Engill’s Ring of Second Chances Well, what do you know, you just got a second chance to put your hand on an item of second chances! Yes, we know everything about that poorly made decision with our necklace, but know this: if you hadn’t chosen the Crossbow over the Necklace that first time, you wouldn’t have been here today. So, now that we got that out of our system (pun intended), let’s get serious: This seemingly simple trinket is a game-changer: from now on, any killing blow would not kill you. We repeat (again) because this is so amazing: any damage that will get you to 0 HP or below will trigger the ring’s magic, and you will remain with 1 HP. Warning: remaining with 1 HP isn’t very healthy, and a second blow will most likely be the end of you. Maybe one day you’d find the Engill’s Ring of Third Chances, which will also make you insubstantial for a few moments so you can even the odds, but that day is still long in coming. Cooldown: 1 day.

Ben shook his head in wonder. Ever since his ascendance to Second Echelon and his meeting with old Ben, the system’s prompts became much more personal. Some of the messages were written in first person plural, which suggested Raxlon had nothing to do with them; it was the AI itself - or rather, themselves - that talked to him. Guided him. Helped him.

Ben couldn’t help the grin that spread on his face. He never forgot how he felt that day nearly a week before, when he had chosen the Crossbow of Skewering over the Necklace of Second Chances. He had managed to convince himself that it was indeed a bonehead move, but here came the enhanced AI and informed him that he had chosen right after all. And to top that, they gave him the same item - if in a different form - that he had passed out on that first time. Ben rolled the golden ring on his finger as he walked, marveling how such a simple trinket could possess such amazing power and thanking the Engill in his heart.

Raising his head, he saw Milenna studying him, her deep purple eyes reflecting the beam of bright light that still emanated from the waystone. The sorceress didn’t flinch when he met her gaze but didn’t smile either. “Powerful?” She asked, gesturing with a slight tilt of her chin at the ring on his finger.

Ben nodded. “A game-changer,” he said quietly. He saw no need to elaborate further than that.

Milenna’s mouth tightened into a thin line, but she didn’t press the issue. By her side, Red frowned and kept quiet as well. Ben realized that it was the first time since they met, that he was the only one who received a reward after a major encounter. After he had taken the ring from its place in the waystone’s alcove, the other hollows promptly closed with the items ensconced in them - to the disappointment of his companions. And since the specters had left no loot as well, both the warrior and the sorceress were left with nothing to show for their valor in combat. Red, particularly, was dismayed at that, but Ben didn’t feel overly sympathetic. As the warrior himself said, the path they were taking was intended solely for the newly made Beacon. It was his Quest, and as such, it was only reasonable that he would be the one to reap the rewards.

The three followed the light beam, crossing the hundred or so feet from the waystone to the far wall. In front of them, the ray ended next to an open door; through the opening, he could see a wide, well-lit corridor that led deeper into the temple. Ben’s eyes widened when he felt... something... pulling him inside. A tug at the very core of his being, calling him, enticing him to cross the threshold and enter. Several times before, Ben had gotten similar feelings: when he stood before the Treasure Room of the Duergar; when he was about to touch the waystone that led from the dungeon to Sonadin’s Sacred Garden of the Three Trees; and right before he crossed into the Great Palace with Lord Viridion. But always before, the feeling came as a foreboding, a warning deep in his gut. This time, he felt that his intuition guided him to throw caution to hell and rush on forward. To claim what was his by right.

He took one step into the corridor - and stopped when Milenna grabbed his arm. Almost angrily, he spun to face her. “What?”

Again, she didn’t flinch. “Are you ready?”

Ben frowned. “Of course. Now let go -”

She didn’t. “Don’t be so eager, Ben.” Her tone got that irritating condescending tone he grew to dislike. “Did you even check your prompts?”

He realized he did not. Ben’s frown deepened, but this time he was angry at himself, not at the sorceress. The scout swallowed and managed a quick apologetic smile. “You’re right. I just -” He glanced at the waiting corridor and sighed. “I just want to get it over with.” I want to get what I deserve. And then there are some people I have to… deal with.

