Chapter 12 - Life And Death Experiences

Warning: Extreme Violence

31 August 2041 - Institute of Blades, Second Reality

Around the same time the conference for the unveiling of Second Reality was due to begin, Hunter was preparing himself for a year of solidarity in Second Reality. Lara had made her preparations, ensuring that the subservient AI responsible for altering the VR data to mask Hunter’s activities knew the parameters it needs to work with.

Lara had also arranged for Time within the territorial area of the Institute to translate into the ratio of one Real World day equalling one Second Reality month. Hunter planned to stay in this area for 12 real days, or a year in Second Reality.

“Lara, if I remember correctly, the Institute is one of those areas we couldn’t recreate to perfection. What can I expect when I’m actually there?” asked Hunter. During the re-creation process, the two of them were akin to Gods looking at their creation from high above. It would be a different experience up close.

“Yes, that’s right. The facilities and structures should be fairly done but as it is, the Institute is not populated. What we really need in order to do so is to scan the memories of individuals that have been in these areas. We can only do that once MediPods have been deployed and the relevant parties log into Second Reality.”

“So then... “ Hunter thought for a minute. “Hmm. I guess I’ll have to head over to the the wilderness next to the academy grounds like my parents did. Is that area populated with wild animals?”

“Yes. You won’t find it lacking.” she smiled. “There are plenty of mountain bears, wolf packs, panthers and other beasts both on land and in the water. Best of all, I can speed up their respawn rate, something which would have been impossible in the Real World.”

‘Wow. it’s like playing one of those VRMMORPGs… except there are no skill bars, levels and the like...’ he thought to himself.

“This is going to be a long year. I guess we better get started then. Can you drop me off?”

Lara laughed. “Of course I can! I’ll drop you off at the stone sword. The wilderness is not far off from there. Try not to die though. It’ll hurt like. A lot.” With those last words, Lara transported Hunter to the Institute.

Hunter opened his eyes. It was a strange feeling. He can feel the breeze in the air and smell the pines. ‘Amazing. Absolutely amazing. I can’t believe this is what Second Reality is like.’ he said to himself as he felt the ragged surface of trees, rocks and the softness of the earth.

‘Holy shit.. you really can’t tell the difference from the Real World..’

Exiting the woodland part of the trail, he came face to face a massive stone sword that reached up to the skies from where he stood. A white temple in the distance beckoned to him and he followed the trail to it. The white temple had different stone statues of powerful beasts. A panther and a tiger were perched on the roof looking down at him. A pack of wolves flanked the entrance to the temple and inside a dragon hugged each corner of the ceiling, ready to pounce.

‘Jeezus this place is like a museum...’

He continued onto the main academy grounds which was devoid of life. There were training dummies littered across what could only be a field for drilling. Buildings made of stone stood on one side of the field and a giant stone arch stood on the other.

‘I need a weapon to train with first...’ he thought.

“Lara?” he said out loud.

“Yes Hunter?”

“Just checking if you’re around. Since you are, can you tell me where the armoury is?” he asked.

“And here I thought you missed my company. A girl can dream I suppose.” she giggled then paused for a breath. “The armoury is up ahead in the building in front of you. It’s on the ground floor next to a big indoor training hall.”

‘Seriously. She fucking giggled and it sounded genuine.’ Hunter shook his head. Lara lacked any kind of personality when they first met or linked up. After his decision to hasten the re-creation of Second Reality and the constant direct contact in transferring data, Hunter started to notice subtle changes in Lara. Now, 6 months from first contact, it seems like she was regaining some semblance of her humanity.

Having reached the armoury, Hunter took out a set of blades. A finely honed, single edged sword and six blades of about 20 cm in length. He also took out a set of mottled green training gear consisting of a fitted sleeveless shirt, bracers, pants and combat boots. The shirt had slightly thicker padding at the back than it did at the front but it didn’t hinder his movement. Similarly, the outer thigh of the pants had a thick padding where the blades rested, but no such padding existed along the inner leg.

