by Alex Mulder
He’d be in the game, for good, then. That would be his life, his real life, with no outside world to return to, or deal with.
“They’re calling it ‘going all in,'” said Ben.
“Going all in?”
“A couple of players on the official forums were talking about trying to do it intentionally.”
Luke didn’t say anything. They had arrived back at Ben’s house, and as they walked inside, the phrase continued to echo in his head, like a prophecy.
Going all in…
CHAPTER 25
Emily was in the kitchen when the two of them arrived, washing dishes and facing away from the door. She turned and looked at them as they walked into the living room. Her eyes met Luke’s for a brief moment, and he felt strangely awkward holding the gaze.
“Hey, Ben,” she said. “Hey, Luke.”
“We’ll be gaming upstairs if you need us, sis.” Ben started toward the stairs and then stopped and snapped his fingers. “Shoot, we forgot to grab your stuff from your place, Luke.”
Emily glanced over at him curiously, and Luke felt his face heat up a little bit.
Are things always going to be this weird between us now?
“We can head out for it later,” said Luke. “And I’ll have to at least check in with my dad at some point, make sure he doesn’t file a police report.”
“Luke…” Emily was drying a plate as she turned to face him directly. “You’re always welcome, here. Always…”
Why is she looking at me like that? And why is it so hard for me to look away from her?
“Come on, we need to get started,” said Ben. “There’s a lot for us to work on in-game.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
Luke followed Ben upstairs and quickly set up his laptop and headset. He made himself comfortable on the side of Ben’s bed and then logged into the game.
He still wasn’t entirely used to the feeling of the new headset, the way it just flipped a switch and transported him into a different reality. He was at the last place he’d been the day before, the beach, where he had sat and talked with Tess.
Tess… who is Emily, my best friend’s sister.
Luke did his best to shake off the weird feeling that had taken hold of him and started heading back toward Dunidan’s Rest. His stamina bar was dangerously low. Instead of risking it and trying to get all the way through another zone to the oasis he stopped in Stark Town to buy some food.
One of the food merchants was selling fresh fruit, and he spent some of his dwindling gold supply on an orange and a banana. He walked through the town as he peeled and ate them, tasting it instead of just watching it disappear. As he walked, Luke listened to the hum of conversation around him.
“Only a fool would risk it.”
“Only a fool wouldn’t try!”
An argument was taking place between two players that were about the same level as Luke. They looked solemn, and he could tell even without having them say it that they were talking about ‘going all in’.
“We aren’t even sure if the people who’ve gone all in are really even themselves or not,” said one of them. “They could just be convincing NPCs!”
“Convincing NPCs? That’s ridiculous and you know it!” The other let out a derisive laugh. “No NPC in the game could match human level intelligence well enough to completely fool so many people.”
“Maybe we just haven’t seen the full extent of what an NPC can be, yet!”
“They have memories, and they claim to still be alive and conscious,” insisted the first man. “There’s no way to disprove their experience any more than there would be to disprove yours or mine.”
Luke took a step away from the two and had just started heading south through Stark Town when he felt a hand grab his shoulder.
“Hey…” It was Tess, and seeing her in-game made him feel a lot like seeing Emily out of game had.
“Tess… I mean, Emily…” said Luke. “Hey.”
There was an awkward silence, only alleviated by crowds of other players jostling and making conversation all around them. Tess looked a little distraught, as if above all, she didn’t want things to be uncomfortable between them.
“Look, I didn’t mean to change how things were,” she said. “I only thought… Well, I didn’t think it would make a difference to you who I was in the outside world.”
“It doesn’t,” said Luke. “I mean, it’s a little strange, but…”
But what? Do I tell her the truth? That the fact that she’s my best friend’s older sister means that it’s impossible for us to ever be together? She already knows that…
“You must have heard,” whispered Tess. “About the people who are disconnecting from the outside world.”
Luke nodded.
“Yeah. It’s insane stuff.”
“I don’t think it’s that insane.” Tess smiled at him, the same mournful smile that he’d seen so many times before, both in the game and on Emily.
“Tess, what are you saying?”
“You know what I mean, Kato,” said Tess. “Luke…”
Of course, I know what she’s saying, but how can she be saying it?
“Come on, let’s head back to the guild hall,” said Luke. “We can see how far along the other guild has gotten with their setup.”
Tess shrugged her shoulders.
“You’re changing the subject,” she said. “But that’s okay. I just want you to know, Luke… I’m interested in seeing what the results are with this, with people going all in.”
“So am I, Tess.”
I really, really am. More than I can readily admit.
The two of them made good time on their way through the Inner Plains, reaching the edge of the desert and their zone within a couple of minutes.
The fence that Luke had built days ago had been extended, including more of the area on the other side of the oasis that they had leased to Athena’s Wrath.
Katrina’s guild had set up its own guild hall, and it sat to the left of the oasis, within the fence. It was slightly smaller with a different architectural style than The Consulate’s headquarters.
