Veil Online - Book 1 (a LitRPG MMORPG Adventure Series)

by John Cressman

  “It looks like you’ll have lots of fresh air from now on,” he said.

  Luna sniffed the air. “Yes.”

  With Luna trailing behind him, he set off up the road. The saurians had said it was two suns from where they would leave him, but since he could walk all day, he was hoping he could make it in one. He tried to focus on that thought as the mountains loomed ever closer.

  A few hours later, Charlena logged in, brightening his mood. His first hint were the arms that were suddenly thrown around his neck and the pressure of her body pressing against his back. “Good morning!”

  Smiling, he twisted in her embrace until he was facing her. “Good morning to you too!”

  She kissed him then and then broke away. “Ha! That’s one nice thing about the game. No morning breath.”

  They laughed as he set her down and she looked around. “We’re out of the swamp! Thank goodness! That place was dreary.”

  “It wasn’t so bad,” Jace offered. “Except for the insects!”

  “I guess I missed them,” she smiled innocently.

  “I think I’m seeing a method to your madness,” he teased.

  She rubbed her hands together. “So, you’ve figured out my evil plan.” She flashed him one of her dazzling smiles, and he couldn’t help but smile himself.

  “How long before we get to Skystead?” she asked, moving next to him and taking his hand.

  “The saurians…” He started but Luna’s hissed snapped him into combat mode and he yanked Charlena to the ground as arrows wheezed over their heads from both sides.

  Charlena recovered quickly and her bow appeared in her hand. “What is it?”

  “I don’t know,” Jace said, and he looked over the little cat. “Luna’s like a little danger magnet.”

  “Do you know what they are?” he asked his familiar.

  Luna looked at him blankly.

  “You have Vanish?” he asked Charlena. They’d worked on her Stealth skill, but he’d forgotten to ask if she’s reached rank 10.

  “Yes,” she told him.

  “Good,” he told her. “Use Vanish, standup and fire at anything you see on the left. As soon as you do, I’ll use Vanish and rush to the right.”

  “Right,” she nodded seriously. She was all business now. She waited a moment. “Go!”

  She went shadowy for a moment as she activated Vanish. Because they were in the same group, he could see her shadowy outline, but she would be invisible to anyone else. She stood up, and after only a moment, fired her bow.

  As she did, Jace activated his own ability and rushed right, his eyes searching for enemies. He saw them then, in the tall grass, looking for a target. They were orcs, and there were two of them right in front of him.

  Orcs were taller and broader than goblins, with wide, flat noses, tusked mouths and large, pointed ears that were thicker and wider than an elf’s. Their skin was an olive green and their hair coarse and charcoal black. They wore various pieces of armor that looked cobbled together from many sources.

  Jace’s Vanish wore off just as he reached the orcs, startling them. He took advantage of their hesitation and using Feint, jabbed both of his blades into the closest.

  You critically stab Mountain Orc for 15 damage.

  You critically stab Mountain Orc for 8 damage.

  The orc squealed and dropped its short bow, reaching for a long knife at its hip. The other orc took aim at Jace and fired.

  Mountain Orc shoots YOU for 3 damage.

  Jace’s armor absorbed most of the damage, but the arrow still penetrated his side, causing him to wince. He saw Charlena get hit.

  Mountain Orc shoots Almedha Pressalor for 2 damage.

  Mountain Orc shoots Almedha Pressalor for 4 damage.

  She was taking more damage than he was and he knew his new buckler had something to do with that. He needed to finish these off so he could help her.

  As the first orc cleared the long knife from its sheath, Jace stabbed again, hoping the orc was only 4th level.

  You stab Mountain Orc for 7 damage.

  You stab Mountain Orc for 4 damage.

  Mountain Orc dies.

  You gain 40 experience.

  Even as that orc died, the other one shot him again, but this time his left hand moved on its own and deflected the arrow.

  Mountain Orc shoots YOU but you BLOCK.

  Your Block skill has increased by 1.

