A Trap for the Potentate
by Michael Atamanov
Release - January 17, 2018
Pre-order now - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07763PQWN
New Director
New Director
"Did
you call?" I asked, knocking politely and walking through the wide-open
doors of my new boss's office. Before entering, I pumped the breaks for a
second, reading a copper plaque that a workman was screwing into the door:
Max Tohner
Director of Special Projects
He
was the fourth person to occupy this office in a month. Truly, it was a cursed position.
The new head of the special projects division didn't look all that glum about
it though, reflecting confidence, gravitas and power with his whole appearance.
When I entered, he gave a scant nod and pointed to the guest chair.
It
should be said that my recent late-night conversation with the Keeper had given
me the completely wrong picture of my new boss. Based on the voice and behavior
of his glowing winged character, I supposed that the person playing the Keeper
was a fairly young man, maybe even my peer. But sitting in the immense, wide
director's seat left behind by the rotund Mark Tobius, there was now a short,
fifty-year-old man with a noticeable gray streak in his otherwise dark chestnut
hair. He had a huge bald patch that practically reached the back of his head.
And I was also struck by his eyes. They were chalky, cold and had a very light-colored iris.
They looked somehow inhuman, like those of a snake or fish.
"You
already know my name," Max Tohner said with a nod to the plaque, "and
I know yours. So then, let's get straight to business. Timothy, what kind of character
do you play?"
"A
Goblin Herbalist," I answered, surprised at his ignorance.
How
could he not have known that?! After all, he had met me in Boundless Realm, seen my big-eared Amra with his own eyes and
probably read the race, profession and level as well! Had he seriously
forgotten? But, as it turned out, it wasn't forgetfulness or ignorance that
served as the reason for his question.
"So
then, you're an Herbalist, not a Pirate, or a Wolf Rider or a Beast Master! But
meanwhile, Herbalism is your most waning and neglected skill! You still haven't
even leveled it to its first specialization, even though your character is at
level forty already! That's a downright mess! The corporation hired you to do a
specific job: show our users all the advantages of playing as a Goblin
Herbalist. But somehow, you just keep doing things other than your explicit
profession!!!"
With
every new phrase, my boss raised his voice more and more. By the end of his
incriminating speech, he had built up to a scream. I tried to vindicate myself,
reminding the director with a smile about the great hunt for my Amra and how I
had to constantly flee, so I didn't have much time to gather plants.
But
I should have just kept my mouth shut...
My
boss thought my reaction was inappropriately jocular, which he found very
disagreeable. He also clearly disliked having a subordinate try to contradict
him. A stream of reproaches and cursing poured out onto me. I was accused of
not respecting my superiors, insubordination, boorish behavior, negligent
attitude to work and damn near treason against the Boundless Realm Corporation. Only at the very end of his hateful
monolog did Max Tohner begin to calm down, noting justly in a more or less
normal tone:
"Timothy,
the great hunt for you ended several days ago. But you have missed a number of
work shifts since then, and your goblin didn’t gain a single level in Herbalism
over the whole ten hours of your last gaming session. Your character didn't
grow in any other way, either. You just flew to your heart’s content over the
desert at night and lollygagged instead of working."
I
really had no way of denying his last accusation. After leveling up the Royal
Forest Wyvern to the point it could support my small weight, I really had
forgotten about everything on earth and just enjoyed the sensation of flight,
while my Orcish army made its way across the Great Desert. But there were
plenty of other accusations without the senselessly wasted gaming session. I
was in shock and didn't even know how to behave.
No
one had called me out like this in a fairly long time. I suppose the last time
I'd gotten such a chewing out was ten years ago from my school principal for
missing my final algebra exam without a good reason. At that time, I was poorly
prepared for an important test, so I thought I’d be clever and skip it,
claiming I had sharp chest pains.
I
was only ten at the time, and I naively supposed I would simply be allowed to go
home, then take the test a day or two later, after asking classmates what the
questions were and finding the answers to them in the comfort of my own house. However,
it all turned out wrong. My awkward attempt at faking illness was quickly uncovered
by the ambulance doctors and, instead of maximum points on the test, I got a
call to an enraged school principal...
