You have taken a Coup de grace from Morenstad and have died. As such, you will suffer no experience penalty from this death. However, there is a two-hour wait until respawn becomes available for use. You can either LOG OUT from Rosengard and wait for the time to elapse, or you can wait here and use the internet as you choose. -Note: All sites visited can be viewed by the Ineffable Gaming System's staff as needed so no pornography please.-
Dying sucked. Yup that was probably the most obvious thing ever. When Colin had died in the game, the entire world had faded to black around him in a matter of seconds, and then he was suddenly here. Where here was, he had no idea.
Colin was standing on solid ground that looked like an unbroken plane of black that gave him the impression that he was standing on nothing. The rest of the space around him followed the example of the floor. Empty and vast, yet somehow feeling small like he was in a darkened bedroom that he was familiar with.
The screen in front of him vanished and was replaced by two others, one on top of the other.
LOG OUT or STAY AND BROWSE until respawn? Respawn in -1:59:59
Looking at the screen, Colin found the choice obvious. He needed to get off the game to go and research the game. He needed to know what the available classes were, how the subclasses worked, how to obtain skills, and simply learn about the game. His hands shook at the thought of the group that had been polite enough to him until it was inconvenient. Hell, Monty even seemed to want him to join that guild, Krimson Spire, that he was a part of.
Not that any of that mattered. Colin had talked a big game to that asshole, Morenstad, but so far, it was just words. Until he had the knowledge and power to actually make them pay for betraying him, then all he could do was talk.
He clenched his hands tighter at the mere thought of his powerlessness and ground his teeth. No, not powerless. His skills and muscle memory applied in the game, he could make this work.
Looking at the LOG OUT option. Colin readied himself to leave the game as he stared at it for a second longer. Then a third, unannounced option just before he mentally pressed the LOG OUT option.
A denizen of Rosengard named Arioch has requested to enter this space to converse with you. Will you allow him entrance. Yes/ No?
Wait. This feels significant. If this is the place that players went after they died but before they respawned, then how can someone from the game contact him.
Now curious, Colin looked at the third option. He couldn't see any downside to meeting this person because, simply, he was already dead in-game. Even if the guy that wanted to talk to him was hostile, what was the worst that could happen?
Selecting the third option and saying yes, Colin saw all the options wink away and waited for something to happen.
"Ah, DevilWalker. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," a deep melodious voice said behind Colin.
Reaching for knives that weren't at his side, Colin spun around and jumped away from the guy behind him. His focus narrowed and body ready, he was prepared to face whoever had appeared behind him.
Or whatever this was that appeared.
The thing that appeared behind Colin stood around ten feet tall and was a creature that looked like a cross between a werewolf and a dragon. Its tall, lithe body was hunched over with disproportionate arms that almost reached the floor despite its height. The creature had a lupine head that was tan-colored scales that ran down from chin to pelvis and on the inside of its four limbs. Black and gray fur covered everything else that Colin could see, and he was given the impression that usually a creature such as this would be on all fours.
The creature called Arioch pulled back his lips and bared his sharp fangs in what could loosely be called a smile. Its body bounced and shook, and Colin now knew that the monster in front of him was very amused at him for some reason.
"My apologies, DevilWalker. It was not my intention to startle you." It said with mirth in its tone. Colin just stared at it, confounded for a long moment until it asked, "what has you looking so bewildered?"
"How are you talking? Canine's don't have the prerequisite parts to produce proper speech," Colin said, thinking it over while he looked over the monster in fascination. He wasn't really an animal person, but he had spent a little time learning about dogs from a former coworker. Annoying but informative.
The things amusement seemed to amplify as it heard Colin's answer, and it pointed at him with one clawed finger, "its best not to overthink these sorts of things. I speak, therefore I can. I've heard mortals complain about their head's hurting after I explained it once."
Thinking about it, Colin figured that the thing was right. Best not to really think logically when it came to a game. If something could be done, it was just that simple. Shrugging, he looked at Arioch and nodded in agreement, "fair enough. Why did you want to meet me?" Colin asked, getting right to the point.
It's amusement faded a little as it spoke again, "admittedly, I expected you to be a little more panicked at my appearance. Not many see a demon in front of them and not tremble in fear at the first interaction."
