Asher woke up the next day, feeling excited about what the day would bring. It was graduation day. The day he will finally be done with his former peers.
Sadly, it's also the day recruiters finalize their choices.
Yeah, recruiters.
Sunshine Valley has become such a hit that guilds and businesses with stakes in the game have formed corporations in reality just to handle their business. However, you can't legally be part of their guild in reality, unless you're at least 18 years old - pretty much everyone in my year group at school.
All Real Life(RL) Guilds have a presence in Sunshine Valley, but not all Sunshine Valley guilds have a presence in RL.
All the best guilds have an RL presence, though. And what do they want the most? Power? Members? Financial strength? All of the above, and more.
Some rich people - mostly kids - only join guilds to infuse money into the guild and retain important positions there. They aren't strong; they're just money bags.
These guilds recruit anyone who has enough potential to help them out. It's the standard guild life that Asher has read in LitRPG novels.
In-game money and items can be bought, exchanged, or traded using RL currency. That is one of the better benefits of joining the guilds - better exchange rates.
Asher knew all he needed to know about the guilds; he wasn't interested in them - not anymore, and not after what happened. And the guilds also won't be interested in him. It's a win-win.
Asher dressed up in his signature all black clothing, but this one has red trims. He looked at his night table and picked up the prism. He felt he had to carry it everywhere with him. Leaving the house, he greeted his mom, ate breakfast, and kissed her goodbye. She wouldn't be able to attend his graduation because, her manager was a piece of shit, and wouldn't let her take the time off to see her son walk.
The journey to school felt faster today, but Asher just chalked it off to his eagerness to be done with school. He had already sent out college applications and was waiting to hear back. He wants to study Cyber Security. Maintained a 4.0 cGPA through High School, and Asher was positive that he would receive acceptance letters soon.
Asher arrived at school and saw a few of his set mates lingering around and talking to their friends. He gave and returned a few nods to people who weren't his friends - he has none - but people who took a neutral stance to the whole situation. Soon, it was time for the ceremony. He was called up as Valedictorian, and he gave his speech, although not many people were eager to listen to him. He even got a few boos here and there, but he just did his thing, and stepped off. After that, it was time for the students to receive their certificates. Asher was called up, and he did his walk. He didn't care about much else that happened.
After the ceremony ended, it was time for people to meet with the guild representatives to officially join their guilds. He tried sneaking away, to avoid the 'show' he was sure was coming. Sadly, he didn't make it too far.
"Hey, everyone! Looks like the Fallen King is trying to leave without saying goodbye."
"Fucking Oslo," Asher thought.
All around him, people started whispering about it. And that included the guild reps. Everyone gave Asher a wide berth as if he were a sickness, and they formed a rough circle around him and Oslo.
"Where are you going Asher? Weren't you going to say bye? Or have you finally lost all pride and dignity?" Oslo asked, while sneering at Asher.
"Oslo, I don't have time for your shit right now. I have things to do."
"Oh, what do you have to do? We're done with high school. I'm joining the number one guild in Sunshine Valley. You aren't getting into any guild, and any one that is foolish enough to accept you, I'll personally make sure they get run to the ground."
Chuckles and laughter rang out in the crowd, yet, Asher didn't respond.
"Looks like the cat caught your tongue. Maybe it should have taken your face as well. It would help your mother avoid looking at your face every morning, especially after what you -"
That was as far as Oslo got, before Asher was right in front of him. What most people saw, was a blur moving, then Asher was suddenly there. What happened, was that Asher used a movement technique his sensei taught him. Once he got in front of Oslo, he grabbed him by the collar, and screamed in his face. However, some part of it sounded more ominous than it should have sounded.
"Don't you DARE speak about my mother!"
Asher was furious. But the words of his sensei rang in his head, while the prism pulsed in his backpack. He suddenly calmed down, and looked Oslo right in the eye, and spoke calmly. Too calmly.
"Do it again, and I'll take pleasure in killing you."
After saying that, he walked away. The crowd parted for him to leave. And the whole place was silent until he was out of the school grounds.
Back at the gathering, Oslo was fuming. He didn't want to believe that what happened, actually happened. He looked at the guild recruiter of the guild he joined, and smiled coldly. He took out wads of cash from his backpack and whispered some words to the recruiter. The only part of the conversation that the closest person heard, were these chilling words.
"...get it done tonight! He must feel despair..."
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Asher walked back home, keeping up with the breathing exercises, so he remains calm. He has no idea what Oslo has planned for him.
He got home, and went straight to his room, since his mother wasn't home yet, and he didn't feel like eating again for the day. After playing some games, and tinkering with the prism, he placed it on his night stool, and went to bed early.
The only warning he got, was the crash of the front door as it was broken down. Voices were raised, and shouting. He heard his mother's scream, and he didn't think - he just moved. He ran downstairs, skipping steps as he went. He was greeted with the chilling scene of 5 people in his living room, with masks and weapons, surrounding his mother, who was on the floor, bleeding from a wound. Before he could move or say anything, one of them pointed a gun at him.
"Here comes the man of the hour! You better stay rooted to that spot. We were told to make you watch, and to make it painful. You pissed off the wrong person. We were paid triple our usual rate, and our usual rate is a shit ton of money!"
That made Asher's mind go blank for a bit.
"Someone paid them to do this to me? Why? Why? WHY!?"
"Looks like his mind is almost gone. Let's just kill her and be done with it," a female voice said.
"Okay people, time to torture this bitch and give her a slow death"
With that, they all started laughing. They gagged her, and two of them went to Asher and held him in place. Making sure he didn't go anywhere, and making sure he was watching.
They did all sorts of things to her. Things he dearly wished he would forget. Her screams were muffled. His screams were muffled too, as they decided to gag him as well.
Eventually, she died. Leaving a bloody room, a dried out corpse, and a near comatose boy.
Rage.
That's was all that Asher felt, once he noticed his mother had died.
Pure, pure, rage.
All he wanted, was to make them pay. It was to kill them all, find out who ordered the hit, and make them all pay.
Sadly, he couldn't carry out his plans, as the apparent leader of the group came over to him; looking him in the eyes, and whispered chilling words.
"Oslo sends his regards. If you survive this, lucky you. If not, it's too bad. He wouldn't care regardless. Your life would be over."
Asher recognized the eyes and the voice. It was the recruiter at school, that was with Oslo. His eyes opened wife with fear and rage.
Right before a blinding pain shot into his body.
Then he heard the shot.
He couldn't feel his limbs.
All he could do was hear their laughter, as he dropped like a sack of bricks to the floor.
The last thing he saw, was the prism floating down the stairs and entering his body. He thought his brain was playing tricks on him.
Then he saw rows of text in front of him.
[V.A.D. SYSTEM INITIALIZING]
[STAND BY...]
[INITIALIZING EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE]
After that, Asher blacked out.
"I'm sorry...mom..."
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Asher woke up in what seemed to be a hospital room. The nurse checking on him was shocked, and called the doctors.
Soon, his room was full of men and women in white coats, asking him all kinds of questions, but he didn't want to deal with it, so he asked them to shut up and let him rest a bit.
After they left, someone else walked in. A lady in a suit. She seemed important, but her next words made memories come crashing down on him.
"Hello Asher. We haven't met before. I'm Jane, a lawyer. I'm sorry for your loss. Now, we have to discuss the wills and inheritances."