by Dante Steel
“I’m so happy for you,” he said.
Elena pulled back, but her smile died after she noticed his expression. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” He dipped his head and glanced away.
“Don’t lie to me. Did something happen?”
“Don’t lie to you.” Gary stiffened.
She swallowed and fully stepped away from his arms. "I… I'm sorry. I don't know why, but I… Normally, I don't tell everyone about myself. I generally don't talk to those I raid with. We just banter and shoot the breeze, and that's it. It's different with you. I feel like I know you, which is ridiculous, but it is what it is. Stupid, maybe, but I can tell you're hiding something. Maybe lying is too strong of a word. I didn't mean to upset you."
“You’re fine,” he muttered and ran a hand through his hair. “I just had a rough time last night. A few of us tried to embark on a quest, and someone beat us to it. He nearly killed us, Elena, nearly killed me, Nicoletta, and Olivia.”
“Sounds like an important quest.”
“It really is. You have no idea.” His laugh was a little forced.
“Enlighten me.” She hesitated. “If you want.”
“There’s a Runed Ruby. It’s so powerful that it might be able to give me a superpower.”
“No way!” Her jaw dropped.
“Yeah. That guy we faced, he’s another player. He’s not a mage. He’s a wizard. He has fire and wind. If he gets another power—”
“He’ll be unstoppable.”
“Yes. I heard… It seems to me that he’s been going around killing other gamers. He’s an ass.”
“So you want to gain a power and level this guy.”
“Basically.” He grinned and then sighed. “It’s not as if I know how to go about leveling him. We got ourselves handed to us.”
“That’s crazy.” She rubbed her chin. “I guess his wind was enough to counter Olivia’s flying ability.”
“Yeah, and Nicoletta tried her best to fight fire with fire, but he’s level one hundred. He’s so skilled that we don’t stand a chance.”
"We won't separately, but together, working as a team, I bet we can handle him. We won't be able to kill him—"
“I don’t want that,” Gary blurted.
She looked at him strangely. “Okay, I get that. Killing a gamer isn’t exactly good sportsmanship.”
“Not at all.” Gary felt sick to his stomach. The idea of killing the guy just felt wrong. Bats? Dragons? Bears? Anything like that, he had no qualms killing, but a human? No way.
“Still,” Elena said, “we might be able to distract him long enough for someone to steal the Runed Ruby. Does he still have it?”
“No. He lost it, and it’s most likely back where he got it from.”
She frowned, apparently confused.
“These snakes dropped down from an impossibly high ceiling, and they confiscated the ruby.”
“Ah. Well, sounds like I missed an epic battle.”
“There will be more.”
“Yes, indeed,” she said. “All right. I have Olivia’s number. I’ll give her a ring and see when she’s free. Why don’t you call Nicoletta and—”
“I would, but my phone’s dead.”
Elena shrugged. “That’s okay. What’s her number? I’ll call her for you.”
Gary had to admit that he didn’t have Nicoletta’s number memorized—which was the truth technically, but the most factual actuality was that he didn’t have it. Instead, he gave her Jorge’s number and told her to ignore any flirting.
“He’s—”
“Your friend from the beginning,” she said.
“Yes.”
“A womanizer.”
“Eh, more like a lover of all women.”
“Why am I not surprised?” she muttered. “There’s no one else I can call who has her number?”
“I’m sorry.”
“All right. Hold on.”
Her avatar went limp. Maybe she had removed her headset. Gary stood awkwardly beside her frozen form and waited impatiently for her to return.
“Boo.”
Gary jerked. Olivia stood beside him.
“Did Elena call you?” he asked by way of greeting.
“Yes. I’m here and ready to try and snatch us a ruby.” She grinned.
“You seem happy.”
“I am. I slept like a baby last night. I suffer from insomnia, but as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out. I can’t tell you the last time that happened.”
“Wow. I’m glad you slept so much, but insomnia has to suck.”
