《Sea of Chaos; A VRMMORPG Novel》


 Chapter 1: Preparations

    I wrapped my furred hands around the handle of the metal mace that was currently serving as my gavel, smiling as I viewed the gathering of the Clan. It had been two hours since the game had launched, and now it was time for all the groups to report in. My eyes rated around the room, verifying everyone was there. Let''s see, SlutMaster was present, her... his... its purple and pink form always standing out in the crowd. The Clan Rats were mostly here, though some opted to keep farming the local monsters, letting their partners fill them in on the details. Across from the Rats stood the Pointy Hats, though most lacked their namesake, a frustration for many of them.


    Finally, the Blueberries held the center. They were the ¡®stalwart¡¯ arm of the Clan, acting as the good guys to our baddies. They would be the fulcrum of the great Plan. The warriors were all arrayed in blue armor with white trim, wielding swords with ornate gilded pommels and crossguards, looking very much the Noble Knight group. Satisfied that everyone was hear, I banged the rusty iron mace against the wooden table, the slightly rotten furniture creaking in protest. The noise slightly echoed in the cramped farmhouse, silencing the small crowd that had gathered


    I slowly stood from my seat at the head of the table, lifting the hood from my face. And what a glorious face it was. I had spent hours pre-launch designing every detail, nearly down to the individual whiskers. I stroked the whiskers in question, before giving a giant smile to the crowd. From the uneasy shifting of some, I had done an excellent job with the facial structure. "Greetings, fellow Fun-Loving Clansmen, it is good to see you have all arrived. Now, time is always of the essence, so we shall skip the formalities¡± I said, wanting to get to testing out my combat abilities as soon as possible.


    The order got grumblings from the Pointy Hats, but it was mostly to stay in character, and not actual annoyance. Well, hopefully. One can never be too sure about the Pointy Hats. Seeing that there was no direct challenge, I continued, saying "Given that there has been no challenge, I shall begin. Clansman Ordrick, please inform us about what the scouts have discovered." My voice summoned one of the Rats forward, the greying rat¡¯s long beard nearly touching the ground. He bowed, his beard scraping against the floor, gathering plenty of dust. With a few strokes of his impressive beard, the man launched into his report. ¡°Thank you, Illustrious Leader. Reports from the scouts indicate that rumours of the¡­ chaotic nature of the world are well-founded. We have found biomes of completely incompatible types located right next to each other. In addition, two different scouts report finding the terrain¡­ well, changed as they made their way back through.¡±


    The words caused quite the kerfuffle amongst the crowd. Excitement, worry, and plenty of theorizing and planning started almost immediately. Unfortunately, now was not the time. I slammed my makeshift gavel on the table, leaving a sizable dent. The sound silenced the crowd fairly quickly, especially after SlutMaster started turning its gaze on anyone who did not heed my warning. After a bit of patience, and a quick cough, I said ¡°This is important news, but it does not affect the agenda of the current meeting. Let us continue with Ordrick¡¯s report.¡±


    Nodding at my command, the man continued. ¡°In addition, it has been made obvious that the strength of various monsters vary widely. Why, one of our scouts was killed with a single blow by a scorpion out in the desert. Fortunately, this led to us discovering the death penalty. First, the Scout lost quite a bit of the experience he had earned up to that point, then lost ALL of the items he had looted, while keeping only that which was granted at the beginning. In addition, the scout claimed that his death led to finding himself in a completely different location, and only managed to return after stumbling upon a merchant transport, which led him to the nearby city of Dulthor. We have had two others test this theory, but they have yet to return.¡± More murmuring, but not quite enough to merit another call to order.


    I sat back down on my chair, stroking my whiskers as I contemplated the many issues surrounding this type of death penalty. If the lands did indeed change, then finding oneself at a random location in the wilderness was¡­. well, quite the penalty, to be blunt. Loss of XP, all items lost, AND a good chance of taking forever to find your way back to civilization, and even the possibility of dying multiple times over due to lack of equipment and knowledge of the location. A very dangerous penalty, but one that would make things all the more¡­ enjoyable.


