With that, Sophia spins and is gone before she can make a full rotation.
“I’m going to log out for just a second,” Ryuk tells his guildmates. “I want to tell Hajime what’s happening. I need to tell him about my brother.”
He lifts his finger, and as it has countless times in the past, the logout button appears.
Chapter 29: House Call
Ryuk wakes to the sound of something crashing in the living room. As the sine waves filter away, he becomes aware that he is now in his real world avatar.
He gulps in a fresh breath of air and removes his NV Visor. His bedroom is warm, the red light on the air conditioner signaling that the heater is on. His haptic gloves off, Ryuk first glances to the corner of his bedroom, looking yet again for the spider.
Nothing.
As his vision blurs into focus, more signs of a struggle meet his ears. His first thought is that his brother’s henchmen have come and that Hajime is handling them.
His heart pounding against his chest, Ryuk quickly casts this thought aside when a new, more sinister thought comes to him.
Kodai’s female humandroid.
As soon as his eyes adjust to the darkness of his room, Ryuk slips out of bed and crouch-walks to his bedroom door. Every nerve in his body firing, he closes his eyes and tries to discern what could possibly be happening in the other room.
His mind a whirlwind of fight or flight thoughts, Ryuk breathes as deeply as he can, hoping to center himself, to prepare for what may come next.
He doesn’t believe that Kodai is trying to kill him; something at the back of his mind assures him of this, but at the same time, he wouldn’t put it past his older brother.
Another loud crash shakes Ryuk to the very core.
His feet are suddenly Jello, his knees wobbly, his stomach in a knot, his ribcage barely able to hold in his beating heart.
Open the door, fight back.
Ryuk has never been a fighter, not in the real world, but as this thought comes to him again, he makes the brash decision that this is the only way forward.
One more breath in and he goes for it.
Ryuk cracks open the door to find Kodai’s female humandroid on top of Hajime, punching him repeatedly in the face.
The light from the kitchen gives Ryuk a glimpse of how bad off Hajime is. His face has been crushed and swaths of his face hang from his cheeks, revealing a mesh-like covering intercrossed with wires.
“Dammit, no!” Ryuk shrieks at the humandroid female.
“Stay where you are,” she tells him firmly, her eyes dilating as they take in Ryuk’s features.
One sickening crack later and Hajime has the upper hand as he punches the humandroid in the throat. Her boots screech against the ground as she struggles to get out from her pinned position.
The humgun.
Ryuk takes off towards the kitchen to the drawer where he knows Hajime stashed the weapon.
“Ryuk, go! Leave!”
The humandroid female leaps to her feet and produces a small blade from her belt. She swipes at Hajime, cutting into his chest.
“Hajime!” Ryuk reaches the drawer and shoves his hand in. He pulls out both the real gun and the humgun, and in his dash to get the right weapon, he drops the real gun to the floor.
He cringes, but once the gun doesn’t fire, but rather spins a few times, Ryuk places both hands on the humgun and points it at the two humandroids.
“Stop!” he shouts, his finger instantly finding the trigger. Having never fired a weapon, he tells himself it is just like his Marble Gun in Tritania, that all he needs to do is aim and fire.
It can’t be that difficult!
The female humandroid, the left side of her face twitching, looks at Ryuk and back to Hajime. One roundhouse kick later and Hajime’s knees buckle.
She steps on his already crushed face and digs her heel in further.
“No!” Ryuk screams as he hears a snapping sound. He triggers the weapon and …
… Nothing happens.
The female humandroid turns to him.
“Put it down,” she says firmly, “and let me finish what I came here to do.”
As she takes a step closer to him, a message flashes across Ryuk’s iNet screen.
Hajime: I am not dead, but she has shattered my vocal folds. If you plan to use the humgun, you need to turn the safety off. Use your thumb to do it. It will be on the right side of the weapon.
Ryuk feels around on the side of the weapon and notices a small, square button. He presses it and steadies his aim on the female humandroid, who is about three meters away from him.
“Put it down,” she tells him, one of her hands in a fist and the other wrapped around her blade.
“Nope. And fuck you.”
Ryuk squeezes the trigger and the humandroid drops instantly.
No flash, no bullet, no blowback or report. She simply drops, as if someone had flicked an off switch on her back.
Ryuk lowers his weapon, not sure of how he should respond next. He waits to see if she’ll move. She doesn’t. And after he waits another minute just to be sure, he clears his throat and asks, “Um, is that it?”
A message appears.
Hajime: Yes. You’ve completely disabled her.
“What now?” Ryuk places the weapon on the counter. It is cold; there’s no sign that it has even been fired. There’s something completely eerie about it.
Hajime: I need to visit a humandroid engineer. I was weaker today than I would have liked to have been, and I believe it has something to do with robosynthesis, and the fact I haven’t been recharging properly.
“Okay.”
Hajime: We need to call a taxi to take us to a repair facility. Before I do this, I want you to go to your room, get your sweater with the big front pockets, and grab the real gun. Kodai may be coming soon with backup.
“But I don’t … I don’t know how to use it.” Ryuk glances at the black gun on the floor of their kitchen and swallows hard.