  It thrilled him he had blocked the arrow since he’d completely forgotten about the Block skill. He closed with the other orc and, using Feint, stabbed both of his weapons into its torso, eliciting a squeal. With Jace too close for it to use its bow, it reached for an axe hanging from its belt.

  He saw that Charlena took another arrow, but only one this time.

  Mountain Orc shoots Almedha Pressalor for 3 damage.

  “I got one!” Charlena cried.

  Smiling at her enthusiasm, he focused on his orc. It had just cleared its axe when he struck again.

  You stab Mountain Orc but it DODGES.

  You stab Mountain Orc for 3 damage.

  Darn it! It had dodged and was still alive. He flinched as the thing swung its axe at his arm.

  Mountain Orc slashes YOU for 0 damage.

  The blow hurt but didn’t penetrate his Defense. The orc looked dumbly at its axe. It was still looking when Jace ran it through with his blades.

  You stab Mountain Orc for 6 damage.

  You stab Mountain Orc for 4 damage.

  Mountain Orc dies.

  You gain 40 experience.

  Jace turned and started to run towards the remaining orc but stopped.

  “Take that pig face!” Charlena shouted as another of her arrows found its mark.

  There was only one orc left, and it was trading arrows with Charlena, whittling each other down. She must have been out of mana because she was no longer using Vanish, just firing regular arrows.

  Rather than spoil it for her, he called out. “Need help?”

  “I got this creep!” she shot back, keeping her eyes on the orc.

  Trusting her to take care of the last one, he walked back to the orc bodies and looted them. He received 4 gold from each of the bodies, along with a leather cloak and a pair of leather boots. The boots were in slightly better shape than the ones he was wearing. He equipped both.

  “Gotcha!” Charlena shouted, and Jace saw the orc’s death in the system messages.

  Grinning, she looked over at him. “That was fun!”

  Walking over, he kissed her. “To the victor goes the spoils!”

  “I want more spoils!” she smiled up at him and kissed him again.

  Chapter 41

  Charlena searched her orcs and received an axe and a short bow. After looting the orcs, they continued following the road towards the mountain. The terrain became hillier, and the walk became more of a hike. Around noon, they reached the base of the mountain and the path became more difficult as it sloped up the mountainside.

  “It looks like this will be a good hike,” Charlena said. “Do you think there will be any more monsters?”

  Jace considered her question. Mountains tended to be the home to more powerful monsters who thrived in the harsh conditions. They were not the sort of creatures new adventurers wanted to run into. “Let’s hope not.”

  Charlena threw him a glance. “Oh, come on, maybe more orcs or goblins or something!”

  “It’s the or something I’m worried about,” Jace told her.

  “You’re no fun,” she teased.

  They continued their hike up the mountain road as it wound around the mountain, leading up and towards a pass between two snow-capped peaks. The view was amazing, but Jace kept a wary eye out.

  The road was taking them higher and higher up the mountain and Jace noticed the change in temperature. It was gradually getting colder. He looked behind him to see Charlena had her cloak wrapped around her.

  When she noticed him looking, she smiled. “It’s getting a bit cool.�
��

  Jace raised an eyebrow. “What’s your sensory level set at?”

  Charlena’s eye went glassy for a moment and then she came back and let the cloak go. “I had left it on maximum from when we were kissing. I just turned it down and this feels much better.”

  “Be careful with that,” he told her. “You don’t want your feedback level at maximum when we get in a fight.”

  She winced. “Sorry, I keep forgetting you can’t adjust your level.”

  Jace shrugged. “I’m getting used to it.”

  “You shouldn’t have to,” she said and gave him a sympathetic look. “Once we get to the capital, you can get this sorted out with the help desk thingy.”

  Jace’s face went grim. “Getting to the capital is just the first part. Once I get there, it’s a whole other thing to get into the royal palace and then find the Help Desk. I haven’t worked that part out yet.”

  “Is it really that difficult?”

