World of Eternia: The Complete Collection

by Antony W. F. Chow

  “There is no need for you to stay,” the fighter objects. “This is a job for the demonologists and the fighters. Your job is to escort Evangelina to the work site. If we can’t put up a good fight for these demons, THEN you could play martyr.”

  Kassender frowns at Maximus’ characterization and bites her lips. “Very well,” she agrees. “We don’t have the numbers to take on a demon lord,” she adds quietly.

  “I know,” the fighter shrugs. “Our objective is to get the Zisslean Ore back to Starter Town, not to defeat the demon lord. Maybe next time?” he smiles wryly.

  “Next time,” the priestess smiles back. “I’ll leave it to you to decide when to break off from the main group.”

  Maximus nods and starts to drift towards the fighters and demonologists at the rear to give his orders.

  Kassender turns her attention straight ahead, towards the dig site which is slowly coming into view. After ten minutes of riding, she hears, “Break!” She glances around, and sees only four other players remaining in the caravan. The priestess moves her mount next to the wagon, where Evangelina is sitting next to the driver. “Get ready to create the portal as soon as we reach the dig site. There is a Circle of Protection from Fire in place already, and should hold off the demons long enough to give you time to make the portal,” she says.

  Evangelina replies with a sharp nod.

  The remaining five members of the group ride the rest of the way in silence. In a few minutes, they see the dig site up ahead. A shimmering wall surrounds the site, giving off a faint pink hue under the sunlight that peeks through the hazy cloud covers in the sky above.

  Kassender sees that the second prospecting group is already packed and waiting for the expedition group to arrive. She also notes the shock registering on their faces when they realize how few survivors are coming back to Starter Town.

  Lucious stands in the center of the site, with a gigantic Earth Elemental looming behind him. “Make way! Let them through!” he yells to the group that is crowding at the entrance.

  The guards heed the elementalist’s command and step aside for the wagon and accompanying horse riders.

  As soon as the caravan comes to a complete stop, Evangelina hops off and starts casting her portal spell.

  Lucious commands his Earth Elemental to stand at the edge of the fire barrier, but not go beyond it.

  When the horde of demons move within range, the water mages start sending volleys of Freezing Arrow at the demons.

  Fighters quickly follow with arrows of their own that had been blessed by the demonologists for extra damage against demons.

  The volleys of magic and steel start to whittle the demons at five per volley. However, the Demon Lord simply gates in more reinforcements to replenish his horde. Suddenly, the monstrous demon raises its arms into the air with its palms facing the sky. A fiery orb of light begins to form above the demon’s hands.

  “Oh no you don’t!” Lucious says as he commands his Earth Elemental to shake the ground directly beneath the Demon Lord. The tiny earthquake is enough to disrupt the Meteor Swarm spell, and the Demon Lord snarls in frustration. Its thrice daily use of the spell exhausted for the day, the demon decides to use another tactic. The Demon Lord points a black claw at the humans.

  The demon horde immediately charges at the human base and pound angrily against the fire barrier.

  “Augh!” Loquist drops to his knees. The pounding on his fire barrier delivers a biofeedback loop to the player’s hands. Even worse, mana upkeep cost has spiked. He can hold the barrier for only a few more seconds! Suddenly, a hand rests on the spell caster’s shoulder, and his mana bar is back to full.

  Kassender offers a reassuring smile to the young mage as she maintains her Succor spell to pass her entire mana bar to the mage, and help him keep the fire barrier in place.

  A flash of light bursts from the middle of the circle of protection, and a shimmering portal appears.

  Without word, Clarke urges his horses to enter the portal, pulling the caravan loaded with hard won Zislean ore back to Starter Town.

  The remnants of the expeditionary force quickly enter the portal, until only Loquist and Kassender remain. The mage has to enter last in order to maintain the Circle of Protection, and Kassender is with him in order to maintain the Succor spell. The two survivors take one last glance at the demons pounding against the barrier, and finally return to the safety of Starter Town.

