380 days until the Arkon Shield falls

Given the Trials system of exacting measurement and levels, one would think that two players of equal Potentials would stand an equal chance of attaining the same heights. One would be wrong. A player’s gear is nearly as big a differentiator as Potentials and, of course, only the rich can afford good equipment. Even in Overworld, the lines between rich and poor remain deeply entrenched. —Anonymous player.

Transfer completed.

My vision flashed green as the world shifted.

One moment I was standing under a rainswept green sky. The next, I was under a starless void of black and surrounded by looming peaks. The transfer was disorientating, but I’d been expecting it and knew it would pass.

It couldn’t happen soon enough for my liking, though. While I waited for my sight to clear, I turned my gaze inwards and checked the waiting Trials messages.

Orc hunter triggered. An orc has been detected within nine feet of you.

Burning brightly triggered. A nearby orc has been notified of your presence.

No surprises there, I thought. Now all I needed to know was how many I faced. Fight or surrender?

My eyes snapped back into focus.

On the edge of my vision—and closing rapidly from the right—was a figure outlined in red. Intuitively, I knew the lines tracing the figure was the Trials doing. It was its way of alerting me to the orc. Burning brightly would’ve likewise revealed my own presence, which explained my foe’s rapid advance.

That’s one. Are there more?

Dropping the carpet bag slung across my back, I took a ponderous step to my left—moving at half-speed as a result of freezing sphere—and pivoted in a slow circle.

Five feet from me, the onrushing orc abruptly slowed as he hit the edge of the ice field. For the time being, I ignored him. Before I acted, I needed to understand the full extent of what I faced.

The rest of the valley was empty.

There were no other red-outlined shapes within nine feet, nor anyone else farther out. It was just me and the lone orc. Relief surged through me. There is only the one. But just how strong was he?

It didn’t matter. My path was clear now. Fight.

I turned back to my foe, with my staff held at the ready. The orc had closed to within three feet. He was dressed in studded leather armor and carried a pair of axes, all of which were thankfully free of runes or other traces of magic. He’s no shaman. A fighter or scout, perhaps.

Moving as slow as I was, and with his face fixed in a snarl, the orc drew back the axe in his right hand. At the same time, his left hand chopped down with a second axe.

I raised my staff—crackling with white static—to meet the descending weapon. Wood and blade collided, sending lightning leaping from one weapon to the other and then down my foe’s arm.

The orc staggered back, aborting his second strike. He glared at me and mouthed something I didn’t understand before backing farther away.

I let him go. He didn’t retreat far, though, only to the edge of the freezing sphere.

Glad of the opportunity, I studied my foe intently. Despite the failed attack, the orc looked none the worse from my counter. I bit my lip worriedly. The lightning still flickering about his gloved hand didn’t even appear to sting.

He has only retreated because I caught him by surprise, I realized. What is his level? In sudden trepidation, I analyzed my opponent.

The target is Bultak Deadeye, a level 113 orcish player. He has no Magic, mediocre Might, is gifted with Resilience, and has meager Craft.

The orc grinned as he sensed my probe and discerned the uncertainty behind it.

Dread curled in me, and I took an involuntary step back. Bultak was nearly the same level as the mindworm, which explained why my spell had done no more than tickle him!

I can’t win this, I thought. Why did I think I could win? Should I surrender?

I stared into the smirking face of the twelve-foot-tall monster, and my mind flashed back to my last moments on Earth.

Yarl’s leering face.

Kagan’s callousness.

Mum’s headless corpse.

As quickly as they’d come, my doubts and despair were swept away, reignited by rage and fury. I will not lie down! I thought. With a snarl of my own, I pointed my staff at the orc and cast fire ray. At this range, I could not miss.

Almost negligently, Bultak sidestepped the attack.

I stared at the orc, mouth agape. How had he moved so fast? “Impossible!” I growled.

Bultak laughed. “Your magic is no good against me, human. I’m too quick for you.”

I lowered my staff, believing him. I was not going to win with ranged magics. Drawing on my mana, I began another casting.

“Much better,” the orc said, believing me cowed. His eyes narrowed. “So. You’re the one Orgtul wants.”

My face whitened at the mention of the shaman’s name, and I nearly dropped the weaves of the spell I held in my mind. It was as I had feared. I had not managed to conceal enough of myself from the orc mage.

