My chin dropped to the floor.
Everyone went nuts. At least two other guys started pumping away at their screens. Talk about a newbie move. How can you min-max without knowing how the game system worked?
Wrinkle man waited until the noise died down before he spoke again. “As I was saying, next we will unlock your natural talents. Some people are naturally stronger, others faster, others smarter, and some have special abilities or proficiencies with magic. Although a number of you could probably do with an extra 50 points in intelligence and wisdom.”
The murmur of my fellow captives was silenced at the mention of magic.
“Depending on your talent, it might be wise to spend your points on attributes that will benefit what you are naturally good at. It is my turn for this trick.”
He held up his hands palm out and closed his eyes in concentration. A yellow light was emitted, almost like he had a light bulb in either hand.
“Take your time to examine the windows before you.”
Warmth entrapped me. That was when I saw another pop-up window about half the size on top of my status window.
The first pane was titled Skills.
A number of mini windows popped up within this main window. There were dozens of these. Many of them were just acknowledging things I already know. Intermediate Logic. Intermediate Sprinting. Intermediate Distance Running. Intermediate High Jump. Intermediate Cooking. Novice Persuasion. Expert Procrastinator. Etc.
I closed each mini window, making sure to check each one, but there were no surprises. When I closed the skill window I found a delightful surprise under it. Spells.
A few mini windows had popped up here too. Light Magic Proficiency. Lesser Heal. Talent: Natural Healer.
The talent window, which was the only window that mentioned the talent the old man mentioned, read as follows.
Light Magic Affinity
Due to a natural affinity with light magic, the user’s healing spells will heal health, endurance, and exhaustion. As individual spells level, this can grow to heal status effects as well. Healing spells will level faster than normal.
Noooooo! This was terrible! I didn’t want to be a support character! Give me lightning or fire… give me a big gnarly club for all I cared to bash stuff, but why did my talent have to be healing?!
Blue Magic
You now have access to Blue Magic.
As I closed the window, I leaned closer to a second window under it in hope.
Lesser Heal
This is the novice level healing spell for those who have unlocked the Light Magic Alignment.
Base healing of 100 HP
Base cost of 50 MP
Creature Observation
This is the basic skill that all blue magic is based upon. It allows you to steal the natural skills of other creatures and mimic their abilities through magic.
That was all it said. Unlocked? What did that mean? Blue Magic could be better than healing though, right?
“Very good. Very good indeed!” The hunched over wrinkled man was using some kind of examination skill on each of us in turn. “Talent in Constitution. Talent in Persuasion plus Speed. Talent with Traps. Talent with Wind Magic. Talent with Strength. Fire Magic. Green Magic spell tangling roots. Talent with Dexterity.”
He went on and on, not missing a single one of us. One in every three people had a talent in some kind of magic, but no one else had healing or blue.
Stopping when he came to me, he sighed.
When the lady joined him in examining me, she whispered just loud enough for me to hear, “He has old blood.”
“You there!” Mr. Wrinkle man called me to attention.
“Yeah?” I replied, more than a little startled considering he was standing directly in front of me.
“You stink. Healing Magic gives off a scent to those sensitive to it.”
“I assure you that being a healer wasn’t my first choice.”
“Mistress?” Old Man Wrinkles asked.
Under her gaze, I immediately felt my heart beat faster. She was incredibly beautiful. I didn’t deserve such attention, but I certainly wanted it.
“You will probably be dead soon.” She tapped a few times on her chin with a long slender finger. “Here’s a consolation prize.”
A ball of yellow light shot from her hand and ended in my chest. A new mini pop-up window came up under Spells.
Blue Magic: Explosive End
The moment before death you will have the option of directing your remaining mana into a finale of fireworks, injuring the targets you set your sights upon.
Note: After you have used this spell you are dead. There is no way to cheat death and watch the cool effects of Explosive End; dead is dead. If you just so happen to know someone with a resurrection spell, then perhaps, but you will still probably miss the show because of the long cast time of such spells.
The Mistress smiled. “You have a chance to survive longer if you master blue magic. It will allow you to learn skills and spells from the monsters you face. The problem is it is not a quick magic to master.”
Turning from me to the group, she continued, “Now for some novice spells to help all of you survive.”
In quick succession, light shot from her hand and hit each of us in the head in turn. Three different colors of light, white, brown and green, all hit home.
Looking to my new pop-up windows there were three new ones just like the three different beams of light that hit me.
Light Orb
This orb will obey your will and light up the path before you. The higher the level the further and brighter the light can extend. This spell can be essential for survival or a power outage.
Mage’s Deodorant
When unable to use deodorant because of unavailability, poverty, or strange religious alignment, this spell will keep you from adding smelly funk to your social engagements. The smell is neutral. As this spell levels up you can add special scents for any special occasion.
You got to be kidding me! Why bother? Give me a damage spell already! With my fingers crossed I exited the screen and viewed the last one. Horror!