    I let the multiple conversations continue for a short while, letting my fellow clansmen stew on the issue at hand. Give the men time to figure things out on their own. They were more than smart enough to figure general details out. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t have a strict hierarchy between the separate branches. We were all liable to ourselves, and only when someone screwed up royally, or refused aid to a clansman in dire need would any cross-group reprisal be necessary. Well, that, and if we were in a joint operation, but those were rare. We worked together on a broad scale, and rarely in specific, coordinated missions.


    Another gavel strike, and things quieted. ¡°Very useful information indeed. After the general meeting, those seeking information regarding specific hunting zones should contact Ordrick, who will remain in the area for one hour. Plan accordingly. Now, onto Niomi-.¡± The individual in question interrupted me immediately, its hideous, yet tantalizing form striding to the center of the area, standing atop the table. ¡°It¡¯s SlutMaster64 now, Nathan. I don¡¯t want to remind you again.¡± I swallowed audibly at the words, knowing that the not-so-veiled threat was oh so serious. I had indulged myself in the person¡¯s skills in a previous game, and, well, I try not to think about it anymore. Kept away the nightmare turned wet dreams away.


    Nodding, I let¡­ SlutMaster64¡­ God, was I seriously going to have to call it that? Surely, being Clan Leader gave me SOME privileges. Eyeing the pair of tentacles hanging from its rear like tails, I swallowed again, thinking twice about trying to use my authority on the crazy person.


    ¡°Gal Pals and Boy Toys, I¡¯m pleased to announce that we have brought three new members into the fold, who have graciously given us access to this farmhouse as our base of operations! Please give them a warm~ welcome!¡± The woman¡¯s voice echoed through the room once more, a slightly-entrancing voice, one that hinted SlutMaster had focused much of its early customization on what it does best. No, I can¡¯t keep thinking of her as an it. She was a person, and I couldn¡¯t just think of her as an it. It¡­ well, it just didn¡¯t cut it. Besides, she had giant breasts, so clearly she was a woman. You just had to ignore the bulge between her legs, covered only by a thin layer of¡­ not clothes, but¡­ a second layer of skin? That was probably it. A layer of skin to keep... things hidden. Wouldn¡¯t want to show off all the goodies before she had you in bed, and after you couldn¡¯t say no without EXTREME effort.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Proceeding her announcement, three exhausted looking farmhands slowly stumbled into the room, their eyes mostly vacant after what could only be described as a day in both heaven and hell. Mostly hell. The figures garnered some applause, which they seemed to react to, smiles growing on their faces. It was a good thing all of the members were oldies, and were used to SlutMasters ways, or else we¡¯d have to cull the ranks a bit, some of the newbies bemoaning the use of such deep mental manipulation. Fuck that, it was just a bunch of half-assed AI taking control of the NPC¡¯s, and most spanned dozens of individuals, so the trauma would be insignificant at worst, non-existent at best. Besides, they got payed for it, so what was the big deal?


    A twirl from SlutMaster drew everyone¡¯s attention back on him. Yah, it was definitely a him. There was NO way there was anything other than a massive dick under that skin-cover. She blew a quick kiss to the lead Pointy Hat, before continuing with her report. ¡°From what we¡¯ve gathered from our new friends, it seems like the outer farmland lacks serious governance, each farm-owner owning the land in their own right. This should make it easy to hide our presence, so long as some bi-weekly shipments are sent to the caravan¡¯s pickup location. Also, apparently farming doesn¡¯t make much money, since there are costs to keep the land stable. So we won¡¯t be getting much profit from here. Thank you, that is all.¡±


    The first bit of news was great, because it would be a serious pain in the ass if we had to move a day after settling in. A base was vital to the operations, at least for the Rats. The others would only visit occasionally, but still, they needed a spot to mingle, as well as trade and share information. The second was rather disappointing, if better than the alternative. After all, if the farm made lots of money, that would just make this place all the more difficult to keep as a base. No way were we the only bandit group that chose Dulthor as a starting location, and money attracts attention from all sorts of nosey folk. No, better to have a small, remote, and under-the-radar location for our first home-base.


