by EA Hooper
Now I have three hundred and sixty years until Harper finds out what I’ve done. That’s multiple lifetimes for her to fall in love with me. If not her, then there are plenty of other women trapped in this game—women that will see me as the most powerful man on the World-Tree. I’m sure I’ll pay for freezing Valery one day, but that’s a long, long time from now.
After a few hours, Harper found him. She’d sent him multiple private chats by then, but he’d ignored them until she arrived.
“What were you thinking?” Harper asked. “For all we know, World Teleport could’ve taken your mod powers too. I told you not to do anything until I got back. You—”
Lucas smiled, ignoring the rest of Harper’s outburst. She can rant all she wants, but we both know she has no power over me anymore. I’m the only moderator left in World-Tree Online. I have more power than any other player in this game and three hundred sixty years to do whatever I please. I won’t be treated like a child anymore. I’ll be the hero that everyone loves. The only man standing between order and chaos.
He peered at the worlds hanging above Mitigar, and his smile widened. These are my worlds now. I’m the Sheriff of the World-Tree.
Chapter 5
Player: Vincent
Location: Teramor (World) | Knightrest (City) | Blue Phoenix District (District)
Class: Ranger
Vitality: Lv 1
Spirit: Lv 2
Resolve: Lv 2
Perception*: Lv 2
Agility: Lv 1
Strength: Lv 2
Vincent wandered the cramped streets of the Blue Phoenix District. As the light of the World-Tree dimmed into night, the district glowed with rune-powered signs. Everywhere he turned, he saw bars, clubs, and fancy restaurants. The district seemed to come to life as the light faded, and within a couple of hours of searching, the crowds had grown twice as dense.
People across the city had been panicking since the update started, but he found most of the citizens of the Blue Phoenix District didn’t care as much. As Vincent traveled, he couldn’t help but check the time remaining on the update.
Update Time Remaining: 30:00:00 (Real-World Time)
Not even a hundredth of a second has passed in real time, and it’s already nighttime here.
He looked up as the skybox reached its darkest point. His eyes followed the glowing outlines of the worlds above. He couldn’t see stars, but the dimmed worlds in the night sky left him in awe.
The skybox almost reminds me of an old computer monitor—dark, but not quite pitch-black. Like a dark glow that reflects off the worlds. It’s startlingly beautiful.
He continued to stare at the sky until someone bumped his shoulder as they walked past.
“Hey, watch it,” the armored man said.
“You’re the one that bumped me,” Vincent replied.
“Well, get out of your HUD and pay attention to your surroundings.”
“I wasn’t in my HUD, I was staring at the majestic night sky. It’s really something, isn’t it?”
The armored man flashed a bewildered look. “Oh, your player profile says you’re seventy. No wonder you’re so easily impressed, old man.” The man shook his head and disappeared into the crowd.
“There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the view,” Vincent muttered to himself, continuing down the street.
He crossed several more roads until he finally found Nineteenth Street. The backstreet seemed tucked away in the corner of the city and was pressed against the large walls that enclosed Knightrest. Despite its location, Nineteenth Street seemed even more packed than the rest of the district. It had a slummier feel to it, however, with players gambling and vendors selling booze and drugs on the side of the road. Women even stopped him to offer a night of relaxation for the right price.
“No thanks,” Vincent said multiple times to different working girls and drug dealers.
This is where Jim hangs out? It’s hard to picture my nerdy old friend fitting in at a place like this. Then again, he always dreamed of this kind of life. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
A large building with glowing lights sat in the middle of the street. Vincent could read the flashing Varia’s Club sign from halfway down the road. He walked toward it, working his way through the dense crowd. Music blasted from runes attached to the sides of the building, and there were even more people outside dancing and mingling.
He walked up the steps, but an armored man and woman stopped him at the entrance.
“Fifty gild,” the woman said, holding out her hand.
“Fifty gild?” Vincent replied. “I might be new, but that sounds costly for a night of clubbing.”
