by Randy Thao
Despite all that he had been through in these last few days, never in a million years would he ever be walking and meeting people like this. He didn't intend to be some kind of hero. He just wanted his legs to be restored. Like everyone else, they came for the similar reasons. Not only that, but now they had to find a way back home. If he lost, he would have to figure another way.
"Watch very carefully people. Let me show you what will happen if you try to defy the RTU Elites. Nice try, Dee was it? You can't possible beat a high mage like me," declared Gen. Lifting both hands out towards his sides, palms up. His staff transformed into a giant scythe revolving in a circle. "Time to die."
Suddenly clasping his hands together, the scythe came at a slant down towards Dee's back.
"Noo!!!" yelled Mara in terror. The crowd gasp in shock and some even covered their faces from the fatal end to what seemed like the hope they needed to get out of RTU.
Crrrrrrink..kkk.kk!!! The scythe that came down was met by the flat side of Dee's sword. Orange yellow sparks showered the ground like a firework sparkler.
"How the hell did you guard against that?! No worries, you can't possibly get away with the next one!" hollered Gen. The scythe spun faster creating a circular blade. It tried to saw its way through the flat side of Dee's sword with no signs of penetration.
Dee gritted his teeth and said, "Not today."
With a tilt of his sword, he curved the spinning scythe and redirected it towards Gen. With both hands on the handle of his sword, Dee released it announcing at the same time, "Cross Slash!"
"You think you can use my own weapon against me?! You fool. I create it, and I control it." The scythe went straight for the center of Gen's chest. The trap spell Gen casted earlier activated, but he stuck out his right hand catching it like a boomerang as it swerved out of the way. Little did Gen know, the scythe was only a distraction. Following behind it was the sword's effect, "Energy Wave".
"Huh!? Where did that come from?!!! Urrrrrrrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!" shouted Gen absorbing the attack arms now crossed over his chest. The veins on the sides of his temple bulged and throbbed with the impact. His armor pulsed with energy as it left him.
"Direct hit!" Derma exclaimed. "He did it!"
"It's not over yet. A High Mage should be able to take an attack like that," observed Bu.
At this instant, with lightning speed, Dee knew this was the only chance he had to finish Gen. As Dee approached behind Gen, the sword began to glow from the gem at the center of the handle.
"What is that?" Mara questioned.
"He's figured it out. He figured out how to release the hidden energy within the sword. Never would I have imagined in the short amount of time that Dee would have been able to release its power," explained Derma.
Mara whispered, "The sword..."
After taking in the blow from Dee, Gen threw down his arms and let out a terrorizing cry. "Ahhhh!!! Damn you Dee! Who do you think you arrrrrrrrrreeeee!!!!!!"
"Over here! Sword Meteor Dance," declared Dee.
Chapter 24 - The Secret Meeting
The spectacle of dancing white lights from Dee's sword swirled around like a ribbon on a pole. The crowd came to a silence as Dee finished with the Sword Meteor Dance pose. RTU Elites stared as Gen stood motionless. He let out a long breath and fell face forward to the ground with a loud thump. The crow exploded with cheers of joy. Gen's body perished away leaving all his items as they do in PVP areas. Dee took them all into his inventory.
Mara ran and threw her arms around Dee's neck and kissed him on his cheek. Bu and Derma extended a firm handshake. Jessie saluted in his direction a few feet away. The RTU Elites looked at each other not knowing what to do next. The crowd hurled insults at them and Dee, seeing that they now had nowhere to go, calmed the crowd down raising his left hand in the air.
"RTU Elites will be no more. I am disbanding this guild," announced Dee. The RTU Elite's head hung low in disgrace, but Dee was not finished yet. "The city will now be opened to everyone! This isn't over as you may know. So, I invite you, ex RTU Elites to join us in a bigger battle. We need all the help we can get."
