Empire State Building, Manhattan, New York - 8:00 AM

  The crowd cheered as the smoke cleared, showing the administrator in all her glory. Baltastasia’s skin was apple green, and her frilly, complicated Gothic Lolita dress made her look like she had just come from some kind of Japanese idol show. The administrator’s form was petite, a few inches shorter than even Kayla, and slender. Her hair looked like it was made from starlight and was worn in a long, thick braid that she held in one hand, swinging it around in a circle. She held a cordless microphone in the other.

  “New York City, let me hear you roar!” she yelled, gesturing for the crowd to get even louder. She twirled and ate up the attention given her, though I could tell that not everyone was into it.

  The secret was that they had all received a quest, and for a measly 500 points all they had to do was act excited for the Patrons. It was such an easy task that the streets were littered with people looking to make a quick buck, as it were.

  Bringing the microphone up to her face, Baltastasia’s voice echoed throughout New York City at a reasonable volume. From where I was standing, it sounded like she was right next to me.

  “That’s what I like to hear!” she exclaimed, continuing to twirl her braid. Baltastasia turned to look at us, and some of the Zodiac avatars had to stop themselves from flinching.

  During this run, the only administrators I had seen in person were Benedict Merder and Frastina in Atlanta, and Klastrus in Pittsburgh. The ones I had interacted with had been 8 foot tall giants with blue skin and white hair, and the latter was a hunched over old man with red eyes and yellow pupils. However, the point was that that had some semblance of normalcy. Strangeness aside, they were at least human-like.

  No matter which direction you looked at Baltastasia’s face from, you couldn’t fully see it. It seemed like her bangs got in the way, or her hand was blocking it, or a hundred other issues. From afar, you got the vague sense that she was a beautiful young woman who could do no wrong, which was exactly how she wanted you to feel. Up close, though, you couldn’t tell what she was.

  There was a certain wrongness about her.

  Still, the avatars were quick to return to appearing stoic, waving to the crowd, acting aloof, or whatever it was they preferred doing. Their Patrons should have warned them about Baltastasia’s face ahead of time, but it was different from seeing it in person.

  There was no way to tell what she thought of the avatars’ reactions, but she turned back to the crowd in high spirits. “Alright, all, settle down now,” she said into the microphone, bringing her hand down. The noise fell with it until not even the wind was audible.

  “Now I know you all know what’s up, what we’re here for, and what we want,” Baltastasia continued as she strutted across the stage. Some people in the crowd shouted, but their voices went unheard. “For the first few scenarios, life was hard. I get it. The calamity I inherited from my predecessor was confusing, and not everyone in charge of a tutorial zone was as helpful as I. That is something that I’ve taken full responsibility for, and have apologized over a thousand times for…”

  I rolled my eyes as Baltastasia continued talking about herself, glad that no one could see my face through my mask. There was nothing more that I wanted to do in the world than stab her.

  Being this close to an administrator made me wish that there was an easy way to kill them and be done with it. Unfortunately, due to their connection to the system, no player could actually harm any of them.

  People had tried many times before. Whether out of anger, grief, rage, or even because it was their only logical choice, sometimes they just can’t help themselves. It always ended the same way, with the attacker’s death and nothing to show for it.

  <<<>>>

  [[Patron Message]]

  The way she’s spinning everything bad that’s happened to the people as something she’s personally saving them from is disgusting. I don’t know how you can stand there and be calm; I haven’t been able to stop scowling since she started talking.

  I can’t believe I ever thought this kind of thing was okay just because the system allowed it. It’s been something I’ve been thinking about since our confessions to the guild, and you definitely had every right to be angry at me back then. I know that’s something we’ve talked about before, but I wanted to say it again.

  <<<>>>

  Giving Sara an almost imperceptible nod, I swiped away her message and diverted my focus to the other avatars on stage. The people standing there were very different from the ones the Zodiacs had first chosen. Their very first choices had been those who fit their astrology personality profile so strongly that they were basically caricatures.

  They hadn’t been able to keep up with the curve, sadly enough, which made the Patrons change strategies to choose powerful people who were born in the month they governed. The avatars now were the cream of the crop for New York City, coming from all walks of life and sometimes even clashing with their sponsors when they didn’t agree with something.

