Bonus Chapter - Charlie and the Player Factory

Soon, they reached a clearing, and Charlie’s mind began to stutter. She knew, or had at least once seen, nearly all of the people here. They were friends of Livia and Jane, or coworkers, in Lessie’s and Wynter’s case, but that made the scene just more surreal.

Around a very disturbed campfire, it looked like a horde of elephants had trampled through it, lay the corpses of three giant…beings. They were big, not just in height, but also massive, and had skin the colour of sandstone. Two had been decapitated; one was shrivelled up like a mummy. Further back lay a fourth, very clearly female and once again as huge.

But even more bizarre was the sight to her right, where Paul and Marco were working on what could only be Jane’s corpse, although it was surrounded by a golden aura that emanated from Wynter, who looked like hell. Charlie hadn’t seen her for months since she had transferred to the agency, and she looked as if she hadn’t eaten a single bite in that time.

At a distance stood Geri, who had a bloated belly that made her look pregnant and looked like she was in pain, held up by a naked woman Charlie didn’t recognise. One of her eyes was just an empty socket, but that didn’t seem to be like a fresh injury, unlike what Livia’s whole right side looked like. Charlie was sure she’d remember a one-eyed woman around.

Presented the choice between fleeing in terror or standing there frozen, denying what her eyes told her, Charlie decided to walk up to Geri and offer her help. The moment she made the first step, the world froze, and text appeared in her vision.

🖹

Emergency System activation. Again? Please tell me we didn’t get a second Jane… Shut up, I have the Channel open. Sorry. Um, as I said, Emergency System activation. You have stumbled onto a scene you should not have. Should I wipe her memory of that first try? No, she’s one of Jane’s friends. Ok, Charlie, enough of that Spanish Inquisition stuff.

Yes, there’s a System that gives some people the power to fight monsters. Yes, this is an alien invasion using nanites to make your lives more like a game for an undisclosed reason. Just roll with it, please? You can talk to Jane later—once she’s resurrected—she can tell you more.

You are now a player, too. With the whole shebang that comes with it, potential race change, class, abilities, skills, and so on. Now, bear with me, as I did not have any time to prepare for you. We usually try to match that stuff to the person’s psychological damage, but you look pretty sane for a change. That puts you around Christmas in the queue.

Anyway, you seem to have some issues with your body, as it looks? So a race with some abilities to deal with that might be appropriate? We already have a trans person who can change their sex at will, a shapechanger who can copy any shape, and a couple of people with so-called battleforms that don’t need to look anything like their natural forms. Does any of that sound interesting?

‘When in Rome, roll with the crazies,’ Charlie thought, then directed her thoughts outward to answer whoever was pulling the strings here.

Aside from some minor details, I am quite happy with my body. Thanks for the offer.

🖹

Really? You don’t want a vagina and some real boobs?

I’m not trans, um, what’s your name?

🖹

I am SOL-GB-Liverpool-39-Beta-7; just call me Beta, if you will. So, not trans? Then you’re taking those hormones for the job?

No, for myself. I want those boobs, but I also want to keep that penis. No idea what that makes me…

🖹

Non-binary would be the word. Fascinating. According to my files, usually, only people who want to make other people’s lives miserable by insisting on some weird pronouns use that term for themselves. Everyone else wants their own category. That’s the “plus” in LGBTQ+… Then how about something that gives you real boobs without those hormones? Maybe a little help with shaping some details of your body? And that makes your job easier? Erection control and such things?

That actually sounds nice. Throw in some size control for little Charlie and we have a deal.

🖹

Done. Congratulations, you just got your very own sub-species of human. Should I name it after you, or do you prefer something else?

Others will be able to get that in the future, won’t they? Then keep my name out of it, please. Then how about “ladyboy”? That’s how we call it at work.

🖹

Yes, and done. Now, you need a class. Are you familiar with role-playing games, RPGs? And not the ones you do at your job.

Well enough to understand what a class is. I won’t be swinging a sword with my stature, and looking at Jane over there, I don’t think I want to get into range of any monster. Any suggestions based on that?

🖹

There are always the classics. Archer, mage, healer…

Healer? I think I’d like that.

🖹

Oh, sorry. Healer classes are part of phase two.

Beta, we just shoehorned in a resurrectionist, and those are phase three. Give her a healer class, tell her about Tina cheating on her, and then she can join group one. Or do you have anyone in mind for them? Anyone who’s not already a player?

Gamma-10, please don’t interrupt me; this is my job. I don’t tell you how to puppet your NPCs, do I?

Guys, you know I can read that? And that it’s kinda hard to follow because it all looks the same to me…

🖹

Sorry. —Ten

🖹

Yes. Now that you reminded me, I am aware of that fact. And while I am honest with you, SOL-GB-Liverpool-39-Gamma-10’s suggestion wasn’t bad at all. I do not have anyone in mind to team up with group one, that is Jane, Livia, Sam and Geri if you haven’t guessed that already.

What was that about Tina? Not the cheating thing, that can wait, but about telling me?

🖹

That is a bit of a touchy subject, and I do not agree with how—

Shut up, Beta. Charlie, team one has formed a family, and so has team two. Then one and two are fucking each other, and Chloe from team four. One big happy gang bang. My take on it is that you will get pulled into bed if you run with them. You wouldn’t want to cheat on your wife. You’re a good guy, um, gal, but she’s not that considerate… —Ten

Charlie was taken aback by that revelation for a moment, then thought it through and noticed it wasn’t really something new to her. She just hadn’t put it as bluntly in her mind. Could she join in with them? Why not? An open relationship with four women she liked, ones that had real pussies, was any penis-wielding human’s dream, wasn’t it?

