《Hidden Class: Pacifist | STUBBED》 Prologue ¡°I declare open this session of the rageaholics.¡± Doctor Hilstone was the shortest person in the room. He wore a white shirt unbuttoned at the top, a simple black tie in a loose knot, and a pair of comfortable sneakers. Regardless of the day of the week, it always looked like it had been two days since he had last shaven. Roth liked that Doctor Hilstone had always seemed more bothered about not being allowed to wear more comfortable clothes than about being surrounded by convicted criminals much taller than him. The doctor stood at the center of the ring of chairs. Amid the prisoners¡¯ oranges and the wardens¡¯ blacks, the doctor was the only one in the room wearing white. But colors didn¡¯t matter here. In the ring, there were neither jailers nor jailed, just men. Everything else was left out of the circle. Of course, two wardens watched the session from near the door while holding their stun guns. However, their posture was easy, and they were visibly relaxed. In all the years the program had been running, there had never been any incidents during one of the sessions. ¡°Who¡¯d like to go first?¡± asked the doctor with an easy smile and a friendly voice. Something about the doctor sometimes made Roth forget that he, too, was a prisoner. Earlier in the day, when Roth had looked into the mirror, he saw someone young but tired. Prison and guilt had aged him. He had the same wrinkle on his forehead that his father had developed much later in life, and the bags under his eyes had become a permanent facial feature. Roth raised his hand. ¡°Please, Roth,¡± prompted the doctor. He cleared his throat and addressed his fellow rageaholics. ¡°Hello, everyone; I¡¯m Roth.¡± ¡°Hello, Roth!¡± everyone chanted in unison. ¡°I have an announcement to make. This is going to be my last session with you guys.¡± A buzz of excitement ran through the group. Everyone seemed pleased with the good news, especially Drake. He gave Roth a proud smile. ¡°You gettin¡¯ out, Roth?¡± one of the other inmates asked. ¡°I¡¯ve done my time,¡± he answered radiantly. ¡°We¡¯re very happy for you, Roth,¡± added the counselor. ¡°Anyway, you all have made a big difference in my life. I¡¯m sad to leave you. Before I go, I want to share my journey to conquer my temper. I haven¡¯t always been the most outspoken in our group. You only know bits and pieces of my story. Today was my last chance, and I should be brave enough to share my experiences. Hopefully, you can learn from my mistakes and see that you, too, can deal with a short fuse.¡± Roth appreciated the inviting silence of the group. This was a safe space. A sacred space. It was so because no one dared to break its sanctity. ¡°Go ahead, Roth. Please tell us about your journey.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always had a short temper. I don¡¯t know why. As a kid, I always threw tantrums. I lashed out at everyone. I bit and scratched my brothers. I was quite a handful. As I grew, it got worse. I started getting into fights a lot. At first, it was just goofing around, you know? But the fighting became tougher. In my free time, I would¡­¡± Roth felt a catch in his throat and fought not to lose his composure. Everyone respectfully waited. He tried again. ¡°I used to love hurting animals too. The sight of their pain used to excite me,¡± he said, disgusted and embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s OK, Roth. Many of us here can relate. That is all in the past, though. You were just a misguided child. You¡¯re a different man now. It¡¯s OK. Please continue.¡± Emboldened by the doctor¡¯s encouragement, Roth regained his composure and tried to continue. ¡°So, I got into trouble a lot. My dad was always working, trying to provide for us. He traveled constantly. He had a second job on weekends. We hardly ever saw him. I would wander around the neighborhood and cause trouble. In my teenage years, my poor mama often picked me up from the police station. She knew all the policemen in town, and they all knew me. They told her that I was headed for disaster. She tried to help me in whatever way she could. But I was just too proud and angry. Then, one day, I found an escape. I thought it was a cure: AVR.¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The release of cheaper, easily accessible augmented virtual reality technology changed the planet overnight. In the blink of an eye, humanity was shown a new world. The gaming industry, especially, had been revolutionized. Players didn¡¯t just play by looking at a screen and moving a joystick anymore. They fully immersed themselves. All senses were engaged. The technology allowed one to see, hear, smell, taste, and feel the virtual world, making it almost impossible to tell the difference between the game and reality. The gap only became smaller as technology developed. ¡°The games were so realistic. Inside these new games, killing an animal or beating someone up felt the same as doing it in the real world. And as I wasn¡¯t caught by the police or seen by my mom¡­.¡± Roth saw some of the others at the meeting nodding sadly. He had heard many say similar things inside this ring. Augmented virtual reality was a trigger for many of them here. It was easier to reveal the darkest parts of one¡¯s personality when there was full anonymity and zero accountability. From there, things often escalated. It¡¯s easier to commit a crime in real life if someone has done it many times in virtual reality. After all, everything becomes easier with practice. ¡°I completely dove into the world of gaming. At first, I stayed out of trouble in reality, and my mom was happy for me. I spent all my days venting my anger inside the game, which seemed to calm me down. The Slayer, they called me.¡± ¡°Wait? Are you talking about New Earth? You were the Slayer? From the Helmling battle?¡± Roth nodded embarrassedly. ¡°Committing violence inside the game was a legal way to let out my anger. For some time, things started to go well for me. I was good at fighting, and that was a marketable skill inside the game. My viciousness and anger were noticed. I was hired, and my fury was put to use by a wealthy guild. I signed a contract with a big gaming company and lived comfortably. Things went on like that for a while.¡± He paused. ¡°Then, what happened?¡± asked another inmate. Roth remembered this was his second meeting. He had never heard Roth¡¯s story. ¡°Well, I thought keeping my outbursts in-game was good for me, you know? Finally, there was a way to get off on violence without hurting anyone. But you start going down a dark path. You start doing things that you would never do in the real world. Vandalism. Looting. Thievery. Aggravated assault. Murder. And so on. Before I knew it, my mind had been conditioned to act on my impulses. Eventually, someone used my rage against me. It¡¯s not difficult to make someone violent do what you want. You shake him up and put a target in front of him.¡± It became hard to speak again. ¡°I hurt my friends and cost my guild a truckload of money. I was sued, fired, and forced to pay repairs to my company. I lost everything. Then, I went after the person who had provoked me. I beat him up in the real world. Hard. It was a miracle I didn¡¯t kill him. Nonetheless, because of this, I was sentenced to jail and have been here for four years. During the first few months, I stuck to my stubborn ways. I was angrier than I had ever been. I got into fights with other prisoners often.¡± Some of the prisoners chuckled. Roth saw that the ones laughing were ones he had gotten into fights with when he first arrived. ¡°One day, everything changed. I received a letter from my mama. It said... I had missed my pa¡¯s funeral.¡± Roth could no longer hold back the tears. ¡°Ma says that his heart couldn¡¯t handle the grief of his boy being locked up. That¡¯s when I knew I needed help.¡± Other inmates started tearing up. ¡°Recognizing the problem is the first step toward the solution,¡± said the doctor encouragingly. ¡°To look at yourself and to see the abyss within requires courage. What you did was very brave.¡± ¡°I lost my friends, job, freedom, and dad all because of rage. This program saved me.¡± ¡°Could you please share with us what steps of the program were especially helpful to you?¡± ¡°I have to say that what helped most was when I was assigned to care for a little chick. There is something special about caring for something and seeing it grow. It awakens something in you. Taking care of that little friend softened me up. It affected me so much that I can¡¯t bear the sight of meat to this day. Just the thought of an animal being hurt tears me apart, you know?¡± ¡°What else, Roth?¡± asked the doctor. ¡°Sponsoring. Helping someone else goes a long way toward mastering your weaknesses. I was blessed to have three great guys I sponsored who have become my lifelong friends.¡± ¡°Right on!¡± shouted one bald man with tattoos covering his whole body. He had been the second rageaholic that Roth had sponsored. Roth gave him a quick thumbs-up. ¡°I¡¯m now a better man. It was a long road, and I¡¯ve had a few relapses. But I can say with all my heart that where there was only anger, there¡¯s now deep shame, and where there was only violence, there¡¯s guilt. I¡¯m Roth, and I¡¯m a rageholic. Thank you for helping me come this far.¡± Everyone clapped. ¡°Well done, Roth. You¡¯ve made great progress and are such an encouragement to everyone here. Keep going! This is one more step on your journey. We hope that things go well for you out there.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Roth wondered if things really would go well for him. Even when a man changes, he cannot change his past. His was a nasty one. He had left many people hurt in his wake, and he wondered how they would react to his early release. Ch. 1 - Leaving Prison Roth squinted as he came out through the prison door. His eyes took a few seconds to adjust to the bright daylight. ¡°Hurry up, you dumb fatso!¡± screamed one of the guards that was behind him. He was half as tall as Roth but did not seem afraid of him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± replied Roth as he got moving again. ¡°Whatever. Just hurry up. The faster you leave this joint, the faster you will be someone else¡¯s problem.¡± Roth had been given the clothes he had on when he was thrown in here. Simple jeans, and a white T-shirt. They were good quality but nothing fancy. An Autumn breeze was blowing, and he felt the hairs in his arms stand up and shivers down his back. The guards herded him out of prison. Turning, he said goodbye to them. ¡°Thank you for bringing me out here, wardens.¡± ¡°Tsk. Whatever, man. Just stay out of trouble, you hear me?¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said Roth. He felt like singing at the prospect of being outside for the first time, but the guard stared at him awkwardly. Roth wondered if he was waiting for him to respond to his provocation or if there was some sort of protocol that was still left to go through. After a few more disconcerting silent moments, the older warden sighed and walked away, followed by his younger colleague. Roth left his eyes lingering on the jail where he had lived for the last four years. It was a stark fortress with barbed wire around the whole perimeter. Strange. The sky out here was the same as the one he saw through the bars of the window in his cell or the one he could see when they had some time out in the playground. But it felt wider and bluer here. It was a trick played by his mind. How could the same sky have different colors or sizes depending on what side of a wall you were on? Done with nostalgia, Roth started to look around, trying to find whoever was coming to pick him up. He had sent a letter to his mother, and she said she would make arrangements for him. Poor mom. She didn¡¯t drive. Maybe she had called for a cab, or one of his brothers had taken a day off work to pick him up. ¡°Slayer! I¡¯ll be darned. It¡¯s been too long!¡± Roth looked around and found the person calling him out from a distance. He was dressed casually, with a blue blazer over a green T-shirt. The man was lean but looked older than Roth remembered. He used to have long hair but now had a longer forehead and a neatly trimmed haircut. This was his old squad¡¯s lieutenant, Wilson. Before Roth was sent to jail, they had played New Earth together. Now that he thought about it, he had no idea if that was still the most played MMORPG or if it was as popular as it used to be. Wilson had been his buddy in school, and they had joined the game together when it first came out back in the day. They had fought many battles shoulder to shoulder and had been good friends. Had been. Not anymore. ¡°Wilson? It¡¯s you.¡± Roth was shocked. He¡¯d never thought that Wilson would have wanted to see him again after what he had done. They hadn¡¯t parted ways on good terms years ago. ¡°Ahaha. Captain! Look at you! Still big and scary as always.¡± ¡°Wilson¡­¡± Roth took an agile step forward and hugged Wilson. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Wilson. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Slayer, what in the world, man? You¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Wilson. Because of me, I threw away all that you and the guys built. I lost my temper. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°Let go of me, Slayer. Let go of me.¡± Roth backed off, straightening his clothes up and clearing his throat. ¡°Slayer, what happened to you, man? Since when do you cry or apologize?¡± ¡°Please, don¡¯t call me that. Just call me Roth. I don¡¯t want to be called the Slayer anymore.¡± Wilson¡¯s eyes widened. Roth could see he was having a hard time putting the words together. ¡°You realize that you once broke my nose for not calling you Slayer. Can you promise me you won¡¯t do that today?¡± Roth nodded. ¡°Yeah¡­ I remember that. That was uncalled for. Sorry, Wilson.¡± ¡°Captain, you seem¡­ different.¡± ¡°I know. I know. Thank you for picking me up, Wilson.¡± Wilson turned abruptly when he heard him say thank you. For him to react so strongly to these little things just went on to show how much of a jerk he was. Roth tried to move the conversation along. ¡°Did ma ask you to come?¡± ¡°Uhh... Come on. I¡¯ll explain it to you inside the car.¡± ¡°OK, Wilson. You lead the way.¡± As the car took off, Roth noticed that Wilson avoided making eye contact. Was it because he had embarrassed him? Now that he thought about it, embracing him in tears might have been too much too soon. He sighed. The joy of leaving prison was fading too fast. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Roth, your mother called and asked me to pick you up. She did that because she wanted me to tell you she doesn¡¯t want to see you anymore.¡± ¡°What?¡± asked Roth with a sick feeling in his stomach. ¡°What? Why? In her letters¡­ in her letters, she said¡­ she said it¡¯d be OK if I moved in with her.¡± Roth felt dizzy and an unpleasant tingling in his skin. ¡°Well, what can I say, Roth? She¡¯s changed her mind. What you¡¯ve done to your father is something that she thought she could get over, but she can¡¯t. She can¡¯t forgive you. You know how upset he was when you were arrested.¡± Roth felt his world crumbling underneath him. He had thought that he had come to terms with his father¡¯s passing and that he had made peace with his mom, even if only by letter. Even his brothers seemed to have forgiven him. Why would they build his hopes up only to destroy him like this? He started to sob. ¡°Hey. Hey. Don¡¯t get angry. Calm down. Calm down. Don¡¯t worry, Roth. You¡¯ll be taken care of. I got you covered. I did quite alright for myself, you see. I have rented a room for you and even bought a top-tier capsule for a new game that came out a couple of years ago. It¡¯s kind of like New Earth but a bit more complex. Everyone¡¯s playing it now. You can make a living in gaming just as you used to. Your life will return to what it was before you know it. Just don¡¯t freak out. Remember that I¡¯m driving.¡± Roth was too broken to explain to Wilson that he wasn¡¯t angry. These were tears of sadness, not of anger. What he said about his mother and father had hit him hard. He felt like a glass jar carefully pieced together after being broken, only to fall to the floor again and shatter into even smaller pieces. ¡°Hey, Slay¡­ I mean, Roth. Don¡¯t worry. Your mother probably needs some time. I¡¯ll get you all set up, and you¡¯ll see that everything will return to how it used to be.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t accept your money, Wilson. I ruined the guild. What I did cost you millions of credits. I can¡¯t in good conscience ask for anything else from you. Besides, I don¡¯t think I have it in me to return to doing what I used to. It¡¯s not good for my mental health.¡± ¡°What in the world are you talking about? What is this mental health nonsense?¡± Roth didn¡¯t reply, letting out a few more tears. ¡°Come on, Roth. It¡¯s like riding a bike. Your gaming instincts are top-notch. You¡¯ll get back into it before you know it. You can make a decent living in the game.¡± Roth felt that what Wilson was saying was all being spoken underwater. He heard the words but couldn¡¯t get their meaning. ¡°Listen, man, it¡¯s fine. As I told you, I¡¯m not having any money problems.¡± In the back of his mind, Roth found it strange that Wilson was saying this while still driving his crappy old car. It was all too much. Seeing Wilson, and being told about his mother, had opened up old wounds. After ten minutes of driving, they made it to an apartment building. It was a cookie-cutter housing project that one could find in many of the poorer neighborhoods in town. ¡°I know it¡¯s not much, but it¡¯ll do until you get back on your feet.¡± Roth sheepishly followed Wilson as he took him into the apartment. It was dingy and moist, and it only had one bedroom. When Roth put his duffel bag on the bed, it squeaked loudly. Roth¡¯s quarters in prison were nicer than this. ¡°Let me show you to the gaming pod!¡± said Wilson excitedly. ¡°Wilson, I¡¯m not sure I even want to return to gaming, man. It did me no good to spend all those hours inside a VR environment.¡± ¡°Come on, Roth, you know how expensive this thing was. I went to great lengths to ensure you have what you need to get back on your feet. The very least you can do for me is to give it a go.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Wilson. I¡¯m a different person now. I don¡¯t want to play those violent games anymore.¡± ¡°What in the world has happened to you? Have you become a monk or something? You¡¯re the Slayer! The bloodthirsty berserker!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to, Wilson.¡± ¡°Come on, Roth. You owe me.¡± At the mention of owing, Roth looked up at Wilson and found him staring at him angrily. Roth gulped. He only knew how much debt he had left to his former squad. He could only imagine the hardships they had gone through because of him. He let out a deep sigh. ¡°Of course, Wilson. It¡¯s the least I can do. I¡¯ll try the gaming pod.¡± Wilson returned to his cheerful self. ¡°Wonderful! Wait until you see these graphics, man. They are insane. The game that is all the rage right now is AstroTerra. It¡¯s an MMORPG not too different from New Earth, but it has a cool new concept with alignments. You are going to love it, I promise you. The gaming pods are also excellent. You can smell what¡¯s around you and feel pain, just like in the real world. You can¡¯t tell the difference between inside the game and outside. The cool thing is that you can sleep inside these new pods. You can sleep twenty-four hours a day with no problem!¡± Roth didn¡¯t feel like playing games now. Games had ruined his life and were a trigger for him. He just wanted to live peacefully and do some good in his life. But he had done unspeakable things to Wilson; the least he could do was humor him for a while. He had found him an apartment and everything. ¡°Step in, Roth!¡± Roth moved into the pod. The inside of the sleek metal pod was made of soft gel. Roth felt like he was hanging in the air. ¡°You gotta admit. Cool, uh?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Create a quick character just to try things out. I¡¯ve got a VR helmet in the car. I¡¯ll go get it quick and join you.¡± Roth remembered that VR helmets were portable devices that allowed one to play the game, albeit without the realism that a pod provided. ¡°Sure,¡± sighed Roth. ¡°Quick. What name will you give your character?¡± ¡°Just Roth.¡± ¡°OK. Choose Greenfield Village as a starting point. I¡¯ll come and show you the ropes.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon, Roth.¡± Wilson closed the lid of the pod and waited for all the lights to turn on. The pod was activated, and his sight went dark. Wilson sighed in relief. He had been terrified for every second of the trip. He thought Roth would go on a rampage when he mentioned that his mom didn¡¯t want to see him. The Roth he used to know would beat him into a pulp in the blink of an eye. But from now on, he was safe. Roth¡¯s nervous system had been linked to the capsule, and he could only move inside the game. He was locked out of reality and at their mercy. It was time for some payback. Wilson picked up the phone. ¡°Gary, it¡¯s done. I got him into the tampered capsule. He is all ours.¡± Ch. 2 - Welcome to AstroTerra Roth opened his eyes. He was hovering in a dark space. He looked at his hands and tried to move them. Amazing. Other than the ridiculous setting of floating in outer space, he couldn¡¯t tell he wasn¡¯t in the real world. This was an unprecedented level of realism. It was a pleasant feeling, as much as Roth didn¡¯t want to admit it. What boy doesn¡¯t dream of becoming an explorer, an astronaut, or seeing another world? Humanity achieved this through augmented virtual reality. System Calibrating 15%, 28%... From what he could tell, the technology of the gaming pods hadn¡¯t changed much since the last time he¡¯d used them. Every time a player entered a new gaming pod, it took time for the system to measure all the biometrics and calibrate. This ensured the best possible gaming experience. Roth tried to imagine the capsule gel slowly adjusting to his body and an IV being painlessly inserted in his arm so that nutrients would go in and his blood could also be cleaned. Of course, that was all he could do: imagine it. When one was in the gaming pod, it connected directly to the human nervous system. All motor commands were blocked. If one sent the mental command for the arm to move, the gaming pod intercepted it and sent it into the simulated avatar rather than the actual body. Conversely, as the IV pierced his skin, the system intercepted the feeling of pain, and the brain didn¡¯t register it. Calibration was an important step, especially for hardcore gamers. Games that relied heavily on motor skills were widely popular. The slightest discrepancy could result in a sword being swung too short or a step too long. That was all it took to lose a fight in competitive gaming. Roth remembered with some frustration that this had been one of the few things he hadn¡¯t liked about New Earth. The system often deviated, and he had to fine-tune it every time he PvP¡¯d. It was a pain in the neck. He hoped that they had fixed it in this game. Well, not that he was thinking of doing any PvPing. Calibration complete. The stark black became slightly illuminated by increasingly brighter points of light. Stars, he realized. Nothing happened for a while. Roth tried to look up and down to get a 360-degree view. Finally, below him, he spotted a beautiful blue and green gem amid the dark space: Earth. A loud, thundering voice spoke up as soon as he saw his home planet. ¡°Welcome¡­ to AstroTerra.¡± Roth took a moment to think that, since this was outer space, it made no sense that he could hear a voice. It was not logical that he could be floating in outer space without a mask or space suit, though. Oh well. It¡¯s just a game, he thought. A meteor swooshed over his head. It was ugly, alien, and massive. It menacingly accelerated toward the planet. As planetary defenses were engaged, blasts of energy targeted it. The explosions he saw as the barrage made contact with the meteor shook him. What firepower. So this means, thought Roth, that the game is in some futuristic setting. I have been in prison for four years, but I am pretty sure we don¡¯t have a planetary defense system. The powerful energy beams and cannon shots didn¡¯t slow the meteor down. The shooting intensified. Rounds upon rounds of shattering shots were fired until the meteor finally gave, cracked, and broke into many smaller pieces. Although much of the meteor was no longer on a collision course with Earth, the smaller meteorites started entering the planet¡¯s atmosphere. They became little streaks of fire showering the planet. ¡°This was the day that fire rained down from heaven.¡± Without realizing it, a woman had come to his side and admired the destructive scene alongside him. She was a blonde woman, shorter than he was. She looked ahead and beyond as if she could see everything happening on Earth as if it were right in front of her. Roth realized it had been four years since he had seen a woman. ¡°The fire rain changed everything. First, we discovered that none of our technology worked as well as it used to. Our cities¡¯ defense shields, jets, tanks, computers, satellites, and submarines¡­ all became obsolete and worthless. Our robots, who served us, became crazy and turned on us. Then, sightings of alien monsters and strange creatures began. Reports of war and burning cities followed. The animals started speaking and developing mutations. We thought that animals would help us defend our planet, but we had mistreated our fellow earthly creatures for too long. They refused to assist us. Finally, in our direst straits, our potential awoke.¡± Roth felt vertigo in his stomach as he fell at an incredible, impossible speed toward the planet¡¯s surface. He couldn¡¯t stop marveling at the realism of this virtual reality. It was incredible. ¡°Our children started to show incredible abilities. Super-human strength. Incredible speed. Telekinesis. Energy blasts.¡± The cinematic went about showing humans performing different feats. Roth understood from his previous gaming experience that this was an introduction to the different classes available to be played in the game. He first saw a big, burly man wearing a metal shield and a hammer. He hit a robot¡¯s arm and broke it into bits. He guessed this was the warrior class. Then he saw someone appear and disappear as if teleporting, then slice another of the robot¡¯s arms in half. He guessed that this was some rogue or thief class. A scene followed where a woman made rocks on the ground levitate and projected them against the machine, causing holes in its fuselage. Maybe some esper class? The video showed someone helping others recover from injuries and forming energy shields around them to protect them. This would be the healer class. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°The rock that fell from space... We now call it Astro. It changed us. It changed everything. We later found out that the rock was made of congealed reality. The elements of creation fractured when the impact occurred, and now the world is divided. Maybe one day we will again unite reality and bring peace to the planet.¡± Cool storyline, thought Roth. It was a bit different from the usual fantasy setting. It was a mix of sci-fi and fantasy. The storyline involved mutated animals, aliens, and superpowers. It differed slightly from the MMORPG he had played before going to jail. New Earth was in a medieval fantasy setting. His interest peaked, but soon he forced his excitement to cool. His aggressiveness had been greatly fueled and sharpened in the previous game he played. He had dulled that blade and buried that part of him. After all his effort, he didn¡¯t want to bring his dark side back or make the same mistakes again. The words Wilson spoke to him in the car echoed in his mind. His mother didn¡¯t want to see him. He felt moisture on his face. Touching it, he found out there were tears. Even in this moment of sadness, he was once again astounded by the quality of this game. Four years ago, you couldn¡¯t cry inside a game. The science involved was too complicated. They had worked that out! ¡°Welcome to AstroTerra. In this time when we¡¯re so alone, we thank you for being willing to fight evil and make humanity prosper again.¡± The blonde woman stared blankly at him. He stared back. She felt like a real person. For a moment, Roth wondered if it was a human actress that they had hired to welcome all the players. But that was nonsense. ¡°Please ask any questions you may have. I will do my best to respond to them,¡± she prompted after a few more moments of awkward silence. ¡°Oh, hi. My name is Roth. What¡¯s yours?¡± ¡°My name is Prima. I am responsible for guiding new players. Nice to meet you.¡± Wow. After all, it was an NPC, but this didn¡¯t feel like it was scripted. It was so advanced that it was responding to him. ¡°Let¡¯s see. My first question is: is this a violent game? I don¡¯t like violence,¡± he said, hesitating, ¡°not anymore.¡± ¡°Hmmm. This game is a bit like real life. It is as violent as you want it to be. You can very well spend all your playing hours on the battlefield. On the other hand, some players prefer to be peaceful craftsmen who contribute to the world¡¯s economy and avoid battles. In theory, you could play the game and never once hurt another living soul.¡± Roth was interested. He didn¡¯t have a job yet. He was given some pocket money after he left jail to get by for a few days, but it was a meager amount. If he didn¡¯t find work soon, he would starve. Wilson had already paid for the pod. Nowadays, the economy was inseparable from the gaming industry. He might make a decent living by crafting inside the game. Since he was here, it didn¡¯t hurt to check it out. ¡°Oh, OK. What kind of crafting skills are there? Are there any classes specific to crafting?¡± ¡°In AstroTerra, your character¡¯s class differs from your crafting profession. None of the basic starting classes provide any special bonuses for crafting. As for crafting, there are many professions inside the game. You have carpenters, blacksmiths, jewelers, tinkerers, technomancers, cooks, and chemists. These are the most common ones. But there are other super rare ones. It will be up to you to find them out.¡± So none of the starting classes provided bonuses to craftsmen. Did that mean that other classes did? ¡°OK. How many classes are there?¡± ¡°There are four basic ones. Warrior, rogue, esper, and support. Each of them can branch out into different ones. Legend says there might be some hidden or unique classes if you search hard enough.¡± ¡°How many crafting professions can I have?¡± ¡°You can have two crafting professions at a time. No more than that.¡± Interesting. Growing up, Roth did a lot of the work around the house. In prison, they also had some trade classes that kept them busy. Some of the things they made in the prison¡¯s workshops were sold, and the profits were given to charity. He had found unexpected joy in working with his hands. Perhaps there might be a path for him in this virtual world. If things worked out, he would have to thank Wilson. ¡°Do I have to choose my class now?¡± ¡°No. You can only choose a class at level 10. In theory, you can go the whole game without a class, too, if that¡¯s what you want.¡± ¡°OK! Thank you, Prima.¡± ¡°Will that be all? Any further questions?¡± After some thought, Roth shook his head, signaling he didn¡¯t have any more questions he wanted to ask. ¡°I will send you on your way now. Enjoy AstroTerra.¡± Roth was transported again to the dark space among the stars. He could see planet Earth from afar again. A series of windows appeared in front of him. ¡°Please select your character¡¯s name.¡± ¡°Roth.¡± After some thought, he changed his mind. ¡°I mean, let¡¯s do Pax.¡± If he did make a living as a craftsman inside the game, it would be better not to give his real name. He would tell Wilson later. ¡°Please choose your physical features.¡± Roth just selected random and was shown an appearance not too different from his real one. He still looked well-built, but his nose looked smaller, and his eyes were blue instead of brown. He didn¡¯t mind it. A character window appeared next to his avatar. CHARACTER INFORMATION Name: Pax Race: Human Level: 0 (0/100) Affinity: [Empty] Alignment: Neutral Relationships: [Empty] Titles: [Empty] STATS Hp: 105 Energy: 105 Weight: [Light] - (2/30Kg) Running Speed: 100% Strength: 5 Dexterity: 5 Intelligence: 5 Wisdom: 5 EQUIPMENT Right Hand: [Empty] Left Hand: [Empty] Head: [Beginner''s Hat] Top: [Beginner''s Jacket] Gloves: [Empty] Bottom: [Beginner''s Trousers] Shoes: [Beginner''s Shoes] Cape: [Empty] Accessories: [Empty] SKILLS: Stat Bonuses: [Empty] Passive: [Empty] Active: [Empty] He was such a noob. It was sad to look at. ¡°Would you like to start your journey at a random starting point?¡± ¡°No, I would like to start in Greenfield Village.¡± The darkness erupted into pure light. Roth remembered how earlier he had felt similar when he had left the darkness of prison and made it out into the bright sunlight. As his eyes adjusted, he looked around. He was in a beautiful village. The sky was blue, and the air felt warm and comfortable. But he wasn¡¯t alone. Ch. 3 - The Gang ¡°Mr. Chairman! I¡¯m glad to have caught you between meetings.¡± The owner of Nexus Co. made no effort to disguise his disgust at having to talk to Loki again. ¡°Anything for one of our cherished stockholders.¡± ¡°I was wondering if you had time to review my proposition, Mr. Chairman.¡± ¡°Yes, I have.¡± ¡°And¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid we must refuse, Mr. Loki.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see why? Wouldn¡¯t it be in everyone¡¯s best interest if you accepted?¡± ¡°Listen carefully. I find it highly unethical that you are a shareholder of a gaming company when you are a guild owner; I...¡± ¡°Calm down, Mr. Chairman. You make it sound like I became a shareholder on purpose! I inherited these shares when a dear friend of mine passed. To my dismay and complete surprise, he left me all his shares in your company in his will. I find it highly unfair that you accuse me of unethical behavior!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think you fool me.¡± The man kept his cool, despite Loki¡¯s provocation. ¡°I know what goes on in your building and your debt-collecting operation. You might have found a way to entrap people in my game to pay debts to you. You might have gotten through to my hardware division, and yes, I also know about your little spies inside the company.¡± Loki smirked. He didn¡¯t bother hiding it. There was nothing the chairman could do about it now. He¡¯d been meticulous in doing everything legally. At least, that¡¯s how it looked on paper. Anything under the table had been done by discardable pawns that were either dead or permafrosted. He¡¯d also gone to great lengths to ensure that Nexus would go down with him if he went down. ¡°I won¡¯t have you getting one single paw inside of AstroTerra. What credibility would the game have if you could access inside information? You can use your dirty little lawyers and agents as much as you like. You can even call the senators that are in your pocket. I don¡¯t care. I have ensured that it is impossible for you or any other gaming guild to be involved in the game¡¯s inner workings.¡± Before he could say anything else to the chairman, he hung up on Loki. Only a few people left on the planet dared to do that to him. People make mistakes when angry, but it was challenging to rile this man up. The secret was to provoke an adversary enough, but not so much that he snapped. Looking at his paralyzed legs, he allowed himself a smile. Yes. Today was the day he finally got his revenge. It hadn¡¯t been easy to be so extraordinarily patient. How often had he considered having that brute¡¯s life terminated in prison? Or to send him a picture of his dead relatives? He had waited all this time to inflict him with the most pain possible. He wondered how the lot of disposable pawns he¡¯d nurtured over the years were doing. He couldn¡¯t wait to see the footage they were preparing for him. * ¡°What if the Slayer doesn¡¯t get into the pod?¡± asked the girl in blue robes. Both girls had been the hardest ones to convince to get on board. After all, this was a one-way trip. ¡°He will. We¡¯ve been through this millions of times, Shirley. The Slayer is a gaming freak. Do you think he will resist trying out the pod or reliving his glory days? Besides, that¡¯s why we sent Wilson. He has a silver tongue when he wants to.¡± ¡°But what if he doesn¡¯t?¡± ¡°He will,¡± assured Gary. Brian sat under the tree, silent as ever. He had been closest to Roth but, surprisingly, had been the first to accept Loki¡¯s deal. Gary wondered if it was because the closest you are to someone, the harder their betrayal hits you. Most likely, it was because he was the only one here with kids. ¡°What if his mom comes looking for him?¡± insisted Shirley. Gary grimaced. They had all known Mrs. Bessie growing up. She had been a force to be reckoned with in their neighborhood. Growing up, he learned fear of the Slayer and respect for Mrs. Bessie. But the dread he had of Loki was far more significant. He owned them. There was no saying no to that psycho. ¡°She won¡¯t. Loki got that letter made for her. You all know how good his forgers are. Even the hologram stamp on the right upper corner is indistinguishable from the real thing.¡± ¡°What else would you expect from that weasel... Makes you wonder how much of his empire is built on forgeries,¡± contributed Xana. She was the kindest of all of six, well, five. Roth was no longer one of them. How low they all had fallen for her once pure soul to have become dark enough to agree with what they were about to do. ¡°What if she tries calling the prison to learn more about what happened?¡± ¡°You know as well as I do how powerful Loki is. I can¡¯t believe he hasn¡¯t covered that.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°What if he asks for help from other players? Or asks them to call game support for him?¡± Gary begged for Xana¡¯s help with his eyes. ¡°Shirley, we¡¯ve been through this already,¡± said Xana soothingly. ¡°Calm down. He can talk to players, but if they ask game support to help him, they will be blocked by Loki¡¯s people. Anyone looking up his information will only see the case file he forged.¡± ¡°What if someone calls the police? You know? He makes friends with someone, makes them feel sorry for them, and has them call the police to help him?¡± ¡°Shirley, how would Loki be able to keep whole floors full of capsules with permafrosted slaves if he didn¡¯t have a way to get away with it?¡± Gary bit his lip at the thought of his family becoming one of the people locked away in Loki¡¯s basement. Since he became indebted to Loki, he had wondered why he wasn¡¯t sent down to join a farming team. Why hadn¡¯t Loki permafrosted him too? For some time, he told himself that it was because of how talented he and the gang were. They weren¡¯t as skillful as Roth, but they were pretty good. He told himself that Loki had recognized their talent and valued them for it. A few weeks back, when they had been made this offer, he finally understood Loki¡¯s patience. ¡°We have no choice but to trust Loki. He said that he¡¯d take care of that if it came to it. Let¡¯s trust he will.¡± Gary tried his best not to let his voice tremble or for Shirley to see how hard he was closing his fist. On the one hand, he didn¡¯t want to put his freedom and life in the hands of that snake. On the other, what choice did they have? This was their only chance to escape the mud pit and ensure the debt wasn¡¯t passed on to their families. Another player materialized inside the village. His gloomy expression heavily contrasted with the beautiful spring day in Green Country. ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± he announced. ¡°He got in?¡± asked Shirley urgently. ¡°Yes. He¡¯s in. There¡¯s no coming out now, no turning back.¡± ¡°You used the ¡®mom¡¯ card?¡± ¡°Yes. He was completely out of it. He... no. Never mind.¡± ¡°What?¡± asked Shirley. ¡°He what?¡± ¡°He held on to me, crying and apologizing for what he had done.¡± Gary was stunned hearing this. That was entirely out of character for the Slayer he knew. ¡°He seems different.¡± ¡°Wilson,¡± Gary said the word through clenched teeth, ¡°what are you saying?¡± ¡°He¡¯s throwing the question out there. The question that all of us are thinking and none are talking about.¡± Brian had remained under the shadow of a nearby tree and was so silent and still that Shirley even jumped in fright when he entered the conversation. He had a way of blending in and remaining quiet until he was sure no one else would say what he wanted to. ¡°What question?¡± asked Shirley. ¡°Are we actually going to do this?¡± completed Xana. The group was silent for a few moments. ¡°We¡¯ve been over this many times. If we don¡¯t do this, our debt won¡¯t disappear, and Loki will go after our families. We have worked for him for years, and our debt has only grown. Besides, the Slayer isn¡¯t innocent in all of this. We trusted him when we went into that loan. We trusted him when we all signed that cursed contract with Loki. What did he do for us in return?¡± Gary left the question hanging in the air. He searched for hesitation in the eyes of the squad but only found the renewed determination he was fueling. ¡°He sold us to that devil. Even if we wanted to, we¡¯re so caught up in his evil web that we can¡¯t turn back. It¡¯s us and our families or him now.¡± Gary sighed in relief, seeing everyone exchanging looks and silently nodding. ¡°Remember. We are all just going to scare him. This is just a game, right?¡± Everyone avoided eye contact with Gary. It was a flimsy excuse, and they all knew it. ¡°All that he¡¯s going to feel is in his imagination. His body will be comfortably inside the pod.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand why he¡¯s not here to do this himself. Why not send Zin? Or Xerxes? Or someone else? Why does he have to get us involved? And why not just permafrost him like the others?¡± asked Wilson. Gary bit his lip. He had suspicions but preferred not to share them with the group. It would only hurt morale. There had to be a reason why Loki kept them around for this long and why he was making sure Roth was being permafrosted outside his facilities. What he wanted to do this time was different. It was worse. It was so cruel that even he, powerful as he was, feared it being traced back to him. When the police came looking for suspects, it would be easy to blame it on someone related to the victim and with a motive. Cursed be that wretched monster. We¡¯re only scapegoats to him. Before he could dodge the issue, Brian spoke his theory. ¡°It¡¯s because he knows it will hurt the Slayer the most if the ones hitting him are us, his former friends.¡± Gary hadn¡¯t considered that side of things. ¡°As for him not being here himself, perhaps it¡¯s because he wants the Slayer to know that he is a nobody. He wants to make the Slayer feel he is unimportant. Someone who doesn¡¯t even merit his presence to torture him.¡± Or because he doesn¡¯t want to be implicated in this. Or even, because he takes pleasure in manipulating others into doing horrible things thought Gary. ¡°I think he¡¯s just terrified of Roth. You all saw what he did to him. Remember? 22 broken bones? He looked like a half-dead mummy after Roth beat him to a pulp. His pasty figure can¡¯t even leave his force shield¡¯s safety, much less his tower.¡± Gary couldn¡¯t help looking over his shoulder to ensure that none of Loki¡¯s spies were listening. If they brought word of Shirley¡¯s sass, they would all be in a world of trouble. ¡°Shut up, Shirley. What if someone hears you!¡± warned Xana. A new player materialized inside the square. It was a girl. They ignored her. Gary mentally reviewed the script Loki had given them. He also checked he had the item needed for this operation. To waste an epic-grade consumable for something like this just went to show how much Loki hated the Slayer. He had planned things out to the smallest detail. What kind of sick mind plans so thoroughly for someone else¡¯s pain? He had even given them lines that they had to read to Roth. What kind of desperate soul chooses to help that sick mind fulfill its fantasies? Our kind, he realized as he looked at the eyes of his mates. They all hated the Slayer for what he had put them through. They all wanted payback. But this was too much. A few seconds later, a new player materialized. He had a large build and broad shoulders. His jaw was squared. Although the face differed from what Gary remembered, he could see the resemblance to the Slayer. Gary turned on his observation skill to read the name of the avatar. Pax. It wasn¡¯t Roth. Gary gestured to Wilson toward the newcomer. Wilson went on to confirm the identity of the new arrival. ¡°Roth...?¡± ¡°Wilson...?¡± Their target had arrived. Ch. 4 - Torture ¡°Roth?¡± someone asked tentatively. ¡°Wilson?¡± responded Roth. Like Roth, Wilson had chosen an appearance that wasn¡¯t too different from his real one. His build was slightly similar, but he was taller and more muscled. He was covered in dark purple armor that had tigers painted on it. He held a halberd. Roth guessed he was a warrior. ¡°Do you recognize me, Slayer?¡± another voice asked appreciatively. Roth looked around. He noticed that different players surrounded him. None of them looked friendly. Out in the distance, he saw a few others who were visibly beginners, such as himself. They looked curiously from far away at the high-level players surrounding him. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think so.¡± Before Roth could take a good look at him, the man took a globe from his inventory and threw it into the ground. A barrier sprung from the globe and enveloped Roth and those around him. You have entered GraveDigger¡¯s [Spatial Globe]. ¡°Now, we can have some privacy.¡± The player stepped forward and slapped him. Roth felt piercing pain as the hand connected to his face. It felt like a dentist had decided to drill his teeth without giving him any anesthesia. His mind went blank, and a message appeared in front of him. GraveDigger has attacked you. -3674 You have died. When you die, you lose a level, and one of your stats will drop. As this is your first death, no penalty will be applied. You will be brought back to your last saving point. Roth¡¯s avatar again materialized in the village. All the players encircling him were still there, waiting. Roth¡¯s fighting instincts tried to surface in his mind, but he forced them down. Nevertheless, he could tell that he was in trouble. Feeling this amount of pain inside the game shouldn¡¯t be natural. ¡°That hurt, didn¡¯t it?¡± asked the man who had slapped him. Roth regarded him seriously. He tried to show no emotion. When you¡¯re bullied, the worst thing you can do is show fear. He knew. He¡¯d bullied many in the past, and whenever someone looked scared, it only made him angrier and meaner. ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked the man who had slapped him. He wore army green leather armor made of patched pieces of tough leather that harmoniously formed a fabulous garment. He had one golden earring in one of his ears and a predatory look in his eyes. ¡°I am Gary, one of your old mates, Slayer.