Edge of the Abyss (Respawn Trials Book #1) LitRPG Series

by Andrei Livadny

  A minute later, standing under jets of hot water, I felt much better. I was overcome by a pleasant sensation of fatigue, as if I had really gone for a long walk through the forest.

  My eyelids were drooping but the feeling of hunger was stronger. I turned off the water and began to look for a towel, which wasn’t there. On the other hand, one of the icons in the interface grew slightly larger, as if inviting me to activate it.

  I focused my gaze on it. Warm air blew from tiny openings. This truly was a smart house.

  I stepped out of the shower and found a set of clean clothes ready on the table. The semitransparent menu waited for me to pay attention to it. I got dressed, ordered and only a few minutes later, heard a hissing sound in the wall. The pneumatic delivery service worked promptly and my late breakfast was served.

  * * *

  I slept for six hours and woke up feeling well-rested and refreshed. First thing first, I walked up to the VR capsule and put in the activation code, but to no avail.

  …

  Please wait for metabolic correction to be completed.

  …

  Fine. I decided not to call Denis just yet. I really wasn’t impressed by his shady deals in virtual reality but the world itself had made an indelible impression. I wanted to return there. I couldn’t help it.

  Right, what time is it?

  7:07 pm.

  The VR capsule would unblock at around 9:00 pm. I should at least find some general information about the project. How do I develop my character? Are there ways of making money that I’d find acceptable?

  I washed my face and ordered dinner. I ate slowly, at the same time studying the information that my online search had produced. Passions were running high online, opposing opinions clashed and nobody held back their emotions as they fought to defend their point of view.

  The Edge of the Abyss was the first project using full immersion technology. The incredible realism had won over billions of people all over Earth but had also pushed many away.

  The prevailing opinion was that the game was too difficult. A person couldn’t increase the level of some sensations but dull down others. Most players didn’t want to experience pain but wanted intensity in everything else. Very few safe territories. Poor selection of races.

  Frequent demands to switch off the PvP mode. Complaints about cruelty and the domination of Dark characters. We came here for fun but we keep getting killed by other players!

  A storm of emotions, basically.

  Right, and what do the developers say to all this?

  There are actually numerous different races but nobody wants to play them. The immersion technology has led to the predictable problem of psychological incompatibility between the human mind and the body it must inhabit if it chooses an exotic character.

  Realism in everything. That’s the defining feature of the Edge of the Abyss. The developers openly warned about the possible risks and suggested that people start on 10% immersion, which they said was completely safe since a deadly wound would feel like a bruise or a deep scratch, no more...

  It looked like the world had gone mad. Everyone wanted to visit the Edge of the Abyss but hardly anyone was willing to look into its depths.

  Between the inhabited lands and the unexplored territories lay the so-called Dark Frontier, consisting mainly of destroyed towns united by ancient fortifications where (according to the virtual world’s storyline), long-lost civilizations tried to withstand the invasion of the Abyss.

  The frontier was controlled by the mysterious Shadow Clans. Some players joined them, mainly fans of hardcore. They were called Dark because of their characteristic smoky aura, which they gained from completing quests...

  The timer beeped.

  The VR capsule was ready for work but I hadn’t yet decided on how to develop my character.

  Wait. Why am I clinging to it? I’m clearly not going to continue Denis’ so-called work, so perhaps I should create a new account and start from scratch?

  Perhaps I will. But today I’ll go in as Dan and have a better look around.

  * * *

  “Oh, your potions work miracles, Markusha!”

  A hunchbacked old crone was leaning over me, murmuring something unintelligible. The pungent smell of herbs filled the small room. I lay on a hard bench. The light from an oil lamp left Craig’s face mostly in shadow. “The spirits have been kind to him and have allowed him back into our world,” the wise woman took a step back, adding, “I have done what I could.”

  The village elder went to walk her out while I sat up and looked around. Yes, this was the room where the emergency exit from virtual reality had occurred. But why did my character remain here instead of disappearing?

  A brief hint appeared.

  You were being carefully watched by the key NPC of the location.

  “You’re a tough one,” Craig smiled and sat down at the end of the bench. “What will you do now?”

  “I’ll return to town.”

  “Just don’t forget my request. It’s almost a full moon. You need a full moon to kill a werewolf for certain.”

  “Why?” I was surprised.

  “An ancient belief,” he shrugged his shoulders and didn’t explain further. “You have the potion. We are depending on you. By the way, you can spend the night here. It’s dangerous to cross the forest at night.”

  “No, thank you. I have things to do.”

  In truth, I felt odd being there. Something seemed to press down on me, as if an evil lurked in the village. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of its residents was a werewolf.

