World-Tree Online

by EA Hooper

  >Lucas: Yeah, I remember talking to her once or twice.

  >Harper: And do you remember a mod named Jake? He used the moniker Jake-Jake.

  >Lucas: I think.

  >Harper: He traveled down from the mid-tier worlds to try and find you. The people in Peakvale directed him to me. He told me some strange things happened after the update that involved you—that you told the people on the Mod Chat that you had no problems sending ARKUS a report. Did you really say that, Lucas?

  What’s a good lie here? That I didn’t listen to Harper that day? She’ll believe that.

  >Lucas: I’ll be completely honest with you, Harper. I tried to send ARKUS a report that day even though you told me not to do anything. I thought maybe you’d done something wrong when sending the report. I didn’t tell you because I thought you’d be mad.

  >Harper: Wrong like what? And why’d it take you fifteen years to tell me?

  >Lucas: I don’t know. I thought maybe you pissed off ARKUS, demanding it change the update. My report was more a question about the time dilation. I never said anything because I never really thought about it after that day. These last fifteen years have flown by, you know? I’m constantly jumping world to world, fighting bad guys and keeping order. I’m an important person, Harper. I don’t have time to worry about something from fifteen years ago.

  Harper forced a sigh over the voice chat, and Lucas could imagine her rolling her eyes at him.

  >Harper: You’re my oldest friend, Lucas, so I know you wouldn’t lie to me about something like that. Sounds like you just got stupidly lucky.

  >Lucas: Haha, yeah.

  >Harper: However, the main reason Jake’s looking for you is because that other mod Leaf-Blade Valery disappeared. She sent a message to him that said she wanted to talk with you on Mitigar. I remember you World Teleported away too. You never told me you talked to her.

  Harper, would you just give up already? I can keep lying for centuries.

  >Lucas: She never showed up. It was kind of weird and annoyed me. The Mod Chat said I was the only one on the list, so I thought she screwed up and lost her mod powers too.

  >Harper: Jake says he met someone a few years ago that saw Valery use World Teleport and disappear. That’s why he came to investigate after all these years. He thought she might’ve gotten lucky and logged out of the game, but how did you not see her at Mitigar?

  >Lucas: Wow, that’s really weird. Maybe she lost her powers mid-teleport. If she doesn’t have a body, she’s probably not affected by the time dilation anymore. Kind of lucky for her. I guess we’ll find out in a few centuries.

  Harper didn’t respond for a minute, and Lucas started to feel impatient.

  >Harper: Jake didn’t like that response. He says he’s heading to Mitigar to check it out. Just in case something happened to her there.

  >Lucas: That was years ago, Harper. What’s there to check out?

  >Harper: I don’t know. He says he’s going, regardless.

  >Lucas: Whatever. I’m really busy, so I’ll talk to you later.

  >Harper: Come pick me up soon, okay? I like it when we work together as a team.

  Lucas glanced at the women on the opposite building. I like working with Harper, too, but she’s always cock-blocking me when she’s around.

  >Lucas: Alright. Give me a few days to finish up business in Sarfin, and then I’ll get you.

  >Harper: Business? What kind of business?

  >Lucas: I’m putting together a guild. It’ll make our jobs a lot easier. I’ll give you more details when I see you. Later, Harper.

  He ended the private chat, and then looked at Erik. “Hey, I hate to do this, but I need a rain check on partying. Something important came up.”

  “Hey, your loss,” Erik said.

  “I do have one question, though. About an alliance with the council. If I agree to it, would they let me use their deepest, strongest cell for a special prisoner I have stored on another world? This person is exceptionally dangerous, and I would prefer no one else to have access to her cell. No one should be able to speak to her or see her except for me.”

  “I’m sure my brother can arrange that. However, they’d need to send someone to do maintenance on the rune systems every few decades.”

  “That’s fine. I can always freeze her during that time. I just can’t allow this prisoner to interact with anyone else. She possesses dangerous knowledge that could threaten our ability to keep order on the World-Tree.”

