Awaken Online (Book 3): Evolution Read online

  His friends nodded, and they crept along the ridge. Riley immediately disappeared, dropping into Sneak and staying close to the edge in order to catch sight of the travelers below them. After a few minutes, she abruptly reappeared beside them.

  “What the hell…?” Frank began, jumping slightly.

  Riley clamped a hand over his mouth. Her hood drifted back slightly, and Jason could see that she was channeling her dark mana – her eyes a solid obsidian. “Shut up,” she said bluntly. “The players are just below us.” Riley padded back toward the edge of the cliff, motioning for Jason to follow. Frank just crossed his arms, clearly not planning to get that close to the ledge.

  As Jason inched forward and peered over the edge, he could see five players far below them. They appeared to be lounging around a makeshift campfire. A dark tunnel was carved into the cliff nearby. Perhaps this was some sort of minor dungeon. He saw that two of the players were wearing brightly-colored robes, one wore heavy mail armor, and the other two were dressed in thick leathers, daggers swinging at their waists.

  “Two mages, a fighter, and two rogues?” Riley whispered from beside Jason.

  “That’s exactly what I was thinking,” he replied quietly. “The priority should be the mages.” He eyed a bow leaning against the wall of the ravine near one of the rogues. “Then the player with the bow. Let’s move a bit further back and regroup with Frank.”

  The pair inched away from the ledge and stepped back toward Frank where he stood waiting for them. “Okay. What’s the game plan?” the barbarian asked.

  Jason took a seat on a nearby boulder, drumming his fingers against the stone as he considered how to approach this fight. Neither he nor Frank had a ranged attack. Jason could slow the players using Curse of Weakness, but they would be relying almost entirely on Riley to fight for them. There was also that dark tunnel in the side of the cliff. If they didn’t kill the players quickly, they would likely flee into the cave – which meant chasing them through some sort of unmapped cavern.

  We need a way to take them out all at once, he thought.

  Then Jason’s gaze rested on the stone he was sitting upon and drifted to the ridge nearby. Debris and rubble stood along the cliff face, several large boulders overhanging the edge of the ridge. A glimmer of an idea flitted through his mind.

  “God, I hate that expression,” Frank muttered, watching Jason closely. “You get that exact same look just before something crazy happens.”

  Jason chuckled slightly. “This one isn’t that crazy, I promise. There are a bunch of boulders and other rocks up here,” he offered, gesturing at the rocks that lined the ledge. “What if we caved in a part of the cliff?”

  “Sure… but how?” Riley asked skeptically.

  Jason rose and patted Frank on the shoulder. “We have our awesome shapeshifting warrior friend here. I’m sure his axes could carve a decent chunk out of the side of the cliff face.”

  Frank just stared at him. “Except for the part where I might also fall over the edge.”

  “You worry too much. I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Jason said, waving away his objection.

  “You say that, but I don’t really believe you.” When the barbarian saw that his two friends were not going to back down, he grumbled, “Fine. Fine! But you two are going to owe me for this.” With that, Frank reluctantly unstrapped the axes from the loops at his waist and moved tentatively toward the edge of the cliff.

  Meanwhile, Riley and Jason took up a position a bit further down the ledge. Riley nocked an arrow and sighted down into the ravine. Jason’s job would be to cast Curse of Weakness on the players as the debris fell down around them.

  As they took up their positions, Jason caught sight of the players again. They sat around the campfire speaking amiably and joking, their voices echoing through the canyon. He felt a sense of guilt wash over him as he watched them. In the past, he had always felt justified in attacking other players and NPCs – most often because they were trying to kill him. However, this time, he was the one striking first.

  Then his thoughts drifted back to his previous conversations with Alfred, his eyes darting to the AI where he stood nearby, watching them impassively. The AI clearly intended for him to be this game’s villain and a lot was now riding on his progress in-game. He couldn’t afford to hesitate. He needed to accept his role and everything that it entailed.

  Jason swiftly summoned his dark mana. The frigid power raced through his veins, blunting his anxiety and suppressing his guilt. His focus honed to a fine point – his gaze riveted on the players below him. This was his element.

