Pangea Online 3: Vials and Tribulations

by S. L. Rowland

  We won.

  Dean runs toward me as the trumpets blare. I pull him into a bear hug and squeeze tight. I can’t believe we actually won.

  “We did it! We actually freaking did it!” Dean buries his head against my chest, and sobs ripple through his body.

  I close my eyes, fighting back tears of my own. Applause radiates all around me, and when I open my eyes, we’re on stage surrounded by thousands of people.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The applause is deafening. Confetti rains down around us as Benjamin grabs Dean’s hand and lifts it in the air. Benjamin is dressed for the red carpet, wearing a navy-blue tuxedo that shimmers under the bright lights. This is the same coliseum where I was crowned victor after the Developer’s Tournament.

  Kind of fitting that I’m back here again.

  Lights flash all around us, and giant video boards replay highlights from the battle royale. The crowd is full of thousands of people of all races and classes. Ordin gives me a thumbs-up from the front row.

  “Talk about a photo finish!” Benjamin pumps Dean’s hand overhead.

  Every video replays the moment where Dean hit Ryken with the flail. The death knight stumbles forward in slow motion, and Dean delivers the winning blow. The crowd goes wild again.

  “Of all the storylines throughout the tournament, this one was one of the most fun to watch. Like an onion, it was full of so many layers. Two competitors from The Boxes. A reluctant former champion pulled back into the public eye. A new kid searching for his place in the world. Old rivals meeting once again at the final moment.” Benjamin flashes a pearly-white smile. “We couldn’t have written a better story!” He wraps his arm around Dean and holds the microphone in front of him. “What’s going through your mind right now?”

  “Uh.” Dean stands silently for a moment. “I’m just really happy that Esil took a chance on me. I never thought I would have an opportunity like this. I dreamt about it, and I prayed for it, but I never thought it could really happen.”

  Benjamin takes a step back and gestures toward the crowd in a sweeping motion. “Well, you’re not dreaming now. You’ve just won one of the most coveted scholarships on the planet. An opportunity to learn and work alongside some of the most brilliant minds Pangea Online has to offer.” He steps between Dean and I, focusing his attention on me. “And here we have Esil, Dean’s guiding light, his mentor, and his co-champion.” He winks at me. “I know you’re not one for speeches, so let’s just get right to it. What charity will you be donating the tournament winnings toward?”

  I take a deep breath. “This is actually something I have been putting together for a while now. I didn’t want to make anything public because I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up, but I guess it’s time to let the cat out of the bag. I’ve set up a scholarship for orphans from The Boxes. It’s designed to help them with equipment they might not normally have access to, and each year, a handful of students with excellent grades will receive a full scholarship to the Pangea school of their choosing.”

  Benjamin nods in approval. “Excellent. A worthy cause if I ever heard of one. I’m sure you two want to celebrate and enjoy the moment. We’ll certainly be hounding you for interviews in the coming days, but for now, enjoy the victory. Here’s Nancy with a recap of the tournament.”

  Thunder cracks overhead, and Nancy emerges from a cloud on her pegasus. She soars across the crowd before landing on the stage. Her voice booms as Benjamin leads us away.

  Once we’re out of view, Benjamin pulls me aside. “Congrats again. I always knew you had it in you. Go catch up with your friends, but whenever you get a minute, stop by my office later. There are some things I want to discuss with you.”

  I nod. “Will do.” But I can’t help wondering what could be so important that he needs me to stop by today?

  Benjamin and I shake hands, and then he returns to the stage.

  I turn and pat Dean on the back. “Ready to get out of here?”

  He hasn’t stopped smiling since we left the stage. “Yeah, but I just want to say thanks again.” He pinches himself. “Are you sure I’m not dreaming?”

  I can’t help but laugh. “You’re definitely not dreaming. Now, let’s get out of here. There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

  He scrunches his eyes, but I don’t elaborate any further. I want to see the look on his face, his real face, when I tell him the news.

  When we log out, I’m surprised to find there’s a crowd of people in my living room. Buzz, Grayson, Maria, and Aleesia erupt into applause when Dean and I enter the room.

  “How’d you guys get in here?” I ask.

  Aleesia comes over and kisses me on the cheek. “You gave me access to your apartment, remember?”

  I kiss her back. “Oh, right. That was forever ago. You’ve been so busy that I guess I forgot.”

  Grayson stands up, his mustache curling with the smile underneath. “I knew you had it in you.” He points to Dean. “Way to put that bully in his place.”

  “Yeah,” Buzz nods in agreement. “You were a little too passive for my tastes most of the match, but that final battle was epic!”

  Maria hugs both me and Dean in turn. “Good job, boys. I just feel terrible for that Talia, though. She looked like she lost it there at the end.”

  She did lose it. And there’s no way we would have won without her. I need to make sure to check in on her once things calm down a bit.

  “So, what now?” asks Aleesia.

