"Who are you?" Grandov asked the young woman.
"Natalia Ashford." The woman smiled. "My parents own the Ashford Bakery that you were just inquiring about. Now—just what were you hoping to do with the information about who's buying my family's bread?"
Grandov returned the smile.
It was childsplay to get the information he sought from the young woman. He didn't even need to utilize one of his Player abilities on her. She merely wanted some information in return, a bargain if he ever saw one.
The trouble was her answer.
"Luca Frey, of the Frey Merchant Guild." She stood up from the bar and left, leaving Grandov with muddled thoughts.
He lifted his second beer bottle and tilted the golden liquid into his mouth. In the background, the squabble that had started when he entered the bar continued in the form of a heated argument.
Luca Frey…
In the previous round, just when BlueLizard decided she'd had enough, the System dangled a carrot before her. It offered a clue on how to beat this impossible Game in the form of this strange young man.
[ Go to the Royal Bar and recruit a man there by the name of Luca Frey. He will ensure Adovoria does not fall. ]
BlueLizard had played enough Games to take note when a System was playing favorites or providing support it did not usually offer. She wasn't sure if it had anything to do with her gameplay style, or perhaps it was merely that she was the only remaining Player, and the Sysetem had grown desperate. In either case, the System, which was ordinarily silent, had thrown her a clue. She grasped at it… and doors opened that had not in previous rounds, but in the end, Adovoria fell yet again.
After 67 Rounds that ended in varying numbers of years into the Game, BlueLizard quit out of frustration.
It was now Round 68, but the Game was not what it was before. It was four years prior; people who ought to have been dead were alive, and most importantly, there was a mysterious Player 0.4 that had snuck into Adovoria's Fall. Specifically BlueLizard's matrix. The only functioning matrix.
And I don't even have a clue to their intentions yet.
In past Games, when there were other Players in the Game, they were either teammates or opponents that needed to be killed off. Understanding how to treat them was as simple as night and day.
If Player 0.4 happened to take over Luca Frey's body, that further complicates matters. What am I to do then? He was supposed to be the clue to winning this Game.
Grandov finished his second beer and motioned the bartender to bring him a third.
Just as he popped the top off and lifted the bottle to his mouth, the bar's door opened. Grandov turned, and in the doorway stood a handsome young man with raven black hair and golden eyes. Grandov was used to the grim and battered look of Luca Frey of the future. This version of Luca Frey was a pampered young master who had never experienced genuine hardship.
Except for those eyes.
Gradoc took a gulp of his beer.
He didn't know much about what Luca Frey was like at this point in time, but the expression behind those eyes was similar to the Luca Frey that he knew. Those were the eyes of someone who had seen death.
"Grandov?" Luca walked straight toward him without hesitation, to Grandov's surprise. The guard beside Luca moved with him. "My name is Luca Frey. I need to talk urgently to you about something you'd find interesting."
Grandov's eyes narrowed at the introduction.
There was very little information that the System provided regarding Luca Frey. Still, from the first time that Grandov met Luca in this same bar in Round 67, it was apparent that they knew one another from several years back.
If Luca doesn't know that our characters actually knew one another at this time, he has to be an imposter then.
Grandov clicked his tongue, and the Character Checker appeared before him.
[ Character Checker (Level 15) in progress for Luca Frey. ]
[ Age: 19
Occupation: None
Level: Error ]
[ Abilities: Error in processing update ]
That's new.
Grandov had run this Character Checker on other characters in Adovoria's Fall in the past, and there was never any issues. He pulled up the stats sheet on Luca next, which was more robust.
[ Strength : 6
Dexterity : 44
Perception : 59
Intelligence : 78
Charisma : 19
Mana : 2
Sanity : -14 ]
Unlike the version that Grandov was familiar with in Round 67, this version of Luca Frey was significantly weaker. There were twelve-year-olds who could beat him up.
Grandov's eyes fell on the bottom metric of the blue screen. Sanity was lower than what he expected, but it was a significant improvement to the unhinged Luca Frey that he met four years from now in this same bar.
The part that confused Grandov most was the Intelligence score. It was one of the few characteristics that transferred over with the Player when entering a Game and taking over a playing character. Thus, based on all the knowledge a Player would have accumulated over many years, he would have expected a number more in line with what BlueLizard had seen of other Players.
It's too low. Unless this is a new Player. But even then, would Intelligence in the double digits have sufficed to sneak into a Game?
"What can I do for you?" Grandov replied, deciding to play along and try and gather more information on exactly who this person was and their intentions.
Luca sat beside Grandov and casually tossed a coin onto the bar. "A glass of water, please," he told the bartender.
Grandov's eyes narrowed once again.
Luca Frey didn't drink. Or rather, the last bit of alcohol he ever drank was in this bar when Grandov offered Luca a job and a way to get out of the hellhole he was in. Since then, the only liquid Luca would ever take in at a bar was water. But before Grandov came along, Luca was a functioning alcoholic.
Did this imposter impersonate the version of then? No. That would be impossible. I was the only Player that Round. Perhaps the Luca of this time hadn't yet found his way to a bottle.
Taking in the handsome young man before him, Grandov concluded that Luca's current life wouldn't have yet been so challenging to require a crutch. Still, it was unusual for someone to order water in a bar, especially on a day as festive as today.
"You care about Adovoria's future, right?" Luca began.
"Of course." Grandov nodded. His character was deeply invested in Adovoria's fate, and as a Player, ensuring Adovoria's survival was crucial to winning this seemingly impossible Game. Any Player familiar with Adovoria's Fall would have known about Grandov's commitment to the kingdom.
Luca leaned in to speak, prompting Grandov to discreetly check for weapons.
[ Weapons Check (Level 3) for Luca Frey : None ]
Grandov was puzzled by this revelation. Everything leading up to this encounter had been unusual. Still, the fact that Luca had entered this notorious bar for low-lifes to meet him without any weapons on hand was particularly intriguing.
His gaze shifted to the curly-haired guard standing a short distance from Luca, hand resting on the hilt of his sword and speaking into a small ruby-red rune button on his collar. The guard's focus was on the squabble that was escalating yet again in the left part of the bar.
Unless he believes that guard is sufficient protection.
Grandov refocused his attention on Luca.
Or perhaps he has another trick up his sleeve.
"Our kingdom is weak and will only grow weaker if nothing changes," Luca spoke. "We're leaving ourselves vulnerable to an attack from an enemy nation if things continue as they are."
"Oi, I know that much. What do you propose, and why are you telling me this?" Grandov inquired, his curiosity piqued.
Does he not realize I am a Player as well? Perhaps he hadn't realized I managed to return to the matrix and have taken over Grandov's body again.
"Adovoria needs your help," Luca said. "I've secured several hundred Phoenix eyes from Lady Sedna Ozeryn in recurring monthly funding for The Order, and I have Princess Evelyn's full support. However, Adovoria needs a leader to grow The Order into a battalion not to be trifled with."
Grandov blinked in surprise.
Luca, or whoever possessed him, was intent on setting up Adovoria for success when the Kobar Empire would attack. They were clearly planning on beating Adovoria's Fall.
If that's the case, it might not matter who they are. The only question is what will happen if the Game is beaten and there are two of us. This isn't a multiplayer Game, after all.
"You know that I'm still but a Lieutenant," Grandov replied, playing his role.
"Yes, but you've been promoted and have been moving up in rank quicker than any other soldier. You're already well respected amongst the soldiers. If there's one person that could ensure Adovoria's safety, it is you," Luca said. "I have already gained Princess Evelyn's permission to put you on a fast-track promotion plan to Commandership within two years."
Grandov was taken aback. In the original, his character attained the rank of General in the year 785, which was already a remarkable achievement. And he only picked up the role of Commander of The Order when his predecessor took off after Kobar's second attack on Adovoria. The state of The Order was in a miserable state, and Grandov had to beg and claw for any and all support. Now, it was being handed to him on a silver platter.
It may not matter at all. Maybe Luca, having been possessed by Player 0.4, might actually be the clue the System was hinting at.
"Thank you, but what are you hoping for in return?" Grandov picked up his beer and took a sip while Luca went on to explain that he only wished for Adovoria's safety.
Grandov continued to observe Luca as he spoke. He was several years younger than the man Grandov knew, but everything from his mannerisms and facial expressions was on point.
BlueLizard took pride in being able to acclimate to any character without raising suspicion from the surrounding cast, but it required significant attention to detail. Characters weren't just puppets to be played. The original owner's emotions, thoughts, and habits molded the essence of the original character and dictated their mannerisms. A different soul inhabiting the same body would inevitably move, speak, and express themselves differently. Every nuance, from posture to vocal tone and eye movements, could significantly alter how a character was perceived by those around them. It was not a simple task to acclimate to one's character. Most Players didn't even bother.
However, he is moving Luca's body precisely how the original moved.
It was uncanny. It felt like the very same Luca Frey that Grandov knew was seated before him. Even how he rubbed his temples when a headache came over was the same.
Could he be the original? But if so, why is he trying to save Adovoria now? And who could possibly be Player 0.4, then?
"Very well, I see no reason to decline to work with you. To Adovoria's prosperous and peaceful future." Grandov lifted his beer, and Luca tapped his glass of water against his bottle.
CRASH!
As their drinks clicked together, the squabble behind them concluded, with one of the fighting men's faces planted into the broken beer bottle sticking out of the wall. It was the same bottle that nearly hit Grandov when he had entered the bar.
"To Adovoria's prosperous and peaceful future," Luca echoed.
AlekAundra
The original characters have met! Now... if they just figure out that they're the same people they knew from Round 67. And that they're both Players.
\(◦'⌣'◦)/
Thanks for reading and commenting! As usual, there are 4 more chapters on Patreon.
"Who are you?" Grandov asked the young woman.
"Natalia Ashford." The woman smiled. "My parents own the Ashford Bakery that you were just inquiring about. Now—just what were you hoping to do with the information about who's buying my family's bread?"
Grandov returned the smile.
It was childsplay to get the information he sought from the young woman. He didn't even need to utilize one of his Player abilities on her. She merely wanted some information in return, a bargain if he ever saw one.
The trouble was her answer.
"Luca Frey, of the Frey Merchant Guild." She stood up from the bar and left, leaving Grandov with muddled thoughts.
He lifted his second beer bottle and tilted the golden liquid into his mouth. In the background, the squabble that had started when he entered the bar continued in the form of a heated argument.
Luca Frey…
In the previous round, just when BlueLizard decided she'd had enough, the System dangled a carrot before her. It offered a clue on how to beat this impossible Game in the form of this strange young man.
[ Go to the Royal Bar and recruit a man there by the name of Luca Frey. He will ensure Adovoria does not fall. ]
BlueLizard had played enough Games to take note when a System was playing favorites or providing support it did not usually offer. She wasn't sure if it had anything to do with her gameplay style, or perhaps it was merely that she was the only remaining Player, and the Sysetem had grown desperate. In either case, the System, which was ordinarily silent, had thrown her a clue. She grasped at it… and doors opened that had not in previous rounds, but in the end, Adovoria fell yet again.
After 67 Rounds that ended in varying numbers of years into the Game, BlueLizard quit out of frustration.
It was now Round 68, but the Game was not what it was before. It was four years prior; people who ought to have been dead were alive, and most importantly, there was a mysterious Player 0.4 that had snuck into Adovoria's Fall. Specifically BlueLizard's matrix. The only functioning matrix.
And I don't even have a clue to their intentions yet.
In past Games, when there were other Players in the Game, they were either teammates or opponents that needed to be killed off. Understanding how to treat them was as simple as night and day.
If Player 0.4 happened to take over Luca Frey's body, that further complicates matters. What am I to do then? He was supposed to be the clue to winning this Game.
Grandov finished his second beer and motioned the bartender to bring him a third.
Just as he popped the top off and lifted the bottle to his mouth, the bar's door opened. Grandov turned, and in the doorway stood a handsome young man with raven black hair and golden eyes. Grandov was used to the grim and battered look of Luca Frey of the future. This version of Luca Frey was a pampered young master who had never experienced genuine hardship.
Except for those eyes.
Gradoc took a gulp of his beer.
He didn't know much about what Luca Frey was like at this point in time, but the expression behind those eyes was similar to the Luca Frey that he knew. Those were the eyes of someone who had seen death.
"Grandov?" Luca walked straight toward him without hesitation, to Grandov's surprise. The guard beside Luca moved with him. "My name is Luca Frey. I need to talk urgently to you about something you'd find interesting."
Grandov's eyes narrowed at the introduction.
There was very little information that the System provided regarding Luca Frey. Still, from the first time that Grandov met Luca in this same bar in Round 67, it was apparent that they knew one another from several years back.
If Luca doesn't know that our characters actually knew one another at this time, he has to be an imposter then.
Grandov clicked his tongue, and the Character Checker appeared before him.
[ Character Checker (Level 15) in progress for Luca Frey. ]
[ Age: 19
Occupation: None
Level: Error ]
[ Abilities: Error in processing update ]
That's new.
Grandov had run this Character Checker on other characters in Adovoria's Fall in the past, and there was never any issues. He pulled up the stats sheet on Luca next, which was more robust.
[ Strength : 6
Dexterity : 44
Perception : 59
Intelligence : 78
Charisma : 19
Mana : 2
Sanity : -14 ]
Unlike the version that Grandov was familiar with in Round 67, this version of Luca Frey was significantly weaker. There were twelve-year-olds who could beat him up.
Grandov's eyes fell on the bottom metric of the blue screen. Sanity was lower than what he expected, but it was a significant improvement to the unhinged Luca Frey that he met four years from now in this same bar.
The part that confused Grandov most was the Intelligence score. It was one of the few characteristics that transferred over with the Player when entering a Game and taking over a playing character. Thus, based on all the knowledge a Player would have accumulated over many years, he would have expected a number more in line with what BlueLizard had seen of other Players.
It's too low. Unless this is a new Player. But even then, would Intelligence in the double digits have sufficed to sneak into a Game?
"What can I do for you?" Grandov replied, deciding to play along and try and gather more information on exactly who this person was and their intentions.
Luca sat beside Grandov and casually tossed a coin onto the bar. "A glass of water, please," he told the bartender.
Grandov's eyes narrowed once again.
Luca Frey didn't drink. Or rather, the last bit of alcohol he ever drank was in this bar when Grandov offered Luca a job and a way to get out of the hellhole he was in. Since then, the only liquid Luca would ever take in at a bar was water. But before Grandov came along, Luca was a functioning alcoholic.
Did this imposter impersonate the version of then? No. That would be impossible. I was the only Player that Round. Perhaps the Luca of this time hadn't yet found his way to a bottle.
Taking in the handsome young man before him, Grandov concluded that Luca's current life wouldn't have yet been so challenging to require a crutch. Still, it was unusual for someone to order water in a bar, especially on a day as festive as today.
"You care about Adovoria's future, right?" Luca began.
"Of course." Grandov nodded. His character was deeply invested in Adovoria's fate, and as a Player, ensuring Adovoria's survival was crucial to winning this seemingly impossible Game. Any Player familiar with Adovoria's Fall would have known about Grandov's commitment to the kingdom.
Luca leaned in to speak, prompting Grandov to discreetly check for weapons.
[ Weapons Check (Level 3) for Luca Frey : None ]
Grandov was puzzled by this revelation. Everything leading up to this encounter had been unusual. Still, the fact that Luca had entered this notorious bar for low-lifes to meet him without any weapons on hand was particularly intriguing.
