Total Immersion: Dark World: A LitRPG Adventure Read online

  A little closer still, and I can finally read the name in light blue above the shadowy figure. The Seeker.

  I found him.

  Adrenaline pounds through me. I think of Silvia’s kiss.

  I’m ready.

  CHAPTER 2: THE FIGHT

  I think. I’m going to stay calm and not be intimidated by the huge black-and-spiked Dragonbane Killer hunting prey. The same one who almost made me quit playing eleven months ago.

  My mind goes blank of all plans.

  Okay. Okay. Just refresh. You have it memorized, look at the moves real quick. Refresh.

  I lower my game view to 30 percent and pull up a page in my browser with both of our moves. Killer against Maniac. I want to read them one more time, right now, in case one of my many imagined plans doesn’t go as planned.

  These are what we see as we get our moves, and we get our moves through quests and missions. The first move quest is always an easy one, and the weakest move. The last on the list is the once-a-week use, the big move. We can look at our moves list or spell list (for mages) and this is what we read. We can’t use the same move over and over. Most abilities have to have an alternate ability used before it can be used again. It’s not a complete list; some moves and spells can be learned through secret quests and missions, and Elora Online continually adds them in.

  Maniac moves:

  Punch—Punch target in the face, causing damage and stun for 5 seconds.

  Gut Punch—Punch target in the gut, causing damage and -5% percent of total health every 3 seconds for 21 seconds. Some items and gear may affect this ability.

  To the Throat—Hit in target’s throat, causing high damage and root for 20 seconds.

  Thousand Fists—Rain down punches by the dozens over ten seconds, stunning target and causing high damage +STR stat percentage. Some items and gear may enhance this ability.

  Eye Gouge—Gouge out target’s eyes, causing blind for 60 seconds and -3% health every second for 30 seconds. Some items and gear may enhance this ability.

  Special Ability: Going Feral—Rage attack on target, causing 90% damage to target’s total HP, but taking 40% of Maniac’s total HP. Can only use once a week.

  I read quickly, glancing through the words to make sure The Seeker is still there. He’s prowling closer to the unknowing fishing Nuudle.

  Killer moves:

  Hacksaw—Manifest a hacksaw to attack opponent. Deals damage.

  Head Slam—Manifest a crowbar and hit target on the head. Deals damage.

  Bind and Gag—Root and silence target for 20 seconds.

  Strangle—Stun target for 5 seconds.

  Shadow—Go invisible and silent until canceled or using another ability.

  Sneak Attack—Deal high damage at first strike when in Shadow mode. Some items and gear may affect this ability.

  Stealth—Block target’s attack 50% of the time. Some items and gear may affect this ability.

  Slit Throat—Deal high damage to target +/-% ATK stat, and target loses 5% total HP every second for 20 seconds. Cumulative.

  Special Ability: Instant Death—Pull target’s heart out of his chest, killing him instantly. Some items or gear may enhance this ability. Can only be used once a week.

  Instant Death is bad. Really bad. I’m hoping he’s used it this week, but he probably hasn’t. I’m not the only one who’s tried hunting him. He would save it until he needed it. I know he has one of those special items for Instant Death—Blood Ruby Ring. When equipped, Instant Death can’t be blocked by anything at all.

  Maybe he had needed Instant Death sometime this week when I wasn’t watching him, or maybe one of the online accounts of his attacks the past week left the move out.

  When I first read abilities and moves, I didn’t realize the percentages were for the total HP that the player has at maximum, and also for available HP in other cases, or what HP you have left. It delighted me when I figured that out because a lot of my Maniac moves have DoT based on total HP percentages.

  I hadn’t thought of catching him being about to attack someone. I can use this to my advantage. I can attack right after he kills the poor Nuudle, when his health will be lower. I know, I’m not a White Knight tank, doing good and saving the little guy. I’m not worried about it. I have his name. If… when I defeat The Seeker, I’ll mail him all his stuff back.

  The Seeker uses Sneak Attack on Fangs McGore.

  I watch Fangs’s HP bar drop 25%. He instantly equips all his fighting gear, getting rid of the fishing gear.

  The Seeker uses Bind and Gag on Fangs McGore.

