by Felix Craft
My hopes soared. There wasn’t a level limit after all! But I’d been expecting to be turned away and didn’t know what to answer for a moment. “I, er — Yeah, I think I do.” I turned to the crowd, scanning for my band members. I had to go with Garrett, easily. Bone was more brutal in a battle, but he was also unreliable. And Sylvia was handy with a bow, but she wasn’t much good when her enemies got close. I could trust Garrett.
“Wait a moment…”
“Is there a problem?” I turned back to the desk and flinched when I saw the clerk frowning as she stared at the air before her, eyes unfocused.
“You’re not Level 10,” she said, disbelieving. “You’re Level 7. Who are you? How did you get a tournament token?” Her eyes focused back on me, sharp and distrusting.
Great. I’d gone and attracted attention to myself again, and I wasn’t even going to be able to get into the tournament. “I did a Level 15 a favor,” I said hurriedly. “You sure I can’t get in though? I mean, why have a lower limit anyway?”
“So it’s at least close to an entertaining fight,” she said dryly. “Even 10 is still too low a level in my opinion, but nobody asked me, did they?”
My patience was at its limit, yet I held on a little more. “Okay, fine. But if I get a partner who’s Level 10…”
“And you give them the token, and they take you as their partner, then yes.” By the clerk’s smirk, I could see she thought the likelihood of that happening was pretty damn low.
“Zane!”
I stiffened and slowly turned to the voice. Even in the din of the crowd, I recognized who it was before I saw her. “Leesha?”
My old companion stepped out of the masses and stood before me in the flesh, virtually speaking. She wore a half-smile, even devoid of her usual sneer. I thought something smoldered in her eyes still, but I couldn’t tell if it was anger or not.
“Yes. Believe it or not, it’s me.”
So maybe she was still a bit pissed off - that was fair. But was she here to sabotage my efforts to enter the tournament or to help? Though if it was sabotage, she didn’t need to go to the effort — I was keeping myself out just fine. “What are you doing here?”
“What do you think?” She put a hand on her hip. “I’m here to win the tournament with you.”
I still didn’t trust my ears. “Come again?”
She sighed. “Look, what you did was bad. But that doesn’t change the fact that we need each other. You need to see Lord MythRune, and I need a whopping pile of cash. Right?”
I played it cool. “I could always find another Level 10 or above.”
She snorted. “Not without revealing your … peculiarity.” She eyed the clerk behind me, who watched us curiously.
“I couldn’t reveal it to anyone less trustworthy than I already have.”
“But the fewer the better, right?”
We stared at each other, come to a standoff. I started to speak, then stopped, not sure what I wanted to say.
Leesha shifted her posture and held out her hands. “As a gesture of good faith.” Suddenly, my old things were flooding into her hands and tumbling to the ground. I only hesitated a moment before I fell on them, too afraid people milling about might snatch them up before I did. Soon enough, I was equipped in my old armor again, with my black-metal battle-axe strapped across my back. Strangely enough, wearing this stuff felt right now. It was a bit disturbing to think about, and absurd. I’d probably laugh myself dead if I could see how I looked.
“Well, there’s a bit of good faith now,” I conceded. “You really want to join up again?”
She hesitated a moment, then nodded. “I really do.”
Could I trust her? I never would know until I didn’t. All I did know was she was my best shot to the top of this thing. “Fine. Let’s do this.”
Leesha_22 is offering to make you her companion! Companions can see full stat listings for everyone in their party. If the Leadership ability tree is invested in, other benefits to companions arise.
Do you wish to become the companion of Leesha_22? Say Yes or No.
I accepted it, and just like that, we were partied up again. Murmuring “Command: Analyze,” to myself, I pulled up Leesha’s stats again. She’d advanced a level and was now Level 12, which would be good for the tournament. Even more interesting, though, was that she was still part of the Sisters of Evenfall. It was something to watch out for. If inadvertently selling her fellow factioneer out didn’t get her the boot, I had to assume there was a reason why. Just another reason not to trust her.
