The Slayer

by Darren Hultberg Jr

  Before I could ask any more questions, the elvish woman faded into tiny particles of light once more. I jumped as the stone dragon statues on either side of me began to move. They inched closer to each other, there stone claws extending downwards as their snouts met at a point. The room lit up as a fiery portal emerged between the effigies. I stepped towards the portal… the Aether gate. I could feel the heat from the gateway on my palm. The immersion was truly amazing!

  I took a deep breath, then stepped through the portal. It was time to shine!

  3

  Year of Rebirth: 0001

  It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the bright blue sky, a stark contrast from the dark chamber I had just departed. Around me, giant oaks reached to the heavens, their trunks so large I couldn’t even wrap my arms around them. The ground beneath me was covered in leaves larger than my palm, with wildflowers of blue and purple and green that swayed near my waistline.

  It was amazing. I could feel the soft earth beneath my feet and the air press against my face. This was VR truly on another level…. It was as if I'd left my normal body behind entirely.

  I raised my hands in front of my face, trying to orient myself to this new body. My size seemed to be relatively the same, though the extra layer of muscle the game had packed on was certainly a welcomed addition. My black hair was now a shimmering silver. It was a bit longer as well, nearly brushing my shoulders. I always wanted to grow my hair out, but I guess this was easier.

  Encircling my vision were two translucent bars. I focused on the first… HP 100/100. The second read Energy 100/100. It seemed straightforward enough. I took a quick glance over myself. Cotton pants, tall boots, a brown leather tunic and a short sword strapped to my belt. It wasn’t much, but this was just the beginning, after all. A small notification indicator began to blink in the corner of my vision. I focused on it, pulling up another menu in my field of vision. It was my character sheet!

  Name: Zander Darkblade

  Class: Slayer

  Lvl: 1

  Exp, 0/100

  Strength: 10

  Dexterity: 10

  Intelligence: 10

  Constitution: 10

  Wisdom: 10

  Charisma: 10

  Faction: None

  Skills:

  Mark of the slayer

  I decided to take a closer look at my attributes. I focused on them, bringing up the information in greater detail. It would be important to know how they affected me inside of the game.

  Strength: Your characters physical power in game. Increasing your strength will allow you to lift heavier objects, wield larger weapons, and inflict greater damage to your opponents.

  Dexterity: Your characters speed and agility in game. Increasing your agility will allow you to move faster, dodge more efficiently, and perform acrobatic feats.

  Intelligence: Your characters ability to manifest spells from the Magick domain. Increasing your intelligence will allow you to cast more powerful magick spells, cast them more frequently, and have a larger pool of energy with which to draw from.

  Constitution: Your characters health. Increasing your constitution will improve your ability to withstand damage, resist poisons, and recover from injury.

  Charisma: Your characters wit. Increasing your charisma will improve your persuasion and diplomatic ability. It also grants a small bit of luck!

  Although increasing these attributes will grant you greater power, one must also rely on his or her inner strength if one is to survive Aetheria.

  May Aether’s Light Guide You

  Pretty standard stuff, though my starting skill, “Mark of the slayer” had caught my interest. The description read as follows. ‘Mark an enemy for death. Your attacks and skills will increase by 10% against this foe. This skill may make you vulnerable to attacks from others.’ It certainly seemed powerful, though I’d have to be careful about using it against larger mobs.

  I closed out my character screen and began to tool around with my interface. That’s when I remembered… Max! I scrolled past my inventory and pulled up my friends list, which had automatically been uploaded from my soulink headset. There he was…

  Maximus Lvl 1 Guardian

  Currently in Combat

  Damn! Max must’ve jumped right into it! I focused on his name, intent on sending him a message so we could meet up. Another notification popped up.

  A player must be in your vicinity to receive personal messages

  I sighed. I guess I’d have to find him, then. Hopefully this starting area wasn’t too large. I started to scroll through the interface a bit more, that was until a loud humming sound caught my attention. The leaves at my feet began to swirl and the wind whipped through the trees. I gazed up. Floating through the sky above was a sight that was truly breathtaking. Built of steel and wood and a bit of magic, it glided between the clouds behind the strength of two massive spinning propellers. Massive sails bent and swayed with the ever-changing wind current. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing… it was an airship! A freaking airship!

  I stood in awe as the massive transport passed over. Behind it, a group of strange-looking birdlike creatures flittered about in its tailwinds… I’d only been online for a few moments and I was already itching to find out more. I took another quick look around. The area seemed relatively quiet. Weird… most of the games I’d played held your hand through the starting zone, not drop you off in some strange area with no instruction. Nevertheless, I started to trudge forward. I would have to come across something eventually, right?

  As I walked, I began to notice movement on the bark of one of the massive oaks. Scaling the side of an impossibly tall tree was a strange little creature that appeared to be made of wood. My eyes met with a pair of black orbs rolling about in the creature’s tiny wooden face. Suddenly, using its little twig arms and legs, the stick creature wrapped its body tightly around the oak, nearly making it disappear from sight… perhaps a natural camouflage? I gave the peculiar little thing an inspection. It was a nature sprite.

