Continue Online The Complete Series

by Stephan Morse

  “Mhm. Latest date didn’t work out? I told you a man named Ulrich probably wouldn’t be any good.” Beth finished her sandwich and looked around.

  The small robot started vacuuming up crumbs.

  “He wasn’t. I swear, I’m going to have to buy an ARC myself. Maybe there’s a program on there to remind me what a decent man feels like.” Liz left up the screen with her brother on it. With her other hand, she flipped through a website for work. Eventually she would find more than a short assignment. Employment was getting more difficult to find, even in her field.

  “Jesus, Mom.”

  Liz didn’t look over at her daughter. “You’re nineteen, or whatever you told me you were. I still can’t believe you tried to tell me you were basically twenty-one.”

  “It’s not like I haven’t had anything to drink before,” Beth said to defend herself. She turned around, carefully stepped over the cleaning robot, and went back to the kitchen.

  “The digital world isn’t reality!” Liz leaned back in her chair.

  “Really, Mom?” Beth came out of the kitchen with a glass of water for herself and a cup of coffee for her mom. “You can’t have it both ways. Either virtual reality is real enough for a good lay and to get buzzed in, or it’s not.”

  “Grant seems to believe it’s real enough.”

  On the projection was Xin. She wore a deep black robe that never gathered dust or showed signs of being on the road. Small white symbols lined its hem and danced around. Both players wore matching rings that glinted in the firelight.

  “Don’t tell me you still disapprove? You were at Uncle Grant’s wedding.” Beth’s face drooped briefly. The water went down in two quick gulps.

  “Wanting him to be happy doesn’t stop me from worrying.” She sipped at the fresh coffee. “I can’t help but feel something bad is going to happen.”

  “There it is”—Beth’s hand turned to a fist, and she pumped the arm—“the good old Legate family confidence.”

  On screen, the tent had almost been completed. Dusk, a dog-sized dragon creature, tore through the clearing while wrestling with a tiny white blur. Beth knew the pale construction was one of Xin’s skeleton creatures. The short Asian had animated it with video game magic and turned it into a beast to keep Dusk from attracting too many critters.

  Liz didn’t look up. “That’s just one of the many things we Legates learn to offer people. Followed by that is terrible luck with relationships.” The mother leaned back and looked toward the kitchen door, where Beth stood. “Speaking of, you and that cat guy look to be on the outs.”

  Beth tucked back a cheek, then shrugged. “I caught him chasing some player with a tall elf body.”

  Liz paused her website surfing and stared, then she closed her eyes while trying to remember all the rules for dealing with daughters. None of them were helpful, and Liz’s mother had missed the ball more than once.

  Liz settled on saying, “Men are stupid. Are you okay with it?”

  “I’ll be fine. I’m just mad because I had my sights on her first,” Beth said.

  Liz sputtered and then quickly covered the motion by taking another sip of coffee.

  “What? You only live once. There’s no point in getting upset over the small stuff.” Beth shrugged. Her in-game character had been blessed by Mezo, a fact that she didn’t know until Grant had introduced them during the wedding. After that, life had taken a turn for the interesting. A [Blessing] of red-hued skin and a forked tail hadn’t appeared from being prudish.

  “Yeah. You only live once,” her mother said dryly.

  On the screen, Grant and Xin had finished setting up a tent. On the outside canvas, the words “Just Married” were painted and had started to flake.

  The video feed didn’t follow Grant inside the tent. Instead, it stayed outside, relaying the sound of a delighted giggle. Sitting outside the virtual campsite sat a sign that said “Beware of Messenger’s Pet.”

  Liz shook her head and waved a hand. Dozens of other names displayed to watch. Each one was a player in the world of Continue Online. She turned the dial toward a friend to see how Elane was doing.

  Attention!

  [Three Strike Rule] has been enacted. For the duration of this event, Travelers who die three times are unable to release to their [Bind] points. Resurrection via skills, abilities, Path bonuses, or items does not impact this three strike total.

  Attention!

  [Sudden Death] has been enacted. For the duration of this event, Travelers who die to a [World Eater] mob have the possibility of being deleted entirely and will be unable to participate in Continue Online until the event is completed.

  New Information Received!

  Monster Type: [World Eater]

  Location: Everywhere you want to be

  Details: [World Eater] monsters are part of the ongoing event and are arriving in increasing shapes and sizes. The original [World Eater]s were colossal humanoid creatures that devoured entire tracts of land, Locals, and a few Travelers.

  Since [The Great Gate-Away] activated, more [World Eater] monsters have arrived and are modeled after an increasing number of beings. All of them are identified by a smoky atmosphere. They have no noticeable eyes or mouth.

  Elane was not doing well. Neither were the people around her. She traveled with a friend and their new guild, which was run by a player named Awesome.

  Awesome was a father and guild leader. He had been a beta player and Trillium spokesperson. Right now, the man was a desperate person trying to fight off an army of monsters.

  Chunks of trees were missing where shadowy-looking wolves had bitten into them. Dirt likewise had gouges. Until a few minutes ago, the normal-sized canines were content actually eating the landscape.

  Awesome and ten of his guild members had stumbled upon the beasts. Their reaction time had been great, but no one could be prepared for beasts that ate armor and weapons. After a few minutes of hectic fighting, they had managed to form ranks against the beasts.

  “Don’t let them get you! Long-range attacks everyone! Tanks, get out the biggest shields you’ve got!” Awesome pointed at the players in front. Larger shields looked to be more difficult for the beasts to chew through.

  The monsters had dragged down four guild members already. Two of those defeated people could still be resurrected by SheHulk, but the other pair had been removed from friend lists and the guild roster. [Sudden Death] was not playing around.

  “Come on! Mages, move it!” Awesome shouted. Keeping tabs on everyone was easy enough since his own skills were mostly useless. The man couldn’t fire a bow in a straight line no matter how hard he tried.

  His biggest Path was [Spirit Summoner], and in normal combat, his abilities were brokenly overpowered. He could bring up entire armies of beasts from the world to overwhelm an opponent. Awesome loved his [Monster Brown Bear]s and [Slender Wolves].

  “Three down, six more!” one of the shield bearers called. The short Hispanic woman was nearly lost in her armor. SheHulk was new to the guild but had performed well. “They’re clumped! I need a nuke in front of us! Tink! Goddammit, stop holding back!”

  “Shut up! Your giant ass is distracting me!” The tall blond woman was hastily sketching runes into the dirt around her. The spell’s energy added an effect of glowing eyes and floating hair. At her feet, the ground had grown so cold that frost rippled off.

  Other mages were withdrawing. The shield bearers in the front were pushing back an army of clawing creatures with no intelligence. These beasts weren’t like normal wolves, who relied on hit-and-run tactics. Higher Path wolves might form groups and lunge for the weakest-looking players while ignoring tanks who might try to intercept.

  These beasts surged forward like a wave and paid no regard to their dead companions. They weren’t smart enough to move to the side or circle around behind.

  Elane reared back. The two tanks next to her scrambled to provide cover for the slack. She slammed her shield forward into a [World Eater] wolf.
Vaguely canine features were forced between Elane’s shield and the one the man next to her held. His shield had spikes on its edge.

  They tore into the creature’s head, then started sawing away at its shadow-formed neck. The damage wasn’t intentional—SheHulk’s fellow tank didn’t even notice. He had been busy trying to find a second shield. His legs were giving way under the surge of monsters.

  “Got it!” TinkerHell shouted. The last [Lithium] marking upon the ground clinked into place. The dirt beneath her feet developed an instant layer of ice that pushed TinkerHell into the air a foot.

  Crackles appeared along the ground. They sped forward between shield bearers toward the wolves. SheHulk grunted, then lifted her shield into the air. Wolves dove forward, trying to take advantage of the hole in their line.

  “Behind!” SheHulk yelled, not caring who paid attention quickly enough. Her second hand gripped the shield’s brace, and down it came. Language coming out of the Hispanic woman’s mouth changed into the flowing chant of [Lithium].

  TinkerHell spouted her own chant as the frozen line moved forward.

  “In! Everyone in!” Awesome shouted.

  Two people with crossbows ran forward.

  “By the power of a righteous heart, grant me reprieve and sanctuary! Holy barricade!” SheHulk shouted the [Lithium] spell. A bubble of golden light formed from the shield’s edge backward.

  “Icebound walls of the Northern Sea, grant me your silent strength!” TinkerHell finished her chant as the trails of frost reached those wolves remaining. The frozen ice beneath her feet slid upward and blocked the blast.

  Cries from the wolves halted. The half-decapitated beast hanging from one of the tank’s shields looked chilled to the bone. One person’s leg had completely frozen over. Ice was nearly everywhere.

  One of the other players shivered uncontrollably. His violent shaking broke apart the half-decapitated wolf. Pieces of the formerly snarling canine shattered upon the ground. This player hadn’t ducked into the holy barricade zone in time.

  “Seriously, Yo-Yo, listen for the raid calls,” Awesome said while scanning the scene.

  Yo-Yo chattered while nodding. He couldn’t form words in response.

  Both the locations where SheHulk and TinkerHell had cast their area defensive spells were unfrozen. Ice had formed over their heads, around the shields, and all along the forest trees.

  “Goddamn, girl,” SheHulk said while prying her shield out of the ice wall. She pulled out a mace and whacked it against the sides to break apart some ice.

  “You asked for a nuke. I nuked. That’s what I do.” TinkerHell dug her staff into the ground. Single [Lithium] runes were carved out, then erased.

  Directly behind the tall blonde was a shorter man wearing blue equipment. Wax held together his mustache hairs and allowed him to curl their edges. He had been the closest to TinkerHell and showed little sign of leaving her space. His waxed mustache tapped against his cheek. Elane glared passed the taller blonde.

  “Really, Edward? No matter how hard you stare, I’m not making that mistake again. Fool me once, or twice, or three times, shame on you.” She lifted the staff and brought it down on Edward’s toes.

  He hopped back while wincing. “I can’t help it. I saw a distressed lady in need of medical attention.” He had little role to play against these [World Eater] beasts and felt bored.

  “Edward!” Awesome didn’t even look over. “If you can’t behave, I have no problems kicking you out of the guild. Let’s see how long you survive the event with no backing.”

  Awesome was busy trying to see how far the frozen terrain had spread. He pointed two fingers at one of the other party members, then pointed again toward the field. The man he gestured to marched into the woods to recon.

  “You wound me,” Edward responded and pressed both hands to his chest. He avoided putting pressure on the damaged foot.

  “I’ll wound you all right,” SheHulk muttered while kneeling by one of their deceased teammates. Her eyes closed, and golden lights rapidly swirled around as the Hispanic woman recited the long [Lithium] spell that resurrected Travelers.

  [Haven Valley] was a long way away. Their pack animals had died under prior ambushes from players and [World Eater]s alike. The Hispanic woman had started to doubt their chance of success.

  Quest Group: [Largest PvPNess]

  Task: [Fleshy Pounds]

  Total: 106 active members

  Details: [Three Strike Rule] may be taken advantage of by any Traveler or Local with the traits [Murderer], [Traitor], [Killer], [Bounty Hunter], or similar abilities. Upon defeating another Traveler, any person with this task will be provided a [Great Cleansing] token.

  Locals may attack Travelers for their tokens, and thus will gain rewards. These rewards will be based on the total amount of [Great Cleansing] markers received. Rewards will not be provided until the ongoing server wide event is completed.

  Travelers are expected to do what they need to in order to gather markers.

  Warning! Upon death, all your [Great Cleansing] tokens will be transferred to the person who defeated you. No tokens are given for the murder of Locals, only for Travelers.

  Attention!

