Growing debt
"The information I'm about to share is a secret that only the officers of the global guilds know, so it shouldn't be shared with anyone outside this room."
Arllana observed the people in the room for a long minute before continuing.
"New Horizons has admitted that it has lost control of the AI that controls the entire game system... Aether, as it has been called, is the closest thing to sentient AI we have ever created, but it is limited to the virtual world."
"Aether acts under two basic premises, the first being that it cannot interfere in the events of the game. Secondly, he does not differentiate between players and npcs. In other words, if a player commits a crime, the npcs can arrest him and try him according to the laws of the realm... with certain npcs even being able to prevent the player from leaving the virtual world. The punishment causes the sensory overload that leads to death"
Arllana watched as people's expressions slowly changed as they realized the extent of what they had just heard.
"Remember, Aether is indifferent to what happens inside the game, all you have to do is follow the rules and laws and nothing can be done to you."
"Ma'am, why risk our lives in this game? If the company has lost control of the artificial intelligence, wouldn't it be better to shut down the servers and start again from scratch?" One of the captains present asked.
"Well, it's because the world of Thalassa is an incalculable source of wealth, and some developers believe that it won't be possible to recreate that world without the aid of something like Aether."
Arllana stood up and walked to the middle of the room.
"For anyone who is afraid or has any doubts, know that we have more than a billion credits in contracts, from companies and people who want to explore this virtual world... people who want to know the mysteries of the world without risking losing their lives in an accident."
"Companies that want to know and study extinct creatures and plants... Imagine you're a billionaire with nothing better to do, or a young adventurer who wants to know your limits. How much do you think they would pay to know the bottom of the ocean, or perhaps to have the experience of flying through the sky? Imagine climbing a mountain 10x bigger than Everest, knowing that no matter how many times you fail, it won't have any effect on your body? Imagine top-level athletes being able to exercise their skills to the limit without worrying about age or physical wear and tear?..."
"None of these people are interested in killing monsters and leveling up, nor do they want to explore unknown jungles and fight Guild Wars, which is why they pay us to explore the world and conquer a place where they can live out their dreams. If we manage to conquer a piece of Thalassa, every member of Eternity will be drowning in an ocean of wealth they never imagined. That's why we need to risk our lives."
#####
My life was reasonably under control. I had a job that allowed me to pay the bills (albeit barely), I had a certain amount of independence and I could even say that I had some freedom... It's amazing how quickly things can get out of control.
Again.
Now I'm lying in a hospital bed, with a nurse lecturing me on the dangers of overdoing it in total immersion games.
Apparently, this is becoming a common problem these days, especially since the release of "World's End".
After I managed to get out of the game, I had a nosebleed, along with severe arrhythmia, and ended up fainting. Luckily, the game's system sent a warning to the nearest hospital, so the health team managed to find me before I ended up dead.
Now I'm wondering if that was really luck.
I was unconscious for a few days, and then under observation for a few more... during that time I lost my job, after all my boss didn't think it was very nice of me to miss work because I nearly died from a game, and I ran up a huge debt with the local health system...
"Are you listening, sir?"
"Sorry, my head is still a bit dizzy..."
The nurse judges me for a long moment, before sighing and continuing.
"For your safety, avoid gambling for 72 hours, and keep an eye on your device's safety limit. You're free to go."
I look at her, trying to avoid the fatal question, but I end up having no choice.
"... How much?"
"The treatment costs have already been paid by..." The nurse looks up the name of my benefactor, and for a moment I imagine that the company has paid off my debts and is going to reward me with a generous sum to avoid a lawsuit...
"Rosana Pedroso..."
'Shit!'
…
…
I leave the hospital and start the long walk home. My sister left a backpack with some clothes, but she forgot to leave money for the return ticket... and for food.
Not that I would blame her for that...
Out of mere curiosity, I asked how much my treatment cost, and discovered that my life had cost 79,000 credits... a considerable amount for a life like mine.
"Home, sweet home."
I put on some music and throw myself on the bed.
On the way back, I was very tempted to throw myself in front of a bus, or maybe a truck... but I'm pretty sure my sister would find a way to bring me back and rub her money in my face.
"The 15th, eh... half the month... what do I do?"
Ding!
I pick up my cell phone and see the message: "You're an adult now, stop causing trouble."
"Nice as always"
I think about answering something, but in the end I give up. It's not worth the effort.
…
…
The three days of compulsory rest pass quickly.
I got 7,345 severance credits... enough to survive a month paying all the bills or about 4 months paying just the basics... and ignoring all the debts and interest...
I opened a complaint with the game company, and their response was a screenshot of the system message with a link to the contractual clauses that I ignored...
[Starting connection]
[Welcome back, Alnair]
"Yes, yes. Thank you for the warm welcome."
I had hoped to return to the temple of the goddess of life in Terhi, until I remembered that I had been resurrected by another god...
I'm in what looks like a cave, with a small altar surrounded by black candles burning with a greenish flame. There is no door or exit... I approach the altar, seeing a series of runes lighting up in a multifaceted circular pattern.
[You have discovered the last temple of Anur'riel]
[Starting the quest: The Last Apostle of the Broken God (Mythic)]
[Collect the ring and give it to the lost wanderer, who is south of Terhi (1/9)]
[Reward: 25 gold coins]
"THIS!!! FUCK THAT! That's what I'm talking about!!!"
I hope the gods aren't paying attention to me right now, because I completely lose control and start shouting and celebrating my turn of fortune.
I don't know how much the conversion is, but I'm sure I could get at least 10,000 credits with all that gold. It's not enough to change my life, but it's a good start... all I need is to complete the mission and avoid dying before I reach a city... It shouldn't be difficult.
I look around carefully, trying to find something of value, but the cave is empty. I... try to pull out a candle, but it's pretty stuck, unfortunately.
The ring in question is made of a white and gold material and is attached to a silver chain.
I pick up the ring, and it clips onto my right index finger, with the chain wrapping around my wrist. The runes vibrate around me, and with a burst of green light I disappear from the cave and emerge among the trees.
I hide in a corner and look for the description of the ring.
Ring: ??? (Divine): While the powerful intelligent races were waging a brutal war against each other, High Cardinal Sarthon set his own plan in motion... As a result, the mundane war became a divine war and Sarthon was rewarded with the fragment of a dead god].
Skill: You can revive in the same place where you died
Skill: Hostile creatures can ignore or be attracted by the ring, depending on the wearer's will
Skill: ???
Skill: ???
Skill: ???
[Attention: You are not the bearer of the artifact, blocked or weakened abilities].
'Even though it's weakened, it's quite disappointing for a divine item...'
"Where am I and how do I find the man with the money?"
I start walking cautiously in search of a point of reference... but the trees are all the same. As I walk, I feel a slight discomfort in my wrist, and I realize that the discomfort disappears when I go in a specific direction...
'It looks like finding the missing guy is going to be easier than I thought.
I quickly start down the indicated path. Knowing that I have less than eight hours to get my money, there's no time to lose.