  “Well, I was hoping to talk with Dean in private, but you’re all family, so I guess this is as good of a time as any.”

  Dean stares at me intently. I’m sure he’s wondering what the heck is going on.

  “First and foremost, this decision is yours. You don’t need to feel any pressure one way or another, but I wanted to offer. After spending these past few months with you, I’ve gotten to know what kind of person you are. You’re smart, driven, and a little mischievous at times, but above all, you’re a good kid. I know what it’s like growing up in an orphanage. For so long, you haven’t caught a break, but I want to change that. You’ve got a little over a year before you turn eighteen, so I understand if you want to stay there and finish things out. I also realize I’m only a few years older than you, but if you’d like, I’d be happy to get the papers in order so that I could adopt you and you could move in and live here with me. Mr. Green says he can put me in touch with the right people.”

  The rest of the room watches in silent anticipation. The color drains from Dean’s face, and he stares blankly.

  “No, I wouldn’t like that.”

  Those words hit me like a punch in the gut. But it’s his decision. “It’s okay. I under—”

  “I’d love it!” He laughs as he wraps his arms around me. “But I’m not calling you daddy.”

  Everyone bursts into laughter.

  We spend the next couple of hours celebrating with cake and ice cream as Dean recounts the final stage for everyone. Honestly, sitting here, surrounded by all these people I care about, this is one of the best days I’ve had in a long time.

  I squeeze Aleesia on the knee. “I’ve got to head out for a bit. I promised Benjamin I would stop by his office. Don’t have too much fun without me.”

  I knock on the door to Benjamin’s office. A few seconds later, it opens with a hiss. Benjamin sits behind the polished mahogany desk grinning.

  “You’re something else, you know that?”

  I take a seat in front of his desk. “Why’s that?”

  He leans forward, pressing the tips of his fingers together. “Do you know how hard it is to win one of Pangea’s official tournaments? It’s pretty damn hard. And yet here you are, a kid who had never set foot in a game world until you turned eighteen, and you’ve won the two biggest tournaments of the past five years. Not only that, you’ve won the only two tournaments you’ve ever entered. I’ll eat my shoe if they don’t write a book about you someday.”

  It feels we
ird being complimented, so I do my best to deflect it. “It was nothing but luck and determination. I wouldn’t worry about keeping that shoe too clean if I were you. With full-immersion coming to all of Pangea, who’s going to have time to read anymore?”

  Benjamin laughs. “As humble as always. But you do touch on why I wanted you here. Full-immersion is going to change things drastically. With all of the former champions promoting it to their followers, the hype is going to be through the roof. I want to make sure that when we finally start rolling it out for real that we get it right. There’s no room for hiccups on this.”

  I sit up straight in the chair, uncertain of what he’s getting at. “What does this have to do with me?”

  “We’re going to need beta testers. And a lot of them. Pangea is composed of thousands of game worlds, and each one is going to need to go through testing. I think it is high time we do something about The Boxes, and I wanted you on board before I take my motion to the Board of Directors.”

  I lean forward. He definitely has my attention now. “What exactly do you want to have me on board with?”

  “I want to ship immersion helmets to everyone in The Boxes and hire them as beta testers. You’ve been right all along that the conditions they live in are inhumane. It doesn’t matter if we spend ninety percent of our lives in Pangea, we still need a place that feels like home when we log out. What I’m proposing is the construction of new housing units across from the Pangea Headquarters Campus. It’ll take some time to get it all up and running, but I think it is the right thing to do. They are people too, regardless of the situation they were born into. You and Dean have shown us that a person’s beginnings do not define where they will end. I’m sorry that it took me so long to realize this.”

  My mouth hangs open, and I don’t know what to say. All I’ve ever wanted to do was to help those in The Boxes, to show the world that we had something to offer. It looks like that is finally happening.

  My throat is suddenly tight, and I have to clear it before I can speak. “Thank you. You have no idea the impact this will have on their lives.”

  Benjamin looks down at his desk, lost in thought for a moment. “I wish that I did. I’m sure you want to get back to your friends, though, so I won’t keep you. I just wanted to run it by you beforehand.”

  As I’m walking out the door, a thought crosses my mind. I stop in the doorway and turn around. “What happened to all of the immersion tanks and pods?”

  He smiles. It’s a genuine smile that reaches his eyes. “We sent them over to the medical testing lab. The preliminary trials have been so positive that we’re bringing in more volunteers. After so many years of focusing on profits, it feels nice to know that I’m finally using my power for good.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. I think in the end, our most lasting legacy is not the fame and the glory, but the mark we make on other people.”

  Aleesia’s words come back to me. “You can’t help everyone. Focus on the ones you can.” If we all did that, then this world might not be such a bad place.

  Epilogue

  One year later.

  Saltwater spray kisses my nose from the bubbling pool. I take off my boots and dip my feet into the warm water. A fish nibbles at my toes, startling me. The torchlight along the cave walls and gentle bubbling in the water offers a peaceful ambience.