  Chapter 30 – Somber Return

  The fallen and revived members of the expeditionary mission mill around the town square, anxiously awaiting the return of the remaining survivors. There are some three dozen players in all; each of them had lost a bit of experience from the death penalty, along with a physical shock to their hands from the virtual reality equipment. By now the sting has already worn off.

  Other players gather around, not sure of what is taking place but curious to find out. After all, the expeditionary mission was only limited to sixty players, and it was kept very hush-hush. Rumors start flying among these bystanders, many of whom are anxious to get organized into parties to participate in this mysterious event.

  The revived players absolutely refuse to divulge on the details of their mission, having sworn to secrecy to their respective guild leaders. Failure to maintain confidentiality may result in expulsion from their guilds, and without support from their guilds leveling up in their respective character classes would be much harder for the players to accomplish.

  Finally, the air in the center of the town square begins to shimmer, as a wide, rectangular shape of glowing light starts to form in mid-air. The players start to back away from the developing portal, to make space for the party on the other side to return back to Starter Town. Of course, there is also a possibility that a hostile force is in pursuit and gets through the portal as well. Thus, the onlookers start to draw their weapons, just in case.

  Within a few seconds, the portal fully develops and players start to go through it. Onlookers could see vicious looking demons pounding on an invisible wall a short distance behind these returnees, and the onlookers back away even further from the portal. Nobody wants to fight demons unless they have to.

  First a caravan arrives at the Town Square, then a motley group of players, some on horseback and others on foot.

  Evangelina hops off the wagon and turns around to face the portal. As soon as the mage Loquist and the high priestess Kassender step through the portal, the circle of protection from fire ceases to exist. The portal master quickly slams her staff on the ground, and closes the portal before the horde of demons can pass through. She smiles warily at Kassender, who returns a mirroring smile. Although the cost was great, the mission was a success and will enhance the reputation of the Church itself and may even lead to an increase in membership.

  Kassender lifts up her arms to call everyone’s attention. “The Gods of Eternia have blessed us and allowed us to meet our objective. The game developers have granted all participants a new title: ‘Zisslean Miner.’ It is exclusive to the sixty brave souls who journeyed to the edge of the Zisslean Mountains, fought against the wandering demonic hordes, and retrieved invaluable ore for further joint research and development by the Church and the Magic Guild. Now, I invite you all back to our Church for a respite. Please join us. The Church is expecting us.” The High Priestess turns and walks in the direction of the Church of Eternia. The other members of the clergy follow behind her.

  The miners turn to Xavier, the ranking member of the Trade Union among the returnees.

  “We need to deliver the two barrels of Zisslean ore to the Church,” he reminds them.

  Lucious holds up a hand. “I need to bring a sample to Vergil of the Magic Guild,” he requests.

  Xavier walks to the back of the wagon, and grabs a piece of Zisslean rock that had fallen out of the barrel inside the wagon; the rock is the size of a big orange. “Here you go,” he tosses it over to the mage.

  Despite the sudden toss of the rock, Lucious man
ages to catch the sample with both hands, dropping his magical staff to do so. He puts the precious ore into his Bag of Holding, and retrieves his staff. He joins the players from the Magic Guild and walks back to the Tower.

  Chapter 31 – Next Phase

  Jakub Strome breaks out a smile as he breathes a sigh of relief. As the company Vice President in charge of WoE’s day to day operations, he has a vested interest in the outcome of the small player expedition. He pulls the visor off his head and rubs his eyes. Jakub had been watching the events occur via a birds eye view as an administrator. Richard has been anxious to have the Oriental Expansion up and running, but insists on this being accomplished in a creditable manner with links to the existing player campaign. The CEO is meticulous if nothing else.

