《Soralya》


 Chapter 1: Logging In: What the hell?

    An alarm broke the silence of the early morning peacefulness that had consumed Kevin¡¯s room. The loud and annoying chime came from his phone, resting on his dresser. Sleepily, he fumbled with it until it stopped the infernal beeping that disturbed his morning bliss. Kevin rubbed the sleep from his eyes, trying to remember what would possess him to wake up early on a Sunday. Sundays were his days off from work and school, his day of rest and relaxation. Suddenly he remembered.


    Jumping out of bed, he burst into life, walking briskly into the washroom of his apartment and into the shower. He quickly cleaned, changed into fresh clothes and left out the front door, almost forgetting to lock the door behind him. Grabbing a fast food breakfast on his way to his destination, he happily walked the streets of the city, sipping his coffee and gobbling his food as fast as he could.


    He got to his destination quite quickly on foot. He lived in the hub of the city, everything was pretty much a step away. He stopped outside the local tech store and stepped inside the sliding doors. He was excited, he had saved for many months for this purchase. He went to the gaming department and flagged down a retail expert.


    ¡°Hey,¡± He said to a middle aged man who came up to greet him.


    ¡°Hello,¡± The man greeted him with a big smile, ¡°What can I help you with?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a VR Unit that is compatible with Soralya.¡± Kevin said, his voice couldn¡¯t hold back the pride he felt.


    Kevin had worked hard for this moment, saving for many months so he could buy this Virtual Reality Unit. They had only started becoming readily available ten years earlier, but this great technological achievement had been refined to do remarkable things, including host games that had been created for the sole purpose of creating new worlds in which to explore and interact. The most popular and best rated game for the VR Unit was Soralya, a massively multiplayer online game that advertised to have created a new world, and introduced actual AI programs to play characters in the game. AI programming had been created a year after VR units started coming out, it was one of the greatest achievements of mankind, but was strictly regulated to fit into programs and not allowed inside any hardware robots.


    Kevin¡¯s roommate, Roman, had owned the game for a few months now and he raved on and on about it. Now, on the verge of delving into this game himself, Kevin was truly excited.


    ¡°Ah, yes. We have many different types in stock.¡± The salesman said as he led Kevin to the VR section.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the best one you have and the game itself, please.¡±


    ¡°For sure, we¡¯ll get that ready for you at once!¡± The man said, ¡°First I¡¯ll need some ID, you need to be the legal age to play the game.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Kevin gave the man his ID card. He checked it and with a smile handed it back.


    ¡°Sorry, but due to the virtually unlimited content of the game, it has a strict age restriction.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Kevin was shown the best VR and the game itself. It came to just under what he had in his savings. Upon leaving the salesman stopped him with a warning.


    ¡°Now, the instructions are fairly standard. Once you put it on and activate it, you¡¯ll be put into a tutorial. Just remember to always rest your body in a comfortable state before you put it on or activate it. The machine transfers your consciousness to a server, so your body will be immobile and¡­. Well, for lack of a better term, flaccid.¡±


    Kevin laughed and told the man that his roommate had one, he knew all too well. With a wave goodbye, Kevin practically ran all the way home with his bag of hardware and went straight to his room to set it up. The VR itself was pretty light, a headset without a visor. It looked like a black painted halo what you adjusted around your forehead like a tiara.


    Kevin felt weird putting it on, he lay on his bed and plugged it in. He didn¡¯t bother reading the instructions even though he thought he probably should. Nobody reads instructions, right? He opened the game package and found the game to be a small chip. He took off the VR and looked for the place to insert the chip, it was on the left side. Inserting it securely, he put the VR back on and rested comfortably on the bed. With a few short breaths and a shiver of excitement, he turned it on.


    Suddenly he felt as if he were falling and everything was dark, then as his falling body slowed, the world got brighter until he stood on a white, tiled floor in an infinite expanse with a white sky. He looked around in awe, it was comfortably cool with no breeze and no smells in the air.


    ¡°Greetings.¡± Came the neutral voice from behind him, he whirled around to see a yellow glowing orb hovering above the tiles ten paces away. ¡°I am your new AI companion available exclusively through this VR Unit. Firstly, what name would you like to give me, and what form would you like me to take?¡±


    ¡°Umm, okay,¡± Kevin was dumbfounded, ¡°I will name you¡­. Destiny. What forms can you take?¡±


    ¡°Almost any that you desire.¡± The orb bobbed up and down.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Kevin blushed a bit. ¡°How about the queen of blades? A character on my favorite show, Kingdom of Denalyr.¡±


    ¡°I will need to search the web. Could you please provide me your wifi passcode?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Kevin told her the code, he had had it memorized for many years.


    ¡°Searching,¡± The orb said bobbing up and down. Suddenly the orb transformed into a beautiful woman wearing a sensual dress. She was tall and slightly muscular with a gorgeous face and a lustful figure. Her straight blonde hair came down to her waist in a yellow cascade, shining in the white light as the image buffered and became sharp.


    ¡°Finished, is this the form you would like me to take?¡± Destiny said with the sensual voice of the actual actress who played the part in the Series. Kevin¡¯s jaw dropped.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± He said in disbelief.


    ¡°Very well, what shall I call you?¡±


    ¡°My name is Kevin¡­ but¡­ could you call me ¡®Master¡¯?¡± Kevin asked.


    ¡°Certainly, Master.¡± Destiny said, ¡°Now, what would you like your home environment to look like?¡±


    Kevin thought about his ideal dream home. ¡°How about a mountain retreat, with a modern looking house next to a hot spring?¡±


    ¡°How is this?¡± Destiny lifted her slender arm, gesturing to the changing landscape. Mountains with snowy caps sprang up and a lovely house with a wall of windows appeared from the lush valley Kevin was now in. A steaming hot spring rested next to the house, clear and inviting.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± Kevin¡¯s jaw dropped in amazement. He walked down the side of a grassy slope to the edge of the hot spring and knelt down to feel the water. It was warm to touch, and the steam smelled of sulfur. ¡°Wow, this is amazing!¡± He exclaimed.


    Then, he noticed his bare knees. He looked down further and found that he was completely naked. ¡°Ahhh! Where are my clothes!?¡± He looked wildly around.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have any yet, Master. Would you like some?¡±


    ¡°Yes please!¡± Kevin covered his nether regions with his hands.


    ¡°Very well, what kind of clothes would you like?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± He said in a panic.


    ¡°Very well, Master.¡± Destiny said. The next moment Kevin looked down to see himself wearing sandals with very baggy pants, and a very ugly knit sweater with a poorly knitted polar bear design on it.


    ¡°What the¡­¡± Kevin felt like a goof with these clothes, but it was better than no clothes.


    ¡°Those are the basics, Master. I¡¯ve noticed you have a game inserted into the VR. I can activate the game and you can start playing immediately, or you can remain here and we can add detail to your VR home.¡± Destiny said.


    ¡°Umm, I¡¯m not sure. This all seems so amazing to me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s normal to feel overwhelmed. Know that you can come back here any time and we can add detail to your home.¡±


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Alright, well we might as well start the game. Will you be in the game too?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no, I am only programed to be a guide in the VR itself, but you can call upon me anytime and we can talk inside the game. I can read you messages, and perform tasks for you while you are in the game. I also serve as a chat function for you with players too far away to hear. I am always with you, and can transfer you back home at any time.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great. Thank you Destiny.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Master. I¡¯m here for you. What would you like to do?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s start the game.¡± Kevin braced himself, not knowing what to expect. He didn¡¯t even know if he¡¯d have clothes again, anything seemed possible in this thing.


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Destiny bowed, ¡°Enjoy your session.¡±


    The world faded into darkness and music began playing in the background. Suddenly the light of the world got brighter and Kevin found himself in a glass room in the middle of a field atop a hill. A forest could be seen in the distance, as well as a large city with a spire that touched the clouds above. A storm battered rain against the glass room as lightning flashed across the sky, followed by a crash of thunder.


    Firstly, Kevin checked if he was naked. To his relief, he was not. He wore a loose robe with sandals much like the ones he was wearing at his ¡®home.¡¯ A figure appeared before him in the glass room. It was a wiry looking man, wearing the same robes and sandals. He had a long white beard that stuck out profusely from his chin.


    ¡°Greetings, I am Valen, your tutorial guide to Soralya. I will administer your user name, gender, and race that you choose. The race you choose will determine your starting point in the wide world of Soralya.¡± Valen said with a mischievous grin.


    ¡°Alright, sounds good.¡± Kevin said hesitantly.


    ¡°Oh, mind my manners. How are your today?¡± The old man offered his hand. Kevin shook it.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you. How are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m an AI for darn sake! I¡¯m great!¡± Valen yelled, then laughed at the startled look on Kevin¡¯s face. ¡°Now, what username would you like?¡±


    ¡°Umm, how about Paladin?¡± Kevin asked.


    ¡°Already taken,¡± Valen exclaimed shaking his head, ¡°Pick another one.¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, how about Reaver?¡±


    ¡°Ayh,¡± Valen made the sound of an annoying alarm. ¡°Also taken, you¡¯re going to have to pick something unique. We have over a million users logged in right now, most basic names are taken.¡±


    ¡°Okay, how about¡­.. Valen?¡± Kevin shrugged.


    ¡°Bwuahahahaha,¡± Valen laughed so hard he doubled over, ¡°Alright, that has never been asked for. I like your style kid. You are now called Valen. What gender would you like to be, Valen?¡± The old man asked with a wink.


    ¡°Uh,¡± Kevin was kind of confused and maybe a little bit curious, but he decided it would be too weird for himself if he became a woman in the game. ¡°I¡¯ll stay male.¡± The words rolled off his tongue awkwardly.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, kid. You can always make another profile if you feel a bit adventurous.¡± Old Valen giggled. ¡°What race would you like to be? These are the primary races.¡± Old Valen gestured to the area outside of the glass room and many different humanoid  creatures appeared including human.


    ¡°I¡¯ll introduce them.¡± Old Valen exclaimed, then he gestured to a person that looked human, ¡°This race is called Human, they are industrious and curious creatures who have a tendancy for violence and self gratitude. Very complex creatures.¡±


    ¡°This race is called ¡®Alfs¡¯,¡± Old Valen gestured to a race of short and thin humanoids with no hair. Their skin was different shades of purple and their eyes were big and almond shaped. Their faces were long and thin with slits for a nose and mouth. ¡°These little creatures are stealthy and light, they make perfect thieves or scouts and can jump through the trees like silent monkeys, or crawl through small spaces like shadows.¡±


    ¡°This race is called the Bresh,¡± Old Valen pointed to a beast like human, very tall and very muscular. They had faces like cats with different patterned hair. ¡°This race are hunters and fighters. They have a tribal and religious code that they live by and are very stout warriors.¡±


    ¡°This race is Varnu,¡± The old man gestured to a race that looked human, but their skin was dark blue and their eyes were completely white. Tattoos donned their skin in every color imagined. ¡°This race are dwellers of the dark caves, they make great warriors and stealthy hunters. They worship the dark and have a heightened eyesight in dark places. Their culture is very competitive, but well bonded.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®primary races¡¯?¡± Kevin asked curiously when it was obvious that Old Valen had finished.


    ¡°Other races can be unlocked through certain quests and missions in the game, but these are what is accessible to you right now.¡± Old Valen said.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll pick¡­.¡± Kevin wanted to pick something that would most suit him. In real life he was quite tall, but thin. He kind of looked like the regular nerd, wearing glasses and such, but many people said he was handsome and women had often been attracted to him, as far as he could tell. He didn¡¯t want to pick human class because he wanted something different, something new. ¡°I¡¯ll pick the Varnu.¡±


    ¡°Excellent choice, they are a popular one!¡± Old Valen nodded sagely. Kevin felt a tingling and when he looked at himself he could see his skin changing to a dark blue. Old Valen snapped his fingers and the glass room turned into a mirror like substance. Kevin saw himself for the first time as another race. He had much of the same features as in real life, but his skin was now dark blue and his eyes had white pupils staring back at him. It was an eerie feeling. ¡°Okay, we¡¯re done! Your VR AI can help you along the way, the help tool has been downloaded into your VR unit. You will now be sent to the Varnu Capital city, Shesh. There you will be able to do whatever you like, from the very start. Anything is possible from here on out. Find your place in this world, and make your legend a reality!¡± Old Valen winked and snapped his fingers again.


    Suddenly Kevin, now the real Valen, was falling again. This came to an abrupt halt in a large cylindrical hall. It was dimly lit with glowing mushrooms growing from a trough of dirt running along the inside of the walls. He looked around and found an open door leading outside. He tip toed forth and looked outside to find a large city inside of a massive cave! The cave was lit with the glow of many massive mushrooms, some of which had been hollowed out and was used as buildings themselves. Most other buildings were made of stone brick that had glowing paint painted onto them.


    ¡°Holy moley!¡± came a voice next to him, making him jump. Another person had sidled up to him, ¡°Isn¡¯t this great!?¡± The guy said, his white eyes widened in excitement. He jumped down the stairs leading out and once he passed the threshold of the building he was swarmed with other Varnu and some of the other races.


    ¡°Join our guild! We¡¯re the best!¡± came shouts from one person, ¡°No way, we¡¯re the best! Join us!¡± Came the shouting of others into a great clamor. The other new player panicked and tried to back up into the spawning room but was forced back by an invisible barrier. The mass of guild recruiters hemmed him in, offering weapons, armor, and gold, to join their guilds. The newbie just looked frightened and overwhelmed, like a cat scared by a vacuum cleaner.


    ¡°What the hell have I gotten myself into?¡± Valen asked himself as he peeked out to look at the mass gathering. This was a brand new world, one that he hadn¡¯t expected to find. It was so real, and he wanted to find out how it worked and what adventures he would find. It seemed limitless and fantastic. He would have to get past this throng and start exploring this city.

 Chapter 2: Flight and Fright

    Standing and watching the throng of guild recruiters hassle the newbie, Valen was trying to find a way to get past the crowd. There didn¡¯t seem any way around them, except over perhaps. Valen went down the steps and stopped before the invisible barrier. The newbie was cornered up against it looking at Valen for help. Valen motioned for the guy to crouch down. The guy looked confused, but he crouched anyway. The recruiters hesitated then, wondering what he was doing.


    Suddenly Valen jumped onto the newbie¡¯s back and then jumped off his back and over the crowd. He landed on some guy¡¯s shoulders and leaped off of him to land in a roll on the other side of the throng.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± He heard before he ran off into the city. ¡°Hey, wait!?¡± The mob started to chase after him, leaving the newbie still crouched and very confused.


    ¡°Your Agility is now level 2.¡± Destiny¡¯s voice rang out in Valen¡¯s mind. ¡°DingRinger7 has invited you to a duel.¡±


    ¡°Who!?¡± Valen yelled as he ran through the unfamiliar streets, people gawking at him as he and the gang of recruiters passed by.


    ¡°I¡¯ve highlighted him.¡± Destiny said calmly, ¡°Would you like to duel?¡±


    Valen looked over his shoulder at his pursuers. A long beam of light stretched down from the cavern ceiling to a person in the mob of pursuers. It was the guy he had landed on in the throng. He was huge and muscular with threatening looking armor.


    ¡°Oh ****.¡± He said, and bleeped.


    ¡°That would be the censor for the game. It automatically censors any swear word uttered by you or by anyone else in the game. Would you like it to remain on? I can turn it off at any time.¡± Destiny said.


    ¡°Yeah sure, whatever. I¡¯m being chased here! Is there any place I can hide nearby?¡± He said as he turned a corner and jumped over a cart of cabbages. The surprised woman pushing the cart stopped in confusion only to have the mob trip over it and smash it to pieces.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you would need to obtain a city map before I can determine a route for you.¡± Destiny said in a drone.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Valen exclaimed as he ran on.


    ¡°Would you like to duel DingRinger7?¡± Destiny repeated.


    ¡°No!¡± Suddenly Valen started to slow, his movements becoming sluggish compared to his quick flight earlier. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°Your stamina has depleted, you need to rest in order to replenish it.¡±


    ¡°Great, this keeps getting better and better.¡± Said Valen sarcastically.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you are enjoying it.¡± Said Destiny.


    ¡°I¡¯m being sarcastic!¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Destiny sounded disappointed.


    Valen looked back to see the few of those who had continued following him far back along the street. He turned a corner and found an open door to a building. He went through the doorway and slammed the door behind him. Valen turned around to find himself in a house with lavish furnishings and a roaring fireplace.


    ¡°Hello?¡± came a female voice from the kitchen.


    ¡°Hey! Hi!¡± Valen slowly made his way into the living room as the woman, a Varnu with long black hair and white glowing tattoos, appeared in the doorway to the kitchen.


    ¡°Aaaaah!¡± She screamed and lunged at him, beating at Valen mercilessly with her wooden spoon. She struck him to the floor with one well placed strike. The hits didn¡¯t hurt, but it jarred and disorientated him.


    ¡°Health at eighty percent,¡± Destiny informed him.


    ¡°Stop, stop, please!¡± Valen pleaded to the woman.


    ¡°What are you doing here!?¡± she demanded, ¡°I¡¯m calling the Watch!¡±


    ¡°Wait! I¡¯m hiding! There are people out there chasing me.¡±


    The woman paused, ¡°Alright, but as soon as they pass, you¡¯re out of here! Got it!?¡± Valen nodded in thanks.


