Overworld (Dragon Mage Saga Book 1): A fantasy post-apocalyptic story

by Rohan M Vider

  “I choose Twice as Skilled,” I said.

  “Your choice has been recorded. Next, choose your mythic Trait from the ones available to humans.”

  This time the list of Traits was not nearly so extensive, I noted with relief. It was only half as long as the one with legendary Traits. As I scanned through the Traits, in the back of my mind Aurora’s choice of phrasing played over in my mind again.

  It was the third time she had worded her instruction as: ‘available to humans.’ Did that mean other races would have a different selection of Traits to choose from? I wondered in idle speculation.

  The list of mythic Traits seemed as varied as the legendary and epic ones, with each Trait suited to a particular style of play. So what would my own be? I wondered.

  Given my Potentials, there was little doubt I would invest heavily in the magic Disciplines and Attributes, which would leave me weak and less dextrous compared to other players. The proverbial glass cannon. Did I shore up my weaknesses or double down on my strengths?

  Shore up my weaknesses, I decided. My Magic Potential, if Kagan’s reaction was anything to go by, did not appear to need further boosts. On the other hand, with my crippled foot and lacklustre Might Potential, I would easy pickings if I was caught without access to magic. I needed to either choose a Trait that gave me an escape option, or one that increased my survivability.

  I scanned the list again, shortlisting two Traits once more.

  Trait: Ghost. Rank: 6, mythic. This Trait grants a player the ghostwalker Technique, which allows them to dissociate from their body and wander as an invisible spirit for: thirty seconds. While in spirit form, the player cannot interact with the world, and they may pass through solid objects.

  The Technique’s casting time is: fast. Due to the damage inflicted by the ability on a player’s spirit, it may only be used: once a day.

  Trait: Spirit’s Invincibility. Rank: 6, mythic. This Trait grants a player the invincible Technique, which allows them to manifest their spirit as a shield against all forms of damage for: thirty seconds.

  The Technique’s casting time is: very fast, but may only be used: once a day.

  I chewed on the inside of my lip as I read the Traits’ descriptions. They seemed amazing, and I wished I could have both. Ghostwalker was definitely the better escape option, since it would allow me to cleanly escape difficult situations, and even to enter barred and locked areas.

  But invincible would grant me immunity, and it could be used both defensively and offensively. It also appeared to be the faster-acting Technique. In the end it was this last bit that helped me decide. In an emergency, what would matter most would be speed of execution. “I choose Spirit’s Invincibility,” I said, quietening my doubts.

  “Noted. Lastly, choose your unique Trait. Unique Traits are unranked, and rarely awarded, and then only in very special circumstances. Every unique Trait is just that: unique, and only a single player may ever possess any particular one.”

  Aurora fell silent, momentary doubt clouding her face. “Until now, no player has ever been granted a choice when it comes to the unique Trait they acquire. In the past, the system has always determined the appropriate reward.”

  She fixed me with hard-eyed stare. “For your accomplishment of defeating five Seasoned players while still an Inductee, the Trials, in its wisdom, has seen fit to grant you the honour of making your own choice of a unique Trait. Choose carefully, human. You have fifteen minutes left.”

  The little purple woman looked like there was much more she wanted to add, but biting her lip, she managed to hold the words in. As it were, her explanation was the most expansive one she had provided thus far. If I had not already been aware of the importance of my choice, her words would have alerted me.

  This, I knew, was my true reward. And it was not a choice I could fail to get wrong.

  Chapter 10

  12 May: 5 days to Earth’s destruction

  We cannot ignore the facts. The Elders were here: on this planet, Earth. We must know why. —Arustolyx, gnomish archaeologist.

  I blew out a calming breath as the open purple windows disappeared and were replaced by a single golden one.

  Thousands of Traits scrolled through the window.

  I gulped. How was I expected to go through all that in fifteen minutes? I turned to Aurora in incipient panic. “Is there any way to sort the list?”

