Stealth check successful! But that's all you have, Val. Why is that?
The lead row of shield-wielding soldiers passed by without a glance their way.
Then a sudden sharp whistle from the middle of the group. "Guard up! Magic sensed!"
The band of soldiers stopped abruptly, shieldmen expertly flowing into a half circle of protection as one soldier dressed differently than the others stepped back, his fingers subtly glowing.
Val's eyes widened, sensing the oddest bit of magic that seemed to somehow be tugging at his mana. He instinctively squeezed his magic as tightly to himself as he could, burying all traces of it, much like he would contain a spell with his PMR skill, relieved to feel the magic burr slip free of him a heartbeat later. Then Yin gasped and lurched forward. The soldier's eyes unerringly turned to face Yin, eyes widening. "Mages found, 10 degrees south-west!" Immediately a score of heavy carbines and brilliant lights were aimed in Val's direction.
Stealth check failed! Not like you ever had a chance, with your favorite tool locked away and a magic sniffer just itching to slaughter some more rebels!
"To your knees, rebels, hands behind your heads!"
"Val?"
"Do it," Val hissed, knowing they were more than outgunned, doing his best to keep icy before that sea of itchy trigger fingers and hostile glares.
They were quickly accosted and disarmed, and Val put up no resistance as a belligerent face barked into his own. "Alright, rebel, unless you and your woman want to feed the crows in the morning, you'll tell us where the other rebels are hiding and be quick about it!"
"But we're not rebels!" Yin pled.
"Silence!" snapped the soldier before them. "You'll get your turn." He glared at Val once more. "Well, scum?" He roughly yanked Val's collar thrusting him in the direction of the recently butchered group still smoking on the ground. "Unless you'd like to join them..."
Val kept the anger out of his voice. "Look at the building behind you. Doesn't that tell you something?"
The soldier glared, his hand curling into a fist before another figure touched his shoulder.
The burly man instantly froze. "Sir?"
A tall, curly-haired man with aristocratic features flashed the smallest of smiles. "At ease, Telk. I'll handle it from here."
Val locked gazes with the man who had cast that odd spell, receiving a measuring stare in turn. "You mentioned the building before us. What can you tell us about it?"
"It holds numerous restoration vats and is where my friend and I came from."
The man raised a curious brow. "You were hiding in there?"
"No, sir," Yin interjected, "we spawned there."
Val blinked, struck by the fact that everyone was speaking an odd dialect that he understood perfectly, and Yin as well, though he could tell her tongue was tripping over some of the words.
The Dominion caster frowned. "Spawned, child?"
She nodded. "We were... born there? Created there? In the vats."
His eyes widened and he flashed a genuine smile, switching suddenly to English. "Ah, you are adventurers, then? In that case, let me be the first to say welcome to Jordia! The Dominion is always looking for eager recruits, and Terrans have an excellent reputation for being fast learners." His smile was warm, but Val sensed the hidden calculation behind his gaze. He was speaking in perfect English, and seconds ago he had been speaking in Jordian.
"Thank you," Val said. "It was a harrowing revival with the power down, I can tell you that."
The man's smile widened. "Perfect English. You really are adventurers. All the better." A hidden tension eased from his features. "Telk!" He called in Jordian once more.
"Yes, sir?"
"The misunderstanding has been cleared. Please free our friends from these safety restraints, and see about providing us with some rations."
Telk blinked once, hard features immediately softening to bland neutrality. He bowed. "At once, sir." Then glared at a couple of soldiers who immediately rushed to free Val and Yin from their bonds.
The Dominion mage turned back to Val and Yin. "Forgive the rough reception. My name is Captain Einar. It is quite fortuitous that you awoke when you did. Until very recently the power was out at the rejuvenation facility, and I fear no restoration would have been feasible." He sighed sadly. "Indeed, it is worrisome to wonder just how many recruits were lost to the rebels' last attack."
Val smiled. "Fortunately it is up and running now."
Einar nodded. "I don't suppose you know the details?"
Val gave the flask he now held an instinctive sniff before drinking deeply of what tasted like mead and nodding his thanks.
Arcane sense detects no lingering malice or malignancy! But a subtle assassin can slip death past the most careful mage...
Val frowned and shook the odd thought away. "Good mead," he said instead, having gained a fondness for it when several of his older HEMA friends had experimented with their own microbrewery the year before he joined the service, not above giving their younger friend a taste of their product.
"We almost died, trapped in those damn vats!" Yin declared as Val tried to think up a good story on the fly. "My friend Richard and I were actually dying, I'm afraid in real life too, since our mouths were filled with that horrid gloop and we couldn't say a word and we didn't understand how to free ourselves! Then Val rescued us, somehow popping open the vats and freeing us, and together we faced down the necromancer in the basement and turned the power back on!"
Captain Einar blinked at the account. "Really."
Yin nodded adamantly before swallowing a little bit awkwardly. "Well, it was mostly Val. I did what I could, but my blaster died on me."
Einar smiled at Yin. "It seems you are adventuring with a real hero," he said, handing Yin what looked to be granola rations, Yin biting deep and all but swooning with pleasure. "Why don't we make ourselves comfortable and you can give me all the exciting details?"
Yin nodded enthusiastically as Val grimaced a smile of his own. He had wanted to be as discreet about his own involvement as possible and use an alias. Oh well, at least the granola was good.
Captain Einar is impressed! You now enjoy a +2 reputation with local Dominion troops, and a 5000 credit reward!
Val took the card Einar handed him sometime later with a nod of appreciation. "Thank you, Captain."
The man dipped his head. "It is I who thank you, young mage. Your ability to think on your feet and seize the initiative may well have saved countless Dominion lives. I'm pleased to hear that the damage was limited to a simple power surge. Still, without your intervention, I fear we would have paid a price in lives before we finally put that necromancer out of his misery."
Yin flashed Val an apologetic smile. No dummy, she quickly realized that she might had said more than she should have, letting Val take the lead and minimize his accomplishments as much as possible. As far as anyone outside the pair of them was concerned, they had gotten the drop on the necromancer, and restoring the power had boiled down to just resetting the circuit breaker. When Yin had gazed at Val questioningly, pointing at her blaster, he gave a curt shake of his head.
If their captor turned host had sensed any odd undercurrents he made no mention of it, instead honoring them with effusive praise and his assurance that they would go far in the Dominion's service.
Presently Einar, Yin, and Val were riding a velimobile, which turned out to be a cross between a Cadillac and a hovercraft with scores of perfectly circular wheels that looked like nothing so much as giant chair coasters supporting it as it raced through the night without the slightest jostle. How exactly it managed to pivot and turn with those wheels Val had no idea, learning only that somehow that it made use of the electromana fields for power. Einar had politely cautioned them not to use any magic inside as he drove them to what he termed the prime staging area for new recruits, which itself had a restoration facility that had been destroyed only days before in a concerted attack by the rebels.
V
al smiled at Yin as they approached their destination after traveling down a lonely highway that had nevertheless served to revitalize Val as he beheld the beauty of the nighttime forest and fields all around him, smelling of wildflowers, sage, pine, and loam, alive with the sound of crickets and the cries of stranger animals still, brilliant stars of the night sky mirrored by clusters of brilliant flowers glowing a deep rich blue. He could tell that Yin was as captivated by the magical night as he was, never even imagining that any graphics engine or computer program could ever come so close to capturing all of nature's majesty.
"Look, Val!" Yin said, clasping his hand as the wind tousled her hair, "the staging area, just ahead! That must be the spawn point for new characters when things are working, and the save point has to be there as well!"
Val nodded, certain she was right as buildings of shimmering chrome peeked through the thinning forest canopy, and before long the entire fortified base could be seen, a fifteen foot high protective barricade surrounding a number of widely spaced buildings of chrome, flashing brilliantly as the first warm rays of sunrise caressed the buildings. Val smiled in genuine pleasure, feeling a sense of excitement and wonder at all the adventures in store for them.
Yin's expression mirrored his own. "So we're really doing it. Playing the most advanced game ever made."
