Meren and I walked in silence for a while. I believe the silence was more on my part than on hers. Never spent much time with any girls back in the real world and wasn’t really expecting to be joining with one inside a game where you slay gods. I wanted to ask her what brought her to Gods Felled Online when a thought occurred to me.

“Have you been able to log off?” I asked as we passed over a long hill.

“I haven’t even tried. Why?” She asked.

“I don’t see an option for it in my context menu. I was thinking it was a glitch but now that your here maybe you could check as well.” Meren shook her head and swiped at her arm. I couldn’t see what she was looking at, but I assumed it was the same menu as mine. Hopefully if it was, she could guide me to where the logging off option was.

She spent a good while swiping and inspecting a screen that I couldn’t see as we continued to walk getting closer and closer to the boarder of the forest. She finally let out a huff and swiped in the air frustratingly.

“I couldn’t find it. Maybe it is a glitch. Perhaps they are working on it. Besides its launch day. There are bound to be glitches in the game. Hey look up ahead!” She picked up her pace and pointed in the distance. I did my best to follow her, but I could tell she definitely had more [Endurance] than I did or perhaps [Dexterity]. She came to a stop within the growing shadows of the forest and circled a Hearthlight. A simple burning brazier had been setup before the forest. A glow of ember light swirled above it as I approached.

“Make sure to rest up at the Hearthlight even if you have full health. They work as a sort of save point. If you die you won’t start all the way back at the cathedral and instead be resurrected here. Have you leveled up yet?” She sat on the ground before the Hearthlight and I thought I saw some more color fill her cheeks as she did.

I proceeded to follow her advice and rest at the Hearthlight. Its context menu appeared in the air, but I didn’t have anything to craft or enough Ichor to spend on stats. “I’ve leveled up twice so far. A couple of small stat increases was all I got. Not really worth it for the effort I put in for that fight with Koushinon.”

“Did you not get his chain?” Meren asked standing up again.

I dismissed the Hearthlight and stood as well. “Yeah, I did. Why?”

“Wow… I’m surprised you killed him. Why don’t you take a look at what it does. It’s not something I’ll be able to use, or at least my class can’t use it effectively. But i’m sure you can use it.”

I opened my inventory and selected the chain.

[The Bell Ringers Chain]

“The iron chains of Koushinon symbolize not only his duty to the awakening of spirits but since his corruption his imprisonment to the same.”

Abilities

- Shackle – (Passive) Can be equipped to a 2H weapon. If the weapon ever becomes dislodged from the users grasp the user can spend 3[MP] to summon the weapon back to their hands.

“What? That’s awesome.” I exclaimed and immediately equipped it to my 2H warhammer. Once I attached it a shimmering ethereal chain appeared at the base of its handle and wrapped around my hand. Then it faded away, but I could still feel its weight and presence. “Well, that will come in handy. Thanks for the heads up.”

“Don’t mention it. We all gotta help each other out after all. I’ve heard some of these Gods are going to be extremely difficult to take down if you don’t have help. Plus, I can’t have dead weight dragging me down.” Meren smiled and started toward the shade of the forest.

Did I see her wink?

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

I was about to follow her lead when I heard a whoosh of wind curl up behind me and suddenly found someone curled up in a ball near the Hearthlight. It was another player. They wore gray robes and held a circular item in their hand. They must be an Ardor from the looks of them. It was a man at least ten years my senior. He had a scarred chin covered in rough patches of facial hair. He was balding on top, and he had deep rings under his eyes. He was unconscious.

“Hey Meren hold up. I think we have company.” She stopped and turned to which I pointed at the man on the ground. “Another player?”

“Yeah. Looks like the fool died and respawned here. Maybe he has some useful information about the forest, so we don’t make his mistakes. Sure, we can wait—” The man jumped to his feet and held out a short spear. His eyes were wild, and his hands were shaking.

“No no!” The man cried as he looked around. Eyes shifting back and forth as if he was expecting trouble. He pointed the spear at me and even jabbed it a few times. Luckily, he wasn’t close enough to actually hit me.

