Haven Online: Brewing Chaos

Chapter 30: Maya's News

Fenix hobbled into the kitchen, his crutches scraping against the tiled floor. The familiar sound of Maya's humming greeted him as he entered. She stood by the stove, stirring a pot of broccoli.

A smile spread across his face at the sight, but soon he furrowed his brow in confusion. 'Why was she home early? Shouldn't she be at work?'

Just then, Maya turned around and broke into a huge smile upon seeing him.

"Great! I timed your logout perfectly," Maya said, her voice filled with excitement. "The food will be ready soon. Help me set the table."

"Sure," Fenix replied. He made his way to the cabinet, balancing on his crutches with one hand and using the other to open the door. Carefully, he retrieved two bowls and plates and set them on the table.

Once the table was set, Fenix seated himself and waited for Maya to bring out their meal. He didn't have to wait long; within a few minutes, she appeared with their dinner. She set down a dish of macaroni and cheese mixed with broccoli, topped with a slice of savory meatloaf.

Despite not cooking often, Maya's dish looked delectable. The rich aroma of cheesy pasta and perfectly seasoned beef filled Fenix's nostrils, making his stomach rumble with hunger. Without hesitation, Maya poured them each a tall glass of iced tea, adding a refreshing touch to their meal.

"Guess what? I have some exciting news!" Maya exclaimed joyfully.

Fenix took a bite of his food before responding, "What is it?"

"Have you heard? Haven Online is holding a convention here in two weeks!" Maya said with excitement.

"A convention?" Fenix repeated, somewhat surprised.

Smiling brightly, Maya nodded and said, "Yes! It's happening on the same day in 20 cities around the world. They'll be giving away prizes and even holding a contest for a free pod."

Suddenly, Fenix remembered reading about this convention in his previous life. It was held before they updated the game to include eating and restricted high-level potions from being purchased. Many players saw it as a way for the company to make amends.

Unfortunately, he was in the hospital at the time and missed out on it. But when he started working for that shady company, he heard all about it from his fellow gatherers.

They would often complain about how if they had known the benefits of attending the convention, they wouldn't be stuck working for such an unethical establishment.

After hearing their stories, Fenix looked into it and found that attending the convention would have been worth it for players who already had accounts. There were games where players could win not only game coins but also rare items such as mounts, pets, costumes, accessories, weapons, and armor.

Some of these items sold for a significant amount of money - enough to cover his expenses for the next three years.

"So I'm assuming you want to go and try to win the free pod?" Felix asked with a grin.

"Hell yeah," Maya replied confidently. "Even though the chances are slim, I still want to take that chance."

Fenix couldn't help but smile at her determination. He had been trying to come up with a way to secretly help her obtain a pod, but now it seemed he didn't have to. She would have no problem winning a pod at the convention since he remembered exactly how to win the game it came from.

"Okay, when and where is the convention?" Fenix inquired.

"One month from now, July 23 at the Hyatt Regency Center," Maya answered. "And don't worry, I already got us tickets."

"How much were they? I'll pay you back for the cost difference," Fenix offered.

But Maya just waved him off, saying, "No need to worry. I got them for free as an employee of the month."

Although Fenix had some doubts about her explanation, he decided to let it go for now.

"Alright, then I'll make sure to book a rental for a Hoover chair before the convention," Fenix said with a smile.

"Now that it's settled, tell me how the game is going for you. What race and class did you choose?" Maya asked.

"I went with a Dryad and chose the artisan class," Fenix answered.

"Why did you choose the Dryad? I've heard it's the worst race in the game," Maya said curiously.

Fenix struggled to come up with an answer. He couldn't exactly tell her he was from the future and chose the Dryad because of its money-making racial skills. Not only would she probably not believe him, but she might also think he had gone insane from his traumatic experience. So instead, he came up with a lie.

"Well, I thought the character looked cool," he said, scratching his head and glancing at her. "And since I plan on fishing a lot, it seemed like a good fit."

"Oh, right! Free ingredients you can use for cooking. Smart idea, plus you can also get underwater treasure," Maya replied, her eyes lighting up. "I read on the forums about a guy who fished up a Dragonwry's sword worth over 200 gold coins, which is over $10,000 in real money."

Fenix grinned in agreement. "Yeah, that's my plan. It would be amazing if I could fish up some valuable items."

"I don't have the patience for fishing, so I won't be joining you in that endeavor. I'm thinking of taking the Explorer route. And before you say anything, I know a lot of people are doing that too, but I never saw anyone try treasure hunting in the snowy lands or deserts; they always opt for the desert," Maya said, her enthusiasm blatant.

"That's because it's freezing cold there. Even if you turn down the settings to 20%, your avatar will still feel it. You'll constantly have to check your health bar and make sure your avatar doesn't freeze or burn to death," Fenix replied with concern evident on his face.

Laughing off his worries, Maya reassured him, "Don't worry, I'm not planning on starting off like that. I need to earn some coins first if I want to explore those areas."

Fenix relaxed, seeing Maya's confident smile. He realized this was why she worked so hard to make coins in his past life, to fund her exploration class. This time, she'd be able to do it.

Between bites of Maya's delicious home-cooked food, they continued chatting about this and that. With animated gestures and bright eyes, Fenix recounted the fun adventures he had in Haven Online.

As the sun began to set, their laughter echoed through the cozy dining room until Maya checked her watch and reluctantly excused herself to go shopping with her mother.

After saying goodbye and locking the door after she left, Fenix headed back to his room, eager to log into Haven Online again.