by Quinn Dallas
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CONTENT ADVISORY
TRIGGER WARNING:
This written work contains same-sex relationships, strong language, & violence in a gritty fantasy setting. Please do not read if you find such content disturbing.
-The Author
CHAPTER 1
“Bastard!” The sound of glass shattering against the wall caused me to pause. Ma and dad were at it again.
You would reckon I would've gotten used to it after all these years. But their arguments always upset me.
My Mom stood there with her face scarlet. Dad leaned against the wall to steady himself. They both had a little too much to drink.
“Love, don't be like that!” Dad tried to soothe my mother.
“I’m not an idiot Roger!” Mom folded her arms across her chest.
What had I just walked into? I simply wanted to grab a soda and snack before starting up my next game.
“Hey there pumpkin.” Dad nodded towards me. I got a whiff of the alcohol on his breath.
“Hello dad,” I stuck my hands in my pockets and shuffled my feet.
“Will you tell your momma, I was here all day?” He pleaded with his eyes as he ran a hand over his close-cropped kinky hair.
“Dad was here.” I looked downward at my feet. Truth was, I had no clue where’d he been for most of the day. But I told a little white lie to maintain the peace.
“Humph!” Mom picked up a beer and took a deep gulp. Then she set the bottle on the table. “Are you hungry?”
I looked into my mother’s sad eyes and felt bad for her. She was a lonely woman, and the years had worn on her.
“That’s OK,” I hesitated “I just came up for soda.”
I walked towards the refrigerator. I wanted to catch some game time before I had to go to work later.
“Maybe I should try one of them new VR games.” Dad said as he slumped backwards in his chair.
“I found out they got some real sexy ones.” He winked.
I blushed and glanced down. The truth was that virtual reality games were my safe space. It wasn’t a hobby that I desired to share with my pop. The Smart Box and Neuro-Helm had cost me a fortune. It involved me working double shifts in order to afford them.
The Neuro-Helm was a high-tech wonder. It used an electromagnetic resonator, which interacted with the human brain. The frequency placed the mind in a dream state. Then images, sensations, and experiences were transmitted into the player's brain.
You could feel, touch, and even taste in the virtual world. Tons of people became addicted to these new experiences. I guess I might have been one of them.
“Sure dad, I'll pick one of the easier ones for you to play- perhaps later.”
I pulled a soda from the fridge and popped the top.
“That would be great!” He burped. “Maybe I could be one of those pro VR-players! Those guys make a pile of money.”
“That requires a great deal of practice to do that pops!” I hollered over my shoulder as I headed back to my basement room.
“Don't forget we're having dinner together tonight!” My Mom said as I shut the door and headed downstairs. As a twenty year old girl who still lived at home with her parents, I felt trapped. I sat down at my desk and turned on the VR terminal. I'd opted for the most efficient model I could afford.
It had a liquid cooling system and was even outfitted with one of the fastest CPUs. My friends nicknamed my homebrew computer “The Beast” and I was quite proud of it. The Neuro-Helm was about the size of a standard motorcycle helmet with dark goggles attached.
I plugged in the Neuro-Helm to the terminal. Then I ran a few checks just to make certain everything was OK. The last thing I wanted was a disconnection during the game. I placed the helmet on, pulling the goggles over my eyes. Then I leaned backward in a comfy position.
Ignoring my fatigue, I slumped into my gaming chair. Being in a VR environment for more than ten hours at a time wasn't recommended. But hard-core gamers like me, thumbed our noses at the safety conventions.
VR-gaming was safe, but in the early phases, there had been some problems. Some people had become over-stimulated and had seizures. All of those bugs had been worked out over the years, so I had nothing to worry about.
I shut my eyes and then let my mind drift. Before long a flickering screen appeared. Then I mentally clicked the start button and waited for the cinematic.
Epic music played and soon I found myself drifting in space. A soothing female voice spoke.
