Alternative Reality Vol 1

by A Uscila

  Even though she was the one who made a huge scene and threw around baseless accusations. Waving around flawed conclusions like some flag. Luke was still the one who gathered all the resentment from everyone. Even though he wasn’t at fault. Even though he didn’t do anything wrong.

  The bun was really good though. Which was probably why he had the nerve to finish it, without paying much heed to all the stares. Not saying he didn’t mind – on the contrary, disliking the situation would be a gentle way to describe it. He was used to such developments, yet hated them all the same. Some things don’t change.

  An unpleasant burning sensation down in his very gut. If you believed strong enough that it’s in the stomach – food helped keep it on the down low. Thus the bun was just at the right time, at the right place.

  ******

  What a day.

  Luke returned home soon after, stopping at a few shops to vent on the way. His weekly quota was almost done, thus he could own spend the rest of his time in Alternative Reality. All that needed to be done now - was get some sleep and he was ready for adventure. If that dungeon was actually explored, it would serve as quite the punch to the teeth, though. Topping on the cake, so to speak. A fruity, gelatin filled cheese cake – the sort he absolutely despised.

  As Luke climbed up the stairs towards his apartment, another unwelcome development awaited him. Seems like it was forming a trend. If life keeps at it - avoiding going outside all together sounds like a possible development.

  Both neighbors returned home at basically the same time by the looks of it. Another coincidence. But only Luke knew as much.

  “Creep” – Was all she said, before hiding in her own apartment. Ending this one-sided day with a one-sided statement. What a day indeed.

  He really wanted to listen to that song though.

  “But I’m a creep, I’m a weirdo…” – He mumbled under his nose.

  Chapter 7

  Wail checked his stats before the moment of judgment. Everything seemed satisfactory.

  Character name: Wail

  Level: 48

  Class: Apprentice Mage

  Reputation: -61

  Title: Sadistic

  Experience: 15.3%

  Health: 1780

  Mana: 2240

  Stamina: 940

  Strength: 20

  Intellect: 110

  Agility: 10

  Fortitude: 40

  Wisdom: 100

  Precision: 10

  Attack: 5-10

  Defense: 40

  Charisma: 10

  Leadership: 20

  Luck: 11

  Fame: 95

  Health Regen: 5 Health/sec.

  Mana Regen: 9 Mana/sec.

  Magic Resistance

  Fire: 20%

  Water: 20%

  Nature: 15%

  Black: 15%

  Light: 15%

  Nether: 15

  *Unspent stat points: 45.

  *-1 Charisma due to appearance.

  *-1 to Charisma due to below 0 Reputation.

  *+2 Leadership due to Fame.

  *+200 Health and + 120 Defense due to Fortitude.

  *+770 Mana and + 3 mana regeneration due to Intellect.

  *+15% all Magic Resistances due to Apprentice Mage.

  *+5% Fire and Water resistance due to Magicians Necklace.

  Title bonus

  *Sadistic title adds the following bonuses:

  +15% damage to lower level creatures and humanoids.

  -10% damage to higher level creatures and humanoids.

  +15% experience for defeating higher level creatures and humanoids.

  -10 Charisma

  He decided to leave a few stat points unspent – just in case a need for them arose later. Skill proficiencies? Wail felt quite comfortable with their state as well.

  Fire Mastery – Intermediate level 1 (98.4%)

  Increases base and critical damage of fire based spells.

  Reduces the mana cost of fire based spells.

  *Damage increased by 25%

  *Mana cost reduced by 12%

  The bonus 25% damage would do wonders in the future. “Pleased” barely described how Wail felt about it, and now he even had two ways to validate his title of “Sadistic”, instead of one.

  Fireball – Intermediate level 2 (87.2%)

  The most basic fire-based spell. Conjures a fireball – can be managed in any way decided upon by the wielder. Can set on fire and cause damage over time. The over-time effect causes damage according to set circumstances.

  Base fire damage – 120-179.3 damage.

  Base over-time fire damage – 15 damage/sec.

  Mana cost – 14.5 mana per use.

  Casting time – 1.4 seconds.

  *Damage increased by 10% due to wisdom.

  *Mana cost reduced by 10% duo to Intellect

  *Casting time reduced by 10% due to intellect.

  Inferno – Beginner level 8 (21.70%)

  Description: Sets fire to a large area, dealing fire-damage and lowering the morale of anyone caught in its’ blazing fury.

  Base area damage – 98-112

  Damage over time – 15 damage/sec

  Area of effect - 10 meters.

  Mana cost – 80

  Casting time – 5 seconds.

  Cooldown – 15 seconds.

  *Damage increased by 10% due to Wisdom.

  *Mana cost reduced by 10% due to Intellect.

  *Casting time reduced by 10% due to Intellect.

  Heck, he might even create a title of “Pyromaniac” by accident, if things will keep on developing this way.

