World-Tree Online

by EA Hooper

  World-Tree Online

  “World-Tree Online” by EA Hooper

  Copyright © 2018 | All rights reserved

  Book Edited by JD Book Services

  Book Cover by Book Cover Zone

  Contents

  Year 1

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Year 15

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Year 35

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Year 72

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Epilogue

  Author’s Note

  Year 1

  Prologue

  The old man’s fingers raced across his controller as he struggled to defeat the final boss of a game he hadn’t played in twenty years. His face tensed as he tried to remember the enemy’s every move. He’d already died five times to the giant, sword-wielding foe, but on the sixth run his old muscle memory kicked in, and Vincent found himself dodging every attack and timing his own counter-moves with perfect precision. When the enemy’s health hit zero, he jumped to his feet and cheered.

  “That’s right!” Vincent yelled at the screen. “I’ve still got it.”

  He ignored the end-game cutscene and backed into his virtual console navigator. His eyes scanned the list of recently completed games.

  Is that it? That’s the last game I had on my list to replay? That list was supposed to distract me until after the anniversary of Monika’s passing.

  The old man sank back into his gaming chair. The nanomachines in the material compressed, shaping the seat to give him maximum comfort, and the heads-up display in his contacts showed a screen that asked if he wanted to order antidepressants.

  “No,” he said, waving away the ad. “I don’t need any drugs—I mean, other than the ones that keep me healthy. Dang technology, can’t a man deal with his problems the old-fashioned way and ignore them with video games and alcohol?”

  He reached for his drink and found it empty.

  “Refill,” he called.

  A drone flew from his fridge in the kitchen and sprayed a foam into his cup. The foam settled into his favorite root-beer-flavored alcoholic beverage. An augmented-reality screen appeared, asking if he wanted to order more of the beverage before his supply ran out.

  Vincent sighed. “Yeah, sure.”

  The screen inquired if he needed anything else with his delivery, and Vincent had to stop to think. Maybe I should give in and buy that blasted game everyone’s obsessed over.

  He flipped through his HUD to one of the hundred game invitations his friend Jim had spammed him with over the last three weeks. He read over the tagline and the basic information.

  “World-Tree Online. Take a vacation to worlds like you’ve never imagined. Designed by ARKUS, the world’s most powerful AI system, which was created to discover ways of expanding human lifespans. ARKUS’s neural modifiers and advanced headset allow you to live an entire month inside the game in an hour of real-world time.”

  I don’t really care about extending my lifespan with Monika gone, but it might be a good distraction for the next week. At the very least, Jim will finally stop bugging me about it. It can’t be that good a game, can it? Just another VR MMORPG, only time moves faster when you’re wearing ARKUS’s headset. I would’ve loved something like that in my youth. I could’ve taken a break from writing essays in college and gone on a VR vacation. Work would never have seemed so bad knowing I could spend a month or two in the game once I got home. I would’ve had more time with Monika…

  Vincent stared at the screen for several more seconds, struggling to decide. What was it that Monika used to say when I couldn’t make decisions? Always pick the choice that will add more excitement to your life. He could practically hear his wife’s happy voice repeating her mantra

  He pressed “buy” and accepted the order. After a few minutes later, the first delivery drone arrived. On his augmented-reality screen, he watched it drop a small container on his doorsteps. One of his house drones flew down, grabbed the container, and brought it inside through a moving panel. The drone flew the container to his gaming chair and dropped it in his hands.

  When Vincent looked at the bottle, an augmented-reality screen appeared, providing information. He skimmed over the details and agreed to the terms of use.

  So, I need to drink this liquid, which contains nanomachines developed by ARKUS, at least ten minutes before I play the game.

  He unscrewed the container, downed the liquid, and then handed the empty bottle to a drone to dispose. As he waited for the package with the headset, he sent a voice chat request to his lifelong friend Jim.

  “Hey, Vince,” Jim’s voice replied. “What’re you up to?”

  “Well, I finally broke down and got that game,” Vincent replied.

  “World-Tree Online?”

  “Yeah, that one.”

  “Really? I didn’t think you’d actually give in.”

  “Then why’d you keep spamming me with invites?”

  “Because I really wanted you to play it, man. That game is amazing. It’s like I’m reliving my twenties, but better. I’m meeting women, binge-drinking, and partying.”

  Vincent shook his head in disappointment. “We’re seventy, Jim. What woman would want to drink and party with you?”

  “Everyone’s young again in World-Tree Online—it’s like living a new life. The game feels so real, Vince. You won’t believe it until you experience it yourself.”

  “I’ve heard that before. You know how many games have claimed to be lifelike in our time?”

  “But this one really is. That ARKUS—its technology is like nothing out there. Even the sex feels real. The game’s only been out for a few weeks, but I have a hundred fifty hours put into it. You actually caught me just as I was about to jump in again.”

