Immersion Online: The Noob: A LitRPG Novel

by Evan Klein

  “Let’s finish this up,” I said. “We really need to be going.”

  Bondi once again used the powder and another small stone – this time to identify the wand and the necklace. Once she had completed her spell, I was able to see their qualities: Bone Wand of Cursing Curses. A long description of the wand and its properties followed. Bondi smiled in glee as she read through the numerous and powerful curses and hexes the wand held. Unfortunately, most of them would be no help against the undead as they were immune to most curses and hexes – for in essence they already were cursed. Bondi slipped the bleached wand into her belt and said, “Mother, this is for you.” Walking over she handed Mother the necklace.

  “A pretty trinket,” she said, “thinking they can buy old Mother, don’t ya know?”

  I looked at the necklace that now adorned Mother’s thin neck; it said Pretty Trinket. Only the most powerful can discern its power.

  Bondi turned to me and held out her hand for the coins. There were thirteen gold coins, forty four silver coins, and about fifty brass coins. Bondi and I haggled back and forth for a minute. I finally said, “Fine, you can half of the gold coins. But you will need to heal all of us of our wounds. The remainder of the gold, silver and bronze are going to the villagers.” I wanted all of us at full strength when we fought the skelters, so I agreed to what I could feel in my bones was highway robbery.

  “That is fine,” she said as she hungrily took the coins from my hands. She rummaged in one of her pouches and pulled out a fist sized root. She broke off pieces and handed one to each of us who had suffered damage. “Chew on this,” she said. “It tastes like dirt but your wounds will heal and you will feel refreshed.”

  Additional notifications popped up. “What was that one Angelica?”

  You are now Raid Leader, Level 1, 75%. At Level 2 you will be able to hold a slightly larger host.

  I plopped the healing root into my mouth. Bile rose to my throat. It tasted worse than dirt.

  “Let’s get going,” I said and we began our trek northbound through the woods again. I was pretty sure Haggerty would keep the rest of the way clear for us.

  Bondi voiced, “Very interesting how the cave held exactly something for everyone. And everything was magical. Usually can’t find a single magical item in a loot drop and here Mother happens to find an abandoned cave stuffed with magic.”

  I just shrugged my shoulders and said, “Don’t ask me. I just started playing this morning.” Though I was glad she thought Mother had something to do with it and not Haggerty and the corporation.

  Mother just said, “Sometimes there is just nothing more rewarding than a good pee, don’t ya know?”

  Chapter 11: Preparations

  We met up with the orcs about an hour later. Grothar came up to me and said, “We were concerned when you did not show at the agreed upon time.”

  “We had a little run in with Fizzls,” I told the young orc. I wondered if he thought we had abandoned him and his kinfolk. He nodded his head in understanding and I asked, “What help were you able to bring?”

  “This is Gronog,” he said pointing to large orc that stood by his side. He wore dark leather armor and a spiked helm sat upon his head. A long curved long sword hung from his hip and from the other one swung a one-handed crossbow. “That over there,” he said, pointing to another orc who was helping Hearn and the group from Freehold unload the packhorses, “is Krasha. She is the best smiter among us.” I wasn’t sure what a smiter was. But she had a hefty warhammer strapped on her back and I needed to remember to stay clear of her when she was wielding that thing. “And that is Backrack,” he pointed to an orc who was dousing our killing field with some alcohol the orcs had brought along. Like his kin, he was tall and muscular. A long, thick, spiked mace dangled from a strap on his hip. His mace put mine to shame. “And that is Magash whom you asked me to bring along.” The ogre sat on a large rock, eating a haunch of meat. He held the hunk aloft to gesture to me. Then went back to gnawing on the flesh.

  I hadn’t mentioned to anyone the plan to have the ogre come along. However, the Freeholders took it all in stride. They trusted me for some reason and didn’t question the presence of the ogre. They also knew an ogre fighting on your side was much better than one trying to smash your skull in.

