Codename: Freedom: Survive Week One Read online

  Turning her head, the angle cut to a different screen where she gave her best puppy dog face.

  “On a serious note, it must be said the level of pain in Freedom is higher than anything we have ever seen before. You’ve got to feel sorry for these guys and gals. Well, some of them. As you might expect, the players’ families and human rights organizations are up in arms. For those of you that died last night, better luck next time, guys!”

  Mia breathed deeply, releasing a heavy sigh. “It must be reported that over a thousand players have already chosen to quit and leave Freedom. But not to worry, plenty are waiting in line to take their place!”

  Turning back, she continued, “This challenge also gave some of the up and coming star players an opportunity to shine. We compiled highlights from every player city. As a disclaimer before we get started. The players of Freedom are watching this, so we are not allowed to show the locations of each of these events—only the events themselves. Also, all quests have been forbidden to report on. With that said, here are the top 10 moments from the attack last night!”

  A large granite Number 10 appeared on the screen stretching from one side to the next.

  A wall of eight men and women with spears stood at the ready with a horde of goblins running their way. As one they stepped forward and lunged, their spears skewering the front line of goblins.

  The players in the video didn’t have any levels or name indicators above their heads.

  They quickly kicked the impaled goblins off their spears and immediately pulled back. The goblins’ next attack wasn’t in unison. Their attack staggered in response, making short work of another row of goblins. They continued this pattern until the goblins were finished. Such teamwork was nearly impossible without even knowing each other for a day, yet they pulled it off.

  Number 9. A lanky dirty-blond guy with a full mustache stood surrounded by 7 goblins. He wielded a bronze longsword which he rested against his shoulder. His eyes faced straight ahead looking at no goblin in particular.

  The first potbelly jumped forward, and his sword flashed. He leaned to the right, the goblin’s hatchet missed by mere inches. His sword found its home in the goblin’s chest. Dancing into another unsuspecting goblin, he pierced it through the gut.

  In response, the rest of the goblins came at the man enraged at seeing their fellow goblins’ deaths.

  Stepping forward, the man’s sword found another goblin’s heart and de-legged another in one motion. He spun, retreating back, but immediately countered the first goblin that stepped forward by removing its head.

  The last goblin on its feet rushed forward despite seeing all its friends die.

  With a simple parry, the man followed with a thrust to the chest. Afterward, he finished the legless goblin.

  There were bound to be real expert fighters like him in Freedom. It was an impressive display.

  To our surprise, number 8 was our group after Peter, Oliver, and Victoria joined us.

  “Yeah!” Kline stood in celebration.

  The other players in the tavern turned to look at us.

  It began with us quickly finishing our wave of goblins, then forming up and plowing through the goblin line. I was there, but seeing it now from an aerial view really emphasized how dominant our front line was. The goblins very literally crumbled before us.

  Some players turned to give us nods of congratulations, where others were jealous and weren’t shy in showing it.

  Number 7 was another group, also not from Willingham, of three guys with swords and shields that stood back to back and took out a wave almost single-handedly, before they were overwhelmed and died. They weren’t actually that skilled, but in desperation, they had proved to be quite the scrappers.

  The next scene was a single guy that faced off with an iron spear against at least twenty goblins. He backstepped, smacking the closest goblin in the side of the head, forcing it to the front of the group, then speared it in the gut. Its death slowed their advance. Jabbing another in the thigh, he smacked another at the knee.

  As they swarmed around the injured, he kept the lead goblins funneled with well-placed swats, killing another to slow their progress. With this strategy, he killed the twenty of them, not letting any get close enough to even swing at him.

  Another weapon expert.

  Number 5 showed two guys rushing the goblins instead of waiting for them to reach the player defensive line. One wielded two swords and the other a hatchet and the first small bronze shield I had seen. They were obviously skilled, but their greatest attribute was enduring stupidity. They nearly overwhelmed the goblins at all times, never letting up their barrage. Their tenacity to not stop driving forward was too much for the small green humanoids. The rest of the players defending soon joined them.

  Number 4 was a group of about twenty players surrounding one of the hobgoblins and piercing it from every angle. The group of eight spearmen from before was leading the attack. It seemed their village saw far fewer player casualties than the rest of us. This was probably the most proficient strategy to defeat a boss like the hobgoblin.

  My stomach dropped. I saw myself heave my spear overhand on the 3rd spot. It was also the third time I was reliving the attack. This was the first creature that had its name appear above its head on screen. Seeing the mace forcibly backhanded into my shield caused my arm to itch. Even the vicious way my sword cut into the meat of his leg couldn’t change my mood. I knew what was coming next.

  There were a few cheers throughout the dining hall when my sword found its mark.

  When the club found my back, I was already so overwhelmed with anger that everything else faded.

  A hand found my wrist. I looked into the face of my friend. It was impossible to miss the tremor in Victoria’s neck, as she tried to encourage me with a smile.

  For her kindness, I returned desire. Her closeness was sudden, just as my reaction was surprising. The resurfacing of fear faded as quickly as it had come.

