Before I know what’s happening, Buzz is screaming obscenities in his direction.
“Hey, jerkwad. What the hell was that all about? Your little doggy train got both of us killed.”
Ryken lets out a laugh. It’s deep and sounds like it is bouncing off the walls of a cave. He must be using a voice modifier.
“Sorry about that.” He shrugs. “I was in a bit of a predicament, but it’s all under control now. You know what they say, though. If you can’t play with the big dogs…”
“If you can’t play with the big dogs, what?” asks Buzz, a fire in his eyes. I’m almost worried he will attack Ryken. I’m certain the death knight could squash us like bugs.
Ryken sits quiet for a moment.
“I don’t know, actually. Maybe I should quit saying that.”
“What happened to the worgs?” I ask.
“What do you mean? They’re right here.” He points at the zombie wolves behind him. I focus on one of their stats.
Undead Worg. Level 57. This reanimated worg is under the control of Ryken the death knight.
There are five of them standing behind the fleshless horse.
“How did you—” Buzz has forgotten his anger and stands in amazement.
“One of my abilities allows me to capture the souls of the monsters I kill. I screwed up my first attempt, which is why I ran past you in the forest, but once my cooldowns reset, I was able to take them out one by one. Now that I can control each of them, I’m ready to take on the whatever it is the developers are going to throw at us.”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“You haven’t heard? They are announcing the rules of the tournament tomorrow. One hundred thousand gold to the winner. I, for one, am not going to allow anyone to get in my way. You two plan on entering?”
“What’s the fee?” asks Buzz.
“Not much. Just a thousand gold.”
“I doubt it,” says Buzz. His head drops a little. He was so excited when they first announced the tournament.
“Less competition for me then. Though, if I’m being honest, I’m not too worried. I’ve got the skills to pay the bills.”
I find myself wishing silently that he had been killed by the worgs instead of us.
Ryken rides past us. His undead worgs bare their teeth as they walk past.
“What a tool,” says Buzz. “I can’t believe I ever watched that guy.”
“I agree, but he has to be pretty strong to kill all those worgs and then bind them to him, don’t you think?”
“Yeah. I hope I never get to the point where I say things that stupid.”
I give Buzz a pat on the back. “You’re already there.”
We retrieve our items and spend the next few hours farming the haunted forest. By the time we leave The Haunted Forest for the night, Buzz is level seven and I am level twelve. I check my stats to decide where to allocate my new skill points.
Strength -14
Agility -1
Vitality -2
Intellect -4
Dexterity -1
Stamina -0
I put my two new skill points into Intellect and Dexterity. Now that I have a new spell, it seems smart to focus on my cooldowns and mana pool. I spend the rest of the night before I go to sleep scouring forums, searching for clues on the Developer’s Tournament that is supposed to start tomorrow. After selling off all the loot and items I don’t need, I have just over one thousand gold after everything I have spent on Buzz in the past couple of days.
As I search through dozens of posts, there’s not a lot of information out there. Everyone is pretty much in the same boat as me. A lot of speculation on what it could be, but every thread is different. No one has any idea what the tournament will be. I decide to go ahead and pay my entry fee before I lose my nerve.
Just like that, almost all the gold I’ve accumulated over the past several days is gone. I know I’m a long shot at winning, but I don’t think I can live with myself if I don’t try. One hundred thousand gold is enough to save Buzz’s mom.
I send Aleesia a message before I log out.
Aleesia,
Hey, I’m sure I already know the answer, but have you entered the Developer’s Tournament? I just paid my entry fee. Maybe we can get a start on it together?
-Esil
It is a bold move asking for her help, but after the dungeon, I think she owes me one. I settle in for the night on the hard floor, wondering what could be in store for me tomorrow.
Chapter Twelve
Notifications light up my vision when I log into Pangea the next morning. The first is from Buzz, telling me they released the announcement for the tournament. I skip over Aleesia’s reply to read the official announcement.
Greetings, Esil! Thank you for entering the first annual Developer’s Tournament. It will be taking place all across Pangea Online. The winner will receive one hundred thousand gold as well as a special prize to be announced at the winner’s ceremony. There are three rounds of the tournament each user must complete. A new clue will be released after each quest is completed. Your first clue:
It begins at the end.
Live or die, begin again.
Best of luck on your journey and as always, never stop leveling.
-Pangea Online Developers
I try to piece the words together but they don’t make any sense. Were the clues announced to everyone or just the entrants? If I had more time, I would spend the entire day puzzling it out, but work beckons. I open up my messages and find Aleesia’s reply.
Esil,
You bet I did. And they just announced the first clue. I have a couple of ideas of where I want to start looking. And sure, I’d love to work on it with you, as long as you are okay with a bunch of smelly dwarves following us around. Just kidding, they don’t smell. Not too bad, at least. ;-)
-Aleesia
I send her a quick reply, telling her I have to work, but I’ll meet up with them once I’m off.
