“That’s the truth. What do you say we explore what Buzzworld has to offer?”
We walk around the stadium, taking in the small shops and vendors that have profited from Buzz’s genius. The sudden popularity of the chicken races means that Asgard is no longer primarily filled with warriors carrying large weapons and wearing tunics. Players come from far and wide to witness the mayhem of men and women battling for supremacy while racing giant, rainbow-colored chickens.
“Thank you all for attending my first annual Chicken Cup Classic…” Buzz’s voice carries across the stadium. I’ve heard it all before, so I tune him out and continue exploring.
A concession stand named the Chicken Hut catches my eye and I take a look at what they’re selling. It’s kind of sadistic that the only options they have are various forms of chicken.
Chicken on a stick. +10% damage for five minutes.
Chicken Nuggies. 10% increased movement for five minutes.
Chicken Pot Pie: 10% increased Stamina for five minutes.
Chicken Gizzards: +10 constitution for five minutes.
Chicken Noodle Soup. Restores 500 health over 30 seconds.
*Disclaimer: Effects are not active while in a chicken race.
The list goes on and on. Dean buys himself a chicken on a stick. Even though he can’t actually taste it, he eats it like a man possessed. He and Buzz have that in common.
There are so many shops surrounding the stadium that I’m sure Buzz is making a fortune just from renting out the locations. I pass a popcorn stand and a booth with cotton candy in every color of the rainbow that grants effects ranging from temporary flight to icy breath. A miniature pub with four barstools catches my eye, and we take the remaining seats next to a stout, red-haired dwarf.
“Esil! By the gods, is that you!” The dwarf bangs his fist on the counter. His braided red beard hangs down into his lap and a mug of dark amber liquid swishes about, foam lingering on the ends of his mustache. “And this one. Grayson! What are the chances?”
“Ordin! It’s been a while, indeed. I haven’t seen you since, what, the end of the Developer’s Tournament?” I give him a friendly slap on the back. The last time we spoke was when I gave him the Developer’s Chest that I won in the tournament. If it hadn’t been for his help in the final stage, I never would have won, so I figured it was the least I could do. “How have you been?”
He takes a large swig of his drink, finishing it in one gulp and slamming the mug on the table before motioning to the bartender for another.
“Honestly, the life of fame and fortune wasn’t for me. After taking on the leadership role after you and Aleesia quit questing with the group, the pressure was too much. I was good for a few weeks making the decisions, but it was a lot. I realized I’m a much better number two. I left the group to Klink and have been exploring on my own ever since. Thought today would be a good day to take in a race or two. Your boy Buzz has really made a name for himself.” The bartender hands him another full mug. “Fancy a drink?”
“Why not?” I shrug. “What are you having?”
“Scottish Ale.” He frowns, offended that I asked. “It offers a fair amount of buffs to dwarves. Increased healing, strength and defense bonuses. They don’t last nearly long enough, but if you ever see a group of dwarves together drinking and they get rowdy, this is the likely cause.” He takes another long swig.
“What’ll it be?” asks the bartender.
It doesn’t really matter to me. It’s not like I’ll be able to taste it. Not like in The Broken Lands. I don’t think I’ll ever get over the way full-immersion feels. Indistinguishable from reality. Every sense reporting on what the world feels, smells, and tastes like.
“Dealer’s choice, three of them,” I say, and the bartender reaches for two bottles—one filled with red liquid and the other blue.
“You’ve got it, boss.”
After pouring the two liquids into a glass, he adds a dash of a rusty brown substance, a sprinkle of white powder, and then muddles a few leaves in the bottom. The concoction begins to bubble and fizz as he pours it into three glasses.
Ordin eyes me warily as I slide my glass closer to me. The blue and red liquids swirl together in the center, creating a miniature vortex.
Substance. Bulwark Smash. Effect: Aura of Protection. Grants increased Health and Mana Regeneration for five minutes. Bonus effect: Aura of Protection is doubled if consumed when under 15% health.
Not a bad recipe at all. I lift my glass to make a toast.
“To finding our happiness.” The four of us clink our glasses together, and I take a sip of my cocktail. Immediately, my HP and Mana feel different. I feel more vibrant. “Can I have two more of those?” I ask the bartender.
He makes two more cocktails and I add them to my inventory. They may come in handy in the future.
A horn blares, signaling the start of the next race. Holograms of the race are displayed in countless locations around the track. One appears on the bar between Ordin and me. I spot Sam in the middle of the pack. She tosses a canister, and a violent explosion sends the three chickens surrounding her spinning in place.
Dean and Grayson debate which rider they think will win. I’m not entirely invested in the race, so I make small talk with Ordin.
“Do you mind if I ask what you found in the Developer’s Chest?”
“I’d be offended if you didn’t,” he says gruffly.
He moves his beard to the side, showing me a shimmering amulet hanging from his neck. A blood-red ruby sits encrusted in a gold medallion with a set of runes engraved around the edge. It’s one of the most beautiful pieces of jewelry I’ve ever seen.
“What is it?” I try to focus on it, but like most items in Pangea, if it belongs to another player, I’m unable to see its effects or item details if they are wearing it.
“It’s called the Eye of Elaine. It has several buffs, but its bonus effect is what makes it so special. Once every twelve hours, I can double all my stats for sixty seconds. The downside is that all the buffs disappear until the bonus is available again. In a hard battle, it’s a game changer. Double HP, attack, defense, everything.”
“Wow.” That’s all I can say. The opportunities that item could have opened up for me are astronomical. Still, I’m glad that Ordin has it. If not for him, I wouldn’t be where I am right now anyways. I definitely wouldn’t have won the tournament, and that Eye of Elaine would be with someone else.
Ordin drains the rest of his mug and stands up.
“I think it’s time for me to be going. I’ve got a quest to attend to. You’re more than welcome to join if you’d like.”
“Can I take a rain check? Me and Dean over here are training for the Pro-Am Tournament.”
“You don’t say? I know who to place my bets on.” He winks. “It was good to see you, Esil. Take care.”
We grasp each other around the forearm, and Ordin disappears into the crowd. I catch the last of the race, just as Sam crosses the finish line. Good for her.
It’s time for us to get going, though. We have a tournament to prepare for.
Chapter Eleven
When I get home later that evening, I finally send in all the required documentation to enter Dean and myself into the tournament. A few minutes after hitting send, I receive a message from the developers.
Greeting Esil!
Thank you for your interest in Pangea Online’s Pro-Am Tournament. Over the next few hours, we will be confirming that your apprentice has not competed in an official Pangea Online tournament. Once this has been confirmed, you will be officially added to the contestant list.
Since the Pro-Am Tournament is an opportunity for young players to compete alongside our great winners of the past, the stages will be constructed so that all entrants have a fair chance at the prize. For this tournament, levels will not matter. One’s ability to win will be based on their use of items, abilities, and natural skill. The tournament will consist of three stages, each one building on t
he last, wherein a winner will be crowned on the final stage. Once entry is closed, the first stage will be revealed.
Thank you for entering the Pangea Online Pro-Am Tournament, and as always, never stop leveling!
-Pangea Online Developers
Well, that doesn’t tell me much. How am I supposed to plan our training if I have no idea what we’re up against? At least it puts all the competitors on the same page.
Before heading to bed, I reach out to Aleesia, Buzz, and Grayson about teaming up for some training tomorrow afternoon. Maybe one of them will have a better idea of where to start.
I wake up to a slew of messages. Buzz and Grayson both say they can’t come because of orientation for the new full-immersion units. I search through my messages for the details about orientation, but I can’t find anything. I do, however, have a message from Benjamin.
Esil,
Stop by my office in the morning. There is something we need to discuss.
-Benjamin
My stomach drops. No message about orientation and Benjamin wants to meet with me. This can’t be good. There’s no way they would kick me off the beta team, is there? I’ve done everything they’ve asked of me.
I quickly glance over the message from Aleesia saying she’d be happy to join us. I’m too rattled to focus on anything at the moment, so I throw on some clothes and rush toward the main building.
Benjamin’s door is closed when I arrive. I knock and the door opens with a whoosh. He places his tablet on the desk and motions for me to take a seat.
“Good morning, Esil.” His voice gives nothing away.
“Good morning.” The words come out as a croak as I take a seat in the polished leather chair. My hands are sweaty as I grip the armrests, leaving a trail of moisture every time I move.
I don’t know what I could have possibly done to make them take me off the project. Too friendly with the NPCs perhaps, but wasn’t that the whole point?
He stares at me for a moment, and then flashes me a smile. “I heard through the grapevine that you’re entering the Pro-Am Tournament.”
I nod. “You heard right.” Is that why they don’t want me around anymore? Did agreeing to mentor Dean cost me my job?
“With a kid from The Boxes as your apprentice, no less. The public is going to love it. You really know how to set yourself up for the spotlight, don’t you?”
I almost snap at him, but I rein my temper in. “I never asked to be in the spotlight. Not then, and not now. No one else was going to take a chance on him, so I felt it was my responsibility. Who else is going to look out for those in The Boxes?”
Benjamin raises his hands in defense. “Easy. I’m not criticizing. I think it’s a great thing that you’re doing. The reason I asked to meet with you is so that I could tell you this in person. We’re going to have to take you off the beta team while you’re in the tournament.”
“Why? I can train for the tournament and still help with the Broken Lands.”
He frowns. “I don’t doubt that you could. Unfortunately, that’s not going to be possible. There’s not much I can say on the matter, just know it’s nothing personal and it has nothing to do with your abilities. You have been a valuable asset for our full-immersion testing and we will be happy to have you back once the tournament is over. Let’s just say that we can’t have you having a conflict of interest.”
“Conflict of interest?” I scrunch my eyes. Does that mean that the Broken Lands will play a part in the tournament?
“I think you can put the pieces together yourself. I’ll be rooting for you during the tournament, Esil. Now, if you don’t mind, I have a lot of work to get done.”
I leave Benjamin’s office and walk down to the laboratory. My mind is full of questions. About the tournament and the Broken Lands. Does this mean there will be a full-immersion stage, or are the Broken Lands being added to Pangea?
