D3L3T3D: 4 - Return

1

The console beeped as Trigger reentered the game. A simple dink dink was all it took for Trigger to look around wildly for the sound. It sounded again, and he looked down at the screen in his arm.2

What looked like an envelope now blinked in the corner of the screen. He tapped it, and a message popped up:3

“wat happend? -hiro”4

Trigger shook his head and tapped the X in the corner of the message. He was still outside the building he had brought back to after losing to the goblin, and it was midday this time.5

“Better be prepared this time,” Trigger said to himself. He found the STA button and pressed it. Numbers came up on the screen, with what he assumed to be a percentage bar. It was full, so he made note to check it at various times throughout his fighting.6

There were more people here this time, no doubt due to the end of the school year. He pushed past them and made his way to the field.7

More goblins. And some sort of large insectoid things. They were green, with six bladed legs. A pointed tail swooped up over their bodies, like a scorpion's tail. Its face looked more like a face than an actual insect, with distinguishable eyes—as hollow as they may be—and a fanged mouth that opened and closed hungrily, with saliva dripping from it with each movement of its jowls.8

Trigger avoided the insect and went for a goblin. He caught it by surprise and got by with barely a scrape of an attack. This really is as monotonous as I thought it would be. Just doing the same things over and over again. Kill and kill again, take the spoils, repeat.9

He shrugged and repeated the process. As he reached down to grab the contents of the pouch, another sound came from his console. Ding-a-dink it went this time. Trigger grunted. “Must be Hiro again.”10

But when he looked down at his console, he saw it was on the status screen. He had raised his level by one. Trigger rolled his eyes. He was making process, but he was still only level two. It would be a long time before his status would reach a point that actually made a difference.11

Although, he pondered, I could try fighting one of those bug things.12

He found one of the green insects and raised his dagger, and the bug burst into flame. He jumped back. “What the hell!”13

Trigger looked around. Surely that hadn't been by his own doing, had it? Then, “My bad, dude. I didn't know you wanted to fight that one.” It was a kid, roughly younger than himself, wielding a staff. Trigger assumed he was practicing to be a mage, or wizard, or whatever they called themselves in this game.14

“You stole my kill?” Trigger said incredulously.15

The magic-user scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, I guess so. My bad.”16

Trigger shook his head. “Whatever.” He set his sights on another of the insects. He went up to it and looked back. The boy was still there, watching him. Trigger slashed through his enemy. It cried out in pain and turned to retaliate.17

And burst into flame.18

“Oops,” he heard from behind. “Guess I did it again. Man, am I off today or what?”19

“You stole my kill!” Trigger called out, brandishing the dagger towards the mischief-making magic-user.20

He didn't see it then, but everyone in the immediate surroundings looked up and over to Trigger and the mage. “Hey! That guy's a kill-steal!”21

“Learn to pick on Players your own level, Chaz!” another called out. They had all left their original marks to surround Chaz.22

“Isn't this the low-level area, mister level twenty-two.”23

Chaz shrugged. “I can take you all on right now. Ten-on-one? Why not?”24

“How about one-on-one then?” a voice called from across the field. It had not been one of the Players that formed the ring around Chaz, but some of them recognized the voice and backed away, motioning for the others to do the same.25

A man strode across the field—an unarmed man. He wore no sleeves but gloves covered his hands, and he looked both strong and agile by his build. His vest was black, and his pants just the same. A blue scarf was wrapped around his neck, concealing his chin and, depending on how he moved, his mouth as well.26

The expression on Chaz's face changed. For only a moment, he appeared fearful; but he recomposed himself and looked the challenger down. “Fine,” he said. “One-on-one.”27

The spectators whispered among themselves: “What is he doing?” “He does realize this is suicide, right?” “It would take twenty of him to win!”28

There was no warning. Chaz sent forth a blade of ice, which the challenger expertly dodged and—was this possible?—caught it out of the air, crushing it in his grip.29

In the next instant, Chaz was laying across the grass, blood flowing like two little rivers from the corners of his mouth onto the ground.30

The challenger knelt down by his opponent. “I know you can't respond, so I'll assume you've learnt your lesson. If not, you know what'll happen.” He winked, then set his two first fingers on one hand against Chaz's still chest. Light flowed from his arm into the other's body.31

Chaz gasped as his breathing resumed. He scrambled to his feet, looking around in bewilderment, and ran back into the city. The man in black folded his arms and laughed to himself. “Must be his first time being resurrected.” He shrugged. “I'm sure nobody else would ever revive him after being such a jerk anyway.”32

Trigger was grateful to the mysterious man. “What's your—”33

The man raised a hand. “It doesn't matter. I don't need my name to be known for helping people get rid of Players like him.”34

Trigger let the man leave without any more questions. Perhaps they would meet again, and then he would find out his name. He looked around at the other Players; they were all returning to what they had been doing originally. Following their lead, he returned to fighting insects—this time uninterrupted.35

36

Night was falling now. Trigger still had not figured out how time passed within the game. Was it an accelerated night and day? Or did time slow down within the game? That would make sense. If they made an hour feel like two, Players could get more done in less real time. He accepted this theory—it gave explanation to why it was nighttime within the game when he had entered it during the day.37

Trigger had upgraded to a sword, and thus monster-slaying was that much easier—almost too easy, in fact. Someone had suggested that he find a quest of some sort to pass the time more effectively. Supposedly, when monsters start dying quicker, your experience goes up more slowly. He was directed to a simple fetch quest. A good place to start, he figured.38

“Do you need something?” Trigger asked.39

The Nonplayer was a portly old lady with a surprisingly large smile. She wore an apron over a brown house-dress that dusted the floor as she walked. “Why, yes I do, m'boy. I'm trying to make summin' to eat, ya see, and I'm all out of meat.”40

“Right. I've got some meat I found in some goblins' pouch. Will that do?”41

“Depends: the meat they carry could be anything from venison to meat they stripped from a victim.”42

“Fine. Want me to get some more venison or something? Wait. Venison's deer meat, right.”43

“Yer right, m'boy! Bring me back about twenty strips and I'll give ya what I think it's worth.”44

“O—kay.”45

“Hurry back then, and goo—and goo—d good—good l—good luck.”46