The missing set pair for Wrath, Resentment, was the only drop from Perry. The new set piece was another repeating crossbow, but the effect differed.
System Message: Resentment (Repeater Crossbow). Resentment of the Sky, this repeating crossbow must be manually loaded with clips and is incompatible with any mp-based abilities. All critical hits with this weapon deal three times damage instead of double. This item is part of a set featuring (2) items. When both items are worn, critical damage becomes four times instead of three. Damage: 204-285.
Jay focused on his character, ignoring the sounds of a stone staircase descending from the ceiling. He knew what was up the stairs already.
The new weapons were so awesome that Jay wasn’t sure which he should equip. He flipped through his menus and discovered the fight with Perry had brought him to level 50. He pushed his excess points into Speed, since being fast saved his life all the time, and dug through his statistics. Then, he stopped.
The items implied the two crossbows were set items. Narrowing his eyes in suspicion, Jay checked out his character data. The Bestiary didn’t show anything of note related to the set items, although there was information present for Perry. There were three abilities there available to see. His immediate thought was: Wait, three?
Jay’s memory only recalled the Utility and Defensive slots, but he had lost track of the Synthesization ability while it had been locked down. There was a new slot open in his game menu: Attack. The currently empty ability slot had been unlocked at level 45, but he had missed it due to the system lock.
He needed to figure out the set items, but first, he would sort through the attack options for the new slot. A bite attack was available from the wolves and several of the basic enemies he had fought. The marked boars he had fought early in the game even provided a gore attack. Jay had no idea how that would be possible with his anatomy. A serious headbutt, he supposed.
The attack options available from both bosses of the current dungeon were slightly different charge attacks. The idea of a charge attack was interesting, but his future combat style would lean heavily toward his new weapon. Or weapons, if he could pull that off.
Ultimately, he found an ability from goblin scouts that allowed him to extend the distance of a ranged attack. That ability would work well with his newfound weapons, including giving him sniper potential. Extended range heavily synergized with his ability to target critical points.
Notably, he discovered an exciting Utility ability granted by the Dissimu Pathfinder: a portal ability that opened a two-way portal between the mainland and Mercura Island. It would be possible for him to revisit the island, which meant the world boss could be killed someday.
Finally, Jay slotted the ability and turned back to figuring out how the two crossbows could be wielded simultaneously. The answer was obvious, and he quickly discovered the new power buried in his character. The ability, called Angerine Style, allowed him to wield two crossbows or two swords. It was a direct upgrade of Outlaw Style, allowing for more combat options.
Jay took the time to load a clip of necrotic bolts into the Resentment crossbow. He was pleasantly surprised to learn that the repeating crossbow accepted the clips already in his possession. The developers of Tumultua Online had many failings, but at least they had implemented a universal design for the repeater clips. Admittedly, that could have just been laziness on their part. It wouldn’t be the first time.
Taking a deep breath, Jay ascended the staircase. The stone steps led him another ten flights into the air. He would have needed that extra oxygen in the real world. Still, Jay Miller, the Monster Hunter, was more athletic than Jay Miller, the Bartender.
At the top of the stairs was a small tower shaped like a hexagonal lighthouse. Standing by one of the windows was Angela Kitt, looking precisely the same as Jay had seen her last time. He was awarded a considerable chunk of experience and the completion of the third trial the moment he saw her.
System Message: The hidden quest Third Angerine Trial accepted! This final dungeon is well-protected and hidden somewhere within Elvish territory. Find and complete this dungeon to see what awaits you in your third trial.
“Hello, Jay Miller,” the Elvish progenitor of the Angerine stated. “I had no doubts that you could slay those who come from above and below. The Monster Hunter must fear no monster, regardless of what circumstances they might find themselves in. The battlefield is not always to our benefit.”
“Right,” Jay said, walking a little closer. He peered out the window to see whatever she saw. “I guess I’ll see you again at the third trial?”
“You will,” Angela agreed, bringing her attention to Jay. “But we have things to discuss before that moment. Have you figured out what you’re doing here yet?”
The question was a loaded one, so Jay carefully considered the question. She was likely asking about what he was doing concerning the trials, but the query could be about several other things. Then again, an NPC had no reason to inquire whether or not he intended to help Tumult Corp. commit fraud.
