Total Immersion: Dark World: A LitRPG Adventure

by S. J. Larsson

  “It’s not that,” Days says quietly.

  I know what it is. It’s that I’m talking about the thing you don’t talk about. The conversation-ender. What is Dark World, and are we all dead? Everyone shuts the hell up if that thought even crosses your mind, like they can read your brainwaves.

  It’s because they’re all thinking about it, too. It’s all any of us think about, wonder about, yet can’t talk about. Reality is unclear in Total Immersion Mode, and not knowing what Dark World really is eats at all our core beings.

  I want to talk about it so bad. Especially to my friends. I need to hear any and all ideas. I have to discuss and learn. I must figure it out or I’ll go mad.

  That’s exactly why they don’t talk about it. It drives you crazy ever so slowly. So much so that to distract yourself, you’ll risk making deadly bodily contact with the sun itself willingly over and over, every day, to forget it, even for a moment.

  “Look,” Days says. “You do know Mystic. You’re good at it.”

  “I suck.”

  “No,” he continues. “It’s like you’re in synch with the meaning of the class. You understand your summons. You hang out with Djinn. You make sure the Counts are in a comfortable place for them when you summon them. Have you plucked a Varengan feather just to see? No.”

  “Well, of course not. That would upset him. He was used that way for a millennium.”

  “But how do you know that, Sid?” Days says.

  I don’t know. I say so. “It just makes sense.”

  “That’s what I mean by you’re in synch. Why did you dismiss Djinn right before Xiuhcoatl dropped a bomb on us?”

  “He had just said he hated being burned.”

  “He’s an NPC! But you did a nice thing for him. You knew we were all gonna eat it, and you dismissed him instead of protecting any of us with multi-targeting and Contemplation. Your instinct was to protect your summon. That’s friggin’ weird, man. You are a true Mystic. You got this, and I’ll tank every summon fight you ever get if you’ll take me.”

  “Me too,” says Simple. “I’ll blow mythical gods up for you.”

  Sorry laughs. “Sid, quit being a dork.”

  “But Sorry, I am a dork. Not sorry I’m a dork, but referring to you and responding…”

  They crack up.

  “What time tonight?” Doolittle asks.

  I’m suddenly humbled. They are really going to try that again with me? Already? “Midnight?” I say softly.

  They agree on the time.

  “Why at night?” asks Days. “What Mystic sixth sense tells you that?”

  I think of Shell, but say fuck it. “It was the sun,” I tell him. “The sun fell on us. Right? If there’s no sun, it can’t fall on us.” Sure, Shell heard, but what can she do? I’m being childish. She doesn’t even have the quest, and why shouldn’t I want her to get further with Mystic just because my instincts tell me she’s off? My instincts told me not a thing about Silvia and if she cared for me as more than a friend, so why am I investing so much in them with Shell?

  “I guess it kind of was like the sun falling on us,” Simple says. “Like, for real. I couldn’t put it into words. None of us could. We talked as we waited to hear from you and had no idea what had happened. But you’re right. The sun fell right out of the sky, into the cave, and—”

  Days chuckles. “Only in Dark World.”

  For the first time since Game Over, I laugh at Dark World and its ways. I echo, “Only in Dark World.” I grin to myself. Time to sell and then craft until midnight. I’ll stop by the temple and say a quick hello to Master Gronai on the way to Kleeple. Maybe I can talk him into giving me a quickie scroll-making lesson. Actually, I know I can. All I have to do is cast Spontaneity on him, and he’ll be ecstatic.

  Besides, I miss the old NPC. Haven’t seen him in a while. He has a way with words, like all good Nuudles should.

  ~

  “So, Djinn, if you granted Xiuhcoatl that wish, can you still see him even if we can’t?” I whisper.

  We’re back in the fight arena for the fourth night in a row, with starlight and Djinn’s green glow lighting the rooty, gnarly and now-haunting open-air cave. Haunting not just because the cave is so twisted at night, but also because seeing it again brings back the memory of the pain.

  “No, I cannot.” He sighs.

  “It’s okay.” I sigh too.

  We’ve been here for two hours. Sorry and Days are on the other side of the cave, heads bent together. Simple is so bored she’s sitting down right where she died last time and reading a book on ancient runes for scroll-making. Doolittle is doing stuff in his menu, towering over Simple. His eyes are doing that thing. Am I the only one still paying attention?

