Resolve, p.13
Resolve, page 13
(*****)
When Xeal logged back in to ED, he resumed his work to reach tier 5 while also seeing to the prep work for the questline of bringing the orcs into an alliance with Nium. During these logins he was able to secure most of what he believed would be needed for the summit to be successful as he knew that it was the easiest point for everything to fall apart. Xeal had seen players who believed that final pieces like this summit were simply checking a box, only for it to go terribly and fail the quest. Xeal knew there were many ways that things could go very bad at this stage of the negotiation and even after the summit he expected issues to arise that needed his attention. Still, he felt that he had everything moving in the right direction for the moment.
Xeal also was getting used to having his new shadow as Bula followed him everywhere. He found that he needed to supply her with gear and equipment as she would not be left behind as he moved about a level 80 area good for a solo player like himself to level in. Gone were the simple clothes that Bula had been wearing when Xeal met her. In their place was a mix between leather armor and a robe that gave her modest protection. On a pair of belts across her chest were many vials of liquids that she had synthesized herself using her alchemy skills that were already at silver level. At her waist hung several daggers and in her hand was a simple wooden staff. Xeal was relieved that Bula was willing to stay as an observer while he fought, unless he asked for assistance, as he continued to hone the skills he knew he needed to utilize in his quickly approaching tier-up trial. Xeal knew that this test would allow him to select different difficulty levels and the harder he made it, the more rewarding it would be. In his last life it had long been theorized that if you chose easy then tier 5 was guaranteed, but reaching tier 6 was extremely difficult, but possible. Selecting normal would provide a moderate challenge and tier 6 would be doable, but tier 7 was the absolute cap and even reaching it was almost impossible. Hard would make reaching tier 6 almost a sure thing and tier 7 would be easily possible if you did well in your tier 6 quest, but tier 8 was not something you should even think about. If your goal was tier 8, you needed to take on nightmare mode and still get at least an A rank on your tier 5, 6 and 7 quests. It was for this reason that Xeal was working to get his last few levels before taking his tier 5 quest, pushing his abilities to their absolute limit as he worked to bring out everything he had, as in his last life hard mode was all he could ever achieve. Xeal had only ever known around a few dozen players who had admitted to getting through a nightmare mode tier-up quest and succeeding in achieving an A-rank assessment. Frozen Sky had been the only player he knew to achieve an S-rank result and it had been the bonuses he had received from it that had helped him take Twilight Sky from a small upstart guild in ED to a respected regional power in the second year of ED and built it from there. Whenever Xeal thought about his old guild leader a bitter smile would form on his face. At this point Frozen Sky should be in the kingdom of Habia trying to figure out how to deal with the collapse of Jingong as he was one of their newer members who were the first group they cut off when things got difficult. Had he already started to build Twilight Sky, or was he still running around trying to hold onto his position in Jingong? Either way it didn’t matter to Xeal as it would be a long time before their paths should cross.
The only break that Xeal took in the four sessions outside sleep was his second date with Enye as they enjoyed a simple picnic in the royal gardens. Anything else would have required far more preparation than Xeal had time for with all the moving pieces that setting up the summit required. Even so, it was a nice break that allowed them to slow down and enjoy a quiet moment as they chatted idly about their daily lives. After their date, Xeal bid her farewell with a kiss before returning to his grind as he reached level 78, bringing him one step away from the level he needed to be and keeping him on pace for hitting tier 5 before ED day 390.
Morning November 12, 2266.
As Alex, Sam, Nicole, Ava and Mia stepped out of the car in the aikido dojo’s parking lot, they were instantly met by Nantan and the new group of four he had brought with him. All four of them were guys who wore what looked almost like a high school gym uniform. Xeal knew their names from Nantan’s message, but he still needed to put faces to the names and Nantan was quick to oblige.
“Good morning, Alex. It’s good to see you again, and I see that Ava and Mia have joined us as well. Perhaps they are ready to return this time, but I digress. Let me formally introduce you to Harris Kennedy, Charles Barnes, Cody Wilkins and Jack Barrett.”
Nantan indicated to each of the young men as he spoke their name. Harris Kennedy had a good mop of brown hair that matched his brown eyes and stood a bit shorter than Alex. Next to him, Charles Barnes had spiky red hair and freckles dotting his face. Cody Wilkins and Jack Barrett both had short, light brown hair and the easiest way to tell them apart was the shape of their head and height. Cody had an egg-shaped head and stood at a solid six feet while Jack’s head was well rounded and he stood just over five and a half feet tall. Nantan continued his introduction as Alex took each of them in as he tried to place them from his last life, but drew a blank.
“Each of them shows promise and I hope that they can get a good push from you like Larry did. That said, I must congratulate you on your engagement to the princess of Nium. You never cease to amaze me. Is it true that the lovely Sam and Nicole have also become nobles as well, and with them and the princess you have a fourth noble lady you are courting?”
Alex felt a bit uncomfortable with how interested Nantan was with his in-game love life, especially how he was framing it. Yet Alex didn’t feel that he had an easy way to completely avoid the subject so he tactfully responded such that it confirmed his information without adding anything.
