Book 3, Chapters 46-Epilogue

1. 46. Routine
   

My group of ten bodyguards were whisked along with me when I fast traveled, and Tarisha was waiting for me outside the portal hub.  She called her wyvern, and I jumped on its back, and we were off into the sky, with my endgame guardians circling around us, before the small group of Travelers who had been waiting for us realized I was there.

“Is it going to be like this everywhere?” I asked.

“It would help if you disguised yourself,” Tarisha reminded me.

“You’re as famous as I am at this point,” I pointed out.  “Even if I change what I look like with my illusion magic, they’ll probably recognize me just from being around you or the rest of my bodyguards.”

“I’m afraid that I’ll have to concede that point.  But I think we have lost them for now.  Where would you like me to take you?” she asked.

“I want to see my family,” I said.  “Let’s go to the goblin caves.”

“As you will it, My Lord,” she said, and we changed our flight towards that direction.

We arrived, I spent some time with my mother and my little brother, kicking Marvin out of his own home to do so with just my sunny disposition, which he found intolerable.  I sent Tarisha the recordings from the night before as soon as we’d arrived, so she had that to keep her occupied as I held my infant brother.

Malkios stood nearby, impassive and firm, serious in his duty as Mother’s Eleventh guardian, having acquired ten from Tarisha’s list of endgamers willing to take on the responsibility.  And of course there was Rain’s growing group of nursery goblins, who saw to his needs whenever he began crying.

We spent the day like that.  And the next.  On the third day, finally, I was driven back to duty.  I passed the infant Rain back off to my mother before mounting up on Shadow just outside the Goblin Caves.  “Are you certain you don’t mind this location?” I asked her, as I had dozens of times over the two days we had spent together.

“I rather like these goblins,” Mother answered.  “And they take such good care of Rain.  He’s growing quite fond of them, I think.  I think he’d cry if we gave him to a human nurse.  Even one so skilled as Beckah.”

That reminded me.  I hadn’t thought of Beckah for a while.  The last I’d heard of her, she was taking care of two noble children, but that had been some time ago.  I’d have to issue a quest to my guildmates to follow up on her again.

We sneaked back into North Shire like thieves.  I disguised myself using [Illusion Magic: Disguise], which had reached level eleven and allowed me to change my features quite a bit now.  I chose to appear older than I really was.  I was also wearing a lower level set of armor than my [Golem Crafter’s Coat], as I was able to push the magic further by not spreading it to my clothes.

Tarisha, too, had disguised herself.  She had taken a page from Laurant’s playbook and purchased a headband that made her look like a racoon person, disguising her violet hair.  Racoon people aren’t a race of beastkin that I’m familiar with, but then again the world is a large place and small tribes of beastkin might be hiding anywhere.

Only four bodyguards accompanied us through the portal to make it look like we were a single party of endgamers and one low level Traveler moving in the same general direction.  I spent some time with Randal the Architect, examining the foundations he had laid for my mansion, and the blueprints, and the pillars and supports which were starting to go up.

Building went faster in my world, he explained, but it would still take him weeks to finish it to the point where I could hold court inside it, so we retreated back to the Temple of Thedum.

While the Temple of Thedum in Zhesa city was sealed to Travelers, smaller temples throughout the land were open to all, so my friends moved my Throne back and forth between the pavilion outside the temple and into the temple itself when I wasn’t holding court.  They had also secured the divinely crafted map table in the temple’s basement until a secure room could be crafted to hold it in my mansion.

I held court once again, although this time we let it be known in advance that I would not be sharing any more information about the Deadlands or holding any sort of question and answer forum with the Travelers in attendance.  That didn’t stop them from calling out through the event bubble, but they tried.  Instead, I focused on the important matters related to the governance of the shire.  Taxes.  Settling disputes between my tenants.  The boring, non-adventuring related stuff that I had been putting off.

I grinned in relief as the audience slowly trickled out of the building when they saw that the Natives and I could do this forever.  That was the plan we had come up with.  I had once again become to interesting, so now I would be boring for a while.

It worked, until I noticed a face in the crowd outside the event bubble which I recognized, and I called out to him.  “Lawrence!  Lawrence, formerly of <The Endolphins>, I see you there.  I would speak with you,” I called.

The system focused my attention on him as our instances synchronized, and he was pulled into the event.  The level 194 raider stepped forward, only for six of my guardians to stop him, but I waved them off.  He was glowing faintly pink, but he was also displaying a [Mark of Repentance].

