Jade
My vision kept blurring and refocusing almost every minute as my unsteady steps guided me, staggering, forward.
"D-Damn it! I can't believe I'm going to die of THIRST after creating one of the hottest avatars in this game!" I complained as loudly as my dry throat allowed, leaning against a rock near a ravine's edge.
That was when I heard the argument:
"I ain't askin' again, kid, and don't think I'll spare ya just 'cause you're young: either you hand over that stuff, or I'll gut ya!" threatened a man's gravelly voice.
"P-Please, mister! Please, don't do this!" a young man's voice pleaded.
I peeked over the rock and down the ravine to see a "cangaceiro" pointing a bloody dagger at a weeping youth. Between them lay a dead man, a hole right above his collarbone.
They were bandits, a typical event for that kind of game. But more importantly: a chance to get food!
"Urgh...!" I braced myself against the rock I was hiding behind and pushed.
The unstable ground at the ravine's edge soon gave way, and the loose rock and debris tumbled right onto two of the bandits, crushing them instantly.
"What the hell!?" The bandit leader spotted me and quickly drew a pistol.
"Bang!" I shot at the bandit first.
"You... low-[Level] whore!" The bandit glared hatefully at the glowing red dot on the hand that had dropped his weapon. Turning his gaze back to me, he added, "Now that you're out of ammo, you're gonna get it!"
"Bang!" I fired again after tossing aside the last flintlock. "Bang!" I repeated, discarding another flintlock. "Bang! Bang! Bang!" I wasn't as good a shot as Peridot, but at least two-thirds of my shots were critical hits, and I'd swiped enough pistols from the noobs in the Rearguard to fill a couple of holsters.
"Wow, you've got a lot of [HP], huh?" Having already tossed aside a pile of spent flintlocks, I stared down the cangaceiro, whose eyes were filled with bloodlust as he spurred his horse toward me, cackling and spitting out promises of a painful death. "But what about your horse?"
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!" In a flash, just as my enemy's horse reared up so its rider could run me through with his dagger, I unleashed a volley of knives into the malnourished animal's chest, killing it instantly. After all, I hadn't just stolen firearms.
"Fuck! Ow! Damn it! Shit—!" The cangaceiro tumbled down the slope beneath his own horse's carcass, rolling over and over while being repeatedly crushed. "Aargh... urgh..." he groaned, pinned beneath the animal's body, his [HP] likely hovering near zero.
"Y-You saved my life, miss! Thank you, thank you so much!" The young man started weeping again, but this time with a smile on his face. "I'll give you whatever you ask for, anything from my wagon!"
"Do you have food, kid? Water?" I asked, carefully making my way down the slope.
"N-No..."
Useless fucking NPC! You mean to tell me I finished that tedious event just to die of thirst?!
No...
"Ugh..." The bandit leader seemed to be recovering well by the time I stood over him. "S-Spare me! Spare me, or my gang will slaughter everyone in this godforsaken badland!"
"Guhuhu..."
"W-What are you laughing at?"
"Don't you get it?" I asked, kneeling beside him. "I attacked you for food."
"Chomp!"
"Gyaaaah!!" The bandit leader screamed as I tore his right cheek off with my own teeth, exposing a crater of fluorescent red pixels.
"Chomp, chomp, chomp! Gulp!"
"Show status!" I commanded, my mouth full of raw human flesh and digital blood.
[Name: Vinea
Class: --
Titles: Troublemaker (Common), Cannibal (Very Rare)
HP: 100/100
SP: 100/100
MP: 100/100
Hunger: 25/100
Thirst: 22/100
Attributes:
Level: 4
Strength: 1
Stamina: 1
Dexterity: 1
Vitality: 1
Mana: 1
Spirit: 1]
It's filling up! That silly idea worked, my hunger and thirst are improving! In that case... Yum, yum, yum, yum! Gulp!
I continued to bite, chew, and swallow, and the bandit screamed and screamed, until he stopped screaming, and the boy also screamed and screamed, until his screams, increasingly faint and distant, stopped reaching my ears.
"Wait a minute, did I get some [Titles]?" I wondered as I continued to replenish my hunger and thirst. "[Troublemaker] must be because of what happened in Rearguard, it can't be a big deal. Even its rarity is just 'common'."
I selected the [Title: Troublemaker] to see its benefits and read:
[Grants the blessing/curse of considerably increasing the intimidation factor when interacting with NPCs, and equally increases the chances of causing the "Fear" Effect on PC/NPC enemies during combat.]
"Okay...? And what exactly does [Fear] do?"
[Fear: effect that decreases the defense of those affected by 30%. Players are affected by fear depending on the speed of their heartbeats; the higher the chances of inflicting "Fear", the lower the agitation requirement to inflict "Fear".]
