《Apocalyptic Earth Game》


 Ch 1 - The asshole that broke us up

    It was the year 2026, yet nothing really changed in the last 10 years. Technology continued to advance at a rapid pace. Afterall, cellphones had done the same since the early 2000''s. And the latest technology was taking the world by storm now. For five years now, Virtual Reality had gone from basic 3d glasses to full immersion headgear that utilized brainwave technology. This was just the latest advancement in human civilization. Of course, the price was high and the latest software and games always pushed the limits.


    Thats where we find ourselves now, with the Recca 6 Headgear. I bought one last month.


    I had planned to buy 2 and gift one to Kirsten, but we broke up. Actually that asshole broke us up. I always knew he wanted Kirsten all for himself. But never would I have imagined the girl I knew for four years would suddenly be out of my reach. Well, he didn''t actually break us up because we weren''t really going out together, but we would be soon. We practically were!! In fact all of my friends referred to her as my girlfriend, and I bet hers did too. I just never really said it to her. And of course, we mostly just hung out and did things together. The most intimate I ever got with her was a piggy back ride.


    I hope Kirsten doesn''t fall for him. Actually, I never would of known what he was like if he didn''t approach me that one day. Byron, his name was Byron. A slick young fellow who could really talk and had quite a few girls interested in him. In fact, Kirsten was the only girl in our class who wasn''t always hanging out with him.


    I guess i''ve always been a rebel. Only Kirsten saw something in me. Of course I had friends, but none got too close ''cuz I beat that one dude silly for hitting on Kirsten. He actually dared to touch her while asking her to go out with him. That was three years ago when we were in middle school. The rumours were that I was violent. Nobody really knew why I beat that kid up, not even Kirsten, since we weren''t really good friends yet. It was before I ever even talked to Kirsten, but that boy.... what was his name? Teko, kinda forced himself on her and pressured her. It might of been nothing, but to me, Kirsten was the first person who noticed me. She had only just said one sentence to me since I started middle school. "Your hair would look better if you grew it out just a little." And I grew it out a little. It''s a little wavy now I guess, and I guess it makes me better looking.


    I''m pretty fit for a guy, but I have sort of a brutish personality. I guess it shows in my face. And I''m not so much the fun loving kind of guy, you could say I''m a little aloof.


    Anyway, if it was just a fight, I think I could whip that asshole Byron who broke us up. Of course, guys like him are good at lots of things, and he didn''t look like a wimp necessarly. Still, I got more on the line.


    So fast forward to my last year of junior high, and that asshole Byron approaced us.


    "Tristan, hello. I have something important to discuss with you. Can you meet after school at the ballpark?" He said.


    "If it''s important you can tell me now." I had no plans to rendezvous with some guy I barely knew but who always looked at Kirsten with that evil eye.


    Right now, he was looking at Kirsten and practically flirted with her right in front of me. In fact he never even looked at me when he spoke. Typical center of attention kind of guy. Wants it all.


    Kirsten was friendly with everyone though. She didn''t even take notice of Byron''s action, or if she did, she didn''t let on. Kirsten was sitting on the desk next to mine, swinging her legs. Byron glanced down and looked at her whole body. I was about to get up and pummel this asshole right here and now.


    "It''s personal." Byron said, still not deigning to even look at me. Then he just turned away and walked back to the crowd of boys and girls he hung out with. Or more like it was him who they hung out with.


    Kirsten jumped off the desk and faced me. "Oh, you got personal things? Stuff you can''t tell me?" She poked fun.


    "I have no idea, but I guess I''ll hear him out." I quelled my anger. The beauty in front of me could have that affect on me.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Tristan, lets go to the movies tonight. There''s that Sharknado 12." Lol, this girl.


    Her taste in movies was bad, but I didn''t mind. Maybe it wasn''t bad, but she liked these B movies with sharks and some scifi stuff. She didn''t really let society dictate everything for her. Except she loved the VR games. It was back then half way through the last year of junior high that I decided to use some of my savings and get her the Recca 6 when it came out. It was going to be a surprise.


    After school, I went to the ball park and the asshole made me wait for 10 minutes before he showed.


    "So what''s this about?" I asked.


    "You are going to break up with Kirsten today."


    "The fuck?".... "Byron is it? Have you got a death wish?" I knew this asshole had been looking at Kirsten, but now I could see just how underhanded he was. "There ain''t nothing you can say to me that will get me to hurt that girl. Fuck off asshole."


    "Ohh?? Haha, you are going to really hate yourself now, or me I don''t know. I don''t care." His eyes narrowed. "I know who your brother is. Peter Suddleworth. And last night, in the alley behind Franky''s, he beat a man to death. Nobody saw it. Just me. And you know, I heard Peter has a record. If the police get wind of this....


    it will be bye bye big brother!


    The guy kinda deserved it,


    but that''s another story." My mind was reeling as this asshole spoke his words.


    "So listen, you are gonna break it off with Kirsten tonight, and you are never gonna talk to her again. If you don''t do it properly, I''m gonna report what I saw to the police, and you know, prison... is a hard place. In 20 or 40 years, Peter might not even be the same person..... Hahaha...."


    I listened silently. He had dirt on Peter, my older brother. Peter was 23 years old, and had been convicted of assault once already. He beat the son of the mayor who was an asshole himself, and who insulted Vanessa, Peter''s wife. Peter did 6 months in jail when he was 21.


    Still though, I didn''t say anything to Byron. I just walked away.


    I was lost in my own thoughts. This was dead serious.


    "Hey, are you gonna do it?" Byron called out after me.


    My mind was trembling. My brother is a good person. He is my brother! Not only that, but him and Vanessa are having a kid. I can''t let anything happen to him. But Kirsten, Kirsten... Kirsten!!!! My mind wanted to break.


    It was 6 oclock by the time I settled myself enough to think. "I''m going to fuckin wreck that mother fucker!!" I thought to myself. But right now there was nothing I could do. I called Peter.


    He gave me the short story. He knew he needed to be careful. Not only that, but he promised Vanessa. Yet some guy had it in for Vanessa, his wife! He didn''t tell me all the details. My guess is that the only way he would risk his life with Vanessa is if Vanessa was in serious danger. I didn''t push him to explain the details. Still though, he apologized to me. Endless apologies. He didn''t want his little bro to get dragged into this.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll make sure this stops with me." I promised Peter.


    We hung up. I had to sacrifice, and I had to hurt the girl I loved. I didn''t really know how much she loved me back then. If I did I might not have made the call.


    Thirty minutes later.....


    Ring Ring.... Kirsten pulled the phone out of her purse.. She was dressed nicely and people walking by were looking at her. A beautiful girl standing in front of the movie theater all alone.


    "Kirsten, I have something to say."


    "It better be an apology! We are missing the movie trailers and Sharknado 12 is going to start in 2 minutes!!!!!" She growled at me.


    "Kirsten, I''m going away. I''m going to take care of my grandfather in Charleston. I''m leaving tonight."


    "Charleston!!!!!!! Are you kidding? That''s more than 800 miles away!!! Tristan, is this a joke? Are you watching me around the corner right now?"


    "I''m not kidding. My grandmother is old, and my grandfather is getting sick. She can''t take care of him by herself. And my parents are working. And my brother..... is having a kid. I''m gonna transfer to Charleston High at the start of next year."


    "Are you kidding me? You still have 5 months left in junior high!! You can''t leave! You can''t!" By this time the pretty girl in front of the theater was sobbing and she sagged down and leaned against the pillar at the entranceway.


    There was silence for a while. She suddenly jumped up! "I''ll go with you! We''ll have a lot of fun! I already know your grandparents from when they visited and I''m sure they''ll want another pair of helping hands! I''ll talk to my mom! She''ll let me if I''m with your grandparents!" That was probably true. Kirsten and Tristan had been inseperable for almost four years now. Their families had long sice gotten to know eachother.


    "No. To tell you the truth Kirsten, there is a girl I like in Charlestown, I met her on my last visit over Christmas vacation... It would be awkward. I am in love with that girl, I''ve been thinking about her this whole time."


    There was a long pause.


    "You are a liar!!!! Liar!!! Tristan you! Why are you lying to me?"


    "Good bye Kirsten, we are friends only. We''ve always been friends. But you can''t always be with your friends."


    The phone hung up. Wild eyed and tears streaming down, the beautiful girl in front of the theater slumped back down and cried violently as people passed by.

 Ch. 2 - A crazy violent girl.

    That was 9 months ago that I left my hometown Alabaster and moved to Charleston. Nobody except me and my brother Peter knew the reason why. I told my parents about the girl I liked in Charleston, one of the girls I met at the Christmas get together. Also, it was true that someone needed to go to Charleston to take care of grandpa Newt. Of course it was going to be my father who would take off from work to do it.


    In the end they agreed to let me go. It would make everything easier on the family.


    I left my life behind me. I still decided to get the Recca 6 though. I was into games especially since meeting Kirsten. Not only that but I had a plan.


    School was starting at Charleston High and I had to go. I tried to put it off and didn''t go for the first month, but then my parents called.


    So it was the first day of school for me and I was introduced.