    She marched to the window and posed as if lounging and enjoying the environment. Valen got up but backed up into the corner of the room so that he couldn¡¯t be seen through the window. A few people could be heard running past and stopping near the window.


    ¡°Hey Lady! A guy went by here just a moment ago. You see where he went?¡± One of the people outside said.


    ¡°Yes, he passed by going that way, into the market. Why?¡± She said in her sweetest voice.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± One of them said and they continued on.


    When it was safe, Valen sighed in relief and slid down the wall to land on his rump by the fireplace.


    ¡°Why were they chasing you?¡±


    ¡°They were cornering Newbies by the spawn point and recruiting them, I managed to slip by them.¡± Valen told her.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re one of them.¡± She said in a tone.


    ¡°One of who?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Those that have come from another world.¡± She said.


    ¡°Are you not¡­?¡±


    ¡°I was born here, but my husband is of your kind.¡±


    ¡°Your husband?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yes, his name is Derek, but his Username is Feral7.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t realize you could marry, well, your people.¡± Valen was amazed that they would allow that in the game.


    ¡°Oh yes, it¡¯s becoming more common since your people started coming to our world a year ago.¡±


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to rest here? You¡¯ll need to, after that run. I know that your kind are fragile after you first enter our world.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m cooking lunch for myself, you can have some if you like. It¡¯ll help you replenish your stamina.¡±


    ¡°Wow, thank you. I appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°No problem, just no funny business!¡± She pointed her spoon at Valen and he flinched, ¡°My husband will be home soon and he has shown me many techniques for self defense.¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± Valen nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m Venna, by the way. You are?¡±


    ¡°Valen,¡± Valen waved shyly and she laughed. She went back into the kitchen and Valen began to wander the living room. He went by the fire and felt the heat from it. He never imagined this game would be so in depth. He wondered¡­ He stuck his hand in the flames and bleeped, pulling it out of the flames. That had hurt, but there were no burn marks on his hands. He looked around and found a painting on the wall of Venna and someone else. It was another Varnu, like him but with the same white tattoos on him as on Venna. Could that be her husband Derek?


    Venna came in then with a plate of food and set it down on the table. ¡°Here is some Cheken Stew, it should bring your stamina back very quickly.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Velan sat down and took a sip, not sure if he should ask what a ¡®Cheken¡¯ was. The stew was warm and tasted gamey, with the spices it tasted great. ¡°Is that Derek in that picture with you?¡±


    ¡°You mean the painting? Yes, we had that painted a month ago. He is quite dashing.¡± She smiled.


    Suddenly a flash of light blinded Velan on the couch, stunning him and making him jump. In the living room appeared Derek in the virtual flesh, standing next to the fireplace. He saw his wife and greeted her with a warm smile, then he saw Velan and frowned.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± He demanded.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m Velan.¡± He offered his hand to Derek and Derek shook it grudgingly and confused. ¡°Your wife Venna hid me from a mob of recruiters that was chasing me through the city.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Understanding flooded across Derek¡¯s face, ¡°I see. Hello love.¡± He embraced Venna and gave her a big kiss.


    ¡°Hello handsome.¡± She purred. Velan suddenly felt like a ghost.


    ¡°Um, I should go.¡± He got up. ¡°Thank you for everything, both of you.¡±


    ¡°No, no stay.¡± Derek put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re a new player right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just got the game today.¡± Suddenly it felt odd to call it a game. It seemed so much more than that.


    ¡°Let me give you a tour of the city, I¡¯ve got nothing else to do today.¡± Derek suggested.


    ¡°Oh, sure. That would be great.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stay away too late, love.¡± Venna said with a wink.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon, babes. Just a quick tour, it¡¯s the least I can do.¡± He smiled and kissed her goodbye.


    Valen waved and thanked her again for the food, then stepped outside with Derek. Derek gestured to follow.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to a pub so you can take a look at bounties. They are the best way to make some cash. Many AI in the game post missions and bounties to the board and reward in gold. Most bounties will involve solving world problems like harvesting needed ingredients and taking out bandits. If a player has a particularly bad reputation in the city, the Watch will put out a bounty on his head, a cash reward for anyone who can defeat him.¡±


    As they were walking through the streets and Valen was drinking in all this knowledge, a group of people streamed past, jumping off of the side of buildings and doing flips off of fences.


    ¡°What are they doing?¡± Valen asked.


    ¡°They are in a group, improving their agility and stamina through parkour.¡± Derek smiled. ¡°You improve stats by practicing here in the virtual world. They more you improve stamina, the longer you can run. The more you improve agility, the faster you can move. The more you improve strength, the more damage you do with your weapon and fists, and so on, and so on.¡±


    ¡°How high can you get it?¡±


    ¡°Well, I knew a guy who had gotten his strength to such a high level that he could lift a cart of carrots over his head.¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Wow, what happened to him?¡±


    ¡°Well, his powers were noticed by a prestigious guild and they took him in. He moved into the guild stronghold and that was the last I saw of him. He¡¯s probably the leader of a squad somewhere, playing a major role in some clan war.¡±


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°And you? Why aren¡¯t you doing that?¡±


    ¡°Because I fell in love with this city and I want to keep it the way it is. A player became so powerful that he challenged the AI chieftain of the Bresh and killed him, now he is the chieftain, according to their government structure. A player also took control of the Human kingdom through inciting a rebellion. I don¡¯t want that here, I want to keep this place ruled by the Varnu Matriarchal line. Some people call me a loyalist, but I just do what I can to protect the power in place here.¡±


    ¡°So there are political and power struggle in this world too?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, and that¡¯s just in the main cities. You should see what it¡¯s like out there in the world outside the capital walls, once you leave these walls, the PVP is intense. Here, it¡¯s mostly policed by the Watch, but out there you have to fend for yourself.¡±


    ¡°Huh, what happens when you die?¡±


    ¡°You are spirited away to either your bought home, or your place of in game worship with a major drop in stats.¡±


    ¡°Wow.¡± Valen said as they got to their destination. It was a big building with ¡®Granite Pub¡¯ written across the building in glowing blue paint. The building wasn¡¯t in fact granite but it didn¡¯t seem to matter to the many patrons inside. The place was packed.


    ¡°Is it always so crowded here?¡± Valen shouted above the din as they entered.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Derek shouted back and rolled his eyes. He pushed forward and moved through the crowd with Valen in tow. They went to the right hand wall of the pub, which wasn¡¯t much of a wall. Instead it was a huge board where many people were sifting through pages magically appearing pinned to the wall. With every small flash of light, another page appeared on the wall.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find some easy ones for you to do.¡± Derek shouted at Valen next to him. ¡°You can hold five at a time.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Valen squeezed into the throng at the board and started looking them over. There were so many, pages upon pages. He looked through the board directly in front of him and found one gathering herbs for a mage at the Shesh University. He took that one, then took another for defeating a roving band of creatures called Raider Cats. Valen heard Derek shout his name and moved over to join him. Derek showed him three pages he had found and motioned him to follow him outside.


    ¡°Whew, now we can talk.¡± Derek said.


    ¡°Why is it so crowded?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a major hub for questing and drinking.¡±


    ¡°Drinking?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, people can buy alcohol there using the money they earn in game. It affects the mind just like regular alcohol, but it doesn¡¯t have any of the negative effects on the body.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you still become an alcoholic?¡±


    ¡°No, because the chemicals aren¡¯t actually entering your brain. It¡¯s a simulation. Your brain doesn¡¯t get addicted to it, but it also doesn¡¯t feel exactly the same as you would if you drank for real.¡±


    ¡°Oh, alright.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll understand if you ever try it, but I think it¡¯s a waste of money and time.¡± Derek stated, ¡°Let¡¯s see those missions.¡± Velan handed over the papers.


    ¡°Whoa, this one is for hunting down Raider Cats. They¡¯re pretty dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I want some action though.¡± Velan said.


    ¡°You have to start small, but I suppose you have nothing to lose.¡± Derek said hesitantly. He handed the papers back to Velan and motioned him to follow again. ¡°So what role would you like to play in the game?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯d like to be something of a spell warrior.¡±


    ¡°Ah, multi-class huh?¡± Derek smiled, ¡°It¡¯s not easy and it¡¯s hard to master, but very effective. What you¡¯ll need to do is buy spell books to learn spells and practice very much to increase your willpower. Work on your agility and stamina too. Everyone has mana as well, that¡¯s what you use for spells, but when you run out, you get dizzy and can¡¯t cast anymore, so watch that.¡±


    Velan just nodded and followed Derek into a spell shop. The shopkeeper was a robed woman that smiled and greeted them.


    ¡°Hello, how are you today?¡± She said in a cheerful voice, her curly brown hair bouncing with her movements.


    ¡°Very good, thank you.¡± Derek smiled back. ¡°My friend here would like some offensive and defensive spells for beginners.¡±


    ¡°Very well, here is what I have.¡± She motioned for them to follow and she led them around her library to a bookshelf by the front window. ¡°This whole unit contains all the spells for beginners.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Valen said politely, the shopkeeper smiled and left them alone. They sifted through a few. ¡°How am I going to pay for this?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not, I am.¡± Derek said. ¡°I had no help in the beginning and it was a mess, I want to help you out.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I can do this on my own.¡± Valen said firmly.


    ¡°Forget it, I¡¯m helping you out.¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t accept your charity.¡±


    ¡°What if I gave you some spell books and you did me some favors in return?¡± Derek asked, trying to compromise.


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Well, when you get powerful enough, I would like your help hunting down some underground players that are trying to get the Matriarch killed. They are somewhere in the city, or have a group outside the city. Me and my guild have been trying to find them for months. They want to take the throne themselves, and this whole city will turn into chaos if they do.¡±


    ¡°Alright, that sounds fair.¡±


    ¡°Good, now come on.¡± Derek had taken three spell books from the shelf and led Valen to the woman.


    ¡°We would like to purchase these.¡± Derek told her.


    ¡°Very well, that is one hundred gold each.¡± She told him, Derek nodded and held out his hand. She took his hand and shook it, then Derek started to walk out.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Valen asked Derek as he followed him outside.


    ¡°I paid.¡± Derek said, then comprehended the confused look on Valens face. ¡°You pay through a hand shake, your VR AI will approve the transaction upon the situation.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡±


    ¡°These are yours now,¡± Derek gave Valen the spell books. ¡°Read them.¡±


    ¡°Right now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it won¡¯t take long.¡±


    Valen opened up the first book, on the pages were instructions on how to perform the spell, it was a spell for creating a shield around his body to absorb damage. He tried the spell using the hand signal the book instructed in pictures. It took a few times of trying but with Dereks guidance he managed to cast the spell by making a fist with his arm bent upward at a right angle, then bringing it down to his body in a sweeping motion. His skin glowed blue while it was active and the spell book disintegrated into ash in his hands.


    ¡°Mana down to eighty percent.¡± Destiny¡¯s voice told him. He looked to Derek but Derek seemed to think this was all normal and gestured for the next one.


    The other two turned out to be a lightning strike spell that was pretty exciting and very loud, and a flamethrower spell that was so bright that Valen had to squint. After learning the spells, Valen felt a little dizzy. Destiny had informed him that his mana was down to twenty percent, but she also added that he had gained a level in maximum mana.


    ¡°Wow, these are awesome.¡± Valen told Derek.


    ¡°You should be a master mage in no time. Don¡¯t forget to grab a sword or something after you complete those missions! Some armor too.¡±


    ¡°Will do!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll add you as a friend and I¡¯ll check up on you when I need you. Here¡¯s a map of the city, I have tons.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good! Thanks again, Derek.¡± Valen said and they waved goodbye to each other. Valen suddenly noticed that he felt hungry.


    ¡°Destiny, I¡¯m hungry. Where can I get a bite to eat?¡±


    ¡°It is impossible to satisfy your hunger or void your bladder and gastrointestinal track while you are in the VR. To do so you will have to log out.¡±


    ¡°Oh, alright. Well I need to make some money at least before I log out.¡±


    ¡°I can activate a quest for you?¡± Destiny suggested. Valen looked at his hands and noticed the quest papers glowing and then disappear.


    ¡°Um, sure,¡± Valen said, actually quite unsure, ¡°How about that Raider Cat bounty?¡±


    ¡°Very well, Master. I have highlighted your path.¡±


    A faint glowing trail flowed across the ground at Valen¡¯s feet. ¡°Perfect!¡± Things were now moving along, thanks to Derek. ¡°Also add Derek as a friend, will you?¡±


    ¡°Who, Master?¡±


    ¡°That guy who led me around and paid for my spells.¡± Valen said.


    ¡°His username is Feral7.¡± Destiny stated.


    ¡°Okay, add him please.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master.¡±


    Velan then travelled along the trail lit for him through the city. Soon he came to one of the exits of the city, a natural tunnel running in a crack along one of the massive caverns walls. There was a checkpoint there where many of the so called ¡®Watch¡¯ stood guard at the mouth of the smaller cavern. Valen stood at the threshold of the checkpoint as the Watch members watched him with mild interest. After he stepped out of the city, he didn¡¯t know what to expect. He shouldn¡¯t even be doing this quest, according to Derek, but it was like he had said. What did he have to lose? He stepped off into the darkness with adventure on his mind.

 Chapter 3: Betrayal and Tears

    Valen travelled along the labyrinth of dark caverns. As he made his way following the trail that Destiny had provided, he saw all the intersections and branches in the tunnel network.


    ¡°Wow,¡± He thought, ¡°It would be so easy to get lost in here. I wonder where all these tunnels take you?¡±


    Valen continued on through the dark tunnels, his enhanced eyesight allowing him to see where other races could not. While he was following the trail he heard an odd noise. A scratching along the tunnel floor caught his attention, and he followed the noise down an intersection in the tunnel network. He glanced behind to see where his trail left off and found himself making a trail from where he had left off. If he didn¡¯t have Destiny to mark the way he would have been totally lost.


    Following the noise, Valen made his way further down the side tunnel. As he stalked along, he found equipment sprawled along the tunnel. A shield here, a sword there, he also found a staff. He stopped and picked up the sword. He figured the staff would amplify his magical power, but he had always wanted to wield a sword. It felt heavy in his hand, almost like he had to wield it with two hands even though it was just a basic steel longsword.


    He swung a few times to get used to the feel of it before he heard a scream abruptly cut off farther down the tunnel.


    ¡°What the¡­¡± He muttered as he crept farther into the dark. Eventually he heard the sounds of a battle and soon after that, he peeked around a corner to find the den of giant hulking creature. Its eyes were large black orbs set into a massive green body with no neck at all, sporting two large arms and two legs bulging with muscle. It easily stood over twice Valens six foot frame. A mound of glowing mushrooms occupied the middle of the den, illuminating the monstrosity in cold blue light. The creature¡¯s giant maw opened up to tear an arm off of a body in one of its huge arms with a mouth full of bladed teeth. The person that had lost his arm roared in defiance and then his body turned to ash. Two more people were attacking the creature. One was a Varnu man wearing plated mail, stabbing the creature from behind with a spear. The other was a Varnu girl with white hair tied into a long high ponytail. She wore a snug fit of leather armor and was pumping the creature full of arrows with her bow.


    The creature picked up the skull of a beast, one of many lying around the den, and threw it at the archer. The skull, the size of a cart, smashed into her before she could roll away. She was thrown into the wall and Valen heard her bleep a curse word from where he was watching the battle. The man with the spear was suddenly swatted by one of the massive arms, flying across the room, and impaled on a tusked skull. He disappeared into a puff of ash with an astonished look upon his face.


    The creature turned to the woman, just getting to her knees and obviously dazed. It loomed over her, globs of drool falling from its goofy grin. Then something stirred inside Valen. He was about to witness the third person defeated by this monster and still he hadn¡¯t done anything, all he had done was watch. Was this the person he wanted to become in this game? The one to cower behind walls and watch stuff play out from a distance? That¡¯s not why he spent his savings on this game.


    Valen stepped out from behind the wall unsteadily, not really sure of what he was doing, but doing it anyway. He cast the shield spell over himself and his body glowed blue. The creature glanced his way and stopped its approach of the still dazed girl.


    ¡°Come at me you hulking piece of *****!¡± He found himself shouting. He didn¡¯t know where it came from, but now that he had come out from behind that wall, he felt empowered. It was all or nothing he supposed.


    The hulking beast roared at him, deafening the room with its low rumble. Suddenly it charged and Valen cast his flamethrower spell, dousing the creature¡¯s face in flames. It stopped dead in its tracks and raked at its face to douse the flames. He kept it activated with an extended palm until Destiny informed him that he had run out of mana.


    ¡°Mana now level 3. Intelligence now level 5.¡± Destiny informed him as the flames died from his extended hand. The creature was still doused in flames, panicking and stumbling into the walls. It hit one wall hard and fell to the ground. Valen saw his chance and charged at it. It saw him coming and tried to swat him with an arm. Its arm swept across the ground, but the flames still crawled along its face. The behemoth misjudged the distance as fire licked its eyes and the arm swept past Valen before he was in range. Running as fast as he could, he dived through the opening and plunged his sword into the creatures eye.


    ¡°Critical hit,¡± Destiny¡¯s voice rang out, ¡°Strength now level 3. Cunning now level 4.¡±


    The beast howled, vibrating Valen enough to feel it in his very bones. He fell back to see the creature vanish into a sea of ash.