  Curious, I reached my hand out to touch the creature, but it noticed me and immediately scaled the side of the tree. I shrugged, then moved on. What a bizarre little thing!

  It wasn’t but a few moments before I started to notice some… changes. The sky began to darken from an iridescent blue to different shades of scarlet. A cool, crispness in the air settled in. I thought about tucking my arms into my tunic, but I decided against it. Quick access to your weapon was always imperative.

  I looked up as another object began to materialize in the sky. It was much smaller than the airship… in fact it was quite the familiar sight. It was the elvish maiden from earlier! Despite the distance between us, I could see something was very different this time. A long crimson robe settled on her shoulders rather than the violet she had on before. It dangled freely in the air as she levitated above the trees. Though welcoming during our first encounter, now her faced seemed quite serious… almost angry.

  “Welcome players, to the world of Aetheria.” Her voice echoed through the sky, projecting through the forest and beyond. It had an edge to it this time. “I am Luscinda, Herald of the Aether Gate. I hope you’ve taken a few moments to acclimate yourselves to your new body… for now begins the culling!” The way she said it sent a shiver down my spine. “Fight for your lives and earn your glory. Those that fight valiantly will move on. Those that are weak will fall!” She paused for a second, considering something. “And a word of caution, travelers… the life that you possess on Aetheria is fragile and precious, not unlike the life you once lived… It is the only life you will be given. Do not throw it away! Be wary, yet brave. Fight with caution, yet conviction… and always keep your eyes on the enemy! Good luck, travelers! Only the strong will survive!”

  With that, Luscinda faded from view once more, replaced by a beacon of light that seemed to touch the ground at some unseen point in the distance. That must be where I need to go. I gathered myself and started to move out, eag
er to jump into some action. It wasn’t but a few seconds before I heard movement in forest around me. I looked to my left and then to my right. I could see them, moving through the trees. Some of them proceeded with caution while others were in a full-blown sprint. Other players! They must’ve been rushing towards the beacon as well!

  I started to run, ignoring my inhibitions and desire to explore. It was important not to fall behind on launch day, and the way that elf spoke about the ‘the culling’ had me wondering if there was an opportunity to grab some exclusive Day 1 loot.

  “Hey!” A voice yelled as I began to make my way through the area. I tried to ignore it, but the voice persisted. “Hey, hey you!” I paused and turned to face the voice. Behind me was a man of similar height and proportion, though his black hair was trimmed much closer to his head. He wore an expression of both fear and confusion. This must’ve been his first VRMMO. “C-can you help me out? I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.” He stammered. I focused on the small icon above his head.

  Name: The_Destroyer

  Warrior

  Lvl: 1

  What a shitty name, especially for a guy who looked ready to shit his pants in the starting zone. I sighed. “C’mon then. I don’t know much yet either, but I’ll let you follow. Let’s head to the beacon and see what’s up.”

  Some of the man’s fear faded from his face. “Thanks man. These games are pretty new to me.”

  Great. Stuck with a complete noob. Nonetheless, I focused on his icon once more until another menu popped up.

  The_Destroyer

  -Invite to party

  -Trade

  -Duel

  I sent him a party invite, which he eagerly accepted.

  The_Destroyer has joined your party.

  “Awesome.” The warrior said with enthusiasm as he threw his arm around me. I quickly shrugged it off.

  “Let’s get moving.”

  He complied, and we started making our way towards to beacon once more.

  “I can’t thank you enough.” He said not more than a minute later. Damn, he was already annoying. “I’m Vic, by the way.”

  I paused. No way. There was just no way this could be the same Vic that tried to make my life a living hell.

  “Sector 7 1st district high school?” I asked nonchalantly.

  “How’d you know?” he replied emphatically.

  Crap. I had to think quick. “Uh, the game spawns you regionally, so your close to others in your area. I saw your name in the paper, so I just figured. 7 sacks last week. That was awesome.”

  Vic’s face beamed with pride. “Damn right it was.”

  It wasn’t a lie, spawn points had been regionally divided, though I never expected a situation like this… Trapped with my tormentor from high school in the one place I thought I was free. My hand twitched as I rested it on the hilt of my blade. I could take him down right here and he would never know what hit him. Who cares if I got flagged as a Player Killer. Then I thought on it for a second…. He had no idea who I was. This could actually be fun!

  I released my blade and we trudged on.

  “I’m Zander.” I said, deciding to keep my real identity secret. He nodded, and we moved out. It didn’t take long to reach the beacon… or to hear the screams.

  4

  The trees began to clear out as we reached the beacon, making the screams from the other players ring through all the more clearly. The light from the beacon shone down on a large stone platform, its edges etched in undecipherable glowing runes. The platform was massive, hundreds of feet wide at least. I stepped on to it as my vision drifted towards it center. That’s where it stood.

