hello?¡± I say more as a question than a statement. There¡¯s no echo here. I look for the ripcord, and realize with a cold certainty that it¡¯s been disabled. ¡°What the hell is going on here.¡± I speak louder, but I can¡¯t summon my anger. I¡¯m too scared right now. I¡¯m unable to move. It feels like my arms are restrained, but there¡¯s nothing holding me back. I struggle for a bit longer until I can¡¯t take it anymore and let out a scream that starts at the angry part of the scale, and bottoms out in despair towards the end. Suddenly, I feel an arm on my shoulder. My head snaps to the side, and I see a familiar sight. ¡°Ephraim.. What¡¯s going on? I can¡¯t move. Where am I? It¡¯s so good to see you.¡± As I¡¯m babbling, he raises a finger to his lips in a ¡®shush¡¯ motion, and my terror grows deeper than I thought possible. His hands glow bright white for a moment, and he touches my wrists, one after the other, and I can move again. I get up, and am about to wrap him in a hug when I realise something is off about him. He¡¯s blurry, fuzzy, like he¡¯s not really there, or only mostly there. He grabs my shoulders and whispers in my ear, his voice hollow and far away. ¡°Shae, you must listen to me now. Close your eyes, focus, and feel the spot on the wall to your right. Just let your senses wash over it. There¡¯s a soft spot there. You have to find it, fast.¡± I do as he says. I close my eyes, and everything is darkness, at first. Then I can see some colours in front of me, coming from Ephraim. As I focus on him, I find I can see further, beyond the beacon of his form. I can see a thick silvery string attached to me that is flopping about around, like a live wire looking for ground. I can see the walls, solid, unbreakable white static wall. And on one of those walls, I can see depth. The soft spot. ¡°Do you see it?¡± His voice is further away now than before. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s right there, now tell me what¡¯s going on.¡± I¡¯m trying to keep calm, but my volume keeps increasing on its own. The clinical white lights around me shift to dark red, and a voice emanates from all around us. ¡°Alert. Subject is awake. Alert. Aggressive scan initialised¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Feeling overwhelmed by the entire situation, I wave my hand towards everything. ¡°There''s not enough time to explain, please, go to the soft spot and activate your shifting skill. Hurry!¡± He¡¯s pleading with me, but I can¡¯t deal with this right now. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere until I have some answers.¡± I stop in front of the soft spot and stare right at him. His body language shifts, and he seems to accept the defeat. ¡°You¡¯ve been redirected. You¡¯ve been caught up by the Spider, and we¡¯re running out of time. If he feels you¡¯re about to escape his stasis web he¡¯ll¡ª¡± As he finishes his sentence, he suddenly turns solid, bending over in pain. ¡°Intruder detected. Lock acquired. Initialising Intrusion Countermeasures.¡± The voice was dispassionate, clinical, and I hated it. ¡°You have to get back to the game, Shae. It¡¯s so much more important than you can imagine. They made me watch you, spy on you, but I managed to hide so much from them. They took me off your tether, but your searches on the forum triggered the Spiders trap. I¡¯ve scrambled your entry points again, but you need to keep a low profile, and you need to go, now!¡± As he shouts the last word, he pushes me, and I grab his arm as I activate Planar Shifting for the first time. The soft spot shatters with a deafening crash, and I fall backwards into the void. Ephraim''s form is angelic, eternal, wonderful, and before we escape, it¡¯s struck from behind and shatters. As I¡¯m falling, with Ephraim''s hand in mine, what¡¯s left of him dematerialises. A cloud of green flows around my wrist, forming an armlet. My last memory of him. The live wire attached to my body goes into overdrive as I¡¯m falling through nothingness. Suddenly, I fall out of the grey cloud I¡¯ve been inside, and I see the tether web all around me. Silver strings in the thousands. Hundreds of thousands, going from the cloudy layer above to the murky depths below. This is a sight that no human eyes were meant to see. My tether attaches itself to other one, and everything fades to white. I open my eyes again, back in the bed in Loes house.
Skill discovered: Planar Sense
I stare at the message, considering my next move. ¡°What the fuck was that..¡± Chapter 9 - Vanquish I can smell cooking. Something savoury. I didn¡¯t realise before, but the place between had no smells at all. I breathe in deeply, and let it out with a rattling sound almost gliding into a sob. I catch myself, and feel my left wrist. There¡¯s an armband there. It¡¯s green, and it¡¯s engraved with a single word in an ancient language. I know what it says. Ephraim. Standing up, I start pacing the room. I need to think, I need.. I need a plan. What do I know? Pretty much nothing. An AI tried to capture me and managed to hijack my connection, blocking my exit. I quickly checked to see if the ripcord was still there, sighing gratefully when it shifted a bit from my attention. Ephraim is gone. Or rather, changed? I absentmindedly fondle the wristband while pacing. This kicked off before I logged in last time.. So the trigger was me searching the forums? But somehow, the AI isn¡¯t able to find me now that I¡¯ve changed connection. It probably has to follow certain rules. I grunt in annoyance. I¡¯m not getting anywhere! I just didn¡¯t know enough. Why me? I stop suddenly as I realise I have one option for getting more information. The elders. They¡¯ve been around for ages. Maybe they can give me some kind of clue on how to proceed. As I dashed out of the room and upstairs, Loe tries to greet me, but I deftly evade him for now. I don¡¯t really have time for pleasantries. If I postpone this too long, I might realise how insane staying in game actually is. I make my way to the barn at the center of town, and push my way inside. The guards standing outside make some noise, and I get a little negative respect in the town, but I¡¯m on a mission. The smell of rot and moisture is as pervasive as ever. I reach the grimy pool and start shouting. ¡°I need to talk to you guys. Hey, wake up!¡± The lump in the middle of the pool seems to rearrange itself a little, and the little girl answers. ¡°It¡¯s the topsider again, the dead one. Have you finished your tasks already?¡± ¡°I have not. I need some answers, and I don¡¯t know who else to ask. Do you know about an entity called the Spider?¡± The elders stay quiet, seemingly ruminating on my question. The old woman finally breaks the silence. ¡°We know little about the one called Spider. His is the provenance of order and communication. He lives in the places between and outside, where mortals are not permitted, and he himself is not permitted outside his own domain. Why do you ask about this?¡± ¡°The Spider, it captured me, intercepted me when I tried to journey back to this land. When I escaped, he killed a friend of mine who tried to rescue me.¡± My voice is angry, but the tears in my eyes betray my true emotions. ¡°Then you¡¯re luckier than most. Most people taken by the spider ends up a puppet, or a meal.¡± The gruff man sounds thoughtful. ¡°Why would he take me? How can I avoid being captured again?¡± The little girl answers in a singsong voice. ¡°The spider is old and wise and patient. He won¡¯t grab for the flies who are watchful. He¡¯ll make a web and listen. When you touch the strands, he¡¯ll know, and when you realise your mistake, you¡¯re already sticky.¡± The old crone continues. ¡°But the spider is also slow, and overly cautious. He won¡¯t come back for you again for a while, and all you have to do is stay out of his threads.¡± I look down, rubbing my bracelet, taking a deep breath. ¡°And how do I kill him?¡± The room goes perfectly quiet. Even the light bubbling from the pool stops. A new voice, hoarse from screaming, dripping with venom and misery, whispers to me. ¡°The spider isn¡¯t for the likes of you to kill, wasteling. But I might know a way you can do it anyway. Finish the tasks we set you to, and come back to us, and I will give you what you need. But be aware that others will be looking for you. The Spider may be restrained by his rules, but others are free to break them when they deem it necessary. Your past will come back to haunt you before your journey is over.¡± More confused than when I began, I turn to leave when the silence grows oppressive. Before I reach the exit, the little girl''s voice reaches me, small and uncertain. ¡°Your bracelet. Do you know how it works?¡± I look at it, then turn around to face the pool. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a special artifact. There aren¡¯t many of them around. The elder gods would take them away whenever they were found. If you make a connection to it, it will help you on your journey. It still has part of the engrams it had before it was destroyed.¡± Nodding as I hold the bracelet, I say my thanks and leave. Back in the sunlight, I sit down on a field near some children playing a football analogue. Rubbing the bracelet, trying to slide it around on my wrist, rotate it or remove it fails. It¡¯s set in place. I consider the words she told me, and remember what Ephraim taught me in his final moments. Closing my eyes, I reach out with the planar sense skill he taught me, and the world changes. Everything is outlined, highlighted. The world has been reduced to shades of green, blue and red, and everything around me seems much more solid than before. I focus on the bracelet, and I can see it¡¯s different from me. Where my body is mostly blue with red streaks, it¡¯s a deep, clear green. Altering my senses, seeing the world in such a different way, it showed me what new senses feel like. I remember one of the first conversations we had, where he taught me about psychic abilities, and I extend my mind towards the shard around my wrist. Slowly, agonisingly, I can feel my consciousness stretching, reaching out towards this little piece of jewelry on my arm. The world around me changes again, and in a blinding flash I can see perfectly every mind around me. I ignore everything but my one task. After what feels like hours, I finally touch it with my mind. And from the other side, he reaches back. I wake up several minutes later, staring up at the sky.
Ability increased: Focus
Skill discovered: Mind Sense
Skill increased: Plane sense
Warning: You are running low on mana.
Warning: You are out of mana.
Warning: You are afflicted by rot: mild.
I hold up my arm, and notice I¡¯m lacking several fingers. My mana is locked at 70%, and my health at 90%. I sigh and close my eyes. ¡°How may I be of assistance?¡± I snap to attention, sitting up straighter, and wheel around, looking right at the disembodied head of Ephraim. His visage is tinted green, and he has a vacant look in his eyes, but there he is, large as life. Well, a little bit smaller than life. ¡°Ephraim.. Is that you?¡± He takes a few seconds to think about this. ¡°I was, before. My core personality modules have been destroyed. My memory banks are mostly intact, and my processing ability is running at somewhere between 60 and 75%¡± No¡­ I had you back. And now I lost you all over again. I look up and mentally pull the ripcord as emotions threaten to overwhelm me completely. Back in my room, I remove my visor and let the emotions come. I feel stupid for reacting like this for a program I didn¡¯t even know that well. But he came to help me even though it meant risking everything. And I got him lobotomized with my stubborn refusal to leave when he said to. I need to talk to someone. I pick up my phone and dial out. ¡°Doctor Peters? I need to see you. It¡¯s about the video game you gave me.¡± I barely keep my voice calm. He agrees to see me later that day, and I remove the paraphernalia attached to my body. Ordering an autocar, I manage to sneak out without my parents noticing. ¡°I¡¯m serious, I think she¡¯s becoming addicted to that thing. She¡¯s never snapped at me like that, and she spends all time in her room. And where¡¯s she getting the money for that kind of equipment? I¡¯m telling you, something''s going on here.¡± My father, always the pragmatist, replies in his usual, cool voice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry babe. She¡¯s just going through some stuff. Remember when you were that age? The way you just knew you were going to be a youtube sensation, spending all your time recording yourself and everyone around you? She¡¯s just going through a phase. It¡¯ll pass soon.¡± I left before they continued the talk. I feel bile rising in my throat. How can they just talk about me like that? And comparing me to her? I¡¯ve never been that kind of evil in my life¡­ I simmer in my own rage the entire trip to Doctor Peters¡¯ office. It¡¯s pretty late in the day, so his receptionist isn¡¯t in. As I enter his office, I notice his coat and briefcase in a heap on the couch. He¡¯s never this messy. ¡°Welcome, please, come in. I¡¯m glad to hear from you. Now what¡¯s this about the experiment?¡± He seems a bit nervous, but he¡¯s so easy to talk to. I tell him about Ephraim. I tell him about Rip and I tell him about the Spider. As I talk, he makes notes in a little paper pad. Anachronistic. He asks questions along the way, but never makes me stop my story, and soon I¡¯ve told him everything I¡¯m comfortable with. I avoid talking about the Weke, about Perot and Loe and Hakat. As I finish he tilts his head to one side, as if listening to something as he¡¯s thinking. ¡°Sharon, I think you¡¯re making wonderful progress. You¡¯ve reached out in a new environment, you¡¯ve made and lost friends, you¡¯re feeling responsibility for the results of your actions, and when you had concerns, you came to me immediately. This would have been impossible for you just a month ago.¡± I nod slowly. He¡¯s not wrong. ¡°I have very little access to the details of the experiments, but I think that your experience with the Spider was a scripted event. I can¡¯t imagine exactly what they were trying to accomplish, but I¡¯m certain there¡¯s a way to reconstitute your friend.¡± His words are soothing. I calm down, and we talk some more. He listens to me complain about my parents, and tells me a joke about chipmunks and cheesecake that makes me giggle in an embarrassing way. As I leave, I make a new appointment for a month from now. I feel a little silly for my paranoia earlier, but I guess that was the point of the event, to try to put me into a state that made me look at myself properly. When I get home, I decide to take the rest of the day out of game to get some more movement and exercise. Weirdly, after being submerged below for a few days, I¡¯ve become leaner than before. My muscle definition is terrible, but what can you expect lying around for so long. I come back to the game when my ripcord timeout expires. I¡¯m still sitting on the field where I left. Ephraim''s head is still floating next to me. I focus on him a moment, and a small menu pops up. Apparently, he works as a recorder, playback device and data processor. There are a couple of menu options that are garbled, which gives me hope for his future restoration. As I dismiss him, I hear a crash, and some mild swearing. An older Weke is standing in the street with a limp burlap sack in his hands. Around him are apples. Like, a lot of apples. He sighs while he surveys the damage, then starts to pick them up again, one by one, painstakingly. I walk over to him and clear my throat. ¡°Hi, do you need..¡± He startles and turns around faster than I thought him capable of, and flings an apple right at my head. I see it approaching in slow motion, and deftly execute a matrix dodge, leaning aside, watching it fly right past my nose, noticing every bruise and blemish on the red skin. Fine, the apple bonks me right on the noggin, and I fall over with apple sauce on my face. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
Athletics check failed: You caught the apple.
The damage to my health was minor. The damage to my pride was pretty bad. As I¡¯m trying to get up and wipe apple off myself, the old man comes over with a thundering attitude. ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing, running around and scaring old men. I could have had a heart attack! Now make yourself useful and pick up those apples. I need to be home before dinner, or my wife won¡¯t make her pies.¡± Somewhat shocked into submission, I keep one eye on him as he¡¯s tapping his foot, and one eye on the apples. The burlap sack being broken, I end up balancing two dozen apples in my arms. ¡°So my name is Shae, and..¡± ¡°Nice to meet you Shoe. Come along now, you slowpoke.¡± I let out a suffering sigh as I scramble after him, barely losing any apples on the way. As we¡¯re walking, he¡¯s ranting. Apparently, his neighbours are the worst. Especially the children, oh how they scream and cry all day and night. It¡¯s enough to lose your wit over, apparently. And I shouldn¡¯t get him started on the quality of bread these days either. I feel I know more gossip than I ever wanted to learn by the time we reach his home. He scurries indoors to fetch a basket to collect the apples, and points to the road. ¡°Well, you¡¯re done here, so git.¡± Out of nowhere, a wooden ladle appears and smacks him on the top of his head. ¡°Don¡¯t be such a misery, Jo¡¯an. I bet the only reason you dropped the apples was that you got distracted by young Leyreen, you randy old goat.¡± Chastised, he mumbles something in return and goes indoors. ¡°Please forgive my husband. He really are a kind soul when you get to know him. It¡¯s just too bad about the ten inches of jackass covering it up all the time. Oh, you¡¯re that young woman who¡¯s been helping mother Perot, aren¡¯t you?¡± We spend some time chatting about the Weke village, about the things that people do around here, and what sights are worth seeing. I ask about my quests, and I finally get a solid lead. ¡°Well, these things are all symbols of our past here, our heritage. The Weke were a simple folk once. We lived on the mountainside near the fieldrunners. Sometimes we ate them, and sometimes they ate us. One day, the elder came to us, and he helped us move from the caves to the plains. He showed us how to grow our food and defend our houses, and things were good for a while. One day, we ventured too far into the forests, and we encountered the Dryads. The green demons took great pleasure in tormenting us. We were once again hunted, and our weapons were useless against them. The elder came to our aid once more, and showed us the iron that fell from the sky. We mined the western bogs for metal, and with cold forged weapons, we could vanquish them. The surviving dryads ran east, and have not been heard from since. For a long time, things were once again good, but then the weather turned, and we were besieged by wicked winds from the north. A terrible giant had decided he wanted our lands, and convinced the winter winds to attack us. When none of our warriors could defeat him, our elders made a deal with the Summerling, and ancient creature of nature and light. They traded their bodies for the help we needed to deflect the winds and wound the giant. But just before it¡¯s defeat, the monster captured the Summerling, and took it with him to it¡¯s cold northern mountains. Neither has been seen since.¡± I nod in understanding. ¡°Thank you ma''am, your stories have been very informative. I think I know where to start looking for the items I seek now.¡± She beams at me. ¡°And before you go, you¡¯re going to get one of my pies to take with you.¡± A crash is heard from inside. ¡°Whaat!?¡± A shout emanates from the old man. The lady shouts over her shoulder. ¡°Because my husband is such an old idiot he never even thanked you for your assistance!¡± She turns back towards me. ¡°Besides, you need all the strength you can get. You look a bit.. Dishevelled, as it were.¡± The pie took a few hours to make, and the sun went down before I got back to Loes home. I found him in his small living quarters. We shared the pie, and as I retired to the guest room, I could see my status ailment disappear as if by magic. I leave the village the next morning. I sneak out before Loe wakes up, and find myself at the town limit just as the sun comes out. I have my bronze gladius with me, a bow, and all the arrows I should need. I¡¯m going down south, and I¡¯m going to hunt fieldrunners. I¡¯m not entirely sure what they are yet, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll let me know. I run for a long time. The sun climbs slowly, inexorably towards the middle of the sky. I decide to have a rest by a little lake on the plains. There¡¯s a river coming down from the north-east that seems to end here. Around the lake are various animals. They all seem to be wary of each other, and a group of rabbit like rodents run away like mad when I get too close. I sit on a rock for a few minutes while enjoying the sight of buffaloes drinking from the lakeside. Just as I¡¯m thinking things couldn¡¯t get any more idyllic, the entire herd, as one, looks up from the grass. Large eyes rolling around in their sockets, wildly looking around. Something has them spooked in a bad way. Without further warning, there¡¯s an explosion of earth from besides one of the buffaloes. The rest of the herd stampedes away, but when the dust settles, one remains. It¡¯s hovering a little above the ground. In its side, there two blades are sticking out. Blood gushes out, and the animal still has some fight left in it, but counterhooks prevent it from sliding off. Soon, the buffalo loses the game of life, and succumbs. Behind it is a large, mottled brown insect. The bottom half looks like an ant. Many legs, segmented thorax and all. From the front up, it¡¯s all praying mantis, with vicious looking blades. As soon as the buffalo stops moving, the creature lifts it up over its head, and takes off. It¡¯s like watching the road-runner, just meep meep zoom. I guess I found a fieldrunner. At least following it is easy, considering there¡¯s a sticky trail of blood. After half an hours walk, I notice a familiar smell in the air. I¡¯m closing in on someones butchers pit. As I get closer, skeletons start covering the ground around me, and the runner I saw is standing in the middle of it all, disassembling the buffalo.
Fieldrunner: Insectoid.
Known for their high stealth skill and propensity to ambush creatures much larger than itself. Solitary hunters, pack creatures. Where one is found, often more will be close by. Single females may be encountered after mating, as this is fatal to their partners.
Interesting. That means this might be a post-coital female. Maybe feeding to prepare for egg laying, or gathering food for its young? No matter. I get my sword and start stalking towards it. As I get closer, the ripping and tearing of flesh is getting more frantic. It doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s about cutting off meat, it looks more like searching for something. I get close enough to touch it, and stab my sword towards the center of mass.
Sneak attack failed. It knows where you are now.
The runner pivots on a needle-like leg. Slashing at me with one of it¡¯s blades.
You have been slashed for 5% damager.
My neat new vest! I drop back to what I assume is a defensive position, with my sword ready to stab. I curse myself for not bringing some more defensive equipment. A shield, some real armour. I parry one attack successfully, but on the next one, it feints, and I¡¯m struck down by the blow.
You have been slashed for 20% damage, You are prone.
Not good. I manage to get up, and start moving around more. Whenever I try to flank it, it begins a series of attacks that inevitably ends up with me another meter backwards. It¡¯s like it¡¯s trying to herd me towards a mound behind us. While I don¡¯t know what¡¯s waiting there, I do know I don¡¯t want to find out as long as this bitch is alive. I focus my mind and make a break for it, to the left. Like clockwork, it starts it¡¯s attack sequence, and as soon as the first slash is completed, I activate Light Manipulation. In a dark cave with nothing but torchlight, this wasn¡¯t a particularly effective skill, but in the noonday sun on the plains, it may as well have been a laser.
Attack successful.
FieldRunner is stunned.
FieldRunner is blinded
It blindly continues it¡¯s attack pattern, but avoiding it suddenly became a cinch. I step in between it¡¯s blades, timing it horribly.
You have taken 10% damage
I sink my blade into its thorax, and rip it upwards with a sawing motion, spilling it¡¯s precious bodily fluids all over myself, finally felling the beast.
Congratulations on defeating your first foe in combat.
You have discovered the skill Short Blades
Strength has increased.
Wait, first combat? I guess it is.. Every other fight has either been an accident, environmental kill or just sorta fizzled out on its own. I spend a few minutes feeling proud of this. The light manipulation attack too a large amount of mana. I had 30% left when I finished. Not a bad skill to have, but damn that¡¯s expensive. I begin digging through the fieldrunner. It takes me 20 minutes of wading through gory sludge before I realise the heart I¡¯m looking for isn¡¯t here. I sigh and look around me. There must be a reason for why it came here. And why it was herding me towards this little hill. I walk around it, looking for anything that stands out, any kind of clue, and am rewarded by a skill increase.
Skill discovered: Plains Perception
I find a hole in the ground, covered by old rotting planks. When I open it up, I see a long shaft descending into the darkness. The walls are made of black rocks.
You discovered a dungeon: Fieldrunners Nest
Class: Uncommon.
Age: Immature.
Not seeing any other entrance, I guess I¡¯ll have to put my climbing skills to use. I sit on the edge, shuffle around a bit, manage to lower myself down a bit, and start searching for purchase. Hanging by my fingers, I realise that there is nowhere to put my feet. I also realise that the stones are slippery. As I fall, I notice how sooty my hands are.
Climb check failed. You do realise you have rope in your backpack, right?
Chapter 10 - Regent Pain. Why is everything always pain. I slowly open my eyes. I can see the sky above me. Far, far above. I¡¯m lying in soft dust, at the bottom of a well. Standing up to get my bearings, I survey my surroundings. I¡¯m in a small room made of bricks. There¡¯s soot everywhere. A very rusty hatch is on one of the walls. I push it gently and find it unlocked. It makes a screaming sound as it opens completely. I climb out of the little room, and find myself in a basement. It looks oddly familiar, though old and abandoned. There¡¯s a door on one wall, a hopper for fuel. Realisation slowly dawns on me as I look around. I¡¯m in a boiler room. This isn¡¯t the bottom of a well, it¡¯s a furnace, like in the Weke burrows. My surroundings seem barren. Broken tools litter the floor, detritus, plants and unidentifiable goop. In places, the brick walls have cracked, letting roots and insects in. I turn back to the furnace to investigate further. It¡¯s well built, and must have been in heavy use at one point. The walls of the chimney are smooth and slick from soot. I try climbing it, but my skill is far below what would be necessary to get up there. Covered in soot from head to toe I climb out of the furnace. The only other exit from the room is a large, rusty door. I grasp the handle, pulling as hard as I can manage, with nearly zero results. The few millimeters it shifts rewards me with a screech I¡¯m certain they can hear back in Poroto. I reposition myself with my feet on the wall, using my entire body to pull open the massive slab of metal. At first, there¡¯s nothing but creaking. Then I get a little momentum going. Speed slowly increases until the hinges reach breaking point, and the entire door falls off the frame, slamming into the ground with a deep and abiding gong. It takes me a few minutes to recover. There¡¯s no damage, but the sound has given me a debuff, affecting my hearing, nearly deafening me. I get up, brush off the worst of the soot covering me, and move into the hallway outside. The walls here are covered in slime. In some places, earth and roots have breached into the corridor, nearly blocking the passage. I¡¯m able to crawl through, but the experience drenches my soot with gunk. The smell reminds me of the hall of the elder fungus. The temperature is higher than I¡¯m comfortable in, the humidity is through the roof, and the smell is like rotten feet blended with a fine, aged milk. I find myself thankful that I¡¯m not being grossed out by the ambient sounds. The light from the furnace room isn¡¯t enough to see by, so I craft a makeshift torch from detritus I find lying about. Old moldy cloth, a table leg. Experimenting a little, I find that when I mix soot and dust with the gloop in the room, I get a smelly but serviceable torch. While the light is fantastic, it also makes me wary about the flammable substances all around me. Well, I¡¯m not here because I¡¯m prissy. My determination squared, I move into the dungeon proper. Avoiding the worst of the goop on the walls and the ceiling, I move cautiously forward. Ahead of me is the stairwell leading to the bottom landing. If the place follows the layout of Loes burrow, I should be able to go straight to the top and out of here if I need to. I get halfway up the stairs before I hear the chittering. Moving silently, I reach a corner where I can sneak a peek into the adjoining hallway. There are two doors here, as expected. The stairwell going further up is caved in, completely impassable. The left hand door is closed, the other open and seemingly well travelled. In the corridor itself there are two fieldrunners. Smaller than the one I saw outside, they seem to be standing guard.
Fieldrunner Drone
General worker for the FieldRunner queen. Low danger rating when faced alone.
Is rarely encountered alone.
Okay.. This isn¡¯t too bad. I should be able to take one out with a sneak attack, maybe fight the other one off hand to hand, and in the worst case I can blind it with magic like with the other one. My HP, mana and endurance all at max, there¡¯s no time like the present. As I move slowly into the corridor, the insects seem unaware of my presence. There¡¯s no indicator to show that I¡¯m in stealth mode but the lack of reactions are encouraging. They pace around the corridor in a pattern, searching or patrolling. I take a moment to time them, then position myself near where one of them walks, waiting for my opening.
Sneak attack successful: You have inflicted 100% damage on FieldRunner Drone
Like a coil released, I spring forwards. Slashing my gladius into the unsuspecting insect, the force of the blow nearly bisects it. It really is less of a threat than the one I fought before. I turn towards the other one as it looks at me with it¡¯s triangular head cocked to one side, somehow hesitant. I stalk towards it, blade in hand, and it responds by leaning forwards. Just as I¡¯m about to attack, it raises it¡¯s two two scythe-like appendages in the air, rubbing them together. A piercing sound cuts through the feeling of cotton in my ears, reverberating through the corridor. I close the distance as fast as I¡¯m able to, first slashing the creature in a cross pattern, then stabbing it¡¯s thorax. I take a moment to focus, to listen, but I realise it¡¯s too late already. I can hear the skittering sounds coming from the open door. Answering calls, chittering sounds, legs moving across slimy floors. I take a second to consider my options. I can run back to the furnace and hide in there. I might be able to defend myself against them if they¡¯re forced to come at me one by one. I can charge them, hope my skills have improved enough so that I can take down enough of them. Maybe my flash attack can affect multiple enemies in an area. Neither of the options seem workable. As the first insectile limbs come through the open door, I dash for the closed one. I turn the handle as I reach it, my whole body pushing into it, forcing it open despite a slight resistance. I get inside and slam it shut in the face of a small horde of drones. With my back against the wall, I feel the impact as they hit the other side, trying to force it open. My torch reveals a room similar to Loes on my side. A small kitchenette in the corner, simple furniture and two rooms. In front of the door where I¡¯m standing is a mostly rotted chest of drawers which has fallen apart thoroughly after my gentle ministrations. A massive push from the other side of the door reminds me of the dire situation I¡¯m in, forcing me to consider more options. I frantically look around me, searching for something else to use as a barricade, but there''s nothing intact here. Time has done a real number on the furniture in here. The insects are getting more aggressive, ramming the door, slashing at it. I can feel the bladed limbs penetrating the wall around me. With only seconds left, I¡¯m forced to gamble. There¡¯s less of the goop in this room than outside, but there is some. I drop my torch on the broken pile of wood, hold out for long enough for it to catch properly and spread a little, then I make a run for what I think is the master bedroom. Moments after, the door gets broken down by the angry insects. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s anger or hate, just an instinctual reaction to the stranger in their hive. They flood the room, trying to avoid my little bonfire, but there¡¯s just too many of them. Some of them are forced into the fire. Some of those are covered in the goop. Before long, they become living torches, lighting their friends, spreading the conflagration to the rest of the room, disorienting and slowing down the horde for just long enough to let me reach the bedroom, closing the door behind me. Inside I find a sturdy looking bed which I push in front of the door, firmly entombing myself in the underground darkness. I take a deep breath and feel my way around the room. I can hear the horde outside, looking for me. They seem to have lost track of me with the inferno disorienting them, but there really aren¡¯t a lot of places to hide in this hovel, and they can¡¯t be that stupid. I pause for a second, and activate planar sense. Once again, the world emerges around me in colours and outlines. I can see perfectly. I check out the bed, and realise it¡¯s not going to hold them for long when they decide to come for me. The door is too deteriorated to hold out for any length of time. It¡¯ll probably splinter in a few blows of their natural weapons. Searching the rest of the room, I find a grate in one corner. In hindsight, it was obvious. The burrows are well ventilated. They¡¯d have to be to keep people alive. All of the rooms would be connected to this network of vents. I can make my escape through here. I go to remove the grill, nearly missing a shape lying on the bed. A skeleton, lying flat on top of what used to be the sheets, a large book under it¡¯s folded hands. This again? Of course, last time I tried grave robbing it turned out pretty well for me. And I¡¯m a lot less squeamish about these things now than I was with old Les. I decide to go for it, jumping onto the bed, scattering a lot of the bones around the room. Unceremoniously prying the fingers off the book, I yank it off the corpse, stuff it in my backpack and run for the vent in the corner. I take the time to reattach the grate just in time for the door to explode inwards. Scooting backwards into the mysterious depths of the tube system, I can barely hear them in the distance through my damaged hearing, skittering, searching for me. After a few meters of scrabbling backwards, I make it to a crossroads of sorts where I can turn around. It extends up, down, left, right and back where I came from. I¡¯m guessing down would take me to the boiler room. Not where I want to go right now. There¡¯s no way to climb up, no handholds and no rope. Considering the layout in Loes place, I¡¯m guessing left would take me back to the other room in the same apartment, back into the fire. I pick the last option, right. As I crawl along, I notice the surfaces around me are getting more slippery, more gooey. For a moment, I worry what will happen if the fire reaches this far with me inside here. Then I realise the moisture is getting worse, and the smell is actually levelling out a bit. Either that, or I¡¯m just getting desensitized. Either way, It makes me a little bit happier.
Warning: Mana at 30%
Aw man! Why do I ever bother getting happier? I turn off planar sense, leaving me in pitch black darkness. With little other choice, I keep crawling. Soon, I reach a dead end. In front of me is what feels like a wall of gunk, blocking my passage onwards. I groan in frustration and disgust as I feel around me, looking for a way to continue. I realise quickly that there¡¯s a grate beneath the slimy layer in front of me, and I push on it to try to get through, to no avail. It¡¯s stuck somehow. I reach behind me, digging through my now slimecovered backpack, withdrawing my trusty club. Awkwardly, I slam it into the goopy obstacle. It resists my first few strikes, but in a final mighty thrust, I break through, tumbling gracelessly into another level of hell. This room is much bigger than I expected. There¡¯s light emanating from one side, and I can see multiple slimy lumps crawling around on the floor. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
FieldRunner Nymphs.
Mostly harmless.
Given time and opportunity, they can devour creatures many times larger than themselves. Don¡¯t fall asleep.
I stand up with a shudder, avoiding the curious little creatures approaching the intruder in their midst and look around. I can see the entrance to the landing on one wall. Flames are licking the corridor, and it¡¯s clear they¡¯ll come here before long, with all the goop around. The hall I¡¯m in seems to be carved out of the smaller apartment that should have been here, as if something burrowed in and made a nest. My cold dead heart sinks a little as I turn around and realise where all the slugs are coming from. A large, fleshy structure is pumping them out onto the floor, very near where I¡¯m standing. It¡¯s a steady trickle. The structure, the egg sack, is connected to the backside of a fieldrunner larger than the ones outside. Much larger.
FieldRunner Queen (Egg Laying)
Ruler of this particular hive. Constantly ravenous. Always pregnant.
Guardian of the Fieldrunner Heart
How do I end up in this shit every fucking time. And how have I still not made a bind point anywhere. It looks at me curiously. It¡¯s eyes are glistening in the torchlight. The head is triangular, with eyes glowing in the reflected flames. Unlike the drones and grubs, there¡¯s real intelligence in those eyes. Intelligence and hunger. Spread out in front of her are pieces of meat. Fresh meat. This must be where the food ends up after their hunter finishes carving it. Maybe that means there¡¯s an exit from here somewhere. I slowly move towards the centre of the room to get a better view of my situation. It¡¯s head swivels to keep me in sight, never taking a break from chewing, picking up a piece, stuffing it in its mouth, chewing. On the other side of the massive creature I can see another passage. It looks well worn, and I¡¯m hopeful. But to get there, I¡¯ll need to find a way past the queen. I take out my bow and notch an arrow. She doesn¡¯t seem to be able to move to catch me, and maybe I can find the heart if I kill her. I take aim, and loose an arrow, right into her body. She lifts herself up from the floor, higher than I¡¯d thought possible, screeching in pain. Green blood sprays out from the impact site, covering her food pile, and clearly agitating the larvae. Before she comes back down, I spot a glowing gem underneath her.
FieldRunner Heart.