Ben’s smile turned to a snarl, and he shook his head to clear his mind. Gently releasing himself from Milenna’s grip, the Beacon straightened and looked at his companions. “Three minutes to check prompts,” he announced and let his focus shift to the waiting notifications screens that waited patiently at the edge of his vision. There were many, so he started from the one waiting for him ever since he entered the Temple of Bree.

Quest Update: The Price Of Unification Congratulations, Beacon! You have done the unthinkable and managed to gain entry into the Temple of Bree - a feat no human has managed to accomplish since the Day of the Reckoning. For completing this part of your Quest, you receive the following boons: Shared XP: 12,000 Personal XP: 4,000 (current XP: 55,525. Points to next level: 4,475) Hero Points: 300 (current: 1,450. Points to next tier: 1,550) Skills increases:

Intelligence +1

Fame +1

Tactics +1

Diplomacy +1

Perseverance +1

Gaining that point to Diplomacy had an interesting follow-up:

Well done! You have crossed the first threshold (level 10) of your Diplomacy skill. You receive the following boons: XP reward: 50 (current XP: 55,575. Points to next level: 4,425) Diplomacy Power 1: Ignore Me Not Feeling like you give your best speech, yet your audience is not really listening? Use this daily power to boost your voice so that everyone around you will leave everything they’re doing and turn their attention to you. Cooldown: 1 day. Radius: 3 feet times your Charisma score (current: 84 feet) Note: this power can be resisted with a high Perseverance score. Note: the power would not affect those who cannot hear you, even if they’re inside the radius. Note: the power would not make people agree with you, only listen to you intently. Make your speech good enough to convince them once they do.

Ben frowned, slightly disappointed. That power didn’t seem very useful - not compared to some of the others in his arsenal, at least. He quickly forgot about it, though, as he kept reading his prompts.

You have defeated the Guardians of the Waystone and freed the Temple Specters from their eternal curse. You receive the following boons: Shared XP: 12,000 Personal XP: 4,000 (current XP: 59,575. Points to next level: 425) Hero Points: 300 (current: 1,750. Points to next tier: 1,250) Skills increases:

Swords +2

Air Magic +1

Acrobatics +2

Lo and Behold! You have crossed the second threshold (level 15) of your Swords skill. You receive the following boons: XP reward: 100 (current XP: 59,675. Points to next level: 325) Swords Power 1 (revealed) (passive): Dagger Companion Having mastered the Daggers before you did the Swords, you can now use your off-hand to fight with a dagger without receiving any penalties to your attack. This unique fighting style automatically grants you +15% damage to hits against melee opponents when using both weapons. Swords Power 2: Switch Hands Once in an encounter, you can use this power to instantly switch the hand holding your sword. We don’t have to tell a trickster like you the benefits of such a surprising maneuver, do we? Note: this power compliments your first Swords Power; if you hold a dagger in your off-hand at the moment of activating this power, your dagger will also switch hands.

Ben’s eyebrows did their famous jig as he read the prompts dealing with the skill’s powers that were finally revealed to him. Once again, the system surprised the trickster by granting him powers that perfectly fit his class choice - and he couldn’t say he was disappointed. Instantly switching dagger and sword could prove quite a surprise to his enemies; it was a significant boost to his list of tricks.

There was only one more prompt demanding his attention: a new quest notification, of all things.

You have received a new quest: Curse Lifter 1 Lifting curses is not something easily done, yet you have managed to lift two different ones in the space of one week. As a reward, you are hereby offered a unique challenge: lift enough curses to become a renowned Curse Lifter. Requirements: lift 3 curses. Time to complete: 1 month. Reward: unique Curse Lifter Power & Title, bonuses to Fame and Honor. Penalties for failure: none, but the count will be reset to zero. Number of curses lifted: 2 out of 3.

