Crystal Shards Online Omnibus 1

by Rick Scott

  Val Helena smiles at him, perhaps sensing her advantage, and presses on. “As important as your mission is to everyone here, it wasn’t my reason for bringing your brother to the surface, Maxis. I have something else I need to accomplish, and I need his help to do it.”

  That one gets an eyebrow raise from Maxis and one from me as well. From the very beginning, Val Helena has said that she needed my help with something, but she’s never explained exactly what.

  “I need to take him to the Vale of Sorrows to tank the Shadow King,” she says.

  I’ve got no clue what she’s talking about, but it sounds scary as heck, especially in a world where dying means actual death. Maxis, however, seems to have somewhat of an inkling. He scoffs.

  “You’ve got to be kidding.” He points at me. “He’s only Level 75, has barely any experience at all, and you want him to take on something like that? That thing’s supposed to be ten times stronger than a world boss!”

  Ten times stronger . . . ? My skin gets goose bumps at just the thought of it. Holy cow!

  “He’s a Dodge Tank with Shadow Copy,” Val Helena retorts. “He’s the only one who can take it on!”

  “I don’t care what he’s got. It ain’t happenin’.”

  Val Helena folds her large arms across her chest. “You were singing a different tune before you knew he was your brother.”

  “Well, he is my brother!” Maxis shouts up at her. “And I’m not going to get him killed out here.”

  Anger builds in my gut. Mom and Mike used to pull the adult card on me all the time. I’m tired of it. And I’m not going to let him and Val Helena do it to me here. “Hey, I can decide for myself! I made a promise to Val Helena, and I’m keeping it. That’s the whole reason I came here.”

  Maxis darts his eyes toward me. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Ryan. Stay out of it.”

  “It’s Reece!” I shout, anger flaring. “That’s my name here. That’s who you have to think of me as. I’m not you’re crippled little kid brother anymore. I beat a world boss!”

  “Oh yeah?” Maxis says coolly. “And how many times did you die doing that . . . Reece?”

  I open my mouth to say something, but go quiet. Val Helena does, as well.

  “Exactly my point,” he spits. “This isn’t a game anymore. There is no respawn.”

  “We’ve got a healer,” Val Helena says. “And she can level up fast here with our help. That’s a huge advantage, and you know it.”

  “That’s true,” Gilly says. “It’s the reason I came. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get stronger. Plus . . . maybe my dad can help us somehow.”

  Uh oh . . . I haven’t figured out how that dynamic would play into all of this yet. But the cat’s out of the bag now.

  “Your dad?” Maxis says, furrowing his brow. “What are you talking about?”

  “He’s . . .” Gilly pauses, and I can tell she’s hesitant to say it, probably because of what Mike already told us. About how the city’s central government knows all about the surface and what happens when people are sent here, but that they keep it a secret all the same.

  “He’s the Chairman of the Board,” I say for her. Maxis, Rembrandt, and Val Helena instantly look at Gilly like she’s some kind of alien.

  “That’s right,” Gilly confirms, and then continues almost shamefully. “If what you said is true, then my father knows about all of this. And he’ll know that I’m here as well.”

  Maxis’s face is deadpan. “You’re saying that Bruce Peters is your father?”

  Gilly nods. I know as well, of course, but I’m not supposed to know his connection to my brother, that the two of them met in secret to discuss these plans a few days ago. I still need to figure out if I’ll ever let that little secret out. Maybe it’s not so important anymore.

  “I never knew about any of this stuff, okay?” Gilly says defensively. “But maybe, if I can get a message to him somehow, he can send more people to help us.”

  “It doesn’t work like that,” Maxis says dismissively, before muttering to himself, “Bruce’s daughter . . . holy hell, man.”

  “Said that right, mate.” Rembrandt lets out a low whistle. “This one’s got ‘Handle with Care’ written all over it. And to think, we might be up against a bloody Builder this time, too.”

  “A Builder?” Val Helena says. “You’re telling me you’re here to fight a Builder?”

