Zoey.

  As the door closed, so too did it shut out the entirety of the din they left behind. The humble chamber, filled naught but with little more than a few wooden seats and a wooden table, felt positively quaint and far too rexing when contrasted to what y just outside the door.

  Yet, this room was meant to be a ‘private sanctuary,’ thus, no noise from the outside world interfered, even though there was a visible and open window that, likewise, let in a unfiltered and bright sunny afternoon, along with the sweet breeze and clean air.

  Game mechanics...

  Just one of many small reminders that this was, in point of fact, not real life.

  In the background, the soft melody of harp and organ offered a familiar ambience that the greater abbey would otherwise provide the moment you entered its sphere of influence. The room, in its utterly unchanged and unapologetically normal state, existing as it always had. Spartan, clean, and filled with a kind of thematic reverence that bordered on the ostentatious, compartively, of course.

  “Come, take a seat with me,” Nelson commanded, waving his hand to produce a decanter of wine and two cups, both of which he began pouring, as though there wasn't a small army of pyers right outside the door, some screaming in agony, other's for their mothers.

  Zoe, naturally, took the gss and joined the older man, knowing, in some regard, what this was about. Given how close the looming deadline to the expansion was—Nelson likely had been wanting this conversation for some time.

  “As I am sure you are aware,” He began smoothly, “The Church will be extending its operations to this—new 'nd' that will be part of the games expansion. Even though the ugh—the character models, from what I’ve seen, aren't the most savory things in the world, the church leadership is rather pragmatic about its work within the virtual.

  "And, following the spirit of the agreement between the Trinity and the folks that run the game, our organization and its function will, with the release, take on a very simir role for this—new mhm… factional experiment…”

  Zoey smiled, nodding along with reasonable excitement and just a small degree of happy little jitters.

  She’d been looking forward to starting over again, more for the fresh breath of air it would give her than anything else. The game had been getting a little stale.

  However, where many might reroll their characters, or, after a particurly bad run of luck, simply start over, due to her responsibilities, Zoey had been ‘locked in’ as a healer with the Church since she was fifteen.

  It was fun, and she still got to py the game; it was just that she was sort of prevented from doing anything other than healing, at least when it came to combat.

  Still, healing paid quite well if you were good at it, and since time immemorial, the distribution of pyers who wanted to heal or tank against those who wanted to hit things hard or blow them up with magic was about as vast as the ocean.

  That was where the Church had found its foothold.

  ‘Selling’ one's services as a healer or tank had, upon a time, been frowned upon. But as the disparity grew rger, some enterprising individuals had found themselves able to make a tidy profit, transferring their in-game gold into real-life currency they could live on.

  That was, until, the Trinity church had 'discovered' a new market to break into.

  Now, they had developer-backed roots within many of the Republic's most popur games, but none so nearly as profitable as Brutal Fantasy, wherein, they held the exclusive rights to ‘sell’ those who pyed the game, the services of their ‘healers for hire.’

  For a reasonable fee, assuming everyone in a party or raid pitched in, they could ‘rent’ a healer for whatever it was they needed if they couldn't find one themselves.

  And while many of the rger communities or ‘guilds’ had pyers perfectly willing to fill the role, more and more people had decided that it was far easier simply bite the proverbial bullet, and give the Church its due than to 'force' one of their friends into a role they really didn't feel like pying.

  As Brutal Fantasy only allowed each pyer to have a single pyer character, few were those who were willing to invest so much time into a css like ‘healer’. In fact, it was so bad at this point that most people simply accepted the situation for what it was, typically with a disinterested shrug.

  Thematically, many argued that it even fit.

  Between the Order of the Light in which Zoe belonged, and the Order of the Shield in which the Church recruited padins and warriors willing to ‘tank’ for a profit, the Church was making money hand over fist.

  Thus, it really was no surprise that they’d do what they could to ensure that their monopoly of such things would extend to the new faction that was one of the core features of this newest phase of the game.

  While pyer versus pyer combat had always had a fairly rge role, the introduction of a secondary, pyer-run, hostile and competing faction had breathed a new wave of ‘hype’ and interest into an already booming community.

  What did any of that have to do with Zoey?

  Well, in accordance with the Church and their external and internal motives, they’d somehow gotten Brutal Fantasy to agree to something that had never before been allowed.

  Those belonging to the Church would not be required to delete their counterpart character in order to make a new one within the other faction.

  How they’d managed to make the company bend on this, nobody really knew. However, the Trinity Church was an organization that held both significant power politically, financially, and had members spread throughout practically every company one could think of.