  The script called for players to get the Zisslean ore, and then make an artifact level magical item to channel divine energy from the Gods of Eternia to a foreign land. That, in turn, sets up an invasion of the new frontier for players to explore, adventure, and conquer, though not necessarily in that order. If the players had failed the first attempt, then Richard in his capacity as the King would have sent NPC soldiers to join in the effort on a second attempt. Now, there is no need for such a drastic measure.

  Jakub fires off a quick text message to Richard’s smart phone: “Success.”

  * * *

  Vergil reads the lengthy, detailed email from Jakub Strome outlining the script that Vergil must follow. While Vergil is a player publicly, he is a secret employee of Eternia Development & Entertainment, Inc. It wasn’t the case at first, but shortly after Vergil opened his magic shop company officials visited and presented him with a choice—either remove the shop or become a part time EDE employee.

  The explanation provided was that only NPCs were allowed to run shops, and indeed Vergil is the only player shopkeeper in the game. By becoming an affiliate of the company, his in-game identity will be adjusted to an NPC’s and thus his magic shop will become an official part of the game itself. Whenever he is offline, automated assistants will perform such basic functions as buying, selling, and identifying magic items brought into the shop. In return, Vergil’s post will be utilized by the game masters to introduce new missions and campaigns, like now.

  Vergil opens the email attachment. An item is immediately added to his avatar’s inventory. He clicks on the item; it is identified as “Sample Divine Conduit.” The instructions from Jakub ask Vergil to contact Lucious and show him the artifact next weekend. Presumably Vergil’s magic research will take a week. “Am I a player or an actor?” Vergil mutters to himself.

  * * *

  Head Priest Jakub stands in front of the window in the small chapel. The main church building is in the center of Starter Town, and frequented by players seeking divine healing, guidance, curse removal, resurrection, and other services provided by the Church of Eternia. However, the small chapel at the very back of the church grounds, overlooking the small cemetery, is Jakub’s preferred meeting place with players from his Church.

  “You asked to see me Head Priest?” Kassender asks, dispelling the brief silence Jakub had been enjoying.

  The official leader of the Church of Eternia turns away from the window to face High Priestess Kassender. The man, in his late fifties, has a receding hair line and a thin build. However, a light aura shimmers around this man, similar to the one surrounding King Richard. The aura provides a layer of protection for this important character, as there had been attempts by the Assassin’s Guild to kill Jakub, as well as Richard, for nothing more than simply bragging rights. Jakub offers a warm smile to Kassender, a young woman in her late twenties.

  Jakub holds out his hand. “Are you ready to turn in the lodestone and officially complete your holy quest?”

  “Yes, Head Priest,” the woman replies as she quickly pulls a piece of Zisslean ore out of her bag, and gives him the precious item.

  Jakub smiles at the physical exchange. “The Gods of Eternia confer their blessings on you, Blessed of Eternia. This unique, new title entitles you to additional bonuses in the use of divine magic, a fifty percent increase in the divine spell’s strength or duration. You may call upon this blessing thrice per day. Please use it wisely.”

  “Thank you, Most Holy One,” Kassender replies. She can see how useful the blessing will be already during an adventure.

  “I will pray for instructions on what is needed to complete the Divine Conduit artifact. When I receive an answer from the Gods of Eternia, we will talk again. In the meantime, please ensure that the Zisslean ores are stored properly and securely,” he says. “You may leave,” he dismisses her.

  Kassender bows deeply and leaves the small chapel.

  Chapter 32 – Rejection

  Bbbzzzzzz. Bzzzzz. The executive is annoyed by the interruption, but picks up the phone anyway. “Hello, this is Charles Winter,” he says in a polite, professional tone. Answering the phone is the most irritating aspect of his job as the chief executive. Since his small company receives venture capital funding, Charles has to be available to his backers and be ready to answer any question from them no matter how ridiculous and superfluous the investor may be. He leans back into his leather seat as he awaits the caller to identify himself.

  “Hello, young man,” the gruff voice replies on the line.