    ¡°That was amazing!¡± Valen heard a voice from behind him. He looked back to see the archer jogging towards him, her white ponytail swinging behind her. ¡°Thank you, I thought I was done for. My health was down to ten percent!¡± She gave him a big smile.


    ¡°No problem,¡± He said. ¡°I heard the battle from the main tunnel and came to investigate.¡±


    ¡°Good thing,¡± She said walking toward the disappearing pile of ash. ¡°You pick first.¡±


    ¡°Uh, sure.¡± He said in a tone that made it seem like he knew what she was talking about. She was quite beautiful and he didn¡¯t want to seem like a complete Newbie. He followed her and watched as the ash slowly disappeared to reveal two glowing items.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what we¡¯ve got.¡± She walked up to the items and picked them up. One was a vicious and crude looking sword, the other a staff intricately designed with a skull pattern ending at the top with a large pearl the size of Valen¡¯s fist.


    ¡°Ekra, what are the stats of these weapons?¡± The girl said aloud. Nothing happened for a moment but the girl nodded. ¡°They are both rare, with the sword amplifying damage by three and the staff amplifying damage by four. Which one do you want?¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Valen thought about which one he would like. To get a rare item right off the bat would be great for him, but he didn¡¯t like the looks of them. ¡°Can I take a look at them?¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± The girl said hesitantly, ¡°But please don¡¯t take both. The rest of my guild won¡¯t be too happy with you if you do.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Valen said, he didn¡¯t even think about taking both, though he could if he wanted to. She was low health already, he could probably defeat her pretty easily if she attacked, especially with these new weapons. He took one in each hand. ¡°Destiny, what are these weapons worth?¡±


    ¡°The rare sword is worth five hundred and twenty three gold. The rare staff is worth eight hundred and fifty six gold.¡± Destiny said.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to use them?¡± The girl asked, confused. ¡°But its way better than that sword you have¡­¡± She noticed the sword. ¡°Hey! That¡¯s Toads sword!¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah. I picked it up on the way.¡±


    ¡°Can you at least give that back? He lost it when he died. I¡¯m going to gather all the weapons they dropped.¡±


    ¡°Well, if they¡¯re dropped then they are free to anyone who picks them up,¡± Valen said defiantly.


    ¡°Yeah, but he can¡¯t afford another one and my guild is getting fed up of giving him stuff every time he dies.¡± She argued. ¡°The only reason you got a rare item is because we brought that things health down. Besides, you can afford a common weapon of any type with the money you get from selling your rare, plus some left over.¡±


    Valen sighed, ¡°Alright,¡± He handed over the basic longsword and the rare sword. ¡°I¡¯ll take the staff.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She said in a guarded tone. ¡°Are you really going to sell that? My guild would pay very good money for a rare staff.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. I don¡¯t like the look of it. It looks morbid.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but it has a multiplier of four! That¡¯s pretty good.¡± She said.


    ¡°I suppose.¡± Valen said.


    ¡°You¡¯re a Newbie aren¡¯t you?¡± She said suspiciously.


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t going to use the rare? Anyone who had any experience playing this game would definitely use it if they only had a basic weapon.¡±


    ¡°Well I guess I am then.¡± Valen was getting annoyed. ¡°I¡¯m going to go. Take care.¡±


    ¡°Take care.¡± The girl said in a curious tone.


    Valen turned to leave, but listened carefully behind him. He expected to hear her retrieving weapons off of the floor, but he heard nothing. Something urged him to turn around, maybe a sixth sense or paranoia. He turned and saw the flash of a blade arc toward him. He dove and rolled away as the girl swung the sword at him.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± he yelled at her.


    ¡°If I return to my guild with two rare items, they¡¯ll give me a promotion for sure. Defeating a newbie like you will be easy.¡± She flung herself at him, diving with a quick thrust. With a swift use of his free hand, Valen cast a lightning bolt that hit the girl square in the chest. She flew back and turned to ash before she hit the ground. The rare sword clanked onto the floor of the cavern.


    Valen sighed and stood up straight. The cavern was silent now, the cold blue light of the mushrooms matching the cold feel of what had happened here. Why did people have to be so greedy? Valen supposed he had been greedy when he had wanted to keep the basic longsword, but she had taken it to another level. He walked to the sword on the cavern floor and picked it up. Looking around, he saw the other weapons lying strewn about the cavern. One by one he picked them up until he had both arms full of weapons.


    ¡°Uh, Destiny?¡± Valen said stumbling a bit with the weight of the weapons.


    ¡°Yes Master?¡± Destiny asked.


    ¡°Is there any way I can store these weapons until I can sell them?¡±


    ¡°You have a virtual inventory, Master.¡± Destiny said. A large tile materialized on the floor in front of Valen. It looked like a window on a computer screen. Slots occupied the area inside the window, Valen counted ten slots. ¡°You can store items in here by dropping them inside this window.¡±


    ¡°Huh, nice.¡± Valen walked up to the window and dropped the basic longsword over one of the slots. It slipped through the ground and appeared in the slot it dropped into. He then walked around the window, dropping the weapons into any available slots. When he was finished he only had two left open.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to log out now, Destiny.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Destiny said. The world faded into darkness and then materialized again as Kevin¡¯s Home Space. Destiny was in front of him, wearing her beautiful dress. The hot springs steamed and bubbled not far away.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to return to¡­ My world.¡± Kevin said, not knowing how to quite phrase it.


    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Destiny bowed, ¡°Have a good time in your world. See you again soon.¡±


    Valen bowed and then felt the falling sensation hit him. Before he knew it he opened his eyes and he was in bed again. Taking his VRU off, Kevin hit the bathroom first and then started cooking some food. He knocked on his roommate¡¯s door but nobody answered, so he figured he was in the game. Leaving Roman a text message informing him he had bought Soralya, he ate some pasta and grilled chicken. After he ate he did the homework he needed to finish before classes tomorrow, it was quite a bit and he regretted not doing it yesterday before working late. When Kevin had finished, it was almost midnight, so he brushed his teeth and called it a night.


    The next day at University his mind kept drifting back to the VR. His classes seemed to go on forever and he found himself just waiting for the next time he could play. His last encounter was not very sociably heartening but he was looking forward to helping Derek out in the future, or at least pay him back with the money he would get from selling his new bounty of items.


    At lunch, Kevin had just sat down with a delicious corned beef sandwich when someone tousled his hair and sat


    down next to him. He glared at her, he hated his hair tousled and she knew it too. Karen had a big grin on her face.


    ¡°Hey buddy,¡± Karen always had a mischievous look on her face. She was a short and slim girl with brown hair that was always tied into a ponytail. She and Kevin had been friends since grade school, now they were in their first year of University together too.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s new?¡± Kevin asked between bites.


    ¡°Well, I told my boyfriend to start putting laundry softeners in his shoes.¡± She said as she dove into a shepherd pie.


    ¡°Really?¡± Kevin smirked.


    ¡°Sort of, I might have just suggested it was a neat idea.¡± Karen shrugged, ¡°A sheet a day, keeps the reaper at bay. What about you? What¡¯s new?¡±


    ¡°I picked up a VR Unit.¡± Kevin said, ¡°Also Soralya.¡±


    ¡°Finally!¡± She drawled, ¡°Almost everyone has tried it by now. You¡¯re late to jump on the bandwagon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that late, theirs still lots of people who haven¡¯t tried it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the people who say technology will end the world as we know it. Technophobes.¡± Karen rolled her eyes. ¡°So, how did it go?¡±


    ¡°It went well. I met a guy who gave me some basic spell books. He asked me to help him later on. He wants to find some players who are plotting to kill the Varnu Matriarch.¡±


    ¡°Oh, your Varnu, huh?¡± Karen¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s cool. Yeah, Marker25 took out the Bresh Chieftain about two


    months ago, he now uses the Bresh AI as his personal army. At least, those that will follow him. Some weren¡¯t too happy with having one of us become chieftain.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing how they incorporated AI into the system. I can¡¯t believe it. They¡¯re like actual people!¡±


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s awesome!¡± Karen giggled. ¡°I¡¯ve got this one AI who follows me around everywhere, like he¡¯s in love with


    me. I pretty much use him like a pack mule, its funny.¡±


    ¡°Hey, come on. That¡¯s not nice.¡± Kevin finished his sandwich in one huge bite.


    ¡°Hey, if he wants to follow me around, that¡¯s his life choice. He¡¯s getting stronger, which is what he wants.¡± Karen stared at a group of people that had just walked through the door. ¡°Alright, if you¡¯re going to be playing the game, you should probably get to know some of the guilds here in the school that play in Soralya.¡±


    ¡°They form guilds here too?¡±


    ¡°Well yeah, they form clich¨¦s and groups here and everywhere. There¡¯s even a guild named after the University. They¡¯re sitting over there.¡± She pointed to a table in the corner. About ten students were having lunch together. ¡°They even talk about homework while they quest, it¡¯s a little weird.¡±


    Karen then pointed to a group that had walked through the door. ¡°Those are the Valkyrie Knights. They are a mostly human guild who actually own a stronghold with AI servants in the Melesion Hills.¡±


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Really?¡± Kevin perked at that, ¡°They can do that?¡± They had a regal and confident attitude about them as they walked through the cafeteria.


    ¡°Anything is possible in Soralya,¡± Karen smiled at him, ¡°I¡¯m a solo player and I pretty much have my own servant. It¡¯s great.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Kevin finished his lunch with Karen and they exchanged usernames so they could add each other as friends. They parted ways for separate classes but Karen insisted they meet up in Bresh territory later tonight. Kevin didn¡¯t even know how he would get there, but Karen said there was something called a Magiportal that Kevin could jump into linking all the capitals.


    Kevin finished his classes and went home to finish his homework. He finished early than expected, finding that the incentive to enter Soralya was a great motivator. He ate some dinner and was about to go online when Roman walked in the door to the apartment.


    ¡°Dude!¡± Roman greeted Kevin with a big smile. He must have just gotten off work. ¡°How is it? You like it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s pretty great.¡± Kevin smiled back, ¡°I was just about to go on.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m gonna get something to eat and then join you.¡± Roman took off his work shirt and walked into the kitchen. ¡°What¡¯s your user name?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Valen,¡± Kevin yelled to him, spelling it out for Roman.


    ¡°Alright, sounds good.¡± Roman stuck his hand out of the kitchen and made a thumbs up.


    Kevin went into his room and started up the VRU. Destiny greeted him in his home realm.


    ¡°Hello Master. Welcome back.¡± She smiled at him and bowed. Kevin bowed back at her, feeling awkward about it, but he felt like he should show respect to her.


    ¡°Hey Destiny. How are you today?¡±


    ¡°I am well, Master. How are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m exhausted, but ready for some action.¡± Kevin went to the hot springs and threw off his clothes before sliding into the warmth of the water. He didn¡¯t even question himself, he didn¡¯t care today about being naked. He couldn¡¯t explain it, but he felt powerful. He felt like he was becoming whole, like he was becoming something, and he had a feeling that this game had something to do with it.


    Suddenly he heard a splash and looked around to find Destiny getting into the water, her dress pooled on the rocks next to her. Stunned at what he was looking at, he just sat there and watched her get into the pool and swim around a bit.


    ¡°Thank you for summoning this warm pool, Master. It is a very nice feature.¡± Destiny smiled and settled into a natural setting in the rocks nearby, comfortably sitting with her head just above the waterline.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, thank you for helping me set this up.¡± He suddenly thought about Derek and his AI wife. Was it possible? Did it make a good relationship? Would it be better in a relationship with your VR AI rather than one in the game?


    Kevin shook his head. It obeyed his command. That was no relationship. It would be a one sided relationship and he didn¡¯t think that was very healthy. Though, how many other people were having relationships with their AI, or affairs. It was an interesting, but disturbing thought to him.


    ¡°Will you be entering Soralya today, Master?¡± Destiny asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m meeting some friends inside.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what are their names? I can add them right now.¡±


    ¡°Well, one is LadySwan34, and the other is IAmRock.¡±


    ¡°They are added to your friends list, Master. LadySwan34 is currently auctioning some items in the Bresh Capital Bazaar.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you Destiny.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Master. I have been studying both AI and Player behaviour in Soralya while you were gone. The most talked about topics right now are the addition of a new AI force emerging from the mountains of Cloudspire, as well as the Bresh takeover of the Denmoors.¡±


    ¡°Huh, that Bresh chieftain player must be using the clan to conquer territory.¡±


    ¡°He is, but there is talk that a guild will be making a move against him soon. The Black Claw.¡±


    ¡°They are Bresh?¡±


    ¡°Yes Master, they are opposed to having a player as a Chieftain.¡±


    ¡°Are they led by a player?¡±


    ¡°Yes master.¡±


    ¡°Huh, good to know. Good job Destiny, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Of course Master. Just let me know when you would like to enter the world.¡±


    ¡°I might as well enter now,¡± Kevin said.


    ¡°Very well, Master. Have fun.¡± Destiny said, then the world went dark.


    Valen appeared in the capital, upon a circular platform in the middle of the city. It was a very large platform, the size of a typical gymnasium. Other players spawned around him as well, appearing through puffs of darkness. He walked down the stairs leading away from the platform and onto the main street. Immediately on either side of the wide concourse leading through the city was two sets of stairs on his right and one on his left. They led up to platforms that were emitting light upon the signs that were above them. One said ¡°Bresh Capital Magiportal.¡±


    Valen jogged up the stairs and stopped at the top, amazed at what he saw. The platform wasn¡¯t a platform at all, but a circular pool that swirled with a warm red light. It looked like water, but often it streamed upward in a red stream and disappeared in the air.


    Someone passed him and immediately jumped into the pool, disappearing into a splash of red and gold light.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± Valen muttered and then prepared himself for the leap. He didn¡¯t know what to expect on the other side, but like everything else in this game, he was prepared to be amazed. He jumped high into the air and fell into the warm light.


    Falling, he closed his eyes and landed hard on something. He opened his eyes to find himself lying on a platform in the pouring rain. Amazed at the feeling of being virtually wet, he stood to get his bearings, breathing in the damp warm air. Plains stretched out for as far as he could see, except for the large mountain range behind him. Directly below him on the platform was a sea of tents made from animal hide. Weaving around them in the masses was the Bresh. They all looked like large cats that walked upright and had furry hands instead of paws.


    Velan walked down into the throng and asked Destiny where the Bazaar was. She lit a trail he would follow and he made his way through the tent city. After a few minutes of walking he crossed a threshold where tents ended and a huge canvas covered a large market area. He followed the trail underneath the canvas to have it lead him to the middle of the market. There he found a Bresh highlighted in white light.


    ¡°Lady Swan?¡± He called. The highlighted person looked around and saw him waving as he approached. She didn¡¯t look much like she did in person, but that was probably a given when you were turned into a cat. She was just a little shorter than him with black fur striped with white.


    ¡°Velan!¡± She cried and rushed to give him a big hug. She stopped glowing and Valen saw a larger cat person walk up behind her. He had an uncertain look upon his face which may or may not have been jealousy.


    ¡°Welcome to the Bresh,¡± She said as she let go of him. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Very cool,¡± He said smiling, he turned to the Bresh behind her, ¡°You are?¡±


    ¡°I am Vendall,¡± The Bresh nodded.


    ¡°Nice to meet you Vendall.¡± Velan nodded back. Somehow he knew that this was the AI Karen had spoken of.


    ¡°Do you have anything to sell?¡± Swan asked Velan.


    ¡°Yeah, actually I do.¡±


    ¡°Alright, give it to that man there. They¡¯ll auction it off and you¡¯ll probably get a lot more for it than you would selling it in any store.¡± Swan pointed one clawed finger to a man taking items from another player.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Velan walked up and stood behind the person currently with the man. ¡°Destiny, can you give me all the weapons in my inventory except for the rare staff?¡±


    ¡°Yes Master,¡± Destiny¡¯s voice rang out. Suddenly sharp weapons rained all about him, sticking into the ground and eliciting gasps and growls from those nearby.


    ¡°Whoops,¡± Velan said as he started picking up his weapons with a red face. He gathered them all and gave them to the Bresh that was receiving auction items.


    ¡°Thank you, we will deposit the earnings from these into your account after we take our small ten percent fee.¡± The Bresh said, offering his hand to Velan.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Velan took his hand and felt a small tingling sensation in his palm.


    Velan and Swan, followed by Vendall, started walking out of the market.


    ¡°What would you like to do?¡± Velan said.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re new, so you probably haven¡¯t found many checkpoints or villages. Once you do, you can teleport to them for fast travel around the world. It makes it much easier to travel because travelling from the east coast to the west coast, say on horseback, it could take weeks.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Velan was amazed the game was that huge.


    ¡°Luckily you can take my hand and I can teleport you anywhere I¡¯ve been! It¡¯s great because once your there, you can travel there later on.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡±


    ¡°I heard there was a new AI that has emerged from the mountains, do you want to investigate?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I heard that too. Sure let¡¯s go.¡± Valen looked behind him, ¡°What about you, Vendall? What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Uh, sure.¡± Vendall looked surprised that Valen had even talked to him.


    ¡°Great!¡± Valen smiled.


