Josiah Li lives in a flooded world, where global warming has taken its toll and technology is intertwined in every aspect of daily life. To pass the time in between virtual classes, he finally takes the leap to sign up for a popular game, Starlia. H...
"Shoot," Mags says. An arrow forms in her hand, and she cocks her bow. She releases it before any other player can react. The vampire crab is impaled, disintegrating into dust swallowed by the next wave.
The first crab was only a taste of what's to come. Soon enough, the shore teems with vampire crabs, covering the sands so that the only things visible are orange shells. I freeze. What would it feel like to be caught in their claws? I can't imagine it being pleasant.
The players move to action, and none of them seem to panic. Even Aileen readies herself for battle, drawing her sword. One by one, the crabs overtake the island. A nightmare of crustaceans.
Nathan summons a thunderstorm. He electrifies a hoard of vampire crabs. Mags continues to volley, and Olivia slashes the monsters with her daggers. Aileen charges forth. I admire my friend as she spins her sword and takes out several mobs at once. Cody keeps up with his healing abilities. Whenever one of our allies are attacked, their HP shoots up to full again.
The other groups move to action as well. Their teams are well-oiled machines, fighting together like they've done it for years. The noises that accompany our fighting deafen me. Of clashing weapons and skills that knock hard against the vampire crabs' shells. The vampire crabs' squeals give me chills. I'm frozen in place.
"Do something, Josiah!" Cody yells, as he raises his staff to protect our allies.
"Shower." Mags raises her bow to the sky. It must be her ultimate ability, because hundreds of arrows begin to rain down. They whip through the air and fall upon the vampire crabs, gaining us dozens of kills.
It's shocking enough for me to move into action. It was only moments before when I wanted to prove myself. I can't let the horror of some giant crabs ruin my fighting spirit.
"Dance." I begin to do a little jibe, feeling ridiculous but eventually putting my all into my movements. I read my interface as it changes to register my action. Stats of allies increased.
"Thanks Josiah!" Nathan shouts out, somewhere in between wielding his staff to crush our enemies. With his erupt ability, he takes out a whole hoard of vampire crabs. It sounds like a volcano spitting lava, like a bomb exploding in the ocean.
As I continue dancing, Olivia jumps into the fray. With knivestorm, she kills the vampire crabs as easily as she did those piranhas. Daggers are flying everywhere, metal embedding into the crabs' hard shells.
I'll never look at seafood the same way again.
"Sing." I open my mouth and begin a ballad from Taylor Swift, a story of being left by someone you thought was the love of your life. Not at all fitting for the situation, but it's the only song I can think of at the moment.
The vampire crabs grow drowsy. It's enough for Mags to capitalize on my move. She jumps into a bunch of sleepy crabs. "Thrash." She begins to swing her bow in a wide arc, knocking away the crabs with her weapon. Aileen jumps in as well. With swordspin, she copies Mags—except her sword is able to penetrate the crabs' shells and send them into an instant death.
Each party of six takes a section of the island. Glancing around, I'm shocked by the graphics of Starlia, the colors and blinding flashes that make the game distinct and professional. Mars Nakamura really was a genius. I'm enjoying his creation, and I wish he were here to witness a bunch of professional players give their all into his most precious invention.
I set traps whenever I can. In between, I lend my voice and my harp to the action. It feels like I'm barely doing anything compared to my teammates, but it sure is satisfying when I immobilize an enemy so that someone in my guild can slay it.
A crab scurries nearby. It slashes into me. "Ah!" The coldness of its claws shocks my skin.
Cody, right beside me, raises his staff. "Freeze." The crab beside me turns into a statue, freezing midway into striking me. "Light." A shining bolt shoots from Cody's weapon, turning my assailant into dust.
I lock eyes with my biggest critic. "Thanks," I say. It's nice to know that the priest in my team won't turn a blind eye when I'm about to die.
"Heal." Cody's ability raises me to full health. "It's my job. Don't mention it."
Kind of cold, but it's an improvement on how he usually talks to me. I'll take it.
"One minute left for the monster party!" The announcer sings out. I'm surprised at how fast time is flying.
The battlefield explodes into action as everyone uses their ultimate skills. A storm of death and power arises, and I'm caught in the middle. Vampire crabs fly, and everyone channels their energy in hopes of destroying as many of them as possible. I keep my eyes on the prize, singing my heart out without reservations. I may be the weakest player here, but that doesn't mean I'm useless.
Right before the timer rings, I end my display with a "Serenade," singing a string of notes that finishes off some of the weakened vampire crabs. I may only be level twenty-five, but a minstrel can fight when he needs to. I may not be as effective as Nathan, who sends the elements to defeat hordes of crabs, but I realize I can hold my own.
"Time is up!" the announcer says.
The remaining crabs disappear. The ocean turns still, the waves settling into relaxing tides. The breeze refreshes my skin, and the clouds part to reveal a perfect amount of sun and sky. I'm panting, trying to catch my breath as the scene changes into an oasis. My team also looks beat. Each one of us looks like we've finished a marathon. Monster parties are no joke.
For a moment, everyone's suspended in time. We all wait for the next announcement—the one that will crown a victor. We've all worked incredibly hard. I'm sure that each team thinks they're deserving of the prize.
"Congratulations Mysteriously!"
My heart leaps out of my chest. My interface lights up with notices of experience and gold. Beside me, Aileen screeches in excitement. Even Cody turns for a high five, his smile far from a sneer. My other teammates rush into a pack, and soon we're jumping for joy.
Level 35 reached!
A whole ten levels! Nathan wasn't joking when he said that a monster party will give me and Aileen the boost we need. A few more of these, and I'll almost catch up to the level of my guildmates.
I celebrate with my team—sweaty, but alive and radiant. My smile spreads unbroken. Until I look over Nathan's shoulder. The members of Dragoon stare at me, with violence spinning in their eyes and stances.
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Hey! I can't believe we made it to chapter 20. Thank you for accompanying me on this journey. I want to ask, do you have any memorable monster that you encountered in either a video game or a show?
Although vampire crabs are scary, I can't help but think about Balrog in MapleStory, especially the one that appeared on the ship to Orbis.
