by Rick Scar
“As you know, I’m in a relationship with a man who’s not a member of the Order. We live in our brother’s kingdom. The life outside our castle is much, much different. I’m just a result of an experiment gone wrong, but I’ve spent a lot of time with you. I know your dreams. Koltir. Wasn’t it you who wanted to breed alks and firstocks?
“Rinnah!” Koltir hissed, grimacing. “That was supposed to be a secret!”
The rest of their friends smiled faintly.
“Sabina. Wasn’t it your dream to open a custom clothing shop in the capital of El’Lako?”
The addressed woman shot her a glare, as though saying: Why, sister? It was supposed to stay between us!
Rinnah revealed three more secrets before Erkhor interrupted her.
“Stop before you babble out mine! We understand. Brother.” He turned to the rogue. “You’re a great talker. We’ll see what kind of a doer you are. I don’t think there are any more questions.”
Having said that, he looked at Koltir, who averted his eyes and snorted.
“There are none.”
This conversation took seven minutes. At last, the Order focused on its task. Five minutes later, each of them was armed with a stock of Cleansing Bombs and sent out.
“Keep it up, Raven.” Rinnah waved, cracked her neck, and took her true form so that she could fly after the rest.
Will gave a parting nod to the Latian messengers and disappeared into the air, leaving a gust of wind, and two deep pits in the ground where he had just been standing.
As the wind whistled in his ears, his thoughts seemed to finally settle down and clear up. He went over the plan several times in his mind, hoping that everyone would be successful with their tasks. The future was uncertain, but he believed that he’d get answers in the Swarm’s Hive…
…if he lived to see it.
Chapter 264. A Single Shot
A ttention! You have entered the Latian Empire while being on its blacklist.
If you die in this area, you will not be able to cross the Empire’s borders for the duration of fourteen days. An increased death penalty will apply.
Within this area, you cannot:
- take quests;
- learn;
- save;
- respawn;
- trade;
- use teleports;
…
As he read the long list of restrictions, Raven realized the true meaning of being on someone’s blacklist. On top of every Latian being his enemy, he couldn’t do a damn thing while on the territory of their empire.
Luckily, being on this list didn’t automatically mean that every Latian would want to kill him the moment they saw him; the proof was his encounters with the Swarm’s civilians in Adamarona, and his conversation with the two messengers. It was the same in his kingdom: some individuals would betray him (or at least, try to), scheme against him, or even try to kill him despite his overall well-developed relationship with the country. He had no idea how that was possible, but every NPC in Ascension seemed to have their own views and was capable of independent thinking. They seemed to have their own mind. Or heart. Or soul. Or some other esoteric thing that made them unique.
It was one of the reasons why he began to treat them like real people. As he watched his people distract the Swarm’s border guards far ahead, he realized that their heads were filled with their own thoughts, apart from the royal order they obeyed. Some of them could be thinking about their children. About their loved ones waiting for them to come back home. Some soldier could be looking forward to getting drunk in the local tavern and asking the pretty waitress for her name.
His gaze slid to the right where several groups of Latians were attacking his detachment.
What are they thinking about? he wondered.
His own thoughts flowed just as smoothly and quickly as Raven himself. As the Latian’s attention was drawn by the active attackers, the group of eleven members of the Order hastily withdrew into the shadows so that the board guards wouldn’t notice them. His spies were already far ahead, huddled in groups of three, creating a commotion along his planned route. Their task was to pave the way for the Order so that as many warriors as possible reached the capital city.
According to Sssoulin’s map (Sssoulin was the name of the non-stuttering Latian), the Swarm consisted of forty housing sectors organized around the focal point of the capital city like a spider’s web.
A rather weird choice of a layout, considering their similarity to flies...
Each housing sector had a number, and a distinct role in the Empire’s governing structure. These sectors weren’t an analog of human cities or villages, but rather fortresses connected by patrolled roads.
The route he had selected was the best one as it was patrolled by a larger group of guards, which meant that no additional forces had been dispatched there.
Coming from ahead and from behind were sounds of battle. Magic was gnawing at the ground like a school of piranhas and ripping it to pieces. On the right, there was the ringing of colliding swords and screams of the dying. Raven ran as fast as he could, focused on his destination, when he saw a bright flash of light. The ray pierced the sky, and was followed by a blaring horn. This sound was so loud and lasting that one could probably hear it thirty miles away.
The element of surprise was lost.
Fortunately, this wasn’t a big problem. He hadn’t really expected a bunch of soldiers, even his best ones, to be able to enter the Empire unnoticed. All he had been hoping for was getting detected a bit later.
“Rinnah?”
“I hear you. Shall we proceed?”
“Yes.”
He had entrusted Rinnah with one of the Beads, in hope she wouldn’t get killed, so he could give orders through her to the Order’s members. He expected her to immediately inform him of any nasty surprises.
As he checked his location on the map, he adjusted his course to avoid Sector Seven as it was the next line of defense.
The closer to the Hive, the tougher things will get...