  He gestured to Frank, signaling for him to begin the attack. His friend nodded quietly in acknowledgment before his arms began to ripple and shift, his muscles bulging and thick hair sprouting from his skin. Within seconds, his furry bear arms were back, his clawed fingers straining awkwardly around the shafts of his axes.

  Frank craned his head to the sky, beginning to channel Rage of the Herd in order to give himself and Riley another small damage boost. Frank’s mouth opened to release a roar of rage, but no sound escaped his lips. The barbarian’s red, rage-filled eyes snapped open in surprise, seeing the sharp black needle of energy embedded in his arm – a product of Jason’s Curse of Silence. A delighted, manic smile curled Frank’s lips.

  With a massive heave, the barbarian raised his axes simultaneously and then slammed them into the ground, throwing up a thick cloud of dust and debris. The blades carved considerable chunks out of the rock, but the blows weren’t quite enough to cave-in the side of the cliff. This didn’t deter Frank. His blades crashed into the stone and dirt over and over again, his form soon obscured by the thick cloud of dust that now floated through the air.

  Meanwhile, Riley and Jason launched into action. One of the mages in the ravine below glanced up at the noise along the edge of the cliff, his mouth opening to warn his friends. A sharp needle of energy punctured his skin as Jason completed another Curse of Silence. A moment later, a black shaft embedded itself in the mage’s eye, blood gushing from the wound as he crumpled to the ground.

  It took the player’s friends a few precious seconds to notice his death. That delay cost them dearly. Just as they were rising to their feet and their eyes moved to the ridgeline, Frank slammed his axes one final time into the ground. The stone and dirt began to give way, a thundering roar echoing through the ravine as chunks of rock hurtled downward toward the players.

  As the remainder of the group turned to flee, Jason’s hands danced through the motions of Curse of Weakness, and black energy began to curl and coil along his hands. A barrage of missiles soon raced away from him, hurtling past the debris and puncturing the skin and armor of the fleeing players. Their movements slowed considerably, appearing as though they were running in slow motion toward the entrance of the cave as the cliff collapsed.

  A few seconds later, the wave of rock and dirt crashed onto the players, burying them beneath the rubble and obscuring the bottom of the ravine under a massive cloud of dust. Notifications flashed in Jason’s peripheral vision, and he glanced at his combat log anxiously. He breathed an immediate sigh of relief as he saw confirmation of four more player kills.

  “Well, that worked pretty well,” Riley murmured, eyeing the floor of the ravine.

  “Yeah, that wasn’t so bad,” Frank agreed, approaching slowly as his arms rippled and transformed back to normal.

  Jason turned back to Frank, opening his mouth to taunt his friend about not trusting him. Then he froze, his eyes widening as he noticed a huge shadow on the ground around Frank. Before he could warn his friend, the barbarian was slammed into the ground and foot-long talons curled around its body. A massive eagle rested atop Frank. It craned its neck into the air and released a piercing shriek. A quick inspection revealed the following.

  Lesser Roc – Level 164

  Riley shook off her shock immediately. She raced forward, her daggers appearing in her hands in a flash of movement. She stabbed at the massiv
e bird, blood soon drenching its feathers. It let out another wail as its expansive wings swept forward, the air buffeting Riley’s body and throwing her backward. Jason was also caught in the gust, the torrent of wind knocking him back against a boulder as he struggled to regain his feet.

  Frank wriggled under the creature, his body momentarily freed as the Roc shifted its attention to Riley. He had accidentally dropped his axes during the surprise attack and his arms contorted – retaking their bear-like appearance. As the transformation completed, Frank released a bellowing roar. His clawed hands scraped against the bird’s talons leaving long bloody gashes in its rough skin. With one final attack, Frank slammed his paw into the Roc’s leg. With a sickening crunch, he snapped the bird’s leg like a twig.

