Deadly Realm: Fighting for Freedom

Deadly Realm: Fighting for Freedom

Ryan Decker

Published by Ava Catori Books, 2018.

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

DEADLY REALM: FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM

First edition. January 31, 2018.

Copyright © 2018 Ryan Decker.

Written by Ryan Decker.

Deadly Realm

Fighting for Freedom

Ryan Decker

Copyright 2017, Ryan Decker

Survival is the name of the game.

Thrust into a world he could only imagine, Pax is forced to confront his fears and an altered reality. Once inside the game, the rules become deadly clear and there’s only one way out.  He thought being a die-hard gamer would give him an advantage, but battling monsters face-to-face leaves him questioning everything he once knew about himself. In a land filled with ogres, beasts, and dragons, survival becomes a desperate struggle. Out-sized, out-maneuvered, and out-powered, Pax must rely on his wits to keep him alive.

Deadly Realm is a fast-paced, GameLit and LitRPG adventure set in a fantasy world.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 1

Pax tucked his phone in the glove box of his car after one last text to his buddy. This is it , talk soon .

He’d been waiting for this day to arrive. He’d applied months before. When he finally got the letter from LPX that he’d been accepted, he could barely contain his excitement. As one of one hundred selected, he’d participate in a once in a lifetime gaming and medical research project.

The study was looking at focus struggles to help autistic children. On top of doing something that might directly help his brother at some point, he was getting paid for his time. It was a win-win in his book.

Pax grabbed his duffel bag and locked his car. His heart raced as he walked toward the warehouse building. A few other cars had arrived, but he was one of the first. Anxious to get started, he made his way to the entrance.

A guard stood outside the door with a clipboard and a list. Name and identification.

Paxton Tyler, he said, reaching for his wallet to pull out his driver’s license.

The guard eyed him up and down, scanned his ID, and then opened the door.

Pax stepped inside and glanced around. They’d put up a perimeter that forced him to follow a pre-designed path. He traversed through a maze of barriers like it was some sort of cattle chute.

At the end of the queue a man waited for him. He pointed to two rows of chairs. Take the next empty seat in the row. We’ll be starting shortly.

Pax followed the instructions and sat in the sixth chair. Ninety-four other recruits eventually filed in over the next twenty minutes. All seated, they were each assigned a number and were told they’d be loaded onto a bus to reach their next destination. Nothing more was said about where that might be. The shrouded secrecy had his mind spinning. Where were they headed?

People whispered amongst themselves.

A slender man with thick eyebrows spoke after clearing his voice. Before we go, I’ll need you to tag your bags. We don’t have spare room on the bus and a crew will follow behind us with your belongings. We’re moving to a more secure location. All your questions will be answered when we arrive. This is simply a staging area. The nature of this research requires the utmost security, and this saves us from leaks. Let me remind you that each of you has agreed to our confidentiality clause by participating in our project.

People shuffled around and labeled bags with the provided utensils. A low hum of excitement filled the air as a garage door opened to the side of the warehouse. In the order they’d arrived, they loaded onto the bus, following the group before them.

Pax surveyed the crowd. There were mostly men and a handful of women. He couldn’t help thinking about what being launched into a virtual reality landscape would be like. It was a dream come true, the ability to live in a fantasy world. How would they do it? What was involved?

The guy sitting to his right went by Maverick, though Pax was pretty sure he was probably just a Tom, Dick or Harry. He’d call the guy Maverick if that’s what he wanted...whatever. A girl in front of them was one of four or five. Her voice stood above the others, higher pitched. She rambled on about her life to the poor guy sitting next to her. She must have talked the entire time. Pax said a few words to the guy beside him, then stared out the window.

He zoned out at some point, losing track of the road.

LPX, Lockwood Pharmex, was sponsoring the research, but no matter what he’d searched on the web prior to the gig, he couldn’t find anything else about the study. They were known for pushing boundaries and finding solutions with outside the box thinking.

Deep pocketed donors made their research possible, but other than that, he couldn’t find much more.

Would he have taken the gig without getting paid two grand? Probably, but the extra cash would come in handy. He’d just made some expensive repairs to his beat-up Mustang, and couldn’t afford a new car. The two thousand bucks would go toward rent and a sweet new gaming system. The new system was coming out at the end of the year, but from what he heard they’d be launching it at a higher price than first anticipated. It was freaking expensive, but now it was in his sights.

Not like he could afford the new system otherwise, and he was tired of some of the outdated shit he was forced to reckon with. His gaming computer was growing older, and his consoles weren’t in much better shape. It was easier to afford stuff when he was still living at home, but out on his own, rent and electric ate up most of his paychecks.

He'd been forced to use vacation time at work so he didn’t lose his job. Thankfully, he had enough to cover the week he’d be gone. Not much more though. It was a good trade if it meant he could modernize his equipment and cover some rent in the process.

The bus jolted to a stop. He glanced out the window, but there was nothing to identify the large brick building, no signs, no road name...nothing.

The guy at the front guided them off the bus. A van parked behind them with their extra supplies.

Find your bag and we’ll get everyone settled so we can start orientation. The sooner we get started, the better. We’ll eat after orientation, then it begins. With a limitation of seven days, we don’t have time to waste. Once inside, somebody will greet you and escort you to your room.

PAX NARROWED HIS EYES, taking in the surroundings. Nothing stood out, but they promised things would move quickly. After some gruel, he’d be balls deep in the game, or so they said.

He