《Immersion Online》


 Chapter 1

    They were flying low and could just about start to see some sporadic lights in the distance from the African mainland when the pilot got on the coms.


    ¡°10 minutes to target. We are on schedule. Silent mode on.¡± The sound of the helicopter muted as it went into stealth mode. It still made quite a lot of sound, but it wouldn¡¯t carry as far as it normally did. The disadvantage was that it couldn¡¯t maintain anything close to top speed.


    Nathan started to check the gear for the second or third time while looking around. The other guys didn¡¯t need any reminder to do the same. There were five of them, excluding the pilots and the medic, who wouldn¡¯t join them on the ground.


    It was Sergei, a former Spetnaz sniper. Solid. Quiet.


    Rodrigez and Smith were both American and had Ranger badges, although not on them right now obviously. Nathan was pretty sure that they had some spec-ops experience as well. They were typical shooters and damned good ones at that.


    The last one was a big Australian called Brown who had recently quit the Aussies local version of the SAS. He was the only one Nathan hadn¡¯t worked with before, so he kept an extra eye on him. So far, he checked all the boxes. Also, as support whose main objective was to secure the extraction area, hopefully, he shouldn¡¯t see any action.


    In and out quietly, that was the plan.


    As they often did, command back on the boat decided that this was the perfect time to give a recap of the mission goals. Like they needed the reminder.


    ¡°This is Overwatch. The latest intel shows the target is still in the big structure in the northern part of the camp, due east from the LZ. You have a green light. Remember, getting the VIP out alive is the only acceptable result, so do not take any chances. The other two are secondary. Over.¡±


    ¡°This is Headhunter, acknowledged. Out,¡± Nathan replied. One of the perks of working in the private sector was that they got to choose their own call signs. He did a quick communication check with the rest of the team while thinking back on the planning of the operation, and the many things that could go wrong.


    The VIP, Vincent Hoth, was kidnapped from his yacht outside of the coast of Africa approximately three weeks ago, along with his assistant and his bodyguard. Probably. The crew of the boat was found dead on the drifting boat, so details were somewhat foggy. Luckily for Vincent, as the CEO of a global investment company, he had the best insurance money could buy. Insurance which also covered kidnapping. They started to look for him the second the alarm went off, and since as part of that insurance agreement he had a small implant surgically placed inside his heel, they knew exactly where to look. That is where his luck stopped, however, as the signals put him on the west coast of Africa.


    Several years back many of the countries on the west coast of Africa had dissolved into war and chaos. The whole area had become some kind of tribal anarchy zone, and all diplomatic relations had stopped as there was no longer any government to relate to. The whole thing culminated in a free-for-all, where most of the natural resources ended up in the hands of ¡°private¡± companies. Security was always a high priority for these companies as the Africans, in general, were not too happy with the recent development, and everyone was out to get theirs.


    There were still deals to be made if you knew the right people, though, and clearly Vincent did not. As far as the insurance guys could tell, he had been out randomly joyriding along the coast when he was taken by one of the many small local warlords that operated in the area. Initially, they didn¡¯t even know the warlords'' name or tribe, but they knew the type. He was either looking for money or blood. When they didn¡¯t receive any demands and had been unable to otherwise make contact, it was decided to look for alternative options. An acceptable option was found.


    The team speed-roped down approximately five klicks north of the target village. Though the helicopter could run virtually silent, even the lowest sound carries much further than you would think on the African savanna, so some walking was necessary. Still, there was quite a lot of vegetation in the area. Not enough that it hindered the extraction team in any way, but enough that it helped limit their visual impact on approach. In the dark, they should be practically invisible.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Eagle to Overwatch, insertion complete. Pulling back to hoover. Over,¡± the pilot reported while giving a wave through the window and disappearing into the sky. Even with night-vision goggles, he could only be seen for a second or two before he was gone. They were on their own now.


    ¡°This is Overwatch, copy that. Headhunter, proceed when ready. Over,¡± came the instruction from the mission control, currently on a small frigate in international waters somewhere west.


    Nathan looked around, confirming that everyone was ready. ¡°Headhunter proceeding. Out,¡± he replied and signaled that it was time to move out.


    Smith took the point followed by Rodrigez, Nathan, Sergei, and Brown. They walked 5 meters apart, each scanning their sector. There was no uncertainty. They were all veterans and knew their role. They only packed the bare minimum, so it was easy going. Still, there was no rush. Better to be safe and thorough, making sure that there were no surprises.


    Two klicks from the target, they passed the extraction point. Nathan notified Overwatch and signaled to Brown who promptly peeled off. His job was to secure the area, dig in, and provide cover on the return. The rest continued in silence.


    As they closed in on the target village, it was time for yet another team member to get in position.


    ¡°Shadow, set up on the high ground over there,¡± Nathan quietly said while pointing to a small hill overlooking the area. Sergei nodded and moved away.


    The rest did a quick recon of the area while waiting. It confirmed what they had already seen from the drone photos as part of the briefing. To reach the target building, or more of a hut or a shack really, they had to sneak past two other smaller shacks, probably used for storage. Drone thermals showed that during the night two guards were sitting outside where they believed the door probably was, in front of a small fire. Two or three people were inside the building. Past the fire there were several other buildings, with multiple people lodging. Intel was a bit unclear on the precise number, but between forty and sixty was the best estimate. Too many to handle in a firefight, even though there was no reason to expect anything other than small arms.


    On the west side, there was a small homemade pier and some fishing boats. There was also a parking area with a couple of vehicles, and a dirt road going southeast. Satellite photos had shown that it was a two-hour drive to anything worth mentioning. No reinforcement was expected.


    Coming from the north they should be able to move directly to the target, circumvent most of the hostiles, and extract with minimum risk. That only left the two guards.


    ¡°Shadow in position. Confirming two hostiles, both facing the fire. One possibly sleeping. No other hostiles visible.¡± Sergei had also done a recon through the scope before reporting in.


    ¡°Headhunter, acknowledge. We are moving in.¡±


    Rodrigez moved around on the left side, Smith on the right while Nathan moved up in the middle. They moved slowly; carbines ready to fire. Before Nathan got in position, Smith got on the coms.


    ¡°Buck got visuals. The left hostile is standing facing the fire. He¡¯s got an automatic weapon on his back. The second hostile is sitting with his back against a tree-stump, also facing the fire. He¡¯s got a rifle of some sort, leaning against the three-stump behind him. NVs are off. Got a solution for both,¡± he whispered into the mic connected to his neck.


    ¡°Nightrider confirming visuals, also got solutions. Say the word, boss,¡± Rodrigez added from the left.


    ¡°Hold,¡± Nathan ordered. He moved around the last shack-quickly confirming that it was empty through a crack in the wall-and went low while crawling past a bush to give him a clear sight towards the enemy. The fire made his NV goggles useless, so like his teammates, he had to flip them up. It shouldn¡¯t matter. The two guards were easy to see silhouetted against the flames, which were taller than expected. It popped and crackled from time to time. That could be useful.


    The challenge here was that the two guards had to be dealt with quickly and most importantly quiet. If any of the two were able to sound the alarm or notify the rest of the camp in any way, this would quickly end up as an extraction under fire. At best.


    Prepared for silent takedowns, they had suppressors on their carbines loaded with subsonic ammo. It didn¡¯t make too much noise, but it was plenty loud enough to disturb someone dreaming restlessly in a quiet camp. The sound insulation on these huts wouldn¡¯t exactly impress anyone either. It was a risk they were prepared to take, but looking at it now, perhaps there was another way.


    ¡°We¡¯re doing knives. Nightrider, you got the one on the left, I got the right. Move closer and wait for my go. Use two clicks to indicate that you are ready. Buck, move up on the right so you¡¯ve got a clear angle. Shadow, sharp eyes.¡±


    Nathan got down and started crawling forward, moving slowly towards the drowsing guard. He couldn¡¯t see the others in the dark, but he knew they were moving up parallel to him.


    ¡°This is Buck, reposition complete. Got solutions.¡±


    Nathan moved slowly closer until he was around ten meters away. He got to his knees, quietly lowered his carbine so that it was hanging barrel-down in front in the two-point sling. He grabbed his knife in an icepick grip with the edge out. He heard two quiet clicks on the coms and took a last quick look around before he gave the order.


    ¡°Execute!¡±

 Chapter 2

    Nathan exploded out of the cover. It was ten steps to his target. Nine. Eight.


    Ideally both Rodrigez and him would get to their respective target at the same time so that neither hostile would get any warning. That did not happen. When he was two steps away it became apparent that Rodrigez was a couple of steps behind him. Also, his target wasn¡¯t sleeping.


    Both of the guards started to move a bit, reacting to the sound of their attackers bursting out of the darkness. The one standing turned around with a surprised look on his face, while the one sitting moved his head sideways a bit as if trying to confirm that he just heard something. That was not enough to save him.


    Nathan was upon the guard before he¡¯d gotten halfway to his feet. He reached his left hand around and covered the opponent''s mouth while sliding the knife into the right side of his neck. With a quick saw-like movement, he opened the front of the guard''s throat. A wheezing gurgling sound was all he made while he crumpled to the ground. A fountain of blood sprayed forward and started to sizzle in the fire, filling the immediate area with a burnt metallic stench.


    The standing guard had not been idle while this happened. His fearful eyes were locked on Rodrigez¡¯s -who was only a heartbeat or two away- and had no hope of getting his rifle ready. While he didn¡¯t have the discipline to yell out and warn his comrades, he did have the presence of mind to grab his sidearm which was more readily available. He¡¯d got it out of his holster, and Nathan could only watch as he raised it in the direction of his teammate.


    Just before Nathan expected him to pull the trigger, a small sound could be heard.


    Clank!


    Like if one struck a piece of metal with a small hammer. The guard''s head was replaced by what appeared to be a black mist in the darkness as he collapsed.


    ¡°Shit!¡± he murmured to himself, feeling his senses improve as an effect of adrenaline. He took a long breath before continuing.


    ¡°Find some cover and scan your sectors. There¡¯s a good chance we just interrupted someone''s dreams.¡± He dropped down behind the tree while the others also went prone in suitable positions. ¡°Nice shot, Buck. Shadow, any movement?¡±


    They waited for a couple of seconds. ¡°Nyet, nothing so far¡±, replied Sergei.


    Nathan took a quick look at the dead guards in front of him, confirming that they were no longer a threat. The flicker from the fire made it possible to see details in their faces which he couldn¡¯t see earlier, like the reflection of the fire in their open eyes, staring into nothingness. They looked so young.


    ¡°Christ, these guys can¡¯t be older than fifteen or something. Just kids,¡± he murmured.


    Rodrigez sent a quick questioning look his way while on his knees, quickly confirming the kills for himself before moving back into the shadows. ¡°Focus, boss. You know how it is. Way of the world, and all that. Nothing we can do about it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. Way of the fucking world.¡± The luxury of regret and second-guessing was reserved for survivors, and they were not in the clear yet. He pushed the feelings away and lifted his eyes. Not like another face or two added to his nightmares would make a difference.


    ¡°Ok, move towards the target building. Stay vigilant. This could go south in a hurry.¡±


    The three of them started to slowly walk forward while keeping their carbines raised, scanning for any movement. They reached the back of the building without any further incidents.


    It wasn¡¯t a very big structure relatively speaking, but it was a bit bigger than the other buildings in the camp, so it was easy to identify. Like the others, it didn¡¯t have any windows, and it was made of a mix of salvaged metal and a local variation of cement. Given time, they could probably easily dig under or even through the wall, but they didn¡¯t need to. It was much faster to use the door.


    Some quick hand-signals, and Smith moved around the building on one side while Nathan went the other. Rodrigez provided cover. They reached the door, which was only secured with a deadbolt. Smith quietly unlocked and opened the door just enough so that Nathan could slide inside. He raised his weapon and followed immediately.


    They quickly scanned the room.


    Stolen story; please report.


    The whole structure was a single room, but it was divided into three distinct areas. The first area was on the left and seemed to be for filming, as it did have a camera set up on a tripod, aimed towards an unknown flag and a chair. The second area was on the right and looked to be an area meant for torture. It had a metal chair, some jumper cables hooked to a battery, and a variation of other tools that could be used in creative ways. The third area was furthest from the door and was a large homemade jail cell. Exactly what they were looking for.


    They cleared the two recreational areas and moved towards the back of the room. They could see what seemed to be the contours of two people on the ground inside the cell.


    ¡°Vincent Hoth? Are any of you Vincent Hoth?¡± Nathan whispered while Smith worked on the lock. It was another deadbolt, so it opened quickly.


    As they moved inside the cell, Smith turned on a flashlight and aimed it towards the cell inhabitants. As the light fell on them, they started to stir a bit before they opened their eyes, quickly followed by shielding them from the bright light.


    ¡°Are any of you Vincent Hoth?¡±, Nathan repeated.


    ¡°What is happening?¡± one of them squeaked. His voice sounded tired and lifeless.


    Nathan took a closer look at the one who¡¯d spoken and compared the way he looked to the pictures of Hoth they¡¯d been shown while planning the mission. There was little doubt it was him, although he had certainly changed quite a lot in just a few days. He looked thinner and stretched out. More so than expected considering how long they had been captured.


    ¡°Mister Hoth?¡± Nathan queried, just to get the confirmation he needed.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Vincent Hoth. What¡¯s going on? Who are you?¡±


    Nathan indicated to Smith that he should turn off the light so that Hoth and the other hostage were able to see them. ¡°Mister Hoth, we are part of an extraction team sent to retrieve you. However, this is a stealth extraction so we do not want anything rash to happen that will lead to us being discovered. It is vital that you both remain calm and quiet and do everything we say. If you do that, I promise you that there is a good chance you will get to go home, safe and sound. Is that understood?¡±


    ¡°I...¡± Hoth looked wildly from Nathan to Smith, before he seemed to wake up just a bit more. ¡°Thank Christ. I understand. We will do everything you say.¡± He shared a look with the other prisoner, who nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Good¡± Nathan stated before triggering his mic. Smith moved over to check and cover the exit.


    ¡°Overwatch, this is Headhunter. Package one and additional package located and secured. Wait for further info. Over.¡±


    ¡°This is Overwatch. Acknowledged. Waiting for further info. Over.¡±


    Nathan turned his attention back to the two men in front of him. ¡°Ok, we do not have much time, so please answer my questions quickly and precisely. Is that clear?¡±


    They both nodded.


    ¡°Good. First, what is your name?¡± he asked of the one who was still to speak. As with Hoth, he knew but needed confirmation non the less.


    ¡°Christian Daniels¡±, he stammered.


