Blitz Read online

  “Charlotte!” I yelled. “This is your last chance. Surrender now!”

  “Never!” she replied, unseen.

  Chris stepped next to me.

  “What are we doing?” he asked.

  “I’m wondering if we should burn her out,” I said.

  “We’d risk burning their whole village down. Let me check it out.”

  I turned to him. “Are you sure?”

  He nodded. “I’ve got this…”

  As I watched with the others, Chris, my head warrior, stepped down the path leading to the massive web. He gripped his spear with the point forward as he got closer. Near the web, he screamed as a volley of arrows shot into him.

  “It’s a trap!” he yelled. “Go back!”

  He fell to the ground, not moving.

  “You’re going to pay for that,” I said.

  “No, you will,” Charlotte spat back.

  A couple dozen fresh warriors ran around from behind the webbed building. I noticed they had crude armor made from palm fronds protecting their bodies. While they approached, I rushed forward and dragged Chris’ body back to the others.

  “Some help, please?” I snapped.

  Three of my warriors picked up his body.

  “What are we going to do?” Jericho, my main shaman, asked.

  I glanced over as the other tribe’s warriors moved into formation.

  “Retreat!” I yelled. “Back to the village gates!”

  I turned and ran, hoping the others obeyed.

  Chapter 9

  The Rules of the Jungle

  Sarah

  My eight warriors and two shamans ran with me into the jungle. The warriors from the other village ran after us, but we had a good head start. Once we reached the thick foliage, I stopped and huddled the others around me.

  “We don’t have much time,” I said. “Use the jungle to your advantage. They have primitive armor, but you’ve been training to fight guerilla style.”

  “You saved Chris,” one of the warriors said. “We’ll lay down our lives for you.”

  “I don’t want anyone else to die today, but we have to fight. Understand?”

  “Yes, Piper,” they said then scattered in every direction.

  I ducked behind a thick tree as a single file line of warriors with basic armor marched into the jungle from the clearing. With enough mana for only five Golden Bolts, I needed to be careful and save them for important moments in the battle.

  “Die!” one of my warriors shouted as he jumped from a tree.

  He took down two of the enemy in landing then poked and prodded with his spear until two more fell. In the confusion, he slipped away before they had a chance to counterattack. We’ve got this. I slipped from behind the tree and stuck a straggler with my spear.

  One after another, we took out two dozen of their warriors.

  Combat is Over!

  +3,100 xp

  Level up!

  You have 5,800 xp

  You need 2,200 xp for level 3 Valkyrie Skyrider.

  I had lost six warriors and one shaman during the battle, and I only had three health left myself, but we’d repelled them. Even better, I’d leveled up my character. After killing so many of her armored warriors, I doubted Charlotte would come after us.

  Should I go after her and finish her off?

  I glanced around at the survivors in my tribe and decided to retreat back to our village. The warriors and shaman followed me to our side of the island, their moods higher than mine. As we got closer to our destination, I thought about what I would say to my people. The idea of being a leader wasn’t new to me. In high school, I’d participated in student politics.

  The NPCs in my village weren’t actual people, but they acted the part. I still found myself amazed by their complexity. From a wide range of emotions to different personalities, they acted like genuine people. After being with them for so long, multiple deaths took a toll on me. We’d killed many of the enemy, but it wasn’t a total victory. They would come back for revenge on us.

  I resisted the urge to have the shaman heal me despite every step hurting. The pain would remind me of the chance of dying in the game again. I wouldn’t put it past the gamemaster AI to reset my twenty year clock each time I died. Staying alive became even more important with each passing day. I continued walking through the jungle, lost in my thoughts.

  When we arrived at the village, the rest of my people cheered. The wooden gate of the palisades opened as we approached. I ordered it closed then stopped just inside. Two guards stationed on scaffolding inside the walls peered down as the others crowded around me. I took a deep breath, preparing myself to speak to all of them as their leader.

  “I won’t speak long,” I said, pausing a moment for the others to settle down. “While our victory today wasn’t complete, we showed them we’re a force to be reckoned with.”

  “Kill the spider!” several people chanted from the back.

  “We’ll kill her if she tries to attack us again,” I said. “Hopefully, she learned her lesson and will leave us alone. I’ve been thinking of many ways to make life better for all of us here in Kron Village. With your help, we’ll make this island a true paradise.”

  The men and women around me snapped their fingers in approval. I glanced around, noticing Chris scowling at me from the back. Why was he upset? I’d cut him a lot of slack since taking over as the village chief. Maybe I needed to rethink my strategy with him. I’d saved his life after he set off the trap in Cocoa Village. Why was he mad at me?

  “We lost a few good men during the raid today,” I continued. “They sacrificed their lives so that we can have something better, a world where we’re not ruled by anyone but ourselves. We mourn our fallen villagers tonight, but tomorrow we move on, continuing to make our village the greatest on this or any island.”

