by EA Hooper
Chapter 9
Player: Noble Vincent
Location: Teramor (World) | Knightrest (City) | Orange Cat 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 knocked on the door of the three-story villa. As he waited, he glanced at the nice buildings and townhouses in the area. Despite being right beside the Gray Cat District where he lived, Vincent hadn’t been to the upscale area often in the last fifteen years.
Quinn answered the door and waved for him to enter. “You’re late. Our three interviewees have been waiting.”
“Sorry, I was fine-tuning the runes at my home,” he replied. “Replaced all the cat doors I had built into the first and second floor. Those stray cats hang out on top of the buildings in my district, so I made sure they had plenty of ways inside.”
Vincent stepped into the elegantly decorated room. “Nice place.”
“Arena fights pay a lot more now that people are afraid to get hurt.”
Vincent glanced at the three people sitting on the couch, but Quinn pulled him into the hallway and toward the study. “Uh, are we going to interview them?”
“One at a time,” Quinn replied. “I don’t want them to see how I grill each other. We’ll break down these people, figure out what they’re made of, and build them back up into the perfect team.”
“You might be taking this a little seriously. I just wanted to make sure they had the guts and determination to spend decades—or centuries—climbing the World-Tree.”
“No, we can’t have any weak links. I won’t accept it.”
Vincent shrugged. “Fair enough. I need you more than I need those three, so I’ll let you decide if they make the cut. Do you have more appointments set up later? This must be just the first batch, right?”
Quinn shook her head. “Those are the only three.”
“Seriously? Only three people? We might as well take all three if they’re willing.”
“Not happening. If you invite weaklings onto this team, I’m bailing.”
Vincent sighed. “Alright, fine. Send one in. Let’s see what we’re dealing with.”
Quinn grabbed the first player, led them into the study, and then shut the doors. The shaggy-haired, muscular man sat in a chair, and Vincent Scanned him.
Player: James is the Best
Class: Fighter
Real Age: 20
Highest World: Reymor
Vitality: Lv 30
Spirit: Lv 25
Resolve: Lv 27
Perception: Lv 24
Agility: Lv 28
Strength*: Lv 33
“James is the Best?” Vincent questioned.
“Yeah,” the man replied.
“Is that…some modern naming convention?” Vincent asked. “Like, do kids these days name themselves Robbie is Really Cool in video games?”
“Who cares what I call myself?” James said. “All that matters is that I’m a great fighter.”
“Oh, really?” Quinn asked. “Tell me, kid. How many post-update arena wins do you have?”
“None,” James replied. “But I’m a big fan of yours.”
“When was the last time you stepped outside of Knightrest?” Quinn asked, ignoring his comment.
“Uh, I don’t recall—”
“What’s the strongest monster you’ve defeated?”
“I think it was—maybe an orc.”
“Get out of my villa, you casual.”
“Casual? Who even uses that term? This isn’t the twenties, old lady.”
“I said out!” Quinn shouted, rising to her feet.
The young man jerked from his seat and hurried from the room.
Vincent raised an eyebrow at the woman. “You could’ve gone a little easier on him, Quinn.”
“The World-Tree won’t be easy on us,” she replied. “I told you, old man, I’m not taking any weaklings that get rustled so easily.” She walked down the hall and brought the next candidate with her.
Player: “Status: Optimistic” Rachel
Class: Warden
Real Age: 31
Highest World: Teramor
Vitality*: Lv 40
Spirit: Lv 31
Resolve: Lv 33
Perception: Lv 30
Agility: Lv 29
Strength: Lv 30
The tall, lanky woman sat in the seat and smiled at them. “Hi,” she said in a cheerful tone. “I’m so happy to get an interview with the one and only Quinn the Breaker! I’d really love to join your party. I’m incredibly bored with Teramor.”
“What’s with that player name?” Vincent asked.
“Oh, my god, what’s with you and the names?” Quinn asked.
