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  Ambush

  DarkForce: A GameLit Saga

  by R. M. Mulder

  and V. P. Allasander

  Original publication date: June 2019

  Copyright (C) 2019 R. M. Mulder

  Digital Edition

  License Notes

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of these authors.

  Published exclusively by Indie Illuminati

  Cover art by Les

  Ambush (DarkForce: A GameLit Saga)

  Copyright © 2019 Indie Illuminati

  All rights reserved. Except for the use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, no known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the authors imaginations or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This edition published by arrangement with the publisher.

  RMMulder.com

  Map: World of Zion

  Double-Click/Double-Tap to Zoom

  Table of Contents

  Map: World of Zion

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Surprise Attack

  Chapter Two

  Night Raid

  Chapter Three

  The BOSS

  Chapter Four

  Duty Calls

  Chapter Five

  The Arena

  Chapter Six

  Sleep Mode

  Chapter Seven

  Level Up

  Chapter Eight

  Atlantis

  Chapter Nine

  Armor Up

  Chapter Ten

  The Phoenix

  Chapter Eleven

  The Undead

  Chapter Twelve

  Ice Demon

  Chapter Thirteen

  Bull’s-eye

  Chapter Fourteen

  Framed

  Chapter Fifteen

  Curious Artifact

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jailbreak

  Chapter Seventeen

  Homebound

  Chapter Eighteen

  Unexpected Rescue

  Chapter Nineteen

  Cyber Police

  Chapter Twenty

  The Doctor

  Chapter Twenty One

  Identity Crisis

  About the Author

  Before You Go

  Chapter One

  Surprise Attack

  Cutting through the long blades of grass, Matt arrived at a point where two roads met to form a well-traveled intersection. To his east lay a small village, nestled in the arms of two lone hillocks that, to him, after a long trek in the mountains looked like small mounds. Lush green grasslands stretched in all the other directions as far as his eyes could see, although they did end at the forests rumored to have dark boughs and monsters within.

  Village of Aram

  Population: 632

  Fortification Style: Spiked Wood

  Strength: 1,000/1,000

  Do you wish to proceed towards this village?

  Yes | No

  Matt reached up and pressed the hovering “Yes” button in his augmented vision. When he spawned in the game DarkForce over an hour ago, he received an urgent message from his best friend and colleague In Real Life (IRL) @doomsday16 asking him to meet him here at the fork in the road just outside this village. Matt was eager to know why the message was so urgent, so he rushed through the rough terrains, having previously exhausted the few amulets yesterday that would have allowed him to spawn in different locations on the game map. How he wished he hadn’t used them all up! He could have at least teleported himself to the nearest city, Baraquiel. This village wasn’t far from that quaint place.

  His eyes scoured around from left to right, trying to find @doomsday16, who seemed to have found a clever hiding place… assuming of course he hadn't gotten his avatar killed already. He did not want to think that. Respawning from the dead was a lengthy process unless a resurrection potion was used. He didn’t have any, at least not with him in the present.

  The sky began to grow dark, the light dimming with every passing second. Crickets began to chirp and a few leaves rustled in the trees nearby. The birds returned to their nests and slowly, the small fires from the lampposts began to flicker in the village. Frowning, Matt resumed his trot towards the village. Perhaps he could find @doomsday16 there.

  Even as he took his steps one at a time, a few blades in the grass seemed to be uprooting themselves, showing dark bulky figures carefully wading through the serene and quiet grasslands. Matt’s ears pricked up at the sounds, raising his spear up. His breathing quickened and he turned round and about, sensing the direction the monsters might come at him from.

  Loud snarls replaced the calm of the place, sending him on high alert.

  Threat Detected

  An Aracken herd has been identified in the area. Do you wish to proceed?

  Yes | No

  Others like him appreciated how he wasn’t scared when he faced monsters. Little did they know how untrue they were. Oh, he was scared! He felt fear. Otherwise, why would he have goosebumps? Why did he feel the chill that was typically associated with fear? No, they were wrong. But he wasn't about to let anyone see his weakness. Especially if @doomsday16 was hiding somewhere in these shadows, testing him.

  After a moment of hesitation, Matt pressed “Yes”. He held his spear tight, the steel rod wet with sweat. It was time to give these monsters what they deserved.

  Something that sounded like tentacles clicked behind him. He turned and saw a dark massive creature with eyes black as shadow staring at him. It made him feel queasy. Its many mouths sported spiked tentacles that could tear up his skin with one strike.

  Threat Detected: Level 4 Aracken

  HP| 400/400

  Strengths: Long black tentacles allow for easy subduing of prey. Mouth is full of smaller spiked tentacles, and sport two sharp tusk-like teeth on either side.

