by Charles Dean
No, it doesn’t matter if I embarrass myself. Better safe than sorry. Lee made the snap decision to move her out of the way, and no sooner than he had grabbed hold of her than his fears become reality. Something that looked like an arrow zipped past the spot he had been standing and disappeared into the growing dark.
“Crap! Someone’s attacking us!” Using the incredible strength given to him by the game world, he easily lifted her up and dashed for the trees, realizing that he could use them for cover. Once he had created a little distance, he gently set her down behind one of the trees and immediately spun about, searching for where the dart had come from.
Ethan, where-- Lee’s habit kicked in before he realized there wasn’t a golem nearby. They were both back in the other world. Crud, crud, crud, crud. How am I supposed to handle this fight blind? Lee panicked a little as he realized that he wasn’t going to have the rodent’s extra sense to help him out. He wasn’t actually worried about himself: he was worried about Masha. If it were just him, he easily would have been able to escape the park and run away from the attacker before anyone could catch him. He might be able to run while carrying her, but it seriously slowed him down, and he was almost certain to be caught if he tried to escape with her in tow.
“Lee, don’t wo--” Masha started to talk, but Lee put a hand over her mouth.
“Hush,” he whispered. “The less noise you make, the better. I don’t know who is after us, but you need to make your presence small, super small, so that you don’t draw the mob’s aggro.” Lee used gaming terms to describe this real-world encounter without even thinking about what he was saying.
“I am trying to tell you,” she started to whisper when he removed his hand, “that you don’t need to--”
Don’t need to worry about you? Lee didn’t have time to deal with the clichés. Searching around on the ground beside him, he quickly found a large, long stick lying on the ground. It was about the same size as a longsword, and even though it was bent and didn’t look particularly sturdy, it would have to do. He ignored the rest of Masha’s predictable ‘leave me behind; save yourself’ spiel and rushed over to grab the stick, making sure to keep his body as low to the ground as possible. As he had expected, another dart whizzed past as soon as he moved.
He turned and ran once the stick was in his hand, charging back in the direction that the dart had come from. He didn’t want to leave Masha alone in case there was someone else there, someone who might attack while Lee was off chasing after the shooter, but he didn’t really have a choice. The only two options he had were to either wait to be shot or to attack the person doing the shooting. The decision was a no-brainer.
Finally spying the figure, someone dressed in a grayish-black ninja-like outfit, Lee made a beeline toward him. He dodged back and forth around the trees in his path, hoping that they might at least stop a projectile from striking him. Once he was about twenty feet away, the man dropped his bow and pulled out a large sword.
“You’ve done well to make it this far, but here is where you die, young man!” a deep voice taunted as Lee approached. The man stepped out of the shadows and lunged toward Lee with a solid forward thrust.
Lee didn’t take the time to wonder what someone was doing in this world with medieval weaponry. He had been expecting to fight someone with a gun, so fighting against sword was a blessing. He swung out with his stick, smacking the blade away and to the side with a soft thump, and then pressed forward and used his momentum to drive his shoulder into the man’s chest. With his stat-enhanced strength, his assailant was sent flying backward. Unfortunately, and much to Lee’s chagrin, the man stopped himself short of crumpling into a heap, instead popping up with his weapon at the ready.
Lee chuckled a little. Nice balancing act, but you’re hurt now, aren’t you?
The man didn’t make an advance, instead holding his position as the two men studied one another. The ninja’s positioning was solid as far as Lee could tell, and he looked like a samurai ready to take on the world. Lee almost wished that he could take the time to study his fighting style so that he could emulate it later on.
“Lee! Lee, don’t!” Masha yelled from behind, reminding him that he had to finish the skirmish and get back to her in case another threat was prowling around.