At that moment, the other three members of my noob band showed up. It was a bit awkward seeing them, really. The four of us were never formally in a party, sure, but we might as well have been. And here I was jumping ship.
I smiled at them all the same. “You made it!”
“Man, you’re fast in a crowd!” Garrett looked at me with amazement. Then he saw Leesha there, and his smile slipped. “Oh.”
“Guys, I think you know Leesha.” I waved a hand at her.
“More or less.” Bone grinned at her, to which Leesha responded with a scowl.
Garrett looked back and forth between us. “Are you two, uh, okay now?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Actually, I kind of wanted to tell you this … we’re in a party again, Leesha and me. I hope you don’t mind.”
To my relief, Garrett laughed and waved it off. “Not at all! Noob bands are for convenient travel, really. No obligations, amigo!” Sylvia nodded her agreement, while Bone shrugged.
“Thanks. I appreciate it.” Not sure what to do, I held out a hand. “I hope we meet again.”
Garrett grasped it and we shook. “We’ll be seeing you, at least. Don’t think for a moment we’re not watching you in the tournament!” He looked at Leesha. “If you’re anything like Zane here, you two will have no problem working your way up!”
She and I looked at each other, and I shrugged. Her lips quirked. “I hope not. But we’d best get registered and prepare if we’re planning on winning.”
My old band took the clue. After brief goodbyes, they headed off into the masses of Mythgard, no doubt hunting for adventures under every stoop. I’d miss that trio of nerds.
I sighed. “Just you and me again.”
She punched my shoulder. “Cheer up. I’m taking you shopping.”
“Every girl’s dream,” I muttered.
Leesha laughed. “Come on. Registration first.”
After we finished up with the clerk, who couldn’t believe I’d manage to pull off what she’d considered impossible, Leesha led me through the labyrinth of streets towards a commercial district, where we started in on our shopping spree.
First on our list was an armor and weapon shop. Unlike the adventure’s shop where I’d spawned, Mythgard made true on its promise to have everything a player could need. We passed by half a dozen stores where Leesha assured me neither of us had enough Runecoins to purchase even a sock. Finally, we entered one — Mikam’s Arms and Armor.
To my surprise, it wasn’t an NPC that manned the counter, but a player. I cast Leesha a questioning look, but she ignored me and went up to the burly man, who was clearly a blacksmith as well as shopkeeper. “Hey, Mikam. Long time, no see.”
[Might throw up Mikam’s stats here]
The blacksmith grinned wide when he saw her. “Leesha! You still manning the old High Way?”
My companion shrugged. “Thinking about giving up that life. Maybe settle down, do some smithing.”
“Yeah?” Mikam perked up for a moment, then screwed his eyes up. “Wait. You’re pulling my leg, aren’t you?”
“Yup.” Leesha leaned on the counter. “But I am giving up being a caravan guard if I can. Trying for the Lord’s tournament with my sidekick over there.” She nodded at me.
I stuck my hand out to Mikam. “Zane. Not her sidekick.”
The blacksmith took my hand, but his eyebrows shot up. “With him? No offense, but you’re not exactly the best level for th
at sort of thing.”
“Level isn’t everything,” Leesha said flippantly.
“Well, no, but …”
My companion leaned even further across the counter. “You a betting man, Mikam?”
He laughed. “What do you think?”
“Well, it’s not even a risk. Less risky than making a living crafting virtual armor, anyway.”
Mikam shrugged. “Got a point there. But if you’re asking me to bet on you two in the tournament, that’s a long shot.”
I thought I knew where Leesha was heading with this, and I tried meeting her gaze to tell her not to reveal it. After all the trouble I’d gone to keep my glitch secret, she was going to go spilling it to the first friend she saw in town? But Leesha just winked at me and kept on pushing.
