“Trolls never pass up a chance to get stoned,” Chloe muttered, sprinting across the outcrop toward the half-embedded boulder. She leaped onto the boulder, then launched herself at the troll’s face. She drew her sword mid-air and prepared an Ice Shard in her free hand, which she hurled at the troll’s eye. The shard crashed into the stony eyelid when the troll closed its eyes. When it opened them again, Chloe was several feet from its face.
“Let’s see how a sword from the gods deals with trolls.”
One moment Chloe was flying toward the troll, the next she felt something unyielding smack her stomach. The hand was huge and batted her away with a strength she couldn’t believe. She slammed into the ground, leaving a small crater beneath her as dust kicked up into the air.
“Thank the gods they fixed that pain receptor.” Chloe grimaced, coughing as she tried to get herself to her feet.
“Chloe! Move!”
The others were on the platform with her now. Tag looked more disheveled than the others, and Gideon was pointing up at where a giant foot was now shadowing over Chloe.
Chloe dive-rolled to the side before getting squished by the other troll, who had been watching the action and waiting for his turn to strike.
Chloe worked her way to the others. They stared up at the giant beings, suddenly unsure how best to deal with the situation.
“How do we take them down?” Tag asked, hammer ready in his hand.
Chloe cast Creature Identification.
Creature: Troll Guardian (Ancient) (Lv 21)
HP: 1,442
Resistances: Dark, Fire, Earth, Poison, Long-ranged attacks
Weaknesses: -
“Well, that’s useful,” Chloe grumbled.
“What?” Ben asked.
“There’s no information on their weaknesses. Only information on their resistances and they have a fair number of those. Move!”
The trolls strode toward them, the ground shaking beneath their feet and the stone under them cracking. They each hammered a hand on the ground, causing debris to fly from the cavern walls. The green torches flickered in protest.
They divided, each sprinting in a different direction across the platform. Ben moved near the wall while Tag darted between their legs and tried smashing his hammer against their stony ankles. Chloe just avoided anything she could, her mind working overtime.
In an effort to escape getting clobbered by another fist, Gideon summoned Aqua Orb. The spell erupted into a giant ball of glowing blue water, which seemed to draw the trolls’ attention.
“Oh, crap!” Gideon said, sprinting around the space and doing his best to avoid being clobbered. Each strike against his orb sent out a pulse of white energy, but the trolls could do no damage to him.
“Chloe! Door.”
Chloe followed Ben’s voice and saw the small door the trolls were guarding. About the size of a regular door, there’d be no way the trolls could fit through. If they could get it open and get Gideon through…
“It’s stuck,” Ben said, hands scrabbling on the rock. The face of the door was carved in a series of strange runes and letters, and it had no identifiable handle. There was a small gap that suggested the place where the door met the wall, but even with Ben clawing his fingers inside, the thing would not budge.
“Whatever you’re doing, can you do it fast?” Gideon cried. “I can’t hold them off much longer.”
Chloe put a hand over her mouth. As direly as Gideon needed help, the sight of the trolls bashing the orb was pretty entertaining.
They towered over the blue ball, taking turns bashing it like a drum. Each blow emitted sparks of white light, but at least it kept them distracted.
A memory jumped into Chloe’s head, the time when she found a cat in the streets who was obsessed with the laces of her brand-new running shoes. She had only been a teen at the time, but the damn thing would not leave her alone.
If she raised her leg, the cat followed and jumped at her.
If she put her leg behind her, the cat sprinted around and continued clawing.
At the time, she had been pretty afraid, deciding that the only way to escape was to run home.
But where were they to run this time?
“You two, find a way through the door,” Chloe said when Tag finally joined them. He began bashing at the door with his hammer, to no avail.
Chloe closed her eyes and calmed herself. Her jackalope appeared in an instant, as if it were expecting her. A smug grin reached her face.
When she opened her eyes, both hands were purple. She held them before her, aiming them at Gideon.
Gideon moaned in surprise as the orb was whisked out from under the troll’s fists. She raised him off the floor and began sweeping him around the trolls’ heads.
“This isn’t exactly what I had in mind!” Gideon cried out. “Chloe—aargh!”
“Keep strong, Gid! Keep that orb lit!”
Gideon closed his eyes, ignoring the seasick feeling in his stomach as he was tossed in figure-eights around their heads. The trolls followed with unblinking eyes until Chloe could see them swaying dizzily on their feet.
And then the orb stopped in front of one of the troll’s faces. The creature went cross-eyed.
“How are you getting on, guys?” Chloe called back, not even bothering to turn around.
“It’s impossible,” Tag called back.
“It won’t budge. It’s like there’s some kind of criteria to meet that we can’t read. It’s in a language of the old world.”
“What are you two doing?” Gideon called, leaning toward the edge of his orb to try to take a look. The orb flickered, threatening to vanish.
“Gid! Focus!”
“Right, sorry!”
The troll farthest from Gideon grunted, pulled back its fist, and powered it toward the orb in a perfect jab. At the last minute, Chloe dropped Gideon. She caught him before he hit the ground, at the exact moment the troll’s fist connected with his brethren’s nose.