“Night?” the other bouncer said. “Most people stay here for weeks on end. You realize you don’t need sleep, right, newbie?”
“Clubbing for weeks sounds exhausting,” Vincent replied. “I’m only here to see my friend Jim.”
“Do you mean Crow-Foot Jim?” the woman asked. “Wait, your profile says your name is Vincent. Are you Jim’s friend Vince? I’ve heard about you. He says he beat you at every fighting game tournament you ever went to.”
“To be fair, I won most other types of games,” Vincent grumbled.
“Well, you can come on in,” the woman said. She held up a rune that scanned his body. “There, now our rune database will have your profile saved. You’ll get free entry to the club.”
“Jim has that kind of pull around here?” Vincent questioned.
“He’s a one-quarter owner of the establishment,” the woman explained. “He and his guests get free entry and drinks.”
The bouncers stepped aside, and Vincent entered the club. The music was far louder inside, and he could barely think over the beat coming from runes that lined the walls and ceiling. Neon lights flashed from every corner, making it impossible not to bump into dancers as he worked his way through the crowd.
When he peeked across the club, he saw two stages. One had men punching each other, and the other had half-naked women dancing. I can guess which one he’ll be watching. Vincent slowly made his way toward the stage with the dancers.
He peered over the tables, looking for the familiar face he remembered from their twenties. I’m sure he’s made himself taller and better looking. Probably still Korean, though. I know he wouldn’t change his race.
He spotted a couple of Korean-looking men chatting beside a bar. A quick check of their player profiles revealed neither of them to be Jim. Didn’t look like him anyway. He continued past, moving closer to the stage.
“Hey!” a voice shouted. “Vince!”
He stared at the shouting guy. The rugged-faced Korean man sat at a table by the stage with several women sitting around him. Vincent blinked, trying to process that the man was his closest friend since childhood.
“Jim?” he said, approaching the table. “That’s you?”
“What’d you expect?” Jim asked. “That nerdy Korean boy you played DnD with in college?”
“I thought you’d look more like you than this,” Vincent replied. “You remind me more of your brother and father than yourself.”
Jim smirked. “Well, Dad always joked that my older bro took most of the manly genes. I just took them back. Look at you, Vince. You look exactly like I remember from our twenties.”
Vincent seated himself across the table from Jim. “The game gave me a nicer haircut and got rid of that acne I had. Still, it’s nice to be young again.”
“That it is.” Jim raised his drink and then chugged it.
“But what are we going to do about the update?” Vincent asked. “You said you had a plan. Can we pull off the headsets?”
“The time dilation is too great for us to feel our real bodies anymore.”
“So, is there an alternate way to log out?”
“Oh, no. We’re stuck here. My plan is to drink away the next three hundred and sixty years. Woo!” He grabbed another glass of liquor and raised it to the air. The surrounding women did the same, and
then they all chugged their drinks.
Vincent gaped at his friend. “No, seriously. Can we contact ARKUS’s devs? Maybe they can get us out of the game.”
“I know some people that know them,” Jim replied. “They’re already trying to figure it out. Nothing we can do but sit back and enjoy the extended lifespan.”
“I didn’t want to be in the game that long. I don’t want to live three centuries without Monika.”
Jim lowered his head and frowned. “I know, buddy. When you get out, it’ll feel like less than an hour has passed. And maybe if you’re lucky, ARKUS’s devs will fix the problem, so you can escape early. Until then, there’s not much we can do but enjoy ourselves and play the game. Maybe you can learn to fight and raid some dungeons—explore the World-Tree. There’s so much to do. Three hundred and sixty years will be over before you know it.”
“Did you notice pain reduction was turned off? If I go out there and get killed by a monster, it’ll feel real, Jim. Do you want to get torn limb from limb?”
Jim shrugged. “You always liked a challenge. But if you aren’t up for it, you can always stay here and drink away the years with me, buddy.”
Vincent leaned back in his chair in contemplation.
