The Curse of Hurlig Ridge_World Tree Online_1st Dive

by M. A. Carlson

  The Curse of Hurlig Ridge

  World Tree Online: 1st Dive

  M.A. Carlson

  The Curse of Hurlig Ridge - World Tree Online: 1st Dive © 2018 by M.A. Carlson. All Rights Reserved.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  Cover designed by B Rose Designz

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  M.A. Carlson

  Visit my website at https://macarlsonauthor.wordpress.com/

  Printed in the United States of America

  First Printing: Aug 2018

  M.A. Carlson

  ISBN-978-0-692-13419-1

  For Dad, thank you for the encouragement to pursue writing.

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Epilogue

  Stats, Equipment, Skills and Spells

  Author’s Note

  Prologue

  Welcome to the World Tree

  I can’t even begin to express how happy I was to be reading those words on the little screen of my new Seedpod just a few inches away from my face.

  System initializing . . .

  The screen updated with a little progress bar was quick to fill. I was so happy I spent the money to update my internet connection to a 100-terabytes upload and download speed. I know the Seedpod only required a 10-terabyte connection, but I didn’t want any lag.

  What is the Seed? So glad you asked. The Seed is the first of its kind, Full Immersion Virtual Reality (FIVR) pod. Virtual Reality (VR) had been around for a long time, well before I was born. FIVR has been around for about 10 years and met with a good deal of success but nothing compared to what the Seed promised to deliver. Previous FIVR systems would allow short-term dives, limited to about 4 hours at a time due to biological needs such as food and bathroom, part of the safety requirements, enforced by the government, made it a necessity after a few idiots wet themselves playing too long and caused a surge in the equipment, which in turn fried their brains, stopped their hearts or both. Following the unnecessary deaths, the systems all had a 4-hour automatic cutoff installed, which severely limited the playability of most games. The Seed promised a two-part solution to the problem, first, they found an obvious solution to the fact people needed food and water at specific intervals while playing. This was solved with an injection system which sounds much worse than it is. Second, and most complicated, was the implementation of nanotech, or microscopic machines. The nanomachines were able to monitor and control your bodily functions to prevent muscular atrophy and handle waste. As a result, it was now not only possible but entirely feasible to FIVR dive for up to a month at a time. Best of all, you come out of the machine fit and trim after a month due to the machines being programmed to optimize your health in every way possible. As a husky guy myself, someone who had little interest in exercise or sports, this was a godsend.

  Initialization complete. Prepare for a message from Mitchell Dawson . . .

  Mitchell Dawson was the chief software and hardware designer and largest stakeholder in Seed Inc. Apparently, he turned down the offer to become the CEO stating he enjoyed building things more and was happy to be able to continue to do so.

  “Hello and welcome to the World Tree,” greeted an image of the man himself on the little screen. “First let me thank you for your purchase and especially for your patience in the delivery of your Seedpod.”

  Patience probably wasn’t the right word for it. Patience would have meant I was understanding of and accepted the delay of my Seedpod. I can honestly say I was not patient. Especially after the three rotten months, it was on backorder, despite my being one of the first to preorder a unit, and a deluxe model, no less, with a significant price mark up. You’d think, after spending almost half a mil for my unit it would have been here on the promised delivery date. And yet, my unit was only delivered in the last week and finally setup over the last two days by the company’s technicians. I also understand they severely underestimated the demand for the Seedpods but 3 months, really? Three months in which I couldn’t play. Three months of not leveling. Three horrid, hellish, long drawn out, boring months! But it was going to be okay, it was finally here, I was finally going to be able to log in and play. Not just play but play nonstop for the next 30 uninterrupted days.

  If you’re curious how a 20-year old such as myself can afford such an expense, I suppose you could say I was an overachiever in high school. I wrote a phone app, which I ended up selling for a cool 50 million. While it wasn’t a huge amount of money these days, after several smart investments including purchasing a large shareholding in Seed Inc., I was in a situation where I would never have to worry about money again, provided I wasn’t epically stupid in my spending.

  “As an apology for the delay in delivering your unit, we’ll be giving you an experience boost for your first 10 levels, to help you catch up with other players. Thank you again for both your participation and patronage. I sincerely hope you enjoy your time exploring the World Tree.” His statement was brief, and the screen faded to black immediately after. I honestly felt angered by his statement. Ten levels . . . what was that? And how much of a boost? I know from the various forums, there were several people already in their 50’s. The highest leveled gamer, Titan Beast, was Lvl 66 and was exactly that, a beast. Boosted experience for 10 levels, such bull. Okay, so maybe I was more than a little angry.

  A moment later, the screen faded back into an image of a room again, this time with a young digital woman on the screen. I say digital cause no woman could sound so angelic. Wavy blonde hair with an unnatural shine to it. A perfect heart-shaped face with a small nose and pouty lips. Totally unrealistic for someone to look this good, but man, if she wasn’t the hottest thing I’d ever seen.