    Daniels was Hoth¡¯s assistant, which meant that the bodyguard was still unaccounted for. ¡°Thanks, Mr. Daniels. Where is Charles Baker?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Charles is dead¡±, Hoth answered as he swallowed a small cough. ¡°They cut his head off in front of us, right over there.¡± He nodded towards the front of the room. ¡°It must have been a couple of days ago¡±, he added.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that,¡± Nathan consoled. ¡°Let us make sure that we do not share his fate. Do any of you have any injuries? Are you able to walk?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve seen better days for sure, but we should be able to walk. Right?¡± Hoth looked at Daniels as he answered.


    ¡°Absolutely! Just seeing you here gives me new strength,¡± Daniels confirmed, although not very convincingly.


    ¡°Glad to hear it.¡± Nathan helped the two guys to their feet and triggered his coms. ¡°Overwatch, this Headhunter. Additional package is the second package. The third package is unavailable, we are preparing to move to extraction. ETA at the LZ in 20 minutes. Over.¡±


    ¡°This is Overwatch. Acknowledged. Eagle, move to hover, and prepare for extraction. Over.¡±


    ¡°This is Eagle, moving to extraction and will be ready for pick up in 20 min. Out.¡±


    Nathan turned back to the rescued hostages. ¡°Ok, listen to me very carefully, gentlemen. This here¡±-he indicated Smith with a nod-¡± is Buck. I want you, Mr. Hoth, to grab his backpack, while you, Mr. Daniels, keep a good grip on the shoulder of Mr. Hoth. When Buck moves, you move. When Buck stops, you stop. If Buck speaks, you listen. After we leave this room, you do not speak. Is that clear?¡±


    They both nodded.


    ¡°Excellent. Just to be sure, though.¡± Nathan grabbed the arm of Hoth, walked him over to Buck, and placed his hand around one of the straps on Buck¡¯s backpack. He then grabbed Daniels¡¯s hand and placed it on Hoth''s shoulder.


    Nathan started to explain what they should expect, ¡°In ten seconds we are gone move out of here and we are gone walk two kilometers. On the way, we will be joined by three more of my squad. Do not be alarmed when they join us. Then we are going to get on a helicopter, and this will all be over. If you have anything to say or any questions, now is the time. When we walk out that door, things will happen very fast. So?¡±


    Nathan tried to smile encouraging, although the smile didn¡¯t reach his eyes. Right now, this mission was going well and if they started moving right away, he was confident he would be able to get everybody home safely. He didn¡¯t expect them to say anything, so he started to reach for his communication switch to prepare Rodriguez and Sergei. With some surprise, he recognized that Hoth had a question.


    ¡°Yes?¡± he asked, unable to keep some of his impatience out of his voice.


    ¡°I...¡± Hoth faltered and looked at Daniels for support before continuing. ¡°The rest of your team?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Are they rescuing John?¡±


    Nathan stopped breathing; his earlier confidence quickly evaporated. He looked from Hoth to Daniels and back. Both of them looked at him with hope in their eyes. He looked at Smith, who shrugged.


    ¡°Who the fuck is John?¡±

 Chapter 3

    ¡°John Moon¡±, Hoth clarified. When he saw that the name didn¡¯t mean anything to neither Nathan nor Smith, he added some more information. ¡°He was on my yacht for a meeting when we were attacked".


    ¡°Son of a...¡± he triggered his com.


    ¡°Overwatch, this is Headhunter. Be advised, package one has informed us of a fourth package, one John Moon. Stand by for more details. Over.¡± He switched focus to Hoth. ¡°Ok, the most important thing first. Where is John?¡±


    ¡°He started yelling and cursing at the guy in charge after they killed Charles. They gave him a real thrashing -broke his nose even- but he didn¡¯t stop. In the end, they threw him in the hole. We could still hear him yelling the first day, but it¡¯s been quiet for a while now.¡±


    ¡°And where is this hole?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. It¡¯s a hole in the ground covered by a grate. I think they use it to store live fish. It¡¯s over by the dock,¡± he blurted while pointing in a south-south-western direction.


    Nathan was a bit bewildered by this new development but tried to take it in stride. ¡°Are there any guards or anything like that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Hoth looked at Daniels. ¡°Do you know?¡±


    ¡°They haven¡¯t bothered with a guard during the day. At least not that I have seen the few times they¡¯ve let us outside. Don¡¯t see any reason why they would do anything different at night,¡± Daniels surmised. "But I can''t say for sure."


    ¡°And you have not seen or heard John Moon for, what, two days?¡±


    They both shuck their heads.


    Nathan sighed. He had a bad feeling about this whole thing. ¡°Overwatch, this is Headhunter. Package four is allegedly located in an improvised holding cell in the ground covered by a grate over by the dock, but no life sign seen or heard for 48 hours. If alive, he is expected to in bad shape. Please advise. Over¡±.


    ¡°This is Overwatch, stand by.¡±


    They waited for a while in silence, every sound from outside making Hoth and Daniels ever so slightly flinch.


    ¡°This is Overwatch. We are seeing the grate on satellite photos. It is very close to two of the presumed barracks. Almost exactly between them and the docks. Wide open ground, without any cover. You would also need to move through or around the whole camp. We are running risk assessments, please hold. Over.¡±


    ¡°This is Headhunter. We will move to a safer location while waiting for risk assessment. Out.¡±


    He turned back to Hoth. ¡°Command is assessing the situation. In the meantime, we need to move to a safer location.¡±


    ¡°Shadow, Nightrider, how does it look out there?¡±


    ¡°All quiet, boss¡±, reported Rodrigez.


    ¡°Zero movement¡±, confirmed Sergei.


    ¡°Roger, we are moving.¡±


    Nathan moved out the door with his weapon raised, took three steps forward, and went down to one knee while scanning the area in front of him.


    Buck came out right behind him, towing the others. He immediately moved right around and behind the building. When he passed Rodriguez, Rodriguez confirmed this on coms, and Nathan moved after them. After passing Rodriguez by 20 meters or so it was Nathan¡¯s turn to cover again, and he turned around and crouched while notifying Rodriguez. Rodriguez then pulled back past him again. They continued to reverse leapfrogging like that until they were close to where they left Sergei, at which point Nathan called for a short stop in a suitable location. Shortly after, Overwatch was back on the coms.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Headhunter, this is Overwatch. We have concluded that the risk and uncertainty outweigh the gain, and that package 1 remains the priority. You are instructed to continue to extraction. Please, confirm. Over.¡±


    ¡°This is Headhunter. Confirming that package 1 is a priority. Out,¡± he acknowledged. He didn¡¯t like leaving anyone behind, even someone he¡¯d never met. Perhaps there was a chance to... He sighed. No, best to continue as planned.


    He walked over to Hoth and Daniels. ¡°Sorry, but command calculates that the chance of John Moon being alive and we being able to successfully extract him being so low that it is too risky to try. He¡¯s probably already dead, so-¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand,¡± Hoth interrupted. ¡°You need to rescue Moon. He must return safely!¡±


    Nathan let out a sigh. ¡°Even if we could, you are the priority, and the order is to get you home.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Hoth suddenly launched forward, grabbing hold of Nathan to emphasize his point. His eyes had a new intense look. ¡°Listen, this is very important. Moon is a genius and a visionary. The man will revolutionize the way we live our lives. If he dies here, it will set the world back years. Decades even.¡±


    Nathan chuckled uncertainly while removing Hoth¡¯s hand. ¡°Well, he certainly sounds like an impressive guy and all, but there is not much we can do. My hands are tied.¡±


    ¡°So are mine,¡± Hoth warned sadly. ¡°I have done some unethical things in my life to get ahead, but I cannot in good faith let John remain here when there is even a chance that he is alive. I am sorry, but we refuse to leave unless John is with us, or confirmed dead.¡±


    Daniels didn¡¯t look like he totally agreed, but he was nothing if not loyal and, in the end, he stood up a bit straighter and nodded his head to indicate his support.


    Nathan narrowed his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s make one thing clear, you are not in charge here. I am. We will return you to the helicopter even if we have to tie you up and carry you all the way there.


    ¡°But let us be realistic here. I don¡¯t like to leave anyone behind either, but it is what it is. However, just to humor you... Buck, Nightrider. You see any way we could make this happen?¡±


    ¡°We could sneak through the whole compound and try to break him out without waking up any of the 50 bloodthirsty tribal warriors sleeping next to him, or we could do a full assault, kill them all. The chance of success is pretty much the same. Slim to none,¡± speculated Smith.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not even sure if we have enough ammo for a full assault, and I think we¡¯ve already used up today''s luck. I feel for the guy, but better him than us. I say we stick to the plan,¡± said Rodriguez.


    ¡°I could pay you,¡± Hoth injected. ¡°Whatever it takes!¡±


    ¡°Money doesn¡¯t help much if we¡¯re not alive to spend it,¡± Buck said.


    ¡°You have to at least try. Please!¡± Hoth begged.


    It was obvious his pleas were genuine, and he really seemed desperate to have them save Moon. Nathan was uncertain if he was dedicated enough to actively resist the extraction, but he didn¡¯t really want to find out. He took a second to assess his options. None of them were good, so in the end, he decided to roll the dice. "Ah, hell. Can''t say I''m generally inclined to leave anyone to die. And besides, I feel lucky today."


    He started to talk into the mic, including both his team and the guys in charge. ¡°Overwatch, this is Headhunter. After assessing the situation on the ground, I have decided to change the plan, as is my prerogative. Buck and Nightrider will escort packages one and two to the extraction. Shadow will stay in position to provide cover as long as he can, then double-time it to the helicopter. Meanwhile, I will do a close recon and investigate the status of package four. If he can be extracted, I will take him to the secondary extraction point to the south of the village. Over.¡±


    The reply came immediately. ¡°Headhunter, this is Overwatch. That is a no-go. I repeat, a no-go. Stay with the original plan. Over.¡±


    ¡°Negative, going for package four. Over.¡±


    ¡°Headhunter, you are given a direct order to-¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the army, boys,¡± Nathan interrupted. ¡°You can¡¯t order me to do shit. Headhunter out.¡±


    Rodrigez walked over to him. ¡°Jesus, boss. Always the hero, no? One of these days it¡¯s gone go ugly. But not today, eh?¡± He gave way to Smith who also wanted a quick word.


    ¡°Are you sure about this? Perhaps it is best if we all go? We could ditch the deadwood at the LZ and pick up Goliath,¡± he said, meaning Brown. ¡°With his SAW we could set up a killing field or two, perhaps add some claymores¡­ You know, do a proper job of it.¡±


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t have time before sunrise to walk to the helicopter and back, and if we don¡¯t get these guys back in one piece¡­¡± ¨C he indicated Hoth and Daniels with a nod ¨C ¡°Well, Overwatch will have my head no matter what, but if Hoth doesn¡¯t make it back they might take it out of your skin as well. Besides, us against fifty? I mean, all it takes is a lucky shot. We are good, but not that good.¡±


    ¡°Sure we are!¡± Smith smiled before getting serious again. He gave Nathan a friendly tap in the chest before continuing. ¡°Your call. Just make sure we¡¯ll see you on the other side¡±.

 Chapter 4

    Moving through the village was too risky, so Nathan had to take a wide detour around and approach from the south. The problem with that was that there was much less vegetation on the south side compared to the north. There were some rocks and some bushes that gave adequate cover, but the ground was mainly flat. During the daytime, it would be next to impossible to sneak up to the camp from this direction, but at night it could be done. Night-vision goggles helped, of course.


    Nathan had spent some more time on the coms arguing with Overwatch, but they had relented for now. He was sure they would continue the discussion in the debriefing. If anything went wrong now this would probably be his last job for the company. Hell, it might be anyway. He hoped this John Moon fellow was worth it.


    ¡°I am closing in on the village from the south. No hostiles spotted. Shadow, how do things look on your end?¡±


    ¡°Still clear on the north side, but I am unable to see anything on the south end of the village. Request permission to relocate,¡± Shadow replied.


    ¡°Negative. You need to pack up and move north, or you¡¯ll miss your ride.¡±


    Smith got on the coms to confirm. ¡°It¡¯s slow going, but we are 10 mikes from the LZ. Shadow, you need to hustle. Eagle doesn¡¯t like to wait around.¡±


    ¡°Roger, packing up now. I¡¯ll be with you soon.¡±


    Nathan moved past the last rock, making sure to stay close to the ground. He could see the stone pier on his left, and what presumably was barracks straight ahead and on his right. He had the dirt road on his left-hand side. The cars were parked by the side in front of the barrack in the middle.


    He couldn¡¯t see any grate or hole, but there was what seemed to be a depression in the area over by the pier. He supposed that was it. To get there he had to cross the road and move approximately fifty meters without any cover. It looked hairy, but there was no way around it.


    Normally he would have preferred to crawl but there was no time for that. Instead, he walked slowly and as quietly as he could while keeping a sharp eye on the barrack doors.


    As he got closer, he saw that there was indeed a grate in the depression. It was round and had a two-meter diameter. He knelt at the edge, and carefully peaked through. Even with night-vision, it was difficult to see anything, but there was definitely water down there, and perhaps something else?


    ¡°John Moon? Are you down there?¡± Nathan whispered. Even as quiet as he tried to be, he felt like the sound carried.


    ¡°John Moon?¡± he repeated. It looked like something moved down in the hole, and Nathan could see a face surfacing from the water. It was so bruised and bloated that he couldn''t even guess Moon''s age. What he could say for certain was that the man had dark straight hair ¨Ccurrently plastered to his head¨C and that he was of Asian descent.


    ¡°What, who...? Yeah, I¡¯m John,¡± John crooked. He was speaking slowly and struggled to make any sound at all. It seemed like he had to make an effort just to speak.


    ¡°Mr. Moon, I am here to get you out, but we have to be very quiet. Are you able to walk?¡±


    While talking, his earbud came to life. Nathan ignored it. ¡°This is Eagle, I am 1 mike out. Prepare for touch and go extraction.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡±, said John. ¡°Here, let me¡­¡± he tried to stand up, as he had been sitting in the water. He almost fell but managed to steady himself on the edge of the hole. He was prevented from standing up fully by the grate but was able to get to his feet, although not quietly. ¡°I am very cold and very tired. I don¡¯t think I can walk very far.¡±


    ¡°It will have to do.¡± Nathan switched to whispering into his mic. ¡°This is Headhunter. Package four is located and available. Will start extraction now. Out.¡±


    He examined the grate. It was made up of two half-circled parts, both hinged. On one of the sides, they were padlocked together. However, on a closer look, the padlock was not actually locked. The space in the grate was so narrow that it was impossible to get a hand through them, so the guards must have felt that just putting the padlock on was enough. Nathan was relieved, as he¡¯d been worried about how to get it off without making a sound.