“Welcome to Odyssey Online! We are in the character creation area. Here you may select your character's race, class, and skills.”
A mirror image of myself hovered mid-air. As plain old Cassie, I'm just average in appearance. Being of medium height with mousy brown hair and admittedly bad skin. I sure didn't stand out in a crowd. But in VR-Space, I could be anyone. My thoughts turned to the fun I had playing games like Cybercell. And of course my in-game girlfriend Rachel. Dammit, why couldn't I talk her into joining Odyssey Online? I sighed and went back to customizing my avatar. Which was always my favorite section of the process. I scrolled through the display menu until I reached [RACE OPTIONS].
The first selection choice with description appeared:
DWARVES: THOUGH SMALL IN STATURE DWARVES ARE TOUGH. SKILLED IN MINING, THEY POSSES THE DIGGING SKILL INNATELY. DWARVES ALSO HAVE NIGHT VISION.
I couldn't see myself as a Dwarf. So I scrolled until given the next option: elves. Being an Elf was OK, but kind of boring. So I just skipped it. Next, were the Half-Orcs. Large and powerful, they were hands-down the best tanks in the game. Being both tough and super-strong seemed appealing.
But Orcs were just so unattractive. Summation, I didn't want the negative charisma. I decided to go with being human. While humanity wasn't the most powerful in game race, they were the most versatile. And I liked keeping my options open.
Then I remembered something very important. When I pre-purchased the game I had also picked up a special unlock with purchase: The Shadow Thief.
I paged down until I found the right option. Then I clicked to see the preview image. The image was of a lithe woman clad in black leather. Her hair worn in a single thick braid. She had sharp facial features and dark brown eyes. I applied the template to my body form for a trial run. Even without customization she made one smoking hot avatar!
Next, I mentally adjusted facial and body sliders until satisfied. I picked out a black leather outfit and tunic. After that I applied matching black leather boots and a silver belt. I finished off with a flashy black cloak. I took a short time to admire my work. I was going to seem so badass in-game!
Now it was time to choose my stats. After a final pass through my attributes I decided to select Agility as my primary stat. Since I was a thief I’d need to rely on dodge. High agility al
so meant both fast and agile movements.
This should help me avoid ranged attacks and melee blows. With my attributes and appearance chosen it was time to enter the game. I mentally selected the start button and waited. Then there was a bright flash and my vision blurred. Time for the adventure to begin.
####
Fighting back fatigue I looked over the game option window. I'd spent several nights grinding out lower levels and completing the Thieve’s Guild membership missions. Players could choose to complete a special leveling arc, before entering the full game world. This granted unique skills and combat gear! I had powered myself through eight levels already.
I clicked the floating neon green button labeled [ACCEPT] and waited for my final training mission to load. The world around me shimmered as I was teleported to a new location.
After a brief flash of light, I now stood in a chamber with rough hewn stone walls. The room was illuminated by flickering torchlight. Elongated shadows danced along the walls. Before me stood a grizzled old man draped in an assassin's hooded robe. He raised his eyes towards me and spoke.
“Welcome to the hall of shadows. You have exceeded all expectations in your training. Now for the final test before you may depart the training hall.”
“Yes, master I bowed.
“Know this,” the Trainer continued. “Many have attempted this trial before.”
“Did they try and fail great master?” I asked.
“No,” he paused. “They tried and died.”
I stepped forward and spoke, “I am ready.”
I didn’t fear for my life. VR games had safety protocols that prevented any actual danger. Nonetheless, the experience seemed real. The smoke from the flickering torches tickled my nostrils. While the frigid air blowing from the tunnel chilled my skin. The elderly Trainer gestured towards the doorway behind him.
"Then go into the Dark Maze.”
Ominous music played in the background. Taking a deep breath I strode towards the open threshold. Fearless, I stepped through and the large wooden door slammed shut. There was now no turning back. I felt my way along the gloomy corridor. The HUD display showed me how far I traveled as the haze lifted from the display map.
