Chapter 4

The sun was making its slow descent in the sky as the afternoon wore into evening when Mal finally found the old road that he had been searching for. He had been moving parallel to it that’s why he hadn’t found it right away like the fishermen had said. Mal was just starting to think the fishermen might have been playing a prank on him. It was more of a trail in some spots than a road.

Mal was making better time now that he had a clear defined path. Before he had to deal with undergrowth and other obstacles while heading north. He hoped he reached the trading post before dark so he could bunk up somewhere around there in relative safety.

While he walked he pulled up his interface and in his mind starting dealing with the many texts and emails he had received. Friends and family had heard the news about people being trapped in the game world so they had reached out to him. After some quick replies, that he was fine and just was waiting for them to sort it out, he pulled up the forums.

All the threads were pretty full of the crisis type talk. The theory that was generally being accepted was that the game controller AI had gone rogue and become self aware. There were more clues to this as the news leaked out. The engineers at Omnicorp couldn’t access the AI’s code from their normal terminals, something had definitely changed at the core of it. Mal saw that law enforcement and other agencies had gotten involved from around the globe. Roughly 500 million people had become trapped so that was inevitable.

After trolling through enough on that depressing topic Mal filtered the forums by ‘magic’ and was pleased to find some info. Apparently there were three ways to learn spells. First from an NPC trainer for a high cost money, second from spell books and other sundry arcane items. Lastly and most interestingly from other players or NPCs you could learn spells if they had enough power in said spell school.

That was encouraging to Mal that spells wouldn’t be that hard to come by, he had worried about that. He just needed to find one of those three options and hopefully he could learn some spells to augment his power. A thin wisp of smoke appeared ahead past a bend in the road right when he was about to dig into the discovered spell lists. Exiting the interface the traveler and his golem quickened their pace with the end of the journey near.

When the trading post came into sight it reminded Mal more of a small fort than what he had been expecting. Well to be honest he didn’t know what he was expecting, something like those tourist trap stores you find at amusement parks and other landmarks. He wasn’t expecting a wooden wall with a gate and two guard towers on opposite sides of the compound.

“No trouble, ye hear!” was the only challenge to Mal called lazily down from one of the guard towers. Otherwise he walked in unmolested and took a look at the inside of the joint.

There was a small stables off to Mal’s right and he heard the familiar sounds of horses. To his left was a long dormitory type building and next to that a sturdy looking home. In the center was a decent sized bonfire, that was the source of the smoke he had seen, with meat roasting over it on a spit. Around the fire were several haphazardly arranged tables with a few people sitting at them partaking of the said meat and drinking. Also some of the tables had been converted into bartering stations with goods laid out on them.

Mal’s guessed there was about a dozen people moving about the area not counting anyone in the towers or buildings. He couldn’t tell yet if there were any players in the mix or if it was all NPCs. The simulated intelligence did a good job of fooling you until you looked right close or talked to someone.

Mal was unsure of what to do first as he surveyed the scene and the people regarded him suspiciously as a newcomer with his golem. Then a good natured shout rang out.

“‘OY! Mal over here! Time for that ale mate!” Emmet hollered from a table, thus relaxing any tension the people had over Mal. Everyone knew Emmet.

“Hey Emmet! Right on.” Mal said moving over to the woodsmen. “One minute!” Mal had spied a familiar looking post right near the center of the place. Approaching the post Mal was right it was a spawn bind point.

Bind your soul to Tallum’s Trading Post? Yes or no?

Mal selected yes, thinking how far away the Blood Forest was, then headed over to the friendly NPC and the couple other people sitting with him. Sizing up the group Mal saw Emmet with his bow slung over his shoulder and it seemed he was deep in his cups by his boisterous attitude.

Next to Emmet was a lean looking fellow wearing a tunic under a somewhat stained and well used leather apron. Mal was introduced to this lean fellow and his name was Tallum, the owner of the trading post. They traded friendly nods at each other as Tallum tucked back into his roast venison.

Across from Emmet was Jake and he had the sturdy look of an adventurer to Mal’s eye. Wearing a half cloak covering his large backpack with a bedroll tied to it. He had a two handed steel greatsword on his back to go along with other weapons strapped around his body. Mal counted three daggers and mace on his hip as well and decided this was probably a dangerous individual.

“Hey, I’m Jake.” he said half raising from his seat to shake Mal’s hand, accompanied by jingle of his metal armor.

“Yo, I’m Mal.” he replied simply taking the offered hand.

“Here brave coyote slayer have an ale!” Emmet said happily pushing a cup and a sloshing pitcher at Mal.