    "This is Tristan, he''s from Alabaster, but has family in Charleston, please everyone make him feel welcome." The teacher was an older gentleman, who wore spectacles and always had his face in a book.


    Tristan saw the only empty seat in the class room and walked over to it, as a few people sent out shouts of greeting, although it was totally lackluster.


    Tristan wasn''t really into it either. Lately he had been using the Recca 6 Configuration World alot, and was totally ready for Apocalypse Earth to come out, which was this weekend. Class was a total bore. He heard some of his classmates talking about the Recca 6 and Apocalypse Earth but he didn''t really join in. He was wondering if Kirsten was able to get a Recca 6. They were expensive, and she didn''t have a job. But her family was well to do. She had the Recca 4, but hadn''t upgraded.


    Tristan left school as soon as it was over. He headed straight home. He was riding his skateboard and zooming along until a girl who was riding a bike in front of him wouldn''t let him pass. Actually, she wasn''t really trying to stop him, but she seemed to not really be good at riding a bike! Boom! Finally she crashed into an internet pole but she slid off the bike just in time to avoid getting injured


    "Geeeeeez!!! Stupid bike!" Suddenly the girl was kicking the bike.


    Tristan slowly came to a stop. "Are you ok? You look like you should use training wheels on that bike.. How old are you?"


    "How old am I? We are in the same class dummy! If you hadn''t been spacing out all day you would know that!"


    "So you are 15?"


    "Yes, do you have a brain?"


    "Easy, I just wanted to make sure you are okay. Anyway, I got to run!"


    "Oh? Are you trying to get the early release of Apocalypse Earth?" She asked.


    "How did you figure that out?"


    "So am I! Almost everyone in school who has enough money is zooming home to download the game."


    At this point, Tristan noticed that this girl was quite nice looking. Extremely pretty could be the word. If he didn''t have Kirsten to think about, he might even want to get to know her better. Suddenly he was thinking of Kirsten. God he wished he could be with her.


    "Hey space case. Did you already configure your Recca 6?" This girl was unusually violent in the way she spoke. This made him miss Kirsten even more. Still, he couldn''t help himself.


    "Are you flirting with me? I don''t even know your name. I would put you at a 9.5 if you had a better personality." He was just joking. But she turned violently red!


    "Molester!!!!" She screamed. There were shops across the road, and people walking by too! They all turned to look at Tristan.


    Geez! Finally he said "This girl!" outloud, hoping that people would understand his situation.


    Inhaling deeply, he decided he didn''t want anything to do with her. She was violent, and didn''t like anyone to one up her in anything! She had an evil streak about her where she wouldn''t hesitate to throw you under a bus!


    Tristan didn''t even wait for any thing to happen, at this point, she had outed him as a molestor in front of so many people. He jumped on his skateboard and zoomed off. He was good at riding, and he could jump and do tricks. So he didn''t hesitate to pull every move he could as he sped away. He even jumped a car as it stopped in the middle of the crosswalk!


    Back at the bike, the girl''s eyes narrowed. She picked up her bike and looked off into the distance after him, but only for a second. Then she gave the bike another try.


    Tristan was home in a flash. It wasn''t really home, it was grandpa Newt''s and grandma Sheryl''s house. But Tristan had his own room, and grandpa Newt was already fully recovered. If that was all to Tristan''s stay, he would have already gone back to Alabaster, to that lovely charming girl of his. But he convinced his parents that he should stay on for the school year to keep an eye on things here.


    Up in his room, Tristan loaded the game Apocalypse Earth onto the Recca 6 he had bought. He had a part time job but he put in notice last week. He wanted to get lost in Recca 6, he wanted to see Kirsten there. He wanted to tell her everything.


    After loading the game, he chose a name for himself. It would have to be something Kristen would never guess. Since she would likely play this game, and it was possible they would meet, he had to keep his identity secret. Knowing that asshole Byron, he would likely keep tabs on Kirsten even in the virtual reality world.


    He couldn''t let that guy know if he was going to be near Kirsten. He couldn''t even let her know, since that guy might get a clue.


    The name he chose was SunDome.


    27,000 years after the Earth was destroyed by the comet Zendor, human civilization had reverted back to a type of mideval times. The game lacked any modern tools, because electricity was interrupted by the Zendor elements, which somehow interfered with physics on Earth. The Earth changed. Nature took it''s own path and covered over almost all of the previous civilization''s modern buildings. In fact it was extremely rare to see something from the previous civilization.


    There were villages and towns, but very few cities. People were inherenty distrustful. The game world was set in the apocalytpic civilization which gradually came into existence thousands of years after the cities fell and the earth was reshaped.


    SunDome stepped into the sunlight. He was in a small town and there were various NPC''s working. His body was exactly as it was in the real world, a feature of Recca 6. He would have to change that.


    He walked into a nearby shop. Inside there were potions, various items that contained magical properties, medicines, and a few simple weapons.


    In some ways, Apocalypse Earth was much simpler than the real world. But in other ways, it was more complex. Because of the Zendor Comet, magical properties were introduced. Other things like modern medicine were forgotten and had long since been replaced by natural medicines. Due to the magical properties of the rock in the Zendor Comet, the earth grew new kinds of plants, and many older plantlife was extinct or became a hybrid.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Although Apocalypse Earth was a game. With the advent of Virtual Reality, the game elements had been lessened, and it was more like another reality, another world.


    There were still quests, and glory, and magical items, but most things like in game menus were gone. It was more like stepping into another world, than playing a game.


    Tristan, rather liked this feeling. Nobody in this town knew he was from the real world. They were all NPC''s and they just lived their own lives.


    "What can I interest you in, fella?" A burly man stood behind a counter.


    "I''d like to hide my identity." The person known as Sundome answered.


    "Ahh, on the run are we?" The shopkeeper said with a sly grin.


    Sundome didn''t answer. The man brought out several items. He brought out a chrome mask, and some herbal potions.


    "Here, this mask will conform to your face on the inside, and will look like so on the outside. It''s not exactly a handsome face, but..." The man glanced at SunDome. SunDome wasn''t handsome in a flashy way, but his face showed strength. "Never mind... it will look very handsome on you." The man finished.


    "How much?"


    "52 bronze." The man said, then added "Also 34 bronze for this potion." He held up the potion.


    "What''s it good for?" Sundome asked, although he already had an idea.


    "It masks your aura... Everyone has a distinct aura, so even with a mask, others might still be able to figure out who you are."


    "I''ll take em both!" SunDome said. A chrome mask and a distinctly new aura.


    He bought a couple of other items like a cape for warmth, some food, and a cheap sword. All his money was on his person, not in some fancy menu. He didn''t have enough bronze coins, so he gave the only silver he had. With that, he got some change and left the shop.


    SunDome spent two days in that town. Learning everything he could about Apocalyptic Earth. The people there even called it that. Gradually he saw other newcomers arrive. Players from the real world. He spent every hour that he wasn''t in school in the game. He even slept in the game.


    Soon, a quest came. It didn''t come like a pop up screen or anything, but it came as a person who read from a scroll. "The city of Yorkshire is bedeviled by the Were Demon. Anyone who can capture or kill this demon will be rewarded handsomely. The rewards are 300 silvers, a Denquet Dagger, and your name written on the Plaque of Righteousness in the city square.


    As he was listening, his mind seemed to be thinking of something else. As if something in the back of his mind was trying to get his attention.


    "Tristan, Tristan!! Wake up. It''s morning." He awoke to Grandma Sheryl gently shaking him. The Recca 6 used brainwave technology to let the user sleep and play in their dreams. This huge technology jump was responsible for the huge word of mouth buzz spread by everyone from Tokyo to Moscow to Africa.


    "I''m up grandma, what is it?" He took off the Recca 6 Headgear. Before he exited, Sundome dissappeared from Apocalypse Earth.


    His mind was still on the Were Demon Quest. Interesting, he thought.


    "There''s that young Kirsten from Alabaster here! She took the train for two days just to get here. Comeon, hurry and shower, then come downstairs to eat breakfast. She got in late last night and already slept in the guest house."


    Tristan froze. Kirsten was here???


    The one girl he wanted to see the most in the whole world but really shouldn''t. His brother''s life was on the line! As was Vanessa''s and their child.


    If he could hold out for a couple of years, that asshole might move on to something else that takes his fancy. Then he might be able to explain himself to Kirsten. Or at least apologize. Truly what his brother had done could never be said by his own lips.


    He showered and came down. It was a school day too. At the breakfast table, there was Kirsten, beautiful Kirsten, with long flowing hair surrounding her round shoulders and she was dressed in a tanktop. It was his tanktop.


    "What are you doing here?" He asked. He was cold and impolite. He didn''t know how else to handle the situation. If she felt even a hint of warmth from him, she would likely try to stay, or try to keep in touch. He had to hold himself back just from hugging her though!


    "Hah! My parents let me come, I can only stay till tomorrow though. Let''s hang out! Do you have school? Can I come as a guest?"


    Ugghhh. He put on a twisted expression. Still he sat down and ate quietly. He listened to Kirsten and the sound of her voice was like music in his heart. He felt like the whole world had suddenly slowed down. But he couldn''t show it. Instead he put on the most blank and uninterested face he could.