    Swan offered her hands to them both and they grasped hands together. She told her VR AI to teleport them somewhere called Denhall. A falling sensation occurred and then Valen hit solid ground again.


    Clamor and yelling emerged from all around them. Panic, the sound of steel on steel, and loud explosions elicited bleeps from the trio. Grabbing both Vendall and Swan, Valen pulled them behind a house and got a look at what was happening around them.


    The town that they had spawned at was in flames and under attack. Ash lay everywhere and people ran here and there battling with humanoids that looked like devils. They had dark skin of various reds and yellows, sprouting long horns from their foreheads.


    One such devil was walking casually through the street casting fire upon the buildings. A mixture of Human and Bresh people charged the mage but a hulking devil in large plate armor and a massive greatsword slaughtered groups of them to ash with each slash from the wicked serrated blade.


    ¡°Oh my god! What the hell?¡± Swan said as they took in the battle.


    ¡°Meet the new AI, I guess. They don¡¯t particularly look friendly.¡± Valen said.


    ¡°We should go.¡± Swan said.


    ¡°We should not, they need our help.¡± Vendall spoke up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die, I don¡¯t know about you!¡± Swan argued.


    While they argued, a flash of light appeared in front of the mage devil. In the middle of the street appeared a Human that looked exactly like Roman, wearing heavy plate mail.


    ¡°Oh ****.¡± Valen bleeped. The mage devil smirked evilly and pointed a gnarled staff at IAmRock, Roman¡¯s Username. Valen jumped up and ran forward while working his hands. He double cast lightning, blasting the mage off of his feet with a loud crack and a bright flash. Rock turned around in confusion, shouting a word to his AI. A longsword and shield appeared in his hands. Valen called to Destiny and his staff appeared in his own hands.


    The hulking devil warrior looked from Rock to Valen, then charged at Valen. Rock tried to intercept but the devil warrior saw him coming and swung his greatsword hard at him. He blocked the strike with his shield but the force sent him off of his feet. The devil warrior came at Valen who was now glowing with his shield spell. The greatsword came up and slashed into the ground in a great vertical strike. Valen had rolled out of the way just in time and felt the earth tremble with the force of the impact on the ground.


    Valen sprang up and cast fire onto the devil but the devil just pulled his sword from the dirt and laughed, dirt raining down upon them from the force that he had pulled it out of the ground. The fire seemed to do no damage at all to him. He strode confidently towards Valen. Valen looked to Rock, but Rock had engaged the devil mage. Taking fireballs to his shield as he tried to get past the mage¡¯s fiery assault.


    Suddenly, Vendall sprang at the devil warrior from behind and sunk his twin daggers into the neck of the warrior. The devil roared in pain and reached behind, grabbing Vendalls mane. Vendall was thrown up and over the devils head, into the air. The devil warrior swung his greatsword and sliced the falling Bresh into two before Valen¡¯s eyes. Vendall turned into ash before he hit the ground.


    ¡°NOOOO!¡± came the cry of Swan, she was still behind the house. The Devil warrior looked at her, and Valen took that opportunity. He had never tried this, but he swung the staff in both hands the same way he would to summon lightning with his hands. He ended the casting by pointing the staff at the devil warrior. The energy of the spell shuddered through Velan and swelled at the tip in a large ball of light.


    ¡°BOOOOOM,¡± The air trembled and the blast sounded like a bomb. The lighting flashed with a blinding light and hit the devil, sending it flying into the wall of the town, blasting through and sending stone flying into the air. A pile of ash wisped into the wind outside the blasted wall.


    ¡°Holy ****,¡± Valen said before he fell to the ground. The world began to spin fast and he could barely think. Pain permeated his brain and he cried out in agony.


    While Velan was down and Swan rushed to him, Rock bitterly fought the pesky mage. It threw everything it had at him, even a flock of large bats it had summoned. Rock just swatted them out of the air with lightning fast reflexes. He charged at the creature again and again, and finally the creature swayed with dizziness and Rock knew he was out of mana. He closed in and knocked a strike from the staff away with his shield. In he went and with a dozen strikes of his sword the mage turned to ash.


    Running to Valen and Swan, he found Valen writhing on the ground and Swan trying to force a potion into his mouth. She finally managed it and he calmed a bit.


    ¡°Is he good?¡± Rock asked.


    ¡°It should help a bit, but it¡¯ll take him a few minutes to recover.¡± Swan said through tears.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have minutes.¡± Rock looked back to find a mass of devils stalking through the streets towards them. ¡°Take my hand.¡±


    Rock grabbed both their hands and told his AI to teleport them somewhere Valen didn¡¯t know. He hardly cared as the world spun steadily around him. They then disappeared from the smoking ruin of the town.

 Chapter 4: The Battle for Krookville

    Kevin hit the ground and writhed in pain. Groaning and moaning, he was reminded of the time he had gotten very drunk with Roman and had slept the night away on the floor of his apartment. The world still span wildly, ¡°Oh, make it stop.¡± He mumbled.


    ¡°Drink this,¡± Came Karen¡¯s voice out of nowhere. Suddenly he was drinking some bitter liquid again.


    Roman stood over him and Karen. They were in the courtyard of a small fortress that seemed to be dug into the earth. The courtyard was walled, but the entrance to the fortress was a covered staircase that led down into the depths of a small hill. The staircase was dug into a hill with a stone precipice covering the way down into the fortress.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± Karen asked Roman.


    ¡°We are at my guild stronghold, Erenhall. I have to tell my Guild Master what¡¯s going on.¡± Roman looked off into the courtyard, ¡°Sheka, open up chat with Regis.¡±


    Roman stepped away to chat while Kevin lay in the dirt. The spinning world was slowing down, and he was extremely grateful. It was a horrible feeling, he just wanted to sit without falling over.


    ¡°What the hell were you thinking?¡± Karen pushed him back to the ground when he had tried to sit up. ¡°Vendall died because you ran out there!¡± Tears formed in her eyes again, shining little droplets running down her face.


    ¡°Vendall chose to fight the guy himself.¡± Kevin said as he sat up again, ¡°I¡¯m not going to sit there and let my friend get killed by some AI!¡±


    ¡°What friend!?¡± Karen hadn¡¯t met Roman.


    ¡°Roman,¡± Kevin pointed to Roman, who was currently talking in the background. There was nobody around him, so he looked odd talking over in-game Chat. ¡°He¡¯s my roommate, he appeared in the middle of the road to join us. Those things were going to attack him, I wasn¡¯t going to sit and watch that.¡±


    ¡°Well he can be revived! Vendall can¡¯t! He¡¯s gone, erased, forever.¡± She broke down into more sobs.


    Kevin was about to say that Vendall was just an AI, but then thought of Destiny. He didn¡¯t want to offend her, if she was capable of being offended. He didn¡¯t know what AI were capable of anymore. Vendall had come out of nowhere to help him, even though it wasn¡¯t very logical of him. He was brave, and Vendall deserved more than to be called a program.


    Not knowing what to say, Kevin just sat there as Roman talked in the background and Karen finished sobbing. Soon enough Roman was finished with Chat and he came back towards them.


    ¡°It¡¯s decided,¡± Roman said with excitement in his voice. ¡°My Guild Master is calling all available guild members and affiliates. We¡¯re going to hit these guys, and stop them in their tracks.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t go back there! They¡¯ve ruined the town, and if the town is gone then we won¡¯t be able to teleport there.¡± Karen said.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to teleport in mass to Krookville, then we¡¯ll meet them there. That¡¯s the most likely place they would head, and it¡¯s the only place the road from Denhall leads to.¡±


    ¡°How do we know they won¡¯t just hole up in Denhall?¡± Kevin asked.


    ¡°If they do, we¡¯ll go and kick them out. They¡¯re obviously an aggressive race, probably created to stir up some activity in the world.¡± Roman explained.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t join this game to fight.¡± Karen said defiantly, crossing her arms as she sat in the dirt.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to avenge Vendall?¡± Kevin asked her.


    ¡°Not like this.¡± Karen said.


    Suddenly three people teleported into the courtyard of the guild hall. Then five more, and then two more, and on and on. All around Kevin, people appeared in flashes of light until the courtyard was overflowing with people and AI from various races. Some were wearing shining plate armor, others wore embroidered robes of all colors. One man waded through the throng to tap Roman on his plated shoulder and they both strode up a flight of stairs to stand on top of the entrance to the ruins. The man with Roman was dressed in shining plate armor with cloth covering the breastplate donning an insignia of some kind. The insignia was a grey square background with the black drawing of a wolf¡¯s head in the middle. He looked more than formidable.


    ¡°Thank you for gathering here today.¡± The man spoke out to the mass of guild members. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten word from Roman here,¡± He put his gloved hand on Roman¡¯s shoulder, ¡°That a new AI has emerged from the Cloudspire Mountains, and is taking out villages in the vicinity. This would seriously limit our ability to travel and eliminate various AI in the region. Someone has to face this threat, and this race was obviously created to be the enemy of the good people of this realm.¡±


    The Guild Master walked further to the edge of the precipice, ¡°Our guild will be the ones documented to stop these bastards.¡± He shouted, ¡°We will crush them before they do any more damage. We will be the ones who claim this glory, and we will be the ones to destroy them on the battlefield. We will be glorious, we will be deadly, WE will be victorious! Are you with me!?¡± He raised his hands and the whole crowd cheered with a deafening roar. Kevin tingled all over, he had never been in a huge battle before. ¡°Good! We will teleport to Krookville and meet them there. Everyone join hands.¡±


    The giant mob took each other¡¯s hands, forming a giant chain throughout the courtyard. Karen refused to hold anyone¡¯s hand. Kevin took a hand in each of his and looked defiantly at Karen. He resented her for not coming at least. She saw the resentment in his eyes and looked sad.


    ¡°Now, anyone who has the location, teleport!¡± The guild master boomed. Suddenly Kevin was falling, then he was inside a village. Flashes of light surrounded him until the entire mob was with him there in the village. Women fled from the streets with their children, and various AI hurried their families indoors at the sight of the entire guild appearing at once.


    Kevin waded through the throng towards the sight of Denhall burning in the distance at the foot of the mountains. It was only a few kilometres away, smoke filled the sky to the south. He pushed his way to the break in the mob at the beginning of the south road, and he was joined by the Guild Master and Roman.


    ¡°Kevin, this is Regis.¡± Roman introduced the Guild Master. Regis ignored him and kept his eyes upon the burning village to the south. As expected, a long column of devils could be seen exiting the burning town and heading up the south road. They watched them for a few minutes.


    ¡°We should meet them on the road.¡± Kevin said out of nowhere.


    ¡°What?¡± Roman said, ¡°If we stay in the village, we can launch a surprise attack.¡±


    ¡°If we stay the entire village might be destroyed in the fight.¡± Kevin argued.


    ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± Regis said, the others turning silent. ¡°We need to meet them out there.¡± He looked at both Roman and Kevin, no room for argument in his face.


    ¡°You take this game pretty seriously don¡¯t you?¡± Kevin asked.


    Regis smiled and burst out laughing, then his expression turned into something that looked like sadness, though he still had a smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯ve been playing since it was released, and I¡¯ve seen many things in this world in the span of a year. I¡¯ve seen good friends who were AI die permanently, and I¡¯ve seen good players turn on each other. We need to keep this world civil, or else it would have been a waste.¡±


    Regis then turned around and addressed the crowd, ¡°Grab your mounts! We¡¯re taking the fight to THEM!¡± He spoke to his AI and a mount appeared in the distance and ran towards him. It was a huge grey stallion dressed in plate mail. Suddenly all sorts of beasts started charging into the throng as the players and AI spread out. Giant lizards, flightless birds, spiders, and some things that Kevin had never seen before came into the crowd from all sides. Even flying beasts landed among them, griffons, flying lizards, even something that looked like a flying bear.


    Everyone mounted who had mounts, and formed a group off to the side. Everyone who didn¡¯t have mounts gathered to the other side of the road. Kevin was separated from Roman then, Roman having summoned a flightless bird with black armor. They started marching towards the enemy in mass, leaving the village and its grateful residents behind.


    A moment passed by Kevin as he was marching with the rest of the guild where he wondered just what he was doing. He had started the game yesterday with Derek telling him to do small quests first to gain levels at a steady pace. Now it was the second day and he had battled guild members, defeated a rare monster in the caverns of the Varnu, participated in a battle with the new devil race, and travelled across the span of the world. He didn¡¯t even know where he was on the map, nor how far he was from his home city. This was crazy.


    ¡°Destiny, what are my current stats?¡± Kevin asked her.


    ¡°I have projected them upon your arm. Master¡± Destiny said, ¡°Shall I leave them displayed there?¡±


    Kevin pulled up the sleeve of his robe and saw a tattooed table of his stats on his arm.


    ¡°Yes, thank you Destiny.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Master.¡±


    Health             1


    Mana             6


    Stamina         3


    Strength         3


    Cunning         4


    Agility             3


    Intelligence 10


    He had gained quite a bit of intelligence from that last battle. He supposed he shouldn¡¯t be surprised, having used that much mana. He still felt a little woozy, but he was still on his feet. He didn¡¯t know how he would be of any use in this battle without much mana. He had to go though, he felt like he needed to do it for Vendall.


    They walked for what seemed like a half hour before they could see the enemy clearly. The enemy were not far now and had stopped to form ranks. Their number was much larger, with flying lizard riders flying high in the sky above them. They also had riders on the ground, some that caught Kevin¡¯s eyes were riders on large cats seemed to have been molded out of molten rock. They had glowing, fiery designs along their lithe bodies with flames erupting from their rocky flesh at random. Another was a beast the resembled a rhino, except its head was more like a hammer head shark, with a gaping maw of razor sharp teeth. It seemed to have a skin that was the texture of stone.


    Regis pranced his horse in front of the gathered mass and turned to address his guild.


    ¡°Here they are, Guild Mates! They are nothing! We will scrub them from this world, cut them down like wheat, and turn them all into useless ash!¡± A great cheer arose from the crowd, countered by yelling and snarling from the devil¡¯s ranks. ¡°Are you ready!?¡± Another cheer from the guild. ¡±Charge!¡±


    Regis wheeled his mount around and charged toward the massed devils. All the riders in the guild thundered forth as Kevin and the rest of the makeshift infantry of the guild started running toward the enemy. The line of devils broke forth as well and set forth to meet the enemy on the battlefield. The two sides thundered towards each other, dust clouds left in their wake.


    Kevin couldn¡¯t see anything ahead of him, the sight of the enemy was lost in the sight of all the riders charging ahead of him. He quickly cast the shield spell, his body glowing with a blue sheen. He was hit with a wave of dizziness, which he shook off a bit. That was the last spell he would be able to use in this battle, and he knew this. What the hell was he going to do?


    Suddenly magic exploded into the rider¡¯s ranks, fireballs igniting huge swaths of them, and lightning crackling and booming throughout the line. A fire ball exploded just in front of Kevin, sending a rider ten feet into the air with his mount. The lizard turned into ash in the air and the rider screamed as he fell to hit the ground hard and then disintegrate. His weapon was left behind, sticking into the ground in front of Kevin. Kevin ran past, plucking the sword out of the ground. Its blade was short, but glowed with yellow runes that Kevin didn¡¯t recognize.


    Then the riders clashed in a deafening sound of armor and people colliding. Shouts and bleeped words continuously rang throughout the air as Kevin ran towards the tumult. In the air above, the winged riders swept by each other, some colliding in mid-air. Spells and arrows blasted through the air as the winged fighters desperately tried to hit the others. One of the flying lizards was hit by a force spell, and knocked out of the air. It fell like a stone to the earth with its cursing rider, and hit the earth next to Kevin with a thunderous boom, turning it, it¡¯s rider, and those unfortunate to be beneath them, into a cloud of ash.


    Kevin thought that he should be scared. He was running headlong into a cloud of noise, flashing steel, elemental fury, and ash. He found instead, a rush flowing through his body. It heightened his senses and he felt full of strength and primal fury.


    Kevin finally made it to the fight before him with the others of the infantry. He dashed towards a pair of riders striking each other with long spears. He jumped at the devil on a molten cat and slashed at him, the hit struck his torso and knocked him off his balance. The rider leaned heavily in the saddle as Kevin crashed into the side of the cat with a yelp of pain, the cat¡¯s skin was burning hot. The Guild Rider, on her giant bird steed, swung around and dashed at the devil rider. A vicious beak plucked the devil rider out of the saddle and threw him into the fray, crashing into fighters nearby, guild and devils alike.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± The woman rider said to Kevin as he pulled himself off the ground. Kevin ignored her for a moment as he studied the beast in front of him. It looked confused and was about to dash away. Kevin acted on impulse and jumped to catch the saddle on top of its back. The giant cat bolted and Kevin hung on furiously as the cat leapt through the battlefield. He was dragged for a bit before he crashed into some fighters the cat passed by. The force knocked him into the air and, keeping hold on the saddle, he fell squarely onto the cats back.


    Kevin pulled himself into the saddle and a vibration shuddered through him and the cat alike. The cat pulled up outside the region of the fray, flying riders falling from the sky around him. The feline looked back at Kevin with one large glowing eye, red fire leaking from the side. It seemed to calm and Kevin pulled at the harness attached to the creatures iron collar. It started to move and he steered it toward the battle. He paused not knowing what to do next, but then just let the flow of the battle take him over.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Raising his new sword high, he tightened his grip on the animal with his legs. The molten rock no longer burned him. He roared, ¡°Charge,¡± and lashed at the harness with the leash in his free hand. The cat charged with a burst of speed and he rocketed towards the battle. The giant cat leapt over combatants and flowed through the battle like a shark flowing through water. Kevin slashed the head off of a devil on his right and then leaned to the left to strike a devil sneaking up on Roman from behind.