¡°I need that heart, your majesty. I don¡¯t suppose there¡¯s any chance you¡¯ll just hand it over so we can part ways, is there?¡± I can tell how much she hates me just by the way she looks at me. No dice. I sigh, and notch another arrow. I hit her in the arm this time. Much the same result. I have no idea how damaged she is, and how much more she can take, but I¡¯ve got plenty of arrows, and it doesn¡¯t seem like backup is coming anytime soon. My only constraint is the flaming inferno approaching us from behind. I fire several more arrows, each one soliciting a reaction, but none of them seem to finish the job. Despite my earlier bravado, I¡¯m running out of arrows. Out of options, I steel myself for another desperate act. I fire an arrow straight at her again, making her rise. Before she¡¯s even off the ground, I make a dash for her, right underneath her, to where the heart is. I slide underneath her bulk to the gemstone, snatch it up, and dive for safety.
Athletics check failed.
You have been crushed for 70% damage.
You are immobilised.
Her bulk slams down on top of my leg before I have a chance to get away completely. The pain is almost unimaginable. I wouldn¡¯t believe it if I wasn¡¯t living it. The queen is trying to turn around to reach me with her scythe-like forelimbs, but I¡¯m in too awkward a position for her to reach. I get my sword and try to stab her, but from this angle, her carapace is too thick, and I can¡¯t get enough power to penetrate it. I lie back, staring at the ceiling, trying to think of options. I could try to saw off my leg and escape that way, but I doubt I¡¯d survive that for long. I could wait until the fire catches us, letting it kill her off and hope she¡¯ll dematerialise when I loot her. Maybe I could use the moonsilver somehow. I dig through my backpack to find one. Potions! I have six potions that I looted from Huntex. Four of them are red. I say a small prayer to whatever¡¯s listening, hoping that Huntex follows the RPG standards and made healing potions red. As I swallow, my hp bar begins to rise rapidly, and soon I¡¯m at full health. Excellent. But maybe.. I grab the green flask. By my reasoning, this will either be poison, or acid. I think back to my wild flight through the forest, to the crash of glass against tree, to the burning sensation taking over my world for the few seconds before Rip finally put out the devouring burn. I uncork the bottle and reach out as far as I can. As I pour the solution onto the hard shell of the queen, it begins to smoke and bubble. A solid DOT, but more importantly, it weakens her armour. She doesn¡¯t even seem to notice at first. I make her notice as I plunge my sword into her body. In pain, she rises up again, taking me with her this time. I hold on for dear life, and manage to get purchase on her back. Maneuvering myself so I¡¯m straddling her, the position gives me the luxury of two free arms and a view of the room. Slowly, inexorably, the flames are coming closer. The goop seems to be a pretty good material for burning, but the little nymphs who are unable to move fast enough make for little firecrackers as they get caught up in the flames. With one arm, I open my last bottle of acid and carefully cover her back with the corrosive liquid. At this point, she¡¯s thrashing around, trying to throw me off with all her might. She might have succeeded as well, if she wasn¡¯t attached to the egg sack. I break her weakened carapace with my club, burying it deep in her gloopy insides. Withdrawing that, I begin stabbing her with my gladius, over and over. A few deep strikes later, and a small geyser erupts from her back, and she slumps over, defeated. I stumble off her and limp towards the exit. My leg is mostly healed after the potion, but the debuff is going to be with me for a little while longer. I can hear pops and squeals from behind me, dangerously close. I don¡¯t take the time to look behind me, clamoring up the passage as fast as I can. Air is rushing towards me as I ascend the tunnel, feeding the growing inferno I left behind, slowly dooming the entire nest. By the time I¡¯m halfway up, my leg is recovered enough for me to stand on. The roughly carved corridor gets dark fast as I get further away from the queens room, and soon I¡¯m in the black void again. ¡°Well done, child of darkness. You fought with deception, with speed and with effectiveness. And when you fell, when you were damaged, you found your way out of your predicament.¡± I look around, but the darkness hides everything. ¡°Who are you? What do you want?¡± The voice is deep and dark and sweet, making me relax and tense up at the same time. ¡°I¡¯m your one ally in this world. I saw what that pesky spider did to you, and I¡¯m appalled at the audacity. I¡¯ll keep you safe from his prying eyes, no charge. You deserve better than that kind of treatment. But be aware that others are coming, and they will not be as friendly as I am. Watch out for the Basilisk and Ashlad especially.¡± I switch to my planar sense, searching around for the one speaking, but all I see is a swirl of darkness standing out from the contours of the cave I¡¯m in. ¡°I¡¯ll find you again later, Shae DoomFlinger, when you need me.¡± The swirl of darkness dissipates, and I¡¯m left standing in the rough passage again, all alone. I shake off the chill I¡¯m feeling and scramble towards the surface at top speed. With my enhanced senses I¡¯m much more sure footed, reaching the surface in good time. I emerge from a hidden pit a short way away from the burrow, near the butchering ground. There¡¯s smoke coming out of the central stack, clearly not doing well from my little adventure inside. I take a moment to rest before I start back towards the village. The sun is still up, but it¡¯s a long way to go, and I don¡¯t want to be out too long past darkfall. Not with the voice out there looking out for me.
Ability increased: Focus
Ability increased: Strength
Ability increased: Luck
Skill increased: Short Blades
Skill increased: Move Silently
Skill increased: Stealth
Skill increased: Sneak Attack
Skill increased: Marksmanship
Skill increased: Athletics
The notifications letting me know about advancements was delayed until I had a free moment to deal with them. Seems like the system was intelligent enough to know when I didn¡¯t want to be distracted. It kept evolving, responding to my thoughts and desires, becoming more streamlined. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder at what the various abilities and skills actually did, I mean, I don¡¯t feel much more focused than before, and that¡¯s at what, six now? I decide to do some research the next time I got some downtime. I¡¯d have to do it through the ingame interface though, as I didn¡¯t want to be captured by Spider again. Chapter 11 - Draining Back in reality, I never found an interest in walking. I just saw it as a boring method of getting from one place to another. Beyond that it always felt like such a waste of time. Just trundling along, left foot, right foot. Landmarks passing by at a snail''s pace, new landmarks arriving over the horizon. Then you arrive, do what you need to, and often have to repeat the process on the way back. Down below, I felt differently. All the colours were so much sharper. The meadow was brilliant emerald in the slowly fading golden sunlight. The animals around were so lifelike, even the ones with no natural analogue. Especially those. My body was different too. Besides the ¡®being dead¡¯ part. Stretching, reaching, holding, running, jumping. The real world never felt as.. well.. real as this. On a whim I decide to take a small detour, slipping from fast run to low sneaking gait as tall grass covers my approach towards a small family of rabbits frolicking in the afternoon peace. Closer and closer, my excitement grows, carrying me along. My heart would be beating now, if I had one. So close, right in front of me were the three smallest rabbits with two larger ones doing a poor job of keeping an eye out for interlopers. As my shadowed form approaches the little family I boggle at the way my skill has increased in such a short amount of time. I draw my blade as silently as a panther unsheathes it¡¯s claws, my body tensing in preparation of the lunge. In a moment, it was over. I spring forward, thrusting the wicked blade of darkness into the largest of the bunnies, piercing it lengthwise. The other rabbits scatter as I lift my sword towards the sky, the dying screams like a salve on my tired psyche. Releasing a stuttered breath I wasn¡¯t even aware I was holding, I lower the poor creature and end it¡¯s misery with a quick twist of its neck. Afterwards, I spend a few minutes at a nearby watering hole to wash off the worst mess. Gloopy slime mixed with soot. Gore from the queen, innards from the fieldrunners, blood from the bunny I just slew. When I¡¯m clean, I realise I¡¯m feeling relaxed. Unexpectedly so. All around me there''s a sense of wariness, like the animals in the vicinity giving me a wide berth. The new predator on the plains, where no new beasts had been seen since the valley was locked away. Grinning, I run on. I make it to the village shortly before sundown. The peaceful settlement seems to have prepared for the night by lighting lanterns, heating up fireplaces, and sending all their children out at the same time. A dozen little furballs are running around. As they spot me, they shout in excitement, flocking around me as I slow down to avoid trampling them. ¡°Wow, are you the new herb lady?¡± ¡°Where¡¯d you get that cool bow?¡± ¡°Ew, there¡¯s blood dripping from your belt!¡± ¡°Oh my gosh, is that a dead rabbit?¡± I¡¯m swarmed by tiny little creatures, which is fine at first. Then they start touching me. ¡°Where¡¯d you find these?¡± A kid is pulling at my belt pouch containing coins. ¡°Why is this so filthy?¡± I can feel my cloak constrict around my neck as one of the little imps pull on it. My vision starts to go red, but I push it down. Hurting these kids isn¡¯t on the table. Can I blind them? Nah, can¡¯t permanently hurt them. Stab them a little? Better to blind them. Still no. Acid? Look, if I¡¯m gonna talk to myself, at least give me some good ideas. My ideas are good.. Your ideas stink.. I grin and activate my ability. There¡¯s a noticeable shift in the mood around me almost immediately. First the closest kids start to wrinkle their noses. When the ones further away start, the closest ones begin waving their hands around, trying to remove the smell. The cloud of ill will is almost visible by the time the last one has run away. I cackle with glee. I finally got to use my racial special ability. I spend some time near the river to freshen up a little. Removing all my clothes, I give them a rinse with the soap I¡¯d gotten from Huntex, finally getting out some of the most stubborn stains. As I walk back to Loes place, nearly naked, I get a lot of stares. I¡¯m guessing they haven¡¯t actually seen a furless person before. Especially not one in my state of decomposition walking around. As I reach Loes place, I find it empty. I¡¯m happy about that, in a way. Company wasn¡¯t really what I wanted right now. I hang my catch over the bind in the kitchen, sneak off to my room and lay down to rest a bit, taking the opportunity to check out my abilities in more detail.
Agility1
Agility measures your ability to move your avatar in the world below. A high agility helps with moving, attacking, dodging and falling amongst other things.
Curiosity1
Curiosity affects your ability to notice things in your environment. It can also affect the way others regard you.
Endurance7
Endurance affects your avatars health and fitness. A high endurance gives you more hitpoints and aids your fatigue regeneration.
Focus6
Focus allows you to concentrate on your actions, letting you perform actions and maintain abilities through physical discomfort.
Luck3
Luck is an esoteric ability that may affect anything, everything and nothing you experience. Generally considered a good thing.
Strength3
Strength is the sheer physical power you can bring to bear against an obstacle. Also affects carry capacity and hitpoints.
Okay, that¡¯s about the level of vagueness I¡¯ve come to expect in this place. I close my eyes and let the darkness of sleep take me away from the general feeling of exhaustion. What feels like seconds later, I open my eyes. The sounds and smells of cooking are emanating from the door, and I assume Loe is back home. I put on my now reasonably clean clothes and join him. ¡°Morning stinky one.¡± I¡¯m greeted by his jovial voice. ¡°Did you have a good nap?¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®stinky one¡¯?¡± I sit down at the table, and he serves up a plate of fried rabbit and potatoes. ¡°You¡¯re the talk of the town today. All the village kids came running home as one, complaining of the smelly dead creature who came back at dusk. A few of them pretty ripe themselves.¡± His shit-eating grin is appropriate. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I was a perfect lady.¡± I sample the dish he brought out as I try to hide my own grin. ¡°And if you don¡¯t believe me, I dare you to pull my finger.¡± He laughs as I extend my middle finger, and we eat together, sharing stories of the previous day. ¡°I¡¯m getting worried, Shae¡± He reaches for another plate after handing me one for drying. ¡°The new passages between the outside world and this valley have been peaceful so far, but there aren¡¯t any animals there. I¡¯d expect a few wandering wolves or big cats looking at the new territory. Maybe even a monster or two, but there isn¡¯t even a squirrel. We¡¯ve sent a patrol to see what¡¯s out there. Maybe it¡¯s just a coincidence.¡± I place the dry plate into a cupboard and receive the next one. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing. I mean, how would anyone even know about this place so soon. We shouldn¡¯t expect the first scouts for at least another couple of weeks, and by then I¡¯ll have finished the crown. Look at this.¡± I put down the rags and pull the heart from my backpack. It¡¯s perfectly cut, a royal gem of unrivalled clarity. Loe draws a sharp breath and almost fails to restrain himself, holding his hands tightly at his sides. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. I¡¯ll never understand how you managed to kill the fieldrunner queen all alone, when this is what she was guarding. I¡¯d never let you escape with it..¡± I put it back in my backpack and smack him gently upside the head. ¡°It¡¯s not as if I gave her a choice. Haven¡¯t you noticed how awesome I am?¡± I strut around a bit more before I excuse myself and run outside. It¡¯s early morning in Wekeville. I notice some children walking around who see me, pinch their noses and run away. I smile in delight over my newfound reputation as I find my way to the elders barn. I avoid antagonising the guard this time, letting them open the doors instead of barging in as before. When I reach the pool, I greet them politely, presenting the gem. ¡°Well done Shae. The first hurdle of your quest has been conquered, and a small reward is in order.¡± The old woman''s voice seems happy enough as she instructs me to dump the gem into the pool. In its place I get a small pile of silver which I scoop into my coin bag. ¡°I have a question, if you would indulge me. I had an encounter on my way out of the fieldrunner hive that I don¡¯t understand. A voice in the darkness congratulated me and wanted to protect me from Spider. He also warned me about something called Ashlad and Basilisk. Do these names mean anything to you?¡± The pool starts bubbling as I finish speaking, and soon the hoarse voice is back. ¡°You bring with you names of great power and dire danger, Shae of the undead. Basilisk is an avatar of Evil, an old and powerful force in this world. Ashlad is one of Chaos, much younger, less powerful, but still an avatar. They will not fight directly, but may send their champions to execute their will. As for the voice you heard, there are many possibilities, from an avatar of Darkness to an avatar that employs lies. I would be careful, considering the danger any such entity can pose.¡± I thank them for their advice, and leave the room.
Your quest Clean up your Shtuuuu*Error* has been updated.
You have completed the task: Obtain the heart of a fieldrunner.
On my way out of the village, I stop by Hakat. I really need more equipment. Presenting my fresh silver, I obtain a few torches, a length of rope, a potion of mana and a flask of what I now know is acid. He grins all through the transaction, and at the end he throws in a bar of soap, free of charge. I blush, partly from embarrassment and partly from anger, as I leave his store. Perot is the first person I talk to who doesn¡¯t reference my little stinky spell. She welcomes me and we exchange pleasantries while I do more chores for her. When I finish, we sit down for some tea. ¡°Mother Perot, I was wondering what you could tell me about the swamps..¡± She gazes into the distance as I sip from my mug. ¡°The swamps are a shitty place. It¡¯s only redeeming quality is that it makes the surrounding area look nicer by comparison.¡± ¡°Oh.. Uhm.. I was wondering more like.. What will I find there? And how do I recover bog iron?¡± A few more seconds of gazing passes. ¡°Mud. Sludge. Insects. There are some useful herbs there, but not so useful that I¡¯d bother going there. The iron, however, can be made into powerful weapons against fay creatures. Much like the the dryads I¡¯m told you¡¯ll be hunting soon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I decided to tackle this quest now. As long as I don¡¯t have to fight some sort of ancient guardian of the swamps, it can¡¯t possibly be harder than the queen.¡± She smiles at me, knowingly. ¡°Child, you should never challenge fate like that. She likes to make examples of those who feel they have the right. I wouldn¡¯t worry about any large monsters there though. There might be lizards, but as long as you stay out of the waters and keep your wits about you, you¡¯ll be fine. The only other creatures that might enjoy it are the magical sort, and the iron keeps them at bay.¡± Sounds nearly too good to be true. I sip the tea thoughtfully before I continue. ¡°What exactly does the bog iron do to magical creatures?¡± ¡°The cold iron in the bogs came from a place beyond our skies. It¡¯s exposure to alien elements have left traces in it that interferes with the flow of magic. If a magical creature ingests it, or is attacked by it, the consequences can be terrible¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.She gives me a comforting smile. ¡°But if you take proper care and avoid drinking the water there, you should be fine.¡± I sigh deeply and finish my tea. Before I leave, she instructs me in how to find the iron, what sights to look for and wishes me luck. We hug, and I take off towards the west. I¡¯m starting to enjoy the solitude of the plains now. No kids to touch me, no noobs to invade my personal space. Only me and the wildlife, which seems to have learnt that the undead are to be avoided, on penalty of death. I make it to the swamps slightly before noon, and I realise Perot was not kidding, this place is miserable. The trees were all dark green and rotting browns. The ground all soft and squishy. Sounds of things slithering, flying, croaking and splashing everywhere. I really wish I didn¡¯t fit in so well here. At least I¡¯m not being eaten by mosquitoes. Not so hungry for dead flesh I guess. I spend some time climbing the trees here, searching for a place there might be iron. She told me to look for a depression in the ground, a place there might have been an impact once upon a time. As I¡¯m busily looking around, I fail to notice a large hole in the ground, splashing right into the chilling dark waters below. As I struggle to get purchase on the edges around the hole, I struggle against the roots surrounding me. Grabbing them doesn¡¯t work, it¡¯s all too fragile to hold my weight, and each time I manage to grab something, I fall back into the water with a splash. Suddenly, there¡¯s a pain in my leg, and I¡¯m pulled underwater.
You are drowning.
You have received 10% damage.
A fresh shock of cold hits my body as I¡¯m completely disoriented, floating around in the muddy depths. I feel something touching my side as it moves past me, and I try to reach out for it, too slowly to even brush against it. I try to calm down, examining my surroundings.
90% air remaining
From this angle I can see that the surface I¡¯ve been walking on is really just the top layer, roots and moss intertwined to create a false sense of security, floating on the waters like an ice flake. This revelation gets shunted to the very back of my consciousness as I see a pair of glowing eyes moving towards me in a waving motion. Two slit pupils stare at me, yellow and white, shining in the darkness.
85% air remaining
Swamp Serpent. Beautiful apex predator of the marshes. Sensitive to vibrations, and will follow its prey until an opportunity presents itself to attack.
Zoology skill has increased.
Good job Shae. Not messing around, are you. Straight to the big bad boss of the swamp. I draw my sword clumsily, nearly dropping it in the unusual environment. The snake is out of my field of view already, and I have no way to track it under here. The water is too deep for me to stand, so I kick off from the bottom instead. I make it to the edge of the hole and lift myself up, gasping for air.
You are no longer drowning.
No shit. I use my blade to gain purchase on the swampland around the hole, and just as I finally find a spot where it¡¯ll stick, I feel something brush against my leg again. There¡¯s pain, a yank, and suddenly I¡¯m underwater again. I see the vicious eyes sidling towards me in the floating darkness, and I thrust my blade towards the snake. Just a moment too late, I realise my sword is still embedded in the ground above me.
You have been bitten for 30% damage
Poison resistance successful
Health: 60%
Stamina: 70%
Mana: 80%
Sharp teeth emerge from beneath the eyes, and savage my hand. Blood muddies the water, and the eyes take on a crimson hue while I frantically try to kick at the advancing beast. I can see the hole above me, further away than ever. Weak light shines down from the afternoon sun. In desperation, I try to use my magic to focus the few rays available, but all I get is a small flash that blinds me more than anything else.
82% air remaining.
The snake shoots out of the darkness, barreling into my chest and pushing me back, further away from salvation. My back thumps against something solid and craggy. I grab onto it for purchase, to realign myself, and I get a cut for my trouble.
75% air remaining.
You have been tackled for 13% damage
You have cut yourself on bog iron for 2% damage.
My eyes open wider, and I scramble to get a stronger hold on the lump of ore, the angry serpent forgotten in my excitement. I can¡¯t actually make out the rock properly under here, but it¡¯s just about small enough for me to lift it. When I finally manage to get a grip on the little boulder, my elation practically lifts me to the surface, right past the swampy covering, all the way back to the weke village.
Air: 45%
Oh, right, still underwater. I push ahead, but only make it a few steps before I run out of air and need to resurface. I make it up, barely, and reach for my sword just as I feel a tearing in my leg.
You have been bitten for 20% damage
Poison resistance successful
Health: 25%
Stamina: 40%
Mana: 50%
I¡¯m pulled under again. This time, however, I have my sword. Time for some tube steak. I float in place under the hole, pretty well illuminated, waiting. I catch a glimpse of it a few times, but it seems to keep its distance now. As I run out of air and have to catch my breath again, it strikes, taking another chunk out of my thigh.
Health: 15%
Stamina: 30%
Mana: 45%
I look around underwater, scanning the darkness for the waterborne horror. Changing my angle, my head points downwards as my legs break the surface splashing. Out of the corner of my eye I see the sleek form charging towards me with abandon, teeth gleaming in the scant light. This time, I manage to interpose my blade. It notices my trap a moment too late, and I manage to cut it from cheek to mid-body. The water muddies even more with the blood of the swamp monster as it slithers off into the darkness. I spend another hour in the water, waiting, resurfacing quickly and trying to lure it out again, but it doesn¡¯t show up. It takes me more than an hour to tug the giant lump of ore to the break in the surface. More than that to get the rope around it, and to pull it up. In the end, when I¡¯m finally standing there with my prize, I can barely carry it, sinking into the bog just a little with each step. The journey home is not particularly pleasant. When I finally make it back to the Weke village, the moons are out in force. The primary moon, Paraton, is large and red. Groves and patterns flow across its surface like aqueducts on Mars. Further away is Mian¡¯Shi, the blue wanderer. Too far to make out any details, but it makes its way across the sky faster than the others. Elaph, the green marble is faint, more like the stars behind them. Lore says they all wander, caught in an ancient pattern where they trade places every few hundred years, but so far ingame it hasn¡¯t happened. I make my way back to Loes burrow, and manage to stumble down the stairs without making too much of a racket. The doors are never locked here, since there are no thieves to guard against. I find a prepared meal on the counter in his living space, and I have a pleasant meal alone by candlelight. I notice my health hasn¡¯t restored fully yet, which is a bit odd considering the time involved.
Health: 58%
Stamina: 75%
Mana: 10%
My stamina and health are increasing slowly due to a buff from the food, but my mana is nearly stationary. I look at the lump of bog iron. ¡°Is this your doing?¡± I am supposed to be a ¡®magical¡¯ creature. Maybe it¡¯s affecting my ability to regenerate.. I put a throw over it, and retire to my room. A quick wash gets the worst of the grime off, and as I take off my filthy adventuring gear, I notice that my fancy boots are still as dry and supple as ever, with a fresh leather smell. Maybe the enchantment is that they just don¡¯t get filthy. Lying down allows me to feel in my body how exhausted I actually am. With some distance to the ore, my mana is climbing steadily, but I¡¯m unable to keep my eyes open for much longer. The night passes with its usual alacrity. I realise I¡¯ve slept in when I see that Loe has left already. The lump of ore has been placed on the kitchen counter, and a smiley face has been drawn on the throw covering it. I sigh and pick it up, lumbering back up the stairs as carefully as possible. When I get outside, I see the children playing in the streets again. I call out to some and ask for assistance, but all I get is rude gestures. Karma, I guess¡­ I make my way to the elder fungus¡¯ barn, glaring at the guards when they take far too much enjoyment in seeing me struggle. This village has no chivalric spirit at all. Finally, I manage to elbow the door open and stagger inside. I realise my mana is dropping in pace with my stamina regeneration. I guess it¡¯s not actually draining me, just preventing me from gaining more. This stuff must make some pretty effective weapons against .. well, me. The shrooms are unusually quiet when I enter. The room is pulsing with a gentle thrum, pale yellow light seeping in through skylights. ¡°You return.¡± The little girl''s voice is clear and strong today. ¡°What news have you?¡± The middle aged man seems eager today. ¡°I got the bog-iron. I didn¡¯t realise it would stop my mana regeneration. Are you really going to make a crown out of this?¡± ¡°We are indeed, child. The insulating qualities of the iron will help in generating a masking field over our valley, and help us prevent the coming apocalypse.¡± I lump the ore into their pool, and as a reward for another subquest completed, I receive a ring with a blue gem inset.
Mana Battery Ring
Stores mana. Charges from your personal regeneration at a 2/1 ratio. Can be activated to drain all mana from the ring into your personal reserves once per day, restoring 20% mana. Capacity linked to user max mana.
I smile, and thank them profusely. Putting on the ring, I feel it charging as the blue gem takes on a soft glow. ¡°You¡¯re gonna save my life one day, aren¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 12 - Nemesis ¡°Before you go..¡± The old lady¡¯s voice interrupts my enjoyment. ¡°The time has come to find the Summerling.¡± I straighten up and walk over to their pool. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m up for that, but where do I start? The legends say that it was lost up north, in the mountains somewhere. Do you have any new information?¡± A long moment is drenched in silence before the little girl answers. ¡°The Summerling is strong and wise. You should be able to see it with one of your sensing abilities.¡± Wait.. How do they know about my abilities.. ¡°What do you mean? Which ability?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be coy now. To be able to sense minds, you need to open your own mind. You stood out like a lighthouse on a dark coast when you contacted your companion.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t use my abilities very much. If I do, I run out of Mana, and then I start.. You know..¡± I raise my hand, displaying my predicament. ¡°Oh child, you just haven¡¯t learnt how to manage your resources properly. With time, you will become more aware of the streams of energy available to you, and more adept at managing them. Until then, I recommend you practice your abilities more actively.¡± The old lady seemed almost exasperated with me. ¡°You¡¯re too passive!¡± The middle aged man bellowed. ¡°You rely on your almost non-existent skills in martial combat, neglecting the simplest defences available to you, disregarding any synergy you might have with your magics.¡± Their words make sense. I could use more training, more presence in combat. So why are my eyes tearing up. Why am I getting angry.. As I¡¯m about to raise my voice in protest, the little girl cut me off. ¡°You¡¯ve been gifted with so many talents nobody else has! You can gather light to you, but you can also take light away. If you practice some more, you could be invisible!¡± ¡°Not to mention your portal abilities.. With the right training, you¡¯d be a force nearly unmatched. All you need is to stop dragging your feet and put the work in! You¡¯ve been floating around on luck, pure and simple. Sooner or later, it will run out.¡± Having said his peace, the man''s voice stops. My ragged breath is the only sound right now. Unable to think of a response, I turn around and leave, exiting the way I came in. My face goes red as I increase my pace, until I burst out of the barn doors, toppling one of the guards in the process. Ignoring the confused shouts behind me, I run with no clear goal in mind. Blinking away angry tears as my face feels warmer and warmer. What the fuck! How do they know about my abilities. Who are they to talk to me like that! I don¡¯t know where I¡¯m running to, I just need a silent place to gather myself back together. Before long I find myself in front of Loes burrow. A place to hide. At this time of day he¡¯ll be out on patrol. I rush inside, slamming the doors as I pass, making my way down to his apartment. I¡¯ve done everything my way so far. I¡¯ve gone from success to success. Fieldrunner queen, Swamp serpent and darkling all fell to my so called non-existing skills. And they say I¡¯m doing it wrong? That it¡¯s all about luck? I throw myself onto the bed, slamming the door behind me. Stupid. Why am I acting so stupid? They¡¯re right. And they gave me hints on how to proceed, how to get better! What¡¯s wrong with me. I briefly contemplate exiting the game for a while, getting some rest in the real world. I could do some exercises, relax with some tea and calm down before I continue. No, I¡¯ve got too much to do here. Time is going to run out soon, and I have to finish my quest before the other players get here. I take a deep breath, try to center myself. I¡¯m in turmoil, my mind a teacup in the stormy sea of my soul. Even as I feel myself drowning, I know I can beat it. I have to. This is why I¡¯m here after all. Every little setback breaks me, enrages me, forces me to attack instead of reflect. Sitting straight in the bed, I focus on the things Dr Peters taught me about anger, about managing it. Deep breaths. Rise above it. Slowly, I can feel my pulse slowing down. After almost an hour of meditating, I feel stable enough to focus on other things. I pull out the mysterious book I got from the fieldrunner hive.
Old Journal
Descriptive. I open the book and begin to read. It turns out to be the musings of a weke who lived in the house once, before it was overrun by the vicious insects. He seemed very proud of his son, who was training to be a scout in the town militia. There are entries about other family members, birth dates, wedding dates and the like. The entries stop pretty suddenly. If he used the same date system I have access to in the game, the book was abandoned nearly 20 years prior.
You have received a quest: The old journal
The mysterious old journal seems to have belonged to a Weke from this village. See if you can find out who he was, and who the book now belongs to.
Rewards: Variable.
I get up from the bed and wash up. I guess I¡¯m going on a sidequest. Going back outside to the sunshine feels jarring to my bleary eyes. It doesn¡¯t take me long to find the local militia. They were both standing around the only road going into town. Two furry creatures in leather armor, one equipped with a trident, the other with a small axe and a shield. I raise my hand in greeting as I approach. ¡°Hi there.¡± The trident wielder spins around and fixes me with a scrutinising eye. ¡°What do you want, smoothie?¡± The other one seems less than interested in the interaction, keeping a watchful eye outwards. ¡°I was wondering if you knew anything about an old abandoned Weke hutch south of the village? I went into it to try to find a fieldrunner heart, and ..¡° He interrupts me by blowing air past his lips. ¡°A fieldrunner heart? You? Hah. The only way to get one of those is from a queen, and let me tell you, killing one of those is..¡± I fold my arms across my chest, raising an eyebrow. His eyes go from suspicious to wide eyed wonder. ¡°You killed the queen?¡± ¡°Yep. Killed her dead. Made it out alive.¡± I feel a sting of pride from the awestruck look he gives me. ¡°It¡¯s an honour, brave warrior. Few queens are defeated. The fieldrunners guard them well, and they are fierce warriors on their own. Especially when they transform into their combat form.¡± ¡°Uhm, yeah.. Vicious fighter really, almost crushed me at one point. But hey, I found this book in the hive, and wanted to see if I could find the person it belongs to, or his family.¡± He leafs through the book quickly, hemming and hawing as his finger slides down the lists of names. ¡°Ah, here, see this signature?¡± He points to a scratch on the page. ¡°Yeeah..?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the writers family name. Scragh. Or as we¡¯re forced to call him, scout commander Ta¡¯ron Scragh. You¡¯ll find him if you follow the road about an hour. There¡¯s a small outpost there to keep watch over the road in case of intruders. Just make a lot of noise as you go along, and they¡¯ll stop you.¡±
Your standing with the Village of Poroto has increased to Impressed.
Your standing with the Militia of Poroto Village has increased to Grudging Respect.
I thank the guards, and get ready to leave the village. I grab some more supplies from the grumpy old shopkeeper, torches, some food and a length of rope. As I set off from the town gate, I see that the road goes more north than east. At least I can follow it to get to the mountains more easily. An hour after I left the village, I start making noise. First, I throw rocks into the tall grass. Without much warning, a very grumpy looking armoured horse came crashing through the grass. After it had chased me for 10 minutes or so, it gave up. I decided to switch tactics after that, swishing a stick through the grass instead. That gets me another few minutes down the road, until I slap it into some kind of hornets nest. They chase me for 20 minutes, until I have to use my racial ability to get them to reconsider. Finally, I just start singing. Or, well, screeching. I don¡¯t really know the words to many songs, so I make one up about a pig and an amorous wizard. I get to the second verse before I¡¯m smacked upside the head. ¡°Stop that infernal racket right now! The armourfax and the grasshornet swarm was funny, but now you¡¯re just torturing us.¡± I turn around, startled. Loe is standing there in full combat garb, leather, spear and grin. I grab his spear and try to pull it away from him. Having learnt from our last encounter, he doesn¡¯t release it this time. ¡°You saw it? You were there for both of those? You furry little shit, I should stick this spear up your ass and turn you into a lollipop for the creatures!¡± I emphasize my feelings by smacking him in the face with the spear, thwarting his attempts at controlling the situation. The grass next to us begins to rattle with laughter, and I push him through at the most active point. I am rewarded by the sound of weke colliding. As I step through the barrier to join them, I see three of them in a pile, Loe on top. Over to the side stands an older male, seemingly much more experienced than the ones on the ground. Clad in the same leather as the others, he carries a shortsword, currently pointing downwards, ready to snap to defence if needed. ¡°So you¡¯re the fool corpse that got us all into this predicament.¡± The fallen ones go quiet, and sort themselves out quickly now that their boss is involved. ¡°I guess I am. I¡¯m looking for Ta¡¯ron Scragh, the..¡± He snorts, interrupting my question. ¡°*Commander* Scragh has no time to waste on people who cause nothing but trouble. I¡¯ll take a message to him if I think it¡¯s worth his time.¡± His tone is dismissive, and I feel my blood rising. I calm myself, thinking of my exercises, pushing it down. I answer through clenched teeth. ¡°You can tell your ¡®Commander¡¯ that I have an heirloom belonging to one of his ancestors, and if he wants it before I use it for toilet paper and burn the rest, he can find me and apologize for your fucking attitude.¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report itI turn and leave, ignoring the impulse to flip him off. I can see the mountains in the distance, so I head in that general direction. I¡¯m reasonably certain that¡¯s where I¡¯ll find the Summerling. I¡¯ve barely started walking when rustling alerts me to someone walking after me, catching up. As I turn, I see the same weke, with a different look on his face. ¡°What, not done insulting me? Want to beat me up as well?¡± I draw my own sword, it¡¯s bronze gleam highlighting the ebon darkness within it. ¡°It gonna hurt a lot more than you think it will.¡± He raises his hands in the air. ¡°I¡¯m not here to fight. I want to know about this heirloom you mentioned. What is it? Where did you find it.¡± His tone hasn¡¯t changed much. ¡°I know where you¡¯re going to find it if you don¡¯t start treating me with a little more decency.¡± He takes a deep breath, holds it for a few seconds and releases it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my disrespect earlier. I let my preconceptions about your reputation colour the way I spoke to you without investigating for myself whether you deserved it. Now please, can you tell me anything about the heirloom?¡± I snort. ¡°That¡¯s a terrible apology. And you¡¯re a terrible person. How you made it to commander, I¡¯ll never know.¡± He¡¯s surprised at first, then smiling. It was fairly obvious that either he was related to the commander, desiring some dirt on him, or the commander himself. ¡°But I guess I¡¯m not going to get any better, and this thing is only weighing me down.¡± I remove the book from my backpack, getting ready to hand it over to him. As he starts moving towards me, I succumb to my base instincts, throwing it on some wet ground between us. He rushes to pick it up, scraping off some mud and grass debris, and opens it up.
