BladeDust Online: A LitRPG Adventure (Book 1) Read online

  “Thanks,” he replied. “It took me forever to come up with it.”

  Todd seemed pretty cool. Much cooler than the little weirdo who gave us a ride on his dragon. “We are almost at the village,” he said while pointing to our left.

  In the distance, I saw small homes with straw roofs on top of them. There was no grass around the village and the place looked like a real dump. This was where we were going to find our soldiers?

  Chapter Eight

  A few characters and NPCS walked around the village. The NPCS all wore the same outfit. Straw hats, brown overalls and little sacks on their backs. Some were drinking water from mud puddles. “They drink mud puddle water here? Why would they do that?” I asked.

  “These peasants are mostly NPCS,” Todd replied. “They don't really know that it's not an acceptable way to drink water in the outside world. They are programmed to seek water when they need it. Most of them will drink water from any source. I guess it makes sense if you think about it.”

  I wasn't going to start drinking mud puddle water. That just seemed a little depressing. “Yea, I guess if they like mud puddle water, then it was fine. I can't hate them for that.”

  One peasant stopped drinking from the mud puddle and scrambled closer to me. “Hello sir,” he said with a tremble to his voice. “Do you got any food to give me? I will put in a good word with the village leader here if you share some food with me.”

  The village leader? I was pretty sure I didn't want to meet the guy. What kind of leader lets his residents drink from mud puddles? “Sorry, I don't have anything for you. Tell your leader to buy you guys a bucket of water or something. You shouldn't be drinking from a mud puddle.”

  The NPC look confused and took a moment to reply. “This is good stuff,” he said. “The water is very tasty.”

  I looked down at the water. It was dirty. But the worst part was, there were these little worm looking creatures swimming around. “Oh wow,” I replied. “It comes with free worms too. That's nice. Real nice,” I said while turning away.

  “These guys drink worm water?” Tommy suddenly asked.

  I itched my ear and gave him a gentle nod. “Do we want these people in our army?” I asked with a whisper. “Are these really the type of soldiers we want?”

  “Probably,” Tommy replied. “Anyone who drinks worm water must have a death wish. I bet they will really fight hard until they are dead.”

  I scrunched my eyebrows. “Come on man. We don't want them to die. These people have feelings just like we do. Well, I think they do.”

  “Nobody knows for sure,” Todd replied. “Some people say they are just ones and zeros. Nothing but code. But others believe they have began to take on a life of their own. I personally believe they have feelings, hopes and desires just as we do.”

  “But we are going to war,” Tommy replied. “There's a good chance they will die no matter what happens.”

  I held my hand into the air. “Not if we train them properly. We won't go to war unless we need to.”

  Then, I felt a little confused. “Wait? What are we building an army for again? Just because it's the fun thing to do?”

  “Nope,” Todd replied. “You need them. One of the best ways to get gold is to raid bandit villages. Without an army, you won't have a chance. Trust me on that.”

  “We are going to raid a village of bandits? That's going to be awesome!”

  Todd kicked the dirt beneath him. “It is awesome,” he replied. “If you can actually pull it off.”

  I stood taller than usual. “I know I can. I know I can train these peasants to be full fledged warriors.”

  Todd laughed. “I don't mean to laugh, but you sound like a total noob right now. You do know that don't you?”

  I didn't say anything as we walked deeper into the village. Several NPCS gathered around us. Todd held his arms wide open into the air. “Who here wants to join our army?”

  The NPCS trembled. Damn, these peasants seemed fragile. None of them replied. Instead, they just exchanged awkward looks with each other. A few characters ran in and out of the village but didn't pay any attention to Todd's voice. “You have to offer them something,” Todd yelled back to me.

  “Like what?”

  “Gold,” he replied. “Or food at the very least. Nobody is going to join your army for free.”

  I looked around the village. The peasants were so sad looking. It was weird, but I almost felt sorry for them. I knew they weren't alive, but they seemed to have so many emotions. “I don't have any gold,” I replied. “But I can give them my word. My word that we will become a powerful army. Once I am in charge, I will make certain they have food and gold. That I am sure of.”

  “Your word isn't enough. They need it upfront. That is how the game works.”

  “Well let's earn some gold then. Let's find a quest.”

  Before Todd could answer, a system alert popped up in front of me:

  BladeDust Online System Alert:

  Note to User: We are currently experiencing some technical difficulties with our servers. Please note that we are working hard to fix these issues in a timely manner. Due to these issues, users will experience issues logging off. Please bare with us as we work to resolve these issues.

  Thank you.

  What the fuck? Issues logging off? “Did you guys get a message?”

  “I just read it,” Todd replied. “Check your menu and see if you can locate the exit button. I don't see it anywhere.”

  I opened my menu and began to look for the exit button. But, I also didn't see it anywhere. “I don't see it. What does this mean?”

  “Does this mean we can't go home anymore?” Tommy asked with concern.