Mage’s Toilet Paper
Never run out of this household essential again! For anywhere you find yourself you will never be without! As the spell levels up lotion can be added to the effects of the spell!
Are you serious? I guess I could light Mage’s Toilet Paper on fire and throw it at something, but where was the good stuff?
“These are spells that I demand you use. Light orb will save your life, but the other two will keep you from totally disgusting me. You will find even my slave imps use these spells often or find themselves purified to death with fire. Do not neglect them,” she warned.
“Now for equipment.” Mr. Wrinkle threw a second ball of light to hover over the far side of the room. The wall was lined with an odd assortment of weapons.
“You can choose more than one weapon, but be careful not to overburden yourself. Humans are weak so two weapons at the most will benefit you,” the lady instructed.
Without hesitation, the group of kidnapees headed to the other side of the room but gave the two instructors a wide berth.
I examined my spell screen one last time. Besides Blue Magic Proficiency I didn’t get a blue spell other than Explosive End. There was an additional skill called Creature Observation.
Turning to the Mistress, I tried to activate Creature Observation.
Due to an unseen force, you are unable to use this skill at this location.
Blah. That's no fun.
There were a few things missing that I normally expected every MMORPG to have. There was no mini-map or menu where I could find features like an inventory, the party system, etc.
Before I joined everyone I studied the rest of Light Orb’s description.
All that is necessary to cast this spell once it is learned is to will it. Saying the name out loud often helps newbie spellcasters to focus the mind correctly.
“
Light Orb,” I said.
Immediately a much dimmer version of the orb the old man had cast appeared a meter above my head and in front of me. It was only a matter of thought to move it further back and have it hover over my head.
I had just cast my first spell. It was like eating a new food that was no doubt going to be another favorite.
Being a blue mage definitely excited me more than being a healer. If I found the right creature I could wield lightning, fire, or whatever other abilities it might possess. Well, that was common among games, and as the Mistress seemed to imply, having gaming experience would help.
There was hope!
Even though I was among the last to pick out a weapon, I certainly hadn’t missed anything. Whether it was a sword, club or spear, they were all worn, crude and would probably break after moderate use. You'd think they would give us some decent equipment if they really wanted us to level up.
At least the belt I found seemed decent. I sheathed a short sword on either hip and grabbed a spear that would make a better walking stick than a weapon. Just because healers always use bashing weapons I grabbed a one-handed mace that strapped across my back. 1 to 2 weapons max? I was a gamer. It was time to take advantage of free loot while there was an opportunity! Besides, until I knew what I was up against I would rather keep my options open. I could always rest between fights.
Sadly, there was no armor to speak of. I wasn’t exactly a fan of paladin type class, but if I had to be a healing tank, that would be better than a full-time healer. Eyeing the majority of the men in the group, with the exception of three or four of them I seemed to be among those in the best shape. Gamers aren’t always the most active people in the world, as the most common attribute in the room, chub, confirmed.
Only half of the girls in the room had this same problem. Most of them were in much leaner shape. No one in the room was what I would call chunky. The only one close was the now massive lineman-looking guy. His muscle mass made up for his gut.
Mr. Wrinkle and the Mistress were looking at me as I realized I had spaced out. Was I an idiot for not taking their advice with regard to taking 1 to 2 weapons? Glancing around, I saw the players were all staring at me as well. I was the last one to gather a weapon, or in my case, four.
“This room will now belong to all of you as a group. You can add and take items from these racks as you want in the future,” the old man said with one last look at me to see if I would put any equipment back.
I just grinned like I was oblivious to his and everyone else’s objections.
“There is also a kitchen with a bathroom and barracks. To move out of the barracks to your own personal quarters you will have to earn enough coin or favor to pay for it. The same goes for food. To earn more than two meals a day, or anything besides gruel and bread, you will have to do more than survive.
“To earn coin, you know the drill. The monsters you kill can drop items that have value. The stronger you get the stronger the monster you can fight and the better the items and coin you will earn. There will also be more than one merchant to allow for competitive pricing.
“One last thing before you proceed. As you leave this room you will pass the dining hall and merchants on the left and the barracks on the right. If you keep heading straight you will head into the labyrinth. This labyrinth is an area of the Underworld under the control of the Head Mistress. Anything in this area has been summoned for you to fight. The monsters get progressively harder as you go deeper in. In order to leave the Head Mistress’s realm, you will have to become strong enough and complete a few obstacles.
“The first area you enter into has decaying skeletons that I have personally summoned. They are the weakest of all undead and will prove useful to begin your training. Don’t count on making much money from them. Most of them are barely level 50. Any questions?”
One girl, with short brown hair, an elf-like nose and large eyes, gritted her teeth and asked, “Can we go home?”
With the sweetest of smiles the Mistress stepped toward her and cocked her head with empathy, or so it seemed. “No. You are mine,” she said with mock sweetness.