“Thanks for the well wishes, but we are not technically engaged yet. As for the rest, yes, Sam and Nicole have managed to become honorary baronesses and I am also courting one of Princess Enye’s ladies in waiting who is a viscount’s daughter.”
“Wonderful. We must talk more on just how you managed to arrange that. However, in the meantime we have an aikido lesson to get to.”
Alex was grateful for the reprieve and walked with Sam and Nicole at his side while Ava and Mia stuck close behind him as they entered the dojo, before separating to get changed. Alex was surprised when Nantan and all four of the young men knew the proper etiquette for the dojo already, but was less so when he remembered that Ava and Mia had to submit reports. Alex figured that Nantan had run all of the potential members for this visit through the basics of etiquette for both aikido and kendo to avoid wasting their time in the mornings. Sensei Kikuchi was pleased to see that he didn’t need to give a remedial lesson and went directly into stretching. As he did so, Sensei Kikuchi assigned one of the students who had been assisting in these morning lessons to each of the members of Abysses End, ensuring that they did the stretches properly before the lesson switched into the sparring, as the normal group that was on the light contact regiment split off for the remainder of the lesson. An hour later they were cleaning the dojo as they prepared to head out for the morning when Harris approached Alex.
“So, you’re the fabled top dog of ED. What’s it like to have the ladies falling all over you?”
“Annoying.”
“What, come on. You have like six girlfriends if you include NPCs. Heck, you have so much game that a frickin princess wants a piece of you. Come on, you have to be loving it. I know I would if I was in your position.”
Alex gave Harris a good look before he responded.
“The mistake you are making is assuming that all I have to do is just say hi and they fall for me and line up for their turn. No, imagine all the work you need to put in to have a normal healthy relationship and multiply that by each extra woman that joins. Then add the issue of balancing how they each fit with one another. All while finding the time to continue putting in the work to stay at the top and you might have an idea of what my life is like. Also, just to be clear, just because it is annoying doesn’t mean I don’t cherish every moment I get with each of them.”
“Dang, still I think you are over complicating it. If they can’t handle you, there has to be another that would love to take their place. I mean, you’re frickin rich, right?”
Alex stopped to take a good look at Harris as he thought over why Nantan would bring what Alex could tell was a young man who didn’t understand the first thing about women to meet him. After giving it some thought, Alex decided to do the women of Abysses End a favor.
“Harris, have you ever had a girlfriend that stuck around for over a month?”
“Nah, none of them could handle me that long, but that’s fine, there are always more fish in the sea. Once I make a name for myself, they will all be wishing they had held on.”
Alex could tell by his posture Harris was covering up his insecurity with bold statements based on a fantasized reality that he didn’t even really believe in.
“Harris, I am not someone you should try and emulate when it comes to dating, especially from the view of it you have. The best thing you can do is learn to not act like more than you are and be honest with yourself and find a woman who enjoys you for you and you enjoy her for who she is. When everything is said and done, all that matters in love is that it makes sense for those who share it.”
Alex could see the fake bravado that Harris projected falter for a moment before he pulled it back together.
“You just don’t think I have what it takes to rise to the top like you. Just watch. I’ll be standing at the peak of ED. Who knows, in a few years you might have to look up at me as I rise above you.”
Before Alex could even respond, Harris had already turned and started to walk away. Alex could only shake his head and hope that his words got through to the young man as Nantan walked up.
“It’s hard, isn’t it? All you’re trying to do is give him some solid advice and he can’t see past his own delusions and realize that what you’re saying is true.”
“True, though at the same time, if you told me that I didn’t have what I needed for long-term success in this industry I would act much the same. Who knows, maybe he will show me that I am wrong as he rises to the top in the future.”
“Indeed, we all have our own delusions that we chase. For a few of us we are able to turn them into reality, but for most they simply lead us to waste the best years of our life.”
Alex couldn’t help the bitter smile that crossed his face as he thought to how his last life had played out just like that. Even so, he was already sure this life was going to be different and quickly recovered.
“Yep, of the millions, if not billions of players trying to become legitimate pro players who earn enough credits to live in comfort off of playing ED, only a small portion will succeed in the end. My path is an anomaly, not the standard. I doubt there will ever be a second me, though several more will make a flash in the pan before they fade just as quick. Had I done what I have done after travel between continents was easy, or in a country with a larger presence from the major guilds, I doubt I would have survived a week, let alone the few months I have so far.”
“Indeed, though from the show you recently put on it has been made it clear that you are not to be simply dismissed once tier 5 is common. I do hope that should you find yourself in need of aid, that you will allow us to assist you in a mutually beneficial way.”
Alex had to keep from rolling his eyes at the way Nantan worded his offer of aid as it was clearly a veiled way of saying that Abysses End would be happy to help FAE slowly merge into them.
“We will see how everything plays out as time unfolds.”
Alex had just finished cleaning and he needed to make it back to the apartment to return to ED if he wanted to accomplish everything he needed to get done before his upcoming deadlines. So, he excused himself from the conversation and made his way to change back into his street clothes. When he walked out of the changing area, he found Ava and Mia in a verbal altercation with Harris. From what Alex could see, the other members of Abysses End were watching with amusement as Harris made rude gestures at them. Alex looked around for Nantan, but from the looks of things he was still changing, or otherwise occupied. Just as Alex was halfway there and going to act, Sam and Nicole came out of the women’s changing area next to the altercation and it was Sam who acted first by stepping between them.
