The Janitor put his arm around Betsy, stroking her face with his gloved hand while her eyes remained rolled back in her head. He whispered something to her and Betsy hissed, raising her weapon, her teeth bared.
Zack’s heart felt like it was being dissected with a scalpel.
The pain of seeing the women he loved look at him the way they did then, was more than any man could bear. I’ll fucking kill you for this, he snarled silently at the Janitor.
The man let Betsy go and stepped forward. “Now, you’re probably wondering why I decided to pop in for a friendly visit.”
Zack sneered. “You should have told me you were coming, I’d have made tea and cake and we could have had a party.”
“Sorry, not into that kind of thing,” The Janitor said. “But open your mouth with another stupid comment like that, and I’ll go through with my threat I made last time.”
Amy, Betsy and Missy licked their lips, their eyes on Anita.
“They will eat her alive and when they are done with her they will eat each other and love every mouthful.” The Janitor drew his knife, then hurled it against the wall beside Zack, sending sparks shooting into his face.
Zack grunted, the sparks burning his skin. Blood ran down his face and dripped onto his armor.
“I went to that cavern you told me of. The one with the glowing mushrooms.” The Janitor’s eyes narrowed behind his mask. “I saw no sign of the glimmer man. But you know what I did find?”
“Your tiny cock?” Anita asked, blood dribbling from her mouth.
“Oh, I will have words with you in a minute, my dear Anita Asparion of Zone 19. I know all about you and your family.”
“Fuck you.”
The thug holding Anita slammed a hand over her mouth and silenced her.
Returning his attention to Zack, the Janitor said, “I found a swarm of 43EXP v1.6 type entities. Gray Fairies. Experiments gone horribly wrong, inflicting real pain, when they were never designed to.”
“So you work for the developers then?” Zack asked.
“No, they are all below me. I know their work, I know their names, their faces, all their messy little details. I know enough about everyone of importance in the City, enough to bury them all.”
“Good for you.”
The black-clad man chuckled. “I know all about your situation out there. I can do anything I like to your body.” He drew his other knife. “Anything. And you will feel it too. I’ll make sure of that…”
Zack refused to show fear. “What do you want? I told you where I saw the Glimmer man. It’s not my fault there were hostiles there.”
“I think you lied to me. I think you are part of the resistance.”
“What? Are you for real? If you know so much about me, you know I am just a poor fucker with no prospects for the future. Why do you think I jacked into Aralia Online so much?”
“Yes, yes, I know. But how am I meant to know if it’s not all fake? You’re mother kept her true identity hidden for years, even from the Oligarchy.”
Zack bit his lip. He had nothing to do with the resistance. Clearly the Janitor didn’t know that.
The only way to get him to back off would be by convincing him he had nothing to do with his mother or anyone else in the resistance. But how? The man would think anything Zack said was a lie.
“I don’t know anything about the resistance,” Zack said. “You brought up my mother. What does she have to do with anything?”
The Janitor made a flourish with his knife. “She leads one of the more powerful resistance groups. A group that has been a thorn in the Oligarchies’ side for years. Not that I care about that, what I do care about is that your mother’s minions get in the way of my benefactor.”
“Your benefactor?”
“Let’s just say there is a lot going on behind the scenes you outer City zone trash will never see. Now listen to me. Tell me all you know of the Glimmer Man and where he can be found.”
Zack sighed. “I don’t know anything else. I only saw him that one time.”
“And your mother? Where is she?”
“I have no idea. The last time I saw her, she couldn’t get out of bed.”
“Not good enough,” The Janitor snapped.
Showing their teeth, Amy, Missy and Betsy started toward Anita.
The orc woman started struggling against the dead-eyed thug holding her, her eyes wide, her voice muffled by the hand over her mouth.
“Wait.” Zack’s legs were shaking, his mind racing to come up with a way out of this. He had no doubt the Janitor meant what he said.
The three women stopped, all still eying Anita.
“I’m listening.” The Janitor tipped his head to the side, eying Zack up.
“I… I saw something else out there that might interest you.”
“Go on.”
“I saw a man come out of a doorway with blinding white light behind him. His name was Fawkes11/5.”
As soon as he said that name, the Janitor raced forward, pressing the knife to his neck. The thug holding him against the wall tightened his grip to the point it constricting Zack’s breathing.
“Tell me everything you know of Fawkes. If you don’t, I will kill every one of your women right here in front of you, including Anita.”
“Ummm.” Zack’s mind raced, trying not to breathe as the knife was pressed against his throat so hard, that if he took a deep breath, it would draw blood. “After he came out of the doorway, he walked right at me and my harem. We tried to attack him but quickly worked out he couldn’t be hurt.” He gritted his teeth as the knife sliced open his flesh.
-27hp
Blood ran down his neck and under his armor. Not enough to kill him, yet, but unless the knife moved away, he would slowly lose hit points until he died.
“Keep talking,” The Janitor said coldly.
-5hp
“I saw numbers in my combat log that kept repeating. 11/5. I have no idea what they mean.”