    "I took a job over the summer and bought a Recca 6!" She was saying. "I didn''t get the early release of Apocalypse Earth but I plan to get it when I get back. Do you want to play together? Did you get the Recca 6 yet?"


    "No." At this point, I lied.


    Grandma Sheryl gave me a sharp look. Before I headed off to school with Kirsten in tow, Grandma Sheryl pulled me over to the side. In a whispering voice she said "Why are you lying young man? There had better be a very good reason for it. That girl is so nice. I thought you two...."


    "No. And there is a reason. But I can''t tell you."


    "Ok ok, but please don''t hurt that girl, she is such a wonderful person."


    "Ok." I said.


    On the way to school, Kirsten talked and skipped and always avoided the obvious things, like what I said to her before leaving Alabaster, and the fact that I didn''t pick up the phone when she called.


    "Listen, Kirsten, I told you, I have a girlfriend, and this will be complicated." I lied again.


    "I don''t beleive you. Who would like you?" She smiled alluringly. But actually, she was holding back tears.


    Not knowing if he could hold back if she cried right in front of him, Tristan blessed his fortune when that Crazy Violent Girl came riding up on a bicycle. "Thats the girl who I like." He said out of desperation, and pointed at the approaching girl, without really looking at her. Those 6 words would change his life. For the worse!


    The Violent Crazy Girl came riding up, sort of uncertain like, as if she would fall over at any moment. However, she managed to stay on the bike until she arrived. Indeed she was beautiful, in a scandalizing sort of way.


    "Why hello, what have we here?" Violent Crazy Girl said.


    "Are you Tristan''s girlfriend?" Kirsten got straight to the point.


    Violent Crazy Girl looked Kirsten up and down, and noticed her subtle body positioning next to Tristan and seemed to grasp everything. "Indeed I am! He''s great in bed!"


    Tristan let out a roar. "How could you say that! How could you say that out loud!"


    Kirsten was confused. She was sure that Tristan had just bluffed but now this girl who was obviously beautiful and seemed to have chemistry with Tristan had just blatantly confessed to something Kirsten herself had never even thought of.


    Seeing the Crazy Girl and Tristan together made it so that Kirsten couldn''t hold back the floodgate of tears.


    Tristan''s jaw was clenched. His fists were curled so tight that he was sure blood would flow. He wanted to knock this girl and her bicycle back to the underworld.


    Kirsten finally wiped the tears from her face. She sniffled a couple of times and didn''t look Tristan in the eye but said, "Actually I really have to get back. I have a lot to do for school and it''s just the start of the year."


    This was exactly what Tristan wanted but it really hurt inside. It hurt to see her hurt, but there was also a strength that she seemed to possess which he only noticed when she looked him directly in the eyes.


    "Good bye Tristan." She said.


    "Yes, you might as well go back to whatever hick town your from girl." Violent Crazy Girl said.


    "My God, could you be any less mean? I''m sorry Kirsten, I really am." He truly was sorry, but couldn''t explain himself.


    He was the asshole now.


    "No, it''s ok, it''s about time I got on with my life... I mean it''s about time I go..... back." Kirsten said. She was trembling even though she wasn''t crying.


    Tristan''s heart sunk, this was her saying good bye. She came here to see if he was just playing games, but he wasn''t, it was real.


    "Kirsten, if there was another way..." He lost his words. "I''m sorry." He said again.


    This was heart wrenching pain.


    "Oh comeon, let the past go." Violent Crazy Girl said.


    Kirsten turned to her and looked at her with clear blue eyes "Your right, I have to let the past go."


    She wrenched her arm away from Tristan who had inadvertantly grabbed ahold of it as he was apologizing. Then she left.


    "Good bye!" Tristan said softly to the girl that he loved. But she was out of ear''s reach.


    A full ten minutes passed as Tristan stared dumfoundedlly in the direction she left.


    "Ahem.... are you going to explain any of that you gorilla or are are you just going to stare off in the direction she went like a dumb shit?" Violent Crazy Girl said.


    Tristan slowly turned to her and looked her in the eyes.


    "That girl is an 11 out of 10, just so you know. You are a 5. You have the personality of a giant pile of dung."


    "What about if we just look at beauty?" She said coyly.


    You may have great looks, but there are a 100 other girls in our school who look better."


    "Really? Name one?"


    She had a point. He over exagerated in an attempt to try to get her back.


    "Carmel coated dung candy" The four words came out of his mouth and were like razors cutting into her.


    "Oh, did I hurt your feelings?" She said sarcastically.


    They were both intensifying their sharp words. It could only end in one way, and Tristan didn''t want to spank her in broad daylight. Who knows what sort of charges she would make against him.


    "I''m not going to explain. Lets just say that I can''t be with the love of my life because of some shit head from my old town. Not only that, but I had to become the shit head asshole you saw just now."


    "Aww, poor you. Do you want your darling to kiss you?"


    "Get away from me."


    With all the talk of relationships, everybody went their separate ways in the end.


    Tristan found out after school that Kirsten left a letter for him.


    "I just want you to have a good life and be happy. I saw your brother Peter and his wife Vanessa. They are both happy and have moved into their own house. I want for you to find someone to be with like that. Whether it''s that girl or some other girl you find in the future. Love Kirsten."


    I wept.

 Ch. 3 - Wellingtons Jaku Mace

    I put on the Recca 6late that night and logged into Apocalypse Earth.


    SunDome appeared again in the town of Telling. Now he wore the chrome mask, and had an aura which was very different than his own.


    He really had only one goal in this game, and that was to secretly find Kirsten, as he now knew for sure that she would be playing. The town of Telling was just one of many towns where players spawned. More and more players were arriving in Apocalypse Earth and many of them already started out on various quests.


    Right now, there were only hundreds of such quests. Each was a low level quest similar to the Yorkshire Were Demon quest. And it seemed the number of low level quests increased as more players joined the game.


    Still, there were probably about 5,000 players for each quest created. This made it so that there was a strong competition to complete each quest. Of course, not all players wanted to level as quickly as possible. Some just wanted to explore.


    Nevertheless, without levelling, death by some strange beasts was a sure outcome if one went too far from the towns or cities.


    Sundome travelled the roads to Yorkshire. He had obtained a basic map, which outlined the surrounding cities, towns and villages, as well as mountain ranges, and forests and rivers. He walked from Telling and passed through a mountainous region before coming to the town of Wrestlewood. Along the way he had joined others and slayed small beasts. He weilded a small sword, but he wasn''t very comfortable with it. For every small beast slain, he received a few coppers, or an occasional gem.


    Gems could be used for cultivating magic.


    He was careful to stay away from the areas marked as dangerous on the map. The map was of Narlath. As far as he could tell Narlath was everything that he could see for hundreds of miles. There were three main cities that had a population of over 200,000 each. Although the biggest had over 600,000. And this was likely to swell as players joined.


    But this was nothing compared to the real world. Yet in Apocalyptic Earth, these were major population bases.


    Narlarth was a huge swath of land between two huge mountain ranges. There was no information about what lay beyond these mountain ranges, nor were there any markings for roads or paths that led over them.


    Smaller mountain ranges dotted the land, and these had names and descriptions as well as warnings for some of them.


    Sundome entered a weapon shop called Wrestlewood Maces. There a tall skinny lad was looking for a Mace. SunDome had also been looking at the Maces, so a conversation naturally sprung up.


    "I wouldn''t get that one." He said. He learned some interesting things on the road to Wrestlewood. Size wasn''t everything. Atalented local had informed him about weapons which had the power of the comet. These weapons were refined from the precious materials of the Zendor Comet, which split up upon impacting Earth. Such materials could also be found, and were considered precious. Whenever they were found, a town usually sprung up, and in some cases, a city!


    "Huh?" The lanky youth grunted. He was studying an ornamental Mace. He had a ponytail and reddish brown hair which is probably what he looked like in real life. He didn''t look up. "Why not this one?"


    Finally he straightened himself and turned to look at the person who spoke to him. But when he did, he saw a man who had a grimaura of death, and a chrome mask instead of a face!


    "I''m just looking! You can have it!" The youth cried out as he gesticulated in a manner which showed his desire to leave.


    "No, thats not what I mean." Sundome said hastily and had to yank the boy back because he was already runningfor the exit. This scared the boy even more who almost went completely limp and resigned to his fate!


    "You need a mace with Zen Power if you want to be strong." Sundome said. "Here, look at this."


    Sundome handed the youth, whose name was Wellington, a device which looked like a wand. Wellington gathered himself and then intently studied the device.


    "What is it?" He asked.


    "It can measure Zen Power."Came the reply.


    He slowly moved the wand over each of the weapons. Within the wand was a liquid and a stone. They somehow synergized when near Zen Power and the stone would move up. It was so as it landed on a basic looking Mace that had the words Jaku written on the handle.


    "That''s the one you want."


    Wellington''s eyes popped. It was priced at 6 silvers! Nobody had 6 silvers at the start of this game. Still that didn''t stop him fromgoogle eyeing it.


    Before he could even pick it up, Sundome reached in and grabbed it.He swung the mace several times before tossing it to Wellington.


