《Player reached the Top. BOOK 3》 Note from the author Hello, guys! Here I publish the translation of my book Thanks to everyone who waits and reads my story. I hope you want to know the end of the 2nd book and will support my translation. The 3rd book is also almost ready and it will be released soon after the 2nd one. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Here is the link for the PRE-ORDER Player Reached the Top. Book II I will be very glad to see your reviews at the Amazon page or at Goodreads. MY FACEBOOK MY GOODREADS Good luck and more interesting books for you! Chapter 142

Staring into the Predator¡¯s Jaws

December 30th ¡°Good afternoon, boss!¡± a young girl chirped, jumping up from her chair to greet the director of The Age of Ascension channel. Her name was Sarrah Whitehall. She had recently celebrated her 24th birthday, and she always put work first. She told everyone she did, at any rate. A Berkeley graduate with an amazing GPA, Sarrah was a good employee: responsible, focused, assertive, and ready to work overtime to meet a deadline. Five feet and three inches tall, she had black hair and a pretty face with intelligent, light green eyes. Her body stayed fit and slender due to her job, which involved running lots of errands and having to often skip meals. She called that a work diet. She had been collecting new material for the channel for three months now and interviewing lots of players, but her main target still remained beyond her reach. ¡°Hi, Sarrah.¡± A sturdy Asian man with a cup of coffee and a big green folder in his hands made an awkward attempt to open the door without dropping or spilling anything. ¡°Help me with this and I¡¯ll hear you out.¡± Opening the door for her boss and following him into his office, the girl waited for him to nod at the chair across from him and, after taking her seat, she now waited for him to speak. Although Mr. Joy Raid was a rather friendly man, he was also obsessed with subordination. The only time he didn¡¯t mind a more relaxed approach was when someone was reporting a record-breaking number of views received by the channel. The Age of Ascension channel had been launched along with the game itself. Now the channel occupied the 31st floor of a San Francisco office, with Joy¡¯s window overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. Sarrah loved the view. ¡°So,¡± Joy started, sitting down in his armchair and looking at his promising employee, ¡°I see you¡¯re in a good mood today. Is there a reason for that? Did you find him?¡± ¡°Not yet, unfortunately. But I¡¯m a step closer.¡± ¡°How come?¡± ¡°I got a reply from that girl who uploads Raven¡¯s videos.¡± ¡°Did she give any reasons for why she was silent before?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the most thrilling part.¡± Sarrah paused with a broad smile. That annoyed her boss. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you this?¡± Joy waved a hand, sipping his coffee. ¡°You¡¯re NOT a news anchor. You¡¯re NOT introducing a famous act. Your dramatic pauses are completely out of place. Please speak like a normal person.¡± ¡°Forgive me, sir,¡± she said, her smile still in place. ¡°She said that... that she was forbidden from reaching out to us by the player¡¯s sister. The two of them share a dorm room.¡± ¡°His sister, you say? That¡¯s a real lead. When are you leaving?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I came to ask you.¡± Joy said nothing. ¡°Thank you, sir. I¡¯ll leave immediately.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°One moment. Do you know if Ross got the info on the upcoming game update?¡± ¡°Yes, he did. He asked me to tell you that he¡¯ll come into the office later today. He¡¯s doing a developer interview about the update.¡± ¡°Good. You may go. Call me when you arrive. You have two weeks to complete this assignment. If you do, you¡¯ll get a huge bonus. Now get to it.