When I arrive at the mines, Buzz and Grayson are already there. Grayson is hard at work as usual, giving me a nod as I walk by. The green ones and zeros drift through the air past my head on their way out of the tunnel.
“Did they give out the clue in the normal announcement?” I ask Buzz.
“What clue? And what do you mean ‘normal announcement’?”
I can tell Grayson is listening to our conversation because the mine is silent except for Buzz and I talking.
“I paid the fee and entered the tournament. I’m going to try and win to help your mom.”
Buzz stands in silence for a moment, his face expressionless.
“Are you serious?” he asks. His voice is barely a whisper and I think he might be fighting back tears. I feel my own face grow hot in response. I’m not good with these emotional type moments. Never had many of them at the orphanage.
“I’m going to do everything I can. I’ll need your help, though.”
Buzz pulls me in for a hug and squeezes hard. He is so strong, it feels like my ribs might crack.
“Thank you,” he says before letting me go. “So, what’s the clue?”
“It begins at the end. Live or die, begin again.”
“What the hell does that mean?” He taps his pickaxe with his foot as it dangles loosely in his hand.
“That’s what we are supposed to find out. As soon as someone completes the first quest, I think the second one opens. I feel like I’m already behind because I have to work, but if I don’t work, I lose my box and can’t play anyways.”
“It’s okay. It will give us more time to think. You’ll waste less time going to stupid worlds that you don’t need to.”
“I’m supposed to meet up with the princess after work. I think we’re going to work as a team for now.”
“Do you think that’s wise?” asks Grayson. He walks over to where we are standing. “Only one person can win this thing. What makes you think she’s looking out for anyone other than herself?”
&nb
sp; I see his point. In the end, it’s all about what I can do, but I’ve already thought this through.
“I don’t. But I also know that there are going to be three quests. And there are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of other people who have entered. She won’t be a problem until the third quest, so I think it’s pretty smart to use all the help I can get up until that point. Don’t you think?”
“It seems risky. Buzz?” Grayson wants Buzz to side with him. If there’s one thing I know, though, Buzz will tell me the truth.
“I agree with Esil. We’ll worry about her at the third quest if we have to.”
The bell rings, telling us it is time to start work.
I’m lost in thought as I swing my pickaxe. My level is so much higher than it was a few days ago that the experience I gain offers me almost nothing compared to what a monster brings. Still, it’s my job and the only thing that keeps a roof over my head.
Buzz talks to himself as we work.
“‘It begins at the end.’ Could mean a time travel world, or an afterlife world, or that world where the earth is flat and you have to start at the edge. There are probably dozens of worlds that fit that description. ‘Live or die, begin again.’ Isn’t that any world you step into? If you die, you respawn where you started or last bound to.”
“Yeah, that’s if you die, though. Where does living make you begin again?”
“I have no idea.”
Grayson doesn’t say much, but I can tell he is deep in thought. Normally, his face is set as he works, but every so often I can hear him mumble a few words under his breath. I’m grateful he is looking out for me. He’s been to a lot of worlds, maybe he’ll remember something that can help. In order to even have a chance at this thing, I’m going to need all the help I can get.
By the time we finish work for the day, I have a list of several dozen possible worlds where the first quest could be. Word of the first clue has already spread around Pangea and the forums are abuzz with people trying to solve it. I message Aleesia to see where she is and she responds right away, telling me to come to Elysium. It’s a world I’ve never heard of.
Welcome to Elysium! The Greek Underworld for those chosen by the gods, the righteous and heroic.
The message flashes across my vision as I step out of the portal.
Aleesia and her dwarves are waiting for me when I do.
Elysium is not like any underworld I would have ever imagined. Green grass stretches for miles in every direction. A winding stream bubbles right next to where the portal lets me out. There are no shops or towns as far as I can see, just open land, wild animals, and lots of people that are almost translucent, glowing under the bright sun.
“What is this place?” I ask.
“It’s the underworld for Greek heroes,” says the princess. She gives me a wild smile and then clasps her hand around my forearm. She wears her battle armor. It’s silver with a hint of green in the metal. She keeps talking while I greet all the dwarves in the same manner. “We’ve been to several worlds today already. Based on the clue, we thought we would start with the underworlds. Both Hades and Dante’s Inferno proved fruitless.”
“I still can’t get over the smell of the third circle of the Inferno,” says Ordin. He must have a top of the line unit if it can simulate smells. He has his warhammer tossed over his shoulder and it gleams in the sun. The dwarves are excellent metalworkers.
“So what’s the plan from here?” I ask the princess. I look around, but there is nothing that draws me towards it. This doesn’t look like the place for the first quest.
“I’m not sure. I figure we’ll know when we know,” she says. “According to lore, Elysium was a place for those who lived as heroes to be rewarded with eternal glory. There must be thousands of quests just waiting for us.”
“This is a cool place, but I don’t think it’s it.”
“What do you mean?” Her eyebrow cocks at my comment.
“I feel like when we find the right world, we will know from the start.”
