VRMMO: World's First Glyphborne-Chapter 149: Panic on the streets of Gracia
Dragons! It was a word that sent players all around the world into a mad frenzy of excitement. They were one of the most well known creatures in all of existence, despite the fact they didn’t actually exist.
They were the feature of countless legends, the symbol of multiple countries and a sign of power in even more. No matter what form they might take, or alternative name they might be known as, whether you were from the west or the east.
Everyone knew what a Dragon was and what it represented.
A metric crap ton of loot! That’s what!
The forums became completely a buzz with activity as soon as the first report of the beast was let loose, along with a video to chase away any doubt.
It was choppy, and hastily filmed in a complete panic. But between the ear shattering roar and the huge creature lunging out of a pile of gold, that was enough to convince people it was real.
Even if the video could be disproven as fake, and many tried in the first hour of its release, it wasn’t long after that even more reports came in. Not just from forum posts online, but through the chatter of the NPCs.
More and more reports of a Dragon on a rampage were sent out until it was confirmed without a doubt. The first true World Boss had arrived, and it was a Dragon.
Everyone within the regions of Gracia and Rowdan, and even some further away, logged in for just a chance at the beast and Valerie and Percy were no exception to that. Those who were not even close to the cities, or even on a different continent, could only stare at their screens and cry as they lived vicariously through their favourite streamers. So nothing new really.
Valerie had brought her Neural Crown with her in the little black case, so that she could log in and feed Beans every day to keep his cultivation going. Including todays meal, Beans was sitting at solid and sturdy 30%.
The only visible changes was an extra shine in his coat, which was even fluffier. Why he was growing more fluff instead of growing actually bigger, she had no idea. But it wasn’t important right now. Dragons was all she needed to focus on.
Rushing out of the Inn, Belladonna became one of a crowd that was flooding the streets. The locals of the cities quickly vacated the streets, watching from the windows of stores, inns and houses as a literal river of Graceless flooded through their streets, threatening to trample anyone unwitting enough to get in their path.
Some burst out of the gate, pouring into the forest like a tide, while others rushed towards where the carriage drivers congregated, flaunting their wealth in an attempt to get one over on the poor fools that only had their legs to use.
But no matter what option you chose, fights immediately broke out as people attacked each other, sometimes because they were stealing a carriage from them, sometimes because they wanted the wealth being flaunted and sometimes to settle old grudges.
Some players didn’t even need a reason, and just did it for the hell of it.
The countless brawls drew the guards out as they forced their way through the crowds, deploying lethal force wherever they could. But such tactics were never going to stop the Graceless. It was one of the first times that the people of Dawd looked at the Graceless with something other than pitiful eyes.
They looked at them with fear. Fear that, as a result of the deathless and Graceless existence, these strange beings were truly insane. Their strange names and fashion senses were one thing, but this type of violence was... barbaric.
Belladonna punched a man in the throat as he lunged at her, just a sharp and quick jab that was enough to cause him to stumble back, clutching at his throat as he choked on his own Adam’s apple.
She stepped out of the way of a wild, completely uncoordinated sword swing from her side, and had to immediately dodge again as someone else was thrown into her.
Flames spewed from her feet as she launched into the air, however she didn’t get very far.
She stopped barely above head height as something clamped around her ankle. Whipping her head down, she found some genius in plate armour holding her leg and stopping her from flying away.
"I got her! Guys, I actually got He-AAAARRRGHH!" He shouted, as Belladonna stuck her other foot in his face and let his head bask in the warm of her flames.
It was so helpful that he didn’t bother to wear his helmet, most likely because it made it difficult to see or was uncomfortable.
This was definitely worth the comfort.
Before she had even fully cooked this fools head, someone else tackled her out of the air, wrapping their arms around her waist instead.
The added body weight dragged her down to the ground and they tumbled through the forest of legs in a twisted mass of limbs.
Her would-be assassin ended up on top, her arms pinned above her head in an awkward and uncomfortable position.
A lecherous smile spread across his face as he drew a dagger from his belt and immediately thrust it towards her throat.
The steel needle stopped dead, just as it touched against her skin. The Assassins face sank into confusion before twisting into a hateful scowl as he leaned on the blade more, putting his body weight into it.
Belladonna grit her teeth, stirring her bloodline to make a shell of magnetic force as strong as she could, but even still his blade pushed closer and closer, until a droplet of blood trickled down her pale, porcelain skin.
But while she couldn’t stop the blade entirely, she did manage to shift her legs beneath him.
Her knee suddenly shot up, finding the perfect target right between his legs as those precious pearls were smashed into oblivion.
A high pitched whimper escaped his lips, the pressure left the blade and his face smushed together in a unique pain.
As soon as the pressure was gone, Belladonna’s body contorted itself in ways she hadn’t done in years.
Her hands clamped onto his wrist, her legs locked around his throat and she twisted.
The Assassin fell forwards, his nose meeting the ground in a bloody reunion, as Belladonna extended the triangle hold until there was a sickening crunch.
She released the hold, took his blade from his hand and lifted his head by his hair. He never got a chance to whimper again, before his own blade glided across his throat, spilling his last words across the ground.
