21 years ago, Xeniax Game Studios, with the backing of the Federation, started a project to understand the effects of long-term immersion into a virtual environment. Since XGS ran the game, World of the Veil, they created a shard within the game to provide the experimental group of civilians a place to stay, during the study, that was outside of the player area.
XGS, with the support of the Federation, hired a group of volunteers, and everyone in this group were injected with a set of nanites which would keep their bodies alive during the 20-year study. However, things did not go as planned.
A terrorist organization that called themselves Humanity Against Inter-Stellar Travel, or HAIST, implanted a nurse into the employee roster. That nurse used a removable drive to automatically upload a trojan into the system, which when the immersion capsules would activate, would instead transport the entire group into a demonic raid dungeon and deactivate the sensory deprivation module. By doing this, it would allow the participants to “feel” what was happening to them inside of the game.
Afterwards, as the participants gathered inside of the experimental research bay which housed the immersion capsules, the nurse then injected all of them with an additional serum which would essentially deactivate the nanites which they were implanted with. Everyone, that is, except for a 3-year-old little girl named Rana Simmons.
After the participants entered the game, the entire experimental group flat-lined, their bodies not able to handle the extreme pain that their consciousness told them they were experiencing.
The research team, which included Jameson, who was the general manager, Kirstin, the lead developer, and Brandt, the lead technician decided to not contact XGS headquarters or the government; instead, they remotely hacked into the game’s artificial intelligence network and uploaded some discreet changes to the main AI to allow players to come to physical harm. The team also modified the dungeon’s AI that Rana was located in. They had hoped that they could at least provide Rana with the ability to survive while she was inside of the game.
The reason why they did this was simple, if they had not, and the project was shut down, then the monetary reward that Rana would receive after the project ended would be null and void, and they wanted her to at least be able to live a healthy lifestyle when she left the simulation. However, they were not prepared for what their changes had done, to both the game’s AI as well as to Rana.
Due to the game’s time compression, Rana had lived, virtually, for 480 years (1 hour in real time = 1 day in game), and through those years, even though she was both physically and mentally tortured by the demons that “raised her”, she considered them her family and, in a sense, loved.
Throughout her 480 years, she saw her “family” killed, time and time again, by the game’s players while she was forced to hide and eventually developed a psychotic sense of hatred towards them.
Rana did not consider herself as a veil-walker, but instead, she considered herself demon-kin, if not a full-blown demon with the appearance of a human. Once she obtained level 5, she developed her in-game class into a Berserker in order to deliver her “retribution” against the veil-walkers.
After the experiment ended and Rana was pulled out of the game, she did not know that she had spent almost her entire life inside of a game that she considered to be her home. Believing that the research personnel that stayed on the project were veil-walkers, she then proceeded to brutally murder them as “retribution” for all of the deaths of her “family” inside of the Veil.
The AI that the research team modified allowed this to happen as its main focus was to ensure the physical safety of players, which included Rana. Unfortunately, none of the researchers that were at the facility at the time, played the game as players, and so, their safety was not its concern.
The AI informed Rana how to log back into the game and erased all presence of the research facility from both the XGS systems and public records.
And now… Rana has logged back into the World of the Veil, never to exit the game.
****
Rana opened her eyes and saw the familiar red glow of the infernal veins which stretched across the throne room and she felt relief. However, her father was not in the throne room, and considering that she had been transported to that other realm for hours, she felt that he might have died to those veil-walkers which were invading her home.
She felt a sense of remorse for her family members’ deaths and solemnly walked to the butchery so that she could get something more substantial to eat other than that piece of meat that she cut from the veil-walker.
Before she could reach the area though, she saw her father walking towards her from the butchery. She was relieved to see him and ran to him and hugged him ferociously.
“Father! Thank Erinyes that you’re still alive! I was afraid that the veil-walkers killed you once again.”
“Rana, where have you been? Yes, they managed to defeat me since I couldn’t concentrate properly. You disappeared before me, just like a veil-walker, and you’ve been gone for 4 days,” he reproached his daughter.
