Quest for Camlan_A LitRPG Adventure

by A. T. Gilbert

  What just happened? Did I dream all that?

  My phone rings; I silence it without looking.

  Oh my god. Oh my god. I just … I can’t even believe this is real. I want to call everyone I know and rub it in that I’m going to Camlan Realm and they are not. But … I am seriously doubting my own memory and senses.

  My phone rings again, the screen flashing an unknown number. I turn the phone off altogether. Not tonight. I can deal with all this in the morning. Come to think of it, I’ll be forced to deal with it all in the morning.

  But not now.

  I head to my bedroom, where the lights are still off. I kick off my shoes and without even undressing I lie down on top of the blankets and pull a pillow over my face. My brain is fighting itself. On one hand, I’m exhausted. Two nights in a row of barely any sleep plus work (not to mention overtime) and now the complete and utter overwhelm of knowing I am going to Camlan Realm.

  But on the other hand—I am going to Camlan Realm. I will be one of only twelve players. Scenes race through my mind: Me fighting a dragon; me claiming a Legendary weapon after being the first to complete a quest; me racking up the fame points and maybe even winning the entire Challenge.

  I can’t sleep. I need to sleep. I must sleep. My brain won’t let me sleep …

  I wake up the following morning to heavy banging on my front door. By the sound of it, whoever it is has been trying to be let in for quite awhile. I rub my eyes and sit up in bed, confused for a moment about why I slept in my jeans, but then the memories of the previous night come rushing back.

  I jump out of bed to answer the door.

  A youngish blonde woman in a navy blue suit, crisp white shirt and low heels stands in my hallway.

  “Um, yes?” I say, trying to run my fingers through my hair to flatten it.

  “Asher Duncan?” she confirms.

  I nod. I try to swallow the lump in my throat.

  “Your phone has been off since last night. Since we had no other way to reach you, I was dispatched.”

  At this her eyes leave my face to peer passed me into the apartment.

  “I’m sorry. Who is ‘we’?”

  “Toterra Online.” She extends her right hand to shake mine and her left hand with a business card. “My name is Theresa Jordan and I will be your handler for the next thirty or so hours.”

  “Oh god,” I say under my breath. Not quietly enough, though. The corners of Theresa’s mouth twitch. “Um, do you … Do you want to come in?”

  I step to the side and gesture into my apartment, which I am only now realizing smells like the garbage should have been taken out two days ago. When I look back at Theresa, she’s frowning.

  “Let’s go out. Grab your keys.”

  She is already comfortable commanding me, evidently, and has turned to walk down the hall toward the stairs. She doesn’t even look to see if I’m following.

  Three minutes later—I did take time to change my shirt—she and I are hiking down three floors of stairs, in silence other than the click of her heels on the concrete slabs. I don’t even know where to start. I know the very basics of the Challenge rules. What do I need a handler for?

  At breakfast a few minutes later, I finally formulate what seems like a reasonable question to start with.

  “How—” I begin.

  “Here is everything you need to know,” Theresa says over me, pushing an otherwise nondescript maroon three-ring binder across the table to me.

  Well. I guess that answers it. I start paging through the material, but Theresa abruptly closes the book on my hands when the waiter comes by. After ensuring he would return with coffee, Theresa turns back to me and places a single sheet of paper on top of the binder.

  “Before we go any further, before you look inside or ask any questions, I need you to sign this Non-Disclosure Agreement. You are agreeing to not discuss any of the Challenge, Camlan Realm or your experience with Toterra Online with anyone without the company’s express written consent.”

  “Um …” I try to read the document quickly, but legalese is impenetrable. “Should I get a lawyer?”

  She shrugs. “You can, but it’s likely that your time will run out before they get what they need. Lawyers tend to be awfully deliberate and particular.”

  Who was I kidding? I pick up the pen and again try to skim the language quickly. It seems to be exactly as she’s claiming. What do I really have to lose? Who would I actually ask about any of this anyway?

