by Dakota Krout
There was only a single choice remaining for the Wolfmen. The howling–the sound that had been a constant in the battle for a full day–began to taper off. Voice by voice, the call of the wolf began to vanish until there was only one voice remaining. That one, single, mournful howl grew and grew, until the Wolfman creating it stepped into view. Actually… was it a Wolfman? It looked almost like a middle-aged guy that had eaten twenty too many cakes. “Henry! You sniveling politician! I, Aidan Silverfang, challenge you to single combat!”
The regal voice that the man had been using suddenly shifted into furious animalistic snarls. “How dare you show your face! How dare you oppose me! I have taken the entirety of this land for my people, and you have only ever hidden behind your walls! Crawl away now, and you will live another day.”
The King–who was apparently named Henry–didn’t seem bothered by this speech. He turned toward the Wolf and spoke in a sorrowful tone, “Aiden, why did it ever come to this? You were my favorite hunting companion, the creature I spent the most time with in this world besides my family. I have not launched an attack on you because there was simply no need to do so. My people were safe; our city sustains itself. Why should I hunt you down when there was a chance that we could be together again? Friends again?”
The thin veneer of sanity that Aiden had been shielding his true self with vanished and his body began to bubble, twist, and morph. In a bare moment, he had settled into his battle form, and the beast he had become was enormous. Standing at least ten feet tall and four feet wide, the Wolfman Warlord picked up two massive two-handed axes that were tossed to him by attendants and called a challenge to the King in a guttural voice that was obviously not used to the human tongue, “Come, meat! Let this farce end! My people are hungry for manflesh!”
“That’s what she said,” Joe whispered before shoveling more popcorn into his face.
“We don’t need to end it this way, Aiden.” The King was beginning to sound bored, of all things. “Let’s have dinner, maybe go play in the forest-”
“Enough of this foul tongue!” the Warlord bellowed, prowling forward and preparing to attack. “I am no one’s pet.”
“I never claimed that you were. That was your own pride and failures, and it seems that this is how you see yourself. So be it then. Come, dog.” Henry raised his sword and swung forward, the air pressure from the swing released a scouring line in the ground until just before it hit the Warlord who stepped aside and avoided the lighting-fast attack. Then the battle between them started in earnest, and they were quickly shrouded in dust and free-floating particles of charged mana.
Joe was disappointed for a bare moment; he wanted to see what was happening. Then he saw that the attack on the town had resumed far away from the Kingly battle, and he began watching that. Just as it was getting interesting, the return portal to Eternia reappeared. He had completely forgotten to set an alarm! Joe scrambled to his feet and dove through the opening, reappearing inside the temple area of the Grand Ritual Hall.
He got to his feet and started running to the entrance, not wanting to miss out on the epic battle between mythical beings. Just before he got out, a small notification that he had never seen before appeared in his vision. It was a golden aurora of sunlight surrounding a rainbow arching between two books. He opened the notification and read over the information, a smile appearing on his face as he did so.
Grand Ritual Hall mana supply: 900,852/1,000,000. Would you like to activate the structure’s ability ‘Knowledge Nova’? With current mana supplies and this being the first scan, the structure will record all class details of beings within a two-kilometer radius. Yes / No.
“Yes, yes, yes!” Joe mashed the button. How likely was it that the King was ever going to be within range of the nova again? “Set all class information of second tier and above as classified, please.” His settings adjusted themselves, and Joe continued his run out of the building to see what was going to happen. He turned and saw that the beacon on the building was glowing even brighter than usual, washing out colors like an extraordinarily sunny day and causing rainbows to shimmer to life around the area. Beyond that, there was no indication of anything happening. Good. That was good, right? Was it working? He checked the mana levels of the building and saw that they were flatlining, so… it was working?
Knowledge Nova Scan Complete! Information on 721 classes added!
“Yes!”
Server Message!
Joe’s heart jumped into his throat as he saw that message; the game was giving him away! Traitor!
The Wolfman Warlord Aiden has fallen! Racial boons removed from Wolfmen until a new leader has united their people! Wolfman morale lowered by 80% for 80 hours! Strike now, humankind! Strike down your enemy, and prepare yourselves!
“Holy guacamole, it’s already over?” Joe ran to get onto the nearest rooftop, his improved stamina allowing him to scale the stairs inside and pull himself up to the dungeon-twisted roof before needing to breathe deep gulps of air. It was true, the battle had been won! The Wolfman army was scattering, their nation now leaderless. Cheers rose from the walls, then the town, then all around the town as citizens, travelers, and all able humans joined in.
The King remained in the field cutting down a huge swath of Wolfmen as they attempted to retreat into their territory once again. After a half hour of killing anything that came into the open, any Wolfman that was capable of moving had run, escaping into what remained of the woods. The King didn’t pursue, choosing instead to start walking back toward town. Joe watched all this with amazement, not planning on taking his eyes off this magnificent sight any time soon.
