“But he’s just a teenager, and he has nothing to gain from going to Gloria,” Claire said in a shocked voice. Even Robert looked uncomfortable, a fact that didn’t go unnoticed by George. It seemed that they were both fond of Jason. That would complicate things.
“He is a young man that has shown himself to be far more competent than his age would indicate,” George answered without wavering. “He broke our game in less than a week, he reads military strategy texts in his spare time, he has taken to his programming studies with an enthusiasm and aptitude that is frightening. On top of all of that, we are talking about someone who had the spine and ability to kill two teenagers in cold blood, regardless of whether he remembers the altercation or not. Are we even talking about the same person here? Can either of you be certain that Jason wasn’t capable of hacking our system and leaking information to Gloria?”
When they didn’t answer immediately, George pushed himself up from the table and began to step toward the door. As his hand touched the handle, he hesitated, glancing back over his shoulder at the pair. “Let me be completely clear here; I do not trust anyone. Until this is over, you two would do well to observe the same caution.”
He met each of their eyes, impassively observing the mixture of awe, fear, and confusion he found there. “Remember that sense of dread you felt when you first saw the video log in an open courtroom. Burn it into your memory. Because this isn’t over yet and the person responsible for the leak is still out there. If we fail, your worst fear will become a reality.”
And then the door snapped shut behind George.
Chapter 44 - Promising
After Alfred disappeared, Jason decided to check on the products he had listed on the player auction house. He found the auctioneer huddled behind a stall. The small man had abandoned his usual post at the obelisk in favor of creating a makeshift hut among the deserted wooden structures. The man’s eyes went wide as he saw Jason and he pressed himself further back into the shadows.
Apparently, I leave a strong impression, Jason thought grimly.
He placed his hand on the pillar, and a translucent blue screen soon appeared in the air before him. His jaw hung open as he stared at the display. His potions were gone – all of them. Every single stack had sold. There were a few more vendors that had tried to put up competing products and ingredients, but that hadn’t been nearly enough.
In short, he had just made a lot of money. A lot of money.
Not only that, but the flashing icon in the corner of the menu showed that his merchant account had received hundreds of messages overnight. Jason hadn’t even realized that his merchant name and account were visible when he sold items on the auction house – maybe that was a function of opening a more sophisticated vendor account? He certainly hadn’t noticed that when he had sold items before. However, his account was apparently listed as “Avarice_Enterprises.”
Jason also didn’t remember selecting a name. He glanced at the merchant who normally manned the stall, the small man still huddling in shadows. Perhaps he had chosen the name. Jason shrugged. It wasn’t a bad choice.
Expecting the worst, he tapped the flashing icon. After skimming a few of the messages, it became clear that the responses ranged from angry outrage to pleading desperation. A few people had begun begging for a handout once his supplies had been sold out. However, most of them were simply furious, claiming he had single-handedly destroyed the game’s market for healing potions. That seemed a little over the top. He had undoubtedly cornered this niche market, but the outrage couldn’t possibly be that widespread.
Although, there was an easy way to check.
Jason quickly pulled up his system UI and launched a web browser. A few minutes later, he was on the Rogue-Net forums. Unfortunately, he immediately found what he was looking for. Someone had created a post entitled, “What I’d do for a little pot…” It was the top post under “Economy.” The comments he found there were interesting – to say the least.
Renkaii: Maybe some guild is behind this? All the ingredients for making healing potions were just gone overnight, along with every stack available for bidding. That doesn’t just happen randomly.
Belephya Black: Yeah, you’re right. And then a single vendor sticks up hundreds of healing potions all at once? Who the hell is Avarice_Enterprises? And how did he get the thousands of gold that would have been necessary to buy up everything? Some sort of bot or gold farmer maybe?
Kennyloggins: Who cares? I just need some pots, but they’re five gold a stack. Who can afford that?
Pumps: Clearly a lot of people since they’re sold out again. Someone needs to message the vendor and get him to stick up some more.
Tanned: Or just report him for messing with the game economy… This has to be a hacker.
ShadowKilla: You guys are just jealous you didn’t think of it first. This guy’s making a killing. His side hustle is legit.
An evil smile had crept across Jason’s face as he read through the comments and he couldn’t help but let out a laugh, the sound carrying across the empty market. In response, the nearby auctioneer huddled further inside his stall-fort.
There were hundreds of comments, and, as he reviewed the forum, Jason found that many posts had been made on the topic. Apparently, he had made digital waves – again. He was glad the auctioneer had had the foresight to pick a name that didn’t directly link the account back to him or the Twilight Throne. Given the number of angry players, he might have had an army at his doorstep. Although, at least they would have had trouble healing themselves.
Still, the amount of publicity had been unexpected. He needed to strike while the iron was hot. Now that people were aware of what he was doing, it would only be a matter of time before other guilds and players mobilized their members to farm for ingredients and start making their own potions. His monopoly wouldn’t last forever.
