《No Bonfire Goes Unnoticed》


 Crumbles to Ash - Prologue

    I was uncertain of what lay in the shadows. What lay behind me, wasn¡¯t the same terrain I had just visited. The branches rustled as the breeze traveled from place to place, the ominous crackle of the fire senr shivers up my spine. It lasted a second, yet it felt like an eternity. I was different; I had changed, what changed?


    Only fives days left to finish the deadline and my nerves were shot. I was foolish to think that taking a short cut through Forest of Wessil would be faster than the road, yet my appetite for greed persuaded me otherwise. Why Oh Why had I listened to the prophecy teller? If only I had stuck to the main road, I wouldn¡¯t have risked the meager clothes strapped to my back and my new dagger. Yes, my dagger: its silver glow rivaled the moon and the rare engraved dancers swirled with each jab and leapt with each slice.


    Others would bow before me, with my newly acquired possession. Slaying Kings and Commanders, Princes and Queens, I could hardly wait to pay off my debt, and have the freedom to backstab anyone¡¯s heart. Heart Ache is really the only emotion that would come from our separation, so this trip was a necessity. I had to take the shipment of Mage Books to the guild.


    The mage guild wasn¡¯t an official part of the game, like most of the establishments found within Dragon¡¯s Ground, one of the newest and most advanced VRMMO¡¯s ever to be released. It was, however, the third most influential group in this vast world. Only the NPC ¡®s empire in the Vantra province and Black Reach rivaled the massive wealth of mage guild. In fact, everyone who had managed to complete a task assigned by the mage guild owned a castle filled to the brim with gold tapestries, rare items, and players begging to wash their feet.


    Weakness was a mistake I wasn¡¯t going to make. No matter how tempting living in luxury was, I¡¯d always lack the control I craved. It was the reason why I played this game. Like many others, I had become lost in the chaotic dystopia that neither cared how hard people worked, nor gave a second glance at the creativity they produced. Life was decided by birth, not merit.


    After receiving my acceptance letter into one of the few remaining colleges left in the world, I had thought my life would as bright as a super nova. I didn¡¯t realize that (similar to after effects of a super nova) my life would be pulled back into oblivion, forming a black hole. All the joy I had felt in my youth entered the void, where not even light could escape.


    The waiting list to join Hartford was absolutely absurd. Only a handful of the hundred of thousands of students that applied were picked to attend each year. The other one thousand spots were reserved for the sons and daughters of powerful politicians and CEO tycoons. Once I was accepted, I had gradually grown accustom living on the campus, and thought I had been granted tenure.


    Foolish. I¡¯m still foolish. It could¡¯ve been prevented: the suffering, doubt, the agony. If I had stayed in the shadows, lurking, waiting for opportunity, I would have made a life for myself. Instead, I had brazenly challenged the power structure that had withheld for centuries. They were fine with mediocre commoners, but not ones that took their place, ones that decided to play God.


    Dragon¡¯s ground was a second chance for me, or so I was told. I¡¯m relatively inexperienced when comes to these games, but with an abundance of time and an open mind. I¡¯ve decided to try to make a name for myself.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°ROOOOAAAaaaR¡± bellowed a lvl 13 Panther.


    An explosion of unbearable pain penetrated my frail body. I didn¡¯t have time to gather my thoughts; I only had seconds before the beast tore me to shreds. Adrenaline forced my body into the heat of battle, encouraging primal instincts to kick in. The blur of my silver knife, scraped its hide, leaving burn marks wherever I managed to land a hit. A strike to the neck caused it to hesitate.


    I capitalized on my foes weakness by thrusting the sharp edge deep into its chest. Enraged, the feral monster flailed it¡¯s claws, crushing my leg. Bones shattered as I dropped into the bloody mud. Black fur filled my vision. I was desperate. If I were to fall a victim, I would loose everything. My impending death was looming over me, so I struggled. I unloaded the entirety of my strength into a kick, sending the Panther crashing into the bonfire I had formed during dusk. My last-ditch effort had saved me.


    Weaving between reality and emptiness, the games internal sensors began the auto logout procedure. I noticed the ¡°orange glow¡±, the heat, as the countdown began. 10, 9, 8¡­. 4, 3 ¡­ 1.


    Saying I was shaken by the events that had unfolded, would have been an understatement. The gruesome display of gutted entrails lining the floor, the sharp pain, and the screeching of the beast, would probably leave even the most levelheaded men on edge. I couldn¡¯t even fathom what it would be like to be tortured in game. (Which was allowed once a player reached the age of 21 and consented the Terms and Conditions of the game)


    ¡°Why would people design a game with such a high pain threshold? They¡¯re going to drive away all their customers.¡± I grumbled as I ransacked my house, looking for the ¡®Holy Grail¡¯ (also known as my phone).


    Luckily, someone called when I was looking for it and was able to use my ears to hear its angelic song. (That¡¯s sadly the name of ringtone. I have problems¡­ deal with it.)


    ¡°Hey, Tony. I was just about to call and let you know if you want¡­¡± was all I managed to say before Tony interrupted.


    ¡°DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE SHIT THAT JUST WENT DOWN IN BRUSSUCS!?!?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Apparently some fucking idiot created a forest fire that¡¯s stretched on for miles. All the big guilds in the area are pissed that their houses are in danger and put a 150,000 gold bounty on whoever could find the perpetrator!¡°


    ¡°Where exactly did the fire start?¡±


    ¡°The Forest of Wessil, I think. We should totally hunt him down.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure, but I might have started it.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit dude. You¡¯re fucked,¡± were the last words to come out of Tony¡¯s mouth before he hung up.