He didn’t respond, instead choosing to focus on the opponent in front of him. Then, without warning, Lee rushed forward, ready to defeat their assailant with one quick attack. Unlike before, however, the man was prepared. He struck aside Lee’s stick, reversed his blade, and struck the hilt directly into Lee’s gut as he stepped to the side. Lee was carried forward by his momentum, and an extra shove from behind pushed him even further on. Lee twisted to the side as he went past, desperately trying to regain control of his body, and stumbled as a result. The man lashed out with a swift kick, planting it into Lee’s rump before he could react.
Lee took the blow as gracefully as he could, but it left him disoriented. Fearing that the man’s sword might cut him down if he was as careless again, he pushed forward and created some distance rather than trying to turn and re-engage. When he didn’t hear any footsteps behind him, he felt confident that he could turn around without fear of taking a quick thrust in his back as he did so.
“A young man and a charging bull: both are easily defeated by the emotions that blind them to reason. Come, meet your death, young man,” the voice taunted again. This time, he closed in on Lee.
“My time will not be decided by you,” Lee said as he let out all of the air in his chest, straightened his back and prepared to take another blow. He edged forward again, but rather than trying to swat away the man’s attack, he completely ignored the incoming strike and went for a clean thrust of his own. It was a risky move, but he was willing to bet on the fact that he could heal himself in this world too.
Lee felt the impact on his chest from the man’s weapon and that of his own as it struck the man’s shoulder. Unexpectedly, the sword didn’t cut into him. It didn’t even really hurt. Is my natural armor value too high? Lee wondered, looking down as he backed up a moment.
“Ah, that was unexpectedly painful, Lee.” The man grabbed onto his shoulder where Lee had struck him. “I think you have broken something.”
“Dad! Lee! You two, stop it! Or I will leave right now!” Masha yelled, stamping her feet as she approached.
“Dad?” Lee blinked and then looked over at the man. The six-foot-three, gray-haired, blue-eyed old man stepped closer. Masha had turned on the flashlight app on her phone, and Lee could now see his features very clearly. He could also see the reason why the sword hadn’t gone straight through his chest: it was a practice sword covered with foam.
“When will you let me have a nice moment with someone without ruining it?!” Masha protested. “How could you embarrass me like this? You’re the worst sometimes!”
“Masha, you know the rules,” a different, seemingly-female voice said. This one was much further away, but it was still clear, and it even sounded familiar. “You’re not allowed to be on your own without a qualified bodyguard, and what was the harm in testing the new boy?”
“But on the first date?!” Masha’s face was beet red. She was either frustrated or embarrassed or both--it was hard for Lee to tell.
“I’m honestly surprised he could move so quickly and fight so well. You shouldn’t be mad. You should be proud that you found a boyfriend with such capabilities. Now, we just need to teach him how to use more modern weapons too.”
“He’s not-- We haven’t gotten that far,” Masha responded with a sigh.
This type of thing must happen a lot if she’s taking it so gracefully. Lee scratched the side of his face as he looked around, unsure of what to do or say. I mean, we did talk about going out, so . . . I thought we had gotten that far, but I guess the word ‘boyfriend’ hasn’t been used yet. I guess she’s still not sure. Both Lee’s mind and eyes were starting to wander, not really focusing on the situation at hand. Despite the man’s age, th
e bout had been enough to trigger the fight-or-flight mode that Lee had been living in constantly in the other world. With his nerves ready for action and no danger around, Lee was suddenly painfully restless. It was almost too quiet, and Lee wanted to pick up his stick and hit the fifty-something-year-old man again.
“What are you two talking about? And how long were you following?” Masha asked, throwing out questions in a huff. One was aimed at the old man and one at the approaching girl.
“I’ve been following from the start,” the voice answered, and Lee was able to make out that it was Olga’s. “Like I said, you know the rules. You can’t leave home without a bodyguard.”
“Ah. Well, I just wanted to know if what Olga said was true.” Masha’s dad popped his necked, stretching and retracting his arm. “Olga said that he could speak multiple languages, so I said a few things to test his Mandarin is all.”
