The column of light faded as the man stepped forward. “Your rule ends here Shadow!” The man raised his shield and the flaming phoenix shot forward.
“Shadow Shield!” A jet-black wall formed in front of Shadow Incarnate and the phoenix collided with it. The phoenix wasn’t stopping, and the wall began to form cracks. The wall broke moments later, and the phoenix went straight through him, splitting him in two. As the top of his body started falling to the ground, both halves became completely black and flattened like a sheet of paper. The man’s shadow on the ground became a full-color clone of him and raised up. The clone began to fill out and turn 3d as it took the place of the shadow that was just torn in half.
“The same tricks as always Shadow, but this time you fell for my trap.” The heavenly man’s bastard sword erupted in white and red flames. “Holy Fire Slash!” He took a large, deliberate swing with his sword and as it swung through the air, a visible line of pure burning energy shot out of it, directly toward the stage. When the line of energy hit the stage, it exploded, and smoke surrounded the area.
Luke’s mouth was agape. He may have only been playing for a couple of weeks, but the level of power these two exhibited was beyond anything he thought was possible. Part of him was scared at the sheer force of the battle, but a part of him was buzzing with adrenaline. Could I become that strong?
The heavenly man took one massive wave of his shield, treating it like a giant fan, and the smoke cleared. There was a large crater where the stage once stood and the rest of the battle had gone silent. A horde of town guards swarmed in and quickly surrounded the remaining Crimson Shadow members. As the guards went to put cuffs on the men, their shadows came off the ground and flowed over them like water. When they were completely covered, their shadows pulled them down into the ground and all signs off them were gone.
“Search the city!” screamed Captain Holtz to his men. “If you find any of them, I want them alive!”
Luke released a breath he didn’t realize he was holding as his party ran over to him. He spoke before they got the chance. “Are you guys all right?” Penny and Nanoc gave thumbs up toward him as he cast nature’s regrowth on a very wounded Penny.
“King Henry.” Captain Holtz had approached while the party came together and knelt before the heavenly man. The three travelers turned and began awkwardly following Captain Holtz’s motions.
The king raised one eyebrow at the bunch of travelers. “Rise Rupert, and rise travelers. We can save the formalities for later.” Everyone got back on their feet and waited attentively for what the king had to say. “Send a squad to guard the gates out of town. If any of the Crimson Shadow didn’t make it out with that shadow escape spell, I don’t want them making it out on foot.” The captain ran off and began barking orders at guards passing by.
The party began to take their leave before the king stopped them. “Wait a moment you three.” They all turned and for the first time got a good look at the mountain of a man. He was easily seven feet tall and chiseled with muscle. He had a long brown beard, and hair was flowing from the front opening in his helmet. Even if he didn’t display such awe-invoking power during the previous fight, it was obvious that he was a warrior king. “I saw what you three did. I have a lot going on right now, but I expect to see you three at the castle in the morning. I want to speak with you.”
Quest alert! An Audience with the King: King Henry wants you to meet with him in the morning. It wouldn’t be wise to refuse a king. Reward: Unknown. Exp: Unknown. Accept / Decline.
The party all accepted the quest, bowed and left the king to search for Backstab. They quickly reunited with him because of Penny’s party sense, and they shared both handshakes and laughs. Backstab also confirmed that they gave him the Audience with the King quest, likely because he was a member of their party.
The group split up for the night and headed off to bed. They had a long day and real darkness would soon be upon them. Before leaving, they handed out most of the health potions they took from Rose’s shop and Luke headed back there for the night. He was still worried about Rose’s whereabouts and he hadn’t seen her in the crowd of people outside the castle during the battle.
When he reached her shop, he tried the door and to his surprise it was locked again. He proceeded inside but after searching the house, found no one present. Where could she be… Maybe she's out healing others? Luke tried not to worry too much about it and went to bed. He hoped to be woken up by Rose making noise in her workshop.
When he woke up, it was already late morning. He must have been more tired than he thought. He shot up and began his normal morning routine. He tended to Rose’s garden and headed into the shop. It was still vacant, so he tidied up a bit. The place was a mess from the day before when he stormed in and ransacked it for healing potions.
After about thirty minutes a loud knocking came at the door. “Sorry, we’re closed for the day.” The knocking persisted until he couldn’t ignore it.
“Luke, open up. It’s Penny and the rest of the party.”
Opening the door, his vision took in a freshly bathed and dolled up version of his party. Everyone but Nanoc was wearing matching white robes, and they had polished their equipment. Nanoc was wearing long white pants instead of his normal fur shorts.
“Umm… you guys look nice…” Luke muttered.
“No shit Luke. We're on our way to meet the king, remember? Hurry up and put this robe on.” He obliged and quickly ran to the bathroom, or the room you would call a bathroom. The room was comprised of a hole in the ground and had a few pails of water for cleaning. He put some water in his messy hair and slicked it back as best he could before rejoining the others.
When they reached the castle, Captain Holtz was waiting for them and rushed them inside.
