VampQuest

by Adison Runberg

  I opened the door, curious to see what would be inside. It stretched back over twenty feet and was filled with a wild assortment of clothing. I was amazed. There was no way the closet should have fit in the house. The home hardly looked bigger than a shed from the outside, and yet the closet was even bigger than the living space.

  “They give infinite closet space with any house purchase,” she explained. “Probably to keep people buying the latest fashions. I love having all the newest styles.” She paused. “So will it hurt when you drink my blood?”

  “I hope not. It hurt when I was bitten, but I think that was mainly because the vampire who turned me is kind of a psychopath. I think she enjoys messing with me,” I said. I actually don’t know what Veruka really wants from me.

  “Okay, well, get on with it then.” She tilted her head to one side and brushed her hair out of the way. I approached her and gently pressed my fangs into her skin. I felt warm liquid fill my mouth, but it tasted amazing in a weird way, and my body thrummed with power. Euphoria filled my mind and each of my limbs.

  A message popped up that read: “Blood Bonus activated, +5% to all stats for the next ten minutes. Congratulations! Your bite ability just reached 6; bite two more players to raise it again. Mission complete. You have reached Level 2. Choose which attribute you would like to level up.” That message faded and was replaced by one that read: “Complete two more missions to reach the next level. Get your next mission from your team leader.”

  I was overwhelmed with messages, but felt great. Maria looked a little pale, but was otherwise okay. She walked to her bathroom, then returned a moment later with a small bandage on her neck.

  “That wasn’t so bad,” she said, and yawned.

  “I’m glad, I really didn’t want to hurt you,” I said sincerely. She nodded and plopped down on her sofa.

  “Sweet, let’s see what I can do now,” I said and closed my eyes. A view of my attributes filled my mind. I added a point to strength, raising it to 6. I felt my body become slightly harder, and my muscles grew a fraction of a centimeter.

  “Huh?” Maria asked, looking at me like I was a madman.

  “Oh, I just leveled up, so I added a point to strength,” I said, pleased with my progress. “I should try to find my team leader to get my next mission though.” I started to make my way toward the door. “What are you up to now?”

  “I need some sleep. Your little neck bite brought my health to seventy-five percent, so I want to recover before going clubbing again. If you party too much, you can’t easily regain the health,” she explained, “unless of course you’ve spent time leveling up your regeneration ability.”

  “What happens if your health falls to zero?” I asked.

  “Not only is it extremely painful, but you’re also kicked from the game until you pay the entry fee again. For me it was three thousand to enter; some people pay more, some people pay less. They give deals to people who have a large social media following. Many people make a living off streaming their game lives, but I’m just here to unwind and be more social. Eventually I want to be a clothing designer and sell my designs both in-game and in the real world,” Maria said, then moved to lie down in her bed. “Drop by whenever you need a fresh blood supply. Maybe we can do some event gaming together and get some sweet prizes.”

  “Thank you so much,” I said appreciatively. “I can’t wait until our next hangout session.”

  “I’m glad we met,” she said and smiled sweetly.

  “I’ll try to stop by soon,” I said, then opened the door and stepped out into the night.

  I sprinted back to the abandoned church. I could see the clock tower from far away, so it was a good landmark. I could use it as a reference point while exploring this new world. I wonder if there’s a map feature in this game. I arrived at the decrepit cathedral to find Veruka and a few of the robed people in the parking lot.

  Veruka was holding a rocket launcher and pointing it at an old car. The observers were enthusiastically cheering her on. She fired a rocket, and a momentary hush fell over the onlookers. Boom! The car exploded into an enormous fireball. The crowd erupted into a round of applause and excitement. The smoldering fire warmed my cold skin, although the blast had been deafening. Veruka did a victorious dance, and I approached her cautiously.

  “I thought you were going to watch me on my mission,” I stated, a little uncomfortable. The car only a few yards away, now destroyed and still burning, served as a reminder that although Veruka was as gorgeous as a movie star, she was absolutely deadly.

