Alpha World Book One: Gamer for Life

by Daniel Schinhofen

  Jasper nodded as he dug into his own food with the speed of a professional solider. Once he finished the porridge he leaned back slightly and sipped at his tea. “So, are you off to slaughter more goblins today, or are you going to stick around and train the men some more?”

  “Possibly a bit of both, though in what order will depend on if any of those I was with yesterday ask for aid today. I shall let you know once I myself know.”

  “During the hours of daylight I shall be at my station manning the duty desk. If you come back after dark I will probably be in the training area out back, working on what you taught us last night.” Jasper stood up, gathering his empty bowl and mug. “Enjoy the meal and I wish you a pleasant day.”

  Alburet, who had just finished his own meal, followed the Sergeant, “You as well, sir.” He dropped his bowl and cup off in a tub of soapy water, following Jasper’s lead, then followed the man out back to the main room. He took a breath while he considered his options about what he wanted to do. He could go solo farm more goblins easily enough, he could head off to see about finding a more profitable area to farm, or he could stay and train the guards.

  He did enjoy training the guards, it brought him back to the happier times he had before. Teaching defensive tactics had been a favorite of his when he worked. He cut off that thought as it would only loop back to his crime. Shrugging, he summoned Bob and Tiny to his side and was just about to head out when he noticed a message from Fluffball flashing away at him.

  Message from Fluffball:

  Alburet, I will be back out at the keep in half an hour at the most. If you’re willing to party up with me again, we can farm the courtyard if your tank minion is any good. If you’re willing I’ll meet you by the merchant in the courtyard of Stormguard fort.

  Alburet tossed her a quick reply using the Mindstone, which sent text messages rather than using ‘telepathic’ communication. He wondered at that. Mindblown could easily have made the Mindstone use VOIP or something similar so players could actually talk to each other. Shrugging it off, he informed the guys that they would have company before he let Sergeant Jasper know that he was off to kill goblins for an undetermined amount of time. He waved to the Quartermaster on his way out, getting a friendly nod in return.

  “Master,” Bob asked, “I notice you treat everyone the same, people of this world and other two-souled that is. Why is this?”

  “Hard to explain really,” Alburet said. “Most of my kind think of those of this world as little more than paper dolls, here to serve them in furthering themselves. I find myself thinking of this place as a universe of its own. Everyone here has reacted or acted just like any person of my other world would near as I can tell, so it just seems right I should treat everyone equally.”

  “Even us?” Bob asked, pointing at himself and Tiny. “You don’t order us about really, and you rarely demand we do anything even when I push at the bounds of good taste.”

  “You are my companions, we will be together for a long time I think. As such, does it not behoove me to learn about you and find the best way to work with you? True, I could just gag you and order you from point A to point B. However, that wouldn’t garner the best results, now would it?”

  “True,” Bob agreed, “but you only snapped at me once yesterday, and it wasn’t even about a comment I made about you.”

  “I know. You need to understand, Bob, for most of the two-souled this world is a chance to be someone else. Here we can do things we would never do in our other world, by and large. Someone shy, for instance, might very well be a fierce Berserker here. I myself would have been something akin to a Defender in my other life, not a man who consorts with demons. Some do it to unshackle those parts of themselves they feel are constrained by the other world. Others do it to gain the confidence they lack normally.”

  “So you think Fluffball is a shy and quiet person in her other soul?”

  “Consider all that she said and did and think about it, Bob,” Alburet said with a smile. “She should be here soon and then we’ll be off to kill more goblins.”

  Tiny grunted, “Good, I am bored.”

  “Don’t worry. You’ll soon be busy enough. We’ll be killing much faster than yesterday, with only a few seconds between goblins. As long as we don’t run out of goblins.”

  Tiny’s eyes glowed for a moment, “Praise be to the master.”

  “Wow, he is big, isn’t he?” Fluffball said from behind Alburet who spun at her words, startled.

  “Hey, Fluff. Everything good to go?”

  “Yeah, I’m as ready as I can be. How long you on for?”

  “I woke shortly before your message found me, so probably for hours and hours.” He sent her a party invite, which she accepted. “Let’s go kill us some goblins and loot their corpses.”

  “You say the sweetest things to a girl,” Fluffball chuckled and groomed her ears.

  “Alright boys,” Alburet said, “across the open ground like yesterday. We’ll kill everything not engaged in combat on the way. Tiny, I’ll be doing my best to keep Demonic Retribution on you all the time.” He broke into a jog, followed by the others.

  The group ended up killing almost a dozen Scavengers before they made it to the goblin fort. They headed through the gate, hugging the wall to the front left corner. Tiny was grinning broadly as they pulled the first goblin, a Shieldbearer. When Alburet cast Sap Strength which made it drop the shield Tiny roared with laughter and hacked into it more viciously. Bob shook his head, sighing at how easily Tiny was amused, but otherwise had been really quiet since they’d left the keep.

  They paused after the first kill and Alburet asked Fluffball about her latest talent. “What did you pick up at ten, Fluff?”