“Shouldn’t you take our weapons or something?” Penny threw Luke a hard elbow to his side, implying he should shut up.
“Normally we would, but, not to sound hurtful, at your current levels you couldn’t collectively hurt the King if you tried,” responded the Captain mirthfully.
“I thought the King was dead?” Penny elbowed Luke even harder. Enough so that he took 5% damage and let out a low grunt of pain.
“The King will explain everything.” The captain gave them a warm smile as they proceeded through several hallways leading to a large set of double doors. “When we go in, walk with me to the throne and kneel. If you are wondering what to do, just look at me and do what I say and you’ll be fine.”
The captain pushed open the twenty-foot doors and walked inside. The room was large and open with marble columns on both sides of a long red carpet. The rug ran from the double doors to a small set of stairs. The stairs lead up to a platform where three large, cushioned seats and one simple wooden seat were positioned. Two of the cushioned seats were together in front and the remaining two seats, one on each side, were positioned a little farther back. The king sat in one of the regal-looking chairs with an older woman next to him. The cushioned seat to the queen's side housed a young girl. The plain chair to the King’s side was the only empty chair.
When the group reached the king, they all knelt and waited for permission to stand.
“Rise loyal subjects, so we may speak face to face.” The King began speaking and the group all rose. Captain Holtz walked up the steps to sit beside the king in the simple wooden seat. “I wish to reward you for your bravery and valor yesterday. Stepping up to face an enemy that was clearly stronger than yourselves to help aid my citizens… It was incredible and far beyond what I thought travelers were capable of. Forgive me for saying this, but most travelers seem to only care about themselves.”
The king paused, waiting for a response, but everyone was too nervous to speak. Hating the silence, Penny stepped forward and elected to speak for the group. “Thank you for your kind words, your majesty. We travelers,” she pointed to herself and her party, “come from a different world. In that world many people are just out to get ahead.” The kin
g didn’t look completely satisfied with that answer and gave her a look that told her to continue. She started and stopped several times, not sure how to proceed.
Luke pushed his glasses up and took a step forward. “We didn’t want to see people die. As travelers, we have the ability to resp… come back to life when we die. Your people don’t.”
“But why? That still doesn’t answer my overall question of why. Why make that sacrifice. Does it not hurt to die?” The king pushed for answers.
Luke shook his head aggressively. “No, it hurts. It hurts a lot. I never want to go through that kind of pain again. It’s just…” He thought of Rose and the kindness she showed him. She gave him a reason to keep going when he wanted to throw in the towel and give up like a lot of the travelers in town. A warm, genuine smile crossed his face before he continued. “Your people are special. One of them took me in when I had nothing. She treated me like family and lifted me up when I was spiraling down. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for her and if I have to die a thousand more times to save a person like that, traveler or not, I will.”
Social +1.
King Henry kept his eyes locked with Luke’s for a long moment before his expressions changed. A smile crossed his face before he spoke. “I’m so glad to hear that.”
Quest Alert! An Audience with the King: Meet with the king 1/1. Quest complete! Reward: Rare Class Item Box, 200 reputation with the Phoenix Kingdom. Exp: 1,000.
New Status: Liked.
Gaining or losing reputation with the kingdom as a whole will positively or negatively affect your social interactions with the kingdom and its subjects as a whole. Individual benefits or detriments from reputation changes with individuals will still apply, regardless of overall kingdom reputation.
Note: This is a one time system message.
A small square box appeared in front of each traveler, floating in mid-air. Luke reached out to his and grabbed it with both hands.
Rare Class Item Box (Rare) x1 obtained. When opened, this box will award you one rare item associated with your current class. ERROR: Class not chosen. The Beginner Class can not open class item boxes.
“I hope that shows you how grateful I am for your assistance.” He hesitated for a second but pushed on. “I would actually like your help again.” The king continued to explain that his death was all a ruse. The day they announced the king's death, the castle was indeed attacked, but the king was able to stop the intruders after a lengthy battle. The king wasn’t sure who was behind it and so he came up with a plan.
The king would fake his death, trusting only his captain with the truth. He went into hiding and had guards searching the surrounding area for any information. In his absence, Shadow Incarnate invaded his city and it forced him out of hiding.
Finishing his story, he continued with his request for help. “With the reappearance of Shadow Incarnate, many things have been set into motion and I fear my city is in great danger. No matter how events unfold, please defend my people with your lives.”
The party looked at one another, and this time Luke was the first to respond. “Sir, I mean, your majesty. With all due respect, I’m not sure how much of a help we’re all going to be.”
Both the King and Queen chuckled before the King spoke up. “If you display half the bravery you did today, our kingdom is in good hands.”
