by Lucas Flint
“Even better, Commander,” said Okac as he lowered the egg. “We have guests, emissaries from Master sent to check up on us.”
“Emissaries?” said Kerco.
His eyes darted toward us and then narrowed. I gulped, trying not to look guilty, but I could already sense my friends were ready for a fight. Yet I didn’t rest my hand on my sword, because I had a feeling that Kerco would see that as a challenge to a fight if I did.
“Yes, Commander,” said Okac, nodding eagerly. He gestured at us with his head. “Say they from Master to make sure operation going well.”
“Hmmm …” Kerco looked and sounded skeptical. “You five, come here.”
Doing my best to hide my nervousness, I walked toward Kerco. The others followed behind me, saying nothing, though again I could tell that my friends were ready to start breaking skulls if necessary. I was, too, but at the same time, I didn’t want to fight if I didn’t have to. However skilled we were, the fact was that the Lizard Warriors appeared to outnumber us ten to one. It didn’t help that the other Lizard Warriors watched us with the same wariness which Kerco did, either, like predators that just noticed prey enter their territory.
“Greetings, Commander Kerco,” I said with a respectful bow. “My friends and I were sent by Master Holly to check on the progress of the operation to steal Birdman Eggs.”
Looking up at Kerco, I didn’t like the expression on his face. Okac, on the other hand, seemed perfectly at ease, holding the Birdman Egg firmly in his arms, a happy smile on his face. No doubt he was still proud of himself for stealing that last egg they needed, which made me feel a little bad for planning to steal it from him. But we would have to if we were going to complete this quest.
“Master Holly did not mention sending a delegation of servants to check on us,” said Kerco in his usual deep voice, “much less one as large as your group is.”
I smiled. “Master Holly clearly didn’t see the need to mention this to you the last time she spoke with you. You know how she is. She can be quite mysterious when she wants to be.”
Kerco grunted. “I cannot disagree with that. Even so, I find your presence here … questionable. I have served Master Holly for some time now, yet I do not recall her ever mentioning any of you.”
I shrugged. “We were on a top-secret mission for her until recently, so that’s probably why we never met. But I’m sure we’ll be working very closely from now on, now that we are back from our mission.”
Thankfully, Kerco seemed to buy that excuse, because he said, “So long as you do not take credit for my hard work. My soldiers and I have spent many weeks stealing these eggs. It is not easy to steal from a race as old as the Birdman Tribe, much less unnoticed.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that, Commander,” I said with what I hoped was a winning smile. “Master Holly knows exactly who pulled off this difficult but important operation for her. I am sure she will reward you handsomely once the ceremony is complete.”
“No doubt,” said Kerco with a nod. His eyes darted to Okac. “Okac, take that egg and add it to the others, while I discuss private matters with the emissaries from Master Holly.”
“Yes, Commander,” said Okac, bowing once before whirling around and marching toward the nest where all of the other Birdman Eggs stood.
A part of me wanted to stop Okac, but I had to restrain myself because the time still wasn’t right to fight yet. Plus, it might be easier to get the eggs if they were all together in one place. At the very least, we wouldn’t have to worry about damaging them in a fight between us and the Lizard Warriors.
Kerco pointed at me. “You. Come here. I have a special message I need you to deliver to Master Holly when you leave after witnessing the ceremony.”
“Me?” I said. “You can just tell me what it is right now.”
“It is a private message meant for Master Holly only,” Kerco insisted. “The rest of your party need not know it.”
I was a little hesitant about getting so close to Kerco—not in the least because he smelled like blood and dead bear meat—but it would probably look suspicious if I didn’t, so I walked forward until I found myself standing a few feet away from him. The stench of blood on him was even worse than before, which seemed to be coming from his mouth, which was smeared and stained with blood.
Kerco bent down until he was level with me. He then leaned over slightly, the stink of blood and unwashed metal armor filling my nostrils and almost making me gag. “Are you ready to receive the message, young one?”
I nodded, probably quicker than I should have, but I just wanted to get the message and get over with it. “Yeah, I’m listen—”
Faster than my eyes could follow, Kerco stabbed me in the gut with one of his claws. I gasped in pain as I saw a quarter of my HP vanish out of the corner of my eye in an instant, blood leaking out of my stomach and the pain frying my mind.
Kerco’s smile suddenly looked demonic. “This message is really for you, rather than Master Holly. And it is this: I hope your soul burns forever in the Beyond for daring to lie to me about who you and your party really are.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Despite my pain, I clutched the hilt of my Iron Sword and drew it, slashing Kerco across the arm and making him yank his claw out of my body. Kerco clutched his now-bleeding arm as I staggered away from him. Blood was leaking out of my stomach and my HP was decreasing with each passing second. A debuff notification appeared in my vision:
Debuff: Stab wound. You have been stabbed in the stomach, which means you will lose 1 HP every second until you drink a Healing Potion or heal your wound. Duration: 3 minutes.
Three minutes? A quick glance at my HP bar showed me that I would be dead before those three minutes were up.
At the same time, loud screeching sounds suddenly exploded from every hole in the wall and dozens of Lizard Warriors began pouring out of the caves, which were apparently much deeper than I thought. The Lizard Warriors came from every corner of the room, practically running over each other as each one tried to reach us first.
“What the heck?” Switch said, looking around wildly at the approaching Lizard Warriors. “I didn’t know there were so many.”
“Not a problem,” said Mecha Knight in his usual calm, monotone voice, “though I should have realized this was a trap. It was too good to be true.”
“What do we do?” said Bait, raising his shield, a troubled look on his face. “Fight?”
“We have no choice,” said Mecha Knight.
Clutching my bloodied wound, I looked over my shoulder at them and said, “That’s nice and all, but can any of you heal me? This wound is a status condition and I’m losing one HP every second.”
Mecha Knight nodded and waved his staff in my direction. Suddenly, I saw my health bar refill and this notification popped up:
You are no longer bleeding to death. Debuff lifted.
That was when I felt my stomach wound close beneath my fingers. My clothes and stomach were still covered with blood, but at least the wound was closed and didn’t hurt anymore.
I didn’t really have any time to celebrate, however, because the Lizard Warriors were nearly upon us. Not to mention that Kerco had somehow healed his arm, which was no longer bleeding. He kicked aside the remains of his bear meal and stepped toward us, a deep growl emitting from his throat as he glared at us.
“Uh oh,” I said. I looked over my shoulder at my party. “You guys can take out the smaller guys. I’ll try to kill Kerco.”
Without waiting for their responses, I turned to face Kerco again and stepped forward, holding my sword before me with both hands. This time, however, I Scanned him to find out just how tough he really was:
Name: Kerco
Level: 25
Class: Elite Lizard Warrior
Affinity: Evil
Health: 80/80
Weakness: Ice, Electricity
Elite Lizard Warriors are a step above normal Lizard Warriors, both in strength, intelligence, and ex
perience. Though fewer in number than normal Lizard Warriors, their advanced intelligence, competence as battle strategists, and raw brute strength more than make up for their low numbers. They are rare to see in the wild, and when they are, they are usually seen leading packs of ordinary Lizard Warrior soldiers to victory over their foes. They are not easy to beat.
Okay, he’s a lot tougher than I thought, but I didn’t show any fear. I just looked up at him defiantly, wielding my bloody Iron Sword before me as the only thing between me and him.
“You almost got me there for a sec, Kerco,” I said. “How did you know my friends and I aren’t servants of Holy?”
“Because I was just speaking to Master Holly less than a minute before you arrived,” Kerco replied. “She warned me that some outworlders might come snooping around the tunnels of the Tall Mountains in search of the Birdman Eggs we have stolen. It appears that Master Holly was correct, as she always is.”
Huh. How did Holly know that we were going to accept that quest? Perhaps she was watching us closer than we thought. If so, I wondered what else she knew about us.
“Well, it doesn’t matter,” I said. “Because we’re going to take you down and save those eggs at the same time.”
