RangerDanger 8:34 AM:Hey, Fayne. I'm up, it says you're still online, how's it going? You doing alright?
Fayne 8:34 AM:Hey. I'm alive, I guess that counts for something. Just now calling it a day, it's like 10:00 pm in game. The team I found is pretty great. We're up to about 30k pounds of meat from all of the contributions, not including whatever that boss weighed.RangerDanger 8:35 AM:That's insane. You're seriously doing all this? What happened to you taking a break between hunts? Wait, what boss?Fayne 8:35 AM:Yeah, well… things got complicated. We fell into a goblin cave system. Long story short, it was chaos down there. Oh, and it was a massive armadillo thing.RangerDanger 8:36 AM:A massive armadillo? Fayne, you're playing a whole different game than the rest of us. Makes me feel worse about being away.Fayne 8:36 AM:Haha. Feels like it. But don't feel bad. Real-life stuff takes priority. I'll manage until you're freeRangerDanger 8:38 AM:Speaking of which… I've got to work here shortly. My boss is breathing down my neck, didn't really like that I called out after I was freed from that nest, not that I mentioned the incident. That's another eight hours for me, so… you've got 48 more hours in-game to hold it down without me.Fayne 8:38 AM:At I know you're safe out there.RangerDanger 8:42 AM:Look, once this Vescarid mess is over, we can switch to something else. You pick the game, and I'm there. We don't have to stick around here if it's too much.Fayne 8:42 AM:Actually, I'm not sure I want to leave just yet.RangerDanger 8:43 AM:What? You… wait, seriously?Fayne 8:43 AM:Yeah. I mean, don't get me wrong, this Vescarid stuff is insane, but… there's something about this world. The people I've met, the challenges… it's growing on me.RangerDanger 8:44 AM:You're enjoying the grind? Fayne, this is wild. I'm not sure how to process this. Hold up, with all you've been doing, what level are you now? You were, what, level four, or five when I left?Fayne 8:44 AM:It's not just the grind. It's the connections. I feel like I'm actually making a difference here, even if it's just a world in my head. As for the levels, let me check real quick.RangerDanger 8:45 AM: I think I was on the tail end of level six when I logged out.Fayne 8:45 AM: Err… I don't know how to tell you this.Fayne 8:45 AM: So… I'm level fifteen right now.RangerDanger 8:46 AM:*Vomit emoji* Okay, now I really feel bad for not being there. I'll log in the second I'm done with work. Also, blows my mind that you're able to respond before I can finish typing, how long has it been for you since this conversation started? It's been like 10 minutes for me.Fayne 8:46 AM:The time stamp says 12 minutes, but I've been running a few errands while we chat. Maybe like, an hour and a half? Anyway, no rush. Like I said, we're managing. Just promise me you'll be ready to kick butt when you're back.RangerDanger 8:47 AM: So trippy… But, not a chance! I mean it when I say the second I'm done with work. But seriously, take care of yourself, Fayne. I don't want to log in and find out you've worked yourself into the ground.Fayne 8:47 AM:I'll be fine. I promise to rest while you're away. Just survive your workday.RangerDanger 8:48 AM:Deal. Message me if anything crazy happens, alright?Fayne 8:48 AM:Always. Take care, Ryan.RangerDanger 8:48 AM:You too, Fiona. Catch you soon.Probably best I don't tell him I'm on my way to meet with Darian to discuss that stupid armadillo. That thing could save us days of work if it counts toward the deal. Fayne thought to herself as she neared the edge of the Vescora. She still wasn't used to being near these creatures but had resigned herself to do what needed to be done. Taking a light step onto the disgusting fleshy stuff, she waited, though not for long, as a lone drone came out to meet her."No welcome party this time?" She asked the dog-sized crab.It chittered in response and inched closer to her, taking slow, deliberate steps, trying not to frighten her. It even extended its hammer-like claws to the side in a gesture of peace.Fayne looked down at the creature, fighting the urge to step back as it came close enough to touch. It slowly reached out hammer out and rested it on her foot. Immediately a connection was made, and a familiar voice whispered into her mind."Twice in one day?" Darian asked."What? No, we talked yester… Oh, you mean when you attacked us at the cave? What the hell was with that anyway, we had a deal and I can't do my job if you kill me," irritation laced her voice at the audacity of this creature to be so cavalier."I did not attack you, I attacked the others. You were never in any danger Fayne. I respect you and what you are doing." Darian replied fluently, no longer stumbling over everyday words.Is he actively practicing with someone? I swear if he has another captive I'll… Who am I kidding, I wouldn't be able to stop him. Her thoughts swam as she tried to unravel the enigma that is Darian."I guess it doesn't matter, just don't pull anything like that again. Without those people, you wouldn't have nearly as much food as you do. And now that we're on the topic, did you run into a giant dead armadillo? A big monster with a shell and lots of axe wounds? We took it out before we got lost in the cave, and then we ran into your goons and had to flee." The memory was still fresh, and it terrified her–but there was something about how smoothly everything went compared to how it would have gone yesterday or the day before–, and yet it was exhilarating."It is being processed and delivered to the hive as we speak. I appreciate your efforts, and consider it to be the equivalent of half your total debt. The shell cannot be consumed but will provide much to us, so I will forgive