Chapter 4

    Chapter 4

    Durham and the PlayPen were still a day out when Matt felt the final jolt in his spirit that let him know the [Cracked Phantom Armor] skill was in the core spirit.

    The skills structure was clear in his spirit, like an infinitely complex 3D blueprint it sat waiting to be used, begging Matt to try out the skill.

    It was eating him alive that he couldnt test the skill. Using a skill outside of designated areas was considered automatically hostile. No one wanted a [Fireball] to burn down a building or injure a person, so a blanket ban on all skill usage was enforced.

    Matt would have to wait until he reached the PlayPen and their training grounds to see what his skill could do. He was confident it would be better than most. One mana a second into a channeling skill was more than most mages could easily manage. They would have to eat heavily into their mana reserves to pull something like that off.

    It just grated he now had everything he dreamed of but was stuck waiting.

    To spend his time, Matt searched the PlanetNet for anything he could learn about the PlayPen. There wasnt much information readily available. The only guide cost 2000 credits, and when reading the reviews, one stated that the author deleted any negative ones.

    Considering Matt couldnt find any negative reviews, he deemed it fishy enough that he wouldnt risk that many credits.

    What public information Matt found was sparse and only general to all PlayPens, not the particular one in Durham. PlayPens were man-made islands that used the five-mile safe zone between the essence convergence of land and water to create an island that was usually teardrop-shaped so they could have one of each Tier 1, 2, and 3 rifts.

    They would then dump essence crystals to force rifts to form. If the rift had an acceptable monster type and didnt have any peculiarities, they kept it. Otherwise, teams would delve the rift until it lost enough essence and mana that it dissipated.

    It was incredibly expensive to make and then just as costly to maintain on a low Tiered world. The rifts had to be supplied with mana stones because the ambient essence wasnt enough to keep up with the rate of delves that PlayPens needed. Some speculation Matt saw said it cost a Tier 6 mana stone to run a PlayPen per day.

    That explained why others didnt copy the method. With 100 credits to a Tier 1 mana stone and an exchange rate of ten Tier 1 mana stones for a single Tier 2 mana stone until Tier 5, where it was fifty to one. It was estimated it cost a quarter of a billion credits a day to just run the rifts in a PlayPen.

    That number completely disregarded the cost of the facilities the Empire staffed, said to be state of the art and the test the newest technology it might cost double that to run.

    The sheer amount of credits was nearly unbelievable. It made Matt even more grateful Dena and Eric got him in.

    ***

    When Durham came into view, Matt was already at the door, bag over his shoulder. Stepping off the train, Matt was confronted with a rush of people trying to board the train, fighting the people trying to leave.

    Once Matt got through the crush of people, he saw a tall man with two signs. One read Darius Blackwell, and the other had his name Matthew Alexander.

    Matt walked over to the man, glanced at him, and then down to a pad. After looking back and forth, he said: youre here good, try and find the other guy. Then turned his pad around and showed two pictures to Matt, one of himself and another of a youth with black hair and silver eyes.

    Almost the exact opposite of Matts sandy hair and hazel eyes. It turned out Darius had waited until the rush to end and walked out as the doors were closing. Bag rolling behind him, he quickly spotted Matt and the man with the signs.

    Ok good, you two are the only new entries to the PlayPen this week. The names Griff, and Im the second in command here. Tier 15 Ive been an active delver for the last 90 years. A bit slower than The Path, but better slow than dead. Im here as a break and to raise my kid. He just turned two.

    Griff then showed the two newcomers far more pictures of a small child than Matt felt necessary. He wished the man would get back to talking about the PlayPen. Any nerves about being near the strongest person Matt ever met quickly vanished as Griff swiped through pictures of his kid.

    After various compliments from the boys, Griff returned to the subject of the PlayPen. Sorry about that, me and the wife have been waiting forever to hit Tier 15 and have a kid. Having a kid before Tier 15 is a great way to kill your momentum as a delver. After Tier 15, you have all the time in the world. Immortality, its a beautiful feeling not having to worry about old age.

    Matt was envious. Immortality and Tier 15 seemed so far away it hurt. And Griff had done it in around 100 years. That answered why he only looked to be in his mid-20s. Matt wasnt sure how that was a little slow. It seemed fast to him. Matt craved that, and a glance at Darius showed the same look on his face.

