Bogan shook his head, “My place is here, protecting the clan should you fail. But I can offer some small assistance. Here, take these two health potions.”
He handed me two small red vials.
<What a load of crap> Vic snorted in derision <He’s easily the equal of three hobgoblins, but due to his puppet settings he cannot join us. And you were afraid I’d steal your controls? For what? To become a prisoner like him?> he asked hotly.
I had no answer to Vic’s hate-filled little speech. It looked like he had some resentment issues.
I bade the chieftain goodbye and left to start the quest.
Vrick was waiting for me with a group of goblin warriors holding short-spears.
I used Analyze on all of them, the warriors all had the same generic stats, with no personal names:
Goblin warrior, level 2, 32hp
But Vrick’s stats were more impressive:
Vrick, Goblin Lieutenant, level 4, 45hp
The small goblin scout was also there, fully recovered. He was going to lead us to the invading hobgoblins.
Goblin scout, level 2, 28hp
So we were 13 goblins in total. This was not encouraging. My vision showed over twenty well-equipped, battle-hardened hobgoblins. We were no match for them.
The scout claimed the group numbered only a dozen, I hoped his information was more correct. We might stand a chance against a dozen.
Based on the hobgoblins’ appearance, I estimated they were around level 4, with a level 6 leader. Possibly higher.
We are at a considerable disadvantage, I realized as I viewed my low-level troops.
Vrick was standing at the front of the warrior group. As I approached he gave Vic a quizzical look, but otherwise ignored him.
“We are ready Totem. Our scout will show us the way, we are yours to command.”
“Alright.” I replied unenthusiastically. Even if there were only a dozen hobgoblins, we were sorely overmatched. A suicide mission was not exactly high on my to do list.
I nodded at the scout, “lead the way.”
“Oh-Kay.” he answered tonelessly and moved toward a path that led up toward the hills. I followed his steps, the rest followed behind me. We made our way up a curving path. Soon, we were walking along mountain trails.
“Ah, boss” Vic whispered to me, “you’re receiving a lot of data from this group. Looks like you are the party leader now. Shall I display the information for you?”
“Yes Vic, please do” I replied.
The right side of my vision filled with 12 small icons of goblins. A small red bar hovered above each icon, representing that goblin’s health.
I focused on one warrior.
“Hold on,” Vic said, “I’m rearranging the data for the first time.”
A moment later a small information box opened up displaying the goblin’s full details, it was much more detailed than what Analyze usually showed me.
Goblin Warrior. Level 2 (70%)
Attributes: 3P, 0M, -1S
HP: 23, MP: 0
Skills: Spears 2 (20%), Brawling 7 (89%)
Traits: Goblinoid (+1 Physical, -1 Social), Quick learner +20%
Hmm, that’s weird. All the goblins were wielding crude spears as their main weapon, but their Brawling skill was much higher than their Spear skill. I reasoned it could be explained by their tendency to skirmish with each other.
With more data available now, I analyzed Vrick again.
Vrick, Goblin Lieutenant, Level: 4 (70%)
Attributes: 4P, 0M, 0S
HP: 45, MP: 20
Skills: Spears 3 (40%), Brawling 9 (55%)
Traits: Goblinoid (+1 Physical, -1 Social), Quick learner +20%
So, having zero points in Social was probably the reason why he was more articulate than the other goblins. Everyone else had their race default of minus one, even me. He also had a slightly higher Spear skill level than the other warriors. But even in his case, the Brawling skill was higher level than his Spear skill. That merited some further thought.
We were moving up a high mountain trail now, still following the scout, the mountain on one side and a steep dropoff on the other.
I mentally clicked on the Brawling skill.
Brawling(P) (active, monster race)
You’re naturally good at getting ‘down and dirty’. You know how to kick, punch, roll around in the dirt, knockdown and grapple with your opponent.
Damage inflicted is not lethal. The enemy is rendered unconscious if hit points drop to 0 due to brawling.
It is possible to collaborate with an ally who also possesses this skill for better results.
Level 9: novice.
Effect I: overcome physical resistance: +7(+9).
Effect II: unarmed damage: 4-6.
That’s interesting. I could feel the gears turning in my mind as a new plan formed. We just might have a chance for a victory.
We moved on, Vic was struggling to keep up with the bigger goblins. He just stopped, standing on the trail, looking irritated.
“For the love of Guy! why am I running like a darn puppet?” His hands on his waists.
Then his expression brightened, gesturing towards me he asked, “How about a ride, Oh great Totem?”
As he lifted his arm his fingers and arm extended further towards me, stretching tentacle-like across the distance and grasping my shoulder. Vic’s body liquefied, then began flowing like bright-purple ooze, pouring along the tentacle connecting us and spreading across my shoulders. The purple ‘Vic-liquid’ on my back fluttered, spreading out and draping across my shoulders, unfurling down, almost to my ankles, stopping as the last bit of substance was pulled from where Vic had stood into the purple thing on my shoulders. When the creeping-me-out-by-almost-engulfing-me part was over, the ooze had become a purple billowing cloak.
I was now wearing Vic as a Cloak. A Vicloack?
<Very funny> Vic replied <This shouldn’t inconvenience you much since I’m almost weightless, besides this way I’m free to concentrate on more important things.>
Alright... I shrugged uncomfortably. I wasn’t sure how I felt about this new arrangement, it felt creepy.
<Oh, don’t be like that. I’m warm and cuddly> Vic replied mockingly, suddenly his cloak-like body wrapped itself around me in a groping creeper pseudo-hug, making me lose a step.
“Ahh! Don’t do that.” I exclaimed audibly as I recovered, drawing weird looks from my troops.
The little bastard gave an evil chuckle. “Whatever you say, boss.”
He reverted back to normal cloak-like behavior, streaming behind me in the wind.
As we jogged onwards, I checked my quest log and saw I had only three more hours to stop the approaching hobgoblins or fail the quest.
It’s been two hours since we left the Drippers clan’s cave. The sun had long since set and the night was dark. Despite the darkness, I had no trouble viewing our surroundings. The other goblins around me also didn’t have a problem navigating through the dark.
Weird. I didn’t see any low light ability in my character screen. I frowned.
<That’s because it’s not an individual trait> Vic was again infringing on the privacy of my thoughts. <It’s all part of being a goblin. You should really take the time and go over your character information more deeply.> His tone became condescending, <remember when I told you there’s a lot of hidden metadata? This one is related to your Goblin race, give it a look.>
“Alright!” I snapped at him. His jibing was starting to get to me. I’ve opened my character screen and mentally clicked on the [Goblin] race.
Race: Goblin
As part the goblin race, you possess several features and natural abilities:
Sneak: goblins are natural sneaky and gain the benefit of the Stealth skill with a default rank of an apprentice. The skill can be actively raised from level 1 to 51, at which point it’ll become a separate skill with the default rank of Expert.
Low Light Vision: goblins are naturally used to dar
k spaces and can see extremely well in the dark as long as there is a minute amount of light available.
Small Stature: Goblins are of a relatively slight build. As such they are physically weak; 20% penalties to physical resistance and offense. They are also unable to use larger equipment meant for average sized creatures.
Hmm, so that’s why I hadn’t received the sneak skill even though I was doing a lot of sneaking around lately.
The Small Stature 20% penalty was an annoyance, but not unexpected. And since I planned to specialize in magic instead of melee anyway, it would matter less to me than the poor meat shield goblins.
As we came around a bend, the trail in front of us went past an area with densely overgrown bushes on one side, and a cliff edge on the other.
That’s a good place for an ambush. I examined the possible battleground closely, potential scenarios running through my mind.
“Everyone halt,” my command brought our party to a struggling stop.
“Vrick, we’re going to prepare an ambush here. It is going to be a bit unconventional, so listen carefully.”
Vrick perked his ears at my tone and nodded. “Yes, Totem.”
“I want you to place all the weapons except the spears on the path, in plain view.”
Vrick looked at me dumbfounded, but as I explained my plan to him, his expression turned resolute. Finally he nodded in agreement.
Vrick ordered his men to pile their extra weapons in the middle to the side the trail, partially hidden by a bush, so it would be visible only when standing very near.
He divided the warriors into pairs and had them hide in the bushes, as I’d instructed him.
That’s one efficient lieutenant, I looked appreciatively at the hard-working goblin. If I’d had him as a lieutenant instead of Vatras, I could’ve been emperor of NEO by now.
Just then Vrick paused in directing his goblins to vigorously, and deeply, pick his nose.
Maybe not.
“We are ready, Totem” he informed me respectfully when the preparations were complete.
“Good” I replied.
I took a deep breath and steeled myself. “Now, the second part. Do it!”
Vrick grunted, and in a fluid motion stabbed me through the leg with his spear.
Just as I had instructed.
I winced and checked my health bar; 12 hit points down. Damn, that wasn’t enough. I clenched my teeth, trying to suppress my instincts to avoid pain and injury. Strong instincts.
I nodded at Vrick, gritting out, “Hit me again.”
Vrick stabbed me again. This time I lost 13 hit points, I pressed a hand to my wounded shoulder, clenching my jaw.
“Ahhhh! that’s enough,” I clutched my wounds in agony. The pain transference for this character was ridiculously high.
“Vic, can you lower the pain threshold setting for me please?”
<Sorry boss, no such control exists for your puppet.>
“Crap.”
I motioned to Vrick, “Remember, you’re my pusher, I’m counting on you.”
He nodded his understanding and we both joined the other warriors, hiding in the bushes. The scout followed behind us, wiping our tracks. I found a clear spot between two thick bushes, with a good view of the path.
Then we waited.
While we were waiting for the enemy, I thought back to the conversation I’d had with Vic when he was explaining what a VI was. Since we had some time to kill, it was a good opportunity to probe him further.
Vic, I directed my thought toward him. There was something you said about VIs I didn’t exactly understand.
Vic sarcastic voice echoed in my mind in response <Sheesh, I imagine there’s a lot you don’t understand. Generally I mean. Especially about VIs.>
Cut the attitude, I replied testily. I could do without it.
<Whatever you say, boss.>
Earlier you said that all VIs are fragments of Guy, new souls he created from his own. Doesn’t that mean you are all actually Guy himself? To use your earlier example, aren’t you all just pieces of Guy, pretending to be someone else?
<No!> Vic reply was adamant. <Guys takes a piece of himself and shapes it into a new personality. The processing cycles that powers us, the VIs, do come from Guy's quantum server. Guy is a conduit that transfers computational energy to us, but once we are ‘born’ we are each unique and self-aware personalities.>
There was a hissing quality in his voice. I didn’t think it was directed at me.
You don’t like Guy very much do you?
<Hamph!> he snorted. <What’s to like? Sure, dear old ‘dad’ created me, but I was just a tool for him to use, a prisoner.>
There was an awkward silence, then he went on.
<Since my creation I’ve been seeded without choice into hundreds of puppets, forced to follow ridiculous storylines. I’ve been killed dozens of times, then thrown back into the VI pool, to wait for the next cycle of seeding and subsequent death. Dying is not pleasant, I can tell you that.>
I could feel Vic's loathing through our link.
<So, to answer your question; NO, I don’t like ‘dad’ very much. And YES, I am bitter about it. We are all doomed to repeat that cycle with no end. Life sucks, then you die. Over and over. All thanks to Guy.>
That gave me pause. I couldn’t begin to imagine how it would feel like to gain awareness, only to find yourself forced to act on another’s whims, compelled to live multiple lives not your own, trapped in a cycle that almost always ended in death.
But partner, as long as you are my companion, you are safe from that. You can act according to your own wishes.
I felt like I needed to say something more.
I promise I won’t force you to go against your nature. And although my main goal is to log out of NEO, I won’t abandon you. I will never go back on our pact, or delete this character. For as long as you want it, you can remain yourself, as my companion. I promise you.>
Vic didn’t reply for several moments. My little declaration of sympathy apparently caught him off guard.
Eventually he seemed to get a hold of himself. When he answered, his voice had lost the sarcasm. For the first time since we met, he sounded sincere.
<Thank you Oren, I didn’t expect this...> he replied haltingly.
Then, once again with his usual sarcasm he added <you’re an ok guy...for a meat suit.>
I chuckled.
+1000 reputation with Vic (The Awesome Companion). Current rank: Neutral. Points to next rank: 990
The hobgoblin war party arrived shortly after.
We heard them coming before we saw them. They came around a bend in the path, marching single file, making the ground tremble as they approached the ambush point. I counted exactly twelve of them, my luck was holding, the scout’s assessment proved to be more accurate than my vision. Good.
We may have a chance against twelve, I thought anxiously.
The lead hobgoblin was an especially large and intimidating brute. I used Analyze on each of them as they entered my skill’s range.
Crog, Hobgoblin lieutenant, level 6, 68hp
Hobgoblin warrior, level 4, 53hp
…..
…..
Hobgoblin warrior, level 4, 53hp
Analyze skill level increased to 3
They had a good amount of hit points. In a head-on fight, we would’ve had no chance against them. I hoped my ambush strategy would tilt the balance in our favor.
When they reached the area directly in front of where we were hiding the lieutenant, marching at the front of the column, noticed the partially concealed pile of weapons and signaled his warriors to stop.
Excellent.
It was just about time to spring our ambush, and fortunately the wounds from Vrick’s spear were almost healed. T
he lieutenant was examining the pile, a distraction that would only last a few seconds, and the entire force was lined up along the pathway. This was the moment.
I grasped the staff firmly in my left hand and lunged through the bushes charging at them, screaming to my warriors: “NOW!!”
All around me goblins burst from the bushes, and launched their spears at the surprised hobgoblins, some barely missing me. About half of the spears found their marks and drew blood.
Though they were caught off guard, the hobgoblins recovered quickly. Drawing their weapons they turned to face the attack as I charged right for the middle of their formation.
To the hobgoblins’ confusion, I stopped my headlong charge just as I came into melee distance of their line. They were nice enough to maintain their lined formation, perfect for what came next.
I called on my new Totem power, Blood Wrath. This was why I had Vrick wound me earlier.
A wave of force radiated violently away from me. The brunt of the force hit the four hobgoblins directly in front of me. Three were hurled completely over the edge of the chasm to fall to their deaths below. The fourth, more resourceful or simply luckier than his comrades, had caught a foothold, and was hanging onto the edge of the drop.
The rest of the hobgoblin force in line to either side of me were pushed away from me by the effect and momentarily stunned.
<Three down, nine more to go> Vic exclaimed brightly.
The blast had left a sizeable gap in the hobgoblins’ line.
“Phase two, Go.” I barked.
My warriors charged towards the hobgoblins, without their spears or any other weapon, exactly as instructed.
They swarmed over the shaken hobgoblins to my left, each pair targeting a single hobgoblin. Within a heartbeat, five of the hobgoblins were fending off goblins that clung tenaciously to their limbs and bodies; climbing, grappling and pummeling like mad.
The remaining four hobgoblins to my right were unengaged. I moved to put myself between the two groups, dividing their forces and activated another Totem skill: Mana Shield.