Zane was working on another piece of armor for his cosplay. He was always creating new things for himself or others and was very popular at gaming conventions and other cosplay events. He always brought his repair kit with wire, glue, and many other things so he could help with any situation.

He was at a reveal of a game he had been waiting for. He was inside a convention center, a large building with different stands, places to eat, and even activity areas where people were having drawings done of themselves. People were everywhere; some were lined up at varying stalls with collectibles to purchase, and others were to get signatures from voice actors. Outside, it was raining, so he was happy that he was wearing a hood covering his black hair. He also wore dark leather armor and bracers that paired well with his black cloak. He had a bow at his back, as well as a dagger and quiver attached to his hip. Many didn't know, but he was pretty proficient with a bow. In his free time, he often practiced with it. He thought back to the last time he practiced.

He focused as he pulled back the bow. The smell of the wax on the string and the tension he felt as he pulled the string calmed him as he readied his arrow. All sounds faded away as he focused on the target. Releasing his fingers, the arrow across the way. As the arrow hit its mark, his yelling friend, Arin, brought him back to reality.

"Zane, stop daydreaming, or you will miss it!" he yelled as he waved for Zane to come towards him. "Let's go get in line for the release. I heard there was supposed to be some kind of special reveal." He grabbed Zane's arm and started pulling him through the crowd.

"Let go of me. I can walk on my own." Zane jerked away his hand.

"If you say so. Let's be on our way before we miss the whole thing."

"I am right behind you. Lead the way." Zane smiled

They made their way through the crowd towards an alleyway where, on the other side, you could see a very long line that led toward a stall. Behind the booth was a massive man with a burly beard leading people through a doorway.

"Guess it is going to be a while," Zane said as he motioned to the line.

"Yeah, but that's okay; can you fix my costume while we wait?" Arin asked.

Arin was wearing a full plate gear set. He was about six inches taller than Zane and had a large sword on his back. His helmet had antlers out of each side, and his green eyes were the only thing showing of his face. He had shoulder guards with spikes on the shoulders and a cloak flowing down his back with fur at the top.

"My cape is detaching from my pauldrons. Please help me with that." Arin said that, as he showed Zane the issue with the cloak,

"Absolutely," Zane said as he smiled and pulled his repair kit from his pack. "I'll start getting to work. Turn around and kneel."

After Arin had kneeled, Zane started fixing the clasp on the underside of the pauldron. After repairing it by adding a piece that locks it in place, he reconnected the top of the cloak to the now lockable clasp. After securing it, he noticed that the line was finally moving, and he reattached the pauldron to Arin's armor. The two of them followed the line, getting compliments on their outfits as they went.

As they got closer, they saw the signs and advertisements for a popular MMORPG coming out soon. On the sign was a man carrying a staff and aiming it out towards whoever was looking at it. It looked amazing, and they would show off some new power source that would run the AI for the in-game world. Everyone was extremely excited to see the reveal, and the line was so long that Zane was worried they might not make it in. The line stopped again, and a few others who saw that Zane fixed Arin's cloak asked for help.

A woman in armor made of what looked like scales with a pike in hand was first. The blade on the pike was loose, and she was worried it might fall and hurt someone. Zane instantly saw the issue, a loose screw in the post. He pulled a screwdriver out of his kit and tightened the screw making sure it no longer moved. Next came a man with a large shield and a sword secured in his sheath. He was in large plate armor and wore a crown on his head. He showed that his shield's handle was cracked and hurting his hand. Zane grabbed some electrical tape and wrapped a few layers around the handle, covering the crack and creating a better grip. The last was someone in a full robe with a hood that covered their face. He handed over a staff that had a cracked gem in the top. It looked like it glowed briefly, and Zane thought he might've been losing his mind. The staff looked perfect, but he moved it in his hand and ended up with a large splinter in his hand. Zane pulled his hand away, used pliers from his kit to remove the splinter, and then put them back. After he put away his pliers, he grabbed some sandpaper, sanded down the area with the fragments, ran his hand up the back, and found no further issues.

Working on stuff like this always brought back memories of when he found his father working in his workshop. He watched as his father worked the metal on the anvil, and then, after the blade was forged, he went to create the handle for the blade. He used antler and shaped it as he went. When the product was completed, he held a beautiful kitchen knife. As Zane got older, he learned from a fantastic craftsman and adapted it to his wants and needs. He created many things he enjoyed, many of which he sold for a decent amount. Now that he was in his mid-twenties, he made a website and sold fantasy-style weapons and armor, which led him to be able to do things like this in his free time.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Move forward!" a security guard yelled towards the middle of the line, and the crowd started scooting forward again. You could hear the chatter in line as it moved, talking about how excited they were to see the reveal and get a glimpse at the game.

"Are you excited, Zane?" Arin asked.

"You know I am. I have been looking forward to this for a long time and created this armor on how I want my character to be in the game. An archer who has a penchant for magic. We have been talking about this reveal for months."

