28

Lucien lounged on the silver throne, idly watching the fight on a screen before him, bemused. These Victorious Vampires were quite ingenious, moving through the Library Labyrinth like that. He regarded their leader, that Alex fellow. Reviewing the quests they’d completed, it wasn’t much. Alex himself was only level 28, but that hardly seemed to matter.

Officially, the Vampires had only defeated the Prime Mandragora, Alex had several successful solo runs in the Diabolis Manor, and defeated Bleakheart. Lucien tapped the screen. That was the issue, wasn’t it. A group of no-names had, out of nowhere, completely exposed the Radiant Dawn’s plans to the rest of the players, and demolished one of the most resilient bosses in the game. Hansen believed most of their success to be attributed to that programmer they’d picked up. Lucien chuckled. Hansen was a good man, and he had intelligence, but wasn’t particularly smart outside of his expertise. Yes, Mayhew was a programmer and the highest-level member of their guild, so it would be easy to assign him responsibility for success. That was thrown out of Lucien’s mind the second he’d seen Alex operate. Whoever he was, he was extraordinary. He had tactical acumen, a firm grasp of leadership, enough charisma to browbeat every other player to follow him, and skill. Oh good lord above, such skill.

It was that which cemented him as someone special. Lucien could hardly believe it. Among everyone who he’d attacked in the Grand Court Hall, this man was the only one to not die instantly. This Alex had even attempted to counterattack. Most amusing indeed. Lucien smiled as he played recordings of Allocrax’s fights on several occasions at once. The way he moved, so smooth, so assured and full of confidence and consequence even as his face betrayed how desperate he was. Marvellous. In his time in RFO, Lucien had never encountered an equal. But perhaps Alex would one day rival him.

He shut them off as the subject of his inquiries ascended the stairs, a scowl opposite the smirk Lucien sported now. Alex’s eye took in every detail of the battlefield in an instant: a long, high-ceilinged hall, the flat, marbled floor cool beneath his boots. The stained-glass windows lining each wall, letting in the day’s light, framing the silver throne Lucien sat in with angelic angles, reflecting his brilliant white coat. However, all that was secondary. Two things caught his eye, both to Lucien’s sides. On the left, what looked to be encased in some kind of glass or plastic, was a large red button on a raised dais. And to Lucien’s left, was an old man with a long white beard in purple robes, encased in the same plastic, frozen to the wall, his eyes shut. Verringale. Alex’s eyes went from one, to the other, then met Lucien’s in the middle.

“Welcome, brave adventurer!” Lucien said brightly, a smile like the sun on his face. “You’ve managed to win your way through all manner of traps and monsters to come here. Congratulations.”

“Shut it and press that button. Ve’re losing time.” Alex growled, his red eyes glaring like coals.

“Sorry, no can do. This world, this existence, is paradise. How can you not see that? Everything humanity’s worked for, in the palm of our hand. There doesn’t have to be any more suffering, once the system gets rolling. We can make machines to tend to our bodies, while we create and explore. We have come across a world where resources are unlimited. Anything you want, anything you need. It can be provided, right here. We don’t have to wage war or go hungry, we don’t-”

Alex rolled his eyes and stuck his hand out with a “Magbolt!” The arcane missile shot out and was caught in Lucien’s palm, popping for -1.

“I wasn’t done talking.” Lucien siad petulantly.

“Vell I am! Die, surrender, or get out of my vay! No other option!” Alex snarled. Lucien shook his head.

“You’re really picking a fight with me?” He glanced at both their stats, comparing. But there was none, not really. He sighed. “I’d hoped you might see reason. After all, we’re gonna need tough and resourceful guides like you in the new world. You’ll see, it’ll be better. Sorry about this in the meantime then.” Lucien said as he stood up.

“*bleep* off, you pompous punk!” Alex said, drawing his sword. “You’ll be so-” Lucien disappeared.

Lucien reappeared, right behind him. Shame, really. He had the feeling they could’ve been friends. Ah well. The blade came down on Alex’s left side. His TGH was pathetic, his armor laughable. It would be over in this single hit.

