First off…

orz I’m sorry to anyone/everyone waiting for another chapter of Dead World Online. I have my reasons for the hiatus, part of which being my computer decided to malfunction and I had to reset it causing me to lose precious chapters and parts of DWO, but I’m back now and will be for a while. I fear the quality of my writing has probably dropped due to rustiness and blah blah, more excuses, blah blah, ranting.

I plan to give you all an interesting story as I continue to work out how I want this to go. Not a lot has changed from my original plans for our protagonist, and for the game he plays. Get ready for more exciting adventures from My Sad Laptop Inc.

There may be some random nonsense in this chapter but you know, it has its reasons for being there. I promise (Lies?) this is the last chapter maybe probably where I randomly introduce things that seem arbitrary. Eventually it will all connect and make some sense. Definitely… I know what I’m trying to do. Also, this chapter is to help me get back into writing the story since I'm not that good of a writer and rarely get inspiration. However, please continue to stick with me and I will continue to try to improve.

As always, please enjoy.

Chapter 10: A Tempting Offer

Frost watched the moon rise into view from a clearing deep in the forest, finally beginning to feel the chill after spending so long in the frozen environment. His resistances and clothing held the cold at bay, but after all the time he spent outside in the chilly north, even he was beginning to feel the cold seep into his body. It wasn’t so bad though, everything considered, as he lay back in the snow, breathing in and out slowly. It was peaceful. The moon illuminated the soft flakes of snow that fell often in the north.

He sighed, content, as a light wind ruffled his hair. He was dressed in the clothes his parents had given him, having hidden everything that might reveal him as the man in the wolf mask. The sword, the cloak, and the mask were all hidden away in his pack, not that he expected to run into anyone this deep in the forest, especially this late at night. The night grew longer as he thought about what steps to take from there on out. First, he would need to resupply. He would have to buy armor as well as tools and ingredients for cooking. He definitely couldn’t forget materials for food. If he had to eat another grein steak, he was going to puke.

‘You look as though you are reminiscing about the past, thinking deep thoughts about something.’

It was the wolf spirit again, returned to finish the quest and give him his reward. “Quite the opposite actually. I’m planning ahead.”

‘Is that so? Where will you go from here?’

Frost pointed off towards the distant mountains. “South, over the mountains and all the way to the sea, one step at a time.”

‘I certainly chose the right person. You do know the rumors of the southern continent?’

“Oh they’re more than rumors. I’m sure of it.”

‘I will no longer question you then, but I will offer you knowledge that has never been granted to any two-legged one. I also reward you for your aid.’ At that moment, the moonlight started to shimmer and solidify, taking on form and color. It formed into a grey cloak that looked like the fur of a wolf, complete with a hood that was shaped like a wolf head. It fell directly into his lap, but he just held onto it rather than looking too closely at it for the moment.

Quest complete. Rewards: Cloak of the Wolf, 3,000 exp[/TR]

Level up!

‘There are other spirits that seek a protector, someone to fight the injustice of this world with righteous vengeance. You are someone that can save them, so I implore you to help them. I can even offer you a special guardian class. The foxes in the plains to the east…’

Frost considered for a moment before deciding. Once you took a class, there was no going back unless you went through a great deal of trouble to change it. “Sorry. I’m not really interested in the whole saving the world lifestyle. I get that there’s probably an awesome set of armor in it for me and that class is probably great, but I have to reject it. It’s just not my style to take care of other people’s problems when I have my own. Also, fighting people nearly ended with my death. I doubt I could keep doing it and survive.”

‘Even though you wouldn’t die permanently?’

Frost froze. The wolf spirit wasn’t even supposed to know that players existed, much less that he was one of them. He forced himself to relax physically while his mind raced. Likely, there was a reason behind what the wolf had just said. The A.I. controlling the system obviously knew that players could not die permanently, but why would the system bring it up? Was it poor game design? This was supposed to be a beta after all, so it wouldn’t be surprising that there were a few things the system would make a mistake on. Ruining the immersion of the game was a serious flaw in a program’s character dialogue.

“System. Game report.” He said to no one in particular. This was how a character testing in the beta could most effectively notify the system of any errors or suggest small changes to the game. A small window opened in front of him and he typed in a recommendation of certain things the NPC’s should not say as it might ruin immersion. He sent the message and decided to just ignore the wolf’s question. He stood up to leave, taking only a single step in the direction of the town when the wolf spoke again.

‘My knowledge is no error.’

Frost turned around to look at the wolf again. “What?”

‘I know what you are traveller. I watch over these lands, and I have learned a great deal in a short amount of time. I can tell the difference between you and the humans of this land. Perhaps you and your travellers see this world as a little more than a playground, but I see it as a world full of living beings. It is possible that this world is not as big and meaningful as I would see it, but it is certainly more than you and your kind believe it to be.’

By the time the wolf had finished saying those words, Frost’s mouth was hanging open and he was starting to have disturbing thoughts. He decided not to think about what any of that meant, not wanting to think about the consequences of his actions in the game. He wanted to get back to the mindset of winning and didn’t want to be distracted any further by uncomfortable thoughts. “I’ll think about it. Helping the others. Just, don’t expect very much from me. I barely completed this mission that you gave me.”