    So, we have a few things to do before we board the boat to the island. It shouldnt take long.

    The few things Griff needed to do was shop for baby things. Massive amounts of clothes and toys were purchased; Matt assumed the Tier 15 must be loaded because if his running calculations were close, he spent a hundred thousand credits in the two hours.

    It made Matt look up the mana stone to credit the chart up to Tier 15.

    Tier of Mana Stone Credits to Mana Stones Mana Stones to next Tier Tier 1 100 10 Tier 2 1,000 10 Tier 3 10,000 10 Tier 4 100,000 10 Tier 5 5,000,000 50 Tier 6 250,000,000 50 Tier 7 12,500,000,000 50 Tier 8 625,000,000,000 50 Tier 9 31,250,000,000,000 50 Tier 10 3,125,000,000,000,000 100 Tier 11 312,500,000,000,000,000 100 Tier 12 31,250,000,000,000,000,000 100 Tier 13 3,125,000,000,000,000,000,000 100 Tier 14 312,500,000,000,000,000,000,000 100 Tier 15 31,250,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 100

    It boggled his mind that a single mana stone could be worth so much. The little information he found about it simply said after Tier 5, most people didnt use credits as a currency but the mana stones themselves.

    He could only assume that all spending was like throwing away spare change to the Tier 15.

    All of the purchases were absorbed into the ring on his finger. When Darius asked, Griff said, Its a spatial ring, cant use one till your Tier 15 because of the strain it puts on your spirit. But damn, they are useful.

    Matt felt that by the end of the shopping trip, he and Darius were far closer from the constantly shared looks over envy and awe at Griffs spending.

    Finally, after what felt like hours, they boarded a small, sleek looking boat.

    Once the boat was underway, Griff talked more about the PlayPen. So you are both sponsored and on The Path, which has some benefits and limitations.

    At their questioning looks, Griff continued, That means you get better discounts and top priority at all facilities on the island and preferential treatment in most larger establishments throughout the Empire. The limitations are all about The Curve Matt could hear the capital letters in the last words.

    Darius asked the question Matt was thinking, My Sponsor mentioned that, but I wasnt able to find anything on the PlanetNet about it. Neither had Matt, so he wanted this answered as well.

    Yeah, youll need access to the EmpireNet to have access to information like that. Only sponsees are on the path here, so no need to make everyone else feel inferior. The Curve is how The Path of Ascension is graded. Its an Empire-wide race to the top, 90 percent of people will fall behind by Tier 5, and the rest are true powerhouses, future pillars of the Empire.

    Griff looked around and said, Its hard. You have to keep ascending Tiers fast, really fast. Tier 3 by seventeen is easy, but Tier 5 by twenty one is harder, Tier 10 by thirty nine is absurd for most people. Matt swallowed. That was absurd by what he knew of this planet, at least.

    Its easier to show you. With that, Griff tapped at his pad, sending Matt a message.

    Tier Age Tier 1 15 Tier 2 16 Tier 3 17 Tier 4 19 Tier 5 21 Tier 6 24 Tier 7 27 Tier 8 31 Tier 9 35 Tier 10 39 Tier 11 44 Tier 12 49 Tier 13 55 Tier 14 62 Tier 15 69 Tier 16 78 Tier 17 88 Tier 18 98 Tier 19 110 Tier 20 123 Tier 21 138 Tier 22 153 Tier 23 168 Tier 24 183 Tier 25 200

    Matt had no frame of reference for the numbers. It seemed impossible to reach Tier 25 before turning 200. He hadnt even heard of people reaching Tier 3 before their mid-twenties.

    And no, you cant just have a guild or noble family power level you or give you resources. Thats a part of the other restrictions. While you can join a guild, you cant take anything from them, not even use guild-owned rifts without paying the public price yourself. Its meant to be a solo climb, and most just cant keep up, but those who do are stronger than anyone else at their Tier

    Griff looked off into the sea for a long moment before he cleared his throat and continued.

    If you stay on The Path, the rewards are immense, there are tournaments for only those still competing, and the prizes are beyond your imagination. Speaking of prizes, if you are still on The Path, your sponsors rewards are equally absurd.

