by Rick Scar
Yes/No
In response to this outright ridiculous question, Will tapped Yes.
You have obtained 1/3 of the Free Flight Knowledge
The same message popped up when he activated each of the remaining books. Accepting the third one, Will was suddenly pressed to the floor, as if the local gravitational pull had suddenly been multiplied by five. The floor disappeared. He was falling through the air, in his own wingless body.
ATTENTION! The final part of the test has been activated.
New skill learned: Wings (Hidden)
Duration: 20 s
Cooldown: 30 s
Activation: Wave your arms and think about flying.
Use the experience you’ve gained in the tests to land successfully. If you die, you will fail the challenge. You will lose this skill.
Raven’s eyes, unprotected from the head wind, were shrouded in tears. He felt like he was jumping from the same intimidating height in the real world.
Shit. Do I have to wave my arms? Shit. Shit. Shit.
He fell into a tailspin and only just managed to spread his arms to activate the new skill. “Wings!”
His arms instantly transformed. These new broad, feathered limbs slowed his fall.
“Flap-flap-flap.” Remembering what he had learned during the tests, Will attempted to recreate his steps, but failed; his body was too heavily imbalanced. Fucking hell. It’s not easy.
Faced with the threat of losing this wonderful skill, Raven focused and stopped waving his arms. Instead, he spread them out wide and started searching for the required alignment.
Just as it seemed like he had found it, the skill expired and the wings disappeared, and his body plummeted toward the ground.
He knew he had to slow down, or all his dreams would literally shatter against the fast-approaching ground. But he couldn’t do anything about his speed; he could only count his heartbeats, glance at the skill and wait for it to cool down.
3…2…1…
The ground was 1,500 feet below.
Raven’s arms turned to wings once again. He quickly found the best position and rhythm to fly horizontally. A flap tossed his body up. Curving his left wing, he turned towards the nearby lake, his legs clenched together. Will was concerned that any excessive movement could affect his flight. As soon as he reached the lake, he cancelled Wings and held his hands out ready for the plunge into the murky, swampy water.
Hshhhh!
Once his body was submerged, his consciousness was back. Bouncing up, Will gulped for air…
…and saw his rented room. Sighing with relief, he looked at the message in the air:
Congratulations! You have completed the challenge!
Reward:
Free Flight Knowledge
+1 hidden skill (Wings)
WINGS
Rank: Hidden
Active skill: Apprentice
Transforms your arms into wings enabling you to fly short distances.
Available shapes: 1/3
Energy required: 500
Duration: 20 s
Cooldown: 30 s
“That was an interesting experience.” Stretching and checking his watch, Will pressed Exit and headed for the kitchen. It was 3 p. m. He needed a hearty meal before the planned grind. He now could level Hades up in boost mode and it really wasn’t worth losing this time.
***
Coming back to the screen, Will browsed the forums until one message brought his hand and eyes to a halt.
The passage between Floors 2 and 3 is now open!
This is a LIMITED-TIME OPPORTUNITY! Seize it!
The playthrough video of gate opening will be posted in the next week.
Soul Crushers
Hey, wait. Did they do that while I was having dinner? Good for them. Fortuna’s Grin never disclosed what they got for opening the gate. Will Pak tell me?
The clans were gaining strength by discovering more and more secrets of the game’s world and obtaining fantastic items, quests, and skills, yet there were still only a few people pursuing something even more elusive: the hidden meaning behind all of that.
Something was definitely odd about Ascension. The Emperor (created by a research team, according to the devs) was too mysterious. Some challenges were special: they opened the player’s mind like a tin can and would tap into the darkest sides of those who took the risk of playing at a high-sensitivity level.
An invisible thread seemed to be forming a noose around particular messenger’s necks, shaping them into neither good nor evil, but daring, dashing, and fearless warriors. It felt like they were being prepared…but for what?
Chapter 205. I Have a Problem
P ak seemed to be waiting for Will’s message. Once he had received it, he suggested meeting Will in the game on Floor 3, where Soul Crushers had their branch.
“Hello and congrats.” Raven met Light Terror on the sundeck of a small Japanese restaurant. “My name is Will Thomson. How may I address you?” Two other players were present at the meeting; he had seen them in one of the Soul Crushers’ videos.
“I’m Night, or Anister Lacroy. This is Delia, our thief. Her real name is the same: Delia Zeel. Can we sit? Sorry to disrupt your meeting with Pak, but this is about our clan’s secrets. Pak won’t tell you anything until you meet him halfway.
“I see. Nice to meet you.” Will took the seat he had been directed to, and prepared for the negotiation. “We don’t have to be so polite here, you know?”
“As you like.” Night nodded and called a waitress in. After ordering for Delia and himself, he got down to business. “It was a total coincidence that our opening the gate overlapped with the global event you triggered. Our offer is simple: we want to join your raid. Light Terror will tell you about the rewards.”
