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(Danny’s POV)
I woke up gasping, the memory of that thing coming at me the last thing I recalled. I threw my blankets off of me, and sat up, slinging my legs over the side of the bed. I sat there for a minute with my head in my hands, struggling to recall the dream that I’d had.
It was a dream right? It had to be. I was in my bedroom after all. I sat there like that for a time, trying to piece it all together. It had seemed so realistic. I could still recall that massive creature and the strange blue windows, and I was practically haunted by the thought of that giant stinger flying towards me.
I sighed, as my heart finally calmed down. I lifted my head from my hands and looked around, reassured by the familiar sight of my bedroom. The common things we never thought about were now somehow the proof of my well being. A window I always left slightly cracked open, the antique dresser my mother had passed down to me that i’d always hated but couldn’t part with. Even the messy closet that I always swore i’d find the time to clean out and never had.
These simple things were proof that I was back in my mundane reality, far away where nothing from my dreams could hurt me. Even the sounds in the room were the same, the steady click clack of keys filling up the air as I sat at my computer desk typing away.
I paused at that thought. I was in my bed. Which meant that I couldn’t be on my computer at the same time. SO WHO WAS ON THE COMPUTER! The thought practically screamed through my head, and with a startled yell I leaped from my bed, grasping my small nightside lamp as some form of defense.
This seemed to have prompted the mystery man, who spun around in my chair at the sound of my voice.
“Hi!”, he said cheerfully, even going so far as to give me a slight wave.
I dropped the lamp. My hand rose in an almost half wave in reply before I caught myself. I want to wake up. There were only so many strange things I could take and I was fast approaching my limit.
“Who are you?” I hissed, scrambling to pick up the lamp I’d dropped. At the same time my brain scrambled tried to make sense of the situation.
The man stood up, and my eyes followed as he topped me by at least a head. He smiled at me with that same cheerful expression, his well trimmed beard stretching alongside. Even in the poor light I could see he was exceptionally fit, and had a nice tan that spoke of long hours in the sun. His muscles shone through the well tailored suit that fit him like a glove, and his hair was cut short, in a way that gave him a no nonsense business look that Danny had never had.
“You can call me Dan, and I must say, it’s nice to finally talk face to face!” The man said, stretching out his arm for a classic handshake. Unsure of what else to do I grasped his hand, and regretted it almost instantly as my hand was crushed by those well defined muscles.
I retrieved my hand before permanent damage set in, and tried to get a better grasp on the situation. I could handle a strange man in my room while I slept, I could handle us having the same name. Why though, WHY, did he have to look just like me?
Correction. Why did he have to look better than me? Why did he have to look like the Danny that had somehow won the genetic lottery and conquered life? Why was I face to face with a Danny that stood taller than me, was more well built than me, had the sort of smile that was infectious, the kind of eyes that could pierce through your soul, and an air that would make any female weak at the knees?
This… Dan, oozed confidence, he embodied it. Even in our brief exchange he’d already dominated the room and captivated his audience. This Dan, where I never was, was Dangerous.
To be short, this guy really pissed me off.
“You’re not me.” I said, kinda defensively to be honest. My nerves were kind of shot by this Aphroditic Doppleganger.
“I never said I was.” Dan drawled, sounding just like some mythological cowboy. I could just imagine a gun on his hip at high noon, tumbleweeds dancing in the background. Really, what sort of effect did this guy have?
Not enough time to think about that. I had much more important questions to ask.
“What are you doing here?” I said, thankful that my voice was returning to normal.
“Why Danny, I’m so glad you asked. I’m here to make a deal.” He flashed a smile at me, this one all teeth like a certain aquatic predator. He sat back down in my chair, lounging on it like a king on his throne. With a wave of his hand he motioned me to sit, and I started to follow before stopping. It was too late to turn back however, and as gracefully as I could I finished sitting on the side of the bed.
“What sort of deal? Why me? I don’t understand any of what’s happening right now. Why do you look like me?” There was a hint of pleading in my voice at this point, I just wanted my life to go back to normal so bad.
I made a mistake. He picked up on the hint of weakness I showed, and his smile, if it was possible, became even more predatory. “The oldest deal on the books Danny. Your soul for unfathomable power. I chose you because you have skills that interest me, and I look like you because you are the only human I know.” He gave me a slight smile when he said this. “I thought it might be more comfortable for you to see a familiar face.”
“More creepy than comfortable. So you are saying this isn’t what you really look like?” I said, a pit of dread forming in my stomach. It just wasn’t possible.
“Of course Danny. You’ve already seen what I look like, if I really could be said to look like anything at all.” The smile never seemed to leave his face, it just flickered, changing from playful to threatening at the drop of a hat.