    The finish line is Tier 25 by age 200. By the end, you have to ascend a Tier every 15 years. Griff shook his head. I and my party fell off at Tier 10

    Its easier for solo delvers as you dont have to split the essence, but even then, my party was delving every two days. Everyone who makes it past Tier 10 are delving rifts at least one Tier higher than themselves. Its dangerous and gets many a Griff made finger quotes genius killed because its hard.

    I wont tell you not to push to stay ahead of the curve. I even encourage it till at least Tier 5, but after that, take a good hard look at yourself and ask yourself if its worth it.

    Matt had to ask. Griff mentioned rewards better than he could imagine. His imagination was pretty big. Whats the reward for getting to Tier 25 while on The Path?

    Griff sighed as he answered, The last person to hit Tier 25 was Duke Waters. He wasnt a duke at that point but given the title and a Tier 35 world as a personal fiefdom and management over nearly 60 other worlds, all under his command. His Sponsors were rumored to have gotten a Tier 30 world as well, but thats not confirmed as they never went public.

    Matt took it back. His imagination wasnt nearly big enough. He had seen movies about Duke Waters at the orphanage. He was a legend. He had been the last person to complete The Path of Ascension?

    Matt saw small was an understatement, a six-foot square room. There was only one training aid that pivoted to focus on Matt as soon as he entered the room.

    Exchanging a few blows, Matt decided hed take the sword, it was a blade made for attack, and it sacrificed defensive speed to do so, but Matts singular skill was defensive. While hed need to test exactly how much damage it could block and how [Cracked Phantom Armor] performed in combat, he was confident enough in his skills to take the risk.

    After completing his purchase for 10000 credits, he stopped by Smiths and bought a cheaper dagger for 1000. It was a simple curved dagger if his primary got stuck.

    Matt quickly scanned his map and found the training yard. It was a little after 4:30 pm, and he wanted to get a few hours of sparring and testing his [Cracked Phantom Armor] before tomorrow.

    As he arrived, he was almost run over by a group of six who came out the door right as Matt was opening it.

    Sorry, dude, bad timing on our part. The man in front was Matts height and a year or so older, if he had to guess. Hey, are you new? Dont recognize the face. Names Mat and stuck his hand out.

    Mat? Well, always nice to meet a fellow Matt. The Matts shook hands, and each laughed.

    Well now that I know you have good taste in names. We have to be best friends! So new best friend, Im assuming this is your first time at the training center?

    At Matts nod, he continued, Well lets give you the tour before we leave. By the Emperors balls, we could have used a guide when we started.

    A tall blonde behind Mat poked his side and said, Youre supposed to introduce the rest of your party, dumbass. Im Melinda, thats Kyle, Sam, Vinnie, and Tara. Since Mat is rude, Ill do the introductions. We are a sponsored team, peak Tier 2.

    After her introduction and handshake, Mat looked sheepish and murmured, I got excited at the name thing. before wilting further under Melindas glare.

    Melinda turned back to Matt and said, You have new gear, and thats good, so youll want to break it in. she then pointed towards a hall lined with rooms. That hall is the melee training rooms. As long as you are on The Paths, they are free to use and those, She then pointed to another adjacent hall. Are the skill-testing halls, you can sync up your pad with the room to get training metrics and analysis of your fighting skills. Its useful, but if you want real improvement, go to that counter and hire a personal trainer.

    Before Matt could say anything, she preceded on, If you need a skill analysis, you need to talk to the front desk. They have tasting rooms where you can get hard numbers on any skills you have.

    Well, thats good to know. And that info is confidential, right? Matt said before she could pass that comment by.

    Mat answered this time, Yup, only your sponsor can see that info, and only if you give them special permissions that they have to request.

    Thank you. You guys have been super helpful, I would have had to bumble my way around until I figured it out myself, so thanks for the time save.

    That put sheepish looks on the entire party, Yeah, we were in your shoes, and well, we try and help where we can.

    Mat asked, When is your first delve?

    Tomorrow at 11 am.

    Melinda jealousy said, ugh, lucky. Our Tier 1 was at 4 am, and I hated waking up that early. You got lucky coming offseason.

    If you eat around 6 pm, find us at the dining hall, thats when we eat, and wed be happy to talk to you about the Tier 1 rift, share our experiences.