“Now, Mikam, you don’t have all the facts yet. We have a certain advantage that will get us far, if not to the very top.” She patted my arm, and I scooted away. “This kid has more to him than meets the eye.”
The blacksmith looked at me without interest. “Not in his stats, he don’t.”
Leesha looked around covertly, than said in a low voice, “A glitch, Mikam. He’s got a glitch that doesn’t let him die.”
He looked suspiciously at me. “You’re not pulling my leg again?”
I sighed. “Unfortunately, it’s true. Doesn’t make it hurt any less though.” I really hoped Leesha was revealing this for a good reason.
Mikam seemed to consider this for a moment, then he visibly brightened. “Well, now. That’s a different kind of bet, isn’t it? Hardly a bet at all! You two literally can’t lose if one of your players can’t die, right?”
I hadn’t thought about it that way, but apparently Leesha had. “Yup. Though that doesn’t necessarily mean we can win if they keep knocking him down.” She shrugged. “But I think we can work it to our advantage.”
“I’d say,” Mikam mused. “Fine. I appreciate the insider trading. Now, I assume you wanted something for that valuable bit of info.”
“You got it, chief. I want discounted weapons and armor. Only cost of materials and labor, lowest you can go.”
Mikam whistled. “You’re asking a lot. This is my livelihood, you know.”
“I know,” Leesha said seriously. “But you’ll more than make up for it if you place bets on us. No doubt we’ll draw favorable ratios due to our low levels.”
“True, true…” The blacksmith sighed. “Fine, you got me. Looks like I’m out half a paycheck.”
“Just for a few days,” Leesha reassured him, winking again at me. I still couldn’t decide if it was worth revealing my secret. But Mikam seemed like a decent enough guy, and it was in his interest to keep my glitch on the down low. I thought I’d be okay. At least it looked like I’d get some decent armor out of the trade.
“Take a look around then,” Mikam said. “I’ll have to give you the prices when you bring it up here, but on average, you’ll be paying about a quarter less than what’s listed.”
“Thanks.” Leesha waved to him, then started leading me around the shop.
We spent a while looking around, far longer than I expected. Wearing armor felt right at this point, but I still didn’t expect to be drawn in by looking at all the fine pieces. I was drawn to the really expensive and daunting stuff at first, but Leesha eventually drew me back to the things she could afford. “I don’t want to spend all my winnings before I get them.”
Still, I was happy enough coming out with what she could afford.
Steel Breastplate
Defense: +8
Durability: 500/500
Studded Gauntlets
Defense: +5
Durability: 500/500
Steel Greaves
Defense: +5
Durability: 500/500
Sturdy Leather Boots
Defense: +3
Durability: 500/500
No matter how much she insisted, I refused to get a helmet. I just couldn’t see myself being able to fight properly in that thing. It was only when she equated it to a football helmet that I relented. If I got one that let me see as much as that helmet did, I’d be fine. And Mikam came through for us.
Steel Conical Helmet
Defense: +5
Durability: 500/500
I bet I looked like a doofus in it, but my skull would thank me later.
I thought Leesha would grab some new gear for herself, but she just shook her head and smiled. “I’ll be just fine in what I have.”
Mikam, fortunately, was standing nearby to clarify. “I hooked Leesha here up in the past with some enchanted gear. I imagine that’s holding up just fine still.” He grinned with pride.
I guess it was a testament to the armor’s quality that she was keeping it on beyond normal adventuring.
All our gear selected — I opted to keep my black battle-axe, and both Mikam and Leesha conceded it was a good piece — those two settled the deal. I didn’t do any close math, but from the prices I saw on the armor, the total ran up to around 4,000 Rc, discount included. I casually asked the exchange rate for Runecoins to dollars, and Mikam responded that it was about 10 to 1. It made me look at Leesha a bit differently, knowing she was blowing 400 bucks on me for a slim chance of winning the tournament.