20 hours and 17 minutes
The clock was ticking. The silent witness of everything he ever did. Time was his enemy. He had already exceeded the allowed number of hours in the capsule. However, he had no intention of quitting the game, despite the dizziness and exhaustion he had begun to feel twenty minutes ago. Any other time, he would log off shortly after experiencing these symptoms, but he couldn’t do it now. Even though he knew the consequences.
He wasn’t the only overstaying player in the game’s history. Others had done it before, with various goals in mind.
Some Chinese players, known for their passion for grinding, were the first ones to experience the impact of VR on the unprepared human brain. When they finally left their capsules, they experienced severe nausea, headaches, migraines, and fits of epilepsy. All of that combined with the distorted perception of the real world kept them in the hospital for many long days.
Videos of people who could no longer tell the real world from the virtual one flooded the internet. They’d try to use their characters’ skills in real life, often getting injured in the process.
But the main reason that overstaying in the game was strongly advised against was the probability of coma. However, some players were still willing to take this risk to gain the Visionary Syndrome first described by Kwang Hin Chu, a Chinese doctor who had treated one of the first patients who used to skip sleep for gaming. Shortly after the poor guy had started gaming non-stop, with short breaks for food and the bathroom, his parents discovered his unconscious body. Comatose, he was rushed to the hospital.
Only six days later had the guy come to. He was surprised to see that he wasn’t in his capsule, swearing that he remembered spending those six days in the game. Kwang Hin Chu took interest in his story. Investigating the case, he discovered that none of the events described by the patient had actually happened to his game character. He had no loot, no XP, no money. Despite that, the patient still recogniz
ed all the locations he had supposedly visited during the six-day coma. He knew the local mobs and the best ways to kill them, and he discovered two chests exactly where he believed he had come across them while in the coma.
The article published by Kwang Hin Chu attracted much attention in academia. Shortly after, similar cases were documented in many countries. The players craving this “clairvoyance” wouldn’t stop even at the risk of dying while in a coma, which had been reported more than once.
When questioned about that by the media, the directors of Skydome Corp gave a firm reply: “We’ll not be introducing the feature of forced exit because we believe in the freedom of choice.” Meaning that everyone should be allowed to choose their own fate. Their answer gave rise to a heated debate regarding whether that should apply to minors as well, but the company wouldn’t introduce a time limit even for the sake of protecting children.
Raven ran on and on, despite the swarming Latians in the sky.
Don’t stop. Don’t fall. I can’t lose, rushed through his mind as he pursued his goal.
The buzzing in his head was becoming stronger. If he lost his consciousness in the real world and got the Visionary Syndrome, he’d just keep playing without realizing that, but Nanel… Nanel would die as his actions would be a mere hallucination. He couldn’t let that happen.
Another hour passed; another border was left behind, each step bringing him closer to the capital. A V-shaped formation of his brothers and sisters was following him, distracting any enemy that’d suddenly leap into his way. The spies were assisting their progression, but Raven realized that they wouldn’t last much longer. The train of enemies and angered mobs behind him was unnerving. Unlike the mobs, the Latians would keep following him even when he was out of sight.
The Order was drawing the enemy’s attention by using surprise attacks and skills. Having dealt with them, they’d vanish into the shadows and activate Cleansing Bombs to cover their retreat, and make their enemies waste time searching for them.
As slow and unstoppable as an icebreaker, they made their way toward the heart of the Latian Empire, despite the number of their pursuers increasing with every minute. Raven had disturbed the beehive. He had put too much at stake. The life of his wife. The lives of his people. His victory in the tournament.
His sight suddenly blurred. He took a deep breath, barely managing to stay on his feet. Far ahead, through the blur, he could make out a fortress. Having checked the map, he realized that that was the third line of the defense and that the fortress in question ahead was Sector Twenty-Five, the training center of the Swarm’s soldiers. According to Sssoulin, it was the biggest obstacle he’d have to face.
Ravens were an omen of bad luck. Or an omen of change, as Radermin had once told Will. Now he was an omen of change to this Floor. A starting point of the great empire that would consume it all.
Chapter 265. Barely Conscious
B reathe in... Breathe out.
His body was as obedient as ever, but his mind demanded rest until the world began to lose its colors.
Breathe in.
Raven shifted his feet, running faster than he had ever run before.
Breathe out.
I had to get there in time. I have to!
Like an arrow fired from a bow, he flew through the air. But then his right foot took a false step, sending him down to the ground. The soft soil embraced him, but he jumped up immediately and started to gain speed… just to fall again ten minutes later.
He was falling and standing up, again and again, spitting out the wet earth, rushing for his goal like possessed.
I have to get there in time.
And even though they took a two-mile-long detour in order to bypass the military training center, they soon ran into their first serious obstacle: a large group of enemies had spotted them from afar and immediately flew over to intercept them. Erkhor and Spiara took off. Their bodies became two blurred dots and they vanished into the shadows. Soon, they brought chaos into the enemy lines, but the Latians wouldn’t get distracted.
“Raven. They keep chasing you. Change your course.” When Rinnah’s voice emerged in his exhausted mind, it took him some time to recognize her.
