He tries again. This time I swing with my dagger. I miss, but he flinches for just a moment. I can hear the other troll approaching from behind the boulder I am cornered against.
I consider all my options. I could just let myself die. It would be a huge inconvenience in the game and mean I have to work that much harder when I am revived. I could remain where I am and hope to take the two trolls down a little bit at a time. As long as they can’t touch me, I should be able to maintain the health points I’ve got.
Or I could try some brave, bold, ridiculously risky stunt and pray it works.
I look around as best I can without taking my eyes off the now two trolls cornering me. They are taking turns trying to grab or smash or crush me, but a weapon in each hand means I have so far been untouchable. They’ve fallen into a rhythm. If I time it exactly right and don’t take any missteps—and if none of the other boulders around here are actually trolls—I can make it.
I fight off their grasping while I plan my escape. I give the trolls no warning whatsoever as I quickly duck under the arm of the one close to the water. I leap as far into the river as I can manage, relieved to find that it is only about waist high in the middle where I land. I stow my hand-to-hand weapons, and reequip the bow and arrow. I turn back to fire as I wade across the river.
If I can get in the right shot, this next arrow will finish off he first troll. If I can aim exactly right, I’ve got the kill shot ready.
I let out a slow breath, holding my hands as steady as possible. The trolls are climbing over the boulders and are as still as they will ever be. I count down in my head, determined to make this shot count … 3 …2 …1 …
A gigantic splash a few feet in front of me stops my countdown. Whatever jumping and yelling creature that just went barreling over me towards the River Trolls distracts and confuses me. After the first moment of chaos, I make out another player. He wears a basic suit of armor, all tanked up, and swings his enormous sword at my troll. The first troll I fought. The troll I was about to kill and gain all those experience points.
This new, armored player takes off the troll’s head with one swing of his sword, beams with pride at the kill, and turns to take on the other monster.
As he pauses to turn, I’m able to make out the player’s name, hovering above his head. It’s Jargonaut. Because of course it is. Of course that jackass would appear out of nowhere and swipe the kill shot and experience points. He wears more armor than the other three of us combined, complete with a bear sigil on his chest. Where did he even get that already?
He hacks and slashes at the other River Troll. That must be some sword; the troll’s health points decline swiftly. I take aim with my ready arrow, in part to help but also in case I can take the kill shot back from him.
But I’m too slow. Or Jargonaut is too good. With just a handful of well-placed attacks, he defeats the troll all by himself.
I’m still standing in the middle of the river watching when Jargonaut finishes. He turns to me with a grin, says, “You’re welcome,” and runs off to where the final troll is still attacking Balderdash13 and Anim8ted.
Goddamn that guy. Goddamnit goddamnit.
I wade back through the swiftly moving, waist-high water as quickly as I can, holding my still-not-shot bow and arrow above my head. Anim8ted screams nearby and I pray that he or Balderdash13 can kill their troll before Jargonaut gets yet another boost in XP.
Even sprinting back to them I’m not quick enough, and I arrive at the scene in time to see Jargonaut standing over the final troll, pulling his sword out of its throat.
The greedy grin on his face enrages me. He knows exactly what he did to all three of us. And even worse, his game footage of his ‘saving’ us is probably being streamed all over the world right now. With new viewers seeking out his YouTube channel he is almost certainly making money even as we stand here. Who wouldn’t want to be a hero in Camlan just like him? Ugh. I’m so glad I turned off the play-by-play.
I seethe. I don’t trust myself to say anything, so I turn to Anim8ted and Balderdash13.
Or … just Balderdash13. Anim8ted’s Club and cloak lie on the ground next to her.
“What happened?”
“We were so close,” Balderdash13 says. “Anim8ted and I almost had it. I even stepped back to let him take the final shot, you know? Then this jackass.” She stops, glaring at Jargonaut.
“Yeah, you’re welcome,” he responds. “He didn’t even have a real weapon.”
“Yes, he did!” she shouts at him.
