Despite the high compatibility, there didn’t seem to be any sexual tension whatsoever. One of the more technically-minded players attributed this to the fact that the game controlled all the signals sent between the brain and the virtual body. Essentially, without feedback between the body and brain, arousal couldn’t occur, so whatever romantic inclinations players and AIs may have had turned into bonds of friendship and appreciation. Many players mused that this might be changed later, or certain areas of the game would allow players to engage and satisfy their libidos. One of the other topics that jumped out was the escalation of danger. Some players were complaining, but everyone was reporting increasing S&R values, with most players achieving numbers in the 80’s and 90’s after only a couple days of playing. This was in line with the original goals of the game, such that players, and especially patients with limited real-world mobility, would be able to move freely and naturally within the VRE. Many of the players were novices, like the members of the village on the lake, but there were a substantial number of disabled veterans who took leadership roles, fortifying villages, setting up watch rotations, and forming battle plans. I had some experience with other online games, and while I had no military experience I did my best to utilize the village’s strengths to combat the invading orcs. With thoughts of the village and how best to defend it and help it grow on my mind, I went to sleep.
The next morning, I woke up twice and ate breakfast twice, once in reality and once in game. I found the second time much more interesting, though, as I was chewing on a strip of bear jerky in front of a fire, surrounded by new friends and watching the sun rise over a lake. Because of my quick thinking the previous night, the people in the village had begun to look to me for leadership. They expressed that they were interested in building up the village and making it defensible, as well as exploring the surrounding area to see if it turned up anything interesting. Everyone had gained a sizeable chunk of experience from the battle with the orcs, and Alicia and I had even advanced to level 5! I noticed that a part of my interface was flashing, which said ‘Word available’. Curious, I clicked on it.
You have become familiar enough with Magic to learn a new Word! Please choose one of the following.
Rapid: This word, when recited first, allows you to truncate all the following gestures and incantations by one syllable and gesture. Subsequent casts, if they are the same spell and are cast immediately, will truncate an additional syllable and gesture. Rapid casts are slightly less effective than normal casts.
Large: This word is complex, consisting of four syllables and three gestures, but when recited at the beginning of a spell greatly increases its effectiveness, while slightly increasing its cost in mana.
Both words had their advantages. With the Rapid word, I could quickly fire off multiple bolts of force before an enemy reached me, then lay into them with my sword. Alternatively, in a group setting I could quickly cast Force Shield on a few warriors if we were ambushed. With the Large word, I could prepare for a tough fight by casting powerful shields, and catch opponents off-guard with devastating bolts. It was a tough choice, and I would have loved to learn both words, but I went with my gut and selected the Rapid word. The verbal component was “Vik” with a single gesture of drawing the casting hand to the center of one’s chest. Back when the wolves had knocked out Alicia, if I’d had this word I would have easily been able to shield myself, then turn around and quickly shield Alicia. She didn’t seem too bothered by being knocked on her ass, but I still didn’t like her getting hurt. That issue handled, I turned my attention back towards the village. I’d only spent one skill point, which left me with three available. Searching through the crafting submenus, I found the skill I wanted, Architecture. Some of the villagers had picked up various crafting professions, only to be disappointed by the lack of resources available to use them.
You have learned a new Skill: Architecture! This skill allows you to draft basic buildings you might find in a Village, which can then be constructed by yourself or with the help of others.
Drafting buildings wasn’t too difficult. All I needed to do was select a suitable area, choose the building I wanted from the Architecture menu, and the shadow of a foundation appeared, which any of the villagers could see. I drafted a cabin for Alicia and me, and assumed the other villagers wanted their shacks upgraded to cabins. I also drafted a shop for leatherworking, a blacksmith, and a large meeting hall where we could eat, drink, talk, or hole up in if necessary. While our buildings were still pre-formed, our fledgling blacksmith managed to repurpose some of the orcs’ equipment into axes using the heat of our campfires. I was a bit skeptical about iron melting at those temperatures, but then again, I could cram things into my backpack that were bigger than it was, so physics be damned! The Rogues and Mages, including Alicia, ventured out into the forest to scout and see if there was anything interesting in the vicinity, while the Warriors and I set to felling trees at the edge of the village, both to clear the perimeter and to provide material to build new structures.
