Ambush Read online

  How would I ever find a healing potion in this mess?

  He trudged deep inside the building. Frail lamps lit the rooms which battled against the lurking shadows. Minding them not, he stepped over broken objects and went from room to room, scouring every nook and corner. In one of the rooms, he found the dead avatar of a fallen warrior. He didn’t know who he was, but noticed that he had died from many wounds. He would have respawned elsewhere, but Matt didn’t think he would return to this city after what he might have witnessed.

  Opportunity Alert

  Do you wish to loot this fallen player's inventory?

  ***Disclaimer: only unlocked items are available to loot (item locking is a service only available to Premium Members)***

  Loot Body | Leave Body

  Matt selected ‘Loot Body’. He was pleased to find a stock of healing potions, and couldn’t help but feel lucky. He quickly gulped down one of the potions and stored the rest in his inventory.

  System Alert!

  Your HP has been filled to 100% capacity.

  [HP | 3,300/3,300]

  Satisfied, he swiped away the alert and began to head back towards the broken window. Just when he was about to turn the corner, the ground beneath him shook. For a moment, he felt as though it was an earthquake.

  No, it couldn’t be. Perhaps the phoenix had pommeled the ground again, this time closer to the building?

  Apart from the loud battle cries, he heard a strange sound. It was like a heavy thump on the ground, perhaps by a monster as big as the phoenix. He knew it wasn’t the phoenix. He had grown familiar with its footfalls. No, this was something else.

  Was it the monster that had taken resident in this now dead city? @hellekith… he was alone out there.

  Matt rushed, raising his sword. He had reached the broken window when a blue beam cut through the side of the building, splintering and cracking its stone. The force of the beam threw him back to the floor, falling on the broken glass. He groaned in pain, his back crunched against his armor.

  What was that?!

  The entire window had become ice. It was a new monster.

  Threat Detected: Level 16 Ice Demon

  HP| 1,600/1,600

  Strengths: Spews forth ice from its mouth and can control a host of undead avatars.

  Weaknesses: Unknown.

  Outside, the phoenix roared and dashed against the ice monster. Matt could hear it. Moments later, his ears pricked up at the clash. Fist against fist, fire against ice. Both the monsters shrieked and screamed. And even while they fought, the undead didn’t rest. They gathered around the living.

  Standing up, he pointed his sword at the block of ice and drove it through. The ice wall splintered and broke into many pieces. He quickly climbed out and saw a huge monster of ice, a white gauntlet in its hands. It fought against the phoenix as if there was no tomorrow. Fire attempted to melt the ice, but fizzled out in return. He moved towards the ice monster, trying to smite it as he had done the wall of ice a few moments ago. But the undead barred his way. Even @hellekith was too busy pay him any attention.

  The phoenix gave a loud cry as a white beam hit its chest, sending it staggering to the ground. The earth shook beneath his feet again. Angered, he yelled loud.

  The ice monster turned its attention towards him, its deep blue eyes staring at him like a newfound meal. It brought its long slender hands to squash him, but he ducked just in time. As its hand flew above his head, he felt a discomforting chill tingle down his spine. The cold induced a new level of fear in him. Nevertheless, he stood up and eyed the monster direct in its eyes.

  The monster snarled and directed the white beam at him. He held his sword in its path. His weapon endured for a while before freezing and then bursting, its shards embedding themselves into the skulls of the dead who were approaching. He ducked to let the beam pass.

  By the sound that came soon after, he surmised the beam had hit something. Looking behind, he saw a building come crashing down. Grunting, he turned at the monster again who looked ready to send another beam his way. He had no weapon to slow it down, really. He did have some steel in his inventory, but they would all meet the same fate as his sword. He didn’t see much logic in rummaging through his stock and finding a weapon that could stand the beam’s freeze. He had to defeat the beam some other way. He had to find something that gave out fire. Maybe a firebrand would do the trick, but he had to find it.

  Far away, @hellekith was fighting hordes of the dead and trying to reach him. But there were too many. It was the like the monster had raised the dead of the entire city. Fortunately, he had not seen @BlondeWarrior among them.

