Binary Glitch: A LITrpg Harem Adventure! (Blackest Night Book 2)

by Jack Crosby

  As my second loop began, Helsing threw his gun in frustration and pulled out the world’s biggest freaking knife. For me, it would’ve been like a broadsword or something. He gave a dangerous grin, saying, “The real fun is about to begin, boy. This’ll teach ya to break into me house.”

  What started as a slow lumber, turned into a full-fledged pirate sprint after my ass. I turned around and went back the other way, hoping maybe Zoe would have a chance to get the jump on him. As he passed the spot she was over, he grabbed the back of my jacket, pinning me down. I was screwed. I activated Heart of the Oracle and hoped for the best.

  Then he let go and slumped over, writhing in pain. From the back of his neck, I saw Zoe with her sword dug into the scar. “Just don’t look at me,” she admonished. “Do something!”

  It was skill time. A well placed Bullet Burst and Mass Explosion to the head was just what the doctor ordered. What was a bad day just got a bit worse for old Abraham Helsing. As the attacks connected, a health bar appeared over his head and it went down a quarter. That was always a good thing. Before I could get any more shots off, he stood back up and shook Zoe off of him.

  She landed on her feet beside me. Helsing eyed the two of us, realizing he’d lost count. “In my haste to make someone pay, I was a bit foolish. I won’t make that mistake again.”

  With the scene set, we knew what we needed to do. When you get comfortable working with someone and each person knows the other’s strengths and weaknesses, you don’t need to orally go over a plan. You just know. It was going to be my job to distract Helsing, giving Zoe the chance again to use her agility and strength to get him back into a vulnerable position. This was a two gun situation and time for some Oracle Outlaw action. Not giving Helsing a choice, I unloaded a few rounds right at his face.

  He had to react quickly to block the bolts with his heavily armored arms. This gave Zoe the cover she needed to get back on the move and not let him be able to track her. When the attack was over, I went at it again, firing a few more. He was ready this time and did a block/charge move that I wasn’t ready for. The heavy attack of the pirate knocked the wind out of me and put me up against the wall.

  Helsing seemed to have a very short memory as for a second time; Zoe successfully pulled off the sneak attack and hit his weak spot. My first two skills hadn’t cooled down enough yet to use again, so I just fired until both guns overheated. Zoe, a little more adventurous this time, got up close and personal and hacked away with her sword. Blood oozed from the wounds she was creating.

  Our friend came to with a little under half of his health left. His massive paw grabbed Zoe and chucked her over my head and she slammed into the wall. Her eyes were unfocused and she was out of it. I think Heart of the Oracle saved her, but it’d be a bit before she rejoined the fray. Shit, it was all on me now.

  Shaking his head, “Without your little friend there, a puny rodent like you couldn’t hurt me. I don’t know why Zeus Industries considers you a threat,” he added with some spite.

  Little did he know my true identity. I wasn’t about to let the cat out of the bag either, to him. It was bad enough Zeus Industries knew, probably because of Draxler. Well unless I figured out a way to kill Helsing, that really wouldn’t matter.

  Being in a different arena, I couldn’t use the normal way to kill him. However, the brick wall that just knocked out Zoe gave me an idea. It was time to matador this big bull.

  I fired at his feet, mainly to annoy him. “C’mon big and ugly, aren’t you ready to put me away yet?”

  This was an affront to his sense of superiority. I saw his eyes gloss over red and he was going to do exactly what I needed him to do. I shuffled a few feet to the left to make sure Zoe wouldn’t get trampled and the large pirate stormed towards me. Due to his mass and speed, he wasn’t able to stop from going in a straight line, so I just needed to avoid him. A quick dash to the side ensured that and I made the shot of my life, hitting the back of his neck. He tumbled forward into the wall, too. His head was all mine for the beating.

  My skills were back up and this time, I wasn’t in the mood to waste any. I unloaded everything I had into Helsing, fingers crossed this would be the last volley needed. Then, with just a sliver of life left, he came to and punched me away from him. Shit!

