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  ‘Syndicate Slayer’ & ‘The Crystal Crusade’ by Mars Dorian © 2017

  1

  Clouds pushed away the sun on Fourlando’s epic sky, but the Violet Lunar ripped through the layers like a crimson meteor. Its crystallized surface seemed to be directed at me, the player. The Violet Lunar emanated an aura unlike any other place on the continent, like it was calling my name.

  “Boltzmann.”

  The coarse voice sliced the air. My eyes returned to the plaza of Cloudkiss, the secret village of the Blue Flame resistance. My co-players, Rokkit the Lancer, Yumi-D the Ranger and L’ocean the TechMage, awaited me next to the gear shop. Even across the distance, I could marvel at their impressive armor. Melee master, Rokkit, carried heavy adaptive gear plating while L’ocean had to rely on a multi-plated uniform which made her the most fragile class. Supports and long-ranged classes were restricted to light armor, but fighting wasn’t about going Rambo on the battlefield; it was about group tactics.

  “What’s up with the moon gazing?” Rokkit said.

  “I always get the feeling the Violet Lunar is staring down at me.”

  “That’s how it was designed,” L’ocean said. “It always looks at you; no matter where you are on the world.”

  “But why?”

  “To make little players piss their pants,” Rokkit said. “Maybe that’s the reason why no one has the balls to approach it.”

  That was true. The game had existed for almost a decade and many pro players raked in millions of dollars, but no one dared to travel to the bloody moon—not even super-star player, Holland Pax. Maybe it was impossible to reach the crystallized orb, or simply too risky; after all, who wanted to sacrifice their pro career for a dangerous trip to the loony zone. I wanted to say that I was interested in traveling to the Reepo-invested moon one day, but that would have elicited yet another rant from Rokkit. Instead, I focused on our new quest. A new chance to increase my viewership and the Blue Flame affiliation.

  L’ocean focused on me. “Have you checked out the engine blade from our last boss battle?”

  “Not yet.”

  I looked at my inventory. For the last few weeks, I had been using the military-grade gunblade as my primary weapon. But with ever tougher enemies and boss battles, the trusted but rusty weapon had outlived its use. I swapped the baby for the new BlitzBlade I had snatched from the Syndicate boss battle in Varmegarden:

  Weapon: Masterful BlitzBlade

  Type: Engine Sword

  Attack speed: Fast

  Range: Close

  Power supply: 2x micro Reepo-batteries

  Ability: 7% Armor-break, Shock damage, 8% Stun Damage

  Slots: 1x

  Nice stats, definitely the weapon I required now. But the slot function befuddled me—I had never seen that category in a menu before.

  “What’s the matter?” Rokkit asked. He could sniff out my hesitation like an apex predator.

  “The blade comes with a free slot.”

  The smile doubled on his smug face. “Let me guess; you’ve got no clue what slots are for?”

  Before I could muster an excuse, L’ocean chimed in. “It means your weapon can be enhanced with an additional function.”

  “How so?”

  “Mech upgrades,” Rokkit said. “You can buy ‘em from specialized shops, but they cost a small fortune. The cheapest ones start at a few thousand credits, which is clearly out of your league.”

  I whistled. “Who’s willing to pay that much?”

  L’ocean said, “Well, slot upgrades last forever. Once your weapon is obsolete, you can visit a craft shop and remove the upgrade for a small fee. Or you develop a skill that allows you to do it yourself.” Her face shone with excitement. “Imagine possessing a weapon with three slots. You could embed three high-quality upgrades and craft a mobile powerhouse.”

  Sounded tempting. Whenever I thought I had finally understood the game mechanics of the Crystal Crusade, another level of complexity unveiled. Skill sets, sub-classes, crafting, slot upgrades… the list grew like a spider web. Still, complaining was not a business strategy, so I shut up and went on.

  Rokkit and L’ocean approached the stables where the speed fowls awaited us. I stopped halfway when I realized I was missing my secondary tool.