  “I did for a couple of seconds. You’re boring, love. I need excitement. Still, nice job getting to level two without dying, ready for your next mission? But first, someone get him some clothes fit for a vampire,” Veruka said while adjusting some knobs on the rocket launcher. The robed followers ran to the house and emerged a few moments later with black jeans, another cape, a black t-shirt, and combat boots.

  I grudgingly put on the dark clothing. These new clothes were nearly the same as my old clothes, except it looked like they’d been used extensively by someone before me. “We’re vampires, Aker. We have to dress like it; it's part of the fun. The outfit you chose to wear at the beginning of the game was perfect. What happened to that? You’ll have to make do with this old gear I used to wear before I updated my wardrobe,” she said and took the normal clothes I’d been so generously gifted. Before I could even think to protest, she tossed them onto the burning car. So much for that, I thought and shook my head.

  “I want to get a special vampire move, when does that happen? Also, what would I be able to do with a special vampire move?” I asked, not daring to tell Veruka I’d given away my apparently trendy and spendy clothes.

  Veruka smiled, and her bright red lips moved ever so slightly. Poof! Her scarlet-haired vampire avatar was gone, and all that remained was a fluttering little brown myotis bat. It swooped around my face. I recoiled, slightly disgusted by the creature. The bat flew high into the sky and was completely out of sight after a few seconds. Then a moment later it was hurtling straight toward the ground. Just as the bat struck the pavement, smoke engulfed the small creature, and Veruka reappeared. She winked at me. I felt my dormant heart begin to beat furiously.

  “My amazing transformation there was just a taste of what’s possible with special vampire moves. You unlock your first one at level five. Don’t get ahead of yourself, Aker. You still have to master the basic game mechanics,” Veruka said. “But I’ll give you a mission that will help you with this. Go compete at the Minnetonka Fight Night. Win, and bring me the proceeds. I’ll give you something sweet in return.”

  “I have no fighting experience. At least, none that I can remember. Also, I have no idea where Minnetonka Fight Night is,” I said, feeling overwhelmed.

  “Oh. Right. I should have given you more of a tutorial, but I’m enjoying watching you flounder. Say ‘map on,’ darling. Then ask the map to take you to your destination. You can zoom in or out by saying ‘zoom in’ or ‘zoom out.’ You control the map like that. It’s pretty versatile and handles many other commands similarly,” Veruka said, finally giving me some much-needed help.

  “Map on,” I said. Instantly a map of my world popped up. We appeared to be in a midsize city named Orono. “Map, take me to Minnetonka Fight Night.” A route was displayed immediately. Over two hours to walk there. “It says two hours, do you have any form of transportation to help me get there?”

  “Whine whine whine, is that all you do, Aker? You can run. You’ll get there more quickly than you expect. It will help you build character, literally. It’s about ten miles from here to there. Once you run ten miles in-game, you raise your speed stat. That counts as a mission. So you should be level three once you bring me your winnings.” Veruka gave my arm a little pinch. “Get moving, Aker, you little noob.”

  I shrugged off her hand and started on my route. I ran as fast as my body would allow. I noticed the map was directing me down the main roads, but I
could switch my path to one away from the hustle and bustle of the city, close to an expansive lake. I might as well enjoy this if I’m going to be running for a while. I switched to the more scenic path. The new route took me close to Lake Minnetonka, and I was able to run along the sandy, tree-lined shore. It was gorgeous and spooky. The moon reflected off the black surface of the lake and there wasn’t a soul around. The only thing that disturbed the silence was the soft lap of water and my feet pitter-pattering down the road.

  My vampire brain was hyperaware. I could see approaching obstacles from far away and easily dodge them. Soon my path left the beautiful ghostly shoreline and brought me back to the city. Here there were a few cars, but I stayed on the road, easily weaving in and out of traffic as a motorcycle would. There were many businesses, shops, and nightclubs. This seems like the place to be. It would be easy to spend hours in this game’s thriving nightlife.

  “Congratulations! You’ve run 10 miles, and received a free point into your speed stat. Earn your next speed stat upgrade when you run 20 more miles. This counts as a mission. Complete one more mission to get to Level 3. Keep it up,” a message read.

