I took five of my arrows and placed them inside my satchel, all it could hold alongside the scrap I had picked up. And finally I ditched the small sword. It was common enough. If I had to I could use the crossbow as a melee weapon even if it wouldn’t be quite as effective.
I think if I had to guess it’s been about eight hours now. When I first played this level I was out in two even after being lost half of that. This build, this beta felt like a different game. I guess that made sense. Games changed all the time from one alpha build to another to beta, then back again until finally they release it and patch it up when they can. Darkness Beyond or whatever the hell this was wouldn’t be any different unless somehow I was transported to another planet entirely. That wouldn’t make sense though given the in game mechanics. The only other possibility I could think of was that this was some kind of alternate dimension. Another realm, parallel world, my mind was full of theories.
Didn’t matter. I already fell down the fucking rabbit hole. Maybe I had been falling for a long time. Every immersion, every minute inside these virtual worlds. All of it leading up to this.
I heard the growl of another beast. Another animal inside the ship. I knew just from the sound of it reverberating through the hull that it was no fleshling. It was a boss, or at least a mini-boss. Something else that shouldn’t be here but was.
“Follow me,” said a slithering voice.
“Who’s there!” I exclaimed taking my crossbow and pointing it outward in the darkness.
“Down here, below, don’t shoot!” the voice said.
I looked down and saw a golem. It was part clay and part something else with an elongated head that one moment looked like a corgi and the next a wyvern depending on the angle, two arms with three clawed fingers, two dog like legs and scorpion tail.
“What are you?” I asked.
“I’m the witch’s familiar, I have been sent here to help you,” it answered.
“The witch’s familiar,” I said puzzled. This was something new. I didn’t remember there being any witches in the alpha. Than I thought maybe the witch was Ellie, or the other woman whom I spoke to in the darkness. Perhaps the witch was my way out.
“Don’t set your hopes too high,” the creature said, “the witch is waiting in Arcadia, she sensed one of the unchained had found there way inside here, she sent me to help guide you out,” the creature said.
“How did you know what I was thinking?” I asked in awe.
“I’m Bendi, I know what I know, I hear, I listen,” the familiar answered. The answer was good enough for me. Darkness Beyond, alpha, established there were beings with limited telepathy and other supernatural abilities. Another layer on which the game was based. It did bother me that the creature was able to hear MY thoughts. It didn’t seem natural. I was real and it wasn’t.
“So the witch is an NPC?” I asked.
“N…P…C?” asked the creature confused.
“Non player character,”
“What is a player character?”
“Never mind,” I answered. Obviously this wasn’t going anywhere but it was possible that this creature was sent to help me. Maybe I had opened up some kind of hint or handicap by being lost so long. The witch probably had some kind of psychic powers and was leading me into another quest.
“OK… follow now, you,” said the witch’s familiar.
It clung to the walls like a frog moving on all four sideways staying just between the lights so I could see it’s silhouette but not quite make out any of its features. I swear the more I looked at it the more it changed. Perhaps it was some kind of shifter. Part golem, part familiar, part shapeshifter. Wouldn’t surprise me. It was already pretty fierce looking with it’s claws and tail.
“Shh… we wait,” it said.
I heard the growl again. This time it was ahead of us.
“What was that?” I said quietly.
“The Nanook, the master of bears,” said the familiar, “we run.”
Chapter 4
Bendi was quick. I was running out of stamina fast. The Devil’s sabre slowing me down. I pulled up my stats. Stamina 10. I could hear the Nanook behind us as we passed through a tunnel that led into the light. My favorite part of any game. That moment you pass from the prologue into the first chapter. That moment after the opening when shit gets real. When the world opens up. When the god rays shine bright and there is a white blur before your eyes as the world outside loads pixel by pixel and the music hits a high note. My eyes adjust. The god rays blind me for only a moment. I can see the clouds in the blue sky. The forests around me. Birds in the distance flicker for a moment and fly away. This wasn’t the same world I knew from before and when I looked back at the alien ship I didn’t recognize the design at all. Everything about this game was new. Darkness Beyond 2.0. BETA. Nothing came as I thought it would. I could see parts of the starship submerged in water while other parts looked like they were small mountains rising above the tree line. We were near the coast. I could smell the salt water in the air and feel the cold breeze blow towards me with the smell of the great ocean. I was standing at the border between Sundread and Wildwood. Staring point.
“I need to rest!” I exclaimed placing my hand down on my knee and heaving.
“No time,” Bendi said.
The Nanook appeared behind us. It was a massive undead polar bear. I felt it’s claw against my chest. My health dropped to 20. Stamina 0 as I tried to roll out of the way. My mana stayed at a solid 100. Bendi disappeared into the brush. I was alone. I tried again to arm and fire my crossbow but I was too late. The bear grabbed me and began biting down against my neck. I could feel my body dying. Than I felt nothing. Not even my own heartbeat.
Respawn.
Day 2.