He quickly pulled up the game’s chat window and messaged Eliza, giving her a few instructions. Then he granted her delegate access to his vendor account. They needed to get the potions up as fast as the water mage could make them and he might not always be able to handle that by himself. Right now, the priority was increasing their income. They would need the money to prepare their troops and the city before Thorn attacked. They just needed to create a small buffer of cash before he started purchasing equipment. He could use those funds to keep buying up competing products and maintain his monopoly for a few more days.
“Well, at least this is some good news,” Jason murmured to himself, a pleased smile still lingering on his face. For just a moment, he had been able to forget about his other troubles and his conversation with Alfred. At least one of his gambles had paid off. The question now was what he should tackle next.
A flash of light appeared in Jason’s peripheral vision, the group interface indicating that Riley had just come online. A message popped up in the chat window.
Riley: Hey, you ready to try the third challenge?
It seemed that she had answered his question for him. Maybe this third challenge was just what he needed – something to take his mind off everything else. If it was anything like the first two, he suspected they were in for a grueling surprise.
* * *
Jason soon stepped inside the second challenge room. He immediately caught sight of Riley leaning against a wall, her hand idly swiping at the empty air as her eyes reviewed a set of hidden notifications. When she saw him, a smile lit up her face. The warmth of that expression softened the worries that still lingered in the back of Jason’s mind. He couldn’t believe he had taken so long to talk to her and tell her how he felt. Sometimes, he could be a real idiot.
“You took your time,” she teased.
“I just needed to take care of a few things in the market,” he explained with a grin. Then he surveyed the small room, noting that there wasn’t a doorway to the third challenge room.
“Huh, I guess we’re going to need to talk to Rex,” he murmured to himself.
He smacked his palm on the pedestal near the entrance, and Rex’s dark, misty form soon collected beside the pillar. He eyed the pair curiously. “Ahh, you must be ready to tackle the next and final challenge.”
“That was the idea,” Riley replied in a dry tone. “Mind opening a door?”
“My pleasure, m’lady,” Rex said with a mock bow.
With a wave of the former general’s hand, the stone blocks along the far wall began to melt away, turning into wispy tendrils of dark energy. Instead of condensing into bone or crystal like the former doorways, the energy continued to spiral in a whirling vortex. The mana soon framed a roughly door-shaped void, the surface shifting and undulating. From his angle, Jason couldn’t make out anything on the other side.
“Uh, is that it?” Riley asked in a skeptical voice, sharing a concerned look with Jason. Neither was anxious to walk into a room they couldn’t see, much less some sort of dark magic portal. They had been burned a few times already.
“Why? Are you two nervous?” Rex challenged them, amusement coloring his voice.
“No. Let’s just say we’re cautious. It’s going to take more than this to stop us,” Jason replied evenly. With that, he stepped toward the doorway, Riley following behind him hesitantly.
They paused just in front of the swirling dark portal. Tentacles of mana lashed at the air hungrily, and, even from this distance, Jason couldn’t make out anything on the other side. Despite his worry, he wouldn’t back down. They had come this far, and he wouldn’t turn back now. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward—
—and immediately passed through the portal.
Jason found himself in a plain room illuminated by sapphire torchlight. In the center rested a simple square table and three chairs. As he approached the table slowly, he noted that a crystal sphere sat in the middle of the table, a milky gray fog drifting beneath its surface. It looked similar to the columns in the other challenge room.
“What is this place?” Riley asked as she entered behind him.
“No idea,” Jason replied in a distracted voice, still staring at the globe. “The room doesn’t look nearly big enough for this to be a combat-oriented challenge. And that’s putting aside the weird table…”
“How perceptive of you,” Rex observed in a sarcastic voice, suddenly appearing nearby. “Although, you’re on the right track. This next challenge isn’t another battle. Well, not exactly…” he added.
“That isn’t confusing or ambiguous at all,” Jason replied, glancing at his former general with an arched eyebrow. “Are you taking lessons in cryptic nonsense from the Old Man now?”
“I wish that were the case,” Rex replied, his expression sobering. “It’s more that this challenge is complex.” He gestured at the globe on the table. “That crystal is like the globes located in the other rooms. They act as something of a bridge between this plane and the spirit world maintained by the well. In short, they are how I am able to be here and how Logan was able to animate that creature you fought in the second room.”
“Okay,” Riley replied slowly. “So, the crystals let souls into this world. What does that have to do with the challenge?”
Rex cocked his head as though listening to something. “This particular globe is special. Instead of only providing access to this world, it also allows a user to access the spirit world. I guess you could say that the two of you will be going on a field trip,” Rex offered with a faint grin.
“Great. So, what does this challenge entail?” Jason asked.
At this question, Rex grimaced, and his good humor vanished quickly. “This test will be different than the others. Just like the previous challenges, this one is intended to impart a lesson.”
“Which is?” Jason asked when his former general lapsed into an awkward silence.
“Trust,” Rex grunted reluctantly, staring at the orb. “The first challenge was intended to teach you to defend yourself. The second was intended to force you to develop finesse. This third challenge is about the Keeper and his soul guard.” He shifted his attention to Jason and Riley. “As I’ve told you before, even the most battle-hardened veteran has to lean on his comrades. The bond between the two of you must be one forged of iron.”
