Sleeping Player (Project Chrysalis Book 3) by John Gold (novel24 TXT) 📕

hello… Can you hear me?” LJ smiled. “I want to say hi to my mom, my dad, my little sister Rosie. Oh, wait a second! They died in very mysterious circumstances.” The grin was wiped off Kirk’s face.

LJ, to the contrary, was glowing with happiness.

“Let’s get down to brass tacks, my dear viewers. As you can see, there’s a prison behind me, and, as far as I know, Femida is inside. Yes, yes, the very same Femida who took part in the battle for Airis Castle.”

Kirk’s heart betrayed him, skipping a beat. He started blinking, unwilling to admit the truth. LJ just smiled evilly.

“But forget her! I want to say hi to some of my old friends. To Bernard, who taught me magic back when I could still stand up under the kitchen table. To Rachel, who was with me when times got tough. To Nate, who’s always around in sticky situations. And, of course, hey, Leon…” LJ was collected and furious. He shook from the anticipation. “I remember my promise, young god.”

Kirk opened his mouth to yell, but a dull whimper was all that came out. Tears welled up in his eyes.

“You’re a murderer…”

LJ looked at the camera.

“Oh, right, how thoughtless of me. I forgot to introduce myself.” The air buzzed. “My name is Sagie…”

Human, Sagie, Level 913

“And I’m back!”

Kirk’s vision faded.

You died and will respawn in 8 hours and 13 minutes…

***

The Alcatraz network of private prisons, which included more than forty locations throughout the entire solar system, had built its own correctional facility in Project Chrysalis. Alcatraz 48, or Valhalla, as the locals referred to it, was the first to be built in a virtual game.

A small island in the middle of a lava lake was turned into a bastion of justice. It housed a dorm, barracks, a small foundry, and warehouses, all around an enormous mine in the center of the island. The people living on the island could work autonomously for half a year without worrying about a thing. Nobody could attack; Valhalla was the most well-defended prison in the world.

Cities and countries paid Alcatraz to house prisoners, while the company did its best to squeeze maximum profit out of them. Valhalla was different from other institutions in that there were far higher requirements for those serving time there than elsewhere. To survive in these conditions, they needed either unusually high resistance to fire and advanced strength and stamina or well-developed skills for working with ore and metals. Sentences were shortened due to the extreme conditions and for doing good work.

Valhalla was built on an island in the middle of a lake of running lava at a depth of two kilometers. After deposits of mithril were found, players sold the information to Alcatraz. The prison was then built on top of the deposits.

Two magic domes covered the island, not letting anyone come or go. The external dome, which was segmented and porous, blocked the constant thermal damage and protected from monsters. The inner dome made sure nobody could leave and was always on. Inside, an antiportal field was kept active, disturbing the upper layers in the astral. The only way to get into the prison was via the portal in the administrative building.

Femida had arrived five years before as the only prisoner with an invitation. Alcatraz had offered her the best room and board, not to mention a chance at early release. Her sentence was for twelve years. It had been handed down in response to charges of 286 murderers of locals, attacking caravans, kidnapping, contract killings, and an attempt made on the life of Leon as well as aiding and abetting Bloody Sagie. Nobody at the court cared to listen to her protests that she’d had nothing to do with any of it. Her claim that she was on another continent, as well as the statements of six partners, did nothing for her. The judge handed down twelve years in a maximum-security prison. And that was when Alcatraz showed up with their offer.

After her day in court, a man wearing a suit showed up in her cell. He had blue eyes, short, red hair, and glasses. Hizan looked like a model, and his fashion sense was superb. He was gallant, charming, incredibly smart, and absolutely bewitching. Femida had just turned twenty; he was around thirty. But for her, it was love at first sight. Everything he said touched her, his smile bewitched her, and she could have listened to his ideas and suggestions forever. The senior supervisor for Alkatraz prisons, Hisan Redish, made her an offer any prisoner would dream of getting.

“Six years instead of twelve, plus monthly pay. All we need from you is for you not to delete your character and make sure you’re in the game at least eight hours a day. You’ll have the best situation we can provide. Walks, lax standards, and your own personal guard.”

“What’s the point of that? I’ll still be a prisoner for a whole six years. It would be simpler to just delete my character and start over.”

“That isn’t the best idea, Femida. If it were that simple, Project Chrysalis would be full of maniacs and sadists who just kill locals and then delete their accounts. Lunar doesn’t say anything, of course, but I hope you get my drift?”

Femida nodded.

“So, they’ll make life miserable for me?”

“Thugs, accidents, everyone out to get you, and lots of other ‘random’ things happening to spoil your life. Project Chrysalis keeps track of individuals, and you can’t fool it by just trading in your name. My offer guarantees you a monthly salary and, judging by your age, plenty of fun growing up.”

“What’s in it for you?”

“Your name is Project Chrysalis’ best marketing tool, though nobody gets that yet.”

Femida ended up agreeing and was sent to Valhalla. Hisan showed up once a month,