Ah, that was Mandarin, was it? That explains why Masha didn’t understand what was being said. The conversion was so fluid that he hadn’t even noticed it changing. The same thing had happened with his boss at work when he first returned to the real world. He had carried on an entire conversation with her in Spanish--much to her embarrassment--without even realizing that he was speaking any language other than his own native tongue.
“Ugh. This is the worst end to a first date ever,” Masha groaned, looking like she wanted to cry. “You two knew I liked him! And you were the one who dragged me to his place to ask him out, so why would you ruin it like this?!” Masha wailed.
“Hey, I’m sure he just wanted to make sure you were safe.” Lee rested his arm across Masha’s shoulders, hoping to calm her down. This was the first time that he had ever seen the feisty girl truly blow up, and while it was cute, he figured it was for the best if he stopped it soon. “It’s completely normal for a girl’s dad to worry about her, and it didn’t ruin anything.”
“Mmm . . .” Masha’s face was already red with anger and frustration, and now it turned brighter with embarrassment as she snuggled Lee’s arm. “If you say so,” she mumbled.
“Well, Masha, go help your mother make dinner and set aside some tea for your guests. I have a lot to talk about with this young man you have brought. Olga, how about you make sure Masha makes it home safely.”
“Yes, Dad, but no childhood stories.” Masha didn’t argue, but she hesitated before breaking away from Lee’s half-hug, looking rather reluctant to part. Seeming to think better of something, she darted off after a moment.
“So . . .” The old man studied Lee for a moment and then extended his hand with a small wince. “I’m Alexander, Masha’s father. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Lee responded as he grabbed the man’s hand. Hmm . . . Lee paused, staring at the older man’s hurt shoulder. He felt somewhat bad about being the only one who was perfectly fine after the encounter, and he figured that the man was trustworthy enough to use as a test subject. Let’s see exactly how much of my ability works in this world. He didn’t know why, but for some reason, he liked the man’s attitude. Anyone who would go to those lengths just to make sure that his daughter would be safe with a new potential boyfriend was admirable, albeit weird.
“I’m Lee . . . Although, I suppose you already know more about me than I know about you.” He focused his spirit into the man’s arm as he shook his proffered hand, channeling the ability through Alexander’s body and into the injury.
“Ahh . . .” Alexander let out a brief sound of discomfort, his eyes popping open in alarm, but then he looked down at his shoulder with bewilderment. “Wh-what are you doing?”
“It’s a magic trick,” Lee chuckled. “Just a simple magic trick. I thought you’d already have heard that I’m good at these things.” He retracted his spirit after the spell was mostly complete and released the man’s grip.
Alexander rubbed his shoulder and then turned his attention to Lee. “I see. Well, I will keep your secret, but we both know that wasn’t a trick. Now, come. We have much to discuss, a little to drink and not enough time before dinner to do everything.”
Chapter 8
Name: Lee
Race: Human
Class: Herald - None
Level: 20
Health: 300/300
EXP: 9002/17000
Primary Stats:
Power 30 (31)
Toughness 30 (31)
Spirit 30 (31)
Secondary Stats:
Charisma 20
Courage 20
Deceit 19
Intelligence 146 (153)
Honor 5
Faith 740
Personal Faith 234
Skills:
Unarmed Combat Initiate Level 7
Swordplay Novice Level 6
Sneak Journeyman Level 1
Cooking Initiate Level 7
Trap Detection Initiate Level 6
Knife Combat Initiate Level 8
Mental Fortitude Initiate Level 1
Sleight of Hand Initiate Level 3
Blood Shield Initiate Level 1
Glass Smithing Initiate Level 2
Divine Skills:
Golem Sculpting Journeyman Level 1
Appreciative Drunk Novice Level 8
Nectar of the Gods Initiate Level 2
Spirit Smithing Initiate Level 2
Faith Healing
Divinity Powers:
Life in Death
Titles:
Cheat Code Fighter
There was an uncomfortable silence between them as Lee and the old man walked through the park. Lee hadn’t expected a motormouth who would start shooting off words at a mile a minute, but he had expected him to get to the point--or to even just say something. Anything. Instead, Masha’s father remained completely silent, and the quiet unnerved Lee. Just as he opened his mouth to speak and break it, however, Alexander spoke first. He said, “You’re faster than most men I’ve met.”
