by Quinn Dallas
“Ugh!” The gang’s leader yelled as he thrust towards the Paladin. The big Barbarian swung his ax in a dangerous arc. The Paladin didn’t move. Rather, he readied his sword and took a wide battle stance. The cloaked thief had vanished from view. The third brigand whirled her dual-blades and approached the waiting Paladin.
My rescuer didn’t seem fazed by the unfolding battle. He blocked with his broadsword and parried an attack from the Barbarian. His attacker grunted and stepped backwards. It seemed that the Paladin was stronger than the big bruiser had anticipated.
Golden light bathed the holy warrior in a shimmering halo. He continued to face off against the barbarian. While the double-blade wielder lunged towards him. Her deadly scimitars aimed for a savage attack. Both blades struck the Paladin from behind.
Sparks flew into the air as the blades came up against the Paladin's breastplate. Yet, they didn’t manage to penetrate, his armor had prevented that. But the sneak attack had caught the dark-skinned warrior off guard. He faltered and then righted himself.
“That wasn’t sportsmanlike.” The Paladin said as he kicked the Barbarian in the chest. The large attacker flew backwards and landed on his backbone. Next, the Paladin spun round to confront the dual-bladder. The smaller fighter stretched her lips into a predatory grin.
That's when I detected a slight glimmer behind the Paladin. I focused my sight and my HUD display flickered to life. A water-like transparent form flanked the Paladin’s rear. It was then that I understood the thieves plan. They were keeping their opponent occupied. So their invisible buddy could go in for a deadly Shadow Strike!
Shadow Strike could land a devastating critical hit on any target. Not only that, but Shadow Strike criticals hit for one-hundred percent extra damage above base! This damage is dealt as penetrating damage, which ignores all armor. Nonetheless, this moves insane damage was balanced by some mitigating factors.
For one, it could only be applied by a stealthy Rogue, no other class could access this power. Second, it could be executed in melee range. Third, it suffered an eight-second cast time. Last, if the Rogue took damage under stealth, that player would become visible. He would also be unable to re-enter stealth for a short spell. That final restriction meant that DOT's and damage auras effectively blocked any Shadow Strike attempt.
Still well-executed Shadow Strikes could reduce the strongest target to zero hit-points within seconds. If the cloaked Assassin had also consumed a damage potion, then the Paladin could go down in one-shot! I just couldn't let that happen. Taking a deep breath I activated my stealth. The world around me dimmed into grayscale mode. I checked my HUD display and read the detailed descriptions for my combat talents:
SHADOW STRIKE:
OBLITERATE YOUR ENEMIES FROM STEALTH!
STEALTH SIGHT:
DETECT CLOAKED OPPONENTS AND HIDDEN OBJECTS!
LUCKY [PASSIVE]:
+5% CHANCE FOR %75 BONUS DAMAGE..
SCOUNDREL [PASSIVE]: +5% ALL DAMAGE WHEN FLANKING.
While the Paladin continued to beat back his two main attackers, I kept to the shadows. My attention remained riveted on the cloaked Rogue. He was a few levels above me. Which meant I couldn’t risk him seeing me first. His watery outline was visible to me instantly.
The nasty little assassin had readied his dagger to strike the unsuspecting Paladin. If he managed to land a hit, then it would be game over for the good guys. I didn’t desire to respawn and I felt obliged to help the Paladin. After all, he risked his own life to save me.
My former attackers had falsely assumed I wasn’t a threat. While I couldn’t beat them in normal combat, there was a chance I could take out the invisible Rogue. So I sneaked behind the cloaked Assassin. The Paladin continued to hold back both the Barbarian and the Dual-Wielder. But if their invisible Rogue managed to assassinate him, the tide of battle would change in an blink of an eye. I took a deep breath and gripped my blade.
It was merely a starter weapon. But I prayed my skill bonuses plus a damage potion would do the trick. I downed the red liquid and readied myself. Before the assassin could make his move, I attacked. My dagger sunk deep into the Rogue’s back and then brilliant red text appeared above his head.
SHADOW STRIKE - CRITICAL SUCCESS!