    A very low ¡®dur¡¯ that had gradually gotten louder could now be heard. To Nathans trained ears it was clearly a helicopter, but hopefully it was not yet loud enough to wake anybody up. Even so, it was an indication that time was running out.


    ¡°We need to move,¡± Nathan told John as he quietly removed the padlock. ¡°I will pull you out. Once you are out, follow me quickly but quietly.¡±


    John nodded, and Nathan pulled the grate open. What he couldn¡¯t see with night-vision, and what he, therefore, hadn¡¯t accounted for was how rusty the grate was. Immediately as he started to move it, it started to squeak. Loudly. No way nobody heard that.


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    ¡°God damnit¡±, Nathan said as he threw the grate all the way open having given up on the stealth approach. He quickly reached down for John and managed to grasp his hands. With little help from John, he pulled him up, but they both stumbled to the ground while doing so.


    As Nathan got back in a crouching position, he looked over towards the barracks. The right barrack door opened, and two men exited, both carrying automatic rifles. The first one pointed in their direction and yelled something in a language Nathan didn¡¯t understand. The second turned back while in the door opening and gestured to someone inside. They were silhouetted by what was probably candlelight from inside the barracks.


    ¡°What is happening?¡±, asked John from the ground beside Nathan.


    ¡°We are about to be spotted,¡± Nathan said as he raised his rifle. He knew that the only reason they hadn¡¯t been spotted yet was that the guards had moved into a darker environment and their eyes hadn¡¯t compensated yet. But as they moved steadily -and as of now carelessly- closer, this would soon change. ¡°Get ready to run straight ahead, towards the rocks. I will be right behind you.¡±


    ¡°But I can barely see anything,¡± complained John.


    ¡°You will.¡±


    Nathan set his sights on the chest of the closest target and squeezed the trigger twice. He crumpled to the ground without a sound. Nathan quickly moved his sights to the second target and squeezed twice more, with the same result. As promised, even with light and sound suppression, the shots did light up the immediate area for John, who started to run in the indicated direction.


    Suddenly there were yelling from everywhere, and none of it friendly. Nathan switched to full auto and started to shoot at the barrack with the open door, the bullets punching through the walls with ease. He switched to the other barrack and emptied the magazine while loudly speaking into the mic.


    ¡°This is Headhunter, we are compromised. Repeat, we are compromised. Moving towards secondary extraction. Expect hot LZ.¡±


    ¡°This is Eagle, roger that. The postmen and packages one and two are momentarily secured, moving towards secondary LZ¡±.


    Nathan changed mags while running after John, realizing that John hadn¡¯t gotten very far. As John had tried to run, his legs gave, and he¡¯d started to crawl instead. As Nathan overtook him, he bent down and lifted John into a fireman¡¯s lift, before continuing.


    At this time the yelling behind them intensified, and before long the shooting started. It was random at the start, but before long someone spotted them in the muzzle flare, and it got closer. As most untrained tribals Nathan had fought, they seemed to favor putting as much lead as possible in the air and let either God or random chance decide who gets hit, depending on your view.


    They reached the first rock safely but could hear bullets striking the ground around them. The rock only gave cover for a short while as Nathan kept on running. His pursuers were shooting from the hip while running after him, so to stop now was to die.


    When they reached the fifth rock, a ricochet got Nathan in the leg, and both him and John tumbled to a hard stop. Nathan forced himself to ignore the injury and dragged himself and John behind the rock before he started to return fire.


    He still had a great advantage in that he could see the enemy, and once he had mounted the rock, he was able to down the most eager pursuers. His muzzle flares made for a nice target though, and he had to move back down into cover. He grabbed a smoke grenade and a frag grenade from his vest and chucked them over the rock to get a reprieve, before turning his attention to John.


    John had continued to desperately crawl away, and once Nathan had made sure that he was able to put weight on his foot, he moved after him and picked him.


    ¡°I got you, come on. Just a little further and there is better cover,¡± he said as he put John back on his shoulders. He swiveled around and added some one-handed cover fire, emptying his rifle before moving on.


    ¡°See!¡±, Nathan said as they reached an area with a bit more rocks, even though John probably could not see them. ¡°Once we are past these, they will have a much harder ti-¡°


    Something punched Nathan in the back, and he went down. He was out for a second, and when he came to, he no longer had his NV goggles and John was yelling hysterically next to him.


    ¡°What are we gone do? Where are we going?¡±


    Nathan ignored him and tried to move into a better position while changing to a fresh magazine. He struggled as his legs didn¡¯t seem to cooperate. He managed to turn around and dragged himself to a more defensive position.


    He pulled out an infrared flare and dropped it beside them while yelling into the mic. ¡°I am hit, unable to move. I have- ¡°an enemy combatant appeared in front of him and after almost fumbling his weapon Nathan managed to hit him with a short burst. Struggling to focus, he remembered what he was doing and started over. ¡°I have dropped a flare on our position. We will not reach LZ. Multiple enemies-¡±.


    He started to have trouble speaking clearly and he felt dizzy. And tired. What was he saying? Perhaps he should just lay down for a bit? He felt someone grabbing his sidearm and could perceive someone firing it beside him, but everything was foggy. Like in a dream.


    The shooting intensified, and the sound of rotors could be heard. Looking up he couldn¡¯t see the helicopter in the dark. He could see Brown, seemingly floating in the air as he leaned out of the helicopter door, strafing the ground with his machine gun, tracers zipping everywhere.


    He must have passed out, for the next moment the medic ¨Che couldn¡¯t remember his name- stood over him and was saying something. It was hard to make out.


    ¡°Nathan, you ¡­ stay awake. Stay calm... ...pretty bad.¡±


    There were still a lot of gunshots, but now he could also hear the suppressed shots from Smith and Rodriguez, and now and again the sound of Sergei¡¯s marksman rifle. From time to time, someone would yell something.


    ¡°Frag out!¡±


    ¡°They''re pulling back!¡±


    The medic waved to one of the others, and rough hands suddenly lifted him from the ground and dragged him towards the helicopter by his arms.


    ¡°We got you, boss. Time to go home. Moon is already on board,¡± he heard someone say. He thought it was Smith, but Smith never sounded this worried before. Strange. ¡°Just stay with us.¡±


    "I¡¯m not going anywhere¡±, he tried to say but the words came out jumbled. Still, he felt calm.


    I¡¯m just going to close my eyes for a while, he thought, and so he did.

 Chapter 5

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 Chapter 6

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 Chapter 7

    Despite Nathan''s initial bad mood and reservations, the offer was a no-brainer, and once his brain started working again, he realized that. It wasn¡¯t like he had anything else on the agenda for the foreseeable future, so he didn¡¯t have anything to lose. And John was a charismatic and persuasive person. It was easy to get dragged along by his enthusiasm. After some more discussions of details, Nathan agreed.


    The plane trip was fairly anticlimactic, despite the comfort. John was busy on the phone most of the time, and his bodyguards were not of the talkative type. Nathan spent most of the time either browsing for info on Immersion Online or watching an entertainment feed. A flight attendant offered him food and drinks, including alcoholic, so Nathan enjoyed a couple of long drinks. Quality stuff. At one point he did receive a contemplating look from John, but he didn¡¯t think anything of it.


    They landed at a private airport. There was a customs and immigration officer there, but Nathan had a permanent visa thanks to his past work, so that didn¡¯t create any trouble. They were picked up by a limo and drove for quite a bit before Nathan and his wheelchair were dropped off outside a high-standard apartment building.


    He was met on the sidewalk by his new personal assistant, who introduced himself as Richard Blake. Richard was a fit man in his early twenties, had a modern haircut and dressed smartly. He showed Nathan around the neighborhood before helping him to his new apartment. Richard was a physiotherapist and would help Nathan in that regard as well. He seemed pleased with his assignment, especially since he was provided an apartment in the same building as part of the job. Although on a lower floor.


    The next day Nathan had a short session with Richard in the building''s gym before he had a meeting with some of John¡¯s HR people. They went through his contract, administered a physical, and had him sign a couple of documents. The game would launch the next day, so the rest of the day was spent preparing for that. A technician came over and explained how to use the pod, which was located in one of the guest rooms in his fairly large apartment. It was pretty self-explanatory, but Nathan still appreciated the introduction. Even though the game was not online yet, it was able to connect with the pod and verify that everything worked, although it was just some green lights verifying connection in the roof of the pod. The pod also had a timer where you could configure when it should kick you out. It turned out that the most challenging part was to enter and exit the pod. The first time he tried, Nathan had to get some help from Richard, but after a couple of tries, they found a way he was able to do it himself.


    The day ended before he knew it, and a couple of hours later he found himself in the pod waiting to start the game. In addition to Richard, the technician had returned to ensure that everything went as planned. John had wanted to be there but could not. He had shared breakfast with Nathan and needlessly apologized for having to prioritize differently. He¡¯d promised to drop by later, though, to hear how it went.


    ¡°It seems like everything will go live according to plan,¡± the technician guy said while checking the latest status on his laptop. ¡°There are more players signed up than we thought, but that shouldn¡¯t be a problem. At least not for you. How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°I''m a bit nervous, actually. And anxious. Could use a drink, to be honest.¡± Nathan was on his back in the pod, seeing a countdown on the roof of the pod. There were 60 seconds left.


    ¡°You should be excited!¡± said the technician.


    ¡°Yeah, I suppose I am that as well¡±, said Nathan anxiously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You can log out any time you want, and I¡¯ll be here when you do,¡± said Richard. ¡°Just try to relax and enjoy the experience.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try but that is easier said than done. 20 seconds now. I just have this ominous feeling.¡± Nathan could feel his heartbeat increasing. It was stronger as well. He was sweating as well. ¡°Here we go. 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...¡±


    Suddenly he could no longer feel his heart, nor his sweaty skin. He tried to raise his head to look around, but everything was black. It was a really weird feeling.


    ¡°Welcome!¡± said a low-pitched voice with occasional sprinkles of autotuning. ¡°Welcome to Immersion Online. It is time to start your adventure, and I will be your guide.¡±


    A light cone turned on somewhere above and illuminated a very generic person standing a couple of steps in front of Nathan. If anything, he looked like a manakin and was dressed in a grey robe.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± asked Nathan.


    ¡°I am just a guide, and not important. I am here to guide you in creating your avatar.¡± As he finished speaking two more cones of light turned on. One centered on Nathan, and the other on what looked to be a mirror beside him. ¡°Your visuals have been scanned, and we have created an avatar in your image. That is just a place to start, though. We can change whatever you want, within reason. Just tell me what you want to change.¡±


    Nathan looked at the mirror and quickly discovered that it wasn¡¯t a mirror at all. When looking down he couldn¡¯t see himself at all -it was like he was an incorporeal ghost- but when looking in the mirror he could see an image of himself, dressed in what appeared to be very plain wool clothes. His mirror self was smiling, while Nathan was not. That aside, it also looked like a slightly improved version of him.


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®within reason¡¯¡±?


    ¡°There are some rules. You have to be human. Other humanoids might be allowed later, but currently, they are not. So, no animal hybrid, demon, angel, etc.


    ¡°You have to be of legal age. Now, that age is different from country to country, but to simplify international rules your avatar cannot look significantly younger than the age of twenty.


    ¡°You have to be symmetrical-ish. Some differences are allowed, some are not. You cannot have one arm or leg greatly longer or shorter than the other.


    ¡°You are not allowed to paint your body with symbols that are hateful or vulgar. These are the general rules.¡±


    ¡°How about gender? Can you give me a female body?¡±


    ¡°I can. Do you want a female version of yourself?¡±


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    ¡°No. I was just... curious. I kind of like the way I look right now. Can I change how I look later?¡±


    ¡°You can, although some changes might be harder than others. Some might require a new clone.¡±


    ¡°A new clone?¡± asked Nathan. ¡°We are clones?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡± confirmed the guide.


    ¡°Cool, I guess. So, what¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°If you are happy with how you look, we also need to select your path, your stats, and your name. You can go back any time you want, so let us move on to your path. This mainly defines your starting area, and what type of quests you get. Before you ask, this can also be changed, but that happens dynamically based on your in-game choices.¡±


    ¡°So, what are my choices?¡±


    ¡°Anything. You define the path you want to walk freely. We try not to limit our players too much."


    They both stood staring at each other for a while before the guide continued. ¡°If you do not know what to select, it helps to think of the path as a profession. For example, if you want to be a singer, we will start you in an area where there is an audience. If you want to be a hunter, we start you in the wilderness.¡±


    Nathan tried to scratch his head before remembering that he currently didn¡¯t have a head. ¡°But if you don¡¯t limit what we can select, can I be a king? Or a god?¡±


    ¡°Ah, theoretically yes, but keep in mind that we then put you at the start of a path that -possibly- leads to you becoming a king or a god. That doesn¡¯t mean you will succeed. For example, to become a king you would need to either create or take over a kingdom. This could theoretically be done through diplomacy, by marriage, or by combat. Perhaps you would have to start as a small-time politician or a bandit. Difficult, but conceivable.


    ¡°To become a god would be even harder. What is a god? Is it someone that is worshiped by enough people? Perhaps. If so, then you need to create a religion -or have someone else create a religion- that worships you, and also recruit or convert a sufficient amount of people. This is certainly easier to do in Immersion Online than in real life, but not by much. And will it give you godlike powers? Doubtful, but who knows? Is this the path you want?¡±


    Nathan sighed. ¡°No, I don¡¯t have any illusions of grandeur, but I suspect there are plenty of others that do. I think I should go with something more of a martial disposition. How about military options? Officer, soldier, scout, medic?


    ¡°All viable choices. Although you should be aware that military life also includes the expectation that you will follow orders. There are ways around that, of course, but not all of them are simple.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that is a good point. I guess I¡¯ve already walked much of that path. No need to retread familiar ground. I guess I¡¯ll go with the classical selection. This is an RPG after all, so what better than being an adventurer. That shouldn¡¯t limit me too much.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it should not. Very well. Before we continue, could you confirm that you that you will be starting alone?¡±


    ¡°I am not sure what you mean. I thought this was a MMO kind of thing? With lots of players?¡±


    ¡°That is true, but the world is very large and players with different paths start at different locations. Some of these locations have a different technology level than others, and moving to one of the other areas is... not trivial. Therefore, to ensure that players are able to play with their friends or their preset party, they are sent to the same starting area. Which brings me back to my question. Your friends list seems to be empty. As such, you will be starting alone. Is this correct?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Yes, that is correct¡±.