    "Ahhhh" Wellington almost let the mace fall to the ground, and he was amazed at how heavy it was. He could barely lift the thing with two hands and this chrome masked guy named Sundome just swung it around with one hand!That was even more amazing.


    "I''ll help you get that Jaku Mace." Sundome said.


    "What do you want in return?" The Wellington asked.


    "We''ll have to pool our talents to get the 6 silvers to buy it. Later you can help me capture the Were Demon. That''s where I''m headed, to Yorkshire for the Were Demon Quest." Sundome said nonchalantly.


    "That''s all?"


    "Yeah, but we''ll do a 80/20 split on the Were Demon if we are successful."


    "Ahh, you drive a hard bargain! I planned to go after the Were Demon too!"


    "Well, you get some help now, and you give some later, it''s a fair deal. Plus the sooner you get a powered weapon the sooner you can become stronger. You''ll be leaps and bounds ahead of most people by doing the deal now.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    That was true.


    "Ok, I''m Wellington! Nice to meet you... Sundome!"


    "Same, same!" Sundome answered.


    The two shook hands and then headed out. They needed silvers to buy the Jaku Mace. Their destination was the Wrestlewood forest just outside of town. It was marked as Dangerous Level 1 on the map.


    "On the way here, I could handle the small beasts that ventured near the roadside." Sundome said. "Those were just Rabbit Pups though. "Nevertheless, we should be able to handle Dangerous Level 1 with the two of us working together.


    "Sounds good!" Wellington said. He again sized up his new companion. Truthfully he was glad to have someone who looked like this with him. No one would mess with them.


    They arrived in the forest and began to hunt the demons which were large rodents with sharp fangs. The rodents would scurry up the trees and then jump down to attack Sundome and Wellington.


    After seeing it a few times, Sundome used what they were doing against them and scurried up after them and dragged them down by the tail.


    Seeing how easily Sundome was able to jump up after them and yank them down by the tail, Wellington commented. "How come you are so strong? And you can jump up there after them so easily? I can''t even climb one of these trees!" He said as he hacked at the one Sundome dragged down.


    "I spent several weeks in the Recca 6 config world, and I used the pressure level as high as I could take it."


    "I did that too, but after level 2, the pressure is almost unbearable. How high did you go?" The lanky Wellington asked.


    "Level 12" Sundome was nonchalant. However it came across as scary, because of the mask and the death aura.


    "Level 12!!" Seriously he couldn''t understand it. Actually, nobody would really be able to understand it. Tristan had used the Recca 6 Config World''s Pressure Challenge to help him deal with the pain he was feeling in his heart these days. He relished the pain, he wanted the pain, and because of that his natural ingame ability had increased dramatically.


    They took a break after a while and sat by a small creek. The fish darted around and the moon was out in the sky. It was an interesting place. A beautiful place. One day Tristan wanted to bring Kirsten here.


    They didn''t light a fire because fire attracted the huge rodents.


    "There are ways you can get strong." Tristan was Sundome again, in mind and body. While in game, he rarely thought of the real world. If it wasn''t for Kirsten, he never would.


    "For starters, theres potions that will help you to get stronger. And just by constantly pushing yourself you can do alot."


    "Yeah" Wellington remembered the words of the shop owner. To weild the Jaku Mace, it was necessary to use potions to reduce it''s power. Then gradually as you get stronger, you can weild the full power and use less potions. Wellington sighed. Power in this world meant prestige not just in Apocalypse Earth, but also in the real world. He had friends, who he would eventually meet in game, and they all knew eachother outside the game as well.


    "By the way, what is that little wand device called? The one that measures the powered weapons." He asked.


    "Not sure myself. It was given to me by a local after we spent the some time travelling together. I guess i''ll call it the Comet Stick for now. It''s like a measuring stick for the comet power. Haha"


    Wellington peered in the moonlight at Sundome. It was odd hearing the man laugh. He looked rather scarry in an old fashioned way. And the mask reminded him of a greek statue, or perhaps it was roman.


    Sundome wasn''t even aware himself of how his voice had changed while using the mask. It just seemed natural to him.


    "Where you from? In the real world?" Wellington asked.


    Silence. Only the insects could be heard. "Anyway, you don''t have to say, I''m from Rochester."


    "Aight, Wellington of Rochester!" You ready to go night hunting?


    They had already killed 6 of the huge rodents. Each one gave 17 bronze coins. They would need to kill a lot more to get the six hundred bronze coins that makes for six silvers!


    "I''m ready"


    Both were weilding small swords which only cost 10 bronze coins. By the time they killed 10 more giant rodents, Sundome''ssword started cracking.


    Before it gave way, he sharpened some spears from some sappling trees.


    Wellington''s sword was still strong, but he didn''t say anything.


    Truth was, Sundome had slaughtered many beasts on the way from Telling to Wrestlewood and he already had 2 silvers saved up.


    After making the spears, they changed tactics a little, but they pressed on and on. They both logged out a few times, but came back to meet at the Wrestlewood Forest.


    So it was that after a day and a night and a day, the two walked back into Wrestlewood with 6 silvers worth of bronze that all the giant rodents had dropped. They also had a few rarer gems which could be used for creating magic.


    They approached the weapon shop and Wellington stepped up first. Just as they stepped up, a huge guy walked out. He held a mace himself and he looked well pleased. He bumped into Wellington as he came out the doors and Wellington nearly flew off the porch to land sprawled out in the mud in front of the place. It was a funny sight, but at the same time the air got tense.


    "I guess you can''t see, can you?" Sundome said to the big guy. The guy had a shaved head and beard. His head was pointy on top.


    Pointy Head took a step back after seeing Sundome. The mask, the aura, it left him puzzled, and a tremor of fear ran through his body. Still he was not a person who was easily intimidated.


    "What are you? Some kind of Holloween character?" Point Head answered.


    Seeing how antsy he was, Sundome just casually said "Settle down will you, an apology is all that''s needed."


    "Apologize my ass!" Pointy Head shouted. He was used to pushing others around. But Sundome had just casually gained the upper hand.


    Wellington was just getting himself up out of the mud when Pointy Head swung his mace. Little did Pointy Head know that it was just a regular mace. He didn''t even know that powered mace''s existed yet! Information had to be gained in game. There was precious little information outside of the game about actual game play.


    He swung at Sundome but Sundome just bent at the waist and casually ducked the incoming mace. Then he used his boot to kick Pointy Head off the porch as well.


    While Pointy Head also sprawled out in the mud, Sundome entered the shop and put six silvers and some change on the counter, then he grabbed the powered mace and the potion he just bought and tossed them both over to Wellington.


    "Here''s your chance Wellington! To get stronger! Hahahaha" Sundome sat himself down on the edge of the porch and watched the confused Pointy Head and Wellington who were both looking at him.


    Pointy Head looked over angrily at Sundome and shouted "You are the one who started this whole mess!"


    "If any more words come out of your mouth that aren''t an apology to my friend here, I''m going to whip you so badly, you are never gonna wanna play this game again." The words may have been corny, but when you took into consideration his overall appearance, the threat sounded extremely credible.


    "Come on Wellington, use the potion, it''ll lower the level of that Jaku Mace." Sundome encouraged.


    Pointy Head was flustered. He looked at Wellington. Most of his anger was at the chrome mask but he had a strange feeling about him. So he turned his anger towards Wellington.


    Wellington quickly consumed the potion. It didn''t really do anything to him but it made it so the Mace was less powerful and easier to weild in his hands.


    "Duck!" Sundome shouted out to Wellington. He had to give this guy some tips! Tristan and Peter use to fight. They played rough and tumble growing up and so Tristan learned early on from his brother how to fight, how to street fight, and how to make someone wish they never met you.


    A small crowd of players were gathered around. Wellington took a hit but he got back up. The two circled about and one after another they both exchanged blows. After some more coaching from Sundome, Wellington finally hit Pointy Head right on his pointy head with that Jaku Mace. Pointy Head slumped down and was out cold.


    "Well done, well done! Are you going to take his coins?" Sundome asked.


    "Huh? No! I''m not going to rob him over a misunderstanding!" Wellington said.


    "Ok, I guess I won''t either, it was your fight." Sundome said. "Still, he might not have done the same for you! In this game, players get robbed all the time. I already seen it happen once before. Anyway, let''s make our way to the next village."


    It was time to get going. A crowd of players had seen the two, and likely, in this area, they would become well known. Player fights were always something that became talked about subjects.


    That was alright, less people would try to steal fromthem.

 Ch. 4 - A minor quest

    Wellington and Sundome continued on for some ways. Sundome bought another cheap sword but he still wasn''t happy with it as his main weapon. Actually, he hadn''t found a weapon he liked yet, so this was just something to earn money with.


    The pair travelled and took on all Level 1 Dangerous areas they passed. Soon they arrived in the town of Dourmoth. Here a minor quest was posted.


    "Find out what was ailing the village and making people sick and put an end to it." The quest paid 25 silvers.


    There were large groups of players in Dourmoth as the 25 silvers interested quite a few. It was at this time that more and more players were talking about powered weapons. They didn''t all have a comet stick. Most of them learned just by inquiring, and after testing.


