CHAPTER 9: “MEDIATION SESSION”

 

Neither CatastropheKing nor Knockback102 could even see what happened next. Knockback102 was taken aback by the NPC. 

They were completely silent and unresponsive, how were they talking now!?

Knockback102 was a player that had been around for a while. He played the game and on and off and that was why he was only a mid level player. He had never once heard an NPC change their demeanor so significantly. Yes, they had very good AI that would respond accordingly to a player’s input, but it wouldn’t change their original demeanor, personality and backstory. He distinctly remembered the shop NPC saying that the elf who managed the Pymule Inn was mute, they had never spoken a single word to anyone, not to players nor other other elves. 

He looked at the mediator. He had never played as one and rarely ever encountered one since he knew that their class was terrible so no one would be stupid enough to willingly pick one. He, of course, knew that they were able to get more dialogue options but to change an AI’s behavior…

He then noticed the icon under his and CatastropheKing’s names again. There were two icons below each of their names now blinking at him. Slowly, he watched as the icon blinked three times before joining together to create a new icon that seemed to be an icon of a handshake. As he was thinking about what this meant, CatastropheKing was once again laughing condescendingly.

“Okay, now what?” He said with his arms spread. “It’s not like you can make me do what I don’t want.”

The words were like a bad omen. The icon under their names turned a deep red color. Words suddenly popped up in their [Thought System]. 

You have broken an agreement decided under a [Mediation Session]!

You have been inflicted with [Broken Deal] debuff.

 First Warning: Please follow through the agreement!

Knockback102 put a panicked hand to CatastropheKing’s shoulder. CatastropheKing didn’t look as worried as his friend was, instead there was a confused look on his face. It seemed like he wasn’t even paying attention to the [Thought System] and didn’t know that they were being debuffed.

“Look at the debuff.” Knockback102 said, his voice slightly shaking from panic. “The Arena Event is three days, we need to go.”

CatastropheKing was quiet for a moment as he examined his notifications. Then his eyes widened and he gave Ai a deathly glare.

“What the fuck did you do?!”

Knockback102 grabbed his friend’s arm and started pulling him out of the inn. He grew even more panicked as the notification gave him a different warning.

First Warning: Please do not attack the Mediator.

He did not want to find out what a third warning would ensue. Soon, the two warriors were gone from the inn, their hurried steps making pounding noises on the hardwood floor of the inn.

After they left, Ai slid down and crouched on the floor. All that time he was a bundle of nerves. He didn’t even know if that was going to work but it did so splendidly that he almost couldn’t believe it. He looked at his new skill that he just acquired from Avra’s blessing.

 

[Mediation Session]

Both parties agreed on a solution and made a deal with each other based on the Mediator’s help!

Give chosen opposing parties the [Mediation Session] status. 

In [Mediation Session], opposing parties will come to an [Agreement] that has been decided. [Agreement]s that have been decided in a [Mediation Session] must be followed through. Mediators cannot attack, cast skills, or use potions while in a [Mediation Session]

Players who fail or refuse to follow through the [Agreement] will be given the [Broken Deal] debuff. 

[Broken Deal] - Reduce 2 of a player’s highest stats by 20% for 24 hours. Doubles the percentage with every warning.

Attacking the Mediator will reduce HP by 50% every three warnings.

Cooldown: 7 days (168 Hours)

This Skill Cooldown cannot be affected by Cooldown buffs or potions.

Skills can be used in NPCs and Players. 

Use on NPCs affects story elements.

 

It was a long description for a single skill and so specific. The other two skills he earned, [Biased Mediation] and [Intervene] were more direct and general in terms of their use.

 

[Biased Mediation]: You have made a biased judgement and hurt your integrity as a neutral third party!

Consume user HP and deal damage to the target by double the consumed HP amount.

 

[Intervene]: Step between the two opposing parties.

Chance to [freeze] up to two targets  for 15 seconds 

Cooldown: 30 Sec.

 

Ai eyed the [Biased Mediation] skill. He sighed. Finally he managed to earn an offensive skill and yet it would damage him. Would he ever get an offensive skill that he could use normally?

Finally Ai stood from the floor and dusted off his pants. Behind him, Avra had turned back into the stoic elf that they were. Ai waved his goodbye and made the track to finally return to his room. The Golden Suite and its fancy bed were getting more and more appealing to him.

As he left the inn lobby, Avra’s gaze continued to follow him until the petite elf was out of their sight. Slowly, their lips that were usually straight in a blank expression, curved up into a gentle smile. 

 

***

Ai didn’t manage to sleep as well as he wanted, though the bed was indeed very comfortable. His mind was conflicted on what he should do. 

He thought about the avatar change and whether or he should follow through with it. At first he was convinced that a class and race change would be most beneficial for him, but now…

He opened the [Thought System] again and looked at the description for his most confusing skill [Mediation Session]. The skill description got more confusing with each line he read. Ai digested the words carefully. There were some ambiguous lines that he didn’t fully understand such as:

[Broken Deal] - Reduce 2 of a player’s highest stats by 20% for 24 hours. Doubles the percentage with every warning.

What did every warning mean exactly? At what intervals would it give the players a warning? And wasn’t this stat reduction a bit too much? Five warnings and a player’s highest stat would be reduced to 0. Though when he thought about it, he tricked CatastropheKing and Knockback102 to enter the [Mediation Session]. He supposed under different circumstances, the involved parties would have consented to it and knew what they were going into. So maybe it wasn’t that bad? Ai didn’t even know anymore.

He looked at the avatar change option again. It was previously greyed out but now it was alive and taunting him with its presence. If this was yesterday, he would’ve selected that option immediately, no hesitation. Now, he was thinking back to what he did yesterday.

In real life, he had never been someone outstanding in any way shape or form. He had always been normal. He had never been someone who tried hard to reach a certain goal, he was the type of person who went with the flow wherever it took him, and it took him down the path of mediocrity. About what he managed to do yesterday, he admitted that it felt...good.

Extremely good.

He’d always seen those types of characters in certain books, shows or games. A witty character who manages to fool their opponents and win without so much as laying a finger on their enemies. They used their brains to get out of situations. Though Ai dreamed of being someone like that, it was impossible for someone mediocre like him. The mediator class made it happen. 

Ai felt the conflict in him grow. He didn’t want to play a game and make things harder for himself. At the end of the day, this was still just a game. What was the point of playing it if you didn’t have fun or feel good?

Aii closed the avatar change options and got up from the comfortable bed of the Golden Suite. He could change avatars anytime anyway. For now, he would try and do this beginner quest and see what it was all about. Though Eusyca_ said that no one had ever completed the quest above C, Ai couldn’t help but feel excited.

There was this feeling in him that was akin to boldness and hubris. It was that feeling when faced with a difficult challenge that everyone else seemed to fail at. When faced with it, sometimes you felt as if you could be the one who passed that challenge with flying colors. What if you were the one who easily triumphed over this hurdle? Ai could feel that emotion right now. It excited him.

Ai prepared his things to get ready and find Athiel. The elf should be the one he was supposed to talk to to get this quest started. Though Athiel had said that they would call for him, he was starting to feel impatient. He needed to ask when they were going to commence the quest.

As he made his way downstairs, his eyes automatically drifted towards the front desk, looking for Avra.

Much to his surprise, they weren’t there. Instead they were standing right at the foot of the stairs, staring at him once again. Their gaze was full of anticipation as if they were waiting for him to come down.

Ai stopped in his tracks when he glanced at Avra’s face. On the elf’s beautiful face was a wide smile.

 

 

Avra: