There hadn’t been any time to choose an ambush point. His nakedness, a badge of honor just minutes ago, now seemed utterly ridiculous. Then again, his Snow Hunter armor set wouldn’t have made much difference. Its only resistance was to …
Nick was suddenly gripped by the electricity of inspiration. Maybe there was something he could try. Feigning dizziness, Nick quick-equipped his throwing knives and flung them at the albino. He batted them away with disdain, grinning with genuine delight. So far so good.
“You know, you’re a fucking horrible DEX build,” the albino said. “Let’s face it - you’re a horrible gamer. Can’t believe I’ve been called out of retirement just for you. Oh well, say goodbye to the world as you know it, Stanners …”
“Fuck you,” Nick said, infusing the words with every ounce of anger he had. Exaggerating his pain, he hurled one of his fire bombs, grimacing as it sailed over the albino’s shoulder. That was part of the plan too. SnowmanCometh stepped forward, falchion poised. Nick let him come, waiting for the last possible moment. Just as the albino drew the sword back for one final lunge, Nick quick-equipped his Snow Hunter set and dropped a fire bomb at their feet.
The blast almost sent Nick into death’s cold embrace, but his armor withstood most of the damage as it had a very high fire resistance. He’d remembered something the Maskar hunter had said to him in the Hammerhorst Mountains - the indigenous folks up there had been fighting Vanen for a long time. It was no surprise their armor was fire-resistant.
SnowmanCometh was swaddled with hungry flame but Nick remained standing. With a disturbingly high-pitched wail, the albino fell face forward and thrashed around on the ground. The body hardened into a crisp slab, then softened into ash. Nick marveled at his tiny, rather pathetic HP bar. Still alive. Just for a moment he enjoyed the simple, pure joy of vanquishing a difficult foe.
At length he limped out into the cathedral grounds. Bishop Haam, Danera Flint and a few blackened survivors waited there in shock.
“Vanen’s gone,” Flint said quietly. “We should leave now before the other Guilds arrive to take advantage of our weakness.”
On cue, a horse-drawn chaise came to a halt outside the cathedral gates.
“My entire force is waiting outside the city,” Flint continued. “There’s nothing here for us now.”
As for Bishop Haam, he simply looked out over the rubble of his cathedral, a hand clasped to his forehead.
“Never thought I’d see this day,” he said forlornly.
“Come with us,” Danera said softly, laying a hand on his shoulder. “You’re needed in Durandor.”
Something about the way her hand lingered suggested something deeper to their relationship. But such details didn’t really matter to Nick at that moment. He’d succeeded in his mission, but at what cost? Lee was gone, killed by another pixel runner. According to the rules of the game, that meant she was gone forever. The thought made him feel ill as he followed Danera Flint and Bishop Haam to the chaise and climbed aboard.
One of Flint’s surviving rogues roused the horses and they began trundling down a well-paved road toward the city’s Eastern Gate. The solemn night sky seemed irretrievably empty and desolate. Nick closed his eyes as his timer ticked down to zero, never more alone in this heart-breaking world called Oakshield Junction.
+4
The first thing Nick did when he “bounced” back to the real world was look across at the other Immersion tank. Lee wasn’t there. She’d left Clementine Towers as soon as she’d been expelled from Oakshield Junction. Nick peppered Mike with questions as he dressed, but all the Slovakian knew was that she had that “look” in her eyes.
It was almost certain that Lee would try and find solace at the bottom of a whiskey bottle. Nick didn’t like that scenario at all - it was a dangerous world out there, particularly now that she was a celebrity. Besides, if she was now out of the game, there was nothing to stop the Syndicate from kidnapping her, just like they did Emily Lambert. To have both women trapped as NPCs inside Oakshield Junction didn’t bear thinking about.
There was no point going after her though. Lee was as streetwise as they came, and if she didn’t want to be found, Nick could be searching all night to all avail. Resigned to worrying about her, he took a beer from the fridge and sat out on the balcony to check his messages. Amid the blizzard of fan mail he always got after a session, an official Syndicate update caught his eye. It was the points leaderboard for Oakshield Junction.
