The Dragon's Wrath: Ashes of the Fallen

by Brent Roth

  But, nothing happened; the pain simply washed away.

  "Ah… that's right," I whispered to myself.

  We were in a game, my mind was fine.

  I was still moody, angry that I had accidently hit something once again. I didn't consider myself a clumsy person, but when a little bump happened, it always seemed to end with the worst possible outcome. I faltered in that other boss fight and ended up stabbed and in ghost-form shortly after, from such an infinitesimal lapse in judgment.

  Oh well, it is what it is.

  It didn't take long for us to reach the first group of trash mobs on the fifth floor, but when we did… well, we were all a bit surprised. They were a step above the rest, and to call them trash was incorrect in every sense.

  Yeah, even I didn't expect this kind of change.

  "Can you believe it?" Alan asked while scratching his head.

  "Nothin' surprises me anymore," said Barik while shrugging his shoulders.

  "Well, we'll get plenty of practice in," I said casually as I looked over the situation. In front of us were a level forty-four [Outcast Goblin Guard], a forty-four [Goblin Priest], two level forty-five [Goblins] and lastly a level forty-five [Goblin Archer]. That lineup was essentially on par with the third floor's boss, if not slightly better.

  There were also seven such groups on the way to the fifth and final boss now, which wasn't going to be a cake walk. Sure, it wouldn't be too bad, but we would have to take a break after every sub-boss fight… in the end, I was expecting it to waste a lot of our time.

  And my expectations came true.

  After nearly an hour of clearing through the seven groups we had finally made it to the fifth floor's final boss, the final boss of the dungeon. The fights were a lot harder than those on the fourth floor, and only a step below the previous boss fight. Barik broke three shields on the way, but was able to replace them every time with another [Cracked Aspis] off each [Guard].

  We had actually amassed a rather sizeable collection of fourteen sixty-copper swords and seven spears from the trash on the fifth floor alone, plus the seven shields that were used to replace Barik's shattered ones.

  It was quite the haul really.

  The only thing I found disappointing was the bow that the [Goblin Archer] dropped.

  It was a fairly basic bow, a [Crude Practice Reflex Bow] which was a poor quality, common grade item and was maybe worth fifty copper at the trade post. The only benefit to a Reflex bow was its shorter length compared to the Recurve bow I was using, which made it easier to use in the tight confines of the mining complex.

  My [Old Hunter's Recurve Bow] was a decent quality, common grade item that was fairly good for the level and didn't cost me that much in trade. It had good range, was accurate enough, and if it did break, I wouldn't mind.

  The cost to acquire it wasn't that bad really.

  In the end though, there were hardly any items worth picking up as an upgrade and everything was considered vendorable. Ah, but we couldn't really complain, we were making a couple hundred copper each easily from the fifth floor alone. If anything, despite the harshness of the fights, the increase in experience and monetary value of the loot was certainly worth it.

  Yeah, I had no complaints there.

  Now, all that was left was the final boss.

  "I'm thinkin', we've got no shot," said Barik to break the silence.

  "Yeaaaaah, that looks impossible," followed up Ethan.

  Alan and the frost mage just stood there silently, waiting for the rest of us to make our decision. I was in agreeance with them, as the goblins that were gathered in a line were beyond the normal scope of the dungeon. To say it deviated greatly wasn't an exaggeration… in fact, I'm not even sure why it changed so much.

  The final boss' entourage had completely betrayed the style and theme of the dungeon. We had been fighting groups of five goblins from the very start, eight groups of five goblins per level, for four levels plus seven groups from the fifth. That was thirty-nine groups of five goblins… yet now, we were faced with a group that defied the dungeon's logic.

  There were two rows of goblins, lined up on display.

  The first row featured seven [Outcast Minor Goblins] at level thirty-five, then the second row featured seven goblins all at level forty-five. At the wings there were [Outcast Goblin Archers], one on either side. Then followed [Outcast Goblin Priests] just inside, one of each as well. Then came the [Outcast Goblin Guards] flanking the singular goblin at the center, the same ones that were considered the "boss" of the sub-boss or mini-boss fights prior.

  Now they were actually living up to their namesake.

  They were actual guards here.

  That goblin that was in the center was special, it even had the name for it.

  The [Outcast Goblin Chief] stood taller than all the rest and was clearly well-built and well-equipped in comparison to all the other goblins we had previously faced.

  Goblins were short creatures, ranging from four feet tall to five feet tall, but this [Chief] was at least five foot six, with powerfully built shoulders and a weapon that truly stood out. The [Chief] was armed with a halberd, of roughly the same length as the [Old Dory] that a [Guard] used… only, instead of being a simple spear, it also had an axe-head on one side and a hook on the other.

  A pole-axe with three distinct uses, at around seven feet in length, would prove problematic. It also had leather armor that covered its entire body, leg guards, arm guards, pants, vest, shoulder pads, and gloves and boots. The only thing it was missing was a helmet; it wore some kind of bone crown instead.

  Thankfully, it didn't have a shield, but the guards on either side of him still had their shield and spear combo… and the three of them would pose quite a problem.

  I, actually, didn't want to even risk it.

  "I'm thinking we pass on this fight," I said with some regret. "Even if the fourth floor's boss was smooth, I don't have the confidence that we make it out here, not yet."

  "This fight's a whole 'nother level," said Ethan while shaking his head.

  "How strong ye figure that chief is?" asked Barik plainly.

  "At least stronger than the guard," I replied quickly. "Creature hierarchy is almost always based on strength, especially seeing as their intelligence is quite low. I wouldn't be surprised if that chief had all the proficiency skills of both axe and spear."

  It was needless to say, but I said it anyways.

  The strong ruled over the weak in nature, and unless its intellect was vastly superior to make up the difference, there was a significant likelihood that the chief was easily twice as strong as the guard standing by its side. If it could utilize multiple skills, I'm not sure how we could even possibly tank it along with the two guards at the same time.

  The most likely strategy that came to mind was to AoE bombard the creatures and have me take up two guards while Barik picked up the chief, but my AoE could only hit five targets. Seeing as there were fourteen targets, my chain lightning wasn't going to be all that useful.

  I needed to increase my proficiencies… I needed my fourth tier lightning spell.

  "I think we should grind this dungeon out a few more times," I said after thinking things through. "Get our fourth tier spells and come back and give it a shot. I've got another AoE that might help, and I'm going to see if I can find a proficiency trainer for shield-bearing and axes."

  "Right, we'll need to be on top of our game for this fight," replied Barik with a nod.

  "So we're done for today?" asked Alan seemingly out of the blue.

  "Ah, yeah, I guess we are," I answered.

  The group immediately started packing up all of the loose items and began to head out towards the dungeon exit. It was a bit of a walk but it gave us time to chat over the future prospects. Ending on a high-note wasn't such a bad thing anyhow, better than dying and losing experience needlessly, at least.

  "Until we can safely clear the fourth boss with ease, I doubt we stand much of a chance on tha
t fifth boss," I said while walking behind Barik.

  "Might be a few days, a couple more levels," he replied calmly.

  "Thinking at forty-five you can take them?" I asked.

  "Ye know levels don't mean much, need to improve our skills first," Barik stated with confidence. He was right after all, levels weren't the singular focus in this game, nor was gear really. The game was based on ability, where proper strategy and teamwork, and inherent skill outweighed ten or twenty levels. Gear was important of course, but it didn't factor quite as heavily in the early stages of the game.

  So for now, the most important aspect was to train our proficiencies, to learn how to utilize our abilities in actual combat, and to master the system. It wasn't easy to learn how to be a swordsman in a couple of weeks, but the game helped out a little there.

  I couldn't explain it and I didn't really understand it.

  The game had a way of speeding up a person's natural rate of absorption when it came to learning and acquiring new skills. One of the many things we tested in the Alpha and Beta phase was how rapidly we could learn something previously unbeknownst to us.

  The rate was astounding… what would take someone months if not years could take weeks within the game, and after a few months of experience we were almost on par with an average swordsman who had spent half his life training.

  That didn't necessarily translate outside of the game, but inside it, we were Gods.

  My vague understanding of the system was of no matter though, for the end result was the most important thing. I could compete in close combat with melee weapons, I could utilize magic in unbelievable ways, and I had physical abilities beyond the normal scope of human limitations.

  In this game, we were all well on our way to becoming superhuman.

  And I loved every second of it.

  "If you've got a few hours every day to grind this place, I think we should all do so, with the same group," I said as we reached the exit. "With this comp, we could probably start some serious speed runs and clear the entire place within two hours."

  "If we knocked this place out in two-hours… that's at least two levels per run," said Alan. "I mean, it would slow down eventually, but we could hit level fifty in a week at that rate. I'm in, every evening I'll make myself available."

  "Yeh, no better way to grind proficiencies than 'ere anyways," said Barik.

  "Same time?" asked Ethan.

  "Yeah, I'm good with that if you all are," I replied while glancing at the frost mage that rarely spoke. "How about it, think you can make it?"

  "No problem, I'll be on," he stated calmly as he stood by the portal, waiting to exit.

  "I'll see you guys tomorrow then ey?" I stated more than asked as I gave a half-assed salute-like wave goodbye. As the group parted and exited one by one, I went through the dungeon portal last and found myself standing amongst a dozen parties looking to enter.

  Three of our five members were wearing masks to cover our mouths and noses while inside the dungeon, and a quick glance at the crowd gathered in front of the portal brought a smile to my face. We weren't the only ones wearing masks here… that most likely meant I had made a small sum of copper coins back in town.

  I was succeeding on multiple levels at the moment and that made things exciting.

  Especially the fact that we were progressing so smoothly through the dungeon, having finished the fourth boss and to now be on the fifth part of the quest chain… that was something I never expected when I first set out to answer the Call to Arms.

  Ah, the thought of being able to hit level fifty within a week was tempting.

  I wanted to grind nonstop until I couldn't grind anymore, but there was little reason to do that. No one had reached level fifty yet, though the leader boards showed quite a few nearing it at forty-seven. I was only thirty-four at the moment, though in effective level I was much higher thanks to the attribute bonuses of the Ultra-Realism program.

  Even so, I was still woefully behind.

  Barik was already forty-one, as was his healer friend Alan. The frost mage was at level thirty-eight and Ethan the fire mage was already thirty-nine.

  That left me at the bottom, so to speak.

  I wasn't holding them back any, but I was somewhat behind considering my advantages. Well, I couldn't complain, I invested so much of my time on extra-curricular activities while they all focused on their levels.

  So, in reality, I was still way ahead of the curve.

  What bothered me though, were the ones at the front of the leaderboards, the ones from the large guilds that were clearing through dungeons and claiming territory at a breakneck pace. It wouldn't be long before they started to attempt to conquer the surrounding weaker territories… the time was coming, everyone was aware of it, it was a question of when, not if.

  That was human nature… and that was one of the large draws of the game. This was never meant to be a game with only a Player versus Environment aspect to it, Player versus Player was supposed to be equally as prominent. Of course, there was the whole immersion aspect as well, which I personally found the most enjoyable.

  To me, this game was an adventure game, an escape from my pathetic reality first and foremost. Secondly, it offered me the things I couldn't have in my real life… and then lastly, there was the entertainment factor. The game was all-encompassing, and so far, I had no complaints.

  My only wish, was that I had a bit more time in the day to do everything that I wanted. There simply wasn't enough time… but that was life in general.

  Oh well, one step after the other.

  I'll get stronger first, then focus on building my kingdom.

  Well, maybe I'll work on my kingdom a little too. A little change of scenery, a short break here and there, was good for the soul after all. Maybe I could take a day off and check out some livestock… I did want some goats and cows for my farm.

  I had seen enough goblins to last me for a while anyways.

  Yeah, that sounded like a plan.

  Chapter 48: Population in Flux

  (Tuesday, June 1st Game Day / Saturday, February 20th Real Day)

  Ah I'm thirsty, I thought to myself as I stretched my arms out. It was still dark out but I kept my eyes shut, since I didn't want to risk fully waking up. Rolling over and letting an arm dangle over the edge, I ran my hand up and down the base of the bed in search of a glass that wasn't there.

  "Strange, where is it," I mumbled for no one to hear.

  I always left a bottle or glass of water by my bed, so as to have an easily accessible drink in the middle of the night… this time though, I couldn't find one.

  "Eh what the hell," I said with a sigh, cracking an eye open to look.

  The room was dark but my eyes had already adjusted and it didn't take long for me to realize my mistake. The bed was uncomfortable, which should have been the first sign. The floor was made of wood, which was the second sign. Third, the sheet was made of wool and wasn't the goose down I was so in love with.

  Three major strikes.

  This wasn't my bed, nor was this the real world.

  Rolling onto my back, I opened my eyes and noticed a little emergency exclamation point flashing in the bottom right-hand corner of my visual field. The system was informing me of what I already knew, what I could feel thanks to the game's extreme realism. Dehydration was setting in, and I needed some water… and food.

  Somehow, I had forgotten that I had fallen asleep in-game instead of logging out.

  It wasn't something that happened often, but it was occurring more frequently recently. I was guilty of spending my nights in-game when I was within the presence of Selene and Katherine, as it was often more… comforting than sleeping in an empty room. They weren't here this time, but it had become a habit already. A strange concept really, that a grown man would enjoy sleeping in the same room with two attractive women, despite not even occupying the same bed, over the privacy and comfort of his own bed.

  Yeah, it didn't really make sen
se to me, but I enjoyed it.

  Maybe it did make sense though, who was I to question the results.

  Entering the logout sequence, I closed my eyes as everything went black. A few seconds passed as the sounds of the game vanished and the faint whir of fans could be heard instead. My eyes still shut, a faint light could be seen through my eyelids as the room had started to adjust the interior's illumination level with the outside world.

  Taking a peek, I let my eyes adjust with the room's lighting as I started to pull off the various attachments that were connected to my body. The process didn't take more than a minute after the hundredth time and I was probably reaching near five-hundred log-in and log-out sequences by now, which basically meant I was a master at it.

  Lying back on the chair while contemplating what my life had become, I couldn't help but realize how comfortable the chair was.

  It was really comfortable.

  I wouldn't doubt it if some people actually preferred it to their beds.

  That was what it was designed for after all.

  The chair that came with The Cube was meant for people to spend countless hours in it, so comfort and safety were the primary concerns during development. There was even a system set up specifically so players could fall asleep in-game and The Cube would go into its own sleep-mode while you slept. Once you started to wake up, The Cube would detect your movements and changes in brain-wave patterns and automatically start back up, allowing one to wake up in-game as if it were reality.

  That's what had happened to me.

  It was a neat trick really, especially for immersion purposes.

  If you could somehow take care of your bodily functions in-game, well… then there wouldn't be much reason to ever log out, at least not for me. Unfortunately, there were specific things I still needed to take care of. First of which, would be the restroom… then, water, and lastly some food.

  I had skipped dinner like a fool and it was already lunch time now.

  "So much for my restrictions on gaming," I muttered.

  I had clearly become addicted to the game and my health was suffering for it.