Crystal Shards Online Omnibus 1

by Rick Scott

  I pull up my stats to consider what kind of chances I got.

  Name: Reece

  Class: Ninja

  Level: 40

  Strength: 6

  Dexterity: 60

  Agility: 70

  Intelligence: 4

  Mind: 6

  Vitality: 8

  HP: 221/221

  Stamina: 127/127

  TP: 85/85

  I’ve been focusing all my attribute points on Dex and Agility only. My HP is so low from putting nothing into Vitality that one hit from that thing is sure to kill me. My heart sinks at my chances. I’m no Aiko, not yet. I can’t take that thing on. And if I die, I have no idea where my last home point is even set at. I’d have to find a way back here somehow, and naked.

  As I watch the guild close to about thirty feet, something snaps inside me.

  If I don’t get there first, I’ll never know if I even had a chance.

  The words I was preaching to myself earlier come flying back at me.

  I need to start punching above my weight class, and this is a golden opportunity.

  I cast Shadow Copy and take off in a sprint along the tree branch. I line myself up with a jump to the forest floor below, making a beeline for Sheeba. I have no idea if I’ll even survive the fall, but to heck with it. I’m committed now.

  I leap through the air, over the heads of the dozen or so players marching through the jungle below me. A few of them point. Some even curse, realizing I’m going to beat them to the LM.

  I focus on Sheeba, hitting Charge Strike continuously until I finally get within range and it activates. I go from falling to flying, sailing directly toward Sheeba to land a katana strike that causes the massive beast to let out an ear-shattering roar.

  Sheeba uses Thunder Roar!

  Your Shadow absorbs the attack.

  I hear the death cries of a couple of the raiders as the roar goes off, and then Sheeba spins about to face me with a Tail Swipe. I narrowly duck under it. The beast roars at me with a mouth that’s big enough to swallow me whole. My heart is in my throat. My Shadow Copy is down, and I’m facing a Legendary Monster.

  Solo.

  I’m in for the fight of my life!

  Chapter 25: Sheeba

  I get in two quick slashes on Sheeba’s nose, and then blow my Retreat in a backflip, more from fear than strategy. The beast moves as fast as its smaller cousins, but being twice the size, the claws and bites are much harder to dodge. Don’t panic, I tell myself. Just focus on its attacks.

  I give up attacking for a while and do just that.

  I study and anticipate, leaping to the side, using as much room as I can within the tight confines of the jungle. I’m faintly aware of the party of raiders when they arrive. But I’m too focused on Sheeba to see who they are or pay attention to what they’re saying. I get the distinct sense they’re pissed at me, though.

  I use that as a motivator. Dying right now would be added embarrassment in front of a crowd relishing to see my demise. Sheeba rears back with a move I haven’t seen before, and I blow my Active Dodge in response. I shift to the side in a blur as its jaws clamp down on the space I was standing in.

  I quickly check my log.

  Sheeba uses Savage.

  You Dodge the attack!

  Whew! I’ve got to be sure not to get hit by that one!

  My confidence builds as I predict and duck under another Tail Swipe. I flank the beast to hammer it with a series of stabs to its left paw, and then roll away when it swipes at me with the same. I check its HP and am chagrined to see I’ve only done 1% damage to it.

  Essh!

  Still . . . it is damage. It’s just a matter of keeping it up.

  And not getting hit in the meantime.

  Sheeba rears her head back again.

  Sheeba readies Thunder Roar.

  Oh man! I haven’t recast Shadow Copy yet! I do so and complete the spell milliseconds before the AOE goes off. I hear more death cries from the guild members watching me.

  My heart rate continues to soar as the battle goes on. Every second I’m on the edge, every attack I dodge, could possibly be my last. Five minutes go by with little movement either way. Me dodging, Sheeba attacking. I’ve got to go on the offensive, or this fight will never end! I start to work in hits between my dodges, striking as fast as I can. I get hopeful when I see a large number of critical attacks that go off, doubling my damage output. I check its HP.