Having accumulated the most points in the first three episodes so far, Nick was well on top. In fact, all things being equal, it would be extremely hard for anyone to overtake him in the final session tomorrow. But, of course, Oakshield Junction was anything but fair. The chances of Nick surviving the last episode was slim to nil. It wasn’t in the Syndicate’s best interests to crown him Oakshield champion. Yul Sandor would be desperate to ensure he didn’t survive.
There was much to do. Nick drained his beer and accepted a huge bowl of Mike’s spaghetti bolognese. It was amazing how hungry he was after a day of Immersion gaming. He flopped on the sofa with Mike and his cronies to watch the latest news cast. The main story described how Vanen the Great Dragon, whom everyone knew was Yul Sandor, had bravely defeated the demon in the Cathedral of Blessed Decay.
The unexpected move had generated a ton of good publicity for Neutron Syndicate just when they desperately needed it. Nick had to admit it was a masterstroke from the Syndicate’s founder, who had single-handedly turned the public relations war on its head.
“This bullshit,” Mike groaned, drinking heavily to bury his disappointment. “People too stupid.”
Nick knew what he meant, but it was just how the media worked. The story of Vanen was a good one and it was dominating the airwaves. Nick still featured prominently, but only in the context of losing his “faithful” partner theblueraven. There had been an out-pouring of grief over Lee’s death, but everyone seemed to be blind to how it had actually happened.
Well, not everyone.
At the end of the news cast there was a story about a group of disgruntled Oakshield Junction fans questioning the legitimacy of SnowmanCometh. The fans were claiming that the albino Duelist, in summoning a demon, was actively trying to prevent mission goals from being completed. As such, he was more like an NPC than a competing pixel runner. Following that logic, Lee’s death was not at the hands of a fellow pixel runner, but a special character, and as such she should be allowed to return to the competition.
Nick’s heart lurched when he saw the groundswell of support for Lee, who was now almost as popular as he was. If there was the slimmest of chances she could be reinstated, he needed to make the most of it.
“Mike,” he found himself saying. “Contact all the major news outlets. Tell them we’re making an official complaint. SnowmanCometh wasn’t a legitimate contestant, he was a Syndicate stooge. We want Lee resurrected before tomorrow’s session or we’ll be asking viewers to boycott Oakshield Junction.”
“I do it,” Mike said, his fingers already dancing across his wrist pad.
“I’m off to see Inez,” Nick said. “Back in a couple of hours.”
Mike insisted on sending two of his men with Nick. The ride to Venice Beach was sombre as Nick mulled over the deadly game of cat and mouse his life had become. Mike’s men kept watch outside while Nick ventured down to the hacker’s basement. Cullen let him in, waxing lyrical over his victory against SnowmanCometh. But Nick didn’t have time to pat himself on the back. He saw Inez in the corner, her hands manipulating information on at least three lightscreens at once. The girl was a prodigy.
“Hey,” Nick said, sliding into a seat beside her. “Thanks for that brawler pit glitch. Wouldn’t have made it otherwise.”
“It was easy,” Inez replied. “Since you bounced I’ve been busy finding intel on tomorrow’s episode.”
“Before we go into that,” Nick said, “I need a favor.”
Inez nodded. “Lemme guess: you’re tryi
ng to get Lee back in the game. She was here earlier.”
Nick sat bolt upright. “You saw her?”
“She was upset. I’m not sure she wants back in. Especially if it’s on a technicality.”
Nick pursed his lips. That sounded just like Leadora Hill. Stubborn and proud to a fault.
“Did she say where she was going?”
Inez threw Nick an apologetic look.
“I get it,” he said. “Forget I asked. If you see her again, tell her I need her.”
Inez paused, then nodded. “I can do that.”
“Thanks. Now what do you know about the last session?”
“Surprise, surprise, the name of the episode is The Siege of Durandor. We think most of the action will take place in and around Durandor Castle.”
Inez looked troubled.
“What’s wrong?” Nick asked.