“Well, it wasn’t by intention,” Lee said quietly. After having made things awkward, Lee had decided that he was going to mess with Masha’s dad a bit by intentionally misunderstanding a few things to get his revenge. “I mean, she came over to my place first. I didn’t exactly expect to wake up and find a woman in my apartment.” Lee looked over to see that his attempt at trolling not only hadn’t worked, but he seemed to be chuckling instead of acting even the slightest bit upset.
“You know what I meant. You’re fast, and that hit you gave me wasn’t normal. It hurt far worse than it should have hurt. I thought a bone had been broken.”
“Well, is it fine now?” Lee asked as casually as he could.
“Yes, which raises new questions altogether. I won’t tell your secrets, but I cannot deny my curiosity over their origins. Masha might not know this about you, but I do. I know that, between your work, your school before it, and your friend circle, you have no Chinese or Russian friends, and you have never taken a Chinese or Russian class. I know this, and combined with your physical abilities, and with what you have done to my shoulder . . . my intuition tells me to be very wary of you. Those with your abilities are never without agendas and influence. Even if you don’t have either now, you will in time.”
“I don’t think you need to be that concerned. My only agenda is to watch some movies, take your daughter out to dinner now and again and keep volunteering at the church. As for influence, I’d say it’s limited to being able to get my family to make me a meal every now and then or getting my buddy to go out for drinks with me.”
“Why do I find that hard to believe? One does not gain abilities quietly without having a goal since, in order to acquire them, one must pay a price. In all my decades of life, I have yet to see anyone gain so much without paying an equally-steep price.”
Lee nodded along to the words. He couldn’t help but think of the number of lives he had ended to get where he was now. Dozens of people--granted, very horrible people--had died to give him the refined version of the skills he had now. He had almost
died multiple times to grow those skills. The healing ability, for instance, had been learned during a gamble he made to save Ling’s life in the mines near Satterfield. “I suppose I did pay a very high price,” he said at last.
“You paid a price for something, but tell me you have no intent or desire to use it?” Alexander asked incredulously.
“Maybe you could say I’ve already used it. But what does that matter? Is a quiet life so bad?” Lee asked.
“No, it isn’t. If you had told me you had grand ambitions and great plans, I think I would have been much less happy with you pursuing my daughter. A quiet life is exactly the type of future she needs. A quiet, peaceful, happy life. No one tells you this when you start off, but ability, talent, resources . . . They are all burdens that weigh us down. Their cost is so great that most people will spend the rest of their lives paying for them even after they obtain them. The only time you will know peace is when all these things are gone, and then . . . Well, many men are haunted by their absence once they have lost them, and they think that it is an even worse price to lose them.”
Somehow, Lee knew exactly what this man was trying to say. He didn’t know if there was actually any truth in it, but the words rang true. “I see. Still looking out for your daughter, are you? That’s good to hear, I suppose.”
“I always am.” Alexander’s voice grew sterner as he stopped and looked right at Lee and said, “Which is why I shouldn't have to tell you that I will have you tortured and then killed if you hurt her in any way.”
Lee had anticipated the threat. It was basically expected from every good and caring girlfriend’s father. But after it was said, there wasn’t really any place to pick the conversation back up. He could have said ‘Don’t worry!’ and then laughed about it with him, but for some reason, his mind wandered back toward the other world. What would happen to Masha, Wolfe, or his family if he died there? Would his sudden disappearance devastate them? Was there a way to avoid it? He was so wrapped up in these types of depressing thoughts that he didn’t notice the time pass until they were at Masha’s house.