But
then, ten years ago I could have guessed before that the school director
wouldn't have anything good to say, and was morally prepared for his stream of
sharp enraged proclamations. Now though, the new special projects director for
the Boundless Realm corporation had
caught me off guard with his fervent criticism. I didn't know how to act. I
could either demonstrate
submission and agree with his accusation or, on the other hand, tell the
boorish man what I thought about treating subordinates that way and sign my
resignation right then and there.
In
the end, life did exist beyond the Boundless
Realm Corporation. I'd find myself another job with more adequate
leadership. And also, the half million credits I'd earned in the great hunt
allowed me to have an optimistic outlook on the future and not worry too much
about losing this job. But I still didn't rush such an irreversible decision.
My boss had already said his fill and blown off steam, and was returning to
normal. He also had said some things that were completely correct.
What
was more, I noticed that he looked tired, as if he hadn't gotten enough sleep.
His excessive irritation was probably rooted in that. After all, Max Tohner had
most likely gotten an emotional send up from the upper leadership to give him
the necessary push to adapt to his new position, and had just transmitted this
rage to his underlings.
Nevertheless,
I was counting on an entirely different evaluation of my playing. In one way or
another, Amra had kept the wonderful flying mount, acquired a unique mythical hound
for the Gray Pack, made it away from the big chase and basically just acted
interestingly and significantly, as my video clips enjoyed grandiose success
among viewers. Taking advantage of the pause in the stream of the director's rage,
I reminded him of my successes.
Nevertheless,
on that account, the leadership had a totally different perspective:
"Timothy,
I don't see anything to your credit in your sudden spike in popularity. You
getting the unique forest wyvern was nothing more than one stroke of good luck.
I don't know all the details of what happened, but I've heard rumors that your
much-vaunted quest was not entirely free of foul play, and that other directors
of special projects were fired over some of the murky details. From there, you
just rode the current. The reason your clips were so popular wasn’t because
you’re such a brilliant player, but simply because the players were interested
in the valuable trophy of the great hunt. Soon, your fleeting glory will pass,
and all that will remain is a barren remnant – an abominable Goblin Herbalist who hasn't
even developed his professional skills."
I
wanted to disagree and even opened my mouth slightly, preparing to speak, but
just kept silent and lowered my head. I suppose, on this account, I was ready
to agree with the director. Max Tohner then continued:
"If
you were just a normal player, no one would have said a word to you about your
weak skill leveling. But you're employed by the Boundless Realm Corporation, and everyone knows it! You must serve
as an example for the others, show the advantages of playing as an Herbalist,
reveal the potential of that path and then, at the very least, not lag behind
the others in your profession. But what we have on our hands now is a rotten
mess. The average level-forty Herbalist has their Herbalism skill at around
level forty-two, or three. But yours is just fifteen... I'm not afraid to say
that that is a shame for an employee of a game developer. How much time do you
need to correct the error? Will one week be enough?"
"More
than," I answered with an even and absolutely confident voice, trying not
to show my feelings.
Inside
I was cringing in horror. Was it really possible to raise my Herbalism skill by
thirty levels in one week?! Even if I crawled around the forest and swamp day
and night collecting herbs and flowers, it wasn't certain I'd make it! But I
didn't want to show my lack of confidence in front of my boss. I was still a
senior tester, a quite famous player, and wanted my boss to see me as an
experienced employee who knows his value.
"That's
great then!" Max Tohner lit up. "Then let's get back to this issue in
a week. And for now, Timothy, I say we should look over how to use your unique
flying snake for the shared interest and benefit of the whole Boundless Realm Corporation. There are
very few flying mounts, and your advantage over the other players needs to be
constantly emphasized. How about exploring some undiscovered lands?"
It
cost me great effort to hold back an acrid comment. It was hardly possible to
both actively gather herbs for the whole next week and take VIXEN on prolonged
flights. But I didn't provoke my boss, instead answering that I was already
working on something like that.
"A
wyvern is, of course, good. But it alone isn't enough for long scouting
missions. The flying snake is still small and weak. She gets tired quickly and
has to land often. In any place inhabited by dangerous monsters, we'd be devoured
as soon as VIXEN landed. And also, don’t forget about flying beasts. Boundless Realm is full of those. And in
far-off unknown places, the levels of such monsters will be beyond high. VIXEN
and I won't even be a mouthful to them. But as it turns out, I currently have
about three hundred orc cutthroats under my command. Of course, I could just
let these NPC pirates go free, but I consider that an error. No matter what,
they are a valuable resource, which just needs to find the proper application.
