A roaring cry went up through the crowd like a cresting wave. Their voices shouted into the dark sky in defiance. Jason smiled slightly as he watched their enthusiasm. As he had told William, they were not yet a legion, but they would be eventually. When that day came, he fully intended to act on the promise he just made. His eyes dropped to Alfred, who stood demurely beside him. If he was the villain of this game, then he was going to be a damned good one.
Frank looked at him askance. “This won’t stop the players forever,” he said quietly. “Even their fear of what you did to the game master will only delay the inevitable. Eventually, they will come for us. The bounty on your head is already mounting. They even added Riley and me to the list.”
“It doesn’t have to stop them,” Jason said darkly looking his friend in the eye. “It only has to buy us time to grow in power and strength. When war comes, we will fight with a legion of undead.”
Riley chuckled softly. “This is some scary stuff. You’ve now repeatedly declared war on this world.” She shook her head and chuckled. “As I said before, it’s certainly interesting to follow you. What’s next?”
Jason’s eyes rested on the keep. “Next we speak with Jerry and Morgan. We need to let them know what happened to Rex and figure out if Morgan has collected any additional information on the undead race.”
The group walked up to the keep’s gate, each of them touching the rough wooden surface. With a flash, they disappeared from the marketplace before the eyes of the undead standing there. They reappeared in the now familiar study. The place looked much as they remembered it, bookshelves lining the walls and a fire crackling in the large stone fireplace along one wall.
“Told you!” Pint said. “Meany pants, fatso, and pretty lady here.”
A long-suffering sigh met Pint’s recitation. “I see that clearly, Pint,” Morgan said in an irritated voice. He could only imagine how long she had been sitting here dealing with the imp’s antics.
“Hello, boy,” Morgan greeted him, rising from her chair at the table. Her shrewd eyes took in their battle-worn appearances and the remarkable changes in Frank’s physique. Jason suspected she also saw much more that lay beneath the surface. “I’m glad to see you accomplished your task.”
Without warning, two slender arms reached around Jason. “Hey there tall, dark, and handsome,” Jerry whispered beside him, his mustache tickling his ear. Jason jumped and tore himself from Jerry’s grip, letting out an undignified yelp of surprise.
“Damn it, Jerry!” Jason exclaimed to the laughter of everyone in the room. Leave it to the gregarious bartender to bring him down a peg after the act he had put on in the marketplace. Yet his mouth twisted into a smile at greeting the man. Despite the brief flash of annoyance, he welcomed Jerry’s good-natured teasing after days of constant fighting.
The group settled around the long table on one end of the room and Alfred took up his usual spot on a leather sofa near the fire. As they took their seats, Morgan glanced around the group in confusion. “Where’s Rex?” she asked.
Riley’s and Frank’s expressions told her all she needed to know. She raised a hand to her mouth, a mixture of shock and sadness flitting across her face.
Jerry’s usual buoyant demeanor sank. “Dead?” he asked in a dark voice.
Jason simply nodded.
“And the person responsible? I assume they’re rotting in hell by now.” Jerry added, his eyes full of deadly intent. Jason had never seen the normally carefree innkeeper act this way, and it unnerved him a bit. There was clearly a reason that no one had messed with Jerry or his inn before Jason had conquered the city.
“He’s dead,” Jason replied. “Permanently.”
Like everyone else, Jason had seen the universal system notification after he had logged back into the game. Although, he had been a bit shocked to discover that the game masters couldn’t respawn. His eyes jumped to Alfred’s feline form, lying on the sofa near the fire. He suspected the AI’s involvement somehow, but he had been silent on the matter.
“That’s some consolation,” Jerry said, his eyes sad.
Trying to change the subject, Jason launched into the story of what happened since they last spoke. Frank and Riley interjected to fill in the bits and pieces that Jason omitted. When they got to the part about the game master, both Jerry and Morgan perked up. They had also received the notification regarding the game master’s death, and they explained that the undead soldiers within the city had been leveling in earnest to take advantage of the experience bonus.
