System Launch Page 2

  What was a Rogue without the ability to vanish, after all?

  Ben confirmed his selections then opened the character menu to take a look at the results.

  Name: Last Falcon

  Class: Rogue

  Rank: Common

  Grade: Unknown

  Level: 0

  Progress to Next Level: 0%

  HP:50/50

  MP:10/10

  Primary Attributes:

  Power: 10

  Endurance: 10

  Agility: 10

  Magic: 10

  Chapter Three

  Scarcely a minute later the space around him shifted into a storm of static. An instant later, the server was live and Ben was met with a text box.

  Seeds of Lysium Tutorial - Becoming Blood-kin to Dragons

  Terrific. A tutorial. Ben stared at the text box in frustration. He had little need for a tutorial. What he needed was to not waste time here.

  Just like everyone else.

  It hit Ben all at once. This was an obstacle, but it was also an opportunity.

  One of the biggest advantages Ben, and everyone else logging in at launch, could accrue was time invested. Every person starting Seeds of Lysium had to clear the tutorial. Those who cleared if quickly would gain access to the main game faster. Ben had helped test and design the neuromuscular input systems. He’d also spent a decade as a professional VR gamer. Those were advantages very few could compete with.

  He’d be able to get Open Contract Adventuring officially launched in Seeds of Lysium faster than almost any other Adventuring Group, and start leveraging it into other opportunities faster as well. Open Contract had a reputation as an incubator for professionals in free agency and semi-pros with the skills but lacking the name recognition to make the jump into the pros. While small in size the group had both the reputation and contacts to serve as a strong foundation. All Ben had to do was get the group live inside the Seeds of Lysium.

  He was confident he could clear the tutorial quickly. The same couldn’t be said for other people. Finishing faster would get him time in-game that would be almost impossible to match or make up later on.

  The goal was clear: finish the tutorial as soon as possible.

  “Right, then.” Ben muttered. “Time to figure out what I’ll be doing.”

  He scanned over the text of the Tutorial mission and grimaced. It was multi-part. Fantastic.

  Seeds of Lysium Tutorial - Becoming Blood-kin to Dragons: Before you can access the Deeper Woods, you must be marked with a Dragon’s Emblem. Not all humans are capable of withstanding the Dragon’s Emblem, but you recall that a Dragon Priest can test for the potential. Find a Dragon Priest and convince them to administer the test.

  Ben cursed. Find a specific class of Non-Player Character. It was already hard enough distinguishing them from normal players. The only difference was a sigil next to their name. Even in a tutorial space filled with NPCs he could spend hours trying to find a single Dragon Priest.

  Glancing around, Ben saw he was in a building. From the number of people bustling about it was a-

  Oh. Well that will make things simpler.

  Ben found a table in a corner of the tavern and began to scan the tables. Charging up to NPCs could be counterproductive in VR games. Ben had once been sucked into the madness an NPC who took particular offense to such behavior attacked every player in sight for a day and a night. He didn’t suspect the Seeds of Lysium Dungeon-Master AI would be any nicer.

  Deciding to figure out what tools he had, Ben glanced at his command bar. A strip of squares indicating available skills, tools, abilities and spells, it currently had two options. Attack, and Stealth.

  Curious to see how it worked, Ben pulled up the details on Stealth.

  Stealth (Grade: Low, Rank: Common, Level: 0): Costs 1MP/Cast, 1MP per 5 seconds to maintain. Invokes camouflage on user. Success Rate drops by 75% while engaged in combat. Replaces Standard skills with Ambush skills. Doubles Critical Damage if Ambush Successful.

  Minutes past in a buzz of conversation and laughter. Ben’s eyes scanned the hall, but he wasn’t entirely sure what a Dragon Priest looked like. He saw a trio of toughs in one corner that stood out due to their equipment. He’d wager they were part of the standard tutorial path. A barmaid crossed his vision, and Ben let his eyes follow her path. She came to a stop at a table for a moment, then moved off after the lanky youth shook his head in a gentle refusal. Ben almost moved on, then the amulet the youth wore caught Ben’s eyes.

  It was a Western-style dragon’s head seen face on. Carved in a blackened wood of some sort with eyes painted in jewel-bright tones. Ben let his eyes scan over the youth more carefully. The youth wore a long brown cloth robe or cloak from the looks of it. Now that Ben looked closer, he could just make out a pattern of some sort on the robe, and a clasp at the youth’s neck. He couldn’t be sure from where he sat, but the clasp looked like dragon claws. Staring at the pattern for a few moments, Ben concluded that they were wing designs embroidered into the robe itself.

  Before Ben could decide how to approach the youth, his target rose from his table and grabbed a long, thin, cloth-wrapped object from the table top. Carefully ensuring it remained covered, the youth left the tavern. Ben glanced over at the trio in the corner.

  Yep, the thugs were moving. He decided to name them for simplicity sake. Dumb on the right, Ugly on the left, and Big in the middle as the only one wearing plate mail. The other two were in leather. One looked to be a Berserker if Ben had to guess, the other was a Rogue.

  So, three on one, maybe three on two. Close quarters, no casters on the other side, one in heavy armor and two in leather like himself.

  This was going to be fun.

  Ben grinned as he attached himself to the back of the train following the youthful Priest, and left the tavern. The streets of the surrounding town were sparsely populated. Ben supposed the dark outside would have something to do with that. It made life easier though, Ben thought as he faded into a shadow. The trio would make their move sooner or later. Then he’d take the opportunity that presented itself.

  While they walked, Ben took a moment to center himself. It was a technique his father had taught Ben years ago. Five things he could see, four he could hear, three he could feel, two he could smell, and one he could touch. Simple yet effective, and always available.

  Ben saw a smattering of NPCs wandering the small town but no one so eye catching as to require attention. Uneven cobblestones lined the ground. Along either side, a row of buildings leaned against one another so tightly Ben suspected they shared a wall. Above the sky was just turning night dark. In front of him Big’s armor had signs of wear Ben could see now that they weren’t in the crowded and chaotic tavern. The clatter of Big’s metal armor and the squeak of leather as Ugly and Dumb walked beside him were just barely audible. The chatter of NPCs and the whine of animals drifted from the street and buildings nearby. He could feel the uneven road beneath his feet, the shift of material across his shoulders as he walked, and the weight of the weapon on his belt. Ben could smell the stench of people in tight quarters and an unknown food cooking. He could taste his adrenaline spike as Big moved forward and slammed the Priest into an alleyway Ben hadn’t even seen coming.

  The leather wearing thugs followed after the pair. Ben, caboose that he was, brought up the rear. Rounding the corner into the alley, Ben was surprised by the scene he found.

  The Priest wasn’t on the ground. Wasn’t halfway dead from a beating already delivered. Instead he stood half-way down the alley. The cloth wrapped object was no longer wrapped. A glowing golden dragon’s head and claws, covetously holding a jewel the size of Ben’s thumb.. From the staff radiated a golden glow. A similar glow created a barrier between the Priest and his attackers.

  A protective ability. Ben nodded and noted that to himself. Whether the st
aff was giving it to him or boosting it, knowing Priests could produce such shields when ambushed was important. After all, Ben expected to be ambushing Priests for a long time to come himself. That also told Ben exactly which of the three he’d go after as he dropped into stealth.

  Big, Dumb, and Ugly had spread out along the alley. Big in the middle, Ugly on one side, and Dumb on the other. All three were swinging at the Priest’s barrier. It held strong, but Ben could see ripples appearing in the surface. They reminded him of stones hitting water and Ben was willing to bet they were a bad sign.

  Still he didn’t rush. His best shot was to kill or badly injure Ugly before the fight could really begin. To that end, Stealth was his best option. Glancing down to see that Attack had been replaced with Sneak Attack, Ben examined its stats quickly. Half again as much damage as the basic Attack, with a guaranteed critical if his ambush succeeded. Ben nodded slowly in understanding. Burst damage was the name of the game, at least at the start, for rogues. Skills, abilities, and techniques to keep him relevant longer in fights were going to be important.

  That was the last thought he had time for as he closed to within attack range of Ugly. Closing the gap another step for good measure, Ben launched his Sneak Attack.

  The lack of damage values irritated Ben and he made a note to change that as soon as he could after this fight. But he didn’t need those values in this case. He could see Ugly freeze up and collapse like an empty sack. Could see his health bar go from a full green to an empty black in one smooth flow. Could hear the sword clattering from his hand.

  Instant kill.

  Ben went for the sword. Everyone in Open Contract Adventuring knew he hated daggers. But Ugly’s short sword should be suitable for a Rogue.

  A roar of outrage came from Big, but he didn’t turn away from the Priest. Dumb, on the other hand, turned to face Ben. Hefting a two-handed sword overhead, he charged Ben.

  Ben reached the short sword from his fallen foe and scooped it up. However he had no time to equip it before Dumb was on him, chopping a bladed block of iron down at Ben’s crown. Ben smirked, then lunged sideways. Rolling to his feet, Ben saw the end of the sword dig into the sidewall of the alleyway. It wouldn’t buy him more than a half-second, but it was enough to equip the short sword in his main hand and dagger in his off hand. Charging in, Ben landed a solid strike from the newly equipped weapon. Again the lack of damage values annoyed him, but the line of blood and drop in his target’s displayed HP bar was a good sign it had done something.

  Dumb managed to yank his sword from the building before Ben could strike. With a roar the Berserker slashed down towards Ben’s head again. Again Ben stepped sideways, but this time Dumb twisted and spun the sword to follow. Ben kicked back, trying to clear the radius of the blade.

  He failed, and watched as -8 HP floated in front of his eyes for a moment. Nearly a fifth of his health from one strike. He couldn’t afford that trade.

  Ben felt his ire building at the Berserker. Rather than fall back and regroup, Ben charged forward with an attack of his own before his opponent could recover his footing. Dumb stumbled back, trying to block Ben’s barrage. He succeeded twice before Ben broke through. It was the biggest advantage of the attack skill: No cooldown and no reset window. In other words - no recovery time after or between uses. Using the Attack skill put the focus on the user and not the system. Ben was willing to bet he was skilled enough to overcome the difficulty set for this mission.

  He was right, and seconds later Dumb’s body hit the alley floor.

  Big froze when he heard the clatter of Dumb’s sword hitting the ground. Turning to look over his shoulder, Big stared at Ben from one eye.

  “What do you want, Last Falcon?”

  Ben grinned. “His help. Your head. In that order.”

  Big didn’t waste more time on repartee but charged at Ben, shield first. In retrospect, Ben decided as he scampered out of the way, it was a smart move.

  A golden pillar of light bathed Ben even as Ugly swung out with his shield arm. The swinging shield tagged Ben as momentum carried the charging Warrior past. A -12 floated by his eyes as Ben rolled to his feet and glanced at his status.

  To his surprise, his health was rising. Similarly he saw a symbol glowing in an area that was now labeled “Temporary Boons.”

  Okay, so he’d been buffed. Good. Now to crack open this can and finish this quest. Ben grinned Big came in more slowly this time, leading with his shield and an axe held at the ready in his other hand. He thrust forward with the shield, trying to drive Ben back into the wall. Ben backstepped, a plan already in mind.

  Another thrust of the shield, then a swing of the axe. Ben waited for the swing, and then stepped to the side, putting the axe arm between himself and the shield arm. Striking out, Ben struck with sword and dagger both, then kicked off the ground and leapt back. The drop in the health gauge told him damage had been done.

  Another glow swept over Ben. Glancing at the Temporary Boons area, he saw two symbols now floating there. Neither did he have time to examine, but it told him what he needed to know. The Priest wouldn’t get involved directly, but he’d buff Ben to help with the fight. Not the most useful NPC Ben ever met, but better than nothing.

  With health regeneration and another unknown buff in place Ben knew this fight was as good as his. Big swung with his axe horizontally, then spun to put his shield between himself and Ben.