  “Map off,” I said as I came to a stop outside of my destination. I closed my eyes and confirmed my speed stat had increased to 6. Two huge bruisers stood outside guarding the doors of Minnetonka Fight Night. They looked tough, but I squared my shoulders and approached them. “Hey, I’m here to compete?”

  “All right, let’s get you signed up,” the larger of the two bouncers said. “Step in here.”

  I stepped into something that looked like a high-tech telephone booth. A bright light flashed without warning, causing my eyes to blur and water profusely. My name, weight, height, BMI, and stats were displayed on a screen. Then it added me to the Noob tournament bracket. I was taller than 90% of my competitors.

  “What do I get if I win this?” I asked.

  “You’re not going to win this, kid,” the smaller of the two doormen stated flatly.

  The larger one grinned and said, “I like the way you think, chief. Winner gets ten thousand in Reel Money. You can warm up, or grab a drink just down the hall. Fighters drink for free. The announcer will call you five minutes before your fight.”

  I walked slowly down the hall, careful not to bump into anyone. The narrow space was lined with strong-looking people huddled in groups giving each other pep talks, while others sat stone faced on the ground. Could I really compete with these hulks? Hopefully I would catch on fast. I reached the end of the hallway, and to my left was the competitive arena. To my right was Back Alley.

  I headed into Back Alley, where a long bar stretched across one end of a huge gym. Rows and rows of workout benches, squat machines, and treadmills were in this large workout facility-slash-bar. I stuck out like a sore thumb in my tight vampiric attire and emo hairstyling. I was also pale as a ghost compared to everyone here. The patrons of Back Alley looked like they’d just been through an intense spray tanning session. I made my way to the bar and ordered a vodka Red Bull from the butler who’d apparently been programmed to act like a surly bartender. I needed to get amped for the upcoming fight.

  “Quit staring, kid,” the bald butler said as he made my drink, his biceps bulging as he moved my cup with ease.

  I averted my eyes while I waited. I noticed a friendly looking man with a huge beer belly sitting next to me.

  “You fighting tonight?” I asked the man.

  “You betcha! I’m trying to compete until I have enough Reel Money to convert to USD to buy a car in the real world. I’m halfway to my goal. Then I’m getting out of this rat race. Competing in these fights sure is more fun than my real job, but if I were to die in game, and lose it all, that would be the end of me. I look forward to when I can spend my in game time doing leisurely activities rather than fighting for my life,” the man said, then burped loudly.

  “How do you win money?” I asked curiously.

  “If you make it past the first round of the three-round tournament, you get a thousand,” the stout orange-haired man proclaimed. He looked strong and boisterous, like what I’d imagine a dwarf king would look like.

  “Wow, that’s a lot. Why do they pay out so much?” I asked. He grinned.

  “There’s a very real chance you’ll die in the ring. The reward has to be great; otherwise, no one would compete. It’s not exactly common, but last month two people died. You have to be ready to tap out if you’re bested. Also, the people who host the tournaments take a cut of all the bets on each match. That cut more than pays the players actually competing. Plenty of people are addicted to gambling here.”

  “Good to know. Thanks, man. I’m kind of scared. I don’t have much experience fighting,” I said. The bartender slammed my drink down in front of me, then walked away without a word.

  “Most of these fighters are noobs. They just added Minnetonka Fight Night two patches ago. Not long enough for these rich kids to get good.”

  “Which bracket are you in? Have you won your tourney before? Can you use weapons?” I didn’t mean to sound like I was interrogating him, but my nerves were getting the best of me.

  The burly man gave me a look, raising his bushy red eyebrows and smiling slightly. “You really are a noob! So many questions. I’m Middle-Class, and best I’ve got was third. Good enough for me. You can use weapons, but most people just use hand-to-hand combat due to the small fighting area and the fact that killing competitors is frowned upon. If you draw a weapon, you’d better be prepared for your opponent to do the same,” he said before belching again, then ordering another lager.