His gaze shifted to the curly-haired guard standing a short distance from Luca, hand resting on the hilt of his sword and speaking into a small ruby-red rune button on his collar. The guard's focus was on the squabble that was escalating yet again in the left part of the bar.
Unless he believes that guard is sufficient protection.
Grandov refocused his attention on Luca.
Or perhaps he has another trick up his sleeve.
"Our kingdom is weak and will only grow weaker if nothing changes," Luca spoke. "We're leaving ourselves vulnerable to an attack from an enemy nation if things continue as they are."
"Oi, I know that much. What do you propose, and why are you telling me this?" Grandov inquired, his curiosity piqued.
Does he not realize I am a Player as well? Perhaps he hadn't realized I managed to return to the matrix and have taken over Grandov's body again.
"Adovoria needs your help," Luca said. "I've secured several hundred Phoenix eyes from Lady Sedna Ozeryn in recurring monthly funding for The Order, and I have Princess Evelyn's full support. However, Adovoria needs a leader to grow The Order into a battalion not to be trifled with."
Grandov blinked in surprise.
Luca, or whoever possessed him, was intent on setting up Adovoria for success when the Kobar Empire would attack. They were clearly planning on beating Adovoria's Fall.
If that's the case, it might not matter who they are. The only question is what will happen if the Game is beaten and there are two of us. This isn't a multiplayer Game, after all.
"You know that I'm still but a Lieutenant," Grandov replied, playing his role.
"Yes, but you've been promoted and have been moving up in rank quicker than any other soldier. You're already well respected amongst the soldiers. If there's one person that could ensure Adovoria's safety, it is you," Luca said. "I have already gained Princess Evelyn's permission to put you on a fast-track promotion plan to Commandership within two years."
Grandov was taken aback. In the original, his character attained the rank of General in the year 785, which was already a remarkable achievement. And he only picked up the role of Commander of The Order when his predecessor took off after Kobar's second attack on Adovoria. The state of The Order was in a miserable state, and Grandov had to beg and claw for any and all support. Now, it was being handed to him on a silver platter.
It may not matter at all. Maybe Luca, having been possessed by Player 0.4, might actually be the clue the System was hinting at.
"Thank you, but what are you hoping for in return?" Grandov picked up his beer and took a sip while Luca went on to explain that he only wished for Adovoria's safety.
Grandov continued to observe Luca as he spoke. He was several years younger than the man Grandov knew, but everything from his mannerisms and facial expressions was on point.
BlueLizard took pride in being able to acclimate to any character without raising suspicion from the surrounding cast, but it required significant attention to detail. Characters weren't just puppets to be played. The original owner's emotions, thoughts, and habits molded the essence of the original character and dictated their mannerisms. A different soul inhabiting the same body would inevitably move, speak, and express themselves differently. Every nuance, from posture to vocal tone and eye movements, could significantly alter how a character was perceived by those around them. It was not a simple task to acclimate to one's character. Most Players didn't even bother.
However, he is moving Luca's body precisely how the original moved.
It was uncanny. It felt like the very same Luca Frey that Grandov knew was seated before him. Even how he rubbed his temples when a headache came over was the same.
Could he be the original? But if so, why is he trying to save Adovoria now? And who could possibly be Player 0.4, then?
"Very well, I see no reason to decline to work with you. To Adovoria's prosperous and peaceful future." Grandov lifted his beer, and Luca tapped his glass of water against his bottle.
CRASH!
As their drinks clicked together, the squabble behind them concluded, with one of the fighting men's faces planted into the broken beer bottle sticking out of the wall. It was the same bottle that nearly hit Grandov when he had entered the bar.
"To Adovoria's prosperous and peaceful future," Luca echoed.
AlekAundra
The original characters have met! Now... if they just figure out that they're the same people they knew from Round 67. And that they're both Players.
\(◦'⌣'◦)/
Thanks for reading and commenting! As usual, there are 4 more chapters on Patreon.
