BladeDust Online: A LitRPG Adventure (Book 1)

by Corey Thompson

  Weight: 29 lbs

  Defense: 09

  Cost: 4 Gold

  I quickly grabbed the white armor as I feared he might change his mind. “This will work,” I said.

  Henderson handed me the Raysword and I examined it. To be honest, it was a pretty cool looking sword. In fact, it even matched my armor. A long white handle with black lacing running down it's side. The blade was long and looked to have a lot of reach. I examined the steel blade and could see that it had a sharp edge. I nodded to Henderson as he appeared to be examining my face. “You fought in the coliseum earlier didn't you?”

  “You saw me?” I asked with excitement.

  “No. It's your face,” he replied. “Fighters always come in here all beat up looking.”

  I sighed. “Yea. Well, I won. I won my first match. How about that?”

  He laughed. Then he pointed at me. “Look at those bright eyes. They all look that way when they win their first match,” he said with a smile. “It's good, but you have a long ways to go. There are a lot of levels to the coliseum.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Henderson looked like he almost regretted saying what he did because he didn't feel like explaining it further. “If you wanna become a Grand Champion, you need to work through each level. Each level has its own champion. Of course, the Grand Champion is at the very top of it all. He's been champion for over a year now. So, I wouldn't be too set on becoming the next Grand Champion.”

  “What's his name?”

  “Alberto. That is all he goes by.”

  Alberto? It was a pretty cool name I guess. “Has he never been defeated?”

  “Not yet,” Henderson replied while turning away from me. “Just give me all of your gold and we will call it even.”

  I dropped the 15.05 gold on to his table. “Oh, and another thing,” he said. “If you want to upgrade your weapons and armor just come back here. I will buy them back from you at a reasonable rate.”

  “Sounds good,” I replied.

  I opened my inventory and tried to equip my armor and sword. I looked down at my white armor. It was beautiful. Where was my sword though? What the crap? “How come I can't equip my sword?”

  “They don't let new prisoners equip weapons in the city,” he replied. “You gotta earn the trust of FlatFall before you can do that. If you wanna try out your sword, you will need to visit the training grounds.”

  “Where are those?”

  “Not far from here. About a three minute walk straight behind my shop.”

  I waved at Henderson. “Thanks again.”

  I left the shop and began walking around the city. How much longer did I have before I had to go back? I was starting to like the city, and I really wasn't eager to go back to my cell. In fact, it sucked. It sucked that there was this great city yet I had to spend most of my time locked up with a troll. As I continued walking, I noticed a store with a large sign on front of it. On the sign was a picture of a man swinging a sword. What was this all about? I approached the building and pushed the heavy metal door open. Inside, I saw several players doing all sorts of different moves. Wow. What was this place? A man with a long scar running down his cheek approached me. He had long dark hair that was pulled back in a ponytail. “Welcome. Did you want to learn a new skill today?”

  Cool. This guy was going to teach me new skills? Around us, were about a half dozen characters learning new moves. “What kind of moves can you teach me?”

  He pointed at a large man in full armor who had made a straw dummy his victim. He did the same move over and over. His left elbow slammed into the dummy and was followed with a punch from the right. To finish it off, he came up with a strong left uppercut. It was a pretty cool looking move. “How much does it cost to learn that one?”

  “Depends on your class. There's certain skills you can learn based on your class.”

  I rubbed my hands together. Yes, this was going to be awesome. I wish I had some gold, but I didn't. “I will be back soon. I just gotta earn some more gold first.”

  “I look forward to it,” the man replied before walking away.

  I just needed more gold. Once I got that, I would learn all of the skills I could afford. Right before I exited the shop, the man yelled something else back to me. “You are a fighter right?”

  “That's right.”

  He walked closer to me. “Weapons, skills and armor are important. But, there is something else that is just as important that many fighters don't pay attention to.”

  “And that would be?”

  The man looked from side to side. “You need to know your enemy. It wouldn't hurt to watch some fights and study who you are set to fight. If you know what skills or magic he uses, you can prepare for that.”

  “Thank you, I replied. “That is not a bad idea.”

  He was right. I needed to learn as much as I could about my opponents. After leaving the store, I walked around for a few moments. There was a faint clicking noise coming from the distance. Down a long cobblestone road in the center of FlatFall, was a horse pulling a white carriage. The horse raced towards me as the sounds of pounding hooves got closer and closer. Then, it came to a halt. The carriage was stunning. White wood lined with a gold paint around the edges. Players and NPCS gathered around the carriage. What was going on? The door creaked open. The first thing I saw, was her white slippers. Then, I saw her. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Luxurious long dark hair that hugged her curvy waist. Her large brown eyes had a softness in them as she looked around. A man in black clothing rushed to her side and lifted the bottom of her well made white dress. “Thank you sir,” she said while taking her first step.

