Chapter 5: Delusions

After nearly losing his life to the boar, Baron was in no hurry to try again. No matter how confident he felt he wouldn’t risk another trip to hell. The fight with the boar showed him one thing though, he hadn’t gotten stronger with the addition of a powerful weapon. As long as he didn’t know how to use it and lacked battle experience he would still remain the same powerless man that Lucifer killed.

Monsters in the area couldn’t compare to the mid boss, but even while powerless they threatened his life. Still he gambled on odds most would consider suicidal. Whether attacking a large group of vicious bunnies or moving from fight to fight without letting his health return, his uncanny luck wouldn’t relent.

It wasn’t the type of luck like stumbling across a rare item or tripping over a unique sword stuck in the ground. In the midst of battle his sword would barely move into position for a block, or his blade would nick an artery as it glided through flesh. It was almost as if his body was moving on instinct.

At level 5 he gained mountains of experience as he farmed the innocent creatures for all their worth. Naturally as players got stronger more and more of them encroached onto Baron’s secluded hunting grounds. Yet, none dared set foot on his territory—the same territory the boar claimed days earlier.

He became somewhat of a legend. The rumor of the bastard of bastard swords turned to the behemoth man with the bastard blade. As they had done to see the sword, people flocked to the hill to watch him hunt. Humans are curious creatures with curiosities that must be filled. To the onlookers it inspired awe and frightened them at the same time. To think the rumors were true, only for the beast to be standing right in front of them. None said a word as he monopolized part of the hunting grounds.

After several days went by the rumors continued to evolve. Added to the mix was a man who never slept, only soloed high level monsters at every hour. Several suitors from guilds of every caliber came to recruit him. Most left without setting foot on his hill, let alone relaying their offers.

One guild did manage to offer him a membership. Olympus, as they called themselves, promised him a commanding role in their Heavy Soldiers Division. The guild was at the time tied for the largest in the game. Having easily reached the current limit for guild members at 500, they began creating multiple allied guilds, or divisions, and expanding in that way. Of course, Baron turned down the offer.

Everyone could feel it, yet no one knew how to put it into words. The subtle presence Baron gave off left the small crowds restless, almost anxious to leave. For some it just made them uncomfortable, while others took to violence. It didn’t take long before those jealous of his strength came to lash out. Such are the weak who envy the strong for being everything they could never achieve.

Delusions are something all men are prone to. Whether titled a king, leading an army to conquer the world, or a peasant groveling at the feet of said king—everyone is taken. Those with strength look to the strongest and think themselves weak; the powerless are ignorant of true strength thus assume they are strong. It is ingrained into the minds of the masses, set in stone from cradle to grave. These misconceptions of strength start wars that reality ends.

Arriving to the better hunting grounds farther away from the city, a player named Luca lamented at what he saw. 3 weeks went by since he started grinding rabbits, dying several times in the process, to earn his way into the upper echelons of hunters. Yet the amount of people who stood before him overwhelmed his pride. There was the same, if not more, people here than where he started. All of whom stood above him; each is an obstacle on the path of his destiny.

The only thing that kept him steadfast during his first week of hunting were vain thoughts. “I’m better than the rest. No one can hold a candle to me. I will be revered across the kingdom as Luca, the strongest knight to have ever lived and leader of the most powerful guild in history.”

Of course, he wasn’t a knight and he didn’t have a guild, but that would all come with time. One thought now sent all others into chaos. “How am I supposed to achieve the grandeur I deserve if these peasants take all the hunting spots?”

He scanned the terrain until his eyes fell on a hill strangely devoid of people. Nothing seemed wrong with the area from what he could discern. The hill looked identical to the rest, maybe even better. Grass ranged from ankle to knee high and a large oak tree provided an abundance of shade. There were even some squirrels that looked like they would give decent experience scurrying along.

As he watched the tiny creatures with gluttonous eyes, Baron came into view. He had already memorized the spawn system and mercilessly hunted down the fluffy-tailed monsters.

Luca’s blood began to boil and his skin crawled upon realization of the situation. One person took control of the area. What entitled this man to so much when he, the strongest knight to have ever lived, had to vye for the weakest mobs? It was an unfathomable injustice that would leave a sour taste in his mouth until righted.

With full confidence in himself as the strongest player in the game, Luca went to confront Baron. His mind raced in attempt to conceive every possible way to put this worm in his place. He noticed a decent crowd gathered, something he could use to his advantage. Maybe he would let them watch while he took the bastard and made him dance, or better yet have him act like the peasant he is and grovel for his life. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the humorous thoughts.