“— And that guy was clearly not going to make it,” Jargonaut continues as though Balderdash13 hadn’t spoken. “It would have ended much worse if I hadn’t showed up.”
“What happened with him?” I ask.
Balderdash13 glares at Jargonaut again. “Like I said, this jackass. When he shows up, the troll went ballistic. Like a last temper tantrum almost. In the chaos he kicks out and knocked Anim8ted to the ground. I guess he was so injured that just that final hit did him in.”
I stare at the place where Anim8ted’s belongings lie. I pull up the leaderboard, hoping for his sake that Talbot’s talk about the penalties of death were exaggerated. But no. There is his name. All the way at the bottom. Level 10 again. There is no way he will be able to level up fast enough to catch up again. Not in just a day and a half.
In the back of my mind, a little hope brightens. That is one fewer player to worry about. Not that I wish that fate on anyone but … I keep my face composed, not letting the joy I feel show.
Jargonaut has strolled over to the cloak and moves to pick it up.
“What the hell, dude?” I say. “First you butt in on their XP and now you think you get their stuff?”
“Hey. Leave it,” Balderdash13 says. “You don’t need it. You have armor.”
“But this one might be better.” He seems utterly unperturbed by the anger in her voice.
“Leave it, I said.” Balderdash13 moves to push Jargonaut back. “I just sent Anim8ted a message that it will be waiting for him here.”
“Well, that was dumb, wasn’t it?” The huge tank eyes the cloak, feeling the fabric in his hands.
“Come on, dude,” I say half-heartedly. I don’t really want to get involved but I can’t stand this guy.
“It’s not for looting,” Balderdash13 insists.
Jargonaut equips the cloak over his existing gear, almost doubling his armor level. “This is nice. It’ll be great in my next battle. Where I undoubtedly will need to save someone else.”
Balderdash13 and I look at each other. We can’t stop him. He’s several levels higher than us, more heavily armored, and even if we tried the game won’t let us kill another player. She looks like she wants to fight him anyway, but I can’t. I won’t. I need to just focus on me and my leveling up and taking on Jargonaut over someone else’s cloak isn’t going to do me any good. Nevertheless, I try one last time. A plea to his ego, maybe.
“Look, man. I get it. You killed the trolls, you get whatever rewards you can find.” Balderdash13 glares at me now. “But is this really the kind of game play your subscribers like? Shouldn’t you be more … I don’t know. What’s the word? Chivalrous? Leave Anim8ted his cloak?”
He chuckles. “As if you know anything about what my subscribers want. They want a hero. The girls want me and the guys want to be me and every single one of them would do exactly what I’m doing.” He turns to include Balderdash13 in his next remark. “Look, next time you come across three River Trolls almost twice as powerful as you, maybe just go around them. This all could have been avoided with a little common sense.”
“They found us!”
“Then you should have run.”
“We were already cornered.”
“You could have gotten away. If you weren’t so concerned about others’ safety. Working together out of the goodness of your heart is always a mistake. Work alone, unless you’re absolutely sure you can use the other people for your own benefit. Trust me.�
��
I hate that I agree with Jargonaut, but he is probably right. I just lost time and health trying to help out and got nothing for it.
That reminds me. The game has been flashing a waiting message at me since the battle ended. I need to get out of here and keep moving.
“On that note,” I say, looking only at Balderdash13. “I’ll see you around.”
“Yeah, thanks for your help,” she says pointedly ignoring Jargonaut.
I wave half-heartedly and wade into the river again. Maybe whatever quest and adventures are on that far side will help me level up as quickly as Jargonaut has.
Chapter 18
I bring up the message I had waved away earlier when Jargonaut showed up
You have discovered: Foyle River
Reward: +70 XP
Quest completed: To the Rescue!
Description: You have fulfilled your duty as a Guardian of Camlan. You have aided your fellow citizens, saving one from attack and prolonging the others’ survival
Reward: +200 XP, +50 Fame
That’s something. The whole battle wasn’t a total waste and I must be close to leveling up again.
