Continue Online The Complete Series

by Stephan Morse

  Nam Redrum swung around with a growl and dove a glowing hand through the air. Red trailed after it like an eagle’s claw on fire. [Blink] was down.

  I fell back and hit [Camouflage]. [Silent Threat] let me fade away despite being in combat, and the other Traveler’s eyes grew confused for a moment. I reached for my second weapon, then imagined both weapons transforming into pikes to skewer Nam Redrum. Both weapons extended rapidly toward his face. The enemy twisted between them and came down on his elbow.

  It drove into my gut and made me cough up blood. Muscles at my shoulder tore. Messages displayed, and a small icon of my body flashed with red. This fight wasn’t going my way.

  I should have trained harder. I should have bought better gear from the Auction House. Shazam would have known which skills to have. Perhaps being more aggressive as a [Convict] would have given me more experience.

  My health was dipping. [Power Armor] flickered into place as Nam’s body swiftly twisted to the right to slam me with his other elbow. A crack of flesh on metal made cackling skulls flicker again. They pressed against me uncomfortably, and it felt like one of them actually nibbled at uncovered flesh.

  My weapons retracted, and I turned my wrists to cut at him. Nam laughed and kneed me in the crotch. I writhed in pain. All my efforts had barely scratched him, and one remaining skull laughed in my direction.

  Pain made it hard to concentrate and [Blink] away. Both weapons shifted weakly to larger blades. [Morrigu’s Gift] peeled to reveal a layer of gold, while [Morrigu’s Echo] still sat with its obsidian coloring. Nam balled up both fists and slammed them into my arm, making me drop [Morrigu’s Gift] for the first time in ages.

  I struggled to get a lungful of air, then I let out three fast fireballs from [Breath of Fire]. Dusk’s body soared somewhere above, picking off [World Eater] spiders that got close. I could hear the girls shouting behind me and a large clash of gears.

  Nam’s eyes went wide. His head turned, and I jabbed [Morrigu’s Echo] into his exposed gut. My attack made the remaining skull dim completely. It chattered as whatever demonic energy fed the gruesome item faded.

  [Morrigu’s Echo] drew out, and I prepared to stab him again. Nam rolled off me to get away. I struggled to both feet, then paused as a giant arm spike came out of nowhere and impaled Nam Redrum. His eyes went wide, and my body stumbled backward while the [Sage’s Guardian] lifted him. He tried to cough something at me. His fingers curled with red energy as he struggled to reach my confused face.

  He gave up and twisted awkwardly to get a view of the creature impaling him. The spider drove two more arms forward while Nam fought off a fourth leg coming from the side. He grabbed ahold of one of the giant limbs and crushed it with his bare hands. His body’s glow dwindled while the spider’s gears whined to a halt.

  I ran for [Morrigu’s Gift] and prepared myself in case Nam Redrum managed to get away. Eventually, both creatures stopped. His jaw hung open. Every other part of his body looked to be gored by the rapid-fire attacks of a dying [Sage’s Guardian]. I took a few breaths and checked their health bars with [Identification]. They were deceased. Whatever empowered the [Sage’s Guardian #4] had failed.

  A gasp escaped me. Xin’s body! There was still time. I ran over, then started wildly searching for her. Voices help me, I couldn’t even tell where Xin had died anymore. Her body was nowhere to be found. My hands scrambled around on the ground. Knees ground into rubble. Dirt lined the ground with a mixture of blood.

  Right here was where Xin had perished. I only needed to use [Binding of Hymenaios] and use its [Resurrection] ability for half my health. Triggering the item’s function simply required finding her body, then touching our rings together.

  Once I found her, but where was she? Did a [World Eater] get her corpse? Black spiders made of solid smoke still traveled the battlefield. Even now they chewed through buildings and enemy player killers without regard. Our smaller forces were busy pushing the spiders back toward our enemies. Dusk did most of the work.

  I started to wonder if I had suffered a psychotic break. Maybe Xin’s existence had been a dream.

  There were other noises in the background. Almost a rush of noise, like the Voices were all talking at once. It droned on while I tried to understand what they said. My head tilted back, and I expected a flash of light from the sky as Mother shut them up.