He also equipped leather bracers that protected his forearm almost to the elbow. The boots were light and flexible but very sturdy. ‘These are perfect. It won’t hinder my speed at all.’ he marvelled at the equipment. He could only imagine what it would be like to train here with others. Grabbing a pair of fingerless gloves with some padding along the knuckles, Hunter headed for the wilderness.

**********

CRASH!

‘Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuckkkkk!’ Hunter repeated to himself. At this very moment, he was using every ounce of agility he had to run away from a panther. He had encountered the beast half a day into the forest. Overconfident, the panther had nearly bit his head off.

‘Definitely not the same as fighting on the streets!’

The panther was agile and very stealthy. As Hunter was navigating the forest floor, the panther was up in the trees, using its speed and agility to traverse the upper branches. Finally running into a small clearing, Hunter skidded to a stop, sheathing his sword and drawing the two blades attached to his lower back. The panther, running out of room up above the trees, leapt down baring its fangs.

‘Okay okay. Keep calm. Remember what Dad taught you.’ he told himself.

The killing intent radiating from the panther was much more than Hunter was used accustomed to. It was more primal, more animalistic. Although his skills could be considered at the Master level, he lacked in life and death experiences. He had been involved in street fights, but never had he met an opponent that could really match him, much less overwhelm him. Until now.

The panther stalked Hunter’s every move. Slowly circling him to find an opening. As Hunter shifted his weight from one foot to another to adjust his position, it pounced!

RAAAWWWRRR

The panther swiped at him, claws tearing the leather padding on his shirt as he leapt backwards. Hunter’s heartbeat thundered in his ears. His visual perception of the panther’s next strike slowed and his mind quickly worked to calculate the best possible course of action.

As the beast balanced on its hind legs, front paws poised to slash, Hunter rolled forward to the left underneath it, slashing at its hindquarters. His perception reverted back to normal as he turned to face the panther again, blood flowing from the cut on its right leg. The wound was superficial. He wasn’t focused enough on the strike.

Hunter pressed the attack but the panther managed to pin him down. Using his bracers, he pushed against the open jaw of the beast forcing its neck to lift up and expose the chest area. He repeatedly stabbed its chest, receiving multiple claw marks on his arm as it tried to swipe his striking hand away.

Signs of life left the panther’s eyes. Its legs gave in underneath it, jaws still clamped onto his left arm. Hunter pried his arm free and rolled the panther off him. It was only half a day in the wilds and he was already injured to this degree. ‘This is going to be a very long year….’ he grimaced.

“Lara, any chance you can cheat and help me recover from my injuries?” he said, looking up at the sky.

“My my. Only half a day in and you’re already looking like a tattered doll….” said Lara. “I assume you want your equipment repaired as well…?”

Embarrassed, Hunter could only try to laugh off the comment. “Haha! Yeaaah.. it was a surprise to say the least. I’d appreciate it if you could do that as well.”

“Sigh.” a short pause followed before Hunter was good as new. “Better keep going with your training. Your major advantage is that you aren’t registered as a ‘user’ and so you don’t suffer penalties such as fatigue and hunger like a normal Second Reality user would. In a way you’re a cheat character…”

“Why is that..?”

“I think you are forgetting the simple fact that you are the creator of Second Reality. It has its advantages.” said Lara.

‘… I’m a bloody character hack... ‘ he thought, happy that he does not suffer much from restrictions in this world.

**********

6 months passed in this area of Second Reality, the equivalent of 6 days in the Real World. Hunter had grown accustomed to fighting in the wilderness. He no longer wore the protective equipment, discarding it for a regular shirt and pants. It felt more natural now.

In these past months, he had died half a dozen times. He thought the time that Lara had flooded his brain with data was torture. He changed his mind after his experiences in being eaten alive.

The first time he died, a mountain bear had pinned him down with a single paw, not letting him free despite the number of times he stabbed and slashed at its leg. It had taken a chunk off his leg in a single bite exposing pink flesh and white bone.