  It was several heads taller than any of the players surrounding it and covered in red leathery skin. The beast walked on two legs, it’s girth contained in tight studded armor that was held together with a series of buckles and straps. The creature’s face was certainly the ugliest thing I’d seen in this world so far... flat, with a small warped pair of nostrils and large tusks that protruded from it jaw. In its hand it wielded a massive curved blade that it used to viciously chop at the players who dared to get close.

  I focused on the icon above its head.

  Butcher of the Wilds

  Race: Scorchland Ogre

  Boss

  Lvl: ???

  Shit. Did we stumble into a high-level area by mistake? Regardless, I stepped onto the platform, waving Vic on to join me. Two players rushed past us, terror stricken on there faces as they fled the butcher. As they reached the edge of the platform, the runes shone brightly, creating an invisible barrier that the unwitting players smashed into head on.

  “W-we-we’re trapped in here!” One of the men stammered as he slammed his fists against the barriers translucent wall. “It’s going to slaughter us!”

  Damn. Maybe it was time for that guy to log out for a bit. In rare cases, prolonged exposure to VR had been known to warp the minds of a player now and again.

  I shook it off and charged forward, drawing my sword as I approached the butcher. Another player dashed by me, spear in hand. He leveled his weapon at the beast and stabbed it into the butcher’s gut. -8 HP blinked over the bosses’ head, though his HP bar barely moved. The boss responded with a swift vertical chop of it’s blade that sliced through the player and cut his HP bar in half. He let out a blood-curdling scream as he dropped his spear and clutched the open wound on his chest.

  “It hurts! It really freaking hurts!” The butcher stepped in and delivered another attack, depleting the player’s remaining HP. His body stood idol for just a second before bursting into a colorful display of pixels that disappeared in the wind. This thing was strong!

  I stepped in with blade in hand. I was eager to get a stab at this, literally. The butcher swung his blade as I approached, but the attack was slow enough to dodge. I ducked the strike and stabbed my short sword into it’s thigh. -6 HP. The feeling of slamming my blade into the creature was thrilling. So thrilling, in fact, that I didn’t notice the butcher’s backswing. Its blade sliced across my shoulder, spraying my blood and forcing me to stumble back out of range. -25 HP.

  Searing pain coursed through my shoulder as blood trickled down my arm. It hurt worse than any beating I’d ever received from Vic, worse than anything I’d ever felt before! Worry gripped my thoughts. How could the game be doing this, projecting these feelings and all this pain!

  My mind started to race. The pain was so intense, more real than anything I’d felt before. Suddenly, the maiden’s words echoed in my mind… It is the only life you will be given. She… she couldn’t have meant that literally, could she? Were our lives really at stake?!

  I had to get out of here, had to think this thing through. I crawled back as more players emerged onto the platform and charged the butcher of the wilds. I pulled up my interface and searched for the log out button… it was gone! What the hell was going on!

  More screams filled the air as the butcher took another life. The number of players left on the platform was beginning to dwindle… nine to be exact (including myself). I looked to Vic who shaking as he backed against the wall, doing his best not to start sobbing. “We’re gonna die, aren’t we?” he said.

  “I-I don’t wanna die! Not like this!” another player yelled. Fear was quickly spreading through the others like a disease. There was no way to win if that happened.

  I looked up as the creature made a charge at another pair of players. Its movements were stiff and predictable. That’s when it hit me. No matter what was happening, no matter the stakes, at its very basic level this was still a game… and I was a damn good gamer.

  “Everybody up!” I yelled as I climbed back to my feet and rose my blade.

  “Its no use.” One of them yelled. “Were done for!”

  “No were not! Now weapons up, damnit!” Reluctantly, the man rose to his feet and raised his short sword.

  The only way we were going to win this was if we worked together, if we played to our strengths and stopped tr
ying to run. “Casters! Run to the left side of the platform!” I yelled. Reluctantly, four players dressed in plain robes began to scurry across the platform. The butcher eyed them and began its pursuit.

  “Tanks! Get that things attention and hold it!”

  A short woman with long blonde hair nodded, hoisting her buckler into the air before running towards the boss. Another man joined her, and the two approached the butcher’s flank. They hollered as they slammed their shields into the back of the beast’s legs, grabbing its attention. As the beast turned to strike, a light blue aura appeared around the tanks.

  Stalwart

  Reduce incoming damage by 15%

  Increase all resistances by 10%

  The curved blade smashed into the woman’s buckler. I winced, expecting her knees to buckle from the strike but her defenses held true. She parried the blow, then another, grimacing as the attacks smashed against her shield.

  “Switch off!” the man yelled, taking her place and absorbing the butcher’s next strike.

  We were doing it!

  I quickly glanced around the edge of the platform. There were two others melee-class characters as well as Vic, who still seemed a bit sheepish. “It’s now or never!” I waved them forward then began charging at the boss, sword in hand.

  Bursts of magical energy exploded in an array of colors across the creature’s back as the casters let loose their starting spells. The butcher’s HP bar began to dwindle, dropping by near 25%!

  I pulled up my skills as I approached the boss, selecting Mark of the Slayer. I small insignia appeared above the creature, a pair of glowing swords crossed at the center. It was marked!