    ¡°Excellent. Now, let''s focus on attributes.¡± The mirror image of Nathan changed, and he suddenly was only dressed in plain underwear. He also changed his pose to a more neutral position, standing straight with his arms down by his side. ¡°There are five different attributes; Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Perception, and Charisma. The average value of each attribute is 10, and that is also where your attributes start. You are not average, however, and therefore have 5 extra points to allocate. You are also allowed to decrease any of your attributes to free up points if you so wish.¡±


    ¡°Ok, this raises quite a lot of other questions. Is it possible to change or increase the attributes in-game?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no. Every third level you are given an extra point to allocate, but reallocating your attributes can only happen due to extraordinary circumstances. I would not count on it.¡±


    ¡°Got it. So, what do the different attributes do? I guess it is somewhat obvious, but could you give me any details?¡±


    ¡°Certainly! Strength passively increases your strength. It also adds or removes 1 damage to any melee attacks for every second point above or below 10. Constitution passively increases your stamina, which impacts how fast you get tired. It is also your starting health and increases your damage resistance by 1 for every three points above 10. Dexterity passively impacts your reflexes, agility, fine motor skills, and generally how quick you are. Perception passively changes the input you get from your senses, and also the information you get when inspecting items or people. And finally, Charisma, which passively impacts how you look and how NPCs react to you.¡±


    ¡°So, this is how my avatar looks with a Charisma of 10? Could you set it to 5, please?¡±


    The face in the mirror-like object became visibly uglier, the eyes and ears more mismatched and the skin blemished. The posture also changed a bit, giving a hunchback look.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s not gone happen. Set it to 15, please.¡±


    The face became perfectly proportional, the skin was flawless, the posture confident. The avatar instantly looked like a movie star. ¡°This is disconcerting,¡± said Nathan, ¡°but what is worse is the fact that even the average Nathan was a slight improvement over the actual me. That could destroy a lesser man¡¯s self-esteem. Is there any way to... I don¡¯t know... try the different options?¡±


    ¡°Sure¡±, said the guide, and suddenly Nathan was his avatar. He could feel his body, see out of his eyes, and move around. The area he previously had been in was empty.


    ¡°This is weird. It seems like I am missing... something. No aching. And I have no pain.¡± He pinched himself. Although he did feel something, the feeling of pain was dull.


    ¡°You only feel approximately 10% of the pain you would in real life. Just enough so that it is noticeable. Normally you would have small itches, a bum knee, back pains, or something like that. Here you will have nothing of that.¡±


    ¡°That is something I could get used to.¡± He took a step and started laughing. ¡°I can walk. I can run!¡± He ran a couple of circles around the guide, who just stared at him with a perplexed look.


    ¡°This is great! I¡¯m so excited.¡± Nathan said after he finished confirming that he could move. ¡°Ok, let¡¯s experiment a bit¡±.


    Nathan instructed the guide to change different attributes, seeing how the differences impacted his avatar. The mix of Strength and Dexterity made him feel like a cross-fitter or a swimmer while switching Dexterity with Constitution made him feel like a weightlifter. Constitution and Dexterity made him feel like a husky MMA fighter. It was strange and somewhat melancholic trying out all the different versions of himself, discovering how he could have ended up if he had chosen a different life. In the end, he decided to not go for anything extreme, but settle for a more familiar option.


    ¡°Could you set my Strength to 8, Constitution to 10, Dexterity to 14, Perception to 13, and Charisma to 10?¡±


    The guide complied, and Nathan moved around, trying to get familiar with how he moved. ¡°I¡¯d prefer a bit more Strength, but I think this will suit me, for now.¡±


    ¡°That is good. The last two things we need to decide is your voice and your name. Since you didn¡¯t change your looks, I assume that you will not change your voice either? If that is correct, I only need to know what you would like to be called? I should add that the same rules apply as with tattoos, with some additions. The name needs to be actual words. No, ¡®xxxCrimeFighter99xxx¡¯, although celebrity children''s names have become weirdly outlandish the last couple of years, so we allow more than we initially planned. You can also add middle and last name if you so choose.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, my voice is fine. Name... I guess I¡¯ll go with my old gamer handle ¡®Eclipse¡¯¡±.


    ¡°No last name? You can add one later if you want.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Then I''ll refrain for now.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. Last chance to make any changes. If you are done, please say ¡®I confirm my avatar selection¡¯.¡±


    Nathan cracked his knuckles and stretched his neck a bit while smiling. ¡°You know, I am looking forward to this, now. I confirm my avatar!¡±

 Chapter 8

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 Chapter 9

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 Chapter 10

    The path wasn¡¯t very wide and was clearly only for walking. A horse or a donkey could navigate it fine, but there was no room for a wagon or anything of that size. Nathan could only see a small part of it, as it quickly disappeared into a dark pine forest.


    He turned and looked at the temple. Despite the high-tech stuff inside, from the outside it didn¡¯t look like much. There was a concrete entrance built into a mountain side, and not much else. If anything, it reminded Nathan of a small military storage bunker, although they normally had doors made of solid steel, and not glass. There were no signs or candles or anything like that to identify the bunker as a temple.


    Beyond the entrance, there weren¡¯t much either. The path stopped at the temple, and the steep mountain behind it did not look too inviting. There was snow at the far mountain tops, and no apparent way to get to them. He decided to follow Echo¡¯s advice and head for the village.


    The walk to the village was a simple one. Nathan walked through the forest for 5 minutes or so before the forest gradually turned into grassland. At that point the village was easy to spot in the distance. He could also see what looked like a logging camp to his left, and a scattering of small farms in the area. All in all, he got the impression that everything was closer together than what they should be but figured that was due to this being a game and them trying to minimize boring empty areas.


    The village was not too impressive. Even from a distance Nathan could recognize a tavern, a blacksmith, a shop, and a handful of other small buildings which seemed to be housing. All of them were built of wood. The village didn¡¯t have any form of stockade or anything like that, but there was a bored-looking young man leaned up against one of the houses by the road. He looked up when Nathan approached.


    ¡°Hi there, traveler. Haven¡¯t seen you around here before¡±, the man said unenthusiastically.


    Nathan stopped and considered the man. He didn¡¯t look like a guard, especially not armed with a pitchfork as he was. He looked like someone not trusted to do actual work, but who could be a lookout in a pinch. ¡°I haven¡¯t been here before¡±, he finally answered.


    The man nodded to himself and looked everywhere else then at Nathan while he talked. ¡°Well, welcome to the village of Last Valley, I guess. The mayor likes to talk with newcomers. He¡¯s the barkeeper at the tavern. There are also shops and stuff¡±.


    The introduction delivered, he lost interest in Nathan, and continued looking at the ground. ¡°Are you the village guard?¡±, Nathan asked.


    ¡°I... guess? We had a small goblin attack a few days ago, and the mayor thought it would be best if we had a watch. I was given the day shift, but so far it has been a waste of time. A couple of travelers like yourself have shown up, but nothing else.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll head over to the tavern, then. Thanks for the time.¡±


    The tavern was a two-story building with an attached stable and a generic ¡®tavern¡¯ sign outside. He figured it didn¡¯t need a name, being the only tavern around. Inside the tavern was small and cozy, but functionality was clearly more important than esthetics. There was seating for around 30 people, but currently there was only one guest; an older man, nursing an ale by the bar. A small bell chimed when Nathan entered, and quickly enough a fairly large middle-aged man came out from the back, wiping his hands on a towel. He smiled as he looked at Nathan.


    ¡°Hi there! Welcome to Last Valley. My name is Ollie, and I am the head villager and owner of this fine establishment. What can I do for you today?¡±


    ¡°Hi Ollie. I¡¯m Na... I mean Eclipse. What do you charge for one of those ales?¡± He stumbled a bit over the unfamiliar name. Considering everything seemed so real, it was easy to forget that it wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Best ale in the valley, this is. And cheapest. A bronze coin a mug. Same for some porridge, if you¡¯re interested?¡±, Ollie enquired.


    ¡°That sounds like too good an offer to pass up. I¡¯ll have both, and perhaps some information as well?¡±


    Nathan pulled out three coins and deposited them on the bar disk. In most games he played there was never a lack of coins, so he figured he could spend what he had as he no doubt would get more soon enough.


    ¡°A wise choice¡±. I anything Ollie¡¯s smile got even wider as he disappeared the coins down into one of his pockets. In no time at all Nathan had food and drink in front of him. He looked at the food and confirmed that it would heal him at the same rate as his rations. The ale didn¡¯t give any healing, but could potentially give a strength buff and a dexterity debuff.


    ¡°What kind of info do you want? I know most of what goes on around in these parts.¡± Ollie asked as he served Nathan.


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    ¡°Why don¡¯t you start by telling me about the goblin trouble you are having. I just came from the temple, and they had some goblin trouble of their own. I managed to help them, and who knows, maybe I can help you as well.¡± Nathan drank and ate as he talked, eager to discover what it felt like to drink and eat virtual food, besides the dried meat he tried earlier. And it tasted great! Although both the ale and porridge were somewhat watered down, he could clearly make out the different ingredients used. The ale was actually quite complex, and he really liked it.


    Ollie raised his eyebrow. ¡°You one of them clones? I''m not judging, but those cloners normally keep to themselves. Weird bunch if you ask me. Anyhow, a couple of days back a handful of goblins came out of the forest and attacked one of the outlying farms. The family there managed to barricade themselves in the main building, while one of the boys ran for help. We gathered some men and ran them of. Killed most of them, but some escaped. We¡¯ve been on edge ever since, mostly because we don¡¯t know where they came from. The goblins we saw were pitiful, but if there¡¯s a camp nearby the next attack can be much worse.¡±


    ¡°I see. Have you tried to track where they came from?¡±


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t have the people for it. I have one hunter who perhaps could follow the tracks safely, but I need him to scout the surrounding area in case there are more of them around.¡± The barkeep scratched his chin while giving Nathan a once over. He looked uncertain, but decided to continue as if the ide just hit him. ¡°You know, if some industries wanderers were to take it upon themselves to verify the source of the goblins, they wouldn¡¯t find the village ungrateful. Such a task is not without peril, but for someone who has already handled a couple of goblins...¡±


    Nathan smiled while considering. ¡°That is a thought. Exactly how grateful do you think the village would be, in a monetary value?¡±


    The mayor pretended to speculate. ¡°Oh, that depends on the level of success, I suppose, but at couple of silvers worth, no doubt.¡±


    ¡°It seems to me that five silvers would be a fair compensation for such a task, if it results in handfast information¡±, Nathan speculated further.


    Ollie narrowed his eyes just a bit. ¡°Hm. Yes, I suppose that is not unreasonable. That would be a lump sum for the information, mind, and not per person or anything like that, should some likeminded individuals group together¡±, he finally decided.


    ¡°Of course. So, just out of curiosity, where is the farm that was attacked?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s northeast of here near the forest. Not far. There is no-one there at the moment. The family who lives there got scared and moved to some kin temporarily. Can¡¯t blame them. One of their barns caught fire during the attack, too, so the farm should be easy to identify.¡±


    ¡°Should be¡±, Nathan confirmed. He finished the food and the ale, verified that he had received a new quest with the agreed upon reward, and accepted it as he stood up. ¡°Thanks for the food, Ollie. If I am to go hunt goblins, I need to see if I can scrounge up some better equipment.¡±


    ¡°You do that, son. You do that¡±.


    Nathan didn¡¯t have to go far. Just next door was what seemed to be a general store. The sound of hammering on steel could be heard from the back of the store, leading Nathan to believe that this was a combined general and smithing store. As he entered, the different weapons on display also helped with this impression. There was plenty of other stuff, a lot of it related to farming. An older lady stood behind a desk over by one of the walls. Identify showed her to be a level 4 merchant.


    ¡°Hi there! Welcome to Last Valley. My name is Ruth, and I run this store while my husband runs the forge in the back. What can I get you today?¡± she said as he entered.


    ¡°Hi Ruth. I¡¯m Eclipse¡±, Nathan greeted the lady with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I can afford anything right now. I¡¯m more interested in prices for later, if that¡¯s ok?¡±


    ¡°No problem. Are you interested in any prices in particular?¡±


    Nathan looked around in the store while trying to decide what he wanted. ¡°I could need some sort of armor, probably new clothes, and one or two weapons, for starters.¡±


    ¡°I see. While we do not have too much need for armor around here ¨Cat least we didn¡¯t before- we do have some hide armor. That will set you back around 10 silvers or 1 gold. Given some time we could create custom-made full leather armor for you. Cuirass, boots, shoulder pads, bracers, gauntlets and even a helmet. That would probably cost around 20 gold. If you want some simple linen trousers and jersey, we sell that for 2 silvers, but we do have clothes of higher quality as well. Weapons go from 1 to 3 gold depending on what you want. My husband can also take custom orders.¡±


    While she talked, she pointed out some of the things in the room. Nathan analyzed the hide armor and saw that it did have 1 DR. There were some negative sides as well, mainly that it only covered the torso, had low durability, and frankly looked heavy and uncomfortable to use. Even so, he would have bought it if he could afford it, but he didn¡¯t have nearly enough money. To afford the hide armor, some simple clothes, and a basic dagger he needed a minimum of 25 silver which equaled 250 bronzes. Currently he had 2 bronzes, just below 1% of what he needed. And ideally, he should really have a better weapon as well.


    ¡°As I suspected, this is outside of my current spending range, but I hope to do something about that soon. In the meantime, what can you offer me for this?¡± Nathan pulled out the goblin club from his pouch and handed it to Ruth, who didn¡¯t bat an eye as she accepted the club. She was obviously no stranger to storage relics.


    ¡°This is... thrash. I suppose I could offer you 2 bronzes for it?¡±


    Nathan nodded, somewhat disappointed, and the deal was made. Starter equipment was harder to come by in this game than other games he had played, and he was a bit surprised by that. Not having much choice, he supposed he had to trust his shabby axe and crossbow a bit longer.


    ¡°If you are headed into the forest¡±, Ruth said, ¡°be aware that there are all kinds of animals there. If you hunt any, I could be interested in some of the parts. But don¡¯t bring any dead animals in here. Bring them around back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Until next time¡±. Nathan walked out of the store, and out of the village. It was time to see if he could track down any goblins.

 Chapter 11

    Nathan didn¡¯t have any trouble finding the farm, although the burned down barn was a great exaggeration. To Nathan the ashy remains looked more like it could have been a chicken coop, but there was little doubt this was the place. The farm itself was nailed up tight, and it was obvious that it had been abandoned.


