Chapter 12: PVP

We stopped by Harbour-Master Rigg’s office on the way back into the Lantern District. After a brief conversation, the grizzled sailor told us we needed to retrieve the ship's papers and manifest. He had explained that one of the new lads had gotten into his head that banditry was the way forward for him and had taken the paperwork as his gift to buy-in with. Apparently, bandits part-timed as pirates. I thought Fizzle was going to have an aneurism there and then, his face turning a deep scarlet, a vein throbbing on his temple. We headed back to the inn agreeing it was time for a much-needed comfort break.

As it was still early, many townsfolk had yet to leave their homes and set off for the days’ work. It was as we wandered the empty streets unopposed that something occurred to me. I stopped in the middle of the road and turned to look around, and I mean really look. For the most part the tavern doors were still closed, their windows shuttered against the chill of the dawn air. I could smell the smoke of cookfires beginning to blossom in the air, the scents of my friends and monsters different from those of NPCs. I scowled and turned to Fiona; Fizzle having chosen to continue stomping his way back to the tavern.

“Why are there so few players?” I asked her gesturing vaguely to the empty streets around us. “I understand this game is quite popular so surely there would be more than just us. I mean I did see an elf woman with some sort of big lizard and a human male with a fuzzball but aside from that nada.”

“Hmmm, I think you’re right. Honestly, I thought it was just the server sending those with first-time player status to a low population start zone so there’s less competition, but I think there’s something more to it,” Fiona confessed, putting her fists on her hips in a very Fizzle-like fashion as she glanced around. “I’ll get Alber to look into it when he logs-off Fizzle for the comfort break. I’ll need to wait here, can’t log out when in stasis.”

“You’re a new player?” I asked, surprised. “I thought that you had started playing around the same time as Alber?”

“Yeah, well, sort of, I played on my Earth account, but when you emigrate to a new planet you need to swap to that world’s core game. That’s why I can play now but only as a human until the transfer is complete.”

“Are there any differences?” I asked as we continued our way to the inn, Fizzle already having vanished around a bend turning parallel to the main road south of us.

“A few, nothing game-changing,” she admitted as we hurried to catch up.

After I logged back in, having disappeared for a comfort break, I found the others sat at the table that we had started thinking of as our spot. On the table, between Fiona and the diminutive Fizzlewiz were the unidentified monster stones we had brought back from our dungeon dive. All neatly arrayed and shoved towards me one after the other. I reached for the first and began identifying each stone in turn. There were new stone types I was unfamiliar with I noticed as I went through each stone identifying them one after the other. Eventually I was sat with a handful of species stones of varying qualities and various reconstructed simple affinity runes. I set them down.

“We can divide them later.” Fizzle told us as we began sorting them into three piles at random ensuring that there were even numbers in each. “Let’s go yell at this stupid kid and get out of here.” His voice had a begging quality. Fiona and I glanced at each other.

“Did you check up on the status of Meadows Edge like I asked?”

“Oh, shit compactor! Nah sorry, I really had to use said aforementioned shit compactor.” He replied wryly before rubbing his belly with a tiny hand. “I feel so much better for it, I was just so excited to get back and get started on the quest out, two Level sevens and an eight, not bad levels for us to be heading out at when we get done.”

“All right,” I conceded, standing up and brushing the assembled stones unceremoniously into my inventory. “L4ead the way.”

We arrived at the southern gate by early morning, the foot and cart traffic from the southern farmlands already beginning to grow as they journeyed into town on errands or on business. The farmers rode on wagons pulled by some sort of equine monster. The beasts were impressive to say the least, as tall as a man in some cases with hooved feet and manes of varying coloured hair. Quite beautiful. I pointed at them and turned to Fizzle excitedly.

“What are those?” I asked him, marvelling at the beasts.

He looked at me then began to laugh hysterically. I glared down at him as he doubled over bellowing out each laugh. Fiona tried to scowl at fizzle reproachfully but even she snorted a little at my expense. I was at a loss, were they of a rare monster species?

“What?” I asked as Fizzle settled down enough to speak coherently.

“Those,” he gasped wiping a mirthful tear from his eye, he giggled a little more than regained his composures. “Are horses and they’re just animals not monsters.” He told me knowingly, looking smug as he explained it to me.

“Oh.” I felt a little silly, kicking at a pebble half-heartedly.

