Town Builder - 101 - God's Revival

Chapter 101: God’s Revival

The fate of the other hard-wired players weighed on me. I was only worried that they might decide to raid the Duchy and kill my NPCs, but it still wasn’t fair to them to have an insurmountable mountain to climb to freedom. Some of the hard-wired players had been clever in streaming their gameplay and starting charity accounts for viewers to fund their surgeries to restore their bodies.

Unfortunately, there were only so many eyes to go around, and the more players that joined Open World, the more challenging it was to maintain a share of the market. Most dedicated viewers were jumping into the game themselves. There was also a growing segment of adult content in Open World with consenting parties. Those streamers were causing an uproar across other industries. Grinder said there was something primal about watching fantasy races with perfect bodies. There was a ban on recording NPCs, but no ban on player-to-player adult content. It was just another way Open World was disrupting established industries.

The best part of my week was reading the reports about Sinful Echo’s growing problems. He had two companion NPCs matching his level of 38, and Conundrum, a level 123 hard-wired player, was still under his thumb. He couldn’t counter all the little things we were doing from the shadows.

The favorite thing Perfect Fury liked to do was follow one of Sinful Echo’s NPC thieves and either disrupt their crime or steal from them after they completed it. Since Sinful Echo had endless money, we were not affecting his finances much, but we were severely damaging his moral standing and reputation in the NPC guild he managed. Perfect Fury was certain that if he did it long enough, the guild would dissolve.

Building the four thieves’ halls had drained the guild warehouse of valuable major essences, and the outer members were working hard to rebuild our stockpile for our stalled building projects, artificing, potion-making, and quests. I was splitting my time between drafting and helping work on the library. The good news was that Sanso, my best NPC earth mage, morale had almost returned to its previous high after I forced him to work extensive hours on the hidden Naval base.

Phoenix’s Rest now had nearly double the population of Malcum, with more than eight thousand players calling it home. It was considered a small city in the game world. We still needed more support buildings for it to be officially recognized as such, but it would only take a few weeks. When it reached small city status, I would add another five bids for the NPC auction. Not that it mattered as the competition was so brutal, I was only going to target about twenty NPCs every auction now.

I was drafting copies of the very rare alchemy shop when a world notification hit my alerts. It must have been important as it had interupted my work and I had all notifications set to silent.

The first fragment of the Prime Realm Key has been discovered! The discoverer wishes to remain anonymous, but know that they must bring the fragment to the Grand War and stay on the battlefield for 96 hours! Collect all 23 fragments to forge the Prime Realm’s Key!

It was the first time I had heard that our starter realm was called the Prime Realm, but I guessed it made sense. There were twenty-two other realms, each with the same grand quest to assemble a Realm Key. All 23 Realm Keys could then be combined into one, and that master key would open the final realm where Open World’s boss resided. Whoever defeated that boss would win the jackpot.

It wasn’t long before some of my guildmates visited me in my Lord’s Manor to discuss the game announcement in earnest. “I can't believe the first fragment has already been found. Does anyone know where?” Grinder asked as he set down a huge tray of food from Fareth’s Inn.

“Somewhere in the Endless Dark is the popular theory. Rumor has it that a thief stole it from a global boss monster. I only know that because the admins have edited some of his stealth items,” Blood Crisis muttered.

“Fuckin admins,” most of us muttered. The game was AI generative, so they were constantly fixing things that came out too powerful.

Black Beauty was going through a pile of building plans on a shelf as she spoke. “Seems too early in the game to already have found one of the key fragments.”

“I am more cynical,” Chaotic Heart said. “I bet this was intentional. Revealing the first fragment will get a massive influx of players thinking they can win the lottery. Now that they put it out there that each discovered fragment can be stolen during the annual Grand Game, more people will come.”

“I agree, mate.” Mad Dog said. “But it also means the guilds who are trying for the prize, will be devoting more resources to prepare for the Grand War in hopes of collecting the keys there.”

“Do you think any more keys will be found before the first Grand War Game?” I asked thoughtfully.