So this is what dying in game felt like. My body was on fire and I was heaving. I couldn’t catch my breath and everything was blurry for several moments. I came to mid fall outside my stasis pod. I passed out for hours and when I woke up I felt like I had fallen asleep on a bed of nails. I was back at the beginning. The only real difference this time was that I was no longer a robotic figure, I was me. At least that saved over. My face, my body, all mine. All of my gear, weapons, everything I collected… all gone. If the rules were the same here as the alpha I wouldn’t be getting them back until I found my body and revenged my death. That meant killing the Nanook, something I had no way of doing. The robot guide was still dead on the floor. I figured now that it was the Nanook that had clawed it. I looked the small figure over. It looked very retro. I picked it apart storing some small gears inside my pockets. They weighed next to nothing.
I thought about shouting for Bendi but I didn’t want to draw any attention to myself. The Nanook was still alive, still near. It was probably hunting me. The game’s first mini-boss. I took my time and made my way back to medical and found another satchel. Most of the supplies were gone but I took what I could. 3 stims, 1 protein bar, and one box of bandages. I had done a better job cleaning it out than I thought. I returned to the armory next walking over the dead fleshlings and the alien body again. I examined it. I tried to pull it’s armor off. Maybe I could use it. No luck. It’s armor was locked to a species called the Argent. That was new. Last time I played you could only play as human.
The armory had all the same weapons as before.
Light Rifle
Made from rusted parts and refurbished from the M44 rifles used during the resource wars on Earth. Brought to Eda via seed ships. Common.
Damage: 5
Class: None
Weight: 10
Small Pistol
Old war relic. Common
Damage: 2
Class: None
Weight: 5
Small Sword
Made by the blacksmiths of Mist village. Viking. Common.
Damage: 10
Stamina Cost: 10-20 (heavy)
Class: None
Weight: 5
No bow. No arrows. I guess that
made sense. Nothing new was spawning. I took the light rifle and a sword this time. I wasn’t going to be reckless. I could kill with stealth using the sword and the rifle would be for the Nanook if it came at me again.
No sign of Bendi. Perhaps he was just as vulnerable to the Nanook as I was. Did NPCs respawn in this world? I couldn’t remember if they did in the alpha or not. I know there were a few characters that had insanely high health but was anyone else immortal? I would have to ask Bendi or the witch once I found them.
So far no sign of trouble. I could see the exit of the starship, the light from outside. I moved slowly this time. I was barely outside when it killed attacked me from behind throwing me to the ground I felt my ribs break as it crushed me with its immense weight. I had no chance. I didn’t even get to draw my sword and I couldn’t concentrate with all the pain. For a few seconds it left me laying on the ground. If it killed me I would lose the items it held. They would be replaced by the low level rifle and sword. I couldn’t have that. I couldn’t let it take me. I shot myself with the rifle. The first bullet didn’t go through I felt my health drop to 20. I shot again as the Nanook began running towards me trampling the ground. I wasn’t going to let it have its kill. I shot again and respawned.
My body shook as I fell to the ground once again heaving and holding my chest. This time I was freezing as I tried to catch my breath. My health was lower than it had been before. 90 rather than 100. The game was getting harder. For the third time I made my way back to the medical bay only to find it was empty. I had taken everything. How did I forget that? I made my way to the armory and counted 5 rifles, 7 pistols, 3 swords. This time I picked up two pistols and left the rest.
Third times a charm right? Wrong. The Nanook grabbed me before the tunnel. I was walking into the light when I shot myself through the head once with my right hand and again with my left.
The fourth time I didn’t bother going to medical. I went straight to the armory and grabbed two rifles. 3 rifles left, 5 pistols, 3 swords. I made it 10 yards passed the ship when the Nanook came after me. I managed to hit it several times. I scanned it. 500 health. 500 Mana. 700 Stamina. By the time I used my weapons on myself again it’s health had dropped to 475, stamina to 600. The fifth time I woke up with 80 health and there was blood on my white t-shirt. My hoodie was also badly ripped at the sleeves. Damage was carrying over. There was a chance now. I took 2 rifles from the armory again. This time when faced against the Nanook I managed to get even more shots. The creatures health dropped to 425. I woke up again. My health at 60. 1 rifle left. 5 pistols, 3 swords. This time I grabbed the last rifle and one of the swords.
I came face to face with the Nanook outside the ship. I could feel the cool breeze as if winter was on the horizon as the beast came at me. I used more than half my stamina dodging it’s first attack. Like most games I playing with trial and error, using repetition to gain the advantage. I shot at the Nanook until I was out of ammo, until my stamina zero. When my health dropped to 5 I threw myself on my sword.
Each time I died there was less pain. Less heaving. Less catching my breath. I still felt a burn throughout my body but it was addicting. I felt like I was even starting to enjoy it. The way you were one place and than another in an instant. My health was at 40 now. I discard my black hoodie at the starting point. No sense in keeping it. It was so torn it wouldn’t help keep me warm anyway. My senses were dulled anyway. The inside of the ship was probably 30 to 40 degrees. The outside mid-50s with a cold breeze. Eda was a world full of different environments so I would have to adapt depending on where I went and how long I was here.