    He circled the area looking for goblin tracks, while at the same time being mindful of where he stepped himself. He was no stranger to the art of tracking, but his experiences and training was mostly focused on humans. Could he track goblins the same way? Were such things even possible inside the game? He didn¡¯t know, but figured he wouldn¡¯t have received the quest if it wasn¡¯t at least possible. As he scanned the ground, he quickly became aware of several tracks, both human and... something else. Animal-like, but bipedal. He remembered that the goblins from earlier didn¡¯t wear any shoes, so it made sense that their clawed feet would create tracks similar to animals.


    What didn¡¯t make as much sense was how easily he was able to see the tracks. It had been some time since the attack, but as he walked around it was like the tracks became more solid when he looked at them, and then faded away when he looked away. The only way he could explain it was that it was a hidden benefit of his perception stat, but he didn¡¯t complain whatever the source. It made this much easier.


    After walking around three times, he had a pretty clear picture of what had happened. Between 8 and 10 goblins had shown up from the north-west, probably during the night. A couple of people had charged from the main building and there seemed to have been a struggle. It was at that time the chicken coop had caught fire. Nathan surmised that one of the farmers had set the fire to scare the goblins and light up the area, or to hide the fact that one of the farmers had pealed off. After that the remaining farmer retreated into the farm and stayed there. There were signs that the goblins had tried to set fire to the farm, but they hadn¡¯t succeeded. After a while the figurative cavalry had arrived and killed all the goblins. With two exceptions.


    Before the group from the village had arrived, two goblins had gone back into the forest, seemingly following their own tracks back. Nathan, not taking any chances, readied his crossbow and followed.


    As he reached the edge of the grassland, the tracks indicated that the two stopped and moved back and forth for a while, before they continued into the forest.


    The tracks got a bit harder to follow once he entered the forest proper. He might have lost them if it weren''t for all the tracks going the other way as well. His mood brightened, though, as he had always enjoyed hiking, even the times he had done so carrying a rifle, and he hadn¡¯t been able to take a trip into the wild since... He refocused and moved through the forest quickly and silently. He didn¡¯t hurry, but moved as fast as he could without losing the trail.


    At one point he crossed the path to the temple, and shortly after that he found the tracks of three goblins diverting northward, proof that the goblins in the temple originally belonged to the same initial group.


    After 20 more minutes of following the tracks, a strange noise caught his attention, and he quickly stopped and raised his crossbow. It originated from further ahead, and more sounds followed. Hissing and growling. He stopped following the tracks, and instead circled around to his left. He kept low as he moved, and as the sounds got louder, he dropped prone and crawled the last bit.


    There was what looked to be a natural clearing in front of him, in an oval form angled slightly to his right approximately 150 meters long and 120 across. There were still some trees and bushed in the clearing, but far less than in the surrounding area. On the far side of the clearing, a small stream come out from between some rocks and disappeared southward into the forest. All in all, it looked to Nathan like the perfect camping ground.


    Which apparently the goblins agreed with, because there were quite a lot of them there. They had constructed what looked to be a small primitive village consisting of tents and lean-tos of different sizes. Most of them were made of sticks and branches, but some also had animal skins along their sides and bones of different kinds as decoration. There was a firepit in the middle, but it was currently unlit.


    Nathan focused on the goblins, trying to see how many there were, and what they were doing. It looked to him as if only a small group was actually doing anything constructive, while most of the others were either sleeping or just hanging around doing nothing. He looked for individual details, before he remembered that he could try to analyze them. That seemed to work fairly well, but it didn¡¯t work on those furthest away. Still, extrapolating based on how they looked gave him a good impression of what he faced. In total he could see around thirty goblins, but there might be more in the tents which he could not see. The majority were lightly or unarmed and between level 1 and 3, similar to the ones he¡¯d encountered earlier, but there were also a couple of level 5s. The latter was better armed and also had some bone armor, but the armor didn¡¯t look very efficient. He couldn¡¯t see any ranged weapons.


    What was clear was that he was over his head. In a standup fight against those numbers, he wouldn¡¯t have a chance. He could perhaps take one or two with his crossbow, and perhaps one more in hand to hand before they swarmed him. And that was the best-case scenario. Luckily his quest didn¡¯t demand that he killed any goblins, just that he found the camp. It was time to go back and report to Ollie.


    Just as he started to crawl backward, the noise in the camp got muffled as a goblin significantly bigger and taller than the others stepped out from one of the tents. Like some of his smaller brethren he was also sporting bone armor, but unlike the others his armor looked fairly solid and had spikes at all the right places. He also had a bone helmet created from the skull of... something, and a large bone club. He really had a full bone theme going on, and it worked. He looked menacing.


    Nathan tried to analyze the newcomer, but it either didn¡¯t work, or he was too far away. His curiosity got the better of him, so instead of pulling back he decided to circle around the camp so that he would get somewhat closer. On the way he quietly picked up some vegetation that he fastened to his clothes to change his profile, and also smeared some mud in his face. He didn¡¯t know if it helped any, but it probably didn¡¯t hurt.


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    Slow and steady he moved. The goblins didn¡¯t have any traditional sentries¨Cat least not any Nathan could see-but their movement was so irregular that he had to keep a close watch in case one of them suddenly decided to wander in his direction. It took some creative maneuvering, but he finally managed to get close enough to analyze the big goblin. Although he was not able to see the full stats, he saw enough to know that it was not someone to take lightly.


    Goblin leader


    Level 10, Monster


    Health 17/17


    Damage Resistance: 1


    Happy with his reconnaissance he turned back, but he didn¡¯t get far before there was a disturbance over by the lower reaches of the stream just inside the forest.


    It was the noise of someone falling while yelling in surprise, followed by a frustrated outburst. ¡°Ah hell, bloody roots. Are you sure we are following the river in the right direction? Feels like we have been walking for ages.¡±


    ¡°There is a clearing just up ahead. We can rest there and consider our options¡±, a high-pitched voice answered.


    ¡°We should... a goblin!¡±, the first voice yelled out enthusiastically. ¡°Finally, a chance to get some XP. Attack!¡±


    ¡°Wait, we should...¡± the second voice started, just as a big, tall human man stumbled out of the woods.


    The man was bald, with a large beard tied into twin points below his chin. He was half-again as wide as Nathan and was wielding a simple two-handed axe. Besides the axe, his equipment seemed to be lacking. He was shirtless, displaying an impressive physique. The single leather pauldron he had on his left shoulder seemed to only help highlight his large muscles. He also had some drab cotton trousers, and a simple belt with a pouch similar to the one Nathan had. There was little doubt this was a player.


    The axe wielder was followed by another shorter but possibly even wider man. The newcomer had no armor, just some dirty cotton shirt and pants. What he did have was a large piece of wood strapped to his left hand ¨CNathan thought it might be an improvised shield- and a small one¨Chanded club in his right. This one had a topknot, and no beard.


    The two didn¡¯t exactly navigate quickly nor gracefully past the remaining threes and along the edge of the stream, but they looked intimidating based on their size and the inevitability of their approach.


    The goblin that they first had spotted ¨Ca low level one that had been drinking from the stream- hissed at them as they drew nearer, and charged as they got closer. It was met by the tall one''s axe, and its life was instantly ended in a brutal fashion.


    ¡°Ha¡±, the goblin killer shouted out as he attacked. Afterward, he set the axe head on the ground and leaned against it while striking a pose and turning back towards his friend. ¡°That was easy. I¡¯m starting to enjoy this game.¡±


    It was at that point they became aware that they were in the middle of a goblin village and had attracted the attention of all its inhabitants. The goblins had stopped whatever they were doing and were looking at the two players seemingly in disbelief. As Nathan had suspected might happen, more goblins popped out of the tents and also some out of burrows in the ground. All of them looking at their attackers.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move a muscle¡±, whispered the shorter one loudly. He eyeballed his adversaries nervously, wondering why they didn¡¯t attack. He seemed to come to a conclusion. ¡°Perhaps... Yes, I think we are outside their agro range¡±.


    As if that was what he was waiting for, the goblin leader let out a high-pitch roar and pointed his weapon towards the intruders. The goblins went wild. They all rushed towards the players, screaming and shouting as they went. The lower-level monsters seemed particularly eager, fighting among themselves to be first.


    ¡°I told you this was a bad idea!¡± the taller player shouted.


    ¡°What? No, you didn¡¯t. In fact, this was your idea!¡±, the wider one answered. ¡°Never mind that. Should we run?¡±


    ¡°No running. We take as many as we can. Try to get their attention while I¡¯ll improve our odds. We can do this!¡±


    The short one stepped forward, club held high, hiding behind his homemade makeshift shield. Three goblins came at him at the same time, two with clubs and one with nothing but claws. He managed to block the two first attacks with the shield, but he was unable to stop the unarmed goblin grabbing ahold of his foot, biting and clawing. He didn¡¯t seem to receive too much damage, though, which was probably why he mostly ignored it.


    The other player went wide and with a wild overhand swing he fatally wounded one of the goblins attacking his friend. Before he got his axe back in a defensive position, a spear-wielding goblin stabbed him in the throat. He gurgled as he backhanded both the spear and its wielder so hard that they flew several meters through the air landing awkwardly. He recovered temporarily and did a sideway swing, killing two more goblins, before they managed to swarm him. He lost his balance as he was grappled by several goblins and fell on his back. The last Nathan saw of him was his arm sticking up from a pile of green monsters before it too was lost in the green sea.


    In the meantime, the short one¡¯s shield had been totally destroyed after surprisingly few hits. He was now trading blow for blow with 4 goblins -excluding the one still attached to his leg- and seemed to come out ahead. He was bleeding some, but very little considering the punishment he received. At the same time, compared to his buddy, he didn¡¯t seem to do very much damage. He needed several clean hits to kill any of the goblins, and as the number of enemies interfered with his movements, he was seldom able to deliver effective strikes.


    Eventually inevitability took over, and he too lost his footing and was buried in monsters, but he managed to get back on his feet and still looked to be in fighting condition. In fact, although he hadn¡¯t killed more than perhaps five goblins, Nathan started to believe that the man could make it and considered stepping in to help.


    That changed when the leader growled out some commands and the remaining player was surrounded by spear-wielders. They all took care to stay out of the player''s short reach while stabbing him in the back at every opportunity. The wounds on the player started to accumulate, and pretty soon he didn¡¯t look that fresh anymore.


    The player himself had apparently seen the writing on the wall, because in his desperation he suddenly did an unexpected backward dodge, turned and tried to flee back the way he came. Unfortunately, he tripped on a wayward spear and fell flat on his stomach, trapping his club beneath him.


    At this point the big goblin boss himself decided to join the fight, and subsequently ended it with a couple of quick swings to the unprotected back of the player¡¯s head.


    All in all, the graphic brutality of the fight had surprised Nathan. He, having seen more combat than anyone would want, knew that death could be extremely explicit. And even if what he had seen in this fight wasn¡¯t quite on that level, it was still way grizzlier than he imagined he would see in any game, virtual or not. He was equal parts impressed and disturbed.


    The disturbed part would probably have won out if he hadn¡¯t left shortly after, missing out on seeing the goblins dismembering and cooking the player¡¯s remains on the fire.

 Chapter 12

    There was no need to follow the same path back, as Nathan knew where he was in relation to both the temple and the village. Instead, remembering what Ruth the Trader had said about animals, he took a different and more direct path through the forest while searching for wildlife. Once he actively started to look, he discovered several smaller animals. Squirrels and such. He figured it would be overkill to waste a bolt on something that small, so he let them go.


    His benevolence ended when he saw an abnormally large rabbit, the size of an average dog. He¡¯d followed the tracks for a while before he finally spotted it and was able to sneak up quite close behind it. As it was currently calmly eating, he decided to analyze it before doing anything rash.


    Giant rabbit


    Level 1, Animal


    Health 3/3


    Damage Resistance: 0


    Strength ¨C 2


    Constitution ¨C 3


    Dexterity ¨C 12


    Perception ¨C 10


    Charisma ¨C 6


    Attack:


    Natural bite ¨C d3 piercing dmg


    Natural kick ¨C d2 blunt dmg


    So, a fairly quick and perceptive animal, at least compared to the goblins from earlier. With a nasty bite to booth. Could hunting animals like this be a less risky way to level? It would seem so. It was perhaps not worthy of a holy hand-grenade, but it was certainly worth a bolt.


    Not giving it more time to sense him, Nathan aimed and fired his crossbow. It was a good hit, and the rabbit fell without a sound.


    Immediately a notification showed up in his peripheral vision, indicating that something needed his attention. He opened the log to see what had happened.


    [Attack] You hit [Giant rabbit] for 3 piercing damage (5[d6]-2). It dies. You gain 10 XP.


    [Character] You have reached level 2. Congratulations! You receive +1 hp.


    [System] Please note, as a level 2 character your respawn time is 2 days.


    A level up! But not many gains. Nathan checked his character and looked through his other menus, but as far as he could see, the extra health was the only advantage of being a higher level. That was a bit underwhelming, but then again, he levelled quite fast. Perhaps it would add up?


    He shrugged. It wasn¡¯t anything he could impact, either way, so he put it out of his mind and focused on the rabbit.


    He knew how to perform field dressing of small and medium game, but as he didn¡¯t even have a sharp knife, he figured it was best to wait with that until he was back in the city. Depending on how realistic hunting was in the game, perhaps it wasn¡¯t even needed. Perhaps there where loot ¨C gold coins and weapons even- ready to be found if he just gutted the rabbit or touched it in a specific way. He doubted it. What he¡¯d seen so far gave the impression of a hyper-realistic world, and he would treat it as such.


    But that still left him with a rabbit too large to comfortably carry. He could throw it on his shoulders or back, but with goblins roaming wild he would prefer his hands free to use the crossbow. He looked down at his pouch. How realistic was this world really?


    In a moment of inspiration, he picked up the rabbit and tried to stuff it into his much too small bag. And it actually worked! As the rabbit came close to the bag, it seemed to partially shrink so that it would fit. As the rabbit and the bag casually defied the laws of physics, it reminded Nathan of simulations he¡¯d seen of planets getting too close to the event horizon of a black hole and being sucked in. Pretty soon the whole rabbit had disappeared into the bag. Or should he call it ¡°The rabbit hole¡±? He chuckled to himself.


    Checking his bag afterwards, he now saw that he had [Giant rabbit carcass] in one of the 9 slots. Even better, the weight of the pouch had not changed. Amazing! He could have needed a bag like this back when trekking through the jungles of South America for weeks at end. If they had been able to carry a bit more food and ammo, that whole operation could have gone down differently.


