by Cid Banks
What was this? A demented mini-game?
I seized his collar. “Let me go, damn you. I want out!”
“Oh, come on. We both know you don’t have the stomach to hurt me.” His jaw—my jaw—hit my knuckles.
“Try me, asshole!”
“Look, there is no out. Naomi and Amy told you already. Nothing can be done.”
I released him. If he wouldn’t help me—fine. I’d get out on my own. I faced the floating UI screens, only to find them gone.
My frustrated scream rebounded off the crumbling buildings.
“Even if you could leave, there’s nobody to house your consciousness.” Tom touched my shoulder. “You are bodiless. A collection of digital information, that’s it.”
I whirled on him. “You’re lying!”
A bemused smile tugged at his lips. “The girls, too?”
“They gave up hope,” I sputtered. “I didn’t!”
“So you think they’re stupid, and that you’re smarter than them.”
My skin grew hot. “I never said that!”
“But you might as well have, James.” He tapped his head. “Think about it. They’ve been inside much longer than you. They said it over and over. Accept that you’re stuck. The island is in ruins.”
“There has to be an escape!”
“You’re annoying me, James.” His voice was like iron. “This world is your home, and some issues require your attention.”
“Fuck this place,” I snarled. “All I care about is getting the girls out safely.”
Suddenly, his fist whirled and caught my jaw. Pain smashed into my skull as slammed into the ground.
Tom’s hands trembled at his sides. “Stop thinking with your dick and take the help I’m giving you.”
Blood trickled down my chin. “No thanks.”
“Have it your way.” His catlike grin broadened. “Kill me, and I’ll set you free.”
Tom
Level 99
HP: 9999/9999
Traits: Cruel, [unknown], [unknown]
Relationship: [error]
“Is that a joke?”
“Depends.” Tom shrugged, splaying his palms. “Leaving isn’t possible, but let’s say it was. You could stand here for millennia and battle me, but you’ll be dead before you accomplished that.”
I sprang upright and swung. His head whipped aside for 1 damage. It was utterly hopeless.
He grinned. “My turn.”
I scrambled as Tom charged.
Teleport
Tom’s wide swing whistled as I reappeared next to the bar. His laughter chased me as I barreled down the hill.
Weapon. I needed a weapon.
What use was any weapon against an enemy with 9999HP? I was done for. Absolutely fucked.
“Run,” he taunted. “Go on. I enjoy a chase, even if it’s for worthless sods like you.”
I slid on the cobblestones, running into the beach. He kicked my back. It knocked the breath out of me. Gasping, I sank into the sand as the ache pounded through my body.
“You humans are all the same,” he drawled. “Limited. Helpless.”
“Fuck you!”
“There is where you die. So long, James.”
Screaming, I thrust my hand in the water. I grabbed a hard object and hurled it at Tom. The rock bounced off him for 1 damage, which made him burst into laughter.
I ran into the violent waves, but there was nowhere to run. There was nothing but endless, whipping tides and the hellish sky.
I wouldn’t die helpless, begging for mercy from this sadistic fuck. Surprise widened his eyes as my fist cracked across his jaw. Something hit my ribs. It was like a punch, but it felt wet.
I looked down. A hilt stuck from my chest. “You—fucking—cock.”
“James, James, James.” Tom’s chuckle drew my gaze. “Accept that you’re just a pawn, and life will be easier. I promise.”
Blackness crept over my vision, swallowing my laughing face.
Nineteen
I woke up screaming. My voice rebounded. I whirled around, searching for Tom. He’d appear, grinning with my lips and teeth. Then he’d sink another blade into my heart.
My face on his body. How was it possible?
“It’s okay,” a woman said, in a soothing voice. “You’re safe.”
Naomi.
The sight of her made the pain in my side twitch. I wasn’t on the island anymore. My hand slipped on a pile of treasure surrounding me.
That freak had stabbed me. My ribs throbbed where he’d struck the finishing blow. I didn’t get it. Tom killed me, but there was no fog of confusion. I checked my menu, finding my gold, experience, and inventory untouched.
