“I guess.”
“As Master of the Death Spire, you will be known by that title.”
“Awesome. Have you explored the place yet?”
“We have only taken a cursory look through the tower, to ensure no enemies remained. The sight from the upper reaches of the is magnificent, I must say; never have I watched over Orom’s valley from such a height! You must see it as soon as you can!”
“I will,” Hawke said, trying to process everything. “Where’s everybody else?”
“They are camped out by the courtyard, near the wall. Marko says he does not have enough men to watch every tunnel leading out of the Stronghold.”
“Yeah, I’ve got to do something about that. If the Arachnoids remain peaceful, we should be alright. Hopefully, Nadia can convince them to stop eating people.”
“From what she was told by the chieftains, that practice was introduced by the Necromancer. Most of their tribes live by raising several varieties of mushrooms and domesticated spiders that provide some sort of milk-like excretion as well as meat.”
“Sounds appetizing. Maybe we can put some of that stuff on a pizza.”
“It sounds disgusting to me, darling. Speaking of food, we are running low on supplies, and the pantries in the Stronghold only held food for its lone living occupant. There is a way out that is easier than the one we took, but only the Lord of the Dead can open it.”
“Okay. The Stronghold. Have to take care of that first. What happened to the Eternals who were in the lab?”
“We covered their nakedness, but left them on the tables. They are not hurt, but we cannot wake them up.”
Hawke nodded and took out the Core. The glowing shape floated towards one of the walls and seemed to melt into it. A map of the tower appeared on the wall and a new menu appeared on his mental display, one labeled ‘Death Spire.’ He opened it:
Death Spire (Level 12 Stronghold)
Affinities: Darkness, Death, Undeath
Current Mana/Maximum Mana: 2,154/12,000
Garrison (Maximum Size): 0/1,200
Mana Generation: 1,000/day (1 Level 5 Mage’s Tower, 1 Level 10 Mana Node (Death), 1 Death Temple (Level 1), 1 Darkness Temple (Level 2)).
Mana Expenditures: 400/day (Minion Support: 0, Processes: 250)
Ongoing Processes and Enchantments:
Soul Syphon: Extract Eternal energy to manufacture Soul Shards. 150 Mana/day)
Empower Defenders: Raises the level of all sworn defenders and created or summoned minions by 5. (100 Mana/day)
Enchantments Available
Arcane Appointment, Call to Arms, Demonic Ward, Empower Champions, Empower Defenders, Fae Ward, Undead Ward.
Structures (Current Durability/Maximum Durability):
Alchemist Laboratory Level IV: 4,000/4,000
Arcane Smithy Level II: 5,000
Barracks Level II (3): 1,244/3,000, 3,000/3,000, 2,511/3,000
Catacombs Gate and Walls: 1,853/5,000
Enchanter’s Spell-Forge Level II: 3,000/3,000
Mage’s Tower Level V: 6,000/6,000
Vault Level III: 5,000/5,000
“There’s all kinds of stuff going on,” Hawke muttered. The Arcane Craft buildings would have drawn most of his attention if he hadn’t been focused on what he had sworn to do; he set everything aside and opened the Soul Syphon Entry:
Soul Syphon (Ongoing Process)
Soul Shards Generated: 635
Soul Shards Available: 141
Souls in System: 79 (36 depleted, 43 viable)
Release Depleted Souls? Y/N
Summon Soul for Processing? Y/N
Release Viable Soul? Y/N (Select Number)
“You are seeing this, right?” Hawke asked Saturnyx. “Any idea what it means?”
“I take it that to get Soul Shards, you have to destroy souls.”
“Crap.”
“Jesus. So, releasing them means letting them die?”
“If I keep them there… will they suffer?”
Maybe he could do something to help them out. A resurrection spell, divine intervention. Something.
Saturnyx sounded sad.
You have chosen to Release All Depleted Souls. Are you sure? Y/N
“I’m sorry,” he told the people he had failed to save, and selected ‘Yes.’
Tava had heard the entire conversation, of course. She held him tightly. “They will find their eternal reward, won’t they? Nadia has been telling me about life after death, while we waited for your return.”
“I think so,” he said. “I hope so. But I don’t know for sure.”
“That is what she calls faith.”
“Yes,” he told her, unsure if he had any. But the fate of those unfortunates was out of his hands now.
I have faith, Nadia said through their sword link. And I’m on my way! Just got back from my meeting with the Spider-People. I think we have a deal.
“Good,” he told her as he turned to the fates of the rest of the former gamers. There were forty-three of them left. “What happens when I release them?”
“Yeah. That makes a lot of sense.” He paused for a second. “I really haven’t thanked you enough for talking sense into me when I needed you to. And even when I didn’t,” he added with a smile.
“Can’t ask for anything more,” he said, and released one Viable Soul.