Nope. Nope nope nope. The loch ness monster was not sitting in my room looking just like me. Besides he seemed rather greedy didn’t he? MY SOUL? What happened to just $3.50?
“Umm. Yes. Well.” I couldn’t say anything. My hands were shaking, my pits were sweating, my eyes darted around the room avoiding everything but the beast I was trapped in the room with.
“Unfortunately I’m not really interested in a deal right now. So, I’d like to, like, umm… respectfully decline?” The words practically tumbled out of my mouth, except for the last two, which I enunciated to the extreme.
“Denied.” Dan leaned back in his chairs, the smile on his face now lazy. He gave off the air of an experienced fisherman with all the time in the world. Slowly tugging at the fish on his line, letting it relax here and there, before reeling it out into the open.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
“I don’t understand, Why me? What do you even need my soul for?” I finally looked him in the eye. At this point i’d more or less resigned myself to death, but I damn sure didn’t want to die ignorant.
“You’ve never been in the Tower before have you?” He ignored my questions with an abrupt change of subject, leaving me dazed and confused.
“What tower? Which tower?” I replied, sweat on my brow. What’s with the vague questions?
“I didn’t think so. If you had you wouldn’t have to ask. There is only one Tower. Well not really, but you know what I mean.” I didn’t. “That’s the why you as well.” His smile turned a bit enigmatic at this.
“When one enters the Tower, they enter the game, and for them, nothing will ever be the same. You,” He said, standing as he began to pace the room. “Have never entered the Tower, but you have entered the game.” He shook his head as he looked at me.
“What do you mean I’ve entered the game?” I muttered under my breath. The events from before were whirling through my head again, creature, screens, creature, screens. Screens, Skills, Spells. Wait. He remembered something from one of those screens. Something, that might just be useful.
I looked right at the creature and spoke, the word felt like pulling a trigger on a gun. “Observe.”
???
3.14159265359
Lv: ???
Class: ???
HP: ???/???
MP: ???/???
I blinked. That looked familiar. “Pi?” I said out loud.
Dan shot me a look of deep displeasure. Then he walked over and punched me right in the face.
You’ve received Physical Damage -26 HP
I groaned as I sat back up, already feeling my eye swelling. “What did I do?” I practically shouted at the creature wearing my face.
Dan didn’t seem too happy either as he stared back at me. “I will not have you sully my name with your primitive backwoods jargon.” He stalked closer to me and pushed his face near mine, momentarily distracting me with the soft feeling of his luxurious beard. “You are not allowed the luxury of making up nicknames for me, or calling me anything you damn well please. At least call me by my proper name, if you can’t show me the courtesy of using my alias.”
He sat back down in my chair in a huff. He then proceeded to spend the next few minutes educating me about all the idiots on backwater galaxies who thought they were so smart and could just call something by whatever term their idiotic minds decided.
“I mean I’m a fundament of the natural order here,” His voice was the one that was pleading now, and his eyes shone with a sort of desperation. “By my very nature I can’t be explained and you idiots insist on giving me a name and calling it a day! And just two letters? TWO BLOODY LETTERS? YOU THINK YOU CAN SUM MY BEING SO EASILY?!”
He was working himself back into a rage, and that wouldn’t be good for either of us. “No, no of course not!” I hurriedly replied. “Valid points! Each and every one of them!” I put my all into comforting him then. After all a happy Pi was one less likely to eat me.
One thing was certain, he’d cemented the name I’d think of him as.
“It’s easy to be misunderstood. Like right now, I feel a bit misunderstood, as you seem to think i’m valuable to you in some sense.” I tried to laugh with him, like it was some big joke. Except he wasn’t laughing. “Trust me, i’m worthless!” I said in one last desperate attempt.
He merely shook his head at me. “I’ve already told you. You are part of the game now, and your life will never be the same.” Then he grinned, all of his former angst washed away. “And I think you are far from worthless.”
“What could I possibly offer? I’m just some nobody who was programming games just yesterday. Nothing's changed.” Yet something had. I could feel it, even if I was just lying to myself.
“It certainly has.” He nodded as though I’d said something sage like. “You and the tower are now intertwined, and you are fated to it. No idea how that happened.” Was it just me or did he look a bit guilty then?
“You are unique. A gamer that, for now, is outside of the game. That opens up opportunities. Something that I plan to take full advantage of.” His smile was certainly predatory now, but it didn’t seem directed at me.
“So let me get this straight. You think I am special, which probably has something to do with these blue boxes that just pop up. Because of this, you want me to enter this game, at this tower, and fight? And somehow, you will use this to your advantage, to profit you.” Seeing his nod of confirmation, I couldn’t help but sarcastically say “Great where do I sign?”
