“Rest,” Katarina purred at him. Her fingers were pressing into his scalp, rubbing deep into his skin. Methodically she worked her way back and forth as if she planned to cover the entirety of his head one inch at a time. Runner hoped she did.
Ten minutes later Runner felt the curse leave him. In that period a great deal of his stress had also fled. He planted his feet evenly on the ground but didn’t even think to pull away from Katarina.
Her hand on his shoulder released some of its pressure and slid upward to hold him closer instead of keeping him upright. Clearly she had noticed he had moved to take up his own weight. She made no move to release him, however.
Runner cleared his throat once as his eyes opened. Doing his best to ignore Katarina’s fingers in his hair, he did the only thing he could.
“I’m sorry. I’m finding lately that my anger is getting away from me quicker than it should. I’m sure my pod is doing its best to keep me rolling. Balanced. Bring down my stress levels. It’s not keeping up very well though. I ask your forgiveness and understanding.”
“Fucking idiot. Share next time before it gets this bad again.”
“Please do, Master Runner.”
Nadine nodded.
Katarina made no response and instead let her fingers working to ease his burdens speak for her.
They stopped for a midday break. Though marching in a game didn’t have the same price as it would in the real world, it had a price nonetheless that was paid. Soldiers still needed to eat, drink, and rest for their stamina to not become impacted. All the speed in the world would not help you if your troops arrived tired.
Runner gathered up the experimental groups to the side of the road. Overlooking an open field, he arranged them in order.
Amongst that field happened to be a village of reptile-like humanoids. They lazily watched Runner’s little army.
They seemed unconcerned at first, but their red names dictated they would be openly hostile to anyone and everyone. There would be no conversation with these lizards.
What would you say anyways? Hey, got any criminals we could fight?
They were listed as “Ferth,” typically followed by a job type. Ranging from gray to green in color, they were dressed in little more than hides and basic leather armor. Wooden buildings appeared here and there but the vast majority were nothing more than hide covered huts.
Their level ranged from twelve to fifteen. They wouldn’t be much of an issue for anyone in his command. They’d serve for a good exercise though.
He had a momentary thought about their right to live, but he brushed it aside quickly. They were hostile, wouldn’t speak with him, and weren’t Awake.
A Sunless noble lady stood at Runner’s side. Her features ran along the comically beautiful like so many of her peers. He had already forgotten her name and didn’t care to try to remember it.
“Lead your group in. Try to pull a small number so we can gauge your abilities. Pull too many and you jeopardize your lives. Are you really sure about your group’s makeup?” Runner asked her again. His eyes took in the group of five Sunless nobles dressed in their fineries. They were all casters, without a physical fighter amongst them. They were level twenty to twenty-five.
“Of course, my lord Runner. We’ll show you the power of the nobility,” huffed the woman.
“Right, then, well, off you go.” He dismissed her. He made a gentle shooing motion with his left hand, yet summoned Isabelle with his right hand.
Since her Awakening that morning, Isabelle had become voracious for knowledge. Katarina and Thana had taken her in hand, laid everything out, and had her sorted in under an hour.
“Yes, my lord?” said the Elf, appearing at his side.
Her attitude had changed since their conversation as well. What had been cold indifference had become eager obedience. He feared that she might actually make the suggestion that she should warm his bed after all.
I wonder if those ears are flexible or—no, no, NO, NO. Precisely what I don’t want to think of.
“Not a lord, Isabelle. Runner, just Runner. Get your people together. They’re going to screw this up and need help. They’ll survive it, yet I suspect it might be with a casualty. Maybe even two. I considered letting it happen, more as a lesson to the others than anything, but that’d only serve to weaken my troops.”
Runner sighed, his right hand rubbing at his chin as he thought it over again. Their lives and ability counted for more than their deaths would give him. That, and it tickled at his morality to think such a thing.
“Yes, my lord,” said the Elf, spinning on her heel. Two sharp whistles and her little band fell in behind her. Watching her go, he shook his head.
“To her, you are as a god,” said Katarina.
Looking over his shoulder, he found the Barbarian woman coming his way.
“Shows what little they know. Brighteyes and Angel are worthy of praise, I am not,” Runner groused, turning to watch the noble party of ladies closing on the lizards.
A pair of divine curses that silenced him flashed across his status bar. They each lasted but a single second. A gentle reminder that the goddesses didn’t particularly enjoy their pet names being bandied about.
Flinging a hand up at the heavens, he kept his complaint to himself.
“You tease them,” Katarina said with mild incredulity. Coming to a halt next to him, she crossed her arms in front of her chest.
“I do. They secretly enjoy it,” Runner said with a smirk. “I treat them in a way no one would ever dare. I treat them as people, equals. It’s why they’re always watching me. Either of you care to join me, by the way? Should be interesting.”
There was no reply to his question, which meant they were more than likely busy elsewhere.
“Mm,” came the unimpressed reply.