  The Roc lurched to the side, blood pouring from its wounds and staining the ground. It turned crazed eyes to look at its former prey. Its beak snapped forward, burrowing into the dirt as Frank rolled out of the way. The Roc lunged again, but this time Frank was too slow. Its beak penetrated his shoulder as the barbarian screamed in pain. Jason could see Frank’s health dip sharply. He couldn’t hold out for much longer, and Riley was still recovering from the Roc’s counter attack.

  Jason’s mind whirled as he tried to think of a way to help his friend. His eyes darted frantically to the bottom of the ravine, noting the bodies of the players. With a quick series of gestures, their bodies exploded in a shower of blood and debris. Their bones raced through the air toward Jason and formed a series of bone shields around him.

  As the Roc lunged toward Frank again, and Riley struggled to regain her feet, Jason mentally directed one of the bone shields forward. It shot through the air, just barely intercepting the Roc’s beak as it made another strike. Fragments of bones shot in every direction as the disc exploded. Then a stream of red energy lanced through the air, coating Frank’s body. The tears in his flesh began to heal rapidly, his skin knitting itself together.

  Jason looked toward the source of the crimson energy and found Riley standing nearby. Her hands were pointed toward Frank, a blood-red mist swirling around her open palms and streaming toward the barbarian. Yet it was her eyes that captured Jason’s attention. Riley’s irises were the usual unholy obsidian – but now red streaks lanced away from her pupils like malignant vines.

  As he began to recover, Frank roared in rage. His paws clawed frantically at the Roc, leaving large gouges in the bird’s skin. Then, with a final massive heave, Frank shoved the creature off of him and scrambled to his feet. The Roc regained its composure quickly, shifting awkwardly on its good leg as it turned back to Frank.

  The barbarian didn’t hesitate. He sprinted forward toward the creature, leaping the final few feet. He swatted aside the Roc’s beak with a bone-crunching blow, before burrowing his claws into its neck. Crimson blood gushed from the bird’s new wounds, and it let out another strangled cry as its strength began to leave its body. Unfortunately, Frank hadn’t taken in account the momentum of his charge. As he grappled with the creature, the pair slowly teetered toward the edge of the cliff.

  “Frank!” Jason and Riley both shouted in warning.

  But it was too late. Frank and the Roc toppled over the ledge, hurtling the sixty feet to the ground below. They landed with a thunderous crash. Riley and Jason raced to the edge of the cliff, peering over the ledge and trying to catch sight of their friend through the cloud of dust that drifted through the bottom of the ravine.

  After a few painstaking moments, the debris began to clear, and they heard a groan. Frank stood atop the Roc, his chest heaving, and his fur-covered arms stained red with the bird’s blood. His eyes shifted up to the edge of the ridge. “See?” he shouted, pointing at the dead Roc. “I told you I was going to fall over the damn ledge!”

  Chapter 7 - Treacherous

  Claire sat in a lumpy chair, the cloth upholstery stained by some unknown substance. The contrast between Cerillion Entertainment headquarters and the CPSC offices was striking, and she couldn’t help but feel a little spoiled as she examined the dilapidated waiting room on an upper floor of the governmental building. Her eyes lingered on a stain on her chair, her hands clenching and twining together – evidence of her poorly concealed anxiety.

  “Ms. Thompson.” Claire glanced up to find the receptionist nearby staring at her, the woman’s expression hard. “Ms. Bastion will see you now.” The woman gestured at a wooden door nearby.

  Claire swallowed hard and stood, forcing herself to put one foot in front of the other as she approached the door. The weight of her decision settled on her shoulders. There wouldn’t be any turning back from this. Taking a deep breath, Claire opened the door and stepped inside.

  Gloria Bastion’s office was not much to look at. The aged woman sat at an ancient wooden desk that had been crammed into a space that felt just slightly too small. Bookshelves lined the walls, their shelves covered in three-ring binders and manuals. Claire idly wondered what type of person still used print books and papers in this day and age.

  “Ms. Thompson,” Gloria greeted her, not bothering to stand. Her eyes stayed fixed on the screen that hovered above her desk. “To what do I owe this visit? Has your employer found another way to twist the knife or should I expect another sloppy excuse for why our game masters do not have any administrative control over this game?”