“Okay. And the spies?”
“They can break away.”
“Rinnah. Use Shadow Veil.”
“Now?! That’s a waste of skill. We’re saving it for the end. Wait a sec. I’ll try something...”
“I don’t care what you do as long as it keeps them away.”
Raven glanced at the map, estimating their distance from Sector Twenty-Five, and was immediately discouraged. If they stayed on the current course, they’d pass too close the fortress where the Order might get engaged in unnecessary combat. The order to avoid murdering the Latians would make their task ten times more difficult.
Too close... Shit!
Detaching herself from the V-shaped formation in order to intercept the approaching Latians, Rinnah took a small item out of her belt bag. For a few seconds, her figure was covered with puffs of dark smoke, which formed a clone of her. In a matter of seconds, her double moved away, increasing in size until it was fifteen feet tall.
“What the hell, Rinnah?! What’s that?”
“Relax. That’s a Shadow Spirit. It’s pretty cheap, but quite efficient.”
“You haven’t mentioned it during the meeting!”
“Just like many other things, brother. But let’s discuss that some other time. We must hurry. This’ll buy us about twenty seconds.”
Raven had no idea what a Shadow Spirit was and how it’d keep thirty Latian soldiers at bay, but he preferred not to waste time and energy on asking the Bruxa any more questions.
Twenty seconds would be more than enough. His group moved on, leaving Erkhor and Spiara behind, when the ground started to tremble. Out of it, emerged a monster that looked like a giant worm, and came straight at the group, with several Latians seated on its back under the protection of a magical dome.
What the fuck is that?! Why didn’t Sssoulin mention that they have stuff like this?
The faster the monster was approaching, the stronger the ground shook. Raven was already weak; it took him great effort to keep his balance. Eventually, he had to slow down. Unfortunately, that worm and its riders weren’t the only things coming at them.
Coming from both sides in a pincer maneuver were a long, beetle-like monster and a weird creature that looked like a half-cockroach, half-snake. Both were ridden by Latians. Raven couldn’t help but wonder just how much mental energy it took to keep such a giant monster under control.
The giant monsters were still too far for him to make out their levels, but even without that he knew that the situation was really bad. A pincer maneuver, and a group of flying Latians coming from behind. A perfect trap. But there was still hope.
“Rinnah. Tell everyone to attack the riders.”
“Understood.”
Raven considered the situation for a while and gave another command: “Tell them to avoid anything they deem risky. I’d rather have the Latians than our people dead.”
“If you’re sure…”
He wasn’t. But he had to go against his plan to spare the Latians for the sake of a more important goal.
Winners aren’t judged. But to become a winner, I’ll have to sacrifice some lives.
Members of the Order could communicate through a Shadow Messenger: an ethereal creature created through a complicated magical process. You had to raise a newborn animal for at least several years before you could separate their shadow in a special rite, and make it into a Messenger. This kind of communication was subject to many limitations, but it had its advantages: such as instant delivery, and messages being readable only by those who had their own Shadow Messengers.
With the distance between him and the members of the Order being rather small, he could see them and they could see him. He couldn’t see the spies moving far ahead but, judging from the fact that the worm wasn’t slowing d
own, they had avoided it.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of magic, and a fight break out. He summoned Khalapheer and sent it ahead.
The worm. I can’t let it slow me down.
A strike. Another strike. His short blade and his dagger flashed through the air like brothers, luring the enemies into this dance of death, striking sparks and shedding blood.
His next attack pierced the tough flesh of the seven-foot-tall Latian reaching him, sending him back reeling. But the Latian rested his right blade on the ground and, remaining on his feet, attacked with the left blade, stopping Raven.
After barely escaping the sword that would’ve opened his body from groin to chin, the rogue tossed his dagger up into the air and cast Air Knife into the face of the enemy who was still resting on his blade. Having no time to dodge, the Latian covered his face with his hand. Raven immediately took advantage of that, activating (for yet another time over the past ten hours) Deception and chopping his opponent’s leg off.
“Rest.” Huffing, Raven shook his head to clear his vision, and glanced around.
He was fighting side by side with the remains of the Order’s group. Rinnah, Tessie, Erkhor (he had caught up), and himself stood among the dead and unconscious Latians while Koltir disarmed the enemies and drove small needles with paralyzing venom into their necks.
“We’re almost here.” Rinnah turned to the column of blue energy visible in the distance.
Two hours ago, Raven had reached out to Nanel, but her voice had been so faint, on the verge of disappearing, that it made him wonder whether the clock was showing the correct time.
Their small group stood in one of the Hive’s streets, almost reaching the altar described by Lisssinda. The weird thing was that they hadn’t met any locals on the way there. The city looked deserted, save for but a few faces staring out of the windows.
The rest of the soldiers, spies, and the Order’s members had remained far behind. Raven had no idea whether they were still alive or not. He tried to take a step, but his feet wouldn’t obey. With his head swimming and his hands trembling, he nearly collapsed but a pair of strong arms kept him up.
