Continue Online (Part 5, Together)

by Stephan Morse

  This was Commander Queenshand, or StrongArm, all over again. Those near me were going to die. I raged with [Morrigu’s Gift], and another Traveler died. Two more nearby went down under [World Eater]s. Too many monsters, creatures, and [Sage’s Guardians] were in the way.

  I broke free of those trying to pin me down and started running. [Light Body]’s effect carried me forward more quickly than normal. Still, all my efforts meant nothing as the large burly man with skulls on his body and swirls of red energy stabbed his sword straight into Xin’s gut.

  A cry of, “Not again” never made it past my [Muted] lips. I tried to scream in denial but failed. This goddamned ARC wonderland of heaven and hell could only be considered worthwhile if Xin was with me.

  System Notice!

  [Blink] unavailable, [Escape Barrier] in effect!

  I ran another five feet, then tried to use the ability again. Envisioning that gut clench of motion that meant my body was being hooked elsewhere. The rejection notice came up again.

  System Notice!

  [Blink] unavailable, [Escape Barrier] in effect!

  Xin’s fingers twisted upon each other as the white skeleton crumpled. Its form fought through the breaking, much like mine, to get upright and protect Xin. Bone fingers clawed outward. The large sword in its hand gave way, sending my wife’s summoned construct toppling to one side.

  Everything slowed down even further as [Awareness Heightening] stopped being split between two people. Xin’s face moved slowly as her life bar continued a steady decline. Gone were the system messages and bars on my screen. One hand brushed through them all with a series of soap bubble pops in order to strike an appearing “yes” button. I silently screamed while accepting summons from Xin’s wedding ring.

  But it was too late. My wife’s health hit zero. The last vision to greet my eyes before a rainbow of colors overwhelmed me was Nam Redrum kicking Xin off his sword.

  Xin was dead again. The ARC feedback started distorting as my brain lost any semblance of sanity.

  Session Ninety-Five

  [Lithium] Powered

  I came out of the [Monochrome] rainbow beam with a blind leap and sent [Morrigu’s Gift] in an overhead slash. Nam Redrum’s blade greeted my center, but a high [Reaction] and [Awareness Heightening] kept me from skewering myself upon it. This player killer moved far too quickly for such a surprise attack.

  A dozen [World Eater] spiders were jumping about, looking for easy prey to chew on. I stepped back, dug one foot in, and twisted, then I bashed a spider with a [Power Armor]-covered fist. [Morrigu’s Echo] didn’t have enough durability.

  The metal suit spiraled into being as Nam attacked again. Each summon of the armor drained my mana. His movements were as fast, maybe faster than mine. I felt overpowered and struggled to read his body language. The other player leaned into moves like any dancer might. That was how I could manage to survive this fight. Instead of watching my partner for where their body would be and working with them, I simply avoided the strikes.

  “Do you think you can kill me?” Nam Redrum shouted and backhanded my blade. Sparks came off the man’s hand, but he showed no signs of being hurt.

  My attacks were clearly too simple. Feints were not a skill of mine. I relied on blunt force and sheer [Brawn], which meant nothing against this player.

  Still, Xin was dead because this man had killed her. This was my fault. I should have been there, in front of her, taken the blade that slid into her gut. I should have never let her take that train.

  “Do you think you’re the first Ultimate Edition user I’ve killed?” He laughed with a deeply disturbing tone that only enraged me further.

  Attempts at yelling back were blocked by [Mute]. Everything around me had been distorted by a chaotic-looking gray. Shapes moved in the background as SheHulk, TinkerHell, and Awesome’s remaining guild tried to bring the monsters together.

  He kept on bragging. “Thousands! I’ve easily racked up thousands of kills. Players, NPCs, monsters, you’re nothing compared to the best! Those sissies are afraid to log on now that this event puts consequences to their failures!”

  Messages flashed, and [Morrigu’s Gift] swung through them toward Nam Redrum. A stream of bubbles popped, then sparks flew as I once again collided with his arms. They were clad in red, and the skulls adorning his body glowed. Each one looked to be smiling at my failure to deal damage.