    This was where the race would start, the race to get a good powered weapon early on. Wellington already had his.


    "Well what do you think?" Sundome asked Wellington. "Have any ideas about how we can get these 25 silvers?"


    "You mean how we can help these ailing villagers right?" Wellington asked.


    "Yeah yeah" Perhaps this strange mask or this aura was making him a little callous. The game was filled with NPC''s, still they were so life like, it was almost like there was no difference between NPC''s and players.


    "Let''s check up that stream. That''s the obvious place for contamination I think." Wellington responded.


    So the two went up the stream. Wellington was pretty bright, Sundome was thinking. He himself might have thought about the stream after an exhaustive brain storm.


    Sure enough, after half a days travel, they came to a small house which was built just a few yards away from the stream. There was smoke billowing out from the chimney, which was coloured and strange powders and stuff heaped on the ground outside.


    "An alchemist?" The smell in the air was indeed funny.


    Wellington walked right up to the door and knocked a few times before opening.


    Inside was a dimly lit room with various potions and some colored flames burning.


    A gray haired old man with a crow on his shoulder was stooped over a large book on the table. Everything was lit by candles inside as there were no windows.


    "Welcome welcome young lads! Have a seat, I''ll be right there." The old man said. His gray hair was frizzy and long running down to his back. He also leaned to one side on a cane.


    "Have you come for some divination perhaps? What is it that you want to know!" He glared strangely at Sundome''s mask before looking at Wellington.


    Wellington stood up with feet spread wide to show a strong position. "We want you to stop poisioning the water! You are making an entire village sick just a half day''s journey from here."


    "Sick! Oh my oh my" The old Alchemist said. "They don''t like me none to much, but that''s because they fear what they do not understand. Here have some tea, you two have been journeying alot lately I see."


    Sundome stood quietly. Neither of the pair had accepted the hospitality yet. Finally Sundome took the tea and sat down. "You two couldn''t be more different. I wonder what adventures brought you to these lands."This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "You can''t fool me, old man!" Wellington braced himself, his mace was strapped to his back and he was braced for a fight while pointing at the man.


    Suddenly his nose sniffed the tea and he realized the man was actually offering him some nice tea.


    "I didn''t poision the water, and only an Angsty Alchemist would create dangerous poisions near a stream that led to a village. I am a Good Alchemist. Everything I am creating here is benefficial and could do no harm."


    "Since you two young fellows are doing a good deed and travelled all this way, then let me help you. Just tell me the symptoms of the illness affecting the village, and I''ll see if I can figure out a way to cure them."


    Sundome took the scene in. If anything this guy was the opposite of a bad guy. He could easily see that. But Wellington, although sipping the tea, was glancing at the crow on the old man''s shoulders and around the room at all the seemingly suspicious alchemist stuff.


    After finishing the tea, Sundome went outside and took a drink directly from the stream, just downriver of the Alchemist''s house. It was sweet, like fresh mountain water. Purer than anything he''d tasted in the real world.


    Then he sat by the side of the stream and waited.


    After four hours, he got up refreshed. That was the easiest test. Now he knew for sure that the problem didn''t come from the stream at all, what to speak of the old man.


    Going back inside,Wellington and the Alchemist Wang, which was his name, were discussing alchemy theory. Sundome waited for them to finish.


    "The water is good." He said nonchalantly.


    The two just kept chatting away. Finally Wellington turned back to Sundome, and he now held a small book which he pocketed. It read ''Basic Alchemy''. "I think I understand that now. With Alchemist Wang''s help we even figured out what the real problem is based on the symptoms of the people in the village."


    "There is a Smoking Weasel around these parts! It''s a giant Weasel that has fumes coming out of it''s body which are black and poisionous. If we kill the Weasel and deliver the medicine, the people of the village will be healed!" Wellington continued excitedly.


    "And we''ll get the 25 silvers." Sundome added.


    Two hours later, they were high in the mountains tracking the Smoking Weasel. They had a bait from Alchemist Wang so they weren''t really tracking it, but he did explain where their natural habitat was. It was a mountain which was nearby Dourmoth.


    The bait was a peice of meat with some special concoction the Alchemist gave them. While they were waiting for it to come Sundome''s mind drifted back to the conversation in the cabin.


    "So Sundome, it looks like you have a peculiar aura about you. You may not be aware, but the death aura causes your aura to change, and a slight almost imperceptable change in personality! As an Alchemist I am aware of these things."


    "But here is something almost no one knows. If you consume a Nightingale Flower, it will augment your death aura which comes from the bones of a Magus Fly, mixed with the honey from the Achmad Desert Bee. Add in the Nightingale and you will be able to attract the Scaly Winged Demons. They will fear you, and obey you. It''s a powerful mix but I''m afraid it will do nothing for your personality, it may even make you more devious. But I trust my eyes and you seem to have a good grasp of what should be done and what should not. Don''t let me down."


    He glanced one more time at the chrome mask, and a worried look flashed across his face. But he quickly put it away.


    "Do you have any Nightingale?" Sundome asked.


    "No. It is not easy to come by and can only be found on the peaks of the Craggy Mountains, west of here." Alchemist Wang said.


    Sundome knew where the Craggy Mountains were from the map. He could go there after completing the Were Demon Quest.


    "And Scaly Winged Demons? Where do I find them?" Sundome asked.


    "You don''t find Scaly Winged Demons. They find you. And you better pray you have the Nightingale when they do."


    That was all to their conversation. While waiting for the Smoking Weasel, he realized he would have to log out soon, but he wanted to finish this minor quest first.


    Suddenly "Oing Oing Oing" A black fume rose from a mountain peak nearby. It was heading this way. The Smoking Weasel caught the smell of the bait!


    "The trap, set the trap!" Wellington said quickly. Indeed, they were going to trap this beast and bring it back to the village. Only when the villagers saw the power of this Smoking Weasel to inflict sickness would they give them the 25 silvers.


    The trap was set and they both climbed the nearby tree. "Oing Oing Oing" The Weasel approached. It''s black fume rose up to them, but they had already taken the medicine to counteract the sickness it caused.


    Suddenly the trap sprang, and the Smoking Weasel was letting off even more poisionous fumes as it struggled angrily.


    Two men and a Smoking Weasel caught in a trap. Down the mountain they went.

 Ch. 5 The Yorkshire Auction House

    When they approached the village, it caused a scene as the smoke was like a sign saying they were coming.


    Sundome went into the village and gathered the mayor, and other fellow villagers. Hundreds of players also came, interested to see who completed the quest. They had also been looking for the answer. Although some of them had gone up the stream, none had gone for half a day.


    "Is that it! What is it? How can we tell if that is really what is causing the sickness!" The mayor asked as they approached. The players also agreed, they didn''t want the quest rewards to go to these two!


    "Come and sniff some of this black fumes before it disappears and you will see that it is indeed highly toxic." Wellington replied in a jovial mood.


    The mayor motioned for someone else to step forward and do the sniffing. An older gentleman finally stepped forward and he approached and took a deep sniff. Suddenly his eyes seemed to crack, and he keeled over.


    "Medicine medicine!" Sundome said. Then he took a knife and slew the Smoking Weasel as Wellington helped the old man with some medicine.


    Then he gave the medicine to the others and as people began to consume it, they instantly found their illness was healed.


    There were plent who stood by as the beast was slayed. The players wanted to see what they missed besides the silvers. Some gems and other oddities came out, among them was a Silver Bell.


    Sundome and Wellington split the goods and Sundome ended up with the Silver Bell and 12 silver peices. Wellington ended up with various coloured stones, and also got 12 silver peices.


    Not knowing what the Silver Bell did, Sundome shook it a few times. Suddenly, it was as if everyone stood still for a few moments. Nobody moved, and everyone just looked at the silver bell. Their eyes wore blank expressions.


    Ding Ding Dong Ding


    The sound filled the air and it was like everything was in slow motion.


    Finally they all snapped out of it, aware that something had happened, but not sure what.


    Amazed, Sundome shook it again, however this time it just made a bell noise like "Ding Ding Dong Ding"


    It didn''t slow anything down, and seemed completely normal.


    Hmm, could it not be used successively? What an interesting weapon!


    After being paid and thanked by the villagers, the two both logged off at Dourmoth Village. They did that for two reasons, one because some of the surrounding players were eyeing them enviously, and the other because it was time to log off.


    When they logged back in 9 hours later, they continued on towards Yorkshire. There was a group that followed them, but they never came close.


    Occassionally the Silver Bell appeared in Sundome''s hand, and when it did, the sound of the bell ringing filled the air. It wasn''t a particular nice sound, and combined with the Chrome Mask and the Eeery aura coming from him, it caused many people to think that no good thing would come from getting close to such a person.


    Wellington practiced constantly with his Jaku Mace, and they slaughtered their way through a myriad of Level 1 and Level 2 Dangerous areas on the way to Yorkshire.


    After four days of travelling, they eventually came to a large city which was surrounded by a moat. There were huge castle walls surrounding the city, and a drawbridge was the only entrance. It backed up against a steep cliff face so there really was only one way in. The city seemed to climb as it neared the cliff face, so that from outside, it seemed to reach the clouds. Yet still the cliff face behind went even further.