  My shame didn’t have the same reversing power that my lust had over my fear. What was wrong with me? I was having the mood swings of a pregnant cat.

  “Thank you,” I whispered.

  She nodded, retreating from my gaze. What wasn’t she willing to share?

  I noticed my surroundings. Most everyone was on their feet and applauding our group; applauding me.

  My shame deepened; my palms grew sweatier.

  Glancing at the rest of my group, everyone wore a sober look. They were no doubt proud, but reliving the danger of the night put them on edge.

  I really hadn’t considered how it would affect them and they had graciously let me recover without burdening me with their own feelings. That would have to change.

  The number 2 spot began playing and everyone retook their seats.

  This one showed a familiar chaos of players being torn apart by a large club-wielding hobgoblin. Multiple groups scrambled to get in any shot they could land.

  Two girls bravely rushed the hobgoblin from the front with nothing but swords.

  My stomach dropped.

  As the hobgoblin pulled back to swing, a man desperately launched his spear from thirty meters behind it. Hitting the boss monster in the back of the head, miraculously it sunk deep into the base of its skull.

  Falling forward, the girls were nearly crushed.

  They pole-vaulted, their blades in the falling beast, stabbing and pushing themselves out of harm’s way.

  As if a python had climbed into my gut and decided to tie itself in a knot, I found myself unable to breathe. The number one highlight of the night had begun.

  A man faced a hobgoblin alone wielding a spear in either hand; his dirt brown shirt was torn from the collar to his gut. He was thicker than Kline or Oliver, though only average in height. With his mouth upturned to one side, he smirked at the challenge before him. Chewme.

  The large club of the hobgoblin crashed towards his face. Ducking under it, he skipped from one foot to the next. He countered with
a fierce thrust into the ribs of the monster when its side opened up from its swing. The boss monster sent a backhanded whack with the club. He danced back and found the creature’s hip with his other hand.

  This hobgoblin didn’t have its name above its head. Was it not shown because he wasn’t in our city or was it something else?

  Time after time he countered the monster that had proven to be the end of so many players. He picked the creature apart, slowly draining its life.

  The hobgoblin attacked in a rage with an overhand slam of his club, just missing him, and he wedged one spear point into the creature’s throat. Dancing back as the club fell from the large creature’s hands, he then he lunged forward with all his weight. Two-handing his remaining spear, the man impaled the hobgoblin through the chest, lodging it in.

  He pounded his fist into his other hand as he watched the creature die on the ground before him. The grin never left his face.

  Then Mia was back, mouth wide open.

  An eruption of hoots came from the tavern in response.

  I gave a heavy sigh.

  “That was some nice work,” Kline said.

  The rest of the group seemed thoroughly entertained. It’s not like I should be surprised. Chewme, you’re way out in front right now. I will catch you.

  Everyone was too quiet.

  “His name is Timur,” I said, giving them Chewme’s real name. He had said he was leaving his handle behind.

  Immediately the rest of the group’s eyes were on me.

  I answered their unasked question. “He’s a friend of mine. We are from the same guild in the game Gravel.”

  We had both ended up in the top ten highlights of the first day in Freedom, but the circumstances were far different. Out of all the people in the top ten, my actions were actually among the least skilled. All I could boast was good timing. If I faced Timur now, I would lose badly. There was no way he would let me go without sparring. I wanted to face him, but not yet.

  Timur was in a different village and the show didn’t give any indication of where it was. I hadn’t leveled up enough to be able to private message him or contact him in any way. I wasn’t the physical specimen that he was, but through skill and strategy, I had always competed with him before. Finding a way would be more difficult this time without skills and spells, but that just made it more of a challenge.

  Well, the rest of the guild would be delighted. With our exploits, the guild would become known. Fame meant possible full guild sponsorship. It was a dream we all shared. We had spent hours and hours of tedious work becoming the best we could. Never before had we been so close to making it come true.

  The rest of Mia’s Gamer Haven lasted about fifteen minutes. I admit I was lost in thought for the rest of it.

  “So, are you guys ready to go?” I asked.

  “He speaks!” Kline said. “Victoria and I were talking to you and you went off someplace.”

  “Sorry. I’m good.”

  Victoria looked at me, concerned.

  “You sure you are up to it? It’s already the afternoon. Maybe we should take the day off?”

  “Yeah, it's fine, man, if you need a break,” Kline added.

  “No. No breaks. There’s no time.”

  “He’s right,” Peter insisted. “It’s very likely that the goblins will attack again tonight and we need to be ready for them.”

  It was a good point that I hadn’t considered. I was more concerned that if I didn’t get out and fight I might never work up the nerve to do it again.

  When no one spoke up, he nodded.

  “Victoria. Can you take Lucius shopping? Show him a few of the shops we found earlier. Everyone make sure you have an extra spear for tonight. Two extras if you can afford it.”

  “You want to face the hobgoblin as the group of spearmen did?” Oliver asked.

  “Yes. Or at least borrow their strategy. There’s a thing or two I think we can improve on.”

