"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."

― Roald Dahl

Pod People Arcade

9pm

The world hit Liam like a bucket of cold water. He drew in a ragged breath filling his lungs with the smell of chemical fog and the stink of his own sweat. The sound of many voices reached his ears and his eyes focused. The frosted canopy in front of his face ascended up and away from him. Grabbing a handhold he shifted his bulk and climbed out. He tried to take a step but fell to his hands and knees from a massive dizzy spell. A second later he was retching on the carpet. In the neon lights, the bile looked quite a bit like glowing toxic waste. A girl rushed to his side and knelt.

"Are you ok, sir?" She asked in a compassionate voice. When he looked up he saw the ‘Staff' shirt on her slight frame.

"Yes," He said in a thick voice.

"Please you should take a seat, there are some couches nearby." She said and reached for him. Taking his arm she tried to help him up. Liam though was so heavy she couldn't do anything other than clutch at his shirt sleeve. Still, the girl kept her face passive and guided him to the rest area. After sitting he wiped his mouth on a sleeve and closed his eyes. He struggled to calm his mind and still his racing heart. The events of the last hour had him dancing in circles as badly as his equilibrium. He took in a long slow breath before exhaling through his nose. Another few breaths and he detected the scent of strawberry shampoo. One of his blue eyes opened a crack to discover the staff girl standing before him. She wordlessly extended the paper cup. He drained the water inside swishing the liquid around his mouth. He was forced the swallow though, which made him feel a little ill again.

"Sorry about the mess," He said glancing at her.

She had on an impish smile as she spoke, "Don't worry about it, happens all the time."

"Really?"

"Why do you think the carpet is that hideous dark gray?" She whispered holding a hand to the side of her mouth. She smiled again and took the cup back. "Actually it has a name, First-Timers Vertigo." She said, and he blinked in surprise. Waving her hand towards the pods she continued. "It's a bit of a shock the first time you come out. Really you shouldn't have spent so much time in on your initial run— twenty minutes is recommended."

"Am I that obvious?" He asked thickly.

"Sorry, kinda. Your face is all green." She said grimacing in sympathy.

"How did you like it?" She asked and he had to think about that. At first he'd say he hated the experience but that had changed. It had been exciting at the end. Yeah, it wasn't so bad after a few seconds of thought.

"I think I might give it another go." He said and the girl beamed.

"Are you with those guys that left earlier?" She asked. "I could credit the account with a few free hours if you're on the membership."

"No, I was just trying it out with them. We're not friends." He said a little sourly.

"Oh," she said seeming to grasp the situation. The girl turned as someone called her name. She made a half-gesture of acknowledgment before turning back to Liam. Her face still seemed mostly kind which he appreciated. "I'm sorry, I have to get back to work. Take your time. The doors don't lock until ten o'clock." She said before turning to go.

"Thanks," He said to her retreating back. Liam considered the experience he'd just had. It had been terrifying, and memorable, and it made him want to crawl back inside to see what happened next. He knew he was going to have to buy one of those machines for himself. He'd gotten a taste of a new life, and he wanted more. Climbing to his feet he made his way up the ramp. The late fall air that night was unusually dry and hot. Half a dozen people were standing around smoking electronic cigarettes a few feet from the doors. Teenagers not quite ready to pack it in for the night. Liam walked the two blocks to his car and got in. The engine roared to life before he pulled out of the small parking lot and drove home.

Exiting his car he pressed the key code to close the garage. He still felt a little light headed but once inside sat down at his computer, and brought up the Nigmus Online website. It was colorful with pictures of the game world itself layered into the background.

He pulled out the scrap of paper Doug had shoved at him earlier that evening. As he thought the man had spent very little time filling out the details. The account information was blank except a junk email. He changed that so he would control his account. Next he changed the password to something less stupid. He quickly verified that the changes had taken effect by checking his email. Liam added his credit card information and invested in the subscription.

Liam wanted to learn about the world he was about to become apart of. The main website provided very little information but did supply two interesting facts. The first thing he discovered was how to log out. It was such a bloody simple trick, but he doubted he'd ever have figured it out. You were supposed to keep your head still and look up with your eyes. An icon would appear in the lower left corner which was the menu system. The second thing he found out was possibly the most interesting. Everyone started the game as a level zero commoner. It was left to the player to decide what class they wished to play.