  His group of bandits were in the same place he last saw them. Busy staring at the bonfire like there was no tomorrow. Luckily – every single one of them alive and well. Intimacy didn’t fall due to Wail’s absence, either. It was a strange mechanism built into the AI – they were aware of adventurers being a special existence and sometimes disappearing, thus they paid no heed to that. Of course, time did not stop after the player logged off - life went on inside. Due to which, sometimes players logged in only to find their party of AI driven companions slaughtered or simply gone.

  That’s why logging off during escort and similar quests was a bad idea.

  Without a moment’s delay he allowed Bob to continue his previous mission. Silver key in place, a few turns.

  *clack*

  Soon after, a big chunk of the rock in front began to move - revealing a small entrance into the mountain. Staring inside - Wail noticed how unwelcoming the place seemed. Thick, cold mist seeped out from the pitch black that awaited them within. Spooky.

  By the looks of it though, this dungeon was surely undiscovered. Untold riches waited inside, thus after only a moment of doubt – Wail stepped inside, with his group following after in close proximity. No point in delaying. Though, wasn’t Bob the one who invited Wail? Since when did the chain of command change? These bandits were most likely bent on using Wail as a shield - if anything decides to jump them in the dark. What bastards. Just the kind of company Wail enjoyed. No regret once he himself backstabs them.

  Inside…

  You are the first to discover the Tomb of Borelus!

  *Experience earned is doubled for a week while hunting inside the dungeon

  *Chance of better loot is increased significantly

  +30 Fame.

  -10 Reputation and +1 leadership for leading the bandits to the tomb.

  Wail was absolutely right! Oh, the excitement! It was almost too much to bear. Wail was visibly shaking from it. Suffering through an extremely weird and unpleasant day in reality just to prepare for this very moment finally seemed like it was worth it. May the glory commence!

  ******

  Meanwhile, the Dark Woods were disturbed by an additional group of intruders. Like Wail's party wasn't enough.

  A group of 4 individuals. Three of them wore identical outfits - steel hauberks covered most of their chest, legs protected by engraved greaves and one
pauldron protected their right shoulder. Full helms, with small slits for eyes and the mouth - covered their heads almost entirely. What were they doing in a barely lighted forest with such equipment? Especially the headgear. Typical Onnion soldiers - proud and stubborn beyond belief. Their weaponry consisted of a plain, round - dished shields and short-swords.

  White shirts were worn underneath the chest-armor – the distinguishing color of the kingdom’s foot soldiers. One can only imagine the cleaning bill the army brought in.

  All three of them had a "III" engraved on their pauldrons. Indicating that the soldiers belonged to the third legion of Onnion army, which was responsible for protecting the south and east borders of the kingdom. Guess they were doing exactly that right now. Unless this was a friendly picnic and their whole army was a corruption eroded hell-hole. Seems far-fetched, without a doubt.

  A female, by the looks of it, was the fourth individual. Her figure discreetly covered by a dark green cloak - a large bow swung over the shoulder. A ranger. The opposite of her three companions - she was truly in her habitat. Her clothes were light, comfortable. Head wasn't covered in some absurd metal pot with impairing visibility. Swift, precise, colors perfectly blending into her surroundings. Certainly a lethal threat. Though hitting anyone in such darkness would prove a challenge, regardless.

  Strangely though, she wasn't the one leading. Instead, the troupe went first - groping their way forward like some circus show.

  Due to her facial features being covered by the dark, it was hard to say whether the ranger minded it, though. One might even say that she didn't seem angry, and casually followed without a word of protest.

  Soon the four arrived at a former camping spot, a circle of ashes in the middle of it. You guessed it - Wail's former camp.

  One of the soldiers came over the fire-pit and placed a hand over it.

  “The fire-pit is at least 4 days old. We’re quite behind” – He said with eyes narrowed, after a few moments of meaningful quiet - glaring at the darkness in the woods beyond. Though he didn't need to strain his eyes in search for it.

  “How the heck can you even tell how old the campfire is?!” – His companion, the female ranger suddenly asked, flailing her arms about with dissatisfaction.

  “Actually…I have no idea” – He replied – oblivious, after scratching under his chin for a moment or two. -"But I'm sure my years of training gave me the natural ability to know such things..."

  Even in this pitch black, you could practically feel the ranger roll her eyes to that.

  "Ok, fine. Then where did they go?" - She then asked, more tired than sarcastic.

  Her companion walked around the camping spot almost on all fours for a few moments. Sniffed the air. That or he just had a cold. Since not to think of him as some hound would be a challenge otherwise.

  "That way" - He said after that short, yet simply horrendous ritual - pointing somewhere in the dark - "Westward!" – A clarification added moments later.

  "Southward you mean?" - The ranger asked, placing an arm on her forehead and leaning on it.

  He froze for a few seconds, probably doubting. If not for the helm, one could probably even see it in his eyes, which was quite hard to do thought the narrow slit.

  "West, south...whatever! The point is, we march there!" - He soon replied, his two companions giving a solid nod in agreement.

  The ranger could only release a heavy sigh. There's only so much one could take and this was getting harder than it was worth.

  "I swear, this was supposed to be a simple bounty quest, yet I just had to draw the short straw with this bunch..." - She mumbled under her breath, while following the companions she so obviously adored.