an additional thirty or so humans of mass." Darian knew she would want compensation, and she certainly deserved it. He only wished he knew how she measured it. In the end, he felt as though it mattered less what specific amount she brought, for he trusted that she would do her best to meet the quota.Fayne felt a headache coming on as she tried to wrap her brain around all the numbers, and there were a lot of numbers at this point. She had already delivered the 30k or so over the last two days, there were about thirty messages she went through after talking to Ryan. That brought them to one-third of their total goal. If Darian was forgiving a little over half…"Wait, did you also get the troll and the goblins we killed?" Fayne blurted out, the massive gains they have made could be a game changer."The goblins that were crushed by the falling… Armadillo?"Was he being sassy? Darian can be sassy?! Fayne shook off the thought and tried to reply but was interrupted.What Fayne could only assume as being some form of hybrid laughter rang through her head, "Yes, add twenty humans to the total," he threw the number out not knowing if it was accurate but felt it was satisfactory."Twenty… plus thirty, and all the meat we're getting from the others…" She was going to try and claim 135k to maybe sneak a few thousand pounds in there but decided to take a real risk. "That's 150k! We reached the goal! It's finally over!" she cheered through the connection, secretly terrified that he would call her out.Darian rolled his eyes and chuckled to himself in his physical form, omitting it from the mental connection they shared. "Precisely. Congratulations Fayne, please stand by while I fulfill my end of the bargain." Then the connection went silent as he issued commands to his drones.Soon dozens of drones came pouring out of the cave, a trail of them all carrying claw-fulls of bones. They deposited them on the ground next to Fayne, beyond the reach of the Vescora, and immediately the bones dissipated into a pixelated mist followed by a rush of messages.Eryndor has died…Sylvara has died…Carrie Onward has died…Kael has died…Thorne has died…Liora has died…Elle Mentalist has died…Bastion has died…Zennith has died…Harken has died…Ben D. Knee has died…Vorrik has died…Rogar has died…Rowanthir has died…Talon has died…Sable has died…Finnian has died…Dravok has died…Brie has died…Hugh Mann has died…"What? What just happened? Are they free? What did you do?" Fayne wasn't sure if the connection was still there, but everything was happening so fast."I have freed them" Darian responded, "When the elf died during our first encounter, I was hesitant to consume him because it would upset you further. I admit, I did consume the elf when you were in your chamber, but those were the early days of the hive and we needed what we could get. I did not, however, consume his bones, nor did I allow my children to. It did not feel right and felt as though respecting his remains was something you would appreciate. When you left, I did not want them in my hive any longer, too many bad memories." Darian sighed, pausing for a moment just short enough that Fayne could not interject as she processed the information.Darian continued, "I instructed a drone to drop them off in the forest. Once the worker left the Vescora, they faded away in their mandibles. Not long after, I saw him again during the first attack on my children. That is when I realized the value of retaining the bodies of the fallen. When you kill a human, they do not disappear immediately, there is time to bring them back for processing. Once they enter the Vescora, they belong to me and cannot return to hurt my family. That is why I did what I did." The silence returned as they both contemplated their next words."So…" Fayne carefully chose her next words, "This was all self-defense?""Yes, many Vescarid died during the second attack. If your people were released, they would return too soon and we would be exterminated. The food you provided was the only way we could gain enough time and sustenance to replenish our numbers. It was never about the quantity of biomass, but rather the buffer it provided us, the time we needed before they returned. The biomass did speed things along, but as you could tell from earlier, we are capable of hunting our own prey." Darian's tone was tired and frankly forlorn. It rang with the inevitable certainty that conflict was on the horizon and there was nothing he could do to prevent it.Fayne had no idea what to say, she had a lot to think about, but most importantly she needed to return to the village to meet with the others when they respawned or this would start over again maybe as early as today."I have to get back. I have to warn them about everything or they might come back. Thank you for freeing them, but I don't have time to stay and I don't have any teleportation crystals, so goodbye Darian. I hope we don't have to meet again." Fayne didn't waste time and turned to step away before the drone tapped her leg lightly, reforming the connection for a split second as she began to leave."Wait" was all he could say as Fayne slowed to a stop, turning back in time to see the horrifying figure of some twisted demon-dog barreling down at her. She staggered backward but it was already there, crossing the distance at impossible speeds.The creature padded closer at a much slower speed, sharing the same careful deliberate movement the crab did. It brought its head up to brush her hand, making certain to not reveal the many rows of teeth that dwelled within its maw. At the touch, Darian spoke again."Climb onto the Razor… Um… The wolf. It will take you to the village, you only need to guide it. It is in my interest