I'm thinking of using this force to organize a big expedition to hard-to-access
undiscovered territories of Boundless
Realm."
"Continue,"
the director replied, his interest piqued. He folded his hands together and
leaned over the table toward me.
"My
division is moving through the Great Desert and, today or tomorrow, will have
crossed it in the narrowest part. I told the orcs how to go, then spent all
night flying back and forth on the Wyvern, bringing strength-restoring water to
my division from a spring near the copper mine. The water is a special elixir
to eliminate weariness but, as it turned out, it spoils quite fast. So, I had
to deliver it on my fast Royal Forest Wyvern to get it there before spoiling. At
any rate, my cutthroats are moving fast, and will soon cross the desert and reach
a deep, wide black river, on the very edge of the known world. I could make a
map of these new territories and even, if I'm dreaming big, construct a
defended outpost on the river, where players can wait out the dangerous nights
in safety."
The
director turned on his computer screen and spent a few minutes checking
something, scrolling through text on his monitor. Then he sat back in his
leather armchair and looked at me with a smirk:
"Timothy,
you have no idea what you're talking about right now. That black river you're
leading your orcs to is called Styx. It's also known as the river of death,
because it contains water that is dead and absolutely unpotable. What's more,
the river has overgrown swampy banks, with infectious bloodsucking animals, and
that's an easy way to catch an untreatable disease. But the biggest attraction
of those areas is the abundance of high-level dangerous creatures. What's more,
further upstream, the monsters get deadlier, and have bigger sharper fangs."
"The
law of game worlds is the same everywhere: the further you get from easily
reachable places, the harder the conditions, more dangerous the beasts, but
also the more valuable the loot," I noted in an even tone, although the
information I got from the director put me on high alert and upset me.
"That
is true," the director agreed. "And the upper reaches of the Styx
hide a great many interesting locations with unique trophies. But taking them
is extremely difficult. I found some curious information, saying that twenty-six
big expeditions have already been organized, and by quite serious clans at
that. And as for how many lone travelers or small groups have tried to find the
upper reaches of the Styx, I can't even count. None of them have made it. They
all turned back sooner or later. And you want to tell me that you hope to make
it where much higher-level and better-prepared players got clobbered?!"
Nevertheless,
I didn't give an unambiguous answer to the director. I just promised to think
as seriously as possible before evening, then tell him my decision in this very
office at eight PM. On the one hand I was, of course, not glad to hear that the
river I had seen from VIXEN's back, was the legendary and ghastly Styx. On the
other, I had a flying wyvern at my disposal, which significantly simplified the
mission of reaching remote locations.
My
boss, then, was left none-too-satisfied with my cautiousness, and began to
openly goad me into agreeing:
"Timothy,
if you can manage this mission, I'll take back all my insults about your
worthless Goblin Herbalist! What's more, in that this mission is directed at exploring
Boundless Realm and will be useful to
all players, I will try to get the leadership to give you a valuable reward,
appropriate to the difficulty level."
But
I just repeated my promise to seriously think about it, said goodbye and left
the office. Despite the obvious difficulty of the mission, I had a reason not
to rush to say no. The perspective of Amra’s video clips falling in popularity
after the end of the great hunt gave me an unexpected shock. You get used to
popularity and glory quite fast. They're like a drug. And after having millions
of people waiting with bated breath for your video clips each day, suddenly
becoming an unknown loser... would be unbearably painful.
I
was personally ready to participate in this resounding and dangerous adventure,
if it could help restore viewer interest in the adventures of my big-eared
goblin. But such important decisions needed to be discussed in advance with my
little sister. No matter how you sliced it, we played as a team, and dragging
Val to such gloomy and unwelcoming places without her agreement was something I
would never do.
***
Just
after waking up, I rushed to my computer to see how many viewers had watched my
morning clip about the orcs’ journey through the Great Desert and my riding the
wyvern. Two thousand one hundred four people. Not so very long ago, that many
viewers would have made me jump to the ceiling in joy, but after the recent
millions of views, it looked pitiful and didn't make me happy at all...