  Chapter 8

  Black seemed to be today’s theme, because that's what awaited Wail and his group inside the tomb. Narrow stairs fit for two people standing shoulder to shoulder led deep down into the mountain. Long abandoned was the descending path - damaged and slippery, covered in the same mist that came though the doorway before. A strange thing to notice was that the mist kept on drifting upwards from the deep, leaving an unpleasantly cold and wet feeling down below. Lower. On the feet. Heck, as if that wasn’t enough – the floor itself was almost completely obscured and going down proved to be somewhat of a nerve-wrecking challenge.

  Luckily, the group found a torch further down, which they happily requisitioned for the greater good. Their greater good. Uneasy glances were exchanged and the torch was lit – the doubts and fears somewhat alleviated by the dancing light cast by the fire.

  Further down they kept on going, with the uncertainty constantly growing within their hearts - as not a sound could be heard. For some reason - even their footsteps quickly faded away into nothingness. Swallowed by the mist below. You'd think that a dungeon would be a loud place - filled with critters to pound-on for loot and glory. Yet all they got a taste of now, was a long and uneasy journey down a flight of run-down stairs in desperate need of maintenance.

  After at least 30 minutes of heart-rending fun, the group finally reached an end of their descent, eyes now cast upon a dark corridor that lead straight forward from their location, its’ unlit expanse creating an illusion was if absolute nothingness awaited beyond. No end in sight due to everything being covered in pitch black. Width-wise it wasn't much different from the stairs, but standing shoulder to shoulder wouldn't be such a cramp experience anymore. Thus one could say that it was a minor improvement. People with claustrophobia would still find it an unpleasant place to be at of course. Heck, guess such individuals wouldn't be here in the first place. Unless they've ended up passed-out-drunk and were dragged here by prank-loving colleagues.

  Thus the party continued onwards - fearless, restless, slightly pissed-off due to the lack of action. Another 20 minutes passed uneventfully. Wail started to think that he'd spend the rest of the week traveling like this, wasting away the experience and loot bonus. That did not set his mood high.

  "Damn con-artists" - He mumbled under his breath, blaming the game creators for all his woes and worries.

  Yet just as he was about to start scorching the walls out of frustration - the corridor finally ended. What opened up before them was an enormous expanse, the vastness more felt than seen, as darkness seemed to rule supreme here, while the usual damp mist crawled under their feet. No movement of anything living in sight. Yet they could now hear something. Scratching, growling, echoing screeches every now and then. Quite an unpleasant atmosphere. Morale wasn't too high, the bandits were starting to have second thoughts.

  "H-hey, maybe we shouldn't have went in here? This doesn't look too good..." - One of them whimpered, but only got an elbow nudge from Wail.

  "You're saying a life's worth of fortune isn't worth dying for? Don't spout nonsense" – Wail jeered half-jokingly and dragged the unwilling colleague practically by hand. Only Bob was holding up alright, though the greedy sparkle in his eye made Wail's fists clench unconsciously - like he was holding onto money that was being threatened by theft. Possible rivalry was in the making. Greed was a dangerous thing indeed.

  Finally, the scenery seemed to shift in a more dungeon-like atmosphere – the air grew stale and rotten, while the occasional bone stuck out from within the churning mist as far as the eye could see. Not too far considering how dark the place was. Quite an unpleasant neighborhood to be in and Wail forgot his complimentary cookies. This won’t end too well.

  As the light from the torch reached further into the expanse, the group finally found their welcoming party.

  Deeper into the spacious hall, divided into sections by large crumbling pillars that reached far into the ceiling - disappearing in darkness, a feast was taking place. Three hunched figures were busy devouring one of their own by the looks of it. Goblins. Visibly different from their brethren on the surface - black, liquid oozing skin, two sets of overly sharp teeth. These little critters were smaller, but still seemed formidably dangerous. They didn't even need weapons, since their long arms en
ded with lethal-looking claws. Sharp. Not something you’d want to feel against the skin. They hissed at the sight of light, almost forcing certain individuals from the group to turn tail and run for their lives.

  Not Wail though. He just spent almost an hour traversing thought narrow dark corridors, haunted by the echoes of the breaths from his own colleagues. One hour wasted with not a single item or experience point gained. He was done waiting. His patience reached its’ foremost limit. Enough to overpower whatever fears might have risen.

  In a blink of an eye Wail conjured a fireball and in quick succession launched 3 of them at the feasting figures. A flair of light, a few screams and suddenly the figures were made into living torches - scurrying towards the party on all fours.

  Due to the strange liquid oozing from their skin, the fires had a hard time spreading, thus the bandits, who now didn't have a choice - finished them off with a few unsteady blows. Considering how some of them were shaking, it was a miracle they managed to hit at all.

  Wail was ecstatic. Finally, sweet experience. Just those three goblins raised his level by 10%. Let's not forget that the experience gain was still divided by 5 due to the bandit party. If by chance, there were more of such monsters to hunt, Wail wouldn't mind even living here. Though he might catch a cold due to the damp air.