It also made me really wonder for the first time who Leesha was in real life. How could she spend the amount of time she did in MythRune? Didn’t she have a job, any family? I feared for a moment she was still in high school, but I was pretty sure she was too mature for high school, even if it wasn’t by much. Could she be some rich daddy’s girl, spoiled and allowed to waste her life away however she wanted? But no, not that either — the prize money wouldn’t matter so much if she was, and considering how she kept negotiating with me for more of it, I didn’t think it was just a matter of pride in winning.
No, I thought I knew her story. She lived her life in a virtual reality and was running out of money. And this was her way to keep the binge going. She was an addict, basically a druggie. That didn’t make me feel any better about going into this thing.
Still, it was all conjecture. I didn’t know yet what was going on, and I couldn’t let an assumption undermine our partnership — or whatever you wanted to call it. I knew Leesha to be competent and reliable enough to get the job done. Maybe, with my glitch, we actually stood a chance.
“Come on,” Leesha said once the finances were settled. “We’re all good here, so we’ve got to get a room at an inn and … hit the sack.” I knew she meant log out for her; she would want to be her sharpest for the tournament. But at Mikam’s raised eyebrows, I suddenly flushed, realizing what else it could mean.
Leesha realized a second later and barked a laugh. “Nope, not that, smithy.”
Mikam shrugged. “What happens in MR stays in MR.”
My companion rolled her eyes and strode out of the shop. Mikam gave me a wink and a wave as I walked out. I just shook my head and followed behind Leesha.
24
Let the Tournament Begin!
Leesha had an inn in mind for our avatars to rest, which not only allowed her a place in the city to log off (sleeping in the streets could get your avatar ejected with a fine), it enabled me to relax and nod off for a bit. The last time I slept was after the troll Old Man Jenkins ripped me to bits, and I was pretty exhausted. There was also the added bonus that our characters would receive the Well Rested status bonus, which gave a 5% XP boost for three hours after you rose. Considering the upcoming tournament would still get us XP during the fights, that could be a big benefit for the later rounds.
The inn wasn't the cheapest like I’d expected. She’d chosen it for being in a hub of other contestants. Leesha considered it mandatory homework to listen in on what our competitors were saying, insisting it could mean the difference between winning and losing. I just shrugged. I didn't see how gossip affected anything, but this was on her dime, so I went with it.
Settling down for sleep that night — in the same room, but separat
e beds, a cot having been dragged out for me — I thought about the upcoming trials the next morning. It had been a while since I'd been in any sort of contest, not since my knee gave out five years ago, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to compete again. I used to thrive off the pressure, but now? I’d gone soft. The stakes, the price of failure … it all just made me sweat bullets.
But then I remembered how I’d felt the night before my first game in the premier league in eighth grade. It was the biggest game I’d played in my life at that point, and I was a nervous wreck. I’d only recently been put with my last foster parents — the ones I finally felt were my parents, before they ditched me as soon as I came of age — but I didn’t feel close to them at that point. I was on my own to sort it out.
And eventually, I did. Maybe I hadn’t gotten a lick of sleep the night before, but at the game, I gave it my all. And it didn’t turn out so bad. I wasn’t the best player, but there wasn’t one of my teammates who didn’t admire my work ethic. And what’s more, I found I liked the nerves after that. Anxiety turned into anticipation. I lived for the thrill of the sport, all the more when I became QB and started calling the shots.
Thinking all this as I lay on my cot in a virtual world, somehow it comforted me enough to nod off into an uneasy sleep.
It was the big day. The start of three-day tournament of Lord MythRune.
As before any big game, Leesha had us load up on food when she logged back in. Protein, carbs, fats — it was all on the menu in the inn’s common room. In addition to the XP bonus from sleeping, we’d now have +1 HP and SP per second for the next three hours due to eating food. There were all sorts of ways you could boost your stats like that, including with potions and enchantments, but Leesha thought it was better to save those for the later rounds. At least she was confident we’d get past today.