The Dragon's Wrath: Ashes of the Fallen

by Brent Roth

Out were the minor low-level creatures, and in were the higher level ones. Now, we had creatures in the level fifties up through seventy-five or so. My guess, was if we kept at this pace, even stronger beasts might appear.

  We weren't ready for that yet... but in time.

  In time, a lot of things change.

  "Soren, you're the lead here," I stated as I pointed to the shortest man in the group. He wasn't a physical specimen by a long shot, a perfectly normal looking man by all accounts really. What he lacked in physical ability though, was made up with a strong personality and a good head.

  He was essentially the number two behind Astrid.

  "I won't disappoint Sir," he exclaimed loudly. "Gather up, there's a pack of goblins over yonder, we'll start from the center and work our way to the flanks. Get ready!"

  Standing back, I watched with arms folded as the group of five casters lined up and began to cast. The group of [Wild Goblins] weren't anything to worry about, really. All I cared about was their coordination.

  A few more levels and they would be split up again to begin their new training regime. Group simulation with a mixture of warriors, mages, and a priest all in one party. If they were successful, then they would be allowed to hunt on their own.

  Once that stage was reached, I could return to focusing on myself.

  I couldn't afford to stagnate.

  The game, was always evolving.

  Players, were always progressing.

  I needed to stay ahead of the game no matter the cost.

  Three waves of spells later and the goblins had all been killed. Their corpses looted, we continued on our way. Every day for four hours, we repeated the process.

  At night, I worked by myself, with Katherine's assistance from time to time.

  She taught me Holy Magic, the same as she taught every caster in our employment. Four dedicated healers along with ten dual-magic users that all knew how to cast a heal at the very minimum. If a situation called it for it, someone would be able to throw a [Holy Light] out.

  If it ever came down to it again, requiring a heal only a few seconds away in order to save a life… there better be somebody nearby and ready to cast. And if I had to be that person, so be it. There was no shame in saving a part of my mana bar for an emergency heal. Whatever it took to save lives, even if they were Artificial lives.

  Yeah, I had branched out once again.

  I was a true hybrid at heart.

  And in practice.

  Chapter 71: Intruders in the Night

  (Sunday, November 7th Game Day / Wednesday, April 14th Real Day)

  Another day, another night spent in the cabin staring out the window. A cloudless night with a nearly full moon. I think, it was called a waxing gibbous, or something like that. Whether that was right or wrong didn't change the fact that it was a bright night out. Though in contrast to the beautiful night, a certain feeling had been nagging at me.

  "Ah," I muttered while rolling over in bed.

  "Mm…" mumbled Katherine in response, fast asleep.

  I had been sleeping in-game almost exclusively now; wasn't entirely sure why but it was comfortable enough. Maybe it was the comfort of having a body near, even if I knew that the body was nothing more than coding.

  It certainly beat the empty bed waiting for me in my real room.

  Virtual Reality, was dangerously addicting.

  That nagging feeling had been bothering me and I couldn't sleep because of it. There was a half-naked beauty asleep with arms wide open, enough space for me to fill… yet as inviting as that was, I rolled to the edge of the bed.

  Sitting up with hands on my knees, I couldn't shake the eerie feeling.

  Opening my menus and navigating through the [Land Management] tab, there was a specific tab that I was looking for. With a click on the menu displayed out in front of me, the [Player Population] tab was the one I had been almost psychotically stalking.

  There were no alerts if an enemy player entered your territory unless an NPC spotted them and told you themselves. That was how the system worked, and was how it was intended. A loophole though, existed in the [Lang Management] > [Player Population] tab.

  It updated with statistics, in real time.

  If someone stepped foot within my territory, which was ten miles out now due to my Reputation, it would show immediately on the player population page. The current population, should always be a single number, one.

  One player.

  Me.

  Tonight, that number was six.

  Bingo.

  I knew what was bothering me now. My sixth-sense was especially on point today. It wasn't long after night had fallen in-game, only 12:45 AM local time. There was a good chance that they were players, elves, looking to explore.

  Dragon's Breach was well-known throughout the game thanks to [FWB]. A few players that were nearby had already ventured out to take a gander. They were few and far between though. Most of them came by and looked around then quickly left as there was nothing to do. The area was too difficult to hunt in for most players, what with roaming packs of goblins, rattanorv, and the occasional dire wolf.

  Depending on where these players were coming from and what their intentions were… I would either welcome them to stay a night or refuse entry.

  Five players in the dead of night though.

  I didn't like it.

  It was time to sortie.

  Glancing around the remodeled cabin, there was a large collection of furs and leather armor stacked in the corner of the room. My new favorite was the dire wolf pelt, complete with head and fangs. It was a small dire wolf, which made for a perfect fit.

  Modifying the pelt slightly, my head fit inside its jaws as it wrapped around me.

  In the darkness, I would look like a werewolf.

  With [Enraged State] and [Frenzy] activated, my eyes would also glow red according to Kate. I couldn't see it unless I was standing near a mirror-like surface but I trusted her. She had no reason to mislead. The combination of the pelt and the special effects, were perfect for scaring random players in the forest.