“Then what would you have us do?” asks Nordric. He is the tallest of the dwarves, with jet black hair and a braided black beard. He carries an axe twice as big as mine even though he is half my size.
“I don’t know…” I shuffle my feet. I don’t really have any better ideas, so maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.
“Esil, we’ve put a lot of thought into this.” Aleesia grabs me on the arm. “Elysium is ruled by the Titan Chronus, also known as Chronos, the God of Time. Think about it. It begins at the end means the underworld, also time. Live or die, begin again. Also death and rebirth. Some of these heroes never died and were sent to the afterlife as a reward from the gods. This place has to be it.”
Maybe I was wrong. It all seems to make sense.
One of the dwarves steps forward from the back. The lone female in the group. I think her name is Klink. The only difference between her and her male counterparts is the lack of facial hair, though I do spot a few wisps around her chin. She’s clad in dull green leather and golden armor and holds a small warhammer in each hand. “I think I know where we should start. We need to find Chronus.”
Congratulations! You have been given the quest ‘Find Chronus.’ Reward: Increased alliance with Dwarves. Do you accept Y/N?
I accept and join their party.
“Alright, let’s find Chronus.” I walk up to one of the glowing NPCs that walks through the fields. I can see through his body. It’s a dull, milky white, almost like a pearl. He still wears his armor with shortsword strapped to his side. “Excuse me, but do you know where we can find Chronus?”
“Certainly, he dwells far east in the golden fields, in constant battle with the Minotaur.”
Just like that, a gold dot appears on my map and we have our directions.
“That was easy enough,” says the princess.
Ordin slams his warhammer into the ground and begins chanting in Dwarvish. A few moments later, we are all engulfed in a yellow shroud of mist.
Ordin has cast Breath of the Wild. Your speed has been increased by 40% when out of combat.
I can feel my legs moving faster with each step. It makes me think about putting more points into agility.
“What a great spell!” I tell him.
“Indeed, Esil. It has made our journeys easier countless times.”
We travel across the great plains in quick fashion, avoiding monsters as we do. Now is not the time for leveling. Only the quest matters at this point.
I can hear the battle before we arrive. It sounds like thunder. When we come across the clearing where the battle takes place, it’s easy to see why. Chronus stands tall. Some twenty feet. He swings a giant scythe through the air in a blur. The minotaur blocks the blow with its horns and throws the scythe off. The collision sounds like thunder. A long stream of steam erupts from the minotaur’s nose, then the minotaur kicks at the ground, sending dirt flying through the air. Both Chronus and the minotaur are bloody, but each one wears a grin. This is truly heaven for these two. I focus on his stats.
Deity: Chronus. Level: 100. Chronos, God of Time, Titan of the Harvest, and Ruler of Elysium.
Chronus is barely clad, wearing only a toga draped around his waist. A large red gash bleeds freely between his ribs.
Congratulations! You have completed the quest ‘Find Chronus.’ Your alliance with the dwarves has grown stronger.
“So what do we do, kill him?” I ask the group.
“I fear we must,” says Ordin.
“He’s level one hundred,” I say. “We don’t have a chance.”
“We don’t have a choice,” argues the princess. “We are the only ones here. And that means we are the only ones who have solved the clue.”
She’s right, of course. Chronus will no doubt destroy us, but if we can let the minotaur do some of the damage, we might have a chance.
We prepare for the fight. The dwarves take potions and cast spells. Soon, the entire group glows in various shades o
f the rainbow.
The battle between Chronus and the minotaur rages on. Chronus clearly has the upper hand. He is down to fifty percent health, but the minotaur is almost dead.
“Now is the time!” yells Ordin.
We move in closer and a notification pops across my vision.
Tournament Alert! Ryken has just completed the first quest.
Chapter Thirteen
“What in seven hells?” bellows Ordin. “We’re in the wrong world!”
They must have all received the same notification I did, telling us that Ryken has completed the first quest. It took him less than a day. I’m suddenly aware of just how far out of my league I am.
My message icon blinks. It’s from Buzz.
“Get to Apocalyptica, now!” is all it says. I don’t question him. I’m certain he’s been searching the forums since the moment he got home. This quest is just as important to him as it is to me.
Should I tell the princess and dwarves about my new information? On the one hand, it might put me a few steps ahead. On the other, we agreed to help each other out.
“I just got a message saying we should go to Apocalyptica.” I decide to tell them. If it is the world where we find the first quest, I may need their help.
“Yeah, we know. Apparently, Ryken left his status up and all of his friends list could see where he was when he completed the quest. It’s been posted online for a few minutes now and I bet every person who entered the tournament is on their way there right now. We better leave now if we want to have a shot at making the leaderboards.”
They all begin to dissipate in front of me, teleporting back to the entrance.
I focus on the teleport icon in the bottom of my vision. Chronus and the minotaur are still locked in battle and slowly fade from my sight as I return to the portal I came in through.
Pangea Online: The Complete Trilogy Page 9