“Don’t mind if I do!” Mal took a seat and cup. Turning to Jake “So can we actually get drunk here?” He asked guessing Jake was surely a player from his world.

“Been nursing a nice buzz for the better part of an hour.” Jake said with a full grin.

“Excellent!” Mal poured a healthy cup.

“A plate of venison, adventurer?” Tallum said setting down his haunch.

“Aye, would love some, it’s been a long journey the last couple days.” Mal said glad to relax and not be in the wild. He was enjoying the chatter of the larger group around him because at heart we are social creatures. Even loners need some contact of some kind or they risk suffering, just the joy of sharing an experience with other beings. Especially a good meal with friends.

“That’ll be 2 copper then, traveler. Also if you want a bed in the dorm 6 more coppers, what say you?” Tallum said wiping his hands off on his apron ready to handle the coins no doubt.

“I’ll give ya 11 coppers if you throw in another plate for Jake here and another pitcher for Emmet here.” Mal said eyeing the trader.

“Deal.” Tallum said quickly “Wife! 2 plates of venison with that nice bread and another pitcher for Emmet!” he called out.

“OY!” said a red faced Emmet to several laughs from around the fire.

Congratulations! You have learned the skill Trading! Barter away adventurer, but be sure to look twice at any Magic Beans if your name is Jack!

“Thanks man, didn’t need to do that bro.” Jake said.

“My pleasure though man, I didn’t want to eat alone.” Mal said “So where ya from?” He followed up with.

“Illinois but I’m up in Michigan now. Well I’m here...but I’m in Michigan.” Jake said shaking his head. “What’s with the golem? Looks pretty powerful.” Jake said admiringly at the rocky shape behind Mal standing there silently.

“Ah, good old Sylvester! A lucky find really, he’s pretty useful in a pinch, you know if you need kobold heads crushed.” Mal answered. Their order was brought over by Tallum’s wife and daughter. “Thank you.” Mal said with a smile to them.

Jake gave a grunt at Sly then turned to his steaming plate of food. “Let’s dig in! This stuff is delicious!”

“Alright, alright” Mal said after a long drain on his cup. “Top me off Emmet my good man!”

They ate drank and were merry in the twilight of the day. Mal and Jake commiserated about being stuck in the game world and the NPCs didn’t seem to pick up on what they were talking about. Mal asked Jake about his fine looking gear to find out that Jake had stumbled upon a secret quest in Clear Waters. Something about a nobleman being robbed, needless to say the payout was really top notch so Jake was able to assemble a righteous set of starting gear.

“I’d trade it all for a pet Golem, that’s badass!” Jake said half kidding.

“Hah! Not for sale dude.” Mal shot back.

Mal did a little more bartering with Tallum and got rid of some of his extra herbs and his spare dagger in exchange for a pipe with some dried sonus. He also picked up a collapsible fishing pole and some field rations. It was an even trade apparently Emmet declared loudly.

Next Mal pulled out the diary and the magical ring. Emmet and Tallum both suggested finding a sage or a scholar to unlock those secrets as there was no one at this meager trading post with that knowledge.

“Well I’m gonna head for the dorms and-” Jake started to say but he was cut off by a blood curdling shriek of someone dying from outside the walls.

“Eeeeiiiiiiiaaaaaahhhhhh” echoed around the courtyard as everyone froze.

“BANDITS!!!! CLOSE THE GATES!!” came a panicked shout from the guardtower.

All at once people starting moving and shouting. Mal and Jake surged to their feet grabbing their weapons. Shiiing! Jake unsheathed his blade while Mal grabbed his spear and they raced toward the gate with the few other warriors. Most at the post were simple trappers and woodsmen. Some had bows, some grabbed pitchforks, almost none had armor like the two adventurers.

It was too late too close the gates Mal saw the bandits were sprinting down the road only a few yards away when they reached the archway. Two trappers struggled in vain anyway and started to swing it ponderously shut.

“Leave it! I need room to use my greatsword anyway.” Jake said with authority. “Grab a weapon if you have the balls.” He said to the two. Then with a last glance at Mal he said “Time to earn a little XP, eh bro?” Then he let loose a mighty laugh in the face of death and split the skull of the lead bandit as he came into range.

Mal just smiled at his attitude then the battle removed all thoughts from his mind as he acted and reacted. Mal took a step and used his momentum to cast his spear like a missile at the bandit closest to him. It was almost point blank range and the bandit gurgled as he tipped over with the spear in his chest.

Mal called to his golem who was shadowing him as usual. “Sylvester! Attack!” Mal shouted and the golem entered the fray. Mal drew his longsword in a smooth motion and raised his shield.

