Bloody, bruised and broken a frail hand extends out into the air. He has only one finger left. In front of him is an extravagant display reading 'restart or continue.' KĀ„NG is the last player alive in Cardinal the greatest game ever created. Ten years ago he started the last mission with the last ten thousand players. They had been fooled believing Cardinal is a simple game. He can't believe Edgar was right along and he never even got to play.
Using the only finger has left on his right hand, he clicks on restart. Cardinal is the most advanced game ever created. Using a new technology called Divergent Reality. KĀ„NG is pulled into a vortex his mind flung twenty years into the past two days before the opening of Cardinal and the worst day of his life.
20 years earlier...
Samuel fixes his tie while looking at the steamy mirror, he hears the water from the shower. He clenched his hands cracking the sink of his light brown wooden veneer. A stream of memories flood his mind, his forehead damp. Looking in the mirror at his young self, "I'm really back!"
"Did you say something honey?" Says Athena, Samuel's mind remembers his wife's voice he hasn't heard it in fifteen, no in over sixteen years. He balances himself on the counter walking towards the shower door.
"I...am...no...I love you." Samuel stammers as his mind stalls at what to say to the love of his lives. He can only say what he used on the anniversary of their marriage. Athena is just behind this misty shower door. He has to sit on the counter too afraid to move now in case it's an illusion, Cardinal is full of dangerous traps.
"Yes I know, now be a dear and hand me a towel." A thin brown wet-arm stretches out from the shower mist escaping hiding her curves. Her left hand waiting, the small silver band all he could afford as a wedding ring. Samuel hands her a towel his hand brushing over hers. Athena wipes herself down and steps out of the shower, her dreads held high by golden bands. Samuel takes a gulp his mouth dries, at the sight of her, his hands shaking, his heart a mad drum about to explode. Every part of him is focused on her, she walks to him grabbing his shaking hands bringing him close.
"It's alright you can let it out, my love." Samuel cries for joy at being in her arms, tears flowing as he holds on to her, he cries for all those he has lost, all that he suffered alone and what he had to do to get back here. She rubs his head, "I know it's hard I'm with you all the way today."
That's right Samuel recalls something similar happening to him years ago, today is Edgar's funeral, his cousin who is more like his brother. He cries a while longer consumed by the relief of having made it back, struck at how fresh the grief of losing his brother still feels. His feeling a sewer of relief and grief. he was alone at the end, they had been betrayed, sold out and destroyed down to the second last man all dead.
"I have to go and get ready love, take your time then come out when you are ready," says Athena her voice a balm on his bubbling emotions. Cardinal is humanities salvation but those few greedy bastards sacrificed everyone in the end and were consumed themselves. Only by the graces of player Uno-matrix did he survive to complete the mission which took him ten long years to do utterly alone.
"Yeah okay...I will..." Samuel wants to say more but he is still in shock after the final mission was completed. He had two options, continue into the great unknown alone or start again. He chose to start again so that he can do the things they were not able to, which is to save humanity, his country, his family and most of all Athena. In the end, things like guilds and factions had no meaning there was only humanity versus The Takers. He splashes water on his face running his finger through his black trimmed hair cut into fade number three.
He takes a good ten minutes to gather himself, he is preparing to not freak at seeing his mother, his wonderful, bubbly mother, plus his little sister Joy, she is a prime example of someone who is their name. Everywhere she is there is joy. He walks out of the bathroom, going downstairs he catches his foot at the old broken step. He and Edgar had dropped a cabinet on the step creating the misalignment on the white painted wooden staircase. His nose catches smells of his mother's favourite comfort food Apple pie, he brings himself down the stairs. Standing in front of the front door frame, looking at his mother and sister talk about Edgar in the kitchen. Samuel moves toward them standing at the island of the kitchen way and enjoying them just being alive. He cant remember the last time he saw something this good. He smiles allowing the scent and sounds to take him on a journey. His arm is pulled just enough to fit another arm it's Athena providing support.
"I'm really lucky." Says Samuel looking at his family they are the last of the Ender's left, his father had died many years ago from cancer and he was also an only child like his father before him. Samuel Ender is the last of his bloodline. Joy is adopted she built a tower of happiness on the hole of his fathers' death. Samuel thanks every god for gifting him such a wonderful sister.
"You are married to me so of course, you are lucky," Athena says pulling him into the island dining chairs. "Ma please speak to your boy."
"There you guys are. We only have a minute left before the parlour service arrives..." Says Samuels mother, the day repeats itself verbatim down to the unexpected downpour on the way back from the gravesite. Samuel brings the letter he was handed by an associate of Edgar. He knows what it says already. The note leaves Samuel a game pod for Cardinal and a challenge to try his best, in his previous life he had fallen for this childish provocation and created his profile using his old gamer tag KĀ„NG. This time he would do better, he has knowledge nobody else has.
He hands the note to his family for them to read, he heads up to his study where they had set up the pod. Last life, Athena lost her mind at the thought of strangers entering and placing things without her consent.
Samuel sits behind his simply desk a hard glass that is blue and chills to the touch, he tries to remember her email. Delphine was a famous news reporter. He clicks his tongue typing in her real name into the Internet which brings up her work email. She at this point in her life works for a multinational news network. Samuel puts into the subject matter, " Scoopable" is a secret code she had developed from her father only very few people know that it is code for real breaking stories.
The email reads, " I know you don't know me and have no reason to trust me but I trust you and your integrity..." Samuel gives her all the details that Edgar has told them about the Cardinal System. Like how every major power has a stake in it. Samuel also leaves it to her to decide what to share and what not to share. He does explain that he wants people to be in the know and also get a good start in the game as per Edgar's wishes.
In his previous life, he had thought the whole note thing too ridiculous and never shared any of it with anyone let alone a prize-winning journalist. He explains that Edgar was a beta tester and that he died to provide humanity with this chance at success. The single most valuable piece of information about classes is sent to her. He also sets up his account to Cardinal preparing a message to go to the forums as soon as he logs in.
Unsurprised by her quick response Samuel is given a time and date for the broadcast which lucky for him is what Edgar recommended ten minutes before the opening right after the Ceo of Tartarus Inc speaks, the world will be watching and there will be no time for the game manager to block the broadcast. After that he buys game pods for the rest of the family, he takes out loans to make sure they all have the best systems and Uber grade nurelgel. He is sure once the auction house opens up he can earn the money back. Still, thou having a million in debt for a game is going to be hard to explain. He leans back in the chair as Athena walks into the study holding the note.
"This is not one of those elaborate pranks, right? Edgar isn't pulling a fast one on us from beyond the grave?" Athena asks him a bit shaken from the revelation that Cardinal is the complete artificial reality created to make those who can reach the pinnacle absolutely rich and powerful. Of course, Samuel knows the truth that the final mission. The game turns into a death game with the real world as the prize.
"It's all real I promise," Samuel says pulling her closer and letting her sits on his lap, the chair creaking in agony. Athena kisses him both as comfort for him and for herself.
A large number catches her eye, the order he had just placed for the extra three pods is still on the laptop screen...The sound of her scream is like summer rain to him, for the next few hours his entire family starts to question his sanity.
Day of Launch
Samuel has moved all their pods including his into the basement of the house, this way they are all in one secure place. Of course, at this very moment thou, the Ceo Ricard Dennis Alistar is on television announcing the wonders of Constructed Divergent Reality and the possibility it has to solve many of the world economic problems. Along with the announcement of the game is that the earth will adopt a single unified currency. This will provide a huge benefit to every economy in the world. Most people have already bought in due to the time dilation effects and the free skills program. The learn while play will eradicate the need for school.
The family which is gathered around the television waits to see the news broadcast, everyone except Samuel. Another little thing the company didn't mention is that the creation window is open ten minutes before the game goes live and that, a player has to start the game during the countdown which doesn't make sense unless you know something. Samuel kisses Athena, the others will be playing for fun. Even his mother, has convinced them to give him one month to prove that Cardinal is a money maker.
The news interrupts the end of the CEO's broadcast, the bright red banner comes into the screen, 'Breaking News!' In all caps. A very young and nervous-looking intern is reading the breaking news, the official excuse being that all senior staff are already in-game waiting. The News company is ready for the blowback from the powers of the world.
Samuel enters his pod, a fire burning in his soul, he doesn't know their real names but little by little those traitors will reveal themselves. The game pod hums to life, bio mimic gel, the gel glows silver a golden light scanning his body. Every inch of him sinks into the gel enveloped by it.
Samuel is greeted by the countdown clock, he swipes left three times which takes him to a character creation window. There are four blacked out races, in Cardinal, there are four main races, in his first playthrough Samuel picked the exotic Slaanger race, which encompasses merfolk, Naga's and various Halfish. This Samuel is playing to dominate and first on the list is a Cardinal dynamic class.