¡± Slapping the table with both hands and then rubbing them together, Joy turned to his computer screen, dismissing Sarrah. *** January 1st, Sunday A great day to get some rest. Wrapped up in a blanket, Will stood on his small balcony, watching the sky. There were no clouds, only the bright sun. Inhaling the cold air and yawning loudly, he scratched his stubble and went to the bathroom to shave. He planned to visit his sister later today. Yesterday¡¯s events had made him see his business in a new light. By no means was he going to give it up, but he had to talk to Leah, to find out how she was and whether she needed any help. To make his visit a surprise, Will even took a taxi, spending much more money than he would have on a train ticket, albeit he did save some time. Upon seeing the amount he had to pay, he couldn¡¯t keep from closing his eyes and counting to three... ten... fifty... I¡¯m doing it once. Just once. *** The taxi took him to Denver in less than three hours along the magnet highway. Expensive as it was, it made his surprise perfect. After waiting a bit in the dormitory lobby and showing his e-passport to the security guard, he was eventually allowed upstairs to meet his sister. She¡¯s in room 53. Will knocked once, and then again. Silence greeted him. After counting to five, he heard the lock click open. ¡°Hiiiii?¡± Emma gaped at him in bewilderment, casting a helpless glance at her roommate. ¡°B... bro?¡± Leah, also astonished, jumped up, shifting her confused gaze between Will and the third girl in the room. ¡°Hello.¡± There were three girls inside. Leah, her red-haired roommate who had opened the door, and an older, black-haired girl in a black T-shirt and jeans. ¡°Did I interrupt a party, Sis?¡± Closing the door behind him, Will glanced around for a seat. The room was spacious enough for two people, but it felt cramped with four people inside. *** After arranging an interview with EmmirTa, Raven¡¯s video editor, Sarrah had come to Denver on the evening of December 31st. Spending a night in a hotel, she came to the dorm room early the next morning. New Year¡¯s Day wasn¡¯t really special to her; she was too devoted to her work to celebrate it. *** Her target was now standing at the door. She¡¯d been after Player Number One for so long. He was her jackpot. No info about him could be obtained from the developers or Skydome Corp. Her only option had been browsing meticulously through all the forums, looking for any leads. Many weeks later, his videos appeared, interrupting the silence... but he never revealed his true identity. She was the first person to find him, and by pure coincidence at that. She had learned that from Raven¡¯s sister, who had told her about picking out Sarrah¡¯s §Ö-mail from among hundreds of others. And now he was standing in front of her. The man who could answer all her questions. Everyone wants to be famous. Well, not everyone. But he surely wants fame. This simple, plain-looking guy definitely dreams about being famous. Why would he keep attracting so much attention otherwise? In the game, you can hide all of your info to stay out of any ratings. He surely knows about this option, but he¡¯s not using it. ¡°Are you Will Thompson?¡± The girl smiled, standing up from her chair and extending a hand. ¡°I¡¯m Sarrah Whitehall. A reporter for The Age of Ascension channel. Can we talk?¡± She had seen many reactions to these words. Most were delighted. Some shook their heads, refusing. Others did crazy things on camera. The players she had interviewed were calm, friendly, or happy. Very few (mainly the pros) were angry or emotionless, yet even their responses fell into this or that category. But this guy truly stood out. ¡°Oh. So you¡¯re the one that wants to take my media virginity.¡± He smirked. ¡°How much are you paying?¡± ¡°Paying?¡± Sarrah was used to hearing this question from celebrities, but not from a guy who had just been offered his first interview. She looked right into his eyes... and immediately broke out into a cold sweat that covered her back. Gosh. What is THAT? It felt like staring right into the jaws of a hungry predator. His cold, blue eyes pressed down on her as if she weren¡¯t sitting safely in a dorm room, but betting her life and freedom in a casino. And that shine. That barely perceptible, golden gleam. For a moment, Sarrah could¡¯ve sworn she had seen a real monster in front of her. Chapter 143

Negotiations

