HC:Pacifist | Ch. 123 - Surprise (Patreon)

They came out empty after looking for the Slayer for an hour.

"Still nothing," said Xana ominously. "There has to be something else. There's no way the Slayer could have found something that none of us can't. After all, we're much higher level than he is."

"Did you scan every inch of the submerged floor?" asked Wilson.

"I did. But feel free to dive into the filth and double-check, Wilson."

"I believe you," he said.

"We must be missing something. Could there be another explanation?"

"Hmmm... what about a potion of invisibility? Or a miniature potion?" said Wilson.

Gary and Xana turned toward him, intrigued. "Go on."

"Even though he's playing a warrior, [Camouflage] isn't the only way of becoming invisible. There's a consumable that does the same."

"We come back to the point that he had to see the drone coming!" protested Xana.

"Not necessarily," interrupted Gary. "After all, he saw Wilson earlier at the garrison today. He knows we're close. If you knew people were out to get you, wouldn't you run counter-surveillance tactics?" Gary let his words hang in the air. "Imagine this: he goes to the auction house, buys these potions, and whenever they come off cooldown, he takes one and circles back to see if he's being followed."

"But I improved my drones' scanners! They would be able to see through such a weak camouflage!"

"What about a miniature potion?" countered Wilson.

"And where would a level 15 player find 300 gold to buy one?" she retorted.

"He could also have found a hidden chamber that only opens from the other side the first time. We can't find an entrance because we haven't unlocked the hidden room yet."

Gary’s face darkened. He had honestly thought they would come out on top, but it seemed that with the Slayer, nothing was simple. "Whatever the case, we have to meet Xerxes in a few moments. Wilson, you and I will run around the sewers to see if we can find something out of the ordinary. Xana, stay here. We have until it's time for the meeting with Xerxes to find him. This is our lucky break. We can't let him get away."

*

"Hey, everyone! First of all, thank you for all your help again." Roth took a deep breath. The fact that his former squad was looking for him outside while they were having this briefing had thrown Roth off balance. Adding to that, everyone had given their all in getting started with the unions, and he had gone off questing. He sighed. "Well, I'm now a tailor. I unlocked a new profession called 'Ecotailor.' It gives a bonus to crafting similar to the thumber race."

"Again?" protested Charlie.

"E-excuse me?"

"You keep unlocking stuff left and right wherever you go! Leave something for the rest of us!" A chorus of laughter echoed. Roth smiled.

"I just succeeded in changing professions, so I haven't been able to put feelers out and find out what other players are feeling. Sorry, everyone. I've let you down."

"What are you talking about?" asked Drake.

"I should have been focused only on getting the unions started. Instead, I got lost in the quest that let me get my unique class and unique profession."

"Don't be ridiculous! You're working harder than any of us!"

"Yeah!" chimed in Maggie. "Your strength adds to the strength of the team. Don't worry, Roth. You're doing well." As he felt the wave of support and understanding from the group, Roth felt a tear forming in the corner of his eye. Maybe he was putting too much pressure on himself. This was going to be a long-term project. He couldn't put so much strain on himself; otherwise, he'd snap. He felt his muscles relax and his mind becoming clearer.

Drake continued. "Maggie. You're up."

Kai noticed how respectful Drake was to Maggie. He didn’t sound like a captain talking to a soldier but a captain talking to another captain.

"I'm now a cyborg and have just become a tinkerer. Nothing else to report."

Unlike Drake, Maggie had been given a robotic leg. Roth wasn't sure of the details and wondered if the skills she and Drake had access to would vary because of this difference.

"Well, as for me," said Drake, "I'm now a captain in the Raviolis." Roth and the rest of the team became quiet and stared at Drake dumbfounded. How? How had he achieved something like this so fast?

"The next step is to get to the administration. We have Roth to thank for that. He dealt quite a blow to the Gazpachos, and I knew about it before anyone else, so I could help the family prepare, and we took a big chunk of their turf." So that's how. He had used his knowledge of Roth’s quest. Information was power.

"Whenever you have quests or information on the crime families, please let me know. Information is vital if I want to keep progressing."

Everything was beginning to take shape. Roth was happy that they were having this meeting. These debriefings would help him stay grounded and focused on the end game.

"Now, to end this meeting, I have a little surprise for Roth." There it was again. This talk of a surprise.

"What?"

"See for yourself." Another window joined the conference call. On the other side of it was a middle-aged woman. She had hazel eyes and brown hair well on its way to becoming silver. She was thinner than Roth remembered, and even though some facial features were adjusted, he recognized her immediately. The tears rolling down her face only attested to that.

"Mama?"

"My baby, it's you."

Roth felt something in him snap, and he started sobbing. His mother did the same. Soon, several old-timers were wiping a tear off the corner of their eyes.

"Mama? You've joined the game?"

