Freelance Saga Episode 4: Beta Shift Read online

  Freelance Saga Episode 4: Beta Shift

  By Scottie Futch

  Copyright 2015 Scottie Futch

  Kindle Edition

  Chapter 1

  The crooked picture on the wall taunted Scott. Nothing had changed in his modest home since he had left; nothing except for that one crooked picture. Well, it was possible that other things had moved around as well, but he knew that the picture had changed because he had set it aright before he transferred back to Alterra.

  “Home sweet home, I guess.” said Scott.

  He went to check his email. “Bills and spam... I might already be a winner... Yeah, I am one promising individual.”

  He had not expected much from either avenue to be honest. He rarely received mail that was not spam or bill related. Occasionally, he would receive an offer to try a new game because of a part-time gaming blog that he occasionally updated. Still, he had been off-planet for nearly a month and no one had even asked if he was alive?

  Scott checked his voicemail and smiled. His mother had left a few messages. That was something at least. Honestly, at this point she was the only reason he had for coming back to this world. None of his so-called friends had even left him a message online. “No tweets, no nothing.”

  He needed to call his mother, but first he had to discuss the current situation with the people at Alterra. There was no way to contact them quickly other than the game’s messaging system, so he opened up his menu.

  It never ceased to amaze him that he could use his menus in this world. Something about that had always felt off to the man.

  “Oh, they’ve already messaged me?” The inbox on his account screen showed three new messages. He read through them briefly then grinned. Well, something was going right for a change.

  Later, at the Alterra office he sat down to meet with Jameson, the head-hunter from their first meeting. Things had changed in the office. The outdated computer equipment from before had changed to a far more futuristic set-up.

  “Mr. Hunter, we at Alterra wish to extend our deepest apologies for the trouble that you’ve been through recently.” Jameson seemed sincere, a surprising thing in his opinion. The people at Alterra had never shown themselves to be anything but nice and friendly. Still, it was a bit much for Scott to believe that any of them sincerely cared about their employees beyond their bottom line.

  “I survived, so I’ll accept your apology.” He chose his words carefully. He did not want to ruin his chance at a fat payoff, but he did want them to squirm a little. Unfortunately, he could not take them to court. What judge would believe the case in the first place? The only chance for any type of compensation would come from this meeting.

  Jameson breathed out slowly then smiled. “I’m glad. We are overjoyed to see that not only did you survive, but you seem to have grown quite considerably despite the corruption of your file.”

  “I’ve worked hard, but how you can call that considerable growth is beyond me. I never did reach level two. But, since you brought it up... What exactly caused the corruption?”

  The department manager leaned back then acquired a pensive look. When he looked up again his expression had changed to one of sincere remorse. “We were updating the interface, but a glitch in programing prevented the normal safety precautions from taking effect. Essentially, you ended up trying to transfer to Alterra, but were caught in the middle of a major user-interface and world update that badly corrupted your file. There were other, unforeseen, reasons for the corruption as well.”

  “How is that possible? What type of corruption was it? Is it fixed?” Scott had many questions, but those three felt most pressing at the moment.

  Jameson held up his hand and shook his head. “I am management, not tech support or research. Bear with me and I’ll try to explain.”

  Scott nodded slowly then allowed the man to continue. He wanted to keep asking questions, but answers were more important.

  Jameson took a deep breath. “To answer your first two questions, our update was specifically to the way that the transfer protocol and interface worked. The beta testing period will end is officially slated to end within the next months and we wanted to make sure everything was ready for the new adventurers.”

  However, the world masters had taken the limitations of Alterra into account and decided to do a massive change to the nature of the world itself. Normally, if it had just been a minor world update it would not have caused any issues.”

  The man looked at Scott carefully then said, “Because of the changes in the world, our interface update, and your exact timing on multiple fronts, you were caught in a Quantum interference effect.”

  He continued, “Your third question, how do I put this?” The man looked down at his desk briefly then began to drum his fingers atop the surface.

  Finally, he looked up. “You were torn apart at the quantum level. Bits and pieces of you were scattered throughout the multi-verse. We had to recreate your file and repair your spiritual pattern. You are fine, but your old file is destroyed.”

  Scott stared at the man. “I don’t get it. Did I die for real? Did you clone me?”

  “No, we could not locate you for quite some time due to the interference of so many similar quantum signatures.” said Jameson.

  “Get to the point please. What did you do?” asked Scott.

  Jameson held up his hands in a placating manner. “Basically, your system file needed to be recreated and the remainder of what was acceptable had to be placed in the new file. So, you were not killed or cloned. You were simply repaired in a patchwork manner. You were localized in your region and the changes to the world around you did not register at the time to any great degree.”

  “Ok, but what does that have to do with me, now? The problem is fixed?”

  “Yes, it did fix the issue that you had.” said Jameson.

  “That’s great!” Scott rejoiced briefly. After the moment passed, he took a deep breath. That was utterly fascinating, and he would love to hear more.

