"Not all banter ends on the screen." That last line felt more like a threat than a warning.
'Right, since the Association provides the access code, that means all my information is registered in their databases, so it should be quite easy for me to be tracked… unless there are privacy regulations.'
Well, Zich wasn't exactly a troublesome person to begin with, as long as you didn't come for him.
On the forum, there were just casual conversations going on between players, each with their global rank displayed beside their alias.
Ignoring the random chatter, he moved to the search bar and typed in aliens. The forum screen refreshed, and several threads unfolded before him.
The races were called the Velhari, a term that had been coined by a player three decades ago after first contact and had stuck because nobody had thought to ask the Velhari themselves what they preferred.
They were one of at least four known non human races with access to the Ascension Mountain.
The others were the Sorath, a tall, grey skinned people from what appeared to be a plane of perpetual winter, the Keth, small and amphibious, and the Nullborn, about whom almost nothing was written except that players who had encountered them rarely wanted to describe the experience in detail.
Each race had their own settlements within the Mountain. Their own ranking systems. Their own reasons for being there.
The forum posts were inconsistent. Some players described cordial trade relations with Velhari communities, while others described ambushes, territorial conflicts, and open hostility. The picture was of parallel civilisations sharing a space that none of them fully understood.
Soul stones were a separate category with their own pinned thread. They were exactly what they sounded like, crystallised energy, dense and stable, used as currency across multiple races because the value was objective. A soul stone of equivalent grade held the same power regardless of who was carrying it.
Players had spent years establishing exchange rates with various non human traders. A mid grade soul stone could buy a week's accommodation at a high quality shelter, three days of monster material from a well stocked vendor, or one low tier skill scroll of the buyer's choice.
The Mountain's layer structure was the most heavily discussed topic on the entire forum. Five confirmed layers, each more complex and dangerous than the last.
Layer One was the starting zone, which he had been in.
Layer Five was currently the highest known layer, and it was rumoured that the ascension requirements to enter it were so difficult that the number of players who had died trying was greater than those who had succeeded.
With that out of the way, Zich searched for a few more things, learning more about the Ascension Mountain.
When he finally stood up, his back ached, and the terminal was being impatiently watched by a player who had been standing nearby for twenty minutes.
He had learned enough. The gaps in his knowledge were smaller now, and the ones that remained were specific, specific enough to search for when he was back inside and had the right questions ready.
"On another note, I won't be back here. I should get a mobile phone or something so I can access the forum from anywhere."
With that thought, he stepped outside into the morning light of Stoneheart's inner ring and began the walk home.
Upon getting home, Zich immediately wished to enter the Ascension Mountain once again.
He appeared right on top of his small bed inside his shelter. Zich was still amazed and had some theories about how he could slip into this place so easily, but he filed them away for the meantime.
"Status?"
Name: Zich Grave
Race: Human
Class: [SSS Spirit Summoner]
Level: 2
Health: 120
Intelligence: 9
Strength: 12
Agility: 10
Stamina: 2
Mana: 90
Free Attribute: 0
[Current Tombstone Slots: 5/15]
[Current Summon: Slimy Lv.1]
[Skills: Blood Arc Lv1.]
…
"Ten more monsters before I can create another summon," Zich thought, then shifted his gaze to his backpack and rusty sword that were still lying beside him just as he had left them.
A moment later, he picked up his backpack and headed outside, stepping into the hallway that was bustling with players.
The first place he went to was the player hub.
The hub was a massive plaza bustling with hundreds of players, who were either trying to sell off their treasures or crowding around mission boards.
On another part of the plaza, there was a group of players gathered, whispering among themselves.
"Damn, I can't even find my name in the global ranking."
"How long have you been here? Of course you won't be in the ranking."
Zich had seen this global ranking in his ID and also on the forum.
Curious, he moved toward the board and tried looking for his name, and just like the others, he couldn't find it either.
"Look, isn't that Helen's name?" Suddenly one of the players cried out, attracting the attention of everyone else.
Zich followed their gazes and saw a picture of the blonde haired girl.
[Helen Magnus] [Global Ranking 99,000]
It was the same girl who had saved him and offered to be his guide.
"Wow, her global ranking is 99,000! For a new player, that's impressive!"
"Wait, am I the only one who doesn't know what the global ranking is?"
"The global ranking is the official system that determines a player's rank in the entire world! The higher you are, the more prestige and respect you get! Even organisations in the real world sponsor and partner with you!"
"That's insane… so the top players are basically celebrities?"
"More than that. They're assets."
"Assets?"
"Yeah. Military, corporations, private factions… everyone wants strong players."
Zich didn't say a word, but even he was slightly impressed by the smiling blonde girl.
'99,000… according to the forum, the current human player count is barely 800,000. To rank this high in just Layer One, she has quite the bright future…'
Zich trailed off slightly as a mischievous thought formed in his mind.
'Maybe I shouldn't be so cold to her again.'
Yes, Zich… Zich was a certified gold digger.
Morals? What was that?
If this Helen kept forcing herself on him, then he might as well make her useful.
While shamelessly thinking of exploiting Helen, a shelter wide announcement rang out, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Attention all players. An abnormal increase in monster activity has been confirmed across the eastern plains. This is not a localised occurrence. All zones within the beginner region have reported higher spawn rates and increased aggression."
"In response, the Shelter Authority will be initiating a temporary ranking event."
A ripple of murmurs spread instantly through the crowd.
"A ranking event?"
"Wait, seriously?"
"Is this like a mini version of the global ranking?"
While the new players were discussing excitedly among themselves, the voice continued.
"All players will be ranked based on individual performance during this period. Performance will be measured through confirmed monster eliminations."
"Rewards will be distributed according to final rankings. The event will last for three days. Your time starts now."
For a moment, there was no movement from any of the players. Total silence swallowed the entire plaza.
Then someone laughed loudly.
"Hahahaha, this is our opportunity! If we can't rank globally, we can rank here!"
"You're right!"
Without hesitation, like a swarm of ants, all the players rushed out through the large plaza doors, heading for the eastern plains.
As they all left, what everyone failed to notice was another name on the global ranking.
[Jayden Smith] [Rank 85,000]