Dying in the game was strange. I had felt disconnected when I was stuck there as a ghost. Not breathing, not panicking, just existing in some kind of ethereal state. That, more than the fact of the death itself, bothered me. Waking up in the church was like taking a breath after being underwater. Not just because I hadn't been breathing, but because I hadn't felt anything. Not warm, not cold, just a soul waiting for whatever comes next.

Exiting the game so shortly after waking up from death was a second shock. I went from nearly noon in the game to 5 am in real life. Thirty-two hours of living packed into eight hours of time. It was amazing. People would become addicted. Maybe a forced logout every 10 hours would be a good idea.

The responsibilities of the day settled on my shoulders, but I wasn't willing to get out of bed just yet. I preferred to sleep in the cold, and the blanket combined with the mattress just made things cozy.

I thought back to the fight. I think I had managed to kill the ghoul before it killed me, but it was a close thing. One thing was certain. Being crushed to death was bad, but burning was worse. Is it wrong to feel animosity towards an AI construct?

The need for the bathroom overcame my need for coziness, and I got up. After my shower, I put on some clothes and headed to the kitchen. I didn't know how long it would be before Jessie came through the door, but I felt like I was hungry. I followed along with my cooking skill instead of forcing it to do it's thing, listening to the radio in the background. Omelets and hash browns today. I divided it up into two meals for the purpose of my skill, so Jessie's wouldn't get cold.

My meal turned out to be a bit larger than I had thought it would when I started cooking, but it was delicious. Absolutely worth getting out of bed for. Jessie must have thought the same thing because that's when she came through the door.

“Would it kill you to knock?”

“Yes. I would freeze to death if I waited for you to open the door. I tried knocking once, remember?”

“I don't really care anyway. Omlete and hash brown. Just the way you like it, guaranteed.”

She brought out her meal and we ate in silence listening to the beginnings of Morning Edition on NPR. It was blessedly zombie-free, so I assumed the great conspiracy of silence was successful for another day.

“So, you died.”

“Yes. Have you died before?”

“Yes, a couple times. It sucks.”

“That's one way to put it. I did find out I don't get penalties on death. But the 5-minute resurrection timer, is that a real thing? Can magic bring back the dead?”

“No. It's just a game mechanic. Not everything has to be realistic in order to reveal the secret. I suspect the third game won't have that.”

“So what about CPR and lowering the body temperature and all the crazy stuff they do now? Is there a magical version of a better that?”

“If your soul hasn't left the body, magic will make it whole. The speed at which the soul leaves depends on the damage to the body. A destroyed brain will practically hit the emergency eject button. In the game, you were thoroughly dead. It would take a cleric class to bring you back, and I'm an archmage.”

“A cleric class? Like someone dedicated to the gods?”

“Yes, but Terra is the only god. Have you hit level 10 yet?”

“Almost. I'm level 9. Forty-five unallocated points ready to be dumped wherever they are needed.”

“That will come in handy. But there is more to levels than just stat points. When you hit level 10, you can pick a class. Your previous ten levels all get converted over to your class, and you get bonuses. As a archmage, I can cast spells that would normally require time or rituals without them, and I have a huge boost to intelligence and wisdom. You haven't seen me draw any runes in-game, but I do use that type of magic.”

“I'm not sure if I will get a class. Not everything has been standard for me.”

“About that. I got the loot from killing the ghoul, and one of the items was a class upgrade chit. Usually it's a game item, extremely expensive, that lets you skip lesser class progression. You would be able to skip from mage to archmage without going through the intermediate levels.”

If it came from the loot system, it probably knew better what I'd get than I did.

“Huh. I saw you pick that up, but I didn't know what it was. What other kinds of classes are there?”

“You have to meet the basic minimums, but there are all kinds of classes. So far, I'd say you could qualify for mage and warrior.”

“Specialization again. Is there a way to switch between classes?”

“You can multiclass, but you can only gain a bonus from one class per level. If you use the upgrade chit, you would gain ten levels of whatever basic class you choose, then every level would give you a bonus in whichever class you are leveling at the time. Higher level bonuses are much, much better than lower.”

“Wait, you are an archmage, but you wear plate?”

“What can I say? I'm just awesome like that. There is a trick to channeling spells through thick materials at touch range. It takes more power, but the armor I made negates the penalty and does other things besides.”

We went over some numbers she knew about classes. I would gain percentage increases to related to whatever class I chose, on top of the ability boosts for hitting the higher class milestones. It really looked like I had no choice. Poor Jack was going to have to make a long term commitment. I know how silly it is, but I wanted my options open.

“What made you choose archmage?”

“It has more generalized boosts. There are classes for each energy type, which is great for someone who is climbing the ranks, but since I know most of the energies quite well, I don't need them. With the upgrade chit, you could start learning all the various applications of mana with incredible speed. Or you could sub-specialize and be able to control multiple people with no more effort than controlling one. Warriors get almost magical abilities when it comes to combat, but true mastery in magic can make up the difference.”

“What do you think I should choose?”

“I think archmage would have the best stat boosts for you, but you wouldn't benefit from the instant casting until you reached master levels.”

“Do the spells that benefit from that have a lot of variety?”

“Yes, but to be a Jack of all Trades in magic, you would need to master each type of magic energy.”

“Sounds like what I want. Commit to the least specific thing possible.”

“You are impossible.”

“Only unlikely. So what kind of games are we getting today?”

“It depends. Do you want to play against other players, or the computer?”

I thought back to my experience controlling the rabbits. I had gained a point of charisma, likely from convincingly relating to other creatures. Also, I don't want to be stuck in a cubicle all day trying to beat the AI in Civilization.

“Maybe a couple computer games and a lot of board games? Would you be willing to play?”

She sighs. “I suppose with your idiot friends?”

“Hey. I negotiated specifically to keep those friends. You do remember that negotiation that netted you twenty-five grand?”

“You are going to hold that over my head forever aren't you? Fine. I'll play. Just be prepared to lose. I'm certainly not going to go easy on you. Think of it as training.”

“I'm thinking you should use the opportunity to throw a party. You did promise.”

“I did no such thing.”

“Well, it was implied.”

She narrows her eyes. I see the hint of a grin. Whatever. It's not like she's going to be shocking me in front of my friends.

* * *

We spend the morning being lazy, waiting for shops to open. Speedy stays in the parking lot and we go together in her car.

I text Chester telling him I managed to get some stamina potions, but Jessie is taking part in my training and we are going to pick up games for wisdom training. He is excited about the potions, but glad I'm finally shoring up a major weakness.

There is a niche game store with everything from card games to jigsaw puzzles, to, what we are looking for, strategy games.

We pick up a few starter sets for Warhammer 40k, because 40k is awesome and I've never had a chance to play. I'll hand out the extra sets to my friends and when everyone is ready we can play. It's definitely not something you can pick up and go with.

Then we start reading boxes and checking reviews on our phone. We even get some advice from the store owner, and we pick out a few games. Gloomhaven, Diplomacy, Arkham Horror, Dune, Terraforming Mars, and Legends of Andor.

I'm not sure if these will all give wisdom boosts, but they all look fun. Jessie ditches me there, making me wish I had brought Speedy, but I spend the time learning the rules from some of the customers who are already playing in the back. They didn't want to interrupt their games, but a hundred dollars made everyone happy.

There wasn't enough time to learn everything, but I will be able to explain Legends of Andor and Diplomacy without trouble. There was more to the games than the manuals. I had been texting my friends trying to get a group together and was partially successful. Mark and James had early morning classes, Greg had an evening class, and Paul wouldn't be able to come today at all. Good enough. I was driving while Jessie was texting, and we got to the dorms quickly enough. We hung around for a while playing phone chess while chatting with Greg. Mark and James showed up not too long after.

It's good to be around my friends. While we all have our quirks, some more than others, we all share the same ideology about fun. Anything goes unless it's acting like a dick. None of us are board game geeks, but when I put out the call, they came.

“I didn't think you'd ever be able to drag Jessie to something like this,” said James.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

“Obviously he has blackmail material,” said Mark.

That wasn't too far off point actually.

“I know these games are fun, I just don't usually have the time.”

“You have to make the time! Life without spice is dull,” said James.

“I have a test coming up, and I should be studying, but what is college, and life, if you can't have fun doing it?” asked Greg.

“Wow Greg, are you high already or did you switch to a philosophy class?” I ask.

“Is there a difference?” Mark asks.

“Alright guys, time to roll out. I hope one of you has a car,” said Jessie.

“Where to?” I ask.

“Rented a hotel conference room so we would have plenty of space.”

Seems like the kind of thing she would do if she was taking it seriously. Was there really going to be a party?

We hustled over to the hotel, which was surprisingly nice, and settled in with our board game and an amazing array of pizza and snacks. Napkins were everywhere so the board game didn't get greasy, and after snacking a bit we set up Legends of Andor.

It was one of the less random games we had picked up, and I hoped that would lead to more Wisdom. The first scenario went slowly with everyone absorbing the rules. I had them all memorized, so I pretended to consult the manual when answering questions. It went smoothly, and everyone was really getting into it. It took an hour and a half, and we were absolutely pumped for the next scenario.

We took a short break where people used the bathroom and we reset the board. I was gaining wisdom, but only about one per hour. I was up to 30, and I needed 20 if I wanted to get the skills. Intelligence had given me my best skills so far, so I had high hopes for wisdom.

Greg pulls me off into a corner after Jessie left the room. “Dude, are you dating her?”

“No, why? You can take a shot if you want, but please wait until we are almost done.”

“You two seem...closer. I know you grew up together, but there's more...camaraderie.”

“I think you are seeing things. We're just good friends.”

“Men and women can't be friends. It's a proven fact.”

“Seeing it in a movie doesn't make it a fact.”

“I have a sixth sense about these things.”

“I have a sixth sense about people spouting bullshit. Guess what?”

“Defensive much? It's ok if you are dating her. I respect the man code.”

I call out to Mark. “Hey, do you have a sixth sense about me and Jessie?”

“She's like your sister. That's disgusting.”

“She isn't your sister,” Greg insists.

“Ok, why don't we just ask her?” I offer.

Greg goes slightly pale. “Nevermind. It's cool.”

That was strange.

The second scenario went much smoother than the first, and we absolutely kill it. I'm still only getting about one wisdom per hour, and it's not enough. I need to be getting two or three an hour if I want to catch up in any reasonable amount of time. We need to switch games.

“Why?” asks James. “We were just getting into the rhythm.”

“Because Greg has an evening class and we want to play more than one game with him.” says Jessie.

Jessie, being the only girl present, they acquiesce to her desire. I know they wouldn't roll over for me like that.

We pull out Diplomacy. A cold wind blows.

The rules are straightforward and no one has trouble with them. No one person can win alone, but at the end there can be only one victor.

It is the most bloodthirsty thing I have ever seen. Every player is out for themselves, and everyone else knows it. The biggest part of the game isn't on the table, it's in the hallway where people make alliances and promises. That isn't to say the table doesn't have action, because that is typically where people break alliances. The looks of shock are devastating and hilarious.

The game goes on for two hours. Jessie wins the first game, marking her as the ultimate backstabber in a group of backstabbers. Somehow, no one is mad at her, and after all the things we put each other through in those two hours, it is quite surprising.

Now this is bringing up my wisdom. As much as I want to go back to the nice peaceful game of Legends of Andor, I need this. My wisdom sits at 36. At this rate, I will hit 50 in 5 hours. I don't think we will last 5 hours.

Between games, Jessie puts on some happy music, and earns a few scowls. Covert communication between games seems to be the norm now, with groups of people sneaking off to make plans.

Who will betray us first? Who will team with the previous winner? This round is more serious than the last. Even I am taking this more seriously.

The game goes on for three hours. It is amazing, and hateful. We have all been friends since the beginning of high school. We studied together. We played together. We spent summer vacations together. And now, if there was a knife in this room, I think someone would get stabbed.

I gained another 9 points of wisdom. It only cost me the trust of my best friends. Jessie won a second time.

We had been gaming for 7 hours, and we were worn out. Greg had missed his evening class. We finished the pizza, packed up the leftover snacks, and left the conference room different men than the ones who had entered.

* * *

As I gained Wisdom, things really did seem clearer to me. I could feel how people would think, how they would react. It wasn't a sixth sense, or some kind of telepathy, it was just putting myself in their shoes and being good at it. I saw how Jessie was telling me not exactly what I wanted to hear, but what I would want to have heard. I saw John trying to play on our friendship for advancement, and Mark was excited about how we would all have fun in the future together, if only he could win. I had no goddamn idea what was going on with Greg.

I had gained some charisma too. I didn't sense any magical mind control effect, but I felt words come more smoothly and I was more adept at convincing people that I was on their side.

Greg had been acting strangely for a while. At first, I put it down to his dreading missing class. Then, as my Wisdom grew, the idea just seemed wrong. I felt like there was a piece I was missing, and nothing I knew about Greg would fit and complete the puzzle. I treated him like a wildcard and he acted like one.

Jessie played us like violins. It made me wonder what her stats would be if she had my power.

After we were done, we managed to get everyone back to the dorms without killing each other, and said goodbye. We'd play again sometime, but probably not too soon, and not the same game.

My training wasn't over. We hit up a GameStop and picked up Civilization 5, X-Com 2, and a couple games in the Total War series.

I had an hour before the beta tester meeting and three hours before I usually logged in. We headed over to LucidTech early so Jessie could check up on the work she missed.

* * *

Matt wouldn't tell me about Jessie's team, except for the fact that she was the leader and they were the best of the best. He did let me know she had 'the good stuff' in her apartment and was known to share on occasion. I wasn't sure which type of good stuff he meant. Apparently she had been there for quite a while before she left home.

People started trickling in, and I mingled sharing some of my experiences with the game. Then Greg walked in. Greg had a power? Greg was playing the game? So many questions. His eyes went a little wide when he saw me. He went to a corner and I followed.

Greg started. “I thought for sure you didn't know but were dating her anyway. I had no idea you had a power.”

“Greg, I'm not dating her.”

“Jack, she's practically living in your apartment and you cook her breakfast every day.”

“How the hell do you know that?”

He points at himself, “Postcog.” I've been picking up images from your past most of the day. I haven't seen you do anything flashy though, what's your power?

“Still not dating. I'm a growth type, and one of the things I grew was my cooking skill. And she is my sponsor. And we grew up together. Not. Dating.”

“You just got your power? I'm glad I'm not totally oblivious then. I really thought you were dating. I'm glad you aren't. She's kind of scary.”

“Scary?”

“She's the most powerful fighter in the states. No one who goes against her gets away unscathed. And she is a growth type too.”

I suppose that was true, about the growth type. She gained every night in knowledge.

“I didn't know, but it doesn't change much. We are all powerful in one way or another.”

“Not like that man. You play the game right? Oh, right, we're at the meeting. Ask her to show you sometime.”

“Alright.” Thinking of my lifetime friend as some kind of war goddess felt wrong, but it was clear she had the skills to do such things.

The meeting started and we each gave brief summaries of our experiences. I hadn't wanted to reveal my power, but when I talked about running myself to death and getting up with the stamina potions, it was pretty obvious I wasn't doing so for fun.

When Matt asked what could be done better, I was the first to speak up. “The food sucks. You need to fix it. And coffee.”

Nearly everyone tried to speak up at once. Matt wrangled the group, and a show of hands showed that every single one of them agreed.

“I know there's no caffeine headaches, but I'm used to a cup in the morning.”

“Not one inn knows how to cook a steak. I made my own in the game and it was fine. They are supposed to have lived that profession all their lives, they should be five-star chefs.”