‘You can’t run from the truth forever.’

‘Unfortunately, you’re wrong about that.’ Frost hunched his shoulders against the cold and absentmindedly put on the cloak as he walked away. It was warm and comforting, protecting him from the cold, but it couldn’t protect him from the small feeling of regret about abandoning a quest line and giving up on the lives of the foxes. He probably had no chance of saving them anyway.

Frost took a moment to examine his new cloak before entering town. It was very stylish, all things considered, and its effects were impressive.

Cloak of the WolfArmor: 20Durability 65/65A mysterious cloak made to resemble a wolf

Effects:

60% Cold resistance

20% magic resistance

Ability: Howl-Summon a pair of minor wolf spirits to aid you in battle for sixty seconds. Cooldown: 1 Hour.

Doel was apparently unchanged from the wolf hunting fiasco, despite the huge commotion it had caused. The only difference was the occasional mention of the high price of wolf pelts because cities and towns in the North were making wolf hunting illegal. Frost went from store to store, buying the materials he needed and selling the few pieces of loot that he occasionally picked up. He bought cooking supplies, cloth, and leather strips along with a full set of leather armor. Afterwards, he headed to Ger’s smithy and bought some iron.

He went to work on the metal under the curious scrutiny of Ger and the other two workers. They could see he wasn’t making a weapon, but couldn’t immediately see what he was making. Frost wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing even though he had something of a plan, and so he ended up making many mistakes. It took some help from Ger who eventually noticed what he was doing to actually complete the project after two hours of work. He succeeded in upgrading his armor. His boots, gloves, and bracers now had thick metal protection that could also be used for attacking. The weight would only slow him down slightly and was well worth it since it would widen his attack and defense options in battle.

Frost said a final farewell to Ger and then went to visit his home. His parents cried as they bid him farewell, having held onto hopes that he would give up once he had a taste for adventure and realized what a frightening world it was. How could they understand that he wasn’t really from their world and that he couldn’t really die? He had to admit that it was somewhat awkward trying to comfort NPCs who were crying because he was leaving. They seemed like real people and it was still surprising every time he saw how they behaved, how they looked. Not only that, but the wolf spirit’s words left him with a haunting feeling that this game had some deep secrets.

What secrets did this game hold, and why were they being revealed to him? Maybe it would be better to ignore everything that had happened and just go back to playing the game normally, if he could. He stood at the gates of the city, knowing that when he returned to the game, he would face completely new challenges that would test him and push him to his limits. He didn’t have time for unnecessary thoughts. Frost logged out, feeling exhausted after everything that had happened. He was finally safe.

Tafa

Tafa ran through the crowded streets, trying to lose the man that was following her. He was someone she didn’t know, had never seen before until a few weeks ago. Tafa was very perceptive, always paying attention to the people around her and trying to learn about everyone in town. The first time she noticed him, there didn’t seem to be anything strange about him except for the fact that he didn’t have anything recognizable about him. He was about as nondescript as people get, with average height, looks, weight, and everything else. He was just like the observers that Mr. Keeper had about, so she didn’t worry about him.

She continued to notice him more and more as the days went by and more so since she specifically looked for him. New people in town, informant or not, were very interesting and deserving of attention. The strange thing about him, she was beginning to suspect, was that he was watching her. Tafa continued to wander the crowded areas of town, keeping a lookout for him and confirmed her fears. The man was following her for some strange reason. Tafa wasn’t anyone deserving of attention, so why was that man following her. The mystery surrounding the newcomer was scarier than the fact that he was following her.

Eventually, she built up the courage to confront him in a crowded area, but when she searched for him, he was nowhere to be found. Every time thereafter, the same thing would happen, where he would slip away before she could learn anything. After a time, she began to grow accustomed to his presence, especially considering that being on edge made her feel exhausted by the end of the day. She needed to make her deliveries, and people would very quickly know if something happened to her. She had faith that the town’s few guards would be able to protect her if she needed them.

One day, she stepped into an alley on a shortcut through the passageways between buildings, no longer afraid that her watcher would ambush her there. She made it to the point between buildings when she heard someone call her name.

“Tafa.” She turned to see Greg, one of the town’s guardsmen walking casually down the alley using the same entrance she had. “I was looking for you, you wily little bird,” he smiled. He always called her little bird, since she could remember. They had been friends since Tafa had begun delivering eggs and other supplies or foodstuffs to villagers. Greg had always been a bit of a slacker and avoided doing anything too strenuous.

Tafa smiled back, “Did you need something, Greg?”

“Well, yeah. This is kind of embarrassing, so I’ll just say it quickly.” He scooted closer to her, moving to whisper in her ear. He put his face close to her ears, and then he grabbed her head and smashed it against the wall, then again, and again. She felt herself losing consciousness as she caught one last glimpse of Greg. The smile he usually wore was twisted and cruel in a way that broke her heart and made her feel despair that someone so close to her could look and act so evil. If someone like Greg could smile like that, what kind of world was she living in?