More time passed as he browsed the internet. Finally, another tidbit caught his attention. The details on how to change classes was secret. After an entire month of play only five different jobs had been discovered. Fighter, Archer, Thief, Wizard, and Cleric. Each of them had to be unlocked via a special series of actions. Except for Liam, who had just stumbled upon a new class.

Next, he went shopping online and ordered the newest Cerebral-Neural Helmet he could find. Pods were older perfected technology, but they took up space. It was impossible to pull a person from the middle of a simulation with a pod. Doing so was dangerous, and could cause more than just a little vertigo. Liam though lived alone in an affluent part of the suburbs, so he didn't need a full pod. He opted for the unrestricted immersion helmet. It was a ridiculous amount of money, but he wanted the best experience he could afford. At the same time he ordered a copy of the game to install directly to the Dive Helmet. Liam already possessed a fast fiber optic connection for the necessary bandwidth. Ten minutes later he got an automated message saying his order was accepted. The items would be priority shipped in the morning.

He couldn't wait to get back into the game. Liam felt like there was something special waiting for him in that other world.

***

Liam - Level 1

Aethon Island - Outside New Hearth City

Early Morning

Liam appeared in a graveyard. Small marble tombstones circled like cherubs around the statue of a winged angel. The celestial creature floated amid— but not quite touching— the pool of still water. Little lilies bobbed slowly about on the surface. To Liam's right miniature mausoleums dotted the green grass, stretching away from the protecting angel's gaze. To the left, a trail of white flagstones circled the pool, then meandered toward town. After a second a large pop-up appeared before him.

[Warning! You have died while logged out.]

[This game uses a ‘Resurrection' system.]

[You are protected from this until you reach level five.]

[In the future remember that your body will not disappear after you log out.]

[Try and find a safe place to sleep; rent a room at the inn, or an apartment in town.]

***

[Character Death]

[After level five you will be logged out of your character at death.]

[There will be a one hour cooldown before you can log back in as a ghost.]

[Your spirit will be unable to touch or interact with the world. However, you can show yourself to others in order to secure a resurrection. Your corpse— the vessel for your soul— must be brought to the Goddess's Temple for them raise. Alternatively, a level 15+ cleric may raise the body. The safest solution is to have friends obtain your corpse and bring it to town. You have 24 hours to raise the body before the soul passes on.]

Well shit. That told Liam several things he would have liked to know yesterday. He wondered how he had died. Was he killed by a player, a monster, or possibly by an area of effect spell? He had better figure out the game before he reached level five. The sun poked slightly above the horizon in the distance. The morning dew had already melted off, but there was still a few hours left until noon. As far as he could tell the time matched that of earth. Behind him, the rough stone walls of New Hearth stretched. At the far end Liam could make out the city gate and a road. Tiny figures of people moved in and out with a purpose.

"Damn wolves!" Someone yelled nearby. Liam turned to see a man wearing crudely patched chain-mail popping into existence next to him. His face was set in an angry grimace as he sheathed his sword. Without taking any notice of Liam the man set off directly south at a fast jog.

Liam turned back to the angel amid the water font. Bending over the still pool he looked at himself again. As he figured, Liam's character was quite a bit different than before. He was a bare bones skeleton without even a scrap of flesh on his body. Liam bent closer to the water to examine his face. It was like some cartoonist had shaped a skull from white silly-putty. His jaw and mouth were enormous. Each jagged tooth was like a sharks. That didn't even count his four inch long tusks. His left eye socket was much bigger than the other. Deep inside his ocular recess's two tiny specks of green flame floated. They were like embers burning on a cold night. In his hands Liam was still carrying a torch and spell book. The torch was totally spent with only a burned end left— he dropped the item to the ground. The book he would have to carry. Sticking his skeletal hand into his pants brought up a small inventory screen. That was nice— however he only had two slots available— most likely the contents of both pockets. The first slot contained a large blue gemstone. Removing it he discovered it was similar to the one he'd seen Cole use. Concentrating on the item brought up its description.

Bind Stone -

Activate to bind yourself to a location. It's wise to do this inside a town. Using the gem will teleport you back to your previously bound location. (4-hour cool-down)

Liam needed a quiet place to check out his character for a few minutes. Moving towards a large set of grave markers he sank to the grass. He pressed his bony back into the cold marble before looking skyward. God it was so beautiful out. The colors made the outside world look dull and lifeless. Clouds were still being colored with the multi-hued light from the rising sun. Glancing upward with his eyes he saw a menu icon. He reached up and touched this bringing up a list of options. He selected his character page.