CLANG!

Lucien’s eyes widened in shock. Alex’s head turned around, grinning savagely above the sword blocking the strike to his ribs.

“Afraid it’s not going to be that easy, little boy.” the vampire said.

Outside on the field, the fighting ceased as everyone, NPC, brainwashed avatar and free PC alike stared at the gigantic screen above them, Alex’s words booming across the landscape.

“C’mon dude, you’re our best hope.” Maulgor muttered, as if in prayer.

At the top of the Wizard’s Tower Lucien sprang back, avoiding a swipe of that same blade.

“How?” was the only thing he could say. In response, Alex just chugged a potion, his form glowing briefly.

“There ve go.” he said, watching the -256 he’d received from blocking the strike disappear. “Something called an auto-regen potion. You von’t be able to vear me down by hammering through my defense. Sviped it from some player who vans’t paying attention.”

Back on the field, a player rummaged through her inventory, certain she’d seen him dance behind her as the escort went past, busy with two orcs at once. Her inventory was indeed missing a potion.

“Hey!”

“That doesn’t answer my question.” Lucien said, analyzing him closely.

“Vasn’t trying to.”

“I see.” Lucien appeared behind him again, this time on his right. The Lightsworn swung into his ribs, barely an inch from cutting him in half.

Lucien’s eyes widened even more as Alex cartwheeled, perfectly in time with the swing and catching a boot to the face for it, -1. He stared at Alex incredulously. “Are you real?”

“Realer than the nose on your face. You’re just too blind to see it.” Alex snapped. Without warning there was the tip of a sword in his face, and without warning he slapped it away with his own, trapping it down and sliding up way too close to Lucien. “I said it von’t be that easy, stupid boy. You von’t valk avay from this.” -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1.

Lucien looked down to see a knife in Alex’s hands, stabbing into his gut. He snarled and pushed, his superior strength bowling Alex through the air. The damned Raider wheeled like an acrobat and hit the wall feet-first, hopping off lightly. Lucien shook his head.

“Were you in the circus or something?” he asked. Alex threw another Magbolt at him. He sighed and appeared right in front of him, swinging down. Practically before Lightsworn moved to slash, Alex’s blades crossed to meet it and threw it to the side. To his horror, Lucien couldn’t stop his momentum, and Alex had his back.

-1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1.

Lucien vanished and reappeared twenty feet away, panting. Alex smirked.

“I have never been in the circus, but I know a clown vhen I see vun.” he taunted.

“And I know a cheater when I see one! What’s your game!” Lucien shouted. Below, Hansen’s eyes flickered from Alex to Lucien nervously. How was he fending the top player of? How was he making Lucien frazzled?

“Oh? Big vords, coming from vun who cheats like you do. Very nice, proclaiming a brand new vorld free of the old problems, vhile positioning yourself as the new top dog. Using the terrorists to max out your level and stats, on top of the ability to-'' Lucien cut him off by cutting off his head.

Or tried to.

Without even turning, the knife stopped the blade before Lucien could gather momentum. Greater STR or not, just pushing him around was pointless. He grimaced as Alex smiled like the devil.

“Please. I know they gave you the ability to stop time in RFO.” he said. Lucien froze, and in that moment Alex became a blur of blades, striking with both, -1s ticking like a chaingun. Lucien leapt away, the vampire in hot pursuit.

He needed to stay calm. He mentally activated the command to pause the game, then trotted warily behind the Raider. He didn’t know how this player figured out the Radiant Dawn’s gift to him, but he wasn’t going to give up now. Not when they were so close. Now if only he could figure out how that guy could block him!

He resumed time mid-swing, minimizing Alex’s response time. He growled as Alex twisted and parried with the clash of metal on metal, scoring several more hits with the knife. It wasn’t that he couldn’t dodge them, he was just off-balance from attacking. Moving, attacking, and dodging simultaneously like that was impossible. Or it was supposed to be!

