Rise of the Crimson Order: A Crematoria Online LitRPG Novel

by Matthew J. Barbeler

I looked at this incredible creature with awe. I wanted to know how it had looked when it was still alive. I wondered how it moved, and if it had a voice. How did it speak? What did it sound like? How far away could they hear the cries of agony when it was burning?

  It seemed like Crematoria had some similarities to the real world. There were people afraid of the ruling class. The laws here in Eldin were restrictive. Merchants were required to carry their own merchant licenses.

  Back in the real world there was a license for just about everything. The Government was always there waiting to take their cut for you just living your life. They put laws in place and made those laws so convoluted and vague that they didn't actually mean anything specific. They were open enough that they could arrest you when they wanted, and most of the charges would stick. And yet when the system failed, it was never the system's fault. It was the fault of the individual for not taking personal responsibility within a system designed to outsource it.

  From Hugo's reactions to the Imperial Elite Guards, I got the impression that random searches were commonplace, and if you kept your head down and told them what they wanted to hear, that was fine. When the truth becomes a fabrication, and a lie becomes accepted as truth, you know the world is rotten to the core.

  Two children, a young boy and a younger girl, ran by me. They ran straight towards the Corrupted Ancient's feet and began climbing up the dead bark skin. It made for perfect handholds for tiny hands and feet. I looked up at the Corrupted Ancient's shoulders and the empty branches that sprouted from them and noticed the small figures of other children for the first time. They sat in tree forks and lounged in hammocks strung between the branches. It was so high up there. If one of them fell, they would be badly injured. But I couldn't see any parents around supervising. They could have been street kids or runabouts trying to play, out from under the thumbs of their parents.

  I almost wanted to join them. Maybe some other time.

  The streets in Banshee Cross were abuzz with activity. There were vagrants, squatters or other undesirable sorts. Everyone seemed to be dressed in soiled clothing, even those running cart-drawn market stalls. I was suddenly grateful that I had started with rather ratty gear. My worn outfit was just right to blend in with the people here. It didn't give me all that much of an armor bonus, but I would upgrade my gear before throwing myself into a situation where I really needed to defend myself.

  Walking around the Corrupted Ancient took a while. Watching that thing walk around under its own power would have truly been a sight to see.

  Crematoria Online was a world where Celestials existed and Ancients as tall as skyscrapers walked the lands. Compared to them, I was nothing. Insignificant. I kept my ears open for any interesting chatter as I headed towards Langdon Specialist Investigations, and one piece of information stuck in my head.

  Two men were huddled by a fallen piece of wall. The interior of the house beyond was on full display. Two young kids played before a hearth.

  "Streets are positively teeming with new faces today, and I'm telling you, I saw it get one of them!" one of the men said. He had a high, nasally voice, like a badly tuned flute.

  The other man was missing an ear. "Righto, mate. Sure you did."

  I stopped at the mention of new faces. I didn't really know whether the non-player characters within Crematoria Online were self-aware that they were in a game or not. I got the feeling that they didn't. Empyria seemed to know because she explained a lot of the game systems to me during the character creation process. Would that remain consistent when I found her later in the game? Or would she would revert to being a force within the game without knowing it?

  This conversation said to me that the people of Eldin had noticed the new faces that had come to their city today. They might be suspicious of us. They thought something was going on, and that we might be at the center of it. I would need to watch what I did and what I said very carefully.

  "I did!" Mister Flute said. "Something's going on. I haven't seen this many new folks in these parts for years and years. I don't like it. Maybe we should get out of the city for a few days."

  One-ear scoffed. "It ain't better out there. You want to get eaten by monsters, then be my guest. At least we've got the safety of numbers in Eldin, eh? Monsters in here have got more than enough options, and the chances of getting killed here are better than they would be out on the roads."

  "You wouldn't be saying that if you saw what I saw. It wasn't human! And it weren't no Elf neither! An Elf doesn't have a bloody tongue the size of a snake!"

