Harry shivered. A cold wind brushed his face, his hair, and arms. His teeth chattered. It felt like an unending cycle of torture—iron scraping his bones raw. He tried to open his eyes and winced, blinking rapidly. He felt different. No, he was different now. With his heart racing, the thumps loud on his skin, Harry tried to stand. Everything provoked a different sensation. Sharper than before. His eyes adjusted slowly, but his legs still wobbled.
Harry looked down at his bare feet crushing long stalks of unknown flowers. Their fragrance lifted to him, confusing him. He stretched his hand out, feeling the air on his skin. That is…strange. Harry whirled around when he felt a slight vibration in the air. He cocked his head to the side to regard the mass of jagged liquid.
—Ah! You are awake. How do you feel? I thought you’d die. Can you understand me? Harry?—
Harry grinned. “Interesting guide. Is this your real form? There is a glow in you, faint, but I can see it now.”
It wasn’t exactly a glow. More like a series of connected tiny lights. Each pulsing whenever the guide moved or spoke. Harry had never been good with tech, but the longer he stared at the mass, the clearer it became. He could see past the mass, because it was merely a projected display, like the HUD. Within it was the connection of lights.
No… it emitted something strange. And energy somehow similar to what Harry felt when Galid descended. That memory was sharper now, clearer. He didn’t see Galid act, but he felt the shift in the air. The area throbbed as if being stretched taut. He had no name for whatever that was. The lack of understanding pinched at him until the guide spoke.
—Mana. You are an interesting one. I foresee problems. But we will have to deal with that later. For now, let’s focus on what you have gained from the soul seed. Are you ready for this?—
“What do I have to do?” Harry asked, frowning at the distant mountains. Most were spearhead sharp, piercing the heavens, lost in the white of clouds. That wasn’t there before. Neither were those trees. He whirled around, catching more changes in the landscapes.
“You changed the field,” Harry probed. “You can do that? Are you some kind of God? Is that what you all are?”
The guide laughed, the sound sharper. Less of a warble and more like a vibrating whistle. There was no mirth in the sound. Then the landscape vanished entirely and they stood on a sea of absolute black. Tar, Harry thought as he watched the viscous thing flow, ripples spreading all over. It was beautiful.
—We are not gods. There are higher minds. Recall what I told you about soul seeds? There are different types. Think of me as an admin. I think that should be easy for you to understand. My soul seed is a limited type. I am allowed certain freedom and this is one of them. I can’t change your physical world, but I can project things like this during immersion to help anchor you.—
“And that was a test?” Harry asked. The mass made that sound again.
—Enough dawdling. This will not be painful, but it will be uncomfortable. Are you ready?—l
“What are you tal—” The jagged mass flew into Harry’s chest before he could move. It felt like…nothing. Harry felt almost nothing. He wouldn’t have known it happened if he hadn’t seen it sink into him.
He waited, expecting something to happen, holding his breath.
Still, when the wave of revulsion came, Harry wasn’t ready. He fell to his knees, trying to retch. Nothing came out. His eyes watered and he pushed a finger down his throat, then two, reaching.
“Come out,” Harry growled, wincing as another urge to throw up rolled through him. “Come out now!”
—Calm your pretty head. I just have to make a true-link with you. It gets really tiring having to translate everything. I should be done in… now!—
His HUD appeared, but the guide didn’t come out. The nausea receded slowly, but Harry couldn’t shake the memory of the sensation away.
{Crucible Decree established!}
Guide Oath initiated…
True-link established in host…
Harry felt a slight pinch in his chest. The pain was gone in a moment as more messages rolled out on the display. He was startled by how similar it all was to Empire Forgone—an RPG game he played with Cheddar years ago.
Sharing Guide’s information and Oath counts.
{Guide info…}
Name: Lard Hardfaster
Status: Sixth Ring Guardian
Guide Skills: Information retention, Vast Knowledge, Adaptability, Basic Weapons understanding, Layout scan (limited), and Multi-Language.
“Your name is Lard?” Harry asked with a grin. “You know what Lard means in this world? I’m glad I don’t have to introduce you to anyone.”
The mass came out of Harry’s chest with a sucking sound. Harry scowled at it. The black had become grey and the swirling had slowed down. It dipped a few times before it steadied mid-air. Harry thought he could sense something like irritation. Annoyance? It was unclear. Like staring through a fogged glass.