¡°Miss?¡± ¡°Um... Eh? Excuse me. I¡¯m not authorized to make such decisions. I need to call my boss.¡± ¡°Well, go ahead then. Are you okay with leaving the room to make your call? I need to talk to these two.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Closing the door behind her, Sarrah leaned against it, pulling herself together. As a reporter, she was used to working on camera and keeping an appropriate expression on her face regardless of what other people were doing. Now this experience had rescued her, preventing her voice from quavering and her body from trembling. Who the hell is he? This encounter took her aback. The bizarre sensation was still gripping her. I need more info about him. He¡¯s anything but an ordinary guy. Making a note in her brown leather notebook, she dialed Joy¡¯s number. *** ¡°Leah. Come here.¡± ¡°Bro? I can explain.¡± The girl approached him slowly, cringing as she expected to be scolded. But Will did something completely different. Hugging her tenderly, he patted her on the head. ¡°Bro?¡± Leah felt as if she were back in her early years, when his shoulder had always been there for her to put her head on when she¡¯d talk to him for hours about all sorts of things. ¡°Are you all right?¡± His hand stopped stroking her hair for a moment, then carried on. ¡°Yes, thanks. Everything is all right... almost everything. And how are you? Any news?¡± Embracing him back and making herself comfortable, she started to happily recount her past few weeks of studying, the problems she had had with her extra courses, the boys in her group, and yesterday¡¯s get-together at a small caf¨¦ where Emma had invited her to meet up and celebrate New Year¡¯s Eve. They stood like that, in the middle of the room, for a while, talking and exchanging news. Watching Will and his sister, Emma felt incredibly safe and protected, as though a steel wall had appeared around her to keep all her troubles and any potential dangers away. Ten minutes later, Will released his hold on Leah and sat down with his usual expression on his face. ¡°Now I¡¯m ready to hear about how that girl came to be here.¡± ¡°Um... I... I¡¯d better leave you to it.¡± Emma was about to exit the room, but Will stopped her by looking her in the eye, then at her seat. ¡°Well...¡± Leah sighed. ¡°Emma¡¯s inbox got hundreds of messages. Out of those, we selected fifty reasonably good channels. Then one of the best. We didn¡¯t really have much time to discuss it. She turned up about half an hour before you did.¡± ¡°Leah. Stop saying so many words. Why are you doing this?¡± ¡°I decided you could benefit from some media coverage. I... I want you to accept the challenge of that strange guy who mentioned it during his interview.¡± ¡°Hmmm...¡± ¡°You¡¯ll make a statement. When you win... Wait. You won¡¯t lose to him, will you?¡± Leah arched her eyebrows, realizing she had never really thought about it. Since her brother had topped the ratings, she considered him to be the strongest. ¡°Sis. Why would I willingly put a snake down my pants?¡± Will squinted his left eye at the girl who was good at everything she did... except for letting him know about things in a timely manner. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask me first?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t even sure about who I should contact to do the interview. This woman was just the first journalist on my list. I wanted to talk to everyone on the list first and secure the best terms for us.¡± Admiring her business acumen, Will still noticed one more thing. ¡°Tell me, sis. You do realize that, once the interview airs, all ¡ª I¡¯ll say it again ¡ª ALL these media people will know your place of study. Your life will be full of camera flashes, secret footage, and hordes of men and women badgering you with questions about your brother. Are you ready for that?¡± ¡°I...¡± The girl gaped at him, realizing she had absolutely missed this part. She was too focused on the result and its monetary benefits. Human psychology and public relations were not her strong suit. ¡°I didn¡¯t think...¡± The corners of her lips tugged down, quivering because she was about to cry, upset by the failure of her plan ¡ª like she had always done. As a kid, Leah had used to dig channels for ants to use to get around. When they¡¯d scatter all around in search of more convenient routes instead, she¡¯d cry. ¡°I did so much for them. Why, why don¡¯t they use the easiest route?¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. The little perfectionist in her was always striving to optimize things, organizing her pencils, notebooks, and clothes very neatly. She could only depart from her commitment to perfect order when working on something overwhelmingly complicated ¡ª like her brother¡¯s plans for developing his country. ¡°Why? Why would they follow me around? Look! Look here!¡± Leah showed him a notebook page with two neat columns: channels and the names of the media people she was going to meet. ¡°And here.