“I get that we are experiencing an authentic past, but why can't the past have food that tastes good instead of just greasy? They have magic, they should be able to magic me up a breakfast worth eating.”

“We don't gain weight from the food we eat in there. Shouldn't you take advantage of that? Or are you looking to sell premium food in the in-game store?”

“Gladys, we have talked about this. There is not, nor will there ever be, an in-game store.”

“Then fix it. You could make a game that has nothing but food that doesn't make you fat and people would kill to play it.”

Everyone was talking about it. It seemed like this hadn't come up before, and people were passionate about their food. Matt picked up on the prevailing wind and spoke up.

“It seems everyone is in agreement. I'll take it to the board tonight. I can't promise anything, but coffee will probably be patched in, and better food should become available.”

With that issue put to rest, people complained about other things. The pain when fighting, the need to train in order to do well, the way almost everything outside of the cities seemed able to kill people. It was whiny and annoying. The only thing I was unsure about was the pain. Burning left a lasting impression, but I wasn't feeling the things they were talking about.

I brought up my skill list and checked my pain resistance. Only level 10, providing a 10% decrease. I had never been burned like that in real life, so it's hard to say if 10% was a lot. I didn't enjoy pain, but that didn't mean I wanted the game to become a theme park. I'm sure there is some spell to decrease pain if they get really annoyed with it.

Without any consensus, it looked like Matt would have to go back to questionnaires and data entry. I'd give him another meat bun. Jessie was there, but quiet the whole time. I recognized Eve from the game, but I didn't know her real name.

Matt asked a few focus questions about the AI and possible features, and people were pretty positive about it all. I found out there was actually already one player built city, and scattered villages. The only thing that was currently sacrosanct was a player's inventory, but they were thinking of adding banks. They wanted to get ahead of the curve in terms of third party utilities. There were actual in-game auctions, but they were currently lacking compared to what a web page could do. A system of relays making them global was a good first step.

We wrapped up, and some people stuck around to chat. I found Jessie with Eve. “Hi, I'm Jack. We've met but I don't have your name.”

“But you do puppy. I didn't change my name for the game.”

“Oh, then it's good to meet you out here Evangeline.”

“Jessie was just trying to convince me to move up our meeting for you. What do you think?”

I looked at Jessie who gave a slight grimace.

“I think Jessie usually gets what she wants, and if she thinks moving up the meeting is a good idea, it probably is.”

“Good answer. I'll be there if you can drum up enough for a proper vote.”

Eve wandered off. It looked like everyone was leaving now. “Why didn't you tell me Greg had a power? He was acting strange all game.”

“Because it's his business. I don't go around telling everyone Greg has a power, I expect he extends the same courtesy for me. Also, I was blocking it for most of the game. I didn't trust him not to cheat.”

“Is there going to be a meeting tonight with the guild?”

“Probably not. It's hard to say right now. The game can be demanding depending on where you go, so it's hard for everyone to get together unless we are doing the same thing. Most people don't see the need to scrap plans when there is already a meeting planned for tomorrow, and I haven't been willing to tell them why I think it's important without being face to face.”

“I know you feel strongly about it, but if you don't think you can pull it off, maybe it's time to cut your losses for the night.”

“You're probably right. I just wanted this, and it's not coming together. What do you want to do tonight?”

“I've got no plans. I was enjoying the board game. Do they have anything like that in the game?”

“No. Players might introduce something eventually, but right now the culture inside isn't very developed.”

“Maybe we can just explore like regular people? What does a normal person do in the game?”

“Anything they want. We can go exploring if you want. Or hunting, or training, or fishing...”

“I haven't been fishing since I was...twelve?”

“Then you'll have a nice reward when we see how well yesterday's practice paid off.”

Jack Ambrose Webb's Statistics

Strength

39

Wisdom

47 (+19)

Agility

58

Charisma

44 (+6)

Dexterity

59

Luck

13

Vitality

51

Transcend

8

Intelligence

73 (+3)

Unallocated

45