  “Maybe,” Rembrandt says. “One’s close to Citadel, we think. And the nano-shards are getting scarcer from boss drops. It might be the only option we have to save the city.”

  “And you think what I’m trying to do is crazy?” Val Helena lets out a short goddess laugh. “No one’s even seen one of those things in hundreds of years. You really think you can destroy one? That’d be like fighting a god.”

  Rembrandt shrugs. “Or a devil.”

  I share a look with Gilly, and I can tell our thoughts are the same: These guys are nuts.

  Maxis just shakes his head, his eyes fixed on the ground, features perplexed. “This crap just keeps getting better and better. A mission from hell, and I’m stuck here with my stupid kid brother and Bruce’s daughter?” He points up at Val Helena. “I don’t care what you say now. The game just changed. As soon as we get to a village, I’m finding a way to send these two back home.”

  With that, he turns. “Let’s go, Rem.”

  The three of us stand, frozen, as we watch my brother and his sidekick stalk away.

  “I’m not going to tell you what to do here, Reece,” Val Helena says, leaning down toward me. “But it sounds like you’ve got some decisions to make.”

  Chapter 2: The Village

  We travel through the forest for an hour, making our way through the darkness with surprising ease thanks to the bright full moon overhead. The sounds of night creatures keep me on edge, though; hoots from owls mix with the distant cries of other things I can’t identify and, frankly, would rather not see. Gilly clings to my bicep, keeping close to me while Val Helena’s large form clears a path through the relatively light underbrush between the towering pine trees.

  Further ahead, my brother and Rembrandt are scouting to determine which direction we should head to find the village Maxis mentioned.

  “You okay, Gilly?” I ask softly, patting her hand where it clutches at my arm. “You haven’t really spoken much since we got here.”

  “Sorry,” she says after a pause. “I’m still trying to come to grips with all of this. Especially the part about my dad.”

  I don’t really know what to say, so I just nod.

  “It kind of feels like I don’t really know him now, you know?” Gilly says. “Like everything I’ve known is based on some . . . lie.”

  I swallow, feeling a bit guilty. I knew about her dad’s involvement before she did. I contemplate whether or not I should tell her. Would it make her feel better or worse? I’m not sure, but I can share what I think about him. “Gilly, don’t feel bad about your dad. From what I know, he’s doing whatever he’s doing to keep the city working, and he kept it all a secret to spare us from having to worry about it. It must be a pretty tough job. I wouldn’t think any less of him. Besides, he seemed like a pretty cool guy to me.”

  Gilly lets out a chuckle, and I feel her head nuzzle into my arm. “Thanks, Reece.”

  Val Helena comes to a sudden stop in front of us.

  “What’s up?” I ask.

  “Smoke,” Val Helena says, and as I inhale the cool air, I can smell it too. “Your brother stopped, as well. Might be the village up ahead. Come on.”

  Val Helena trots through the underbrush. We follow behind her. We find Maxis and Rembrandt standing at the edge of the tree line, peering into a valley below. Moonlight casts a pale glow over the grassy banks that slope downward toward a small cluster of wooden structures a half mile away. There must be a couple dozen of them in all, small cabins built alongside a river.

  And about a quarter of them are on fire.

&
nbsp; My heart quickens as I hear the faint cries of panic in the distance.

  “What do you see?” Maxis says to Rembrandt.

  The bald cyberpunker leans forward, peering through his mirrored shades. “Something’s attacking them. Little green buggers . . . riding wolves.”

  That doesn’t sound good.

  “Damn goblins,” Maxis says. “The area must be overrun. Really don’t feel like having to liberate a town on top of all this other stuff. Let’s try to find someplace else.”

  “What?” I say. “We’re not going to do anything about this? People are crying for help down there.”

  Maxis sighs. “They’re not real people.”

  “Oh . . .” Gilly says. “So they’re like . . . NPCs?”

  “They’re both,” Val Helena says. “Sort of.”

  “Huh?” Both Gilly and I look up at her, confused.