  “I’ll get some extra food,” Kline replied.

  “Not too much extra is necessary. Oliver is already carrying enough for dinner and breakfast for all of us.”

  “I’ll grab more alcohol instead then. Just in case.”

  Chapter 9 – Ambushed by Questions?

  As I followed Victoria out of the tavern, Oliver grabbed my arm. Towering over me, he stared forward speaking low where only I could hear. “She’s taken, in case you were interested.”

  He returned to his seat.

  Peter met my eye, nodding.

  At first, I took what was said as an accusation, but catching up with Victoria, I realized I was the one being unfair. They were warning me in the case I was planning on making a fool of myself. What they didn’t know is that that was the furthest thing from my mind.

  The merchant stalls were now packed with items that players had been selling. Junk. And lots of it. The bronze swords, hatchets, and knives of low quality were now so plentiful that they were practically giving them away. Low-quality iron was almost the same. High-end bronze and decent iron had become the new in-demand gear.

  Leather was almost the only armor that could be found, but it varied much more in variety and quality than the weapons did. It could be a simple shirt or an elaborate, stud woven, multi-layered, water hardened work of art. The lack of bronze and other metal armors was because no one was rich enough to afford them yet. Few bronze breastplates, greaves, and gauntlets were available, but the prices began at one gold for even the smallest pieces.

  Musicians were quite common, as there seemed to be a different one every block. Woodwinds and lutes abounded. Some would sing and some would just play, but they were all asking coin and would play songs at request. Modern music on unconventional instruments surprisingly didn’t change the rugged atmosphere of the busy village.

  A steady stream of players jumped from stall to stall looking through crates of equipment for the best deal they could find. Many of them were no longer wearing newbie brown. The easiest way to do away with the newbie mantle was to just buy a new tunic of a different color. Cheapest too.

  Victoria led me around, her hand cupped over my arm. It caught my attention because it struck me as strangely formal as we slowly browsed. Wink was walking a number of paces ahead of us visible to all, checking out all the smells. Her falcon sat on her far shoulder, somehow setting its beak against its chest with its eyes closed without falling off of her as we walked.

  “Okay, Lucius. What styles do you like?”

  “Eh. Practical? My channel manager always helped me with that kind of stuff. It was always simple and mostly dude.”

  She chastised me with a look. “Mostly dude?”

  “Um. For guys…” I was a little distracted by her closeness, to say the least.

  It was really a rare situation for me. Most of my time spent with extremely attractive girls was during competition. I didn’t remember the last time I was with a girl where we were just playing a game together and I wasn’t considering how to kill her.

  If it weren’t for what Oliver said about her being taken, controlling where my mind wandered would be all I had to worry about. Now that he had mentioned it, I couldn’t help but think about what a real relationship would be like. It wasn’t something that I was against, but I had always set the timing in the distant future.

  I missed Destiny, but she didn’t have to be here for me to know what she would say.

  “Lucius. Just because you desire a girl doesn’t mean you're in love. Since you were twelve I have observed you having the same chemical response to over nine thousand girls and counting. She’s attractive, yes. You’re a guy. Do you want to give up all we have worked for to have some temporary pleasure?”

  “Can’t I have both?”

  “Will she want you to have both? Or more importantly, will she support you to reach your dream even if she ‘thinks’ she’s willing? Will she know how?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “No, you don’t. Humans are the most complex creature
s in the galaxy. It will take us months, if not years, to get to know her well enough to be sure. Then your time will be split between working towards your goal and trying to please her at the same time. Even if she is supportive and trustworthy not to break your heart, you couldn’t neglect her.”

  “You are a pain in the butt.”

  “You are the one that asked me to look out for you, Lucius. To be your friend even when you don’t want me around. Don’t you want to do whatever it takes to become a professional? Don’t you see the danger? A single moment of lust is already turning your will from what you want more than anything else. Fight, Lucius. Remember what it is we are fighting for.”

  “You are right,” I said out loud.

  Victoria squeezed my arm, pulling me back to the conversation. “Of course I am. Are you okay?”

  I nodded.

  “For overall style, do you like classical, colonial, cyborg conservative, cyberpunk, mech-modern, Victorian? Maybe...”

  “I always play a magic user.”

  “A what?”

  Any doubt that Victoria wasn’t a gamer was thoroughly shot down. My stomach tightened.

  “Like a mage or wizard in a game.”

  “So long robes and pointy hats?”

  “Not exactly. Robes but well fit, for mobility. I also use a sword.”

  “You’re such a guy. Mostly dude, huh?”

  She dropped my arm, placing a finger to the side of her head to think. At least her rebuke was playful. Or was I in trouble?

  “Let’s start with some details. Do you want a collar?”

  “Um, sure.”

  “Wingtips, straight point, mandarin? Or maybe just a v-neck with trim?”

  My mouth opened, but my answer wouldn’t have benefitted the conversation. Basically, I didn’t want her thinking I was less refined than she already did. Too late?

  “What do you think?” I asked.

  “What about sleeves?”

  “Maybe?”