  "What kind of snake? A little one like the one you've got tucked in your trousers?" One-ear said, with a touch of amusement in his voice.

  "I didn't stick around, now did I? No, I tucked me tail between me legs and buggered off, didn't I?" He ignored the jibe.

  "Yeah, you're good at that. Lots of practice."

  "It was sucking him dry," Mister Flute said. "I could see the color leaving him. It was sucking him dry, mate. What if it gets us?"

  "The only thing that got you was the homebrew you had last night, you silly sod. Now shut up. I'm trying to think about how we can rustle up some food."

  I kept going. A sign hung from the side of a rather unremarkable building. That sign had an arcane symbol displayed above the words Langdon Specialist Investigations. The symbol glowed orange with magical energy.

  I climbed the steps up the stoop and pushed the door open. A bell that was fixed to the door jingled as it swung inward. The room beyond the entryway was small, with a single desk facing the doorway. A few chairs lined the sides of the room, with a scattered few people sitting and waiting to be seen. There was an older lady sitting at the desk. She wore thick glasses that made her eyes look massive when she fixed her gaze on me. There was a warm smile on her face. She kind of reminded me of my late grandmother.

  "Can I help you?" she asked.

  "I'm sure you can. My name is Lucas Hutchins, and I believe Mister Langdon is expecting me." I retrieved the letter from my pocket and held it out to her.

  "Mister Hutchins! Of course. We've been expecting you! How was your trip into Eldin?"

  "Educational," I replied.

  "I'll bet. Eldin is much different from the provinces. There are more people crammed into these streets in a day than you'd see in a whole year out in the boonies. Anyway, I'm Lorraine Yeardly, and I make sure things run smoothly here at LSI. That's a challenge, due to the nature of our work, but I'm sure you know what you're getting yourself into."

  "I have a bit of an idea, but if I'm honest, I'm a little vague on the details."

  "Mm. Well, Mister Langdon would not have spent the time tracking you down if he did not see potential in you, Lucas. I'll let him elucidate further on the matter. Would you care to follow me?"

  Lorraine stood from her desk and motioned for me to follow her down the hall. She reminded me so much of my late grandmother that I wondered whether Crematoria Online had somehow dug into my memories and manifested Lorraine's character just to screw with me.

  That wasn't possible, of course. It was just my consciousness that had been transported into the game. It shouldn't have been able to read my memories, right?

  It was possible that it was just a coincidence.

  And yet, I could still access my own memories while in Crematoria, which meant that they too were here with me.

  There were a couple of other offices along the hall. I saw the names of two other Special Investigators: James Treborn and Melina Hartwood. A door further down the hall was currently unmarked with a name, and I assumed that if I took the job my name would eventually be stenciled on that door. The thought made me happier than I predicted that it would.

  Special Investigator Edwin E. Langdon's office was at the end of the hall. Lorraine knocked twice, then looked at me warmly.

  "Come in!" came the voice from beyond the door.

  So I did.

  I had never seen a mustache as magnificent as the specimen that adorned Edwin E
. Langdon's chops. It was thick and curled up at the ends, standing with such weight that it seemed to defy the laws of gravity. His eyes twinkled with excitement.

  Langdon's office was lined with shelves. They were each weighed down with dusty tomes and bric-a-brac that I could only assume were from a lifetime of digging into secrets others wanted to keep buried.

  "There he is!" Edwin said, standing from his desk. He was wearing an immaculately tailored aubergine suit. "I've been waiting for you to arrive, Mister Hutchins!"

  "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting," I said.

  He waved away my comment. "Thank you, Missus Yeardley. If you wouldn't mind, would you perhaps fetch us some tea and scones? I'm sure Mister Hutchins has worked up an appetite finding us."

  "Of course, Mister Langdon." With that, Lorraine left. She closed the door behind her.

