《The Dark Castle》Chapter 6: Strange Days, Stranger Updates
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Setting: INSIDE THE VIRTUAL GAME
Date: February 8th, 2026. (6 days until Launch)
Patrick was in the game, doing his usual GM duties when he decided to travel to another part of the continent to provide help to another GM who was requesting it. Usually when he traveled to the Dwarven territory, he would take a shortcut through an unused territory to cut down travel time that players were unable to access. Since Patrick was using flying mount, as long as his player never touched the ground, he was able to zip through undetected. Yet this time as he tried to travel through the unused territory, something happened. Patrick's character was denied access to the unused zone, which was a first for him. He tried to enter the territory again, but was again denied access. After making his second attempt, he opened up his messenger and sent out a quick call out to someone. When checking the online messenger to see which employees were active, he found the last account he expected to see, and he fired a message to his boss:
Patrick: Hey Greg, what's going on with zone 25? I thought that was still unused?
Moments later, Patrick got a surprisingly quick response.
Greg: Zone 25 is no longer unused. It's being converted for the new expansion.
"That's odd," Patrick said to himself, typing his next message.
Patrick: It is? I thought the expansion was only going to change zones 12 and 33. What's going on with 25?
Greg: This is a surprise for the new launch. Something I decided to add at the last minute.
Patrick: I had no idea. Did you need any help with the coding?
Greg: No need, I'm doing this one myself. Keep up the great work!
Patrick couldn't enter zone 25, but he was going to have to keep the changes to himself. He send a few messages to see if anyone else had experienced any issues with zone 25 as it was usually a sweet shortcut for other GMs. No one else had noticed but promised to respond when they tried the shortcut later on that day. What confused Patrick was the fact that Gregory himself was working on the new expansion, and was working on a whole zone by himself. Patrick couldn't remember the last time he actually programed levels by himself but it wasn't impossible. Greg had been acting very strange, but doing more work to make the expansion more fun for the other players didn't seem that odd or out of place. He was just giving customers more bang for their buck, and that didn't seem like suspicious activity to Patrick. Gregory was the kind of guy who went above and beyond to satisfy his customers, so this wasn't odd to the other employees, as their boss had always put game play above all else and this appeared to just be another example.
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Patrick was about to let it go when a new message came to his in play inbox while he was taking the long route around zone 25.
Greg: Keep this zone 25 stuff between us, Pat. The less people I have nagging me, the better change I have to be done on time. Okay?
Patrick seemed nervous to read the message, but he wasn't being asked to remain silent, he was be told to by the boss. Patrick took a deep breathe.
Patrick: Of course, I can't wait to see the new zone.
Greg: You'll love it, everyone will!
Patrick: I'll be here if you need any help with anything.
Greg: Cheers, I've got to get back to work.
Patrick didn't respond, as he knew better. He continued to fly to the destination he had in mind but did so taking the long route. While taking that extra long flight, Patrick couldn't help but wonder what was going on. When he arrived in the city of the Dwarves, Patrick landed in the middle of town to find the other GM that needed his help. Patrick found him at the city's tavern and he quickly took a seat.
"Sorry I'm late," Patrick said, looking rather frustrated. "I had to take the long way here."
"What about zone 25?" The other GM asked.
"Can't use it anymore," Patrick answered, "It's being used for the new expansion."
"I heard something about that," The other GM replied, "Greg himself is working on a new zone and has been coding himself non-stop for almost a week now. No one has any idea what's going on there."
"This seems odd," Patrick said, as he wasn't the only one feeling this way.
"Tell me about it," The other GM said, "But it's best to stay out of Greg's way. The man is like a machine when it comes to creating new content. He's going to make us all look bad come launch day. Then we'll see what he's been up to."
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"I bet it's a new dungeon," another player suggested.
"That would be amazing," The other GM said, "But why add another dungeon without any publicity or advertising?"
"You're trying to figure out what Gregory is thinking?" Patrick said, laughing. "Good luck with that buddy. That man marches to his own drum."
"Good point," The GM replied, "That man does his own thing. That's why letting the company get bought out still puzzles me. I hate the fact that this game is owned by those corporate asshats."
