Yvvaros: The Final Transcension Read online

  Yvvaros: The Final Transcension

  Alex Mulder

  This digital book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this title with another person, please purchase an additional copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. All other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events or persons is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2016 by Alex Mulder

  Kindle Edition

  CONTENTS

  Yvvaros: The Final Transcension

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  CHAPTER 25

  CHAPTER 26

  CHAPTER 27

  CHAPTER 28

  CHAPTER 29

  CHAPTER 30

  CHAPTER 31

  CHAPTER 32

  CHAPTER 33

  CHAPTER 34

  CHAPTER 35

  CHAPTER 36

  CHAPTER 37

  CHAPTER 38

  CHAPTER 39

  AFTERWARD

  CHAPTER 1

  “Is my body still there?”

  It took a second for Kaoru’s face to register in front of Luke’s eyes. He blinked, and quickly recollected his thoughts.

  He had just logged back into Yvvaros. The fatigue of the events of the past few days was weighing heavily on his shoulders, but the shock of what had just happened made it impossible for him to consider sleep.

  “Your body…” Luke chewed his lip and then nodded. “It’s still there, and breathing, if that’s what you mean.”

  Kaoru stiffened. The night sky only offered so much light, but torches hanging outside of the buildings within Dunidan’s Rest illuminated her face clearly. She grabbed his arm and squeezed it painfully.

  “Get back to the real world!” she yelled. “Call 911, immediately! You have to-“

  “Luke! You can still log out!” Katrina charged over, failing to stop herself in the sand and colliding with him. “Please, my mom and dad, you have to call them!”

  More players approached. Luke stared at them blankly, and then turned around. Tess was still next to him and he reached his hand over, taking hers into his.

  I have people of my own to worry about.

  The responsibility of the situation weighed down on Luke’s shoulders, and he wish that it didn’t. Nobody had been expecting this. They’d all gone into battle against the Arbiters to liberate Yvvaros, and take it for themselves. And in a way, that’s what they’d done, only twisted. It was as though a treacherous genie had granted their wish, playing with the words of it for the sake of amusement.

  None of the players in Dunidan’s Rest, and most probably, none of the players in all of Yvvaros, could return to their physical bodies. None of them except for Luke.

  It’s her, the Universal Truth. This many VR headsets couldn’t malfunction all at once. Kaoru is still alive in the hotel room… but why?

  “This isn’t your fault,” whispered Tess. “None of it is, Luke. Nobody would say so.”

  Luke didn’t say anything. His hand loosened against Tess’s, even though he wanted nothing more than to squeeze it as tight as he could.

  All I seem to be good at is getting people killed. It’s because of me that everyone here is doomed.

  Luke and Kaoru’s goal, the entire reason why they’d set their plan into motion, had been to take control of the game back. They’d tracked down the main server in the real world. Kaoru had built an exact replica of it, and the two of them had transferred the world state over.

  That should have been enough. We should be safe now. But why…?

  A loud banging noise came from the newly repaired gates outside the compound. Everyone in the courtyard went silent. Another knock came, rattling the gates with uncontrolled strength, like a giant used to knocking on stone.

  Luke pulled out his sword and jogged forward. The sound of the gates grew into a rhythm of chaos. The locks gave way under the pressure, and enemies pushed their way forward into the compound.

  “Get everyone back!” Luke gritted his teeth, holding his sword in one hand and moving briskly. Kaoru ran up next to him, and he stopped for just long enough to push her back.

  “I said everyone,” he said.

  PROGENITOR’S SOUL

  A bright blue flash of light coated Luke in armor, and his sword twisted into a much deadlier weapon. With Progenitor’s Soul active, Luke’s strength, speed, and overall killing power were multiplied by several fold.

  He ran forward, still a bit unused to the way the tight, black and blue armor enhanced his muscles. He could see his enemies now, streaming in through the gate at him by the dozens.

  All of them were Tymians, which didn’t make sense to Luke. The charcoal skinned, humanoid monsters were generally reserved for large scale quest battles. Seeing them now, baring hundreds of needle like teeth, inside of Luke’s home, no less, was a nightmare.

  He let out a roar as he crashed into the frontrunners of the group of monsters. One of them lunged at him, but Luke had more than enough time to spin under its arms and slice it open along the abdomen. He kicked out at the other one, striking it in the head, right between the monster’s bright blue glowing eyes.

  Bright blue eyes? That’s not right, their eyes are normally black…

  The Tymians could only flood the compound at a rate dictated by the width of the open gate, but there were still enough of them inside to steal any chance for rest from Luke. His Progenitor’s Sword was light in his hand, lighter than his regular sword typically felt. He used it to cut a swathe through the approaching horde, doing his best to keep all of their attention focused on him.

  A hail of arrows rained down from Kaoru, Katrina, and the other players behind him. Luke was glad that they’d taken his advice to heart. A green light shone around him as Tess cast a buffing spell from a safe distance away.

