Awaken Online: Precipice

by Travis Bagwell

  When he finally found one of the beasts, he noticed a small star next to its name. He deduced that the minotaurs must be some type of “elite” monster, which might explain why summoning the creatures used more of his Control Limit. It was typical for games to stock dungeons with more difficult monsters since the developers assumed that groups would be tackling the creatures together. Jason could only mutter under his breath about game balance.

  With a sigh, he returned to the entrance of the maze to wait for Riley and Frank to log back in. While he was waiting, he decided to send a few of the new minotaurs to collect more of the pines that grew along the trail leading into the valley. He intended to equip the beasts with spears since the weapons were more effective in some situations than the two-handed axes the bulls carried by default. He also had his zombies fashion straps with their extra equipment so that the minotaurs could sling their axes to their backs. He still had a veritable mountain of scrap gear leftover in his bags from his fight with Alexion.

  Jason then settled in to continue his reading. He was making considerable progress through his book list, devouring many of the dense treatises on military strategy and politics. He hadn’t enjoyed the dry material at first, but he now found it intriguing. Humans had been fighting for centuries, both in the field and from their desks, and they had come up with some incredible ways of doing so.

  After a few hours, Jason was rewarded with a skill notification:

  New Skill: Learning

  Your focus on improving your mental acuity and knowledge have increased the speed with which you learn. You will receive a bonus to skill growth in-game. It is said that those who master this skill can learn new abilities by merely watching others. I wouldn’t count on it in your case.

  Skill Level: Beginner Level 1

  Effect 1: You receive 0.10% increased learning speed for skills.

  That’s not much of a bonus, but I suppose it will add up over time.

  His thoughts were interrupted as Riley and Frank both re-entered the game, twin flashes of multi-colored light appearing near the dungeon entrance. Jason waved at them from where he sat on a boulder in the valley and then hurried over.

  “I can’t wait for the weekend coming up,” Frank said with a sigh. “We lose a lot of time each day attending class.”

  “A break would be nice,” Riley said softly. Jason didn’t miss the sad look in her eyes before she glanced away quickly.

  “Wish we could go ahead and graduate already. It’s not like this last year of high school is going to change much.” He turned to Jason. “But I still have no idea how you manage to find the time to handle your classes remotely and still play as much as you do. I practically never see you log off.”

  Jason shrugged noncommittally, glancing at Alfred beside him. “It’s a mystery,” Jason replied with a forced chuckle. He knew that the AI was somehow bypassing the mandatory system log off. “You guys ready to get started?”

  They both nodded, and the group re-entered the dungeon. They made much better time now that Jason led a small army of minotaurs. His new minions didn’t fit easily in the narrow hallways, but, when they encountered enemies, the skeletons’ bulky forms and their makeshift spears created an effective blockade. Riley and Jason’s ranged minions could then whittle down the enemy creatures with little risk. The remaining zombie minotaurs also made it much easier to locate traps and to navigate the maze since they had the layout memorized.

  After a few hours, the group had explored most of the maze, revealing a large blank area in the center of the labyrinth that had not yet been mapped. Based on Jason’s calculations, the entrance to this undiscovered area was located on the eastern side of the maze. While they headed to the entrance of this new area, Jason took the opportunity to check his notifications.

  x5 Level Up!

  You have (70) undistributed stat points.

  x1 Skill Rank Up: Leadership

  Skill Level: Intermediate Level 2

  Effect 1: Minions and subjects will receive a 6.5% increase learning speed for skills.

  Effect 2: Increased reputation with NPC commanders and leaders.

  Wow. Even with my new Learning skill, my level and skill growth have slowed considerably.

  Jason missed the days where he could gain twenty levels in one battle. Now that he was at a much higher level and fighting in a group, his progress had slowed considerably. He had also determined that Riley and Frank were receiving a disproportionate amount of the experience. This was probably due to their relatively low levels. Jason suspected this feature was intended to compensate for the level gap.

