The Slayer

by Darren Hultberg Jr

  I couldn't help but grin a little as we disembarked from the winged tavern. Surely the guild recruiters would see my higher level and beg me to join. Though which guild would I choose…

  That thought quickly escaped my mind as I saw the other airships begin to empty out. Thousands of players began to crowd the large area, some grinning with excitement while others wore expressions of sadness or fear. My heart sank just a bit when I noticed how many other players had already hit level 3. It was clear that this was going to be a battle to the top.

  The airships began to ascend once more as the last few players disembarked, leaving us lost and a bit confused. One ship remained however, lingering above the massive crowd as its propellers slowly rotated. A rope ladder dropped from the side of the ship, though only a single man descended. He wore a smug look on his face as he slid down the ladder, looking over the rest of us with these piercing green eyes. At his side dangled a pair of short swords, a clear indicator that he was a melee class. I gave him a quick inspection.

  My eyes went wide.

  Arden. Lvl 5 Duelist

  Level 5! I waited, eager to see who else climbed out of the ship, but no one else came… was it possible? Could he have solo’ed the boss?

  “Hey.” I said as Arden approached, curious to find out how he pulled off such a feat. “Did you-“

  The man put a gloved hand to my face as he passed, cutting me off and drawing wide-eyed looks from the other players. His thin golden locks shifted slightly, allowing our eyes to meet for the briefest of seconds. That look told me everything I needed to know.

  He thought he was better than me.

  And at level 5, it’s possible that he was, but that still didn’t stop my blood from boiling. I was tempted to challenge him to a duel right then and there, but I waved the idea off. I’d get my bearings first, then I’d seek that smug bastard out.

  Ooh’s and aah’s from the front of the crowd quickly stole my attention away from Arden. All eyes turned as another group made its approach.

  Cutting through the crowd was an entourage of guards, all heavily armored with interlocking pieces of crimson plate and curved blades strapped to their sides. The armor was a marvel in and of itself, displaying no apparent vulnerabilities other than the smaller slit in the faceplate that the wearer used to see. I focused on the indicators floating above their heads.

  The Cinderguard

  The guards formed a complete circle as they marched on through, moving in sync as if they'd practiced this a thousand times before. They stopped at the center of the crowd, rigid and unwavering as many of us looked on in confusion.

  From the center of the guard unit, another figure emerged. The man donned a long crimson cloak that matched the armor of his guards impeccably. His jet-black clothing was of the finest craft, an outfit that put Grimley’s wardrobe to shame. His dark eyes wandered over the crowd, quietly engaging each of his spectators as his eyes moved from player to player.

  The man rose a hand to his chin, showing off a jeweled ring on each of his slender fingers. He took his eyes off the crowd for just a second, then quickly re-engaged, a not so wholesome smile stretching across his bony face.

  “Welcome players… to the grand city of Karrihdan. I am Vazryn, Lord of Aetheria and master of this realm. I want to wish you all a warm welcome to my world… a world that you will find is infinitely greater than your own.” Vazryn rose his hands in the air as he smiled to the crowd. Some players cheered, while others looked on with skepticism. “Those of you that stand in this plaza with me today are individuals who possess true strength. From afar, I witnessed many of you fight valiantly during the culling… and you triumphed! As a reward, you have been given a chance to begin your life anew! You see, this world was created for you… the forgotten, the downtrodden, the oppressed… the powerless! In this world, you can be whatever you like, do whatever you like, and obtain the power that you deserve. In Aetheria, you hold your destiny in your own hands… you only have to reach up and grab it!” As Vazryn’s intensity increased, so did the crowd’s. I had to admit, even I was beginning to feel roused.

  “My lord.” A meek voice squeaked out, barely audible over the crowd of players.

  “My lord!” it came again, this time much louder. Vazryn lowered his hands, slowly bringing silence to the massive group.

  “Yes?” Vazryn beckoned, annoyance in his voice as he addressed the young female mage. The masses looked on with curiosity.

  “My lord, from what you’ve said, it appears that you rule this game. It is certainly a beautiful place you have here… but how does one leave? I know myself and many others are missing the log out but-“

  “There is no logging out, my dear.” Vazryn replied with a grin on his thin face. “I have liberated you from a world that would only let you down. I have given you bodies that are faster, stronger, and more beautiful than anything you could hope to achieve. This is your world now. Consider your old selves…. Deceased.”

  I felt a lump form in my throat as I processed his words. A thousand questions raced through my mind. Could this be possible? Would I be stuck here forever? What would happen to my body?

  I took a quick look around. Most of the others were displaying emotions ranging from slightly distressed to full blown panic attack. Nevertheless, some players seemed satisfied, and a few were even elated that their life was starting anew. I looked back at Vic, who had assumed the fetal position. It was safe to say that he wasn’t too happy.

  A particularly brave young warrior emerged from the crowd, stepping dangerously close to the crimson Cinderguard. He peeked his head between them, giving Vazryn a defiant look. “You can’t do this to us!” he yelled, pointing his finger at the self-proclaimed lord. “If you don’t tell us how to get out of here, then you’re not leaving this plaza alive!”

  “Yeah!” another player yelled, then another. Slowly, a small group began to form behind the defiant young player. Vazryn responded with a quick nod. Suddenly, the closest member of the cinderguard unsheathed his curved blade. It wasn’t just any old sword, but rather a blade that dripped with a fiery hot substance comparable to magma! The guard thrust his blade forward into the young man’s chest, sending the red-hot liquid coursing through his veins. In seconds, the liquid was dripping from his mouth, his ears, his eye ducts, until finally his body immolated in a fiery blaze. My jaw dropped. Likewise, the crowd fell silent

  “And one more thing.” Vazryn said, his tone now unpleasant and highly confrontational. “Just like in your old world… in Aetheria, death is permanent.”

  Cries filled the air as people soon began to realize that many of their friends and loved ones, those that were lost in the culling, would not be coming back. Vazryn began to march through the crowd once more, exiting behind the safety of his brutally imposing cinderguard. Fireworks lit up the sky above the plaza as the lord of Aetheria took his leave. He must’ve assumed this would end in celebration, rather than a brazen execution. Shimmering letters began to form in the air, momentarily grabbing everyone’s attention. Eventually, the letters drifted together.

  Welcome to Aether Gate Online

  I couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all. Welcome, indeed.

  7

  About 10 minutes. That’s how long it took for the plaza to clear out, save for the few stragglers that still hadn’t come to terms with what happened.

  Plenty of the other players had acted angry or sad or a bit of both, but that quickly faded as the thrill of adventure and opportunity set in. I’m not sure if that was a testament to human resilience, or just another example of how far we’d fallen. Were things really that bad… that they would give up their old lives so easily?

  Perhaps it was the culling… perhaps those not equipped for this life had already fallen… Damnit, was I really thinking that way?

  I shook my head. No, something unnatural was happening, a feeling. an unavoidable itch for adventure that superseded my feelings of fear or worry. I had to… no, I
didn’t have time to dwell on it. If this world was where my new life started, then I’d be damned if I didn’t try to make it to the top.

  Exploring the heart of Karrihdan proved to be an adventure of its own. Vendors filled the streets, waving shiny weapons and armor in my face that I couldn’t afford. Inside the city’s taverns, players crowded around the NPCs that offered the best quests, queuing up for their first trek outside the city’s walls. Still, not everyone was in a race to become strong. Some players engaged in drinking games with the tavern dwarves, while others merely enjoyed the sights and sounds of the city. It certainly was a beautiful place to explore, complete with a warm, calming breeze that restored your lost HP. I wanted to do all of it, and I eventually would… though there was one specific obstacle that was slowing me down.

  “What now, boss?” Vic asked as he trailed me like a lost child. “You don’t mind if I call you boss, do you?”