“I mean, you can only change your name once every in-game year,” Vincent said. “So, putting a status update in your name makes little sense.”
Quinn covered her face with her hand and sighed. “How are her stats?”
“They’re alright,” Vincent said. “About what I was expecting. She’s a Warden, too, which we could really use.”
“I never needed a Warden in the arena,” Quinn said. “We’re looking for people who know how to fight and a Cleric for after battles. I don’t need some Warden babysitter trying to put barriers over me.”
“Well, she might be able to fight too.” Vincent looked at Rachel. “You know how to fight, right?”
“Uh, kinda,” Rachel answered.
Vincent and Quinn glanced at each other.
“I mean, okay, most of my levels are from training in town,” Rachel explained. “My friends and I practice shooting Mana Guns at each other’s shields. That way we don’t hurt one another.”
Quinn approached Rachel, knocked out her shield with a tap of her knuckles, and then pinched the woman’s arm.
“Ow!” Rachel said, falling out of her seat. “That hurt.”
“Oh, come on,” Quinn huffed. “You won’t even make it to the next City-World before you’re crying and wanting to go back to Teramor.”
“The worlds aren’t as big as real worlds, right?” Rachel said. “It can’t take that long to reach a world. What if I join your Party List, hang back on Teramor, and then use a Jump Crystal to reach you when you make it to a City-World?”
“You’re not getting a free ride,” Quinn grumbled. “Get out of my villa, go! Tell the last girl to come in on your way out.”
Rachel huffed and stomped toward the door. “Screw the both of you. Hope you like my new player title.”
Player: “Status: Sad ;(” Rachel
Vincent sighed, regretting that he had Scanned her again. He waited for the last interviewee to enter the room and used Scan on the scrawny blonde girl.
Player: Pale Alexandria
Class: Cleric
Real Age: 19
Highest World: Teramor
Vitality: Lv 25
Spirit: Lv 33
Resolve*: Lv 37
Perception: Lv 30
Agility: Lv 29
Strength: Lv 26
“Nice player name,” Vincent replied. “Pale Alexandria.”
“Uh, thank you,” the girl replied, clearly nervous. She sat in the chair with her legs folded on the seat. “Most people call me Xan, though. Oh, and thanks for offering me this interview.”
“How’s her stats?” Quinn asked Vincent.
“Not bad, but not great,” he replied.
“Do you know how to fight?” Quinn asked the girl.
“My dad teaches sword-fighting in the Green Dragon District,” she told them. “Blade-Master Lloyd’s Dojo. He’s taught me a lot. To be honest, though, I have more sword practice against players than monsters.”
Quinn flashed Vincent an irritated look.
>Quinn: Vince, I’m about one wrong answer away from chasing this girl out of my
villa.
>Vincent: Hold on, Quinn. She’s a Cleric. If we can’t find anyone else, we at least need a Cleric.
“So, Xan,” Vincent said. “Have you gotten much use out of your Cleric abilities?”
“Yeah, I use them a lot. Accidents happen all the time in the dojo, and I’m usually the one that cleans up the mess. Also, I’ve gotten some side work as a Cleric for the arena—only small-time fights. That’s where I heard you were looking for party members.”
“How’s your spell list?” Quinn asked. “You upgrade or develop anything?”
“I added a fifty-rated Threshold to my Mana Shield,” the girl replied.
“Not bad for your level,” Vincent noted. “I haven’t even upgraded my Mana Shield yet.”
“Yeah, but you have an unusual spell that cuts through anything,” Quinn said. “Girl, do have any unique abilities?”
“I did come up with something using Light Conversion,” she said, shyly. “I was planning to join the City Watch Guild, so I made this ability to help with goblin raids. However, my dad asked me not join the guild.”
“Is it an ability you can use in the villa?” Quinn asked. “Actually, show me anyways. I already set up a Quest Contract with a real estate agent. When she sells it, my payment will show up directly in daiglass storage. If it’s a little damaged, I’ll just make a little less gild. Not a big deal.”