The RTU Elites nodded their heads and dropped down to one knee in obedience. The crowd also followed suit, and the city was restored that night. A huge party was held and every player within the area came to join in on the celebration. The city was lit all night long. Dee and everyone else had taken a room within the Court of Kings. The music and laughter could be heard from within the city for miles. Dee walked the halls after all the attention he got from defeating Gen. He ran into Mara who was returning to her room.
"Oh, hey," greeted Dee.
"Hey," replied Mara dropping her gaze. "You were great out there. I'm still not sure how you were able to defeat Gen. I didn't want to take your time away from the other players. You're their new hero now."
"Heh, that was nothing. That wasn't the intention," Dee said humbly.
"By the way, if Gen did perish, wouldn't he have resurrected within the city?" asked Mara.
"You're correct," acknowledged Dee. "I doubt he'd stick around. According to our agreement, he is to leave the city, but I would have offered him to stay. We could use his experience."
Mara took a step closer to Dee. Their eyes met each other. A brief moment of silence came between them, yet a perfect time for Mara who had something to confess.
"Dee, the more I get to know who you are..." Mara whispered as her eyes fell to his lips. "The more I'm starting to fall in.."
"Dee?" Derma interrupted.
Mara leaned back, feeling embarrassed. Dee could see the look on her face and played along.
"Well, I can tell you how I figured out Gen's trick. It was not that complicated at all, hehe," Dee explained to Mara.
"Just what I was about to ask you, but let me guess first. It was the effect of the sword that you finally figured out how to utilize, right?" Derma interrupted.
"Well, that and another thing," continued Dee. Mara stared intently. Her beautiful brown eyes waited as he paused for a split second. "I knew that Gen's defense would need to be re-casted every time it was activated. There's a certain distance in which the spell gets triggered, and I needed to get that out of the way."
"The scythe!" Derma interjected.
"Yes," nodded Dee. I knew using his own weapons against him wasn't going to work physically, but it was enough to trigger his defensive trap spell. I also realize that casting another spell required a few seconds. In a fast pace fight, casters are usually in the back, which will enable then this time," Dee continued.
"I see, so you purposely triggered the spell, and the effects of the sword kept him busy enough to disable him from casting another defensive trap spell," guessed Derma. "Just brilliant!"
"You got it Derma," replied Dee. "The stored energy within the crystal was released when enough stress was put in the sword itself."
"Interesting effect. Well, have a good night and let's meet in the center of the Court of Kings tomorrow morning," smiled Derma, and he nodded towards Mara in respect. "We then can talk about the final boss take down."
Derma hovered his way down the hall to his room. The whizzing of his hover chair soon slowly faded away. Dee re-focused his attention to where Mara had left off. Derma had killed the moment, and he could see it in her face.
"Uh, what were you saying before?" asked Dee.
"Nothing, have a good night," Mara smiled. She leaned forward and when she was close enough, she pulled her face mask down just enough to place her lips on his cheek. Quickly, Mara pushed it back over her nose.
"Good night Mara," sighed Dee as he watched her walk towards the rooms in the back.
Mara wanted to turn back and place her arms around him and she wanted him to do the same. Her insecurities kept her from doing so. She placed her hand over her face mask. As she approached her room, she looked left and then right before entering. She walked into the washroom. The marble furniture sure felt real and most definitely gave it it
s elegant touch. The mirror was what made the room look way bigger than it did. It was about half the size of the wall starting from about two feet from the ground and going up to the ceiling. She removed her cloak and her face mask revealing the white suit underneath. The scars, the pink flesh that stretched from below her left ear to the right screamed with ugliness. She often wonders if anyone could ever love someone with a face like hers. She stood a foot away from the mirror. Details of her stretched and deformed skin brought back memories growing up. Tears filled her eyes, but there was someone who appreciated her for who she was and not how she looked. Dee's image appeared in her mind and her heart. She stared at her reflection and for a minute, imagined how she would look like without the disfigurations on her face.
It must have been her sense of imagination, but the harder she tried to picture how her restored skin would look like, the more it came to be. She took a step closer almost nose to nose with herself. Her skin had magically been restored. She touched her skin turning her face left and then right. She tilted it up to see under her chin.
"Huh!" gasped Mara covering her face. "Ha... ah!!!"
She touched the mirror and at that moment, her hand passed through like a pool of mercury. She jumped back in terror.
"What's going on here," whispered Mara observing her hand.
"Mara," came a voice.
She looked up to see another woman on the other side of the mirror. She was wearing the same white suit and long white hair came down a little past her waist. Her blue eyes reflected with a slight glow. Instantly, she had a hunch as to who this person was. From what Dee had told them, it matched the person standing across from her exactly.
"Keeper," Mara managed to say as her eyes locked on to hers.
Keeper stood without blinking and then motioned for her to come. Mara came and entered through the mirror. It was as if she had passed into water. The noise now drowned out and silence filled the space. Darkness, then small twinkles of lights slowly appeared all round them.
"I am...," introduced Keeper.
"Yes, I know. Dee told us all about you," interrupted Mara.
"Good. Then we can skip the introductions." Keeper suggested.
"Aren't you afraid they might come after you here?" asked Mara.
"No worries, my appearances usually give me enough time before they find me. So I must be brief. Besides, there is so much traffic here in the city now that your friend Dee has freed it from the RTU Elites," explained Keeper as she pulled up the traffic of energy waves moving about in a miniature display of the city BluaNu. "I need your help."
"Me?" Mara said surprisingly. "What do you want with me?"
"Something special only you can do. A quest you can say," smiled Keeper. "I'm sure you know what lies with defeating the end game boss."
"Yes, proof to Adrenaline's hidden secret behind RTU," replied Mara.
"I need you to get that for me," stated Keeper.
"Why? Why not get it yourself?" questioned Mara. "You put it there, wouldn't it be just as easy to get it back?"
"It was a lot easier to place it with the end boss during that time, because even though the game had not been completed yet, the end game boss treasure options were. I knew they would not review that part of the boss again, so I placed it there. It's extremely difficult to get it now that the game is in production. The end game boss is now placed in an area in which there is limited exit routes once in battle. If the armored guards were to appear, I would not be able to escape. Triggering the final boss causes a different kind of alert that draws a lot of attention," Keeper clarified.
"I apologize for all my questions. I just don't understand what's fully going on," confessed Mara. "If that is what is needed, I am willing to help Dee and the rest of them get it."
"Thank you for your honesty. One thing, I want you to give it to me personally. I don't know if Dee told you, but those legs of his..." Keeper trailed off.
"It was you!?" exclaimed Mara.
Crossing her arms, Keeper nodded. "If you give it to me. I will see to it that your face is restored just as you saw it in the reflection. Dee will not be able to take his eyes off of you, but if you do not want to take on this task, I certainly understand."
Keeper turned around and began to walk into the darkness.
"Wait!" replied Mara.
Keeper's right eyebrow shot up, and her smile stretched across her face wider than before. She tilted her head turning it back towards Mara.
"You promise?" questioned Mara again. "You will restore my face if I get it for you?"
"Yes, and you promise you won't tell another soul about our conversation or else the deals off," demanded Keeper. Her smile now slightly a grin.
Mara stood there in silence processing Keepers offer. The thought of her face being restored was all she could think about. She would no longer have to hide her face or feel embarrassed, but Keeper needed an answer, and she was ready to give one.
"I'll do it. How would I know that I have found it?" asked Mara.
"You will know it by the name of the item. I hid it, so it would look like a regular item to cause no suspicion. The name of that item is Saturn Moon Ring," explained Keeper as she turned her back towards Mara again.
"How will I give it to you?" Mara asked again.
"Don't worry about that. When I come, you will do as you have said. Goodbye for now, Mara," spoke Keeper, and she vanished into the darkness.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Mara snapped out of her trance. Her eyes darted left and right realizing that she was now back in the wash room standing in front of the mirror. Her face still the same, but the promise, she remembered.
"One second," replying to the knocking. Grabbing her face mask, she placed it over her nose and mouth once again. Mara went and opened the door.
"Hey," Dee greeted as he gazed upon Mara's face.
"Hey," replied Mara.
"Think you could use a little company?" asked Dee.
"Yes, I would like that," smile Mara.
That night they spent time alone talking and sharing about their lives before RTU and their chances of getting out. Who knew how long they were going to be stuck in RTU playing this promising game just a few days ago. Still, they carried on the night with the simple joys life had to offer. They listened to one another's interests and picked out their similarities and differences.
Mara explained how the casting class works within RTU and how she herself was a casual gamer back on earth. Turning to the digital world where people never actually meet in person, but through avatars, gave her a way of escape from the real world. Dee agreed and shared how working at KodeKen gave him the opportunity to check out the latest gaming had to offer in open world VR. The night brought back familiar feelings Dee had not felt in years. He long to continue this, but drowsiness had fallen upon him and Mara. By the time they knew it, they were in each other's arms fast asleep.
Chapter 25 - End Game Quest
Early the next morning, a meeting in the Court of Kings was called. Those who were in attendance were Dee, Mara, Bu, Jessie, Derma and Tim. Derma, though no longer a part of the RTU Elites, was accompanied by some loyal ex-RTU Elites. They followed him in that morning four in total. Tim, who was well known outside of the city, had come to the meeting with two of his most capable friends as well.
The room was dim in respect to Derma's condition. A few lamps burned hanging on metal wire posts. Tin cups and pitchers of water and wine bottles were served by the NPCs.
Dee got up and recapped the meaning and purpose for the meeting. "Good morning. As you all may know, by freeing the city BluaNu, players now have access to their necessities. But there is another problem at hand. After our meeting, we will have this announced to the entire city. Our goal here is more than just a game. It's to find a way out of RTU. This can only be accomplished through defeating the final boss in hopes that the portals will be opened again. "
Derma placed a finger on his lips and questioned, "What makes you
thing that by defeating the end game boss, will guarantee our exit out of RTU?"
"I believe that the final boss holds something that is key to our exit. What that it is I don't know, but it's going to take everyone's help to do it," replied Dee.
Mara made eye contact for a split second with Dee and nodded her head.
"I suppose we have no other choice or remain stuck here," Tim added, "and I'm sure many other players as well, are willing to join you in this battle."
"Ha ha!" exclaimed Bu as he stood up. "Thank you for your allegiance. Derma how about it? You have some of the highest level of loyal men in the city."
"Bu is correct Derma. There are few who have been able to reach levels above ten outside of the city because of the low level quests. Your followers have the right gear and level to support the battle," Dee urged.
Derma turned to his left and called over one of his followers. He whispered something to him, and he left the room immediately. Glancing around the table, Derma smiled saying, "Dee, you have my word."
"Yes!" Mara shouted as they all jumped out of their chairs. Jessie bear hugged her from behind almost toppling back herself.
"Question now is, how are we going to pull this off?" Derma asked Dee.
They all settled down, eyes fixed on Dee in anticipation of his response. This would have to be one of the greatest acts in all MMO history, if they were able to execute and accomplish it.
"I figured you'd ask. Every defeat of an end game boss does not come without planning and strategy. I was hoping you would be able to show me where the quest was so that I may get a little more information. Once I get that, I plan on forming five separate groups within the raid. Each one of us will be leading with the exception of Jessie," explained Dee.
Jessie smiled and nodded in agreement.
Dee turned to Jessie and smirked in return. Then he continued, "We will be needing verbal direction. To assure that we have the best possible chance in defeating the end game boss, we will start recruiting any players that are above level 12. We will start with this for now until I can get more information."
