Jason grabbed Paul’s hair roughly, tilting his face to meet his. Only his lips were visible under his cowled hood. “A name just came to me. Our guild will be called
Frank and Riley stood behind Jason, their faces grim and their bodies painted in the blood of the fallen. Jason glanced at them before turning back to Paul. “We don’t want your saints or your heroes. We want the wretched and rejected. We want the players who hide in the shadows and strike without restraint.”
The hooded man raised his blade, Paul’s fresh blood dripping from the tip. “If you think you have what it takes, come to the Twilight Throne.” Then the blade slammed home, and the screen went dark.
“Wow,” Robert muttered around a mouthful of popcorn. “That’s one hell of a recruitment video.”
Claire didn’t respond. She bit her lip as she considered what she had just seen - what she had seen over the last few weeks. This wasn’t an isolated event. Before, there was always a plan or purpose behind Jason’s actions. Now he just appeared to act on a whim. It was almost as though he enjoyed the violence. On top of that, she still had her suspicions that Jason had somehow captured Alfred’s attention. She could feel fear curl in her stomach. What was she going to do? What could she do?
***
Riley, Frank, and Jason were jogging through the ruined city. Jason’s breath came in ragged gasps, and he could feel his legs ache as they ran. He knew it wasn’t real. None of this was real. Yet sometimes it was easy to forget.
“Do you think Pint made it through to Rex?” Riley asked as they ran.
Jason shook his head. “No idea, but I didn’t gamble on the imp. I hid another two zombies in the maze and ordered them to circle back to the entrance once the players made it to the throne room.”
Frank chuckled. “You might be worthless in a fight, but remind me never to get on your bad side. You’re one clever bastard.”
Jason laughed. Then he remembered what they had left to accomplish and his smile quickly shifted to a look of grim determination. This fight was far from over. The group had quickly looted and raised the player corpses and then vacated the throne room. Jason had been bombarded by notifications after the first battle, but he didn’t have time to tinker with his Character Status. They needed to hurry and set up stage two of the plan. Jason could only hope that the enemy players would give chase.
If Lauren were clever, she would have realized the throne room was a trap as soon as the doors slammed shut. He was hoping that her next step would be to send a scout back to the entrance. If Pint or Jason’s zombies made it to Rex, then the undead forces should have set up a defensive line to stop any players from leaving the dungeon. There were more than three divisions sitting outside the dungeon, and even Lauren’s guild would have trouble with that many undead.
If Jason was lucky, the enemy players might have left a defensive force at their camp. There were more players in this army than Jason had been expecting. He didn’t mind the idea of Rex thinning out the group. He couldn’t raise those bodies, but he was beginning to doubt whether they could accomplish his plan at all. That last fight had been a close call.
He wasn’t certain what Lauren’s next move would be. He tried to put himself in her shoes. If he were her, he would realize he couldn’t easily fight his way out of the dungeon. The dungeon entrance was narrow, and the undead outnumbered the remaining players. There was also a considerable risk that Jason would attack from behind while the players were engaged with the undead. Then the
“If I were her, I’d keeping hunting,” Jason muttered.
“What was that?” Frank panted. He had become more self-assured and confident, but running would never be something he enjoyed.
“Just talking to myself,” Jason replied quickly.
As the group neared the courtyard where the main road through the ruined city split in two, they slowed. Jason eyed the crater he had formed in the stone floor during the battle with the cultists. Blood had dried on the stones, dying it a rusty red. He might need to take such drastic measures again. They had only narrowly made it through that last fight. This group of players was well equipped and was experienced at fighting together. If it weren’t for the surprise attack in the throne room, he knew that his corpse would already be cooling on the stone floor while the
“Jason!” a loud voice echoed through the cave.
He turned and saw the players streaming out of the tunnel to the Minotaur King’s throne room. Their forms stood out sharply on the ledge overlooking the city. A short girl stood in the front of the group, shouting over the city, “You think we’re trapped here? We’re going to hunt you down and then destroy your army.”
“Mouthy little brat, isn’t she?” Riley muttered.
Jason grinned. “Then let’s shut her up.”
With a mental command, Jason started the next part of the plan. His minotaurs released the loaded catapults he had positioned on the roofs of several buildings around the city. Zombies hurtled through the sky toward the stone ledge, their forms faintly illuminated in the multi-colored glow cast by the crystals embedded in the ceiling. Jason’s hands moved swiftly, dark energy swirling and curling around his fingers. As he completed his spell, shadows lanced forward through the enormous cavern.
The players on the ledge noticed the dark bodies racing toward them at the last minute. Bolts of ice and fire spat from the ledge, attempting to knock the undead off course. They were too late. The zombies slammed into the players, their decaying arms locking onto the nearest person to prevent them from being tossed over the ledge. Then the shadows struck.
Dark mana and shrapnel exploded from the undead creatures. Jason had loaded his cannon fodder zombies with the scrap gear he had collected earlier. Pieces of the armor that had once protected the players now shredded their flesh. Screams rang out along the ledge, and several players tumbled over the cliff face, hitting the ground below in a sickening series of thuds.