This was the first Traveler who had approached me seeking forgiveness after the murder of my grandfather, and my death as the Avatar of Thedum.  Or the Branding Boss, depending on who you were talking to.  He had tried to reason with me, but I had been emotional at the time.  I had not expected to see him again.

“I’m surprised you recognize me, My Lord,” he said.  “Or recall my name.”

“I simply called out to you because I wished to apologize for how I treated you the last time we spoke.  The wounds that Nial Kingslayer had inflicted upon my heart were still fresh, and I might have been unreasonable.  I know now that you were right,” I said.

“It’s alright,” Lawrence said.  “I guess it’s one of those things where time heals all wounds, but I hadn’t given you enough of it yet.  It was my fault that you blew up in my face like that as much as anyone.”

“No, you spoke words that I needed to hear,” I told him.  “I am pleased to see that you completed the quest to cleanse the [Brand of Sin].”

“It wasn’t easy,” he admitted.  “But yeah.  I’m working to recover the reputation I lost on that day.  Aside from being Branded, I also had my [Royal Knight] title converted into a [Fallen Knight], just like everyone else who was present.  It’s, well, the Natives of Yuikon are less friendly with me than they used to be, but it’s also a Title that I can make work for me if I use it in the right way.  I’m glad I finally got a chance to complete the quest you issued me back then.”

“I issued you a quest?” I asked.

“You don’t remember?  Yeah.  To cleanse my [Brand of Sin] and return to you.  It didn’t say what the reward would be, but I guess I’ll find out now,” He said.  “Its progress just updated for the first time in weeks.  Looks like I’ll be able to turn it in after the audience is over.”

“I see.”  I considered for a moment, and then I cast [Mark of Karma] on him.  I hadn’t let the world know that I had conscious control over that ability yet, but under these circumstances it would look like he received it as part of his quest rewards.  “Well, Lawrence, I just wanted to apologize for the way I treated you on that day.  You were a witness to Nial’s crime, not a criminal yourself, and yet you were punished alongside everyone else.  For that you have my sympathy.”

“Yeah.  Like I said though, I’m making it work,” he said, straightening his spine, then bowing.  “With your permission, My Lord, I’d like to withdraw now.  I don’t like having so many eyes upon me.”

“Very well,” I said, and he retreated back through the bubble of the event barrier.

The Travelers in attendance began clamoring for my attention again after that, but I tuned them out and focused on the argument between Miller Jon and Susan Wright.  Miller claimed that Susan’s teenage son had been tipping his cows and demanded that the boy be officially chastised for it in some manner, while Susan claimed that the old man was being absurd.  I tended to agree with the Wright family in this matter.

After all, Miller Jon didn’t have any proof that anyone was tipping his cows to begin with, so I dismissed him with a suggestion that he start with that.

The audience lasted all day, until finally I announced an end to it, and my version of the world cut off from the event nexus which linked the layered instances together, leaving me in a world alone with just those possessing the [Mark of Karma].  I got off my throne and stretched before noticing, suddenly, that one of the members of the small crowd outside the temple was glowing pink.

I turned sharply towards him.  “Who are you?” I demanded.

“Huh.  So you did notice me,” he commented.  He held out a handkerchief, upon which was embroidered the rune for the [Mark of Cane].  “Nial Kingslayer challenges you to a duel, Earl Hail Jeoran.  He has sent me to be his second.”

1. 47. The Kingslayer
   

My bodyguards almost killed the interloper, but I waved them off.  For one thing, he was only level fifty.  For another, he was actually following proper protocol for issuing a challenge to a duel.

“Tarisha, do you mind if I name you my second in this matter?” I asked.

“My Lord, you can’t be serious!” she exclaimed.  “Last we saw him, Nial Kingslayer was more than a hundred levels higher than you.  There’s no way you can win.”

“That’s why I’m naming you second,” I said simply.  “Depending on the negotiations for the duel, you might be nominated to fight in my place.”

Tarisha’s eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in glee.  “In that case, I would be honored to serve in this manner.  How may I help?”

“As the challenged party in this duel, I am entitled to select the grounds and the weapon with which we will fight.  I’m quite certain that Nial will not be allowed to visit Zhesa city unless he were to turn himself into justice, and the Barracks Arena would be my first pick.  We are also entitled to select the means with which the duel will be fought.  I choose no limits on the abilities or weapons,” I explained.

“I’ll have to check with the boss lady Rowena about all the details like where it’s going to be held,” Nial’s second informed me.  “But I’m surprised you’re actually entertaining this.  I actually thought I’d be in the lobby right now.  What gives?”

“What is your name?” I asked him.

“Call me Skyseeker,” he answered.