  I bid the village elder farewell and went out into the yard. The moon floated among cumulus clouds, with only its edge visible. The night was warm and still. A distant and drawn-out howl came from the forest, making my skin go up in goosebumps.

  “How do I reach the road?”

  The villager guarding the gates opened them slightly and pointed in the right direction.

  “Turn left when you reach the fork beyond the hill.”

  “Thank you.”

  My plan was simple. The road should be patrolled by the guards. All I had to was reach it. With my leather armor and makeshift spear, I felt much more confident than a day earlier. Moreover, the territories around Anchor were starting locations. The mobs here were no higher than Level 15, except for the rare quest animal, like the werewolves, or the brown bear that I had met by chance.

  I could see the fork in the road in the dim moonlight. It was a couple of kilometers to the forest. There were fields all around so I had a clear view of my surroundings. Oh, a cluster of red markers appeared on the minimap. I drew cautiously closer.

  …

  Wild rabbit. Level 7.

  …

  Nibbling on cabbage.

  There was another one but it looked rather odd. It was larger than normal, with an unusual smoky color. It ignored the cabbage and crept closer to something else, acting just like a predator.

  …

  ???. Spawn of the Abyss. Level 10.

  …

  It made a lightning-fast jump and there was a squeak. I had enough time to notice a fading frame.

  Field mouse. Level 2.

  It was hunting other mobs!

  …

  Creatures that have been to the Abyss undergo random visible changes. Be very careful! If you can study the new species and enter its description into the Game Encyclopedia, you will receive +1 to Fame. Each increase in Fame automatically gives you 25% of the Exp that your character requires to reach the next level.

  …

  Hmm, quite a promising way to develop! I wasn’t in a hurry right now so I could observe the behavior of this strange animal.

  The ??? stood up on its back legs and sniffed the air. It wasn’t interested in its fellow rabbits. Picking up my scent, it suddenly turned around and began taking huge leaps towards me.

  Hit!

  …

  Ability found: leaping attack (damage 20 HP).

&n
bsp; Ability found: spinning attack (damage 25 HP).

  Ability found: venomous bite (damage 5 HP + 3 HP/second, duration 10 seconds).

  …

  I was thrown back several meters, that’s how strong it was!

  Blood poured down my cheek. The pain was tolerable but the poison burned and my head felt fuzzy, as if I was in a fog. I anticipated the next jump. It wasn’t too difficult. The creature attacked in a straight line so all I had to do was prop the butt of the spear against the ground and angle it slightly forward.

  …

  You have inflicted critical damage!

  …

  I sure did! The smoky rabbit was pierced through by the spear’s blade, twitched and fell still.

  The action of the venom finished. The short fight had taken away half my life points but the mutated beast was dead. Examining the body gave me ‘a piece of poisoned meat’ and a ‘strange skin’ (properties unknown).

  …

  You have discovered a new type of creature from the Abyss. Would you like to name it and enter the information into the Bestiary?

  …

  Well, why not?

  I agreed and called the mob Smoky Rabbit.

  The system didn’t torture me and offered a possible description.

  A normal rabbit that has been to the Abyss and has doubled its Strength and Dexterity points. At the same time, its Stamina has decreased and the number of life points has halved.

  Abilities: leaping attack, spinning attack, venomous bite.

  Confirm?

  …

  Sure! It all made sense and there were no errors.

  …

  Congratulations. Your article has been published. You have received 395 Exp and +1 to Fame.

  A new skill is available: Naturalist.

  …

  I didn’t take the skill. I had to first decide in which direction I was going to develop. I was glad of the gained experience, though. I was close to reaching Level 12.

  It was time to keep going. My wounds had already healed a little thanks to natural regeneration. My life bar would fully recover quite soon. Wandering through the countryside was interesting but I had to find a suitable weapon, preferably with scaling damage[2] from Strength and minimal Dexterity requirements.

  The incoming messages icon blinked. It was a screenshot this time, of the fork in the road and me leaning over the rabbit carcass. The description underneath proclaimed, Player Dan_23214 discovered a new species of Abyss-altered creature!

  …

  I didn’t know what this Fame would get me. I suspected that I wasn’t alone in this. Others undoubtedly had more achievements. It still felt nice.

  I continued my journey in a better mood. The night cool was invigorating.

  The plowed fields soon ended and the cart track was replaced by a rather decent paved road. I could see abandoned manors not too far away, along both sides of the road. I couldn’t understand why they stood empty. The area seemed peaceful and the location was low level. A place to enjoy life.