  Everyone has been so busy the past few months that this is the first time we’ve been able to meetup as a group inside Pangea.

  “What is this place?” Dean crouches next to me. A year later, and he still wears the same red tunic that mirrors my own.

  “Just wait.” Grayson takes a seat next to me, and his many necklaces jingle across his tattooed chest. “They’ll be here shortly.”

  Buzz rolls his eyes. “I still can’t believe you never took me here. I mean, after everything we’ve been through.”

  “You’re lucky I brought you this time,” Grayson teases. “But even you deserve to experience Pirate Bay in full-immersion.”

  As of late, there seems to be a new full-immersion world opening in Pangea every week. The game worlds still work for those using haptic suits, but sooner or later, this will be the norm for everyone.

  Grayson pulls a golden pocket-watch from his pants and flips it open. “Get ready.”

  There’s movement in the water, and a moment later, a tan face breaks through the surface. Beautiful black hair drapes across her shoulders as she climbs up from the pool and sits along the edge. Her green eyes sparkle even in the dim light. Shimmering blue-and-green scales run along the lower half of the mermaid’s body, and clam shells cover her chest.

  Buzz’s mouth hangs open as he watches her. Soon, four more mermaids join her along the pool’s edge. They sing a song in a language I can’t understand, but the words are beautiful. Their song bounces off the cave walls, engulfing us in their graceful harmony.

  “Wow,” Dean whispers. “How’d you find this place?”

  “That is a story for another time.” Grayson closes his eyes. “Just enjoy the moment.”

  I don’t know if it’s minutes or hours, but we sit and listen to the mermaids sing. For once, even Buzz sits in silence.

  I lean in toward Dean. “I wanted to show you this place before you went off to college. To remind you that Pangea isn’t all about leveling and tournaments. There’s beauty here. There’s peace. It’s okay to take time for yourself when you need to. And no matter how bad things may seem outside, people come here to escape, to feel something. Don’t ever forget that.”

  He nods, and then lays back on the cool stone floor.

  I lay back and close my eyes, losing myself in the song of mermaids.

  The end.

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you for reading my book. I hope you loved it! If so, please leave a review. Reviews are like unicorns and the more positive reviews I have, the more likely it is that others will read my books as well. You can do so at Amazon and Goodreads.

  This book has been a long time coming, and I hope you have enjoyed Esil and Dean’s adventures across Pangea. I had originally planned for this to be an ongoing series as you can probably tell by the emphasis on the Broken Lands in book two. But after getting back to the adventure and wonder that made people love the first Pangea Online, I think this is the perfect ending for Esil’s story. However, I have learned to never say never, so if the readers demand it, there is an option to continue Esil's story if book three ever surpasses 300 reviews. The fate of the series lies in your hands, dear reader.

  There are many people who played a role in making this book a reality. Thank you, Cindy Koepp, for your valuable insight and feedback on my earliest drafts. Thank you to my beta readers: Joe Krug, Heather V. Little, and Brett Siegel. You helped affirm that I was on the right track with this story.

  To all of my Patreon supporters, you’re the real MVPs, supporting me even when I’m not releasing as fast as I would like.

  Platinum Tier supporters: Tim Krason.

  Gold Tier supporters: Eric Sprague, Michael Percell, and Robert Schaefer.

  Silver Tier supporters: Steve Caldwell, Nicholas K, Justin Thomas James, and Heather Jarvis.

  Bronze Tier supporters: Frank Pisauro, Rachael Osterhout, Elizabeth, Cindy Koepp, Roxanne Baechler-Gill, and Ricky Brookes.

  To everyone who waited patiently as I put out multiple books in other series between Pangea 2 and 3, I hope the wait was worth it.

  If this was your first foray into my worlds, I highly recommend you check out Sentenced to Troll, the story of an online gamer forced to play as a troll in a new form of behavior rehabilitation. It’s full of humor, action, and adventure.

  Stop by my Patreon for exclusive content, signed paperbacks, and much more.

  If you’re looking for more books similar to my own, check out the Gamelit Society and LitRPG Books, two of the best places for all things Gamelit and LitRPG.

  Other Books by S.L. Rowland

  Pangea Online 2: Magic and Mayhem<
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  Pangea Online 3: Vials and Tribulations

  Villains aren’t born, they’re made.

  Path to Villainy: An NPC Kobold’s Tale

  Big, green, and ugly. Who says a troll can’t be the hero?

  Sentenced to Troll

  Sentenced to Troll 2

  Sentenced to Troll 3

  Vestiges: Portal to the Apocalypse

  About the Author

  S.L. Rowland is a nomad. Born in the South, he loves traveling and has road-tripped coast to coast three times over. He currently lives in St. Louis with his Shiba Inu, Lawson. When not writing, he enjoys hiking, reading, weightlifting, playing video games, and having his heart broken by various Atlanta sports teams.

  Where to find me:

  SLRowland.com

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