Chapter 586: The things we tell ourselves

Mason gathered his players in a side section of the goblin king’s hall. He invited Chinua and a few of his officers, but didn’t honestly expect the rebels to help. He was still glad he’d come and saved them. Even though it cost some lives. They’d be needed when the doom came.

The mood was intense. Serious. They’d lost their first player now, and were about to do something a little crazy. They knew the easterners had literally thousands of players. They couldn’t possibly just beat them in a straight fight. But maybe with enough time and space and some help with their elite people—Mason actually could.

He was hoping he didn’t have to. That Jeong would be forced into a kind of duel. And once the emperor was dead or defeated, everyone else would fall into line. It was the ‘best case’ scenario.

But Mason wasn’t so naïve to think it would all just work out.

“I was having second thoughts about this a few days ago,” he said honestly. His players didn’t make a sound, and he sighed and paced between their tables, meeting a few eyes. “I figured…we had an ocean in between us. The Nexus. Our trees. Maybe we just do our own thing. Maybe the easterners help us kill demons because it’s in their interest.”

He saw a few eyes hoping he’d say ‘so that’s what we’ll do’. Or maybe that he’d ask their opinion. But he was past that now.

“Their attack made it pretty clear we can’t be safe. And they’re

working

with abyssals. That’s about as crazy a fucking thing I’ve seen in this world. And I’m not waiting around until they try it again.”

Most eyes agreed with him. A few players nodded or knocked on the table. Carl rubbed his scalp and cleared his throat.

“Still thinking we just…walk up? Maybe we can, uh, sneak in? Get the bastard alone.”

Mason sincerely doubted it. A man like Jeong would have a hundred tricks, security, protection. They didn’t know anything about that city. Likely they’d set off alarms and get lost and ambushed.

“It’s not a murder,” he said. “It’s a regicide. His only authority is his personal power. If he loses to me, it’s over.”

“Which is why he’ll never fight you,” Phuong said. “He’ll send every last player to their death before he risks it.”

They’d discussed this before. Mason had the same opinion—he didn’t believe Jeong’s people would fight for him long. Not when they started getting slaughtered. If he was really lucky they wouldn’t fight at all—that when the ‘wolf of the west’ arrived and challenged Jeong, the whole city would sort of freeze and wait to see who won before it did anything.

Of course, he’d never been particularly lucky.

“We have to see what happens,” he said. “You could be right. And if you are, I’ll kill a lot of players, and hope they keep away from us. If they don’t stop, we’ll consider our options. But I think if we wait things only get worse.”

Phuong frowned, and Mason decided to add another thing he’d been considering. Though it was likely hoping for too much.

“There’s also a chance I can challenge for possession of the city, or maybe his house,” he said, getting at least a thoughtful face from his Minister of War. “There’s gotta be a way to take out a house leader. This game is all about personal power. Duels. That was the whole point of the neutral zone, right? To find out who was strongest.” He shook his head and shrugged before saying the rest.

“I don’t believe it gave the east all those numbers just to overwhelm us. It’s not…how it thinks. It thinks about…scale. Tiers. Showing us how different the top is from the rest.”

He thought about the system as he spoke, how it worked—that it was a ‘multitude’, but seemed to have a kind of individual in charge, or a leader robot. Was this part of what it was saying? Or trying to say?

Phuong looked more convinced, which gave Mason some comfort. But he knew the man would follow him anyway. No one else bothered to add anything. Mason watched them and had no idea how to say the other thing he maybe needed to say.

Did he pass on the information Blake had given him from inside the city? The fact that Jeong had people they cared about—friends and family from earth?

“Jeong might use hostages,” he said quietly, still warring with himself. A few eyebrows raised, but he didn’t think they understood. “He may tell us to go away or he’ll start killing people.”

“Like we give two shites,” said Seamus with a shrug, looking around. “No offence, boss. I’m sure they’re nice and all. But they’re not ours, are they? Probly good if he does. It’ll rile up the others.”

They might be ours

, he thought, still not sure he should tell them. He didn’t plan to stop no matter what. Not even if it was the family or friends of some of his girls. He couldn’t let that stop him. Couldn’t let a personal attachment or desire cause the deaths of countless others, and maybe the destruction of the human race.

Because they had to unite, or die. He had absolutely no doubt. They didn’t have time for protracted war and infighting, lasting months and maybe years. They had to make peace and spend however much time they had growing in strength to stop the doom. And in doing so, hopefully win the game.

