Rick had made good time; the pressure from the lightning wall was a gentle prod for the time being. He called out, “Does the ring’s speed change as I get closer to the center?”
There was no answer. He’d gotten used to using Alex as a resource, a habit he’d have to drop. That she left him alone in Ruckus Online was a signal he’d made great strides. The feeling of accomplishment curbed any annoyance at her absence.
He stared at the rock that blocked the cave—it was the reason he’d asked about the enclosing ring. If he wasted too much time, it might get him before an enemy had the chance. I could go up and over, but this has to be a shortcut. He’d already tried using raw strength, but the point he’d added hadn’t been enough.
That’s when he saw it—a small gap between the rock and the cliff-face that surrounded it. He searched the area for something to use as a lever, though it took longer than he’d have liked for him to find it. There, behind a scrawny tree, lay a long, thick branch. He hefted it, then tried to bend it. Hmm. Stiff enough. Did the solution to every problem lay only a few steps away, or did the game make it easier for players at the start? Did everyone start at a cave?
He wedged the branch into the crack between the boulder and the wall and pulled. Slowly, the giant rock moved until he rolled it off the flat spot on the bottom, at which point, it rolled away with little extra effort. He glanced into the low interior, dismayed that it seemed to run only a short distance before ending. Not a shortcut? He stepped in, then jumped as a blue box lit up and turned into an icon.
Treasure Trove Discovered!
New Skill Acquired!
Vice-Grip: A grab that can initiate attacks. Breaks the block of a defending opponent and unbalances them if used correctly.
Huh. Alex hadn’t shown him these treasure troves, yet—though he’d heard of them. He’d obsessively studied the game, often falling asleep with the AR unit still hooked up.
He backed out of the cave and glanced at the lightning wall in the distance. How far had it moved? Either way, it must have gotten closer, and though he was grateful for the skill and was eager to try it, it hadn’t gotten him any closer to the center of the map.
He looked up the cliff’s face. It was steep, but he could do it without equipment. The clear path he’d been on stretched out farther along the edge of the cliff. Climbing upward, where there was no path, was slower and less sure, but perhaps it would lead him to more discoveries, and whatever he discovered in training might lead to knowledge he could use in his ultimate test—the match with Sonny. Hector and Alex had both made it clear he could get disqualified before even laying hands on his opponent, which would be the easiest way for Sonny to win against what Alex assured him were Rick’s superior skills.
He grunted and rubbed his hands together in preparation for the climb. Life gave a person few practice opportunities and even fewer do-overs. Had he been a younger man again, fear of embarrassment would have gotten in the way, would have left him conservative when the stakes were nothing more than egg on his face, and left him brash when the stakes were life and death. They’d crippled his ability to fight, but they also left an indelible mark in his soul about which consequences mattered and which didn’t. Had the hell he’d been through finally relented, leaving him able to build something worthwhile? He could afford to ignore the obvious path today. He’d read once that the obvious path was almost always the fool’s path. That was a weird-ass book. Something his girlfriend at the time had given him, and he’d read it because he was young, and if a pretty girl gives you a book and you read it, maybe she’d…
Concentrate.
He heaved as he climbed the steep rock, moving his legs like alternating pistons in time with his arms, building momentum against the simulated gravity. His breaths became a metronome, and the added strength and stamina helped him more than he’d have guessed, even after a week in this environment.
Worries about his wife drifted through his mind. She’d put on a brave face, but she was good at that. The pills had helped, but he’d had to take them with him everywhere he went. He couldn’t go through it again; her pain was a dagger of guilt that cut him every time they pumped her stomach or rushed her to the hospital. The bills they’d already racked up were outrageous, and though those obligations likely sentenced them both to a lifetime of debt servitude, he’d been grateful each time she’d awakened.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
The cliff face became nearly vertical, and he heaved his body up the escarpment, making it to a ledge over which lay an apparent plateau. He stared when he mounted the ledge. Though it wasn’t flat, the slope unexpectedly eased, forming a small hill that rose into the distance before him. Tough grasses and a few scraggly trees had taken root. Rick stood, then quickly crouched again as dizziness almost sent him backward off the cliff. His heart raced at the thought of the fall. How does the game treat environmental damage? He stood more slowly this time, and though he teetered, he kept his footing. The barren landscape proved puzzling. Did the algorithm that created each new map put fewer resources into an area like this? He quickened his pace, mindful of the ever-closing wall of lightning behind him. If he’d made the wrong choice, Alex would have words for him.