  95%.

  I don’t have Shadow Copy up anymore, so I do a quick backflip to recast the spell. Then I get an idea. I save my Stamina, dodging passively, and then blow an Active Dodge when it tries to bite me with Savage again. Then I see the moment I’ve been waiting for.

  Sheeba readies Thunder Roar.

  The big panther rears back, and I go all out. In the two or three seconds it takes for its roar to go off, I land a dozen hits to its black-furred hide. My Shadow Copy disappears, but I keep on slicing. Only when it lets loose with a Tail Swipe do I back off to dodge again.

  Hollers of rage or disbelief emerge from the crowd.

  I check Sheeba’s HP and see it’s now down to 85%.

  Holy crap! It worked!

  I can do this!

  I keep the strategy going. 75% . . . 65% . . . 55%.

  It feels like I’ve been going at this for over an hour, but I no longer have a true sense of time. Reality is measured in cycles of Thunder Roar, and keeping myself alive in between. I memorize the attack cycle and the slight variations that come with it. I’m in a self-induced trace by the time I glance at Sheeba’s Health bar and see it’s down to 15%.

  Two more rounds!

  My adrenaline starts to spike again as the end nears. Sheeba does Thunder Roar, and I squeeze in enough hits to get it down to 6%.

  One more! One more!

  I keep dodging and recast Shadow Copy early in anticipation, making sure I have it up for the final victory.

  Then something disastrous happens.

  Sheeba uses Savage.

  Your shadow absorbs the attack!

  What the...! I didn’t mean for it to do that!

  I know the cycle by heart now. I’ve got about five seconds before it uses Thunder Roar, and there are 11 seconds still left on my recast timer for Shadow Copy. I can’t believe this! I’ve screwed up at the very last moment. I’m about to die!

  6%!

  I try doing damage to kill it faster, but it’s no use. I’d need to Backstab it right now to kill it fast enough. A thought pops into my mind. I have no idea if it will work, but it’s the only chance I’ve got.

  I turn and run.

  I sprint for the tree line. The ground beneath me shakes as the beast gives chase. I jump onto a tree trunk and sprint up it before arching back to jump off again. In midair, I see Sheeba below me, rearing its head.

  Sheeba readies Thunder Roar.

  I use Retreat and perform a flying backflip in midair that places me directly behind the beast. As my feet hit the ground, I use Hide, triggering the permissive for Backstab. I go for it! Twin kunai blades pierce Sheeba’s haunches as I jab her with all my might and pray that it’s enough.

  An area-wide message appears.

  Reece has defeated Sheeba!

  You defeated Sheeba!

  You gain 500,000 experience points.

  Congratulations! You have gained a Level!

  Congratulations! You have gained a Level!

  Congratulations! You have gained a Level!

  Congratulations! You have gained a Level!

  Congratulations! You have gained a Level!

  Congratulations! You have gained a Level!

  Congratulations! You have gained a Level!

  Congratulations! You have gained a Level!

  You are now Level 48.

  You find a Sheeba’s Fang.

  Congratulations! You have earned a new title: Sheeba Slayer.

  Congratulations! You have unlocked a perk: Plush Sheeba.

  I’m trembling. />
  I’m exhausted.

  I collapse to my knees as the air fills with the roar of massive applause and cheers. I stare around me to see not just the raiding party, but over a hundred players gathered all about. The air is abuzz with excitement as they run in to slap me on the back.

  “That was amazing!”

  “How’d you do that?”

  “You’re better than Aiko!”

  “What’s your Agility at?”

  “Must be 1000!”

  “Zero hits!”

  “Pro, dude! GG!”

  In all the confusion, I sense something and look up to see a tall elven woman standing on the tree branch above me. Aiko. Our eyes meet. I’m not sure how to react. Her face is unreadable. At first, I think she might smile, or perhaps even give a nod of acknowledgment, but she doesn’t. So, I do so first.

