The ghoul mage started to scream. His giant summoned bird was filled with a growing onyx light at a gesture. It swooped up to brandish its wings and body toward the blood covered monster.
Sighing, I grimaced at the explosive attack, an attack that would almost certainly draw aggro, and finished my sentence, “Don’t lose your shit.”
The tips of the giant bird's wings started to glow and balls of dark energy started to manifest into flickering orbs of midnight filled with arcs of electricity. The orbs arced down onto the monster like artillery blasting away massive chunks of the beast and throwing them over the platform in a wave.
"Yeah, that's right! Fu..," roared Nomura, his curse interrupted as the monster let out a howl of rage and sent a swarm of tentacles lancing toward him.
The five tentacles impaled the poorly defended mage suspending his immediately lifeless body from the floor. After a baited pause in mid air the gore covered tendrils whipped out of his suspended body and back into its mass. Nomura crumpled to the floor in a lifeless heap.
Sakurai, clearly low on health and struggling, activated a defensive cooldown that made her shield glow a vibrant amethyst and charged in with her spear. The giant skeleton drove the heavy weapon into the beast's side and twisted it, receiving her own bath in black oily blood for her trouble.
Surveying the scene I reassured myself, “You can do this Mal,” as I renewed Dance of the Rose Hurricane and rushed in driving one of the Sisters into its side and dragging a long deep cut for several meters. As the blood burst forth it swept into my Dance and started digging bleeding cuts into the monster’s body. Several black spined tentacles forced me to roll away, slamming into the spot where I was just standing. Several more followed me as I ran around the beast, each one clanging against the platform in rapid succession.
As I circled in to try and strike again a tentacle clipped my side, sending me tumbling to the grating. Rolling up to my feet I narrowly avoided a second attack meant to finish me off which left a jagged tear in the metal floor. Haphazardly deflecting strikes as my avatar’s essence waned I rushed the monster again. Narrowly dodging an incoming attack I rolled forward and came up within striking range of the beast. Spinning and digging my blades into its hide I was bathed in a final explosive effluvient cascade of black blood that nearly swept me off my feet.
The giant monster shuddered and quaked, flailing about haphazardly with its myriad limbs. Dodging backward I released a long held breath in the real world as I watched the beast in its death throes. It finally collapsed in on itself with a pitiful squeal leaving Sakurai and I standing around its remains in varied states of blood drenched disgust.
The machine at the center of the chamber suddenly went dark and all of the terrible noise that had been filling the facility stopped leaving us all standing in silence. The only light was the strobing orange light of four bulbs at the apex of the machine on this floor.
Surveying my considerable wounds I muttered, “I hope KKG and Nomura don’t respawn too far…”
Sakurai cut me off with a terrified gasp, “Malcolm, something is wrong with Nomura!”
Looking to her, I found that the ghoul mage’s body had indeed disappeared. She stuttered, “I’m… I’m going to check on him…”
She raised her arms and pulled at her invisible helmet. Her avatar’s eyes and shoulders dropped. I moved closer to her avatar under the eerie orange glow from the machine. Her voice was distant and barely audible through her headset’s mic. She said something in Japanese, and she sounded panicked.
Narrowing my eyes, I moved close to her avatar yelling in an attempt to be heard, “Sakurai? What’s wrong?”
After a long moment of silence I heard an anguished scream through the microphone and with a shudder her avatar vanished.
I recoiled, my heart racing as I looked down at my wrist and flicked open my interface. With a gesture I flicked open the call interface and redialed Speers. The connection hummed five times and then clicked to an automated message, “We’re sorry, the Catacomb representative you are trying…”
Cursing, I terminated the call and dialed Larry to only get the same response.
A quick in game message to KKG returned a canned response, “The User you are attempting to contact is offline…”
Raising a hand and pressing it to my helmet I spoke out loud, “Lyd, are the servers going down? Something strange is happening in the game.”
After a pause she said, “No disruption is noted from the company feed.”
Looking to the spot where Sakurai once stood I let out a long sigh. I suddenly felt very alone deep in this metal tomb.Maybe they’ll be back soon? The platform around me was awash in blood and body parts. The corpses of my comrades had vanished and the only light was the strobing steady sickly light atop the machine behind me. Something skittered in the levels above me and I glanced up to try and catch sight of it.
