Awaken Online: Catharsis

by Travis Bagwell

  The eyes of Sir Ryalt and his five guests turned to the two intruders in confusion.

  Six house guards already stood in the room. The nobles had insisted on extra protection during their mutinous gathering. Sir Ryalt motioned for them to stand down, as he noted that the two approaching men wore the livery of his house. The pair walked stiffly and their breath rasped in their throats. His guests continued to stare at the men unsettled. They didn't seem too alarmed since they also recognized the guards' attire, but their behavior was odd.

  The two men approached Sir Ryalt. “My lord,” one said in a hoarse, rasping voice. “Thieves have invaded the house and are approaching this room. They have killed the other servants and guards!”

  Sir Ryalt stared at the man in stunned silence for a moment. His dusty heart began to beat rapidly. The familiar adrenaline rushed through his veins, and he reveled in the sensation. Thieves? How could someone have the audacity to attack his house in the middle of Lux?

  He noticed blood on the man's clothes. “Have you been in combat, soldier?” The guard nodded, and the lord motioned for the other guardsmen in the room. “Guards! Make a formation in front of us and keep an eye on the door. Stay close. We don’t know how many of them there are or what they want.”

  The lord's guests eyed one another nervously, but they moved behind the line of guards and huddled in a group. None of them were armed, and, even if they had been, most had never been in combat.

  Sir Ryalt waved at the two guards that had rushed into the room. “Catch your breath for a moment. I need men that will be ready to stand and fight when they reach the door.” Sir Ryalt's planning placed the two gasping guardsmen neatly in between the line of guards and the lord and his guests.

  At that moment, the door to the great hall slammed open again and cloaked figures piled into the room. A man strolled in behind them with a casual air. He wore a hooded cloak that shrouded his face and clothing.

  When he saw the group of nobles, the intruder's eyes shone. “Ahh. We have found the little lordling at last. It looks like he was even having a party!” His voice rumbled with a raspy tone and he coughed harshly.

  The former knight glared at the intruder. “How dare you enter my home and slay my people. Your measly band of thieves cannot take my guards in a fight. You should stand down now.”

  “That's not going to happen,” the man replied gruffly. “You all are going to die in this room.”

  A shadow near the door went unnoticed during this exchange. Everyone was too shaken up to notice the almost inaudible chanting that drifted through the room.

  One of the lord's guards held a crossbow leveled at the intruder. He glanced at the lord and received a small nod. The bolt left the crossbow with a twang and streaked through the air, striking the leader in the chest.

  Instead of falling to the floor, as Sir Ryalt expected, the man staggered for a moment and laughed cruelly. Blood bubbled at his lips and streamed down his chest. “You think that will stop me? I am death, fools.” He coughed blood onto the floor and ambled forward.

  Sir Ryalt stared at the man in shock. What manner of demon was this?

  Just then, the barely perceptible chanting stopped.

  Unnoticed by the room's occupants, elongated shadows raced along the walls. Once they were even with the lord's group, the shadow abruptly leapt from the walls and streaked toward the knight standing in the center of the group of guards and guests. However, the target was not the knight. It was the two guards that were standing in the center of the cluster of people.

  The two once-living men grinned savagely before they were struck by the shadows.

  Then all hell broke loose.

  The two guards exploded violently, dark magic and viscera rocketing from their bodies in all directions, striking the guardsman, the knight, and his guests. Bones and equipment from the two guards acted as shrapnel and shredded the lord and his cadre of guardsmen. Where the dark energy from the two corpses struck, exposed skin rotted away at an alarming rate, incapacitating limbs and causing extreme damage.

  In the midst of the chaos, the thieves moved into action and sprinted forward. They took advantage of the damage and shock caused by the explosion and quickly ended the life of the guards and the noble guests.

  Soon, only the knight was left, kneeling in the center of a horrific scene. His guests had fallen around him in a maelstrom of dark magic and blood. He looked around the room in dazed horror. The walls and hanging tapestries were soaked with filth, and the dismembered corpses of his men lay beside him.

  He had not fared much better than his guards. Shrapnel from the two exploded guards had nearly severed one of his legs. His body was riddled with patches of rotting flesh and his breath came in ragged gasps.

  However, Sir Ryalt was still alive. He had seen worse during his long life.

  His hand vainly sought to find the hilt of his sword. Where had it gone? His thoughts felt sluggish. He froze abruptly as a blade was pressed to his neck. A voice sounded from behind him, filled with darkness and an almost casual disregard for the horror strewn about the room.

  “Goodbye,” the voice murmured before the dagger sliced open the knight's throat.

  Sir Ryalt’s last thought was only of regret for his city. It was already lost.

  * * *

  Jason’s eyes scanned the room. His plan had worked much better than he had anticipated.

  He had played with the Corpse Explosion spell beforehand. Similar to his Curse of Weakness, he had discovered that for double the mana cost he could designate two targets at once. He had estimated that two guard zombies with approximately 600 health each would do approximately 1200 damage total.