He screamed until his throat was raw, tears uncontrollably rolling down his face. It was fucking painful. He awaited to die, but for some God forsaken reason, he didn’t. He wasn’t aware that Lara was keeping him alive. Through her reasoning, she deduced this to be the best way for Hunter to quickly evolve.

The bear ate him bit by bit, even having gone as far as staring him in the face while his intestines hung like a pink sausage from its mouth. Lara had let him die then as Hunter’s mind approached its limits. It was simply too traumatic.

The second time he died was to a pack of wolves. One of them had his neck in its jaws while the others feasted on his flesh. He couldn’t even scream. He choked on his own blood but he didn’t die. Lara didn’t let him. They tore him up, shredding his legs and upper body open. He could feel them digging deep inside him. He couldn’t even resist as two wolves were busying themselves with his arms, gnawing at it to the bone.

The third time it was a tiger. It toyed with him for a good while, injuring him just enough to give him hope of surviving but in the end it got fed up and snapped his leg off with its powerful jaws. He watched as the tiger gnawed at his leg stripping it of meat. It devoured him bit by bit, taking a chunk off his mid-section. The sight and smell of his punctured innards made him want to vomit, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t even close his eyes throughout the ordeal. Lara wouldn’t let it happen.

His fourth death had happened when a 20 ft snake as thick as his thighs took the opportunity to entangle his legs as he was fleeing what remained of a wolf pack. He had dispatched half the pack but suffered many injuries in return, disabling him from fighting further. The snake had wrapped itself around his body, crushing him. Lara kept him alive until the snake swallowed him whole.

The subsequent times were too gruesome to retell the encounter. The last time he died was 3 months into his time in the wilds. Since then, he had been returning the favour.

“Hunter.” called Lara.

Hunter instinctively looked up at the sky, away from the freshly killed tiger which he was now busily devouring, blood dripping from his red mouth as he held a hind leg in one hand, the skin stripped away to show muscle.

“Hunter. MediVance MV has made contact with the Institute of Blades. Graham Drayton has accepted the use of MediPods. It will be delivered in 1 months time. Be ready. When it arrives and the flood of new information is uploaded from the user’s memories, I will populate the Institute down to the last detail.”

Hunter grunted and resumed feeding. He was now at the top of the food chain in the wilds. He fed, not because he needed to, but because he wanted to. Out here, even those that are considered top predators shied away from him now. His battle aura had reached a new peak and it leaked a nauseating amount of blood lust.

Somewhere in his mind, he registered and understood what Lara had said. Finishing his meal, Hunter left the carcass where it lay. He began to search for a safe, defensible location to concentrate. He needed to gather the human pieces that is left of him. He was leaving the wilderness.

**********

The following month (in Second Reality), Lara had informed Hunter that the MediPods were successfully delivered by a MediVance owned freight plane. The company was presently unable to provide a MediPod for each student that was enrolled, with only 5,000 pods delivered. The rest was scheduled to be delivered at a later date.

Lara explained that in exchange for receiving the MediPods, MediVance MV secured the assistance of the Institute in times of great distress. With the Empire’s royal decree the Institute agreed to defend MediVance from attacks by foreign powers. However they refused to agree to providing offensive capabilities, at least for the time being. The Institute will also send instructors to teach the company’s security detail the Sword Arts.

The Royal Court also set their own conditions. MediVance MV and its branches around the world were required to hire 700,000 workers from the Empire. The Royal Court had announced that they had been deliberating on modernizing the Empire but can only do so by after learning more from the top institute in the field of medicinal research.

“It’s time Hunter. The Institute is populated. You need to test the new limits of your skills and hone those rough edges.” said Lara.

Hunter opened his eyes. He had found a small cave on the face of a mountain that was not easy to get to. He meditated there for the past month, pulling together the more human pieces of his mind.

“Lara..” he said, voice hoarse from lack of use. “I need to get cleaned up.”

“Don’t worry. By the time you reach the edge of the wilderness, you’ll look presentable.”