  Erik nodded. “I understand. You’re the man with all the power. If you have a prisoner that only you should speak to, I’m sure the council will respect that as long as you offer them positions of authority in your multi-world guild.”

  “I need to prepare my prisoner right away. Tell your brother to have my private cell ready by tomorrow if possible. We can make a deal regarding the guild afterward.”

  “No problem.”

  Lucas used World Teleport and reappeared on the familiar plateau in Mitigar. If Jake has enough Jump Crystals, he could reach this world within a week. However, by the time he gets here, there won’t be anything to find.

  He slid down the side of the plateau and looked for the inconspicuous markers he’d left for himself. He followed the cuts on the stone face to a canyon where he found a narrow cavern. Lucas entered the passage and used mana to light his way. A boulder blocked a branching path, and he pushed it aside, revealing a small den he’d decorated. He’d made it a little vacation home where he could come to speak to Valery from time to time.

  Lucas approached the metal door on the floor of the den. Valery’s prison lay five meters below, but she had no ladder or way to escape. He glanced at the holographic rune on the wall that showed him a display of the cell.

  Valery rested in her bed while reading a novel. Sometimes she glanced at the holographic rune that displayed fights from the nearest City-World. Tubes covered in runes ran down the walls. A few pipes collected water from the surface above and brought it to her. Some of the pipes and runes used food in Lucas’s den to generate nutrient capsules that kept Valery from feeling starved. The game didn’t allow players to starve to death, but that didn’t keep them from feeling hungry.

  Valery had tried to kill herself numerous times, but Lucas had designed the cell with revival runes that fully restored her if she took fatal damage. A rune Lucas carried with him would alert him whenever the revival runes activated, but after many failed attempts, he felt confident in his system—especially considering it could power itself indefinitely by draining every ounce of Valery’s mana.

  Lucas activated a rune that allowed him to speak to her. “Hello, Valery.”

  The woman raised from her seat. “You’re back? My god, it’s been almost a year. I’m going crazy in here. Did you bring some new books, at least?”

  “No, sorry. I’m here because I need to relocate you.”

  “Thank god. Somewhere bigger and nicer? Maybe with a few companions?”

  “We’ll see.”

  “Or you could always let me go. I’ve told you a hundred times, I won’t retaliate against you if you free me. I’ve grown used to your visits, actually.”

  “That’s either Stockholm Syndrome, or you’re lying again. Either way, I’m not freeing you. Not ever. I can’t have another mod running around.”

  Valery slammed her fist against the wall. “Then give me a bigger chamber. By now, you could’ve built an entire underground facility that blocked mana and communication. You can’t leave me here forever. It’s been fifteen years. Please, Lucas.”

  “Okay, okay. If things go well with my new guild, I’ll get them to build a larger chamber for you. Maybe even get you a roommate. It’ll almost feel like a vacation home.”

  “Can you disable the communicator blockers, at least? I want to talk to my friends and family that are in the game. I haven’t seen them in years.”

  “Sorry, you know I can’t do that.”

  Valery lowered her head, and tears fell onto her cheek
s. “Please, Lucas. I’ll do anything you want. Just let me speak to my loved ones. The ones trapped in the game must’ve been looking for me all these years.”

  “Nope,” Lucas lied. “No one’s looking for you. No one cares. I’ve already told you that before.”

  “Then why are you relocating me? If you’re not giving me a bigger prison, then it must be because someone’s searching for me.”

  “No, it’s just inconvenient keeping you on Mitigar. That’s why I haven’t been here in almost a year.”

  Valery pulled at her hair and screamed. “Just let me out! Let me out. Please, Lucas. I keep thinking you’ll forget I’m here, and then I won’t even have the occasional conversation with you.”

  Lucas groaned. “That’s why I’m moving you. Calm down, or you won’t even get that much. I could just as easily abandon you for the next three hundred years. Those pipes and runes will wear out and fail. Your lights will go out. You’ll have no water or food—no holographic displays of fights. You’ll be alone in the darkness with only your thoughts for centuries.”

  Valery lowered her head and cried again. “Please, no. Don’t do that.”

  “Then you’d better listen.”