The surprised Rogue made a gurgling sound and faded into visibility. He clutched his breast and then pulled his hands away from the wound. The dying thief stared at his blood stained palms in disbelief. And so he fell forward, dissolving into a shower of pixels. A scrolling notification message appeared in front of me:
YOUR SHADOW STRIKE HAS DEALT 835 PENETRATING DAMAGE TO NOOB_KILLER!
YOU HAVE DEFEATED NOOB_KILLER!
YOUR ASSASSINATE ABILITY HAS INCREASED!
YOU HAVE EARNED THE “BACKSTABBER” ACHIEVEMENT!
I mentally read through the text for the Backstabber reward:
PVP ISN'T FOR WIMPS! YOU'VE MANAGED TO SUCCESSFULLY ASSASSINATE A HIGHER LEVEL PLAYER FROM STEALTH. WEAR THIS BADGE PROUDLY, SO OTHER PLAYERS WILL KNOW YOU AREN'T TO BE TRIFLED WITH!
Meanwhile the Paladin had swung his blade and struck the Dual-Wielder's exposed midsection. The surprised woman fell backward and hit the ground. Vanishing in an explosion of pixels. I pumped my fist with a rebel yell. These dirty scumbags were getting what they deserved. Nevertheless, the large Barbarian had managed to regain his bearings. He let out a savage howl and lunged towards the Paladin.
But the golden-armored warrior deflected his blow. The Paladin then swept his leg beneath his opponent, knocking him onto the ground. The defeated Barbarian now lay helpless, like a squirming turtle flipped on its bottom. The victorious Paladin stood over him, the tip of his sword aimed at his foe’s throat.
“Yield,” the Dark-Skinned man commanded.
The Barbarian grunted and held up his empty hands.
“You killed my buddies!” His blue eyes were wide with surprise. Only the heroic Paladin didn't relent. The coward of a Barbarian realized he had lost.
“OK, I yield,” he stuttered.
“I’ll grant you a three count to get out of here,” The Paladin sheathed his sword.” And perhaps you'll think twice before you attack lowbies for sport!”
The Barbarian stood and then looked over his shoulders as he ran. Before long, he disappeared into the darkness of the forest. I noticed a glowing orb floating in the location where I had killed the invisible assassin. I touched the glowie and a the following success message materialized in midair!
CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR FIRST PVP BATTLE. YOUR DEFEATED OPPONENTS EQUIPMENT IS NOW YOURS.
+++++±+++++++++++++++++++++
PLEASE TAKE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:
RUSTED SHORT SWORD +2
POISONED DAGGER +2 [SPECIAL]
LEATHER VEST +2
THIGH GUARDS +2
TATTERED CLOAK [SPECIAL]
LEATHER GLOVES +2
FEATHER CAP +2
+++++±+++++++++++++++++++++
I took some to figure out if any of this loot would be useful. The POISONED DAGGER +2 and RUSTED SHORT SWORD +2 could go in my left and right hand equipment slots. Giving my fighting score a much needed boost. While the LEATHER VEST AND THIGH GUARDS granted a cumulative +4 to my armor ranking.
The TATTERED CLOAK granted +2 stealth, for which I was most grateful. While the LEATHER GLOVES raised my Agility +2 with a special bonus for lock picking. Oddly enough the FEATHER CAP granted +3 to charisma. I smiled as I put it on. My defeated foe had also dropped:
1 POTION OF HEALING and 25 GOLD PIECES. Which made me a little less poor Of course the floating message that read: YOU HAVE EARNED 100 EXPERIENCE POINTS made me happiest of all.
Not a bad haul! While it wasn't the leveling gear I'd earned from the Shadow Guild training quests, it was better than running around unequipped. Hopefully, the Paladin didn’t want any of this stuff. Since it was all low-level Rogue’s Gear, I was certain he wouldn’t. Intrigued by the dagger, I tapped on the floating touch screen and pull
ed up it's item description. My eyes widened when I read it:
POISONED DAGGER:
THIS WEAPON HAS BEEN TREATED WITH A LETHAL NEUROTOXIN. THIS NEUROTOXIN WILL SLOW ENEMIES AND DEAL TOXIC DAMAGE OVER TIME FOR 30 SECONDS.
