Book 6. Chapter 24: Alex - Earth Integration

Book 6. Chapter 24: Alex - Earth Integration

Alex dug deep, finishing the final squat lift for the set. His heart was pounding as he placed the weight back on the rack, his chest heaving as he tried to fill his lungs with air. Sweat poured down his face, so he grabbed a towel and rubbed himself dry before cleaning up his area.

Utterly exhausted, he checked his smartwatch to see if the strange contraption deemed his efforts over the last two hours were finally worthy.

Nice work! Workout completed. +10 XP

Strength increased from 11 to 12 +500 XP

Bonus Level 5 Reached! +10% Attribute bonus in game earned.

Alex pumped his fist, and just barely kept himself from exclaiming out loud. The last time he did that, several people in the gym glared at him.

In the last year he had begun working out for benefits within the newest game, Infinite Labyrinth VR, and had finally reached an important milestone.

How it knew he was stronger now as a result of his workout he didn’t know, but the results spoke for themselves. Alex had come a long way in the last year, where he was only a pitiful 7 in strength, in just horrible shape.

He would finally get a significant advantage in the game, the previous levels only granting mild improvements to earnings or unlocking special additional training events and resources.

Why a VR game started providing benefits for personal improvement outside the game was beyond him, but he was a sucker for earning benefits inside of the addictive game. Even the strange books he read within it had a benefit to this bonus, but they topped out at a certain point.

Besides, one could only read so many books on weird magical theories before your brain just felt fried, even if it appeared to help his character in the game for some reason.

That working out helped his body become better than its original...oblong, unflattering shape, was an immense benefit.

What he really did enjoy was how skills in the game appeared to transfer decently in real life, especially after his body improved. On a whim, he had joined a beginner’s martial arts class, and had caught on insanely quickly–his experience in foot work and balance from his tank class in the game transferring substantially.

Alex wasn’t the only one, as many other people were noticing the power of the special VR in learning unique skills. From dancing to sword fighting, people could learn skills in The Infinite Labyrinth VR, and then use them in real life–or vice versa.

Finishing toweling off, he left to the locker room to get changed. He’d head home, and then–

[Tess: Are you almost done? Hurry up and get online, so we can run another dungeon! I have a cool new staff I want to show you!! =^.^=]

Alex smiled at Tess’s text. The girl was cute, and fun to be around. They had been playing together for a year now, and she was a part of the motivation for him to improve himself. The two made the perfect team: he was the tank, and she was a healer.

That allowed them to team up with nearly any DPS and have a solid group, or just adventure together just the two of them.

Though, it was just her in-game avatar that was cute. He had no idea what she looked like in real life, as she would divert the conversation anytime conversation started heading that way–which was fine for him because he was the same way. The only thing he knew for sure, which excited him, was that she lived nearby.

For whatever reason, the server it set you up on was aligned geographically.

Alex hadn’t been proud of his real life body, at least until now. He hoped that soon...they’d be able to meet in person. They had flirted with each other in the game, but something about it was just not the same. Besides, the game didn’t allow for more... adult activities.

[Alex: Heading home now. I finally got it: Bonus Level 5!]

[Tess: Wow, way to go, Alex! I’m...still only at level two, and most of that was from reading those weird books. You must’ve been working really hard!]

He sent a thumbs up emoji and started his trek home in a hurry. Of course, he had some guesses about Tess’s situation. She was nearly never not online, and he had earned a couple of hints.

Multiple times she had mentioned a profound dislike for hospital food and doctors, and he thought there was a strong chance she lived at one, or at the very least spent a long time at one.

Arriving home, he showered and had a quick premade dinner.

He was sitting at his small table by the window finishing his meal, when something crazy happened: the entire sky was blanketed in golden light. Like golden...hexagons covered the sky, and strange sigils like the ones he saw in game appeared.

It said that...the Framework had arrived, and–

His TV turned on suddenly, and on the display was a strange...green and black golem of some kind. It kind of stood there motionless, with symbols that said there was an important announcement. It only took about thirty seconds of this before his phone rang–it was Tess on the phone.

“Hello? Are you seeing this, Tess?”