“Woah calm down,” I said, my weapon at the ready. I wasn’t sure if this world had open world pvp and I was able to hurt him or him hurt me, but I wasn’t in the mood to attacking someone. “Put the spear down. No need to fight.”

Despite my warning the man still held his weapon out, but his shoulders seemed to relax as his surroundings finally took to him. Meren took a few steps forward and the man turned his focus on her. “Step back. Step back… please. I… I need a second please.”

Meren and I looked at each other and fell back a step. We waited almost an entire minute as we watched the man try to catch his breath and then finally put his weapon down. “I’m sorry. I… I’m not entirely used to this place yet.”

“It’s alright,” Meren said calmly and collected. “Tell us what happened. Did you die in the forest?”

“Yes. Yes! The forest. I… I died again and again and again. I couldn’t make it to the city. I wanted to find somewhere safe. I don’t want to keep dying. The pain. The memories. I can’t take it. I was lucky enough to kill the… the creature at the cathedral. Trust me all luck on that. But this forest. Why would they put something like that before the first town. I just want to get some sleep. I don’t want to be out here at nighttime.” The man had unequipped his spear and was now walking back and forth as he continued his rant. “I can’t keep going. Why can’t I log off? Can any of you log off?”

“No, we can’t.” I replied.

“We think there is an issue with the servers. Launch day and all.” Meren followed up.

“Oh great! Of course. Just my luck. I should have waited till they dropped Day One Patch or something. I just wanted to get away from it all. To go somewhere new. You know? Not this hellscape.” The man rubbed his head and then looked at the sweat that now glistened his palm.

I know how you feel.

“Why don’t you come with us?” Meren asked. “The more the merrier people say. We can team up and get through the forest.”

“Yeah, come with us. We’ve got a DPS, I’ll be a tank and you’re playing as an Ardor, right? You can be our support.” This was lucky. The holy trinity was perfect. Should make things way easier. Or at least I hoped.

“Uh…” The man turned and looked back up towards the cathedral almost as if he was hoping to find an exit sign posted somewhere in the distance. “Okay. Okay I will join you, only if you protect me, okay? I’ve played mmos before. You don’t protect the healer then everyone dies.”

“I promise. Besides I enjoy jumping into the thick of things.” I was telling the truth when I said that, but my memories clawed their way back to the fight with Koushinon and how unprepared I was and the actual pain and brutality of the fight. In most games I played I enjoyed being in the thick of things. It made me feel useful. To feel like a defender of the weak. Someone I wish I had growing up myself.

“Well, its settled then.” Meren said with enthusiasm. “We’ll group up and fight together. Plus, I don’t want to brag but I’m pretty good at this game. Having gotten a scratch. If our brave champion doesn’t protect you, I know I can. So, your name is Elfred?”

“What?” The man looked above his head. “Oh yes. Yeah, that’s my username. It’s nice to meet you Meren and Zerik. Umm could you give me a few minutes before we go? I need to catch my breath.”

“Sure, if you tell us one thing though. What awaits us in the forest. You know knowledge is power and all.” I asked trying my best to sound confident.

“Uh yeah. The forest is dangerous. Much more dangerous than the Bell Ringer, but in a different way. The first boss fight was all about dodging physical attacks. The forest… well it’s more complicated than that. There are things in the forest that… that aren’t natural. I want to say ghosts but worse than that. They’re terrors of the soul. Fast, almost invisible at times. It’s hard to explain. Just keep on your toes, watch your backs.”

“Okay ghosts don’t sound too bad. I’m not afraid of ghosts.” Meren said.

“It’s not just the ghosts you have to worry about. I think there is another Corrupted God only I didn’t get to see it. I only heard it. It was like a hidden shadow. It’s figure behind a tree or shrouded in mists. I only got a chance to see its name. And only once in the—” He started counting his fingers then continued. “Seven times I have attempted to cross the forest. Its name is Elumbra, Goddess of Dusk.”