    Yorkshire was huge, and the players here numbered in the tens of thousands.


    Yet it was an extremely unfortunate occasion when Sundome and Wellington stumbled upon a woman who was coquetishly beautiful, a possible 9 out of 10, but she immediately sent stinging words Wellington''s way when he stepped on her purple cloak.


    Underneath the purple cloak was a barely clad Violent Crazy Girl sporting a pair of Nunchucks that seemed to be apowered weapon.


    "Are you blind, you stupid mutt head. I have half a mind to Nunchuck you to death right now!" Crazy Violent Girl was yelling at Wellington. She barely noticed the person behind him,perhaps because he hadn''t done something irreparably stupid.


    As she was eviscerating Wellington, Sundome again tried the bell. He even added in a prayer as an afterthought. If the Silver Bell wouldn''t work now, what other time of need would it come to his rescue?


    Out came the Silver Bell and the only thing the world around him heard was the slow slow slow "Ding Ding Dong Ding"


    In that two seconds of time that everyone went completely blank. Sundome thanked God, realizing that it took aproximately 5 days between uses for the Silver Bell to power back up. He hadlong since found that the Silver Bell had a 92% Comet Power according to the Comet Stick.


    He didn''t waste a second of this time that the Silver Bell gave him and only him.  In the blink of an eye while everyone was completely bonkered, he was behind Crazy Violent Girl and put her over his knee. Then he delivered her two very good hard spankings. This was worth 5 days of waiting to use it here and now. If he could bring this Silver Bell with him back into the real world ,it would be his greatest treasure.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Everyone''s eyes suddenly came back from being mystified. Only a few people had seen the Silver Bell come out but they all looked at Sundome now with a strange look in their eyes. Wellington looked over. "I just had the strangest feeling. Like back at the Dormouth Village when we got our reward." But he didn''t press any further.


    Sundome didn''t answer. His eyes were eating up the look on Crazy Violent Girl''s face. Her face showed surprise, confusion, a deep red flush, and finally anger.


    "What the hell! Who did that!!!!!" She looked behind her and the Nunchucks came out. She had no way of guessing that it was either of the two in front of her, especially not the Chrome Masked Sundome becuase he was even further away than Wellington.


    "Did what? What''s wrong?" Wellington asked, a little shocked. He was still trying to place what that feeling was moments ago. He knew he experienced it before. However, he wasn''t able to relate it to the Silver Bell which seemed completely ordinary at all other times.


    At this point, Sundome had a wide smile. Nobody could see that though because the Chrome Mask didn''t move. He coughed lightly.


    "Let''s go." He couldn''t use the Silver Bell again for 5 days, so he didn''t want to be anywhere near Crazy Violent Girl.


    A Chrome Masked youth and a lanky teenager with a Jaku Mace tied on his back made their way through the throngs of people. Sundome and Wellington eventually entered a tavern, and rented two rooms.


    "Let''s make this our headquarters. The Were Demon Quest might take us a while. Also, I need to find a good weapon." They both ate in the tavern downstairs, and discussed how they would proceed.


    "I''ll lend you some silvers if we change the Were Demon Quest to 60/40 take." Wellington said.


    "Hah, you catch on quickly! Well, lets see if I can find a weapon first."


    "Ok I''ll do some information scouting, and I''ll meet you back here in the afternoon."


    "Good man." Sundome got up and took his leave first.


    He purchased a local map of Yorkshire City which was truly large enough that it needed a detailed map. Then he headed towards some weapon shops to find a weapon. He currently had around 20 silvers and some change. If Wellington could get a Jaku Mace that was 39% powered for 6 silvers, he was sure he could find something better.


    Arriving at the first weapon shop, he brought out the Comet Stick and tested the weapons. While there were many powered weapons here of all sorts, none tested much higher than 60%.


    After two hours and 6 more weapon shops, Sundome entered the Yorkshire Auction House, which was a prestigious looking building with a luxuriant inside that certainly said ''we have everything you need''.


    Studying the items which were going to be auctioned later in the week. A Chrome Masked man approached the most beautiful woman in Yorkshire, Miss Contess of Yorkshire Auction House, to discuss an item.


    He didn''t notice her eyes going wide when he entered the Auction House. And she perfectly hid it now.


    "I''ll buy that spear now for twice what you will get at auction!" He said.


    "Oh? So you already have an idea what the spear will go for?" She quipped.


    "25 silvers" Sundome responded. It was low in his mind. The spear was worth at least 50.


    "25 silvers.... Let''s see?" She walked up to the weapon, drank three potions, and then picked it up. "The only reason I can even weild this spear is because I drink one potion every week for the last 5 years. Still I had to drink three more high quality potions just to weild it. Do you understand?"


    "I''ll put down 35 silvers on it tonight and pay more at a specified time." This was more than 7 times what Wellington paid for the Jaku Mace and it was just a downpayment. But he now knew that this spear had 79% Comet Power. The name carved on it said "Sky Beholds" It was entirely black with engravings everywhere and the spear head was long and curved, like an ancient Chinese spear that was used more like a sword with long handle.


    He had been to all the weapon shops and this was the highest grade weapon in Yorkshire. Not only that, but tens of thousands of players would be looking for items right now. However, few would be able to afford such a spear.


    Not only that, but he had the vague idea that the higher % of Comet Power a weapon had, not only was it simply more powerful, but it was probably many many times more powerful.


    "How much will you pay afterwards? What will you put down against it, and when will you pay the due?" Miss Contess responded. Now she was being rather seductive. She liked to talk about money with men, and negotiate and push them as far as they will go.


    "35 more silvers, 35 down and 35 later." Came the answer.


    Just then, she pressed down on a hidden button inlaid into the shaft of the spear, high up near the blade. The Blade seemed to pop off and revealed a chain within the shaft of the spear!


    "So that is the meaning of Sky Beholds, a truly fearsome spear. This was getting more and more interesting. Miss Contess didn''t reveal the full use of the loosed chain blade, but just showing how the blade could be released was enough to get Sundome''s blood boiling.


    She pressed another button and the blade came back into the shaft. Sundome reached over to test the strength of the attached blade and it was strong. There was no way to move it. It was like the shaft and the blade were one peice.


    He hesitated for a bit. "90 more silvers. And i''ll put down the Silver Bell as insurance."


    "Oh? A Silver Bell? How quaint? You think a Silver Bell can match the Sky Beholds Spear?" Miss Contess was looking appealingly. Her seductivity could easily pull in a normal person, who would promptly lose all of their wealth in the ensuing negotiation. But somehow, the Chrome Mask and the Death Aura seemed to give Sundome a levity.


    Sundome didn''t say anything.


    She pulled out her testing device, which was similar to the Comet Stick, and waved it in the direction of the Silver Bell. However her eyes went wide from shock when she saw the reading! 92%Comet Power!


    "Can you demonstrate it?" She asked, still wide eyed and her speech was a little slow.


    "No and under no circumstances are you allowed to use it." He said.


    "Very well, we''ll make the trade, you need to acquire the 35 silvers correct?"


    "Actually, I have 18 silvers on me, you''ll get the rest later." Sundome was suddenly filled with confidence. The Silver Bell was truly a treasure like no other. And he had been incredibly fortunate that the Smoking Weasel dropped it, and that it fell to him since he let Wellington choose first. He could have tested the items right then and there, but didn''t think it was fair to do so at the time. Besides, he thought well of Wellington, he didn''t just intend to use him for business purposes.


    Miss Contess wrote out a contract, which she sealed with blood. Sundome followed suit.


    He put up the Silver Bell as insurance, even though it was worth more than the Sky Beholds Spear itself, althought not by much, unless items truly got exponentially more powerful the higher the Comet Power. Nevertheless, he did it for the shock and awe. He needed to get this spear before others had the chance.


    "Okay, you may take the Sky Beholds Spear now, but when will you have payment. If full payment is not made, the Yorkshire Auction House will not return the Silver Bell, and it will be ours to do with as we choose." Again she spoke entirely with seductive attraction, and her beautiful breasts which were peaking out rose and fell in the most alluring way.


    "Not more than 5 days." It was a promise. SunDome could not allow the Yorkshire Auction House to see the incredible power of the Silver Bell or he might never see it again.


    "Very well." Miss Contess said. "By the way, how much did you buy that mask for?" She asked. It was the one question she had wanted to ask this stranger since he had arrived, but had held back for the sake of negotiations.


    "About half a silver." Sundome responded without thinking too much.


    Miss Contess gasped.


    "Half a silver for the North King''s Mask!???" She suddenly stepped backwards in shock and tripped and fell over.

 Ch 6 - The North Kings Mask

    "What do you mean? The North King''s Mask?" Sundome asked. He never really thought about the mask, and even the wise old Alchemist never said a word. Although his face never seemed to show what he was thinking.


    "You don''t even know!!??? Half a silver?" She gasped as she got back up. She went behind a curtain and then returned holding an old dusty book.


    "I guess time has passed and less and less people remember the North King!" She said. She opened the book to a dusty page and wiped it with her spotless gown.


    She read from the book.