    "Thank you, SlutMaster64, you may be seated" I said, knowing full well there were no other chairs available. I just couldn''t be bothered to think of something more clever to say. "Grand Ecclesiarch Poppy, please regale us with your findings."


    With a flourish of her grey cloak, and a careful readjustment of her white pope hat, complete with red and gold trim, the woman strode to the center of the room, also jumping atop the table. She took a deep breathe, before launching into her usual monologue voice. "My fellow worshippers of Fun, it is my great pleasure to be together with you all on this most sacred of days. Let us celebrate such a day by keeping this meeting as brief as possible. Today, we scoured the town of Dulthor, and discovered that religion does indeed play a vital role in the society. In fact, it plays on equal footing with the city government. In addition, there are many gods and denominations, each with wildly varying tenants. This is truly wonderful news for us, and though we have yet to gather an appropriate level of details, it is very likely that our plans will proceed as expected."


    Light applause proceeded Poppy''s announcement, which I deigned to join. The Pointy Hats were a large part of the overall Plan, and the news was truly a great relief. The high cleric stepped down after the applause faded, but not before giving a smirk to SlutMaster. The two were IRL friends, but had a deep rivalry when it came to gaming.


    I prepared to call forth the last reporter, but Shitarius stepped forward before I could speak. I will admit to being slightly miffed at the last chance to lord my authority over the man, but it was a petty thing, so I''d probably just leave some flesh-eating insects in his gauntlets or something,


    The armored warrior also tried to stand on the table, but it collapsed beneath him. It would have been amusing, if the man hadn''t flinched at all, landing on his feet without even the slightest twitch. All who knew Shitarius reflexively plugged their ears. Undeterred, the man began his report while standing in the remains of the destroyed wooden furniture, his high-pitched, reedy voice the utter and complete opposite of what you''d expect from the large, muscular man. "GREETINGS, COMRADES IN ARMS. IT IS WITH GREAT HUMILITY THAT I, CAPTAIN SHITARIUS, ANNOUNCE THAT OUR FIRST DUNGEON DELVER HAS BEEN A COMPLETE SUCCESS. THANKS TO THE EVER RENOWNED TACTICS THAT I, CAPTAIN SHITARIUS, HAVE DEVELOPED OVER LONG YEARS, WE WERE ABLE TO SLAY TWO MONSTERS OF SUPERIOR LEVEL, ALL WITHOUT A SINGLE CASUALTY. WE DISCOVERED THE CAVERN A MILE AND AN HALF FROM HERE, WHERE WE PROCEEDED TO..."


    I yawned, leaning back as I tuned out the second half of the man''s report. I only allowed such a tirade because it was slightly amusing. Slightly. And to be fair, it was very much in character, something very much required in the clan, at least on most days. Besides, waiting for the completion of a 5-minute monologue is little to ask in exchange for the work the Blueberries got done.


    FInally, the man finished, receiving plenty of applause from all around, though most was in sheer happiness the speech was as short as it was. And with that final report finished, the meeting was concluded. Not wanting to make things longer than they already had been, I stood, frowning at the lack of a table to gavel on, having to make due with my own voice. ¡°Thank you, one and all. All have performed well, but there is plenty of fun out there, ready for the taking. Let¡¯s go and HAVE SOME FUN!¡±


    The shout triggered a mass explosion of excited whoops and war cries, followed by a stampede as most of the crowd rushed out the door, eager to taste the many joys of the new game. I shook my head at the fools, even as I slipped outside a window, followed by some of the more clever Rats. The others could never understand the wonders that come from a small form. No cage can hold you, no door keep you from the loot that lies on the other side. With a grin, I climbed to the third floor, retrieving an already-packed backpack. I retrieved my Steam Repeater Bow, loaded the extended clip, and slipped the shortsword in my belt. Raising my hood, I lept down to the ground, before rushing out into the wilderness. No need for the scout¡¯s information, I already knew the perfect hunting ground.