  Their reach was long, but subtle for all their presumed authority.

  As it happened, Zoey had been among those who desired a change of pace. Yet, due to the somewhat—monstrous appearance of the new races that were revealed, there were actually quite a rge number of those in the organization that felt somewhat—uncomfortable making the transition.

  Zoey herself was faithful, but she wasn't devoted in the same sense that many of her fellow members. Actually, the Church was so profitable in BFO, that many of those in the organization weren't even ‘gamers’ in the conventional sense. Merely, they were members of the church in the real world, looking to present their tithe, logging in as though it really were just a normal job to them.

  Oddly enough, this had made Zoe one of Rabbi Nelson's senior healers, both because she was good at it, and because she pyed the absolute shit out of the game.

  She practically lived in the virtual world. Something that many people frowned upon, but for Zoe and those like her, real life was, simply put, boring when compared to what a game like Brutal Fantasy could offer!

  “So…” Nelson smiled, allowing his body to settle, “I take it you are still interested in a mhm—transfer?”

  “I—would very much be so, yes. N-not that I don't like it here but—”

  “Hm! Don't stress, my dear, I know the reason why you want to leave my branch. And I bear no ill will for the decision. It will be sad to see one of my best leave, but there are so very few that are choosing to depart that, admittedly, you are doing me a favor.”

  “There’s—that few?”

  “There’s that few…” The rabbi sighed, taking a sip from his wine. “It's so bad that the Church is considering mandatory reassignment; it hasn't quite gotten to that point, but the fact that Cardinal Katie informed me that my own was one of the few abbeys that actually had people interested is telling.”

  “Who else wants to go?”

  “A young man named Jim Woods, not a high-level or high earner but, still a boon nonetheless, also, Miss Avacia had volunteered as well. We honestly thought that ensuring our members' characters on this side of things wouldn't be deleted would bring a lot more interest, but—as…”

  “Sooo… where exactly does that leave us?”

  “In a tighter spot than I’d like, but better off than I’d assumed we’d be. Nevertheless, I have certain—requests to make of you, on behalf of the Trinity, of course.”

  Zoey nodded her head, waiting patiently for the Rabbi to continue as he cleared his throat.

  “The Church would like to extend an offer, seeing as how you will be joining those who wish to start over. While it is true that your current character will not be deleted—”

  “I’m also probably not going to be pying it…” Zoey finished, noting how the Rabbi’s expression brightened as Zoe caught on and didn't immediately react in a negative way.

  “We will, of course, offer compensation; the 'value' of your character and its abilities and equipment is significant and stands as a notable detriment to this abbey's income, should it suddenly cease operations.

  “Still, the Church has pced an even greater value on ensuring that our presence is indeed felt and seen within the new faction. Thus, a lesser-known agreement was struck with Brutal Fantasy in which we have been given leave to facilitate the transfer of characters between accounts within the umbrel of the organization.”

  “You want to buy me out,” Zoe concluded, earning another nod from the man.

  “Indeed, we do. Your character will, of course, be put to good use and be given to a responsible party within our order. I would consider it a great favor if you were to agree, as you, my dear, are among our best pyers. There are better, of course, but there are many—hmhm many more that are far worse!” The Rabi chuckled, leaning back in his seat.

  “Sooo… how much am I worth?” Zoey asked, not really adverse to the idea, all things considered.

  She really was bored more often than not these days. And while losing her character outright wasn't amazing, she didn't really think she’d ever come back to it unless she really hated the alternative.

  Yet, given that she’d be exploring a new world with new dungeons and new threats and a new everything, well, in all honesty, Zoe anticipated this wouldn't be the case.

  It was at this point that the Rabbi’s expression fell slightly, his outward demeanor shifting and immediately catching her attention.

  “S-sadly, we cannot buy your character with Republic credit. Brutal Fantasy deemed it too far a deviation from its code of conduct, and the Church agreed. Nor can we simply 'give you' the equivalent in-game funds.”

  “B-but—”

  “Please, just allow me to finish.”

  Slowly, Zoey nodded, fighting back against the urge to narrow her eyes at a ‘deal’ that was beginning to sound a lot like one-sided charity.

  She was not at all unwilling to perform an act of goodwill, but this felt just a little too much. She already donated the mandatory thirty percent of her proceeds, and added to the communal funds at Church, as previously stated, at least once a month.

  Asking for more from her felt like it was leaving the ever-preached ‘give only what you can’ and entering the territory of extortion.

  All the same, Zoey remained silent, allowing the Rabbi to have the stage.

