Eternal Dominion Book 3: Concessions Read online

  Eternal Dominion Book 3

  Concessions

  Bern Dean

  Copyright © 2022 Bern L Dean

  All rights reserved

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  Cover design by: ebooklaunch.com

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Prelude

  ED year 1 day 146.

  Evening, September 3, 2266.

  ED Year 1 Day 149

  Evening, September 6, 2266.

  Morning, September 7, 2266.

  Morning, September 8, 2266.

  ED Year 1, Day 161

  Evening September 8, 2266

  ED Year 1, Days 162-163.

  Morning September 9, 2266.

  ED Year 1, Day 164.

  Evening September 9, 2266.

  ED Year 1, Days 165-166

  Morning September 10, 2266

  ED Year 1, Days 167-168

  Evening September 10, 2266

  ED Year 1, Days 168-169.

  Morning September 11 to Evening September 12, 2266, and ED Year 1, Days 170-173.

  ED Year 1, Days 174-175.

  Morning September 12 to Evening September 18, 2266, and ED Year 1, Days 176-193

  Morning September 19, 2266

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  Afterword

  Prelude

  Geitir joined the meeting that would be starting shortly to discuss the events that had transpired in the kingdom of Nium in the VRMMO game Eternal Dominion. The game had been live for the past month and a half and to record, this was the largest conflict to date. The forums were full of conflicting information and in the center of it all was a guild called FAE. They had come out of nowhere to claim the coveted first guild bonus that made their membership cap 50 percent larger. At first, Geitir hadn’t thought much about it as he and his guild never planned to go after it for fear of exactly what FAE was dealing with. Abysses End had launched a major offensive to force FAE into giving them their guild. What had surprised Geitir the most was how spectacularly it failed. Not only had Abysses End kicked out the main instigator, they had also forced the rest of the involved members to put out public apologies. To make matters worse, every player involved had been punished by the kingdom of Nium directly. Now his workshop was meeting up to discuss what their stance on everything would be. Geitir was the main one in contact with FAE’s guild leader Xeal and had benefited greatly from that relationship, but was it worth the ire of Abysses End.

  “Good, it looks like we are all here. Now, let’s go over the situation,” opened Unknown 1.

  “Yes, as of right now, it looks like Abysses End is in full damage control mode. It is likely they will go to ground in Nium to avoid any further damage. The question now is how will this affect their operations in other areas,” stated Unknown 2.

  “Yes, while we haven’t seen a full draw back, I can tell that their operations around my team have become much more measured. It feels like they are worried about another major failure, so they are avoiding large risks they would have taken before,” reported Unknown 3.

  “I’m seeing the same as well, although it is too soon to know if this is just a momentary pause while they reassess the situation, or a long-term shift like we expect in Nium,” added Unknown 4.

  “I think we can all agree we need to watch and see how Abysses End responds over the coming months. However, right now we need to be careful on how we act. Several large workshops have already placed us as a friend to FAE. We need to decide if we will embrace, or distance, ourselves from FAE. Geitir, you have the most insight on FAE. What are your thoughts?” Unknown 1 asked.

  “My thoughts are simple; we wouldn’t be where we are now without the info FAE has shared with us. Yes, they were each part of a transaction so we could play it off as business, or we can take the initiative to become a major ally to FAE.”

  “Major allies, are you crazy?!” exclaimed Unknown 3. “That would be painting a target on our back to all the other major workshops who want the first guild bonus.”

  “And what action could they take? Thanks to FAE we are the only ones in the cities right now. Sure, in a few days that will change, but right now we are way ahead of the curve and can easily avoid conflict until level 80, at which point FAE should be looking to expand to other countries. At that point we could easily reap a mighty harvest. Also, don’t forget we’re already in an agreement for resources and equipment with them,” countered Geitir.

  “Both of you calm yourselves” ordered Unknown 2. “You both have good points. We need to decide which will take priority.”

  “True, on the one hand we have a small workshop that none the less has given us great benefits. On the other hand, we have one of the most established workshops that has far reaching influence and deep pockets that has done nothing for us. Do we cut ties with the one to avoid the wrath of the other, or do we stand next to them and try to weather the storm?” Questioned Unknown 4.

  “You all know where my vote lies” replied Geitir. “I say FAE will become an absolute powerhouse in the future and Abysses End will have to let them be.”

  “It’s easy for you to say that, you’re in Nium. Abysses End has lost any ability to operate there until level 80 at least,” responded Unknown 3.

  “Geitir, he has a point. The rest of us are spread out and if the other major guilds decide we’re a problem, it will be our end. We are already under immense pressure to share the info about the behemoth slayer title. Plus, it is only a matter of time before they realize about the spy network. We can’t keep adding reasons for them to target us.” Unknown 2 said worry evident in his voice.

