The game didn’t simulate pain, but it still simulates touch. Anton felt the cold hard dirt on his back as he slammed to the ground, a feeling similar to the one he felt all those years before. He didn’t feel any pain, and could get back up within seconds after his fall.
“Charlotte!” he yelled while frantically looking around the room. His voice echoed through the dark room, him unable to see anything.
“Campfire!” he called out a skill, holding a ball of fire around the size of a small campfire in his right palm. It lit up his surroundings.
He looked around again, noticing the large tunnel dug into the dirt, the roots of trees dangling from the roof. The tunnel had a circular shape, its size even larger than the starship that took them to the moon. He then found Charlotte slumped at the other side of the tunnel, struggling to get up. Beside her stood the figure, clad in a full white clothing. It covered him head to toe, with a yellow armband on his left arm.
Despite Charlotte right in front of him, he looked around the area, seemingly ignoring her. He then noticed Anton’s light and turned around, pulling out a sharp thin sword from the white sheath.
The well-made blade reflected the glow of Anton’s fire. Anton took a battle stance. With practiced movements, he pulled out the magic staff from his inventory. The figure noticed and dashed, brandishing his sword forward, attempting to stab Anton with it.
“Wind Breath!” Anton yelled, sending the ball of fire in his hand toward the figure. The figure dodged out of the way. On Anton’s left hand appeared the magic staff, increasing his magic power tremendously. He tossed the staff to his right hand and used its handle to block an attack.
“Dirt Sword!” he yelled out his spell, prompting lumps of dirt in the shape of sharp swords to sprout out from the ground right beneath the figure’s feat. The figure hopped out of the way, the swords striking empty air.
Anton then spun the staff around, his hand spinning it around like a propeller.
“Fire Tip!”
The staff’s tip lit up, making it like a circle of fire, a propeller in the darkness. He faced the enemy, using the fire to light up his surroundings. The enemy looked at him, a death glare in his eyes. Anton then heard the sound of something bouncing behind him.
Anton stopped his staff, gripped it, and stabbed it at the enemy, causing the figure to jump back. He heard a hissing sound, and using the white smoke that started to cover him, he ran toward Charlotte. The figure saw him and leaped toward him, blocking his path. He pulled himself to a stop, braking above the dirt surface, kicking up dirt into the air.
Using the distraction, he threw his staff into the enemy’s chest. The enemy was surprised, but quickly grabbed the staff, right before it hit him. Anton, however, held on to the bottom tip of the staff. He, with all his power, pushed the staff into the enemy’s chest. The enemy tried to stop it, but Anton's sudden outburst caused the staff to hit his armor.
“Steel Strike!” Anton yelled loudly, before giving it a stronger push. The spell changed the weapon’s properties from a magic-wielding weapon into a physical weapon, increasing its physical damage.
“Urgh! Argh!” the enemy screamed, trying his best to stop the staff, his voice echoed throughout the tunnel.
“ARGHHH!!!” Anton replied with a louder scream. The enemy dropped his sword and used both of his hands to hold the sword back.
“ARGH!” he tossed the staff aside and tried to jump away when Anton threw the staff straight for his neck. It hit.
The attack stunned his enemy, his body becoming wobbly. Using the momentum, Anton grabbed the staff’s handle and used it to slice the enemy’s side. The enemy became limp, and the NPC turned into a green outline. It broke apart, generating a wind sound effect and forming green lines that traveled deeper into the tunnel.
Anton took a breather, before walking toward Charlotte, who had gotten up and rested on the side of the tunnel. She looked up, shaking.
“Come on. We need to go,” Anton said while looking deeper into the tunnel. Charlotte slowly got up, her hands helping support her body. Anton glanced her way.
“Campfire!” he uttered. Another ball of fire appeared in his palm, this time on his left palm. Anton stepped forward, Charlotte following behind him. She didn’t say a thing.
“... I now remember,” Anton muttered. Charlotte didn’t reply, making Anton think that she simply didn’t want to talk. Anton, still holding his staff in his right hand, opened his virtual screen. He opened up the quest chat, a group formed for this quest, and told the rest of them that they both were fine.
He then switched to his inventory. He brought a potion out and used it to restore the health he lost from the fall. He then opened a trade screen and sent a potion to Charlotte.
“Drink it,” he said, again, without a reply.
He checked the group screen, showing the health of its members. He noticed that the rest of the group had their health slightly reduced, meaning they probably fought enemies, meanwhile Charlotte’s steadily increased. He also noticed that he couldn’t connect to the voice chat. The tunnel must have some properties that blocked voice, only letting text go through.
“Are… we stuck here?” Charlotte asked. Despite being close to each other, Anton realized just how faint her voice was.
“A quick way back up is by dying.”
“I… I…”
“But if you want to complete the quest, then stay with me.”
“Alright…” Charlotte said, despite not without doubt. Her voice shook, her sound barely audible.
Anton then heard the sound of flowing water in front of them. He moved forward, founding a small stream with a small line of light. He looked up, finding a crack in the thick layers of dirt that allowed sunlight to come in.
“We should rest here,” Anton said, resting his body on the dirt wall next to the stream. He pulled himself down to the ground. He crossed his legs, his palm facing upward above his legs while holding a fireball that lit up the room. Charlotte nodded and sat right next to him. Anton glanced at her.
“I remember the mission,” he repeated. Charlotte glanced his way, not saying a word. Anton noticed the girl’s eyes on him, even if she didn’t turn her face. He continued, recalling the mission he and Kayla went before.
“We tread this path before. It will lead us straight to the center of the Sumbar’s village.”
“...,” Charlotte opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
“Look. If you want to say something, say it. I can’t read minds.”
“Sorry…” she answered, her voice barely audible.
“And I have human ears, so please speak a bit louder.”
“I’m sorry!” Charlotte suddenly yelled, only to realize what she just said. The echoes of her voice hammered down the words she just spoke. She covered her face and looked away, her body visibly shaking.
“Not asking for an apology… but, that’s much better,” Anton said with a smile, even if he knew she couldn’t see them.
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“Look, I don’t know what you talked about with Kayla or Sophie, but I need you to know that they’re both AI.”
“... Huh?” Charlotte slowly turned back toward Anton, looking at him.
“I know about Sophie… I named her.”
“So you know about Kayla as well?”
“I thought that she’s… umm… your girlfriend.”
“Pfft!”
Anton's sudden burst caused Charlotte to move back a little. Anton’s laugh echoed through the tunnel, traveling in the enclosed space.
“Well… now you know. You can’t keep relying on them, unfortunately,” Anton said before leaning back against the wall.
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because after this, we’ll need to face some enemies, just the two of us,” Anton said while looking deeper into the tunnels. The tunnels extended beyond Anton’s light, its end not visible. Anton knew just how close they were to their target, though.
“... Why…?”
“The tunnel prevented us from turning on voice chat.”
Charlotte then checked her virtual screen.
“You’re… right…”
“You didn’t notice?”
Charlotte shook her head.
“Say, Charlotte, why did you play the game?” Anton asked. Charlotte responded with a long silence. Anton glanced her way, catching sight of her eyelids closing and opening.
“I…” she trailed off, her eyes looking down at the ground.
“I heard you can have AI companions.”
“So not your university friends?”
“They’re a reason as well! … But… the main reason is… I want an AI companion,” she said, forcing the words out.
Anton understood her well. If he didn’t understand, he wouldn’t be here. He wouldn’t be worried about Kayla. For him, despite being an AI program, his own creation no less, she was still someone important to him. Her programs had allowed her to have feelings that to him, felt genuine. He cared little about the zeroes and ones that formed her.
“And what do you want to do with that AI companion?”
“I… want to play the game together. That is alright, right?” she asked timidly.
“Of course, but is that the only reason?”
“... I don’t want to be like this. I hate being like this.”
“You hate your inability to speak your mind? To communicate with others?”
She simply nodded.
“I understand.”
A replacement for real humans. Someone that wouldn’t judge her shortcomings and would support her all the way. Someone that would stand behind her and lift her up when she fell. He understood it well.
“You know, if Sophie is here, I’ll guarantee that she’ll come to hug you,” Anton said.
“How are you so sure?”
“They’re companions. Their goal is to support us, as real companions do. Stay by our side, push us from behind so that we can reach our respective goals,” Anton couldn’t help but feel like a scientist invited to a talk show, talking about his AI programs.
But those were his genuine beliefs. For him, Kayla was the best support he could ask for. Her actions did annoy him, sometimes, dragging him around to do unnecessary things. For him, she was too kind, but at the same time, that is her. Changing her personality would mean changing Kayla.
“But at the end of the day, we’re the ones who need to change. If we didn’t, then all their help would be for nothing. I think it’s disrespectful to them. You also wouldn’t want to help push someone forward, only for that person to constantly look behind, right?”
“Yeah…”
“Come on, let’s go,” Anton said, standing up.
“Look, I’m not going to force you to change. I probably should tell you in the beginning that you don’t need to speak if you don’t want to. I’m not going to even ask you to change. Changing or not, that’s your choice. There’s nothing inherently wrong with wanting to be by yourself. But, if you truly desire to change, then you need to push yourself,” Anton said as he brought his hand up, the fire in his hand lighting up the way.
Anton heard the sound of shoes pushing dirt around. He glanced at Charlotte and paused for a moment before continuing his steps. He used the fire to light up their surroundings. The deeper they go, the smaller the tunnel became, its diameter slowly reducing with every step.
“Prepare your sword. You chose it, right?”
“Yes. I have some experience with them.”
“You’re a gamer?”
“No… But I did play fighting games before.”
“What game?”
“Aldhia Star.”
“You wield a sword there?”
“... Yes. The land that uses them generates more money.”
“I see… well, that’s good to know.”
“Why?”
Anton stopped, noticing the once large tunnel now only wide enough to hold one at a time. He could see a light at the of the tunnel.
“Is that…?”
“Yes, the camp,” Anton answered. He stood there, thinking of a way other than fighting.
“Look, I never tried this way before, so it may be risky.”
“...”
Charlotte didn’t reply. He turned around, finding the two-handed black sword in her hand. He turned off the fire and prepared his staff.
“What’s your build?”
“... Physical… Kayla said.”
“Good.”
“Huh?”
Anton turned back and faced the light, the end of the tunnel.
“Our enemy would be mostly physical weapon users. In this game, magic and modern weapons struggle to penetrate physical armor. Anyway, as I said, I wanted to try a more peaceful way. Before, I and Kayla took the more violent route.”
“Will the story change?”
“I don’t know. We’re going to find out,” Anton said while gripping his staff.
“So unless they attack us, do not strike. Still, prepare your weapons.”
Anton stepped forward, Charlotte following close behind. They walked up a narrow staircase, reaching the light that marked the end of the tunnel. They arrived at what seemed to be a thriving village. Several NPCs with long pointed ears and brown clothing, similar in model to the white one the NPC that attacked them used, made their way across the camp, minding their own business.
The village consisted of wooden houses with a wooden fence guarding the village’s perimeter. Most of the houses were built on the ground, while several treehouses supported by Agathis trees floated above the village. Spiral wooden staircases connected them to the ground, while wooden bridges connected one treehouse to the other.
One of the villagers noticed their arrival and started whispering among themselves. They watched as the two made their way straight through the village. Some of the villagers distanced themselves, others ran into their homes or climbed up the stairs. A group of soldiers, proven by their white clothing, approached the two, their swords on the ready.
“This is Sumbar territory, humans! Turn back right now!” the person who seemed to be their leader yelled.
“You’re not going to even ask?” Anton yelled in reply, his thundering voice causing Charlotte to move slightly back.
“Humans, you think you can fool us?”
“If that is my intention from the get-go, shouldn’t I be attacking the second I arrive here?”
“Your answers matter not, this is your last warning, turn back now!” the swordsman said.
Anton prepared the staff to guard, waiting for the attack.
Clang.
He heard the sound of two swords clashing coming from behind him.
“Huh!?” the confused scream came from the leader of the Sumbar soldiers. Anton looked behind, finding Charlotte locked in a swordfight with another Sumbar soldier.
“Soldier! Stand your ground!” the Sumbar leader yelled, but the attacking soldier ignored him. Anton stepped forward, but stopped. He paid attention to Charlotte’s strike. She stepped back, dodged the attack, then counter-attacked, swinging her longsword straight for the enemy. A diagonal damage mark appeared on her attacker’s chest. She struck again, slicing from the other way. It knocked the soldier to the side, throwing him to the ground. Villagers watched in fear as the attacker’s body slumped on the ground.
Charlotte stood there, watching the attacker. As if not pleased, the attacker forced himself to stand back up. Despite limping, he sent another attempt at Charlotte, but with one quick swoop, Charlotte sent him to the ground, the soldier never standing up again.
“... I… I killed him,” Charlotte muttered, her voice shaking. She stared at the ground where the enemies once stood.
“Do you not kill enemies in Aldhia?”
“I do, but…”
“Don’t worry, you’ll see him soon enough. They’re just normal NPCs, not like Kayla and Sophie,” Anton said, bringing a thumbs up toward her. He knew what he said was technically a lie. Even normal NPCs in this game had major differences compared to normal NPCs in other games. He couldn’t let her continue, however, not in this quest where they still needed to fight.
“Still, that’s impressive. Great job.”
“Thank… you… You did good, as well…,” Charlotte said shyly. Anton then looked back at the group of Sumbar soldiers, who were as stunned as the rest of the village was.
“What…”