A New World (Gamer, Book 1) by Kenneth Guthrie Page B

usual."
    "Usual...?"
    Axel covers Harry's mouth.
    "He would be more than happy to assist you in
your experiments.”
    The word experiments rings in Harry's
mind. Josh looks at him with a look that promises bad things on his
face and Harry starts to worry.
    "Of course, we have to do a test
first.”
    "A test sounds fine. What do you have in
mind?"
    "Well you want to know why I need skinny ones
right? I figure I can show you right now."
    He clicks his fingers and a portal appears
next to him. The NPC looks through the door and its eyes burn red.
All three of them look at the angry looking computer-generated
shopkeeper and decide it's time to leave.
    Axel pulls Harry through the portal and they
appear in a dark cave.
    "Well, Harry the test starts here."
    Don't worry. He is not as bad as he
seems, appears in white in Harry’s vision.
    "How are you doing that?"
    Axel rolls her eyes and Josh glances at
her.
    "He's new. Give him time."
    "It's called whispering . All you need
to do is imagine forcing your words at someone and it will appear
right in front of them around about here.”
    She holds her hands up in
explanation.
    Harry stares at her and tries to force the
words I am whispering at her. She looks expectant but
nothing happens.
    "I guess you are going to need a little bit of
practice. You’ll get it eventually."
    They turn back to the cave and Axel draws out
her bow. Harry pulls his new sword out and Josh looks at it in
interest.
    "That's quite a weapon you have there," he
says. "I don’t suppose you want to trade it for some
gold?"
    Harry is tempted, but something inside of him
tells him that it is not a good idea to let this thing out of
sight.
    "I think I'll hold on to it
thanks."
    Josh shrugs and glances at the sword once
more. He seems amused more than anything else, but there's a
wariness that sits around the edges of his eyes that wasn't there
before.
    "Shall we get going? I want to grab a coffee
at the maid-cat cafe after this."
    "Sounds like a plan," Josh says.
    They step around the corner and the first
thing that happens is they are attacked.
    A small sigh spider, about as big as a
reasonable size dog, steps out from behind a rock outcrop and leaps
at Josh. He steps aside and jokingly holds up his ropes as if he's
a matador enraging a bull with his cape.
    "Let's see what you can do, new guy. Why don’t
you kill that spider?"
    Harry tries to take a swipe at the thing, but
it manages to slip past his blade and latch onto his thigh. He
cries out in fear as he feels the small legs of the spider latch on
to him.
    Axel saves him by kicking the little beastie
off, but it’s already too late. His armor is just as raggedy as
before and the little creature has managed to bite him rather
deeply.
    "Ouch, that's got to sting. You know some of
these things are poisonous right?"
    The beast jumps at him and he slashes out with
his sword. He manages to cleave off its leg, but overbalances and
falls to one knee in the process. The creature jumps onto his face
and begins biting him right in the middle of the
forehead.
    Josh cracks up in laughter and Axel gives him
a look that says she is not impressed. The wizard sighs and points
his finger at the spider. A single laser beam chops the spider in
two, but he accidentally chops off the end of Harry's nose in the
process of killing the little creature.
    "You're not very good at fighting," he says,
conversationally to Harry, who is holding the pixilated red spot
where his nose was a moment ago.
    "He's no class . Trust me, he’s better
than he looks,” Axel says, giving Harry an understanding look. “He
lost his Pig Sticker recently and... well... you can see there's a
bit of an adaption going on with the new weaponry."
    Josh looks amused and smiles at
Harry.
    "I never thought anyone would be stupid enough
to become a no class in a test situation, but I guess there
are idiots everywhere.”
    "Who are you calling..."
    Harry is saved from becoming laser fodder by a
noise above them.