The Forsaken Crypts

by Terry C. Simpson

  Dressed only in tights, an aural bud in one ear, Dre stood on the observation deck in a line of similarly garbed testers. Techs fussed over pods in the room below. Some studied holos, while others helped men, women, and children climb into the pods.

  A part of him regretted having to leave his family again. The other half looked forward to seeing Pops. Dre sighed, the thought of the holo that was his father a painful reminder.

  He’d need to find some way to tell Mom about Pops in Void Legion, about what Equitane had done. Preferably after she gave birth to Regi and Rayne. He’d hate for the shock of such news to be the cause of further complications.

  Dre got up on his toes, hoping to see Blaze either in front, behind, or down in the pod room itself. But he saw no one with her tell-tale box braids.

  The buzz of numerous voices rose all around him. Techs passed by, often stopping to scan testers’ biometric tatts. After the scans, another set of techs ushered testers into one of two glass elevators with clear views into the pod room. Dre tried and failed to pick out Blaze’s pod.

  “Good day, testers,” chimed a female voice through Dre’s aurals. The woman had a thick New York accent. The room quieted. “I’m Zhi Yin, one of the head developers. Some news. First, we’ve updated the game based on the feedback you gave. We’ve fixed some bugs and exploits.

  “The major change has been to Information Memory,” Zhi Yin declared. “Many of you complained about an issue between Simulated Reality and real life. A disconnect. The feeling of something missing. Something intangible.”

  Dre nodded. He knew the feeling too well.

  “As we’re trying to perfect Total Immersion, we reduced the scope of Information Memory. The general concern was an overabundance of knowledge, history, and lore at one’s fingertips, which took away from the exploration, the learning, the discovery of the world. The wow factor, as some of you put it.

  “To some of you, it felt too much like a game in that regard. You wanted things to be more organic. While some aspects concerning stats remain, we’ve curtailed many other parts of IM. We hope we’ve done enough to soothe those concerns and look forward to your take on the changes.”

  Numerous murmurs of agreement emanated from the testers. Quite a few smiled. Including Dre. The change made him look forward to the game even more.

  “The second bit of news is the focus of this phase. As often happens after a first clear, more groups have gone on to kill Emperor KiGyaba and pass Imanok Sanctum. We congratulate you all and offer you the next challenge: The Forsaken Crypts of Puria.

  “The scenario around the Crypts is part of one of many unique world events connected to Mikander’s lore. And by unique, not only will the event not happen again, but the Crypts themselves will only be in their current form until cleared. Some bosses will move on to pursue their interests, evolving, growing with the world. Some rewards like titles and items cannot be attained again.”

  A chorus of ohs and ahs swept through the corridor. Dre had to admit even he was impressed and excited by the prospects. Hopefully, the devs had balanced the unique items.

  “You must be level twenty to enter. Your group cannot be more than five until the place is cleared. Then you can bring in others. Unlike with Imanok, which was an open dungeon, this is an instance, which means each group will have its own private version. At least until the summit.

  “Also, it does not scale per encounter. It scales by entry and based upon the highest-level person in the group. But if you’re above level twenty-five, you won’t get any loot or exp. Not even from chests. As for the bosses? You’ll see when you get there.

  “One last thing. Bonus information based on a ton of questions we received.

  “Many of you mentioned seeing the foundation of a Genesis Engine in the Sanctum. You also wondered if you had the ability to craft the low-level shards and weapons, stating it was unfair or bad design to have to wait until you were high enough level to get past the Front to use the Engines there.

  “Rest assured that there was an Engine in the Sanctum. Once a dungeon is fully cleared, the actual areas or rooms with Engines become open. Not just open to anyone, but also Open PVP, meaning any player can attack another not in their group. There’s no limit to the number or level of people who can be in the area and engage in the fight.

  “We made this choice based on the impact Genesis Engines have on the game. They are among the most powerful artifacts.

  “Engines can be destroyed. They can be taken and moved to another place if the players or NPCs have the skill to do so. If destroyed, they don’t respawn. Any other info as to their origins or the ability to build them will remain a mystery you must uncover.

  “Good luck. And have fun.”

  Dre cocked his head to one side. The info on the Genesis Engines was worth remembering. As was that of the Crypts. Although the dungeon was another new addition, it had been listed on Pops’ protocol map from the Void Gate room. The map Dre had committed to memory.

  Fifteen minutes later, Dre was standing next to his pod, the A200 lettering standing out on its side. His stomach fluttered as if it were his first time. But this time, the flutter was more anticipation. Excitement rather than fear.

  He climbed into the cylindrical pod and lay facing up. The door swung down seconds later and sealed with a hiss. Machinery droned. A helmet maneuvered atop his head. A black-tinted visor slid over his face. The whirr of needles that would introduce the nanites and Tissue Nanotransfection into his system echoed all around him. He gritted his teeth, bracing for pain. The needles stabbed into him all at once. He stifled a cry. The pain faded.

  A light appeared, joined by a voice moments later. “Welcome to Ataxia Online 2, Void Legion.” The world shot forward.