¡± ¡°Gary¡­¡± It made sense. Gary had always enjoyed playing with Rogue classes. He could now see the resemblance to his former classmate and guild member. For a moment, Roth stood in a daze. They had been friends for many years. The emotional shock hit him harder than the earlier hand slap that had killed his avatar. ¡°Gary, first of all, I want to tell you how sorry¡­¡± Another slap, another burst of pain. GraveDigger has attacked you. -3842 You have died. You are Level 0. You lost 1 strength. You''ll need physiotherapy. You will be brought back to your last saving point. Roth came back again. Heavy breaths. He now knew what was going on. He had seen it happen many times in prison. He was being ganged up on. ¡°I see. So, I guess that makes you Shirley,¡± he said, looking at a girl in bluish robes to his right. She was utterly different from his memory, but she had always liked playing caster classes, and her equipment suggested that this was the case. ¡°And you would be Brian,¡± he said to a man who wore a black bandana and a turtleneck that covered his mouth. Only his eyes were visible. Another sort of rogue class. ¡°And that makes you Xana,¡± he said, looking at a girl wearing some sort of robotic armor. She was the one who spoke next. ¡°How long has it been since you went to prison, Slayer? Four years? Since then, there¡¯s been this new thing called Permafrosting. Have you heard of it?¡± Roth thought it was better not to respond. She rushed to him and punched him in the belly. He felt the air leave his lungs, and once again, he died. You have been attacked by ScrappyMecha. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. -2564 You have died. You are Level 0. You lost 2 dexterity. You''ll need physiotherapy. You will be brought back to your last saving point. Roth came back. He was in excruciating pain but tried his best not to show it. ¡°Basically, it¡¯s a new way to collect debt. You¡¯re put to work inside the game until your debts are paid.¡± Roth gulped. ¡°This is a bit similar. But this capsule was specially built to make you suffer until you pay for your sins. Not only did Loki remove the log-out, but your pain settings are locked at maximum.¡± At the mention of Loki¡¯s name, Roth closed his fists and sighed. This man was a painful thorn in his side. Not only had he gone out of his way to bring out the worst in Roth, but his face haunted him every night in his nightmares as he relived the day he almost beat him to death. He chose to stand tall and hide his fear. For the first time, he also fully understood that all the realism he had admired a few minutes earlier would make his life miserable in the following hours. Brian dashed forward and dove a dagger into his chest, making him disappear and respawn a few meters away. After stabilizing his breathing and ensuring his voice wouldn¡¯t come out cracked and pained, he spoke again. ¡°So, this is payback for what happened?¡± ¡°You idiot! Do you have any idea of what you did? You cost us everything! After you were sent to prison, who do you think had to pay all the repairs to Pegasus? We all had to mortgage our houses and got into massive debt. We¡¯ve been working ourselves to death while you comfortably rested in prison. But no more!¡± shouted Brian. ¡°We have no choice, Roth. Loki made us an offer we couldn¡¯t deny,¡± added Xana. ¡°What did Loki offer you?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll cancel all our debt,¡± answered Gary. ¡°Our families will finally be off the hook too.¡± ¡°Plus a million for each of us, provided we kill you a thousand times and make you feel every single one of them,¡± added Shirley. Her hand gained a bluish-white glow, and icicles flew toward Roth. He was turned into an ice cube. Roth had never felt so cold. He felt as if he had been thrown into an ice box. Arctica has attacked you. -5553 You have died. You are Level 0. You lost 1 intelligence. You''ll need physiotherapy. You will be brought back to your last saving point. Roth didn¡¯t know what hurt more, if it was the blows themselves or that those dealing him pain used to be his friends. Did they hate him this much? ¡°I see. Before you continue, may I say something?¡± Everyone paused. Roth¡¯s gaze searched the facial expressions of his friends. He could see hatred in all of them. He sighed. ¡°I deserve it, guys. I¡¯m sorry for what you have gone through. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Saying this, he bowed. After a few seconds, he felt a jolt of pain in his leg. BlackHalberd has attacked you. -3453 You have died. You are Level 0. You lost 2 dexterity. You''ll need physiotherapy. You will be brought back to your last saving point. ¡°Sorry, Slayer. We can¡¯t pull our punches. If we do, Loki told us he won¡¯t pay us,¡± said Xana. The gang kept attacking Roth for hours. He tried many times to look for a log-out button but couldn¡¯t find it anywhere. He tried to contact game support, but that was blocked too. They had cut his way out. There was nothing left for him to do but suffer. He tried not to flinch. He tried not to protest. He tried not to complain. Around his twentieth death, Roth felt he couldn¡¯t take it anymore without crying or screaming. Between deaths, the group would wait a random amount of time. Sometimes it was two seconds. Sometimes it was a full minute. Roth knew they were messing with him. They were stretching his pain. The uncertainty of not knowing if the strike was coming in a second or a minute hurt almost as much as the strike itself. He knew. After all, he had done that to others many times before. In one of the moments they gave him a longer breather, he desperately searched the game¡¯s menu options. Perhaps there was something similar to an obscure option in New Earth. Most people didn¡¯t even know it existed because it was primarily used in PvP tournaments. He could only hope they had overlooked it or hadn¡¯t been able to disable it either. There. Would you like to disable pained facial expression? [Y/N] Professional gamers never fully turned off the pain settings in the game, which enabled them to feel the blows they were dealt. This helped to train reflexes and keep the senses sharper. On the other hand, even if you dialed it down to the usual 10%, it still hurt significantly. It was unsightly to be in a championship and let out little squeals of pain or fight between snots of hurt. The developers added this option to the game to make the championships look cooler and save macho players some face. Thank goodness they had done that in AstroTerra as well. Roth selected yes, and finally let go. He started to scream in his mind and cry like a baby. Being able to endure this much pain without flinching had taken everything he had. He couldn¡¯t hold it anymore, but he didn¡¯t want to let the group see him like this. That would only send them into a frenzy and make it worse for him. Although Roth was screaming and crying in his mind, all that the others saw was a stoic, expressionless Roth. Despite Roth¡¯s lack of reaction, he wasn¡¯t having it easy. He¡¯d been slapped, kicked, punched, electrocuted, burned, frozen, skewered, and bludgeoned. But he took it all for eighteen hours. Finally, the thousandth death came to be. Roth stood tall, waiting. ¡°You deserved this, Slayer!¡± screamed Wilson. Roth noticed that Xana had tears on her face. Brian looked disgusted. Gary was the only one with no expression. ¡°It¡¯s OK, Wilson. I forgive you,¡± Roth forced himself to say. ¡°Shut up! How can you forgive me? We are the ones who can talk about forgiveness. And we will never forgive you. Understand?¡± ¡°Slayer, your log-out button is disabled, but don¡¯t worry about your real body. The pod you¡¯re in will keep you alive. We have secured enough nutrient solution to keep you healthy for years,¡± said Xana. She sounded almost concerned. ¡°Loki has asked us to tell you that this is just a sample of what your life will be like. But he asked us to tell you that he¡¯s not heartless. He said he¡¯d let you go if you can reach the top 10 of the game.¡± ¡°That should be a little bit difficult, though. You must be the player with the worst stats in the game after a thousand deaths. Other players also have a two-year headstart over you,¡± said Wilson. ¡°You better hurry, Slayer. Something might happen to your family if you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Have fun living in the gutter, as we did over these years, you beast,¡± screamed Shirley. The squad logged out. Ch. 5 - Martyr As soon as they were gone, Roth finally turned off the option of not showing pain and curled up into a ball on the floor, sobbing like a baby. He had been screaming and crying in his mind for hours, but now he could finally break down. He screamed as loud as he could and thrashed on the floor. He needed to let some of the painful memories out. He had wanted to die many times over the last few hours. The pain had been too acute, too real. Worse than that, though, was that the people who had done this to him used to be his friends. These were people who he¡¯d gone to school with. All of them knew his parents and his brothers. How could they? But that wasn¡¯t the only reason why he cried. He cried because he once again realized how much hurt he had caused during his life. The way they had beaten him up, the things they had said, the little random intervals to leave him wondering when the next hit was coming, and not leaving him entirely without hope were all vicious moves he had used on others many times. How many people had he mistreated before? How many had felt like he did now? His tears also came from still having the desire to fight back. His old self wouldn¡¯t have taken this beating so elegantly. He would have cursed and squirmed every second of the encounter. Even though he had changed, his old ugly self was still there somewhere, urging him to get back at them. So he cried. Lastly, he cried for one last reason. At least, this was a positive one. Now he was sure that he truly had become someone else. He had been able to control his emotions, and despite all that had happened, as he searched his heart, he found no rage toward his assailants. He had meant what he said. He believed he deserved each of those blows. In a way, he was almost relieved. After four years of prison and being hurt like this, no one could say he hadn¡¯t paid his penance. He had suffered more than enough for his sins. All debts with his former squad had been settled. Although he still felt disoriented from the trauma he¡¯d experienced, Roth tried to regain his bearings. He noticed that several other beginners were looking at him. After his former squad logged out, Gary¡¯s item¡¯s effect was dispelled, and he became visible to all other players. They had witnessed his outburst. One of them approached Roth. He wore the same gear as Roth when he entered the game. Now, Roth was only wearing shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt. ¡°Hey, man. Are you OK?¡± There was genuine concern in his voice. Roth must have put on quite a show. ¡°Not really. There¡¯s a problem with my pain settings in the game. I need help.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you call a game manager? I¡¯m sure the GM can get it fixed for you.¡± Roth tried to look for the option. It was still blocked. ¡°I can¡¯t. My game support button is disabled.¡± ¡°Then log out and call them in the real world.¡± Roth tried again to look for the relevant option. ¡°That¡¯s disabled too.¡± ¡°Wha¡­ Dude. Do you think I can¡¯t tell a scammer when I see one? Get lost, man!¡± The man walked away. He rejoined his friend. Roth could hear him talking in the distance. ¡°Forget it, man. It¡¯s just a scammer trying to get my bank information or something.¡± Despite feeling groggy and confused, Roth tried to move. Loki had threatened his mother and his brothers. He had to get out of here. Roth tried to see if there was anyone else here. He saw a female player a few steps away and tried to talk to her. ¡°Excuse me, miss, do you think you can...¡± ¡°Hmph. Do you think men inside the game have never approached me? Get away from me, you pervert! Coming to a girl like that in your underwear. You should be ashamed of yourself!¡± ¡°But I...¡± the girl had already left. Starting to despair, Roth tried a group of players a few meters to the side. These were more empathetic and heard him out. ¡°What? That¡¯s a severe bug.¡± ¡°Do you think you could call a GM for me?¡± After hesitating momentarily and realizing that a scammer wouldn¡¯t ask a potential target to call a game manager, they agreed. ¡°Sure. Give me a second.¡± ¡°Hey, can I get someone to help this player out? His game is seriously bugged.¡± Roth sat down, still recovering from the shock he¡¯d been through. After a few minutes, a figure clad in golden armor and a giant spear materialized in the middle of the group. ¡°I am Steve, the GM.¡± A cheesy celebratory animation erupted, with fireworks and rockets, heavily contrasting Steve¡¯s lack of enthusiasm. ¡°What can I do for you today?¡± Even though the man was clad in top-tier gear, way out of reach for players at the current level of the game, he did not seem excited with having to rescue a group of noobs again. Roth noted that, compared to this guy¡¯s equipment, his former squad also looked like a bunch of noobs. ¡°Yo, Steve. This guy says something is wrong with his pain settings and log-out button. He said that he couldn¡¯t contact GMs either. That¡¯s why I called you. Can you check him out and see if everything¡¯s OK?¡± Steve¡¯s eyes focused. He assumed a more pleasant facial expression and attempted to bring out the best possible customer service. ¡°Can you tell me the email associated with your account, sir?¡± he asked diplomatically. ¡°Uuhh. No?¡± ¡°No? You don¡¯t know your e-mail?¡± ¡°No. I just entered the pod and created my character. No one asked me for my email.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you give an email when you bought the pod? Or when you bought the game? That email address.¡± What kind of player didn¡¯t know his email? This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me who bought it. It was...¡± Roth hesitated. ¡°It was a friend.¡± He had to make a great effort to spill out that last word. Steve regarded him suspiciously. ¡°Please, hold on for a moment,¡± said Steve in a dry tone. His eyes became utterly white. * Steve¡¯s avatar materialized in the office building of Nexus Co. This wasn¡¯t the real thing, of course. This was only a 3D virtual model of the company¡¯s office building. Customer care service agents and game managers could come here anytime to file reports, talk to their supervisors, or look up extra information on players¡¯ accounts. It had been a cheap way of letting all employees telecommute while promoting a connection to the corporate environment of Nexus. Steve¡¯s avatar, still fully clad in his golden armor, sat before a computer. He investigated the Account ID he had looked up using his GM-privileged access and started reading the player¡¯s information. Avatar: Pax #10921370 Monthly Fee: Paid until 25 October 2085 ¡°Has he died a thousand times in the game already? What is going on in...¡± Steve paused when he saw a supervisor making a video call. His name was Marius. It was his first time talking to this supervisor. There were just too many of them. It wasn¡¯t easy to cater to a clientele that numbered billions. ¡°Hi Steve, how are you doing?¡± The man had curly red hair and blue eyes. He seemed to be in his fifties. ¡°Hello. How can I help you?¡± After a few moments of hesitation, he added, ¡°Am I in trouble?¡± He was met with easygoing laughter on the other side. ¡°No, not at all. Listen, I received a notification that you accessed account number #10921370. It¡¯s a very troublesome situation, so I set up an alarm in case anyone checked this case file so that I could explain it and avoid any trouble with the account holders.¡± That was highly unusual, thought Steve. It must be a special case. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°This account belongs to a young man who has some mental issues. His guardians let him play the game but keep his account under several restrictions. He keeps contacting GMs with ridiculous stories of kidnapping and his account having severe issues. He has a very fruitful imagination because of his... condition. Poor soul. Just ignore him.¡± ¡°Oh wow. Poor guy. Now it makes some sense. I will gently tell him off and wrap up this call, then. Thank you for letting me know!¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Keep up the good work, Steve!¡± Marius hung up. In all his time as a customer care agent for AVR gaming companies, this was the first time Steve was seeing something like this. Nexus was something else. That supervisor had been so quick to call. How thoughtful of him! * After Steve stood still for a few minutes, his eyes refocused. Turning to the player that had called him, he explained the situation loud enough so that Roth could hear it: ¡°This young man has a mental illness. His parental control settings are all fully turned on. He often asks players to do things like this for him to try to remove the restrictions on his account. I checked it all out with a supervisor.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not crazy. I¡¯m...¡± ¡°Sure. It¡¯s OK, man. Just go out there and have fun playing. Sorry to bother you with this, Steve.¡± ¡°It¡¯s OK. And you, young sir, try not to bother other players. Just go have some fun on your own, OK?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not crazy! I¡¯ve been kidnapped. Please help...¡± The GM disappeared. The group he¡¯d approached earlier also left. What was happening? He needed to try again. He saw one more player on the other side of the village¡¯s square and headed toward her. Before he talked, though, he stopped himself. He realized that he was calling too much attention to himself. His instinct told him to find somewhere safe before his former squad returned. He picked himself up and left the square. He went into the first alley he could find. In the shadow of some crates, he hid and cried. After many minutes, he got a hold of himself again. His situation was dire, but maybe not hopeless. He had to make sense of his circumstances. There had to be a way out of here. But if Loki was involved... For now, he would see what his character¡¯s status was. During the beating, he had received so many notifications saying that his stats had dropped that he was even scared to look at his character¡¯s page. There was something about physiotherapy, but he did not know how it worked. His stats were most likely crippled. It would take him ages to recover. He had been killed too many times. He was sure anyone else would have deleted this character and started a new account. ¡°Check stats.¡± STATS Hp: 100 Energy: 100 Damage Reduction: 31.3% Running Speed: 110% Weight: [Light] - (0/36lb) Strength: 5 (-343) Dexterity: 5 (-412) Intelligence: 5 (-342) Wisdom: 5 (-367) Endurance: 213 (-218) That wasn¡¯t what Roth was expecting. Why had all the debuffs from his death been canceled? He didn¡¯t remember seeing the endurance stat before, either. How had he unlocked it? He opened the system log and looked back through his character¡¯s history. Mostly were messages saying that he had died, dropped a piece of equipment, or lost stats, but finally, he found something different. Pain has tried, but it cannot stop you. You have unlocked a new stat: [Endurance]. Reduces damage received (+0.1 damage reduction per +1 endurance); You can run longer without tiring. Getting beaten up so much had given him this new stat. It made sense that it had gone up. He was hit time after time by players leveled much higher than he was. Additionally, with his pain setting turned on so high, it must have made this stat spike. That still didn¡¯t explain everything, though. He kept scrolling down the notifications to see if anything else had happened, which could explain why his stat debuffs had been canceled. He came across other interesting messages. Congratulations! Your endurance has reached 50. You have gained [Bark Skin]. Bark Skin (Stat Bonus) Bonus description: By enduring hardship and arduous training, you make your skin tougher and more durable. It''s as strong as a tree''s bark. Bonus effect: Passive. Reduces damage received by 5%. Congratulations! Your endurance has reached 100. You have gained [Cat¡¯s Sprint]. Cat''s Sprint (Stat Bonus) Bonus description: Your training has given its fruits. By practicing your resistance, you''re muscles are more developed, and you can run like a feline. Bonus effect: Passive. Increases running speed by 5%. Increases carry capacity by 5 Kg. Congratulations! Your endurance has reached 150. [Bark Skin] has been upgraded to [Stone Skin]. Stone Skin (Stat Bonus) Bonus description: By enduring hardship and arduous training, you make your skin even harder and more resistant. It''s as strong as a rock. Bonus effect: Passive. Reduces damage received by 10%. Congratulations! Your endurance has reached 200. [Cat''s Sprint] has been upgraded to [Horse''s Gallop]. Horse''s Gallop (Stat Bonus) Bonus description: Look at how far you''ve come. By practicing your resistance, you''re muscles are more developed, and you can run like a horse. Bonus effect: Passive. Increases running speed by 10%. Increases carry capacity by 10 Kg. He had played some games when he was younger in which gaining stats over a certain threshold unlocked some special bonuses. In New Earth this hadn¡¯t existed. He liked that they had added this to this game. He also went back to his stats and checked they weren¡¯t cumulative. Once he had unlocked [Stone Skin], he lost the bonus of its weaker version, [Bark Skin]. Still, none of this accounted for the debuff caused by all his deaths to have disappeared. He kept looking and scrolling until, at the very end of the history of his character, he saw something interesting. He opened the notification. You have unlocked a new title: [Martyr]. Ch. 55 - Hilsford Roth arrived in Hilsford''s teleporting gate sweating and trembling. He took off running, not caring or knowing what direction he was taking. He had hoped they would leave him alone and that what they had done to him was punishment enough. But when his eyes met Gary''s, he saw predation and violence. They were still looking for him and wanted to hurt him more. After seeing him teleport, they now knew he had reached level 10 and had just traveled to one of the cities in Green Country. If Gary jumped into a teleporting gate and happened to choose Hilsford by chance, he was doomed. Even if he went somewhere else, he could at least rule out one of the cities and narrow his search area. He had to find somewhere safe to go. Where would he go? Where could he go? He didn¡¯t want to feel all that pain again. Even if they couldn¡¯t strip him of his stats because of his [Martyr] title, being hit and killed over and over would hurt very badly. He looked at the [Ratan Form] skill and cursed at having an inventory full of items. If he activated it, he would lose strength and get a debuff. He had to run in human form. Roth took off. As soon as he found a side road that took him out of a main street, he darted into it, and then, seeing an even smaller alley, he ran in. He heard someone coming around the corner. What if it was Gary? What if it was one of the others zoning in on him? He looked up. There were no footholds to climb. The crates wouldn''t hide him, either. He then saw a sewer drain. Another noise, this one closer. There was no time to think. Roth ran toward the drain and activated his epic skill. Miniaturize! His form shrunk until he was small enough to make it through the grids, and his tiny figure fell into the darkness. The descent began in a flurry of chaos and disorientation. Arms flailed, their desperate attempts to grasp something, anything, met with nothing but damp air. The light of the street outside soon faded, and the world shrank into a narrow, claustrophobic tunnel. The stench of decay and sewage assaulted his senses as he plummeted further into darkness. The water around him was foul and slimy, and the feeling of vertigo and all the curves and sharp turns of the pipes just added to the sick feeling in his stomach. As splashes of the water landed near his mouth and nose, he was glad the pipes were so dark that he couldn''t see the color of the water. After several minutes of falling down the pipes, he finally heard the echoes of running water falling and entering a more expansive space ahead. He saw a faint light at the end of the pipe and was soon sent flying toward the ever nearer ground. He fell with a splash and then hit solid ground. The water had softened the fall but as it wasn''t deep, he had still felt the hard impact. You have fallen. -43 After a few seconds of disorientation, not knowing which way was up, Roth tried to push his legs against the ground and broke the water''s surface. He gagged as he breathed, and his lungs were filled with the putrid stench of decay. He coughed and tried to make sense of where he was. Unlike the blackness of the pipe he had fallen through, there was enough light here. He strained his eyes to discern the origin of it, discovering that it came from a small aperture, either a drain opening to a street above or a jagged, holed sewage lid revealing a sliver of the world above. Tunnels stretched out before him, a labyrinthine network of concrete and metal. Dripping pipes echoed softly in the distance. He spotted a shore to swim to. The claustrophobic atmosphere and the overwhelming smell threatened to overpower him but he summoned the strength to swim. He hauled himself out of the water as his fingertips brushed against the solid ground. Drenched in filth and sick of the smell and vertigo, Roth wept. All the pain he''d been through had just returned to haunt him as soon as his eyes glimpsed Gary. He had seen the shock in his eyes, but also that he''d been recognized. They were still running after him. They still wanted to cause him pain. Roth didn''t want to go through any of that again. Thinking of the torture he suffered made him think of his mom and his brothers. He wondered how they were doing. He hoped that Loki hadn''t hurt them. It wasn''t beyond the monster to do so. For four years, he''d been powerless to stop any of the hurt Loki wanted to cause his family. It was just one more month of frustrating powerlessness. It was out of his hands¡­. All he could do was to try to get out. He had to escape. Roth began taking some calm steadying breaths. It wasn''t easy. All that entered his lungs was the stench of the sewers around him. He tried to find the pipe he had come through. No one had fallen after him down the sewers. He was safe for now. The [Miniaturize] buff expired, and he was restored to his normal size. The sewers became smaller in scale and a little less daunting. He decided to start walking. He would have to find a way out eventually. Even though there was some light down here, it was dim and scarce. He was having trouble seeing anything. He pulled a handful of [Glowshrooms] out of his inventory and held them up. They gave very little light, but it was better than nothing. On second thought, he went into his inventory again, pulled two more shrooms, and stuck them up his nose. Maybe it would help with the stench around him. After a few breaths, he took them out. It didn''t help. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. He had to readjust his plans if his old squad knew where he was. But first, he had to better understand the city he was in. He had hoped he could peacefully ask around until he got his bearings, but he now had no choice but to do so from down here. He revisited the forums looking for any reference to Hilsford. He had chosen this city because that''s where the contact of Greenleaf Inc. was, but other than that, he didn''t know anything about it. There wasn''t much available in the forums for him to read. Since so many players were still based here, any information available was considered valuable. He tried to look for a paid guide to the city. If he could pay in-game currency, he would fork out a few silvers or golds if that''s what it took. He discovered a channel just for Hilsford-related news. A player had the idea of starting a regional newspaper in the forum. It was called ''The Hilsford Gazette.'' The monthly fee to access it was one silver. Roth did a few quick calculations in his head. A successful newspaper could earn a fortune if one multiplied that by several million players. One silver wasn''t much since he had over 90 gold in his inventory. It wouldn''t be much of a loss, even if he didn''t find anything useful. Are you sure you want to pay one silver to subscribe to ''The Hilsford Gazette''? [Y/N] A series of windows opened up. A part of Roth had hoped that a seagull or a pigeon would have come flying into the sewers and dropped him an old-style newspaper, but that was wishful thinking. The Gazette was more like a well-organized series of posts with privileged information. He checked the categories: News of the Week Introductory Guide to Hilsford Hotspots Profession related quests Class related quests Guilds and Prominent Players Adverts He selected the introductory guide. Welcome to Hilsford, one of the ten mid-grade cities in Green Country. This is where you will be playing from level 10 to at least level 30. Here you''ll find a small introduction to the city''s structure and some things to note if you''re new to the game. The town has a series of districts that are controlled by different factions. You have the slums south of the city, a paradise for rogues. Uptown, the garrison maintains law and order and is the go-to spot for warriors. Then you have the campus to the east, where medics and espers will spend much of their time. Finally, to the west, you have the commercial district. This is where players that want to perfect their professions can go. The most important thing to remember when settling in one of these cities is the different factions that fight over control of the city. Different crime families are constantly disputing over turf in the slums and trying to expand their influence into the other districts, while the garrison is continuously promoting raids to the slums to eradicate crime. Then, there are the esper politicians, the medic intellectuals, and the merchants and craftsmen that try to stretch out their influence. It''s a very complex ecosystem that generates a lot of storylines. The key to thriving in the city is to carve your own turf. Try to cozy up to a faction and build a reputation with them. When you do so, not only will you have a place to call home, but you will also be able to find better and more unique quests. The guide described where players could do their quests to change classes and suggested the most popular faction to befriend each of them. The only class that seemed interesting to Roth was Medics. However, if he went down that path, he would have to rely on other players and go out hunting. That didn''t sound like the gameplay he''d enjoy right now. Once upon a time, he would have gone to the Garrison without hesitation. He always chose berserker or damage-dealing warriors in every game he''d played before. He had loved being in the middle of all the action, but no more. He hoped to find some hidden class that could give a bonus to his broker profession. He''d build on his foundation in the Green Woods. After all, if he hadn''t befriended all those factions in the woods, he would have never unlocked his biggest treasure: the Zoomorph race! According to the [First of a Kind] title he had received, he''d been the first player ever to unlock it! Thinking about the Green Woods, it hit him. He had to make one weekly trade run if he didn''t want to lose trade exclusivity. He was on the clock here. He didn''t know how long his gameplay style would remain a secret. Everyone loved violence so much these days that they jumped at the opportunity of hitting whatever came across their path. But he couldn''t be the only player who had befriended other races. His gut told him that he shouldn''t lose the trade exclusivity. He opened the ledger and saw when he had last visited his suppliers. He then set a timer in his system clock. He had less than a week to sell all the goods he was carrying and return to the Green Woods. He had gotten quite a scare after seeing Gary. Good thing he had been next to the teleportation gate when they saw each other. Even if Gary had jumped right into the teleportation gate and paid the exorbitant fee required to teleport, he only had a 1 in 10 chance of ending in Hilsford. Chances were slim that the other squad members were close to a teleportation gate. Thankfully, these cities were also humongous, with millions of players each. There were several nooks and crannies where they would have to look before they could find him. He calmed down. There was still some time. Roth tried to write down his plan for the week of gaming. He pulled out the little app that players had to write in and made a to-do list. - Find a way to hide from Loki; - Sell all the goods I brought from Green Woods; - Pay a visit to the contact Greenleaf Inc gave me. He paused to see if he''d forgotten anything. He scratched his head and then wrote something at the very top. - Find a way out of the sewers. There. Here was his game plan. He looked inside the Gazette for any reference to the sewer system. There was only a reference to a rogue quest that required players to travel down to the sewers and hunt an alligator. It was a popular quest because it gave alligator leather armor with good stats. Nothing else. He went to the rest of the forums and did a broader search for any reference to sewers in public posts. After all, how different could sewers be between towns? Someone must have posted more information about the sewers. There was a lot of complaining about the smell. There were also some references to the different mobs that one could find. As he read the first name on the list, his eyes widened, and his heart raced. Of course! How did he not think of that earlier? Roth took off running in the tunnels squeaking as loud as he could in Ratan: "Hello! Is anybody there?" Ch. 56 - The Nest "Anybody there?" Roth''s calls echoed in the tunnels over the slow flow of filthy water running through them. Roth kept running and calling out until he finally heard something. There were inhuman screams and high-pitched shrilling sounds in the distance. It sounded like ratans were battling. It differed from what he had heard when players hunted the mutated beasts. This was darker and more primal. He took off running toward the source of the sound. The echoes of the tunnel didn''t let him make out precisely what was happening, but he could hear the familiar squeaks of his ratan friends. They sounded desperate, angry, and pained. Turning around the corner in the tunnel, Roth came across a gruesome spectacle. Against the wall was a mound made of hay, garbage, and rags. He saw one little ratan pup shaking in fear through one of the holes in the structure. Further ahead, a group of ratans jumped, biting and clawing furiously at an invader. Roth stepped closer to try to make out what it was. It seemed like a disfigured ratan. Its eyes were completely black, and cracks in its fur oozed with black liquid. Even though it looked like it was on the verge of death, he kept fighting viciously through the fierce attacks thrown at it. There was a bigger ratan that was pinning the invader down. Its hit points were in the red. Roth figured that it was probably the local elite. As he danced around the adversary, other ratans darted and jumped, trying to leave gashes in the invader with their claws and teeth. Behind it, a trail of dead ratans showed that the battle had already been going on for a while. Even though the attacker was wounded and had sustained multiple injuries, the monster was still trying to gain ground. Roth was not sure of what to do. On the one hand, he hated to see his ratan friends fighting desperately like this... on the other hand, he didn''t want to fight. He couldn''t even if he wanted to. He was not building his character that way. He looked through his titles and skills to determine a possible course of action. His eyes landed on the Polyglot title. Polyglot (Uncommon) Title description: You have worked hard and are now fluent in six languages. You have become a bridge between peoples. Your intellect expands by learning different ways to express yourself. Title effects: +2 wisdom; +2 intelligence; It¡¯s easier to learn new languages; Voice-related skills are more effective. He remembered that when he''d gained the title, one of the benefits awarded to him was a boost to his voice-related skills. He went back to the description of one of his skills. Shepherd¡¯s Shout (Common) Skill description: Your vocal cords have grown resilient and robust. All can hear you better, and your voice can herd weaker creatures. Skill effects: Active. Scares away monsters; The skill¡¯s effectiveness increases when a monster is low-leveled or has low health. He couldn''t endure seeing this battle going on. He just hoped that the fact that everyone was in low health and his title bonuses would be enough. He had also put several points in charisma. It was above 50, even when he was in human form. Hopefully, it was a stat that boosted the skill. Shepherd''s Shout! Although Roth didn''t get any notifications indicating the power of the skill, the animation had undoubtedly been upgraded. His voice shook the air and froze everyone doing battle. The voice had been enhanced so much that little ripples disturbed the sewage in the canal beside them. The strange dark-eyed rat stopped momentarily and, turning its tail, ran. You have saved this ratan nest. +31 reputation with all ratans. Roth started spamming his healing skill on every ratan he could find. Healing Ray! Healing Ray! Healing Ray! You have eased the pain of the ratans. +6 reputation with all ratans. "Squeak? A human?" The ratan addressing him was a level 15 elite. It had a scar crossing one of its cheeks. Its hit points were shown in yellow even after Roth used [Healing Ray] on it several times, "Hello, I''m Pax. Are you alright?" "Hello. I''m Scar." That meant Scar''s scar must already have been there before the battle. "Thank you for saving us. We couldn''t have endured much longer. We could stop two creatures, but the third proved too much to handle." If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "What was that thing? What happened?" More ratans started gathering around Roth as they heard him speaking in Ratan. The ratans surrounding him lacked the neat look of the ones he''d met in the Green Woods. Their fur was scruffy, and they constantly scratched it to drive the relentless fleas biting them away. They also seemed slightly bigger than the average Ratan he''d seen in the woods. "We don''t know." "Was it a rat?" "Squeak? Did it look like one of ours? No! That thing was no ratan." "Oh my... you smell so good, human," said one of the other ratans that had sneaked up behind Roth. Hearing this, Scar came closer and sniffed him too. "You do smell like one of us." Was this an effect of the Zoomorph race? The baroness had said something similar. "I''m a friend of King Rattatoile. I come from the Green Woods." The crowd made a collective gasp. "The king?" A commotion broke among the ratans surrounding him. They all started bombarding him with questions: "Is it true what they say about his throne?" "Does it have a sun in it, shining radiance and bliss on all furry ones?" "Is it true that there are no fleas in the woods?" "What about the tapestries?" "Are they as beautiful as they say?" "Well, I can tell you that there are no fleas. There isn''t a sun, per se, but there is a beautiful chandelier filled with glowshrooms that give off gorgeous light. As for the tapestries, they are fantastic. You''d love to see them." As the rats listened excitedly to Roth''s account, one of them scratched himself right next to Roth, sending little black dots everywhere. You have received a [Flea] debuff. -5 to all stats for thirty minutes. Seriously? He started to feel itchy, especially on his scalp. He tried to resist the urge to start scratching. "How long..." he was having a hard time thinking with all the biting and itching he was feeling. Had it not been for Loki and his evil plan, he would have turned off the pain settings long ago, but now he had no choice but to live these sensations so intensely. "How long has this type of creature attacked you?" "This is the third attack. But they''re getting stronger. They kill us faster than we can gather our numbers. It had never gotten this close to the nest before." So that''s what the mound of rags and hay was. It was a ratan nest. "The truth is that we can''t hold out much longer. If things continue, all ratans in the sewers will be eradicated. You''ve received a new quest: [Call for Backup]. [Call for Backup] (Uncommon) The ratans in the sewers of Hilsford are taking a beating. They can''t hold out much longer. Call for backup and save them. Quest Objectives: Reach out to the rulers of the ratans. Perhaps they can send some assistance. Roth stared at the window. He had just gotten here and was already being put to work? He didn''t have time for this. He had to get out of there and find a way to throw his old team off his scent. "Squeak? Human. Why are you here? Usually, humans stay in the upworld," asked one of the curious ratans around him. "Actually, I''m lost. Could any of you show me a way out of here?" All the ratans looked at the elite. "Scratchy! Take the friend of the king." Scratchy. How appropriate. "Don''t leave our turf, though. Hurry, Scratchy. We''ll need every claw and tooth we can spare to resist the next attack." "Tell me where you want to go, Martyr." "Just wait a second, Scratchy." Turning to Scar, he asked, "You mentioned that you took out two of them?" "Yes, they''re right there." "Stay right there, Scratchy. I''ll check it out." Roth took a few steps toward the corpses of the dead ratans. The sight of the dead beasts made his chest feel tight and hollow. There were at least twenty dead sewer rats. Two of them leaked black ooze from their wounds. Roth had never looted a corpse in this game. But since he was issued a quest to investigate this, it would be foolish of him not to check these remains. As he approached the corpse, he kneeled on the ground and touched it. The corpse faded into motes of light, and an item materialized in its hand. It was a small black sphere. When he tried to study it, all he got was question marks. He needed to have this appraised before he could find what it was. Too bad that Red wasn''t here. Turning, he went again to meet his guide. "I''m ready." "Where do you want me to take you?" asked Scratchy. Scar was off to the side, trying to comfort the scared pups inside the nest, but Roth noticed how one of its ears was pointing toward their conversation. "I''m supposed to meet a merchant in the city." "Hmmm. They all work in Merchant Street. You should be able to find him in the western district. That''s way out of our turf, but I can point you in the right direction." "See you, Scar. See you, guys!" The ratans waved him goodbye, and Roth turned around the corner, back where he came from. Now that Roth had nothing to take his mind off the annoying itching, he scratched his whole body and felt like a lunatic, but he couldn''t help himself. It wasn''t making it any better¡ªgood thing he was being accompanied by an expert on the subject. "If you want to get rid of the fleas, you just have to dive in," said Scratchy, pointing at the filthy water in the tunnel''s center. "Fleas drown." Roth pondered which would be worse. To be itching and scratching, or to dive back into that cesspool. "Will it have any..." what would be the word that an NPC would understand as a debuff, "Anything worse than the fleas if I dive in?" "Hmmm... There aren''t many slugs in this part of the tunnels. Not many leeches either. I think it will be OK. I don''t know." I don''t know? Roth was feeling annoyed and irritable. No one enjoyed this kind of rotten smell and feeling itchy all over. He considered diving into the water that had brought him down here. He risked getting an even worse debuff. Maybe he''d been spared getting leeches or slugs because he''d been in his miniature size when he''d arrived. Now that he was bigger, he was a walking piece of delicious meat. He shuddered and decided he would not risk it for now. He could take it for a short while. "Scratchy, Scar was saying something about turf. What did he mean?" "This ain''t the woods, human. Look around. There isn''t exactly a surplus of resources and food to go around. Here it''s every nest for itself." "Does that mean that ratans fight each other?" "We would never attack another nest. That''s why I say those beasts are no ratans. No ratan would ever attack a nest and scare little pups like that. That''s barbaric. But we do dispute territory and have small skirmishes in our borders." "Do you guys... get violent with each other?" "It''s all harmless stuff, human. We just wrestle." Darn it, complained Roth. Things in the Green Woods were much more accessible. Over there, factions were united, but here there was in-fighting? "Don''t worry, human. Although here, ratans aren''t chummy with each other, you are a friend of our king. Even though he''s very far away, we all respect him. None of us will harm you; I can guarantee you that. After all, ratans are famous for their loyalty." Are they? Thought Roth. Why is it then that there''s the expression to rat someone out? The itch of the flees and the stink of the sewers was getting to Roth. He was in a bad mood. Everything that Scratchy said made him want to slap him. He tried calming down and breathing deeply, but only more stench went in. He had to leave this place. "Is there a place down here that... smells nicer? Or that has clean water?" "Hmmm... If we leave the area with houses above and go closer to... let''s say one of the parks, it''s cleaner there." "Thanks. Do you mind taking me there? Please?" "Sure, I think it will be alright. It''s within our turf. But if this is too much for you, human, I''m worried about you going to the commercial district. The stench there is much worse! You won''t be able to take it." He''d worry about it when he got there. For now, he just had to get rid of the exasperating itch. He couldn''t think straight. Roth prayed that the place Scratchy advertised as being clean was nearby. Ch. 57 - The Sewers Getting to the sewers under one of the gardens only took five minutes. Roth was disappointed. He was expecting a clean chamber where he could sit and gather his thoughts, but it was more of the same. It was dark, dingy, and foul. At least here, the water coming down seemed crystalline, perhaps the drainage from a fountain or a pond in the park, which washed away some of the stench. Sick of being itchy, he jumped into the water. It only reached his knees. Closing his eyes, he lay on the floor so the water could cover his whole body. [Flea] debuff has been lifted. What a relief. The water was filthy, but at least it wasn''t brown. He was also happy not to be awarded a new unpleasant debuff. As he came out of the water, he found Scratchy sending fleas everywhere. If he didn''t do anything, he''d be itching again. Grapple! "Human? What are you doing? Why are you hugging me?" Roth dragged Scratchy under the water. He held him there for a few seconds and saw countless black dots being washed away by the current. He then took him out. He was squirming and flailing. Roth put him on dry ground again. "Human! What have you done? I''m filthy!" How dare you bathe a sewer rat? Have you no sense of decency? -20 reputation with all ratans. "I''m sorry, Scratchy. I thought I saw a cat behind you and wanted to protect you," he said half-heartedly. "Hmph. May this be the last time you do this to a rat, sir!" Roth didn''t care if he lost 20 reputation points. At least now, he could think for a while. He had a few [Smelly Cheese] from the Greenleaf Inc. left from his barters. He had planned to sell it, but he supposed he could use it to appease Scratchy. "Here you go, Scratchy. Sorry about that." "OK! All is forgiven... But don''t ever do that to me again. OK?" "Deal." +3 reputation with all ratans. From what Scratchy said about the commercial district, the sewers seemed to run under the whole city. Even though it was unpleasant, he could reduce the chance of being found by his former squad if he traveled underground. But that wasn''t enough. He had to find a way to disguise his identity. His forms slightly changed his appearance, but not enough to make him unrecognizable. Besides that, he was very tall. That would raise suspicions with his old crew. Once they gave him a closer look, they''d find him immediately. It wasn''t the first time he looked this up in the forums, but he had to give it another try. He would pay in-game currency for the needed information if he had to. He tried looking in the forums for ''hiding identity.'' There was only one post. Find Out a Girl''s Tag #love #dating #gethernumber #persistencepaysoff #imnotcreepy Poster: HopelessRomantic Post: Hello, fellas. Are you trying to get a message to a girl you fancy and can''t seem to get her to befriend you? Then worry not. If you pay me 100 gold, I''ll teach you how to unlock insight. It''s a stat that can help you see more information on other players and to see through some disguises. She won''t be able to hide from you, even if she tries! Comments LoveUnicorns11: You disgust me. Someone call the police. PrettyBetty1923: You creepy. Jill1023: Reported to the GMs. It sounded like a stalker, which was gross, but he had learned two things from the post. One, it was possible to disguise one''s identity. Two, it was impossible to see through a disguise. Great. That meant that not only he had to find a disguise, it had to be good. He tried looking for ''insight.'' Only paid posts showed up; they were way more expensive than he could afford. He had to look at this from another angle. He tried looking for the keyword ''bullying.'' Still nothing. Then, inspired by the post he had just read, he tried ''stalker'' and finally got a hit. There was a post from one girl complaining that she''d been harassed inside the game. She had looked for ways to protect herself from a creepy stalker that kept disturbing and freaking her out. Roth sighed. He wouldn''t be surprised if it was this HopelessRomantic character. The first thing she did was call the police. He couldn¡¯t do that. She asked for help from the GMs; he couldn¡¯t do that either. She then said that a chain quest had given her a special item that helped her disguise her identity. Now, that he could do. As he read more information about the quest, his heart sank. No. This quest wouldn¡¯t work for him. It required him to have an evil alignment. One had to go to the slums of the town and ask for help from a local goon. The NPC would only help those with an evil alignment. That ruled Roth out. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Roth punched the ground in frustration. This quest was perfect for most players. Every time someone attacked someone else, or hunted mobs, they would gain some evil alignment points. Since most players in the game made it a habit of fighting and hurting others, their alignment was typically neutral or bad. From what Roth could glean from the forums, better players tried to keep a neutral alignment, as it was very troublesome to be denied access to many quests. It was a constant game of pull and push, with them trying to keep a clean slate despite doing evil deeds. Others embraced the evil alignment entirely and did everything possible to gain negative alignment. This post didn''t help him but showed there were items that helped players disguise their identities. He shook off his frustration and started pacing in the tunnels. There must be other similar quests out there. Who besides thieves needs to disguise their identity? Actors? No¡­ that¡¯s stupid. Clowns? That was also stupid. What about law enforcement? Sometimes they have to go undercover. If there was a quest with such a reward in the slums of a town, why wouldn''t there be a similar one for players who had a righteous alignment? It was a long shot, but it was the only thing he could think of. Since he couldn¡¯t go to the police outside the game, he could at least try in-game law enforcement. The Gazette said that the peacekeeping of Hilsford was left to the local garrison. The soldiers there defended the city from invasions and kept order in town. Roth skipped over a guide for rogues in the Gazette that taught them how to avoid the eyes of the law. Roth had wondered how his former guild mates had succeeded in torturing him inside a town. After all, in most games, such behavior wouldn''t be allowed inside a city. He was reading this was the case in Hilsford too. But the fact that the Gazette advertised a way to assassinate players inside the city and get away with it told Roth that there must be loopholes. Maybe some special items or skills allowed players to circumvent law enforcement. Gary had used that weird orb, hadn''t he? That must have been what they had used to keep killing him repeatedly without the town intervening. Either way, he now had a lead. He would go to the garrison to look for more clues. If there were such a quest, he would have to use all his tools to find it. His greatest weapons here were his [Discoverer of Species] and [Fox Form] combo. Since it would be the first time he''d meet the factions in the garrison, the bonus he got from his epic title would certainly activate. That, coupled with [Fox Form], would make his charisma soar and increase his chances of success. If he did activate [Fox Form], though, he would become too slow because of all the goods he was carrying. He took out the letter of introduction that Margaret had given him. He had to dump his cargo. He looked for Golden Mountain Inc. in the forums and found nothing. Nothing in the Gazette either. It must be an NPC that not many people know. It was OK. He''d ask around. "I''m ready, Scratchy. Can you take me to Merchant Street?" "Yes, I can. But..." "What?" "Many horses, many camels. It''s going to be smelly there. I''m not sure you can take it." Roth felt a sick feeling in his stomach. He had no choice. "Let''s go!" * "What do you call a ratan shroud in an enigma?" "I don''t know! What do you call ''em?" "Anonymouse." Scratchy''s happy squeaks resounded in the tunnels of the sewers. Although there were significant differences between the city ratans and those living in the woods, at least they all shared a good sense of humor. "That''s a mouse-terpiece!" Added the ratan. It was Roth''s turn to laugh. "You''re not too bad yourself, Scratchy!" "Don''t underestimate me, human, or it might be the last mouse-stake you make." After washing off the fleas, Roth was in a better mood and could appreciate his company more. He was happy for the company in this dark, smelly place. "How many different ratan nests are there in Hilsford?" "Not sure. I''ve never left my turf." "Really? Is it that dangerous out here?" "If I leave my turf, chances are that I will either get into a fight with another ratan, be eaten by snakes, or by an alligator." "Snakes?" "Yeah." "And alligators?" He recalled reading about a quest for rogues that involved hunting an alligator. "Alligator." "Excuse me?" "There''s just the one. Alligator." "Really? There''s only one?" "Yes. He lives in the slums. He''s responsible for plumbing." "What is he like?" "Strong. Dangerous. He prefers to eat snakes, though. He only comes after us when he''s starving." He looked at the eight factions on his stat sheet. So far, there hadn''t been one race or faction that Roth couldn''t befriend. But here, things weren''t as straightforward. All the races living in the sewers were at odds with each other. Ratans were prey to alligators and snakes. Snakes were at odds with the alligator and the ratans. And the alligator was at odds with the snakes and ratans. "This is as far as I go. From here on out, this is Stenchy''s territory. I can''t go in. Go down that tunnel, over there." "Thank you for bringing me here, Scratchy." "Bye." Scratchy turned and ran. With his furry friend gone, Roth''s only company was the leaky pipes and fetid stench. Roth headed in the direction Scratchy had pointed. Now that he was alone with his thoughts, Roth went to the forums to look up the two other factions that Scratchy had mentioned. First, he looked up any information available on snakes. Snakes were monsters with high damage but low health. One attack from them could take a big chunk off a player¡¯s hp bar. The Gazette mentioned that their bites had a chance of stunning the target for a second. If the stun landed, other snakes could bite you, chaining stuns. Chances were that you¡¯d die. He didn''t find any reference to snake bosses or elites. So far, he''d been able to walk on dry ground, but to proceed further, he had to jump into the water. Now with his knees up in the water, Roth looked up the information about the alligator. It was the wild boss that roamed the sewers under the slums. Hunting it was required to complete a very popular quest among Rogues, which offered excellent equipment. The alligator was a cyborg, meaning it was part beast, part machine. With each step, Roth felt the silt and mud under his boots being disturbed. As he agitated the water, the stench only intensified. After walking for a couple of minutes in the sewage, he got an unpleasant notification. The unhygienic sewage is starting to affect your health. You''ve gained a new debuff [Trench Foot]. -20% Movement Speed Roth instantly felt the discomfort in his feet and sighed. It seemed that he was doomed to being under debuffs down here. There was nothing he could do about it for now. He pressed ahead. Even though the water was still, Roth could hear it moving ahead. It was maybe a cascading pipe, almost a sibilant sound. He tried to turn his attention back to what he was reading, hoping it would help him get his mind off his discomfort. The guide suggested that players weaken the boss first to improve the chances of successfully hunting the alligator. It then offered the complete information at a premium fee... Roth felt a shadow move to his side. Frightened, Roth saw two yellow eyes shining from within a dark pipe to his right. A triangular-shaped head slithered out of the pipe, with its elongated body following. Roth''s apprehension grew as the snake''s biforked tongue sampled the air in his direction. Ch. 58 - The Ssewerss To Roth''s surprise, the creature made no aggressive moves; instead, it fixed its gaze on him unblinking. A nervous lump formed in Roth''s throat. He had never encountered a snake before, let alone established a friendly rapport with one. You''re meeting the snake race for the first time. Charisma bonus activated. "Hello, I am Roth. What''s your name?" "Ssss...sssss ss sss sss." Was that its name? There was no way he could pronounce that. The serpent reached out toward Roth and touched his arm. It kept smelling the air with its tongue. Why was it smelling him so much? Of course! Roth opened his stat window and revisited the description of the Zoomorph race. Zoomorph (Hidden Race) Race Description: By spending much time with different mutated beasts, your cells have captured the essence of some of their strength. The Lord of the Woods has awakened your genetic potential, allowing you to exhibit some of its unique strengths. Racial Effects: Nature speaks to you, and you listen; All animals like your smell. Bingo! It says that animals liked his smell. His mind returned to the baroness'' and the ratan''s reaction to his change in race. They had all complimented his scent! Did this mean that when he met an animal race for the first time, they wouldn''t take the initiative to attack him, even if he didn''t have a friendly relationship with them? That was so OP! Roth couldn''t take it anymore; he had to break his dance moves. Roth started to make his cheesy dance. "Sssss. Sssss. Sss." He had forgotten that the snake was wrapped around his arm! Your charismatic dance moves entrance the snake. +9 reputation with all snakes. What in the world? Snakes liked dancing? He chuckled. Since he had nothing else to do and the bonus to his charisma wouldn''t last forever, Roth let his feet loose and started dancing as his new friend kept sibilating away. For a moment, Roth forgot the discomfort from the sewers and just had fun. More and more snakes kept poking their heads out of their pipes, following Roth''s dance moves with interest. To Roth, their reaction was a testament to his unparalleled talent, confirming his unrivaled dancing prowess. The snakes began miming his movements, their sinuous bodies contorting and mimicking his steps. They weaved around one another, forming intricate patterns mirroring his every sway and stumble. It was a bizarre, surreal ballet. What a phenomenal step you just made there. Your audience of serpents is pleased. +14 reputation with all snakes. Gone were the days when befriending a race was enough to give him a title. He had noticed that with the treeants and the dwarves, he hadn''t been given any titles from just befriending them. Most races found in the beginner zones were easier to befriend to encourage beginners. If so, more advanced races would have more work and time before their friendship could give fruit. Your charisma gives you such grace and elegance. Your audience of serpents loves your dance. +16 reputation with all snakes. You are now friendly with all snakes. Other than the first snake that had come aboard his arm, others had joined the party and moved up and down his legs. They would twine up his arms and legs and sometimes give him little taps. When they did, he would get a notification. You start making sense of the taps the snakes are giving you. Progress in learning Snakish: 4%. With water up to his knees and hugged by different snakes, he danced on. When his one-hour bonus to charisma ended, Roth received a heart-breaking notification. Your bonus to charisma has ended. The snakes look at your clumsy dance moves and feel disrespected by your lack of grace. -8 reputation with all snakes. What? The outrage! The system had called his dance moves clumsy! Roth felt the blood in his head boiling but forced himself to calm down. It''s good that he just had one hour to unwind; otherwise, he would have lost it. It turned out that snakes had been entranced, not by his dance moves, but by his charisma! Anyway, even after stopping his dance, he was happy to see snakes stayed on him, quietly tapping away at each other and at him while entwining themselves on Roth''s arms and neck. Roth kept patiently waiting as he saw the bar progress. Had he not had the [Polyglot] title, who knows how much longer this would take? Progress in learning Snakish: 100%. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Congratulations! You are now fluent in Snakish. You can freely talk to and understand snakes. +100 reputation with all snakes. Roth tried to speak Snakish, but nothing came out. Even so, he could understand the snakes talking to each other around him. It seemed that Snakish was the first language he couldn''t speak and could only understand. He spoke to the serpents in human tongue while they communicated with their tactile language. "Hi, I''m Paxsss." "Hello, Paxsss." "Why didn''t you attack me when you first saw me?" "Becausse of your sssmell. You sssmell like a sserpent." As he suspected. He had to confess that he was a bit sour with how changing into a [Zoomorph] granted him no bonus to his base stats. But this new-found bonus was more than enough to make it up to him. Not being attacked by animals he met was a fantastic boon for his character''s progression. "I have some questions I want to ask you." "Sssure." "I have just come from a ratan nest. A weird ratan oozing black liquid attacked them. Do you know where it comes from?" The serpent climbed up Roth''s arm and regarded him squarely while slightly moving his head from side to side. "Yesss." It turned around toward the direction that Roth was heading. "That way." "Do you know what''s wrong with it?" "Hmmm... Yesss. Follow me." The serpent slithered down Roth''s leg until it was at water level and gracefully swam. It reached a pipe with a large diameter and sat still. Roth heard slithering and was met with a disturbing sight. Two giant snakes were dragging one snake oozing black liquid with flaring nostrils. Roth looked up their information. Constrictor (Common) Lvl. 18 3000hp He hadn''t read anything about constrictors in the forums, but they seemed different from the snakes he''d seen earlier. They were beefier and had more hp. They hugged the oozing snake, limiting its movements as if they were two straight jackets. "What''s wrong with it?" "We don''t know. It tried to sssneak past us and reach one of our nessstsss. But we caught it in time." "Why are you imprisoning it rather than... you know..." "We can''t kill it. Our most potent poisssons only slow it down. We can only conssstrict it." "So they just constrict it indefinitely?" "Not indefinitely..." Trailing off, the snake jolted upright. All the serpents became taut and started hissing. They had heard something. Could it be the alligator? "Run, friend. It comesss." The serpent entwined on his arm jumped into the water and agilely swam until it could reach a pipe. Roth saw that the two constrictors, rather than crawling back into their pipe, came out of it, dragging their victim and holding it securely in the middle of the waterway. "What comes? What?" Roth began hearing a mechanical clanking sound coming from afar. Could it be the alligator? Or maybe it was one of the oozing monster ratans? He took the serpent''s advice and began running in the opposite direction. As he reached the wider tunnel, he turned around, waiting to glimpse what was coming. After all, if it were the alligator, it would like his smell and not attack him, no? It turned out it wasn''t an alligator. It wasn''t even an animal. It was a robot of some kind. It had a gaping mechanical maw that scraped against the pipe''s metal and opened and closed repeatedly as if chewing on the murky water. The mandibles reminded him of those of an alligator with their long jaws. The mechanical sounds he had heard earlier were those of the robot chewing up debris. As the robot came through the tunnel inhabited by the snakes he had just befriended, sometimes it stopped near one of the pipes and scanned them. Laser beams came off its side, leaving the smell of charred snake meat hanging in the air. Some snakes hadn''t run fast enough. As the robot came closer, it approached the constrictors holding the snake in place. Roth turned around and ran. He didn''t want to see what was about to happen. He didn''t want to discover what it felt like to be chewed by those jaws or hit by those lasers either. What in the world was that? It was the first time Roth found a mob that wasn''t a mutated animal. The sight of the robot shooting lasers left a deep impression on him. He had explicitly asked Scratchy if there were any other creatures in here. Why did he not mention these robots? After turning around and ensuring he wasn''t being followed, he returned to the Gazette, looking for clues to the identity of these scary robots. As soon as he wrote ''robot sewers,'' he immediately got a hit. They were called gatorbots. They patrolled the sewers and dredged and crunched any big debris to keep them from clogging. Not even players over level 40 could put a dent in its armor. When you spotted one, the advice was to run away or risk being caught and terminated. Roth failed to determine why the robots were called gatorbots. Maybe it was because their crunching maws resembled that of an alligator? Wait. Hadn''t Scratchy said that the alligator was in charge of plumbing? Wasn''t that what the gatorbots were doing? Could the alligator and the gatorbots be somehow connected? That seemed like a reasonable conclusion. He would ask the snakes. Roth leaned his ear against the moist wall. He couldn''t hear anything. He should be in the clear. Relieved that the monster machine had gone the other way, Roth returned to the tunnel where he¡¯d been dancing for his reptile friends. As he jumped into the murky water and walked toward the pipes, one of the snakes cautiously poked its head out. It sniffed the air with its tongue and looked left and right, ignoring Roth. It slithered from the pipe toward Roth only after the coast was clear. Roth stretched out his hand invitingly, and the snake came aboard. "Are you OK?" The snake curled into what Roth guessed was a shrug. ¡°Does that thing come around often?¡± The snake tapped him gently with its snout, and Roth could hear the words in his mind, courtesy of the game system. ¡°Every day, at least onssse.¡± ¡°That¡¯s terrible.¡± ¡°It¡¯sss that damn aligator¡¯sss fault. At leassst, it hasss itsss usssesss." A reference to the macabre show the constrictors had put on earlier. Roth shivered at the way snakes had found to protect themselves from the oozing monsters. It was ingenious but heartless. Anyway, his hunch was correct! Now that he thought about it, it couldn''t be any more obvious. Alligator cyborg. Gatorbot. He patted himself on the shoulder. "Asss if it wasssn¡¯t enough for him to eat usss, hisss machinesss also have gone berssserk and go around killing everything it ssseesss.¡± ¡°I feel sorry for you. It can¡¯t be easy to live fearing being hunted like that.¡± Roth didn''t say this to gain reputation points. He meant that. It seemed that he and his new friends were in the same boat. Whereas he was hiding from potential dangers lurking above the surface, serpents did the same by hiding inside the pipes from these mechanical hunting machines. ¡°It isssn''t usually like thisss. Usssually the robots only clean the waterways and pipesss. But a few daysss ago, sssome of usss ssstarted going crazy. Around the sssame time the robotsss ssstarted doing the sssame. It''s ssso ssstrange." You''ve received a new quest: [Down the Drain]. Down the Drain (Rare) Life has always been challenging for the inhabitants of the sewers, where resources are scarce and strife abounds. But strange things are happening in the sewers below the city of Hilsford. Quest objectives: Discover the origin of the monsters; Investigate why the gatorbots have been driven mad. It seemed that the problems in the sewers weren''t only affecting the ratans but the other races living here. Ch. 59 - Up and Down "Come on, Wilson! Wake up! You and I wouldn''t be here if we had done that." Sparks and accusations were the norms whenever they talked now. This was going nowhere. Gary had to get a hold of what was left of his team. "OK! We wasted all our money on teleporting to six of the ten cities of Green Country. That means that he must be in one of the remaining four. Each of us goes to one different city. We have a 75% chance of going to the same place he''ll be. He can''t easily travel between cities until he''s level 30, giving us plenty of time to locate him. Right?" "What if he teleports?" "He''d have to be swimming in gold for that," countered Xana. Good. The discussion had become more constructive. This was a better environment. "Good. I will take Bushbury. You guys choose the other cities. Remember! He''ll most likely hang out around the garrison. He won''t resist playing as a berserker. Here. I have found the relevant quests to unlock the berserker class from the guild''s library." "Won''t Loki see you have dug up this information? That will make him suspicious, no?" "If he checks the logs, Loki won''t suspect anything. If we were sure that Roth had reset his character and started playing with the same avatar, we would still want to access this information." "Fine," said Xana. Wilson didn''t even bother speaking. Gary took a deep breath. "Guys, I know things went wrong with Brian and Shirley. We had no choice. It was the five of us or them." Xana looked the other way with tears in her eyes. "For what it¡¯s worth, I''m sorry for what happened. Don''t worry. I''ll never betray you guys." Wilson and Xana''s silence showed Gary that they didn''t believe him. Beneath his smile, Gary thought furiously. Throwing these two under the bus would be much more complicated when the time came. * After five minutes of banging his head against the wall for being so stupid and not thinking things through, Roth decided to make the most out of the time he had left until the cooldown timer in his [Miniaturize] skill refreshed. He first decided to read more about Hilsford in the Gazette but found it hard to concentrate in such a smelly place. He had to move, or he would go crazy. When Roth was in prison, his cell was two by four meters. It was tiny, especially for someone as giant as him. Regardless, Roth had learned from his fellow prisoners how to exercise in the confines of such a cramped space. What else could one do in jail? Regular exercise had helped him deal not only with the guilt and the negative feelings that had haunted him after his father died but also with the loneliness of imprisonment and even with anger management. Regular exercise calmed him down. This was big enough for an extensive workout compared to his limitations when incarcerated. Roth''s second title had been unlocked from running. [Marathonist] had allowed him to save many hours of gameplay that would have been wasted recovering energy. When he''d looked up the forums, he had seen among the list of more common titles one called [Alpinist]. The ladder that took Roth from the ground to the drain was twenty meters long. It was time to test his theory and see if climbing could unlock it. Roth started climbing up the ladder and down the ladder. At first, his movements were somewhat clumsy, especially climbing down. But after a few runs, he developed more confidence and was soon in the zone. He didn''t even think about his movements anymore. He just focused on his breathing. Although the game allowed players to skip sleeping, Roth missed resting. It wasn''t easy to face his problems twenty-four hours a day. It had been over a month since he left jail, and here he was, exercising as if he was still locked up. Gary and the gang were still looking for him. Going up the ladder, going down the ladder. Loki was a bloodthirsty sociopath, and he had to be furious at him for the beating he''d given him. He wouldn''t let him go easily. Going up the ladder, going down the ladder. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Roth heard a loud mechanical sound drawing near his location. A gatorbot. He climbed up the ladder and tried to stay as quiet as possible. The gatorbot passed by dredging and crushing the garbage and moved on, ignoring him. Roth sighed in relief. It was time to get back to work. Going down the ladder. He wondered how his mother was doing these days. Loki had threatened that she would suffer the consequences if he didn''t hurry to leave the game¡ªpoor mamma. Going up the ladder, going down the ladder. Even if Roth left the game, nothing stopped Loki from having one of his goons waiting with a gun ready to shoot him. He had to have a plan to leave and what to do after he left. Going up the ladder, going down the ladder. But what could he do? Loki''s connections ran far and wide. He had to think of something that could ensure his family''s safety too. Going up the ladder, going down the ladder. By climbing, you strengthen the muscles in your back and legs. +1 strength. Eureka! It had worked! Reinvigorated by the excellent news, Roth kept going as fast as he could. Going up the ladder, going down the ladder. If Gary was still looking for him, why hadn''t they found him? Gary was working for Loki, and Loki must have an army at his beck and call. Didn''t he? How is his guild doing these days? Going up the ladder, going down the ladder. Some gaming companies were exceedingly powerful. Back in his day, there had been the Krakens, the Ogres, the Yetis, and others. The top 10 gaming companies hadn''t changed in years. Going up the ladder, going down the ladder. By climbing, you strengthen your back and legs muscles. +1 strength. By climbing, you loosen your back and legs muscles. +1 dexterity. He had depleted his energy. He still had to take a break even with his high endurance stat. After all, the [Marathonist] title didn''t apply to climbing, only to running. Thankfully, he had gotten used to the smell. It was still there, but by focusing his mind on other things, he could bear it. He took the chance to look at the guilds in the forums. The amount of publicity and advertising to join a guild was mind-blowing. He saw several names he knew from other games. There were the Krakens, the Ogres, the Griffins, the Centaurs, the Dragons¡­. Roth found the name of that monster''s guild: Pegasus. What a hypocrite. For someone as insidious as himself, he should have gone for something much more vile in his name. Regardless, he had chosen a cute horse with wings. Typical of him. But to think that his once small gaming company had grown so much to go toe to toe with the other big guilds. He felt his heartbeat quickening and his rage building up. He had to snap out of it. He went back to climbing. After five more hours of climbing, he received an unexpected notification. You have endured the stench of the sewers. You can face any challenge in your path. You''ve unlocked a new stat: [Resilience]. Increases resistance to debuffs (+0.1% status resistance per +1 resilience); It''s easier to resist environmental hazards. It''d been a while since Roth had uncovered a new stat. With this, perhaps life in the sewers would become a little easier. At least the developers recognized how hard it was to stay in this cesspool for a long time. He returned to his exercise routine after looking at the extra stat on his character sheet. He kept going. Going up the ladder, going down the ladder. As for escaping by other means, nothing had come from his efforts to get the Sergeant to write his mother a letter or contact the police. Did she even get the letter? Or had Loki taken over the post system too? Going up the ladder, going down the ladder. You have unlocked a new title: [Alpinist] Alpinist (Common) Title description: By practicing climbing, you have developed fantastic motor skills. Your agility has become impressive. Title effects: 20% speed when climbing; You can climb longer without getting tired. Conditions to unlock [Alpinist]: Climb 3km in a day {complete}; Climb 100km. Roth frowned. He thought that he would at least gain some stats from it. It might come in handy if he ever had to climb somewhere. He also gained +3 strength and +2 dexterity by doing this activity. It was the equivalent of achieving a level. At least his time hadn''t been completely wasted. He still had five hours to kill before the cooldown of [Miniaturize] refreshed. What else could he do down here? Ch. 111 - Grass? Cave? With the city of Hilsford on his back and a destination ahead, it was time to begin his journey. After letting the sheep settle down, Roth began his march. It was time to take these little ones to safety. The well-built road makes it easier to travel on it. You have gained a [Swift] buff of +10% running speed. Roth realized happily that the road speed bonus also applied to the sheep. Good. The trip had just been cut by a tenth. ¡°The I and the we have become the us of the I!¡± he heard among the flock. He slumped his shoulders and sighed. It looked like he would have to deal with the flock¡¯s nonsensical poetry throughout the whole trip. Everything they said was so ethereal, and Roth couldn¡¯t understand it no matter how hard he tried. Roth took the lead, letting the sheep follow. Roth''s strategy for the trip was simple. He would try to stick to the road as much as possible. That''s where the least chances of being attacked were. The faster he got to the Green Woods, the more chance of success he¡¯d have. Around the city of Hilsford, the ground was mostly plain. Although the grass around the city was shorter, as they drew farther from the city, it became taller. Whenever the wind rustled the grass, Roth heard the ripples of fear in the flock¡¯s song. The first hurdle would undoubtedly be the wolves. They were by far the most common monsters in these prairies. After the prairie came the forests and woodlands, with their many trees and varieties of monsters. Roth received a call. It was Drake. "Have you left yet?" "Yes, Drake. I wanted to give myself an extra day in case anything unexpected happens. Don''t worry. I''ll be back for the weekly meeting at Mario''s lab." "You''d better. Listen, I got a letter from your mom and another from your brother Danny. I''m sending it to your email." Amidst the whirlwind of events, Roth had neglected to write to his mother for a few days. Hopefully, the trip would be uneventful enough to let him do that. "How is it going with the Raviolis?" Drake smirked. "It isn''t good practice to speak about family business." "Well, you certainly are in character. Things are going well for you." "Yes, but we need to talk at the weekly meeting. I also chatted with the 14th, and they should be done with their race quests today. After they become thumbers, they will try to learn their professions, and they should have more meaningful information to share." "Good." "I also have a big surprise for you." "Yes? What is it?" "You''re going to love it! I promise it." Roth felt waves of trepidation running through the flock. They started bleating and showing fear. There was something in the air that had spooked them. The song that usually was well-paced and steady became erratic and ominous. "I have to go now, Drake. Something is going on with the sheep." Roth hung up the call. All around, there was tall grass. He strained his ears but only heard the wind. Then, finally, another sound broke the quiet. It was the sound of a howl. Roth hadn''t left the city more than 10 minutes ago, and the first wolf attack was already at his doorstep. Slowly, gnarling and drooling wolves stepped out of the tall grass. Three had moved to their the rear, and six others were facing them. Grassland Wolves Lvl. 14 1100 hp Roth tried to transmit calm and peace to the flock and felt them quiet down. He studied the pack that surrounded them. They kept shifting their focus between Roth and the sheep. They became aggressive and fierce whenever they focused on the sheep behind Roth, but hesitant and confused when they focused on Roth. The wolves looked unsure about what to do. It was probably because of his race. On the one hand, they smelt prey. On the other hand, he smelled like an ally to them. It was time to see if his preparations would bear any fruits. "For which den''s pups do you hunt tonight?" Roth spoke up in the human tongue. The wolves stepped back as he said it. He caught the wolves exchanging looks. The greeting that wolves used in the stories of the Fox Canon corresponded to reality! Hearing a wolf''s greeting being used by a human had thrown them off. "For which den''s pups do you hunt tonight?" tried Roth again. The biggest wolf of the pack, standing right in front of him, barked a series of sounds. This was probably leader of the pack. Among the different barks, Roth could make out two of the sounds which very similar to words he knew in Foxian. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it He understood the word for ''grass'' and another that sounded very similar to the word for ''cave.'' Roth couldn''t get enough of how the developers had managed to get such a good grasp on how the human brain learned languages. They had implemented it beautifully in AstroTerra. He tried barking the two words he understood. "Grass? Cave?" One of the Wolves stepped forward menacingly, and another growled. Roth could make out the word ''fox.'' Hearing the language of wolves, you find certain similarities between it and Foxian. Progress in learning Wolfspeak: 32%. Amazing! He was already learning the language of wolves! Different trivia flashed through Roth''s mind as he tried to make sense of the information. He knew that there were human languages that shared more similarities than others. For example, jumping from English to Chinese was very different from what would be required for English to German. After all, both English and German had a similar origin: they were Germanic languages. Therefore, by knowing English, in theory, someone already knew many of the words and grammar structures required to learn German. Something similar was afoot here. Even though wolves and foxes were completely different animals, they were still canids or canideans, or whatever the word for creatures similar to dogs was. It wasn''t surprising there would be some resemblance in their language. However, that didn¡¯t mean that Roth could already speak the language fluently. He could only make out loose words for now. The pack was now involved in an internal debate about what they would do about Roth and the flock of sheep. Roth noticed that compared to foxes, when wolves spoke, their snarls were heavier, and their words harsher. Foxian sounded more elegant. It was as if the foxes spoke the language of poets, and wolves spoke the language of warriors. Roth made out the conversation between the pack members by filling in the blanks between the loose words he recognized with context and imagination. "No prey tonight woof, bark, whimper, attack." "Bark. Woof, woof, smell woof, clan." After a short conversation, the big wolf came to a decision. It howled in an unmistakable command to strike. The sheep panicked, their telepathic song thrown into disarray. The harmony that brought their twenty minds together became a jumble of noise and static. Roth had to disconnect his mind from theirs and use the skills he''d prepared to make this trip work. Taunting Roar! The deep rumbling sound from Roth''s lungs shook the sheep into alertness and dispelled their panic. The wolves, who had been solely focused on attacking the sheep earlier, now ran towards Roth, falling for his taunting bellow. The biggest wolf that had been the nearest, reached Roth before any of the others could. As the pack leader''s jaws snapped on his arm, Roth let out a scream of pain. -23 He could feel his flesh tear and his bone crack. He tried to tell himself it was just a game, but he was already pale and sweating. Roth fought the urge to fight back or to spring his trap immediately. He had to make time for the other wolves to reach him. He had to get them as close as possible if he was going to make his plan succeed. -23 -10 -16 -10 After one more bite of the big wolf and after the rest of the pack arrived, Roth finally found the right moment to act. Screeching Terror! The sound that came out of Roth''s throat was the mix of a high-pitched woman''s scream and an eagle''s pained cry. The air around him trembled as the skill was enhanced by the effect of his [Polyglot] title. The wolves'' eyes, which had been red with rage and hunger, lost their aggressive edge. The wolves started whimpering and ran with their tails between their legs. They sprinted as fast as they could, terrified. While the debuff lasted, Roth reached out with his mind again toward the flock and commanded them to follow him. Roth took out one of the consumables he had prepared for the quest. Haste Scroll (Consumable) Item description: The paper has been inscribed with chemical reagents that boost adrenaline production and give speed to those around you. Item effects: Grants +20% movement speed to all allies within a 20m radius; Lasts 30 seconds. The unfurlled scroll crumbled into bits as it came into contact with air. The smell released was similar to that of peppermint. The sheep now had a blue feather sign above them, signaling they had received the speed buff. Even though it hurt to use such an expensive consumable, Roth didn''t hesitate. He didn''t know how long the wolves would be affected by the fear debuff of his [Screeching Terror], and he wanted to be as far away as possible from the pack when they snapped out of it. Roth urged the sheep to move as fast as they could, while looking back over his shoulder. The wolves were beginning to recover from their panic attack. The pack leader was the first to wake, while the others awoke a second later. Roth measured the distance he''d been able to put between the wolves and the flock and sighed, relieved to see they had moved out of the wolves'' aggro zone. Since he hadn¡¯t dealt them any damage, he hadn¡¯t built much aggro, and the pack of wolves disappeared into the tall grass. You''ve interfered with the hunt of the grassland wolves. -20 reputation with the grassland wolves. The advantage of the [Fear] debuff over [Stun] was that [Fear] sent opponents running away from whoever scared them. That, coupled with the speed of the scroll, had enabled him to put enough distance between his flock and the wolves. Things were going well. With only a [Haste Scroll] and two skills, he overcame the first obstacle. There would be bigger challenges down the road. If Roth couldn''t even scare away the lowest-level wolves from hunting the sheep, there was no way he would make it through the whole journey. A few moments later, Roth found a stretch of road he deemed safe. He sent the mental command for the flock to stop and checked on each sheep. All of them were accounted for. He found a sheep whose leg had been bitten by a wolf. The sheep was given a [Bleed] debuff and, as a result, was losing hp every second. The wound was also making the poor soul limp, which would affect the flock''s traveling speed. Roth took out another consumable that he had prepared for the trip. Soothing Bandages (Consumable) Item description: Mixture of medicinal herbs applied to a cotton bandage that makes wounds close quickly. Item effects: Recover 10 hp every 10 seconds for 100 seconds; Can only be used outside of battle. The items weren''t particularly expensive for the amount of health they regenerated, costing a few coppers each. The downside was that it couldn''t be used during battle. Roth applied the bandage carefully and, after ensuring every sheep was okay, resumed their march. Ch. 112 - Turncoat "Good choice, kid," said the short man in a green coat as he went through the contents of the envelope Frankie gave him. "I''ll do all I can for my new family." You really are something. You even betrayed a crime family. -20 righteousness. [Turncoat] completed. Rewards: Convert your reputation with the Gazpachos into reputation with the Beanies: +130 reputation with the Beanies; -130 reputation with the Gazpachos. Congratulations! You''re now liked by the Beanies. Bonus rewards: +10 reputation with the Beanies; [Intimidate] has been replaced with [Extort]. Extort (Uncommon) Skill description: You''ve learned from the Beanies how to make a scary face, and your prey shakes so hard that they drop some of their precious coins. Skill effects: Passive. You gain +10% gold from mob drops; 10% discount when buying from NPCs in the family''s pockets. During the 24 hours Frankie spent in prison, Peace Corps officers had interrogated him several times about family activities. Even though he''d been mad at the Gazpachos, he still had his sense of honor. He was no snitch. He didn''t give them anything about the family. After serving his time, Frankie went back to see the family. He was refunded the gold he''d lost and gained some reputation, but his old captain told him the family was going through a hard time. The Beanies and the Raviolis had seized the Gazpachos'' moment of weakness and had encroached on their territory. Additionally, the raid and the information the authorities had on the family was a severe blow to their business. There was a power shift in the slums, and the Gazpachos became the underdog. At this time, he bumped into a girl he''d met at Baldwins. She told him how she had changed sides and gone over to the Beanies. Frankie decided to follow in her footsteps. After doing a simple quest and ratting out everything he knew about the Gazpachos to the competition, he was back on top of the game. "So, any jobs for me?" "Hmmm..." the man looked left and right to ensure they weren''t being overheard. "The family invested in a tailor shop called ¡®The Crafted Hem.¡¯ We were working on a mutagen that forces sheep to produce more wool. The Peace Corps discovered it. The scientist we hired to do the job has disappeared, and so have the drugs. We must find at least one of the sheep he was working on. There must still be vestiges of the drug in its bloodstream, which can be reverse engineered." Whereas the Gazpachos had been all brawn and muscle, the Beanies were more the mad scientists of the slums. "OK. So you want me to find the sheep." "One of our informants saw a foreigner leave with the sheep through the North gate one hour ago. He was heading North. Get your hands on at least one of the animals, and bring it here." You''ve received a new quest: [Sheep Thief]. Sheep Thief (Rare) A foreigner was seen taking away the sheep of Thadeus. Get at least one of the animals back so the family can experiment on them. Quest objectives: Find the sheep and retrieve at least one of them; Work alone so that you don''t draw attention to yourself. "On it!" Frankie took off running toward the North Gate. * By the time Roth reached the tree line, he had thwarted four wolf attacks. The combo of [Taunting Roar], [Screeching Terror], and then a [Haste Scroll] had worked like a charm every time. Undoubtedly, the balance between Roth''s level and the wolves'', coupled with the power of the [Polyglot] title, was enough to buy him enough time to get in the clear. Now that Roth was inside the tree line, he took a deep breath and stretched his back. He had overcome the first hurdle. He was now in a forest. The road cut through it, with tree lines on both sides. The Pegasus guild focused many of its activities in Green Country and made a thorough map available to even the newly joined guild members. Thanks to the rescue library, he had a good guess of what problems he would have on the trip. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. According to the map Drake had taken from Brian, there were owls on Roth''s left and bats on his right. He didn''t imagine either would want to target the sheep for any reason, so this should be a peaceful stretch in their journey. After a few minutes, Roth was startled as he received a notification. Congratulations! Peace endures among the ratans, snakes, and Mario. +22,180 XP. He forgot his [Peace Treaty] skill in the middle of this rescue operation. What a nice feeling to receive some free XP out of the blue. Well, it wasn¡¯t exactly free, was it? He¡¯d worked hard for it. After walking in silence for several minutes, Roth tried to chat with the sheep. "Why are you always singing?" "We don''t sing," answered the collective voice of the twenty sheep. "What do you do then?" "We listen, and sometimes we hum along." "Where does the sound come from then?" "The song is the flock, the flock is the song," came the ceremonious answer. "I don''t know what that means. Can you explain to me what the flock is?" "We are. So are you, as long as you''re with us." "But is the flock an organization? Is it a group of animals?" "No, the flock isn''t the instruments. The flock is the song. We explained this to you already." Roth wanted to tear his face off and tear it again into small pieces of confetti. Talking to these sheep was like talking to a wall. "Ok, so the flock is a song." "The song. Yes." "Earlier, when wolves attacked us, I heard that the song changed." "Yes, fear makes the ''we'' become the ''I.'' The ''I'' is weak." Roth gave up on trying to understand the sheep''s jargon. He checked the time. It was almost lunchtime now. He thanked the heavens that he didn''t need to eat inside the game. It was already complicated enough to manage his weight capacity. He was glad this was not the kind of game where he would starve to death if he got a [Hungry] debuff. Roth caught movement in the corner of his eye and was terrified to see that wolves had sneaked up on them and were almost on the sheep. Unlike the previous times, when the sheep could feel the wolves nearby, the attack came without warning. The wolves came from the trees. Their fur was brown, and they were bigger than the prairie wolves. Roth inspected them. Timberwolves Lvl. 24 2000 hp Maybe because of their higher levels, they had ambushed them undetected by either Roth or the sheep. At least, the stretch between the tree line and the road was wide enough to give Roth the necessary time to react. Taunting Roar! About a third of the pack kept running straight for the sheep. Roth clicked his tongue as he realized that he hadn¡¯t been able to generate enough aggro. It was time to use one of the aces up Roth''s sleeve. Peace Decree! Suddenly, everything became black and white. The shout that came out from Roth''s lungs changed the color of the forest but didn''t change the wolves'' behavior or the sheep''s terror. Some of the pack was still heading toward the sheep. The wolves taunted by Roth''s skill dealt their first attacks. -Null! -Null! -Null! As wolves tried to bite the sheep, their damage was also negated. The clock was ticking. Roth had given his flock two minutes to live. The wolves didn''t relent in their attack and kept scratching and biting Roth and the sheep but couldn¡¯t cause any damage. Roth used [Taunting Roar] again as soon as it came off cooldown. Taunting Roar! This time, the skill drew all the wolves away from the flock. Once Roth concentrated all the wolves around him, he pulled out another item from his inventory. Hallucinogen Grenade (Consumable) Item description: A mix of powerful drugs and chemicals that affects the nervous system and induces panic. Item effects: Makes those inside the explosion radius less resistant to fear; Lasts 30 seconds. As the sphere hit the ground, it unleashed blue smoke, engulfing all the wolves. When Roth unlocked subterfuge or bought the [Basic Toxicologist] set, he hadn¡¯t felt any excitement over the buffs to poison potency and duration. But he changed his opinion once he saw all the different poisons for sale in the auction house. Poisons were powerful tools for a player like him, who didn¡¯t want to hurt others but just wanted to stop them temporarily. Screeching Terror! The combination of the [Hallucinogen Grenades], his [Basic Toxicologist] set, and his [Screeching Terror] proved more than enough. The wolves took off running, desperately whimpering and crying. They ran away faster than the lower-leveled wolves from the prairie. Roth tore a [Haste Scroll] and took off. Looking back, the wolves had disappeared behind the trees. [Peace Decree] had served its purpose, and no one had suffered damage. Roth painedly looked at the smaller stack of Hallucinogen Grenade in his inventory. Each of these cost ten gold! He had risked not using it in the grasslands around Hilsford because he didn''t need to use [Peace Decree] then. But here, there was no safety margin. You''ve interrupted the hunt of the timberwolves. -30 reputation with the timberwolves. Roth was on his way to becoming disliked by the prairie wolves and, by the looks of it, by the timberwolves. He was mad at himself for being caught off guard earlier. Why were there wolves here? As Roth marched on the road, followed by the flock, he consulted the rescue library and searched for information on the timberwolves. Turned out that packs of timberwolves could randomly appear in any place in the woodlands and forests of Green Country. Even though Roth had been in owl territory, he had the bad luck of being attacked by a pack of timberwolves prowling nearby. * "Argh! I don''t believe this!" said Frankie as he kicked a stone in the graveyard. He''d been running North, trying to find the player who''d stolen the sheep, when he came across a crazy pack of timberwolves all running desperately toward him as if they''d seen a ghost. Long story short, he was surrounded and killed. He now would have to spend an hour in physiotherapy to cancel the loss of stats. The worst part was that he had to return all the way to the spot where he¡¯d been killed. He ran to the city gate and Northward again. * Roth was now walking in monkey territory. He''d just encountered a silverback who ignored him and the sheep. This was one of the mobs that he hadn''t been sure about. Luckily, his scent as a zoomorph had been enough to get him safe passage. Were it not for his race, there was no way he would be able to complete this quest without hurting the roaming animals. There were too many dangers on the road. So far, his race had gotten him out of being attacked by owls, bats, rhinoceroses, gorillas, and beavers. The only problem was the wolves. Roth had been attacked three more times by timberwolves over the last four hours. Each of the [Hallucinogen Grenades] he threw cost him ten gold. That, combined with the added expense of the [Haste Scrolls], was bleeding Roth¡¯s wallet dry. He sure hoped that the rewards for this quest were worth it. He was on his way to becoming a poor man. He still had his trade run to make, but even with the cargo he carried in his inventory, he wouldn¡¯t break even if the quest rewards were no good. Roth felt his blood pressure go up as money-related worries flooded his mind. He had to pay Mario 50 gold to fix the machine. He also had paid 50 gold for all his equipment and skills in the auction house, and another 300 gold for consumables and preparations for this trip. Roth spotted an obstacle ahead of him right in the middle of the road. It seemed like a black hill. Roth recognized it immediately. One of these killed him when he traveled from the Green Woods to Greensburg. It was a grizzly bear. Ch. 113 - Sleeping Dust Grizzly Bear (Elite) Lvl. 38 10,000 hp Even from here, Roth could hear it snore. He spared a look at his inventory. He already had used eight [Haste Scrolls] and only had three left. As for [Hallucinogen Grenades], he only had one left, but he doubted it would work on the bear. With a level 38 elite monster, he didn¡¯t want to use [Screeching Terror]. He risked giving the bear a [Fear] debuff that was too short or too weak. The only chance of the fear debuff sticking was if Roth activated [Badger Form]. [Screeching Terror''s] efficiency scaled with intelligence, after all. He wanted to leave his racial forms on cooldown for now, though, so he chose not to risk it. Even if he tried it, he had no guarantee it would work. Roth had three options. One, wait for the bear to roam out of the road. Two, wait for a high-level player to pass by and hunt the bear. He was right now more than halfway between Hilsford and the Green Woods. Although it was possible that there would be hunting parties or a single high-level player completing a quest out here, it could take several hours before someone passed by. Roth wasn''t willing to wait that long. He wanted to cover as much ground as possible before it turned dark. In the darkness, it would be harder to protect the sheep. Additionally, he wasn¡¯t sure how he would react if a player hurt the bear before him. He¡¯d probably lose it, and things would get even more complicated. The third option was to deal with the problem himself. He looked at his arsenal of countermeasures and studied the level of the bear. He still had two aces in his bag. He hated the idea of going the rest of the way without his trump cards, but there was only so much money he could spend on the quest. Roth looked around. This was bear territory. Nothing prevented another bear from roaming close enough to the sheep and attacking them. He had to hurry. The longer he waited, the more his chance of success decreased. This was no time for hesitation. Roth ensured the flock was out of sight of the bear and walked toward it. As Roth drew close, the animal''s ears twitched slightly, signaling that it had picked up on Roth''s presence. The bear yawned, stretched, and walked lazily toward him on all fours, sniffing the air curiously. Roth stretched his arms with his open palms facing the bear, trying to let him know that he meant no harm. The bear approached his hands with his nose. "Hello, Mr. Bear. It''s beary nice to meet you." Roth attempted a pun to see if the bear liked it, but the bear yawned again, letting Roth get a good look at its powerful jaws and scary teeth. "Any chance you could let me pass by walking away from the road?" The bear sat on the road, gesturing it wouldn''t. It then pointed with its paw at the side of the road. Roth interpreted that as: "Why don''t you go around me? Can''t you see I''m napping here?" Roth sighed, seeing that even with 75 charisma, he couldn''t convince an elite more than 20 levels higher than him to do something as simple as walking away. He had no choice. "I have with me a picture of a beautiful she-bear! She is single and looking for a strong bear like you! Wanna see it?" The bear leaned in toward Roth, curious. Roth took out a blue bag from his inventory and, opening it, blew its contents on the bear''s face. The bear let out a roar and started sneezing while looking at Roth, annoyed. It stood up on its hind legs, threatening Roth, but after a few seconds, it closed his eyes and collapsed on the floor. It had worked. Sleeping Dust (Consumable) Item description: A powerful sleeping drug made from sloth extract and strong medicinal herbs. Item effects: You can put a monster under level 50 to sleep temporarily. Doesn''t work on bosses. Duration of sleep varies with race and the level of the monster. The [Sleep] debuff is canceled as soon as it is attacked. Roth had found these in the auction house. This item was supposed to help less experienced guilds take breathers between hunts. Although many guilds had seasoned team fighters, others were just getting started. Running a dungeon could be overwhelming. After finishing a monster, another one sometimes popped up without letting the hunting party get a break. Using [Sleeping Dust] successfully on elite monsters could help a hunting party plan their strategy, recover their health, refresh their buffs, and position themselves before starting to attack. Guilds that used it had to pay a heavy price for the consumables. They cost 50 gold a piece. Roth was using the item differently. He was just putting this elite to sleep so he could go past him without fighting. He didn''t have to hurt the animal. It would wake up normally in a few minutes. How dare you treat a bear like that? -20 reputation with the bears. The bear is sleeping soundly. You''ve helped it take another nap right after he''d have woken up from sleep. +10 reputation with all bears. Roth blinked, confused. It turned out that bears liked to sleep. Although it didn''t appreciate being sprayed with a sleeping drug, it was grateful for Roth¡¯s help in falling back asleep. Roth made a mental note of that . The question was, how could he deepen his relationship with bears? Did he have to go around spreading soporific grenades? Just in case the item''s effect wore off sooner than he expected, Roth rushed back to the flock and sent the mental command for the sheep to follow. The flock resumed its march but became fearful at the sight of the bear. Hearing the grizzly bear snore loudly and their shepherd walking in front of them unperturbed, they reluctantly followed him. He''d been able to overcome another hurdle in completing the quest. * Frankie looked at his map. Why would this player want to return the sheep to the beginner area? He wore a shiny blue cloak and a sleek black uniform. It seemed like he was a medic. Frankie found online that the set he was wearing was the level 20 [Basic Toxicologist] set. That meant that the player wasn''t very high-level. For some reason, he didn''t have a staff, drones, or a shield generator, the weapons of choice for medics. It was dark now, so Frankie''s camouflage would work better. All he had to do was to kill the player and take the flock. The quest only asked that he take away one sheep, but what kind of completion rate would he get if he returned with the whole flock in tow? The thought of all those bonus rewards made him drool. Besides, it was just a lone medic in the middle of nowhere. This was low-hanging fruit. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Camouflage! Frankie''s figure faded in the darkness. As a rogue, he had several bonuses to his stealth, and even if the medic already had unlocked insight, there was no way he would detect his presence. He approached the flock as quietly as possible. A few sheep bleated, and he cursed under his breath. The shepherd player turned back, scanning the surroundings and looking for what had startled the sheep. Even though the player stood still, the flock didn''t stop moving. The sheep moved ahead, leaving the player behind. This was his chance. He didn¡¯t have to fear the sheep alerting the player to his presence. Frankie carefully went around the player so that he could attack from behind. As a rogue, many of his skills dealt bonus damage when he hit the target from the sides or their back. He struck like a vicious viper! Concussion! Frankie hit the shepherd on the head with the pommel of his dagger and managed to stun him. He then tried his highest DPS combo, making sure he landed a regular hit in between skills to deal that extra bit of damage. -9 Double Strike! -26 -14 -12 Triple Stab! -13 -12 -45 Crit! -12 What in the world? How high was this guy''s defense? He was sure that he''d be able to finish him off in one go, but he still had a third of his HP left. The stun should be almost over, and Frankie already had the next stun skill ready, but the player moved a little sooner than he had expected. Shoot! He has resilience! Peace Decree! The shout was loud, and the animation was spectacular. Frankie had never seen this skill before. The whole air trembled and shimmered as if the scream had changed the world. Was this some sort of debuff? Frankie looked at his stats. Nothing happened. Maybe the skill hadn''t stuck or was some self-buff. Frankie activated another of his crowd-control skills. Paralyzing Stab! The dagger sparked and hummed, and Frankie managed to land a hit. The stun stuck. His target was finished. -Null Ultimate Slash! -Null -Null -Null -Null -Null -Null -Null What? What is this? Why wasn''t he landing any hits? How was this medic dodging his every attack? Frankie was lost as to what to do. The player exited the stun and turned around, facing Frankie calmly. "Hello, friend." Frankie kept attacking. -Null -Null -Null "What is going on? Why won''t you die?" "Why are you trying to kill me?" For the first time, Frankie realized how tall the man was. He had to look up at him. Why did he look so familiar? Had they met before? "It must be that skill you used early. It can''t last forever. Just wait! You''re dead meat!" -Null -Null -Null "Yet, here we are." Why isn¡¯t he striking back? -Null -Null [Double Strike] came off cooldown. Double Strike! -Null -Null Frankie took deep breaths and stared uncomprehendingly at the calm, tall man. "Why aren''t you fighting back?" "There''s no point. I don''t want to hurt you." "Even after I tried to kill you and steal your sheep?" the man''s eyes widened in realization. Shoot. I said too much. "So you''re after the sheep? The Beanies must have sent you then." "What if they did?" Frankie thought furiously. This was a weird situation. He didn''t know what to make of it. Every time he attacked a player, they didn''t bother to start chatting. They just fought back. It was the first time someone reacted so calmly. It was creeping him out. He didn''t have to kill the player, though. All he had to do was to steal the sheep. He tried to take a look at the sheep discreetly. They had disappeared. He looked back at the man and found him smiling. "I sent them ahead. As for you, thank you for giving me the time I needed to channel this item." "Wait, what?" The player opened his hand, revealing a small cube that was glowing blue. He had seen this glow before. It was similar to one of the cubes of... Frankie activated [Thirty Steps] and tried to run for it, but it was too late. You''ve entered Pax''s [Junior Containment Cube] You can''t move. Nothing can harm you, either. The containment field will last 15 minutes. Frankie was surrounded by a blue force field similar to the one he''d seen trapping the Gazpachos captains. How on Earth had this player gotten his hands on an item like that? He couldn''t be higher than level 20, could he? Under the shield''s light, the player¡¯s face came in and out of focus. The medic''s face alternated between that of a young man with a squared jaw, stubble, and black hair and that of a clean-shaven, slightly older man with blonde hair. He was wearing some sort of mask! Frankie checked if he was allowed to use an observation skill while trapped and, seeing his opportunity, went for it. Owl Vision! Character¡¯s Name: Pax. That was how much their difference in stats allowed for. Maybe the information would come in handy, and he could sell it to the Beanies. The player took a ball out of his inventory. Frankie gulped. He recognized it. It was a [Bait Ball]. The player threw it on the ground and took off running. Red smoke started coming out of the bait ball. Jackals came out of the tree line, sniffing the air and being drawn by the red smoke. It wasn''t long before he was surrounded by more than 20 of them. His heart sank. He should have just taken one of the sheep and ran. * Roth was sweating profusely but tried to keep his nervousness from influencing the telepathic commands he issued to the flock. That had been a close call. He had thought about the possibility of being attacked by players, but he had never expected there to be someone with a quest completely opposed to his. What if the Beanies had sent more than one goon after him? He bit his tongue and took out the last [Haste Scroll]. There was no time to lose. According to his calculations, the thief should have left the containment cube he¡¯d bought from Commissioner Jack. Junior Containment Cube (Consumable) Description: A piece of technology that survived the rain of fire. These are rare and are only issued to law enforcement or citizens with outstanding contributions. Item effects: Traps an opponent for an amount of time; Cancels all disguises; Time of imprisonment dependent on prisoner¡¯s level and resistance; Channeling time: 10s. It cost him 50 gold to buy it from Jack and then another 50 gold to charge it but it was worth it. It had bought him enough time. He was also careful to leave a wall of jackals behind him, which should slow his pursuer down, but he didn''t know how fast he moved. Thankfully, he was almost there. You''ve entered the Green Woods. Roth felt the frustration of losing the road''s [Swift] bonus and herded the sheep, urging them to cross the prairies. After marching the whole day, the flock was tired, but Roth sent them encouraging emotions and summoned a mental picture of the beautiful, calm place he was taking them to. Emboldened by Roth''s efforts, the flock pressed on. A few beginners hunting mice in the field stood stupefied at the unexpected sight of a shepherd taking twenty sheep out to graze. Roth was now in level 20 equipment and looked like a prince compared to the drabs full of holes and tears that beginners wore. Roth ignored them. The containment cube only had one charge. He¡¯d have to take it to the Peace Corps before recharging it. He would be unable to hold off the rogue if he came back. If the thief decided to try again, there was little Roth could do. On top of that, he still wasn''t sure if his choice of sanctuary for the sheep would work. The shroud of night covered the flock while hiding away anyone preying on it. Roth now walked behind the flock to ensure none of the sheep was taken away without him noticing. Just as the flock was about to make it to the treeline of the Green Woods, Roth felt a pang of panic disturb the mental song of the sheep. It was as if the string of a violin in an orchestra had broken. One sheep was lifted off the ground and quickly pulled away from the flock. It bleated desperately, and the song became a jumbled mess. The thief had come back! Ch. 114 - Ratan Sprint Roth couldn¡¯t believe it. The thief was running away with the sheep! He had been so close to his destination, too! The thief approached the flock using [Camouflage] and had already taken one sheep far away. Roth gave a mental command to the flock. He sent them a mental image of the clearing where he was taking them and told them to go in its general direction. It''s a good thing he¡¯d learned telepathy; otherwise, he would never have been able to complete this quest. He hoped no one would attack the sheep while he chased the missing one. Beginners would deal them little damage, and it wasn''t as if Roth had a choice. The quest would fail if even only one sheep were missing. The sheep was already a tiny, shrinking white point in the distance. The thief was a rogue, alright. His movement speed was no joke. Ratan Form! Roth''s nose stretched into a snout, and whiskers sprung from it. His nails stretched and became pointer and sharper, and a tail grew from his back. Two gray ears also popped up from his hair. Congratulations! Your dexterity has reached 350+. [Quick Hands] has been upgraded to [Lightning Hands]. Lightning Hands (Stat Bonus) Bonus description: Your agility makes your hand movements lightning-fast, granting you the ability to achieve unimaginable feats. Bonus effects: +40% attack speed; +10% crafting success; Restrictions: 350+ dexterity. You¡¯ve gained [Fast Feet]. Your wisdom is under 100. You¡¯ve lost [Strategic Thinking]. Your strength is under 50. You¡¯ve lost [Healthy Bones]. Your charisma is under 100. You¡¯ve lost [Charm]. Your endurance is under 150. [Horse¡¯s Gallop] has been downgraded to [Cat¡¯s Sprint]. [Stone Skin] has been downgraded to [Bark Skin]. Your intelligence is under 50. You¡¯ve lost [Inner Calm]. [Ratan Form] resonates with [Ratan Stride]. [Ratan Stride] has been upgraded to [Ratan Sprint]. Ratan Sprint (Uncommon) Skill description: You learn from observing how ratans dash and can imitate their speed. Skill effects: Passive. +20% running speed. Restrictions: Rogue, lvl. 10. Grateful he had the foresight not to carry more weight than he should, he set out to chase the thief. Even after losing 25 kg carrying capacity, Roth maintained top speed. Now that he had funneled all he could into movement speed, he felt the wind swing past him like never before. The speed he¡¯d gained was much greater than he had expected. What happened? The last time he transformed into this form, he couldn¡¯t break through to these stat bonuses. He spared a look at the notifications and noticed that his [Ratan Stride] skill had been upgraded for some reason into [Ratan Sprint], doubling its speed bonus! He had to draw his eyes away from the notification as he approached the figure of the floating sheep. * Frankie ran with the sheep on his shoulder. Even though it weighed considerably, he had prepared a [Strength Pill], which boosted his weight carry capacity for 30 minutes. Strength Pill (Consumable) Item description: A combination of herbs that boosts adrenaline production and strengthens your muscles. Item effects: +30 kg weight carry capacity for 30 minutes. Half an hour would be enough to run away from that freakish medic. He''d had to use every tool in his arsenal to evade the jackals, but he''d made it in time. Now that he had one sheep, he was victorious. There was no way that a medic would be able to catch up to a rogue. As he ran at full speed, Frankie saw a smoke explosion right before him. He tried to switch directions and not go through it, but the blast had been aimed too accurately, and it wasn''t easy to change directions so suddenly when running at top speed with the sheep on his shoulder. You''ve been hit with the [Hallucinated] debuff. You become more susceptible to mental attacks. "What in the world? Was that a [Hallucinogen Grenade]?" Cloud Sprint! He activated one of his active speed buffs, hoping to gain some distance from the attacker. How in the world had that medic caught up to him? He looked over his shoulder and saw a man disguised as a rat. Was that the medic? He heard an otherworldly scream. Frankie dropped the sheep and started running uncontrollably. You''ve been hit by a [Fear] debuff. You can''t stop running for 10 seconds. 10 seconds? Wasn''t that [Screeching Terror]? I thought the fear debuff only lasted 2 seconds! This medic had to have multiple buffs to make fear last this long, even with the help of a [Hallucinogen Grenade]. As soon as Frankie snapped out of the debuff, the player was already almost outside his view. The fear debuff had made him run with all his speed buffs on away from the medic. To worsen it, the medic had also run in the opposite direction, creating a big gap between them. He was already close to the tree line. Frankie couldn''t let him get away. He took out a [Speed Potion] from his inventory and gulped it. It was an expensive consumable, but the player was running too fast, and he had to catch up to him no matter what. Frankie soon broke the treeline and entered the Green Woods. He hadn¡¯t been here since he was a noob. The player was running toward the Boar Zone. What was his plan? Frankie ran with all his might but lost sight of the player behind some trees. When he broke through them, he reached a clearing. Everything was eerie and silent. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. * From behind the cloak of the Lord of the Woods'' illusion, Roth saw Frankie stomp on the ground and scream at the empty air. It had worked. Thank goodness, it worked. Many things could have gone wrong, but he''d been able to bring the sheep to safety. More importantly, he had done so without compromising on his principles. He had made the whole trip without hurting anyone. Now that he was calmer and the sheep thief couldn''t see him, Roth returned to his notification log to find out what had given him such a massive burst of speed. [Ratan Form] resonates with [Ratan Stride]. [Ratan Stride] has upgraded to [Ratan Sprint]. Ratan Stride (Common) Skill description: You learn from observing how ratans dash and can imitate their speed. Skill effects: Passive. +10% running speed. Class restrictions: Rogue, lvl. 10. Ratan Sprint (Uncommon) Skill description: You learn much from observing how ratans dash and can imitate their speed. Skill effects: Passive. +20% running speed. Restrictions: Rogue, lvl. 12. Roth went through the notifications again and sat on the ground. Was this similar to how [Inner Light] made his light skills more powerful? If so, this was a fantastic discovery. He looked at his inventory. He had many more skills in there that were named or inspired by rats. He tried learning one of them. Would you like to delete [Taunting Roar] to make room for [Rat Poison]? Roth selected yes. He could always learn [Taunting Roar] by spending a few silver at the auction house once he returned to Hilsford. You''ve learned [Rat Poison]. [Rat Poison] resonates with your [Ratan Form]. [Rat Poison] has been elevated to [Rat Toxic Poison]. Rat Toxic Poison (Uncommon) Skill description: For ages, humans poisoned the mice, and in doing so, mice became experts in the art of poisoning. Skill effect: Active. Release a cloud of poison in 5x5 meters, poisoning everyone in it. It can stack up to six times. Poison power scales with wisdom. No restrictions. His guess was correct. Any skill with rat or mouse in its name was instantly upgraded as long as he was in ratan form. Roth now tried canceling the form. Human Form! [Rat Toxic Poison] has downgraded to [Rat Poison]. [Ratan Sprint] has downgraded to [Ratan Stride]. This changed things. So many skills were named after boars, foxes, badgers, etc. If all of them resonated with his race, then zoomorphs were much more powerful than Roth had anticipated. This made his need to have extra skill slots desperate. All that Roth wanted to do now was to run back to the Auction House and conduct experiments with different skills, but that would have to wait. He spared a happy look at his flock. The sheep were all now lying on the grass, happily singing. Roth confirmed how his stats looked after returning to human form. CHARACTER INFORMATION Name: Pax Class: Pacifist Race: Zoomorph (Human Form) Profession(s): Broker, Lvl. 10 Level: 22 Affinity: Light (134/300); Nature (1/100) Alignment: Good (294/300) Positive relationships: Badgers (1245/3000); Boars (1313/3000); Corvids (1311/1000); Cyborg Union (1100/3000); Dogs (102/300); Dwarf Exiles (105/300); Flock (125/300); Foxes (1310/3000); Snakes (3153/10,000); Golden Mountain Inc. (864/1000); Greenleaf Inc. (332/1000); Hilsford Garrison Soldiers (103/300); Peace Corps (100/300); Ratans (3251/10,000); Silkworms (10/100); Treeants (400/1000) Negative Relationships: Bears (-10/-100); Gazpachos (-1400/-3000); Grassland Wolves (-45/-100); Thadeus (-10/100); Timberwolves (-90/-100); Titles: [Adored]; [Alpinist]; [Art Enthusiast]; [Darksbane]; [Discoverer of Species]; [Explorer]; [First of a Kind]; [Friend of Snakes]; [Jumper]; [Marathonist]; [Martyr]; [Micromanagement]; [Mindfulness]; [Novice]; [Overachiever]; [Pioneer]; [Polyglot]; [Richling]; [Triathlete] STATS (4 Free Stat Points) Hp: 130/199 Energy: 586/935 Damage Reduction: 34.6% Status Resistance: 3.4% Cooldown Reduction: 11% Running Speed: 137.2% Weight: [Light] - (21.4/90.5 kg) Strength: 54 Dexterity: 53 Intelligence: 64 (+1%) Wisdom: 100 Endurance: 237 Charisma: 97 (+5%) Resilience: 17 Insight: 13 Subterfuge: 17 EQUIPMENT Right Hand: [Plumber''s Torch] | +5 intelligence Left Hand: [Empty] Shoes: [Plumber Boots] | +20% speed Bottom: [Black Toxicologist Leggings] | +5% poison dur.; +4 wisdom; +1 intelligence Top: [Dark Toxicologist Jacket] | +1% poison dur.; +3% damage red.; +5 wisdom; +10ep Gloves: [Plumbing Gloves] | +5% damage red. Head: [Black Toxicologist Hood] | +2% poison pot.; +3 wisdom; +3 intelligence Cape: [Errand Cloak] | +10% speed ACCESSORIES [Crow Feather Earring] | +1 intelligence; +1 energy regen. [Cybernetic Scanner] [Witness Protection Mask] [Crow Feather Necklace] | +1 wisdom; +2 intelligence; +5ep [Utility Belt] | +10 kg [Ring of the Wanderer] | +2 wisdom; 5ep [Ring of the Wanderer] | +2 wisdom; 5ep SKILLS: Stat Bonuses: [Charm]; [Eidetic Memory]; [Fast Hands]; [Healthy Bones]; [Horse¡¯s Gallop]; [Inner Light]; [Kind Hearted]; [Perfect Timing]; [Strategic Thinking]; [Stone Skin]; Profession Related: [Discount]; [Exasperate]; [Novice Hiring]; [Porter]; [Supplier''s Fortune] Passive: [Basic Toxicologist I]; [Boar''s Might]; [Flagbearer]; [Plumber Set I]; [Ratan Stride] Active: [Camouflage]; [Miniaturize]; [Peace Decree]; [Peace Treaty]; [Rat Poison]; [Screeching Terror]; [Search]; [30 Steps] Even though it was a pity to lose the speed bonus from [Ratan Form], in his human form, he had a higher charisma, which could influence the quality of quest rewards. Roth¡¯s mind was connected to the flock, and he noticed a change in the tune. It sounded like a whole new ensemble of instruments had joined in. It was as if there only had been strings before, but now, there were also woodwinds, brass, and percussion, all gloriously joining into the music. The song became a breeze, and Roth felt the words form in his mind. "Hello, human." "My Lord." "You''ve expanded your mind since we last met." "It''s so I can better hear you, my lord." Roth felt the rustle of leaves and interpreted that as a chuckle from the Lord. "I wasn''t expecting members of the flock to be brought to my abode." Roth felt curiosity and humor but some concern as well. "I''m sorry, Lord. I didn''t know where to leave them. They''ve been through a lot, and I hoped they might find refuge here." "Human, not all telepaths see mind to mind. Although I have no enmity with the flock, I''m no part of it." "Why?" "The flock is a song. They are inflexible. Me... I''m a maestro." Great, another riddled. "I¡¯m sorry for intruding, my Lord. I wasn¡¯t expecting this to be a nuisance to you. Would it be a problem to leave these sheep here for now?" A wind twirl spun close to Roth, making leaves spiral up and down a miniature cyclone. The Lord was pondering. "This many are OK. But only temporarily. The treeants play their own song, which isn''t one the flock cares to listen to." "How long can I leave them here?" After a few moments of ponderation, the treeant set the deadline. "You have three months." "Deal." He looked at the flock and smiled. After bringing them here, they didn¡¯t look like just a homogenous flock. He could now see the difference between the individuals. Some enjoyed staying in the middle of the flock, while others were more adventurous and stayed at the fringes. With a warm feeling in his heart, he turned to them. ¡°Here, you¡¯ll be safe for now. I¡¯ll find somewhere you can call home, but the Lord will let you stay here for three months.¡± A calm, blue melody with a festive beat came to him as a response. ¡°You¡¯ve made green our reality. The ¡®we¡¯ is closer to the ¡®us.¡¯¡± You¡¯ve saved twenty poor sheep from a tragic fate. +20 nature affinity. The sheep can stay in the abode for three months until you find a more permanent solution. Report back to Commissioner Jack for your quest''s rewards. With this, there was one less thing on Roth''s shoulders. Roth looked at the sheep''s thief across the barrier. From his disappointed look, it seemed he had failed the quest the Beanies issued him. The thief kicked up a cloud of dust in frustration and took off, running toward Hilsford. Roth sighed in relief. With this, his work with the flock was done, at least for the following three months, until he could find a more permanent solution. He also confirmed the suspicion he had developed when he saved the silkworm. Under the right circumstances, he unlocked one affinity point with nature for each animal he saved. And this time, he hadn¡¯t needed to go on a reverse rampage to accomplish that. He had only harmed the interests of one player, but who told him to join a crime family anyway? ¡°Thank you, again, for your hospitality, my lord.¡± Just as Roth was about to disconnect his mind from the treeants, a gentle breeze caressed Roth¡¯s face, and he felt a soothing shift in the song around him. The Lord wasn¡¯t done talking to him. ¡°Human, you seem to have expanded your circle of friends.¡± ¡°Do you mean the snakes?¡± Roth felt a building excitement within him. ¡°Yes. Solomon is a friend. He¡¯s told me about you. The snakes have asked me to extend you an offer.¡± Ch. 115 - Weapon Secret conditions fulfilled: [Friend of Snakes]; [Good]. Would you like to trade [Friend of Snakes] for a reward from the Lord of the Woods? [Y/N] ¡°I accept.¡± You gained a new racial skill: [Snake Form]. Snake Form (Racial) Skill description: From the snakes, you have learned how to slow your heart rate and hide your presence. You¡¯ve also learned how to produce powerful toxins. Skill effects: Active. You can activate this form and convert up to half of your other stats into subterfuge. Roth looked at the new icon of the new form in his arsenal. If it weren¡¯t for the effects of the [Hallucinogen Grenade] or the [Sleeping Dust], he would never have been able to complete the [Green Pastures] quest. It was incredible to have a form that enabled him to increase his subterfuge stat significantly and, with it, the potency of poisons. Additionally, ever since he¡¯d unlocked insight and subterfuge, he¡¯d realized how important both stats were. Subterfuge made his [Camouflage] more powerful. Being able to turn invisible was incredibly useful. He thought of the sheep thief and how he¡¯d been able to sneak past Roth without noticing. Although Roth wasn¡¯t sure of it yet, subterfuge might also make his [Witness Protection Mask] more effective. Funneling hundreds of points into this stat might help him strengthen his disguises and hide in a tricky situation. ¡°Thank you, my lord.¡± ¡°Godspeed, traveler.¡± The connection was broken; this time, he was sure the Lord had finished talking to him. How Roth wished that he could transform into his new form right now. Unfortunately, it was on cooldown. He¡¯d try it out as soon as possible. Since he was in the clearing, it was time to start another trade run. He looked for Prince Piglet. He found the young boar swinging his axe at the empty air at the edge of the clearing. With every swing, a powerful gust of wind rustled leaves in the distant trees. "My prince!¡± "Haha. Martyr, I almost didn''t recognize you in that fancy outfit." Swoosh! Roth gulped, imagining what it would be like to be hit by such a massive heavy axe. "True. I¡¯ve gotten some new equipment recently. Your health seems to have improved, prince!¡± ¡°It¡¯s thanks to all the medicine you''ve been getting for me. I''ve been regaining my strength little by little. Did you bring anything else from the city?" Even before Roth was able to respond, he was pickpocketed. Prince Piglet has paid you 2165 gold and 15 silver. 20x[Prairie Balm] has been removed from your inventory. 30x[Acargomar Extract] has been removed from your inventory. 3681 gold has been removed from your inventory. Congratulations on completing a trade between [Prince Piglet] and [Golden Mountain Inc]. 2000 broker XP; 2%(x75%) of the profit (55 gold, 21 silver); +124 reputation with all boars. Such eagerness! Having so much gold in his inventory that he couldn¡¯t touch was already bad enough, but being pickpocketed like this by his customers only made it worse. On the other hand, Prince Piglet paid good money for this medicine, and even after deducting Soros¡¯ share and getting only a percentage of the profit, it was still a considerable amount. Roth sighed in relief. It felt good to have some funds come into his pocket. This last quest had sucked him dry. ¡°These are good. Thank you.¡± "I''ll come and bring you some [Wild Garlic], [Fox Ginseng], and [Morelshrooms] in a couple of hours. In the meantime, I''ve brought you some new medicine from the capital. Do you want to try these free samples and see if it''s to your liking?" 1x[Silverleaf Salve] has been removed from your inventory. 1x[Evergreen Elixir] has been removed from your inventory. "This is the best medicine you¡¯ve got so far. Please. Get me more of these." [Silverleaf Salve] added to the boar''s procurement list. [Evergreen Elixir] added to the boar''s procurement list. Roth smirked at the addition of items to his catalog. Even after traveling light, these items weren''t heavy, and he could profit well from trading them. The prince kept swinging his heavy axe, and Roth turned to leave. He''d visit the corvids next. As he walked away from the tree in the general direction of the Raven Nests, Roth noticed an icon disappear in the corner of his vision. He circled back and took a few steps toward the treeant, and the icon reappeared. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. He had never seen this icon before. As he focused on it, a menu sprung open, similar to the one he''d see in an auction house. Looking at the top of the window, he read ''reputation store.'' Of course! He¡¯d almost forgotten about this. He finally found the reputation store! Roth''s eyes widened as he scrolled through the different items for sale. There were skill cards, recipes, consumables, and equipment! Roth''s heart was torn between the urge to celebrate and the desperate need to see every item for sale at the shop. He tried to situate himself and calm down. Looking at the upper right-hand corner, he saw that instead of displaying the gold he had, it showed his reputation points. He looked at the first item on the list. There was a [Rat Poison] skill card similar to the one he had learned before on sale for 100 reputation points with the ratans. He kept scrolling down the list and saw several drops from the Rat Cave. He found the coveted [Miniaturizing Potion] listed for 300 reputation points. Interestingly, a skill card that could be bought for 3 silver was listed for 100 reputation points, whereas a potion that could be sold for 300 gold was sold for 300 reputation points. There was such a big discrepancy between the conversion rate. He kept scrolling down. There was a [Mouseketeer Cape] just like the one he wore for 500 reputation points. Then, he came across a [Athos] card like the one he received from the sewer monsters'' quest. It was listed at a whopping 1,000 reputation points. Roth let out an appreciative whistle. That meant that the card was precious! He couldn''t understand why, though. There were also cards for the other Mouseketeers and one for the Mouse King, but no card for King Ratatouille. After Roth looked through the different cards, his eyes landed on an item he wasn''t expecting to see for sale here. Roth stared wide-eyed at the unexpected blessing gracing his view. There was a flag for sale! Flag of the Rat Cave (Guild) Item description: The flagpole is made of simple pine, and the flag itself has some wear and tear, but it still clearly depicts the symbol identifying the abode of the ratans in the Green Woods. Item effects: If hoisted by a guild, it gives all their players [Ratan Stride]. Roth had read that flags could be gained from running dungeons, and, in the forums, everyone said that the first to drop flags was the Salamander Cave. But why wouldn''t the three dungeons in the Green Woods also have flags? How hadn''t he thought of it before? If there were three dungeons here, logically, there should also be three flags! How come no one talked about this, though? Roth looked at the price listed for this item. It was for sale for 3000 reputation points with the ratans. Roth''s hands trembled as he reached out for the menu. Should he go for it? This was the first dungeon that players in Green Country ran, making this probably one of the weakest flags in the game. How good could its effects be to Roth? He cursed the developers for making it so hard on this hidden class. He couldn''t see the hidden effects of the flag until he equpped it. And what would happen if he did purchase it? Would his relationship with the ratans devolve back to 0? It had taken him a lot of work to get it this high. He sighed. In case that did happen, he had such high charisma and knew so much about ratans now that it would be easy to regain the relationship with them, right? Roth resisted the urge to purchase the flag and tried to go through the rest of the items for sale. Scrolling down, he got to the items that could be bought for reputation points with the foxes. The Palatial Clearing seemed to be a central hub that sold items for all the factions in the woods. He saw skill cards, character cards, equipment, [Fox Ginseng] but found no flag. He kept going through the corresponding sections for badgers, corvids, and boars. Roth resisted the urge to buy out all the skills named after the races he could transform into. Those could be bought for money, and he still didn''t know how spending reputation points worked. There were so many things he wanted to try out. Roth could still not find any flags under corvids, the race inhabiting the last dungeon in the woods. It looked like the closer he got to a faction, the more items were unlocked in the store. Since ratans and snakes were the only two factions he had [Adored] status with, they were the only factions whose flags he could purchase. He kept scrolling down, past the section of items for sale for reputation points with the boars. He saw a [Power Truffle] for sale for 500 reputation points and drooled. This item went for 17k plus gold. If he bought it and sold the item in the auction house, his money problems would be gone. At this point, Roth expected to find a section for snakes or treeants and was surprised to find something completely different. There was a section with mixed items being sold. He found the woodland set being sold for a combination of reputation points. A [Woodland Hood] was being sold for 100 reputation points of each of the factions of the woods. He also found the [Blessing of the Green Woods] skill card he''d received as a reward, which sat in his inventory, waiting to be used. This was interesting, too. Some items could only be purchased if he became friends with more than one faction. Now that Roth had finished looking at all the items for sale, it was time to run an experiment. He went to the badger section and looked for a skill card that he wouldn''t mind learning in the future. He found [Psionic Push]. It was being sold for 100 reputation points with the badgers. He checked how many reputation points he had in his character sheet and purchased it. Congratulations. You now have [Psionic Push] in your inventory. You''ve spent 100 reputation coins. Roth checked his character sheet and found his relationship with the Badgers hadn''t dropped. He went to the reputation store menu and saw that a little symbol of a coin with a badger edged into it had gone down. He then rechecked the notification. So that''s how it worked. He got one corresponding reputation coin for every reputation point he unlocked. Once he spent it, it was gone. This prevented players from farming reputation points and buying things from the reputation store indefinitely. That meant that there were no backsies. If there was an item down the road that required more reputation points, and he wanted to get it, there was no way to gain back what he''d spent before. Roth took a deep breath and made his decision. Congratulations. You now have [Flag of the Rat Cave] in your inventory. Roth equipped it immediately, eager to see the effects of the flag. Thanks to your [Flagbearer] skill, you can wear [Flag of the Rat Cave]. Hidden attributes of the flag unlocked. Flag of the Rat Cave (Rare) Item description: The flagpole is made of simple pine, and the flag itself has some wear and tear, but it still clearly depicts the symbol identifying the abode of the ratans in Green Woods. Item effects: One-hand equipment; Can deal no damage; +10 wisdom; +6 dexterity; +10% running speed; You can use [Ratan Stride]; [Ratan Dash]. Restrictions: Pacifist. Roth looked at the last benefit on the list. This flag gave him not one but two skills! In line with his class, the skills granted didn''t deal damage. There were also bonuses to his wisdom, which was an essential stat for his class, and other stats that were more in line with the characteristics of the ratans. He gained dexterity and some running speed. He was also glad to find it was a one-hand piece of equipment. That meant he could wear his flashlight in one hand and the flag in the other. Roth squeezed the pole, feeling the grain of the pinewood in his hands, and tried waving the flag. It was a good feeling. The flag itself was gray with a golden ratan embroidered in it. It had a few tears and holes but looked cool, nonetheless. Finally, he had found his weapon, if he could call it that. Unlike swords that could be sheathed into a scabbard or axes that could be put in his back, he found that with the flag came a little addition to his belt that allowed him to fasten the pole to it. He hooked the flag to his back. The pole and the flag sticking from his back made him look like someone selling drinks at a concert, he realized, chuckling. With his new flag on his back, it was time to resume his trade run. Ch. 167 - Refugee Column