  “Hold on, I have to pick up my upgraded harpoon gun glove from the weapons smith.”

  Rokkit rolled his eyes. “Hurry up, or we’ll leave without you.”

  Unlikely, since this was my private game to which they had been invited. But redhead Rokkit sometimes forgot about the power dynamics or pushed me for fun. Either way, I jetted across the plaza and entered the weapons smith’s shop. Enhancing weapons cost a fortune, but this time, the Blue Flame leader, Balzac, had paid for the service as a reward for my success with the Varmegarden liberation. In front of the wooden desk, I rang the bell. A bald, middle-aged man with a black beard approached me. His heavy steps clang from the gear he carried around on his brick-shaped body.

  “Your upgrade is ready, Dash.”

  The saliva rocked in my mouth when I saw the update.

  Weapon: Harpoon Gun Glove+2

  Type: Long-range Chaining Device

  Function: Bind

  Ability: Enhanced Spikes

  I installed the new version on my armored left arm with a satisfying click sound. Maybe it was my imagination, but I believed the device weighed less than last time. Or maybe my character’s stamina had grown since the last level up and allowed me to carry more weight.

  “Looks pretty, eh?” the smith said.

  “Prettiest dame around.”

  “I’m glad you enjoy it. Our family-run craft shop prides itself on offering the best customization available in the mainland. A rebellion without proper gear is suicide.”

  “Out of curiosity, how much would have cost me the upgrade?”

  “About seven thousand five hundred credits,” the weapon smith said with the speed of a bullet.

  Damn. Every enhancement in the game world burned budgets. Maybe I should focus less on credit-collection and more on quests with upgrade rewards. I wanted to look at the additional gear the smith offered, but a harsh, male voice yelled from outside.

  “Boltzmann.”

  I saluted the smith goodbye and found Rokkit and L’ocean mounted on their speed fowls. The feathered creatures picked at grass and snarled. I exposed my left hand and showed the new upgrade to my mates. “Fancy-schmancy addition, eh?”

  “Orgasmic,” Rokkit said. “Now apply your butt to your fowl and get riding.”

  “You’re lovely today.”

  “I just value my time, unlike certain couch crusaders who come all over low-class upgrades.”

  “The only thing coming will be the experience points after I pierce enemies with my upgraded harpoon.”

  “How about you get your ass to the stable and come with your fowl first?”

  “Better safe than sorry.”

  I ran toward the stable, mounted my fowl, and joined the two outside the mountain village. We blasted down the steep path and dashed through the dense forest. I had traveled this area so many times I knew every meter by now. The elongated trees, the boulders with face shapes, the emerald grass fields interspersed with the woods—the beautiful game design amazed me every time.

  During our ride down, I threw a quick glance at my e-scroll. The menu showed the visual profile of my level 14 WarTech which was soon to reach level 15 where another batch of skills awaited me. I looked forward to my new abilities. As soon as my character accessed level 25, I would have eno
ugh skills and experience to become a serious player. It seemed like a long path ahead, but with my recent quest successes and spikes in viewership, I was on the right path to becoming a pro player.

  The destiny was mine for the taking.

  2

  While riding my fowl on auto-pilot, I checked my current build to see my progression:

  4 points in close combat—which increased my damage to 15% and allowed me to use medium melee weapons.

  4 points in the Machine Spirit—which basically improved every device and craft that I was in control of. Higher levels would allow me to use advanced crafts.

  2 points in Enemy Mine—which allowed me to access better traps, and increased their damage by 20%. Later upgrades would allow me to build my own traps. Sweet.

  1 point in the Fowl Rider—which increased the animal’s stamina to 15% and the total speed by 5%.

  3 points in the Chainlink ability—which extended my harpoon gunning range by 10 meters and reduced my cooldown to 18 seconds.