A large company of Warriors and Mages peeled off of the army, leaving the fortifications and riding out to the King, who went very still so that they could approach without suffocating. The group did indeed surround him, but… not in a protective way. At least it didn’t appear so from where he was standing. Joe slowly began to feel a deep unease. The people were in a triangle around the King, and one of the men in robes was bowing to the Monarch while pulling an item out of a bag. Presenting his fist to the King, the robed man suddenly clapped his hands together.
A blast like a literal nuclear weapon blocked all vision of what was transpiring. Joe, almost as a reflex, dumped all of his mana into creating a Shell around his body, working to protect his head and chest first. Knowing that he only had seconds to find shelter to survive what was coming, he jumped off the wall, landing on his feet and running as fast as he could toward the only thing that he expected to survive the incoming blast: the Ritual Hall.
The first shockwave still sent him flying forward when it caught up to him, but he angled himself in midair to shoot through the entrance to the Grand Ritual Hall. A wave of fiery death followed the initial shockwave, roasting him alive. With a scream of pain and mental power he didn’t know he had, he ordered the door of the building to slam shut behind him.
Landing on the cool, suddenly dark floor, Joe gasped and wheezed. He was crispy, his skin blackened and charred. He was so glad that he hadn’t gone to rejoin the front lines! As he worked to reverse the worst of the damage, a new notification appeared.
Server alert! Regicide!
~ Chapter Forty-nine ~
Weep in shock and outrage, oh Humans of Ardania! Your King has been slain by a cult of anarchists! Until a new King has been chosen, human men face a 50% reduction in earned experience!
“I don’t like that. This is not acceptable,” Joe croaked, his lungs having been seared by the intense heat. If he hadn’t been able to resist elemental damage… he would have certainly been fried. As it was… Joe looked down and saw that his shell had failed, and one of his legs was missing completely.
Skill increased: Aerial Acrobatics (Beginner 0). Hey, you did a flip with style this time!
Debuff: Lost Limb (right leg). -100% walking speed, -50% jumping power. +10% hobbling speed. On the plus side, you can always change your name to ‘Ilean, Ihop, or Stumpy’! Would
you like to change your name now? Yes / No.
You have met the qualifications to become a pirate captain! Would you like to assign your secondary profession now? Yes / No.
“No!” What the heck was the system trying to do to him right now? Forming a pair of crutches from the shadows around him, Joe stood up and swung himself to the closed door. It had been a few minutes, but maybe it would still be best to open the door slowly. Thoughts of explosive depressurization during house fires filled his mind. He needn’t have worried, though; the door slid smoothly upward revealing a landscape free of anything but flat dirt.
The trees, houses, and northern section of the wall were gone or buried. There were no signs of life that Joe could see, and as he moved along his chosen path, it was obvious that most of the people caught in the blast or shockwave had not survived the experience. There were a few exceptions, but those moaning and charred folk that had invested nearly exclusively in constitution were assuredly regretting it right now.
Joe kept moving, intent on his newest goal. With their enemies scattered and his people fallen… there was only one thing for him to do. It took him a solid thirty-five minutes to find ground zero; it was only thanks to the ground being even more damaged than the surroundings at that point that he was able to do so in the first place. “I wonder how toxic the air is right now? Cleanse is gonna get a workout…”
Then he saw what he had been looking for. At least… he was pretty sure it was. Joe picked up the item on the ground, staring at it intently until he gained the information he needed.
Left foot of King Henry. This is all that remains of a great, powerful, and loving King. Return it to the Queen for a reward so that she will not need to mourn over an empty casket.
“Well, that’s pretty dark. I really hope that I am still within the time limit…” Joe set the half-melted foot back on the ground and centered himself. Pushing out his mana, he moved in the required forms. With his palms outward, he pushed the spell into the foot. “Resurrection!”
Golden power flowed out of him and into the remains. Unlike when he had used it on a Traveler and a portal appeared for them to walk through, now the power coalesced into a shining silhouette of a man and slowly faded away. It left behind a startled face that didn’t appear to be much older than Joe, but that face was swiftly hidden behind a liquid metal that poured up over the man and trapped him in armor once more.
“Who are you, and… what just happened?” The King seemed a bit confused. “Where did the venerable Lord Rodgers go? He held out a box, and then…”
Server alert! Rejoice and make merry! The King is alive! Long Live The King! Reductions and debuffs toward humans for the loss of the King are revoked.
“I died?” The King seemed a bit out of it still. “You saved me then… you, an unknown level eleven man, saved me.”
After a quiet laugh, the King reached into nowhere and pulled out a small token. He pressed it onto Joe’s forehead, and the token melded to his skin, leaving a small shining insignia. “You are marked by my hand. Let none of my people say a word against you lest they speak against the King and Crown directly. When you are able, please come to the palace for a chat. We will get you a proper reward.”
Reputation increased! Your reputation with the Royal Family, Royal Guard, Human Guards, and Loyal Citizens of Ardania has reached new heights! You are now to be treated as ‘Extended Family’ no matter your actual reputation score!
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Joe bowed as deeply as he could manage while using his crutches, excitement gathering in his chest.
“There is nothing more for me to say. Good luck, and I will see you soon… Joe.” The King’s form blurred, and Joe was held in place with an intense fear until the Battle Tyrant had vanished from the area.
