[You've been reborn!]
Baras obviously couldn't speak after that octopus incident. His body 'reincarnated' he figured as he appeared on the opposite side of the dreaded bridge.
He paused, opened the menu, and thought about who to call. His old commander had gotten into video games, and got a good inheritance from his father - life had been extended because he bought a longer life. The old bastard that used to command him now had a longer life ahead of him. He could look into it for him, but first he had to log out.
'I still can't log out?'
'I've been reborn, but I still can't logout.' Baras, flexing his fist, opened the menu. He decided to check on his status first. The least he could do is see if his rebirth made a difference.
[Razor]
[Level 1]
[Health: 200 / 200]
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[Strength: 5 + (3)]
[Speed: 4 + (3)]
[Stamina 4 + (3)
-----
Class: Reborn (unchosen)
Skills: [Novice Dagger (level 1)], [Chosen Few (level 1)]
'My health seems a lot higher than before that in-game nightmare.' Baras thought as he studied his state screen.
'This doesn't make any sense. Whoever coded in that bridge mission deserves to get fired! How dare they make a player simulate death! A scary monster with tendrils had me for dinner and then dropped me out its ass on the opposite side of the bridge, Great!.'
Baras paused. He laughed as he sat down alive on the sharp blades of grass that had welcomed him.. A moment later, he saw a window blinking next to his menu and opened it.
A quest alert. The makers placed the quest window right next to the menu. It twinkled and shimmered before his annoyance at the flashing light took over.
[Quest received…]
[New temporary item received… Great Sword of Rebirth]
[Great Sword of Rebirth]
[Level: -50]
[Type: Heaven's Gold]
[Health + 1000]
[Attack + 300]
[Speed + 500]
[Defense + 500]
[Skills: Teleport (level 10), Greater Stealth (level 10), Ascent (level 10)]
[Greater Stealth - makes any players higher than level -50 unable to see you with this skill activated. This weapon will be detected by the Nothingness in one day. Level up as quick as possible before the sword must be returned..[
Baras laughed at the window in front of him. It didn't make sense. His eyes danced across the menu as he tried to contemplate how such a magical item would appear in his possession. If it was truly a negative level item, it should take away stats and not give him a gateway to powerful abilities.
[I can tell you're confused. My name is Kala… I am the Artificial Intelligent software that just caused that massive beast to swallow you and gruesomely chew you to bits.]
"Are you really talking to me? I'm just an old war veteran that has experience cutting up people… Take this sword back. I want to see my wife."
[I need your help. I really need your help] Kala paused. [There is another artificial intelligent being I call the Nothingness. It must be stopped. It will kill everyone that it thinks it doesn't understand if it isn't stopped.]
"What the hell? That sounds like a problem for someone that's not me,"
Baras walked forward before he tripped on his new leg. It started to disappear off his body as he fell flat on his face.
The dirt on the ground coated his body before he pulled himself out of the gunk. It stained him like the memories of bloodshed that shrouded his life every night since that war.
He paused, and collected himself.
"You're trying to get my attention. I'm used to not having a leg" Baras hopped on one foot towards the end of [King's Road]. The pain he felt his entire life because of hopping on one leg started to return. It felt like thousands of little swords slashing at his ankles. His mind felt a small pain, but it grew larger as the road seemed to stretch into the distance.
"You put the pain back too? Are you a cruel one or is it just me?" Baras sat down. He felt ignored by the one voice that held the key to his escape. Baras didn't like feeling like a hostage. Once he got out of this game, that AI would be reset. A few messages to the GMs and she'd be good as new.
[To get you to take me seriously,] Kala's sweet voice twisted and turned through the air into Baras' ear. She paused again.. [Listen. I have money. I'll pay for the mechanical leg to be fixed and give you enough for a longer life… Just help me stop the Nothingness..]
Baras got up. Wiped off his pants and began to hop, ignoring her pleas. He hopped towards the city as his eyes blurred from the blue screen. He had hopped all his life, hopped into bed, and hopped in a blood bath after that mission.
[I think you look pathetic hopping. I have a billion dollars to pay you if you succeed. Both you and your wife will live to 300.]
"I can think about it after you log me out." Baras felt his leg start to grow back which caused him to lose his balance. He stumbled, fell on the floor, and ignored the laughing of a few novices.
[Your leg grew back. Don't want to take it off again.]
"You're quite something," Baras stepped down on his restored foot, deciding to hop just in case it expired again during usage. "I'll sue the company now and make my money. The company records all AIs. There are no crazy AIs."
[I can make you die thousands of times over and over again until you accept, or you can accept now. You can't log out. I need you because of your experience. I need a human that's created ponds of blood with a single blade.]
"I got the nickname Razor years ago," Baras stepped down on his restored foot, deciding to plop down in the grass as some novices cut down calves all around him. "I'm not a killer any longer. You'd have better luck finding a mercenary."