Fifty-One
One of the metal tables in the laboratory began to glow before all the lights around them dimmed, just like they had when Hawke saw Nadia’s Reincarnation. A second later, a naked body appeared on the table. A male Orc, with the heavy build and deep green skin common in the species, and with a long tuft of red hair on top of his otherwise bald head.
Moe Butts (Orc)
Level One Summoner
Health 16 Mana 40 Endurance 18
As they watched, Moe sat up, looked down at himself, and began to shout in English:
“What the fuck is this?”
“Hey, Moe” Hawke told the Eternal. “I know this is a shock.”
The newly-awakened Eternal sat up and looked up and down at himself. “No! No way! What is this?”
Nadia arrived in time to hear the shouts. “I know this is a shock,” she said gently.
Moe rolled off the table and crouched behind it. “Holy shit! My skin is green! I’m naked! What is this!”
“Hey. It’s okay, bro. What is the last thing you remember?”
“No! This isn’t happening! Is this a prank? Other Sam, are you doing this?”
Other Sam? That kind of stirred a memory in Hawke’s head, but didn’
t quite click. “Listen, I know this seems crazy, but it isn’t a joke.”
“Has he gone mad?” Tava asked Hawke, looking like she was about to summon her bow from one of the bags of holding she now owned.
“No, he’s just upset. He’s dealing with the same thing I did. He sat down to play a game and is now in a different body.”
“What are you talking about?” the guy shouted. He didn’t seem to have a normal speaking volume.
“Eternal Journey Online, right?” Hawke replied, raising his own voice. “You were playing it. Do you remember that?”
“Yes! I just started it! For my review! Bastards wouldn’t give me early access, so I had to start the game like everyone else! I wanted to try it out before going on Twitch and streaming live!”
“The game wasn’t just a game,” Nadia explained. “It kidnapped a bunch of people to a different world.”
Moe turned to her, his eyes nearly bugging out of his head. “You’re an Elf! And I can see your stats!”
Nadia frowned. “You know, you sound a lot like that YouTube guy. Angry Bob or something.”
“Sam. Furious Sam,” Hawke said, the vague memory clicking into place. “Furious Sam’s Game Reviews! I used to watch your channel.”
Moe/Sam didn’t look any happier after being recognized. “Tell me this is a joke. Tell me Other Sam slipped some acid in my beer or something! Tell me this is a fucking joke!”
“Sorry, man. The whole thing was a trap, no joke. Think of it as an alien abduction.”
“You cannot be serious!” Moe/Sam yelled. “I just had a Jacuzzi installed! Signed a seven-figure deal with Beastly-Juice! And now, this? I’m green and my name is Moe Butts! Forever!”
“I used to love his rants,” Nadia commented dryly. “Not so much right now.”
And that was how they met Sam Monticello, a.k.a. Furious Sam.
* * *
They released twelve more people that day, including the three they had found in the laboratory. Eight men, five women. Seven from the U.S., four from Canada, one from the U.K. and another from Mexico. Half of them were human, with the rest belonging to a variety of the available starter races. For the most part, their reactions were similar to Moe’s. Disbelief, denial, anger. In one case, violence: a Dwarven Rogue by the name of Beefarino Short came out swinging and broke the knuckles of both his hands against Hawke’s armor. After the damage was healed away, Beefarino calmed down and heard them out. By then, Nadia had run out and come back with a couple of bottles of booze, pilfered from a well-stocked liquor cabinet the Necromancer had kept in the lab. Moe Butts was already drunk as a skunk; Beefarino and a Half-Elf Dark Priestess whose name tag said Anita Fake soon followed suit. They had plenty of company as more Eternals learned of their situation. After the fourth awakening, Hawke began welcoming people with a full shot glass in hand, for medicinal purposes.
Many broke down into tears. Nadia took them aside and helped them calm down. And four of them woke up with no idea of who they were or what had happened to them. They all understood English and whatever their characters’ languages they had picked, but didn’t know anything about themselves. Their Identity had been reduced to the single digits, and they had some vague memories of Earth but no personal knowledge, not even their original names.
That’s what happens, Hawke thought bitterly as the latest victim, a female human Warrior by the name of Anastasia Melendez, was led away. She spoke Spanish as well as Vulgate, and said she was from Mexico City, but wasn’t sure if Anastasia was her real name or one she’d picked for her character. Her Identity was down to four points. One or two more deaths and she would be completely gone. As it was, the bewildered look in her face as she tried desperately to remember who she had been was heart-breaking.
I let you off too easily, you bastard, Hawke silently told the Necromancer.
Waking thirteen people was as exhausting as fighting through the Stronghold. After they explained things to everybody and got people settled down, they were all drained, emotionally if not physically. Hawke had people camp out in the bigger lab, which had already cleaned off all the broken glass and Frankenstein-looking stuff. Egg had a Priestly spell, Purify, which removed any filth still remaining in the area and cleansed off most of the bad smells permeating it. Donated bedrolls and blankets provided them with something to sleep on. Hawke handed off his own bedding to one of the recently awakened Eternals. Before he brought the rest of the players back, he would need to prepare better.