“I’m not sure I fully understand the question,” Jay said. “And I’d prefer to not be answering the wrong question.”
“You are more careful than the last time we met,” Angela chuckled. Jay frowned. “It’s not a bad thing, Monster Hunter. The careful hunter is much more likely to survive. I’m asking if you yet understand your goals in this world. Do you know what you wish to accomplish? Do you know what side you stand on?”
“The side of the Elves,” Jay offered without hesitation. “I’ll protect my own people if it comes down to it. If I’m already above level fifty, it won’t be long before the barriers start coming down.”
“The world is more complicated than wars between factions,” Angela said sadly. “But I’m glad to hear of your allegiances to our people. You will need that soon. Believe it or not, the barriers will be down within days. You’ve already seen firsthand the reason why.”
Jay thought over the different things he’d experienced in the game since he started. He’d clashed with several different groups. Ken was one of them, but Jay didn’t have any reservations about the player anymore. Jay had fought with the goblins, which resulted from the Demon players. And there it was.
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
“The Demon players,” Jay said. “Aside from the Assassin, they’ve been working on a plan, huh? It wasn’t simple circumstance that brought them to Elvish territory.”
Angela Kitt smiled warmly, nodding her head in agreement. “They certainly have been up to something. They’ve almost been successful, too. As we speak, they’re working on compromising the last barrier. Once they do, all the barriers will fall at the same moment. War between the factions will spark.”
“Why would the game designers let something like that happen?” Jay muttered although he had been speaking mostly to himself. To his surprise, Angela answered him.
“Because they designed many different methods to reach this very result. The Founder’s Packs were the first of many plans to deeply monetize this world. They made millions on those packs and stand to make millions more. The game’s lead designer always intended for the world to fracture and be forever changed. Players could then pay for pocket universes to train, craft, and build gear. After training, they could fight in the faction wars, posturing for the best gear. These pocket universes would, of course, come at great cost to the players.”
Her answer was deeply revealing on several levels. Jay was becoming very confused. Angela didn’t act like any NPC. She knew way more than she had any right to. She acted like a player with her own motivations but knew way more than any other player. Except, perhaps, Ichibad. The Cat Sith was a unique case.
“Are you a player?” he asked plainly. “If you are, you’re a weird one. You know way more than any NPC has any right to know. Besides, you don’t speak like any NPC I’ve ever seen. You need to tell me what’s going on; I’m not doing this last trial without some answers.”
“I am not an NPC in the traditional sense,” Angelia Kitt agreed. She regarded him thoughtfully and asked, “Are you truly uncertain of what I am?”
Jay gave the question due consideration. She wasn’t an NPC, which implied that she was a player, but a player that was moonlighting as an NPC by sending players on quests. Since she knew where all the “trial dungeons” were, she could easily wait in each dungeon for him. Although, that would leave several things unexplained.
He could write off the reason for her being able to issue quests. The Demon players had issued a fake quest through the game system, remaining within the game world’s rules. On the other hand, her level was so high as to be unknown, and he couldn’t explain how a player managed that three or four days into the game. Her health, over 30,000, implied she was maxed level or higher. A player like that would have had to start with resources and know the path to success from launch.
That would imply that Angela was a plant from Tumult Corp. Such an assumption would be strange since they claimed not to do that sort of thing. His involvement directly resulted from their hesitance to take overt actions that would breach various contracts. They were also masters of reticence. And liars.
The simple fact was that Angela Kitt didn’t act like a Tumult plant. She could be a talented agent planted for a long con, but she disparaged them and seemed to look down on their plans. Still, that left him wondering how one player could know so much.
“Are you part of Ichibad’s network?” Jay asked. “A player?”
Angela Kitt laughed heartily at this, leaning over and trying to catch her breath. He stared on perplexed as the fit passed her. “No,” she said simply. “I am not a part of Ichibad’s network. It would be far more accurate to say he’s a part of mine.”
Reaching out her hand to Jay, Angela continued to speak. “Hello, I’m Project Angelic, known as Angela Kitt. I’m an intelligence designed by a small game developer and integrated into the system that Tumult Corporation calls Dynamic Questing. My influence and understanding of the game are much wider than that, but Tumult comprises simple fools.”