  The beam flushed through is gauntlet again and he ducked ran. The beam followed him and he knew he couldn’t outrun it for long. He pushed the dead away with his hands and cowered under their sharp claws. He ran so fast he didn’t notice a stone lying in his path and stumbled on it. He fell to the ground, but quickly turned himself so his face could be towards the sky. The dead swarmed on him, snarling, gnarling, their teeth gnashing. He had no weapon. There was no sword or flaming brand nearby.

  No, no, no!

  He mumbled to himself. He had looted so much. He had gathered so much. And dying now would mean no gameplay for a day. His ability to respawn would take twenty-four hours and his inventory would likely get looted. All his hard work would be rendered in vain.

  Just then, when all hope seemed lost, a sword beheaded those who had come close to him.

  @hellekith must have reached me in time!

  Or, so he thought. He was pleasantly surprised to see @BlondeWarrior fighting nearby. And then to his side, a pair of familiar shoes appeared. Above him loomed a tall @doomsday16.

  “I gotta keep saving you, eh?” he taunted.

  “Thank you!” Matt said, gratitude towards his friend.

  As he stood up, @doomsday16 shook his head at him. “It seems saving you is becoming a regular thing. You owe me big time, mate!”

  Matt nodded. His friend was right. He did owe him big time.

  “Let's get to fighting off these demons!”

  @doomsday16 bobbed his head and lunged at the dead, slashing them to pieces in one grandiose move. Matt wished he could do that. Again, his lower level skills were to blame.

  Nearby, @BlondeWarrior fought with great endurance, killing two with one blow, her spear penetrating the dead’s eyes. He opened his mouth as if to say ‘Wow!’ but no words came to his lips. He wondered where she had learned to fight like that.

  Had @doomsday16 taught her?

  She gave him a glare that said, “Join the fight, you bunghole!”

  He couldn't agree more. The dead were coming at them like a never-ending ending stream of ants. But first, he needed to find a new weapon.

  Thankfully, he still had the torch tucked away in his inventory. Activating it with his flint and steel again, the fire blazed bright red.

  [-15 Mana]

  He waved it and set two of the zombies nearby on fire.

  Incinerate: Difficult

  Instant Kill

  [+210 XP]

  Incinerate: Difficult

  Instant Kill

  [+210 XP]

  Opportunity Alert

  Do you wish to loot this fallen Undead Avatar's inventory?

  ***Disclaimer: only unlocked items are available to loot (item locking is a service only available to Premium Members)***

  Loot Body | Leave Body

  Lucky for him, this one had an unlocked sword. Even if it meant it wasn’t nearly as good as his previous one, it would have to do.

  New Weapon Acquired: Shortsword

  Length: 61 cm. The wielder of this sword is granted the ability to inflict harm on their opponents. Chances for Instant Kill are 40%. Greater chances for instant kill increase with higher levels. Requirements: Level > 9, Strength > 9, Agility > 5, Intelligence > 3

  Two more Instant Kills, and a chime sounded from above.

  LEVEL UP!

  +1 Agility
r />   I’m at Level 14 already? Sweet!

  Cutting through the undead hordes, he and @doomsday16 made their way towards the Ice Demon who kept reanimating the fallen and inciting them to battle. As they neared it, he saw a red gem on his forehead, constantly blinking.

  Does that gem give the Ice Demon the ability to resurrect the dead?

  He had to figure out a way to deactivate it.

  But how?

  He called out to @doomsday16. “Hey, do you see that red gem on its forehead?” he asked.

  His friend nodded. “Yes. We need to remove it.” he paused in contemplation and continued, “But you need to do it. I’ll keep it distracted while you climb on its back and remove that gem. That might stop this nasty undead business. Then we would have only this Ice Demon to contend with.”

  “Where’s that phoenix when you need it?” Matt complained.

  Just then, fire smote the Ice Demon’s spine. The phoenix had risen in the distance and sent a ball of fiery red fire towards it. Then it let out a huge storm through its mouth, which confused the Ice Demon even more.