Hajime: It is a precaution. I can tell you how to use it if it comes down to it.
“And what about her?” Ryuk asks, suddenly overcome with panic. Seeing two deadish bodies, even though they aren’t human, is really doing a number on him. He feels like he’s part of a crime scene, that the police will be there any minute to arrest him for shooting her.
Hajime: Leave her. My guess is that Kodai will be up here pretty soon with his thugs. Grab what you need. It’s time we find a new place to live.
“Where?”
Hajime: Let me worry about that. Grab some clothes, call a taxi, and let’s get out of here.
Ryuk bends to pick the real gun off the floor. He looks again at the bodies and at his bedroom door. A wave of anger rolls over him as he thinks of his brother, and how his own flesh and blood could possibly do this.
First in Tritania, now here.
A deep breath in does little to cool his anger. Kodai will pay, of this he is sure, but it will take a miracle for this not to end in a way that will adversely affect them both.
Hajime: Hurry. I’ve gone ahead and called the taxi. It will pick us up on the rooftop.
Ryuk moves to his room and grab a duffle bag. He places a change of clothes, his haptic gloves, and his NV Visor in the bag. From there he goes to the bathroom for a few toiletries.
He returns to the living room, his bag slung over his shoulder.
“How do I carry you up there?”
Hajime sits up quickly, which sends a bolt of shock down Ryuk’s spine. The damn near faceless humandroid turns to him and a light flashes behind one of his eyes.
Hajime: Sorry to startle you.
“It’s fine,” he says as the humandroid stands. “Can you see?”
Hajime: My sensors will do just fine.
The humandroid takes a step forward and his foot scrapes against the overturned couch.
“Let me help you,” he says, rushing over to him. Hajime lifts his arm and places it around Ryuk’s shoulder.
>
Together, the humandroid and the Tokyo youth make it to the rooftop. A cold rain picks up, the water beating against their two forms as the taxi lowers.
After he’s safely inside, and Hajime is next to him, Ryuk takes one more look back at his apartment, knowing all too well that this chapter of his life has come to a close.
Ryuk Matsuzaki’s Character Sheet
(*as of the end of Book Two)
Ryuk Matsuzaki Level 19 Ballistics Mage
HP: 602/602
ATK: 118
MATK: 149
DEF: 89
MDF: 73
LUCK: 24
---
Skill: Tonsil Shot
Level Three: 1 in 9 chance of connecting.
Damage: 28% if enemy is less than level 30; 15% if enemy is greater than level 30.
Odds of instakill: 11%
Requirements for instakill: LUCK > 9
---
Skill: A Simple Request
Level Four: 1 in 6.25 chance of a request being granted.
Caveat: Only works with a clear marble.
Requirements: LUCK > 10
---
Skill: Cherry Poppin’ Daddy
Level Two: 1 in 10 chance of connecting. Enemy’s backside must be exposed. Higher levels increase damage and chance for an instakill.
Damage: 45% if enemy is less than level 30; 15% if enemy is greater than level thirty.
Odds of instakill: 16%
Requirements for instakill: LUCK > 7
---
Skill: Extreme Focus
Level Three: Can detect approach of camouflaged/concealed/stealthed enemies and objects.
Mage bonus: Higher levels allow sleuthing and increased accuracy. Also increases magic detection range when used in tandem with Magic Eye.
---
Skill: Inspire Others
Level Three: By inspiring others, you induce them to follow your orders. Higher levels allow for manipulation of enemies and random strangers.
Requirements: LUCK > 10
---
Skill: Magic Eye
Level Five: A colored glow indicates that magical properties are present. Higher levels allow for more detail and access to the Wikipedia of arcane knowledge. A red outline signals that a hidden enemy is near. A yellow outline signals that an object is enchanted. A dark blue outline signals that necrotic magic is being used. A green outline signals that algomagic is being used. An orange outline indicates a hidden trap is present.
Requirements: Level 13 Mage, LUCK > 8.
---
Skill: Splash Back
Level Two: Damage increases with higher levels.
Damage: 5% if enemy is less than level 30; 2% if enemy is greater than level 30.
Odds of instakill: 4%
Requirements for instakill: LUCK > 9
---
Skill: Gory Headshot
Level One: Odds of instakill increase with level.
Odds of Instakill: 52% if enemy is less than level 30; 32% if enemy is greater than level 30.
Caveat: Must be within five meters of opponent’s head.
---
Skill: Spit Fire
Level Two: Stuff a marble in your mouth and spit it at an enemy. Higher levels allow for more control and sustained magical abilities.
Requirements: LUCK > 7
---
Skill: Bonding Trust
Level One: Bonding trust creates an everlasting connection between you and another creature. Higher levels allow for direct communication between you and other animals as you instantly understand their languages and demeanors.
Requirements: There are no requirements for bonding trust. This skill is tied directly to your D-NAS, digital neuronal autoconstruct system, and based on your interaction with others up until the point at which you met the creature.
---
Skill: One in a Million
Level One: Use your slingshot and any marble of your choosing to take an impossible shot. Odds of connecting increase with each point you gain in LUCK.
Requirements: Level 10 Mage, LUCK > 10.
---
Skill: Levitate
Level One: By placing a marble in your mouth, you can levitate for thirty seconds. Higher levels allow for longer levitation.
Requirements: Level 15 Mage, LUCK > 12.
---
Skill: Knights in White Satin
Level One: Call upon the Empress’ guard to aid you in a battle.
Caveat: Can only be used once per day.
Requirements: Gifted by Empress Thun.
Discover more about Oric and Wolf in the Last Warrior of Unigaea Trilogy. Set in a different Proxima world, this trilogy see Oric as a Player Killer on a mission to save a dying world.
You won’t want to miss this, and it ties directly into the Fantasy Online series.
Download Last Warrior.
Be sure to check out the preview at the back of this book!
Back of the Book Shit
Reader,
Damn it feels good to be a Mitherficker. When I first released book one in this series, I was quite certain people would hate Hiccup, but my biggest fears weren’t realizes, so, I doubled down for this one and let Hiccup pretty much be himself to the fullest extent. If you haven’t listened to the narration by Jeff Hays yet, do yourself a solid and get both audiobooks (or as whispersync). Jeff’s Hiccup is just about the funniest thing I’ve heard in years.
Regarding the next installment, book three will be called the The Runestones of Tritinakh, and it will be released in the spring. I originally anticipated three to four books in the Fantasy Online series. Now I envision five. The characters are too fun and the world is too big not to add another book. Also, I don’t want to cheat you, the reader. The Mitherfickers have a long way of leveling to go to reach the third floating continent of Tritania known as Ultima Thule, where the Sage of Gotha lives, and I didn’t want to brush over this fact in the third book.
Plus, I have some ideas for Tokyo that I’ve yet to orchestrate …
So look for The Runestones of Tritinakh in the spring. Before I release it, I’ll release the final two Last Warrior of Unigaea books, a surprise release. Join my mailing list here to find out about that as soon as I drop it (and by joining, you’ll get a FREE copy of the Feedback Loop Box Set).
Click here to join my email list and get your FREE box set.
-----
Fantasy Online is connected
Okay, so if you haven’t already started in on my back catalog, now is the time!
Oric and Wolf and the necklace
Oric and Wolf have their own trilogy which takes place in Unigaea, another online fantasy world, six years BEFORE the Fantasy Online series. In this trilogy, Oric is a Player Killer on a quest to save a dying Proxima World. Some of the things Oric says and does in Fantasy Online are directly related to the next book in the series. The necklace he has and the necklace Zaena have also find their origin in the Last Warrior books, namely book two. A character from Fantasy Online Three, named Lothar, is also a character from Last Warrior (starting in Book Two).
Add this to your reading pile because it plays a role in the next Fantasy Online book. Get The Last Warrior of Unigaea here.
Quantum Hughes, Sophia, Doc, Aiden, Empress Thun, Jim the Hostelier, Dirty Dave, Bramtoker, DJ Ride the Lightning
The Feedback Loop series contains the origins of the characters listed above and more, including the French chefs at the Mondegreen hotel. Aiden, Quantum, and some of the lesser NPCs are introduced in the first Feedback Loop book, Dirty Dave in the second (mentioned in the first), Doc in the third, Sophia and Empress Thun in the fourth. DJ Ride the Lightning is mentioned several times in the Feedback Loop series and makes his epic debut in Fantasy Online.
An example of the connections to The Feedback Loop series (and how deep they run) can be found in a line in which Hiccup calls Ryuk “Bramtoker”. Bramtoker is a Player Killer who appears in the Feedback Lo
op books 3 and in a tournament in book 4. Quantum beat Zaena’s sister, Queen Renata, in tournament in book 4 and some of the locations, such as the guildhall at the end of Polynya (and the “Brits castle outside”) are from The Feedback Loop.
You can jump right into the Feedback Loop series with the box set here on Amazon, also available in audio narrated by Jeff Hays.
You can also get the box set (books 1-3) free by joining my mailing list.
Proxima World locations
There are subtle mentions of locations from a Proxima World known as Steam. These locales are first introduced in The Feedback Loop Book Two (Morlock) and Book Seven (Akrasia). There is also mention of Steampunk Santa, who appears in both those books as well. I will use the Proxima World “Steam” for a new series next year (2018// first book called Imperium and Beyond) starring “Sam Raid” who appears in the Last Warrior of Unigaea series.
Seriously, if you haven’t started the other stuff, now’s the time! I am planning a wiki in the future, alongside my facebook group (which you should join) to help people more easily jump into my Proxima worlds and see their connections.
REAL world locations
I lived in Japan off and on in 2014 and 2015 for a combined length of about 10.5 months. Many of the locations I mention, I’ve personally been to. This includes Ikebukuro, the location of Ryuk and Kodai’s mother’s office. I actually lived in Kami-iitabashi, which is about six or seven subway stops away from Ikebukuro.
Unfortunately, I’ve been unable to visit Japan to write any of the Fantasy Online series, using memories for inspiration. This may change with the last two books, as I truly miss living in the country.
Fantasy Online Polynya Page 30