“How!?” he cried as Alex smoothly darted around his sword, stabbing, slashing, and kicking whenever there was an opportunity. Which Lucien, the strongest player in RFO, who’d practically solo’d the King of Abbaddon, learned was all the time.

“Pathetic! You’re too straightforward. You’re strength and speed eclipse mine, and you’re qvite efficient in your movement. But you are a rank amateur!” Lucien growled and paused the game in between several strikes, each appearing almost instantly to Alex. The vampire slid around each strike and stab fluidly, countering easily. “Too easy! I can see everything you do, before you even do it, fool!” Lucien stopped time and dashed around behind him again, ready to demolish him with one swipe. That’s when he noticed Alex’s sword folded up in his armpit, the tip pointed straight at him. That bastard! He didn’t need to look to see the grin on Alex’s face.

“Let’s see you predict this then.” He backed up to the end of the hall and sheathed his sword, before drawing it and shouting “Unsheathwave!” The spell triggered, but froze the instant it left contact with him. Smiling, he took a step away and let time resume.

FWOOSH!

The shockwave gouged out a trench in the floor as it travelled at supersonic speed, but Lucien watched open mouthed as Alex bent, dropping onto his left hand to flip away. The shockwave rattled the steps to the throne, but that was all the damage done as Alex twirled in a swirl of his black coat.

“Near or far, neither vill save you from me. Use all the magic in the game, you vill not be able to touch me.” he said, walking slowly up to a dumbfounded Lucien.

Lucien gaped at him, then looked at their respective health bars. Alex’s regenerated to 2,864, while Lucien’s was 49,006 of 50, 028. He’d hit him a thousand and twenty-two times in five minutes, with superior stats, and the ability to stop time. And he hadn’t managed to hit him once. His lips twitched, then flew into a smile.

“Eh heh...eh heh heh heh...ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!” Lucien laughed, excitement bubbling up within him. “ Too good! You’re too good! Ha ha ha ha ha!” At last! At last there was someone, someone worthy of playing against, of besting! “You’re amazing! Your skills are amazing! Fantastic! Wonderful!” He whipped his sword around, pointing it at the vampire with a manic grin on his face. His heart began to race, like it hadn’t in this game for a very long time. “It’s been a little boring, honestly. I never have a challenge any more. Nothing that’ll last more than two or three swings of a sword, at least. The enemies just can’t take it. Neither can the players. But you’re different, aren't you? I can go all out. Finally, someone worth a *bleep*.”

“Aren’t you a little presumptuous, assuming you’ll vin like that, little boy?” Alex said.

“You sure you’re not the one being cocky? I’m better than the final boss in any game you’d care to name. Much better than the final raid boss in RFO, at the least.”

“Sorry, I’m not here to play. I’m here to kill you.” -1 -1 -1 -1 -1, before Lucien’s brain could register them all. Lucien grinned. This was going to be fun.

They both moved, Lucien popping in and out of time, vanishing as a perfect defense and setting up for devastating positions with overpowered sword swings and overwhelming magic. Shockwaves, buffs, sun-hot flames, he had every spell available as a Knight. His sword wasn’t merely virtual steel, it was Death incarnate, ripping through whatever it touched as easily as Devan’s. An instant kill shot that could be anywhere in less than an instant. Any player, no matter the level, would be annihilated in an instant. And yet.

And yet, that man, the absolute madman, wouldn’t back down. No hesitation, no misjudgement, perfect timing. Lucien grit his teeth and swung, appearing out of his blind spot and leaving no room to dodge or counter. Except he did! Lucien watched Alex’s shoulderblades roll like a wave, moving before the sword made contact, whipping around into a punch. -1.

“How? How is this even possible? My SPD is simply too great. No one’s been able to even see my sword before, let alone dodge it.” he said, pausing a moment.