Luca’s face gleamed giddy with excitement as all eyes fell on him ascending into the domain of a legend. What he thought were people quietly praising his courage, was really suppressed laughter as the crowd mocked his ill-held bravery. Still, they all yearned to see a spectacle of carnage. They all saw the myth’s image, the man behind the legend, and saw him hunt. He measured above average players, yet they all wanted to see how they themselves would fare against such a beast. So far none had been stupid enough to try their luck.

Baron saw Luca’s approach but decided not to react. He just wished that all these people would go away. He didn’t know why the crowds gathered around him and he didn’t care. They annoyed him.

At first he stayed on the hill to hunt, however, boredom eventually took hold. He wished to hunt stronger prey, yet the crowds began to block his escape. All he wanted was to hunt in solitude, but here came a player trying to further interrupt him.

“If you leave this hill now, I may let you keep your life. Though I can’t say the same for your dignity,” said Luca. His voice projected loud and assertive. You could hear the false confidence as he drew his blade. “I call this sword Death because it only takes one slash to kill people. It cost me 5 silvers. That’s more money then you’ll prolly ever see.”

At the threat Baron turned to face the player. His serious demeanor betraying him as an inaudible chuckle emerged. The fool’s statements unfounded themselves with a comedic vibe, and his naming sense was atrocious.

Upon seeing Baron’s figure turn and face him, Luca was nearly taken with self-doubt. He had been so far away before that he never realised the player was a barbarian. He had heard the rumors like everyone else. Still, he was going to be the leader of history's strongest guild one day. It should be him everyone considered a legend. And so he took his stance ready to fight the rumor as equals.

“I’m not in the mood right now kid. Why don’t you just leave and never come back.”

“Don’t act like you’re that strong. Compared to me you're nothing. One more word and I’ll take your head off.” Luca raised his sword in anticipation. He tried to stare Baron down with as much intimidation as he could muster, yet the eyes of a beast shone back. They didn’t waver as the barbarian stood, adrenaline coursing through his veins, waiting for a reason to let loose. Fighting other players would be the best practice before going up against the Blue Blood Brothers.

“Lets get this over with. You’re wasting my time,” said Baron

Luca was beginning to boil over with rage. The blatant disrespect was something he couldn’t tolerate. If the worm didn’t know his place, then he would have to show him.

Sword in hand, Luca charged Baron. The blade stayed true to the price he had paid. It was a longsword made with expert craftsmanship. The edge was razor sharp and the constitution of metal was far from degraded. It may have been Luca’s only redeeming quality.

His stance didn’t existent, and the form he used gave swordsman a bad name. With one hand on the hilt, he left the other flailing about. Had he used both there might have been a hint of power behind the swing.

As the blade moved closer and closer Baron wanted to laugh. He had expected a player to be more of a challenge, but this made him laugh. On the hill there are nothing but small creatures that relied on speed rather than strength. After learning to hit a fox running full gait, blocking this sword was reflexive. No matter how good the craftsmanship is, physics always wins. Death landed on the Iron Bastard only to bounce back. The perfect weight of Baron’s sword naturally put him into position for a counter attack. In one fluid motion his blade lodged itself in Luca’s shoulder. Like a wedge that kept driving, the chunk of iron came to a rest after finding a home in the player’s chest.

A single moment passed before Luca met his end. Like every other monster he faded into smoke. Nothing left but warm blood splatter on Baron’s clothes and cheers from the crowd of onlookers. In video games levels are absolute. When a level 6 like Luca challenged a level 11, the outcome was decided before they started.

Baron gained no pleasure from fighting such a weak opponent. There was no thrill of fear nor feeling of accomplishment. It left an unsatisfying taste that only teased his hunger. A morsel that couldn’t wet the appetite of a dog, let alone a beast.

Warning!

Killing NPCs and players is a crime and will be viewed as such by the guards. Since you were not the first to strike, a warning is being placed. Another incident will lead to immediate arrest and subsequent jail time. This warning will expire in 30 days.

Baron read the message and dismissed it just as fast. He started growing bored of these hunting grounds. Deciding he needed to relocate further away from the city, he would have to get a couple things from town first. It would be a long walk to the forests, so replenishing his stock of jerky was essential. Also, there was the matter of collecting the boar’s bounty from Sir Hollis. 17 silvers wasn’t a small sum, and he didn’t want to risk the reward expiring or being claimed by some impostor.

House of Wolves

————————————-

Hope you enjoyed. Chapter 5 marks half way through volume 1. This is where some lasting characters are finally introduced, and a more structured plot begins to form. Though much more of that in the next volume.

This chapter has not been proofread. If you’d like to you can proofread it Here.