    With a grin, I started making my way to the nearby town on speedy little legs. It was time to requisition some funds from fools unable to keep ahold of their goodies. Nothing like a few PKs on the first day of release to put a smile on your faceand a spring in your step.

 Chapter 2: PKing

    I stood at the edge of the grass, the waving green stalks reaching over my head, leaving me almost completely concealed. The engine on my back rumbled and squeaked quietly, the magically muffled machine full of volatile steam, ready to explode. I peeked between the swaying flora, eyeing my target.


    Nearly thirty feet away, a rogue wielding two daggers swung clumsily at the flank of a giant, seven foot tall boar, scoring a few light hits and causing rivulets of blood to coat the monster¡¯s sides. In front of the boar stood a large orcish woman, wielding a massive tower shield and spear, harrying the massive beast with careful thrusts to its snout despite the several gore wounds across her torso and arms. Behind the pair stood a scantily clad woman, clutching a staff made of white wood. She let out an encouraging shout, before starting to cast a healing spell. A green pentagram formed at the tip of her staff, and after nearly three seconds of chanting, a burst of golden light surrounded the orc, recovering her much-depleted health.


    Despite the rogue''s lack of skill, the dedicated healer and somewhat skilled orc made it clear which side would emerge victorious. And slowly, ever so slowly, the time to strike approached.


    The boar let out a fevered cry, before a wild kick from its hind leg sent the rogue flying. Seeing an opportunity, the boar rushed forward, taking a spear thrust to the face in exchange for slamming the orc woman away. It was almost time, but not yet. The animal turned to the healer, having finally discovered the reason for its inability to slay the frustrating foes. It charged forward, legs pounding the soft earth. Not yet... almost there...


    The healer screamed a powerful warcy, bravely holding her ground, staff glowing a brilliant blue as she quickly cast a spell. Moments before the boar reached her, a blue barrier appeared in front of the woman. The boar had no time to stop, and slammed face-first against the barrier, which shattered under the immense weight of the beast. Dazed, but unable to stop its charge, the beast stumbled forward, collapsing before the shaking healer.


    The rogue and orc stood, before hurrying to the boar¡¯s side, but unfortunately for them, my target made their move. Like a trio of corpse crows, three hooded figures burst out of the brush, rushing the beleaguered warriors, curved swords drawn, each focusing on a player. With a grin, I took aim with my crossbow, targeting the downed boar. Who would notice a little kill-stealing during the middle of a PK? I pressed the trigger of my weapon, motor bursting into motion as the cogwheel pulled back the string of the crossbow, reaching the end of the cog¡¯s teeth just as the string reached its maximum draw length. The lack of teeth sent the draw shooting forward, launching the poison-coated bolt straight for the stunned boar.


    *Rat tat-tat-tat*


    The crossbow sent bolt after bolt at the boar, projectiles slamming into the neck and head of the beast. I kept my hands steady, knowing it would take a few seconds, along with several more bolts, for enough poison to penetrate the monster¡¯s system to slay it. My eyes wandered the field, watching each warrior engage in combat with the PKers. The healer kept casting barrier after barrier between her and her dwarfish assailant, praying she could buy time for her allies to reach her. The assailant, far too confident in their group¡¯s chances of success, continued to shatter each barrier with a few sword strikes, before a new one replaced the previous.


    Meanwhile, the orc put up a valiant defence against herassailant, using her spear to keep the large, lithe foe at bay, and smashing with her shield if he tried to slip past her reach. The rogue, on the other hand, was not faring as well. Soon, he was covered in sword wounds, and unfortunately, the assassin slew him before I had the opportunity to switch targets. The successful assassin turned to the orc, preparing to flank her, but the boar fell just in time for me to turn my suppressive fire his way. A slow but steady wave of bolts flew towards the assassin, two landing successfully before the fool even knew what hit him. Sadly, he was quick-witted enough to dive behind the rogue¡¯s corpse, obscuring my sight of the target. Frustrated, sent the last two bolts at his heels beforeI reloaded the now-empty magazine, muttering a quick spell over the series of projectiles, and fetching a vial of green liquid, pouring the mild poison down a slot right above the bolt heads, coating the sharp metal in the nasty substance.