  Oh, this fight will be over fast. The Seeker had targeted this guy. It’s obvious. He had to change gear, giving The Seeker a chance to bind and silence him, so as a magician, he’ll have no way to attack for twenty seconds without using a Breath Mint as a move. The Seeker wastes no time.

  Fangs McGore uses a Breath Mint.

  Fangs McGore uses a MegaPotion.

  The Nuudle’s HP goes up to full.

  The Seeker uses Slit Throat on Fangs McGore.

  Fangs’s HP drops to 50%, and his HP is draining as I’m trying to keep up.

  Fangs McGore uses a MegaPotion.

  The little Nuudle’s health goes back up to 70%, but then keeps dropping from Slit Throat’s DoT effect.

  The Seeker uses Strangle on Fangs McGore.

  Oh, man. Now he’s stunned and can’t get rid of the silence with a Breath Mint. He chose a health potion over casting spells. He must have panicked.

  The Seeker uses Slit Throat on Fangs McGore.

  Fangs’ HP drops to 35%, and because the move is cumulative in its DoT effect, he’s now losing 10% of his total HP every second until the first Slit Throat runs out.

  Stun wears off.

  Fangs McGore uses Enhance.

  Now the DoT stops, but he’s still rooted. That doesn’t really matter for a mage.

  The Seeker uses Stealth on himself.

  He can’t have the extras that have him at 100% ability to block moves. He’d need help from other players for that, and if I know anything, The Seeker has no allies in Elora.

  Fangs McGore casts Drain Essence on The Seeker.

  The Seeker’s HP drops to about 50% and Fangs’s is at full health.

  The Seeker uses Bind and Gag on Fangs McGore.

  Fangs McGore uses a Breath Mint.

  The Seeker uses Strangle on Fangs McGore.

  The Seeker uses Slit Throat on Fangs McGore.

  Fangs is back down to 50%, but his stun wears off.

  Fangs McGore casts A Thousand Needles on The Seeker.

  That’s a tough move for a Magician to get. It drains HP at 10% every second for 10 seconds, basically killing the opponent if he doesn’t do something.

  The Seeker has stopped playing around.

  The Seeker uses Bind and Gag on Fangs McGore.

  Fangs McGore uses a Breath Mint.

  The Seeker uses Slit Throat on Fangs McGore.

  Now Fangs is at 15% health and it’s dropping fast.

  Fangs McGore uses a MegaPotion.

  His HP goes up to 50%, but is dropping so fast it’s down to 30% as The Seeker makes his next move.

  The Seeker uses Strangle on Fangs McGore. Strangle has no effect.

  Fangs McGore casts Drain Essence on The Seeker.

  The Seeker blocks by using a Marena Seashell.

  It’s over now. Fangs is at 1% HP and before he can make a move, he keels over, the DoT doing him in.

  Once a fight is over, all effects go away.

  I read my personal dialog box that only I can see as I arranged it in my gamer interface, but I watched, too. I could even see their facial expressions. Fangs McGore looked scared and pissed at the same time. He knew who The Seeker was when he attacked him. He knew he was about to lose all his loot—special items he’d spent hours, days, weeks, months, years getting.

  The Seeker had a blank, almost bored look the whole time. Now, he bends over Fangs’ fallen body, and his hands dig
through the character’s pockets and, not displayed, his bags.

  Holy crap. He didn’t use a MegaPotion before looting. His HP is at about 50%.

  Now. It’s now or never. I’ll not get a chance like this again.

  All I have to do is use Go Feral and it’s over.

  I sneak up behind The Seeker. My heart in RL beats irregularly. It’s actually going to be this easy. I feel sweat drip down my RL forehead.

  I drop my invisibility to attack. Unlike Killers, everybody else has to be visible for their attacks to work.

  Sid Vicious uses Go Feral on The Seeker.

  Boom! He falls over on top of the little Nuudle. I didn’t even get to see his face.

  I did it. I actually did it. All the gameplay strategies, all the plots and rethinking a real battle—useless. I got lucky and he got careless, not using MegaPotions and being taken over by greed and ego.

  I have to loot fast or else he’ll come back to his body, resurrect, in time to get me good. I have no idea where his grave is. Something tells me he’s close, has some way to get to me fast.