  At that point, she cuts her eyes away from me and fast-travels away.

  Chapter 26: Taste of Victory

  I’m still reeling with emotion when I log off to give my senses a rest. The thrill of what I’ve just accomplished has me on a high like I’ve never experienced before in my life. I actually feel like I’ve just cheated death. I check my live stream page and see it now has over five hundred subscribers and over a hundred new messages. I’ve become a celebrity overnight. I spend a few minutes reading through them, continuing the celebration which started in the forest and that lasted almost twenty minutes.

  Most of the messages are adulations for soloing Sheeba. A few are from high-level Thieves offering to buy the fang for upwards of 200k! I put those to the side for consideration later. Then I see a couple from what has to be Aiko supporters. They tell me it was pure luck, or that I’m a hacker. I junk those ones.

  Then I see one I can’t ignore.

  From: Aiko

  Don’t go thinking you’re hot stuff from what you did today. Few people know this, but it’s actually easier to solo a boss than to kill it with a party. Plus, that was a low-level LM with only one AOE. We’ll see how you do against the Beast Kings. Then we’ll see if you’re really any good.

  Sickness fills my stomach as I read her message, and I’m reminded of the nasty look she gave me in the jungle. I want to ignore it. Like it’s sour grapes, and she’s just writing something nasty to tear me down. If so, it’s working pretty well. What she says both makes sense to me and doesn’t, though. And that has me feeling uneasy.

  She’s right about the one AOE. If Sheeba had had more, I definitely would have been screwed. But what did she mean by “it’s easier to solo than fight with a party”? If that’s true, then that means I have a knowledge gap. I need to figure out what I’m missing here.

  I still feel crummy, though. Like maybe it was easy, or just luck. It sure didn’t feel like it. It’s amazing, how one person’s message can negate the effect of hundreds of others. It makes me mad and insecure all at once.

  I reach out to the one person I know who can help me interpret what Aiko sent.

  Me: Hey, Val, are you there?

  Val Helena: Yes

  Me: Can I see you for a sec?

  Val Helena: For the great Sheeba Slayer? ;) Of course.

  * * *

  We agree to meet up in Swifttide at the Saltwash Inn. It’s one of the main hubs in the Shard, where players often go to celebrate after raids. Sea shanty music fills the air when I enter, as does the subtle murmur of pleasant conversation and laughter, along with the clink of mugs filled with frothy ale. The sweet aroma of baked fish pies and roasted meat hits me next, making my stomach growl. It must be past lunch now, and I’m probably hungry in real life.

  You can actually eat food in-game, and while it does taste like food and give you buffs, it unfortunately doesn’t fill your actual stomach. If it did that, I don’t think anyone would ever log out of Crystal Shards. I see Val Helena in the corner of the tavern. She’s in Paladin mode, but seated with her is the entire guild!

  They all stand as I approach, letting out cheers and applause.

  “The Sheeba Slayer!” Zeke raises his mug to me, then thrusts one into my hand. “You kicked butt, man!”

  “Well done, Reece!” Silvi claps for me.

  The three dwarfs of Team SVR each smash their mugs sloppily against mine and congratulate me in turn.

  “Tops, yo!”

  “To the no-hit wonder!”

  “You owned that thing!”

  A smile’s on my face before I even know it. “Thanks, guys!”

  Val Helena smiles at me from across the large round table as we all sit. “Sorry,” she says. “I was planning to surprise you with this later, but when you messaged, I figured there was no sense in waiting. You did something pretty amazing today, Reece. Congratulations.”

  I really hope she thinks so. “Thanks.”

  “I don’t know how you did it,” Jax says. “I was watching your stream, and I know I would have totally screwed that up.”

  “You’re on my stream?” I ask.

  Val Helena gives a goddess laugh. “We all are.”

  That takes me back a second.

  “But a proper cheer!” Val Helena raises her mug. “To Reece, Ragnarok’s first Dodge Tank and the Solo-er of Sheeba!”

