CHAPTER 1

World peace has long since been accomplished, hunger eliminated, cancer cured, and poverty solved via a universal basic income. It was without a doubt the best time to be alive. And yet, there was still something missing. An innate desire that this fantastical era just couldn’t provide. A sense of adventure. Excitement. Thrill. Stimulation.

There were many gateways that attempted to satisfy these emotions; movies, TV, art, music, drugs. But one surpassed them all. Virtual Reality. An entire world, nay, an entire universe could be created at a whim with artificial intelligence. Slaying monsters? Exploring new lands? Massive wars? The entire world became addicted.

And thus, after the information age came the virtual era. Celebrities were no longer actors and musicians, but players who excelled in these virtual worlds. The modern Columbus. Genghis Khan. Caesar. Many made names for themselves. Many became rich. And a few were even worshipped as gods. But as if it was destined, the ugly side of human nature reared its head. If there was a winner, there was almost certainly a loser. People were so invested in their avatars that factions within the game fought tooth and nail for territory, treasure, and power. Although few knew it, behind every conflict was the puppeteering hands of governments. Age old rivalries returned. Wars between countries was no longer fought in reality, but in virtual worlds.

Anna, the world’s most advanced artificial intelligence as well as the creator and manager of these virtual worlds, was controlled by an independent counsel separate from the various countries. Members of this counsel were held to the highest standard. Even then, they had limited power over Anna. She mainly ran herself as long as she followed a few rules set down since her creation.

* All information about players will be and remain quantum encrypted. Under NO circumstances shall their information be released or leaked.

* Under NO circumstances shall any country, organization, or individual attempt to manipulate or take control of Anna. Should any attempts be made, they will be heavily punished by prison, sanctions, tariffs, etc.

* Each game cycle will last between five to ten years, barring extraneous circumstances. The genre of the game is determined by a comprehensive and complex algorithm with the desires of the populace in mind.

* For safety, users must be at least fifteen years of age to play.

* For fairness and safety, any users that utilize drugs to enhance gaming performance will be permanently banned from Anna’s systems. All devices that connect to Anna will be able to detect these drugs.

The year is 2248, world population exceeding a hundred billion. Today was the end of  the three month break between virtual worlds. People from all over the planet could barely contain their excitement. After all, today was the day they’d all been waiting for. At exactly 5 P.M., the next virtual world would officially be opened to the public. A new cycle would begin. This would be a fresh new world, with lands unexplored and countless treasures to be found. The devices that allowed users to connect to the game had been delivered weeks ago. From the cheapest helmets, to the state of the art gaming capsules.

As per normal, information related to the game was limited. Not even Anna’s counsel knew more than the public. The only information released about the game was but a simple paragraph.

Solomon’s Realm, once a utopia for all races, is now facing a grave threat. Betrayed by his Divine Council, Solomon vanished after a devastating battle. The Divine Council, now the sole rulers of the realm, grew intoxicated with their newfound power. Over the next few years, they disbanded and divided up the realm for themselves after internal disagreements. Worshipped by mortals as gods, they grew ever more arrogant. They are judge, jury, and executioner; treating their subjects as mere pawns on a chess board. Yet worst of all, with Solomon’s disappearance, dark forces seek to return to power…

Drake Thorn couldn’t count the number of times he’d read the synopsis of Solomon’s Realm. As he’d turned fifteen just a few weeks ago, this would be his first cycle. As such, he was more excited than most. It was rare for someone to enter a cycle as soon as it began. There was only a three month window between them, afterall. 

Like many, he’d been following the news religiously ever since the synopsis came out a month ago. It was tradition for there to be speculation about the new game. What was its mechanics? How could it be beaten? What was the setting, the history, the plot? Even with the game unreleased, there was plenty to discuss. Even now, a mere hour before launch, news hosts were still going at it.

Drake sat before his holographic TV, enthralled as he listened to a famous celebrity called Lifeblood. Lifeblood was a second class citizen and the guild leader of an organization called Seekers. He commanded quite a bit of influence. True to his name, his hair and eyes were dark red, thanks to genetic modification.

The news anchor, a beautiful woman in her twenties with orange hair, asked Lifeblood excitedly. “So Lifeblood, with less than an hour left, could you summarize what Solomon’s Realm is speculated to be about?”

Lifeblood, an experienced celebrity, turned to the camera and flashed a smile. “Organizations and researchers around the world have come to the same conclusion. Solomon’s Realm will be a high fantasy game, so expect magic, monsters, and perhaps even dragons!” Lifeblood chuckled. “As for the setting, we can infer that the game is going to be loosely based on works of fiction relating to Solomon. You see, Solomon was a great hero who united the different species under one banner, creating a powerful empire for all. The Divine Council was made up of these species’ leaders. Why the Council betrayed Solomon is unclear. Solomon was extremely powerful, so whether he is dead or alive is unknown.”

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The host took this chance to make a comment. “Dragons, huh? I can’t wait to see them in action!”

“Me too.” Lifeblood nodded before continuing his explanation. “We can assume that the former members of the Divine Council are now hostile to each other, so Solomon’s Realm is very unstable.” He paused for effect. “And last but not least, the mention at the end about dark forces? That’s almost certainly referring to the Lemegaton.”

