“Good,” Jason said shortly. “We need them to join us willingly. Help any who approach you to find a place in the schools. If any choose to leave, provision them well and make sure that the others see you do it. You might also start thinking about who we should appoint as the headmaster of the crafting school. Perhaps you should consult with Morgan and Jerry.”
“Will do, boss,” Rex replied in a sardonic tone, and he gave Jason a mock salute before moving off to police the trainees.
Jason looked back at the grounds, many of the undead were speaking together in groups. He saw some excitement and a renewed sense of hope. While he might lose troops with this decision, he hoped to make up for it with the boost to morale. In the back of his mind, Jason also realized that he would suffer this same problem with each new group of undead that joined his city. If they were recruited from enemies, they would be born with no memories, and he would have to convince them to fight and work for his city willingly. This probably wouldn’t be the first time he would make this speech or issue this ultimatum.
With a resigned sigh, Jason took his leave of the training grounds and headed for the market. However, his goal wasn’t to buy new equipment. Jason wanted to purchase a stockpile of health and mana potions. Actually, he planned to buy a huge number of both.
His small stash of coins had grown back to forty-two gold after the days of fighting Alexion’s army, and he splurged ten gold to make certain he didn’t run out of the life-giving bottles. He was a little nervous about going into combat again after having an arrow embedded in his thigh. It was clear that he wouldn’t be able to hide in a corner during every fight, especially if he would be fighting alongside Riley and Frank. He needed a way to heal himself if he was injured.
After purchasing his goods in the market, he considered what to do next. Thinking about the extra stat points he had received after the player ambush, he decided to review his Character Status.
He still wasn’t certain what to do with his ten extra stat points. However, he noticed that his dark affinity had increased since the battle against Alexion’s army and he was at a much higher level now. Perhaps he could learn some new spells from Morgan. That might give him some sense of how he should spend his points. Jason quickly decided to head to Morgan’s school.
His poser zombie began the slow walk north from the market to The Academy, while Jason maintained a safe distance. As they walked, he observed how the population on the north side had thinned out. Large manors and estates riddled the area, but there was almost no one on the streets. He suspected that it had something to do with his original rampage through the city. Hopefully, after the new schools had been open for a while, the area would become much more popular again. He anticipated that the free tuition would draw his residents to the schools like flies to honey.
Alfred glanced up at Jason as they made their way toward Morgan’s school. He spoke hesitantly, snapping Jason out of his reverie, “When you were speaking with the counsel earlier, I caught a glimpse of your true plan in Peccavi. It is ambitious. Is this necessary?”
Jason shook his head, a thoughtful look on his face. “Possibly. We need to increase our population quickly. Haven’t you ever heard the expression, desperate times call for desperate measures?”
Alfred looked at him with a puzzled expression. “You players have many of these expressions. What is their purpose?”
“They take a complicated idea and break it down into something simple and easy to remember,” Jason replied.
Alfred seemed to digest this for a moment before speaking. “I understand that premise. However, you do not seem desperate.”
“Perhaps not yet,” Jason said, his brow furrowed.
The thought of losing the city flashed through his mind. Yet what he was most worried about was losing the people he had come to know and treat as friends. He knew they were just lines of code in a server, but they were also so lifelike. What would it be like to witness Morgan’s death? Or Jerry’s? Well, technically he was already a corpse, but the point was still valid. The bottom line was that he would be better able to protect the city’s residents in the future if he took extreme measures now.
Jason looked down at Alfred. Before the cat had revealed itself as Alfred, he would have gone to great lengths to protect Onyx. The cat had been judgmental and lazy, but he had also been Jason’s companion. “I have something to protect,” Jason said in a firm voice. “I am going to do whatever it takes to do so.”
Alfred watched him carefully, clearly trying to read his surface thoughts. “I don’t understand this concept of a companion,” he said. “The players also refer to them as friends.”
“Hmm.” Jason had to think for a moment. Alfred needed an explanation he could process. “It’s similar to our conversation about in-game items. People grow attached to one another, especially if we enjoy each other’s company or need each other. The more time we spend with a person, the stronger the attachment grows.”
The cat’s forehead crinkled. After a moment, he said, “I do not experience this attachment towards you.”
Jason chuckled. “Well, maybe you just haven’t been around me long enough.” He was rewarded with an incredulous expression from Alfred.
Their conversation was interrupted as they reached The Academy. In contrast to the many abandoned estates in the north-side, undead in black robes were entering and exiting the school in droves.
Jason made his way inside the repurposed estate, weaving between groups of intently focused mages. The manor was chaos. Books were stacked in large piles, and the occasional spell would hurtle through the halls. After dodging several misplaced bolts, Jason found Morgan working in her office upstairs.
As usual, she didn’t look up from her pile of books as Jason entered the room. He coughed loudly, causing her to glance up at him. A flash of annoyance flitted across her face. “What the hell do… oh. Hello, Jason,” she said, stopping herself mid-sentence. She must have been expecting one of her students.
A broad smile crept across Jason’s face. “Hi, Morgan. I wanted to speak with you alone for a moment before we head north. Specifically, I want to know whether I can learn any additional spells.”
Morgan eyed him curiously. “Already? Weren’t you just in here a few days ago?” She rubbed at her eyes for a moment and then glanced at the books in front of her. “Maybe I lost track of time. It’s easy to get distracted with this new school. I have too many responsibilities and hobbies nowadays. Sometimes I miss the solace and quiet of my graveyard.” Morgan stared off into space for a long moment before her eyes snapped back into focus.
“No sense listening to an old woman complain. Let’s have a look at you.” She examined Jason closely as though she could read his Character Status on his skin. After a moment, her eyes widened.
“By the Dark One, you certainly advance quickly,” Morgan exclaimed.
Jason grinned ruefully. “Wars help with the leveling process. Am I eligible for some new spells?”
Morgan shook her head, a frown curling her lips. “Technically yes, but unfortunately I can’t help you.”
A confused expression flitted across Jason’s face. “What do you mean?”
“Both your level and affinity are sufficient to learn new spells. However, I’m not capable of teaching you. You need someone more proficient than me in Necromancy.” His next question must have been written on his face because Morgan immediately answered it. “I suggest you speak with the Dark One. He should be able to address your problem.”
Jason sighed. “I’m not certain I have time for that conversation before we leave. I guess this may have to wait until I return to the city.” As he finished speaking, a prompt appeared in his field of view.
New Quest: Learning to Play
Morgan has tasked you with speaking to the Old Man to determine how to learn new spells. Two weeks into the game and you aren’t certain where to find your class trainer. Good job!
Difficulty: C
Success: Spea
k to the Old Man
Failure: Don’t speak to the Old Man? Give up?
Reward: More information regarding your class.
Really, Alfred? Jason glared at the cat that sat on Morgan’s desk. He could have sworn that the AI smirked at him in response.
Alfred’s insulting quest aside, he was a little disappointed. He had been hoping to learn some new spells before his group tackled the dungeon, particularly something that could provide some protection. The fight in the alley had been a close call, and the dungeon was likely to be challenging for such a small group.
I guess I’m just going to have to be careful. I may also need to learn to lean on Riley and Frank a bit more. This is going to be an odd change of pace.
Morgan interrupted his thoughts. “While you’re here, I wanted to mention some of the books I found in the keep. I had a chance to skim a few of them over the last few hours. Keep in mind that I haven’t read them closely yet. I will need to spend much more time on this.” She waved at a stack of books that stood near her desk, the pile towering over Jason.
She paused for a moment, her fingers picking anxiously at the corner of a book in front of her. “What I’ve read so far covers the history of this city. However, these histories go much further back than anything I’ve seen before.”
Morgan looked at Jason, her eyes serious and her lips pinched. “Apparently, your recent rampage isn’t the first time that Lux was converted to the dark.”
Jason looked at her in shock. “What? How could this have been a dark city before? It was full of regular humans just a few weeks ago.”
Morgan nodded. “That’s true. However, thousands of years ago, this city was home to the undead. At least, that’s what these books describe. From what I understand so far, many cities used to be home to a particular affinity. The ancient world was full of many different races.” She shook her head, and a look of disbelief swept over her face.
“Now that itself is strange,” she said, flipping through the pages of one of the tomes in front of her. “Yet these books also talk about many different types of undead. For example, there used to be various specters, creatures that drank the blood of the living, and a myriad of others.” She gestured to several crude, hand-drawn images shown on the book’s weathered pages.
“I haven’t seen any of those races in the city,” Jason replied thoughtfully.
“Exactly!” Morgan exclaimed, snapping the book shut. “From what I’ve read, many of those races were created by the Dark One himself or by some ancient race.
“Here is where these books become even more obtuse. I haven’t been able to piece together much from my reading so far, and some of the text is almost illegible. However, I understand that there used to be a ruling race that governed this city. The books describe them as creatures of considerable will.”
“What does that mean?” Jason asked, his mind reeling with this new information.
Morgan shook her head. “I’m not certain. This race filled a special role in undead society. They were rulers of sorts. Yet they were also something more. The passages I’ve read so far are incredibly unhelpful. They sometimes refer to this creature as a ‘keeper’ - whatever that means.” Morgan cast an irritable glance at the pile of books in front of her.
Jason sighed. Morgan’s research was intriguing, but he wasn’t certain what he could do with this information at the moment. “I guess you’re just going to have to keep reading. I’d love to find more information on these ‘keepers.’ It would also be helpful to know what happened to the cities that were claimed by the other deities.”
He hesitated, his eyes resting on the books in front of Morgan. While creating the Twilight Throne hadn’t been easy, it was certainly possible - especially with a push from the Old Man. Listening to Morgan, it seemed likely that other players might soon be having conversations with the other deities and conquering cities for their affinity. This might have already begun. If he was right, what would the other races look like? Would they have specific strengths and weaknesses like the undead? Since those cities and their occupants were potential enemies, Jason needed more information.
He looked back up at Morgan. “You should also focus on finding any information you can regarding the races of the other cities - spells, racial abilities, and weaknesses in particular,” Jason added.
Morgan looked at him, anger flashing across her face. “Is that all? Since when do you give me homework, boy?”
Jason shrugged. “Since I started running a city. I think it’s called delegating,” he replied with a grin.
Morgan didn’t find his joke funny, and Jason soon found himself standing outside the building. Once she had started shooting rays of dark energy in his direction, he took that as a sign that he needed to get the hell out of there.
As he rested against the side of the building, Jason glanced at his hand, noticing that his skin had turned a ghastly black color where one of the rays had struck a glancing blow. The damn thing stung. Morgan had been on edge ever since she left her graveyard. Perhaps there was a reason she had picked such a remote place to live.
Maybe I shouldn’t try to antagonize her in the future, he thought ruefully.
Alfred casually walked out of the building behind him, eyeing Jason with amusement.
“Stupid cat,” Jason muttered.
Putting aside his irritation, Jason glanced at the in-game clock. His time was almost up, and he needed to start heading to the north gate. His group had a long journey ahead of them.
Chapter 9 - Arduous
Frank had spent the last few hours in-game wandering the Twilight Throne. This was made more challenging by the fact that he could barely see, using only the occasional flashes of lightning and the sparse, eerie lanterns to navigate. He wouldn’t normally have chosen to spend his time this way, but it was clear to him that Jason and Riley had other things to attend to before they left the city, so he had made up an excuse to avoid getting in their way.
That was basically his M.O. - being in other people’s way. It wasn’t just his weight; it was just him. He reached down and touched his stomach, feeling the flab beneath his mail. Playing a video game was supposed to be different, wasn’t it? Shouldn’t he have six-pack abs and a glowing smile? Shouldn’t he be a powerful knight that strode into battle in a flurry of steel?
“This game isn’t at all what I was expecting,” he murmured to himself, the strong face he put on for Jason and Riley beginning to crack.
“Ho there, Sir Tubby,” a voice called out from behind him. Frank whirled and found himself face-to-face with Jerry. He groaned mentally. He wasn’t exactly fond of the gregarious innkeeper although Jason seemed to like him.
“Hi, Jerry,” he grumbled. “I thought I told you not to call me that.”
Jerry cocked his head and placed a finger to his lips. “Must have slipped my mind,” he replied, eying Frank carefully. “Or perhaps I was distracted by all of this manly glory I see before me.”
Frank could feel his anger rising. “Watch the weight jokes,” he growled, tamping down on the burning feeling in his chest. He was used to the teasing by now and had learned to bottle up his emotions. In his experience, nothing good ever came from lashing out at his antagonists.
Jerry raised his hands defensively. “My apologies. I didn’t mean to poke the bear, so to speak.” He nudged Frank’s stomach with his elbow at this last comment and gave him a slow wink.
Frank’s anger began to boil in his veins. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. He imagined grabbing at the two-handed sword strapped to his back and slamming it into the irritating innkeeper’s grinning face. For some reason, the thought calmed him, and he opened his eyes. Jerry studied him with interest, a disconcertingly serious expression on his normally clownish face.
“You let others dictate the way you view yourself,” Jerry said quietly. “You have potential, but it’s squandered through inaction. I suggest you hold onto that emotion you just felt instead of trying to supp
ress it.”
Frank stared at the innkeeper with wide eyes. “I-I don’t understand what you’re saying,” Frank muttered, looking down at his hands.
When Frank looked back up, Jerry was smiling at him again, the usual manic gleam having re-entered his eyes. “Oh, it’s nothing but the careless words of a clown,” he said, turning away from Frank and heading back down the street. As he walked away, Jerry, called over his shoulder. “Good luck on your journey, oh Lord of Lard.”
The teenager’s eyes followed Jerry as he walked away, his form quickly swallowed by the darkness that hung over the city. Soon Frank was standing alone in the deserted street. His eyes dropped to the cobblestones in front of him. This definitely wasn’t how a video game was supposed to work.
***
After Jason had regrouped with Riley and Frank, the small group began heading north. He estimated that Peccavi was a three-day hike through the forest. Luckily, there was a rough road that stretched from the Twilight Throne to Peccavi so their progress wouldn’t be impeded by the dense forest.
After a quick discussion, Jason discovered that they had all put a decent number of points into Endurance. By his calculation, if they moved at a jog, they could halve the travel time to the town even with stops to let their stamina regen. It would still take them roughly two days in the real world to reach their destination due to Riley and Frank’s school schedules, but they wouldn’t be moving as slowly as Alexion’s former army.
When Jason explained that they would be jogging to the village to save time, Frank gave him a murderous look. However, after Jason sic’d a few of his zombies on him, Frank suddenly decided he felt like jogging. In the process, he also picked up the Sprint skill. Some people just needed the right motivation.
Awaken Online: Precipice Page 13