  “A hundred fifty? If an hour of real time is one month in the game, you’ve already lived there for more than a decade. Jesus Christ, Jim. Doesn’t that mess with your perception of reality?”

  “You sound like those old people that used to cry that video games were destroying the fabric of society.”

  “To be fair, no game ever let you take a vacation during your lunch break. That has to screw with your head.”

  “No, it compresses your memories as you log out. You know how you can clearly remember some things from years ago, but then you might forget what you ate for breakfast? It’s like that. Or maybe, it’d make more sense to compare it to a long dream. Only, it feels real while you’re in there. I remember the conversation we had last week better than I remember my marriage a few days ago.”

  “You got married again?”

  “Twice since I’ve been playing. The first one ended on mutual terms, but this last one was a nasty divorce. She took my house and half my items. I’m never getting married again, I promise you that.”

  “You said that after Veronica.
And Pauline.”

  “Well, I’m serious this time. I’m single, young again, and ready to mingle. The World-Tree is my oyster, Vince. Yours too, once you log in. So hurry up and let’s get this party started.”

  “I don’t plan on doing much partying, Jim. I just want a challenging game to distract me for the next week. You know the second anniversary of Monika’s passing is coming up.”

  “I know, I know. That’s why I sent you so many invites. Get in the game, bro.”

  “Bro? Haven’t heard that one in a long time.”

  “I keep telling you, I feel young again—better than young. Better than I’ve ever felt. At my level, I’m as fast and strong as an Olympic athlete.”

  “But the game’s still challenging, right? You know I always like a good challenge.”

  “I’ve barely left the noob worlds, Vince. I’ve heard the play-testers from before the game’s release have reached a point where they have superhuman abilities. And no one’s beaten the game yet. ARKUS made it almost impossible to reach the top of the World-Tree.”

  “Well, ARKUS hasn’t met a player like me yet.”

  “I don’t know, Vince. There’re over five hundred million players online right now.”

  “Wow, that many? Unbelievable.”

  “If it goes any higher, it’ll hit its biggest concurrent population since release. Everyone wants to live longer. Even people I know that never cared for gaming have been hitting me up for parties on the World-Tree. Some of them say they’ve barely paid attention to the real world since the game came out.”

  “And you’re sure it won’t destroy the fabric of human civilization?”

  “No more than social media and government spying ever did. People will adapt. It’s what we humans do best.”

  An augmented-reality screen appeared and showed Vincent that two more items had arrived. His house drones retrieved the packages. One went to the fridge to restock his beer, and the other brought him a sleek box.

  “My headset is here,” Vincent told his friend.

  “Nice,” Jim replied. “I’m jumping back in. See you there, buddy.”

  “See you,” Vincent replied, just before the voice chat ended.

  Vincent opened the box and took out the black headset. It had a simple, sleek design and felt light in his hands. At first glance, it would’ve looked like the dozen other headsets sitting around his house. However, on closer inspection, the design had an almost alien feel to it.

  I’m holding the most advanced piece of technology on this planet, he realized. I’m like a monkey staring at one of those old touchscreen phones. This is something that humans couldn’t have designed. Even the articles online say ARKUS’s developers barely understand this technology. It’s why they were so nervous about releasing it to the public. Why the government demanded ARKUS allow a certain number of human moderators in the game. Why many countries outright banned it. Why some religious and political groups protested the game’s release.

  Vincent remembered his wife’s words and smiled. “I won’t be one of those old guys that’s too afraid to try something new,” he told himself. “Let’s see what kind of challenges this game has waiting for me. Bring it on, ARKUS.”

  He slid the headset over his forehead, and it seemed to adjust to his head’s shape. The moment it settled, he heard a humming noise, like a soft melody, and then his living room disappeared.

  Chapter 1

  Vincent felt his body growing lighter. For a moment, he felt numb, and then his feet touched the ground. His living room had vanished, and he found himself standing in darkness.

  A light appeared overhead, filling the void with a white background. He watched as the floor stretched endlessly toward white walls that might’ve been lightyears away for all he knew.

  In front of him stood a reflective surface that stretched as far as he could see, showing a view of his body back at himself. Only, he didn’t see his old, worn face. He saw a young man staring back at him—a man he only ever saw in old photos and videos.

  It’s me, Vincent thought, touching his face. I look twenty-five again. He looked at his toned arms, stylish haircut, and acne-free face. Okay, so maybe a little better than I looked at twenty-five. It’s like an idealized version of me.

  He clenched his hands and flexed his muscles. Then he touched his neck to feel his own heartbeat. It feels real. Totally and completely real. My god, I never thought a game like this would exist. It’s almost frightening.

  A screen appeared in front of him, and words displayed across it.

  Are you satisfied with this representation? (Yes/No)

  “Yes,” he said, smiling at his own reflection. “Of course.”

  Reminder: You can only make major changes to your appearance between sessions, but minor changes can be made from your HUD at any time.

