by Cosimo Yap
At last, Alan came to the final room—the central room, the place where the treasure was supposed to be. It was completely filled with webbing, branching outward from a grey stone about the size of a basketball. He saw no path with dark threads; the entire room was lit.
Charge forward and pick up the stone, Eve commanded Alan.
But, I’m sure to set off the trap, whatever it is, and who knows what kind of monster lives here. There’s sure to be a queen insect, right? I mean, there’s always a queen.
Do it.
Alan took a deep breath, really wondering about Eve’s sanity, and his own. Screw it. He leaped forward as far as he could, landing on a thread of the web. Immediately, hundreds of presences began swarming toward him. He pushed forward with all his might, activating hypercognition as he felt numerous creatures jump out and bite at him.
Alan managed to dodge the first few, but they simply moved too fast. He was so close, a few feet away from the stone. He felt his consciousness begin to fade, but he willed himself to continue forward just a few more steps. He fell, hand outstretched, and managed to lay a finger upon the stone.
Welcome to the Academy Combat Program, the Trainer sent. Alan blacked out.
Chapter 3
Somehow, Alan’s Trainer had miraculously brought him out of the insect colony; Alan had regained consciousness while healing in a capsule. According to the Trainer, Alan had been the first to reach the center, netting him enough experience to reach level 300 and receive the Rogue Commendation. Alan discovered the grey stone from before was a Spider Egg (unidentified), which he decided to hold onto until he figured out what to do with it.
A few hours later Alan stared at the Administrator that had appeared in the Student Center. The tests had been simple with Eve’s help. It was like having an answer key to every question; Alan just copied over the answers.
One of the more interesting questions had been about how damage was calculated in the Game. Shields absorbed all damage until their energy was depleted, and then armor further mitigated incoming damage. Unlike most video games, losing health hurt, and would impact your ability to fight. The Game basically tried to figure out what an attack would do in reality, and replicate that in-game.
For the most part, Alan could follow along with Eve’s solutions, though a few questions made little sense. Still, if he ever did need help he could just have Eve give him the answer. What did it matter if he couldn’t come up with the equations necessary to understand complex orbits, or if he hadn’t any clue about the nature of reality? That work was for computers and philosophers.
That brought Alan to the here and now. He had 477 ability points to spend, in addition to another thousand points he could gain by exchanging marks for ability points. He was a bit strapped for cash at the moment, though, so he would probably avoid the latter. After a bit of consideration, he decided he would start working toward meeting the requirements of his Revenant Scout Power Armor.
While he could use the basic invisibility ability for over twelve hours at a time, Alan could only use advanced stealth for five minutes. While no mission thus far had required extensive use of this ability, Eve had told him that the Trainers had a difficult time detecting him only when the advanced stealth ability was activated. The advanced ability, unlike the basic, allowed for Eve to mimic many sensations other than light.
Meeting the requirements for the armor would allow Alan to keep basic invisibility on indefinitely, increase the time he could spend using the advanced stealth ability, and decrease the amount of attention Eve had to focus on maintaining complete invisibility. Additionally, the abilities he still needed—Energy Efficiency (Advanced) and Revenant Training (Intermediate) —would hopefully be useful elsewhere.
Confirming his decision, Alan sent a message to the Administrator.
Apologies, Traveler, but remember you may only spend ability points on stats while on Incipe, it replied.
What? Alan sent.
While in the Academy System, ability points and marks may be used to hire Teachers to gain and improve abilities. Abilities may not be directly purchased. Teachers are able to train a player’s ability up to advanced—
Right, I remember, Alan sent. How do I meet a Teacher?
Proceed to Phase Two, the Administrator replied.
Alan ended the conversation and looked around. Everyone was busy studying for their exams; the entire Student Center was full of figures poring over digital screens.
Alan moved to exit the building, back out into the wilderness. Gathering 100,000 credits’ worth of materials rather than undergoing intense physical training should be quicker, less painful, and more profitable. Alan felt someone tap him on the shoulder.