  Edwin circumnavigated his profoundly over-sized desk and held out his hand. I took it and shook. His grip was like a vice, but I did not feel intimidated or threatened. I felt reassured.

  "Take a seat, Mister Hutchins."

  I sat in one of the two armchairs that faced Edwin's desk, and he took the seat behind the desk. He seemed to take up more room than he physically filled. Edwin E. Langdon had an aura of authority that made him appear larger than life.

  "I'll begin with a hard truth, Mister Hutchins. We can work forward from there. We here at Langdon Specialist Investigations see the absolute worst that this city has to offer. We take the cases that the Judiciary and the Empire can't or won't solve. We reveal true monsters that live under the masks of the men and women of Eldin. Taking a job here may draw the ire of certain elements of Eldin's population. But there are benefits of serving under my tutelage, and that's what I'd like to discuss with you now. Tell me, are you interested?"

  "I didn't come to Eldin to stay safe," I said. "If I wanted to be safe, I could have stayed in the provinces. I came here to make a difference, and I believe I can do that at Langdon Specialist Investigations."

  My quest log updated. Text appeared at the bottom left of my view. The old information faded to gray and was replaced with an updated progression summary.

  You have reached Langdon Specialist Investigations and met with Edwin E. Langdon.

  New objective: Choose your first case

  Edwin held three dossiers up in front of him.

  "We have three cases that haven't been assigned yet. I hope that you will not hold my honesty against me, but I would prefer to only assign one case to you until you prove you can do the job."

  Even though I knew this was sensible, and it would especially be so in the real world, the thought of a video game quest giver not having faith in my ability to finish the quests stung a little. Because of the implied uncertainty, I found myself unsure of my own ability to tackle the quests. Which was ridiculous. I played video games to be able to do the things that were impossible in the real world. I didn't play them to be made to feel inadequate.

  "Once you've chosen your case, I'll send one of my other investigators out with you. Eldin is a dangerous city, and things here have a certain way of being done," Edwin said.

  "Understood," I said.

  "Our first case-" Edwin began, but he was interrupted. His eyes lit up as he looked over my shoulder. "Ah, there she is!"

  Lorraine brought in a tray of warm scones. They sat in a cane basket, next to two porcelain bowls. One was filled with freshly whipped cream, and the other was filled with a red fruit jam. From the shapes of the seeds, I assumed it to be strawberry. I took one of the already cut scones and slathered a generous layer of jam. I didn't hold back on the cream.

  All the while, Edwin watched me from across the desk with good-natured amusement.

  "I love scones," I admitted. They looked and smelled like they were real. Better than they would have in the real world, in fact.

  "Good," Edwin said. "I find myself suspicious of any man or woman who turns their nose up at a fresh scone."

  Once I was done with the serving, Edwin prepared himself some, and he certainly did not skimp on the cream either. He bit into a scone while opening one dossier flat on the table. I bit into one of my own and felt my eyes roll back into my head.

  They were so damn good.

  Better than any I had ever had in the real world. The cream was thick, and the jam was sweet and tart in equal measure. The scones themselves were light and fluffy.

  When I opened my eyes, Edwin was looking at me with an amused smile on his face.

  "Beware those scones, son. They're wonderful, but you don't want to eat too many and end up like me." Edwin patted his stomach. He wasn't fat, but no-one would ever accuse him of being thin.

  "I'll watch myself," I said, and wondered whether I could actually gain weight in Crematoria Online. The other systems here seemed to be so sophisticated and integrated that it was entirely possible that weight management might be a part of the experience.

  "Our first case is quite an unfortunate matter." He spat crumbs as he spoke, and there was a little patch of white cream stuck to the underside of his mustache. "One mister Terrence Allsworth has disappeared. He's a high-ranking member of the merchant's guild, a resident of Upper Cromwell, and his wife suspects foul play. She would very much like to find him alive. How does that sound?"

  "May I hear the other available cases before I make a decision?" I asked.