  My ‘guide’ ignored me and stared steadfastly ahead. Growling softly to myself, I got to work rapidly scanning the titles.

  There were so many Traits, and all of them had longwinded names such as: ‘raider of the hidden-most depths of the world,’ ‘holder of the sacred iron-tooth totem,’ ‘hoarder of all things shiny and small,’ ‘first conqueror of the underside catacombs,’ ‘valiant champion for the free rights of murkers,’ and so on.

  Many of the titles were so arcane I could not even guess at what bonuses the Trait granted. I mean, what possible benefits could, ‘twirling rainbow under a midnight sky’ grant? Yet I dared not stop to read any of the descriptions. There were just too many to go through.

  “Ten minutes remaining,” said Aurora.

  I looked away from the list to scowl at her indifferent face. With difficulty, I bit back a retort. It would only waste time I did not have. I turned back to the golden window and forced myself to skim faster through the seemingly endless and nonsensical jargon.

  My eyes began to burn, aching from the strain of keeping them focused for so long. Hundreds of names scrolled past my gaze. Most of them barely pinged on my conscious thoughts at all.

  I couldn’t even recall words that rushed through my sight scant seconds ago. I was scanning the list that rapidly and in a manner that was, perhaps, wholly inefficient.

  But trusting to my instincts, I let my gaze rove through the list and waited for my unconscious mind to spark at the right combination of words. What those would be, I had no idea, but surely something in the thousands of names would jolt my interest.

  “Five minutes,” said Aurora.

  I pressed onwards, even as inwardly I began to despair. Perhaps, I was going about this all wrong, I worried suddenly. Perhaps the smarter choice would have to forgo the list entirely, and pick Traits at random to inspect in detail. But it was too late for that now. I was nearly out of time.

  “Three minutes remaining.”

  The text in the gold window swam out of focus as the prolonged strain began to wear on my eyes. Unshed tears collected at their corners. Uncaringly, I let the glistening tears stream down my face and kept going.

  It is no use, I thought dejectedly. I had failed. I had chosen the wrong tack.

  But just as I began to reconcile myself to being forced to select at random, my eyes stopped moving—frozen by the sight of two short words.

  I rubbed an impatient hand across my waterlogged eyes, and leaning forward, peered fervently at the Trait’s title. I had not been mistaken. I had read the words correctly.

  ‘Dragon’s Gift,’ the title of the Trait read.

  A short, succinct title, so unlike the elaborate, longwinded names of the other unique Traits. I stared at it, transfixed.

  “Two minutes,” I heard Aurora remark from beyond.

  Not taking my eyes off the Trait, I willed the golden window to expand and show the Trait’s full description.

  Trait: Dragon’s Gift. Rank: unique. Grants the player access to the dragon magic Discipline.

  I leaned back and closed my eyes. This was the one. This was the Trait I needed. Never mind that the Trait’s description was uninspiring and gave almost no hint of benefits it would provide, I knew with bone-deep certainty that this was the Trait I had to choose.

  Overworld’s Elders were dragons, I recalled, remembering the passage I had read seemingly ages ago on the Trials’ creators. And this Trait gave me access to their magic.

  “One minute,” said Aurora.

  I turned to face the purple woman,
who despite her stated impartiality was beginning to look distressed. I smiled reassuringly at her. “I choose Dragon’s Gift,” I said.

  Aurora’s eyes widened, and for a moment she appeared at a loss for words. But then she remembered the dire passage of time.

  “So recorded,” she said finally, the words coming out half-strangled. She glanced inwards. “You have forty-five seconds left! Quickly, through the portal! You will have to choose from one of the neutral locations as your destination before the transition can be completed. Remember, you only have a few seconds before you lose control of the gate! Now go!”

  I went.