“I told you. You don’t listen very much, do you? Vell, I think that’s obvious. Both thick and pig-headed.” Alex said smugly, while Lucien growled. “You’re not as good as you think you are, dunce. Vhile you have greater power and speed, you are no fighter, no svordsman. It’s easy to predict you, especially vhen I know you can’t strike me in frozen time. The game vill not register it, I imagine.” Alex said tauntingly.

“You’re very perceptive.” Lucien said evenly, showing how little Alex affected him. Alex merely smiled wider, knowing a facade when he saw one.

“I’m much more than that. I’m also the soon-to-be victor.” Alex blurred into motion, Lucien’s superior SPD the only reason he was able to raise his sword in time, but even that wasn’t enough to stop the knee, the elbow, the knife, the hip check…

“Geh!” Lucien leapt high and far away, getting clear for a moment. Every time that freak was on him, he hit him so many times! Lucien felt like a freight train, incredibly powerful, but only able to go in one direction. This guy was an octopus, moving and hitting in more places at once than Lucien could imagine. Gah! This wasn’t fair!

“Unsheathwave!” Lucien casted as he landed, in frozen time. He went around the radius of the wave, and cast it again. The force froze while he chugged an MP potion and “Unsheathewave!” on the other side of the first, smirking. There. There was no way three simultanious shockwaves could be dodged. Dodge one, jump into another. “It’s been fun, but the game’s over now.” He unfroze time. The spells shot at the same time, Alex in the middle of the floor. Escape wasn’t an option.

“Stalagspike!” Alex huddled at the base the sharp stone pillar, the fierce winds grinding the shield smooth and thin but not enough to overcome it’s natural durability.

“The heck! How! That’s not-” A burst of energy took another -1 from him, right in his face.

“Magbolt! Magbolt!” Alex fired a couple more shots that way, but Lucien disappeared. Relying on his practiced instincts, he grabbed and spun around the pillar before Lucien cut him, punching out a stab with his knife before his momentum carried him away. He felt the air shift. Before he could blink, Lucien was coming at him again. “Heh. Stalagspike!” He sailed through the air, jumping on the spike and hopping off before Lucien destroyed it, slashing with all his might. That was it, get angry, focus only on wiping the smile off his face, get so enraged he got sloppy. Lucien whirled and pursued, disappearing. Then...a hint of motion. Left!

Clang! Allocrax had a much smaller frame and build than Lucien, so he was the one bounced away.

“Shadowgrab!” His shadow snagged the ruined pillar, pulling him in. He drug his blades across Lucien’s astonished midsection, and chuckled. The boy had power here, but no experience really fighting. -1 -1 -1 -1 -1.

Lucien glanced at his health bar. 48,033. His eyes widened. How had he hit him nearly two thousand times already! This would not do, would not do at all!

“You’re quick! Your SPD belies how fast you can really react. I didn’t even think it was possible, yet here we are.”

“It’s not about speed, it’s about timing. Something I have that you vill never equalize, no matter your cheats.” Alex retorted, darting away from the deadly Lightsworn and kicking him. The kicks didn’t even need to be hard, even a moderate impact would trigger the game’s damage registration. All he had to do was keep it up. It could take hours, but Alex had fought that long before, even if it had been some time. He wasn’t in a flesh and blood body, he couldn’t get tired; he only thought he could. Lucien was starting to pant and sweat now. Probably been awhile since he had to try against anyone too. That was the hope Alex was betting on.

However, it was less an endurance match than it was a race. Every moment the wizard was trapped or the button not pressed was one where the scan became more complete. And the sooner the players’ scans were in the database, the faster the brainwash program could be uploaded. Alex grit his teeth as Lucien constantly vanished, using his shadow to throw himself from the attacks as the enormous flashing blade appeared out of nowhere, faster than its namesake. Heh. The boy had the right idea, always aiming for his head or one of the vital organs. But even though that was the proper target for a real finishing blow, this was a game. Lucien didn’t seem to realize he could aim for any spot on Alex’s body. Even if limbs could be ripped off without death, their level difference made the incidental damage greater than Alex’s whole HP total. Not that Alex’d give him that chance.

“Why won’t you stay still!” Lucien cried, losing composure.

“Vhat’s wrong, little man? Is the little viddle player giving you a hard time? Am I trolling you? Getting griefed, young vhippersnapper?” Alex said innocently.

“Oh my God!” Lucien huffed, charging. He was so incensed he forgot to stop time. “Never say that again!”

“Very vell, little nancy-boy.” Duck, slide, flip over his head, hit him again for five more points off his HP bar. Lucien stumbled back and Alex pressed his attack, stabbing and slashing as quick as his SPD would allow, the constant barrage unfamiliar to Lucien. He froze the world and scrambled away on his hands and knees, gasping for air.

“The hell? Who is this guy? How is he so fierce?” he wondered, studying his opponent. Aside from basic stats and spells, he was hardly much different than any other level thirty-something player. He even looked duller than others normally would by now. Was that-dear lord, he was still using some of the basic starting equipment? Was this guy some super player he’d never heard of doing a self-imposed challenge?

“Wow, that sounds stupid.” he dismissed. Still, his extraordinary skill marked this Alex, the player behind Allocrax, as someone to keep an eye on. He’d be instrumental in the new virtual world-once he’d been shown how good it would be. And Lucien wanted him to embrace the glorious vision. This Alex was a real firebrand, a natural leader. The players would need him.

But first he’d have to beat him. And he wouldn’t be doing that by letting himself get distracted. No, that just played into Alex’s hands. He needed to calm down, get his head in the game...he blinked. Then laughed.

“What! Of course! Is it really that easy? Really that simple? Heh ha ha ha heh ha!” Still chuckling, he unpaused the game. Alex immediately spun around to stab, sensing where he was, but Lucien merely...flexed.

“Vhat!” Alex barked. He tugged and tugged, but his sword was lodged firmly in Lucien’s gut.

“See, I forgot. It’s a game. The only hit point that matters is the last one.” Lucien, with a time flicker, grasped Alex’s hand on the sword hilt, his simple superior STR unbreakable. Alex yowled and struck with the knife in his other hand, but Lucien could see the fear and panic in his eyes. He was trapped.

“Don’t worry. It’s over now. You played the game well, but…” Lucien stabbed Alex straight through with the Lightsworn. Alex stared at him, teeth bared in shock and hatred as he dissolved into light. “You weren’t on my level.”

“NO!” Lina screamed, Hellcrusher suddenly heavy in her hands. The fighting had stopped while the battle above raged on screen, determining the future of everyone in Real Fantasy Online.

“It can’t be, it can’t be…” Father Mayhew repeated numbly, cold spreading through his virtual body. He searched through his inventory blindly, looking for something, anything that could help. Jamie sank to his knees white-faced. His head was swimming. Alex...Alex had failed. Lost. The badass invincible vampire, able to handle nearly anything had…

His tears floated away in the water.

Lucien dusted himself off, sparing a glance outside as the fighting resumed below, the free players demoralized and vanishing into data at a higher rate than before. He smirked as he took his seat on the silver throne. Wouldn’t be long now.

“Great job, kid! You did good.” Hansen said, coming up through the floor.

“I know. He was good. A real asset for the future, if he can get his head on straight.” He glanced as his HP. 47,789. “But in the end, he couldn’t even deal three thousand damage before I hit him once. Oh yes, have Primrose Boulevard finish them and bring them all up here, please. Might as well give our guests a good view to the new beginning. I’ll need some invincible chains, too. Quickly, please.” Lucien said.

“Got it. You heard him, girls!” Hansen said,typing away on his keyboard.

Below the waves Devan desperately swung his sword around, the girls against him dancing out of reach. Damn it! His character wasn’t strong enough to chase them down!

“Hmph. Why are you only level 62, anyway!” Izumi said, shooting a Rain of Arrows at her friends.

“I had to use my personal account with the normal character creator! I couldn’t program a character like theirs without the system, it’d take another week!”