  ******

  He was standing in an empty room. There were no mirrors, but iterations of himself surrounded him like vivid reflections.

  He was Drelan Frost, a roughly seven-foot tall erada with dark magenta skin. His black mane was done in cornrows, the plaits weaving a roadmap between his curled ram-like horns and falling down his back. A shadow of a beard hugged his chin and crept up the side of his face.

  His attire consisted of knee-high leather boots, black pants, a matching thigh-length gambeson, a mahogany brigandine, and a deep brown hooded cloak. He also had matching greaves on his shins, cuisses over his thighs, and bracers on his wrists.

  He checked to make certain he had his Two Ring, the black aether ring that came with his character. It was a memento of the real world, one that every player had some version of, a clone of something they held precious IRL that would keep them grounded in-game so they would not lose themselves within the experience of Simulated Reality. The aether ring was Pops’ creation.

  And it had a secret purpose.

  If he turned it counter-clockwise twice on his finger, it activated a field that scrambled his location and anything within the field’s vicinity, preventing the game’s security systems or admins from tracking him. It also caused a diversion in the form of the simultaneous appearance of an anomaly elsewhere in the world.

  Frost glanced down. At his feet was Deadeye. He picked up the rare aether cannon, its quality revealed by a blue tint provided by IM. If he stood the weapon beside him, it would stretch from his shoulder to the floor. He cradled the cannon, again immediately reminded of DOOM’s BFGs or some massive, large-barreled weapon straight out of a sci-fi movie.

  Frost thought about his stats. IM was there to greet him.

  Strength: 20

  Agility: 25

  Vitality: 29

  Aether: 30

  He recalled that for each level from one to ten, he’d been granted two points per attribute. Algorithms based on genealogy and then his own practice with Replenishment and skill use had provided an additional bonus to his aether. He chalked up the disparity in agi
lity and strength to the fights, to running and dodging, where he had to rely on his speed and Cannon Kata.

  Thinking about the numbers had IM provide him with the stats derived from his attributes and gear.

  Physical Attack Power: 42

  Movement Speed: 50

  Haste/Attack Speed: 2

  Aether Power: 110 − 135

  Stagger Resist: 3%

  Damage Reduction: 5%

  Frowning, he considered the lack of numbers for things such as dodge, health, or aether capacity. He expected IM to be there with details, but it was not. He gave the idea some thought and drew to a few conclusions based off his experience so far.

  For health and aether capacity, he recognized it was a matter of feeling. To put it simply, he felt like shit when he was wounded. Aether capacity was a sense of fullness which depleted upon skill use or increased by way of Aether Absorption or Replenishment.

  He had one explanation for the lack of a hard percent for dodge. Dodge was skill-based. A player didn’t automatically dodge attacks. He had to practice like a boxer or other combatant.

  Curiosity piqued by the disparity in attributes, he focused on vitality first. He ran the numbers, considering the passive two-point stat allotments. After a moment, he smiled.

  One calculation made sense. Vitality, strength, and agility were linked. According to his math, five points of agility or strength equated to one point of vitality.

  He knew movement speed and haste or physical attack speed were the product of agility. But they converted in opposite directions. While every point of agility equated to two points of movement speed, twenty points of agility accounted for one point of haste. He assumed he could increase haste through practice, but there was no need unless he decided to train in melee weapons as the attack rate of cannons had been constant so far.

  For a moment, he wondered how a player would increase spell haste, thereby decreasing the time needed to cast a spell. Practice, he assumed, which seemed unfair when compared to melee, but casters did have the advantage of range.

  Considering Deadeye’s damage ranged from fifty to seventy-five, then his total aether power was a matter of doubling his aether stat and then adding it to the weapon’s lower and upper damage levels. Physical attack power used the same multiplier, and his Braided Loop rings provided the additional two points.

  His armor accounted for four percent damage reduction; the steadfast bracelets two percent stagger resist total. Brows furrowed, he ran the numbers again, seeking the explanation for the extra percentage point of stagger resist and damage reduction. Typically, strength also affected defense.

  After a couple minutes, he nodded, recalling stat changes while leveling to ten. Every twenty points of strength added one percent damage reduction. Twenty points of agility did the same for stagger resist.

  IM dinged to make him aware of a new available skill.

  Leap:

  All Mikanderans gain an affinity to the world by way of aether usage. This affinity causes special aspects to activate as the Mikanderan grows. The first such aspect is Leap, which allows Mikanderans to cover distances several times their own height when they jump. The act of jumping itself activates the skill. With practice comes greater control.

  Epic, Frost thought. He wondered what the skill would be like in combat. He could see it being difficult to adjust to, but once mastered, it offered an entirely new dimension.

  Excited to be on his way, he checked his exp and credits. He needed forty thousand more experience points to level eleven. He had fifty-five hundred KDC and nine thousand two hundred and fifty IDC.

  Satisfied, he said, “Begin.”

  ******

  He spawned in a cavern, identified by the light filtering in from its mouth. The first thing he noticed was the air. It was thick, humid, pressing down on him, and smelled of wet earth and musty animals. Winds howled from outside. A quick look around said he was alone, although he couldn’t see into the cavern’s deeper darkness.