  “Good afternoon, Byron, I am Maggie, your digital guide. It is my job to help with the first login and calibration of your Seedpod. First, my sensors indicate your armband is slightly low on your right arm, please shift it above your bicep.”

  I couldn’t help but blink in surprise, both at the instruction and just how lifelike the Artificial Intelligence, or AI as it was usually referred to, was. I blinked again and then as instructed, I reached across my body and nudged the armband a little further up my arm.

  “Perfect,”
Maggie said, once the band was where she wanted it. “Now, you are going to feel a pinch but not pain as the armband has already released a mild numbing agent. This is how we will manage your health while you are in your full immersion dive. Are you ready for the lid to close?” When I first got into the Seedpod, the lid only closed part way allowing a good deal of light to filter in from the side, as well as placing the small screen just far enough away for me to see it clearly. Once the lid closed completely, it would be too close to comfortably read or watch.

  Focusing on the task at hand, I ran one more, quick, mental checklist. My brother and his wife were taking care of my cat for the next month. My internet, water, electricity and condo association bills were paid up for the next 6 months or turned on to auto-debit my bank account. Additionally, my bank account was linked to my World Tree account, so I could deposit any money I made while in the game or withdraw money from my account if I needed it. My doors were all locked up tight and the security system was activated. The fridge was emptied so no food would go bad and the trash was taken out. My stomach was empty because I hadn’t eaten in 24-hours per the Seedpod’s full immersion requirements. I couldn’t think of anything I may have missed so I stated it clearly and simply, “I’m ready.”

  “Great, the lid will close, and you will be in darkness for what will feel like a few minutes before you wake in the character creation center. We will be putting you to sleep first though so please do not resist or the process will take longer,” she explained briefly.

  “Can do,” I replied, I felt a little nervous but also very excited.

  “Great, speak to you soon,” she said, smiling in a way that could be nothing less than supernatural.

  With the lid closed, completely sealing me in darkness. I closed my eyes and within moments the beta wave transmitters put me into a deep sleep.

  Chapter 1

  When I woke up I was laying down comfortably. I wasn’t sleepy, per se, but I did feel sluggish.

  “Take your time acclimating, there is no rush,” said the unmistakable voice of Maggie, though it sounded more as if she was in the room with me now instead of speaking to me through the pod’s speaker.

  I opened my eyes and had to blink a few times to adjust to the brightness of the room. I took a few deep breaths. The air smelled off to me, maybe a little stale or musty. I’m not sure why but it reminded me of a museum or one of those old libraries, the kind that used to have books printed on paper. It wasn’t until my eyes started recognizing the objects in the room, I understood why. The walls all around me were covered in bookshelves from floor to ceiling and the shelves themselves were covered in books. As for me, I was lying on a small cot in the center of a round room. Then I noticed, the room had neither doors nor windows, yet it was lit perfectly. Then I saw Maggie sitting in an armchair near the end of the cot, staring at me with a polite smile.

  “Hello,” she smiled and gave a small wave to me, coming across as both friendly and a little condescending at the same time.

  “Hi,” I answered, not sure what else to say.

  “Before we begin this next part of the process, please try to remain calm. I understand you may feel awkward standing in the buff with me present, but I assure you, you do not have anything I have not seen on the other male divers,” she stated unabashedly.

  It took my brain a moment to process she was talking about. I was naked as the day I was born.

  “Which is fitting, as you are about to be born again,” she commented, her smiling widening as she said it.

  “Did you just read my mind?” I asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable with having my privacy invaded.

  “Yes, I did, and I will again. It will help me assist you in selecting the character that most fits you. You will only get to be born into the World Tree once,” she answered succinctly.

  That was the only major complaint people had so far, you only get one chance to make a character. There were no do-overs. You also only got to select one class, which would develop based on how you played the game. It was truly about you and who you were as a person determined how you would develop in the game. However, it should also be noted, most classes also had advancements or evolutions, but they were not easy to come by.

  “You are absolutely right. So, let us start with you telling me what name to wish to play under. Please note Players are strictly forbidden from using their real names while in-game,” she stated, beginning the process of creating my character.

  “Bye-bye Jacko,” I answered. It was the name I always used in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG). As long as they allowed two names. My name is Byron Jacobs. When I was in grade school, one of my tormentors would always taunt me ‘Bye-bye Jacobs’ before he punched me or pushed me into someone. On the advice of my older brother, I tried to own the name. It wasn’t until, said tormentor, tried to trip me going up some stairs, only for me to turn the tables on him . . . read ‘accidentally’ tripped him instead. He tumbled backward, falling halfway down the stairs at which point, I stated clearly and loudly for everyone to hear, ‘Bye-Bye Jacko’. This earned me a good laugh and a week of detention, but it was totally worth it. Since then, my nickname, within my limited circle of friends, was ‘Bye-Bye’, which caused confusion and humor in equal measure.