    My moves were sloppy due to lack of practice, and though I was not spotted, the lack of fire encouraged the assassin to move from his meager cover to join his companion''s attack on the orc. Flanked, and with weapons ill-equipped to handle foes at either side, the orc sustained several small cuts before I could lay down more cover-fire. This time, I switched to the cocky man busy tormenting the healer, stepping closer and closer as each barrier came slower than the last. My bolts pierced his body, causing him to turn around in surprise, leaving him wide open. And to my amusement, the healer brained the idiot over the head with her staff, knocking him to the ground. It was even funnier to watch a bolt pierce the woman¡¯s arm, all because she dropped the foe the attack had been aimed at. I quickly switched targets again, aiming for the slowing assassin, my numbing poison doing its work. With a slightly numbed and twitchy body, the prey had little hope of dodging, and opted to flee, leaving him completely open to a powerful thrust to the back from the brave orc, who left her back open to perform the blow. This led to a deep wound being scored on the woman¡¯s back, causing her to let out a shout of pain as she crumpled to her knees.


    Fuming, I kept my aim on the fleeing assassin, knowing that taking out the intended prey would lead to another loss of potential XP. To my delight, a heal from the healer kept the orc alive long enough for the healer to place herself between the assassin, blocking blows with skillful staffwork. Three final shots, and the second foe was slain, and with my precious XP protected by the healer, I opted to not waste any more ammunition, relying on the rechargeable, if slowly, magics that I loved so much. With a pointed claw, I called upon the madness of the world, a spark of green lightning flowing from my mouth, ears and eyes to pool over the claw. I spoke words that made no sense, but still echoed with a profound power. My finger trembled in excitement as I slowly finished the five-second cast, using my most powerful, most efficient spell to take care of the foe who had no opportunity to stop my slow spellcasting. And with a final word, a glorious arc of lightning seared through the air, coating my prey in delectable madness, causing burns and vile mutations to sprout all over the man, causing him to fall limp to the ground.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    With a final whack to the head of the twitching man, The healer collapsed to her knees, letting out a tiny sob as she clutched the wounded orc. The healer was clearly out of mana, given her choice of staff defence, rather than constant barriers. I eyed the two, biting my pitted and enlarged lips, before eventually deciding to see what little I could gain from the two, before turning them into so much XP. With the flick of a safety on my hip, then another on a switch located on my leather bracer, a loud whistle rang through the surroundings, marking the release of all the steam in the machine. My backpack stopped its incessant humming, and using up the last of my magic reserves, I cast one last spell before pushing myself out of the grass, and towards my new ¡®friends¡¯. I was their saviour, after all, and no doubt they would be ever so grateful.


    With long, powerful strides, my new, magicked form strode from the grass, a brilliant smile on my very human face. I crossed to the healer, who watched me with both relief, and a hint of trepidation. I offered her a hand up, which she accepted. With a small curtsy, she began introducing herself, playing the courtly woman. ¡°Thank you, good sir. My name is Lilliath, and this is Madam Ornathel. We thank you ever so much for your assistance, Mr¡­.?¡±


    My smile widened, and I returned her curtsy with a stately bow. ¡°There is no need for thanks, Madam, any gentlemen would gladly assist two beautiful women in distress. It is only to my great shame that I was unable to slay the filthy curs before they slew your companion. As to your question, my name is Nathan White, traveler and purveyor of wild and inventive gadgetry.¡± The woman brightened at my words, obviously relieved I was not asking for some reward. And why would I bother? It wasn¡¯t like they would have anything to offer that wouldn¡¯t already be mine after I killed them.