“For a thousand years I have hunted and devoured your kind. This is the largest group of humans I have been in the same room with that has actually survived in centuries.
“Don’t be mistaken. You are still alive because you have the potential to provide me power. Currently, you are indebted to me not just for your lives, but that I am giving you a chance to live and live in a way that each and every one of you has only dreamed of. Welcome to the ultimate roleplaying game! Don’t dwell on what you don’t have but the opportunity that you do. Otherwise, you will do something stupid and I will suck the life out of you. Any more questions?”
Half a dozen of us, including me, stepped forward and placed ourselves between the wicked chick and the girl.
The Mistress giggled and shook her head. “At least you show the will to fight. We will take our leave. Bread and water will be available in abundance at all times in the dining hall during the first two weeks. After that, you will have to purchase anything beyond breakfast and dinner. And don’t forget. If you die here you are really dead. No game overs to start again. Sweet dreams!”
Sweet dreams? Was it night time? In the top right of my status screen, it gave me the time. 4:00pm. What time zone, it didn’t say. Not exactly the time to go to sleep. Or was she meaning the final slumber of death?
I closed the status screen pop-up window.
Before the old man and the Mistress left, four imps flew into the room each holding a lamp-stand in one hand and the lamp in the other. They placed them in the four corners of the room. With that, our kidnappers left. The stone wall was made up of massive, misshapen, dull gray stones stacked upon each other. The floor and ceiling were large slabs of rough cut stones. High traffic areas of the floor were worn smooth from years of use.
Above the imp’s heads was floating red text.
Servant Imp
#*$%
There was gibberish under the creature’s description that I assumed was where its level would appear. Because our levels were so much lower than theirs were, the text was red and it wouldn’t even show us their levels.
I wondered why the old man and Mistress didn’t show anything above their heads. Nor did the other humans…
Chapter 3 – Home Base, Bread, and Some Pain
With a now well-lit room, everyone could see each other much better, but no one said anything or even moved at first. The real freak out moment happened half a minute later when the reality of what was going on started to really sink in for everyone.
I stood back against the weapon rack as everyone unleashed their feelings on the matter with complaints, anger, and tears. Anger was the closest thing to my own response, but I didn’t let myself dwell on it. We had just started a new RPG, or role playing game; a deadly one. More accurately a MMORPG, or massive multiplayer online role playing game. It was time to decide which strategy would keep me alive the longest.
Stepping up next to the large-eyed girl, I asked her and all those around her, “Do you guys know what time it is?”
I received a few shrugs, and a single “no” from the girl that had had the courage to ask what we had all been thinking. Directing them to the status screen I brought the time to their attention.
“It might be a good idea to get some food,” I said to no one in particular.
A girl that had been standing close with rich caramel skin and shoulder length extensions rebuked me. “How can you think of food at a time like this?!”
“Because I don’t know when I last ate.” I shrugged. “The imp that kidnapped me knocked me out with some spell.”
“I’d worry more about if the food is even edible,” a chubby guy with glasses added.
“Might as well find out.”
When the elf girl, who wasn’t really an elf but cute like one, nodded, about three other people followed us to find this dining hall.
Just as the butler had said, we passed a dark room with cots that must have been the barracks. The merchants were back and off to the side, so I didn't see them or what was for sale as I passed by.
Smells of freshly baked bread assaulted our senses and we were more pulled by the smell to enter the large stone square of a room with about eight stone tables lined with benches. On the far side of the room was a long table with enough bread for a hundred people. They were long loaves the size of my arm. The water was in normal plastic water bottles. I had expected them to be in animal skins or something.
So I downed a whole loaf in a few minutes, sitting with five other people I had just met. Eating is always good when you have something on your mind…
“My name is Aeris from New York,” the elf-looking girl said, breaking the silence. “My talent is wind magic and dexterity.”
The rest of the group followed her lead. Everyone was suddenly weighing one another. A hunting group was starting to form.
“I’m Travis from Cali. My talent is tracking and piercing weapons.” He was on the shorter side but thickly muscled if you didn’t count his gamer’s gut.
“Olivia. I’m from Denver,” introduced the girl who had rebuked me about the food. “Nature magic and traps.”
“Russ. Constitution and blacksmithing. Texas,” said the pudgy guy who would probably make a good tank once he slimmed down.
“Elorion. Florida. Healing and blue magic. I played sports all my life so I was hoping to fight up front though.”
“Of course you were,” Olivia mocked, eyeing my many weapons. Since the Mistress and old man had given me a hard time, she seemed to think it was appropriate to continue the practice.
Before I could think of anything witty to throw back at her, the guy who had pumped his status screen with strength burst in with about ten people at his heels.
“I don’t know about you, but the sooner I can make some money, the sooner I can get out of those barracks. The cots are miniature.”
Underworld - Level Up or Die: A LitRPG Series Page 2