The three of them stood planted firmly in the gateway shoulder to shoulder and they held solid as the rock that was Sly. Mal was aware of other things as he blocked and swung his blade keeping the bandits at bay on his half of the gateway. The thwang of bowstrings on both sides as Emmet and his other hunters joined into the battle against the ranged bandits attack. The guard towers also sent arrows and firebombs into the ranks of the attackers adding to the chaos.

Sly backhanded a bandit and he crumpled to the ground tripping the one Mal was trading blows with. Mal was quick to thrust and skewer the off balance thug. Mal felt less pressure from his right as the bandits were falling back from Jake’s mighty swings that were felling bandits with each stroke. There were four or five dead and dying enemy at Jake’s feet. And he was starting to advance!

“No! Hold the gate, Jake!” Mal shouted over the screams of the dying worried his new friend would get flanked.

It took a conscious effort for Jake to reign back berserker rage but he did so waiting for the next victim to come in range. He didn’t have to wait long the bandit chieftain leapt to battle him seeing how Jake was the anchor of the defenders line. Mal saw this all in a second as he held his shield up and felt the thunk reverberate through his arm as in arrow impacted it. There were so many bandits it seemed dancing around in the darkness flinging spears and shooting arrows into their midst.

Mal blocked a club attack from his newest attacker. Turning his shield on it’s side and punching and smashed a face in. A split second later he hacked downward with his longsword severing an arm that flew a bloody arc through the air. Mal saw a flash by his side of color as a woman appeared from nowhere out of stealth by his side and flicked a rapier forward into a different bandits brainpan via his eye socket.

Sylvester had crushed several bandits and was starting to advance at Mal’s urging, he figured if Sly got flanked they could hardly hurt the rock creature. The golem pounded a bloody swathe forward grabbing, smacking and crushing all he could reach.

Suddenly a song cut through the air the notes high and sweet. A song of courage and hope sung with great emotion. A golden aura floated down around the defenders as the song reached it’s crescendo and Mal felt renewed strength. His stamina points went up and some of his smaller wounds were healed. Glad for the help Mal battled on.

With the moment of respite won from Sly’s onslaught Mal took the opportunity to make a backslash at the bandit chief’s leg hoping to help Jake. Mal’s blade slid harmlessly over the toughened leather that coated the chief. Jake had an arrow sticking out of his shoulder and it was impeding his movement with one arm greatly reducing the force he could put behind his blows.

Just then an arrow pierced Mal’s thigh and he felt a sharp jolt of pain. Mal stumbled back and the woman with the rapier destealthed again, suddenly appearing in his place, stabbing at the bandit chiefs side. She found a weak spot in the armor and her blade slid deep. She leapt back behind Jake as two more bandits charged to protect their chief. Mal gritted his teeth at the pain and stepped forward to meet their charge with his shield or Jake would have been battling three at once.

The bandit chieftain roared at the pain in his side as blood leaked down him. He took a huge overhand blow with his giant waraxe that Jake barely parried with his own blade. Jake was staggered by the ferocity of the blow. The chieftain seized his chance lowering his shoulder and rushing Jake. Jake and the woman with the rapier tumbled to the ground from the bull rush attack. Jake quickly rolled out of the path of the chieftain before he could be killed in a helpless position on the ground.

The woman was not as fast to move. She froze staring up at her death as the bandit chief raised his axe to pay her back twice over for the stab in his side.

Mal moved faster than he thought possible, time seemed to slow to a crawl as he took it all in with his battlelust heightened senses. He held his shield out with one arm and took a long step to gain room on the two he was fighting. Then dropping his Iron Longsword he did a quickdraw on his crossbow in one movement. Firing from the hip with hardly any time Mal tilted the crossbow up going for the bandits unprotected head.

Mal squeezed the trigger and the bolt suddenly appeared sticking out of the bandit chieftains head. A critical hit!

There was a moment where everyone paused as the bandit leader swayed on his feet for a second then collapsed. Then Sly crushed another head loudly by stomping on it and the rout was on. With their leader dead and their numbers dwindled significantly the bandits turned and started fleeing into the night. Their reward was arrows in their backs from the defenders.

It was over.

A couple of the more cold hearted trappers started moving among the fatally wounded bandits and starting slitting throats It was dirty nasty work so Mal turned away. He had to think the bandits would have done the same to them if they had won.

Jake was sitting up on the ground where he had fallen dealing with the arrow in his shoulder. It had been a lucky shot finding the gap between his chest and arm armor pieces. Mal sat down gingerly next to him, trying not to jostle his own arrow sticking out of his thigh.

