Midsummer Feast

The wind ran between the trees and over the open field in the forest, caressing everything in its way as it at the same time tried to pull the weed along.

A girl was hiding in one of the many bushes in the forest, dressed from head to toe in black, wearing a blank white mask and covering her hair under a black hood.

She was in the middle of a hunt, as usual while playing MMOrpg, and had found her targets. A group of players, and judging from their equipment so were they weak, just the kind of prey she wanted. Even better was that it was served in a set of three, just enough for her to sate her “hunger”.

She, in-game-name Merie, sneaked closer and checked the targets once more. Two Knights and a Mage. One class was too weak to fight back against her, and two of a class were too slow to stand a chance.

Merie took a deep breath and held the handle, in the claws, tighter. Trying to build up any possible problem which could come up as she attacked, but none could come to mind. She was sure they were far enough from the town for any straying player to find them, and even if that would happen so wouldn’t it be any problem as long it wasn’t a larger group. And if it would be a large party so would it still not be any problem because she would hear them before they arrived.

Launching out from the undergrowth and heading straight toward the Knights, both had their backs against her, as they happily gathered berries from some bushes. Reaching the knight, in seconds, and reaching across his neck with one hand. Letting her scoped-formed claws rip the side of his throat.

Thanks to the build of the MMOrpg so wasn’t there any blood splattering over the ground, but it wasn’t what Merie wanted. She was more than satisfied enough with the fear spreading on the fellow Knight’s face. Soon enough also heard a high shriek from the Mage, but paying it no attention before turning her attention to the second Knight. Not even letting the first body fall to the ground before taking charge for a soccer-kick. Aiming for his forehead but getting the throat, still satisfied it did stun the player.

(Merie hadn’t any real-life fighting experience. All she knew came from this and other violent VR-games. But it wasn’t as if she played those violent games because she was a violent person, instead so was it just to let some steam out and let loose for the things she couldn’t do anything about in the real world.)

With the Knight stunned so did she take a swing at his face, leaving white-shiny marks in the wake of her claws. Following the momentum and letting herself take half a round before delivering a swing-kick to the side of his head. Sure it would finish him off.

Merie took a short breath and turned to the Mage, who was preparing a spell, but wouldn’t get the chance to finish it as Merie took a leap forward. And for the fun out of it delivering a headbutt as she reached her, grabbing the Mage’s shoulders and pushing her down at her back. Following her down to a mounting position before unleashing a fury of slashes with her claws.

Before Merie could think of anything else so did the Mage disappear in an explosion of shiny particles. First then considering that she maybe went out a little too hard on the player with, possibly, the least HP. But satisfied with the hunt so could she accept that, and got up at her feet. Walking away as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

(The game Merie was playing was an MMOrpg, Rocking World, which had independently grown famous and infamous for the freedom it gave its players.

They could do almost anything in the game. Conquer some land and become a ruler, many players had already done that and were at war with other players. While others trained and built their character to be strong warriors, independent, for a Guild or one of the countries. And of course so was it impossible for countries to develop far without builders and crafters, which wasn’t a problem since that also was a class they could follow.

In some cases so we’re there players, like Merie, who decided to not follow any of those lines, or the kindness of the community. Spending their time killing other players and spreading chaos wherever they went.

Killing players and going berserk was allowed by the developers, but the highly developed NPCs and players weren’t looking at it as kindly. Grouping together to destroy the PKs, player-killers, and bring peace to the world. But in response to that, and because it was fun, so did the developers release a patch to reach out a helping hand to the PKs.)

Merie headed further into the forest, listening to any indications if there was anyone else nearby, but luckily it didn’t seem like that. Letting her open her menu and press “Select set”, and “Suck”. All in one go changing her equipment to a a black blouse and pants, and also changed her name to “Merie”. The name the other players had been able to see earlier, Gust, had been her fake name. A blessing from the developers, a couple of updates ago, as the majority of players and all NPCs had decided to hunt PKs. Making a promise to kill them if they show their face again after getting exposed.

Merie has seen it happen. People had been pulled out from temples, where they’d been revived after being killed, only to be lynched over and over again till the PK had decided to log out. In some cases to never return. And she’d no intention to end like that herself, but it was only because she wasn’t strong enough to fight back against it. Otherwise so would she’ve done like a few other players and been living as a wanted player.

After she was done with everything so did she start running toward the town, hoping to be able to catch someone interesting and get into a party for some hunting or gathering of material. She honestly didn’t care about what she did as long as she did something. And if it involved other people so was it only for the better.

Thanks to that she spent most of her stat points on Agility so didn’t it take too long before she could see the town. A lot of wooden houses, which easily could’ve been set ablaze to ruin the town and the lives of quite some townsfolk. But it was up to someone else to do that, Merie wouldn’t do it. She only found it fun and satisfying to hunt players and couldn’t have cared less about the NPCs. They might be acting human-like, filled with emotions and have a story behind themselves as if they would’ve been real. Still, so could none deny that they simply were a strange combination of codes.

Still, she couldn’t deny the town looking beautiful. Almost giving a feeling it was straight taken out of a fairytale. Or maybe that only was the feeling she got from it?

Well inside the town so did Merie halt her sprint, knowing there would be too many she could run and bump into. Probably too many of them ready for it and to accuse her of trying to use ‘Steal’ on them or something like that. Which was something she’d experienced before.

She walked straight to the town Square and was displeased to see there weren’t many other players. Most probably out already for hunts themselves. And it would be too bothersome to find them and then ask them if she could join them.

Merie dropped an annoyed sigh, irritated the other players already had set out. She opened her menu and pressed the “friend” button, finding Anlie and sending a message. “I see you’re online, Anlie. Do you know if there are any interesting hunts going on?”

Anlie, a nickname Anneli got when they met for the first time, was Merie’s dearest friend, who also had been the person inviting her to test Rocking World. And it was one of the best things Anlie had done lately.

It didn’t take long before Anlie answered, “I don’t know anything going on for the moment. But Lart, from our party, is talking about gathering the party and setting out for a hunt in a couple of days. So if you’re able to hold back till then, I would suggest you hold back till then.”

Merie felt even more annoyed Anlie didn’t have anything going on, but it couldn’t be helped. Instead so did she ask Anlie if she was doing something for the moment, or if they could meet up. Which Anlie, of course, didn’t have time to do. Saying straight out she only would stay in the game for another twenty minutes before she would head to work. And no matter what Merie thought about it, she couldn’t say anything about it.

Back to the menu and opening the party chat “Mien Skitie”, rapidly asking the group if they knew anything fun going on. “Considering there’ll be more hunts, so would I suggest you get your ass in gear to train and get stronger.” “And if that isn’t enough so can you also try to find a skill to help you create bombs. Just think of how cool it would be if we could open an attack with a blast?” The first one answering had been Cleara, hastily followed by an answer from Opiom. Who had a much funnier idea than Merie had heard in a while.

“Do you’ve any idea of where I can learn a skill like that, Opiom? Or do I’ve to find it out myself?” Merie could really consider following through with the idea. But was soon interrupted by another message, “You’re getting more out from training and building an understanding of strategies, Merie. The party as a whole won’t benefit from learning how to create bombs, so I suggest you don’t follow Opiom’s idea.” Marcus, a stingy member like Cleara, was expressing his thought about Opiom’s answer. Both of those stingy asses had always got a problem with how the rest of them were acting without listening to them.

“I don’t want to be like that, Marcus. But I honestly don’t think it’s how anarchy works. So I don’t think things will work out as you wish.” Opiom had more or less said what Merie thought, but involved anarchy in it. Still, it wasn’t as if Merie cared more about it. Sure they would’ve far more fun if they weren’t doing as Marcus and Cleara wanted.

“I don’t know how to get a skill like that, Merie. But I know people who have that skill, but they still haven’t exposed how to get the skill. So I wish you the best of luck, dear.” Opiom could’ve pressured her friends more to find out more about the skill. But since she wasn’t doing it so could Merie try to find something out at the forum, after she was done with playing for the day.

“Get it together and listen to Marcus, Girls. He has good ideas, and I would suggest we do as he says. Strategy is the key to surviving the hunts and evolving as hunters.” Cleara could just shut it and keep that kind of bullshit for herself. And if it was possible so was she also free to shut Marcus up.