The intense battle had been raging for nearly half an hour, and neither of them had gained much ground. Brittany's HUD cycled through multiple spell combinations to choose from. She selected:
Potion + Speed + Agility
An explosion of light erupted from the palm of her left hand, throwing her opponent across the clearing.
-10 Mana
He retaliated with a spell of his own. A fireball formed in his right palm, and he threw it effortlessly.
Do you wish to use your enchanted broadsword to open a Portal?
This will tax 10 Mana.
Yes | No
She punched the YES button without a second’s thought and swung her broadsword in a wide arc, swallowing up the fireball with another portal.
-10 Mana
A nagging feeling in the back of her mind told her she needed to limit her portal usage, or else her Mana would run dry and it would only replenish with leveling up or with a bonus. She ignored the thought, and selected another spell:
Potion + Water + Strength
A hailstorm of ice crystals flew at her opponent, and he buffeted the attack with his shield.
-10 Mana
After the magical storm passed, her opponent roared and rushed at her with his glowing orange sword. She parried the blow with her flaming broadsword, a shower of sparks raining down on her head.
Suddenly, a system alert broke them out of their intense conflict.
Time Limit Reached
Stalemate!
She was surprised by the comparable stats that displayed on her HUD. Her lungs heaving, she eyed her muscle-clad opponent in admiration. Sweat glistened on his forehead as he took the moment to catch his breath.
“Great match,” she gasped. “You’re quite skilled.”
“I have to admit,” he panted, “I didn’t expect you would be quite the challenger.”
“Why?” she teased. “Because I’m a woman?”
“Well… err.”
“It’s alright.” she giggled, “I get that a lot.”
“Do you practice outside of the game?”
“In a sense.” She straightened up, thrusting her chest out in pride. “I’m a cop.”
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At least, I used to be.
“How ironic.” He smiled and extended his hand. “I’m no longer on the force, but that’s the origin of my combat skills too. The name’s Doug.”
She returned the handshake. “Good to meet you. Brittany.”
“Too bad this is just AR.” He flashed her a wry smirk. “Otherwise I’d ask you out.”
“Oh?” she teased. “Why don’t you?”
He laughed. “For all I know, you’re some fat dude dolled up as a hot chick.”
She rolled her eyes. “I could say the same about you.”
He stared at her intently for several moments. His eyes seemed to go on for eternity. Suddenly, a box popped up on her HUD:
@Andrex has extended an offer to join him at the tavern.
Do you wish to accept?
Yes | No
“Is this your idea of a date?” she scoffed. “In game?”
“Why not?” he said. “The game causes your serotonin levels to rise artificially. You can totally get wasted, but won’t have to deal with the consequences in the morning.”
She considered this. “I think I like the sound of that.”
She smirked and punched the YES button. A blur of light swirled around them, and after a moment of static they found themselves seated at a bar inside a bustling tavern.
An unkempt bartender approached them. “What’ll it be for yeh?”
“I’ll have some ale,” Doug requested.
“An’ for yer purdy lady?”
“I’ll have the same.” Brittany cringed at the sight of the bartender’s rotting teeth.
I hope that’s just a simulation.
“Is he an employee of CyberBolt?” she asked Doug.
His face scrunched up in confusion. “The bartender? No. He’s just an NPC.”
I’m an idiot. Of course it’s a Non-Player Character.
The bartender quickly returned with their drinks. “My, yer quite the purdy lady. Yeh remind me of a lass I once met in the Northern Lands. We was explorin’, and stumbled across some ancient runes. Crikey. We never could quite figure out what them old words was sayin’!”
The NPC has offered you a quest to decipher a stone with ancient runes in the Northern Lands. You will receive +10 Intelligence and +5 Willpower for completing this quest.
Do you wish to accept?
Yes | No
Brittany smiled at Doug. “Instead of drinking ourselves into a stupor, I’ve got a better idea for our date.”
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They had been traipsing through the snow for about ten minutes now, and the cold had seeped into her bones. Though her armor and force field protected her from critical blows, they did nothing to insulate her against the weather.
Doug had been kind enough to spend some of his Mana to create a series of fireballs for heat, but he was only able to hold each of them in his palm for five minutes max before he started taking damage hits.
Finally, her HUD indicated that they had reached the coordinates where the stone was buried deep in the snow. Borrowing Doug’s shield, she used it to plow away the thick white powder.
There it was: a stone slab covered in a layer of ice. The ice was far too thick to decipher the runes.
“We need to defrost it somehow,” Brittany said. “I’m not sure how much longer I can last in this cold. I’ve taken considerable damage to my health stats already.”
“Me too.” Doug reached down and pulled on the stone. “It’s heavy, but movable. How about we take it back to my place?”
“Your place?” she asked, confused.
At that moment, a request popped up on her HUD:
@Andrex has extended an offer to join him in his cabin.
Do you wish to accept?
Yes | No
She hesitated.
It could be a trap.
She looked into Doug’s deep blue eyes again, and was immediately swallowed up by the fire behind them. She yearned to know more about this mysterious man.
What could go wrong?
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