  Frank and Riley must be close to Level 100 by now. It’s probably a good thing they’re getting most of the experience since we’re going to need any edge we can get. The levels of the enemies in this dungeon seem abnormally high. I’m actually a bit nervous to see what’s in the final room.

  Jason also took the opportunity to check his character status.

  He noticed that his dark affinity had increased slightly. He chalked this up to murdering a town full of people and then holding an impromptu barbecue. Jason still hadn’t used his free stat points since he wasn’t certain what to do with them. Additional health would likely be useful, but he was reluctant to commit the points.

  So, as usual, I do nothing. I’m going to have to make up my mind eventually.

  The group arrived in front of a broad set of double doors made of stone. The doorway loomed over them, stretching nearly twenty feet into the air. This was the first set of doors they had discovered since entering the maze, and they felt out of place after the endless open hallways. Jason checked his map, confirming that they were standing just east of the blank area in the center of the maze.

  “Great,” Frank muttered. “These doors don’t look ominous at all.”

  “It doesn’t help that we have no idea what’s on the other side,” Riley added. “Do you think there will be more minotaurs?” Instead of nervousness, Jason detected a faint note of excitement in her voice. A quick glance confirmed that her eyes were filled with her dark mana.

  Didn’t she used to be reluctant to go into battle?

  Jason sighed. “I don’t like it anymore than you do, Frank. Yet we don’t have much choice. We’re just going to have to open the door and find out what’s inside.” He paused for a moment, and then a grin curled his lips. “Besides, worst case scenario we all die, right?”

  Frank glanced away quickly, covering up his anxiety with a snort and some bluster. “Easy for you to say. You haven’t tried it.”

  Jason could feel his heartbeat speed up. He wasn’t going to get a chance to plan for whatever they encountered inside this room. That meant he was going to have to wing it and hope for the best. Unfortunately, if they encountered enemies, this was also the best chance they had to win since he still had all his minions. If they lost the battle, Jason might have more information regarding their opponents, but they would be severely weakened by the loss of his minotaurs. There were still corpses remaining in the maze, but likely not enough to hit his Control Limit again. Plus, he might lose his casters and ranged minions. His class sometimes had a few severe drawbacks.

  Jason closed his eyes for a moment. He had a lot riding on this dungeon, and they needed to move quickly. He still hadn’t told Frank and Riley what he’d done; or what he planned to do. They couldn’t afford to lose this fight.

  Fuck it. I’m all in. If that’s the case, then I may as well give it my all.

  Jason opened his eyes. Dark mana cascaded through his body, turning his eyes a dark obsidian. The cold sensation crept up his spine and swiftly extinguished his fear. There was no room for hesitation. “Let’s do this,” Jason said, his voice ringing with power as his mana pulsed in his veins.

  Jason waved at his minotaurs, and they pushed open the door, revealing a large circular room. The chamber was nearly fifty yards long and was ringed with metal grates. Torches along the walls cast long, flickering shadows into the room. Yet the mo
st imposing part of the chamber was the crude stone throne that stood at its center. On the throne sat an enormous minotaur - one far larger than the bulls that the group had fought in the maze. Bones littered the ground around the stone monument, their appearance unnervingly human.

  The remains of the missing villagers? Jason wondered.

  The group piled into the room and took up a formation in front of the throne. Jason moved the skeletal minotaurs forward and positioned his ranged troops safely behind them. Riley and Frank stood to either side of him.

  The beast sitting on the throne raised his head lazily. Unlike his smaller brothers, this creature’s eyes shone with some semblance of intelligence. He watched the group carefully and then rose, the muscles in his arms and legs bulging. As the beast stood, Jason had to crane his neck to look at him. The minotaur towered over them at nearly 15 feet tall. This minotaur’s hair was much finer than the others and it shined in the flickering torchlight. Two magnificent, spiraling horns jutted from the beast’s skull, with smaller horns framing the top of its head like a crown.

  A quick inspection showed that the beast was level 166 and was named “The Minotaur King.” Jason noticed two small stars next to its name, likely indicating that this was a boss creature - as though that wasn’t obvious.

  “Who are you?” the Minotaur King asked in a booming voice, his tone carrying a note of deadly intent as his glowing red eyes surveyed the group. His jaw formed the words awkwardly, as though he was unaccustomed to speaking.

  Jason stared at the beast for a moment in shock, not expecting to converse with a dungeon boss. “My name is Jason, and we’re here to claim this dungeon,” Jason finally said.

  The beast snorted and shook his head. “You vermin think you can defeat the herd? Or perhaps you think that we’re all that lies within these ruins.” The bull’s lips lifted slowly, revealing pink gums and massive tusks as he grinned grotesquely.

  He motioned to the skeletal minotaurs that stood in front of the group. “You have claimed my brothers under your spell, but this won’t help you. There are greater dangers in these halls than this small portion of the herd. You have yet to meet our masters.”

  “Who are your masters?” Jason asked in confusion. He had been assuming that this was the end of the dungeon. Riley and Frank both looked at him in surprise but kept their weapons ready.

  His question was met with another disconcerting smile. “It doesn’t matter. You will not survive to meet them. You haven’t seen the true might of my brothers and sisters…” the Minotaur King trailed off, reaching for the throne. This was the first time Jason had noticed the rods jutting from the floor next to the crude stone chair. They looked a lot like levers.

  Jason’s eyes darted to the numerous iron grates that ringed the room. “Oh shit,” he muttered.

  Then the minotaur’s hand swept across the row of levers.

  The door to the room banged shut with an ominous thud and Jason could hear large bolts sliding into place. Then the spine-tingling screech of metal filled the air as the grates slowly began to rise. Anticipating what was coming, Jason desperately reconfigured their formation to create a semi-circle with his melee troops.

  Stupid! Why did I move us into the middle of the room?

  “Ambush,” Jason called out. “They’ll come from all sides! Pull back! Put the door behind us!”

  Riley and Frank were already moving as the group retreated to put the door at their backs. It took a monumental amount of concentration for Jason to move the formation of zombies in unison. He could barely focus on walking. Frank roughly pushed him forward, keeping his shield up. He had clearly appointed himself as Jason’s bodyguard.

  Roars filled the air as dozens of minotaurs rushed from the cages. These weren’t simply the large bulls they had seen in the hallways. This group was comprised primarily of smaller beasts with blunted horns and what could only have been the herd’s calves. As the horde approached, Jason eyed the new batch of enemies with mixed feelings as he struggled to control the zombies.

  “These are the women and children…” Riley said, her voice obscured by the furious roars of the beasts.

  Jason shared her reservations, but they didn’t have the luxury of hesitating. Each of the beasts held large axes and looked at the group with murder in their eyes. Once their formation reached the door, Jason ordered the archers and mages to attack. Patches of ice appeared in front of the group, and dark curses flew through the air.

  As his casters blunted the enemy’s charge, Jason ordered his remaining zombie minotaurs forward, his hands moving through the familiar rhythm of his Corpse Explosion spell. The sacrificial zombies used their momentum to burrow deep into the enemy lines before the dark shadows reached them.

  The explosions rocked the room, disintegrating the stone floor and throwing up clouds of dust. The sound of the blasts were amplified by the stone walls and floor, creating a painful shockwave that rebounded around the room. Amidst the chaos, dark tendrils of energy lanced at the air as the beasts screamed in agony. A bloody mist crept through the room, casting the battle in a red haze that partially obscured the group’s view of the onrushing creatures.

  The noise shocked Riley out of her stupor. She shook herself and firmed her grip on her bow, repeatedly firing at the minotaurs that had managed to recover from the explosions. Meanwhile, Frank maintained his position beside Jason, his hands trembling slightly with a mixture of fear and adrenaline.

  A booming voice filled the air. “Kill the intruders! For the herd!” At the sound of the Minotaur King’s voice, a glowing red aura enveloped the minotaurs, and their muscles bulged and rippled. The thick veins under their skin began to glow a dark red.

  Some kind of enrage effect? Jason thought desperately. There are still so many!

  He gave orders to his skeletons. With a series of thuds, their makeshift wooden spears struck the stone ground as a line of spear points were leveled at the charging bulls. A second line of skeletons stood behind the spearmen wielding heavy bladed axes. Thankfully, Jason had the foresight to arm his minotaurs with spears, which were much more effective in preparing a defensive formation.

  The front line of the enemy hit Jason’s zombies with a sickening crunch. Minotaurs impaled themselves along the wooden shafts, showering the ground in thick red blood. The beasts that made it past the initial line of spears were met by the axes of Jason’s second line of skeletal minotaurs. Their blades sliced into the flesh of the enemy creatures.

  Jason watched in shock as beasts that had suffered grievous injuries or lost limbs continued fighting with a disconcerting rage. Their axes met the bones of Jason’s skeletons with a hollow crunching sound, shattering limbs. It seemed impossible that the creatures could still be moving. Jason glanced at the Minotaur King who still stood at the center of the room. His body glowed a brilliant red, and he held a wickedly-curved battle axe in each hand. His arms were raised in the air as he roared in rage.

  “We need to distract the King!” Jason shouted above the chaos of the battle. He didn’t have a way to make it through the enemy line, not that he could afford to move as he frantically summoned new zombies using the fresh minotaur corpses. Riley was similarly occupied, firing arrow after arrow into the line of charging beasts, her shafts striking eyes and weak points with uncanny accuracy.

  Jason’s thoughts were interrupted by a scream from beside him. He turned to see Frank hurtling toward the defensive line of skeletons. He could see that his friend had removed his armor and held his two-handed sword aloft. The loss of his equipment allowed him to move much faster. He barreled past Jason’s minions, his large body unnaturally nimble. Using his mass and momentum, he then shouldered through the enemy line, taking advantage of his enemies’ surprise to dodge their feeble blows.

  What the hell is he doing?

  Jason frantically ordered his dark mages into motion, malignant curses racing toward the Minotaur King. Maybe he could slow the beast just enough to give Frank a fighting chance.
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  Then Frank slammed into the beast. He attacked savagely, swinging his sword in ferocious, heavy strikes. The Minotaur King stumbled back at the force of Frank’s blows, parrying his sword with his axes. The sound of clashing metal filled the air and mixed with Frank’s screams as he attacked relentlessly. Frank maintained Sprint constantly, dancing around the minotaur in a series of rapid steps as he rained blow after blow upon the enormous beast.

  Frank’s assault had an immediate effect, the red aura began to dissipate as the Minotaur King’s attention was diverted. Riley took advantage of this opportunity, her arrows picking off the severely injured beasts in a systematic fashion. Jason began to summon more zombies as quickly as he could, replacing the minions that he had lost. He could see that the tide of battle was beginning to turn in the group’s favor.

  As he continued to cast, Jason glanced at Frank. His friend had apparently lost it. He attacked without any regard for his own safety or health. His unarmored body was riddled with wounds and blood drenched his shirt and pants where the Minotaur King’s axes had torn his skin. Yet the bull creature was largely unharmed, his form towering over Frank menacingly. A glance at the group menu showed that Frank’s health was beginning to redline. Jason’s lone light mage was frantically casting heals on Frank, but it wasn’t enough to compensate for the damage he was taking.

  With nothing else he could do, Jason screamed at Riley, “Help Frank! He’s going to die!”

  Riley glanced at Jason, her brow furrowed in confusion. Then her gaze turned to Frank, and her dark eyes widened slightly. She hesitated for a second before pulling an arrow from her quiver. She sighted along the length of the shaft as she took aim at the Minotaur King and Frank where they twirled in a deadly dance of steel. The shot was almost impossible, and Jason couldn’t understand what she was thinking.