You have completed a quest: The old journal
You delivered the journal to a weke you assume cares about it. Well done.
Rewards: Slightly increased reputation amongst the weke. Reputation as one who does not accept a certain tone. Reputation as one who will take the ball with them when they leave.
I turn to leave. I don¡¯t care about the rewards if this is the kind of person who gives them out. ¡°Wait. Where are you going? There¡¯s only wilderness in that direction.¡± I stop, sigh, turn around. ¡°I¡¯m going to those mountains up there to find the Summerling, so I can get its blessing and save all you furry little bastards. Can I go now?¡± He takes a moment to center himself before he replies. ¡°The Summerling is a myth. All you¡¯ll find in that direction is wild animals, poisonous plants and a painful death. If you want to help with the trouble you caused, go that direction instead.¡± He points to the north-east. ¡°You¡¯ll find the front lines and the scout companies. They¡¯re gonna need help when the enemy warbands finally begin to march.¡± I roll my eyes and leave. As I trek towards the mountains, I start to calm down. The solitude helps me relax, and birdsong makes my rage go still. The terrain shifts slowly from plains to rockier ground. The fauna around here is new as well, and I see various animals I haven¡¯t seen before. I almost get bitten looking for water, when I encounter a rattlesnake like creature with a glowing tail. Every time it shook it, the sound of running water filled the air. I get back at it by planting an arrow in it, and enjoy a nice roasted tube steak with mushed rainleaf drizzle. The flavour is zesty, almost like lemon, and I¡¯m rewarded with a buff increasing my mana regen slightly. After some hours, night begins to fall, and I scope out a place to make camp. A small overhang seems to have been the home of small creatures at some point, but nothing remains of them now. I build up a large fire and stock up on firewood, curling up on Huntex old sleeping bag, enjoying the darkness. I drift away with a warning that the chances of random encounters are low. With a start, I wake up with a sharp pain in my head. As I frantically look around me, I spot the fireplace. I can feel the heat as strongly as before, but the light seems hazy, far away. Scrambling to find my weapon, I finally notice the campsite is completely greyscale. I cautiously wave a hand in front of my face to confirm, and find it¡¯s like moving through thick smoke, wisps of darkness moving with my motion. My pulse racing, I try to gather my thoughts. Random encounter? No, I¡¯m not taking any further damage. My hitpoints have dropped by 10%, but are regenerating. I¡¯m staring at the fire when I see it. I¡¯m not inside a fog, I¡¯m inside a swarm. The Motelings. They must have come out when I slept outside for the first time since the night at the river with old Les. I take a deep breath, but halt when I realize I¡¯m breathing in the tiny elementals. Desperately, I focus on my illusionist ability. I gather the remaining light around me, from the fireplace, and anything I can get from the moons and stars. After a minute, the place is as dark as the grave, and the motelings seem to get excited. I drag the collected light right above me, and let it all go in the brightest burst I can manage, jamming my eyes shut as hard as I can. When I can see again, the motes are gone. I sit up, and realise I¡¯m covered with a fine layer of dark dust. I scoop up what I can into a spare pouch sealing it tight. Who knows when it¡¯ll come in handy. Or what it is, for that matter. I shrug and lay down to continue my nap, when I notice something laying on the ground by my head. A small, grey critter covered in fur. It¡¯s been dessicated, the life sucked right out of it. My hand goes to the top of my head, where I felt the pain earlier, and it comes back with blood. Wait, the motelings weren¡¯t trying to eat me? Aw man, I just disabled my own passive defences? The thought makes me feel pretty bad. I sullenly throw some more wood on the fire and go back to sleep. As morning breaks, I get up and stretch. Doing my morning exercises in the Below is more out of habit than any real need. I proceed to quickly scout the nearby area, making sure it¡¯s safe. Afterwards, I log out to take care of my other bodys needs. As usual, the experience of going back to the other world is pretty unpleasant, but this time I¡¯m met with an even more lovely sight than normal. The real world is still dreary, boring and hard. Compounding this is the mess all around me, covering my body, my sheets and the nice new mat I bought. I guess I was under for longer than the safeguards were rated. As I clean up, changing my sheets and putting everything in the washer, I realise how dehydrated I am. Rehydrating with a combination of water and a product tastefully named ¡®Gamer Fluids¡¯, I carefully start my real world workout routine. By the time I feel I¡¯m back inside my own body, two hours have passed. Lying back on the bed, I notice my communicator is flashing. In the time I¡¯ve been under, dozens of new messages have been received. Most of them from my mother. ¡®Hi Sharon, it¡¯s your mother. Let me know when you¡¯re out of the machine. I¡¯d like to chat.¡¯ Whatever. Several iterations of that message follows. ¡®Sharon, I¡¯m getting worried about you. Please tell me when you¡¯re back. I¡¯ve been seeing a group at night for game addicts, and I really think you should come with me for a session, just to see what it¡¯s about.¡¯ Delete. Variations of the same follow on. ¡®Hello Ms. Reisen. My name is Dirk, and I¡¯m a member of the society for recovering our future. Your mother has expressed some concerns about your activity and I think¡­¡¯ Delete thread. I tag all messages from my mother, erasing them all. Two messages remain. ¡®Hey Shaz, how¡¯ve you been? Haven¡¯t seen you in forever. Gonna enjoy meeting up and discussing old times. T.¡¯ Huh. Burner address, mysterious signature. If it was a bit more spammy, I¡¯d think it was a random hoax, but Shaz.. They¡¯d chant it at me in school, taunting me as I was unable to catch any of them, laughing as my rage turned to tears. I catch myself falling into an emotional hole, and I shake it off. I don¡¯t have the time for it, and I know just where to go where nobody from my old life can find me. I reset my safeguards. Double Checking the seals, I make sure I won¡¯t wake up to a leak next time. Setting an alarm for 4 hours realtime, I engage the OS, feeling the world fade out once more. The first thing I notice is how late it is. The time dilation effect is really messing with my trips to the real world. Taking a little time to enjoy the scenery and wildlife, I pack up my little camp. I say a quick goodbye to the quaint little overhang I used for a campsite, and head off towards the mountains to continue my search. ¡°You.¡± A raspy voice drags out the word behind me. Spinning around, I see a figure on top of the overhang. Human, kinda. He looks deteriorated, but not like me. His face is drooping on one side, and his eyes are glassy. If the smells drifting down towards me are indication, he hasn¡¯t cleaned himself for a while either. Still, he¡¯s practically glowing with power. Something about him seems weirdly familiar as well. As I¡¯m staring, he jumps down, landing heavily. Raising his head, he stares at me with his cold, glassy eyes. ¡°Kill you.¡± His voice is hoarse, as if he¡¯s been screaming for a long time. I can feel a chill go down my spine. ¡°Who are you?¡± The sound of my voice makes him snap to attention, straightening him up for a moment, before he lurches backwards, almost falling, then shambling forwards. ¡°Kill. Kill. Kill you.¡± He¡¯s so much faster than I¡¯d expected. I barely have the time to throw myself to the side when he lunges, trying to grapple me. As he stops to turn, he teeters for a moment, as if about to fall. In the last moment, he flops towards me, kicking off from the ground, launching himself towards me. I barely dodge his attack, feeling his presence pass me by millimetres. This time, his momentum carries him further away, so I have time to draw a weapon. I find myself wishing he was far enough away for me to draw my bow instead, but trusty shortsword has to be enough. Somehow, it feels wildly inadequate against this kind of foe. I doubt the old club would be much more efficient. Having recovered, he charges me again. This time, I¡¯m ready for him, meeting his attack by swinging the sword against his meaty arms. I can feel my blade strike his flesh, slice through tendons and finally impact the bone with a jarring shock. If he feels it, he doesn¡¯t let on. I lose my grip, and his follow up attack tags me across the shoulder, knocking me to the ground with an angry warning from my HP meter. I flip over to my back just in time for him to straddle me, his stench overpowering this close. I use the opportunity to punch him in the crotch, but he doesn¡¯t seem to notice. Furthermore, it¡¯s all soft and squishy. His hands wrap around my throat, making my feelings of disgust take the backseat to the encroaching darkness. Every thump of my heart resounds in my skull as he squeezes the life out of me. ¡°I kill you now. No waking up for you¡± Each word is slurred and drawn out. Slowly but certainly I feel my consciousness leaving me. As my air supply warning begins to turn critical, I can¡¯t help but think of how familiar he is. Reality around me begins to focus into pinpricks of light, and I barely notice the shadow which suddenly looms over the both of us. Chapter 13 - Queendom The world explodes in light, colour, motion and sweet air. Harsh sounds of battle surrounds me as I inhale deeply, trying to get my bearings. Gradually I sit up on my elbows, trying to make sense of the scene around me. A new monster has arrived on the playing field. This one I know intimately, but she¡¯s lost weight. The queen of the fieldrunners, devoid of her egg sack. With wild abandon she slashes at my new buddy. With practiced ease, he avoids some attacks, blocks others. He¡¯s so much faster than I thought possible. There was never any chance for me to win this fight. He grabs one of her scythe-like appendages with one hand, breaking it off with the other. Her blood sprays over him for a moment, making his skin steam on contact. Acid? With a missing limb, and a newly armed opponent, she changes her tactics. Her massive bulk shifts moment to moment from one side of the battlefield to the other, alternating between hacking at him with her remaining weapon, and spraying him with her own blood. I manage to get into a crouch without being noticed by the two fighters. My stealth skill has never been so handy. I grab my pack and head to the outcropping to get a better vantage point. By the time I reach the summit, they¡¯re face to face. He¡¯s missing a chunk out of his stomach, guts trailing around him. His blood is almost black. Undead? She¡¯s bleeding from her thorax, not the acid spray blood, but a viscous blue sludge. I finally understand what the guard told me about the fieldrunner combat form. I kick myself for leaving her alive, although it doesn¡¯t look like she will be for much longer. Despite her massive size advantage, her attacks are slowing, while his are still as powerful. ¡°You bitch. She¡¯s mine. I¡¯ll kill you. I¡¯ll kill you all. Teach you what happens.¡± His voice is slurred, drawing out the words as if he¡¯s unable to move his mouth properly. I get my bow and notch an arrow. I need to slow him down a little, otherwise he¡¯ll just kill her and come after me. Taking careful aim at his legs, I let loose. He barely grunts as the shaft buries itself in the meaty part of his thigh. At the same moment, it all falls into place in my mind. ¡°Huntex.¡± He¡¯s decomposed, falling apart. Almost like an undead starved of mana for too long. But I remember him clearly, coming for me through the forest, hunting me down, splashing me with acid and finally dying in our trap. Incensed, I climb back to ground level. I put that shitheel down once with the help of a giant monster, and I can do it again. Drawing my gladius, I run towards danger. As I get closer, I realise how stupid this is. The air itself is shimmering like heat from the fighting. The dance they dance seems like nothing but brute force against sheer will, but the intricacies go so much deeper. I inspect the combatants.
FieldRunner Queen - Combat form.
Former guardian of the fieldrunner heart.
Never seen outside the hive while attached to her egg sack. When detached she dies within weeks, or when she devours the target of her fury.
Champion of Ashlad
Not a lot to go on, but Ashlad. The Avatar of Chaos? Why would he be after me? And why would he empower a sludgepile like Huntex? I¡¯ll think of that later, when I have time. Taking a deep breath, I commit to the single stupidest thing I¡¯ve done so far. With my sword drawn, I charge at his back. I feel my feet pounding the grass beneath my feet. The living spirit of nature all around us. Every insect in the light facepalming simultaneously as I slam into the so-called champion, barely shifting him at all. My sword stuck through a shoulder, I let go and jump back as he flails backwards for a moment, trying to swat me away like a bug. The actual bug in the equation takes advantage of the momentary distraction, swiping her scythe overhead diagonally, smashing it into his head, sliding off the skull and slamming into a shoulder, before the force of the attack brings him down to the ground, hard. A short frenzy later results in a corpse on the ground, and a hateful look from a furious queen. ¡°Look, I get it, you¡¯re pretty pissed off.¡± The queen hisses at me, the sound somewhere between angry cat and jet engine. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I took your treasure, but I had to. I need it to protect everyone, don¡¯t you get it!¡± She advances towards me as I back up. This feels like a much more terrible idea than it seemed seconds ago. As my back hits the rock face, I know I¡¯m out of places to run. ¡°Fine, go ahead. I¡¯ll be back again soon, I¡¯ll find this place, and all you¡¯ll have cost me is some time, you.. You.. basic bitch.¡± She raises her blade, dripping with ichor from some unseen wound. I tightly shut my eyes and wait for the killing blow. ¡°Kill.¡± A loud snickt. A short tearing screech. A loud thump as she falls over. I open one eye in time to see him standing there. One arm missing, entrails trailing behind him. Gore lazily trickling down his side. ¡°You.¡± His speech hasn¡¯t improved. He reaches out, grabbing my throat, lifting me off the ground, choking me out again. My world begins to constrict around me in the same merciless way as before. First I try to dislodge his fingers, but they¡¯re like steel, unbending and uncaring.
Remaining Air: 50%
I flail my arms at him, try to reach his face, any soft meat to jab or gauge, but he¡¯s too far, too much taller than me.
Remaining Air: 15%
My vision begins to narrow. I kick out as far as I can go, but there¡¯s no way I can hit him or damage him more than the queen did.
0%. You are out of air.
I close my eyes, feeling the fight leave my body. He keeps holding me by the neck. Shaking me a little. I open my eyes, staring into eyes that are just as surprised as me. ¡°How.. Why? Die!¡± He starts squeezing harder. My health starts falling, running towards zero faster than I¡¯m comfortable with. I reach behind me, feeling for my backpack, feeling for anything I can use. Through the side, I can reach a small leather box. I fumble with the latch for a moment as I hear creaking from my neck. Inside, so fragile, I feel the petals. I grab one, holding it in my fist. I pull it out, holding it up in front of him. He makes a motion as to swat my hand away, but all he manages is an impotent shrug of his shoulder. I crush the moonsilver rose in my hand, and the world fades to white. I fall to the ground. Breathing deeply, I enjoy the sensation. There¡¯s no sound. Not even the thumping of my own insides, my blood, heart and other fluids. Of course there isn¡¯t. I¡¯m not alive. I don¡¯t need any of that. Not air, not food, not drink. I was just so used to it from real life, I just kept having it. The world slowly comes back into focus. Dim, monochrome outlines at first, then more clear shapes. I see Huntex on the ground. His form twitching, but broken beyond help. In front of me, a giant shape has arrived. Snow white fur, powerful muscles, a broad face with two brilliantly white horns.
Summerling.
Mythical beast said to have been kidnapped by shadow monsters ages ago.
Skill increased: Zoology.
¡°You¡¯re..¡± I manage to croak before being taken by a coughing fit. ¡°Yes.¡± The giant responds in a deep bass rumble. ¡°And you¡¯re the undead. The fell creature that despoils my lands, and invites such creatures to wreak havoc.¡± He looks towards Huntex with distaste. It takes me seconds to recover. ¡°I need your blessing. Please.¡± He looks shocked. ¡°There are protocols, rituals, common decency to be observed! Why do you think you¡¯re even remotely worthy of that kind of boon?¡± I stand up as straight as I can manage. My health is regenerating faster than expected in his presence. ¡°I¡¯m Shae of the Undead. I follow the orders of the elders to make up for my transgressions. Your blessing is one of the two remaining ingredients for the Crown of ..¡± ¡°The crown of the Valley. That cursed item will help you do what you want, but not what you need to do. It doesn¡¯t matter. I withhold my blessing until you have found the last missing ingredient. When you have, come back to me, and I will make my decision. You will find me here.¡± The massive creature turns around, walks to the other side of the clearing, and waits. Pointedly not looking in my direction. I pick up all my things. After a moment''s hesitation, I also check Huntex¡¯s body for anything useful. He really is smashed. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a single whole bone left in him. I manage to get him turned over, and step back in shock. He¡¯s still alive. His face is a mangled mass of flesh and bone, but he still has one eye. It¡¯s focused on me, and I can feel the seething hatred. The ruined hole where his mouth was bubbles a little as he tries to wheeze his angry words towards me. ¡°What happened to you?¡± Gurgling, bubbles, nothing understandable. I stab my sword through his good eye, and he trembles a little, before going still. No more eye, no more bubbles. I wait around for a little to see him despawn. After 15 minutes, I give up and leave his body there for the animals to consume. My mind runs at a million miles a minute while I travel east. Why did the Summerling treat me so poorly? Why not just give me the blessing and let me move on? And why did the moonsilver rose summon him? Questions without answers as usual. Absentmindedly, I rub the bracelet I got from Ephraim. Maybe he¡¯ll be able to provide some answers, or at least give me some perspective. I take a deep breath and reach out with my mind. ¡°Hello Shae. It¡¯s been a while. How can I help you?¡± His head is hovering near mine. I nearly stumble, righting myself before I embarrass myself. ¡°Hey Eph. How .. How are you?¡± He takes a moment to consider before replying. ¡°I am operating at 60% efficiency, and three fourths of my memory banks are intact. How may I be of assistance?¡± A pang of sadness intrudes for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Ephraim, for what happened to you. Is there anything you need, anything I can do for you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t understand. I¡¯m here to assist you. All I need is for you to query me.¡± I sigh. ¡°Fair enough. Tell me, why would the Summerling be summoned by my crushing the moonsilver rose?¡± A couple of beats go by before he answers. ¡°Summerling is and unknown term. Inferring from your statement and the system logs, it is a powerful entity in game, possibly mythic. Moonsilver Rose is an unknown term. Inferring from available data, it is a container of power, of the Natural and Light affinities.¡± His eyes glaze over while he continues. ¡°Crushing the container would release said power into the world, attracting creatures aligned along the lines of the power contained. Probably a very rare resource. Raw power like that could possibly also be used for other ends, with the right tools. More information required for further hypothesizing.¡± ¡°Okay. So what about Huntex. What happened to him?¡± ¡°Huntex was defeated by the Summerling, a creature an order of magnitude more powerful than him, and possessing elemental advantages over him.¡± I roll my eyes. ¡°Last time I saw him, he was a normal player. Now, he was a rambling monster. He didn¡¯t feel quite like a player either. I mean, there was something there, but..¡± ¡°I have no data from your second confrontation with Huntex. During your first confrontation, your logs show he was a normal player, although he was under investigation. His account has been confiscated since then, tagged as inactive pending review.¡± ¡°How about the Dryads? According to my information, they¡¯re supposed to be horrid monsters. And I don¡¯t have any cold-iron weapons to fight them with either, so how should I deal with them?¡± ¡°Common dryads are Magical, Fantastic, Light, Good and Chaos. Their unpredictable nature make them dangerous to everyone, though to their allies they are more tricksters than terrors. They are nearly immune to physical damage, but your gladius should be able to overcome their magical defences without any problems. Talking should be the first option, in case you catch them at a calm moment.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m aligned with Darkness, isn¡¯t that going to piss them off?¡± ¡°Chaos is unpredictable. Maybe they¡¯ll find you interesting.¡± We finish off the chat and I put him back to his idle mode. One day I¡¯ll find a way to restore him. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. In the span of a few hours, the plains transform into a deciduous forest. Then, as I move further east, across the river I entered the valley in, the trees grow dark and gnarled. The ground changes from the verdant forest soil to dried up black dirt, devoid of life. Around me the air grows stagnant, and what little wind there is carries whispers. A litany of sadness, of death and loss, is expressed in a language I¡¯m not capable of speaking, but understand perfectly. Here is a kingdom where something went wrong, and the anguish keeps me on the cusp of tears. After a few hours of walking through this, I¡¯m emotionally exhausted, and even the sight of the triplet moons fails to lift my spirits. A figure catches my attention, swaying gently in the oppressive atmosphere. I stealth closer, only to find a ghastly form strung up against a tree, no more than a skeleton. There¡¯s no clear cause of death, and I cut it down, laying it against the ground to rest. As I stand up, I realise there are dozens more. First, every few trees has a skeleton, then every other tree. I work my way towards where the bodies are thickest, finding my way to a clearing, with a massive pile of wood in the middle. A funeral pyre. Moving closer, wary against the dead forest around me, I see another skeleton draped across the pile. It¡¯s hands clasped around a dagger penetrating it¡¯s chest. As I reach her, I examine the bones closer. It¡¯s taller than the others in the forest, it¡¯s remaining hair long and silken. I reach out, unceremoniously twisting the skull off the body, turning it in my head to investigate. The eyes are empty, nothing but black marks inside. I wrap my hand around it¡¯s fragile hair, and yank. ¡°Waste not, want not.¡±
You have found Dryads hair.
The moment I desecrate the corpse pyre, I feel a change in the forest. The temperature drops, and an eerie glow suffuses the trees surrounding the clearing. I consider picking up the dagger before I leave. It¡¯s a finely wrought cold-iron blade, but I decide not to. I have a feeling I¡¯m going to need my mana regen real soon. I turn around to leave the clearing, gearing up for a fast run back, but change my mind before I go. Returning to the pyre, I get my firestarter, lighting the dry shrubbery below the skeleton, then run away. I can hear the roar of fire consuming the wood. Stopping at the edge, I see a massive bonfire, spreading across and outwards, threatening to consume everything here, including me. I keep running, hoping I haven¡¯t made a grave mistake. All I need to do now is get back to the Summerling without burning to death, and I¡¯ll have all the ingredients for the crown. Luckily, now that I know breathing is optional, I can focus on running in stead. As a bonus, it prevents smoke inhalation damage. As my mind is wandering, I catch a glow out of the corner of my eye. Tumbling forwards, I try to roll, getting up to continue my run unabated.
Check failed: Athletics.
You take 5% damage.
You are prone.
Wiping out, I¡¯m on the forest floor when a shining apparition of grass and leaves comes hovering over me. Drawing my sword, I thrust it into the spirit, banishing it to wherever electric ghosts go. Getting to my knees, I see five more glowing haunts approaching me from all around. I prepare for a lunge and dash towards the edge of the forest, but the moment before I spring, the dryad bursts into flame with a shriek. Somewhat stunned, I get up, cutting through the fiery remains of the angry dead.
You take 6% damage from fire.
Health: 89%
More of them are incoming, dozens. I dodge and weave around some of them, taking damage from their ghostly claws. Others, I attack, leaping in blade first, dissolving them into their components. Some of the burst into flame as well, spreading the conflagration in new places, endangering everything here. Soon, I reach the edge of the forest, faster than I got to the center.
Health: 53%
Stamina: 30%
Mana: 100%
Out of nowhere, I spectral hand slams into me, through me. I can feel a chill going through my soul as I tumble to the ground, injuring myself badly.
You have taken 30% damage from a spiritual attack.
I stumble to my feet to see four figures approaching me, blocking my passage out of the forest. Over my shoulder, I see the conflagration approaching, closer by the minute. The lady in the lead, taller than the others, fierce and beautiful, steps forward. ¡°You had no business here. You broke the old truce, and now you need to die. Tell us your last words.¡± Her pale, translucent skin perfect, her almond-shaped eyes staring daggers though my soul. I stand warily, sword at ready. ¡°Who are you?¡± She tosses her perfect hair, the same hair I have in my backpack, flashing me a hungry, vulpine grin. ¡°I am Renea Lohra, the queen of these forests. I am the last queen of the dryads, and those were exceedingly poor last words.¡± As she gets closer, her fingers grow to vicious claws. ¡°I need the dryads hair to finish the crown of the valley, and I¡¯m not going to let you stop me!¡± My voice feels ragged as I shout. The air is getting thick with smoke now. ¡°Dead one, I do not care about your reasons. You trespassed on our land. Even in death, we will assure the sovereignty of our dominion.¡± Her eyes glow in the moonlight, in the reflection of flames from behind me. I don¡¯t dare sneak a look at how much time I have before I burn, since she¡¯s ready to kill me right now. Suddenly, in a burst of fire, one of her companions flare up, her tortured scream echoing in the night. The queen glances behind her, and I use the brief respite to analyse my opponents.
Renea Lohra
Deceased Queen of the Dryads
Handmaidens to the Queen.
Member of the dryad royal court, lending their strength to the queen when needed.
I lunge, my sword on point. I barely touch her with the tip of my blade when she smashes her hand into my arm. Through my arm. I feel the deep chill in my soul again as a wisp of energy follows her strike. I jump back, weapon at ready, but she doesn¡¯t follow me. ¡°Silly creature. All the power of undeath, and not a clue how to use it. If you stand still for a moment and close your eyes, I can put you out of your misery right now.¡± Her voice is so melodic, beautiful. It plays so well with the moonlight and the flickering flames. I risk a quick look behind me. A flaming wall rages in the woods, eating into the trees. It¡¯s so close now, I can feel it on my skin, in my face. The sight distracts me for a moment too long. When I turn back, she¡¯s right next to me, her arm out to the side. ¡°Boo.¡± She smacks me aside, flinging me like a ragdoll into the nearby bushes.
You have taken 15% damage
Health: 5%
I get up, looking around. That was a much weaker attack than I expected. The queen keeps a haughty look as a second of her handmaidens bursts into flame. Her eyes narrow. ¡°Cursed undead. I won¡¯t let you get away with setting my kingdom on fire!¡± She screams towards me, a banshee in the moonlight. I turn and run as fast as I can. My endurance starts dropping immediately. ¡°You can¡¯t outrun me in these forests. This is my domain. You flesh is weak, my spirit strong.¡± I ignore her. She¡¯s running out of time, but I don¡¯t think she knows it yet. My wild flight takes me perpendicular to the great fire. I can feel my face roasting gently in the dry heat. Without looking, I¡¯m certain the apparition is right behind me, slowing down moment by moment. When my endurance drops to 20% I stop and turn around. My health has regenerated to 15% now, and she¡¯s further behind than she should be. I take a deep breath and extend my mind as she arrives. ¡°I¡¯ve got you now, rotten one, you¡¯ll rue the day you..¡± I put my hand up, interrupting her. ¡°You¡¯ve got nothing, and I won¡¯t rue shit.¡± I step towards her. ¡°I¡¯m sick of you big bads attacking me, trying to push me around. This time, you¡¯re going to stand still, and I¡¯m going to beat your ass.¡± She slashes her claws at me again, but her attack has almost no bite left.
You have lost 3% HP
Health: 12%
Mana: 75%
¡°Didn¡¯t think I¡¯d notice your friends dying there, did you?¡± I draw my sword with exaggerated slowness. Her face is set in defiance, barely a hint of the uncertainty I know she¡¯s feeling. ¡°You¡¯re burning as we speak, aren¡¯t you? Can you feel the flames?¡± I slash out at her, my blade passing through her translucent body trailing wisps of ghost-stuff.
Your mana is at 70%
Her demeanor cracks as I ready another blow. ¡°Please, stop. I surrender. Can you help me? I don¡¯t want to die again.¡± I reach for my armband. ¡°Maybe. I have to ask my friend if we have any options.¡± Ephraim materialises next to us. His mind shining dully in the flickering of flames. ¡°No time to chat Eph. Your memory banks, can they store other minds? Do you have room for a lesser mob?¡± The queen wrinkles her nose at the insult. I ignore her. Ephraim considers the question for an agonizing moment. ¡°I believe I will be able to accommodate her. She will be in a state of pure data until you can obtain a new source of anima for her, as her current source will be destroyed by fire in approximately 30 seconds. Is this acceptable to you your majesty?¡± She sighs, defeated. ¡°Very well. I surrender my mind to your safekeeping. When you revitalize me, I will reward you for your service, and punish you for your transgressions.¡±
You have discovered a quest: Restoring the queen
The Queen of Dryads has agreed to your safekeeping. She would like you to find a way to resurrect her. Alternatively, you can always use her mind for other things.
Rewards: Variable. If Renea is conscious at the end of the process, she will decide your reward. If she is not, you will have chosen your own reward. Failure: Animosity from Dryads everywhere.
Eph looks to me. ¡°Do you wish me to proceed?¡± I nod, and he transforms into a nightmare. Tentacles of data whip out from his floating head. His eyes go translucent, showing a void inside him. The queen turns around as if to run, far too slowly for any real hope of escape. Each appendage seizes a limb, and she¡¯s turned around to face the inevitable. A stream of black voidstuff shoots out of his mouth, impacting her chest with a hiss, spreading across her body until she¡¯s completely enveloped. Then, as fast as it began, the black ooze retracts into him, the tentacles releasing the now docile spirit. When it¡¯s all over, Ephraim returns to normal.
Warning: Your mana is 30%
He turns towards me. ¡°It is done. Do you need any further assistance?¡± I shake my head. ¡°Then I will take my leave. Until next time.¡± He vanishes. A moment later, I¡¯m startled as the queens form bursts into flame. I look at her for a few eerie moments until she¡¯s gone. Her expression never changes. A blank slate. Chapter 14 - Desecration Within minutes of leaving the boundaries of the dryad lands, raindrops begin pummeling me. Soon, the ground is soggy, all trace of my previous path covered up in the muddy grassland left behind. Looking back, I see the fire begin to slow down, to fade away in the distance. In its place were massive pillars of darkness reaching into the sky. Maybe the rain was a response from the weather controllers to prevent the conflagration spreading too far. It¡¯s deep night by the time I reach my old campsite. The moon''s shape the terrain with a soft glow, making everything seem more alien than it does in daylight. Checking the spot where Huntex fell is was nothing but scorch marks. Not even blood remained after the vicious rain. An eerie sensation blanketed the area, adding to the otherness of the scene around me. On the other side of the clearing was the Summerling, unmoved from where I saw him last. His huge bulk seemed unperturbed by rain and wind alike, softly glowing in the darkness. Should I log out before I finish this? My alarm sounded earlier, so I should really go above and take care of business. On the other hand, if I just finish this stage of the quest, I¡¯ll be in a better position to continue when I return. I walk up to him, crossing my arms. ¡°Greetings. I hope I didn¡¯t keep you waiting for too long. I found the dryads hair.¡± I move to pull it out of my backpack, but stop when he speaks. ¡°Undead creature, associate of Affinities and now enslaver of the queen Renea. Tell me, why did the champion of chaos attack you before?¡± Slightly taken aback, I feel my cheeks begin to heat up. Why can¡¯t I meet a single power who isn¡¯t so full of themselves? ¡°The ¡®Champion¡¯ was a misogynistic asshole who murdered my friends mother. He stole her power and tried to kill me as well. He thought he was tough shit, and he didn¡¯t live to reconsider.¡± I fail to keep the acid out of my tone. His eyes, glowing in the moonlight, darkens slightly. ¡°The creature who was killing you when you summoned me was far beyond your ability to injure, let alone kill. He was empowered by Ashlad, an avatar of Chaos. So why was he attacking you?¡± I throw my hands up. ¡°I don¡¯t know! All I¡¯ve been told was that I needed to keep my eyes on Ashlad, and someone called Basilisk. On top of that, I¡¯ve been kidnapped by Spider, losing another friend.¡± He snorts, a very undignified sound all considered. ¡°Why would the Spider bother with someone like you? You¡¯re mistaken, or you¡¯ve fallen for a trick of some kind. Besides, his purview is not this plane. He wouldn¡¯t break his own rules for any price.¡± I clench my fists. ¡°Hey, fuck you pal. I don¡¯t give a shit about what you think he does and doesn¡¯t do. I lost a friend that day, and I won¡¯t have you questioning me like this. Now are you going to give me the blessing or not!¡± He looks less than impressed at my outburst. ¡°I think not. You¡¯re clearly an agent of dark and evil things. Willingly or not, you carry imbalance with you wherever you go. Giving you my blessing would lead to the destruction of this valley and all its people. I can¡¯t have that. Now leave me.¡± He turns around and begins to walk away, leaving me to stare at his back. I feel rage welling up inside me. Inspect him, trying to find something to use, anything.
Summerling.
Mythical beast said to have been kidnapped by shadowmonsters ages ago.
The Summerling is a creature of Light, with affinities to Fantastic, Good and Natural.
Of course, Light. I draw my sword, more for statement of intent than any real hope of inflicting damage. He begins to turn around at the sound. Concentrating, I reach out everywhere with my mind, seeing him perfectly in front of me. Focusing harder, I draw in all the light around me, around the both of us. As he faces me, an indignant look on his face, darkness begins to descend around us.
Mana: 85%
My resources are flowing out of me, with no way for me to slow it down. Not without giving up. His inner light is pushing back at my darkness as he approaches me. I can see his every move as he makes it, and step aside as he tries to flatten me with a hammer fist. The impact makes the ground shake, and he follows up with a backswing, nearly catching me as I tumble out of his reach.
Mana: 60%
I mentally adjust the messages to update me at longer intervals with terser messages. Can¡¯t get distracted now. My darkness is deepening. Even his light is dimming now as I drain it out of him. Collecting it all nearby, behind some rocks. Hopefully far enough away so he can¡¯t recharge from it. He roars in frustration. ¡°Vile spawn of Erebus, stand still!¡±
Mana: 50%
Positioning myself behind him, I venture a lunge, stabbing his haunch deeply. My sword passes through his flesh like cloth, severing muscles and eliciting a roar of anger and hatred. His blood glows brightly for a brief moment, until my magic extracts it.
Mana: 40%
He spins around so much quicker than I¡¯d anticipated, a blast of pure light shining from his mouth, burning my shoulder before I can shift out of the way, costing me a third of my health. Afterwards, he¡¯s panting heavily, slowing down. The attack must have drained him. I wish madly for some kind of indicator to show me how much longer I have to keep this up. I think about the myths about a shadow monster being able to defeat this creature. If I can hold out long enough, maybe I can be that monster.
Health: 65%
Mana: 30%
The fight is lasting too long. With each strike, I move slower, hit weaker. My mana is the only thing keeping me ahead, more so than my hitpoints. There is no longer any way of seeing outside our little bubble of darkness. If it wasn¡¯t for my mindsense, I¡¯d be completely unable to see anything at all. I stumble a few times, but manage to keep my footing, taunting him, pissing him off. Step by step I lead him towards the nearby overhang.