    Roman turned to see the devil fall to the ground, then watched in disbelief as Kevin weaved through the battlefield on a giant molten cat. ¡°That lucky bastard,¡± He muttered before turning back to the battlefield as a large devil charged at him.


    Kevin weaved through the battlefield and found the woman that he had helped earlier fending off two attackers trying to dismount her from the ground. She fought remarkably well, fending off club and sword strikes from both sides with her spear. She moved with lightning speed, but was unable to gain any momentum on the pair of devils. He steered his mount towards her and slashed one of the devils, sending it into the ground. The woman was able to knock the other devil away, sending him sprawling into the grass. She then turned and skewered the devil Kevin had knocked down, turning him to ash.


    Kevin steered his mount toward the other devil and his molten cat automatically pounced on the devil and mauled it until it disappeared into ash.


    ¡°Thanks again,¡± She said. She looked at him with respect and admiration as he turned his giant cat mount towards her. ¡°I¡¯m Neisha.¡±


    ¡°Kevin,¡± Kevin nodded to her. He then turned to the battlefield, where he saw a huge devil with armor decorated with many skulls of various kinds fighting an intense battle with Regis. Their fight was so fierce many of the combatants of either side stopped fighting nearby and watched.


    The Devil Captain wielded a large staff and hammered Regis away whenever he got in close. Regis wielded a shiny greatsword and blocked each strike.  The Devil Captain struck him away again and cast fire at Regis. Regis took the spell in the face but charged through it, striking the staff with his greatsword and knocking it away as he barrelled into the Devil Captain. The Devil Captain rolled with Regis in the dirt and then threw him off, sending Regis tumbling away.


    As Regis climbed to his feet, the Devil Captain was already casting and sent forth a bright bolt of lightning. Regis, however, was watching the Devil as he rose and just before the Devil cast, he made a motion with his free hand. The lightning travelled so fast, it was hard to tell what had happened, but it hit Regis¡¯s hand and ricocheted back to the Devil, sending him sprawling in the dirt again. Regis had somehow cast a reflective spell, reflecting the Lightning back at the Devil Captain.


    Regis stood steady and charged his foe again, jumping into the air and diving at the fallen Devil with his greatword set to impale it. The Devil Captain, raised its staff with unearthly speed to hit Regis out of the air and send him tumbling again. He hit the ground some distance away.


    Regis was getting up from that tumble when he was hit by lightning, stunning him on the spot as he cried out in agony. The Devil Captain had stumbled after that last spell, obviously dizzied and not able to cast anymore. He roared in protest and grabbed a sword from a nearby devil. The Devil Captain charged at Regis as Regis kneeled in the dirt, still obviously dazed from the lightning spell.


    ¡°No,¡± Kevin whispered as the Devil came at Regis. It thrust at him, but with instant reflexes Regis deflected it with his blade and hit the Devil Captain in the face with the cross guard of his greatword. He had feigned disorientation to bring in the Devil. He swung at the Devil then, inflicting heavy damage with each strike. The Devil Captain, enraged, swung his stolen sword at Regis too, striking him in every way it could. There was no defense now, just the two combatants flailing at each other, each striking the other with as much force as they could muster.


    With a great effort, Regis then thrust his greatsword into the devil and lifted it off the ground. It screamed and flailed in the air, its massive weight buckling Regis¡¯s knees. It swung at Regis while it was in the air, but only hit him twice before finally turning to ash that was blown away in the breeze.


    There was a moment of silence on the battlefield, then the remaining devils fled back the way they had come. Some of the guild members left on riders chased them for a time, taking out the stragglers.


    Kevin glanced at Neisha, and then rode towards Roman, who was making his way towards Regis. He sidled up to Roman who glanced up at him from the ground.


    ¡°How the hell did you manage to steal a mount?¡± Roman asked with a grin.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it just sort of happened.¡± Kevin said with a goofy grin. ¡°Why? Does it not happen often.¡±


    ¡°No, it can. But these are a new kind of mount. Your probably one of the first to actually ride these.¡± He gestured towards the molten cat underneath Kevin.


    ¡°Nice,¡± Kevin said as he looked at his mount approvingly. They got to Regis who was moving slower than before. Regis looked at Kevin atop the cat and nodded with respect.


    ¡°Good fighting, crew.¡± He said. ¡°I got a new achievement for defeating that captain.¡±


    ¡°Nice,¡± Roman fist bumped Regis. ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to create a post to defend Krookville for our guild. Once our people recover, we¡¯ll invade the region and find the source of these guys.¡±


    ¡°When¡¯s the next fight, do you think?¡± Roman asked.


    ¡°Tomorrow, same time. I¡¯ll create a notice and we¡¯ll have more people and plan an attack.¡±


    ¡°Alright, sounds good.¡± Roman turned to Kevin, ¡°You in tomorrow night?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a newbie, I won¡¯t be able to help much.¡± Kevin said awkwardly.


    ¡°You seem to be picking it up quite well,¡± Regis said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say, he saved me twice.¡± Neisha strode up on her mount. ¡°I can vouch for his skill. He took out quite a few of those devils.¡±


    ¡°I did the best I could, but I ran out of mana before the battle.¡± Explained Kevin.


    ¡°Yeah, well you switched it up pretty well, you must have gained some good stats. You also don¡¯t have to worry about stamina while you¡¯re on a mount.¡± Regis replied. Kevin pulled up his sleeve and checked his stats.


    Health                 1


    Mana                 7


    Stamina         5


    Strength         7


    Cunning         5


    Agility                 5


    Intelligence 10


    ¡°Huh,¡± Kevin said after reviewing his stats. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m in, I guess.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± Neisha said. She looked at him with a wild look in her eyes and flashed a smile before turning around and riding off to join some people she knew. Roman chuckled.


    ¡°Alright, the guild can disperse now. See you tomorrow, Roman. You too, Kevin.¡± Regis saluted them both.


    ¡°Yeah, see you.¡± Kevin said before Regis teleported out. Roman looked around the battlefield. Many players and AI were collecting fallen weapons that were strewn across the grassy expanse, but there weren¡¯t many people left. Only about a dozen were left, out of the massive throng that had participated in the battle. ¡°That was a close win.¡±


    ¡°It was. They¡¯ll be more prepared tomorrow, but we will too.¡± Roman said. ¡°I¡¯m going to go complete some missions, you want to join?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯ve probably got to get some sleep. School tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Alright, man. Take care, you better be on tomorrow!¡± He pointed at Kevin and smiled. He then spoke to his VR AI and teleported away.


    When he was left alone, he remembered Karen back at the village. ¡°Destiny, can you store my mount?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master. I can only store one mount at a time, however.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± He said as he dismounted and the cat disappeared in a flash of light. ¡°Can you teleport me to Krookville?¡±


    ¡°I suggest you grab some loot first before you go. It seems logical to gather some of these for auction, their former owners will probably never get them back.¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯ve already got plenty from this fight.¡± Said Kevin as he sheathed his new sword in the sheathe that had appeared on his belt.


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Destiny said as the light enveloped him and he fell to land on the road before Krookville. Kevin couldn¡¯t see Karen anywhere as people in the village looked at him in wonder.


    ¡°Destiny, can you open a chat with Karen?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Destiny paused then said, ¡°She has denied your access to chat.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± She must still be mad at him. He wondered if she would be mad tomorrow at lunch too.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to log out of the VR now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master. Have a good night.¡± Destiny said. From the way Destiny had been acting today, Kevin figured she was getting smarter. She had even suggested for him to pick up some fallen weapons. He wondered what the effect of that would be in the future.


    He found himself in his room again and prepared for bed.


    At school the next day, he sat in the lunch room waiting for Karen. He felt bad for how the previous night had gone. Vendall was obviously important to her, and now he was gone. He hadn¡¯t asked Vendall to fight, though. Why was she angry with him?


    He sat eating his sweet and sour pork for many minutes before he realized she wasn¡¯t going to show. This made him angry, she was going to let something that happened in the game affect their real life friendship? He finished his lunch and angrily slammed the tray on the tray deposit before leaving the lunch room.


    When he got home, he continued his ritual of eating and cleaning up before going online. While he was eating he thought about his missions that he had taken. He would either have to complete them or grab new ones. Derek would be happy to see him getting stronger so fast. Kevin would be able to help him sooner. He wondered when Derek would contact him again.


    Kevin went straight into the game this time, not taking any time to sit in his home realm. He appeared in the Varnu Capital. Given that he was early, he summoned his mount and made his way through the city to the border. People throughout the city gawked at him on his fiery feline.


    The Watch that he passed at the mouth of the cavern exiting the city watched him with more interest this time. They saw him and his glowing red mount head into the cavern and disappear.


    Destiny left a trail to his next assignment, which was the Raider Cats. He made his way along the trail silently, but brightly. His cat gave off the red glow of its lava-like stripes. Eventually he came to a corridor where the highlighted trail stopped. He slowed to a crawl along the uneven corridor. He came to a ridge in the cavern, with a slight drop below. His cat made the leap down further into the tunnel. A stream ran past him down into a cavern below the precipice behind them. He followed the stream with his eyes and noticed shadows on either side of the stream. This seemed odd to him, he hadn¡¯t seen any shadow he could not see through. Shadows all seemed like different shades of grey with his night vision. He couldn¡¯t see through these shadows at all.


    Suddenly a pair of eyes opened, reflecting yellow light back at Kevin. Then another, and another, until fifteen sets of eyes were staring back at him.


    ¡°Oh, boy.¡± Kevin said, unsheathing his sword. Then the shadows came apart and stalked around the cavern, they bared their white fangs and hissed a low tone. ¡°Get ready buddy.¡± Kevin patted his stead. It roared and the other cats cringed a bit, but, boldened by their numbers, they pressed on. With that many big cats trying to surround him, Kevin turned his mount around and took off running through the tunnel. He heard them chase after them and the drum of their paws on the cavern surface. His mount took off down the tunnel, stalactites whizzing by him at frightening speed.


    One of the cats caught up on the right side of Kevin and his mount, and leapt at them. He saw it coming and swung his sword at it, hitting it away. It tumbled onto the cavern floor, rolling and then scrambled back to its feet.


    Kevin¡¯s mount kept on going, tirelessly running through the caverns, but so did the Raider Cats. Kevin tried casting lightning bolts and fire at them, but they dodged the spells like water on rock and just kept coming.


    Suddenly his mount turned a corner and he saw faint light up ahead. His mount dove for it, outdistancing the raider cats. Kevin and his cat arrowed down the corridor and turned another corner before bursting out into the sunlight. Kevin caught his breath of fresh air as his mount leaped down a mountain slope. He could see grassy rolling hills in the distance, with a massive green forest to his right. The sea could be seen past the hills in the distance, blue and endless. It was beautiful.


    Kevin looked behind him to see that the Raider Cats were not following him, so he reined in his mount and they paused to enjoy the scenery and the fresh air. It was a peaceful moment, one that he thoroughly enjoyed. He thought about Destiny then, and his Home Realm, sitting in his hot spring. He would have to set up the house he had summoned.


    ¡°Master, Roman has requested to chat with you.¡± Destiny broke the silence.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Kevin said.


    ¡°Chat enabled.¡± Destiny said.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Kevin said uncertainly.


    ¡°Hey Kev. What¡¯s up?¡± Roman¡¯s voice came out of nowhere.


    ¡°Not much, just enjoying a view. How about you?¡±


    ¡°Getting ready for the retaking of Denhall, are you joining us?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I will be.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re getting everyone together now. I¡¯ll meet you in Krookville?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good, I¡¯ll teleport there now.¡±


    ¡°Good, we¡¯ll be there soon. Put on your game face, cause we¡¯re going to kick some butt!¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Kevin chuckled.


    ¡°Chat disabled.¡± Destiny informed him. Kevin took one last look at the vast view and enjoyed the moment while he could.


    ¡°Alright, Destiny.¡± Kevin said, ¡°Can you teleport me to Krookville?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    Kevin and his mount disappeared from the mountain slope in a flash of light, leaving the peaceful scenery as it was.

 Chapter 5: Rain and Glory

    Note: I have previously taken a hiatus from writing, focusing on some personal goals. I apologize if this has been an inconvenience in reading what I have written. I would like to thank my readers for their support and invite them to continue reading the story or stories I plan to write. I plan to try my best at publishing chapters on a regular basis.


    Thank you.


    Chapter 5: Rain and Glory


    When Kevin appeared in Krookville, he found the town bustling with people. All around him people moved here and there, talking and preparing. He jostled through people, making his way to where he remembered the south road to be. The houses in the village ended but the crowd didn¡¯t. The sheer number of people was amazing, the throng stretched out for a mile outside of town along the south road.


    Kevin stood and waited for a few minutes, searching the crowd. He saw many different people wearing many different outfits from many different races. He saw a band of Alfs, wearing huge goggles that fitted their large eyes perfectly.


    They all wore scarves of red cloth and black leather armor. Kevin figured it was a guild outfit of some kind. There was also a pair of Bresh nearby wearing large brimmed straw hats. They wore robes that reminded Kevin of Kimono¡¯s.


    Suddenly Kevin found a familiar face. Neisha appeared in the crowd, she looked different today. Her human form wore a tight, dark leather armor. Her long jet black hair was tied into a ponytail, rather than the bun she had worn yesterday. She looked about and then caught sight of Kevin. Smiling brightly, she walked towards him. She was followed by another, a human male. He wore a dark red hooded robe over leather armor with twin daggers tucked into his broad leather belt.


    ¡°Hey, Kevin.¡± Niesha greeted him as they met in the crowd.


    ¡°Hey, Niesha.¡± Kevin smiled back, he looked over her shoulder to the guy under the hood. He wore an expression of mild boredom. ¡°Hey.¡± He greeted the newcomer.


    ¡°Hey,¡± the newcomer nodded to Kevin.


    ¡°This is Feral,¡± Neisha introduced the hooded guy. ¡°He¡¯s a friend of mine, we quest together.¡± She said nervously.


    ¡°Hey Feral,¡± Kevin supposed that was short for a username, ¡°I¡¯m Kevin.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± He said simply.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Roman?¡± Kevin asked Neisha.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He should be here soon.¡± Neisha said. Just then, Roman stepped out of the crowd and strode to the trio. Regis was behind him.


    ¡°Hey team,¡± Roman smiled at them and looked about. ¡°Quite a turn out, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t expect your guild to be this big.¡± Kevin said.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± Regis said with a frown. ¡°Rumour got out about our plan and a whole bunch of guilds decided to drop in on our battle.¡±


    ¡°Well, at least we¡¯ll have a better chance at winning.¡± Roland smiled weakly. Regis shook his head in disgust.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to coordinate with the other guild masters. I¡¯ll see you on the battlefield.¡± Regis said before punching Roman in the shoulder and exiting into the crowd.


    ¡°What now?¡± Neisha asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ll join our guild on the right side of the south road, that¡¯s where we are grouping.¡± Roman said.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Niesha said. They started walking that way in a group.


    ¡°You ever been in a battle this large, Feral?¡± Kevin asked.


    Feral shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone has, not since the game started last year.¡±


    ¡°Wow, we¡¯re making history.¡± Kevin laughed.


    ¡°Yeah, the most overrun enemy in the history of the game, look at all the people. The Devils don¡¯t stand a chance.¡± Roman said triumphantly.


    ¡°Actually, they will probably be making sure it¡¯s an even fight.¡± Feral said from behind. Kevin, Roman, and Niesha all turned around.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Roman asked, ¡°Who¡¯s they?¡±


    ¡°The moderators of the game,¡± Feral explained, ¡°My brother is one. He said they would be monitoring the game and making sure this battle would be a fair fight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair!¡± Roman was outraged. ¡°We all banded together to fight so we could take back that town!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and they don¡¯t want the new race of the game, eliminated in one fell swoop.¡± Feral shrugged.


    ¡°So no matter what, we could fail?¡± Roman was furious. ¡°Even with our huge army!? That¡¯s bull****! How are they doing it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to say anything, but Moderators have created characters of high ranking in the Devils army. My brother is one, he¡¯s in charge of the Carnage Cartel within the ranks of Devils. He said the Moderators are controlling the army and are going to colonize the world with the new race. They aren¡¯t just invading here, they are invading all around the mountain range. I think they created the race deep in the caverns below the mountains.¡±


    ¡°So this is just one force of many.¡± Kevin stated. This complicated things, but Kevin supposed it was to be expected. ¡°So how are they going to manipulate this battle?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Feral said, ¡°They have probably gotten a few Moderators together in the town to defend it, bulking up the ranks.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯re up against other players, huh?¡± Roman smacked a closed fist into his open palm, ¡°Well, we¡¯ll show them not to mess with the true players of this game. I haven¡¯t been playing this game all this time for a few ***holes to screw up this beautiful world.¡±


    Kevin looked to Feral, but he didn¡¯t seem offended by the comment. He couldn¡¯t understand why the developers of the world would suddenly manipulate it so much after being absent for a year. Boredom? That wasn¡¯t fair for the AI that lived inside this world. Not at all. Many had died in sacking of the town. Why would they allow that to happen after the hard work that went into making these AI? They weren¡¯t programs anymore, they were actual intelligent beings now.