“Capture all intruders.” the girls of Primrose Boulevard said in unison, making everyone there shiver. That was what their futures held.

“Rrrrrraagh!” Lina let out a primal scream trying to fend them off, but she was unfocused. Through the flailing, Aggie lined up a clear shot with her staff.

“Haltalyze.” Lina froze, the spell stopping her avatar from moving for the next 15 seconds. Which was thirteen more than Shannon needed. Two attacks, and she was gone.

“Haltalyze” Aggie cast at Izumi, freezing her too for Marie to wipe her out in a guitar chord.

“No!” Devan managed to slash the Magus with his blade, but was open for Sherry to bash him over the head with her holy mace. “No...I can’t-” he muttered as he burst into data, dropping the black sword.

As all this happened, Jamie watched, the pain of his despair etched into every last byte of Sahalazar. After everything that happened, this was the end. Nothing could stop Lucien and the Radiant Dawn. They weren’t smart enough, fast enough, strong enough. Lina struck down despite her STR. Mayhew chanting madly to himself, searching in vain. The developer of the game with a kill-anything sword got one-shotted. Even...even the strongest, meanest, most skilled, most assured, nicest vampire he’d ever met had...had...

Jamie choked on a sob. Alex couldn’t get the job done. None of them were strong enough. The Primrose guild was closing in, his team was wiped out, Mayhew was coming up empty. He was the only one left, and not for long. He let out a long-suffering sigh. Might as well just give up. It’d hurt, but not as much as trying to struggle. He couldn’t make a difference anyway. His shoulders slumped. He knew the sensation of defeat well. He’d learned it from his school, his father, his entire life by third grade. You’d think he’d be used to it by now. He knew he was a disappointment, all his life, even to his vampire teacher. God, what would Alex say if he saw his pathetic disciple?

‘I have no time for such thoughts, not vhen my thinking could be used for victory.’

Jamie blinked. Well, yes, that was what Alex had said, but...he knew Alex looked down on him.

‘Most are simply shabbling lumps vanting a nice, safe routine rather than try anything difficult. I spit upon them. Vhy? Because, dear boy, they refuse to change. You, on the other hand? You vish to better yourself. How...refreshing.’

Jamie squeezed his eyes together, hot tears mixing with the seawater as Alex’s words came back to him, hitting harder than any blow he’d taken, in RFO or out. He wanted to cry out, for his memory to stop; to let go of the words of the one man who’d ever tried to help him.

‘Vhat are you, Jamie?’

‘Immortal!’

He shook his head. He was powerless. Alex was the strong one. Alex was the only one who could do it. Alex had a plan, was the leader, a real man, even if he was a vampire. Jamie was just a scared little boy. Even if he wanted to change, he couldn’t. Not now, not ever. He opened his eyes. Mayhew rummaging in his inventory. Primrose Boulevard turning on them. Nothing he...nothing he...nothing he had...and, and, that maybe wasn’t true, was it?

‘A real man is vun who can be relied upon. By others, by himself.’ Jamie felt red eyes staring at him. Not judging, not asking. Daring.

‘Can you be relied upon?’

After all, Alex split his points between three stats. Even if he was more practiced, push came to shove, Jamie had minmaxed for even more SPD…

Jamie suddenly burst from his knees, knocking Mayhew over. He ignored the squawk from the Priest, and grabbed what he needed. The items were right there, after all. Before even the brainwashed Primrose Boulevard could process, he was running towards the wall next to the stairs. Only Teri and a Sea Scourge were close. She reached out, faster and stronger.

“If you ever loved me, stop!” Max cried desperately, hanging onto her, trying to hold her back and failing miserably. Her arm went out, her clawed fingers closing on Jamie’s black cloak-and hesitated, not even for a second.

But it was enough.

“TELEPORT!” Jamie heaved one of the bugged spell crystals at the wall and the sea serpent, sucking them all into a glitched void. He zipped through the warped space, hanging momentarily in the air above the battlefield. Until he held up the second crystal he’d stolen. “Teleport!” Then, he was gone.