The Janitor’s hand holding the knife shook. “Anything else? Did he speak to you?”
“No. But once we worked out we couldn’t kill him, we ran like hell.” Zack found his stride. “The dude kept coming, like a cyborg cop, an unstoppable force hunting us down. We ran for hours through Lower Underworld and eventually lost him. Only then did we leave combat and Missy was able to port us out of there.”
The Janitor studied him for a long time. Zack watched his own health bar slowly tick down as the knife at his throat continued to eat away at his health.
HP: 55/620
Then the knife moved away and the bleeding slowed. The Janitor turned to the side and stared into space. “This is… unexpected.”
He put away his knife and Missy, Amy and Betsy backed away to the center of the room, staring forward with the same dead eyes as the thugs.
Zack hated seeing them like that. Hated seeing them be treated like puppets. They were real people, even if they were nothing but immensely complex lines of code.
“I need to think on this.” The Janitor turned back to Zack. “If you see Fawkes again, or the Glimmer man, your NPC women will inform me immediately. They will also let me know if you are speaking words of treachery.”
Zack’s heart raced as the cold eyes of the Janitor gazed into his. “They will not even know they are sending me this information. They will be as they always were, but with this subtle change. One more thing, if you try to tell them the truth of what they are—I will terminate them immediately.”
He put his hands behind his back and looked down his nose at Zack. “I have a new mission for you, one that will require your full harem. You will have Betsy back, but you are on a strict deadline. This target must die within two days or I will turn your NPC women against you and this time I will not stop them from killing you and Anita.”
Zack nodded. Anything to get the man to leave them alone.
He turned to Anita. “Now you. I know all about you, Anita Asparion.”
Anita hissed be
hind the thug’s hand.
“You’re going to remain with Zack for as long as I have need of you. If you don’t help him carry out my missions, then I will unleash your father onto your mother and sister.” The Janitor chuckled. “You know exactly what he will do if he ever finds them.”
Anita’s eyes went even wider. The mention of her father seemed to terrify her as her legs gave out and the thug had to hold her up.
“Do as I instruct and their future remains bright. Defy me, and your loving mother and your dear little sister will die. Oh, and one more thing. We have your body under lockdown. I only need give the word and we will kill you in your stasis-game-pod.”
The Janitor moved toward the exit. “You both are lucky I have need of you, for if I didn’t…” He let the threat hang.
The thugs shoved Anita and Zack away then hurried after their leader.
QUEST
Objective: There is a group of player trash camping out in my Underworld. These cretins are working with the Guild of White Knights, for the purpose of… Well, that is classified. Let’s just say these people need to die and leave it at that. Go the Full McIntosh on them. Don’t know what that means? Then look it up and stop bothering me with meaningless nonsense that you could easily solve yourself!
Be warned: These guys are low hanging fruit. There is nothing to be warned of… Or, is there?
Rewards
You can plunder all the dead corpses for any and all loot.
+7000xp
I will not terminate your NPC harem, have Anita’s family killed, have her killed or have you killed. Aren’t I nice? Answer: Yes. Sometimes. Just not often.
Janitor’s note: Go dispose of the trash.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Broken Hearts
Zack held Betsy in his arms, Amy and Missy arms around both of them. What had just happened had traumatized them.
They remembered feeling unrelenting rage at Zack and Anita, remembered attacking them and then at the end, moving forward to start eating Anita alive.
They had been spared none of it.
And he couldn’t tell them how it could happen. How another, an enemy, could take control of them at will. He and Anita both had to lie, for to do otherwise would see the women dead.
Him, Anita and her mother and sister too. So much for telling them the truth!
“How?” Was all Betsy could get out. She’d asked him again and again and so far he hadn’t come up with a suitable answer.
Anita paced back and forth at the edge of the bed, her feet stomping across the stone floor, her faceguard hiding her face. She’d been of no help doing nothing but raging under her breath.
Zack needed to tell Betsy and the other two something. But what?
He kissed Betsy’s hair and finally came up with some semblance of an answer. “I’m not certain, but I think he is not of this world. An outsider.” Zack’s mouth went dry and he struggled to swallow. He reckoned there wasn’t much worse than having to lie to the women he loved and maintain that lie, perhaps for many years to come.
In the moments after the Janitor had left, he had decided he would never leave the Underworld. Not willingly.
Out there in the City, he would fall right into the hands of the Oligarchy and would be powerless. In game, he could at least fight back in some way. Every day he remained in game, was one more day they couldn’t use him against his mother and the resistance.
If he found a way to kill the Janitor, then he would no longer need to worry about losing Amy, Betsy and Missy. Well, not unless the developers themselves stepped in…
But who knew if the Janitor could even be killed?
Betsy sniffed and peered up at him through her tears. “An outsider?”
“There are lots of monsters and bad people out there on the surface. You didn’t get to see much of the world from your tavern but there is a whole, vast world out there beyond its walls.”
Amy smiled at Betsy. “Trust me, there is. Drunks like Zack used to tell me all about it.”
Out of any of the women, Amy had dealt with it the best. Missy had said little, just held him, humming under her breath, her eyes closed.
All that aside, it felt great to hold Betsy in his arms again and hear her voice. She held a special place in his heart.
Betsy searched Zack’s eyes for conformation on what Amy had said. He forced a reassuring smile. “I never used to get that drunk. But yes, I probably did tell Amy a few drunken stories when I had her on my lap. Some of these bad people and monsters out there have special powers.”
He recalled the Shadow Council boss fight in the Lost Barrows dungeon. “There was a group of Mages who took control of me and made me attack my companions. I felt much the way you did.”
Missy finally spoke. “Will he be back? Will his evil drown out our soft, gentle music once more?”
Zack’s heart sank. This time he had to tell the truth. “I don’t know. He could come back at any time.” Zack fought back tears. “But if he does, I will do everything I can to protect you.”
“I think you need protection from us,” Amy said, clearly not joking around.
She got up and stopped Anita’s pacing. Putting her arms around the orc woman, she said, “We’re sorry we attacked you. You’re part of us now and your pain is our pain.”
Anita recoiled, trying to break free of Amy’s arms. “We need to get moving and kill those targets. We don’t have time for this lovey dovey bullshit.”
Missy stood and joined Amy. “There is always a moment to share our love. We’re all sisters now and are in this together.”
“Can you call them off?” Anita’s eyes were on Zack. “We need to get moving.”
Zack stared at her and she back at him through the eye slits of her helmet. Her eyes told him everything he needed to know. She was terrified. Not of being hugged—but by the Janitor’s threat.
Who were her parents? Who was her father? From what the Janitor had said, the man was clearly a threat to Anita’s mother and sister.
Why was Anita in game if her family was under threat by her father?
She seemed to give up struggling against Amy and Missy and let them hug her as she glared at Zack. “Stop looking at me that way, male and get the fuck off your ass. We need to get out there. Right now.”
Sighing, Zack helped Betsy to her feet. “Give me a moment.” He brought up Betsy’s character panel and equipped all her new items.
Betsy looked over herself, then stepped away from him and held her head high, tears streaking her cheeks. “I am ready to fight with you again, my love.”
He grinned. “And I am ready to have you at my side.”
Amy lifted Anita’s faceguard and kissed her on the lips. “Orc women are such a turn on. Next time Zack makes love to us, I am totally going to make you pleasure me.”
Anita didn’t seem to know what to say to that.
Margery burst into the room. “Which one of you tracked muddy footprints through the throneroom?” She threw in a mop and bucket then put her hands on her hips, her eyes on Zack. “You’re the man of the house. Go clean it yourself!”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Rats
Half a day later, they entered a stalagmite filled chamber and were immediately set upon by a band of goblins.
Zack raced up to the giant one charging toward them, its club raised over it’s ugly, wart covered head. He unleashed his Commanding Taunt, then spun to the side as it brought down its weapon. Before it could raise the club, he stabbed it in the guts with Demon Strike, inflicting a critical hit.
Inflicted 174 damage
The lesser goblins raced around their giant brother and leapt at Zack, swinging their makeshift weapons, crying their warcries. He activated Shield Block, taking the pummeling blows. “Come get some.” He stabbed one through the eye then ripped his blade out and sliced the nose off another.
Amy unleashed her Frost Beam, and Betsy was right in the midst of it all, first activating her Frenzy buff, the
n unleashing Blade Storm and Sweeping Arc. Between the two women, they inflicted so much damage, Zack lost aggro and all the goblins went for them.
Laughing like a maniac, Amy let loose her dragon pet. “I’m awake, monsters and bad dudes. Awake and ready to kick ass and freeze you all to death!”
The goblins were almost on her and she didn’t care. “Oh, yeah, come to momma.” She showered the goblins with her AOEs. “Ice to see you. Oh, and you and you. Now die, die, die!”
Zack raced over then used his own AOE attacks to get aggro back. Anita barged right through the enemy and ran right up to the giant goblin and hacked down into its shoulder, severing one of its arms in a great fountain of blood. It looked up at the chamber roof and bellowed in pain.
One of the lesser goblins got behind Zack and struck him in the back of the helmet with its club. With his shield up to block all the other frontal attacks, Zack elbowed the goblin in the face, breaking its nose and sending it down onto its ass. He backed away a few steps then crushed it skull under his boot.
If Anita had seen what he just did, she would give it her head crushing seal of approval.
Another goblin tried to get around him, so he took it down with a Demon Strike followed by a Criss Cross. It went down with a wail of agony. The Greater Goblin charged and smashed into Zack’s shield, breaking his guard. Zack stumbled back, trying to ward off the next overhead attack.
It came down before he could get his shield up, striking him in the sword arm and almost shattering the bone. Zack screamed, pain buffeting him.
-199hp
Missy used some of her instant heals, restoring much of his HP and dulling the pain. Enraged, Zack backhanded a lesser goblin, knocking it aside then went for the Greater Goblin and drove his sword through its throat, shattering the neck bone and exploding out the other side.
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