  The villagers snapped their fingers again. I walked through the crowd, nodding solemnly while I made my way to my hut. Even a small bit of privacy made a big difference. The other villagers were nice in their own ways, but at the end of the day they were only NPCs, extensions of the gamemaster AI running the Tower of Gates.

  Arriving at my home, I went inside and shut the door behind me. The sound of the villagers outside quieted down as I laid in my hammock. Hands resting behind my head, I stared up at the ceiling and thought about the events of the day. Why wouldn’t Charlotte work with me? I wondered if we were the only two human players on the penalty zone.

  Questions piled up in my mind. I pushed them aside, switching my thoughts to the matter at hand—improving my village. Unable to defeat Charlotte, I needed to somehow pull ahead of her technologically. With an advantage like that I could neutralize her. She had made it possible for me to escape being trapped as an NPC, but she had gone crazy.

  I rested, allowing my health to slowly return. Jericho once again was my only shaman in the tribe. Maybe having lower level spellcasters wasn’t the way to go. Charlotte’s palm frond armor flashed in my mind. I dreamed of ways to take her basic idea and make it better. With a few action points, I could research the technology myself.

  * * * * *

  The next morning, I took stock of everything. Making second level meant I had more AP to work with, but it still wasn’t enough to do everything I wanted. Basic palisades weren’t good enough. I expected Charlotte to counterattack as soon as she could manage it. Simultaneously, I needed to research new technologies to keep our village moving forward.

  I brushed my hair back and tied it into a ponytail before going outside to face the rest of the village. Most people smiled before bowing their heads in respect as I made my way to the communal hut in the center of our village. Everyone else had already eaten breakfast and were busy with their tasks for the day. I had the entire place to myself as I ate.

  Mushy gruel wasn’t my favorite, but Maria the cook had improved her skills tremendously since I first spawned on the penalty level. I sat cross legged on the dirt floor, slowly spooning the li
ght brown food into my mouth. As the nourishment hit my body, my mood lightened. The war would be a long one, but I could win it. Charlotte didn’t have a chance.

  I thought about the smaller spiders. Charlotte had called them her children, but I still had my doubts. Even if they weren’t hers, having more intelligent spiders around could make life even more difficult for me. How long would it take them to mature and become a threat? Were they all spellcasters like Charlotte? I pushed the questions aside.

  After cleaning out my bowl and replacing it in a pile with others, I walked out into the bright sun. Noises from the direction of the gate caught my attention. I sped up my pace as I went to investigate the commotion. Augusta and her husband stood just outside the palisades with a group of men and women behind them. I smiled and stopped before them.

  “You’re back,” I said excitedly. “So good to see you two.”

  “We brought more people who want to join us,” Augusta said. “They heard me talk about the wonderful things you’re doing, the respect you have for the people in our tribe, and they all decided to come with me to join Kron Village.”

  “That’s wonderful,” I said, glad I had more than enough AP to add them to our tribe. “Everyone come inside and close the gates. We don’t want to get sloppy with Charlotte still out there working against us.”

  I waved them in with my right hand, standing by as the group shuffled into our compound. Augusta and Tom stayed by my side as the procession continued. I hugged her then leaned back and smiled.

  “So good to see you,” I said. “We’ve had a rough couple of weeks.”

  “We’re happy to be back,” Augusta said.

  “I’ll add everyone to our tribe now if you don’t mind.”

  Augusta shook her head as Tom stood silently by her side.

  “Thank you for coming, everyone,” I said as the gate closed. “We’re happy to have you here with us. I’ll make this short and simple. Be kind to each other and pull your weight around here, and you’ll go far. The future is ours for the taking.”

  A few members of the tribe came by, snapping their fingers. I went through the game menus to officially add them to my tribe as the newcomers picked up on our replacement for clapping hands. The sound made me smile as a game notification popped up.

  24 villagers added.

  Population Boom!

  You get +50 Action Points

  You have 48 total villagers.

  “Do you two have something to do?” I asked, turning to Augusta and Tom.

  She grinned and nodded. “We have a lot of stuff to do.”

  “I’ll catch up with you later,” I said. “Again, it’s good to have you back.”

  She hugged me again before I made my way through the crowd. I returned to my hut, intent on assigning all the newcomers tasks. Getting them working right away would make it easier for everyone involved. I shut my door behind me and sat in a new, comfy chair I’d had constructed. The wicker seat worked wonderfully for relaxing and thinking.

  With nearly fifty villagers, an all-out assault on Cocoa Village might be successful. I could then rule the entire island and work on getting off it somehow. The Tower of Gates couldn’t hold me back, not if I put my mind to it. As a strong, 21st century woman, I would make myself heard. My eyes scanned the thatched roof as I planned and plotted.

  I got up a while later to talk to my war council, including Chris. Julian and Keith, the newcomers, also sat around the communal fire. I laid out my plan, leaving no detail out. In the end I waited for their response, the flames flickering across my face.

  Chris shook his head and stood, walking over to me. I didn’t back down nor flinch.

  “You’re going to get us all killed,” he said.

  “Or I’ll save us all by putting an end to this stupid war.”