Attention: You have unlocked Active Skill: Archery Level 3
Description: Your aim and strength as an archer is improving. Sometimes you even hit your target.
Reward: +90 XP
Sarcastic game language. Anyway, it’s awesome. That saves me the expense of finding an archery trainer. All it cost me is almost getting killed by a couple of River Trolls.
I still have an attribute point to distribute, so I add it to Stamina. I don’t want to find myself losing steam against whatever I have to battle next.
Name: SirAsh3r
Level: 13
Strength: 13
Intelligence: 15
Dexterity: 13
Stamina: 14
Magic: 14
Skills: Woodcraft 2, Slash 2, Club 2, Paddle 1, Climbing 1, Stealth 1, Archery 3
Abilities: Initiative 1, Focus 1
Professions: Cooking 1
Affinities: 2% Earth; 1% Water
Fame: 250
Achievements: First Explorer of Lake Galavant, First Explorer of Foyle Forest
Not bad. My next quest should take me to Level 14 and I think I’ll add a stat point to Strength or Dexterity. I’m starting to fall in love with my bow and arrow, but I want to be able to hit harder. Or maybe I’ll add a point to Magic and learn a spell or two.
Like healing. From all of the exertions and spider bites and getting knocked around, my health is down below 50%. It’s now early afternoon in the game and I haven’t had anything to eat at all and only that bit of tea and water to drink. I can go longer in the game without sustenance, but not forever. My health will be even slower to regenerate now, especially as I hike up the shore of the river.
As I walk, I take in the game world around me. This nice, quiet bit of reprieve gives me a chance to appreciate the beauty that the game designers have built in. It’s almost impossible for me to tell it’s just code—the snow-capped mountains in the distance, the forest to my right, the babbling of the river to my left, the musty earth smell of its banks. With the afternoon sun beating down on me, I feel like I might even be getting a sunburn.
I wonder if Camlan’s creators included minor inconveniences like that in the game deliberately. If I get a sunburn will I lose HP or Dexterity?
I need to take a closer look at the leaderboard. All I know is Jargonaut is in the lead and Anim8ted is back to the bottom. I pull up the screen in front of me while I walk.
Anim8ted is already leveling up. Good for him. Too bad he won’t get very far. And Jargonaut is only one level ahead of the second place player. That’s not terrible. And there’s me. Right in the middle of the pack along with everybody else. At least I know I’m close to leveling up. And there’s still plenty of time left in the Challenge.
I think.
I hope.
My health is still hovering around the 50% mark. I need to keep an eye out for quests to take and creatures to kill, but probably not until I can top off my health points. There’s a whole river of water running next to me. I check my inventory, just in case I’m forgetting something, but I don’t have anything that can be used to drink out of.
My hands will do. I make my way to the edge of the river. The shore on this side is rather steep. I kneel on the grass and lean far over to reach the running water.
I cup a small handful of river water, bring it to my mouth and slurp it up.
Attention: You have drunk from the Waters of Cai
Description: The sacred Spring of Cai feeds into the Foyle River. Drinking from the Waters of Cai will increase your health regeneration to 100 points per second for 10 minutes.
Warning: Drink too much and you will disturb the water spirits protecting the spring.
Increasing the speed of my health regeneration? Perfect. That is exactly what I need. Since I only barely got a mouthful of water with that first sip, I lean forward to claim a second.
As my cupped hand slips under the surface, five icy, clammy fingers wrap themselves around my wrist, holding my hand under the water.
“Gah! Let go!” I cry. I don’t have any weapons and with my right hand trapped I can’t equip anything now. “Let go!”
I pull and pull but whatever has got me is determined. I throw all my weight into leaning back, away from the water, back into the grass. As I pull back, finally, lifting my hand out of the water, the rest of the arm and body attached to the iron fingers lifts out of the water with it.
She lets go of my wrist, at the same time binding my ankles magically with some kind of water weed, their dampness soaking through my pants. I yank at the weeds, but I can’t escape. With my hands free I can equip my bow and arrow, but I’m hesitant to attack first.
