One last line of code!

I was nearly finished my life long aspiration of completing my very own video game.

I stopped typing and gave a moment to reflect. I know even after I finish this line there will still be many more days of tweaking, bug fixes, and new features, but this is the turning point. After this the structural code will be finished and I can compile the first alpha test build to see the fruits of my labor.

I laid my fingers gingerly cross the keyboard and entered the last line. The debug console didn’t throw any errors. It looked right, after one quick scroll through. It’s time to compile my first build.

The name of the alpha... What should I label it. Something suitable but it’s not necessarily the name I’ll stick with. How about "Orrington's Last Hope". A nod to the starter town and first quest line.

As any good fantasy story would go, you are the hero and only hope for the starter city. My twist is that you spit in the face of all that garbage and leave the city to fend for itself.

After you manage to escape the clutches of the king and leave the city you get to decide on how you want to play the game. You could build a new kingdom on the ashes of the old or help with the undoing of all that the church and royals have built with the hard work of the common man.

A true story of heroics where the obvious choice is never what it seems.

I am just giddy with excitement as the build progress bar fills up.

There, now, no crashes on start.

The title screen looks like shit because the artist I hired is a lazy bastard who never completes anything 100%.

The character design is rudimentary for now. I went with a female character to get the alternate start sequence. I’ll spend a moment to get her looks right. Long black hair, check. Short, check. Thin, check. Cute, check. Too bad I didn’t add a way to adjust bust size yet. I’ll just be stuck with the default modest size for now.

Let’s name the character and pick a starting skill. My go to name for my female characters is Xylia. The Skill list is short but my first characters are always Valkyrie style fighters so I’ll pick "Combat Trained" as my first Skill and I’ll dump all my stats into strength and agility.

There, let’s get through the starting sequence before I call it a night.

It’s been a long night so far. I’ve been up since 9am and here it is almost sunrise.

NO! Why did it crash! There isn’t anything in the debugger! Why isn’t it loading!

Oh well, Control, Alt, Delete! I’ll put this on hold for after I get some sleep.

Just as my fingers press down on all three buttons, my chair collapses.

"Ow, my head!" I must have hit it when I fell. I was out cold for a moment their.

Why does everything feel weird? Did I get a concussion?

Just what I need a brain injury.

Wait, this isn’t my office. It doesn’t look like a hospital. This looks like some sort of royal suite at an old fashion hotel. Am I dreaming?

Brain damage... wait, no.

My headache is gone.

Where did all this hair come from? Wait! Where’s a mirror!

I clambered our of bed and stumbled across the room to the mirror hanging above the dresser.

This looks like that character I just made in my video game!

Yup, defiantly not my normal body. I check myself out just to make sure.

Why do my muscles feel so stiff. It feels like I just ran a marathon. And I feel light as a feather...

Well, I was overweight before.

The room was big and stocked with a wide variety of armor and clothes. I’m a Valkyrie so I should pick some flexible and functional heavy armor.

Yeah, I can’t figure out the first thing about how to put on all this. I’ll just slip on a robe and figure that out later.

The door to the hallway isn’t locked. I checked by a quiet twist of the handle. Just as I was debating on if I should leave yet or not the door swung open smacking me directly in the face.

The man clad in plate armor on the other side looked like he had just run someone over which a car.

"I am so sorry madam hero. Please forgive my carelessness. Whatever punishment you see fit I will gladly accept."

So I’m a summoned hero... that’s super lame. It’s like one of those web novels I’ve read. I suppose god has a sense of humor. If this is what my life is going to be like I might as well make the best of it. If this is like any normal story I guess I would be valiant and forgiving and show this man kindness like a great hero.

"What is you name worm!"

If I was going to be a hero and have delusions of grandeur, I would probably be thrown into all kinds of shitty, messed up situations and I wouldn’t get a moment to myself.

"I’m sir Hennrick of the kings royal guard. I’ve been appointed to serve as your personal knight."

"So, you probably had to work really hard to get to where you are today?"

The knight looked up from his kneeling position and met my emotionless face.

"Yes, madam hero. I have trained my entire life to serve as the hero’s aid."

