Party Hard

by David Petrie

  On the floor of the cavern, tents populated the wide streets between the towers, some selling a variety of crafting supplies and items while others offered games like ring toss and darts. Of course, there was also enough street food to make Kira drool. It reminded Max of a carnival midway. As if the deru, being trapped underground for so long, had set aside a part of their city for fun. It was a clever way for Checkpoint to fit another type of entertainment into the world’s lore.

  The place was empty now, save for the few NPCs wandering around and manning the tents, but Max could imagine what it would be like after its release. Looking up at the city, he couldn't help but be amazed as it seemed to fold over on itself. He hoped that they'd be able to come back and see it full of players later. His thoughts were interrupted by a low whine behind him, like an animal whose paw had been stepped on. He turned to find Kira struggling to get the attention of one of the deru operating a tent that sold fried dough covered in powdered sugar. It gave her the same gentle smile and nod that Max had gotten earlier.

  The fairy looked back to him, her face somehow sadder than it had ever been. "The transaction system hasn't been set up yet."

  Max groaned. "You'll live."

  "But there's so much, and I can't eat it."

  Max faced her and put one hand on his hip, the dragon kings looming behind him. "Would you really want to eat a bunch of fair food right before fighting these jerks?" He hooked a thumb back at the War Dragons.

  His words hung in the air for a moment. Then all hell broke loose.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Screams drifted through the air from beyond the city’s center like a bump in the night that begged for investigation. Kira flinched and spun toward the two War Dragons, expecting to see them breathing fire and ice in her direction, but there they were, still as petrified as ever. She turned, taking note that the deru around her were closing up shop as if something was coming. They moved with a frantic energy, their gentle smiles nowhere to be seen. Nearby, a small girl with light blue skin cried out, only to be picked up by a woman, a plush toy left behind. It was a well-worn stuffed lagopin with one ear hanging by a thread as if it had been loved by the girl a little too much. Kira couldn’t help herself. The fact that the child wasn’t real didn’t occur to her as she snatched the toy off the stone. She couldn’t bear to see the kid lose something so precious. She ran to catch the pair before they made it more than a few feet, getting a few confused looks from the rest of her party in the process. The mother spun as Kira approached. She took they frayed animal from Kira’s outstretched hand and passed it to her daughter, who clutched it tightly in her arms. The woman motioned to leave but stopped to give Kira a grateful nod. She smiled back as the deru’s eyes fell to her pendant, a momentary look of pity crossing the woman’s face before she turned away. Fear rolled through Kira’s stomach before her thoughts were interrupted by Corvin who stood a few feet behind her.

  "Is this an event of the expansion, happening early?"

  Max drew his pistols. "I don't think so. Look at how detailed the deru’s reactions are now. It’s like they’re being controlled by a different algorithm. No, I think this is the quest taking over. I'm betting that whatever is coming is all Carver's doing.”

  An explosion went off in the distance, and with a glance, he told Kira to get in the air to investigate. She took flight without question as deru soldiers rushed out of the towers and made their way into the center of the city. They gathered around the four shrines that held the crystals that sealed the dragons. Obviously, they didn't want the beasts getting loose. She tried to count the troops, coming up with a number around three hundred.

  From the air, Kira could make out figures in the distance between the towers on the other side of the center. Puffs of magic and fire erupted around them every now and then. "Monsters are coming!" she yelled back down to the others. "I can't tell what kind from here!"

  "Scout ahead but use the towers for cover!" Max shouted back up.

  Kira flew toward the disturbance, circling around the structures and making sure to stay out of range. Her feet touched down on a platform above, and the sound of battle erupted as an army of creatures poured into the street. They weren't ghouls or goblins but something else. They wore gear similar to an adventurer, almost looking like players themselves.

  She fell to her knees as her mind refused to process the scene. Finally, the horrific reality sunk in. They were players. She didn't know how or why, but actual people were attacking the city. The whole place had become a giant invasion event. Sierra was under siege.

  Kira took flight back toward the center, passing over the street on her way. The deru, unarmed save for the soldiers, stood against the players as if hoping to hold them off, protecting their city with their lives. Kira watched in shock as her fellow adventurers cut them down without hesitation. Men, women, children. It didn't matter. They weren't real, but it tore at her heart regardless. Her vision blurred with tears as she turned back to the others who were already surrounded by the madness.

  From there, she did the only thing she could. She activated whatever spell she had in her queue and supported the city's force on the ground.

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Max stood with his mouth hanging open as the deru soldiers guarding the crystals fanned out to form a wall around the shrines to meet the incoming army. They were tough, but there were too many players, and the situation was clear that they weren't going to keep the invaders back for long as their city was torn apart.

  The two factions ignored Max and his team. The players were disorganized, like they had been dropped into the place without a plan and told to fight. At the same time, the deru regarded his party as allies, probably marked as friendly for the sake of the quest. Max’s fingers tightened around his pistols. He had to do something, but he didn't know what. Then near the far side of the center, Kira caught his eye. She swooped down on her way back, touching the ground for a moment to set up a heal on a group of deru guards. She dropped a few more spells into her queue and took flight again. He let out a breath, grateful for his partner since seeing her told him what should have been obvious.

