"Geonia was a peaceful city. It's always been a place you can settle down and raise a family. I grew up here my entire life. But, for a time, it wasn't a safe place to stay. When the Faredawn family fell to pieces, and House Rennex moved on the city. Many ugly sides that I didn't know appeared before the innocent. It was a time I wish to forget."
-Deedson Grey, Elder of Geonia
~~~(POV: Justin Xander)~~~
~~~(Location: Apartment, Los Angeles, California)~~~
~~~(Day, Date, Time: Tuesday, April 16th, 12:15 AM PST)~~~
~~~(Current Age: 19 Years)~~~
I leave the steaming bathroom in my favorite robe. I have much to do tomorrow in AG, so getting some sleep would be a good idea. I could've stayed in AG and got sleep at the inn, but I'd like to sleep in my bed.
As I enter my bedroom, I pick up the remote, and the large TV on the wall facing my bed comes to life. The second I lay down, the GNN comes on. Unsurprisingly, the reports are about what's happening in AG.
"Good morning on this fine Tuesday, late-night viewers! The forums have been lighting up with items offered up for sale. Players are ignoring the inherent dangers of trading on public forums."
If a good profit is to be made, you can't convince a player not to do something stupid. They brought this up two days ago, on the 14th. Something must've happened since I was off.
"Aside from the chaos of AG's public forums, many top guilds have been implementing exchanges. Offering money for currency in AG. However, this has resulted in huge losses for the large guilds. Many players are ripping off the best guilds around."
"AHAHAHA!!"
I can't help but laugh at the new bit of information. Leave it up to players to rip off the big guys. These top guilds have nearly limitless resources. So, it's probably a drop in the bucket. It just shows how desperate people are for AG's currency.
Feeling the weight of sleep starting to weigh on me, I lift the remote and turn off the TV. Bringing darkness to my bedroom. Going over everything I need to do, I'll be pretty busy for the next couple of days.
I have to talk with Eliza now that I've finished my quest for Celia and Felicity. Then, I also need to find out how far away I am from the Taleso Kingdom. Who knows what'll come up between all that? Then, I need to meet up with Lil's and Blake to figure out our plan.
Everyone in the gaming world is busy with AG, not just me. Shit, millions of more people have more on their plate than I do.
"I still have to check out those blueprints I got. Full armor set, and I need an upgrade from the starter armor I still walk around in."
It'll give me another reason to visit the Fulwitter family and their blacksmith shop. As of now, I can't get anywhere with the Metallic Mana Strings. I don't have the necessary materials to craft the item.
I doubt I'll have those for a long time. The coming weeks and months look like this for everyone. I don't know when I'll be leaving Geonia. The tournament in the Taleso Kingdom isn't guaranteed, and that's a month away.
Well, there isn't anything to do but to sleep. Time to fix my sleep schedule as best I can and enjoy this expensive ass bed.
~~~(POV: Arma Rennex)~~~
~~~(Location: Rennex Estate, Private Land, Aeternitatem Genesis)~~~
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~~~(Day, Date, Time: Tuesday, April 16th, 3:45 AM PST)~~~
~~~(Current Age: 26 Years)~~~
The night sky shines down on the balcony as I sip tea from my cup. News has just reached my father that the Faredawns are under siege in Geonia. Their current heir is missing, and the power base he built is nearly at war with itself.
"Arma, what do you think our father will do next now that Garson isn't standing in the way? I've never seen him so fired up this early in the day before."
My younger brother, Thomas, is sitting in another chair a few feet away from me on the balcony. He's the only brother I actually like. Since he's the youngest, he doesn't have any power or rights to the inheritance.
This means the older brothers don't see him as a threat, and he's not competitive with them. It makes being around him a lot better. He isn't suspicious of everything.
"You're guess is as good as mine, Thomas. Father has always acted quickly when his enemies show weakness, and knowing Alexi and Mardove, they'll be ready for anything father says."
The two eldest sons and twins. Both are fiercely fighting for the fortune and future of the Rennex family. If father says jump, the ask how high. They think doing everything he asks of them is how to win in the end.
Maybe one of them will. They're loyal dogs to father, and I can see it in his eyes that he's disappointed neither of them challenges his decisions.
"What about you? I know that you have a great interest in Geonia with the new arrivals. According to my history classes, it's been quite some time since this happened."
Thomas is smarter than Alexi and Mardove, but he's weaker in standing and power. As to the subject he's brought up, it's from a conversation we had a long time ago. One before we knew there would be new arrivals coming.
Their powers are identical to ours, and yet they come from a different world. Just like the legends of old when new arrivals in the past came to our world, they could come and go as they pleased between the two.
Those legends also told the story of how the new arrivals of that time lost their ability to travel between this world and their own, eventually, calling this place home.
"Aren't you curious, little brother? If this batch of new arrivals will carry the same fate as the ones of legend?"
He takes on a thoughtful expression as I challenge his question with one of my own. He's a student of history, just as I am. He should know the answer to this question.
There is only silence as I wait for him to respond, and my thoughts return back to my own goals that wait in Geonia. Once one of my elder brothers succeeds and becomes the head of the family, I'll need to find my own place.
Geonia could be the perfect location for me to start down my own path. My father insists that I stay here, even after he's gone, but he doesn't want to see the greed of his two sons. One will kill the other, and the winner will cast Thomas and me out of the family home.
"I am curious, but that doesn't mean I want to socialize with them. From what I've heard, the new arrivals are incredibly rude and destitute. Why go out of the way?"
Despite how inherently smart Thomas is, he still has much to learn. Being the baby of the family does that to oneself. He'll see why I want to learn more about the new arrivals when we visit Geonia.
Father won't sit at the house for long, and I wouldn't be surprised if he's preparing to leave as soon as the sun rises.
~~~(POV: Justin Xander)~~~
~~~(Location: Apartment, Los Angeles, California)~~~
~~~(Day, Date, Time: Tuesday, April 16th, 7:35 AM PST)~~~
~~~(Current Age: 19 Years)~~~
I sit on the living room couch with a bowl of cereal. Taking big spoonful bites as I watch GNN talk about the growing bid for the Legendary grade shield up for auction. It's climbed to 125,000 Platinum.
I can only assume that's a price Kingdoms and Empires can pay. Individual wealth of this magnitude isn't something a person is willing to give up for an item. At least, not in my mind. Unless that individual has the same power as a small nation-state.
"The player base of AG only continues to grow as the days go by. The live stream of the Legendary grade shield has been cited as a source for the new surge of players. Saying that they're looking to get rich quick by selling items themselves."
It's not impossible. They can make a living selling in-game materials and items, but then they become an existence that only exists for others. The individuality and pride of humans would accept that for long.
It's nice to hear more players are starting to join. We already had a huge starting jump, but now people are seeing the hype is real, and they're not playing anything else.
I shouldn't waste much more time. I have things to do myself, and it will only get more busy around Geonia.
After turning off the TV and finishing breakfast, I head upstairs and enter my gaming pod. It's not long before I'm logged back in and inside the room I rented for the night at a local inn. I move toward the window, and players are already busy.
The morning sun is almost starting to creep over the walls that surround the city. It makes for a real picturesque scene. It's another reason to love games.