End Online: Volume 3

by D Wolfin

  Our food comes out almost immediately. Unsurprisingly, Fen only ordered a piece of steak.

  With the food in front of us, it is strange that the girl doesn’t touch the meat. She just stares intently at me.

  “W-What?” My voice stammers a little under the pressure of her gaze.

  “I want… That…” She looks down at the inch thick banana bread I ordered.

  “You want some?” I ask to make sure as I slowly push the plate towards her.

  Seeing what I am intending, she shakes her head. Opening her mouth, she makes a cute little “Ahh” sound.

  The nervous tension in me builds up as I comprehend what it is she wants.

  Cutting of a small slice I place it on a fork and extend it to her mouth. She eats the entire piece while barely chewing. After swallowing her cheeks dye a deep crimson and I feel the piercing stares of onlookers again.

  When she goes to eat her steak, she first attempts to pick up the entire thing in her hand to eat it. Stopping just before doing so, she gives a thought some consideration before picking up the silver cutlery.

  Fen attempts to use the cutlery like I did, but she is too clumsy with them.

  “Ah, Fen. You do it like this.”

  I give her a small demonstration in the air on how to use it, which she astonishingly manages to imitate perfectly.

  Our lunch lasted for a good half hour, in which time I fed her half my banana bread and she managed to force half her steak down my throat. By this time the earlier headache from when my hood came off is completely gone too.

  “Are you happy now Fen?” I honestly want to log off right now. Not that I need sleep or anything. It is just the feeling of being trapped is terrifying and I need to get out.

  “… I am!… We need… To do this… Again!..” She puts on a huge smile in delight.

  I think about logging off, but first I want to test out my speed now that the hood is off. Technically, my speed should be about double what it was previously.

  Fen follows as I turn into an out of the way alley, completely out of the public eye. The alley itself is long and narrow, perfect for my test. I take off at top speed to reach the other end as fast as possible.

  With a dull thud, I run directly into the wall.

  ‘Too fast!’ I think to myself.

  The speed is incredibly difficult to control, in a single moment I already lost over ten percent health and even stunned myself.

  When I can get back up, I return to the alley entrance,.

  This time, I activate ‘Perceptual Sight’ to slow down things around me. Focusing all my energy into the sacred art, time slows down even more than ever before.

  The surrounding areas slow down by a massive fifty percent. A small message appears in the bottom corner of my vision, but it disappears before I can read it.

  WARNING!

  Overload of mental capacity - High Risk.

  Safety procedure is currently non responsive.

  Emergency release is currently non responsive.

  I try running, and it is almost like I am swimming through water. However, at the same time the headache from earlier start to grow in my mind. Stopping immediately, I am already satisfied with how fast I can be, it will simply take some practice to perfect.

  The tension builds up in me as my finger closes on the logout button. Almost all the stress is relieved from my body when I successfully log out of not only End Online but also my locker.

  ***************************************************

  Back in my bed, sweat is constantly beading on my forehead. For some reason, the headache I had in the game is still there.

  Chapter 15 – Chain Quest

  -Verde-

  I logged off after we decided to meet back in three hours. Well, it is three hours until we can start the quest once the in game sun rises.

  Lifting my VL off of my head, the low evening sun floods my room with a golden light. The window is at the perfect position, allowing the entire room to be evenly filled with the gentle glow.

  The first thought that came to my mind is about Lost. The second is that today happens to be Valentine’s day.

  Rolling over and stuffing my face into the pillow, my face becomes conflicted. I waited so long for him to arrive in Grenton. I had grown more and more anxious with every passing day hoping he would arrive before today.

  Why? Because I want to ask him to be my Valentine for the day.

  I have been asked out by an innumerable amount of men in both real life and in virtual reality. Even today, in the game I had a shocking seven people presenting roses before me. Yet every single one of them I refused without a second thought.

  Not once in my entire life have I ever considered accepting any man’s feelings. It isn’t because they only approached me based on my looks, I simply did not have any interest in them.

  As a matter of fact, I never really had much interest in anyone until a while after meeting Lost.

  I don’t know exactly when it started, but I get incredibly nervous when we are close together. And every time we are near each other, I remember that kiss!

  Of course, I do not let this show on my face. Attending those kinds of gatherings with my family, I have been taught since a young age to hide my true emotions. It simply does not change the feelings that are hidden underneath.

  I had taken a step into opening myself up and inviting him, but he simply came too late.

  After that I had to tell him to meet me at sunset, being unable to see him for my stupid actions.

  When I found out that he was not going to arrive in time for me to ask him to have a proper valentine’s date with me, I took it out on others.

  I travelled around Grenton stealing peoples purses and even jewellery when I dared to. I did it far too much and eventually got caught. The guard then took all my stolen possessions and escorted me directly to a jail cell, where I was forced to reside for twenty four hours in the game.

  The punishment could have been much worse, but I was fortunate that this was the first time I was caught in Grenton. I say it is fortunate because each time you are caught the sentence will double each time. Although, there is a limit depending on the crime, I hear the maximum time someone can be locked up is about 1 month in real life. Most people would simply log out for the duration of these periods though.

  For one reason or another, I can’t seem to get any rest. Lifting my head off of the pillow, I see that only an hour has passed since I logged off, meaning there is still two hours until we planned to meet up.

  Making up my mind, I put my VL back on and log back into End Online.

  Returning to the inn, the entire lobby is packed with players drinking ale and around the barrels that are used as tables. In the corner of the room there is a platform with a bard playing. Whether they are a player or an NPC, I don’t know, but the atmosphere the bard is providing to the inn is incredibly relaxing.

  I decide to walk the night time streets for a while, if I couldn’t sleep outside of the game, I don’t want to try now that I’m in it. Truth be told, I had logged out and slept while I was locked away in the prison when I got caught for stealing.

  Leaving the Gold Run Inn, a cool night breeze swept by me. Pulling my cloak tighter against my body to escape the cold, the Grenton night time takes a while to sink in.

  Paper lanterns hang from all the buildings, illuminating the streets with a soft warm glow. The light is almost enough for one to feel warm, despite the wind. The beauty of the surroundings more than compensate for the pitch black sky, next to no stars shining through the foliage of Grenton’s world tree.

  As I wander through the streets, I spot a familiar figure in a white fur cloak at a restaurant. The only strange thing is that this person does not have their hood on. About to pass up on the person as simple resembling him, I notice the girl sitting at the opposite side of the table.

  ‘Fen!!?’

  My mind cries out an alarm and I know that the other person must indeed b
e Lost. But when did he take the hood off? I thought he couldn’t take it off!

  Realizing I am only about twenty meters away, and in the middle of the road, I dash to the side and hide behind a building.

  The first thing I do is open my registered friends list. Sure enough, Lost is currently online. I poke my head out from behind the building I am hiding behind. Making sure to activate my skill to prevent other players from looking at me while I steal a glance at Lost and Fen.

  My face suddenly becomes all flushed as Lost picks up a piece of meat on his fork and feeds it to Fen, directly into her mouth. My chest suddenly becomes heavy and my mind clouds.

  I pull myself back around the corner and hide.

  “Why should I worry about that wolf? She is just an NPC, not a real person.”

  I voice my thoughts in a whisper without thinking. From the moment I started liking Lost, I never really felt concerned about Fen because she was nothing but a computer program, a ‘companion’ in the game. But right now it feels like the guy I like is about to choose someone else!

  ‘Impossible! There is no way anyone would choose someone else over me! I’ve seen the lustful look that every guy gives me. I may not be able to see under Lost’s hood but no doubt he looks at me the same! Hmph!’

  Turning my embarrassment around, I steel my mind in preparation for what I plan to do next.

  ***************************************************

  ***************************************************

  -Lost-

  After I have a quick sleep for an hour, the headache I had seems to have dulled. I can still feel it, but thankfully not enough to call it painful.

  After waking, I slowly make my way into the bathroom to wash my face and refresh myself before returning to put my VL on. The whole process takes about twenty minutes, but that is mostly thanks to climbing in and out of my wheelchair.

  Inside the game, I return to the alley where I originally logged off from. The sun is still down in game, but the eastern horizon is slowly starting to brighten.

  ‘Now, I should avoid using my ‘Perceptual Sight’ sacred art in case that headache comes back.’ I remind myself in my mind. I also use my hands to feel my head, no longer hindered by that hood.

  Checking the time, I should still have about half an hour before we are all scheduled to meet back up. Everyone other than Fen is also offline too. As for that wolf girl, she is not only standing right next to me, but also clinging onto my arm.

  I don’t try to remove her from my arm. There is a small part inside my chest that is terrified of her. Perhaps I am weak willed, but I cannot find the courage to force her away.

  Before doing anything, there was one thing that I wanted to check, so I bring up my player data.

  Name: Lost

  Health: 1252/1252

  Stamina: 441/441

  Mana: 467/913

  Lvl: 97

  Lvl UP: 54%

  Str: 59 +20

  Agi: 191 +55

  Dex: 61 +33

  Int: 11 + 20

  Mnd: 40

  Lck: 23

  Fame/Infamy: 0

  Alignment: -5

  God: Grael

  Belief: 10

  Equipped Skills:

  Class Skill: White Warrior (SLvl 13, 17%)

  [Unavailable]

  Potion Production (SLvl 16, 39%)

  Mining (SLvl 1, 0%)

  Smithing (SLvl 1, 0%)

  Grael's Essence (SLvl 1, 0%)

  Origin of Dire Flame (SLvl 1, 0%)

  [Empty]

  [Empty]

  Reserve Skills:

  [Empty]

  Inside, my heart seemingly jumps for joy. Not only is that ridiculous title gone, but so is all my infamy! I am a little surprised at my new religious stats, especially that my alignment has turned into a negative for unknown reasons.

  I walk out of the alley with her attached to me and every single player walking down the street stops in their tracks to stare at me. Not only the men, but even the female players give me hateful eyes.

  I secretly sigh to myself. Of course, a young man and a young woman walking out of a dark alley is incredibly suspicious. Enough so that they will immediately jump to conclusions.

  Ignoring my surroundings, I pass by the players without giving them any attention. With this dangerous AI attached to my arm, I have bigger concerns anyway.

  I still have some time before the meeting, so I decide to walk around town for a while.

  About ten minutes of wandering around the city and I find what appears to be the equivalent of the bazaar back in Iceridge. It is on the ground floor where the market stalls run by players lined up. Most appear to be vacant but I am sure they will fill as soon as the sun rises. Players aren’t machines, they need sleep.

  The only main difference is that instead of being in a large open space like in Iceridge, this one is set up on a large street. The stalls line the road on both side, extending for a good hundred meters.

  Above me I see faint lights showing through the wooden floor ten meters up. I can’t tell from down here, but I suspect that this bazaar may continue up there. Grenton does have four times the population of Iceridge after all.

  I spot a player setting up his stall not too far from me. He stands nearly as tall as me and has slick black hair swept back. For some reason, this player looks incredible familiar.

  “Mouse!”

  I call out to the person setting up the stall. He turns his head to look at me in surprise.

  “My apologies,” he calls out back to me, “but have we met before?”

  “Of course! We used to do a lot of business down in Iceridge. How could you forget?”

  “I remember now! You are the man that was in the hood. Yeah, you never even gave me your name you know!”

  “Hahah, my name is Lost… Hey! You have sent money into my virtual wallet before, so clearly you must know it.”

  “Doesn’t change the fact that you never told me your name before!”

  Mouse suddenly breaks out in laughter, which I can only frown in response.

  “By the way,” I cut off his laughing with a serious tone, “what are you doing here? Aren’t you meant to be back in Iceridge. I went to say goodbye before I fled the city, but you weren’t there.”

  “Indeed, I am from there.” He holds up his right hand, revealing the symbol of Glace, “But as I am sure you know, there is three times the business to be made here.”

  Bringing his arms out wide and signalling to the whole area, I recall that this guy was always one to speak with body actions.

  “But,” he continues on, “you had to flee from there? What did you possibly do?”

  “Mmm. Well, the Swords of Light guild seemed to get a bad impression of me. Safe to say, that city was no longer safe for me to be in or around.”

  “The Swords of Light? I haven’t heard of them.”

  “Apparently they have a pretty big name for themselves. They are quite notorious among other players so I am surprised you haven’t.”

  “Maybe I have heard of them. I just can’t seem to recall.”

  He looked at me with a strange expression on his face. I don’t know exactly what it was, but something seemed a little off.

  “Anyway, I need some armour crafted!” I previously had no clue who was going to repair and craft all this ‘Tattered Mouldy Leather’ for me into a much needed new piece of armour, buy I just found the person who created my current torso armour.

  “As you know, I am always pleased to be of service. For the right price of course.” A business smile crept onto Mouse’s face.

  “I have the materials right here. I hear it is cheaper if I produce the materials myself.” Well, I read up on the forums that most smiths will charge less if you provide the raw material.

  I pull out my large stock of the leather and place it in front of him. He frowns as he looks down on the pile of rotted leather. Picking a small piece up and inspecting it, only leads his brow to
furrow further.

  “It’s no good.” He speaks as he closes his eyes and shakes his head.

  “What do you mean? It is a crafting material, from a high level monster at that!”

  “It is a crafting material, but not for any kind of quality armour. I mean, look at how frail this material is. It also has a toxic status effect. I suspect this will create an armour with incredibly low durability and slowly poisons you. Which would be completely useless, and with no value.”

  I can tell by his serious tone that he is being completely honest with me.

  “Well, I may as well do something with it. What can you do with it?” I feel my hopes for some kind of fantastic armour dropping to rock bottom.

  “Why don’t I ask an acquaintance to use this and create some clothing? That way the durability will not matter.”

  “I suppose… It is better than nothing after all.”

  Mouse lightly shrugs his shoulders, letting me know there is nothing that can be done about it. I lay out all of the leather in front of him. A slight widening of his eyes shows his surprise at the quantity, even though he takes it all nonetheless.

  “It will be three gold coins.” He says while smiling, which I quietly hand over to him, “And now that that is out of the way. We need to discuss the real business.”

  All of a sudden he takes on the most serious face I have ever seen him make.

  “T-the real business?” I ask nervously.

  “Yes. You must tell me, who is that stunning lady attached to your arm.”

  The words take a minute to sink in, considering the atmosphere. I was expecting him to ask something a little more… Suiting the seriousness on his face.

  “Lost! We are all here at the inn. Where are you?”

  Verde’s almost urgent voice suddenly interrupts my train of thought. Finally taking notice of the sky, I see vibrant rays of crimson and orange light shining past the underneath of the canopy from behind the large world tree in the center of the city.

  “I’m sorry! I will be there in a few minutes!” I send a private message back in desperation, there is no way I can jeopardize my own quest by being late.