  “You’re friends with the talking spider, aren’t you?” he asked.

  I noticed a few of the other villagers crowding around in the background.

  -5 village morale.

  Current Village Morale: +20

  I took a deep breath, not letting my emotions get to me.

  Chris pulled a knife and lunged for me. Julian and Keith got up as I dodged to the left, pushing his hand away. The blade barely missed me. I raised my hands and sent three Golden Bolts at him. The energy jolted him, but he came at me again. Why didn’t I bring my bleaking spear? And why won’t this game let me swear in here?

  Julian and Keith came to my rescue, sticking Chris from behind with their spears. Any doubts I had about them disappeared as my would-be assassin fell to the ground, lifeless.

  “Thank you,” I said. “You saved my life.”

  “He was spying for the spider,” Keith said.

  Julian nodded.

  “We didn’t say anything, because why would you believe us.”

  “You have my thanks,” I said. “Keep this up, and you’ll do well in Kron Village. Our empire will expand.”

  “I have to add, I don’t think we should go with an all-out assault,” Keith said.

  His smaller companion nudged him with his elbow.

  “I think you’re right,” I said. “The idea was simply an idea. I need people around me who will tell the truth and not just say what they think I want to hear. Am I understood?”

  “Yes, Chief,” both men said in unison as they got down on one knee.

  “Stand up,” I said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do. If we’re not attacking with everything, we have other things we can accomplish.

  Buildings:

  Central Hut

  Tool Shop -> Forge (In Progress)

  Barracks -> Archery Range (In Progress)

  Storage Hut x2

  Villagers: 48 adults + 11 children

  Warriors: x12

  Cooks: x2

  Gatherers: x10

  Builders: x2

  Shaman: x2

  Seamstress: x1

  Tool Makers: x1

  Teacher x1

  Scout x2

  Technologies:

  Basic Woodworking -> Advanced Woodworking

  Basic Healthy Diet

  Basic Combat

  Advanced Gathering

  Stone Tools

  Basic Masonry

  I called my standing army the Solid Dozen. They had the highest skills possible for their class. When the archery range completed, I would divert some villagers to add to the group of twelve. Until then, I needed to study the tech trees and plot the best way to get and keep an advantage over Charlotte. She was turning out to be a worthy adversary.

  Nothing went to plan, of course. The only constant in the Tower of Gates was that it changed all the time, somehow adapted to you as a personality. Right when you thought you had it figured out, the stupid AI threw another curveball to mess you up. Such was life inside the game. Without a way out, I concentrated on making the most of the situation.

  Chapter 10

  Ten Long Years Later

  Sarah

  I stood atop the north tower, looking over the barren land beyond the city’s stone walls. Neither Charlotte nor I ever had enough power to end the war. We battled back and forth for ten long years. After over a decade trapped inside the Tower of Gates, experiencing time differently than the others, I’d come to accept my fate. I grew as a person.

  How different would I be once I’d spent more time in the game than in the real world? Would I eventually forget reality? The thoughts would lead to nightmares, but I couldn’t avoid them. Without any other players besides Charlotte around, I felt like I was locked away in solitary confinement. Trust me, it’s a terrible feeling.

  Over the last one hundred and twenty months, I’d only managed to make it to level nine Valkyrie Skyrider. During a lull in the war, I’d stumbled across a raving lunatic who called himself the Quest Giver. His stories typically led to actual quests for experience points. I’d spent most of my time turning my village into a proper city.

  Charlotte had done the same, matching me step by step y
ear after miserable year. The Quest Giver had disappeared over a month earlier, and I’d taken to standing on top of our highest tower to watch for him. He never returned. Was he dead? I hadn’t looked for him with everything else going on across the island.

  Just over ten thousand citizens fell under my command. With very little natural resources remaining, the only option became Charlotte’s city on the opposite side of the island. Seven of her smaller spiders had survived over the years, each running a small portion of the whole. Their combined brainpower would’ve gave them an edge over me if I didn’t delegate tasks big and small so well.

  I walked to the other side of the tower and peered over the edge, smiling proudly at the bustling city below. So much thought had gone into the placement of every single building inside our walls. Everything worked together toward a comprehensive whole. Things could be improved, sure. Nothing would ever be complete. I called up my character sheet.

  > Stats

  Name: Piper Daughter of Kron

  Race: Human

  Class: Valkyrie Skyrider

  Level: 9

  XP: 820,100 (179,900 needed for next level)

  Alignment: +25 (A decent person)

  HEALTH: 272 (272)

  MAGIC: 479 (479)

  Strength: 72 (+10%)

  Dexterity: 96 (+35%)

  Constitution: 72 (+10% / +2 health per level)

  Intelligence: 97 (+35% / +10 magic points per level)

  Wisdom: 73 (+10%)

  Charisma: 74 (+1%)

  > Stats skills

  Your Current Skills

  Dodge – Basic Level 9 of 10

  Monster Lore (Jungle) - Advanced Level 1 of 5