"So far so good," I muttered. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all. An alert message appeared before me: TRAP DETECTED.
I paused and listened. I found a loose pebble and tossed it forward. The stone skipped along the floor a few inches. With a snap, two trap doors opened and the pebble fell in. I peered over the edge and looked downwards. At the bottom of the open shaft were sharp pointed sticks. If I had fallen on them, they would've skewered me alive.
Next, I worked my way around the edge of the trapdoors. Hugging the wall so as not to fall inwards. It was good that I had avoided the first trap. As I stepped onto safe ground I heard a click. Instinctively, I ducked as a poison tipped arrow flew past. The warning message arriving a split second too late: SECONDARY TRAP DETECTED.
Guess I should have expected it. I moved around the corner and found a large locked wooden door. I rooted my lockpick from my pouch and went to work. My burglary talent had already been downloaded into my brain from the game. There was a click and the door swung open.
YOUR BURGLARY SKILL HAS INCREASED!
To avoid any surprises, I squatted low and pushed the door open. The room was dark and I couldn’t see anything. I reached into my pocket for a glow crystal. The crystal sputtered to life and filled the shadowed room with brightness. I spotted a large chest sitting in a far corner. I crept towards the chest and decided it would be best to unlock it.
I go to work on the lock. The chest sprung open and I held my breath in expectation. Then my spirit sank as the door behind me slammed shut. I whirled around to see part of the stone wall behind me sliding open. The sound of something large approaching filled my spirit with dread.
That's when the hideous creature emerged. It appeared to be a hybridization between a giant spider and an enormous crab. It crawled across the ground while gnashing its mandibles together. The fearsome creature clicked and hissed. I knew it held me in sight.
I flipped a mental switch and the monster's stats appeared before me. It had few hit points and low defenses.
[CRITTER TYPE: GIANT DUNGEON SPIDER]
[FIGHTING LEVEL: GREEN]
[HIT POINTS: 45] [SPEED: 22 MPH]
[SPECIAL ATTACK: NOXIOUS WEBBING.]
I drew my daggers and prepared for battle. The monstrous spider lunged towards me, but I sidestepped. It lifted up and opened its puckered mouth spitting a thick gob of thick white mucus at me. I rolled sideways and avoided the webbing. The glob hit the ground and pooled into a gluey puddle. Making a mental note to avoid the sticky trap I prepared for the spider's next attack.
The giant spider spun to confront me and then lunged again. This time I swiped with my daggers. The blades cut into the creature's flesh, and it howled in painful response. Considering the opportunity I moved behind my prey. This time I plunged my daggers into its exposed belly.
Foul smelling black blood oozed from its injuries. I smiled as the monsters hit-point bar declined. The creature, let out a final screech before it exploded in a burst of multi-colored pixels. I read the success message with satisfaction. Perhaps, this wasn't going to be so hard after all!
YOU HAVE DEALT 50 DAMAGE TO THE GIANT DUNGEON SPIDER!
YOU HAVE DEFEATED THE GIANT DUNGEON SPIDER!
YOUR FIGHTING SKILL HAS INCREASED!
YOU HAVE UNLOCKED THE SPIDER SLAYER ACHIEVEMENT!
My first achievement badge! I called up my HUD quickly tabbed to [ACHIEVEMENTS]. Grinning ear-to-ear I read the description aloud.
DURING YOUR EXPLORATION OF THE SPIDER QUEEN'S TEMPLE, YOU WERE AMBUSHED BY A GIANT CAVE SPIDER. YOU VANQUISHED THE VICIOUS BEAST IN MORTAL COMBAT AND HAVE EARNED THE ESTEEM OF THE THIEVES GUILD.
Now it was time to go to the next phase of the quest. The sole way out was through the same hidden door from which the Cave Spider emerged. There really was no choice. I kept my light crystal aloft and entered the secret passageway. The dank corridor reeked with the odor of decay. I made a mental note to turn down my personal olfactory settings.
