World Tree Online: The Order of Epic Grinders: 4th Dive Read online

  World Tree Online

  The Order of Epic Grinders: 4th Dive

  M.A. Carlson

  World Tree Online: The Order of Epic Grinders: 4th Dive Copyright © 2021 by M.A. Carlson. All Rights Reserved.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  Cover designed by Shannon Honl

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  M.A. Carlson

  Visit my website at https://macarlsonauthor.wordpress.com/

  Printed in the United States of America

  First Printing: Feb 2021

  M.A. Carlson

  ISBN- 978-1-7348021-2-2

  CONTENTS

  Prologue – Olaf and Micaela

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3 - Micaela

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5 – Micaela

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7 – Micaela

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9 – Micaela

  Chapter 10 – Olaf

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12- Micaela

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14 – Penelope

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17 – Micaela

  Chapter 18 - Micaela

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22 – Micaela

  Chapter 23 - Olaf

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26 – Baby

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Epilogue

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  Prologue – Olaf and Micaela

  “Welcome back, Mr. and Mrs. Eastmont,” Maggie said as Micaela and her husband reappeared inside the ever-familiar logout room.

  “Mags, good to see you,” Melanie said cheerfully.

  “Good to see you as well,” Maggie replied. “I do hope you both enjoyed your time in the World Tree.”

  “We were kidnapped . . . again,” Oliver stated gruffly.

  “As previously stated, we are sorry for the interruption to your gameplay, but capture is a part of the game. It is up to you to escape or die trying when such an event occurs,” Maggie replied, sounding rather rehearsed.

  “Let it go, babe,” Melanie tried to soothe her husband.

  “And I was stalked by a bloody lion for weeks on end,” Oliver complained.

  “Some magical creatures are intelligent and thus capable of declaring a vendetta,” Maggie said, as if that explained everything away. “Did you have any other concerns to raise?”

  “No,” Oliver said with a pout.

  “Wonderful,” Maggie said pleasantly. “As a reminder, when you emerge from the Seedpod be aware that you have been contained in a hermetically sealed capsule for nearly 30 days. You have not been washed or bathed nor has your hair been cut. You will probably want to immediately see to your personal hygiene. Second, you have not had solid food in 30 days. For your first two days outside of the seedpod you are to restrict yourself to broth only and may add bread to your dinner on the second day. Assuming all goes well, you may resume eating regular food though it is recommended you take it easy. Once again you must fast for 24-hours prior to login. Third, be mindful, that though you feel as if you have been moving and exercising the last 30 days, you have not actually been moving. Your skin will be slightly sensitive to pressure and your body may protest moving, too much, too quickly, so take things slowly at first. Remember to stretch three times per day, it is very important for maintaining your health. Do you have any questions about the above instructions and warnings? If you say yes and fail to comply with any of the aforementioned instructions, Seed Inc. will not be liable for any health-related problems that may occur.”

  “We know, we know,” Oliver replied.

  “Excellent, before you go, Mr. Dawson would like to have a word with the both of you. He has a unique offer and opportunity he would like to present to you,” Maggie said, surprising the husband-and-wife couple.

  “An offer? From Mr. D. himself?” Melanie asked.

  “Yes,” Maggie answered. “Do you mind waiting a moment?”

  “Sure,” Melanie answered for the both of them.

  Melanie and Oliver had both heard the story from Bye-bye about his first log in and how Mr. Dawson took over Maggie’s body and were fully prepared for that. The appearance of another chair and the man himself was somewhat disappointing.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Eastmont,” Dawson greeted them each in turn. “Thank you both for agreeing to meet with me on such short notice.”

  “Happy to,” Melanie replied. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise,” Dawson replied. “But enough pleasantries. I’m a busy man and my time is limited . . . very limited,” he added, almost sounding worried. “But that is neither here nor there. I am here to present the both of you with a unique offer.”

  “That’s what Mags said, what have you got?” Melanie asked.

  “Thus far, there have been very few player Orders that have been created that have seen any success, even the player versus player Orders have rarely lasted more than a month before they break up. There have been even fewer players that have gained the necessary reputation to build an Order House within a province, let alone two provinces as you two have done,” Dawson explained.

  “So you want us to found an Order?” Oliver guessed.

  Dawson nodded, then said, “Yes, that is exactly what I want you two to do.”

  “We were planning to form one anyway,” Melanie said.

  “Ah, that is good. It should make my offer even more valuable,” Dawson continued. “As I mentioned, no one has built an Order house in a province of the World Tree. I want you two to be among the first. And to help with that, I’m going to provide you with a pair of one-time use vouchers in the game. The first voucher is to get your Order Charter from Root City. The second voucher can be presented to the leader of any city in which you have a sufficient standing to form an Order. It is this second voucher that will give you land within the city in a prime location, building materials to construct your Order Hall, and a certain amount of Gold to help you procure upgrades to the initial building.”