“Nial thinks he’s being clever,” I explained.  “If he challenges me to a duel and I decline, then as my grandfather’s next of kin I lose the right to pursue him in court in the land of Yuikon.  I’m not going to give up that claim.  Especially not when I may select a champion to fight on my behalf.  If the primaries are unable to fight due to a vast difference in personal power, as is the case here, then the weaker party may have their second fight for them, or select another champion.”

“Oh.  Yeah, look, I’m just here because I’m following orders.  Aside from the handkerchief, I’m supposed to give you this letter.  It’s from Boss Lady Rowena, not Nial, if that makes a difference,” Skyseeker said.

“It likely does,” I said.  I started to walk forward to retrieve the letter, but one of my endgame guardians stepped forward to take it from Nial’s second instead.

I broke the seal when it was handed to me and quickly read it.

Dear Earl Hail Jeoran,

I hope this letter finds you well.  I apologize for approaching you like this after you were ambushed after your last public audience as well, but I could think of no other way.  While I personally find the man insufferable, the fact remains that Nial is a valuable asset to our guild, and the death penalty aspect of the Mark of Cain is an active detriment to my guild’s interests.

After our meeting, I have reviewed the laws of Yuikon, met with a Native Solicitor, and I believe I have a proposal which you may find satisfactory.  Seeing as duels are a valid solution to legal matters in this land, Nial will challenge you, as Rain Teoran’s next of kin, to a duel to the death over the claims that he is a regicide.  And then he will lose.  You will kill him and prove, legally, in the land of Yuikon, that Nial is a Kingslayer.

His sentence shall be death, which you will deliver during the duel.

Nial will fight unarmed and unarmored.  He will not resist.  He will allow you to vent your anger and frustration on him in silence.  He will die, lose ten levels, and then you will consent to having his death penalty multiplier revoked, while leaving in place the other aspects of the Mark of Cain.

Please respond in whatever fashion you deem appropriate if this is an acceptable solution.

--Rowena of <Branded Exiles>

I finished reading the letter, then handed it to Tarisha, who likewise scanned it.

“I don’t approve,” she said.  “Lord Hail, even unarmed, Nial could kill you with a single blow.”

I was silent for a moment, and then I smiled.  “Tarisha, please, go with Skyseeker and set this duel up.  Tell Rowena that I accept her proposal.”

While it is the right of the challenger to set the time of the duel, it is also customary to wait at least a week between the finalization of the arrangements and the duel itself.  With my duels with Keithan and Voss, we had mutually agreed to skip this custom and hold the duel immediately.

The limit was set at death.  I would fight fully armed and unrestricted.  Nial would fight unarmed, unarmored, and with the vow not to do a single point of damage to me.  He was, after all, supposedly surrendering himself to justice.

The theater was set once more at the Zhesa Barracks Arena, where I had fought my other duels.  If I killed Nial -- and I was assured in writing that I would be allowed to do so, although it would take some time for my level 44 Spellblade DPS to eat through his massive health pool, even if he was unarmored – then I would claim satisfaction over the death of my grandfather, and petition the administrators to go along with Rowena’s solution.

If I died, then, well, I was assured that my life was not at stake, so the terms for my death weren’t actually set.

For the third time in less than a year, Nial Kingslayer was paraded through the city of Zhesa.  This time to his execution at my hand.  Unlike before, where he received cheers, this time he was spat upon, rotten vegetables were throne at him, and he was jeered at.  He seemed to take it all in stride, waving and smiling to the assembled Natives and Travelers alike as he made his way to the arena where our duel would take place.

He had been escorted by members of his own guild, who held off the city guard when they tried to arrest him.  I had cleared the duel before hand, but the Native guards attempted to intervene despite that, as I was but a lowly Earl and he was the Kingslayer.  But the guard bowed before the gathered might of an endgame raid guild.  There was a one hundred level gap between them after all.  Few of the city guards in Zhesa were like Malkios, able to fight toe to toe with an endgamer.

The event bubble had already engulfed me, Tarisha, and the judge from the army who would oversee the fight, when Nial and Skyseeker stepped through it.  From that moment on, everything that occurred during our duel would be canon, I knew, and the words I spoke were important.

“Nial Kingslayer.  I charge you with Regicide.  You have challenged my right to pursue you in the court of law with a duel to the death, and I stand here to--”

“Yeah yeah kid, let’s just get this bullshit over with,” Nial said, unequipping the poncho that he had worn to stave off the rotten fruit that had been thrown at him.  In a flash, he was wearing only the simple set of clothes that all Travelers seemed to possess and automatically donned whenever they weren’t wearing armor.  “I agree to the terms of the duel as negotiated by Rowena and Skyseeker.  Those are the only lines I’m supposed to say.  But I’m going to add that this is bullshit and I’m really looking forward to getting this over with.”

