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

by John Cressman

  Charlena’s face went serious too. “I know Jace. I made some more calls today, and I forgot to tell you, I made some yesterday. Still no luck. But we’re about halfway down the list. We still have half to go!”

  “Thanks!” he told her. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you doing that.”

  She gave him another of her dazzling smiles. “You’re welcome! I’m glad I can help!”

  He got up and walked over to her. Offering his hand, he helped her up. He kept holding her hand as they walked and talked about her schoolwork and he related his fight with the spiders.”

  When his story was over, she shook her head. “So one fire bolt or whatever and the entire nest was on fire?”

  “Yup,” he replied. “It went up like tissue paper.”

  “Why would they make it so easy?” she asked.

  “I don’t know that they did,” he told her. “The developers set certain rules that the overall Game AI abides by as it generates monsters and governs their behavior. Most of those rules are based on real life physics. This was one of those cases where the rules worked in our favor. Trust me, that’s not always the case.”

  “I guess you were lucky,” she said.

  “I was,” he agreed. “The little ones couldn’t touch me but if that fire hadn’t damaged the queen, she would have killed me before I could do enough damage to her.”

  “Let’s hope you stay lucky,” she said.

  “I’m sorry, did you say you hope I get lucky?” he teased.

  “Ugh!” she pulled her hand from his and slapped him playfully. “Is that really all you guys think about.”

  “I told you,” he smirked. “We don’t just think about virtual sex, we think about real sex.”

  Her eyes narrowed evilly. “Well, I guess you’ll have to wait until you're back in your real body for that.”

  Jace realized his mouth was open and closed it. Had she just suggested that she would have sex with him in the real world. Or was she just teasing? The prospect both excited him and terrified him. Especially since he didn’t even know where his body was at the moment.

  He wasn’t sure what expression was on his face, but she burst out laughing. “I see, you’re all talk and no action.”

  “I… Ah…” he stammered.

  Charlena turned serious. “Let’s worry about finding your body first and then we can talk about what we’re going to do in real life.”

  Jace nodded dumbly. He wasn’t sure what she meant by that, but the possibilities excited him. He realized she was holding out her hand, and he quickly took it and resumed their walk.

  Several hours after the sun had set, they stood at the top of a hill looking down on the crossroads. It wasn’t what they were expecting. Crossroads wasn’t a description of the place, it was the name of the small town that had grown up around the bridge.

  It was dark and he couldn’t make out all the details, but there were enough lights from various buildings that he could make out the general layout of the town.

  “It’s a town,” Charlena stated, looking down the walled town.

  “Apparently,” he agreed.

  “Well, this sucks!” she let out an exasperated breath. “I have to log out! I won’t even get to see it!”

  “I can spend the night up here and wait until tomorrow to go into town,” Jace offered.

  She returned the smile but gave a slight shake of her head. “No, go down there and get yourself a hot meal.” He started to argue, but she held her hand up. “It’s okay. Just do me a favor. Hang out there until I log back in tomorrow night!”

  “Deal,” he said. He would have waited up here in the hills overnight, but he had to admit that spending a night in town would be so much nicer. He wouldn’t have to worry about being attacked.

  “I’d better log then,” she told him. “I have that test in my virtual design class tomorrow.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you...” he started, but a sudden thought struck him. “Wait!”

  She froze. “What is it?”

  He turned and looked over the small town until he saw what he was looking for, just to the north of town. He pointed down at it. “Before anything happens, let’s go down to the graveyard and change our bind point.”

  Charlena looked where he was pointing. “Good idea! That way we don’t end up back in Sinking Springs.”

  They walked down the hill. The two of them skirted around to the north side of the town and found the graveyard. It was larger than the Sinking Springs graveyard, but that was typical. The larger the town, the larger the graveyard.

  As they entered the graveyard Jace received a new system message.

  New spawn point: Western Crossroads

  Do you wish to set Western Crossroads as your bind point? (Yes or No)

  Jace immediately chose Yes, and the prompt disappeared. He looked over to Charlena.

  She tilted her head. “So, if you’re staying here until tomorrow night, does that mean I can just log out without putting myself on auto-follow?”

  Jace thought about it. There was no reason for her to be on auto-follow while they were in a town. When she logged back in, she’d appear here and could just come into the town and find him. But since Crossroads was larger than Sinking Springs, they needed a place to stay. “Sure. You can log off normally. When you log back in, look for me at the inn. Good luck with your test!”

  Charlena bobbed her head. “Sounds like a plan. And thanks!”

  She leaned in and kissed them, and then her body faded away.

  Jace watched her disappear. It felt weird to not have her following him, if only in body. He’d gotten used to her being around.

  He heard Luna sniffing and looked down at his familiar. She stopped sniffing and looked up at him. “Food?”

  Grinning, he reached down and scratched her under the chin. “Oh yeah, food!”

  The two of them walked back around to the front gates. He approached the gates and saw that there were seven guards hanging out at the entrance. Dressed in weathered tabards over dirty chain mail armor, each carried a sword on their hip. Five of the guards were male and the other two were female.

  One of them noticed him approaching and signaled for him to stop. He was a large man, a good four or five inches taller than Jace with more muscle. He had a flat face that looked like someone had repeatedly hit him with a frying pad. “Who goes there?”

  “Jac…” Jace started to answer with his real name but remembered his character name. Dedrurrurth.“

  The guard looked back at the other guards and snickered. “Dedr… what? What kind of name is that?”

  “Old Aldorian,” Jace said. He was lying, but he guessed this guy wouldn’t know Kobold from Old Aldorian.

  “Huh,” said the man. “You don’t say. Well, my name is Sergeant Foucher and I’ll have what business brings you to Crossroads.”

  “We… I’m here on my way to Whitecliff,” he told the sergeant. There was no reason to lie about his destination.

  “Is that a fact?” the man asked. “And where are you coming from?”

  “Sinking Springs,” he told the guard. Again, no point in lying.

  The guards exchanged looks with other and suddenly they were all looking at him.

  “What do you know about the dragon attacks?” the man asked.

  “I went through Skystead on my way here,” he told them. “It’s been completely destroyed.”

  There was more muttering until the sergeant hushed them. “What about Sinking Springs?”

  Jace gave the man a confused look. “What about it?”

  “We heard it was destroyed,” he said. “Right before Skystead.”

  “What?!” Jace couldn’t believe it. Sinking Springs had been destroyed? They’d just been there. He’d met all of those people. Now they were all gone. “I didn’t know. Everything… Everyone… Was still alive when I left. Are you sure?”

  The man nodded solemnly. “Sorry, we got confirmation today from a mage who was able to reach t
he town and then teleport back.”

  “You probably got out just in time,” the man said. “You’re lucky.”

  Jace nodded numbly.

  “Did you have family there?” the sergeant asked him.

  “No,” Jace shook his head. “But I knew those people. They were my friends.”

  The man cleared his throat. “I’m sorry then. Go ahead inside. It’s late so you’ll be wanting to find the Wry Weasel. It’s the better of the two inns in town.”

  Nodding, Jace walked into Crossroads in a daze. He couldn’t believe Sinking Springs was gone.

  Chapter 53

  Jace and Luna walked through the rough, muddy streets of Crossroads in a daze. He was thinking of all the NPCs he’d met and did quests for in Sinking Springs.

  “You lost?” a man’s voice said and Jace blinked out of his stupor.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Are you lost?” the man asked. He was a little taller than Jace with greasy hair, a broken smile and mutton chops.

  “I’m looking for the Wry Weasel,” he told the man.

  The man smiled, showing missing teeth. “You’re not far. You make a right up there at that alley. Go two blocks and then turn left. Go four blocks and you’re there. Good place.”

  Jace thanked the man and continued down the road for another two blocks. Following the man’s instructions, he turned right down the alley. The alley would normally have been dark, but with his Cat-Vision allowed him to see far better than a normal person could. So, he saw the two men stepping out from behind some crates.

  “Behind,” said Luna in his mind and Jace glanced over his shoulder to see two men step in behind him, blocking his retreat.

  Jace’s instincts kicked in and he had his weapons equipped even as he scanned all four men in his HUD.

  Brycen

  Race: Human

  Class: Thug

  Level: 6

  Darnell

  Race: Human

  Class: Thug

  Level: 5

  Leland

  Race: Human

  Class: Rogue

  Level: 5

  Trayen

  Race: Human

  Class: Rogue

  Level: 5

  Brycen, the man who’d given him directions, was the highest level of the NPCS and most likely the leader. He was a Thug, which was a watered-down version of fighter. Another of the men was a thug as well. The other two were rogues, which meant they’d have backstab. He’d need to keep them in front of him.

  Leland and Trayen both brandished two daggers while Darnell held a sturdy looking mace. Brycen held a longsword. None of them posed a real danger to him alone, but together he wasn’t sure.

  “Aeris Armatura!” he spoke, casting his Air Armor spell. Everyone except for Brycen took a step back.

  “You didn’t say nothing about no mage,” Trayen said, his voice shaky.

  “Yeah,” agreed Leland nervously. “Mage ain’t good business!”

  “Shut your holes,” Brycen told them. “Look at those weapons. He ain’t no mage. He probably knows a trick or two but that’s it. Now stick him! Or you’ll answer to me.”

  The leader’s threat seemed to scare them more than Jace and the men closed in on him. Backing against a wall, he waited for them to approach.

  Darnell was the first to stalk forward and drew back to a strike with his mace. Jace Feinted and stabbed the man with his rapier and spider fang dagger.

  You critically stab Darnell for 12 damage.

  You critically stab Darnell for 4 damage.

  Darnell is Poisoned.

  The strikes didn’t do as much damage as he hoped, and Jace realized the man was wearing chain mail armor under his tunic. Darnell grunted but bought his mace down on Jace.

  Darnell crushes YOU for 0 damage.

  “His magic is protecting him!” Darnell snarled just as Trayen and Leland managed to get in a few strikes.

  Leland stabs YOU for 0 damage.

  Leland stabs YOU for 0 damage.

  Trayen stabs YOU for 0 damage.

  Trayen stabs YOU for 0 damage.