Her voice was filled with excitement, “I am! Are you okay there, Alex? Car alarms are going off here and some people are breaking windows!”

Alex looked around outside seeing nothing really out of the ordinary, and he raised his brow. “I’m...good. What about you, are you okay? That sounds...dangerous.”

“I’m fine. I don’t think people will bother me where I’m at. Are you seeing this golem guy on the TV?”

“Y-Yeah.”

The golem began to speak, his voice deep and rumbling. “Greetings, People of Earth. You may be shocked that your scheduled programming is interrupted with my...strange, to you, visage. Or maybe you were listening to the radio, or speaking with a loved one on a video call–or you tuned in once you saw the strange warning in the sky. Nevertheless, I have taken control of all means of communication for the moment.”

The creature continued, “My Name is Administrator Kintrel, an Earl of the Alliance. I have important news, and not all of it is what you might consider good. Earth is at war, and has been at war for thousands of years in secret against a terrible eldritch entity we call Tartarus. It threatens to consume everything, and it cannot be reasoned with. Your only choice is to fight, or hope that others can protect you and your world in your stead. In this war, people fight this entity in battles against monsters that resemble those seen in MMORPG games. Most significantly, The Infinite Labyrinth.”

Alex was a bit shocked that the game he played had something to do with any of this.

“The biggest piece of good news is that in this secret war on Earth, the first battle was already won. Thanks to thousands of individuals over your past, your world has now been safely integrated into the Yggdrasil and the Framework, granting you potential and opportunity both. Ten of the top parties involved in winning this opportunity will be here to aid in your integration, and should be venerated for their merit.”

“For if they hadn’t succeeded, this message would be much more grim. Monsters would be encroaching your cities and slaughtering people in your suburbs with little warning. The humans of Earth were far from ready for this threat, and thus a tremendous opportunity has been won instead, but the war still continues. Even in just your Sector, there are around a thousand worlds just like Earth fighting against Tartarus, the war never-ending. Having won the first battle, it will be a time before the next. However, Earth must prepare.”

Administrator Kintrel continued to talk, about how the mana in the world would increase over the coming years. It would change their world, changing how technology was required to work, as electronics would not function properly with mana as they were.

It appeared there was an EMP-like effect from mana being drawn into the world that couldn’t be fully avoided. Electronics would go haywire during this time, unable to function when mana levels were at a certain threshold.

Then, anyone could now join the Framework, turning himself into...a video game character–just like the ones in The Infinite Labyrinth VR. In fact, this was designed as a training simulation for the millions of players that used it, and even this bonus system was created to prepare people’s bodies and minds for this very event.

“I...I can’t believe it. Magic is real!” Tess appeared to be filled with excitement.

“You...aren’t you scared about this war? Why are you excited?”

“I...have my reasons. Besides, isn’t it kind of cool? We can become like our video game characters!”

Alex did think that was kind of neat, but he played a tank. Didn’t that mean he would get his ass beat-down by everything? Just imagining a big monster flinging him across the room caused him to shiver.

They listened to Administrator Kintrel for a time, until he revealed a startling detail, “Earth is a special world, with a population exceeding eight billion. It has a unique heritage, with bloodlines from all over the multiverse. It is for that reason, that the Sector Council have approved a special integration event.”

The golem gestured, and a map of the world was shown with many dots. It spun as the golem talked, and Alex thought he saw one where they were: New York.

“Temporary artificial dungeons will be formed across the world, to regulate the mana levels of Earth. Those that complete them within the coming years will receive substantial benefits, unlocking paths to power far above those seen in a newly integrated world. Once joined to the Framework, you will be forced to fight in this war, but this event will postpone the requirement for joining Incursions or defending Contested Worlds. Instead, this is a tremendous opportunity, that Earth should embrace with wide arms.”

The Administrator continued, this forced broadcast continuing far beyond what Alex expected. It took nearly thirty minutes for the golem to drone on about all the details.

Alex imagined the governments of the world were not going to like this, but it appeared those in power had no control or power over this Administrator and his technology, let alone how the golden hexagons appeared in the sky.