  Despite his other interests, what he needed most at the moment was answers to questions relating to his current situation. “You were going to tell me about the state of my file corruption? You said that it was fixed, but you also seemed to hint at something else.”

  “Yes, it is. The World Masters decided to add several new concepts to the world that you will need to adjust to in the near future, however.”

  Scott’s joy turned to wary suspicion. “What changes?”

  “Well, the mandatory twenty-four hour wait between logging out and logging back in has been removed, finally. Death will still require a twenty-four hour penalty for the time being, however. It causes a lot of stress on your spiritual structure and mental state.”

  Scott was not sure what to say about that. He was overjoyed at the removal of that restriction, but something that Jameson said bore further discussion. “Changes? You do mean that there has been more than one change, correct? What else changed?”

  Jameson looked Scott directly in the eyes. “Things have changed drastically. The manner of power dispersal in the world has been updated. The interface was too needlessly complex and bogged the system down. It was updated to be more streamlined.”

  “That still does not answer my question.” said Scott.

  The man nodded slowly then gestured at the air above his desk. A message screen popped up. “The attribute and skill systems have been modified. We were not able to alter your system while your account was active in-world, but when you return the last of the corruption will be repaired and the new system will be in place.”

  “What? Will you just tell me what this new system is?”

  “This messag
e screen will supply you with the critical differences.” replied the recruiter.

  Scott looked at the man while a sense of dread skittered along his spine. He turned his attention to the screen:

  <<< Status >>>

  Name: Scott Hunter | Race: Human

  Class: Demi-Human Trainer

  Alignment: Neutral

  Fame: [10]

  Leadership: [1]

  Level: 1 (0.00%) | Attribute Points: 0

  Health: 100 | Mana: 100

  Attack: 3-4 | Defense: 3-4

  STR: 20 | INT: 20

  AGI: 20 | VIT: 20

  MAG: 20 | CHA: 20

  <<< Traits >>>

  Improved Leadership Development

  You are able to develop leadership with the same ease as a military commander.

  + 1 Leadership Per Level

  +50% Increase in Leadership Experience Acquisition.

  Improved Charisma Development

  You are able to develop your charismatic aura of command to a greater degree than most.

  + 1 Charisma Per Level

  50% Decrease in Effort Required to Directly Increase Charisma Through Training.

  Harem Call

  As a demi-human trainer you can summon your designated companion demi-humans to your side as a free action. You also have the ability to speak to your harem members over great distances as needed.

  Detect Power (Limited)

  You can detect the power level and abilities of demi-humans that you own, or are currently leading.

  Lesser Blessing of the Mother Dragon

  + 10 to All Stats

  <<< Class Skills >>

  Demi-Human Taming [Level 1] (0.00%)

  This skill reinforces your ability to attempt to the taming of a demi-human. Train this ability through interaction with your current harem, and through winning the loyalty of free demi-humans. The success of this skill relies on your Charisma, Intellect, Skill Level, and intimacy level with the demi-human.

  Demi-Human Training [Level 1] (0.00%)

  This skill reinforces your ability to train humanoid monsters. It improves the attribute growth, skill development, and experience acquisition of demi-humans under your command. This skill relies on Skill Level, Charisma, and Intellect.

  Appraise Creature [Level 1] (0.00%)

  Discern the abilities and capacities of a creature. Higher Skill Levels and Intellect will allow for more accurate and extensive information. Appraising a demi-human prior to attempting to tame her will allow for a slight taming bonus.

  << Other Skills >>>

  Unarmed Combat [Level 1] (0.00%)

  This skill reinforces your ability to fight using only your natural weapons.

  Mana Manipulation [Level 1](0.00%)

  This skill reinforces your ability to manipulate and utilize mana.

  Serenity [Max Level]

  This skill allows you to avoid combat with monsters for up to four hours, once per day. It resets at dawn each day.

  Wings of Light [Level 1] (0.00%)

  This skill allows you to return to any town or specific area that you have visited before. It can be used once per day/per skill level. It resets at dawn each day.

  <<< Spells >>>

  None

  <<< * >>>

  Scott stared at the status screen that popped up. “What the hell? Seriously? Don’t tell me that you people reset all my stats again!”

  Jameson opened his hands in a gesture of non-committal. He took no responsibility for the message.

  “So, everything I went through, everything I did. It’s meaningless now? I never made it past level one, but dammit I was so close!”

  “No, the struggles that you underwent were not entirely meaningless. Your corruption has been fixed. You have regained your racial base stats. You keep your blessing from Seductia. This is actually a massive upgrade for you.”

  “Upgrade? How is resetting my level one more time supposed to be a gift?” asked Scott in a heated tone of voice.

  “I will explain that in a moment, but this was going to happen anyway. You are a beta tester. Do you recall that? All beta testers will have their levels reset to one prior to the end of that period.”

  Scott frowned at the man, but said nothing. He did recall that, but this still felt like a slap in the face.