As we worked, a pair of scouts returned from the forest. Alicia and Gina had gone out together, conspiring about what, I couldn’t say. However, they didn’t return alone. Trailing behind them were a band of 6 ragged refugees. It looked as if Alicia had already done her best to apply her Herbalism skill, but they still appeared to have had a rough time getting here. Accepting the mantle of leadership, though it still felt new and uncomfortable, I went out to meet them.
“Welcome to our Village on the Lake!” I exclaimed. “I’m not sure what you’ve learned from Alicia and Gina, but we’ve recently repelled, or rather annihilated an orc attack, and we have scouts out in the woods. You should all be safe here, should you choose to stay and help us grow this humble village, or pursue your own adventures.”
I caught Alicia rolling her eyes at me, and she looked like she was trying to suppress a fit of giggling. In retrospect, I could see myself playing the part of an NPC village leader quite well, and the furrowed brows on the faces of the refugees seemed to confirm that suspicion. One of them stepped forward.
“Uh, thank you, um sir? We also heard you have a Cleric in the village, do you think she could see to our wounded?” He put out his hand and added, “By the way, my name’s Frank, it’s nice to meet you.”
I shook his hand, swiftly replying. “Alex, and yeah, our Cleric is in the village near the campfires.” I sized him up without thinking, and was impressed. He was already level 8 and had a gruff appearance. He carried both a long sword and a short sword in addition to his shield, and had a bow as well. During the introductions, I noticed that the rest of the people with him were lower levels, between 1 and 3. He must have been handling most of the encounters on his own. He smiled his thanks and marched his ragged band to the center of the village to meet our Cleric. He seemed respectful and stoic, if a little curt, so I shrugged it off and got back to work. Later in the day, Frank approached me to let me know that he and his followers, his words, not mine, planned to stay. I didn’t see any reason that would be an issue, so I drafted three more cabins. He also suggested I draft an Armory, a barracks, and a couple watch towers. I was beginning to suspect he was one of those military types, perhaps a disabled veteran. Regardless, it seemed like a good idea, so I drafted the buildings and got back to work.
With the help of Frank’s group, and a few freshly-forged axes, the new buildings were coming up quickly. Suddenly, a pair of scouts burst out of the woods, panting. I immediately started looking for the bear that was chasing them, but no bear was forthcoming. One of them addressed me between labored breaths.
“Sir, we’ve found something!” He paused for a moment to breathe. “You should get a group together, I think maybe 6 people can fit into the cave, and you should probably bring the Cleric.”
I gave him a pat on the shoulder, “Thanks, I’ll see who I can get to come check it out.” I looked him over, he was a level 2 Rogue, and was likely not strong enough to accompany us, if this was wha
t I thought it was. A dungeon! I hadn’t even heard of these from any of the other players when I looked through the forums online. This could be quite interesting. I decided to be as fair and as careful as possible, recruiting the level 4 cleric and Frank as being necessary. Alicia and I were the next strongest at level 5. Fortunately, Gina and Gerald had also managed to reach level 5 during the battle, so I was able to choose them without it seeming like I was playing favorites and choosing only those I knew best. I made it a point to learn the Cleric’s name, Samantha. Her partner was the Druid and his name was, you guessed it, Samuel. I thought it was a little funny that they could both be called Sam, but I left it alone. Unfortunately, Samuel was still only level 3, so we couldn’t bring him along.