I frowned, as his words left a bitter taste in my mouth.  I didn’t like that Rowena had maneuvered me into this position, but I couldn’t refuse this duel without going back on my word, as witnessed by hundreds of travelers.  Presenting himself to me for a duel to the death wasa valid legal defense under the Yuikonese legal code, after all, and I had said that I would remove the [Mark of Cain] if he submitted to Yuikonese justice.  The compromise that Rowena presented appeared almost reasonable to many Travelers, for some reason.

It left me seething inside.

The judge went over the terms of the duel for the gathered audience, which waited outside of the event bubble, watching in droves.  In one of the instances, my friends awaited, including Larissa, who would quickly portal me out of Zhesa city once this nonsense was over before too many of the Travelers could accost me.

Wearing my full adventuring kit, I infused [Blade of Eclipse] with [Holy Weapon], and faced off against my opponent.  Who, as promise, just stood there.

I attacked him with a [Piercing Lunge], followed up with a [Slash] and a [Thrust], then I stepped back.  I had done less than one percent damage to him.

“If we do things like that, it would take some time,” I commented.

“Yeah, whatever.  I’m actually wearing an accessory which turns off my health regen, so just keep going and you’ll get there eventually,” Nial commented, yawning and stretching.

“That reminds me,” I said to myself.  “I never replaced my second ring slot after I lost [Ring of Holy Light].”

“What?” Nial asked.

I reached out and touched him with my left hand, casting [Draining Touch] as I did so.  The touch attack was in fact one of my strongest abilities, but it still did an infinitesimal amount damage to him.  But it inflicted a different sort of damage as well, as he received a notification that he was now affected by the combination of [Through the Valley of the Shadow] and [Reaper’s Embrace].

“What the fuck?” he exclaimed.  “What did you just--”

“I concede the duel,” I announced, turning my back on Nial and walking away.  “Under the laws of Yuikon, I concede for a year and a day my right to pursue my claim against Nial of <Branded Exiles> for the regicide of King Rain Teoran the first.”

“Wait, what?” Nial asked.  “That’s it?  You’re just giving in?  You’re not going to kill me?”

“I’ve already scored the victory that I wanted, Nial,” I informed him, sheathing my sword.  “You are now affected by [Mark of Cain], [Brand of Sin], [Mark of Karmic Balance], and [Reaper’s embrace].  I’m fairly certain that there is no way for you to cleanse any of those afflictions, even should you try.  Eventually, you’ll die at the hands of others and be driven from this game as your guild discards you as a useless thing of the past.  Or they’ll turn you in to my great-uncle, Auroras.  My Grandfather’s brother, who has not conceded his right to claim justice in this duel.  As his grandson, bringing you to justice was never my mantle to bear in the first place.  Not while he had a brother and son still alive.”

I walked calmly and patiently towards the edge of the event barrier, confidently explaining how I had just outmaneuvered his guild leadership and scored a victory over him.

I should have walked faster.

“Lord Hail, look out!” Came a shout.  Tarisha attempted to [Windwalk] to my side, but the magic which restricted her from interfering with the duel was still in place.

The knife which Nial pulled from his inventory to [Throw] at me hit me in the back.  It didn’t do critical damage.  But it still did thirty-eight thousand damage, overkilling me by thirteen thousand.  I fell to the arena floor, my vision going gray.

You have died.

The Gray Man’s Touch has reduced you to level 1.

The Gray Man’s Touch Fades

You are now affected by Rebirth Resonance

Your Class has been unfixed.

You are no longer a Spellblade.

Your Class has been set to [Placeholder]

You no longer have access to Mana

Your combat abilities are being updated and adjusted

I tried to move, but was paralyzed.  This was much worse than just being reduced to level 1!  I had lost my class, my magic, and my skills!

<<Do not panic, Hail,>> Thedum’s voice said in that strange way.  I was hearing it, but not hearing it.  Like it resonated with my mind from far away.

