To hell with it. I will not leave this place until I do some damn magic.
I punched the door in frustration and took a deep breath. Sitting on the floor, uncaring about possible enemies, I closed my eyes and decided to try something mages had to do in a few games: meditation.
My delinquent youth had made me take some martial arts classes in the hopes of crushing my enemies more efficiently; it had backfired, as my Sifu – the Kung Fu teacher – was the man responsible for my change of attitude in life. Thanks to that, I also knew how to meditate to some extent.
When people close their eyes, they think. About their day, their ambitions, their fears, their fantasies. About themselves. Closing one's eyes is a gateway to one's ego. It is also the first step into your true self, or so my teacher always said; all meditation did to me was giving me a kind of mildly peaceful sensation.
The second step was controlling the breathing. Inhale. Keep it. Exhale. Wait. Repeat. I did that, starting with a mental count for each action and slowly letting the counting go, making it natural to breathe that way. Soon, I felt less frustrated or anxious.
Then I focused on my physical self, on every inch of my body. Forehead, under my ears, shin, shoulders, armpits, arms, hands, chest and so on. From head to toes, I became aware of my whole being. I knew myself in my mind, relaxing each part of my body further as I thought of them.
Next came knowing my surroundings. The hearing was the first thing I focused on. A low rat squeak. The very low sounds of the links in my chainmail rasping against each other as I breathed. The cracks of the metal doors affected by temperature. I almost let that slip my concentration: did the game really go that far in reality or was I hearing what I expected from experience?
After the hearing, I focused on the smell. Stone, mold, earth. Sweat. My corporeal odor. The lingering smells of ghouls who "lived" in the place. The metal around me and the blood on my weapons.
Feeling. The air was cold and so was my body, but I didn't feel cold. I was a cold-blooded creature now, I realized. I felt the small imperfections in the stone beneath me. The way my clothes pricked my skin. An almost imperceptible lingering pain in my knuckles, where I had punched the door. The air touching my lips as I exhaled through my nose.
I knew myself. I knew of my surroundings. It was time to become one with the world.
As soon as I expanded my sense of self – which is a fancy way of saying I was trying to feel beyond my body, even though no previous experiences had ever succeeded – the blackness of my vision shifted, and the world changed.
I somehow knew my vision had changed position to a place some meters ahead and above my own head. In the place where my head should've been, a gray dot appeared, unseen at first, but slowing growing.
It expanded until it became a prefect gray sphere some five meters wide, surrounded by darkness. Multiple tiny light gray lights pulsated inside the sphere, mostly where the non-existent walls, floor and ceiling would've been.
My body was also visible inside the sphere, only it was made of pulsating light gray light and dark gray smoky light, naked and without genitalia. The different luminosities kept moving around each other, as if they were bubbles of water and oil trying to blend but failing.
When the sphere stopped growing, I found I could move my mind around, like some flying camera.
First I focused on one of the pulsating light gray glows and it looked like I was zooming the camera until I could see what I assumed to be a worm.
It was pretty amazing. There were multiple small lifeforms and I checked them all: worms, ants, spiders, even a rat near my body.
Remembering the spell description about taking the death energy from the dying vermin around me, I looked around for a long time. Sadly, none of the light beings seemed to be interested in doing me the courtesy of dying. I wondered if I could and should force nature's hand. I willed the rat to die.
It was as if a member I never knew I had tried to squelch the animal. It resisted me and tried to run, but to no avail. Soon the light gray rat became a smoky dark gray rat. The smoke began to dissipate in the air and I willed it to stop and stay in place. It obeyed.
What I felt the moment it happened was exhilarating. I did it! I killed a bunch of the vermin in a single crush and willed all the dark gray energy to get together right before my body. It did, in a sphere, like a ball of glass with ever moving smoke inside of it, only I couldn't see the glass.
At last, I willed the dark gray sphere into my body.
A refreshing coldness washed over me. When I opened my eyes I saw the system message:
You healed yourself by 58 HP
HP: 145 / 145
There were also two exclamation point buttons.
Trait received: Meditator
Concentrating inwards helps you to harmonize with your magic.
» +5% MP recovery rate while meditating
» Minimum: +1 MP per minute
Trait received: Mind Seer
One's mind can see what one's eyes hide.
With eyes closed:
» Perceive all life and death elements around you
» Radius: 3 meters
Trait received: Mage
You have discovered how to impose your will upon reality itself.
» Can impose your will on visible things
» +1% base effectiveness to spells
Trait received: Energizer
You have learned how to amass magical energy into a sphere.
» Must not move while creating spheres
» Damage for disruption: 5
» Mana to damage conversion on disruption: 120%
The mage and meditator traits bonuses were little help now, but as they leveled up they would become a lot better. The mind seer was kind of useless. As far as I could tell, it's primary purpose was making death magic usable. And the energizer was okay.
