The Sleeper Must Awaken

by Kip Terrington

  “We still have to figure out a way to get out of here. The city's full of vampires,” Joe warned.

  “That's part of the good news. It'll be easy to leave. Unfortunately, it's also part of the bad. We're safe for two reasons. The first is that all of the binding lines died with the queen. The second is that all of the vampires, who are still alive, are frozen until the raid resets,” Zoya informed.

  “What?!” Joe exclaimed with a look of horror growing on his face.

  “Read the messages, Joe. We have time, plenty of it,” Zoya advised.

  Achievement Earned!

  You Ain't So Big. Rank 3.

  This achievement is earned by beating six enemies 100 levels above you.

  Plus 30% attack and defense power when facing characters of a higher level. Progression: Rank 4 is earned after defeating ten enemies 100 levels above your current level. Current status: 6/10 till next rank.

  Raid Quest: Death to the Mistress! is complete.

  Travel to the vampire territory, deep under the Wild Mountains. Fight your way through her minions, reach the malevolent mistress (queen), and slay her. During your fight, free as many slaves as possible. In order for this quest to be considered successful, two conditions must be met.

  Condition one: [MET!] over a thousand slaves were freed and taken into safety.

  Condition two: [MET!] the mistress (queen) is dead.

  Rewards:

  Reward #1: The Dungeon of Os is returning to normal once again and will soon allow adventurers to test themselves on her floors.

  Reward #2: Each adventurer who accepted the quest will be allowed to keep their Nose Ring of Light.

  Reward #3: 500 dungeon-upgrade tokens will be granted to each participating adventurer.

  Special Reward for defeating a queen:

  Item: Healing Balm of Spartacus (Quantity: 1,342)

  These items ameliorate the horrific emotional scars caused from lifelong slavery under a vampire’s leash.

  Attention!

  To receive your XP and Quest Rewards, you must prove your success to the Dungeon of Os.

  Congratulations!

  Bonus: One hidden Master Prerequisite met!

  You have defeated a true queen! Such a feat can only be accomplished by a powerful player. The UI has chosen to recognize this monumental accomplishment by waving one requirement for gaining master status. Note: not every prerequisite has been met to become a master or access master-level spells.

  Note: The Raid Quest: Death to the Mistress! has been officially renamed Death to the Vampire Queen! It is now a repeatable raid. Reset time will require a minimum of four months. The UI has now appropriated the vampires’ three small places of power in order to facilitate the reset and respawn both the vampire queen and the raid resources. All vampires and their slaves will remain in a state of suspended animation until the reset of the raid. After you have collected your dropped items and searched this throne room, you will receive a complimentary (non-optional) portal jump to the current leader of your army.

  “That can't be right. This isn't really a game. The UI can’t just freeze tens of thousands of people and vampires…” Joe began.

  “I'm sorry, Joe. It appears that the power of the UI is increasing. The gamification of this Moon is spreading,” Zoya pointed out.

  “It's not right. I thought once we defeated the vampires, we would be able to free all of the slaves. Instead, the UI is preventing us from liberating them,” Joe grumbled.

  “Not forever, and at least right now, the slaves are not in any pain. We defeated her once. We can do it again, and next time we’ll be sure to free every slave first,” Zoya attempted to reassure.

  “I was able to defeat her only because of my Multi-Plane Hands. If she remembers our fight, all she has to do is make sure she doesn't summon her wraith and then I can't defeat her,” Joe confessed.

  “I thought you used the item that Hollowbirch gave you?” Zoya protested.

  “No, she took that away from me and destroyed it almost as soon as the fight began. I killed her by burning her face off with her own wraith,” Joe explained.

  “She deserved it. Hopefully, when it resets, she won't remember you, but we will have to cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, we should search the throne room and then head back to Bork and get everyone back to the castle,” Zoya gently prompted.