I reached out and pushedand found that I could answer him.  <<Thedum, what is happening?  I was only supposed to be returned to level one, why am I being stripped of my spells and abilities?>>

<<[Placeholder] is like the [Child] class, Hail.  It is able to use any spell or ability in the game.  Except not at the same time.  With it, you will be able to fight as a warrior, a rogue, a mage, or a lord, depending on the item which you equipped.  And you will be able to level them each separately.  It has been determined by the other gods that you selected [Spellblade] in haste when it was presented to you, and they are forcing this opportunity upon you to reevaluate that decision.  I’m sorry.  It was not my choice either.>>

<<I don’t want this Opportunity!>> I sent/shouted.  <<Tell the gods thanks, but no thanks>>

<<I am sorry, Hail.  They have determined that if you wish to unlock Spellblade once more, you must do so the traditional way.  As a compromise, this time you will not be floundering around in the dark.  Thomas the Administrator will provide you with more details on how the [Placeholder] class works, and how to unlock [Spellblade] once more.>>

You have Died

Activate Mark of the Phoenix?

Yes

No

I would have frowned at the second popup, except that I could couldn’t.  Because of the being dead thing.  I’d forgotten about that ability.  I considered whether or not to activate it.  On the one hand, it would be revealing one more of my abilities to the gathered Travelers who were watching the drama unfold.  Which, I realized, was happening even as I considered what to do next.

Once I had died, Tarisha had killed Nial Kingslayer.  I do not believe it had been particularly difficult for her, considering that he had unequipped all of his items to make it easy for me to do the same.

However, upon his death, <Branded Exiles> had struck out, and the instances outside the event bubble were engaged in a multilayered pvp battle as the groups aligned against me killed not just my allies, but anyone weaker than them.  Including a number of innocent Natives, I noticed.  Ones who likely couldn’t respawn as I could.

They had the element of surprise on their side, but ultimately everyone else had the numbers, and as I was debating whether to return to the lobby or use [Mark of the Phoenix, they abruptly retreated.

It was the lamentation of the Natives which eventually made my decision for me.  I activated my revival ability, and in a burst of flames was returned to half health.  I looked out of the event bubble, and I equipped a voice-amplifying token to make my words heard.

“I, Hail Jeoran, Earl of North Shire and Thorn March, declare <Branded Exiles> to be an outlaw guild due to their violent actions in breaking the peace of Yuikon today,” I declared.  “As for Nial Kingslayer, he is a coward, killing first an old man who was giving him honors, and then striking an opponent who had already surrendered in the back!  I will honor my pledge not to seek retribution against the kingslayer for one year and one day, as is the law of the land, but be known that although the curse of the Gray Man’s Touch has reduced me to level one, I have been cleansed of that affliction and will suffer no further setbacks!”

With my pledge made to the natives, and after giving proof that I would rise from the dead no matter how many times I was struck down, I quickly selected the option to return to the lobby before the event bubble collapsed and someone accidentally killed me with a sneeze.

1. 48. Setbacks
   

“Display status,” I commanded, and was immediately dismayed with the result.

Name

Hail Jeoran

Level

1

Guild

<Nethersong Mavericks>

Strength

12

Health

0/120

Dexterity

17

Experience

0/100

Vitality

13

Age

15

Endurance

12

Race

Human (blood of the travelers)

Intelligence

14

Class

Placeholder

Wisdom

13

Job

Earl

Charisma

42

Title

Dungeon Master I

Armor

0

Veteran of Mooncrest Manor

Spell damage

3

Veteran of The Battle for North Shire

Attack Power

41

It was disheartening.  I had lost all of my hard earned progress.  I had known it was a possibility ever since I’d been inflicted with The Gray Man’s touch, but I had deceived myself into believing that it wouldn’t happen to me.  Even when I had been inches away from death.  Even when I had courted it.  But I had also prepared myself for this the moment I had accepted the duel from Nial.  The thought that he would violate the agreement had occurred to me, and I’d prepared myself mentally for that possibility.

Except I hadn’t just lost my levels.  Those I could regain.  I had lost my class, and my ability to cast magic.  I tried, but even the simple cantrip to cast [Spark] or [Detect Poison] was beyond me.

“It’s only temporary,” Thomas promised, his avatar coalescing into existence from motes of blue light.  We were, as I always was when I came to the lobby at first, in the copy of Zhesa castle which he had set up for me.  “That you don’t have magic, I mean.  We’re, well, we’re rewriting some things to make them more compatible with you.  It’s something that we were always going to do, but I’m sorry that it wasn’t explained to you before hand.”

“There seems to be a lot of that, and it’s starting to make me quite angry,” I said, turning on Thomas.  “You bastards!  Goddamn it!  Give me back my magic!”

“We will,” Thomas promised.  “Hail, the [Placeholder] class is quite powerful.  It’s meant to allow you to switch between [Lord], [Duelist], [Mage], and any other class that you want.  Except for [Child].  Once you return to the world, you will be able to level each class independently of each other.  I understand how frustrating it must have been to see your progress be reset like that, but this is meant to be a large upgrade for you.”