  “The royal palace is meant to be a reward for higher level players who gain enough money to buy a title. Access to it is restricted to those with titles.”

  “That doesn’t seem very fair.”

  “Yes, but it is fairly period. Other than workers, peasants - that’s us - weren’t really allowed into the royal palace back in medieval times.”

  “So how are you doing to get in?”

  “Obviously not by getting a title. Those cost hundreds of thousands of gold. I was thinking one of two ways: Sneaking in or trying to get a job inside.”

  Charlena stopped and Jace turned towards her. “Wait, you can get a job in the castle?”

  “Oh yeah,” Jace told her. “Quite a few players work in the castle….in all sorts of capacities.” He gave her a meaningful look.

  Charlena’s eyes went wide. “You mean like… prostitutes? Players are prostituting themselves?”

  Jace shrugged. “There’s nothing in the rules that say they can’t. After all, it’s virtual sex so it’s not subject to regular laws. It’s considered ‘entertainment’ and since it has to be consensual, they allow it.”

  “That’s disgusting.”

  “Believe it or not,” he told her. “That’s how some people make money in the real world. Remember, you can convert real money into gold or gold into real money. So, some men and women come in the game, trade virtual sex for gold and then convert the gold to real money.”

  Charlena’s face had become red. “I can’t believe they allow that!”

  “The government has tried to step in, but it’s hard to make a case about regulating a virtual action for a virtual good since technically none of it exists in the real world,” he remembered. “Plus, when people have virtual sex, there’s no chance of a disease or anything like that.”

  “It’s still disgusting,” she retorted. Charlena’s eyes went wide as saucers and her mouth fell open as she looked at him. “Wait… Jace… you’re not thinking about… I mean… you wouldn’t…”

  Jace suddenly understood what she was asking and started to deny it but stopped. He stood up straight and poked out his chest. “What? You don’t think I could get top dollar for this body?” He flexed his biceps for her.

  “Ha. ha,” she replied. “But seriously, you’re not, right?”

  Jace shook his head. “I was thinking more of a server or something along those lines - not a boy toy.”

  Charlena’s eyes narrowed seductively, and she moved closer to him, running her hands up his chest. When she spoke, her voice was husky. “But if you did, I’d hope you’d give me a discount.”

  Jace felt the heat in his cheeks and started to stammer a reply before Charlena burst out laughing. “You’re too easy.”

  She skipped away up the trail and Jace was left staring after her as his cheeks returned to their normal color. He shifted uncomfortably. His cheeks hadn’t been the only place the blood had been going. Shaking his head, he hurried after her.

  The incline of the road became more noticeable, and they were both puffing as they continued to climb.

  It was also getting colder and unlike Charlena, Jace couldn’t just turn down his sensory level. It wasn’t as bad when they were moving, but as soon as they stopped to rest, the cool air chilled him.

  Suddenly a loud primal roar cut through the air and Charlena turned to him fearfully. “What the heck was that?”

  Unfortunately, Jace knew exactly what it was. He fought tons of them in the mountains of Visimar when he had been Mordred. It was a mountain troll. “Troll!”

  As if it had been waiting for an introduction, a huge mountain troll jumped out onto the trail twenty yards in front of him. The troll towered over them at eight foot tall and looked like a cross between a man and a gorilla with gray and white fur. It had the general proportions of a muscular man but the elongated arms of an ape. The creature roared as it pounded its chest with its muscular arms and charged them.

  “Use everything you’ve got!” Jace yelled to Charlena as he cast Air Armor. “I’ll try to keep it on me as long as possible.”

  He heard the twang of her bow as the thing thundered towards them.

  Almedha Pressalor shoots Mountain Troll for 14 damage.

  Jace retrieved his weapons as he stepped in front, steeling his nerves against the incoming juggernaut. As soon as it came into range, Jace shouted his Taunt, forcing it to focus on him. “Come get some!”

  The troll missed a step as it switched from charging Charlena to now coming straight at Jace. It came in fast, raising its fists for a strike, and Jace ducked in and drove both his weapons into its exposed stomach.