Yet the next barrage of zombies was already in the air. Unfortunately, the enemy group reacted more quickly this time. They closed ranks on the ledge, and their casters neatly destroyed the zombies hurtling toward them. Flashes of light also sprang up among the group, healing the injured and putting them back on the front line.
Jason turned from the battle, there was no sense wasting more zombies. The point was to harass them and kill a few players, not pin them on the ledge. Jason’s eyes settled on Riley as she surveyed the effects of his catapults.
“You know what to do, Riley,” Jason said quietly. “Circle behind them and focus on the healers. Kill as many as you can.”
Riley nodded curtly. “I know,” she replied. She moved to start down a side street, but Jason grabbed her arm.
“Good luck,” he said.
Riley grinned back at him, her dark eyes dancing with excitement. “Don’t need it,” she said. Then she took off down the street at a quick jog, Jason’s eyes following her back until she disappeared around a bend in the road.
His gazed shifted to the broad boulevard that ran the length of the city. Abandoned houses and shops sandwiched the street, their dark windows staring out onto the wreckage that littered the ground. Soon the players would be streaming down it. Only thirty zombies stood in the courtyard with Jason, the healing totem towering over the group and causing a thick red mist to curl around their feet. Jason’s mages had taken up positions on nearby roofs, hiding in the shadows.
Frank rested a hand on Jason’s shoulder. “Remember, you need to survive. If Riley and I fall in this fight, make sure you begin phase three.”
Jason glanced at his friend. Frank was going to have the most difficult role in this next battle, standing at the frontlines and
holding the enemy’s attention. He would be outnumbered and outgunned and almost certain to die. Yet Jason could see the determination in his eyes. He no longer looked upon this game with trepidation or dread. Frank himself was now something to be feared. His arms and legs rippled with muscle and blood still stained his skin and face, giving him an almost crazed look.
“Don’t get all mushy on me,” Jason muttered. “It’s just a game.”
Frank’s eyes bored into him, his face serious. “You said it yourself at the café. This isn’t a game for you anymore. It hasn’t felt like one for a while now for me either. Hell, I’m probably going to die in this battle. I’m not looking forward to that sensation again. Make my death count.”
The world around Jason stuttered for a second and an image flitted in his mind’s eye. Undead warriors stood on the battlements of an ancient city, obsidian plate armor covering their bodies. Fires blazed in the sky, and winged demons made of flame attacked the walls. Jason stood over a fallen soldier. He bowed his head for a moment and in a cracked voice bid his comrade goodbye. “May the darkness claim you brother.”
Then he raised his eyes to the walls where fiery claws scraped at the parapet. The shrill scratches sent a shiver down his back. A demonic head loomed over the wall, tendrils of flame emanating from its body and singing the stone as its rage-filled eyes glared at him. Jason pulled his sword free from its scabbard with a screech of metal and stood to face his enemy. He would hold the line for his kin.
As quickly as the image had come, it was gone. Jason was left staring at Frank’s determined face. Acting on instinct, he reached out and clasped his friend’s arm. “May the darkness claim you brother.”
Frank didn’t pull away. Instead, he nodded and then moved to take his position on the frontline with the other zombies. Jason shook his head forcefully, trying to clear the memory. He then glanced at Alfred who sat nearby. The cat’s feline eyes drilled into his and Jason knew the AI was responsible for the memory. Yet more than that, he knew that Alfred was weighing and measuring him, evaluating his conversations with Frank and Riley.
I get it you stupid cat. I need them.
Jason could have sworn that Alfred smirked at him. With a huff of frustration, he jogged further back into the city, moving into position. He had already picked out a tall three-story building to hide in on the northwest side of the ruins. It had a good view of the main street and a back door that he could use to escape when the shit invariably hit the digital fan.
Jason stood at one of the windows, while Alfred perched on the sill beside him. Jason had kept the light mage and a single extra zombie for himself, positioning the undead to stand sentry at the doorway. He had learned his lesson about rogues back in the Minotaur King’s throne room, but he couldn’t spare any more minions for his own defense.
The players streamed down the ramps leading into the city and collected at the end of the main street, forming neat ranks. Instead of an uncontrolled rush, the force made their way down the street slowly. Every few steps, fire mages would hurl balls of energy into the adjacent shops and houses, causing gouts of flame to jet from the windows and doorways of the buildings.
“Damn it,” Jason whispered. Clearly, the players had anticipated the ambush from his zombies on either side of the street. He had stationed most of his zombies in those buildings, hoping to harass and flank the players as they made their way down the street.
“That is unfortunate,” Alfred said softly.
Jason shook his head. It wasn’t over yet. As quickly as he could, he ordered his zombies hiding in the buildings along the street to move up to the second and third stories of each structure where they would be relatively protected. He would have to change his plan now. Maybe he could still use the remaining undead, but they would have to flank the players once they arrived at the courtyard.
Lauren’s army continued edging their way forward until they were closing in on the square. Frank raised his axes in the air and roared at the opposing army. The undead around him echoed his shout. Red tendrils of smoke curled around the group, partially obscuring their bodies and painting them crimson.
Jason knew that Frank understood the benefits of intimidation. The players had to realize by now that Jason had lured them here, trapped them inside this dungeon, and taken out nearly half their number. His grotesque creations had been harassing them for hours now, and Jason had just lobbed zombie grenades into the middle of their group. Now they were facing a group of blood-soaked undead in the middle of a ruined city, ancient stone structures looming beside them.
I hope they’re scared shitless, Jason thought. Yet as he watched the
Lauren made her way to the front of the army, eyeing Frank’s force skeptically. “Is this it?” she asked. “We have over fifty players here, and you think you can take us with a group half our size.”
Frank grinned at her, his eyes filling with rage as he considered the fight that was about to unfold. “I wouldn’t worry about it pipsqueak,” he replied evenly. “We just wanted to make certain it was a fair fight.”
Lauren glared at Frank angrily. “Go ahead,” she retorted. “Underestimate me because of my size. Jason certainly has.”
At this last statement, Lauren waved at the rooftops of the nearby buildings. Rogues materialized out of thin air, driving their blades into Jason’s hidden mages. The undead toppled from the roofs, their decaying bodies slamming onto the ground below.
“Damn it,” Jason muttered. He knew something had felt off about Lauren’s numbers. She had ordered her thieves to flank the mages through the side streets. Jason glanced at his party menu in concern but breathed a mental sigh of relief when he saw that Riley was still standing. She must have slipped past the thieves while in Sneak.
Frank let out a loud laugh. “I like your style. I guess there’s just more for me now.”
Without any further ceremony, Frank surged forward. His legs rippled and contorted, thick black hair growing from his skin. His shins snapped and shifted backward with a sickening popping sound, and his charge faltered slightly. Then the transformation completed. Frank leaped through the air, his feet cracking the stones of the road from the force of his lunge.
He sailed over the line of players, axes held high. Flames curled up one blade while a thick coating of ice covered the other. His axe blades simultaneously struck a mage as he landed, his momentum and the force of his swing neatly severing the man’s head from his shoulders. Blood fountained from the wound, drenching the nearby players. Yet Frank didn’t stop. His axes whirled and spun in the air as he struck around himself in a frenzy.
At the same time, Jason’s zombies struck the enemies’ front line. The confusion caused by Frank’s charge had distracted the tanks on the army’s leading edge, giving Jason’s troops the opportunity to cut a hole in the enemy line. The undead charged into the row of weapons fearlessly, their blades cutting down the players.
Acting quickly, Jason regrouped his zombies that were in the houses further down the street. He ordered them out onto the main boulevard and then commanded them to charge the enemy players from behind. Their roars echoed though the street, and several players turned to see that they were being flanked from behind. The
Jason’s hands were already moving, and the leading edge of zombies exploded violently, killing a few players outright and injuring others. Yet their wounds were quickly closed as the healers repeatedly cast their healing spells, waves of light crashing down on their failing colleagues.
As Jason watched, the fighting began to stabilize. After his troops’ initial rush, the players’ line wavered and then held. The mage
s began to fight back, bolts of flame and frost rocketing out of the center of the group and striking Jason’s undead. Clever earth mages summoned barriers of stone to partition the front lines from the weaker casters. Jason looked on with a bleak expression as he saw his undead began to fall.
A dark bolt of energy suddenly rocketed through the air and struck one of the healers in the group from behind. Jason glanced up at the rooftops of the buildings on the southern portion of the city. He spotted Riley’s form perched behind the players, her crimson red bow drawn and the string vibrating. She repeatedly fired into the group, her arrows aiming for the healers.
Lauren shouted over the battle, “They’re targeting the healers! Tanks cover the casters.” Several heavily armored players responded immediately, withdrawing into the interior of the group and covering the healers with their tower shields.
This saved the casters from Riley’s arrows, but it weakened the lines further. The orderly defenses disappeared altogether as scattered pockets of fighting broke out in the street. A clearing appeared around Frank’s form where he stood next to the healing totem. His skin was marred with long gashes, and he limped slightly.
Lauren approached him at a casual walk, glancing at Frank disdainfully. Almost faster than Jason’s eyes could follow, she darted forward. Bright flashes of light appeared as she moved. Then Frank’s body jerked, and something that sounded like gunfire echoed through the cavern. The next time she paused, Jason could see that Lauren was wielding two pistols. She fired at Frank as she changed position with blinding speed. His friend could barely keep up, holding his blades in front of him defensively and the bullets pinging off the metal. Yet more than one bullet penetrated his skin.
A quick glance at Frank’s health bar showed that he was falling fast despite the rejuvenating effects of the healing totem. Jason futilely tried to cast Curse of Weakness, hoping to slow the girl down. He was guessing she was using some type of air magic to obtain that kind of speed or maybe some type of short-range teleportation.
Awaken Online: Precipice Page 42