"You must have been very excited to be picked for this honor."

"Yes madam hero"

"You’re fired"

"I’m am not familiar with this phrase" the knight looked at me with a nervous and confused gaze.

“I am saying you have been released from my service and I never wish to look upon you again.”

Ha, that will show him for walking into a woman’s room without knocking. If I’m going to make this world my new home I’m going to need to assert dominance as soon as possible.

The knight looked horrified and remained unmoved from kneeling in my doorway.

"Leave me."

"Understood madam hero."

The man stood up and quickly walked down the hall.

I guess I’ll go in the opposite direction.

The hall wound in a slight arc and windows shown light from the garden outside.

If I’m alone in the castle I guess this would be a good time to gather intelligence.

There was a stairway leading up and the hall ended in a pair of wide double doors.

What’s behind here?

The doors easily swung open and on the other side were rows of massive book shelves.

A little research is a good start.

I slid my finger across the binding of a rows of books, skimming their titles.

Hmm... useless royal ancestry tombs. The next shelf has history books. Now that I think about it, it’s kind of odd that I can speak and read the same language of this world. That just seems like lazy story telling if this were some light novel.

I'll start with a history of heroes. It kind of fits my current situation.

It looks like this world has a magic that is capable of summoning people from other worlds. In the words of this book "The hero is blessed by god and given special abilities. God watches over the hero and protects them from harm while leading them to their destiny."

so... plot armor... I could get used to that but having some guiding force pushing me toward peril, no thanks.

I could sit here and read the rest of this book but it just seems like I'll end up being lulled to sleep. What else could I read?

This 'royal history of magic advancement' sounds like it could have some useful information. The fact that it's just sitting out on this desk isn't suspicious at all...

This book talks about the great pioneers of magic runescript. It doesn't actually show and spells but it makes it abundantly clear that the power level of this world is pretty weak even by earth standards. On earth at least we had technology. Here, it seems like even the most complicated spells are just things we could do on earth with a few machines.

Next book!

Oh, this shelf is filled with magic themed books revolving around learning the fundamentals of spell crafting. That most certainly peaks my interest.

I grabbed an advanced foundation magic and a Magic Theory book and flipped it open the first one to the middle of the book.

This just looks like math. It seems like some sort of language based math problem like you would see in code. The way the symbols are described as being drawn out is like some sort of rudimentary input to some sort of universe code. This is something I could have fun with.

I grabbed several more books, all intro and beginner magic tombs and scrolls, and sat back down at the desk I claimed nearby.

So, to cast spells you need a script drawn out or embossed on a sturdy surface. Something like paper would be destroyed after its used but cloth and wood lasted longer. Metal would seem ideal but iron seems to disrupt magic flow. I’ll have to research why that is later.

Let’s see. If you were to swap out this bit of code for one that inputs more energy the spell should be more powerful right?

I grabbed some paper from the drawer of the desk and drew out the new spell on it.

Now to activate it, all it says you have to do is hold it up and speak it’s command phrase while focusing my mind. Kind of like a password that is based on the encryption of the spell. For this new one it should be...

I held up the paper that I had painstakingly drawn on for the past twenty minutes.

[][][][][][]... Power Wash!

I recoiled from the immediate explosion that followed. It was more sound than it was fire, but the books I had laying on the table were blown off in a gush of water. I probably shouldn’t have tested it on myself. My vision was blurry and my clothing was soaked. All I could hear was a distant ringing.

I guess that worked. I’m not really sure how this spell is supposed to clean something when it just throws water on it.

A moment later the doors swung open and a squad of knights with a women in robes charged in. The man in the front was shouting something but my ears were still ringing. The woman in a robe pushed her way to the front of the group and held out her gloved hand where I could see an inked on spell. She chanted something and I wasn’t quick enough to duck out of the way. A bright yellow light flashed from her hand and my ears popped.

"Oh good, now I can hear you. What did you say?"

The knight grumbled and in a gruff voice repeated himself.

"Lady hero, were you responsible for that explosion?"

Hmm... how should I respond. I guess I’ve got to keep up the high and mighty act if I want to break free from the normal routine of the hero being swept away into some battle. I also happen to like this bit of role playing. I could see myself as a dominatrix in this life.