  “This aint’s worked,” Trayen said. “I can’t stick him!”

  “Give me a shot,” Brycen commanded and slashed across Jace’s chest.

  Brycen slashes YOU for 2 damage.

  The slash hurt and took away a 2 health but Jace had felt worse. He steeled himself and focused on Brycen. Using another Feint, he stabbed out at the cutthroat.

  You critically stab Brycen for 11 damage.

  You critically stab Brycen for 3 damage.

  Brycen is Poisoned.

  Poison hits Darnell for 3 damage.

  “Argh!” Darnell growled. “The knife wound burns! It’s some type of poison.”

  “Poison?” stammered Leland. “This guy has poison too?!”

  “Stop your belly-aching and stick this guy,” Brycen yelled.

  The three level 5 cutthroats struck again to no effect. With the Air Armor active, Jace was as protected as if he was wearing a suit of plate mail. Unfortunately, Brycen’s long sword continued to get through his Defense, if only barely.

  Brycen slashes YOU for 1 damage.

  Jace continued his attacks on Brycen. He wanted to take out the leader, since only his weapon could hurt Jace.

  You critically stab Brycen for 12 damage.

  You critically stab Brycen for 2 damage.

  Brycen is Poisoned.

  Poison hits Darnell for 3 damage.

  Poison hits Brycen for 3 damage.

  Brycen grunted twice. Once when Jace hit him and then another when the poison kicked in. Jace could see the other men’s courage was hanging by a thread. He just needed to cut that thread.

  Jace once again shrugged off a flurry of attacks by the weaker thugs and took another slash from Brycen against his left arm.

  Brycen slashes YOU for 1 damage.

  He counter-struck back at Brycen, ignoring the other men.

  You critically stab Brycen for 11 damage.

  You critically stab Brycen for 4 damage.

  Brycen is Poisoned.

  Poison hits Darnell for 3 damage.

  Poison hits Brycen for 3 damage.

  This time Brycen staggered back, grasping the wounds in his chest. He had a surprised look on his face right up until the moment

  Poison hits Brycen for 3 damage.

  Brycen dies.

  You gain 60 experience.

  You gain -10 faction with Crossroads Thieves Guild

  You gain +10 faction with Crossroads Guards

  Brycen began foaming at the mouth as the long sword slipped from his lifeless fingers and he fell dead.

  “He killed Brycen!” yelled Leland.

  “Run for it!” Darnell growled.

  The three remaining cutthroats ran off down the alley and Jace let them go. He walked over to Brycen’s body and looted it.

  You receive long sword.

  You receive Crossroads Thieves Guild Medallion.

  You receive 19 gold.

  Jace examined the medallion, but it just said quest item so he stashed it in his inventory. He scrolled back up through the system messages and read the faction changes. It appeared he just lost faction with the local thieves' guild and gained faction with the guards. And now he had a quest item. Time to find out what it was for.

  Jace stopped the first guard he came across and asked about the medallion. “A group of thugs just jumped me in the alley. I fought them off and killed one of them. They dropped this. Does it mean something?”

  The guard gave him a hard look, but then shrugged. “There’s a reward for killing thieves in this town. Go ask the sergeant at the gates, he’ll tell you all about it.”

  Thanking the guard, he walked back to the main gain and found Sergeant Foucher. The man recognized him as he walked over. “You get lost?”

  Jace held up the medallion. “I was jumped on my way there. Took this from one of the thugs. One of your guards said there might be a re
ward for killing a thief.”

  Sergeant Foucher nodded. “Aye! The mayor set a bounty on the thieves’ guild. That’s their symbol on the medallion. I’ll pay you a 5 gold bounty for each one you bring.”

  You have completed the quest, “Crossroad Thief Bounty”

  You gain 25 experience. Experience to next level 645.

  You gain +10 faction with Crossroads Guards.

  You gain +10 faction with Residents of Crossroads.

  You receive 5 gold.

  Sergeant Foucher has offered you the quest, “Crossroad Thief Bounty” (Repeatable)

  Reward: +10 faction with Crossroads Guards, +10 faction with Residents of Crossroads.

  Accept quest? (Yes or No)

  Jace saw that he had been offered the quest again, and that it was a repeatable quest. He accepted. His plans just changed from a nice quiet night at the inn to hunting down thieves. After all, Charlena had hit level 5, and he needed to catch up to her.

  He and Luna spent the rest of the night walking down alleys and trying to get mugged. He killed four more thieves before the world seemed to spread about him and he was no longer attacked. He was about to give up when he remembered the infiltrator’s hat.

  Using the hat to change his appearance from a human to a halfling, dwarf, elf and even gnome, he killed another five thieves who didn’t realize they were trying to rob the same guy. By morning, he had earned level 5 in Rogue. Along with the extra health and mana, level 5 also meant he could use the Griffon necklace. Pulling it from his inventory, he slid the necklace around his neck and tucked it into his armor.

  It also meant he now had access to find and disarm traps, which he’d found extremely useful in the past. It was actually one of the main reasons a party needed a rogue character on their missions. There were all sorts of traps that could wipe out the entire group if not disarmed.