  “Pathetic! All the prizes they give you people and still you can’t outweigh simple skill and dedication!” His body twisted opposite mine, and behind him, a trail of red and black shadows flew off.

  My vision swam, and a message popped up telling me that I had been [Disoriented] by a mind attack. [Morrigu’s Gift] came up too slowly. His fingers jabbed into my side. They slid in like blades, and the asshole even smiled while wiggling them around inside me. I screamed, then [Blink]ed to his rear and tried to attack again. [Morrigu’s Gift] bounced off Nam’s side while those skeleton heads flared bright red again.

  I planted my feet, and without turning the weapon around, I brought it back in for a [Hilt Slam] maneuver. The move should have made him [Dazed], but instead, a skull started to fade. I felt my eyes light up in hope. This Traveler was weakening, but whatever damage I did had to be tied to the skulls somehow. How exactly eluded me, and I felt [Awareness Heightening] starting to fade.

  Nam Redrum swung around with a growl and dove a glowing hand through the air. Red trailed after it like an eagle’s claw on fire. [Blink] was down.

  I fell back and hit [Camouflage]. [Silent Threat] let me fade away despite being in combat, and the other Traveler’s eyes grew confused for a moment. I reached for my second weapon, then imagined both weapons transforming into pikes to skewer Nam Redrum. Both weapons extended rapidly toward his face. The enemy twisted between them and came down on his elbow.

  It drove into my gut and made me cough up blood. Muscles at my shoulder tore. Messages displayed, and a small icon of my body flashed with red. This fight wasn’t going my way.

  I should have trained harder. I should have bought better gear from the Auction House. Shazam would have known which skills to have. Perhaps being more aggressive as a [Convict] would have given me more experience.

  My health was dipping. [Power Armor] flickered into place as Nam’s body swiftly twisted to the right to slam me with his other elbow. A crack of flesh on metal made cackling skulls flicker again. They pressed against me uncomfortably, and it felt like one of them actually nibbled at uncovered flesh.

  My weapons retracted, and I turned my wrists to cut at him. Nam laughed and kneed me in the crotch. I writhed in pain. All my efforts had barely scratched him, and one remaining skull laughed in my direction.

  Pain made it hard to concentrate and [Blink] away. Both weapons shifted weakly to larger blades. [Morrigu’s Gift] peeled to reveal a layer of gold, while [Morrigu’s Echo] still sat with its obsidian coloring. Nam balled up both fists and slammed them into my arm, making me drop [Morrigu’s Gift] for the first time in ages.

  I struggled to get a lungful of air, then I let out three fast fireballs from [Breath of Fire]. Dusk’s body soared somewhere above, picking off [World Eater] spiders that got close. I could hear the girls shouting behind me and a large clash of gears.

  Nam’s eyes went wide. His head turned, and I jabbed [Morrigu’s Echo] into his exposed gut. My attack made the remaining skull dim completely. It chattered as whatever demonic energy fed the gruesome item faded.

  [Morrigu’s Echo] drew out, and I prepared to stab him again. Nam rolled off me to get away. I struggled to both feet, then paused as a giant arm spike came out of nowhere and impaled Nam Redrum. His eyes went wide, and my body stumbled backward while the [Sage’s Guardian] lifted him. He tried to cough something at me. His fingers curled with red energy as he struggled to reach my confused face.

  He gave up and twisted awkwardly to get a view of the creature impaling him. The spider drove two more arms forward while Nam fought off a fourth leg coming fr
om the side. He grabbed ahold of one of the giant limbs and crushed it with his bare hands. His body’s glow dwindled while the spider’s gears whined to a halt.

  I ran for [Morrigu’s Gift] and prepared myself in case Nam Redrum managed to get away. Eventually, both creatures stopped. His jaw hung open. Every other part of his body looked to be gored by the rapid-fire attacks of a dying [Sage’s Guardian]. I took a few breaths and checked their health bars with [Identification]. They were deceased. Whatever empowered the [Sage’s Guardian #4] had failed.

  A gasp escaped me. Xin’s body! There was still time. I ran over, then started wildly searching for her. Voices help me, I couldn’t even tell where Xin had died anymore. Her body was nowhere to be found. My hands scrambled around on the ground. Knees ground into rubble. Dirt lined the ground with a mixture of blood.