I’d died, right?
“You’re awake.” Naomi bent over me, eyebrows knitted together. “Amy, he’s back!”
“Coming!” A distant crash followed her yell as the redhead bounded into the room.
“I’m still in the basement?” I wiped my forehead of sweat, thumb running over the straight nose I’d customized in the tutorial area. It was nothing like the one Tom had taunted me with before murdering me.
Amy paled when she met my gaze. “What happened?”
“I-I don’t know.” The shame roiled my stomach. “It was a mini-game or something.”
“That explains why you weren’t moving” Naomi’s arm wrapped around me as Amy hovered nearby. “It was creepy. You were rigid, and your eyes weren’t blinking.”
“I was here the whole time?” The guitar had definitely brought me to that psychopath on the island. Who was he? Some malignant source code from a quest that should’ve been deleted?
He knew things about me he shouldn’t.
“Yeah, you were here.” Naomi sat back, frowning. “Are you okay?”
The honest answer was no. “Yeah. I’ll be fine. It was a disturbing mini-game.”
“Wow.” Amy rubbed my shoulder soothingly. “Must’ve been intense.”
Helped by Naomi, I struggled upright. Her hair tickled my bare chest. My shirt was gone. A shaky laugh burst from my lips. “What did you girls do, strip me?”
Amy chuckled as patches of heat burned Naomi’s cheeks. “It was Amy’s idea.”
“Not that you argued against it,” Amy shot. “We needed to check your vitals.”
Like that would work here. “You’re more than welcome to cop a feel. I’d prefer it if you did it while I’m awake.”
A wet lump hit my stomach as Amy tossed my shirt. I caught it, grinning. I pulled it over my head, hissing at the wetness against my skin. My eyes adjusted to the low light as Amy and Naomi watched me struggle to my feet.
The guitar was on the floor. I faltered before taking it, fingers marking the smooth lacquer. “How long was I out?”
“At least half an hour,” Naomi said, hushed. “We thought the guitar was bugged and it froze you. What was the mini-game like?”
I slung the guitar over my back. “Weird.”
Amy picked up the bags of gold, adding them to her inventory. “I’ve never seen an object do that before. Dale’s an asshole.”
Dale had nothing to do with what had happened. That terrifying encounter on the island was much more than a mini-game. How could I tell them without admitting I’d been preparing to abandon them?
“I had to solve a dumb puzzle to claim the guitar.” Shame thickened my throat. “It was fine.”
Naomi hesitated before grabbing her stuff. “You sure?”
“Yes.” No.
Tom knew what I looked like. He knew where I lived. He knew everything. That jackass had plundered my memories. I couldn’t make sense of what he’d said. Was I a pawn?
“Here’s your share,” Amy said, tossing a bag in my direction.
I caught it, buffeted by the weight. As I added it to my inventory, my counter jumped to 3435 gold. It was a mind-boggling amount of money, and I had no idea what to spend it on. I also packed the guitar. I was worried about it bugging me out again, but I wasn’t hurt and no
thing had happened to me the second time I touched it, so it seemed stupid to leave it behind. Plus, I was eager to use it. When everything was packed, we crawled into the frigid hallway and climbed out of the castle ruins.
Outside, the weather had turned. Thick clouds rolled over the deep green landscape. We strolled across patches of wildflowers and descended the hill. Our horses waited at the bottom.
We took them into a forest and set up camp. Night was falling. I cleared a space for a fire pit. Amy ripped wood from trees, not even bothering to forage, and dropped them in the middle. Naomi lit them with a surge of flame from her wrists. Amy groaned as heat enveloped her wet body. I sat next to the flames, basking in the warmth. Then I opened my character screen.
Level Up! You have reached Level 5!
HP+2 Charisma +1 MP +1
Add one point to the attribute of your choosing!
(May not boost the same attribute as previous level)
New spell available!
Another spell? I’d better put the extra point in willpower, which increased my total MP. I studied my updated screen.
