More Than A Game (Epic LitRPG adventure)

Chapter 4: Fat Willie and his joke part 1

For whatever reason, my life up to that point had taught me to follow through immediately on the decisions I made. That had something to do with KVN, then the army, and certainly my experience in journalism. After all, putting something off meant giving yourself the opportunity to change your mind, let laziness creep in, or have someone else beat you to the punch. That's how we humans are: put something off once, and we'll think of a thousand reasons why we shouldn't do it at all.

And so I immediately decided to get started on both of my ideas. I put some hot dogs on to boil and headed to the attic to look for the box I kept all my old papers, phone numbers, notebooks, and diaries in.

"Where did it go?" I asked myself as I looked for Fat Willie's phone number. "I know I wrote it down in a notebook. Nadya Mamedova was there, we were drinking, and she laughed so hard at me for using a notebook when we have phones, tablets, and virtual diaries. I remember telling her, 'If the electricity ever goes out, and you lose all your gadgets, I'll still have Fat Willie's phone number.' She said, 'Why would you need his number when there isn't any electricity?' And I answered, 'I'll use the paper to light a fire.' Then, while we were chattering at each other, Willie up and walked out without saying a word. He couldn't care less, and I was drunk off my rocker. Ah-ha!"

I found Willie's number and prayed that:

1. Willie hadn't changed his number

2. Willie hadn't gotten rid of his phone altogether

3. Willie was in the real world

4. Willie hadn't found his way (we hadn't seen each other for two years...maybe three) into the loony bin (for excessive gaming) or an obesity clinic (fast food is fast food, after all)

5. Willie was still in the land of the living

So imagine how happy I was when his phone rang three times and was picked up. That same old voice drawled into the line, "Hello?"

"Willie!" I happily shouted into the phone. "You're in the real world! What happened?"

"Oh, Nikifor," Willie responded in his usual hum-drum voice. (At school and even afterward, people called me Nikifor or just Kif.) "I'm at work, who's going to let me play here?"

"You got a job? But you're a nonconformist, fight the system, all of that. Passive, sure. But what happened? Did you switch sides?"

"I still fight the system, and it still fights me. I fight it online; it fights me in real life. I use programming, and it keeps me hungry, cold, and without tobacco. If you're hungry, you'd better go find a job. And hey, go easy on the 'passive' thing. It's a good word, but 'passive warrior'...sounds kind of insulting. Anyway, what's up? You must need something, it's been three years since we last saw each other."

"Have you played Fayroll?" I cut to the chase.

"I play now. I mean, not right now, of course, but every night." He didn't say anything for ten seconds or so, then continued. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm writing an article about it, so I'm in your gamer universe now, too. I played for a day or so, got to Level 5, and someone killed me. Willie, I don't think there's anyone in the world that could show me the ropes better than you can."

It might have just been me, but I thought I heard Willie exhale in relief.

"Sure thing. Where are you now? I mean, in the game."

"In Aegan. At the respawn point."

"Okay, so by the western gate. Go into the city, and you'll see a tavern called the Lonely Troll about three hundred meters on your left. It's cheap, not a bad place. And they have rooms you can go into to chat quietly. Let's meet at 7 tonight, Moscow time—I'll come home from work, grab some food, and head there."

I agreed immediately.

"How many times have you respawned?" Willie asked.

"Once."

"That's it? Phew boy! In the beginning, I practically never left—I must have respawned a hundred times. Okay, see you tonight!"

Fat Willie hung up the phone. I did the same and jumped over to the cooktop, where my hot dogs were past ready. The game's the game, but I was hungry.

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