  I downed my vodka Red Bull in one gulp. It tasted like fire and sugar. I felt a rush of energy course through my body. Bouncing back and forth on the balls of my feet, I realized I was excited. I think I might have a chance here, at least against the other noobs.

  “Aker to the arena, you have five minutes until your fight,” the announcer said.

  “Thanks for the information, and good luck in your fight,” I said to the man next to me. He nodded and raised his stein at me.

  “Good luck, bud, maybe I’ll see you around next fight night,” he said.

  I made my way to the arena. It was packed with fans in a hundred rows of ascending bleachers with wooden seats. A huge four-sided screen was suspended from the ceiling, showing a close-up of the ring. At the bottom of the screen, it showed how much Reel Money was riding on the upcoming match and what the current odds were. The fans all seemed to be actively betting on the fights. My opponent, Ramsay52, was heavily favored to win. According to his stats, he’d fought in four other tournaments and made it to the top 5 twice. He was shorter and stockier than me with a shaved head, and a dark five o’clock shadow. He wore no shirt or shoes, only a pair of blue shorts. He stood in the corner of the ring; his face lit up with a ridiculous grin as I approached.

  I pulled myself up into the opposite corner and started stretching to loosen my muscles. I hope that point I dumped into strength helps me out. I wish I had more time to train before competing.

  “You’re going to get wrecked, noob,” Ramsay called over to me. He raised his arms to try to pump up the crowd. “I’m a saucy mofo. Your mom will want to date me after this.”

  Oh my god, what’s wrong with this guy? Now I’ve got to beat him.

  “Let’s see if you can fight as good as you can trash-talk,” I called back to him. Then I brushed my hair out of my eyes.

  A deep announcer’s voice filled the stadium. “Match ends with either a knockout, or a tap out. Competitors ready…Fight!”

  The well-muscled man came straight toward me, yelling at the top of his lungs. Adrenaline flooded my body. I dodged to the right and he flew by me. He started jumping up and down in the corner. I approached cautiously, feinting left and right, looking for a way to strike without leaving myself open for an attack.

  Ramsay jumped at me and started throwing punch after punch. I blocked the first two blows with my forearms, then his fist smashed i
nto my stomach, knocking the wind out of me. I fell back. I needed a strategy. I wasn’t going to win this just because I was a vampire. He seemed to be just as strong as me, and had more experience fighting.

  I noticed a health bar appear at the top of my vision. I’d lost 10% of my health, and a portion of my health bar turned red. Okay, at least I can gauge how much more damage I can take.

  I started moving my left hand up and down as a distraction. He looked for just a moment, but a moment was all I needed. I struck just then with a powerful right uppercut. My fist connected hard against his jaw, and there was a loud crack. Ramsay bellowed in pain, and a health bar appeared above his head, revealing it was taken down 15%. My own health bar went down 1%. I started shaking out my hand, flexing my fingers. Dang, that had really hurt. He fell back to the side of the ring. His arms were resting on the ropes, and he was frowning. It almost looked like he was about to start crying. Deep furrows formed on his brow.

  “You’re really going to beat up a thirteen-year-old. What’s wrong with you?” he cried.

  “You’re only thirteen? You look thirty,” I said, slightly confused.

  “Well, I’m almost fourteen.”

  I let down my guard. I should go easy on him. I looked around for a referee, hoping for guidance. Pow. My health bar lost another 10% as he sucker punched me. I stumbled, almost losing my balance. My ears were ringing, no doubt caused by the sudden impact. That little rat just blindsided me. That’s it.

  “Take that, you B! Wait until my friends see me beating up an old man. They’ll think you’re a joke,” Ramsay crowed. By this point he was off the ropes, swaggering around the small square mat. He threw a hard punch straight at my head, but I ducked around him and put him in a choke hold.

  He struggled helplessly, stomping his feet and letting out frustrated wails. I held him just slightly off the ground, using my height to my advantage. His health bar was dropping quickly. Finally, as his health neared 25%, he tapped out, then slumped to the ground and started crying.