  “We can head back to the army, but we can't all head back to the castle. We conquered territory in these subterranean caverns and, as a nation, we get to keep what we take. If we don't build manned outposts in all of our newly acquired territories, when the UI resets this raid, we'll have to conquer it once again. The national system already exists on this Moon and the UI can't just ignore it. We won't let it,” Joe insisted.

  “That's going to split our resources and the outposts are going to need to be manned by players. The UI has too much influence over NPCs,” Zoya warned.

  “You're right, and time they spend patrolling is time they're not spending leveling in the Dungeon of Os. That part can't be helped, but we can rotate our teams. If I clear the portal lines all the way back to our castle, we could minimize the players’ downtime,” Joe said.

  “We will need to make the city of Sibiu our new forward base of operation. Are you sure you want to do this? Establishing a portal network is not something you've ever done before. It's likely to take a good amount of your time,” Zoya hesitated.

  “I think it has to be done. At least I don't need to sleep. We're going to need to find some jewelers to cut stones. I have to figure out how to attach portal spells to them. If I'm the only one opening up and closing portals, the system will become unsustainable. I've got to build it right, and that's going to take some research,” Joe concluded as he began to grin.

  “You might be angry with the UI and some of the updates it's implementing, but deep down, you're having fun, aren't you?” Zoya wondered.

  “I feel a little guilty about that, but yes, I'm having a lot of fun. Our kingdom is expanding in people and territory. Not only that, but we are the good guys—and not in the sense that everyone believes they're good guys. We're fighting against actual evil, and that's satisfying. If we acquire all of the vampires’ territory, the UI will have to find a new raid to make repeatable. Let's search this room, then begin eating the elephant,” Joe smiled.

  “One bite at a time,” Zoya responded.

  Searching around the throne room, Joe found a chest and when he opened it, he saw a few items he had dropped when he had died and placed them back in his Holdall. He continued his search. Zoya pointed at the pile of ashes that had not yet dissipated.

  “It looks like you’ve got to sift through them,” Zoya assumed. A look of disgust crossed Joe's face, but he knew she was right. Crouching over the remains of the queen, Joe began to run his fingers through the greasy ash.

  Unique Item: Fangs of the Vampire Queen.

  Congratulations! You have found a unique item: Fangs of the Vampire Queen. These fangs contain Master Vampiric Essence. When correctly prepared by a Master Alchemist, these fangs can be ground into a dust that will enchant any metallic weapon, granting a vampiric drain ability to the weapon. Note: the vampiric drain ability steals life, strength, and mana, and then transfers it to the holder of the ability.

  “First, we can show this to Os to prove to her that the mistress is dead, and then we can give it to Bork to grind into dust. I wonder how many weapons we can enchant with it? And could there be any negative side effects if I enchanted my claw?” Joe asked.

  “We'll find out. But you should come over here, Joe,” Zoya urged.

  As Joe approached where Zoya was hovering, he saw nothing to be excited about. There was simply an empty space of floor that looked just like the rest of the throne room.

  “Hand me one of those fangs,” Zoya implored and Joe did so.

  Carefully, Zoya began to move the fang in a complex pattern over the floor. As she pulled the fang away from her now-completed pat
tern, a seam appeared in the floor. The trapdoor slid open and the contents were revealed.

  “You found the treasury,” Joe announced.

  “Apparently, I did. If you're going to kill the queen, you’ve got to take her jewels,” Zoya beamed as Joe bent down and began to pick up gold, silver, and platinum coins, as well as a few bloodstones.

  “How did you know it was there?” Joe asked.

  “When I filtered the light through my sensors, I saw a pattern in the floor. It was the only place without dried splattered blood. I figured the mistress must have traced that pattern many times for it to be so clean. The only part of her that we had left was her fangs. I was lucky,” Zoya said.

  “Look at all these coins. They're from just about every nation within a thousand miles. Some of them are from nations that fell long ago. I don't know what the vampires were selling, but apparently, there was a market for it,” Joe observed.