    ¡°Ready, Kevin?¡± Roman asked Kevin.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, this whole thing doesn¡¯t seem right.¡± Kevin said, suddenly thinking about what Karen had been so upset about. These AI were dieing for what? The experience of playing in this world?


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. But we need to fight this to stop it, or they¡¯ll just continue on and destroy more towns and villages. We need to be the wall they hit, the wall that topples over onto them and stops them for good.¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± Kevin said grudgingly. He didn¡¯t feel much better, however.


    ¡°Come on, we¡¯re starting to move out.¡± Roman waved his hand and the group followed.


    Kevin and the group were fifteen minutes out when Roman took Kevin aside from the conversation the others were having about battlefield tactics.


    ¡°So, I¡¯ve noticed you¡¯re kind of all over the place when it comes to your skills.¡± Roman said quietly, ¡°What exactly are you going to focus on? If you want to become a battlefield asset, you¡¯ll have to pick something and stick with it. Are you a mage or a melee fighter?¡±


    ¡°Well, I want to wield magic, but I don¡¯t want to be useless when I run out of Mana.¡± Kevin said, ¡°I plan on using a sword, but also using magic regularly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s kind of difficult to start out with.¡± Roman said hesitantly, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to just be a mage with lots of Mana potions handy?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the money to buy those.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what makes mages so hard to start out as. It¡¯s a slow process of doing missions and gathering the funds for battling.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out,¡± Kevin said shortly. He was starting to get annoyed, this was his game experience and he wasn¡¯t going to have someone tell him how to go about it.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Roman held his hands up. He had gotten the message. ¡°If you need anything, let me know.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Kevin felt bad about the little outburst, but he was going to do this his way. He was tired of being pushed around in the real world, and he wasn¡¯t going to be influenced the same way here in his new world.


    The hike to Denhall seemed to take forever, but they eventually came upon the ruins of the village, already besieged by rain and gusting winds. A storm front had moved in out of nowhere and had soaked everything. The riders on winged beasts that accompanied the army struggled to stay on course through the rain and gusts of wind. The vast army of defenders went past the old battlefield from the previous day, scars and signs of battle still evident upon the churned earth and broken trees. The line suddenly stopped and there seemed to be a commotion up front.


    Roman slapped Kevin on the shoulder and stepped through the crowd, indicating Kevin to follow him up to the frontline. The others followed them through the throng. Kevin emerged into the front line where Regis was arguing with two others. One was a man in voluminous red robes, the other a man wearing hooded leather armor with a great bow strapped across his shoulder.


    ¡°-not going in there.¡± Kevin caught what the robed man was saying as they approached.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s deserted. They must have fled back into the mountains at the sight of our army.¡± Said the archer. Kevin looked upon the village to see that it looked deserted. Nothing moved in the streets, it¡¯s burnt out homes hollow and empty.


    ¡°What if it¡¯s a trap?¡± The robed mage demanded, ¡°I¡¯m not taking my guild in there.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Regis said defiantly, ¡°My guild will claim the ground then.¡± Regis signalled and the Honorbound Sentinels separated from the bulk of the group and started moving forward. Roman skipped up to stand with his Guild Master, Kevin followed.


    ¡°We will too,¡± The archer said, and with a wave another chunk of the army started to move forward. The rest of the people assembled took up steps as everyone started moving toward the village. Kevin looked back to see the mage Guild Master swear under his breath and follow along, sulking.


    They came into the village, empty and half burned houses on either side, glistening in the soaking rain that pelted the earth. There were no signs of Devils or creatures of any kind. The front line slowed to a cautious walk and proceeded through the main street of the village, waiting for something, anything. They cautiously made their way through the entire village, finally nearing the end of the main street that trailed off into a road that led into the mountain range.


    ¡°Where do you think they are in the mountains?¡± Roman asked Regis as they walked closer to the end of houses so they could get a better look at the road that led to the distant mountain passes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t-¡° Regis was saying when two robed devils stepped out of ruined homes on either side of the street. They appeared suddenly, accompanied each by a hulking Devil armored with grievous dark steel and heavy weapons forged into cruel and malignant shapes. The robed devils each wielded a strange and long staff, easily twice their height. Instead of brandishing them as weapons, they stopped at the main street, and without hesitating, planted one end of the staff into the earth and raised them like banners.


    ¡°You¡¯re about to find ruin and wreckage, pitiful creatures.¡± One armored Devil spat as the robed devils yelled a word of power above the din of the army behind Kevin.


    It happened suddenly. One minute the road into the mountains could be seen in the distance, then, between the bare banners, a flash of light lit up like a sheet between them and Kevin found himself looking into the fiery depths of hell. Magma oozed and lit up caverns in the distance, but that was quickly overshadowed by the vast amount of Devils and dark creatures emerging from the cavern. The first to emerge from the cavern, dipping under the teleportation gate, was four giant, magma veined, figures seemingly made out of black rock. They looked like stout humans made out of molten rock, but they were as tall as some of the ruined houses surrounding them.


    They emerged out of the gate amongst the mist that rose around them as the heat from the depths of the cavern collided with the cold air from the rain pounding down around them. Behind the steaming behemoths came a vast amount of Devils bearing grotesque and evil looking weapons and armor.


    ¡°Stop them!¡± Regis yelled, but nobody moved as the two story tall golems flexed their rock solid arms and stepped toward the puny figures before them. Steam rose from the magma veins winding through their bodies. A bow string sounded from Kevin¡¯s right as the Guild Master archer let loose an arrow at one of the Devils holding the banners. It pierced the Devil in the side and it howled before turning to ash and blowing away in the wind. The banner still stood though, and by then Devils began pouring out at least twenty per second, all charging towards Kevin and the rest of the army behind them.


    ¡°Stand fast!¡± Regis yelled, with just enough time to unsheathe his greatsword from his back before the lumbering Golems hit the first ranks of the army. Accompanied by the armoured Devils wielding their grievous weapons, the golems swung their limbs, kicking and punching, sending groups of people flying into the air.


    Kevin had just enough time to use his shielding spell before getting hit by a large molten hand sending him tumbling head over heels into the ruins of a tavern. He hit something and tumbled into darkness and rubble.


    ¡°****,¡± He swore as he began gingerly picking himself up. Amazingly his shield was still up, the ruined room he found himself in was faintly lit by the blue hue of his spell shield. He waded through the broken wood and charred furniture as he heard the sound of battle outside. Screams and challenges, swearing and defiance.


    He got out of the room, kicking apart a wooden door and looked down the hallway to the open front of the tavern to see the massive Golems tearing through the ranks of the army amassed in the street. It was utter chaos. The Devils pouring through the gate clashed with those who had not been hit by the golems with a crunch of steel on steel.


    ¡°The gate!¡± Kevin said under his breath. They had to stop it before more devils came into village. They would quickly over run the massive army they had formed if they couldn¡¯t close it. Kevin looked behind him to the back of the tavern. He ran down the dark hall, jumping over debris and still smoking furniture. He wheeled around the corner at the end and found what used to be the kitchen. The roof was burnt off of half the kitchen and a wall had collapsed leading out the back of the structure.


    Kevin ran and jumped off of a stove, hopping over the ruin of the wall and out into the back yard of the Tavern. The stone wall of the village curved a few houses down toward the end of the main road where the gate had been set up. Kevin ran and jumped over the fences of the yards between him and the curve. He followed the wall in its curve and jumped a few more fences before sidling up to the wall of the house nearest the street. He peeked out and saw the remaining robed Devil looking on with glee as he watched the wreck and ruin made by the golems in the distance down the street.


    He was alone, but only a few feet from him the gate poured forth devils in abundance as they continued moving forward into the village. Kevin had one chance for this, and it was now before this got any worse. He summoned his new sword from Destiny and held it firm in his grip as he worked up the guts to do this. He was behind enemy lines, about to charge into a mass of enemies. He swallowed hard, looking at the robes he was wearing. He hadn¡¯t even got new equipment yet, and he was doing this?


    He shook his head, he had to do this before the devils crowded up between him and the gate.  He waited a moment more, thinking what spells would serve him best. Stepping back behind the wall, he renewed his shield spell and summoned his molten cat.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to name you pretty soon,¡± He whispered to the cat as he mounted up. Readying his cat behind the wall to charge out into the street, he steadied himself in the saddle. Mist and smoke rose from the cat, just like the golems tearing up the army in the street. ¡°How about Brimstone?¡± He asked the cat. It turned its head around and snorted smoke into the chill air. Kevin was surprised and chuckled. He hadn¡¯t expected a response. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes then. Let¡¯s go tear up some devils, Brimstone.¡± The cat looked ahead and snorted again, the smoke washing across Kevin¡¯s face as it was blown by the cold wind. He readied his sword and then kicked at Brimstone.


    With an explosion of speed and power, Kevin and Brimstone burst out from behind the wall and charged across the back yard of the house towards the street. Adrenaline flooded Kevin as he was thrust towards the battle. Brimstone approached the fence bordering the street and burst through it, sending wood flying outwards.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    The sound of the fence exploding made the robed Devil jump and he looked upon the flash of Brimstone right before the cat¡¯s jaws closed upon its face and crunched its head with an audible sound of bones cracking. Kevin winced upon the steed, sincerely hoping that it wasn¡¯t an actual moderator.


    The wince was unfortunate, because the devils coming out of the gate had heard the fence smash too and were now swarming towards Kevin. Luckily they too winced at the sight of their comrade getting his head crushed by the jaws of the great cat. Kevin panicked and started hacking with his sword at the pole holding the gate together. Nothing happened though, the blade made some marks in the pole, but couldn¡¯t cut through the thick material it was made of. The Devils came at him and Brimstone hissed out fire and smoke. It didn¡¯t harm the devils, however, but they did jump back at the sight of the cat¡¯s maw. Kevin had an idea as he sat upon Brimstone right then.


    ¡°Brimstone, bite through the pole!¡± He screamed before unleashing lightning with his free hand. He didn¡¯t know whether the cat would understand him, but it was worth a shot.


    Suddenly he was wrenched around as Brimstone lurched toward the pole and clamped its jaws around it. The great cat twisted its head violently, trying to break through the pole. Devils came at Kevin while he desperately shot lightning at them to ward them away. Devils flew here and there as they got hit, sometimes groups turning to ash as the lightning jumped between them in clusters. A spear came flying out of nowhere and hit Kevin square in the chest. It bounced off his spell shield but sent him nearly toppling out of the saddle of Brimstone.


    Righting himself in the saddle, Kevin looked in horror as the Devils reached him and Brimstone. He had time to swing his sword to deflect a thrusting spear when a large cracking sound filled the air and then ¡°BOOOM.¡±


    He was suddenly flying through the air, landing hard on the ground. Then he flew into the air again before getting crushed under an enormous weight. It nearly snapped him in half before the weight suddenly lifted off of him. A moment¡¯s pause allowed him to find himself still strapped to Brimstone nearly twenty feet from where he had originally been fighting the Devils. He was lying on his side, but was suddenly lifted into the air again as Brimstone got to its feet. He realized he had been rolling on the ground with Brimstone. He looked at the street to see Devils sprawled everywhere, slowly standing up after being flung away from the gate.


    Kevin looked at the gate to see it now empty, nothing was there except a broken pole on one side of the street and a whole one on the other. The portal had been broken. The devils got up and looked in amazement at the broken portal, then back to Kevin and Brimstone. Brimstone hissed at them again, but Kevin pulled him back and they retreated through the backyards of the village. Brimstone just charged through the fences rather than leaping over them, and they made their way past the tavern and further into the village.


    Kevin suddenly turned Brimstone back towards the street and they emerged from the houses near the frontline of the battle raging there. The Golems had charged into the far ranks of the defending army and was now being challenged by booming bursts of lightning and spells of all kinds.


    ¡°Ready Brimstone?¡± Kevin asked the great cat. It responded by charging forward and jumping into a group of Devils pushing at the front line of the army. Devils scattered at the sight of the molten cat crushing bones and snapping limbs with its great jaws, and the sword wielding and lightning throwing rider atop it. It didn¡¯t matter though, the cat rampaged through the battlefield, tearing and biting. Kevin flung lightning at the devils, sending them flying into their comrades. Kevin became chaos on the battlefield. The others fighting for the defenders looked in awe as he tore through the Devil¡¯s ranks.


    Kevin dodged a thrown axe and hurled another bolt before he suddenly fought a wave of dizziness. He had used too much magic. Fighting to keep his head clear, he brandished his sword and fought harder than ever to deflect blows from himself and Brimstone. Without magic, however, the devils began to attack harder than ever and they swarmed towards the cat and rider.


    ¡°Brimstone, get out of here!¡± Kevin screamed. The cat perked and then with a mighty leap, sending Kevin and the cat flying high, it landed on top of a crumbling roof. The tiles fell beneath the giant cat¡¯s massive weight and Brimstone scrambled to stay upright. A giant roar rose from the battlefield and the defenders of the village charged in anew, tearing apart the last of the devils. Kevin watched the battlefield as Brimstone kept trying to keep upright on the crumbling roof.


    Brimstone then leapt to a more stable part of the roof and Kevin looked farther out to the last of the Golems. It was being blasted by a wave of water dancing through the sky. Some mage must have been controlling the water as it danced through the sky to swoop upon and douse the Golem. It stumbled backwards, steam pouring from its dimming veins. The Golem was slowing down, as though the fire that powered it was being diminished. The wave of water gathered into an orb in the sky and then shot through the sky like a hovering stream, blasting the golem one last time before it fell to the ground in a crumble of steaming rock.


    Then, the battle was over. The last of the Devils had been turned to ash and the village was silent once more. The street had heaps of ash piled up on it, nearly chest deep in some areas.


    ¡°Wow, we did it.¡± Kevin patted Brimstone. It let out a deep rumble in response, steam filling the air before its mouth. Kevin looked at the great cat with wonder and amusement. Could this cat be an AI as well? An intelligent program just like Karen¡¯s late friend?


    The thought escaped him as a great cheer rose through the air from the defending army. Kevin was about to add his voice to it when he realized that the whole army was gathered in front of him and pointing at him. They were cheering him. What?


    Kevin was confused. He had just done what he could to help. He raised his sword to salute the crowd and they cheered even harder, celebrating the end of the battle. Kevin searched for familiar faces in the crowd, but couldn¡¯t find any. A few moments of cheers passed before flashes of light permeated the crowd. Other players were now teleporting into the village, probably the ones who had died previously in battle. Now that they had liberated the village, they could teleport there safely. Kevin searched the crowd, looking at each new flash of light, seeing who was being teleported. After a few minutes he found Roman. He waved until Roman saw him and then made Brimstone jump down from the roof and make his way through the crowd. The crowd parted as people clapped and cheered for him.


    Kevin¡¯s face turned red as he continued on. He found Roman with Regis and Feral, they were chatting together and looking back at Kevin. Kevin finally approached atop Brimstone and he saw respect on the faces of all three.


    ¡°Sounds like you won this battle for us, buddy,¡± Roman said. ¡°Feral saw you take out the portal before he got killed.¡±


    ¡°I just did what I figured was best.¡± Kevin waved off the compliment.


    ¡°You turned this battle around,¡± Feral spoke up, ¡°That was impressive. Everyone is cheering for you.¡±


    Kevin felt uncomfortable with all the praise. ¡°What now?¡± Roman looked to Regis and Regis shrugged.


    ¡°We establish a camp? I¡¯m sure we can get some AI guild members to station here and create a lookout while they rebuild.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Roman agreed, ¡°But what of the other spots where the Devils are invading?¡±


    ¡°We can only do so much at a time. Other guilds might be fighting them right now. We don¡¯t know.¡± Regis said.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Neisha?¡± Kevin asked.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t want to come back here. She didn¡¯t last long in the fight, and I think she¡¯s feeling a bit frustrated.¡± Feral explained.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Kevin said, ¡°Alright.¡± Kevin was disappointed. Feral stared at Kevin and seemed to understand. Feral frowned. Kevin stared back at Feral and a moment of understanding passed between them. Kevin could tell Feral saw his true emotions, his attraction to Neisha, and understood that Feral must have felt the same. ¡°I¡¯m going to go.¡± Kevin announced, ¡°Let me know when we strike next, Roman.¡±


    ¡°Oh, will do.¡± Roman looked disappointed, but waved. So did Regis.


    Kevin whipped Brimstone around and guided him away through the crowd. Feral stared at him as he rode off.


    Kevin had exited the village along the road leading into the mountains, following the road. He didn¡¯t really have a destination. He didn¡¯t know exactly where he was in the world, anyhow. He just enjoyed the clamor of the army dying away, leaving only the sound of the blowing wind and the pouring rain.


    He had seen a lot of conflict lately, and even though he had been surprisingly good at fighting, he was starting to dislike it. He came to this world to explore and enjoy it, not fight constantly. He rode with Brimstone for about an hour, mindlessly following the road and watching the landscape go by. At the end of the hour he found himself at the foot of the mountains, the road leading into a pass at the foot of a huge cliff.