“Oh, my spell won’t damage your house,” Xan replied. “It’s just—it might hurt someone. I don’t know if I can show you.”
“A light spell that hurts someone?” Vincent questioned. “I’ve never heard of that before. If it won’t kill me, you can knock out my Mana Shield and show me. It’s okay.”
“I won’t need to knock out your shield,” Xan said. “Here, I’ll show you. I’m sorry if it stings a bit.”
Xan raised her hands toward Vincent, and he saw a flash. However, the light didn’t come from the girl’s hands like most Cleric spells. Instead, the light pulled out of Vincent’s body toward Xan.
Vincent felt a stinging pain from inside him. He couldn’t place what part of his body the attack had affected, but soon realized the mana in his body felt weaker.
Light spells affect the balance between mana and your digital body. This girl developed a spell that attacks that connection directly. I should Scan it.
Light Drain (Cleric Only) – Mana Usage: Minuscule | Allows the user to pull light from a within-reach target.
Xan stopped, and a grimace crossed her face. “Are you okay? I didn’t mean to do that much. Sorry.”
“It’s fine,” Vincent said. “That’s an interesting ability, though. Felt like it stole part of my mana.”
“It gave me a very minor boost to my mana availability too,” Xan explained. “However, it’s not a very good conversion rate. I’d have to drain two-thirds of your mana just to get enough for one Mana Gun.”
“Or you can use that light to heal, right?” Quinn asked.
“Yeah, that’s right. I thought it would help with healing multiple wounds on a battlefield, but I’ve never gotten the opportunity to try it.”
“Because your father wouldn’t let you?” Vincent said. “Yet he’s okay with you leaving Teramor for other worlds?”
“I, uh, didn’t tell him about this interview,” Xan said. “He doesn’t know I want to leave Teramor.”
“Why not?” Quinn asked. “You’re an adult. You’ve lived at least fifteen years here since the update—longer, obviously. Why do you care what your dad thinks?”
Xan anxiously twisted in her seat. “I guess I haven’t really grown up. Outside the game, I’m still living at home with my parents and sisters. I don’t have a job, I’m not in school, I just stay home and play video games. Even in this game, I still live with my dad and oldest sister. They both happened to be online when the update started. For the last fifteen years, I’ve relied on them. I feel like I haven’t grown up at all. If anything, I’ve regressed because I’ve been afraid to leave the city.”
“To be fair, young adults’ brains don’t stop developing until their mid-twenties or something like that,” Vincent said. “So, you might’ve spent fifteen years here since the update, but your brain hasn’t changed. I understand that would make it hard to grow up.”
“My brain can’t change, but my life experiences can,” Xan replied. “I keep telling myself that maybe if I leave Teramor, leave my father and sister behind, it’ll force me to grow up—to have my own life. To challenge myself to change.”
Vincent smiled. “I like that attitude, young lady.”
“Yeah, but how far will that carry you?” Quinn asked. “One world? Ten? A hundred? How long until you miss your father and sister?”
“At least I can message them,” the girl replied. “I can’t talk to my mom or my younger sisters. I miss them so much. I can’t imagine waiting hundreds of years to see them again. Someone in the arena the other day said there’s a rumor that players might be able to log-out if they reach the skybox. So, even if I start to miss my dad and older sister, I’ll miss my loved ones outside of the game even more. Because I can’t even talk to them.”
A sad look crossed Quinn’s face, and she looked away. “I know how you feel. My husband and son had just left the house before I logged on. They’re probably halfway down the street, but it feels like they’re worlds away. If there’s even the tiniest chance that we can break out of this game before the update is over, then I’d like to go for it.”
“So, can I join your party?” Xan asked.
“You have my vote,” Vincent replied.
“Yeah, you’re in, kid,” Quinn said. “Just know this journey will be hell on us. This isn’t like any game you’ve ever played. We’ll likely die dozens—or even hundreds of times—before we even reach the high-tier worlds.”
