Gamers never die!
1524 Words
Nashoba and the rest of the humans didn’t understand what to make of this. These two humans were far from ordinary. One could burn entire hordes down with flames while the other could freeze enemies in their tracks and even use magic scrolls. They watched in fear as Aaron and Zach approached the burnt skeleton of the Dark Orc. The Z-bands on their wrists beeped just as expected and notified them of their victory.
Aaron had taken out all the Dark Orc foot units by himself and killed the Raid Master as well. This resulted in the XP multiplier taking effect and earned him a huge amount of points. Crossing level 5 also meant that he now had access to 2 brand new Martial Arts abilities. The following message was displayed on his holographic screen:
[*Dark Orc Warriors killed!*]
[*Dark Orc Riders killed!*]
[*Achievement unlocked: One-man army!*]
[*Dark Orc Raid Master killed!*]
[Achievement unlocked: Brutal warrior!*]
[+15000 XP
+7000 Sky Gems Earned
Level Up!
Current Level: 9.
All stats increased!
Five Skill Points available!]
[*Two new abilities acquired*]
[1. Indomitable Strength: Can be used once per day. When activated, the user can lift objects 100 times his body weight.]
[2. Leaping Leopard: It can be used once per day. When activated, the ability allows the user to leap across great distances and climb vertical structures.]
Zach too was greeted with a similar message. Since his support buff had helped Aaron kill the Raid Master, the experience gained was also added to his character. It was enough for him to reach level 7.
[*Dark Orc Riders killed!*]
[*Achievement unlocked: Killmonger!*]
[*Elite Buff Scroll used!*]
[*Achievement unlocked: Deadly Support!*]
[+8000 XP
+2000 Sky Gems earned
Level Up!
Current Level: 7.
All stats increased!
Three Skill Points available!]
[*One new ability acquired*]
[1. Master of Illusions: Can be used once per day. When activated, the user can summon two clones on the battlefield to distract enemies. Illusions last for 30 seconds.]
[2. Wish Upon a Shooting Star: It can be used once per day. When activated, the user can instantly change the time of day.]
“Glad that’s taken care of,” Aaron sighed.
“We have both crossed level 5 now. This should help us access some useful skills,” Zach added. He was ready to devour the corpses of the dead Orcs, when he stopped and turned to Aaron. “I think you should absorb their DNAs.”
“Maybe we should share.”
“Nope, I’ll play as a support caster. Your character is capable of dealing more damage than any other Predator in the game. From now on, you should focus on beefing up your stats for frontline combat.”
“Are you sure about this?” Aaron asked, still unsure about this strategy. If he acquired all the powerful adaptations, it would definitely boost his Pyromaniac’s stats, but Zach would have to play more cautiously. This was a risky strategy to experiment with, especially since the game had changed so much.
“Go on. I’ll play as support and back you up. We are just two players here. One of us definitely needs to focus on damage. And I’m pretty sure you are the better strategist here,” Zach insisted once more.
Aaron finally agreed and activated the Z-band. One by one he devoured all the fallen Orc lying on the battlefield. Nashoba couldn’t believe his eyes. All the dead bodies disappeared as if by some magic and their essence was sucked into the strange device strapped to Aaron’s wrist.
Absorbing the DNA of the 3 classes of Dark Orcs rewarded Aaron with 3 different adaptations. The Z-band notified him immediately of the special passive bonuses he had gained.
[*DNA absorption complete!*]
[3 new adaptations acquired!*]
[1.Orcish Rage: Deal critical damage when HP is low.]
[2. Hunter Killer: Gain triple experience from hunting wild beasts.
[3. Hardened Skin: Receive 50% less damage from melee attacks.]
As soon as the Z-band had finished making the announcement, Aaron felt his skin hardening. He gradually turned a few shades darker in complexion and felt something twist inside his stomach.
“What the hell! Are you alright?” Zach rushed to hold him.
“I feel weird.” Aaron looked at his hands and noticed he had darkened. It was as if he his skin had been tanned after a long day at the beach. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. My body is actually changing to acquire the adaptation.”
“God damn it! This must be Gilbert’s attempt at making the game more realistic.”
“It doesn’t matter now. We just have to deal with this,” Aaron replied. He looked at Zach and then at the human settlement behind. “These people won’t last long out here. This was supposed to be a safe zone and yet the damn Orcs barged right in.”
“I think the safe zone only keeps away the predatory animals. Perhaps this Orc raid was a scheduled event.”
“What do you mean?” Aaron asked.
“You know how last week they were teasing special events like raids and invasions? I think Gilbert has actually introduced new events in this game. This was bound to happen. We need to focus on conquering the island.”
“We might have killed the Dark Orcs, but conquering Solaris is gonna be a lot harder. We have to defeat all 4 Zone Guardians to conquer the island.”
“Then let’s get moving,” Zach replied. “We need to get our hands on some good weapons and armour. Our next stop should be the Temple of Shadows. That has the best loot in this area.”
“So, you’re just gonna leave these people undefended?”
“They are just NPCs. This doesn’t concern us.”
“These NPCs saved your life!” Aaron snapped back. “They already lost a lot of their people tonight. We have to help them rebuild.”
“That’s only gonna slow our progress. Do you wanna stay stuck inside this game forever?” Zach came right back at him. “Do you wanna spend the rest of your life trapped inside a virtual world?”
“And you think we are strong enough to face what’s out there?”
“All I know is I’m gonna save my progress over there and move on.” Zach pointed at the wooden totem pole at the back of the settlement. “I just wanna get the hell out of here and for that I’m willing to take a few calculated risks.”
“And what if you get killed out there? Huh, Zach? What happens if we both get killed out there and never respawn?”
Aaron’s words sent a chill down Zach’s spine. He too had considered that possibility. But he couldn’t just stay here. His final exams were due in two weeks and he wanted to get back home as fast as possible. He thought about what Aaron had said and then replied in a softer tone, “I can’t afford to miss my finals. I’d rather die than stay here.”
“Do you think I don’t care about my exams? But we don’t have a choice here. We can always sit for the exams next year, but if we die out here it might be game over for us in the real world as well.” Aaron’s eyes moistened up as he considered the horrific possibilities. He gulped a lump in his throat and added. “I wanna get back home too. God, I’m already starting to miss my bed. I would give anything to hear mom’s scolding again. But I don’t want to do something stupid and die out here.” He paused midway and wiped his eyes. Then taking in a deep breath, he looked at Zach. “This is our game, Zach. No one can beat us here. We have invested over 200 hours in this world. I just can’t let a crazy ass game dev win. But I can’t do this alone.” Aaron extended his hand. “Are you with me, bro?”
In a moment of desperation, Zach had spoken out without thinking. Aaron’s words sobered him up and made him realise what he was about to do was nothing short of madness. His life was far more important than any exam. He sighed and grabbed hold of Aaron’s hand. “You are right. We should plan ahead instead of going out there unprepared. In any case, it is impossible to beat the game in 2 weeks. I guess the exams just have to wait. I’m with you, bro. Let’s show that jerk who’s the boss!”
“We’re gonna beat this game, bro. But first we need to build up our characters. That jerk may have made some changes to this world, but we aren’t noobs. We’ll show him how pros play!”
A smile formed on Zach’s face and he looked right into Aaron’s eyes. “Gamers never die!”
“They respawn,” Aaron chimed in.
- Writer