  “To Reece!” they all shout.

  We clink mugs and chug at the ale. It tastes weird and bitter to me, since I don’t drink at all, but I get a buff that lasts thirty minutes that’s a plus to TP regen. This wasn’t the kind of meeting I was expecting, but it starts to feel like the one I needed when the conversation starts to flow.

  I give a play-by-play recount of what happened, and actually get a rush from reliving the story. Everyone else seems to, as well. We order another round of ale and food to enjoy. It’s the first time I’ve ever done anything like this in-game, and I have to admit, it’s more enjoyable than I imagined it would be. I knew there were entire guilds that did nothing but this kind of stuff, that socialized more than adventured, and now I’m beginning to understand why.

  This is actually kind of fun.

  After a while, Val Helena gets up and comes over to me. She rests a hand on my shoulder as she stoops to whisper in my ear. “You wanted to talk about something?”

  She motions her head toward a side table, and we leave the rest of the guild as they continue to have a blast; Team SVR’s entertaining everyone by bickering over which of them does the most damage. We move a few tables away and Val Helena takes a seat across from me, folding her hands atop the table. “So, what’s going on?”

  “Um . . . nothing really,” I say. I start to fear that maybe I’m making too big a deal out of it. Or maybe the guild has just cheered me up so much that it doesn’t really matter anymore.

  “Well, you messaged me for something. What is it?”

  I sigh, and then forward her the message. “Aiko sent me that. Maybe I’m being thin-skinned about it, but what do you make of it? Is what she’s saying true?”

  Val Helena’s smoky gray eyes shift back and forth as she reads the message in her HUD. She doesn’t say anything for a moment, then she shifts her eyes to me. “What she says is true. It is sometimes easier to solo, but don’t let that diminish what you’ve accomplished, Reece. Not one bit.”

  I have mixed feelings about her reply.

  She must sense it, because she reaches over the table to place both my hands in hers. “Hey, what you did today was nothing short of amazing. You understand? Your skill and your reflexes got you through that. But more than that, it was your determination. You never quit. Even when you thought you’d blown it, you found another way to survive. That’s not experience. That’s instinct. Talent.”

  I’m speechless.

  “You’ve taken a career path that’s different than a lot of players, Reece. You can’t fail, and that’s what Aiko saw in that fight. Knowing her? Yeah. It probably scared the crap out of her.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Look, you’ve never done this before, so you’ve got no frame of reference. But not everyone
can do what you just did, even with that scroll.”

  “Really?”

  “Who knows? Maybe getting yourself fixed up had some kind of added benefit. It was a nano-process, right?”

  “Yeah, it was . . .” What’s she saying? “You mean, it gave me some kind of in-game super power?”

  She laughs. “I don’t know about all that. But hey, it’s nano, so anything’s possible. Or maybe your reflexes are really just that good. I mean, you were looking like Maxis out there.”

  “Who?”

  “Maxis. He’s like the top player on the PvP Shards. Those games are all reflex-based, and he plays one of the toughest classes to master. You were moving like him.”

  “I’ve never even heard of him.”

  She chuckles. “I keep forgetting your whole career until now has been spent in the mines.”

  “You said she was right, though, about soloing being easier? How can that be?”

  “Hmmm . . .” Val Helena leans back in her chair, lost in thought, crossing her massive legs to rest her hands atop her armor-plated knees. “You had Power Attack on Warrior, right?”

  I faintly recall the ability. “Yeah . . .”

  “Well, all mobs have the same kind of thing. When it’s just you fighting it, they don’t gain a lot of rage, but when you’ve got a damage team going all out, they build rage really fast and can use their special attacks more often.”

  “Ah . . .” I’m getting the picture now. “So, if people were helping me kill it, I never would have been able to predict when it would do its special attacks.”

  “Right. And it would do them more often, too. But also, tanking is not just about avoiding damage, it’s about making sure the mob stays on you and doesn’t attack the rest of the party.”