After that, they could have soft things. Rules. Morality. Attachments. And maybe new lives.

“There’s not much else to say,” he finished, making his decision. He looked at Chinua. “I don’t like grand speeches. We leave in an hour. You can come with us, or stay here.”

The African soldier stared with his statue-like expression, no indication of anything. Mason’s people were all watching with mixed emotions, ranging from curiosity to contempt. A few obviously expected loyalty. Mason had saved their lives, after all.

But he was glad he’d done it and didn’t expect anything. Every player was needed for the end of the game. Or what Mason

hoped

was the end. They were needed to protect humanity. Not for some wasteful, stupid, political mess.

“We owe them,” said one of Chinua’s officers—maybe Middle Eastern—with a shrug. He glanced at the others like this was all a waste of his time and words. “What? You want to ask for volunteers? They’ll all go.”

Chinua’s shoulders slumped, his stone face cracking. He glanced at Mason and sighed.

“We’ll come with you.”

“Glad to hear it.” Mason grinned and clapped the man on the arm, then walked off, calling over his shoulder. “Meet here in an hour.”

He decided to say goodbye to his goblin ally, and at least explain the danger. After the customary greetings and politeness, he winced and came to it.

“Our enemies know you’re here. I don’t expect them to do anything about it. Not for awhile. But we might be running back here to the teleporters. It could get ugly.”

“We aren’t warriors.” Blizzix shifted uncomfortably on his chair. But he looked like he had a little more steel in his spine than usual. “We set traps. Many traps, yes? Engineers work with tribes now. We make attacking harder next time.”

“Good idea.” Mason grinned, about to say his farewells when Lodie and a group of her kin came out of a side room. They were all dressed and goggled up, carrying bags and holding scooters. He wasn’t sure what he was looking at.

“We come with you,” Lodie said, sweeping a hand at her brothers and cousins with obvious pride. “Humans saved Heart. Big lord Mason is mate and lord and family. We help.”

He was honored, in a weird kind of way. But he looked over the engineers and wasn’t so sure they

would

help. What the hell were these things gonna do against an army of players?

“I’m…not sure that’s a good idea,” he said. “These are dangerous humans, Lodie. And there’s a lot of them. We could have to fall back. Run. Who knows what.”

Lodie frowned as if confused.

“Goblins are very good at running away. No problem.”

The other engineers all nodded and smiled in encouragement. Some of the plump bastards were looking tired just from holding up their packs.

“Oh! And some of mountain tribes come, too!” Lodie beamed. “Many scouts and good traps. Proud to follow King Mason into battle. At back. Way at back.”

He had no idea what to say. And he supposed goblins

were

very good at running. It wouldn’t hurt to have a few more bodies standing around with his people. From a distance, it might look like they had more numbers.

“Alright,” he said, giving them a smile. “Just be ready to run, alright? To get away if I say so. And I’m hoping no one has to fight but me.”

Lodie nodded, though she and the others looked confused again. They turned and whispered before all making a sound like ‘ahhh’ in understanding. Lodie turned back to Mason with that ‘explaining something to a child’ look again.

“Goblins always ready to run, big lord. And always hope not to fight. But we still make big bombs. Just in case.”

The goblins all smiled and nodded, and Mason chuckled as he shook his head. There wasn’t much arguing with that. He accepted the goblin help, including some warriors from the king. Then he helped everyone gather their supplies and crafter items and group up in the hall.

When his ‘army’ was ready, he paced before them with his full armor summoned, doing a final sweep with his eyes. They looked ready. At least as ready as they could be doing something like this.

With a final grin, he led them down the mountain tunnels without a word. He was worried for them, and for mankind in general. But he couldn’t fight the excitement growing in his chest.

It was getting harder and harder to find a real challenge. But down the tunnel, and a short day’s travel across some hills, sat a whole army of players. And a trumped up little emperor with delusions of grandeur.

The predator piece of Mason’s mind and body was smacking its lips, hungry for the meal. Cerebus was both devil and angel, sitting on both shoulders, nodding.

It was time for everyone to learn that real life wasn’t a game in the Neutral Zone. That the dead wouldn’t come back. Injuries wouldn’t get healed. And this time no synthetic god was going to call time out.

One way or another, the east was going to abandon Jeong and his madness. Mason just hoped he didn’t have to kill half of them first. Or so he told himself.