¡± She pointed at a bunch of color markers. ¡°I wanted to mark them ne-e-eatly...¡± ¡°I understand. Now sit down, and don¡¯t you dare cry. Emma, pass me a glass of water, please.¡± ¡°No!¡± Leah¡¯s eyes widened. She wiped them hastily with both hands. ¡°That¡¯s a good girl. Cancel the water, Emma. I don¡¯t need it anymore.¡± He had used this special soothing technique since Leah¡¯s childhood. He¡¯d slowly pour a glass of water over the crying little girl as if she were a flower, and it had used to have an amazing effect. While doing that, Will would say: ¡°You wash with tears, I¡¯ll wash with water. You¡¯ll grow big and strong, like a tree.¡± After getting drenched head to toe the first few times, little Leah would cry even harder, getting more water poured on her until she finally figured out how to make it stop. ¡°I¡¯ll sort this out. But you didn¡¯t answer my question. Why? What¡¯s the point? Let¡¯s presume I win. What comes next?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve read a lot about the contracts other players make with channels and sponsors. You could be making even more money than they do. But you need fame. You must reach first place not only in the player rankings, but...¡± She turned to Emma for support. ¡°...in the PvP battles, too.¡± ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s it.¡± Leah clapped her hands. ¡°The top Ascension players already have a reputation, but you¡¯re just an unknown...¡± She hesitated, figuring out the right word. ¡°...upstart?¡± Will hinted. ¡°Yes. An unknown upstart. But, by proving your worth in duels against the best players, you¡¯ll gradually build up the sort of reputation we need. It¡¯ll attract the sponsors who¡¯ll pay lots to... to help develop it.¡± ¡°Wow. That¡¯s a great plan. The sponsorships would come in handy.¡± Emma kept swiveling her head from Will to Leah and back, struggling to understand what they were talking about. ¡°By the way, Emma. I¡®ve written it many times, but now I¡¯ll say it to you in person: You¡¯re doing a great job. Many thanks.¡± The girl blushed upon hearing that and nodded at him with a smile. A knock on the door interrupted their discussion. ¡°Just a moment. Sorry,¡± Will said and turned back to his sister. ¡°You¡¯re a smart girl, but please, please don¡¯t do something like this on your own ever again. Surprises are good, but due consideration for the consequences is better.¡± ¡°I see. So what are you going to do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t seem to have much of a choice but to make the most out of this channel.¡± Will smirked. Leah smiled back to him. Now they almost looked like identical twins, except one was bigger than the other. *** ¡°The channel will not pay that much.¡± Sarrah studied Will¡¯s face to see how serious he was about his request. The three of them ¡ª Sarrah, Will and his sister ¡ª were in a fast food restaurant, discussing the interview price. ¡°Tell me I¡¯m wrong and I¡¯ll tell you that the time you¡¯ve spent getting your degree was wasted.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about the consequences of our interview. It¡¯s about the price.¡± ¡°Is that really much for exclusive material? Do you think I¡¯m an idiot? Or she a fool?¡± With asked, glancing at Leah who was sitting beside him and eating her chocolate dessert with enjoyment. Her joy was unstained with money worries as the lunch had been paid for by the reporter. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Sarrah winced mentally. The negotiation appeared to be far more difficult than she had imagined. She simply couldn¡¯t say yes. Calling her boss back in the dormitory, she got his permission to pay $5,000 for the interview from the channel¡¯s budget. For a first-time interviewee, that was a fantastic sum. But then she heard how much he wanted. Will (or Raven as she preferred to call him) insisted on responding to the player who had been interviewed by a rival channel ¡ª the one who had dared Raven to fight him, calling him an incapable player for everyone to hear. Sarrah loved this idea. Such conflict between two top players covered by The Age of Ascension could move her channel up the ratings. According to her colleague, who had interviewed a developer, the duel update was due in two weeks. But Raven wanted $10,000. Twice as much as she was allowed to pay. Sarrah knew it was a good offer. But the channel wouldn¡¯t accept it as long as Will remained a player who was only ahead of the rest due to NPCs. She would¡¯ve paid him that money if she could, though. Her gut was telling her that this guy was full of surprises. ¡°Let¡¯s assume my boss agrees. But what will you be able to tell us, Mr. Thompson? May we use first names, by the way?