The Wraith of Valenastrious: A LitRPG Epic (World of Samar Book 1)

by LitRPG Freaks

  Dennis leaned back against the couch, his expression still a mystery. “He was. I turned him down along with several others. None of them took it lightly, but I never thought Paris would send his men into my facility.”

  “I didn’t have much of a choice,” Harrison muttered.

  “Meaning what exactly?”

  “That guy’s a loan shark. And I uh, I owed him money, a lot of money,” Harrison admitted with a cringe. “I gambled and drank, it’s why I disappeared from the gaming world to begin with.”

  “You expect me to believe this?”

  “No, but it’s the truth,” Harrison insisted. “He said after this month I would earn enough money to pay him back and I hoped that would be the end of it, but…it wasn’t.”

  Dennis’ eye twitched. “He wanted you to steal information from the game for him.”

  “Yes.”

  “And that is what you were up to the night I found you in the lab.” Again, another statement.

  Harrison’s head bobbed as guilt twisted his gut.

  “Does this man have anything to hold against you, anything out there that you need to worry about protecting?”

  Confused by the question, Harrison remained silent.

  “Harrison,” Dennis said, leaning forward, “do you have family, friends that Paris could hurt if you do not pay him back or deliver this information?”

  “What does that have to do with anything? You’re kicking me out of here, aren’t you? Arresting me or something for espionage.”

  Dennis stared at him long and hard before bursting out laughing. “I will not say I’m not disappointed in you not simply telling me the truth, but no I am not kicking you out of my facility. In fact, since I now understand your actions better, I am more apt to offer you something in return for drawing out the one behind the sabotage, albeit unwittingly.”

  Harrison was sure he misheard him. “You’re…you’re letting me stay?”

  “Yes. Rodney was the one we caught with a knife, attacking another beta tester and trying to steal my files. You on the other hand were the brave man who stepped in and tried to stop him,” Dennis explained the situation away with a wave of his hand.

  “But, Paris sent me here.”

  “Wrong. Paris somehow intercepted your letter. You would have been brought here either way.”

  Harrison’s sank into the chair in relief, grinning like a madman. “You have no idea how incredible this is.”

  “I’m afraid what’s happening with one man’s temper tantrum is far overshadowed by what is currently happening within the game I created,” Dennis said. “Out of the all the staff I have playing it, including me, the game has never reacted this way. Not until you arrived. It was one of the many reasons a letter was sent to you in the first place. Your time here is far from over, Harrison Harper.”

  “Still, the beta only has two weeks left.”

  Dennis shrugged. “For those we don’t deem fit to continue. There are select players who will be offered the chance of staying longer. I’m sorry I misspoke. Staying until the game is finished completely and ready to be released.”

  “You want me to stay for that long and keep playing? What about Pairs?”

  “Son, let me tell you something. How do you think I built this facility and created this game?”

  Harrison glanced around at the luxury apartment housed in a state of the art tech building. “Luck?’

  “I have worked like a slave for many, many years, and today I have more money than I know what to do with. I will pay your debt off to Paris and, if he insists on trying to steal any more tech from me, I will personally drag his butt here, throw him into the game, and kill him over and over again until he suffers permanent damage,” Dennis ranted.

  “Can…can that actually happen?” Harrison asked, alarmed.

  Dennis’ face softened before he let out a loud laugh. “No, but he doesn’t have to know that part.”

  “I don’t know how I can thank you for this, really.”

  “I’m afraid it is I who should be thanking you. Your presence here has awoken something in this game I never foresaw. You must be here while we continue to work through the glitches and see where else this path of yours leads.”

  Harrison had to be dreaming. He went from Rodney holding a knife to his back and thinking he was about to die to being offered what sounded like a permanent place with Dennis and his team.

  He grimaced, wondering if his guild would hear about all of this and how much they would hate him. Then, maybe his luck would hold out and they would be none the wiser. All he needed was a chance to explain and they would understand. He knew they would.