**********

On the way to the edge of the wilderness, Lara updated Hunter on the events in the Real World. Second Reality was an absolute hit. She told him about Erich Wyse and his new role in MediVance; about the renewed efforts on CVS-01 and the lack of new information on his friends.

“Lara, how will we address the differences in time?” asked Hunter. Now that the Institute is also populated, everyone who logged on was also subjected to the current setting Hunter uses to train.

“It is no longer an issue Hunter. I have dealt with it as the deal regarding the exchange of services was made.”

Hunter stretched, arms reaching for the sky. “That’s great news. I’m looking forward to seeing my brothers. No doubt they will be using the MediPods.”

Hunter arrived at the outskirts of the academy in the evening. He headed for the principal’s office. Having had the chance to download all the new information from Lara, he had easily familiarized himself with the layout of all the structures.

knock knock knock

“Come in.”

Hunter entered the room. An old man was hunched over his desk, poring over some scrolls. “Hello. Principal Drayton?”

The man looked up, squinting his eyes against the dim light. “I am. I can’t say I am familiar with you. Are you one of my new students?”

“Sir. My name is Hunter. Hunter Markell. I believe you have been teaching my brothers.” replied Hunter respectfully.

At hearing the name, Drayton jerked upright and with big strides approached Hunter, examining him closely. “Yes, yes. I can see the resemblance now. Dear God boy! I had heard what happened from your parents. I have to say I didn’t expect to see you here! Come! Sit, sit. Let me get some tea.”

In the next few hours leading up to midnight, Hunter detailed his experiences, leaving out only specifics where Lara is concerned. Although he knew he could trust the man his family had put their faith onto, it did not feel right to share details about Lara Wyse.

Likewise, Drayton had summarized the events that occurred in the Real World since his family’s arrival. Hunter was shocked to hear about his father’s brawl but determined that he had likely inherited the trait prominent in the Markell bloodline.

“That’s… quite the experience you’ve had Hunter. I’d like for you to join the upcoming tournament a month from now. In the meantime, I will teach you personally, one on one as I feel you could negatively affect the other students until you can control your battle aura as if its second nature.”

“Thank you Master.” bowed Hunter. “Does the Institute now train mostly in Second Reality?”

“Only for the 5,000 most promising. We have however, had the nearby citizens log on so that data about the place can be transferred into Second Reality and narrow the difference between real and virtual.”

“I see. That’s great.” Hunter smiled. “Then, I will take my leave.”

“Do you have a place to stay?”

“I figured I will go back to the wilds. It is no longer a danger to me.” Hunter replied.

“Nonsense. With your brothers now staying in the dorms and your parents out in the wilds, you can stay at the their cottage on Hedge Side. It’s the first cottage you’ll come to at the intersection of Ravensbrook Lane and Hedge Side. Ravensbrook is the long road leading out from the giant stone arch. You’ll find the key under the pot.” said Drayton.

In actuality, Hunter did not need him to explain nor did he need to sleep. The moment Drayton said he could stay at the cottage, Hunter already knew which one from the data that’s been uploaded.

“Thank you Master. I appreciate your kindness. Then, I will take my leave. Good night.” Hunter bowed one last time before leaving the academy grounds.

Ravensbrook Lane was still bustling with activity, with people going to or coming back from Drakesfair Lane. Highsword Street was a complete contrast, the forges and shops having closed hours ago. Deciding against exploring, Hunter continued down Ravensbrook, enjoying the smell of the pine trees that lined the road.

As he neared the intersection, the number of people had dwindled. Most had exited the main road to the small paths that led to numerous residential buildings. Deep in the pines, he heard a muffled shout.

“Hm?” Hunter looked at the direction of the sound. Tilting his head, he concentrated. One of the senses he had developed to its peak was his hearing. He needed it to survive the ambushes of stealthy beasts like panthers.

Again a muffled shout. a rustling of leaves. Whispers in the dark. Brows furrowing, Hunter stalked through the pines. Silent as the predators that once stalked him, Hunter moved closer until he reached a very small clearing.