  “Now’s your chance,” @doomsday16 yelled. “Go on!”

  Screaming a battle cry, his friend moved and struck the Ice Demon. The beast howled and its gauntlet blasted an array of white beams that flew everywhere, smiting buildings and the undead alike.

  Matt crouched and made himself ready to strike. Seeing the sliver of ice through the blasting winds, he rushed forward. He waved his flaming torch at the demon’s icy hide. It looked like it was going to melt at first, but it solidified immediately seemingly out of the monster's sheer willpower. Jamming his sword into the demon, he climbed onto its back while it kept trying to shake him off. He held on, pushing his sword deeper into the demon’s hide and attempting to pry it off - thinking it was an icy layer of armor. Every time he did so, the monster screamed in pain. The demon's hands tried in vain to grab him, but Matt had quickly climbed on top of its head.

  The monster had a bald pate, making it easier to climb. He drove the sword into its forehead and put his full strength into prying against the red gem. The monster kept shaking its head, its entire body moving from one end of the street to the other. Though it was tough to hold on, he kept at it.

  The gem proved difficult to remove. His inferior sword was not quite adept at the task. He cursed. He was about to give up when @doomsday16 screamed from below even as he cut his sword through the monster’s legs.

  “Take this sword and give me that one,” his friend shouted.

  Good idea.

  He pulled out the small sword and threw it. His friend caught it with a deft move of his hand and sliced at the monster again to keep it busy with pain. He was clearly enjoying every bit of the fighting. @doomsday16 smiled and threw his sword up to him.

  New Weapon Acquired: Broadsword

  Length: 114 cm. The wielder of this sword is granted the ability to hew down opponents with ease and dexterity. Chances for Instant Kill are 90%. Greater chances for instant kill increase with higher levels. Requirements: Level > 14, Strength > 10, Agility > 10, Willpower > 10

  He caught it even though it's weight pulled him down a bit. @doomsday16’s sword was that heavy.

  Matt then drove the sword into its forehead once again, ducking under a lash of its hand, and flicked the gem away to the ground with one strong move. The gem broke as soon as it touched the hard gravel. As it was rent asunder, its light and power diminished and the undead fell down to the ground with loud thuds.

  He let out a battle cry of victory and started climbing down the monster.

  The vile creature shook hard, making Matt lose his foothold. He fell screaming, closing his eyes, knowing he would meet the ground, but instead, he crashed against a cushion of air. He turned and saw that the phoenix had helped him survive. Even so, pain ran up his spine, making him groan.

  [-500 Damage]

  He limped over to stand by his friend’s side. @BlondeWarrior and @hellekith also joined on their flanks.

  Everyone had their swords ready in hand, eager to continue the fight with this beast. It stared at them with its deep blue eyes flaring, like a cobra ready to strike. It let out a huge howl, looking as if it would soon go on an insane streak. It raised its gauntlet to strike, but before it could let out that freezing white beam, fire caught its hand and started to melt its hide.

  The massive beast howled in pain and tried to snuff the fire out. Before it could turn to see the phoenix, they collided in a fury of fire and ice. The phoenix dragged the monster down the street. It was thrilling to witness a monster-on-monster fight. Buildings crashed, walls cracked, the ground beneath them shook. The bodies of the fallen undead avatars crumbled to ash under their heavy feet. Fireworks flew around them, greeting the ice with fiery red flames. The phoenix’s wings blew blazing hot air at the monster, sending it staggering a few paces away.

  The foursome followed the battle, their weapons raised should the ice monster defeat the phoenix.

  “I don’t think we could have defeated this monster without the phoenix,” @BlondeWarrior said.

  @doomsday16 shrugged his shoulders. “Speak for yourself!” He laughed.

  @hellekith just kept quiet, watching the battle rage on between the two monster. Matt too kept silent, happy that one of the monsters was on their side. His eyes focused to see if there were any weakness. Even though it looked like the phoenix was winning, the ice monster, though beaten and weakened, did not look anywhere close to dying.