  I sign my name. Asher Thomas Duncan.

  “Wonderful!” Theresa is immediately at least four times as cheerful as she stows away the paperwork. “Now for the fun part. Please open your binder to the first page.”

  I follow her instructions notice something in the front pocket I hadn’t seen before. Flight details for the next morning. I hadn’t realized I would be going anywhere.

  “Tomorrow morning you will board that plane to our secondary headquarters. A driver will meet you at the airport and transport you as required. Between now and then, you will need to make all the personal arrangements required to be completely out of touch for a few days.”

  “Completely out of touch?”

  She nods. “Completely. You’ll find the emergency contact information to provide to your family in case they need to reach you elsewhere in the packet, but otherwise you will be isolated entirely for the duration of the challenge.”

  “Okay,” I say warily. “What else do I need to know?”

  “I think that’s all the big things. There’s another contract in there for you to sign, but it’s much longer so you’ll have some time to look it over. Bring it with you tomorrow. You already understand that this is in part a marketing campaign so you are waiving your right to your likeness.”

  I nod along with her. That all makes sense and really isn’t too much to ask. While I’m sure there are probably fifteen thousand details I don’t know yet, I can’t think of anything that would prevent me from wanting this opportunity. The chance to play this new Realm ahead of almost everyone else is literally life-changing. All the XP rewards for being the first at something, and a better chance for the epic loot. If I play this right, I could leverage this advantage to opportunities or cash IRL.

  While I nod and thumb through more pages, the waiter brings our food. Omelet for her. Pancakes for me. Coffee for both. Without the urgency of getting my questions answered and my NDA signed, Theresa lapses into silence. She is as focused on finishing her breakfast efficiently as she had been about getting in contact with me and starting the legal steps of my participation.

  I must have looked like a bunny caught by a wolf, because the next time she looks up, she catches my eye and her whole expression softens.

  “You’re going to be fine, you know.” She sips her coffee, studying me. “This will be fun. We’ll announce the prize for the winner once you’ve arrived. We want to make sure the players are there for the game first and foremost. But even if you don’t win, you’ll still enjoy your playing, right?”

  I nod, chewing my pancakes over and over. I am afraid if I swallow they will just come right back up.

  “And if you are really that worried, you can always back out or quit at any time.”

  I continue nodding. That’s true. I can always quit. But what kind of person would walk away from this? What kind of coward would let fear get in the way of what could be a turning point in their life?

  Not me, I decide.

  Theresa finish up her last bites, at the same time she is fishing into her purse.

  “You’ll be fine,” she repeats. “In the binder is a card with my direct contact info. If you have any trouble with the travel, or need to withdraw from the competition, or need anything else at any time just call.”

  She tosses some cash on the table as she stands up.

  “And Asher, turn your phone back on. You can’t hide forever.”

  She offers me a smile as she turns and walks out of the restaurant, leaving me alone with a stack
of documents and cold pancakes.

  Chapter 6

  I have twenty-four hours to get my life in order. Twenty-four hours is not nearly enough. I guess it’s fortunate that I don’t have kids or even pets or anything that needs to be taken care of. I don’t have enough mail to bother stopping it, or a fancy house that needs extra security while I’m gone. Theresa had left her pen on the table, so on the back of one of the documents I jot down a quick to do list: sign contract, time off job, call Mom, laundry?

  I scratch out that last one. Probably not.

  I catch a cab home, splurging for once, anticipating how amazing my life will be by the end of the week. In order to request and pay for my ride home I have to turn my phone back on. That doesn’t, however, mean I have to pay attention to the hundreds of missed calls and other notifications.