  Limping as fast as my crippled foot would allow, I hurried to the purple gate. Behind me, just before I entered the gate, I heard Aurora shout, “We will see each other again, Jameson Sinclair. When you have levelled up, enter one of the dragon temples on Overworld and you will find me there. Goodbye, and good luck!”

  I lifted a hand in acknowledgement and stepped into the gate.

  You have exited Wyrm Island. Initiation: completed. Current designation: Initiate. Resuming transfer to Overworld…

  …

  …

  … transfer interrupted.

  You have not selected a destination. Redirecting player to waystation 23,424. Location: Human Dominion void. Select a neutral location to resume your transfer. Gate forty-six will revert to orcish control in: thirty-five seconds.

  I stepped out into a world of grey emptiness.

  Whipping my head back and forth, I looked around. There was nothing to see in any direction. I was surrounded by billowing mists on all sides.

  What now? I wondered frantically.

  Before my worry could transform into full-blown panic, a translucent map began to slowly crystallise in the space before me. “Come on, hurry up,” I whispered, wondering how much time I had left.

  After a full five seconds the map’s manifestation completed. My eyes raced across the magical construct. It was a map of the Human Dominion in Overworld. With no point of reference, I had no idea how large an area it covered, but humanity’s new territory appeared sizeable. On the Dominion’s eastern border was a region marked boldly in red and labelled: ‘the Orcish Federation.’

  So, humanity had been placed next to its Patron, the orcs. My gaze flicked to humanity’s other borders, but the other territories lying adjacent to the Human Dominion were greyed out—as was the greater part of the Orcish Federation, I realised. Only the orcs’ territories bordering humanity were shown on the map.

  There was no time to scrutinise the map in further detail. I had to select a destination—and fast. I scanned the many pulsing grey icons scattered throughout the Human Dominion. I assumed that they were the allowed neutral locations I could transition to. All of them were unhelpfully labelled, ‘unclaimed,’ or ‘unnamed.’

  Damn it, I thought, where are the gnomish cities? Or even the elvish ones? It was my plan to enter one of the gnomes’ cities, and if I couldn’t do that, to choose a location as close as possible.

  Yet with none of the gnomish cities appearing on the map, there was no way I could be certain of doing that now. It would take Eric and myself even longer to join up than I had hoped.

  I was out of time.

  Left with no other choice, I turned my attention to a grey icon, located on the far west of the Human Domain and as about as far as you could get from the Orcish Federation. I knew I would need time before I was ready to face the orcs again, and the distance between my selected location and the orcs’ territory might just give me that.

  Gathering my thoughts together, I willed myself to my chosen location, a nondescript settlement on the banks of a river.

  The map disappeared, and the billowing mist around me spun more furiously until they had transformed into a raging tornado with me at its centre. I closed my eyes and ducked my head against the winds whipping at me.

  A second later, I felt myself being pulled downwards, spiralling out of the depths of nowhere, and hopefully into Overworld.

  You have selected location seventy-eight as your destination. Exiting waystation 23,424. Resuming transfer to Overworld. Transfer will be completed in 5 seconds.

  4…

  3…

  2…

  1…

  Chapter 11

  391 days until the Arkon Shield falls

  5 days to Earth’s destruction

  No matter what your Potentials, without Traits and Feats, you’ll never amount to anything more than an average player. Accumulate as many of them as you can, as quick as you can. —Anonymous Veteran.

  Straight out of the gate, I stumbled and yelped in shock. I sprawled forward, and my nose buried itself into the green grass underfoot.

  Ooof, that hurts.

  This last transition through the gate had not been seamless as the ones before it. Lifting my head from the ground and spitting out the loose dirt and bits of grass clinging to my lips, I heaved myself upright into a sitting position. Around me I heard cries of alarm and shouts of dismay—human voices—but with my vision obscured by ominously flashing alerts, I still couldn’t make out much of my surroundings.

  I read the messages swiftly.