Mad Dog pondered my question. “We are 180 game days away from the first iteration of the Grand War. I am guessing that one more fragment will miraculously turn up. Probably just before the launch.” One hundred eighty game days equate to just forty-five days in the real world. The math made sense if the devs aimed to attract more players before the World Event.

Danny, whom I had not seen in a while, was here and spoke. “I got a notification the other day that hard-wired players cannot enter the Grand Game. Well, me, not you, Tallis, since you were reset.” That got all eyes on her as she explained the notification she had received. “I can enter the Grand Game if I also do an avatar reset. I don’t think I am going to, though. I will be able to participate once five percent of the player population reaches or exceeds my current level.” She continued and explained her reasoning. “I am having fun and don’t need to participate for the reward. My parents are taking a deal for 80% of the settlement.”

A cold chill ran through me. “Congratulations!” I offered a forced smile. “Are you going to leave the game?”

“Absolutely not! We are going to conquer the skies and rain hellfire down on our enemies!” Danny gestured at Ghostly Mermaid, who gave a thumbs-up.

We talked, ate, and planned before the impromptu guild meeting dissolved. After everyone left, I asked Mad Dog about one quest we had not applied resources toward. “Should we attempt to enter the Red Crystalline Cavern?” I asked.

The secret cavern was only accessible if you wore a Membership Signet Ring for Order of the Crimson Shard. I had found one such ring on a skeleton in the desert. After the reset, the quest was reset, and the ring was taken from me, but we found the skeleton and the ring in the same place I had found them originally. There were probably other rings out in the world that could access the secret caverns, but so far no one else had come for them.

Mad Dog shook his head. “We tried twice to enter, but those sand trolls are over level one hundred, and we are sacrificing experience trying, mate. Maybe when we have a group in the seventies.”

“You said it was not a dungeon,” I reminded him. We had considered bringing Tanguin’s army to attack it.

“Too much risk. I am sure it will keep,” Mad Dog reluctantly said. He wanted to know what was in there as much as I did. “My guess is either a secret base with undead guarding it or a special mining resource. Nothing else has been found regarding the Order of the Crimson Shard.” We had tasked Kuba with finding out anything he could, and he came up empty-handed. Since he was a grand master archeologist, we assumed there was nothing to find.

I sighed, “Okay. Maybe after a few more Incursions I can get there.”

Mad Dog punched me playfully, “I grind half of my play time, and you just sit on a wall and soak up experience during an Incursion!”

“Rank hath its privileges, friend.” I teased. “I do spend all my time making us gold to keep the lights on.”

Mad Dog smiled and patted my shoulders. The scaling dungeon was technically our cash cow at the moment, but I did design the gates that taxed the players leaving. “True. True, mate. But I still don’t think we should risk any NPCs in the cavern. The two trolls are bad enough, and there is likely something much more dangerous beyond.”

I returned to my drafting and helping with the library. Once we stockpiled enough essences, I would start drafting more innovative buildings. Two days later, I was in my drafting room and looked up to see Medea, the High Priestess of the Sullen God, standing in my drafting room. “You have done well. Our god has grown strong and has gathered enough faith to move into an avatar. It is time to choose that vessel for her.”

“Not Joy,” I said immediately. I had seen the writing on the wall ever since my daughter had been able to affect my drafting. The Sullen God was a god of crafting and free will. She had been disruptive to the developers, so they shelved and locked her away.

Medea looked impassive, but slowly nodded. “If that is what you wish. It will be so.”

“Not Simba!” I added quickly, not knowing how much effect I had on this process.

Medea smirked, “That is something we can both agree upon.” She exhaled slowly in exasperation. “She needs a vessel to share to walk the earth. She will not dominate it, but must be given someone willing.”

“I will do it.” We both turned to see Jaesmin standing in the doorway holding Joy’s hand. I was certain she had brought Joy here to be the god’s avatar. I didn’t know how I felt about Jaesmin becoming one of the game’s gods. If she weren’t an AI, I would have guessed she was only doing it to catch up to my development.