“Um. Why would you even need to do that? As far as I know, you’re not as strong as TOP clans. Hey, wait a minute. Are you doing it for the spotlight? Everyone’s talking about this event. As a participant clan, you’re likely to profit from newcomers, investors, and partners.”
“Exactly.” Night exchanged glances with the thief. “That’s our main interest.”
“Okay. I can’t see there being any problem with that. Considering the announcement you just made…” Raven glanced at the time. “…an hour and a half ago, even The Fortuna’s Grin wouldn’t make any objections.”
“A deal, then?”
“Yeah. The RD leader has all the raid info. I’ll message her. See you at the general meeting. Now your turn.”
“Okay. We’d better leave you to it. Delia.” After shaking the rogue’s hand, the vampire left them alone, collecting the order brought by the waitress into his inventory. The thief followed.
“Email the video to me,” Will said. “Then tell me about the rewards, in a nutshell.”
“Ha, ha. You’re not the same Raven, are you?” Pak smiled and glanced around. “Honestly, I’d love to explore more of Floor Two after we sort this out. We’ve probably missed a lot of things.”
“I agree. All the floors are full of secrets. But please tell me: what was your reward?”
“Er. A ton of XP, for a start. Lots of IPs. Sure, they were distributed among everyone in the party, but it really was a lot.”
“Get to the point, Pak.”
“Okay, okay. I can’t show it to you – it’s in our clan’s vault, guarded by Night. But I’ve screened its description. Here.” Sliding his finger through the air, Light Terror sent a message.
Torn Soul (quest item)
Description: Part of the torn soul of one of the entities who sacrificed themselves to lock the gate.
Required for the rite: 1/10
Name: Unknown
Bonus for the clan’s players:
+2 to all stats
Bonus for the clan’s players on Floor 2:
+5% to attack of any type
+5% magic resistance
+5% physical resistance
+5% XP
+5% to any res
ources obtained in dungeons
+5% to the price of goods sold in the areas with a relationship at Trust or higher
+5% to leveling up any relationships
-5% to the price of goods purchased in the areas with the relationship at Trust or higher
-5% to the attack range of mobs up to the count rank
Note: The item is only usable when fully collected.
“Wow. This thing is really powerful. Have you obtained anything else?”
“Sure we have. When we opened the gate, we were presented with a choice of two items. But…” Pak heaved a sigh. “But the guard took one of our items away. That item…you won’t believe what it was like. No, wait. I have a screenshot.”
The item in question was a mirror that they had taken great pains to obtain. After locating a spatial breakpoint, they had brought the mirror there to fill it with space energy and free those who had been stuck in time during the separation of the worlds. The rewards were more than worth it, but Night had forbidden Pak from telling anyone, so now he was just showing the mirror’s stats to his friend, knowing that Raven had already seen these kinds of things multiple times before.
While reading the stats, Will felt an overwhelming urge to get his hands on this mirror. “Did you say the guard took it from you?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you kill him?”
“Er…We wanted to try a peaceful resolution first. Honestly, I’m not sure we could’ve killed him even if we’d tried.”
“What happened to the guard when you opened the gate?”
“I…I don’t know. He just thanked us and disappeared. Watch the full video when I send it and you’ll see.”
The rogue didn’t really care about the guard’s fate; his new obsession was the heroic item. “Do you think he can still be found on the floor?”
“I don’t…Oh. Wait.” For a few moments, Pak looked ahead with a thousand-yard stare; then his eyes focused back on Will. “You know, he actually can. But why…Oh no. Please don’t tell me you want this mirror! It’s impossible. It’s a forbidden fruit. We’ve considered keeping it, more than once, but it’s just not possible. Even for you, Will.”
“How long have we known each other? Eight or nine months, yeah? You’re a really nice guy. I think of you as my friend, so let me show you one thing.”
Light Terror gaped at the screenshots Raven had sent him, struggling to believe his eyes. “Pandora’s Box? Do you still have it?”
“I will.” The rogue’s confident air said more than his words did. “In about three months. I’m preparing it.”
“So, now you have just a fragment?”
“Yeah.”
“I…I wish I knew how that’s even possible?” Pak turned away to the river meandering past the restaurant. It was giving off a cool, appetizing breeze.
“What do you mean?”
“You know. You’re not a pro, but you’re ahead of everyone. Some believe it’s because you play on a different floor, but I don’t think so. There must be something else.” Pak’s agitated voice became so loud it was drawing the attention of the other patrons, both NPCs and players.
“Ah, if it’s about that…You’re right. There is something else.”
“Can I take a guess? You won’t tell me, I’m sure.”
“Why not? It’s not a big secret at all. You know, I…”
***
As he was telling Pak about his sensitivity level, Will saw the same reaction that Mollie had displayed. However, Pak was more skeptical about this information, claiming that Will had made it up just to hide his actual recipe for success. For him, it must just have been too much to believe.
“Impossible. Prove it! I can’t believe something like that until I see it. Show me the screenshot now, without exiting the game.”