“Hey, Nelly, get a screenshot of me and Vince,” Jim said to the woman beside him.
A second Jim appeared in the chair beside Vincent. The young-again man glanced back and forth between the two Jims.
“Are you real?” he asked, elbowing the Jim beside him.
Jim’s Mana Shield flashed and disappeared. “Hey, careful. Pain reduction is off, remember? I used the Vanish ability Rogues get, and I upgraded mine to leave a doppelganger that I can control after I teleport.”
Vincent Scanned the doppelganger.
Vanish (Rogue Only | Upgraded) - Mana Usage: Low | The user teleports up to 5 meters away. They cannot move through walls or doors. | Upgrade – Doppelganger: For a very low mana cost, the user may leave a doppelganger in their original location. The user may control the doppelganger’s movements, but it disappears after ten seconds unless the user spends additional mana. The doppelganger also disappears upon taking any damage.
The Jim in his original seat stuck out his tongue, and then disappeared with a flash of light. The real Jim put an arm around Vincent and smiled as the woman across the table raised her hand. She made a picture-taking motion with her hand and said, “Click.”
“Send it to me,” Jim told her.
“There’re screenshots in the game?” Vincent asked.
“You can take them through your HUD,” Jim explained. “Or you can set up a quick command like Nelly used. She just sent me the picture, and it’s pretty good. I mean, you look grumpy, but I look good.”
Jim sent you a screenshot.
Vincent opened his HUD and glanced at the screenshot of them. He could see the irritation on his own face. I should smile more. Even in a bad situation like this, Monika always told me to smile.
The young-again man sighed and tried to relax. “If I’m stuck here, I might as well make good use of my time. Have some fun. Level grind a bit. This is still a game, after all—even if the danger feels real.”
“That’s the spirit, buddy,” Jim said. “Don’t forget to drink and make new friends. You wouldn’t believe how big my friend list has gotten during my time here. I’ve made more acquaintances than I’ve ever had. Oh—”
Jim paused and stared at nothing.
“Private chat?” Vincent questioned.
“Dang,” Jim muttered. “So, I’m in the City Watch Guild. They send me five or six invites a year to help stop goblin raids on the city. There was one last week, so they weren’t expecting another for a while. However, they just sent me an invite that says there’s a horde attacking right now—with almost a hundred C-Class monsters spotted. That’s more than double the usual amount.”
“I hope you aren’t going to fight,” Vincent said. “With pain reduction disabled, you’d risk severe trauma. Maybe let the higher-level guildsmen handle it.”
Jim jumped to his feet, knocking his chair away. “No way!” he shouted. “We need to fight off that horde. Now, more than ever, this city needs heroes like me to stand up and protect it. We can’t sit around and do nothing, Vince.”
You’ve received a private chat invitation from Jim. Do you accept? (Yes/No)
Vincent glanced at Jim as his friend held a stoic pose. He accepted the invite by willing it like he would when using his HUD.
>Jim: Yo, play along. I’m only trying to impress these ladies. We don’t actually have to put ourselves in danger. Just show up and take some screenshots of me looking badass in front of the horde.
Vincent sighed and stood from the table. “Yeah, whatever. Let’s go.”
“That’s the spirit, Vince,” Jim said, hurrying through the crowd.
Vincent followed his friend out of the club. They rushed across the district toward a garrison built onto the outer wall of the city. Vincent could barely keep up with Jim’s speed even though he could tell his friend was maintaining a slow pace for his sake. When they reached the steps of the garrison, Jim leapt into the air and grabbed the ledge of the next floor, bypassing the steps.
He wasn’t kidding when he said he was as fast as an Olympic athlete. What’re his stats?
Player: Crow-Foot Jim
Class: Rogue
Real Age: 70
Highest World: Evafall
Vitality: Lv 30
Spirit: Lv 36
Resolve: Lv 34
Perception: Lv 31
Agility*: Lv 42
Strength: Lv 33
Not as good as those two combatants from the arena, but better than most of the players I’ve seen.