Silverstrike was standing outside the double doors that led inside the walls, talking with Katrina about something in whispered tones. When he saw Luke and Tess approaching, he waved them over.
“Kato, we have a problem.” Silverstrike scanned the horizon and then leaned in close. “The Revolutionary Rebels are mobilizing to the south of here.”
“It’s true,” said Katrina. “They have already moved through my guild’s zone. Or should I say my former zone. They’ll be here in under an hour.”
Luke walked over to the wall and set his hand against it.
I should have spent more time upgrading our defenses.
“Alright,” he said. “We’re going to have to make a stand. Katrina, how many members of your guild can you have in-game in the next couple of minutes?”
“Everyone in our guild is already logged in.” She frowned. “Even with both of our guilds combined, we’re going to be outnumbered.”
“We can’t just abandon our zone to them!” Tess looked genuinely upset at the prospect.
“No. We can’t give up.” Luke pulled his sword out of its sheath and ran over to the edge of the wall so that he could look off into the distance to the south. There was no visible sign of the invaders, but that wasn’t enough to put him at ease. Silverstrike walked over and stood next to him.
“Do you have a plan?” he asked, in a quiet voice. “Because we’re sure as hell going to need one. The reports I’ve gotten from people who’ve encountered the Rebels put their numbers at around thirty. We don’t even have ten players between both guilds.”
“We can’t take them out in a head on attack.” Luke thought back to the struggle against the Winter Beast, and how the sheer imbalance of power in the assault had made it impossible to take down. “No… What we need to do is bring them inside.”
“Are you out of your mi
nd?” Silverstrike’s jaw dropped open, and he shook his head back and forth as though Luke’s words had been blasphemy.
“We’ll send a message to them that we’re willing to meet their terms,” said Luke. “It’s the only way.”
A chill went down his spine as he thought about what his plan was going to entail for him personally.
This is going to be a hard sell.
Over the course of the next half hour, Luke managed to convince everyone, though Silverstrike held out until the very end. It was impossible for Luke to tell him exactly what was going to happen, and because of that, his friend remained stubborn, right up to the point when the Rebels appeared on the zone’s horizon.
“They’re coming!” yelled Katrina. Luke glanced over at Silverstrike, and then to the members of Athena’s Wrath, and to Tess, who were all waiting inside of the guild hall.
“Open the gates,” said Luke. “There’s no point in us committing suicide.”
The gates opened. Luke could see the surprise in the movements of the approaching invaders as they drew in closer. He looked over at Silverstrike, shooting him a look that leveraged all of the trust that had been built up between the two over the years, and then walked out of the compound.
As the Revolutionary Rebels closed the final distance to the guild hall, Luke recognized, Marcus, along with another familiar face. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Marcus in front of a force of around 30 players was Arex.
“Long time no see!” Luke smiled at him, despite himself. Marcus smiled too, but Arex’s expression was one of anger and loathing.
“I’m just here to repay the favor,” said Arex. “My new guild has been looking to expand, and I didn’t see any reason not to bring my old guild into the fold.”
“Quiet, Arex.” Marcus barked out the words and then stepped toward Luke, his hand extended cordially. “Kato, I’m glad to see that you have come to your senses. There is no reason why you can’t continue to operate in this zone if you’re willing to meet our terms.”
Am I really about to do this?
“Yes, well, we’re only interested in making peace, not war.” Luke paused and gestured to the second building that had been constructed on the other side of the oasis by Athena’s Wrath. “And for the record, we have recently accepted in another guild you defeated. They’ve agreed to go along with whatever compromise we come to.”
Marcus laughed.
“I’m sure they were eager to, after what happened to their old zone.”
There was a moment of silence, in which the only sounds heard consisted of the sand and crabgrass being blown about by the wind. Luke coughed into his hand and tried to ignore the intense, suspicious look that burned in Arex’s eyes.
He knows something is up. I didn’t plan for this.
Luke smiled as convincingly as he could manage.
“Come on, let’s head inside and discuss this in the guild hall.” He started walking without looking over his shoulder, praying that Marcus would act through his ego instead of through common sense.
Marcus, Arex, and two other guild members walked through the gates following Luke into the guild hall. It took all of his effort to keep his face relaxed and neutral. He saw Tess look warily at him as they walked inside, and then flinch back when Arex followed in after him.
“You…” Her voice was quiet but full of red hot, unbridled anger.
“Yes, me,” said Arex. “Careful. You’re not exactly in a position to be throwing tantrums over the past.”
“Shut up.” Marcus cut him off and then reached into his own satchel, pulling out a sheet of parchment that looked very similar to a guild contract. “Let’s hash out the terms of your fealty and be done with it.”
I just need to buy a minute more. Once Silverstrike and Katrina are in place, I can do what needs to be done.
“Of course,” said Luke.
“For starters, the zone and the oasis will now officially belong to us,” Marcus spoke like a man who was unused to getting anything other than his way. “Your people will need to find alternate sources of food and water. We will be checking the water level regularly to ensure that none of it is being siphoned.”
