“You should savor it,” Jason said in a dry tone, a trace of a smile still on his face. “It’s a once in a lifetime event. By the way, I’m going up to the keep to look around. I want to get a feel for the city management features I unlocked as Regent. If you need me, you know where to find me.”
“Will do O’Bringer of Darkness!” Jerry replied as he indifferently poured three liquors into a cup and handed the concoction to a random, confused patron.
Jason just shook his head and started for the door. If he stayed, Jerry was bound to keep trying to find a suitable title for him. He pulled open the inn’s door and stepped into the street.
Thunder peeled overhead, and Jason looked up. Dark billowing clouds hung over the city, blocking out the sun as forks of lightning arced between the clouds. The occasional flashes of light partially illuminated the darkened buildings that loomed on either side of the tight street. At street level, lanterns hung on wooden poles at regular intervals, casting faint rays of light into the shadowy road. Without his Night Vision, Jason would have been hard pressed to see where he was going, even with the dim lighting.
Frank is going to have a difficult time here until he picks up the skill.
Jason’s remaining zombies assembled around him. He had ordered them to stay near the inn. The group looked pitiful in comparison to his once growing horde. After his battle with Alexion’s army, most of Jason’s minions had been destroyed. He sighed and pulled up his Summon Information.
Summon Information
Control Limit
67
Lt. Control Limit
4
Zombie Level Cap
236
Skeleton Level Cap
111
Current Zombies
13
Current Skeletons
0
Current Lts.
0
-
-
Type of Summon
Soldiers
6
Fire Mage
1
Ice Mage
1
Dark Mage
2
Thieves
3
-
-
Jason had managed to summon a few soldiers during the last battle, but he hadn’t recovered the majority of his army. He had also used up most of the corpses and bones near the city by resurrecting the new undead NPCs. He was going to have to roam farther afield to rebuild his army.
His thoughts were interrupted by someone calling his name. “Hey, Jason,” Riley called out as she approached. Her leather creaked as she jogged towards him, her blonde hair trailing behind her. Jason noticed the bow slung over her shoulder and the pair of daggers that hung at her waist.
He wasn’t certain how he felt now that she was here. They hadn’t spoken much since they had met at the bubble tea shop a few days ago. He had permitted her to enter the city and had introduced her to Jerry, but he’d been too busy since then to spend much time with her. Despite his curiosity about the Old Man’s motivations in bringing her to the Twilight Throne, Jason still felt conflicted. One part of him felt like she deserved another chance, but he still hadn’t completely moved past what had happened at Richmond.
His eyes glanced down at Alfred, who sat casually beside him. The conversation with Angie also lingered in his mind. Was he going to give people a second chance, or was he going to write them all off as assholes? Hell, if he was going to give a rogue AI an opportunity to prove himself, he might as well extend that same courtesy to Riley.
“Hi, Riley,” Jason finally replied.
Now that she had his attention, Riley’s initial enthusiasm faltered, and she seemed a bit uncertain of what to say. She clasped her hands in front of her and avoided Jason’s gaze. Even inside the game, he couldn’t help but notice the dark circles under her eyes and her haunted expression. Maybe she needed a second chance more than he realized.
“Um,” Riley began hesitantly. “So, I saw you log in since you’re on my friends list. I figured you would probably be at the Sow’s Snout.”
“I’m actually about to head over to the keep. I haven’t explored it since I was made regent.” Jason paused for a moment, before asking, “Do you want to join me?”
Riley finally met his eyes, a small hopeful smile creeping across her face. “I would love that.”
Jason nodded. “Good! Let’s get started then.”
As they began moving down the street, Riley glanced at Alfred, who padded softly beside Jason. Her brow furrowed as she looked at the cat, a faint glimmer of recognition in her eyes. “What’s this little guy’s name?” Riley asked, motioning to Alfred.
Jason glanced back at her, and his eyes widened slightly as he noticed that she was gesturing to the cat. “Um, his name is Onyx,” Jason said uneasily as he watched the AI’s avatar carefully.
“He looks familiar,” Riley said, scratching her head.
“Well, there are probably many black cats in the game world,” Jason replied noncommittally. He then tried to change the topic away from the AI. “So we’re going to take a less direct path to the keep. It’s too easy to set up an ambush on the main streets.”
Riley looked at him in surprise. “Are you that worried about getting attacked in the Twilight Throne? Isn’t this your city?”
He snorted softly. “I just had an army at my doorstep. I’ve also seen a lot of human players in the Twilight Throne since the battle. We’re a tourist attraction now. While I’d like to encourage people to visit since it improves the city’s economy, it also carries some risk. Anyone holding a grudge or looking for some airtime on a streaming channel can make their way into the city. Besides, there’s a real money bounty on my head,” Jason said, eyeing Riley with a grin. “You’re hanging around a wanted man.”
Riley matched his smile. “Well, Mr. Dangerous, I still don’t understand how anyone could be stupid enough to try something inside the city,” she said in a skeptical voice.
Jason shrugged. This wasn’t the real world. There were no lasting repercussions to dying here, at least not for the players. With no real downside, people were likely to take stupid risks - especially if there was enough money involved. At least that was one thing AO and the real world had in common.
The pair walked north along the street and then took a side passage onto an adjacent road. The buildings loomed on either side of the group, leaving barely enough room for a small wagon to pass. Jason’s zombies kept pace with them, maintaining a tight formation. While they spoke, Jason’s eyes constantly scanned the road and nearby rooftops. He hadn’t made it this far by being careless.
Riley shook her head as she watched him. “How do you stay on edge all the time? I’d go crazy.” Then she added in a softer voice, “At least here people aren’t hunting me.”
Jason stared at her for a moment. “Are you sure? Didn’t you blow Alexion’s head off? I saw the video that was posted online. If people are gunning for me, then they’re probably looking for you too. You should be careful.”
Her eyes widened slightly and she replied in a quiet voice, “I hadn’t really thought of it that way…”
He interrupted her with a raised hand. His Perception had picked up a faint blue outline on a nearby rooftop. He could also see fresh footprints on the roadway ahead of them. A flare of suspicion ran through him. The city’s new guard had largely eliminated the thieves that had once plagued its streets. There wasn’t much reason to steal when you didn’t need to eat anyway. That left only one possible culprit.
There must be players ahead of us.
Jason kept his stance casual and spoke in a low voice, “Speak of the devil. I think there may be an ambush up ahead.” Riley began to stop and look around. “No,” he hissed. “Act normal and keep walking.”
Jason scanned the nearby buildings. He saw that the street widened ahead. The buildings in front of them were two-story affairs with large balconies. The street was strangely deserted.
How the hell c
ould they have known we were taking this street?
He glanced at Riley. Perhaps they had followed her to the inn? Her blond hair certainly made her stand out. Someone might have overheard their conversation in front of the inn and then circled in front of them. They weren’t moving that quickly, and the city was riddled with side alleys.
Damn it.
“Do you see those two buildings ahead with the balconies?” Jason asked in a quiet voice.
Riley nodded, her expression serious and alert.
“They will probably spring the trap when we pass those houses. If they’re careful, I expect they’ll also attack us from both directions at the street level. Ranged damage-dealers and casters will probably strike from the balconies.” He glanced at her again. “Can you take out the ranged enemies?”
“Yes,” Riley replied shortly. Her hesitation had begun to fade as her eyes slowly turned a dark obsidian. She looked tense but in control.
“Good. Remember, they will be aiming for me. Let loose with everything you have and don’t hold back,” Jason instructed.
A few long minutes passed as they continued walking forward. Jason shuffled his zombies’ formation. He used the movement to disguise the fact that two of his dark mages activated Sneak and moved into the buildings beside them. His three remaining thieves also entered Sneak and slipped into a side alley. He ordered them to circle around to the north side of the street. Hopefully, they could flank their attackers.
The remaining mages moved into the interior of the formation, the soldier zombies taking up positions in a circle formation around the group. Jason gave careful instructions to the ice and fire mages. They would need to be able to act automatically when the fighting started. Riley watched Jason’s preparations closely. Her head cocked slightly as she considered how he was preparing for the upcoming battle.
As they neared the two buildings, there was still no activity on the street. Jason eyed a stack of rotting crates sitting to the side of the road. That was really the only cover available.
Maybe I won’t need it. I could just be overreacting.
Then a figure moved out of a building ten yards ahead of them. It was a young man with a boyish face. He wore a heavy chainmail tunic, and a longsword was strapped to his waist. His gear looked sturdy, his sword shining with a dull blue glow. The caliber of his gear was exceptional.
“So, we find the legendary Jason,” the player said in a snide voice. His arrogant tone didn’t match his boyish good looks. “We have you surrounded and outnumbered. Give yourself up, and we will spare your lady friend.”
Players moved out of the shadows on both ends of the street. Archers and casters also appeared on the balconies of the two nearby buildings. Jason assumed they had been using Sneak to have appeared so suddenly. A quick headcount showed that they were facing nearly thirty enemy players. Whoever these players were, they were being careful with him.
“As you can see, this is a hopeless situation,” the boy continued as he watched Jason scan the enemy players. Jason inspected the player in front of him. Level 78. He also noted a strange tag under the boy’s name, which said
A guild maybe? A quick inspection of the players in Jason’s peripheral vision indicated that all of the players surrounding them had the same tag and were similarly leveled. That seemed to confirm his theory.
He breathed a short sigh of relief as he saw their levels. Jason still had thirteen zombies close to level 100. They were also within the Twilight Throne, so this group of players should be suffering from the debuff that afflicted good-alignment players near the city. This was going to be a close call but not impossible. Jason’s heart began to race. He reflexively summoned his mana, the chill scratching and clawing its way up his spine.
They probably want me to surrender so that they can film me being killed in some embarrassing way. I can’t see what else they hope to gain from this confrontation. If that’s the case, I best make sure they regret this decision. I have a reputation to uphold!
Jason chuckled darkly, his lips curling into a sadistic grin. “Give up? I don’t think you appreciate what you’re facing, boy.”
The player’s face contorted in anger. “Fine then,” he spat. “We can do this the hard way. We’re going to make you pay for what you did to the players in Lux…”
His words were cut off abruptly as an arrow embedded itself in his eye. Riley had moved almost too quickly for Jason’s eyes to follow. Her bow had dropped from her shoulder as she simultaneously pulled an arrow from her quiver, lined up the shot, and released. He glanced to his right and saw that her eyes were filled with unholy light.
I guess we’re going, he thought dryly.
Without hesitation, Jason dove behind the pile of crates, landing hard on his left shoulder. He heard a whoosh as a fireball struck the street where he had been standing, leaving the faint smell of smoke wafting through the air. The pitter patter of arrows followed closely behind. With a cry, the melee fighters on the both ends of the street rushed toward Jason and Riley.
The zombie mages didn’t hesitate. Patches of ice immediately appeared on either side of Jason’s group. Firewalls followed, springing up behind each patch of ice and leaving the small team sandwiched inside the barriers. Jason could feel the heat of the flames from where he was huddled behind the crates, as bolts of magic and arrows pounded the decaying wood. His cover wouldn’t last long at this rate.
Many of the enemy fighters hit the thick layer of ice coating the street at a run, slipping and falling. Their bodies promptly slid headlong into the roaring inferno and screams echoed through the air as they were consumed by the fire.
I don’t ever get tired of that combination. I should come up with a name for it. I bet Jerry would pick “Slip’n’Slide of Doom.”
The swiftly burning players threw up a thick smoke, partially obscuring Jason and Riley from the view of the attackers on the balconies. Jason’s dark mages, hidden farther back along the road, launched into action. Curses flew through the air, striking the archers on the nearby balconies and slowing their movements.
The dark mages then turned their attention to the melee troops in the southern part of the alley. Rays and bolts of dark energy streaked toward the enemy players where they stood dazed at the edge of the patch of ice. Where the dark energy struck exposed skin, corruption spread and flesh began to rot away at an alarming rate. Tortured screams sounded from behind Jason. The melee fighters to his rear began to panic, uncertain whether to brave the fire or turn and fight the foes behind them.
From his prone position behind the crates, Jason cast Curse of Silence in rapid-fire succession, aiming for the casters on the balconies. He just needed to incapacitate them so that they couldn’t destroy the crates he was hiding behind. His gaze moved back to Riley as he kept casting from his cover.
She released arrow after arrow with uncanny accuracy. Her face was deadly calm in the midst of the battle. She dodged with nimble steps as arrows and spells rained down around her, her golden hair flashing and twisting freely in the air. An arrow leaped from her bow and raced toward one of the mages on the balcony. The tip glowed with dark energy. As the bolt struck the mage, unholy tendrils wrapped his body and ate away at his flesh. The man screamed as he was devoured by the void.
However, the players on the balconies began to regroup. A player called out, “Water mages, take out the northern firewall. Fire mages, attack the ice on the ground on the north side of the street.”
Crap, Jason thought frantically.
Bolts of ice rained down on the wall of flame, and it quickly sputtered and died. Fireballs followed close behind, the flames splashing against the ice covering the cobblestones. Soon only puddles lingered in the street. The only saving grace was that the players’ attacks caused a thick cloud of steam and smoke to fill the air, obscuring their vision further and preventing them from accurately targeting Jason and Riley.
Taking advantage of the new cover, Jason pulled himself into a crouch to get a
better view of the alley. He could just make out Riley’s form darting through the thick vapor. He telepathically ordered his six soldier zombies into position facing north. He selected a soldier at random, commanding it to run forward. Its brothers stayed behind. The zombie let out a hoarse roar as it charged. The players reacted to the scream, moving forward to meet the zombie through the billowing clouds of steam and smoke.
As the zombie approached the enemy players, Jason completed casting Corpse Explosion. The zombie detonated violently, spewing scrap metal and dark pulsating energy in all directions. The shrapnel severed one player’s leg at the knee, and he was sent sprawling forward as his screams filled the air. Many of the other players were injured and disoriented from the blast.
Capitalizing on the explosion, Jason ordered all of his remaining soldiers forward. There were still many more players rushing at him, and he couldn’t afford to hold back. He sent a quick order to his thieves, commanding them to attack the northern group from behind. The mages were directed to focus on the ranged players on the balconies. Jason spared a glance behind him and saw that the combination of the firewall and his dark mages’ attacks had sufficiently delayed the players to his rear.
-110 Damage (Crippled).
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot up Jason’s leg. He toppled sideways and scrambled to pull himself farther behind the crates. He looked down and found an arrow embedded in his thigh. He knew it was just a game, but he couldn’t completely suppress the horror at the sight of the wooden shaft in his leg. Some things were just instinctive.
Damn it, this hurts. Dull pain, my ass. No wonder the players scream.
As spells and arrows splashed down around him, Jason glanced up at the balconies. He could barely make out the corpses laying among the archers and mages, a product of Riley’s skill with the bow. He began casting Specialized Zombie repeatedly. Maybe he could distract the players. The newly awakened zombies opened milky eyes and started casting spells within the ranks of the enemy players.
Awaken Online: Precipice Page 6