He flicked his hand and an old fashioned scroll appeared out of nowhere along with a quill. I gave him a look, which he returned with a shrug.
“Dramatic effect.” He said with a smile.
“And my soul?” I said, scooting back a bit on the bed away from the scroll he held.
“Remuneration of course. You wouldn’t survive seconds in the tower as you are. For that you will need my assistance, and it is my belief that in your current circumstances I will be able to make you exceedingly powerful. Of course all that effort deserves a price doesn’t it?” He said, his smile leaving me feeling cornered.
“What if I refuse. If I don’t want to play this game, or climb your tower?” I said, mustering my courage.
“Then I kill you.” He replied simply, with no hint of a smile.
I thought about it. I really did. What could I do, Pi thought he had me against the ropes, and to be honest so did I. I still had one trick up my sleeve however. No one knew how to bargain like Daniel Rosenthaw. I’d learned from my father after all.
“I really don’t think you are offering me enough here. You offer me power, although you don’t specify in what manner, all for the low, low price of my soul. I mean who could resist?” I was getting flippant again, but hey, who could blame me?
“Yes Danny.” Pi replied, stretching out my name. “Your soul. If you have anything else of Value I have yet to see it. I’m going to throw you into the Tower whether you like it or not. Selling your soul is the only thing that will allow you to see another day after I do.” He was relaxed, one hand clutching the scroll while the other stroked his beard.
Well if I have to bargain with my soul then so be it. I wouldn’t sell it cheaply that’s for sure. And if it was about games then that’s fine. I knew all about those.
“If that’s how it is then fine. I’ll offer you 5% equity in exchange for power leveling, body strengthening and direct knowledge of 3 spell domains. I also want you to explain everything you know about the Tower and my situation.” Hell I don’t really know what to ask for, but more magic seemed like a good start. The window that mentioned Space mastery had to imply there were more out there.
Pi literally laughed out loud, holding his stomach and howling until his eyes watered. He wiped his tears away as he smiled at Danny, this time with a hint of mirth. “5%? I don’t even get out of bed for 5%. Just for that, 10% is the baseline to keep me from throwing you into the tower right now. I will give you complete mastery over two domains of magic for a further 60%, I will give you intricate knowledge on the layout, customs, rules and regulations of the tower and the myriad creatures that inhabit it for a further 10%, and I will remake your physical body into an indestructible vessel for the remaining 20%.” Pi shot back at me.
Now we were getting somewhere. He was playing my game now, and I just had to play my cards right.
“I refuse to give you more than 49%. I will retain ownership of my soul, or you really might as well throw me in the tower right now. I also want buyback options. I will offer you the 10% outright, as a sign of trust in our partnership. I’m willing to sign over another 23% in exchange for a training regimen, information and knowledge of 2 more domains of magic. I don’t require you to remake my body, as long as i’m capable of doing it through effort.” Or levels, I thought as I waited with baited breath. I knew he would have a counteroffer, but after that it would just be finalizing the negotiations. I needed him to bite on this.
And bite he did. “1/3rd? Don’t be greedy Danny boy. I’m worth much more than a 1/3rd of you. I think you are undervaluing my help Danny. I’ll give you the training regimen, some information and access to one additional domain for 40%.” He smiled slowly, flashing that predatory grin. “Plus the 10% you’ve already promised of course.”
“What about marketing? We haven’t even discussed licensing rights!” I replied, heading him off and putting us on a tangent.
We went back and forth a few more minutes before finally settling on an acceptable deal. A personalized training regimen, Access to one more Domain of magic, some basic information on the tower, and a boost in mental capacity Pi threw in for free after mocking my pitiful mana pool a few times. In exchange he received 40% of my soul and all marketing and licensing rights. I guess it could have been worse.
NEW SKILL UNLOCKED
Trader (Passive) Lv6 EXP 33.24%
You drive a hard bargain! Chance of getting better deals increased. Merchants and traders will recognize you as one of their own. Chance of unique deals increased.
NEW SKILL UNLOCKED
Haggling (Passive) Lv5 EXP 27.77%
The skill of convincing others that things are worth more or less what you say it is. Higher chance of others agreeing with overvaluation. Higher chance of discerning undervalued items.
NEW PERK UNLOCKED
Deal with the Devil
You have made a deal with an enigmatic being, and you made it out alive! You will never feel pressure when negotiating. You will exude pressure when negotiating.
NEW STAT UNLOCKED
Charisma +10
Charisma is the art of getting what you want by being who you are. All being’s will find you more attractive and your words more persuasive.
Afterwards I stared dumbly at the glowing blue screens that seemed to be the cause of all my problems. Why me? And why did I feel like Pi had everything to do with it?