My Favorite Game Followed Me!

The sun was already peeking from the horizon when Anton, his father Anders, and his sister Anna went to ride the cart to run away to another country where the undead, they hoped, would never catch up. Anton’s father rode in the front seat and would drive the two horses Maide and Bailey. Anna opted to ride beside his father and Anton told his family that he would ride inside the cart to continue meditating for a few more hours and his father agreed.

Anton planned to practice his spells outside the Rogue Encampment so he would need to enter the game virtually. When everyone was ready, his father drove the horse southeast to get to the holy city of Tiande, then Nurmeno then onwards to the city of Zalnothel but his father told him that there would be many villages between the cities, and it may take half a year before they arrive to their destination. He was aghast by the length of the journey but looking forward to it at the same time since this would be his first true adventure in the new world.

While they were driving away Anton saw Anna looking back at their house and he realized that they were uprooting the girl from everything that she knew. She grew up in these parts and all of her friends were here as well and they always looked forward to visiting Oakswood village whenever there was a chance. The only consolation that his sister could think of was all of her friends were leaving as well to avoid the undead coalition.

That meant that the true enemy who disrupted their lives was the undead. Before he entered the game virtually, he joined his father and his sister at their seat.

“Before I meditate can I ask you some questions?”

“Of course,” His father answered.

“Are there different types of undead and what are their hierarchies?” Anton asked his father who thought for a few minutes before answering.

“During my youth, I too went on an adventure with a mercenary band. That’s where I met your mother you know. In our adventures, your mother and I encountered a lot of undead and other monsters under the banner of our band. The basic undead under the physical category are your walking dead, the zombies which are composed of different species like your typical zombie, then zombie dogs, and then zombie other animals. Then your ghouls which is a stronger type of undead that can run very fast and is very strong. I know that your zombie was made from a human corpse that was summoned by a necromancer or some type of death magic but for the other undead, I don’t know where they came from so I don’t know where the ghouls came from. Then we have your skeletons with different professions like skeleton warriors and skeleton archers and mages.” Anders paused for a bit to think, and Anton saw that Anna was listening closely too.

“Then we have your strong undead that if we encounter one, we will undoubtedly die. They were called vampires. Vampires looked like your normal human but for the fact that they only come out at night and drink blood. They are extremely fast, extremely strong, and can use magic. Under the spiritual undead, there are your ghosts and wraiths and more, but I don’t know any more than that. Of course, the most powerful of them all are the liches. There are several hierarchies between them, but I don’t know the minute intricacies between the undead like for example there were some who were called just liches and then there were elder liches, emperor liches, and more. To know more you will have to converse with a mage or a scholar.” Anders continued.

“If vampires can use magic, why are they not called liches?” Anna asked and Anders just shrugged.

“I think vampires were made by other vampires and liches are powerful wizards who didn’t want to die so they resorted to undead magic to continue living. Of course, I’m not sure about that,” Anton answered for his father.

“Do you know how to become a lich? Since you’re a wizard can you become a lich?” Anna asked Anton.

“I don’t know how to become a lich and if I die, I will be dead and will not become a lich. If a necromancer raises me, I will become a zombie. I think to become a lich you will need to become a very powerful wizard first who knows all types of magic, especially undead magic, and know the ritual to become a lich. I only know the spells that I’ve shown you and I think that categorizes me as a beginner wizard who has powerful spells.” Anton told his sister.

“How do you know all of this?” Anders asked his son.

“How do I know to cast spells? It was in the dream before I woke up. I think the information that I have was purchased at the cost of my memory and something more that I don’t know anything about, and I don’t know if it’s worth it.”

“It’s sad to forget about Mother but if it would help us defend against monsters, Mother would be happy to learn that you have the power to do so,” Anna said which brought warmth to Anton’s heart.

“I agree,” Anders said while looking at his daughter approvingly.

During their travel out of the farm, Anton asked questions about common things like what were the currencies called. His father answered him. It was your typical iron bits, copper coins, silver coins, and gold coins and the conversion was one hundred to one instead of ten to one which was the typical conversion that he had read in novels. Anders showed him what the currencies looked like and to his surprise, his father owned a few gold coins. The coins looked like what he expected them to look.

Anton then asked the prices of food, a stay at an inn, clothes, a horse, a farm, and more. Although his father gave him the estimated prices of things, it was mentioned that it would vary from place to place.

Regarding the language, they were speaking what they called the common language which was the same several countries surrounding Mendi. His father told him that the language would only begin to change after five or six countries away in any direction.

Anton mentioned that he was glad he knew how to speak the language and had not forgotten that part and this sentence actually brought realization and relief to his father and sister’s faces.

While they were traveling they encountered other people who were as early as them in leaving the village. They talked with their neighbors for a while but since Anton’s family was carrying less than the others, they soon bypassed them.