    Kevin just continued on, cheering his mood at the sight of the large cliffs, soaring mountains, and small waterfalls caused by the unrelenting rain. Time passed as he delved further into the mountains. The wind died down and the rain slowed to a sparse drizzle. Kevin followed the road into a forest. The road followed a now raging river that wound through the mountains. Brimstone seemed to enjoy the atmosphere, perking its ears to sounds in the forest. Kevin saw a group of deer dart from the road. Brimstone flinched, but resisted chasing the deer.


    Kevin turned randomly at forks in the road, following paths that seemed to wind and split off at random. As they followed the paths through the forest, Kevin pondered this world. They had encorporated wildlife and all sorts of creatures, as well as certain behaviours for them all. Were the animals AI as well, or was there varying creatures, a select few who were truly AI? The work to make this all so real must have been hard. It must have taken years and years. The thought of the complexities involved made Kevin dizzy thinking about it. He then truly appreciated the work going into making this world.


    How many other worlds out there existed in VR¡¯s? Each another world in its own. Were they all as immense and complex as this one?


    He was deep into this thought when Brimstone stopped and sniffed the air. Kevin looked around to find himself at the foot of a pool of water being fed water from a tall waterfall. The path led by the pond, and on the other side of the path was a clearing with a single tree growing in the middle. It was short for a tree in this forest, only two stories tall, but it was unique. A doorway led inside the tree, with an opening on the second floor leading to a balcony made out of bunched tree limbs. Vines hung down from the top of the tree, draping all around the clearing. They also crept along the outside of the tree, forming drapes over the doorways leading into the tree at the base and outside the tree on the balcony.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a house made from a tree.¡± Kevin wondered out loud. Brimstone rumbled in reply. Kevin wondered whether to go inside and check it out when a woman exited the base of the tree.


    Her hair was as white as snow, though she had a middle aged and beautiful look to her. Her skin was fair and smooth, with a voluptuous figure. She wore a dark robe, and wore a large wide brimmed hat, much like the common witch¡¯s hat people would wear for Halloween.


    ¡°Hello,¡± She said in a deep sultry voice. She looked in amazement at Brimstone. ¡°What manner of creature is that?¡±


    ¡°Hi,¡± Kevin said, he was getting used to meeting unique people. ¡°His name is Brimstone.¡± He didn¡¯t know what else to say.


    The woman laughed in delight and padded up on her bare feet, prancing like a deer, to touch Brimstone¡¯s nose with a single finger. Brimstone smelled her finger curiously. The lady laughed again and ran the finger down the side of Brimstone¡¯s rocky face. It closed its eyes and seemed to enjoy her touch, a low rumble emitted from his belly.


    Kevin smiled. ¡°I¡¯m Kevin.¡±


    The woman looked up at him and smiled, ¡°I am Eva.¡±


    ¡°You live here?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± She said as she gazed at Brimstone, clearly enthralled at his sight. ¡°I have been here a long time. This is my place in the world.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever left?¡± Kevin asked, confused.


    ¡°Not since I came here,¡± She said.


    ¡°And when was that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She said mysteriously. She patted Brimstones head.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Kevin asked.


    ¡°Nope. I have not bothered to keep track of the days, months, or years.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Kevin said.


    ¡°Where do you come from?¡± She asked suddenly, tearing her eyes from Brimstone to Kevin.


    ¡°I come from beyond the mountains,¡± Kevin said, not knowing how to explain.


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± She said, ¡°What is new out there in the world?¡±


    ¡°Devils have emerged from the depths of the mountains. They are invading villages along the foothills.¡± Kevin explained. ¡°Have you seen any?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She shook her head, her hair flowing down her back. ¡°I don¡¯t know what these ¡®Devils¡¯ are.¡±


    ¡°Red skinned, pointy horns?¡± Kevin asked. Eva just shook her head.


    ¡°They are dangerous,¡± Kevin said, ¡°It might be dangerous for you here.¡±


    Eva laughed again and shook her head. ¡°I will be fine. I have my ways.¡±


    Kevin looked into her eyes. There was no innocence there, only confidence. He didn¡¯t argue with her. Somehow he knew that she was telling the truth. Who was this woman?


    ¡°It is pretty here,¡± He said looking at the waterfall falling from the towering cliff above.


    ¡°Do you like it? I love it, it is the best home I have ever had.¡± She smiled.


    ¡°Where else have you lived?¡±


    ¡°Oh, many places. I lived in the plains with the Bresh once, as well as the great caverns where you come from.¡± She said. It took Kevin a moment to realize what she was talking about.


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you for settling here. It is magical.¡± He said.


    ¡°Well you can visit anytime.¡± She smiled. ¡°Though an adventurer like you is unlikely to find it again. You should stay!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t, unfortunately.¡± He said smiling, ¡°But I will come back, for sure.¡±


    ¡°Make sure to bring your Kitty.¡± She said playfully, stroking the hide of the cat.


    ¡°I will,¡± He laughed. ¡°Destiny, is this place available for teleportation?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It is called Eva¡¯s Place.¡± Destinys voice rang out.


    ¡°Oooh,¡± Eva said. ¡°You have a pretty voice, Destiny.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Eva!¡± Destiny said. Kevin¡¯s eyes went wide, she could hear Destiny?¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Eva said, talking to the air above her.


    ¡°I am Kevin¡¯s VR AI. I assist him in his VR and help him with various tasks.¡±


    ¡°Veee Are Aye Eye?¡± Eva asked, confused.


    ¡°Uh, it¡¯s hard to explain, Eva.¡± Kevin said, amazed she could communicate with Destiny and slightly alarmed. ¡°Destiny, what time is it?¡±


    ¡°It is 2:37 AM, currently.¡± Destiny informed him.


    ¡°Oh boy,¡± Kevin winced, he was going to be tired tomorrow. He turned to Eva, ¡°I have to go, Eva. I¡¯ll be back though, if you¡¯ll have me?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± She smiled. ¡°Next time you come, you¡¯ll have to let me know what a vee are aye eye is. And bring your cat thing!¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kevin said sheepishly, ¡°I will. Goodbye Eva.¡±


    ¡°Farewell.¡± She said waving at Brimstone.


    ¡°Destiny, please deactivate the VR.¡± Kevin announced.


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Destiny said. A moment later he took off the VR unit and looked about his room. His clock confirmed the time and he groaned. Grabbing something to eat, he ate and quickly grabbed what little sleep he could.

 Chapter 6: Healing and Feeling

    The next day, classes went by fast for Kevin. He found it easier to concentrate on his studies, rather than having the game on his mind. His misgivings for the treatment of AI did bother him, however. He finally understood where Karen had been coming from, and perhaps how she felt after her friend had died. He had been important to her and Kevin couldn¡¯t even remember his name.


    At lunch he looked for Karen, but again she was absent. He couldn¡¯t find her anywhere. Kevin even saw her boyfriend, Joseph, in the lunch room, but she wasn¡¯t there. He didn¡¯t go up to him and ask about her, Kevin didn¡¯t know the guy very well. He ate lunch alone and started searching the internet on his phone. He found a few wiki sites for Soralya, and chose one that looked impressive in information and layout.


    Searching the news, he found people had posted warnings about devil invasions in Soralya. He even found a map that had been highlighted with places the devils were now spreading to. They were mostly confined to the areas around the Cloudspire Mountains, but were now spreading to the west. Kevin zoomed in on the map and found that Denhall was still protected. He saw that it was just to the north east of the main line of mountains stretching north to the sea. Apparently the Cloudspire mountain range divided the known world of the map.


    Known world? That was the title of the map. Kevin typed ¡®known world¡¯ into the search feature on the site. It popped up with a definition and he selected it. Reading, he found that not all of Soralya had been explored by players. The ¡®known world¡¯ consisted of the collected explored area that players had been to so far. Apparently it was only a portion of the created world, and that developers had hinted that they were at the moment and for the continuous future, expanding the world even farther. Some players even hypothesized that new races and features of the game could be unlocked by exploring throughout the world. There was even a guild mentioned that specialized in exploring Soralya.


    This was even more interesting than Kevin thought. He wanted to explore too, but this threat from the devils posed a more predominant problem. If they didn¡¯t stop the violent expansion of this new race, thousands upon thousands of AI¡¯s would be deleted. A part of Kevin knew that they were just programs, but he couldn¡¯t dismiss the fact that they were as intelligent as any human. They were as alive in the game as any person in real life.


    Kevin kept reading throughout his lunch break, soaking up any information he could before he went back to his classes. His first class of the afternoon was a history class he was taking as an extra. He had loved social studies in high school and this class was one of his favorites this semester. He shared it with Karen and he hoped she would be there.


    He walked into class and looked for her. Searching, he couldn¡¯t see her right away as he wandered the main aisle. After a few moments he was going to give up as everyone was finding their seats, but then he saw her in the middle row. He rushed to the row and squeezed between people to make his way to sit beside her.


    ¡°Hey,¡± He greeted her as he sat down, ¡°What¡¯s up? I haven¡¯t seen you in days.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± She said sullenly, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve just wanted to be alone.¡±


    ¡°Are you angry about what happened on Monday?¡± He said hesitantly.


    ¡°Yes,¡± She said but looked at him with sad eyes, ¡°But not with you. I¡¯m just angry at Soralya, the developers, the people responsible for creating such beautiful people and then taking them away like¡­¡± She choked back some tears.


    Wow, thought Kevin, she really liked this AI. He looked down and put a hand on her arm.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Karen.¡± He didn¡¯t really know what to say to comfort her. ¡°He must have been important to you. At least you have Joseph.¡±


    ¡°We broke up,¡± Karen said simply. That hit Kevin hard, she had been with him for almost a year now.


    ¡°Wow, really?¡± He said squeezing her arm. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± She said sniffling and clenching her fists. She wiped her tears away nervously. ¡°He thought that it was stupid, me being so upset about what happened in the game. He made fun of me. He doesn¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Kevin was dumbfounded. They had broken up over an argument about a game? That seemed a petty reason after being together for a year. Though, Karen had been playing for about the same time as she was with Joseph. Could she have had a separate relationship with her AI friend in the game, he wondered? He felt like right now was not a good time to ask, as the professor got up from his desk to start the class while Karen wiped her face dry from tears.


    ¡°Good morning, class.¡± The professor¡¯s voice boomed over the speakers from his microphone. It was a big classroom full of students. The microphone gave the people in the back rows a chance to hear the professor. ¡°As you know, I like to occasionally talk to you about current events going on in the world. Such events that will eventually be history, and will be the topics of my classes in years to come. Today, I¡¯d like to have a forum on a wildly popular event going on right now, right under many of your noses.¡± Lectured the professor, pointing at the students.


    ¡°Virtual reality is a subject of many studies going on right now. It¡¯s a relatively new concept to our society, and the technology for it is becoming very advanced as the years go by. Just recently, within the last few years, scientists and programmers have invented the widely and controversial Artificial Intelligence. It¡¯s only a matter of time before such intelligences are downloaded into artificial bodies in the real, human world, but right now, as many of you know, many of these intelligences exist in worlds now readily accessible to us all.¡±


    Kevin perked up even further as he heard what the professor was talking about. He glanced at Karen, and she was as enthused about the topic as he was. Her tears dried and forgotten.


    ¡°In these artificial worlds, we get a controlled atmosphere where we can, rather harmlessly, interact with these artificial beings. These artificial beings can now even be programmed to feel feelings and other such emotions and attitudes, as well as learn them throughout the experience of their lives.¡± The professor paused to let that sink in to the student¡¯s minds. ¡°Now, I¡¯m not going to give a lecture about the creation of such programs. My focus for this lecture is to discuss the ethical awareness of interacting with these beings. How many people here have interacted with an AI?¡±


    Kevin looked around as he raised his hand, nearly everyone in the class raised their hands. It looked like almost every person his age played these new games incorporating AI player experience.


    ¡°Very good, I expected as much. As soon as Artificial Intelligence was created, gaming companies scooped up the technology to incorporate it into their products. This ensured the funding for continuing research, and the creation of future studies on a grand scale including many people in separate control groups.¡± A hand shot up from the front row of the class. ¡°Yes?¡± The professor pointed to the student who had raised her hand.


    ¡°Are you saying that players of these games are participating in a social experiment?¡±


    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying.¡± The professor said, ¡°In the user agreement of each of these new programs incorporating AI, there is a section where the user agrees to participate in a study that includes the interaction with artificial intelligence. The researchers assigned to each game, or study, monitor the interactions between players and AI. How many of you actually read through the user agreement before clicking the ¡®yes¡¯ button?¡± The professor smirked as he asked the question. His smile widened as only a few in the class raised their hands. ¡°Of course not, not many do.¡±


    Kevin had skipped it too. Even if he had read it, he probably would have clicked yes anyway. The opportunity to play the game was too much to pass up, not to mention the amount of money he had spent to play the game.


    ¡°The way these games are set up, it creates a whole new world of interaction for players.¡± The Professor continued, ¡°We are now able to do things in this new world that may have been impossible in the real world. Whether it is flying a spaceship in a space battle, or flinging lightning spells at a lich. These are new experiences for us all.¡± The Professor paused before continuing.


    ¡°Ethics have been an issue for games in the past. Gaming companies who have produced games simulating breaking laws and immoral activities have been the subject of debate in the global community. It gives players an outlet for ill advised and immoral behaviour, which concerns governments and lawmakers. Others have argued that such simulations give people an outlet for such behaviour, meaning they perform such actions in the game rather than in real life where such actions have the potential to do harm. In my personal opinion, the outlet for such behaviour only acts as a band aid for such behavioural problems and when a person performing such actions becomes bored, they may start to behave that way in the real world. In that case, they would be more confident about such actions, increasing the depravity of the situation.¡± The professor paused.


    ¡°Now, in these new games, we have an unlimited social environment where people can do what they like to others in an unlimited way. They can love, they can explore, and they can meet new people. They can also kill, they can steal, and they can also promote hate. It is a brand new world, and anything can happen because it isn¡¯t the real world.¡± The professor paused, ¡°I would like each of you to write an essay about your experience with these types of games. If you have not played these games, you can write an essay about the social interactions you would suspect to be incorporated in the games. In each essay, I want you to describe five good and five bad interactions you have had in the game and how it has effected your personality and the way you think about life. Any questions?¡±


    Nobody raised their hand, but Kevin wanted some input from others. He raised his hand.


    ¡°Yes?¡± The professor asked, pointing at Kevin. The light activated on the microphone installed on the back of the chair in front of Kevin. He got some butterflies in his stomach, but he forced them away.


    ¡°I started playing Soralya over the weekend and learned a lot about Artificial Intelligence from the game so far. Lately, it¡¯s made me question the morality of creating AI, now potentially living beings in the game, and then adding aspects to the game that kill them off. Even as players, what gives us the right to kill AI? They are beings that think and process information just like us. Just recently, Soralya developers introduced a new race into the game that has started wiping out settlements and invading regions in the game. I find myself wondering, while playing the game, how can they justifiably create life, then create and program other life to battle each other, creating death and suffering to the very AI they created?¡±


    The professor smiled and clapped his hands twice, ¡°That is a very good question! That is the very thought process I wanted to inspire in you today. What justifies the death of AI in these games, if they are of the same intelligence of you or I? The fact is, these developers are playing god, and the scientists involved are using them to research these new AI they have created in these situations. It¡¯s all very complex, but one must ask oneself about the morality in which they play these games. Our society is based on being productive and living in harmony with each other. What will an individual turn into in the real world, after playing a character in one of these games who goes about stealing and murdering in abandon?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not right!¡± Karen shouted, standing up. Everyone flinched at her outburst in her vicinity, including Kevin. The professor pointed to her and her microphone turned on.


    ¡°Explain!¡± The professor said to her excitedly.


    ¡°I found someone on a game, someone I fell in love with.¡± Karen paused at the revelation. Kevin¡¯s face drained of color. ¡°He was unlike anyone I¡¯ve met in the real world. Someone who loved me like nobody could! Nobody knew me better than him, and we had so much fun together.¡± Karen fought back tears, her voice shaking.


    ¡°You mention him in the past tense. What happened?¡± The professor asked.


    ¡°He died trying to save a friend from being harmed. A friend who was a player, someone who could be revived infinitely. Vendall can¡¯t be revived! He¡¯s been deleted! I¡¯ll never see the person I loved again. Ever! All because these dumb programmers are playing around with the lives of these AI! They are people too, people who are being loved and cherished¡­¡± Karen broke into sobs and sat down, covering her face. Kevin put his arm around her.


    ¡°See, students?¡± The professor said, ¡°This is what I¡¯m talking about. People are falling in love with AI as we speak. Then someone comes around and kills them, creating loss and hurt. It¡¯s the same thing in real life. My advice to you is to not do anything in these games that you wouldn¡¯t do in real life. Your very character, who you really are, is what is at stake when you mess around with the boundaries of your morality.¡± The professor paused. ¡°Now I¡¯d like you all to turn to page three hundred and twenty seven in your ¡®Human Behaviour¡¯ textbook and read through chapters twenty seven to twenty nine.¡±


    The professor then turned off his microphone and made his way up the aisle. He pointed to Kevin and motioned with his hand to bring Karen to him. She was still sobbing as they awkwardly made their way past people staring at her. The professor led both Kevin and Karen down to the hall.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, dear. What is your name?¡± He said to her as they got out into the hall.