Even though it’s only been a couple of weeks since they shut the program down, the laboratory looks completely different. The giant vats we used to submerge ourselves in are gone, replaced by dozens of much smaller units, each one about the size of a coffin. They’re polished and sleek, with a transparent top.
No one is down in the lab. The viewing deck, however, is packed with people in lab-coats. I spot Aleesia’s messy bun as she stands on the far side taking notes. How much has she known about all of this?
She’s already agreed to hang out tonight, so I’ll fish for information then.
I have most of the day to kill until Dean is finished with school, so I wander aimlessly around the headquarters, drifting through the various parks and botanical gardens.
When I finally return home, I start researching some of the more skill-based worlds across Pangea. If the tournament is discounting our levels and current abilities, then we’d get the most benefit from exploring worlds where everyone is on the same page.
Personally, I like worlds where I can witness my avatar grow and level over time, but some people like the challenge of beating level after level.
I get so caught up in my research that before I know it, I have a message from Aleesia telling me to meet her in her home portal.
I strap into my haptic suit, toss Fenrir a few treats in my own portal, and go to meet Aleesia. After entering the code, I find her inside, sprawled out on a luxurious leather couch in the center of the room. I haven’t been in many people’s home portals, but I have a feeling that hers would put most of them to shame.
A spiral staircase leads to a loft that overlooks the main room. I can barely see the top of her four-poster bed up above. A crystal chandelier casts sparkles across the room. Mannequins span the perimeter, displaying copies of her best pieces of clothing, armor, and accessories. A symphony plays quietly in the background, and a display on the wall follows her unicorn as it prances in an open field. Everything in here screams royalty.
“How long have you known that the Broken Lands were part of the new tournament?”
She grimaces. “Sorry, I’ve known for a while now, but I was bound to secrecy. I wasn’t even sure if you would be competing and I didn’t want anything I said to influence you. I’m surprised they waited so long to tell you, though. I guess they wanted to wait until you officially entered.”
I cross the room and give her a kiss on the cheek. “It seems a little soon to be taking full-immersion mainstream, don’t you think?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. While we were perfecting the AI in the Broken Lands, another team was working on a more portable form of full-immersion. This is going to be big, Esil. Once this goes public, Pangea will never be the same.”
“What do you mean?”
Aleesia sits up off the couch, her eyes wide with excitement. “They’ve found a way to experience full-immersion with nothing but a helmet.”
“Wait, what? I was at the lab and I saw dozens of pods.”
She grins. “Here’s the best part. Those are for extended play. There’s a nanobot gel that can keep the body functioning for days without having to eject. But the helmets by themselves are rated for up to six hours of immersion at a time.”
I’m frozen for a moment as I take it all in. “So you mean to tell me that full-immersion is almost ready to come to all of Pangea?”
“In time. There’s a lot of coding to get all the game worlds up to par, so it’ll take time. But this tournament will be the big reveal.”
I take a seat on the couch beside her. Any chance I had of keeping a low profile is over. With this kind of announcement, everyone across Pangea will be tuning into the tournament.
The loud gong of church bells announces a visitor, and a hologram appears in the center of the table. Dean looks around nervously in his cowboy outfit.
“Let him in,” she says, and a door opens, allowing Dean to enter.
He gawks at the lavish accessories before walking over to us.
“Nice to meet you. This place is amazing.”
Aleesia offers him a warm smile. “Thank
s. I don’t spend as much time here as I used to, but it was my sanctuary for a time.”
We engage in small talk for a bit before I get down to business.
“If we’re going to have a shot at this tournament, we need lots of practice in different worlds. We want to be as well-versed as possible so that we can handle any challenge they throw at us.”
Dean nods along as I speak. “So where are we going first?”
“Street Brawl. It’s a two-dimensional world where we fight our way through levels, clear bosses, and try to reach the center of town.”
We open an exit portal to Pangea’s game worlds, and an endless expanse of destinations floats before us.
Welcome to Street Brawl! The city of Greendale has descended into anarchy. Thugs have taken over the streets and neighborhoods throughout the city. Fight your way downtown and rescue the Mayor so that he may call in reinforcements and bring safety to the city once again.
The world before me is full of flat surfaces and bright colors. Tall buildings stretch on each side of the road, forcing us down the path before us. The spaces between buildings ends with a walled-off alley. This is a far cry from the open worlds I’m used to. The street we stand on is littered with trash, broken-down vehicles, and burning dumpsters. In the distance, hooded individuals wearing ski masks walk back and forth holding chains, tire irons, and pieces of wood with nails in them.
My own body is two-dimensional and flat, like an animated version of me, but when I twist my arm, it’s like I’m a piece of paper. Every time I take a step there’s a barely audible beep. Techno-inspired music plays quietly in the background.
Dean and Aleesia have gone through the same transformation, each of them cardboard cutouts of their avatars.
“Whoa!” Dean flips his two-dimensional hand back and forth, amazed by the physics. “This is crazy. I’m moving like normal, but it feels different. I can’t quite explain it.”
Pangea Online: The Complete Trilogy Page 56