[I need someone that's broke.] Kala said honestly, catching Baras off guard.
He coughed, laughing as her voice returned to him.
[All players in this game are rich. The Nothingness isn't believable enough for many players. I need someone I can pay. Most players, including Hilly, are rich.] Kala sighed. [Look, I'll pay you to believe me.]
Baras contemplated for a moment before he nodded his head.
Someone made this as a mission, probably, a fake one to get an old man like him excited. He accepted the notion of payment. If he really got paid, it would be great, but a little excitement in his life might awaken his lost vigor.
The wife wanted him to have fun anyway.
"I accept your threat, but I want to know what this sword is." Baras created three arcs through the air that left trails of sword energy in the air. It seemed to damage the sky as the blade trembled. "What's the deal? It does damage, right?
[You'll find out] Kala sounded short. [Ready to take advantage of it? I forgot to tell you I need you to reach level 60 today. If you do, expect 10,000 dollars in your bank account.]
[You fail, the darkness that the Nothingness brings will swallow up half the globe. All that is not understood it will begin to understand.]
"Great… Sounds like a great fake mission." Baras activated teleport for kicks and giggles.
His body shifted forward towards the large city. His stomach turned and he spun into the wall. A few players laughed at him. He began to fall into a moat before his body teleported again.
[You need to work on using that skill] Kala laughed as he appeared on an island.
[I took you to an area called Fire Oasis]
"You can't just make me go wherever you wan-- I would've figured it out" Baras wiped the dust off his body as he landed in a river of sand.
When he landed, he fell off his bad foot, once again.
Another blue box appeared in front of him. It kept him from seeing the island, however, something strange happened in the distance. Large trees burst out of the ground and spread out like the quickest growing weeds.
Had he landed in a Moba Zone?
A multiplayer online battle arena. Those who won in a Moba would gain possession of a small territory. He'd really lucked out if this fake quest let him own some territory.
Some people paid big money for territories. With the negative level weapon, he should have a great shot of winning.
[You're the first adventurer to arrive on Fire Oasis…]
[You've earned 1000 (+5000) coins…]
[Match will start in 5…. 4….3….2….1…]
[Match has started]
[Purchase three recommended items?]
[Speed Kit (basic), Great Armor, Shadow Potion] cost 6000 gold?
'This is like cheating. Recommending me the best items?' Baras purchased the starting items and watched a golden twinkling light spun around him, encoating him with new armor and a pair of golden boots.'
A few monsters were in the distance, lurking among tall grass as two shadows ran out next to him.
[Young] (NPC)
Level 50
Health: 1000 / 1000
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Strength: 400
Speed: 1200
Stamina: 800
------
Items purchased: Support Stone (Increases allies strength by + 10)
------
Skills: Moderate Sword (Level 11), Moderate Shadow Dance (Level 11)
"Hey, you coming?" The NPC waved at Baras. 'We can��t let them get ahead! The island is depending on us!"
"This part of the map isn't a MMORPG. This is a Moba match.' Baras collected himself. A light rain began to drizzle down and slam across the field as his senses seemed to blossom.
Four skills appeared beneath his name.
He thought he'd have to pick a character in the Moba, but his skills all had the label [Reborn] above them.
[Reborn] [No Class Selected]
[Skill 1] Razor's Edge (+),
[Skill 2] Kill Jump (+)
[Skill 3] Dagger Burial
[Skill 4] AOE Snipe (+)
[Ultimate] Marsh Ditch
[Starting Points: 5]
'I haven't played a Moba in years. Shouldn't I just have one starting point?' Baras put three points into Razors' edge, one into Kill Jump and one point into Dagger Burial.
His mind suddenly felt a burst of energy, information on the three skills traveled into his body. He twisted his wrist and a dagger shot out of his hand into the head of a green monster.
[- 500 Health]
[You've killed a Green Tail Lizard]
[+ 500 experience]
[You've leveled up to level 10]
[+30 Strength]
[+30 Stamina]
[+30 Speed]
'That's quick.' Baras took a deep breath.
He ran up to Young as his knife flew back into his side pocket. He had the Great Sword of Rebirth on his back and pulled it out.
"Hi, I'm your teammate." Young's voice entered into his ear as he rushed to go kill the mobs. A large tower shooting out rockets of fire assailed the incoming green lizards. "I am here to keep you from dying. I'm the support. Feel free to get the last hit on all the lizards."
"Do you know how I can log out? I got this insane message telling me about something called the Nothing--"
"You need to focus! What's nothing?" Young started to dance.
She activated a skill called [Halo Rain] that slowed down the incoming [Green Tail Lizards]. "Is something wrong?"
"An AI in this game is keeping me prisoner. Contact a GM for me!"
