"This is your apartment?" Caleb asked.
They stood in front of a tall building of glass and polished obsidian that pierced the clouds. It was something from the center of a game, not the middle of a city. The lobby was a cathedral of white marble.
They stepped into an elevator that didn't have buttons. It had a sleek touch sensor. Lena pressed her thumb against it. The numbers on the small screen blurred as they rocketed past the twentieth, thirtieth, and fortieth floors.
When the doors finally slid open, there were no hallways. There were no other doors. The elevator opened directly into a space that took his breath away.
"Yeah. You kind of need space like this for my operation," Lena said. "The first night I spent here, I lost myself at least three times. It can get kind of lonely at times."
Caleb followed her, his shoes echoing softly on the dark hardwood floors. It was an entire floor of the tower. Huge floor-to-ceiling windows wrapped around the entire perimeter. The city looked like a collection of toy blocks far below. The morning sun flooded the room, making every surface glow.
Lena turned to him. She was different in this light. Her purple eyes seemed to hold a depth he hadn't noticed in the cafe. Her blonde hair caught the sunlight, turning into a halo of spun gold. She still had on her large oversized gray hoodie that seemed like it was for a large man and not a small woman. The contrast between her casual wear and the extreme luxury of the room was jarring.
"Kitchen is over there," Lena said, pointing to a sprawling island made of white quartz. "Living room is here. Behind that sliding door is my bedroom. The glass doors over there? Those are the pods. Come take a look."
She walked with a certain bounce in her step. Caleb couldn't help but watch her. She moved like someone who was used to being in control of every pixel in her environment.
He walked toward the glass doors. Behind them sat two machines that were sleek, silver cocoons. These were the newest models on the market. They were designed for pure immersion.
Older models, like the ones back on his campus needed a haptic suit. You had to strap yourself in like you were going to space. But these? These used neural-link technology. You just laid down, closed your eyes, and the pod did the rest. It tapped directly into your nervous system without a single wire touching your skin.
"These are top of the line," Caleb whispered.
"Only the best for my partners," Lena said. She leaned against the doorframe. She had a soft, small, knowing smile. "So? Do you like the view?"
This was the life of a top-tier player. This was what happened when you mastered the market. "So, between rent, utilities, and the costs for two of these units..."
"I told you, Caleb. Tonight," Lena interrupted. Her voice was firm but not mean. "Why don't you go unpack in that room over there?"
She pointed to a door on the far side of the living room. Caleb nodded. He felt the exhaustion finally catching up to him. He grabbed his small bag and headed toward the room.
When he slid the door open, he stopped. The room was massive. It was larger than four dorm rooms put together. The bed in the center was huge, covered in thick, dark blue blankets.
He peeled the sliding closet door open. Inside, he saw rows of formal business outfits. Sharp blazers, silk skirts, and crisp white shirts. It was feminine and professional.
"Sorry about leaving all that stuff there," Lena said. She was leaning against the doorway, peeking in. "I usually use this room for storage when I have clients over. I didn't have time to clear it out."
Caleb glanced at the expensive clothes and then down at his own worn-out jacket. "No, it's fine. I don't really have much to begin with."
He felt a bit embarrassed. Everything he owned was in one small backpack. He had the bare essentials. A few shirts, some socks, and his charging cables.
"Alright then," Lena said. "Come out to the living room whenever you're ready. I think it's time I finally tell you the conditions of our deal."
She walked away.
Caleb threw his bag on the bed and followed it. He wanted to sleep for ten hours, but his curiosity was stronger. He splashed some water on his face in the attached bathroom and headed back out.
When he returned to the living room, the atmosphere had changed. The lights had dimmed. A massive projector screen had been pulled down, covering the entire north wall. Lena was sitting on the edge of a large leather sofa. She was holding a tablet in her lap.
"Sit," she commanded.
Caleb sat on the opposite end of the couch. He kicked his feet up on the low table, trying to act like he wasn't intimidated by the room.
"What do you know about The Ten?" Lena asked.
Her tone had shifted. She wasn't the girl in the hoodie anymore. It felt like Caleb was a student and she was the teacher.
Caleb sighed. "You know I haven't left the Hollows. Between fighting Ruinwardens and dealing with player raids, I haven't had time for lore."