  It wasn't surprising that the damage had nearly killed the guards. However, Jason hadn't expected to cause so much damage to the lord. He had quickly inspected the man before he broke Sneak and noted that the lord was actually level 192! The game must have provided him with a damage bonus for the surprise attack, or maybe the knight’s old age had weakened him.

  After the dust settled, Jason examined the remaining zombies. He had lost two zombies to his Corpse Explosion and one had received a severe injury from the crossbow bolt. However, he had killed six guardsmen, the lord, and his five guests. It was more than worth the sacrifice.

  The nobles all appeared to be lower levels and had been nearly useless in the encounter. In contrast, the lord had been particularly tough. Jason was thinking he might have been able to kill all of his zombies single-handed in a straight fight.

  Good thing Jason didn't believe in straight fights.

  Onyx wound his way among the debris littering the room, delicately choosing where he placed his paws. He finally made it to the corpse of the dead knight and looked back at Jason archly. His expression seemed to say, “Why did you make such a mess?”

  Bodies lay scattered around the room, many in pieces. From Jason's point of view, the only real downside from the fight was that most of the bodies were in no condition for him to raise new zombies.

  He sighed. Maybe the other thief group left me some extra guards to raise.

  Jason turned his attention to the slew of notifications that had appeared during the battle. He ignored the large stream of damage and experience information. In these larger battles, the damage information was almost meaningless.

  New Passive Skill: Tactician

  You have shown a knack for careful planning before an engagement. This skill increases the damage multiplier from a successful ambush.

  Skill Level: Beginner Level 1

  Effect: 5% increased damage multiplier for a successful ambush or strategy (Currently, Damage x 1.05).

  x4 Skill Rank Up: Summoning Mastery

  Skill Level: Beginner Level 6

  Effect: 10% increased stats for summoned undead and 10% increase to effective Willpower for purposes of determining control limit.

  x1 Skill Rank Up: Mana Mastery

  Skill Level: Beginner Level 2

  Effect: -1.5% to
mana cost.

  x3 Skill Rank Up: Disguise

  Skill Level: Beginner Level 4

  Effect: 8% increased authenticity to your costumes and mannerisms while disguised.

  x2 Spell Rank Up: Corpse Explosion

  Skill Level: Beginner Level 3

  Effect: Increased damage (Currently 1.02 x Health).

  Wow. A couple more battles like that and I will start to look a little terrifying. The new Tactician skill helps explain the damage bonus against the lord.

  Jason was now level 30. He reviewed his Character Status and decided that the extra fifty-five points needed to all go to Willpower. He didn't think he could pull off the same trick with the Corpse Explosion in the future. Eventually, he would be forced to fight an opponent head on. When that time came, he would need an army.

  He had also received +200 to infamy for killing a veteran knight. He had expected some hit to his infamy for this. You couldn't kill a whole manor full of people and claim to be a bastion of light and morality. His dark affinity had also increased by 1%. He decided to ask Morgan why his affinity increased the next time he saw her. She might also be able to provide more information on how he could learn additional spells.

  After he distributed his points, he reviewed his new Character Status:

  His stats were completely unbalanced since he had put all of his stat points into Willpower, but he supposed it was for the best. He could now summon 18 zombies at once and the max level of his summons was level 66.

  With his low health and lack of real armor or defensive abilities, any competent player or NPC would kill him almost instantly. He would just need to hide in the back and dress up one of his zombie guards to look like the leader of the group. That had worked so well in this particular fight that he was beginning to think of different ways that he could make himself appear to be a mere minion.

  Perhaps my best defense is a good disguise!

  Jason also took the time to inspect each body carefully. He found a large amount of silver and even a couple of gold pieces. He salvaged all of the armor he could from the guards. He either had his remaining guard zombies equip the extra gear or stowed it in his bags.

  The real treasure that he discovered was the knight's sword. It was a beautiful weapon and shone with a dull silver glow. The hilt was inlaid with gems and had gold filigree plating. The blade was nearly three feet long, small chips and nicks marring the steel. Yet it had been well cared for and the blade was razor sharp.

  This must have been what the knight was looking for before he died.

  Knight's Legacy

  This weapon was crafted by a master blacksmith and has seen many battles. Blades carried by experienced knights for a lifetime take on a part of their owner's soul, imbuing the blade with additional damage and increasing the power of whoever holds the weapon.

  Quality: B

  Damage: 52-110 (Slash)

  Durability: 98/100

  +25 Strength

  +15 Vitality

  +15 Endurance

  Restricted to Players and NPCs with a “Good” Alignment

  Jason was blown away by the quality of the sword. The item was on a different level than the type of gear that he had seen on Rogue-Net or the in-game markets. He expected that it made sense, having been dropped by an NPC that was almost level 200. Jason wasn't certain how much the blade was worth, but he expected to make at least a few thousand dollars when he sold it.

  This should give me some breathing room for the next month or so once the item sells.

  He stashed the sword in one of his bags and then carefully inspected the rest of the room. Before he had entered, the guests had been seated near a large fireplace at the far end of the study. During the explosion, the furniture had been blown over. When Jason stood the coffee table back up, he discovered a jeweled box.