  When it came down to it, having the perfect avatar meant nothing if they didn’t get their Patron enough points to make it worth their while. There were exceptions to this rule depending on the role the sponsors had taken on, but most who sponsored people who were ideal rather than strong were quick to change their minds.

  Each of the individuals I was looking at now were about as strong as Jamie or Jeff would have been without my intervention. MVPs in their own right, but not having the proper support or guidance to go above and beyond. All except for one, anyway.

  Ross Haverstein, the one who inherited the class Magical Girl Star against his will, had skills and abilities that gave him a huge step up from the other competitors. That was the biggest reason why he was climbing the Emperor’s Ascent alone as the Interloper. He was the main reason that the others had to try even harder. How could they possibly be shown up by one man, after all?

  I felt something tap my shoulder, and I glanced over at Baltastasia swinging her braid while giving me, I assume, the side eye. She wasn’t close enough for it to hit me, but that didn’t matter.

  “Now, we already know who all these other people are,” she said, gesturing towards the other 13 people standing on stage with us. “Who could forget Bishop Riggens, the Saint Commandant leading the church in the fight against the sewer sludge monsters. Or Max Brewington, the Investment Entrepreneur whose ability to invest points in people allowed so many to survive the Wall Street Massacre.”

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  The crowd cheered loudly for these two as Baltastasia headed my way. She stopped in front of me before putting her arms out towards Ross. “And, of course, the crowd favorite, Magical Girl Star himself!”

  That pulled far more enthusiasm than anything else had so far. Ross was one of the few “superheroes” in New York City whether he liked it or not. The Orc schooled his expression and raised his hand, waving to his fans and supporters. It didn’t matter that he was basically crossdressing, he had earned the community’s respect several times over. Anyone who had anything to say about him didn’t know what they were talking about.

  “But some of you may have noticed a new contender gracing my stage,” Baltastasia said as she stood in front of me, putting her hands on her hips. Even though she wasn’t speaking into the microphone, her voice was just as loud. “What we have here is a little troublemaker.”

  Ross arched an eyebrow, and I shrugged dramatically. I mean, being a troublemaker wasn’t something I could honestly deny.

  “The Warmonger,” she announced, prompting a murmur of confusion from the crowd. “Hailing from a little city in nowhere Florida, this player made a huge splash as the solo winner of Atlanta’s Chaos Cup, going so far as to become a temporary Raid Boss against the other fifteen teams in the competition before destroying the scenario boss in one on one combat.”

  Taking a few steps away from me, she resumed twirling her hair as she looked out on the crowd. “From there, his team of ragtag misfits made their way to Pittsburgh, where the administrator stole away all of the buildings in the city to build a gigantic dungeon under the surface. They were the first guild in the world, known as Sol Ligatus.”

  Baltastasia turned around and dropped her braid. It hit the stage with a surprisingly loud thud as she pointed at me. “And since then he’s been busy! Cleveland, Fort Worth, the Mall of America, Los Alamos, Hanford, Sedona, the Winchester Mystery House, Abraham Lincoln’s very own home, San Francisco, and! And! As if that’s not enough, he and a member of his guild beat off not just one monster, but two that were dropped specifically to kill him. All while saving the United States from being invaded by mythical Atlantis. How does that sound, Warmonger?”

  I waved and nodded as I was introduced, and then waited patiently as she kept going. When she started listing places out rapidfire, I became confused. I may have been to Los Alamos, but it was out of place on the timeline. She was also wrong about Fort Worth, the Winchester Mystery House, or San Francisco. My confusion didn’t last long, though.

  The administrator’s mix up only made sense if Aaron had given his champion the Administrator Black-out, too, which made sense. Baltastasia must have thought that his work was my own, and had just given me the path his avatar had taken. This was something I’d have to dive into with Sara later.

  “I think you’ve got the general gist of it, Baltastasia,” I answered when she put the microphone in front of my face, keeping my voice upbeat and chipper. “Certainly, I’ve traveled more than the average American at this point. What can I say? I think I speak for a lot of people when I say that I like trains.”