  A rock-solid character build. And despite being locked into my character class, I could re-spec ALL of my points at will. Granted, I had to pay a fine of five percent from my total credits, but that was a minor pain. As the world and challenges of my future quests would dramatically change, I needed to adapt my playing style. Maybe later, once I accessed advanced machinery such as auto-armor and technical ‘pets’, I could return the fowl riding skill and spend it on more useful fighting abilities. My class still functioned best in mid-range with heavy reliance on good equipment. Plus, I needed to specialize sooner or later, unless I went solo, which seemed unrealistic. With top players like Rokkit, L’ocean, Wu, and maybe later Yumi-D at my side, I could focus on my strengths and let my co-players compensate for my weaknesses.

  Life finally worked without annoying bugs.

  Good quests.

  High viewerships.

  Strong co-players.

  Dear in-game gods, please get me more.

  My fowl fired over the grassy Great Plains of the northern part of the Norsefalian continent. I swore the feathered beast left a firing trail on the tracks behind.

  Whoosh all the way.

  Even L’ocean and Rokkit could barely keep up with me. Their fowls choked on the dust I left behind.

  “What the hell did you feed your fowl?” Rokkit said, dozens of meters behind me.

  “Premium fyrekraut I bought at Cloudkiss.”

  Expensive herbs, but they packed power. With my digital finances leveling up as much as me, I could invest in better food quality that strengthened my animals.

  Literally fast food.

  Rokkit focused on me. “Sometimes you’re slow as molasses, and then you speed up like a rocket at mach three. You’re hard to figure out, Boltzmann. It’s like your character’s played by a deranged ten year old who lets her reasonable brother take over for an hour or two.”

  “Can’t tell if that’s a compliment or an insult.”

  “Of course you can’t.”

  L’ocean fired up her fowl and matched her speed to mine. “When you’ve finished comparing your surging testosterone levels, let’s focus on the quest, shall we?”

  “Right,” Rokkit and I said in unison.

  The target destination of our quest was the Holiplaze, a religious temple site, carved into the canyons of the mountain region of Western Norsefalia. A familiar site I had visited a long time ago. I wondered how much, if anything at all, had changed since my first quest. Thanks to the fast fowls, we reached the target zone in a handful of minutes. Hundreds of pilgrims wearing festive clothes strolled around the sacred site. Item shops, food stands, and even a smithery awaited us. The place had grown considerably since my last visit. I galloped my fowl to a mobile stall, paid a tiny fee to the local stable master, and pushed through the main crowd of the canyon site. Rokkit and L’ocean followed me.

  “Remember we still need to fill up our supplies.”

  “Don’t worry; I got everything covered.”

  I reached a local item shop and commenced bargaining with the bearded salesman. The second the non-playable character saw me, his lips arched. “Welcome back, Dash. It’s an honor to see you again. What can I do for you?”

  Rokkit stood next to me. A scowl appeared on his scarred face. When he spotted my price reduction bonus, his eyes were about to roll out their sockets. “Twenty percent off for every item? Did you level up your negotiation skills?”

  “Let’s just say the Holiplaze and me go way back.”

  His grimace stayed as he rolled his eyes. Even after all our quests, Rokkit experienced trouble trusting my words. Our personalties opposed each other, but at least we weren’t fighting each other in PvP battles.

  I bought mid-potions, remedies, and antidote for all three of us, since I was the only one who received the twenty percent price reduction bonus.

  “Thank you, sir,” I said.

  “The honor was all mine, Dash. Your desire to buy from me validates my existence. May the Aeons surge through every particle of your body.”

  With a fat smile, I waved goodbye to him. Rokkit’s grimace had frosted by that point and he mocked the merchant. “Your desire to buy from me validates my existence?”

  “He’s a seller who knows how to treat his customers.”

  “No; that guy was fanboy-ing hard,” Rokkit said.

  “People like it when you help them out. True for NPCs as well.”

  “Thanks for the enlightenment, oh wise one.”