"Do you see anyone else here?" I gave the guard a sarcastic look.

"Lady Hero, the king would like to see you right away. If you would like to read through the archives later we could set aside some time while you're training." The woman in her fancy robes had an annoyed grimace plastered across her face not befitting her dainty features.

"If you insist on interrupting my studying I may have no other choice than to meet with this "King". Tell me, what does he need so desperately to communicate to me? I may just return to my reading if it’s something trivial." I stood up while the knights looked dumbstruck and confused.

After a long quiet moment where no one seemed to want to respond I pushed my way through the group, parting them with a mere glare. Once I had taken a couple steps into the Hall I turned back to the armor clad men who were sharing glances with each other.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"You there." I pointed at the woman mage that had healed me. "Take me to the king and let's get this over with. The rest of you can bug off."

The woman's eyes went wide and I folded my arms impatiently. The woman rushed over to me and started leading the way.

"My name is Priestess Yolonda"

"I didn't ask. But you should most definitely memorize my name. I am Mistress Xylia and I will not tolerate being addressed without permission." I used the character name I always use in video games. Might as well use the name that went with this image.

The priestess looked at me like I was a retched overlord and then averted eye contact as I stared her down. She led me through the Halls while keeping her eyes fixed forward. We soon came to a set of double doors framed by two well armored guards.

The guards swung the doors open and exposed a lavish throne room. The decorations were tasteful and delicate. Across from the door at the far side of the room sat the king on his throne. The chair look rather uncomfortable with gold plating and thin cushions.

When the doors opened I could hear an announcer proclaim my entry.

As he saw my face the king stirred and seemed to sit up even straighter than he was a second ago.

"Master Hero" the king called out as we stopped to stand in front of him. "I trust all is well"

I’m sure the king knew by now that I had run off and declined my escort this morning so I guess this was his way of asking if anything is wrong.

"All was well until I was rudely disturbed during my reading."

"There will be plenty of time for reading later, for now I would like to explain where you are and why you were summoned here." The king seemed intent on a long drawn out story and I could see this all being super cliché. I would surely be asked to save the world, or kingdom, or something.

"Stop right there. Let me guess, you summoned me from another world, I’ve got extraordinary powers and am the only one who could possibly save you from some great calamity. I’m going to guess Demon Lord. Yadda, yadda. Something about being the chosen one. Am I close?"

"How could you have possibly known that!? Has something like this happened on your previous world?" The king stirred in his auspicious chair.

This just seems so played out and over done. I never did like reading Isekai. After one or two good novels I got bored with it. What kind of bullshit is it that they couldn’t solve their own problems so they’re going to rip someone out of their world, turn their life upside down, and send them on a life threatening mission that they never asked for. I kind of want to punch this king in his stupid face.

"Why couldn’t you have just used this summoning magic in reverse to send the demon lord into outer space or the sun? What makes you think I want to solve all your problems for you? Also, what makes you so sure I can defeat this so called demon lord?"

The king had a look of annoyance flash across his face for a moment before he contorted it back to a forced smile. "To answer your questions: one, Magic doesn’t work that way. It takes many scholars many years of research to develop a spell and most of the ancient Magics, like the one that summoned you here, have been lost to time. Our finest mages aren’t sure how this spell works only that it saved this world several times before. Two, we may not know much of anything about the summoning magic that brought you here, but we do know one thing. It brings a hero from another world and gives them unique powers. They are blessed by God and destined for greatness. We have an ancient artifact that responds to unique skills and tells us what kind of potential the person in question has. It told us that you have an unparalleled affinity for melee combat. We aren’t sure exactly what this unique skill does, but with a bit of training our knights are sure to help you figure it out."

"Nah, I prefer magic. My previous world had something similar (albeit it was just computer code). You could have even called me a mage back there. I have no desire to put my life on the line for someone who pushes their problems on to others."

The kings smile broke and his royal and in charge demeanor seemed to vanish.

"You insolent fool! Do you not realize I could throw you into the dungeon and just summon another hero. You have been blessed by the gods and this is how you act! I will give you one last chance. Go train with the castle knights to unlock your true potential or be tossed aside and rot in the dungeon!"