  “I’d say. You like them so much that you bought your own!” she said with a nod.

  “Sure did, and now it’s our wandering guildhall. So long as there’s tracks, we can go there,” I continued. “Life’s a lot freer that way, though of course we had to put New York City on the list. We’re all very happy to be here, even if some of my crew will likely complain about it. From what I understand, all of you will be seeing a lot of us.”

  “Oh, absolutely,” Baltastasia confirmed. “In fact, every television up to twenty miles outside of the city will be able to tune in to any of the fourteen channels we have focusing on these teams, and almost a dozen in the communal areas we’re set to provide. It doesn’t matter if the TV’s in a safe zone, out and about, or even completely unplugged; just turn it on and you can watch your champions participate in the Emperor’s Ascent.”

  “I, for one, can’t wait,” I told her, being 100% honest.

  “And no one can blame you there, Warmonger. Is there anything you’d like to say to the crowd before everything kicks off right? Maybe a more proper introduction than what I could do? I doubt the stories I’ve heard do you justice.”

  Baltastasia put the microphone back in my face and I could tell she was fishing for information. I could give out some, but not to her. Taking the microphone, I looked out over the crowd.

  “For those of you who might feel tense at me being called the Warmonger, you might be at ease knowing that’s the only name the administrators know me by,” I said. “My real name is Anthony Franklin, and I’m what the administration calls a Glitch, something that is so rare that I might be the only one in the system. From what I understand, they can’t see me unless we’re physically in the same place. Specific information about me is redacted by the system, and many of them are completely pissed about not having complete control. Makes me glad that Baltastasia here was so welcoming to have me aboard.”

  “Absolutely. When I heard a Glitch wanted to join the Emperor’s Ascent, I could only think of what great entertainment it would be for everyone,” the administrator said, though I could tell there was some strain in her voice.

  “Fantastic,” I replied, matching her tone. “So now I’m looking forward to winning this whole thing with my guild. Keep an eye on us, everyone. Mark my words, you’re going to see some amazing things.”

  “Such confidence! Truly, this is a man who is at the apex of the player base and knows it,” Baltastasia announced before tilting her head towards me. “Perhaps because you know what to expect already?”

  I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. “Well, I am a psychic, after all,” I said, Lifting the microphone out of my hand. I hazarded a glance at Tanvi, winking at her from behind my mask, and she frowned. “But, as for if my knowledge goes deeper than that, well, I can’t give up all my secrets right out of the gate, could I? After all, what would we have to talk about later? We wouldn’t want any of the glorious Patrons watching the Emperor’s Ascent to get bored by getting all the information right out of the gate.”

  The administrator paused for a moment before she cackled in amusement. “Oh, well played,” she whispered, and I could tell that only I heard it. Baltastasia held her hand out for the microphone, and I gently Pushed it to her. When she spoke again, she was addressing the crowd. “Well, there you have it! The only out of towner in the Emperor’s Ascent. We’re expecting big things from the Warmonger, so keep your eye on him!

  “And now, our champions prepare for the mountain ahead!” She moved back to the front of the stage just as a text box appeared. “Good luck, each and every one of you, and godspeed to the top! While they head to the staging area, let me remind the rest of you what to expect from the Emperor’s Ascent.”

  <<<>>>

  [[Emperor’s Ascent Quest 1 Complete]]

  Congratulations, you followed instructions. Your people are where they need to be, on time, and you managed to do the same. These were just free points, so enjoy them.

  Reward: 100 points.

  [[Emperor’s Ascent Quest 2]]

  Don’t get your hopes up, this is more of the same. Follow the arrows to your team’s location and prepare for everything to start. Be there by 8:30 AM sharp. If you’re late, then it’s your own fault for giving everyone else a head start.

  Objective: Head to your designated areas, arrive before 8:30 AM, and wait there for the next quest.

  Reward: 100 points.

  <<<>>>

  The quick dismissal had some people lurching, but a few of us were prepared for it. Green arrows appeared in our vision, taking us backstage and into the Empire State Building itself.

  It was almost time for the games to begin.