Hard-Mode

I go to Desdenia's stream site and her newest video is one she did earlier today. She must have deleted the one of our fateful encounter, but not before someone snatched it and posted it on the forums. I go back to the post, and there it is: our video. I press play, and it begins.

The annoying hovering cube films Desdenia and her introduction, then me bleeding out thanks to her arrows, then there's a cut when I grabbed it, and another when we fall on the piano.

Then it goes on without interruption. I'm so thankful that Desdenia never said my name, and that my privacy settings don't allow people to see it unless they're my friends. The stream cuts out when three of Desdenia's cronies arrive and heal her. She gets up and glares at the hover cube before it stopped filming them.

I read some of the comments below.

"Anyone know her?"

"He sure beat her ass."

"But then she saved her. That's so sweet. Lol! Should have left her to die."

"Go Chimstad FTW!"

If Desdenia didn't care about my existence before, now I'll definitely be on her radar. That's not good.

Not good at all.

The rain outside continues in strong bursts, and the wind howls in unison. I go to the kitchen to get something to eat. My surviving shoe is still soaked on the floor. Another of Ma's umbrellas hangs from a chair, and I hear her soft snores coming from her bedroom.

The door to María's bedroom is open, and her bed is empty again. I wonder where she sleeps when she's away, but I'm not going to ask her. I can't even think about her without wanting to punch the wall.

When I reach the refrigerator, the power goes out again. This time it makes more sense, considering the storm outside. It's pitch black except for the faint light of my computer screen coming from my bedroom. The UPS will keep it on for at least two hours. Then I remember I never bought the charger for the Neural X.

I run back to my room. The helmet's battery is almost depleted. I don't know how long the storm will last or how long it will take for the power to be reestablished. Last time it took three infernal days.

I have to find a place to play during the tournament. I can't risk dying because I've been disconnected.

I scour the forums for more information. The only useful information is the timer. Some event will mark the start of the tournament at 4:00, 39th day of autumn server time, March 17 real-world time. As I try to decipher exactly what time that is in the real world, I yawn. It's been a long day, and my best choice is to sleep and continue playing later. The rain doesn't sound like it's abating, and the power will probably be out at least until morning.

One day in the real world is almost two days in Amoria, with each day lasting 16 hours. Roughly eight hours of nighttime and eight hours of sunshine. It's now nighttime on the 56th day of summer.

If I'm going to be focused on the tournament tomorrow, I have to leave some things for sale at the auction hall. Every day I don't put something for sale is a waste. So I log back in, hoping the power on the Neural X will last a few more hours.

Amoria comes into view. It's still a disconcerting experience to see things materialize before my eyes, and I believe it will take some time getting used to. But I'm inundated by a warm sense of nostalgia once I see my farmhouse. After spending countless hours here, it feels more like home than anywhere in the real world.

It's still nighttime, and the moon is high in the sky. I go inside and approach my crafting station. It's a wide wooden table with dozens of open boxes where I keep my materials. I'm curious as to how crafting has changed with the update, and how it's different with the Neural X, so I dig into it immediately.

Without the portal hubs in the cities, teleportation can only be cast by spells and items. I happen to be able to sew a cloak that teleports you to the nearest city, regardless of where you are. I've never had to use it before, but I assume it will now come in handy. Beneath the desk, instead of the low level gear I've crafted a few days ago, there are crystals stacked one atop of the other. I grab one.

So this is what they came up with to save space.

Inside the crystal, a tiny version of the equipment is frozen as if stuck in amber. When I hold it closer to my eye, I see its name and detail. Level 10 Nubi pants.

I designed this Nubi set a long time ago, back when I was still leveling up myself. What's cool about the Nubi is that it has a lot of stats for a low level gear set, so it's still one of my most popular creations.

Once a player creates a design, it's only a matter of time before the pattern begins to exist in the world. And then the pattern drops from any monster, making it obtainable by everyone. However, the skill level required to craft the item is multiplied by 100. I created the Nubi set when my crafting skill was at level 42. Anyone who wants to learn the pattern must have a skill level of 420. So thankfully, not a lot of people know how to craft it.

I grab a piece of Goldenthread cloth, two spoons of dried sunflower petals, and some black thread. When I played on the computer, the action of crafting was as simple as moving all the ingredients onto the table and then tracing the outline of said pattern. Now, I'm dying to know what happens.

My hands move slowly back and down the fabric, and it's as if I've lost control of them. The thread automatically appears in a needle, and my hands begin to sew the seams. The stitches are perfect, and the fabric cuts itself on its own in the place where I'm supposed to separate the cloak from the hood. Soon I have a long piece of cloth cut into the shape of a two-pronged fork. Finally, my hands sew the hood onto the rest of the fabric. It sparkles and automatically turns into a yellow crystal.

I look into it and there it is: the golden Ees-Cape. No stats, just a description.

Takes you to the nearest city, you lazy creature.

I craft six more, mixing different colored powdered petals into the pattern. I keep a black one for myself, and put the rest of them in my bag.

By now I'm exhausted, but there's still one thing I need to do before going to sleep. It's busy for players in China right now, but they play mostly around Chimstad. In Earth's western hemisphere, it's the early hours of morning and Starford should be relatively empty.

First is business. Then I have to learn how to use my new skills.

Actually, the first thing I have to do is get another skin for Eugene. Mounts in Amoria are unique items, and one you get is your sidekick for life unless you own a castle. Then you get one more mount: a flying one, just to be able to go to the top of your palace turret and gaze upon the land you rule over. Or just for bragging rights, really.

Desdenia's snatched video showed me and Eugene, and I don't need her or her cronies on my tail. I've never seen anyone use the same rhea skin as Eugene's.

It's one of the oldest and most boring mount skins in the game, and therefore, easily identifiable. Eugene is so old I think his appearance was discontinued four years ago. I wave my hands under the Spells tab. There's one for months. I was right. Eugene the bird is all I have.

All in all, I realize I don't have a lot going on for me in the tournament. No allies, no friends. Skills that are good to make money, but no real advantage.

But that's the way it's always been for me. There are others whose lives are easier, who play life on easy mode, if you will. I've learned to play it hard-mode and I'm still swimming.

So I sigh and carry on.