    He forcefully pushed his thoughts away. He had a new mission ¨Cor quest¨C and that was what mattered now. He reloaded his crossbow, took a minute to orient himself, and then continued towards the village.


    The direct path shaved 15 minutes of the journey back to the village, and while walking Nathan contemplated the geography of the valley. The farms were closer to the village than they traditionally would be, as the current configuration did not allow enough room for proper agriculture nor animal husbandry. The forest also seemed closer than it should be, and you didn¡¯t have to walk long before reaching the hills or the snow-covered mountain peaks behind those again. It was an intelligent game mechanic, having points of interest artificially close so that players didn¡¯t have to walk far, while still keeping up the illusion of realism. Nathan certainly didn¡¯t mind.


    The young man at the edge of the village had given up any pretense of guarding anything and was fast asleep by the roadside. He didn¡¯t even stir as Nathan walked past him. It probably didn¡¯t matter. The risk of a goblin attack here was very low, and if someone came running looking for help, he should wake up quick enough.


    Ollie was not asleep, nor sleepy. On the contrary, he looked unaffected by a long day behind the bar, as alert as he had been earlier ¨C if not more so. Nathan had barely set one foot inside the tavern before he was spotted.


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    ¡°Returning already? No shame in that. I had hope, but goblins can be hard to track.¡± He sighed and looked into the air as his hands wiped down a mug seemingly on autopilot. He suddenly remembered something. ¡°Did you happen to cross path with two ugly guys? Clones, same as you. I sent them out shortly after you, but they didn¡¯t exactly look like the types to have the necessary skillset. Or the patience.¡±


    While Ollie was talking, Nathan made his way over to the bar and indicated with his head that he wanted an ale. ¡°As it happens, I did see them. In the goblin camp."


    ¡°Oh, is that so? There is a camp, then?¡± Ollie poured an ale and put it in front of him. The background buzz of people talking went quiet as the few other guests also suddenly seemed to take an interest in the conversation. Some discreetly, while others made no secret of it and shuffled closer.


    ¡°There are. As you suggested, I carefully followed the goblin tracks, and didn¡¯t have to travel very far before they led me back to their camp. I quietly scouted the area, making note of the numbers and composition of the goblin force there. As I was about to leave...¡± Nathan paused dramatically and took a long gulp of his ale, ¡°two ugly brutes showed up. They... took a different approach than me and decided to try to end the goblin threat then and there. It went poorly. Suffice to say, they will not show up for a couple of days.¡±


    Ollie scratched his chin. ¡°Well, that is unfortunate, but dying is what clones do best, I suppose. What about the goblins? How many are there?¡±


    ¡°I counted around 20 something that were level 3 or below, 10 level 5¡¯s and their leader, who was level 10. The lowest le...¡±


    ¡°Wait¡±, Ollie interrupted. He grimaced as he tried to make sense of what Nathan said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I understand these levels you mention?¡±


    One of the listeners stepped a bit closer, getting the room''s attention. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve heard of this. It¡¯s something related to their implants. It¡¯s a way to classify danger, I¡¯ve heard.¡±


    Everyone turned back to Nathan. ¡°That is as good an explanation as any, I suppose. But I see that it might be confusing if you¡¯re not used to it. So, let me start over. I counted around 20 something lightly armed goblins without any armor, similar to the ones that attacked the farm. I also counted 10 lightly armored goblins with spears. These looked bigger and more dangerous than their brethren. Lastly, their leader looked especially dangerous, wearing full bone armor and wielding a mace. My count could be off by a couple of goblins, although not by much more. If you have a map of the area, I could show you were to find the camp.¡±


    Ollie was stunned. ¡°30 goblins? I feared 10, but 30... they could overrun half the farms in the valley before we would be able to stop them. If we could stop them. The last group were only 6, and if these are better armed...¡±


    As Ollie went quiet, the room exploded in noise, everyone swearing or cursing the goblins while sharing their unsolicited opinion on what to do. Tempers flared all around, and someone in the back started to push each other.


    ¡°QUIET¡±, Ollie roared as he looked around with fire in his eyes. He singled out troublemakers one by one until all his guests complied, and then his demeanor changed back to the friendly but now slightly worried bartender.


    ¡°Yes, thank you. The location of the camp would be most welcome. You, fetch the map from my office¡±. He pointed at one of the more sober guests, who nodded and headed for the back room.


    Nathan was surprised by all the reactions triggered by his news. He had expected to just inform the bartender/mayor quietly, get his money, and leave. Would it have been different if he had come at a different time, when the inn didn¡¯t have that many guests? And what when other players came with the same news? Would the result be the same, or perhaps the world was dynamic, and all quests were unique? He didn¡¯t know, but none the less, he was impressed. Even knowing they were digital constructs, it made him care more about them more than he thought he would. In other games, most players would skip the whole conversation, not knowing or caring about the struggles of the quest giver unless it was for quest chain. All just to get to the reward and perhaps reach the end game slightly faster. Which reminded him.


    ¡°So, while we wait for the map, why don¡¯t you show me how grateful you are?¡±, he smiled at Ollie, thinking himself clever to refer to their previous conversations while at the same time oblivious to how that sentence would have been interpreted in a less innocent bar.


    ¡°Of course! By bringing us this information you have done this village a great favor and shall be rewarded.¡± Ollie fished out a small pouch from one of the many pockets of his apron and placed it in front of Nathan. ¡°Here, take this, with our thanks¡±.


    ¡°In fact,¡± he continued while raising his voice, ¡°In honor of Eclipse here who have brought us this vital information, everyone¡¯s next round is on the house!¡±


    The room cheered and Nathan received a couple of pats on the back with a mumbled thanks as patrons rushed past him to get theirs. A barmaid showed up from somewhere and started pouring. Little by little, the room turned back to normality.


    The man returned with the map and rolled it out on the bar just as Nathan deposited the seven silvers he¡¯d received into his pouch. While he thought the round of ale was a nice gesture, he would have preferred to receive more coins instead. But, seeing as he actually did get a bonus, he figured he was in no position to complain.


    ¡°So, this is where the camp is. It¡¯s easy to find if you follow a path that starts around here and ends up around her¡±, Nathan explained as he pointed on the map while Ollie made small notations. ¡°If you come in from this direction, you have a rock formation right here that you can use for cover while hitting them from range. That should give you the initial advantage.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I imagine it would if I had archers I could trust with the job. Or frontline fighters for that matter.¡± Ollie started to pull his fingers through his hair but ended up tightening his fist and pulling his own hair while thinking. ¡°Will I don¡¯t like to admit it, I believe this threat is beyond this village. Our only hope is to send word to the garrison at Fort Dreadlake. If they could spare us a squad or two, we should be able to quickly put our worries to rest.¡±


    ¡°It is a two-day trip to Dreadlake, and it is not without peril in itself. That cannot be helped.¡± Ollie looked at Nathan and sighed. ¡°Eclipse, we are already in your dept, and I know I am asking a lot, but I need my scouts here with the goblins at our doorstep. I see no better candidate than you. Could you bring a message for us to Dreadlake? Could you bring back help and save our village?¡±


    Nathan was stumped. He had expected a follow-up quest, but he thought it would be related to weakening the goblins or collecting some vital resources or something like that. I potential five days hike through unfavorable land was not part of his plans, not something he was equipped for. But he did want to help even. ¡°I don¡¯t know if...¡± he started but was interrupted by a voice from behind.


    ¡°Gentleman, may I be so bold to suggest an alternative?¡±, it said.

 Chapter 13

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 Chapter 14

    The feeling of logging out was not as pleasant or straight forward as when Nathan logged in. First his visuals turned into a tunnel of light straight out of a sci-fi movie. Then it faded to black, and he ¡®woke up¡¯ suddenly very aware of all minor pains that had been suppressed by the system. It also took longer than he was comfortable to admit before he remembered that he couldn¡¯t move his legs. For just a second or two he couldn¡¯t understand why he wasn¡¯t able to just vault out of the pod. The realization that just a few hours without his disability would make him forget it was sobering.


    He shuffled around a bit trying to decide how to proceed.


    ¡°Nathan? Are you back?¡± he heard someone say, and the head of his assistant popped over the edge of the pod.


    ¡°Hey, Richard. Yeah, I¡¯m here. Could you give me a hand here?¡±


    With the assistance of Richards, Nathan was able to transfer from the pod to his wheelchair without too many problems. As they had practiced earlier, with the right technique he should be able to do it himself, but it was much smoother with the help.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Nathan mumbled while he rolled towards the kitchen area. ¡°You want something to eat?¡±


    ¡°I could make you something if you want? If you let me know approximately when you will log out, I can prepare meals beforehand,¡± Richard offered.


    ¡°We can try to establish a schedule when I am a bit more comfortable with all of this, but not today,¡± Nathan grunted with his head inside the refrigerator. ¡°Today I want to feel useful enough to create my own sandwiches.¡±


    Richard sat down at the breakfast bar and watched as Nathan prepared and served him some slices. ¡°So how was it? Did you have fun?¡± he asked when Nathan finally joined him at the table.


    ¡°It was... strange. It really is very realistic. Indistinguishable from the real world, if not for some peculiar effects related to the game. And the way all pain disappears... That in itself is comforting, and probably worth the cost. Just to read a book or walk the forest in peace and tranquility.¡±


    ¡°That sounds great! So, you think the game will be a success?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too early to say if the realism in the game will turn people away or be a selling point, but I have no doubt that the technology itself will appeal, or even be addictive,¡± he mused. ¡°For good or bad...¡±


    ¡°For good, surely!¡± Richard laughed. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to try it myself. I¡¯m saving up for a pod, but even with the company discount it will take some time. Not like they are available any time soon, either. Sold out for the foreseeable future, they say.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, maybe they will not need the publicity from my adventures after all. We¡¯ll see, I guess. I can¡¯t really see how it will be interesting to follow my exploitations.¡± He let out a sigh. ¡°It will probably be canceled pretty quick, so I guess I should consider saving up for a pod myself.¡±


    ¡°That reminds me,¡± Richard exclaimed, ¡°the director of the series, one George Walton, was quite insistent to meet you. If you have time now, I could check to see if he¡¯s available?¡±


    As he had some time before he had to be online again, Nathan agreed. Richard made some calls, and a meeting was booked. They had to move over to the office building, where there was a selection of meeting rooms.


    On the way in they also got Nathan a personal access card. His fast-track employment hadn¡¯t allowed them to create one earlier, so he¡¯d used a temporary one so far. The card only gave access to the first couple of floors, but he also needed it to get into the apartment.


    The meeting room was decorated with vibrant colors and unconventional furniture, probably meant to stimulate creative thinking. Nathan was not impressed. It all looked a bit too chaotic.


    It probably suited the man he was to meet better, as George was quite vibrant, himself. In his early forties, he dressed as if he was younger, wearing stonewashed white jeans with a tight pink and white shirt with flower prints. He¡¯d accessorized with an expensive-looking beige scarf and a diamond earring. He had short blond hair with frosted tips on top of a narrow and emaciated face.


    ¡°Which one of you are my new star?¡± he asked brusquely as he entered, his demeanor clearly favoring the answer to be Richard.


    Nathan almost took some pleasure in disappointing him. ¡°That would be me, I suppose. Nathan Noble, good to meet you.¡±


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


    George gave Nathan a quick once-over, unable to hide his displeasure. ¡°Hm... Well, I suppose we are lucky you don¡¯t actually have to look like yourself in the game. Did you go with the traditional strong hero look, or the more roguish anti-hero look?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know,¡± Nathan answered with a confused look. ¡°Perhaps a mix? Perhaps neither? Besides some minor changes from the different stats ¨C and functional legs ¨C I¡¯m identical to the real me. Shouldn¡¯t I be?¡±


    George got a look as if he was swallowing a lemon and plumped down in one of the chairs. ¡°Not good. Not good at all. I know this is all last minute and all, but I was hoping you at least had received some instructions... or had some common sense. If you are going to be a hero, you need to look the part! Have you seen any of my movies? I¡¯m sure you have. Then you know what kind of leading man I''m used to working with.¡±


    Nathan looked perplexed at Bruce for some help.


    ¡°He probably means ¡®Space Shark¡¯, ¡®Space Shark 2: The Sulfur Shark¡¯ and - what was the zombie one called again?¡± Richard asked.


    ¡°Why, ¡®The recurring dead dirty dozen¡¯!¡± George sputtered. ¡°A Masterpiece. Award winning, even.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a mouthful. Sounds like quality, for sure, but I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t go to the cinema too often, so I must have missed them,¡± Nathan said with a straight face.


    ¡°Straight to streaming, I believe,¡± Bruce interjected.


    ¡°You should see them, but suffice to say, what the audience want is someone young, pretty and sexy, preferably with a minimal amount of clothes. Add some action and explosions, and it¡¯s a winning recipe.¡± George sighed, leaned forward and pinched his nose. ¡°I guess will have to make the best of it. Ok, first things first. You¡¯ve been playing, what, four hours now? What have you done so far?¡±


    ¡°Not much, really. I fought some goblins, found a village, tracked some goblins and hunted some rabbits. There have been some strong muscled scantily clad players, though.¡±


    George got a hopeful look. ¡°That is good! Did you team up with them?¡±


    ¡°No, they got brutally killed before I was able to introduce myself.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± George deflated. ¡°Even so, you have the right idea. If you, the leading actor, is somewhat bland, that can be elevated by colorful sidekicks. You need one sexy female companion, one sexy male companion, one funny sidekick for humorous banter and comedic relief, and ideally also some sort of mentor or father figure. I also need some romance, so you should try to butter up one of the sexy ones. Preferably the woman, but either or both is fine. We¡¯ll also get someone to write some edgy one-liners and catchphrases that you can use. You focus on recruiting other cast members, and then we can plan other changes as soon as we get feedback from the test audience and see what our demographics look like. I don¡¯t know exactly how things work in the game, but it goes without saying that any big decisions ¨C for example how you look or how you develop your avatar ¨C have to be approved by me going forward. Any questions?¡±


    Nathan considered what George had said. ¡°Yes, one question, and one statement. Question first. Are we allowed to include everything and everyone I meet in the series, or do I need to inform the players around me that their actions might be broadcasted to the whole world?¡±


    ¡°I have been told that it is explicitly stated in the EULA that Immersion Inc. are allowed to use players likeness and actions for commercial purposes. When we go on air the cat will be out of the bag and everyone will recognize you, but until then I leave it up to you to decide who to tell or not. It is something that could be used strategically to get the right people to tag along, as players who want to get famous are often also capable of creating a lot of entertaining drama.¡±


    ¡°I have a question as well,¡± Richard chipped in. ¡°What will the series be called?¡±


    ¡°Why, that is a given, isn¡¯t it? The show will be called ¡®Immersed¡¯,¡± announced George. He got to his feet and looked at his cellphone. ¡°I think we are more or less done here, and I have important stuff to do. My assistant will set up a daily meeting where you can report your status going forward, starting tomorrow. If you¡¯re not totally incompetent, I will make you as famous and successful as I am!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, about that. Listen, you seem like a nice guy and all,¡± Nathan lied, ¡°but none of that stuff is gone happen.¡±


    George looked up from his phone with a confused look. ¡°What do you mean ¡®none of that stuff¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Well, everything. I¡¯m not going to do any recruiting ¨C at least not based on those criteria. I''m not going to do any romancing. I¡¯m not going to throw around silly prewritten jokes. I¡¯m not going to run any of my decisions past you, and I¡¯m definitely not going to attend a daily status meeting. None of that stuff.¡±


    The room went quiet.


