New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live



***Constantine Levesque's office, EG Headquarters***

Constantine was watching a live feed from inside the game, as she did every day, to keep herself appraised about events of note.

When she found something interesting, she would have the data logged and used as promotional material. She had already done so with many things ever since the game had come out.

Sometimes it was players discovering a new zone, with amazing vistas, or terrifying monsters. Other times, it was spontaneous events.

They had logged one such event, just the week before, when a dragon went rampant to the west of Sunpeak. That footage was already being edited by many marketing agents, to get it out as soon as possible.

This was in-game footage that could draw new players in like moths to a flame. Who wouldn't want to slay a dragon, after all?

And now Constantine was getting even more excited. A guild, led by one of the top players, had declared war upon all others, and the sheer amount of PVP going on was on a scale that she hadn't expected.

Instead of pinning the data and emailing her server managers, she directly called the director of marketing.

The ringtone resounded once before a screechy male voice answered the call.

"Yes, chairwoman? What Can I do for you today?"

"I know it's late, Vincent, so I will make this quick. There is a guild war happening right now in New Eden, and the scales are becoming bigger than larger than expected."

"Ahh, yes. Someone already appraised me of it."

"Good. I want you to broadcast on every platform you can as soon as possible. I want this to be live until it ends. Make sure you get the most combat action as you can."

"I thought you might ask this. I have already reached out to many net news platforms. Many of these have given us green light to use their platform for streaming. I just needed your authorization."

"Ahh, very good. This is why you have this job, Vincent. Get in touch with the geek squad. I want as much screen time as we can on this. Hire streamers that play the game if you need."

"I will get right on it, Ma'am. Anything else you need my services for?"

"One last thing. How is the progress on the other promotional material?"

"We are on the last rendition for the video, Ma'am. It will be ready when we pause the servers for the update."

"Good. That is all, then. Keep up your good work, Vincent."

"Thank you, Ma'am."

After hanging up on that call, Constantine looked back to her screen. She didn't like that the players had resolved to mass PVP to level up, since that was never the point of New Eden, but stronger players were still a good thing.

'Azamus is also a much easier person to control, too. I would prefer him, rather than Khalor,' Constantine thought.

Her screen shuffled between the many players she had marked ever since the game began. There were many of them, most of which she had marked during the tournament, a little while back.

But some other players were more recent additions. She could tell New Eden had reached a more diverse player base, as some players now joining were not youngsters or standard players.

She was seeing more and more tradecraft players, or merchants. She even occasionally found some martial arts teachers.

That last category surprised her the most. Martial arts teachers usually cared more about their training, body, and students than about playing video games.

But she was fine with it. She needed to get as many players as she could.

That had always been her aim. It didn't matter what circle of work they came from.

'It's going faster than I had expected. But this should still be within my worst-case scenario parameters.'

***Back inside New Eden***

Astaroth and his group had reached the guild administration building. They were currently standing in line for a desk.

The number of players swarming the place was insane. It was like standing in the middle of a swarm of bees on alert.

The situation easily explained the frenzy, but it was still annoying for Astaroth. Players kept bumping into him and his friends, and he could see it made the two younger ones uncomfortable.

A fight even broke out between two groups of players, as they argued about who was there first. Astaroth was about to lose his shit when a squad of guards in heavy armour entered the building.

The guards made quick work of the defendants, arresting them and taking them away. Some players that had been pushed and tossed from the altercation were cheering for the guards.

It soon came Astaroth's turn. Some dimwit tried squeezing himself in front of him, with a larger group following behind him.

"Thanks for keeping my spot, man!" the player exclaimed.

But before he could even turn himself to the counter, he caught fire. Phoenix contained the blaze to him, but the flames' heat was washing off all the nearby players.

The player turned to ashes in an instant, disappearing from his spot. Phoenix lowered her extended hand, her face like stone.

Before the players part of the burned man's group could even react, the squad of heavy guards entered the building again. The players in the other group smiled smugly, expecting the guards to arrest the woman that had burned their friend.

They were rapidly disillusioned when they noticed the guards walking towards them. Everyone heard the protests as the ten players were bundled up and brought away.

The young man at the counter bowed before Astaroth.

"I am terribly sorry for the wait, Sir Knight. And I also apologize for your friend having to dirty her hands. I will make sure we properly compensate you for the trouble."

"No need. I don't mind waiting and I doubt her actions bothered my friend."

Phoenix grinned at his statement, sending shivers down the man's spine.

"Very well then. In that case, I will make sure my service is enough compensation. What can I do for you today?"

"I am here to form a guild. But I would like to do this in a more… quiet environment, if possible."

"Of course, Sir Knight. Please follow me this way, to some private chambers."

While they were taken away, a tall woman looked at the small group from atop a balcony, with the eyes of a falcon. The woman walked away from the balcony, smiling to herself.

'An interesting guild is about to be born. I wonder how they will benefit the kingdom and the world.'

The woman disappeared into an office; the door shutting behind her.