Life Reset: Human Resource (New Era Online Book 4)
Page 48
The process was agonizingly slow. The searing light pushed back. I had to force my mana into it, burning through my pool like it was a puddle.
The small blot of darkness grew slowly. I clenched my teeth, refusing to let go. I summoned all my rage, hopes, and dreams, searching for the energy to just keep on standing, keep on the pressure. The darkness kept spreading, and the light receded. I could feel my mana pool bottoming out, but with the pressure now lessened, I was able to move. I took out a void crystal and inhaled it, restoring my reserves by half.
I was going to make it.
I could sense the light around me trying to fight back, despite being weakened. A figure started to emerge out of the information tendrils, slowly pushing into reality through the bright energy, but also being pushed back by the encroaching darkness.
It was easier now. The white surrendered before the black more readily. The glowing stone dimmed as more and more blackness oozed over its surface.
I gave a feral snarl of victory. I’d won!
There was barely a pinprick of whiteness remaining when the light exploded, and I was hurled back from the altar, crashing against a wall.
A glowing figure stood where I’d been a second ago, radiant in both beauty and light. Its majestic wings covered nearly all the available space. “That was too close.”
“Not another one of you guys,” I groaned, struggling to rise. I realized now, in hindsight, why Ragnar referred to NPCs as puppets.
“Hildiel,” Vic dropped from my shoulders, assuming his purple goblin shape. He frowned at the tall angelic being. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I came to defend my temple that was being defiled by a creature of darkness,” the tall figure replied calmly.
“Nuh-uh.” Vic shook his head. “You know the rules. If you want to play a deity, you can’t mess around with mortals directly.”
“It is amusing to play with the meatheads,” the VI named Hildiel admitted. “Watching them struggle to please me, all for a simple promise of strength and vengeance.” She looked straight at me. “But your pet here dared to defile one of my temples. I felt a little divine intervention was justified in this case.”
“Cut it out, Hildiel,” Vic said with a tone I’d never heard him use before. “I know you’re not one of Oren’s fans, but you’re crossing the line here. I won’t allow it.”
The Outrider smiled. “If it was truly against the rules, I wouldn’t have managed it. And as you so aptly put it, we all must follow the rules of the character we choose to play. You chose to become a slave. You are not The Deliverer here, Viriel; you have no authority over me.” The light around us started swirling, growing, biting.
Vic’s eyes widened in alarm. “Crap, Oren – run!”
The door slammed shut.
“I’m afraid it’s too late for you, Oren. Not even your fancy boss powers will save you now.” The radiant figure clapped her hands, and a yellow vortex appeared around them. It grew rapidly, eating away at the ceiling and the floor as it filled the room and rushed toward me.
I had no way to run. No way to fight such an immensely powerful being. No one did.
No one … except other VIs.
The vortex suddenly froze.
The Outrider froze.
Even the frays of her billowing clothes froze.
A giant number appeared on my view.
[5]
“Ordiel’s gift,” I murmured, realizing what was happening.
The door was still closed, so I scrambled to my feet and rushed to the altar, making sure to give the frozen Outrider and her vortex a wide berth.
[4]
The darkness started spreading again from my hands into the pristine altar, but the process was slow.
Agonizingly slow.
[3]
“Oh, crap, that’s the end,” Vic groaned behind me. “Hildiel crossed the line. I can’t stop her, Oren. That vortex will erase your character. I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I won’t get to make any more balls jokes at your expense.”
[2]
Balls jokes? My mind whirled. What had Ordiel said to me at the end? As the end neared, I found clarity.
And I recalled the Outrider’s words: ‘… you’ve got the stones to do what it takes.’
My eyes flew wide open. “The stone!”
[1]
I reached into my inventory, snatched the Gem of Darkness, and smashed it down onto the altar.
***
“Clear!” Hoshisu shouted from the top of the east wall, surrounded by her squad.
“Clear!” a few others shouted from other parts of the wall and the nearby streets.
Sullivan looked around. The player was bloody and hurting, but he was alive. Over half the army was dead, but the squads led by the players were still standing. The abundance of buffs, boons, and blessings Oren had given them allowed them to weather the storm better than the other soldiers. Already, the wounded were on the mend, their shared injuries being healed by oozing darkness.
Nero appeared out of a dark alley and threw a severed head on the bloodied ground. “I’ve found and killed the mayor. He was a worthy foe.”
“Did we just win?” Sullivan asked.
The players looked at each other, exhaustion suddenly leaving them as they realized the same thing. There was no one else to fight.
“Holy cow, we did,” Kyth said slowly. “And it’s all thanks to Oren. I thought that kid was crazy to believe we could do it.”
Malkyr chuckled. “Yeah, that guy’s the real deal. Did I tell you about that time we set out, just three of us, to attack a fort full of Ogres only to find out it was filled with demons instead? Boy, I tell you–”
“You told them that story at least five times,” his sister cut him off, looking around. “Where is Oren?”