  Human and orc worked side by side for the next half hour emptying out ten kegs of one hundred sixty percent proof moonshine. My plan was simple. Set the skelters on fire as soon as they emerged from the cave, hoping to kill and injure at least half of them, thereby equaling the odds, I hoped. Of course, there were a few issues. While moonshine, especially Hearn’s, had a high level of alcohol, it would still need a high temperature to go up in flames. That was where the two other kegs filled with oil came into place. If the oil kegs caught fire, they would explode, causing flames and shards of wood to shoot out in all directions. The alcohol wouldn’t burn long. But we didn’t need it to. We just needed to cause mass casualties quickly.

  Suddenly a roar broke out. “Get that out of here!” Hearn screamed out towards Mother. A thin cigar dangling precariously form her lips. Mother pulled the cigar from her lips, blew a stream of smoke, and then receded back into the woods.

  I stared at our ragtag band and felt good about our chances.

  I stared across our killing field at the cave entrance that in the waning light look like a gaping maw. Exhilaration and a little fear gripped me. Part of me looked forward to the fight while part of me was scared – but why be scared when I was basically immortal here. Maybe I was scared about failing. Failure was something I never handled well in real life. Perhaps I didn’t want to disappoint Haggerty or the reclusive Shannon Donally.

  It was nearing 8 p.m. game time, an hour before the sun of The Great Realm would recede and nighttime would arrive, when Cali, Jarrell, and Flora materialized.

  Cali looked over at the orcs and Freeholders. Her eyes set upon Magash. “You brought an ogre to the fight,” she smiled. “I like it.”

  “Figure he can wreak some havoc with that big axe of his. Maybe distract a few of them so the archers can pick them off.”

  “Why not have him go after one of the sergeants or the captain?” asked Jarrell.

  “I don’t think ogres are disciplined enough to stick to just one fight. Plus if the ogre takes on the sergeant, what would you do?”

  He looked at me and then at Cali, “That’s right,” his sister said. “We want you to take on one of the sergeants. Tank it out while Flora buffs you with spells and gets an occasional offensive spell off. Plus you just got that new axe skill this morning after reaching level ten. That should put a hurt on the sergeant even if a few levels higher. I am going to take on the other one. Mace was insistent that we don’t needlessly risk the lives of the Realmborn. You do realize they are code, don’t you?” She said a bit coldly to me.

  I ignored Cali’s last comment and said to Jarrell, “Hearn is going to handle the Captain. Their levels are similar so he should be able to hold him long enough till we can get him some reinforcements.”

  “I’m gonna wreck that sergeant. He’s not gonna know what him. Pow! Bam!” I could only smile at his enthusiasm. He turned to me. “And what will you be doing?”

  “I am going to try not to die,” I replied.

  “Ah shit!” Jarrell said to something behind me.

  Cali looked at him coldly and then Bondi came up behind her, tapping her on the shoulder.

  Cali turned around. “What the hell!” She looked at me with fire burning in her eyes, “What the hell? Are you an idiot?”

  “But I…”

  I was cut off when Cali grabbed Bondi by the elbow and escorted her a short ways into the woods. A smirk covering Bondi’s face.

  “You are screwed,” Jarrell said. Flora nodded her head nervously in agreement.

  “Who is she?” I asked.

  “She’s Cali’s ex…at least I think she is her ex. Who knows with those two? One day they are lovey-dovey and other times they are to
ssing things at one another. They had an all-out brawl right outside of Freehold a week ago. All kinds of spells were flying. A short time later there was silence, followed by giggling, and a few minutes after that they walked back into the village hand in hand like they hadn’t just thrown down.” Flora nodded her head again. Great, I thought, I had a lover’s squabble going on and we had less than an hour before our fight with the skelters. I had to end this right now. I walked over to the spot where the two of them stood talking in the way people speak when they are really screaming at one another but trying to keep it quiet. I decided a show of strength might work so I said, “I don’t know what kind of fight is going on here, but you need to take it to the real world. If not, you can both log off and we’ll make do without you.”

  Cali exploded. “That isn’t your choice to make! I was given this quest as much as you were and I’m not going anywhere.” She took a deep breath and with clenched teeth said, “You don’t understand. Ama…Bondi…will sell this location to the highest bidder as soon as this fight is over. She is all about the immediate reward.” She said that last statement like she had said it a hundred times before.