So the kings true colors finally show. I don’t plan on being some kings slave so, let’s make this clear. If I truly do have plot armor, this will be a good test.

"Actually your *Highness* I don’t think you understand. When you insult me you bring my wrath down upon this kingdom. Mere stone and bars will not hold me. My fury knows no limit. So your majesty, what are you going to do? Will you leave me be, or face your worst nightmare?"

While I’m rambling I’ve been thinking about something. If all you need to cast magic is a common pen and paper, where is the power coming from? I understand the code and the need to focus your mind on the spell but why is it that almost any material will work for the most part? Why can’t iron or hard surfaces work? It’s almost like the more flexible the surface you write the spell on the easier it is to cast. What would happen if I pictured the spell especially clearly in my mind and focus magic inward? Unfortunately the only spell components I know are water condensation, force, and a couple of the basic foundation codes like mana input, key phrase triggering, and targeting. At this point all I could really do is dump a bunch of water on the kings head.

Although the last time I tried something like that I had my ear drums popped.

Here goes nothing... everything up until now will have been a Bluff if this doesn’t pan out. After a brief time focusing on the spell and imagining it clearly a glowing pink equation started to form around my eyes and hang in the air just between the king and I.

“[][][][][][][][]... Wet Dog!” The magic triggered and water dowsed the king. Not just a bucket worth, though. I had opened the mana intake as wide as possible. An Olympic size pool’s worth of water drenched the room. I was still wet from before so the water didn’t bother me. The one thing I was thinking while I was being washed out the throne room and down the hall was "where did all that water come from?". The spell worked by drawing water from the air and nearby sources. Was there a lake outside the window? Did the king have a pool room off of his throne room? Even if that was the case the spell shouldn’t have had that much power. Something else must have cause the spell to amplify. Maybe by casting it in my mind and focusing inward the spell caused a feedback loop or something. Maybe that’s why all the people and books say to write down the code on something to cast it.

As soon as the water stopped flowing and pushing me who knows where, a massive headache hit me. The pain was more immense then anything I had ever felt. I guess my plot armor doesn't stop pain.

I laid there on the soaked carpet in the hall trying not to move. Everything I did seemed to cause my headache to pulse. And then, without warning, it stopped.

My head was clear again. I sat up and tried to observe my surroundings.

That was probably the worst headache I've ever experienced. I'm glad it only lasted a few seconds. I could hear knights rushing through the halls somewhere.

I'm going to need to get out of here, fast. I talked a big game back there but I may have stretched the truth a little. I only know that one spell after all. I need to get my hands on that lost ancient magic. That could be the key to me getting home, or at least getting another spell to protect myself.

I duck through the halls, jumping from doorway to doorway.

All of these rooms are empty. I wonder who lives in this castle besides the king? His dining room table seats at least two dozen people. So far I've passed several lounges, a dining room, and a few bedrooms.

If I were a King, where would I store ancient magic spell tomes? probably not somewhere easy to steal. Maybe like a basement vault or locked in some tower?

Just then I stumbled across a room filled with an expensive looking rug, intricately embroidered with runes and what I could immediately identify as a magic spell.

This spell was much more complex than anything I has seen while flipping through the books in the library. If the spell I used in the throne room was beginner level, than this one was God tier. I could spend all week examining this rug and not even make a dent in the knowledge I could acquire.

Before I got too far into the room I noticed a podium with a very large book resting on top of it.

The book was very old, but remarkable well kept. the binding wasn't creased and the cover had no obvious defects. The pages had yellow tinges and soft edges, demonstrating their age.

I very carefully opened the tome and flipped to the first spell. The spell had no notation or description attached to it. If I were to decipher all the components to just this spell alone I would be here for ages. The next few spells had what was called "Life Magic" listed at the beginning of the chapter.

I couldn't risk being found out and thrown in the dungeon with only the few spell parts I had. I also couldn't figure out any of these spells in a short enough time frame that I would be able to safely escape.

One thing I knew was this had to be the ancient lost magic. I cringe at the idea that popped into my head but it's the safest solution I can think of.