“Oh? Look no further than yourself. You’re a princess. Have I treated you any differently since finding out? Don’t get me wrong, I know you are one. But to me, you’re still my Barbarian Kitten.”
He shrugged his shoulders. His words hadn’t come out quite the way he had wanted. Katarina would understand though.
“I worried that you would,” she admitted after a pause.
“Would what? Treat you differently?”
“Yes.”
“Perish the thought. No one else is as fun to tease as you. You’re a fearsome warrior, beautiful princess, intelligent woman, but you get all hot and bothered if I tease you at all. Especially now that I know what to look for.”
“Ass.”
“Indeed. You love me all the same. Ah, here, watch,” he said, his hand pointing to the group of Sunless nobles. “They’re going to hit the one closest to them, that one that looks like it’s socially chained to the one next to the door. Without knowing how many are in there, they’re setting themselves up for a horrible pull.”
“Hence Isabelle.”
“Yeah. I think I need to get every single one of them Awakened. It’s a cruel thing to do. Awaken them, then send them to their probable deaths. Yet I must.”
As if it were following a prophecy, the scene began to unfold exactly as Runner had predicted. The noble ladies fell over themselves as a large group of Ferth rushed out of the tent.
“Ugh, I’ve seen enough. Who’s next?” Runner asked, casting his eyes around, looking for the next group. A sergeant of the royal guard stepped out of the group of milling combatants.
“Sir, my group is.”
Runner squinted at the man; he seemed oddly familiar. Suddenly he remembered who the man was. Taking a quick inventory of the group arrayed out behind the man, he nodded his head.
“Please go up the other side. Same instructions.”
The soldier saluted, collected his group, and left.
“Thoughts?”
“He’ll do fine. He’s actually Awakened. I was bored at the little reception and happened to ask him when he’d last visited the crap castle. I’m not sure why I did, but I did. His group looks put togethe
r with some thought behind it.”
“Ah. Huh?”
The change in Katarina’s voice caught his attention. Looking to her, he then followed her line of sight to a group of Knights on horseback far in the distance. Amongst them were six players. At this distance he couldn’t make out the details, but he was sure they weren’t coming willingly.
“Hm. Take care of the situation here, Kitten. Keep cycling the groups out, watch for problems. Provide suggestions and start organizing them into useful groups. For those who are intractable, ask them when was the last time they used the bathroom.”
“What? I can’t do this!” Katarina cried at his back as he walked past her.
“Sure you can, Kitten. I believe in you,” Runner stated over his shoulder.
Runner managed to catch the Knights before they made it into the camp, a hundred yards or so from the perimeter.
Now up close to them, he actually knew these players. They were Uno through Seis. He had left them a considerable distance to the south. After they had tried to rob him. Maybe murder him.
“Lord Runner, we found these gentlemen down the road. They were standing over the corpses of two women. They had the look of wandering merchants,” explained the lead Knight.
A vision of Nadine lying dead in a road popped up in his mind. Slightly different circumstances and it could just as easily have been her. Runner felt blinding black wrath building up behind his eyes.
Two merchants? For what? To rape them? Take what little they had? Ferth won’t even talk to you, they’ll attack outright. A merchant? She’d probably offer to sell to you…
“I see. Gentleman, we meet again,” deadpanned Runner.
“You’re that officer. The one who fucking put us here,” said Vick. Runner hadn’t cared to learn their names previously. Looking to the nameplates, he saw they were Michael, Jeff, Ben, James, Vick, and Devon. Each name was orange.
Which meant they had attacked another player recently.
“Indeed, I am. I saved your lives. Now I’m trying to get us out. Last I remember, you tried to rob and murder me.”
No response came.
“Attacking other players? Killing merchants walking the road? Memory tells me you were talking about raping someone when we first met.”
“Course not,” said Jeff.
“They attacked us first,” said Vick.
“We only found the merchants like that,” said Ben.
“Oh? Did they have anything on them?” Runner asked, an easy smile stretching his lips.
“Nah. Bread, a few coins. Cooking supplies,” said Michael.
How would you know unless you looted them? You wouldn’t be able to loot them unless you killed them.
Runner.
“Not now, Srit,” Runner growled under his breath. The six men were still busily trying to convince Runner that the merchants had nothing on them. As if he wanted a share.
Sorry, Runner. It can wait.
Runner had a thought. A dangerous thought. One that made his soul quiver. Holding up a hand, he turned his back to the group and walked a few steps away. He took a posture that looked as if he was considering the situation.
“Actually, Srit. Er. I have a question.” He hesitated. This would be a point of no return. This might be the chance he needed. “Would your people be able to create a copy of the main ship’s computer? I believe I could rebuild it into a medical server if I had a duplicate of the ship’s system core.”
It is possible but not probable. They would say no. Resources are limited and few know of you.
“What if I offered a faster flow of information about my people?”
