Quest Accepted, page 6
“That bastard.” Her thoughts returned to Aerin and the poison that he must have slipped her. But what did Karl mean by telling me not to be too hasty?
The tingling of the essence flowing through her body returned and swelled in her hands.
Well, this is a little creepy, she thought as her emotions regulated. It was as if channeling the essence removed her anger, turning it into something tangible. Wait, this feels good!
Audyn looked at her hands as the energy danced in her palms, and with a devious smile, she set off toward the Heart Tree.
7
UMERIC
Evan shuddered as he reentered the game. “What in the hell was that!?!”
He shifted his belt and straightened his beard. He never knew he’d get to experience what it felt like to be crushed to death, and he wasn’t exactly in a hurry to experience it again.
Evan surveyed his surroundings, happy to be out of the cavern, and back where he started, the glowing door of the mountain off in the distance. “I’ll take a pass on that one.”
Shivering, he realized the temperature had dropped considerably.
Standing on top of the mountain, he rubbed his hands together for warmth. Eyeing the mountainside, he noticed a small groove cut into the side that he swore wasn’t there earlier. He worked his way down to the bottom, exiting the path into a small graveyard. This graveyard seemed pretty typical for your standard online game. Although this one in particular made him a little nervous.
Small wisps of indiscernible light fluttered across the area, leaving fading streaks as they passed. He strained to hear, but it was as if he had put on some noise-cancelling headphones.
He stuck a finger in one of his ears to see if it was clogged. Realizing his fingers were too big to fit, he chuckled and tried to yawn in an attempt to pop his ears. Still nothing. After about two minutes he gave up.
He cautiously exited the cemetery, the path ahead branching in multiple directions. Crossing the cemetery gate, the ambient sounds of Serein returned.
Wind whistled softly as it wove through the plentiful evergreens. Not knowing which way was best, Evan trusted his instincts and turned left. Huge snowcapped evergreen trees flanked him. It was beautiful and would’ve been peaceful, except that he wasn’t exactly sure what to do next. Feeling anxious and uncomfortable, he continued walking. He was used to games telling him what to do, where to go, and how to proceed. So far, this game was nothing like that. It was pretty much a, Figure it out or you are going to get hurt, type of game.
Pulled out of his thoughts, Evan noticed something peculiar in the distance. A small figure was riding what appeared to be… a lion? Its large mane shimmered as it walked, and it was headed his way.
Wow, I need to get me one of those, he thought, quickly realizing that this too could kill him, so he started looking for a weapon.
As the figure approached, he realized it wasn’t actually a real lion but a machine of some sort. Perched on top was a diminutive and very attractive young woman.
She wore a fierce look and had glowing daggers at her sides. Her dark green cloak made it hard to distinguish where the trees ended and she began.
Her hair was a dark auburn, tied up in a mass of curls at the crown of her head, with a few pieces framing her delicate face. Her eyes, which were more olive green than hazel, were now focused on Evan. She is so beautiful...
Evan stared, mouth agape. It took him a moment to realize that she could now see him. Close your mouth, Evan. Come on, man, pull it together. It’s a freaking character in a game. If you can’t figure out how to interact with a female NPC, how do you ever expect to do it in the real world. She’s nothing more than bits of code strung together to look like a girl… yeah, a really, really, attractive girl...
He did a quick inspection:
Name: Camilyne Lumenchrome
Race: Forest Gnome
Class: Rogue
Level: 4
If he was actually looking at a gnome, then almost every stereotype he had ever thought about them was completely shattered.
“Hello?” Evan managed, his voice cracking.
“Hey,” Camilyne responded, looking at Evan with her head tilted.
“Uh, um. I am sorry to bother you, but can you tell me where I am?” he asked as he rubbed the back of his neck, a little embarrassed.
“You’re at the base of Vorsk Cavern and from the looks of it, you are probably going to want to stay away from there until you get out of your pajamas.”