There was no path, but he didn’t need one. After minutes of brisk walking, he frowned as the slope rose sharply again, then took in a sharp breath of air when the mouth of another cave became visible to him.
This time, there were no obstructions. Who knew what lay inside, though? A shortcut? Another Treasure Trove? He vaulted up a last steep cliff, then sprinted the rest of the way.
It was bigger than he’d expected, and the distance was longer than he’d thought. He slowed as he arrived, expecting… something. Another Wild One? An AI combatant? He breathed deeply as he walked. Perhaps he imagined it, but it appeared deep breaths had a minor effect on his stamina regen.
And yet, when he arrived and faced the cave, nothing greeted him. Nothing protected the entrance or barred his way. The cave seemed significant. Maybe the danger is inside.
He crossed the threshold, and the temperature of the air cooled substantially once he was inside. While that would have made sense in a normal situation, Rick had yet to ever experience significant temperature fluctuations within the game’s lucid dream simulation. Did it mean something?
The outside light extended into the cave, but he walked beyond where it reached, stopping to let his eyes adjust lest he wander into a waiting predator or enemy. He rolled his shoulders and took a deep breath. If this was a deadend…
Slowly, the contours of the cave, or tunnel—he hoped it was a tunnel—became more visible, but he lost the ability to see what color the stone was.
“Hey, Alex?” He waited for a response. None came. He looked back at the mouth of the cave. I have no idea where this goes. I should go back. Instead, he moved forward, scanning back and forth for danger as he walked. Nothing came. He quickened his pace to the fastest he could while maintaining his stamina, but the tunnel only got more still. For minutes, nothing stirred or made a sound except for his breathing and the light sound of his own feet against the stone of the cave.
Gradually, nearly imperceptibly, the light in the cave increased. How long have I been walking? There’d been nothing but the sound of his own body, embraced by silence, the environment giving nothing back to him until now. Then, there was a sound. At first, it was like dripping water, then something more like chatter, until it resolved into…
Voices?
“Alex?” he whispered. If it was voices, he wasn’t sure he wanted to alert anyone to his presence. “Alex!” he hissed. Still nothing.
Alright, he thought. This is creepy, but come on. If I’m knocked out, I just go back to the starting cave, right? You’re freaking yourself out over nothing, Rick.
The overall volume of light rose. Before long, there was enough illumination that he detected the color of the stone, though it was hardly anything exciting—just the grey color of granite with occasional lines of something less igneous—sandstone, perhaps?
Who cares what kind of rock it is, dumbass? He almost laughed aloud at himself. There lay ahead a turn in the tunnel—he was certain it was a tunnel now, and nothing so natural as a cave. He approached it more slowly and an anxious energy blossomed in his chest, something like fear or excitement, but when he turned, it was just another short length of tunnel. At the end, however, stood a door.
She’s pranking me, that’s what this is. Totally having fun at my expense when she knew she wouldn’t be around to answer questions. Probably knew she wouldn’t be able to keep a straight face. He nodded, but he approached the door anyway. The best way out was always through.
He took a deep breath. The increase in light had come from what appeared to be LED lights sunk into the rock surface of the tunnel, but something approaching more natural light, a warm glow that was less clinical and blue-grey, seeped in from the bottom of the door.
A cheer—it was unmistakable—roared to life from the other side of the door, and Rick’s heart skipped. That sounds like a lot of people. He let his nerves settle. “They can’t kill you here—you’ll just go back to the starting cave. Relax,” he said it aloud, as though hearing his own voice would make it more concrete than his internal monologue had been. Then he panicked. How was the simulation real enough to give him anxiety? Would he choke again if forced to fight? He’d just gotten past the years-long barrier of reconditioning a week ago. To lose it now would be devastating.
He opened the surprisingly thick, solid hardwood door and the noise level jumped incredibly.
He’d entered what appeared to be an amphitheater with a wide, deep stage, upon which fought two ridiculously dressed fighters. He paused, and the crowd stopped, as did the combatants. Every eye in the room—and there were too many to count—turned to regard him.
“A new challenger appears!” The voice was incredibly loud and came from everywhere and nowhere.