The Eternal Sleep

Book-Keeper

Luca ignored the loud screech of anger that shook the caves. Hope filling his chest as the dark tunnel slowly filled with light at each panicked step he took. He contemplated logging out of the game immediately, but curiosity to find out more information on this creature compelled him to fight. He had nothing to lose, dying in the game just meant that he had to try another day.

The light of the sun touched the ground outside the cave, sharply cutting through the darkness. Luca grinned, relief slowing his movements, so much so that he couldn’t dodge the bullet aimed at his leg. With a yelp, he collapsed and rolled several times from the momentum, sunlight blinding him.

It didn’t hurt, he couldn’t even feel the injury unlike the other two on his face, this revelation caused him to collapse on his knee again in surprise. It glowed in an eerie purple light, veins running up his leg. Grunting, he stood on his feet, eyes peering into the darkness of the cave.

It stood centimetres from him, same height, face to face unflinchingly, gun at its side. Luca didn’t feel any fear, only a strange calm, like he was greeting an old family member or friend. The creature’s purple eyes stared into his, as if assessing him, Luca didn’t waver.

As if satisfied, it bowed its head gently and turned away gracefully, melting back into the shadows. Luca hopped on his good leg, contemplating his next move, running the last hour of chaos over in his mind. He hopped again awkwardly, teleporting to a tree below the cave system and settled on the branch.

Luca knew logically that he needed to leave the entire area, but the complication with his leg made any plan difficult. He leaned against the tree, watching the injury, nothing a few hours logged out couldn’t heal. Luca patted his jacket pocket, looking for the very thing he risked almost everything on.

It was another slim, black card, same gold design and intricate letters. He turned it over in his fingers, reading the carefully tattooed words.

‘Shade’

‘Speed is Prime,

No time to Lime,

Like skipping Ropes,

Tripping Hurts.’

Luca sighed and added his card to the inventory, of course Naijal Sun would create another clue that would be impossible to solve. He pulled up his map, noting his location and searching for the nearest town. There was someone nearby he wanted to ask some questions.

Teleporting through a forest with a limp was not as easy as Luca had hoped, several times he had to stop and physically trek through the foliage to avoid further damage and reduction on his health status. He’d rather not die in the middle of nowhere from his own mishaps when he just survived a shadow with murderous intent.

Quite a few times, he tried to hail his team, sending out a couple texts on the chat but so far there was no response. He was slightly worried, but he continued on, knowing that he could just question them when he logged out. It took him far longer than he anticipated, but he’d finally made it, the middle of Santoro Town, the closest thing to the edge of the forest.

Luca knocked on the wooden door, hand resting heavily on the wall to support his weight on his one good leg. He’s found a small bookshop, equipped with an NPC that should be able to answer just about anything. Several more knocks, the door swung open gently, a kind face greeting him.

“Hello, how might I help you today?” he smiled at him kind heartedly, one hand waving to the inside of the inside of the store. Luca nodded in greeting, limping inside and pulling a chair away from one of the tables, resting himself heavily on it.

“Nothing much, can I get access to your book list?” Luca leaned back and scrolled through the list that appeared above the quaint wooden table. As the NPC smiled and walked off, he finally took the chance to give him a proper assessment. He was middle aged man with grey hair, dressed like an old time English professor with a simple wire-framed glasses sitting on his nose.

Luca looked at entire store, taking in the books cluttering the counter and scrolls piled into the shelves built into the wall on the far end of the store. It was a small, quiet, comfortable place, much calmer than his last location just an hour back, but his nerves were still warning him to be alert.

“Say, do you sell health bars here?”

“Indeed, my boy.” The NPC pulled a small teacup from one of the tables and walked up to him, “That’ll be twenty coins for the healing of your entire health bar.”

Luca accepted the payment with the small ‘thanks’, drinking the hot tea, not surprised that there was no taste or heat. He glanced as his health bar, watching it return to safe levels. Luca turned back to the book list when the next comment from the NPC made him freeze, “That looks like some serious injuries, my boy.”