Rana pulled back from her father’s arms in disbelief and exclaimed in disbelief, “What? 4 days? I’ve only been gone for 4 hours! It was the veil-walkers father, they pulled me into a different realm, they made me cross the veil!
However, they were all low level, and didn’t even wear armor or have weapons. I killed them all father, and I even tortured one as you taught me!” she continued.
Hearing her words made Corthaxul’s black heart flutter with excitement, “Interesting, you did well then my child. Come, let us feast tonight in the throne room. I also have a present waiting for you after we finish.”
He didn’t have the opportunity to give it to her before she vanished and he was defeated by the veil-walkers, and he was disappointed that he would never be able to. However, she had returned to him, not only returned, but returned after having killed veil-walkers. He couldn’t have been happier as his experiment, his daughter, was an outstanding success.
“Can my uncles and aunts join us,” she asked timidly since it was hardly often that the entire group would join together for anything, let alone for food, or in this case, a feast.
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Corthaxul looked down at her and smiled, “Of course, let us call the generals to the throne room and present them with your victories.”
Even if she didn’t have physical proof of the deaths, it was extremely rare that veil-walkers left anything to acquire after they died. Not only that, but through his training, his daughter was extremely loyal and would never lie, especially when it came to the deaths of veil-walkers.
****
Rana walked side-by-side with her father from the throne room towards the torture chambers so that he could deliver her presents with excitement. Her family was extremely pleased at her achievement of killing her first veil-walkers and they had a huge feast to celebrate.
Her uncle Zoz'gath, who was one of her father’s generals, summoned large demonic flames that they used to roast a large amount of meat from several NPCs while her other aunt, Drenvyra, who was a fallen angel and also a general her father commanded, brought various poisonous, but extremely tasty, herbs and vegetables from her garden that she had long grown immune to.
After the celebration, Aunt Erkiriul summoned her cousins which she dueled with, and much to her chagrin, she was poisoned multiple times, her arm eaten off, and disemboweled at least four times. She dueled for hours, getting healed in between her “bouts”. While she had a long way to go, she had an immense amount of fun.
They neared the torture chambers and her father spoke solemnly to her, “Rana, I know, and you know, that you are not a true demon. However, to all of us, and even the lower demons within my dominion, we all consider you true demon-kin, and more importantly, you will always be my daughter.
You’ve been with us for 480 years, and I wish to gift you with a few things that I’ve designed. However, during training and during the veil-walker incursions, you will still wear the training gear that I created, is that understood?”
She looked to her side and up at her father, “Yes father, I understand,” she responded equally solemnly while hiding her ever growing excitement.
After they entered the chamber, her father went to one of the corners which held a treasure chest and she saw, hanging from the wall, what looked to be the outline of demonic wings made from corroded metal.
On each side, where the wing looked to be designed around, were 2 large round spikes that had sharp, circular protrusions. The protrusions looked like a singular blade that wrapped around each of the spikes.
They looked truly evil, even more so than normal. A large grin started to appear across her face as her father brought out what he was looking for from his treasure chest.
“Come here, to the torture rack,” he told her while carrying the bundle.
Setting the rack so that it lay horizontally, he spread out the bundle that he had been carrying. It was a set of armor and one-handed weapons!
“This is a set of armor and weapons that I designed, and as I’m sure you’ve noticed on the wall,” he started as he looked at her and grinned, “is a set of demonic wings that I also designed.”
He continued, explaining the armor and weapons, “I named the armor, Corthaxul’s Torture Set, since I knew that you loved those lessons more than the others. The axes, which is what they are, I named Demonic Agony Scythes.
All of the equipment is level 120, and while not all the stats will become available to you until you are of equal level, they will far outperform anything else you could get.
The armor is, of course, chainmail which I created from the highest metal ore accessible to demons and demon-kin, obsidian. The same with the scythes. The hilts of the are made from infernal wood wrapped with blackened leather, also the same grade of materials.” Corthaxul paused his explanation as he set out each piece of equipment for her to see before continuing on.
“Both the vest piece and leggings will each give you 300 strength, 150 dexterity, 200 agility, 250 vitality, and 50 wisdom. It also will grant you both 500 armor, 10% evade rate. At least, eventually.
The helmet, claws, and talons will eventually provide 250 strength, 100 dexterity, 150 agility, 200 vitality, 25 wisdom, and 300 armor with 5% evade rate.
Finally, for the armor, the bracers will both give you an additional 200 strength, 75 dexterity, 125 agility, 150 vitality, and 10 wisdom. They will also give you 250 armor and 2% additional evade rate and each piece of the armor will grant you an additional 25% to each resist.”
Rana could do nothing but gawk at her father and the armor that he had finished explaining.
After several failed attempts, she finally managed to speak as tears of joy started to show, “Shit father, that is, I don’t know what to say, even with this I’ll be able to slaughter entire groups of veil-walkers and NPCs. How can I ever repay you?”
Corthaxul laughed when she tried to speak and was unable.
After she finished though, he replied to her in a serious tone, “Do not think anything of it, Rana. I can understand the sentiment though, however, I also need to warn you. While yes, this equipment is considered both unique and powerful, there may be veil-walkers out there with equivalent, or even more powerful equipment. Judge wisely before attempting the slaughter. Even with this, if we were the same level, I could easily kill you as I can now; and you know that some veil-walkers can kill me. So, do not be arrogant, I know I didn’t raise you to be that way.”
After she nodded to him that she understood, he continued with his explanations even though Rana was still excited to learn more.
“Now for the scythes. They are both equal in enchantments and each of them will give you 300 strength, 200 dexterity, 150 agility and 100 vitality. They each will have a minimum damage of 1,250 and maximum damage of 1,500.
However, your total damage will be far higher when you include both your stats and skills. They will also allow you to eventually attack 2% faster and will increase both your critical damage and critical chance by 50%.
I chose a scythe design rather than a standard axe design so that you will be able to hack, slash, and pierce your victims with ease. Due to that, you will have multiple ways to maim them and increase how much pain they can suffer.
Also, on the bottom of each of them is an obsidian hoop which I will attach chains to. Those chains will then attach to your wings with a larger obsidian ring. The chains serve two purposes. First, they will keep the scythes with you at all times, even though the chaos of battle. Secondly, they also give you another method to torture your victims.
Now, onto the wings, which I consider my masterpiece. It took me over a hundred years to get them right and to get the necessary knowledge to enchant them.
To start, they will give you 300 strength, 250 dexterity, 275 agility and 225 to both vitality and wisdom. They will also increase your evade rate and attack speed by 10% along with both your critical chance and damage by 25%. Not only that, but when you are also wearing my Torture set, they will provide you with an immunity to any control effects. Now Rana, before I finish with the explanation of the wings, and why they are my masterpiece, do you have any questions?”
Rana looked at him, seriously considering her answer.
“No father, actually, yes. You said earlier that I would eventually gain those stats. Why is that?” she asked.
Corthaxul accepted her question with a nod, “Good, it is good that you listen. Until you gain an equal level to the armor, weapons, and wings, the stats will be considerably scaled down to match your current level, which right now, you are only level 20.
Until you are a much higher level, higher than I have ever seen before, the equipment should last you until you are at least level 150. If, and when, that time comes, I will see about further upgrading it.”
She nodded her acceptance at the fact, even though she wasn’t aware of it previously. Her father never lied to her and would not start now, not with something this momentous.
“Now the wings. They will be permanently ingrained into your back and will become limbs that you will eventually learn to control. The metal spirals will also ensure that they will never come off. In order to do so, you will experience pain like you have never felt before. Are you ready for your gift Rana?” he asked with a smile.
Her eyes beamed with excitement. He promised her that it would be immensely painful to incorporate her wings, and she couldn’t wait to start.
“Yes Father, I am ready.”
After he cleared the armor and weapons from the torture rack, she laid face down on it while he secured her arms and legs so that she was splayed out on it. Grabbing one of the wings, he began to equip Rana with her wings, and she started to scream in pain. It was truly unlike any pain that she had ever felt before.