  The woman looked up with wild eyes. “There’s something I never told you, Lucas. I have an AI Assistant recording my gameplay. It uploads gameplay highlights online. I have thousands of followers. They’ll see everything you’ve done to me. When we get out of this game, I’ll send a police report. You’re holding me in a prison against my will.”

  Lucas smirked. “I don’t care about something that will happen in hundreds of years. Now, stand in the center of the room.”

  Tears ran down Valery’s face. “How long will I be frozen? How long until I can breathe again?”

  “Stand in the center of the room!”

  Valery obeyed, but her body trembled with fear.

  “Good,” Lucas said, opening the hatch. He shot her with Mod Gun and then jumped into the room. Within the anti-spell chamber, he could feel his mana vanish. If he tried to open a private chat, all he would’ve heard would be static. He grabbed Valery’s frozen body and leapt from the cell.

  “Now, we only have one problem,” he told her. “I can’t use my World Teleport until tomorrow, so you’re stuck until then. I know this’ll be painful to you, but in a hundred years, you’ll forget all about it. However, I need time to vaporize this chamber. No trace of evidence can be left behind.”

  He dragged her out into the canyon and placed her in a standing position. “Look, this isn’t all bad. You get to see the outside world again, Valery. See this gorgeous red canyon? What about that bird over there? It might be outside your line of sight, but maybe it’ll fly closer. Your AI Assistant can upload beautiful screenshots of the canyon to your thousands of idiot followers. Anyways, have fun out here. I have work to do.”

  Lucas patted the immobilized woman on the back, and then returned to the chamber to destroy it.

  Chapter 8

  Player: Vincent

  Location: Teramor (World) | Knightrest (City) | Blue Phoenix District (District)

  Class: Ranger

  Subclass: Mage

  Vitality: Lv 32

  Spirit*: Lv 38

  Resolve: Lv 35

  Perception*: Lv 45

  Agility: Lv 37

  Strength: Lv 31

  Vincent raised his head from the table. Drool dripped down his face, and he peered around Varia’s Club. Almost every table had three or more unconscious people. Vincent struggled to remember the last week, and he realized his going-away party had gone far longer than their original intentions.

  He looked at his gameplay clock, realizing they’d been partying for almost a month nonstop. He recalled trying to sober himself on numerous attempts, but each time Jim, or one of Jim’s many friends, would convince him to drink more.

  I only sobered up because everyone finally passed out, he realized, staring at the hundreds of unconscious people. Even the strippers and musicians had collapsed into a drunken sleep.

  He searched until he found Jim unconscious in a pile of half-naked people. Vincent chuckled, shaking his head, and left the club. I’ll see you again eventually, my friend.

  Vincent made his way across Knightrest to the Glass District. He visited his rune teacher one last time to pick up the ten Jump Crystals that Roderick had made from the Crystal Heart. They said goodbye, and Vincent promised to message Roderick from time to time. Roderick shook his hand before he left, warning him to be careful on the World-Tree.

  Only two more stops to make. Then I’ll start trying to find a party or caravan. Preferably a party.

  He headed to the Yellow Dragon District and stopped by the blacksmith where he had left two oiron longswords and the two horns. The blacksmith marveled over his own work one last time before relinquishing the two blades to Vincent.

  “Careful not to lose them,” the blacksmith said. “Those might be two of the best blades I’ve ever crafted. I didn’t know if you were going to name them, so I gave them generic labels to distinguish them.”

  Gazalblade1 - Total Rating: 150 (Material: 100 | Magic: 50) | A finely crafted oiron blade. The hilt is made from the horn of Gazal the Forest Lord. The hilt twists in an S-shape but still feels comfortable to wield.

  Gazalblade2 – Total Rating: 150 (Material: 100 | Magic: 50) | A finely crafted oiron blade. The hilt is made from the horn of Gazal the Forest Lord. The hilt curves off at the bottom, forming a dagger-like tip.

  “Thank you for your hard work,” Vincent said. “I was worried you’d sharpen the handles down until they were indistinguishable, but they look marvelous. Here’s a tip in addition to what I already paid.”