A red-skinned girl pointed toward the center of town. “I saw him running that way a few minutes ago.”
“Are you sure?”
A blob of darkness rose from the direction the woman was pointing at. It reached higher than the tallest building. Three lines of darkness rushed over from outside the walls, from the direction of the three war camps, and reached the massive blob of darkness.
It exploded outward.
Darkness washed over the town in all directions, dyeing the streets and buildings black, transforming the rustic architecture into a darkened, gothic one.
“Pretty sure.”
***
Quest Updated: Servants of Darkness
Nihilator has tasked you with converting enough of the world’s population to grant him the raw power he needs to overthrow all other gods. For converting a temple of light under the protection of a deity, you’ve been rewarded!
Quest Type: Mythic
Progress: 14,953/5,000,000 (0.3%)
Reward: 20,000 XP, +500 Faith Points
Level up! X3
You have reached Character Level 55. You have 3 ability points to allocate.
The Outrider was gone. The accursed light was gone.
I stood and basked in the darkness, marveling at the beauty of it. I breathed in, feeling energy saturate me with power, patching up my wounds and filling up my tapped out mana pool.
This was now Nihilator’s temple. My temple.
With my mind’s eye, I could sense the darkness reaching out, coating the entire town. Bending it to Nihilator’s will.
Vic chuckled. “That Ordiel. I should have known better than to think he was trying to steal my ball-jokes thunder. That guy has no sense of humor.”
“What’s happening?” I asked.
“Oh, you’re going to love this, Boss.” Vic rubbed his hands together. “Check it out.”
You have used Nihilator’s Gem of Darkness.
You’ve expended the divine essence contained within the artifact to convert a small town’s temple to your church.
The Gem of Darkness retained its static bonuses, but the divine essence is gone forever.
Remaining Effects: F
aith discipline +5, Mana pool +50%
I felt my heartbeat quicken. Did I just make a huge mistake by wasting such a powerful weapon? Did I–
“You brought a divine artifact into another deity’s temple, Boss,” Vic said merrily. “I told ya you might not like what happens if you do that.”
Due to the low power requirements for the task, the divine essence has spread farther, reaching the surrounding settlement and distorting it.
Effect: Novenguard has been transformed by darkness and claimed by the GreenPiece Clan.
“On the other hand, you just might. Hold on, there’s more.”
New Era Online [Internal messaging service]:
To: @Everyone
Subject: Conditions change alert
Baseline conditions have been upgraded. Due to the unorthodox use of a powerful artifact, non-monster settlements can now be seized and controlled by monster races.
I wish the remaining players luck in what will surely be exciting times ahead.
Low regards,
-Shiva
“Shadow-crap,” I muttered. I hoped I didn’t just make the situation worse for the other stranded players.
“Boss, what are you talking about?” Vic seemed elated. “You just conquered your first town. Only two more and you can upgrade your capital to the next settlement level. Here, I’m sure this will make you feel better.”
You have taken control of a new settlement.
Name: Novenguard
Type: Town (Level 3)
Buildings: 96
Vassal Contribution:
- Daily Energy: 14,000
- Daily Resources: 600 flour, 100 meat, 50 fish, 120 gold
- Militia: 940 drafted civilians (level 5-10)
- Morale: +22
- Breeder’s Den: +2 level for newly summoned combatants
Capital advancement to Level 5 (City): 33%
The bonus to the level of troops summoned through the Breeder’s Den was, in essence, the true strength of my military-oriented capital. It guaranteed that we’d grow stronger as we continued our string of conquests. It was a small comfort compared to my sense of loss, but it did make me feel just a tiny bit better.
I closed my eyes, feeling the power of my unholy deity pumping through my veins.
This temple was now mine.
The entire town was now mine.
It was time to meet my new people.
I stepped outside the temple. Hundreds of my surviving soldiers, along with many more of the town’s residents, stood waiting in silence in the spacious square. Elves stood shoulder to shoulder with hobs, and Ogres towered over dwarves, humans, gnomes, and other ‘civilized’ races. I even caught a glimpse of a foblin who somehow survived the massacre. The difference between the races was painfully visible; one side was full of evil creatures that haunted the night, their sole purpose to sow chaos and destruction, and on the other side were those who defined monsters as such.
But now, they were united. The citizens of Novenguard stood next to their mortal enemy, unafraid, their skin stained with darkness and many displaying mild monstrous traits. I could feel my authority over them. They were my people now.
I looked over the crowd. “You’re all GreenPiece Clan now. One people. One shared purpose.” The masses looked back at me in silence. “We live and fight together. Work and grow together. Novenguard was just the first step. From here, we’ll spread out, take over more towns and settlements – all the way to the capital, Everance itself. We will turn this land into our kingdom, where all are treated equally … monsters, non-monsters, and travelers alike. To the GreenPiece Clan!”
