Deadline Read online

  Izzy

  Level

  11

  Class

  Mystic

  XP

  115556

  Kit

  Frost Mage

  Next

  171075

  Strength

  9

  Strike

  247

  Agility

  18

  Dodge

  346

  Craft

  6

  Health

  198 / 198

  Essence

  25

  Spirit

  486 / 486

  Game Over

  Story, Design, and Development

  Domino Finn

  Edits

  Philip Newey

  Programming

  Kablammy Games

  Shot on location in Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; and Outer Space.

  Azzyrk has sent Talon a Blood Feud request.

  Talon has denied Blood Feud request.

  Lash

  Do *you* want fabulous lashes too? Ask me how with my new makeup line!

  Conan

  Wait, is this one of those MLM schemes?

  Crux

  Don't tell me they got you too.

  Glinda

  It really works, you guys! I made $1,000 of passive income just last week!

  Hex

  Do you sell nail polish darker than Vantablack? 'Cause that would be rad.

  Nooner

  What's your dragon name? First name is your mother's maiden name. Last name is your social security number.

  Stigg

  Joke's on you. I'm not from the States so I don't have a social.

  Caduceus

  Plus I'm pretty sure your mother was a brown bear.

  Stigg

  And definitely no maiden!

  (Sponsored Content)

  Ran out of your favorite LitRPG? Want more shadow magic in your life? Cisco Suarez is THE Black Magic Outlaw.

  Talon

  Man, this ad targeting is getting eerily specific.

  Izzy

  Spam seems to be getting worse lately. Did someone change the algorithm?

  Focus testing courtesy of Boost Systems. Focus testing indicates that focus testing is a surefire way to make your game as bland as possible. Someone doesn't like those rough edges? Polish them down to a fine turd. Boost Systems, boosting your turds since 2010.

  InLink, provider of project management, deployment, corporate moles, and bloody office raids. Guaranteed slow-motion helicopter explosions or your money back.

  Kablammy would like to thank its QA partners in Thiruvananthapuram, Texas.

  Azzyrk

  Mob Lives Matter! Come to the swamp march!

  Serpico

  Hey, what about NPC Lives?

  Azzyrk

  NPCs are okay I guess.

  Skoal

  What about pets? Or summons? Wait a minute... what am I?

  Azzyrk

  You're a monster. Obviously.

  Jixa

  No uses that word, apa!

  Azzyrk

  Oh, give me a break.

  Crux

  Guys, guys, can't everyone get along and stop the infighting? Everybody counts or nobody counts. (At least if we take lessons from Harry Bosch.)

  Azzyrk

  Shut up, PLAYER!

  Azzyrk has sent Talon a Blood Feud request.

  Talon has denied Blood Feud request.

  Grom

 

  Kyle, Izzy, and I stood in a circle.

  Haven 1.0

  1 minute and 17 seconds...

  The launch was imminent and there was nothing left to say. Whatever was coming, I was ready for it. Side by side, we'd forge our path, fight on, and level up.

  We watched the timer and waited.

  Haven 1.0

  11 seconds...

  "This is it," I said. I offered a hand to each of my friends.

  Izzy smirked. "Our eternal destiny."

  "Here we go," said Kyle.

  We held hands and watched the timer count down.

  Haven 1.0

  3...

  2...

  1...

  Global Haven Alert:

  Haven has crashed! Please uninstall and reinstall.

  REBOOTING...

  We blinked at each other, still holding hands.

  "This is it," I said.

  Izzy looked around uncertainly. "Our eternal... destiny?"

  Kyle's lips flapped in boredom. "Here goes nothing."

  Haven 1.0

  3...

  2...

  1...

  Installing Day 0 Patch

  Estimated Wait Time: 3 days, 12 hours, 27 minutes

  "Eternal is right," snarked Izzy.

  Kyle hissed. "Screw this. I'm gonna go home and play Call of Duty. Call me when something happens."

  I watched them walk away, waited a beat, and grinned. This was far from game over.

  The likenesses of Chris Cornell and Anthony Bourdain were used with the utmost respect and appreciation. No actual dead people were harmed in the upload process. Except for Karen. We don't talk about Karen.

  The Entrails of Our Souls courtesy of Brain Fart Records. Engines of Dissection courtesy of Butt Fart Records. Apocalypse Bagpipes courtesy of... well... let's not go there.

  This game is dedicated to the memory of Christian Everett and Pete— Pete... Hmm, I don't have a last name. It must be written down somewhere around here.

  Azzyrk has sent Talon a Blood Feud request.

  Talon has denied Blood Feud request.

  Talon marked himself Invisible to Blood Feud requests.

  Talon

  Ugh. Is it just me or does social media totally suck these days?

  Dune

  More trouble than it's worth, my friend.