"Of course! Mr. Drake has told me about your plan, and I'm here to help. We're going to take you out of here."

Roth gulped. He hadn't expected that his mother would be joining the team.

"But Mom, you've never played any games. I'm not sure if..."

From a gentle stream, his mom became an unstoppable ocean. "Nonsense! I'm going to be a baker. You know that I make the finest cake in the whole city. I'm also going mad waiting in the house, looking at Drake wearing that helmet. I'm going to help. And that's that!” Not even Drake or the sergeant commanded this level of respect. All the old-timers unconsciously had adjusted their posture and were standing at attention.

Mrs. Bessie’s face softened again, and she spoke gently to Roth again, “Have you been eating well? Have you been getting enough rest?" Strange how talking to your mother made you feel like a child no matter how old you were.

"Mom, you can't sleep in the game nor eat. The machines do it for us."

"But Drake is constantly taking off his helmet."

"I'm stuck in a capsule, Mom. It's different."

The tears provoked by their emotional reunion quickly changed into small mocking chuckles. Roth was starting to feel his face grow red. Whatever. He didn't care. He was talking to his mom. His mom was here!

"OK, everyone. Benny, please come and meet Mrs. Bessie and take her on the quest to become a chef. Show her the ropes."

"Yes, sir!"

"Everyone is dismissed. Roth. Stay."

"I'll call you later, Mom."

"Of course, sweetie. I'll let you be with Mr. Drake now." She hung up.

Drake looked at him with a wide grin on his face. "So, did you like your surprise?"

"Absolutely. Was it your idea to get her into the game?"

"Honestly, if I hadn't, I'm pretty sure Brian would be dead already. This way, she gets to feel she's helping you. It hasn't been easy for her to know her son is trapped."

"Thank you, Drake."

"No worries."

"So, what do we do about the people outside?"

"They can't stay there forever. Let's give it a couple of days. In the meantime, we're going to change our base of operations. I know you're probably itching to go out and go back to playing the game, but try to stay put. Remember. Our greatest advantage is that Loki and your former squad don't see eye to eye. They are a noose around your neck, but they're also your shield."

Roth nodded. He could wait for a while. "I can stay here for a day or two, but then I have to leave; otherwise, I'll lose my exclusivity trade agreements."

"Very well. Worst case scenario, we'll create a distraction or have you leave the lab through another of the entrances. We'll think of something."

"By the way, there's a guide that I wanted to get but can't afford. It costs 1000 gold."

"Get it!!

"Don't you want to know what it is for?"

"I trust you. Talk to H. Try to help him with the library since you're now stuck here."

"Very well."

“OK. Must go back to work.”

Drake hung up. In the meantime, everyone who'd come down here had left through another exit that didn't lead them to Roth's pursuers, leaving him again on his own. Roth's thoughts still lingered on the conversation he had with his mom. There was a warmth in his chest and a heavy weight that had gone off his shoulders.

Now that Roth was alone with Mario, he noticed something different about him. About now, he would have gone up to the sewers and roam. Instead, he was staying down here in the lab. To Roth's surprise, he went to the racks and pulled out the machine that Roth had entrusted him with. He plugged it into a computer and started running diagnostics and repair work on it.

Why was Mario changing his routine like this? He never stayed this long down here. Roth's eyes went to the screens of the security cameras. Of course! His former squad members were all over level 40. Feeling that these powerful players were out there, Mario, as a wild boss, refused to go out.

Roth aged several years as he observed in panic his former friends looking through every nook and cranny of the chamber, looking for the entrance to Mario's lab. Fortunately for Roth, they used Xana's drones to explore the flooded floor. The drones had passed right over the lever that activated the elevator, but Mario's scramblers messed up with their sensors, making the entrance invisible. If Xana, Gary, and Wilson had systematically felt the whole floor with their hands, they might have found the secret lever that activated the elevator.

Only Xana stayed behind in the entrance Roth had used while Wilson and Gary appeared on and off the screens at the other entrances. They seemed to have lost his scent. He was probably safe for now.

After a while, a few players approached them and got into heated arguments. Roth shuddered as he saw Wilson and Gary mercilessly killing noobs left and right because they dared to complain to them. These were probably players who had noticed that Mario hadn't come out and had narrowed it down to the presence of higher-level players.

After several minutes of looking at screens, Roth forced himself to look away and to make the most of his time down here. Who knew how long his squad members would continue looking for him? After all, they hadn’t given up searching for him even after several weeks.

The last time he had been stuck in a place waiting for the time to pass was when he'd unlocked his [Alpinist] title. Thinking about titles, he had access to the rescue library. There was a lot of reading to do there, and H would appreciate his help filtering through the information, looking for what was worth keeping and selling. He decided to give H a call.

Ch. 122 - Blown

INDEX

Ch. 124 - Jack of all Trades