Awaken Online: Catharsis

by Travis Bagwell

  She waved her hands at the zombies, and they slowly crept back into their graves. The pair walked back to the gate, and Morgan unlocked the chains. Jason showed her the pile of bodies he had hidden behind the bushes adjacent to the gate.

  “By the gods, boy! You killed half a town!” As she inspected the bodies, she turned back to Jason in surprise and began to question him. “Is this Marian's husband? And a guard?”

  Jason shuffled his feet slightly as he responded, “Well, there were a few obstacles. I made some executive decisions.”

  “Maybe dark magic is the right affinity for you after all. You're certainly enthusiastic enough,” she said with a smile. It was the type of grandmotherly smile you would expect to receive for winning a school award, not for murdering three people in one night.

  Something had been bothering Jason all night. “I still don't understand. Why exactly did you want me to kill Marian?”

  Morgan's smile morphed into an evil grin, and she cackled softly. “I hired this pair to move a few bodies to the graveyard a few days ago.”

  She kicked Marian's body. “This one cheated me out of two silver.”

  Jason just stared at her with a dumbfounded expression.

  “Are you kidding me?”

  Chapter 13 - Decisive

  October 6, 2075: 362 days until the release of Awaken Online.

  Both Claire and Robert were standing in front of the camera. They wore slightly confused looks on their faces, and they both seemed to be hesitating to be the first to speak.

  Robert finally spoke up, “Well, let's start with something easy first.” He paused, shaking his head with a grin. “Alfred has created gods. Specifically, it appears he has created a deity system based around the magical affinities available in the game.”

  Claire was pressing her hands together nervously and kept adjusting her glasses. “However, that really isn't the biggest news for today,” she said quietly.

  She took a deep breath and then continued, “Alfred seems to have found a way to...” She trailed off with a frown on her face. “For lack of a better word, Alfred has found a way to ‘download’ information into a participant's head.”

  “In the past, the in-game skill books provided a skill upon activation. The player could then use that skill with the system assist. However, ever since Alfred removed the system assist, we have been wondering at the purpose of the skill books. We figured it out today. The skill books now enable a player to effectively download a large amount of game related information directly to their brain.”

  Robert jumped in, “This has been confirmed by several of the participants. It should be noted that using a skill book doesn't always translate into a viable skill. For example, someone could explain to you everything there is to know about camping, but, even assuming you could remember everything, you would still be terrible at camping. You would actually have to practice the skill to become good at it. However, for things like languages and data-intensive learning, the skill books are simply amazing.”

  Both Robert and Claire looked at each other hesitantly. Robert grudgingly spoke up, “This also means that Alfred has found a way to access a player's cerebral cortex and the areas of the brain controlling memory. If he can effectively “write” to a person's memory, then I expect he can also “read” a person's memories.”

  He shook his head. “I have always assumed that this is possible using the VR hardware, but we never developed the software to do it.”

  Robert paused for a long moment. “This also means that Alfred has somehow overridden his secondary directives. Based on the personalized quests he has been handing out, we expect that he has been able to access the participants' memories for some time.”

  * * *

  Jason laboriously dragged the three bodies to Morgan's cottage. While she had been impressed with his actions, she had no interest in helping him transport the corpses. By the time he was finished, he was exhausted and slumped against a nearby gravestone. Onyx had watched the whole affair with an indifferent air from atop one of the nearby tombs, licking his paws. Once Jason finished, the cat hopped off the tomb and rubbed himself against Jason.

  As Jason caught his breath and pet Onyx absentmindedly, Morgan looked at him thoughtfully. “You did well tonight,” she finally said. “In fact, you far surpassed my expectations.”

  Jason still felt a bit conflicted about the evening. The strangest part was that he didn't feel all that guilty about killing Marian and company. He wondered idly if he was becoming more inured to violence in this game or perhaps the numbness he felt when he summoned his dark mana had somehow carried over into his regular behavior. He shook himself. He was probably just over thinking it.

  This is just a game.

  “I'm still not certain what purpose your task served, but I've completed it,” Jason said.

  Morgan looked at him evenly. “The purpose was for you to demonstrate your commitment. Like I said before, dark magic is not for the weak of heart. A choice was presented to you, and you chose to act on your own desire regardless of the consequences. That is a significant first step on the path of the dark.”

  She waved a hand dismissively. “In any event, you have completed my task, and now I must fulfill my end of the bargain.” She paused and looked at him curiously. “In fact, perhaps you are capable of learning my particular vocation.”

  A prompt flashed in Jason's vision.

  Jason was a bit intrigued. “What is your profession exactly?”

  Morgan straightened slightly and assumed an authoritative air. “For you to understand that, you first need a primer on the uses of dark mana. There are three general schools of spells that can be cast using dark mana: curses, offensive rays and bolts, and summoning.”

  She paused for a moment to let the information sink in and then continued. “Curses can weaken or disable opponents. Offensive spells have effects similar to what you saw me do to the grave robber. Finally, summoning allows a caster to call demonic or undead creatures to serve her will.”