"Hmm... Meh, doesn't seem like much. Standard for (common) Titles, I guess" I commented, cleaning my teeth with a sharp fragment of the bandit's collarbone. "Anyway, what about the other one?" I selected the next [Title] and read its description.
[Increases the detection zone of humanoid entities by 1.5X]
"Detection of humanoid entities? And how does that work? Well, I should find out soon enough" I approached the boy's cart that had run away a long time ago. "The cart offers plenty of space, but... Riding a horse is much cooler!" I detached the animal from the vehicle, took the saddle from one of the bandits, and...
"Guihihi!" A little devil inside a glass bottle cackled; with red scales and horns, it looked like a small lizard-man. "I saw what you did here... Guihi. Guihihihi!"
"Oh... cool?" I put aside the bottle I had taken from the bandit leader's pocket and went back to looting the bodies.
"You have a black heart, girl, you do, black as pitch" the little creature continued.
"Hmm..." I grumbled, filling my pockets with coins, my newest bandoliers with bullets, and equipping the leather clothes that offered better protection.
"You think you only killed them to protect the boy? Or that you only ate him because you were hungry?"
"I did it for several reasons. Food, water, loot, fun..." I held the bottle at eye level, wondering if the little devil inside it could be worth anything.
"Guihihihi! I get it, you're that kind of person, right? Bloodthirsty, sadistic, someone who just wants to get drunk on killing... I can help you with that, Guihihi."
"I'm not that edgy!" I frowned. "And if you think I'm one of those play- I mean, colonists who only have ambitions to kill and kill until I get sick and disappear from this world, you couldn't be more wrong."
"Tell me, then, what do you desire? In exchange for your humanity... I can grant you (almost) anything! Wish for money, and I can point out if those around you have 'a lot,' 'some,' or 'little' money! Desire power, and I will increase the [XP] granted by 25% for each innocent person you kill, and by 50% if you kill members of the clergy! In return, you only need to surrender your soul to the Savage God of Claws, Mboi'Cairos!"
"...I won't lie, those seem like pretty lousy rewards in exchange for my immortal soul and becoming a target for every decent person out there".
"Oh, the other demon legions, besides the one serving the God Mboi'Cairos, would see you as an enemy too..." I stared at the fiend, unimpressed. "B-But as your contractor, I level up alongside you and can grant you even stronger powers!
"Hmm, I wonder if I could make a fortune handing you over to the clergy of rival religions?
"W-Wait a minute, lady, come on! Just tell me what you want; I'll cut you a really special deal!"
"What do I want? Guhu... Guhuhuhu! I just want to be... Unique! Irreplaceable! Memorable! Whether for good or evil, by the sword or the spoken word, it doesn't matter! Whether it's because my pockets are deep, my draw is lightning-fast, or because I'm the greatest saint or the greatest sinner!"
"You desire fame? I can-"
"Fool! What good is fame born from a demonic contract?! Anyone can buy some shitty [Skill] or [Title], and I already told you: I want to be one of a kind!"
"S-Shitty?"
"Yes... Let me put this in a way you'll understand: I want my soul to become so valuable that your own master would crawl out from wherever he's hiding and offer me the entire Vanguard as payment for it." In short, I wanted to make that avatar of mine so valuable that I could buy my brother's apartment about six times over, and still rub the leftover cash in that big dummy's face!
"Y-You're completely insane... Please, lady, let me join you on your journey! I promise I'll eventually offer you a contract you can't refuse!"
Worst-case scenario, I could sell him to some player with a macabre streak, or even to a rival religion, so I agreed.
"But first..." I mounted the horse. "We have to make a few quick stops, my little hell-spawned buddy."
▲○X■
I reached the town at nightfall; the distant mountains were tinged red by a sun no longer visible, clouds obscured the stars, and were it not for the light from the church at the end of the street, the town center would have been completely swallowed by shadow. It must have been a lovely place by day or on clearer nights, the street lined with beautiful, vibrantly colored buildings of Dutch architecture, but then, with every window and door shut tight and only the clatter of my malnourished horse's hooves against the cobblestones, it felt almost eerie.
"I'd planned to pop into the tavern, but... folks here turn in early, huh?" I asked good-humoredly, pulling my mount to a halt in front of a group of nervous men wearing blue coats.
"The tavern is closed. You'd best leave town," remarked the only officer on horseback, the sheriff, presumably. Like the others, he was sweating profusely despite the mild night.
That shitty kid must have spun a load of crap to this bunch.
"But I need supplies for my journey, Sheriff."
"I'll speak to the grocer. You wait outside town; I'll have my men bring your things out, and then you leave."