Name - SmellyJelly

Race - Half-Orc/Undead Male

Class - 1 Necromancer

HP - 60 (Con) + 16 (Class Lvl) = 76

Mana - 50 (Int) + 25 (Wis) + 15 (Class Lvl) = 90

7 - Strength (Melee Damage Bonus, Carry Weight.)

5 - Agility (Small bonus to movement speed, feats of dexterity.)

5 - Perception (The ability to hear and see the world around you. Trap Detection.)

6 - Constitution (Duration of Sprinting, Holding your breath, Bonus Health +10 per point.)

5 - Intelligence (Magic Damage, Bonus Mana +10 per point.)

5 - Wisdom (Mana regeneration, Bonus to experience gain, Bonus Mana +5 per point.)

3 - Charisma (Affects shop prices, Bonus to NPC Relations.)

Unspent Attribute Points - 22

Liam sighed at the character name Doug had given him. "Oh so clever," he thought and was glad the man had died. Liam sent a request to a GM for help. He did not want to spend the rest of his short life named SmellyJelly. At least the stupid man had left his attribute points alone. Though, it was more likely Doug had been too busy setting up the joke to bother. Liam let the points be for now and started to poke around. Each of the items he could click brought more information. A pop up helpfully described what each ability stat controlled. He jabbed a bony finger at the necromancer class making another box appear.

"The necromancer has spurned the natural order of life, reaching for power through twisted eldritch magic. Even in death, their knowledge of the arcane continues to grow. If given enough time, enough drive, could a necromancer become a lich? Where ever he treads he shall leave behind a trail of dead and undead. Their appearance can vary in many ways except one. A necromancer's eyes will glow with the eldritch light of undeath."

HP per level - 6

Mana per level - 15

Every five levels the necromancer gains a new bonus feat.

Class Abilities -

Level 1 -

[Paralyzing Grasp] Successfully grappling an enemy will paralyze the living creature for ten seconds. If the grip is broken so is the effect.

Well, that was awesome, being able just to grab someone and paralyze them. After closing out of his character screen, he hefted the spell book into his lap. It was bound in black leather with a brass relief running along the edges of the book. A clasp shaped like a skull held the two sides closed. As he opened the Grimoire, he discovered most of the pages were empty. Apparentl,y all its magical knowledge had been drained transforming him from peon to undead master. He flipped to the front of the book. The first page contained spell casting instructions.

You can cast a spell by incanting its name or creating a spell macro. To do so, select the spell from the book, then raise your hand in a distinct hand movement. Higher level spells will require more complicated gestures.

As your power grows so will your knowledge of arcana. Class specific spells will come naturally to you. Other schools of magic you will need to locate and copy to your grimoire. You may only have a limited number of these in your spellbook. Take care which spells you wish to learn. When your level is sufficient you may copy a scroll into your grimoire. This will destroy the scroll. After a dozen more instructional pages he found a divider and his first spell.

1st Level

[Negative Energy Bolt]

A putrid green bolt of eldritch energy fired from the hand can damage living creatures. (Note - Negative energy will heal undead creatures. Has no effect on the non-living such as stone golems.)

Casting time - .5 sec

Mana required - 20

Recast - Instant

Underneath this, the page was filled with diagrams and mystic script. He touched the page selecting the spell. The letters started to glow and there was an audible hum. Liam pointed sideways with two fingers held together. After a few seconds, a green light covered his hand before firing from his fingers. There was an electric sizzle as the bolt of energy struck a nearby tombstone. Pretty cool, though he was still without a decent robe or weapon. With his mana it meant he had to kill something in less than five shots or face it unarmed. The next few pages contained utility spells.

[Sense Dead]

Allows the caster to sense the presence of nearby corpses and undead.

Cast time - 1 Seconds

Mana required - 15

Recast - 20 minutes.

[Spirit Lantern]

Casts a small glowing wisp to light the necromancers way. Lasts for one hour for every ten levels of the mage.