  Right here was where Xin had perished. I only needed to use [Binding of Hymenaios] and use its [Resurrection] ability for half my health. Triggering the item’s function simply required finding her body, then touching our rings together.

  Once I found her, but where was she? Did a [World Eater] get her corpse? Black spiders made of solid smoke still traveled the battlefield. Even now they chewed through buildings and enemy player killers without regard. Our smaller forces were busy pushing the spiders back toward our enemies. Dusk did most of the work.

  I started to wonder if I had suffered a psychotic break. Maybe Xin’s existence had been a dream.

  There were other noises in the background. Almost a rush of noise, like the Voices were all talking at once. It droned on while I tried to understand what they said. My head tilted back, and I expected a flash of light from the sky as Mother shut them up.

  Instead, I heard only the faint sound of mechanical laughing. It filled my head as my teeth ground together. I started to reach for menu options in order to bring up my friends list. Maybe she had released to the [Bind] point.

  Her name was online. I stood and ran toward the town. My hopeful charge toward the [Bind] point halted. Nam Redrum stood, alive and well, over the body of a dead [Sage’s Guardian]. He kicked it and crushed small [World Eater] spiders.

  I looked. Another player was in the back, casting [Resurrection] spells over and over. Another raider appeared next to the person in the rear, with a flash of green energy. They were all at around half health. Nam looked in my direction. He snarled and squished more enemies.

  With each bug’s death, the skulls on his body glowed a bit more. Two skulls were already full. A third lit up as Nam Redrum offed his own crippled team members and took down [World Eater] spiders. The final piece of his ability clicked in my head. He charged up skills by killing creatures.

  The person recently resurrected died again as a pillar of bone jutted through the air. I felt a daze come over me that wasn’t inspired by any ARC skill. Dozens of other gnarled spikes appeared all over the battlefield. Only one player I knew used bone that sun-bleached white.

  My eyes drifted, searching for her instead of worrying about Nam. There! Xin was hidden behind SheHulk’s giant shield. All three ladies looked ragged. My wife’s health bar sat at one hundred percent.

  My breath sucked in as I realized what must have happened. [Howard’s Phylactery], a ring I had given her because of worry, had triggered. Relief washed over me, making the pain in my shoulders feel absent. The ring’s ability to restore health upon reaching zero proved to be invaluable. My eyes closed, and I sent out a silent prayer of thanks to the Voices and Shazam.

  Nam apparently felt he was charged up enough. My own health sat at a quarter bar. [Leadership] didn’t regenerate enough. The large skull-adorned man gave a battle cry, then rushed in my direction. Skeleton bones faded from the people they held.

  I put up both weapons to block his sudden attack. [Barricade] activated, and my body resisted, giving way.

  “You think you can win?” Nam Redrum shouted in my face. “I’ll just be back, and I’ll see you scrubbed from this event like all the other losers!”

  The white pieces were assembling behind Nam. I nodded, then hit [Blink] again. Both weapons went into one hand and changed to simple three-foot-long poles. I landed, slid them over his neck, then pulled.

  Something crunched. He strained to get out. Our [Brawn] levels were almost even. Everything else might be physically the same. Our only differences were experience, skills, and items. He had partially charged abilities, and I had [Immovable Object]. My health bar drained while both Morrigu weapons sat locked as iron bars across his neck. I heaved to lift Nam back so that neither of his feet could find purchase.

  His face bulged. My voice was still [Mute], and I could only hope my intent was clear. Nam’s feet kicked violently in the air, and I yanked the bars tighter, strangling him. His health showed no signs of giving out before my arms failed.

  I was willing to trust my wife. She would know what to do next. Her giant skeleton was already formed and stalking this way. By taking us both out and controlling their [Resurrection] caster, we would win. The exchange would be simple.

  Sure enough, Xin’s giant white skeleton came up behind us and swung. The ARC visual sent pain through every piece of my body, and the world spun. Nam Redrum’s head popped off along with my own.

  A gurgled sound escaped as our heads sailed. Wind rushed through my hair, and I almost felt as if this were a simple hang gliding event. We landed, and dirt tore across my skin. I hoped his ARC showed him my gloating face as he lost. The darkness overwrote everything else, and I was left staring at a message while rubbing my chest.

  You have died!

  Part of my brain freaked out. My wife had just killed me without even putting a second thought into it. Or maybe she had—I couldn’t tell. She had certainly performed a feat that would be beyond me.

  [Resurrection] came fast. I looked around at the scene before me. Two [Sage’s Guardian]s were deceased. A few dozen [World Eater] spiders roamed the city of [ItRainsTooMuch]. Their bodies seemed distracted by the rain. Some tilted their heads back as if they were trying to devour the drops.

  Xin’s body hugged mine before the light fully faded. She looked upset and had plenty of reason to be. The world had returned to normal color, and I felt able to speak.

  “Is he still able to play?” I asked with a scratchy voice.

  The man had led an army that had put us through rapid-paced hell, and we needed to make sure this was over. [Sight of Mercari] made me dizzy. Awesome stood to one side with two prisoners. One was a [Resurrection]-spamming player. The woman next to him looked dizzy and upset.

  She responded first while sighing. “He only has one strike. No matter what you do, he’ll be back for his tokens.”

  No, if that were the case, we would solve this now. Nam Redrum needed to die, but that had to come from the [World Eater]s. Not a gear-operated spider or a brick falling from the sky. Accidental damage and dumb luck, a sacrifice ploy, none of it mattered if this person who relished killing other Travelers was intent upon stalking us.

  And he had been. Clearly the man had some weird fixation upon me.

  “Then you need to resurrect him,” I said while eyeing the [World Eater]s. We only needed to arrange a proper death.

  “They can res him, but he probably won’t accept.” Awesome stood nearby and looked exhausted. One of his arms dripped blood, and his shirt had been torn clean through. “They have people watching over video feeds like we do. We control the field. It’s not safe for him to come back, so why would he?”

  “Bring him back.” I tried to remain calm while speaking to the enemy group members.

  The man’s head shook in a panic.

  “Do it.”

  Good threats escaped me. These people had charged down here knowing their virtual bodies might die. The fact that none of them had logged out felt weird, but maybe they were playing it safe.

  “Your friend’s right. It’s a waste of time. He won’t resurrect until you’re all gone. Why should he?” The man shrugged as if my threats
and desires meant nothing. “But whatever, it’s not like any of us give a shit.”

  How messed up was this? With the new viewing mechanics, anyone could be watching us online. They could share with their in-game friends what was happening. People could be hunted down. Others had probably fed players to the [World Eater]s just like we did. Execution for past debts and digital sins.

  There had to be a way to end this once and for all. Dusk barfed fireballs at [World Eater]s who ventured too close. Staring at the [Messenger’s Pet] reminded me that there were ways around game mechanics if one had access. I could perform some tricks despite having used all three [NPC Conspiracy] abilities. Especially since this idea would keep Xin safe from a madman who would probably seek revenge.

  How long would it take me to get to the van? A few minutes? Two, in reality, would be eight in game, give or take a few. The battlefield was under our control. SheHulk and TinkerHell were cleaning up monsters and resurrecting their clan members. I pondered my actions while reports of those getting their [Third Strike] came back. Even [Resurrection] skills didn’t save people after they hit number three.

  “Herd the World Eaters together!” I shouted to the others. Then I whispered to Xin, “Wait here.”

  Logging out washed my senses with home. The air was still and unmoving. My real body felt sluggish. Our rush of combat had come quickly after little sleep. There wasn’t time for more than a restroom break, meal bar, and drink in rapid succession. Dizziness threatened to pull me down with every step.

  Once in the Trillium van, I crossed a moral line. Nam Redrum’s Continue Online account was active. According to my feed, he idled in the player afterlife, checking an Internet messaging board. While he looked away, I used my admin access to auto accept resurrections.

  I logged back in quickly enough to see a stupefied version of Nam Redrum. His skulls were all missing their red glowing inner light. Whatever empowerments he had were gone, and we could strike before the man recovered.