“Yes… I got it in a fight.” Luca sat back in his chair, pushing the delicate cutlery into the table, he wanted to try another tactic, “Speaking of which, you wouldn’t happen to know what causes this kind of injury, do you?”          

“Well, the bookstore is rather empty, I can chat with you if you’d like?” A small ‘Chat?’ screen appeared in front of Luca, he clicked the affirmative and watched the NPC sit on the chair next to him. “I have received your confirmation, what would you like to talk about?”

“Uhh… for one, are you an NPC?” Luca pulled back slightly, trying to put some distance between him and a possible foe.

“Indeed, why do you ask?” His smile was a touch to forced, the eyes slightly to wide and his posture ridged, like a young man grown up in a family with too many rules.

“’Cause you don’t sound like one?”

“I assure you, I am a Non-Player Character labelled ‘Book Keeper’ or just ‘Keeper’ if you prefer, I am the latest update and carry a sophisticated learning software that allows me to move naturally, allowing players of the game to hold an easier conversation.”

“You’re still talking kind of weird though… no offence.” Luca frowned, he wasn’t aware that the game had gone through any software updates, especially at a time when the game was shutting down.

“No offence taken, many players have shown to be uncomfortable when talking to me to I assumed that there was a small language barrier between the ‘slang’ I learned and the ‘slang’ you all used. I can revert to previous protocols if you would like?”

“Yea, sure…” Luca relaxed, turning his position so that he could face the book-keeper, “First question, why would you be updated when the entire game is to be shut down?”

“I was updated a week before my creators announced the quest, as to why, I was not told.”

“Okay, second question, do you know what is the name of the creature that can cause injuries like this?” Luca poked his face, wincing as it still smarted. He jerked in surprise as the Book-keeper’s hand moved to hover over it, not actually touching him.

“My scan says that it comes from the creature in the mountains,” at Luca’s questioning look, he continued, “I’ve never actually seen a player go to the caves, much less return from it, not with the lore that stands with it.” The Book Keeper stood, walking over to the pile of books on the counter and picking up one from the pile, placing it on the table in front of Luca.

“So, you’re saying no one has ever entered those caves?”

“Not to my current databank’s knowledge.” Luca flipped through the book, taking pictures of the information on the existence of the cave and its specific design by creators to mimic caves in the real world. He dropped the open book on its spine, pushing it to Book-keeper who was now sitting on a chair at the opposite end of the table. A picture resembling the creature Luca fought in the caves was printed on one of the pages.

“That thing, what is it?”

“Oh my… looks like you met one of the Ancients.” He placed his hand on his chin, a troubled look on his face.

“Ancients, as in, more than one?”

“Indeed, we NPCs call them the guardians of the game… those who look after us.”

“So, like a higher power?”

“Not at all, more like a parent I believe. Did you know, there are not many records of players escaping an Ancient One?” the Book-keeper sighed and leaned back on his chair, hands tucked neatly on his lap, “Usually, players aren’t even aware of what they fought, or that they even exist.”

“Not surprising.” Luca grumbled, rubbing mark on his neck, pleasantly surprised to not feel any pain, “That being said, why did I actually feel pain when it’s bullets scratched me in the face, but I didn’t feel a thing when it hit me in the leg?”

“The only records I have on such a possibility of pain were when the player’s headset were damaged.” He frowned, “However, if the problem continues, you are in your rights to call the creators and file a complaint, I have help you if you’d like?”

“No, that’s fine, I was just wondering.” Luca swiped the booklist in front his face away, watching it dissolve into gold dust, “What else can you tell me on these Ancient Ones?”

“Not much, unfortunately, very rarely players would come across the, so there are very few records in my databanks. One thing I can be assured of is that they are considered as old as time.”

“It’s not possible for these things to be ‘ancient’, this game is only a year old.”

“Is that so…or is it that you’ve only been in the game for a year?” the Book Keeper gave a knowing look and a smile.

Luca contemplated the answer, understanding dawning on him that the game ‘The Eternal Sleep’ could actually be much old than he first anticipated, but the Book-keeper’s smooth answer had him wondering just how much older. “Has anyone told you, you’re kinda freaky?”

“All the time, my boy, but none so good naturedly.” The Book Keeper laughed.