  I’m not going to let anyone else die.

  Luke let out a battle cry and smashed through the Tymians next to him, wielding his sword like a giant would wield a club. They flew through the air left and right, landing near the gate and serving as impediments for the Tymians still trying to get in.

  There were at least a hundred inside Dunidan’s Rest already, an absurd amount given the usual numbers they were spotted in. Luke severed limbs and sliced through necks as he fought, turning his sword in a wide arc of purple blooded death.

  CONJURE SWORD 4

  Magical blades appeared in the air around him. With a flick of a hand, Luke compelled them into motion. Instead of using them to attack or defend normally, he spun each one around like a helicopters rotor, and then ran it along low to the ground.

  The spinning blades cut into Tymian feet, not doing enough damage to kill, but chunking into their ankles and dropping many to their knees. Luke paid special attention to the enemies downed like this, decapitating them where they stood like a practiced executioner.

&n
bsp; LEVEL 23 ATTAINED

  LEVEL 24 ATTAINED

  LEVEL 25 ATTAINED

  LEVEL 26 ATTAINED

  The level up notifications piled up, fueled by the insane experience rewards he was getting from killing enemies ten, maybe even twenty levels higher than he was. Luke didn’t have time to stop and assign attribute points. Lives were on the line, his own and those of his friends. Another large group of Tymians rushed forward at him, and he dropped into stance to use a combat ability.

  PIERCE ATTACK 4

  He slammed into them with air cracking speed, scattering them like a bowling ball smashing into pins. Behind him, Kaoru and some of the other players were beginning to move forward, finishing off stragglers and the Tymians that had managed to sneak by Luke.

  I have to finish off the rest of them. I…

  Luke stumbled as he moved to continue forward. His head throbbed painfully. He sniffed, and realized that a thin line of blood was dripping out of his nose. He wiped it away with his free hand and looked up just in time to see a Tymian launching at him with open claws and thrashing teeth.

  One of Katrina’s arrows struck it in the head as it leaped into the air. The Tymian crashed against Luke’s chest, limp and impotent. He turned, and realized that a number of the monsters had made it past him while he was distracted.

  “Get inside!” He yelled and ran deeper into the compound, cutting into Tymians from behind as he went. “Everybody, get indoors!”

  Some of the players listened to him, but the bulk remained where they were. Luke gritted his teeth. This wasn’t a fight that all of them were needed for.

  A scream went up from near the oasis. One of the members of Katrina’s guild had been mobbed by several of the monsters. She fell to the sand and the Tymians ripped into her stomach and chest. Blood oozed from her wounds as she tried to pull herself away, dripping into the oasis and staining the nearest section of the water red.

  Luke ran a hand across his still pounding forehead and launched his conjured swords to the player’s defense. More players were falling to his left and right. Tess was hurrying from body to body along with one of the other healers, restoring health wherever they could.

  There’s only so much that they can do…

  The eyes of most of the compound were on Luke as he hurled himself back into battle. The players watched him, pinning what little hope they had left on him and his shining armor. The Tymians snarled at him, revealing the nature of their darkness and fighting for his death, and all of their deaths.

  Luke killed dozens of them. He took dozens of claw strikes and razor teeth bites, but Tess cast enough healing spells on him to keep it from mattering.

  Why? We were so close to being free…

  The last group of Tymians moved at him together, attacking in a coordinated pattern that was more sophisticated than what Luke had thought them capable of. He stabbed the first through the head with his sword, knocked the second into the path of the arrows of his ranged allies, and took the last bare handed. He slammed his fist into its face over and over again, until there was almost nothing left.

  “Luke…” Tess set a hand on his shoulder, surprising him. He jerked up from the Tymian, feeling the inside of his skull pounding. His Progenitor armor and sword disappeared as he deactivated the skill, and he turned toward Tess.

  “I’m alright,” he said. “We’re alright.”

  “Somebody start rebuilding the gates!” Kaoru was running toward the center of the compound, directing players. Luke hesitated instead of heading over to join her.

  I’m tired of fighting. I’m tired of all the death, and all the destruction.

  Luke slowly walked over to one of the walls of the compound, heading up the stairs and leaning against the edge of the parapet. In the distance, he could see more Tymians, spreading across the Sarchia Desert in small groups. It was easy enough to see what was going on.

  “Did you see their eyes, Tess?” Luke asked. She’d followed him up, and was standing next to him with a worried expression. She shook her head.

  “They were blue,” said Luke. “Bright blue. It’s her. The Universal Truth.”

  Tess’s reaction was subdued. She looked away from him, turning her gaze out into the desert.

  “Kato!” Kaoru was shouting to him from down in the courtyard. “Damn it, Kato, this is no time for you to be spacing out. We need you!”

  I don’t want to be needed anymore.

  He bit his tongue instead of letting the words leave his mouth. Luke felt like a fraud, as though everything he’d said and done over the past few days had been a con job that he’d somehow orchestrated without being in on.