  His eyes shifted to the rest of the party. "We have to help. What else is there?"

  Without another word, he took aim and raced to aid the overwhelmed defenders, getting numerous confused looks from the invading players as he pumped rounds into their unsuspecting numbers. Using the confusion to his advantage, he and his team got the drop on most of the adventurers they encountered.

  Luckily, it seemed that their levels were much lower than their own. Hell, luck probably had nothing to do with it. No doubt Carver had only lured in weaker players to make sure that Max's team wouldn't be killed outright before Kira had a chance to figure herself out. Although, despite the level difference, a critical hit was still a critical, and in PVP, anything could happen. Eventually, someone would get too close. Max had to be careful.

  Ginger threw out the spider egg that she had taken from the Plague dungeon and a smaller version of the spider that they had fought earlier burst from within. It proceeded to attack any player that she targeted. Corvin pulled the fabric from his face and used his left eye to hold the stronger players in place while Kegan dispatched them. And Farn, well, she just charged shield first into entire parties, throwing them off balance while the deru finished them off. Max looked up just in time to see Kira streak by, casting spell after spell, supporting the defending ground forces. Then she fell.

  The fairy dropped out of the sky, hitting the ground hard and losing her bone charm in the process. Max saw her go down, but he didn't see why. She hadn't been hit; he was sure of it. No, it was like she had just been switched off. She was fine one moment, and then she wasn't. He sprinted toward her, dropping as many of the unguarded players as he could in his path. If she hadn't been shot down, then that meant something was wrong. A sick feeling coursed through him as his imagination ran wild. What if she'd reached her limit within the system? What
if she was hurt for real, or worse? He should have forced her to quit earlier. They shouldn't have risked it. His mind raced with possibilities, possibilities that he wasn't ready to face. He missed the feeling from before, when he rode high on his ego, back when he thought he had the power to save her. Now he just felt helpless. His eyes welled up as he tore through the players between them like paper, shooting people in the back before they realized he wasn't on their side. Finally, he found her.

  Farnsworth had beat him there and knelt over his friend, her shield covering them both. She moved aside to give him room and looked up at him through tear-filled eyes that begged him to do something.

  Kira lay on the cobblestone, eyes shut tight, clutching her chest with both hands. She looked like she was in pain.

  Max called her name several times, but all she did was lie there, her small body taking rapid breaths like a dying animal clinging to life. He touched her throat for a pulse before realizing that it was a stupid thing to do since his mind would only interpret what he expected to feel. Instead, he slapped her on the cheek, his hand coming away wet with tears as they flowed in an endless stream down her face. His heart charged into his throat.

  That was when some of the invading players caught on that there were traitors in their midst. Heads turned toward Max and his broken partner one by one. He could almost see the recognition of an easy target on each of their faces.

  The rest of his party converged to block their path and Max passed the responsibility of protecting Kira to Corvin, who rested her head on his lap and wrapped his tail around her to provide some form of comfort while his basilisk eye held potential threats at bay. He winced but never looked away.

  Max exchanged a look with Farn, carrying everything that he needed to say as the players rushed them. They couldn't let a single one through.

  Chapter Fifty

  Farn screamed through the chaos for the players to stop, her voice raw and cracking. When they failed to listen, she cut them down in a display of ferocity that she didn't know she was capable of.

  Her shield deflected a blow from a large man with a thick beard. She followed with a strike to his leg, knocking him flat on his back. He tried to roll away, but she plunged downward through his chest before he could escape. Their eyes met as he disconnected, the life in them fading in the space of a breath. She paused in shock as the glowing particles of his body dispersed from around her blade.

  Taking advantage of the momentary opening, a young woman, a Leaf, attempted to catch her off guard by firing two arrows at her while she was exposed. They pierced the back of Farn's shoulder, but she moved just in time to avoid a critical that could have killed her. Ignoring the arrows, Farn launched her sword with both hands in the direction of the attack. Clearly not expecting a counter at distance, the Leaf failed to dodge the flying blade, and the impact launched the small player backward into another group, pinning her to an unlucky mage and killing them both in a lucky hit.

  Unarmed, Farn sprinted to reclaim her sword. She plowed into a group on her way with her uninjured shoulder, knocking a few over. The arrows in her back dug in, causing additional damage as her momentum forced her into a roll. Before she could recover, a Coin lunged in her direction, a short dagger in his hand. With her sword still several feet away, she grabbed her attacker by the collar as he fell upon her, his dagger piercing her abdomen. The pain, though dulled by the system, sent a wave of nausea through her body that took hold in her stomach. She slammed her back against the ground, positioning the Coin so that the arrows in her shoulder pushed through her and into his heart. It hurt more than expected.