  L’ocean expressed a smile. Back in the earlier days, I would have blushed. But ever since knowing that L’ocean was a buffed up guy called Cruz in real life, my inflation had vanished. “Looks like our quest givers are over there,” L’ocean said and pointed across the crowd.

  A young man and woman in religious attire awaited us. They carried bracelets and rings around their necks and widened their manicured lips the second they spotted me.

  “Caspian and Celeste,” I said before they could mumble. The names of important and charming NPCs always shot to my mind.

  Celeste ran toward me and hugged me tight. “Dash, I can’t believe you’re back.”

  The young man followed up with a warm smile. “Good to see you back, sir.”

  They looked different from last time. Their garment looked more complex, sporting more symbols and patterns, not to mention their stylish bracelets.

  They also appeared taller and older, as if they had aged by five years over the past weeks.

  Rokkit furrowed his eyebrows. It was refreshing to see him lost for once. “First the merchant, now the siblings. Seriously, what the hell did you do to this place, Boltzmann?”

  Before I could even form my lips for an answer, Rokkit revealed a mean smile. “Lemme guess—you created a child trafficking ring? Hashtag Holiplaze Gate.”

  “Sounds like you’re projecting. I actually killed a Thornbasher that crept inside the cloister and caused mayhem.”

  “You? Single-handedly?”

  “It’s true,” Celeste said. “He saved us all.”

  I loved it when NPCs supported me. “Dash marched into the sanctuary with his gunblade raised.”

  Caspian nodded and acted out my attack moves—overly dramatic blade swings and battle cries included. Celeste eyed her partner with raising concern. “Dash was the one fighting. You just cowered in the corner.”

  “Not true. I was pondering tactics,” Caspian said and pouted.

  “Anyways, the Thornbasher crawled up the walls and launched its scales after us. Dash shielded us and fired his chain at the creature’s abdomen.”

  She played out my fight. “He pulled his chain and slammed the creature to the ground. He then hammered his sword and sliced the creature’s crusty skin away. It looked as if he was born to kill Thornbashers.”

  L’ocean chimed in for the first time. “I thought your religion detests violence?”

  The two frowned. “It’s not forbidden; it’s just seen as lower behavior,” Caspian said. “Des
pite our connection to the Aeonlight, we’re still organic beings on the surface. We hope however to transcend our human faults throughout time and experience.”

  Rokkit crossed his arms. “Dash, natural Thornbasher.” He stepped toward my right side and whispered, “Nothing like an underaged fan club, eh?”

  Rokkit, ever in snark mode. Whenever someone complimented me, especially NPCs, he had to fire back.

  “Let’s concentrate on the quest, gentlemen,” L’ocean said, playing the mediator once again. She stepped between me and Rokkit and focused on the two. “How can we help you?”

  Celeste nodded. “Our high-priest has established a local chapter in Varmegarden. Our presence is rapidly expanding in the township.”

  “Congratulations,” L’ocean said.

  The memory shot back to me. Varmegarden, a township formerly controlled by the Sunblood Syndicate. We liberated the city in an epic quest and defeated a mechanized military captain called Odin. According to my e-scroll logs, the township became independent and joined the Blue Flame rebellion. The Aeonlight religion used the retreat of the Syndicate to expand their membership.

  “Continue,” Rokkit said to Celeste.

  “Well, our sanctuary needs important supplies. We must relocate ten supply crates to our new chapter in Varmegarden.”

  Caspian chimed in. “Unfortunately, the Hope Road has become dangerous. Bandits attack caravans and rob travelers. Only convoys with guards are able to travel safely.”

  The last convoy quest on the Hope Road resulted in decent money but little experience. Not a single bandit had attacked us. Maybe I was going to see more action this time around, especially since we had wiped out the Syndicate presence.

  The quest updated in my heads-up display.

  Quest: Holy Convoy

  Type: Convoy Protection

  Description: The followers of the Aeonlight hire you to protect their convoy from the Holiplaze to Varmegarden.