  Ah, sweet karma. “Its fine.” I replied. “But you might want to find someone else to follow around. I don’t plan on staying in town too long.”

  “Maybe he can wait outside the dungeon and hold our things.” Hilda added as she gave me a wink. I hadn’t even known she intended to stick with me for a while, but I sure didn’t mind.

  “I won’t choke again... I want to prove my worth. I owe you that much, boss, for saving my life and all.” Vic rose a gloved fist in the air. We’ll see I thought to myself.

  A short distance from the center of town, we came across one of the largest taverns that Karrihdan had to offer. It was quite expansive, connected to a well-built inn that stood two stories taller than the other buildings on the street. Near its peak hung a sign… ‘The Thirsty Dragon”.

  Word had begun to spread that this particular place housed some excellent quest-givers. I shouldn't have been surprised then when I opened the door to find a packed lobby of players nearly fighting over the handful of NPCs inside for directions to the nearest dungeon.

  “Forget it. Let's try and hit one of the other taverns across town.” I said, letting the door swing shut as I stepped back into the street. I quickly discovered that i was talking to myself… Hilda and Vic were nearly a block down the road, and with company. In front of them was an elvish girl… especially small, tear-filled violet eyes, possibly a child by elvish standards. The two appeared to be engaging with her, so I jogged forward to catch up.

  “Who’s this?” I asked, briefly meeting eyes with the young elf.

  “This is Eliana.” Hilda replied, her typically bold demeanor now much more sympathetic. “She's looking for help. She says her father was taken from her by a group of monster men.”

  Monster men? That could be anything… perhaps a good chance to grab some experience. Still, I took a quick inspection of the girl.

  Eliana

  Lvl 1

  (NPC)

  I sighed. “She's not even offering any quests. Do we really have time for this?”

  Hilda gave me a stern look, something I hadn't see out of her before. “I watched at least a dozen other groups of players pass this girl by without thinking twice…. If we're truly stuck in this world, if this is our life now… then how do you want to live it? I saw the other players dismiss this girl like she was nothing… but if we are truly trapped here forever, then how can we consider this girl any less real than us.”

  I didn't know what to say (which probably meant what she was saying was valid). I watched as other players made their way towards the cities gates… soon they would be passing me by. Then I looked to the elvish girl… and the pain in her eyes looked just as real as anything I'd seen before. “Fine.” I conceited, drawing a huge smile from both Hilda and Eliana.

  “Thank you, sir. I’m El.” The young elf said, extending her hand out to me.

  I smiled and gave it a quick shake. “We’ll get your dad back for you, El.”

  As we began walking away, Vic gave me a pat on the back. “I think we're making the right choice, boss. Not helping her would've been a dick move.” And that was coming from the guy who gave me hell every day of my teenage life… oh the irony!

  ><><

  And so, under the young elf’s direction, we set out. She alleged that her father was taken a few miles north of town… dragged off into some abandoned tower by a group of “monster men”. Without any quest indicators to guide us, we really had no idea what we were getting in to. I guess this truly was an adventure!

  The road north was much more scenic than the other paths leading out of the city. In fact, the road itself took a sharp left just a half mile outside of town, forcing us to take to the woods. We made our way through the trees, trudging through the soft earth and foliage as the sun began its descent in the sky.

  Finally, after what seemed like hours of walking, the woods began to clear. Up ahead, I could see what appeared to be a large stone tower. Its walls were heavily cracked, it's windows shattered, and the front door dangled precariously on its hinges. That had to be it.

  A sharp cackle in the distance quickly stole my attention.

  “W-what was that?” Vic stammered, a sword already in his shaking hands.

  “Just stay calm.” Hilda instructed, all the while arming herself with her newly purchased iron mace and her battle-tested buckler. I pulled out my short sword as more unhinged laughter filled the air.