  "Of course. A word of warning, though. Most of the cases that come across our desks are missing persons. Most of them lead to unhappy endings, and some of them do not have endings at all. The people who come to LSI are often out of options. They come to us as a last resort."

  "I understand."

  "The second case is purely investigatory. No laws have been broken yet, but we've been asked to investigate the comings and goings of a man named Glenn Elpeter. He is suspected to be involved with some dark rite going on near the Eld River Bridge. Interested?"

  "I'd like to hear the third."

  I started on my second scone. It was just as good as the first.

  "The third case is a somewhat delicate matter. It involves the disappearance of a child by the name of John Byrne. It is delicate not because of the nature of the crime, but because of where it occurred. The Allurian Orphanage has a somewhat storied history and reputation for its treatment of the orphaned children of Eldin. They pioneered techniques to rid troublesome children of their inclinations towards a life of crime. It is my understanding that young John Byrne was being put through some of these challenges and disappeared from inside a locked cell."

  I leaned forward on my chair, chewing on a mouthful of jam and cream scone. A disappearance from inside a locked cell? This sounded like a true mystery.

  "Who came to us with the case?" I asked.

  "A concerned party from within the orphanage. They did not identify themselves but included a hefty sum of gold to secure our services, and an address to deliver confirmation of the solving of the case. A less reputable organization might simply keep the gold and not investigate, but that's not how we operate here at LSI. We exist to shine lights into the dark corners of this world, Mister Hutchins."

  An impossible mystery, in a shady orphanage, looking for a missing kid. All of these cases were interesting, but there was something about the case of John Byrne that spoke to me.

  "Mull your options over as you finish your last scone, Mister Hutchins. We must begin these investigations post haste!"

  A new interface appeared. The opaque case screen hovered in front of me, just like my character and inventory screens did. The three dossiers were displayed, with a short summary of each case beneath.

  Trouble in Upper Cromwell

  Terrence Allsworth has disappeared, and his wife suspects foul play. She wants answers.

  Type: Missing Persons

  Difficulty: Easy

  Rewards: 75xp. Increases your reputation with Langdon Specialist Investigations.

  Bridge Over Troubled Water

  There is something fishy
going on beneath the Eld River Bridge. Follow Glenn Elpeter and find out what he is involved with.

  Type: Intelligence Gathering

  Difficulty: Easy

  Rewards: 150xp. One random magic item relevant to your class. Increases your reputation with Langdon Specialist Investigations.

  Rotten Heart of Alluria

  A young boy has gone missing from inside a sealed room in the Allurian Orphanage. Someone has left a hefty sum of gold for an answer to be found.

  Type: Missing Persons

  Difficulty: Difficult

  Rewards: 500xp. One random scalable magic item relevant to your class. Increases your reputation with Langdon Specialist Investigations. A Celestial Offering.

  I was only Level 1, and the wise decision would have been to take one of the easy cases. But I am not someone who shies away from a challenge. The first case sounded boring, and the only tangible reward was experience and a reputation increase. The other two quests offered more experience, and a reputation boost too.

  The second case looked more interesting, and would probably give me some further insight about the world I was in. A magic item as a reward was a good incentive to smash out an easy case, and I would get double the XP. I did consider taking the second case, but I could not go past the third.

  It really called to me. It was a true mystery, with over triple the XP reward of the second case, and a scalable magical item upon successful completion, and an increase in reputation with my new boss and maybe even the Celestial who had chosen me as her herald. I figured that an offering to the Celestial would surely be a reputation increase of some sort.

  Whatever reward I got from the end of the Rotten Heart of Alluria quest would remain useful to me while I was leveling. It would mean more hard work up front but would provide better advantages in the future.

  But I was puzzled as to what the Celestial Offering was, and I had to know for sure. I focused on the Celestial Offering and a tool-tip appeared. As I read the words, my breath caught in my throat and my heartbeat sounded in my ears.