“To the GreenPiece Clan!” the throng cheered.
I watched them with a critical eye but couldn’t detect any sign of dissent or anger from the conquered citizens. Despite everything, this was still just a game. The town’s conversion was complete. They were my people now, just as any other goblin, hob, or Ogre.
I looked back at the temple. The seamless stone walls had been converted into a gothic black building embedded with skulls, all signs of the Outrider scripture erased. But it didn’t matter. Somewhere out there was a person who could read that language.
Ragnar’s resurrection was thwarted as his respawn point had been hijacked, which meant he would return to life in some other part of the world. But that didn’t matter. I was going to find him, and he was going to translate the tablet for me whether he wanted to or not. I couldn’t explain it, but somehow that tablet was the key in our struggle for freedom.
I opened Novenguard’s Settlement Interface and smiled grimly at the result. The war had cost us greatly, but the rewards were equally great. Aside from the daily tribute it would generate as a vassal, the town was loaded with food and other resources. Kyth was right in insisting we conquer it. Once we recovered our losses, we would set out again – bigger and stronger than before.
I switched to the resurrection menu and winced when I saw the information. Over 800 of my soldiers were dead and awaiting resurrection. But something seemed wrong with the cost. It was higher than it should have been, even considering some of the slain had gained a level before they died. I scrolled down the list, hoping against hope that I’d see my general’s name among the dead. But of course, I didn’t.
A surprise waited for me when I reached the bottom of the list.
Resurrection:
● Charles, Human Fighter, level 48; Resurrection Cost: 480
● Dean, Human Fighter, level 46; Resurrection Cost: 460
● Graves, Dwarf Shield Bearer, level 39; Resurrection Cost: 390
● Doddly: Elf Illusionist, level 42; Resurrection Cost: 420
..
..
The list went on, 20 new names in total, most with levels in the high 40s. What the hell?
Wait. A thought occurred to me. Does that mean I can also summon non-monster NPCs from the Breeder’s Den now?
I ignored his attempt at humor. Still, that was incredible news. On top of non-monster NPCs being able to convert to my clan, they also assumed our ability to resurrect. I selected all the fallen and approved the staggering cost of 105,000 EP, nearly bottoming out our entire stock. It didn’t matter; we were now legion, and our energy reserves would soon reach new heights.
Everywhere around the open square, blue figures shimmered into view as my army materialized back from the dead, overflowing the open space. Looking at the masses around me, I saw everyone had gained at least a level. My weakest troops were now level 10, and some of the veterans had even reached level 30.
I looked at the squad of 20 revived town guards. They appeared dangerous and menacing, some displaying sharp teeth, some with protruding jaws or other monsterlike property. They all had dark patches over their bodies, marking them as Shadow-Touched.
“That is quite the army, kid,” Kyth, the gnomblin, said as he came to stand next to me.
“Oh hell yeah, that’s one hell of an army,” Malkyr said with his usual boyish enthusiasm. He paused and looked at me. “So … what’s our next move, Chief?”
Lirian approached me, and I put my arm around her shoulders. “We’re going to stay here for a few days to recover and organize.”
“Bob can do it,” Malkyr said confidently. “That guy is a troop-organizing genius.”
I felt a lump rise in my throat. “Bob is … gone. He’s not coming back.”
“Oh.” The big man’s face fell. “Damn. Are you sure?”
I simply nodded, not trusting my voice.
“We’ll help,” Hoshisu said quietly.
“We all will,”
Aly said. “You’re not alone in this, Oren.”
The rest of the players joined us, voicing their support.
I nodded in gratitude at the players around me. “Thank you. That means a lot. I’ve been doing everything by myself for a long time.” I felt Lirian’s hand grab my own. “We’ve proven that together, we are strong. Going forward, we’ll become unstoppable.”
With my newfound ability to take over non-monster towns, I felt more optimistic than ever. This was our way to win the game.
My gaze wandered beyond the walls, moving toward the far east. “Everance doesn’t stand a chance.”
30 - Epilogue
The door of the rundown pub banged open, and all eyes were drawn to the figures that stepped through. The four looked magnificent in their shiny, obviously magical gear.
The Mob Squad approached one of the occupied tables, and after a moment of staring at them fearfully, the lowlifes that were sitting there vacated their seats.
“I could get used to that,” Misa said cheerfully as she slumped down into a chair, putting her leg on the table. “Though I was kinda hoping for a rumble, take these babies out for a spin.”
Riley removed his winged helmet, placing it on the table. “We did get some sweet loot, but I’m not sure about this helm. Aren’t wings meant for women?”
“I think it makes you look imposing,” Raystia said earnestly. The catgirl herself had picked up new ninja attire made of expensive giant spider silk and enchanted for speed and stealth.
“Not to mention it was the only priest headgear we found,” Fox grumbled. The muscular bugbear slammed a gauntleted fist onto the table, cracking the wooden surface in the process. “Barkeep – food!”