  “Unshackled Rage, makes me immune to root or slow effects. I haven't met anything that roots or slows a player yet, but the other option was two-handed mastery and I’m hoping for a dual wield option still, so I left that one alone for now,” Fluff replied as Tiny roared at another goblin, taunting it to them. “He really likes to yell, doesn’t he?”

  “Well he won’t be spinning poetry, unlike someone else who might,” Bob said with a sly grin.

  Alburet rolled his eyes, “I thought you were biding your time for something. Also, it wasn’t poetry. It was Shakespeare, who was one of the better known playwrights of my world.” He stepped forward and reapplied Retribution to Tiny as he spoke.

  Fluffball hacked into the latest goblin alongside Tiny, “Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and many more.”

  Bob shrugged, “You two-souled speak of things I know nothing about. All I know is you bolted when the master started a speech the other day.”

  “Enough, Bob,” Alburet said softly and without force. “She didn’t want to hear it was all and I can’t blame her for that. That specific scene is a very moving bit where love is confessed. I never should have started to quote it to a woman I do not know. That was a mistake on my part, not hers. Hell, if the roles had been reversed I probably would have done the same.”

  The rest of the fight was done without banter but once the goblin died and Fluffball had looted it she seemed hesitant. “It was a little shocking is all. I mean, I do love Shakespeare’s plays, but that scene from an unknown guy was a bit unnerving. I do think you’re a nice guy and I love the fact you can quote the plays. Just maybe not that one right now.”

  Alburet bowed to her, “As the lady does request, so shall it be.”

  Fluffball beamed at him before giving a curtsy in return, “M’lord is very kind, to acquiesce to my request.”

  “I am kind of curious though as to what you do when not killing goblins here in Alpha World,” Alburet said as the goblin fell over dead. He looted and checked the pop-up that occurred with a smile before refreshing Tiny's buffs for the next pull.

  Constantly allowing your destroyer to follow his heart has raised his happiness.

  Tiny’s Happiness has reached Content.

  Your minion receives a 25% boost to stats
and health.

  “You mean in real life?” Fluffball asked a little uncertainly. “What about you?”

  “Nothing much really for the most part now. I don’t have to worry about food, paying a mortgage or anything like that. I used to work for a county sheriff office before the incident that forced me to leave the force. When I was last not in game, I had a full medical team checking my vitals.” Alburet said, skirting the truth while saying as much as he could truthfully. He had been unable to keep the undertone of bitterness from his voice though as he spoke of not being on the force any more.

  “Oh,” Fluffball said, her eyes a little wide as she took in the information and leapt to attack the latest goblin. “So you’re disabled then? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to dig up past wounds.”

  “It’s okay. I’m trying my best to move past the incident.” He said, not correcting her then tried to deflect her even further afield. “What ‘bout you?”

  “Oh, um, I do freelance artwork. Mostly digital but I also draw, paint and do freelance photography as well.” Fluffball turned a slightly deeper shade of red then the normal shade she had when attacking a foe.

  “So you’re a creative mind, very nice. What has been the piece you’ve enjoyed creating the most?”

  Fluffball’s next swing went well wide as he asked the question, before she coughed and launched herself back into the fight. She didn’t reply as she fought and Alburet wondered what the problem might be. When the goblin died Fluffball took her time looting the corpse as if trying to delay the inevitable.

  Seeing her hesitation, Alburet gave her a way out, “I’m sorry, Fluff. I don’t know why the question is difficult for you but I withdraw it. For all I know it might give away who you are which is something I’m sure you’re working to avoid, considering the previous stalker.”

  Fluffball glanced at him then away, the blush showing through the thin down fur that covered her. “No it’s not that it’s just…,” she bite her lip. “My most well received piece was a bit of fantasy art. It depicted a blonde elf woman riding the back of a unicorn with a horde of orcs chasing after her. She had on a pair of broken manacles but nothing else. The unicorn’s mane fig leafed her, so nothing actually showed.”

  “Wow, giving the impression then that the elf maiden was a virgin as she was riding a unicorn. Possibly fleeing slavery and rape at the hands or the orcs.” Alburet said, nodding before buffing Tiny again for the next pull. “I would think that could be a cover for a fantasy novel or even a fantasy romance novel.”

  Fluffball smiled, seeming a little relieved, “It was probably my best work to date.”

  Alburet made a mental note that she hadn’t called it her favorite piece, but let it go for now. “So that’s your living then?”

  Fluffball shook her head, “It’s a hobby that gives me some extra cash. I’d rather not go any further down this road for now.” She leapt at the goblin Tiny had just brought to them, eagerly slashing into it.

  Alburet waited until that goblin died and was looted before he changed the topic to less chancy areas. As they continued to kill mobs they traded information about favorite foods, music groups and more, seeing what they had in common as they killed goblin after goblin. An hour Alburet noticed he had a new message.

  Message from Marysue:

  Gerald and myself are going to see about getting a group for another run through the goblin fort. We found that it was a little tougher when the Shieldbearers were able to keep their shields, so Gerald thought we should see if you would want to come along.

  Alburet stopped Tiny from pulling the next mob while he replied to the message. He let Fluffball know about Marysue’s message and got her ready agreement to another dungeon run. He informed Marysue that he was currently in a group with Fluffball inside the fort killing mobs, but if they wanted to take both of them they would go.