The brown-skinned Paladin stroked his chin. “Hmm.. I guess I'll sell my drops, not anything here I can really use.” He then tossed me a gold coin, “Here thief, thanks for the save.”
“No, Thank you!” I said as I pocketed the gold piece he tossed me. “I would’ve been toast if you hadn’t shown up!”
“Well the safety protocols are disabled everywhere.” He stuffed his loot into a bag of holding. “And then some idiots are taking advantage of it. Plus, I don’t like bullies.”
I held out my hand, ‘I’m Kira!”
The Paladin took my hand and shook it, “I’m Leonidas but my friends call me Leo”.
“So Leo,” I proceeded. “What were you saying about the safety protocols?”
“I’m not certain what happened. But when I attempted to log in there was some kind of error message,” he shook his head. “When I emerged it was utter chaos. Players were ganking lowbies or ganging up to defeat and loot higher levels. Some players logged in with their gear and belongings wiped.”
“That’s what happened to me!” I pulled on my fresh pair of leather boots. “Logged in and all my gear was gone.”
“I had most of my gear, but lost my level twenty sword,” Leonidas pouted. “It took me weeks of farming to get that goddam thing to drop!”
“So we can feel pain now?” I inquired.
“Definitely, and not just in pvp, even attacks from NPC’s hurt like a mofo! I fought off a group of wild Dog-Men and those damn things pack a punch now!"
I stroked my chin, “So the whole game is whacked. Have you tried logging out?
“That’s the thing,” Leonidas shook his head. “Nobody can log out either. Once you log-in you’re stuck.”
“Has anyone attempted to call a GM?” My eyes widened in shock.
“Yeah, but no luck!” Leonidas shrugged. “Any attempts to reach a GM just go unanswered. It’s a total mystery.
“We’re trapped?” I shook my head in disbelief. “That shouldn’t be possible! The game has routines to prevent that.”
“As far as I can tell those algos are disabled altogether.” He continued, “And that’s not the worst part. It seems like the spawn function is screwed too.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“When players are defeated, they don’t respawn!” Leonidas frowned. “And any attempt to contact them comes back unanswered.
My heart sank, “Do you mean permadeath?”
“Nobody knows,” Leonidas placed a hand on my shoulder. “But the sun is going down and the Forgotten Forest isn’t the safest place to be after dark.”
Nodding in Agreement, I pulled up my Character Sheet and clicked on the [EQUIPMENT] tab. The glowing display hovered before me and I read over my slots and detailed gear stats:
SLOTTED EQUPMENT:
Green
Blue
Gold
Head
✩
Locked
Locked
Chest
✩✩
Locked
Locked
Legs
Empty
Locked
Locked
Gloves
✩
Locked
Locked
Boots
✩✩
Locked
Locked
Cloak
✩✩
Locked
Locked
Ring
Empty
Locked
Locked
Amulet
Empty
Locked
Locked
Weapons
✩✩
Locked
Locked
Satisfied, I waved my hand and closed the holographic window. Overall, I was in much better shape than when I started. Leonidas closed his stat window as well and then spoke.
"Not much in the way of usable gear for me," He shrugged. "But I can sell this junk at the Vendors!" Then the ebony-skinned warrior slung his sword over his shoulder. “Let’s get to town. It will be safer than hanging out in a PvP zone."
I decided it would be best to follow him. The Paladin headed down a rocky path and I followed close behind. While we walked, I scanned the road ahead looking for any signs of trouble. Other than an occasional rustling in the trees, the way seemed to be clear.
However, I kept on my toes and I noticed my Tanky companion kept his hand over his sword. In a short while, we had made our way down the rocky path towards the city. It's still shocking how real everything looked. I heard the chirping of the birds, the ground beneath my feet felt soggy. Even the air smelled of ozone.
I've been in plenty of VR games before, but this one was the best I've ever seen. The sky above darkened and red streaks of light from the setting sun appeared. Soon we arrived in town. The PvP warning symbol disappeared from my view screen. I breathed a sigh of relief and took in the surroundings. Various in PCs went about their business. There were merchants selling their wares, nobleman negotiating with peasants,and horses tromped along the cobblestones.