The message in the sky was much shorter, the strange glyphs somehow readable to Alex’s mind. However, it only warned about the war, Nexus Nodes, and Alliance HQ’s, and to seek them out, along with the warning of the EMP-like effect coming in a time.

Unfortunately, despite the efforts of the Alliance, a small amount of mana would flood the Earth when they created the Alliance HQ’s and the dungeons, and there was a countdown timer for when this would happen.

Tess had gone quiet for a time, and Alex didn’t know what to make of all this. He had enjoyed fighting in The Infinite Labyrinth VR, but that was without pain, and without true danger. While it sounded like he would be resurrected if he died... wasn’t dying incredibly painful?

A knock on the door sounded, and Alex dived underneath the bed. They nearly got caught, a nurse suddenly checking on her. Tess was happy to alleviate the nurse’s concerns after she turned off the oxygen pump. Only a couple of minutes left to go.

“You’re such a little trooper, Tess! I’ll check in on you as soon as I can. A few of us will be pumping oxygen manually for the more dire patients, but hopefully things will sort themselves out quickly. Ten minutes is not that long. You sure you don’t need anything?”

“I’m good, thanks. I’ll be...fine on my own.”

The nurse left, and they both breathed a sigh of relief.

When the lights went out and they felt a minor earthquake, they made their move. He wheeled her out an emergency exit, happy that the alarm didn’t even go off. Outside it was nearly pandemonium, but he weaved her through the crowds toward their destination at a light jog.

Tess’s small body bounced, but she held on, keeping herself from falling out of her chair. To Alex’s shock, he saw fires lighting up, and even heard some gunshots.

Grimacing, he picked up their pace. This was supposed to be a relatively safe integration, but he was sure some people had already died. They were getting close to Central Park, but Alex was starting to worry about getting Tess there safely.

Thankfully, the two buildings were already visible. The Alliance HQ and the Dungeon could be seen in the distance, a tower and a monolith that didn’t look too large compared to the various skyscrapers in the city.

“Oh my god, Alex, look! A plane is falling!”

Alex’s eyes widened as he looked at the sky, slowing his pace. “Holy fuck! It’s going to crash into that building!”

“I thought they should have landed, knowing about the EMP-like effect coming. Did they ignore it?”

Suddenly something shifted, almost like when he felt the earthquake before. A wave of bright lights exploded from near the Alliance HQ, and four forms rose to the sky, colored in red and gold.

Alex couldn’t even make out their descriptions from this distance, but most of them were red and gold armored humanoids, some with wings, all covered with a veil of flaming magic.

But one of them couldn’t fly. A massive snake woman towered over the police barricade, and one shot after another came from a terrified police officer’s gun. Each plinked off the woman’s red and gold armor–or rather, did Alex see a small flame instead?

“Look! It’s Bestest Snake Girl!”

Alex couldn’t believe it. She was huge!

Her voice sounded annoyed, her face scowling at the policeman who shot her, and his gun flew from his grip. “Hey! We’re your friends, not your enemies. You better be nicer, or... I’ll feed you to my axe!”

She held out her massive axe, and the face on the side of it growled, its terrifying tooth-filled mouth salivating, and almost wrestling itself from her grip as it neared the police officer.

As freaky as that was, many turned their gaze to the flying figures. The plane falling from the sky was hit with a burst of magical wind, and a strange creature covered in feathers suddenly appeared in a brilliant white light.

The plane slowed and rose slightly from the powerful currents until it halted, the winged creature having some dominion over the fierce winds. It then gestured with its hands and directed the large jet to lurch in one direction, guiding it to land in the pond of Central Park.

With a splash the large jet landed safely, and the massive audience began clapping and hollering in excitement.

“Wooow. I wonder what level they are,” Tess said with amazement in her voice.

Alex snorted. “Probably at least level fifty. These are supposedly the great heroes of Earth!”

He frowned as he tried to plan out the path to bring Tess over to the Nexus Node. Some people appeared to be gathering near there, but suddenly, the police barricade shifted to block the path, an angry officer barking out orders over a megaphone.

While this was happening the flying figures helped put out fires, one, a fox-tailed woman, sucking them into an orb floating near her. Another riding on a...magical horse helped push the plane onto the edge of the pond, beaching it.

