Distortion (Somnia Online Book 5)

by K. T. Hanna

  Shayla gulped, but it was subtle. Though Laria was semi certain that James saw it, not many other people would have noticed how angry Shayla had become.

  “What do you want?” Shayla asked, but this time her voice was dangerous, filled with promises Laria was fairly certain her friend could keep if she had to.

  “Me?” James feigned ignorance and battered his eyelashes as he leaned back to sit on Shayla’s desk. “Why, all I want is for you to tell me what the deal is with Wren and her oddly intimate connection with the game.”

  Murmur stood, admiring her new ring, bracelet, and necklace. They were damned nice. But she couldn’t shake her annoyance at having had their prisoner disappear right in front of her eyes. Not just annoyance. There was a certain amount of trepidation that came with how she’d disappeared.

  If the getashi were indeed a virus like she suspected, Murmur needed her guildies to be more careful around them. Just like she needed to be. Riasli had obviously disappeared through some system glitch they were unaware of. It made her curious to know how that made Emilarth and Telvar feel.

  “You don’t like them?” Neva sounded worried, like she’d been banking on Murmur loving them to increase her pride in herself or something.

  Murmur smiled, kicking herself for her distracting thoughts. “Actually, I love them. I’m just a bit preoccupied.”

  Neva grinned and it lit up her whole face.

  White Gold Amethyst Ring of Enhancement

  Base: +10 INT

  15 CHA

  10 MA

  Effect: Increases beneficial spells by half the caster’s level, rounded to the lower number.

  White Gold Amethyst Necklace of Protection

  Base +10 INT

  15 CHA

  10 MA

  Effect: Applies a personal shield every time combat commences. This provides the wearer with an extra one hundred and fifty points of damage absorption before damage inflicted affects them.

  White Gold Amethyst Bracelet of Protection

  Base +10 INT

  15 CHA

  10 MA

  Effect: Decreases the incoming damage done with offensive spells by half the caster’s level, rounded to the higher number.

  White Gold Amethyst Earrings of Fortified Intelligence

  20 CON

  25 INT

  Effect: None- Stop being greedy.

  “I really wish I could wear them now, though.” Murmur glared half-heartedly at Neva, while she tried to suppress a chuckle.

  “Yeah, sorry about that. But these are for level forty-six. I have some far less powerful ones you can use to replace your other stuff, but these are an amazing set for when you reach levels you’ll really need them for.” She sounded so apologetic that Murmur felt bad.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to pick on you. I truly am grateful. I was just teasing you a little.” She reached out and gave the luna a very brief hug. When she pulled away the tailor was smiling from ear to ear.

  “Thanks Mur. Just use them wisely.”

  Murmur rolled her eyes. “Yes, Mom.”

  Neva laughed and went back to her workstation, her eyes shining as she picked up another piece of armor to work on.

  Murmur turned away, still racking her brain with where they were going to go.

  The guild Exodus has defeated Inith Ilan of the Illinish Threshold and gained one of the twelve keys.

  There was complete silence in the armory following the announcement. Murmur tried to count them off in her head. That meant they were only two keys ahead of two other guilds. This was starting to give her a headache.

  “So. I’d say we need to head to Firtulai?” Devlish piped up. “We’re kind of slacking.”

  It was the logical choice, but for some reason, Murmur didn’t want to head over there. From what she’d been able to gather, that’s where both Spiral and Exodus were based. Even if both of the guilds were finished with those dungeons, their members would be around the area. They’d already cleared those dungeons, so it almost made her not want to. But Dev was right. It was the logical choice. She knew she was being contrary.

  “It’s logical and two more keys we need.” Mellow shrugged.

  Actually, that’s not really logical at all. If you consider all the given facts, anyway.

  What? Murmur didn’t feel like having conversations both in and out of her head. That never ended well for her concentration.

  I mean, Telvar can probably explain it better. I have several things I need to attend to.

  The voice was gone, and Mur turned around the room with a sigh, searching for Telvar.

  “Hold that thought, Mellow. Apparently Telvar has something to tell us. If I can find the damned lizard,” she muttered and stalked out of the armory searching for him.

  Hiro stood at the entrance, supervising the re-installation of one of the doors. He nodded to her when she came into view. “Are you looking for something?”

  “Yeah. Seen Tel?” Murmur was starting to feel tired, like this world could give her physical effects. Sleep was starting to feel necessary. Probably because she was actually awake now. That would make for a fascinating research prospect one day. “And before you quip what I know you’re about to, I am well aware that you have seen him. What I meant was have you seen him recently?”

  Hiro pouted briefly. “Spoil all an AIs fun, you do. But yes. He walked out toward the bridge earlier. Seems moody.”

  “Thanks, Hiro.” She half smiled as she walked past the lacerta overseer.

  “Wait up! Where do you think you’re going without me?” Sinister’s voice echoed across the island clear and irritated. She caught up fairly easily and fell into pace with Murmur, her arms crossed.

  Mur waited, knowing her friend would talk when she was ready.

  “I know you know something you’re not letting the rest of us know about.” Sin’s tone was filled with annoyance, and her cheeks flared with a pale pink undertone.

  “Yet,” was all Murmur said. The island felt longer than she remembered, and it was taking too much time to get to Telvar.

  “Yet what?” Sinister spoke forcefully.

  Murmur sighed. “Seriously. I haven’t told you yet, because I’m trying to find out more about it or to do with it, if you will. So yeah. I haven’t told you it yet because I don’t quite know what I might know.”

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake, Mur. You’re deliberately making that hell to follow. Fine!” She grabbed onto Mur’s arm, entwining her fingers, a grin on her face. “I’ll just stay by your side while you go get the information you so sorely need.”

  Murmur grinned too. This was half the fun of the game. Having Sin with her hand in hand lent her a strength that she couldn’t seem to get in the real world. Somnia was so much more fun, even with all of its crazy virus issues, because Sinister was there and they both had magic.

  It took a couple more minutes to reach the edge of the island where the bridge stood. Its massive portcullis rose up around twenty feet tall. Heavy wooden beams made up the support system, while the bridge itself was made of smooth planks.

  Telvar seemed to be working on the mechanism that lowered it. A frown marred his face, as did several blotches of what was probably oil, used for keeping the gears smooth.

  He didn’t look up as they approached, but Murmur knew he was aware they were there. She just stood with Sinister, waiting for the dragon AI to be ready to speak with them. She motioned to her lips for Sin to keep quiet, and the blood mage rolled her eyes, just squeezed her hadn’t tighter around Murmur’s.

  It didn’t take long, and finally Telvar put down his tools and looked up at Murmur with a deep breath. “What?”

  “Turned into a dragon then?” Sin beat Murmur to it, and the question lessened the tension in the air.

  “Very observant.” Telvar chuckled. “Actually hadn’
t used it for a while. My character makeup is bound to this island and how it prospers, or how it doesn’t. So fighting is within my interests and frankly a survival mechanism, if the island and its inhabitants are in danger. Not sure why I chose it now. It all seems so distant.”

  “Well, we’re glad you did. For what it’s worth.” Sinister’s voice softened, and she offered a smile to Tel. “Helped our asses out of the fire.”

  Tel laughed again. “Thanks. But I know that’s not why you’re here.”

  Sin sighed. “Seems everyone knows what I don’t know. It’s getting annoying.”

  Murmur tugged at her hand to get her friend to stop the pouting. “Somnia seems to think that it isn’t logical for us to travel to Firtulai and defeat the two dungeons there.”

  “Logical…” Telvar pursed his lips. It looked odd on a lacerta, comical. “It’s not much about logic more than it is about time. There are several cascade failures that we’ve managed to prevent so far. But a big one is coming. I believe it might have to do with the getashi, but I can’t be certain. They are foreign matter that invaded the system, and are constantly seeking to destabilize it. Needless to say, we can’t let it.”

  “It’s like a virus, then.” Murmur wanted confirmation other than her inner thoughts.

  Telvar nodded slowly. “Yes. Technically. Sort of.”

  “So why can’t we go and defeat those dungeons. Are you just going to open the final ones for us?” Murmur didn’t like that idea. It was so much like cheating. Hell, it was cheating. Who was she kidding?

  “No, I’m not. You should focus on leveling, and on defeating the largest dungeons on each continent.”

  “But we get the bulk of our experience faster in those dungeons. They pile heaps of it on us when we finish encounters,” Sinister stated, drawing herself up tall. “The only thing that takes some time is traveling, which we more than make up for with the experience gain. So. Why shouldn’t we go?”

  Telvar hesitated before he spoke. “Well, I guess you’re sort of right. So far, you’ve managed to trigger different versions of most of the dungeons. Thus making you the first to complete that content. It was part of the design. That depending on actions, other people would have a chance to be the first to complete the version of a dungeon.”

  Murmur did a double take. “That’s actually pretty bloody good.”

  Thank you.

  Sinister glared at the lacerta. “See. The odds are, we’ll trigger a different version again. So it’s better for us to keep going the way we have been and just go tackle the hell out of those dungeons we haven’t encountered yet.”

  “Well…” Telvar looked away from them. “You do realize that you’ll probably have to either wait until your guild catches up to you in levels, or you’ll have to team up with another guild or two in order to complete the larger challenges, right?”

  Murmur cringed. She’d thought about it once or twice but not given it too much weight. He had a point. “I really don’t want to do that. But I see what you mean.”

  We don’t have time to wait for too many people to catch up. Is it really horrible for you to group up with others?

  Murmur hesitated and answered Somnia. Sort of. It’s not like we cultivate friendships to other guilds. We’re rivals.

  Oh.

  The voice paused for a moment.

  I don’t think I or we can afford to wait though.

  I know. Murmur knew they didn’t have a choice, but she didn’t have to like it. “I guess we go to Firtulai and kill some big dungeon stuff. I think that sounds like a plan.”

  “Of sorts.” Telvar shrugged. “I can’t tell you what to do, but I do think it’s a good idea to at least start to approach other guilds and see if any of them would be willing to aid you. Otherwise, none of you may make it to the final dungeons before they collapse under whatever coding is currently preparing a tsunami for the system.”