¡± Will shrugged. ¡°If you like. Do you have a list of questions you want me to answer? May I have a look?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Sarrah retrieved a leather notebook and handed it to Will. ¡°You have cold hands,¡± she commented, having brushed against his unusually cold fingers. ¡°That¡¯s just winter,¡± he replied, peering at the list. ¡°Hmmm. A very interesting read. Oct 25th, 2044. I¡¯m dumped again. Fuck it. Fuck all men. I¡¯m dead tired of their whining about me always being busy at work. I¡¯ll find a girl like myself and...¡± Swish! The book was snatched from Will with lightning speed. Sarrah tucked it into her bag, avoiding his eyes. ¡°I... I confused them. Again. So stupid. Damn leather cover. I¡¯ve never gotten around to changing it. Here you are.¡± Still looking away, she handed Will an identical notebook that actually had business notes, unlike the first one that was apparently her personal diary. Will and Leah¡¯s combined laughter resounded through the restaurant. ¡°Hey, you! Please stop. I was just kidding. Hey! Stop! Okay. I¡¯m leaving.¡± Sarrah stood to leave, but Will grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back into her seat. ¡°Well, dumped one, I¡¯ll take a look at your questions. Finish your dessert, Leah. Take care not to choke.¡± With one last smirk, he went skimming through Sarrah¡¯s notes. ¡°It¡¯s a deal then. I¡¯ll contact you once the price has been agreed upon, and we¡¯ll negotiate the interview time and place.¡±

Bonus Fragment: Master Class

¡°See you, Sarrah.¡± Will shook the reporter¡¯s hand. Turning around, she walked towards the exit but was stopped by Leah¡¯s words. ¡°We won¡¯t dump you, ma¡¯am. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have to say that, sis.¡± ¡°I just wanted to be supportive.¡± ¡°Leah. It¡¯s not cool. And not funny at all.¡± ¡°Why are you smiling then?¡± ¡°Um... That¡¯s just the money.¡± ¡°I want to learn to smile like that.¡± ¡°Try to mimic it. No. Broader.¡± ¡°Like this?¡± ¡°A bit mo- No, stop. That looks creepy. Maybe this sort of smile isn¡¯t right for you.¡± What a weird duo. As the door closed behind Sarrah, she couldn¡¯t help casting one last glance at the two through the transparent glass. A difficult talk with her boss awaited her. Chapter 144

A Pitcher¡¯s Delivery

A crowd of humans and other creatures from Night Sky and Faceless Army clans, joined by a few solo players, waited for the famous rogue on the lakeshore. The leaked video showing Raven¡¯s location had brought both risk-takers and those who had a plan here. The Rollin¡¯ Dice group, who had lost to Raven, was also there. The vengeful monk had come up with a way to punish Raven so as to avoid getting in trouble with Mollie. Twenty-four hours had passed, but no one left ¡ª quite the opposite. More people were coming. Someone started to accept bets on Raven¡¯s victory or death. After Raven had vanished without hearing anyone, all players who had witnessed his visit had just one question: Why was his appearance so weird? The group of five led by the bespectacled youngster waited patiently for the rogue to enter the game. In the meantime, they had spotted many familiar faces around. Even two Fortuna players were here. Everyone realized there would be blood. Mr. X, the one who had challenged Raven during a live broadcast, was also among those waiting. Seizing the opportunity of meeting his opponent on the third floor, Raven player came rushing here, not caring about losing the time he could¡¯ve used for levelling up. Mr. X was confident in his strength. A stellar newbie breaking into the ranks of the world¡¯s five hundred best virtual reality gamers last year, he played a Dalikin race member: a mountain-dwelling creature with extremely hard and sturdy body, with small wings on the shoulders allowing for farther and higher jumps. His class was warrior, his preferred weapon a spear. Mr. X was full of anticipation at showing that upstart his rightful place. Those present weren¡¯t starting any conflicts with each other so, when the space on the rogue¡¯s leave spot wavered, and his figure started to form in