—You can’t understand my world’s language. The Crucible, that vile thing made it simpler for you. Yes, mock it. Laugh all you want. We have tasks to complete. I think you can access your evaluation now.—
Harry’s scowl deepened. He’d meant it as a joke and now he felt awkward. He waited, contemplating moving on. But if he had to work with the damn thing, he didn’t want to start their relationship on a bad note.
“Look,” Harry began cautiously. “I didn’t mean any of that. And I’d like to lea—”
Lard’s mass regained its deep, black hue as it crackled. It whipped around him while laughing. Harry whispered a curse.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
—Quite the touchy princess, aren’t you? Who cares if you laugh at the stupid name? Now, focus.—
Harry groaned, letting himself fall to the soft grass. His descent was delayed, making it seem like he sat slowly. The mass hovered in front of him, pristine in form. No, actually, it had grown even more jagged teeth on the surface. It was a cruel-looking thing. Perhaps another joke Lard was trying to make. Lame ass.
—Your mental and physical evaluation will show us what we have to work with. I’m hoping you are strong, because the Crucible trials are almost always violent. And that seems to fit with your world.—
“Calling us savages?” Harry asked, cocking a brow. Lard let out a long hum and then startled Harry with the sound of an explosion. A missile whistled in the air and crashed, assaulting Harry’s ears.
—I have seen what your people can do. I have watched your history. You will be surprised by the time feed we have on your world. Your planet has rolled from one chaos to the next. Your sDrones are like termites, eating away at yourself as if there is no other way to live. Of course, I don’t deserve to lecture you. I have caused the collapse of more planets than you know.—
“To be fair,” Harry said after the rant. “I only know eight. Pluto upped and vanished…I hope that wasn’t you guys?”
Lard made a sound Harry knew immediately to be one of mild amusement. He grinned and adjusted. Taking a deep breath in preparation for whatever invasive gimmick Lard was about to begin, he nodded.
—Don’t be nervous, this is all you. You can trigger the display in one of two ways. Reach out with your finger as if to touch the space in front of you. Or mentally call on it. Your soul seed is connected to you now, it follows your whims…and mine, since we share agency. You’ll need me to take care of some controls when you are busy fighting monsters.—
Harry's left brow shot up. “Monsters? Does that mean I get some kind of power? Skills? Weapons of profound destructive capabilities? I’d like a shield too.”
He grinned when he felt Lard’s impatience. Instead of triggering it with his thoughts, he reached out with his finger. The display bloomed out of nowhere. Harry wondered if it had always been there before and simply made visible by his touch.
It looked the same as many other game stat sheet he’d seen. That was confusing. If these guys are aliens from worlds far from Earth, how did they know about game mechanics and whatnot? The question answered itself almost immediately, leaving Harry feeling like an idiot.
“You modeled the system after popular games in our world, didn’t you? Creepy. How long have you been here? Month? Years? Lifetime?”
—Not so long. Harvesting information is not as hard as you think, and The Crucible is an old game. Older than your planet. We don’t have time for the history. Before we begin though, I should tell you that you are being watched. Strength will take you far in the game, but fame will push you farther.—
Harry wanted to hear more about who or what was watching them, but he had the feeling Lard wouldn’t answer. He scanned the stat sheet instead. It was straightforward. Easy to understand.
{Personal info…}
{Harry Stone}
Race: Human (Zero Impurity)
Level: —
Guide: Lard Hardfaster (6th Ring Guardian)
Class: —
Titles: —
“There is almost nothing here though,” Harry murmured as he read on. Normal games would give him the choice of a class, but there was nothing like that. “What does it mean to be a sixth ring guardian?”
{Core attributes…}
Strength: 9
Agility: 8
Constitution: 10
Intelligence: 10
Fame: 50
“Fame?” Harry asked. “That was what you just mentioned. How does that work? What can I do with it?”
—Everything. It is the currency you will spend on everything you do. You will be awarded fame points. It will help you interact with the Trade Centers. You will need that. The lower your fame points, the harder things will be for you…for us. You can buy almost anything from Trade Centers. They are hubs to reach the intergalactic markets. Depending on your fame and riches, you can call up the Axion Merchant Group. You can buy weapons to make yourself an invisible hero. There are other things to understand but know that fame will help you go a long way. And it’s not easy to get.—
Harry nodded. He stood up, stretched, and realized the landscape had changed again. Two mountains were pushed further back to look like distant fingers scooping clouds. He watched Lard for a moment, trying to decide if he had more questions. This might be the only time he had. He wasn’t sure how bad it would be, but he’d be going back to chaos.