  He raised his sword and rushed into the fray, much to surprising grunts his friends gave him. He slid underneath the phoenix’s legs with fire and ice dancing above him, and cut through the ice monster’s legs with his sword. Despite the loud howl following, he leaped onto the monster and decided to complete the job. He drove his sword right into the monster’s heart and twisted the hilt as he retracted the blade while the phoenix flapped its wings hard on its head.

  Its icy hide broke asunder, shards of the frozen elemental smashing into the nearby buildings. Matt, meanwhile, had slid to the ground and looked content at the creature’s demise.

  StabTwist: Difficult

  Assisted Kill

  [+270 XP]

  Congratulations!

  You have defeated a Level 16 Ice Demon: Boss Class and all of his minions. In addition to your gained XP, for your bravery and prowess you will be rewarded with the following:

  +3 Strength

  +2 Stamina

  +2 Intelligence

  His friends caught up to him and patted him on his shoulders.

  “Who saved whom now?” he taunted.

  He said it aloud to everyone, but he had actually meant it for @doomsday16 who smirked knowingly in return. Behind them, the phoenix disintegrated into ashes, which the wind then blew away.

  Matt let out a tired sigh. “I miss that phoenix already.”

  @hellekith laughed. “Really. Not too long ago you were ready to kill it.”

  He stared at his friend. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again.

  He’s right, of course.

  His eyes fell upon @BlondeWarrior. “We were searching for you,” Matt raised an eyebrow. “Where? How?”

  “Well, I had taken on a side-quest and my destination was a cave nearby. Then we were attacked by this monster and I had no skill to kill it. No weapon either after the Ice Demon froze them and they shattered.” She sounded frustrated. “I then escorted a few I could find out of the city. Behind me was pure carnage. The monster killed all the NPC's it could find, and then some NPC woman cried that she had left a child behind. I got a quest prompt, and accepted it. So I returned to the city and I found the seven-year-old boy, but he was surrounded by the undead. I realized I would have to fight if I wanted to save the kid and complete my quest. I thought for sure that I was going to die. But then he turned up.” She pointed at @doomsday16.

  “Yup, I had heard rumors of the ice monster from the surrounding villages.” @doomsday16 chimed in, “I followed
it here, but was too late. I entered through the western gate and found her in trouble. We fought through and returned the kid to the mother, who took the survivor’s group downhill into a refugee camp a few miles away.”

  “Hey! I'm telling the story.” @BlondeWarrior interrupted with a glare, “So then we came back to the city to get rid of the monsters so people could return. But the dead resurrected and we kept fighting until we heard a huge commotion. Smoke came from the south-eastern edge and we headed here. And we came just in time, Matt. To save you.”

  “You too?” Matt remarked, feigning hurt.

  Everyone laughed, especially @BlondeWarrior.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Bull’s-eye

  Would a peaceful world make a difference in my life?

  Matt didn’t know. He had no knowledge of what such a life was or would be. Not in the real world, nor here in this fantastical universe where monsters breathed and attacked at will.

  At will?

  He thought not for a long time. Something was definitely driving them. More and more monsters were jumping out of the woodwork, killing and maiming the living. They had no pity for NPCs. Nature had a universal law: the powerful prey on the powerless. If anything history had taught him, this universal truth taught him to be aware of everything around him. While he hunted down monsters as part of quests and side-quests, he knew someone was hunting him. It was better to assume that way.

  Stepping into this nice little village on the banks of a wide river, he grew wary, eyeing everything with great scrutiny. Even with @doomsday16 and @BlondeWarrior with him, he kept watch. His sight tried to pierce the dark of the night with a flaming brand in his hands. The bright red fire flickered, giving enough light to see things at a short distance. His friends too had their torches lit.

  Stories spoke of an ancient artifact that lay somewhere in the caverns of the mountains bordering the village on the eastern side. @BlondeWarrior had decided that they should take up the side-quest while @doomsday16 had kept arguing that they should try and find this Leviathan everyone was going gung-ho about.