  He prayed they would.

  “Now then, it has been a long day for all of us. Why don’t you retire to your room for the evening?”

  “You’re sure? Just like that?”

  “Just like that. I may be keeping a close eye on you for a while, but only as a precaution. I’m sure you understand.”

  “Yeah sure, no problem. And Rodney?”

  Dennis smirked. “Let me take care of him and his boss. You have more important matters to attend to, like helping me understand why my NPCs are acting differently than I expected.”

  Harrison’s gut twisted again. “Should I be worried moving forward at all?”

  “I would like to say no, but I am nothing if not a realist. You are leading us into uncharted territory. All I can say is stay vigilant. Now then, get a good night sleep. You’re going to need it for the next few days to come.”

  Chapter 15

  Harrison woke the following morning and walked to the cafeteria, unsure of what he would find once he sat down with his guild.

  Jimmy and Alana flirted as always, and the others greeted him with smiles. Thus far, no strange looks or questions about where he was yesterday evening. Breakfast was finishing up and Harrison’s spirits were on the rise.

  “So,” Alana said on their way to the lab, “I’m assuming you’re going to tell us all about what the hell happened yesterday.”

  He cringed inwardly. “I guess you won’t believe me if I say I was sick?”

  “Considering that’s not what Tyler and Dennis said, nope, not a chance.”

  “I guess if I don’t have a choice, then we’ll gather at the house and have a meeting.”

  “We’re all still at the Sanctuary. You might have to come get us so we don’t have to run all the way back to Weston.”

  Harrison gave her a firm nod. “Right, I guess we can just talk about it there.”

  “Whatever you say, boss,” Alana replied. “And you better not leave anything out.” She poked him hard in the chest for emphasis before heading off to her station.

  “What was that about?” Jimmy asked.

  “You’ll find out soon enough.”

  “Oh, was she giving you shit about yesterday? I hope so because if she doesn’t, I will. What the hell happened, man? We heard some crazy shit going on.”

  Harrison groaned. “We’ll talk about it, all of it.”

  “Good. You can’t lead a guild if you keep secrets from its members. Remember, the first rule we made? And here you are breaking it.”

  Jimmy and Harrison stepped to their stations, lay back on the angled tables, and made ready to enter Samar again. Jimmy chatted happily with Tyler before the man switched sides and started working on Harrison.

  “By the way, Dennis caught me up with what’s going on with you,” Tyler whispered. “This time, don’t log out during the events, his orders.”

  “What if things get a bit hairy?”

  Tyler’s lips thinned. “He didn’t say anything about that. Good luck then!”

  Harrison shut his eyes once the headgear was secure and hoped Dennis wasn’t letting him walk into some kind of a trap. Even worse than that, he had to face the possible anger of his guild, the only real family he had left.

  ***

  Bishop stretched his hands and neck out as his feet landed solidly on the Sanctuary ston
es in the open courtyard. The place was bustling with priests going about their duties as if it had never been under attack in the first place.

  He watched as the rest of his guild logged into the game and hustled over to his side. He whistled for Willy, and the white wolf bounded over to him from out of a nearby doorway.

  “What were you doing in there, huh?” Bishop asked, kneeling down to pet the wolf. Willy sat down before him, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. Bishop caught the whiff of bacon and smirked. “Was someone feeding you while I was away?”

  Willy yipped and bounced to all fours.

  “I guess Valen and Tavin aren’t the only ones acting out of character,” he murmured.

  Bishop straightened and waved over the rest of his guild. He guided them inside the large opening leading into the main temple and shut the doors behind everyone. A fire burned in the hearth, but there was no heat when he held out his hands, at least not to him. He was too numb with guilt and anxiety over what his guild would do to him when they learned the truth.

  “Alright, Bishop, spill’em,” Benji snapped. “What happened yesterday?”