The electricity then returned, lights on the avenue turning on and alarms blaring once more.

Alex’s phone turned back on, and many people started taking theirs out–to record.

“Just why are you blocking the path to the Node, officer? The message is clear, that action is seen as an act of war.” A man’s voice echoed out, loud enough that the entire crowd could hear. The voice was strange, like it was coming from everywhere all at once.

The man’s phrasing was strange, but Alex sort of understood. The Alliance HQ and Nexus Nodes were to be seen as embassies to The Alliance. To block access to citizens of an embassy of any country could be considered as such: a hostile action.

“I am Commissioner Davis, and I am blocking the Node because it is a matter of public safety. There are already riots and looting occurring in the city, so I am blocking access to keep our citizens safe.”

“What you said is true, there are riots. But this large crowd of people is gathering for access. By blocking them, you are creating a problem, increasing the likelihood of more issues. You are endangering them, instead. Shouldn’t you be focused on helping those you know are in need?”

“This... Framework has caused damage–”

“That is incorrect, commissioner. Mana is now a part of the world, just as much a part of it as the air we breathe. If not for the Framework and the Alliance, then your electricity would have never come back. They have minimized the damage for now, preventing an even larger catastrophe. Now, remove this barrier, or it will be removed.”

The man then towered over the commissioner, along with the other figures. Now that they were closer, Alex was absolutely shocked by their size. Especially the snake woman, when she rose herself up, she was taller than a two-story building!

But the man in red and gold was already bigger than the largest basketball player combined with the biggest body builder, the commissioner having to crane his head upwards to even see their faces.

Alex didn’t know what the commissioner was going to say in response, but to everyone’s relief, the commissioner’s walkie-talkie went off, a voice wanting to talk to him.

“The president? No way.” He stepped away from them a bit, and after a quick discussion, called to remove the barricade.

The crowd cheered, and began to advance. The series of figures that helped rescue the plane was happy to move aside, allowing everyone to enter the park and head for the obelisk seen in the distance.

The large snake woman suddenly asked, “Does anyone here need healing? Oh! We can just do that.”

Something shifted, and a veil of white energy surged over everyone in the crowd for dozens of meters. Tess gasped, and the entire crowd murmured and shouted, many people still recording with their phones.

As Alex was bathed in the white light, he felt warm, and his aches from his workout earlier completely faded away in just seconds. The man in red and gold started talking as people were recording, talking about the dungeons and his guild.

“Ah! I’m...this light is healing me! Let’s wait here.” Tess’s smile was beaming as she basked in the light, taking large breaths.

“What?! Y-You mean...”

“I can feel it! My heart... I feel so much stronger now! I can even breathe better.”

“Really? That’s great! It means...you don’t have to join now!”

Tess frowned, twisting to look back at him from her wheelchair. “No. I’m still going to still try to join. Bestest Snake Girl might have casually healed me, but I am still grateful for it. If I can become a healer too, then it will be just right. I can help others like me!”

She must have seen the doubt or hesitation on his face as she looked at him. “C’mon, Alex! Let’s do it! I know you’ll be amazing. You’re the best tank I know!”

Alex grimaced. “Yeah, but...that’s just playing a game! You think I can fight big monsters trying to kill and eat me?”

She gave him a strange look, a teasing smile touching her lips. “If you get hurt, I’ll just have to kiss the pain away!”

“I... What! Y-You’re joking.” Alex was shocked at her proclamation.

Her smile grew wider, but her face quickly became crimson. “Hehe–of course not! How could I forget that you’re the reason I got healed? You’re my hero, Alex! If you come with me, I’ll just have to keep rewarding you every chance... I get. C’mon, let’s at least see what classes we can be.” She placed her hand on top of Alex’s on the wheelchair handle over her shoulder, and gave him a pleading look.

Alex was more than a little moved. From the moment he met her, he had always liked Tess. She was fantastic to be around, and just knowing she would be healthy now filled him with joy.

He began pushing her toward the Nexus Node, the crowd having thinned out somewhat. If Tess was going to be a healer and fight monsters, she would definitely need someone to protect her.