We walked until we came to the building with a large wooden sign hung over its door. Which read:
THE GRINNING GARGOYLE INN.
Leonidas stopped and spoke. “Some players have been hanging out here. It's kind of a safe zone. We've all just been attempting to figure out what's going on.”
“Good then let's get inside,” I said.
The smell of cooking food from the Inn made my stomach growl. Also, I noted my personal display indicated my HP was dropping due to both thirst and hunger. Virtual or not I needed to eat and restore my health points.
Leonidas pushed the door open and the two of us entered the tavern. A variety of player and nonplayer characters hung about. Half-Orcs, elves, Humans, and a few species I couldn't identify. All engaged in a lively conversation:
“It's just a glitch!” A slender Elf said as he leaned back in his chair.
“I just want out of here!” A nervous looking woman said.
“Has anyone tried getting hold of a GM?” Someone else asked.
"Of course you noob!" The haughty elf replied. “That's the first thing we tried!”
“It's like the game’s got a mind of its own!” A green-skinned half-Orc chimed in.
“That's ridiculous!” The black-eyed elf snorted. “It's only a stupid glitch we’ll be free soon.”
“Then what do we do in the meantime?” someone else asked.
“I suppose we just enjoy it.” The Elf slapped his hand hard on the table.
“Come with me,” Leonidas said as he took hold of my arm and pulled me away from the crowd. “I've got some people I want you to meet.”
I followed him towards the corner alcove. Where a small party sat, keeping to themselves. A muscular woman wearing Barbarian leathers jumped up from the table. She grabbed Leonidas and lifted him upwards with a hearty bear hug.
“We were worried about you!” She set him down. “What happened?”
“Ran into some difficulty in the Forgotten Forest,” he grinned. “And I rescued this thief!” He gestured towards me.
“Who is she?” The Barbarian arched an eyebrow.
“Her name is Kira.” Leo said. “She's a rogue and I figured we could use her on our team!”
The woman stroked her chin and looked me over, “I suppose she might come in handy. A good stealthy scout is always welcome!”
Leonidas nodded and then placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Kira, I want you to meet Yvir.” He gestured towards the large woman. “She’s a badass Barbarian!”
&nb
sp; Then he pointed to a pretty blonde elf seated at the table, wearing a cleric’s robe. "Shauna here is our healer.”
“Nice to meet you,” the Cleric smiled wide and stood with her hand extended. I shook her hand and the blood rushed to my cheeks. What a hottie! I sincerely prayed she couldn't read minds.
Then he pointed to a slouching figure in a dark-hooded cloak. “This here is Cairngorm the Warlock.” The hooded man lifted his head and I stepped back in surprise. His eyes burned and crackled with purple energy. It was a nice aura effect and I wondered how much he’d paid for it.
“Stick with us,” Cairngorm said. “Players have turned on each other since the incident.”
I nodded in silent agreement. If that tense encounter in the Forgotten Forest was any indication. Some players were more than glad to take advantage of current events.
“So,” Shauna whispered. “Any ideas on how to get us out of here yet Leo?”
“Yeah, if things haven’t changed that much from the open Beta.”
“Wait,“ I interrupted. “You were in the Beta?”
“I was one of the only players to reach max level during testing!” Leonidas beamed with pride.
"You're kidding me!" Yvir's mouth fell open.
"How is that even possible?" I whispered.
CHAPTER 4
I was in complete shock. Leo had been a beta tester? And he knew how to get out of the game. Why didn’t he tell anyone before now? I was anxious to log out and get back into the real world. Sure the game world was exciting as long as you couldn't get hurt. But the idea of injury or painful death in the VR world didn't sound like much fun.
“How long have you known this?” Shauna leaned in and spoke in a hushed tone.
“I didn't want to advertise what I knew,” Leonidas told her. “Plus, I'm not sure it'll work. It was a rumor I heard from a GM!”
“So what did this GM guy tell you?” Cairngorm asked. I had a hard time looking at his glowing eyes.
“It's a special quest that opens an emergency exit if you complete it.” The burly Paladin pushed a coarse braid from his face.