  You stab Mountain Troll for 6 damage.

  You stab Mountain Troll for 3 damage.

  The mountain troll didn’t react to his blows and brought both his fists down at Jace.

  Mountain Troll slams YOU but you Dodge.

  Your Dodge skill has increased by 1.

  Mountain Troll slams YOU for 4 damage.

  Your Air Magic skill has increased by 1.

  Jace had dodged its right fist, but the left fist had connected solidly with his shoulder, nearly tearing it out of its socket. Struggling to keep a grip on his weapon, Jace felt the pain shooting up and down his left arm.

  With the Air Armor and his recently acquired leather cloak, he had 6 Defense. That meant each of the trolls fists normally did 10 damage. Even with his armor, he wouldn’t last long.

  Another twang from behind him and another arrow appeared in the troll’s chest. Again, it didn’t seem to notice the damage except to roar.

  Almedha Pressalor shoots Mountain Troll for 13 damage.

  Jace was already at half mana, but he needed to do as much damage as possible to help bring this thing down. He Feinted and then attacked the troll’s groin.

  You critically stab Mountain Troll for 12 damage.

  You critically stab Mountain Troll for 5 damage.

  This time the troll reared back in pain but then slammed both its fists forward into the ground, creating a concussion wave that threw Jace back.

  Mountain Troll used Ground Smash.

  You are Stunned for 3 seconds.

  Luna is Stunned for 3 seconds.

  Almedha Pressalor is Stunned for 3 seconds.

  Jace lay on the ground, unable to move. He followed the creature with his eyes as it thundered over to him and slammed both of its massive fists into his chest.

  Mountain Troll slams YOU for 3 damage.

  Your Air Magic skill has increased by 1.

  Mountain Troll slams YOU for 2 damage.

  Your Air Magic skill has increased by 1.

  The sledgehammer like blows knocked the wind out of Jace but he did see the system message he’d been waiting for.

  You are no longer Stunned.

  Scrambling to his feed, Jace was just in time to get two more of the trolls fists to his shoulders.

  Mountain Troll slams YOU for 4 damage.

  Your Air Magic skill has increased by 1.

  Mountain Troll slams YOU for 4 d
amage.

  Your Air Magic skill has increased by 1.

  “I’m going to go down,” he yelled to Charlena. “2 more health.”

  “No!” she screamed and fired another armor. “You can’t!”

  Almedha Pressalor shoots Mountain Troll for 14 damage.

  Another arrow thudded into the troll, but it refused to go down. It reared back to deliver another blow and Jace had to make a quick decision. The next blow would kill him. He could either attack and hope he could take it down. The other option was to use an old trick he’d learned from playing Mordred. It didn’t always work, but it might give him a chance. He decided on the latter.

  As the creature's fists came down, Jace used Vanish. The moment he disappeared, he sidestepped, did a somersault and ended up behind the troll.

  Your Acrobatics skill has increased by 1.

  The mountain troll’s fists crashed into the dirt and it looked in confusion at where its target should have been. That was when Jace stabbed both his weapons into its exposed back.

  You backstab Mountain Troll for 21 damage.

  You backstab Mountain Troll for 9 damage.

  His backstab seemed to get the thing’s attention, and it roared in pain. The troll spun to finish its attacker, raising its club-like fists in the air.

  Before it could bring them down and kill Jace, a large orange blur slammed into the troll's head, knocking it off balance. The thing staggered, slipped and fell off the road. It tumbled down the steep mountainside until it came to rest far below.

  Mountain Troll takes 37 falling damage.

  Mountain Troll dies.

  You gain 100 experience.

  You have gained a level.

  You are now level 3 in Fighter.

  Ability gained: Shield Bash

  Jace briefly saw the messages but turned to face the new threat. The thing had been large and he guessed it was a mountain lion. He was down to only 2 health and 2 mana. It was going to be a very short fight.