  “I know, but you all do realize that it is me who will pay the most if we turn our back on FAE.”

  “You don’t think Xeal would understand your situation and let you out of the contract?” asked Unknown 3.

  “Would you? The spy network is extremely valuable and will more than pay for itself over time. Heck, we have already seen a sharp rise in the amount of materials and gold our members are bringing in.”

  “Still, what was your penalty for breaking the contract again?” Unknown 2 questioned.

  “I will be barred from joining any guild in which our leader is a member and have to pay out 100,000,000 gold.”

  “Why would you make an agreement like that!?” demanded Unknown 3.

  “Our leader gave his word and I trust in it that much.”

  “Still, it is basically saying to start over,” groaned Unknown 3.

  “I can’t. It has a no restart until the debt is paid off clause in it, and the rumors on the forums are that some contracts are binding even after you make a new character.”

  “Damn, that is a hard situation,” responded Unknown 3.

  “Alright, I think I have an idea of the overall situation,” declared Unknown 1. “For now, we need to make preparations for either eventuality. Geitir, see if you can find a way to get Xeal to release you from the penalties in the contract. I’m not expecting him to do it for free, but he needs to understand the situation we are in and why it may not work out. The rest of you keep your eyes and ears open. We need to stay alert and ready for whatever happens next.”

  ED year 1 day 146.

  Xeal awoke in the inn. Today would be the day he would start his tier up challenge and reac
h level 40 once he completed it. The past 12 days in ED had been eventful as Xeal dealt with the various consequences of the war Abysses End had carried out against his guild, FAE. He had almost died of laughter at the public apology videos. He knew they were fake, but it was still very entertaining to watch. Both Casmir and Takeshi had been promoted to official vice guild leaders. Taya was jealous and wanted to know when she would get her promotion. The simple answer was once she reached gold ranked in tailoring. The hard answer was when that would be. His guild had only a few silver ranked smiths and they had only just reached that level. It took time, effort and materials to develop crafting players, so just like any other crafter, Taya had to realize she was a long-term investment. Like every other crafting player, it would take time to see results from her efforts. In reality, Background Inc. had started the renovations on the office building and residence he had purchased and were on schedule for a January 1st opening. For some reason the bank was pushing him to take a loan. Honestly, Xeal didn’t understand why. He had plenty of funds, but they kept saying that now was a crucial time for growth and if he didn’t expand now, he would regret it later. Xeal knew better of course. All needless debt would do was hurt him later down the line. Besides, in the next two months he would have another major windfall from the bet on this year’s world series.

  Xeal made his way to a restaurant before he started his trial as Geitir had said he needed to meet with him as soon as possible. Xeal didn’t know what the situation was, but he knew it was serious from the message. When he arrived Geitir was already present and they made their way to one of the private rooms to talk.

  “Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice.”

  “It’s fine. Really, your timing was good. Had you asked tomorrow it may have taken me a few days to meet with you.”

  “Then I am in luck.”

  “Yes, now what is it that is so urgent that you needed to speak with me so suddenly?”

  “Well, you see, hmm how do I put this.”

  “Beating around the bush won’t do any good. Sometimes blunt is best.”

  “Very well, then. My workshop is concerned with being caught in the fallout from the recent events with your guild and FAE. While no decision has been made yet, they have asked me to see if any arrangement can be made to free me from the consequences of our deal should we decide to terminate it.”

  “This is a major issue; may I ask what they are worried about?”

  “They think that after what you just pulled off other major guilds are going to want to isolate you, and that may mean removing any friendly workshops before we can become a united front. You have to understand, while the major workshops deal with us due to our finances, we are still a new workshop. We have invested a large amount to set ourselves up for success and we don’t want to be the nail that gets hammered down.”

  “I see. I understand your thinking, but there is one major flaw in it.”

  “And that would be?”

  “It’s already too late. Your real options are to be a cornered animal, or a doormat.”

  “Explain.”

  “Okay, let’s see; most major workshops should know that you have a relationship with us by now. However, most don’t care, and of those who do, they will land in two main camps. The first camp will want to make sure your workshop fails, to prevent you from helping my guild when we look to expand. The second will want to use you to get close to us and try to get secrets, or build a beneficial relationship. Now, if you back out of our relationship you will be basically showing the first group that you will let them have their way and the second will see you as untrustworthy. It is at this point you become a doormat as the major guilds will know that you will yield when pushed. Then they will push whenever it suits them. At first, they will test the waters to see how far they can go. It might just be an item you both come across one day, then it will be a hunting ground. While each of these will be only a small cut by itself, over time it will turn into thousands of small cuts that have crippled your workshop as a whole.”

  “Indeed, that does make a fair bit of sense, but being a cornered animal is still not good.”

  “True, but would you try to attack that animal, even if it was only a mouse?”

  “Only if I had the right tools.”

  “Exactly. You would lay a trap. A frontal assault carries risks to yourself. You may be bitten and catch a disease; you need to be careful on how you tackle the issue. While a successful trap may deal a larger blow in the moment, it takes more effort from the opponent and is harder to pull off. I would rather fall into traps here or there than deal with always bending to another’s will. Besides, no truly strong individual wants to be part of a workshop with no backbone.”

  “I see, so you are saying we have a choice to fight and possibly survive, or die slowly from poison while we pay our poisoner for the service.”

  “Exactly. I can understand your worries and if your workshop’s leader decides against a continued partnership, I will let you off the hook for the 100,000,000 gold if you join FAE and leave your current workshop.”

  “That is nice of you. I just wish it was that easy. The problem would become the ramifications doing that would have on my real-world business relations with them.”

  “I see, that could complicate things. Well, you could always just sell your businesses and retire into ED if worst came to worst. Still, that should be your last resort. Hopefully your guild will see the truth in what I have said and beat the odds.”

  “I thank you for your thoughts. All I can do now is pass your words on to my leader. Hopefully for my sake nothing in our deal will change.”

  With that Xeal and Geitir finished their discussion and parted ways. Xeal made his way to Dragon’s Heart city’s keep to undertake his tier four advancement challenge. Unlike when advancing to tier three, this was a far more straight forward test. This had confused many players at first, but as time went on, much like how it was harder to get levels 16 to 20, then 21 to 25, it made sense. The system wanted to make sure players were well suited for their chosen build before they reached tier three. Now that they had made it past that hurdle, it was time to gradually refine their skills. In ED a knight needed to earn their crest in layers. At tier four you would earn your first layer and become a fully recognized knight of the kingdom. The first layer was always a weapon, and to earn it you had to show your skill with said weapon. Xeal was a dual wielding sword build, as such he was going for a crossed sword crest. Within each crest layer there were various results to obtain. Some even offered long lasting benefits, the best of which could only be earned by a first time clear. Fail the test even once and you would lose access to it.

  As Xeal entered the keep he made his way over to the knights practice yard. Inside the yard were several dolls the size of an adult human. Each looked like what an artist would use to model various poses, only with fully functioning digits. These would be his foes for this test. He would have to select his style and the doll would be equipped with the right weaponry. While it was straight forward, it was anything but easy. The doll would be a tier four foe and he would have to out duel it. While tier up quests varied from class to class, most players failed at least once before succeeding. The failure rate was around 75 percent. However, in tests where you had to face a foe who was a tier higher than yourself it jumped to 98 percent. This was true until foes a tier higher than oneself became common, as sparring with them was the best way to prepare. As a general rule the trailblazers always had it the hardest, but the system still rewarded them for their efforts. It would do this by awarding them quests that were only available to the first group of players to complete a certain class tier up quest. Each successive quest would yield less rewards until none were issued at all. For Xeal’s tier three he was sure it was the prince’s invitation. He was just unsure as to exactly what shape it would take. The only sure thing was it was going to be difficult and extremely rewarding if he was successful. Xeal made his way to the knigh
t who was in charge of configuring the dolls for use to start his test.

  “Good morning, Sir Knight. I would like to attempt my tier up test.”

  “Good day to you my fellow knight. Please state your name and weapon of choice.”

  “I am Sir Xeal Bluefire, my style is dual swords.”

  “Sir Xeal Bluefire, I have been instructed to inform the viscount before you carry out your test. I am sorry for the inconvenience, but if you could please wait while I send a messenger to him.”

  “Of course. Is there a better place to wait, or should I just stay here?”

  “I will have one of the squires show you to a room to wait.”

  “Thank you.”

  With that Xeal was led to a simple room to await the reply from the viscount. It was unusual for any particular NPC to want to witness this test as unlike the first it was more of a test of skill than of worthiness. Still, Xeal didn’t find it odd as it was likely related to the quest he would earn by clearing this hurdle today. After a half hour he was summoned back to the practice field where Viscount Weawen now stood next to the knight Xeal had checked in with. Next to the viscount was a young man who looked to be in his late teens, and a lady who looked to be a few years older than the teen. Xeal made his way over and knelt down before the viscount.

  “Viscount Weawen, it is an honor to be granted your presence today.”

  “Greetings, Sir Xeal. Please arise. I would like you to meet my son Dilwyn and my lovely daughter Dyllis.”

  “Greetings to you Lord Dilwyn and Lady Dyllis.”

  “Greetings, Sir Xeal” Dilwyn responded. “My father and I have heard much about your skill. I look forward to witnessing it myself.”

  “Brother, show some tact. You’re going to make Sir Xeal think you doubt his skills.”

  “It’s fine, my lady. I do have confidence that I won’t embarrass myself today.”