I went back to the armory. I was getting tired. Hungry. I had an idea. I took the last two swords and all of the ammo from the pistols. This would be my last chance. On my way to the starting point I grabbed one of the dead fleshlings and dragged it behind me. I used one of the swords to cut my hoodie into a small tattered bag. I spent the next several hours grinding the bullets between the swords sharp edges opening the edges and pouring the gray gunpowder (cordite) inside the tattered bag. I had to be careful not to cut too quick and create sparks else I would have gone up in flames. I used the thick fur of the fleshling and spikes like a thread and needle and wrapped the bag together as much as I could. Ellie had spent one entire afternoon teaching me how to sew and it looked like that quick lesson was paying off. I made a long fuse from the fur of the fleshling testing it several times by scraping together two pieces of metal scrap I found to create fire. The first time I felt like a caveman. I let out a loud shout as the fuse lit and the fire ran across it in a blaze of glory. A few more times and I was able to create a fuse that would last ten seconds. I wouldn’t win any awards for aesthetics but I made a bomb. Last but not least I cut open the fleshling and stuck my sword inside its throat where it had glands filled with poisonous venom. I could smell it now. The rot. The decay. Like sulfur. The fleshlings design made me think of dragonflies if dragonflies came from hell and ate people.
I didn’t bother approaching the tunnel exit with stealth. There was no point. The Nanook was hunting me and would sense me a mile away. The first time it attacked me like a feral beast while the other few times it seemed like it was playing with me. Maybe it was bored out here all alone being undead and all. I was the only player in the game as far as I knew and I had the feeling this part of the world was pretty empty as far as NPCs went. I was it’s doll, its toy, its plaything.
Ten feet from the exit I banged my sword against the side of the ships inner hull. I wasn’t going to let it get the drop on me again. I saw the silhouette of the beast stand in front of the light. I dropped low and grinded the scraps of metal together to create FIRE. It took more tries than I wanted but finally as the great bear trampled towards me it lit. I didn’t bother to throw it. Instead I turned back and ran deeper into the ship. It went off right underneath the Nanook. The creature’s fur caught fire. I watched its HP drop to 325 than continue to fall 310, 300, 295, 290, 285… its mana was depleting as well while its stamina read 0 with the words disoriented. It stopped at 285. I threw one of my swords at the creature hoping it would hit hard enough and stay. It flopped right off the Nanook’s thick hide. Sometimes I surprise myself with how stupid I can be. It came charging towards me.
As the Nanook threw itself on top of me I held my sword with two hands plunging it inside the decaying animal. Its HP dropped again to 275, 274,273, the poison was taking effect counting down 1 health bar a second. All I had to do was survive a few minutes. The Nanook charged at me again hitting me hard with its claw. Its stamina must have returned close to normal. I was afraid. The first time I played Darkness Beyond it felt like an adventure game full of exploration and new things to discover and enemies to kill It was a power trip leveling up and raiding, looting, and basically being boss. This time, this game, this world it was a horror. This was survival. Every time I died my health dropped 10 points. I wouldn’t make it very far if that kept happening. Not to mention I was low on supplies. I felt my body tremor. The Nanook opened its jaws. Its bear teeth were yellow and I could see the rot around its gum line as drool drizzled down. It was going to bite. I held my arm in front of me. I had no choice but to let it. I felt the Nanook’s jaw clinch down on my left arm and tear the limb from my body. I was bleeding out. My health dropping. I covered my wound with my right hand and I felt a strange sensation emerge. Cold from my hand covered and froze my bleeding nub. My health stopped dropping at 20 points.
I smiled. I held my hand out and concentrated. The Nanook was about a yard and a half away from me still chewing on my left arm. I could see the yellow in its eyes. The undead markings and tattoos under its fur. Something or someone had resurrected the creature and put it here. Maybe the developers thought it was cool or maybe there was something more to it. The bear starred at me and began to ready itself for another attack. I held out my hand again screaming “come on” frustrated and upset. Finally I shot out a blast of cold energy and I felt my mana drop as the hairs on my bod
y stood end to end. My hair turned white and the skin around my hand began to glitter lightly like crystal. The Nanook’s health dropped to 115 and it took off running in the other direction. I moved forward trying to chase it but I wasn’t fast enough. My stamina was near zero, my health 20 points, my mana at 10. I wasn’t going to get my stuff back but I wasn’t going to die again.
I stumbled forward. I saw Bendi come out from behind a bush. He had a small satchel slung around his back and a small red vile in his hand.
“WOW!” Bendi said, “you defeat the Nanook! I don’t know how you kept disappearing and coming back but that was a cool trick, you look a little mess up maybe we trade,” it finished.
“Give me that,” I recognized the red vile. It was a health potion. I reached for it as I fell to the ground and rolled over on my back.
“You have to do something for me first, a little quest, you see the woods here are crawling with undead, the witch sent Bendi to kill, Bendi can’t do it alone, thinks the source is coming from somewhere near the fire shrine, if you can destroy it than Bendi here can help you to Arcadia and we can speak more to her, she is scared. She says something is wrong with the world, that the unchained are the key, you are unchained, I see that, I see for my witch, and if you help Bendi, Bendi helps you,” it finished.
Glimmer, A Throne of Souls (Convergence Book 1) Page 3
