by J P Carver
Mental Status applied: Despair (-10)
Psyche now 88
His vision wobbled and when he blinked, he felt like everything had gotten darker. With a deep breath, he stood. He couldn’t think like that, he told himself as he went to the centipede. He touched it and it started to fizzle and then dissolved into the floor. A small golden orb rose from it and danced around the tunnel for a moment before slamming into him. He didn’t feel the hit, but a counter under his life jumped from 0 to 150. These were probably the experience points Cotora was talking about. Not a lot for so much work.
It reminded him of the golden orb he saw when he first came in. He went to it and reached out. It did the same as the other orb and he gained another 50 for a total of 200 experience. It proved that his suspicions were right, if he died whatever experience he had on him stayed in place. He hoped it wasn’t the same with equipment as that would just be brutal.
He opened his stat sheet to see how much it took to move to level 2. “Man, this game isn’t playing around. A thousand to level up? That’s gonna be tough.”
When he looked back to where the centipede had died he noticed that something was sitting in the water. He went to it and picked it up. It was a tiny bottle with a green liquid inside. “What are you?”
A small window opened with the description in it.
Achelois’ Elixir
The only way is forward and many times the path must be traveled alone. That does not mean help should be ignored, no matter how small its form.
Removes 4 points from current negative mental statuses.
He could have used a health potion, but he also didn’t want to play around with the Psyche stat when he wasn’t sure what to expect from it. He popped the cork from the bottle and drank it all. It tasted like cough medicine.
Psyche is now 92.
“Well, things seem a little lighter now,” he said looking around the moss-covered stone. The edges of his vision were no longer darkened.
He opened his inventory and thought about putting the empty bottle in. It appeared in an empty square and he closed the window. He faced the hallway again.
It looked like a sewer, but it was only an AR game and he knew the paths of the maintenance tunnel well enough that he didn’t think he would have much trouble finding his way. The only room on this level that matched the safe room was just before the access port for the center connector of the station. He just had to keep heading down the main hall and he’d come to the center tunnel and could move up to the second level.
At least, that was what he expected, but when he stepped into the next corridor, he found two more that branched off into other hallways that didn’t match his mental map. He took a few steps to his right and heard the skittering of another centipede.
He readied his longsword.
The Bitterness of Failure
The spider swung out with one of its legs again, knocking Geo back a few steps and taking his health down to just a quarter. He tried to block it, but the webbing that covered him slowed him down.
Rearing back, the spider dribbled venom that hissed on the stone floor. It knew its meal was almost beaten. Geo did the only thing he could. Using his last
The spider dropped to the ground, its legs curling in on itself as it twitched away the last of its life. Geo wiped the blood from his face and then shook his hands clean. He wound up and kicked the spider as hard as he could. The damn thing had killed him so many times that he lost count. Now it was dead, and he knew how to kill it.
As it rolled on its back the spider started to dissolve, leaving behind items. He drank a health potion and then area looted the items. He got a new piece of armor that he really wanted to look at, but a sound came from behind him. He closed his inventory and turned around to face the new threat.
It was a mouse that stood as tall as him and wore rusted armor covered in mud. It carried a spear, but the blade was longer and curved on the end.
“What the hell are you?” he asked and readied his sword. The mouse regarded him and then put on a display with the pole. The mouse whirled around, spinning like a fan and then switched the pole between hands and tossed it into the air before catching it. The mouse brought the pole to a stop under its arm and then stared at Geo as if waiting for his attack.
“Ah, fuck me…” Geo said and didn’t even have the chance to defend himself before they brought the blade down on his head, knocking him into the black.
One more death to add to the list, he thought as he opened his eyes to the workshop. He was tired of dying. He died so many times that Cotora no longer pretended to be surprised when he showed back up in the room. Instead she mocked his deaths, which she enjoyed much more.
Her voice rang out in the room. What was it this time? Another slug?
Geo stood, a rage of frustration building up. “Hey, those slugs are bigger than this goddamn room, all right? They got teeth! Teeth as big as my arm! Slugs don’t have teeth, but those bastards do!” he said as he cleared the table with his arms, items crashing to the floor.
Slugs have something like teeth, it’s called a radula. Was it a slug?
He stayed silent as he sat heavily in the chair and put his head down against the cool metal of the table. “It was a mouse.”
You mean a rat?
“No, it was a mouse… with armor and some long stick with a blade on it.” He slammed his fists on the table. “Who the hell designed these stupid monsters? A goddamn mouse ninjitsu-ed me to death.”
Sounds like a rat. So you met Splinter?
“Who?”
Cotora sighed. I forget, your knowledge of human works of art only extends to this century. Nevermind. How much experience did you lose this time?