  His reflection disappeared from the surface, but then six more replaced it. Each stood side by side, dressed in different fantasy-styled clothes. The six copies mimicked his actions, but didn’t follow him if he stepped away from the mirror.

  Please choose your class: Warden | Mage | Cleric | Ranger | Rogue | Fighter

  He looked at the first on the left, a version of himself in bronze-colored chainmail.

  Warden – Specialized Stat: Vitality | Class Ability: Barrier

  So, it’s like a tank class. Okay, let’s see the other five. I can’t wait to jump in and fight monsters like I’m an actual fantasy hero.

  Mage – Specialized Stat: Spirit | Class Ability: Elemental Conversion

  Cleric – Specialized Stat: Resolve | Class Ability: Light Conversion

  Ranger – Specialized Stat: Perception | Class Ability: Scan

  Rogue – Specialized Stat: Agility | Class Ability: Vanish

  Fighter – Specialized Stat: Strength | Class Ability: Breaker

  Interesting choices. I assume each class is balanced, so it’s a matter of playstyle. Do I want to fight monsters up close? With magic? Shoot them with arrows? Stab them in the back?

  You’ve received a private chat invitation from Crow-Foot Jim. Do you accept? (Yes/No)

  Seriously? I’m not even in the game yet, and he’s already bothering me. This is what I get for playing something that connects to my social media. It’s probably spamming all my personal choices to ad companies too.

  “Fine,” Vincent huffed.

  >Jim: Hey, Vince. You spawn yet?

  He could hear Jim’s voice in his head, coming from nowhere in particular. Wow, this is intrusive. Like he’s right in my head. When he looked at his heads-up display, Vincent noticed that the game had also copied Jim’s words onto a chat log.

  “I’m still picking my class.”

  >Jim: You there? I hope you’re not talking out loud to yourself like a loser. You have to will the game to communicate to me, and then think what you want to say.

  >Vincent: Testing. Testing. One. Two. Three. Can you hear me?

  >Jim: Wow, you’re such an old man.

  >Vincent: I’m still getting used to this—I’m a bit stunned how real it feels. I can’t even tell I’m in my chair at home.

  >Jim: If you close your eyes, you should still be able to feel your real body. You could even force yourself to take off the headset, but because of the time dilation, it’s easier to go into the options to exit the game. So, have you spawned yet?

  >Vincent: Still picking my class. Not sure what style I want to play just yet. What do all the stats do? I mean, Agility and Strength are obvious. I presume Vitality is health?

  >Jim: You’re thinking too old-school. There’s no health here. If you get stabbed in the heart, you die. The physics are real, dude. However, Vitality decreases the chance of you bleeding to death or going into shock from severe wounds. It also increases the rate your body heals. I’ve heard people with high-level Vitality can regrow limbs in hours.

  >Vincent: That’d be useful. What about Spirit and Resolve?

  >Jim: Spirit decides how much mana your body can hold. The hi
gher the Spirit, the bigger the mana pool. Resolve affects how fast your mana recovers. Clerics sort of suck at low-level, but I’ve heard at high-tier they can spam spells like crazy.

  >Vincent: I assume Perception affects reflexes or sight?

  >Jim: Both, to an extent. But it also affects your ability to develop new spells. Ranger is basically the utility class. It’s probably the least played, but their Scan ability is super cool once you upgrade it.

  >Vincent: Why’s that?

  >Jim: Because of the game’s realism, you don’t really notice a lot of the game mechanics. Like if I look at another player, I can only see their general profile and their highest stat. But Scan can read a lot of details about a lot of different things. It’s a good class for someone like you who likes to break down game physics and tinker with them.

  >Vincent: That does sound like something I’d play. Is this choice final or can I switch later?

  >Jim: It’s pretty much final unless you make a secondary account. However, once you complete your Class Quest, you get to pick one of the others as a subclass.

  >Vincent: What are you playing?

  >Jim: I started Rogue because ladies love Rogues. If I ever complete my Class Quest, I might subspec as a Warden or a Fighter. But Class Quests are insanely hard. I have to steal a Dungeon Boss’s treasure without fighting any enemies.

  >Vincent: Then I better choose well if I’m spending so much time with one class.

  >Jim: Dude, relax. There aren’t traditional levels or anything like that. Your stats level up based on how you use them—your Specialized Stat just rises at a faster rate. Stop thinking about it so much and pick one already. It doesn’t matter that much. I know Rogues who focus on body-building and Mages that are faster than I am.”

  Vincent approached the Ranger copy of himself and looked it up and down. The green and brown clothes and leather tunic looked nice on him, but he would’ve preferred actual armor.

  Guess I need to earn it, he thought with a smirk. Ranger has utility, which I like. Faster reflexes would be nice too. I don’t have that snappy response-time I had as a kid, after all. And Scan apparently lets me see intricate details of the game.

  He reached forward, and his hand touched the mirror as his copy did. He looked down, noticing his clothes had been replaced with the Ranger outfit.