    The woman turned to the orc, helping her to her feet, before casting a weak spell on the wounded woman, using up an entire six seconds to complete the chant, probably to save as much mana as possible. The orc, having recovered slightly, gave me a shaky handshake, which I returned along with a curt nod. The orc spoke up next, her surprisingly smooth voice catching me off guard. ¡°Dear Nathan, I, too, wish to extend my gratitude for your help. Please, do not fret over Fredrick, for he is most accustomed to trips through the Sea of Chaos, having gone so far as to purchase a permanent Marker in the town, so he always knows where to go. Though I don¡¯t wish to grow further in your debt, I must admit to experiencing severe discomfort, and would ask a boon. Could you spare a healing salve, or mana potion for my friend? I promise to repay you once I return to my home in Dulthor.¡±


    The words were indeed off putting. Not only was the woman well-spoken, mildly pretty, but by my best guess, was actually an NPC. Otherwise, what player would waste valuable resources early on to garner a home? Well, besides those who use means beyond the monetary to convince the previous dwellers to vacate their premises. The opportunity of creating a friend with this NPC was well worth the loss of two low-leveled characters worth of XP. I didn¡¯t have to think long, retrieving a yellow potion from my backpack. I handed it to the woman, along with a warning. ¡°Careful, but as with all medicine, the taste is awful. It¡¯s a personal brew, and though I am sure it will provide some healing, as well as a small dulling of pain, it may have minor unknown side effects, as I have not yet researched the ingredients in depth enough, nor tested it to a reasonable degree as to assure you of its safety.¡°


    Despite the warning, the orc took the potion, and downed it in a single gulp. I winced at the action, knowing full well how awful it tasted. I had run out of volunteers during the hour after we acquired the farm, but only after discovering the healing property of that particular mix, and, well¡­ I MAY have done some personal tests, just to verify its effects, given the lack of other options. And if it weren''t for the decent healing factor, and lack of suitable substitutes, I would have scrapped the entire recipe.


    The orc stretched as many of the wounds scabbed over, leaving only small cuts where massive wounds once remained. Nodding, the woman turned to the corpses, a feral grin on her face. ¡°Now, Mr. White, I don¡¯t know about you, but I find myself extremely curious as to the identities of these individuals, in addition to their belongings.¡± And without another word, the woman scurried to the bodies, rummaging through their pockets with extreme speed. It made me question my choice in potential allies, but then again, birds of a feather and all. With a similar smile on my face, I moved to the boar, retrieving two knives from my backpack. I hadn¡¯t spent twenty skillpoints in the various Survival skills for nothing. And with gusto, I launched myself into the gory, if rewarding, task of harvesting all of the precious goodies such a beast provided. I also made sure to remove any and all evidence of my own involvement inthe creature''s death.


    While busy with the VERY familiar task of skinning and harvesting from the dead beast, I took a look at the many notifications blinking on the HUD, each signaling the XP received from each kill. And as luck would have it, along with 825 XP from the players, I had gained more than 40% of the boar¡¯s XP, as noted by the helpful little blue box that opened at my carefully worded thought.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Slain Monster: Wild Grasslands Boar, Level 6


    Total XP: 1520


    Contribution Percentage of


    :


    Damage Dealt: +23%


    Killing Blow: +20%


    Earned XP Earned:653</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    And for just a moment, a keen eye would have noticed the gleam of green in my eye, and my far too wide grin, giving the lie to my human disguise. Even the most expensive of disguises had their flaws, and though mine had cost me dearly in character creation, I had to be careful, as actions similar to my true form would reveal the disguise for what it is. Fortunately, only the dead were there to notice, and dead men tell no tales.


    Or do they?


    Deep in the bowels of the Sea of Chaos, three black-clothed assassins cursed the empty winds, bemoaning their fate. Despite their differences, all had a new goal in mind, the finding and slaying of a certain unnamed individual, and despite their lack of knowledge, they would be stumbling across their adversary sooner, rather than later.