Curse Lifter. Ben never heard of such a thing in all of his D&D gaming time, but the thought made him swell his chest in some pride. He could suddenly envision himself scouring the land in search of ancient evil curses, releasing lost souls to their final rest and gaining some well-deserved fame and glory. He would be the Beacon for true, a legendary hero for the world of Nolxar. People would whisper his name; adventurers would aspire to be his equal. Necromancers would flinch when he approached, and evil wizards would think twice before cursing anybody. He would...

His dream of becoming the one true and only savior of the world was interrupted by a murmur of voices. Gradually, Ben’s attention shifted back to the present moment.

“Three minutes, he said.”

“How long has it been?”

“Five. Nearly six, now. Do you think we should say something? Look at his smile; I wouldn’t want to stop whatever it is that’s happening inside his mind.”

“I guess you’re right. We could just leave him here, though. Maybe we can take a look at this crystal and figure it out before -”

Ben’s eyes snapped open. “No, you wouldn’t,” he began angrily but stopped when he saw the grinning faces of his companions. Red and Milenna exchanged glances, and the warrior chuckled and shook his head. “You were right,” he said to the sorceress.

Milenna nodded, and Ben felt an angry jolt in his gut when he realized how easily he was played by the two. “Of course I was,” said the sorceress. “I know how our leader thinks.” She turned a know-it-all look at Ben and raised her eyebrows. “He cares only for one thing now, doesn’t he?” She didn’t try to hide the contempt - or was it disappointment? - from her voice.

Ben’s mind was still filled with his dreams of glory. He opened his mouth to snap an angry retort but then thought better of it. Let the sorceress think what she will. She can question his motives all she wants, but who was she to decide if he was right or wrong? It was he who was chosen, he who was destined to become a king, he who was about to fulfill the prophecy and forever change the fates of both worlds. Ben took a deep breath and turned away from his so-called companions. His gaze focused on the corridor beyond the open door, and once again, he felt the pull, the burning desire to accomplish what he came here to do.

He stepped forward.

***

It’s not working. I can’t get through to him.

Milenna had to bite her lip to stop herself from saying anything else as she watched Ben stepping across the threshold to the wide corridor. The scout’s eyes shone; he looked almost feverish. Milenna bit her lip harder, feeling real fear gripping her heart. Ben was on the brink, she knew. The closer he came to the Crystal of Bree, to the so-called fulfillment of the prophecy, the closer he was to becoming the man Sullivan Vincent wanted him to be. He could still resist, could still think on his own, but if what Milenna suspected was true, then Ben’s last remnants of free will were going to be crushed soon. And if that happened...

“You have blood on your lips,” said Red. The warrior started to go after Ben but stopped to regard Milenna with a cunning expression and a crooked smile.

Milenna licked the blood and closed her mouth, unwilling to give Red the satisfaction of knowing he was about to win. Instead, she forced herself to smile. “You are sweet to worry,” she said with a cold voice that had nothing to do with smiling and gestured at Ben’s retreating form. “Are you going? You wouldn’t want to lose him now.” Ben walked down the corridor with a determined step, seemingly uncaring if either Milenna or Red followed him.

The warrior shrugged. “I thought you would want to go first, to support him. I can bring up the rear.”

Milenna shook her head in denial. “Go, be with him. I will watch your backs.”

The big man watched her for a long moment, his dark eyes shrewd and calculating. Finally, he muttered something under his breath and turned to follow the scout, taking long steps to catch up.

Milenna let out a relieved breath and quickly followed as well, keeping the two men some 10 feet ahead. She couldn’t risk the warrior walking behind her; she had to know what the man was doing, so she could counteract anything he might try.

Watching the broad back of the treacherous warrior, the sorceress cursed under her breath. The Red Mercenary. How she hated this title he chose for himself. But it was fitting. He was a mercenary, after all. He had the potential to do so much good in the world, yet he chose to ally himself with an evil mastermind who had devised plans that might ruin VD forever - and maybe much more. In fact, if only VD was destroyed, Milenna would count that as a blessing.