  He hit very hard. I wasn’t even ready for being scooped up like a rag doll, so I was just as surprised as anyone to find myself a good eight feet off the ground over his head. It was apparent he was going to slam me into the ground as hard as possible. I gave my chances of survival little to none.

  Then he dropped me as he fell to the ground, too. There was a black sword sticking out of his neck, thrown by the one and only Zoe. I rolled away from Helsing and when I stopped, “Bye bye mother fucker.”

  The bolt hit him in the face, and I watched with a bit of satisfied derangement the pirate lord flailing and flopping all over the place as the last bit of his life left him. When he stopped, my oculus went crazy with noises (including seventy-five gamer points for the ‘Pirate King’ achievement!) and Zoe jumped my bones right then and there. I was tired, but getting the chance to finish all of this off in her was an appropriate way to end a dungeon.

  Sidequest: Into the Void

  There was loot everywhere. After another amazing orgasm, my eyes found all this cool shit, the spoils of victory! There was a few accessories for my guns (scopes, barrel extenders, etc…) and a whole new set of gear for me (the wasteland pirate king set), so I was in hog heaven. I was able to scrap a few things, too, adding to my ever growing small fortune. Zoe had fallen asleep post sexy time, so I set aside her winnings to go over later.

  “Ash.”

  I stopped everything. First, someone was talking and there was no one else here with us. Second, whoever it was, used my real name, not my gamer handle. I stopped everything and looked around the small arena. I only saw a sleeping Zoe and a dead Helsing.

  “Ash, I’m right up here.”

  Up? I scoured the wall, looking for the source of this voice. Again, my search turned up nothing, but when I tilted my head back down, I didn’t have to look for the speaker any longer. She was right in front of me and nearly scared the shit right from my bowels. I figured my gasp would’ve woken up Zoe, yet it didn’t.

  The lady, who was decked out in a black robe and black high heels walked forward. There was something oddly familiar about her, yet I couldn’t place it. She placed her hand on my cheek and stroked it gently. “The player who has come to save this digital world.”

  Her face, while quite a bit younger looking, hit the mark. “Are you the Oracle?”

  “The old crane who met you was just a mirage I sent out to get you started on the right track.” Her eyes found Zoe. “And to get that one more involved besides killing people in the Neon Underground.”

  “So who are you?”

  Her hand never left my face, still rubbing it gently. “I am Baba O’Riley, but I think you already knew that.” Even as she said that, I wasn’t surprised. “You avoided my side quest before for a number of reasons; this time I think you will find it compelling to complete it.”

  I was her champion, so of course I would have to complete the side quest. “Is it the one that could only be started after the death of Helsing and free range of the pirate’s territory?”

  She nodded her head, all the time still smiling and rubbing me. Her hand had drifted down to my shoulder. “There is a great need for you at the end of the void you must traverse. Zoe shall stay here and I will be your guide on this expedition.”

  Her words made sense. I needed to complete this myself. If I had any chance of defeating Draxler and moving on to the final boss, I needed to become self-sufficient. “I am glad to have you along, Baba.”

  “Before we go, check your oculus. I believe you are ready for your next skill.”

  I did as she said and I’d reached the level to unlock a new skill. Due to my adventures in Coffin Cliffs, I was now at level twenty-four. My choices this
time were Sole Survivor or Redemption Man. Sole Survivor was a health based skill that allowed me to continue fighting on even through the worst of pain. Redemption Man allowed me to use skills back to back with no cool down necessary for a total of up to three times in a row. This was a challenge to pick.

  I decided to gamble on myself and add even more offense to the mix. I clicked on Redemption Man and locked it in. Also while I was here, I checked on my companions list. Zoe was shaded out grey and in her place was Baba O’Riley; she was sporting a ninety-seven percent compatibility rating. With everything locked and loaded, it was time to move on.

  “I can get us to the entrance quicker, but it requires some effort on your part.”

  Her words were laced with honey. “What do you need?”