Quest alert! City Defenders: King Henry has tasked you with aiding in the defense of his city. It takes a lot to make a warrior king ask for help, try not to disappoint him. Reward: Unknown. Exp: Unknown. Accept / Decline
Quick glances around revealed not an ounce of hesitation on their faces as they all hit accept.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Class Acquired
“Well, that was fun,” Luke added as the group reached the courtyard outside the castle. “I want to help him but I don’t think any of us are strong enough.” Nanoc raised his hand ready to object but lowered it after realizing Luke was right. “I’m just not sure what we can…” A loud gong sounded in his ears, forcing his eyes shut in pain. When he opened his eyes, he noticed the rest of his group covering their ears as a system alert entered his line of sight.
SYSTEM ALERT! SYSTEM ALERT! UPDATE FROM VORTEX INDUSTRIES!
The message below the alert appeared as a hand-written letter from Rob.
Hello Travelers, it’s Rob. Vortex Industries and I wanted to reach out to you all and update you on the current situation. The top brass forgot about the time dilation and wanted to wait a couple more days before sending you any updates, but I thought we should update you as soon as possible.
I’ll spare you all the technical jargon, but we haven’t been able to recover the hacked data yet and bring you all home. We thought about rewriting the code but to be honest, we’re hesitant to do extensive testing while players are logged in. We don’t want to mess with your minds and all. Don’t fear though, we’re still working around the clock to get you guys home! The FBI has even stepped in to lend their assistance. They said the unique virus preventing you guys from logging out has the same coding signature as others they have dealt with. They said it's the signature of some extreme hacking group called the Crimson Shadow? Not sure what that means, but they are trying to track down their leader.
In other news, we're working on getting you all some in-game support. If I can convince my boss, we will open the game to another round of beta testers. Now, before you all start freaking out, they won’t be capsule users. The next round of beta testers will all use traditional VR headsets to login and won’t be transferring any of their consciousness into the game. I figure more players equals more fun, right? It’s about all I can do to help at the moment with the FBI taking over the investigation. You should see some new players, pending approval, in the next week. Well, two weeks for you.
I hope you are all doing well, and at the very least, the traditional VR users will give us a window into the game again. We had to shut off all external connections in fear that the hackers would somehow gain access again. We’re no longer able to monitor you, so stay safe.
I guess that's all for now. I’ll update you again as soon as I have more information.
Sincerely,
Rob Xanders
P.S. Sorry I couldn’t show up in person again. When we stopped the world last time, we started overheating the mainframes housing the game. I guess freezing an entire world for a few minutes takes a lot of computing power. Who would have thought?
It took a moment for all of them to finish reading the message and process its contents. “The Crimson Shadow! Those bastards!” Nanoc roared in anger.
“Now, now. We don’t know if it's the same group.” Penny attempted to calm him. “I agree that it's a weird coincidence though…”
“And what's this about a time dilation?” Luke inquired.
“Oh, that's an easy one. Didn’t you read the user manual?” Penny responded.
“I wasn’t given a user manual. I got trapped during my first log-in session.” Luke replied.
“Ahh, that explains why you know so little. Endless Fantasy Online runs at double the speed of Earth. For every two days we spend in here, only one passes back home. The manual said they did it so people could spend more time engaged for less of a time commitment in real life. Think if you only had a week off from work, you could spend a whole two weeks vacationing in the Vortex Capsule,” Penny explained.
“That's both amazing and scary. We’ve been stuck in the game for a little over two weeks but that means it's only been about a week in the real world?” Penny confirmed with a nod and Luke continued. “Looks like we’ll have more players soon too. Wonder if that's a good thing or a bad thing.”
Nanoc spoke up. “More players will make the game more interesting, but it also means we’ll have more competition for hunting grounds, loot and the sort. It’s probably best we level up as quickly as we can, that way we're not fighting people for monster spawns.”
Everyone agreed that they would grab as
many quests as they could find tomorrow and spend the whole day hunting. They would have gone out today, but it was already past lunchtime and the gates would only be open for a few more hours. As they parted ways, with plans to meet first thing the next day, Luke headed for Rose’s shop.
When he arrived, he searched the shop for what felt like the hundredth time for any clues leading to Rose’s whereabouts. He even searched her upstairs living quarters. There was no mess and there weren’t any signs of a struggle or break-in either. It didn’t appear that any of her personal effects were missing. He locked the upstairs door again before heading back downstairs to the workshop in order to think.
With Rose gone, someone will have to tend to her crops and run the shop. But that would probably cut into my leveling time. Could I hire someone? He wasn’t sure what to do and for now posted a sign outside that the store would only be open first thing in the morning and late at night. That would allow him enough time to tend to the plants, serve some customers, and spend the day adventuring. He could open the shop back up before sleeping each night. That thought reminded him of his sleeping arrangements.
The main shop area had a small storage closet that didn’t hold a lot of inventory. They mainly used it to store crates of empty bottles and pots for plants. He went about clearing the space out and moving the boxes into the backroom. If Rose wasn’t going to show up anytime soon, he could use the space more than her.
Before he could get to work, he needed to prepare. He stopped at the bank and emptied his account. Fifty gold would be enough money to make change for the customers, but it would be tough to pay his other expenses. He considered how much he could afford to spend as he headed to the carpenter to commission some furniture.
Endless Fantasy Online Page 9