  None of us even have any buffs.

  I look at Djinn’s ability list again.

  Second Wish—Target will become a ruler. If in a party, target will become party leader. All stats are increased 50% for 20 seconds. Some items and abilities may enhance this ability.

  “So, Djinn. I’ve never used Second Wish except to buff before this fight, before Xiuhcoatl appeared, but it wore off. You know, I made Days the ruler. Is it possible for me to make you the ruler?”

  He raises a furry, green eyebrow. “Of course it is.”

  “I’m thinking you have through-the-roof stats. Look at your HP bar. Add fifty percent, and I wonder what you can do.”

  He laughs. “No master has ever made me ruler.”

  “Why not? The idea just occurred to me.”

  He shakes his head, still laughing. “What master in his right mind would make his summon have the party control and that much power?” He wipes a laugh-tear off his cheek as he eyes my Moldavite Ring.

  I lift up my hand. “What do you know about this?”

  His face straightens, instantly sober. “If you use the Moldavite Ring…”

  “What?” I ask. Simple looks up from her book, and Doolittle’s eyes are focused on Djinn, not his menu.

  “What is ‘Grant God Status’?” I tilt my head to get a better look up at him.

  “I’ve never seen the Moldavite Ring before,” he says quietly.

  “I told you everything we found treasure hunting. You didn’t say anything about it.”

  “You never commanded me to.”

  “Why did you say, the Moldavite ring?”

  He looks down, face relaxing. Takes a deep breath. Lets it out.

  “The Moldavite Ring was crafted by Seelmor, a Nuudle Mystic who tried to persuade me to join him. That is what he used to persuade. He said he crafted the Moldavite Ring and told me what it did, how it works.” He looks back to me. “He offered this power to me in exchange for being his summon. He couldn’t defeat me in battle, and years later, offered this.”

  Days and Sorry are with us now, listening intently.

  He grins and pats my thin shoulder, nodding. “I don’t know why I am even worried, Young Master Sid. I have found you to be a kind-hearted master. If you choose to use the Moldavite Ring with Second Wish on me, I won’t betray your intentions.”

  “What does that mean?” Days asks. He sounds concerned. Days never sounds concerned.

  Djinn looks at Days with a light-hearted smile. “It means I did not agree to Seelmor’s offer.”

  Days smiles back. Relaxes his big shoulders.

  Sid commands Second Wish.

  Djinn becomes a ruler.

  His green glow intensifies and he closes his eyes for a few moments. He then opens them. “I have never felt that wish before. No wonder all of you enjoy what you call buffing so much. You do it constantly.”

  The party menu in my interface shows that Djinn is now the party leader. His HP bar is stacked. I can’t count how many blue segments Djinn has.

  “What’s going to happen? I don’t get it,” says Simple. “And I get magic.”

  “I don’t know. All this time thinking, and an idea came to me. And then Djinn stared at my Moldavite Ring as though it explained everything, a
s though I knew something.”

  “I knew you didn’t know. Like I said, it was downright silly to have worried about your misusing my powers, Master Nuudle Sid,” Djinn adds in. “I didn’t explain it to you because you never asked, and I was afraid of your knowing of how it works, what it can make me into.”

  “As powerful as a God,” I say.

  He bends over, his smoke trail going up toward two of the three moons showing overhead. “Almost as powerful as Ananta.” He gives me a knowing grin.

  I have a million questions about the Ananta comment instantly, and my friends look like they have at least a couple thousand. I have to put the queries aside and do this fight. I don’t even want to know exactly what is going to happen, but I do it without warning anyone, buffless.

  Sid uses Moldavite Ring. Djinn is granted God Status.

  Djinn turns completely white, an orb, no sign of the genie I know and kinda love. The white orb throbs, and my Moldavite Ring warms my finger. I look down at it. The deep, moss-green sparkling stone’s little inclusions are moving within the stone, making a new shape.

  I watch it, mesmerized, as the now-fluid inclusions take a pattern. Now, I see a dragon in the stone’s inclusions, one very much like Xiuhcoatl. But its wings are more wicked and almost scary, even in this little pattern of stone inclusions.

  “Oh my God!” says Simple.