James
Level 5 Bard
HP: 24/24 MP: 14/14
Experience: 715 Level Goal: 1100
Strength: 2 Reflex: 6 Willpower: 7 Charisma: 9
Traits: none*
Abilities: Song of Mocking, Song of Seduction, Song of Spirit
Spells: Teleport (new spell available)
Gold: 3435
Damn. I liked how that looked.
My numbers weren’t terrible anymore, especially the ones in my coin purse. My only concern was the experience goal. It had been 180 experience to hit level 3, 380 to hit level 4, and 680 for level 5. Now I needed 1100 total points to reach level 6. The points required to gain additional levels were increasing exponentially. It would be much harder to level up from now on. I had ages before I caught up to the girls.
I flipped over my menu to the Inventory tab.
Inventory: Simple Lute, Obsidian Guitar, Steel Dagger, Light Crossbow, Crossbow Bolts x11, Rogue Outfit, Rogue Pants, Traveler Boots
I was low on ammunition for the crossbow and made a mental note to get my hands on more. With the new cash, I could buy a way cooler outfit.
I scrolled to the spell choice menu. The selection was the same, except Teleport had changed. It was an upgraded version, but I couldn’t pick it until I reached 8.
“You’re the expert.” I glanced at Naomi, who rubbed warmth into her bare arms. “What do you think I should pick for my new spell?”
She pursed her lips in thought. “I guess that depends how you want your build to work. You should maximize what you do best without leaving yourself too vulnerable.”
“I’m not sure what that is.”
“You’re good at dancing.” Amy stretched over her bedroll, the orange light flickering across her catlike grin. “And singing.”
“Magic is my go-to weapon,” Naomi said, ignoring her. “I put every point I can into willpower because it’s better to blast the crap out of my enemies. I have a range of elements and attacks. In many fights, I’m able to hit an elemental weakness. And I have a couple utility spells for when things get rough. My goal is to increase my MP as high as possible for maximum spellcasting, but that’s probably not the strategy you’re looking for.”
Naomi explained the system. There were six schools of magic, each juxtaposed against another. Red was the school of destruction. It focused on heat, chaos, and blasting enemies. Blue was its opposite, representing calm and order. The green school concentrated on nature and the body. Its antithesis, purple, pivoted on illusion magic and the arcane. White was home to life and light. Black—death.
Each school had five core spells available. As a mage, Naomi could’ve picked from the entire list of thirty spells.
“Here’s where it gets interesting.” Naomi stripped her cloak from her shoulders, hanging it to dry on a branch. “Every time you receive a new spell from leveling up, you can choose a new core spell, or invest in one you already know. I started with the Flame, which is a simple fireburst attack. When I leveled that up, I could now cast long-range fireballs. All magic works like that. Level up spells and they can be used in newer and bigger ways.”
“Like Flame Wave?”
“Exactly. The spells sometimes have flavor names like that, but they’re still the same magic, just at a higher level.”
A magic user could collect a diverse arsenal, or they could become a specialist. The only spell I had right now was teleport. Advanced teleportation magic sounded awesome, but I needed to level up a bit more. I glanced over my list.
Amplify: Level 1
Casting MP: 3
Target: Self or Area
Magic School: Destruction
Multiply chaotic energies like sound and heat. Does not create a source of energy. Spell duration and effect multiplier based on Willpower.
“Maybe I should take amplify. It says sounds would get boosted.” I met Naomi’s stormy gaze. “That would be good for a bard, right?”
“It’s not a spell I chose, but I’m sure it’d be a great combination. But how often do you play music? You’d be doubling down on song powers instead of something more useful.”
She made a fair point.
Duplicate: Level 1
Casting MP: 5
Target: Self
Magic School: Illusion
Create an illusionary duplicate of the caster. Duplicate has -90% of caster’s HP. Duplicate deals -90% damage on all physical and magical attacks. Duplicates can only perform complex actions while the caster performs a similar action, and expire after 7 minutes. Duplicate lifespan based on Willpower.