  Her hand slipped down to my pants and grabbed my ever growing muscle. She leaned in close and whispered, “Cock.”

  No more words were needed. Did I feel bad that Zoe was asleep just feet from us? Yeah, a little bit. But Baba O’Riley was this perfect older woman whose body needed to be explored and taken. It wasn’t long before her mouth wrapped around me and took it all in. I gasped the moment the tip of my muscle touched the very back of her throat. I’d never experienced anything like that in my life.

  Then the damndest thing happened. Ropes, from where I don’t know, shot around my wrists, pinning me in place. “You are at my mercy for my gifts,” Baba told me, releasing my cock. “You are under my control, Ash Wilde. Prove to me you are worthy.”

  How the hell was I going to do that tied in place? Maybe it was something I was supposed to say? “Yes Mistress, whatever you need of me.”

  “Perfect.”

  Her controlling ways and demanding looks were at conflict with my nature, but it worked. This dynamic between us, it felt right. No other girl would be able to do this to me, but I accepted Baba right away as my superior. I would do whatever she asked of me. I was her toy today, no one else’s.

  She wouldn’t let me finish in her mouth. Under her robes was a matching set of red bra and panties. Her breasts looked so supple in her bra that I immediately slid myself under the bra and between them, fucking those orbs vigorously. I grabbed the back of her head and came all over her beautiful puffy pink lips. It felt wonderful.

  Baba slowly pushed me from her bra, which popped off as well and led my cock down to her waist. Her touch kept me stimulated and I wanted to know if she felt as good as Ali, Ira, and Zoe had. I pushed aside the thin fabric of her panties and felt the welcoming sensation of warmth and wet. The witch’s eyes lit up with glee as he entered her, slowly yet with some force.

  What turned me on the most was the black hair that rubbed up against me and her heels rubbing against my back. I was going to fuck her like I never fucked before, I had to. Something in her eyes told me that was my requirement. My hips began to buck wildly inside her as she whispered encouragement in my ear. “Your cum is but a small price to pay. There’s no need to pull out, handsome man.”

  At her request I did just exactly what she wanted me to do. I let it all flow out of me and into her. She started stroking my face again, cooing, “Very good, Ash. You did exactly what was needed of you.”

  Even as we were still intertwined, a black vortex opened up beside us. Baba slowly got up and put herself back together. “A shortcut if you will. Come, into the void, and we will get you ready for the last obstacles ahead.”

  ****

  When we stepped out of the portal, we were in what looked to be an old church. Angels were sitting at different points and there was an alter in front of us. Baba motioned towards the altar and I started walking up, realizing she wasn’t going with me. When I reached the wooden lectern, there was a book open with small, golden words dancing across the pages. The more I focused, the more the words fell into place.

  Reading aloud, “And the witch, Baba O’Riley, went into hiding, waiting for the one to be summoned into the realm to save it. When the boy of age comes via the Alpha Star, these words can he read. Take note that Zeus, named for the God of Lightning, is just the beginning. Shadows run far underneath and exposing them to the light will free this place from its chains.”

  I didn’t know what it meant; just that it seemed like an awful lot of coincidences occurred. “Why did you bring me here?” I asked her.

  “To prove to you that there was a reason for all this to happen. My side quest begins here, but before I could send you off on it, I needed you to know the stakes of the game.” Literally it seemed. “To you, we may just be digital personas come to life, but to us, this is very much do or die.”

  She was correct that I was still playing this more as a game than a very real, very serious situation. “So all along, you’ve been the one pulling the strings?”

  “Ali, while a smart girl, would’ve never figured out how to get you here unless I gave her the push as the Oracle. And Zoe,” her voice getting a bit reflective, “she would’ve stayed hidden and never helped you get to this part. Every piece on the board has been played to meet a specific purpose, including myself.”

  “You aren’t all pawns, no matter how serious the play.”

  “Ash, you must understand this one fact – a being from this world cannot do what must be done. Even with the introduction of freewill, the programmers made sure we were powerless to stop them.”