Name: Maris
River Nymph Level 63
Description: One of the water spirits tasked with guarding the Spring of Cai. Proud and territorial, she will be just but firm.
Oh, shit. Level 63. Yeah. Definitely not attacking first. I’ll see if I can talk my way out of this rather than get killed.
Even half in the water, she is tall and statuesque. Her spine stays straight and proud as she examines me with disdain. She is completely naked, but her long, green, mossy hair hides bits of her bare chest. She could almost be beautiful, if her pale blue skin wasn’t reminding me of a dead body.
“Who dares disturb the Waters of Cai?”
“I, uh …” What do I say? What does she expect from me? “I guess, um. I did?”
The River Nymph stares down at me imperiously. So much for talking my way out of this.
“What right was given you to sully the pure water of the Spring of Cai?”
Okay, I have a sense of this now. Time to lay it on thick.
“My deepest apologies, oh … aquatic one. I had heard of the wonder and majesty of the Spring of Cai, but, alas. I own not a map of … this kingdom and was unable to identify the spring without aid.”
“That is no excuse,” she replies, sneering. “As a Guardian of Camlan you are responsible for every rock on the ground and bird in the sky. The location of a spring should be easy for you.”
“Uh, yes. That’s true,” I hedge. “But I haven’t been a Guardian all that long.” I make a mental note to find an NPC that will actually explain to me what it means to be a Guardian. Otherwise I’ll keep running into these expectations.
“Nevertheless,” she continues, “your grime and filth have sullied the Waters of Cai. I must have retribution.”
“What kind of retribution?” I ask, hesitatingly. What am I signing myself up for?
She looks me over, considering her response. “What is your name?”
“SirAsh3r.” It always seems weird to me when NPCs ask my name. Surely the game could just feed them that info? Oh, well. Must be part of the whole experience.
“SirAsh3r, you have greatly erred in befouling the Waters of Cai. “<
br />
‘Befouling’? Ouch.
“Again, I deeply apologize, Miss … ?”
“You may call me Maris.”
“I am just a weary traveler, Maris, trying to find my way to Allynton, so that I can continue to learn about this great land and do my duty as a Guardian of Camlan. My only aim in disturbing your water, oh just one, was to refresh my health so that I may be ever ready to defend Camlan. I humbly request your understanding and forgiveness.”
It’s not easy to bow and grovel when I’m already on the ground with my feet bound. But this Level 63 Nymph is going to get as much groveling and as many apologies as I can muster. Even this ultra-formal language seems to be helping a bit.
Maris purses her lips, watching me.
“Very well, SirAsh3r. You may have one opportunity to prove you are a man of your word and to prove your worthiness of the Waters of Cai.”
Oh, thank god.
She continues. “Deep in the forest behind you, a pixie has taken possession of the spring at its source and is diverting some of the Waters of Cai for his own use. Bring him to me.”
Quest offered: Pester Pixie Pesternomi
Description: Find and capture the pixie that has been stealing from the Spring of Cai and return him to Maris the River Nymph
Reward: +200 XP, +15% reward with water spirits, + 5% water affinity, unknown other loot
Attention: By accepting the Quest Pester Pixie Pesternomi, you are bound to complete it. Failure to complete this quest in one week will result in your recapture by Maris.
“I would be honored to accept this quest, Maris.” Never mind the fact that I have no idea how to capture a pixie. It’s either this or … what? Let her drown me? Besides, this competition will be over before the week is up, so what do I have to lose? And that XP will level me up for sure.
“Very well.”
With a snap of her fingers, the weeds binding my ankles disappear and I scramble to my feet.
“Um, Miss … Maris? Do you have any guidance or words of advice or, uh, hints? Where am I to find this pixie?”
Her long, pale blue arm extends to point behind me. “Follow the stream to its source. Pixies are known to be mischievous and enjoy gambling, so be on your guard, SirAsh3r.”
Quest for Camlan: A LitRPG Adventure (Camlan Realm Book 1) Page 9