Project Alpha 2

by R. A. Mejia

  For 100 credits, I’m able to find this information:

  Growth and Evolving skills, spells, and abilities

  Skills either grow through practice or through use of the skill points made available when leveling up. When practiced, each skill level requires a certain amount of time to grow. Each subsequent level requires more time than the last. Many Users will practice or train a skill until the amount of time invested outweighs the benefits and then use their skill points to raise it further.

  Spells and abilities can normally only raise their level through use, but rare dungeon rewards exist which are capable of increasing the level of a spell or an ability or potentially evolving either.

  It should be noted that skills, spells, and abilities all increase their levels at different rates. Each User’s unique ability may take years of regular use before growing a single level. Each subsequent level may also change some aspect of the ability.

  Each time a skill, spell, or ability that reaches level 10, the User will be given evolution choices. The notifications for evolutionary choices note that “Evolution choices are based on the abilities, skills, and choices that the User has made.” While speculation abounds about what this means, studies have confirmed that, even among individuals with identical skill sets, the evolution choices are different. This has led researchers to conclude that the System must track each User’s unique aspects and either randomly assign evolution options or customize each set of options to that User.

  Through a collection of data points by information gatherers, it has been found that someone skills may have more commonly seen evolutions than others. Some evolutions simply create modified versions of the skill, spell, or ability by adding benefits without altering original effects. Inspect is the most common example. With rare exception, the skill usually evolves to give a User more information or an increased chance to gather information of a specific type. A User may be more able to discover a target’s secret abilities, hidden talents, or even probabilities. Other skills, spells, and abilities change completely, losing their original benefits and becoming something completely new. Flare, a low-level spell that does little damage, has been known to evolve into Fireball or Burning Hands.

  There are more detailed databases for what evolutions have been reported, but they cost 1000 credits to access, and most seem incomplete. There’s almost no data, for example, on ability evolutions. I’m not sure if there’s much known or if Users are simply more secretive about sharing what their unique abilities are and how they change. There’s more information on spell evolutions, and it’s cheaper at 100 credits per spell. Skill evolutions are more of a mixed bag with prices ranging from 100 to 3000 credits, and I can only guess that the price is based on the rarity of the skills and difficulties of getting the information.

  Still, I’m happy with the general information that I’ve purchased on evolutions and decide to wait to talk to Lillian to see if she knows anything about what might be the best options for my skill, spell, and ability evolutions before I go and pay someone else.

  While I have time to kill, I decide to scroll through the System Store’s listings. I could scroll through it at my Home Base, but I wouldn’t have access to all the areas the company does without first paying a massive amount of credits to upgrade my home base. The fact that Lillian has already invested millions of credits in upgrading is honestly one of the major benefits of working for Monster Squasher’s Inc. The list of items, weapons, and gear seems endless, and there are with hundreds of thousands of listings. Casual browsing shows me that the store has loads of options, many of which I can’t afford even with my new found wealth, and many items have stat or skill requirements that I don’t meet. I decide to attack the problem from a different angle, and instead of random searches, I look for the best deals. I adjust the parameters of the search to look for items that have been discounted. That drops the number of items listed to 10,000. Then, I further narrow the search to items that have been listed for 3 months or more. That narrows the results to only 4,000. Adding in restrictions that the item is less than 1,000 credits drops the search results to a manageable 1,000 results. Finally, limiting the options to items that I can use drops the results to 15. Funnily, all the searching actually raises my Computer Interface skill by a level. Who ever said that spending time at a computer was bad for you?

  The 15 items are a motley collection of strange accessories, odd-looking weapons, and even a painting.

  Portrait of Dorian Gray

  This portrait was taken from a gothic dungeon. When added to a home base, it decreases the rate at which Users who live there will age by 10%.

  Cost: 877 credits

  Armband of Sisyphus

  Boulder rolling has never been easier with this armband. Allows User to roll boulders with 30% more ease but increases the likelihood of rollback by 60%.

  Cost: 400 credits

  Ring of the Enlarged

  Increases the User’s Charisma based on their weight. For every 10 lbs. the User weighs, Charisma is increased by .01

  Cost: 150 credits

  Belt of Hobbit Strength

  For the shorty in your group. This ring won’t make you invisible, but it will give you a bonus to Strength based on your height. For every inch that a User is under four feet tall, their Strength will be increased by .05. Not suitable for children and may permanently stunt growth.

  Cost: 580 credits

  Magnifying Glass of the Detailed Detective

  A rare drop from a Sherlock Holmes dungeon, the magnifying glass increases the amount of detail given by the skill Inspect. It may only be used when examining dead bodies or looking for clues. Additional information given is based on User’s own knowledge. May sync with pre-existing detective-related skills.

  Cost: 1000 credits

  Most of the items listed are pretty useless to me. I mean, for the Ring of the Enlarged to be even moderately useful, I’d have to weigh over 300 lbs. Though the Belt of Hobbit Strength is tempting, I can only see it working well with some kind of shrink spell. The thought of me shrinking down to a single inch but having an extra 23 Strength makes me laugh. I could dress up as mighty mouse for Halloween. The only truly interesting item on the list is the magnifying glass, and that’s only because of the anthropology class I’m taking. We’ve just started to examine the remains of animals and are supposed to move on to human bones soon, and I think the magnifying glass will be really helpful in class.

  I purchase the item and see the 1000 credits disappear. While I’m loathe to part with the money, I see it as a good investment. The magnifying glass appears on the desk a moment later, and I carefully hold the tool in my hand while examining it. It’s a bit larger than I thought it would be with a dark wooden frame, a convex lens that’s at least 6 inches in diameter, and a smooth handle that’s at least as long. I examine the desk I’m sitting at, fascinated by the detailed woodgrain, when a familiar voice says, “Well, hello there, stranger. What brings you to the office?”

  I turn in the chair I’m sitting at, still looking through the magnifying glass. Instead of a face, I see one blurry blonde image through the lens. Then, remembering what I’m holding, I quickly drop the item into my inventory. I grin as I see a smiling Lillian standing nearby. She’s wearing a form-hugging gray pencil skirt with a white collared dress shirt. Her blonde hair is down, and I can’t help but appreciate how she can look both professional and smoking hot at the same time. I honestly want to break out the magnifying glass again just to inspect her shapely figure better.

  A snap of her fingers is accompanied by her saying, “Hey, my eyes are up here, buddy,” and I realize that I may have been staring at her curves a little too openly. I look at her expression and find a slight smile accompanying her raised eyebrow and mock seriousness, and I know that she doesn’t really mind the way I look at her. I’m standing the next instant and reaching out for a hug, which she surprisingly gives me. Her arms wrap around me, her head presses into my chest, and she sq
ueezes me. I happily enjoy the embrace but can’t help but wonder about the change in policy. Last time, she said that it was unprofessional to be so open with our affection at work.

  Before I can ask, she lets me go and looks around the office to see if anyone saw her. There’s a blush in her cheeks that tells me that she’s embarrassed at her actions. I decide not to press the issue, so I ask, “So, you missed me then?”

  She looks up at me, a small smile on her face. She nods once and then takes my hand and pulls me towards her office. Once the door of her private office closes behind us, she quickly turns and gives me a kiss. Now, this is not one of those friendly pecks but a long, slow, passionate kiss that would steam up my glasses if I wore any. When she pulls away, I find that my brain doesn’t quite work at full speed, and I feel light-headed. The only thing I can think to say is, “I’ll take that as a yes then.”

  Lillian giggles, which only makes me smile more. “Yeah, I missed you, Anthony. I tried to call you all weekend to apologize for leaving our date, and when I couldn’t get through to you, I thought that you must be pretty mad at me. But here you are, happy to see me.”

  It takes me a moment to remember what she’s talking about. For me, it’s been a couple of weeks since that happened, and while I was disappointed that she left in the middle of our romantic date in Paris, it honestly seems like such a long time ago. “Uh, yeah. Sorry about missing your calls. I was working.”

  Her head tilts slightly, and her eyebrows raise questioningly. “Working?” Then her eyes widen as if some puzzle pieces click together. She steps back and puts her hands on her hips and asks accusingly, “You found a dungeon on our date and didn’t tell me about it?”

  The change in tone throws me. “Yeah. Well, not during the date. But after you left so abruptly, I didn’t go home right away. I’d never been to Paris before and thought I’d walk around a bit. I also thought it would be a good chance to practice some of the skills I’d been neglecting.” Her eyes narrow when I mention her leaving, telling me that it was a mistake to bring that up. I quickly continue, “I kind of accidentally stumbled upon a dungeon and spent a couple of weeks inside clearing it.” Lillian’s face scrunches up, and she presses her lips together. She’s starting to look angry. “Uh, don’t worry. I beat the dungeon and just got back from Accounting. I absolutely made sure to pay the 30% to the company just like I agreed to.”

  “Is that why I just got an email from Accounting recommending that we institute an official policy that all employees must report discovered dungeons before clearing them out? The email mentioned that the potential loss of income from ‘noob’ behavior, like not reporting dungeons, could be substantial.”

  Two emotions war within me after hearing her statement: annoyance at that Accounting guy for ratting me out and concern that my girlfriend seems to be getting mad at me. I genuinely have a hard time processing the two emotional responses simultaneously. Let’s be honest: Guys just aren’t socially trained to deal with these kinds of conflicting feelings quickly, which forces me to pause a little too long.

  “Well?” Lillian asks, obviously not taking my silence as a positive response.

  I decide to just admit it, though I’m not sure why I feel guilty. “Yeah, that’s probably because of me. That guy said that the company lost out on potential revenue because the dungeon gave its own currency that could be used to buy items inside.” The conversation reminds me of the skill book I’d purchased for her in the dungeon, and I take it out of my inventory and hold it out hoping she’ll like it.