  This was getting deeper and deeper. “Stop them do what?”

  “Defeat Draxler and confront the CEO. That’s the only thing I can tell you.”

  There were more questions that needed to be answered, but another void opened up. “This side quest is short, yet dangerous. Once you reach the end, you will know so much more.” A gust of wind pushed me into the darkness, away from the witch and more answers.

  Mission: Return Trip

  I was standing in the middle of the Neon Underground, or what was left of it. What was once a vibrant underground black market of goods was now just a smoking husk of a mess. I wondered just why I was sent here. Figuring it had to be a good reason, I wandered into the deep. Plus I had no choice; the entrance was caved in, leaving me stranded. Thanks Baba O’Riley!

  My first stop was Ira’s old office, just to see what was left there. As the Neon Underground admin, her office had to be a good starting place to give me some clues as to what happened here and maybe even my purpose in this impromptu side quest. As I opened her door, I was expecting the worst, but was oddly relieved. The office was intact and there was no dead sexy lady slumped over anywhere. Chalk up another weird instance. Though I was happy for that as it meant there was a chance she was still alive. She was really cool and the thought of her biting the big one made me sad.

  The computer in the back was still running, so that was my first stop. It was password protected of course and what little I knew about Ira didn’t give me many clues. As a joke I typed in Vixen69 and it unlocked. That was pure luck and it made me smile just a bit. The document on the screen brought me back to reality. It was a note:

  ‘Ash – I hope you’ve come back,

  If you’re reading this we are all either dead or have been taken prisoner. A force on unknown origins has stormed into the Neon Underground and there’s little we can do. My security agents will hold them off as best they can, but I realize my time is quickly running out. I can’t point you in the direction of this mystery, but I can tell you about the one thing that lies dormant here – The Typhon Motorcycle. Named after the titan that almost brought down Olympus, it is the one vehicle that can match Draxler’s.

  At the back of my office is a doorway that will lead you into the catacombs. Monsters lurk there that shouldn’t be seen and the Old One guards the treasure. Good luck Ash, I hope to see you again one day.

  -Ira’

  Seeing Ira’s handwriting brought quite a bit of joy to me. I hoped for the best, that she and the rest were still alive somewhere. She was my girl after all, the one I was hoping to have the good fortune to come in contact with again one day. She was the yin to my ya
ng.

  Then I noticed there was a bit more to the note:

  ‘P.S. – The game has changed, as you probably know. You are the last hope, the only way to ensure the master copy of the game retains freewill and can continue on.’

  Talk about really putting the pressure on. I was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed, but moving forward was the best option. I followed Ira’s directions to a door at the back. It looked like a coat closet or something, so when I opened the door and saw it was just that, I was confused. A white coat was still hanging there, as if Ira was still operating around here.

  So I started looking around the room, thinking I maybe went to the wrong door. Turns out that was the only door here. So I opened it again and still nothing. I pushed aside the coat and there was nothing there either; just the back wall. Annoyed, I kicked out and my foot went through the back wall a little too easily. I kicked again and opened up the hole a bit bigger.

  It was cold, like the wall separated the office from some subterranean lair. With the Moon Fragment, I could see clearly, like a night with a bright full moon. I entered the area with a great deal of trepidation, as this seemed like some sort of set up.

  A voice entered my head, like it was far away, yet close enough to hear. “Vector, can you hear me okay?”

  “Baba?” Now where was the witch at? “Are you here somewhere?”

  “No, I am still where we parted, at my home.” So the old church was her home, interesting. “We are lovers, dear, so we can connect on a more intimate level.”

  At least I wasn’t alone, sort of. “I found the note Ira left me. I’m guessing this isn’t the original side quest in the game.”

  “Oh?” she sounded surprised by my observation. “There’s a reason no one ever feels the need to take on my side quest – it was meant for this moment and you alone.”

  The mixing of fate with the real world and the video game world still seemed way too far out to be true. “So you’re telling me you could influence players in the world never to seek out the side quest after defeating Helsing?”