NOVEL WEB 5: New game, new fantasy
«Where am I...?»
That's the question Jimbo asks himself when wake up. His memories are scrambled, he remembers winning the Kardax 10,000 championship and then smelling a stench of burning plastic.
Smoke.
Fire.
Choking.
Sleep.
End.
Is dead.
Also, he remembers a light at the end of a tunnel, but that vision fades away when he realizes his situation. KingJ, the best player in Kard10k, is finished. But strangely doesn't feel sad, it's as if something inside tells and encourages him saying that it's not all over.
«A second chance...?»
Jimbo looks around. He floats in an ethereal, hazy blue-colored space. Trying to reach out his hands, but he lacks limbs. In fact, he lacks everything. Yet the blue mist around him stirs and molds to his movements, or rather his intentions.
«This space that surrounds me... Is part of me?»
Light lines emerge from the mist, which then merge to form a circle containing strange runes and a crystal-like symbol, from which stripes extend upward like the branches of a tree.
The image is confusing and Jimbo begins to grow impatient.
«I don't understand any of this!»
The circle adjusts itself in response to his complaints. The runes and symbol scatter to become numbers and letters.
Jimbo the Dungeon Core LV 1
-Ether: 0/100
-External link: None.
Tip 1: Make call and formalize link to connect with the outside.
Tip 2: Create avatar to connect with the outside.
If Jimbo had eyebrows, he would raise them upon recognizing the message's nature. It is the universal language of video games. It's so familiar and reassuring, that for a few moments he tries to put both hands to his head to remove the VR helmet, an action that obviously leads to nothing.
«I still have a lot of questions, but at least now I can understand what's being thrown in my face. Finally some mercy for me»
The line that says Outside Connection, flashes repeatedly, an indication that this is an urgent item or one that should be resolved soon. As Jimbo concentrates on the tips, two new circles appear below the first, more compact, and each with its own option and description.
-Skill: Dungeon Core Call.
Requirement: None.
Cost: 20 Ether.
Description: Sends out magical energy waves to attract kindred beings.
Caution: Can also attract dangerous or non-affine beings with high magical sensitivity.
...
-Skill: Build avatar #1.
Requirement: LV 5.
Cost: 500 Ether.
Description: Build an avatar from scratch.
Caution: If the avatar dies, the Dungeon Core will lose 5 levels and will also lose this skill.
...
«It's like a management game!»
At first it was confusing as the options were presented from the Dungeon's perspective rather than the adventurer's. But like any veteran gamer, Jim quickly grasped the concept. Though he also gritted his metaphorical teeth, dissatisfied with how unfair it all is.
«What do you mean it also attracts non-affine beings?! And how am I being offered a choice I don't even get to choose?! I'm LV 1, dammit! This isn't properly balanced!»
Maybe he's getting ahead though. Everything is presented as options in a video game because that's what he handles the most and it's easiest for him. It's a translation of arcane language into pixel language, but that doesn't change the arcane origin of what's happening.
«I must be careful and think my actions through intelligently - I cannot die again! Nothing assures me that I will get a third chance!»
However it still bothers him to have such limited options.
«At least tell me how to level up»
The blue fog distorts to show new messages.
Tip: Spend your total Ether to level up.
«So how do I get Ether? I don't think I can do much locked up in this blue space. If only I had been reincarnated into something with legs»
Tip: Dungeon Core are made up of crystallized Ether. They generate Ether naturally that can be used by the Dungeon Core itself.
«Great! And how much can I generate? 100? 200? 1000 per hour?»
Tip: Dungeon Core generate a number of ether every hour equal to their level.
«That means I generate 1 Ether per hour! So low?»
Jimbo is dumbfounded by such unproductiveness. It means he would need 20 hours of doing nothing to start casting magic waves, and to level up would require more than four days. The lack of response from the blue mist confirms Jim's suspicions.
***
The blue crystal continues spinning and shining, but after a couple of minutes and past the initial surprise, nothing happens and King Marc faces the wizard looking for answers. Arrax, seeing that the core is stable, throws a fierce look at the disciple closest to him.
"You!"
"M-Me?" the hooded woman points a finger at herself, her pale face dominated by nerves.
"Bring the specimen! Quickly!"
The disciple nods and leaves the magic circle. The aquamarine glow of the ritual scheme loses strength with the absence of a mage, but continues to glow. The girl returns to the core room a minute later pushing a heavy cage with wheels at the corners. She undoes the latches and opens the bars. The disciple repeatedly bangs on the cage's back, until the prisoner finally pokes her head out.
At first glance one might mistake her for a young girl, but soon the incongruities are revealed. Her skin is reddish and between pink bangs rise a pair of broken horns. Her arms and legs are scarred by the scars of cruel experiments, and the poor raggedness of the rags she wears grows when compared to the luxurious clothes of the king's children. The creature throws everyone a lost look. Two bulges protrude from her rags; they are two dark, membranous wings cut in half.
"An imp, Arrax? Really? Are you plotting what I think you are?" Hilda asks with a frown.
"Would you rather I used people for my experiments? Of course I needed to use non-humans for this!" Arrax replies in an annoyed tone.
"Explain yourself, Arrax. Don't exhaust my patience," says the king without understanding where the situation is flowing.
"I know how to explain, your majesty," interrupts Hilda and begins to tell based on her knowledge as a soldier and adventurer. "Dungeon cores, despite their infamy, are very helpless beings. They need the help of creatures to spread their presence in our world and protect themselves. The adventurers' guild gave these beings connected to the Dungeon Core a name... Bosses and sub-bosses"
"I hate to admit it, but the captain is right," Arrax says with a bitter smile. "Although I would add that the intelligence of the dungeon cores is still in doubt, they are most likely idiots and the creatures that encounter them are merely using their power. We need this deplorable creature to formalize a link with the core so it can begin to obey and help us"
"And won't it be a problem to hand over that responsibility to a dirty little devil?" asks the king.
"This imp is very well trained," Arrax assures the king, looking sideways at the little demon, who trembles and lowers her gaze. "We amputated its wings, horns and claws. If necessary, I'm sure our brave captain could eradicate it with one stroke"
"Perhaps I should eradicate you, your madness, core, and cruelty," Hilda threatens.
"Don't tell me you feel empathy for these demonic things"
"No, I just feel an intense revulsion towards you, dark wizard"
"Ha! The feeling is mutual, gorilla woman"
The king still doesn't look happy. A layer of sweat trickles down Arrax's forehead.
"If preferred, your majesty, I can instruct one of my disciples to perform the contract"
The disciples swallow saliva at such words. None of them are sure what will happen when they make a link with the experimental core. Some are afraid that everything will explode.
"Why don't you do it, Arrax?" Hilda says.
The wizard is startled and almost falls out of the ritual circle.
"I need to take care of running the ritual. I can't do everything!" says and points his hand at Hilda. "Why don't you volunteer to make the connection, Captain?"
"I would... If His Majesty commands me to"
"Arrax, Hilda, you are invaluable servants to me," King Marc interrupts. "I can't risk something going wrong and losing you in these difficult times. Let the imp take care of it. But at the slightest sign of suspicion... Assassinate her"
Arrax and Hilda nod.
Author note: Thank you all for your comments! The feedback helps me to continue!