There in the pitch darkness a woman was held down against her will by four burly men. The rustling of the leaves was caused by the woman struggling as she kicked the ground. One man had pinned the woman’s arm as he knelt down on top of it, one hand covering her mouth while the other ripped at her clothes. The man opposite him did the same. A third held onto her flailing legs while the fourth held the knife that was cutting through her clothes and undergarments.

“Hunter. I’d try to avoid killing them if I were you. If they are players, they will revive with the knowledge of their death and your position in the academy may be affected in the future.” whispered Lara.

If he couldn’t kill them, then he will just have to make them hurt very, very badly.

Focused on closing in on his first target - the man with the knife - Hunter was only a few feet away before he struck. A quick lunge, hand grabbing the hair on top of the man’s head. Yanking him back, Hunter’s left fist thundered towards the man’s face as he lost his balance. Two quick consecutive hits fired in succession.

crack CRACK!

The other three men were shocked at the sudden appearance of this stranger. It was all Hunter needed. His right leg came sweeping up to meet the face of the man holding the woman’s legs. The pain from the impact loosened his grip and he fell back on his ass, gasping.

CRACK!

Reversing his motion, his right leg swept back, his heel connecting with the nose of the man who was stifling the woman’s screams.

CRUNCH!

The woman finally managed to free herself, shuffling away from everyone. She huddled herself closer, trembling.

The last man was making incoherent noises. “Pathetic.” said Hunter. “For you to need to force a woman to satisfy your needs… absolutely pathetic.”

He rained blows on the man’s face and chest, the impacts punctuated by gurgling sounds as the man coughed out blood, trying to not choke himself. He then stood up and looked at the fallen man. Raising his foot high, he stomped on the man’s package, eliciting a choked cry before the man passed out.

The nearest man was still conscious. He methodically broke each and every finger on the man’s hands before silencing his screams with a punch to the solar plexus. A half gasp, half scream left the man’s lips. Hunter then broke the man’s wrists followed up by dislocating both elbow and shoulder joints. The man screamed silently, unable to muster enough air to scream loudly.

Hunter then walked over to the first man that he attacked. “Scum.” he said, before breaking both arms at the elbow cleanly and stomping on both ankles until an audible crack resounded. The man had screamed but Hunter stuffed his mouth with clumps of earth. For good measure, Hunter released a sliver of battle aura enhancing the strike targeting the man’s fibula. The leg bone shattered.

The last man was trying to crawl away. “How does it feel to be the prey?” said Hunter in a cold voice. The man whimpered and continued to crawl.Hunter stepped on the man’s back, stopping him from crawling further.

Grabbing the back of the man’s head Hunter whispered, “Good luck with life as a woman.” before burying the mans face into the earth and with an iron grip, tore his package off together with a chunk of the man’s pants. Hunter discarded the gory remains in his hand with a flick of the wrist. He wiped the bloody hand on the man’s shirt before running it through the earth and the pines.

Approaching the woman cautiously, Hunter whispered softly “I am sorry for what happened to you tonight. I have no intention of harming you. Will you let me help you get home?”

It was a few moments later before the woman nodded her assent. Approaching slowly so as not to startle her, Hunter gently helped her stand up. “Can you walk?” he said.

The woman nodded again. “I… I live… quite a ways from here…” she said.

Understanding her dilemma and not wanting to attract a crowd in the busy street, Hunter said, “Look, my parents place is just at the intersection at Hedge Side. They are currently away training. Would you like to rest there? Tomorrow, I can fetch the principal for you.”

The woman thought long and hard, looking at Hunter every now and again. Finally deciding that she felt safe enough with this stranger, she nodded her head.

As Hunter led the woman to the cottage, he said softly, “My name is Hunter Markell. What is your name?”

‘Markell? One of the great families… and not one that mine is in good terms with...’ she thought sadly.

She looked up at Hunter. She felt he was someone that looked beyond the name and said “My name is Elaine. Elaine Kingston.”

**********

Author’s Notes