“Sure,” said Luke.
“Second, your guild and the guild you harbor will both be incorporated into the Revolutionary Rebels. This is a mutually beneficial arrangement, as our guild will soon be far and beyond any other on the server. You wouldn’t stand a chance against us in any way if you decided to fight.”
Luke glanced out the window. Silverstrike and Katrina were on either side of the gate, and the members of Athena’s Wrath, all armed with ranged weapons, were on top of the wall.
He looked back at Marcus and saw a man. Not a monster, but a man. From his perspective, it really was just an immersive game. There was nothing in the rules against being a bully, taking what he needed for himself and his guild.
There’s nothing in the rules against deliberate, cold-blooded murder, either, but that doesn’t make it right.
“Kato, are you listening?”
Luke nodded.
“Yes.”
He pushed his hand forward, directing his palm toward Marcus. The three conjured swords he’d hidden around the inside of the guild hall flew from the corners of the room and stabbed into the leader of the Revolutionary Rebels. Luke immediately launched forward.
CONJURE SWORD 3
PIERCE ATTACK 3
Luke’s plan had been audacious in its simplicity. Both guilds had pooled their money together to buy one vial of experience serum, which Luke had used himself to reach level 10 and gain the skill upgrades needed to stand a fighting chance in an assassination attempt.
The look on Marcus’s face was one of shock and rage. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth as his health bar zeroed out, and Luke’s skin crawled at the nature of what he’d just done.
There is no time to feel guilt or shame. We aren’t done yet.
Arex let out a scream and began to charge up a spell, but Tess put her part of their plan into action. She used a slowing debuff on the remaining three enemy players in the guild hall, and it gave Luke the advantage he needed to stand a fighting chance.
He stabbed into one with Pierce Attack 3. One of the others struck a spear into his shoulder, but Luke was comparatively quick enough to pull himself free without losing more than half of his health. He whirled, striking three times in quick succession, dropping his third foe.
The debuff wore off on Arex right as Luke turned to finish him off. The Red Mage moved as though to take Tess hostage again, echoing what had happened in their last fight.
“No!” Tess cast another spell and knocked Arex back. The mage launched several ice blasts at Luke as he closed the distance between them, but only one made contact, and it wasn’t enough to stop him.
Luke buried his sword into his former ally and watched as Arex’s health bar dropped to zero.
I’m no different from him now, killing my enemies during negotiations.
Outside the guild hall, the gates to the compound had been shut, and the members of Athena’s Wrath were hailing down spells and arrows onto the enemies lurking outside. Luke was still concerned by the sheer number of foes they faced, but after climbing to the top of the wall and looking down on them, he could see just how disorganized they were without a leader.
“Silverstrike!” He yelled to his friend and then pointed to a group of three enemy players that was cut off from the whole. “Let’s clean this up!”
The two of them dropped down to the ground outside of the wall and moved to engage. Silverstrike used his stealth skills to take one of them out before being seen. Luke approached and attacked the remaining two, using his physical sword against one while dodging attacks from the other.
CONJURE SWORD 3
It only took one of his magical projectiles to drop the other enemy player.
He was only at level two… Most of these players are just here for show.
Silverstrike looked
as though he was coming to the same conclusion. As he and Luke turned to go after a couple of other enemies that were easy pickings, the remainder of the Revolutionary Rebels began to retreat.
“We did it!” Katrina yelled to the two of them from behind the gate.
I did it… I stabbed a man in the back and saw the look in his eyes when he realized that he’d walked into a trap.
Luke tried to push the thoughts out of his head as he walked back into the compound. Silverstrike clapped him on the back and all of the members of Athena’s Wrath began cheering his name.
“Kato!” Tess was in front of him, staring into his eyes. She was the only one who could see what he felt. She reached out and squeezed his hand.
“You know why I had to do that, right?” Luke asked the question quietly so that only she and not the mass of celebrating players could hear it.
“I know,” she said. “And I’m glad you did, even if it was hard…”
I did it for you, Tess. I did it for us.
CHAPTER 26
“To our new found friends. To Silverstrike, Tess, and of course, Kato!”
Katrina stood in the glow of the bonfire next to the oasis, holding a gourd full of wine up in the air as she spoke to her guild and Luke and his friends. They’d spent the afternoon cleaning out the scene of the fight and preparing for a much-needed victory celebration.
Was Marcus wearing one of the new headsets? Did he feel some of the pain as the blades stabbed into him?
Luke was smiling, but it was just a mask concealing his real emotions. He was in the center of the group but wanted more than anything else to be alone with his thoughts.
Tess had been holding his hand for almost the entire night. It was one of the only things keeping Luke in good spirits, along with Silverstrike’s antics as he drank wine and slowly began to act inebriated.
“It feels like I’m really tipsy!” he yelled. “This simulation is too real.”
I agree.
Tess saw the look on his face and squeezed his hand.
“Hey, are you okay?”