  Somnia Online

  Illinish Threshold - Firtulai Continent

  Version: 2.0875 - Activated by Guild Exodus

  Early Day Twenty-One

  Masha watched Jirald out of the corner of his eye as the hulking rhino beetle type thing came crashing to the ground. One of its front pincers hung by a thread, and both of its eyes had been gouged out by spells and arrows. They struck in the undercarriage and joints — where the creature was vulnerable.

  The guild Exodus has defeated Inith Ilan of the Illinish Threshold and gained one of the twelve keys.

  Masha barely acknowledged the notification as he continued his examination of his best rogue’s performance. Except Jirald’s movements had somehow changed just before the fight. They’d all finally logged out several hours ago. Leaving only two people online at a time to keep the raid alive and allow them all to log back into the zone. One person from each group. They’d taken it in shifts to be able to grab some much-needed sleep. Totally worth it to be refreshed when they got back in, even if it meant that they had to re-clear some of the mobs they’d already fought.

  But ever since then, Jirald had been…different. It was the only way to describe it. Ishwa called out to Masha, but he just waved the gnome on, knowing it was about looting or something like that. Masha’s attention was needed elsewhere.

  He approached the rogue, who looked for all he was worth like he was talking to himself. Maybe he’d finally tipped over the edge. The thought wasn’t thrilling.

  “Jirald?” he asked tentatively. “You doing okay?”

  Jirald’s alien eyes gleamed up at him as he looked up from his crouch on the ground. There was a red hue surrounding the otherwise gleaming sky in his eyes, something even less natural than it had always been. “I’m fantastic.”

  True. He had been fantastic in that fight. Inhumanly so. The skills the rogue racked up were constantly outdoing themselves. Masha was scared to know exactly what they were, because everything about it seemed more dangerous.

  “Great job with the beetle.” Masha had already forgotten the boss’s name. Even with the sleep he’d gotten, he was getting too old for this. He was so tired, he wanted to log out and sleep until he woke up.

  “I know.” Jirald was already looking away again. His gaze settled off into the distance, focused on something that Masha couldn’t see. “You know, we need more people like me. Skilled, powerful, willing to do anything.”

  The worst were muttered in a way that made Masha unsure they were directed at him. It sounded more like the rogue was having a conversation with himself. Convincing himself of something he already knew was true.

  “We have a decently skilled bunch in here. And more coming up through the ranks.” Masha ventured the information, not sure if that’s what he was meant to do, but not wanting to aggravate Jirald if it was.

  The rogue chuckled. “True. Decent is apt, and often enough. They’ll do. Except you. You have skill. So do I. I didn’t think I did, but I know I do now. So much more than I ever expected.” He flexed his fingers, watching them slowly uncurl in fascination.

  Masha didn’t say anything, getting the sense that his friend wasn’t finished yet. If indeed his friend was still in there. Right now, he sounded as alien as his character, which was a tough feat to pull off.

  “We just need more of us. Murmur, too. I hate her, but we could use her. Perhaps her Sin as well.” Jirald sighed, his eyes focusing suddenly and intensely on Masha. “They have such a solid group. It’s a shame we can’t steal them. Maybe we can entice them over?”

  “Sure.” Masha took a small step back, evaluating his friend. The serious tone held calculating echoes to it, like Jirald was almost back to his old self. His old, peak of concentration self.

  “Sure, it’s sure. If we could just gather ever competent person on the server into one place, we could defeat everything.” His eyes held determination Masha hadn’t seen in this game. It gave the cleric some hope about their futur
e. If they could finish this blasted dungeon anyway.

  “I’ll keep it in mind.” Masha didn’t know what to say or how to deal with this currently intensity, except that oddly, it lit a bit of a fire under him as well.

  A message request popped up in his vision, and he almost sighed with relief. “I have to answer some messages,” Masha said as he backed away. Jirald was already looking back at whatever it was he found so fascinating.

  Masha opened his screen even as he made notes to keep his eyes on his friend to make sure he was okay. The message was from Murmur. Speak of the devil and she appeared. He wondered again how awesome it would be to be in a guild where most of the leading didn’t fall to just him. Ishwa could be inspirational, but he rarely had the time or inclination to lead raids. It was why they had the raid leader position. Masha was still iffy about it going to a cleric.

  Please let me know if you have time to chat. I believe that the level forty-eight plus dungeons require at least thirty people. None of us will have that any time soon.

  Masha blinked. He’d just hit level forty-one himself and was getting close to forty-two. Way behind the schedule he’d wanted to be, but still only a level or two behind Murmur. All that trash clearing was probably to blame. He contemplated how to respond to her. What do you mean? Also, how are you? He shot the message back to her and didn’t have to wait long.

  I’m here. Surviving, funnily enough. Just worried about the game in general.

  That piqued his interest. Why would she be worried about the game? What was he missing? It really felt like there was so much everyone else got that he didn’t.

  Players are packed into the towns; subscription numbers are massive. Why on earth are you concerned about the game?