  “She’s right,” Bondi said honestly. “My beautiful Cali knows me so well. I plan to, or at least I planned to once I found out we were going to Shatana’s cave. Cali didn’t tell me that part. Did you love? Forget your obsession with Shatana’s cave and the backwaters of The Great Realm. Let’s sell this location, take the gold and go on a spending spree in Grandview or Fairmont or one of the other great cities.”

  I had to end this now. “You’re not going to do that Bondi?”

  “I’m not?” Bondi asked amused.

  “She’s not? How you going to stop her?” Cali asked

  “I have something better to offer you.”

  They both looked at me, with curiosity in their eyes. I paused a moment for dramatic effect and explained, “It is because I work for The Great Realm corporation.”

  “I knew it,” Cali said. “I told you Bondi, there is something off about Mace. He knows so little about the game but seems to know too much at the same time. In what capacity? Test player? In game programmer? Troubleshooter?”

  “I really can’t say. But they want knowledge of Shatana’s location hidden for now and they are willing to pay for your,” I paused thinking of the correct word, “understanding.”

  A glint of pure greed and avarice shown in Bondi’s dark eyes.

  “Before you ask for some kind of immortal weapon or a pot brimming with gold coins…don’t. You aren’t going to get something like that. But make it reasonable and I will see what I can do.”

  Bondi was about to interject when I cut her off. “If you don’t accept the gifts you are being offered and still want to tell everyone on the Earth and Moon, go ahead. The corporation is more than ready to shut off the cave forever, with no quest ever taking place here.” I heard a chime go off in my head and I knew my Liar! Liar! perk had just come into play.

  “They wouldn’t,” Cali stuttered staring into Bondi’s eyes. I thought this would hit Cali. Her whole plan had been for her and her siblings to adventure in this one area only and become the experts for all things revolving around Shatana and the seven human and three orc villages.

  “I am still okay with telling everyone,” Bondi said coldly. It will get my girl out of these backwaters.”

  “Mace,” Cali said with ice in her voice. “Can you please leave us so Bondi and I can speak?”

  “Alright,” I said, but please make it quick. Those things will be emerging from their cave in forty-five minutes and we still need to do some battle planning.”

  “We know Mace,” Cali said, “so stop mansplaining the obvious to us. Now go. I will take care of this.”

  With that I walked off and headed back to Jarrell and Flora, who were now standing with Hearn and the orc named Krasha. “Is everything okay?” Krasha asked in a deep, husky voice.

  “We are all good. Please do me a favor and ask everyone to come here.” I wanted to review the battle plan one last time and create a few warbands. Just as everyone was joining me, Cali and Bondi walked back towards the group. A wide grin plastered on Bondi’s face. Cali seemed pleased as well and just nodded towards me, indicating that my terms had been accepted. I am glad they were because I was bluffing. Shannon and Haggerty didn’t have any plans to shut down the Shatana storyline…but Bondi and Cali didn’t know that. If you are going to tell a lie, sometimes it is best to tell a whopper.

  “Okay,” I said. I wasn’t really sure what to say. I had lead police raids – and this seemed somewhat the same – but I knew it wasn’t. I didn’t have any inspirational words so I simply said, “I want us to have every advantage possible so we can all live through the fight. Once the fire is going, we need to keep our eyes sharp. I want the archers to let loose with arrow as soon as the skelters emerge. I am not sure how much a regular arrow is going to help since they have the extra hard skin. So you may want to use those flaming ones. That should rock their world a little bit.” The Realmborn looked confused by my last idiom and Bondi just mouthed “rock their world” at Cali, a huge grin on her face. “Hearn, keep up the defense as much as you can; hopefully we get extra help to you and take out the captain fast.” Hearn hadn’t really liked my plan for him to go on defense, but I wanted to keep him alive – like I wanted to keep them all alive. Magash just get in there and cleave anyone who isn’t one of us. Fighters, if possible, try to stay back to back or near one another. Flora and Bondi wreak whatever havoc you can with your spells. Flora if you are able in the heat of the battle to provide some healing that would assist as well. Bondi, do you have any more of that healing root that tastes like compost? Maybe we can break them all off a piece.”