  “I have never been one to deal with demons,” she said with her hand on her chest. “However, I have always been intrigued by the process of summoning the undead. In fact, I have devoted my life to the art of raising the dead. The few who practice my discipline are called Necromancers.”

  Jason leaned forward. He had heard of Necromancers from other games, but was intrigued to see how this game would develop the class. Morgan had his rapt attention. This was the kind of power he was looking for. Stealth and assassination were all well and good, but he could already visualize himself commanding a legion of undead.

  Morgan eyed him observantly. “I can see that the idea of following in my footsteps excites you, but understand that there are some trade-offs. A typical dark mage is equally well-versed in each of the three schools of spells, but will never truly master any one of the three.”

  “In contrast, a Necromancer receives many additional spells and skills specific to summoning the undead, but will be much more limited in the other types of spells he can cast.”

  “You will have to choose carefully,” she said with a meaningful look.

  Jason managed to quell his excitement and think for a moment. The penalties that Morgan had just described were serious and he expected that there were likely other downsides to summoning undead. He decided to probe Morgan a bit before making a decision.

  “I have heard of something similar before, but I'm intrigued. What's involved in raising the dead?”

  She grinned at him. “I'm glad you decided to look before you leapt. In some ways, summoning the undead is the most powerful of the different applications of dark mana. However, the tradeoff is that you will need corpses to summon your minions and the strength of those minions is often relative to the power of the creature you use.”

  “In addition, zombies and skeletons decay over time and will eventually degrade completely. The decay can be slowed if they remain near a powerful source of dark mana. This requires most travel
ing Necromancers to kill often and re-summon their minions in waves.”

  Morgan waved at the graveyard, speaking with an enthusiasm that showed her passion for her profession. “This is why I have chosen to live in a graveyard. The bones and corpses provide ample material to experiment, and the concentration of death creates a natural nexus of dark mana to preserve my creations.”

  Hmm. That also means that I could use the graveyard as a base of sorts as I start summoning creatures to reduce the decay. This seems doable even with the downsides. I also have to admit that the idea of commanding an army of undead sounds badass.

  He also debated the other choices. He could see the potential of curses if he chose to become some form of death knight or assassin. The offensive spells also seemed pretty straightforward. Morgan had wielded a basic spell with gruesome efficiency. However, in both roles, he would be limited to small scale battles. Especially if he was playing solo.

  He recalled Alexion's video. He had been leading a small army. Jason was certainly not too proud to admit that he lacked the charisma to gather an army of his own. He knew he wouldn't be able to face Alexion without followers, no matter how powerful he might become.

  Besides, what he had always loved about playing MMORPGs was the strategy. He enjoyed carefully planning his character to min/max his stats and skills and developing various strategies to tackle dungeons and bosses. At heart, he was more of a strategist than a front line fighter or damage-dealer. Maybe summoning would be a good change of pace and would fit his play-style.

  “I would like to learn to become a Necromancer,” Jason said firmly.

  Morgan smiled, pleased with his choice. “Good! First I will need to teach you Veridian. Luckily, we can shortcut this process since I have a skill book for the language. Then you can undergo the initiation to become a Necromancer.”

  Jason let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully the game wasn't going to make him learn a whole language!

  Morgan handed him an ancient-looking book. “Here. Simply place your hand on the cover and think learn.”

  He took the book from her and followed her instructions. It was a black tome, dusty with age. Strange symbols were carved into the cover, and the book was latched shut. As he palmed the cover and thought the word learn, an incredible feeling swept over his mind. His head first began to tingle, and then the tingle swiftly transitioned to a fierce itch that crawled from his eyes to the back of his head. As the sensation became almost unbearable, he dropped to his knees and clutched at his head.

  Knowledge of the ancient language flooded into his mind in an endless, cascading wave of words. The torrent seemed to be bottomless, and, after a short time, he felt like his brain was going to explode from the influx of information. Jason's heart raced, and he began to panic.

  Then the sensation was gone, and his mind calmed. Jason still knelt on the ground, trembling slightly. Sweat trickled down his forehead, and his knuckles were bone white as he clenched his hands.

  What the hell was that? Was that really safe?

  He had previously been dismissive of the concerns about the health effects of VR technology, but now he was starting to see the other side of the debate. How on earth had the skill book system made it through the public safety trials?

  There is something more going on here.

  His reflections were interrupted by a system prompt:

  New Passive Skill: Mana Mastery

  Your body contains natural mana and you have a high affinity for magic. However, both of these are useless without the requisite tools to channel and cast your mana. You have learned the language of Veridian, the original mages. You may now manipulate your mana.

  Skill Level: Beginner Level 1

  Effect: -1% to the mana cost of spells.

  As he looked around the graveyard, he could almost see the “true name” of each item superimposed over the object. Thankfully, the distracting effect faded after a moment, but the knowledge remained.

  Jason looked at Morgan and blinked slowly. “I think it worked. It's strange. In many ways it feels like I've always known these words, but I also know that I've just learned them.”