"I expected to meet monsters in this world after my wife gave me the system. I will say that you are kind of freakier than I expected to see, but still, I expected it," Colin explained. "I will ask you again. Why did you want to meet me?"
Arioch seemed taken aback by Colin's answer as well as his attitude. It had been a while since this creature had been talked to without either hostility or pleading. Colin certainly wasn't doing either.
Gathering itself, Arioch took a step closer to Colin and widened his smile. It certainly felt threatening, but Colin figured if he was going to attack him at all, he would have done so by now. Or there would be some howl or growl beforehand, so he didn't move from his spot.
"DevilWalker, I am a representative of the many demonic races and am one of the dukes of Hell. Do you understand what that means?" it asked. It certainly was not trying to threaten Colin, but he was getting some definite danger signals from the creature.
"It means that you're a bigger deal than I originally thought. Which leads me back to my original question of why you are here? What did I do to get the attention of one, such as yourself?" Colin asked, trying to be as respectful as possible towards the demon.
"The reason I am here is to make you an interesting offer. One that has yet been offered to any mortal in millennia," it said with a sense of reverence that made Colin cock his head slightly. "The leader of Hell, even he who wallows in the deepest depths of the pits, felt your pure rage filter down through the multiple layers of Hell. Our lord has admitted to me that he is intrigued by you. Allow me to inform you that he is infinitely more annoyed by mortals than he has ever been mildly interested."
"Wait, the leader of HELL," he emphasized. "Felt my rage? What rage? How?"
"Mere moments ago, when you died and somehow lived for those few extra seconds. The rage you exuded, the pure and undiluted hate and determination that you showed at that moment sent ripples through the world that anyone sensitive to empathic energy could feel. Some demons are particularly sensitive to the darker emotions like hate, depression, or bloodlust. Much like the leader of Hell." It's explained. "I take it betrayal is one of the things you abhor the most?" it asked curiously.
The tension in the area went from almost nonexistent to thick as the London fog. "You have no idea, and if you want to have any chance of accomplishing something here other than pissing me off, then I suggest you drop it," Colin said coldly.
"Oh, really? I'm tempted to continue just to see what you'd attempt to do to me but," it shrugged, the entire gesture made the whole look alien and disturbing. "I will do as you say. Simply because I am here on my lord's business, not my own. The Demon races will only offer this once, so think carefully, DevilWalker," it suggested.
"What is your offer, Demon?" Colin asked, bluntly.
"The master of Hell has instructed me to offer you three things in exchange for three favors to be named at a later date. He gave me instructions to offer you two stipulations. First, that the favors shall not go against your moral codes and second, that you not be asked to do anything impossible or infinite in duration. So no asking you to collect all the gold in the world or commit deicide" it said, a wry smile tugging at its face.
"So far reasonable," Colin said, not liking this favor system. He would much rather have an actual job to do in exchange for this. But demonic lore was never his strong suit and Colin didn't know if this was normal for this sort of thing. "But I would like to add the stipulation that I can veto whatever request you put forth."
Arioch stroked his chin and nodded in agreement. "Fair enough. You wouldn't want me asking you to massacre the gnome settlement of Oak River," it chuckled. Then the demon lifted three fingers in the air. "My Lord offers you the location of one of the secret classes of this world, a unique weapon, and a title that will give you power in the long term," it informed him as it ticked down a finger after each item. "It's really a good deal."
"Yeah," Colin said simply. "A little too good. What's the catch?"
The demon smiled at Colin, "the class is something that comes with a large caveat due to its power. You become the antagonist of the world. A villain to those who fight for good in the world. It won't be a matter of whether you do wrong or right, DevilWalker. You will simply be a target for anyone who isn't negatively aligned," it explained.
"What in the hell does that mean?" Colin asked, annoyed.
"It means-!" Arioch snarled at him in return. "That once you take the class, the world will know that someone has the class, and there will be a reward for the one who kills you! It is significant enough that many will hunt you specifically to get the reward! So I suggest you don't get snippy with me, DevilWalker! Despite your name, you do not walk with the denizens of Hell yet!" it roared at Colin.