  Instead, I heard only the faint sound of mechanical laughing. It filled my head as my teeth ground together. I started to reach for menu options in order to bring up my friends list. Maybe she had released to the [Bind] point.

  Her name was online. I stood and ran toward the town. My hopeful charge toward the [Bind] point halted. Nam Redrum stood, alive and well, over the body of a dead [Sage’s Guardian]. He kicked it and crushed small [World Eater] spiders.

  I looked. Another player was in the back, casting [Resurrection] spells over and over. Another raider appeared next to the person in the rear, with a flash of green energy. They were all at around half health. Nam looked in my direction. He snarled and squished more enemies.

  With each bug’s death, the skulls on his body glowed a bit more. Two skulls were already full. A third lit up as Nam Redrum offed his own crippled team members and took down [World Eater] spiders. The final piece of his ability clicked in my head. He charged up skills by killing creatures.

  The person recently resurrected died again as a pillar of bone jutted through the air. I felt a daze come over me that wasn’t inspired by any ARC skill. Dozens of other gnarled spikes appeared all over the battlefield. Only one player I knew used bone that sun-bleached white.

  My eyes drifted, searching for her instead of worrying about Nam. There! Xin was hidden behind SheHulk’s giant shield. All three ladies looked ragged. My wife’s health bar sat at one hundred percent.

  My breath sucked in as I realized what must have happened. [Howard’s Phylactery], a ring I had given her because of worry, had triggered. Relief washed over me, making the pain in my shoulders feel absent. The ring’s ability to restore health upon reaching zero proved to be invaluable. My eyes closed, and I sent out a silent prayer of thanks to the Voices and Shazam.

  Nam apparently felt he was charged up enough. My own health sat at a quarter bar. [Leadership] didn’t regenerate enough. The large skull-adorned man gave a battle cry, then rushed in my direction. Skeleton bones faded from the people they held.

  I put up both weapons to block his sudden attack. [Barricade] activated, and my body resisted, giving way.

  “You think you can win?” Nam Redrum shouted in my face. “I’ll just be back, and I’ll see you scrubbed from this event like all the other losers!”

  The white pieces were assembling behind Nam. I nodded, then hit [Blink] again. Both weapons went into one hand and changed to simple three-foot-long poles. I landed, slid them over his neck, then pulled.

  Something crunched. He strained to get out. Our [Brawn] levels were almost even. Everything else might be physically the same. Our only differences were experience, skills, and items. He had partially charged abilities, and I had [Immovable Object]. My health bar drained while both Morrigu weapons sat locked as iron bars across his neck. I heaved to lift Nam back so that neither of his feet could find purchase.

  His face bulged. My voice was still [Mute], and I could only hope my intent was clear. Nam’s feet kicked violently in the air, and I yanked the bars tighter, strangling him. His health showed no signs of giving out before my arms failed.

  I was willing to trust my wife. She would know what to do next. Her giant skeleton was already formed and stalking this way. By taking us both out and controlling their [Resurrection] caster, we would win. The exchange would be simple.

  Sure enough, Xin’s giant white skeleton came up behind us and swung. The ARC visual sent pain through every piece of my body, and the world spun. Nam Redrum’s head popped off along with my own.

  A gurgled sound escaped as our heads sailed. Wind rushed through my hair, and I almost felt as if t
his were a simple hang gliding event. We landed, and dirt tore across my skin. I hoped his ARC showed him my gloating face as he lost. The darkness overwrote everything else, and I was left staring at a message while rubbing my chest.

  You have died!

  Part of my brain freaked out. My wife had just killed me without even putting a second thought into it. Or maybe she had—I couldn’t tell. She had certainly performed a feat that would be beyond me.

  [Resurrection] came fast. I looked around at the scene before me. Two [Sage’s Guardian]s were deceased. A few dozen [World Eater] spiders roamed the city of [ItRainsTooMuch]. Their bodies seemed distracted by the rain. Some tilted their heads back as if they were trying to devour the drops.