He turned to find Aurora standing next to him, wearing what looked like a grey sweat suit. Despite its drab appearance, it did nothing to hide her beauty: her curves and bright eyes drew Alan’s attention like a shining beacon.
“Hey, Alan. Can we talk?” she asked.
“Here?”
“No, somewhere away from prying eyes and ears. Let’s speak in my Room,” Aurora said, starting to walk down a corridor.
Alan hurried after her, walking with her side-by-side. “Your Room?”
“You call yours Home. I share a joint virtual space with my parents and other family members, but we each have our own Room in the House. Well, Rooms, as no Room is a single space.”
“Other family members?” Alan asked.
“Yes,” Aurora said, glancing at Alan. “You’ve met one of them—Luna. She’s a cousin.”
“Oh, so you’re royalty too? I didn’t realize,” Alan said.
Aurora shook her head. “No, I am not. My mother and I are more…outcasts, I suppose. Rogue elements. We have a certain degree of status, but by no means are we part of the Royal Family. Let’s hold off on such talk, we’re almost to the capsule room.”
“Uh, right. How exactly am I getting to your Room?” Alan asked.
“Oh, you’ve never been to another Home before?”
“Nope.”
“I’ll invite you, and it will appear in your list of teleport locations.”
“Isn’t teleporting expensive?” Alan asked.
“Wait, you haven’t been to the Marketplace, or the Arcade? You’ve only teleported within the physical universe of the Game?” Aurora stopped, staring at Alan.
Alan stopped walking as well, glancing away briefly. “Um, yeah? Why, what else is there?”
“Entire universes! A thousand experiences better than this. Why do you think everyone is working so hard? To get paid, so we don’t have to deal with all this. You haven’t used any of the forms of entertainment? None of the virtual adventures or custom worlds?”
Alan shook his head. “No, I haven’t. Isn’t that what the Game is?”
“What?! No. The Game is…the Game is what you’d consider a job. No one spends their free time enjoying the Game. There are so many better activities.”
“But isn’t that the best type of job, one you really enjoy doing?” Alan asked, smiling.
“I suppose. I can see why you’ve logged so many training hours, if you’ve been ignorant of all that the Game really has to offer. I thought you were a machine! Once we’re done at the Academy we must go shopping at the Marketplace, at the very least. I can’t imagine the state your Home is in.”
“Um, okay,” Alan said. Aurora nodded, then walked into the capsule room. Alan followed behind her.
Such activity will most likely be wasteful, resulting in loss of training time and credits, Eve sent. Many sources cite entertainment within the Game to be highly addictive and should thus be avoided.
Shut up, Alan replied. He stepped into a capsule.
***
“Wow, this is nice,” Alan said, looking around at what appeared to be the living room. The walls and ceiling were painted to match a dark-blue night sky. A smattering of furniture was strewn about the room, and Alan found himself sitting next to Aurora. Though the whole situ
ation felt a bit surreal to him, the overall effect of the room was calming. It was like sitting beneath the stars.
“I’m glad you like it,” Aurora said, smiling at him. Alan blushed, glancing up; he watched as a shooting star streaked by on the ceiling. Perhaps it wasn’t just paint.
“Um, right. So, what is it that you wanted to talk about?” Alan asked.
“Ah, I was the one who asked you over, wasn’t I?” Aurora said softly. She turned, looking at a wall.
Alan waited.
“Tell me, Alan, how strong of a player do you think you are?” Aurora asked.
“Me? Well, honestly, I don’t think I’m that strong at all; you or Kitana would definitely beat me in a fight. Still, I found out the other day that I’m in the top 100,000 or so players from Earth.”
“Beat you in a fight?” Aurora repeated. “In a clear one-on-one duel, I suppose. Even then, I get the feeling you have been holding back. Enough about that, though, I’m not here to interrogate you about your abilities or anything like that. I just wanted to…Well, I guess I just wanted some advice.”
“Advice? From me? About what?” Alan asked.