  Ben grinned as he saw the axe slam into the wall and get stuck. Not something he’d expected to work in the game, but he’d take it. Dashing forward, Ben stopped as Big slammed his shield forward, attempting to ward Ben off while he casually side-stepped around the Warrior. Big quickly found that he had to choose whether to try and block Ben with his shield or retrieve his axe. He turned to his axe and Ben fell on him in a flurry of attacks.

  Moments later, the body hit the floor and Ben saw his quest log begin to blink. An update to the quest, no doubt. Ben would deal with it later, but for now he returned his dagger to its sheath. A quick examination of Ugly’s body found his sword sheath. Ben retrieved it, sheathed the sword, and placed it so the handle extended over his left shoulder. He couldn’t ever get used to the scabbard at his waist. He’d decided not to bother trying. Checking the bodies, he was disappointed to see that neither had armor he could use.

  “Greetings, traveler. How might I aid you?” The Priest asked. His tone was a combination of humility and haughty that struck Ben. He shrugged it off and focused on answering the question.

  “I seek access to the Deeper Woods. I’ve heard legend that a Dragon’s Emblem can provide such access.”

  The Priest nodded. “It can. Not all, however, are so blessed as to withstand its touch. If you dare the trial then follow. I shall show you to the testing site.”

  Ben did his best to avoid rolling his eyes and followed. On the bright side, Open Contract Adventuring was now one step closer to the Seeds of Lysium.

  NPCs in VR games could get surprisingly complex with their AI. Ben knew that Seeds of Lysium’s DM-AI was born of Datanet-Standard tech and computer codes, and then customized to hell and back to fit humanity’s needs, abilities, limitations, psychology and other factors. It would continue to adjust based on those same premises. At the end it all meant that Non-Player Characters could become as snarky and aware of subtext as flesh and blood humans given time. Ben figured he’d get in the habit of playing nice now. It’d make things so much easier when the system actually began penalizing players for being dicks to its NPCs.

  The alleys the Priest led him through were tight and winding. Shadows moved in them, and then shifted back when they saw the Priest. Ben looked at one shadow and saw what looked like a dagger being put back into a sheath. Looks like this let me bypass at least one tutorial zone, Ben concluded, and followed closer to the youthful Priest. While they walked, he adjusted the settings to display damage values, as well as a few o
ther odds and ends. He’d have to tweak it further but it would suffice.

  Soon enough they stood outside a two floor building that reminded Ben of pictures from ancient Mediterranean architecture. Columns ran from the ground to the ceiling of the first floor. There they supported the roof, and an identical set of pillars that stood, perfectly aligned, in support of the second floor. Dark stone bowls held coals and dancing flames.

  The door, on the other hand, brought Ben up short. It was kaleidoscopic. That was the only way he could describe it. A shattered world of emeralds and sapphires, rubies and amethysts stood cobbled back together into a single slab. That slab was banded with two thick strips of black iron top and bottom, fitted with a doorknob, and leaned up against the side of the temple.

  Then the youthful Priest grabbed the doorknob, twisted, and pulled the door open. With a grand, sweeping gesture he motioned Ben into the space. “After you, good traveler.”

  Ben did his best to ignore the shockingly bright door and strode into the temple. The Priest shut the door as he stepped inside. Then he walked quickly past Ben and towards an elderly Priest, explanations already pouring out of the youth’s lips with every step.

  Ben didn’t pay over-much attention to the byplay between the two NPCs. One of them would draw his attention when the time came. For now, Ben was far more interested in the temple. If this was to be his test site, then he might as well take the sneak preview. And if it wasn’t, then it wouldn’t hurt to admire the effort the art team put into the space.

  “Traveler.” The voice was more time and care worn than the youthful Priest’s. Looking, Ben confirmed the older Priest was the one speaking. He also saw that the elder Priest was holding the staff he’d seen the youth transporting.

  Ah well that would explain why it’s the focus of the tutorial. Bet it’s the key to this test.

  “Sir.” Ben said, trying his best to be respectful but uncertain what title the system had set for the Priests. Apparently that would do, as the elderly man’s smile ticked up at the corners minutely as he gestured to his younger companion.