“Don’t worry Blue, most off-worlders react the same way. Fizzle was fascinated by ducks for at least a month when he first saw them.” Fiona told me, ruffling Fizzle’s green hair affectionately.

We chuckled as we began to weave our way through the growing mass of carts and grumpy farmers, our monsters choosing to float above the throng of gathered NPCs. I was struggling between two carts when one moved forward unexpectedly, crushing me against the other, the breath knocked out of me for a moment and a brief flare of pain informing me I had received some non-trivial damage. I struggled, trying to put my steadily increasing stats to work. I imagined that had this befallen Fizzle or Fiona the damage would have been significantly worse. I checked my HP bar saw that ten points had been shaved off. Baruu, sensing my discomfort floated down from where she and the other young monsters had been chasing each other above, she sniffed at me then licked my face casting a healing spell as she did so, restoring the health I had lost. I heaved, wriggled, and tried to push but the laden carts wouldn’t budge. I was about to give up and call for help when a familiar voice boomed from the rear of one of the carts.

“Move it along ye blasted fool, you’re crushing one of Lil’s Chosen.” Mercifully, the cart moved forward, the uncomfortable pressure on my ribs leaving with it. I breathed a sigh of relief then looked to my rescuer.

“Aye, I thought it was you,” said Torsgulf tugging at his beard.

“Not many orcs in Meadows Edge huh.” That got me a chuckle and a friendly grin from the amiable dwarven guard, I offered him my big clawed hand. “Good to see you again Torsgulf. Those slimes been any more of a bother?”

“Nae lad after you returned with yer monster.” He said, petting awkwardly at the little ovine elemental as she nuzzled into his beard, lowing happily. “Was hoping I’d run in tae ye truth be told, we’ve got a bit of a problem”

“Oh yeah? Let me find my friends and we’ll hear you out; I’m sure they’d be happy to help,” I said turning to scan the rows of carts.

“Down here idiot,” came a voice from below my line of sight. I looked down to see Fizzle standing with fists on hips. “I heard, don’t know where Fiona is though,” he sighed. “Probably taking the opportunity this much confusion causes.”

“What opportunity would that be master gnome?” Torsgulf asked Fizzle with a scowl.

“Chosen stuff.” He replied pretending to check his nails, purposefully not looking at him.

“This is Torsgulf,” I told him. “He’s one of the militiamen who started training me with weapons and shields. He’s pretty cool. Torsgulf, this is my lifelong friend Fizzlewiz another Chosen. We’re travelling with a human woman as well; her name is Fiona.”

Torsgulf nodded to Fizzlewiz who, after looking at me, extended a customary fist bump of greeting which the dwarf returned it as though it were the most natural thing in the world. I was amazed by the complexities of the NPC in this game. So much so, I had to take a moment to remind myself that they were NPCs. I was so used to little dialogue boxes or dialogue trees that watching a living person and a computer game character have a conversation was still a little mind boggling. At least they were no longer monotonal like they had been when I was a kid. Fiona arrived as she always did a moment later, making us all jump Torsgulf with the customary first-time explosion of curse words.

“All right, is this everyone?” He asked eyeing the three of us. “Nae goblins or elves?”

We shook our heads and he led us away from the southern gate towards one of the squat little buildings I had come to associate with the Military Quarter. Unlike the eastern wall, the southern wall was made with fitted timbers and bands of iron, not like the crenelated stone wall and gatehouse that I had passed through what felt like ages ago. We entered the squat building finding a series of weapons arrayed. Some racks were bare obviously the weapons they housed were out with the militia on duty.

Torsgulf lead us to the central room of the complex, passing office rooms as we moved deeper into the building. The central room was round, the stone walls and ceiling smoothed into a dome presumably to accommodate larger races. Once we were all inside the chamber Torsgulf pulled on a lever; there was a rumble and then the ground shifted and rose around us. We were on an elevator of some sort I realized as we descended to another floor and were led into a hall of smoothed natural stone. Torsgulf lead us deeper and into a room with a map displaying the island. Once we had all entered, he closed the door and turned to us, his expression serious.

“Right, so here’s the thing.” He told us pointing to a section of the road mid-way between the farming region and the southern coast. He tapped at the base of what I presumed was a mountain range or at least some sort of stony ground like the heights I had ascended to the valley where I found Baruu.