  Those all can wait. The call to my mom to let her know how to reach me can wait. Obviously laundry can always wait. But I really should bite the bullet and let my job know I need to take the rest of the week off. I pace around my living room, trying to figure out the best way to word this. I can’t pretend to be sick. My name and photo will be all over the news and even if Sandra isn’t paying attention to gamer news, there’s no way Travis would let it slide. No, I’ve got to be honest. That’s the only way this can work out. I may not have any vacation time, but they should let me take unpaid time off, right? It’s just a couple days.

  Sandra picks up after four rings, and I can already hear the annoyance in her voice at the interruption.

  “Hi, Sandra? It’s Asher. Asher Duncan?”

  I hate that. I sound so unsure. Yes, in fact, that is my name. Ugh.

  “Asher … yeah … I wondered when I’d hear from you.”

  “Oh, uh. You did? Um. Cool.” Damn it Travis. She’s obviously had time to prepare for this call because of him.

  “So, does that mean you’ve heard the news?”

  “I have heard the news. And let me be the first to congratulate you on your new career.”

  “Um, my new what?”

  “Career. This game-thing will be your new life now, right?”

  “I don’t know.” What is she talking about? “I don’t think so. Actually, I’m just calling to see if I could get the rest of this week off. Unpaid, of course.”

  I hesitate. Should I explain myself? Does this need to be justified? What exactly did Travis tell her?

  “Unpaid? Oh, well, how generous of you.”

  I wince at the sarcasm. “Yeah. Just a few days. I think I can be back by Saturday. Or maybe Friday?”

  “Unfortunately, Mr. Duncan, by Saturday we will have already started looking for your replacement.”

  “Wait, seriously?”

  “I’m afraid so. I recognize that you really like this game, and I can sympathize if you don’t have anything else in your life going for you, but I’m afraid it would be unfair to your coworkers if we allowed you to miss so many shifts just for entertainment’s sake.”

  “But! Sandra. I’m sorry, but it’s not just for entertainment. This Camlan Challenge is a really big deal. It’s a huge chance for me. Only eleven other people in the world have this chance. It could be a big, big break for me.”

  “I understand that. Which is why I congratulated you on your new career.”

  “But—I, uh …” I sputter.

  “It’s simple, Asher. Either this is a big opportunity worth giving up your current job …” She lets her words sink in. “…Or it’s simply entertainment that you can forgo in favor of your responsibilities.”

  I think fast. What am I really giving up? The right to be yelled at by strangers all day? The opportunity to sit in a cramped, lifeless cubicle for hours on end? More importantly, if everything I’ve got going for me in Camlan falls apart, do I believe I can get another job? Any other job?

  That is what decides it for me. Sure, this is scary as hell, but when am I going to start having faith in myself if not now?

  “Okay. Thank you. It was nice working with you.”

  She sighs loudly, disappointed in my choice. Though whether that is disappointment in me or disappointment that it means she now has to replace me, I’m not sure.

  “Fine.”

  She hangs up without even a proper goodbye. Which is actually fine with me, but leaves me feeling slightly off-kilter. Or, you know what? Maybe it’s the fact that I just quit my job with no real guarantee of anything else that is making me feel jittery.

  Oh shit.

  Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit.

  I just quit my job.

  All at once this whole situation becomes too much for me. I had been pacing circles around my coffee table while I talk to Sandra, but I find that my legs will no longer hold my weight. I collapse to my knees and lean forward to rest my face against the cool surface of the table.

  What am I doing?

  I’m changing everything in my life is what I’m doing. One gigantic stroke of luck and all of a sudden I am acting like I’m invincible and can alter the entire trajectory of my life. I’m going to go big. I’ll go big, and I’ll risk big and then I’ll win big. I’m sure of it.

  Oh god I hope this works.

  My phone rings. I let it bray at me three times before I lift my head off the table. It’s Tessa. Thank god. Possibly the only person in the world I can handle talking to right now.

  “Hey.”

  “Asher. Dude.” She pauses. There is so much communicated in just those two words. Her glee for me, her jealousy, her concern.

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “So, how are you?”