  “From what I gathered from my time here,” she says, “the people and creatures in the safe zones are very much real, but I’m not sure if they are truly alive. They eat, they sleep, but I’m not sure if they age or reproduce. Although I have seen children.”

  “So, what are they?” Gilly asks.

  “They’re AIs, as far as I can tell,” Val Helena says. “And they’re as real as any person you’ll meet. Not programs on a set routine, but true sentient beings that feel pain and emotion, just like us.”

  “I don’t care how you dress it up,” Maxis says. “They’re not human.”

  “I dunno.” Val Helena shrugs. “Are we even human right now?”

  That one sends my head for a spin.

  “The point is, we’re skipping this,” Maxis says. “We’ve got better things to do than waste our time rescuing NPCs. We’ve got real people to save. We’ll find another village. Or better yet, a city.”

  “Hey!” Gilly says. “If they can feel pain, then that’s real enough for me. We need to help them.”

  “Ditto for me,” I say and lock eyes with my big brother. “We need to go help, Mike.”

  “Hey, it’s not up for debate!”

  “Isn’t it, now?” Val Helena grins down at him as she retrieves her double-headed battle axe. “I don’t recall us officially joining your team, Maxis, so we don’t really answer to you. But if you’d like to help out”—she gives him a playful wink—“I’d appreciate it.”

  The goddess half-giant releases a cry as she buffs herself, igniting in red flames.

  Val Helena uses Berserker!

  Attack speed and damage increased!

  “Let’s go, Reece!”

  She takes off down the hill, and I quickly start to buff as well, casting Shadow Haste and Shadow Copy. Kanji swirls around me. Gilly hits us with a Minor Favor of the Goddess, and a golden light engulfs us as our HP, Stamina, and TP bars all get a mild increase.

  Rembrandt pulls out his pistols with a shrug. “When in Rome, mate.”

  Maxis mutters a curse, and then performs some kind of karate stance. “I can’t believe this crap.”

  Maxis uses Fists of Iron!

  Attack speed and damage decreased.

  Block and Counter increased.

  “You guys stay in the back, where it’s safe,” Maxis barks, and then points at Gilly. “Especially you!”

  He then takes off after Val Helena. We chase after him.

  My heart rate soars as we clamber down the hill, and the scent of smoke gets stronger. As we draw closer to the village, a message bounces onto my HUD:

  New Quest Objectives found!

  1: Repel the Goblin Raiding Party

  2: Extinguish House Fires (4)

  3: Aid Wounded Villagers (15)

  What the heck? “How are there quests in the real world?”

  “It’s the safe zone,” Rembrandt says, his trench coat billowing behind him. “The whole thing is run by the Builder’s AI. It mirrors the game world, but don’t let it fool you, mate. This is all still very real!”

  I then recall being able to see my spell effects again; that didn’t happen when I was in the wild zone earlier. I’m really going to need to get my head around all these new rules.

  As we get closer to the village, I can make out the four houses on fire. Ten-foot-high flames lick into the air, setting the night aglow. Shadows dance as embers crackle high into the night sky.

  Screams for help and cries of anguish ring out against the roar of the fires. Villagers run in a panic toward the center square, where someone’s ringing a bell. I focus on one of the villagers—a woman wearing a simple dress, running with a crying baby in her arms.

  Name: Edith

  Level: 12

  Class: Villager

  She certainly looks like a real person. But is she, really? A few paces behind her, a short humanoid with green skin gives chase. Its head is abnormally large for its body and it has large yellow eyes, a beak-like nose, and pointed ears like an elf. It snarls and gnashes its yellowed teeth as it thrusts a spear at the fleeing woman.

  Goblin Raider

  Level: 25

  These goblins are known for their ferocity and are of the select few chosen to leave their burrows to plunder from the towns of men.

  Holy cow! This really is just like the game. And only Level 25? We can save this village with ease!

  I use Charge Strike. Wind rushes into my face as I fly across the ground to peg the goblin with my katana. It releases a horrid cry as my blade enters its side, piercing its dirty green skin and spilling red blood. It collapses to the ground in a heap, stumbling over itself mid-run.