“You’re close to mastering a DEX build,” Inez said. “But the Syndicate won’t allow you to become too powerful. If you thought SnowmanCometh was difficult, imagine a posse of skilled runners looking to take you down.”
Nick could imagine that only too easily. Without Lee around, he was incredibly vulnerable. All he could do was hope that his in-game allies were able to help. After all, the Great Mage Picello and Bishop Haam were on his side.
The Syndicate controls everything,” Inez said darkly. “They can change the game in a matter of hours. We think they have contingency plans for whatever gear, weapons and strategies you bring to the final battle.”
Nick found it hard to swallow. Inez made things sound so hopeless. What chance did he have if Neutron was changing the game on the fly?
“That hole you opened in the brawler pit,” he said quickly. “Can you do something similar this time?”
Inez beamed at him, her eyes lighting up with pride.
“We can do better than that,” she said. “I’ve been working on something. Something big. If the Syndicate found out I’d be killed on sight.”
“Don’t take any risks, Inez,” Nick said. “Not on my account. You’ve been through enough.”
The teenager rolled her eyes, making Nick feel like a zealous parent.
“This is important,” she said. “It’s not just about you, it’s about everyone that’s been taken by the Syndicate. Taken or killed.”
Nick nodded, laying a hand on her shoulder. It was easy to forget that Inez had lost a loving father only days before her escape from Oakshield Junction. Any normal teenager would be neck-deep in grief, but Inez seemed to function differently. Her method of coping was to throw herself into her revenge schemes, sniping away at one of the largest corporations in the world. The best Nick could do was protect her back.
“I’ll never forget this, Inez,” Nick said.
“Shut up and listen,” Inez said, her face reddening. “My main focus has been the creation of an NPC. Not just any NPC. A seer.”
Nick wracked his brain but couldn’t remember seeing any such character in the history of Oakshield Junction.
“At the moment, all I have is a character shell,” Inez explained. “I’ll need to transfer the shell from NPC to NPC as a precaution.”
“What does this ‘seer’ do?” Nick asked.
Inez grinned. “Don’t shit yourself, but seers allow you to re-roll.”
Nick’s heart skipped a beat. The ability to re-roll … some games offered the opportunity, but to do it in Oakshield Junction would be massive. His mind raced with the possibilities. Strategically, it would be best to play that ace near the end of the game, when the Syndicate believed they had all the answers to his DEX build.
“The timing needs to be perfect,” Nick said, deep in thought. “You can make any NPC a seer?”
“Within reason,” Inez said. “I need to be discreet, otherwise the Syndicate will shut the entire game down.”
“Of course,” Nick agreed. “Will I recognize the seer when the time comes?”
“You should,” Inez replied. “Though he or she will need to be activated. I’ll scatter activation stones along your path. Just collect one and you’ll be OK.”
“You’re amazing, Inez,” Nick said, feeling emotional all of a sudden. “Your father would’ve been so proud.”
“We should be thanking you,” Inez replied. “Without you, none of us would have a voice.”
“What do you mean?” Nick asked.
Inez smiled cryptically. “Just take the motherfuckers down, Nick. That’s the best thing you can do.”
“I’ll try,” Nick said, wrapping the teenager in a bear hug. Now that Gideon was dead, he felt directly responsible for her.
“Stay safe,” he whispered in her ear. “I’ll come see you when I’m done with tomorrow’s session.”
“Fight hard,” Inez said with sudden gravity. “Tomorrow’s gonna be brutal.”
Within minutes Nick was back in the chartered flyer with his sweaty, foul-mouthed Slovakian escorts. He reflected on his conversation with Inez. Apparently he was some kind of political pin-up boy for disaffected youth all over the world. He wasn’t necessarily a political person, but in their eyes, his battle with Neutron Syndicate had turned him into a freedom fighter. Right now he didn’t care much about any of that. All he wanted was to be free of the Syndicate and to see his loved ones safe and accounted for.
