The men and women around the table looked at him in stunned silence. They hadn’t expected him to turn down what they viewed as a small fortune. Another elder sputtered, “We must do something to repay you for what you’ve done.” The others nodded in agreement.
“If that’s how you feel, then I have a task for you.” Jason looked at them evenly. He had not yet explained his true goal to these men and women. “I need to conquer the dungeon each week and claim the bodies of the fallen.”
He paused, looking at each man and woman in turn. “If you’re willing, I would request that the soldiers and townsfolk here brave the dungeon each time it repopulates. I need them to kill the inhabitants and bring their bodies to me in the Twilight Throne.”
“I don’t understand,” one of the elders said. “What is the purpose of this?”
Jason could see fear in their eyes. Only a few days ago, the were-beasts had hunted them in the darkness that hovered outside their walls. Now he was asking them to attack those beasts and their masters.
“I can raise others the same way I raised this town’s people,” Jason explained. “The enemies of our people return to life with no memories of their previous existence. This is how we will grow our population. Without it, we cannot breed, and any losses permanently weaken us.
“I understand that this isn’t an easy thing that I’m asking you to do. You will be facing the same cultists that slayed your townsfolk. However, it is necessary to ensure our survival. The people of Peccavi will be our frontline, protecting us from extinction.”
The eyes of the undead around the table filled with understanding at his words, many nodding their heads. William watched them carefully, seeing a consensus among the town elders. Already knowing full well what Jason planned to do with the town and having been privy to Jason’s plans for how to defeat the dungeon, he threw his support behind him.
“We owe you nothing less. It’s a small price to pay for the life and safety of our town.” The other elders soon added their voices to his, voting unanimously to accept the task that Jason had given them.
He smiled. “I certainly won’t leave you empty-handed. Two divisions of our soldiers will remain in the town. They will act as the main force to assault the dungeon. I also anticipate that many of the newly-born kin will choose to stay here after the celebration this evening. The soldiers I leave here can train the others, and your people will level quickly inside the dungeon.”
Then he raised a hand in caution. “I must warn you, however. We are a new race, and our enemies are many. You will need to grow strong, using the dungeon as a training ground. You will also need to fortify this town and the valley outside the dungeon.”
“It will be done,” one of the elders responded, determination in her voice. The others sat straighter in their chairs. Jason could see the fear in their eyes quickly replaced with resolve. William glanced at Jason, a proud glint in his eyes. He had spoken of the strength of the townsfolk. He hadn’t been wrong.
Breaking the heavy mood that hung over the table, William interjected. “If that’s all, I think we have a celebration to plan!” The elders smiled, and the group started to exit the house. Jason expected that they were planning to start the party early.
William rested a heavy hand on Jason’s shoulder as he was about to leave the house. “We will eventually grow strong, but it may take us some time before the first bodies arrive. Have faith in these people.”
Jason looked back at him evenly. “Trust me, I do. More than that, I have faith in you. In my absence, I am appointing you as the general of the northern legion.”
William looked at him in shock before breaking into a grin. “You call a couple hundred soldiers a legion?”
Jason glanced out the doorway. He could see the townsfolk gathering together at the bottom of the hill, and a line of kegs had magically appeared in the clearing. He could see the smiles light up the faces of more than one undead, and a toast was already being raised. Beyond the walls of the town, hundreds of undead shifted through the neat rows of tents as they settled into their temporary home.
“Perhaps not yet, but they will be,” Jason replied, pride in his voice. Rex had left a strong legacy with his sacrifice.
Chapter 36 - Revelatory
George sat at his desk at Cerillion Entertainment headquarters. His eyes scanned a report prepared by his assistant which summarized Jason’s activity in-game over the last few days and the resulting media exposure. He was startled at the strategy the boy had concocted to increase the population of his city. He had neatly manipulated the in-game rules and placed the CPSC in a tenuous position.
“Perhaps I’ve underestimated this boy,” he murmured. Jason’s influence in-game was growing, and with it, his importance to the company. He was now a media icon, with fans and enemies on both sides of the fence.
The report also indicated that others had added to the real-world money bounty on Jason’s head. George chuckled softly as he saw that the reward had risen to nearly $30,000. The players were essentially crowdfunding the bounty, allowing people harmed by Jason to add money to the pool. Video evidence of his death was required to collect, including at least one witness and a screenshot of a combat log showing that he had died. The players had also requested that Cerillion Entertainment confirm the death to avoid forgeries. George was more than happy to oblige.
With a flick of his wrist, George shifted the semi-transparent screen to the next report. This one covered his son’s progress. He had been demonstrating an odd shift in personality over the last few days. First, he had beaten two teens nearly to death at a party - a fact that still caused George to grit his teeth. Luckily, there had been little evidence that Alex was involved, and the pair were too drunk to recall his son’s face.
In stark contrast, Alex had gone on to heal the poor and sickly of Grey Keep, quickly installing himself as a new religious leader within the city. Then there was the revolt and overthrow of the city’s leadership culminating in the transformation of the city. The rebellion was a move that reminded George more of his son’s typical personality, but the city’s conversion also meant that Alex had garnered the attention of an in-game deity.