“Th-thanks for including us Alex.” Gina said with a smile. Gerald nodded at me meaningfully. For a quiet guy, he seemed to communicate a lot with his gestures. He was glad that he could protect Gina, but disappointed that he was knocked out while doing it. This was his chance to prove himself. Samantha was rather aloof, which could be why she was taken out in the first encounter with the orcs, but she was a competent healer when she was focused. Frank seemed eager to face the challenge. In the group, we had two Warriors, one Mage, one Battle Mage, one Rogue, and one Cleric. To me, it seemed like a good make-up, and it also consisted of our highest-level players, which is likely an indicator of the boldest and most adventurous players as well.
Once the group was gathered, I turned to the scouts that had come to us. “I’m sorry we can’t take you guys in with us, but just in case it’s dangerous we’ve got to take our toughest fighters.”
He shook his head and said, “Don’t worry about it, sir. I’ll work hard to get stronger, I don’t like getting knocked out anyways!” With that, he and his partner started leading us into the woods towards the cavern. The trip through the forest was uneventful, and before long we stood before the cave entrance. There was something unnatural about the hole that bored into the rock face, and as I peered into it a description popped up on my interface.
6-player Dungeon. Recommended level 5+
Well, that explained why the scout was so specific with his description. He didn’t outright say that it was a dungeon for 6 players, so he must have been trying to play his role. In the short time I’d been playing, that’s one thing I had already noticed. Most people seemed to take the game quite seriously. Yes, I was here to enjoy myself, but with the level of immersion I sometimes forgot that I was playing a game. The interface was out of the way, and even when some information was present it was much less to keep track of than you might have while driving.
I turned to the scouts that led us here, “Thanks for bringing this to our attention. Would you mind setting up a camp outside the cave and keeping watch? We’re going in blind, and we may need to leave and recover if it’s too much to handle.”
The scout saluted, which was a little odd. “Of course, sir! We’ll get right on it!” With that, he and his companion started gathering materials nearby and I turned to my group.
“We’re all at the minimum recommended level, apart from Frank, but I think we’ve got a good shot at this because of our make-up. Frank and Gerald will be up front tanking, I’ll support them with shields and damage spells. Samantha will heal, Gina will cast damage spells once the tanks have got the enemy’s attention, and Alicia can switch between her bow and daggers as necessary.” There was enough room to enter the cave in a 3x2 formation, so the three of us with heavy armor were in the front and more lightly armored behind. Just in case there was an immediate attack upon entry, I cast Force Shield on the three of us in front and we entered our first dungeon.
Chapter 5: Orc Slavers’ Dungeon
The first thing we noticed was the smell. The cave reeked of unwashed bodies. We could still see by the light of the cave entrance, but further in there was nothing but shadows. A thought suddenly occurred to me, and I turned back to Alicia. Before I could open my mouth, she said. “Traps. I just spent my skill point on traps. I can find them as well as disarm them and set my own.” She winked at me and smirked. “So shush up, you’re not the only one who’s clever, you know? By the way, let me lead, if we come up to any enemies I’ll fall back, but I’d be really annoyed if one of you oafs tripped an alarm or sent a hail of crossbow bolts shooting out of the walls.” Without waiting for confirmation, she stepped in front of us, assumed her best stealthy posture, and began to advance further into the darkness.
Flickering lights danced on the walls ahead. Alicia crept forward and peeked around the corner before coming back to us. Whispering, she said. “There are two orcs up ahead, guarding a door. They’re level 8, wearing a full set of steel armor with axes and shields. Since there’s 6 of us, I don’t think it will be too much of a problem.”
The Force Shields that I had pre-cast were still up, so we decided to do our best to take them quickly and by surprise. Turning the corner, Gerald and Frank each rushed an orc, bashing them with their shields. Frank’s orc was dazed by the attack, but Gerald’s bellowed in fury and brought its axe down on his Force Shield, nearly destroying it. Deciding that Frank could hold his own, I chose to help Gerald. “Vik Newtun Roket!”
As my cast finished, I heard “Catadrotha Ignitus Roketos!” from Gina and a massive flaming bolt also struck it while Gerald slashed at the orc’s midsection. Gina must have chosen the alternative Word, Large. I noticed Frank’s Force Shield shatter under the force of the other orc’s blow, but he didn’t appear concerned.