  “And the catch?” Oliver asked.

  Dawson didn’t frown or make a face, he just answered the question, “First, we are looking for an Order of Service, many players are still having a great deal of difficulty finding quests in provinces. Second, we need success. That means recruiting and spreading your Order to multiple provinces.”

  “Alright, that all sounds good, but if we’re busy running an Order, how are we going to make money?” Oliver asked. “We use the game to provide for our family.”

  “Which brings me to the second part of my offer,” Dawson said, smiling and looking overly pleased with himself. “First, your gameplay for both of you will be covered for the next six months, that is the time limit to make your Order a successful one. Second, there wi
ll be milestones . . . achievements your Order can accomplish, things like rare monster hunts, earning prestige with one of the Gods or Goddesses, and many others, too many to know them all really. Anyway, for each of these you complete, you will earn a bonus of 1,000-Gold each, which you can exchange for real world currency at the going rate.”

  “Are you telling me you’re going to pay us £50,000 each time we earn one of these achievements?” Oliver asked incredulously.

  “Roughly,” Dawson answered. “And that’s for each of you.”

  “We’re in,” Melanie stated without any hesitation.

  “Now, keep in mind, achievements are rare and hard to find. There is no guarantee you will be able to find one,” Dawson said.

  Melanie and Oliver shared a knowing look.

  “What if we already have one waiting on us to form or join an Order to be able to claim it?” Oliver asked.

  “If you do then congratulations, that is quite the achievement,” Dawson said. “And if you do, it will certainly count.”

  Oliver’s grin widened. “Like my wife said, you’ve got a deal.”

  “Great, the necessary vouchers will be waiting for you when you return to the World Tree in a week,” Dawson said.

  “Thanks, but I have another question or two, if you don’t mind?” Oliver asked.

  “Just a few, I really am short on time today. I have another meeting to prepare for,” Dawson said.

  “I’ll be quick then,” Oliver said. “First, is there a way to change an Order later, like say from an Order of Service to an Order of Adventure.”

  “No, once you establish the Order, it will remain that status until you can rank it up enough to take on a second specialization,” Dawson answered.

  “Rank it up?” Melanie asked, sounding surprised.

  Dawson nodded, then explained further, “Of course, just like skills, spells, and classes, Orders are just as capable of ranking up once you have completed enough achievements and primary quests to your Order. So, for an Order of Service, you need to complete a certain number of Service oriented quests. Though the quests are very . . . as gamers would say, grindy.”

  Melanie grinned. “Ollie, I just figured out the name of our Order.”

  Oliver laughed. “Oh yeah, what have you got?”

  “The Order of Epic Grinders,” Melanie announced proudly.

  “Why that name?” Dawson asked, color suddenly leaving his face.

  “Because with our secret weapon, all we do is find epic adventures. And we’re an Order of Service, right? That means we’ll be doing a lot of grinding out quests. Hence, Order of Epic Grinders,” Melanie explained her logic.

  “Oh, that is good, babe,” Olaf said with a chuckle. “I don’t think even Bye-bye will complain about that name.”

  “Bye-bye Jacko?” Dawson asked.

  “Yeah, our secret weapon,” Melanie replied. “Do you know him?”

  “Your secret weapon?” Dawson asked, more color draining from his face.

  Melanie nodded. “It’s going to be amazing.”

  “Maybe you should think on that name a little more,” Dawson suggested. “I’m not sure it is a good name for an Order.”

  “Nonsense, it’s perfect!” Melanie shouted joyously. “Thanks again for the opportunity, Mr. D. We’ll do you proud. Send us home Maggie, we’ve got some planning to do.”

  “Excellent, then we will see you in a week,” Maggie said before Dawson could protest. The pair vanished from the room.

  “This will not end well,” Dawson said before he vanished as well.

  Chapter 1

  It was bright and sunny on the rooftop patio of the Seed Inc. medical building. Unfortunately, I was too nervous about the upcoming meeting to be able to enjoy it. While my brain fretted, my eyes stayed locked on the elevator doors. Soon, someone would be arriving in that elevator. A person who could very well decide the fates of the one hundred people inside the building under my feet as well as my own. People who were counting on me to make a good impression. People who were counting on me to potentially save their lives. Failure was simply not an option. When the elevator suddenly dinged loudly, my worries seemed to amplify.

  When the doors parted, Mitchell Dawson, the man in charge of Seed Inc. stepped out first. He was smiling and laughing at something or other. I wish I could say his laughing put me at ease, but it just didn’t. The older man was friendly enough, his dark hair and slim profile fit with the geek-chic he always presented to the outside world, a t-shirt with a superhero print barely showing below the black suit coat. I had gotten to know him recently and while he was very much a geek, he was also a very savvy businessman.