I checked the remaining exclamation point button.
Intelligence increased to 8 (+1)
Discovering the ways of magic by yourself is proof of your superior intellect.
» MP: 275 (+40)
Willpower increased to 7 (+1)
Not giving up on the difficulties of lacking a proper magic teacher and discovering the ways of magic by yourself is also proof of your strong will.
» Stamina: 160 (+5)
Would people who already knew how these things worked, thanks to real life information sources, also get the attribute points? They wouldn't be figuring the things out by themselves, after all.
Well, it didn't matter. I had done it by myself, and I felt damn good about it. Now for some darkness magic.
Wanting for a safe practice target, I left the room and got to the end of the corridor, where my cell had been and the torch was still lit. There, I looked at the shadows created by the fire. They were like any other darkness.
When I willed it this time, using the mental power I had just discovered, the darkness obeyed. As if alive, streams of darkness moved from the shadows all around me, including from inside my own clothes, and formed a floating black sphere before me. Instead of smoky, the black substance was liquid.
Awesome. I touched the sphere. The darkness flowed to my skin and pain followed suit.
23 darkness damage dealt to yourself
HP: 122 / 145
As the black liquid passed through my skin and applied pain, it also faded out of existence.
Neat. Sadly, I can't just ask my enemies to touch the magic sphere floating above my head. Time to find out how to make it fly away.
I created another sphere and this time I willed it to fly to the torch. It didn't move.
"Go! Attack! Fly! Move!" Nothing happened. I tried the other obvious thing after that and pointed my finger at the torch. Still nothing.
I did a throwing motion and the sphere flew to the ceiling. It didn't explode, it moved like liquid again, trying to find a way through the stone, and eventually dissipating.
Quickly thinking about the throwing mov
ement, I created another sphere and tried extending my arm with my open palm on the direction of the torch. It worked. When the sphere touched it, the black liquid enveloped the torch and the fire was put out.
For the next few minutes I did multiple tests with the sphere.
I discovered that once I threw it away, I could not change its course, but I could make it dissipate.
Even though my mind determined the target of the darkball, it was also necessary to extend my arm in the direction of the target.
It was also possible to create two spheres in total to accompany me, but not change their positions – they just floated a little ahead of me, above my head.
Finally, by targeting a rat I learned that if it moved after the darkball had been released, the spell didn't follow it.
Trait received: Controller
Controlling energy in the physical world demands physical action. At least for novices.
» Gesture required: Extended arm and completely open hand
» Targeting width: 5 centimeters
» Max distance: 10 meters
And now you tell me. Thanks, game.
So, three traits controlled spell casting: energizer to create the spheres, controller to send it flying, and mage to assist and bridge them by using my will, allowing magic itself to happen. It made sense, kind of.
Other things that made sense, now that I thought about it, were the spells descriptions: instead of casting time, they had 'amassing time' written on them. Time to amass the magical sphere, not to cast the spell proper.
The magic system was exciting; It allowed mages to prepare better for a fight than if they had to chant. Less impressive than instant meteors, though.
So, now I had magic. Should I try to sneak on the remainder of the prison?
The danger was the highest I had faced and the price for failure was huge. I had the Challenge to worry about.
* * *
The young lady came back with the papers for me to sign, putting them on the table. "Here it is."
I hadn't been lying when I said I was in law school. I took the papers and began to read them.
"Also," she said a few seconds after I started, "there is a unique launching Challenge."
She said it as if it had a capital letter and once again waited for me to ask about something instead of offering the information. It was annoying, but I did so.
"What is it?"
"Players who survive the first month without dying and get to at least level ten will have a chance to receive ten extra points to each attribute."
The characters had eight attributes, which meant eighty free attribute points just for surviving. "This sounds too easy," I replied with a frown. "What's the catch?"
"There are two conditions. First..." She counted in her hand. "...the player cannot leave the game in the first month. Second, only the thousand players with the highest levels will receive the reward."
So, a challenge only for players in long-term capsules with a limit on the winners. Simply put, a forced war.
Everyone would try their best to stay alive, but some would die. Of these, a part would let it go, but others would try to kill every other Challenger they could for revenge. And even those who survived would eventually begin hunting the other Challengers to try and guarantee the attribute points.
It was a great challenge. It would make players like me try their best and create a sense of urgency, especially in the last few days.
I loved it.
"How do I join?"
"All you need to do is follow the rules. Oh, and one more thing. Two days to the end of the challenge all players who are still eligible for the prize will receive a distinctive red icon above their heads. If you want to give up, just leave the game for a second and the icon will disappear."
I smiled. "As if."
* * *
Up until this point I had taken some risks, but they had been for easier quests. Calculated risks. Except for the elite ghouls and badass skeletons, and they were a big telltale of the power of the armored woman, should I run into her.
Plus, my magic was not as strong as I had hoped; risking encountering the woman for no good reason was not the smartest thing to do. I had everything to lose and not a clear idea of my potential rewards.
It was fun and all, but it's past time I leave this place.
I got back to the cell, took the loot and proceeded to the main hall. There, I found something surprising.
The armored woman was there, kneeling some twenty meters away from the double doors. Her spears were touching the ground, and she was putting all her weight on them as if she depended on it to not drop on the floor.
Her black armor was covered in a black liquid that I recognized as undead blood – the ghouls and I had it –, and bloody footprints could be seen on the floor. Bloody handprints were also on the walls and the stairs.
Whatever had done it to her, I wanted to be out of the prison before it could get to me.
Hoping she was dead enough to not run after me, I walked close to the walls, my heart pounding in my ears, and got to the still open double doors. That's when the woman fell on the ground, her armor making a loud noise.
It made me stop.
No! Keep moving! Walk! Go! Step after step!
I gulped. Twice. And looked at her.
Was she dead?
The spears were reflecting the fire of the torches. The big sword was on its scabbard. Her horned helmet was cool looking as hell.
JUST. KEEP. WALKING. I yelled to myself in my mind. But my body took a step towards the woman.
Hell, no! God, please get me out of this idiot's body. He doesn't deserve me.
She wasn't moving, not even to breath. I did breathe. The ghouls didn't, but I did. She probably wasn't a ghoul, right? A ghoul wouldn't have a nice armor like that, right? Right?
If something happened, I could just run. She didn't seem exactly fit for running after me. And, well, I had gone back to the cell to get leather clothes. How much more would that very nice looking spear be worth?
Taking a deep breath, I touched the spear.
Nothing happened.
Then my fingers enveloped it.
Still nothing.
Exhaling, I tried to take it out from the woman's hand.
That's when she tightened her grasp on them.
"Shit!" I yelled and jumped back. Then ran like hell to the doors. Which obviously closed with a big boom. I tried to open them, but they didn't budge. Desperate, I looked back at the woman.
She was definitely not dead. Using the spears as support, she was slowly getting up from the floor. One of her hands was not on the spears, though. Her right arm was extended in my direction in a fist.
"Unbound," she said with a hoarse voice.
How does she know?
"Don't worry about me; I'm just leaving." I tried to force the doors behind me with my body, but to no avail.
Like a damn monster from some old movie, she got up. A very faint gray light like was surrounding her whole body. I was sure my heart would jump out of my mouth any minute now. After a few seconds, she opened her extended fist.
Status effect received: Duelist
You have been challenged to a duel and failed to refuse it.
You cannot leave this room until one of the conditions are met:
» 4 minutes, 59 seconds have passed
» You have killed the challenger
All the open doors in the hall closed at once. "What?! No! I didn't accept any duel!"
Without a word, the woman took a spear in her free hand and threw at me.
It was like watching light travel through the air, so fast it was almost impossible to do anything before it hit the door, right next to my head, a loud thud making me half deaf.
I looked at the spear, still trembling after sticking to the door.
Oh crap. I'm dead.
"There is no leaving this prison for you. You will die here." Her hoarse voice made it even scarier.
>
"Are you going to fight me alone?"
She huffed. "Fight? Is it what they call it in your world? Here it's called a massacre."
She took another spear. I readied myself, rusty spear in one hand, metal shield on the other. She threw the weapon.
I felt as if I was hit by a train. With the impact, my shield arm went up, and my head hit the doors.
113 shock + 25 pierce damage received (138 total)
HP: 7 / 145
What the hell?! My shield annulled seventy-five percent of the damage, and I still received all that?
I had a feeling that the woman had hit my shield on purpose. I moved my shield arm back to position, and it sloppily hit my face. I couldn't feel my arm! Looking at it, I noticed it was shaking. The spear had passed through my forearm; it was a good thing it was numb.
Fear and adrenaline overwhelmed me like they hadn't in a very long time. I smiled.
Yes! That's the feeling! Come at me, game!
I removed the spear from the shield and checked it.
Speeding Penetrating Polished Iron Spear
» 70 (+6 [Strength]) physical damage
When thrown:
» 3x damage
» 3x speed
» 3x penetration
Wow. Those were some badass spears. Two hundred and ten damage in a weapon was not something I had expected to see for a lot of levels yet.
Still smiling, I threw it back at the woman. Just like before, it flew at high speed. The spear hit her armor and penetrated it, but that was all. She didn't move or make a sound as the weapon entered her body, nor when she simply took the spear out of her chest.
A darkball hit her right after, its black liquid infiltrating through gaps and the recently opened hole in the armor.
Unbound Deathlord: Challenge Page 7