Kerco smiled. “My claws are not the only weapon I wield, outworlder, or even the best.”
Kerco grabbed the hilt of the sword sticking over his shoulder and pulled it off his back. He then held the sword in both hands and held it close to his chest in a way that made him look like a scorpion about to strike.
Kerco’s sword was beautiful in comparison to mine. It was probably two feet long, with a badass black blade inscribed with runes that glowed softly along its flat. Its hilt was gold and silver and appeared to have been crafted to fit Kerco’s hands perfectly.
“Nice sword,” I said. “Where’d you get it?”
“Maser Holly gave it to me when she first recruited my tribe into her army,” said Kerco, a lizard-like grin on his face. “It is the Cannibal Blade, said to have once been wielded by the thunder god Arlos himself. It is one of the most powerful swords in existence, as you are about to learn.”
Without warning, Kerco rushed toward me faster than I expected. He swung the Cannibal Blade at my head, but I raised my Iron Sword at the last second and blocked the blow.
Sort of. When the Cannibal Blade struck my Iron Sword, my Iron Sword’s blade shattered directly in two. The pieces of my Iron Sword flew everywhere as I staggered backward and stared at the broken hilt which remained in my hands.
A window appeared in my vision that read:
Your Iron Sword was broken! It is now useless for combat. Find a blacksmith or Crafter to repair your Iron Sword or simply buy a new one from one of the many in-game stores you will find on your journey.
“You look surprised,” said Kerco, who was still smiling as I read the notification. “Don’t be. It isn’t called the Cannibal Blade for nothing. It not only destroys any swords it comes into contact with but adds their strength to its own, making it stronger with every sword it breaks.”
Shaking my head, I dismissed the notification and looked at my Iron Sword again. The attack hadn’t lowered my HP—thankfully—but without my Iron Sword, I was now entirely helpless. This wouldn’t have been a bad thing in real life, where I could rely on my superpowers to save me in a fight, but in VO, I had no powers other than whatever I acquired while leveling up. And unfortunately for me, I hadn’t acquired a whole lot of Abilities just yet.
My thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of fighting happening nearby. Looking to my right, I wished I hadn’t.
My party wasn’t doing much better than me. Though all of them were alive and had suffered few hits, they looked like they were fighting for their lives. Switch was constantly casting Fireball spells, her Mana depleting rapidly and forcing her to constantly drink Mana potions whenever she could. Bait backed her up, using his superior Defense to protect her whenever she needed a break, but that just meant more work for Switch, because Bait never got an opportunity to fight himself.
Mecha Knight was doing the best. He didn’t let any Lizard Warriors get too close with their swords and spears, casting Ice and Electricity spells to instantly kill or scare off attacking Lizard Warriors. Despite that, however, the superior numbers of the Lizard Warriors meant that Mecha Knight had practically no time to help anyone else. Perhaps the Lizard Warriors recognized how big of a threat Mecha Knight was and were trying to take him out first.
And Olga, of course, was nowhere to be seen. I suppose she wouldn’t have been much of a help in this fight, because Olga was just a fairy with no powers of her own. I still wish I knew where she was, though.
That just left me alone and unarmed against Kerco, the boss of the tribe, who also happened to be wielding a sword that could kill other swords. I was now starting to think that Switch may have been right when she said that Dad built this game just to torture people.
“Your friends are putting up a good fight, but they are already getting tired,” said Kerco. “My fellow tribesmen could never be mistaken for strategists or master tacticians, but one thing they do have is persistence. Soon, your friends’ Stamina will run out and my tribesmen will eat them alive, though you won’t live long enough to see that yourself.”
My mind raced as I tried to come up with a way to beat Kerco. Unfortunately, my Iron Sword was my only way of dealing damage to enemies. Without my sword, I was as useless as if I had been sprayed with powerless gas in the real world.
I needed time, so I picked up a rock and held it before me defensively. “What does Holly want with the Birdman Eggs? What is she trying to do with them?”