  The whole cave is lit like it’s a white day. I tear myself away from looking at the Moldavite Ring and see that the white orb that had been Djinn is now forming into a great, shining white dragon shaped like the one in the stone. But much, much bigger, and much, much scarier.

  He’s solid, pure starshine white, shining like burning Magnesium, and I can’t even make out his scales. I can’t look at him long enough because he’s so bright. His head is wide with a long, elegant yet terrifying snout, housing rows upon rows of gleaming, sharp dragon teeth. His wings flap ever so slightly. He doesn’t even need them. His power is holding him aloft, just like it does when he’s a genie.

  He’s not a genie now.

  “You called for me, Nuudle Simple?” the great, white magical and fierce dragon says to her in a low, grumbling rumble.

  But he’s certainly still Djinn. I grin. “Djinn, find the other dragon.”

  Xiuhcoatl takes form on the other side of the cave. Djinn’s white shine makes Xiuhcoatl’s scales look like they are made from solid yellow gold. His eyes are lit brightly, and had seemed to be black before. Now, I can see a spot of red deep in the black, forming just around the slits of dragon pupils.

  “No need. I will not hide from any dragon, even if it is Djinn. You, Mystic, have made him too powerful. I must stop him. You are a fool to think I’d ever let you claim me.” Xiuhcoatl grounds out the words slowly, as though talking takes great effort. His wings flap in huge swallows of air and he faces Djinn. “I do not have the sun; I do not have the strength. You will defeat me, but I will fight, old friend, new God.”

  Djinn, the gleaming white dragon, says, “I’m only a God by status, remember.”

  “A God can never fall.”

  “It’s really just a status symbol.” He looks at me. “Well?”

  “What?”

  “You have to command me.”

  Sorry casts Weaken Enemy. Xiuhcoatl has Offense Down.

  Days uses Invoke Inner Demon. Xiuhcoatl is immune.

  Xiuhcoatl doesn’t even look at them.

  Simple casts Storm. Xiuhcoatl is in Simple’s storm.

  Lightning flashes, about as bright as Djinn, and thunder pounds and shakes the cave. Bolts of lightning come out of a cloud that came from Simple’s wand tip, and now surrounds the great dragon summon, and each spark looks painful. Xiuhcoatl’s HP bar starts dropping about 3% with every hit from the lightning.

  Smart of Simple. She doesn’t want to get this thing’s hate.

  Djinn and Xiuhcoatl snap at each other, seeming to do no damage to one another. I have to do something.

  Sid casts Contemplation. Djinn gains Protection.

  Djinn says, “Thanks! Now, command me.”

  Xiuhcoatl uses Fire Breath. Djinn is burned.

  The great, gold dragon spews forth a stream of molten fire breath at Djinn, and his HP drops to 75%. Djinn shakes it off as Doolittle uses Deep Heal on him, bringing him back up to 100% HP.

  Days uses Crushing Blade.

  Xiuhcoatl’s HP drops to 70% with Days’ hate move. How did he hit that flying thing? And man, does Days get the hate.

  Xiuhcoatl uses Dragon’s Grasp.

  Immediately, the great, gold dragon wraps his coiling body around my friend, and Days looks like he’s being squeezed to death.

  “What do we do? I might hit Days if I cast,” Simple calls out.

  Doolittle casts Deep Heal on Days.

  Days’ HP goes up and then down and then up as Doolittle casts buffs and heals on Days. Djinn continues to whack Xiuhcoatl even as the summon strangles Days. Soon, I cast buffs as Simple and Sorry cast DoT spells.

  Finally, Xiuhcoatl releases Days and focuses back on Djinn. The dragon’s HP is at 50%.

  Days falls over, exhausted.

  “Master Sid!” Djinn calls out in his low dragon voice. “Why aren’t you commanding me?”

  I realize I’ve been afraid. The only move Djinn can do that will hurt Xiuhcoatl is his seizure move, and I know it will release him. I’m scared Djinn won’t come back.

  Xiuhcoatl uses Simmer.

  Sorry casts Reflection of Darkness. Xiuhcoatl’s move is stopped and he gains Arcane damage over time.

  Xiuhcoatl looks furiously at Sorry.

  Xiuhcoatl uses Fire Breath. Sorry is burned.

  Sorry cries out as the dragon’s fiery breath hits her.