Becoming a badass rockstar was my ambition, but I was frail. One heavy attack would probably kill me, and illusion magic seemed to align with my avoidance of all combat. Diversions, escapes, and stealth were all part of my strategy. The goal of this spell was to distract the enemy and draw their fire.
It was too bad I might never get to shoot fireballs, but I needed to do what was best for me. Damaging spells like Flame might never become available. Picking the most impressive utility magic was the correct decision.
I selected Duplicate. It appeared on my character page.
“All right, ladies. Prepare to be amazed.”
I moved from the campfire.
Duplicate
A shimmer surrounded my body like the warping of heat off a sidewalk. I stepped backward, and so did the clone. It looked just like my character avatar, complete with the same smug grin.
“Trippy,” Amy said. “I can’t tell which is you.”
“The real James’ head is bigger.” Naomi pointed at me, grinning.
“Funny,” the clone and I said together. “Whoa, that’s weird.”
I waved my right hand. He copied me with a slight delay. I shook my arms and ran in place. So did he. The clone could follow my movements, or I could direct it elsewhere with my mind. Interesting.
“That was cool!” Amy said. “We should practice with your clone. Heck, maybe I can even fight the fake-you. It’s been so long that I’ve had a sparring partner.”
“Sure.”
The clone faded as Amy rummaged through her pack. “Yes, got them!” The pint-sized beauty cradled three large bottles in her lap. “Join me!”
I sat next to Amy as she pushed booze into my hands. “What is this stuff?”
“I stole it from Dale.” She passed one to Naomi, who opened the bottle and sniffed its contents.
“It’s beer.” Naomi fingered the cork. “I’m more of a wine girl.”
“This isn’t ordinary beer. The label calls it Happy Juice. Check out the effects.” Greed spread across Amy’s face as she recited the list. “Causes thirty seconds of euphoria. Inflicts the drunk status immediately.”
“There’s a huge penalty to willpower and reflex.” Naomi peered at the label, worried. “What if we’re attacked?”
I shrugged. “Everyone in the castle i
s dead.”
“We’re fucking rich! We should celebrate.” Amy uncorked her bottle. “Live a little, Naomi.”
“Fine.” Naomi uncrossed her arms and toasted the air. “But only because I haven’t had good beer in forever.”
I uncorked mine and clinked my glass against theirs. “Cheers.”
“Bottoms up,” Amy said before guzzling her drink.
I drank a mouthful. It tasted like a malty Oktoberfest and went down smooth. A powerful rush of happiness punched my head. My vision swarmed with iridescent spirals.
“Wow. So wasted.” I fanned my neck. “It’s making me sweat.”
“It’s not,” Amy blurted. “Alcohol works as a vasodilator, which increases blood flow through your veins. You think you’re getting warm, but you’re not.”
Naomi gaped at her. “Where’d that come from?”
Amy blinked. “No idea.”
Outside Cascadia Quest, Amy might’ve been a doctor or a scientist. I’d never asked.
Alcohol scorched my lips as I swallowed. Warmth snaked through my limbs. It was more than just heat. Power surged through me. My muscles felt engorged.
I made a fist, staring at the veins popping on my wrist. “I feel like I can do anything.”
Amy pointed at me, giggling. She fell over, chuckling.
“Where’s Naomi?” I looked for the sorceress. “Naomi, come here.”
“I can’t!” Smirking, Naomi avoided my beckoning hand. She lowered the bottle, bursting with laughter.
Amy pursed her mouth. “Lightweight.”
“Let’s see how light she is.” I stooped to Naomi, grabbed her, and lifted. “I’ve always wanted to do this!”
She soared into my arms with hardly any effort.
“What are you doing?” Naomi shouted, holding my neck. “Put me down!”
Annoyed, Amy set her drink down. “Calm down, Princess.”
I twirled Naomi as her cheeks blazed. She swatted my chest, giggling until tears clung to her lashes. Muscles straining, I released her. Naomi sank onto the floor, smiling broadly.
