Elizabeth walked into their designated train and was taken aback by what stood before her. There had to be a hundred players on the seats, some she recognized and some she'd only heard rumors of.
Players who live-streamed twenty hours a day and created free fan mods rivaling the game developers' skills. Everyone from in-game legends to rising stars in the speed-running sphere was right there with her. The teenager quickly shut her mouth and tried to play off her sudden stupor.
The brunette had truly become starstruck by the people surrounding her. If you were even the least bit active on the Frozen Hearts forums and social media circles you'd know half the people on the train. Elizabeth felt like she was going to faint any second now, her legs wobbling as she looked in awe.
Jake noticed and nudged her shoulder with a playful smirk. “There's a global event going on so let's keep ourselves out of trouble.”
As the man led her over to an empty booth seat, the teenager couldn't help but bombard him with a million questions. “Wait, an event? What event?”
“There's going to be some goodies in the caverns along with some scripted mob attacks that everyone wants a piece of. The livestreams have already started so we should try to avoid getting ourselves caught in one.” Jake advised her as he slid into the seat across from her.
“Why should we do that?” The teenager figured it would be harmless to be caught on camera as long as they weren't stream sniping or being a menace.
The knight gave her a look like the answer was obvious. Once he saw she was genuinely confused he laughed and said. “Wherever the live streamers and the influencers are mobs will be ready to come out of the shadows.” What he said made plenty of sense to the teenager who sunk into her seat to think.
There was no need for her to get herself into more trouble when she had responsibilities to take care of. Right now, she just needed to focus on what those were and not on the online personalities that were so close to her. The train pulled off and she leaned against the window of the vehicle.
Jake was rattling off facts about the CRYSTAL CAVERNS so she wasn't stuck with her thoughts. The people who called the cavern home were very friendly despite their protectiveness of the land.
They just didn't like it when so many outsiders came over and disrespected the creatures that lived there. By the way, he spoke, Elizabeth felt like the NPCs wouldn't be too happy to see the dozens of players running around their home.
While plenty of players were respectful and knowledgeable about the caverns a good amount just don't care. They saw the place as just another level to go, explore and conquer.
He told her not to worry too much at the sight of her pitiful expression. Jake leaned across the booth seat’s table and gave her a comforting pat. The NPCs weren't going to become hostile towards her as long as she treated them with respect.
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The game’s programmers had done a decent job of making the characters realistic, but they weren’t capable of free will. The thought of that would be both insane and terrifying. Any behavior outside of their assigned actions wouldn’t be possible, so she shouldn’t worry about it.
Elizabeth knew this as she'd encountered many of these pre-written characters every time she logged on. The NPCs who took their tickets, who worked at the pub they met, and who worked as merchants. They weren't real and had noticeable tells that anyone who wasn't that educated in Frozen Hearts would understand.
It was pretty freaky when you sat and thought about it. Elizabeth rubbed her forehead. She asked the first thing that came to mind as the train went through the inside of the snowy mountain. "Do you know who can help me with training Pudding here? I read they have special areas for becoming a certified slime trainer, but I don't know how that works."
Jake smiled and reassured her. “The last time I went there I received a flyer for a slime sanctuary. I'm sure we can go there and plead your case. They might scold you a little but they'll understand you meant well for Pudding.” His words made her relax more and stop overthinking everything.
The rest of the train ride was filled with angelic scenery. The sky was bright blue with gigantic white clouds dotting it like ink on a letter. She looked at the sea that sat beneath them when they left the darkness of the tunnels and gasped.
The waves were so realistic it just took your breath away. It crashed against the rocks below and parted every once in a while to reveal a milky sand. The sand was white instead of tan and matched the snow that fell from the sky above. She had to give it to the game designers.
They had done amazing work and she struggled to comprehend how it all was fake. Everything she was looking at was just a bundle of code. Swimming around in cyberspace and the tubes connecting her to her computer.
They left the outside world and went back into the darkened tunnels. The only thing that provided light was the lanterns that hung every few feet, beaming blue. She was transfixed by the sheer beauty of it all.
{ENTERING ✨️ CRYSTAL CAVERNS}
The robotic system's voice announced the message for everyone to hear. Excited chatters filled the cart and Elizabeth watched people get up. Players hurried to go to their train cart window to see the CRYSTAL CAVERNS up close in person.
She was one of them as the teenager watched the train burst into a world of color. Multicolored gems and rocks sparkled as they entered a large cluster of plant life. The plants amazed Elizabeth as she didn't know they could exist without sunlight.
They were traveling deeper and deeper into the gigantic inner city with the tracks getting smaller and the scenery becoming filled with architecture. There wasn't much room for homes but the homes they did see were nomadic in nature.
Huge gardens sat by open crevices that showed snapshots of the outside world and people stood in the gardens. They saw the train and waved at everyone with bright smiles. The space within the cavern wasn't very wide and the community looked to be very small.
Elizabeth was able to see a tall fence that had moving mobs behind it. She felt her heartbeat quicken as they got closer to the fence and she could make out more of what mobs there were. A collection of stone-covered cubs sat on their behinds and knawed at the metal fence as they passed.
A woman with long blue hair who wore a pantsuit went over to the fence with a long wooden stick. Instantly, like a kitten to catnip, the cubs ran over to the stick and began to chew on it. This scene was replicated by the next fenced-off area they passed.
A man in a wet suit sat behind a metal fence, knee-deep in a body of water as stone fish swam about. The teenager was amused by this and chuckled under her breath. Elizabeth had never imagined fish that were literal rock would ever exist. But it was adorable.
{EVENT START ➡ CRYSTAL CAVERNS “PETTING ZOO”}
{Welcome dear traveler! Crystal Caverns is a tight-knit community that has a population of thirty people who love their crystal creatures. Recently, a new beast has been running around the cavern's cave system! Be careful and make sure to be prepared just in case you encounter this fierce beast. In your inventory, you will find a present 🎁 to thank you for coming to visit the caverns and its animal-loving residents. Please enjoy everyone!}
[RECEIVED x5 PINK CAVERN CRYSTALS]
“We can use these crystals to exchange with merchants here,” Jake told her as the train stopped on a canopy of plant life. He helped her up and gave her a big smile. “You ready for this? It's going to be crowded.”
Elizabeth took a deep breath and looked around. She was nervous because it was way smaller than she expected. But she was ready for this to be done. She wanted to help Pudding have a good quality of life. Plus, the mobs that she had seen out the window looked so unique and amazing to the teenager.
With a burst of determination, she took his hand and nodded. “I'm ready.”