'That was too close!' Colt gasped for air as the fluid in his pod drained away. As the lid opened up, he climbed out and moved around a bit to get his body used to real life again. His legs felt like they were made of jelly as they wobbled with every step that he took. 'Someone's already made it to Level 5...' Colt frowned as he headed for the shower.
He was not egotistical enough to believe that he was the highest level player in the game. He was sure that others had to be ahead of him. However, he did not think that they could already be an entire level away! 'The gap will probably only get wider...' Colt sighed as the hot water washed away the residue left behind by his gaming pod.
His mind wandered to thinking about the announcements before the servers shut down. He was eager to see what the developers had to say about the game. He was sure that they would cover important topics that had plagued his thoughts. He threw on a pair of shorts and a grey hoodie before making some toast and scrambled eggs to wolf down while he waited for the appointed time. When he was finished, he dropped the dishes in the sink and prepared a hot cup of coffee to enjoy while sitting at the computer.
He navigated the developer's main page before he found the Livestream link. When he clicked on it, comments flooded the chat as everyone was speculating on various topics while waiting for the announcement. There were plenty of comments from people who had heard about the new game but were not invited to the closed beta. They were trying to pump those who had taken part for information but they were shot down when it was revealed that they had all signed NDA's (Non-Disclosure Agreements).
'Once they open the game, I can finally sell the information I've gathered...' Colt heaved a sigh of relief. Opening the game to the public would make his NDA obsolete due to the clause in it that stated he could not disclose anything until the game hit general release. Since he was ahead of most players, his information would still be valuable. But he would have to maintain his lead to keep up this way of making money.
The chat suddenly went quiet as the small screen on the page flickered to life. Colt's eyes narrowed as he recognised the middle-aged man on the screen as the lead developer behind Mayhem. 'Well, that explains why a few things were similar...'
"Welcome! I'm David Warsaw, the lead developer of Pantheon online." The man let out a soft smile as he paused. "I'll keep this announcement short as an official trailer, and an announcement will be sent to various news outlets soon. So the entire world will learn of this pretty quickly."
Colt frowned as he listened to David go over a few technical things which most people were uninterested in. It took him ten minutes until he reached the part that really affected the gamers like Colt.
"First off... Pantheon Online will be a completely free to play game. Anyone can join but I'm sure at least a few among you watching this have learned of the limitations." David let out a little smile as he stared into his camera.
The chat was suddenly flooded with messages!
[What limitations?]
[Anyone know what he's talking about?]
[If anyone knows they would be stupid to answer your question!]
Colt smiled as he read these messages. He already knew what David was hinting at. If these new players were not fast, they would be stuck as wandering deities for the entire game!
"Now, as for how the game will earn money..." David started, as Colt's ears perked up. "Every player will have to agree to their experience being filmed and streamed online if they want to continue playing. The company will set up unique streams for each player within our own streaming channel for the public to watch you or your group. But don't worry! Your day of gaming will not be broadcast until the next day."
"You can set up an individual channel or a 'Pantheon' channel. Our editors on this end will cut the footage to turn your experience into something of a television show. If sponsors contact us to support you, we'll take a 10% cut and add their products into commercials that will show on your channel. Many of you should have realised by now that this game will not last forever. There will be Pantheon and solo tournaments that will have no adverse effect on you if you die to establish world rankings. Which is basically free advertising for your channels and you'll also earn prizes from us."
"This is a battle royale! There can only be one solo player or Pantheon who will win. Trust me when I say that the end victor's prize will be worth it!" A new smile crept across David's face that almost touched his eyes, figuratively of course. "Oh, and I hope none of you made any real enemies so far. Those who have been banned from the game up until now will be allowed to restart, so start watching your backs out there."
Colt felt his stomach lurch when he heard that. He understood the developer's intention on how to make money and it was a solid plan. It was almost like this old show where several main characters fought to take control of a kingdom. Except the viewers would be able to watch any character that they wanted for the entire show!
'So that PK'er in Eraldsfen will come back.' Colt shook his head. He was unaware that Donna had also been banned. He had to admit that the developer's plan for the game sounded exciting. There was nothing more enticing than knowing that something would definitely reach a conclusion. Half of the excitement of starting something new, whether it was a book or a show, was finding out how it would all end.
"Now that I've said all of that, there's just one more thing. Here's a link to the current top 100 players in the game. Have a good game guys." David winked before cutting off the stream.
Comments still flooded the chat as Colt clicked the link that had appeared. The chart started from rank 100 and worked its way down to the number 1. At rank 86 he found his name, Exile. With his level off to the side. He frantically scanned the list to see if he recognised anyone else. However, his blood froze and his knuckles turned white as he gripped the edge of his desk the further he went.
'Camelot's entire team is on here...' His eyes narrowed as he glanced at the top 20.
Rank 7: Morgana Level 4
Rank 4: Mordread Level 4
Rank 3: Merlin Level 4
Rank 2: Arthur Level 4
*Morgana is Camelot's new Vice-Captain
*Mordread is Robert Hall, the man who replaced Colt as Camelot's team Captain.
*Merlin and Arthur were the first Captain and Vice-Captain of Camelot who had retired.