  Everyone had their eyes on her. It was a beautiful sight, until I saw what got out of the carriage behind her. A tall muscular man wearing expensive looking white armor. The armor was laced with gold and had several layers to it. Everything he wore was a mix of white and gold. Even his hair was white, and he had it pulled back in a ponytail. I had to admit, he was a little intimidating.

  But I took a close look at his face. Despite all of his fancy gear, he really didn't have that great of a face. In fact, he was kinda ugly if you looked hard enough. His nose was too big and placed too low on his head. I mean sure, he was a good enough looking guy. But the real reason this girl was with him was probably because he was rich or something. Or maybe I was just telling myself that to make myself feel better? The man grabbed the woman's hand as they began to walk together. My eyes were locked on the beautiful woman. She looked from side to side and waved at everyone around her. Then, our eyes met. She stared at me. Much longer than she had stared at anyone else.

  Truthfully, I think she saw how cute I was. I mean, I had fixed all of my minor real life flaws during the character creation process. I smiled. It was an awkward smile. But, she didn't smile back. Instead, she just kept on walking. After that, the man in white armor shot me an odd look. Crap, I think he saw me smile at her. I nodded my head and smiled at him too. His eyes locked on to me as he continued walking. I continued smiling until I could no longer see him. Who were these two? I didn't know, but I was going to find out. Suddenly, a guard rushed to my side. “Your free time is up for today,” he said.

  My head went down. The reality of my life hit me. And it was even more depressing after seeing what I had just seen. How could a girl like her ever like me when I was just a prisoner? It was obvious her and the man were rich. The walk back to the dungeon was a slow one. When we arrived at my cell, Douglas looked happy to see me. The guard tossed me into the cell and slammed the door behind me. Great, it was just another day with the troll.

  Chapter Twenty Four

  I sat on the ground. Douglas seemed eager to tell me something. “I am fighting tonight. I'm up against a pretty tough guy.”

  “Really? Do you think you can beat him?”

  “Of course I can,” Douglas replied with too much confidence. “I'm gonna stomp him into the ground. He's gonna fear my very name aft
er this match is over.”

  “What's his win and loss record?”

  “He's won four matches and only lost one. But, he's been fighting a bunch of easy people.”

  “How do you know they were easy people?”

  “Because I've been watching his fights. I am always watching him fight,” Douglas replied with a sneaky look.

  I leaned my back against the cold metal bars. “I think I will watch your fight tonight. That could be kinda fun.”

  Both of his hands came together. “Yes. I want you to see the beating I give this man. I'm gonna mop the floor with him. Just wait and see.”

  Douglas's teeth rattled. Was he nervous, or just really excited? I didn't know, but his teeth continued to rattle. There was a steady twitch to his jaw as his eyes became shifty. We didn't speak for a moment, until I decided to ask him about what I had seen earlier. “There was a white carriage that came into FlatFall today. A man in white armor and a girl wearing white got out of it. Do you know who they are?”

  “Of course,” Douglas replied. “That is the Grand Champion and the Emperors daughter.”

  The Emperors daughter? How could something so beautiful come from something so ugly? It just didn't make sense. “So, they are dating? Married? What's the situation with those two?”

  Douglas laughed. Then he stopped. Then he began to laugh again. “I recognize that look,” he replied. “You are interested in her aren't you?”

  My head went from side to side. “Not really. I was just curious, that's all. Just wondering because I saw them holding hands.”

  “It's hard to say what they are,” Douglas replied. “They have been seeing each other for many months. The Emperor has plans for her to marry the Grand Champion. But, that has not happened yet.”

  Only months? How much could she really like this guy? The Emperor was forcing her to see him? Yea, this wasn't true love. This was just some sort of arrangement based on social status. I shrugged my shoulders. “Oh, well I was just wondering. That's all.”

  “You should stop wondering. As of right now, she is off limits. Pursuing her will only bring troubles to you. Trust me on that.”

  “I was just curious,” I replied.

  Douglas looked from side to side. He leaned forward and whispered. “Can I tell you something?”

  “I guess,” I replied. “What is it?”

  “The Grand Champion isn't only seeing her.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I saw him and another girl kissing behind the tavern. This was only a few days ago.”

  My eyebrows went up. “That cheating bastard,” I yelled. “I knew that guy was a scumbag. I just knew it.”

  Douglas put both hands into the air. “Don't tell anyone I told you that. Trust me, you are best off forgetting her. She is nothing but trouble right now.”

  Trouble? I appreciated this troll's advice, but what did he really know? He was just some troll that was locked in a cage. What made him an “expert” on potential trouble? “I'm not scared of any troubles,” I replied.

  Douglas laughed. “That's what everyone says until they are in the middle of a trouble.”

  My head went against the bars. Dreams filled my mind of being a Grand Champion and pulling up in the same white carriage. Yes, I could see it. I saw crowds cheering for me and the girl. We were both so happy together. It all seemed so real as I played the scene over and over in my mind. But then, I looked down. All I saw was Douglas's face. He smiled. “Are you ready to cheer for me tonight?” he asked.