“Jesus this hurts” Mal said through a wince.

Jake regarded him and only grunted then with a sudden movement he gripped the shaft and yanked it free from his shoulder.

“AHHH!” Jake practically shouted. “Maybe this game is a little too real eh?”

“Yeah right down to slaughtering the survivors.” Mal nodded at the trappers and the defender’s casualties. “Feels good to win though doesn’t it?” Mal said bracing himself to copy Jake’s maneuver with the arrow.

“Fuck yeah it does! Good little scrap we had, you did well man. I dunno if I coulda taken that big dude.” Jake said pulling a healing potion out of his bag. He downed it in one gulp and his injuries began healing rapidly.

With a suppressed scream Mal yanked the arrow out of his leg.

“Uhhhh, jesus that burns.” Mal quickly downed his own healing potion to ease the pain. “Yeah the big guy, he musta been over level 10.” Mal eyed the chieftain with the bolt protruding from the side of his head. “Here I’ll check I gotta ton of system messages.” Mal said glad to feel the renewing effect of his potion.

Received 321xp(21 Starkissed bonus) for killing bandit level 1 Received 433xp(33 Starkissed bonus) for killing bandit level 2 Received 545xp(45 Starkissed bonus) for killing bandit level 3 Received 1200xp for Sylvester's kills, Bandit lvl 1 x2, Bandit lvl 5, Bandit archer lvl 2 Recieved 3189xp(189 Starkissed bonus) for killing Bandit Chieftain lvl 12 Received 500xp bonus for friendly kills in your vicinity Congratulations you have learned the skill Throwing Weapons! Lvl 1 Congratulations you have skilled up Swordsmanship, lvl 2 and 3 Congratulations you have skilled up Blocking, lvl 2 and 3 Congratulations you have skilled up Crossbow Proficiency, lvl 2 For saving the trading outpost you have finished the quest you hadn’t accepted, coincidentally titled, Saving the trading outpost, see Tallum for your reward

Ding! Ding!

Rejoice! You have acquired enough experience to progress to level 4 and 5, you have 10 stat points to assign plus 6 additional for the Starkissed ability for a total of 16, May your journey continue adventurer!

“He was level 12 man damn, what level are you by the way?” Mal said.

“Well let’s see I just leveled up so-” Jake was cut off by the rapier wielder.

“You saved me!” she shouted jumping into Mal’s lap on the ground. “You saved me, you saved me, you saved me, I was most assuredly dead, I could sense it, my life going all the way back to alpha days flashed before my eyes.” She rambled on “How can I ever repay you?” she said leaning close.

Mal was getting comfortably aware of her tight leather jumpsuit she was wearing as she squirmed in his lap and how attractive the blonde was. With a smile at her he said. “You could let me up and tell me your name?”

“Oh I’ll get ya up alright.” She said slyly with a wink. Then bounced to her feet and extended a hand to Mal to help him off the ground. “I’m Alison.”

“That’s a future companion NPC if I ever saw one. Lucky bro….companions are really rare” Jake said as Mal regained his footing. Mal wondered how he knew that.

“I’m Mal.” he said shaking the hand that helped him up. “Let's see about the loot before the trappers pick over the best bits.”

“OY, you heard the man! These frontline warriors saved us! Let them have first pick, ye hear!” Emmet shouted out. The other trappers nodded in agreement because they probably would have been overrun if it wasn’t for the 2 adventurers, Sly, and Alison. “Good job fellas, ye saved our arses.” Emmet said

For fighting in a life or death situation with Emmet and with Alison your reputation has increased with both. For saving Alison from certain death your reputation with her significantly increased. Emmet, friendly Allison, trusted

“Oh loot is my specialty! Mal let me find you the good stuff, you too big guy!”

“It’s Jake.” Jake said to the flighty blonde.

Alison quickly searched the bodies of the fallen enemies and was piling the choice pieces of loot in front of Jake and Mal who stood idly watching her. Mal was admiring the Chiefs great waraxe.

Great Iron Waraxe, damage 7-19, when injured triggers rage ability

“You want this bro? I’ve been going more sword and board.” Mal handed the axe to Jake who eyed it closely.

“Ah my Steel Greatsword is better, I’ll pawn it though if you don’t mind.” Jake said.

“Yeah go ahead.” Mal said with a raised eyebrow. He had a steel sword better than a level twelve leader enemy NPC. Musta been a hell of a secret quest.

“Hey! OK! That’s all the stuff worth a copper.” Alison piped up, clapping her hands together vigorously.