That gave me a moment of pause, but I was still angry.  “What of [Spellblade]?  That is the class that I truly want, not any other!”

“The problem, Hail, is that you have never truly been a [Spellblade].  From the beginning, you’ve always been a [Child],” Thomas explained.  “Your class name and abilities were simply changed to match the publicly known traits of the [Spellblade] class.  We thought for a while that would be enough, but after you returned from Earth following your studies on the DSS, your interface and the world began throwing errors that--”

“You mean when you held me hostage for half a year!” I shouted at him.  “You may have sent me back in time, but that does not change my indignation over how I was treated during that time.”

Thomas acknowledged the point with a tip of his head.  “And I’m sorry for that, Hail.  It was out of my hands.  I tried addressing the matter as many times as I could, but it took coordination with Thedum to actually get anywhere in breaking that logjam.

“Hail, I’m sorry.  For the way Arc has been treating you.  For removing you from your world, for resetting your progress in leveling, and for what we’re doing to your combat system.  We should have explained everything as we went along, but, as I said, the other administrators dislike it when I break the fourth wall with you.  Since the matter with the DSS, however, I’ve been lobbying to get a wider degree of latitude in the sort of information I’m allowed to give you about the system and how you interact with it.”

“That’s it?  That’s the apology I get?” I demanded.

“Would you like me to prostrate myself?” Thomas asked, sounding curiously like he would do so.  “To what level would you like me to demonstrate my remorse for my employer’s actions, Hail?  You know enough about Earth now to understand that I’m not actually very high in the hierarchy of the company that runs your world.  Most of the decisions that have affected you so negatively have been out of my hands.  Like the others, the decision to reset your class without explaining things to you was made without my input or consent, but I can at least explain it to you now.”

I considered ranting at Thomas, but ultimately I knew that he was right.  It would be like screaming at a gate guard because of a decision made by a king.  Arc inc. ruled the gods of my world, and they had far more power over it than I ever would.  Thomas was but a minor puppet that they used to speak with me when it proved convenient for them to do so.

I wanted to continue yelling at the man.  I remembered when Leonard had came at me, ready to cuss me out, only to deflate suddenly.  I felt I understood him then.  There was no joy in yelling at someone who wasn’t ready to fight back.

“I’m listening,” I said after giving his proposal consideration.

“It comes down to two matters,” Thomas explained.  “The first is that you’re too good at being a [Child] [Spellblade].  We’ve been constantly adjusting the coefficients to lower your damage output to be in line with the maximum of what a skilled player would be able to put out if they took over a new avatar after raiding for several months and leveled it to whatever your current level is.  Every time we adjust your coefficients, however, you make a change to your fighting style to compensate for the change, or which needs to be adjusted on our end.”

“You’ve been making combat harder for me?” I asked after I processed his words for a moment.

“Not me personally.  The team which is trying to balance your class, yes.  From the moment that you killed the level 19 boar, actually, they’ve been trying to adjust your class down to what a human could theoretically be capable of.  And they haven’t succeeded,” he explained.  “You’re just too good, Hail, and that’s the crux of it.  I’m sorry.  The new classes are an effort to balance you more fairly.  More fair to you, and to your human competitors.”

“What is the second matter?” I asked.

“A layer of incompatibility between your subconscious support system and your consciousness,” Thomas answered.  “The wall is breaking down.  It has been for a while now, ever since Thedum made you into a worldboss.  You were meant to understand certain things intuitively, and at the same time have other concepts filtered from your understanding to make your interactions with the Travelers seem more authentic.  That ship has sailed, however.  So we’ve decided to, as Thedum put it, take off the training wheels entirely.”

“There is a problem with my mind?” I asked, growing concerned.

“Don’t worry.  We’ve had all of the gods working on a solution.  You shouldn’t even notice the difference, when we patch you.  But you might.  It will happen the next time you enter your rest cycle.  I’m just warning you because, well, I think you have a right to know, and at this point nobody can stop me from telling you,” Thomas said.

I fell silent as I weighed his words.  They were troubling.  The administrators were going to do something to me in my sleep, and I doubted there was anything I could do to stop them.  Nothing but cry and beg, and I refused to lower myself to that.

“What will change?” I asked at last.  “Will I be a different person?”

“No.  You’ll find it easier to issue quests intentionally, even without the use of your throne.  You’ll be able to manually assign reputation to Travelers based on your personal opinion of them.  To a degree.  You’ll have to if you want them to have your personal reputation, as the system which was assigning that for you is going away.  You’ll be aware of things.  It will be almost like having your throne with you everywhere, but not quite.  There are still some features which will be locked based on location.  The throne was how we calibrated and tested a lot of the patches we’re about to apply.  This patch will be like having a portable throne in your back pocket all of the time that you can pull out whenever you want.”