That mysterious man¡¯s appearance had been a wake-up call. Roth had started this journey in this MMORPG very violently when he was ambushed and tortured by his former friends. In the wake of that day, nothing had been more present in his mind than the need to run away and get back to the real world. But after a few weeks without sleeping and without seeing the light of the true sun, Roth felt it was harder and harder to stay grounded. Roth had researched several times whether being stuck in a pod for so long would harm his health. A human mind wasn''t meant to stay in immersive VR 24-7. For all the publicity the developers put into VR technology being a perfect replacement for sleep, they also advised players to never stay more than 48 hours in the virtual reality environment. Nexus Co. recommended people leave the game and eat their meals in the real world, go for walks, and even sleep. That was ironic, considering they also advertised that the sleep induced by their capsules provided as much rest as the real thing. He wondered what condition he would be in once he got out of his pod. 30 Steps! Ratan Dash! Whenever the speed-boosting skills came off cooldown, Roth spammed them to move a little faster. [Ratan Form] would have been handy here. It was too bad it was on cooldown. The extra dexterity and movement speed would have shortened the journey considerably. After Drake ordered him to return to Hilsford, he judged the distance between the petrified forest and the next mid-tiered city to be five hours. The trip back to the northwestmost village of the Green Woods was three and a half hours. Between the two, the choice was simple. Roth couldn''t believe it. Of the 24 hours given to him by his executioner, four were going to be spent traveling. Worst of all, he was traveling to where he had just left! H has just transferred 5,000 gold to you. With this, he had the necessary funds to teleport back to Hilsford. While Roth was stranded in the woods, everyone in the team was working at full throttle in the city, preparing for the move that would hopefully guarantee the guilds¡¯ support and protection. The key to the plan was Roth''s latest upgrade to the [Flagbearer] skill. The rest was up to the connections they had built and the little group of friends his crew had put together. He just hoped that it would be enough to escape the clutches of death. As Roth left the petrified forest, he returned to the greenery he had grown accustomed to. The green didn''t soothe the black of the shadow of death looming over him. The first larva of your colony is born. Leafies have gained +1xp. Lea, the Leafie queen, tends to the larva. Roth clenched his teeth. He didn¡¯t want to feel marveled or excited about the growth of his treeant colony in the small acorn he had in his pocket. No! This was no time for oohs and aahs. This all meant nothing if he didn¡¯t survive. This was the time to run single-mindedly toward a goal. Checking the map, he found he was close to the road. Its bonus speed would hasten his journey. He ran past a bear and a pack of wolves and finally saw the tree line. As he broke through it and saw the road, he was stunned by the commotion. There were hundreds of people walking in line. They were a mix of NPCs and players, with the NPCs taking the center of the formation and players clad in complete sets of matching armor taking the flanks. This was the busiest traffic Roth had ever seen on these roads, leading from the beginner region to the cities. What was going on? A few of the players guarding the flanks of the line approached, pointing their weapons at Roth and demanding information. ¡°You with the aliens?¡± ¡°Are you a hivie?!¡± Roth recoiled, taken aback by the unexpected hostility. ¡°No. I¡¯m just returning to the beginner region for¡­ a quest.¡± He spat out. ¡°Don¡¯t cause any trouble for our quest, and we won¡¯t for yours either,¡± one of the players warned. ¡°Wait a minute. What¡¯s going on? Why are all these NPCs on the road?¡± ¡°You been livin¡¯ under a rock or something? Don¡¯t you know ¡¯bout the regional event?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ve heard about it. I¡¯ve been running a dungeon, so I haven¡¯t participated.¡± The player studied Roth, trying to gauge whether he was speaking the truth. But as he sensed the rest of the entourage continuing its march, he must have judged that he would save some time if he just gave the answer. ¡°You know that the aliens started by contaminating the slums, right?¡± Roth nodded. ¡°In some cities, they managed to get to the crafting districts, too. The cities¡¯ forces don¡¯t let things escalate more than that. Turns out that each city has these super-duper NPCs called magisters. They step in when things get to a certain point and form a barrier around the citadel and the academic district. No one can break through it.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Oh wow,¡± Roth tried to sound surprised. ¡°Cool, uh? Some who join the humans get all sorts of quests to accumulate tickets in those sealed-off areas. But the easiest way to get points is to escort NPCs to a safe place.¡± ¡°So, are all these from the cities?¡± ¡°Very few! They are mostly from the outskirts, running from the hivies. As we travel, more refugees join in.¡± Roth looked at the many elderly and children among the marching crowd, and his heart sank. ¡°Look at all those people,¡± whispered Roth. ¡°Oh yeah! All fat juicy event points.¡± Roth¡¯s nose twitched, and he twisted his lips at such a heartless statement. ¡°Well, thank you for the explanation.¡± ¡°No worries.¡± Roth ran ahead of the slow crowd. These players had a quest not too different from the one that Roth had gotten with the sheep. If that were true, there would be obstacles down the road, and he didn¡¯t want to be caught in the middle of the crossfire. That would rob him of precious time. When he stepped on the road, he got the speed bonus he wanted. The well-built road makes it easier to travel on it. You have gained a [Swift] buff of +10% running speed. Resuming his run, Roth couldn¡¯t stop thinking about all those people. He felt a little bad about standing Oli up at the Table meeting, but seeing how many more people were suffering because of his inaction broke his heart. He forced himself to continue and soon was ahead of the crowd and alone on the road. A few minutes ahead, Roth felt someone was watching him. He looked at his speed-boosting skills and, instead of spamming them, decided to save them as a precaution. With each step, the feeling grew. He spared a look at the tree line. Thanks to the [Farsight] skill and the [Creature of the Night] title, he could see the shadows and silhouettes of different players. It was an ambush. Those must be on the alien side. Roth looked at the system clock and let out a deep sigh. He pretended he hadn¡¯t seen anything and kept running. Once he was sure no one was watching, he got ready for the small detour. Camouflage! Roth¡¯s figure blended seamlessly in the background. It looked like his new ring and earrings were no joke. He doubled back. He ran past the ambush site where players on the alien side were getting ready to attack the column of refugees and was able to find the column in time. He deactivated his camouflage, surprising a player. Panicked, the player yapped and threw a lightning bolt at Roth. -38 ¡°Ouch! That hurts, man!¡± Seeing one of their comrades scream and attack an invader, the nearby guards responded. ¡°It¡¯s an ambush!¡± Fireball! Lightning Strike! Hammer of Justice! Shurikens of Hatred! Seeing all the skills flying at him, Roth had no choice but to use one of his life-saving skills. Peace Decree! The field that broke out of Roth halted the column and canceled all skills and attacks. Null! Null! Null! Null! Null! ¡°I just want to talk, guys! I¡¯m not here to hurt you.¡± An esper stepped in. Roth guessed that her level was in the low forties. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°After the road curves, players on the alien side, hivies, are lying in ambush. I just wanted to warn you.¡± ¡°Thanks. We appreciate it.¡± Before they could say anything else, Roth took his leave. ¡°Goodbye!¡± Camouflage! Roth¡¯s figure disappeared, leaving the players stunned. ¡°Loo, what class did that guy have?¡± one of the players asked the esper. ¡°I can¡¯t tell. It¡¯s weird. He has medic equipment but can go invisible like rogues and has a quarterstaff on his back like a warrior.¡± ¡°Anyway, it was nice of him to give us the heads up.¡± ¡°Tell everyone to be careful. This might be a good opportunity to earn even more event tickets!¡± * Roth heard the distant sounds of battle behind him as the hivies ambushed the column. Hopefully, no elderly people or children would get hurt. After a few minutes, he received a notification that surprised him. Thanks to your contribution, the column survives. +10 righteousness. Roth felt a warm sensation in his chest, knowing he had contributed to those NPCs being safe. He had only taken a 10-minute detour, so hopefully, that wouldn¡¯t make or break his mission. As Roth ran, he got a call from H. ¡°Hey, Roth,¡± came the quiet voice from the other side. Instead of making a call from a library, he seemed to be in an inn. Roth noticed that, compared to last time, H¡¯s equipment had received an upgrade. He now had a pair of glasses and seemed like a man who had finally been able to scratch an itch. Roth had noticed how he kept touching his nose and ears, but now those gestures wouldn''t be empty anymore. ¡°Hello, H. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°We¡¯re getting ready for you. Are you traveling?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Can you run and talk at the same time?¡± ¡°I can. I still have two hours before I reach the teleportation gate.¡± ¡°Swell. Listen, I want to go through all the notes you have of Antioch with you. The idea is to put together a package enticing enough to have the guilds attend an auction." ¡°OK.¡± ¡°Send me what you have.¡± As Roth circled around a crowd of monkeys blocking the road, he sent H all his notes. ¡°Hmmm¡­ This is alright. But we need to make some changes.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± asked Roth. He was curious as to what he had done wrong. He had been as thorough as possible. ¡°For example, when it says here that you¡¯re unsure if the equipment bought in Antioch can be used outside. Scratch that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, H. I mean¡­ I don¡¯t want to be dishonest.¡± H kept talking as if Roth hadn¡¯t said anything. ¡°About the pets. Take out the part where you got your tickets from an epic quest. Just say you can gain tickets through quests.¡± ¡°B-but¡­¡± ¡°Share the details about the consumables, but don¡¯t add the part about them not working outside the city.¡± ¡°H! I won¡¯t lie!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not lying. You¡¯re just being selective in how much information you share.¡± ¡°No.¡± H took his glasses off, cleaned them, and put them back on. It took him a few seconds to do so. Roth wondered if he had done it to calm himself down. ¡°Tell you what, kid. If you want, AFTER someone buys the package, you can share all of this honest information. But put too much stuff in the sales pitch, and you might be giving too much information to the guilds. These are all bright people. If you give them enough pieces of the puzzle, they won¡¯t need to help you anymore. Trust me on this. OK?¡± Roth took a deep breath. ¡°I agree. That sounds reasonable.¡± ¡°Look at that. You¡¯re growing. Now, the next thing you¡¯ll want to scratch off¡­¡± Ch. 168 - BridgeFinder3
After running for a few hours, Roth returned to where it had all begun. You have left Verdant Forest. You¡¯ve entered the Green Woods. He spotted ragged newbies hunting their first mice in the fields. As he passed them, he got a few adoring looks. Unlike the first time that Roth started playing the game, he resisted the urge to break up the fights. Right now, he was more worried about his survival. Maybe H was right. Maybe he was growing. Not going on a rampage after seeing a mouse getting hurt was a big step for him. Roth finally arrived at Berrywood. Other than a few blackberry and raspberry bushes at the village entrance, he couldn''t see much difference from the other beginning villages he''d visited. He ran straight to the teleport pad. Before he paid the 5000 gold to go back to Hilsford, he removed his mask and put it back on again so he could assume a new persona. As the mask activated, his facial features were slightly distorted. A new tag appeared over his avatar. This time, the system had called him Bridgefinder3. He was unsure if that was supposed to sound cool. What was so cool about finding a bridge? He stretched his hand toward the window and looked at his silver ring with a blue gem. He hoped the effect of the items he had looted from the blue caterpillar would be powerful enough to fool any pursuers. The boost it gave to camouflage, at least, was incredible. He could rest assured if it also boosted his [Witness Protection Mask] like that. His hand hovered over the teleportation controls, trembling. Drake assured him that there were hardly any Pegasus players left in Hilsford. They had moved to nearby cities to aid the alien side in converting as many NPCs as possible. Hilsford had become the stronghold of the human alliance. The alliance comprised the Krakens, the Ogres, the Basilisks, and the Gorgons. They all had made a pact to fight for the human side and to hunt down the Hive King that had set Green Country and Rock Canyon ablaze. With so many of the top 10 stationed at Hilsford, Roth should be OK. ¡°You¡¯ll be OK, Roth. You¡¯ll be OK,¡± he mumbled. Roth confirmed his destination, and in the blink of an eye, he was in Hilsford. All around Roth, people disappeared and appeared as they used the massive teleport pad. He found his bearings and, locating the auction house, ran at full speed toward it. After he had climbed the steps of the auction house and run past the guards at the doors, he sighed in relief. No one would dare start trouble there. Thankfully, his journey had gone well. Nothing bad had happened. Feeling safer, he looked back at the city. Met with the sight of the citadel and the busy cobblestone streets, Roth felt a slight sense of nostalgia. It was strange since he hadn¡¯t left a week ago. It was a good feeling. It felt like he had come back home. At the same time, Roth reminded himself that he was still in a capsule designed to entrap him. He walked into the auction house, looking for Sarg. The auction house was full today. Roth noticed how many players were clad in cool, intricate armor. Some of it was duller and more basic, but there were plenty of silvery sets that matched perfectly. These had to be the Human Defender sets. Things were busier in the city than ever. The influx of higher-level players had made business in Hilsford thrive. Roth turned left and went to a less occupied part of the auction house. He finally found a familiar face. The man stood straight as a tree, still as a statue. When he saw his friend, Roth felt even safer. ¡°Sarg!¡± Sarg turned around, surprised, and once he realized it was Roth, he gave him a hug. Roth felt a few ribs crack. ¡°Roth. It¡¯s good to see you, boy. Look at you! You keep changing faces!¡± ¡°Good to see you too, Sarg. So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± ¡°Everything is ready. All that¡¯s left is to test your skill.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Sarg pulled out a scroll from his inventory. ¡°Here. This is a general agreement. If it works with this, very well. If not, we have an alternative we can try.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen these before,¡± said Roth. ¡°This is to mediate agreements between players,¡± Sarg explained. No wonder Roth hadn¡¯t seen these before. He mostly interacted with NPCs. ¡°What kind of agreement?¡± ¡°For example, if a noob wants to hire a high-level player to carry him, they often sign one of these. Or if players form a party to hunt a wild boss, they can sign a contract about how they will share the loot, and the system imposes a penalty if anyone goes back on their word. It can be a gold fine or, in extreme scenarios, account suspension or deletion. H and Drake already drafted the gist of the agreement. Take a look.¡± Roth took the scroll. It was surprisingly heavy. It was made from a parchment that looked old but resistant and durable at the same time. He unrolled the scroll and read it. Union Collective Agreement This General Agreement ("Agreement") is entered into on this day [Insert Date] by and between the following parties: 1st Party: Pax, SeargentSarg, H, ArmlessShark, 14thPete, Emily, Margaret14, HandsomeBenny, DocCharlie, BessieMamma, and others collectively referred to as "Union Management." 2nd Party: Signatories, from now on referred to as "Unionized Craftsmen." WHEREAS, the Union Syndicate proposes the establishment of an alliance between all Unionized Craftsmen and the Union Collective and WHEREAS, the Union Collective undertakes to maintain complete neutrality in guild affairs and will not come under the influence of any guild. However, players associated with guilds are welcome to join, provided they refrain from promoting their guild''s agenda. The Union Collective retains the right to refuse entry to guilds, organizations, or players. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto agree as follows: 1. Alliance Formation The Union Collective, being represented by the Union Management and the Unionized Craftsmen, hereby form an alliance under the terms and conditions stipulated in this Agreement. 2. Unionized Worker Status Unionized Craftsmen shall gain the status of Unionized Workers by providing unique insights into their respective professions as described herein. 3. Access to Union Library The Union Collective shall ensure that all Unionized Craftsmen enjoy unrestricted access to the information regarding their professions in the extensive Union Library. Members who join the Union promise not to divulge information to other parties. 4. Neutrality The Union Collective shall remain impartial in all guild matters and shall not be influenced by any guild. Players with guild affiliations shall adhere to the rules of this Agreement. 5. Guild Membership Players who are already in a guild can become unionized. The Union Collective retains the right to deny entry to guilds, organizations, or players. 6. Union Collective Dummy Guild While the Union Collective is not a guild, the bonuses granted by a guild¡¯s museum are a valuable asset to craftsmen. Therefore, whoever wants to join the Union Collective Dummy Guild, created for the sole purpose of providing stats and bonuses, can do so. Players joining from other guilds are not required to join this dummy guild, neither are the guildless players who seek only to become unionized. 7. Order Approval and Compensation Orders submitted to the Union Collective shall be subject to approval by senior members. Compensation for orders shall be in the form of crafting materials to be equally distributed among the participating parties. 8. Consequences for Violations Unionized Craftsmen hereby acknowledge that the Union Collective takes the privacy and integrity of the organization seriously. Any player found to be in violation of this agreement by leaking information, acting in a manner detrimental to the Union Collective, or attempting to sabotage the organization will be subject to the following consequences: a. Monetary Penalties: The violator shall be required to pay a fine, not less than 10,000 gold, as compensation for the damage caused to the Union Collective and its members. b. Account Suspension: Depending on the severity of the violation, the Union Collective reserves the right to recommend the suspension of the violator''s account for a specified period to prevent further harm. c. Account Deletion: In the most severe cases where the violation poses a significant threat to the Union Collective''s operations or its members, the Union Collective may choose to recommend the deletion of the violator''s account. d. Guild Banishment: In the event that information that should only be available in the Union Library is stolen by other organizations, they and all their members will be forever banned from joining the Union Collective. Moreover, in the event that a guild tries to steal information from the Union, they will be blacklisted and prevented from placing any orders with the Union Collective. Determining the consequences for a violation shall be at the sole discretion of the Union Collective. Unionized Craftsmen agree to abide by these consequences as a condition of their membership. Roth had to give it to the guys; they had drafted an awesome agreement. Asking for a previously unknown piece of information related to crafting in exchange for entering the union guaranteed that the more numerous the organization grew, the more extensive the library would become. Additionally, taking orders from players or guilds to craft items and being paid in precious crafting materials would ensure that, even if players focused on crafting and didn¡¯t go out to hunt, they could still get their hands on precious loot and drops. However, the most attractive thing about this type of organization was that it could foster a spirit of cooperation and interchange between craftsmen ¡ªmany players who focused on crafting loved learning new recipes and new techniques. Having a hub where they could share information freely and advance in their professions was something that would convince many to have the desire to join. ¡°What do you think, Roth?¡± ¡°It looks good. I didn¡¯t know we were creating a guild.¡± ¡°We are only going to create it because of the museum section. The extra bonuses are too precious to pass on. But no one is forced to join it. It¡¯s just a benefit the union offers.¡± ¡°I like it. Good idea. I can get at least two items that can go into the museum. There¡¯s [Badger¡¯s Great Claw] and [Boar¡¯s Great Tusk].¡± ¡°Hmmm. Forget the [Badger¡¯s Great Claw]. We only want items that grant stats or help with crafting.¡± ¡°OK. I¡¯ll get a tusk for you as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Now, let¡¯s test that new skill of yours,¡± said Sarg. Roth nodded. Although the organization''s rules seemed fine and dandy, only one vital piece was missing. A hook. Something that would make players want to flock toward this organization. They had to be able to provide something that players couldn¡¯t find anywhere else. Information was valuable, but even if the contract forbade unauthorized sharing of intel, players could easily circumvent it by going offline and making a phone call. Handing out resources was enticing, but they would never be able to compare with guilds that invested huge amounts of resources into their members. It had to be something unique, something only the Union could provide. Thankfully, Roth had just gotten his hands on something precisely like that. Roth opened the details of the upgraded version of his [Flagbearer] skill. Ch. 169 - Galatheels Frustration Flag Bearer (Rare) Skill description: Your banner represents something greater than yourself. It has become a symbol of prosperity and peace and unites all those bound by a treaty mediated by you. Skill Effects: Passive. Allows you to unlock a flag''s hidden properties. The deeper the relationship with the factions represented by the flag, the stronger the effects. Stamp (Epic) Skill description: Your flag has become a symbol that carries great strength. Skill effects: Passive. [Flag Bearer] and [Peace Treaty] are now linked; Active. You can now stamp documents with your flag¡¯s pole; Those who make an agreement with you gain access to part of your flag¡¯s power; To obtain the flag¡¯s blessing, factions must swear not to harm those in a treaty with you. Pax¡¯s Stamp Current Effects: In exchange for not harming [Alligators], [Snakes], [Ratans], [Badgers], [Boars], [Corvids], [Dwarves], [Foxes], [Merchants], [Treeants], you grant others: +6 strength; +7 subterfuge; +11 dexterity; +4 intelligence; +9 wisdom; +6 charisma; +5 kg carry capacity; +5% running speed; You can use [Ratan Stride]; [Ratan Dash]. Your charisma limits the number of those who can gain your blessing (1 per 10 charisma.) Current number: 12 This was a completely broken skill. Even though he could only pass half the stats he gained from other factions, and there was a limit based on his charisma, this could break the game. Right now, the number of people he could give this blessing to was twelve, but the more charisma he got, the more this number would increase. If he activated [Fox Form] and signed agreements during that time, the number could go up to 70 in no time. Roth placed the union contract on the ground. This was it. Depending on whether this worked, he could bait the guilds into saving him. He lifted the pole and smashed it on the scroll. The flag shone, and the form of a little mouse appeared in the corner of the paper. The letters in the agreement rearranged themselves, and Roth read the new line that had appeared in the agreement. [Write here the players that receive the blessing of Pax¡¯s treaties]. Roth wrote Sarg¡¯s name, and they both signed it. Roth gulped and watched as Sarg checked his notifications. He smirked and gave him a thumbs up. ¡°I¡¯ve received a notification saying I can not harm these factions and received all the stats and skills. The guilds will go wild.¡± ¡°Does this mean it works?¡± asked Roth. ¡°It works!¡± Sarg shouted in triumph! ¡°It works! It works!¡± echoed Roth as he danced alone in the auction house. After a few bold moves, he found that Sarg had stopped celebrating and just stared at him wide-eyed. ¡°Uuh¡­ Sorry. I got excited.¡± ¡°Those were some¡­ unforgettable dance moves, son.¡± ¡°Well, thank you!¡± ¡°Cool. If it works, all we have to do is to add this segment to the agreement that H has prepared.¡± The sergeant waved his hand, selected the text he wanted, and dragged it to the scroll. Letters unfurled in the parchment with the adjustments. ¡°See how it looks now.¡± 7. Bonuses in Stats and Skills The Union Collective acknowledges the exceptional dedication and contributions of its members. In recognition of their outstanding commitment to the Union Collective, a limited number of members may be eligible for bonuses in stats and skills. Eligibility for these bonuses will be determined based on the following criteria:
  • The number of quests completed.
  • Donation of rare materials to the Union Collective.
  • Contribution of flags, or guild items to the Union Collective.
  • Sharing of precious information.
  • Referrals of new players who join the Union Collective.
The value of these stat bonuses and the number of individuals who may receive such blessings are subject to change in the future, based on the discretion of the Union Collective. 8. Non-Aggression Pact with Sponsoring Factions In order to receive the aforementioned bonuses, players must enter into a non-aggression pact with the following factions that sponsor the Union Collective: [Alligators], [Snakes], [Ratans], [Badgers], [Boars], [Corvids], [Dwarves], [Foxes], [Merchants], and [Treeants]. By doing so, players pledge not to harm or engage in hostilities with these factions. In return for adhering to this non-aggression pact, players shall receive the following stat bonuses:
  • +6 strength
  • +7 subterfuge
  • +11 dexterity
  • +4 intelligence
  • +9 wisdom
  • +6 charisma
  • +5 kilograms (kg) carry weight
  • +5% running speed
Furthermore, players who have entered into a non-aggression pact with the aforementioned factions shall have the privilege of utilizing the following skills: This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
  • [Ratan Stride]
  • [Ratan Dash]
These stat bonuses and skills are valuable benefits in appreciation of the cooperative relationship between the Union Collective and its sponsoring factions. Those who harm the factions protected under the terms of this contract will immediately lose these bonuses and face the penalties for violation aforementioned in point 7. All the aforementioned bonuses are not related in any way to the bonuses granted by joining the dummy guild of the association. 9. Expansion of Non-Aggression Pacts Unionized Craftsmen hereby acknowledge and understand that the Union Collective reserves the right to enter into agreements with additional factions in the future. Players entering into such agreements with new factions shall be required to adhere to non-aggression pacts with these newly affiliated factions, refraining from harming or engaging in hostilities against them. The Union Collective shall promptly inform Unionized Craftsmen of any new non-aggression pacts that are established. Upon receiving notice, Unionized Craftsmen are expected to respect and adhere to these agreements. 10. [Write here the players that receive the blessing of Pax¡¯s treaties]. ¡°All looks good,¡± complimented Roth. ¡°So what am I supposed to do now?¡± ¡°Now is the time to send the message to the guilds, inviting them to the auction. Tell the guilds that the auction will be held in six hours. That should give you time to host it and for the guilds to run a search and rescue op. Let¡¯s book a private auction room first.¡± After they located an NPC that worked for the auction house, Roth booked a private auction room. It cost ten gold. Roth grabbed the message from his notes, added the auction room number, and started shooting messages to all the top guilds that had contacted him when he discovered Antioch. ¡°Done. What now?¡± ¡°The others are waiting for us in the Rolling Hill Inn. Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s time to shake things up.¡± * Galatheel threw a few more [Blue Coals] into the kiln. The fire inside blazed, invigorated by the powerful fuel. He put the lump of incandescent gray metal back into the kiln and waited patiently for it to reach the right temperature. When the guild asked him to write a guide on how to forge, and he got to the part describing how he knew the right timing for this part of the forging process, he struggled to put it into words. He just knew. It was a combination of the scent of the fire, the heat of the flame, the color of the heated metal, and the sound it made when he hit it with his hammer. But he knew. Once the metal hit the sweet spot, he pulled it from the kiln and brought it to his new anvil. It was the reward of one of the most difficult quests in Galatheel¡¯s gaming career. He would never have been able to make it were it not for the support of the Ogre guild. Master Buljard¡¯s Anvil (Epic) Description: An anvil made of starfire metal which was used during most of Master Buljard¡¯s career. Item effects: Improves chances of achieving a higher grade when crafting; Reduces the energy spent on hammering skills. Hopefully, the bonuses that this brand-new anvil granted would be enough for him to get a better crafting rate on the weapon that his guild master had ordered from him. He grabbed his epic-grade hammer and hit the lump with all his strength. Hit after hit, the atoms in the metal aligned. As the hammer hit, he noticed how the anvil absorbed the excess shock, reducing the strain on his hand. When the metal became too hard to work with, he brought it to the fire again and waited for it to reheat. He had repeated this process countless times to harden the silver steel, and he felt the metal was ready to become a blade. Once the metal was hot, he brought it back to the anvil and hit it with the hammer, drawing it so it became thinner and longer. He kept returning it to the fire and hammering it to the right shape. The guild master preferred broadswords, so the amount of metal he was working with was considerable, adding to the difficulty of the process. Once he got the right shape, he flattened the edges. Even though the anvil didn¡¯t budge, the cave wasn¡¯t handling the pummeling so well. With each hammer hit, the entire cave shook, making dust rain off the ceiling. He kept hitting the blade again, and again, and again. He checked his energy levels. Keeping up this usage of hammer skills was taking its toll, and he was almost out. Were it not for his new anvil, there was no way he could have spent this much time in this part of the process. He called his pet, who was sleeping in the corner of the room. The mountain ray flew over to him. ¡°Rocky, activate [Energy Bond],¡± he ordered. The ray injected his tail spike onto Galatheel. Their energy bars merged, and he gained 3000 energy just like that. Reinvigorated with a new dosage of energy, he kept hitting the blade. With each hit, his energy bar came down by a considerable amount. Without [Master Buljard¡¯s Anvil], he wouldn¡¯t have made it this far. He looked at how much energy he had left and grimaced. He was almost out. Even though he would have liked to keep working the blade, he was forced to move on to the next stop. If his energy bar hit zero, the crafting process would fail, and all these precious materials would go to waste. Fate of the Forger! Moment of Brilliance! Lucky Break! Coming to the crucial point in the crafting process, he used all the active skills that slightly boosted the chances of success of his crafting or that made it more likely for him to get a higher grade. He then grabbed the fiery blade and drove it into the oil barrel. This barrel cost a thousand gold but could aid in the quenching process and increase the chance of crafting success. The whole oil was set ablaze. As he pulled it out, he mounted the blade on the pommel he had assembled previously. And then put it into its scabbard. This scabbard was made from the leather of a rhino wild boss. The pommel was crafted from the rhino¡¯s bones. Drenched in sweat, Galatheel held up the finished sword and waited for the system to calculate his crafting grade. Congratulations! You''ve successfully crafted [Silver Steel Rhino Broadsword]. +250,000 blacksmith xp. Silver Steel Rhino Broadsword (Epic). Crafting Grade: B+. Two-handed weapon Item description: A powerful sword crafted by a talented forger with incredible piercing power. Item effects: +84% damage; -17 movement speed; +23 strength; +4% crit chance; +9% crit damage; +23% piercing damage; Item skill: [Rhino Ram]. Doubles piercing damage, allowing you to ignore some of the enemy¡¯s resistances for two minutes. Galatheel threw his hands up in frustration. No matter how much preparation he made, he couldn¡¯t make an epic sword higher than B. Not even with the help of his new anvil was he able to transcend this bottleneck. He needed to craft three epic, A-grade treasures, to unlock the title he wanted. When Thrillian, the best blacksmith in the game, taunted him with him the details of the title, the fire of competitiveness in Galatheel''s heart was ignited. If only he had more stats, he would get a few more extra hits of the hammer in and succeed. He knew it. But how could he? He was already level 54. At this level, it took a player weeks to gain a level. He was clad in the best equipment money could buy, and he had the full support of his guild. He had acquired as many titles as he could, but even so, there was still that last abyss to transcend. He let out a deep sigh. At this rate, it would take him two more months to gain two levels and get the needed stats. He messaged the guild master. ¡°Hello, guildmaster. I¡¯ve managed to craft a B+ Silver Steel Rhino Broadsword. Please send someone to get it. "I know I¡¯ve asked you this before, but to start crafting epic A-grade equipment, I need more stats. Can you please procure more consumables or information on titles that will help me? I especially need strength and dexterity.¡± The answer came within seconds. It looked like his guildmaster, being a battle freak as he was, was eager to hear from him. ¡°Thank you! I¡¯ll send someone over to get the sword. I¡¯m sorry, Galatheel. I¡¯ve already given you everything I could. If we find anything new that can help, you¡¯ll be the first one to know. For now, keep up the good work.¡± Galatheel kicked his anvil hard. He then took a few calming breaths and reviewed his crafting process. If he couldn¡¯t get there with stats, he would just have to perfect his technique. He took a few more ingots of silver steel from his inventory and threw them into the forge. He would make a spear next. Ch. 170 - Call Center The Eagle Has Landed! Goldie became a golden comet that crashed right into the middle of the group of hivies, shaving a huge chunk off their HP and sending them flying. A barrage of crossbow bolts and flashy skills from Mel¡¯s colleagues followed, finishing the last remnants of the contaminated NPCs in the fishing village. As her colleagues collected the pile of loot, Mel looked at her newly leveled armor. [Human Defender Golden Set] has leveled up! Mel smiled. After this hunt, her armor was level 5, and she had received one more upgrade to its stats. Her celebration was interrupted by a message. Her mood instantly soured when she saw who the sender was. It was that stupid Roth. He had prodded precious personal information from her and didn¡¯t even bother to return the favor. When she read the content of the message itself, she was incensed. ¡°This should whet your appetite. Roth. Attachment: The Riches of Antioch.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°No apologies, no nothing?¡± Regardless of how hard she wanted to send a message screaming threats at the brute, she still had a job as a guild elder. She opened the attachment and skimmed through it. The more she read, the more her anger dissipated. The consumables described were insane, and the suits of armor were very powerful. They would make a fortune if they could monopolize these unique items and recipes and sell them to the common player base. Additionally there was also this vault thing. Now she understood why Roth had wanted to know her pet grade. The opportunity to customize a pet by using tickets gained from questing would drive the player base mad. Too bad the guide didn''t specify what kind of pet it was. But, even if it were a smelly, ugly pet, for Antioch to have pets with an A grade¡­ that place was a gold mine. A few minutes later, she received a new message. ¡°Everyone who would like to participate in an auction where free stats and information on Antioch will be available, please come to Hilsford Auction Room #4 at 11 pm.¡± "Free stats?!" Mel shouted, drawing curious looks from her teammates. She didn''t care about the attention, though. How could Roth promise free stats? Did he think she was born yesterday? Mel looked at the clock wide-eyed. The auction would be in six hours! Didn''t he have good manners? The custom was to inform others of important auctions at least a few weeks in advance. Why make such a forceful move? Who did this brat think he was to order around big shots from the top guilds like this? Even though the promise of free stats sounded too good to be true, there was too much to pass on. She forwarded the message to her boss, and before he even responded, she was already on her way to Hilsford. Gigantify! She jumped onto her giant hawk and took off toward the city. * Roth regarded each member of their small crew and their new hideout. After Mario''s lab was compromised, they held briefings in a small conference room of a shabby inn in the slums that could be rented for a few silver coins. It wasn''t a cheap sum, but money wasn''t the biggest worry on their minds right now. Roth tried to hold the tears in as everyone made the final preparations. To see so many good people trying to save him moved him. If he made it through this, he would ensure he would pay back all these people someday. ¡°All right, everyone. Are you ready?¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Came the choir from the soldiers. The sudden shift to silence and the strength in their voice caught Roth by surprise. These old soldiers, led by an old mob captain, were an impressive sight. ¡°We''ve worked hard on this. Remember. We just don''t want to throw one boulder into a lake. We''re trying to throw multiple pebbles that will ripple and reverberate with each other, spreading through the player base.¡± Drake turned to Roth. ¡°Roth, are you ready?¡± ¡°Ready. And thank you, everyone, for doing this. I¡¯ll pay you back someday.¡± ¡°There¡¯s this really expensive restaurant you could take us all to and treat us,¡± Benny called out, causing a wave of laughter in the group. ¡°That¡¯s a deal!¡± agreed Roth. ¡°Any news from the guilds yet, Roth?¡± asked the sergeant. ¡°Only the Krakens. Mel said she¡¯s coming.¡± ¡°It¡¯s time to motivate them a little more, then. Get us started, Sarg.¡± ¡°One. Sent,¡± claimed Sarg. After several seconds, H spoke. ¡°Two. Sent.¡± They sent messages to all the craftsmen they had met over the past few weeks. All of them were unfettered by guilds and wanted to join the Union Collective. They had already been told how the organization would work, but as a surprise, some things were left for until now. Only today did they reveal that it was possible to be awarded free stats in this organization. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. They spaced each message so that they were several seconds apart from each other. They were mindful of focusing on those online who could instantly react to the announcement. The goal was to shake the forums and the player base as much as possible. Roth stayed behind, biting his fingernails, worried about whether this would work. The better reaction they could get, the more leverage they would have in their auction with the guilds. After sending messages to their friends, it was time for stage two. Each crew member posted on the forums, showing off the free stats they had received by joining the union. They placed these posts two minutes apart from each other. The first post got one or two reactions, the second five or six. And by the time the last of the posts had been placed on the internet, there were already hundreds of people asking for more information. ¡°Good. I can see we¡¯re getting some traction. Time to blow this up. H, go for it.¡± REGION ANNOUNCEMENT! Are you a craftsman? Do you want to be free from guild responsibilities and focus on your craft? Then, join the Union Collective, where craftsmen are the real heroes! Roth shuddered at how H had blown 50,000 gold to make this announcement. It was all the money they got after selling information from the Pegasus Library. The man hadn¡¯t even flinched. If one sold this much gold for real world credits, they could buy a nice apartment. Roth felt bad for holding back information on the library. After this was over, he would share absolutely everything with these people. ¡°Roth. Start adding the names now.¡± Fox Form! Congratulations! Your charisma has reached 550. [Well Spoken] has been upgraded to [Grand Persuader]. [Charm] has been upgraded to [Irresistible]. Your strength is under 50. You¡¯ve lost [Healthy Bones]. Your wisdom is under 100. You¡¯ve lost [Strategic Thinking]. Your intelligence is under 50. You¡¯ve lost [Inner Calm]. Your dexterity is under 50. You¡¯ve lost [Fast Hands]. Your endurance is under 150. [Horse¡¯s Gallop] has been downgraded to [Cat¡¯s Sprint]. [Stone Skin] has been downgraded to [Bark Skin]. In [Fox Form], the number of players he could grant stats to rose to 57. Roth started adding the players picked by the 14th as good candidates to receive the bonus stats but didn¡¯t fill all of the slots. He would need some of them later. ¡°How did you get the list? Are these the best craftsmen?¡± asked Roth as he filled their names on the Union contract. ¡°No. We focused on those that seemed more charismatic or socially active,¡± answered Maggie. ¡°I see.¡± That was smart. Right now, what they needed was more social reach. ¡°Mrs. Bessie just messaged me,¡± H shared with everyone, excited. ¡°She¡¯s getting multiple messages asking for information on the Union.¡± ¡°Any guilds?¡± asked Drake. Everyone leaned in. Catching the guilds¡¯ interest was the whole reason behind them doing this. H grinned from ear to ear. ¡°Oh yeah! It¡¯s a huge success!¡± Everyone started hugging each other and shouting in celebration. * Mrs. Bessie sat in a small coffee shop in Hilsford. If she had known that she could eat whatever she wanted in this gaming world and not put on any weight, she would have joined much, much sooner. Maggie and Emily had coached her on what she had to do today. She had read her notes on what she had to do many times. This was an important day for her baby, and she would do what she could to help her son. She felt a tingle of excitement. Before she married Robert, she had worked in many different jobs. She had waitressed, cleaned houses, cared for old people, and worked as a cashier in the supermarket. But after Nathan was born, Robert insisted that he would provide for them and that she could stay home with her children. God bless Robert. He was a good man. A very good man. After Roth went to jail, she had no choice but to start working again. But it was all menial jobs. She had never worked in a call center like they had her do. She got the first message. The AI filters the soldiers had installed for her earlier read the message and identified it as a request to join. She didn¡¯t have to do anything. The system automatically sent them a copy of the contract for them to sign. A counter on her window showed that the union already had 400 members¡ªanother message popped up. A representative from a third-tier guild based in Hilsford had tried to make a video call. In these cases, they received an automatic message saying that they would be contacted soon by one union representative and for them to make any queries in writing. Those landed in a different folder, which she would respond to later. What she was waiting for was the big fish. They were the top 100 teams in the game that had the resources to help her family. She answered the call. ¡°Hello, this is BessieMamma from the Union Collective. How can I help you?¡± ¡°Hello, ma¡¯am. I¡¯m with the Street Rats. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of us. We have a very talented carpenter in our team. We need you to grant the bonuses that you advertise to them. What do we need to do.¡± ¡°Your name, sir?¡± ¡°Ratsy.¡± ¡°Mr. Ratsy, if your carpenter is interested in becoming a unionized worker, all they have to do is sign the contract and join in. As for guaranteeing they are awarded free stats, the information is there in the contract as well.¡± She picked up her notes and read this bit directly from the script. ¡°The Union Collective acknowledges the exceptional dedication and contributions of its members. In recognition of their outstanding commitment to the Union Collective, a limited number of members may be eligible for bonuses in stats and skills. Eligibility for these bonuses will be determined based on the following criteria:
  • The number of quests completed.