"Not just about all of this but about the secret guest they are supposed to have as well."

"What do you mean guests? I haven't heard anything about any secret guests here today."

"I heard that the head developer is supposed to be here, as well as the voice actor for the boss fight of the story."

"That is awesome. This is looking better and better the further we go!"

At that, the line started moving again, and the closer they got, the more he looked around, looking at all the amazing things around him. Weapons and armor were created to look like concept art from the game. There are a few statues of monsters and other NPCs as well. I even saw a few of the developers at one of the booths.

"I really can't wait to enter this fantastical world," Zane said. "This is going to be the best time ever."

"I know; it will not be long before we can enter this world together and take it by storm. We are close to seeing this world, and I can't wait any longer," Arin replied.

"Let's go!" the heavily armored man with the crown yelled as the crowd moved forward. They were now less than twenty feet from the entrance. As they got closer, the guard kept motioning for everyone to join. They had also changed either the guard or the outfit, as the man ushering people in was now dressed in plate armor that a guard in the game would wear, bringing a much more awesome vibe to this ordeal.

Zane stepped through the entryway to see a large screen hanging on the wall at the back of the room. He also noticed more banners and many people sitting off to the side.

"You four stop and move to the side over here." a guard stopped Zane, Arin, the woman with the pike, and the armored man with the crown. After about ten minutes, they stopped bringing people in. The head developer walked over to the ten of us sitting off to the side.

"You ten are the best-dressed ones here, and we have a special surprise for you since you went all out for us. You will get to sit right up front and get a front-row seat to the most awesome reveal that there has been." He said as he motioned for the guards to move us to the front-row seats.

"This is amazing. I can't believe we will be seeing it from this close." Arin said.

"I never expected this. This is going to be the best day ever." Zane replied.

Just then, all the lights kicked off, and the screen at the back of the room lit up as the head developer walked on stage.

"Are you all ready?" he said as the crowd roared.

"Today, we will see a few minutes of never-before-seen gameplay footage! We will show how we are revolutionizing the genre and changing how we play. We are introducing the most advanced AI that we have ever seen. One that will react and adjust in real time to your choices and the different things the world may throw at it. Nations are declaring war on each other, dungeons are forming, and legendary monsters are being created everywhere with you, the players, at the center of it all!"

The screen went dark, and one word rang through the room. "GLORY!" Then the screen flickered, and suddenly, we were staring at a character speaking with a king, another fighting bandits, another killing goblins, another leading a trading caravan, so many screens all changing at an insane pace. As the screen changed, it flickered between what was happening: the warrior talking to the king was now fighting a war and then killing the king, the rogue fighting bandits now ruled them, the Archer killing goblins now hunted a dragon, and the trader lay dead in the desert.

"This world will change depending on what you want to do with it. Rule a kingdom or cause it to crumble. Work with players to change the world or with the NPCs to kill the players. Whatever option you choose to do is yours. This is your life!" The screen said again, then went black, and the lights turned back on.

"In addition to this sneak peek, we also want to introduce you to the AI that makes all of this possible," the head developer said as he raised his hands. The screen rose behind him, showing a device with a terminal, speakers, and large cables coming out of the back leading towards large devices on either side.

"Charles, are you with us?" the developer asked.

The machine turned on, showing characters on the screen as they changed to an avatar.

"I am, sir; how may I assist you today?"

"Can you answer a few questions from our crowd today?"

"I will do my best," he said as lights flashed around the room, pointing at random people who had their hands up.

The light turned green on one man who asked, "How do you compile the information for your story and world?"

"I have compiled every story and mythology known and used them to create an ever-changing world."

The lights changed again, landing on the next person. "How many different types of magic will be there?" asked the next.

"Everything from light to death and everything in between. If you can imagine it, then it can become a reality."

"One last question before we close!" the head developer called out.

The lights flashed for the last time, landing on the person with the robe and staff from earlier. He stood, and Zane thought he saw the staff flash yet again. Then, they spoke in a language that no one understood, and the computer responded in kind and started flashing. The devices on the side flashed and then started sparking. Zane looked around and couldn't find the hooded figure wasn't anywhere to be seen. People started to freak out and tried to get through the door, but it was locked. Everyone was panicking. Zane looked around and noticed that the computer was flashing increasingly, and objects started pulling towards it. The head developer yelled for someone to turn the device off, and a plug was pulled, but it changed nothing. Zane made a rash decision, grabbed his bow off his back, and drew an arrow from his quiver. He fired five back-to-back into one of the devices, causing it to shut down. He then started to do the same to the other. After firing two arrows, a beam overhead came crashing down. He moved forward, firing another arrow. It was then that the spear he had fixed earlier lifted and went through Zane, crashing into the computer. His vision was blurring, but he drew his arrow and fired it at the other machine, causing it to shut down. He looked around, unable to find Arin or the hooded figure, as his vision faded utterly.