“There’s a bunch of bandits holed up here. Riggs sent word that a few of his boys had been coerced into joining up with them. Rumour is they’re trying to build ships on the southern coast to try their hands at pirating.” Torsgulf chuckled grimly. “But therein lies the problem, they’ve gotten bolder of late since there’s been an absence of Chosen to challenge them. The militia can’t spare the manpower to take care of this right now.”

“Oh, we're actually already on our way there,” Fizzle told him as he checked his map window, he shot us both a thumbs up as though telling us that the map had been updated. He looked visibly relaxed, even though the dwarf was going to saddle us with another quest that he would presumably consider a waste of time. I checked my own map menu; I had been right. “Just because I know one of my naïve friends here are going to ask, I’ll save them the time. Why aren’t there any militia?”

“Defectors.” The dwarf rumbled quietly.

“Ah, shit compactor.” Fizzle murmured.

We left through the southern gate after leaving the militia building. Fizzle and Fiona had grown pensive since our conversation with Torsgulf. I had no idea why some guards leaving their posts to join up with some bandits was a bad thing; surely it was just some flavour for what was clearly just a boring fetch quest? I said as such to my friends, Fiona simply sighed, and Fizzle barked a harsh laugh.

“You wish mate,” Fizzle told me as he began clambering up my leg; apparently, he had put some points into his dexterity last level up. “NPCs are still just NPCs. Hard-wired to want to perform a certain role within society. Some become farmers, some become guards, and some become bandits because that’s what the game has decided is needed. However, they cannot change their role in the game, a guard will always be a guard, a bandit will always become a bandit unless players get involved.” His tone turned dark as he clambered towards my shoulder. “It would seem, there is a player out there actively messing with things. A guard defecting to the bandits is nuts. Guards are typically higher level than the trash mobs we fight out in the field. This got a damn sight more dangerous.”

“Why didn’t we tell Torsgulf that then?” I asked.

“Because of the religion in this world.” Fiona answered, slowing to fall into step with me. “To them anything we do, no matter how crazy, ist’ seen as the will of the gods. So, if we are like ‘hey mister NPC your son ran off to join the army because some asshole told him it was a great way to get rich,’ is just interpreted as the Chosen sending people to their destinies. But if we can prove that players are directly involved in a guard becoming a trash mob. The other militia members will be more likely to aid us. It’s a little-known fail-safe put in after things got out of hand a few months back. So, either we go and get the proof or deal with the players ourselves. When the player element has been dealt with, the NPCs should sort things out pretty quick.”

I nodded my understanding and allowed us to lapse into companionable silence. It was turning into a nice day I noted, as we strode between fields of golden wheat. The sky above was blue and clear, the sun still hung low beginning its weary ascent into the sky. I noticed the air smelled cleaner as we moved further from the town, much like it had when we wandered up the coast though obviously there was no scent of salt in the air, aside from Fizzle’s usual aroma; instead it was replaced by an almost floral scent, with just a hint of animal dung clinging stubbornly to the northerly breeze. The land began to rise after a while, the dirt road twisting to hug the walls as it snaked its way into the foothills of a mountain or at the very least a very large and rocky hill. The land was lusher I noted as I climbed the slowly steepening and narrowing road. As we reached the crest, a bridge became apparent in the distance. Fizzle pulled up his map then, seemingly recognizing how close he was to me as he was sat astride my shoulders, it panned out and allowed me to view it as well, Fiona huddled in so her head was tucked just beneath my chin. Three blue dots indicated our position overlooking the bridge and the clustering trees on the other side. The marker that had appeared during our talk with Torsgulf.

“Right, this is likely going to have a few stages.” Fizzle explained for my benefit alone. “As we cross that bridge we’re going to get attacked, likely by some of the fresher bandits. From there we’re sure to meet resistance as we head towards here.” He tapped a small settlement icon off the beaten track on the southern coast, southwest of where we currently stood. “Torsgulf said about pirating, so they’re probably near the water trying to build or steal ships. That’s possibly where we will find the quest item, probably a mini-boss battle; but that’s now likely to be the defected militia members which, depending on their level, could be difficult. If they’re green, we’re good. If they’re like that dwarf, we may be screwed.”

“Okay, so we have Blue, Baruu and Glitters go first,” Fiona suggested. “I’ll follow the tree-line on this side of the bank so I have a source of shadows to pop through when things kick off. Think you can hit them with fire from up here?”