  Xin’s body hugged mine before the light fully faded. She looked upset and had plenty of reason to be. The world had returned to normal color, and I felt able to speak.

  “Is he still able to play?” I asked with a scratchy voice.

  The man had led an army that had put us through rapid-paced hell, and we needed to make sure this was over. [Sight of Mercari] made me dizzy. Awesome stood to one side with two prisoners. One was a [Resurrection]-spamming player. The woman next to him looked dizzy and upset.

  She responded first while sighing. “He only has one strike. No matter what you do, he’ll be back for his tokens.”

  No, if that were the case, we would solve this now. Nam Redrum needed to die, but that had to come from the [World Eater]s. Not a gear-operated spider or a brick falling from the sky. Accidental damage and dumb luck, a sacrifice ploy, none of it mattered if this person who relished killing other Travelers was intent upon stalking us.

  And he had been. Clearly the man had some weird fixation upon me.

  “Then you need to resurrect him,” I said while eyeing the [World Eater]s. We only needed to arrange a proper death.

  “They can res him, but he probably won’t accept.” Awesome stood nearby and looked exhausted. One of his arms dripped blood, and his shirt had been torn clean through. “They have people watching over video feeds like we do. We control the field. It’s not safe for him to come back, so why would he?”

  “Bring him back.” I tried to remain calm while speaking to the enemy group members.

  The man’s head shook in a panic.

  “Do it.”

  Good threats escaped me. These people had charged down here knowing their virtual bodies might die. The fact that none of them had logged out felt weird, but maybe they were playing it safe.

  “Your friend’s right. It’s a waste of time. He won’t resurrect until you’re all gone. Why should he?” The man shrugged as if my threats and desires meant nothing. “But whatever, it’s not like any of us give a shit.”

  How messed up was this? With the new viewing mechanics, anyone could be watching us online. They could share with their in-game friends what was happening. People could be hunted down. Others had probably fed players to the [World Eater]s just like we did. Execution for past debts and digital sins.

  There had to be a way to end this once and for all. Dusk barfed fireballs at [World Eater]s who ventured too close. Staring at the [Messenger’s Pet] reminded me that there were ways around game mechanics if one had access. I could perform some tricks despite having used all three [NPC Conspiracy] abilities. Especially since this idea would keep Xin safe from a madman who would probably seek revenge.

  How long would it take me to get to the van? A few minutes? Two, in reality, would be eight in game, give or take a few. The battlefield was under our control. SheHulk and TinkerHell were cleaning up monsters and resurrecting their clan members. I pondered my actions while reports of those getting their [Third Strike] came back. Even [Resurrection] skills didn’t save people after they hit number three.

  “Herd the World Eaters together!” I shouted to the others. Then I whispered to Xin, “Wait here.”

  Logging out washed my senses with home. The air was still and unmoving. My real body felt sluggish. Our rush of combat had come quickly after little sleep. There wasn’t time for more than a restroom break, meal bar, and drink in rapid succession. Dizziness threatened to pull me down with every step.

  Once in the Trillium van, I crossed a moral line. Nam Redrum’s Continue Online account was active. According to my feed, he idled in the player afterlife, checking an Internet messaging board. While he looked away, I used my admin access to auto accept resurrections.

  I logged back in quickly enough to see a stupefied version of Nam Redrum. His skulls were all missing their red glowing inner light. Whatever empowerments he had were gone, and we could strike before the man recovered.

  Xin already had him at her mercy. Two skeletons pinned him down with serrated bone blades in both arms. With no chance to build up kills, Mister Redrum had no real power. His two remaining team members, Awesome’s hostages, were staring with confusion and gaping mouths.

  “What? I didn’t accept that!” he shouted while twisting in pain. “Hacks! You’ve cheated, goddammit! I’m reporting this!”

  “Did you cheat?” Awesome asked while wrinkling his forehead.

  I shrugged.

  “Just die, you waste of air,” Xin snarled.

  We stood near a few straggler spiders that hadn’t been cleared up. SheHulk and the others were driving them back but not killing them. Others were too busy eating corpses of raiders that had dared attack [ItRainsTooMuch].