No
matter what you say, my boss was right today. My Goblin Herbalist's glory was fleeting.
With that sad thought, I went out into the hall... and stopped short.
Kira
was sleeping on the sofa, covered with a light blanket. Her glamorous red hair was
spread out on the pillows and she was squeezing a huge plush rabbit. Precisely
when my girlfriend had come into the apartment I did not know, because I had
been sleeping like a rock for half a day, making up for my active night. But
now, I didn't even know how to behave. Probably, for a start, I should at least
get dressed so I wouldn’t be wandering around the apartment in nothing but my underwear.
Trying not to be too loud, I walked back into the bedroom on my tip-toes. But
my girlfriend woke up nevertheless:
"What
time is it?" Kira asked in a sleepy voice, not peeling back an eyelid.
"Seven
PM."
She
responded with a dismayed bleating:
"Damn,
seven already. Time to get up. But my head is just humming... Timothy, do I
have to go to work today?"
I
smiled at the owner of my apartment’s strange question and answered with a
happy chuckle that I personally had nothing against giving my girl a day off.
But as it happened, Kira was my boss somewhere high up in the corporate
hierarchy, and maybe even the president of the Boundless Realm Corporation, so me telling her how to act would be
crude insubordination.
Kira
opened her eyes and threw the comforter aside, revealing that she was in
nothing but a semi-transparent nighty. She sat up on the edge of the sofa and
said:
"You're
funny, Timothy... How long have you been working as a tester for the company? A
month? Are you seriously saying that, in all that time, you never bothered to
find out who is in charge of the Boundless
Realm corporation?"
I
grew embarrassed, lowered my gaze and shrugged my shoulders. Yes, I was just a
senior tester, and my job was to play a flap-eared Goblin Herbalist in Boundless Realm. All these appointments
and changes of directors, stock payouts to beneficiaries and other lofty topics
were not quite in my sphere. Kira shook her head in reproach and, looking me
shamelessly right in the eyes, started to illuminate me:
"The
President of our corporation is named Thomas Heywood. He's a tall stately
dark-haired man with singular charisma, excellent education and a surprisingly
broad perspective. I feel like he knows everything on earth! And on every floor
of the company skyscraper there are portraits and quotes from his speeches! How
could you not have noticed?! Anyway, as it turns out, I personally know Thomas
very well. Once upon a time, my grandmother Inessa was trying hard to marry me
off to him. Thomas and I even dated for a while, but we had a mutual break up
after not too long. I was of no interest to him as a woman, he needed a tool to
influence the Board of Directors, and a convenient stepping stool to reach the
heights of power. All that said, we remain good friends and periodically cross
paths at private parties for the upper reaches of the company and at various
get-togethers for city elites."
I
don't think Kira was purposely trying to make me feel low but, in the end, that
is exactly what she did. The beautiful redhead had never before allowed herself
to point out the bottomless pit that separated our social standing. All around,
it was a very painful slap to the face, although it was honest. Yes, my
girlfriend was an elite and, although she didn't advertise it on every corner,
a financial bigwig of the metropolis. The chic lady only allowed me to be near
her out of a fleeting whim, tired of rich admirers from her circle and people
searching for unusual distractions.
No,
I didn't say anything to Kira and didn't show that her words had hurt me in any
way. But it was precisely at that moment that I decided finally and
irrevocably: I needed to find the upper reaches of Styx! Even if my sister
refused to accompany me. Yes, I headed to the kitchen and put some coffee on for
me and Kira, reached for the mugs, but my phone rang, stopping me. The ringtone
was unusual, and also the number was unknown... strange. Nevertheless, I
accepted the call.
"Hello!"
"Hi,
Amra! When will you be back in Boundless
Realm? I've started to miss you and am horribly tired after this never-ending
day. This red-hot desert has simply finished us all off. Even the orcs with the
highest endurance are staggering. No matter where I look, in every direction
there nothing but scorching hot dunes..."
Taisha?!
What the hell?! I shook my head and even gave myself a hard pinch to make sure
I wasn't sleeping or losing my mind. I had just gotten a call in the real world
from an NPC from a game! This was just not possible! Probably, it was just a
friend playing a trick on me!
I
asked the suspicious voice a few questions to check, knowing that only my NPC
bride could have the answers. And she did! All my doubts passed. This was
definitely Taisha, a computer character from a virtual game!
