Collide Gamer

Chapter 16 – Ghosts, as promised

Pants back on, John had to ask, “But… do you deal holy damage?” There never had been answer to that.

“Don’t think holy damage is a thing in reality.” Rave tapped her chin. “It’s all elemental stuff or arcane stuff or punch stuff, ya know?” He did not know and she continued before he could ask. “Anyway, nothing sacred about me. Don’t need it though, ghosts are super wimpy. You’ll see in a sec.”

The expectant gaze made it clear that she was done talking. ‘On to fighting then,’ the Gamer thought. He focused his mind on the word ghost, as he created a new Instant Dungeon. Just like previous times, the wind suddenly ceased. The constant small skitters and chirps that filled the forest vanished, like a candle flame snuffed out between two fingers.

However, the forest was not unchanged. A gentle fog drifted between the trees. Broken by the canopies, the summer sun still provided enough light to pierce through the swirling mist. Visibility was inhibited at a distance that didn’t matter. John felt like he had been drawn into a horror movie set at the wrong time of day.

Small pockets of fog swirled in circles. The thin moisture was drawn into one spot, until the blurry outline of a person’s face emerged. Stretching, the face pulled into existence an ethereal body of blue energy. Two arms extended out of the sides. Like tattered cloth underwater, its form moved as it drifted towards him and Rave.

Lower Ghost, Level 11

The personification of lesser regrets, clinging to this world. These regrets range from a letter never sent to a person never punched.

‘I mean, I would like a bit more than trivia,’ John thought. ‘Really got to level Observe up more.’

More faces peeled from the mist. Mouths opened, holes of darker blue, teethless and empty. Unheard screams filled the air with a chilling touch. Levels ranged from 11 to 14, far above him and almost at Rave’s level. “You sure we’re ready for this… w-what are you doing?”

“Ya never listen to music while ya work out?” Rave was untangling the headphones of her MP3-player. She gave him a side glance and giggled. “Of course ya don’t.”

‘Okay, I may deserve that one, but can we focus on the issue at hand?!’ John thought and kept his eyes on the Lower Ghost that was hovering towards him. They were slow, if there was any silver lining to this.

Rave put one of the earplugs in and left the other dangling. “Nope, nah, nein, not that one,” she tapped through her music library. The Lower Ghosts began to circle around them, like a pack of wolves. John could’ve stretched out a hand and touched the closest one. “Oh, that one’s a banger!”

A faint beat echoed from the dangling ear plug. Not loud enough for him to recognize the song, just enough to give everything a rhythm. Rave rolled her shoulders, then took a deep breath.

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“Ya wanna see something fun?” she asked.

“I would like to not die,” John responded seriously, no trembling nor additional volume in his voice. ‘Wow, I really do well under pressure.’

Rave grinned. Dramatically, she raised her hand. When she clenched her five fingers into one fist, a blue aura suddenly enveloped her. It rose a few centimetres from her skin, looking like a mixture of fire and translucent gas.

“That looks like a downgraded version of the aura from that Dragonball show?” John asked, still too focused on the monsters to give it as much attention as it may have deserved.

“Ya watch anime?!” Rave asked, excited.

“Uhm, no, sorry, just clips?” John confessed. First time ever he felt like he should have dabbled in the medium.

“Urgh,” Rave tilted her head in frustration. “Ya should. It’s very tsugoi. Anyway, this is an Aura. Ya remember Moira telling ya about martial arts and stuff? This is the base for those. I can throw lasers and punch people really hard, am I not just the most amazing thing you’ve ever seen?”

“Yes, definitely, great battle mage, but could you maybe stop cooking me over here?!” John barely managed to get away from a warning swipe of a Lower Ghost. These monsters were forgiving, he had to give the tutorial that much. “Also, can you explain to me what the hell your accent is?!”

That just slipped out among the adrenaline, but it made Rave laugh. “It’s my accent. You got me?”

John did not get anything. ‘This girl sucks at explaining things!’ he thought, as he threw himself to the ground to escape a more threatening swipe of the ghost’s claws. A good decision on two levels. One was that he dodged the attack, the other was that Rave’s roundhouse kick went over his head.

Her foot barely slowed when it came in contact with the enemy. Dragging through, she ripped the Lower Ghost apart like a wet paper towel. Its face contorted into a regretful visage, while its whole body unravelled into nothing.

55 EXP

That was pretty good actually. Only about 8 more of them and he would reach another level.

“Only ten? Dude, this is bonkers bad.” Rave did not share his enthusiasm.

“Well, little things add up, Jane.” John accidently used her real name. She didn’t mind or didn’t notice. “Plus it’s worth it for me so… t-that’s good, right?”

Rave hummed, tapping her heel to the rhythm of the song. “Guess you’re right,” she half-sung. Her voice was wonderfully steady, not missing a single, ascending note. Finger pointed at another ghost, she fired a thin beam. The laser punched a hole through another ghost. It burned outwards, consuming the entire entity in a matter of seconds.

49 EXP

“See, I told ya these would be easy.” Rave exclaimed and stemmed her hands on her hips. She kept low tabs on another Lower Ghost, but the monsters kept approaching very slowly.

“But why though? They are… they are really close to your level.”

“Really? You should call your system designer. Only annoying thing about ghosts is that ya usually can’t touch them.” Rave pointed at the blue Aura that was around her. “This takes care of that though.” She pointed at the next Ghost that was trying to attack them and shot it with another beam of light. “Not that I need it. Just wanted to show off to ya, newbie.”

“Please decide between ya and you already,” John complained again.

“Aw, ya sound like Baldy!” Rave said, “How cute of you.”

John felt the red rise to his face and stood up. He barely bit back the ‘Thanks, you too,’ response that wanted to leave his throat. Instead, he said nothing and let her deal with the remaining ghosts. ‘Guess its MMO NPC logic? The enemies are appropriate to be fought at that level, not a threat at that level… is that just for Instant Dungeon enemies or all enemies?’

John had the luxury to ponder those questions, while Rave cleaned house. All he really needed to do was stick close enough to be in saving distance and far enough not to get hit by a stray punch. Getting carried sure was neat. She was dragging him out of the low levels at rapid speed.

More flashes of lights, more kicks and punches, everything to the beat that so faintly reached John’s ears. ‘Well, I need to level possession anyway,’ John thought and fixed his gaze on that dangling earplug.

He became the rubber cover of the earplug. Next to him, the song existed quietly – only to crank all the way up when the drop hit. The beat and the melody surged to a new pace and with it Rave picked up the pace. Blasts of light turned another ghost into nothing. She charged, leapt, and drop-kicked through one enemy then cut through the last with her elbow.

The part of the forest they were in was now free of fog. More ghosts were likely lingering further out, but for now it was safe. Rave’s Aura was extinguished. “Was kinda interesting,” she said. “Ya got something out of this?”

“Y-yes,” John responded, excited.

Level Up!

Another five Stat Points for him. ‘I’ve got to take the time to spend them,’ he reminded himself. As he closed the window his eye fell on something on the floor. “Oh h-hey, it dropped something,” He said as if that was the most normal thing in the world.

Rave eyes went wide. “Wait, really?!”

Clearly it was not normal.