“Ah, I see from your expression you recognize the name of our dear high shaman,” Bultak said. His eyes flickered dismissively over me. “I can’t see what he’d want with you, though.”

“Did Orgtul send you to find me?” I asked, playing for time.

The orc chuckled. “Oh, no. I assure you if the high shaman knew you were here, he would have sent more than me to retrieve you. No, it’s only good fortune that led me to find you here.”

I frowned. “Why are you here then?

The orc didn’t respond, but his eyes drifted to the obelisk behind me. So, he is here because of the dungeon, I thought.

“I’m not here to answer your questions, human,” Bultak said abruptly. “But you will answer mine. Tell me what Orgtul wants with you,” he demanded.

“And why should I?” I asked. My spell was nearly complete.

“Perhaps I will go easier on you if you do,” he suggested persuasively.

I snorted. Now that I didn’t believe.

Bultak scowled. “Enough talk,” he snapped. “And get rid of that,” he said, gesturing irritably at the ice field still about me, “or reward be damned, I will deliver your corpse to Orgtul.”

Silently, I complied with the orc’s orders. The spell would only get in the way of what I planned next.

“Good,” Bultak said, nodding approvingly. “Now throw down your staff.”

I smiled at the orc. “No,” I replied. Planting the end of my staff in the ground, I released the spell I’d been holding. “You’re going to have to come and get me,” I added and took a careful step back.

“What are you playing at, human?” Bultak spat.

I said nothing. Taking another step back, I brought my staff up defensively, as if I intended to take on the orc in melee combat.

This bit of insolence proved too much for Bultak. “Stupid wretch,” he growled and rushed forward.

I took another step back and waited.

Six feet from me, Bultak’s charge jerked to a crawl as he triggered the wilting ward. The orc’s eyes widened.

I didn’t give my foe a chance to recover. Hopping forward, I began my own charge. It was a far cry from the orc’s own blindingly-quick dash from moments ago. Still, using my staff for support, I built up some momentum as I skipped forward.

Seeing me race towards him, Bultak’s expression transformed into confusion. He clearly had no idea what I was up to. It didn’t stop him from planting his feet and raising his axes threateningly, though.

Even with the wilting ward slowing the orc to half-speed, I knew I would have a hard time fending off his attacks. In response, I cast invincible. Drawing closer to the orc, I lowered my head and raised my shoulder, preparing to ram into him.

I entered melee range. Bultak’s weapons rushed downwards to cleave me, only to clang off harmlessly a moment later. “What—”

The orc’s outburst cut off abruptly as I bowled into him. At six feet tall, I was not a small man, and with Bultak already off-balance, it did not take much for me to push him over.

“Oof,” the orc exclaimed as he fell backward.

I staggered forward and flung myself atop the orc. Straddling him, I reactivated freezing sphere. The orc’s mouth dropped open in shock as he was doubly slowed. Dropping his axes, Bultak reached for me with his enormous hands.

I ignored the orc’s reaching grasp. I wasn’t done yet. Taking my staff in a two-handed grip, I cast frozen grasp and shoved its unyielding length against Bultak’s neck, pressing hard against his windpipe.

Triply slowed now, Bultak was all but motionless.

His reaching hands froze midway. Color fled from the orc’s face, and moment by moment, he grew paler. Gritting my teeth, I pressed down with all my might, and bit by bit, the life faded from my foe.

Finally, the fight drained out of the orc entirely, and he let his hands sag down.

“Wha… what… are.. you… human?” Bultak croaked.

Before I could answer though, his eyes glazed over as the last of his life faded away.

✽✽✽

I stumbled away from the dead orc.

Turning a slow circle, I took in the rest of the valley, but I couldn’t spot any further hostiles and relaxed, letting my shoulders sag.

I glanced down at my arms. My spider leather armor had turned brittle, all the way to the elbow. I sighed. My magic was awfully rough on my gear. I was going to need a new set of armor and replacements, too, for good measure. Looking inwards, I considered the Trials message hovering in my mind.

You have gained in experience and are now a level 55 Trainee.

I grunted. I’d gained three whole levels just from slaying a single orc. “Yet another reason to kill the bastards,” I said callously. But my heart wasn’t in the muttered curse, despite the bile reawaken in me from the encounter.

The truth was, I was worried.

Any doubts I’d harbored that I was being vigorously hunted had vanished. If the orcs had penetrated this far into the domain, I could expect to find them elsewhere. How was I going to find another unguarded dungeon now?