As the flyer was buffeted by savage winds howling in from the ruined Pacific Ocean, Nick’s thoughts turned to Inez’s mysterious creation of a “seer”. In the context of Oakshield Junction, a re-roll facility was a game-changer. The only question was whether the Syndicate would cry foul if Nick changed his build mid-game. If they did, they couldn’t possibly be taken seriously. The Syndicate had such a long history of changing the rules to suit themselves that a bunch of hackers turning the tables would be seen as natural justice. In fact, the corporation would probably claim the “seer” as their own in order to save face.
Whatever the aftermath, now wasn’t the time to dwell on the issue. There was a lot of fighting to be done before Nick could even consider re-rolling. To that end, Nick hurried off to bed as soon as the flyer touched down. There was still no sign of Lee, but hopefully Mike’s viral media campaign to have her reinstated was well under way.
Nick found sleep surprisingly quickly. Three days of solid Immersion gaming had worn him down. He woke in the early morning when a cold body slid in between the sheets. He was too sleepy to know exactly what was going on, but he registered a familiar voice.
“If I do this, it’s just for you, asshole.”
Nick grunted in agreement, laying a drowsy arm around Leadora Hill.
When he woke, he couldn’t believe she was by his side. She reeked of alcohol and sweat, but at that moment it was the best smell in the world. It was Lee.
She looked at him with a smile that was equal parts affection and consternation.
“Looks like you got your wish,” she said. “I’m running today. The Syndicate folded.”
Nick rubbed his eyes, needing a few extra moments to process the information. Also, Lee happened to be naked under those sheets, which was distracting.
“They want it to look like a fair game,” Nick said. “When they finally kill me.”
“You should be a detective,” Lee purred. Nick tried to smother her with a pillow.
“Settle down - you fucking need me,” she said.
“I do,” he replied honestly. “I really do, Lee. And I know this can’t be easy for you.”
Lee gave him a look that suggested he was right. If anyone hated charity, it was Leadora Hill. She would’ve liked to have beaten Oakshield Junction on her own terms.
“You must really like me,” Nick said playfully.
“This is bigger than you,” Lee said, laughing.
Nick couldn’t argue with that. Seized with inspiration, he moved closer to her. Close enough to let her know exactly how he felt.
“We’d better do something about that,” she said, grabbing him with both hands. “Nothing like a pre-game
fuck.”
“You have a filthier mouth than me,” Nick said, already in heaven. “I think we should get married.”
The weak morning sun found the pair out on the balcony diving into Mike’s pancakes. Lee always liked to talk tactics while she ate.
“Battleground,” she said decisively. “They’re gonna come at us from all sides. Soldiers and assassins.”
“Then we’ll need to stay with our allies,” Nick said. “Not get drawn too far into the fray.”
“I think there’ll be two phases,” Lee mused. “The first will involve the kobolds. We should smash them, but the critical factor will be time. Hager won’t politely wait until we’re finished.”
“Exactly,” Nick agreed. “His forces will attack when we least expect it. Listen, Lee. We should probably -”
“Bond at the first opportunity,” she finished for him. “I couldn’t agree more. On the other hand, you did OK on your own in Ashk.”
She winked at him, causing Nick to blush. How did she do that so easily?
“Laying that bomb at SnowmanCometh’s feet was pure luck,” he said. “I’m gonna need more than that this time. I’ve been thinking …”
“That’s dangerous.”
“… I want to dual-wield. Like you. In the thick of battle it could be an advantage.”
“I dunno, Nick, it takes a lot to -”
“Learn. Yeah I know. Teach me on the fly and we’ll see how we go.”
“I just have one request - wear some fucking armor, alright?”
Nick grinned. “Just for you.”
Joe the technician arrived early and pulled Nick aside to tell him that eighteen other pixel runners were contesting the last session and that every one of them had been offered a sizable bounty for his head.
“How do you know this?” Nick asked, worried that such knowledge could get the poor man killed.
“It filters down,” Joe said, shrugging. “You’d be surprised how many folks are talking about you.”
Dexterity Build: A LitRPG Saga (The Complete Dexterity Build Cycle) Page 15