Chapter 37. Together, We Can Change the World

My mouth fell open. I inspected the pauldron.

Medium-Leather Pauldron of Assault

Item Class: Armor

Item Quality: High

Armor: 2% damage reduction

+3 Constitution

+3 Dexterity

+1% to critical strike chance with all skills

I had made something… truly valuable. A piece that would sell for a hundred Silver. Maybe two-hundred. And yet, I had crafted them for Cassandra. Subconsciously or consciously, I made them for a friend. A simple, kind gesture without strings. Like something my parents used to do for me. Before they went to Chicago.

I stopped, eyes staring at nothing at all.

Chicago.

The piece of the puzzle that had been missing. And then it all came together. The witch, the words, Chicago. This is what had been gnawing at me, trying to break free from my memory. I felt dizzy and had to sit down. I pushed my palms into my eye sockets. I took two long, slow breaths. I needed to talk to Sofia.

I logged off.

“What happened?” Sofia asked. She stood up from the sofa, clearly concerned.

I was a mess. I stumbled out of the pod, still disoriented from my realization. I laid down on the kitchen floor, hoping the tile would cool me down.

Sofia sat next to me. She put her hand on my forehead.

I began talking fast. Rambling, really. “We planted the Dungeon Seed. And made money. Like a lot of money. But Henry got pulled into the dungeon by a witch and disappeared. Except, I don’t think the witch is who it’s supposed to be—”

“Warren.” She said the word to calm me.

I took two, slow breaths. The next words seemed to get stuck in my mouth. I looked around, then at Sofia.

“You can tell me,” she said.

I sat up. “After Henry got pulled into the dungeon— or maybe before. I don’t remember. The witch said, ‘Together we can change the world.’” I looked at Sofia to see if she remembered.

She furrowed her brow and shook her head. She didn’t remember.

“It took me the whole afternoon to remember,” I said.

Her eyes went from concerned to searching. And, at last, they widened. She remembered.

“I’m not crazy, right?” I asked.

“No,” she said. “You’re not crazy.” She opened her laptop and typed the phrase into the search bar.

They came up as the second search result. That was the Trademarked slogan of Botcorp, the company that flew our parents out for an interview in Chicago. The company that did AI research.

“I think the dungeon we just planted is connected with a malicious AI. It may be the witch.” I said. We stared at each other in silence. Finally, I asked, “What do we do?”

“I don’t know yet,” She said. “But whatever it is, we’re going to need money. I’m going in. Time to buy some property before it skyrockets in value.” She stepped into the pod.

“Okay,” I said. “I mailed you 2000 Silver.”

“You what!?” She stepped out of the pod and wrapped her arms around me. “Warren, 2000? That’ll cover our rent and then some.”

“Or help you start an enterprise,” I said.

She winked at me, then got serious. “We’ll talk in the morning.”

I didn’t sleep well that night, the events of the day swirling in my head. Dread’s words kept coming at me like daggers. Until you figure out that you’re an idiot. And Rowan’s. I don’t think it’s money you care about; I think you’re letting fear guide you. But I don’t have time for it. I didn’t know if they were right, but I began to feel like I had made a mistake in leaving the group. In leaving the first friends that I had made since I was a kid.

Adding to my unease was the realization that Botcorp had some stake in the dungeon that I had helped form. They were a company that developed AI technology. They had some connection with my parents. I tossed in my bed, turning over and over, and a thought began to form. I was somehow partially responsible for Henry’s disappearance. For Botcorp’s triumph. It was easy for me to be upset with other people. Easy to blame. Easy to sit back and scowl and curse at injustices in the world. But when I was the cause, it was nearly unbearable. I realized that I needed to do something about it. And when that realization hit me, I relaxed. And I fell asleep.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Sofia woke me up at 5 a.m. “Warren, you and I are the proud owners of the inn in Lakemore. Don’t freak out, but I spent over 1000 Silver buying the property, hiring people, and getting what we need to set it up as a functional inn. That means we’re still $1000 short on rent for the week.”

I rolled out of bed, rubbing my eyes. Spending that much concerned me, and I couldn’t keep the worry off my face.

“Don’t worry,” she said. “Trust your sister. The inn should start raking in the cash. But if you get an opportunity to make a few extra Silver, do it.”

I nodded. Then a smile grew on my face. “You… we… actually own property?” I asked.

She smiled. “It’s not in the best of shape. It’s pretty run down, in fact. But it’s ours. I was just gonna buy a couple shopfronts, but with that money you gave me… I was able to bargain her down to 700 Silver for the place. Just enough left over to fix it up and stock the bar. I spent all night working on it.”

I stepped into the pod. “I made a decision last night. I need to go after Henry. And try to shut that dungeon down. Whatever Botcorp is up to, nothing would make me happier than stopping them.”

I logged back in and started looking for Rowan. I needed to try to get her and Cassandra back on the team if I had any shot at the dungeon. I couldn’t tell them about Botcorp. At least not yet. And I don’t think Janica would understand. I’d have to tell her something believable.