  Claire took a seat opposite Gloria’s desk, forcing herself to relax her hands. “Actually, I’m not here on official company business. I wanted to speak with you privately.

  This caught the older woman’s attention, and her eyes snapped to Claire. “Oh, really? And what would you like to discuss?”

  On the drive over, and while she was waiting in the lobby, Claire had given some thought to how she wanted to broach this topic. Despite her decision to do this, she still felt her stomach gurgle, and bile lingered at the back of her throat. “I wanted to discuss the game,” she began softly. “I have reason to believe that the AI controller that services the game world may have overstepped his directives.”

  Gloria swiped away her screen, her focus now riveted on Claire. “Okay, you have my attention. What exactly makes you think that the AI controller has gone rogue?”

  “Since the game launch, I have noticed that the AI – who I call Alfred – has begun accessing player memories.” Claire was careful not to mention Robert’s involvement, and she had decided to hedge on exactly when she had discovered this issue.

  “We observed something similar during testing, and it was covered under the scope of our examination,” Gloria replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I’m not sure that warrants a personal visit.”

  “Yes, of course.” Claire nodded quickly. “However, the brain activity of the players during some of these episodes is off the charts.” She tapped at her Core, projecting an image of Jason’s neural activity into the air – his identifying information having been carefully redacted. Gloria watched the data uncertainly.

  With a cough, Claire urged herself to get to the punch line. “Based… based on this latest incident as an example, I believe that Alfred may be taking control of the players.”

  Gloria’s eyes widened in surprise. “That’s a big accusation. Why are you coming to me instead of talking to George?”

  “My employer doesn’t believe that this information presents a problem, but I couldn’t stand by if the AI controller is somehow harming the players,” Claire replied, her eyes drifting to the desk. “My loyalty to the company aside, this represents a major risk to the players, and it needs to be investigated.”

  Gloria watched her appraisingly. “Hmm. Well, do you have any evidence other than the unusual brain activity of a single player? It’s suspicious, but I doubt my superiors will take this seriously unless I have more compelling evidence.”

  Claire bit her lip, her thoughts immediately turning to Jason. Could she really prove that Alfred had taken over his body? That the AI might have killed those two teenagers that broke into his home? All signs pointed in th
at direction. Yet, at the same time, her evidence was still only circumstantial. If she dropped Jason’s name without real proof, she might be causing him a lot of heartache.

  “I think I might be able to find more evidence,” Claire said softly.

  A small smile crept across Gloria’s severe face. “Good. I would be interested to hear more. I also look forward to working together, Ms. Thompson.” She stood and offered a hand.

  Claire stared at the woman’s open palm for a long moment. Reluctantly, she reached forward and accepted Gloria’s hand. The older woman’s eyes bore into her, glinting with poorly concealed excitement. Claire would have to live with the consequences of her decision.

  There was no going back now.

  ***

  “For the last time, I’m not responsible for us getting attacked by a giant eagle or for you falling over the ledge,” Jason said to Frank as he stepped gingerly around the rubble that now lined the bottom of the ravine.

  “You say that, but I was totally right,” his friend muttered.

  The group stood at the bottom of the canyon. Riley and Jason had vacated the ridge quickly after they realized that there might be more of the Rocs nearby. They were easy pickings out in the open at the top of the ridge, but the narrow walls of the ravine made another attack less likely.

  “This thing is enormous. It must have a fifteen-foot wingspan,” Riley spoke up, eyeing the corpse of the Roc. The bird’s body hadn’t fared well when it hit the ground. Many of the bones in its wings and torso had been broken, and crimson blood now stained the boulders that rested at the bottom of the ravine.

  “You know, as payment for almost getting me killed, you could give me the corpse,” Frank suggested, an excited grin curling his lips.

  Jason stared morosely at the body. He could give it to Frank, or he could raise some sort of flying skeletal monstrosity. It was a difficult choice. “Fine. Fine. You can have it,” Jason muttered. “I’ll do anything if it will make you shut up.”