“Nah, not got the spells for that sort of range yet.” He replied, now drumming his tiny fingers against my scalp. I set him down and began striding down the hill towards the bridge as it seemed this was my job now. The others did that whisper-yell thing when they’re trying to be quiet but still be heard as I left, and some muted curse words later, Glitters joined me on the way to the bridge. I stomped across, readying my shield and weapons. There was a definite difference as I stepped off the bridge onto the southern side of the river. The air had an expectant silence to it; it’s hard to explain like when the valley fell silent at night when the carnivorous creatures had begun their hunt. It was like that now, but I continued none-the-less, listening but not letting my eyes wander to the tree line. There was a rustle, the snap of a twig and then a yelling man was charging me with a battered bronze sword in hand. His face was a mask of terror and determination, lank blonde hair plastered to his face.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Bandit level four.

I sighed, cast Stoneskin on myself, stepping forward to meet him. At nearly twice his level his sword rebounded off my stone-toughened skin, dealing a trivial amount of damage. He let out a strangled yelp as my waiting fist struck out, slamming into his jaw. Hard as stone as my skin was, there was an audible snap and his HP plummeted. A notification appeared at the side of my vision, but it waited for a time that it could have my attention, never in combat. He scrambled back, abandoning his sword, and running back into the woods from where he had appeared. Their ambush ruined by a terrified newbie, the more hardened of the bandit crew came from the trees far more cautiously than their unfortunate companion. I readied my axe and urged Baruu and Glitters to climb higher in the air. One moved forward, hands empty as though to greet me, he waved a tiny stained white piece of cloth, apparently coming to talk.

“Now, now Chosen, there’s no reason for us to fight. I’m sorry about the boy there, first-day jitters you know. We’re going to let you go on by about your godly business as is right and prope-”

His words were cut short as Glitters, strobing menacingly, floated forward, and released beams of light, two of which punched through some of the weaker members of the group, all of them around levels three to five, leaving them to flop to the ground dead. The bodies didn’t vanish.

The talkative one, the one I had labelled the spokesman in my head backed up, only pausing long enough to pick up the earlier discarded sword then drawing his own. He took a readied stance.

“And people call us criminals,” he mused aloud in a bitter tone lunging at me suddenly, swinging both swords in deadly arcs.

I met the first blow with my shield knocking the blade aside, the second weapon though seemed to accelerate towards me as the man used his momentum to power the second attack, I cast Stoneskin just in time. The tip of the blades had been a hair’s breadth from piercing my chest and even now the powerful strike pushed the tip an inch into my stony hide then stuck. He tried to withdraw the sword and finding it caught in my rocky skin I took the opportunity to trigger a Wild Blow in his direction, which while he was Level five and more seasoned than his companions, I was a whole two levels above him. He was certainly no boss monster; my Wild blow connected and opened the man’s skull. He crumpled, his sword going with him as my Stoneskin spell timed out.

I turned and surveyed the steadily bloodying road. Bandit men and women were engulfed orange and purple fire. They writhed but fell still faster than the monsters we had incinerated in our dungeon dive. Glitters was emitting a series of exploding lights and beams. Each ray cut through the terrified NPCs. All the while, Fiona danced among it all, eviscerating or decapacitating bandits with vicious slashes at tendons and joints. I watched the two then, seeing the fury and the skill veteran players had. While their abilities were on the same level as mine, they performed their roles in battle with frightening efficiency. I wondered how long it would take me to get as good as they were, as I blocked another sluggish attack from a mace wielder. I kicked him in the chest then hacked into his neck with my axe, seeing a flare of fiery energy that happened whenever the fire enchantment procced it’s damage over time effect, not that it mattered, as he lay dead or dying on the floor. I let myself enjoy the carnage for a moment with a grim and guilty grin before wading into the fray to help deal with the handful of survivors.

“So, the exit quest really is geared towards Level five characters?” I asked, as we continued our way, leaving a grizzly scene in our wake. We did take the time to move the bodies off the road.

“Yeah,” Fizzle said sounding smug. “that’s why I said we should have just gone at Level five.”

“Yeah, yeah. How come the humanoid bodies don’t disappear into lights like monsters.” I asked suddenly as I glanced back towards the site of the brief bloody skirmish.

“Oh, they disappear after a little while, then their AI are reset and put into an infant. That way the game doesn’t have to create new resources and put a strain on the whole system,” Fiona explained as we walked into the woods, following the vague direction that one of the bandits had fled in, abandoning the road in the process. The terrain slowly became uneven and overgrown. After a few stumbles Fizzle climbed down from my shoulders, having climbed back up when the brush started getting taller than he was.