  Jameson smirked. “We can’t really give you much in the way of monetary compensation since there is no real amount of money that could cover what you have been through. However, we can go ahead and let you jump to an advanced version of the class that you chose. That is, if you want it.”

  Scott’s frown deepened into a scowl. He felt an almost murderous desire to strangle the man sitting on the other side of the desk. A class advancement was nice and all, but they made it sound like they intended to give him no real compensation beyond that. “Dammit. Are you people deliberately trolling me? Did I offend you, somehow?”

  “I know that it might seem as though we are treating you badly. We have prepared compensation for your recent issues in the form of Alterran money and the specialized class that you may choose to receive.”

  “Wait, I will receive money and a new class, too? You just told me that you could not give me financial compensation...”

  Jameson smiled. “Of course, your old class still exists if you would prefer to restart at level two with the standard monster trainer package. However, you would lose out on the specialized skills and advanced training talents. Currently, you have a unique class. It has many benefits that you may discover in time.”

  “Well, that... I can’t really say if that is an upgrade or downgrade.” Scott considered the nature of the offered class change. If it was really an upgrade, that was great, but he was not sure. How could he be sure of anything regarding this company and the world of Alterra anymore?

  “The class upgrade that we are offering will provide a substantial increase to your capacity. If you don’t believe that, look more closely. The Harem Call ability alone should tell you how much better this class version is for you.”

  Scott stared at the man flatly. “Is this really an upgrade? You basically made me a slave master. I don’t even have any skills to capture and train normal monsters.”

  “A considerable one, though you were already technically a form of slave master before. Now you can raise your own army with greater ease, but considerable personal effort. If you had paid attention to what I just said you would notice the lack of mana requirement for that ability.”

  “Lack of mana requirement? So much has changed that I don’t even know what I’m looking at, yet.” Scott was confused, but also intrigued.

  “Ah, that is understandable. The old system was so clunky and poorly designed that it caused major issues. Either way, one of your greatest former limitations has been removed. You no longer have to expend mana when you call your harem members to battle. It is now a free action.”

  “Wait, whoa. Hold up... Do you mean that if I take this class upgrade I can bring all of my monsters to battle at no cost? How is that not game breaking? What are the limits on the number of monsters I can bring to battle? What about...”

  Jameson interrupted him with a derisive snort. “Do you think that you are the only one with a class that can raise an army? Advanced warrior classes can do that too, and so can a few others. Most of them do not need to expend personal mana to use their soldiers. Now you won’t either.

  I can understand your misgivings, but you will be skipping one hundred levels worth of leveling before reaching the point where you could receive this class on your own. It’s actually a full class-tier upgrade.”

  Scott conceded that it was definitely an upgrade. The idea of raising a sexy monster girl army was quite interesting. “I see. That’s fine. If I am going to start over, at least it looks like a major step upward. You also said that I would be compensated for my recent troubles?”

  “Yes, we have taken your trouble into account.”

  The man gestured at the message screen and
new information appeared. Scott read through it then slowly looked up at Jameson with a disbelieving expression.

  The recruiter nodded his head and grinned at the younger man. Scott returned that grin with an almost feral glee.

  The monster girl trainer eagerly clicked the accept button on the menu screen. It was better than he hoped. It, he couldn’t even believe it. Was this really happening?

  “Excellent. I am glad to note that we compensated you properly.”

  “One hundred gold coins? That’s a lot of money at the moment... The extremely useful abilities you are offering sound about right as well.” Scott had undergone a troubling ordeal, but they were essentially throwing the Alterran equivalent of a million dollars at him as compensation. Money can’t buy everything. However, he had survived and grown stronger as a result. He did not have a problem with this kind of compensation at all.

  It would solve a lot of his problems and it was a good enough deal that he would not fuss or try to bring legal action. Legal action was not likely to be possible in this instance, anyway. No court in the country would believe his story.

  “Good! Is there anything else that you need to know?”

  Scott was at a loss for words at the moment. He had a lot of questions, but they did not seem too important. After a brief few seconds were spent scouring his mind, he happened to recall the fact that he had a spell-bracer strapped to his arm. He lifted his arm up and pointed at the annoying device that had followed him home from the other world. “What’s the deal with this thing?”

  “The deal?”

  “Yeah, I mean why won’t it come off? It’s not cursed. I had it checked.”

  Jameson looked at the bracer quizzically then gestured toward the information screen once more. He read what was revealed then laughed.

  Scott looked askance at the man and the manger waved him off. “I did not mean to laugh, but I understand the problem at least.”

  “Really?”

  “Certainly. You are right it’s not cursed. You just don’t know how to turn it off.”

  “Seriously? Is that the problem?”

  Jameson nodded then said, “Touch the stone on the top and say ‘unlock bracer’.”

  Scott immediately did as instructed and the bracer came loose. He stared down at the hateful thing. It had thwarted his every attempt to remove it, but the secret had been so simple! “Finally, it’s off! I can wash my arm!”