Cardinal has the conventional classes which if news spreads fast enough no one will pick. The conventional classes are tied to certain races, nations and genders. They stifle dynamic gameplay which is at the core of Cardinal systems. The insidious thing is that it takes almost two years to realize the shortcomings of the conventional class. Only when dynamic raids, bosses and dungeons become the norm. It became clear that conventional classes are meant for only the least talented.
Samuel checks the races Out. He knows this is the first secret of Cardinal but he doesn't know the order so he hopes he can get it.
Starting with the middle blacked-out figure that shimmers into view. Spinning fast as the winds swirling around the blacked-out figure to reveal an Aziza.
They have wings made from wood or stone or metal. These are three different kinds of Aziza on average they as tall as normal human. The difference is that the Aziza come in three colours mainly green brown and pink. Their wings are made from concentrated magicul or Atherton. This makes them excellent magic-based classes like a wizard, or battlemage a favourite of the metal wings or Sky city Aziza.
Underneath a short intro to the race and its history. Samuel knows he can't use the Aziza they are excellent explores but he needs to be an all-rounder from the get-go and only one race has that benefit.
Next, he goes Slaanger, remembering the Sea Of Terror expansion when Naga's become truly frightening as they will have access to the Seven Seas. They are also separated into three Seafolk, Riverfolk and Lakefolk. Most don't know that the easiest path to leviathan grade is through Lakefolk. Most of the folk are well balanced this means they have a wide mix of skills no matter the class and have a natural talent to have matching jobs. So a water Mage will also have an innate job like the under appreciated purifier job. Samuel can't be restricted to water until level fifty, if he was a better Lorist he would have learnt about Slaanger history when he was going through his first playthrough but alas now it's too late.
Third, he picks the Tano, he passes this quickly he hates Tanos. Most Tano's are oxymoronic classes because of the god they all pray to. Having been blessed with size most will have a delicate job that requires fine motor control. It always bothered him how those big hands could work with delicate flowers or buns and burners that are human-sized.
Next, he sweeps through the Toklosh. Short People, shorter tempered is their motto. Where even the woman is bearded and the men have breasts, they are hardworking and harder parties master of jewel dust and sand liquor their connection to the earth allows them to create everything they need underground where they live.
Samuel is lucky his fingers tingling, he gasps in excitement as he clicks on the Humans. Humans come in three varieties because, like the others, their more exotic options will be available when they make it to the next continent. Now the choices are Aethiopian, Welsh and Malayan. Samuel picks the Aethiopian with his bronze skin and broad nose and hair like sheep's wool. He changes his face so that he is not recognizable. He takes the silver hair since in-game those of Aethiopian descent with silver hair is touched by the gods which he needs to access a secret location.
His character matches him in height at six-two and seven inches both ways. His character is well built despite removing all the extra stats in order to trigger the Cardinal mission one has to be the weakest of their race. Samuel enters his character name choosing this time to honour his cousin and using a combined gamer tag.
A display warns him that he cannot alter his character after it is set, with only thirty seconds to go Samuel clicks the create button. Nothing happens at least not what he expected to happen besides his character appearing before him. He has seen the video of an Arch being created. The golden stars didn't appear, Arch's have a powerful passive growth rate that is nearly triple the rate of base humans.
A disembodied voice counts down, "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, commencing reality shift. A blast of light and He is in a large Dark stone cathedral, the gods not depicted as the main hall is open to all who worship by the creators' grace.
He opens his character window, while the voice explains the basics of the game something he is all too familiar with.
Name: NoobainKĀ„NG
Race: Aethiopian
health: 10/10
Stamina: 10/10
Mana: 10/10
Having injected all his extra stats into luck his attribute page reads like a poor man's dinner not very good and lacking in all areas. His strength, agility and intelligence are all at one his luck is at seven. The attributes also show his elemental bonuses and resistances which sit at a glorious zero per cent.
The hall is lit with candle's and decorated with four kinds of precious metals. The voice finishes as the Cardinal of Creation. He is one of the many God blessed representatives of the Creator herself. NoobianKĀ„NG thinks About how he can create a large enough distraction to get to the Cardinal first. His eyes open wide as he sees her.
There is TyphoidTerri, he will never forget how she sold them out to a rival faction leading them to arrive at the final mission with only one-tenth of their unified force. She has the glow of an Arch human. It is like a gentle hum but if you know what to look for it's obvious. Not wanting to bring attention to himself NoobianKĀ„NG, says to the Malayan human next to him.