  With him were two people. One was a young man, an assistant if I was to guess. The young man was nervously looking between Dawson and the third occupant. This third occupant was the one that really mattered. She was probably around Dawson’s age, maybe a little older. She had salt and pepper hair that made her look distinguished. Her suit was a dark maroon, almost brown. And most importantly, she seemed to be in a good mood if her smile was any indication, if it was a real smile. I really hoped it was a real smile. I was never sure with politicians, not that I had personally met many.

  I shifted nervously. I wished I had a suitcase or something to hold. Instead, I was just kind of standing there. Waiting. I pulled nervously at my tie again. Dawson chose me to represent all the people affected by Epic. As a result, I was dressed in a suit, a tailored suit that fit me perfectly. I also wore a hat, it was businesslike, so it didn’t look too out of place other than being really dated. It was really only there to hide my pointy ears. Also, a rooftop meeting helped sell the look as just me trying to keep the sun off my head. The Sunglasses hid my glowing green eyes. Glowing green eyes and pointy ears. That was one of the things done to me by the A.I. The very A.I. I created when I was in high school then sold to pay for my future. The A.I. I named Epic.

  Eventually, Dawson saw me and nodded, then began introductions, “Byron Jacobs, allow me to introduce Senator Feldman. Madam Senator, Byron Jacobs.”

  “Pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” I said nervously. I was very careful shaking her hand. After being genetically edited by Epic, I could have easily crushed it without meaning to, which would not have made a good first impression.

  “Please, call me Cassi, I get called ma’am and Senator far too often for my liking,” the Senator said, being as friendly as possible.

  “I can do that, Cassi. My friends call me Bye-bye,” I replied, and before she could question it, I added, “It’s a nickname that stuck over the years.”

  “With a name like Byron, I can see why,” Cassi said with a laugh. “Now, Mitchell has been cagey and evasive with me since I got his call two days ago. I’m guessing you know why. Care to fill me in.”

  I leaned my head to look around her at her assistant.

  Cassi sighed, then asked, “Mitch, have you got someplace Chuck can sit and wait for me?”

  “In the lobby,” Dawson answered. “Like I suggested when we came in.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Cassi said, then with a look to her assistant, the young man almost sprinted for the elevators, though I wasn’t sure why. “He doesn’t care for heights,” Cassi answered my unasked question. “Now, can you please tell me why I’m here?”

  Dawson motioned to a small greenhouse-like structure that was setup on the rooftop. “We can talk in there and no one will hear a word.”

  Cassi furrowed her brow but nodded.

  The three of us filed into the small greenhouse, which housed no plants, just chairs and a table.

  “How big of a problem is there?” Cassi asked as soon as the door closed, the sound of pneumatic locks sliding into place behind us, sealing the door. As soon as the door sealed, the glass frosted over, preventing anyone from seeing in.

  Dawson sat and poured himself a glass of water, taking a slow drink before setting the glass back on the table. “A few years ago, I acquired the rights to an Artificial Intelligence c
alled the Evolving Puzzle Intelligence Creator. E.P.I.C. or Epic for short. This A.I. was built and designed to run the Puzzle Box. It is far and away one of the most creative Artificial Intelligence’s I have ever encountered. I placed the A.I. in the World Tree to manage our conflict systems. Its job is to create the conflicts that drive quests in the game. It is really good at its job. Too good,” he paused, lost in thought for a moment. “Anyway, we now have a problem.”

  “Okay, was something wrong with the rights? Did the documentation get misfiled or something?” Cassi asked, the look on her face pleading that was the case.

  “I wish it were that simple,” Dawson said, taking another sip of water. “The problem, as we only recently learned, was Epic wasn’t fully matured. The company we purchased it from, hid that fact, and my people didn’t catch it. Now, it has gone and done something . . . very bad and very, very illegal.”

  “How illegal?” Cassi asked.

  Dawson motioned toward me.

  I took a deep breath then removed my hat and sunglasses.

  Cassi bit back a gasp as she took in my stark white hair, glowing green eyes, and pointy Elven ears.

  “An A.I. did this?” Cassie demanded, looking sharply at Dawson.

  “It gets worse,” Dawson said, nodding to me again.

  I frowned. I didn’t like the dog and pony show I was being put through. Still, I gripped the edge of the desk and squeezed. The wood under my hands cracked and creaked and my fingers dug into the wood with an ease that made me uncomfortable. When I let go, there were deep cracks running through the desk and rough holes where my fingers dug into the wood.

  Cassi scrambled back from the table, putting distance between herself and me. “You genetically edited people to not just look like, but to have the same kind of monstrous strength as the creatures in your game? Are you insane?”

  “Not me, the A.I.,” Dawson said quickly. “The A.I. Epic did this.”

  “You’re telling me an A.I. has gone so far rogue that it would commit a war crime? This is so far beyond illegal. It still carries the death penalty in the world courts,” Cassi stated.