We encountered a few more token pockets of bandit resistance as we advanced towards the little coastal village. At one point we entered a particularly wide and cleared area that was clearly not a natural break in the forest. Fifteen low-level bandits drilled with battered weapons as senior members barked orders, but they never sounded confident. As we hid and watched, it became clear that this wasn’t the sort of thing this smelly bunch of people were used to. Occasionally, senior members would beat one of the younger members senseless when they dared question the reason for their being there, or something like that. Fizzle quickly grew bored, and as a true man of action, he descended upon the fifteen men like an angry god, his destructive fire magic and Violet’s all-consuming hex flames reaping havoc through the assembled motley. It wasn’t pretty but it was quick, I left my companions to pick through the bodies disturbed at how enticing the cooked flesh smelled. I hoped it was an orc thing. It was a bit like bacon or pork. needless to say, I didn't have the stomach to get any closer and I found myself needing to wretch a little bit into the surrounding bushes before returning and searching the few improvised tents that were strung up on the far side of the clearing.

The search proved fruitful; I found a series of armour pieces that were ranked as medium armour. Leggings and boots which I quickly changed into instead of the tatty remains of the gear I’d entered the game with. I wondered if I could find a shield as-well? Digging excitedly through the remaining tents I did not find much, just a few gold coins, food items, and miscellaneous doodads that were meant to be sold to a vendor for a set price. With a sigh I re-joined my companions and we continued into the woods. It was just a little past noon I figured, judging from the angle of the light breaking its way through the shadowy canopy above us. Baruu huddled close, remembering our first night in the woods together not long after I had contracted or caught her or whatever. Eventually the trees began to thin and yield to a gravelly wind-swept terrain, some stubborn brush poking out from amidst it all and in the distance a slate grey, churning sea. I stared at it for a moment, unbelieving that there could be something so vast in a world. Little boats dotted the pebbled shoreline and the only stretch of sandy ground was ringed by the squat little huts of fishermen. Above them on a particularly imposing outcropping of rock sat what looked like a long wooden hall, some sort of effigy hung above the door. People moved between the buildings, carrying weapons. They looked like toy soldiers from this distance, but their numbers gave us all pause.

“We’re going to need a count.” Fizzle sighed, looking to Fiona. “How good is your stealth skill?”

“Good enough, or it's going to have to be.” She grunted in response before stealing away into the woods, disappearing into their murky gloom.

“Now we wait,” he told me as we settled in amongst what few trees braved the chilly landscape. “When Fiona gets back with the numbers of the place, we’ll be able to come up with a plan.”

So, we waited and waited and waited. The sun crept lazily across the sky, heralding an early twilight as it sunk behind the western mountain range. Not long after the sun’s departure the air grew chilly from the wind that came in from the sea, bringing ominous black clouds with it. There was a rumble then water began falling all around us. Fearing an attack, I leapt to my feet bringing up my axe. Fizzle snickered at me from his perch in a tree.

“Relax,” he soothed in a whispered voice. “It’s just rain. Remember we learned about it and simulate at work?”

I nodded and relaxed, it wasn’t an entirely unpleasant situation; refreshing in a way, as it began to wash away the accumulated filth of adventure. However, the biting winds that swept in from the darkened sea quickly ruined the experience with a chill even I could feel in my dense orc bones. I huddled under Fizzle’s tree, Baruu joining me with a displeased bleat. Surprisingly, Violet was largely unconcerned by the deluge, rain hissed and spat as it fell on the burning ball of bright violet flames.

“If Violet is a fire elemental, how come the rain doesn’t bother her?” I asked him in the deepening gloom as true night approached. He looked down at me for a moment, face cut with purplish light and shadows before answering me.

“She’s technically a slime still, but when I introduce another species stone, she’ll increase a grade to be like Baruu.”

“Like a fire lamb?” I asked surprised.

“What? Nah.” He said leaning back against the trunk and disappearing from view. “Grade C, a low tier one.”

“Tiers?”

“Right so there are eight grades of monster from E grade to SS. Depending on the species and a variety of other factors that would make your head spin, they can have multiple tiers within that grade. So Baruu is what, like a cloud stride lambling?”

“Mist-springer fawn,” I corrected him.