Janica and I split up. She searched the farming spots. I searched the town. Adventurers had already begun pouring into Lakemore, arriving by boat and horse. I saw small groups of gamers and those who were solo. It was stunning how far people had already progressed within a few days of game time. I saw Archers, Barbarians, even a Monk. I didn’t see a single caster Job, though that made sense. Who would bother trying to get Job Points as a Mage when there was no mana regeneration to be had. I had my Instructor Job visible, preferring to keep the Mystic Job hidden.

On a corner of the main shopping strip, adventurers streamed in and out of a building. A sign hung above the door that hadn’t been there the day before; it read GUILD HALL in captial, gothic lettering.

I was about to walk in when Rowan and Cassandra walked out.

“Oh thank god,” I said. “I was looking for you two everywhere. I…” And then I noticed them. New labels on their nameplates. Impervious. They had joined Arthur’s guild. Like the pest he was, he walked up, infesting our group with his presence. Thomas and Christian were in tow.

“Ahh yes, our old friend Warren,” he said. “Of course you’re here. I saw your name pop up in that World Alert. Some stroke of betrayal helped you complete that quest, I’m sure. And it seems like your group has left you.” He motioned to Rowan and Cassandra. “They’ve joined up with Impervious. We’ll be raiding the dungeon the moment it opens and clearing it before any other guild on the server.”

I looked at Rowan, who didn’t seem apologetic in the least. How could she join up with such an asshole? He had thwarted our musical group back in the inn, so she must know how awful he was.

“Warren,” Cassandra said. “We’re going to free Henry. Why don’t you come with us?”

Arthur laughed. “Yes, please do send in an application for membership. I’ll be sure to review it thoroughly.”

Christian laughed, of course. That annoying little chortle.

To Thomas’s credit, he looked more annoyed at Arthur than anything.

I swallowed. The weight of my mistake crashed in on me. I had left the group. Rowan and Cassandra had done what they needed to do to help a friend.

Arthur, Thomas, and Christian walked away. A small kindness.

I looked at Rowan, searching her face. “This guild, really?” I asked.

She shrugged. “What other choice did we have? They are the most prepared to go after Henry. Veteran, organized gamers. Enough to fill three full teams of five with Rowan and I.”

“I understand,” I said. “When David Lee Roth left Van Halen, they had to replace him with Sammy Hagar. But they were never the same.” I felt sad. And I didn’t know what to do about it.

Rowan laughed. “Okay, the fact that you think you’re David Lee Roth in this scenario is comical. You don’t even sing. Or attack things. You’re literally the drummer.” She put a hand on my chest. “Plus, Van Halen was trash anyway. See you around, Warren.” She turned and walked away.

Cassandra stared at me for a minute, her face sad.

“Hold on,” I said. “I made something for you.” I pulled out the pauldrons and handed them to her.

She looked shocked. “Warren, this is badass… thanks!” She gave me a quick hug. “Just make it up to her,” she whispered to me.

“Huh?” I said.

“I gotta go,” she said, chasing after her sister. She turned one more time. “Just make it up to her!” she yelled at me, a big smile on her face.

I messaged Janica, immediately. I found Rowan. We need to talk. Meet me at Dread’s place.

Moments later, Janica burst through the door. “So you’ve had a change of heart?” Janica asked, confused but excited after I told her about going after Rowan. “I don’t get it,” she said. “Yesterday you were ready to be boring-old Warren again.”

“I made a mistake,” I said. “I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed having actual friends. Yesterday, I was crafting here in the shop and… actually this is Dread’s fault.” A partial truth. The full truth—that I had been partially responsible for helping Botcorp infiltrate this world with their AI—was too much to tell Janica. She believed we were Visitors, not gamers.

Dread rolled her eyes. She continued to work, pretending to ignore our conversation.

“Anyway, I realized that I needed to help Henry. And that I felt… kinda empty without Rowan and Cassandra.”

I continued. “See I enchanted these pauldrons and—”

“Hold on,” Dread stopped what she was doing. She stared at me. “You what?”

“I had some Enchanted Thread, and I sewed a little set of crossed-swords in these pauldrons. I used to sew all kinds of things into my clothes back home. I unlocked the Enchanting Profession.”

“You…” Dread trailed off.

“Warren can unlock new Skills and Professions if he shows aptitude,” Janica said. “This doesn’t surprise me at all. Of course you sewed little designs into clothes in your old life. Probably pretty flowers and shit.”

“Hey!” I said. That hit way too close to the mark. “Anyway,” I said. “I enchanted those pauldrons for Cassandra, then realized…”

“That you don’t have any other friends,” Dread finished my sentence.

“Whoa now,” I said. “I have friends. Lots of friends.” I looked back and forth. Neither believed me. “Okay. I don’t have any friends.”

“Obviously,” they said in unison, then laughed.

The last thing I needed was for these two to get all buddy-buddy and start ganging up on me.

I cleared my throat. “Anyway… I was thinking. Why don’t we get really powerful, then beat Arthur’s guild to the base of the dungeon, defeat the boss, and save Henry.”