  “Good. Morgan eyed him approvingly. “Now that you have taken the first step, I can offer you a class change. Would you like to become a Necromancer?” She said this last part with an expectant grin.

  Without hesitation Jason replied, “Yes.”

  Morgan smiled excitedly, and her hands began to move in a strange pattern as she murmured under her breath. Dark energy swirled between her fingers and black ribbons crawled up her arms. The dark energy then cascaded from her in a continuous wave, forming a swiftly growing ball of dark energy in front of her. Once the orb had reached a diameter of roughly three feet, it began to drift toward the pile of nearby corpses.

  Tendrils of darkness reached out from the miasma and lifted Marian's corpse off the ground. Her body was pulled into the center of the orb and was swiftly ripped apart into its individual components. The blood, organs, and bones swirled within the dark energy. As Jason watched in stunned silence, the blood and organs were quickly absorbed, leaving only the bleached bones floating in the dark vortex.

  The remaining mass of bones and unholy energy tumbled and stretched until it slowly began to coalesce into the rough shape of a door. The outline of the door was framed with Marian's bones and her skull adorned the door’s arch. The grisly doorway towered over Jason, and the dark energy stretched to fill space between the boundaries of bone. Jason could make out dark tendrils that would occasionally reach out from the portal, beckoning to Jason.

  Morgan glanced at Jason. “It is time. Enter the portal.”

  Jason approached the doorway of dark energy until he was standing an arm's length away. He hesitated. What was on the other side? He was seriously starting to second guess this decision.

  He glanced at Morgan and asked, “Where will this take me?”

  Morgan let out a sharp laugh. “You kill three people this evening without any hesitation, and yet you balk at entering this portal? What did I tell you about doubt boy?”

  As she finished speaking, Morgan gave him a shove, and he fell headlong into the portal.

  The world swirled around him. After a moment, he found himself standing in a familiar cave. He could hear a faint dripping sound, and, when he turned, he saw that he was standing next to a large pond. Moonlight illuminated the cavern through a large hole in the ceiling.

  This is the cave from the initiation test.

  A rumbling voice spoke up behind him, “Hello again, young one. I have been watching you closely, and I must say I'm impressed with your progress.”

  The old man stood behind him, robed in darkness. His face was still obscured by his hood, leaving only his mouth and cheeks visible. This time, his staff showed itself for what it really was. A vicious scythe-blade adorned the top of the wooden staff and reflected the moonlight. Seemingly without a source, blood dripped slowly from the tip of the scythe and onto the cave floor.

  “Who are you?” Jason asked after he had managed to get his bearings. “What are you?”

  The old man smiled. “Why don't you tell me?”

  Jason hesitated.

  He assumed that the old man was some kind of god in the game world. The scythe seemed to indicate that he represented this game's version of death. It was also clear that the old man had some strong connection to dark mana since Jason had made his way here through Morgan's portal.

  What had Morgan said? That the affinities fed off of certain personality traits or behaviors? He had noticed that his connection with the dark seemed to grow as he acted on his desires. He thought back to the chilling numbness that flowed through him when he summoned his mana. That sensation made it much easier to act on his desires without fear or restraint. At times it seemed like he was channeling something else… or… someone else.

  “I think you are somehow linked to the dark affinity,” Jason murmured. He glanced up at the old man and added, “Or maybe you'r
e somehow the affinity itself.”

  The old man let out a rumbling laugh. “You continue to impress me. I am exactly what you have described, a manifestation of dark mana. I am the incarnation and embodiment of desire - particularly the thirst for power.”

  A thought occurred to Jason. “Does that mean that there are others? Other guides that represent the other affinities in the world?”

  “Of course. As you learned from Morgan, the use of each type of magic in this world requires a specific temperament. The initiation test sorts out the travelers by showing traits they exhibit, and, thus, which affinity they gravitate towards. Perhaps it is best for you to think of it as a personality test of sorts.”

  That was possibly the most fucked up Myers Briggs test I've ever seen. Maybe they should add that question: “If you met the demonic version of your vice-principal in a dark cave, would you beat her to death with a rock?”

  The old man paused for a moment. “Most of your kind have small traces of the dark in them. You all seem to secretly yearn for various things. Yet few of you crave something with sufficient fervor to attract my attention. Many also lack the fortitude to act upon their desires.”

  “However, you are different.” The old man seemed to examine Jason carefully. “Your soul hungers for power and calls out to me. You have demonstrated that you have the conviction to pursue your desire.”

  Jason's mind scrambled to catch up with the old man's explanation. So the initiation had been some kind of personality test? He thought back to how he felt when he entered the game: angry, frustrated, and tired of being stepped on.

  Had there been other ways he could have handled the encounter with Ms. Abrams? Perhaps he could have accepted her vitriol as the product of a lifetime of prejudice. He could have cast aside her barbs, knowing that he was worthy of his position at Richmond. Maybe he could have spoken with her, tried to explain his side of things. What would have happened if he had simply turned and walked away?