  Weapons clashed and players shouted as Farn rolled off the body, glowing particles drifting from the lifeless form as she pushed herself back up with a grunt. Despite the pain and sick feeling in her gut, she charged ahead, shoving down players to get to her weapon. She fell hard as she reclaimed it but recovered to one knee as four players closed in. She glared up at them from a crouch, her sword ready, two arrows still in her shoulder. Wisps of her loose black curls fell across her field of vision as she glared daggers at them, her heart full of passion, determination, and rage.

  With a short motion of her blade, she snapped the ends of the arrows from her back and ripped the tips from her chest with her free hand. She popped a health vial, pulling the stopper with her teeth.

  The surrounding players took a step back.

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Max ducked behind Kegan and Ginger for protection to retrieve a pair of crimson magazines from his item bag. He had only received them an hour ago as a result of his most recent contract, but there wasn't time to waste debating whether to use them or not. He just hoped they did what he thought they would. He tapped the mag release on both guns, not bothering to catch or pick up the spent magazines as he slammed in both of the red ones. He placed both pistols against his forehead and breathed the words, "Explosive rounds."

  As a class, Furies weren't well suited for PVP since their damage weighed on criticals and players wore better armor than most enemies in the game to protect them, making it harder to land one without getting close. Normally, range was his primary advantage, but now, it became more of a double-edged sword. Not to mention the fact that a Shield could rush him without much risk. He was left with little choice. It would take everything he had to keep his partner safe.

  He stood bearing his teeth, causing a couple of the invading players to change their minds as they turned and focused on the deru guards instead. He stepped in front of his friends and raised his pistols. He released the slides and they snapped forward into place, the first round of each mag moving into position to be fired. A timer reading five minutes appeared within the tattooed flames on his wrist below his status to signify that the one-time-use contract ability of the magazines had been activated. He had read over their vague description earlier. It only consisted of two words, Unleash Hell.

  His guns, Mary and Anne, both contract items as well, weighed on his mind now that he knew they had been pulled from his subconscious instead of from a list of pre-programmed items. He had always liked pirates, even read books about them, so when he’d taken down a Nightmare named Rackham, based on a famous real-world captain, his mind must have made the connection without him realizing it.

  Mary Reid and Anne Bonny, historically, were also pirates. Two of the few female ones. They had sailed with Jack Rackham, or Calico Jack, as he was called due to his preference for colorful clothing. While history remembered the man - who was, in truth, a terrible pirate, surrendering early in his career only to be hung - it often overlooked these two women, the ones who deserved better. The women who fought alone and refused to surrender while the rest of the crew cowered below deck. Their story had always stuck with Max.

  Now, with the knowledge of how the contract system worked combined with how the quest had been going so far, he couldn't help but wonder if the weapons he carried reflected his own insecurities as a leader. If, in his mind, he only saw himself as a man hiding below deck while others carried the burden. Either way, none of that was important now. Mary and Anne, the pirates, were long gone, leaving only their memory in his hands.

  Max never used the select fire switches on the pistols since there hadn’t been a need to turn their safeties on before. Noctem was a game, after all. Why bother being responsible? But as stated, the pistols were contract items, and so they had a third, unlabeled option. He thumbed their switches all the way down and fired.

  Hell erupted from his hands as the pair of pistols unleashed an unending stream of explosive rounds in a continuous spray of destruction. With both guns set to fully-automatic, stacking with the five minutes of infinite ammunition that the magazines provided, on top of his custom rounds skill, he might as well have been Death himself.

  The machine pistols roared, breathing fire and smoke from their barrels as if they were an extension of his own body. A few other players fired back as he raged against the limits of the system. He might not have had th
e wild spikes in willpower that his Kira did, but his was still high enough to squeeze every last bit of power he could from the game. He moved faster, terrified of what might happen if he didn't as he acquired targets with both hands independent of one another. The fear of losing his best friend pushed him further than any Nightmare had before. His hands burned as the ends of his pistols glowed red from the heat of constant firing. He didn't stop.

  In the crowd, Max glimpsed the face of a young Blade that he recognized. Among the invading army was DarkA55a55in, leader of the party that he and Kira had rescued a day prior. He looked at Max confused, clearly questioning why he was opposing the player's advance. The boy's expression changed to terror as Max closed the gap, executing everyone between them.

  He holstered his left pistol, Anne, and grabbed the boy by his collar. He didn't stop there. Instead, he pushed him backward at least ten feet into some kind of fruit stand. Wood cracked as produce spilled to the ground.

  With his right gun, Mary, he fired at two nearby players, dispatching them both in a torrent of death without taking his eyes away from his captive. Satisfied that they would have a moment to talk without interruption, he pushed the glowing barrel of his gun into the kid's face. "Why are you doing this?!" His voice came out rough, strained from overexertion.

  "It's an event!" the kid squealed back, grabbing at Max’s wrist.

  Max pulled back, lifting his captive up before slamming him back down and crushing a few apples with the boy's weight. "What event? Who sent you?"

  Tears welled up in the kid's eyes. "I don't know; I just got a system message. Everyone did."

  Max looked at him with an intensity that not even he knew he possessed. It was a look that demanded more without him needing to ask, prompting the kid to spill information like blood from a wound.