Lena nodded. She made a soft clicking sound with her tongue. "The Ten are one-of-one unique world bosses. They don't respawn. Ever. Once a player or a guild kills one, that boss is gone from the game forever. Their drops are unique. Their titles are unique. They change the map itself when they die."
It sounded like something Caleb knew.
"And your plan is?" Caleb asked.
"Admittedly, I don't know many people I can trust," Lena said. She turned to him directly. "I need people who can keep a secret. This data is worth millions. If the top guilds find out I have a lead, they will hunt me across every zone."
"I'm still level one" Caleb reminded her, "You know that, right?"
Lena wasn't fazed at all by him saying that. "Unique bosses rarely come down to the bigger number trumps the other. The top guilds have all tried to brute force their way into killing their own whenever a lead pops up. So far, only one boss has been killed and that was the weakest."
Caleb nodded. He understood that. In the Hollows, he had fought off hundreds of players just by using his structures and The Hollows own environment. Numbers meant nothing if you didn't have a plan.
"So, which one are we hunting?" Caleb asked.
Lena tapped her tablet. The projector screen flared to life.
A single name appeared in jagged, white letters.
[E P H E M E R U S]
"He's the sixth strongest," her voice carried a hint of excitement. "At least, that's what I think."
Caleb noticed she didn't say according to her data.
The screen stayed on the name. There were no pictures. No stats. Just the name.
"How did you even find this?" Caleb asked.
Lena stood up. She walked over to the screen. She adjusted her weight, leaning her hip to one side. The movement was slow and deliberate. "I followed the quests that appeared in the hidden markets. I spent months tracking unclassified boss data on the black market. I found five fragments from five unique NPC vendors scattered across the world. They were hidden in plain sight. Once I bought them all, they merged and the quest started."
"And we can't just skip the quest and pay him a visit?"
"Not unless you know where the boss actually is. That's something I don't know. And you're not finding that kind of information anywhere. Even on the most private selling channels." Lena said taking a seat next to Caleb.
She was closer now. He could feel the heat coming off her. She stared at the screen with a burning intensity.
Caleb thought about it. He had a kingdom to maintain and build in the Hollows. He had money to make. He couldn't just go on a wild goose chase for some ancient boss. But his eyes found the pod in the other room. He saw the luxury around him. He was with Lena.
"Fine," Caleb said. "But I have a condition. If we fail the boss encounter, that's it. You don't get to blame me. And you will continue to let me use your pod here until my situation is fixed."
He wasn't going to tell her he was a broke student who couldn't pay his tuition. He had to keep some of his pride.
"Deal," Lena replied instantly. She didn't even hesitate.
"That's it?"
"That's it. Easy, right?" Lena said. She stood back up, returning to her teacher persona. "I already have a few players in mind to fill the last spot. We need a perfect team."
She tapped the screen, and three profiles appeared.
"S0lra is a level 110 bowman. His communication is perfect. He never misses a shot. Then there's ElarT. He's a level 93 gunsmith. He has kill-on-sight orders in four continents. And finally, 1soltier. He's a top-three ranked drone tech. He sees everything on the battlefield."
Caleb stared at the screen. He did the math. "Wait. Wait, wait, wait. You want to take out the sixth strongest unique world boss with just three people?"
"Information is everything" Lena said. "The fewer people who know, the better. If we bring a raid group, someone will talk. Non-disclosure agreements are weaker than a wooden stick in The World."
"I get that, but three people?" Caleb argued. "If we're doing this, we need someone I can trust too. We should bring HWARENA."
"She!" Lena's voice went up an octave. She caught herself and cleared her throat, crossing her arms over her chest. "I haven't met her personally. I don't have her data."
"And you've met these other three players?" Caleb challenged.
"Well, no, but..."
"Then what's the difference?" Caleb asked. "I've seen HWARENA fight. She helped me defend against a 250-player raid. She's exactly what we need."
Lena bit her lip. She sat back down, sliding a little closer to him than she was before.
"Fine," she whispered. "I need to come pick you up at the Hollows anyway to start the quest line. She seems to play the same hours as us too."
Right. She had cams on The Hollows, Caleb remembered.
"When do you want to start?" Caleb asked.
"Truth be told I've already been moving my character to The Hollows. In an hour of IRL time, I should be there. I don't expect a red carpet welcome, but I do expect to not be zapped by that Spire of yours."
"So tonight?"
"Tonight."