  [Save Yourself] enabled! Travelers wishing to retain their character information during this event may choose to report to [Haven Valley] and step into the [Stairway to Another World]. People doing so will be unable to rejoin Continue Online until the event is completed.

  Restrictions: The total number of Travelers who can use this is currently limited to one person every thirty minutes. This time is measured within Continue Online’s world.

  Warning: If two Travelers stand in the beam at a time, neither person will be able to use [Save Yourself] until one is removed.

  “What a bunch of idiots,” a teenage male muttered. He had spent the last six weeks trudging through swamplands in search of stashed items.

  Technically the quest he had been on was marked incomplete. That meant a smart man like Requiem might be able to find his way back and finish turning the place inside out for loot. There had been unused weapons, armor, and a few skill books. They should all be in the secret room. At least, Requiem hoped they were.

  Two months of reality had not been sufficient to recover enough stat points. Luckily Requiem knew the rules of this game. He had been playing since beta after all.

  “Anyone in a town will become fair game now. There’s no way those dumb NPC guards can control this without a plan,” he said.

  Two months in reality turned into eight in-game. With his house paid off, the bills and eating got far easier. Still, the habit of playing Continue Online from dawn until the late hours of the night hadn’t faded.

  “Those combat nuts are probably already trying to carve each other up. Luckily we’re well away from that.” Requiem’s shoes squished. These boots were terrible compared to the old ones.

  “I wish you’d shut up,” a giant red-skinned man said.

  Requiem Mass turned to look at his traveling companion. The large red creature had tried to kill him at least four times before the Traveler struck a deal with him. Protection by a powerful creature in exchange for a simple video game soul was a huge gain. His name was Wraith, and apparently the demonic NPC was his old familiar’s brother.

  He didn’t dare try to abuse this one into performing better. Spite had been smaller, much weaker, and easier to manage. Wraith was none of those things. Requiem had nearly died multiple times from trying to stay out of the demon’s hands.

  “You know the deal,” Requiem Mass said to the giant humanoid.

  The creature’s wings were hooked together in the front like a cloak. Two bull-like horns adorned his otherwise hairless head. “Oh, I have every intention of honoring our arrangement. One year, then your pitiful soul is mine. You have less than four months left.”

  “Assuming we live through this event,” Requiem grumbled. His second play through the game was no less driven, but also less stressful. He miss
ed the challenge of beating cutting-edge content and unlocking quests no one else had even found.

  “The Voices have witnessed our deal. I will get revenge for my dead brother in this world, or the next.”

  Requiem shuddered briefly. At least one person in the world knew of the connection between his game character and the real man who lived in a mobile home. Wraith didn’t seem to be connected to the person who had taken away years of in-game work and paid off his home. The possibility they were connected had occurred to Requiem.

  “Sorry, Traveler souls are beyond you,” the Traveler said without much conviction. His ability as a player hadn’t diminished, but his former reckless confidence had started to transform into wariness.

  “Are you sure?” the large creature asked.

  Unlike Spite, Wraith was a full-fledged [Greater Red Demon]. He was larger by far and similar to a walking volcano of fire. [Really Big Brother] only further increased the monster’s stature.

  “I am. Once we’re done recovering my gear, then we’ll head to the next quest.” Requiem felt perfectly satisfied having the large Rank Twenty-Five minion guarding him for this hike. He held up a small rolled up tube. “That guy who gave me this quest will pay big, and I’m going to get every penny I can out of him.”

  The large monster ignored Requiem’s plotting and turned its head westward. A setting sun sat highlighted above the grimy fog that hung around them. His pointed ears twitched forward, looking more like wolf features than any human being’s.

  “Perhaps we’ll get to watch you die sooner than later,” Wraith said.

  A crunch of sound made Requiem’s head turn in the same direction. Some kind of creature, or person, was stalking them through the swampland. They had come so far; being sent back to a [Bind] now would count against his [Three Strike Rule] and remove days of work.

  “You have to protect me. It’s part of our deal.”