The sorceress didn’t know everything - there was a limit to the things she could learn in three days, even with her vast resources and influence - but she understood enough to know that Vincent Sullivan’s secret technology could become the most dangerous invention of recent years. The man had somehow managed to utilize the power of VD and combine it with a special form of AI to create a new generation of VD players. Milenna hacked into some of the scientist’s well-guarded digital vaults and was amazed by what she found. She could gather only bits and pieces, but there was no denying that his plan was quickly coming to completion. His test subject - one Benjamin Keen, a 19-year-old D&D player from the suburbs - was doing almost everything that was expected of him. The Power Quest designed for him was nearing its end, and everything now hung in the balance. Milenna would be less worried if Raxlon were still in control of this game, but the DM had vanished together with Effie Hunter. Milenna suspected that she was the only one free of Sullivan’s grip; she was the only one who knew that Ben was marching toward his doom, that if the young man chose wrong, he would become the perfect tool - a slave to Sullivan’s ambitions.

I must protect him, she thought as she followed the two men. I can’t let him make the wrong choice. Milenna accessed her interface, checking that her recent one-time RLP power was ready for activation. It had cost her a small fortune - and plenty of favors she now owed - but she hoped it would be worth it. I will do what I must.

After a few minutes of walking, the corridor ended and opened into a large oval chamber which, if Milenna calculated right, was located deep inside the mountain. The room was well-lit and had no exits; wherever Milenna looked, she could see only smooth round walls, as if they walked into a huge hollow egg. Five wide stairs led down from where the humans now stood to a lower platform where, hovering in mid-air and producing enough light to illuminate both the chamber and the corridor, was an item that immediately drew everyone’s attention: a fist-sized crystal, shimmering with multi-colored light. There was no mistaking that they were looking at the Crystal of Bree; it looked nearly identical to the Eye of Paragmir, yet there was something different about the two objects of powers. Was it the colors it produced? Milenna wasn’t sure.

“It is unprotected,” said Ben quietly. The scout stopped next to the first stair, his eyes fixed on the hovering crystal. He still had that glazed, feverish look, and he tightly clenched his fists.

Milenna came to stand by him. “What do you mean?” She asked quietly, trying to look both at the crystal and at Red, who came to a stop at Ben’s other side with a grim expression on his face. Milenna wondered if the warrior was accessing his interface as well. He knows it’s coming to an end. He’s readying himself.

“It has no protecting aura,” said the scout. His voice sounded distant. “I fulfilled everything that was needed. Nothing blocks my way anymore. I can take it.” Yet he stood there, his eyes wide and bright and his fists still clenched. There’s a chance, thought Milenna. He’s still struggling. He’s not lost -

“Then go ahead.” Red’s voice boomed, a sharp contrast to Ben’s faraway voice. “Take what’s yours by right.”

Ben’s eyes were fixated on the hovering crystal. “Mine by right,” he whispered but still did not move. Milenna didn’t know if she imagined it, but she thought that the multi-colored light from the crystal intensified somewhat. Ben’s eyes reflected the light, and Milenna gasped when some of it seemed to be absorbed into his orbs.

Red opened his mouth to say something else, but this time Milenna beat him to it. “Ben,” she said urgently. “Think it through. There was never a VD game that was so focused on a single person. This prophecy is not real, Ben. It’s a trap. You must not -”

Ben’s eyes clouded. “Don’t tell me what I must do,” he said coldly, and Milenna realized she made a mistake. The scout took one step down the stairs, and the sorceress faltered, grasping for more words. “Think of Raxlon, Ben! When was the last time you communicated with him? He’s not in control anymore!”

Ben’s foot hovered over the second stairs. “Raxlon,” he repeated, and Milenna watched in horror when his lips curled into an unpleasant smile. “Raxlon has done enough. It is our time now, not his.” He completed the step and lifted his leg to go down to the third stair.

Our time? What did that mean? Milenna glanced sideways and saw that Red didn’t move an inch. The warrior was watching Ben with a smug smile, his hand on the hilt of his sword. Looking back at Ben, she saw that he completed the third step and was about to descend to the fourth stair. “Ben!” She shouted. “If you claim this crystal, you will lose everything! You will lose Shiraz!”

The Beacon stopped on the fourth stair, his body suddenly rigid. Slowly, he turned his head to look at the sorceress. His eyes glittered almost as brightly as the crystal now, and when he spoke, Milenna felt her heart sink in defeat. “I already lost her,” he said in a voice that sounded dead to her ears - and turned his head back toward the Crystal of Bree. He lifted his leg to go down to the fifth stair.

“Not if it’s up to me,” whispered the sorceress and activated the power she had purchased in her last logout: Angel Form.

There was a bright flash of light, and where the beautiful sorceress stood, now stood a magnificent creature: a celestial being, 6 feet in height and with feathery white wings with a wingspan equal to her height. She was slim and muscular; thin white cloth clung to her agile form, and golden hair cascaded down to her waist. Her eyes, too, were golden, and so was the aura that surrounded her: a protective shield that glittered around her body like fairy dust. In her hand, she held the same Enforcer Staff Milenna always used, but the weapon was also changed; golden stripes now crisscrossed along its length, and it shone brightly with magic that was stronger than ever before.

Immense power surged in Milenna. She whispered one word, and a golden bubble - a twin to her shield - appeared around Ben. The scout froze, unable to move. His hand was outstretched - nearly touching the hovering crystal - yet he could not reach it. He could not even turn his head to look at Milenna. The Beacon was trapped in her spell, and there was nothing he could do to release himself. “I’m sorry, Ben,” said Milenna in a godly voice. The power of her angelic form made her feel invincible. “You left me no choice. I -”

A movement by her side - Red leaping toward her and swinging his sword in a wide arc. Milenna, who fully anticipated it, quickly reacted; she whispered another word, and a third golden shield appeared, this time around the warrior, freezing him in mid-air and mid-swing. Milenna could feel the stress of maintaining the three magic bubbles but wasn’t worried. She could handle anything in this form. She could -

The sorceress’s eyes widened as the stress suddenly intensified threefold. The shield around Red trembled, and before she could do anything, it exploded into a multitude of light shards. Free of the trapping spell, Red landed on both feet next to her and raised his sword, the blade pointing straight at her chest. His grin was a mixture of enjoyment and superiority. “You are so sexy as an angel, Milenna,” he said and barked a laugh. “An angel! I should have known that’s what you’d choose. How much did it cost you? You must tell me -”

Milenna’s momentary panic was gone. She didn’t know how Red had managed to overcome her shield so easily, but that was hardly the last spell in her arsenal. She batted her wings, rising to the air - up and slightly backward, away from the mercenary, and unleashed Flame Strike: a vertical column of divine fire that appeared right over the warrior and descended on him in an instant.

Red screamed as he was engulfed in divine power, and Milenna sighed in relief. I’m sorry, Charlie. She couldn’t help but think. You had a unique character, and maybe we could have reasoned it out, but you are too corrupt for your own good. She turned away from the roaring fire, meaning to go to Ben and take him away from this place…

And froze. The fires that engulfed the Red Mercenary faded away to reveal the warrior still standing there. Only it wasn’t the level 10 warrior anymore. The dark-skinned man grew about five feet. He was still humanoid, but he was as big as an ogre now - bigger - with muscles that were so exaggerated they were almost grotesque. He wore no armor - the thing was either burnt to a crisp in the heavenly fire or gone when he had transformed to this giant of a man - and his clothes hung on him in tatters, revealing a body that seemed able to sustain any form of damage. His face still resembled that of Red’s - his grin of white teeth certainly did - and in his hand, he held a massive two-handed sword.

“It’s called The Hulk,” said the giant, still grinning. “You’d be amazed at the things one can get when working with the right people.” Then he charged straight at her, and Milenna had to forget about her rising terror so she could focus on staying alive.