“Yes and no. It helps with studying.”
“Of course. How are your classes?”
“Not going as well as I would like. My mom and I haven’t talked in years. Long story.” Olivia glanced at Elena, who remained a statue and shrugged. “Okay, so my dad died shortly after I was born. He was away on tour and never got a chance to see me. My mom grew really depressed, drank a lot, wasn’t sober often. By the time I was five, she already had a steady parade of boyfriends. When I was seven, she had her boyfriend move in with us. He…”
“You don’t have to tell me this,” he said.
Olivia shrugged. “I can handle the truth of what happened. He was the pig, the one taking advantage of me.”
“Did he…” Gary couldn’t continue and wished he hadn’t said even those two words.
"More than he should've. The first few times, I was too afraid to tell my mom because I thought she would get angry with me. Then, he tried to go further, and I did tell her. She freaked out on me like I thought she would. The next time, I bit him so hard that I drew blood. My mom found out and put me up for adoption."
“You’re kidding.”
“No.” Olivia, amazingly, didn’t seem upset by any of this. She was either remarkably adjusted or a talented actress.
No, you dipshit. That’s not her face. That’s her avatar.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“It was a long time ago. The point in mentioning my mom is that I should say that we haven’t talked in years except she called me a few days ago.”
“Why? Dumped by her latest guy and needs some funds for her to drink away?” he asked bitterly.
“She has cancer, and there’s nothing they can do. They think she has only weeks to live.”
“Why are you playing instead of being by her side?” he asked, confused.
“Because she only called to tell me that she was dying and to not expect a cent from her because I wasn’t her daughter anymore.”
“That’s terrible.”
Olivia shrugged. “Yeah, I’ve had it rough, but I’ve decided that my past doesn’t define me. It’s helped to mold me, yes, but that’s not all I am.”
“And that’s why you’re studying psychology.”
“You betcha.” She grinned. “You seem like you want to share now, don’t you?”
Very quickly, he gave her the details about his parents and his upbringing in general, not mentioning his job as a trashman.
“Like attracts like,” Olivia said, hugging him.
“I’m okay,” he said, returning her embrace. “I wish—”
She kissed him, a quick peek that nevertheless sent a shock straight to his cock. “Don’t wish. Take. Give. Live.”
“I was going to say I wish that hadn’t happened—”
Olivia stepped back, hand on hip. “It did. Who knows? Maybe I wouldn’t be here playing with you right now if it hadn’t happened. I do believe everything happens for a reason.”
“Yeah?”
“You disagree?”
“I don’t know.”
Honestly, he didn’t because what could be the reason for him being transported into the game?
Just then, Elena stirred. “Nicoletta will be here in a few,” she said. “Any ideas who else we can add to our merry little band?”
Gary shook his head. Olivia shrugged.
“Out with it,” Elena demanded. “I would rat
her not face death today, avatar or no avatar.”
“I know a few guys, but they’re kinda tools.” Olivia wrinkled her nose. “Honestly, they would most likely die first, and I would hate to use them as shields.”
Gary shook his head.
Nicoletta appeared and hugged Gary and then Olivia. After a few seconds, she hugged Elena too. Once the greetings were done, Elena asked Nicoletta if she had anyone else to join. Her answer was the same as everyone else’s.
“Okay, so no one else.” Elena shrugged. “Works for me. We got this. First off, we need to determine a plan.”
“More than just you stealing it,” Nicoletta pointed out.
Gary grimaced. “In the end, I’m going to have to steal it, and we’re going to have to make a mad dash out of there. He’s too strong for us to injure severely.”
“Mad dash?” Elena furrowed her brow.
“He didn’t tell you?” Nicoletta sighed deeply. “The monsters in the cave will hunt whoever has it. Which means…” She turned to Gary. “As soon as you get it, give the Runed Ruby to me.”
Elena shook her head. “I should get it.” She held up her hand and removed a glove to show the metal. “I can handle a lot.”