He paused, then assured me “Hail, we like your personality how it is.  We’re not looking to change it.  Everything we’ve done today, including resetting your level, has been about removing restrictions which have been in place without changing who you are.”

“Perhaps,” I said.  “But this is a conversation that should have happened as soon as you determined that these changes were necessary!  I am tired of your flimsy excuse about breaking walls, Thomas.  I hereby file notice under section 8.4.2.3 of a material complaint between myself and Arc inc. over my ethical treatment.”

Rather than get upset, as I had expected him to, Thomas grinned broadly.  “Thank you, Hail.  Those are words that I was sincerely hoping to hear from you someday.”

I watched in surprise as a table formed, with papers, ink, and quill ready for me.  “Why don’t you go ahead and, in your own words, describe the nature of your complaint.  I will return in a few hours to help you file your grievance.  It will take some time for the review process, Hail.  But I promise, Arc inc. will take this document very seriously.  So work hard on it, okay?  And be aware that you can update it at any time, as you learn more about how this process works.”

Wary of a trap, I took a seat at the table.  Thomas vanished into motes of light.

I began to write.

1. <<Epilogue: Tarisha>>
   

Tarisha was waiting patiently outside the Temple of Thedum in Zhesa City for Hail to return to the world.  He had notified her of his intentions to do so moments ago, and she had cut short her expedition into the Deadlands with <Peasant’s Revenge> to join him.  She quietly changed out of her raiding armor and donned one of the disguise items that Lewis had obtained for her.

Daemon and Lewis joined her moments later.  They too had disguised themselves as anonymous Travelers, although she didn’t think either of them was well known enough to warrant such treatment.  Perhaps Lewis, or Laurant as he was known in game, due to his role during the war against the bandits as the commander of Hail’s canon forces.  But Daemon had been dealing mostly with Natives since acquiring his canon role.

Tarisha had thrust herself forward to be, as Hail himself had put it, his liaison with the endgame community, and so she was less worried about her companions being recognized.  She was the face that the meta-game community associated with Hail, especially as his personal bodyguard, so it stood to reason that she was more likely to acquire a tail than the two casual players who were seen as simply having lucked into their new positions.  She glanced around at the passersby, but nobody even glanced in their direction.  She was worrying for nothing.

“So he’s really level one again now, huh?” Lewis asked as they waited.

“It’s somewhat more than that,” Tarisha said, exhaling as she tried to relax.  She scanned through her messages, including the responses to the tickets she had filed with the administration appealing the death penalty of the duel on Hail’s behalf.  “It seems that the interface between Hail and the world was significantly out of date.  Apparently this all goes back to when your guild decided to load him up with every skill in the game when his class was [Child] in order to spread [Mark of Karma].  The developers made some poor decisions at that time which have been snowballing ever since.  They plan on compensating Hail for the lost progress with a boon called [Rebirth Resonance], although I do not have all the details.”

“Sounds like bullshit to me,” Lewis complained.  “Every time Hail takes a step forward, it seems like the world pushes him two steps back.  It’s giving me second thoughts about giving my final signature, you know?  It’s not too late for us to back out.”

“It is for me,” Tarisha informed him.  She looked up.  “Lewis, don’t you realize how lonely he is?  We’re trying to help him, at least, but everyone else just sees him as an NPC.  An important and exploitable one.”

“Yeah, that’s not very reassuring when I think about the fact that I’m going to have a sort-of kid version of me uploaded into the game as well,” Lewis explained.

“So we’ll keep them secret,” Tarisha argued.  It was one of the few things they argued about, at this point in their relationship.  She was committed to the Gemini project, and Lewis waxed between full commitment to match her own, and threatening to pull out entirely.  “The devs have promised not to force them into the limelight like they did for Hail.  They’re not going to have an important canon role like prince of Yuikon.  And they won’t be blind about their abilities like Hail was.”

“I still don’t understand why that was necessary,” Lewis objected.  “It seems unnecessarily cruel to me.  I’m going to tell Charity and Prosperity from the beginning everything I know about their abilities, and if Arc tries to stop me I’m suing them on their behalf.”

“They were testing his limits,” Daemon said, sighing.  “It’s easy to forget, once you start thinking of him as a person.  Hail is the most humanlikeartificial intelligence I’ve ever encountered.  But that doesn’t make him human.  Especially not legally.  What Arc is allowed to subject him to in the name of experimentation is well outside what I would consider ethical, considering that they themselves gave him the ability to feel human emotions.”

