Shonda stood on the edge of a vast wide open space. The ground appeared to be partially rock, but mostly was sand. Except for a few outcroppings of rock, the area was desolate. She put a scarf over her mouth, which seemed to slow her toxicity levels that the in-game interface was reporting. Although she was in the garden of Light, the area in the middle was a barren and inhospitable place. She pulled out the gadget that Amos had given her. He called it a truth stone, which apparently was a homemade version of a guide stone. She sensed the dark magic contained within the stone and vowed to be rid of it as soon as she found the pillar of Hope. She pulled up her in-game interface and selected the AI Companion option. A small man with oversized ears and a scruffy, unkempt beard materialized before her.
“Hello lass, I’m Dabbles, your personal in-game assistant. How can I help thee today?”
“Can you direct me to the pillar to Hope?” Shonda asked.
“I see that it’s part of your class quest to become the Grand Magi. I cannot tell you as it will give you an unfair advantage.”
“Am I not the only one in the construct?”
“Negative. One other player seeks the title of Grand Magi.”
What? I must complete the task of restoring the pillar before the other.
“What happens if the other player completes the task before I do?”
“Only one player can cleanse a pillar. Once the process starts, the beginning of the event known as the apocalypse begins. Once this happens, you have twelve in-game hours to cleanse a majority of pillars before the clock runs out or the other player gains the majority.”
“What if there’s a tie?”
“Then the dungeon master decides on whom becomes the first Grand Magi of the realm.”
Shonda examined the truth stone. Amos had told her that the player who possesses his version of the stone would have an advantage.
If the devs don’t want me using this then they shouldn’t have made it possible for me to acquire it.
As a player tester, she knew she wasn’t allowed to modify the game or to use anything that would give her an edge, but she felt the need to win, even if it was against one other player. As a girl, she always had the need to come in first at all costs.
“Is there anything you can tell me at all?”
“All I can see is that you are on the correct path.”
She could almost smell the acrid odor of the foul air as the skies darkened. Shonda was amazed at the level of realism that is the portable version of the Colossal Machine. A rumbling sensation almost knocked her off her feet. Waves of sand headed in her direction.
<<>>
System Message: denizens of the plain have sensed your presence, proceed with caution.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
<<>>
Before she could think about what lie ahead the crackling of rock emanated from all directions. A low screeching sound seemed to come from everywhere at once. She readied her staff and took a quick inventory of her reagent supply. She planned to cast her usual freeze and fireball spells in tandem. The freeze kept the monster from getting too close while the fireball caused massive damage.
“I detect several hostile life forms heading in your direction,” Dabbles said.
Shonda’s staff glowed as the immediate area filled with a blue illuminance.
“In-Por-Cad-Cras.”
Her personal shield flickered as something enormous came into contact her it. A creature with a massive serpent’s head and the body of a bear pushed her forward. She knew her shield would not last too much longer if she suffered another direct blow from the creature. She dodged a claw and deflected a tail swipe from the beast.
“Why are the dark denizens attacking? I haven’t cast any spells yet!”
“As a magi, the creatures can sense your magic. Without a dampening device, they can find you easily. A teleportation portal is in your vicinity. If you cast your magic shield repeatedly, you might be able to reach it. I detect more inbound activity.”
Shonda cast a detect magic spell. An interface helper appeared in the form of an arrow. She followed it as she cast another shield. She dodged several attacks. A flying thing that was a cross between a hawk and a lizard swooped down. A talon was deflected but caused massive damage which took down her shield. She had at least five seconds on the cool down timer before she could recast. The serpent creature bit into her side. Her lifeblood oozed and her robe absorbed some of it. The wound heated like the sun.
<<>>
System Message: You have been poisoned. Your health will deplete at a raid rate.
<<>>
She checked her health bar. It was at 53% and lowering rapidly. She had just enough mana to cast a cure and heal spell. When she reached the rock near the portal, she scaled smaller boulders. The hawk and serpent things attacked simultaneously. Her health towered to nine point three percent. An orange glow emanated from between some rocks.
The portal.
She squeezed behind a flat stone surface, but she couldn’t quite reach the portal. The hawk thing scratched the top of her head while the serpent’s head elongated and protruded between the narrow rock outcropping.
“I will not go bak to my shitty life,” Shonda said. She grasped a handful and sulfur and dragon ash in each hand. “Por-Cad-Dak-Bem.”
The pulverize spell consumed the remainder of her mana. She closed her eyes; crackling sounds enveloped the chamber. In her mind’s eye she saw thousands of shards chip away from the pillar. A wave of something that felt like sand washed over her. Later, she likened it to a tidal wave of razor blades penetrating her skin. She bled from dozens of cuts.
Shonda chided herself for forgetting to cast a protective shield before blasting through the stone. She snatched a glance at her health bar. It was less than three percent. The blast cleared a path to the portal. She took a step toward the portal, white hot pain shot up her leg. A gigantic stone shard sliced through her robe. A nasty red stain poured from the cut and onto the pristine garment. Yellow and orange light enveloped and temporarily blinded her. As she regained her vision, another magi stood not ten feet from her. A massive circular pillar was in the center of a cavernous looking room. It glowed as the magi held onto a ball of energy. Tendrils of energy shot from the mage’s sphere that the pillar was absorbing. The other magi, a female teen with blond hair with the simple robes of a mage, met her gaze. A massive golem stood next to her.
That must be JetaGirl!
“Un-Cras-Por-Cad,” the mage said.
She’s casting a close fissure spell, the last step in restoring the pillar.
“You shall not take this from me,” Shonda said.
As the magi chanted the final syllable of the incantation, Shonda cast a magic bolt. It wouldn’t cause significant damage to the mage, but it would interrupt her spell. The mage cried out in anguish, a crackling sound emanated from the chamber.
“No!” the golem shouted.
The pillar turned red, then started to crumble. Large chunks of the pillar of hope broke free and fell toward Shonda and the mage. The golem wrapped two massive arms around the other mage. Moments later Shonda experienced a pounding like no other, than blackness ensued.