  “Excellent, the name is available and now it is yours alone. Next, in order to be supportive of the transgender community do you wish to play as male or female. Please bear in mind, you will feel female in the game, including all that goes with it?” Maggie asked but also warned.

  “Male,” I said quickly, maybe a little too quickly. I am a guy and prefer to remain a guy.

  “Moving on, what do you enjoy about Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG’s) and we’ll go from there?” she asked.

  “Can’t you just read my mind?” I asked. Admittedly, my response sounded snarky. I didn’t intend to be, but there it was.

  “I can only read your surface thoughts, so I suppose you could think about it to me, might be excessive though, yes?” she answered.

  “Right, sorry. I guess I’m just feeling a little out of sorts so far,” I replied contritely.

  “It’s understandable. It will take a little time to acclimate. It is also part of this process,” she explained.

  “I’m an explorer at heart. I love dungeon crawling and even raiding. I loathe Player versus Player (PvP) more than you can imagine,” I started telling her. I hate PvP gameplay, it was unfair the way a high-level player would kill someone weaker than them, just because they could.

  “What kind of exploring?” she asked. It was then I noticed she was sitting perfectly still, she wasn’t fidgeting or shifting in her seat, it felt unnatural, but given she was a computer program I suppose I shouldn’t have been too surprised.

  “Well, in other Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games I’ve played, I love finding hidden Easter Eggs. Secret quests and the like,” I answered. An Easter Egg is just as it sounds, but for games instead of finding actual eggs, plastic or otherwise, your goal is to find hidden quest lines, secret events, and other gaming fun.

  “I see, and dungeons and raiding?” she asked.

  “What’s not to love there? You get to explore tombs filled with challenging and unique monsters. You have to work as a team to clear it and more importantly, you have to know what you’re doing.”

  She nodded thoughtfully. “I suppose then I should ask why you dislike Player versus Player? As I’m sure you know by now, there is only one server and it is all PvP eligible.”

  I stayed silent for a minute as I thought about my answer. “I hate when other people take pleasure in hurting others, it disgusts me to be honest. Most of them are bullies, real life or game doesn’t matter. They pick on people and players weaker than themselves. I’ve encountered PvP fanatics in the past and I personally think most of them should put behind bars or banned from games like this. To enjoy killing another person is just wrong and as lifelike as this FIVR is . .
. well, let’s just say I would never trust a Player Killer (PK) in real life. PKs are the worst.”

  “Okay, can you tell me about your play style?” she requested.

  “I usually play a paladin or similar class. I find they have so much versatility, I can heal with them or tank or even be a damage dealer,” I answered.

  “So, you prefer close range? Or staying at a distance as a healer?” she asked.

  “I’m good with either. They each have different aspects I find enjoyable,” I answered.

  “Have you ever played as a mage or hunter type class?” she asked.

  “Not really. I usually played with a group of friends and they needed me to fill one role or another, so I usually go with the one giving me the most versatility,” I answered honestly.

  “Are you opposed to trying such a class?” she asked, continuing to probe at my gaming preferences.

  “Not at all. Does it matter? I mean, doesn’t our play style determine our class?” I asked, wondering if maybe all the gameplay research I had done previously was for not.

  “Absolutely it does, but some classes are more magically gifted, while others are more physically gifted, thus getting increased gains to the stats aligning with their class,” she explained, reassuring me.

  “Makes sense,” I mumbled. It was interesting, and I would have liked to ask more questions, but we were getting off topic and I wanted to get into the game to start playing as soon as possible. I chose to redirect the conversation back to the purpose for being here. “So, what race do you recommend?”

  “Based on what you have told me, I believe a half-High Elf and half-Human, or half-Mountain Dwarf and half-Human would suit you best,” Maggie advised confidently.

  “Why them?” I asked, curious about her choices for me.

  “High Elves have bonuses to Lore, which is a big part of exploration and discovery in the World Tree, they also have bonuses to holy magic and ranged attack damage as well as gaining +2 Intellect with each level. The Mountain Dwarves are also blessed with Lore bonuses, but they don’t mix with the High Elves and therefore do not produce children together. The Mountain Dwarves get +2 stamina with each level and have improved ax and mace skills, as well as mining and blacksmithing crafting bonuses. The Humans are blessed with the ability to use any weapon with training and gain increased experience in learning weapons skill, where the others are limited by either race or class. It will allow you to fight in melee or shoot from range and they also get +2 Charisma with each level. Their versatile racial ability also allows them to learn up to 4 different professions, where all other races are limited to 2. Now, as a halfling, the bonuses are cut in half, but you can still benefit greatly,” she elaborated on her recommendations.