“But you aren’t wearing any armor,” Nicoletta argued.
“I could fly away with it,” Olivia offered.
“If the guy isn’t incapacitated, he’ll be able to knock you down real fast,” Nicoletta countered.
“Or I could keep it,” Gary suggested.
Nicoletta just gave him a telling look.
He shrugged and shook his head, not wanting her to tell the others what he had confided in her. She seemed to go back and forth between believing him and not. Apparently, she was worried about him, and he appreciated that more than he could say.
“It’s a bit of a trek to the place,” he finally said after another three minutes of arguing had passed. “Let’s plan as we head out that way.”
“Wait.” Olivia scratched the back of her head. “I need a new weapon. Are there any that aren’t metal or wooden? Something he can’t burn, would be able to withstand the heat?”
“Just use the other monsters. Throw them at him.”
“Seriously, Gary?” Olivia laughed.
“It could work,” he said defensively.
“Or we could let that dragon kill him,” Nicoletta said.
“Yeah, but if that dragon gets the Runed Ruby,” Gary started.
“We’ll never get it from him.” Olivia fluffed her hair. “I can practice using the monsters against each other on the way there. If that doesn’t work, I’ll see what we find along the way. Wasn’t there a peddler near the mountain? Worse comes to worst, I’ll buy something from him.”
That settled, they started off with Gary taking the lead, and the ladies fell into step behind him. Olivia struggled mightily to fly when her life wasn't in grave danger. Fighting the bats meant she couldn't bring herself to fight off her fear. Nicoletta was having some of the same issues with her fire. He wished he could help them but didn't know how to.
Finally, he fell into step beside Elena. “Are you ready for this?”
She nodded, her eyes shining brightly. "Why wouldn't I be?"
“This isn’t an ordinary quest.”
“I realize that.”
He lifted his eyebrows and glanced over his shoulder at Nicoletta. How much had she told the others? How much did they all understand?
“Don’t worry about me. I’m stronger than you think,” she said.
“I’d believe that if I didn’t think you were all heart,” he teased.
“I’m much more than my heart.”
“Yeah, I get that, but I’m also betting that you’re the type of person who would be willing to give away free cookies or cupcakes to kids in the hospital once you get your business up and running.”
Her cheeks turned pink. Her avatar was blushing. How adorable was that? She must be really blushing at her place for it to translate over into the game.
“You’ve thought about that, haven’t you?”
“Well, nursing home, but yes, maybe.” She shrugged. “That doesn’t mean I’m weak.”
“I’m just worried because you can’t have protection for your chest.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’ve been upping my dexterity. I can juke and jive. I’ve got happy feet.”
“Then maybe you should steal it.”
She grimaced. “You should. I need to be a bruiser in this fight.”
Gary hung his head. “I need to get stronger. This Runed Ruby should give me a power. At least, that’s what I’m hoping.”
“I figured it had to be something hugely important for us to risk our lives over again.”
He gulped. He was risking his life for a superpower against a foe who had killed others. Granted, the others had been avatars, but this Smaug guy didn’t know Gary was human. If Gary died, he'd be dead. There would be no body for his friends to have a funeral for. Dying here would be terrible.
Maybe he shouldn’t bother with the quest. Should just stay in town. Nicoletta would play the game. Give him coins to buy food with.
But eventually, she would move on from the game, move on from him. Could he blame her? They weren’t together, not really. As much as he would love to date any one of the three, how could he when he was stuck in the game?
They might be playing with him, but to them, it was only a game. To him, it was so much more.
The more he thought about the whole hiding away angle, the more confident he became that this was a mistake. Whatever reason had brought Smaug to the game, he sure was being sadistic and violent here. Why should Gary believe that he would stop at beating the game? Gary could very well believe that Smaug would try to kill off the gamers again and again until the game was ultimately his. Gary wouldn't be safe even if he hid.