I stared at the corpse at my feet. It was still covered in tiny icicles. I had defeated Bultak handily in the end, but if there had been two of him, I knew I wouldn’t have fared as well. My gaze drifted to the unused bow slung across the orc’s back. I would have done even worse if the orc hadn’t been overconfident.

The encounter drove home how under-leveled I was in comparison to my enemies. I sighed. Being in the dungeon had been almost freeing. There, my only concern had been defeating its denizens. Now that I was back in the domain, all my problems came rushing back.

I shoved aside my worries—they were cares for another day—and looked up into the sky. The evening was well advanced. It was past midnight if I didn’t miss my guess.

What next, Jamie?

Before I could answer myself, I noticed a flicker of orange on the horizon.

What is that?

Frowning, I turned towards the glint of light. Whatever the source, it was far away, beyond the hills bordering the valley. And it was coming from the southwest. From the direction in which Sierra lay. Something’s burning. Something large.

Dread curled in me. Was it Sierra? Was the village burning? A hand wrapped itself around my heart, clenching tight. Images of all the people I’d left behind flashed through my mind.

Are they—? Could they be—?

I couldn’t finish the thought. It was too awful to contemplate. No, it’s not Sierra. It can’t be. I pushed back the irrational surge of fear. Sierra was too distant. Even if the village was burning, the flames would not be visible from here. My panic eased.

But if that is not Sierra, what is it?

I considered the fire on the horizon again. West, I mused. The orc column I had spotted to the south days ago had been traveling east to west. At first, I’d assumed that the Primal Keep was their destination, but after finding only a single guard posted here, I reconsidered.

I stared at the orange glow. The orcs had to have been heading there, I decided.

I hesitated, debating my next step. I urgently needed to return to Sierra, not only to inform the commander about the orcs but also to visit the dragon temple—my new levels were useless until then—and the quickest way back would be to head southwest, directly past the conflagration on the horizon. But if orcs were still there, going that way would be dangerous.

I glanced westwards. Alternatively, I could retrace the steps of my outward journey and head first to the spider warren before turning south to the village. That would take more time, though, and despite my fear of running into the orcs, I was anxious to find out what they were about.

I don’t have to decide right now, I temporized. I needed a better look first, preferably from a higher vantage point. And anyway, I still had to retrieve my sled from the cave on the southern valley slope. I’ll reassess once I’m in shelter, I decided.

I glanced at the dead orc again. A tent and a pile of supplies were a few yards behind him. If they were any indication, Bultak had been camped out here and had meant to be so for a while yet. He won’t be missed soon then, I thought.

I was sure both the body and tent contained some usable items, but revulsion would prevent me from using any of the orc’s gear. Besides, I was already overburdened with the curtain bag’s contents and anxious to get going.

Bending down, I slung the bag over my shoulder and hurried south.

✽✽✽

My sled was where I’d concealed it and still untouched. Grateful for the chance to finally relieve my sore back, I unloaded the curtain bag onto it.

After that, I studied the horizon anew. From this high up on the valley’s slope, the orange glow in the south was starkly visible. I measured the distance.

The conflagration was perhaps ten miles away. It was a fair distance but confirmed what I’d been telling myself. It was not Sierra. I exhaled in relief. The village was safe.

Now, I only need to decide my next move. South to explore the source of the fire, or west towards the warren? I pursed my lips, contemplating my options.

There is a third choice: wait for morning.

I frowned. The thought had popped into my head unbidden, but I didn’t immediately dismiss it. The dungeon had given me a new appreciation for risk.

I was becoming all too aware that some of my past decisions had been… unwise. The simple truth was that I would be no help to Ma or anyone else if I was dead. If I wanted to see through my plans for vengeance, I had to start exercising restraint. I smiled bitterly. If only I’d come to this realization sooner, perhaps I wouldn’t be out here alone.

I shook my head to clear it of my morose thoughts. I couldn’t undo the past, but I could learn from it. So what was the wiser course here?

Wait for morning, even if it costs more time.

Traveling at night was in itself perilous no matter if I headed west or south. If I waited for dawn, there was also a better chance that the orc company would have left the area—if they were still even about—making exploring the fire to the south viable.

My decision made, I cast wilting ward and life monitor across the cave mouth before heading deeper inside. Pulling out a sleeping bag from the sled, I made myself comfortable and closed my eyes to await the new dawn and whatever it brought.