I continued through the darkness.
A cool breeze alerted me that I was heading towards some kind of exit. Before long I found myself standing in a large dark cave. I held my light crystal up and then took in a sharp breath. A monstrous statue stood in the center of the cave. It depicted a hideous creature with the upper body of a woman and the lower body of an arachnid.
Her outstretched hands cradled a gargantuan blood-red ruby. I knew this was my prize. There was just one teeny, tiny little problem. Suspended from the ceiling hung large pulsing egg-sacks. Inside each one, the clear silhouette of a Giant Spider was visible. From time to time, one of the resting arachnids would shudder within its sack.
They weren’t yet hatched and I didn’t want to wake them. With a bit of concentration I activated my Shadow Cloak. Which would render me invisible. Checking my HUD display again, I took a chance that my burglary skill was high enough. I had to steal the precious gem without activating any trap. Nothing obvious came up on the display, but that didn’t mean there weren’t any hidden traps.
My eyes focused on a stone that was close enough in size to the jewel. If I acted fast enough, I could replace the ruby with the stone. This should permit me to take the gem without setting off any alarms. I had no question that an alarm would awake this room of slumbering man-eating spiders. That would be a no-bueno for me!
I murmured a silent prayer to the gaming gods and initiated my plan. Sweat beaded on my forehead as I inched towards the giant statue. Next, I climbed up the sculpture, my eyes on my prize. An exhale of relief escaped my lips when I reached the top.
Swiftly, I yanked the ruby from the statues cupped hands and replaced it with the rock. Then I paused and waited for something to happen. My heart thundered in my chest. While my entire body tensed. Even so the pulsating e
gg-sacs remained undisturbed. I did it! I managed to steal the treasure without setting off a single alarm! A glowing notification window floated in the air before me:
YOU HAVE UNLOCKED THE SNEAK THIEF ACHIEVEMENT!
I mentally scanned the description of my latest award:
YOU HAVE STOLEN THE SPIDER QUEEN'S RUBY WITHOUT WAKING HER SLEEPING MINIONS. ONLY THOSE MOST SKILLED IN THE ROGUE ARTS MAY CLAIM SUCH A PRESTIGIOUS HONOR.
But that was only half of the test. I needed to escape this cave and return to the Guild Master. The swaying spider cocoons hung from the ceiling by thick rope-like threads. It didn’t appear to be webbing. Taking a chance I leapt from the statues to the nearest hanging filament. I managed to grasp the cord and hung on for dear life. The egg-sac just below my feet swung and the monster within stirred. But it didn’t awaken.
With all my strength I pulled myself up the coarse vine and towards the open fissure in the ceiling. Soon I reached the top and realized there was just enough room for me to squeeze out. I squirmed through the opening and pulled myself upward.
Soon I stood under the soft light of the full moon and star filled sky. The Guild Trainer was there waiting for me and smiling. He regarded me with dark eyes and then bowed.
“Congratulations initiate, you have passed the trial. You are now free to explore the vast world of Odyssey Online!”
The game then displayed rolling text which listed my accomplishments and rewards:
YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE THIEVES GUILD ARC.
YOUR STEALTH SKILL HAS INCREASED!
YOUR CLIMBING SKILL HAS INCREASED!
YOUR FIGHTING SKILL HAS INCREASED!
YOU HAVE OBTAINED THIEVE’S LEVELING GEAR!
YOU HAVE EARNED 15 GOLD PIECES.
CONGRATULATIONS, YOU ARE NOW LEVEL NINE!
Pleased with my accomplishments, I took some time to review my Character Sheet. With a wave of my hand I summoned my character sheet and savored my new set of buffs:
CHARACTER INFO:
[NAME: KIRA] [CLASS: THIEF]
[RACE: HUMAN] [GENDER: FEMALE]
ABILITY RATINGS:
