Chapter 3: Blurred Lines of Pain and Pleasure

“You are truly amazing, young warrior.”

Baron awoke to find the darkness once again. It was the void where he had once met Grim. As before the shadows that surrounded him seemed to have no form. No matter how hard he strained his eyes no shapes could be made out. The only features present were the ground beneath his feet and the strange, sourceless light above.

“I’ve known foreigners are able to cheat death, but they still must visit her domain before returning. To think you would defy death’s icy grip altogether. Truly, I have found a mortal worthy to carry my will.”

The voice undoubtedly belonged to Grim. It conveyed an unmistakably-unique power and sent familiar shivers down his spine. At the same time the speech irritated Baron. Listening to the praises of how he escaped death subtly reminded him of his demise. All the hate, anger, and pain he experienced came rushing back.

The looming question pulled him down to the present before he could lose himself. Why was he still alive? The message that appeared spoke of a one day ban from the game, yet here he was. From what he could tell he remained inside Alvarez Online. Looking at himself he still had the massive barbarian body and muscular build.

The only possible explanation fell on the lab coats back in reality. Having him log out every time he died would mess with Dr. Smith’s experiments. It would be hard to measure the effects of virtual reality on his body and mind without trapping him here.

“Though you were bested by the likes of men, I can tell you have not been defeated. Your eyes radiate with an intensity that was absent during your last visit,” said Grim.

Inwardly, Baron began tormenting himself. He showed weakness; he let the likes of maggots push him into a corner. His lack of strength felt pathetic. His essence screamed it, but those thoughts drove his desire for strength. If he remained static the vow he made would be left unfulfilled.

“If it is the power for revenge, the strength to make your enemies kneel that you desire, then it is but a trivial thing for me to grant. If it is your wish I will present to you the means to devour the world as I did in my mortal days, though the price is something most hesitate to part with,” said Grim, playing on the weakness in Baron’s mind.

The barbarian didn’t have time to accept before his lack of strength showed once more. Thick chains coiled around each arm, tethering him to something far beyond sight, hidden in the darkness. It left him vulnerable; arms separated—shackled once again—unable to writhe free. His feet barely scraped the floor, leaving all his weight to hang on heavy shoulders.

A silhouette appeared in the darkness. The figure towered over Baron with a giant’s frame that seemed to shake the ground with each step. It was slow. The approach continued at an agonizing gait that sent Baron’s mind ablaze with imagination. What demon stood before him? Was it Grim or some other beast? He did not fear it though. Death had already taken him, and there weren’t many ways he could suffer that he hadn’t experienced already.

As the figure came closer a deranged smile walked into the light. Recognition swept over Baron’s face. Like a feral dog he fought against the leash that had him bound. No matter how much effort he applied the chains wouldn’t budge. The giant just laughed as he watched his toy struggling in vain, unable to lash out at the man it despised.

It may have looked like Goliath, but his mind wasn’t present. Though his face showed emotion, the fire that once enveloped his eyes disappeared. Not an ounce of humanity remained; his irises glazed over. A white film made him seem blind, yet he stared at Baron like he saw everything in the man’s constitution.

Baron saw it coming. The giant telegraphed his strike without any attempt to hide it. The enormous shoulder cocked back; his arm bent at the elbow. A fist formed as the faint sound of knuckles cracking emerged. The giant’s entire body turned as he let loose with the entirety of his weight placed behind the strike. When it hit, the impact couldn’t compare to that of any punch Baron ever received. The fist landed like a sledgehammer with all the force needed to break concrete. The barbarian’s jaw turned to glass and shattered leaving an image hard to distinguish as human.

Had this been reality Baron would’ve met another grisly fate, yet he retained his consciousness through sheer will. His efforts proved enough to let him witness the next punch readied. This time the giant’s shoulder dipped, letting his fist fall by the waist. Using all the power in his legs, the uppercut shot like a torpedo hitting Baron beneath the ribs. The chains slacked for the first time as the punch lifted the barbarian’s whole body into the air.

The damage that ensued couldn’t be comprehended before an energy surged through him. It was a warmth—the strongest of healing magic—that reconstructed his body as it spread. Shards of bone and loose blood flew back into place. Like puzzle pieces each had its place among the grand picture of a man.

For a moment Baron’s body stayed intact, yet phantom pain didn’t give him reprieve. It didn’t take long for Goliath to continue his onslaught, and so, the vicious cycle continued. For an entire day the torture never ceased. A circle of suffering that drove reason into the insane.

At the time when pain blurred the lines with pleasure, the chains broke. Baron, free of his restraints, promised not to let the opportunity slip past. He gathered what strength he could muster and struck out at his tormentor. His fist connected as Goliath turned to dust. He faded away like nothing had ever happened. The only proof of the recent atrocities being what Baron had yet to repress.

As it had done the first day he arrived in the virtual world, the resurrection point began to materialize around him. As he blinked, the entire scene of a medieval market came into view. He was back. Familiar sounds rippled through the air, and odors he became accustomed to wafted about. He didn’t have time to breathe before a slew a messages popped up.

A new stat has been created.

Anger

One of the primary human emotions, Anger is known as one of the main factors that dictate people's actions. The higher the stat rises the more a player has been driven by anger. Certain skills will be affected by the stat. In moments of rage, certain skills are likelier to appear the higher the anger stat is.

It is impossible to distribute stat points to this stat. The stat will rise as anger is experienced.

+25 Anger

A new skill has been created.

Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:Vow (Active)BeginnerLvl.175%The power of raw emotion is a strong factor in deciding what course to take in life. Promises made with such emotions can become vows. They can then be completed like quests to receive experience and rewards.

The strength and variety of emotions used in creating a vow, along with the skill level, will determine the experience and rewards upon completion, along with any repercussions for failure.

A vow has been created.

Death to The Blue Blood Brothers (Vow)DifficultyD*Vow StrengthCRewards*Experience, Fame-The vow will be completed once every member of The Blue Blood Brother has died, either directly or indirectly by your hands.-Emotions present and strengthAngerBFearFHatredCDisgustC* indicates the ability to change or vary

A new stat has been created.

Resilience

By repeatedly exposing your body to harm the stat Resilience has been created. Those with Resilience have increased defense against blunt weapons, as well as a reduced susceptibility to status effects received from physical attacks.

Each point of resilience translates to .1% increase in the specified defense area. It is impossible to distribute stat points to this stat. Resilience will rise as your body is damaged and repaired.

Resilience +75

A new resistance has been created.

Pain Resistance (2%)

By suffering through that which transcends imagination the mind has become accustomed to and will begin to block out pain. This resistance will reduce the amount of pain felt along with any flinch or status effects that follow.

Pain Resistance can be increased through various items as well as by experiencing high levels of pain.

Baron read the messages but was unaware of how beneficial the extra stats and skill would be. His believed they had no use. The Vow skill would only be useful in keeping him to his word—not that he planned to forsake it to begin with. The Resilience and Anger stats seemed redundant since they already dwelled within him. Additionally, he didn’t need a stat to sort out his emotions. The Pain Resistance sounded like it could prove useful. Whether inside a game or reality, pain remained constant. Although Baron considered himself to have a high threshold, something to take the edge off sounded nice.

The only thing that mattered was the hellish experience had come to an end, and the last tendrils of phantom pain began to subside. As he tried to reflect on what happened he realized most of it disappeared. He locked the majority of the day deep within the recesses of his mind—never to occupy his thoughts again.

House of Wolves

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Author’s Notes

Question to everyone: What do you think the thing Grim mentioned that “is something most hesitate to part with” is?

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