“I had enough to level up. Now it’s sitting out there and I gotta wade through…” he thought for a moment before listing off the creatures. “Six centipedes, two very large, very terrifying spiders, a slug with an anger management problem, and a mouse with a long pole. I hate this game,” he said and opened his inventory. At least he found a few health potions and equipment wasn’t dropped on death. He tapped the icon for the health potion to check how many he had and its descriptive text appeared. He only had four.
Aceso’s Draught
The body feeds the mind and the mind keeps the body on track. Strengthen the body and the mind will strengthen itself.
Restores 30% of health over three seconds. Restores 1 point of Psyche
.
Thirty percent was not much when a single spider bite took seventy-five percent of his health. Still, it was better than nothing and he wished he had more. On the bright side, he found some throwing knives, and a new piece of chest armor which he equipped. He stood so he could move in it. The armor was heavier than just his leather armor as it went over it, but its protection was a lot better.
Spider-Weave Laminar Cuirass (Green)
Defense: 115 (160)
An armor made from experience is far stronger than any metal, though experience brings with it the chance of pain and loss.
A cuirass made from the exoskeleton of a purple sewer spider, this armor is strong against blunt and slashing attacks. Stabbing attacks have a chance of bypassing the armor and a critical stabbing attack can destroy it.
He didn’t like the weakness, but it was better defense so it was worth the risk. Weapon and armor drops seemed scarce with the creatures he was killing, but at least he was getting better at it. The centipedes were now feeling like level one creatures, even though Geo hadn’t leveled up. He had their patterns practically memorized at this point having died so many times to them.
“Hey, you keeping track of how many times I’ve died?”
… Yes. Why?
He steeled himself. “How many times?”
“When did you care about my mental health? Just tell me.”
What good would it do—
“Cotora.”
You have been playing for twelve hours and have died one hundred and nine times.
“Holy shit…” He dropped back into the chair again. It didn’t feel like twelve hours, it felt like a lifetime. His body ached, his mind was drained from the continued deaths, rebirths, and new enemies. A hundred and nine times. He never did so badly at a game before.
Geo…?
“What?” he said, his voice coming out as a croak.
You aren’t gonna start crying, are you? My circuits can’t handle anymore pitiful.
He chuckled and sat forward, his hands between his knees. “No, but thanks, Cotora.”
He rubbed at his neck and was hit with a strange thought. If it was twelve hours, he should be starving and dying of thirst, and yet he felt fine. He questioned Cotora about it.
The health and mental potions you’ve been drinking along with the general care. This is an AR game, they can make things look however they want. They’re nutritional packets. You can subsist on them for weeks before there are any negative effects.
“So they brought them over? Guess it makes sense and hey, they don’t want me starving to death at least.” The thought made him feel a bit better, but not by much. Even prisoners were feed a last few meals. “It’s safe to sleep here, right?”
Like the name suggests, nothing will harm you here, except for me. If you want to take a nap, go ahead. Just remember, this world does not go away until you beat it. You will starve to death if you do not find more supplies.
“I get it. Just a few hours,” Geo said and laid on the table he had wiped clean. It would not be the best sleep of his life, but it would do.
And before you get any ideas of farming and staying here. The game is being monitored and will adjust drop rates and experience to punish such stupid plans.
“Kinda figured that would be the case,” Geo said, sleepily. “Wake me up in a few hours and we’ll hit the bastards again.”
He started to drift to sleep under the watchful eye of Cotora’s camera. He half wondered if it had all been a dream. That this entire day had been one long nightmare, but as he fell into the darkness of sleep, he knew he would wake up in the same place with the same issues.
A pop-up showed in the darkness of his eyelids.
Despair is now -13
Psyche is now 89
Kaeru
Geo rounded a corner, tired and just wishing there was an end to the floor. He was sick of the stench of sewage and his feet being wet. He guessed he was about halfway way through the maintenance tunnel. But, he could also still be in the first hallway for all he knew. In the new hallway he met something that caused him to freeze in place.
Taking up the entire stone hallway was a… frog. It was sitting on its hunches and wore what looked like a kimono. Stranger still, it had a long white beard on its chin which it stroked absentmindedly. It looked like a sage from some animal folktale.
A few seconds passed where Geo didn’t move while his mind raced. This thing was far too big for him to fight, especially not in the state he was in. That’s when he noticed a few feet in front of the giant frog the doors were shimmering between wood and metal. He didn’t think it was a glitch, but what he had been hoping for all this time: a new safe room.
The giant frog took notice that Geo stood a few yards behind him with a jolt of surprise. It got its feet and turned to face him completely. Its wide yellow eyes looked like orbs of glass in the faint light of a torch.
“Ah, Geo-kun? Was wondering if Mistress had been wrong about you. But here you are,” a wide smile spread across the frog’s lips. “I am Kaeru. We are to fight to the death.”
Geo took a step back. “Uh, is there a reason?”
Kaeru shrugged, “Nothing in particular, just was told to do so. That’s all the reason I need,” he said then reached to his back and pulled out a sword as tall as Geo. It was too big for the hallway and he gave a frown. “I am use to a much bigger field of battle. It’s strange that my mistress has chosen such a small area for her realm or one at the bottom of the stack. But not my place to question. There is a bigger room a few yards down. Will you follow?”
Geo glanced at the door. If Kaeru moved a few feet back, he could reach it before the frog could swing the insane sword. He looked back to find the frog regarding him and stroking his beard.
“Sure, lead the way.”
“Ah, that is truly wonderful. We shall have a fun battle, Geo-kun. Best battle in a long time, I am sure. Come, follow,” Kaeru said while turning and walked away, making tiny thumps that shook the floor with each step.
Geo ran to the door as soon as the frog’s back was turned and opened it. He slipped inside and slammed the door before looking around. It was the break room kitchen. He had forgotten this place even existed.
You made it? I don’t think it’s possible to measure my surprise. You killed the toad?
“No, dodged him to reach here. There was no way in hell I’d risk dying again. Have you seen that damn frog? He’s huge and he talks. Why is there a talking frog on the space station?”
Probably the same reasons there are giant spiders and centipedes and ninja mice.
“Fair point. When put that way, it isn’t all that strange.” A pounding noise echoed from behind him and he jumped back.
“Oi! Geo-kun! That was a dirty trick. You are to beat me before using the safe room,” the frog said as he continued to pound on the door. Geo moved away from it, worried that it might break through and kill him still.
He can’t get in, though that was a dirty trick. You have no honor, Geo-san.
“Don’t you start that stupid shit. It’s weird enough when it comes from the giant frog.”
Toad.
“What?”
Kaeru is a toad. Though his name means frog… I’m a bit lost on why he’s name that, but not my problem.
“I don’t care if he’s a fairy, just as long he can’t get in here,” Geo said and dropped tiredly into a chair. “I don’t know if I can make it, Cotora. I’m wiped again just getting to the first safe room.”
‘Cause you’re level 1. Most of the monsters you’ve faced were two or three. That you made it here at all is kind of amazing.
Geo looked at the camera. “Don’t be nice, it’s unnerving.”
Fine. Then I guess you don’t need to level up at all. Just level 1 this shit. See if I care.
Geo sat up and waved his hands. “Woah, no, didn’t say I wanted to do that. How do I level up? I have enough for,” he glanced at the little counter under his life bar. Twenty-five hundred points. “That’s enough for two levels, isn’t it?”
It is. You can level by opening your stat sheet and choosing what stats to upgrade. Then you confirm with me and I apply the changes.
He opened the sheet and read through it again. “What’s the long sword scale with? Does it scale?”
Long swords have a scale of C with strength and D with dexterity. I still suggest a strength build because of your inflexibility. Heavy armor should be your saving grace.
Geo nodded and looked back at the stat sheet. When he did so, he noticed that he had a -1 on his dexterity which he asked Cotora about.
During the scan you were found to be less than average for that stat, which is why I said to build strength.
“All right, I get it.” He looked at his other stats. It would be worth it to level Affinity as three charges and an almost hundred percent success rate would be useful. He used Deaden Limbs on the spiders and when it worked, they were easy to kill. Plus, the higher his affinity, the more chance that the spell would work. He put one more point in and a pop-up appeared.
&nbs
p; New spells will unlock if changes are applied.
He put the second point into strength and looked up to Cotora. “All set.”
Affinity? You’re sure about that?
“The spell is handy. Are you really gonna question me every time I level up?”
Fine. Fine. Confirmed level up. Applying changes. You are now level 3. You have gained the choice of a new spell. A new skill has been unlocked. Look at your log book to make your choices.
He did so and found a new page in the logbook screen named skills.
Follow Through
The only way to a new life is to follow through on your commitments. Doing things by half-measures will never allow you reach what you want.
This skill drives the user’s current item through their target, doing massive damage.
Scales with Strength.
Cool-down 5 minutes.
Only one skill, but it looked interesting. It would have been a lot more useful with the rats he fought as their armor was annoying. He flipped over to the next page and was greeted with two new spells.
Searing Ice
Left to the cold for too long, one might find themselves frozen in place and unable to see a way forward. Only the heat of pain and aguish can disturb such ice as it creates a desire for change.
Freezes the target’s feet to the floor for ten seconds. Target can still attack. Strength of target affects length of time to a minimum of five seconds of being frozen.
Charges: 3
Affinity req: 7
Summon Courage