With a sorrowful expression and clenched jaw I grabbed a huge chunk of pages and started to tear out the entire chapter I was on. I would have just tried to smuggle the book out in its entirety, but the hard wood cover was clamped to the podium securely with a thick chain.

I roll the bundle of pages and tuck them down my shirt where they loosely sat. Because I didn't have a bra the pages would surely fall out with any quick movements.

I wish I was wearing pants. Then I could have a more secure place to tuck the paper without much work.

The book was more sturdy than it had first appeared. It was rather hard to rip the chapter out all at once and I most definitely damaged quite a few pages in the process.

I stop and listen for any approach but the halls were silent. I start to tear out the next chapter, this time only a few pages at a time but I'm only able to grab a small portion before I hear some voices coming from down the hall.

I quickly stuff the new roll of paper down my robe and dip behind the door.

The voices draw close at a steady pace and stop in front of the open doorway.

"Don't worry, we'll find her before she does something else stupid."

"Did she really think she could attack the king and get away with it?"

"She's not like the normal heroes we've summoned in the past. She's just some crazy woman."

"She's definitely not my hero. Did you hear what she told her knight attendant? She told him to go jump in a fire! He almost did too. The captain had to order him to house arrest. Poor Bastard. Out of all the heroes we've had, he had to be assigned to some lunatic bitch."

"I would have jumped into a fire too, but not before throwing her in first."

The men could be heard laughing as the started back on their journey down the hall.

I'm absolutely going to come back here when I get stronger and burn this place to the ground. I can't believe they've summoned more than just a few heroes. If you keep summoning them doesn't that mean they're not that special. And another thing, why do they have to keep summoning them? If they're greatest threat is the demon lord, does that mean they've all been killed before they completed their quest? Or does it mean that they keep summoning heroes for every little thing? Whatever it is, it doesn't seem right. Something fishy is going on here.

I just have to make it out of the castle and find somewhere safe to study! If I can manage that, nothing can stop me.

After a quick peak out into the hall I confirm the coast is clear. There are no windows in this hall and this seems to be the only door. I'm pretty sure I'm deep in the castle. How I got here is anyone's guess. There are some stairs leading down at the far end of the hall, but that is where those guards just went so I’m stuck heading what seems like deeper into the castle.

After rounding another corner I spot a maid dusting around some plants near a wall of windows. I hope she isn’t going to stop me. After all what could one petite woman with a feather duster do to take on the kingdoms mighty hero.

Straightening my stature and keeping my eyes focused straight ahead I calmly walk down the hall. The maid stops her dusting and takes a step back while her eyes widen at the sight of me strolling through the castle. I give her an oppressive glare and spot the scenery out the window over her shoulder.

I’m on the ground floor and at the back of the castle by the looks of it. The space on the other side of the window opened up to a lush garden and hedge maze. The maid catches my glance drift off over her shoulder and she breaks eye contact with me to glance out the window. She starts to take another step back while my eyes aren’t on her and I again focus my vision on her. I stare into her eyes with all the emotion I can muster trying to give her the impression that it would not be wise to cross me.

The maid try’s to take another step back and trips over the feather duster she dropped when she first caught sight of me. My gaze follows her to the floor where she starts to cry.

*geez, I’m not that scary am I? Maybe rumors of me have spread this far into the castle already? What have they said about me?*

Just as I had decided I didn’t want to continue this staring contest I heard two men’s voices from down the hall back in the direction I came from. The woman’s eyes grow big as she turns to look behind her to the corner in the hall.

*she’s going to shout!*

I threw myself over her and wrap my hand over her mouth. I get up while holding on to this poor maid and drag her through one of the doors opposite the windows.

I quietly wait for the two men to pass while hold on to the panicking woman. She gave up struggling quickly and seems to have gone into shock.

The men walk by while complaining about having to start work early and not getting enough sleep. After I heard them turn down the hall and continue on I release my grip slightly on the woman.

“Screaming won’t go well for you.” An empty threat. I slowly remove my hand from her mouth and she hesitantly moved away and turned to face me with her eyes glued to the floor.