    ¡°You quit? After the first day?¡± George finally asked.


    ¡°Oh, no! I¡¯m going to do exactly what I¡¯m hired to do. Play the game however I see fit, without any instructions or constraints.¡±


    George¡¯s face got red as Nathan talked. ¡°The nerve... One would think a disabled person like yourself would be happy to have a job at all. We are throwing you a bone, and you spit in our face? No! You are fired!¡± he sneered.


    ¡°I doubt that¡± Nathan contested confidently. ¡°I¡¯d be very surprised if you have the authority to fire me.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll just see about that!¡± George fumed.


    ¡°We will. Anyhow, I think we are more or less done here, and I have important stuff to do.¡± He looked over at Richard who looked very uncertain about what had just happened. ¡°Shall we?¡±


    They promptly left but could hear George barking on his cellphone as they walked away.


    ¡°Are you sure that was a good idea?¡± Richard asked as they left the office building and started towards home. ¡°He is the series director after all, and probably has a lot of pull. Even if he can¡¯t fire you, he can probably make your life a lot harder.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll know soon enough what that joker can do.¡±


    ¡°Good title, though. ¡®Immersed¡¯. I like it.¡±


    ¡°I do too. So not all bad, I suppose. For now, I think it¡¯s time to get back to work.¡±


    They went back to the apartment, and Richard helped Nathan into the pod.


    ¡°Depending on how long this session will be I might not be here when you return, but I will be close. Just give me a call if you need me.¡±


    ¡°No worries,¡± Nathan said. ¡°I¡¯ve managed a long time without any help, and while I appreciate it, I''ll be fine without. See you tomorrow¡±.

 Chapter 15

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 Chapter 16

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 Chapter 17

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

 Chapter 18

Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

 Chapter 19

Stolen novel; please report.

 Chapter 20

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

 Chapter 21

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

 Chapter 22

    While the last valley was not very big, there were still a couple of different biomes there, although the differences between them were not as obvious as they could be.


    The village itself was in a flat area surrounded by fertile ground. It gave off the impression of being an idyllic middle-aged farming hamlet, even if there also were some simple modern looking shacks sprinkled in amongst the more traditional log and brick cabins.


    You didn¡¯t need to move far from the village before that changed. 25¨C30 minutes of efficient walking would take you to an area with small hills, some groves, and even a meadow or two. Still adequate farmland, but not of modern standards.


    Twice that distance would bring about forested hills slopping upwards towards the tall mountains even further away. This area would have to be cleared for trees before anything could be planted, but considering the rocky and steep inclinations, it would be a fool''s endeavor.


    The border between the different areas was irregular, and for the direction Nathan was going, the second area was closer than any other. As he walked, some of his old training kicked in, and he considered how he would set up in the different terrain he passed.


    He was still thinking conventionally, considering the placement of fire zones, machinegun nests, and tripwires. He supposed a lot of the same principles were still valid in the game, but he didn¡¯t feel like he knew enough about the capabilities of this world yet to say anything for certain. There could be monsters that made his preferred setup obsolete, or that made an otherwise useless strategy viable. Time would tell, but that didn¡¯t stop him from running through different thought experiments as he walked.


    That came to a crashing stop as he suddenly received a notification.


    [Quest Failed] Check up on the Shearers


    You were unable to get to Shaun Shearer in time.


    What? In time for what? If this were a time-sensitive quest, he would have appreciated some sort of warning. Here he was almost sauntering along, while he could have gone much faster.


    [New Quest] Who sheared the Shearers?


    You failed them once. Will you fail them again?


    Discover the fate of the Shearers: 0/2


    Reward: XP


    Some kind of scripted event, perhaps? Despite having kept a slow and measured pace, according to his calculations, he should be just minutes away. He prepared his crossbow and hurried along the road. When he came to the path Olli had mentioned, he stepped off the road and continued parallel to the path, moving tactically from cover to cover.


    Over a hill and through a stand of trees, and there was the cabin below him. On the ground a couple of meters from the door was the unmistakable form of a dead person, face down in a pool of blood. He also thought he saw some movement through one of the shutters but couldn¡¯t make out any details.


    He crawled closer while switching between focusing on the cabin and the area around it. As nothing else moved, he scampered all the way to the cabin wall and inched his way over to one of the windows.


    ¡°Did you find anything?¡± he heard a male voice with a pitch just a tad too high say from inside.


    ¡°Nothing¡±, someone answered slowly, by the sound of it from another room. They made a lot of noise at this point, throwing stuff around. The slow-voiced one continued. ¡°This is actually the worst one so far. Even the old lady had more loot.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± answered the first one. ¡°I hope the rifle is worth something, or this was all a waste of time. Shit XP as well.¡±


    Nathan had heard enough to make a pretty good guess as to what had happened, but he didn¡¯t want to jump to conclusions, and his quest hadn¡¯t been updated with any info yet. Perhaps he should just ask them what happened?


    He stood up and moved over to the cabin entrance. The body was a woman, presumedly Ms. Shearer, and it looked like she¡¯d been struck down from behind as she was running away. The door was shut, but not closed, so he decided to simply kick it all the way open. It bounced off the wall and back into his shoulder as he stepped in yelling. ¡°What the fuck is going on here?¡±


    One of the men ¨C the high-pitched one ¨C had his face halfway inside a cabinet and bumped his head on the shelf in his hurry to pull it out. The other one came running out from the only other room, coming to a stop behind his comrade as soon as he saw Nathan.


    ¡°...the fuck are you?¡± he blurted as he pointed a rusty short sword in Nathan¡¯s direction.


    The one in front grabbed an equally rusty axe from the table beside him. The axe reminded Nathan of the one he himself had been forced to use until recently, although unlike himself, both of these guys had hide armor on their upper body. Minimum 1 DR, but restricting, he mentally reminded himself. ¡°Are you the guys that bartender sent? He asked me to help someone kill something in the hills around here?¡±


    The two guys looked at each other, confusion mixed with embarrassment. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s us,¡± one of them finally admitted.


    ¡°Ok, good!¡± Nathan exaggerated while allowing himself a controlled smile. He casually pointed his crossbow to the floor to defuse the situation. ¡°What happened here? Did the monster or whatever attack, or did the NPC¡¯s give you trouble?¡±


    They looked a bit taken back by Nathan¡¯s change of disposition but relaxed quick enough. Nathan used the time to focus on each of them, discovering that he was able to see both their level and path.


    ???


    Level 2, Brawler


    ???


    Level 3, Thief


    ¡°Bah, you know how these NPCs are,¡± said the brawler as he sheeted his shortsword. ¡°Always asking us to do their shit. But when we ask for fair compensation for services rendered...¡±


    ¡°Or about to be rendered¡±, interjected the thief with a smirk.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°...or about to be rendered,¡± repeated the brute slowly while giving his friend an irritated look, ¡°then they suddenly get all prissy. While we... negotiated, my impatient mate here decided that it would be quicker to just literally take things into our own hands. Pocket something of worth equal to what we were owed, and then be on our way."


    ¡°Better for all parties, that. We get collateral and can move on to solving their issue.¡±


    ¡°Better for all parties, indeed,¡± repeated the slow one, this time sarcastically.


    The thief laughed. ¡°Well, better for us at least.¡±


    ¡°I hear you,¡± agreed Nathan. ¡°Some of these NPCs treat us like suckers, thinking we''re supposed to please them, while in fairness it¡¯s the other way around. The way I see it they need to be reminded of this from time to time. Put in their place, so to speak.¡±


    The thief nodded and eagerly agreed. ¡°Exactly. This guy gets it! They need to be shown who¡¯s in charge.¡± The last part was said to his buddy as he gave him a small shove.


    ¡°That what happened? You pushed, and he pushed back?¡±


    ¡°Weeeell,¡± drawled the thief, ¡°he kind of caught me pocketing our payment, and took offense. Started yelling all kinds of hurtful stuff. Demanded we leave.¡±


    ¡°Just leave without anything to show for our effort? We couldn¡¯t accept that, could we?¡± the other one said.


    ¡°Not bloody likely. One thing led to another, and before we knew it, the guy was dead as a doornail.¡± He spit as he finished his explanation, as a punctuation of his tale.


    ¡°Fucker actually cut me,¡± said the brawler while halfway turning around and raising his arm, showing a gash in his side. ¡°I mean, not deep or anything, but still... Had it coming, he did.¡±


    ¡°Well, if he started it, then who can blame you?¡± asked Nathan. The two players looked at each other as if in hesitation but didn¡¯t correct him. ¡°What about the lady out front?¡±


    ¡°Bitch did a runner, screaming about how we would hang. Didn¡¯t leave us much of a choice, did she? Besides, she was a witness.¡±


    [Quest] [Who sheared the Shearers] has been updated, Discover the fate of the Shearers: 2/2


    [Quest] [Who sheared the Shearers] has been updated, Get justice for the Shearers: 0/2


    Nathan wasn¡¯t surprised to see the quest update. He figured this was the game¡¯s way to handle those who stepped off the narrow path. Either way, it didn¡¯t change his plan.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound like she did, at that,¡± Nathan shrugged. He looked around inside the cabin and concluded that Shearers didn¡¯t live a luxuries life. ¡°How were the pickings? Slim?¡±


    The brute¡¯s eyes narrowed, and just for a second, they shifted to Nathan¡¯s crossbow. ¡°Don¡¯t you be getting any ideas, now! We earned what little is here.¡±


    Nathan laughed and put his crossbow on the table beside him, pointing it in a safe direction. ¡°Just curious, is all. There¡¯s a lot of these small farms around here. If it¡¯s lucrative to clean them out...¡± He left the rest unsaid, but the others heard him even so.


    The brute relaxed again, and looked over at the thief, indicating that it was his turn to talk. ¡°Unless there is a cache somewhere that we haven''t found, there¡¯s just a couple of silvers worth here. We¡¯ve had a look inside some of the other farms you mentioned, and they had more stuff, on average. But they were bigger as well. But there is an old antique rifle on the bedroom wall. Should bring a pretty penny, if we can sell it.¡±


    ¡°A rifle? Really? That sounds awesome! Do you mind if I have a look? Maybe I can put in an offer?¡±


    The thief considered for a moment. ¡°Yeah, ok. It¡¯s in here.¡±


    He indicated the other room.


    ¡°Great, lead on¡±, Nathan casually said as he allowed the other two players to move in front of him. ¡°By the way, what was the problem the Shearers needed help with?¡±


    ¡°Uh, we didn¡¯t really get that far in our conversation,¡± muttered the thief over his shoulder, as the brute disappeared into the next room.


    ¡°Ah, pity. Then again, at this point, it doesn¡¯t really matter.¡± His words hid the sound of him scuffing his cloak to the side. Ruth ¨Cor her husband, whoever did the work ¨C had really done a marvelous job on the baldrick. A small tug and a roll of the wrist, and the mace was free. In one smooth motion he brought it up and around, smashing it into the side of the thief''s head. There was a crushing sound, and the man simply folded as the mace continued its downward trajectory.


    The Brute roared in anger and came running back into the room, one hand reaching for Nathan, while the other struggled to unsheathe his own weapon. The adventurer dodged to the side and delivered a swift kick to the midsection as he ran past him by. The kick didn¡¯t do a lot of damage, but it took his breath away and partly caught his hand, making him fumble the release of his sword.


    ¡°Wait¡±, the man tried to say as he turned back towards Nathan, but he didn¡¯t have enough air in his lungs. Instead, all he was able to make was a short grunt as he raised his arms in defense.


    A defense found lacking. The first swing of the mace snapped his wrist, while the backswing caught him in the face. One of the bone spikes latched on to something, and while he couldn¡¯t be sure, he was pretty sure his nose and part of his jaw were ripped off.


    The brute dropped to the floor wheezing, fighting to breathe, with blood and small unidentified pieces clogging his throat. Deep down he knew that he only felt a fraction of the real pain of such an injury, but even so, this really hurt.


    Nathan looked down on his broken opponent. His voice turned cold as all traces of the understanding he had shown earlier disappeared. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, there is no judgment in this. While I might find your activities distasteful, this is after all a game. Far be it for me to say how one should find enjoyment. While I do not understand it, I assume some of the thrill of a bandit life must come from the excitement of being chased, the risk of being caught, and the inevitable punishment. Well, consider yourself fortunate, because you are about to experience the complete outlaw lifecycle - after only a few days. If that was your goal, you can now try something new. Something different. Looking at it that way, I suppose you could say this is ¡®better for all parties¡¯. Besides... I really want a rifle.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t say if the man on the floor had actually heard anything he¡¯d said. Nathan looked into his eyes as he spoke, but he could only see fear. No understanding. But he didn¡¯t need him to understand.


    One solid strike was all that was needed.


    When it was done, Nathan looked through his log while reviewing the fight in his mind. This was something he often did, as an exercise in learning.


    [Attack] You critically hit [Thief] for 12 blunt damage ((5[d6]+1) x 2). He dies. You gain 300 XP


    [Quest] [Who sheared the Shearers] has been updated, Get justice for the Shearers: 1/2


    [Attack] You hit [Brute] for 1 blunt damage (2[d3]-2)


    [Attack] You hit [Brute] for 3 blunt damage (3[d6]+1-1)


    [Attack] You critical hit [Brute] for 10 blunt damage ((5[d6]+1-1) x 2)


    [Attack] You critical hit [Brute] for 8 blunt damage ((4[d6]+1-1) x 2). He dies. You gain 200 XP


    [Character] You have reached level 7. Congratulations! You receive +1 hp.


    [System] Please note, as a level 7 character your respawn time is 7 days.


