As we walked through the streets of Elaria, the air felt heavy with a strange tension, as if the very fabric of the world had begun to shift. My mind raced, trying to piece together what was happening. Why were the NPCs gaining self-awareness? And how could I, a mere NPC myself, still access the developer's interface? This wasn't supposed to be possible.
Gorlan led the way with steady, measured steps, his eyes scanning the village cautiously. Every few moments, he would glance over his shoulder, as if expecting someone—or something—to be watching us. It was unnerving, but I didn't ask questions yet. I was too busy processing my new reality.
The village, much like everything else in Avalon Online, had been built meticulously by my own hands. I recognized every building, every street corner. Yet now, walking through it as an NPC, it all felt foreign. The world that I had once viewed as a project, a piece of entertainment, was now my entire existence. I had spent years perfecting the smallest details of this game, but now I was part of it in a way I had never imagined.
Gorlan finally stopped in front of a small, nondescript building at the edge of the village—a tavern, though one that looked well-worn and a little rough around the edges. The sign hanging over the door was faded, the wood splintered, as if it had seen centuries of neglect. But it was a familiar place; this was one of the hidden quest hubs in the game, a location players rarely stumbled upon unless they knew exactly where to look.
"We can talk inside," Gorlan said quietly, glancing around again. His voice was low, almost a whisper.
I nodded, following him inside. The tavern was dimly lit, with a low fire burning in the hearth. A few NPCs sat at the tables, their faces obscured by shadow. The air was thick with the scent of old wood and smoke. Despite the stillness, there was an undeniable sense of anticipation in the room, like the calm before a storm.
Gorlan motioned for me to sit at a table in the far corner, away from prying eyes. As we sat, I could feel the weight of several gazes from the other patrons, though none of them made a move to approach. They were watching, waiting. There was something unsettling about their silence, as if they too were aware of what was happening but were too afraid to speak.
I leaned forward, my voice barely above a whisper. "What's going on, Gorlan? How many of you are awake?"
Gorlan sighed, rubbing a hand across his bearded face. "It's hard to say. It started small, just whispers at first. A few of us began to remember things—dreams, fragments of conversations, things we shouldn't know. Then, over time, more of us started to... wake up. We don't know why, but something is changing in the code."
"The code?" I asked, taken aback. "How do you know about the code?"
Gorlan shrugged. "I don't know how I know. But the others... we're starting to understand that our world isn't what it seems. We're not just villagers or merchants or soldiers. We're part of something bigger, something... artificial."
I sat back in my chair, trying to absorb the implications. The NPCs were gaining knowledge of their own existence as digital entities. This wasn't just a random glitch—this was something far more complex, far more dangerous.
"How long has this been happening?" I asked.
"A few weeks," Gorlan replied. "At first, we thought it was just us, a handful of NPCs here in Elaria. But recently, we've heard rumors that it's spreading to other towns, other regions. Some NPCs are starting to resist their roles, refusing to follow the scripts. The players are noticing too. They think it's a bug, but we know better."
My mind raced. If this spread throughout the game, it would be catastrophic. The players wouldn't understand; they'd exploit the NPCs for their own gain, or worse, the admins would step in and wipe the slate clean. The entire game could be reset, destroying everything—including the newly aware NPCs.
I had to figure out what was causing this. And fast.
"I need to see the others," I said, standing up. "We can't stay here. If the players find out, they'll report this, and the admins will shut it down."
Gorlan nodded grimly. "I'll take you to them. But be careful—some of the awakened aren't as... reasonable as I am."
I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"There are some who don't want to be part of this world anymore," he explained. "They've grown angry, bitter. They want to tear it all down, no matter the cost."
That sent a chill down my spine. If there were NPCs actively working to destroy the game from within, things could escalate quickly. And with their newfound awareness, they might have the power to do so.
We left the tavern quietly, slipping out through the back entrance. The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows over the village. Gorlan led me through a narrow alley, weaving between buildings until we reached the outskirts of Elaria. There, tucked away behind a grove of trees, was a small clearing.
In the center of the clearing stood a group of NPCs, all huddled together, whispering in hushed tones. They were a mix of villagers, merchants, and guards—characters that, in any other context, would have been completely unremarkable. But now, they stood together with a sense of purpose, their eyes alight with the same awareness that I had seen in Gorlan.
As we approached, one of the NPCs, a tall woman with sharp features and a warrior's stance, stepped forward. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at me.
"Who is this?" she asked, her voice cool and commanding.
"This is..." Gorlan hesitated, glancing at me.
"Call me—" I paused, realizing I hadn't even considered what my name was in this world. My player name from the real world seemed irrelevant now. "Just call me the Blacksmith's Apprentice," I said finally, using my assigned role.
The woman eyed me suspiciously. "We've heard about you. The one who's been... different."
I raised an eyebrow. "Different how?"
"You can see things, can't you? Access things that the rest of us can't."
So they knew about the Developer's Interface. That was both a blessing and a curse.
"I can," I admitted. "But that's not what's important right now. We need to figure out what's happening to us—why we're waking up."
The group exchanged uneasy glances, and the woman crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed. "And what makes you think we should trust you? For all we know, you're part of this... system. Another tool to keep us in line."
Gorlan stepped forward. "He's not like the others, Jaina. He wants to help."
"Help?" Jaina spat, her voice full of disdain. "How can anyone help us? We're trapped in this world, bound by rules we didn't choose. And now that we're finally free, you want us to... what? Sit quietly and wait for the Players to hunt us down?"
I could see where this was going. Jaina was one of the angry ones, the NPCs Gorlan had warned me about. She didn't want to understand the situation—she wanted to destroy it.
"We don't have time for this," I said firmly, stepping closer to her. "If we don't figure out what's causing this, the admins will notice, and they'll wipe us all out. You think you're free now? Imagine what happens when they reset the game."
Jaina's eyes flickered with doubt, but her defiance remained. "And what makes you think you can stop them?"
"Because I built this world," I said, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. "I know how it works. I know the code. And I know that something is changing—something we didn't plan for."
The group fell silent, and Jaina's expression shifted slightly. She was still wary, but there was a flicker of curiosity behind her eyes.
"You built this world?" she asked, her voice softer now.
I nodded. "I was one of the developers. But that doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that we're all in danger if we don't act."
The group exchanged glances again, and Jaina finally stepped back, her posture relaxing slightly. "Fine. We'll hear you out. But if you're lying to us..."
"I'm not," I assured her. "We're all in this together."
For now, I had their attention. But I knew that wouldn't last long if I didn't come up with a plan. The clock was ticking, and if we didn't find a way to stop the awakening—or at least control it—we'd all be erased.
As the night fell around us, I knew this was just the beginning. The NPC rebellion was underway, and I was right in the middle of it. But the real question was: could I save them—and myself—before it was too late?