He was in his late forties or early fifties, with dark hair and a Mediterranean complexion that spoke of olive groves and salt air, though here he wore only a simple button-down and khakis. He looked like he belonged in a conference room, not suspended in a dark room with no visible ceiling or floor.
Surrounding him like a constellation were a dozen glowing data screens.
In one, lines of raw, golden code cascaded downward; in another, a bird’s-eye view showed a high-tech urban plaza pulsing with neon life. A third window displayed a more bucolic scene: players on horseback thundering across rolling hills in pursuit of a green-scaled dragon.
To his left, a news feed scrolled past, detailing the successful establishment of the third colony on Mars, while a muted screen showed a heavy-lift rocket piercing the Earth’s atmosphere. High above, a schematic of an intricate, sprawling space station rotated in slow, silent orbit.
The remaining screens flickered with a constant stream of shifting graphs and charts—real-time analytics tracking global immersion levels, server stability, and the volatile exchange rates of Elysion’s digital economy.
But Adrian’s focus was fixed on a single, glowing frame directly in front of him. His hand was cupped over his chin, his thumb tapping rhythmically against his lip as he studied the data. Layered on top of the screen like a digital shroud was a static, high-priority prompt:
[PLAYER: ANTONIO NACAR — STATUS: DECEASED]
The terminal data continued to scroll within the screen beneath the red text, a stream of final vitals and location coordinates that were strangely missing. He watched the logs for a moment, then waved his hand. The window’s frame turned a deep, highlighted blue.
He pondered the scrolling data for a few more seconds before he closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, the void was gone. The glowing screens had vanished, replaced by the warm, amber glow of a sunset. The weight of gravity returned all at once, and he found himself sitting in a leather chair in a spacious home office.
One wall was a floor-to-ceiling picture window overlooking a darkening ocean. The opposite wall was a massive, seamless screen where the player profile he had been studying remained pinned, flanked by boxes of diagnostic text. Adrian stood up and moved to the front of his desk—a sleek, high-tech slab of glass and light. He leaned against it and crossed his arms in front of himself, his eyes never leaving the wall screen.
“G, are you there?” Adrian asked.
“Of course, Adrian,” a voice replied. It was calm, measured, and carried a weight of absolute authority. “How may I assist you?”
In Adrian’s peripheral vision, a small HUD window snapped open. It displayed the avatar of a very proper man with dark, swept-back hair and an expression of polite, unflappable service.
This was G, the central AI known globally for overseeing the two billion lives within Elysion while simultaneously serving as one of the Triad—the three master intelligences that governed and maintained the WorldNet. To the world, he was a dual pillar of infrastructure and entertainment; to Adrian, he was the overseer of a host of slave and sub-AIs, the digital god of a manufactured universe.
Adrian walked closer to the wall screen, pointing at the profile. “G, what can you tell me about this player death?”
Of course, sir,” G responded. “First, I don’t need to remind you that in Elysion, with over two billion active users, nearly eighteen thousand natural deaths occur daily while users are logged onto the platform. This is well within the projected statistical margin, even accounting for the strict twelve-hour-per-day maximum login allowance.
Adrian waved a dismissive hand. “Yes, yes, I know the statistics. But this player death tripped an unusual NeuralSync flag. It wasn’t a heart failure or a stroke. What can you tell me about the spike? And why are the location coordinates missing?”
“The anomaly is indeed non-standard,” G’s avatar tilted its head slightly. “The data indicates a localized synaptic cascade that doesn't align with known physiological triggers.”
G paused for a second, his digital expression flickering with the weight of a billion simultaneous calculations. “The telemetry data for the final sixty minutes of the user's session is corrupted, resulting in the loss of precise geographic data within the simulation.”
Adrian frowned. “Which Zone did this death occur in?”
Again, G paused. “My apologies, Adrian, but that data is currently absent from my records.”
Before Adrian could press further, the AI continued. “The Administrative Investigation Unit has already been deployed, but they have yet to determine a root cause. If you wish, I can assign a dedicated sub-AI to monitor the query and bring it to your immediate attention once the case has been closed.”
Adrian nodded slowly, the reflection of the screen glinting in his dark eyes. “Do that. Thanks, G.”
“Will there be anything else, Adrian?”
Adrian sighed, the weight of the day finally catching up to him. He waved his hand, and the wall screen went blank, leaving the room illuminated only by the fading orange light of the sun.
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
“No,” Adrian whispered. He looked up at the ceiling, his voice tired but respectful. “Have a good night, G.A.R.E.T.H.”
***
END OF BOOK 1
The adventures of Brat and Will...
[CRITICAL ERROR: SUBJECT OVERWRITE]
> Correction: The adventures of Brat and Prince William will continue in
"The Prince of Belhaven."
[SYSTEM LOG: END OF ACT V STATUS REPORT]
[NAME: WILLIAM VALCAIRN]
[TITLE: PRINCE OF AELORIA, LORD OF BELHAVEN | THE FIRST CHAMPION (5% XP BONUS)]
[DESIGNATION: THE DREAMER PRINCE]
[CLASS: ARCANIST | SHADOW | CHAMPION]
[LEVEL: 9 | XP: 200 / 900]
[SOCIAL SYNC: NULL]
[STATUS: REPLACED]
[VIP BUILD: MANDATORY]
[HEALTH: 925 / 925 (100%)]
[STAMINA: 860 / 860 (100%)]
[MANA: 575 / 575 (100%)]
[REGEN: 10% PER HOUR | ROYAL SIGNET BONUS (+50%) → 15% PER HOUR TOTAL]
[ARMOR CLASS: 40 (PASSIVE) | 55 (MAX ACTIVE)]
[DAMAGE MITIGATION: 40% | 55% WHEN SHIELD ACTIVE]
[ELEMENTAL RESISTANCE: FIRE 25% | WATER 40% | AIR 25% | EARTH 25% | ARCANE 35%]
──────────────────────────────
[ATTRIBUTES]
STR: 17 | DEX: 17 | CON: 15 | INT: 15 | WIS: 15 | CHA: 15
Arcanist Gain per Level → +5 HP | +5 SP | +20 MP
──────────────────────────────
[CLASS SKILLS]
EVOCATION (INTERMEDIATE)
ABJURATION (INTERMEDIATE)
THROWN WEAPONS (ADVANCED)
STEALTH (ADVANCED)
SHADOW STEP: A Shadow slips between points of darkness, briefly dissolving into the ambient gloom to reappear at a nearby shadowed location with precise control.
LIGHT BLADES (ADVANCED)
SHIELD DEFENSE (ADVANCED)
CHAMPION’S RESOLUTE: Fortifies nearby allies, increasing regeneration and defense within a fixed radius.
[SPELLS]
FIREBALL
MYSTIC MANTLE
[COMMON SKILLS]
RHETORIC (ADVANCED) | PERCEPTION (ADVANCED) | ARCANE LITERACY (ADVANCED) | COMPOSURE (ADVANCED)
[SPECIALIZED SKILLS]
EMPATHY (ADVANCED)
[VIP ABILITIES]
ROYAL COMMAND: User may issue a single direct command to any Player or NPC.
──────────────────────────────
[EQUIPMENT]
MAIN HAND → Royal Sword of Valcairn (Epic, Rank 2)
+3 Damage | Azure Flame Attribute | Upgradeable → Legendary (Rank 5) | Soulbound
OFF HAND → Royal Buckler of House Valcairn (Shield) (Epic, Rank 2)
+15 AC (Inactive) | Upgradeable → Legendary (Rank 5) | Soulbound
SECONDARY → Royal Dagger of Valcairn (Rare, Rank 1)
+1 Damage | +1 Dexterity while wielded | Upgradeable → Legendary (Rank 5) | Soulbound
SECONDARY (THROWN) → Shadow Bracer (Rare, Rank 1)
3 Knives | Auto-Recall | Upgradeable → Legendary (Rank 5) | Soulbound
ARMOR → Royal Issue Shirt of Mithril Mail (Rare, Rank 2)
+15 AC | Auto-Repair | Weightless | Upgradeable → Legendary (Rank 5) | Soulbound
SET → Royal Garb of Belhaven (Attire Set)
Passive: +25 AC while wearing official royal attire (any two pieces)
ACCESSORY 1 → Signet of the Prince
Regeneration +50% | Active
ACCESSORY 2 → Traveler’s Sigil Band (Uncommon)
Passive Temperature Adjustment | Water Resistance +40% | Active
ACCESSORY 3 → Brooch of Verdant Grace (Rare)
Effect: Once per day, summon living vines to entangle nearby enemies for up to ten seconds. (Resets at dawn.)
ACCESSORY 4 → Lanternshade Clip (Rare)
Effect: Once per day, blend into ambient shadow for up to ten seconds, making the wearer extremely difficult to track. (Resets at dusk.)
ACCESSORY 5 → Blackwater Tide-Cuff (Rare)
Effect: Grants flawless vision in full darkness and heavy mist, rendering shadows as clear as daylight while preserving natural contrast. (Passive. Always active while worn.)
ACCESSORY 6 → Arcanist Null Ring (Rare)
Effect: Once per day, gain complete magic immunity for 10 seconds. (Resets at dawn.)
UTILITY → Bag of Holding (Legendary, Rank 1)
Expanded Storage Capacity | Auto-Sort Enabled
SPECIAL ITEM → Drake Egg (Unhatched)
SPECIAL ITEM → Dire Wolf Claws x4 (Rare, Crafting Material)
SPECIAL ITEM → Golden Key (??∴???-UNCLAS/ERR)
SPECIAL ITEM → Amethyst Key (???∴??-UNCLAS/ERR)
──────────────────────────────
[OPEN QUESTS]
- THE WHISPERING TREES — CORRUPTED DATA. (Edras)
- THE TRIAD OF CINDERVALE — Escort Shane and Stabilize the Reef, Barrow, and Brook Pylons (0/3). (Class)
[CLOSED QUESTS]
- THE HOWLING BEAST OF THE WESTERN CLIFFS — +1,000 XP | Quest Complete. (Union)
- GNATS IN THE GRANARIES — +2,800 XP | Arcanist Skill Rank Up. (Class)
- OATHS OF BLACKWATER — +18,000 XP | Shadow Class Quest Complete.
- COMPASS OF THE NIGHTWARD — +9,200 XP | Shadow Skill Rank Up.
- CATS IN THE WAREHOUSE — +2,800 XP | Shadow Skill Rank Up.
- THE AEGIS OF THE CROWN — +18,000 XP | Champion Class Quest Complete.
- ECHOES BENEATH THE CLIFFS — +9,150 XP | Champion Skill Rank Up.
- RATS IN THE VINEYARD — +2,700 XP | Champion Skill Rank Up.
- EXPLORE BELHAVEN — +100 XP | Quest Complete.
- MAINTENANCE OF THE CROWN’S STEEL — +50 XP | Hidden Quest Complete.
──────────────────────────────
[SYSTEM ANOMALIES]
> Identity Conflict: WILL_KELLAR vs. PRINCE_WILLIAM_VALCAIRN
> Conflict Resolution: Compression Protocol 00-1 Success
> Status: User Personality Archived | Narrative Avatar Deployed
> Containment Status: RE-ESTABLISHED | Monitoring Level: TOTAL
> Main Server Connection: ESTABLISHED | Global Sync Active
──────────────────────────────
[NOTES: BRAT]
“Well, kid... you finally hit the ceiling.
The Sync went red, the gears ground to a halt, and the system did what it does best: it cleaned up the mess. You’re tucked away in a corner of the hard drive now, and I’m keeping the seat warm. As for the rest of the world?
They’re about to meet the Prince.”
──────────────────────────────
[END OF ACT V]
> IDENTITY ARCHIVED
> NARRATIVE LOCKED
> SOCIAL SYNC: TERMINATED
> THE PRINCE HAS ARRIVED