“Right so, look at how small she is compared to some of the other monsters we’ve faced. Hell, Snorg is huge in comparison.”

“So, tier directly relates to size?” I asked frowning.

“Nah, it’s the complexity of the creature, their stats and things. Don’t worry about it, if Baruu increases a tier she’ll change shape a little and the game will go nuts congratulating you, dumping you with a huge amount of exp. Weather sucks.”

I could only grunt my agreements as the rain grew heavier.

We lapsed into a miserable silence for a while after that. I decided that when I eventually logged off for the day, I’d read some FAQs on the game, or look up a skill that would teach me about monster raising. There had to be a skill surrounding monster raising in a game like CO. Eventually Fiona returned, unceremoniously. She was just there at one point when she hadn’t been before. She looked miserable. Her hair was slick against her head and stuck to her face. Her clothes were soaked through, causing her to shiver slightly. I checked her bars in the top left corner of my vision. Her stamina was low but aside from that nothing was amiss, she was just cold.

“We. Should. Have. Bought. Capes.” She told us through chattering teeth. She shivered again and Violet floated down, her flames beginning to thrash and grow as she brightened. There was a noticeable change in temperature, the chill banished by the heat given off by the floating fire slime. Fiona sighed and thanked the little creature before giving her report.

“There’s around thirty of them.” She told us as she warmed her hands by Violet. “There’s a handful of them working near the water’s edge on a stone pier. It looks like they’ve got the makings of a ship there. Further along, the tree-line has been cut back quite a bit. All the bandits are around Level five with a handful at Level six. The real problem is the Level twenty striding about like he owns the place.”

“Any players?” Fizzle asked from amidst the shadows of his tree, his pink eyes reflecting the violet light in a haunting way.

“None that I could see, there were monster tracks around the edges of the town.”

“That’s because we’ve been waiting for you to return.” Said a cold female voice from beyond Violet’s dancing circle of light. “Couldn’t start the game while one player was missing.”

We were on our feet, weapons in hand in an instant; eyes scanning the shadow riddled forest. I couldn’t see anything, so I sniffed and found nothing but a fresh scent that made everything smell new again. A growl rumbled somewhere in my chest as my unease manifested in an orcish manner.

“No wonder Boyle was so easy to turn over.” A male voice said from somewhere else. “He never did like orcs, told me all about it when he started training me. Thanks for making this possible.”

“This one looks like he underwent the same training, so I guess you’re going to want him.” Another voice rasped from somewhere nearby. “Look at all these pathetic monsters.” It sneered.

“As a matter of professionalism, yes, I would very much like to fight the orc,” said the second voice.

“I’ll handle the girl that was sneaking around the village” the first voice said as she emerged into our pool of light.

A large and powerful looking lizard with bone-like protrusions jutting from its shoulder blades emerged beside her. I recognized them. I had seen them on my first day in the game. Her companions entered shortly after her; there was the human man from before only now he had a large two-handed sword in his hands, a bow across his back and a cat-like monster not too dissimilar to the one I had seen in the valley, only this one was sleeker and had many eyes. The third and final companion really caught my attention. It was small and green with large bat-like ears and piggy little yellow eyes. It grinned at us, showing pointy yellow teeth. A goblin I thought; players could be goblins, or was this another NPC? Then a bat-like creature fluttered down on multiple wings and clung to the goblin’s side which answered the question for me. I stared at their Levels; each one was Level ten and therefore far more powerful than we currently were.

We all watched each other for a moment, the other players spreading out and facing each one of us individually their monster’s prowling forward with shrieks and challenges. Glitters and Violet answered in kinds with violent flashes of light. A heaviness settled into the air. A near imperceptible hum or vibration built in the atmosphere, magic gathering as players prepared to unleash untold devastation on one another. I noted that Fiona and the elven player had already vanished into the gathering dark.

I readied my axe then triggered my Challenging Shout ability. The monster’s heads all snapped to me but the players that remained stayed focused on their opponents. The human with the two-handed sword chuckled and advanced on me.

“Taunt abilities don’t work on players noob.” He told me as he swung the heavy blade in a deadly arc at me.

“Thanks for telling me.” I raised my shield and took the blow and then advanced on him only for his creature to dart in and attack my exposed side as soon as I committed to action. Baruu bleated angrily from above and rather than healing me like usual instead began gathering magic to fuel her offensive spells. The cat creature the focus of her ire.