“She needs their power,” said Kerco. I kept a careful eye on the Cannibal Sword, but Kerco did not seem to be in any hurry to kill me right now. “Birdman Eggs are not only nutritious but also a very good source of Mana for anyone who consumes them. By sacrificing the Birdman Eggs to Master Holly, she will be able to boost her Mana to levels even higher than we can already imagine.”
“Why does Holly want to become more powerful?” I said. “She seems plenty powerful enough if you ask me.”
“Why Master Holly does what she does is as much a mystery to me as it is to you,” said Kerco. “Besides, I do not need to know the way. I only need to do what she asks of me, nothing more, nothing less.”
I should have seen that answer coming, but I was still disappointed by it nonetheless. “Well, she doesn’t sound like a very good boss if she just tells you to follow orders without telling you why she wants you to follow them.”
“I do not need to know the why in order to do what is necessary,” said Kerco. His eyes narrowed. “And that is why I will win today and you will die.”
Kerco shot forward with blindingly fast speed. I activated Dodge and managed to roll out of the way of his Cannibal Sword just as it slashed through the air where I had been standing previously. Rolling to my feet, I threw my rock at Kerco, but it just bounced harmlessly off his armor and he rushed toward me again.
Before I could do anything, Kerco slammed into me with his shoulder. The blow sent me staggering backward, briefly dazed by the impact, but my senses recovered in time to see Kerco’s sword slashing at me.
I tried to dodge, but I was too late this time. The sword tore through my chest, causing me to scream in agony and fall to the ground, my chest bleeding out profusely. In the corner of my vision, I saw my Health bar drop to nearly nothing, with only a tiny sliver of red remaining to show that I was still alive.
A debuff notification appeared on my screen:
Debuff: Bleeding. You will lose 1 HP every two seconds until you run out and die.
My eyes widened when I read that notification, but then Kerco appeared over me and raised the Cannibal Sword above his head.
“So long, insect,” said Kerco with savage delight in his voice. “May your soul be tortured in the Beyond … forever.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Just as Kerco was about to br
ing the Cannibal Sword down on me, he suddenly cried out with pain and staggered off me. At the same time, he dropped the Cannibal Sword, which clattered onto the ground beside me. A quick Scan showed me that Kerco had lost over half of his Health in one hit, which shocked the heck out of me because I certainly hadn’t hit him. Had one of the others managed to break away from the fighting to save me?
“Human!” said a familiar voice above me. “You okay?”
I looked up and was surprised to see Okac standing above me. He held a long, sharp-looking dagger in his hand, but he didn’t seem to be about to use it on me. Instead, he seemed to have used it to stab Kerco in the back, because it was dripping green blood in a regular, steady pattern onto the floor by his feet.
“Okac?” I said. I pulled a Health Potion out of my pack and downed it in one gulp, which got rid of the bleeding debuff and caused my Health bar to rise back to almost full. “Did you attack Kerco?”
Okac nodded, albeit tremblingly. “Yes, Okac saved you.”
“But you are a lot weaker than Kerco,” I said, glancing at the Commander, who was still clutching his back wound.
“Special Ability Okac has,” said Okac, raising his knife. He mimed stabbing. “Stab friend in back, get bonus damage.”
“Huh,” I said. “I didn’t know that Ability existed.”
Okac shrugged. “Okac rarely uses it himself, but is useful sometimes.”
“All right,” I said. I scrambled to my feet, dusting off my pants as I stood up. “But why did you save me? I thought you were my enemy.”
Okac smiled at me. “Because you were nicer to Okac than Kerco. Kerco is mean, very cruel leader. Plus, Okac overheard Kerco explain what Master Holly want and Okac didn’t like it.”
I frowned. However thankful I was that Okac saved me, this still seemed extraordinarily lucky for me. Either NPCs in this game were a heck of a lot smarter than I thought or something else was going on here. Then again, Dad always said that you should never look a gift horse in the mouth, or a gift Lizard Warrior, in this case. “Well, thanks any—”