  Before I could answer, I got an alert. It was a new message from Tommy:

  “Hey it's me Tommy again. So many crazy things have happened since we last talked! Me and Todd have been talking back and forth. I am about to get the Astral Dust stuff that Todd needs. Then, I am going to his location where his soul is. After that we are coming to bust you out. We got a whole big plan. It's gonna be really cool. So don't worry. We will be there soon! BTW.....I have a very small army of 4 peasants right now too.

  Tommy.”

  Bust me out? Was he serious? There was no way Tommy was going to get me out of this place. I just didn't see how it was possible. Truthfully, in a weird sort of way, I didn't know if I wanted to leave. The seed of becoming a Grand Champion had been planted in my mind. There was just something so exciting about it. But, then I looked over at Douglas. Yea, I didn't want to stay here forever. I wrote Tommy back:

  “Okay cool. Keep me updated and let me know when you save Todd.

  Walker.”

  I got up and began to pace back and forth. Douglas didn't say anything. “Getting nervous about your fight tonight?” I asked.

  “I never get nervous about fighting,” he replied.

  The sound of incoming footsteps were heard from outside our cell. Within moments, a guard had arrived. “It's time,” the guard said while unlocking the cell door.

  Douglas jumped to his feet and began jabbing into the air. “I'm really going to put on a show for you tonight. Just wait and see.”

  “I hope you kick his ass,” I replied with a chuckle.

  “Get the crowd excited. That's what I did for you. Just really pump them up okay?”

  I nodded. “Of course. I will tell them all how great you are.”

  The guard grabbed Douglas and looked at me. “Did you want to watch him fight?”

  “Yes. I will cheer for him.”

  The guard grabbed my arm and led us both out of the cell. Nobody said anything as we walked down the long hall towards the coliseum. The guard handed me off to another guard while they took Douglas into the center of the coliseum. I was slowly led to a narrow hallway. Every few feet, there were torches mounted on the wall. Water dripped from the ceiling as the hallway seemed to go on forever. The ceiling above us rattled as I realized we were underneath the crowd. Finally, we arrived inside of the coliseum. Looking around, I realized I was pretty close to ground level. I looked all around me and couldn't believe how many people were watching. The guard pointed to a section that was separated from the rest of the crowd. “Over there,” he yelled.

  I looked at the players who were seated in the separated section. Yea, it made sense. These were obviously prisoners. Some wore the same basic outfit I had arrived in, while others wore heavy armor. There were only about five or six players watching the fight in total. One guy had an old looking notepad, and seemed to be busy taking notes. Interesting. I guess he was studying up on his future opponents. The guard led me closer to the seating and pointed at an empty space. “Sit there,” he commanded.

  I took a seat next to the character with the notepad. His armor was solid black and he wore a thick silver chain around his neck. His face was broad and he had a thick beard. It was hard to believe that I would be fighting characters like this guy. “Who do you think will win?” I asked.

  “The human,” the man replied with a deep voice.

  “I think the troll has a chance.”

  The man laughed. But, he didn't reply.

  I looked down at the arena. Douglas stood on one side while a fair sized human stood on the other. Both of them didn't wear any armor nor have any weapons. Douglas only wore his usual brown shirt and blue shorts. And the human wore no shirt at all. But, I could see that the human was in very good shape. It made me wonder though. Why did they both wear no armor? I continued watching them prepare for battle when a strange sensation came over me. It was a weird feeling watching the fight from where I was watching it from. I felt like I was part of something important.

  Everyone around us was here to see a fight. They had come to see players like me fight. The crowd began to cheer louder. I looked behind me at the many rows of seating that gradually went higher and higher. There were so many faces. Then, one of the faces looked at me. It wasn't a pleasant look. “Keep your eyes off me,” a man with dark hair yelled only a few rows away.

  My eyes continued to look at the man while he grew even more frustrated. “You got a staring problem?” he asked with intense e
yes. “Turn back around. I mean it!”

  “I can look at whatever I want,” I yelled before turning back around.

  “What was that? What did you just say?” the man asked from behind me.

  I just ignored him. A small part of myself wanted to jump up and slap him into the ground. But, I knew that might lead to trouble. So, I just continued to ignore him. “He's drunk,” the prisoner beside me said.

  “Yea. Guess that makes sense,” I replied.

  “Many of the players who live in FlatFall are rich. They think they own us and we are here only to entertain them. But, that is not true. We all fight for different reasons.”

  The crowd suddenly began to cheer at a deafening level. Then, a loud bell rang. My eyes locked on to Douglas. My heart began to beat harder. I was excited for him, and I really wanted to see him win. Both of my hands went into the air. “Cheer for the troll,” I yelled over and over.