  So, I loot and loot. I don’t have time to look at everything, and my bags are filling up, but I don’t care. I’ve been playing for seven years. I know what looks like what and I grab it.

  I put on my Comfort ring as my heart stops altogether. His body lights up and comes to life. How did he get here so fast?

  The Seeker uses Instant Death on Sid Vicious.

  I’m dead.

  Blessing of Inner Peace blocks Instant Death.

  Silvia’s blessing icon in my active effects disappears. She must have somehow, somewhere gotten a Gilded White Elf Ring, an impossible drop in an impossible dungeon. If a White Elf Blessed wears it, their blessings always, always work, even on the big moves that say never, ever. She didn’t even tell me.

  Thank God for the beautiful Silvia, because her blessing saves my life, and not a drop of my HP spills.

  Sid Vicious uses Comfort Ring.

  And then poof! I’m in Cashmere at the Kila Crystal.

  I did it. I did it!

  I feel relief, giddy, and also a bit like I cheated. I hunted him, hacked him down in one hit, and warped right when he came back to attack me.

  Oh my God, he’ll be hell-bent on coming after me now, but he won’t be able to for a long, long time. I made especially sure to get all his Killer special items. He’s too weak without them to do what he does. I killed his high stats and enhanced abilities.

  I know my glory story isn’t that glorious. If it weren’t for Silvia’s blessing, I’d be dead and looted again.

  Should I make it more exciting? I could brag that I was an epic fighter, that the battle took thirty minutes. No, an hour. I’ve planned fights with him in my head that would go on that long, so I know what to say.

  But no. That’s not what happened. I may be a non-hero seeking revenge and challenge, but lying isn’t my way.

  I head west to Lucille’s Brewery to find my friends, turning Guild Chat back on. I hear them. They’re speculating on how my progress with The Seeker is going. Peter is saying he knows I’ll have no problem with it. I’m a master Maniac, he says.

  I enter Lucille’s. Sally, Peter, Raging, Nottingham and Koolio are still sitting there, unable to leave until my return. Now I’ll tell them about my inglorious victory, and then I’ll message Fangs McGore to see if I have any of his stuff.

  I wanted it to be better. I wanted to put on a great fight. Oh well. His reign of terror is over for now, and I at least did that.

  CHAPTER 3: THE BRAG AND THE SPOILS

  They don’t see me at first. Their heads are bent together in discussion they don’t want overheard. In Elora, you can always hear those close to you, and the brewery is packed with players getting stat boost brews.

  In RL, I fumble to the end table to the right of me for my keyboard and send Silvia a text message to meet me here. I then send one to Fangs McGore, telling him the same and that I have some good news for him.

  They both answer with questions, but they both say they’re coming. I answer only to say, “Hurry.”

  I approach our booth and they stare, mouths open. I guess it’s because I’m not naked. The Seeker loves to leave his victims naked. Fangs would have gotten a cheap robe for now, and to be honest, I’m surprised he hadn’t immediately logged out in a furious rage. I had when The Seeker did it to me.

  “You did it?” Sally squeals.

  “I told you!” Peter practically yells.

  Koolio puts his siren webbed feet on the tabletop and hands behind his head. “So, spill. Tell us every move. Paste the gameplay display into a note and give us all one as you tell it.” He smirks, but I see admiration in his eyes.

  “We have to wait. Two more are coming, and I… I need to wait.”

  They make complaints and there’s heckling, but I don’t feel as high as I should. I only want to tell this once.

  “Well, at least tell us who we’re waiting for,” Sally says.

  “Silvia and another player I met out there. If it weren’t for them, I don’t think I could have done it.”

  “Who is this mystery player? Did he back you?” Raging asks.

  “No, not exactly.” Other people in the brewery are getting quiet, straining to listen to the loud table, knowing something is up. “Sorry, I want to wait.”

  They all seem peeved except for Peter, who just keeps grinning at me and shaking his head.

