"Oh devs who art in the issue queue. Hallowed be thy code. Thy commits merge without conflict. Thy will be done in production as it is on local. I'm sure you guys are busy and all, but I can't log out." As a programmer, Ike knows all about Virtual Dive Experiences (VDX), but when he suddenly wakes up in a virtual game he's never heard of, he’s too busy struggling to survive to worry about how he got there. Luckily, he's got a trick up his sleeve: The ability to program custom enchantments for his gear. He’ll need that and more to figure out what’s going on, since there’s no tutorial and True Calling plays by its own rules: Your class and race are chosen for you, the NPCs are indistinguishable from the players, every quest is unique, and the GMs keep leaving Ike’s prayers unanswered.

"Don’t talk about this to anyone. Follow the hidden message. Do your best to act like an ordinary player and everything will be okay. And above all, don’t die." One adventure ends while another begins. Along with Ada, Dusty, Clay, and Milly – plus a familiar stowaway – Ike leaves Weir and travels to the capital city of Halorin. On the surface, it’s a quest to meet the King, but Ike’s primary goal is to find the Sage Keys so he can finally log out. Too bad nobody’s heard of them and the big city has other plans. Ike’s new armor takes on a mind of its own, leading to friction within the party. A guild of World First holders has their eye on Ike. And he’s still getting used to his newfound hero status. All of which might be easier to handle if Ada were around, but real life keeps pulling her away from him. Meanwhile, darker truths lurk in the city’s shadows. The gruesome Tawdd, a masked assassin, a cursed relic, and worse await Ike in the Hallowed Labyrinth for which the city is named. Getting in will be hard, but getting out might just be game over.

“Is it always like this with you? Crazy fights against even crazier monsters? Mind-melting magic items? Whole world teetering on the brink of disaster?” After Zack’s revelation, Ike leaves the party and travels alone, arriving at a ruined tower above the quiet mountain village of Glyncroes. He tells himself it’s to keep everyone safe, but can he even do this alone? How long will it take for his party to find him? Will a mask be enough to hide his identity? And why does everyone keep mistaking him for the Unsung Sage of myth? Ike’s solitude is cut short by a miniature Vix and a cat folk shaman named Kit, who teaches him more about the mysterious power of his animus. Familiar faces abound, however, as True Calling forces Ike to confront the ghosts of his past, including an old enemy whose help he’ll need to find the next Sage Key. The search will take Ike to Blightmyre, the cursed capital city in the Blighted Lands of Rilimar. Horrific demons, enthralled slaves, mournful specters, vampire warlocks, and their dark queen stand between him and the next piece of the puzzle. But will he be up to the challenge when he’s not even sure who he is anymore?