“Do you guys talk about this sort of thing all the time when I’m not around?” a familiar voice asked, and Tarisha turned.  A young man had sneaked up on them from an angle she hadn’t been watching.  Or rather, she had seen him, but when she had [Analyzed] him she had seen he was a level one [Acolyte] and given him no further mind.

“Lord Hail?” she inquired.  “Is that you in disguise?”

“Pretty good, right?” he asked.  “It’s one of the benefits of getting reset, I guess.  I get access to all of my general skills and general spells in every class, so I’m using [Illusion Magic: Disguise] right now.  And my [Placeholder] class let’s me change what people see when they analyze me.  Even you guys didn’t recognize me when I was walking up.”

“Are you planning on leveling as a healer, then?” Lewis asked him.

“No.  It’s just a disguise,” Hail answered.  “Thanks for meeting me.  I don’t really need the protection anymore, but it will be nice to have company while I run some errands.  But you didn’t answer the question.  How much do you guys talk about stuff like that?  How Arc treats me, and ethical concerns, and whatever.”

Tarisha glanced at the others, but it was Daemon who answered.

“It comes up from time to time, Hail,” he said honestly.

“Yeah, well, in that case I’d like you to not hide it from me anymore,” the young AI said.  “Guys, the fourth wall was shattered a long time ago.  I may not understand much about Earth, but I’ve known I was an AI since the night my father rejected me.  I’m just now starting to understand what that means, but everyone is still treating it like it’s some big secret.  I’ve been to Earth.  I know Earth Humans are different from Natives, and the gods, and whatever I am.”

“What is it, exactly, that you think you are, Hail?” Lewis inquired.

“I’m me,” Hail answered.  “It’s who I’ve always been, as long as I can remember.  I’ve never had any doubts about that.  What I have doubts about is what I want, and what I want to do with my life.  But I’m starting to figure that out as well.”

“That’s great, Lord Hail,” Tarisha told him.  “I’m certain that we’d all be thrilled to help you achieve your goals, once you’ve established them.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Hail answered.  “You guys are always ready to complete my quests for me.  But I don’t think what I have in mind is going to work like that.”

“What are you planning, Hail?” Daemon asked.

“First I’m going to visit Marquise Peori,” Hail answered.  “Then I’m going to go incognito for a while.  I’ll set up the first few dozen battlegrounds like I promised for the people and companies who won the auctions, but I’m not going to be talking to the endgame community anymore.  And I’m not going to be doing any dungeon busting or lair destroying or anything.  Um, Daemon, Laurant?  Can you let everyone know when I quit the guild that it’s not anything personal?  I just need to lie low for a while.  I plan on coming back.”

“That is … disappointing, Hail,” Daemon said.  “I’m not certain you’re aware of this, but <Nethersong Mavericks> has realigned itself significantly due to your presence.  It’s no longer the casual guild it used to be.  It’s almost exclusively dedicating towards advancing your goals.”

“I’m coming back,” Hail insisted.  “I just need some time to myself.  Actually, you guys could still help me by pretending that nothing has changed, and that you’re leveling me back up in secret.  But the truth is that I plan to spend some time traveling the Heartlands.  When I’m not in Thorn March spending time with my mother and brother, that is.”

“What about the succession?” Lewis asked, broaching the subject before Tarisha could bring it up.

“That’s what I’m going to talk to the Marquise about right now,” Hail answered.  “And after that, I’m going to talk to Lady Mooncrest.  But I think that the best thing I can do to get ready for what’s coming is to get stronger, and I don’t want to do that surrounded by bodyguards with players who are with me because they were selected by lottery or whatever.”

They moved through the city as they spoke, heading towards the Marquise’s home.  Tarisha struggled with her inner turmoil.  This would affect her professionally.  But not that much.  Not as much as having Hail out of game had effected her.  She had raked it in when she had released the advanced information about the great reversion into The Recent Past, but for a little while she had been afraid that her jump in declaring herself a full-time professional gamer had been immature.

She was certain that the succession was the next big thing to hit the game, and the information she would get from this meeting would be key in forming the strategy for many of her allies.  And Hail’s allies.  She was, after all, his liaison with the endgame community, and she had been forming a coalition on his behalf to push for putting the infant Rain onto the throne.  Perhaps one day she would sit down and show him all of the work she had been doing for him in the background, but not now.  Not so soon after this setback.

He was her lord.  If he needed time alone, then she would buy it for him.  In whatever currency that required.