"How'd
you find out my number, and how did you manage to call the world of the
undying?"
The
green-skinned beauty cracked up laughing, clearly satisfied at the effect she'd
produced:
"Amra,
you're the one who showed me how to do it! You even said your number in front
of me, when you called the ambulance. Did you forget?"
No,
such things are not forgotten... I remembered the ghastliest moment in my life perfectly.
My frightened flap-eared goblin was holding his unconscious Forest Nymph sister
in despair, as Valeria died in the real world... I really did call right from
the game and say my address to the emergency phone operator, also giving my
telephone number. But the last thing I was thinking about at that moment was
that my NPC bride would memorize that information and call me in the real
world.
But
I had to answer Taisha somehow. I tried to reassure and perk up the NPC thief
by promising to come into the game as soon as the sun set, when my Goblin
Vampire would no longer be threatened by the rays of the sun. I also asked
Taisha to pass along an order to my first mate Ziabash Hardy to continue marching.
They needed to cross the Great Desert no matter how hard it was to travel over
the red-hot sands. Taisha promised to transmit the order and hung up. I lowered
my hand with the phone.
"Timothy,
who was the girl that just called you, and what language were you
speaking?" Kira asked in agitation, standing in the kitchen door, having
found the energy to get off the couch and come figure out who I was speaking
to.
"What
do you mean 'what language?'" I answered with a smile... And sharply
froze. She was right! I had just been speaking not my usual native language but...
what even was that? Goblin tongue? I couldn't find any other explanation, and
answered just that to the owner of the apartment. I also said that I had been
called by an NPC thief by the name of Taisha, a computer character from the
game Boundless Realm.
"Are
you mocking me?! Do you think I'm the kind of naive fool who would buy such a
tall tale?! Tell me the truth right now, or I'll be very angry at you!"
Kira shouted, boiling over.
But
I stayed firm, repeating again and again that I had said the whole truth. I had
really just now been called by a computer character asking when I would be
coming into the game. My redheaded girlfriend started hissing like an enraged
cat, and said through her tightly clenched teeth:
"I
of course, will give you a chance and check your story with corporate
specialists, even though it sounds like obvious crap. But if it all turns out
to be a lie, and you make me look like a fool in front of serious people, I...
I..."
Kira
didn't finish her sentence, just turned sharply and went into the other room,
slamming the door loudly as a grand finale. I still didn't know what exactly
the redheaded fury was planning to do, if the NPC thief's call had not been
detected by any corporate workers. Would she break up with me? Kick me out of
the apartment? Complain about me to her influential grandmother? And if it
wasn't any of those things, I could be sure that would lead to something nasty.
When
I came back into the room a few minutes later with two mugs of aromatic
freshly-brewed coffee in hand, Kira had already left the apartment...
***
I
didn't catch Val in the hospital room. Her wheelchair wasn't there either.
Maybe she'd just popped out for a minute and would be right back? But a nurse
walking down the hallway told me she had just seen my sister in a room on the
lower floor talking with some other kids. My eyebrows shot up in surprise. My
shy and unsociable Valeria had taken it on herself to go on a walk and talk
with peers? Until I saw it with my own eyes, I'd never believe it!
But
the nurse was not wrong. Even from the stairs I could hear happy childish
laughter and cries of joy, with Val’s voice mixed in. I stopped sharply. For a
girl who had tried to kill herself just a few days earlier because the
"real world is unbearably gray and boring," positive emotions were as
necessary as fresh air. And it was definitely not a good idea to pull my sister
out of the common room away from her active playtime and immerse her in my
problems.
So,
I didn't interrupt the children's game and returned to my sister's hospital
bed. Time was pressing, and I needed to go to work very soon, so I just left a
bag of fruits and a gift for Val on the bed, leaving a short note on the table:
"I talked with the new director. I'm
supposed to raise my Herbalism. When you have the time, see what has to be done
to raise that skill by thirty levels in a week. I'll see you in the game at
nine tonight."
This
morning, I had promised the new director I’d tell him my final decision about
the journey to the upper reaches of the Styx at precisely eight tonight. It was
already near eight, and I was really afraid of being late to a meeting I’d set
myself. That would be a sign of extremely irresponsible behavior and disrespect
of my superior. So, in a lather, I flew up the building steps, ran to the
elevator and, at seven fifty-five, was standing at the door with the plaque
reading: “Max Tohner. Director of Special
Projects.”