"I know," Patrick agreed, "But the alternative might have been much worse. I think that's the only thing that kept this company alive. It was them or nothing."
"Maybe," The GM said, "But that might eventually come back to bite us all in the ass. I don't trust those money grubbing buggers any further than I can toss them."
"Me neither," Patrick concurred, "So let's forget about that and get to work."
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the Mediator
Award-winning rock musician Kris Maya had just held a ground-breaking concert, with an arena packed with his most die-hard fans. His songs that contemplated the human condition: desires, love, pain, loss, fantasy and reality, and his philosophy towards life have garnered a great number of people to follow his every move and as he strummed the last chord that signaled the end of his song, he stumbled in pain and collapsed. With a smile, he closed his eyes on the curtains of his final concert in this life. As the applause of his show turned to become murmurs of worry and disbelief, he was happy and excited. Still, he felt that he was ready and he was anticipating his return to the world where all his past mistakes left a grueling and bloody mark on its history. This world that he filled with his music had taught him many lessons. In Earth, the power of music served as his gateway to learning. When he returns to his former world, his overwhelming power of magic will teach others the same lessons; the bloodshed being the only difference. It was now time to pay it forward.
8 90Ensis Core
Karius Corvider, a youth with the unique ability to sense emotions, is the heir to the most prestigious knight family in Arthas. Despite being the son of a legendary knight, his horrible sword skill earns him the ridicule of his peers. One day, he falls in love with a silver-haired beauty named Hilde after witnessing her amazing display of fortitude.The only problem is she is a prisoner of war destined for endless torture and death.Karius unleashes his magic, an ability he kept secret his entire life, and helps her escape. He doesn't have much attachment to his home except for his sister Annabelle, but he is forced to leave even her behind.But that's okay because he gets the girl, right?…Not exactly.Hilde turns out to be a terrifyingly strong warrior who hates mages with a passion, and he is one of them. Exiled from his home, he travels the barren surface world together with his unwilling partner. Their adventure takes them to strange lands where they face deadly dangers and adversaries, from fantastical creatures to crafty mages… to Hilde's terrible sense of direction.Will Karius ever pierce Hilde's heart? Or will her short sword pierce his first?-------© Kanda Hikaru and ensiscore.wordpress.com, 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kanda Hikaru and ensiscore.wordpress.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
8 214Titans
Cinraal, aliens from another world, emerge from portals and begin to convert Paranova into a world like their own. Lukhan and Isabella, along with fugitives from the Cinraal's previous conquest, band together to defend their planet from these living bio-weapons. As more recruits join their force, their leadership and characters are challenged, forcing them to realise their own humanity.
8 216Imperatrix: Rise of Theadora
At a turning point in history the efforts of a dozen can shift an Empire. For a thousand years the Amazons have lived in a secret diaspora their Sisterhoods have worked for generations for power. They have faced set back and roadblocks as well as victories and achievements. For their goal they have topled Empires and fracture nations with thousands dead, all to creat just a single moment that none knew would look like but would reconized. Now at the turning of the year the moment has arrived and the Amazons are reaching to take hold.
8 209Hestheria
Greg is an old man who is looking forward to retirement full of booze and smokes. His life was mostly bland and the only question he had was, "which will go first, the lungs or the liver"? So when he gets displaced to an alien planet he is not too pleased.
8 84Earl Grey x Reader
Days on end, you devour books, falling in and out of love with the stories...and the characters, to an extreme that concerns your family. They decide to hand you over to your Great Aunt, Queen Victoria. You wanted it to be postponed, hesitant to be seperated from your books, but you had to, otherwise you couldn't have been in this situation.About (Y/N):(Y/N) Ladelle, a girl of 18, used to love going on adventures by her own. Being the Queen's Owl, she did those adventures for a mission in Germany. She has known many people, Visiting countries like, Japan to The Philippines who were still under Spanish rule. Before that you used to play with your neighbor, Charles Grey. He had white hair and stunning blue eyes and had a knack for swordfighting which brought you together. Unfortunately he had to go away for Weston, leaving you alone, starting your book addiction.(Takes Place at the end of Book of Circus)HOPE TO SPREAD THE ATTENTION FOR EARL GREY!
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