  Transfer completed. Jameson (Jamie) Sinclair, welcome to Overworld. You have entered location seventy-eight, presently unclaimed and unnamed. Participate in the Trials and become all you can be. Remember, true strength is grounded in experience.

  You are now a: level 1 Neophyte. Health pool unlocked. Stamina pool unlocked. New Techniques downloaded: analyse, mimic, magesight, and invincible. You have acquired: Tokens and Marks. Visit a dragon temple to use them.

  You have been blessed with: newcomer. This buff rapidly accelerates the learning rate of your Neophyte Disciplines and Attributes during your first day on Overworld.

  Flash alert: To all players entering the Human Dominion,

  As a new region, the Human Dominion will remain protected by an Arkon Shield for one Overworld year, 400 days. Days remaining: 391.

  Until the Arkon Shield falls, all races except humans and orcs are confined to the sponsored cities. Orcs, as the Patron of humanity, are permitted to patrol the Human Dominion, but are forbidden from exploiting the territory’s resources.

  Report any infractions at a dragon temple. Punishment will be swift and merciless.

  I was finally in Overworld and the clock had already started ticking on humanity. I have much to do, I thought as I acknowledged the Trials’ warning and waved it away.

  More raised shouts caught my attention. Something was happening and I needed to figure out what.

  “Tara, come look! We’ve got another one!” a voice cried out from behind.

  I looked over my shoulder. There was no gate behind me. Its ninety-foot-high structure was entirely absent. Wherever the portal had deposited me, the trip was one way.

  There is no going back now.

  A blonde-haired young man was looming above me and dancing impatiently from foot to foot. He was fresh-faced and without even a hint of facial hair. Still a teen. The youth was dressed in tattered leather clothes that seemed to be little more than rags. In his hands, he clenched a long stabbing spear.

  A blur of motion on my right distracted me from further study of the teenager. Swinging my head back around, I saw dozens of figures—all human and most dressed in a manner similar to the youth—charging in a ragged line towards an incoming flood of creatures.

  My mouth dropped open at the sight. The humans were fighting frogs, upright and bipedal frogs, armoured and bearing arms of their own.

  “What the—?” I exclaimed, unconsciously scooting away, even though the battling parties were a few hundred feet off.

  Where the hell am I?

  Swivelling my head left and right, I took in my surroundings. It did not look like a settlement of any kind. Other than a large, purple, block-shaped monstrosity to my right, there were no other buildings in sight.

&nbs
p; I was in a wide-open field of grass and upturned soil. To the east—assuming the sun rose in the east in Overworld—was a treeline in the far distance. Closer by, was what appeared to be a tented camp. I did not spend much time looking in that direction however. My attention was riveted by what was going on in the opposite direction.

  A few hundred yards to the west, the grassy plain I sat on angled steeply downwards hiding whatever lay beyond. The toad-men—what else to call them?—were emerging from there.

  They bounded up the slope and threw themselves against the ragged line of humans in front of the purple building. Surging back and forth, and hollering war cries of one kind or another, the men tried to hold them at bay. Everyone except me and the youth appeared to be on the move, attacking or defending.

  This is a battlefield.

  What was I doing here? Had something gone wrong with the transfer?

  A grim chuckle pulled my attention back to the teenager at my side. “Not what you were expecting, eh? Don’t worry, your reaction is no different from the hundreds of other newbs on arrival. Tara will explain everything when she gets here. She is today’s designated induction officer. He smiled sardonically. “A fine mood it has put her in too.”

  I blinked, not knowing what to say. “What are those creatures?” I asked instead.

  “Murluks,” said the youth, his amusement fading. He spat to the side. “Savage little buggers.”

  The slap of running feet approaching closer halted further conversation. A young woman—just as fresh-faced as the teen—jogged up to his side.

  Her hair was midnight-black, and her eyes, a startling green. She was dressed identically to the youth, but was armed with a short spear and shield instead. “Hansen, what do we have here?” the woman asked, the tone of command unmistakable in her voice.