But
the door was locked... Had the director not waited for me?! Then my phone gave
a beep. It was Max Sochnier, my friend the Naiad Trader.
"Hello,
Timothy. Have you already talked with the new director?"
I
sensed a certain subtext in that seemingly normal question, so before
answering, I asked my friend why he wanted to know.
"Well,
I just left his office ten minutes ago. I'm sitting, just awash with despair...
If he hadn't been called to some kind of emergency meeting, I'm afraid he would
have bit my head off. Leon is sitting next to me at the table. He's all pale,
his arms are shaking, he's smoking inside."
I
could hear the former builder's shaken-up voice:
"Yeah,
they really got me worked up. If I get fired for smoking, then to hell with
this job! As it was, it took me a lot not to break that old bastard's jaw off
with an uppercut!"
I
admitted that, this morning, I had about the same feelings when talking with
Max Tohner. I was not used to having someone shout at me so flagrantly. And I
didn’t know whether or not to be glad about the fact that I was standing in
front of the locked door of his office and the second half of that difficult
conversation would be put off.
"Yep,
I get that!" Max Sochnier smiled. "Then come down here to the tester
floor. Leon and I are sitting in a nook by the vending machines waiting for
you. There's a lot to discuss."
Precisely
three minutes later, I left the elevator on the tester floor and headed over to
my friends. Both Leon and Max Sochnier stood up when they saw me, and we
greeted each other warmly.
"Guys,
the new director is a wild animal," said the former music teacher, raising
the relevant topic. "He shouted at me and threatened damn near prison time
just because I withdrew money from my character's game account. I really did
convert thirty thousand in-game coins into three thousand credits. I was
planning to trade in my old electromobile for a more modern model."
"Was
there something criminal in that?" I asked. "I mean, you're an
employee and, if your contract allows it, you absolutely have the right to
withdraw money."
"That's
what I thought!" Max Sochnier flared up. "But it turned out it wasn't
so simple! The finance department complained to the director about me. Like, my
character the Naiad Trader is holding lots of loans and client money. They said
our boss had to figure out the situation and calm down the financiers. Instead
of that, he started shouting at me, saying such a withdrawal of money from Boundless Realm could be seen as
embezzlement, which breaks corporate rules, and tax law in general. It's totally
surreal. I cannot get my own salary without the agreement of an auditor
appointed specially by the corporation, who will check the legality of every
withdrawal! I'm a trader, and I will always have some money that technically is
an advance from someone. Why should that mean I sit here without any kind of salary?!"
"Yeah,
that's total nonsense," I agreed. "And what if you change the form of
payment in the work contract to a fixed salary?"
Max
Sochnier gave a glum chuckle and said that was exactly what the new director
had tried to force him into today. But in that case, his salary would be four
times lower...
After
that, Leon told the story of his talk with the new boss. He tried to use only
appropriate words, but my straightforward friend didn't always manage. The
director was unhappy with absolutely everything: the Ogre Fortifier's low level, the lack of a
sensible game-plan, the sharp drop-off of character growth, and even his
romantic relationship with a tester employee. It was all used to make the
former construction worker feel guilty.
I
also shared my experience with our new boss, after which my friends got totally
sad and hung their heads. Seeing their gloomy state, I steeled my nerves and
told them my plan: going together to places where nary a foot had fallen,
and not just human, but of any player of any race. The upper reaches of the
Styx!
"And
how will that help us?" Leon asked sullenly.
"Popularity,
unique trophies, and not only that," I chuckled. "The department head
will be forced to treat us with respect, if we announce for all to hear that we
are corporate employees and are carrying out a special, extremely complicated
mission for the good of all Boundless
Realm. We could even say that the mission was given to us in the name of
the corporation by our boss, and call him by name!"
Max
Sochnier and Leon exchanged glances and both snickered, imagining the face of
our boss after getting that kind of news.
"He'll
definitely come at us for that..." the cautious Frenchman noted.