  I start going through my inventory to see all the loot I’d managed to get from The Seeker. I have over 120 new items. Once I knew Fangs had his stuff back, I’d see what my friends and the guild wanted. Oh, damn. So many good things. And then I see my old Steel Knuckles, ones he’d taken from me so long ago. They had to be mine. It’s an enhancing item for my Thousand Fists move, making the damage insane. I had to run the same dungeon forty times to get it to drop. Yeah, my friends are the best. They ran it with me many, many times. The Seeker couldn’t sell it or use it because it was a rare item dungeon drop from a quest line. Those can’t be sold or traded. Just looted. I wonder why he kept it, had it on him. A trophy? I had put up a good fight back then.

  I equip it. My gloved fingers gleam silver.

  I see stuff everybody would want, and some killer items I can sell. Many I can’t. I see a Love Lily. I’ll give that to Silvia. It takes up a hairstyle item slot. It’s great for Blessed class because it enhances healing spells’ effects by 25%. High-end goldsmiths make them. Even Peter isn’t rich or high enough goldsmithing level to make them, and on the AH, they cost around five billion. Who has five billion?

  Well, I guess I could if I put it on the auction house, but this is for Silvia. Even if she hadn’t blessed me, I’d give it to her. Shy or not.

  Right as I imagine it tucked behind her ear, she walks into Lucille’s and straight to us. Her White Elf eyes are glowing white with excitement. She actually hugs me, and I wish I could feel it. “Tell me everything!”

  “I will. Just waiting for one more person.”

  She gives me a curious look. “Who?”

  “You’ll understand when I tell you what happened.”

  “You’re back so fast,” she says.

  “Yep. It was really quick.” I smile at her. She smiles back.

  We wait a few more minutes and I see Fangs McGore walk in the brewery. He’s wearing a white cotton robe, no shoes, no gloves, no hat. I wave to him. “Over here, Fangs.”

  He nods at me and makes his way to join us. He stands at the end of the booth, and I know how he feels from the look on his computer-animated face. I had that look once.

  “Have a seat?” I ask him.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Okay. Well, here it goes.” I tell them the story, the whole thing, leaving out Silvia’s kiss on the cheek, right to when I used my Comfort Ring and got the hell out of there.

  Stunned silence when I’m done, and I realize it’s not just our table that’s quiet. The whole brewery is. Everybody had been listening a
nd I never noticed.

  “So, yeah. I have lots of stuff of yours, Fangs. I know, I took a cheap shot, but I saw the opportunity.”

  “How’d he get back to you so fast? Wouldn’t his grave be in Dragonbane Territory?” asked Nottingham.

  “There are quests you can find in graveyards that let you get a tombstone in different ones. Hard quests,” says Koolio. “He probably did them all.”

  “Yeah, I thought so. Where I found him, in Laninga, well, that’s close to a White Elf graveyard,” I say, then look at Fangs as he finally sits down.

  “Oh, man. Oh, man, man. I owe you big time. You’re really going to give it all back to me?”

  “Everything I have that’s yours, yeah. I didn’t have time to get all his loot. Here, I’ll open my bags. Fangs, tell me what’s yours. The rest of you, if it’s not Fangs’, let me know if you want it. Send the bag link to the guild. Same goes for them.”

  In game, nobody can see your bags except Psychics, a healer class nobody has a clue as to how to unlock, unless you “open” your bags to them.

  “But first, for saving my life….” I turn to Silvia, who sits next to me. “For you.” I hold out the Love Lily to her and she gasps, eyes wide as springtime windows.

  “For me?” she whispers.

  “If you hadn’t given me that blessing and had that ring, then I never would have made it.”

  “Well, isn’t that cute,” Sally says. Dammit. That girl doesn’t quit. She’d had a little girl crush on me growing up that never quite died like it was supposed to.

  “Sally, you’ll get goodies, too,” I tell her.

  “Don’t call me Sally anymore. Call me Good Deeds. That’s my name.”

  “Alright, Sally.”

  “Oh, shut up.”

  I open my bags.

  Fangs freaks as I trade him the items that he says are his. I have no reason not to believe him.

  Some people in Lucille’s come over and ask to see. Why not? I offer them a peek.

  The questions from strangers start.

  “Did you really defeat The Seeker?”

  “He’s not going to be able to kill everyone anytime and take everything anymore?”