“Are the Arbiters the rulers of your world?” Harry asked. “Rhoar seemed to lead the other two, but she didn’t give off the same aura as they did.”
—The three you met are the ruling race. There are more. Some you will find out about as you move up in fame and power. If you survive. You have to survive. You can’t know it all right now. For now, focus on reaching the top. Information can weigh you down or help you through difficult situations. I will share when I think you need to know. For now, let me guide you.—
“You are asking me to trust you,” Harry said. He chuckled. “You crush my world in moments, make me a slave to your whim and now you want me to trust you to protect me. This has been a weird day.”
Lard soared, his mass pulsing with brilliant lights where his nodes connected. He took a deep breath of the fresh air, letting the fragrances—sweet and terrible—fill him up.
He felt a small sadness that this place was only a projection. Not real. It would be a miracle to have a place like this. Ever changing, accommodating his whims and desires.
“I am ready,” Harry said and Lard floated to him. The guide paused as if to give him time to prepare. Harry nodded, closing his eyes. From darkness I came, hence my return.
Once again, he felt nothing when the guide sank into him. He simply knew it was somewhere in him, floating.
{Immersion completed!}
{Returning to trial zone: 10039}
Harry's feet touched hard ground and he opened his eyes in shock. A hand pulled him back when he stumbled forward. His legs shook, suddenly weak. He blinked the morning light into focus and realized he was standing right in front of Veridian.
He was outside.
“Shocked me too, dude!” Cheddar said behind him, letting go of his arm. “It was a real temptation when I got here. Then I saw Marline try to run and was consumed by a black bubble. Well, I guess we are not escaping.”
“Why is the street quiet though?” A familiar voice asked and Harry whirled around sharply to find he’d startled some of the people behind him.
“Naomi,” Harry whispered. “Why… where is Lia? I thought I saw you together?”
The head of HR shrugged. “She has gone in. Not many of us were eager to wait out here after what happened to Marline,”
Harry turned to the massive door. It was plain glass, but he couldn’t see anything on the inside. No, more like what he could see was a lie.
“This place has been isolated somehow,” Harry said. “That is why you think the streets are quiet. I doubt we are still in the city. But we have been removed from the chaos happening out there.”
“How do you know that?” Naomi asked. A thickset woman behind had shifted closer to listen. “Your guide told you?”
“My boy is smart as hell, that’s how,” Cheddar said with a grin. Harry shook his head at Naomi.
“We have to go in, Ched. You ready? Your guide told you what to expect?”
“Nope. Quite the tight-lipped lass,” Cheddar said, obviously annoyed about that. Harry nodded.
“Mine too.” Harry moved forward. There was no need to dally. What they had to do wouldn’t change. If they were going to die anyway, he might as well get it over with.
Behind him, Cheddar followed. Harry heard the hesitation in his friend’s footsteps. He glanced back to see Naomi and the other woman with him. Two others had stayed behind.
Their choice, he thought.
The door opened softly, without the familiar voice welcoming them in. Harry stopped dead on his feet when he saw the chaos. Cheddar came second.
“Shit, shit!”
The HUD popped up and Harry realized they were standing before their first quest.
{Quest alert!}
Quest: Enter the Tower!
Objective: Survive the Foyer Drones controlled by Mind Bugs. Find the key to the elevator to escape the Foyer.
Quest Reward: 2 Fame Points, 1 Soul Stone, and 5 Enhancement Points
“That is Sharon,” Naomi whispered beside Harry.
The woman Naomi pointed staggered forward with the rest of the zombie herd. They moved randomly, brushing against each other. What twisted Harry’s inside was not the slack faces and sightless eyes. It was the creatures perched on the backs of his former colleagues. They were large bugs with large, antennas. The end of their antennas dug into their hosts, controlling them.
“Oh no,” Cheddar whispered. A familiar face turned at the neck to look at them. The bug on Gary’s back made a loud chittering sound. And in eerie unison, every other bug in the foyer chittered too.
“Run!” Harry called