the air, everyone paid heed instantly. Hundreds of faces turned to Raven. Gordon smirked. How do you like surprises, you fucking bastard? The rogue formed fully. As he glanced around, everyone could see his thin metal hair falling down to the small of his back. With their ends rising slightly, these metal snakes seemed to be examining the area, serving their master as an extra pair of eyes. His real eyes were covered in tiny, golden scales and had vertical pupils, and their piercing stare reaching the bottom of everyone¡¯s soul. Whatever specialization he had got, it didn¡¯t seem to match his rogue class. Mr. X stepped ahead, shouldering his spear. ¡°Hi, White Raven. How about holding our duel right now?¡± ¡°Oops. Your great plan failed again, sis.¡± ¡°Whom are you talking to?¡± Like many men, Mr. X hated the very idea of being addressed as ¡°sis.¡± He¡¯d rather have Raven say it was because he was speaking to someone else. ¡°Never mind, spearhead. Your sudden arrival is out of step with my sister¡¯s plan, but not really by much. The third floor is so small. Who would¡¯ve thunk?¡± ¡°A face-to-face duel. Now. Do you agree?¡± ¡°Before we start, I want to ask you one question, and I want everyone to hear your answer. Do you really want to fight a player twenty-eight levels above you?¡± Mr. X smirked with contempt. ¡°By asking this question, you¡¯re proving your incompetence. Again. Ascension is no level game, you moron. Sure I want to fight. Use whatever weapon you like. Just don¡¯t die too quickly, little raven.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. *** Listening to this talk, a young man playing a ranger asked his teammate: ¡°What¡¯s he talking about, Oz?¡± ¡°Suller. Where¡¯ve you been? Didn¡¯t you get it while playing?¡± ¡°What did I have to get?¡± The youngster frowned, realizing he had said a stupid thing, but he was still clueless about why it was stupid. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I really have to explain that... Just as he said, Ascension isn¡¯t like any other game. It was even mentioned by the devs. Your level isn¡¯t really important here ¡ª if it¡¯s important at all. You must look beyond numbers. In the very first month of playing, many started to notice that their real-world experience, speed of thought, and even their physical appearance had a great influence on their character¡¯s development. With a lot of gaming experience, tactical intuition, mastery of skills, and knowledge of your enemy¡¯s weak spots, you can possibly kill one like Raven even if you are just level twenty.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Holy crap...¡± ¡°But... not in this case.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If Raven, at his current level, had standard or even rare skills, a pro gamer at a much lower level could kill him. But this isn¡¯t the only unique thing about Ascension. It has a fuckton of skills. There are so many that some believe that new ones are created for any player who did something special. I think that makes sense. Just look at our top hundred. Do you know how many skills all of them share?¡± ¡°No idea. How many?¡± The ranger swallowed, waiting for a response. ¡°Excluding all the standard skills coming with a particular class or race, we only get... twenty.¡± ¡°So few?¡± the boy screamed in shock. ¡°Yeah. So look at Raven again and think: is he as simple as he looks?¡± In the meantime, the conversation of the two top players encircled by the crowd took a completely different direction. ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± Tilting his head to the side, Mr. X tried to understand how they had come to be discussing the price of their duel instead of fighting it. ¡°Listen to me, spearboy. You¡¯re wasting my time. You want me to please you by engaging in a dick measuring competition any normal person would avoid. Why should I do that with no gain for myself? If you win ¡ª and by your face I can tell you strongly believe in that ¡ª you¡¯ll get your fame. But I¡¯ll get none by defeating an opponent so badly outclassed. So: pay or leave.¡± ¡°Are you that petty? Do you doubt that I have the money?¡± ¡°Less talking, more doing.¡± Everyone was so busy listening to their every word that no one spotted a blue imp appear in the air over the rogue¡¯s head. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous, Raven. But I¡¯m in. Three hundred gold. Hope you won¡¯t run away once you get it.