  She probably has no idea where to even start with all of this. I know I wouldn’t.

  “Well, let’s see.” I start enumerating on my fingers even though she can’t see me. “It was only after I gave up completely that I was lucky enough to find the Platinum Key. Now virtually everyone in the world knows who I am. I got fired from my job. I’m spending the rest of the week totally out of contact with the rest of the world and … oh yeah, my life as I knew it is over.”

  “Whoa, Asher. Man, that is a lot to take in. Okay, go back.”

  She grills me with questions and I spend the next several minutes recounting my previous twelve hours or so. God, has it been only twelve hours?

  “And, so, now on one hand I get to play this game first out of the whole world, but on the other hand I have no idea how I’m going to feed myself come this weekend,” I conclude.

  “Don’t think about that now,” Tessa advises. “It will just distract you. And right now, you need to focus. I’ll text Ryan and Carrie and tell them you’re off the grid for the rest of the week.”

  “Thanks.”

  “No problem. And definitely do not log back into the game. Two of the keyholders tried and were just swarmed by players wanting to get close to them. I heard they just logged out without even leaving their safe house.”

  “Holy shit. Really?”

  “Yeah. Asher it’s bad. The rumors about the twelve of you are insane. In fact, it might be best to just stay off the internet altogether.”

  “Tempting. But I don’t have anything else to do but pack today.”

  “Oh, yeah! Tell me about your trip.”

  “Well.” I hesitate. “Technically I signed an NDA.”

  “Oh,” she says flatly. “I understand.”

  I cringe. Of course I trust her. I don’t know if I trust anyone else, but Tessa has always been there for me.

  “No, I mean … Just don’t tell anyone else okay? Even Ryan and Carrie.”

  “No. Of course. Of course I won’t.” The interest and energy is back in her voice.

  “Okay, let me see. They gave me a whole binder.” I return to the kitchen where I had left my keys and the maroon notebook out. I open and flip through. “They’re flying me to Phoenix tomorrow morning.”

  “Phoenix? I thought their headquarters was in Chicago.”

  “Yeah, me too. Huh.” I thumb through more pages. “I’ve got a medical wai
ver to sign and a separate eight-page contract. Not including the NDA I already signed. Oh! A packing list.”

  I pause my narration to skim this sheet.

  “This is weird,” I begin, still trying to read at the same time. “For one thing, it specifies bringing a favorite item. A comforting object.”

  Tessa laughs. “Like, a blankie?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe?”

  “What are you going to bring?”

  “I haven’t the slightest idea. This sheet also tells me that there are no specific attire requirements so I shouldn’t worry about clothes.”

  “Not worry as in pack whatever you want? Or not worry as in don’t brother bringing any,” she teases.

  “Ha! I’m sure the latter. That’s how they break you down and get you to join the cult.”

  It feels good to laugh with my friend. Even for just a minute, to be able to forget or ignore some of the stress is such a relief. Tessa and I chat for a while longer. I make her tell me about her time in-game and her experience with the huge crowds in Toterra City.

  “Ryan says he was near that Jason guy when he found his key. I’m not sure if I believe him, but he says Jason had attacked a series of players in a row.”

  “Damn.”

  “Not killed them or anything, but just weakened and threw them off.”

  “Yeah, I guess since his stats will go down to level ten in the City, he couldn’t have done much damage.”

  “Right. Asshole move though.”

  “Right.”

  “Okay, Asher, I’ve got to get back to work. I’ve already been out on a break almost twice as long as I should have.”

  As soon as she starts saying goodbye my anxiety returns. I’ll be on my own without even a friend to distract me.

  “You’ll do great, dude. Remember to just focus. Do your best. Don’t be an asshole.”

  “Got it. Yeah. Okay.”

  “Call me Saturday or whenever they give you your phone back.”

  “I will. Thanks, Tess.”

  “Anytime.”

  And with that I’m alone again.

  Chapter 7