  “Start chewing this as soon as the fight starts. It will keep your stamina up. If you take any wounds, it will heal you, but really slowly.” She broke off pieces, handing one to everyone.

  “That’s all I got,” she whispered coming up close to me. “It’s gonna cost.”

  “No doubt,” I mouthed back. Then I thought of our last fighter, “And Mother. You do whatever it is you do with the frying pan.”

  “Ne’re you worry about old Mother. This here pan has fried up many a monster.” I hoped she was being figurative and not literal. I still knew little about Mother, but was hoping to learn something of her abilities and motivations during this battle.

  “We got this,” Jarrell said. “They aint going to know what hit them.”

  I smiled at the young man’s enthusiasm and optimism.

  “Two final things,” I stated. “First, don’t forget about the killer thorn bush over there.” I pointed in the direction of the Piercing Death bush. I was really the one who needed to remember not to get too close since me, Jarrell and the archers would be positioned not too far away from it.

  “Next,” I went on, “we need to set up two warbands. I will form one and was hoping someone from the orc village would form the other one.” I thought it important that the orcs felt they had an equal role in this battle. I thought Backrack or Kasha would step forward to form the warband but Grothar came forward. As the son of the orc chieftain it would be his responsibility to lead the other war party. We had only a half-hour till sunset and the emergence of the skelters so I called on my virtual assistance to set up the two best warbands possible.

  Mace’s Warband: Raid Leader, Level 1, 75%

  Mace, Human, Warrior, Level 5. (This player has blocked additional information)

  Cali, Human, Earth Warrior, Level 12. (This player has blocked additional information)

  Jarrell Ironbound, Dwarf, Battle Tank, Level 10. (This player has blocked additional information)

  Fenil, Human, Archer, Level 7. Primary Weapon: Composite bow, Level 2; Skill, Rapid Shot…(more information is available if you wish to read on)

  Tenil, Human, Archer, Level 7. Primary Weapon: Composite bow, Level 2; Skill, On a Dime …(more information is available if you wish to rea
d on)

  Hearn, Half-human, half-unknown, Mercenary, Level 25. (This Realmborn has blocked additional information)

  Krasha, Orc, Smiter, Level 9. Primary Weapon: Warhammer, Level 2: Skill, Crack an Egg Open. Class perk: Enhanced Stamina.

  Gronog, Orc, Stalker, Level 8. Primary Weapon: Curved blade, Level 2: Skill, Slice and Dice. Class Perk: Hide and Seek.

  Current bonuses: plus 3 % to physical damage; plus 2% ranged attacks with arrows; plus 4% damage points with melee weapons; plus 3% loyalty; plus 1% damage for two handed weapon wielding; plus 2% damage with bashing weapons; plus 2% to courage; plus 2 % to stamina; plus 1% to frenzy; plus 2% to earth magic.

  Grothar’s Warband: Raid Leader, Level 1, 55%

  Grothar, Orc, Warrior, Level 4. Primary Weapon: Studded Club, Level 1; Skill, Ouch That Hurts…(more information is available if you wish to read on)

  Bondi, Half Human, Hedge Witch, Level 11. (This player has blocked additional information)

  Flora Flowerheart, Half-Elf, Air Mage, Level 9. (This player has blocked additional information)

  Gemil, Human, Militia Guard, Level 8. Primary Weapon: Short sword, Level 2; Skill, Deafening Blade…(more information is available if you wish to read on)

  Febus, Human, Militia Guard, Level 8. Primary Weapon: Short sword, Level 2; Skill, Hasty Blade …(more information is available if you wish to read on)

  Young Lucious, Human, Sentinel, Level 9. Primary Weapons: Long sword and dagger, Levels 2 (80%), 2 (90%); Skill, Ambidextrous Death. Perks: Call to the Siren and Diplomacy…(more information is available if you wish to read on)