  I had already scared a few.

  A smile crept up my face and I couldn't help but laugh.

  "Time to spook some kids," I whispered to myself.

  Right as I opened the door, I heard some noises from the bed as Katherine propped herself up and stared at me. Meeting her gaze, all I could muster was a smile.

  "Get some sleep," I said quietly with a wink. "Just a little moonlight stroll through the woods, nothing to worry about."

  She remained silent as I walked out the door, realizing that I was far too heavily armed and armored for a stroll. She understood though and didn't question.

  The worst that could happen to me, was a return trip to the graveyard.

  Nothing to worry about.

  With a running start I leapt up onto the six foot tall rampart and then in one stride jumped off the ten foot tall palisade. Flash stepping at the peak of my jump, I traveled nearly forty feet before hitting the ground and breaking into a sprint.

  Heading towards the tallest tree, I started flash stepping up as I teleported from one branch to the next. It was slow at first, due to the cooldown of the spell but the more I used it, the more proficient I became.

  The more proficient, the shorter the cooldown.

  I could now [Flash Step] every ten seconds, mana withholding.

  Standing at the top of the tallest tree, my routine had already been etched into my mind. The process was habitual now, as I activated [Keen Sight] and scanned the area. I didn't know which way they were coming from.

  They might not even be coming.

  There was still the possibility that they were only passing through.

  Whatever the case was, I would wait.

  Thirty minutes passed with only a few sporadic glimmers appearing in the distance. Glimmers that indicated a creature was there; small singular creatures for the most part. A few dire wolves were running around but in general, activit
y was low.

  An hour went by and still, nothing humanoid had appeared.

  Then as I was about to call it quits, five glimmers of light shined in the darkness. All of them headed towards my location. They were moving slowly, cautiously almost as they stuck close together.

  They were here.

  Well, it was time to stalk my prey now.

  Flash stepping from tree to tree as time permitted, I gradually began to close the distance as the five marked targets continued on their way. Oblivious to my presence in the trees, they would be in for a surprise.

  I had made my way through the forest until the sounds of footsteps reached my ears. Stopping in my tracks, I crouched down on the branch I had been standing on and continued to watch. Nearly sixty feet above the ground, I could barely hear the men.

  Five men slowly creeping through the night.

  All wearing medium to light armor and armed with daggers and swords… rogues, most likely. They weren't balanced for any Player versus Environment action. They reminded me of a raiding party, purely a Player versus Player aspect to them.

  They, were suspicious.

  After they passed by, I dropped down as silently as I could and began to circle around them. Stalking my prey, I closed the distance until I was within audible hearing range. They were conversing quietly but I could hear it now.

  Hushed whispers, loud in the silence of the night.

  "You think we can pull this off?" asked a deep voiced man.

  "It's almost two in the morning where he's from," answered another.

  "Dude it's a weekday, no way he's on," replied a squeaky voiced one. "Plus he's the only player, it says so all over the net."

  "How do you know its two in the morning where he's from?"

  "Someone said they recognized him from a west coast meeting, for testers and shit."

  They continued on but I didn't care to listen anymore.

  I would kill four and leave one for questioning.

  Things were simpler that way.

  Looking to the sky, a pack of clouds were slowly headed towards the location of the moon. In a few minutes, the sky would go dark. My window of opportunity had arrived.

  It was time for the psychological warfare to begin.

  As the clouds moved into position the forest expectedly went dark. My eyes were still adjusting to the lack of light when the five men activated light stones around their necks. Magical stones that glowed a soft amber color, working almost as a weak flashlight. They definitely weren't from here.

  Five men stood illuminated in the darkness.

  Their light stones a beacon, and a target.

  Behind them in the dark were two, glowing red eyes.

  I let out a howl.

  Instantly reacting, the five men immediately turned around towards the direction of the sound. Clearly jittered by the noise, they soon found a pair of floating red eyes hovering in the distance.

  All they saw, were my eyes.

  "H-hey guys… wh-hat's that?"

  "A wolf…?"

  "A-animals don't have glowing eyes man," the man stuttered again.

  "Who's there!?" shouted another.

  I stood still for a few seconds, ignoring their words as they drew their weapons.

  "Answer us if you want to live! There's five of us, one of you!" threatened the man with a deep voice. "I'll count to three!"

  Keeping my gaze steady, I turned my body slightly as I began to walk to the side. Crossing behind the tree, breaking eye contact, I immediately flash stepped directly up. Coming to rest on a branch twenty feet off the ground, I turned my gaze back on them.

  They remained close together, not risking any movements as they lost sight of me.

  "You think it's gone?"

  "I don't know."

  "Uh-h what was it?"

  "I don't know man."

  Jumping out of the tree, I used another flash step to instantly traverse the distance between us as I materialized slightly behind the group. Grabbing one of the men from behind I flung him between two trees and followed after. Lightning still dissipating in the air, the four men were mesmerized as they stood and stared at the trail of charged electricity that was cackling and cracking around them.