  The ruffling of leaves hit my ears, forcing me to make a quick pivot to the right. More laughter came as a creature began to emerge from behind one of the large pines… eliciting some strange looks. It stood on its feet like a man, it wore crude armor like a man would, it even wielded a primitive hatchet… but this was no man. The creature was slightly hunched, but it still stood at least a head taller than me. It's arms and legs were covered in brownish spotted fur and its head… well, it's head could be best described as a cross between a snarky looking human and a drooling hyena. It was a bit unsettling to say the least. I focused on the small yellow icon above its head.

  Gnoll Looter

  Lvl 5

  Was this one of the monster men that the elf had spoken of?

  ZING! An arrow soared through the air just inches from my face, breaking my train of thought.

  “Over there!” Hilda yelled, pointing to another pair of gnolls approaching from the left, a bowman and another looter. The gnoll bowman launched a second arrow directly at Vic. The woeful warrior cried out instinctively, but Hilda managed to intercept the arrow with her buckler just in the nick of time. The ugly creatures let out another laugh before they began to close in.

  I made a quick assessment of the battlefield. 2 foes approaching from the left, 1 from the right. Let them get close enough and they could easily flank us, but if I could take one of them out….

  “Cover me!” I yelled as I charged towards the first gnoll looter, sword at the ready. I focused on my available skills as I moved forward, activating lunging strike. I felt the muscles in my legs contract then quickly expand. With a sudden burst of energy, I rocketed towards the gnoll with tremendous speed. The creature seemed surprised as my blade slammed into its shoulder, quickly ending its laughter at its HP bar dwindled by a third. It responded with a quick chop of its axe that dug into my armored shoulder (-11 HP).

  Damnit that hurt! I raised my foot and gave the gnoll a stiff boot to the stomach, creating a bit of space between us. I immediately activated my next skill, double strike.

  I felt my arm muscles twitch as I slashed my blade vertically, then once more as I dragged the sharp steel back across the creature’s chest. The gnoll howled in pain as it tried to stumble away, but it was quickly halted by the tree at its back. I stepped forward and rammed my blade into its chest, pinning the squirming gnoll to the tall pine. I watched as its HP bar completely diminished, until finally the gnoll burst into a sparkling array of pixels.

  +25 EXP

  Items acquired

  X1 crude hatchet

  X1 gnoll pelt

  13 bronze pieces

  I did a quick turnaround as I
heard the clang of steel and iron. The other gnoll looter had engaged Hilda, bashing its rusty sword against her buckler. Meanwhile, the bowman had taken a liking to Vic, dropping its bow in favor of a sharp dagger. Vic waived his sword awkwardly in front of his assailant, drawing another one of those sinister laughs from the beast. The gnoll lunged forward, slicing Vic across the hand and forcing him to drop his blade. Vic stumbled to the ground, helpless to the creature’s assault.

  Shit. I had to do something.

  Without thinking, I pulled out one of my throwing knives and launched it at the beast. The blade cut through the air, landing firmly in the gnolls left eye socket. The air briefly swirled above the beast.

  Critical Hit!

  I dashed in and launched a pair of heavy sword strikes. The gnoll raised its dagger in a feeble attempt to parry, but its loss of sight had hampered its fighting skills. The beast’s HP bar melted under the weight of my blows, until the creature eventually dissipated just like the other.

  I collected a second gnoll pelt and turned to help Hilda, but it appeared she had things well under control. The last looter back-pedaled as she made her approach, its HP already halved. Hilda stepped in, using Shield Bash to smack her buckler into the gnoll’s face and daze the creature. She then followed up with a Crushing Blow, bringing her mace down on the gnoll’s skull so hard that she dislodged one of its yellow eyes.

  She turned to give me a wink as the gnoll’s pixelated remains fell to the ground around her. I responded with a stupid grin…

  With the area clear, Hilda and I made our way over to the crumbling stone tower. Vic followed shortly behind, nursing his wounded hand as if it had been cut off entirely. I took a look at his HP bar… 90/100. I was afraid to see what would happen if he suffered a real battle wound!