  “When I was down by the doors,” he told them slowly, “Valenastrious appeared to me again.”

  A few of them gasped and Maverick’s eyes narrowed to dangerous slits as she tapped the end of her spear against the floor.

  “She came and tried to talk to me again, but something was off about her. She said things she shouldn’t have known as an NPC. And then, when I couldn’t get away, I panicked and summoned Tavin with the horn.”

  Benji and the other half-breeds nodded, the first quickly reminding the others who Tavin was in their main story line. “And, what happened?”

  “She fought Valen, just like that. Neither one had life bars. And then, Tavin told me to run.” Even now, flashes of that fight filled his mind and he shook his head trying to make sense of it all. “Dennis told me something is happening in the game. It’s reacting to players differently than expected.”

  “Is that good or bad?” Jimmy asked. “Are they going to, I don’t know, break out of the game and kill us in real life—ow! That was a valid question!”

  Maverick rolled her eyes. “So you were with Dennis the rest of the day?”

  Bishop wanted to simply agree and leave it at that, but the guilt weighed down on him. “No, actually there’s more. I should have told you all from day one, but you were the first bunch of people I’ve been able to call friends, in such a long time…I was scared.”

  “Of what?” Maverick’s gaze intensified even more, making Bishop feel small enough for her to step on with those damn boots. “Bishop?”

  “I was sent to this game because of a letter like all of you, but there’s a bit more to my past than I let on and…and all of that came to light yesterday.” He sucked in a deep breath, willing his hands to stop shaking so hard, and he let them all in on what he went through the past year.

  He rambled on, starting with his gambling problem that he thought he had under control until he lost everything. He told them about Paris Benson and the loans he took out, his year spent drinking himself into a stupor after his wife and kid had left him. Bishop talked and talked, spilling every last gritty detail to them, ending with how he was sent to the beta test to steal information and send it back to Paris. He was there to essentially sabotage the game.

  “But I never wanted to,” he insisted, when he finally finished his story, ending with what happened last night. “I figured here, eventually, there would be a chance to come clean. I’m sorry, really. This is not something I’m proud of.”

  Maverick chewed on her bottom lip, glaring at him fiercely as the others glanced at each other. Bishop wrung his hands, waiting for them to yell at him, to get out and drop out of their guild. What he didn’t expect was Jimmy hopping up and clapping him on the shoulder.

  “Eh, shit happens I guess. You’re not doing it, right? Stealing from the game?”

  “No, never wanted to, and now I would do anything to keep it going. Swear it.”

  Jimmy faced the rest of the group. “Well gang?”

  “I’m more interested in this whole deal with Valenastrious,” Giles piped up.

  “Same,” Arthur agreed. “And we still have a few levels to get through before the next dungeon. How about we stop wasting time and get something done today?”

  His words were met with loud cheers, and they filed after Arthur into the courtyard. Bishop watched them leave, before he too left the room. He was not about to be caught alone again, at least not anytime soon.

  They ran through their logs and decided which route to take first and what quests to tackle. Bishop tagged along and, though everyone laughed and smiled around him, he could sense their annoyance at him. Maverick’s smile was clearly fake, shooting daggers at him from across a clearing that afternoon. He tried to return the smile, but hers faltered and she rolled her shoulders as if fighting the urge to shift and attack him instead of the imps they were wiping out.

  The rest of the day passed with Bishop caught between sensing their anger, wondering if he should just poke the sleeping bear or let them have their time to get over their issues with him.

  When the next day rolled around and the tension was still tangible, Bishop realized he would have to find a way to make it up to them.

  You have reached level fifteen.

  New Skills Gained: Silent Arrow, Stunning Blow, and Penetrating Shot.

  Bishop glanced over his new skills and worked on setting them in his skill tree. He chose the Silent Arrow, a silencer and interrupter, and the Penetrating Shot that reduced the target’s armor by ten percent.