“Well, how to become a better player, of course!” Aurora replied. “You were the first to complete that Rogue trial in over three years, and your training speed is astonishing.”
“Huh? How’d you figure out I completed it?”
“Well, you did disappear right before the trial started, and were the only Rogue candidate not visibly present at the clearing. You also were returned to the Academy Center right after people were told someone had reached the center.”
“Well, sure, but it could’ve been any of the invisible participants that finished it, not necessarily me.”
“Any of the invisible participants?” Aurora asked. “What? How many others were there?”
“Um, three others that I detected. There may have been more,” Alan said, after consulting with Eve.
“So, eight, maybe less,” Aurora murmured. “Well, I suppose that makes me feel slightly better.”
“Better? About what?” Alan asked.
“Don’t you see? No, it is clear you don’t…” Aurora said. “Alan, do you know how much of my life I’ve spent training, toiling away in virtual simulations, instead of outside playing like other children? My entire life has been devoted to becoming the best player possible. Yet, here you are, with no training for the Game, achieving impossible results. The information that you brought to the guild on the Abyss Labyrinth—the map, do you realize how beneficial that was? I heard my mother talking about raising you to the rank of Knight! And here you are, already done with the exams and a Rogue Commendation under your belt.”
“Um, thanks,” Alan said, looking down at his lap. He paused, then looked back up. “But, well, I think it really has been luck, you know? Like the challenges I’ve faced have been suited to the abilities I’ve gained thus far. And my class has really been the reason I’ve been able to train so quickly. I only finished that spider challenge because of the spiders’ dependence on their web to detect intruders. I’m sure you would’ve done just as well in any other challenge.”
“Hmm…Maybe,” Aurora said. “So then, I guess you don’t have any game-breaking tips for me?”
“Um, no, not really,” Alan said. “Honestly, if anything, I think you’re the amazing one.” Aurora gave a half-smile as Alan continued, “No, really! I mean, your ability to lead, your amazing control of your powers, it’s breathtaking. Also, you clearly know the various social circles in the Game, and that’s most of what being a Rogue is really about, right? Figuring out other people, what they want and who they are, not sneaking past giant mutant spiders. And I’ve never been great in social situations, so, well…”
Aurora smiled, a genuine smile, Alan knew. Innocent and pure, it filled his heart with a strange feeling…
There is no time for childish fancy, Eve sent. Aurora is playing with you. Alan ignored her.
“Thank you,” Aurora said.
“Sure,” Alan said. “Just, one thing that occurs to me, feel free to ignore it, but, well, I think the one thing that has kept me motivated, kept me going strong, has been my enjoyment of the Game, you know? You just told me that you think of the Game as a job, a task. To really become the best, you need to enjoy what you do. It has to be more than a hobby or a job, it has to become a passion.”
“Maybe. I’ll think about that,” Aurora said. “We should probably get back. Don’t outlevel me too bad, or I’ll never live it down, okay?”
Aurora hides her level so we have no way of knowing if we’ve surpassed her, Eve sent.
“Okay,” Alan said, smiling. He chose to ignore Eve.
***
Alan stood outside, looking about. Wilderness spread out in every direction: trees, grass, and other forms of nature indistinguishable to Alan.
Gather 100,000 credits’ worth of resources. Right. Any ideas on how to do that, Eve?
Uncertain. We could return to the arachnid colony and—
No. We are not going back there.
Then I suggest exploring. We will hunt down any promising beasts and I will continually scan for precious materials. Based upon our initial jog outside, the area near the Student Center has been picked clean, so the farther we get away the better. At the same time, a better-worn trail would be significantly less dangerous, as we are still unaware what trials other non-Rogue players faced.
Hmm, maybe try to find the tracks of a single person and follow that?
Very well.
Eve quickly highlighted a path for Alan to follow. He activated his armor’s basic invisibility, then began jogging, wondering what he’d find.