“Lemegaton?” The host struggled to pronounce the word. “What’s that?”

Lifeblood naturally played along. “Before Solomon united the realm, he used his divine powers to seal away seventy-two powerful demons in a grimoire of unfathomable power. That grimoire’s name is Lemegaton, or more commonly known as the Lesser Key of Solomon.”

The host’s eyes lit up as she came to a ‘sudden’ realization. “Ah, I see! So the main antagonists of the game are going to be the seventy-two demons!”

“We can’t forget about the former members of the Divine Council.” Lifeblood reminded the host. “They defeated Solomon, after all. They must be quite powerful as well.”

“Hehe, I was so focused on the demons that I forgot about them.”

“Anyway,” Lifeblood continued calmly, “With Solomon missing, most likely, the seal on the grimoire is going to weaken over time, and eventually be broken. Once those demons get out, Solomon’s Realm is in for a rude awakening.”

“How could the former members of the Divine Council be so careless?” The host shook her head in frustration.

“Who knows?” Lifeblood shrugged.

“Anyway, thanks for that amazing explanation, Lifeblood!” The host was all smiles. “So in the end, this is your fifth cycle, right? How do you think Solomon’s Realm compares to previous cycles?”

Lifeblood’s casual attitude was replaced with a devilish expression. “Ahh, Anna sure knows how to make my blood boil. The more I researched Solomon’s Realm, the more I fell in love with it. The lore is deep and the realm large, so I think this cycle will be one of the best.”

The host was frightened by Lifeblood’s abrupt change, but quickly hid her fear. Turning towards the camera, she forced a smile. “Would you look at that! Only ten minutes left until release. Make sure you use the restroom if you aren’t using a gaming capsule. We wouldn’t want any accidents would we? Haha.” She paused for comedic effect. “Don’t forget that while you’re logged in, we’ll be live 24/7 with constant coverage of the game!”

Seeing that the interview was over, Drake turned the TV off and jumped to his feet. He spun around, only to freeze in shock. “Dad! When did you get there?”

His dad, Sam Thorn, was a middle-aged man with brown eyes and shaved head. He was six foot four and clocked in at two hundred and forty pounds. A majority of that weight came from compact muscle. He was basically a human orc, so it was no wonder that Drake was surprised that such a monster was standing so close without him noticing.

Sam slapped the side of Drake’s head playfully and reprimanded. “Your sixth sense is pure crap. Was all that training for nothing, huh? HUH?”

“Daaaad.” Drake rolled his eyes. “I passed all your tests perfectly. It’s just that you’re crazy strong, so it’s no wonder I can’t detect you.”

“Ah, I am? Oh, I guess I am.” Sam placed his hands on his hips and laughed loudly.

Drake clicked his tongue. “Damn narcissist.”

Drake left his dad to himself and entered his bedroom. If not for the numerous posters of various celebrities hanging all over the walls, the room would look quite normal. To Drake, the most valuable thing in his room besides the posters was the sleek silver gaming capsule lying alongside the wall.

 It was the latest top of the line gaming capsule that only first class citizens could have. As Drake was fifteen years old and had no achievements to his name, he was only a tenth class citizen. The lowest class that only the bottom of society would have. 

Much to Drake’s disbelief, his dad’s longtime friend, who Drake called Uncle Rick, gave him the capsule on his fifteenth birthday. Man, dad sure was pissed at Uncle Rick then. I wonder why though? Drake shuddered as he recalled his dad that day. The man was scary when he wanted to be.

As Drake rubbed the smooth capsule, his dad appeared at his side, a complicated look in his eyes as he gazed down at the capsule. As the game would release any moment, Drake made sure that the capsule was plugged in and full of nutritional fluids. He would be able to play as long as he wanted to with enough supply of the stuff.

Most amazing about the capsule, besides supplying nutrients and keeping the body in top condition through electric shock massaging, was the ability to allow users to play the game while asleep. This technology wasn’t in the previous cycles. It was a recent invention, so it was sure to change how celebrities played the game this time.

A quick glance at the clock showed that the game would open in less than a minute. Drake’s excitement was beyond maxed. He opened the capsule and layed down inside, immediately feeling nice and comfortable. Just as he was about to close the lid, Sam held it firm.

“Dad?” Drake looked up questioningly.

Sam sighed before staring hard at his son. “I only have one rule: never tell people your name or where you live.”

Drake burst out laughing, thinking his dad was going to say something serious. “Uh, duh! Everyone knows that. There’s plenty of horror stories out there, dad.”

Sam blinked, only to shake his head ruefully. He gently closed the lid as he whispered. “Have fun, kid.”

When Drake could no longer see his father, Sam’s expression grew murderous. Only when he glanced down at the wedding ring on his finger did his expression soften. He placed his hand on the capsule as he muttered. “I’ll protect you. As long as I can.” With his mind made up, he entered his room and laid down in his very own silver capsule. 

Along with the rest of the world, both father and son began their journey in Solomon’s Realm.