    "The North King raided the lands of Narlath, and pillaged it''s wealth, killed all of the men during the Era of Lord''s. On his crown are the 7 Lord''s of the 7 kingdoms among which Narlath is only one." The picture of the crown was indeed grisly. It looked like there were seven shrunken heads which hung upon it, and each one maintained a visage of death, yet did not decay.


    "The Era of Lord''s?"


    "900 years ago, the Era of Lord''s came to an end when the King of the North entered the 7 kingdoms and took the life of every Lord. However, he was cursed by the Narlath Witch, Shikana, that one day his face would fall off.


    "When the North King had long returned to the North Lands, and the world was weeping in blood as only it''s young children could grow to become men, the curse suddenly ran through the North Lands and a tremor was felt upon the earth. The lands of the 7 kingdoms shook, and a cry of rage lifted up to the heavens. The face of the North King fell off and became the North King''s Mask."


    The North King retreated into his kingdom, not to be heard from again. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    "Two hundred years later, the mask was discovered. It was worn by the Adventurer Solarn. Solarn was a good man but the mask turned him away from that path and led him on a darker more sinister one."


    "Solarn took up the King''s Mask and eventually sought to destroy the very land he was born in, which is Chillany, which lies to the west."


    "Eventually he hid the mask from himself, and that was the last that was heard of it. The North King''s Mask is entirely evil. And it will weild evil power in you."


    Sundome was quiet for a while.


    "How much is it worth?"  He finally asked.


    This caused her to be even more stunned. "It''s a legacy. And evil legacy! And you want to know how much you can profit from it!?"


    Sundome didn''t realize this simple mask had such a legacy. Still he had noticed that his personality was slightly darker, but not on the level of Evil. He paid no heed to her words, and she never gave him an answer as to it''s worth.


    However the story did cause a keen interest to arise in him. The more he thought about it, the stranger this place was. This game, is almost like a reality. It''s a world 27,000 years in the future that he entered into through some time rift it seemed. Of course, that was just his thinking. In reality, it is a software, a game, that was developed for the Recca 6.


    When Sundome exited the luxuriant building with the Sky Beholds Spear in his hand he felt that it''s full weight was something that he could not weild. Luckily Miss Contess also loaned him a few potions to lessen the power of the spear.


    Holding it one hand, and walking down the crowded street, Sundome felt as if his Apocalypse Earth journey was finally beginning. Virtual Reality was like that. Although one could log out, it didn''t feel any different than the real world. One could adventure and become whatever they desired, in a land where there was endless opportunity. Thus the world of Appocalypse Earth was less of a game, and more of a place of exploration.


    He returned to the tavern the same way he had come. It was then that he noticed the players who had followedhim and Wellington from Dourmoth were still hanging around. They lurked in the shadows, pretended to blend in, but they were all set up along this path.


    Without the Silver Bell, but with his newly acquired Sky Beholds Spear, the wearer of the North King''s Mask was about to be tested.

 Ch 7 - Faluor Bandits Intro

    Nine players slowly emerged from the shadows. Three at the front, and four at the back. There were two that waited off to the side, half in the shadows, but clearly waiting for an opportunity to strike.


    The only weapon Sundome had was the Sky Beholds Spear. Not only that, but he was completely broke now. So if he used the potions given to him, he might need to borrow money from Wellington during the Were Demon Quest. He couldn''t have that, unless it was absolutely necessary.


    He slowed his walk to a stop and felt the heavy Sky Beholds Spear in his hand. He could carry it easy enough, but if he weilded it as it was, his movements would be slow, because he was not strong enough. Feeling it''s weight in his hands, he had an idea.


    None of the bandits spoke intially. They wanted the Sky Beholds Spear, or the silvers, or the Silver Bell. Finally, the man off to the side stepped into the light completely. His visage bore a resemblance to a hard man, one who might have lived during the rennasaince era, and he had a tanned face, and a thin long mustache.


    "I am the leader of the Faluor Bandits, Simshi." He said.


    "We spawned in Faluor and attempted to rob eachother, but came to the understanding that by working together we could gain much more." He gave a knowing smile, as if this confrontation was a forgone conclusion.


    Sundome took the measure of the man. Faluor wasn''t too far from Telling, and they had likely come here for the Were Demon Quest. They had missed out on the minor quest at Dourmoth, and were looking to make some extra money before attempting the 300 silvers quest of Yorkshire City.


    He glanced at their weapons, all of which weren''t cheap, but only a few were powered.


    Fine, if they wished to rob him, he would repay them in kind.


    "Simshi, if I hand over this spear, will you let me live?" He asked. He did not ask because he was afraid, but again only


    because he would pay them in kind.


    "Hah! Indeed we will. We are only accumulating wealth, and do not care whether you live today or die. Afterall, once we have your wealth, you will be even worse off than if you were dead."


    "Oh, how so?" Perhaps Sundome might learn something about respawning. The game truly did have few instructions on actual game play. This made it more realistic. But surely there would be tutorials and forums containing such information, yet Sundome liked to learn within the game. The game itself was his tutorial. It was far more real this way.


    "Don''t tell him" The person on the other side of the street suddenly emerged from the shadows. She stepped into the light and her glistening long golden brown hair fell across her shoulders. She had a freckled tan face and a slim waist.


    She must be the number two.


    What caught Sundome''s eye was the twin daggers at her waist. He had noticed through observation that there were other ways to tell which weapons were powered than relying on the Comet Stick. The powered weapons had a slight aura, almost undetectable unless a person studied them carefully and compared them to regular weapons. Still, it was impossible to see just how powered the weapon was without the Comet Stick.


    You like to play games with people eh? Fine, we will play a game. Sundome thought.


    There were three people in front of him. One of them had a powered weapon. It was an axe. He could barely make out the writing on it''s handle. Lopper, what a gruesome name.


    The three in front were standing close enough together, about the length of the spear. They were not yet in an attacking stance, as they hardly thought that he would attack. And hecertainly didn''t attack, at least not in the way they expected.


    Sundome glanced once more at Simshi and the golden haired girl, giving her mischevious smile. Then he said "Fine, have the spear." He tossed the spear forward so that the three could easily lay hands on the shaft. While it was in the air, he quickly took two steps forward to close the distance. Even as the three reached out to grab the spear, Simshi suddenly shouted, "Watch out!"


    But it was too late. The spear was caught by the three players but it was too heavy. They immediately fell back under its weight and it pinned the three of them down. Not only that, but it put them under stress so that they were panicking.


    Sundome reached the man with the axe and put his boot into the man''s chin. He then lifted the axe and put it on his back. The game these people wanted to play was robbing others, so he was happy to play it his own way.


    The other three bandits at the back immediately attacked him. Swords slashed towards him. Sundome swung the axe with such speed towards the incoming swords that it shattered them one by one. The swords dropped from their hands, and the three stared at their own hands which were trembling from the force of the axe against the swords.


    Sundome kicked out and took one of the men down and then used the butt of the axe on the head of another. The last he finished with his elbow. The whole thing was done in one smooth motion.


    Simshi didn''t move from his place on the side. They had obviously underestimated the chrome masked player, and he would be a fool to do so again. The golden haired girl was about to jump in to attack him but Simshi stopped her. "Lief" One word, most likely her name. The tanned leader of the Faluor Bandits vanished into the shadows. Lief followed but before she left, she paused for a bit, a despising look for the chrome masked man appeared on her face. Then she also turned and left.


    The Faluor Bandits had an ongoing recruitment within the town of Faluor. This wouldn''t be a huge loss. Their party had come forward to rob and quest all the way towards Yorkshire. Others had gone in different directions but many would be following towards Yorkshire and arrive soon.


    Simshi and Lief met up in the alley behind one of the many taverns in Yorkshire.


    "Boss, what was that. We could have killed him!" She knew Simshi''s strength, and her own was not far from it. Simshi had gone to the 7th level of the Recca 6 Config World''s Pressure Challenge. In the weeks leading up to the release of Apocalypse Earth, many had done the pressure challenge as it was highly recommended for Recca 6 games. It would determine a basic strength level upon entering the game.


    The 7th level was no joke.


    "That spear was over 70% powered. I''m sure of it." Simshi said. His own Solemn Sword was 65%, and no one in his party could weild it except for him. Still, the spear that the chrome masked player used seemed even heavier. He recalled how he had paid 40 silvers for his Solemn Sword. Just how much was the Sky Beholds Spear worth? If he was not a leader of the Faluor Bandits, he would not have been able to gain 40 silvers in such a short time.


    "We will have another opportunity." He said.


    "I can send word and we could have 30 more people in a few days" Lief said.


    "Yes, we could do that. But we may not need 30 people. If we strike at the right time, he will certainly be unable to deal with us." Simshi was thinking of the Were Demon Quest. It was possible they could get two big scores by tailing the chrome masked man.


    "Still, it won''t hurt." He continued. "Send a dove to Faluor."


    **


    Back where the other six bandits had been left at Sundome''s mercy, they were all sprawled out unconscious. Sundome didn''t hesitate to retrieve all of their silvers, as well as their weapons. In fact, he didn''t leave them anything.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    In the end, he had two swords stuck in his belt, an axe on his back, and about 12 silvers in his pouch, and various potions, some dried herbs, and magical gems.