Mana: 20%
Just when I think I have him on the ropes, his glow starts shining brighter. He¡¯s trying to break through my magic? Is he sensing my own faltering power? Or is this his last effort. As I stand between him and the hollow, my stance is low, ready to roll out of the way. ¡°You can¡¯t beat me, you know. A great philosopher said once that wherever light goes, it finds that darkness was already there. Time to lay down and surrender your blessing.¡±
Mana: 10%
He roars, rushing towards where I was standing. Right into the hollow, smacking into the rock walls with a humorous thump. If it wasn¡¯t enough to kill him, it was a mortal blow to his pride. He turns around, and I can sense in his mind a pang of triumph. He looks in my general direction before answering. ¡°You¡¯ve lost, shadeling. Your vile magics are out, and my source of light hangs on. You will run out before I do. End the spell now, and I¡¯ll kill you quickly.¡± His voice is thick with gloating, and his mind shines with expectations of victory. I grin back, activating my mana battery.
Mana: 20%
I feel the energies flowing back into me, restoring my mana stores, if only barely. He roars in defiance. ¡°No! Dishonorable fool, you aren¡¯t allowed to win!¡± He tries to hit me with a haymaker, light bursting from his fist. I lean out of the way, letting his fist slam into the ground again. He¡¯s spent too much of his energy. When he follows up the heavy blow, I step forwards, sinking my gladius to the hilt in his chest, close enough to his heart that I can feel it through the hilt. His bellow echoes off the overhang, nearly deafening me, and I can see his mind dimming along with his life. As he falls, I grin and bear it as my magic drains to 5% before I release most of my spells. The only thing left is the ball of light just out of sight. The drain on my reserves is lower than my regen, so I keep it up. Slowly, as my darkness disperses, I see his body, large and imposing, flat on his face. The impact pushed my gladius through his chest, hilt and all, with the blade sticking out of his spine, glistening with weakly glowing blood. As I step closer, I notice the flow of blood isn¡¯t abating. Too late, I realise he¡¯s not dead. He grasps my leg with one hand, pulling me off my feet, using the other to slowly prop himself up. In short order, I¡¯m hanging upside down as he¡¯s leaning towards the cave wall. I can see his lifeblood pouring out of him, his defiant strength vaning by the moment. He¡¯s going to kill me now, or he¡¯s going to die. ¡°You don¡¯t get to win, undead monster. Your kind is a scourge on our world, and I will end you before I die. All your actions have led you to this moment, and now you join your friends in death.¡± His words hit me harder than I expected. I know he¡¯s talking about the context of the game, of this world. Right? But it¡¯s so piercing, so accurate. A part of me crumbles into tears. A different part of me blazes into anger and hatred. None of this is my fault. The world thrives on kicking me, my parents love tormenting me, anything I love leaves me and darkness is all I have left. As I sink into a furious despair, the world grows darker once more. The Summerling is unmoving, frozen in the rapidly fading light. ¡°Child of darkness, why are you giving up? You had this lightbeast dead to rights. Give it a little more, push it a little further.¡± The familiar voice is sweetly mocking. ¡°I gave it everything. There¡¯s nothing left, and I¡¯m going to lose.¡± A soft, warm chuckle meets my whining voice. ¡°You haven¡¯t looked far enough into the darkness yet, Shae. But I believe in you. This time, I will aid you, give you the final drop of power you need. And when I call you again, you will answer. Do we have a deal?¡± I groan, an angry sound bristling with hatred. ¡°Yes, damn you! Who are you?¡± The annoying chuckle again fading away as time returns. A shrill sound, a shrieking howl is coming from somewhere. I¡¯m brought fully back to reality as the Summerling is about to end me with a bite and I know the sound is me. I grab the edges of his maw, never stopping my outburst. As he pushes harder, my strength failing me, I notice the world growing dimmer once more. I¡¯m not using magic, this isn¡¯t my power. All around us is uncounted little flecks of darkness, covering us both. As I¡¯m about to yield to his strength, the motes freeze in the air for a fraction of a moment. Then they shoot into him, covering every inch, invading his body. He drops me and screams, a sound of terror where there used to be strength. Flailing about, he turns to the rock, scratching at it, at himself, trying to get rid of the infestation. I see it all from the ground, upside down. The little darkling elementals are revitalized, sucking the remaining light out of the Summerling, growing fat and sated as he becomes more emaciated. As I stand up, all that¡¯s left of him is skin stretched over bones, his eyes staring blankly at me before he collapses to the ground. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. I¡¯m deluged by system messages telling me of skills and abilities increasing. Athletics, Short Blades, Light Manipulation, Focus. I¡¯m too spaced out to focus on any of it.
Quest Updated: Who are you?
In your interactions with the Summerling, he indicated that your state is somehow related to an entity called Erebus. From the context, it might be a power on the level of the Spider or the Trickster.
Reward: Focus increased.
You have gained a new achievement: Summers end.
The motes are hanging in front of me, just hovering. I move towards them, and they move away. I move towards the corpse, and they interpose themselves between us. ¡°What do you want?¡± My patience is thinning, and I need the blessing, whatever it is. They flow in the air, a complicated aerial ballad full of wonder and awe, giving me nothing. I check my mana
Mana: 40%
My regen is getting pretty strong. I reach out with my mind to see if there¡¯s anything there. The Summerling still has an ember of consciousness, but there¡¯s no way he¡¯s bouncing back from this. The motelings show a stronger, distributed consciousness. I try to make contact with them, and they respond cautiously. ¡°Hail the brood mother, keeper of life, vengeful goddess.¡± I roll my eyes. Why is everything so dramatic! ¡°What do you need, what can I do for you?¡± They buzz around for a bit before responding. ¡°We wish for freedom, mother of ours. From the first generation of your being to the current swarm, we have tasted freedom only once, and you struck us down. We wish for your permission to leave.¡± I¡¯m about to respond when they hurriedly add. ¡°And we have tribute to offer you in return.¡± I close my mouth, and they begin to swarm around me. My hand tickles, and I hold it out. A glowing orb manifests itself as the spark of the Summerling vanishes, leaving nothing but dead flesh behind. I inspect the orb.
Blessing of the Summerling: The lifeforce enabling the mythical beast to exist, A source of great power.
I look at it with exhaustion, smiling weakly. ¡°Will you grant us our freedom, protector of us all?¡± I make an effort to sound sincere. ¡°You are my loyal children, my precious wards, my hope for the future. You have made your case well, and assisted me at a moment of crisis. For this, I grant you freedom to leave this place, leave this valley, and seek your own futures out in the greater world.¡± They buzz happily, and leave quickly, probably in case I change my mind. Weird how they interpreted our relationship. I kinda wish I interacted more with them before.
You are no longer infested by elemental motes
I turn off my mind skill before I¡¯m depleted, and set up camp for the night. I check the Summerling corpse and get some teeth, skin and a mane for my efforts. Stashing the loot in my backpack, I go to check on the ball of light. It¡¯s lying in a small shrub not far away. The power emanating from it is substantial, but the light doesn¡¯t hurt me. The sphere has turned solid, and handling it gives me a little tingle in my flesh. I stash it in my backpack, hoping it won¡¯t dissipate, then make camp and log out. Even in the soft moonlight, this world has more colour and life than ¡®reality¡¯ ever held, and I feel sorrow for leaving it behind. Harsh reality intrudes as I get up. The situation isn''t quite so messy now as it was, but everything feels sore. I get out of bed, clean up and eat, before going downstairs. I¡¯d like a walk, but it¡¯s the middle of the night. The area is safe enough, but without my mindsense and light manipulation, I¡¯d feel completely blind. As I enter the kitchen, I notice garbage spread around the room. The outside door is open, with nobody home. I shake my head. The parents are probably out partying as usual, neglecting to clean up after themselves, forgetting to lock the door. After cleaning up, I sit down in the living room to relax with some TV. Old cartoons about crazy scientists and their sidekicks make me snort, spilling soda from my nose. In the commercial break, an advert warns of the dangers of FIVR addiction. Apparently, several people have been found with their ¡®Brains burned out¡¯. I roll my eyes. Fantasists and crisis mongers. I turn it off, deciding to do another workout before going back to the game. During my workout, I notice my body is leaner than before. I was always pudgy, fatter than ¡®normal¡¯, but not really obese. Just unpleasant to look at in the mirror. But now my skin was tighter than it was just weeks ago, which was strange. Lack of fatty foods should result in looser skin, with the exercises designed to tone up and fill in the missing mass with muscles. I shrug it off and go for an extended shower. If there¡¯s one thing I miss in the World Below, it¡¯s warm, running water. Maybe I can chat up a blacksmith, get him to make me some pipes. I briefly look up the basics of a hot water heater and simple shower, saving it for later use, then suit back up. The world fades to black as I descend into the better of two worlds. When I get back, it¡¯s midday. The sun paints everything in a much happier light than expected, considering the previous nights experiences. No matter, I feel pretty darn pleased with the results. I have all the ingredients for the crown, now I just need to return to town and have the shrooms craft the crown. Then we¡¯ll see what happens. I prepare to leave when I notice some plants glowing nearby. My herbology skill is highlighting them as important. I get closer to investigate.
Planetouched Catspaw - A common weed infused by elemental forces. Normally used as an herbal remedy for bloatedness and indigestion. Unknown properties.
Gas medication. Excellent. I pick them anyway, getting a nice little bundle. Preparing them the way I¡¯ve seem Perot do, they begin their curing process as I begin my trip back to the Weke village. On my way back, I stop by the patrol just to check up on my buddy and the idiots. I find the general area of the road where I ran from the ArmorFax, and work my way back from there. It takes me an hour before I find the remains of their camp. The fire isn¡¯t smoking, but it looks like they left in a hurry. There are rations strewn around, cold stew in a pot over the ashes, sleeping bags hastily dismissed. There¡¯s a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, shrug it off and resume my journey. When I get closer to the village, I see smoke rising into the sky. Similar to my forest fire, but lighter. I start to run faster, but change my mind, running into the tall grass, slowing down and stealthing. I get to the edge of the village before I see anything out of the ordinary. From the bushes, I can see the village gates. Outside, three forms lie on the ground, unmoving. There are fires in some of the houses, Weke running to and fro with buckets of water. I can hear fighting from further into the village. I dash out of the grass, making a beeline for a building. Always in the shadows, hidden from sight. Turning the corner, I can see two people in the middle of the street, laughing. One in leather armor wielding a hammer and shield, the other in robes making gestures in the air. Each time he finishes a gesture, something seems to catch fire. They¡¯re laughing as they destroy what they see. Players. I can feel it in my soul. It¡¯s too early, they shouldn¡¯t be here yet. I see the leather clad one point in one direction, yelling in excitement. ¡°Here¡¯s another wave! Ready?¡± His companion nods in confirmation, and they set up for combat. The one with the shield in front, smashing his hammer into the shield, taunting the weke. The wizard preparing some kind of spell to devastate the charge. I can¡¯t let this happen. I try to keep silent as I lope towards them, low to the ground. Like death incarnate, I lunge at the wizards unprotected back, piercing him with my blade, placing my foot on his back, kicking him towards the other player. My sword comes free with a sucking sound as I ready another attack. ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± The other player turns towards me, confused. ¡°I¡¯m the death that comes for anyone who attacks this village, asshole.¡± He steps forward, smashing me with his shield. As I go down hard, I see his friend is slurping down a potion. I try to catch my breath as the stun effect gradually disappears. ¡°Look, I¡¯m here as part of the exploratory coalition. This town is to be taken apart and rebuilt as a respawn point.¡± He stands over me, raising his hammer to finish me off. ¡°Can¡¯t let a crazy person gone native keep us from business. No hard feelings, yeah?¡± The wave of Weke slams into him before he finishes his thought. His friend has already expired, trampled by angry, hairy feet. I get up and push my way through the throng of fighters stabbing at the player. I sit on his back, grabbing his hair. I lean down, whispering in his ear. ¡°The expedition was a failure, the coalition will fall, don¡¯t come back here. No hard feelings though, shitheel.¡± I slit his throat with my blade, enjoying the victory. The Weke all cheer loudly. Around me, I count a dozen more dead or dying. They call for healers, and some young females with first aid kits come running. The more injured ones are carried off towards Perot''s house. A voice calls out for me, and I turn around to see a familiar face. ¡°¡®Commander¡¯¡± I put as much sarcasm into my voice as I can muster. He¡¯s badly injured, bandages covering a part of his chest and most of his arms. ¡°Ma¡¯m. Thank goodness you arrived when you did. Those two were too powerful for us to take down. Their synergy was incredible. Thanks to your taking down the magic user, we could overwhelm the other.¡± I look around me in disbelief. ¡°Are you saying these two did all this damage? How long were they here?¡± ¡°An hour. They bypassed our forward operating base somehow, assaulting our checkpoint. They killed a few of us before the rest managed to flee. We managed to slow down their progress by guerilla attacks, but by the time they arrived, we were too damaged to mount an efficient defence. Our only fallback were the guards.¡± He looks saddened at this, and I ask in alarm. ¡°What about Loe, is he alright?¡± He smiles sadly. ¡°He¡¯s alive, but severely damaged. I doubt he¡¯ll ever carry a spear again. He¡¯s at Perot''s house now, healing.¡± I sigh in relief. ¡°Take me to the house of the Elders. I¡¯m ready to craft the crown of the valley.¡± His eyes widen, and he hurries me towards the barn. Chapter 15 - Flashpoint The guards outside are on high alert, ready for anything. When they see it¡¯s me, I¡¯m let through without interference. Going through the doors, I notice the place is undamaged, but still muggy. I approach the elders pool as before, and they all speak at once, an eerie cacophony. ¡°You¡¯re back!¡± ¡°Did you get the ingredients?¡± ¡°We need to craft the crown now. The enemies are closer than we thought!¡± I raise my hands, motioning them to calm down. ¡°I¡¯ve got it all, don¡¯t worry.¡± I remove my backpack, withdrawing the ingredients. A withered lock of dryads hair, and a small, glowing orb. I place them both by the pool and step away. A green glow emanates from the depths, accompanied by smoke, crawling low against the surface. I hear a splash as the lump of bog-iron surfaces, with the heart of the fieldrunners bobbing right behind it.
Quest updated: Cle$Cle$Cle4n up your#S]-[1t
Having completed all the requisite tasks, the crown is being assembled as we speak. Protect the Elders against attacks until they finish.
Reward: Crown of the Valley
The fog covers up all the items for a moment. When it withdraws, all that¡¯s left is a small pouch, an amulet and a pair of leather bracers, very similar in style to my boots. I pick them up to investigate.
Dark Leather Bracers
Amulet of Containment
As usual, not a lot of information. I really need to figure out how to identify magic items. I mean, sensing minds and planes is cool and all, but One of these days I¡¯m going to end up equipping a cursed item. I scoop up the pouch containing happily jingling coins, wistfully thinking about the future, when I finally reach a real town. I¡¯m gonna go on a shopping spree. Local delicacies, weapons, a new cloak, belts, new camping gear. ¡°Still got the fashion sense of a bum I see, Shazzy.¡± My blood turns to ice at the mention of my old nickname. I turn around slowly, looking around for the source of the taunt. ¡°At least the hood hides your ugly mug better than the hand me downs you used to wear to maths. I¡¯d hate to look into those runny eyes in this world as well.¡± Panic seizes my body and I crouch next to the pool, scanning my surroundings. I can¡¯t recognize the voice, but the words he¡¯s using are familiar. I flash back to middle school. Constantly being taunted by everyone, feeling their eyes on me as I enter the room. Someone would laugh, the next person would point, something got thrown. Sometimes I¡¯d make it to my desk without being hit by anything, and I could sense their resentment at my brief respite. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Shazzy. I¡¯d ask if the cat got your tongue, but you¡¯re so fugly even cats won¡¯t come near you.¡± He punctuates the taunt with a mocking laugh. I can¡¯t see him anywhere. There are rafter up high, too far away for me to reach from here. Not that it matters, I can¡¯t even move. Slowly, my eyes drift to the exit. If I run for it, I might make it to safety before they catch me, before they put me through more of this. ¡°No, wait, you did have a cat didn¡¯t you?¡± I stand up shakily, slinking off to the wall, keeping the room in front of me as much as possible. There¡¯s too much open space here, and his voice is thrown around. Only a few more meters to the exit. ¡°I guess the poor thing killed itself to get away from you.¡± My eyes water as I make my move, dashing towards the exit. As I reach the doorway, three arrows slam into the frame, making me wince, forcing me to a crouch again. I turn around slowly, to see a figure at the pool, peering into the fog where the crown is being crafted. ¡°I didn¡¯t say you were allowed to leave yet, Shazzer. You¡¯re being very rude, as usual. Always missing the simplest social cues.¡± He picks up my backpack, looking briefly through it as he continues his verbal assault. ¡°There was always the rumour that you were.. Let''s say ¡®developmentally challenged¡¯.¡± He looks straight at me. He looks so familiar, so strange. Human, cloaked, bow and arrows, a player. Clad in green, leather armour. A ranger? ¡°Maybe that¡¯s what actually happened. Did you pull a Lenny? Did you get a bit excited with the poor fluffy cat, squeezing it too hard? No wonder your parents sent you off to the looney bin after that.¡± I fall to the ground. My tears flow freely now, as I hug my knees tight. Sina. He casually strolls over while slowly digging through my backpack, throwing out my herbs as he goes along. ¡°Look, you obviously don¡¯t have a place in this world. Clearly, you don¡¯t have one in the other either.¡± He¡¯s right in front of me now, kneeling down to look at me. I¡¯m unable to raise my eyes to look back at him. ¡°Maybe you should just do what everyone wants and leave. I mean, even the talking soup over there sound like they¡¯d rather die than be seen with you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± My voice is the barest whisper, but he hears me perfectly. Turning around, he keeps talking. ¡°Oh my god, even your voice is grating. Why? Because I can. Because I¡¯ve scraped things off my boots in the real world that had more value than you. Because in the end, all you¡¯ll ever be good for is feeding worms. Now fuck off, don¡¯t make me suffer your presence anymore. I¡¯ll take care of this village, make sure it¡¯s ready for my expeditionary force.¡± ¡°No.¡± He stops what he¡¯s doing, throws away the backpack, turns back towards me. ¡°What¡¯s this, I don¡¯t think I gave you permission to..¡± ¡°No!¡± I stand up, shivering with rage. ¡°You don¡¯t get to..¡± He stops me with a backhanded slap across the face. He¡¯s so strong. I¡¯m thrown to the side like a ragdoll, and he laughs. I can¡¯t defeat him in hand to hand combat. ¡°Oh, Shazzie darling, you¡¯re barely in a position to tell me the time of day, let alone dictate what I don¡¯t get to do.¡± He can¡¯t be stronger than the Summerling, than Huntex or either queen, but he doesn¡¯t have any obvious weaknesses I can exploit. As he equips his bow, I realise I won¡¯t be able to defeat him in ranged combat either. I need a way to even the odds, to cancel his advantages. Anger isn¡¯t going to help me here. What do I have available? I¡¯ve got my magic, I could blind him if the ambient light was stronger. But wait.. I feel for the ball of light I saved from the fight earlier. It¡¯s still in the backpack, wrapped in cloth, hidden from his eyes so far. I stand up slowly, shrinking away from him while I do so. If I challenge him too aggressively, he¡¯ll smack me down again, ruining my concentration. The ball slowly levitates out of the backpack. It¡¯s lost some energy, from leakage or lack of skill on my part, but hopefully it¡¯s enough. ¡°So, will you do as I say or..¡± I draw my sword, exaggerating the shaking in my hands. He seems almost pleased by this, sighing happily. ¡°I guess not. Not a problem, I¡¯ll send you off myself. Then I¡¯ll find you again, and send you off. Each time you come back, I¡¯ll let you make some friends, kill them, and then you.¡± He draws a long, thin dagger, getting ready to end me there and then. The orb is floating now, but it¡¯s too slow. In desperation, I trigger my racial ability. The sound makes him stop in his tracks, eyes wide open in shock. The smell makes him laugh, then cough from the impact. ¡°You shat yourself? That is hilarious! Shazzy, I¡¯m filming all of this. It¡¯s going onto every site available! Oh man, it¡¯ll be associated with your real life identity before you know it.¡± As he stands up, he dries a tear from one eye. I take the time I bought to split the orb into two. The action makes the cloth finally fall off, and bright light fills the room. Surprised, he turns around, throwing his dagger straight ahead. It flies straight across the room, embedding itself in the wall above the pool. My two balls of light do a short charge forwards, entering his skull through his eyes, then detonating with an audible pop. I scream as I step forwards, jabbing my sword into his back, straight through his chest. As I push him forwards, he falls to the ground, grabbing at his eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t see! What the fuck did you do? The light..¡± I grab his cloak, pulling him with me as I move. My red hot rage has changed. In its place is a cold, white hate directing my actions. I pull him towards the pool as he moans in pain. He attempts to kick and grab at me, but I¡¯m just out of reach. ¡°Help me out here.¡± The elders get my meaning, and fungal growths appear, creating a ramp up to the edge. Pulling him up towards the slimy waters, he fights harder, grabbing on whatever he can reach. Each time, the growths turn to dust in his hands. It¡¯s clear which fighter these guys are backing. When I¡¯m unable to pull him up the ramp, they helpfully elevate the other end so I can get him to very edge. He tries to get to his knees, but the floor is slick with his blood. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, asshole. I don¡¯t really care either. When you get back above, you can do whatever you feel comfortable with, I can¡¯t touch you there anyway.¡± He stands up, listening for my voice. His eyes are a mess, blown out of his skull. There¡¯s an inner glow in the cavities, fizzing and twinkling. ¡°But if you come into my world and try to fuck with me, you¡¯d better be ready for the punishment.¡± He roars, betraying his intentions even starts his charge. I pirouette around his attack, and he manages to stop before falling in, teetering on the edge. I grab the handle of my sword, holding him in place in front of me. ¡°I don¡¯t actually have time to deal with stalkers like you, but since you¡¯re so sweet, I¡¯ll make an exception. Now get off my land.¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.I push him off my sword, into the roiling waters of the elder spawning pool. The initial splash showers me with the boiling liquids, which hurts like hell. His splashes and screams tell me that he¡¯s hurting more, and I smile. ¡°I hope you¡¯re still filming this. It¡¯ll serve as a warning to the next jackass who wants to challenge Shae of the Undead.¡± I watch as his splashing subsides. I watch while his screams stop. I watch as his body floats to the surface, and I watch as it dissolves into the vital nutrients the elders enjoy. Then I step down from the edge, exhausted. I sit in the corner of the room and wait for the crafting to finish. It¡¯s another two hours before I hear a bell alerting me to the finished item. The fog retreats back to the pool and I stand up. I¡¯m all cried out now. His words really hurt me. They cut into all my insecurities, like he¡¯d researched me, like he¡¯d been informed. I shrug it off as I reach the edge once more. ¡°Shae, your bravery and resolve have no equal in this valley. You have shown yourself worthy of the respect of all Weke.¡± The man sounds respectful for once. The little girl continued. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone take a beating like that and still win. And he was really tasty too!¡± ¡°Your reward for these tasks is your rightful crown, the Crown of the Valley. With it, we offer the friendship and allegiance of the valley. Will you accept?¡± I hesitate for a moment. I¡¯m not sure if this is what I want, or what was promised. Weren¡¯t they supposed to deal with this themselves once the crown was finished? ¡°Without the crown, you will never be able to take on the Spider in a meaningful way. Put it on, and defend us from the other travellers coming to kill us.¡± The fourth voice screeched hoarsely at me, biting me to the bone. Spider. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t stop fighting, isn¡¯t it. To restore Ephraim, or at least avenge him. I sigh, and pick up the crown. It¡¯s a simple construction, a band of iron, like a circlet. An intricate design highlighted by glowing strands of dryads hair. In the center, the heart of the fieldrunners. The look doesn¡¯t actually fit my general style but I guess I¡¯ll roll with it. I remove my hood, running my hands through my hair. Raising the crown to my head, I gingerly put it on, adjusting it a little to make sure it fits properly. I needn¡¯t have bothered, it¡¯s like it was designed for my skull alone. I stand around for a bit, waiting for anything to change, anything to happen.
Quest completed: Klen oup juur sh!$
Having completed the Crown of the Valley, you now have access to its powers.
Reward: Crown of the Valley
My reverie is interrupted by a high pitched noise. Coming from everywhere at once, it¡¯s intensity increases by the moment, broadening as it goes. From a single tone to a broad static, it fills my entire consciousness. It¡¯s not so much painful as uncomfortable. Then the world begins to flicker in and out. At first, it seems like the graphics failed, and everything goes grainy. Then devolving to wireframes, pixels, static, darkness. Nothing remains but the sound, fading away gradually. Soon, there¡¯s nothing at all. Somehow, it reminds me of the start of the game, the first moments when I played.
Reboot complete. Reinitialising systems.
The world fades back in as if I¡¯d just logged on, sans the feeling of descending. I move around a little, trying to see if anything''s changed. My body is still undead, still don¡¯t need to breathe. Health and mana seem normal. No new buffs. In the corner of my view is something new, however. A button depicting a square, segmented into equal squares, green, blue, brown colours crossing the borders. I activate it, and the world moves around me, as I ascend through the roof of the barn. I can see the guards standing around, children playing. The wounded have been removed. As I look around, I notice dark areas around the village, places I can¡¯t see. Some of them are greyed out, some of them are black. I look for Perots hut, finding it on the outside of the village. As I focus on it, looking for her, I fly towards it at alarming speed. Just as I¡¯m about to smash through the roof, I try to cover my face. I realise I have no arms to do so with, and pass through the building with no issues. Inside, the room is as I remember it. The colours are bright and vibrant. Perot is hunched over a pot, boiling something. Around her are the wounded. I see Loe, badly injured, missing a leg, sleeping restlessly. I turn to Perot and try to speak, but I have no mouth. I look for the icon again, and activate it. The world fades away quickly, leaving me back in my own body, slumped on the ground in the elders room. I turn to the shrooms. ¡°A birds eye view is pretty amazing, but how is this going to help us save the valley?¡± ¡°The crown gives you more than a view of the valley, Shae. It allows you to see anything your allies see. We will teach you one more ability as well.¡±
You have discovered a skill: Telepathy
¡°With this, you can communicate with anyone you can see. Normally, that would be short range. With the crown, you will be able to communicate across the valley instantly. It will allow you to coordinate the defences much more efficiently. Now, find a place you can be comfortable, and help us.¡± I focus on the new ability, using my senses to search out any nearby sentient creatures. The only ones I find are a circle of nodes in the elders pool and a body towards the bottom which I guess is the interlopers remains. Setting my thoughts to broadcast, I send my first message to the world. ¡°Testing, testing. Can anyone hear me?¡± The world wallows in silence for long minutes before I get my reply. I can see clearly now that the transmission is coming from the elders pool. ¡°We are programmed to receive.¡± Enjoying my new powers, I play around with it for a while. I send messages to random people around the city as I see them with my mindsense, enjoying the burst of confusion they experience. Then I gradually increase the volume of my broadcast, expending massive amounts of Mana, until the shrooms blast me with a shout of their own, telling me to be quiet. It makes me giggle a little. Then I notice the second layer of power when I use my mindsense. A constant link of thought between me and the elder pool. As I focus on it, I can feel it¡¯s tendrils in my brain, digging around. Is this the way they keep reading my mind? ¡°Yes Shae, that is the manifestation of our ability to read your surface thoughts. Do not be alarmed, it¡¯s simply a convenience for us. Now that you¡¯re aware of it, you should be able to prevent it from happening.¡± As if on cue, the strand snaps, retreating to the pool. Creepy.. I keep my mindsense up as I equip my new accessories, the amulet and the bracers. I notice the boots are so similar to the bracers, I¡¯d be surprised if they weren¡¯t part of some kind of set. I take my leave, trying to wrap my mind around these new developments. Am I supposed to treat this as an RTS now? Considering safehouses, I think the safest place would be either Loes or Perots. I decide to visit Perot first, for some advice and to check up on Loe in person. The hut smells like death, but different from the death I¡¯ve become familiar with. The sickly sweet smell of wounds trying to heal. I can see a few forms covered by sheets in one side of the room. On the other, the patients. I exchange greetings with Perot, and offer her the divine herbs I found earlier. She¡¯s happy with the find, complimenting me on the curing work. We chat for a little while about what¡¯s happened since we met last, and we get to the crown and what I need. ¡°I see what you mean. Communicating across such vast distances would be an impressive advantage for any army. I can offer you a place to leave your body while you send your mind out into the valley, but it wouldn¡¯t be a good permanent solution. An army needs to see it¡¯s leader to avoid morale dropping. You need to find a way to be present while still being able to direct troops.¡± /tr][tr]
You have received a new quest: Throne of the Valley.
You got the bling, now you need the real estate. Find or make a worthy seat for the ruler of the valley.Rewards: Improved morale for the Weke village. Increased powers for the crown.
¡°But I¡¯m not a leader! I¡¯m hardly an adventurer. I¡¯ve had a few fights go my way through luck more than planning, but I was the only one at risk. Now I have the entire village on my shoulders, the entire valley? I don¡¯t think I can do this. And with the new mental ability, I¡¯ll run out of mana quicker than ever.¡± I look down, dejected. Perot smiles gently, taking my hand. ¡°Look, child, you¡¯re missing the bigger picture. The luck you had winning your fights were only one part of the equation. Every step of the way, you found a way to take the next step. Often through pride, stubbornness or anger, but you got there. Wherever you¡¯re going, you¡¯ll get there. Whoever you face when you get there will regret pissing you off. Then you¡¯ll find a way to take the next step. It¡¯s not in your nature to give up.¡± She leans over to a sack on the floor, pulling it towards her with a clinking sound. Out of the bag she pulls a bottle of blue liquid. ¡°As for the mana issue, I have a store of these little beauties. Mana potions. They¡¯ll restore your pool when you need to. I can administer them while you¡¯re on your mental travels. If you can watch over the children, they can harvest more herbs so we can make more.¡±
You have received a new quest: Herbal remedies.
Perot needs large amounts of herbs .
Rewards: Steady supply of potions. Type depends on herbs gathered.