  You defeated the Goblin Raider!

  You gain 823 experience points!

  I see several more messages of goblins being defeated and acquired XP as Maxis and Rembrandt head into the fray. Gilly stops behind me, and we both look down at the corpse of the dead goblin. Uneasiness runs through me as I study it. The blood on my katana looks real, as does the body. If this is the real world, and the NPCs are no different than the monsters, then did I just murder something that was alive?

  “What are you doing?” Maxis shouts at me as he buries a fist into a goblin’s face, killing it instantly. “Just loot the nano from the corpse and move on! There are a lot of these stupid things!”

  Loot the nano?

  I recall what I saw Maxis do to those wolf corpses when we were in the wild.

  I kneel down and timidly reach my hand out to the dead body. It’s still warm when I touch it.

  Do you wish to convert the corpse? (Y/N)

  I focus on yes. The goblin’s body, as real as it looks, turns to sand and disappears.

  You find 1 Nano-Fragments.

  I then see a new set of counters appear on my HUD:

  Nano-Bits: 0/10000

  Nano-Fragments: 1/1000

  Nano-Shards: 0/100

  Nano-Crystals: 0/10

  Nano-Cubes: 0/1

  “Whoa, did you see that?” I say. Maybe these things aren’t exactly ‘real’ after all. But then, what does that make the villagers? And what are these new figures?

  Gilly casts a Heal spell, and a bright light washes over one of the villager’s burns. His skin heals immediately, and the half-depleted Health bar above his head goes to full. The man looks at Gilly and clasps his hands in thanks.

  “Thank the gods for you, Shard Warrior!” he says, and then runs off through the village.

  Quest Objective Updated: 1/15 Villagers aided.

  Shard Warrior? What the heck?

  “Let’s find some more people to help,” Gilly says.

  “All right,” I say. “These mobs aren’t too hard. I’ll protect you while we search for them.”

  Gilly nods with a smile, and I can’t help but feel good about it. Real or not, this was the right thing to do. We head into the village, where the main dirt street is awash with chaos. Wolf-riding goblins terrorize the villagers, while a hapless few try to ferry buckets of water from the nearby river to douse the raging fires.

  Val Helena is going to town with her big axe, chopping the go
blins in two with a single cleave. Maxis is doing much the same, but with his fists. Finally, Rembrandt is unloading on the wolf riders, cutting them down and crippling their mounts in a stream of bullets. Experience points drop with each kill, about a thousand or so each time, and I hear Gilly level up a couple times as we search for more villagers to heal.

  “Gratz!” I say. “What level are you now?”

  “23,” she says as she casts Heal on a young girl who’s suffering from a nasty wolf bite to the leg. “At this rate, I’ll be catching you up in no time!”

  A new quest appears on my HUD:

  Quest: Repel the Goblin Raiders

  Defeat the Goblin Champion and Mount!

  A massive howl fills the air as the ground shakes beneath my feet.

  I pull Gilly closer to me as a huge shadow emerges from the forest. It’s lupine in form, but has to be some twenty-feet tall! The massive beast gallops down the hillside and charges toward the village. On its back, I see a goblin, that’s as tall as an elf, wearing a suit of ornate silver armor that looks like it may have been stolen from one. It rides atop the giant wolf, bareback, gripping onto its shaggy mane with one hand as the beast gallops down the main street of the village. The wolf slides to a stop near the village center, about twenty yards from us, and where most of the villagers are now gathered.

  With its free hand, the goblin unravels a massive whip. It ignites into flames with a sharp Crack! Another crack, and the goblin lashes out at the group of villagers fleeing from the wolf’s snapping jaws. Three Health bars flatline as the flaming whip sets a group of unfortunate victims alight.

  The villagers scream in horror and pain as they die. The sound sends chills through my soul. Gilly lets out a cry as the wolf ravishes the flaming bodies and swallows them whole.

  I’m in a state of shock. This is all too real. And horrible!