“Uh, okay. That sounds a little ominous,” Riley observed. “Forged in blood wasn’t enough, huh?”
Jason couldn’t help but nod in agreement. “No kidding. So, what skill do I get to learn for this challenge?” he asked the skeletal ghost.
“None,” Rex replied immediately. “If you pass the test, you will gain a new ability – but not until then. As I said, this will be different from what you two have encountered so far.”
“Could you at least give us a hint about what we’re going to face?” Riley asked, sharing another concerned look with Jason. He had to admit that his former general was being even more vague than usual. That probably wasn’t a good sign.
Rex hesitated, trying to decide how to frame his next words. “Do you both remember the ritual that turned Jason into a Keeper?”
They both nodded and Jason bit back a sarcastic comment. How could he forget slicing open Riley’s wrists over a dark mana well or witnessing the memory of her grandfather’s death? He was certain that memory was burned into his mind – permanently.
“In many ways, that ritual was a one-way street,” Rex explained. “It tested the Soul Guards’ faith in their future Keeper and bound your souls together, fueling Jason’s conversion into a Keeper. However, that was just the first step. The Keepers of old understood that trust must be both given and received. There is a reason why we refer to each other as Kin. We are family, brothers and sisters in arms. The Soul Guard and their Keeper must be able to depend on one another without hesitation,” Rex explained. “This relationship is intended to be a partnership, not simple servitude.”
“I already trust Jason,” Riley said immediately, although he noted the faintest trace of hesitation in her eyes. That comment stung, especially given everything he had been hiding from her – and everything that he was still hiding.
Rex shook his head. “Of course, you do. That’s what your sacrifice proved. The issue in many ways is whether Jason trusts you.”
“I don’t understand. What are you saying?” Jason asked as he tried to process what Rex was trying to tell them. “That Riley will experience one of my memories?”
Rex met his gaze with a sober expression. “Yes.”
Jason could only stare at the skeleton’s misty form in shock, his mind reeling. When he had experienced Frank’s and Riley’s memories, they had been deeply unsettling. Those experiences had been at the core of who they were as a person – something that had defined them in a meaningful way. Normally, he would be okay with the idea of sharing some dark part of himself with Riley, even if the thought made him uncomfortable or embarrassed.
But Jason had secrets. Secrets that weren’t entirely his own.
What if the game chose to share the memory of killing those two teenagers? Or his conversations with Alfred? Or his encounter with Claire? That thought was troubling. Although, he took some solace in the fact that that the AI controlled the game and this challenge. Surely Alfred wouldn’t reveal anything too sensitive, would he? And yet, Jason hesitated at that thought. After their last conversation, he wasn’t exactly sure that he could anticipate the AI’s thinking. All he knew was that he didn’t want to place Riley at risk. There were some things that were better for her not to know.
He couldn’t stop here, though. The image of Cecil’s burned face entered his mind, accompanied by the undead who had been permanently maimed by Thorn. He wasn’t doing this for himself – or at least not just for himself. He had his city and his people to think about. He was doing this to grow stronger. He needed to be able to protect them. Perhaps this was a risk worth taking.
“Are you okay?” Riley asked, forcing Jason out of his reverie. She looked concerned, but he could also see the hurt in her eyes. He hadn’t rushed to claim that he trusted her, a fac
t that she apparently hadn’t missed.
“Ahh, yeah. Sorry,” Jason said quickly, shaking his head and trying to give her a weak smile. “I just zoned out there for a second.”
Rex stood nearby, watching him carefully and Jason shifted his attention back to the former general. “So, I’m just sharing a memory? That’s it?”
“Not quite,” Rex replied evenly. “It’s my understanding that this will be a bit more complex and challenging than the previous experience. The only thing I am permitted to add is that you will have to be willing to let Riley in.”
Rex stared at Jason. “Can you do that?”
“Y-yeah,” Jason replied, unable to completely remove the hesitation from his voice. He trusted Riley, but he wouldn’t do anything to put her in harm’s way. Jason might be willing to risk himself, but he couldn’t make that decision for Riley. Both Rex and Riley picked up on his slight stutter and Riley’s frown deepened.
“Let’s just do this,” Jason said, trying to shift attention away from himself. “How do we get started?”
Rex still seemed skeptical, but, after a few seconds passed and Jason’s gaze didn’t waver, he shrugged. “You just need to take a seat, and then you both need to place a hand on the crystal.”
The pair did as he instructed. Jason sat across from Riley and tried to give her a reassuring smile. She didn’t seem entirely convinced and kept watching him with a confused expression. Not that he could really blame her. He was acting weird. She couldn’t possibly anticipate the secrets he had been keeping. He could only hope that Alfred wouldn’t reveal too much. In many ways, he was putting his fledgling relationship with Riley in the AI’s hands.
Awaken Online: Dominion Page 45