  “Whelp our fearless leader was the last one,” Jimmy announced, draping his arm over Bishop’s shoulders. “That means tomorrow we do the dungeon!”

  “What about the LongBeards?” Giles asked, slinging his bow across his body. It was newly equipped, crafted from the bones and teeth of imps. It was an impressive piece and fit in with the rugged look Giles’ gear was slowly taking on.

  “Let me see with Trajan.” Jimmy sent the message, and they all let Bishop take them back to the guild house so they could find merchants nearby, craft what they needed to, and dump materials before having to log out for the day. “Oi! Trajan said they have two more players a sliver away from leveling. They’re in for tomorrow.”

  “Game time, people,” Maverick announced. “Do what you need to prepare for tomorrow.”

  A few of them stayed at the house, but most left to sell and craft. Bishop found himself out on the front step with Willy at his side, watching NPCs and players alike pass on the street outside.

  Absently, he stroked Willy’s head, letting his fingers feel the soft fur as he closed his eyes. Why couldn’t this just be his world? Why did he have to go back to a place that nearly destroyed him? Here, playing as this character, he could be his true self, the hero. In the other world, he was nothing more than a criminal and a traitor to his friends. A failure to his family.

  After a while, Bishop stood, stretching his arms over his head, and he checked his materials. He had enough to craft a new bow, though he wasn’t sure he deserved it.

  The guild needs you to be at your best tomorrow, remember? You’re the leader. Don’t be a selfish ass wallowing in self-pity, he scolded himself.

  The remainder of the time that day was spent creating a new bow slightly better than the one he currently had. When time came to name it, his fingers hovered over the letters before him. What did he name a bow he didn’t even feel he earned? Scrunching his face in thought, he let his hand fall to his side before he finally decided and typed it in.

  The Destroyer.

  It suited his life and his role in it so far. Bishop equipped the new dark chestnut colored bow and walked back to the house, taking his time and thinking about tomorrow.

  ***

  Bishop stared up at the doors to the second dungeon and sighed. At least this time, the rest of the beta testers weren’t out t
here in the real world watching. It was just him and his guild, along with the LongBeards. He glanced over his shoulder.

  “Where’s Trajan and the rest of his guild?”

  “Oh they’re coming, don’t worry,” Maverick answered. “We said we would summon them once we were inside and picked up whatever quests were available.”

  Bishop nodded slowly, an uneasiness settling in his chest. “When did we decide this?”

  “Yesterday, I’m sure we told you.”

  “Guess I missed it,” he said, not wanting to cause problems. “Ok, everyone ready then?”

  They nodded as one, and the eeriness of it sent a chill down Bishop’s spine. They were up to something, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to know right before walking into a dungeon.

  He faced the doors and pushed them open. They creaked inward, echoing off the stone corridor they stepped into. Unlike the first dungeon, this one was easy to navigate. It was shaped like a beehive and they had started at the upper level. Instead of bees flying around, though, there were dragons. They were small, each as tall as a man, but their fire dripped from their mouths as they fluttered around.

  “A nest. The dungeon is a dragon nest,” he murmured. “I wonder what other surprises we’ll find further inside.”

  “Why don’t you go ahead and take point, leader,” Maverick urged. “We’ve got your back.”

  “I’m not a tank,” he argued.

  “No, but you don’t have to pull all of them,” Jimmy said. “Just get the first one, you know, that one right there.”

  Bishop gripped his bow hard. “If you insist, I guess. I thought we were going to wait for the LongBeards.”

  “They’ll be here, still waiting for the quests to pop up.”

  He frowned at them all. None of what they said made sense, but he didn’t want to stir up any more tension so he turned and faced the first line of dragons.

  He drew back his bow, aiming for the first level fifteen dragon and made ready to fire. Just as he was about to release his Increased Swift Bow, Jimmy tipped his bow and, with a curse from Bishop, his shot went wide and struck a dragon half way down the first ramp.