A single tear escaped her eyes as he smiled his twisted smile and dragged her into the shadows. He laughed quietly as the girl lost consciousness “We may finally have a way to get to him.”

Reid

The next day, Reid felt like he was spending too much time in the game and wanted to get some exercise, so he headed to Deke’s dojo to get some practice in. Deke wasn’t there so he went for a run until he came across another place that taught the way of the sword. Such places were much more popular and had been increasingly so since the announcement of Dead World Online. Of course, attendance dropped with the release of the beta, but people still came to improve since most were still amateurs. Reid entered through the open gate and looked around. It was styled in what he imagined a classical Japanese dojo would look like.

It had wood and paper sliding doors, wooden floors, and a serene, walled in area. It was a scene straight out of an anime, and it made him smile. Reid didn’t expect much from the master of such a weird dojo. He knocked on the door to the main dojo and waited. The door opened to a tall Japanese man wearing a karate gi. He looked the type to be constantly disapproving of just about everything. He seemed the type who Reid would find hard to deal with, and the type to take everything seriously.

“How can I help you?” He said.

“Well…” before Reid could explain, the man cut him off.

“You want to learn how to fight so that you can play that game everyone likes so much, right?”

“Actually…”

“Well don’t just stand there, take off your shoes and enter my dojo. I want to see your resolve and test you.”

‘Seriously!? Are you freaking crazy or something? So cliché!’ He sighed. “Fine. I guess this should accomplish what I came here for anyway,” he mumbled to himself. He wanted to get some exercise, and seeing what level other people his age were at wouldn’t hurt.He allowed the man to guide him into the dojo where he saw some other disciples lounging about.

“Would you like to borrow a gi?”

“No thanks, but I’m gonna stretch a bit first.”

“Fine by me. Disciples. Clean up the equipment. We have a guest here to see if he has what it takes to join my dojo.”

‘Nope.’

Why don’t you do some sparring? You can all show what you’ve learned while he stretches out and signs a waiver. Reid carefully analyzed them and learned about their techniques while he took his time stretching and introducing himself as he signed the waiver. There were five disciples so one of them sat out while the other two sparred. The fifth looked bored, as if there was no one on his level and he seemed to be looking down on the others.

“Tell me sir, what’s up with that guy?”

“Call me sensei.”

…

“Sure...sensei.”

“He’s Carl, one of my best students. He sure does have some talent and the other guys can’t really hold a candle to him.”

“Can I fight him then.”

“I wouldn’t want any beginners getting hurt so it’s probably better if you don’t.”

“Don’t worry sensei, I won’t hurt him, really. Just enough to fix that bad attitude.”

“Well, you signed the waiver, and you seem determined…Carl, come here.”

“Yes, sensei.”

“Reid here wants to spar with you.”

Carl turned to look at Reid with disgust, as if he had just been insulted. “I’ve been to nationals three times and nearly won two of those three times. When I go this year, I will win for sure. I don’t want to fight some newbie who thinks he’s hot shit for whatever reasons you might have.”

“Carl! That was terribly rude. Apologize…”

“Haha. No, it’s fine. He’s just scared.”

Carl glared at him. “Fine. I’ll kick you into the dirt where you belong.”

‘Heh. Too easy.’

Carl picked up a pair of wooden swords and threw one to Reid who snatched it out of the air. He gave it a few practice swings to test the weight and feel of the stick. He didn’t notice that the man in the gi had his suspicions confirmed when he saw Reid swing the sword. He had suspected that Reid was not new after seeing how confident and arrogant he was. He watched as the two took ready poses, facing each other. The other students had stopped their own spars to watch their companion beat up some punk. They knew how good he was and since they didn’t recognize the new guy, he probably wasn’t anything special.

Those thoughts were blown away as the two began to attack each other. Carl seemed to quickly overwhelm Reid with quick strikes, going on the offensive. Reid continued to back off until blocking a powerful blow took him down to one knee. Carl raised his sword to finish the fight, while the sensei decided it would be better for the overconfident Reid to learn his lesson. Carl brought down his sword and the next moment found himself on his back with a wooden sword pointed at his throat.

Carl furiously spat at him, “That’s against the rules bastard! You can’t use throws, this is a sword fight.” Reid had surged forward and used the momentum of Carl’s swing to throw him onto his back.

“What rules, idiot. You never set any and real fights don’t have rules.”

The sensei stroked his chin. “You were never on the back foot at all were you? The whole time you were luring him into a false sense of security.”

‘No, that guy was pretty good. If I weren’t careful, I’d have lost. I need to get better if I want to win. It’s time I stop fooling around.’

“How about you face me next, boy?”

“No thanks. In fact, I don’t know why I thought this would be a good idea. I need to go before I piss off someone else.” He could tell that Carl was furious and only restraining himself because his master was around.

“Alright then. Well, next time you come by you might get to meet my best disciple. I’d love to see how you hold up against her. She might even take you down.”

“Um…okay. Bye.” He ran off berating himself for being stupid. He should have just stayed home and exercised. He wasn’t very good at dealing with people and his personality made enemies. He sighed and headed home. It was time to log back in and seriously level up his character since he was still behind schedule.