Unlikely. They are comfortable with the current rate.
He took a breath, then took the plunge.
“What about six living, breathing humans? Free to be used as you see fit? They’ll be brain dead. I’m sure you could find uses for them, however.”
One moment.
Runner swallowed. His heart felt like it would explode out of his chest. He was seriously contemplating microwaving these six idiots.
For what? Killing Naturals? Assaulting me?
Runner shook his head. It wasn’t worth it.
Saving the ship?
His feet came to a stop, his skin growing cold as his answer came back clear.
Yes.
They will rebuild the server for six humans. They also would like to know what your plans are for those who are currently showing no signs of brain activity.
Runner had an answer for that. It was an ugly answer. One that felt so arbitrary that he hadn’t voiced it aloud. Until now.
“Genetic material. I’ll probably need to end up using them as breeding stock to get human population numbers up. It sounds terrible, but there it is. I accept the bargain on the six humans, pending a suitable timeline. How long would it take to fulfill my request?”
An hour. The process is not difficult, the resources are.
And there it was. So simple a solution that it made his heart ache. Now he found himself at the crossroads of ends justifying the means coming up against the rights of every citizen. The needs of the many versus the needs of the few.
“Done,” Runner said with finality. Without turning around, he went through the process of identifying the pods of the six men. Working his fingers quickly, he called up a line command of six system actions to run concurrently. Then he wavered. There would be no going back.
Six simultaneous ejections went through the system when Runner activated the command. Six distinct thumps sounded behind him.
“It’s done. May whoever judges me at the end have mercy on me,” Runner whispered. Crouching down where he stood, he pressed his hands to his face. Elbows resting on his thighs, he curled into himself as best as he could. And lost his mind privately.
Several minutes later he stood up again, brushed his hands against his hips, and turned to face the knights.
They stood around the fallen adventurers. Runner spoke loudly, not wanting to get any closer.
“Leave them where they lie. Resume your duties.”
Runner turned on his heel and made his way back over to where the exercises were taking place. Any type of distraction would do. Anything to clear his head.
Test out a spell or two. Yeah. See how they do, tinker, build.
Goal set in his mind, he picked up the pace to a light jog, quickly moving away from those he’d murdered in cold blood.
Reaching the field, he found the group of noblewomen off to one side. They looked as if they had been rushed from the field, but they were all accounted for. Catching sight of Isabelle hovering near Katarina, he changed his destination.
He did not want to deal with either right now. So he veered wide of the two women entirely. He made it to the front of the village without having to deal with a single person.
Standing amongst the grass as it shifted in the light wind, Runner lifted his arms to the sun. Letting the sun and wind wash over him like a bath, he exhaled. Quickly going over his gear, he enchanted it with intelligence. Nothing but intelligence.
Waiting for his mana to refill, Runner began picking through the targets available to him.
Like it was summoned by his predatory gaze, the chieftain of the Ferth stepped out of a hut. Level twenty, named mob, elite, perfect.
Runner’s mana bar was fresh and full. Lifting a hand, he began to channel Splatterhouse. Directly in front of his hand, the earthen shell appeared. Completing the shaping of the spell, the channel neared the midpoint of the cast. Air bathed over it, spinning the projectile faster by the millisecond, and pooled at the rear.
When the spell finished, the shell was gone. Blasting forward with a booming sound, it tore through the air and slammed into the chieftain.
The fire, lightning, and air that had been tightly packed in the cone burst out in a ball of light yellow plasma as the earthen shell fragmented on impact.
Where the chief had stood, there was only a leaky piece of meat. With Runner having a
number of levels on the beast, Splatterhouse being a higher-end spell, and the creature having no resistance, it simply stood no chance.
Level up!
You’ve reached level 27
Unfortunately, it had taken eighty percent of his mana bar to cast Splatterhouse once.
Which makes it worthless for combat. I’d be a one pump chump. Even putting it into an item wouldn’t change thing—the cooldown would make it as useless, if not more. If I tried to outfit everyone with a staff that launched this, would I be equipping my friend today, to outfit my enemy tomorrow?
Grunting in disappointment, he opened the level-up window.
Name:
Runner
Level:
27
Class:
Race:
Human
Experience:
27%
Alignment:
Good
Reputation:
20
Fame:
15,155
Bounty:
0
Attributes-
Strength:
1(31)
Constitution:
1(31)
Dexterity:
11(41)
Intelligence:
11(41)
Agility:
7(37)
Wisdom:
1(31)
Stamina:
1(31)
Charisma:
64
He selected Dexterity as the attribute to increase, then he executed the level up and waited for whatever memories would come. He had long since given up hope on getting the password, or the entire event that put them here, but it never hurt to hope.
Childhood memories came to him. Memories of his parents holding up silly drawings he made, attempting to put on a play for them, and reading deep into the night.
Otherlife Nightmares: The Selfless Hero Trilogy Page 13