“Ah, look, it’s mister wannabe. Can’t get a lady’s number so he blames her. Honestly, you need to grow up. Middle school ended a long time ago.”
“Ah, it’s another one of Alex’s whores-”
SLAP
Everything was in slow motion for Alex as he watched Sam slap Harris and Harris pull back like he was about to punch Sam. Unfortunately for Harris, Alex was only a few feet from them now and he had failed to notice and the other three guys were simply enjoying the show. As Harris cocked back, Alex shot his hand out and gripped Harris’s wrist and had him on the mats in a submission instantly, surprising everyone present, especially with the look on his face. Alex looked like he was a second away from killing Harris when he growled out his next words.
“Sam, Nicole, Ava, Mia, car now. I’ll be out shortly.”
All four girls were quick to leave after Alex spoke. All four of them felt that they didn’t want to see what happened next. While they left, Harris started screaming at Alex to get off him, to which Alex’s only reply was to twist his arm more as he gave the other three guys looks that said don’t even think about moving. By the time the girls had left, the rest of the group had come out of the changing rooms to see what was going on, all pausing when they saw Alex with Harris on the ground as Alex continued speaking in a growl.
“Now, here is how this is going to work. When I let you up you are going to pack your bag and return to whatever office you work out of and Abysses End can deal with you however they please. If I see you again it will not end well for you. You want to be an idiot, fine, it’s a free country last I checked. You raise your hand at someone I love, you better be ready to cash that check and you definitely are not. Now get your stuff and leave.”
Alex released Harris and turned to leave as the young man stood with tears in his eyes as he looked at Alex’s back and charged in a fit of rage, not even bothering to keep quiet as he went for Alex’s neck. Alex didn’t even turn as Sensei Kikuchi intercepted the young man and put him right back on the mat as Alex walked to the front as Nantan followed him out, stopping him just outside the front of the dojo.
“What was all of that about?”
“Nantan, I don’t know how things work in Abysses End, but I will be clear. These four have not shown me anything good. If you are bringing your troubled recruits around to see if I can push them towards being a good person, then this exercise is doomed to failure. I’ll put this simply. He was about to strike Sam. Yes, she slapped him for being an ass, but I don’t care. If he is at another event my group won’t be.”
Nantan hesitated as he looked at Alex who still had a look that said he wanted to put someone’s head through a wall and he didn’t care whose it was. Nantan froze as his mind kept drawing a blank until he watched Alex walk away, getting into his car and leaving. Sighing, Nantan walked back into the dojo where Harris was still on the mat while Sensei Kikuchi held him there and the rest of the room was split, with Alex’s group on one side and the other three Abysses End members on the other while the dojo’s students looked lost on what they should do. Nantan didn’t waste time and quickly spoke.
“Alright, the show’s over. Charles, Cody, Jack, get in the car. Harris, when we get back you are going straight to the airport.”
Harris started to ramble about how they started it and it wasn’t fair only for Nantan to silence him by saying that he could be cut off right now and find his own way back. Harris looked like his whole world had frozen as he looked at Nantan before shutting his mouth with what looked like an extreme effort. Nantan could already feel the headache he was going to get on this trip growing, especially with how decisive Alex had just been. Still, he had to smile as the incident had at the very least shown that Alex had a weakness. Nantan almost laughed as he thought about how they might use this as he drove away that morning.
ED year 1, day-356.
Xeal awoke in his mansion after logging in. The car ride back from the dojo had been a quiet one as he worked to get his anger under control and now it was time for him to vent. He also figured it was time for Bula and Ceclie to meet as in the next two weeks the two would need to learn to get along with one another as it was time to return to the Vault of Ucnuc and open it back up for his guild. As he left his room, he made his way to the room that Bula had taken over and knocked, hearing her wake up and come to the door as she brushed the sleep from her eyes, and spoke.
“I take it you are about to return to your work to reach tier 5 and truly prove yourself as a warrior.”
“No, it is time for food first. There is someone who you need to learn to work with for this next part. Aalin and Gale will be arriving here soon to introduce you to her.”
“Oh, I thought I had met all of your women already.”
“She is not my woman. She is more of a refugee who is tied to me and acts as a bodyguard when I require it.”
“Refugee, who is a bodyguard. We must be headed somewhere that poses a great threat for you.”
“It does, though the one who needs to worry the most should be you, so I want you to keep this on you at all times.”
Xeal handed Bula the hilt of the shattered sword, whose pieces were scattered in the Vault of Ucnuc, as it should act as a deterrent for any vampires they ran into. Alex was hoping that they could take care of the one that he had run into on his last trip, but suspected that the vampire had retreated deep into the lower levels and he would not see him again until he reached tier 6. As Bula took the hilt, she had a confused look on her face that shifted to surprise, as she felt the aura of the item, and instantly one of her class abilities showed her part of the item’s history.