  Lillian takes the book, and there’s a moment where she stares at it, and I recognize the look as someone using Inspect. Then she throws up her hands and stomps away towards her desk, which is in the far corner of the room. She drops the skill book on the desk and flops down behind it onto the black leather rolling chair. She sits there for a moment just rubbing her temples. I’m not sure what to do. I mean, I don’t really feel like I did anything wrong, I just gave her a gift. But at the same time, this is obviously something that bothers her. I’m just not sure why.

  I take one of the chairs from in front of her desk, drag it next to hers, and sit down. Lillian’s knees and mine touch as we face each other. Her expression has gone from annoyed to just stressed. She takes a deep breath before speaking in a measured tone. “This is a very nice gift, Anthony, and in the System Shop, it would cost quite a bit to acquire. But it very clearly illustrates what the company lost. I know, from your perspective, that you probably don’t think you did anything wrong.” Her tone becomes terse, “And, technically, you didn’t. You’re under no contractual obligation to report dungeons that you find independently. Heck, you could have even argued that you didn’t have to turn over the 30% of the credits you earned clearing it.” Her shoulders sag, and she sinks into the chair a bit. “But you have to start thinking about other people, Anthony, and not just yourself. You left to take on a dungeon on your own and didn’t tell anyone.” I almost interrupt to tell her I texted my mom and Jeff, but think better of it. “What if you’d gotten spawn camped by some NPC and I lost you?” She pauses and her eyes search for some response from me. I must not give the correct one because her words gain volume as she continues, “What you do affects other people! Forget me, your girlfriend for a second. How do you think your mom or Marie would have felt if you didn’t come home because you got stuck in an unbeatable dungeon and no one knew where you were?”

  It had honestly never occurred to me that I couldn’t handle the dungeon or that something might go wrong. I just jumped right in, determined to become stronger by beating it alone.

  Lillian sighs loudly and rolls her eyes. “I know you wouldn’t intentionally make people worry, and you were probably thinking about the credits you could earn for your family. But not only was that so very dangerous, almost any other User would have known that they’d make a lot more money and gotten more valuable items like that skill book if they brought in one of the corporations to fully clear the kind of dungeon you described. And frankly, Anthony, we could use the credits right now.”

  That last bit makes my ears perk up. “What do you mean by the company could use the credits? Is everything alright?”

  She pats me on the knee and smiles slightly, but there’s still a sense of tension in her body language. “Yeah, we’re solvent, if that’s what you’re asking. It’s just that, ever since we got that rare dungeon core, we’ve been trying to expand to take advantage of what it can bring to the company. We have more employees, we’ve expanded our office, I’ve added on new additions to this home base, and we’ve integrated the dungeon core into the facilities--all of which costs us massive amounts of credits. More than we got winning the Dungeon Games. Not to mention that upgrading the dungeon core beyond a training facility is going to cost us a whole lot more than I’d expected.”

  She sits there, biting her upper lip and looking off at nothing, and I can’t help but recollect my mom having that same look when we were short on money for our bills. It’s a look responsible people get when they’re worried about taking care of the people that depend on them. I hadn’t realized that Lillian was this stressed out about the company. I mean, I should have suspected it. After all, she’s running her own business, and while she has people to help her, the responsibility falls on her shoulders.

  I nudge her with my knee, bringing her attention back to the now instead of whatever she was worrying about. She fakes a smile for me, and I reach out and grab her hands. “Lillian, I’m sorry that I didn’t report the dungeon. I haven’t found many, and this is the first time I’d found that kind of dungeon. I promise that I’ll be a better employee and report any that I find in the future so that the company can make the most of it. But I can tell that running the company is taking its toll on you, and I want you to know that I am here for you.” I feel her hands squeeze mine, and I continue. “I mean, I’m not much of a businessman or anything, and I probably can’t help you with any real problems, but I can listen. I can
do that and anything else that might help you ‘relieve some stress.’” I waggle my eyebrows as I say that last part, and Lillian genuinely smiles and even laughs a little.

  She reaches out and gently places her hand on mine. “I’m still mad that you didn’t phone me before you went into that dungeon, but thank you for the support, Anthony. Just knowing that you’re there really means a lot to me.”

  The two of us talk for a while. She shares some of the challenges she’s facing trying to expand the company, and I tell her about the unique dungeon, the new levels I got, and the new abilities I absorbed. She asks some questions about the abilities, which reminds me that I wanted to ask her advice about their evolution. However, before I can ask my questions or bring it up, there’s a knock on the door, and Kim pops her head in, carefully not looking at us.

  “Mrs. Coke, your next appointment is here. Do you want me to reschedule him?”

  “No, Kim. Give me a minute and then show him in.” The door closes, and Lillian smiles at me, shrugs, and says, “Sorry. The glorious life of a CEO calls.”

  I nod, get up and hug Lillian once before leaving the office. I pass Kim as she escorts a gentleman in a black suit towards Lillian’s office. I decide that I’ve spent enough time here and will port back home and then to my college apartment.