  Message from Gerald:

  We’ll be there with another person in a few minutes. Be ready to drop group and accept my invite when we get there. Which corner are you farming?

  Alburet sent off a quick reply before turning to the Fluffball and his minions. “They’ll be here shortly. Gerald asks we drop group so we can join his when he gets here. Bob, you know the drill from yesterday. Tiny, we will be meeting up with friends in a moment and heading into the fort. You are coming with, but you must not taunt the mobs unless I ask you to specifically. If you do otherwise, it will cause problems for me with the party leader.”

  Tiny seemed a bit sulky, but nodded, “As you wish, master.”

  “Don’t worry. During two of the boss fights there are adds that you’ll be in charge of picking up,” Alburet said.

  “Right,” Tiny said, his teeth gleaming as he smiled.

  “That’s gonna be about the best you can expect from him,” Bob said, shaking his head.

  “Do we want to grab one more first?” Fluff asked.

  “Sure, we can grab the two between us and the portal,” Alburet said with a laugh. “Tiny, grab the two between us and the fort’s main doors. We’ll be killing them just to the left of the portal.” He slapped buffs onto Tiny as Tiny ran forward yelling.

  “He really does love to yell,” Fluff laughed as she followed after Tiny, trailed by Bob and Alburet.

  The battle was longer than the others and Tiny took a bad beating but was still alive when both mobs died. As Tiny regained his health after combat, Alburet saw Gerald and Marysue coming through the main gates so he disbanded the group, waving to them.

  Gerald, Marysue and the other DPS ran over to them as Gerald sent them invites to the group. “Everyone inside,” Gerald said once Fluff and Alburet accepted the invites.

  Stepping through the portal, Gerald turned to Alburet, “Get rid of the destroyer please. He’ll taunt the mobs off me.”

  “No, he won’t. He has been told not to,” Alburet said evenly. “He will add to how fast we can kill things, unless the other DPS is a melee type.”

  “Call me Franz,” the unknown DPS said. “I’m an Elementalist, so I won’t be in the thick of the fight.”

  “So Tiny can get around the ones you have aggroed and help add in more damage. Besides, in the two boss fights we’ll want him to help with the adds.” Alburet said.

  “If he taunts once outside of the boss adds then he is out,” Gerald said firmly.

  Alburet felt his anger start to rise and did his best to stomp it out, “Sure.”

  “We only ran one more time after the first run,” Marysue said as they advanced to the first corner. “When the Shieldbearers have their shields up they take a lot less damage. That made each fight take longer. We even wiped on the two bosses that summon adds.”

  “Alburet, you’re up,” Gerald said, his voice strained as if he wished Mary hadn’t said what she had.

  Smiling broadly, Alburet nodded before turning to Tiny. “Tiny, attack the mob Gerald is attacking after he has hit it twice. Switch targets when he does as well. No taunting unless I tell you to. Got it?”

  “As the master says,” Tiny rumbled, gripping his axe tighter.

  As Alburet looked around the corner he caught a whisper from Marysue, “My goodness, that voice is frightening.”

  “He’s just a lovable attack demon,” Fluffball replied softly with a giggle. “He didn’t let me take a single point of damage while we were farming.”

  Alburet ignored the rest and pulled the first group by putting Sap Strength on the Shieldbearer. “Here they come,” he said as he ducked back well behind Gerald.

  With the first group Alburet leveled to ten to the congratulations of the others. As he distributed his stat points, Gerald asked, “You don’t mind waiting on your ability until after the run, right?”

  Alburet chuckled, “Not in the least actually. I doubt it would make a huge difference and it would take a while to make the trip, so I’ll wait. Shall we continue on?”

  They cleared the floor of adds quickly. The mobs were dropping even faster than the previous day. They staged up ne
xt to the first boss as Gerald went through his description of the boss for the Franz. “When the adds come in, Tiny will be picking them up. All DPS switches to them and kills them first. He goes berserk at 10% life at which point Alburet, if you could, get Tiny to taunt off me at some point so I don’t die.”

  “Hear that Tiny? You get to save Gerald at the end,” Alburet said.

  “I will save squishy human,” Tiny replied.

  “Anyway, are there any questions?” Gerald asked, a little peeved at being called squishy. When no one replied he turned to Alburet, “I’ll go once you get the buffs up.”

  Alburet buffed Gerald who rushed in followed by the others. The fight didn’t take long and Tiny did his job perfectly, collecting each set of adds as they appeared. They did find out why Bob had told Marysue to not heal him the day before, though. When the first set of adds died Marysue had tossed a healing spell to Tiny, damaging him even more and causing him to roar in pain and spin around to find the one who had hurt him. Alburet got Tiny to attack the boss and shook his head at Marysue, who looked shocked but nodded in understanding. Tiny had just a sliver of health when the boss enraged, but Gerald was at full life since he hadn’t been getting pummeled by adds during the fight. Alburet called Tiny to him and away from the boss, not wanting the minion to get killed. The boss died shortly afterwards under the barrage of damage from the party.