  Sid casts Contemplation. Sorry gains Protection.

  Simple casts Ball Lightning.

  Xiuhcoatl takes a hit with the lightning burst, but focuses back on Djinn, his HP now at 40%.

  I have to do it. Hearing Sorry scream, watching Days in a ball on the rooty, cave floor…

  Sid uses Seizure.

  Sid commands Release Djinn.

  Djinn is released.

  Sid casts Mantra.

  “Silvia,” I yell.

  Djinn gains +568 ATT.

  Djinn, in now-complete blindingly shining white dragon form, forcefully breathes white fire at Xiuhcoatl. Xiuhcoatl is stunned, but spews his own huge, hot flames right back at Djinn. The fire just keeps coming out of Djinn’s long snout’s fanged mouth, unstopping, as Xiuhcoatl’s HP bar goes down as Djinn’s white fire pushes Xiuhcoatl’s orange fire back into himself, and then Djinn’s flame consumes him. Xiuhcoatl lets out savage roar after roar between assaults, and gets in a nasty burn on Djinn’s side. He drops to 73%.

  Impulsively, something occurs to me. I released Djinn. Can I…?

  Sid summons Varengan.

  Sid commands Gentle Flight.

  Djinn’s HP goes to full.

  And then, when Xiuhcoatl’s HP reaches 1%, Djinn stops the onslaught of white-hot fire breath, and lets out a little burst of white flame in Xiuhcoatl’s face, knocking off the last of his HP.

  Djinn vanishes in a puff of white smoke.

  Everything goes dark, and then I’m alone in the twisted, moonlit arena with Xiuhcoatl. He sits on all fours, coiling body at rest, and stares hard at me.

  The silence stretches on.

  “You may have lost your ally,” he finally says. “You gave up Djinn for me. Why?”

  I shake my head. “I’m hoping he comes back.”

  “He probably won’t, Young Mystic. You gave him so much power, he might have broken his bonds of servitude. However, I am yours to control as you will. I do not like it and will yearn for the day you truly die so I can be released.”

  “Sounds fair,” I say. I got him? I really got him?

  The day I truly die? There’s a clue in there. What does it mean?

  “Thank you,” I say.

  “For what?” he hisses, forked tongue flick
ing.

  “For being my summon.”

  He huffs and a little smoke comes out of his long snout. He collapses into gold mist and shoots into my chest.

  Ahh, that full heart feeling. I’ll never get sick of it.

  Everything fades to black, and then I’m at the entrance to the battle, back in the cavern in Mylop Territory.

  Sorry holds Days’ hand as Doolittle does an extended curing spell on him. Days sits on the ground, holding his stomach. “Man, that hurt,” he’s complaining with a grimace right before they notice me. “Sid!” Days says, suddenly perking up.

  “Don’t stand yet,” Sorry says. “Let Doolittle finish.”

  Doolittle is using spells Silvia never had, and ones I’ve never heard of. They must be Dark World-specific. Why would anyone need this kind of curing in Elora? This magic is for real pain and damage.

  “Did you get him?” Days asks.

  I nod. “Yeah, you okay?”

  “I’m fine. Doctor Doolittle is fixing me up right.” He smiles, but I can see he’s still hurting. “Let’s see him.”

  “Okay, but first…”

  I look at my summon list. Summon Djinn is still there, and now I have the option to summon Xiuhcoatl. I have to try it. I have to know.

  Sid summons Djinn.

  To my great relief, Djinn’s green smoke comes out of my chest and he takes form, filling the dead end of the cave with a green glow.

  “Yes, Master Nuudle Sid, how can I help?”

  I grin. Simple lets out a happy squeal.

  “So happy to see me? That’s always nice, to feel accepted, wanted, adored.”

  “You’re still here!” I say. “And you’re not a God!”

  “Of course I am. I know a fitting master when I meet one. And it was god status, sillies. What do you think of Xiuhcoatl and his abilities?”

  “I haven’t summoned him yet.”

  Djinn’s sparkling eyes grow large. “You summoned me first to see if I would be here?”

  “Well, yeah.”

  He grins. “How sweet. You love me. Now, my name won’t be in your summon list if I were to leave you. Remember that. But you don’t have to worry about that. Go. Go on! Dismiss me and summon Xiuhcoatl!”