He tapped his fingers against the desk. His secretary had explained that Alex had shown up at his office to speak with him a couple days ago, but she had turned him away since George had been in a meeting. This was unusual for Alex, who typically avoided his father. He expected that he still blamed him for his mother’s death even after all this time.
“Perhaps Alfred is healing him,” George pondered aloud. There was at least some evidence to support that conclusion. If that was the case, then it was imperative that George protect Alfred’s existence from the CPSC.
His thoughts were interrupted by a chime emitted by his Core. He tapped the device on his wrist, and his secretary’s voice floated into the room. “I have Ms. Bastion here to see you, sir.”
George sighed. “Perfect,” he muttered.
Gloria Bastion was the current director of the CPSC. He had personally resisted her appointment to that position but had ultimately been defeated. Since her appointment was politically-charged, he lacked the sway to prevent it. Unfortunately, Gloria knew his stance on the matter, which he was certain would make this conversation much more hostile.
“Sir? Should I let her in?” his secretary inquired.
“Yes, go ahead,” George replied. He shifted in his seat, smoothing his suit jacket and checking his appearance in a mirror that discretely hung to the side of his desk. Then he swiped away the console in front of him, leaving only an ornate wooden desk.
A moment later, Gloria stepped into the voluminous office. She was dressed in an immaculate dark blue suit. She strode into the room without hesitation, her piercing grey eyes taking in both the office and George with a faint whiff of disdain.
George rose and circled his desk. “Hello, Gloria,” he greeted the woman cordially. There was no sense antagonizing her before he felt out her position
and the reason for her visit. Although, he could certainly guess at her goal.
“George,” she said curtly, ignoring his offered hand and taking a seat in front of his desk.
A frown of irritation warped George’s mouth before he could control his expression. At least she hadn’t seen it since he was standing behind her. He returned to his seat and watched the woman for a moment. He would wait until she spoke first. Gloria looked around the office briefly before her eyes lit back upon George.
With a small frown, she spoke up. “I expect you know why I’m here.”
“Your message was rather vague,” George replied evenly. “Perhaps you could enlighten me?”
Gloria’s frown deepened. “The death of a game master has raised concerns within my organization regarding our ability to police the conduct of the players within your game.” She said the word “game” with a faint note of disgust.
She continued, “I’m certain you recall that this joint effort was initiated to forestall re-opening an investigation of your company’s product and to address public health and safety concerns.” She leaned forward slightly, her eyes glinting in the glow cast by the recessed cam lights in the ceiling. “It would be unfortunate if we were forced to succumb to those demands now.”
George lifted his hands, palms facing the ceiling in a gesture of futility. “I’m not certain what to tell you. I made no promises that the game masters would be invincible within the game world, and I have permitted full access to your people. Perhaps your staff’s conduct is what triggered this most recent series of events. As I understand it, Jason was not directly responsible for attacking the players.”
A small smile lifted the corners of George’s mouth. “There has also been significant damage to several towns and cities in the game world due to your employees’… enthusiasm. Understand that this isn’t a simple game. We cannot alter many of the essential mechanics, including the destruction of buildings and terrain or the mortality of the world’s inhabitants.”
Gloria’s eyes flashed. “You’re telling me that you cannot simply patch those issues? You designed this game, didn’t you?”
George’s smile widened, and he pressed a hand to his chest. “Not me personally,” he replied with a chuckle. “I have to take my staff at their word. They’re quite talented. I should also point out that this is a business. Even if we were able to do what you’ve suggested, which would be incredibly time consuming and expensive, this would ruin the experience for our customers. They demand realism.”
“Besides,” George began, his hand swiping over the desktop and an image abruptly appearing along the wooden surface. The view showed another network’s news broadcast. “My understanding is that the CPSC is being painted as the villain here. It seems video footage of your employee’s behavior in that dungeon is going viral.”
Gloria blanched slightly as she witnessed Florius’ rant about how Jason and other players should be imprisoned in the real world for their in-game behavior. George’s smile widened. He had released this footage anonymously minutes after Gloria left her office. He expected it might come as a bit of a shock.
Her glaring eyes turned on him, and her stony-faced expression cracked. “You released this, didn’t you? You bastard!” She rose quickly from her seat, storming towards the door. As she reached for the handle, she turned back to George. “This isn’t the end. I’ll be watching you closely.”
“I look forward to it,” George replied calmly. Then the door slammed shut.
***
Jason, Frank, and Riley walked at the front of the column of undead. The Twilight Throne’s spires loomed in front of them, lightning arcing between the black clouds that hovered over the city. Jason felt a sense of relief wash over him as he saw the familiar dark walls. He had come to think of this place as his in-game home. It was good to be back.
Frank echoed his thoughts. “I never thought I’d say this, but it’s good to see this place again.”
“I agree,” Riley added. “This was an interesting journey, but I could use a break.” She glanced at Jason. “I don’t understand how you stay in-game constantly.”
Jason chuckled. “Practice and desperation. Don’t forget that this is basically my day job now!”
His glance shifted to the line of undead behind him. Nearly two hundred of the newly formed kin had elected to stay in Peccavi when they left. That meant they had added nearly four hundred new residents to the small town when Jason included the two divisions that were now garrisoned there. He had also added another six hundred kin to the Twilight Throne’s population - which wasn’t bad for a real-world week!
Once William and the townsfolk could reliably defeat the dungeon, Jason expected that another couple hundred corpses should begin arriving regularly. He would need to remember to keep sending reinforcements back with the wagon crews to cover the town’s losses.
The gates to the city swung wide as the undead approached. Jason had sent runners ahead to alert the city that they were arriving and to summon Jerry and Morgan to the keep for a meeting. He might as well update them immediately. There was no sense waiting or letting them hear what had happened second hand.
As the column entered through the gates, a wave of sound struck them. Jason’s eyes widened as he took in the undead that lined the street leading to the north gate. Their arms waved in the air as they shouted at the new undead in approval. The men and women that marched behind him looked at the group in amazement, any lingering doubt regarding their new existence beginning to fade.
“Holy shit,” Frank said from beside Jason, eyeing the undead with a dumbfounded expression.
“There’s nothing holy about it,” Jason said with a chuckle. This earned him a punch from Riley.
“Terrible joke,” she muttered. “We’re going to have enough of Jerry’s awful sense of humor when we meet him.”
The city’s undead had come out in mass, lining the road all the way to the market. Jason even spotted players standing along the streets, albeit some looked more confused than celebratory. He hoped they at least had the sense to keep their weapons sheathed. Drawing a blade against Jason or his new citizens would be an instant death sentence.
As the group neared the marketplace, they were confronted by a veritable sea of undead. Jason and his group moved to the front of the keep, and a line of soldiers immediately separated them from the crowd, creating a loose wall. Jason spared a glance at the new undead who began to filter among the residents. He knew that his division leader and his troops would handle getting the new residents sorted. Hopefully, Morgan and Jerry had coordinated to have houses made available for their new tenants. Many of the homes in the city were still vacant.
“I think they’re expecting a speech,” Riley said with a chuckle, watching the exuberant crowd. “It also looks like at least one has started celebrating already.” She gestured to a man leaning heavily against a wooden stall, his mug raised in the air as though toasting Jason.
“Well, let’s give them what they want,” Jason replied.
He turned to address the crowd, silence slowly descending over the group. “Hello, residents of the Twilight Throne,” he shouted. “Hello, kin!”
A wave of cheers met his introduction and a smile curled his lips. “We return victorious in our mission. We have added nearly a thousand new citizens to our ranks. We have also given our enemies more reason to fear us!”
Another roaring cry went up through the ocean of undead. Jason’s tone became a bit darker. “While there is much to celebrate, this isn’t a time to become overconfident. The entire world may soon be pitted against us, and we must grow strong. We want the world to think twice before they throw themselves against the might of the Twilight Throne!”
A player roughly pushed through the throng of undead until he was standing at the line of guards. He glared at Jason before shouting, “You’re nothing but a murderer and a sadist. You’re a digital terrorist that tortures innocent men and women. You deserve to die.” At this
last statement, the man began casting at the stage. Lumps of rock were ripped from the ground and began to spiral around his staff.
Before Jason could react, an arrow embedded itself in the man’s throat. Jason glanced to his side. Riley stood poised with her bow before her, the string still vibrating and her eyes a dark obsidian. Frank had also positioned himself in front of Jason, his axes raised. A hushed silence descended on the crowd as they witnessed the instant reaction of Jason’s teammates and their eyes lingered on the man now bleeding out on the ground.
Wow, we’re still on edge, Jason thought ruefully. He had to admit that the last few days in-game had been stressful, but they had grown stronger for it.
Jason patted Riley’s shoulder gently, and she softened her grip on the bow and assumed a more relaxed stance. At a gesture from Jason, Frank also lowered his axes and stepped back. Jason turned back to the crowd, gesturing at the man in front of him. “You see this? Our enemies are everywhere. They hide among us and seek the destruction of our city and its people.”
He paused and let the tension build. “Let me be clear; this is what will happen to any man or woman that attacks the kin - instant and merciless death.”
Jason walked slowly to the gasping player, the line of soldiers parting slightly. Jason grabbed the man’s hair and yanked his head up to face him. Then he stabbed his blade into the man’s eye, instantly ending his life. The corpse dropped to the cobblestones with a wet thud.
He took a few steps back, his hands beginning an intricate series of gestures and dark energy weaving around his fingers. Thunder soon boomed in the clouds overhead. A bolt of black lightning struck the prone corpse with a crash. His skin swiftly melted away, leaving only bleached white bone. After a long moment, the corpse opened its soulless black eyes and pushed itself from the ground.
“You see this!” Jason cried into the hushed silence that had descended upon the crowd. He walked forward and placed his hand on the skeleton’s shoulder. “Our enemies will only make us stronger. For every one that we claim, our race will grow until our darkness spreads to the furthest reaches of this world. They will regret ever challenging the Twilight Throne.”
Awaken Online: Precipice Page 49