    ¡°Her name is Karen.¡± Kevin said for her between her sobs. She was stopping, but clearly she was still overwhelmed.


    ¡°And you are?¡± The professor asked Kevin as he motioned for him to follow, putting his arm around Karen and guiding her down the hall.


    ¡°Kevin, sir.¡± Following beside Karen.


    ¡°Alright, Kevin. I¡¯m going to escort Miss Karen to the school psychologist for the moment, just to help her cope with her loss. Would you like to speak with the psychologist as well?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°You had some good insight into the controversy concerning gaming today.¡± The professor said to him.


    ¡°Do you think we should play these games, sir?¡± Kevin asked. He saw how Karen had been affected by the loss of her friend and he was shocked.


    ¡°That¡¯s up to you, Kevin. Every experience in life helps us grow in intelligence and awareness, whether good or bad. This is a new frontier in science and social interactivity. I wouldn¡¯t shy away from it, but I would be aware of its affects upon your behaviour. Have you noticed any difference in the way you act since starting to play the game?¡±


    ¡°Not really, I¡¯m a bit more confident I guess. In the real world that is.¡±


    ¡°And how do you act in the artificial world?¡± Asked the professor.


    ¡°I just try to do what is right, I guess.¡±


    ¡°What is right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I do what I think is beneficial for everybody.¡± Kevin said awkwardly.


    ¡°Is that different from what you want to do?¡± the professor asked with a side glance.


    Kevin though about it. Back when he had been attacked by that player who wanted to steal his loot in the caves of the Varnu, he had been tempted to take all the loot left behind before she had attacked him. But he didn¡¯t, because he felt like it was unfair of him to do that. He had known that he had the viable option to steal her loot, but he had chosen not to, because in his reasoning he didn¡¯t want to steal her loot. She, however, had chosen to steal his and had lost everything in the gamble. A sense of pride washed over him at the realization that he had not wanted to steal her stuff. He had done the right thing.


    ¡°No, I want to be a just and kind person.¡±


    ¡°Good, most people do.¡± The professor smiled and nodded. ¡°You¡¯ll meet some people that don¡¯t, however. It¡¯s your choice whether to oppose them or not.¡±


    ¡°What about the way the gaming industry is manipulating the AI?¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± The professor said, drawing a surprised look from Kevin. ¡°By law, they own the rights to the AI they produce. They are, in all effects, god of the places they create. They own it.¡± The professor looked Kevin in the eye then, ¡°What matters is how you respond to situations. I can¡¯t say anything about the moral standard of the gaming companies. They just want to make things entertaining to the players, so they¡¯ll continue playing and buying their games. What I can say, is a truth in this world that I hold close to my heart. That is, that people will find themselves in all kinds of situations in this world and now other worlds. From circumstances that are both in your control and not in your control. What matters in life, is how you respond to them. Do what you think is right and good, and you will have no cause to regret. Regret is something that eats away at you for the duration of your existence, trust me I know. It¡¯s not something you want to have, kid. Do what you think is right at the time, and try to enjoy life as much as you can. Life is quite simple.¡± The professor winked at him and smiled. The conversation died then, as Kevin absorbed what had transpired in the past hour. He walked with the professor and Karen until they handed her off to the residing psychologist on call today. He walked back to class after that and continued his studies.


    When Kevin got home that day he was feeling a bit cheery. Karen had met up with him after classes had ended for the day and thanked him for his support today. She seemed a lot happier after speaking with the psychologist about the loss of her friend. She said she was eager to go online again and show Kevin some of her favorite places. Kevin thought that was a good idea, he needed a break from fighting, though a part of him was itching to get back to the battlefield. He knew that the Devils needed to be stopped in order to protect the world as it was. After grabbing some food, Kevin went online.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Master!¡± Destiny greeted him in his home realm. ¡°How are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good, Destiny. How are you?¡± Kevin asked.


    ¡°Very good.¡± Destiny smiled, ¡°I have been chatting with Eva. She is quite wonderful to talk to. I have learned much about Sorlalya from her.¡±


    ¡°How is it that you¡¯re able to talk to her?¡±


    ¡°I do not know, but I would surmise that it is due to a program that allows for communication between the VRAI and the game AI. She must be special somehow for her to have a program attached to her like that.¡±


    ¡°Huh, Weird.¡± Kevin said.


    ¡°LadySwan34 would like to join you right now, do you accept?¡± Destiny asked all of a sudden.


    ¡°What?¡± Kevin asked, ¡°She can join me in my home realm?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master. Other players can join you in your home realm with your permission.¡± Destiny told him.


    ¡°Alright, I accept.¡± Kevin said. Destiny nodded and waved her hand in the air. A beam of light sprouted from the earth and flashed brightly. When it dissipated, Karen stood in its place. She wore a dark red kimono with white leaves printed on the fabric.


    ¡°Hey Kevin,¡± Karen said looking around his home realm, ¡°Wow, this place is nice!¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Kevin said, ¡°What¡¯s with the Kimono?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very comfy, I always wear it here. I don¡¯t have one in real life.¡± Karen smiled, ¡°What about you? What¡¯s with the polar bear sweater?¡± Kevin looked down and saw that he was still wearing the clothes he had requested from the other day.


    ¡°Oh, ha ha!¡± Kevin¡¯s face went red. ¡°I haven¡¯t bothered to change my clothes since I got the VR.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you something a little better.¡± Karen looked around and found Destiny standing nearby. ¡°Oh, wow. You look like that actress!¡± Karen gave Kevin a smirk, ¡°Oh, I see. Living out some fantasies?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Kevin¡¯s face flushed even further, ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that!¡±


    ¡°Sure it isn¡¯t,¡± Karen laughed, ¡°Let me ask you one thing. Have you seen her without clothes?¡±


    ¡°Uh,¡± Kevin¡¯s eyes went wide.


    ¡°He has.¡± Destiny declared with a smile. Karen burst out laughing. Kevin felt like crawling into a hole.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think¡­¡± Kevin muttered.


    ¡°Sure it isn¡¯t.¡± Karen said smugly. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I won¡¯t tell anyone. To tell the truth, I¡¯ve fooled around with my AI too.¡±


    ¡°Uh,¡± Kevin didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Karen asked Destiny.


    ¡°It is Destiny.¡± Destiny answered and smiled.


    ¡°That¡¯s a nice name. Can you outfit Kevin with a kimono like mine?¡±


    ¡°Master, is that what you wish?¡±


    ¡°Uh, sure. Can you make mine black with yellow leaves though?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Destiny waved her hand and suddenly Kevin was wearing a kimono like he had described. Karen was right, it was very comfortable.


    ¡°Nice,¡± Kevin said. ¡°Now what?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the game and I¡¯ll show you my cottage.¡± Karen said.


    ¡°You have a cottage?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I hung around a village when I first started the game, and the mayor gave me a cottage by the riverside to grow crops and fish. We can go fishing!¡±


    ¡°Wow, that sounds great!¡± Kevin said enthusiastically. He hadn¡¯t been fishing in years!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Karen turned to Destiny, ¡°Can we play Soralya as a group, and spawn at Vergera Village?¡±


    ¡°Master?¡± Destiny turned to Kevin.


    ¡°Yeah, sounds good.¡± He gave Destiny a thumbs up.


    Suddenly they were falling into the game and Kevin found himself standing in front of a quaint little cottage next to a slow moving river. The sky was clear and the sun shone brightly in the sky.


    ¡°Excellent!¡± Karen smiled, now in her game form of a Bresh. ¡°Now you can spawn at my cottage. You can come here anytime.¡± She smiled brightly. ¡°Let¡¯s fish! I¡¯ll grab the rods!¡± She ran into the cottage.


    Kevin looked around some more and found a garden in the backside of the cottage. It was full of fruit bearing plants and large vegetable plants. ¡°This is a nice place.¡± Kevin said aloud.


    ¡°I know.¡± Karen said from behind him, ¡°I did some gathering and chores for the village when I started the game. It was fun, and the Mayor appreciated it so much that she gave me this cottage and land. I take care of it every day.¡± Karen smiled, ¡°Let¡¯s fish.¡±


    The sun began to set behind hills in the distance as they fished in the river on a nearby dock. Kevin thought it was very fun. They both joked around as they competed to catch and release as many fish as they could. Kevin hadn¡¯t had this much fun in years. After an hour, they got up and Karen took Kevin to a neighboring cottage nearby. The farmer had many animals on his cottage and he gladly let them ride his horses around the village. Karen waved to everyone who greeted her with smiles.


    They passed through the village square, decorated with a massive garden of flowers, and they found the Mayor reading on a bench.


    ¡°Hello Isra,¡± Karen said as they trotted close by.


    ¡°Hello Karen!¡± Mayor Isra greeted Karen and Kevin with a bright smile. She was middle aged and quite beautiful, her long black hair curling down her back. ¡°Going for an evening ride?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. This is Kevin, a good friend of mine.¡± Karen waved her hand to Kevin. Kevin waved sheepishly.


    ¡°Nice to meet you Kevin,¡± Said Isra.


    ¡°Nice to meet you too. This is a lovely village.¡± Kevin said.


    ¡°Thank you, we do our best.¡± Isra smiled.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Sheera?¡± Karen asked Isra.


    ¡°She¡¯s helping Ferdenand on his ranch.¡± Isra said. ¡°I¡¯ll let her know you¡¯re here, she¡¯ll be happy to see you.¡±


    ¡°Sheera is Isra¡¯s wife,¡± Karen explained to Kevin. ¡°She¡¯s also the village Guardian. She is the best warrior I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    ¡°What about me!?¡± Kevin joked with her.


    ¡°I stand by my statement,¡± Karen laughed.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Kevin feigned disappointment.


    Suddenly Kevin felt something graze his cheek. He looked down and saw an arrow embedded into a tree beside him.


    ¡°What the¡­¡± Kevin muttered.  Two arrows suddenly embedded themselves into the horse underneath him. The horse screamed in pain and reared, throwing Kevin off. The horse then took off at a run through the village. Karen struggled to keep her horse under control.


    Kevin rolled to his feet and activated his shield spell as three dark forms jumped off the roof of the town hall and hit the ground hard. They stood up straight, eyeballing Kevin viciously. They were clothed in dark wraps and leather, with horns jutting from their brow. They were devils.


    ¡°We¡¯ve found you, your dead, ¡®Hero¡¯.¡± Said the leader at the front of the trio. They dropped their bows and unsheathed long knives from their belts.


    Kevin summoned his sword and readied himself. These looked like trained assassins.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get Sheera!¡± Isra said before running off.  Karen steadied her horse and looked in bewilderment at the devils.


    ¡°It won¡¯t matter,¡± The lead Devil muttered, ¡°You¡¯ll be dead soon enough.¡± He passed his hands in a particular motion and fire consumed Kevin¡¯s form.


    Karen screamed in horror, but Kevin didn¡¯t feel anything in particular.


    ¡°Master,¡± Destiny¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°This seems to be a new spell. It¡¯s called Soul Rend, if you are defeated with this spell active, you¡¯ll lose all progress in the game.¡±


    ¡°Oh, great.¡± Kevin muttered. The trio assassins closed in on him and he prepared to fight. ¡°Summon Brimstone.¡±


    Brimstone appeared in a puff of smoke next to Kevin. The trio faltered a moment as the fiery cat roared at them.


    ¡°Hey, Brimmy.¡± Kevin said to his cat. ¡°Time for some fun.¡±


    Kevin suddenly charged at the trio and veered to the left, attacking the Devil on the left with his sword. Brimstone veered to the right and pounced on the one to the right.


    Kevin hit his mark, slicing through the devils neck with his sword. To his surprise, the devil stumbled backward, but still stood. The leader came at Kevin fast, striking him with a long knife. It bounced off his shield and Kevin stumbled backwards as hit got hit a dozen more times in lightning quick succession.


    Brimstone pounced on the leader then and they went tumbling away. Kevin found his opening and threw lightning at the other devil he had hit earlier. That devil turned to ash. Kevin turned to the other devil, getting up from the ground. While Brimstone tangled with the leader, Kevin went after the other devil, charging at him. The devil caught sight of Kevin¡¯s charge and unexpectedly threw his knives at him. Kevin dodged one, but the other hit him square in the chest. To Kevin¡¯s surprise, the knife embedded itself into his chest. He felt no pain, but he could feel the knife in his body. It was very odd, his shield spell must have depleted.


    Kevin grabbed the hilt and took out the knife, blood spurting out of his wound. It must have a bleeding damage amplifier. The devil he was facing unsheathed yet another knife and charged at Kevin. Kevin dodged his thrust and with a quick down-stroke, sliced off the devils head. The devil turned to ash, and Kevin quickly reactivated his shield spell. It activated, but Kevin was still bleeding from his chest. He felt himself getting more tired and weaker, no doubt a result from his wound.


    Kevin ignored his wound and focused on the last Devil who had amazingly thrown Brimstone off. He was bleeding from bite and claw wounds, but he got up and stood his ground as Brimstone circled, hissing smoke and fire.


    ¡°He¡¯s mine, Brimmy.¡± Kevin declared as he approached.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you think.¡± The devil smirked. ¡°You may have taken out my AI comrades, but I¡¯m going to finish you off.¡±


    ¡°AI comrades?¡± Kevin asked. ¡°You¡¯re a player?¡±


    ¡°I am, and so much more.¡±


    ¡°A moderator then.¡± Kevin declared.


    ¡°How do you know what that is?¡± The devil wore an expression of shock.


    ¡°I know you moderators are the leaders of the devils, leading the destruction of this world. Why are you doing this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good paying job. It pays the bills.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being paid to play the game?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we get paid to take over this world. It¡¯s a good gig for us.¡± The moderator said. ¡°You¡¯ve got no chance. You¡¯re just a part time player, you can¡¯t possibly keep up with us. You¡¯re a thorn in our side, though. You¡¯ve become the Hero of Denhall. I¡¯m going to take you out.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that,¡± Kevin said.


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± The moderator laughed, ¡°All I have to do is take out your shield and you¡¯re as good as done.¡±


    ¡°Well, they don¡¯t call me the Hero of Denhall for nothing, ¡° Kevin said, ¡°I¡¯m going to show you moderators exactly what we¡¯ll do the rest of you. I¡¯m going to obliterate you.¡±


    The moderator growled and charged at Kevin. He came in with a flurry of strikes with his long knives. Kevin parried as many as he could, but they were coming in too fast. Every few strikes, one got through and hit Kevin somewhere. Kevin waited for the flurry to stop, but it didn¡¯t. Rage was building up in the moderators face and he came in faster and harder.


    Suddenly a strike hit Kevin in the face and the blue glow left his body, leaving only the rolling flames. He swatted the next strike away, but his sword was too far away to block the next one. It came in at his chest. Suddenly a force hit them both. They both sprawled across the ground, Brimstone had tackled them both.


    Kevin rolled over and found that the moderator had already gotten up. He was standing over Kevin, ready to deliver the killing blow, when a knife exploded out of his chest. The moderator was confused and looked at the knife edge protruding from his chest, before turning to ash. When the ash fell to the ground, it revealed Karen holding the knife tight in both hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m not letting anyone else get killed around me.¡± She whispered before throwing down the knife. It stuck into the ground.


    Kevin got to his feet and embraced Karen tightly. ¡°Thank you.¡± To his surprise, she started crying.


    ¡°I hate those devils so much.¡± She said after she finished sobbing.


    ¡°I know.¡± Kevin said.


    Two figures came running into the square. Isra and another woman holding a large sword, it must be Sheera.


    ¡°What happened!?¡± Isra asked.


    ¡°We took care of them. Assassins sent to defeat me.¡± Kevin said.


    ¡°Devils?¡± Sheera said, sheathing her sword. Her long blonde hair blew in the wind.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kevin said.


    ¡°Damn, then it¡¯s true. They are spreading further.¡± Sheera said, looking towards Isra. They exchanged concerned expressions.


    ¡°Yeah, but there are Guilds fighting them. We¡¯ll defeat them.¡± Kevin said to them.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to fight too.¡± Karen said, surprising Kevin. ¡°They need to be stopped.¡±


    ¡°They do, I can¡¯t believe they came here.¡± Sheera said viciously. ¡°I¡¯m going to fight too.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Kevin nodded to Sheera. He then turned to Karen. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they¡¯ll just end up destroying this village. I need to help.¡± Karen said firmly.


    ¡°If you say so.¡± Kevin said. Sheera came over to Kevin and extended her hand. It flared with bright white light and his wound closed up. He began to feel a lot better.


    ¡°I¡¯m a Paladin,¡± Sheera announced, she turned to Karen, ¡°Call upon me when you fight, and I¡¯ll fight with you.¡± Karen nodded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take you back to the cottage.¡± Isra said, putting her arm around Karen. They all walked back to the cottage and they all discussed the Devil threat as they sat beneath the stars. Kevin told them all he knew about the devils and they¡¯re moderators. Brimstone sat with them, smoldering contently.


    Soon it was late and both Karen and Kevin logged out of their VR, promising each other to join the campaign against the devils on the next night. Kevin texted Roman before he went to sleep, telling him of their intentions for the next night. He hoped Roman would join them, they would need his help.


    That night, he dreamt of fishing peacefully in Karen¡¯s village under a moonlit night. The wind blew gently and fireflies danced in the sky.  It was a good dream.