“Haha, very funny,” Evan said as he rolled his eyes at the rogue.
“I’m Camilyne, but almost everyone calls me Cami,” she continued, jumping off of the mechanical lion and landing gracefully on the ground.
“Hi Cami, I’m Evan. As you have probably gathered, I’m not from here.”
“Uh, yeah, I kind of figured that. Everyone around here knows about Vorsk. Some nasty trolls live up there. We tend to stay away unless we need materials.”
“Materials?”
“Yeah, where do you think we get everything to make these,” she said, patting her mechanical lion with a proud smile.
“You made that!?” Evan said, shocked. “I was proud when I made a soda can robot when I was eight years old. I can’t even imagine making anything as cool as that!”
“Of course I made her,” she laughed as if she couldn't believe he had doubted her ability. “Her name is Ember. She’s my best friend.”
“How can a robot be your best friend?” Evan questioned.
“There's a lot more to her than what you see, dwarf. Maybe someday you'll learn to recognize it,” Cami said as she climbed back on the lion and encouraged Ember to continue onward.
“I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to offend you or your, um, Ember. I just… I just suck at talking to people,” he explained, jogging after her, struggling to find words.
“Don’t worry about it. Be safe, good luck, and stay out of Vorsk!” The confident gnome coaxed the lion from a trot to a run and took off down the path.
Evan was alone once again. He was not surprised to see that his skill in speaking to women had not increased. Way to go, Evan. First person you see and you pull the same old Evan routine. Um, hi, I’m Evan. Let me tell you about some lame robot I made when I was eight because that really makes me look like a badass. Oh yeah, by the way, I’m socially inept which is why I have no friends and the coolest thing I ever did was get trapped in a video game my uncle hijacked.
Evan hit his forehead with the palm of his hand. “Stupid! Ugh, I am such a loser.” The really stupid part is I wouldn’t even be able to get a fraction of that out in actual words. Dammit, I really wish I were normal sometimes.
Evan kicked a nearby rock and walked down the path that Cami had come from and away from Vorsk as she recommended. He didn’t really feel like getting smashed to death again anyway. Once was enough for today.
As he walked down the path, the cold returned and distracted him from his internal dialog. He was freezing. So much for that 5% added cold resistance, he thought, remembering the extra bonus listed on his character sheet from earlier.
“This game is crazy. If it isn’t a freakin’ troll that kills me, I also have to worry about freezing to death,” he nearly spat in frustration.
He needed to figure it out or it was going to be a long night. With no shelter in sight off the main road, he surveyed his surroundings.
Not having the faintest idea of how close the nearest town was, he veered off the path to find some shelter for the evening. He was thankful that Karl had taught him how to make a passable shelter when he was younger. He didn’t like the idea of being able to experience the feeling of freezing to death.
He spotted a rocky outcrop surrounded by a few trees that would work for the evening. Approaching the outcrop, he noticed something sticking out from under the snow by a large pine tree.
He walked over to it, jumping back when he realized what it was. Evan’s heart was beating out of his chest as he stared down at the body of an older dwarf. Bright blood-stained snow covered the ground around the dwarf, still fresh.
Evan crouched and placed a hand on the chest of the fallen dwarf. “Hello? Are you ok?”
There was no response. Evan scanned his surroundings. He itched for a cell phone, and the ability to call emergency services. Could CPR work in a video game, or would the NPC respawn like he did?
Before he could proceed, a stout hand reached up and grasped his wrist.
Evan’s eyes shot back down.
“Whoa,” Evan said with a gasp.
“Please, take this…” the injured dwarf pleaded. “Find my wife, Elrala. Give this to her, tell her…” He trailed off, breathing hard.
“Tell her what?” Evan shook the dwarf urgently. “What!?”
“Tell her that Umeric loved her very much... and my last thoughts were of her, and our children, and…”
All the dying dwarf could do was reach up his other hand. He loosely held up a glowing green gem.
Slipping the gem inside Evan’s breast pocket and with a small pat, his arm fell limp and the faint spark of life in his eyes winked out as he shuddered with one last breath.
“No, no, I’ll get help, just hold on, please, hold on,” Evan begged, tears welling in his eyes.
A new prompt appeared:
Quest: Honor Umeric’s Last Request
With Umeric’s last dying breath, he requested that you take a message to his beloved wife. He also gave you a mysterious gem. Maybe Elrala will know what its significance is.
Do you accept Umeric’s quest?
Reward: Unknown
Difficulty: Unknown
Experience: Unknown
Evan felt an immense sense of sadness sweep over him.
He’d never met this dwarf, but felt like he had lost a dear friend. The sadness in the dwarf’s eyes as he had said his wife’s name was heartbreaking.
Evan focused on the notification and accepted the quest angrily. “This is bull,” he said. “What’s wrong with this game?! It feels so real. I don’t know if I can do this. I can’t handle all...” motioning to the dwarf and surrounding area “this.” He stared down at the dwarf who lay motionless on the ground in front of him. Evan couldn’t stand to see people hurt, he had never been able to. Feeling helpless and worthless, he contemplated letting himself freeze to death. Not that it would do any good, as he’d just respawn.
Kneeling over Umeric, he placed his hand on his chest again as tears stung his eyes:
Umeric Stonefist
From searching Umeric you have received the following:
Stonefist’s Cloak of Cold Resistance
Resistance to cold: +20%
AC: +10
Umeric’s map
Map that shows discovered locations by the owner. Locations will be updated as the owner travels to previously unknown areas.
Wait, I don’t want his stuff. I’m not taking it, he thought, but it was too late. The map and cloak were already in his hand. Maybe I will just hold the cloak until I find his wife, he thought, swinging it over his shoulders, feeling warmer immediately.
Evan remembered the green gem that Umeric had placed in his pocket. He’d almost forgotten about the other blinking notification that he had been ignoring.
Item Received:
Mysterious Green Gem
Note: Find someone who may know more about this gem.
Trying to inspect the gem proved futile. Each time he tried it would only give him a prompt to find someone who may know more about it. He slipped it back in his pocket, hoping his sight would increase so he could figure out what it was for.
He couldn't leave the dwarf lying there like this. He decided on a spot in between two large evergreens that overlooked Vorsk and the mountains beyond. It was peaceful here and seemed like a good resting place for the dwarf. Using a flat piece of bark from a nearby tree, he dug into the frozen ground as best as he could. It was slow going, but the terrain parted for him.
As he dug, his mind raced. Could this game really simulate emotions? How would his wife react? Does she already know? Evan had a hundred questions flying through his mind. Exactly how realistic is the artificial intelligence in this game? This was almost too real. That familiar feeling of inadequacy started to creep up. I’ll probably just let them down as well, he thought, as he kept digging.
He worked diligently, stopping occasionally to let his mind calm down. He finished and carefully dragged Umeric into the shallow, but sufficient, grave he had just dug. As he was about to cover the dwarf, he heard a commotion from behind. He spun around and stared up at a massive black bear. If this were the same animal who attacked Umeric, it clearly wanted to do the same to Evan.
A new prompt appeared in Evan’s vision:
New Quest:
Umeric’s Revenge
Defeat the patriarch to avenge Umeric’s death.
Reward: 400 XP
Evan quickly accepted the quest. The bear’s jagged fangs were less than a foot from his face when the alert cleared, the remnants of fresh blood still hanging on the corners of its mouth. It let out an ear-shattering roar as it reared back to attack.
Evan was in a bad spot, his legs sprawled out in front of him, his hands on the ground behind him, completely vulnerable. He frantically searched the snow behind him for a weapon, his eyes never leaving the bear. His hand found something solid and heavy, and he grabbed it, his palms sweating.
The bear reared and lunged toward Evan, claws outstretched.