"He
won't. First off, he was egging me on to take this adventurous journey, so it's
the pure truth. Second, I'll try really hard to get a bunch of players watching
our campaign, I've got a couple trump cards up my sleeve. We could even do not
short daily video clips, but live streams without any cutting, showing all the
problems, dangers and deaths. But the most important thing for us is to present
the situation in such a way that all viewers will associate us not with the
private initiative of a small group of players, but with a project organized by
the Boundless Realm corporation. We
need to make it so that our success or failure will be associated not with us,
but with the corporation itself."
My
friends went silent in thought. Finally, Max Sochnier stopped drumming his
fingers nervously on the table and spoke up:
"That's
all well and good, Timothy, and I'm prepared to accompany you on this
adventure. But I'm not really getting how you plan to create the necessary
interest in your video clips. After all, there are thousands and thousands of
streamers in Boundless Realm, and
only some of them manage to become popular."
I
gave a sad chuckle and, with a heavy sigh, admitted to my colleagues:
"I
have one very important difference from the other streamers. My character is
infected with vampirism! He was made that way from the very beginning of the
game and, all that time, my Goblin Vampire has been forced to play only at
night and regularly drink blood. I think now is the very time to tell the whole
world about that secret. We can even present that fact as yet another whim of
the developers."
My
friends stayed silent for a long time, shocked at my admission. Finally, Leon
squeezed out:
"A
lot of your Goblin Herbalist's behavior is clear now. Both how you play at
night, and how you take blood samples for 'antivenoms.'"
"I
bet people really will watch your streams," Max Sochnier continued in deep
thought. "Just think – one of the very last vampires in the game! What matters
now is for our group not to be set upon by a huge group of paladins, fighters
of the undead and various other vampire hunters..."
My
friend's fears were very well founded. I had already thought them through,
though.
"That
is precisely why we'll announce the vampirism only once our crew is a bit
further from inhabited areas. If someone wants to bag a vampire, let them
follow us into the gloomy and dangerous lands around the river of death. I
imagine there won't be many impatient enough for that, if any such busybodies
are even to be found. Most players will watch our journey and wait for our
division to return, hoping to catch my Goblin Herbalist when he gets back from
the dangerous trip."
"But
sooner or later, our campaign will end," Leon noted justly. "And what
will you do then, when your Vampire comes back and hordes of players are
waiting for you with wooden stakes, silver crosses and rings of dried
garlic?"
I
shrugged my shoulders indefinitely. Why worry now about what might happen in
the very distant future, and may not even happen at all. What was more, there
was an important nuance: it wasn't enough for the players to merely know about
the Goblin Herbalist's vampirism from my video clips. In the game, that
knowledge wouldn't help their characters one bit. In order for the quest to
kick in, they'd need to reveal the vampire in the game itself, and I was
certainly not planning to help with that. What was more, my level-20 Veil skill
allowed me to hide my name, and my sister could give my big-eared goblin any
appearance with her illusions. And then, try to find the Vampire in the crowd,
if he looks totally different and has a different name! Also, no matter what, I
always had the option of flying away on VIXEN and losing them again. In
general, I didn't consider myself doomed at all, and was even sure I’d be able
to squirm out of it.
My
friends and I spent another hour sitting at that table, arguing and vividly
discussing the concrete details of our forthcoming campaign. Above all else, in
order to solve the problem of supplies and provisions and, at the same time,
help Max Sochnier avoid chicanery from the financial control service, we agreed
to buy supplies for three hundred orc pirates with all the money the Frenchman
had borrowed from me. We agreed on the array of purchases and delivery location
carefully and in great detail.
Beyond
that, I asked my friends to look for any old maps left after the twenty-six
unsuccessful expeditions to the upper reaches of the Styx. I was certain these
maps wouldn't be publicly available. I'd already checked, but maybe we could
find a player willing to sell.
What
was more, we also needed more companions, preferably NPC's, who could serve as
guides and recon in the wild and dangerous places. Neither we nor my goblins
and pirates had the requisite experience and knowledge to survive in the severe
swampy climes. But such characters could probably be found in the game, so I
asked Max Sochnier to find and hire them in ports and cities, where his trade
route on the Tipsy Albatross passed.
We
discussed plans after that as well, but then my alarm rang out at nine, and I
came to my senses. It was time for me to go into Boundless Realm.
Release - January 17, 2018
No comments :
Post a Comment