Surviving the Lock Keeper's Game

006- Level Up

The sun was on the verge of setting by the time Corey and Eleanora arrived at the chariot motel. Another thing Corey noticed was completely different. The word motel means a low cost, short stay hotel. It’s commonly smaller than a hotel, and known for not being the cleanest or safest places to lodge.

This motel, was grand. Exquisite, and jaw dropping to look at. The second you step in its vicinity, the smooth scent of cherry blossoms and lavender wafted through your nostrils.

It was majestic on the outside, ceramic pillars and golden doors. Corey, ever so curious, wondered how much it would take for him to spend a night here. He would need to sleep once he had eaten.

And what better place than this?

He spotted the lanky figure of the noble, but he wasn’t alone. Eleanora swore the man’s name once she saw the men standing next to him. Northern altheim’s elite guards. Assigned to every member of the elite’s club. Their armor glistened beneath the sun’s gaze.

“We have to leave. Those guys are elites. I’m not on the rank to fight them off.”

Corey eyed them with suspicion. He decided to test out NewAge for the first time on live people. The seven guards stood behind Decon in a watch and defense stance. Watchers would notice anything approaching, and defenders would attack, or grab, whoever they targeted. It was a weak move.

This left all of the guards to form a C shape around Decon. And a C comes with an open shot to the elf himself.

‘This should be fun.’

A decoy would be great, but Corey had a better idea. No one was around this area, and by the time the sun set, they’d have lost the quest. So he needed to think fast, and hard on how to either kill the elites or subdue them.

He thought about the creature he had gathered. A creeper, what if- ‘Can I train and evolve the creeper within a short amount of time?’

He asked his system. Glancing up at the sun as it was preparing to set.

INFORMATION: YOU CAN LEVEL UP A CREEPER WITH YOUR EYES. IT NOW FEARS YOU FOR IT.

BUT…. I HAVE A FASTER PLAN.

This should be interesting, Corey told himself. The system was like a partner.

INFORMATION: THE MAGES WEAPON CAN BE LEVELED UP, BUT IN SECRET. TELL HER TO CHARGE AFTER THE GUARDS, AND THEN JUST THINK ABOUT HER WEAPON LEVELING UP.

WHILE SHE DOES THAT, YOU CAN SNEAK ON THE NOBLE. SUBDUE HIM, GET WHAT YOU NEED.

THEN KILL HIM.

Corey rolled his eyes, he could guess the system was leading up to killing him and this was a brilliant idea. He can make it better. Attacking the guards would be a great distraction.

But elite guards won’t go down without a fight. He would need Greta for the rest.

“I have a plan, but you have to trust me and just do it.”

Eleanora, although skeptical, found herself agreeing to everything as Corey explained how to go about his fool proof plan. Sometimes being intelligent was the blessing he needed.

Eleanora took in a bit of air to settle her nerves. She never challenged the elites, that was close to suicide. And by her clan, and the status of her family, if she got killed northern altheim would suffer for it because the dragon mages don’t play with their own. Her father would be furious.

But she had to do it. Her new friend would soon die from the lack of food, and all because the noble wanted to buy him for the his tolerance of pain.

As she set to charge, her fingers folding around the knob of her blade, she had to ask herself.

‘How is he so immune to pain?’

If she had been burned like that, she would have freaked out and barreled into a fetal position to cry. Not something to say with pride, but that was just an undeniable truth.

“NOBLE SCUM!”

Corey hid behind a tree, watching Eleanora from a safe distance.

Decon scanned around her for the devil, disappointed that he wasn’t with her. He would be expensive to sell on the market. Nobles always need slaves to whip, and one that wouldn’t even budge, he could hear the sound bills rising.

“Where is your devil, mage?”

“I brought your bag of creepers. Take it, and send the money.”

The elites shifted to a stance, noticing how tight the mage held her unsheathed weapon.

“Hands away from the sword?”

Eleanora obeyed. Instead reaching for her actual weapon like Corey had told her too. The axe flared with a blaze of fire, she smelled home from it. The home of the strongest dragon mages.

“Pay up, or things will get ugly.”

Decon shrugged, peasants always acted like they could take on the elites. He waved at her, “Kill her.”

As Corey predicted, the elite guards- all of them- surged forward. He thought about how great it would be if Eleanora had a level one hundred dragon axe.

LEVEL UP: AXE OF GAMORA ACHIEVED.

Hearing that, the mage was filled with bought adrenaline and happiness. The symbols on her axe switched from what it originally was, to a GAMORA. A level one hundred mage weapon. She was at level five, she wasn’t qualified for such a weapon.

As the hot wind fanned her face, a wicked grin broke across her lips.

‘Oh, this should fun.’ She shot up into the air.

And Corey, who was meant to prepare for the opening line to attack the noble, got distracted by the graceful fit she used to twist her body around. The elites were surprised, but quickly shook that feeling away as they braced for the impact of her weapon.

Reeling his attention back, Corey found Decon distracted by Eleanora’s skill. He fought to not gasp at her strength at wielding the axe. She would need practice for it, but she was doing a fine job.

He snuck away from his spot. Thinking of a small venomous dagger, and smiling as it popped into his hand.

Screams and weapons clashing made Corey feel alive. The gamer in him was channeled.

Decon saw something in the corner of his eye, but he was too engrossed by the mage taking on seven of her top elite guards. Eleanora clashed with the biggest of them, digging her heels into the crevice of the ground. He pressed his sword to her axe.

“Give up mage, you can’t win against an elite.”

She drew back her axe, shocking the guard. Her mouth parted and as his blade edged towards her face, she bit into it.

Another wave of shock hit Decon. Seeing the mage’s razor sharp teeth unleash on the blade. She dug deep until the weapon shattered in two. She spat the remnants of the steel onto the dirt. Wiping the back of palm against her mouth.

Eleanora was the perfect distraction, and Corey jotted that he needed to study her.

She growled, steam and fire sparking from her mouth.

Decon had seen a lot of dragon mages in his time, but never one this aggressive. It could only be from a specific family. One that was known for hatching the strongest, and most royal dragons, but before he could recall their name, a hand slapped over his face and the cold metal of a dagger pressed hot against his nape.

Fear, a new feeling for the noble, ricocheted through his entire body.

Corey drew the man to his level and dragged him behind a large tree.

“You are going to take your bag of creepers, and pay me for my work.”

Decon nodded. He smelt something akin to a black serpent’s venom on the blade. It was deadly to most creatures, but worse for elves. How had the devil known?

Corey handed him the bag from his inventory, and Decon worked to sign the quest as complete.

QUEST COMPLETED

LEVEL UP: LEVEL ONE RANK ACHIEVED

‘Perfect.’

NOW KILL HIM

WARNING: HUNGER LEVEL DECREASING, PLEASE EAT.

“I did what you asked, now please let me go.” His words were muffled, but Corey got every single word.

“Not so fast. I need you to send me every dime you have, and give me the key to your room in the motel.”

“What?”

The tip of the dagger pierced through Decon’s neck. His skin began to react to the venom, turning a dark shade of red. An itch formed around the spot. He quickly moved his hand for his weapon but found that it was gone.

He was left with no choice. The devil had outsmarted him. Wanting to live, and vowing in his mind to get revenge, he created another scroll sending everything he had stored in his account to the devil.

Decon reached into his pocket for the key to his room, handing it over to Corey.

“Thank you.” Corey responded politely. Shoving the blade the rest of the way, he dropped to his knees. Still covering Decon’s screams.

“The bandages are off limits.” He whispers. It so quiet and soft, Decon felt chill before the venom caused his skin to itch terribly. The stream of blood gushing from his neck, suffocated him. He spat a chunk out of his mouth and into Corey’s palm.

Corey waited for the elf’s body to stop twitching, before releasing him. Leaving the dagger in his neck, for safety measures.

He rose grabbing the bag of creepers and adding them to his inventory.

ACHIEVEMENT: RICH

LEVEL UP: LEVEL THREE RANK ACHIEVED

“Level three?” Corey muttered out loud. He saw the day had gotten dark during his whole incident with Decon. Moving from the tree, he went back to check on his mage.

Eleanora stood amiss the slaughtered body of the guards.

Still fueling from the adrenaline, she ran towards Corey. Throwing her arms around the teen.

“Thank you so much for the boost!” she pressed her fine lips to his cheek, and Corey offered her a small smile.

If only she knew he had just secured himself his first ticket to winning the game.

POINT GAINED: LADY OF THE FLAME- FEMALE NUMBER ONE

YOU CAN GAIN POINTS BY ADDING WOMEN TO A HAREM.

AND COREY, BE ON THE LOOK FOR OPEN LAND. TO WIN, YOU’LL NEED TO BUY A LAND AND BEGIN BUILDING YOUR OWN PARADISE. IT’S MORE FUN TO HAVE A PLACE TO RESPAWN WHEN THINGS GET BAD.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: IF KILLED, YOU WILL RESPAWN AT THE PLACE YOU AWOKEN. IF YOU OWN YOUR OWN LAND, YOU WILL REDIRECT YOUR RESPAWN LOCATION AND THAT OF YOUR WOMEN. IN OTHER WORDS, YOU ARE THE ONLY PLAYER, CAPABLE OF RESPAWNING.