As the story wound to a close, Morgan spoke up. “Apart from our loss, this was a victory. It appears that you have found a way to increase the city’s population.” She looked at him with curiosity. “Did you manage to speak with the Dark One during your travels?”
“Actually, yes,” Jason said. “Near the beginning of our journey, he gave me a typically vague quest to find three ingredients.” He pulled the elemental Hydra heart from his bag and set the crystal on the table. “This was the first.”
Morgan’s eyes grew wide. “There is a significant amount of mana stored in that crystal.” She looked at Jason quizzically. “Do you have any idea what he is trying to accomplish?”
“Like I said, he was a bit vague,” Jason said in irritation. “He also indicated that I needed to find two willing sacrifices and his grimoire.” This caused Morgan to visibly start, her eyes lifting to meet Jason’s with an excited glance.
“Interesting,” Morgan murmured, staring at the crystal. “This sounds like the portion of a ritual described in one of the books I found in the keep. I’ve also learned a great deal about the former undead race.”
Frank and Riley were looking at Jason with a confused expression. He hadn’t gone into detail regarding the quest with everything else they had been juggling, and he decided a belated explanation was in order.
“The Dark One is basically an in-game deity representing dark mana,” Jason explained. “He appears as an Old Man with a scythe and was primarily responsible for the fall of Lux and its transition. There are apparently deities for each of the affinities, and they have begun choosing champions among the travelers.
“Before I left, Morgan explained that I couldn’t choose new spells until I spoke to the Dark One. When we did manage to speak, he gave me a rather strange quest without explaining its purpose. However, I now suspect it’s tied to the history of the undead race.”
Jason took a breath before continuing. “Morgan has found a few books in this study that indicate that the undead race once occupied this city. There were also references to other cities that had been converted to an affinity, much like the Twilight Throne and now the Crystal Reach.”
“Precisely,” Morgan interjected, excitement tinging her voice. “However, my research has uncovered additional information. The undead race wasn’t restricted only to this city. It once spanned this continent. Apparently, the various races lived in peace for a considerable amount of time.”
“Various races?” Riley asked in confusion.
“Yes,” Morgan nodded enthusiastically, assuming a professorial air. “Humans with the wings and demeanor of celestial beings, creatures that combined animal and human attributes and, living creatures made of fire, stone, air, and water. These were only some of the myriad of races that once occupied this land.”
“What happened to them?” Frank questioned, his brow furrowed.
Morgan shook her head. “I’m not certain. It’s clear that they were destroyed, but at a certain point the narrative simply… stops. Perhaps a war or some type of natural disaster? These are only suppositions, mind you.”
Jason cleared his throat to capture their attention. “Tell us more about the undead race. How does the Old Man’s quest factor into this story?”
Morgan’s eyes danced as she launched into her explanation. “That’s where it gets interesting. The undead were once ruled by a race referred to in the texts only as the ‘keepers.’ These beings appear to have been form
ed as part of a complex ritual - using some of the very ingredients you have collected.”
Jason’s mind reeled. So, the Old Man’s quest was some kind of race change? That made sense. However, he still didn’t quite understand how the memories he had experienced fit into that picture. From the scenes he had witnessed, the keepers must have acted as some sort of pseudo-religious leader.
Frank and Riley looked at Jason in shock. They had also pieced together the meaning of the quest. Frank spoke first, “This will change your race, won’t it?”
“That was what I was just thinking,” Jason confirmed, starting to feel excited. Then he hesitated. The Old Man’s “tasks” often came with a catch, typically a rather painful one. He expected that the sacrifices might involve an onerous cost. However, this was just conjecture, and his current information was limited. He needed to learn more.
“Did the keepers act like some sort of priest?” Jason asked tentatively.