  Weaknesses: Unknown

  Within seconds he found himself surrounded by at least ten of these vile creatures. They appeared to look like a cross-breed of ancient arachnid spiders and kraken. The latter was found often in the seas and were deadly creatures themselves. Yet these moved on land. It was a new kind of monster, definitely. And he had no knowledge of anyone ever encountering them. He had not faced them before. Ever.

  Looking down, he didn’t have any armor on. Just a white loincloth that protected his privates. He heaved a deep sigh, wishing he had some armor.

  Screaming aloud, he raced towards the creature that had first appeared in front of him even as the others spread their tentacles towards him. His lithe body helped him jump over them, his hands circling the spear in the air, the wind whooshing about him. Screaming non-stop, his face contorted in aggression, he drove the spear at one of the tentacles of the cross-breed near him.

  [-10 HP]

  Though the spear point embedded itself in its thick hide, the creature did not utter a cry. Instead, it lashed at him and threw him across the grassy field. He groaned in pain and then realized that he had lost his spear, which had embedded itself into the tentacle. He stood and scanned the situation, seeking a way to retrieve his weapon before he was mutilated beyond the ability
to heal with a potion.

  The other creatures huddled towards him, blocking the path back to his weapon. Frustrated, he didn't want to face his first in-game death. With no spawning tokens, he’d have to spend several game hours trekking through the mountains again to reach this rendezvous point.

  Yet, he saw in the huddle a tiny glimpse of hope. His spear stood out in the middle of the pack, and if he planned his moves just right, he might have a slight chance of retrieving it. If only he could make it!

  As one of them lashed out once again, he rolled on the grass. Fortunately, there was a slope, one he thanked. He hadn’t seen it in the dark. He bowled himself right under the creatures, causing them to stumble forward. Fresh air whipped at his face as he raced towards the Aracken that was trying to remove the spear from its hide. He eyed warily the creature's white tusks that were protruding from both sides of its mouth. They looked similar to tusks found on mammoths or elephants. Perhaps they were indeed its teeth. Regardless, they looked sharp and only one of them could likely skewer a boar with a tough hide. He had to make sure to avoid it, yet he had to retrieve his spear at any cost.

  Behind him, the creatures had formed a pack once again. Soon, they would descend on him. Without a weapon, he found himself hard-pressed against the monsters. Not that he found them easy with a spear for a weapon. Its point wasn’t as sharp as he had hoped.

  Looking around, he saw a lone pine tree hanging tall. If he could climb it and jump onto the creature, perhaps…

  Grabbing a handful of stones he raced towards the tree, the creatures shrieking as they followed him. The rough bark scraped his skin as he climbed, drawing the scarlet of his avatar's blood. The pain sent another tingle surging through him, making his forehead crease and his vocal cords hiss.

  Why does the game have to make everything feel so real?!

  Regardless, he climbed the tree, his hands feeling the thick exterior. He ruffled through the green leaves and climbed onto one of the branches.

  It was just then that he felt a jolt. The creatures dashed against the tree, trying to uproot it. They were intelligent, he gave them that. The tree would fall down soon enough. He had to act fast.

  A bugle sounded in the distance, distracting the creatures. His eyes squinted in the dark and saw a group of men heading towards his location. Perhaps the villagers had heard of the battle and the monsters. Maybe @doomsday16 was near, though he couldn’t see him.

  Most of the vile creatures raced off towards the shouting villagers. They waved firebrands at them, making them shrink back. Unfortunately however, two of the monsters had decided to linger behind and they eyed him from below as if he was their prized prey.

  One of them snarled as its eyes caught him lurking on the branch, trying to decide how to attack the creature whose tentacle he had speared. The other tried to spread its tentacles upward. They narrowly missed him as he ducked and almost fell. If he had not clutched at the thick branches, he would have fallen down and been meat. His legs now dangled in the air, and his breathing became laborious. With a few grunts he successfully pulled himself back up onto the branch.

  Congratulations!

  You have successfully avoided a death scenario. For your bravery and prowess, you will be rewarded:

  [+1 Stamina]

  [+1 Strength]

  Below, the monsters seemed quiet. Perhaps they were trying to think of some other ways to get him down. The speared creature had almost removed the spear when he saw a chink in the cross-breed’s armor. Its armpits did not have tough skin as the rest of their bodies. That was where he should strike. If only he could get the spear… or any weapon for that matter.

  He carefully stood up on the thick branch and balanced precariously on it as he inched forward towards the spot where the wounded creature wailed. As the branch began to bend under his weight, he took a deep breath and springboarded off of it. As calculated, he landed hard on the creature’s back at the same moment it succeeded in removing the offensive spear. It then jumped with its scrawny legs in a bid to throw him off. The twain who had followed him from the lonely tree stared at him, eager to jump on him the moment his feet or body touched the ground.

  They circled him, not allowing him leeway to get to the spear, which had fallen far away. If he ever managed to touch the ground, he would have to sprint. And fast.

  Closing his eyes, he breathed deep and jumped.