A strange cry came from the troll, and dark blood shot out and down his front. He stumbled backward, body smacking into the wall.
The troll who had thrown the punch showed no remorse, his attention already back on the shiny ball on the ground. He ran over and made to kick the orb, but the other troll dove across the outcrop and slammed into him.
The sound was titanic. Rock smacked rock, and shockwaves pulsed across the cave. The orb was sent rolling involuntarily toward the edge.
“Chlooooeeee!”
Chloe caught the orb an instant before it tumbled over the edge. She pulled it back, sending it flying toward her, Ben, and Tag.
“Lower your shield.”
Gideon obeyed, the blue blinking away instantly. Gideon floated toward them and Chloe brought him gently down to his feet.
“Thanks, I guess,” Gideon said.
Chloe chuckled. He looked pale, all color drained from his face. “Don’t mention it.”
Tag slammed his fist against the door. “How the hell do we open this thing?”
“You need blood.”
Gan’gor crept over to them, his body still tucked against the wall. With his dark skin, he blended almost perfectly with the rock.
“Blood?” Chloe shook her head. “Why is it always blood?”
She drew her sword and made to tug down her sleeve, suddenly remembering that she was covered top to toe in armor and, short from jamming the pointy part of the blade in the slits of her helmet, she had nowhere to draw blood from.
“Not yours,” Gan’gor said. “Read.”
He ran a finger across the door, tracing specific runes.
“To cross the threshold and keep on true, draw blood from that which blocks your route.”
“Great!” Ben complained. “How are you meant to draw blood from stone…” His voice trailed away as he saw the slick trace of dark liquid on the floor where the trolls had been earlier.
“How did…”
“Were you not paying any attention?” Chlo
e chided.
“I was trying to open the friggin’ door!” Ben replied.
Tag folded his arms. “Stupid poem. It doesn’t even rhyme.”
“Who cares? Maybe let’s focus on getting the blood before the trolls realize we’re about to escape.” Chloe turned to run but noticed that Gideon was already halfway across the outcrop. “Gid! What are you doing?”
“I’d like to make some contribution to this damn quest,” he called back between panted breaths. “I can do more than be the ball in a pinball machine, y’know?”
Chloe grinned.
Gideon came skidding to a halt a few feet from the dark patch. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a mana potion, which he drank straight down, wincing as the sourness of the drink hit his taste buds.
He bent down, scooped some of the blood into the empty vial, and corked the top.
“I’ve got it!” he called back excitedly.
Which drew the attention of the trolls.
They had been fighting among themselves, blood now oozing from fissured cracks in their skin, making them look like they had tribal tattoos.
The troll currently on top slammed the other troll’s face into the ground and brought himself to his feet. He bounded toward Gideon, only to stumble and fall as the troll on the floor grabbed his ankle.
“Get back, Gid. Now!” the others called.
Gideon didn’t hesitate. With legs moving so fast they blurred, he sprinted toward the others, but was blocked by a massive hand slamming down in front of him.
The troll nearest to him leered, a cruel, hungry look. Gideon instinctively summoned Aqua Orb once more, glad to have drunk his mana potion.
Think, Chloe. Think…
“The answer’s right there, girly,” KieraFreya muttered. “Just find it…”
And then it hit her.
“Gideon, hold on tight!”
Gideon braced himself inside the orb, tucking himself into a tiny ball.
Chloe used her Telekinesis and moved the orb before the troll could hit it again. They both rose to their feet, each trying to reach the shiny object first.
Chloe pushed the orb away, leading the trolls toward the edge of the outcrop. Their eyes were so transfixed on the orb that they paid no attention as their toes gripped the edge.
Gideon cried out in alarm. He was now hovering several yards from the outcrop, certain death below him. The trolls reached forward, one bumping into the other as they started pinwheeling, unable to stop their forward momentum.
Chloe shot the orb into the air away from the trolls, then brought it back toward them fast, listening to the cries of the trolls hurtling into the abyss, the place into which she had fallen all those weeks ago.
Only, she had a feeling the gods wouldn’t be so kind to them.
“That was a risky move,” Gideon wheezed, lowering his forcefield.
“All the best ones are,” Chloe said, not realizing how out of breath she was as well.
Beside her, Tag yelped in surprise.
They turned as one and saw him hovering off the floor, body bathed in golden light.
“Yes!” he cried, reveling in the sensation of leveling up.
The others laughed.
Chloe held out a hand to Gideon. “Blood, please.”
Gideon started, as if suddenly remembering what he had just done.
“Oh, of course.”
Chloe splashed the contents of the vial on the door, lip curling as she did so. The smell was repulsive, but immediately the carvings on the door exploded in bright green light.
The rock cracked, and the door began to open. Chloe turned back to the others, smiled, and waved them through.
Chapter Fifty-One
Doc,
This has got to be the craziest experience of my life.
Have you ever gone back to a memory inside your head and thought about what would happen if you had the chance to do it all over again, knowing what you’d learned in the time since it happened?
I once thought that if I had the chance to go back in time, it would be to the last time I spent quality time with Mother.
