‘Ahhh that feels much better’
It was the first time he had stayed online for such a long stretch of time. Abel would usually log out for bathroom breaks and meals, even if he was a little late sometimes. He had heard about pods that would regulate such things, the ultrasound vibrations that could stimulate the body also came in different grades. The top-tier line of these high-end luxury pods would help regulate a person’s digestive system so that they wouldn’t face the same situation Abel just did.
‘Even with my recent windfall these things are a distant dream to me, not that I’d spend that much money on a pod in the first place.’
The idea of spending tens of thousands of credits on a pod was just mind blowing. Unless he had tens of millions of credits in his account then he could never rationalize such an expenditure. He could buy a house with that amount. Granted, it would most likely be a small apartment in some crappy area of a busy metropolis instead of a spacious villa in a nice suburb but still!
He shook his head and threw such thoughts to the back of his mind. He needed to get some food really quick since his stomach was grumbling in protest. It was a little past 9 pm currently, he figured Frankie and Melissa had already eaten dinner.
“Hey Abe, the food’s in the warmer stove so help yourself. It’s just leftovers from yesterday.”
He saw the couple snuggling on the couch watching the gaming broadcast in the living room. They seemed much happier now that they had cut back on their hours at work, especially Melly. She was absolutely glowing with joy since she didn’t have to deal with obstinate customers all day anymore.
“Who told you to cook so much brisket…”
“Hey, you like my brisket. Don’t sound like you’re sick of eating my specialty meat!”
“That… sounds so wrong in so many different ways that I’m actually speechless for once.” Abel headed to the kitchen while Melly playfully slapped her boyfriend on the chest over his disgusting double meaning.
After finishing off the rest of the food and cleaning up, he made himself a cup of tea and headed back to the living room. He wanted to relax for a night and go to bed early instead of logging back into the game. He had a feeling he wouldn’t be having much rest after this quest started so he wanted to decompress for a night.
“By the way, I already applied for your registration but I haven’t gotten around to getting the subscription yet.”
The registration was a coalition requirement to connect to the NeuroNex cloud server and had an annual cost of 100 credits. It was basically the yearly internet fees for the pod but the owner also had to submit an application to the government informing them of who the owner was along with the make, model and identification number of the device. He had taken care of this procedure when he purchased the pods but he hadn’t gotten them the subscription to Realm Quest yet.
The subscription was to have access to the game itself and cost 150 credits per year which wasn’t too expensive really. Even when he was dirt poor he hadn’t thought it was costly and was thankful the company hadn’t jacked up their prices like other games.
“Bro, you didn’t have to do that we could aff-“
“I already said it’s a gift, don’t argue with me” Frankie and Melly both looked a little frustrated at Abel’s insistence but they eased up after they heard was he said next, “I’ll cover it this year but you guys will have to take care of it every year after. I was just reminding you to take care of this, I’ll send over the subscription payment along with my share of the bills for last month.”
“Fine but that’s all, alright?” Melly looked into his hazel-green eyes, adamant in not accepting anything else from their little brother. In the end, Abel caved and agreed but he told them that he was always here if they needed anything and the only thing stopping them would be themselves.
“How are your wounds healing up, they’re looking much better…”
“Yeah, I should be healed back up perfectly in another week, I put some of Grandma Meng’s ointment after every shower. That reminds me, do you guys have any more of it upstairs? My jar is nearly empty”
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
“Yeah I do, hold up I’ll go get it.”
“Stay here Mell, I already told you it’s nearly empty, meaning I still have some left. Just bring it down tomorrow.”
She rolled her eyes in response but didn’t move from her boyfriends embrace. They kept chatting about different things with the game broadcast sounding out in the background. Suddenly, the news segment brought up a clip that Abel was pretty familiar with and caught the couple by surprise.
“I’m sure you’ve heard of the most recent big news coming right out Caelondia lately, haven’t you Ethan?”
“Of course, everyone that has an ounce of interest in the world of Faeron has definitely heard about it Serena. I’m actually more curious about the player behind the video than the video itself.”
The two most popular hosts for Realm Quests gaming channel were Ethan King and Serena Tay. Ethan was the go-to person for all things tech-related, with a deep understanding of the gaming industry and a keen eye for emerging trends. His charismatic on-screen presence and friendly demeanor make him a favorite among viewers.
Serena Tay on the other hand, brings a touch of elegance and sophistication to the gaming broadcast. Her poised and composed demeanor adds a layer of professionalism, creating a perfect balance with the energetic atmosphere of the gaming community. It also helps that she was an absolute bombshell with an insightful mind and on-point analysis that complemented Ethan well.
As the two hosts talked in a segmented area in the corner of the screen, the rest of the broadcast was playing Abel’s most recent video [A Sneak Peek at Veridia’s Palace Grounds].
“Well, I’ve got some more news for you Ethan. I reached out to my dear friend Sstar and asked her about what she knew. In fact, she had spoken to Red Sky over the forums…”
“Well don’t leave us all hanging Serena, that’s not very nice you know... Why don’t you tell us what you’ve uncovered?”
“The truth is, she didn’t tell me much. She just mentioned that Red Sky was doing a quest but hadn’t actually entered the palace itself. It’s actually pretty obvious from the video, he can be seen passing some beautiful gardens and turning to one of the buildings outside of the palace.”
“Mm, I figured as much when I first saw the video. Still, to get a quest that led him to the Royal Palace, I wonder what it was about. Aren’t you good friends with Sstar? She didn’t reveal anything more to you?”
“No, unfortunately not. She asked us to respect the privacy of her friend. I’m quite envious of him, the gardens are absolutely breathtaking and that’s just from the video, I wonder what it’s like to walk there in person.”
They carried on talking about different points that could be seen for the next minute as the short video repeated on a loop before they moved on to another topic. Frankie’s eyes were gaping wide open in surprise while Melissa was breathless in excitement and waving her hands up and down, she eventually seemed to find her voice and spoke out in exhilaration.
“Abe Abe ABE that’s your video… it’s on the gaming broadcast channel!!!”
“Nice going bro, it’s a pity you didn’t record it in third person.”
“Wait, what did she say? You spoke to Sstar? You’re friends with her? Since when?!” Melissa was still in a state of elation and seemed to be hearing and realizing things with a real-time lag.
“I don’t know what she’s going on about, I just sent her a message in thanks. Just like most things with the internet, you shouldn’t believe everything you see on TV.” Abel let out a sigh in exasperation, he was beyond thankful he had made the recording in first person perspective. But he also understood why his video wasn’t getting as much traction anymore.
‘It was a good run while it lasted…’
If the gaming broadcast had his clip then it means it was somehow leaked onto the internet otherwise they’d have to pay a substantial fee to gain access to it from his post. While the coding on the forums was pretty tight, there were still plenty of ways for people to get the clip and post it elsewhere. Just recording your screen with a phone on a tripod could get you a decent copy of the video.
“You don’t sound so excited Abe, what’s up?” Frankie picked up on Abel’s frustration and asked in turn.
“Nothing, I’m just pissed they didn’t buy out the video from my post. Besides, I don’t think fame would do me any good. What’s the use of fame? Will it pay the bills? Can it give me a tax break? Will it fill up my stomach? Does it do my chores? Sure, it might open up lucrative avenues but all it takes is a small mistake to have it come crashing back down on my head. I’d rather make money in peace.”
Frankie chuckled in response but he understood Abel’s point of view. Melissa was still suffering from a lag due to her brain short circuiting from excitement.
“Hey Abe, could you get me an autograph since you’re on speaking terms with Selene… pleeeeeaase?”
“You’re a fan?” Abel asked in surprise, he didn’t expect Melissa to be a fan of this Sstar chick.
“Well I’m not a diehard fan but I do enjoy her music. I love her song “Longing for Love”, that’s the one that propelled her to fame on DreamStream.”
“I’ll mention it if she messages me again but it might be best to not expect too much. I really don’t know her… besides, how can she give me an autograph? You want me to give her our address?”
“Well obviously, what’s the use in having her electronic signature!”
“No way Mell… I’m not giving our address out to a stranger!”
“Then just have her send it to the P.O. Box on the island. We still have Grandpa Meng’s P.O. Box in service, just send it there. Pleaaaaasse.” She asked with those puppy eyes and an extra-long ‘please’ which made the young man relent.
They talked for a while more, jumping from one topic of discussion to the next and before they knew it, the broadcast was over and it was close to 11 pm. Abel stepped back out to his courtyard and climbed into bed. He planned to log back in after having his morning run and practicing some Tai chi.