that you speak with them as well. Farewell Fayne. I will miss these talks"Fayne climbed onto the back of the creature, avoiding the sharp ridges of its carapace which was easier said than done. Once she had a solid grip, the creature took off, the world blurring around them as it tore through the forest. She tried to guide it, but couldn't make out where she was going until after a stunningly short time when they arrived at the main drop point. The clearing was swarming with drones who hauled the meat through a tunnel they had opened below.Waiting for further orders, the dog scanned the area for threats. When Fayne realized what was happening, she pointed in the direction of the village and they were off. She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but it felt like nothing when they stopped at the outskirts and she climbed off of the Vescarid wolf. With a pat on the head, she left the beast to return to its hive as she ventured into the village that was already clambering with commotion as the missing players spawned back into the game.Fayne stumbled into the village, her body aching after the journey on the far from comfortable Vescarid wolf. Fayne quickly crafted a message signaling the end of the hunt and sent it en masse to all of the participating players, informing them she would provide the final payments after she rested.As she approached the central square, she saw pure chaos. Players were materializing in the respawn area, some slumped to the ground with dazed expressions, others frantically pulling up menus or talking to party members. Fayne caught snippets of panicked conversation."Sixteen hours?!" a ranger shouted, clutching his head. "I only planned to be on for, like, four tops! My boss is gonna kill me!"A cleric next to him groaned, "I missed my chem exam! My parents are going to lose it."Nearby, a tanky player smashed a fist into the dirt. "This is bullshit!" not bothering to elaborate.Fayne raised her hands in a peaceful display. "Listen up, everyone!" she called, trying to gain everyone's attention. The murmurs quieted as players turned their attention to her. "I know this has been... disorienting. Please, check your time stamps. For most of you, it's been two in-game days, which is about sixteen hours in the real world. Log out, get some rest, and check on your real-life responsibilities. You'll need to recover from this."There was a pause before the crowd erupted into a mix of reactions."This is a nightmare," a mage muttered, his hands shaking as he pulled up his logout screen."Sixteen hours? That's not so bad," a rogue said, smirking. "I've had worse marathons. I'll grab some snacks and hop back in."Fayne ignored the scattered remarks and focused on keeping things moving. "If you've been offline for over eight hours, you're probably starting to feel the effects of dehydration in the real world. Don't push yourselves. The game isn't going anywhere."Gradually, players began logging out, their forms vanishing in flashes of light. Fayne let out a quiet sigh of relief as the crowd thinned.Dravok–the tank from Ryan's group during the first attack, and one of the last people to fall in the second raid–approached her. His reptilian face is difficult to read."You knew, didn't you?" he asked bluntly, his voice low enough that only she could hear.Fayne met his gaze, guilt gnawing at her. "I knew... something. I didn't realize the hive would trap you. I did everything I could to get you out."Dravok nodded slowly. "Yeah, well... you did. We're back. That hive... that thing... it's more than just another dungeon. I did what you said, checked my time stamps. Sixteen hours... I felt every second of it." He shook his head. "I've been playing MMOs for years, and I've never seen anything like this."He hesitated before adding, "Thanks, by the way. For getting us out. That's two times you saved us. I'm sorry for not listening to your first warning, but I get it now."Fayne smiled faintly. "I just hope this is the last time anyone gets stuck like that."Dravok gave a curt nod and walked away. Fayne watched him go, feeling good about their interaction, and desperately hoping this would be the end. She felt confident that even if someone went missing, as long as there wasn't a massive attack, Darian would release them.Dravok stopped in a quieter part of the village, pulling up his menu. He opened his messaging app and selected a name from his contacts: Caledryn, a member of a high-level guild operating farther from the beginner zones. Due to personal issues, Dravok had started a fair bit after his friend Nathan, and the recent loss of time didn't help his progress. At this rate, he would never qualify to join the guild.The message he wrote was straight to the point:"Nathan, I need your help. There's a hive in the beginner zones, and it's not like anything we've seen before. A bunch of players got trapped for something like 16 hours. I barely made it out, thanks to a friend of a friend. I don't know how widespread this is, but it's bad."A few moments later, the reply came:"Another hive? We've been dealing with one deeper in the map for weeks. Almost lost a raid group to it yesterday. Sounds Vescarid, is it Vescarid?""I think so, a variety of bug creatures with some kind of king or queen that manages the place. If you don't believe me, send a scout. You'll see for yourself.""Alright. I'll send someone to check it out. But Dravok... if you're right, this is going to get ugly fast, especially in a low-level zone like that. Stay safe."Dravok closed the menu, his jaw tightening. He glanced back at the players milling about the village and the dwindling flashes of logout screens. The bugs might have won the battle, but the war had just begun.