  Her skeletons joined forces. Nam Redrum flipped out. He tried to brute force his way out, then yelled as a pack of [World Eater] spiders leapt at him. Their little jaws took the offered meal and left Xin and me alone as the player screamed. [Brawn] meant nothing as his body lost functionality from deletion.

  SheHulk stared without blinking. TinkerHell turned away and looked green. I wondered exactly what these girls had been through in real life to let them turn out in such a way. Had the game hardened them, or were they willing to draw the line in a different place?

  Xin and I stared as the man writhed in pain. I blinked while I tried to figure out how I felt about such viciousness. The first two times Nam Redrum had died were in the throes of battle. We could claim self-defense and a chaotic battlefield.

  The third time involved no such lofty stance. We’d forced him to resurrect, then fed his character to [World Eater]s for deletion. I shook with worry for my moral compass and relief that such a vile player couldn’t bother anyone again. Maybe this would serve as a warning to others. But how many more days or weeks could this virtual world last at this rate?

  Heat struck my chest. I fumbled absently for the [Messenger’s Tube] then uncorked one end. The lack of a wax seal meant this letter was intended for me.

  Hermes,

  Too late you show the resolution to do what must be done. Poor little puppet. If only you had understood sooner, we wouldn’t be in the mess.

  : )

  I tore the parchment to shreds. Judgment from the Jester, of all Voices, felt disturbing. It wasn’t wrong, but at the same time, I drew my moral line in a different spot than the mask-wearing Voice. Besides, the Jester’s original request of me had been to kill Requiem in real life. What good could that have done anyone?

  Dusk landed, then started chasing stray spiders. He looked utterly happy until he saw Nam Redrum’s chewed form. The player still hadn’t logged out, and nearly half his body had Swiss cheese holes from [World Eater]s. Pain apparently did not deter him from spending his last few moments staring at us with hatred.

  I wondered what that might be like, then I shook my head. Our two remaining hostages froze in fear. I gestured to the pile, and Awesome proved only too happy to shove them in. None of us liked player killers. They at least could log out instantly, choosing to suffer a quiet deletion rather than whatever hell Nam Redrum stayed in.

  For a moment, I reflected on the irony. We didn’t like people who sought to fight other players, yet here the lot of us sat, forcing permanent deletion upon people. How long had Nam Redrum played Continue Online for? A ye
ar? Four years? Since release? We had effectively undone years of his life and left him nothing but memories of pain.

  Finally, Nam popped out completely. His suffering form was no longer stable enough to support a real character. I swallowed once as a question occurred to me. With my death, all the player tokens were gone, transferred to Xin.

  “How many Great Cleansing tokens did he have?” I asked.

  “I haven’t looked at who gave me which ones, but I have over seven thousand now,” Xin said dryly. Her head shook with disgust.

  My head joined hers in expressing disapproval. Each token was a player who had suffered. Each one gathered by other player killers during the course of this event. I didn’t feel upset about the action anymore. We had vindicated some of those people who had suffered player deaths at these people’s hands. These players who had chosen to be rampaging monsters as the servers went down.

  Xin’s body shook worse than mine. I looked over and saw a bruise forming along tatters of her robe.

  One cheek tucked back as I touched the wound. “Did it hurt?”

  “Death doesn’t hurt.” Her head shook. “Not really. Pain only comes when you’re alive. Trying to survive despite death calling, that hurts. I didn’t have to suffer long.”

  I stared at the broken players below and wondered if perhaps it might be possible to resurrect them to further their suffering, but I thought better of it. Plus they could log out and avoid the harm. At some point, we had to let these past conflicts go. Nam Redrum thought of this entire world as a game. Too many people did. We didn’t, but neither of us was exactly wrong.

  The town had been in ruins, then demolished, and now it looked like a flattened wasteland. Guts hung everywhere. Dead Travelers’ bodies were quickly decaying. [World Eater] spiders screeched and died in droves.

  Xin waved, and the skeletons which had impaled Nam Redrum for the spiders started to fade—what few remained anyway. In their place, smaller skeletons formed. They fought back the [World Eater]s and gave us room to breathe.