Seeing nothing and steeling myself I walked over to the corpse of the dead boss and looted it. The first item appeared to be made of disturbing dark brown leather with flexible ribs of bone running its length. As I lifted it the garment shifted in my grip and I nearly dropped it as Lydia read its description:
“The Living Cloak
“The combined flesh of many volunteers were put into the creation of this alchemically enhanced living garment.”
Type: Light
Slot: Shoulders
Armor Value: 70
Requirement: Agility 55
Rarity: Very Rare
Tier: E
Agility +28, Charm +16, +5% Resist to Bludgeoning Damage
There is a 2% chance every time the wearer of this cloak is struck it will be deflected entirely.
Item Spike F
Type: Enhancement
Minimum Requirement: Level 30
Rarity: Very Rare
Dreading finding an upgrade? Use an item spike to immediately advance an item you possess to the next Tier.
Note: This upgrade can only be applied to equipment that is F Tier.”
As I waited I prompted Lydia to read off my statistical gains. Quite a few of my skills were near or at Expert level 9 which meant that I would have to make decisions about the next tier soon. The only major advancement choice I made was to spend my ninth expert skill slot on Alertness and gained the following modification to the skills ability:
“Sense the Unseen (Modification): You now automatically know when something has been intentionally hidden nearby. You have a small chance, based on your Spirit score, to know the general location that the unhidden person, object or trap is hidden.”
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Advancing to level thirty three, I gained another two statistical boosts. Studying the machine and then looking around the empty platform, I noted that my allies still had not returned. Nodding, I rolled my shoulders and tried to ignore the eerie feeling of the empty platform… that last scream.
Maybe it wasn’t a scream?
Feedback?
Drumming my fingers on the dive chair back in reality I muttered to myself, “Calm down, Mal.”
I turned back to my statistics and tried to distract myself. The statistical boosts would have to wait until I finished this quest and upgraded my race.
Going into my menus I prompted Lydia to read out the details of this quest again:
“Quest Evolving
Mad Science
XP Gained: 600
XP Reward: 600
Reward: E Tier Race Change
You and your allies have chased rumors of experiments conducted on Remnants from the Vault where you awakened to a group of bandits who held clues to an ancient laboratory. Discover truths hidden in the mountain lab and chance rapid advancement to a new stage of undead evolution!”
Studying the machine I noted with concern that there was an arm shaped receptacle in its side. The same golden glow that strobed slowly in the chamber illuminated the aperture and the four glinting spikes protruding from the sides of its drum.
Looking to the spot where Sakurai had once stood I muttered with annoyance, “Fuck this,” and reached for my helmet. I navigated my menus to log out of the game and Lydia read a prompt that made my arms falter:
“Alert!
An intentional logout during a dungeon and failure to return within 10 minutes will mean that you forfeit progress at this POI. You will need to complete the location again to reclaim your progress.
Do you still wish to logout?”
Growling, I dropped my arms and made my way over to the machine. Pausing mid stride, I spoke out into the dive room, “Lydia, I want you to do a Net search for stories about Sakurai and Nomura’s scandal.”
After a moment she responded, “There are six hundred and twenty results.”
“Scan the results for details about who they are and where they live and don’t tell me the details.”
“Done, Mal.”
I continued with grim determination, “Call the local Japanese police in the city they live through the Net. I want you to translate this message to them and fill in their names where appropriate:
“I was playing an online game with my friends blank and blank. One of my friends disconnected and the other went to check on him. I heard a scream and then she disconnected. Is it possible that you can go check on them?”
“Understood Mal, I will make the call now.”
“Ok,” I settled down a little and took a deep breath.
Looking back at the machine with uncertainty I whispered, “It’s only a game,” before driving my arm into the machine. There was an intense whirring sound and then I felt the haptics press into my arm in four distinct locations. My vision was suddenly filled with a prompt read by my enthusiastic AI:
“Quest Completed
Mad Science
XP Reward: 600
Reward: E Tier Race Change
You found the device that the denizens of this world hoped to use to manufacture Remnants like you. You have used it to force an evolution of your species!
Your Race is Evolving!
Due to previous decisions you are not allowed to change this decision.
You are no longer a Spawn of Theodora!
You are no longer subject to the whim of Theodora von Achen!
Choose one of these three options!