"My horse needs to rest, too."
"There's a stream in that direc-"
"Sheriff..." I sighed as dramatically as I could. Hugging myself like a poor, helpless damsel, I gazed at the officers with my cutest, most pleading puppy-dog eyes (or kitten eyes?) and said, "Are you really going to kick a poor girl out of town in the middle of the night?"
So, what do you think of my super-moe-neko-girl charm?! If you have hearts in there somewhere... Wait, is it just me, or are they looking even paler?
"I won't tell you twice! Get out of this town right now, you... you she-wolf!" the sheriff ordered, raising his right hand and signaling his officers to aim their muskets at me.
Gaargh! Are you telling me I have no charm even in the virtual world?! That I can't capture anyone's heart, even in the body of a supermodel with cat ears?!
"If you pull those triggers... you're going to die," I promised, trying not to lose my temper over NPCs; my charm just doesn't fit the aesthetic sense of this era, that's all... definitely.
The officers gulped, sweat dripped from the tips of their noses, and their hands shook like leaves.
[You inflicted fear!] A notification appeared in the corner of my vision. [You inflicted fear! You inflicted fear!] [You inflicted fear! You inflicted fear!] The notification repeated five times.
But you don't become a sheriff by letting yourself be intimidated by cute girls; the leader of the officers lowered his hand, ordering them to fire. Or almost.
I might not be able to dodge bullets yet, but I don't need high stats to read your movements ages before you finish them!
Just before the bullets flew from the muzzles of half a dozen muskets, I slid from the saddle to the horse's side, avoiding the volley, and urged the animal forward.
"Guwah?!" The sheriff grunted as I swept past him; I wrapped my coat around his neck, dragging him away from his men while simultaneously strangling him.
While the sheriff undoubtedly had higher stats than I did, as long as he lacked a foothold while being dragged, and with the horse's power combined with mine, and physics on my side, there wasn't much he could do. Nor his subordinates.
"Don't shoot, you fools! You'll hit the sheriff!" shouted the man who appeared to be the second-in-command, fixing a bayonet to his musket.
"Bang!" I fired the flintlock I'd looted from the earlier bandit, hitting the officer who looked the youngest, most terrified, and weakest of the lot.
"Aaaah!!" My target didn't die instantly, but he fell onto his backside, clutching his injured belly. "N-No, please!" he begged as my horse reared up over him.
"Splash!" Glowing red pixels splattered across the cobblestones as my horse stomped on the NPC's head.
[You inflicted fear!] I received the notification a seventh time; so even the sheriff was scared.
Serves him right! Let all your subordinates see you trembling! This is karmic justice for treating a cutie like me so rudely!
"Guhu... Guhuhuhu!" I cackled, satisfied to have made that guy eat his own words; and as the full moon bathed me in its glory, it was as if the gods of that virtual world approved of my actions.
First the NPCs who dared to look down on me, then my idiot brother!
"F-FIRE!" the second-in-command ordered.
"What?" I barely managed to shield myself from the ensuing volley; at the last moment, I slid to the opposite side of the saddle, hiding behind the horse's body while hoisting the sheriff up from the ground on the far side to act as a counterweight.
"N-No... That's not what... That's not what I...!" the second-in-command stammered as he stared at the result of his order: the dead body of his own superior, hanging there, riddled with bullets fired by his own men.
[You inflicted Dread!]
"I didn't mean to! I d-didn't!" The former second-in-command, now the leader, dropped his musket, turned his back on me, and fled.
[You inflicted Dread! You inflicted Dread! You inflicted Despair!] The notifications repeated as the other officers followed their superior's lead and fled, some with growing dark stains of urine between their legs.
"Well... all's well that ends well, then!" I cheered, letting the police chief's corpse drop to the ground while I looted his coins, weapons, and a few potions. "Now, I'd better get out of here before they call for reinforcements, but where to, exactly? I don't even know where the hell I am." I glanced at the church ahead, the only other source of light besides the moon. "The doors are open, and the faithful wouldn't refuse to give directions to a lost traveler, right?"
I left a bottle outside and rode my horse right into the church; its hooves clattered against a floor decorated with images of the undead in shades of purple and black. Sacrilegious as it was, I needed to ensure a quick escape in case of an emergency.
"This church holds no treasures that would interest you, settler," said a blonde girl wearing purple robes and wielding a flail, its striking end a reliquary containing a single skull.
"I'm not looking for any of that. I just want to-"
"If you think you can do whatever you please with the people of this town, you're mistaken! The [Marquis]'s men average [Level: 30] and possess far more resources than you can imagine!"