Mal inspected the loot with Jake and they both decided that the great waraxe was the best find as it had magical properties to a certain extent with the rage bonus. There was an assortment of daggers, clubs, and other cheap looking weapons. The toughened hide armor of the bandit chief was of average quality but after examining it Mal found his studded supple leather set was slightly better. Mal could see several potions, some maps, and poor quality ammo for ranged weapons.

Just then Tallum walked over not waiting to give them their reward for pulling their fat out of the fire. He had a large pack of goods from his storeroom he was offering to the three of them. It was a hodgepodge of useful traveling and adventure gear.

“I grabbed sum a these things to thank yer fer your bravery, sirs. I don’t a want tee know what would’ve been if ye hadn’t a held the gate. Thank ye again!” Tallum said turning to tend to the wounded.

Quest completed! You now are at Respected Standing with Tallum’s Outpost

Alison rifled through the bag and pulled out a spyglass. “What’s this?” she said quizzically.

“I’ll take that.” Jake said “If there are no objections eh?”

“None here.” Mal assured him. Mal heard a faint tinkly sound of coins coming from Alison as she set down the large pack. “Alison where are all the coins?” Mal asked her.

“What coins?” She said coyly.

“You telling me out of all this loot there isn’t a single copper piece?” Mal trapped her.

“Uhh yes, maybe? I just thought you big brave adventurers would be more interested in the gear you could use.” She said evasively.

“We can use coins.” Jake said simply. Then both Jake and Mal stared at her until she began to wilt under their gaze.

“Oh fine! Here’s your share!” Alison divied up a bunch of coppers and a several silvers.

“Didn’t your mother teach ya to share.” Mal said with a chuckle at her dismay of parting with the coins.

“I don’t remember a mother.” She replied with a weird look on her face that gave Mal pause. I forgot I was talking to an NPC again, they seem so real he thought.

Having an idea Mal took the large pack that Tallum had given them and put it around Sly’s shoulders. After a few small adjustments it fit perfect on the 4 foot powerhouse.

“We got a regular pack mule now eh Sly?” Mal said with a laugh.

“Nice, the thing did well. I was impressed.” Jake said “How’d you get him again?” Jake wondered again.

Not wanting to go into too much detail because the nature of player vs player combat and the victor taking the spoils was not a new concept to Mal. So instead Mal changed the subject “What was that song mid battle? Some kind of magic? Maybe we can learn it?” he said.

“Oh that was me, luv. One of my class abilities, Warsong of Bravery.” Alison said taking a small stringed instrument off her back and plucking a few notes.

“What class is that?” Mal said attempting to use his examine ability on Alison who somehow blocked him.

“That’s for me to know and you to find out! You don’t expect a girl to give up all her secrets on the first date do ya luv.” Alison said with a definite twinkle in her eye at being the center of attention.

With no information forthcoming on the golem Jake said “Well I’m hitting the rack. Mal don’t leave in the morning I have an opportunity I’d like to discuss with you if you're interested in joining forces.”

“If there is loot involved count me in too!” Alison interjected before Mal could respond.

“Aye we’ll see.” Mal said to both of them. “G’night bro, think I’ll turn in too.” Mal said looking up at the moon high in the sky shining down on the bloody scene.

With a few more things to wrap up before calling it a night Mal reloaded his crossbow and scooped up the remaining loot on the ground after the trapper’s had picked it over. Adding what was left to Sly’s roomy pack he retrieved his spear and made for the dorms drained from the day’s events but also strangely happy in an odd way. He felt more alive than he had in his normal life here in this world where he was living on the edge.

Mal turned the idea over in his head. He had become kinda complacent in his real life going through the motions and the routine. It was like those friends of his who had quit their jobs together and decided just to travel the country in an old RV. That sense of adventure and wild spirit was what had infected him here in Planus. Even though he was stuck here it seemed to him the longer he spent here the more it became his reality and the less he thought of his real life and all that entailed. It was his reality though so it seemed natural to treat it as such. He could feel pain here, joy, laughter, and pleasure. He glanced at Allison walking away admiring the sway of her hips. Hell he could even get drunk here as he recalled the pints of ale from earlier before the attack. Yes he was stuck here but given the choice between the real world and this virtual one he would be hard pressed to choose which one to live in.

Shaking his head at his introspective thoughts as he made for the dorm Mal pulled up the forums and looked at his stat points he had to distribute. He drifted off with Sly protectively at his side as he soaked up as much information as he could surfing the web on how to make himself stronger so he could not only live in this new reality but conquer it.