***

Ben felt the spell that held him in place weakening. He could move his fingers now, and he managed to push himself forward bit by bit, ever closer to the crystal. He could move his head too, and when he looked back, what he saw was so out of place that even in his current state, he managed to be surprised: a beautiful white and golden angel was fighting with a black-skinned giant.

The two formidable creatures seemed evenly matched: the hulk’s huge greatsword didn’t manage to penetrate the golden aura around the celestial being, but his attacks were so swift and powerful that it was all the angel could do to counter it. Now and then, she managed to launch an offensive attack - a destructive spell of some sort - and most of those did hit the giant, but he sustained everything without pause. His skin was scorched and bleeding, yet he had a mad grin plastered on his face, and he actually laughed. The angel’s golden eyes, on the contrary, were wide with alarm, and they kept darting between the brute that attacked her and Ben. When she saw how close the scout was to grab the crystal, her eyes widened even more.

Ben left them to it and turned his eyes back toward the object of his desire. They are all fools, he thought. Milenna. Red. Raxlon. Jarod. Sullivan. Even old Ben. All of them thought they could manipulate him, control him, guide him. All of them told him what he must do. They thought they knew him; they were sure they knew how his mind worked. They thought of him as a pawn, a means to an end. But they were all wrong. None of them knew him. It was the other way around: he knew them. He knew all about their traps, all about the thing they wanted him to become. And he also knew what he had to do to prove them all wrong. He was… one of a kind. Thanks to them, he became an actual superhero, and he intended to use his powers to bring fame and glory to both worlds. But to do that, he first had to claim that power as his own...

The spell weakened even more, and Ben pushed himself forward, the tips of his fingers brushing the shimmering crystal.

***

Finally - and maybe too late - Milenna understood Red’s plan. The warrior-turned-hulk couldn’t easily defeat her, but it wasn’t his intention at all. He just had to keep her busy, keep her powers focused on him - because he knew that she wouldn’t be able to allocate enough energy to sustain the spell that held Ben in place.

And it worked. The hulk was too freakishly strong, and Milenna wasn’t sure she could bring him down, not to mention doing that while keeping the shield around Ben active. And thus, her hold over the trapping spell grew weaker with every passing second. Milenna watched in horror as Ben nearly touched the hovering crystal and knew she remained with no choices.

It was an excellent character, Kiera told herself, saying a silent goodbye to Milenna. But I can create another one.

Turning toward the Naked Noob, the sorceress-turned-angel ignored the furious attacks from Red and focused her full strength on one final, divine spell. The blows from the huge greatsword crushed her shield in an instant, and she felt agonizing pain as the blade cut her celestial form into two. But even as she took that death blow, Milenna managed to unleash her spell: a concentrated beam of pure white light that shot from her hands with all the power of the heavens - straight toward Ben and the crystal he was about to claim.

Milenna had the satisfaction of hearing Red crying “Nooooooooo!!!!!” before the upper part of her torso was completely severed, and all the light went out of the world.

***

“Finally,” said Ben as his hand closed over the hovering crystal, “I shall have my reward.”

A prompt appeared in his vision:

You have claimed an epic Power Crystal: The Crystal of Bree.

Crush it to reap your reward.

Ben grinned. This was it. After this moment, nothing and no one would be able to stop him.

Someone screamed behind him. A bright light - brighter even than the crystal’s - suddenly illuminated the room as if lightning struck from the skies. Ben ignored that. Nothing could stop him. He began to crush the Crystal of Bree -

A beam of the purest white light engulfed his closed fist and half of his arm, and he found himself staring at his bleeding elbow, where his arm once used to be. The said arm was gone, destroyed by the white light, leaving only a bleeding stump behind. And the crystal...

Milenna’s last spell caught the Crystal of Bree just as Ben began to crush it and claim its power as his own. The crystal’s power was indeed released, but without anyone’s body to absorb it, it was unleashed into the very fabric of the system…. and the world went mad.