Val nodded. "I'm going to probably log out once we reach the backup point, but I really enjoyed playing with you, Yin."
Her hand squeezed his own. "My full name is Yin Nguyen."
Val smiled. "Valor Hunter."
"I like it. It suits you." She gazed at him silently for some moments. "I'm surprised you didn't ask me about my name, but I shouldn't be, I guess. We're from different cultures."
Val's grin widened. "What, that your given name is Chinese and your family name Vietnamese? America's a melting pot. Whatever works, I say."
Yin nodded. "My parents were mixed, not that most white folk can tell, but you wouldn't believe the crap our rich neighbors, pureblood Han, gave me growing up."
Val winced. "Sorry."
She shrugged. "It's okay. I crushed them at school, and the one time Mrs. Princess thought she could cow me with her kung fu skills, well, a little Japanese judo cleared that smirk off her face pretty damn quick." She chuckled throatily. "Of course I got grounded, with Mother yelling at me until I burst into tears, but when the oldest son started to flirt with me, I knew my victory was complete."
"Ouch."
She winked. "Don't worry, I wasn't an ass. When Chen gave me a card and flowers, I just smiled and patted his cheek and said I'd love to get to know him better, but I knew he was saving himself for a perfect Han girl so I wouldn't taint him with my wild, wanton ways." She grinned. "Come to think of it, the way I strutted away? Maybe I was being an ass."
Val couldn't help laughing at that, swallowing abruptly when he felt her wrap his arm around her shoulders, snuggling close. "Do you feel this good in real life, Val?"
Val swallowed, not knowing what to say.
She laughed then, playfully hitting his chest as the velimobile came to a stop, curtsying gracefully when Captain Einar offered his hand, helping her down.
He smiled and gestured with his hand. "Come, this way, young adventurers. We can get you properly acknowledged by the Arcane wing of the Jordian Dominion Forces, and get you ready for all your future adventures and quests. Exploring wonderful Jordia and helping us to discover all its lost wealth and secrets!"
Val smiled at the pitch, Yin all but bouncing with happiness. That is, until she heard a sudden roar of rockets, turning around to behold half a dozen massive tank-like vehicles on great mechanized legs file into the other side of the compound. The ground shook with their stomps. It was a sight both awe-inspiring and intimidating, Val imagining massive dinosaurs made of steel and chrome, searching the wilderness for prey.
"Oh my god! There, Val, there! Those are mechs! Those are what I trained to fly!" She crowed, leaping up and down in excitement. "Their Vulcan laser cannons can fire a thousand charges a minute, blasting enemies to smithereens, accurate against stationary targets for over a mile!"
Wide hopeful eyes gazed into Captain Einar's sad smile. "Captain, can you take me over there? Those vehicles, I know how to fly them!"
Their host sighed, patting Yin's shoulder sympathetically. "Truly, child, it is a rare gift for anyone's psyche to be able to mesh with the cybernetic hardware and wetware a true mech pilot uses, and I have heard that you Terrans are unusually gifted at that, even if you lack the cognitive faculties necessary for true literacy. But I'm afraid there are some dreams we must all put aside. For you, like me, are gifted in the ancient arts of magic. And I know this because you radiate arcane energies so violently that you would put your entire squad in jeopardy, frying all tech within ten yards in all directions, should you lose control of your gifts for even a second.
"Indeed, even the drive over here was a test, and I judge your control to be excellent since we had no problems at all, even going at our unusually sedate pace." He flashed his version of a reassuring smile. "But don't worry, my girl. With hard work and dedication, diligently mastering the right skills that will allow you to dampen your own destructive tendencies, you can still rise far in the Dominion, as have I."
Yin bit back bitter tears. "But it's not even my fault!" she whispered. "When I came to, my implant and nodes were gone, and I had a magic pool I didn't even know about! I've never even cast a single spell."
Einar could only give a sympathetic shrug. "The fates play their own games, my dear. But come. Let us get you situated, and before you know it, you can be training in the most ancient and revered of all of Jordia's traditions, in the service of the most honorable organization in the galaxy. What could be better than that?"
