[Arc 1] Chapter 1: Give them a hug?

I played the keyboard like a lazy orchestra. Repetition. The word only half described my infuriating battle. And worse, it was only now and then exchanged for a brief masterful twist to throw off my adversaries. A meagre blip of progress. For the hundredth time, I wished I cold go full dive again. But, I had a mission. One that I took as a personal challenge. It only made me feel like a masochist... Throughout the epic challenge nothing seemed to have change for hours. A groan rumbled from my throat. The many and I mean, many ‘I told you so’s’ started gnawing at my mind with renewed vigour. Maybe they were righ…

Then something happened. No... something changed. I sat up, staring with wide eyes at the screen.

What the...

It could actually work?

“It could work!!!!” I exclaimed, swung my arm down and pressed the action button with a large grin. The constructed mini game in front of me concluded and I held my breath in anticipation. It was for a hope beyond a hope.

No reaction.

For a moment a hint of doubt wormed its way into my mind.

Then I flicked the worm off with a grin as the chatter went off the charts.

Though, it all came from the three A I’s I had hoped to catch off guard for the last month and unlike the last several years, they were not trying to expel the other two through complex wars of attrition, they were communicating together.

In sweet harmony!

I sprung up and pumped a fist in the air and immediately stopped to look around if anyone had seen.

Awkward…

I plopped down and silently celebrated with a much more miniaturized version of my previous effort. The mini fist pump!

The hair on my neck rose all of a sudden; I glanced around again and shrugged as the tangible glares from them became apparent.

Sure they, my co-workers, said it couldn’t be done. No person had ever gotten the three revolutionary A I’s’ to see eye to eye together.

BUT, everyone had tried to solve it with maths. And yes, there might have been a breakthrough there eventually, they have yet to show any progress towards it.

I saw a way to bypass more years of boring math.

Something boiled in my chest. I choked and coughed as I fought down the massive urge to not shout out ‘Take that boring math!’ though, somehow, I calmed myself down. I was no programmer and math clearly was not my strong suit. Never liked the complexity of it; saw that it had an absolutely huge place in the world, sure, and it really did change lives. But, my way was might and fun!

“Huehuehue—”

A hand slammed on my desk.

Pure shock crawled down my spine. The wild boss had appeared. And from the way he looked at me, I must have made a horrible face.

“Leo? Sorry, I tripped and… are you okay man?”

I slapped a hand to my chest and gulped in a breath as my face relaxed back from its extreme reaction.

“Agh heh s-sure… You really got me there! Give me some warning next time.”

The boss shrugged apologetically and dragged a hand through his curly hair. Even with his heavily tanned hand, the wild highlights screamed at me. I wanted to recoil, but I shrugged off the feeling. Yet another took its place.

Before Nate could say anything, I blurted,

“Seriously, where do you get the time to tan?! Everyone else in this company looks like a ghost compared to you.”

The man straightened up to his full six foot two height and belted out a laugh.

“Hahaha, that’s funny.”

“Really. I want to know.” I responded without thinking.

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Nate gulped down his laughter but still smiled.

“I’ve got my ways.”

I wanted to pull at my brown hair and shout out in misery that I would never know his secret to find enough sun while being a technology major. All that vitamin D! Lost!

Luckily, Nate snapped his fingers and pulled me out of my despair.

“I’ve got to tell— Noooo… it can’t be… Is that what I think it is? I thought you were kidding when you said you had an idea at trying to get the A I’s to work together. How?”

I grinned like a kid in a candy store.

“I’ve got my ways.” I threw back at him.

It lit up my boss’s face and he said,

“Touché. Still, I know you rather avoid heavy programming. The engineers will go—“

I shot my index finger to my mouth and shushed him.

“Quiet, Nate, You know the guys from the programming department don’t like me none.”

As if I had dumped a bucket of cold water on him, he froze and cringed.

“Sorry. I forgot.”

I shrugged and said,

“But you are right, the programmers will freak and froth with jealousy. Why I can’t imagine. We are supposed to be a team and be all happy with each accomplishment.” I scratched at my week old beard.

I looked over my cubicle’s wall and was met with even more intense glares. My neck muscles twitched and I slowly dropped back down. Yeah still hasn’t changed.

“True, I am working on them. You haven’t found out why they hate you either?”

I shook my head slowly. But I had an idea.

“Hey, but way to go with the A I’s working together for the first time ever. That changes things. We might even be able to work our massive world expansion in a far more epic direction with this.” He slapped my back, but then suddenly got this extremely worried look. “Ack! I forgot to tell you! There is a glitch in the latest level you and Carli worked on; something about a Hob Goblin raging in a starting area. The rookies are dying like flies, you better get in there!”

Now that got my attention.

I wonder if there was popcorn in the cafeteria… No! Focus!

I jumped up.

“On it. Call Briar and tell him to load up my pod. How long has it been going on?”

“Twenty-five minutes.”

I froze.

“That’s five hours of real-time in-game?! Why didn’t you start with that?!” I asked in shock.

“Sorry.” He lifted his hands sheepishly. “You better run.”

And run I did.

I stormed down the hallway. The thought of a mid-level monster rampaging in a starting area, and for that amount of time, sure gave me the chills. Those poor noobs! They are probably wailing by now. I hoped they had started to log out. Yeah, they’d be smart like that.

Then I struck someone, cups went flying and I rolled on the ground, just like I had been trained. I tumbled dexterously back upright. I huffed in relief, suddenly glad for all the hours I spent in the gym; company policy for all the employees. Though, I spent twice the mandatory time in there and in the Dojo. I liked me some real fights.

Glancing back, it immediately became apparent; my co-worker hadn’t drilled tumbling into their workouts.

He was face down on the floor with coffee spilled all over him.

I held out a hand to help him up and stiffened, it was one of the ‘we don’t like Leo group’. In fact, it was Mister I am the programming engineer. Tai Yitomo.

Just my luck.

Still, I held out my hand. We were still co-workers. But, the moment he took it, he realized who I was. He recoiled in disgust and then came the tongue lashing…

“You! You did that on purpose! I’m going to report this—“

I jumped on my toes. Every second count. When a Full Dive game runs a full hour before five minutes passed it means EVERY SECOND COUNTED.

I shrugged apologetically and said,

“I really got to go!”

I turned and took a few steps when something bowled me off my feet. This time I landed face first on the floor and puffed in breaths as a knee pressed into my left shoulder. Not painfully so, but enough to keep me down. At least he believed he could keep me down like that. I turned my right palm down.

“Where do you think you are going, I am not fini—“

I shoved with all my strength in my right arm and flipped over, with him on his back.

I rolled up and without looking back I said,

“I said, I have to go!”

“YOU’LL REGRET THIS!” Tai shouted from behind.

It wasn’t hard to ignore him as I rushed to one of the log in areas.

A left and a right later I stumbled into the room with a series of pods, with my usual one sitting in the middle. The area’s single OGA (or Outside Game Administrator) was answering calls left right and center; it seemed like she was barely keeping up.

I didn’t want to bother her as I ran to my pod.

“Hey Leo! Things are not cool in there. There is—“

“I know, a Hob Goblin. I’m on it.” I said as I was about to close the hatch of my pod.

“No, there is three now!” Macy yelled after me.

I froze. Three Hob Goblins rampaging in a starting area… that was more than a little trouble. It was extremely unlikely to ever happen.

I nodded and closed my hatch.

“Wait! There is—“

The last part didn’t come through as the MSL rushed into the pod. A smile tugged at my lips at the title Tai came up with, Maelstrom Support Liquid. It was corny as they come. Still, the company stuck with it.

Within seconds the tank was three-quarters full and I finished strapping myself in.

My head dipped back and the gentle but firm arms locked my body and head into place. A warm feeling enveloped my head, accompanied by tingling. I closed my eyes and within seconds a bright light swirled as I dived into the vast game world of Realm Of Ancients.