¡± Laughing, he tossed a coin purse, then took a batter¡¯s stance using the spear butt to deliver it to his opponent. Sitting on the snow, Raven shot a hand aside to catch it. Touching his fingers, the purse vanished. ¡°It¡¯s a deal. Time to complete it.¡± Raven stood up, dusting the snow off his pants. ¡°When do we start? Shall we count to three or wait for a gong strike?¡± ¡°My partner will count to one. That¡¯ll be the signal.¡± ¡°So sweet.¡± The rogue smiled broadly. ¡°Start counting, girl.¡± ¡°Huh?! I¡¯m no girl!¡± Mr. X¡¯s partner was deeply offended. ¡°Count, Cindy.¡± ¡°Sorry, babe.¡± Smiling to Mr. X, she counted: ¡°Three... two... one!¡± Most of the crowd expected a show. Many expected Raven¡¯s fall. Some wanted a demonstration of his skills to learn more about them. But all were disappointed. There was a flash of bright blue across the glade, and the spearman sank slowly to the snowy ground. Before anyone could ask what had happened, a big hole appeared in Mr. X¡¯s chest. ¡°Looks like this is yours.¡± The cold, emotionless voice came through the howling northern wind. It was the rogue speaking. He stood in a pitcher¡¯s position as if to catch the purse that had been batted at him a moment before. But in his hand, he had his opponent¡¯s heart. He threw it. Flying a short distance and bouncing on the ground, the heart landed next to the player¡¯s disappearing body. ¡°Impossible...¡± Gordon gaped at Raven, at the body, and then at their group leader, Oz, who was just as bewildered by what had just happened. It had certainly been that brief flash crossing the glade like a horizontal lightning, but the wizard had no idea if it was a skill or something else. Whatever skills Raven had, they were one up on everyone present. ¡°Three hundred gold in no time. Yum! I love this side job.¡± Chapter 145

The Showdown

Only one person could see what had actually happened ¡ª a young girl in an emoji mask, hiding in the shadow of a tree, aside from the crowd. The golden dragon had teleported to his enemy, his clawed paw inflicting a series of blows. She couldn¡¯t count them exactly: her level was too low. The dragon moved so fast that its trajectory looked like a solid line. Only when she had seen a hole in Mr. X¡¯s chest, did the lone thief realize what the rogue had done. *** Clap. Clap. Clap. As Raven stooped to pick up the looted ring, another player came into the circle ¡ª a man in his thirties playing a human character. He was clad in emerald armor, with a double-handed, curved sword behind his back. His eyes with red pupils closely examined the rogue. Facing Raven, he stopped clapping and spoke after a pause. ¡°Let me introduce myself. I¡¯m Ninth Lyncher, a top officer for the Faceless Army clan. Our leaders have a great interest in you. Honestly, I used to consider this interest as unreasonable and your superiority as fake, but now I see that I¡¯ve underestimated you, like many others did. Even though you¡¯ve demonstrated so little.¡± ¡°An officer? You talk more like a politician. So many words and none on point.¡± Raven stood still, his right foot forming a small pile of snow as he spoke. ¡°Your guess about a politician is very close, albeit I¡¯d rather not discuss that in public. My goal here is to see your strength. I must make it clear right away: we¡¯re not going to pay anything.¡± Smirking, the other man snapped his fingers, stirring his clan members into motion. Glancing around quickly, Raven estimated he was about to be attacked by over forty people. Stand and fight or retreat? He had no weapons; that was why he had had to activate his Golden Dragon Form briefly to deal with Mr. X. The last thing he wanted to use now was the Demon of Murder. It came at too high of a price. He¡¯d rather not apply Dancing of Time either: it was a skill he saved for the hardest of quests. Revealing a trump card like that for this whole crowd to see was outright stupid. A mortal blow would activate Prince Arrey¡¯s Locket sending Raven to a safe spot in the port city of Dagdakar. The problem was that his health had to reach zero first, and it¡¯d take a lot of damage to make it drop that low. Damage delivered by magic spells, swords, axes, daggers, arrows, crossbow bolts, and lots of other stuff. Raven winced at imagining this ordeal, with his endurance winning him no bonus rewards this time. So he had to fight. It was not only his character¡¯s life at stake but also his reputation as a player. The