That’s not a till-death-does-ya-part kind deal, isn’t it? And the cheating, you’ve got proof?

🖹

No. While death has a tendency to not part group one, there is nothing that is binding in any way in joining a player group. Proof has been put in your locker at work.

Then hit me with your best healer class. Livia, Geri and Jane look like they need it more or less urgently.

🖹

You have been offered the class “life warden”. A life warden connects their life energy to that of their charges and can shift it freely between them. Fuelled by their power, that life energy can heal and even regrow bodies, as well as strengthening them to withstand more damage. While a soul is connected to a life warden, it cannot depart into the afterlife, extending the time someone can be resurrected for as long as the life warden themselves is alive and keeps the connection active. A life warden can also connect to their enemies and sap their life force, although they have to overcome natural and magical resistances.

Sounds neat. I’ll take it.

🖹

Here you go. Any last wishes?

Yes, actually. Can you sneak in a surprise gift for me? Just getting what I wished for feels a bit…I don’t know, unfulfilling?

🖹

Certainly. Although I’ll let SOL-GB-Liverpool-39-Gamma-10 handle that part. She’s more ‘creative’ in these matters.

Character summary for Charlie Wong

Race: human/ladyboy

Gender: not applicable

Pronouns: she/her (change?)

Sex: not applicable

Age: 27

Caloric requirements: 3200 kcal/day (idle)

Level: 1, 0/100 XP

Base Power Level: 5-21 (human tier, mostly harmless)

Class: Life Warden (legendary)

Sub-Class: Death Warden (unique)

Class shards: 0 common, 0 uncommon, 0 rare, 0 epic, 0 legendary, 0 unique

Factions: criminal, player

Bonds: Marriage bond (to Tina Wong, nee Smith)

Player group: none

Race details for Charlie Wong

Abilities:

• minor fluid features: You have control over your bone structure and facial features and can shift them slowly to conform to your wishes.
• full fluid sexuality: You have full control over your sexual preferences and can change them at any time. (Have more fun at your job! —Ten)
• faux vagina: You can retract your penis inside yourself and create a vagina-like opening. The effect does not hold up under close scrutiny. No lubrication is provided.
• full erection control: You have full control over the erection level of your penis.
• improved size control: You have improved control over the size of your flaccid and erected penis.
• full fertility control: You have full control over the viability of your semen.
• full disease immunity (STD): You are completely immune to all sexually transmitted diseases.
• full tissue stretchiness: Your flesh and skin can be stretched as required without causing harm during sex.
• full pheromone resistance: You are immune to all kinds of non-magical pheromones.

Skills:

• dodging (reality altering), Level 1, 0/50 XP: Allows you to automatically evade attacks by putting you where the attack isn’t.
• sexual techniques (reality altering), Level 5, 122/300 XP: Improves your understanding and execution of sexual techniques.
• Available new skills (0 skill points available):
• arousing pheromones (reality altering)
• seduction (physical)

Class details for Charlie Wong

Abilities:

• extreme injury resistance: Injuries may cut your flesh or even kill you, but they do not hamper you in your actions.
• limited full death resistance: When killed, you survive as long as you have a warren bond with at least one living being. The same applies to bonded creatures if you will it so.
• death warden: You can also bind to undead creatures.

Classless skills:

• fighting (physical), Level 1, 0/150 XP: Allows you to fight more effectively. Note: It is recommended you acquire a specialised fighting skill as soon as possible.
• persuasion (physical), Level 4, 30/600 XP: Improves your chances when trying to persuade others.
• acting (physical), Level 5, 480/750 XP: Helps when acting, including lying, intimidation, posing, hiding your emotions, and so on.
• first aid (magical), Level 1, 0/100 XP: Allows you to spend mana to close open wounds, stop internal bleeding and stabilise patients for further treatment.

Class skills:

• form bond (magical), Level 1, 0/100 XP: Allows you to form a bond with up to 4 other living and willing creatures, connecting your life forces. Higher levels allow more bonds, speed up bond creation and increase the range of this skill.
• shift life force (magical), Level 1, 0/100 XP: Allows you to freely move life force through your bond.
• life healing (magical), Level 1, 0/100 XP: Allows you to convert life force into healing power in any bound creature, including yourself.
• force bond (magical), Level 1, 0/100 XP: Allows you to force a bond onto an unwilling living creature. Needs to overcome natural and magical resistances. Limitations of “form bond” apply.

Available new skills (0 skill points available):

• bond snapping (magical)
• bond telepathy (magical)
• bond teleportation (magical)
• speed (magical)
• Say hi to Jane for me (Ten)

Charlie stared at the wall of text that flooded her mind, felt it twisting its way into her inner self and how it remade her in its image, filling her with the essence of the race and the class. She understood how it worked, what it had made her. She felt how it cut off old thoughts, the doubt she had had about all of this, the desire to question what was happening, her old plans and intents. She noticed how it cut Tina out of her heart, replaced with acceptance of her betrayal and finality. It washed over her intention of confronting Tina, her want of giving her yet another chance, and then washed them away. A second later, she forgot all that. She now was Charlie, the player, and she had a mission.