Exiting Exodus
After watching the live broadcast, the OP gaming residence was shell-shocked into silence. Ringo assigned QJ the task of sending their best ten based strictly on performance; no favorites allowed. Felix Soma was working with Roxie and Bai and left QJ a message saying he was in the process of figuring out what would work in Gaia. "Man... No one's going to want to sit this one out."
QJ stared at the group of ten he settled on. Initially, he planned one medic but decided on two after consideration. Two medics gave them the flexibility to divide up if required. He researched each person in OP, their timing, DPS, healing percentage, survivability, heals needed, and general stats. There were a few surprising results; the first was Enju. She beat the next best medic (Dessi) in every category: OP's original medic was always on point; she was the first choice, and Dessi the second.
The next surprise was their alt-tank, Tempest. Maya's Raider had the only negative avoidance rating in OP; with her DPS, she was a shoo-in for the group. Breeze could handle any heavy lifting required, and the rest was self-explanatory.
A knock on his bedroom door caused QJ to put the list aside. "It's open."
Elder Quinn opened the door, his smile splitting his face in two. "I assume you haven't been told what works in Gaia yet?"
QJ shook his head. "Not yet. What were they even thinking picking OP over TAP."
Quinn held up his hand to stop further discussion. "OP has continually set GnG on its ear. You uncover content no one else has seen, change how the other guilds play the game, and make behind-the-scenes moves that display unique and forward thinking. Besides, you have yet to offend half the corporations on the board like I have, so it was a no-brainer for them. I like the choice."
QJ smiled at the admission. "Felix sent me a message; he's working with Roxie and Bai, trying to figure out what equipment will work."
"Whatever you need, son. Jetpacks, stealth rings, grappling hooks; Fora will back you all the way." Quinn ruffled his son's hair. He only wanted the mission because he hadn't thought it would be offered to OP. He'd been grinning ever since the announcement. "It might be a few days before things get going. Be sure to stop by Ravenwood to spend time with Ra and Robin before you go."
"Half of my team have never used a jetpack," QJ pointed out.
Quinn considered the comment before opening his hud. "I'll give all ten of you access to Ravenwood. Training with jetpacks and grappling hooks can start immediately."
QJ nodded. "Of course." After his Dad left, QJ sent everyone on the list a short message before posting it to the Guild Forum.
[OP Members]
Based on our needs, I chose an MT(Breeze), an alt Tank (Tempest), and two healers. The rest were selected because of stealth, DPS, and pull abilities. This is the team heading into Gaia. I wish we could bring more, but unfortunately, we are limited to ten.
If you can think of a legitimate reason why you should replace one of the team members, I will entertain the possibility of substitution. Remember, you need to back up your claim with something other than, "I really wanna go." I usually wouldn't make this offer, but given the rarity of this trip, I decided to give everyone three hours to petition for replacement. The timer starts now.
[Team OP]
Lotte: DPS/Slinger
Breeze: Comanchero Tank
Nina: Wrangler/Pulls
Enju: Medic
Chainy: DPS/Rider
Dessi: Medic
Sato: Scout
Ringo: DPS/Slinger
QJ: Wrangler/Pulls
Tempest: Raider/Alt Tank/DPS
[OP: QJ] Team OP, report to the Ravenwood Gate at 1500 hours for auxiliary training.
QJ spent the next hour discussing his team choice with four members who decided to petition. Two of them were tanks that wanted to replace Tempest. When QJ pointed out their DPS rating compared to Maya's Raider, they withdrew. The other two petitioners were DPS, and their reasoning needed more real substance.
************
The sound of Ra laughing made the team from OP smile. The dark desert beauty was undergoing jetpack and grappling hook training with the rest of them, even though she wasn't going to Gaia; Ra just wanted to spend time with QJ before the team left. The OP Vice Leader continued improving his [Glide] ring skill.
QJ blasted between Ra and Ringo, a blur moving way faster than the jetpacks could manage. He banked and then braked, a movement that saw him flying upright while parallel to the ground. Several people watching, including his parents, clapped in appreciation; the young Riley son showed a uniquely advanced understanding of aeronautical movement.
QJ was grinning from ear to ear when he came to a stop. The combination of the [Glide] ring and the [Cricket] boots, enhanced by the Jakhasi tattoo, gave him unparalleled movement options.
Ra bowled into QJ a moment later, knocking them both into the deep grass.
[Ravenwood: Q] You okay, Ra?
[Ravenwood: Tal] Are you hurt, Ra?
[Ravenwood: Ra] I'm fine, thank you.
[Ravenwood: QJ] "...."
QJ raised an eyebrow at the Sandhealer cleric. She often pranked him, so he was unsure whether or not it was on purpose. "Really? Couldn't find the brake?"
Ra's dark lips widened in a smile as she took her time getting off him. "Brakes? No one said these had brakes..."
QJ accepted her hand and climbed quickly to his feet. "I was happy to cushion your fall." He pulled her close, enjoying the warmth of her smile.
"We still on for camping tomorrow?" Ra's brown eyes held a hint of mystery. She and Robin had invited him camping on consecutive nights.
"Wouldn't miss it," QJ gave her a quick kiss and leaped dozens of meters into the air before activating his [Glide] ring; within seconds, he disappeared into the tree line.
The team from OP worked until it was too dark to continue; to make use of the grappling hooks, they had moved to the more mountainous area in the north of the map.
QJ decided to log out long enough to eat and shower. He noticed the light on his desk hud was flashing steadily, indicating he had unread messages. "After dinner and a shower, I'll catch up with those."
"Hey," Lotte was sitting at the island with Nina and Breeze when QJ entered. She grabbed his arm when he walked by, pulling him in for a quick kiss. "I think we are doing well with the jetpacks."
Nina's pretty face wore a frown as she fiddled with a strand of her purple hair. She was one of the six OP team members who hadn't used a jetpack before today. "It is harder than it looks."
Breeze waved it off. "Today was only day one; you guys made great progress."
Lotte nodded in agreement. "That glide ring is incredible."
QJ nodded in agreement. He had pushed himself hard and, despite several horrific crashes, had developed a method of air travel unique to his equipment and skillset.
[OP: Ringo] How fast do you think the [Glide] suit dives?
[OP: QJ] Unsure, fast enough so that I had to buy a pair of goggles to see. Optimally, a wingsuit glides at 20 degrees in RL and drops one meter for every 2.5 meters of horizontal travel at 180-190kph. With the Jakhasi tattoo, I'm crushing all the benchmarks.
[OP: Lotte] It looks like you never have to come down.
[OP: Sato] Bruh... I want to try it, and yet I don't.
Chainy smiled at the interaction among the OP members. Most were kids, just having a good time with their friends. It was a refreshing change from her time at Haven. They were surprisingly capable and even professional when they needed to be. Her short time in OP had been amazing: Main event quests, new content, alliances, train heists, the Summit, and, of course, Gaia.
Like many gamers, Chainy had given Gaia a few days of her time when it first came out. OP received massive amounts of intel on Gaia's current status; Chainy didn't have to pretend to be impressed by the complete evolution that had taken place. It would never have been disconnected if Gaia had been like this when it opened.
The team from OP enjoyed two more days of intense training before they were called to the Ravenwood platform. The legendary Knights of Ravenwood awaited them, with Q standing in front.
Q stood calmly, smiling at the ten members of OP with his hands resting casually on his Gnome handguns. "We are your backup. Felix Soma will open a gate from here to Asperia in ten minutes. All of Exodus is currently shut down, so the zone will be empty. We will proceed to the cave where Anya exited, and OP will enter while we stand ready. You have forty-eight hours to destroy the gate on that side. If the gate is still active at that time, the backup team will go through. Please switch to the Gaia channel for the questions."
[Gaia: Ringo] How will we get back if we destroy the game on that side?
[Gaia: Q] Kenzo has contacted us; your target has fled with one of the gate components; it's an [Exodus Master Key]. Confiscate the key and return to the gate; our engineer friend will disassemble the portal after you leave Gaia.
[System Message: Q has offered you a Multi-World Quest.]
[System Message: This is a Legendary World Quest.]
Part I : [Disconnected]
Use the Asperia Gate to exit Exodus and arrive safely in Gaia.
QJ read the quest requirement, but something felt off about it.
[Gaia: QJ] Why is the first stage gating in? Shouldn't that be a given?
[Gaia: Q] No. This was set up in a few days by trying to mirror our target's process. The problem is that we don't have the Master Key or an aiming point. Let's be honest: going through this gateway may result in losing your character.
[Gaia: Ringo] If anyone wants to bail on this mission, say so immediately.
[Gaia: QJ] The risk is acceptable... Most of our members will remain behind. Our OP assets will still be here. After a few weeks of power leveling, we'd be back in the saddle even if the ten of us were forced to reroll. I'm in!
[Gaia: Ringo] Same here. Speak up if you want out.
QJ glanced at each OP member; they were excited to start. Robin and Ra watched from one side; he'd already said goodbye to them privately, and neither wanted to get emotional when QJ needed to focus.
A few minutes later, the two teams were transported to Asperia, a land forbidden to players unless they were the NPC Assassin. Surprisingly, Felix Soma was waiting near the target gate.
Felix was dressed like it was a typical day at the office. He counted the OP members, then nodded to himself before bringing up his developer hud. "Your weapons and skills will work in Gaia. Your ally on the other side is named Kenzo; as you already know, Anya is also waiting. Bring back the Master Key! Good luck."
[Gaia: QJ] On me!
The gate was like nothing he'd ever seen. It appeared to be a glowing wind tunnel that exited upward into the cavern's ceiling. QJ stepped inside, and everything went black.