I have this memory, see? We were at the park just a few blocks away from the apartment. I think Mother and Father must have had a disagreement, and she wanted some space. Time to hang out with her children. Since I was the youngest and most reliant, she took me.
I have no idea where the others were. Probably with the help.
She took me on the swings, her face as sour as a week-old lemon, but I didn’t care. This was time spent with my mother. Although I had come to see my sitters as maternal figures, they never took the place of Mother in my heart.
I rode the slide. She spun me on the merry-go-round. For the first time in my life, I think I saw something like pure happiness in her eyes.
And then I cried.
I screamed.
Something inside me switched and I turned wild. I think I wanted an ice cream. I can’t be sure, but I definitely wanted something, and she wouldn’t give it to me.
That smile slipped. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it return.
If I could go back, I’d change that. I’d make it so that was the best day of her life. Forget the money, forget the success. I’d tweak that memory until it gleamed.
I guess the reason I’m telling you all this is because I have a chance to conquer my past. Since I’ve been plunged into Obsidian, I have stumbled my way through it all. I started the game with one of the biggest loopholes I think anyone’s ever seen.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful it happened. I would never have met KF otherwise. But I’ve always wondered what it would be like if I could start all over again with what I’ve learned along the way. Take my strength and my skills and finally earn my place in this game. No hacks, cheats, or glitches. Me versus the system.
And now I have that chance.
You’re probably still busy with all the Praxis drama, but know this: I’m safe, and I’m more determined than ever to finish this friggin’ quest and sail into new chapters. Finally, I have a chance to earn my place here.
And I’m not passing it up.
If you could drop me a message and just keep me in the loop of what’s happening on your end, it would be appreciated. I’m about to head into the next part of whatever trial this is, so I might be slow to reply.
I miss you guys, and I hope you’re fixing things on your end.
Who knows what damage the dark gods could unleash if the AI isn’t reined in properly?
Chloe
Chloe,
As always, I’m glad to hear you’re doing okay.
Having the opportunity to start over is a blessing. Believe me, I know. If it hadn’t been for you, Mia would never have found her way back into my life, and to have a second chance at something you thought you’d lost years ago is the greatest gift anyone could ever receive.
You’ve come so far. We’re all proud of you. Your parents still drop me emails while they’re away at their conferences to check in on your progress, and between their words, I can sense the pride you’re bringing them. They may never say it directly, but I know that much is true.
Things in the outer world are…interesting, to say the least.
Damien is still AWOL, and no one seems to know where he is. We’ve cut off his paychecks, but there’s no telling where he is or what he’s capable of. We have our backup version of the AI and we’re keeping an eye on any injections of code into the main game, but it’s difficult to monitor with so many new lines writing themselves every day.
It’s not all doom and gloom, however. One of Mia’s colleagues believes she has a lead, but then again, so did another one the other day. Still, it’s the best we’ve got, so she’s following it up as closely as possible.
For me, my time is split between my duties at the office, watching you, and helping Mia where I can. Suffice it to say it’s hectic, but it will hopefully all be over soon, and you can go back to enjoying a simple adventure quest.
>
Yeah, right. Like you even know what that is. ;)
I’ll keep you updated. Mia says that if we can override the codes and figure this AI business out, it might lead to Fukmos returning to his home…wherever that is. It’s only in the self-generating god AI that they’ve been able to pass the barriers and make it to Obsidian’s surface.
Where the havoc is being wrought.
Still, you’ve got to admit this is more exciting than sitting in board meetings for hours on end. Living a double life as the number one-watched player in Obsidian.
Yes, you still hold that title.
Stay strong. Keep fighting. You’re almost there.
Doc
Chapter Fifty-Two
“Zefron! Switch out!”
“Aye-aye, Captain.”
Zefron lowered his bow, eyes still fixed on the warg he had hit. The arrow had found its mark, going straight through the creature’s eye.
“Justin, move in. Widen the blast radius. Let’s make these suckers burn!”
Rusty called his commands, peering into the darkness with his one good eye. The other was covered in an eyepatch which at first he had abhorred. Now he had grown to love the look.
Justin, the party’s mage, replaced Zefron on the front line. After having disappeared for almost a week to train with the queen’s Chief Guardian, Rusty was impressed to see the progress in his mage’s ability.
Justin closed his eyes, hands generating vast balls of flame. He pointed his fingers toward the dark mass of writhing bodies at the gate and set the filthy creatures alight.
Cries of distress rippled through the group, creating a small hole in the otherwise endless mass. Even with only one good eye, Rusty could see the infinite army stretching out ahead of them, the creatures so dark that they melted into the shadows of the land beyond.
“Utrice, how’s it going back there?”
Zefron knelt behind Justin, eyes closed, as Utrice’s hands glowed white with her healing abilities. The scars and wounds on Zefron’s body began to knit themselves closed.
It had been like this for hours. The team was managing to hold up, but their stamina was depleting. Rusty monitored the situation, coordinating the group like an orchestra conductor. A little farther along the line, their other two rangers were loosing their arrows, joining the volley of projectiles firing into the opposing army.
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