Morgan looked at him, surprised at his deduction. “Yes, after a fashion. They were responsible for ushering the other races into a second life. Only those who chose to do so, of course. They are described as creatures of immeasurable will and had a large influence over the undead race. My readings also refer to a system of wells that they created and spread around the continent, often where there was a dense population of undead.”
“Wells?” Riley asked. “What do you mean?”
A smile crept across Morgan’s face. “It might be easier to show you. One of these wells rests under this keep. I managed to find it while you were gone.” She glanced at the gray imp that sat on Riley’s shoulder with a frown. “Although, the process was more painstaking than I had hoped.”
Pint chirped up, “Pint best finder. He show old lady stone bowl!”
Jerry rolled his eyes at the imp and then stood abruptly. “Perhaps a field trip is in order! After all this lecturing, I’m ready to stretch my legs a bit.” He then went through a series of stretches that made Jason grimace slightly.
“Well, I’m in!” Frank said, shaking his head at the thief. The others nodded in agreement, and they all turned to Pint.
“What you want?” Pint asked, suddenly realizing that he had become the center of attention and eyeing them nervously.
“Pint, can you take us to the well under the keep?” Riley asked him in a sweet voice.
The gray imp nodded quickly. “Of course, pretty lady!”
“No, wait!” Jason shouted, realizing he was going to be teleported while sitting at the table. He struggled to rise to his feet in time. However, he was too late. With a clap of Pint’s hands, the world disappeared around him.
Chapter 37 - Unforgettable
“Quit rushing me,” Craig muttered. He was stooped in front of an old wooden door. His fingers hovered over the deadbolt, sliding a hard-plastic card in the crack between the door and the frame.
“Then hurry up!” Luke hissed. His eyes scanned the dark street in front of the house. Luckily, the owner of this piece of shit home didn’t care for yard work. Large shrubs had overtaken the porch and hid them from sight. Yet Luke was still nervous about being seen.
“I can’t believe that we got pushed into this,” he muttered, as Craig continued working. “That Alex is a piece of shit.”
Craig cursed in frustration as the card slipped again. “He threatened to post some pics of my kid sister. You know the kind I mean. I hate that asshole.” He glanced over his shoulder. “What does he have on you?”
“That’s none of your fucking business,” Luke replied darkly. He wasn’t doing this because his sister had loose morals and had been caught on camera. There was a lot more at stake here for him, like possible jail time. “Just move it.”
“Okay, okay,” Craig said in a conciliatory tone. He had been introduced to Luke only moments before when the pair had met up down the street. Alex had texted them an address and “asked” them to ransack the house and maybe rough up some kid named Jason. They were also supposed to leave a rather pointed note. Craig wasn’t sure what Jason had done to Alex, but he had made one hell of an enemy.
The pair heard a faint click and Craig breathed a sigh of relief, pushing gently against the door. It creaked open slowly, revealing a darkened living room. Luke immediately brushed past his accomplice and stepped into the house. He motioned for Craig to do the same and then gently closed the door behind them, relocking the deadbolt.
“Is he still online?” Luke asked in a low voice, motioning for Craig to check his Core. Luke’s wrists were conspicuously bare, his family not being able to afford such luxuries.
Craig tapped the device on his wrist and wrote out a quick message. A soft beep signaled an immediate response. “We’re good,” Craig whispered. “He’s still plugged into the game and, according to Alex, his aunt is still at work.”
“Good, then let’s do this,” Luke replied in a regular voice. If Jason was hooked into his VR headset, then he couldn’t hear them or see them.
Luke flipped a switch near the door and light flooded the room. The pair set to work destroying the place. They toppled tables, smashed lamps, and threw any food and dishes in the kitchen on the floor. Luke made his way into one of the bedrooms. The first one he entered must have been the aunt’s. He searched her dresser drawers and bedside table, pocketing any jewelry or valuables he could find. In the back of one drawer, he found a wad of bills she had stashed.
“Score,” he said softly, pushing the lump of paper into his pocket. It was rare for people to use cash currency nowadays, but it wasn’t unheard of. Especially in poorer communities or with people that didn’t trust banks.