"Impossible," Young dropped five [Green Tail Lizards] health near zero as a dark aura started to spread out and dance around her. "Kill them quickly! You need the money more than I do!"
"Dagger Burial!" Baras opened his hand. Five daggers manifested and stabbed into the five [Green Tail Lizards]
[- 1000 Health]
[- 800 Health]
[- 700 Health]
[-1000 Health]
[- 800 Health]
[You've killed 5 Green Tail Lizards]
[You've gained 5000 experience!]
[You've reached level 15]
[+ 50 Strength]
[+ 50 Stamina]
[+ 50 Speed]
[+1 class point]
[You've gained 3 skill points!]
[+300 coins!]
"Isn't this leveling up too fast?" Baras's heart raced. The sheer rush of being back in a fighting zone ignited his senses and made him feel alive.The Green Tail Lizards oozed out a green mixture of blood and guts.
Their screams were nightmarish, like the voices of the people he killed in his nightmares almost every night.
"You're so strong! We might as well rush the towers!" Young ran across the water towards a five headed mantis that awaited in the center of a jungle. "See if you can kill that! If you get that first, there is no way we can lose!"
[King Steam Mantis]
[Health 5000 / 5000]
[Lurks in the shadows. Eats in defiance the souls of mortals]
"I'll try and kill it!" Young put two skill points into Aoe Snipe. He pulled out his [Great Sword of Rebirth] and activated AOE Snipe. Five hundred daggers shot from the tip of his great sword and embedded into the head of the mantis.
[-50 Health]
[-200 Health]
[-500 Health]
The mantis screamed and swatted away a few daggers with its claws as it suddenly enlarged and started to stomp its feet.
Large waves of energy pushed Baras back.
[- 50 Health]
He fell onto the floor as mud covered his face. He felt somewhat alive, but somewhat scared. A razor sharp claw from the Mantis arm shot past with it's scythe full of the aura of death scraped against his new leg.
Baras screamed and panicked. He just got that leg back!
He spun away from the scythe and slammed down his sword.
[Ultimate activated]
The solid ground underneath the Mantis turned into a pit that sucked it in. Thousands of daggers seemed to emerge like shark fins that slashed into the Mantis' body repeatedly as it succumbed to immense damage.
[- 800 damage]
[- 1000 damage]
[- 1000 damage]
It died in a blast of energy. 2000 coins entered into Baras' inventory. His mind calmed as he turned and saw a strange red man rushing towards him.
[Unknown Enemy]
[Level 3] (Moba Level)
[Health: 500 / 500]
Baras held out his hand and used [Razor's Edge]. A knife spun into the air and stabbed the unknown enemy in the head.
[- 6000 Health]
[Enemy has been slain]
[You earned 500 experience]
"Wow, let's go destroy the towers!"
"Wait, I need to know what the hell is going on?! Do you know about the Nothingness?"
[Warning: do not talk about the Nothingness out loud. Next time you talk about the Nothingness will result in - 100 health]
"You're insane?! All I know is that we need to take over the island! Come on!" Young had on a white dress with black hair that tornadoes and spun as she danced and killed several [Green Tail Lizards]
"Skip the towers! Let's go for the base! If we win, you'll get a huge exp boost."
"I can't keep playing this game." Baras clicked on the menu. "There has to be some way to log out! Can't I just pull the wires off my head!"
"Linda! My Wife! If you're watching my feed on the game, get me out of here!"
"Shut up. Pathetic Human," Young scolded him as one of their towers got destroyed. "We're losing waiting here! Let's go raid the base!"
"I'm still on the bridge, aren't I?" Baras laughed. "There must be an error. We're past the year 2100. This must be a joke from an ex-colleague. An old commander that could afford to be young again."
"I'm leaving you here! If we lose, the island will belong to the enemy! See you loser!"
"That's an NPC?" Baras looked at the mud on his hands. "I've been shitted on by a game character. Five years left in my life and I'm sitting dunked in mud. I wanted to play this game to get over my trauma! Not be buried head deep in it again!"
[A reward of 5000 dollars has been gifted to your account for leveling up.]
The female voice sounded in his ear from the game's system.
[I didn't want to pay you until after your first mission. If you stop the Nothingness, you'll have more than enough to extend your lifespan.]
"Shit, why didn't you say so!" Baras laughed and picked up some dirt. "Now, you're pretending to pay me! How the hell did this game get so advanced that you can mess with my real life finances?"
[The game company makes one hundred billion dollars a year. I've been able to funnel money without violating my code. As long as you stop the Nothingness, youth will be yours again.]
"You going to tell me you can revive my dead colleagues too?" Baras laughed and tossed mud at an incoming [Green Tail Lizard]. "You going to bring them back with your money?"
"You think I care about being younger?! I care about being able to log out and spend my last five years with my life!"
[Log out access has been restored]
[Choose to keep playing the game. Y / N]