  It was still quite far to the main road and I was overcome by curiosity. Whom did the abandoned buildings belong to? What had gone wrong here? The gentle breeze made the clouds part and moonlight flooded the area. Why didn’t I turn off the road and explore the abandoned buildings?

  That’s what I did. I found a gap in the decorative fencing and cut across the fruit garden, heading towards the dilapidated structures, their roof tiles smashed, the doors flung wide open and darkness pooling in the windows.

  Weeds grew thickly between the trees. Every step was accompanied by the rustle of tall grass. The minimap was empty, with not a single worrying marker. It looked like the mansion had been abandoned long ago and even mobs avoided this place. Why could that be?

  Holding my spear in front of me, I reached the path leading to the house. It used to be wider but the earth had sunk in many places and the stone blocks were lost in the dirt. Interesting... I kept stumbling across overgrown holes that looked suspiciously like funnels. The gaps in the house façade bristled with broken bricks.

  I had seen dozens of these abandoned buildings from the top of the watchtower! What had happened here?

  The unexpected attack came from behind and to the side, knocking me to the ground.

  “Well, naturalist, how does it feel to be famous?”

  I tried to leap back to my feet but no such luck! I was under a Stun debuff.

  “Tie him up!” Savage_Hulk kept throwing glances in every direction as if this place terrified him.

  A noose tightened around my throat and my wrists and ankles were bound as well. There were three Dark players. Impatient_Wang winked at me. He was the one who had applied the magical fetters that didn’t let me move. Fierce_Zarek, the Dark Warrior that I had seen in the camp, kicked away my makeshift spear.

  “Wondering how we found you? You shouldn’t have advertised your achievements! Stupid newb,” Hulk spat scornfully. “You thought that I wouldn’t recognize the area where you looted that hare on the screenshot?”

  “Savage, we really shouldn’t hang around here. Let’s take him to the road and torture him there. Or crit him now, but you’ve got to decide quickly.”

  “I’m not sending him to respawn!”

  “Then let’s drag him away from here and find a calmer place.”

  “No. We’ll teach him a lesson. One that he’ll remember for the rest of his life. Go into the house and find signs of a portal. When you find one, try to activate it!”

  “Are you completely out of your mind?” Wang looked seriously frightened. “What if the Shadows start coming?”

  “We’ve got auras! They won’t touch us!”

  “Yeah, have you checked? Have you?”

  “Calm the heck down! Do what I tell you or you can piss off.” Savage snarled back.

  The Stun had worn off but I still couldn’t move. There was no point in talking to these bastards. I’d survive the pain somehow, and learn the lesson too.

  Looking at my frame, Hulk pulled out a dagger. The dully glinting blade suddenly grew longer as the metal was shrouded in a black flame. Slowly, with obvious experience, he sunk it into my back, not too deeply, however. Blood spattered and there was a flash of pain. My life bar shrunk by a third.

  I clenched my teeth.

  “Patient, are you? Stubborn? How long are you going to last?” The blade went in a little deeper and twisted slowly, producing another burst of pain that made my vision darken. “You will delete your account,” the Dark player promised. “Or you’ll become a dribbling vegetable,” he added, pulling the dagger out of the wound and casting a minor regeneration charm. “Take him into the house!”

  * * *

  I kept my teeth clenched and said nothing. I wasn’t going to demean myself by talking to such scum. Nobody could convince me that they would somehow be different in real life, turning into normal guys. Even in that distant time when virtual worlds only existed on consoles and PCs, you could tell who was who. Reality with full immersion only made these differences more pronounced.

  “Wang, did you find a portal?”

  “Over here!” The voice of the Dark Mage came from some distance away.

  I was dragged through a series of trashed rooms. I noted quite a lot despite the pulsating pain. A serious battle had taken place here once upon a time. The furniture had been swept aside and the walls were covered in slashes and burn marks. A fire had also ripped through the building. Frost patterns could be seen here and there, as if the combat magic had left its mark on the columns and friezes.

  This used to be a rich mansion. I doubted that it had been developed and built for an NPC. More likely that this used to be the home of a player who had donated plenty to the virtual world. What had caused all the damage?

  “Here!” Wang pointed to the sunken floor tiles forming a stone circle. “This is where the Abyss burst through. Listen, Savage, maybe we shouldn’t risk it? Who knows where the portal will lead?”

  �
��Cast it!”

  “Fine. But if we get wiped out, you owe me compensation. I’m not risking my stuff and they’ll definitely drop because of our auras!”

  “All right, enough whining, cast it!”

  Fierce_Zarek dragged me to the wall and threw me down like a sack of potatoes.