Taylor looks at me in surprise. Her voice gains a note of seriousness I’d never heard from her. “I assume this happened before the Beta Test?”

I nod.

“Give me a moment, I need to check some things.” With that said, she stands up from her chair, turns around and enters the back of her shop.

I grab a small foldable chair from the corner of the shop and sit down. Crossing my legs, I consider the ceiling while I wait. It’s a chestnut brown and rather pretty actually. I let my mind wander, the voices in my head speaking in whispers so low I can’t hear them. It doesn’t bother me, instead being rather nice, like the conversations at a comfy coffee shop.

It’s a good ten minutes before Taylor reappears from the back of her shop, her trademark smile gone. I turn my full attention to her, standing up as she enters the room.

“I have some good news and some bad news.” Taylor says as she sits back down in her chair. “Naturally, I can’t tell you until you pay.”

“Of course.” I answer, confused by the normally cheerful girl’s change in attitude. “I’m surprisingly wealthy now.”

“It’s a hundred gold for his name.”

A screen pops up and I click yes.

“His name is Andrew Londer.”

I wait for more, but when she doesn't continue, I ask. “Where is he?”

“I don’t know.”

The words hang in the air. I tilt my head at her questioningly. “How do you not know?”

“The things I’m about to tell you, they are not exactly… well known. Before every Beta test, there’s an Alpha Test.”

“That makes sense.” I say, doing my best to signal with my eyes for her to keep going.

“Andrew Londer was an Alpha tester.” Taylor finally gives me a smaller version of her usually pointy smile, “That’s why this information was so expensive. I had to get special permission before I could even tell you that much.”

I lower my eyes, staring at my gloves as I think.

The man who killed my brother just happens to be involved with the Game of The Gods? What are the chances of that? I seem to remember someone saying there’s no such thing as a coincidence. And this seems too big to not be connected with my own position as a Beta Tester.

I sit back down in the chair, considering Taylor for a moment. “What’s the good news and what’s the bad news?”

Taylor cringes slightly. “The bad news is that I can’t tell you anything else about him.”

“And the good news?”

Taylor gives an apologetic smile “The good news was that I could tell you his name.”

I laugh. “It seems that there’s something fishy going on. It might even be a conspiracy!” I smile widely. “Is there someone who can tell me more?”

Taylor hesitates for a second, then nods. “You know who you can ask..” She looks up before looking back at me.

I follow her gaze to the ceiling. “There’s someone on the second floor?”

Taylor rolls her eyes. “No, I’m talking about Isis, your sponsor.”

“She does seem to have all the answers, doesn’t she?” I say wistfully. I shake my head, giving my full attention to taylor. “I do have one more question before I go.”

“What is it?”

“Is there a way to bring someone who’s not a Beta Tester into the system?”

Taylor nods. “Seven gold.”

I accept the deal on the blue window that pops up.

“NPC classes. Something recently designed by the gods. As a bonus, they’ll upgrade to normal player classes when the Beta ends. For now, they offer basic system abilities.” She pauses. Her eyes narrow as she reads a screen that only she can see. “In fact, I have a few that I have been given permission to sell you. Think of it as an apology for being unable to give you more information on your previous question.”

I smile. “Is my patron finally doing something useful?”

Taylor cringes at my words. She continues as if she didn’t hear me. “They’ll cost a hundred gold in total.”

That would bring my total finances down to 173 gold coins.

Sevens and threes are good numbers.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

“Deal.”

As soon as the words leave my mouth, I watch as my gold drops and two blue windows appear in front of me.

You have received an NPC class coin: Player-Sworn Knight

You have received an NPC class coin: Player-Sworn Detective

I take the two objects out of my inventory, surprised to see actual bronze coins with images on them. The first one has an image of a knight in armor with his sword held in front of him. The second has a profile of a detective, complete with the sherlock holmes coat and hat.The detective also has a gun ready in his hands.

I put the two items back into my inventory.

“Thank you Taylor. You’re always amazing.”

“I like seeing you come back alive. Stay safe out there Elena.” Taylor looks at me with worry.

“I’m the safest person I know, excluding everyone else I know.”

I smile as I put my mask back on and head out the door. I notice Taylor shaking her head from the corner of my eye.

Soft guitar music still plays in the lobby, sounding rather comforting. I glance over to the newest shop and head over there, my gaze caught on the sign that depicts a hammer and anvil.

I enter through the door, making it chime softly.

An elderly gentleman looks up from the book he’s reading as I enter. “Welcome. Let me know if you see anything that interests you.”

A strange hodgepodge of weaponry lines the wall, from sniper rifles, to chain-swords to regular ol’ spears.

I walk up to the man, studying him. He puts down his book to meet my gaze. “Can I help you?”

He’s an older man, but his limbs are still toned from regular exercise and his eyes hold lights in them that show a deep intelligence and wisdom. A literal light, as in, they look like they’re on fire. He has nice clothes on, but slight grease stains are noticeable on closer inspection. I look back into his eyes, which burn with a never ending flame.

“Are you secretly a wise old master, looking for a new apprentice to take over your secret skills of crafting?” I ask, slowly leaning in towards him.

The old man looks caught off guard by my question. “No? Yes? Who are you?”

“I’m your friendly neighborhood beta tester.” I tap my mask. “But I could make a great mysterious student of your arcane craft.”

“I’m… not looking for any students at the moment, but I’ll keep you in mind?”

“Hmm.” I pull back. I guess Sheyla will get to keep the mysterious mentor role for now. I was hoping I could find a replacement, but it’s never that easy, is it?

I shake my head in disappointment.

I look over the shelves again. “Well, if that’s not going to work, I am looking for equipment for a couple NPC classes.”

The old man’s eyes light up. “That I can help you with! What NPC classes are they?”

“Player-Sworn Knight and Player-Sworn Detective”

The man pauses, studying me with a deeper appraisal. “I do have some recommendations.” the man holds out his hand, and a shield half my size detaches itself from the wall, flying into the open hand. “A knight’s shield is important.”

I nod. “That makes sense.”

He lets the shield go and it hovers between us. He holds his hand out, and a 1920s colt flies into it. “And this is a detective-specific weapon. Hand designed by the finest gunsmith in the game of the gods.” The thingy that you load bullets into opens, spinning. “It fires six shots, each of which are capable of affecting creatures both ethereal and magical. Bullets are remade within the gun and-” He flips a switch “It has a non-lethal mode for suspects.”

“I’ll give you twenty gold for both of them.”

The man freezes, the gun falling from his hand to float in the air between us. “Now, this equipment isn’t cheap to make. The materials alone are-”

“I understand. Twenty five gold.”

“I can’t take less than two hundred gold.”

“One hundred seventy three gold. Final offer.” I say proudly.

“Do you know how haggling works?” the man asks, leaning closer to me. “Two hundred gold is already low, if I were on a main system planet, they would be going for thousands of gold.”

“Mhm. But you aren’t on a main system world.” I put on my best cowgirl accent. “Yer on the frontier.” I continue normally. “If I could afford to pay that much, I would. I could throw an apple on top.” I pull a freshly picked apple out of my inventory, offering it to him.

He stares at me, the fires in his eyes slowly getting brighter. After a moment, he closes his eyes.

A blue screen appears in front of me, offering to sell me the items for 173 gold and an apple.

I click accept, then tip an imaginary cowgirl hat. “Yer a kind one mister. Us natives don’t forget kindness.” I reach out, putting both the shield and the gun in my inventory.

The man sighs, pulling out the apple from his own inventory. He waves me away, his expression filled with depression.

I nod at him, then walk out of the store. A few Beta Testers look at me curiously as I walk past them.

I pull another apple out of my inventory, taking a bite of it as I make my way to the exit. I step through and return to my room.

Andrew Londer. What a strange name. Maybe Mom or Dad will have heard of him? Andrew L-

“Don’t do this Andrew. Please, she’s my sister.” My brother’s voice begged.

NO NO NO!

STOP IT.

I drop the apple, clutching my mask as I try to stop the tears from running down my face.

I huddle in on myself, pulling my knees to my chest as I start to hyperventilate.

It’s all your fault. Isn’t it? The sugary sweet woman’s voice echoes through my mind. But you don’t want to remember. Come on boys. Aren’t you going to help her?

Cadet. Shut it off.

But- Y-yes captain.

I collapse to the floor, my vision darkening.

“Please Andrew. Please.” My brother’s voice broke.