Taking a panicked step away from the suddenly enraged demon, Colin nodded in acceptance of this fact. If this thing was hostile to him, it could mean bad news for him going forward with his revenge. Who knew what this demon could bring to bear.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Taking several long breaths to calm itself, Arioch closed its eyes for a moment and took in one more deep breath. When it opened its eyes again, it leveled its gaze on Colin and simply spoke, "I tire of speaking to insolent and weak mortals. It's time to choose, DevilWalker. Accept this offer or decline it so that we may both more on."
Colin was unsure of what to do. While the idea of choosing a secret class had its appeal, becoming the target of everyone would not make things easier. He also wasn't sure if he wanted to align himself with monsters such as this, and Colin was getting a strong impression that if he chose this arrangement, then he would be.
Suddenly, the flip phone on his belt vibrated and scared the shit out of him. It hadn't gone off for a while, and honestly, Colin had forgotten about it after he'd turn on the PlayShare function that allowed others to watch him play. Hell, he'd even forgotten that McKenna was watching him play the game with the PlayShare and had seen everything that had happened to him. That thought more than almost anything stoked the rage he was feeling towards the assholes who killed him while helpless.
Pulling the phone from his belt, he opened it and read the text; 'take the offer! If it is telling the truth about all three things, then this is just what you need to gut those ass wiping, shit licking, backstabbing players. Especially since they will not see it coming. Also, as a side warning, if you don't take it so that I can find out what this class is, I will not be putting out for the foreseeable future.'
Well, that made the decision for him. Putting the phone back on his belt, Colin looked at the demon in front of him and stood up as straight as he could. If he was going to do this, then he was going to do this standing tall against a demon.
"I take it that you've made a decision?" Arioch asked with a toothy grin. He knew what Colin was going to say, his change in posture said it all.
"Arioch, I accept your offer. Tell me what I need to know."
With the words said, the air seemed to vibrate in this space between death and respawning. It almost hummed with the power that flowed through the air before Colin. Then suddenly, a new prompt with black and gold borders and red script appeared in front of him.
You have accepted the deal from the representative of the demon, Baal. Know that as long as their side of the agreement is upheld, then you are expected to uphold yours. This deal is binding until you no longer owe them.
Great, the system recognized it as what it was; a demon deal. Oh well, what's done is done, so let's hear what Arioch has to say, Colin thought as he waited expectantly.
"Underneath the city you first appeared in, Willows Cross. Some ruins have sunk under the earth, and the whole of Willows Cross now lies on top of it. In a more intact part of the ruins is a Cathedral, and at the center of it, you'll find a weapon. That weapon will bestow upon you all that I have promised you, DevilWalker." It said with its malevolent canine smile.
Quest: The Forsaken Cathedral. Objective: Find an entrance into the ruins under the city of Willows Cross and find the weapon within the Cathedral. This unknown weapon will be in the center of the ruined structure. Reward: A unique base class, a unique weapon, and a title
Colin read through the quest screen and let out a tired sigh. "Alright. Was there anything else?" Colin asked as he looked pointedly at the demon.
"Just one. Once you finish the quest and get all that was promised, your first favor will be asked of you. Just keep it in mind, DevilWalker." It said, grinning at Colin. "Now, on behalf of Lord Baal, I bid you good luck," Arioch said, bending a clawed and gangly arm over its chest before simply faded away.
"I know that I've only met one demon but I think I hate demons. He was too… indirect." Colin mused aloud as he said out loud, "Can I get the options back?
The system complied after a few seconds;
LOG OUT or STAY AND BROWSE until respawn? Respawn in -1:49:13
Looking at the LOG OUT option, Colin mentally selected the LOG OUT option.
You will now begin the LOG OUT sequence. This will take a moment, please be patient. Unsyncing from the worldwide Rosengard server. Unsyncing complete. Neural interfacing shutting down… Complete. Thank you for playing Rosengard Online, and we hope you come back once your respawn timer ends.
The screen blinked away, and Colin nearly jumped out of his skin as his body was suddenly wracked with all sorts of sensations. None of them were painful, but all them assaulting him at once made his skin crawl for a few seconds.
Within a minute, his body normalized, and the only thing he could feel was the helmet upon his head and the slight chill that surrounded the room. Remove the helmet, Colin slowly lifted it until the chin cleared his eyes and he squinted at the artificial light from the lamp standing next to him. Setting down the helmet next to the console on the floor, Colin unplugged his phone and looked at the time.