  “At least for the next four months, vampire commerce will drop to zero,” Zoya noted.

  “Here's a silver lining for ya. Look at this mithril jewelry box,” Joe continued as he picked up the polished metal box out of the treasure vault.

  As he lifted the box, it opened on its own and inside, Joe saw the heart of a wraith.

  Legendary Item: Wraith Heart.

  Congratulations! You have found a legendary item: Wraith Heart. This is the heart of a Champion whose soul has departed. Through dark rituals, the shadow was preserved and bound to this heart that shall beat no more. When this box is placed in a palace treasury, the wraith attached to this heart may be summoned and commanded. Note: any damage done to this wraith must be healed with binding essence before it can be summoned again. As with any Champion, if the wraith is destroyed, experience will be utilized to facilitate its respawn.

  “That's awful. We should leave it here,” Joe hesitated.

  “Joe, don't say that! That thing has just become our number one palace security system,” Zoya pleaded.

  “But it's icky,” Joe held.

  “It's just a shadow. Its soul has gone to wherever souls go. You read that in the text. Plus, there's a chance that if we take this, we deny the queen her Champion,” Zoya stressed.

  “…and when the time comes, we could use this wraith against her. Yeah, you're right and it did say its soul was gone. It's just a shadow, but one that happens to be animated and burns anything that it touches…” Joe shrugged.

  “That's not always a terrible thing. That molding mushroom soup I was in smelled horrible, but when I woke up my sensors only registered its ash upon me. I still need a bath, but now at least, I don't smell like twenty-year-old cream of mushroom,” Zoya stated.

  ***

  Joe and Zoya continued to search through the throne room and were careful to collect every spec of loot out of the treasury. Joe was especially grateful to find several ingots of unidentified metals as well as seventy-two ounces of mithril.

  With everything but the wraith’s heart and the pestilence set put in his Holdall, Joe was ready to go.

  “I've done every type of scan I'm capable of. I think the place is empty. Oh, good call on carrying that,” Zoya said.

  “Yeah, I figured it was probably a good idea not to have a diseased shadow haunting my Holdall. Let's go greet our victorious army,” Joe nodded and the UI opened a portal and they stepped through.

  Chapter 49 - Happy Accidents

  City of Bolo.

  Day fifty, evening.

  Once again in the guise of a golden knight, Rook glided through the city square. A sudden change caused the catalyst to double over in pain. Before he could rise, he accessed the message.

  Apologies!

  As a consequence of the death of the queen of vampires, the level of contention within the Wild Mountains has dropped significantly. Due to the noticeable shift in the overall balance, you may experience some discomfort and power loss. The UI anticipates the possible return of a significant amount of lost contention sometime within the next year. Sorry for the inconvenience.

  “Curse you, Joe! There will be a reckoning.”

  Rook spun on his heels and headed east in the direction of the Wild Mountains.

  Chapter 50 - Epilogue Part 1: Forum Wall

  Welcome to the Forum Wall!

  This community forum is a place where all are welcome to join in on fun and constructive discussions concerning anything in this new reality. Please enjoy this new meeting place, but stay within the Forum rules listed below.

  No bullying/harassing/threatening/trolling. Even if you happen to be a wonderful troll.

  One person- One account.

  No profanity or explicit content- we want all to be comfortable on the Wall.

  No spam. If you wish to sell things on the Wall, you must start a new thread with the words FOR SALE in the title.

  All posts must be public, and not written in hidden codes. This Wall is for all.

  No commenting on other’s grammar or spelling. An ogres’ way of speaking is just as valid as yours.

  Required info: Forum nickname, race, gender, class, most important attribute.

  Thread- This is a weird dream… Continuation

  Current users viewing this Thread: 6

  Start Thread

  h0p3LIVESf03v3r joins from kindness and cookies

  h0p3LIVESf03v3r

  Dark Fairy, Male, Steward

  Gift- Authentication, Affinity time

  Post 8

  Start Post

  Greetings and salutations to those of this thread, whose thoughts and ideas become words written on the very fabric of reality itself.