Val enjoyed gazing all around at the buildings of chrome, glass, and steel, and just beyond, where they were heading, ancient edifices of pink stone, several with domes of bronze, shining brilliantly in the morning sun.
And as they made their way to the largest of those ancient stone buildings where they would receive new uniforms and be entered into the logbooks, Val caught sight of a massive shimmering obsidian obelisk that seemed almost to call out to him. He shivered at the intensity of the summons, as if a sudden current of wind or odd gravity was now plucking at his soul.
Yin's eyes widened. "There it is, Val! The savepoint! Come on, let's back ourselves up!
Einar blinked, gazing ahead. "So you can really see it, then? Excellent! Well, that dispels the last of my concerns." He flashed a warm parting smile. "Just head straight towards the largest building entrance right there and make yourselves known to the administrator on duty. I will stop by now to let them know you will be formally declaring yourselves, just as soon as you commune with the pillar."
Val nodded farewell as he and Yin both raced toward the pillar, Yin's hand firmly clenched in his own. Val gazed in awe at the obsidian obelisk radiating such perfect shimmering darkness, feeling its seductive pull, the pair of them now just a foot away. Yin turned around, squeezing his hand, beautiful almond eyes locked upon his own. "Arnythree on Readit, Val. We automatically log off when we use a pillar, and I think we're supposed to get a night's sleep downtime between sessions. Especially our first. Message me and we'll adventure together. Promise?"
Val nodded. "Definitely!"
"Good." She grinned, tilting up on her toes to plant a soft kiss on his lips before turning around to touch the pillar. She gasped once and Val couldn't tell if it was in horror or wonder before she stepped inside.
Val took a deep breath and prepared to enter the obelisk.
"Val!"
Val blinked and spun around, fast enough that the powerfully built mercenary racing towards him flinched back, before giving the tiniest of smiles and dipping his head, as if Val had impressed him. But what had caught Val's eye was the girl racing beside him. Lithe and muscular with sensual curves, brilliant hair streaming behind her like flame, sapphire eyes filled with
relief and disappointment both.
Julia stopped before him, catching her breath in mere moments. "Thank god you got here safely, Val! The system had a malfunction when those bastard rebels targeted all the rejuvenation centers on the continent! We were afraid you might have gotten... well..."
"Killed," the fully armored man beside her helpfully replied. "Make no mistake, kid, this game is now playing for keeps."
Julia swallowed, her eyes filled with shame. "I logged off twice since we lost you, Val. You're still in my room, utterly unresponsive, and your dad..." she shuddered. "I'm afraid he hates me now."
Val frowned. "That doesn't sound like my dad at all."
"Be fair, Val, you never saw him gazing at you comatose before. And I swear, I swear that if I had thought for one moment that claims of getting stuck in the game were really true..." She gazed down at her armored boots. "I was so afraid we'd lost you!" Her face lit up in a brilliant smile. "But somehow, you made it through."
Val smiled. "I did, Julia, so don't feel bad for even a second longer. Yes, this bizarre game put me through the ringer, and I never expected to feel pain in game, but damn if this isn't the most realistic thing I've ever experienced."
The powerfully built man wearing both Dominion reflective armor and a breastplate and helm of a gold bronze alloy that screamed 'dwarf' to Val, smiled. "That's one way of putting it," he said.
Val looked up at the taller man, feeling an odd sense of deja vu. Dark tousled hair visible through the pink-tinged visor of what Val imagined was extremely resilient crystal framed a chiseled face many girls would call handsome, and hard brown eyes no more innocent than his own.
Val offered his hand. "Name's Val."
The man clasped Val's hand and grinned. "Striker," he said. "Dirk Striker."
The man's grip was powerful. Val smiled at the contest, having played many times before. "Striker, huh? Perfect name for a jarhead."
The man eased his grip, laughing and smacking Val's other shoulder. "Sorry, kid. Not marines. Nice try, though."
Endless Online: Oblivion's Price: A LitRPG Adventure - Book 3 Page 15