Vincent hurried up the stairs until he reached the top of the city wall. Almost a hundred players had gathered to the top of the wall, and most of them fired mana blasts and arrows over the side. Vincent joined his friend and gaped at the army below. Thousands of goblins assailed the city, throwing glowing barrels that exploded upon impact, cracking the wall. Among the crowds of goblins, Vincent saw taller, ashen-skinned creatures, too, so he Scanned one.
Orc Marauder – Monster Class: C | Age: 33 | Sex: Male | Number of Offspring: 8 | Personality: Irrationally Angry
“My god,” Jim muttered. “If we don’t get more people to fight, they’ll break the wall.”
Vincent looked around at the hundred players. Most had nervous or frightened expressions. Some already seemed drained of their mana and had resorted to firing stray arrows into the crowd. Vincent only spotted a handful of spots of ashes and items, so he assumed the City Watch hadn’t killed many enemies so far.
“Out of the way,” a woman called, pushing past Vincent and Jim.
Vincent recognized the woman as Mayfield May from the arena. Several others followed her, leaping off the wall to the battlefield below. They blasted the goblins and orcs with fire, ice, wind, and mana.
When May’s team ran low on mana, they cut down goblins with spears, axes, and swords. However, even May struggled to take down more than a few of the several dozen orcs. Her Fire Shield flashed upon taking a hit, and then a gray-skinned goblin blasted her with a fireball.
Mayfield May screamed in agony as the fire burned her flesh. Frantically, she took an ether from her inventory, chugged it, and then shot herself in the head with Mana Gun to end the pain. Seconds later, the rest of her companions were dead, and the horde continued to bombard the wall, having only lost maybe a hundred of its members during the counterattack.
Vincent Scanned the gray-skinned goblin.
Gray Goblin Witch – Monster Class: C | Age: 37 | Sex: Female | Number of Offspring: 38 | Personality: Cruel
More players had harkened to the call of the City Watch Guild and joined them on the wall. Every additional player launched mana attacks at the horde, but most of the blasts missed.
Jim equipped a bow and arrow and fired rapidly into the crowd of enemies. “Get screenshots, Vi
nce.” Jim made heroic poses as he fired on the horde, but most his shots missed.
Vincent went through his menu until he found the picture function. He captured a few images of Jim firing on the crowd, but then he hesitated as the wall shook with explosions. “Maybe we should take this seriously? They’re about to break into the city and start killing people.”
“There are a million players in this city,” Jim said. “Worst-case scenario, the goblins make it halfway through the district before swarms of players spam them with Mana Guns.”
“They’ll reach Varia’s Club before that. Aren’t you a part-owner?”
“Dang, that’s true.”
“And they’ll kill thousands of people if they break through the wall. People who will feel every second of pain as they’re mauled and burned.”
“I know, I know,” Jim replied, panic creeping into his voice.
Vincent could see his friend’s hands trembling as he fired arrows into the horde. “You know this game better than I do. Is there a counterstrategy to this sort of thing?”
“Man, I don’t know. You were always better at strategy games. I guess if we had enough people jump down, we could have the Wardens raise forcefields. We might be able to fight them head on like that.”
“Do we have any Wardens?” Vincent shouted at the ever-growing crowd of players on the wall. “We need Wardens over here. Wardens!”
About three dozen people raised their hands. Some of them even approached him.
“We need to stop them from breaking the wall!” Vince roared at the crowd. “We need at least a hundred people to drop down together. Wardens will set up forcefields to protect us. Everyone, rally together. Come on!”
About fifty people raised their fists, ready to fight, but most of the nearby players looked too afraid. They muttered to one another that they weren’t going down there and that they should keep trying mana attacks.
“You’re only a newbie,” one person grumbled. “I’m not listening to you.”
The wall shook with more explosions, and a tower crumbled and fell, taking a dozen players down with it to the ground below.
“They’re about to break through!” Vincent screamed at the players. “We have to go, now.”