  • Donation of rare materials to the Union Collective.
  • Contribution of flags or guild items to the Union Collective.
  • Sharing of precious information.
  • Referrals of new players who join the Union Collective.¡±
¡°We¡¯re willing to pay 1000 gold.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that is impossible, sir. The Union Collective doesn¡¯t care about money. All we care about is crafting. If you are willing to donate rare materials, flags, or guild items to display in our dummy museum or share valuable recipes or insights into crafting, please put together a proposal and send it out. If your offer is generous enough, we¡¯ll consider securing a place for your carpenter.¡± ¡°2000 gold.¡± Mrs. Bessie got another notification. There was someone else in line. When it was someone else from the top 100 guilds, she was supposed to just keep them waiting, but this was a representative of the Ogre guild, one of the top 10. She grabbed her notes and read the appropriate sentence from the script. ¡°Mr. Ratsy, I¡¯m sorry, but I must cut this meeting short. Someone from the Ogres¡¯ guild is calling me, and I need to take this. If you have any further inquiries, don¡¯t hesitate to call us. Thank you for calling the Union Collective, where craftsmen are the real heroes.¡± She hung up the call and answered the next caller. ¡°Hello, this is BessieMamma from the Union Collective. How can I help you?¡± ¡°Greetings, madam. My name is BlueFire, and I¡¯m from the Ogre guild.¡± Ch. 171 - You Owe Us Dinner
Mrs. Bessie studied the man on the screen. He had long brown hair and intelligent blue eyes. The way he spoke showed he knew how handsome he was. Her brows furrowed as the man stared at her for a long, awkward moment.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, ma¡¯am. Have we met before?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± The man seemed unsettled. Mrs. Bessie checked a mirror. Is there something on my face? The man shook his head and went to the point. ¡°It has been brought to my attention that you¡¯re offering free stats. How does that work? Are these consumables?¡± ¡°No, sir! The free stats we offer are a unique advantage of joining the Union Collective. They have nothing to do with consumables, guild museum bonuses, or flag bonuses. These are unique to us.¡± ¡°Our guild is interested to know more. Can I speak to the one who runs the union?¡± ¡°You can talk to Roth directly.¡± The man¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Roth Taylor?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Didn¡¯t he invite you to the auction already, Mr. BlueFire?¡± The man stood speechless for a long time. ¡°That¡¯s where I recognized you from. You¡¯re his¡­¡± ¡°Mother. Yes.¡± ¡°I was going to say, sister.¡± ¡°Your attempt at flattery is noted,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°You have an interesting son, BessieMamma.¡± He said the tag with a smile, now seeing its humor. ¡°He used to be a handful, but he¡¯s changed a lot. He¡¯s a good boy with a good heart, just like his late father. If you want these free stats, all you have to do is go to the auction and talk to my baby. OK?¡± ¡°OK, madam. It was a pleasure to meet you.¡± She hung up the phone. This man had to be very observant to be able to tell the similarities between her and her son despite their changed features. Hopefully, he would use some of that intelligence to help her baby. There was another caller. The filter identified them as being from the Phoenix guild. Mrs. Bessie put on a professional smile and answered the call. ¡°Hello, this is BessieMamma from the Union Collective. How can I help you?¡± * ¡°Guys, I just received confirmation from Mrs. Bessie that the Ogres and the Phoenixes are coming to the auction!¡± Another round of cheers and celebration went around the room. ¡°Okay, Drake. So what''s next?¡± ¡°Now, all you have to do is to go to the auction.¡± ¡°And you guys?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll keep working on the union. You go ahead.¡± Even though Drake kept a perfect smile, Roth caught the soldiers exchanging worried looks. Catching the exchange, Roth got a sinking feeling in his stomach. ¡°OK, guys. What is going on? What are you not telling me?¡± Drake and the sergeant looked at each other and seemed to reach an unspoken agreement using only their eyes. Drake nodded, and the sergeant stepped up. ¡°Roth, we are all going offline. You¡¯ll have to be alone in the game for now.¡± ¡°What do you mean? I thought we were going to get the Union started.¡± ¡°We already have. All that¡¯s left is to get new members and have them join us. We can leave your mom to do that. She''s doing a fantastic job.¡± ¡°Okay. But why are you leaving?¡± demanded Roth. ¡°We can''t guarantee that one of the guilds will step up and save you. We haven''t told you this, but all of us are staying in a hotel in your city.¡± ¡°What? But don¡¯t you all live far away? I don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°In case none of the guilds step up, we will,¡± said Charlie. His friendly, neighborly tone was gone. He was speaking as a soldier, not a medical man. Roth felt his heart skip a beat and a knot forming in his throat. ¡°You came to New Lisbon for me?¡± ¡°And for that dinner you promised!¡± tried Benny. This time, no one laughed, and Emily even punched him in the arm. ¡°Read the room,¡± Roth heard Emily say to the chef. ¡°I can¡¯t let you do this. What if Loki has guards on standby? What if he finds out you freed me?¡± Drake jumped back into the conversation. ¡°The soldiers will be OK. You can¡¯t go around killing decorated veterans and expect the government to sit quietly. They will be okay.¡± The idea of his friends going into that dingy apartment where Wilson had made him enter the pod and being ambushed by mercenaries or assassins was too much for him to handle. ¡°But¡­ I¡­ You guys¡­ What if¡­¡± Roth¡¯s brain went haywire. It wasn''t just that he worried about his friends. Having to wait for hours on end alone, not knowing if his real body was about to be shot or stabbed, was terrifying. He felt the urge to vomit, and the corners of his vision darkened. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Drake grabbed Roth¡¯s shoulder with his iron arm and held it tight. The pain brought Roth back from the spiraling emotions. ¡°Listen to me, Roth. You have to be strong. This is almost over. I want you to go to the auction and do exactly as planned.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Of course you can, son.¡± ¡°But, Drake, you¡¯ll do a much better job at the auction than I ever would. Am I not always messing up when I talk to the big shots? You said it yourself. I¡¯m slow and stupid.¡± ¡°No. Of course not. Listen to me, you¡¯re someone special. Look at all that you¡¯ve done in this place. There¡¯s something about you. You reach people. Even animals and bugs like you. That¡¯s something I don¡¯t have. None of us do.¡± ¡°What good does that do? This is just a game.¡± ¡°No. For you, it isn¡¯t. We are what we do, Roth. Out there in the real world, or here.¡± Roth managed to look up and found that the other soldiers had drawn in closer, and all looked at him with concern. ¡°You are special, Roth. The guilds must see this in you. Make yourself more than just a number, Roth. Make them see you as a person. Even though they have black hearts that only care about credits, they still have hearts.¡± ¡°OK. I¡¯ll try.¡± As he calmed down, his mental faculties returned to him. ¡°Wait, is that why you¡¯re having my mom answering the guilds¡¯ calls?¡± Drake nodded. ¡°I see. Good. That¡¯s for the best. If she knew about this death sentence, she would be worried sick.¡± ¡°You see? How could someone slow and stupid see that?¡± Roth smiled weakly. ¡°We need to appeal to their emotions. For that, I want you to put yourself out there. Wait for the guilds reps by the door of the auction. Shake their hands. Look them in the eye. Thank them for coming. Let them see you.¡± All this information was making Roth dizzy. ¡°Remember, we don¡¯t want gold. All we want is to save you, your brothers, and your mother.¡± ¡°What about you guys? You guys are putting yourselves in danger. And you''re doing this for a stranger. You shouldn''t, you¡­¡± Maggie spoke up. ¡°Don''t worry about us, brat.¡± H added, ¡°The guilds will hesitate to accept taking you and your family in. What will happen if we demand they protect a squad of old soldiers? If they see that even soldiers like us are afraid of Loki, there''s no way they will stick their necks out to save you. Do you get it, Roth?¡± ¡°What about Brian?¡± Roth asked. ¡°He¡¯s still in our house, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Brian,¡± explained Drake. ¡°We have him covered.¡± Roth felt dizzy. It was all happening so fast. Pete, the quietest in the group, stood up and walked toward Roth. ¡°You¡¯re already saved. One way or another, you¡¯re already out of that apartment. Get it?¡± Roth couldn¡¯t hold it anymore and began sobbing. ¡°Thanks, guys. I¡¯ll never forget this.¡± ¡°And don¡¯t worry about your family,¡± said Drake, ¡°I''ll take care of them.¡± ¡°Look!¡± shouted Benny. ¡°We thought it was the sergeant who was interested in Roth¡¯s mom. But it looks like it was the captain instead!¡± ¡°Shut up, Benny! Me and Bessie have nothing going on,¡± screamed Drake, with a red face. Roth¡¯s ears perked up. ¡°Wait a minute. Bessie? Since when are you on a first-name basis with my mom, Drake?¡± The whole crowd started laughing. Roth felt his worries wash away. It was like Pete said. He was already saved. These soldiers sure knew how to lighten the mood. ¡°Very well, guys. I¡¯ll make the finest auction the world has ever seen.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re talking, boy!¡± shouted Maggie across the room. ¡°We''ll all log out and get ready to intervene if needed. Even if the auction doesn¡¯t work, we still have a few hours to run a rescue operation. Even if they say they¡¯ll help us, we¡¯ll stay around just in case they go back on their words,¡± declared the sergeant. ¡°If everything goes well, ask Be¡­ your mother to give one of us a call.¡± ¡°Thank you for not telling my mother.¡± ¡°You got it, champ.¡± Everyone''s bodies faded into light, and suddenly, Roth was all alone. * Galatheel studied the guild''s blacksmithing library, looking for insights he might have missed. The top was a very lonely place. The more one progressed in a profession, the harder it became to make further progress. To worsen it, he was the best blacksmith in the guild. He had no rivals to freely compare notes with. Being in a guild provided him with the resources that he needed to pursue his passion, but he wished that there would be a free flow of information between craftsmen from different guilds. If he were to share the guild¡¯s secrets with craftsmen from other guilds, he would have to pay a fortune to the guild in fines, not to mention being kicked out of the guild and going on its blacklist. All these agendas and politics stood in his way as a blacksmith more often than he would have liked. Galatheel received a message from his cousin and opened it. He had joined the game recently, and Galatheel promised to help him as much as possible if he decided to become a blacksmith. He had a knack for it. Perhaps it was something that ran in their family. The message was very simple. ¡°Hey, cous! What¡¯s up? I''m nearly done with changing races and becoming a thumber.¡± Galatheel nodded approvingly. Thumbers were one of the best races to pursue crafting. He would have recommended he change into a dwarf, but that was a unique quest he couldn¡¯t share. ¡°Check this post out. Is this legit? Do you think I should become a unionized craftsman?¡± ¡°Unionized? What in the world is Kevin talking about?¡± Galatheel opened the post. In the forums, he found the hashtag ¡®Union¡¯ trending. He selected it and was met with hundreds of posts about a new organization exclusive to craftsmen. ¡°Union?¡± He chuckled. As far as he knew, there was only the cyborg union. He hadn¡¯t heard about a player-made union before. How would they encourage the players to join? The guilds hogged all the resources! Galatheel found the most upvoted post. It contained the union contract. As long as someone signed it, they could become a member. At first, Galatheel saw it as a joke. Once his eyes landed on the part of the contract that required players to exchange one new piece of information to the library to join, he raised an eyebrow. This was an excellent way of fostering competition and innovation among the craftsmen player base. Even though it would be easy to share something that wasn¡¯t in the union¡¯s libraries initially, the longer the game went on, the more difficult it would be. If the organization kept growing, in time, only the best craftsmen could join. Additionally, it was a bold move to stipulate in the comments how guilds could have their members join but not interfere with the union''s agendas. It made the union something untainted by guilds and a haven for the common players. Galatheel liked it. He wished someone had thought of this sooner. Probably someone had but had been squashed by the other guilds. There had been previous attempts at starting craft-only guilds. They would often just become a normal guild after a while. Since many craftsmen also enjoyed hunting, and craftsmen needed to acquire materials for crafting somehow, after a while, the guild would splinter into the normal model for a guild with a team of craftsmen sustained by a team of explorers. He was sure that would happen with this one, too. But then he came to the end of the contract and read about additional free stats. His eyes almost came out of their sockets. The amount of dexterity and strength was just what he needed to cross the bottleneck he was stuck on. Guilds gave access to extra stats via the artifacts on display in their museums. The better the guild, the better the artifacts, and the better the stats. Then, extra skills were awarded to guild members through the flags. The assortment of stats that the Ogres granted was incredible, albeit more tailored for warfare. But to be able to gain stats without being in a guild? This was something impressive. That meant players from different guilds could join this organization and receive exclusive benefits. Although some of the stats were useless to him, dexterity and strength were vital. He told his cousin, Kevin, to join. Then, he messaged his guild master, requesting permission to join the union and asking for help in getting these extra stats. Ch. 222 - Blur ¡°What are you going to spend your points on, Wes?¡± Walter asked as the group kept heading west. His attention was split between the list of rewards from the event store and the beautiful view. It was almost noon, but the lush trees on both sides provided shade and gave the brick road a summer feel, a nice respite from the weather in the real world where it had been raining all week. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t have enough to buy a silver alien set. I will probably settle with a bronze set, buy XP, and gain a level. You?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll get a skill instead,¡± answered Walter. ¡°[Xenoburst] looks cool. I have nothing like that in my skill set.¡± Will had settled on a new ring a few minutes earlier, so his mind was elsewhere. ¡°Wes, are you sure this quest was the right decision? Is this the right family for us?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve done my research, Walter. This is a golden opportunity to build rapport with the Broccolis. All the old families were terminated after the event, leaving many voids to fill. This kind of opportunity won¡¯t come again,¡± Wesley answered resolutely. ¡°Done!¡± shouted Walter triumphantly, interrupting Wesley. ¡°Check this out, guys!¡± Xenoburst (Uncommon) Your frail human form can not hold the power of the parasitoids, but you forcefully use it anyway. Effects: Sacrifice 100 hp to gain +15% damage for a minute. Cooldown. One hour. ¡°This will be great to finish up bosses,¡± he said proudly. Now that Walter, too, had finished spending the event points, he turned his attention toward their current mission. ¡°Are we near the outpost?¡± he asked as he petted his wolf pup. It was still too fragile to help them hunt, but just a few more levels and it would assist them in battle, increasing their DPS. ¡°We just need to follow the road. Thirty minutes, and we¡¯ll get there. After we get to the ridge, we-¡± Suddenly, a streak of light passed right by them, kicking up dust and leaving behind the frozen group of friends. After a few moments, Walter spoke. ¡°What was that? Was that a wild boss?¡± ¡°I think it was a player,¡± explained Wesley. He was the only one in the group who¡¯d unlocked perception and had the keenest eyesight. ¡°A-a player? That fast?¡± asked Will, stupefied. ¡°It¡¯s probably someone high-leveled and with a fast ride. A full-dexterity rogue, maybe?¡± hypothesized Walter. ¡°But it was all a blur. How can someone be that fast?¡± Will pressed. That was the fastest he had seen anyone move in the game. ¡°He probably saw the three of us from a distance and activated several speed-boosting skills just to impress us,¡± explained Wesley after some thought. ¡°Just leave it. In a few more months, we¡¯ll be just as fast.¡± * Roth felt as if he were flying. He had never been a slow player, with a base movement speed of a little over 160%. After obtaining his white mare, Lua, he had a bonus of 110% movement speed when riding her, bringing that up to 270%. The road¡¯s speed bonus brought the figure up to 280%. However, after unlocking the second tier of light affinity, he gained an incredible skill that made him even faster. Speed of Light (Stat Bonus) Bonus description: Your step is light, and the sun energizes you to run unhindered. Bonus effects: +300% movement speed in daylight. The sun was at its zenith, and he could travel at 580% movement speed. Once his racial skills came off cooldown, and he could change into [Ratan Form] and stack all these speed bonuses, he was sure no one could catch up to him. After galloping on Lua, he finally unlocked a title he''d seen in Pegasus¡¯ database back when he was trapped in Mario¡¯s lab. Speedster (Uncommon) Title description: You¡¯ve become one with the wind and can run at incredible speeds. Title effects: +10% movement speed; Every speed-boosting active skill gains an additional 20% movement speed bonus. Conditions to unlock [Speedster]: Complete relevant quest; or travel at 400% movement speed or higher. Roth had a series of titles under his belt related to athletic accomplishments. There was [Marathonist], [Swimmer], [Alpinist], and [Jumper]. All of them had been unlocked by persisting in practicing an activity. Marathonist (Common) Title description: After running great distances, your training has made you more robust and durable. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Title effects: You can run longer without getting tired. Conditions to unlock [Marathonist]: Run 500 km in under three days; or run 1,000,000 km. [Marathonist], his first common title, required him to run 500 km in under three days or, alternatively, 1,000,000 km. However, after obtaining the Pegasus library, Roth discovered another series of titles. These focused not on endurance but on surpassing certain thresholds. If he swam really fast, jumped incredibly high, or performed other noteworthy achievements, he could get his hands on more athletic titles! In this case, he unlocked [Speedster] by running fast enough. This made him even quicker, allowing him to reach the border between Green Country and Rock Canyon in record time. He had left the Green Woods two hours ago and had already left Greensburg behind him. A trip that had originally taken him half a day could now be finished in a few hours. He was starting to pick up signs that he was on the edge of Green Country. For the first time in two hours, the landscape began to change. So far, towering tree lines were on both sides of the road. The branches of the trees were long and lush, forming the illusion he was traveling in tunnels through the forest. The trunks were like walls that hid the maps and dungeons of the Green Country region behind brown wood and green leaves. Now, the vegetation was becoming sparser, and he was getting small glimpses of his surroundings. The plain road had also gained some inclination, costing Roth some of his speed as he was forced to ride uphill. Eventually, the dwindling number of trees finally allowed him an unobstructed view of his destination: Massive mountains stretching into the sky and disappearing into the clouds filled the horizon. He had arrived at the border between Green Country and Rock Canyon. From what he read in the forums, moving between different world regions always involved traversing challenging terrains, such as a mountain, an abyss, a swamp, or something similar. The developers hadn¡¯t made traveling between regions something beginners could easily pull off. Hopefully, it wouldn''t be too difficult for someone of his level to make the crossing. Roth kept galloping, making use of the daylight, but eventually, the brick road came to an end. You''ve left the well-built road and lost [Swift]. -10% speed. You¡¯re traveling on a craggy mountain trail. You¡¯ve been afflicted with [Tripping]. -20% speed. As Lua entered the rocky trail, he lost 30% movement speed but quickly got used to the reduced speed. From here on out, roads would be less comfortable. At first, the trail was just a poorer version of the brick road. There were fewer trees on both sides, and the traveling speed was slightly reduced, but it was still comfortable. However, as Lua proceeded along the dirt and gravel road, he started to gain altitude. Trees became even scarcer, and some stretches of road had dangerous cliff edges. He had no choice but to dismount Lua. He would travel on foot from here. If he fell off the cliff, it would hurt immensely, and he would have to get back here from the nearest graveyard. Closer to the ground, some of his vertigo subsided, and he settled on a slow jog through the trail. Lin kept his head off Roth¡¯s collar and glanced down at the cliff, showing no fear of falling. The mountain was of dark stone. Now that he was moving slower, he noticed how the mountainside was riddled with holes. Curious, he approached one of them, squatting to figure out what had caused them. As he leaned in, he spotted two bright eyes and heard a rattle. Recognizing the animal, he put his hand into the hole. Feeling the cold, scaly texture tie itself around his arm, he pulled it, revealing a beautiful snake. It had diamond-shaped patterns of varying shades of brown, which helped it disguise itself against the mountain. ¡°Greetingsss, martyr.¡± ¡°Hello!¡± he said happily as he inspected his new friend. Sylvia, the Diamondback Rattlesnake Lvl. 31 Hp: 300 Ep: 600 [Bite]; [Camouflage]; [Cobra Slither]; [Venomous Fang]. ¡°Why do you sssmell like a cat?¡± As if to answer her question, Lin popped his head out. Sylvia rattled her tail for a few moments, her coil around Roth¡¯s arm tightening as she kept looking back and forth between Roth and Lin. ¡°It¡¯s my pet. His name¡¯s Lin.¡± ¡°I sssee.¡± ¡°I came all the way from Hilsford. I¡¯m a friend of Solomon¡¯s,¡± spoke Roth, making conversation. ¡°Sssolomon? A good sssenator, he isss. Or ussed to be. What bringsss you to the Cloudy Mountainsss?¡± ¡°I¡¯m on my way to Saphira,¡± explained Roth. ¡°A perilousss journey,¡± the rattlesnake warned. ¡°What animals can I expect to find?¡± asked Roth, trying to determine what dangers awaited him. ¡°Dependsss on which path you take.¡± ¡°What about this path?¡± ¡°Just usss¡­ Or the occasional eagle.¡± ¡°What do you hunt out here?¡± The snake hesitated, but after a few moments answered. ¡°Humansss.¡± Roth gulped nervously. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Not you, of courssse,¡± hurriedly added Sylvia. ¡°I get it. I get it. Well, I just wanted to say hi.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you sssweet?¡± You get to meet more and more snakes as you travel the world. +21 reputation with snakes. Roth reached out to the hole where Sylvia had been hiding, allowing her to return to it. Knowing that the road only had snakes, he relaxed and continued his journey. Even though the road was perilous, the view was amazing. Looking back at the road that had brought him here, he saw a never-ending sea of green: Green Country, the region where he had lived in the first months of gameplay in AstroTerra. Just how many races lived in those trees? How many secrets lay hidden? Shaking his head, Roth refocused his mind on the mountain path. There were just as many secrets to unearth where he was going, and, honestly, he was excited with the change of scenery. Now that he could see where he was heading, most of the gloom of leaving his base of operations was replaced with excitement at the prospect of new adventures. Roth kept climbing, and the weather changed. The eternal spring of Green Country gave way to a mist and chilling wind. He didn''t know if he had climbed high enough to come into the clouds or whether the floating white castles had been forced down when they met with the high mountains and were meeting him halfway. Roth, now far enough from the Green Woods and certain he wasn¡¯t being followed, changed into his Forest Lambswool set and felt the warm comfort of wool shield him from the biting cold. From having the mountain on one side and cliffs and clouds on the other, the road turned inward into the mountain and downward. Gravity stopped hindering him and became his ally, helping him travel at an increased speed. Seeing how he didn¡¯t have any falling hazards on either side of the road, he called Lua again. Summon! The horse appeared from behind him, and he mounted again. The road became hilly with a series of ups and downs, but after a few minutes, Roth¡¯s enhanced vision revealed a collection of buildings ahead despite the misty weather. It was a town in the mountains. The road passed right through it, and Roth, curious, slowed from a gallop to a slower trot to admire this new place. The first thing that struck him was the architecture. Whereas in Green Country, there were pots with flowers on every window ledge, vine trees climbing the walls, and patches of moss growing between the cobblestones or bricks, linking the constructs with the surrounding nature, here, the bold and sharp angles in the buildings were designed to create distance between the mountain and man. Roads had nothing but dry, lifeless dirt, and the double wooden doors in every building gave this town a Wild West feel. He saw several people walking around town¡ªNPCs and players. The NPCs wore overalls and had blackened faces and hands. They carried pickaxes over their shoulders and helmets in their hands. Several players in different outfits completely ignored him and his horse as they went about their business. As he opened the world map, he saw the name of this new place: Charlesville. Ch. 223 - The Helpful Barman The building Roth had entered turned out to be a tavern. There was a piano in the corner where, surprisingly, a player played happy music for the patrons. Roth had never seen anyone play music in the game before. Was that some sort of profession or class? He tried inspecting the player, but his insight wasn¡¯t high enough to obtain any information. The clinking of glasses and lively conversation accompanied the happy piano lounge music as several NPCs drank ale and enjoyed a warm meal by the hearth. Many wore blackened clothes and had dark nails and pale skin. Other than the piano player, there were several other players around. They stood out like sore thumbs from the NPCs because they wore armor instead of dirty clothes and carried weapons instead of pickaxes. Three adventurers occupied the table closest to him, and Roth could make out some of their conversation. ¡°... on my first try.¡± ¡°It took me three tries before I got here. You must have incredible reflexes.¡± ¡°Yeah. I do. It¡¯s too bad those snakes don¡¯t leave any good drops.¡± ¡°I have a friend who got a cool skill card from them.¡± Even though there was so much noise around him, he could still hear them perfectly. Was this due to his perception stat? He knew it helped him see better in the dark, but he hadn¡¯t realized that it also allowed him to eavesdrop on conversations. He focused on another table a few steps away where NPC miners were chatting. ¡°... bring the dynamite. Otherwise, we won¡¯t ever get through to the other side.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t like dynamite. It disturbs the dark depths. I¡¯d rather work it with the pickaxe, slowly.¡± ¡°Enough with your superstitions, Jerry! If there¡¯s anything down there, you can just blast it with the dynamite, too.¡± He could also easily follow their conversation, too. The perception stat had more applications than he originally thought. He kept studying the scene around him, and his eyes were drawn toward the only white thing in the room: the barman¡¯s apron. Whereas the floor and patrons were all covered in coal dust, the bartender wiped the counter with a cloth while sporting a clean apron. The man was waging a never-ending battle against soot, and the counter was the wall protecting his glass castle. Their eyes met, and the barman smiled. Seeing how friendly the man seemed, Roth approached. ¡°Hello, sir,¡± ¡°Good day, stranger. Can I get you anything?¡± ¡°No, thank you. I was hoping you could give me some information.¡± A player drinking some ale nearby sneered, causing Roth¡¯s eyebrows to shoot up. What was up with him? Had he said something wrong? ¡°Sure. Anything you need,¡± Roth heard glass fall to the ground and break. ¡°Hey, you''re going to pay for that,¡± the bartender scolded the player who had dropped his ale. It was the same guy as before, but now, instead of sneering, he was looking at Roth with his mouth wide open. Ignoring him, Roth continued, ¡°I''m trying to reach Rock Canyon and cross the mountain. What''s the quickest way to get there?¡± ¡°Oh well, you have three paths you could take.¡± The bartender explained as he picked up an empty glass and polished it with a cloth. ¡°You can go through the mountain.¡± ¡°Through the mountain?¡± ¡°Yes, a series of tunnels get you to the other side of the mountain. It''s the quickest way, but it''s a dark place down there, and a man can easily get lost. Many dangers lurk in the depths.¡± ¡°Okay, what else?¡± ¡°There''s the old cable car system,¡± he offered. ¡°You just have to head two clicks west and buy a ticket there. It takes you right over the mountain. The cable car takes a lot of maintenance, though. If you''re short on coin, you won¡¯t be able to afford it.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°The final path is the most dangerous and the longest, too. It requires you to climb the mountain. It''s a perilous journey. Many don''t make it. The weather changes quickly up there, and rockslides and avalanches can bury a man under a ton of rubble and snow,¡± the barman explained, his eyes focused on the door of his establishment as if he could visualize the many men who had left to make the journey but never returned. ¡°Thank you, sir. How do I get to the mines?¡± ¡°Just follow one of the miners,¡± he said, gesturing toward his patrons. ¡°The mines ain''t far from town.¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Thanks.¡± Out of the corner of his vision, he noticed that the same player was still staring at him. ¡°Can I help you? Why are you staring at me?¡± ¡°The bartender just gave it all to you on a silver platter.¡± ¡°It''s just some basic information.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even order anything!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°Your charisma must be off the charts.¡± Roth finally understood why the player looked so interested in him. Perhaps this bartender wasn''t friendly to everyone, and it was his first time seeing someone with such a high charisma approach the bartender and get all this information for free. ¡°Yeah, I have invested a little in my charisma. I¡¯m a merchant.¡± ¡°Oh right, you''re a merchant. That explains it,¡± the man seemed relieved at the revelation. ¡°I would take the cable car if I were you,¡± he added. ¡°It''s 100 gold. It¡¯s expensive, and it takes a while, but it gets you through to the other side without a hitch.¡± ¡°Thank you for the hint.¡± It looked like he could have gotten this information from this player had he asked. Roth left the bar''s darkness and the piano music behind him and looked up to the clouds, imagining the snowy peak beyond. Which path should he take? On the one hand, the cable car looked like a nice, carefree way of traveling. He just had to sit and enjoy the ride. On the other hand, 100 gold sure was a lot of money just for a short trip. In the end, Roth decided to try his luck in the coal mines. Maybe this trip was difficult for players who didn''t have the [Farsight] title or the perception stat, but he could see as clearly as if it was daylight in the darkness of Antioch. What would make the coal mines any different? Besides, the man said it himself; it was the fastest way through. Roth waited for the next batch of miners to leave the tavern and followed them westward, through the buildings and onto a trail through the mountain. The path veered right and left, snaking down its way to the bottom of the valley. At some point in the journey, the group of miners began singing. It wasn¡¯t the joyful tune of the piano but something far darker. ¡°In the belly of the earth, I make my stand, With grit and sweat, and pick in hand. Down below, where shadows dance, I face the dark and take my chance. Coal is the treasure we seek, The black gold that was hidden from the weak. With bold comrades, we forge ahead, And bring back to the table our daily bread. Through dust and rubble, our voices rise, A miner''s song under starless skies. Beneath the weight of rock and clay, We sing our song day by day. In the heart of the mine, we find our worth, A brotherhood forged in the depths of the earth. So onward we march, through toil and strife, Mining for love, mining for life.¡± It was a touching song, and Roth tried to imagine how many men out in the real world spent time under tons of rock to provide for their families. It reminded him of his father and how much he had worked to care for him and his brothers. Thankfully, the song soon shifted into a happier tune, something about a miner with a knack for causing trouble for his colleagues. The miners soon arrived at the entrance to the mine. He thought the tavern had been full of workers, but this place had enough miners to fill many taverns. They reminded Roth somewhat of the treeants entering and leaving Antioch, but instead of carrying food, they transported minerals. The gargantuan entrance was wide enough to accommodate the double train tracks. Carts loaded with rock or coal came out, only to reenter the mine and get some more. Roth appreciated the spectacle and, after a while, followed the miners in. * Loki studied the guild elders from across a shimmering forcefield. Now that he was back to being a noob and didn¡¯t have his alien form anymore, he would have to host more of these meetings in the flesh. A level 13 noob didn''t strike much fear in the hearts of these people, but here he could remind them who was in charge. Anak looked less imposing without her high-end gear and the serpent coiled around her neck, but she still retained her reptile demeanor. Her skin was paler than even Loki¡¯s. Under the right light, it became almost transparent, showing her prominent veins. Xerxes was the only one who bothered to work out and stay in shape. Loki took it as one more symptom of his desperate need for validation. He didn¡¯t mind it; it was how Loki had managed to poach him from the Chimeras and bring him into his fold in the first place. Yillian was here, too. He looked slow and tired without the armor to hide his weight and without stats to give him lightness and speed. He was the one who hated having to leave the capsule and come here the most. His appearance was deceiving. He was a seasoned player and had the longest career in gaming from the people present here. His most famous accomplishment was being champion for three years in a row in one of the hardest PvP games in history. Loki counted himself lucky to have him in his guild. ¡°We are at a crossroads in the development of our guild. Zin has betrayed us, and we need to reinvent ourselves,¡± he began. ¡°You are the spine of the guild, and I brought you here to discuss our strategy for the next few months. Anak, any progress in purchasing land in the capital?¡± ¡°No, sir. It¡¯s a dead end. I think it¡¯s safe to conclude alignment has nothing to do with it.¡± ¡°Nevertheless, you have the most extensive network of NPC contacts.¡± Once, that had been him, he thought to himself. His network of contacts used to be twice as large as Anak''s. The memory of how his character had been reset and how someone had stolen all his stat-boosting consumables made him feel dizzy. He forced himself to continue, ¡°You¡¯ll take over the guild¡¯s intelligence.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Your number one priority will be to investigate the Usurpers,¡± Loki said, his voice dripping with hatred. ¡°I want to know who Zin has in his guild and whether they''re coming for Pegasus. We must be prepared. ¡°Xerxes, I want you to coordinate the guild¡¯s headquarters move from the Dark Abyss back to the capital. Now that we have so many players with darkness alignment, we can proceed with the next step of my plan. Avoid ruffling too many feathers. We need to build our strength before we can take our revenge on the top 10 guilds. ¡°Yillian, you¡¯ll remain in the Dark Abyss and keep looking for a city. There has to be one. It makes no sense for a whole region not to have a teleportation gate. We must be missing something.¡± ¡°Very well, sir.¡± ¡°Additionally, I¡¯ve been wondering what to do with the salary I¡¯ve been paying Zin.¡± He glanced over at the trio and saw them look at him hungrily. ¡°I¡¯ve decided that whoever manages to kill the Slayer or Zin more times in the game will gain the money I used to pay him.¡± The trio looked at each other, aggression in their eyes. ¡°Dismissed.¡± He watched the three of them leave through the door and opened the folder on his desk. ¡°Now, let¡¯s find out more about this union of yours, Slayer.¡± Ch. 224 - The Depths Although he had seen players mining closer to the entrance, no one seemed interested in crossing the mountain down this path. Most people probably preferred to pay to use the cable car, and only people who focused on gathering came here. Roth found fewer miners the farther he traveled and was starting to doubt whether this route was the best choice, but it was too late to back out now. He spotted one lone miner and decided to confirm he was on the right track. ¡°Excuse me, sir.¡± ¡°Hello, son,¡± the man spoke endearingly as if meeting a long-lost friend. ¡°You¡¯re not a miner. You''re way too clean!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°And why is it that your skin is shining? Are you some sort of apparition?¡± Roth had been getting this question from many miners. Even though it was difficult to see it under the sunlight, he had become a little fluorescent due to the effects of [Horrific Glow]. ¡°It¡¯s a skin condition I have,¡± he answered. ¡°I see,¡± the man said while taking a few steps back. Does he think I''m radioactive or something? ¡°Anyway, I''m trying to cross the mountain through these tunnels and want to ensure I''m headed the right way.¡± ¡°You are. You¡¯re heading straight into the depths.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been noticing that there are fewer miners here. Why is that? Is there no coal in the depths?¡± ¡°Oh, there is coal aplenty.¡± ¡°Then, why is it so deserted?¡± ¡°It''s hard to build secondary shafts that reach this deep into the mountains. You''re dead if there''s a cave-in. Also, strange things happen in the depths.¡± Roth had been hearing all this superstitious jibber-jabber from the miners. ¡°What kind of strange things?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard many stories. You dig a tunnel one day, and the next day it¡¯s gone. Or you dig a tunnel one day, and when you return, there are two. Many have also found¡­¡± he shuddered, ¡°claw marks.¡± ¡°Claw marks?¡± ¡°Oh yes. It is left by a foul monster that can cut through stone like butter. I¡¯ve seen those marks with my own two eyes.¡± ¡°What leaves it? Some kind of animal?¡± ¡°Some say that the mines are haunted. Others say that the mountain itself is alive and has conjured a guardian to stop people from digging through it. Whatever it is, I don¡¯t want to find out.¡± ¡°Are there any animals living in these mines? Rats, maybe?¡± If there were any ratans, he could ask them what the deal was with this place. ¡°Hmm¡­ not rats, but bats. They are closer to the entrance.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± There were so many tunnels! How could there be such a big map with no mobs? ¡°There have been creepy crawlies in the past. Infestations. But when that happens, corporate hires exterminators to clean the place, and the whole thing goes dead quiet again. Whatever is down there is different. It¡¯s godless.¡± Despite the foreboding tone in the miner¡¯s warning, Roth was looking forward to meeting whatever lived down there. Perhaps there was a new race waiting to sign a trade agreement. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± ¡°Godspeed, traveler,¡± the man said with a toothless grin, and Roth proceeded while opening the Rescue Library to research clues on the strange phenomena in the mountains. He wrote ¡®Charleville Mines'' on the search bar and got a few hits. There was a list of minerals that could be extracted here and a brief explanation of why this was a popular place in Green Country. One of the reasons was that the mines were quiet most of the time, and minerals could be gathered peacefully without having to worry about monsters. Furthermore, once a month, there was a local event where tunnels were swarmed with giant cockroaches, and players came to participate in the extermination quest and earn unique rewards. Roth crossed the information with similar posts in the forums. It looked like there had been a cockroach infestation a week ago, attracting many adventurers. He tried writing ¡®the depths¡¯ and ¡®claw marks¡¯ together with the name of the mines and only got one hit. Questline in the Charlesville Mines #quest #infoexchange #charlesville #mines #clawmarks #thedepths Poster: Wilderman Post: I¡¯ve crossed from the Rock Canyon to Green Country through the Charlesville Mines and found these weird claw marks. (See image attached.) Does anyone know what caused this? Is there a wild boss down there or something? Comments JollyMiner: The only mobs in those mines are bats, and the cockroach swarms once a month. KalElliot: It has to be connected to some sort of quest. But whoever knows the secret doesn¡¯t share it. I¡¯ve also tried finding out more about those marks, with no success. This KalElliot guy was probably right. If there was a quest, it likely required someone to complete smaller quests in the nearby town. Roth didn¡¯t want to get stuck out here since he already had plenty of quests to tackle, so he decided to drop the investigation. Stolen story; please report. After reading about the mine, Roth checked his list of pending quests. In Rock Canyon, he would probably be able to learn more about the slavers and the camels. Soros mentioned they were the most active in this region and the Sun Desert. Since Lua was originally captured by slavers, there was a good chance she came from this region, too. He still didn¡¯t know where the Crow Emperor or Mario¡¯s mom were, but Red, the dwarf from the Green Woods, had mentioned that he had been tasked with guarding one of their mountain¡¯s vaults. Since there were more mountains here than anywhere else, there was a good chance that the dwarf¡¯s mountain was here, too. After getting to Saphira, if he became friends with the NPC for whom Soros had written an introduction letter, he could get some much-needed answers to his many questions. After reading his to-do list, he checked his post about the riddles leading him to the Crow Emperor. Riddling challenge #riddles #cringe #funny #iambored Poster: Sphinx314 Post: Fellow players, I came across some awesome riddles and wanted to challenge you. 1) What is faster than light? 2) I bubble without boiling. I freeze the past without getting cold. 3) A man is on one side of a river, his dog on the other. The man calls his dog, who immediately crosses the river without getting wet or using a bridge or a boat. How did the dog do it? 4) Three spies, suspected of being double agents, speak as follows when questioned: Albert: ¡°Bertie is a mole.¡± Bertie: ¡°Cedric is a mole.¡± Cedric: ¡°Bertie is lying.¡± 5) Three rats are sitting at the three corners of an equilateral triangle. Each rat randomly picks a direction and starts to move along the edge of the triangle. What is the probability that none of the rats collide? Comments AuroraWolf: Number 4 would be: Bertie is the mole, right? CassioFerreira: Good guesses! Bossrman: It''s not a guess; it''s the only way it works. By making a single assumption, you can use logic to see if that works, given the restrictions. If we assume Albert is telling the truth, Bertie is lying, making Cedric also telling the truth, which checks out. If we assume Bertie is telling the truth, then both Albert and Cedric are lying when only the 1 mole can lie; this does not check out. If we assume Cedric is telling the truth, then Bertie is the mole by lying, and Albert also says he''s the mole; this checks out. Kinja427: I think I''ve seen 1) before. Darkness moves faster than light or anything inside a black hole, but that doesn''t seem like an actual answer. PaulTB: 5) No collision happens if all rats go clockwise (1/2*1/2*1/2) or all rats go anticlockwise (1/2*1/2*1/2). That''s 2/8 or 25%. ChaosMunky: Not sure about the bubble one, but for the rest, going with darkness, the river is frozen, Bertie, ?. Even though it had taken a while, he finally got some replies and the answers to the riddles! Surprisingly, his most active commenter, GrandpaBill110, had gone off the grid. He wondered what had happened to him. Had he grown tired of riddles? Anyhow, if these guesses were correct, the answers were: 1) darkness, 3) the river is frozen, 4) Bertie, 5) 25%. How did these connect? It didn¡¯t make any sense! How was this supposed to help him find the Emperor? Perhaps the second riddle was the key that would unravel the whole puzzle. He wrote a comment to try to spice things up. Sphinx314: Thank you all for taking the time! Congratulations on getting the easy ones. Now, I wonder if there is a real riddler among you who will find the answer to number 2. Muahaha! Despite his cheeky comment, he felt bad about outsourcing this work. The least he could do was try to decipher this riddle himself. He read it aloud a few times and got nothing. ¡°Something that bubbles without being hot. Something that freezes without being cold,¡± he mumbled. He heard something as he tried to find answers to the only riddle left, making him stop. It was a scraping sound, faint and distant. He closed his eyes, trying to pinpoint the source. What was it? Scratch, scratch, scratch. It was a rhythmic sound, almost like metal scraping on rock. The sound was very faint, and he couldn¡¯t hear any echoes. That meant that there wasn¡¯t anything in his tunnel. He leaned his ear against the wall, and the sound became clearer. It was coming from the other side of the wall. Little Lin climbed out of his woolen clothes, yawned, stretched, and took a seat on Roth¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You can hear it too, Lin?¡± ¡°Meow!¡± ¡°I wonder what¡¯s making this sound?¡± He knocked on the wall. And the scraping sound suddenly stopped. He tried knocking again, and nothing happened. ¡°Strange.¡± ¡°Nyah?¡± Was it some sort of monster? Then why wasn''t it coming out to attack him? Still leaning against the wall, Roth decided to make an experiment. Blink Blink! His body disappeared and reappeared in the same location. Warning: You cannot cross through this wall with this skill. That was worth a shot. He hadn''t played around with [Blink] yet, and he hadn¡¯t been sure whether it helped him phase through walls. It seems that it could only help him teleport across open spaces. Scratching his chin, he tried thinking of another solution. If there was a tunnel on the other side, there would probably be a passageway or an intersection point. He had another skill that could help him find it. Search! A bright point appeared at the very edge of his skill¡¯s radius. Walking toward it, he found it was a little hole in the wall. It wasn''t particularly big, but he could use [Miniaturize] to get through. He looked at the tunnel ahead and then at the hole below. Should he go in? What if it was dangerous on the other side? He tapped his foot, considering his moves. He saw a flash of movement, and Lin was gone. Lin¡¯s [Naughty Antics] skill has triggered. ¡°Lin?!¡± Where had he gone? He heard a faint meow and, squatting, found that his kitten had made his own choice while he was deciding. Lin had gone across the hole on his own accord! ¡°Lin! Get back here!¡± he commanded. The kitten regarded him momentarily through the opening and sat down as if saying: ¡°Nope. I¡¯m a cat. I own you, not the other way around.¡± ¡°Lin, it can be dangerous. Get back here, right now!¡± he hissed, trying not to call attention to whatever monster was hiding on the other side. Lin turned his head, offended, and walked away. That little brat. While checking his to-do list, Roth had ignored the most important entry: ¡°To teach Lin some manners.¡± Oli¡¯s influence was evident on his once-innocent kitten. Roth had no time to think; he just had to get his kitten back. Something terrible might happen to him. Miniaturize! Roth''s figure shrunk, and he entered through the hole. He ran in the direction in which Lin had disappeared. Hopefully, Roth¡¯s high charisma and reputation would deter whatever beast lurked here and prevent them from attacking Lin. As he ran, looking for his kitten, he noticed how different this tunnel was. The tunnel seemed half-full with gravel instead of having the hard stone floor he¡¯d seen everywhere else in the mines. Were he in his normal size, he would have had to crawl. The gravel was all cubic, with sharp lines and angles. He¡¯d never seen anything like this. The scraping sounds he heard earlier were clearer and echoed now. Lin had gone toward its source. ¡°That curious little rascal,¡± Roth complained. He sprinted, hoping he wasn¡¯t too late, and after coming around a corner, he found Lin sitting down, observing what had been making the scraping sounds. Its furry body seemed as big as an elephant to Roth''s miniaturized size. It was half immersed in the gravel and had giant hands and long, sharp claws cutting through the rock as if it were paper. What creature was this? Was this the clawed monster? Ch. 225 - Measures and Countermeasures Upon hearing Roth and Lin, the creature stopped digging and whirled toward them. The agility of the animal surprised Roth. He had expected its awkward body to move clumsily, but it had just dived into the gravel, performed a graceful backflip, and turned toward them, all in a split second. The sudden movement made Roth and Lin take a step back, and sensing their fear, the creature did the same. It wasn¡¯t acting aggressively; if anything, it looked scared of them. When Roth knocked on the tunnel wall, it stopped digging immediately. This seemed to indicate these were shy creatures. Now that he was facing it, Roth could see its long snout. He couldn¡¯t find any ears or eyes, only a nose and mouth. Curious about what animal this was, he inspected it. Molly, the Rock Mole Lvl. 26 Hp: 600 Ep: 100 Skills: [Burrow], [Confetti Slash]; [Dig], [Enhanced Smell], [Sonar]. A mole! It was a she-mole! He had only seen molehills in the park; it was his first time seeing the animal. ¡°Hi there, Molly. Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re your friends. We won¡¯t hurt you,¡± Roth said reassuringly. ¡°Squeak! Squeak!¡± This is your first time meeting the mole race. Charisma bonus activated. Congratulations! Your charisma has reached 700. [Well Spoken] has been upgraded to [Grand Persuader]. [Charm] has been upgraded to [Irresistible]. The mole moved her big paws in a swimming stroke motion, propelling her forward as if swimming in the gravel. Her long snout bent agilely as it sniffed Roth, Lin, and Roth again. Molly likes your smell. +21 reputation with moles. The power of his zoomorph form and his many affinities and bonuses were proving their worth. Because of his scent, he gained his first reputation points with the mole race. Molly kept sniffing him, and she seemed particularly interested in his pockets. Realizing that she was especially drawn to the pocket where he¡¯d stashed his treeant¡¯s acorn, he stepped back. Didn¡¯t moles eat insects? ¡°No, Molly! That¡¯s not food. These are my friends.¡± ¡°Squeak! Squeak!¡± she said, frustrated. It had been a while since he¡¯d met an animal he couldn¡¯t communicate with. Even though the squeaking sounds it made weren¡¯t too different from those in the Ratan language, it was still impossible to figure out what she was saying. ¡°I promise you I¡¯ll bring you a snack later. Right now, I have nothing I can feed you. OK?¡± ¡°Screech, squeak,¡± the mole said and, after sniffing Roth a few more times, dove into the gravel and reemerged where it had been digging. Its claws slashed through the hard rock and turned it into ribbons. No wonder the mole had a skill called [Confetti Slash]; those claws were sharp enough to turn anything into smithereens. Should he follow the mole and see where it went? Or should he leave the mountain? After pondering his next move for a few moments, he decided to make at least full use of the charisma bonus that had triggered because of his [Discoverer of Species] title. This mole wasn¡¯t that high-leveled. Maybe their language wasn¡¯t that difficult to learn. All he had to do was to get the mole talking and let his [Polyglot] title do the rest. ¡°Molly!¡± ¡°Squeak?¡± ¡°How did your parents meet?¡± What a thoughtful question. Molly is pleased with how you¡¯re taking an interest in her. +24 reputation with moles. * After ensuring he wasn¡¯t being followed, Drake knocked on the steel door at the back of the butcher shop. Ta. Ta-ta, ta-ta. Ta. Ta. A gorilla with red cybernetic eye implants slid the visor open and spoke with a digital tone similar to Mario¡¯s. ¡°Password?¡± ¡°Tomatoes are fruits, not vegetables.¡± The door unlocked, and the bruiser of the Raviolis let Drake in. Drake went past the slabs of meat hanging from the ceiling, thinking of how Roth would probably not have the stomach to come here, and looking left and right again, he dragged a shelf to the side and opened the hatch that led him to the Ravioli¡¯s compound. Now inside the dingy, cramped tunnels that linked several of the Ravioli''s businesses, he headed toward the headquarters. He checked for any messages from Roth, but he was still probably traveling between the Green Woods and Sapphira. He still couldn''t believe that kid had managed to orchestrate Loki¡¯s downfall¡ªhe was still shocked that Loki was the Hive King! Now that he had gotten more familiar with the world of AstroTerra, he could appreciate how scary Loki was. More than that, he could understand how special Roth was. When he thought of how Roth had fought hard to get himself under the Ogres¡¯ protection, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little emotional. When he¡¯d met BlueFire in the Ogres compound, he had asked Drake if he was Roth¡¯s father. Even though he had laughed and promptly denied it, the truth was that he saw the boy as a son. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The Union was growing more powerful each day, and they already had a stellar gathering of respectable craftsmen and the top guilds'' attention. Drake knew this was just the calm before the storm. Influential people craved a piece of the pie. It was also only a matter of time before Loki connected the dots and found the connection between Roth and the Union. The top guilds already knew that Roth had started the Union with his friends and mother, and he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Loki¡¯s spies had gotten wind of it. Thinking about Roth¡¯s earlier report, it wouldn¡¯t surprise him if the top guilds had intentionally leaked this information to Loki. Even if they hadn¡¯t, Pegasus had been blacklisted by the Union from the get-go, and that was suspicious enough. Whatever the case, he could feel a storm coming. The premonition didn¡¯t scare him. He was actually happy about it. It might draw some of Loki¡¯s anger toward them and give Roth space to breathe. Walking through the dark tunnels, he tried to think about what he would do if he were Loki. How would he attack the Union? How would he use it to try to get to Roth? He considered measures and countermeasures, like in the old days. He didn''t want to burden Roth with his worries. The Union was in his hands; it was his baby, his plan. He had to find a way to protect it. Roth, unknowingly, might have given him just the means he needed to do that. It all came down to how the boss would react to his suggestion tonight. Finally, he spotted a brighter light ahead and heard chatter. He walked through the thick velvet curtains and entered the Raviolis¡¯ headquarters. Like every other hideout belonging to the Raviolis, the headquarters was filled with ghostly lights from computer screens, test tubes with dissected creatures, and lights from gadgets and gizmos. Looking at the creatures floating on the giant test tubes, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of shame. Roth would definitely not have the stomach to come here. ¡°If it isn¡¯t Sharky?!¡± Hearing the greeting, he headed toward the armchairs in a corner of the room. There were only two people here. Toothy, one of the boss''s most trusted captains, greeted him with his dark smile. He was known as Toothy because he only had one gold tooth. All the others had been knocked off his mouth in fights, and Toothy proudly wore his warrior¡¯s scars. The other person sitting at the lounge was bad news, though. ¡°Lieutenant Shark,¡± Ginny greeted. ¡°Hi, Ginny.¡± Like him, she wore a dark cloak and a mask that covered her features: pieces of equipment gifted to lieutenants. ¡°So? Turning in a quest?¡± ¡°Maybe. You?¡± ¡°Yeap. Big one, too. One step closer to becoming a captain,¡± she taunted, but Drake didn¡¯t fall for the provocation. Disappointed to see her taunt bounce off Drake without any effect, she tried another approach. ¡°Anyway, what''s up with you? How is your crew coming along? You''ve been turning a good profit.¡± ¡°Have I? I hadn¡¯t realized. You have to forgive me; I¡¯m not good with numbers,¡± Drake said, deflecting her inquiry while pretending he didn¡¯t know of her attempts to undermine his position in the family. ¡°Well, you never cease to amaze me. It took me a full year to become a lieutenant for the Raviolis. You did so in a matter of weeks. I think I need to watch out for you, hey?¡± ¡°Oh, I wouldn''t give myself so much credit, Ginny. You''re a bright and talented lieutenant. I really cannot compare to someone as intelligent as you.¡± The girl giggled and winked at him. ¡°Flattery doesn¡¯t work on me, Lieutenant Shark. Anyway, what are you here for? Meeting with Toothy?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Drake answered dismissively. He hadn''t expected to find nosy Ginny here. Perhaps he should come another time. Ginny, however, showed she wasn¡¯t going to stay around longer. ¡°I must be on my way and check how my crew is doing. Later, Sharky.¡± She walked in the direction opposite from where he had entered and disappeared into one of the many tunnels leading here. Drake sat in front of Toothy and waited for several minutes. ¡°Is she gone?¡± Toothy lifted his eye patch, revealing a cybernetic implant with which he scanned the door she had disappeared into. ¡°She is.¡± ¡°Good. Toothy, I need to talk to the boss.¡± ¡°Not this again, Lieutenant. We¡¯ve talked about this. You are a lieutenant. The boss doesn''t meet with lieutenants. He only meets with captains.¡± ¡°Well, I have something that will interest the boss.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Toothy asked curiously. ¡°Captain, captain, captain. If I tell you, you''ll run to the boss and hog all the credit.¡± The captain sneered but didn¡¯t deny the claim. ¡°You have to give me something, Sharky. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to convince the boss to talk to you.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just say I can help the Raviolis greatly expand their business.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°A Union.¡± ¡°You mean the Cyborg Union?¡± ¡°No. I mean a union made up of foreigners. One that¡¯s clean. One that can get us into the renewal project.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Toothy said with a one-toothed smile. Drake nodded, confirming it. Toothy¡¯s smile vanished. ¡°That¡¯s interesting. However, foreigners are unpredictable and hard to control. We¡¯ve been burned before. That¡¯s not enough to earn you the right to talk to the boss.¡± Drake knew that Toothy would say something like this. ¡°What if I throw you a bone? What if I tell you I know where the Gazpacho¡¯s brass is hiding?¡± Toothy locked eyes with him for a long moment. ¡°You never disappoint, Sharky. Tell you what, I can help you set up a call with him. Not a meeting.¡± ¡°So be it,¡± Drake promptly agreed. ¡°Very well. Take this device,¡± he said, throwing him an orb the size of an apple. "If the boss is interested, he''ll call you. Just make sure no one is around when you get the call.¡± Satisfied with Toothy¡¯s promise, Drake packed the orb into his pocket and headed back toward the tunnels. Hopefully, this alliance would help him protect the Union from Loki. When the attack came, they would be ready for it. * Maybe it was because of Roth¡¯s charisma, but accumulating reputation points with Molly had been easy so far. All he had to do was ask questions and let Molly squeak her stories. ¡°Squeak, squeak, worms, squeak, sports event.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s incredible.¡± Molly¡¯s heart is touched that you would pay so much attention to her tale. +19 reputation with moles. Moles seemed to appreciate good listeners. He knew little about the animals except that they relied on the sense of touch and hearing. Following on the clue that moles appreciated good listeners, every now and then, Roth would also pat the mole gently, thanking her for her story. ¡°Thank you for sharing that incredible story with me.¡± Aren¡¯t you a sweetheart? +15 reputation with moles. At first, all the stories were just an enigmatic jumble of squeaks and screeches. However, the [Polyglot] title¡¯s effects kicked in, and he had already started to absorb Molian vocabulary. You are making more sense of the Molian language. Progress in learning Molian: 34%. ¡°Squeak. Hit with a hammer. Squeak, screech, undercover.¡± ¡°Really?¡± exclaimed Roth. ¡°Have I told you how amazing it is that you can tell me a story while digging so proficiently simultaneously?¡± he said, patting Molly. Molly appreciates your heartfelt compliments. +21 reputation with moles. You have achieved 300 reputation with moles. You are now respected by all moles. New title unlocked: [Friend of Moles]. Ch. 226 - The Games Friend of Moles (Uncommon) Title description: Moles appreciate your smell, the sound of your voice, and your blurry silhouette. Title effects: +50 ep; It¡¯s easier to learn Molian; Achieve 300 reputation with moles without ever hurting them {complete}; or achieve 3000 reputation with moles. It had been a while since he had unlocked this kind of title. Were it not for all the groundwork he¡¯d done back in the Green Woods, it would have been impossible to unlock a friendship with a race like this in under thirty minutes. This mole¡¯s level wasn¡¯t very high, so moles probably didn¡¯t rank highly among other races. When he compared how challenging it was to earn reputation points with Oli and how easy it was with Molly, it was the difference between heaven and earth. This meant that next time he visited the Lord of the Woods, he would gain access to a new zoomorph form! He wondered what kind of bonuses [Mole Form] would grant him. It couldn¡¯t just convert to gaining energy points, could it? Although that would have been useful when using [Lion¡¯s Breath] for the first time, he doubted he would need that much energy so soon. Not all forms were equally useful, and now that he thought about it, he hadn¡¯t even used [Ant Form] once! After hiring Bucky, he didn¡¯t need to carry heavy loads around. Perhaps he would use it more in Rock Canyon since he would have to start new trade routes there. As all these thoughts crossed his mind, he didn¡¯t forget to nod as Molly continued her story. ¡°Squeak, squeak, the tunnels of the screech, mountain top.¡± Progress in learning Molian: 49%. The progress bar rose with unprecedented speed after Roth earned the [Friend of Moles] title. He kept listening to Molly talking, and only 42 minutes after first meeting her, he received the notification he had been hoping for. Congratulations! You now speak Molian. You¡¯ve picked up the language so fast! What a quick learner. +1 intelligence. +200 reputation with moles. Roth rubbed his hands in anticipation, waiting for some quest to meet the mole monarch, but nothing happened. Molly¡¯s stories, on the other hand, hadn¡¯t stopped, and he could now make out everything she said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know which was which, you know? Argh. She played it brilliantly. That¡¯s the reason why I only got such a poor score.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very interesting, Molly,¡± Roth squeaked in Molian. Molly stopped digging and turned toward Roth. ¡°You speak Molian?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve picked it up as I heard you talking.¡± ¡°My, my. That¡¯s very impressive. Oh well, as I was saying-¡± Molly went back to tunneling without sharing any quests with Roth. ¡°Now, let me tell you about what happened last year. I started the game strong. I nailed the burrowthon and just as the undercover¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me, Molly.¡± Why did you interrupt a mole in the middle of her story? -10 reputation with moles. Yikes! It looked like moles hated being interrupted as much as they loved a listening ear. ¡°What?¡± She asked, annoyed. ¡°Do you think I could meet your monarch?¡± This was the whole point of delaying his trip to Saphira. If he could pick up his first client in the Rock Canyon and increase his trade routes, this stop would be worth it. ¡°Moles have no monarchs,¡± she answered. ¡°Who rules you?¡± ¡°No one. I mean¡­ I suppose we always have the reigning champion. That¡¯s kind of ruling, right?¡± ¡°Champion?¡± ¡°The champion of the games. The games I was telling you about.¡± Roth gulped and pursed his lips. He was treading on thin ice here. Moles loved being listened to, and he had been pretending to hear Molly¡¯s stories. Should he admit he hadn¡¯t gotten any of that? ¡°Of course, of course,¡± he said. ¡°You know what, Molly¡­ you have a gift for storytelling. All those things you told me about the games were incredible. In fact,¡± he tried, ¡°you told them so well that my little kitten was wondering if you could tell them again. You know how children are. They want to hear the same stories over and over.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°Nyah?¡± Lin asked, surprised. Roth pushed his head back into his woolen jacket and ignored the kitten¡¯s painful bites. ¡°What do you say, Molly?¡± ¡°Oh my, I never expected that you had enjoyed hearing about my exploits this much! Very well. From the beginning, then. The first time I played in the Molympic Games, I only signed up for the burrowthon. My mamma always said it¡¯s a good trial to build stamina and character. That was the first year, and of course, I ranked poorly. Getting a good result is difficult without years of practice.¡± Now that Roth could understand everything Molly says, it looked like most of her conversation was about these games. ¡°I tried my luck at joining the Worm Holes, but I discovered I''m not cut out for team sports. After just one season with the team, I dropped it. I do much better when I play solo. Since then, I always try my luck with the hammer instead of in a team.¡± This was Roth¡¯s first time hearing about sports in AstroTerra. It looked like it was a significant part of Molian culture. He let Molly keep talking, and once she reached a natural pause in her story, he tried his luck. ¡°I''d like to know¡ªI mean, Lin would like to know what kind of prize there is for whoever wins the games?¡± ¡°Depends on the competition. For example, the reigning champion of the burrowthon gets full tunneling rights.¡± ¡°Full tunneling rights?¡± Roth asked, trying to make sense of what that would mean. ¡°The reigning champion gets to distribute the other moles their turfs,¡± Molly explained. ¡°Is that it?¡± Roth asked, disappointed. It didn¡¯t sound like much. ¡°And imagine that I would like to talk to a representative of your race about starting a trade route with moles. Who would I talk to? Would that be the current champion of the burrowthon?¡± ¡°No, no. That would be the undercover mole champion.¡± Undercover mole? What kind of competition was that? ¡°Could you take me to meet them?¡± ¡°Of course, anything for a friend.¡± Molly switched directions and started digging in a different direction. Molly seemed to not only expect good listening skills, but also showed remarkable friendliness when conversing. Molly was more than happy to clear his questions, and Roth would make full use of the opportunity. ¡°How often are these games held?¡± ¡°Every month.¡± Hearing of a monthly event, Roth couldn''t help but think of what he had read in the forums. ¡°Is there a sporting event in the games that involves cockroaches?¡± Roth tried. ¡°Oh yes, the cockroach races.¡± ¡°How does that work?¡± ¡°Moles raise cockroach stock and then release them all at once in the tunnels. Humans come and try to fight them. The cockroaches that survive the longest win the game.¡± Roth¡¯s mouth twisted thinking of such a gladiatorial concept. ¡°Uh. Poor cockroaches.¡± ¡°We¡¯d eat them anyway. We still do. This way, we get a little fun out of it.¡± Roth didn¡¯t agree but, letting out a heavy breath, kept following after Molly. ¡°What other rewards are there?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ If you win whack-a-mole, you become the general of the Molian army for a month. The list goes on.¡± Roth could feel a quest coming. ¡°What happens if someone wins all trials?¡± Molly laughed. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. It has never happened.¡± ¡°But what would happen?¡± pressed Roth. ¡°Whoever won would have full control of Molian society,¡± Molly answered. ¡°And can humans participate in the games?¡± Roth asked, imagining what becoming the king of moles would be like. ¡°Yes. Anyone can participate,¡± Molly immediately answered. While Roth tried to understand how he could make the most of this information, Molly¡¯s digging brought them to a bigger tunnel. As the wall separating the tunnels crumbled, Roth heard the sound of an underground river in the distance. This tunnel was the widest Roth had seen in these mountains. It was as if he had been walking on little service roads before and only now found the highway. The tunnel was so broad that his night vision wasn''t good enough to let him see through to the other side. Roth spotted a few moving silhouettes in the darkness. There were other moles in the tunnel. There was also something moving before him. Water? He squatted and stretched his miniaturized arm into the moving mass. ¡°Gravel?!¡± Roth exclaimed. It was an underground river of moving pebbles. How on earth was this possible? Being in these mole tunnels was a very different experience from Antioch. Instead of the hectic pace of the treeants, all busy, all going somewhere, carrying something, seeing Moles swimming in the gravel river gave this place almost a beachy feel. Roth opened his map and saw that this was called the Rocky River. He frowned, realizing he had received no notification for discovering this place. Did that mean that other players had been here before? ¡°Hop on, Martyr; otherwise, it will take us forever to get there.¡± In Roth¡¯s miniaturized form, Molly was considerably larger than him. Instead of reverting to his normal size, Roth accepted the kind invitation and jumped aboard Molly. Traveling on the Rocky River was very different from traveling on a manmade road. Instead of honking horns, screeching tires, or rumbling engines, there were the piercing squeaks of Moles greeting each other, the endless scraping sound of gravel rubbing against gravel, and Moles swimming through it. Even though Molly moved reasonably fast while digging through hard rock, once she reached the Rocky River, it was as if she had gained wings. Roth had never imagined that traveling underground could be this fast. Roth began seeing more tunnels and moles. There was also a thundering sound that became louder the farther Molly traveled. After Molly had been swimming in the gravel for ten minutes, she screamed to make herself heard over the deafening sound, ¡°Brace yourself!¡± ¡°Brace myself for what?¡± Roth stretched his neck, trying to find where Molly was taking him, and saw that the road seemed to disappear ahead of them. Before he could piece together what was happening, they were in freefall. Roth screamed while Lin seemed to be laughing at the experience. Molly adjusted her angle midair, and they finally reached more gravel. She dove into it with her snout and claws, propelling them forward with a powerful stroke and converting the downward momentum into horizontal speed. Roth¡¯s heart raced as he looked back and saw they had just fallen through a waterfall of gravel: a gravelfall. ¡°How can there be such a thing?¡± ¡°We keep digging tunnels and mountains, and the debris has to go somewhere.¡± ¡°And what causes the current?¡± ¡°As moles swim through the gravel, they create a current. Gravity also helps.¡± The whole thing looked crazy to Roth, but he gave points to the developers for their fruitful imagination. Roth looked around and tried to make sense of the space Molly had brought him to. Again, he received no rewards for discovering this place, making him more suspicious that others had been here before. There were echoey squeaks around him, making Roth feel like they had reached a cathedral. Roth had already gained one more point in perception since reaching these mountains, but it still wasn¡¯t enough to pierce the darkness of this place. Roth grabbed his flashlight and turned it on for the first time in a while. ¡°No way,¡± he gasped. To his enhanced night vision, turning on the flashlight was like making the sun rise in this cavern. The cave was so large that Roth could not make its boundaries. The only clue he was underground was the giant stalactites eternally falling from the ceiling and the massive stalagmites emerging from the earth. In some places, they connected, creating massive columns. If it had not been for them, Roth would have feared that such a big cave would collapse. Just how many tons of rubble had to be removed for the Moles to be able to dig up this space? ¡°What is this place?¡± ¡°Welcome to the Molympic Colosseum!¡± Molly declared. Ch. 278 - One Week Later... Loki sipped on a steamy cup of tea. This was his favorite tea house at the moment. Firstly, he enjoyed its delicate porcelain and white china, with handpainted blue swans and doves. Secondly, they also served his favorite herbal tea: [Mosswerth Tea]. It was an expensive mix of swamp herbs and a type of moss that only grew in the Core Tower. Thirdly, it offered him the best view of his most valuable properties. Architecture in the capital was similar to real life. The auction house was a massive skyscraper, only rivaled in height by the Core Tower. It used to be called Capital¡¯s Central Auction Tower, but after negotiating a hefty sum of 10 million, Loki renamed it Chilliza Frozen Pizzas Auction Tower. The former Capital Coliseum hosted all major fighting tournaments. After signing a multimillion-dollar deal with another one of his new customers, it became Pepsi Zenith Coliseum. He laughed as he saw some players hawking their wares in front of the auction tower. After the guilds purchased all auction houses in the game and set a 10% tax on all transactions, the player base offered some resistance. It didn¡¯t take long, though, for them to come to terms with the new economic reality of the game. Even though a few frugal players tried to bypass the middleman and sell things directly, who had the time to go from stall to stall looking for the items, anyway? Despite the appearance of player-owned shops and stalls, the vast majority still used the auction house, and every time they did so, Loki won a pretty buck. ¡°He¡¯s here,¡± his lookout messaged. Loki spotted his guest arriving at the Chic Ware Teleportation Pads. Loki didn¡¯t miss the hidden meaning of how BlueFire had chosen to travel to the capital. Teleportation was expensive, and BlueFire forking out 5k was a show of financial strength. The most annoying part was that it had worked. Loki was thrown off by the move. How had the Ogres been able to buy so much property and still have enough gold to splurge on teleportation like this? Outwardly, however, Loki maintained a peaceful demeanor and even waved at a couple of players who recognized him and pointed at him. ¡°Ethan. Punctual as always. Please have a seat,¡± Loki invited. ¡°Barry,¡± BlueFire responded in kind, showing that he, too, knew Loki¡¯s real name. Let the dance begin, thought Loki. The fiery general regarded him stoically. Despite his attempts to look relaxed, BlueFire was tense and in full battle readiness, as if he were dealing with a coiled viper poised to strike. Loki couldn¡¯t say he was unhappy about this level of respect. He sipped his tea again, showing his relaxation. He had the upper hand in this meeting. ¡°Can I get you anything, Ethan?¡± ¡°No, thank you. So, to what do the Ogres owe the pleasure?¡± ¡°I can''t help but notice that your guild leader didn''t come to attend this meeting personally. I wonder why that is?¡± BlueFire shrugged. ¡°He''s busy.¡± ¡°Too busy to talk to the richest man in AstroTerra? Maybe in the world?¡± BlueFire laughed aloud, slapping the table and spilling some of Loki¡¯s tea. ¡°Don¡¯t flatter yourself, Loki. I''m pretty sure that Phineas Cotton has much more money than you. And despite how much estate you own, don¡¯t think you are at Jaw-Long¡¯s or the Phoenixes¡¯ level yet.¡± Loki tried hiding his annoyance. BlueFire was right. He was only making money off the platform built by the Nexus company. The one with true power here was Phineas Cotton. But he would also surpass him in time. ¡°So, how are the Ogres doing?¡± ¡°Never better,¡± BlueFire said, smiling confidently. Loki operated a few controls merely for dramatic effect. He already knew all this intel by heart. ¡°Good job getting those auction houses in the Fire Pits. It¡¯s impressive that you reacted so quickly to the patch,¡± Loki said as if praising a dog for performing an amusing trick. BlueFire shrugged again. ¡°What can I say? We have our ways.¡± Seeing how BlueFire didn¡¯t flinch despite all the taunts he threw at him, Loki grew tired of the charade and decided to stop beating around the bush. ¡°How much?¡± ¡°How much for what?¡± BlueFire asked. ¡°Ethan, you hold 10% of the stocks of the Ogre guild.¡± BlueFire''s expression sank. ¡°Yes? So what?¡± ¡°How much for it? 10 million?¡± ¡°Barry, I¡¯m not stupid. There''s no way I''m going to sell you my shares.¡± ¡°100 million?¡± Loki pressed. ¡°I¡¯ve told you. It¡¯s not¡ª¡± ¡°A billion?¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. BlueFire paled. ¡°Are you really willing to pay that much for Ogres¡¯ stock? You and I know it isn''t worth that much.¡± ¡°Two billion,¡± Loki offered, amused. He knew that BlueFire would never sell his shares in the market. He was just too proud. But he was enjoying seeing the man trying to control his greed. ¡°Such a big decision¡­ Maybe I should ask Roth if this is a good move. As the newest guild elder, he also owns some shares in the Ogres now.¡± Loki paused. ¡°Did you know he¡¯s broken into the top 50?¡± Of course, Loki knew. He could think of little else. Roth was getting dangerously close to the top 10. He had meant it as a cruel joke when he set that up as the condition for him to leave the pod. He could have never imagined that he would climb through the ranks like this. Why did I play things so foolishly? Loki thought. Well, in hindsight, Zin had been the one suggesting it. Even after they had severed their relationship weeks ago, his traps and moves still tortured Loki. ¡°Roth Taylor. What a character. Amazing man. It¡¯s impressive how quickly he grew. He has only been playing the game for a few months. He was placed in the 70s last week and is already considered the 46th-strongest player by the system. It¡¯s incredible. By the way, what place are you in the rankings right now, Loki?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°The story of how he became trapped inside a Nexus pod is terrifying. Imagine that. A human being imprisoned in one of Nexus¡¯ capsules. When I chatted with Phineas Cotton the other day, he told me how baffled he was that someone could tamper with a supposedly unhackable pod. Only someone with some connection to the Nexus hardware department could pull such a stunt. Now that I think about it, aren¡¯t you a shareholder in Nexus''s hardware division? Who among your colleagues could do such a thing?¡± ¡°Beats me,¡± Loki managed, incensed. He had never imagined that BlueFire would confront him with such an accusation. BlueFire was probably recording this conversation. Loki clenched his fists and tried to control his breathing. It was highly unlikely that the Ogres or Nexus would bring what had happened to Roth to the authorities'' attention. There was just too much money involved. How many people would be willing to keep playing in Nexus capsules if they knew they could be hacked and turned into prisons? What would happen to the Ogre guild, then? BlueFire watched him with an amused smile. ¡°Cat got your tongue, Loki?¡± Using the word ¡®cat¡¯ to tease him only enraged him further. Loki couldn¡¯t help but think back to how it was probably Roth¡¯s pet who had broken into his safe. ¡°We can do this the easy way or the hard way,¡± Loki said, throwing all diplomacy into the wind. ¡°Taking in Roth Taylor was a mistake. He¡¯s nothing but trouble.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll take our chances,¡± BlueFire said, winking. He stood up and walked away. Loki watched him leave, and once he was sure he was gone, he grabbed the delicate cup of tea and threw it against a nearby wall. * Ali took the key from his neck and inserted it into the metal lock. It hadn¡¯t been easy to climb to the position of head botanist for the Lindstors. But here he was, heading the team caring for their precious greenhouse. He groaned as he pulled the glass door, opening the greenhouse for the rest of his team. Ali had been playing AstroTerra from the first day it came out. He was even lucky enough to be among the beta testers. His character level was 54, but his botany was at level 67. As far as he was aware, he was currently the highest-level botanist in the game. These days, most other botanists near his level hung out in the capital, but he still made time every week to come here and care for the Lindstors¡¯ garden. The benefits were just too many to ignore. They were kind employers and the reason why he had such a high botany level. Ali began his inspection as the gardeners working under him spread out and started tending to the garden. First, he checked for any signs of pests. None of the foliage he inspected had holes, discoloration, or chew marks. There were no slime trails, either. Every plant, leaf, bush, and flower looked lush and well cared for. He moved on to gauge the pest control population. He frowned. He was having trouble finding the predators they''d introduced in this ecosystem. After much searching, he found one juvenile praying mantis hiding under a leaf. What was it scared of? Perhaps it was hiding from the wasps. He crossed the garden and headed toward the oak. He searched the leaves for any golden acorns but found nothing. Just regular ones. That was also odd. It had been many weeks since he had come up empty after a visit to this oak tree. It wasn''t unprecedented, though. Maybe it was just a bad week. He searched through the branches to see if the wasps were active but frowned as he struggled to find the nest. Where had they gone? He walked around, carefully searching for any golden acorns that had fallen, and noticed something odd. There was a pile of smashed debris. These were the remains of the wasp nest! he realized. Maybe the nest had become so large and heavy that it had collapsed. It wasn''t unprecedented either, although very rare. Ali scratched his head. He had a bad feeling. Despite the absence of signs of pests, there was something wrong with the garden. He kept running his rounds and approached one of the gardeners, pumping oil on the burning bushes. ¡°So? Good harvest?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Ten ashberries. There are still more over there.¡± ¡°Good! Good!¡± He said, pleased. He moved over to the snake tree. ¡°Uh? Thierry? Have you harvested the snake fruit already?¡± ¡°I beg your pardon, sir? No. It had no fruit.¡± ¡°Really? I could swear that there would be one today. Did I make a mistake when taking notes?¡± He had been in this garden so often that one visit sometimes blurred into the next. As he kept visiting the different plants, he found that the harvest this time was subpar, to put it mildly. The only explanation was that some pests were in the greenhouse. They were harming the plants, so they couldn''t produce the nutritious stat boosters the Lindstors relished. But how could there be pests without signs of pest activity? O¡¯Shaughnessy was elected last week, and he kept asking the family to ship more stat boosters to the capital to use as gifts to cement his political alliances. They would be unhappy if production plummeted at this critical juncture. He had enough stock to appease them, but this had to be fixed immediately. ¡°I want the predator population to be doubled. Rotate it. Change the species of beetles and mantises. I also want a few wasp queens in here. Bring three hundred flies for pollination.