An hour or so later, Alan found himself sweating profusely, panting as he followed the other person, whoever they were, into an arid, desert climate. Gone were the trees with their bright green leaves and shade. In their place were rocks, lots of rocks. There was also a smattering of plants, but it was still surprising how quickly the climate changed.
Alan had yet to see even a glimpse of another living creature, and all Eve had found were a few medicinal herbs worth a hundred credits each. Maybe the other person was taking everything for themself.
Is there anything you can do to make it cooler? Alan asked Eve.
Yes, but it would be a waste of energy. You are fine. This is good training.
Alan certainly didn’t feel fine. His every breath was ragged, his throat dry like sandpaper. He kept stopping, taking sips of water; his throat would turn bone dry a minute later.
But he persevered.
***
Alan heard the player he was following before he detected their presence. A few soft thuds sounded in the distance, and as Alan continued forward, the sound reverberated, growing in intensity. Eve’s best guess at the cause of the sound was a rock slide.
A few small dots appeared on the barren horizon, and Alan zoomed in. He found Ace, who was wearing heavy power armor, trading blows with sand-colored predators that blended in with their surroundings.
Stone Wolves, Eve sent. Level 500, rank C creatures highly resistant to almost all forms of physical attacks. The stones their bodies are made of are worth a fair bit as a building resource.
Alan felt a surge of energy as he approached the battle. As he came closer, he saw that there were three wolves fighting Ace. The wolves were near full health, taking turns attacking from various angles, darting in and out with deft agility.
Ace fought with dark grey power gauntlets pulsing with energy. Each time one of his fists connected with a wolf, there would be a sudden boom and the wolf would be blasted backward with a giant cloud of dirt. But then the wolf would stand back up unharmed, missing a fraction of a percent of health.
As Alan drew closer, he could see that Ace’s movements were slowing. Eve estimated he had 35% of his stamina and 60% shield energy remaining. Alan took out Orion’s Cores, holding one pistol in each hand.
Wait, Eve sent.
Wh
y? Alan asked. He got no response, but waited.
The stone wolves, sensing Ace’s weakness, all charged in together. Ace turned to the nearest wolf. He swung a glowing red fist, striking the wolf on the bridge of its nose. The wolf crashed into the ground with a resounding thud, and its HP dropped to 70%. The other two wolves leapt at Ace’s back.
Now, Eve said, and Alan began firing. It was difficult, but Alan managed to control each pistol individually, striking the wolves’ heads at the same time. He hit one wolf’s eye, and it stumbled, HP falling by 5%, but the other raced through the laser fire. The wolf leapt and clawed downwards, striking Ace and bringing him to his knees. Ace’s shields fell to 40%, flickering as dust swirled about him.
Alan continued to fire at the two stone wolves, but each hit did even less damage than Ace’s blows. Ace stood up with a glance at Alan, then charged at the wolf he had previously struck. The wolf tried to rise, but Ace pummeled it back into the ground, unleashing a torrent of blows.
The two wolves began sprinting toward Alan. They sensed easier prey.
Careful, Eve sent. A single blow will fully deplete our shields.
What? Ace just took a solid hit and his shields only fell by 20%. And didn’t you say these wolves were supposed to be immune to physical damage?
Eve gave a mental shrug.
Sighing to himself, Alan fired at the advancing wolves, trying to score additional critical hits. The wolves simply continued charging, now only a few feet away. Their HP bars were still above 80%. They leapt at Alan, but he sidestepped diagonally in front of the right-hand wolf, narrowly dodging the wolf’s jagged stone teeth. He brought his two pistols up right in front of the wolf’s eyes, then fired. The twin lasers flashed forward, striking the wolf’s pupils. It let out a yelp of pain, falling to the ground and pawing at its eyes.
The other wolf turned, preparing to launch another attack at Alan. At this longer range, however, Alan was able to get off two more shots, blinding it. He then simply danced around the two wolves, firing his lasers whenever they were off cooldown.
Sensing their imminent defeat, the two wolves let out mournful howls, and began to run away. They ran straight into Ace’s hands and were met with finishing blows. Two messages popped up:
