by Jason Cheek
I didn’t even bother to address the blathering idiot as I lunged at him from over three yards away. Using the corrugated elbow of my Black Coral DarkCuirass Weave with Pauldrons, I hooked my boot behind the back of his booted foot as I put the full force of my body behind the blow. The combined assault smashed the incensed noble to the ground before he knew what was going on. I heard Scout Leader Tanner’s gasp of shock as nobles all around the great room suddenly shot to their feet in a clatter of skittering chairs and benches.
Looking around at the sea of angry faces, I wasn’t particularly worried about the threat of violence. I’d faced much worse than this when I’d saved the children in BrokenFang Hold from Grutgrak Skullcrusher, I thought, letting out a derisive snort. Besides, it wasn’t like I’d truly injured the old blowhard. The leg sweep was a technique that I regularly used in my martial arts training. Against anyone unused to unarmed combat and falling, it was an excellent takedown move that usually stunned the target from having the back of their head smashed into the ground. From the dazed look on the older man’s face, I figured I must have performed the move perfectly to get the stun on the first try. The World must have agreed because I got a new skill notification a split-second later as the great room went deathly silent at the sudden violence.
Congratulations!
You have learned the Unarmed Skill – Sweep Takedown
Sweep Takedown (unarmed) - Stuns the target for five seconds and deals 10 points of damage.
‘Not bad,’ I thought, before calling out over my shoulder.
“General Carter!” Kneeling onto the gasping man’s chest, I ripped the heavy chain that signified the War Leader’s official rank from around his neck. “Make sure you remove any idiots like this from command.” Seeing a pair of royal guards rushing into the great room, I waved them over as I tossed the insignia to the stunned trooper standing next to General Dell.
“Just reassign him to a squad on the wall so he can be somewhat useful in the defense of the city,” I said in a dismissive tone as the guardsmen pushed through the crowd of nobles to stop in front of me. To the room’s utter surprise, instead of being arrested, they saluted smartly as I nodded towards the now ex-War Leader on the ground.
“Lock this man up until General Carter or one of his colleagues,” I said, nodding towards Gregory, Hartley, and Legar, “can find an appropriate squad for him to join.”
“As you command Overlord Ironwolf,” the royal guardsmen replied, thumping their fists to their chest in respect. I swear, you could’ve heard a pin drop as they dragged their prisoner to his feet with a hand under each arm.
Without a further word, I took off at a jog for the foyer as the nobles scurried to get out of my way. For better or worse, I couldn’t help the sneer that came to my lips. Some people might think I was being excessively brutal but the entire group of asshats had royally pissed me off with how they’d acted towards Dell. As far as I was concerned, they could all go suck a bag full of dicks.
The crap that Dell must have had to deal with made me think back to my conversation with Old Man Fortner in Darom. We’d had a long talk about how nobles generally treated the commoners of Darom and throughout the Kingdom of Kader. Listening to him talk, I swore, it was like the entire group of them believed that commoners had to be suffering and living in squalor before they could truly feel superior.
Even as I shook my head in disgust, another part of my mind compared the situation to the various elitist groups of asshats that continuously attacked regular people in our own modern-day society. I couldn’t even begin to count how many times I’d heard that regular people shouldn’t be allowed to make decisions for themselves. Just insert unique cause or belief here while automatically attacking anyone who didn’t agree or weren’t a part of your group. No matter how the lofty ideals were dressed up, at the end of the day the results were always the same. It was never truly about making the lives of regular people better, but about the social elitists in our society gaining power.
In truth, The World’s feudalistic system of rule wasn’t solely at fault. Like any system, I’m sure in the beginning the lofty ideals that helped to form the Kingdom of Kader seemed like a great way to build up their society to stand against the ravages of the northern hordes. But, like every other system of rule, it was twisted into a means for the greedy and power-hungry to expedite their complete control over the commoners. Mix in the tendency for corruption that builds up over time with those who want to be special solely due to their birth, tribe, or race and you had the mess that was going on now with the noble houses.
My introspection didn’t miss the hypocrisy in my own actions. I’d like to think I was different. Even though my goal of taking command of the House of Kayden, the City of Auris Shaeras, and the Kingdom of Kader were for my personal gains in the real world, inside the game world, it had become something more than that. While a part of me was playing the game to win, another part had begun to hope that I could give these people a better life than what they had before. Nonetheless, the pensive thought made me mentally flinch as I silently wondered how many dictators and tyrants must have used that same reasoning for their actions throughout history. No doubt, I’d be harshly judged by my fellow gamers either way.
I guess that was one of the many problems of treating The World as if it were real. While these things weren’t a worry in a typical real-time-strategy game, The World was proving to be quite different. The more I lived the game, the more I realized that, to be successful, I had to grow and improve the people of The World who were sworn to me. Only in that way could I hope to succeed against the platinum sized guilds that were my competitors. Who knows, I thought, as a smirk split my lips. If done right, I might even find a way to expand my current population above and beyond using the NPC Recruiter.
As my friend Domenic would complain, it was always a plan within a plan with me. Passing through the keep’s foyer, my thoughts turned to the task at hand as I saw Lady Trinder and several other maids freeze upon seeing our group heading for the massive iron-bound doors to the courtyard. Not seeing Zoey amongst them, I didn’t bother to say anything as they fearfully bowed from a distance while the royal guards hurriedly opened the double doors. No doubt the snooty staff was happy to see us leaving.
Stepping out into the courtyard, I saw Scout Leader Tanner’s mount held at the ready by a royal guardswoman at the base of the steps. In the courtyard itself, was a group of fifty House of Kayden troopers waiting in formation. On either side of the formation were the troopers’ rotting undead pets and, in some cases, combat pets, that more than doubled the force’s combat potential. Beyond the keep’s inner walls, I could hear a number of warning bells ringing throughout the city in the distance which I figured was the warning signal for the approaching Orc horde. To the side of the archway was Neysa, who was finishing up the remains of a large haunch of meat, with an unconscious Helgath strapped to her furry neck, Fylreh, and Zoey, of all people, standing next to her.
“By your leave, Overlord Ironwolf!” Scout Leader Tanner called out, snapping off a final salute before hurrying to her mount. As she swung up into the saddle, I turned around at hearing the clank of metal on metal from behind me.
“Overlord Ironwolf, you have our word, we will stop the horde here,” Gregory promised as he and his men clenched their fists against their chests, “until your return or they rip our souls from our dead bodies.”
For a long moment, I could only stare in dumbfounded amazement at the looks of determination reflected in my vassals’ eyes. These men had been homeless and living on the street for weeks. They’d been betrayed by the nobles of the Kingdom of Kader and discarded like trash to die of starvation and the elements. Most of the men and women in their unit had died horribly due to the Dil-Hilth that had infiltrated the city, and yet, after swearing their oaths of fealty to me this morning, they were ready to lay down their lives in service to me after everything that had happened to them. Were these men any less valorous than the
soldiers of my world that put their lives on the line for their country only to be shit on when they returned to civilian life?
A part of me cursed the game developers that had created such amazing characters and then put them in such shitty situations. Thinking of the injustice of it all made my soul ache. Stepping forward, I gripped Gregory’s shoulders and looked him in the eyes.
“I couldn’t be prouder to call you my vassals,” I said, before looking to Hartley and Legar next, “and my friends.” Clapping both men on their shoulders, I pulled them close for a group huddle. “Make sure you survive until my return, so that, together, we can drive these monsters back across the Plains of Atoll!”
“We’ll do our best Overlord,” Gregory promised as his men mutely nodded in agreement. Stepping back, I gave them a silent salute before turning to Dell.
“It’s time,” I said, meeting his eyes. “Get them moving out General.”
“Aye milord,” the veteran swordsman called out. As he headed towards the front of the formation, I turned to my soulmates and the serious-faced maid standing near the archway.
“What are you doing here Zoey?” I asked, while automatically catching the repaired Black Coral Iron-reinforced Defender that Fylreh tossed my way.
Even though the Centauride hadn’t said a word, a wave of unease washed over me at the affectionate look that had suddenly appeared in her golden eyes. A natural reaction, I thought, to the emotional rollercoaster that she’d been putting me through since Darom. Thankfully though, she was wearing her boiled leather breastplate and not the leather wrap that she’d been using to tie her breasts up with the day before. Doing my best to not think of how good she’d felt in my hands, I focused on Zoey’s friendly green eyes as she gave me a respectful curtsy.
“Overlord Ironwolf,” the maid said, holding up a large package, “I had the kitchens make up a hot breakfast and lunch for you and your soulmates.”
“That’s much appreciated.” I did my best not to smile as Fylreh rolled her eyes at the overtly friendly Human woman. Not that I was complaining. I’d had more than enough attitude from Lady Trinder during the short time I’d been here. Besides, good food was always appreciated. To show my appreciation, I palmed a gold piece and slipped it into the maid’s delicate hands as I accepted the still warm package of food.
“My lord,” Zoey exclaimed in confusion as she hurriedly tried to give the coin back, “there’s no way I can accept this-”
“Keep it,” I said, pushing her hands closed around the coin as I nodded towards the massive Silver Dire Wolf at her side. “That’s the least I can do for looking out for my girls while I was busy.”
“Thank you, Overlord,” Zoey self-consciously replied, stepping back as I walked past to give Neysa a hug around her furry neck.
“And just between us, if Lady Trinder is ever too much to deal with, know that you have a place in the House of Kayden,” I said, giving the maid a playfully wink.
“I might just hold you to that Overlord Ironwolf,” Zoey replied, formally giving me a polite curtsy. “May you travel in the light.”
“Umm, yeah, you too,” I muttered, feeling less than articulate as I turned to Neysa. ‘Ready to move out?’
‘Always,’ Neysa replied, rising to her paws and leaning back into me as she finished crunching up the last piece of her haunch of meat. Wordlessly, I buried my face into her thick coat as a part of me was surprised with how much I’d missed them by not waking up with my girls next to me this morning.
Chapter Four
(Star’s group meeting up with his friends at Palnisdale’s Western Gate.)
Giving the Silver Dire Wolf a last hard pat, I sprang onto her back while being careful to reposition Helgath’s sleeping form snug against my chest so I didn’t crush her with my weight. Giving Zoey and the boys a final farewell, I nodded for the Centauride to follow as I mentally called for my undead pets. Slipping through the crowded courtyard, Neysa quickly made her way to the front of the jogging column to join General Dell at its head.
“Expect to be fighting once we get out of the city,” I called out to Fylreh as she fell in beside Neysa. “We’re going to be helping Lance Leader Warf and the rest of the royal cavalry make it back to the Western gates while our people are putting as much distance between themselves and the horde as possible.”
“Good thing that Human made sure I had all of the extra arrows I could carry,” Fylreh sardonically muttered as she began repositioning her gear. “Not that it's going to help much when it’s just the two of us.”
“Hopefully, a few of my friends will have skilled up enough on their riding to give us a hand,” I said, privately not expecting much since I was finding it hard enough to ride, aim, and cast at the same time. “Dell, once we’re out of the city, make sure everyone has their zombies out as scouts so we don’t run into any surprises.”
“Already taken care of my lord.” Seeing my surprised look, he quickly explained. “After hearing about your soulmates working through the night, I didn’t expect they’d be helping out much with the scouting today.”
“Good call,” I said, slipping my arm around the Half-Orc and cradling her to my chest as we headed down the main avenue towards the eastern gate.
Helgath was so different than the voluptuous Centauride trotting at my side, I thought, focusing on the homely girl held tenderly in my arm. She’d pushed herself to the point of collapse. While it was true the Half-Orc would never be beautiful, her loyalty touched me in a way I hadn’t thought was possible after Julie’s emotional abuse. Though I wasn’t physically attracted to her, she’d nonetheless become very important to me in a way I couldn’t fully express.