Suddenly, Baruu divebombed the cat-like predator assaulting it with multiple stomps of hooves. It yowled and fled back into the trees, Baruu sent waves of wind after it as I recovered my footing, wincing at the pain before the system blocked it out. I lashed out with my axe as my foe moved in to strike.

“You really are green, aren’t you.” He stated, sounding both surprised and sincere whilst easily parrying my blow and kicking my feet from under me sending me sprawling amidst the tree roots.

“Yeah,” I answered when I realized he was giving me time to gain my feet, very noble of him. “This is my second day I think.”

I raised my shield and charged him, Baruu buffing me with tailwind now that his monster had slunk off. Despite its absence I was sure I could feel the gaze of all six of its eyes on me. I soon realized the problem was that as the human, Dannath, pressed his attack anew after rebuffing my efforts like they were the efforts of a child, that he wasn’t going to give me the time to take out his monster as it periodically rushed in to snap at my heels.

“Oh, then I’m sorry about this.” He said, his blade lashing out with preternatural speed. There was a sharp pain in my arm then a burning sensation. My health bare dropped steadily. A bleed icon appearing to notify me of a damage over time condition and a new one. Lost limb it read. I stared dumbly at the stump off my left arm. Dannath’s last blow had hacked through my bicep, the shield and limb had thudded to the floor and lay there in a pool of cooling blood. I looked back at him he offered me an apologetic smile.

“Sorry man, look we’re just going to be doing this for a few more days.”

“Why?” I groaned at him, the system doing its best to eliminate the pain I was currently in.

“You wouldn’t get it. We need to trap low level players here for us to farm. It allows us to build up our PVP,” He paused thoughtfully for a second then before explaining. “That’s player versus player. It’s harder to do on the mainland because no one fights fair.”

“You call this fair?” I asked struggling to stay on my feet. I could feel my grip on my axe slackening as the bleed status effect ate away at my health.

“Fairer for me.” He snorted then swung his massive sword again.

I closed my eyes, there was a meaty thunk and a scream. A piteous animal scream of terror and pain. I opened my eyes realizing I was still alive and looked down.

Baruu lay at my feet gasping, eyes panicked. There was a large rent in her side, her blood slowly pooling out with her exposed innards. She lowed at me weakly, I dropped to my knees feeling my fingers going numb and tears beginning to stream down my face. I petted her head as she lay there trembling, panting weekly until she went still. Dannath stood back watching me, his figure lit from the magic duel happening only a hundred foot or so away from us. As Baruu died her portrait, the one that had appeared under my own greyed out. She broke apart into lights which the coalesced and reformed into a shard of stone. I picked it up in my remaining hand. I knelt there for a moment just holding the cold, unfeeling stone.

“Dude, what are you doing?” Dannath asked me, leaning on his weapons cross guard, its blade tip planted in the ground. I pocketed Baruu’s stone. “It’s just a mon-”

He couldn’t finish his sentence. My axe back in hand, I rose feeling more anger than I had ever experienced in my life. I noted coldly that my frenzy talent had activated and it seemed in Baruu’s dying moments she had cast what spells she could in the time she had left. My health was at fifty percent, and the tailwind buff was still ticking. I roared then released my fury on the stunned human in a series of blows, not even realising that I had closed the distance between us. I kicked him in the groin as he tried to heave his sword into a ready position. The breath knocked out of him I burned every Ki I had and released a series of wild blows into his exposed back. His hit points plummeted as the damage from each blow mounted, he probably wasn’t built to take a beating like I was. His monster though, had other plans for me. As my buffs timed out, it leapt on me from above, its teeth tearing into the flesh of my throat as it clamped its jaws around my neck. Its surprising weight bearing us both to the ground. It bit down suddenly, and I felt its teeth crunch the vertebrae of my neck, I lost feeling everywhere. I lay there on the ground, the monster satisfied that it had incapacitated me, awaited its master.

“Jesus,” Dannath said as he rolled me over and looked down at me. “Stubborn bastard, you focusing on constitution or what?”

I gurgled then coughed and sputtered a mixture of blood and foam at him. He scowled as some if it flecked his metal shod boots. He sighed and after an awkward apology he swung his sword down ending my life.

You have died.

You and your party will respawn at the nearest Temple of Lil.

All skill progress has been reset, all skills 0% to the next level.

Your experience points have been consumed in tribute to Lil for your resurrection.