The Riker’s den - present day


    The party was in full swing. Dazzling lights embedded into the thick matte-black fabric of the ceiling created a blinding cascade for anyone who walked in. Beneath the glow, crystal-clear tables laden with an array of foods and drinks shimmered like stars, their reflections amplifying the room’s inviting yet overwhelming atmosphere.


    The space was enormous, stretching out to floor-to-ceiling windows that lined an entire wall, seemingly with no visible support. The breathtaking view of the city at night stretched out below—the den was perched at the very top of Riker’s Tower, the tallest skyscraper in the city.


    Everything about the den screamed excess and allure, designed to overwhelm visitors with beauty and opulence, enticing them to spend before they realized what was happening.


    Lucas entered with his favorite mask in place, his smirk hidden beneath the anonymity it offered. He wasn’t alone in this—most of the guests wore masks, their true faces concealed, blending mystery with decadence.


    “Focus!” Perl’s sharp voice jolted him out of his momentary admiration.


    “I know,” Lucas whispered into his shoulder, where his communication device rested. “But it would be strange not to play along.”


    That said, he casually approached a table in the back, where several monitors displayed the night’s first game: a simulated hacking contest focused on breaking into a sewage system’s security grid. Lucas scanned the screen, his trained eye quickly dissecting the amateurish codes in use.


    “Amateurs,” he muttered. Then, louder, “This suits the kid, Reider. Let’s bet on him.”


    “What?” Perl’s surprised voice barked, loud enough to draw a frown from Lucas. “It’s ten to one!” she protested.


    Lucas chuckled softly, glancing at the screen again. “He’s got a good head. The others barely know how to handle NT-3. Easy money.”


    It wasn’t unusual for guests to talk to seemingly no one—some even shouted at the air—so Lucas wasn’t concerned about standing out. Moments later, his watch blinked as Perl reluctantly placed the bet: three thousand on Reider.


    With some starting capital, money was always easy to make in places like this. Lucas was already calculating his potential winnings when an all-too-familiar voice interrupted.


    “Mister Lucas, wonderful to meet you again!”


    Lucas stiffened, his mind freezing before his body could react. Jeffrey.


    The young punk grinned, raising a glass filled with yellow liquor. “And mysterious Perl, too. Congratulations on surviving another week.”


    “Logging out,” Perl announced abruptly. Lucas didn’t even have time to stop her before her connection cut off, leaving him alone.


    “Thank you?” Lucas stammered, downing his own drink in one gulp, but his legs refused to move. His body betrayed him, locked in place, while his mind screamed for escape.


    Jeffrey’s slow, deliberate approach felt like a predator circling prey, his grin widening with every step. “Charlie’s been operating fiercer than I expected,” he said casually. “That’s why I prefer aiding her. She almost faced Dmitry—that would’ve been a catastrophe.”


    It was bizarre, watching this young punk exude a level of menace that could paralyze even someone like Lucas. “Pardon?” he managed, his voice barely above a whisper. His feet still wouldn’t budge. Last time I fought him, I didn’t know. But now... now I know what the ring does to people like me.


    Jeffrey’s expression brightened as if he’d solved a puzzle. “Ah, an explanation is in order. Have you noticed our simulation?”


    Lucas could only nod.


    “Good. That’s correct. But do you understand why?” Jeffrey’s grin didn’t falter. Lucas shook his head in response.


    With a heavy sigh, Jeffrey turned his gaze toward the twinkling lights of the city beyond the glass. “We’re captives in a never-ending loop. The game is the only thing that ever changes. These barbaric times? They’re our punishment.”


    He walked toward the window, his steps slow and deliberate, the yellow liquid in his glass swirling lazily. “See, in the future, this is considered humane. Prison? So uncivilized. The uptight government prefers giving us an alternative—a way to survive in comfort.” Leaning against the glass, Jeffrey sipped his drink, his tone dropping.


    “Am I simulated?” Lucas blurted out, his voice trembling.


    “It’s... complicated,” Jeffrey replied. “They couldn’t imprison us for life; that would be inhumane. Instead, they gave us a path to redemption—a seed in the game.”


    Suddenly, everything clicked in Lucas’ mind. The strange behavior, the endless loops, the cryptic clues he’d uncovered over the past month—it all made sense now. Whether Jeffrey was entirely truthful or not didn’t matter. Lucas only cared about one thing: surviving.


    “I see,” Lucas said carefully, his poker face still, despite the storm raging in his head.


    Jeffrey’s grin widened, sensing Lucas’ mental overdrive. “Tell Charlie to stay clear of the other heroes. I’ll visit her soon and explain what she needs to know.”Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    A blink from his watch caught Lucas’ attention, but he ignored it as Jeffrey turned to leave.


    “Oh, and Reider lost, huh?” Jeffrey added with a chuckle, vanishing into the crowd and leaving Lucas standing there—perplexed, shaken, and, of course, penniless.


    Village number seventeen - chief’s office


    Negotiating prices had always been hard for me—impossible, really. That’s why I didn’t bother arguing and agreed to the first price he offered: a hundred gold. The unknown man waved off the subordinates gathered behind me and began examining my scan.


    “Huh? What are you waiting for? Take your gold and leave,” he said after a moment, his eyes still fixed on the scan.


    Throwing my now-unbound hands around in an exaggerated gesture—channeling Katherine—I asked, “That’s it?”


    “Oh, I almost forgot.” He rummaged under his table again and pulled out a letter. “I sent a regional legion to your fortification. You delivered Duke’s request, didn’t you?”


    “Yes? Wait—an entire legion?” I couldn’t keep the surprise from my voice as my hand reflexively clenched the edge of his expensive desk. “Why?”


    That cheeky bastard laughed, slipping the Duke’s letter back into a drawer. “Not an entire legion. Just three thousand humans.” The glee on his face was absurd, as if he were delighted to be rid of them. As if indeed.


    “You’ll be powerless when Irwen—” I started, intending to shatter his confidence, but his proud, unwavering stare cut me off.


    “We will gladly join our queen in her rightful struggle,” he said with unshakable conviction.


    “But…” I hesitated, thinking of warning him about what would happen if they stayed and died—that he’d become undead. But his stare told me he already knew. There was no point. Time to go.


    “Thanks for the money,” I muttered and left.


    Outside the guild building, I realized the night was still in full swing, though dawn couldn’t be far off. To complete the main quest, I needed strength. Artifacts. That’s the priority now. Getting stronger was all that mattered. The ruins were critical, but I also knew of other potential locations.


    Unfortunately, going there without first getting information from NPCs could lead to a ban by the administrators. Damn.


    One way to get the info was to track down a lore keeper—they always knew the legends and sometimes even provided precise clues. Spotting a guard standing under a magic lamp, I approached him.


    “Do you know where I can find a lore keeper?” I asked.


    The guard, a male in full armor, leaned lazily on his spear. “He should be back there,” he replied in a bored tone, gesturing westward. “Old man loves to tell stories to kids in the mornings.”


    Mornings? I glanced at the horizon. Oh. It’s morning already.


    As I was hopping down the street, the world suddenly turned black. Someone’s hands covered my eyes. “Guess who!” Katherine whispered in my ear, her voice playful.


    “A small girl?” I guessed, fighting to hold back a smile. That failed miserably when she let out an annoyed grumble and released me.


    “Ya no fun!” she huffed, falling into step beside me. “Whatcha doin’?”


    As we walked together, a faint, fresh scent filled the air—something like the forest after rain. How does she smell so nice? The game’s one-hundred-reality limit didn’t hold back, clearly. “How did you find me?” I asked, glancing at her. “Did you follow me from the guild?”


    “Wat?” She stopped mid-step and gave me a look that screamed, you’re an idiot. “Friend’s finder?”


    Oh. Right. I was an idiot. I’d never used the thing, so of course I forgot it existed now. Clearing my throat, I tried to shake off the sudden awkwardness. “Never mind that!” My cheeks were slightly rosy as I quickly answered her earlier question. “I’m heading to a lore keeper to grab a quest. Want to come with me?”


    Katherine’s grin widened, and my heartbeat responded by picking up a few extra beats per minute.


    “Sure,” she said, her tone light. “I’ll stick. Killin’ wasps ain’t fun anyway.”


    Exactly as the guard had said, the lore keeper was seated by a large fire, surrounded by little kids sprawled across tree logs. The flames cast dancing shadows on their faces, adding a touch of magic to their captivated expressions.


    “Tat’ ‘im?” Katherine asked, following my gaze.


    The old man was cliché—white hair, rare among elves, flowed down past his shoulders, and he wore ceremonial white armor that gleamed faintly.


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    Type: 5-epic | HP: 330/330</td>


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    When we stepped into the fire’s glow, the lore keeper was midway through a tale about religion—or so I guessed. The children’s glazed expressions mirrored how I’d looked reading the five-thousandth page of the Atriel Manifesto, the first and last religious book I ever attempted.


    “Hey, old man!” Katherine suddenly stormed forward, her voice bursting with excitement. “Do ya know ’bout treasure?”


    Her energy left us all speechless. Even the kids stared at her, wide-eyed. The lore keeper froze mid-sentence, and I? I could only gape at her.


    “Wat?” Katherine asked, glancing around with her head tilted like an innocent puppy.


    It fell to me to salvage the situation. Bowing slightly, I said, “Pardon my friend. She meant to ask if you knew any interesting stories.”


    The lore keeper recovered quickly, rising from his seat with the grace of someone half his age. “Naturally, my children. Please, sit!” He gestured with a wrinkled hand toward an empty log.


    We took our places, and the warmth of the fire seeped into my skin. Until that moment, I hadn’t realized how cold it had gotten. Ice Dance perk acting up again?


    “We’re interested in stories about Eeleim,” I began, rubbing my hands over the fire’s glow. “I know a little myself, but I’d love to learn—”


    I didn’t even finish before he shot up from his log, closing the distance between us with startling energy. “What did you say?” The old man’s hands clamped onto my arms, shaking me with a strength that shouldn’t have been possible for someone his age. “Repeat that!”


    My brain blanked, as if I’d suddenly been transported back to Patric’s bar mid-hangover. “Now! Repeat the name!” His piercing stare dropped to my tiara, and something about it sent shivers down my spine. “Only the royals are exempt from the curse.”


    “You mean… Eeleim?” I managed, my voice unsteady.


    At the sound of the name, his mouth stretched into a grin so wide I could see every one of his teeth—and smell his breath.


    “Go away!” I snapped, shoving against his chest. He stumbled back, and I slipped from his grasp, ducking beneath his wiggling arm.


    He didn’t follow. Instead, he froze, staring at me as though seeing something—or someone—for the first time.


    “You truly are a princess.”