    As much as I wanted to head out to grab I bite, I knew that if I didn¡¯t enter the game now, there would be no possibility of recovering my precious knife. I would also lose the opportunity to finish the mage quest, if they found out that I was the culprit. So instead giving in to the comforts of my small apartment, I took a seat in my capsule and turned it on.

 United - Chapter 1

    Even though I still had a broken leg, the time spent out of the game worked wonders on my body. Unlike most VRMMOS, Dragons Ground healed player¡¯s minimal damage when they logged off. This was their attempt to keep players from leaving the game, after they became mauled or mutilated. Because the game doesn¡¯t have a kill switch, it was undesirable to log into the game and suffer earlier injuries.


    My vision blurred as ash rained down, covering the burnt remains of trees, dead carcasses, laying a foundation for the rise of new plants to grow. Cold. It was surprisingly cold for a summer day. I looked up trying to spot the sun, but the clouds of ash blocked its golden rays.


    ¡°This is a problem,¡± I remembered thinking.


    Unless I was able to find new clothing, or make something out of an animal hide I would die of frostbite. The closest settlement was a two-day trip, so I needed find something warm tonight. I didn¡¯t know how much the colder the night would be, but every great adventurer prepared for the worse.


    Sifting through ash was a slow and tedious process that required planning which area you would sift through next, and a way of distinguishing which areas had already been checked. I broke up the ash into approximately five square feet grids; drawing in the ash to make the distinction where one square ended and another began.


    Hours of toiling followed, with occasional brakes to allow my hands to thaw and regain tactility. Eventually I came across the remains of the lvl 13 Panthers singed hide, and the hides of two squirrels who had unfortunately gotten baked inside their burrows in the trees. My leather making skill was, well, non-existent, so I didn¡¯t expect quality craftsmanship.


    I started by stripping the hides from the burnt, caked on flesh, trying to make sure my knife didn¡¯t cut through it. Unfortunately my dexterity wasn¡¯t that high either, so made some tears around the leg area. Salvaging what I could, I wrapped myself in the hide and looked for shelter. Tomorrow I would leave, but it was getting late. I didn¡¯t want to push my luck.


    Digging a trench in the ground probably wasn¡¯t the smartest decision I¡¯ve made. It would¡¯ve been easier to pile some of the remaining wood up to create a hut or teepee, but after spending two hours toiling away, trying to remove the frozen ground, I didn¡¯t have the fortitude to give up the work I had already started. I finished of my homemade fort¡¯s roof, with the burnt remains for trees and shrubbery, and called it a night.


    Time dilation in the game was four times faster than outside it, which didn¡¯t give me much time before I had to log back in and continue my trek. Soon the sun would rise and I didn¡¯t want to waste any seconds. Shoveling protein shakes and toast down my throat, taking the fastest toilet escapade possible, and checking the Dragons Ground¡¯s news site, are what I prioritized before reentering the forest.Stolen novel; please report.


    I trudged through the forest all day, logging out only once the sun disappeared behind the horizon. As the sun left, the cold replaced it. I used the little bit of time outside of the game to take care of my hygiene. I wasn¡¯t a slob after all. This continuous cycle of logging off for an hour and hiking all day, left me exhausted, but when I reached the small town of Merrytown I knew that the trip had been worth it. All the discomfort I had previously faced, removed me from the crime. I was safe and I was still on schedule. The mages would get their books on time.


    LOG OUT SEQUENCE COMMENSED 10, 9, 8, 7¡­


    ¡°Wanna go grab something to eat?¡± I asked Tony


    ¡°Sure, I heard about this new restaurant down near the peer. We should go check it out.¡±


    ¡°Ok, sounds good. Send me the address and I¡¯ll meet you there in twenty.¡±


    ¡°Ok, bye.¡±


    I hung up the phone and prepared to going out. I quickly brushed my teeth, combed my hair. Grandpa always said that the people who take care of themselves have the most fun and I believe him. It would be a crime not to listen to his wisdom, because Grandpa was never wrong. At least he thought he was never wrong (but that¡¯s beside the point).


    I groaned as I realized that Tony had picked a gamer pub. It was sort of like a sports pub, but without any girls to hit on. Unfortunately it was Tony¡¯s turn to pick where we ate, so I had no choice. I had to enter. I casually walked in expecting the usual sweaty drunk ¡®dudes¡¯, who had left their homes looking for something to stick their snake tube in.


    It surprised me when I was greeted with dark stained wood floors and brick walls, which were a rarity ever since they were banned due to their lack of safety during Earthquakes. Every smooth antique table was polished. There wasn¡¯t a speck of dust in the building and the aroma of spices permeated the dining hall. People, more importantly girls, mingled about talking with each other; drinking with each other.


    I spotted my wingman in the table in the corner, so I drifted in that direction.


    ¡°You almost gave me a heart attack when I saw the outside of this place.¡±


    ¡°I bet your horny ass did. This place is pretty cool. I¡¯ve heard about it, but haven¡¯t had anyone to go with until today.¡±


    ¡°I guess I was a little preoccupied with¡­ the situation.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I guessed as much. So I¡¯ve been thinking, we should meet up. I could help you with¡­ dating advice and you could help me get the funds for a guild.¡±


    ¡° Ok.¡±


    ¡°REALLY!¡± (Everyone in the room turned and stared for a minute and the went back to whatever they were doing)


    ¡°I was looking into the game in my off time and that seems like the only way to become powerful. I¡¯d be willing to start one with you, if I get to pick the symbol.¡±


    ¡°Uuugh. You better not make it pink or purple or even yellow.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re in?¡±


    ¡°Sure¡±


    ¡°When do we start?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow¡±