Cast time - 3 Seconds

Mana required - 10

Recast - Instant

Could he go into town and buy a few things? Liam remembered the warning about being universally hated. Trying to get past the guards might be a bad idea, though if he were killed, he'd likely just end up back in the graveyard.

"You requested a GM?" A man asked appearing before him. Liam looked up more than a little startled to see a wide faced human wearing dark blue robes. The red haired man floated a few inches off the ground as if to display his godlike power. Instead of pupils, radiant blue light filled his eyes.

"Yes, thank you for coming so quickly," Liam said.

"It's morning. Things will pick up soon when schools on the east coast start to get out." The man said with a shrug. Liam stood, and the GM eyed his loose-fitting tunic and trousers. What a sight, a undead mage with such lowly beginnings.

"I believe you're the first necromancer I've seen and with such an unusual name." The man said glancing upwards.

"Ah, ha-ha… " Liam laughed lamely. "That's why I requested help. My friends invited me to play the game and we were drinking." Liam lied, and the man frowned tilting his head to the side. His eyes went distant for a few seconds like he wasn't quite there. It was hard to tell since they were glowing so brightly. Maybe he was checking the logs.

"I see, well, considering the name might be offensive to someone I'll change it. What would you like?" The game master asked making Liam think fast. He should have put a little more thought into this before making the request. He just decided to go with his own name hoping it wasn't taken.

"Liam is fine." He said and the man's eyes were distant again.

"Done, is that everything?" The man asked, and Liam checked his character screen. Yes, indeed the name was now his own. It was a bit of luck to have it available. He would eventually be Lich Liam. That had an interesting ring to it.

"Yes, thank you. I appreciate the help." He said and the man grinned slyly.

"I'll have the let the higher-ups know the class has been found."

"Why?" Liam asked.

The Game Master smiled knowingly. "There's a reason it used the words universally hated." He said, and suddenly without warning was gone. Liam was sure now, he'd bitten off more than he could chew.

For a while, he sat considering what the GM had just told him. Slowly it dawned on Liam just how screwed he really was. No auction house, no bank, no inn, probably couldn't take any quests. It was a good thing he was undead or he'd starve out here otherwise. Nigmus Online set him up to fall. Well, he wasn't getting any better by just sitting in the grass. He stood and dusted his loose pants off then started south away from the city. He decided that grouping with a random newbie was likely his best ticket. He pointed to someone near the road and selected "Invite to Party," from the list.

[You may not party with the living.]

"Really Devs!" He yelled up at the sky.

"You hate me too don't you?" He asked but was only greeted with the bland stares of players nearby. That GM hadn't been kidding, he was on his own.

Ten minutes later he slowly walked through a small pine forest south of town. He'd caught sight of a wolf doing its own hunting. The creature's floating name was yellow which probably meant this would end in a short brutal death. Liam took careful aim with his fingers pointed at the creature. The audible hum of magic made the animal pause mid-step, ears flicking around. Then a bolt of greenish energy lanced out striking the animal in the shoulder. The wolf yowled in pain and turned to Liam. With a snarl, it charged straight at him. Aiming again he waited as the magic built. The [Feral Wolf] dodged just as the spell left Liam's finger tips. The green bolt flashed passed and hit a tree making it shutter from the impact. A drove of wilted leaves fell to the ground.

"Crap," he cursed taking a step back. The wolf jumped from ten feet away, and Liam barely got his arm up in time. It's powerful jaws bit down hard taking a chunk of Liam's health. He fired again at point-blank range hitting the wolf in the stomach. It yipped letting go before dancing away, and past a tree. The [Feral Wolf] growled from within the bushes. For a few seconds it circled Liam looking for a better angle. He braced himself by planting his feet in the soft mossy dirt. With a second deeper snarl the wolf charged from cover. Liam was ready and caught the wolf mid-jump by the throat. The animal stiffened immediately in paralysis. This gave him enough time to fire two bolts of energy into its chest. The wolf went limp in his skeletal hands. Letting go of the corpse it fell lifeless to the ground.

His first fight and he'd managed to win earning a sizable chunk of experience. After poking the body nothing appeared to drop; no coins, or meat, or fancy pelts. Was this going to be one of those games you had to learn butchering? Of course training such a skill would require going into town. Liam sighed in annoyance but left the corpse where it lay. For the rest of the morning he kept at it managing to level several times. There was no doubt he loved the game. The fights were amazing and the spells were wicked cool.