  Vincent tossed the blacksmith a few coins and then left the shop. He journeyed to the coliseum and checked his messages along the way.

  You’ve been accepted into the Coliseum Registry.

  He’d missed the message during his month of binge-drinking, but he assumed they’d allow him entry. Ever since the update, the coliseum had become a controversial place. Some people thought it sickening to let people fight each other to the death with zero pain reduction, but others found it a great source of entertainment, since most people were afraid to leave the city.

  He smirked to himself and entered the coliseum. They don’t know what they’re in for. I’ll find the best player, challenge them, put a huge bet on myself, and one-shot them with Void Gun.

  Vincent found a seat in the stands near some excited coliseum-goers. He sat in the stands for half the day, studying the combatants and listening to regular viewers discuss them and their strategies. But who’s the best one?

  He watched spectacular battles from people of different classes. Only about one in twenty warriors had a subclass, but most of them had stats above Vincent’s. He even recognized some of the most fearsome members of the City Watch Guild like Mayfield May and Rocky the Red. Vincent shuddered at the thought of facing one of them.

  Then again, all I need to do is land Void Gun. However, the moment I use it, everyone will know I have a spell like that. The betting odds will be heavily weighted toward me losing until they find out.

  “Now, for the rematch you’ve all been waiting to see,” the announcer said over the rune intercom. “Jon the Disparager versus Quinn the Breaker. This is their fifth rematch of the year to decide Teramor’s current Arena Champion. They both have two wins against one another this year, making this our championship match of the season. So, I hope you’re all ready for explosions, blood, and violence.”

  The crowd roared with excitement, and Vincent Scanned the players as they stepped into the arena.

  Player: Jon the Disparager

  Class: Mage

  Subclass: Warden

  Real Age: 35

  Highest World: Mitigar

  Vitality*: Lv 53

  Spirit*: Lv 62

  Resolve: Lv 51

  Perception: Lv 45

  Agility: Lv 41

  Str
ength: Lv 43

  Player: Quinn the Breaker

  Class: Fighter

  Subclass: Rogue

  Real Age: 42

  Highest World: Rothgarden

  Vitality: Lv 46

  Spirit: Lv 45

  Resolve: Lv 41

  Perception: Lv 43

  Agility*: Lv 55

  Strength*: Lv 60

  By the time Vincent finished looking over their stats, the barrier between the combatants had dropped, and the fight had begun. Jon attacked at once with a barrage of low-cost spells. He channeled elemental attacks through his High Wizard’s Staff, the item that mages got for completing their Class Quest. It decreased the cost of spells cast through it by fifteen percent, making it a must-have for arena mages.

  Jon bombarded the arena with fire and ice attacks, but Quinn dodged with almost superhuman speed and reflexes. The Mage slammed his staff into the dirt, sending out a magical wave that froze the ground across the arena.

  Quinn reacted instinctively, swapping out her oiron-tipped combat boots for an enchanted pair. Vincent Scanned the boots.

  Ninja Boots – Material Rating: 10 | Combat-ready boots that have been enchanted. | Unlimited Wall-Walking – The user can spend a minuscule amount of mana to walk on walls and slippery surfaces. The user can even walk on water if moving fast enough.

  Quinn didn’t slow down at all with her Ninja Boots. She dodged past another barrage of icicles and a slicing wind blast that cut through the ground behind her. Every time Jon had her in his sights, she’d jump the other direction in the blink of an eye.

  The crowd cheered as Jon continued his attacks with his staff while sipping on ether to keep his mana close to full. Jon finished a bottle of ether as he released a scattered blast of ice daggers across the arena.

  One of the ice blades hit Quinn in the arm. Vincent didn’t see a Mana Shield flicker, so he used Scan on the tiny light that shimmered over her shoulder.

  Impact Shield – Mana Usage: Low | Replaces the user’s Mana Shield. | Every cell in the user’s body generates its own microscopic forcefield. These forcefields decrease damage taken from attacks, whether they’re physical, pure-mana, or elemental. However, these shields cannot completely stop an attack. Impact Shield automatically restores itself over time so long as the user has mana available.