  The lone man struggled to his feet, unaware of what had happened as he turned to face me. Raising my head slowly, all he could see was the gigantic wolf head illuminated by his necklace.

  Quickly placing my left hand over the light, I then looked him in the eyes.

  My red eyes glowing strongly in the darkness, burning an image directly into his mind. Panic stricken the man stared silently with mouth agape, only to stutter and then scream.

  The scream, was short lived.

  Pulling my dagger out of his throat, he collapsed to the ground gurgling.

  The four others turned to the scream and realized their stuttering friend had gone missing. Yells and shouts filled the air as I turned back around a tree and disappeared into the night.

  Watching them from the top of a tree, I began to plan my next move.

  Death from above.

  Seconds later, they had found their friend.

  They scanned the area, shouting profanities and empty threats to the sky in an attempt to scare me. The birds cared little for what they had to say… an exercise in futility, was all it was.

  Positioned directly above them, I jumped and crashed down on top of the shoulders of a man. The two of us hitting the ground with a hard thud. I hacked into the back of his exposed neck with my one-handed axe and immediately turned around and disappeared with a flash step into the distance.

  A quick turn behind a tree and I counted the seconds.

  Then, a lightning bolt exploded behind me, having impacted the tree I was using for cover. One of them was a caster, disguised as a rogue.

  A hybrid, like me.

  They shouted again, short one voice.

  Two, if you counted the man who was never able to shout.

  My mana was getting low and a thought occurred to me.

  Turning back out from the tree, I took position in the open space between two trees. Red eyes aglow, giving away my presence, I waited for the spell to come.

  Lightning began to accumulate in the man's hands as he uttered his chanted verse. Miniature bolts of lightning entwining and rapidly circulating between his palms. Five seconds, and he released the four miniature lightning bolts as it impacted directly in the center of my chest. Near instantaneous travel, followed by an explosion and four bolts of lightning arcing and bouncing into the ground.

  They cheered, thinking I was wounded, stunned even, from the chain lightning. Two began to charge, believing they had the advantage. The third, began to cast a lightning bolt. It impacted two seconds later, exploding with a shower of sparks as electricity coursed through my body.

  Laughs escaped their mouths, as taunts soon overtook the silence. Another lightning bolt smashed into me, but I still had yet to move. The mage, began to laugh nervously as he questioned his spells' effectiveness.

  The other two, recklessly charged in.

  As their swords were raised and about to strike me down, I flash stepped through them and appeared directly in front of the mage. Grabbing his throat, I threw him to the ground as I stood above him.

  Placing my hand on his chest, I shot out my own lightning bolt before he could recover from the shock of the impact. Lightning pierced through his body and dissipated out the other end and into the ground as he convulsed in place.

  Paralyzed he tried in vain to struggle as I stared him in the eyes.

  Waiting for the last possible moment, for the paralysis to wear off.

  As soon as his hands shot up to defend himself, I hacked him into pieces.

  My mana partially restored thanks to my Legendary Artifact giving me immunity to Lightning Magic amongst other things. I was now replenished for the fight ahead. Turning back into the two men, they stopped mid-sprint as they witnessed the death of their friend. Coming to a complete
stop, they were wary of pushing forward.

  It didn't matter.

  I had all the time in the world.

  Pacing around the trees, breaking eye contact only to reappear as two glowing red eyes, hovering in the darkness of the night, I continued to taunt and tease them silently. A minute or two had passed as the two decided to retreat, taking off with a sprint in the opposite direction of where I stood.

  As if, they could out run me.

  In my own forest.

  The chase began as I flash stepped to catch up. Running besides them I turned my head slightly as they realized I was only ten feet to their left. One flinched and lost sight of where he was going. Tripping over a root, he went flying face down into the dirt.

  I left him, for questioning.

  Catching up to the other man, I charged at him and swung my axe with reckless abandon. In an instant he threw his sword up and parried my blow while rolling to the side. He called out to his friend, as I turned my head and saw that the other man had already caught back up to us.

  My mistake, for thinking him down.

  They circled me, as if I were the deer and they were the wolves.

  Grins on their faces now that they had me in their sights.

  A thought occurred to me, but you know, I'm the dire wolf, right?

  In a flash one of the rogues dashed forward and attempted a backstab as I quickly turned and swung in the nick of time. Deflecting his blade with a shower of sparks, the other rogue, sensing the opportunity rolled to the ground and sliced at my leg. As his sword cut through my hamstring, my leg nearly gave way as I tried to step back.

  My movements partially disabled, they had the upper hand.

  What they didn't know, was my [Enraged State] reduced crowd control factors… I, was partially numb to the pain. Exaggerating my limp, I dragged my left leg across the ground as if I had been seriously wounded.

  I dropped my shoulders with each step, as if it pained me considerably.

  Laboring, only to move.

  They started to laugh and to taunt.

  I swung with desperation at the air as they neared me.

  It was only a ploy, but they bought into it.

  They began jabbing and feinting while I deflected their thrusts and pretended to struggle. Arrogance and cockiness clearly displayed as they started to goof around. I let them land superficial cuts to my arms, legs, and torso as they started to relax.