  Slowly, he and Tess made their way back down into the courtyard. The gate had been rebuilt. Kaoru was anxiously waving players toward the center of Dunidan’s Rest. Katrina approached with her entire guild behind her.

  “We still can’t log out,” she said. Luke stared at her blankly.

  Had she been expecting to be able to?

  “We’ll be okay,” said Tess. “This doesn’t mean-“

  “You went all in by choice!” snapped Katrina. “None of us chose this, Tess. We don’t want this!”

  “It’s fully possible to survive inside Yvvaros!” Tess raised her hands out to either side, as though gesturing to the world itself. “I know as well as anyone can!”

  “We don’t have to fight over this,” said Kaoru. “Look, Luke can still log in and out of the game.”

  Several players in the back of the group gawked at him. Apparently word hadn’t gotten out to everyone.

  “We’ll be okay,” continued Kaoru. “He’ll save us! This is the Hero of Kantor we’re talking about!”

  Luke took a step back from the group. He turned away from them, hiding his frown and looking up at the azure blue moon instead of at his friends.

  Will I save them, this time? Or is it because of me that they need saving?

  “Two of my guild members are dead…” whispered Katrina. “It was too late by the time the fight was over for any of the healers to bring them back. They’re for real dead. There’s no way back for them.”

  “Maybe they just woke up in the outside world.” Kaoru had a desperate tremor of optimism in her voice. “Who knows, maybe that’s the way out?”

  Luke sighed and shook his head.

  “There’s more to it than that,” he said. “I know there is. I can feel it.”

  She’s been leading us this entire time. I walked right into it. I’m a goddamn fool.

  “Luke…” Tess squeezed his hand again and locked eyes with him. “It’s going to be okay.”

  Luke forced a smile onto his face, for her more than anyone. He nodded, and then turned back to the discussion of the group.

  “What if the Tymians attack again?” asked Katrina. “We can’t hold off a full frontal assault indefinitely!”

  “We only have to hold out until Luke… well, until he…” Kaoru frowned, searching for a word or phrasing just beyond her grasp.

  Until I fix everything, like they’ve come to expect.

  Luke pulled Tess into a tight hug, running his hand across her hair as though trying to shield her from the world.

  An argument broke out amongst the players in the courtyard. Katrina and her guild were on one side, and Kaoru and most of the unaffiliated players composed the other. They began yelling at each other, and Katrina poked a finger against Kaoru’s chest in a manner that was almost threatening.

  “It’s not up to you!” screamed Katrina. “If I want to bring my guild to Stark Town, you can’t stop me!”

  “If you think it’s going to be any safer there, you’re out of your mind.” Kaoru slapped Katrina’s finger away and gestured to the group. “We have walls here, and we can protect this compound! We aren’t a priority!”

  “How do you know we aren’t?” asked Katrina. “What makes you think that it isn’t safer up north?”

  Kaoru stepped toward Luke and grabbed his arm. He almost flinched back,
feeling suddenly very uncomfortable with the attention she and the rest of the players were affording him.

  “We have Kato!” said Kaoru, resoundingly. “He can still log out! He’s the key to all of this!”

  The courtyard went silent. Everyone stared at Luke. He felt pressured to say something, or do something, and at the same time he felt a powerful urge to abdicate from the responsibility. He didn’t say anything.

  “Kato, can you log out and check on my body again?” asked Kaoru, in a much gentler voice than she’d been using with Katrina. “All you have to do is… well, call 911. They’ll know what to do better than anyone else.”

  Luke looked at Tess for a moment, and then nodded slowly. He was actually grateful for the chance to get away from group, from the chaos, and from their expectations.

  They’ll probably fair better if I log out and never log back in.

  Tess squeezed his hand again, as though reading his mind. He looked at her and saw his reason to keep going.

  “Alright,” he said.

  “Please…” said Katrina. “Check on my body, too.”

  She leaned in close and whispered a phone number into Luke’s ear. He was in the process of memorizing it when another player stepped forward, and then another. He frowned as the numbers began to jumble in his head.

  “I can’t do everyone,” said Luke. “It’s best if I just take care of Kaoru, for now. She’s the only one I can get to immediately.”

  We’re still in the motel together. It’s seems like an eternity since I’ve been a part of that world.

  Luke reached into his bag. He felt uncomfortable with so many eyes on him, watching as he logged out. There was a bit of jealousy in their gazes. He could still leave Yvvaros, and if he wanted to, brush off everything that had happened as a somber adventure inside of a video game.

  He signed his name at the bottom of his character record and entered another world.

  The first thing that Luke noticed was his own breathing, ragged and fast. He felt sick, and swallowed phlegm as he pulled off the VR headset.

  The motel room looked exactly like it had when he and Kaoru first entered it. Part of Luke wanted it to look changed. It felt odd for it not to reflect any of the strife ripping through Yvvaros, as though he’d teleported himself to a safe zone.