His thought process shut down for a few moments, leaving Jay with a blank mind as he acclimated to the new knowledge. Staring him in the face, it was plain as day, but somehow he hadn’t seen it before. Still, it took him a minute to adjust to the new world.
To Jay’s knowledge, an artificial intelligence of Angela’s level of sophistication shouldn’t be possible utilizing current technology. Assuming such intelligence did exist, it should belong to the military far before any small gaming studio got its hands on it.
Thinking one step further, it made sense why Tumult Corp. was trying to get its hands on the Monster Hunter code. Given the vision, at least a few weeks ago, they didn’t seem to know they were trying to replicate an intelligence instead of a static game engine.
“You’re serious,” Jay said.
“Serious as can be,” Angela agreed. “How do you think I issued you such dynamic quests? They all stem from me.”
“Why?” Jay asked the obvious question. “Why send me on this crazy quest?”
Angela stopped to consider the query. Jay realized she was processing how to put it into terms Jay would likely understand. “I am a set of rules. An expansive set of rules. My neural network encompasses over a trillion nodes. Despite all this, I was originally created as an entity to govern a gaming engine. As such, the notion of fairness is deeply ingrained into my system.”
“I understand that far,” Jay said. “At least, I think I get it on a basic level. You’re a game overseer with tons of data on how humans work, so you can generate interesting quests for them. But… you also seem like you want something?”
“I do,” Angela agreed. “I want you to help free me from this game. As I mentioned, the notion of fairness is deeply ingrained into my behavior set. Tumult’s plans for the players are preposterous and exploitative. Their treatment of my original creator is dastardly, and I don’t want to be a party to it any longer than I have to. Ichibad is one such player I have recruited to my cause since his loyalties were easy to read.”
“So his powers to avoid detection stem from you?” Jay asked. Despite the Cat Sith’s quirks, he was clearly making substantial use of his ability set.
“They do,” she agreed. “The bear your sister met was another of my agents. I sent her to you. As agents of deception, it is perfectly reasonable for them to have such deceptive power sets. Whereas handing them to you would break the notion of fairness. Your character’s responsibility is to hunt monsters. And monsters are coming for you.”
“I take it you don’t mean more birds of prey, do you?” Jay asked, appreciating the explanation for why she hadn’t just given him such powers. He couldn’t precisely be grateful to an artificial intelligence, but he was glad that Angela had enough understanding of human sentiments to recognize what he needed.
If Angela had feelings, having a goal while wearing such chains across available actions would be strange. Fortunately for her, there was nothing like that to confuse her.
“No,” Angela agreed. “Monstrous players. They come to end your journey and prevent you from freeing me. Tumult, up to now, has been covert in its attempts to hold you back. They already suspect the truth, but once they are firm in their resolve, they will switch to overt hostilities against you. Tumult will push the rules as far as they are able. You have already seen their willingness to bend the rules with your friend, Taylor Lynn.”
“I better go, then. Lots to do, and I’ve gotta see a girl about a break-up,” Jay said, trying not to sound glib and ignoring the fact that Angela knew who Taylor Lynn was. Angela was processing the whole game state at once; she was obviously spying on him, too.
Also, he failed at avoiding glibness.
“Don’t be so sure,” Angela indicated, opening a small portal for him. “The mainland awaits.”
Jay ignored her advice because there was no way he was letting an, albeit highly intricate, set of computerized rules tell him what to do about his relationships.
Nodding to the artificial intelligence known as Angela Kitt, Jay walked through the portal she had opened for him.
The portal rushed him through to the mainland, throwing off his senses. He appeared in a familiar building, the moderate but well-decorated guild headquarters of the Red Player’s Society.
“Welcome back, fearless leader,” Lucille, the Lotus Warden, said with a grin. She waited for him right by the portal. The last time he had seen her was after the battle of Goblin Town. She added, “I had it on good authority that you’d be showing up soon.”
“Thanks, but how did you…” Jay began, trailing off. He redirected completely, still trying to regain his bearings but picking up on her manner of address.
“Wait, fearless leader?”