“Okay.” Smiling, Raven opened his profile to take a screenshot but, as he spotted the sudden change, his body grew cold and he shivered all over.
That’s impossible…What the fuck’s going on?!
“Hey! Are you thinking of a way to deceive me?” Pak laughed at Will’s frozen face, but he soon realized something was seriously wrong. “Will? What’s wrong?”
“I…I think I have a problem.”
Current sensitivity level: 101%
Seeing the screenshot, Pak whispered in shock: “How long have you been at this…this level?”
“Dunno.”
“But you…you should’ve noticed a change. Or not?” Pak was just as excited as Will was by this oddity.
“Are you kidding? Why would I check my sensitivity level when I know it’s 100%?”
“Bring it up to the devs. Let’s see what they say.”
Chapter 206. Let the Hunt Begin
R aven wasted no time in contacting the developers about the problem with his sensitivity level. He remembered his battles in the hollow and Damila’s Dungeon, when the acute pain, which he had intuitively adapted to long ago, had exceeded his threshold. After sending the message, he rested his chin on his interlaced fingers and stared at the smooth tabletop. The anxiety that had settled within him wasn’t going to give up so easily.
***
Skydome Corp Headquarters
Penthouse office
A man sitting in front of the most advanced holographic display ran his eyes down the new message. All messages like this one were automatically redirected to his personal email.
“Hm. How long is he going to stay on Floor Three?”
Glen shifted his gaze to the larger screen. The player he was talking about had been holding onto the second spot in the global chart for a week already. Interestingly, the list had started being filled with new names lately. That was good: the more candidates for power, the better.
“What’s up?” The man’s colleague and friend was sitting at his computer, quickly scrolling through a game forum on his screen.
“Our main candidate, the guy whose progress has really left a lot to be desired, has messaged me. His sensitivity level has increased, but as usual, we don’t know when it happened.”
“Ah, Raven. Yeah. He’s already ten levels behind Mystical Darkness. This girl’s making fast progress. She’ll probably surprise him in the tournament.”
“I agree. Okay. That’s good news anyway. Now we can move him to the real selection process. Let’s see how he responds to our message.”
Glen’s computer picked up his voice command instantly and sent a copy to Raven.
We are pinning great hopes on you, Will Thomson. I doubt this message will put you off, but, according to the system protocol, we must send it to everyone whose sensitivity level surpasses 100%. You are the seventh player to get to this point, but four of them have already given up.
***
Thank you for reaching out to us, White Raven.
The increase in your sensitivity level was the result of a system error. Unfortunately, this bug cannot be fixed, so please accept our apologies for the inconvenience.
To keep playing, you will need to sign the attached agreement stating that Skydome Corp is not responsible for any health issues you might face if you keep playing at this sensitivity level.
Please be advised that this bug might occur again, so please read the next part carefully.
If you choose to delete your game character, Clause 203.4.1 will apply, entitling you to a free annual subscription, and a diamond set for your new character. (You can choose the set level from several options available: 20, 50, 75, or 100.) Your game progress will be considered individually and compensated accordingly, within reason. Besides this, a financial compensation for the time you have spent in the game will be deposited to your bank account. Please see the attached documents for more details.
We will be waiting for your reply, containing the signed agreement, or confirmation of character deletion, for three days. If we receive neither, your current character will be deleted and Clause 203.4.1 will be applied.
Sincerely,
Skydome Corp<
br />
Once Will received this message, another timer appeared under the one counting the time until the Ifrit’s arrival. This new timer was set at 30 minutes.
“Give up everything I’ve already achieved?! Are they fucking crazy? Do I look like an idiot?”
Will immediately signed the document and emailed it back.
Sure, he was concerned that his sensitivity level could keep increasing, up to the point at which every scratch would bring him tremendous pain. But he was not one to trade everything he has for as little as a diamond set and some money.
The timer disappeared once it hit 10 minutes, informing Will that his reply had been accepted. Trying to shake off the tension of the past twenty minutes, he summoned the map to select another low-level location for developing his pet.
***
Two days later
Will’s spirits had soared above cloud nine and were strolling among the stars, striving for the endless expanse of the universe. At last! His hard work, the torture and pain he had endured, had been rewarded with real money. The sum was so great he struggled to comprehend it, suspecting it might be some kind of a scam.
But finally, the day had come. The money had been deposited to his account, and Will’s broad smile would not leave his face.
Father was coming home for good. Leah, his dear sister, was going to go to the best university. A family vacation at the seaside for all of them to enjoy together and leave their haunting past and oppressive poverty behind.
…but not until he had killed the ifrit, visited the tournament, and taken a trip to the Monarch’s Door. With every other ‘to-do’ thing he remembered, his smile faded slightly. “Shit. Looks like I’ll never make it.”
***
Name: Hades
Class: None
Level: 21
Evolution: 2
Strength: 45
Agility: 23
