Sword and Claw

Book One: Chapter 19

Inside Vahr's brig, the lizard man untied Sora's ropes and pushed her into a cage against the wooden wall. She landed on the floor, covered by hay. At least the cage doesn't smell like crap.

Sora rose until Maxor fell on top of her. The lizard laughed, closed the wooden door, locking it with a click.

Maxor stood up on all fours over Sora and smiled at her. His muzzle nearly touched her snort. "I think we are meant for each other."

Sora growled and pushed Maxor off her. "I don't got time for this!"

She got up and touched her wrist.

Time to get the hell out of here!

After the technical menu opened, Sora's eyes widened. "Huh?"

The logout button and the messenger weren't on the menu. Could it be a glitch?

Sora closed the menu and opened it again. Still nothing. "What the hell!"

"What's the matter?" Maxor asked.

Sora turned her back on him to ignore him.

Without the logout button, she couldn't return to her real body in the real world. And without the messenger, she couldn't call for help.

How can this be?

The vixen she met at the tavern must be some kind of hacker. She switched Sora's mind into her avatar and possessed his avatar while his mind was unconscious. Because Sora was in the wrong body, the logout couldn't work for her. All logouts in the game were connected to the players' bodies so their minds could easily return to their original bodies.

If Sora couldn't log out, could the hacker not log out too? Then why commit a risky move to steal his avatar?

Sora never heard about a player body-switching other players. Whoever the hacker was, he or she knew how to do it.

If Sora was to return to reality alive, she must find the bastard who stolen her avatar.

First, she has to escape the arena and develop her new character to move on. Speaking of character, Sora opened up her new character status.

Sora

Fox

Barbarian

Female

Level: 01

HP: 10/10

Attack Power: 5

Defense: 15

Mana: 100/100

Action moves:

Parry- Blocks enemy attack.

Swift strike- Light attack with fast speed.

Tailwhip- Knocks target off its feet.

Abilities:

Rage- Attack power increases up to 10 and player strike all nearby targets ruthlessly for one minute. 10 Mana Cost.

Charm- Target will become attracted to player without attacking for three minutes. 10 Mana Cost

Gold: 0

Equipment:

Chain mail- DEF+5

Gloves-DEF+5

Boots- DEF+5

XP: 0%

"I'm going to get my ass kick!" Sora complained.

"What?" Maxor asked.

Sora glared at him and kept her eyes on the menu.

A level one player up against higher level mobs and NPCs was suicide. All higher-level opponents have stronger attacks and more health points than weaker players. If their defense points were higher too, Sora's basic attack wouldn't work.

Only a weapon with higher attack power could make Sora's attack stronger if she could get a good decent weapon on the ship. If Sora could kill an NPC, her level would go up quickly. But could surviving in the arena be possible for her?

And what would happen if she dies? Without the ability to logout, would she get stuck in the middle of cyberspace?

She should avoid death, just in case.

"May I ask what is bothering you?" Maxor asked.

Sora closed her menu and sighed. "You wouldn't understand."

The wolf crossed his arms. "Try me."

Sora turned toward him. Perhaps telling him would get her anxiety out of her system. "What I said in the cart was true. I am a man, trapped inside a woman's body."

Maxor looked up and down on her. "Am I supposed to be shocked?"

Sora rubbed her eyelids. "I'm serious!"

"Then explain."

Sora bit her lower lip.

She couldn't explain honestly to the NPC because he wouldn't understand her. All the NPCs were programmed to stick to their character designs. They wouldn't understand the players' slang or knowledge of the real world. It would be like a time traveler trying to talk to a medieval person in the dark ages. But if Sora doesn't answer Maxor, he probably won't leave her alone.

"I was..... At a tavern where I met a beautiful vixen." Sora lent against the bars with her arms crossed. "We talked till we kissed in an alley, and then she used some kind of magical stone on me. Then I woke up in the cart..... In.....this..... Body!"

"Um-hm."

"This is her body! Not mine! And I wasn't drunk!"

Maxor clicked his tongue. "Perhaps a sorceress bewitched you."

"A sorceress?"

"Yes, I slept with one who tried to turn me into a munic for some reason. I suppose she heard that I slept with other women before her. But I managed to escape and kept my pride safe."

Sora doubted the game would have NPC sorceresses who could body snatch players. If the creators didn't care, millions of players would sue them for trapping them in the game. It would be more catastrophic for the company. "I..... Guess you're right."

Maxor chuckled and padded Sora's shoulder. "It's alright. We all make mistakes, even when we lose our balls."

"But I didn't lose my...... Balls. The sorceress stole them."

Maxor laughed. "I guess she prefers having balls instead."

Sora laughed with the NPC until she yawned. "I'm going to rest now."

"That dart is still making you dozy?"

Sora rubbed her left eye. "It might leave my system if I rest more."

"Well, whatever you do, I have your back."

Sora sneered. "Is it because I am a girl?"

Maxor held up his hands and shook his head. "Not at all! But I should warn you....." He pointed his finger at the cage door. "The other men won't be gentle on you."

Sora gulped.

One girl on a ship full of barbaric men would be a death sentence to her. Even if all of them were NPCs.

"Well thank you for warning me, but I can watch my own back." Sora approached a bed at the back of the cage.

She laid down on the bed, facing the ceiling. She cuddled next to her tail, feeling how cozy it was. Whatever they were going, she won't give up on trying to escape.