The Game Before the Fall

Chapter 24: Erin Storm (Part 1)

Chapter 25: Erin Storm

The first day of the convention was a lot of effort. During the initial panel majority of the questions went my way and it was a two hour slot. Thankfully there were giveaways and small games between that split the talking. Doctor Retch and Elise also ended up having a fight against each other after reaching a stale mate in one of the real-world mini games. Following that, I was of course asked for advice. In the end Crozen was the only one I didn't give advice to. Luckily his pride stopped him from asking as I wasn't sure I could freely give it to him. As much as I tried, my grudge against him remained.

I spent time wandering the convention grounds with Erin and the other key players. While Crozen chose to do his own thing, Doctor Retch and Elise were more than happy to walk around together. We were constantly being stopped for a photo or chat but managed to explore most the space with the staff's assistance. At one point Endi and Aria came to have a sneaky photo with Erin and me. They acted like fangirls despite knowing who I was. Vanter was getting attention himself though for a different reason, his handsome mug catching quite a few eyes. By the afternoon he was wearing a mask like I was.

The convention was looking incredibly good so far. The sheer amount of official merchandise was a big attraction and they were decently priced. There were smaller toys of fan favourite bosses and NPCs as well art of locations across Areithia. Erin made sure to show off her own vinyl figurine that was made after she won the NA tournament. Then there was the replica weapons that though pricy, had an almost scary realism.

An entire hall of the convention centre was also reserved for players to log in and play the game. The reason this was possible was the VBH. Their versatility and price made it relatively easy to create quite the comfy gaming space. There were hundreds of the devices and players were constantly coming and going from the hall. Unlike other areas, the gaming hall would be open all hours for the next few days.

While walking through a familiar face caught my eye. Xavier Gray, CEO of Graytech and he was with Finn and Magnolia, Fiona a few steps behind along with security staff. Seeing our group, they approached.

"Players, this is Mr Gray of Graytech Industries," our guiding staff member introduced them. "They are responsible for this great setup we have today."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Xavier smiled and gestured beside him, "This is my son Finn and my daughter Magnolia."

Erin, Doctor Retch and Elise introduced themselves and when it came to my turn Xavier grinned.

"Mr Friend," he clutched my shoulder. "I was incredibly happy to hear you would be joining us. Your performance today was most entertaining and intriguing." He faced the others, "I'm sure you know, but without this man here we would have struggled to get where we are."

I politely laughed, "Mr Gray, all I did was offer assistance as a tester and give some publicity. It wasn't much at all."

"Still, it's what put this new technology in the spotlight," he patted my shoulder and took a step back, understanding what I was implying. I didn't want people relating A.Friend and the technology itself.

Elise nodded, "Mr Gray is right Friend, I wouldn't have tried the VBH myself if it weren't for your victory in the Oceania tournament. My viewers love it as well. Though many of them are still waiting for theirs."

"We are pushing them out as fast as we can," Xavier smiled before giving us a nod. "Well don't let me hold you up. Please enjoy the rest of the day."

I gave a wave to Finn and Magnolia before we split ways, the two nodding in return with a smile.

The final session of the convention in the evening was the NA tournament itself. The round of 32 for both the 3 vs 3 and 5 vs 5 knockout were being aired all across the convention. As star players we were asked to sit in on the main stage and commentate the matches for the crowd. The exception was Crozen, who had a team in both the tournament game modes. The 3 vs 3 team fights went quite quickly with four matches playing at the same time and us at the table choosing which to watch. To my surprise, Magnolia, Finn and Fiona appeared. It was clear that Magnolia was carrying the team, though Finn and Fiona didn't do badly either. Their movements had become quite a bit sharper and showed their time with Zen. It was nice to see, as in the past, I couldn't recall Maggie being part of the team matches.

The 5 vs 5 matches were the highlight. Each team chose two terrain types for the battle, one for the first half and one for the second. The teams then chose their starting member to take the stage without knowing the other team's choice. The fight began as a usual one on one but got quickly more interesting. After one minute, the teams could send a player to substitute the one on stage. The substituting player would appear within 10 metres of where their teammate was and both could exist on stage for 3 seconds, after which the replaced player would return. They could only do this twice however. After a player was defeated, both teams could choose who next took the stage and whether they wanted the field to change.

The knockout style matches proved to be incredibly popular with the player base as it added a complex layer of tactics and analysis. I couldn't help comment on the possibilities of the matches as they played out. In the future, the game mode would dominate competitive play and would be watched on regular broadcasted TV. Countries with a high population of players even had their own tournaments and created national teams to compete across the world. Thinking back on it, it was certainly the peak of the game. Currently however, players were still testing the tactics and the game mode.

Despite my grudge, it was Crozen who showed a clear dominance over both the game modes. In the 3 vs 3, his team cleared the opponents within ten seconds. In the 5 vs 5, he managed to take out 4 of the 5 on the other team. At the rate he was going, history would repeat itself and Crozen would win both game modes, crowning his teams as double champions. It was a shame I couldn't create a team in time, as knocking him down a peg would have been quite satisfying.

The second day of the convention was not as busy as the first, but still a mound of effort. I was able to find some time to explore the convention with Aria, Endi and Vanter as myself before switching back and commentating on the last few rounds of the tournament. As expected Crozen came out victorious in both game modes but came close to losing in the 3 vs 3. Magnolia surprised Crozen and managed to kill him but did so by sacrificing herself. Finn and Fiona weren't quite at the level of Crozen's team however and ended up losing. When it came to analyse the tournament matches, he was obnoxiously proud.

Erin poked me and whispered while he was gloating, "Form a team with me next time. I really couldn't stand it if he won again." The rest of the hall couldn't hear but it was an interesting prospect.

The two days went by quickly. It was a whirlwind of work and fun. Endi and Aria enjoyed themselves more than I could have hoped and I even spotted Ana several times looking quite content. As the night came however, Vanter and I waited and appearing on Erin's social media, a call to her fans. A meet up to celebrate the end of the convention.

Vanter looked at me, "Looks like this is it."

"Yep," a nervous energy crossed my body. "For Aria's sake we can't fail. I don't want to see her cry."

"Ardent, I don't want to see me cry," Vanter said sincerely. "I've grown to quite like her."

"You're not going for her still, are you?"

"Hey, you've got to shoot your shot," he shrugged and smirked before turning to me seriously. "Though, she has to be alive for me to do that. Ana spotted those people who were stalking her before. We're definitely not dealing with just a rabid fan."

I looked at him with as much confidence as I could muster, "We've got this."

"I know." Vanter laughed, "God the nerves I'm feeling now reminds me of those times we set out before our missions. I didn't think I'd be feeling this so soon." He shook himself and I smiled, wondering what I would have done if Vanter wasn't here with me.