“Vik New Ro” sent another hastened Force Bolt at Gerald’s orc, angering it but dealing only minor damage. The orc brought its axe down on Gerald again, breaking through his Force Shield and cutting into his sword arm. Gerald, streaming blood, fought through the pain and responded by decapitating the orc with a wild swing. Its head flew backwards, making a solid *THUNK* against the door behind it as its body toppled over. I barely had time to redirect my next Rapid Force Bolt to Frank’s orc, and saw that Frank was making short work of it. He expertly deflected most of the axe blows with his shield, and the final blow came as a slash to the midsection, spilling its entrails as it fell lifelessly to the ground.
Samantha healed Gerald and Frank’s wounds, and we checked the orcs’ equipment to see if there was anything useful. Most of it was standard, but surprisingly, the axe that Gerald’s orc was wielding had a special property.
War Axe of Wounding: 5% chance to inflict a bleeding wound
It was the first time something special had dropped, so we needed to determine how we were going to handle loot distribution. I started with, “I can’t use it, I can only cast using swords or staves.”
Alicia followed with, “I really need to use daggers, have you ever tried to stab someone in the back with an axe? Super awkward.”
Frank turned to Gerald, stating “You bled for it, as far as I’m concerned, it’s yours if you want it.” Gerald turned to look at Frank and paused for a moment before nodding in thanks and appreciation and picking up the axe, hefting and admiring it. The rest of the equipment was distributed amongst our bags to bring back to the village for the Armory. Thankfully, dealing with the loot had given our mana time to recover, so it was now time to check out the room. The flickering lights we’d seen earlier were produced by torches planted in sconces on the wall. Besides that, there wasn’t anything interesting in the room apart from the door. Alicia went up to it and checked it over carefully, eventually finding a hidden crevice and poking it with her dagger. We heard a *click* and she informed us that there was an alarm attached to the door, which she had just disarmed. After that, she slowly pushed the door open and peeked inside. As soon as she opened it, the smell of unwashed bodies overpowered us, and we also heard a *tink tink* sound echoing from within the room.
Alicia turned to us. “Let me go in first, it looks like there are slaves in there mining, but no orcs. I’ll be back in a minute.” She looked very troubled, and I think I knew why. Slaves meant NPCs, and, there weren’t supposed t
o be any, as they’d all become AIs due to the combination of sensory input, communication ability, and basic reasoning. After a few minutes Alicia returned. “Okay, I was able to talk to one of the slaves. The orc slavers come at the end of the shift to collect the ore and haul it to the smelters, then they congregate in the mess hall before going to sleep. We’ve got about two hours before the shift ends, so we might be able to set up some traps and an ambush. There are about 12 slaves working in there, and when the slavers come there are 2 guards, one slave driver, and one overseer who has the key to their shackles.” Alicia paused a moment to think before continuing. “You guys stay here for a bit, I’m going to go outside and get some stuff to make traps, I’ll be right back!”
While Alicia was out gathering materials, the rest of us entered the next room where the slaves were mining. This part of the cavern appeared to have formed naturally, with stalactites and stalagmites jutting from the ceiling and floor, respectively. The slaves continued to chink away at ore veins, slowly adding to the small piles of rocks at their feet. The room was illuminated by torches set in the sconces around the cavern. As I walked around trying to spot good places to set the traps, something seemed strange, though I couldn’t quite place it. I glanced at one of the slaves and it hit me like a ton of bricks. They weren’t getting tired. They didn’t appear uncomfortable or upset in any way. Close examination revealed that they were all ‘level 5 Human Slaves’, but they must be missing some of the required components necessary to develop sentience. The first NPCs were made to experience the world in a way that was too realistic, so the developers must have recently achieved the necessary balance to create NPCs without them becoming AIs. I wondered what fate might have in store for Alicia with this new development, and as my thoughts turned to her she returned with her trap components.
The Conduit Page 4