  As I'm sure you can see from the text above, I have just transported here from the kindness and cookies thread. It was a magical place where ideas abound, such as, “how to grow your own herb garden in mason jars,” or, “10 tips for how to keep weevils out of your grain.” The free exchange of thought. Wonderful! Though I enjoyed such polite discourse, I have come in search of answers. Prettyfish informed me that this was a place for serious, frank talk. Though she has not chosen to post on this thread in a long time, she has kept up with it and said I may find the answers that I seek here. In reading through the backlog of posts in this thread, I believe she may be right.

  Specifically, you mentioned someone who might have been a dark fairy who was assisting a king. If you could provide me with more information about this individual, I would be in your debt.

  End Post

  fEEdsonpain42

  Hongaek, Female, Tormentor

  Magic- Death, Affinity absorption

  Post 67

  Start Post

  The official precedent of this thread is quid pro quo. If you have questions for Mr. Prince, then he will get to ask you questions in return. This thread is not sugar and spice. We’re a bit more mercenary. Now, of course, you're allowed to speak with as much ceremony as you like, just don't expect that from any of us. Even though the prince might be from a royal court- here, he doesn't allow that to get in the way of honest conversation. I’ve found that ceremony and tradition is really just another way for people to hide their pain and suffering. These things should not be hidden. After all, misery left unshared is like a banquet that rots uneaten.

  End Post

  wannaBEprince34

  Human, Male, Knight

  Magic- Fire, Affinity Metal

  Post 79

  Start Post

  I know you can't help it pain, but you really need to understand that most people don't feel the way you feel. As far as I can tell, to the overwhelming majority of people, pain and suffering are the opposite of comfort or pleasure. However, you are right about the precedent we set. A question for a question.

  So, hope, I will give you more information, but then I will ask a question. The individual you’re referring to looked almost identical to a light fairy, but with dark skin as well as dark wings. However, when I clicked on her, the UI said she was a “Machine Fairy Hybrid,” whatever that is. In my research, I�
��ve found that only dark fairy royalty can awaken magic in other dark fairies. The UI confirmed for me that this Machine Fairy Hybrid was an awakened mage. Unless there is a grand historical conspiracy, all dark fairies with an iota of royal blood are dead and long decomposed. So, most likely, she is something new, and not an official dark fairy.

  She was confident and showed no fear, even in the path of three platoons of knights with active fire shields. Her and the king she serves are a mystery that almost cries out to be investigated. The Kingdom of Dollmar, however, has other more important priorities, so we have decided to ignore the five-sided castle. Long live the King of Dollmar!

  Unfortunately, it appears that we are cursed to live in interesting times. It seems not a day can go by without something unprecedented happening. Just yesterday, a giant approached the borders of Dollmar and offered to pay a substantial sum just to cross into the Wild Mountains. Our king had a good laugh, accepted her money, and assigned escorts to her. The UI gave the king a bonus and the king immediately announced a new celebration to commemorate the first refugee to be escorted through their lands to safety.

  I don’t mean to raddle on, I know this isn’t what you asked about, I’m just still processing the implications of the day I’ve had. I apologize for the long post.

  …Now onto my question for you. You are a dark fairy! I have never seen one of your race before. Where have you and your kind been hiding for the last century???

  End Post

  h0p3LIVESf03v3r

  Dark Fairy, Male, Steward

  Gift- Authentication, Affinity time

  Post 9

  Start Post

  Your nobility and generosity are recognized and appreciated. I will do my best to give your question such a comprehensive answer. Though history does claim that all of my kind, of royal birth, are dead, I have never fully believed it. Magic is not something you can contain, it leaks, finds a way to restore what was lost. This machine fairy hybrid might be a variant of a dark fairy that the UI simply gives a more specific name to. This is a hope I can cling to.