  He clicked. Echolocation confirmed his solitude. The skill also unveiled the cavern continued behind him for at least some three hundred feet, the maximum distance of the ability’s range. Not far from where he stood was the remains of a dead campfire. A quick inspection revealed a collection of flint, tinder, and clumps of dry grass.

  Frost turned to face the cavern’s maw. Outside, the sky was fifty shades of ash. Lightning etched the ash with livid scars. Cradling Deadeye, he strode forward until he stood in the opening, the wind billowing his hooded cloak. He confirmed a suspicion that crossed his mind the moment he spawned.

  He was where he had left the game. Daggerspine Mountain on Maelpith Island. Before him was a ledge wide enough to hold four men shoulder to shoulder. It led up and down. Beyond its edge was open air.

  The land sprawled far below him. To his right was the lake that held Imanok Sanctum, its green murky water hiding the dungeon. Straight ahead were plains and forests, stretching all the way to the coast where waves crashed and the sapphire of the Empyrean Sea clashed with the leaden sky.

  Squinting, he made out numerous ships and sails. A bit inland were clusters of buildings Dagrun had shown him. They made up the Coalition’s base of operations.

  Frowning, he wondered where everyone had gone. He barely had the thought when the Communication Orb dinged in his mind, informing him of a message from Meritus Killgain.

  “Yo, my dude, it’s ya boy.” Meritus’ nasal voice piped through the Orb. “Hope you’re alright. I’m still over here in Korbash, leveling and keeping an eye on Tia. Although, I doubt she needs me. The eradae in the stronghold have practically adopted her.”

  Frost smiled. Knowing Tia was in good hands was refreshing.

  “Yo, did you know the gargants had libraries as good as those in the Aetherium? They call them the Halls of Illumination. I’ve been over here doing as much research as I can to help me make more credits. You know how I do. I gotta be the richest player in game.

  “Anyway, ya girl, Gilda, had a courier deliver a message to me for you. She’s somewhere in Lothal.”

  The mention of Gilda gave Frost instant relief. Knowing she was in-game, and well, meant the world to him. Meritus’ voice became a distant thing as Frost pictured Gilda, cerulean-skinned and lithe. Her green eyes and beautiful face put the ‘ex’ in exotic. In his mind, she twirled her dagger as he stared at her. Frost sighed.

  Meritus’ voice drifted back into focus. “They left Maelpith because they weren’t sure if or when you’d be back with all that you got going on with your Mom. She said if you spawn in the same cavern as they did, the one y’all took Sigrid to, that you’ll find a chest with supplies in a corner to the far right of the entrance.”

  A quick glance at the location revealed the chest. Its coloring and position were such that he might have overlooked it.

  “She also said the safest way off the island was to get a young drake. To find one, you’ll need to go up the mountain from the cavern until you reach a saddle with a waterfall and lagoon before the summit. That’s where the drakes live.

  “Oh, and she said not to try sneaking onto one of the Coalition ships and passing for a returning expeditioner. They have special passes.” Meritus chuckled. “Guess she knows what kinda reckless dude you can be sometimes.

  “Nomarch Setnana still has lupines and trackers searching for y’all. Even got a bounty on your head, naming you in the attack on Kituan and claiming that you’re a Blue Sky agent. As soon as Gilda can afford a Comm Orb, she’ll message you.

  “Stay safe, homie. Looking forward to when we hook up again. Holla at me when you get a chance. Oh, and… shaddup.” Meritus chuckled once more.

  “Shaddup,” Frost repeated with a smile.

  Relieved the others were fine, he strode over to the stone-colored chest. He flipped open the lid. The first
thing to catch his attention was a sword belt with a sword in a plain leather scabbard. He wasn’t much of a swordsman at the moment, but the weapon might still prove useful. He buckled the belt around his waist, the sword hanging near his right hip.

  Acquired weapon: Expedition Sword

  Level: 5

  Damage: 60 − 70

  Force: none

  Special: none

  Available shard slots: none

  In his mind, IM gave the weapon a white tinge, marking it as common. Frost removed the sword and took a few one-handed practice swings with Deadeye in his other hand. The weapon felt a bit odd. As if his body wasn’t yet accustomed to it. Unlike when he held the aether cannon.

  He concluded the effect had to be some innate weapon mastery that would only improve with time and use. The idea fit with everything else he’d experienced to this point.

  On a whim, Frost checked his stats. Sure enough, his physical attack power had increased to match the sword’s upper and lower ranges.

  Further study of the chest’s contents revealed a canteen of water and potions. There were five of each pot. He’d used all his consumables to defeat Emperor KiGyaba. He took them, sparking IM.

  Health Potion

  Regain 500 health instantly.

  Reuse: 2 minutes

  Rejuvenation Potion

  Regain 1000 health over 30 seconds.

  Reuse: 2 minutes

  Purification Potion

  Cleanse one adverse effect.

  Reuse: 2 minutes

  Coulda used some vials too, he thought. But as Mom would say: ‘beggars can’t be choosers. Silver linings.’ He stuck the pots into a few of the quick access pouches on his belt.