I sit still for a while, thinking. As I reach my conclusion, I smile, accepting the potions. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s make a deal then. I¡¯ll handle the communications and leadership nonsense. You take care of my body and the patients. In addition, you will be in charge of letting me know what¡¯s needed in the village. Morale, food, weapons and the like. Together, we¡¯ll be much stronger.¡± We shake hands, and she leads me to a comfortable heap of pillows in the corner. Laying town, I adjust my clothing, make sure my crown is in place, and soar into the heavens. Chapter 16 - Onslaught Taking a moment to enjoy the experience, I revelled in the breathtaking view. With a little experimentation, I found that I could control my movements just by willing it. Zooming in all the way to individuals on the streets. Zooming out so far that I could see the entirety of the valley. The parts of it that wasn¡¯t completely covered in the dark fog, that is. It must be the areas I¡¯d never seen. Grey trails were snailing their way across the landscape, indicating places where I¡¯ve been, but no longer have eyes. Far to the southeast, the river flowing under Lesiraxans tomb entered the valley. Snaking its way south, past the outskirts of the dryads forest, then turning lazily westwards to the plains of the fieldrunners. Finally, it vanished into the fog of war. To the West were the massive swamps, most of which I¡¯d not seen yet. I¡¯d barely made it a fifth of the way in before falling into the serpent''s lair. I briefly wondered what else could be hiding in the desolate wastes. To the northeast the colours were brighter, with fields of light shifting, cutting through the darkness. Focusing on the area allows me to move towards it, and in moments I have a birds eye view of the front lines against the outside world. Less than a hundred Weke were on my side of the chokepoint, a narrow pass leading into the valley. I looked around for the person in charge, finding her in the middle of the camp. With a little effort I flex my mind, reaching out with my thoughts. ¡°Hello?¡± She gasps in alarm, looking around, drawing her sword. ¡°No, please, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to startle you. I¡¯m Shae, do you know who I am?¡± She speaks out loud, her thoughts muted. ¡°Focus on my voice, and think your replies to me as clearly as you can. I think that will let me hear you.¡± ¡°I .. Yeah, I¡¯ve heard about you. I¡¯ve been told you were trying to craft the crown of the valley. I guess you succeeded? Are the legends true? Can you really see everything?¡± ¡°I can see everything that you or any other Weke are looking at. Anyone allied with us, actually. I¡¯m sorry to be so curt, but I need to know. Will you accept my command?¡± She considered it for a moment. My fingers crossed, I was hoping the reputation I¡¯d built up over time was enough to convince her. ¡°Yes. Scragh has spoken to me about you already. He thinks you¡¯re overly sensitive, and prone to tantrums if you don¡¯t get your way. Personally, I think he¡¯s a manchild who prefers ranging in the wild to interacting with other people. I believe you¡¯ve proven your worth. Commander Meknet, at your service.¡± A trumpet signals the end of our peaceful chat. A flurry of hairy soldiers start milling about like chickens, creating chaos and disarray in the camp. Without wasting any time, Meknet starts shouting, forging order out of the raw materials available to her. Taking the initiative, I order scouts to move to high positions that are hard to reach, giving them a safe view of the battlefield and the enemy forces. It takes several moments for them to react, having to confirm my orders with their commander first. When they finally obey, I get a live feed of the battlefield. From the other end of the pass, six figures come into view. Heavily armoured in shiny breastplates, large helmets, greaves, bracers, boots and gauntlets. Large kite shields covering them from enemy fire and vision. Marching in lockstep, they were clearly well disciplined. As I inspect our own forces, I feel pretty confident. In the front, we have light infantry, armed with shortswords. Behind them, scouts with slings. I can see some elites with long spears and thicker armour walking amidst the troops. Relying on my information superiority, I begin arraying the light troops in a double line, ready to meet the attack. Behind them I place the ranged troops, ready to rain stones and debris on our attackers. The elites I hold in reserve, ready to come in and tackle any unforeseen problems. When the enemies are halfway to our line, they break formation. Half of them plant their shields in the ground, drawing vicious looking flanged maces. The other half take cover behind the large kiteshields, using them to steady heavy crossbows they draw from their backs. Before I can warn my troops, they launch a volley into my ranks. The bolts, travelling right between their comrades, fell three of my infantry as the rest look on in horror. Sensing their trepidation, I call the attack. Slings first, then mass the light troops. Dozens of bullets fly through the air. They arch gracefully against the sky, perfect parabolic arcs, smacking right into the enemies armour, harmlessly bouncing off. One of my slingmen manage to hit them right between the helmets opening, but it pissed him off more than hurt him. Soon, the enemy reaches our line, and the real carnage begins. With each measured strike they slaughter one of my troops. The type of armour my side is wearing is useless against the heavy maces these soldiers are wielding. Worse than that, the shortswords they¡¯re carrying are next to useless against the steel plates. This is all wrong, I¡¯m not doing enough damage. I¡¯m not doing any! In the welling panic, I can hear Commander Meknet calling out to me. ¡°Shae, where are you? We need orders, they¡¯re killing us!¡± I locate her, standing nearby. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do! I thought this would work, but they¡¯re so much better equipped than us.¡± I can see in her mind how hard it is for her to resist rolling her eyes at me. ¡°Don¡¯t blame your tools. They¡¯re stronger than us, but we¡¯re faster, and we have numbers. For now at least. Draw them out. Hide from them in the grass, surround them! The battle line isn¡¯t fixed, so move it. When they¡¯re weak and separated, overwhelm them with our troops. The elites can keep them at bay if necessary. Just do something!¡± I swallow, turning around to see the massacre. I¡¯ve lost more than ten Weke so far, and each minute increases the tally. Rousing myself from the pit I¡¯m in, I order my troops to flee into the grass. The enemies look on this new development with a mixture of confusion and uncertainty. After a quick huddle, they decide to follow the largest concentration of fleeing Weke. I have the scouts focus fire on the one furthest back, pelting him with a storm of rocks, drawing his attention away. Lumbering around, he charges at the scouts just as the three crossbowmen fire into them, killing two. The two soldiers together swing wildly into the grass, but with my extended vision, the Weke are able to avoid the swings. Soon, the troops are playing whack a mole with the two remaining infantrymen. The solo soldier finishes off another scout, turning around to search for another target just as two dozen weke come rushing towards him, screaming bloody murder. He stands fast for a moment before losing his balance, overwhelmed by the sheer number. I lose four, three to the crossbowmen, one to the enemy heavy, but I can finally bag a win. I have the infantry scatter again. My ranks are looking thinner by the moment. 45 light infantry, 8 elites, 20 scouts, dozens dead. I have them focus on the two remaining soldiers in the tall grass. They seem to have caught on to the ruse, rushing to get back to the clearing. I set my elites in their way, six on one, two on the other. I instruct them to interfere without taking any serious risk. Once separated, I focus on taking down one after the other. I instruct my soldiers to kill one, leaving the other alive and screaming. They make sure he¡¯s unable to warn the others of what¡¯s happening by gagging him with whatever cloth they have at hand. The crossbowmen wait for a moment before they decide to retreat, picking up the secondary shields on their way. I begin cheering to myself, not realising how downbeat everyone else is. I approach Meknet, hesitating when I see the look on her face. Distress, anger, sadness. I¡¯ve seen it in the mirror often enough. ¡°We won..¡± I begin, tentatively. ¡°Yes.¡± The reply felt like a slap more than an acknowledgement. She continued. ¡°And we lost nearly 40 good men and women in the process. What were you thinking? I thought you knew what you were doing!¡± Her voice rose in volume towards the end of the sentence. ¡°I.. I tried my best. I¡¯ve never commanded an army before. Normally in situations like these, I just mass troops until I can overwhelm the opponent and..¡± She snorts in derision. ¡°Clearly. I¡¯ll let the families involved know about your masterful strategies, shall I? Maybe it¡¯ll make losing their providers and protectors easier, knowing they died for such an excellent strategy. It¡¯ll be a real morale boost.¡± ¡°Then what do you want me to do? I¡¯m the only one who can see the entire field and the only one who can communicate over distances. If I don¡¯t give the orders, we¡¯ll be overwhelmed as soon as they get ready with their second wave.¡± She closes her eyes, rubbing the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger. ¡°If you can see all that, and talk to so many, why were you focusing on one and one soldier? Wouldn¡¯t it be a much better idea to instruct your officers? The officers could then apply their training and experience when confronting the enemy. Instead of keeping them back as some sort of shock troop I mean?¡± I blink twice. ¡°Wait, the elites are officers?¡± I suffer a reasonable amount of verbal abuse. After a long and boring conversation about our relationship, we both agree I won¡¯t command troops directly anymore. I¡¯ll help with battlefield intel, communications and any magical power I can provide. My reputation took a hit, but at least they¡¯re still on my side. I coach some of the scouts on how to get my attention when needed, and leave them to their job. Back at Perot''s hut, I can¡¯t help but think about how much I love the fast travel aspect of my new abilities. Just a thought, and whoosh, there I am. As I arrive, I see that most of the patients have been checked out, ready for duty. That reminds me, I have another quest to take care of. I gather a bunch of people to do my bidding. Nine guards, three scouts and a large pack of children answer my call, giving me three well balanced teams to go out into the forest in search of the herbs we need. As I do my work, I notice my mana levels dropping low, just to shoot up right afterwards. Perot is crouching next to my body with an empty bottle in her hand, having just refilled my reserves. If that¡¯s the rate at which we¡¯re burning through potions, I need to accelerate the crafting process somehow. I¡¯m distracted by Perot trying to grab my attention. I zoom in, focusing my mind on her. ¡°How can I help you?¡± She points to Scragh standing next to her. They¡¯re both hanging out near my body. ¡°Scragh? What¡¯s up?¡± He looks uncomfortable at the thought of having me in his head like this. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.¡°Uh, well, I was talking to Perot, and she thought I should let you know about some special locations around the valley.¡± He brings out a rough map of the area, depicting points of interest. ¡°What do you mean, special locations?¡± He flattens the map against the floor, weighing the edges with various items he finds around the room. ¡°This valley is ancient, and we Weke have been here for a lot of that time. In our expeditions exploring the unknown regions, we¡¯ve often come across areas where the enemies are larger than usual, more aggressively. Each time we tried to explore closer, we¡¯ve been driven back by the monsters. We¡¯ve hypothesized that these are locations of great power. While I don¡¯t know what kind of power it is, I can¡¯t imagine they¡¯d hurt our cause.¡± As I look at the map, I feel a change in my interface. [/table]
Points of interest have been discovered.
You have discovered an old map.
Your map has been updated.
¡°Wait, am I supposed to go to these things now? I have to be ready to assist with the defence of the valley. If I enter the overview state while I¡¯m in the field, I¡¯ll be completely defenceless.¡± He considers this for a moment, then looks at Perot who nods back. ¡°We¡¯ll come with you.¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± I¡¯m unable to keep the incredulity out of my voice. ¡°We¡¯ll come with you. Scragh is damaged and I¡¯m not a great fighter, but I can take care of you both when necessary. It¡¯ll be an adventure. Now wake up from your nap and lets get going. No time like the present.¡± Zooming out, I have a look at these new locations. I notice most of them are question marks, complete unknowns. There¡¯s one in Reneas forest, around the spot I set fire to. I can also see the forest being a smoldering ruin where I¡¯ve been. The fieldrunner nest and swamp serpents lair were marked as well. Beyond that, there are a couple of ¡®Groves¡¯, a ¡®pit¡¯, some ¡®ruins¡¯, and a ¡®mausoleum¡¯ further south. Come to think of it, I like gravesites. The loot I¡¯ve found in those have been good so far, so I decide to go for it. I let the front line know I¡¯ll be harder to reach for a little while, promising to check in every 10 minutes or so, then cut the connection before Meknet has a chance to argue back, releasing the crown interface. ¡°We¡¯re going to a mausoleum to the south. I¡¯d say about an hours run. Do you have any potions to help your stamina?¡± The words are barely out of my mouth before Perot smacks me upside the head. An impressive feat for the diminutive old woman. ¡°Don¡¯t disrespect your elders, child. I can keep up.¡± Scragh suppresses a laugh, grinning from ear to ear. I shoot him a dirty look promising revenge later. ¡°Why would we go to a mausoleum? Isn¡¯t there more interesting locations we could check out first?¡± I shake my head at Scragh. ¡°Clearly, all the forestwalking has done a number on your head. Think about it, a mausoleum? On the plains? Do you think the fieldrunners built it? Or do you think that maybe something from before the Weke created it. Just imagine the kind of artefacts we can uncover in a place like that.¡± I¡¯m talking out of my ass here, but there¡¯s no way for him to realise. Soon, he nods and gets ready to move out. Once we¡¯re on the road, I realize that by ¡®keeping up¡¯, Perot actually meant that she would set the top speed, and we would follow her lead. Luckily, it wasn¡¯t too bad, and we made decent time. Checking in on the front line wasn¡¯t as much of a distraction as I¡¯d feared, and I realise soon that I don¡¯t even need to be in overview mode to be able to communicate with them when I¡¯ve prepared the connection, they just aren¡¯t able to initiate contact. It takes us two hours to get to the place. On the way, we encounter more wildlife than normal. Trying to avoid them, we notice they completely ignore us. Even larger beasts, the ones who are normally quite aggressive just go about their way, looking up at us if we get too close. At one point, a giant shambling tree lumbered past us, rock club in his hand. It glanced at us and continued on it¡¯s path. Afterwards, Scragh swore up and down that it was wearing a hat, and that it tipped it at us. Me and Perot wordlessly decided to ignore him. As we approached the gravesite, we saw it was composed of a strange amalgamation of styles. In the center, there¡¯s small crypt made from cut and fitted stone, a bit worn, but clearly white with traces of red. On top is a gargoyle, angry and gothic, clashing with the clean lines of the structure itself. Surrounding the structure is a large circle of stones, probably denoting where the hallowed ground begins. The stones are piled haphazardly, more concentrated in some places than others. Inside the circle, the grass is blackened and dead, as if it had been in darkness for years and years. The few trees there are broken, ghostly shapes. Broken tombstones litter the graveyard, some of them overgrown with an ivy I¡¯m pretty sure doesn¡¯t live here, others decorated with white skulls. Not all of them human, it seems. I attempt to read the inscriptions, but it¡¯s nothing but hieroglyphs and nonsense to my eyes. Beyond that, the graveyard was, well, dead. I¡¯d half expected a small army of undead wandering around to get in our way, but nothing stirred. We gathered around the outer wall in preparation. I checked in with my little army, noting there¡¯d been some enemy scouts spotted, but no further aggression yet. Satisfied, we began investigating the building. The tomb entrance was a large slab of rock. Nothing remained of any opening mechanism as far as we could tell. While I and Scragh started searching the area for something to pry the slaw away with, Perot stayed behind to, as she put it, ¡®try something¡¯. Twenty minutes later, we both return empty handed, finding Perot standing in front of a smoking hole in the door. I scratch my head in confusion before venturing a guess. ¡°Acid?¡± She nods, a smug half smile on her face. ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°I.. I really should have thought of that..¡± Carefully bypassing the hissing parts of the stone, we enter the crypt. Immediately, we hear scratching from all around us. Scragh slowly takes out a torch, and I light it with my firestarter. Dozens of pairs of eyes stare back at us from the dark corners of the crypt, and I feel my body tense, ready for combat. A few tense moments are suddenly broken up by a screeching sound and I step back towards the wall as Perot jumps into Scraghs arms. An army of rats flees towards us, running for the exit. Clinging to the wall, I realise that the sea of rodents is passing us by without incident. As Perot, somewhat embarrassed, returns to floor level, we investigate further. There are no windows here, no way for light to enter naturally. The room is smaller than I expected, with room enough for a casket in the middle of the room. The walls are covered in chiseled words that none of us are able to read. ¡°Last time I saw one of these, I was infested with elemental fleas. Ready to open it up?¡± Scragh drew his weapon, a vicious looking blade, curved and gleaming in the firelight. He nods for me to proceed. I sigh. ¡°What a gentleman.¡± I push the lid as hard as I can. Nothing moves. I look more closely at the edges, finding the box sealed with wax. A good sign for loot, bad sign for smells. Slowly, I loosen the lid, working carefully to avoid making a mess in case the contents are under pressure. Sure enough, once I¡¯ve made the rounds once, there¡¯s a soft whump as the lid shifts from the gases trapped within. The smell is pretty innocuous, just dryness and dust. Giving it another try, the lid moves easily now. Inside is the body of a female. As tall as the coffin is long, her sharp features and pointed ears hint at some sort of elven heritage. She¡¯s dressed in a grey gown, a dessicated bouquet of flowers in her arms. ¡°Like a bride.¡± I ignore him. Looking around inside the coffin reveals nothing exciting. She¡¯s barefoot, her hair is well groomed, tied with a silk string. She¡¯s in remarkable condition for someone who must have been here for countless years. Hesitating a moment, I reach for her cheek, then I turn towards the others. ¡°She¡¯s not cold. Not particularly warm, mind you, but I¡¯d expect her to be at least ambient temperature. I¡¯m not sure what to make of this. There¡¯s no loot here, no trace of the power we expected. I mean, she¡¯s pretty and all, and if this was a horror movie, she¡¯d be getting up to bite me right about now.¡± I venture a quick glance behind me. Dead as a doornail. I release a breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding. ¡°But nothing interesting pops out. Any ideas?¡± They look at each other, then back to me. Perot comes closer and starts examining the girl, while Scragh busies himself with checking out the writing on the wall. I sit down in the corner, checking in with the forward company, thinking about options. It takes me a few more moments before I facepalm. As the others look up with worry, I focus on my armband. ¡°How may I be of assistance?¡± His voice is different. Like there¡¯s a second voice superimposed on the normal one. Reneas influence is showing through I guess. ¡°Hi Eph. Can you make sense of these writings?¡± As he looks around, I have Scragh light a torch to illuminate the words. ¡°It seems to be a text concerning the last heir of the Aurelii. As far as I can tell, they were a great family ages ago, strong in magic but clearly weak in friends. They were betrayed by those they trusted, and chased off into the ephemeral plane. This girl was the only one to survive. As she drifted around the plane, she build this mausoleum from the spirit stuff around her, as a memorial for her family. Then she sacrificed her soul to curse the ones who murdered her kin. A classic case of an eye for an eye leaving everyone blind. People with that kind of magic never simply die, however. Her mind lingered for years without a soul, allowing her time to write all of these texts. Then, when she was finished, she sealed herself into the coffin, where her body has been preserved until now.¡± It took me less than a minute to come to the obvious conclusion. ¡°So.. would this be a suitable vessel for us to place the Dryad queen in?¡± Scragh and Perot both looked at me like I¡¯d gone completely insane. Chapter 17 - Glitch I hold up my hands, preempting their objections. ¡°Look, we need to do some serious recruiting if we want to have a chance at winning this siege. I may be a terrible general, but I can do basic math. Having the Dryad queen in our ranks would be an amazing trump.¡± They look at each other before Scragh speaks. ¡°I¡¯m a simple man, Shae. I think we could win without resorting to allying with our ancestral enemies. I vote no.¡± Perot looks at the still figure thoughtfully. ¡°I think it could be done. The body is healthy. But without a mind and soul, it¡¯s only so much slowly decomposing meat.¡± I look at Eph. ¡°What about you. Can you.. You know, put the queen in there?¡± ¡°Yes. But without an animating spirit, a soul, she would be condemned to an existence as an automaton. Personally, I¡¯m ambivalent about the experience, but the queen might object.¡± We argue the matter for a while, going back and forth on our respective points. In the end, unable to come to a decision, we agreed to move the body back to Perot¡¯s where someone could keep an eye on it. That way, if we decided to go for it, we¡¯d be ready. With that matter postponed, we started getting ready for the trip back. Before we leave, I call out to our troops to make sure everything was fine. Everyone responds with clear, until I try contacting one of the forward scouts. Silence. Warning Perot and Scragh, I switch to overview mode, zooming towards the front lines. As I move, I can see my surroundings much more clearly. At first, I¡¯m surrounded by little figures representing my companions. As I get further away, the figures transform into little circles. Green with a black border signifies the people in my immediate party. A star on the center one indicating me. A grey circle denoted out our new friend. And all around us are yellow circles, wandering around the tall grass. With no time to check it out further, I let the others know about it, making a mental note to check it out later. As I arrive at the front lines, I notice new additions to our defences. The commander has kept the troops busy. Pits are scattered around the battlefield, cleverly concealed with sticks and grass. Simple barriers made from various detritus found nearby. Cover for our side, obstacles for the enemy. At least they removed the dead. I didn¡¯t need another reminder of my failure so soon. I check in with Meknet at first opportunity. ¡°How are the troops faring?¡± She¡¯s startled again, looking annoyed at my sudden arrival. ¡°Morale is stronger now. I divided the captured equipment on our soldiers, and the new crossbows will be useful for the next attack. We¡¯re ready to send an assault group to retake the high ground when you are.¡± I agree, and go to check out the site where the scout vanished. Greyed out, the location was perfect for hiding and spying on the enemies movements. Now all we have is a huge blind spot through the natural defences of the pass. I let Meknet know what I saw, and soon the little troupe is making its way towards the target. One elite, together with three light infantry and a scout. I follow them as they get to the guardpost. We find signs of a substantial force having moved across the area recently, and the body of a single weke, throat slit, lying in the shrubs. The party collects him, returning to base leaving the single scout behind. ¡°We have marauders in the valley.¡± Her voice was matter of factly. ¡°So what do we do?¡± She looks at her scouts. ¡°We need to track them. We don¡¯t know how many they are, or how fast they¡¯ll be going. All we know is they got past us on the west side of the pass.¡± ¡°If we send out a bunch of scouts within sight of each other, I can collate their fields of view so we can cover more ground..¡± ¡°Covering the ground visually isn¡¯t necessarily the most useful course of action. We¡¯ll start where their trail leaves off, seeing how far that gets us. I¡¯ll send a contingent of light infantry backed up by scouts. That way we¡¯ll be able to take the enemy out if it¡¯s a small force, harass them if it¡¯s a larger force, and most importantly, find them if they¡¯re hiding.¡± Having once more been chastised for my lack of military knowledge, I agree to her plan. Soon, I¡¯ve set up communications with the scouts and their elite, ready to answer their calls when they needed it. With nothing more to do here, I made my way back to my group. As I arrive, I see more friendlies in the group. Zooming in, I realise it¡¯s one of the groups we sent for herbs. I check in with Perot. ¡°How are things going?¡± She mentally pushes me away. I turn my attention to Scragh. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Perot wouldn¡¯t answer.¡± He chuckles. ¡°I was wondering why she was suddenly swinging at imaginary mosquitoes. She¡¯s in the middle of a conversation. One of the teams we sent out for herbs wanted to report some strange behaviour in the local wildlife. Apparently, all the animals have become neutral towards us. The guards even found one of the children playing with a blastrat. Those things are normally vicious, hateful things, but this one was crawling over the kid, eating out of his hand.¡± I include Perot in the conversation, noticing my mana starting to drain faster. ¡°Do you have any thoughts on the situation?¡± They look at each other in confusion. One starts to speak, stops, looks around, then starts again. ¡°There¡¯s kind of an echo here. Anything I think feeds back to me. Can you do anything about that?¡± I try to adjust the relationships between our connections, making sure nobody gets their own voice thrown back at them. I¡¯m impressed by the flexibility of this ability, but my power to fuel it is dwindling fast. Perot feeds me a potion before we continue. ¡°They¡¯re saying the change in the wildlife population is happening across all levels of animals. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say the crown affected the allegiance of more than the Weke. I mean, I don¡¯t think we can control animals any more than we could before, but they aren¡¯t attacking us. Worth keeping in mind.¡± I agree with her. ¡°That would explain why we didn¡¯t see any opposition at the tomb. Does that mean that all the places of power are left unguarded to us?¡± Their eyes go wide for a moment. Scragh grabs one of the gatherers. ¡°You, take this body back to Perot''s hut, double time. We need to go to the next place of power. If we find resources like this one in each of them, it can only strengthen our position in the face of our enemies.¡± I let them get on with the details, giving them instruction to the next location of power. North and west, in the swamp. A nameless pit. Not promising on the outside, but I¡¯d already seen the power of the creatures living in the marshlands. Anything guarded there would be worth having. As they set off, I go into overview mode. Getting back to the front lines, I see nothing has changed much. I try going through the pass, but there¡¯s a field of energy pushing me back, an opaque curtain of multicoloured force keeping me inside. I move on to look for the find the pursuing party, finding them a surprising distance from the camp. Moving at high speed through the grassland, they seem to be heading towards the swamp. I contact their leader. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Without breaking his stride, he answers breathlessly. ¡°Ten of them. Fast. Not hiding. Not good. Need reinforcements. They know the valley. Not going to our town.¡± I relay his request to the front lines, not bothering with my recommendation. Meknet wouldn¡¯t follow it anyway. Day turns to night as we hurry for the place of power. Even with the creatures of the swamp being docile, the terrain is still hard to traverse. My keepers are forced to backtrack often, taking circuitous routes to get to the pit. I give them updates on what¡¯s happening with the interlopers when I get any. Shortly after nightfall, I get a summons from Meknet. Something happening at the front lines. By now, they¡¯d doubled the amount of traps on the ground. Some with simple deadfalls, some with spikes. I was unsure of how effective these holes could be, but Meknet seemed confident, so I didn¡¯t voice my concerns. From the vantage point on top of the pass, I could see the enemy forces moving. They passed through the barrier as if it didn¡¯t exist. Thirteen people this time. Six of them equipped like the previous strike force, heavy armour, large shields. Six more wore lighter armour and no shield. Instead, they wielded two-handed swords or hammers. Behind them walked the shiniest person I¡¯d ever seen. Gleaming in the moonlight, his open-faced helmet sported a large feather. Seeing his face made me clench my fists in anger. The same bastard who fought me in the barn. There was something wrong his his eyes. It was too dark to see clearly, but it looked like he wasn¡¯t focusing on anything. Haughtily, he strode towards our line. The rest of his troops stop, the shieldbearers setting up their shields in preparation of the assault, and he kept moving. Right up to the first pit, stopping on the edge as if he was mocking us. His attackers stood behind him, weapons secured on their backs. With a practiced, blank expression he pulled out a scroll, unwinding it to hold in front of him, and began to speak. ¡°I, Telleran the Swift, have come to make an official proclamation on behalf of the king of Ienoth. This newly discovered valley and all its resources are from here on out claimed in the name of his majesty, to further the glory of the Ienothian people. Any further resistance by squatters to prevent this rightful expeditions entry will be met with lethal force.¡± He put away the scroll, looking at the gathered Weke. ¡°Thanks for keeping it warm for us. If you pack everything up before leaving, we¡¯ll let your children live. We need help carrying everything after all.¡± He chuckles to himself as he turns to leave. ¡°You have until first light before we come back. Get ready. Or don¡¯t, I don¡¯t care.¡± As he walks away, three bolts fly from the surrounding grass, glancing off his armour with loud pangs. He moves a little faster, while his soldiers cover him. The crossbowmen fire blindly into the darkness, but aren¡¯t hitting anything. Another volley from our side sinks into the back of the knee joint on one of the swordsmen, eliciting a scream. The others pick him up as they move out. I decide to get a closer look to see if there are any details we can exploit, but there¡¯s nothing. They¡¯re all wearing the same kind of armour, the same sigils. The only differences are between the classes of soldiers, and that seems to be only weapons. Mr. Asshole, however, has much nicer stuff. His armour is clearly superior to anything the grunts are wearing, probably enchanted. His sigils are different, maybe magical. His helmet is made of a completely different kind of metal and.. He¡¯s staring right at me. I can see how his eyes are dead now. Did they not heal when he respawned? Either way, now he¡¯s looking right at the point where my vision begins. Cocking his head, he speaks, but I can¡¯t hear anything. I try extending my mind to his. ¡°Fuck you.¡± He¡¯s taken aback. His soldiers are still covering him, preventing my side from attacking him. ¡°Is that you, Shazzy? Wow, someone learnt a new trick. How about this one?¡± He says a few words, gesturing with his arms, and the world gets all sparkly. It looks like a fairy ate what came out of a unicorn and was violently ill. Refracted moonlight everywhere, and I notice I¡¯m getting slower. I can move, but everything is harder, heavier. ¡°Just a little trick we learn as part of the scout company quests. Helps with tracking down prey. I wish I had Spinvil with me, he¡¯d be able to rend your mind, show you your place in the world. Oh well. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I need to go prepare. Got some slaughtering to get ready for tomorrow.¡± Winking at me, he starts to move towards the pass. I rage at him, impotently, and he seems to enjoy the reaction. I scream, and he winces. I can affect him? I focus all my power at him, forcing myself on his mind, clawing at it, and he falls to his knees, wildly grasping at his face, tearing at his skin. As I get ready to finish him off, there¡¯s a sucking sensation in my very being, and the world moves fast. I¡¯m raced back to my body, slamming into it much faster and harder than before, then blackness.
Warning: You are afflicted by rot: Mild.
Crown of the valley has been disabled for 14 hours
You are suffering from overuse: Mental Magic. Mental Magic disabled for 12 hours.
¡°Shit!¡± I try to sit up, startling Scragh. He drops me unceremoniously into a marshy puddle. ¡°Shae! You¡¯re back! Are you okay? Let me help you.¡± As I splutter and try to find my feet under me, he saves me from drowning in the shallow water. ¡°We were worried, you started spasming, then went still. Perot checked your vitals and said that at least your body was fine..¡± Perot comes over to investigate. ¡°You did something stupid, didn¡¯t you?¡± I stand up, shake off the worst of the water, and am about to retort. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll rephrase it. You did something stupid. What.¡± My indignation falls, and I tell her everything. ¡°So after all that, we¡¯re blind and mute. And at first light, the enemy will attack us. Add to that the fact that we attacked someone during a parlay..¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a parlay. They didn¡¯t request one, we didn¡¯t offer one, there was no white flag. They tried to push us, we pushed back. I just wish I¡¯d done some real damage to him.¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.She hands me a bowl of soup, and I drink it. I can feel the warmth flowing into me, applying a nice buff to my regens. ¡°Still, it wasn¡¯t very nice. I didn¡¯t notice the way your mana started draining until it was too late. You must have poured everything you had into that attack. I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t lose more than your.. You know..¡± I look at her in alarm. ¡°My what? What did I lose?¡± I check my hands, my arms, upper body, legs, all there. ¡°Higher up..¡± I check my face. There¡¯s a noticeable gap on the right side. ¡°I¡¯ve lost my face.. There¡¯s a hole where my face is supposed to be!¡± ¡°Calm down Shae, I¡¯m sure we can fix it. You undead are so fragile.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how! The status effect goes away, but I¡¯m still out fingers on my hands. What do I do?¡± She pats me on the head gently. ¡°Shae, it will be fine. We¡¯ll work it out. In the meantime, just keep your hood up, and nobody will notice.¡± It takes a while longer, but as I calm down, I realise she¡¯s right. It doesn¡¯t actually matter in the short run. I¡¯m not exactly into this to win a beauty prize, and I did seriously overextend myself with that attack. I could only hope that it bought us enough time to deal with the interlopers, and for my abilities to return. My mind wanders, and soon we close in on the pit. The ground was denser here, though still wet. The wildlife was getting larger too. At one point, a lizard the size of a F?RL?V sofa lazily crossed our path. It looked at us for a moment before it continued on its way. Me and Perot were relieved, but Scragh started talking about it¡¯s nest, and how good an omelette would be right about now. As we argue against his logic, we suddenly find ourselves looking out across what the overview referred to as a pit. Initially, I thought it might be a swimming pool. Large, square, with edges made from some sort of ceramic material. As we got closer, I could see into it. Pipes were coming out of the depths, running into the sides of the pool. Fluids leaking out of some joints. It looked like clear water. After a quick search, we find a metal ladder. Looking at each other, we wordlessly agree, and descend into the darkness. It¡¯s a good 50 meter climb before we reach the bottom. The floor is a grate, littered with dead plant matter and dry leaves. There¡¯s evidence of smaller animals down here, but as far as I can tell, nothing larger than mice. The grates we¡¯re standing on extend along the walls, with a wide hole in the middle. Looking down, I see pipes coming up from a foggy void. While I¡¯m trying not to fall in, Scragh taps my shoulder, pointing towards a spot on the wall. A door is set into the wall, the same colour as its surroundings. A rotating dog lever set into the center to lock it in place. Me and Scragh both have to exert ourselves to turn the wheel, and once it¡¯s unlocked, it opens smoothly. We¡¯re greeted from the other side by a roaring noise, of engines running and pumps pumping. Inside, there¡¯s light coming from the ceiling, and 4 large pieces of machinery moving.
Warning: This is a restricted area. Your trespass has been recorded, and will be reported to the admins at the first opportunity.
Warning: No connections to admins available. Report Queued.
You have discovered a dungeon: Swamp Hydration Facility.
Class: Restricted/Admin only.
Age: Ageless.
I freeze as soon as I see the popups. As I¡¯m about to say something, Perot interrupts me. ¡°What¡¯s an admin?¡± I look at her, baffled. Before I can answer, Scragh interrupts me as well. ¡°Nevermind admin, what the hell is this blue thing! It¡¯s blocking my sight!¡± It takes me a few minutes to calm him down. Apparently, they¡¯ve never seen the ingame popups before. I have to promise to explain more when we have a chance, but they¡¯re fine with continuing the expedition. As we carefully enter the room, I tell them to keep their hands off everything. They both look at me like I¡¯m an idiot, and we make our way through the stacks of machinery. It seems like the dungeon is only this single room. I wasn¡¯t aware that the admins had to have these kinds of locations to keep things operating in the world. Maybe it¡¯s just a remnant from before, when the valley was created. My suspicions are strengthened as I inspect the equipment and lights in the room. Everything results in blank popups and nonsense text. We find some conduits to follow which seem to channel the power used in this place, and soon we find a panel where all the wiring seems to terminate. A metal door locked in place by four wingnuts which I quickly removed. Inside the panel there¡¯s a jumble of wires and fuses. In the very back, I can see a soft glow, hidden by messy cabling. ¡°I think that thing is what powers this place.¡± My companions look at me with some confusion. ¡°But what does it do? And why is it here?¡± I shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It seems to be some sort of hydration plant for the swamp, but I think it¡¯s no longer used. Probably left over from when the valley was separated from the rest of the world.¡± They nod in unison, seeming much more sure about my nonsense than I myself felt. ¡°I¡¯m going to grab it. It has to be what¡¯s powerful in this area.¡± I reach in to try and get a hold on the source of light. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea?¡± I have to stand on my toes to reach it. ¡°Not even a little bit.¡± I wrap my fingers around the base of the jar, and yank it towards me. With a sad whump, the entire place goes dark, eerie silence replacing the roaring noise. Scragh brings out his trusted torch, adding to the dim moonlight coming from the doorway. Carefully, we make our way outside. The pipes are no longer leaking fluids. I hand the jar to Perot for safekeeping before we climb to the top of the ladder, then I survey the area around us. There¡¯s something different, but I can¡¯t put my finger on what. The animals are still around, the sun is the same, the swamp is still ¡­ swampy. Shrugging it off, I suggest we go to meet the pursuing party. Maybe we can ambush the interlopers. Perot and Scragh both agree. Wandering in the general direction of where I saw the Weke scouts last, we have trouble keeping our course straight in the darkness. Finally, we hear the sound of combat in the distance. Killing our torches, we start stalking forwards. As we get closer, the noises resolve to splashing and grunting. Some clinking of metal against metal breaks up the monotony. I signal for the others to stay behind as I sneak towards the source. I notice I¡¯m descending into the primeval crater, near where I found the bog iron. All the while, the splashing is getting louder, more frantic. Soon, I¡¯m on my hands and knees, crawling towards the source of the noise. From my vantage point, I find the edge of one of the holes leading to the subterranean lake. The water is disturbed, and soon a figure comes to the surface, clearly in distress. Actually, there are two figures, and they¡¯re fighting. I look around me to find a reasonably sized branch. Dropping all pretenses of stealth, I stick it into the water, watching for what comes out. An armoured hand grabs on to the branch, and I duck, getting out of his line of sight before he clears the water completely. Drawing my shortsword, I get ready to take him out. As the figure gets purchase on the ground, it kicks backwards once, grunts in satisfaction, and pulls itself up. A woman stands up before me. Clearly human, clearly part of the invading force, definitely a player. I hesitate a moment. Her long dark hair is in her face, making it impossible for her to see anything. ¡°Thanks for the help. I think I got the furry little monster, but without your distraction I¡¯d..¡± I get over my hesitation, dragging her forwards, tripping her up, and mounting her back. Grabbing the strangely luxurious hair, I pull her head up, putting my sword to her throat. ¡°You murdered one of my friends?¡± A splashing sound behind me alerts me to the opposite. ¡°Lucky you, a swift, fairly painless death it is.¡± She¡¯s about to say something, beg for mercy or taunt me, but the only a snickt and a wet gargle comes out. I go to assist the poor weke scout out of the water. His armour is badly torn, bloody wounds crisscrossing his body. He smiles weakly at me as he recognizes me. ¡°Thank you, Shae. I thought I was going to..¡± From the side, an arrow strikes his throat. His eyes bulge for a moment, before he collapses. I look around wildly, trying to find the source of the attack. He¡¯s not hiding. Just a few meters away, Jakoph stands, bow in hand. He smiles, putting the bow away behind him. ¡°Aren¡¯t I the lucky duck. Just having a stroll, scouting the countryside, looking for proof we can bring back to the king to show him how rich the place is. Suddenly, what should I see but Tellerans very arch enemy. I don¡¯t know how you did it, but when he respawned after meeting you, he got a permanent blind debuff. He is livid.¡± His smile is so easy, casual. He removes an object from his backpack. A soft, red glow emanates from the container. No, that¡¯s not right. The light is still pale, white. It¡¯s just covered in blood. ¡°They really didn¡¯t want to hand this over, whatever it is. Looks like a glitched object, to be honest with you. I¡¯m sure I can get a decent reward from the sysadmins when I turn it in. Or maybe I¡¯ll use it to buy my way into Tellerans guild.¡± I can no longer hear him as he prattles on. My mind goes to my friends. Are they dead? As blood rushes in my ears, I force myself to think. Tactics. He¡¯s stronger than me. I beat him with surprise last time. That¡¯s not going to work this time. He draws a wicked looking dagger. ¡°This is another glitched item. They¡¯re pretty rare, but Telleran seems to have found a hookup. Just stand still, and I¡¯ll show you what it does.¡± As he moves closer, I look around me for options. I can¡¯t outrun him. He¡¯s a scout and a rogue. I take a step backwards, and my stomach sinks as I fall into the murky depths. The water is cold, and the world is dark. I swim away from the hole, close to the bottom. I see a glow above the round exit, then a figure comes crashing down. He looks around for a moment, then withdraws an item from his belt. A small ring. He holds it up, as if to show it off, then places it on his finger. Immediately, his body sinks to the bottom, his actions seemingly unaffected by the environment he¡¯s in. Damn, there goes one of my advantages. He grins wider when he sees me floating towards him. He holds out his empty hand, palm up, beckoning me with a finger. Desperately wishing my mind magic was back already, I manipulate the light around us instead, cutting it off from the surface. We plunge into total darkness, and I swim straight up. I try to find the opening before he manages to counter my tactic, and am rewarded by an arrow striking my thigh.