Earlier in the day, he had used his Node Travel ability to visit Orom and let everyone know what had happened and bring back more supplies. He had filled his Inventory with food and drink, much to the relief of the Volunteers. The Eternals ate dinner in mostly stunned silence, still coming to terms with what had happened. Some made faces at the bland food. Hawke didn’t know how long it would take them to realize they no longer lived in post-modern luxury, with exotic food only an app button away.
After standing one watch over the makeshift camp, he sat on one of the armchairs the Necromancer had placed at assorted places in his labs, and promptly fell asleep.
* * *
“So what classes are available?” he asked Saul Valentino as he tried to suck in his gut. The Cheerleader was sitting on the couch right next to him; he could smell her hair and one of her knees was touching him. He shifted uncomfortably, terrified that all of them could see the bulge in his pants.
“Anything you want,” Saul said. “No limits, Greg. Whatever fantasy you want to roleplay, this game can make it happen.”
“Necromancer,” he blurted out. “Raise the dead. Hail to the king, baby!” he quoted from the great zombie movie he’d watched a couple months back. No do-gooder crap for him, though. He wanted to roleplay someone who was above puerile morality. Someone who made his own rules. Screw good and evil!
“Bold choice, Greg,” the Goth chick said. She was sitting on the other side of the low table where all the gaming stuff was; as she spoke, she leaned back and crossed her black-stockinged legs, giving him a quick flash of red panties, and he crossed his own legs, trying to hide the totally noticeable stiffy he’d gotten. Oh, man, oh, man!
The Cheerleader chick leaned against him. “It’s cool, Greg. We’re all friends here. We love to play games, don’t we, Saul?”
“Oh, yeah,” the tall guy agreed. “Necromancer it is. Got a name in mind?”
“Just Greg, that’s fine. Gregory Ballantine. I’ll be Necromancer Greg,” he said. He’d never done that before, but he couldn’t think of an appropriately cool name off-hand, and didn’t want to make even more of a fool of himself than he already was. The idea that he might be coming here every week, to hang out with those girls and play games – and what sort of other games did they want to play? – made him feel light-headed.
“You’ll be stuck with that moniker. You sure?”
“I think Necromancer Greg is pretty groovy,” Cheerleader said.
“Let’s get you statted out, then,” Saul said.
* * *
Hawke woke up with a start. What the hell was that?
Had a weird dream. About the Necromancer and how he got started.
Just what I always wanted, to be inside the head of a gaming geek with some sort of borderline personality disorder.
He looked around. Most of the new Eternals were sleeping more or less peacefully, although a couple of them were crying softly, their backs turned to everyone. In time, he was sure they would adapt to their new reality. He only hoped that none of them would turn out to be a danger to themselves or others. Like Desmond, who had turned from potential friend to someone who might kill Hawke on sight. He still felt guilty about that mess. Well, he had l
earned his lesson. Not more getting involved in other people’s personal business. The thing with Nadia had been a special case, of course; he had known her before reaching the Realms. He didn’t regret having a thing with her, but it had been a mess. And there were thirty more potential messes waiting for him in the morning.
Hawke didn’t get any more sleep for the rest of the night.
Fifty-Two
You have accessed: Level 12 Mana Node (Death Attuned). You have the following choices:
Leave Mana Node alone: No risk or reward. Y/N
Claim Mana Node: +1,200 Experience, +240 Mana as long as you are within 1 mile/level from the Node. Y/N
Destroy Mana Node: 2,400 Experience, +5 Spirit. Y/N
Absorb Mana Node, becoming attuned to its Element: Access to Death magic and Special Secret Bonuses! Y/N
Warning: Your Affinity to Life makes Death an opposing Element. Trying to Absorb it will have unpredictable results. Great Risks Lead to Great Rewards! Choose Wisely.
Hawke claimed the Mana Node, located in a natural cave linked to one of the middle levels of the Death Spire, where it abutted into the mountain. He didn’t want to learn Death magic in the first place, so he wasn’t interested in risking his life for the privilege.
Congratulations! You Have Claimed: Level 12 Mana Node (Death).
You have earned: 960 Experience (120 diverted towards Leadership; 120 diverted towards Node Mastery).
You have gained: +200 Mana as long as you are within 1 mile/level from the Mana Node.
Current XP/Next Level: 960/30,000. Leadership XP: 13,652/15,000
Current Node Mastery XP/Next Level: 3,275/5,000
“Why are you still up?” Nadia asked him. She didn’t look bothered by the four flights of stairs she’d climbed to get there. Elves didn’t get tired at the same rate as humans, yet another unfair advantage from their Fae heritage.
Lord of the Dead: A LitRPG Saga (The Eternal Journey Book 2) Page 30