Whatever dragon was supposed to be the main supervillain boss of the game, Smaug was going to be that much harder to take down.
Chapter Twenty-One
Gary refused to allow his worries and fears to hinder him. He tried to walk with confidence, to keep his chin up, but he couldn’t stop his mind from thinking about what death would be like. Especially in a game. Would it be different dying here than in the real world? Would he ever be able to hug someone and actually hug that person instead of their avatar?
For years, Gary had no friends. He had tried to keep to himself. So many others had left him, abandoned him, that he couldn’t bring himself to allow others to get close. This was different, though. He had managed to rise above his circumstances, and now that he had friends and a job, he wanted more and more. The apartment was supposed to be his first step toward solidifying the next steps in his life.
Now, he was stuck in the game. How was he supposed to get ahead in life when he was in a game? And all he did all day was kill creatures? It all seemed so violent, so destructive.
Behind him, the girls were talking and bonding. The sound of their laughter had him chuckling for no reason. Despite everything, he had made close friendships. He still had more to learn about them all, but he already considered them a part of his life. More than just the game.
He used to tease Jorge about playing RPGs and virtual reality games. Gary hadn't understood that you could make friends through a game. He not only recognized that entirely now. He had lived it. Friends could be made me through games, through random encounters. Life was full of unexpected surprises.
By the time they reached the base of Mountain of Eternal Gloom, Olivia had gained several new weapons. Unfortunately, all of them were metal, but she definitely needed something just in case she couldn’t bring herself to fly. She hadn’t been able to fly and grab any of the enemies along the way.
Despite this, Olivia was the most optimistic about the whole thing. Gary would've thought Elena might've had that role, considering she hadn't been the one to face Smaug already. Instead, Elena seemed to appreciate how much danger they were about to meet.
Thi
s time, the number of enemies they faced were a lot higher. So many foxes and bears. A snake dripped down from the ceiling to land on Elena's shoulder. She calmly snatched and squeezed it to death, tied it into a ball, and gave it to Olivia. When they came across a volt of vultures devouring a carcass, Olivia tucked her weapons into the snake ball so that only the tips were visible. Then, she rolled the ball and attacked the vultures that way, injuring several and even maiming one.
“Nice,” Gary said as he sliced through a vulture and brought down the blade to cut off the wing of another.
A shield appeared from the dead vulture. Gary grabbed it and tucked it on his back before killing another two.
Before they killed off all of the vultures, three bears came in, a baby, a mama, and a papa. Elena handled the baby all by herself, which might not have been the best of ideas. The mama bear went psycho, clawing and slashing at everything. Gary and Olivia, having yanked out a spear from the snake ball, worked on the papa bear, but they also had to make sure the mama bear didn’t cut into their backs.
Elena grunted behind Gary, and he glanced over his shoulder, worried she had been sliced down her unprotected midsection, but she was okay. Unfortunately, so was mama bear.
Olivia taunted the papa bear, who let out a roar and landed on all fours.
"Thank you," Gary said as he brought down his sword. He didn't have the strength yet to decapitate a fully grown bear, but the amount of blood was sickening. When Gary pulled the blade back, he shoved it forward again, this time at the bear's throat. As he drew it across, the neck was severed, and the bear slumped to the ground, dead.
Now, the mama bear was even more incensed. She bellowed and slammed a paw against Gary's chest plate. He went flying and collided with the side of the tunnel. Somehow, he managed to not allow his head to bang against the wall. Even so, he was dazed. Through blurred vision, he watched as the women tag-teamed against the mama bear. Nicoletta killed the bear, a slow, painful death of burns, and the stench didn't help Gary any with his breathing. The smell was disgusting.
Finally done with that area, they moved on, but more and more foes laid in wait. Eventually, all four of them had to use potions to make sure they wouldn’t die. Gary’s body remained slightly sore despite the potion. He was pushing himself hard, maybe even too hard, but what choice did he have?