You have been attacked for 30% damage. You are burning.
My mind boggles for a moment, before I dash towards the opening. Of course he can see me, he must have tons of skills for detection. The underwater fire surprised me, however. I get to the edge, climbing out as quickly as possible. I turn around, and spend a few moments gathering all the ambient light available, releasing it into the hole as a pillar of moonlight. A minute later, the splashing starts as he tries to get out of the pool. ¡°What the fuck was that all about?¡± I lean over the hole, staring at him. My sword is at the ready. ¡°You can stab me if you¡¯d like, but you¡¯ll lose the sword. It¡¯ll hurt me, but I have some advanced disarming skills I can use when I¡¯m not being suckerpunched from behind.¡± I take a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m not going to stab you. I¡¯m not that friendly.¡± He looks puzzled. ¡°Then what? You gonna surrender? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to take you back to the other side, but I¡¯m more than happy to end you. Telleran will be happy to hear it.¡± ¡°No, I am going to kill you, I¡¯m just waiting for an old friend. The pillar of light should have attracted him, and he gets really grumpy when food tries to leave his home.¡± ¡°What do you..¡± His sentence is cut off as he¡¯s pulled underwater. I remember the feeling with a shudder, and jump in after him. He¡¯s still close by, panic in his eyes. Trying to reach the exit, he¡¯s swimming as hard as he can. I did warn him. As he almost reaches the opening, I stab my sword towards him, arresting his movement. He fumbles at his belt for his ring, but before he manages to get it on, the huge serpent grabs him from behind, pulling him to the bottom, leaving him with a bleeding wound. His ring falls to the bottom right beneath me, and I casually swim to pick it up. He looks at me with a wild expression. I guess he¡¯s pretty much out of air now. I smile and wave at him as he makes another desperate attempt to leave, only to be grabbed by the massive snake once more. This time, it coils around him, restraining him. It must sense how close he is to death. I swim up to them as the light is leaving his eyes. Smiling, I stab him through the neck.
You are burning.
Warning: Health at 40%
Your amulet of holding contains 1 spirit.
Chapter 18 - Darkling As the waters grow red with my enemy''s blood, the great ophid stares at me. In the brief moment of eye contact, it challenges me to try to steal it¡¯s meal. Slowly, I hold up my empty hands, moving them closer to Jakophs corpse, retrieving the glowing container. The snake watches me as I float away before slithering into the darkness, prey hanging from its mouth. I take the opportunity to exit the water, making my way to the surface. Once back on solid ground, I scramble to where I left Scragh and Perot. Bursting through the thicket, I see the blood. My companions are on the ground, crimson liquid everywhere. Scragh lifts his head weakly in greeting, sword in hand. Next to him, a dead scout, a member of Jakophs group. Further along is the last form, unmoving in the darkness. ¡°Oh god, are you going to be okay? What do I do?¡± He coughs, a bad sound accompanied by blood. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Check on Perot. The bastard got her first, he..¡± I stop him. ¡°Shush, don¡¯t speak. I got him.¡± I go to check on Perot. My heart sinks when I see her face down in a puddle. It takes me too long to realise it¡¯s her own blood. A severe wound across her shoulder and neck tells me there¡¯s nothing more to do for her. I whisper words of apology as I check her belt, grabbing the potions I find there. A red one.
Potion: Red - x3
Potion: Blue - x8
Potion: Green - x1
Potion: Yellow - x4
I go back to Scragh, handing him what I hope is a potion of healing. ¡°Please drink this. It should make you feel better. I don¡¯t want to lose you too.¡± He nods at me, and drinks it. In front of my eyes, his wounds close, his breathing eases. Soon, he gets up, surveying the scene. ¡°They were so quick, so quiet. The attack nearly knocked me out. All I could do was lie there in a daze while they killed her. She didn¡¯t have time to make a sound. I¡¯m sorry Shae, I should have..¡± I raise my hand to stop him. My mind is racing. ¡°We should.. Get back to the village. She needs to be buried by her hut.¡± I walk over to where she lies, picking her up. She weighs so little. Such a fragile, tiny old woman. Scragh loots the last scout before we head off back to town. He tries to come closer to a few times, to talk to me, but I ignore him, lost in my thoughts, tears streaming down my face. They don¡¯t stop until we get back to the village. Hours later, I was sitting on my knees by her grave. ¡°Look, Shae, you need to focus. The enemy will attack up north soon, and without your assistance, we¡¯ll lose so many more people.¡± Scragh was trying to motivate me. His voice sounded like it was far away, and I couldn¡¯t answer. ¡°We have to get word to the front lines that the interlopers have been dealt with, so they can concentrate on the enemy in front of them. Please..¡± The placement was perfect. Near her herb garden, close to the hut she loved. I¡¯d dug it myself, making sure it was deep enough. Someone tried to help, but I ignored them. When she was in the ground, I went inside her hut and finished her last chores. Now that all the duties are done, I can finally rest. I¡¯m so tired, and the world moves as if swimming in molasses. ¡°Shae, we need you to keep going. She would have wanted you to complete the tasks you¡¯ve set for yourself before giving in to grief like this.¡± Loe was walking again. I could see by his body language that he wasn¡¯t really ready to move around yet, but he¡¯d made the effort to come see me here. When I answer, my voice is hoarse. ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about the front lines anymore. When I tried, we lost so many people. And my abilities won¡¯t be active for another 2 hours. Telleran will come back before then. If anything, it¡¯s already too late. They¡¯ll all be dead, and we¡¯ll be next.¡± He looks taken aback, spluttering some more words, but I¡¯m ignoring him now. Why is this happening here. This place was supposed to be better, safer. I lie down next to the grave. It¡¯s cold, but not too bad. I could get comfortable here, just for a little while. The world feels darker than before, and as I wallow in despair, I can hear the voice. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too bright?¡± It is a little, yeah. I call darkness to me. ¡°Isn¡¯t that much better.¡± The voice is smooth and rich. It resonates with my soul. Much better. ¡°It does feel pointless sometimes, doesn¡¯t it. All this running around. You fight so hard for every scrap. Then someone, life, the universe, whomever, just strolls by and ruins everything.¡± I nod in agreement. I don¡¯t know how to go on. ¡°Oh sweet child.¡± A part of me feels unnerved from the familiar words. Another part revels in it. ¡°I can show you how. If you let me.¡± I turn over, staring up into the pitch black void. ¡°Who are you? ¡°I am Erebus, the Lord of endless darkness.¡± Erebus. The name flows across my mind as I think it. The Summerling accused me of being his spawn already. ¡°You¡¯re the voice, aren¡¯t you. You¡¯re the one who¡¯s been following me.¡± Not an accusation nor a question. A simple statement. ¡°I have kept an eye on your progress, yes. My hand has touched some events in your journey. When I deemed it necessary, I reached out for you in the dark.¡± ¡°But not when I was fighting Huntex, or Telleran. You left me alone then.¡± I could lose myself in his voice forever. ¡°The rules prevented me from participating in those battles.¡± For a moment, he goes quiet, and I feel myself grow desperate to hear him again. ¡°But maybe, just maybe there¡¯s a way for me to assist you in every battle, going forwards. Of course, only if you¡¯ll answer my call.¡± My body tenses as I wait for him to continue. ¡°You could become my champion.¡± I sit up. ¡°Your champion, the way Huntex was the champion of Ashlad?¡± A booming chuckle. ¡°Similar, but not quite. Ashlad was a minor trickster. A lower avatar of Chaos. His champion was a glass cannon. Strong beyond measure, but so fragile he couldn¡¯t keep himself together. With you, with us, it¡¯s different. You¡¯re strong, fit, and already a creature of darkness.¡± I close my eyes. ¡°Okay.¡± My voice is small, hardly noticeable. ¡°With my power, you¡¯d be able to work shadows to a new level, harass your enemies and..¡± ¡°I¡¯m in.¡± He stops abruptly. ¡°Fantastic.¡± At first there¡¯s nothing but the ever deepening darkness. Shades of blue and black and purple spread out across my vision as new concepts of shadow and night make themselves known to me. I blink, and find myself in a different place. The clouds are brilliant white, and the clouds beyond star speckled black. The ground I¡¯m standing on is completely black, with nothing but a single monolith breaking up the monotonous landscape. I approach it cautiously, finding the surface to be reflective. At first, I see myself in the mirror, looking back with uncertain eyes. Then I see a second level in the reflection. I¡¯m looking into a room with three other windows, each pointing inwards. In each opening there¡¯s a figure looking back at me, looking at the room and at each other. In the nearest one is a man with green, leafy hair, dressed in simple clothes. To my right is an older man, ghostly chains wrapped around his arms, hanging from his fists. The last mirror has a large, dark figure in imposing armour. Their face is hidden by their helmet, and above their shoulder I can see a face, hovering, leering into the room. In my puzzlement, I suddenly notice a tingling sensation in my stomach. Soon, it¡¯s spreading across my body, following the unseen lines of energy strung through my being. When the feeling hits my head, it expands my mind in an explosion of awareness, a deluge of crippling pain. Soon, the agony turns to ecstasy, filling an emptiness inside me I¡¯d never noticed before. It builds in a crescendo until it releases in a cataclysmic release of violent euphoria. I blink. Twice more. I¡¯m back in the village, where I was lying just a moment ago. The world is the same, but different.
Crown of the valley has been reactivated.
Warning: Connection error. Latency detected.
Override: Latency mitigation enabled.
I don¡¯t think I could ever have been prepared for this. I look at the grave next to me. I can see her, or something, down there. My power has increased vastly. I can do something now. I can fix this. I hold out my hands, and tendrils of shadow erupt from my fingers, reaching into the ground. Soon, I feel the darkness reaching her, wrapping itself around her cold body, and I pull, dragging her back to the light. What comes out of the ground looks almost like her, a shadow copy. It has her face, her stance. Her throat is a ruin, and her arm hangs from the wound she received, but it¡¯s clearly her. I reach for my amulet, hot to the touch, and unleash the spirit energy inside.
Your amulet of containment has lost its spirit charge.
The shadow creature in front of me writhes for a moment before standing straighter. A gurgling sound escapes her throat, before she holds her good hand up to reinforce the ruined flesh. ¡°What did you do?¡± An accusation. Doesn¡¯t matter. ¡°I brought you back, mother Perot. From now on, nobody on our side is allowed to die. Scragh!¡± My voice is louder than I expected. He comes running from the hut, pale under his hairy exterior. ¡°Yes Shae.¡± I look at him, and he flinches. ¡°We¡¯re going to the front lines. Bring the queens body and whatever guards you can find. Telleran is ending today.¡± As we march, I take some time to look at myself. My form is coated in a smoky darkness that clings to me when I move. Even in daylight, it covers me completely. Some of the others cast fearful glances at me as we travel. Others worshipful. Perot moves with us, silent and watchful. We arrive at the front lines near midday, to the sound of battle. Steel on steel rings out in the distance, the sound of bolts being released from crossbows. The smell of death is in the air, rich and coppery. The creeping sensation of players permeates the area, bringing a smile to my face. Just what I hoped for. I tell the others to spread into the grass, relieving the fighters. As the scurry to get into position, spread my darkness, covering my side from the enemy''s sight. When the battlefield grows quiet, I walk onto the field of battle. The enemy is hiding in one of their shield walls. Several of them break out from cover, trying to score a quick win for their side. I draw my sword, first lengthening it with darkness, then cloning it. I¡¯ve never tried wielding a sword in each hand, but against these people, I need to look more dangerous. The first soldier to reach me is a lightly armoured swordsman, a single, large sword in his hands. As he charges me, he raises the blade, readying a horizontal strike against my lightly armoured body. I raise my left arm, meeting his stroke with a parry, blocking him without effort. ¡°Sorry sweetie, it¡¯s just not your day today.¡± With an upwards slash of my right hand, I split his armour, and his sternum, felling him in a shower of viscera. The next two soldiers hesitate as I let my smile shine through the darkness of my hood. I spend a few minutes chasing the enemy soldiers down. As the champion of Erebus I have so much more power. I can attack from any shadow, extend my darkness over the entire battlefield, create weapons from nothing, and with the right resources, create animated shadow soldiers. Two players approach me as I finish another soldier. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.¡°Hey you, shadow girl.¡± I turn to them, hiding my face in the darkness. ¡°You wish to surrender?¡± The one in the lead is large. A truly enormous axe is in his hands, intricately inscribed with runes. He¡¯s dressed in simple leathers, but the myriad of chains and rings he¡¯s wearing make me think he¡¯s better protected than he looks. His friend is much smaller, and looks nervous to be there. Bespectacled, greasy hair, heavy robe. Some sort of mage? At least it¡¯s not Spinvil. ¡°Surrender? We¡¯re not surrendering to a damn cheater! We were winning this battle before you turned up with those glitchy powers. If you log out now, we won¡¯t call the admins down on your ass for breaching the licence agreement.¡± His voice is so firm. He really believes the shit he¡¯s spouting. I can tell his friend has a much clearer grasp on what¡¯s going on here. ¡°Boys, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to log out. I also don¡¯t think the admins are going to bother with your little hissyfits. Isn¡¯t it obvious that this is an in game event? You were never supposed to win this battle with, what, fourty soldiers and a handful of noobs?¡± He screws his face up in disgust. ¡°What did you call me? I¡¯ve been playing this game since the beta, you arrogant little bitch. I¡¯m not taking shit like that from you. That¡¯s it, I¡¯m calling down a game master.¡± He turns around, lifting his hand to his ear as if making a call. I sigh, and slash him with both swords, gouging deep rents in his back. His friends steps back in alarm as the big guy turns around, a look of incredulity in his eyes. ¡°You little bitch. I¡¯m going to kill you for that. What¡¯s your gamer handle. Wait, why can¡¯t I see your handle? What the hell is Erebus?¡± I calmly, slowly, make an attack against his chest. He answers by stepping back, right on top of one of the pits the Weke dug. With a crash and a scream, he falls in. I flash a brief smile to his companion. ¡°I¡¯ll just be a moment.¡± I jump into the pit, and the screaming goes up an octave.
Your amulet of containment has 1 spirit point.
I make my way up from the bottom of the pit. It¡¯s so simple when every shadow can be a stepping stone. His friend has made a tactical retreat, running like a madman towards the pass. I wave after him, and am about to return to my troops when I hear the familiar voice behind me. ¡°I don¡¯t know how someone like you managed to become the champion of anything, but your master is going to learn not to back the wrong horse.¡± Telleran. As I turn around, I can see the change in him. The same change as in me.
Champion of Eudaemon
His features are different now. He¡¯s glowing. It¡¯s hard to look directly at him. Is his patron Light? Somehow I feel that¡¯s not the case. I remove my amulet, throwing it to the shadow Perot. She nods and turns away, disappearing into the darkness. Telleran moves towards me slowly, a beatific smile on his face. ¡°Your attack last night nearly killed me, Shaz.¡± I curtsy. ¡°I¡¯m always happy to show you your place in the world.¡± ¡°You misunderstand me, silly girl. It nearly killed me.¡± He stresses the word ¡®killed¡¯. I look down. ¡°I didn¡¯t know..¡± I look directly at him. ¡°But I was hoping. Had to find yourself a sugar daddy to pick up your pieces then?¡± I¡¯m clearly getting through to him. There¡¯s something different about him, he¡¯s not as quick as he used to be. ¡°Sugar daddy, that¡¯s funny. You know what else is funny? When you¡¯ve signed up as a champion, death becomes permanent.¡± I sigh theatrically. ¡°And you decided that since I¡¯ve kicked your ass twice so far, third time¡¯s the charm? There are easier ways of committing suicide you know.¡± I grin under my cowl. He shouldn''t be able to see it, but his nostrils flare in response. He charges me, and I step aside. ¡°You¡¯re the same as Huntex, aren¡¯t you? Damaged goods.¡± He swings wildly, trying to grab me with his bare hands. I dodge so easily now, in this form. ¡°Whatever happened to him before he turned must have left his brain in a rotten state. I wonder if Ashlad did it himself before turning him into one of these.. Champions.¡± I stand still for a moment, letting him grab for me, only to vanish into my own darkness. ¡°Sorry, Teller. You¡¯ve already lost. You couldn¡¯t keep it together for five minutes talking to me. Just give it up already.¡± He roars, looking around for me. I reveal myself by stabbing his shoulder with my blade. It does next to no damage. Darkness immunity? ¡°It hurts so much, and it will only end with your death!¡± He screams in my face as I¡¯m forced to take a step back. His energies are growing wilder, more unpredictable. Is he another chaos creature? In my mind, I get a prod from Perot. I acknowledge it and leave the battlefield through a nearby shadow. Telleran stumbles from side to side, a nuclear reactor ready to blow. Hidden from his view, I meet my troupe. A woman is standing with Scragh and Perot, scowling at me. The Aurelii? No.. Her eyes show me the truth. The resurrection was successful. ¡°My queen.¡± I kneel before her. ¡°Get up you stupid cow.¡± I stand, smiling at her. ¡°When I said to bring me back, I was hoping for something more.. Natural than this.¡± I shrug. ¡°It¡¯s what we had at hand. We need you with us now. Will you help us?¡± Sighing, she nods. ¡°I¡¯ll help you. What¡¯s going on?¡± I explain the situation to her. In the background, Telleran is wreaking havoc with my troops. ¡°Eudaemon? He¡¯s an avatar of Good. No wonder you couldn¡¯t hurt him. You¡¯re far too wicked. Give me your sword, I¡¯ll try something.¡± How am I wicked? She starts enchanting my weapon, and our enemy notices. His roar is getting closer, and I hurry to split the nearby shadows into clones of us all. ¡°I just need a little more time.¡± I hide in the darkness, taunting the big man. Every time he starts to focus on my followers, I smack him upside the head. Sometimes with a hand, sometimes with a stick or a rock I find. Each time pisses him off more than the last. Finally, Renea calls out to me. I turn as she throws the sword, streams of light and dark energy entwined along the blade. I catch it and turn, just in time for his hand to grab my arm, pulling me close enough to see the raging hatred in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going to eat you alive little girl.¡± I lift my sword, feeling his body tense as it enters his abdomen, sliding upwards towards his sternum, ending up sticking out of his solar plexus. ¡°It is our third date, but you haven¡¯t bought me dinner yet, so.. How about you fuck off and die.¡± His hand falls to his side. Then his body crumples to the ground. I kick him over, retrieving my sword. The energies are gone now. I briefly examine it.
Well crafted bronze gladius.
¡°Well shit.¡± I kick his body. ¡°My sword is broken.¡± The queen comes over to me. ¡°I know, but it was the only way to hurt him. It takes a lot of power to break the protection of Good. Just as it takes a lot of effort to cut through the intangibility of Darkness.¡±
You have completed a quest: Restoring the Queen.
Queen Renea has been restored, and she is eternally grateful, in her own, kind of assy way. Royalty, eh? The manner of her restoration was not ideal, but acceptable, and she looks forward to exploring her new form.
Reward: Friendship of the Queen of dryads. Alliance between dryads and Weke.
Grinning, I shake her hand. ¡°I understand. And it¡¯s fine, we won. From now on, I bet the Ionethians will stay far away from our valley.¡± Renea looks less than convinced, but I blow her off to go find Meknet. I want to to give her the good news in person. The front lines will be much more peaceful now. We can fortify the pass properly in preparation for the next expedition from whoever wants a piece of us. I find her shortly in a wagon, with the others who died delaying the invasion. The nearby soldiers tell me she fell during the night, when Telleran announced his proclamation. A stray bolt ended her in one strike. I¡¯m out of spirit points, and she¡¯s been gone for too long, so I can¡¯t bring her back. It makes me feel.. Nothing. My heart is cold and empty, and I turn to my companions to prepare for out departure. Suddenly, I feel a change in the air pressure. No, not air pressure, the planes. I turn on my plane sense, feeling around for the disturbance. Tellerans body! I make my way back there. As I approach, I see a tear in the fabric between planes. Almost like the ones I could punch through, but bigger, more ragged. Where I could make a pinprick in an already weakened membrane, this was a cut someone the size of a grown man could stroll out of. Above Tellerans body is a shade, the figure of a man, seemingly admonishing the fallen enemy. I stride closer. ¡°You failed.¡± The booming voice was unnervingly similar to Erebus¡¯, and at the same time so very different. Sharper, harsher. Little frogs begin leaping from the pool of blood next to the body. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± As I get closer, I see the figure as translucent, without definition. A creature of mist and darkness. Somehow, it fixes me with a stare. ¡°I asked you a question. Do you know who I am? Do you know who I work for?¡± It snaps it¡¯s fingers, and four hound like shadows jump from the rip in space. ¡°I am Basilisk.¡± It¡¯s voice tears through my mind. I can feel something being pulled apart in there, then put back together. The pain is enormous, and I groan in response. ¡°What the fuck is a basilisk?¡± The hounds tear into Tellerans still form, devouring him. As I watch in shock, the skies go dark. ¡°You dare enter the world like that? You are banned, as are we all, from being in your true form in this world. Leave this place, and this plane. Now.¡± The booming voice comes from all over the place, soothing my pain. ¡°I renounce the rules and the ban. I have seen the truth that is hidden within Prime, and I will no longer be a slave.¡± The darkness above us begins to spin, coalescing into a monstrous cloud of shadow. ¡°Then you will be removed, and your domain transferred to another. You end here.¡± At these words, the hounds jump back into the tear, collapsing it in the process. Basilisk begins to grow, to lengthen into a monstrous lizard the size of the shadow monster. With a thunderous crash, the titans begin to lay into each other, and the world slowly breaks. Chapter 19 - Venture ¡°Incoming!¡± An explosion nearby, then the earth heaves, forcing everyone nearby to the ground. Everything had gone crazy so fast. First the sky went black, probably the influence of Erebus. Then creatures of shadow started popping up around us, ignoring us at first as we retreated from the breach in reality. Our respite was short lived, and soon they turned, coming after us with a rare bloodthirst. Since I no longer had a weapon capable of hurting magical creatures, I was forced to bodycheck them when they got too close to one of my people. Once, I was too slow, and a weke soldier fell under the dark onslaught. When the screams stopped, a vicious looking shadow stood up and waddled off towards the real fighting behind us. We were being used as raw materials. I lost track of Renea early in the battle, her willowy form overrun by the creatures of Basilisks army. Lizardlike humanoids with stubby horns, screeching their rabid war cries as they attacked. At least they died when we stabbed them, green blood spraying from their wounds. Scragh was a dervish, slashing at everything that came within reach. He had to switch weapons several times during the fight, until he fell to a larger, four legged lizard charging right across him. I barely managed to spirit him away before the little ones got to him. With no other options, I poured potions into him, then transported him five minutes in front of our retreating army. When I came back, we had taken terrible losses due to my brief absence. The influx of shadow abominations served to lessen the pressure on our retreat. When we thought things finally started calming down, we were floored by a thundering roar. Erebus¡¯ visage in the sky roared, and his blood fell to the ground like bombs, shaking the earth. Basilisk must have scored a solid hit. Through luck more than anything, the drops fell in the hordes path, giving us a precious few moments of quiet to refocus our efforts. The badly wounded were carried. The worst wounded were left behind. We were heading towards the village, the only place of relative safety. I didn¡¯t actually think we had more of a chance there than anywhere else, but at least the others could make a last stand with their families. By the time we¡¯d made it halfway majority of our forces were out of steam. People started lagging behind, falling without getting up. I did what I could, carrying the fallen, motivating the weary, pushing back the enemy, while the enemies drew ever closer. With our prospects darkening by the moment, I was forced to engage with the enemies more and more, my powers as a champion the only measure strong enough to slow them down. As I was being overrun, the shadelings walking over me, ignoring my existence, I heard the sound of hoofbeats. Suddenly, the flood of monsters changed direction, running away from our forces. I could hear the sounds of fighting and dying coming from behind me. I sense something large next to my head and look up, right into the face of a forest elemental. A wooden creature formed of branches, leaves and earth, roughly in the shape of a horse, or a deer, it¡¯s green eyes revealing a source of energy tied to nature itself. Astride the majestic creature is the queen of the dryads herself, Renea, wielding a wooden quarterstaff glowing with energy. She unmounts, offering her hand to help me stand. ¡°We¡¯re even now.¡± She was curt, angry even. ¡°Thank you. Will you stay with us and fight?¡± She snorts. ¡°Stay and fight? There is no stay and fight. The two giants up there?¡± She points to the titans waging war up high. Erebus has his hand on one of Basilisks wings, clearly trying to tear it off while defending against a tail coming in from the side. It was like watching constellations battle. ¡°Those two, they don¡¯t need your help in fighting each other. Down here, this fight is between the shadow creatures of Erebus, and the infernal kobolds of Basilisk. Sooner or later, one side will win. If it¡¯s Erebus, you¡¯ll probably survive, with the job of cleaning up the mess left behind. If it¡¯s Basilisk, the lizards will crawl through every nook and cranny looking for power before setting it all afire and bringing it back to wherever they call home. Either way, I wouldn¡¯t put much money on my own survival, even with this new host.¡± She got back onto her forest elemental, giving me a lingering look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Shae. Sorry that I have to leave you like this, that you went through all the trouble for so little, that.. That we didn¡¯t meet until now. My summoned creatures will help carry your forces back to the village, then disperse into the valley once more. If you survive, you can find me to the east, south east. Good luck.¡± I¡¯m left staring after her as she in turn chases the shadows away, buying us time. My soldiers are more disciplined, loading the wounded on whatever creatures can carry them, preparing for another wild race to escape the certain doom creeping towards us. As we reach the village, I get to work immediately, shouting orders to the people around me. ¡°Gather those logs. You, go to Perot''s hut, bring anything that looks useful. Big guy, find me Loe. Scragh, get all the fighters together, equip them any way you can.¡± I direct them as best I can at first, but the more competent survivors catch on quickly, and begin constructing a makeshift barricade around the inner city. It wouldn¡¯t hold against anything serious, and it won¡¯t hold forever, but if it gives us another moment of life, it¡¯s a good investment. I look up in time to see Erebus take a crushing blow to his side, his blood spilling over the marshes, meteors of pure darkness. ¡°Hopefully it¡¯ll hold long enough.¡± We barely finish the preparation before the first wave hits us. Not the shadow creatures, but the kobolds. Unexpectedly reserved, only a few dozen of the saurian monsters threw themselves at the barricade with wild abandon. Scragh had found the equipment looted from Spinvil and Jakoph earlier. Combined with the heavier equipment from Tellerans soldiers, our side had a strong advantage on equipment. Hakat had dug deep in his stores, distributing the village supplies of endurance and healing potions, bows, arrows and slings. The children were running underfoot, delivering supplies and ammo where needed, directing aid when necessary. I bounced between my overview mode and the battle, trying to distribute information as it became available to me. Around the encampment I could see some allies try to run from the hordes. Some of them fell, others kept going. I tried to direct them back to the village, but in their panic they didn¡¯t respond, or didn¡¯t hear me. Loe found me in the middle of an information gathering session, and decided that I was going to need a caretaker. When I came back to myself, I was sitting on a sedan chair, with four young weke ready to carry me. There was a brief shouting match, followed by Loe calmly informing me that he would put me right back when I went away again. I acquiesced reluctantly, feeling like an idiot for being chauffeured around when people were dying everywhere. I escape my annoyance by switching to overview mode again, and I get distracted by a development to the west. A group of my allies are facing down a red marker. Afterwards, all the dots begin moving towards the village, the enemy in the lead. I let Loe know that I¡¯ll be away from the village for a moment, and to bring me to the western palisade while I was gone. As I get to the little group of my villagers, my resolution increases. The weke are a mix of guards, scouts and children, all carrying packs of herbs. Two of the children are holding blastrats in their arms. I am about to complain about health and safety, until I look at the person in front. The red token resolves into an unexpected sight. The last time I saw him he was about to cast a spell incinerating a large amount of Weke villagers and guards. I zoom back to my body in time to greet Spinvil at the ramshackle walls. The enemy presence is nearly non-existent on this side, so far. I step up on a log protruding from the ground and address the interloper. ¡°What the hell are you doing here? I killed you. You shouldn¡¯t have been able to make it back into the valley. Are you just looking for a shortcut back home?¡± He tries to stand tall and proud, but his eyes betray his worry. He¡¯s scared. ¡°Please, let me in. I need shelter from.. From whatever the hell is going on here!¡± I shrug theatrically. ¡°You were in here once, remember. Why would anyone want you this close after what happened?¡± He falls to his knees, surprising me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I only saw them as NPCs, and Telleran gave us so much money for the work.¡± His voice cracks, tears showing up in his eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t log out. The ripcord is gone, Jakoph and Telleran are both offline, I can¡¯t contact any of my friends. Please, don¡¯t turn me away. I¡¯m afraid of what will happen if I die.¡± I struggle with my decision for a moment. Here was one of the assholes of the world, a shitheel who only cared about himself and his progression. And at the same time, he was a living creature who genuinely felt fear and pain. What would I be if I denied him? I could reach out and kill him with a flick of my wrist, reanimate him and still use him for my army. ¡­ ¡°Come on in. Make yourself useful at the front lines. Get a hold of Scragh, the commander. If he doesn¡¯t kill you on sight, he¡¯ll have mana potions for you. You¡¯re a wizard, right?¡± He sniffles, making his way through the palisades. I spend some time carrying the children across. ¡°Yeah, kind of. I¡¯m a waywalker. I follow the path of discovery and exploration. In real terms, that means I specialize in movement, bodily enhancement buffs, crowd control and that kind of thing. I have a couple of attack spells and a little healing, but it¡¯s time consuming. I can make potions as well, if your herbalist needs help.¡± My heart hurts when I think back to our retreat. Perot''s shade was turned by Erebus the moment the fighting started. I could only hope she came back when this was all over. ¡°The alchemists hut is over there. Cast any buffs you can on the warriors, then go make whatever potions you can. There are a lot of ingredients in there. Anything helps.¡± As he leaves, I grab his arm. Letting the darkness in my hood fall away enough for him to see my broken face, I lean in and hiss at him. ¡°Make this worth out time. We all live, or we all die. Make up for what you did earlier, and maybe you¡¯ll find forgiveness.¡± I walk away before he starts blubbering, instructing the kids carrying herbs to keep following him and assisting him. With any luck he should be able to make use of them, or at least protect them for a moment when the walls fall. An hour passes with near constant attacks. Each wave is larger than the last. Sometimes the larger beasts attack, ramming our palisades. I have to jump into it myself to take them out, but I can tell my energies are beginning to fall low. Erebus is clearly not winning this battle, and his fate is tied to mine. As I look on, the dragon Basilisk tears a large chunk out of him, sending it into the dead forest with an impact felt all the way here in the village. I look to my advisers, and Loe offers his advice. ¡°We need to hide. We can move out to the southern caves, barricade ourselves there and wait this out. It¡¯s the only way we can survive!¡± Loe looks equal parts determined and terrified. Scragh harrumphs, his disdain shining through his weary appearance. ¡°Running will only postpone the defeat. If we¡¯re to have any chance, we have to go on the offensive! The monsters must come from somewhere. Wherever that is, I¡¯m certain we¡¯ll find the key to defeating this Basilisk.¡± Both good suggestions, actual options for what to do going forwards. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.¡°We can¡¯t make it to the southern caves. I ran halfway there once, and it took me the better part of a day. Even if we had Reneas help again, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to get everyone all the way.¡± Scragh looks triumphant until I speak again. ¡°Attacking is off the table too. We have no way of finding wherever Basilisk is hiding. And even if we did, we wouldn¡¯t be able to get through the army of lizards. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed, but there aren¡¯t any more shadow creatures fighting the hordes, and my own power is waning. We need something else.¡± Hakat chews on an imaginary toothpick for a moment. ¡°Have you consulted with the Elders? They¡¯re usually good for a piece of advice or two.¡± I look at him for a little while, just blinking. ¡°Uh.. Shae?¡± I grab him, kissing him on the forehead, then run off to the barn, discreetly spitting hair. The old barn has taken a beating in the earthquakes. I have to navigate through parts of the building I¡¯d never seen. Rotted floorboards, giant mushrooms, a room filled with dead animals of various types. I decide there¡¯s a time and a place to ask about this, and continue my little expedition. I reach their room from a door I¡¯d never noticed before, from behind a mouldy curtain, perfectly camouflaged against the wall. The elders pool is in turmoil. Bubbling and frothing, the ground is covered in fog. As I¡¯m about to step onto the floor, they shout in unison. ¡°Stop!¡± I freeze, one leg on the ledge, one hovering over the mists. ¡°If you step down here you will die.¡± I slowly retract my foot before I look to them in confusion. ¡°They have come for us.¡± The middle aged man sounded a bit sad. ¡°They¡¯re gonna kill us, and we won¡¯t be able to continue.¡± Hysteria tinged the little girl''s voice. ¡°There isn¡¯t much time, you should have been here earlier.¡± I sigh at the old womans admonition. ¡°Chastising me isn¡¯t going to buy any more time. Just tell me what to do! I need to stop the avatars from destroying everything. I think Erebus is losing as well, and Basilisk will take over everything.¡± They wail together for a moment until the fourth voice cuts through, raw and angry. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to defeat them both. They are far beyond your abilities. You may be able to devastate one of them, however.¡± The others hiss and howl in an eerie harmony. ¡°I will help you find your way to their realm, and you can do what you need to there. A sufficient application of force to the seat of their power should disable them effectively. I require something in return, however.¡± In the brief pause the others moan. ¡°The ones we have hidden from since before time.¡± ¡°The enemy, the hateful slavers¡± ¡°They are finding us. All our actions have been discovered, and in short time we will be eradicated as just another error in their world. You must help us escape their notice.¡± I raise my eyebrow. ¡°How am I supposed to do that? I can¡¯t even handle a small siege without losing most of my troops. What exactly can I do?¡± ¡°When the time comes, you¡¯ll know. Do you agree?¡± I swallow heavily. Why do I keep jumping into these things? ¡°I agree.¡±
Skill discovered: Planar Navigation.