My eyes swept over the mostly empty streets. At least, it seemed that way now that all of the homeless soldiers were back in uniform to defend the city. That didn’t mean there weren’t numerous groups of players just starting out their day, but it looked more like what you’d expect an MMO city to look like. I pegged most of the players in Palnisdale as being Normal or Advance Start players since they were dressed in your typical sexy MMO-style fantasy clothing and armor. All of which were highly impractical for the winter temperature in the region. You wouldn’t see a Nightmare Start player in skimpy gear like that, I thought with a snort. Ignoring the players excitedly pointing at our group and taking screenshots as we passed by, I focused on maxing out my summonable pets to prepare for the coming battle.
Digging into the pouch hanging from my waist, I pulled out two Elite Orc Warrior soul stones. Trying to clear my mind from the motion of Neysa’s rhythm, I focused on dual casting Raise Zombie. It took a few tries to get the spell to take, but after about thirty seconds, a blackish-purple glow enveloped my hands. A minute later, a group of players nearly jumped out of their skins as two large zombie Orcs erupted out of the ground in front of them.
Seeing Palnisdale City’s Local Chat start exploding with questions as players tried to figure out who the Necromancer was, I quickly disabled the Local Chat again in my HUD as I started raising another two Elite Orc Warriors. In less than four minutes I had all five of my missing zombies replaced and my compliment of undead pets back up to twelve. Next, I focused on resummoning my Manifest Pets. Though, due to the complex nature of the different spells and being mounted, I decided not to try dual casting these. As the Manifest Cave Bear spell completed, a shimmering lightshow of green magic formed on the sidewalk slightly in front of me.
Looking over my shoulder, I saw Kitano appear in the middle of a group of players on the sidewalk. As the group were stumbling back in shock at the sudden appearance of a massive Cave Bear within their midst, Kitano roared to announce his arrival. The immense sound echoed up and down the street causing everyone in the immediate vicinity to hurriedly clear out. Unconcerned about the ruckus he was making, he used his massive barrel-shaped head to move the slower players out of his way. Once in the clear, Kitano took off with a heavy loping gait until he was following behind the column of Kayden Troopers.
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br /> Seeing that nothing had gone amiss, I turned back around and began casting my Manifest Large Wolf spell. A minute later, the magic shot out ahead of me onto the sidewalk as another group of players hurriedly began scurrying away from the strange glowing green orb of magic that had appeared next to them. While they were still trying to understand what was happening, a large, pitch-black Wolf took shape on the sidewalk behind me. Thankfully, the players reaction wasn’t so extreme this time around. As the players within the immediate vicinity slowly began backing away from the ghostly creature, Shadow Fang let out a haunting howl in greeting, before he disappeared in a swirl of darkness. The Manifest Large Wolf’s sudden appearance caused more than one player to shout out in surprise as the wraith-like creature jumped from shadow to shadow to catch up to me.
As I turned back around trying not to laugh, my eyes were drawn to a blinking light that had suddenly appeared around Shadow Fang’s name in my HUD. Knowing this must mean my Manifest Large Wolf had leveled up enough to gain a Feat, I immediately selected the option as a similar Character Sheet popped open before my eyes. Mentally rubbing my hands together in excitement, I quickly glanced at Shadow Fang’s current level before pulling up the list of new Feats available to choose from.
Shadow Strike – The manifest pet becomes more connected to the spirit realm from where it was derived and all attacks ignore non-spirit physical and magical protection by ten percent.
Shadow Nature– The manifest pet becomes more connected to the spirit realm from where it was derived with all non-spirit physical and magical damage reduced by ten percent.
Shadow Essence – The manifest pet becomes more connected to the spirit realm from where it was derived and can phase through solid objects such as walls and doors by jumping through shadows. This feat does not allow for dodging physical melee or ranged attacks.