  The moment he touched the grassy earth, the creatures swept their tentacles at his feet, intending to trip him. He leapt over them and sprinted across the grass. To his far right, the villagers were fighting off the monsters, but they weren’t able to kill the lot off. These monsters never seemed to get tired either, but he knew the Non-Player Character (NPC) villagers would eventually get weary. They wouldn’t be able to hold them off for long.

  The loss in his focus enabled one of the creatures following him lash out. The tentacle caught him on his hip and sent him reeling across the grass. Blood oozed through the miniature holes on his side where the spikes had hit him. He felt his health deteriorate with every passing second. His pulse quickened and he crawled to the side, one of his hands trying to stem the bleeding. The spear wasn’t far away. The creatures inched closer.

  With just a moment to spare between him and his possible death, his hands found the rod of the spear and with a painful push, he drove it through one of the tentacles of the creature atop him.

  [-20 HP]

  Green blood trickled down it as it shrieked and wailed. It raised its legs, exposing its armpits to him. With one deep heave, he threw the spear at the armpit. The spear cut off the legs and the tentacles attached to the armpit before piercing it.

  [-50 HP]

  CRITICAL HIT!

  Lifebar: < 30% >

  The creature gave a loud wail and staggered, green slime oozing out of its wounds. Matt stood up despite the rising pain and removed the spear from the shrieking monster. With a ravenous rage, he drove the spear into the ball of its right eye, and the creature fell to the ground with a loud thud.

  HeadStab: Medium

  Instant Kill

  [+40 XP]

  Skill Unlocked: HeadStab

  Delivers an Instant Kill when in close range. Chances of longer range accuracy are 25%. Greater chances for Instant Kill increase with higher levels. Requirements: Level > 5, Agility > 2, Stamina > 3, Intelligence > 3

  The other monsters around let out a high-pitched scream. It sounded as though they were mourning the loss of their comrade in unison. With increased rage, they attacked those around them. But the villagers had witnessed his battle with the cross-breed and emulated his actions. They found the armpit and exploited that weakness. The monsters began to retreat.

  Matt on the other hand felt tired and weary, virtual blood loss making him feel dizzy and weak. The end of his vision blackened and all light began to fade. Then, someone grabbed him by his arm, and just seconds before he entirely blacked out he recognized the familiar face of a man clad in a magnificent armor.

  Chapter Two

  Night Raid

  His friend made him gulp down a bitter liquid that somehow seemed to make him feel better. The healing potion had been crafted from the fabled enchanted elderberries of the mountains around.

  “Well, you gotta get yourself some proper armor someday buddy!” his friend remarked. “Armor would have served you much better than a loincloth.”

  He laughed, although it sounded much like a snort.

  “What… happened?” Matt asked.

  “Monsters attacked the village. While I stayed behind, the survivors made their way out only to meet one of their convoys here, I suppose. Should’ve known. These creatures are intelligent.”

  “And you came…”

  “I figured an idiot like you would need my help and it seems I was right. You killed just one monster out of the lot, my friend. I expected more.”

  Though his tone was mocking, Matt knew that he didn’t mean it. @doomsday16 was just trying to lift his sp
irits.

  His vision became clearer as strength, or rather a modicum of it, returned to his avatars body. He still felt nauseous, but his friend steadied him as they stood up.

  “Are they’re gone?” he asked.

  @doomsday16 shook his head. “Not so easily, mate! They’re still around.”

  His reaction might have looked questioning for he continued, “If you hadn’t lost so much blood and were in control of your senses, well, you could hear. They are just waiting.”

  “Waiting for what?” he asked, dreading the answer already.

  “The Boss of course. The main guy.”

  “Oh!” he grunted.

  “You didn’t think this quest was gonna be that easy, did you?” @doomsday16 posed him a question.

  “Of course not, but they did retreat!”

  “They stepped back because they figured out you knew how to kill them. Trust me, they’ll come back. Like I said, these creatures are intelligent. They might just be debating another strategy to come at you.”

  “To think that even monsters can form strategies!” Matt scoffed.

  “Oh, they sure can, but they are just one of the many problems!” @doomsday16 said. He sounded concerned enough to make Matt frown. “The village is under siege by many other monsters. Looks like these monsters have launched a coordinated attack… rumors have spoken of many of them gathering.”

  “Uh oh!” he grunted. “Looks like they are beginning to embrace the pack mentality.”

  “If so then we are doomed, mate. We’re bloody doomed.”

  “Says you!”

  @doomsday16 sneered. “So are you good now? Wounds all healed? Ready to take the fight a step further?”

  Matt nodded.

  “Well then, as I always say, on our heads be it!”

  @doomsday16 pointed at the village, at which the NPC villagers shook their heads. It was no surprise they were afraid to return, having run from the village in the first place.

  “Oh, come on!” @doomsday16 shouted at them. “It’s your bloody village we’re trying to save.”