  Curious, he was about to open the box before he hesitated. Rich people had the ability to hire others to cast spells and rig traps. This box looked both expensive and important. He handed the box to one of his guard zombies and had him move to a corner of the room before opening it.

  As the box opened, Jason heard a twang. The zombie twitched slightly, but seemed to have no other reaction. As Jason edged toward the zombie, he could see that a sharp needle was embedded in its decaying arm. No doubt a virulent poison coated the tip.

  Too bad poison has little effect on the undead! Jason thought smugly.

  Jason took the box and inspected its contents. Inside were a few small gems and a carefully folded letter. He recognized the emblem on the letter from watching Alex's stream. This was the house seal for the regent of Meria!

  He carefully peeled back the waxed seal and read the contents of the note. The gist of the letter was that Strouse was offering a surprisingly large sum of money to each of the great houses of Lux in exchange for them handing over the city. Reading between the lines, it was clear that Strouse was assuming that the regent of Lux was dead.

  Well, this is certainly interesting.

  This is an incredibly open-ended quest. The success condition is basically “do whatever the hell you want.”

  In every MMORPG that Jason had played, the quests were almost appallingly linear and the players were clearly instructed on how they should proceed. This quest just handed him the information and asked him to figure out how to proceed. The problem was that he had no idea what to do.

  Jason pondered his next steps carefully. He had definitely found an item worth selling (which had been the goal of the evening), and he could simply head back to the graveyard. That would give him time to process the information he’d learned and figure out how to continue. That was the safest option.

  His other choice was to keep moving and hit a few more estates before returning. This was a bit riskier, but this might be his last chance to catch the other nobles off guard. Tomorrow someone would discover that this manor had been attacked, and then the security in the neighboring houses would be increased substantially. The rich were already paranoid and they had enough money to greatly increase the number of guards they employed.

  He also considered going back to the Sow's Snout and just logging off. However, that made him consider what he would be logging off to. His body was laying on a bare mattress in his aunt's bungalow. He would probably find some dry-sealed ramen in the kitchen, and he could eat it at his aunt's third-hand kitchen table while he tried to avoid awkward, sympathy-laden conversation with her. Tomorrow he would probably need to figure out how to apply to an online high school so he could graduate. He was a nearly homeless, expelled high school senior.

  The more he considered what he had waiting from him in the real world, the more frustrated and upset he became. Even the anesthetic of his dark mana wasn't able to entirely numb the pain. The frigid cold slithered and clawed its way through his body, seeming to feed on his emotions.

  What do I want to do?

  He glanced back at the crumpled note in his hand. These nobles had sold out their city. Jason expected that they had also been pocketing the city's taxes for themselves for months. That must have been why the city was in such disrepair. He thought back to the homeless people lying on the street in south-side, sick and hungry.

  Then an image of Alex's smirking face flashed in Jason's mind.

  More rich people who feel that they can do whatever they want. I wonder how these nobles would feel to have the tables turned on them.

  He glanced at study around him. The ornate wood and heavy leather furniture reminded him of Richmond with its “ivy league” atmosphere. He wanted to watch it burn. He wanted to see it all go up in flames. Jason looked at the bodies lying on the ground of the study - their blood soaking into the thick carpet.

  There are plenty of other nobles in Lux who deserve this same fate.

  The dark mana coursing through his veins intensified. Unknown to Jason, black bands of dark energy flexed and writhed on his skin like intricate magical tattoos. His eyes seemed to suck in the light in the room like two min
iature black holes.

  Onyx sat silently on the coffee table beside Alex and gazed at him evenly. An unfamiliar expression marred the cat's features. For the first time since joining Jason, he almost looked worried.

  Chapter 19 - Searing

  Robert and Claire stood on a raised platform in the center of a large, circular control room. Translucent screens flashed at computer terminals ringing the room. The low murmur of a busy office could be heard as technicians spoke quietly. An enormous, semi-transparent screen hovered over the room, displaying various game statistics and server information.

  AO had now been live for forty-eight hours with few reported issues. By MMO standards, it had been an extremely smooth launch, with no hardware failures or server crashes. The techs in the control room were working diligently to analyze game data to identify any hardware or software issues before they occurred. Given the amount of data involved in operating the game world, this would have been an almost impossible task without Alfred's assistance.

  One of the techs turned to Robert. “Sir, you asked me to monitor statistics regarding the beginning players to look for anything irregular.” He hesitated before continuing, “Well, I don't quite understand some of these statistics we are receiving regarding a first-time user.”

  The tech frowned. “The system is reporting that the player jumped from level 12 to level 30 in less than an hour of in-game time. Even taking into account the power leveling some of the beta players have done for new players, this is extreme. I'm not even certain how this is possible.”

  Claire's eyes widened in surprise. “Really? That's a big jump. Do you see anything that would indicate that the player has somehow compromised our system or the game client?”

  Robert looked at Claire skeptically. “Are you kidding? Hacking AO is impossible. Even if someone managed it, Alfred would have noticed immediately.” He rubbed his chin, a thoughtful expression on his face. “The only explanation is that they somehow managed to level eighteen times using the game mechanics.”