Xan gulped. “That’s better than living this false, monotonous life in Teramor where I can’t grow up and change.”
“Agreed,” Vincent said. “How soon can you leave, Xan? We’re prepared to go anytime. We have Jump Crystals to share too.”
“I’m ready now,” Xan replied. “It might be easier for me to leave without seeing my father and sister again. Otherwise, I might get cold feet.”
“Alright, there’s only one thing I’d like us to do before we leave Teramor,” Vincent told Xan and Quinn. “I want to do a practice adventure together, just to get a feel for our teamwork before we start burning through Jump Crystals.”
“Makes sense,” Quinn said. “What’re you thinking? Hit the Wilds? Hunt for Gazal to get more Jump Crystals?”
“I’m thinking we should do a dungeon raid,” he replied. “Sharky’s Cavern would be a good choice.”
“Uh, isn’t there a massive goblin city below Sharky’s Cavern?” Xan asked. “The goblins pour from their underground nests into that city, and then migrate to Sharky’s Cavern. Since the update, their reproduction rate has tripled, making it almost impossible to raid that dungeon.”
“You wanted a challenge, right?” Vincent asked. “I have a Lotus Capsule for you. If you get cornered and lose a fight, you can kill yourself with it. You’ll need to get used to it if you want to travel the World-Tree.”
Xan looked at him with big eyes. “Oh. Okay. I’ll do it. I just don’t think the three of us can beat that dungeon. Even if we have Quinn the Breaker.”
Quinn snorted. “Child, I bet I could take that dungeon by myself. You two are only coming as my support.”
“Hang on, there’s one more person I want to invite,” Vincent said.
He ended his private chat with Quinn and opened one with Jim.
>Vincent: So, we have a Cleric. We’re going to raid Sharky’s Cavern as practice. If you want to follow us, you can hang back and finish your Class Quest.
>Jim: Nice, dude. You know I won’t be able to help, right? My Class Quest requires I steal a Dungeon Boss’s loot without fighting. If I hit an enemy, or even get struck by an attack, then I’ll have to start all over.
>Jim: Sure, I’m in. When’re we heading out?
>Vincent: Now. Meet us at the South Gate.
>Jim: Got it. Heading over.
“Alright,” Vincent told the women. “My Rogue friend is coming to do his Class Quest. He’ll be our scout and hopefully keep us from getting cornered. Let’s go meet him at the South Gate. Xan, do you need to store anything at the Daiglass Tower? If you get separated and killed, we might not be able to recover your items.”
“I’m good,” Xan replied. “The best item on me is an oiron short sword, but I have five more in daiglass storage.”
“Alright, let’s go, then,” Quinn said, striking her fists together. “I’m already hyped for this raid.”
They left Quinn’s home and made the long journey across Knightrest to the South Gate, where they found Jim waiting.
“Hey, Vince!” Jim shouted. “You didn’t tell me how beautiful your new teammates are.”
“Don’t start, Jim,” Vincent replied. “That one’s married, and this one’s too young and shy, even for your standards.”
Jim chuckled. “Alright, fair enough. Let’s set up the Party List.” He held out his hand.
The three other players reached forward to activate the Party List.
Party Created – What would you like to name this party?
Crow-Foot Jim has suggested a party name: Vince’s Angels.
“No,” Vincent said with a sigh.
Quinn the Breaker has suggested a party name: Breaker’s Bastards.
Jim grinned. “I kind of like that one.”
Vincent shook his head.
“I—I have an idea for a name,” Xan said, shyly.
“Put it up to vote,” Quinn told her.
Pale Alexandria has suggested a party name: The World Knights.
“A little generic, but I like it,” Vince said.
Noble Vincent has voted for a name: The World Knights.
Crow-Foot Jim has voted for a name: The World Knights.
“I suppose we can change it later if we think of something better,” Quinn noted.
Quinn the Breaker has voted for a name: The World Knights.