  Izzy

  Is it possible mankind's most narcissistic tendencies boil down to a desperate cry for help? That those of us who live fuller, richer lives prefer experiences over constantly seeking the validation of strangers? What if, instead of dividing our attention on this zombie slot machine hamster wheel, we pour our whole selves into meaningful targets of our own choosing? Strive for a world of closeness and intimacy? Not perfect presentations, but perfect friendships? Then, in the end, maybe we'll find a bit more of what we're all really looking for: a life that is its own reward.

  Kyle

  But then how will everybody know what winners we are?

  Errol

  Ar, man has a point.

  Trafford

  EVERYONE has a point on social media. That's the whole problem!

  Talon

  Whoa, Izzy, I think you're onto something.

  Izzy

  Although, come to think of it, I do like to share pics of my food.

  Talon

  That's it. I'm done.

  Izzy

  And I do look killer in a bikini. Would be a waste not to show off a little.

  Talon

  Aaaand I'm back.

  Install Complete!

  Haven version 1.0

  Online

  New content initializing...

  New residents activated...

  World map updated (Timberlands (+))

  New cities initialized (Winterhearth (+))

  New relics added (Tusk of the Ancients (+))

  New titans awoken (Krkyor, Bringer of Terror (+))

  New quest strings integrated (The Eternal Cold (+))

  Universal Interstellar Rights have been declared.

  Welcome to the new world.

  Welcome to Haven!

  About the Author

  I'm Domino Finn: game-developer-turned-fantasy-author, media rebel, and product of my generation. (You have died of dysentery.)

  If you enjoyed this book and the Afterlife Online series, please spread the word. Reader recommendations in Facebook groups, reddit, and other sites are the absolute be
st promotion for my books, hands down.

  Each online review = a Deadline level up. Please help!

  Wanna keep in touch?

  Reader Group - the official word on new releases, flash sales, and giveaways.

  Facebook Group - cover reveals, art, and extras, including chat with me and fellow readers.

  DominoFinn.com - my complete book catalog and social media links.

  To learn more about LitRPG, talk to authors including myself, and just have an awesome time, please join the LitRPG Group.

  There’s another Facebook group out there called the Gamelit Society. Come one, come all!

  But seriously, if you’re gonna join a Facebook group, you can’t go wrong with Domino Finnatics. It’s full of people who’ve read this book!

  Get a Free Book

  There are dark places in our world that are better left alone.

  The Black Door is a Cisco Suarez story unavailable anywhere else, but you can get it free by joining my reader group.

  Get your free book!

  Contents

  Copyright

  Also by Domino Finn

  Midlands Map

  Title

  1540 Flight Simulator

  1550 Descent

  1560 Civilization

  >> Minigame <<<br />
  1570 Deal or No Deal

  1580 Life is Strange

  1590 Legacy of the Void

  1600 Call to Arms

  1610 Gears of War

  1620 Wing Commander

  1630 Watch Dogs

  1640 Undying

  1650 Shining Force

  1660 Dungeon Defenders

  1670 InFAMOUS

  1680 Deadlocked

  1690 Counter-Strike

  1700 Perfect Dark

  1710 Limbo

  1720 Temple Run

  1730 Fallout

  1740 Ghost Recon

  1750 Mirror's Edge

  1760 Minesweeper

  1770 Blood Bowl

  1780 Hail to the King

  1790 Shut Up and Jam!

  1800 Dark Souls

  1810 King's Quest

  1820 All 4 One

  1830 Army Men

  1840 The Black Cauldron

  1850 Vagrant Story

  1860 Hexplore

  1870 Going Commando

  1880 Steel Cage Challenge

  1890 The Darkness

  1900 Advanced Warfighter

  >> Minigame <<<br />
  1910 Brain Age

  1920 Where the Wild Things Are

  1930 Castlevania

  >> Minigame <<<br />
  1940 Track & Field

  1950 Uncharted Waters

  1960 BioShock

  1970 Quake

  1980 Crusader Kings

  1990 Eternal Blue

  2000 Out of this World

  2010 Fortnite

  2020 Ultimate Alliance

  2030 Up Your Arsenal

  2040 Boggle

  2050 Dino Crisis

  2060 Combat

  2070 Streets of Rage

  2080 Darksiders

  >> Minigame <<<br />
  2090 World at War

  2100 The Battle for Middle-earth

  2110 Pitfall

  2120 Dungeon Siege

  2130 Gauntlet

  2140 Dragon Warrior

  2150 Eternal Champions

  >> Minigame <<<br />
  2160 Mass Effect

  2170 Titan Quest

  >> Minigame <<<br />
  2180 NiGHTS Into Dreams...

  2190 No Man's Sky

  2200 Wii Party

  2210 Project Reality

  2220 Oblivion

  2230 The Last of Us

  Character Sheets

  [Kyle Character Sheet]

  [Izzy Character Sheet]

  Game Over

  About the Author

  LitRPG

  LitRPG Society

  Domino Finn Fans

  Get a Free Book