Luke exited the room, running into Craig heading down the short hallway. They both looked at the lone remaining door, knowing that Jason must be inside that room. Craig wiped his palms against his jeans, his breathing shallow and fast.
With a scathing glance and dark tone Luke told his compatriot, “You better not flake on me.” He threw Craig a woolen mask. “Put this on. If he wakes up, we don’t want to be identified later.” Luke then pulled a similar mask over his own head.
Craig accepted the hood with an irritated expression. “I’m good, man. Just worry about yourself.”
Luke eyed his partner skeptically and then pushed open the door to Jason’s room. As the light from the hallway spilled into the room, he could make out the battered, second-hand furniture and the unmoving outline of a teenager lying on a bed against the far wall. Luke stopped short as he caught sight of Jason’s face. His eyes were closed, and his chest was rising and falling slowly. He was supposed to be plugged in! Where was his helmet?
Then he hesitated, noticing that only Jason’s face was uncovered and a more streamlined device still sat on his brow. Luke’s eyes widened, and he could practically hear money sounds going off in his head. This must be some type of prototype VR helmet. He had no idea what it might be worth, but it must be a fortune.
“Look at that helmet,” Craig said in a low voice, echoing Luke’s thoughts.
“I see it, and I’m taking it,” Luke said, approaching Jason.
“But he’ll wake up,” Craig said in a worried voice. “That wasn’t the plan. We’re just supposed to beat him up a little while he’s logged in.”
Luke pulled a knife from the sheath hidden at his waist, the light from the hallway glinting off the metal. “Trust me, he’ll hand it over easy enough,” Luke replied in a foreboding tone.
Craig looked startled. “What the hell, man? This isn’t what I signed up for. What if he gets hurt? I don’t want to go to prison over this!”
Luke had done worse, and he had a lot riding on this. He needed the money almost as badly as he needed to avoid jail. The additional risk didn’t matter to him. He turned back to Craig. “Then I’m sure Alex will give us a bonus. Man up or get the hell out of here,” he hissed.
Not waiting for a response from his weak-willed partner, Luke approached Jason’s bed. The light from the hall cast a long flickering silhouette on t
he wall above the bed as he neared the prone body, his shadow looming over Jason’s form. Despite his strong words to Craig, Luke’s knuckles were white around the grip of the knife as his free hand reached for Jason.
***
Jason’s ass hit the ground hard. Since most of them had been seated when Pint initiated the teleportation, the group was now sprawled across the unforgiving stone floor. Only Jerry had managed to remain standing, having been in the middle of his stretching routine.
“Damn imp,” Frank complained nearby. He pulled himself to his feet and then offered a hand to Riley.
“Where are we?” she asked Pint, a trace of irritation entering her voice at the abrupt teleportation.
“In keep,” Pint said, oblivious to the glares he was receiving from the entire group. “Low down.”
Morgan looked like she was about to kill the little gray creature. “Clearly. I’m curious, are all imps as stupid as you?” However, the question was lost on Pint who whizzed around the room, inspecting the torches.
“It’s not worth it,” Jason advised, having already reached and passed his patience limit with Pint’s antics.
Jason’s eyes swept the space around them. The room was a large square affair, braziers mounted onto the stone walls and throwing off a flickering blue glow. He could detect a faint draft coming from the single dark entrance into the room. His guess was that there were a set of stairs beyond the doorway leading back up into the keep. A squat stone pedestal stood in the center of the room.
Approaching the column, Jason noted that a bowl had been carved into the stone. It was nearly two feet in diameter. He peered over the lip of the bowl and discovered that it contained a black substance, its surface placid and undisturbed by the faint breeze drifting through the room. Strangely, the material didn’t reflect the light from the torches like normal water. Instead, it seemed to be sucking in the energy and darkening the area around the pedestal.
Awaken Online: Precipice Page 50