The effects of the paralysis begin to fade. I perform a Hitpoint check immediately. My HP is 9 out of 22. Better being half-dead than entirely dead. I wonder what happens when you die in this world. Do you respawn as an undead zombie? That was the case in one former game experience I played. It was lame to be honest. The brain cravings kept me up for days, not to mention that nothing can prepare you for the psychological effects of smelling like a rotting corpse all day.
"Wake up," a sweet, friendly voice urges me. It's hard to resist.
Slowly, I open my eyes, but my vision is still blurry. Fuck, I'm still inside the cavern, tied up now. I wonder what happened to my vampire friend, Nestor. Obviously, we didn't win.
"Don't worry," Ambrosia reassures me with her warm, buttery voice. "Your master is in expert hands," she points with her index finger at the ceiling where I see Nestor hanging with his head down, tied up with silver chains and a wooden stake shoved near his heart. "You know, Nestor and I were very close in the past. I could never harm him or his playthings."
The tooltip above Nestory notifies me that he is paralyzed, but still alive.
I get another notification: You have been Charmed.
"I thought you wanted to kill him," I tell her. My vision becomes clear now and I can see her. And by the Great Administrator, she's truly gorgeous. Her skin is white, pale, and waxy, perfect like an expensive avatar. Everything is flawless, her face, her hair, her purple eyes. Beautiful. They look like perfect gemstones staring back at me.
She approaches me and sniffs my bruised, naked chest. Like a hungry cat, she purrs near my ears, then goes down and licks my bloodied wounds. My face becomes red and I moan softly from the pain, yet I don't want her to stop.
She stands up and looks at the hanging Nestor. "Now, its time the ritual begins!" She claps her hands in amusement.
Although paralyzed, Nestor can still talk. Probably because he's no ordinary vampire, but a Lord. "Ambrosia, you idiot. I don't know who this guy is."
"Oh, really?" She hisses back at him then stares at me. "Tell me, child, what's this guy to you?"
"He's my friend, Nestor," I tell her in absolute naturalness, emphasizing the word friend.
"I knew it," Ambrosia grins smugly.
"The fool has been charmed!" Nestor moans, still in pain from the silver and the stake.
"Take him," Ambrosia orders the two ghouls that had attacked me earlier.
They jack me and pull me under Nestor. Then, two other ghouls turn the pulley and lower him, till our heads are a few inches away.
"Vampires who take particular interest in a mortal being may allow the human to take a taste of their own blood. This ritual is seldom practiced. In fact, Lamia, our previous Vampire Queen forbid it. I know only of a few vampires that would dare to do something like that and she would punish them in the most agonizing way."
"What happened to her?" I dare to ask while staring at my friend hanging above me.
"Nestor and a few others raided her Vampire Castle and killed her. Several of my comrades met the same fate. I was wise enough to retreat with my ghouls and some of my vampire warriors. Those who stayed behind became ash and fertilize the soil now."
"Well, what does all this have to do with me? If there's a ritual that needs to be performed, then go on. I like Role Playing, but I'm getting a bit bored right now. Is there a way to skip the cutscenes?"
"Silence," she commands me and I obey. I cannot resist her.
A new notification again: You have been Dominated!
"Untie him," she orders her ghouls and that's what they do.
Free from my shackles now, I wait for her next command patiently, as her loyal servant.
"It is said, that when a sorcerer drinks the blood of a vampire, vampiric magic permeates their blood and their own being. I've never seen it and it's hard to find sorcerers here, but you are the ideal candidate. What do you say, up for a little experimentation?" She bites her lips and shows off her fangs. They are slightly larger than Nestor's but sit perfectly between her lush lips.
"Glad I can be of help!" I give her my sexiest smile back.
"Stand still, raise your head and open your mouth."
Reflexively, I obey her to the best of my abilities.