  Todd looked like he didn't have an answer, but he still gave us a reply. “It must just be a glitch. I'm sure they will have it fixed soon.”

  A glitch? What the hell? This was a terrifying glitch to be faced with. I loved the game, but I also wanted to leave whenever I wanted to leave. “How long do you think it will take to fix?”

  “Probably a few hours,” Todd replied.

  I tried to relax and trust what Todd had told me. But, there was still a small part of myself that worried. As I continued thinking, I noticed a growing thumping sound coming from the distance. I turned my head to see what it was. On top of a white horse, was a man wearing a silver robe with bright blue eyes that seemed to glow. “Send me a friend's request,” Todd yelled while taking a few steps back.

  “Me?” I asked with confusion. “You want me to send you one now?”

  Yes!” Todd screamed. “Do it now.”

  I opened my menu and quickly added him as a friend. Within seconds, the horse mounted man had arrived. There was a pop as he jumped off his horse and landed on the ground. I looked at the name displayed over his head:

  LucidTitan – Level 104

  Human Mage

  He was a mage? Wow, I couldn't believe it. Level 104? What was the level cap in this game? He raised his head and displayed a devious smile. “You thought you could get away?” he asked calmly. “Did you really think I was going to let you get away?”

  Todd pointed at him. “You started this,” he yelled. “You stole every last ounce of gold I had. And you expected me to take nothing in return? I had to survive. What was I supposed to do?”

  “You are supposed to do like the others do,” he replied with a growl. “Serve me and obey my every order. That is your life. You disobeyed, and you will be taught a lesson.”

  “That's a load of crap. Your followers are brainwashed. But not me! I won't be a fool anymore.”

  The man stood taller while his silver robe blew in the wind. Even with the robe on, you could tell the guy was built like a tank. There was something about him, something that I couldn't put my finger on. Something magical. He took a few steps towards Todd and raised one hand into the air. “You are a fool,” he muttered. “You did exactly what I predicted. I knew you couldn't stay in the safe zones forever. The peasant villa
ges were always your true home. I knew it was only a matter of time before you came back to them.”

  I took a step back and bumped into Tommy. “What's going on?” he asked with a shaky voice. “This is kinda scary.”

  Suddenly, the man's hand began to glow. Yellow fire swirled around it. Todd reached to his side and pulled out a huge sword. Wow! The sword was absolutely massive. A smile of confidence came to Todd's face. “Didn't think I would kill you with your own weapon did you?” he asked before running full speed at the mage.

  With a flick of his hand, the mage shot a fireball at Todd. But, it didn't seem to phase Todd as he side stepped it. Around us, the peasants began to scramble. “We are under attack,” they yelled over and over.

  Most of the peasants ran inside of their crappy homes, but one still continued to drink mud puddle water. I couldn't believe it. This guy was drinking mud puddle water during the middle of a battle? I had to hand it to him, he was committed to his mud puddle drinking ways. I looked back at Todd and the mage. “You won't find your body this time,” the mage said. “I will make certain of it.”

  “I won't die this time,” he replied.

  “Yes you will,” the mage laughed. “And this time I will be certain you don't find your body. Your soul will remain lost until it's too late. They will find your soul before you ever find it.”

  Todd took a quick swing towards the mage, but the blade stopped inches from the mage's body. “Why do you even try?” he asked with a burst of energy that knocked Todd to the ground.

  I bit my lip. I didn't know what to do. Should we help Todd? But how? How would we help him when we had no weapons? I looked at Tommy. He shrugged his shoulders. My eyes darted back to the mage. “What did he do to you?” I asked.

  The mage became silent and didn't look at me. “Tell these noobs to stay out of this,” he said with a stern voice.

  “It's okay,” Todd replied. “This is between me and him.”

  The mage grabbed Todd by the neck. He squeezed his neck and Todd struggled to breathe. “I don't need to waste my magic on you,” he said with cold eyes.

  Tighter and tighter he squeezed, until Todd's body began to go into a spasm. What was happening? Was he dying? Was I really just going to sit here and watch him kill our new friend? “Stop it,” I yelled. “If you let him live I will help you. I don't know how, but just give me some time. I will figure out something I can give you.”

  The mage's body froze. Suddenly, there was a laugh that came from him. His grip loosened and Todd fell to the ground. His body twisted around in a ghostly manner. With a flash, the mage was right in front of me. His eyes peered into my soul while a strange sensation took over inside of me. My thoughts began to scramble. Was he really that bad? That was the question I kept asking myself. Weird random thoughts flooded into my head and I didn't know where they were coming from. Wait. Why did I think this mage was doing anything wrong? Yea, it was Todd. Todd was the one to blame. How could I have been such a fool? My eyes rolled towards Todd. “Why are you doing this? You need to respect what this mage has done for you,” I yelled.

  My mind was foggy. Wait. What was I saying? Todd wasn't the bad guy was he? What the crap? I didn't know. The mage raised his hand into the air and held it over my forehead. Red sparkling specs floated around my face. They were beautiful. Warmness grew on my skin while his hand got more and more red. “What are you doing to him?” Tommy asked. “Are you putting him under a spell or something?”

  A fuzzy feeling built inside of me. It felt good. Wow, it felt so good. I didn't even care about anything that was going on. It was the most euphoric feeling I had ever felt in my life. A snarl came to the mage's face while the energy grew stronger inside of his hands. “Stop it,” Todd yelled from behind him. “He's new to the game. He doesn't fully understand the dangers yet.”

  The mage slapped Todd to the ground. But, Todd popped right back up. His sword went above his head. The mage let go of me and grabbed Todd. Suddenly, I could think clearly again. What the hell? How could I have had those type of thoughts? It made no sense at all. Then, in the center of my view, a message popped up:

  Congratulations!

  Your Persuasion skill has increased by 1 point! High Level Persuasion Resisted! Persuasion level is at 2

  Awesome! I knew something odd had happened. I suppose the game was actually rewarding me for resisting persuasion? That made sense. Moments after that, I had another alert pop up in front of me:

  Congratulations!

  You Have Leveled Up! Open Your Inventory To Distribute Points.

  Note To User: You Have 4 Points to Distribute. Use your points wisely.

  Walker Williamson – Level 2

  Human Male - Warrior

  I Leveled up? I guess the increase of my persuasion skill bumped me into the next level. I realized the mage must have been trying to brainwash me. I wanted to distribute my points, but now was not the time. I would do it later. With everything that had happened, I was lucky Todd made the mage stop when he did. But what was going to happen to Todd? I continued to watch as the mage squeezed both of his arms tightly. “Your soul will be lost forever,” he mumbled under his breath. Todd's eyes turned white and he had a blank look on his face. It was something I'd never forget. Suddenly, Todd's body began to vibrate.

  Then, there was a burning smell that filled the air. After that, Todd collapsed to the ground and began to sizzle. He screamed over and over. But, there was nothing we could do for him. I didn't know him for long, but I still felt bad for him. He had saved me, yet I couldn't save him. The mage stood over his body and watched it shrivel up until it was gone. Now what? Was the mage going to kill me and Tommy next?

  Chapter Nine

  I was scared. I had seen the pain in Todd's face when he had died. I knew it was a game, but his pain seemed real. Tommy didn't say anything. Both of us couldn't take our eyes off the mage. He said nothing at first. Then, he turned towards us. “He was barely worth killing,” he said with a grunt. “Even if I track down his soul I'll only get an extra twelve gold.”

  He shrugged his shoulders with some disappointment. “Tracking a soul down is such a pain sometimes. But, at least I'll get my weapon back.”

  The mage walked closer to us as I knew he could sense our fear. He looked at me and then at Tommy. “You better give me a reason not to kill you,” he said.

  I didn't say anything. My eyes must have been twice their normal size. My lips tried to move but they couldn't. The mage burst into laughter. “You two are pathetic,” he said. “I won't even waste my mana on you. Besides, you have nothing to give me.”

  His footsteps were heavy as he walked past us. “Consider yourselves lucky,” he yelled back. “I have a soul to find.”

  The mage disappeared into the distance. Relief flooded into my body. “This game is too real,” Tommy said while brushing the hair out of his eyes.

  “It really is,” I replied. “I'm not sure how long I can play this. That dude nearly brainwashed me. I was thinking all sorts of crazy thoughts. What if he took control of me or something?”

  “I was worried about you,” Tommy replied.

  “Then why didn't you stop him?” I asked with irritation.

  “How was I going to stop him?”

  “I don't know?” I replied while shrugging my shoulders. “You should have done something though. Should of at least told him to stop. I would have done that for you.”

  “I doubt he would have stopped if I told him to do that. It's not like he was going to listen to me.”

  I rolled my eyes. “At least try. I just wanted to see you try for once in your life.”

  “Sorry,” Tommy replied. “I didn't know you cared so much about me trying.”

  I shook my head. “I don't. It was just frustrating that you didn't try to help me. That's all I'm saying.”

  Tommy's lips drooped a little. “Fine. Next time I'll be sure to help you. I was just scared.”

  I didn't really blame Tommy. The truth was
, this place was kinda scary. It was wonderful, but scary at the same time. In the back of my mind, I still worried about the glitch. I wondered how long it would take to resolve. But, I tried to stop worrying about it as I focused on what we needed to do next. If we were going to survive here, we were going to need an army. “We gotta get some gold for an army.”

  “But we need money for the outside world. That's the whole reason we came here. Remember? We have to pay rent.”

  “I know,” I replied. “But did you hear what Todd said? He said gold is worth four times more than money. So, if we build an army, I consider it an investment. An investment to earn us even more gold. With more gold, we can earn even more money.”