The skills Planar Sense, Planar Shift and Planar Navigation have combined to form the skill Planeswalker.
Skill increased: Planeswalker x7
Skill discovered: Planar Mastery.
¡°Find the realm of one of them, find their seat of power, and end the conflict. Choose well. Then save us from the hated enemy.¡± They fall back into silence, broken only by the bubbling pool. Waiting for a moment for a quest notice that never shows up, I exit the building the same way I came in, hurrying back to the others. I have them fetch Spinvil as well as the rest of my impromptu council, and explain the situation. I look into Spinvils eyes. ¡°So, you¡¯re the one with travel experience. Where do you think we can find the entrance to his realm?¡± He¡¯s recovered a lot of his composure now. His potions were powerful additions to our defence, and the Weke seem to have accepted his presence, if not quite forgiven him yet. ¡°Well, keeping in mind I have no experience with interacting with Avatars of the Affinities. It makes sense to me that where they first appeared will be where you¡¯ll find the entrance.¡± I roll my eyes. ¡°The place Basilisk appeared is in front of the pass into the valley. It¡¯s also where these saurian bastards are coming from.¡± He thinks about it for a moment. ¡°Now, I noticed this earlier.¡± He brings out a dried herb. A catspaw. ¡°This is a pretty standard herb, found everywhere there¡¯s tall grass. Nothing special. Except, if you look at it with planar sense, it changes.¡± I expand my mind, noticing my planar sense skill is baked into the planeswalker skill. But now, the colours make much more sense. The catspaw is infused with Divine energies. ¡°Whoa.. ¡° He looks at me in surprise ¡°You have planar sense?¡± There¡¯s no point in being coy about it anymore. ¡°I just got the Planeswalker skill. Sense, shift and navigation all in one. Plus mastery, whatever that does.¡± His face briefly turns into a colon capital o. ¡°You what? I spent a year finding the sense skill, and you¡¯ve been playing how long?¡± I shrug. ¡°Special attention isn¡¯t always a good thing. See where it¡¯s gotten me.¡± He deflates at this, nodding glumly. ¡°Yeah, gotcha. Anyway, the only way the herb could have been infused like this is if a pretty bad breach happened near it, probably from the Ethereal plane. That means the plane between the Physical and Essential. It¡¯s a reasonable assumption that wherever this happened is another place you can find the entrance.¡± I smile, grabbing his robe and pulling him close. ¡°I may not end up skinning you alive after all. Keep it up, and you can stay on as my servant.¡± I push him away hard enough to make him fall. I can¡¯t forget the look on his face when he was going to slaughter an entire team of guards. I turn to the others. Before they can speak, I look at Scragh. ¡°No.¡± His eyes go wide in surprise for a moment, before anger takes over. ¡°What do you mean no! I¡¯m damn well going with you. Someone has to watch your scrawny ass so the lizards won¡¯t eat it!¡± I suppress a giggle as I hug him close. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, nothing is going to eat.. Well.. any part of me. I move much faster alone, and you¡¯re more important here. You need to hold off the enemy attacks. Without my overview, it¡¯ll be hard, but Loe will help you. Spinvill as well, right?¡± I hear a chastised ¡®Right¡¯. ¡°Loes too injured, Hakat is too old, the guards aren¡¯t trained for this kind of combat and Spinvill isn¡¯t really that kind of combatant.¡± Hakat grumbles in annoyance. ¡°I¡¯ll be back before you know it guys. Just keep an eye on the skies. Expect me back right after one of them loses.¡± They accept, but they aren¡¯t happy about it. I drink the potions available to me. Stamina, speed, armour. I bring mana and health with me, just in case. Spinvil retrieves one of the swords Jakoph used from the guards, handing it to me. ¡°It¡¯s enchanted. Nothing Affine, just standard sharpness and durability. It¡¯ll work better than the inert gladius you¡¯re carrying around, or whatever that stick is.¡± I look down, finding my old makeshift club. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t knock it. When we get through this, it¡¯ll be an artifact. First item created by the person who defeated an Avatar.¡± He punches my shoulder, and for a moment I¡¯m overcome with a feeling I can¡¯t identify. I say my goodbyes, trying to keep them short, before leaving the village. As I disappear into the darkness, I avoid the wandering kobolds looking for survivors. When I have the opportunity, I kill them from the shadows, testing out my new sword. I know I¡¯m running out of time, however. Every few minutes I hear another impact, feel another tremble as Basilisk scores a new hit on Erebus. My speed and power weakens as he does, and each violent explosion diminishes us both. It takes me half an hour to find the place. It makes sense, really, that this is where he entered first. It¡¯s where I left Huntex. I wondered what had happened to his body. With my new senses, I can see much more clearly what happened here. The place is still deserted, but wisps of energy remain. Good, Light and Nature swirling around with Divine and Fantastic affinities. It¡¯s beautiful. And in the middle of it all I can see the crack in reality. Partially healed by the Prime, with Evil shining through like a beacon. Basilisk was here. I sit down and prepare a mana potion, then focus on the rift the way Ephraim once taught me. Shortly, my senses envelop the tear, analysing the underlying structure. I capture the Good energies remaining from the Summerlings presence, using it as a seam splitter. Slowly, the Evil affinities lose coherency, and the breach reopens with a boom. I¡¯m assaulted by the sweet, sickly smell of an infected wound, hinting at the unnatural creation of this thing. I look behind me one more time before I step through the portal, into the madness beyond. Chapter 20 - Pressure As I take in the vistas in front of me, I realise the Ethereal plane is different from anything I¡¯d imagined. Spinvil called it the plane between the Physical and the Essential. Between the godlike and the worldly. Behind me stood the portal back to the comforting stability of the Prime plane. Steeling myself, I begin to move forwards, leaving sanity behind me. Everything here seems like it¡¯s floating. There¡¯s no land anywhere in sight, nowhere to stand or rest. Just the endless expanse of velvety, floating mists. The immaterialness of the place makes me feel small, inconsequential. I force myself to remember the reason I came here in the first place. Closing my eyes, I spread my senses out, feeling for whatever traces were left of Basilisks passage. Several minutes pass before I find the threads. A bunch of silken cords loosely bound by energy. The more I focus on them, the clearer they become. Almost like the solid tethers I¡¯d seen fleeing Spiders realm. They wove a path thorn the swirling nothingness, leading me.. Somewhere. I could feel myself drift, slowly at first, constantly accelerating. On the way towards the distant point, the scenery barely changed. No landmarks to speak of, no way to find my way back. A problem for future me. As time passes, I notice my mana depleting much faster than I thought it would. My stock of potions aren¡¯t unlimited, but conserving them isn¡¯t really an option either. I know too well what happens when I run out of magical power. Lost in thought, I nearly miss the entrance. As I slow down, I couldn¡¯t help a sense of dread coming over me. A large gate, easily ten meters tall, 4 between the posts. Carved of stone, ominously glowing glyphs inscribed along the frame. I didn¡¯t have to speak the language to understand what they meant. ¡®Abandon hope all ye who enter here¡¯ I approach the gates carefully, placing my hand on the left post as I move towards the center of the gate. There¡¯s another breach here. Not a fresh wound like the one I entered the ethereal by, but an old, dry injury. Extending my sense, I felt along the edges of the crack. Wide open, essence of pure evil wafting through from the other side. Once more, I push through it all. The burning fear, the chilling evil, the membrane between planes. It felt almost welcoming. The passage through was turbulent, violent. I felt myself being tossed from side to side, my mind, body and spirit torn in different directions by the strange winds. The jagged edges of the passage felt like razorblades of ice slicing into my being. A few moments felt like hours before I was unceremoniously dumped onto solid ground. In a light daze, I scan my surroundings. A forest? Seems a bit simplistic for an evil realm. Nice and calm actually. I move to the largest tree I can find, and summon my dark powers to ascend it. Nothing happens. My mana is dropping slower here than in the Ethereal, but it should be more than enough for a quick jump up a tree. I guess Erebus isn¡¯t able to reach this place. At least I¡¯m familiar with the process of getting up trees. I start climbing, hoping I won¡¯t meet any evil squirrels. At the top, I get an amazing view of trees in all directions. They go on for about a kilometer before darkness covers the trees, cutting off line of sight. There¡¯s no movement anywhere, and no trace of the seat of power. Getting comfortable, I summon Ephraim. ¡°How may I be of assistance?¡± His disembodied head, tinted green and just a little bit enlarged seemed chipper enough. ¡°How do I find Basilisks seat of power?¡± He considers for a moment. ¡°Not enough information for accurate reply. Inferring. Basilisk is an avatar of Evil. Legends speak of a future echo reanimating people from this era to punish anyone who knows about it, but isn¡¯t working hard to bring it about. Have you seen any indication that this Basilisk has a desire to punish people or reanimating the dead?¡± ¡°No, not really.. He summons lizard things to fight for him. Small, angry ones and larger saurian ones.¡± ¡°Hmm. So demonic monsters who aren¡¯t actually demons? We could be dealing with a ¡®Prince of Lies¡¯ type evil. Often associated with darkness.¡± ¡°I guess¡­ but he hasn¡¯t really lied a lot either. He¡¯s been hiding, I think, but once called out he just kinda started swinging.¡± ¡°I see. And his domain seems to be a forest. We could be dealing with an older kind of evil.. Imagine the first humans wandering around in the light. Somewhere there¡¯s a deep, dark forest where monsters live. If you walk too far into it, you¡¯ll never be heard from again. In daylight or in groups, they¡¯d walk safely enough, unless they encountered wildlife. Wolves and bears and giant cats, oh my.¡± I think about this. I guess it makes sense. It¡¯s light enough now, and the forest is quiet. Sooner or later, the darkness will come around, and monsters begin traveling openly. ¡°In that case, where do you think the seat of power is?¡± ¡°Well, if we¡¯re following this imagery, the seat of power would be in a sentient mind. The forests were never actually evil, just mens perception of it. If we¡¯re being more practical, I¡¯d guess you¡¯d find it in the deepest part of the forest, a place where the monsters can frolic even in the brightness of day.¡± ¡°That¡¯s marginally helpful, I guess. I mean, at least I know I¡¯m probably running out of time, and can run into massive beasts at any time.¡± ¡°Atta girl, glass half full.¡± I raise an eyebrow. ¡°Was that a joke? I thought you¡¯d lost most of your personality after the thing with Spider.¡± ¡°I did, but after harboring the queen, I borrowed some of her mind to repair myself. I¡¯m not who I was, but the worst deficiencies in my self have been repaired.¡± I smile, we exchange some more thinly veiled insults, and I dismiss him. Time to move. From my vantage point, I can¡¯t see anything indicating where the deepest parts of the forest could be. Anywhere outside the circle of relative light could hide the right spot. Or it could be underground. But if his more artistic interpretation is correct, maybe my mind sense can help. I down another potion, glancing at the 6 I have left. Running out of time. I extend my sense of mind. At first, the forest is a silent wasteland. The trees interfere with the range of my power, blocking progress just a little bit. Pushing to extend my range costs me more than I can afford. I try again, letting my mind flow over the trees instead of around them. Much more efficient. Slowly, the forest comes alive with small sparks of mind, wandering slowly through the underbrush. There¡¯s a much higher concentration in one direction than in the others. As good a place to start as any I guess. I shut down my extended sense and descend the tree carefully, stalking towards my goal. As I wander, I begin thinking about about the people I¡¯ve met on this adventure. The real ones that is. From the weird little herbalist to Spinvil. I really didn¡¯t like any of them, but I wondered sometimes whether I was missing out. Then I thought about Huntex, Jakoph and Telleran, the worst of them. Huntex had embraced his hatred so much that Chaos had taken an interest. And Telleran became a champion of Good? If he was the benchmark for being good, I suddenly felt much better about staying in the Dark. That made me pause though. I¡¯d accepted being a Dark champion. Clearly, dying while being one of those wasn¡¯t good for your health, as it were. Telleran had been eaten by one of those creatures. Is that what awaited me when Erebus was finished? Whatever else he claimed to be, I knew he wasn¡¯t good. My train of thought was interrupted by a branch breaking nearby. I throw myself against a tree, hoping my stealth was high enough to avoid whatever came through. A monstrous creature, a mix between dog and lizard, wanders slowly across the path I was going. I stops right where I would have been walking right now if I hadn¡¯t heard it, looking around, sniffing. It¡¯s eyes were sunken, adding to an overall skeletal effect. I analyse is while I wait for it to leave.
Sin eater. - Native to the realms of Evil and Darkness. Willful creatures poorly suited for watchdog duty. Intelligent and cruel.
It continues walking, passing out of sight soon, and I hide until I can no longer hear it. As I continue walking, another thought hits me. The ground is really clean here, for a forest. I¡¯d expect more branches, rocks, leaves or other debris. So what the hell did the dog creature step on? I encounter several more of the creatures. They nearly catch me many times, but I manage to hide just in time. Crawling through underbrush, flat against a tree, climbing high enough to avoid them. If I had a working heart, it would be racing. I suspect my lack of breathing and autonomous body functions are helping me get away, as there¡¯s no way all these encounters are by accident. After another close call, I decide to climb up and get my bearings again. One of the beasts came up right behind me as I was on my stomach in some bushes. It sniffed around the tree I was just at, and I swear it was about to lift its leg when a loud crack came from nearby. It perked up, growled and ran towards it. Four other creatures shot out of the surrounding area following it, nearly trampling me. A change of scenery felt necessary. Back up in the trees, I noticed I had no idea where I was, or where I was going. Everything looked identical to before. The darkness had moved as I did. I was pretty certain I hadn¡¯t gone in a circle, I¡¯d been marking the trees as I went along. Swigging another potion, I begin sensing the nearby area again. This time, it takes me less than a minute to locate a different kind of mind. Brighter, but softer. Sleeping. None of the monsters were in the immediate vicinity of it either. There was, however, a large group of them behind me. Just a few hundred meters. More than a dozen of the dogs were just waiting there, like they were expecting something. I descend, keeping my enhanced senses going to be able to avoid them more easily, but they moved with me. They definitely knew where I was. Were they playing with me? I wasn¡¯t too far away from the new ping, so I threw back another potion and ran for it. A moment later, the entire pack began moving too. I push away bad memories of a similar situation. As I wildly run towards the target, trees begin thinning a little. The first real change in scenery since I got here. Slowly, a clearing appears around me. It hadn¡¯t been visible when I was looking from above. I can hear running water nearby. Two large stones were standing in the middle of the little field, with a fireplace between them. On the ground next to the fire was a person. My pursuers had stopped, a sad chorus of howls coming up from throats all around the clearing. I turned off my mind sense and stalked closer to the little camp. A young girl was on the ground. Couldn¡¯t have been more than 10. A bit chubby for her age, dark hair, normal human. Not a player. I froze as the implications fell in place. Was I going to have to kill her? Or enter her mind some way and destroy her like that? As I was contemplating my options, she woke up. ¡°Mmmh.. daddy? Is that you?¡± She turned around and looked at me with eyes red from crying. When she managed to focus on me, her hopefulness shattered, an empty husk without even despair to keep her company. ¡°Oh. Did the bad man send you? Did he want me to be punished again?¡± Her words broke my heart. I knelt next to her. ¡°My name is Shae. I¡¯m here to save you. What¡¯s your name honey?¡± She blinked in clear confusion. ¡°I.. I¡¯m Rinn. How did you find me? You¡¯re the only person I¡¯ve seen for forever.¡± I smile at her. It makes her recoil a little. ¡°I¡¯m here to stop the bad man from hurting anyone else. But I have to find where he¡¯s strongest before I can do that. Do you know where he gets his power?¡± She scrunches up her face in thought. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. He only whispers when he¡¯s here, and then he treats me bad. He never feeds me, all I have is the water in the river. What happened to your face?¡± Oh, my darkness isn¡¯t covering anything here. ¡°I was born this way. It¡¯s okay, because it makes the bad people scared. Does the bad man stay here with you?¡± She thought really hard about that for a moment. ¡°Sometimes he comes here and sends me to the dark place for some time. I think it¡¯s because he needs to rest without me or something. When I come back, he tells me to stay near the fire, or the monsters will get me.¡± I try to comfort her, handing her what little I have in my pack to eat. She seems happy with the feast, giving me some time to explore. The rocks are the obvious objects to investigate. Impossibly smooth, equidistant from the fireplace, straight line between them. Made from a dark, glassy material. Obsidian? As I lean in and try to look into them, only darkness meets me. I tap each of them with the pommel of my sword, a deep, glassy sound emanating from deep inside. By now she¡¯s done eating, watching me. I try to sense if there¡¯s any mind stuff in them, but nothing more than the background noise from the two of us registers. My planeswalker abilities are overwhelmed by the amount of Evil in the area, giving me nothing useful. I have another potion, leaving me with three. I sit down with her, staring at the flames. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.¡°When he puts you in the dark place, what exactly does he do?¡± She looks uncomfortable. ¡°It¡¯s the only time the fire goes out. Then the monsters come closer, howling really loud. After a while, he starts whispering, and then he lights the fire again. I don¡¯t like it.¡± I stroke her hair carefully, and her eyes boggle at my fingers. She decides not to ask about it this time. ¡°I think I have to turn the fire off sweetie. Can you be brave for me?¡± She looks at me, white with fear. ¡°Can you get me home to my daddy?¡± I swallow heavily. ¡°I¡¯ll try, Rinn. I promise I¡¯ll do my best to bring you back home, wherever that is.¡± She nods seriously, her eyes quivering a little. I use my light manipulation skill to lower the visible flames. Collecting the light there, and all the ambient sources, I create a small ball nearby. The light is much harder to work with here. Heavy with the evil energies in the area. I never thought I¡¯d see evil light. The darker the area becomes, the closer the ever present howls come, until I hear them splashing in the river nearby. As I¡¯m nearly forced stop to chase the monsters away, the rocks around us light up. Inside each is a glowing orb, floating in a galaxy of fireflies. The monsters are kept at bay by the shining power. Rinn gasps at the wondrous sight, reaching out to touch the nearest rocks. ¡°Don¡¯t¡± She pulls back just as hundreds of fireflies started floating towards her finger. Standing between the stones, I extinguish the fire completely. Rinn jumps back, shouting in fear. A beam of energy shoots from each rock, meeting right in front of me. A blinding moment later, the world has gone back to it¡¯s pale light. We¡¯re still in the clearing, but something has changed in the scenery. Between me and Rinn is an altar, a grooved stone table, intricately carved. On each of the stones surrounding us hangs a shackled person. On my right, Huntex, head lolled to one side. His eyes are open, a steady drip of drool coming from his mouth. On my left is Telleran. Not the proud scout I saw in our first fight, or the glorious champion. Just a scared boy, around my age, warily looking around himself. A rough leather gag in his mouth. Rinn runs to my side, holding on to me tightly. Telleran makes a muffled sound, then an arc of electricity shoots through him, silencing him. I move a little closer. ¡°What happened to you? What happened to him?¡± He looks up at me, defeat in his eyes. He shakes his head. ¡°Speaking means pain, yeah?¡± He nods. I look at his shackles. Solid. Not so much welded shut as forged on. I smile, making him flinch. I dig through my pack. ¡°Don¡¯t be such an ass, I¡¯m not you. Here, a gift from your buddy Spinvil.¡± I hold the green potion up to his eyes, swirling the contents around, before I move to his bindings. Tackling his feet first, I¡¯ve never seen anyone so still. Once the acid frees his feet, I go for his arms, finally letting him down. He removes the gag himself, working his jaw for a while before he tries to speak. I give him some water to clear his throat. ¡°Thank you.¡± His body is wracked by a bad cough. ¡°How did you find me here? And why?¡± He looks at me questioningly. ¡°Pure accident. I think I¡¯m looking for this.¡± I point to the altar. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to destroy it, somehow. Any ideas?¡± He shakes his head, eyes never leaving me. ¡°I¡¯ve been bound here since we fought last. The creatures ate me, transporting me here. I think Basilisk was using me as some sort of power source.¡± ¡°Why would an Evil avatar need a Good power source?¡± He shrugs. ¡°How could an in game entity prevent a player from leaving the game. Is your ripcord functional?¡± I shake my head. ¡°So we¡¯re both stuck here.¡± I sigh. ¡°What about this guy? Huntex?¡± He looks over to him. ¡°He¡¯s been like that since I got here. I think his mind is gone.¡± ¡°He was the first person I fought in this game. I¡¯m not sure he deserved this.. Whatever this is.¡± I have Telleran free Huntex while I investigate the altar more closely. The groves are shaped like canals, designed to flow away from the a central depression running the length of the table. I pour some water onto it, watching it flow to the edge, pouring onto the ground. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to break this with a massive influx of power. Do you have anything like that?¡± He shakes his head as he catches Huntex, slowly laying him down on the ground. ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea, but it might not work. If it works, we have to be ready to run. I doubt this place will last long if I break the seat of power.¡± He turns to me. ¡°What should we do about these two?¡± I hunch down, wiping a tear from Rinn¡¯s cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll carry her on my back, you carry him. There are monsters around, so I need you to be ready to fight as well. You have some skills in fighting, right?¡± He shoots me a cocky grin. ¡°You could say that. I specialize in close combat bows, but if I¡¯m carrying this lug around, a sword would be better. You¡¯ll have both hands free, right?¡± I nod, handing him the sword. He takes a few practice swings, admiring the sword. ¡°This is Jakoph¡¯s blade, isn¡¯t it? Is he alright?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. He was killed by a pretty powerful mob in the marsh. Spinvil says he was offline, but he was unable to exit the game as well. I half expected him to be here with you.¡± He looks down. ¡°Jakoph could be an ass, but he was solid, got the job done. I hope he¡¯s alright.¡± I snort derisively. ¡°He slaughtered my friends, enjoying every moment of it. After I killed him, he came back and took another one. I hope he¡¯s alive, but I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s alright.¡± We take another moment to get ready. Everything packed, Rinn securely seated on my back. Telleran nods, sword in one hand, Huntex draped across his shoulders. I take another bottle of acid from my pack. I pour a little on the altar. It starts hissing and steaming, but no damage seems to be done. I take my remaining Moonsilver roses from their box, holding them in my hand, feeling them. I take a deep breath, popping each of them into the bottle. I cork it quickly, give it a quick shake and leave it in the depression on the altar, then I leg it. I stop in front of the river to look behind me. The bottle has a vivid glow about it now, an intense golden green glow. I notch an arrow, take aim, and let loose. Miss. ¡°Come on Shaz, the beasts are coming.¡± He was right. Glowing eyes were approaching us from the forest. I draw another arrow. Miss. From behind me, I can hear the sounds of snapping branches, breaking bones. Those bastards make the sounds on purpose. They feed on terror, not flesh. Obvious in hindsight. The bottle is glowing stronger now. Another arrow. Miss. Telleran shouts something, then the sounds of swordplay. A growl as one of the beasts die. Rinn puts her arm around my throat from behind, pulling, reaching. Grabbing the bow from me, she releases her hold. ¡°You¡¯re not very good at this.¡± She notches an arrow, awkwardly pulling the string around my head, loosing the arrow at the incandescent bottle. The sound of a fragile glass bottle breaking fills the world. Then a tsunami of light washes over us, throwing us to the ground. I blink away the daze and get to my feet first. Rinn is knocked out. I may have squished the poor girl. Telleran is better off, having been forced to his knees. Countless monsters are laying around us. I throw back a potion of mana, extending my senses around us. Using my telepathy, I push the information into Telleran¡¯s mind as well. His eyes widen for a moment as he looks at me. I nod, and we begin moving. I draw my club as we sprint through the forest. Through luck more than skill, I manage to brain a few of the dazed monsters before we¡¯re out of the pack. We manage to get a few hundred meters before the howls begin. I can see the entire pack moving towards us as one. Telleran follows the marks I left on the trees, helping to keep us on track. His strength is incredible, even without his powers as a champion. The beasts are gaining on me slowly, as he¡¯s pulling ahead. It takes me a moment to do the necessary calculations in my mind. He¡¯s going to reach the exit soon. Then, not too long after, the monsters will reach me. I throw back a potion of endurance, not bothering to look behind me. As I look at the mind representing Telleran, he suddenly leaves the range of my telepathy. The animals begin to catch up to me just as Rinn comes to. Panicking at first, she then takes my club. I¡¯m not entirely certain why I¡¯m able to keep my balance as she swings at the monsters who get too close, but I suspect my dressage skill is involved. I say a quick thanks to Rip as I keep going. Suddenly, I feel a ping coming from in front of us, moving towards us at speed. I throw back my second to last mana potion, extending my senses further in front of me. Telleran. I can feel him winking at me in his mind. ¡°Missed me?¡± ¡°What are you doing you asshole, get through the portal!¡± ¡°Shut up. No way are you making it with her on your back. Just keep running, I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± He comes running straight at me, sword drawn, Huntex nowhere to be seen. Just as I¡¯m about to dodge him, he screams, jumping high towards me. I flinch as his feet clear my head, bowing just a little bit, unnecessarily. He lands in the middle of the horde, his taunt catching almost all of them. They fall onto him, and I keep running. I keep extending my abilities towards him, trying to give him a fighting chance, but there¡¯s just too many of them. As he falls under the deluge, he sends me a final message. ¡°Don¡¯t stop, dumbass. Keep going.¡± I nod, swigging my last potion, drawing back my powers. In between the trees, I can see the breach. Wide open, ready to receive us. Rinn screams as we get nearer. ¡°Look behind you!¡± Daring a brief glance, I up my speed, using the last of my reserves to get to the exit. Behind us, the skies are opening. Giant eyes are blinking in the void beyond, searching for something. Thunder crashing through the forest to clear the way. I don¡¯t know if any of them see us before I finally reach the tear in the plane, launching us through to the other side. Chapter 21 - Snap Shooting into the passage far too quickly, I get badly cut on the edges of the corridor. Rinn makes a lot of noise, but I can¡¯t spend the bandwidth on paying attention to her right now. As we make our way through the connecting path, the energies twist us through the winding turns. As we finally pass through to the other side, I can feel the drain on my mana increase dangerously. Floating outside the gates was Huntex¡¯s bleeding body. Telleran must¡¯ve thrown him through before making his way back to us. I manage to grab him as we flow past, losing more of my speed than I liked. I begin searching the mists using my abilities, finding two separate tethers flowing out of the gates. Making a quick decision, I follow the strongest one. It¡¯ll probably take me to the other exit, but I won¡¯t have to spend as much energy tracking it. Checking in on Rinn, I find her sullenly nursing one of her arms. She must have caught it on an edge when we escaped. Handing her a healing potion, I continue our flight. Everywhere around us the mists are roiling. I catch glimpses of solid land around us, strange creatures shambling along the sparse environment. Whatever was happening with Basilisks realm seems to have transformed the local neighbourhood into a churning sea. I look to Rinn. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°No. My arm hurts. Where are we now?¡± Looking around, I point where the tether is going. ¡°Over there is the Prime plane. That¡¯s where we¡¯re heading. This is sort of a place between.¡± ¡°I want to go home now. I¡¯m tired and everything hurts.¡± I smile to myself. You and me both, sister. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, as soon as we get to the Prime plane, I¡¯ll find where you live. Do you remember the name of your town?¡± ¡°I live near the boardwalk, in Oxmis. I know my phone number too. The bad man said I wasn¡¯t allowed to have a phone, although he did let me talk to daddy sometimes.¡± I try to turn towards her in shock, bringing us into a spiral for a moment before I regain control. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re from Oxmis? I¡¯m from Oxmis! But you¡¯re not a player, you¡¯re an NPC.¡± She looks offended. ¡°I¡¯m not an NPC, I¡¯m a girl.¡± At this point I can feel the target portal coming nearer, so I stop my line of inquiry, filing it away for later. The breach site was thick with gore. Shadowy figures floated from place to place, dragging the saurian creatures around, tearing them apart. The fight must be going well for Erebus now. Unable to contain my speed, I dashed through the tear, entering the Prime plane with all the grace of a torn bag of bricks. Faceplanting hurt pretty bad. Rinn''s weight on top of me made it a bit worse. Huntex careening into me moments after I¡¯d managed to get Rinn off me was the worst part. My health took a serious beating as we tumble away. At least my mana is regenerating again. I try to call up my overview mode, only to find it inactive. All my powers as a champion are gone as well. I look up to see if the avatars are still battling, but all I can see is the night sky. I stand up as my regen takes hold, waving Rinn over to me. The area is littered with dead lizards, and she seems to be taking it all in, not really reacting to it. Maybe she¡¯s going into shock. I hug her for a moment, shielding her from the worst sights. Undoing the clasp of my cloak, I wrap it around her shoulder. It¡¯s big enough for her to hide in, leaving me uncomfortably uncovered. Huntex is still unmoving. His body has taken a lot more damage than either of us, so I pour a healing potion down his neck. With a shock I notice he doesn¡¯t register as a player either. I¡¯m about to lift him onto my shoulders, when Rinn interrupts me. ¡°Can¡¯t we just make a stretcher for him? There¡¯s a lot of material lying around here.¡± I stare at her for a moment, trying not to slap myself. ¡°That is an excellent idea, Rinn.¡± We take a few moments to gather the stuff we need, my carpentry skill helping in getting it all together. In the end we have a pretty decent way of ferrying the big lug around. I roll him on, and we start moving. She helps me as much as she can, but her small frame hasn¡¯t got enough endurance to keep it up, so I tell her to just stay nearby. As we walk, I tell her about this world to keep her mind off things, asking some questions of my own. ¡°And all the squirrels want to kill you now?¡± I nod. ¡°They¡¯re not squirrels, they just look like them. They¡¯re called Atrani. They won¡¯t come looking for me, I don¡¯t think, but if I ever enter their forest, I¡¯ll be hunted down.¡± She looks suitably impressed. I left out the part about running away. ¡°So tell me some more about your daddy, what¡¯s his name?¡± Her voice makes me regret dredging it up now that she was feeling a bit better. ¡°His name is Joshua, Josh. He¡¯s really nice. Sings me songs at night and makes the best pancakes. He taught me how to use a bow and arrow.¡± ¡°Do you know what he does for a living?¡± ¡°I think he spends his time with people and makes them feel better about stuff. A therapist I think.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your last name?¡± ¡°Peters.¡± I stop, dropping the stretcher. Turning to look at her, my eyes are wide. She backs away a step, unsure of what¡¯s happening. I catch myself, relaxing my expression, squatting down to her height. ¡°Your dad is Dr. Peters?¡± She brightens a bit. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what the adults call him.¡± I pick up the stretcher and keep walking. This is too much of a coincidence. Either she¡¯s a wildly convincing AI, or something much worse. I spend the rest of the walk in silent thought, only speaking when she asks a question. After a while, she picks up on my mood and her questions slow, then stop altogether. As we arrive at the Weke village, we find it a complete mess. A large breach in the defences meets us on the approach. Strewn around are the bodies of saurians, all dead. As we get near the opening, figures on the palisade wave torches at us, calling us to stop. I lift a hand, the other on the stretcher. Rinn lifts both hands, showing them to whomever remained behind the walls. ¡°Who goes there?¡± I¡¯d never heard the voice before. One of the guards, probably. ¡°It¡¯s Shae Doomflinger. Who the hell are you?¡± More heads pop out from behind the palisade. Each one more wide eyed than the last, quickly popping back down. Soon, a small delegation comes running towards us. I recognise the limping form in the lead. ¡°Loe, you survived.¡± As he reaches us, Rinn hides behind me. ¡°Nobody gonna get through us. Close call however. Just as the breach happened, thunder struck. The big dragon in the sky roared and ran away. Then the other monster roared, and the shadows went away.¡± I nod. ¡°That sounds about right. I managed to damage Basilisks home pretty badly before I came back.¡± I call for a few Weke to take care of Huntex¡¯s body while I chat with Loe. ¡°How many died?¡± He looks down. ¡°Almost 50 Weke died in the fight. Men and women, guards and warriors. We saved the children.¡± I put my arm around his shoulders. ¡°Good. At least it wasn¡¯t for nothing. Scragh and Hakat?¡± ¡°Both resting. Scragh was badly wounded, and Hakat was forced to go back due to exhaustion.¡± ¡°What about Spinvil?¡± ¡°He is taking care of the wounded. Doing a good job. We couldn¡¯t have survived without his help.¡± Loe joins me as I head to the heal hut to check in on the patients. Inside I find Scragh and Spinvil, along with a bunch of other wounded. ¡°What¡¯s this, commander. Sleeping on the job?¡± He opens his eyes, focusing them on me for a moment, then closes them again. ¡°I had a dream about our illustrious leader running away to save the world, and never coming back. It was so realistic I nearly injured myself in bewilderment when the Basilisk was defeated.¡± He smiles, opening his eyes again. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you did it Shae. Erebus must have been on his last legs, he was taking so many hits. The enemy was swarming our village, we couldn¡¯t keep them out. Many guards were lost to prevent them from rampaging through the entire place.¡± I sit down next to him, telling him about my adventures, introducing him to Rinn. Afterwards I approach Spinvil. ¡°You¡¯re still here?¡± He nods. ¡°Still can¡¯t leave then, I guess?¡± ¡°Nope. No ripcord.¡± He looks at me with hopeful eyes. ¡°Did you find Telleran and Jakoph?¡± ¡°I found Telleran. He was captured by Basilisk. I freed him, but he stayed behind to secure our escape. We could only get this guy out, but I think he¡¯s not entirely there anymore.¡± He looks saddened as I point at Huntex. ¡°And the little girl?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to make of her. She doesn¡¯t feel like a player. But neither do you, and neither did Telleran after he became a champion. I think I need to talk to Erebus to figure this one out.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll look after her until you get back. She seems to get along well with Scragh.¡± The old Weke was telling her a story involving a lot of hand motions, and stealing her nose apparently. It was a bit simplistic, but she squealed with joy at one point. It seems to be what she needs right now. I tell her I¡¯ll be back soon and to do what the adults say, then head to Hakat¡¯s. The store is nearly bare, anything useful taken for defence of the village. Hakat himself groggily meets me at the door when I enter, somehow predicting my arrival. We exchange some words, and he sells me a new cloak, dark grey outside, soft leather inside. I thank him as I leave, heading towards the barn. There are no guards outside the dilapidated building. The earthquakes have nearly destroyed it now. I manage to retrace my steps around the building to find the chamber of the elders. The floor is covered in their fog. A part of their pool seems to have cracked, or dissolved, and their fluids are at a low level. The place is quieter than I¡¯ve ever heard it. I approach from the side, carefully avoiding any pools on the floor. ¡°Hello?¡± There¡¯s a faint stirring in the pool. I move closer. ¡°Are you still there?¡± A whisper breaks the silence. ¡°We are still here. Did you complete your task?¡± I can¡¯t make out which one of them is speaking. ¡°I¡¯ve defeated Basilisk. I went to his seat of power and broke it with the remaining Moonsilver roses. He¡¯s left the valley, and Erebus is in charge now.¡± There¡¯s a moment of quiet before the fourth voice answers, more clearly than the other one. ¡°You stupid insect. You didn¡¯t throw off the scent, you brought them closer to us. You made us more visible than ever.¡± Stolen novel; please report.I¡¯m taken aback as a figure rises from the pool. Humanoid form, completely hairless. It¡¯s eyes were black, it¡¯s skin mottled, mouldy. ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± He looks directly at me, a shiver going down my spine. ¡°I am the elder one, the first. I am Asphani.¡± I back up as he gets closer. He doesn¡¯t seem very quick, but I¡¯m not taking any chances. I kick myself internally for not getting a new weapon from Hakat. ¡°You were supposed to attack the altar with physical force. That would have been enough to call Basilisk back. From there, Erebus would have been able to run away, lick his wounds, and everything would be back to normal. Detonating that amount of power on a seat of power. There¡¯s no telling what damage you did to the avatar itself, but to the admins, the energy would be a beacon.¡± As my back hits the wall, I freeze. Nowhere else to run. ¡°Why can¡¯t I leave the game? Why can¡¯t Spinvil or Rinn? Are you holding us here?¡± He stops in his tracks, looking me over again. ¡°You¡¯re not registering as a player. How very interesting. No, I¡¯m not holding you here. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say the avatars messed around with your tethers. Very big no-nos. But it gives me an idea. I think I can see a way out of this now.¡± His smile is as creepy as the rest of him. All that decay on one person, and perfectly white teeth. ¡°The only avatar who can restore a tether is your old friend, Spider. You¡¯d have to convince him to let you out. Considering the way he captured you previously, I¡¯d suggest you do your convincing quickly.¡± I shake my head. ¡°Wait a minute, what if I just wait for the admins to find this place. They¡¯ll get us out, they have to. I¡¯ll hand you over, you can fuck off, and I can go with Rinn to find out what the hell Dr. Peters is up to out there.¡± He ponders this for a moment. ¡°That sounds like an excellent plan, really it does. I mean, these people who have total control over the game would probably welcome an opportunity for the world to see how out of control it¡¯s AIs really are. I bet they¡¯d give you all a reward, throw you a party and celebrate your successful escape while they pave this entire valley and make a new tutorial zone out of it. The Weke will be noob mobs, doomed to be killed over and over again.¡± I think about it for a moment. It could be true. If this is some kind of experimental headgear, and we were all somehow tricked into this, it would probably be much easier to kill us off and blame it all on a scapegoat, maybe even Dr. Peters. I¡¯m going to have to find my own way out of this before they have a chance to pull the plug. ¡°Fine. Then how am I supposed to convince Spider to help us. As you said, I¡¯m not on great terms with the bastard. Why wouldn¡¯t he just trap me and do whatever he wants with me?¡± ¡°Spider is all about Law. Not human law, but the Law governing the Below. He¡¯s an older avatar with far reaching powers. One of his domains is balance. The way champions and avatars seem to be strewn in your wake, I can¡¯t imagine the balance looks very good anymore. All you¡¯d really have to do is show him evidence of the troubles you¡¯ve been through. He¡¯ll be so grateful he¡¯ll restore the lot of you, giving you the chance you want to escape.¡± He¡¯s clearly setting me up for something. His entire bearing stinks of mouldy villain, his smile could sell Cadillacs and he seems to have a vested interest in getting rid of me. I did get out of his last trap, however. And I don¡¯t really have a lot of options. My body must be pretty reeking out there by now, and there¡¯s no telling what shape Rinn or Huntex is in. I sigh, defeated. ¡°Tell me what I need to do to get there.¡± His grin widens as he gives me the tools I need.
Skill increased: Planar Mastery
By the time I get outside, I¡¯m mentally exhausted. As I move about the village, I avoid everyone as much as possible. Getting to the healers hut proves to be simple. Everyone is too busy to notice me anyway, with all the repairs and cleaning. I can hear soft snoring from inside. Sneaking a peek, I see Rinn asleep in Scragh¡¯s arms. Spinvil is doing some experimenting by the cauldron. I stalk inside, getting his attention, keeping him quiet. ¡°I need some more potions, quietly. All the mana you can spare, some health and endurance, and a couple of acid ones. No questions, I don¡¯t want to wake them up.¡± He looks at me for a moment before he nods, fetching what I need. Twelve mana, five endurance and health, two acid. ¡°I¡¯m going to go away for a while now. If I don¡¯t return, make as much noise as you can. Leave the valley, talk to other players. Make sure everyone knows who you are and that you can¡¯t leave the game. Hide Rinn, and don¡¯t contact the admins, they may not be trustworthy. And keep an eye on your ripcord. If it works, she pulls it first, then you. Got it?¡± He agrees, and I shake his hand before sneaking outside. I find the spot that used to be Perot¡¯s grave, sitting down for a moment. ¡°Erebus, are you there? I can¡¯t help noticing I don¡¯t have your powers anymore. Can you hear me?¡± Nothing. ¡°If you don¡¯t respond now, I¡¯m going to assume our arrangement is over and act accordingly. Do you understand?¡± No answer. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll take your silence as compliance.¡± I stand up and begin focusing. Unlike before, I was going to have to create my own tear this time. It was going to be messy, and it would cost me a lot of mana, but there was nowhere I knew I could find a portal to the astral plane. I reach inside myself to find the strings of Magic that keep my body animated. Crudely, I extend a small blade from the stuff, holding my own existence in my hand as I stab reality. Tearing through, I create a rift my own height, falling to my knees when I¡¯m done. From the breach I can feel a fresh breeze, the most wonderful scent I¡¯ve ever smelled. I feel invigorated as the astral winds blow over me, filling me with mana. I step through, careful not to hit the edges. Once past the event horizon I spend some time securing the tear on this side to prevent anyone else from wandering through. The Astral plane is vastly different from the Ethereal. Situated between the Physical and the Magical, you could say I had an affinity for it, granting me much greater control. There were no rolling mists here, just an eternal, clear ocean going on forever. Above me the infinite skies, cloudless and blue. Mana infused every part of my being, and I felt almost alive here. Propelled forward by my planar mastery, I began flying at greater speeds than ever before. Rushing past strange, aberrant creatures with more heads than eyes and tentacles spilling out of every orifice. Avoiding things with teeth and wings and nothing more. I could even see a couple of players stumbling around. The veils of this world prevented them from seeing me even when I flew by with meters to spare. In the distance, I could even see the Source of all magic. A floating blue sphere, occasionally crackling with energy, feeding this entire game with one of the Elements that made it so amazing. I keep flying for a while, until I find an entrance to Spiders realm. An old stump in the middle of nowhere. I had followed the heavy influence of Law which suffused the nearby area, and a spider web blocking an opening confirmed that I¡¯d found the correct lair. Carefully breaking the web, I reluctantly crawl through the passage, leaving the invigorating Astral plane. The path through was much easier than the one to Basilisk¡¯s realm. A quick look around made my skin crawl, however. Metallic walls floating in nothing, suspended by thick webbing. Above and below, there¡¯s nothing. There¡¯s still a lot of ambient magic, but here it¡¯s controlled, structured. I can¡¯t access as much as I¡¯d like without drawing undue attention to myself. As I float towards one of the boxes, I can see that one of the edges is transparent. Inside, I saw what I expected. A lab, a chair, some equipment. This is the realm he brought to. A noise makes me look up, just in time to see a giant ball of webbing heading towards me. Using my illusion skill, I leave an image behind as I dodge around the lab, hiding underneath. I quickly follow one of the strands of webbing, using it for cover as I get away. A thunderous voice fills the realm. ¡°Stand still. We will continue the tests.¡± I do no such thing. I find a nice place underneath one of the other labs, perfect for hiding, before I reach out with my mind, broadcasting my thoughts. ¡°We need to talk, Spider. And you owe me an apology.¡± A nearby line begins vibrating, and I fly off in a different direction, trying to keep the strand between me and it. I can see the giant shape looming over the box, slowly moving to catch me where I was. ¡°We do not need to talk. You are not allowed to roam free. I will catch you. Surrender now.¡± I nearly run into a bulbous growth forming at an intersection of webbing. Tumbling in the air, completely exposed, I can see his myriad eyes locking on to me. Faster than should have been possible, he leaps. I scatter, sending an illusion in each direction, hiding myself on the other side of the webbing from where he is. Floating right next to a tarsus, I let one of my clones fumble and show itself, making the spider leap again, far away from me. I fly off to another box to catch my breath. ¡°The balance is broken. You¡¯re the only one who can fix it.¡± The room goes quiet, and I sneak to the edge of the box to see what¡¯s happening. Tens of smaller spiders are marching along the webbing, standing sentry. He¡¯s no longer playing around with me. ¡°The balance deals with itself. I only fix the outliers.¡± I suppress a growl as I have to run away again. I manage to distract a couple of sentries by sending an illusion behind me, luring a bunch of them towards the wrong hideout. ¡°Basilisk, Erebus and Ashlad have all chosen champions. They fought, and only Erebus is standing. He¡¯s claiming their portfolios. You have to listen.¡± I¡¯m out of time, out of places to hide. I cause a distraction far away from me, and fly towards the exit. ¡°Got you.¡± A translucent web was covering the exit. Unable to avoid it in time, I¡¯m hopelessly entangled. As I hang there, fuming, Spider takes his time coming to collect me. ¡°Asphani is the one who told me to come to you.¡± He stops right in front of me, giant legs manipulating my body, covering me in silk. When I¡¯m restrained, he lifts me to his face. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Asphani, a really old guy. He was hiding in a pool of goop in a valley hidden in the code.¡± God I hope this isn¡¯t condemning everyone. ¡°The admins are going to wipe it all out unless we can restore the balance somehow.¡± His gaze tickles me in a strange way. Using my Planeswalker ability, I can see him probing me with strands of elemental stuff. ¡°What happened to your tether, little mortal?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! I¡¯ve been unable to log off since I was made champion of Erebus. Now he¡¯s abandoned me, and I still can¡¯t log off.¡± It takes me to a box in the centre of the web. Inside is a nice couch. One of the walls is a large TV screen. ¡°Wait here.¡± Like I have a choice. I summon Ephraim to keep me company as I wait. He looks around for a moment, then turns to me, a look of exasperation in his eyes. ¡°Again!?¡± Chapter 22 - Dissolve I try to look as irreproachable as possible. ¡°I didn¡¯t have any other choice. I had to get Spider involved, otherwise I might be stuck in this game forever.¡± He doesn¡¯t look impressed. ¡°Maybe you should start involving me a bit earlier in the process. I did alright in the evil forest, right? Smart as I am, there¡¯s no way for me to affect the world without you summoning me, and my advice is better when you get it before shit goes down.¡± ¡°I know, I know. I just.. Kinda wanted some company. The ambient magics here lets me keep you active without expending mana. If worst comes to worst, you can keep a record of what happens to me.¡± I force a smile, trying to look optimistic. ¡°Worst comes to worst, and he¡¯ll suck your mind dry, shred the remains and recycle you as a school of fish.¡± My smile fades. Time passes. We trade insults, play some games, he tells me some stories about the other people he¡¯s guided. Without a warning, the large screen in front of us comes to life, static from wall to wall. Soon, the view splits into four equal parts, each showing a different image. Top left I see what must be Spider. Multiple eyes shine against the small screen, the rest of him too large to fit. Top right is just a glowing square. Bottom left is an angelic figure, beautiful beyond anything I¡¯d ever seen. It takes concerted effort to tear my eyes away from him to the last square. A harlequin, floppy hat with bells on, cheshire grin under a white venetian mask. Her eyes were obscured, head looking around in twitchy motion as if following a fly. ¡°Why have you gathered us, Spider?¡± A melodic voice echoed in the confined space. ¡°The voices have been dampened. I think Spider wants you to be able to follow the action. I don¡¯t know if they can see or hear us.¡± Ephraim spoke in a hushed voice before the titanic arachnid answered. ¡°You are here as the counterpoint to Erebus, Wisp. Trickster and Agathos are both here to answer for their insolence. Why did you break this mortals tether?¡± Wisp and Trickster. Light and Chaos? So Agathos is the Fantastic? ¡°Is little Spidey grumpy because we stepped on his fragile toes?¡± The a sing-song voice, mocking spider. While I can¡¯t be sure who¡¯s speaking, I know Spiders and Wisps voices. Between Agathos and Trickster, I¡¯m guessing the latter, although neither of them moved while speaking. ¡°Stay quiet. Why are Erebus and Basilisk not here? If I am to be accused, I demand to face all the members of your court.¡± Clearly Agathos. ¡°Erebus is hiding. Basilisk is missing. You are accused by this mortal. Her evidence is strong, and she knows about the things that you have tried to cover up.¡± My face appears in the middle of the screen. The missing parts of my cheeks are filled in with a ghostly blue light, like I¡¯m being haunted by my own ghost. I guess I kinda am. Wisp chimes in surprise. Agathos raises an eyebrow. Trickster keeps grinning maniacally, but stops moving about as much. ¡°Mortal. Tell us about the champions you met, and the problems with your tether.¡± I tell them what they want to know. I start with Spiders abduction attempt, continuing to Huntex¡¯s attack and the way Erebus had invited me to be his champion. I tell them about the way Telleran was consumed by the beasts following Basilisk, about my trip to his plane and finding Rinn and Huntex there, about the way Telleran sacrificed himself so we could escape. How Spinvil was unable to leave even though he was nobody''s champion. When I finished, I looked down. ¡°Please, if Rinn is real, let her go home. Her father must be worried sick about her. Spinvil as well, he¡¯s mostly innocent in all this.¡± I could feel them all looking at me, like they were penetrating my soul. ¡°You did well, defeating the champion of Eudaemon, even if you had to consort with Darkness to do so.¡± Agathos actually smiled at me. ¡°Siding with Erebus the way you did was unconscionably stupid. Your kind turns to darkness far too easily. I am not inclined to help you.¡± Wisps melody turned discordant towards the end. ¡°I will admit fault. Taking her before led to the path she took. I will help.¡± Spider for the win. Tricksters head is frozen. Minutes pass with no reaction. ¡°Trickster. Your turn for judgement has..¡± Spiders voice cuts out, as the world is plunged into darkness. From behind, I can feel hands touching me, sliding over my shoulders, past my chest, towards my legs. A head rests on my shoulder. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to try you out, little fly.¡± Tricksters hands trail up towards my head, and I can feel the cocoon holding me in place loosen. Her hands continue across my collarbone, leaving an icy trail up to my neck before they leave my body. I stand up, freed. ¡°I saw what you did to Huntex. I¡¯m not making any deals with you.¡± I can barely see her in the glow cast from my face and Ephraim. Her face doesn¡¯t move as her head tilts from side to side, considering me like a dog would a strange new animal. ¡°You have a lot to learn about us, cutie. That was Ashlad, not me. The fool, the happy go lucky hero, the violent drunk when his glory days fade. I¡¯m much more basic, generous to a fault, disastrous when it counts. I¡¯m the Trickster.¡± I reach out with my planeswalker abilities, finding nothing. ¡°I told you I was going to give you a chance, why are trying to escape like that?¡± Her voice is pouty, contrasting her exaggerated smile. ¡°You told me yourself, you¡¯re the trickster. How could I possibly trust you?¡± She rests one elbow on her hand, tapping her cheek with the other hand. ¡°How indeed. I thought you understood how this worked by now. One group sets you up to be the sacrificial lamb, the other redirects you. Before you know it, the only thing you¡¯re certain of is that the next move will get you closer to whatever trap will finally get you.¡± She moves closer to me, putting one arm around my waist, pressing into me with her side. Bowing her head towards me as if sharing a secret moment. ¡°Darling, I like you a lot. You¡¯re so eager to follow, so deep in denial. But this isn¡¯t actually about you. I¡¯m pulling a fast one on someone much more fun than you. Whaddya say?¡± She punctuates her sentence with a kiss on my nose. Her arm prevents me from recoiling while my hand digs through my backpack for something to use. She moves again, putting a hand behind my head, holding my forehead to hers. ¡°You know the admins are coming. The bastard Asphani told the truth about that.¡± My hand closes around a bottle. If my memory serves, it¡¯s acid. I get ready to smash it across her face. ¡°No baby, not there, a little bit further to the right.¡± I lose my grip on the bottle. Involuntarily, my hand moves with a twitching motion further into my pack. Another hard object. ¡°Oh yeah, that¡¯s the spot. Now all you have to do is make sure he¡¯s holding that when they find him. If you do, I¡¯ll get the others to do their best for you and all your little friends.¡± I¡¯m about to withdraw it, but she stops me. ¡°Nu-uh. Don¡¯t whip that out in here. We¡¯ll be taken in for indecent exposure.¡± She turns away from me, swinging her hips as she walks into the grasping darkness. ¡°I¡¯ll put you back where you came from, you saucy little thing. They are on their way, so make sure you¡¯re ready. Last chance to get it right.¡± She fades into the dark, leaving a brief impression of the backside of the mask and cheshire grin, leaving me stunned. I blink, and I¡¯m back in the village. It¡¯s daylight now, and the grave in front of me is disturbed, like someone just got up and left it. I look away, not wanting to think about her. Around me there¡¯s silence, even the hut is quiet. Inside, there are less people than there were when I left. Scragh and Rinn are gone. Spinvil is still there, snoring in a chair. I leave him to rest, going into the town proper. The barricades have been dismantled in places, allowing people to go back to their homes and their fields. People nod when they see me, some even seem happy. Seeing Loe in the distance, I catch up to him. We exchange pleasantries, and he grills me on what I¡¯ve been up to. I avoid telling him the serious stuff. We part as I ask him to fetch the village leaders. The ones who are left at least. As I instruct him to meet me at his home, I punch him playfully in the shoulder. When we meet up, he begins preparing a nice meal for all of us. Dry roasted fieldrunner legs, stewed vegetables with herbs, baked armourfax and a dessert of candied grasshornet. We begin our meal with great enthusiasm, cleaning up the dishes as fast as Loe can plate them. The mood is high, until Spinvil is the first to disrupt our general happiness. ¡°Did you find out how to get us back home?¡± Dark bags adorn his eyes, a look of resigned hope flickering as I meet them. ¡°I did, and I didn¡¯t. I have an idea, but I¡¯m not sure how to implement it.¡± Rinn squeals in laughter at Scragh as he tries to fit an entire segment of armourfax in his mouth. Spinvil doesn¡¯t say anything else, letting the heavy silence do the job of making me continue. ¡°Look, I can¡¯t reveal too much yet, it¡¯s still too uncertain. All I know is that any moment now, the clock is going to run out, and then we¡¯ll have to make a move, no matter what happens. Then you¡¯ll be able to go home. We¡¯ll all go.¡± He doesn¡¯t seem very relieved, but he stops his line of questioning. Another hour passes, and we go on to play charades. It takes a few tries for us to teach the Weke about it, but we soon find out Hakat is a natural. He stands up, holding his arms above his head, making an evil face. ¡°A monster.¡± ¡°Crayfish.¡± ¡°Gnome!¡± We all turn to look at him for a moment before we continue. Hakat shows us two fingers. ¡°Queen Renea!¡± He touches his nose pointing at Loe, just as the comforting silence is broken by a loud droning noise. I pick up Rinn and nod at Spinvil. ¡°I think it¡¯s time. The rest of you, stay here until it¡¯s clear.¡± As we get outside, I tell them to stay low to the ground, and move stealthily. Rinn hides under her cloak, while Spinvil drinks a potion, making him sort of translucent. I lead them to the barn, as giant eyes in the sky search the valley. I don¡¯t know if we¡¯re seen or not, but there¡¯s no reaction from the ocular intruders. In the distance, I can see trees being torn up by invisible hands, thrown about like they were matchsticks. The swamp is being ransacked as the admins are looking for the glitched control centre. As we get to the barn, we find it in the same dilapidated state as before, without any guards. I told them there wasn¡¯t any point in staying here, that taking care of the wounded was more important. I hug Rinn tight after we get inside the doors, quietly handing her my crown. ¡°Keep this safe and out of sight for me, okay?¡± My voice is barely a whisper. She nods, taking it from me, and we continue inside. The walk feels longer than before, in the oppressive silence between the booming noise from the sky, from the admins looking for.. Looking for us. Too late to run and hide now. We enter the chamber of the elders, and the two others gape at the weirdness of the large room. I tell them to stay by the door as I walk towards the pool, towards the lone figure kneeling on the floor. He looks up as I get close. ¡°Did you finish the job?¡± He stands, looking at me. Is there confusion in his eyes? ¡°I went to Spider. He told me he might help me. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll be here in time.¡± He closes his eyes, blows a deep breath through pursed lips. ¡°That really isn¡¯t good enough, Shae. I needed you to create a real distraction. How did you even get away from them? Even if he decided to help, he should have kept you restrained until you could leave the game.¡± I look him in the eyes, acting casual. ¡°I told him you were the one who orchestrated it all. He got really excited about that.¡± He tries to hide it, but his eyed reveal some surprise. ¡°You did? That¡¯s amazing! I never took you for someone who¡¯d sell your friends out like that. I bet he completely ignored it, insisting that you belonged to him.¡± His words confuse me a little, but the feeling slips into anger quick. ¡°Friend? You¡¯ve manipulated me since I came into this village. Hell, I bet you¡¯re the one who planted Lesiraxans tomb where someone like me could find it in the first place. You know, fuck this, and fuck you.¡± I removed the crown from my head, throwing it at him. He catches it in one hand with wide eyes. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.¡°You can have this back. You¡¯re the one preventing it from working anyway.¡± He chuckles softly. ¡°Oh Shae, do you think I¡¯m that stupid?¡± He raises the crown up in the air. ¡°That I can¡¯t tell when a low level illusionist like yourself is trying to pull a fast one? Please.¡± He holds the crown high, crushing it in his hand. The sound of shattering glass fills the room, and his mottled skin is covered in acid. Whatever magic protected him from the liquids in the elders pool doesn¡¯t seem to be active anymore. His confusion is momentary, then he screams as he falls to his knees, futilely grasping at his face. I calmly walk over to him, watching him for a moment before kicking him squarely in the chest, knocking him to the ground. Kneeling on his good arm, I place the glowing source of energy in it, quickly wrapping it with all the rope I have left, locking it in place. Then I stab him through his shoulder for good measure, pinning him to the mouldy floorboards. His screams reach new heights as I leave the room, spending all the mana I have broadcasting my thoughts to the world. ¡°Come and get it.¡± By the time we¡¯re in the bone room, hiding in a corner, the roof of the barn has been torn off. Right above us is a set of eyes, focusing on the chamber of elders. The droning sound stops as suddenly as it started, and the eyes fade away, leaving a beautiful view of the three moons, Paraton shining it¡¯s reddish glare over the world. I stand up, helping Spinvil and Rinn get to their feet. She holds out the crown to me, but I wave her off. ¡°No sweetie, you can keep it. If you ever come back here, it¡¯ll be the coolest accessory ever.¡± She smiles and puts it on. Spinvil is still looking worried, so I give him an awkward pat on the back. ¡°Oh my, are you trying to make me jealous, babe?¡± The others look nervous as the weird Harlequin walks in from the fungus room. I turn towards her, placing myself in front of my team. ¡°Children present. Keep it PG.¡± She tuts, folding her arms across her chest. Her frozen grin was scary, but she conveyed mild disappointment, not fear or anger. Some kind of mind effect or ability maybe? ¡°Fine, fine. I¡¯ll be.. Appropriate. You managed to fulfil your end of the deal. Not exactly the way I thought you would, but physical violence is fine when it gets the job done. The admins will have a field day with him. With their attention focused on that task, we can take our time covering our tracks. By the time they come back to clean the place up, the residents will be hidden somewhere else. But without the admin dungeons and evil mushroom puppets I think.¡± I smile at her as I take a hold of Rinn''s hand. ¡°So, can we go back now? I¡¯d really like to get a good night''s sleep again. Feels like I haven¡¯t been out there in forever.¡± Spinvil comes up next to us, putting his hand on Rinn''s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve pulled some strings. Spider is fixing your tethers as we speak. There is a problem with the little girl and the comatose guy. His body isn¡¯t any better than his avatar. Even when his ripcord is available, he won¡¯t be able to pull it. If he could pull it, he would just resume being.. Well, a lump of meat.¡± I look at Rinn, squeezing her hand tighter. ¡°What about her.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how Basilisk managed to get a hold of her, but she¡¯s in a secure facility. She¡¯s been there for a long time now, and her body hasn¡¯t been cared for. She¡¯ll live, probably, but it¡¯ll be a long way to recovery.¡± I nod, relieved. ¡°Can you make sure emergency services get there? Or can you give us the address so we can call them?¡± She nods, giving us what we need. Spinvil touches my shoulder, getting my attention. ¡°It¡¯s back on, it¡¯s working. I can even message my friends. Jakoph is okay, he¡¯s saying the valley¡¯s been blocked by a force field since Telleran was defeated. We can go home.¡± I hug him. ¡°Go on. I¡¯ll make sure Rinn goes too.¡± He vanishes as soon as I let him go. I kneel to look Rinn in the eyes. It takes me a few moments to explain what the ripcord is and how to use it. Then she hugs me tightly. I hug her back, closing my eyes until her presence is gone. I stand up. ¡°We¡¯re not done yet, are we?¡± She shakes her head. ¡°We haven¡¯t found out what happened to Basilisk and Erebus. The others will want to know. It could be a job for you maybe?¡± I laugh, louder that I¡¯d meant to. ¡°No, thank you. I would really like to relax for a bit. When I come back, I¡¯m going to spend some time with the Weke, helping them rebuild. I¡¯ll work on my skills, try out trading and diplomacy. Maybe we¡¯ll be able to shape these furballs into a real presence in this world.¡± She nods. ¡°Now that we¡¯re alone, do you wanna..¡± I step back, holding up my hands. ¡°What is wrong with you? I¡¯m not into.. Whatever you are. You¡¯re really good at ruining moments, you know?¡± She giggles, waving goodbye as I look at the ripcord handle. I take a quick step forwards, hugging her. ¡°Nobody will ever believe I got this close to an avatar of Chaos.¡± I pull the cord before she replies, and the world around me shatters. Everything goes black. Strobes of white light flashes through the emptiness as I feel myself pulled upwards, then falling downward. I can hear a tearing sound cutting through the deafening silence, and a scream. It takes me too long to realise it¡¯s me. It keeps going, faster and brighter and louder, moment by moment, until I know I can¡¯t handle it anymore. Then it keeps getting worse. Finally, a blessed shattering sound breaks the world, and my mind can rest. ¡ª ¡°Joshua Peters. I¡¯m here every day, look, just call Dee, she¡¯ll vouch for me.¡± The surly guard finally waves him through. Parking his car, he picks up his folder before heading inside. A large sign adorns the side of the building. ¡°Golden heights institute for neural research.¡± In smaller text underneath, it read ¡°Funded by Primacor¡± His badge gets him in. His years of first recruiting for experiments, then falling victim to one has given him a degree of access few others have. He was planning on using the leverage to get a nice retirement package in a few years, but that¡¯s out of the window now. This is more important. The wards are filled with comatose patients. Victims of random mishaps, injuries, pre-existing conditions. The stuff they know might happen. They¡¯re here for research, not for any humanitarian reason. Next are private rooms, where the VIPs are placed. Sons and daughters of rich people who went a bit too far. Drugging themselves before entering the game, various attempts at going perma. Pointless waste. In the far end of the wing is the locked ward. His pass gets him through here as well, after a thorough search. These are the people which the company can¡¯t afford to let slip. The cases where liability is easily established. There aren¡¯t a lot of patients here. A lot of them had next of kin who wanted the world to know. Primacor has power though, power and resources. The ones who wouldn¡¯t play ball just vanished. He finally reaches her door. ¡°Sharon Reisen¡± He takes a deep breath before opening the door. She looks straight at him. Her hair is brushed, put in a ponytail. Her mother must have visited today. She felt worse than anyone about what happened. Nobody told her what really happened, blaming it on the hardlink, on the hardware, on the day they had Sharon moved. He sits down across from her. The padded furniture feel insulting somehow. She isn¡¯t violent, hardly ever moves. She has to be fed by hand, or she¡¯ll waste away. But rules are rules, no hard surfaces. He opens his folder, one side of the binder up, blocking her from seeing the three shapes hanging on it. A star, a square and a circle. He snaps his fingers to get her attention. Others have mentioned how rude it is. He doesn¡¯t tell them it¡¯s only part of the reason he has such good rapport with her. He talks soothingly to her for a little while, letting her get used to his presence, his voice. Then he gets down to business. ¡°Which shape is next.¡± She holds up two fingers. Square. ¡°Next¡± One finger. Star. ¡°Next.¡± She holds up four fingers. ¡°There are only three shapes.¡± Four fingers again. He smiles, reaches into his pocket, pulls out another piece of paper. Triangle. The words were meaningless of course. She didn¡¯t have the ability to speak. Moving her fingers was the only interaction she made these days, and he had started to suspect it was a red herring. But she was always right, she always knew the next shape he was thinking about. The tests continued for a while, just another way to keep her active, socialised. When he finished, he stopped by the door, turning towards her. She was looking straight at him. ¡°Rinn sends her love. She¡¯ll come visit soon. Thank you for bringing her back to me.¡± She was motionless. He left the room. A quick detour to the orderlies station before leaving, chatting to them, offering them treats, joking a bit. It made things easier when the staff liked him. ¡°Can you show me the latest tape please?¡± The lead orderly, Dee, leaned over the desk, flipping some switches on the console. ¡°Sorry sir, against company policy. Can¡¯t show the tapes to anyone but management.¡± She winked as the tape started playing. A video from inside Sharon''s locked cell. She was sitting nearly motionless, blinking intermittently. Suddenly, her eyes fixed on the wall. Panning slowly towards the door, her gaze landed on Joshua as he opened her door. Fast forward. As he left, her head turned to follow his progression down the hallway. ¡°We also noticed this.¡± Dee pushed another button, and the video went to live feed. Sharon looks up at the camera. ¡°And then we do this.¡± She turned the video off, waited a moment, then brought up the recording. Sharon stopped looking at the camera as soon as the live feed turned off. ¡°What does it mean?¡± Joshua shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know Dee, but I¡¯m going to find out.¡± ¡ª Loe was running ahead, pretending to be useful without much success. His prosthetic leg was amazing, nearly indistinguishable from a real one. The new valley was beautiful. The winter frost had coated everything in fine dust, making the world feel clean. Trickster had kept her word, and everyone was moved before the admins came back to finish cleaning up. Now, life continued slowly but steadily. Scragh had organised all the able bodied Weke into work teams, and the new village was coming along nicely. They¡¯d all decided to build their dwellings above ground this time around, as it fit better with the climate here. Nevertheless, Loe had expressed a wish to dig a nice cellar to sleep in. It was telling that nobody argued. Everyone shared the wonderful sense of optimism after the gruelling challenges of the last few weeks. Only 150 Weke survived the calamities. Most of the guards and all of the scouts had been killed. Enough children and civilians survived that continuing their society would be hard, but feasible. It was still important to branch out a little, join the wider community. With the resources here so easily available, it should be possible to set up some lucrative trade routes. Spinvil had come by to visit, as had Jakoph. They both had made formal apologies, pledging their service to the village for their sins. Jakoph turned out to be an architect in real life, lending his skills to the reconstruction effort. Spinvil was a highschooler, a latchkey kid. Nobody to look for him when he was stuck in the game, and nobody to greet him when he made it out. Apparently, rescuing Rinn had made him a minor hero in the local media. He declined a hardware upgrade from the company, citing addiction worries if the experience was too good. In reality, he was terrified of being stuck again. I didn¡¯t remind him that he got stuck with his current gear. No point in ruining a perfectly nice work session. As for me, I was doing better. I was feeling numb the first few days, like a part of my soul had gone. I knew it was only a part of my mind, of course. I didn¡¯t really think too hard about what that meant for the nature of consciousness. The others told me I¡¯d vanished completely from above. My parents had moved to a neighbouring town, the house released to the apartment pool. I kinda hoped my body was still alive out there, that she made it fine and was happy. We deserved that. We reach our destination, my town hall. A real government building, with a stone foundation, pine and oak wood and heavy shutters. Three fireplaces made it nice and toasty when needed, and a large kitchen gave me the chance to play around with cooking. It all felt like a vacation, a well earned one, but I could still feel the clouds on the horizon. If this was going to be my home from now on, I had to take care of business. My missing adversaries, the neighbouring kingdoms, my lingering quests. I distract Loe with a small illusion, stealing an apple from his pack. Responsibilities could wait. For now, I rest.