"...As I was saying, my goal is simply-"
"That young man who turned you in, right? I don't know if you want to sell him into slavery, kill him, or something worse, but I'm never going to tell you where he is!" The [Nun] continued, ignoring me... and slowly pointing a finger toward the altar... where I could see the trembling shadow of a young man.
What a treacherous nun! I considered killing her right then and there. No, wait, I still need the information. And she's right: I stand no chance against all the forces this game will throw at me if I keep causing trouble in the city. Even those guards could have beaten me in a straight fight; if even stronger forces catch me, I'm done for. Of course I would be, otherwise, players would kill every NPC in this game within hours!
I smiled as pleasantly as I could, reached into one of the heavy leather saddlebags my horse was carrying, and tossed a handful of gold coins at the [Nun]'s feet.
"Wah?!" The blonde girl's eyes went wide.
Huh, so that's a lot of money?
"See? I don't need money. Do you believe me now? All I want is information," I said, urging my horse a little closer and stopping right beside the blonde girl. She seemed to consider fighting me but hesitated when I lifted her chin with my index finger and asked: "So, be a good little [Nun] and tell me how to get to the capital, okay?
The [Nun] squinted her left eye and bared her teeth as if growling, but replied in a cold sweat:
"...The capital? Of course. You just need to follow the dirt road northwest, up the plateau."
Sweating, she seemed to be sizing up my coin bags, my weapons, and every piece of my gear. I knew that look well. She was sizing me up, trying to figure out what kind of physical advantage I might have, one she could overcome with even better gear. Coincidentally, that type of person, whether in games or at my last job, went by the same name: VIPs. The kind who tried to resolve every conflict with money.
"Guhuhu. Thanks. Now..."
My hand was slowly moving toward my knife when I was interrupted:
"Boss! Here come the men!" shouted the little devil I'd left outside the church.
Hmph! The little nun got lucky, I thought, as I turned my horse around, rode out of the church, grabbed my little devil-in-a-bottle again, and fled the town.
Game Over ☠
Peridot
On the deck, I found myself facing the imposing Rearguard [Captain], a man of excellent posture despite his advanced age, evident from the white mustache that covered nearly his entire mouth. To my left and right stood hundreds of other players and NPCs.
"...And here, today, I bestow the [Title: Counter-Mutineer] upon the brave colonists who fought against their own maddened peers and crewmates far stronger than themselves! May your weapons bring justice to the four corners of Vanguard!"
[You have received a Title!] I was notified. After the applause and an inspiring speech, we were led to a line of officers who saluted us and handed out rewards in the form of money, experience, and items. Shortly after, I headed toward the docks, eager to finally set foot on solid ground and explore the game's map. If I was right, I wouldn't have to search long to find signs of her.
"Legiano!" Silas stopped me, gripping my shoulder. "The [Captain] asked me to fetch you."
"I thought he was presiding over a court-martial for the mutineers?"
"He already did; it lasted about ten minutes, and they were all sentenced to walk the plank... But that's exactly the problem. One of the mutineers mentioned you. Said you reacted strangely when a certain key figure was brought up," the freckled crewman said, offering a sheepish smile.
I followed Silas to the back of the large platform where the [Captain] had delivered his speech, and found myself face-to-face with the airship's highest authority.
"[Captain]! I bring you the colonist Legiano!" Silas announced.
"This one? He carries himself like a soldier," he observed, looking me over with approval.
The devs hadn't been kidding when they said the NPCs' AI would be revolutionary. Then again, considering the hardware running these character simulations, I suppose I should expect at least that level of realism.
"What do you know about that woman?" The [Captain] got straight to the point. "Vinea."
"I heard one of the rebels blame her for all the trouble we've had here, that's all."
"That same rebel mentioned you reacted when her name came up. Why?"
"It startled me because... I know what we're capable of."
"Are you saying you understand the mindset of the colonists?" The [Captain] pulled an envelope from his pocket. "Perfect for this job, then."
"Job?"
"You've made contributions unlike any of your kind, not only by displaying impressive combat skills when storming the mutineers' last stronghold, but also by treating hundreds of our men. If not for you... this nuisance might have dragged on for another hour or two. For that reason, and because you understand how colonists behave better than anyone else on our side, I'm entrusting this mission to you." He held out the envelope. "Of course, you have the right to refuse, but I can guarantee a reward better than any monster-extermination contract the guilds are offering. And besides..."
"Hmm... [Captain]!" A blonde woman wearing a white apron over her crew uniform greeted Silas.
"As you can see, I prepared the best to accompany you."
Will these two come with me? I opened the envelope and read its contents: a physical and behavioral description of the so-called "Vinea," as well as the aircraft she stole, and the location from which we last received a signal from the aircraft's locator.
"[Captain]" I greeted. "I will find her" I promised.