"Holy shit, time really flew while I was there," Colin said as he stretched out on the couch. After twisting around for a few seconds, he felt a large pop coming from his upper back and groaned in relief at the sensation. The time spent in the same position was hard on his currently achy muscles.
Making a mental note to go for a run before going back into the game, Colin stood from the couch, and an urgent need to urinate assaulted his system. Groaning, Colin started towards the first-floor bathroom only to meet McKenna along the way. She stopped in front of him and scowled for a long moment while neither spoke.
When she spoke, her tone was flat and passive-aggressive. "So, DevilWalker, huh?"
Oh. That's what this was about. Shit.
Colin stayed quiet long enough that McKenna took it as guilt and spoke again. "Colin, I thought you were gonna stop using that name. We both dropped our names and moved on with our lives. No more killing contracted or otherwise. The fact that you used that name says something. I just really really wish I understood what."
Looking away from her, Colin thought about what she was saying and wasn't sure what to tell her. It's not like there was a lot of thought put into choosing the name, and he felt that needed one that he was familiar with hearing. The name 'DevilWalker' hadn't been an attempt to relive his sordid past or to continue his previous work. He would never do that.
"It wasn't intentional. I just chose it without thinking after every variation of Colin that I tried, failed. I-" Colin continued before McKenna raised her hand to stop him.
Her flat face lifted into a smirk that genuinely reached her eyes, "wait. Are you telling me that you tried to use your own name as your character name?"
"Yeah, I tried several variations, and to be honest, I'm glad they didn't work. It would have reeeeeeaaaaally bothered me," Colin said, emphasizing his distaste of the idea.
The smile widened, and McKenna fought to keep the laughter in only to snicker for a second before bursting into laughter. She bent over, clutching her stomach after a few seconds of the belly laugh. It kept going and going until Colin was sure that she was intentionally overdoing it and had decided to just stare at her until she stopped.
When she wound down a few moments later, Colin raised an eyebrow at her while she wiped a tear away from her eye. "Seriously? What was so funny about that?"
Coughing to clear her throat, McKenna straightened up and said, "it's an unspoken rule. You don't use your real name in an online video game. It helps protect you from random online stalkers from finding you."
"And why does that make my name choice funny?" Colin asked.
"It's just that you're so… new!" she exclaimed, smiling furiously. "Everyone knows you don't use your real name as youscreen name! You really don't know anything."
Suddenly reminded about something, Colin started tapping his foot as he smirked impishly as his wife. "Well, I know something that you don't."
Freezing, McKenna looked at him. Confusion and caution both playing across her face as she asked the question, "what?"
Pointing past her, Colin said, "you're blocking my way to the bathroom."
Her gaze followed his finger then back to him, where she noticed his foot and put it all together. Then in one quick decision, elected to ignore his plight to continue talking. "Moving past your name choice, what is your plan? You aren't going to just go back in there when you can respawn and just run around like broken Roomba killing off players? I know you have a particular problem with betrayal due to Miss Forah and-"
"Of course not," Colin responded instantly, cutting her off and electing to ignore her last statement. "Unfortunately, though, I know very little about the world in there and will need to do some info digging before I go back in. That is AFTER I finish in the bathroom. Would you please," Colin gestured for her to move.
"Do you even know where to start for this secret class quest? I've been following the game since it was first released, and I've never heard of anyone finding the ruins under the city. Heard of the ruins, yes. Actually finding them, no. I think some people thought they weren't real. Just empty lore," she shrugged.
"I guess it's lucky then that I have already met someone who told me they guard the entrance to these ruins. I plan to see him first after I get back on so begone for my path, woman!" Colin roared jokingly. "It's rude to get between a man and his bodily functions."
"Just one more question. Were you going to hop back on tonight? You haven't eaten, need water, need exercise, and definitely need sleep." McKenna pointed out as she took a step out of Colin's path.
Looking at the phone in his hand, Colin shrugged at the time. "My journey down the path of revenge can wait until morning. AFTER the bathroom and everything else I need to do," Colin said as he stepped past McKenna and into the bathroom to do his business.