"I should go to work."
Mia frowned.
"What?"
"I made about five dollars in coin after what I spent. Maybe more once I sell the materials. Not good enough for five hours."
"You’ve only been playing for one night."
"Rent doesn’t care."
Neither of them spoke for a moment. Twelve hundred dollars by the end of the week. That number had not become smaller because Pantheon was interesting.
Mia picked up her fork again.
"Do you think you can make money in there?"
"Eventually."
"That’s not what I asked."
She had inherited that from him. Annoyingly.
"I don’t know."
"But can you?"
"If I keep progressing? Probably. Rare drops are already selling for stupid amounts. Information too."
"Then why are you going to work?"
"Because work pays me whether a giant wolf decides to eat me or not."
Mia nodded.
"Safe."
"Exactly."
"And if you work all day? Everyone playing keeps leveling."
"Yes."
"They find the quests first."
"Probably."
"They find the good farming spots."
"Also."
"They get the drops."
"I understand where this is going."
"Then let me finish." Mia leaned forward. "I spent half the night reading people argue about launch strategy. The teams with money have players staying in as long as they can. They have people mapping zones, testing quests, buying gear for their best players."
Ren thought of Orchid Company.
"They already are."
"So if you take the safe money now and come back later, you’re behind."
"One shift isn’t going to decide the entire game."
"No."
Mia took another bite.
"But what about tomorrow?"
Ren didn’t answer.
"And the day after?"
"Mia."
"I’m not saying quit your job. I am saying choose what you’re doing." She pointed toward the headset. "If Pantheon is just extra money, go to work."
Then she pointed at him.
"But if you think you actually got something good in there, rush now."
Ren went still.
Mia narrowed her eyes.
"What talent did you get?"
There it was. Ren thought about the blank column. Then Keen Bite. Burrow. Lunge. Thick Hide. Fire Affinity. And the black window that let him steal abilities from the things he defeated.
"It’s complicated."
Mia stared at him.
"That means a decent one."
"That is not what those words mean."
"It is when you say them."
Ren looked down at the table.
Five dollars after five hours was terrible. But those were his first five hours in a game he knew almost nothing about. One Common pair of boots had already sold for twenty-five silver because everyone wanted gear now.
Not next week.
Now.
Mia tapped the table.
"If it’s good, rush."
Ren looked at her.
"You’re fourteen."
"And you’re losing an argument to me."
"Those facts are unrelated."
"Are they?"
Mia smiled into her breakfast.
Ren hated that question. He stood.
"I’m taking one shift off."
"Okay."
"One."
"I heard you."
"I’m not quitting."
"I didn’t say quit."
Ren picked up his phone. The message to his supervisor took less time to write than he expected. He stared at it before sending. One missed shift. One day’s safe money for a chance to stay near the front of a game that might pay nothing. Or might pay the rent.
Ren pressed send.
Mia looked up.
"Well?"
He set the phone down.
"Apparently I’m rushing."
Her grin widened.
"Good."
Ren pointed at her plate.
"Finish eating and go to school."
"Yes, Mom."
"I can still go to work."
She immediately started eating.
Ren looked back at his phone. He scrolled to Theo and began writing.
Hey. Started in Aldern. If you ended up there too, let me know when you see this. I’m taking a shift off to keep playing, so congratulations. This is partially your fault. My nick’s Vagrant. Add me whenever you figure out how the friend list works. Or message me in-game. Assuming that works too.
Ren looked toward the headset.
Redjaw was still moving through Briarwash. A hidden quest was waiting for him. And this time, he was going back in knowing exactly what dying meant.
***
Theo sat behind the VR cafe counter with half a sandwich in one hand and his phone in the other.
Ren’s message had arrived a few minutes ago.
He read it twice.
I’m taking a shift off to keep playing, so congratulations. This is partially your fault.
Theo smiled.
"Finally."
Then he reached the part about Vagrant and his smile disappeared.
"This asshole didn’t tell me his Talent."
One of the employees nearby looked over.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Theo typed back.
I’m in Aldern too. I’ll add you. And you skipped the only part I actually wanted to know. What’s your Talent?
No answer.
He called.
Straight to voicemail.
Theo looked at the remaining half of his sandwich, then at the pod behind the counter.
The sandwich lost.
Theo wrapped it back up and stood.