    Matt was touched. It was far more than strangers had to do after bumping into him and happening to share a name with one of them.

    Ill take you up on that offer, though I dont know if Ill make it tonight. I need to practice my skill and break in the new gear.

    Mat looked like someone had kicked his puppy until the other girl of the party, Matt thought she was introduced as Sam, said, Then take our notes about the Tier 1 rift, its nothing the official information doesnt have but also has what we figured out worked for us.

    Theres an official guide?

    Melinda asked, Didnt you get one when you checked in? With the check-in classes? Who was your guide?

    When Matt said Griff, they all winced. He assumed they had also been subjected to his baby craze.

    Well, that explains it. If you see him run the other way, we got stuck looking at baby pictures for three hours once. The entire group shuddered. Yeah, well, now that you are on the PlayPen, there is a local network that has a bunch of good information. Guides on all the rifts, a ton of general information about Tiers, its a mini EmpireNet in a sense.

    Well, Im glad I ran into you guys, thanks. Who knows when I would have found that on my own. So whats your party name?

    That was the wrong thing to say because all but Melinda started arguing. With a strained smile, she said, We are still deciding. she pulled out her pad and said, let me send you our notes, and then I have to settle this.

    He quickly got the file and escaped the conversation that was turning into an argument with every word.

    Matt went to the desk Melinda had pointed out and was helped into a testing room by the receptionist. Once the door was closed, he pulled the rooms testing options upon his pad and selected defensive all types. The information said the room would stop before he was hurt, and it would let him know exactly how powerful his skill would be.

    Settings prepared Matt, with great anticipation, directed mana into the skill structure resting in his spirit.

    As soon as he did, his reflection along the wall was covered in a mist like covering. [Cracked Phantom Armor] was a slightly see-through gray and had the vague shape of full plate armor.

    Searching, the couldnt find any gaps where normal joints would be. The skill covered everything, including his face, although he could see and breathe as though there wasnt anything covering his face.

    As Matt moved and stretched [Cracked Phantom Armor] didnt restrict him in any way or seem to weigh anything. So far, it was a perfect armor, all the advantages of plates coverage and none of the weight or restricted movements.

    With building nerves, Matt initiated the testing.

    A flat voice called out, Please hold still, defensive skill test engaging. a bladed arm extended from the ceiling and proceeded to swipe at Matts chest. The strikes started feather-light and slowly increased in force until Matt was afraid it would pierce [Cracked Phantom Armor] and carve him up.

    When Matt was about to stop the test, finally, the blade pierced the misty armor and was retracted before it could touch him.

    Physical testing complete. Analyzing results. Results determined. Skill will protect up to low Tier 2 slashing attacks. Any attacks that breakthrough will have damage reduced by that flat rate. Please increase mastery with skill or increase mana expenditure to increase the effect.

    Matt was elated with the results. One mana a second was a lot of mana for his Tier, and it showed he would be near-invincible in the Tier 1 rift. Even better, the Tier 2 rift would only be half as dangerous.

    It was an amazing advantage.

    His happiness froze as he heard the flat voice ask, proceeding with piercing test.

    Matt spent the next twenty minutes being poked, smashed, set on fire, frozen, electrocuted, and even attacked with void.

    The last terrified him as it was the most destructive affinity at its Tier, cutting through defenses like they didnt exist. Matt was quite happy when the [Cracked Phantom Armor] was slightly resistant to the element, not immune even at Tier 1 but better than most defenses that werent specialized in defending against the type.

    [Cracked Phantom Armor] was everything Matt hoped it would be and more. The original [Phantom Armor] was a stored skill that was meant as a life-saving measure, and its conversion into a channeling skill was just as resistant but permanently active.

    Matt was happy even if he didnt get more mana at Tier 3, he would still be able to improve his mastery with the skill and, therefore, its effectiveness.

    Feeling like he was floating on air, Matt went to the training room and sparred with the training aids until almost 9 pm. With [Cracked Phantom Armor] active, it allowed him to trade blow for blow with the Tier 2 training aid, and what would have been deep cuts were turned into light scratches and bruises instead of broken bones.

    While eating, Matt reviewed the information Melinda had sent him and, with the official guide, felt ready for tomorrow.