VampQuest Read online

  VampQuest

  By Adison Runberg

  Copyright 2018

  Index

  Index

  Chapter 1: Welcome to VampQuest

  Chapter 2: Revenge

  Chapter 3: Growing Stronger

  Chapter 4: The Bear

  Chapter 5: Ra

  Chapter 6: Truth

  Chapter 1: Welcome to VampQuest

  Player’s Stats

  Level 1

  $0 RM

  Health:10

  Speed:1

  Strength:1

  Sneak:1

  Inventory 10/200: Black Tee, Black Pants, Black Boots, Cape (+150 inventory space)

  “Welcome to Reel Life Online,” said a robotic voice. I glanced around, momentarily disoriented. What is this place? I appeared to be in a park, and everything was shaded black. The trees were tall and foreboding, silhouetted against the night sky. A full moon framed by clouds lit the world. I was wearing ridiculously tight black jeans, a black t-shirt, and a long black cape that fluttered in the wind.

  Instantly I recognized this environment to be an advanced form of virtual reality, and felt at home in the setting. This is a high-end game, I thought, and it soothed me.

  “What is your name, player?” the robotic voice asked.

  I thought for a moment. What was my name? I belatedly realized I had no recollection of my own past. I started listing names in my head. I wanted something to fit this creepy nighttime setting.

  “My name is Blade,” I said, confident I had chosen a perfect name.

  “That name is taken, try again,” the voice said.

  Well, that sucks. Back to the drawing board.

  “My name is Darkness,” I said, a little hesitantly.

  “That name is taken, try again,” the voice repeated.

  “Aker?” I asked, losing hope. Aker had a certain ring to it. I nodded to myself. On second thought, Darkness is kind of awkward, so I’m probably lucky it was taken already.

  “Hello, Aker,” the voice said pleasantly.

  I looked around again. The hair on the back of my neck stood up on end, and something felt off to me. Fear flooded my body as I sensed something approaching quickly. The wind howled through the nearby tree branches, only heightening the feeling that I needed to get away. I started running on a stone path through the park, each step echoing loudly.

  My outfit significantly slowed me down. My cape was like a parachute billowing behind me, and my black pants were too tight. I wanted to ditch my cape, but I had no time. I need to get to safety. I chanced a glance behind me, and spotted a ghostly woman in a tight black leather bodysuit standing at my spawn point. Moonlight glinted off her long, sharp canine teeth as she smiled. Her hair was varying shades of red and orange.

  Shit, I’m going to die on level one. I need to find a way to defeat her if she attacks me. Vampires are usually villains in video games, so she’s probably my enemy.

  I turned to face her as she rushed toward me, silently gliding over the ground. She stopped a foot away from me and gave me a cruel smile.

  “Ready to die, noob?” she asked, and started laughing.

  Although fear threatened to paralyze me, I forced myself to close the distance between us and took a hard swing at her. My fist flew past her head and connected with nothing but air. The vampire had dodged at the last second. I took another swing, attempting to punch her body this time. And again, she dodged. She effortlessly caught my outstretched arm and threw me to the ground. Even while fighting, she never stopped her haunting laugh. A green health bar suddenly appeared at the top of my vision, and I watched in horror as a chunk of it flashed red and vanished. As the health gauge slowly disappeared, -10% was displayed in a white font above the bar.

  “What do you want from me?” I cried. Although this was a game, I could feel real pain. My body trembled uncontrollably on the ground.

  “Your blood,” she hissed and wrapped a slender arm around me. I struggled to free myself, but I may as well have been pushing on a boulder. She was an order of magnitude stronger than I was.

  “Help!” I yelled, hoping a nearby player could save me.

  “Shush, you’ll draw unwanted attention,” she said. I felt a brief sting as she pierced my neck with her fangs. Struggling helplessly, I passed out as my health bar went below 10%.

  My eyes slowly opened. I was groggy, and pain throbbed in my neck where I’d been bitten. A perfect circle had been drawn in chalk around me. Old concrete blocks comprised the walls and floor, while the ceiling was made from drywall, and covered in dust. Surrounding the circle were multiple men and women clad in black robes. They were chanting a low and repetitive tune. Four shadowy figures stood in the corners of the room. They were each holding jet-black guitars, strumming rhythmic power chords. The electrified sounds of their playing sent shivers down my spine, and gave me a sense of true terror.

  “All right, I want to quit!” I shouted. “Game off.”

  “Quit? But you’ve only just begun,” the vampire from earlier said, although I was unable to see her. She dropped down in front of me suddenly. “I hope you aren’t this whiny when you’re one of us.”

  She bit her wrist, and blood started spilling from her veins. Where each drop of black blood hit the ground, it started to sizzle. She shoved her wrist into my mouth and held me in place. I tried to spit, tried not to swallow, but the black blood soon flowed down my throat. It felt like I had just drunk a mouthful of straight whiskey. My eyes watered; my insides felt like they were being torn apart. I started coughing and knew I’d soon throw up.

  “Welcome to my team…Aker. Someone get him to the bathroom,” the vampire said casually. “I don’t want to see what happens next.”

  One of the hooded figures ushered me up creaky wooden stairs and into a tiny and disgusting bathroom. Had anyone ever cleaned in here? I became violently ill, throwing up what felt like my internal organs, and not just the contents of my stomach. I’m definitely dying. I flushed the toilet nonstop for five minutes straight, and then finally, there was a reprieve from the gushing pain.

  “Congratulations, and welcome to VampQuest level one. You have successfully changed races from human to vampire. Close your eyes to view your stats. See your team leader, Veruka, for your next mission,” the robotic voice said.

  I closed my eyes and I could see my stats, as well as my inventory.

  Health: 10

  Speed: 5

  Strength: 5

  Sneak: 5

  Blood Bonus: 5

  Bite: 5

  Mesmerize: 1

  Regeneration: 1

  Sun Resistance: -50

  Night Vision: 50

  Special Vampire Moves: None

  Inventory 10/200: Black Tee, Black Pants, Black Boots, Cape (+150 inventory space)

  It was a lot to take in, but I tried not to think about my stats. I had more pressing issues to take care of.

  I cleaned myself up as best I could at the tiny, filthy sink. I still felt gross, but I exited the bathroom to look for the vampire who had turned me. I was in an abandoned cathedral. The wooden pews were in various states of decomposition. A hole in the roof let in a cold breeze, and the light of the moon shone faintly through huge stained glass windows that must have been at least thirty feet tall. The hooded figures and guitar players were nowhere to be found.

  “Hello? Anybody here?” I called out as I wandered around. I headed toward the door. This place is giving me the creeps. As I put my hand on the doorknob, I heard a familiar sultry voice.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” the slender, yet powerful vampire asked seductively.

  “I want to get out of here. This place is creepy,” I said plainly. “Also, do you have a mission for me? Maybe you can give me a clue what’s
going on here since I’m on your team?”

  “Darling, patience. Have a little fun. This is a game, after all,” she said. “Half the fun is learning how to play.”

  “Okay, what’s the purpose of this game? Can you at least tell me that? And who are you?” I asked. I need some answers.

  “I’m Veruka in-game,” she said then asked, “You don’t remember buying this game or logging in?”

  “No, I can’t remember anything about myself, or why I would be playing this game,” I said, dismayed.

  “Interesting. I guess that explains why you’re so uptight,” she said while coming closer, like a shark circling its soon-to-be prey. Although she was gorgeous, she was downright scary. I could tell she loved this game, or at least the person she got to be here. “I’m glad I spotted you spawn. Since this is the only life you know, you should be an excellent player.” Her eyes revealed lighthearted curiosity.

  “I guess so,” I said sadly. “I certainly don’t want to die.”

  “Oh sweetheart, you’re already dead. Furthermore, you’re a fully-fledged member of the VampGods now. That’s the name of my guild,” Veruka said and winked at me, which only accentuated her extraordinarily long lashes. Although she was physically attractive beyond belief, I couldn’t help the sinking feeling in my stomach anytime I glanced at her teeth, the teeth that had just incapacitated me so effortlessly.

  “Well, I don’t want to die again,” I said.

  “We’ll only die from sunlight, silver bullets, and decapitation,” she said, then nonchalantly added, “there might be other ways to kill us, but we’re impervious to more mundane deaths. A huge plus we vampires get is that instead of waiting for regeneration to heal us, we can just drink human blood to regain health. That was the reason I ran to you when you spawned. My health was a little too close to zero percent for my liking. I could have just left you for dead, but I saw your cute brown hair and crazy getup. I just had to have you around.”

  “So what’s my first mission?” I asked, wanting to get on with it, and to get out of this awkward situation. “I want to start leveling up so I don’t get killed by the first person I meet. Or I guess the second person, seeing as you, the first person I met, promptly killed me.”

  “You can start with something easy. Go drink a human’s blood. Do it without drawing attention to yourself from the authorities,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. “I’m going to climb my tower and watch your progress; this should be entertaining.”

  She took off out the door faster than I could protest. The abandoned church was surrounded by a large empty parking lot, and I went out into the night to find someone who would let me drink their blood. I looked up and saw Veruka standing like a statue at the top of a clock tower which stood higher than anything else around.

  I could see a few shops about two blocks away and started walking toward them. I noticed my feet and legs moved with ease, so I started running. Now this is what I’m talking about. I was easily twice as fast as I’d been when I was a human, even in this dramatic attire. Soon I heard voices chatting loudly and took a quick turn into an alleyway. I was shrouded in shadows, but I held my breath anyway. After a moment, I found I didn’t need to breathe. I held my breath for a full minute, although I noticed I could barely move my limbs at that point. Apparently they still needed oxygen to function properly. I began breathing normally again out of habit.

  “This is the best! Getting drunk, but, like, never getting a hangover,” an inebriated woman said.

  “I know, totally worth the three thousand dollars. Best VR world I’ve ever joined. I’m only logging out if my mom forces me to,” a loud man slurred.

  I waited, carefully contemplating the information I’d just overheard. These people are just players. I guess I am too, but they’re humans, and I’m a vampire. Should I feel bad for drinking their blood? I’ll wait until I find a loner and try to convince them to let me drink their blood. It is just a mission, after all. Minutes went by as I stood motionless in the night, blending with the shadows due to my dark outfit. Finally, I saw a woman exiting the bar alone. She had ash brown hair and light blue eyes. Her face was sweet and innocent. She seemed like the kind of person I could open up to, the kind of person who would understand my predicament. I approached her cautiously.

  “Um, hello, miss,” I said nervously. She turned and met my gaze happily. “Listen, I know this is going to sound weird, but do you mind if I drink your blood?”

  “Yes, I absolutely mind. What’s wrong with you?” she asked, looking offended as she sharply pivoted on her heel and started walking away. I darted around to stand in her path.

  “I’m trying to be polite. I’m a vampire, and I need to drink your blood so I can level up. Please, I promise I won’t hurt you,” I said, trying my best to persuade her and failing horribly, judging by the look on her face.

  “I don’t know what game you think this is. But you’re not getting a single drop of my blood. I paid good money to play, so I’m not letting you kill me now,” she said stiffly. I was about to try persuading her again when she pursed her lips and eyed me with interest. “Nice outfit, by the way. How much did you pay for it?”

  “Wait. Please?” I asked. “I hate these clothes. I just started out wearing these.” I hoped I hadn’t paid real money for what I was wearing. It was practically a costume. I’d be much happier in a suit and tie, or even better, a comfortable t-shirt and some blue jeans. And definitely no cape.

  “I can take you to get a new outfit if I can have the garments you’re wearing now. But as far as the whole blood thing goes, it’s still a no from me, bro,” she said sternly.

  “I guess that’s fine with me,” I said, happy to finally be doing something I actually wanted to do. I can’t wait to get some normal clothes.

  “You really don’t remember how much you paid?” she asked quizzically. “I saw an outfit like that go for three thousand RM. I know I would remember spending that much money.”

  “My past life seems to have escaped my memory,” I said glumly.

  “You must be rich. It sounds like they used the amnesia drip on you. It allows for the most lifelike gameplay to date. It totally blocks out any personal memories so you can be fully immersed in the game world. Consider yourself lucky. Follow me,” she said pleasantly and started walking down the street.

  We walked for a few minutes down the dark, well-traveled road, and passed by a few more nightclubs. Bats swooped in front of streetlamps. The woman then pointed to a building with futuristic neon lights.

  “Right in there,” she said. We entered and were met by a seven-foot-tall man who was dressed as a fancy butler.

  “How can I help you?” he said, staring at us both through his monocle as he cleaned a dirty spot on a shirt with a white rag.

  “We need to get him some new clothes, and I want his old clothes,” she said, smiling at the butler.

  “What is your IGN?” the butler asked.

  “Maria4744,” she said. The butler then turned to me expectantly.

  “Aker,” I said.

  “Transferring clothing,” the butler stated without a care. In the blink of an eye Maria was wearing all my clothing, while I was left in nothing but black boxer briefs. The tight attire looked much better on her than it did on me.

  “I owe you one,” Maria said, beaming at herself in the mirror before turning to me. “What style of clothes do you want? Oh, you’re kind of cute.” She looked me up and down and then winked at me.

  “Loose-fit jeans, a plain white t-shirt, and some sneakers,” I said. Part of my mission was to keep a low profile, but I stuck out like a sore thumb in my old garb. At least I’d done a good job designing my avatar, since every person I’d met so far seemed impressed by me. I’d do well to remember this was all just a game. But if Maria was right, and I’d paid an exorbitant amount for an amnesia drip like she’d said, I felt like I should fully immerse myself.

  “Can you give us some help with that?” Maria said to the
butler. He nodded and hastily made his way to the back of the store. A moment later, he returned with my requested items. I put them on awkwardly in front of the two of them. The butler gazed at me steadily, with no sign of emotion. Once I was fully clothed I started to feel a bit better, and possibly a bit more like my true self.

  “Thanks,” I said gratefully.

  “Look at yourself in the mirror, make sure you like how it fits,” Maria said, taking me by the shoulder and guiding me in front of a nearby mirror.

  Maria looked like a goth rockstar as she posed, but somehow managed to still look kind. I appeared to be nonexistent.

  “Whoa, where are you?” Maria asked, then started waving her arm and hitting me. She watched in the mirror as her hand seemed to strike only air. Even my clothes weren’t visible in the mirror. “No way. You really are a vampire. They must have added vampires to the last patch,” she said, sounding stunned. Then she turned to the butler and said, “Put his clothes on my tab.”

  “Weird,” I said in awe. I started to wave at the reflective surface. My motions were completely invisible in the mirror’s portrayal of the world. I was having a great time shopping with Maria. It felt like we understood each other.

  “Hmm, so maybe you do need to drink my blood,” she said, regarding me thoughtfully. “You can swing by my place if you want to?”

  “I’d love to,” I said, excited to possibly get a chance to gain a level. I might be making a friend. It’ll be nice to just relax and have fun with another player.

  “My house is quite close to this shop, just a few blocks away,” she said and nodded to the butler, then started heading out of the shop. I followed close behind her. We arrived at her house only a few minutes later. It was a modest home with one room, and one bathroom. A bed sat right behind the couch in the middle of the living room. “I know it’s not much, but I tend to spend my in-game currency on outfits instead of upgrading this place. I only come here to sleep and change clothes. Check out my closet.” She pointed to a small door a few feet away.