Dreaming Orora Read online

  “Subjobs?” the GM said.

  “Yeah, I kind of always level my main with the guys, so, don’t want to level faster than them and hurt their XP and mine. But you bet I’ll use it for my other jobs.”

  “Hmmm,” the GM said, “give me a second let me go through the logs and see what I can do.”

  That was odd. But if the GM could do something to the guys then why not?

  The GM stood there for few seconds none moving. “You are right, they were part of the quest as much as you were,” he said then walked towards Paragon and Oz. He nodded to the other GM and each of them extended an arm to Oz and Paragon.

  “Holy shit! Holy crap,” Oz screamed in the party chat then repeated the same in public, “thank you, thank you.” He clasped his hands and started bowing. When the hell did he turn Japanese?

  “This is, I have never seen such item,” Paragon said, “Sure there are the temporary XP boost items, but a permanent one?”

  “See, your shit of luck run out I guess,” Oz said.

  “I know man,” Fitch said, “we’ll fly through levels.”

  The GMs tensed and paused for few seconds looking eastwards like guard dogs sensing an intruder at the far end of a fence, then, just like they arrived, they vanished with a pop.

  “Cool,” Oz said ogling his finger with the ring on it, “should we try those babies out?”

  GM: or a Game Master in the simplest form is an employee of ODI given the powers to help you in a time of need when the rules of Orora glitch out.

  They are not to interfere with the gameplay or influence the world outcome in any ways.

  8 – Help wanted

  Beep, beep, beep. This went on for almost six hours. Jack sled items on the scanner and saw the total add up to its inevitable sum. This might be the thirtieth or fortieth customer today. Not that he kept track. A far cry from his initiation days where he had to count his customers; part of the job.

  Thoughts of what to do in Orora chocked his mind. He needed to be there for Eric, for Karin. In his case, Eric got an absence of leave from his job to get this thing sorted out. Jack could not afford that. Not now anyways. Back in the day, when Hok was in full swing, Jack could afford not having a full time job. He used to stream his gameplay and get enough ad revenue and donations to sustain his lifestyle. After all, he needed just enough to get the game and himself running. Not now however. Hok was no longer an option and his new character, Alkaizer, was not good enough to garner a fan base, so he had to get a full time job.

  With no skill or a proper education to get him into the high paying jobs, and going back to his previous profession of being a driver no longer being an option, he settled for the 7eleven nearby. Nothing fancy, but a salary to pay the bills and get him fed to continue playing. The proximity to his apartment came as a bonus.

  Two more hours to go.

  After finishing with his last customer he excused himself for fifteen minutes. He had a second break due so he decided to grab a drink and a sandwich. He stepped outside the store and the cold chill greeted him with a slap in the face. A downpour with no sign of letting down promised for a rough walk home. Chicago weather in October, nothing new. He grimaced as he recalled how much he hated the rain and how he wished to dream Orora right now.

  He pulled out his phone and called Eric. A missed call from Eric earlier burned a hole in his brain.

  “Jack, sorry to call you at work,” Eric said, “Just wanted to check when you’ll be able to log.”

  “I’ll be off work in a couple of hours or so,” Jack said.

  “Ok, I’ll go ahead with the plan. You sure you want to meet the Brotherhood alone? I tried them before you know, no luck. And I still think it is better that I’m the one to ask for this.”

  “You really think you’ll have a better chance than me?”

  “Yes,” Eric said, “that was too long ago, I don’t think he’s still holding a grudge. Besides, it’s Karin we are talking about.”

  “I hope not. Look they’ll eventually have to work with me. If they are not ok with it, it’s better to know now than later.”

  “What about the catalyst?” Eric said.

  “I’ll get to it as soon as I’m done. Not that I know where to start.”

  “I hope they don’t get to him before we do.”

  “No choice, but I’m not worried about him.”

  “The others?” Eric said

  “Again, we don’t have enough numbers to save them. But if everything goes our way, we can even end the Dark One then and there.”

  “Yeah, I think we are overshooting with our hopes here,” Eric said and went silent for few seconds, nothing but the hum of the rain on Jack’s side. “Alright man, I’ll log in soon. Let me know when you are in.”

  “Will do.”

  Jack ended the call and started browsing on his phone. He scanned the forums for some news and the dominating headline smacked him in the face.

  Is Hok Seven back?

  Some rumors circulating between the NA players of the return of the notorious exiled player Hok Seven. People claim that they spotted his status as logged in for some time few days back. They even attached screenshots of it.

  ODI is being bombarded by queries and requests to comment on the validity of such claim. “We don’t comment on rumors,” ODI had only that to say. It did not stop the bounty hunters from starting their manhunt and offering rewards to whomever brings the man to justice. Orora justice.

  Jack knew this would happen the moment he removed the anon when he met Kensin. Do these people have no life but to track his movement?

  He looked at the time, few minutes and he’ll have to return to work. Better use it in a more productive way. He researched The Brotherhood guild. They built a big headquarters in the center of keynara, the western continent. They had a GPS map leading to their guild headquarters posted on their website. Not many guilds dare to do that, but The Brotherhood pride themselves in being one of the top fighting guilds in Orora. Their headquarters ranked amongst the largest. Bigger than some of the small cities in Orora.

  Guilds could build their headquarters anywhere in the world. Few exceptions like the already established cities, towns and outposts, even their immediate surrounding areas were off limits so that no guild can build their headquarters and block an entrance to a city. Otherwise, almost anywhere else was fair game. Some guilds preferred to build them near important resources, but they would risk attacks by monsters or other guilds.

  The guild headquarters ranged anywhere between a sole building to something that resembles a small city. It really depended on the builders the guild recruited and the amount of money they were willing to spend. The bigger the guild, the bigger and better the headquarters, and the more defenses it would require. Any attacker who managed to successfully defeat the guild could take over the headquarters and everything in it. Including the guild’s bank, which usually hosted all their resources. The Brotherhood headquarters stood in the middle of a large and busy continent. If it showed anything, it solidified the guild’s status in Orora and sent a message to their competition that they were welcomed to try.

  Jack’s break ended and the next two hours dragged with a dreaded pace. He thought about skipping to go home early, but he powered through. The lack of customers did not help as well.

  When the shift ended he grabbed his stuff and excused himself. He stood at the store’s entrance looking at the downpour, frowned and hurried home. He hated the rain.

  ~

  The place was even bigger than he thought. He wondered how The Brotherhood managed to keep things in order. At what point did playing a game became too demanding and felt more like a job rather than a pastime activity? He could never see himself doing this.

  The guards at the main gate were NPCs hired by the guild to keep monsters off the premise and to alert the others. Smaller guilds would have the more economical option of stationing actual players, or no one at all, but The Brotherhood had money to spare. For Hok i
t was a relief, those guys won’t stop specific players from getting in.

  He managed to get in with ease, just like any other player or NPC passing through. The headquarters hosted some merchants and crafters inside, so they expected traffic coming through. But that’s only to access the outer walls of the headquarters. The inner castle should be guarded by tougher NPCs and only members of the guild were allowed inside.

  On both sides of the road leading to the castle stood few merchants and players chatting. Hands exchanging gold and wares. A training ground with few people sparring on one side and a black smith clanging away on some steel right next to it. A small Lady Altana statue adorned the center square and a zeppelin airship docked on the far end. They spared no expense in making this place look lavish.

  To his left, a wall was plastered in succession with posters. On a closer inspection, he noticed two posters dominated the wall. One for the Orora Champions Tournament. A tournament held every year where people from all around the globe participated in duels to crown a champion.

  Different city hosted the tournament every year and a large number of players and NPCs gathered and participated in the event. Fans, merchants and participants flooded the city and generated a huge income for said city and ODI. The amount of video streams and sponsors rivaled that of huge events in the real world. Ladara would host it this year, the biggest city in the southern region of Keynara. A few hours trip from the Brotherhood’s headquarter. Their tag line for this year’s tournament adorned the ad. “Don’t just come for the games, make it your home.”

  “Your tournament seems popular here,” Hok said in a PM to Eric.

  “One of the biggest fighting guilds in Orora, what did you expect? Plus, you know, Jorgan. You’ll join for the opening round?”

  “If I’m not busy at work, sure.”

  The second poster showed Oliviera in a red gown similar to Santa’s garment for a concert on Christmas. Her black hair danced as she swayed back and forth. Looking at the poster, Hok couldn't help but imagine what could’ve been.

  Oliviera established herself as a singer/performer in Orora with a large follower’s base. Her identity remained unknown in the real world and she only performed in Orora.

  Other events and performances in Orora took place around the holidays, but Oliviera ranked as one of the top headliners, for the English community at least. For those guys, The Brotherhood, to host her for Christmas, they truly were something. This place would be packed to the brim.

  “Ever thought of getting celebrities on our side?” Hok said.

  “Not yet, and I don't want to do it without your permission,” Eric said.

  “Appreciate the consideration.” Jack truly did. If there was something he didn't miss from Hok’s days, it would be playing with other people. He loved how Alkaizer had nothing to do with his previous life, nothing to do with other players really. “Anyways, I’m getting near their base. Talk to you later.”

  Hok approached the gate of the castle. A grey, four-walled box with wooden tall doors served as their castle. For all the fancy things they had outside, this place looked more functional rather than a showpiece. Two high level soldiers stood their ground. They looked tougher than the two at the main gate. Full dark blue body armor and spears double their size. As soon as Hok stepped within earshot they crossed their spears. “State your business.”

  “I’m here to meet the guild master,” Hok said.

  “And you are?”

  “You need not know that.”

  They paused for a second. “Sorry. Access will not be granted.”

  Hok sighed. This would’ve been much easier if he could go all out, but alas. He analyzed both of the soldiers. Level hundred and ten, the guild spared no expense here either. It would not be easy, but he only needed to survive long enough.

  He loved and excelled in this game because, just like any other great player, he read few steps into the future. Just like a driver on a highway trying to manage his way through the traffic. Cutting through the left lane while keeping an eye on the middle before jumping to the right and back to the middle. It was a dance, and he loved it.

  He pulled his dagger, closed in with two steps and stabbed the man on the right and paralyzed the other with a thrown knife. The soldier staggered and lost his footing. Hok followed with two, three, four more slashes. He stole a glance at the other soldier; the paralysis should be wearing off by now. The stabbed soldier regained his balance and lunged spear first, but Hok dodged to the side.

  The other guard took out a horn and blew on it. The sound echoed around them. He stashed his horn back and charged towards Hok.

  Hok backed away few steps and glanced behind him. Few members of the guild got over the initial shock of an actual attack in the middle of their headquarters and started drawing their weapons. He glanced back at the castle doors, still not opening. He sighed and pulled a smoke bomb from his bag and tossed it between himself and the guards. Time to watch chaos ensue.

  Some stood out of the expanding smoke cloud; others found themselves in the middle of a big fog right outside the entrance of the castle. People threatened and cursed at the direction of the smoke trying to provoke him, but Hok stayed comfortably hidden using his camouflage ability. For the next few seconds he would remain invisible. The effect would wear out anytime now, but the main doors cracked open.

  Few men and women appeared behind the now fully swung open doors. Heavy armor and fully colored mages robes. These were the best of the best of this guild. “Who the hell dares to bring the fight here?” one big man in a full set of armor said.

  Hok took off his hoody and raised both hands, “Me.”

  ~

  They sat in a huge room with a large rectangular table crossing through it. Drapes, flags and ornaments adorned all sides of the room. It looked more like an overstuffed antiques store than a meeting room. Hok sat on the opposite side of two members of the guild. A dark haired large man with a purple set of armor and two huge axes attached to his back glued his broad face and round eyes on Hok. The other man sat at about half the armored man size in red robes, narrow face and sharp nose. A lady treaded lightly with more accessories and trinkets than clothing articles behind them.

  “I don’t care who he is,” the lady said, “he almost killed our guards.” she slammed both hands on the table, her dark hair danced around, “do you have any idea how much they cost?”

  Hok only offered a smile.

  “Calm down, Lordess. Please have a seat,” the man in armor said with a thick eastern European accent. The lady sat, reluctantly. “I’ll be damned,” the man said, “How the hell are you back?”

  “That’s a story for another day.”

  “You know you almost killed our guards?”

  “Had to get your attention.”

  “You could’ve just PM me or something,” the man said.

  “Can’t, all my friends are wiped out. And I thought this way is more… interesting,” Hok said with a big grin. To PM someone, Private Message for shorts, you needed to either have had him in your friend list, or encountered and talked to him in the past twenty four hours. These restrictions were made to block spam and unwanted messages by gold sellers and ad agencies.

  “Well, it got a huge spike of viewers to our guild channel, I’ll give you that. Everyone wants to know the man brave enough-”

  “-Or stupid enough-” Lordess said.

  “-Well, or stupid enough to attack The Brotherhood’s headquarter solo.” The man said.

  Hok looked around, searching, “I hope this is not broadcasted as well.”

  “No, don’t worry. We don’t allow any broadcasts here.”

  “Anyways,” Hok said, “I’m here in an urgent matter.”

  “The Dark One?” the man said to which Hok offered a faint nod, “Figures. Why else would the infamous Hok Seven be back? Eric paid us a visit some time back. We have no interest in this issue.”

  “I never thought you’d back out of a challenge Jo
rgen.”

  “A lot have changed since then,” Jorgen said, “as you can see we have a huge guild to run here. Leading everyone to a fruitless quest is unwise. Besides, nobody is able to defeat him. Huge guilds organized attacks on him, armies upon armies tried, but his HP does not go below ten percent no matter what.”

  “What if I told you we know of a way?”

  The three of them sat there in silence, anticipating. “And you going to tell us?” Jorgen broke the suspense.

  “Containment.”

  Silence dominated the room for few more seconds before the mage broke into a soft laugh, “We tried that, none of them worked on him.” He stood up and turned around to leave, “this is nothing but a waste of time fo-”

  “Not the dark one,” Hok said.

  The smile vanished from the mage’s face, he turned back towards Hok, “That does not exi-“

  “-Son of a bitch,” Jorgen said, “That’s why you are here.”

  Hok smiled, “That’s why I need your help.”

  The mage eased back into his chair, “That does not change the fact, we have no business getting involved in this.”

  “And what would you do when he attacks this place?”

  “When that happens we’ll deal with it.” The mage said, “As we said before, it’s not of our interest at this time.”

  “I understand,” Hok stood and so did Jorgen and Lordess, “I’m not asking for the whole guild, just few members to retrieve the items.”

  “And the fight.” Jorgen pointed out.

  “I don’t think anyone would pass on the glory?”

  “Glory?” Lordess snorted, “What glory are you talking about? We can lose our characters. For good. Some of us stand to lose our lives.”

  “I do understand that. Some of us already did.” Hok said looking at Jorgen, “She’s still in a coma. This could happen to anyone and I’ll be damned if I would stand still in fear of losing my character knowing that I could’ve done something. I understand that Lordess here would have a reason for not wanting to get into this and I’m with that. But you guys. You Jorgen especially. After all we’ve been through.”