“Aten is going to lose his dang mind.” Joe chuckled evilly and started hobbling back to the decimated town. It was going to be a good couple of days. Maybe he would take a vacation. Maybe he would go hide for a few months. Either way sounded good.
It took a full day for everyone in the guild to come back, so after the majority of his guild respawned, they joined the crusade to hunt down and slay the remaining Wolfmen. Joe spent that time working to grow a new leg and had needed to put three skill points and four days into learning how to reconstruct his body properly, even though he had the requisite skill. It was a painful process, as nerves were regrown inch by inch, but… he needed his leg. Nothing to do but grit his teeth and bear with it.
The information he had gained as his healing skill crossed into the Student ranks would make any surgical resident jealous to the extreme. Not that they didn’t have the same–or better–information, no, it was how clear the information was all of the time. There was no forgetting this for him. Need to know something? Boom, right there in the ol’ noggin.
Two days after his leg had been fully regrown, the long-awaited notification arrived.
Quest complete: Shatter a People. The Human Nation has prevailed against the Wolfman tribes! Congratulations to you all but especially to the participants. The top three players who contributed to the overall success of this quest will gain a Noble title and a gift of land. In order of contribution, please congratulate: Joe Anti-Mage, Aten Commander, and BackAttack Beastbane. You have each earned the maximum reward possible! Reward: 50,000 Exp, 100,000 gold to your guild treasury, and 10,000 gold to your personal account.
Anyone with the title ‘Racial Traitor’ has been given a maximum Warlock Title, which can only be cleared away by the King, Queen, or 20 deaths. These people will now glow red, and no penalty will be issued for their death. Root out the traitors amongst your people, because this world is going to become much. More. Dangerous.
Joe yelped as an incredibly dense aurora appeared around him and suffused his body. He shot up to character level fifteen and now had fifteen points to spend on his characteristic points, but more exciting to him was that his leg was back to normal! He had regrown it, but something had been missing, something that made it feel like this wasn’t his real leg. That feeling was gone! He got up and jumped for joy, joining in the shouts of glee from all around the camp.
Humans. Please focus carefully on this next message.
The ominous tone of the message forced calm upon everyone, and they waited with bated breath for what would come next.
Server alert! Congratulations to all Humans! You have destroyed your determined racial enemy and are now able to move on to the next stage of the ‘game’. Thanks to your actions, humanity will survive… for now. Let me be the first to say it: Congratulations on passing the tutorial!
“That… everything up until now was the tutorial?” Joe wasn’t the only person to say these words aloud, and he wouldn’t be the last. What in the heck was going on?
Players now have one month before continent restrictions are relaxed, and your continent and humanity as a whole will connect with two more races! At that time, you will individually need to choose a race to join in the war against the other. Good luck, and make wise choices! Your future allies will help determine your fate. -Cal.
~ Epilogue ~
“Joe?” Hearing the masked man’s voice brought Joe out of his coffee and puzzle break. It also interrupted his hour of training, meaning that he would need to start over in order to advance his characteristics that had not gone over fifty. Before Joe could decide how to react to the intrusion, the next words entered his ears, and he perked up excitedly. “We’ve got him.”
“Are you sure?” Joe didn’t even wait for an answer before packing up and downing all the remaining coffee in his cup. He was on his feet by the time the man responded.
“Affirmative. Matches the description perfectly, and he was identified for us by one of his old coworkers.” The man gestured for Joe to follow him. “I assume you are able to pay the bounty in full? There is a hefty incentive for us to hold onto him, so…”
“No worries there. I’m that Joe.” Joe wasn’t trying to be braggadocios, but he ne
eded the man to know who he was dealing with. “You know, the one that held the number one spot for contribution during the Wolfman War?”
“No kidding? Guess you have the cash then.” Joe couldn’t see it, but the smile under the man’s mask was a happy one at this point. They stopped outside of a small butcher shop, and Joe was waved in. “He’s in there, just like you asked. Two others are waiting in there with him.”
“Excellent.” Joe strode forward, opening the door and walking forward until he saw who he had been hunting for. Purple robe, check. Smug look even though he was in a bad situation? Check. “Hey there. You remember how you silenced me in the middle of a battle? Right before that Elite would have been destroyed by me? Three more people died before it could be taken down. I’m here to return the favor, traitor.”
“You can’t kill me, brat. Just because you killed the true leader of the College doesn’t make you immune to their laws.” The Mage sneered and spit at Joe. The spittle struck a glittering Shell that Joe wore all the time now and slowly slid off. “I don’t care what the King said, the College would never forgive someone who killed a member in good standing. You want to go back to being hunted like an animal?”
“I’d rather have someone hunting me openly than someone who betrays his people, and of course, you dislike me having killed the old Archmage. You basically had all the power you could ever want. This is making so much sense now. Anyway.” Shadows had been building around the Mage, and only Joe’s gesture to solidify them brought them to his notice. Before he could even scream, bolts of darkness penetrated his body from multiple angles and stole his consciousness.