Evan grunted and swung the newfound item at the bear’s head, hard. To his surprise, he landed a bone-crushing blow across the bear’s jaw. The weapon flew from Evan’s grasp; he hadn’t been prepared for the hard vibration that came through the handle as it made impact with the bear’s face.
He was shocked, he’d never hit anything before. Even though this was a game, this was different. He felt a rush of adrenaline pulse through his veins. The hit had sent the bear flying on its side, temporarily stunning the massive beast.
While the beast was incapacitated, he retrieved his weapon. It wasn’t a branch as he thought, but had a blunt end on one side like a hammer head, and the opposite side curved down like a pickax, ending with a very sharp point.
He scrambled as fast as he could, trying to outrun the bear to the rock overhang he was headed for earlier.
The bear staggered toward Evan, shaking its head.
Evan spotted two boulders toward the end of the overhang that created a natural barrier. He squeezed in behind them, sucking in his gut and holding his breath, barely managing to squish all of his body parts into the crevasse, seconds before the bear came crashing after him.
The hulking bear hit the boulder hard and immediately started thrashing at the rock with its huge claws. A boulder shifted under the constant barrage of the bear’s attacks but held.
The bear’s rancid, copper-tinged breath was hot in his face. He was not happy about his current predicament. His mind flashed to the death of Umeric, and then to his sister, and finally on the glimmering bits of crystal that marked the walls of his hiding place. He found it a little humorous he was having trouble focusing, even as death stared him in the face. Freaking ADHD. Shaking the thought out of his head, he refocused on the creature trying to rip him to shreds.
He couldn't stay there much longer. Each massive strike of the bear's body shook the rocks further apart. If he stayed there, he would be dead in a matter of minutes.
Lifting his hammer, he rushed out of his makeshift shelter, yelling in hopes of scaring the beast away. As he exited, the bear landed a giant paw across the side of Evan’s face that sent him flying.
The bear pursued, relentless. Evan grasped his hammer with both hands, swinging with everything he had, and landing a blow to the underside of the bear’s jaw, sending it sprawling backward.
Evan quickly inspected the bear, hoping to learn if he was close to ending this beast. A small translucent screen appeared while the bear regained its footing. Evan inspected the notification quickly:
Rabid Bear Patriarch (Enraged)
Level: 3
HP 50/100
“Halfway there!” he said proudly. That thought was quickly replaced by dread. “I’ve only got this bastard half killed.” Although his skill didn’t give him insight into how to kill the bear, he was happy to know how many hit points remained. Better to be half done than hardly making a dent, after all.
Evan backed against the large pine where he had discovered Umeric, readying the hammer in one hand. The weapon felt more comfortable now, a nice change from when he first started swinging it around.
Flipping it over in his hand, he readied the sharp side. The bear lunged, and Evan shot to its side, swinging the hammer behind him. The hammer landed solidly across the patriarch’s rib cage ripping a gaping wound in its side.
The bear spun and swiped its large claw across Evan’s back, narrowly missing flesh. One claw caught the stitching in his dull clothes, sending him flying onto the ground.
As Evan tried to shake off the pain, he caught sight of something moving behind the bear.
Weary and with only about a quarter of his health remaining, he was not sure how much more he could take. Hurt as he was, he wasn’t going to go down without a fight.
The bear was locked in, clearly calculating its next move.
Evan readied his hammer, trying to figure out how this thing was going to attack.
Another quick inspection revealed that he had the beast down to 30 HP. Just a couple more hits, he thought, excitement beginning to rise even as he struggled to maintain his position.
The bear charged. Evan readied his hammer, but before he could swing, the bear dropped at his feet.
Evan was stunned, and somewhat irritated. He had taken another massive beating and the thing just crapped out on him.
Blood poured from a cut in his forehead, blurring his vision out of one eye.
It all clicked when he saw Cami climb up on the patriarch’s back to retrieve one of her daggers, which was currently sticking out of the bear’s neck, glowing with a slight orange hue.