    Without an ingame menu to carry such items, they were cumbersome. So he went into the nearest crowded tavern. Negotiating directly with players would yeild the highest price. If took the items to a shop, he would get around half of their real value.


    He spotted a tavern called Lonesome Road not too far away. He made his way to the crowded tavern amidst stares from many players. He had 4 weapons, and his pouches were obviously weighed down with silvers and other treasures.


    He had left the six bandits sprawled out in the street. He was interested to hear about why they preferred death over being robbed blind, but none of themwould tell.


    Within the Lonesome Road tavern, Sundome pushed his way through the crowd of twenty something players towards the only empty table in the room. Some people also followed him into the tavern from outside, so the place gathered quite a crowd.


    Placing the two swords, and the Lopper Axe on the table, he also arranged the magical gems and the potions he had obtained from bandits into a nice formation. The only things he didn''t display as such were the herbs and the Sky Beholds Spear, which he placed across his knees. He also held onto the potions given to him by Miss Contess.


    He signalled for a serving boy who was at another table to come. The boy glanced at Sundome, seeing his grisly aura and the mask, and then at all the weapons. Sundome had a narrow cape which ran down his back , and his clothes had the reek of battle. He looked more like a mercenary than a player.


    "How would you like to make 10 bronze for an hour''s work." Sundome asked him.


    The boy recovered from his shock at Sundome''s appearance and he grinned while nodding.


    "Very well. You can gather everyone to buy these items here." He pointed to the items on the table "And these are the prices I want, if possible." Sundome handed him a quickly scribbled note


    "Also, do you know anything about magical gems?"


    "Hmm... I do." The boys voice was weak, but then it grew stronger. "Most of those are worth less than a silver except for the blue one. It''s worth at least 7 silvers."


    Wow 7 silvers. Sundome mused to himself. He didn''t know much about magical gem stones, or Spellcasting, which is what they were used for. Apparently, one needed to study to become proficient in the art of Spellcasting. He had heard a little bit from player gossip, but he himself hadn''t taken much interest yet. He liked to focus on one thing at a time. Currently, he wanted two things, to pay off the Sky Beholds Spear, and to complete the Were Demon Quest.


    He let the boy begin the negotiations, which were somewhat like an auction with reserve prices. Sundome himself wanted to think.The Faluor Bandits would not be sitting idly.


    The boy jumped up on the table and shouted out for everyone to hear.


    "Items for sale. Items for sale. There is a battle axe worthy of a name! There are potions and magical gems. Come quickly, all prices will be cheaper than the shops, guaranteed."


    Some of the people who had followed Sundome into the tavern immediately gathered. They had guessed his purpose, and were the quickest to respond. Others looked their way, and might cometo check it out.


    This was a small auction, just a few items of note, but players often did this since joining Apocalypse Earth. It was a win win for everyone involved.


    Sundome was lost in thought but he kept one eye on the table and the surrounding players. The Faluor Bandits likely had many more members. They also wouldn''t take him lightly. And the leader, Simshi, didn''t attack after seeing the quick battle. That meant he was smart, and cautious.He would want to have everything in his favour the next time they met.


    Sundome guessed he might be up against 30 or more bandits the next time they met.


    He thought of his options. He could join a party, or form a party. Or he could try to become scarce.Most likely the bandits would have some strong players next time.


    It was then that he noticed the boy was arguing with a weasel headed man. He looked to be in his thirties. The two were arguing over the price of one of the magical gems. Suddenly the weasel headed man grabbed the magical gem and backed up getting ready to run. He had a wild look in his eyes.


    His eyes were on Sundome as if he was seeing if there would be a reaction. The man seemed to enjoy his little ruse. A klepto who liked to see the expressions of the people who he stole from before running away. It''s almost like he was unsure if he could get away but still did it anyway. He couldn''t help himself.


    Sundome didn''t get up. The man had taken a magical gem that was worth maybe 60 bronze. They had been arguing about it and the man wasn''t willing to pay more than 35 bronze.


    Sundome could get up and chase, or he could possibly hit the man with a magical gem stone and knock him out. Either way though, the table was between the two, and if he made chase, likely his other items would be taken.


    The weasel face man had calculated this. He bet his life that Sundome wouldn''t do anything. Still he wasn''t entirely sure. He must be getting quite the rush from all this.


    After looking at the man for a little while, a cold glint arose in Sundome''s eyes.


    "That is a loan. One day I will take payment of 200 silvers for it."


    He already memorized the man''s face, his demeanor, his height, and the way he stood. Even if the man changed his appearance somehow, he would not escape the eyes of Sundome when he saw him again.


    The man''s name was Jarmung.


    Jarmung turned and fled. All of the people around eyed Sundome and let the details of that matter sink into their heads. Then another person grabbed for a potion, but Sundome had been expecting something like this.


    He lifted the Sky Behold''s Spear and swung it just inches above the table. At the same time he said "Jump!" to the boy.


    The boy instinctively jumped as high as he could. The blade of the Sky Beholds Spear reached the man''s hand just as he got ahold of the potion. Under the gaze of everyone present, the man''s hand and part of his forearm was severed cleanly. The theif shrieked as his hand fell back to the table, with the potion still gripped by it. Blood ran down the table and began dripping on the floor.


    Everyone was silent. Nobody moved as they watched the spear continue it''s arc and then again come to rest on Sundome''s knees. The boy glanced between Sundome and the man who had grabbed the potion. The man was still shrieking and it was the only noise that filled the tavern. Pain in Apocalypse Earth was real, although it was only experienced in a dream state.


    The man stumbled backwards and howled as he left the building.


    Finally everyone seemed to breathe. No one now had any thoughts of stealing from the man called Sundome. His aura alone was grisly. And his reactions were twice as fast as any of theirs.


    A few minutes later the negotiations continued..


    Eventually all the items sold and the boy had a proud look.


    As the crowd dispersed, the boy sat down at a chair as Sundome pocketed the silvers. He now had 22 silvers and some change. He gave the boy his 10 bronze coins. For the boy, this was equal to a full months wage.


    "How did you know about the magical gems?" Sundome asked him.


    "I''m a fan of the Heroes of Narlath! Almost everyone is. Of course we know about this stuff." The boy said.


    "Who are the Heroes of Narlath?"


    "The last Hero Torin left for Illiad not 2 years ago. If all goes well, he''ll return with the sword of Thalmun soon!"


    "Illiad is?"


    "To the west! One of the 7 kingdoms." The boy responded.


    "Are all the 7 kingdoms to the west?"


    "All except Narlath, we are to the east."


    "What is beyond Narlath to the east?"


    "I do not know. There are tales of a desert and a sea, but no one has ever crossed it."


    Sundome pondered these things. He now knew that Narlath and Illiad were part of the Seven Kingdoms, along with Chillany, where the Adventurer Solarn who found the North King''s Mask was from. Still he had a lot of questions, but at this point the answers wouldn''t help him with his current predicament, nor the Were Demon Quest, nor finding Kirsten if she was here already.


    Thirty minutes later, he met Wellington back in their own tavern, and the two discussed their findings. Wellington admired the spear, although he didn''t know it''s full power.


    "So you got this Sky.. Beholds... Spear without needing to borrow money. Do you still owe money on it?" Wellington was perceptive.


    "Mmm. I may need to borrow money yet." Came the reply.


    "Hah... I''ll want the 60/40."


    "If anything it will be 75/25."


    The two went on for a bit like that.


    "I''ve joined the Narlath Apprentice Alchemist Guild here in Yorkshire. I will have to work for the Guild to pay off my apprentice fees." Wellington said.


    "Oh? What''s the difference between an Alchemist and a Spellcaster?" Sundome asked. He was a little hazy on the two although he knew one used herbs, and the other used magical gems.


    "It''s pretty simple... Alchemists make potions and medicines, whereas Spellcasters create magical shields and they can conjure as well."


    "Oh? I haven''t come across any shields yet."


    "That you know of!" Wellington said. "The entire city is covered by a Spellcaster''s shield. It''s invisible except to Spellcasters. This particular shield keeps most of the Demon Beasts away!"


    "Then the Were Demon Beast?"


    "I heard from a fellow Alchemist that the beast probably swallowed a special magical gem. It has been terrorizing the city at night."


    The two continued to talk about the Were Demon, until finally Sundome brought up the Faluor Bandits. He also produced the herbal leaves which he had acquired and presented them to Wellington.


    Wellington accepted them gracefully. Although he didn''t know all of their names, he would take them to the Narlath Alchemist Apprentice Guild to gain some wisdom. He already had contacts and he was sure he could grow as an Alchemist there.


    That night there were indeed screams from a quarter of the giant city. The Were Demon had struck and players flocked to that quarter, some to hunt it, and others to watch. Among those watching were Simshi and Lief, the bandit leader and his accomplice. The Were Demon was extremely fast and easily evaded the players. It was only when there were over 500 players that the Were Demon left.


    "He didn''t come."


    "Mmm.. He''s cautious as well." Simshi answered.


    Neither of them attempted to attack the Were Demon that night.