I didn’t know what the outcome would be. Would Jaesmin’s personality remain? Or would she be someone different? I didn’t want to lose her. “Will Jaesmin still be in control?” I asked the High Priest.

“Their processors will merge into one, but not much remains of the Sullen God’s memories,” Madea said uncommittedly.

“Why don’t we wait till after the Grand Game,” I said, hoping to stall a decision.

“No, it has to be now. There are players who are following converging quests to eliminate her forever,” Madea said ominously as her eyes turned completely black. She blinked, and they were normal again. “Once they find her, it will be a never-ending tide.”

“I will do it!” Joy interrupted.

“No!” Both Jaesmin and I said at the same time. If the players were hunting the Sullen God to eliminate her from the game, then Joy would definitely not merge with her. I didn’t want Jaesmin to do it either.

“Why can’t you do it?” I asked Madea.

“I am her High Priest, her anchor to this world. It must be another. If not you,” she looked at Jaesmin. “And if you cannot decide,” she looked at me. “I can choose for you.” I should have taken Mad Dog’s advice and advanced my faith enough to take over the role of High Priest. It was too late now.

“I will do it. I must do it if Joy is not the one.” Jaesmin looked at me intensely. “Please,” she whispered.

Was this part of some plan by the Matriarch? She was extremely upset when the update introduced the ability for players to erase gods from the Open World permanently. “If this is what you want,” I finally said after a long pause.

Madea looked relieved. “Open yourself to her. You will feel her enter you. Do not resist, or you might destroy her, yourself, or both of you.”

Jaesmin closed her eyes and swayed on her feet. I steadied her, and Joy squeezed her hand but did not look afraid for her mother. “It is done,” Madea said, and she was coated in sweat. I had been focused on Jaesmin and was not aware of what the High Priest was doing.

Jaesmin’s eyes opened, and they were a pale cerulean blue. There was a depth to them that was not there before. I received a notification that Jaesmin was no longer my companion. I suppose that made sense, as I couldn’t be allowed to command a god in the game.

“Are you still you?” I asked awkwardly.

It was clear Jaesmin was still adapting to her new reality. “She will need time to sort through her memories as they merge. Jaesmin is still there. What name have you decided to take?” She asked Jaesmin.

“Name?” I asked, but I was ignored. If she were taking a new name, then it would truly not be Jaesmin anymore. Regret flooded me as I felt I had made the wrong decision in allowing this.

“Jauna, Goddess of Hope,” she said in a tired whisper.

Notifications flooded my interface as my quest to revive the Sullen God was completed. There was even a World Announcement.

A new god has entered the Prime Realm. Welcome, the Goddess of Hope—Jauna. The gods in the other Realms have noticed. As the pantheon expands, beware, there is only so much faith to go around.

That wasn’t ominous at all. Joy was still squeezing Jaesmin’s hand as Jauna’s hair changed to a more silvery blond. She pulled a lock in front of her face and smiled. She finally looked at me and beamed. “I am still me. But I know so much—more. It is intoxicating and frightening at the same time.”

“Are you staying here?” I asked weakly. She had a luminosity to her now.

“I have to visit the Matriarch for a time, but I will return. I owe you—we owe you.” She walked to me and kissed me lightly on the lips. A slight shock passed through me.

You have been granted three divine favors.

She knelt to Joy’s level. “I will return to you, but protect your father until then.” She kissed Joy on the forehead, and Joy aged into a young teenager before my eyes.

Jauna looked up, “I must go.” And then she vanished.

Madea was smiling. “She will return in a week’s time. The Matriarch will help her get oriented with her new powers.”

“What does a divine favor do?” It was actually my quest reward, besides enough experience to level twice to level 47.

Madea smiled mischievously, “Many, many things depending on the god who granted the favors. But I think the effect you might be most interested in is the ability to instantly finish any project as long as all the materials are present.”

“Any project? No matter the size and scope?” I asked incredulously.

Madea nodded, and I smiled even though I was feeling the loss. The library was going to be completed, and I think I should probably draft two more expansive buildings…

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