    [Quest] [Who sheared the Shearers] has been updated, Get justice for the Shearers: 2/2


    [Quest Complete] Who sheared the Shearers?


    Discover the fate of the Shearers: 2/2


    Get justice for the Shearers: 2/2


    While you were not able to meet them in life, you provided them some consolation in death.


    [Quest] For completing [Who sheared the Shearers] you gain 200 XP.


    He was surprised to see how much punishment the last guy had been able to take. Especially considering that he¡¯d already received a wound - although a minor one. The calculations showed that he had 1 in natural damage resistance, so that means he had to have at least 15 in Constitution. Considering his level, that translated to a minimum of 16 hp, perhaps more. Now, at level 7, Nathan had 16 hp as well, but during the fight, he¡¯d been at a disadvantage health-wise. Still, his opponent''s dexterity was clearly suffering for it, and in this fight that had been decisive.


    Another takeaway was the increased XP he apparently got for killing players compared to monsters. That would really incentivize PvP compared to PvE. Something to keep in mind for later.


    Enough math, time to look at this rifle everyone is talking about.

 Chapter 23

    When people hear the word ¡®rifle¡¯, a specific weapon often comes to mind. Some would think of a hunting rifle, while others might think of a self-loading military variant. A full or even semi-automatic weapon would make his in-game life much easier. But Nathan was nothing if not realistic. Therefore, he was thinking of the former, but was hoping for the latter.


    What he found on the wall was neither.


    A rusty and rather basic metal pipe - longer than it had any business being ¨C bolted together to not one, but two stocks. Or rather, a rough and splintered wooden base that split into two stocks. One for each shoulder, apparently, with the pipe in the middle. There were two vertical grips, one on each side, and a single bullet loading mechanism on the top. A small wire on the left grip connected to a small wind-up hammer and functioned as a trigger. The impression its shape gave was closer to a fixed machine gun or an anti-air gun than a rifle. And it was well used. The whole thing looked like it had seen better days, and was then buried for a couple of years before it was dug up again and finally put on the wall.


    [The herder''s cane]


    Unique rifle ¨C Ranged


    2d10 -4 piercing dmg


    4/60 durability


    The pride of the Shearer family, this homemade ¡®rifle¡¯ has been used by multiple generations to protect the flock. Even when missing, more often than not the loud noise is enough to scare away any predators.


    Uses a custom caliber of an unspecified size, created and handloaded by the (late) Jebediah Shearer.


    It packed a real punch, no doubt about that. Nathan took it down from the wall and examined it closer.


    It was too heavy, too long, and too unbalanced to use when standing, but it had a bipod connected at the front which indicated that it was supposed to be used while prone. That the bipod was permanently deployed only reinforced this. There was no scope, but there was a... not an iron sight as such, but some iron scratches and bumps that could be used to aim with.


    There were 10 slots for bullets cut or drilled out in the dual stocks. Only three of them were filled. Disappointing, but he understood that if he¡¯d gotten a lot of them, the weapon could easily be considered overpowered. Not, this was something he could use once or maybe twice when he¡¯d time to prepare, and even then, it would introduce some risk.


    And that was if he would actually keep it. The irony of him killing someone for robbing (and killing) NPCs, and then grabbing all the valuables from said NPCs wasn''t lost on him. While he wouldn''t stoop so low as to ransack the rest of the cabin, he couldn¡¯t in good conscience abandon a weapon like this just hanging on the wall. For now, he threw it into his pouch. He''d figure out what to do with it later.


    Nathan was fine with robbing the brute and the thief, though. He took everything he could find of value, but it wasn¡¯t much. They probably had their own storing relics where they kept anything valuable, but when they died the connection between the relic and their implant was lost and it turned into a normal bag without any of the content. Nathan checked them even so and found a small amount of money ¨C about 7 silvers worth. If that was theirs or if it was randomly generated on death, he didn¡¯t know.


    That left anything they had equipped. As for weapons, the thief had two daggers and the brute had a shortsword¡ªall rather bad quality, and not something Nathan wanted to use. He took them even so. Besides that, they each had hide armor, and Nathan decided to put on the thief¡¯s, since it had significantly better durability than the other one.


    [Hide armor]


    Common chest- Leather


    1 DR


    18/20 durability


    A poncho made from untreated hide with openings for the head and arms. Offers some protection.


    Not exactly a fashion statement, but better than nothing.


    Just as he was about to leave, he noticed that the light reflected something on the thief¡¯s finger. Leaning down and looking closer, he saw that it was a ring. He hadn¡¯t even thought to look for such things, so after he¡¯d pried it off, he checked for necklaces, ear dubs, and armbands as well, without result. Still, the ring was nice, and he could probably sell it for something. Its surface was smooth and unblemished, made of an unknown alloy. If he were to guess, he would say titanium, if that was even a possibility. Analyze might give him the answer.


    [Ring of Awareness]


    Rare ring ¨C Relic


    Dexterity +1


    Perception +1


    Indestructible


    This ring contains exceptional processing power, produced for and by an empire long forgotten. It is designed to integrate with the implant of the bearer, and will enhance how the world is perceived, and how fast the mind is able to react.


    In another age, these rings and others like them were quite common, but most of them have been lost. Still, since they are virtually indestructible, they have the habit of showing up in the strangest places.


    Any thought of selling the ring was quickly forgotten as he put it on. The effect was instant. Everything around him became just a bit clearer, and his movements became just a bit sharper. It felt good. Why the thief had such a treasure he did not know, but he suspected he might have purchased it, like how Bruce had gotten his glasses. He wondered what other treasures people could be walking around with.


    As he jogged instead of walking on the return trip, the trip back to the village went much faster than the trip out. It felt like no time at all before he once again walked into Ollie¡¯s and received the normal greeting. And, as on many of the previous visits, also this time he had bad news.


    ¡°I am sorry, Ollie, but they were already dead before I got there,¡± Nathan explained after the initial platitudes. ¡°Killed after a disagreement by the very people sent there to help them.¡±


    ¡°What? That can¡¯t be?¡± exclaimed Ollie, deflating until he had to support himself on the bar disk. ¡°Oh, what have I done? Too trusting, am I! Too trusting by far. How did it happen?¡±


    Nathan gave a brief rundown of what he had seen, what the two thugs had said, and how he had taken them down, but didn¡¯t add too many details or any embellishments. He didn¡¯t see the need for it.


    ¡°You did the right thing, and for that I thank you,¡± said the bartender when he¡¯d finished the story. ¡°It can¡¯t have been easy for you, killing one of our own ¨C it''s not like fighting a goblin or an orc - but it is clear that you are not one to shy away from the righteous path just because it is difficult or unpleasant. I appreciate that and will remember it.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Well, you should know that they were clones, so in a couple of days there is a good chance that they will be back here acting like nothing happened. Might want to ready a nice warm welcome for them, if you get my drift.¡±


    Ollie frowned. ¡°No, we can¡¯t do that. A new clone is its own legal entity and cannot under any circumstance be punished for crimes committed by any predecessor. Sure, their reputation will be varnished ¨C I''ll make sure of that ¨C but no action can be taken against them. That is just how it is.¡±


    Nathan mulled over his words. From a game''s point of view, it made a lot of sense. This world gave the players a lot of potential ways to fuck up, and this way death was a good way to clean the slate if you had managed to dig yourself so deep down a hole that there was no way out. A clean slate towards the NPCs at least. The enmity between players might take a bit longer to wipe clean. In the end, he just shrugged. ¡°If you say so.¡±


    ¡°I do. I do,¡± confirmed Ollie quietly.


    ¡°I have a small confession to make, though,¡± continued Nathan. ¡°While I left all the Sheerers'' valuables back in their cabin, I did take a... rifle, that was displayed on one of the walls. It seemed too valuable to leave behind, only to be picked up by the next recreant happening by, but now I¡¯m not sure what to do with it. Did they have any next of kin?¡±


    ¡°No, sadly they did not. I know the rifle you speak of. An heirloom that Shaun talked of often, though he himself had never used it. An ugly thing, and more of sentimental value than anything else, really. No, I think you should keep it. Consider it a reward for what you have done. It is what Shaun would have wanted. As for the rest, I¡¯ll send someone to clean up the cabin and provide a burial for everyone involved. You have done your part.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Ollie. That is a load of my mind,¡± Nathan said as he noticed Bruce in his side vision. ¡°If there is nothing else?¡±


    Ollie shook his head before pouring a pint. ¡°Here, have one on me, a toast for the ones we have lost.¡±


    ¡°For the ones we have lost,¡± Nathan repeated as he took a small sip. Suddenly hit by a wave of regret and second-guessing, he closed his eyes and took a moment to remember all the friends he had lost over the years. Some of whom he could have saved it only he¡¯d been better, or quicker, or taken a different choice. Alas.


    He gathered himself before he moved towards the beaconing Bruce. When he looked back, the melancholy that Ollie had displayed earlier had vanished like fog in the sun, and he was once again back to his jolly self. Smiling and joking while serving another customer.


    Bruce guided Nathan over to one of the free tables before speaking. ¡°Margos and RedReaver should join us shortly. I wasn''t able to reach any of the others, but I found another player that was willing to join. One -¡± His fingers did a little dance in front of his face, while he stared at something in the air over the table that only he could see. ¡°- Ashira. She is only level three, but so far it doesn¡¯t seem like levels are that important. Besides, she had some other things going for her. Ah, here she is now.¡±


    A small, slender woman walked in. Comely, but not beautiful. She was wearing a dark layered outfit, which looked tight and unconstricting at the same time. Several knives were strapped across her outfit at different locations, and from here waist dangled a coiled rope with a small sharp-looking blade connected to one of the ends. She scanned the room slowly, and as she spotted them, she started to practically glide through the room in their direction.


    Nathan couldn''t resist giving her a closer look.


    Ashira [???]


    Level 3, Ninja


    ¡°Ninja?¡± he blurted out in surprise.


    Bruce only laughed. When Ashira made it to the table he made the introductions, designating Nathan as the group leader. Since they were still waiting for their remaining two members, Nathan decided to better get to know Ashira.


    ¡°I have to say,¡± he started, ¡°your weapon selection is unusual, to say the least. Have you tried to use it? I can¡¯t imagine it is easy to handle?¡±


    Ashira smiled. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t recommend it for most people. Me, I wasted most of my youth doing rhythmic gymnastics, specializing in rope and ribbons. Who knew those skills would be useful in a game a couple of years later? Not me, that''s for sure.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that explains the weapon. And the ninja path. Sounds cool, I¡¯ll give you that.¡±


    Ashire looked up in surprise. ¡°How did you know my path?¡±


    Nathan was taken aback. ¡°Oh... I analyzed you as you walked through the door.¡±


    ¡°You can see the path when analyzing players? I only get the name, and that is only if I knew it from before. For mobs I get more useful info, but not for players.¡±


    Nathan thought back to the different times he¡¯d used it and the results he¡¯d gotten. ¡°I think it¡¯s dependent on the level difference and the perception stat. For you, I didn¡¯t see anything besides your first name and your path ¨C and the first name was probably just because Bruce mentioned it. I only see question marks for your last name.¡±


    ¡°Last name? I don¡¯t have a last name,¡± Ashira denied.


    ¡°You don¡¯t? Then I don¡¯t know what it is. A bunch of question marks inside a bracket right after your name is what I see.¡±


    With that information, Ashira knew enough to venture a guess. ¡°It¡¯s probably my guild,¡± she reasoned.


    ¡°Fraternity,¡± Bruce corrected.


    ¡°What?¡± said Ashira and Nathan at the same time.


    ¡°It¡¯s called a fraternity. Or... it¡¯s dependent on the size, but I assume you aren¡¯t more than 20 people?"


    ¡°No, we are currently 5. Or we will be soon,¡± admitted Ashira.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s a fellowship,¡± asserted Bruce.


    Nathan was lost. ¡°I don¡¯t follow this at all.¡±


    Bruce straightened up in his seat, brushed off some dust from his collar, and started explaining, happy to find an area where he could contribute. ¡°So, it¡¯s like this. A loose temporary group is a squad if you are 10 or fewer, and a troop if you are more than that, up to 30. You probably remember that we were called a squad when we were clearing the goblin camp.¡± The last bit was addressed to Nathan.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say that I noticed. Did any of you?¡± Margos and RedReaver had joined them while Bruce was talking.


    ¡°Yeah, I remember,¡± said Margos. RedReaver just nodded.


    Bruce indicated that he had more to say. ¡°So that¡¯s the unorganized options. The permanent variations are a bit different. Usually, those are called ¡®Guild¡¯ or ¡®Clan¡¯ or something like that in other games. Here, the names depend on how many members you have. Fellowship is up to 5, Fraternity is 20, then Brotherhood is up to 50, and after that, there is a bunch of others that I can¡¯t quite remember. Order, Organization, and some others. All the way up to Government.¡±


    ¡°Sounds confusing,¡± said Margos. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the classics, and why so many?¡±


    ¡°I think the idea is that you have to pay for the different levels, so it¡¯s kind of a gold sink I guess,¡± theorized Bruce.


    ¡°Probably,¡± said RedReaver. ¡°I suppose it does give you an idea of the strength of a group, but it mostly sounds like typical scummy corporate behavior to me.¡±


    Bruce snapped his fingers, suddenly remembering. ¡°Yes, Corporation is also one of the levels. And Syndicate. That might be all of them, actually. If you or your group control a village or any other land, those things got their own terms as well, but that is all very new, so I don¡¯t know a lot about that.¡±


    At this point, Nathan had lost all interest in the conversation and decided to get it back on track. ¡°Anyhow, what is your Guil... eh... Fellowship called?¡±


    Ashira looked a bit embarrassed. ¡°¡¯MinMax¡¯. Not my suggestion.¡±


    Nathan chuckled, as he did a new analyze.


    Ashira [Fellowship of MinMax]


    Level 3, Ninja


    ¡°Yeah, now it shows up,¡± he confirmed. ¡°I¡¯m not gone ask you to reveal your stats or anything, but based on your path I assume you¡¯ve focused on Dexterity?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but despite the name of the fellowship, I haven¡¯t tanked all of my other stats. I figured that would be impractical. Some of my guilders took it a step further, and it cost them.¡±


    That last part caught Bruce¡¯s attention. ¡°How so? I was about to ask where the rest of your... Fellowship was? There is room for some more muscle on this quest.¡±


    ¡°Two are dead ¨C respawning tomorrow ¨C and two haven''t had time to do anything besides creating their character. For now, it¡¯s just me.¡±


    ¡°Pity.¡± Bruce looked around and let out an exaggerated sigh. ¡°I guess you bums will have to do.¡±

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