Heartrose Vampire
Rarity: Rare
Tier: E
Statistic Modification:
+30 Charm, +20 Agility, +10 Vitality, +5 Spirit
Resistances
+ 5% resistance to all damage that is not silver
Weaknesses
Repelled by holy symbols of the Lady of Flame
Stepping into flowing water causes constant damage
If you do not utilize the Blood Drinker ability once per day you gain the ‘Withered’ debuff (-10% to Strength, Agility, and Vitality)
Abilities
Minor Regeneration has become Regeneration
Outside of combat you regain twenty hp per second unless that damage was caused by silver, running water, or fire.
Life Parasite has become Life Fiend
You may drink Essence to increase your hp regeneration to one hundred hp per second. If your hp is already full you gain the ‘Exalted High’ buff (+20% to Strength, Agility, and Vitality) for one minute.
Eyes of Theodora has become Heartrose Soul
By meeting the eyes of an intelligent target you attempt to take control of them. This is an opposed Charm test. If you succeed at this test the target remains your obedient servant until you gain the Withered debuff.
Heartrose Sire
You are now able to create your own vampire spawn. You may force your spawn to undertake actions with an opposed Charm test. If your spawn defies your orders you may inflict a curse that causes them constant pain and debilitation until they obey your orders.”
The second option was called ‘Sanguine Vampire’ and also gained Regeneration and Life Fiend as abilities. The differences were as follows:
“Statistic modifications:
+30 Agility, +20 Charm, +10 Vitality, +5 Spirit
Eyes of Theodora becomes Boil Blood
In addition to Eye’s normal effects you may now utilize it against enemies. Any target that can see you the stackable Blood Boil debuff. While they are affected by this debuff they are 1% more vulnerable per stack to slashing attacks and bleed effects. This debuff decreases by 1% every second after five seconds have passed.
Blood Mist
For a time period equal to your Charm in seconds you may take on the form of a bloody mist able to fly for a short distance and pass through obstacles and into closed off areas.”
The final, Savage Vampire, was much the same, except it seemed focused on a complete divergence from the race’s previous path.
“+30 Vitality, +20 Agility, +10 Spirit, +5 Charm
Eyes of Theodora has been replaced Form of the Beast
For a time period equal to your Vitality x 2 in minutes you can take the form of any common animal. You retain your health, stamina, and blood pool while in this form.
Lord of the Night
You can sense living non-sapient animals within 200 meters. Using this ability you can take control of a number of those animals equal to your Spirit. You can command those creatures in any way, including sacrificing their lives. If a creature you would control with this ability is an animal companion or familiar you must make an opposed Spirit test with their master.”
Each of them offered a defined path of future development. Heartrose Vampire could turn into a true companion based evolution that could provide me with a ready ally for future engagements. Savage Vampire would definitely shine as a more front line combatant with entire groups of animal allies at their beck and call.
The problem was I didn’t see myself working well with another NPC. Theodora was barely tolerable for the moment, but babysitting some neophyte vampire wasn’t something I was looking to do right now. Studying Savage Vampire with a smirk I chuckled, “And I don’t think I’m keen to order an entire pack of feral cats into battle.”
With a shrug I chose Sanguine Vampire. Lydia prompted me with an error:
“Error!
You may only have five active abilities! Choose one ability to remove from those available.”
Scrolling through my Active Ability slots I saw Essence of Health, whose ability to burn my Health for Essence I had rarely used. Choosing the ability, I deleted it for the Blood Mist ability. With that, I received an achievement:
“Achievement
Pinnacle of Evolution
You are the first player to advance to an E Tier Race!”
There was an intense whirring sound within the machine. The entire facility shuddered and the lights on top of the device started to flicker and strobe the chamber. The four probes in my avatar’s arm started to spin and heat up. My avatar shuddered and I gritted my teeth as I started to feel heat washing up my arm through the haptic connection. Growling through gritted teeth I muttered, “What the fuck?,” as the heat became too much to bear.
Slapping at the arm stuck inside the device I tried to yank it free. With a growl I braced my legs on the sides of the shuddering machine and resolved to just tear my avatar’s arm off. Better to lose another limb than the pain that was somehow being fed through my haptics and into my actual suit.
Despite my attempt I couldn’t pull my arm free. I growled through my teeth into the dive room, “Lydia, Code Blue.”