She approaches, and with her forefinger cuts the throat of Nestor. Coppery red blood gushes out in surges and falls inside my mouth. Thick and strong, the cool, salty liquid flows down my throat.
"Drink it," she commands me again and I gulp desperately, trying now not to leave a single drop to waste.
After a few moments, I'm inside a pool of blood, but the stream is slower now, weaker. To my surprise, Nestor's cut has been slowly healing and he's still alive. Well, technically speaking he is dead, but you get what I mean.
I feel my stomach ready to burst, then a coldness expands throughout my body, reaching the fingers of my limbs. My Neural Control Interface notifies me: Vampiric Bloodline obtained. I dismiss it and I get a second one: You obtained Dark Vision.
Ok, that's cool. Now I get to see clearly inside this dark cavern.
"Do you feel different now?" Ambrosia asks me with her warm voice.
"No, but I obtained Dark Vision," I tell her while staring at her heaving chest.
With a soft hum of pleasure, she suddenly plunges her incisors deep within the flesh on my wrist. Hot-white pain flushes through my arm, up to my neck. For a split second I commend the developers for the realistic sensations coded into the game. The pain is unlike anything I've ever experienced in a game and I grind my teeth to endure it. Beads of blood rise to the surface and collect in her open mouth, which are quickly removed with a flick of her tongue. Ambrosia offers another hum of delight before withdrawing to look up at me.
"It reminds me of Nestor's but better," she tells me. "I might actually enjoy this."
Then, she moves behind me and plunges her fangs inside my neck. The same white-hot pain pulses in my neck and expands through my shoulder to the rest of my body. The pain is exponentially worse than the bite on the wrist. I let out a groan, my head falling against Ambrosia's shoulder. The vampire's kiss causes me to feel heavy and sluggish, my limbs as heavy as lead. My vision blurs and suddenly a warm sensation floods my entire body, shooting straight towards my shaft. Through blurred vision, I watch as it hardens at its maximum length, twitching and throbbing for release.
Ambrosia's hands glide around my waist to grip my length within her palms, her fingers toying with the pre-cum. Her breath brushes against my ear as she strokes me. All I can focus on is the floral scent of her hair and the way her hands feel on my skin. Amidst my drunken lust, I begin to understand that her vampire kiss serves as an aphrodisiac; which explains my sudden sluggishness and inebriated state.
Absently, my hips begin to move with her strokes, soft moans escaping my lips.
"You want release?" She asks in a mocking tone.
I nod in response.
"Too bad, you'll have to wait until I'm satisfied with you."
My body is shoved forward and my limbs scramble to avoid face-planting into the stone floor. I turn to face her, and her hands begin to caress her body seductively; her purple eyes glittering in the dim light of the cavern like jewels.
She strips off her clothes before me and her servants, and involuntarily my breath catches in my throat. Ambrosia's slender shoulders dip into her wide, pronounced pair of plump breasts; perky and inviting. Little, pink nipples sit slightly outward on each breast, visibly erect. Her wide hips accentuate her stature, then dipping again into her long, pale legs. Excitement rushes through me, and I must look like a drooling fool by how focused I am on her gorgeous, curvy body. Even the servants can't turn their gaze from their master's naked form.
Ambrosia descends on me, her hot mouth enveloping my entire shaft. Her lips are tight around me as she begins to suck me, the tip grazing the opening of her throat. Her eyes lock on mine as she starts to bob her head, her tongue swirling around my twitching cock in swift motions. Never in my virtual life have I had such a reaction in my avatar. Shudders rock through my body as her sucking motions escalate, a hot pressure building within my groin. I exhale in pleasure, closing my eyes to completely immerse myself in the sensations.
Suddenly, she withdraws and orders me to lie down. Without any hesitation I do as I'm told and slide onto the cool rocky floor. I watch as she spreads her legs over me, lowering herself onto me until I can feel the heat of her entrance grazing me. Over her shoulder, I see Nestor stealing glances at us. Though I pay no mind to him as she takes me in, and I am plunged inside her.
My mouth stretches open in a mixture of surprise and pleasure, her hot embrace clinging to my shaft mercilessly. She plants her hands on my chest and begins to rock her hips; her gaze never turning away from me. With each rock, the pressure quickly builds within me. My hips desperately mash up against hers to further my pleasure, like scratching an itch that is nearly impossible to reach. My chest rises and my breath quickens, and my mistress starts to moan.
"Getting close already?" Ambrosia laughs between moans, her breasts bouncing with our rocking bodies. Her hands grip her own breasts as she bounces on top of me, and I take the opportunity to set my hands on her waist, running my fingertips along her cool skin.
"Yes, master," I pant, my head tilting backward against the stone floor. I plunge myself inside her with all my might, and I can feel that my climax is approaching rapidly. It isn't long before I reach my apex, my fingers digging into the flesh of her thighs.
Ecstasy rolls through me, and for a moment I see stars. Though it is probably her jewel-like eyes looking down at me, accompanied by a small smirk as I start to come. Spurts of my seed shoot deep inside her, my muscles tensing with all the exertion I'm using. The sensation is better than any cheaply made pornography game that I've played; my nerves shocked and vitalized, freshly dipped into a new, earth-shattering sensation that I've never felt before.
The moment is swiftly interrupted as Ambrosia withdraws herself, rivulets of my seed running down her thighs. I take a few minutes to recover before scrambling to my feet; the deadpan gazes of Nestor and Ambrosia's servants suddenly sobering me back to reality.
Though I'm not intoxicated by the vampire kiss anymore, my status bar still says that I am Dominated. I still feel a pull to please my new mistress, especially the one who has essentially taken my avatar's virginity.
"Did I assist you, master?" I ask, seeking her approval.
"Yes, you did," she tells me while staring at Nestor with a smug expression.
You submit or you die and I am more than happy to submit.Clapping sounds interrupt the unexpected euphoria my vampire lover just provided me. Since I obtained Vampiric Bloodline a few minutes ago, my senses heightened to a new level and now I'm able to hear the slightest noise."Humans!" Ambrosia yells disgusted at her ghouls. "Be prepared, Nestor's Vampire Hunting Squad must be here."I look at my vampire friend and notice a slight smirk on his pained face. Hard to imagine that a Vampire Lord created his own Vampire Hunting Squad, a double-edged weapon if you think about it, but makes sense in the end if you want to get rid of your vampire adversaries.The hunters reach our chamber quickly. Knights in shining armor advance as one and circle us. Dressed head to toe with their heavy gear and silver weapons, they point their spears with a sonorous clamor. Their legs move in unison, synchronized in a way that makes the soil tremble.I feel the adrena
I atemy meal and said farewell to Markos. He told me more about the village and a few strange rituals that had been taking place. It made for interesting entertainment while I ate, especially when he would act out certain parts of battles. Still, I can't shake that feeling of being unwelcome here. I thought about exploring the rest of the town and seeing if I could pick up multiple optional quests, but everything looked closed and deserted. I couldn't tell if people were just ignoring me like I was some kind of comic-book villain or they simply didn't exist. Maybe more would pop in, once I completed a few quests or leveled up. Still, some armor, potions, weapons would have been nice. I was lucky I had chosen sorcerer as my class. Anything else and I would use my fists. I could easily picture myself punching one of those ghouls and breaking my hand. Not the kind of pain I was looking for.It's noon when I find out where the Vampire Castle is. It is said that it was once
There is no easy mode. That is the first thing I notice when I go through my NCI once more. Either it’s casual or hardcore it honestly doesn't feel like there is any difference between the two as far as I'm concerned. Maybe in the alpha, beta stage, the game doesn't know the difference. Sure, the AI seemed pretty advanced so far. I had encountered nothing like it at my job in the arcade. Even compared to the more advanced Dungeon games Leda and I played. Since my first encounter, I would have sworn Nestor, Ambrosia, even Melissa were all other players. If that was the case though, they were taking their role-playing a little too seriously.Most of the boxes I had desperately clicked out of earlier at the start of the game have disappeared now. There are only a handful of tutorials left I can open. Mostly more of the same. Health potions are red, stamina is blue. Drink nothing purple or hazy. Another that warns of staying away from making deals with Fae. A few broken pie
Ambrosia jumps and attacks Melissa from above. She tries to grab her by the neck, but Melissa avoids her by a hair and gets some distance. It seems that the whip isn't the ideal weapon for close combat, so she pulls her dagger and tries to attack. Ambrosia quickly knocks it from her hand, giving a sly laugh as she does. I'm at a loss and don't know if I should help any of them or escape."You're weak, there's no way you can defeat me. Surrender now fool!" Ambrosia says with a sinister smile.Melissa tries to catch her breath. "I think that you are the fool here. You think my master, Nestor, wouldn't have thought you or your pathetic Forgemaster wouldn't try to ambush us?" Melissa's pale expression and shock turn to a grin.I can still hear the humming coming off Melissa’s body like a soft song carried by the wind. Ambrosia doesn't let up. Slashing at her opponent again, her wrist gets wrapped in Melissa's whip. I watch as Melissa holds her own, pushing Amb
As we leave, I look back and watch as Melissa removes the knife from her neck. She falls back to her knees sobbing. I feel bad, but I just saved all of our lives. Whether I'll actually come to regret that decision, I'll soon find out.Ambrosia had a small wooden wagon waiting just outside the ruins. It is her personal transportation and looks like it has seen better days. The horse, the first I have actually seen, is a black stallion with armor made of bone. It pulls the wagon using chains. Inside, it isn't much nicer. There is some soil, a collection of books, unlit black candles, a few animal skulls I don't recognize, a collection of daggers, a short sword that looks like it has a face with teeth, and several dozen blankets and pillows. Two ghouls are following us out as we climb aboard."Yours?" I ask."Not mine, feral. It took me a long time to build my forces against Nestor. Taming ghouls is no simple task. There are rituals, blood sacrifices that need to b
Ambrosia's hearing is more fine-tuned than mine, but I can still hear the horses all the same, followed by the sound of screaming and swords swinging. I imagine several of the merchants fighting back, no one would venture into these woods unarmed unless they want to die."Normally, I would say this is none of our business, but I see they displease you and I can smell their blood from here... and it is divine," Ambrosia licks her lips."What about the wagon," I ask as we ride faster and faster toward the battle."Can't you use your fancy spells?" She asks in a demanding tone.I nod and cast Fog Cloud, hiding our presence. "I've cast an illusion spell over Abraxos and our wagon. From afar we are completely invisible to anyone with the gift of sight," I tell her wickedly."With the cover of the night on our side, we'll have the element of surprise. We'll stop close enough so we can get a be
I'm not the only one listening to it. Even with their ears covered, the knights have excellent hearing. Several of them have noticed the watchers are missing and begin running over to investigate the crime scene. As one runs toward the horses, Ambrosia strikes again, slitting his throat with her claws and carrying him away, before the others can catch sight of her. They do, however, see me clear as day on the ground staring up at them.The larger one has a Threat Level of 4 and jumps toward me. He moves slowly in his armor. It must weigh at least forty pounds. That is my advantage over them. They are slow. I am agile. As the knight advances, he stumbles in the mud and falls forward toward me with his sword and shield in hand. As he tries to get up, he leaves them on the ground and removes his helm, which is full of mud and hinders his vision. A lethal mistake. I step forward and grab him. Then, I use all my strength to lift him and throw him at the base of a tree trunk. He dr
"Ambrosia!" I scream. My insides feel like they are turning inside out. I'm reminded again how real everything feels. I wish I could logout. Not even my impending death is enough to force me out of the game. Smeme would get a good laugh out of this one. He'd probably remind me this is what I asked for, a visit to the real world.I place my hands on the Black Knight's face as he grabs the back of my head and starts fidgeting for a dagger from his belt. I feel my tongue bleeding from where I had bitten down on it too hard. The taste of copper spreads in my mouth as I begin to growl. Somehow, I escape his grasp and retreat a few steps, then I cast Catapult, my Tier-1 spell, on a small rock. The item lifts in the air, then accelerates and crashes at enormous force in his face. His head splatters like a piece of abstract art. If it wasn't so morbid it would actually be beautiful.I take a deep breath. Another Black Knight is running toward me with his war scythe holding it
And here it is, like a performer entering the stage. It's a sad creature from what I can see, some kind of abomination that must have escaped from the pits of the Evil Domains."A blood fiend,"Ambrosia says and takes the vanguard.At least I now know its name. The Threat Level 24 Blood Fiend is an enormous creature, reddish in color, and has a maw with several lines of razor-like fangs. It walks on all fours and its razor-sharp claws extend from each of its limbs."Anything specific I should be aware of?" I ask Ambrosia."These deadly creatures are known for their ferocity and tenacity. They even prey on other fiends. We should watch out for its Terror Gaze. Its effects are similar to the lich's Frightening Gaze that you experienced earlier, although it can only affect one target. If it affects you, then you will be an easy feast," she tells me, now back at her casual snobbish and carefree look."Fuck, there's something wrong with the difficu
What kind of world is this? I'm at a loss and unable to do anything now. Locked in place. I can't believe what I just witnessed. For our good luck, Ambrosia takes the initiative again and grabs Elektra and me by the wrist and forces us to follow her. The place is once again a perfect pandemonium of death, with the remaining adventurers trying to fight off the advancing undead, and our former leader gone mad.Behind the bone throne there's a door, but smaller in size. Ambrosia quickly opens it and throws me and Elektra across the other side. As she follows, she shuts the door behind her."That was close!" She exhales with her eyes closed.I must admit, it's one of these few times I've seen Ambrosia actually worrying.Tears stream down Elektra's eyes as she tries to get a grasp on what happened. I'm in a state of dismay as well. My heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest and my hands are
Cadmus was once considered one of the most prominent and brilliant wizards when he joined the Wizard Academy in Lycia. Working his way through the ranks, he joined the Adventurer's Guild at eighteen and began dungeon diving in as many ruins as he could. He even uncovered a city buried beneath the rubble of Podalia. It was there, where he uncovered sacred manuscripts that allowed him to unravel his unnatural talents to create constructs, golems, and other powerful inventions.Gradually, he gave up spell-casting for technology. Fusing magic, alchemy, and technology, he became known as a powerful artificer, upgrading his class and everything. The wizards that he had grown and trained with, envied and despised him for that, eventually leading to his seclusion from the outside world.His story was confided in me by Elektra in the Commander's Inn before our departure, but I paid no attention at the time. All I thought then was that it was some kind of backg
My entire body trembles, my eyes water, and my pupils dilate. I immediately feel the hotness of my body taking place, my heart racing, and my brain being on fire. The agony is so intense that sweat starts trickling down my neck and I'm about to explode. I cannot move, I'm frozen and terrified, nothing can make my tense body relax. This is what true fear is! I think that the creators of this world have gone a little overboard with realism. This is far from enjoyable and someone should tell them that there's a limit to how realistic a game should be.It seems that several other adventurers have fallen prey to the legendary action of our great opponent. It will be impossible at the current Threat Level I am to defeat this creature.My NCI informs me that Elektra, Alexander, Zoe, and the rest of the team have been affected and they are unable to move as well. I want to scream and shout and tell them to move, but it seems I'm unable to do so. Command as I might, this body-a
Leveraging the momentum, I cast my next Tier-1 spell called Thunderwave. A wave of thunder force shoots out from my hands and all the creatures are pushed ten feet away from me, while sustaining another 30 by 40% damage. Elektra doesn't waste any time and immediately rains down Fire Bolts, reducing my remaining opponents to ash. A surge of energy floods my body and I can see I've leveled up once more, reaching Threat Level 6 and HP 28."Yes!" I shout out, smiling at Elektra as she continues to rain fire down at the horde in front of us.Compared to before, Alexander and his team support me in the best possible way, burning down all the undead that attempt to support my flanks as I tank. We continue like this for what feels like an hour. Every time we gain some ground, the dungeon throws something new at us. Freakish mutations. Undead with two heads. Assassins with four arms. Twisted variations that are stronger, faster, but blend in with the regular undea
When I accepted this quest, I thought that we would have a carte blanche and we would be able to penetrate the underground as we deemed necessary. But all I've been doing is following orders which I must obey. I'm an adventurer, not a soldier. I'm not pleased and it seems my team isn't either. I can't say that I'm not happy with how the plot is developing though. In fact, it's interesting and soon everything will unravel. I can't help but feel excited. Standing at the front of death's door… in front of the complete unknown. I've never experienced this kind of looming anxiety before. Despite my worries, I'm thrilled to be down here.My goal for now is to gather as much information as possible and level up the faster. I'm sure this battle will make me stronger."We need to talk," I tell Alexander as I grab him by his wrist and bring him closer to me so that neither our leader nor the Black Knight will hear us.Alexander pulls his hand and releases his wrist
To my surprise, Ι quickly find out that the approaching duο is none other than the Black Knight and his sorcerer sidekick we met earlier in The Commander's Inn. Each has leveled up by one Threat Level, but their HP is down to 60%. For some reason, our great leader had decided that it would be an excellent idea to split our forces and have the strongest of adventurers invade from other entrances. I have no clue who decided this man was to be the commander of this expedition, but common sense says that you should have all your forces concentrated, instead of splitting them like sprinkles of light in the darkness, then have them invade such an enormous underground tunnel system."I thought we were the only people who survived," the Black Knight booms at us in a harsh, reverberating voice as he takes his enormous, two-handed sword from his shoulder and places it in front of him with the point of his blade touching the hard brick floor, penetrating it an inch or two.<
She's right and we quickly make our retreat, leaving the innumerable undead behind. Connecting with the others, I see that Zoe is still alive, though I'm not that thankful seeing Alexander right beside her and in full health. But I can't say the same for the rest of the adventurers. This battle has left us weakened and the damage we sustained is enormous. I don't have a clear view of our army, but I think we lost at least a third of our total forces. Half of what remains is barely holding. This mission is a failure and we'll be lucky if we get out with our lives.The rearguard has exchanged positions with us, so we can catch our breaths and retreat organized. But most of my fellow adventurers are in a panic, and I can hear their piercing screams from all over the place. Their faces are desperate and terrified. It seems all hope has abandoned us."Please, someone help me," a brunette girl holding one of our fellow adventurers pleads."Please, help me, I can't see
The two undead assassins give me a sinister smile as more of their kind gather behind them. Fighting two of them took all my wits tohold my ground. It will be impossible for me to fight five of them and I get the feeling that this will be game over for now. I'm ready to quit, thinking once more how broken the difficulty level of this game is. My body protests, telling me I should fight to the bitter end. Could it be that if someone dies in the real world, instead of respawning, all that awaits is oblivion? Terror gnaws at me, not wanting to believe that a game over is a permanent state here."Do not fret pet!" The voice of Ambrosia whispers to me from over my shoulder."I will protect you," sexy Elektra says as a Fire Bolt flies and hits an undead assassin in the torso, decreasing his HP by 10%.I'm relieved now that my seductive aides are by my side and battle-ready. We should finish them off quickly before they cut us off from the rest of the adventurers