“I’m not in the mood to hurt you. I need out of the castle now. What is the quickest way?”

The woman looked to me and opened and closed her mouth several times before finally settling on a response.

“There is a door leading out to the city in the servants quarters but it’s guarded. There are two guards there normally but I’m sure all the ways out of the castle have been sent reinforcements.”

Wow, an unexpected wealth of information. If only I had more than one spell I could cast. I wonder if there are any beginner books on magic somewhere in the castle other than in the library? Anyway...

“Take me there”

The woman’s back tensed and she looked at me like deer looking into the headlights of an oncoming vehicle.

“Now!” I snarled and raised my voice. The woman started out the door and I followed her back up the stairs I had come from. She expertly led me down servant corridors and through a maze of halls avoiding anyone. Before long we made it to a kitchen.

The kitchen was old fashioned and had a large wood stove and a stock of fuel. The counters were some sort of unpolished stone and there were service employees everywhere.

*so much for avoiding everyone we came across*

The maid gave out a pained expression to the kitchen crew and they looked to me and backed away.

seriously what did they say I did? It was just a little water... a lot of water... and I may have told the king to go fuck himself... yeah, I get it now...*

The maid made her way around the counters and the people shifted away. Just as we were about to go through the exit I heard a guard yell.

“Stop it right there false hero!”

False? I guess if you don’t do what they tell you and insult the king, you’re not really hero material.

“Everyone out except for the bitch and the wench who aided her.”

There were two guards and I was so close to leaving. I could see the service exit right behind me through the open door. I was hoping I could just make a run for it. I probably still could. The two guards were weighed down by some heavy, metal armor. But, if I ran they would just kill this maid and I kind of think I need her now. She could help me escape the city but if she was dead I would have it weighing on my Conscience for the rest of my life, which probably wouldn’t last long anyway.

Why should I start caring about someone now. I'm sure I'm going to end up a villain, so, why should I risk my life for a maid.

I took a step forward and in front of the cowering maid. Everyone had cleared out as soon as the guards told them to.

*I need more spell components!*

Looking around the room all I could see was kitchen tools and food. I surveyed the room out of the corner of my eye while trying to keep a disgruntled look aimed at the guards.

Out of the corner of my vision I noticed the pile of split logs used as fuel for the stove. On one of them there was a pattern burnt into its surface. It looks like it could be a simple spell for lighting the wood on fire with magic. I just needed to stall long enough to put together a spell. This was going to hurt like hell again.

First you need the mana input script cranked all the way up, then I can use the targeting script modified from the wash spell. And this time instead of water I can use the fire component modified to look like the wash spell finisher. End it with a code activation and now I just need to figure out how to put it together and focus on it long enough to activate it.

Meanwhile...

“Do you fools really think you have what it takes to take out me, Mistress Xylia, master of magic script from another world. I let the king off easy with a little water and you are testing my patience. If you don’t let this maid leave with me I will make you regret it. But oh, you won’t have long to think on that. There won’t be much left of you when I’m done. Leave me and go tell your king that if he wants to have his castle in one piece he better leave me be.”

Finally. After a bunch of nonsense showboating I think I’ve figured out how to make this work. I think if I just light the floor on fire between us that will buy us enough time to escape.

“You think you’re all that but you’ve only been in this world for a few hours. It takes years to master magic! You’ve got yourself an inside man. Or should I say inside woman. You think your tough but behind the curtains you have someone pulling the strings. I have a blade here that says you can’t cast a spell before I can slit your throat.”

Yeah this isn’t going anywhere. It’s a good thing I’ve finished the spell. If this doesn’t work I’m as good as dead.

The guards started to walk forward with their swords drawn. I threw out my hand in a stop motion and targeted the floor right in front of them. Lights danced through the air and a magic circuit drew itself in the air in front of me.

*quickly now, they will only stop for a second before they make up their minds and lunge.*

“Fire Ball”

*what! You try to come up with something creative while talking out your ass in the middle of a fight!*

The floor in front of them glowed a bright white for a second before the entire room was bathed in light. My ears rang as I flew through the air back into the maid and out the door with her.

I was only conscious for a moment before everything went black.