more attackers he¡¯d kill, the better. Spitting and scowling at the crowd, Raven estimated his monetary losses and the amount of secrets he¡¯d have to reveal and, cursing the damn bastards, he activated his Golden Dragon Form. It was time to use the skills he had acquired on his long break in the royal palace. The first was a passive skill that¡¯d change the dragon¡¯s appearance by adding an extra pair of arms. In the future, this skill, combined with a few others, could unlock The Great Golden Dragon¡¯s Way, a transformation similar to the one Raven had been in during the Shadow Order¡¯s challenge. At higher levels, it¡¯d also enable him to wield four weapons at once.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The second was Tribute Collector ¡ª another passive skill that increased his in-battle speed by eight percent. The description said that dragons were creatures that piled gold with incredible speed, and they needed to be fast enough to do that. The third skill, Greedy Stare, stunned the enemy for three seconds, transforming them into a golden statue and lending hundred percent resistance to physical attacks but increasing mental and magic damage by fifteen percent. And the last one... CRIME Active skill: Apprentice He who offends the dragon should be punished. The dragon grips the target with its tail and strikes it on the ground, with a possibility of burying the target. Damage: 650-785 Effects: DIZZINESS Duration: 2 sec Physical defense -24% Chance of burying: 11% Energy required: 230 Cooldown: 3 min Raven had learned this skill because of the skill tree it unlocked: Crime¡ªSentence¡ªPunishment¡ªExecution¡ªTotal Destruction. The description of that final skill had made Raven determined to learn it, despite the great cost. Two men came ahead, rapidly approaching Raven. One was a rogue. He tried to activate Stealth, but the monster in front of him kicked the snow pile with force, sending it to his face and interrupting the casting. Leaving deep prints in the ground, the dragon jumped to the other player, the wizard, throwing Air Knife to his face. The wizard put a magic shield up, activating the trap he had flung toward the enemy¡¯s feet. Raven instantly leapt aside. When the wizard was about to cast another spell, the rogue changed his direction in the air, using a gust of wind as a platform. The next moment a hole appeared in his enemy¡¯s chest; two dragon paws ripped the wizard¡¯s arms off and flung one at his companion who rushing to his aid, slowing him down. The enemy rogue dodged using Stealth and, rounding Raven, applied one of his most powerful skills: The Bloody Night Rhythm, increasing damage by 150% when combined with Stealth and debuffing the target¡¯s regeneration, taking five HP with every second and reducing in-battle HP by hundred. Due to Raven¡¯s great physical resistance, the damage was negligible. Wheeling round to the other rogue, Raven slashed his belly open with Double Attack. His dragon paws flashed like windmill wings. The retreating enemy would¡¯ve died if not for the three other players that had come to his aid. ¡°Fire Print!¡± One of the wizards cast a huge seal at Raven¡¯s feet, locking him in a circle. Leaving this circle, he would¡¯ve received a combined damage from all the attacks he had endured within. It was a great solution to limit Raven¡¯s mobility and ability to counter-attack, but the wizard applying it forgot one thing... Twilight Walker. The shadow cast by the imp flying overhead enabled Raven to cast this skill, avoiding a coordinated magic attack by the three players. ¡°Stop playing with him, guys!¡± Lyncher retrieved a sphere and activated it. ¡°Kill the imp!¡± The ground within 150 feet quivered and a black-and-green wave came through the air, creating a half-transparent shroud of the same colors. With a crackling sound, it repelled everyone but the Faceless Army players away from the battlefield. ATTENTION! The Life and Death Sphere has been activated by the Faceless Army clan. You will not be able to leave this area while the caster is alive. You will receive 10 damage points every 5 seconds. Staying in the small shade, Raven smirked at reading this message. His red highlighted nickname would¡¯ve granted his killers a hundred percent chance of taking all his items if not for the Locket. Praising himself for remembering to re-write his return point in advance, Raven came out of the shadow, ready for reaping.