  “While the church cannot offer direct remuneration via hard currency, we can offer many alternatives that are valuable in their own right. Compensations such as nicer real-world accommodations that, while you will not own, shall be subsidized by the Trinity. We could also see about releasing you from the Meadows, seeing that you and your immediate family are provided proper Republic citizenship. O-or, we could even permanently rex the fees that the Church takes as it is due in regard to your work with us. Not all of them, mind you,” He added, “though, the exact amount of dues you will owe shall be reduced by a dramatic scope.”

  Zoey—okay, actually, none of that sounded altogether bad… And, as she sat there, considering what the Rabbi had said, the older man smiled with a gentle cast, pushing a virtual window at her, which Zoe had to accept before a pop-up sprang before her vision.

  On it was a list of pre-sorted ‘packages’ that she could be entitled to, should she take the deal. There was a lot. There was a lot, a lot. And in a way, it wasn't at all surprising.

  Healing services weren't cheap. And after her dues to the Church, the base percentage they took from every contract, not to mention her expected donation of her own wealth, Zoe was, mathematically, left with less than eighteen percent of what she actually made the order.

  She wasn't compining as she did manage a good life for herself while doing something that she genuinely enjoyed. Yet, the revenue she and her character earned simply didn't transte to her 'direct' profit.

  And, to have such a lucrative income stream suddenly leave, potentially en masse, it only made sense that the Church was willing to try and retain so said moneymakers.

  Truly, it was the character that was of value here. There were plenty of good pyers just as good as Zoe, but the time and effort she’d sunk into her ‘white mage’, not to mention her careful py style, left her character both very high level, and very kitted with gear.

  She suspected that not everyone would have the same ‘packages’ avaible to them. And the more and more she read, the more that Zoe realized that taking a deal would, without question, be for the best.

  Due to her membership with the Order of the Light, Zoe wouldn't ever be hurting for work. Even amidst a game filled with new and low-level pyers, people would always need Healers, lest they risk losing a portion of their equipment and levels in death.

  Brutal Fantasy took its namesake fairly on the nose, and was ruthlessly unapologetic with how it handled the loss of a character's life.

  While dying was nothing uncommon, it was nevertheless devastating to a pyer, the penalties only increasing exponentially as one entered the higher-tier content avaible.

  Risk and reward.

  The reason why it all felt so visceral and could make your heart pound when fighting for your life.

  A core and driving force behind all who pyed the game, whether it be competitively or casually.

  Plus, at least for Zoey, leveling another character all over again wasn't at all intimidating, in fact, she'd fantasised about it on more than one occasion, wishing she could py another css. And while she'd be locked into healer again, when the incentives to do so were so enticing, and mixed with the 'new world' to explore, well...

  “Do I have to pick now?”

  “No!” Nelson ughed, patting her hand with the weathered and wrinkled example of his own, “But, you don't have forever to consider my dear. The expansion releases in only six short days, and, though I know you were looking forward to it, the number of casualties we have seen in our order, as a result of this mrhm, event...

  "Well, needless to say, it has caused Church leadership to regard this 'demon business' quite poorly, and to put a freeze on certain individuals deemed not worth risking levels and gear. You, my darling, are one such individual who is, as the saying goes, ‘grounded’.”

  “Huh…” Was all Zoe said on the matter. Oh boy, this 'st hurrah' of the current exapnsion must be one hell of a clusterfuck!

  Well, she already had an inkling of that given the nearby city was literally on fire, something that simply didn't happen unless it was under siege by pyers.

  Monsters, normally, couldn't attack ‘safe zones’ with only PVP being a danger inherent to those within. However, the event had stiputed PVE ‘type’ city-warfare, so it wasn't much of a surprise.

  That she was being told he couldn't py along and experience it was—just one more facet of her somewhat restricted time in BFO.

  Zoe was under contract, after all. Not a contract that was in any way unfair given her compensation, but a ‘contract’ nevertheless.

  Yet, a couple of days of mayhem just weren't worth risking her character over when the Church was clearly hungry to keep her in pristine condition, and pay her for her caution.

  “Well, I guess I’ll need to take the night and look at all of this—” she began, “But, I’m fairly sure I’ll make the deal. Hey, is that whole thing about the Church paying for everyone's expansion true?”

  “Only those that are willing to ‘reroll’ as it were.”

  “Soo…”

  “The moment you sign the other agreement,” he chuckled, “You will be able to begin your pre-release character creation, and the beta scenario, same as all the others.”

  The young woman merely smiled, her mind already made up. Once more, and despite what some people thought of it, the church was proving to be one of the few things in life she could rely on… even if it exploited her for money...