  “Good afternoon, Lewis. How can I help you today?” the CEO straightens up. The elderly investor and chairman of the board don’t like to make small talk with Charles over the phone. So this is an important call.

  “I’m afraid I have some bad news, Charles,” the chairman replies. “I’ve gone around to some friends who I think may be interested in investing in a new mmorpg product. Unfortunately, none of them seem inclined to invest in your new product, because they don’t see anyone able to take on World of Warcraft. I’m sorry I don’t have better news for you on this front.”

  “I thank you for your effort on our behalf,” Charles replies, keeping the sting of disappointment out of his voice.

  “There are other means of raising capital if you decide that you really need it to accelerate the development of the product,” the chairman reminds him.

  “I know,” Charles replies. “I’ll consider the options and get back to you.”

  “I’ll hold you to that promise,” Lewis responds.

  “Count on it,” Charles says. “Thank you for your call. Bye-bye,” he hangs up. With his hand still on the handset of the telephone, he raises his hand above his head, and slams the phone on his desk. SLAM! The receiver portion of the handset snaps off, breaking the phone. The jagged edge of the handset presses into the angry man’s palm and pierces his skin. Blood starts to trickle out.

  Charles stares at his bleeding palm, his anger not soothed one iota by this impulsive act of violence. I’ve been too careful, too hesitant, he thinks as his blood drips onto his desk. I need to act more decisively and swiftly, he concludes. His mind suddenly flickers to his rival’s World of Eternia game. And I know how. He balls his fist, squeezing more blood onto his desk.

  Chapter 33 – Gauntlet

  The platinum blonde woman looks over her shoulder. She is reluctant to proceed with this crazy stunt. But she sees the look of fierce determination in his eyes as he nods for her to continue. Reluctantly, she turns back to the computer screen and uses the mouse to click the "Post" icon.

  Charles exhales the breath that he had unconsciously been holding back. What will you do now, Richard?

  * * *

  Bbbbzzz! Jakub checks his smart phone and sees a text message from Brian Remlinger, the Game Master currently in charge of activities inside the World of Eternia: "Check the forums ASAP." A frown appears on Jakub's face as he follows up on his employee's tip and checks the forums. He quickly sees a thread titled, "Gauntlet," which has already garnered a thousand posts, and reads the post, which states:

  "Hear ye! Hear ye! Charles Winter, the CEO and owner with controlling interest in Virtuous Gaming Co. ("VG"), Hereby Challenges his former frie
nd and bitter rival Richard T. Gibson, the CEO and owner with controlling interest in Eternia Development & Entertainment Inc. ("EDE") in the manner as follows:

  A Tower Defense Match pitting players from VG's online network of casual games, VIrtuous Gaming Online, as raiders against the Starter Town in World of Eternia with EDE's players acting as defenders. If VG raiders successfully take control of Starter Town, both the player and non-player sections, then Charles Winter will be declared the winner. In such an event, he will obtain ALL ownership interest in EDE currently held by Richard T. Gibson, to be executed in a lawfully binding transfer immediately after the said Tower Defense Match is over.

  If EDE players successfully defend against the raid, as defined by not one single VG raider remaining in the World of Eternia, then Richard T. Gibson will be declared the winner. In such an event, he will obtain ALL ownership interest in VG currently held by Charles Winter, to be executed in a lawfully binding transfer immediately after the said Tower Defense Match is over.

  The Tower Defense Match event will be held within thirty days after acceptance of this Gauntlet, and the event will be open to all players with registered accounts with either VG or EDE. In the event that a player has an account with both companies, the player may choose to fight for either side in this event. However, once the registration period for this unique online event has expired, the player may NOT switch affiliation to fight for the opposing side.

  The event will be streamed online and broadcasted live, and participants agree to have their player characters recorded on video capture and such images of their in-game activities may be broadcasted and streamed without compensation. Participants in this event may receive whatever prizes the respective game developer decides, along with the appropriate awards and bonuses for the winning side.