¡± ¡°Very well, sir!¡± The gardener responsible for bringing the insects promptly obeyed. Sometimes, the game started coming up with different pests that gained resistance to the current form of pest control. Ali shifted it and rotated the species of predators often. Maybe he had just taken too long this time around. He should also check with the other houses to see if their greenhouses were struggling. He was good friends with the Busterds'' head botanist and would ask him if they had experienced any similar drop in production. Ali left the greenhouse, waited for all the other gardeners to follow, and then watched approvingly as the last gardener released several mantises, beetles, and wasp queens around the garden. Ali waited for him to leave and then locked the greenhouse with two turns of the key. Hopefully, when he came next week, everything would be back to normal. Ch. 279 - Heist The rusted steel golem squashed another one of the Krakens¡¯ front liners. Its sensors detected the fluctuations of energy coming from the corner of the cave. Cold gales converged on ColdHand. Sensing the incoming danger, the steel golem ran toward him, determined to interrupt the devastating skill. Electrifying Backstab! -143 -10 -10 -10 DavyJones, the number one rogue of the Krakens, drove his dagger in the cracks of the golem¡¯s armor and discharged a powerful surge of energy, frying the golem¡¯s circuits and stunning it for a second. But the robot had high resilience, and despite the many debuffs stacked on it by Kraken, it recovered quickly and resumed its stampede. The Eagle Has Landed! -314! Goldie turned into a streak of light, which hit the golem¡¯s kneecap, sending it crashing down. The golem tried to get up, but Kraken hit it with another debuff. Song of Rust! -2 -2 -2 -2 The target¡¯s movement speed decreases by 50% for 10 seconds. The legs of the level 62 elite golem creaked and groaned but stayed stuck. ColdHand finally finished channeling his skill. ¡°Stay clear,¡± he said calmly, giving time to DavyJones and Mel to get out of the way. Ice Age! -103,413 The golem wreaking havoc on the frontlines turned into an ice cube, and light enveloped every hunting party member. With this, they had gained one more level and had come one step closer to reaching the bottom floor of the Core Tower. ¡°Everyone. Take a break!¡± Mel heard Kraken say. She kept her eyes glued to her guild leader, trying to discern where he¡¯d go. As was his custom, the hooded leader of the Krakens walked past the guild¡¯s forces, congratulating or giving hints to players as needed. ¡°You did well, DavyJones,¡± ¡°Thanks, sir.¡± ¡°Greedster, you used [Shield Meteor] too soon. Ensure you wait for bosses to use a dangerous skill before interrupting it next time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Kraken.¡± Seeing him walk toward her, Mel¡¯s heart raced. She had been waiting for the right moment to tell him, and it seemed this was it. ¡°Good job, Mel! You tripped him at the best possible moment. You saved ColdHand back there,¡± Kraken praised. ¡°Thanks, boss.¡± Just as Kraken was about to resume his march, she stepped forward. ¡°C-can I have a word with you?¡± Kraken nodded and gestured for her to follow him. They moved to an empty spot, which happened to be the fallen corpse of the metal boss. Kraken sat on the golem¡¯s head and studied Mel from the hood''s shadow. ¡°What is it, Mel? Is everything OK?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I just need to tell you something.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m dating someone. He¡¯s a player from another guild.¡± ¡°Oh? Who¡¯s the lucky fellow?¡± ¡°Roth Taylor, sir.¡± Kraken remained silent for a few moments. ¡°I didn¡¯t see that one coming. You did well to tell me, especially now that he¡¯s with the Ogres. This was very professional of you,¡± ¡°Will this be a problem, sir?¡± Kraken shook his head. ¡°I trust you, Mel. Just remember to keep things separate. I wouldn¡¯t tolerate breaches in information, not even from you,¡± he said with a warning edge. Mel shrugged, relaxed. Now that she¡¯d gotten it off her chest, she felt lighter and happier. She wasn¡¯t planning on betraying the guild, so the warning didn¡¯t scare her. ¡°Roth Taylor¡­ he¡¯s quite a character, isn¡¯t he?¡± Mel nodded. ¡°The first to Antioch. Wielder of a strange class and race. The one who¡¯s led the top guilds against Loki and is now one of the top 100 in the ranks. I have to say that I¡¯m a little jealous of the Ogres for snatching him.¡± ¡°He¡¯s quite special,¡± she agreed. ¡°Tell me something, Mel. Is it true what they say? Does he have three pets?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Kraken paused. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be possible.¡± Mel was about to explain how but stopped herself and smiled instead. ¡°What about the lion? How on earth did he meet that NPC?¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. I¡¯ve been told to keep my professional and personal lives separate.¡± Kraken chuckled. ¡°Touch¨¦. All the best for you and Roth, Mel. Make sure you¡¯re ready in 20. The Griffins are already on the 89th floor, and I want to beat them.¡± The guild leader of the Krakens stood up and left. Mel followed him with her eyes. He circled back toward DavyJones, exchanged some word with him and pointed at Mel. The Kraken''s chief of intelligence was already walking toward her, doubtlessly to remind her of company policy and what she could not discuss with her boyfriend. She sighed. It was a hassle, but for Roth, it was worth it. * Jaw-Long stood still, arms down, eyes closed. This cave was deep into the Crystal Heart, an indestructible geological formation. His back was against the wall, and his flanks were well-protected by the narrow tunnel. He furrowed his brow in concentration, tuning his ears to every sound, feeling the vibrations under his bare feet. He had failed to prevent the previous heist. Not today, though. Not today. He¡¯d swallowed his pride and brought the whole Dragons guild into the operation this time. The finest players in the game hid in the shadows from the end of the cave to its mouth. All of them were the cream of the crop. Among them were reigning champions of martial arts competitions, old special forces and fierce mercs. That cat would not succeed today. He wouldn¡¯t let it. Regret surfaced. Cursed was the day he¡¯d gotten into the crosshairs of this annoying little pest. Was this Nexus Co.¡¯s way of keeping him in check? Of delaying his meteoric ascension? Or was this punishment for his past sins? Or worse¡­ was this the cat¡¯s vendetta for him throwing Roth''s pet into peril? The latter scared him the most. He could understand if this was a measure designed to keep him in check, but if it was a rogue NPC¡¯s feud, it was unproportional to what he¡¯d done. It wasn¡¯t because of how valuable the items it stole were. In the guild¡¯s bank, he had several sets of equipment unmatched by anything else the game had to offer. It was the sheer humiliation this trial was subjecting him to. They went against two cornerstones of his way of life. He had two rules that he valued over everything else: ''be the best, no matter the cost,'' and ''no enemy is undefeatable.'' This was just another moment in which he would embody these two principles and emerge victorious. If there was an emotion in Jaw-Long¡¯s soul that was greater than regret or trepidation for the upcoming encounter, it was excitement. Here was a worthy challenge and a formidable foe. Meow! The cute, seemingly harmless sound bounced off the cave''s crystal walls, letting every one of the Dragons hear it. Jaw-Long assumed a fighting position and messaged everyone in the chat. ¡°It¡¯s coming.¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming! Is everyone ready? It¡¯s the ring this time. The ring.¡± Jaw-Long pushed down his anger and humiliation. The voice was a high-pitched squeak, something one would expect from a small toddler. Jaw-Long couldn¡¯t help but shake, though. The little rascal dared remind him that it was almost here, just to mess up with him. It would see. After what he had prepared for it, it would never dare take him lightly again. For a few moments, nothing happened. There was a deep, unsettling quiet: the deep breath before the plunge. Jaw-Long ignored the beads of sweat forming on his forehead and made himself maintain battle readiness. He kept his eyes firmly fixed on the one opening of the dead-end tunnel he¡¯d boxed himself in and took deep breaths. He left himself with no way out, but there was only one way in. The thief had to come through here. Jaw-Long blinked, and suddenly, a cat appeared in front of him in the tunnel. This was the first time Jaw-Long saw the beast. It looked like an ordinary cat. Its fur was white and gray, and its eyes were amber. It looked at Jaw-Long with an intense gaze, half-annoyance, half-amusement. Whatever Roth Taylor¡¯s kitten meant to it, this was personal. Jaw-Long didn¡¯t dare delay this any longer. This burglar had made the mistake of revealing itself, and he would make sure it would pay for it with its life. Gravitational Pull! All the air in the tunnel was sucked in toward Jaw-Long, and with it, rubble, pebbles, and rocks. He frowned as he observed his empty hand. He had managed to drag whales in with this skill, but the focus of his skill, the cat, kept observing stoically as if Jaw-Long had never used a skill. Jaw-Long gulped. He grabbed a golden bottle decorated with silver leaves and drank it. You¡¯ve drunk [Forever Kingly Aloe]. +50 to all stats for two minutes. He wasn¡¯t done yet. He activated a legendary skill he only dared use against the most difficult of bosses. Self-Implosion! Sacrifice half your stats for an hour in exchange for doubling them for 60 seconds. ¡°Let¡¯s see you dodge this now!¡± Meteor Smash! Jaw-Long¡¯s body flashed as he converged all the energy of his attack in one single point. He felt the hit connect and the whole mountain shaking. Something was wrong, though. Jaw-Long stared terrified at the little cat. It had raised one paw and stopped Jaw-Long¡¯s momentum with one finger. ¡°No, it can¡¯t be possible.¡± ¡°What did I say I would take from you today?¡± the cat said, yawning. ¡°Right. I think it was your ring.¡± Oli, the Cat Burglar, has used You Look So Stupid After I Steal Your Stuff Secret Skill on you. He steals the [Ruby Marrow Ring]. ¡°Good item, too. Who did you take it from? The Gemstone King? Good for you.¡± The cat turned his back toward Jaw-Long and walked away leisurely. Jaw-Long couldn¡¯t move. He had no memory of ever feeling so powerless. It was as if he was trying to fight against a nuclear bomb using a pocket knife. ¡°W-why are you doing this to me? Why torture me like this?¡± ¡°Because you forget your place. Trying to attack me goes on to show that. I¡¯m coming for your necklace next. Same time next week?¡± ¡°SHUT THE TUNNEL,¡± he messaged in the chat. Oli looked left and right, curious, his tail rocking back and forth in interest. ¡°Oh my. Four quintessential barriers from here to the entrance. That¡¯s impressive.¡± Jaw-Long sneered. One of these had been enough to trap Loki while he was level 80. Four should be plenty to trap this thief. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m not the only one who tends to forget his place,¡± he said, feeling the pleasure of finally making a snarky comeback on this obnoxious NPC. ¡°Now, you¡¯re going to return to me both pieces of the Dragon Set, plus that ring. Admit defeat, or my whole guild will grind you into a paste.¡± The cat yawned and disappeared. Jaw-Long stood without a reaction for several moments. Where did it go? He stretched his senses as much as he could but couldn¡¯t feel anything except a slight breeze. Worried that the barriers had been breached, he immediately messaged his son. ¡°Wei-Liang, status report!¡± ¡°All barriers are intact, sir.¡± He must still be here, then. But where is the breeze coming from? Jaw-Long moved slowly, trying to make the most of his boosted attributes. Everything had happened so fast. He was still under the combined effect of [Forever Kingly Aloe] and [Self-Implosion]. As he walked, he equipped another ring like the one the cat had just stolen. If he didn¡¯t find the cat within the next thirty seconds, he would face a massive backlash from [Self-Implosion], and his best chance of trapping the cat would be out the window. He couldn¡¯t let impatience get the better of him, though. He took each step carefully, searching every inch of the tunnel. As he came around the corner, he squinted. A beam of light was coming in from outside. There was a cat-shaped hole in the wall. ¡°No. No. No.¡± Jaw-Long told himself. ¡°Sir? Any news?¡± his son finally asked. Jaw-Long was left staring at the hole in what should have been an indestructible mountain. How was he supposed to fight this beast? He had used everything he had. He was the number 1 player in the game. If he couldn¡¯t deal with this cat, what could he do? Should he just apologize? ¡°Deactivate the barrier,¡± he sent. All the Dragons came running down the tunnel. ¡°Are you alright, sir?¡± Wei-Liang asked. Jaw-Long nodded. ¡°It looks like I was still not strong enough to pin him down. Let¡¯s go to the Limestone Casuar dungeon next. We need to become stronger if we ever want to have any hopes of dealing with that thief.¡± The group of 50 players that made up the strongest guild in AstroTerra left through the tunnel of Crystal Heart and headed down the ridge toward one of the level 70 dungeons in Core. At Crystal Heart¡¯s entrance, an unassuming ivy grew up the walls of the mountain. After the entourage passed, a satellite dish-shaped flower bloomed. The plant moved, readjusting the direction the flower was pointing. Once it pointed at Duke Dandelion¡¯s castle in Nimbus City, the flower stopped and transmitted the report. Ch. 280 - An Unannounced Guest Even though Drake had a good impression of the man sitting across his desk, his offer was preposterous. ¡°Come on, Manny. You know as well as I do that these neuralizing chairs are one of the main streams of income for the Union. How do you think I afforded this mansion in the crafting district? I won''t sell you the chicken when it¡¯s laying perfectly good eggs.¡± ¡°I can''t blame you for that,¡± Manny laughed. ¡°I had to ask anyway. But can you consider adding these two people to the VIP roster? You still have one empty pole. This flag we¡¯re offering will make the Union soar.¡± ¡°Assuming management agrees, I can tell you in advance that a flag will only get one player at most, and we''re quite full at the moment. Cerberus isn''t the first guild to offer flags, too.¡± ¡°But not this flag. Surely.¡± ¡°Cerberus is lucky that you''re such a likable guy. I''ll see what the others think.¡± ¡°Haha. Good. Thank you, Drake. We look forward to hearing from you.¡± ¡°Take care of yourself, Manny.¡± The biomonk stood up, and just as he was about to walk away, he jerked and assumed a fighting stance. Drake jolted upright, alarmed by the sudden move. Seeing the biomonk looking everywhere in a full state of alert, he couldn¡¯t help but worry about what the guild elder from Cerberus had seen. ¡°Is everything OK?¡± Drake asked curiously. Manny was pale and sweating. He stood silent for a moment and finally relaxed. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. It must have been my imagination. Take care, Drake.¡± Drake watched as Manny closed the door. What was up with him? He looked like he¡¯d seen a ghost. Drake looked out his office window. Past the empty pole and the two flapping flags portraying the rock lizards and the rats, he could see the two never-ending lines of players. The one with craftsmen and artisans wanting to join the Union disappeared into the corner of Blacksmith Street and 2nd Avenue. Last he checked, it took two hours of waiting until someone from management could see them. The other line of players wanting to use the neuralizing chairs veered in another direction, disappearing into Chemist Street. Drake had bittersweet feelings about the Union¡¯s success. On the one hand, it was serving its purpose. It had become a strong shield and a valuable support system for Roth. On the other hand, it kept growing faster than he could manage it. Despite the round of NPC hiring to assist with application processing, it was still insufficient to meet the demand. He was tired of reading complaints about the waiting time and turning down guilds volunteering to step in and help. He messaged the seargent. ¡°Hey, Sarg. How is it going in Greensburg? We¡¯re dying here.¡± The quicker they opened a branch in Greensburg, the sooner this overwhelming pressure would be lifted from him. ¡°Hi, Captain. Just purchased a manor. We should be up and running in a while. I¡¯ll PM you once it¡¯s done.¡± Drake sank into his chair. That was good news. Knock, knock. Drake looked up. Manny should have been his last appointment for the day. He wasn¡¯t expecting anyone else. It was probably one of those hateful guild pricks who thought they could waltz in unannounced. ¡°Come in.¡± The man walking through the door sent every alarm bell in Drake¡¯s senses haywire. Drake was already up, muscles tense, cybernetic arm in front of him. His guest was tall and slender, and he recognized him from Roth''s videos. How he walked into his office made Drake think of a fox entering a hen house. ¡°You must be Drake. Captain Drake,¡± the man said, bowing ever so slightly. Something about how he said it told Drake he respected him for what he had been, a mob captain. It differed from the dignifying respect he got from the 14th. ¡°And you are Mr. Zin, I believe.¡± ¡°You are as knowledgeable as the rumors make you out to be. Mind if I sit?¡± Drake managed a curt nod and gestured invitingly toward the chair before him. He observed Zin in silence. He¡¯d met few men like this who were more weapons than people. Drake waited for Zin to state his business, partly because he didn¡¯t want to go first, the other because he was stunned and speechless. He had never expected the number one player in the ranks to drop in like this. ¡°So¡­ Roth Taylor. Such an interesting character.¡± Drake¡¯s anger overrode his apprehension and fear. ¡°An incredible man,¡± Drake countered. ¡°The people who trapped him in that pod are monsters.¡± ¡°You would know. I¡¯ve heard you''re quite monstrous yourself. That¡¯s what your ex-wife told me anyway.¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s pretty.¡± ¡°Is that a threat?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s a compliment. You are a man of good taste.¡± Drake felt his mouth twist into a smile. He was furious. This assassin dared to use his past against him and even claimed to have met his ex-wife. The gall¡­ It had been a while since he¡¯d felt this angry. Years of rageaholic meetings and days staring at bars struggled to contain the inferno burning in Drake¡¯s heart. Outwardly, however, he maintained a smile. It wasn¡¯t enough to mask his anger, though. ¡°Oof. The rumors don¡¯t do you justice. You''re a scary man.¡± ¡°You have no idea. Enough with the charade and empty threats. Why are you here?¡± ¡°I want to become a Union VIP member.¡± ¡°E-excuse me?¡± Drake couldn¡¯t help but ask, laughing. ¡°I¡¯ll make it worth your while,¡± Zin offered, unphased. What could he have to be so sure I¡¯d accept his request? There was only one thing that came to Drake¡¯s mind. ¡°Can you get Roth out of his booby-trapped pod?¡± ¡°I cannot. Whoever hacked it knew what they were doing. But I¡¯m willing to leave the ranks. One less place for him to climb over.¡± Drake bit his lip. So it was true. Roth could leave if he reached the top 10. ¡°That is a good offer, but not enough to accept. What is one more or one less spot in the rankings?¡± Zin snorted. ¡°You have no idea of how difficult it is to reach the top 10. Trust me. There¡¯s a massive gap between number 11 and number 10. I¡¯m making you a generous offer.¡± ¡°I''m going to go out on a limb here and assume that if you could steal, spy, or kill your way into a VIP seat in this Union, you would have done it already,¡± Drake said, winking. ¡°It¡¯s not good enough.¡± ¡°What if I threatened to kill your ex-wife? And your son?¡± Drake laughed in Zin¡¯s face. ¡°Do you think I cut my arm off just for a matter of principle? I was honorably discharged from my family. They are under a level of protection not even you would dare to mess with.¡± ¡°True.¡± Zin accepted easily. ¡°What if I killed someone for you? Loki, perhaps?¡± ¡°What if you helped Roth reach the top 10?¡± Drake countered. ¡°Hmmm¡­ Not worth the effort.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you come out with the offer you already know I¡¯ll accept? I have a lot of work to do, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯re a busy man, Mr. Zin. I¡¯m tired of this pointless dance.¡± Zin smiled as he grabbed a small cylinder and placed it on the table. ¡°What is this?¡± Drake asked, curious, not daring to reach for it without permission from Zin. ¡°A priceless treasure.¡± ¡°Then why offer it if it¡¯s priceless?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the reward for a legendary quest I¡¯ve completed. I¡¯ve already used one charge, but it still has two.¡± ¡°May I?¡± ¡°Be my guest.¡± Drake touched the object and gulped. ¡°Is this for real?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Roth.¡± Zin stood up and walked away. ¡°Aren¡¯t you forgetting something?¡± Drake asked, waving the cylinder. ¡°He¡¯ll say yes. It¡¯s as you said. We¡¯re both busy men. Let me know when it¡¯s done.¡± Zin faded into a wisp of smoke, showing that he could easily teleport himself in here¡ªa show of strength. Drake sank into his chair and let out a heavy sigh. He messaged Roth, asking him to come to the Union at his earliest convenience. He had to see this legendary item. * Mel checked the clock and her messages again. Her annoyance was starting to turn into worry. It wasn''t like Roth to be late for a conversation like this, so she messaged him for a second time. ¡°Hi, Roth. Weren''t we supposed to talk at 10? Is everything okay?¡± No response. Hopefully, he hadn¡¯t gotten himself into trouble again. ¡°Caw, screech!¡± Goldie complained from her shoulder. She wasn''t sure if his clenching with his talons onto her shoulders was an attempt to poke her into calm or a hawk¡¯s take on a shoulder massage. ¡°Ouch! I know, Goldie. It''s fine. Let''s see if he calls.¡± OgresPax is calling you. Smiling, she took the call. ¡°Hey! How¡­ My goodness! What happened to you?¡± On the other side of the call was Roth, his hair disheveled and his face covered in dirt. His nose had elongated into a snout, and his face was covered in fur. His fingers had stretched into long claws. ¡°Sorry, Mel. I ran into a bit of a situation here.¡± ¡°And here I thought you were sporting that look to impress other girls.¡± ¡°Goodness, no. I''m sorry. I need to be in [Mole Form] right now. I''ve been kind of buried alive.¡± Mel laughed. Things were never boring with Roth. ¡°Well, I wish you all the best in your tunnel digging.¡± ¡°Thanks. How did Kraken react?¡± ¡°I think he was surprised. What was he going to say?¡± ¡°It really means a lot that you talked to him about us.¡± Mel blushed, her heart racing. She still couldn''t believe she was dating someone she''d met in the game. ¡°So when will we see each other again?¡± Mel asked, hopefully. After the new patch, her guild had her and Goldie run around like crazy, flying from errand to errand, buying as much real estate as they could get their hands on. They had finally finished relocating to their headquarters in the capital, and she would have a day off soon. ¡°Well, after finishing up here, I will head out to the swamp. Why don''t I meet you there?¡± Mel pursed her lips. ¡°That isn''t very romantic. I don''t like the swamps. They¡¯re stinky.¡± ¡°Okay, okay, sorry,¡± Roth said, scratching his head. ¡°I''m terrible at this dating thing, uh?¡± Mel giggled, seeing how cute he looked when he was flustered. ¡°Maybe we can meet in Hilsford. Drake texted me earlier, saying I needed to go there. Would that work?¡± Roth asked. ¡°Okay, that sounds good.¡± ¡°By the way, what did ColdHand say?¡± he asked. ¡°Didn''t you talk to BlueFire?¡± ¡°Yes, but I always fear he''s filtering the information. I think ColdHand tells you as it is.¡± Mel smiled sadly. ¡°Well, he said the Ogres¡¯ tech team and the Nexus employees working on your situation are doing everything they can. They''ve tried several things, and ColdHand gave them some ideas but I think that reaching the top ten is your best bet.¡± ¡°I haven''t climbed any spots since yesterday,¡± Roth said, disappointed. ¡°Don''t be ridiculous, Roth! In one week, you climbed 56 places. Do you know how hard it is to pull that off? Besides, if you follow our plan, you can make it.¡± ¡°You think so?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Alright. Hopefully, I can take you out to dinner in the real world soon,¡± Roth offered. ¡°Can''t wait.¡± ¡°Okay, I''m going to go back to digging now. Talk to you later.¡± ¡°Bye, handsome.¡± Mel felt a rush of blood to her head. She felt like a coffee addict who just had her fix. If she went too long without talking to Roth, she developed withdrawal symptoms. She still couldn''t understand how fast everything had happened. She was dating an ex-con she met in an online game. But she just couldn''t help it. She didn''t care about Roth¡¯s past. All she cared about was him. ¡°Let''s go, Goldie! It¡¯s time to break into the 88th floor. We have to work hard, too!¡± Ch. 281 - 82nd Floor Dear father, Our election has shifted the balance between the political forces in the capital. I have the crime families and the university on my side, but I can¡¯t control the Senate without connections in the military. With the foreigners¡¯ help, I¡¯ve been lobbying the North General. I desperately need you to send more of our garden¡¯s produce. The nutritious delicacies are highly sought-after among the higher ranks of the military. If you send me more, I can slowly work the captains under the North General¡¯s command and win him over. Please send me more gold, too. I know you¡¯ve been doing all you can, but I barely won the elections. I need to secure more support if I¡¯m going to reinstate slavery in the capital. It¡¯ll be worth it, Father. I promise. Yours truly, O¡¯Shaughnessy Lindstor Kulvar Lindstor put down his son¡¯s letter and got lost in his thoughts. A Lindstor sat on the throne of the capital. Things were going well for the family. If he managed to help O¡¯Shaughnessy consolidate his power in the capital, then the Lindstors¡¯ rule over Sapphira would become absolute. Knock, knock. ¡°Come on in!¡± A dark-skinned woman with a sand-colored cloak covering her face entered through the door. As it closed, she revealed her face. She had one sharp, hazel eye, whereas the other was blue, a glass prosthetic. She was covered in tattoos, but they only did so much to hide her scars. ¡°Taskmaster, status report.¡± ¡°The Busterds refuse to sell us any of their produce, sir.¡± Kulvar removed his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose. ¡°What about the Svensters? Or the Woglers?¡± ¡°Same, sir.¡± The Slaver Alliance, composed of the Busterds, the Svensters, and the Woglers, was the only power that could rival his own in Sapphira. But why did they have to be so stubborn? It was only a matter of time before they were absorbed into the Lindstors. Kulvar drummed his fingers on the table. What could he do? He had to support O¡¯Shaughnessy somehow. If his son needed rare medicinal herbs and fruits, he had to secure them. ¡°Reach out to the Marils in Hadestown and make them an offer they can¡¯t refuse. Also, post a request to all the foreigners working under us to collect more treasured herbs and fruits.¡± ¡°We¡¯re running low on funds, sir.¡± ¡°Empty our coffers if needed! This is no time to be frugal! If we¡¯re short on gold, just deploy our hunters and capture a new batch of slaves to sell in the market!¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Oh, and make sure you spread the rumor that the Svensters sold us the produce. We need to weaken the Slaver¡¯s Alliance. We can¡¯t afford for them to grow any stronger. They might already be lobbying in the capital.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Kulvar stood from his chair and walked over to the window. He would have built his office higher if the floors above weren¡¯t military property. However, he couldn¡¯t complain. From the 90th floor, he had one of the best views of Sapphira, the city sculpted in the canyon. Its pink rock reflected the warmth of the sunlight while softening its heat. He could see the North and South gates leading into the canyon and the Sun Fortress guarding the East Plains. The Moon Fortress stood somewhere above him. He cleaned his glasses and put them back on. A few floors below, a group of dwarves clad in metal armor rode limestone coyotes. His mood soured further. ¡°What of the dwarves?¡± Kulvar asked. ¡°They bought out the entire 82nd floor, sir.¡± ¡°I know that! What I want to know is how! Where did they get the money?¡± ¡°We do not know sir.¡± Kulvar scratched his chin in thought. When the slavers had driven the dwarves away from the canyon, they had made sure they turned against each other. They were but a shadow of what they used to be. Why weren''t they staying in their forsaken mountains? How had they scrounged up the money to buy so much property? The 82nd floor used to be mostly owned by the Slaver Alliance. Why did his enemies sell so much property to them? Were they in cahoots? Was the Slaver Alliance trying to bring the dwarves to their side? ¡°What about our agent? No news from him?¡± ¡°No.¡± Kulvar massaged his temples. He had spent so much money creating that dwarf cyborg only for him to disappear without a trace. ¡°Have you tried persuading them?¡± ¡°You know dwarves. I can get nothing out of them.¡± Even his taskmaster being unable to break down a dwarf in interrogation was a testament to their tenacity. ¡°I don¡¯t like dwarves. Stubborn. Unslaveable. Bah. Everything I hate. I don¡¯t like that they are in Sapphira, either. Divided, they are negligible, but it can be dangerous if we give them a place for their clans to flock to. I¡¯ll speak to the magistrates again. I want them out of my city.¡± The taskmaster¡¯s silence didn¡¯t change, but Kulvar could practically hear her disagreement. ¡°Out with it, taskmaster. I don¡¯t keep you around to agree with everything I say.¡± ¡°Sir, they could only buy all these properties because of the O¡¯Shaughnessy Act. If your son¡¯s enemies get wind of how you circumvented his policy, they can use that against him.¡± Kulvar clenched his fists. He hadn¡¯t thought of that, but it sounded like the kind of nasty trap that the alliance would come up with. ¡°As always, you¡¯re right. Just ensure you bribe, threaten, and maneuver things so they can¡¯t purchase even one more inch of my city.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Very well, sir.¡± ¡°Also, get me Ali. I want to know what¡¯s going on with our garden. According to his last report, production was very disappointing this week.¡± The taskmaster bowed and left. Kulvar approached the desk and grabbed some parchment and a hawk feather. He dipped it into the inkpot and began writing back an answer to his son. President O¡¯Shaughnessy had to know what was happening in the city and that his family was sending him whatever help they could. * So much had happened since the game update last week. He just couldn''t understand how all these events had culminated in him being turned into a lackey for his ants. ¡°More.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Roth sent out telepathically. ¡°I don¡¯t want to cause another cave-in!¡± ¡°More.¡± Roth sighed and kept digging through the rock. ¡°Stop.¡± Roth obeyed. He closed his eyes and felt the presence of the Leafies. Even from across the wall, he could feel each of the ants. The twinkling dots formed the shape of a tree made of light. ¡°One final push,¡± the Lord of the Oak encouraged. Roth nodded. He stretched the claw in his finger and gently pierced through the rock wall before him. He pushed, he pushed, and finally, it gave. When in [Mole Form], his claws cut through rock as if it were butter. He withdrew the claw quickly to avoid making the hole too obvious. From the small hole, a lone ant scout emerged. Then two, then three, then a dozen. When Roth returned to Sapphira the affection stat with the Leafies had dropped to the single digits. Rebuilding his relationship with his pet colony had taken a while. Thankfully, his new nature affinity bonus significantly helped him hurry things along. Love for Life (Stat Bonus) Description: Birds sing, and flowers bloom in your wake. Effects: All healing effects are enhanced; All positive animal and plant-life interactions are enhanced. His Zoomorph race, high charisma, and many different skills made him irresistible to animals in AstroTerra. With the added effect of [Love for Life], not even the pragmatic, stubborn Leafies could resist his charm. They were back on excellent terms. When they told him their plan and asked him for help digging through rock, Roth started digging immediately. After a few days of work, the project was finally completed. ¡°Have you finished with the other holes?¡± the Lord asked. Roth sent the Lord a mental picture of all the other holes he had made around the garden and along the wall separating the tunnel from the greenhouses. ¡°Yes,¡± Roth confirmed. ¡°Very well. Thank you, benefactor.¡± The Leafies appreciate how you have aided them in their expansion. +20 affection. [Tribute] skill activated. The Leafies have offered you [Ashberry], [Pearl Fruit], and [Glass Grape]. Roth drooled at the sight of the expensive consumables. He loved this new pet skill. Tribute (Pet Skill) Description: One hand washes the other. If you scratch your pet¡¯s back, they will scratch yours. Effects: Your pets will offer you presents; Scales with affection and pet grade. All his three pets had unlocked it once he got each of them to level 30. Finally, Roth could comprehend just how valuable a pet¡¯s grade and affection were. The kind of gifts they could offer him depended on how powerful and rare a pet was and how much affection they had for him. He had already received more than a few statboosters from the Leafies and Lin. Lua, however, wasn¡¯t too good at gift-giving. As a princess of the herd, she was used to being given gifts, not vice versa. He studied each of the consumables. Ashberry (Consumable) Description: A berry congealed from the flames of a burning bush that is kept permanently ablaze. Effects: +1 fire affinity; +1 wisdom; Can only be consumed once. Pearl Fruit (Consumable) Description: A fruit harvested from the pearl tree. It is packed with nutrients. Effects: +100 ep; +10% movement speed; Can only be consumed once. Glass Grape (Consumable) Description: A grape from the glass vine that is famous for being the main ingredient in crystalline wine. Effects: +5% cooldown reduction; +5 intelligence; Can only be consumed once. He lingered briefly, observing the ranks of treeants leaving through the hole, dragging one of the oak tree''s roots in tow. He couldn¡¯t wait to see what they would do now that he¡¯d linked the garden and the greenhouses. Roth put the consumables away in his inventory and used the opportunity to check the Leafies¡¯ progress. Leafies (Pet) Pet rating: A+ Lvl. 34 Queen: Lea Soldiers: 2415 Workers: 30134 Affection: 87/100 Weight Lifting: 78 kg Dexterity: 133 Intelligence: 165 Strength: 150 Subterfuge: 71 Skills: [Ant Constructs II]; [Bioenergy Power Grid]; [Bite]; [Fire Ant Swarm]; [Forage]; [Hunt]; [Poisonous Bite]; [Scavenge]; [Tree Pulse]; [Tribute]; [Tiny House] Professions: [Aphid Husbandry]; [Bioengineering]; [Chitinsmithing]; [Fungi Farming]; [Leaf Weaving] Even though their growth was slow initially, they became much more powerful once they overcame the initial bottleneck. They had already awakened several of their genetic skills. Thanks to the carpenter ants'' genome, they showed remarkable progress in harnessing bioenergy and cultivating aphid cattle. Their ant-weaver ancestry inspired them to start leaf-weaving and fungi farming. Finally, the fire ant genome allowed them to create living constructs. When Roth saw the fire ant genome in the [Myrmecologist Handbook], he had felt drawn to the potential of these living structures. However, he had failed to consider how the fire ant genome would make the Leafies fierce warriors. Roth still had some trouble coming to terms with how his pet terminated all other predators inside the greenhouse, but he had already accepted he couldn¡¯t override their instincts. Roth dove into the gravel like he¡¯d seen Molly, the mole, do many times, rolled over in it, shifting his body toward his destination. Roth swam back down to the 82nd floor. Traveling through the gravel of a previously dug tunnel was much faster than breaking new ground, and Roth quickly emerged from the wall of his private room. Human Form! Roth wouldn¡¯t need to be digging in the next few days, so he could finally leave [Mole Form] and return to his usual self. Lin was coiled up on a comfy, fluffy bed. Roth had no idea where he¡¯d stolen the bed or the scattered toys from, but Lin promised that no innocent people had been harmed, and Roth had no choice but to believe in him. He walked over to the mirror. No matter how much he looked, he just couldn¡¯t get enough of the Lacertia set¡ªthe dark leather suit of armor with its eerie purple glow just looked too cool. ¡°What do you think, Lin? Will Mel like my cool new equipment?¡± he asked, but the kitten was too caught up in playing with one of his toys, a fluffy ball with colorful ribbons. Lin threw the toy away from him with one paw, only to immediately chase it with the other. It was as if his left paw was playing a game against his right one. Somehow, the game was more interesting to the kitten than his owner¡¯s amorous life. Roth grabbed the consumables the Leafies had just offered him and threw them into his mouth. The ashberry tasted like charred coconut with a grainy, savory pulp. The pearl fruit was dense and meaty but had a sweet taste. The glass grape gushed with juice, bringing the other flavors into a beautiful symphony of taste. This had to be the best fruit salad he¡¯d ever tasted! +1 fire affinity; +1 wisdom; +100 ep; +10% movement speed; +5% cooldown reduction; +5 intelligence. The power of nature flows into your veins. +10 nature affinity. After he ate the statboosters, Roth opened his character¡¯s information to check on his progress over the past few days. Ch. 282 - Old Acquaintances Roth''s character sheet stretched endlessly. CHARACTER INFORMATION Name: Pax Class: Pacifist Race: Zoomorph (Human Form) Profession(s): Broker, lvl. 32 | Ecotailor, lvl. 20 | Light Trapper, lvl. 10 Level: 48 Guild: Ogres Guild Museum: [Black Bear King¡¯s Paw] | +10 strength; +50hp [Claw of the Fury Falcon] | +10% speed [Astronomer¡¯s Telescope] | +10 wisdom; +40ep [Broken Stopwatch] | +5 intelligence; +3% cooldown reduction [Horomani¡¯s Hammer] | +5% crafting success rate Guild Flags: Flag of the Fire Spitters | [Burning Fury] Flag of the Lava Bear¡¯s Castle | [Magmatic Might] Flag of the Ruby Scorpions | [Ruby Skeleton] Pets: Leafies, Lin, Lua Affinity: Fire (1/100); Darkness (10/100); Light (724/1000); Nature (431/1000) Alignment: Meek (554/1000) Positive relationships: Badgers (2512/8000); Boars (2372/8000); Crocodilians (412/1000); Corvids (2341/8000); Cyborg Union (541/1000); Dogs (572/1000); Dwarves (2201/8000); Flock (260/300); Foxes (2373/8000); Golden Mountain Inc. (1894/2000); Greenleaf Inc. (1831/2000); Hilsford Garrison Soldiers (133/300); Lizards (8000/8000); Moles (569/1000); Moon Garrison of Sapphira (112/300); Moonlight Herd (2013/8000); Oli, the Cat Burglar (151/300); Peace Corps (143/300); Ratans (4895/8000); Silkworms (30/100); Snakes (3421/8000); The Table (63/100); Treeants (2349/8000); White Onyx Inc (612/1000) Titles: [Alpinist]; [Art Enthusiast]; [All-Nighter]; [Beast Master]; [Creature of the Night]; [Darksbane]; [Dearly Beloved]; [Discoverer of Species]; [Energy Tycoon]; [Entitled]; [Friend of Crocodilians]; [Expert]; [Friend of Dwarves]; [Friend of the Herd]; [Grand Explorer]; [Hero of Ages]; [First of a Kind]; [Jumper]; [Lizard Race Patron]; [Marathonist]; [Martyr]; [Microman]; [Mindfulness]; [Omniglot]; [Overachiever]; [Pioneer]; [Richling]; [Single Minded Craftsman]; [Speedster]; [Stat Prodigy]; [Sweatshop Worker]; [Swimmer]; [Thousand]; [Triathlete]; [Weighs a Ton]; [Well-read]; [Wordly Drifter] STATS Hp: 2543 Energy: 2413 Damage Reduction: 94% Status Resistance: 35.6% Cooldown Reduction: 51% Running Speed: 633.2% Weight: [Light] - (90.2/586.5 Kg) (+20%) STATS Strength: 251 (+10%) Dexterity: 211 (+13%) Intelligence: 279 (+22%) Wisdom: 248 (+10%) Endurance: 339 (+27%) Charisma: 401 (+28%) Resilience: 131 (+13%) Insight: 91 (+10%) Subterfuge: 134 (+10%) Perception: 87 (+10%) EQUIPMENT Right Hand: [Flag of the Woodland] | +10% to all stats; [Blessing of the Green Country]; [Monarchic Grace] Left Hand: [Flag of the Eight Spires] | +50 strength; +50 resilience; +50 endurance; +200hp; [Hulking Titan], [Toxin Immunity], [Fury of the Eight Spires] Shoes: Lacertian Boots | +20% movement speed; +3% dexterity; +3% resilience; +10% damage reduction Bottom: [Lacertian Bottom] +10% to your highest stat; +5% to your second-highest stat; +20% damage reduction; +300 hp. [Chip Slot]; [Chip Slot] Top: [Lacertian Chest Piece] |+5% cooldown reduction; +10 to your highest stat; +10 to your weakest stat; +10% damage reduction; +500 hp; [Chip Slot] Gloves: [Lacertian Greaves] | +2% cooldown reduction; +10% damage; +15% crit. chance; +10% damage reduction Head: [Lacertian Helmet] +3% to your highest stat; +2% to your second-highest stat; +1% to your third-highest stat; +5% status resistance; +100 hp Cape: [Forest Lambswool Cape] | +1% cooldown reduction; +10 intelligence; +5 charisma; +3% running speed ACCESSORIES [Iron Wood Earring] | +8 intelligence; +2% cooldown reduction [Blue Caterpillar Earring] | +5 subterfuge; +10 wisdom [Witness Protection Mask] [Time Berlock Necklace] | +1 to all stats; +5% cooldown reduction; +5% status resistance; +50 hp You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. [Iron Wood Belt] | +4 intelligence; +4 wisdom; +4% damage reduction; +2% cooldown reduction [Blue Caterpillar Ring] | +8 subterfuge; +5 intelligence [Iron Wood Globe Ring] | +8 intelligence; +2% cooldown reduction SKILLS: Stat Bonuses: [Beyond the Obvious]; [Bronze Skin]; [Call of the Wild]; [Chita¡¯s Sprint]; [Convincing]; [Copper Bones]; [Eidetic Memory]; [Enthralling]; [Explosive Might]; [Fast Hands]; [Foresight]; [Good Character]; [Inner Light]; [Intuitive]; [Lethal]; [Love for Life]; [Nimble Feet]; [Nimble Hands]; [Perfect Timing]; [Quick Witted]; [Slower Heart Rate]; [Speed of Light];. Profession Related: [Beaming Eyes]; [Beveling]; [Cart Pulling]; [Convex Alignment]; [Energy Efficiency]; [Exasperate]; [Increased Discount]; [Leeway]; [Linen¡¯s Will]; [Novice Hiring]; [Plenty of Fiber]; [Quadrangular Trap]; [Rib Stitch]; [Saddle Stitch]; [Stockinette Stitch]; [Supplier''s Loyalty]; [Tailors Supply Bag]; [Triangular Trap] Passive: [Blessing of the Green Country]; [Blessing of the Lion King]; [Cobra Slither]; [Farsight]; [Flag Bearer]; [Forest Lambswool Set II]; [Horrific Glow]; [Ratan Sprint]; [Second Wind]; [Taunting Bellow]; [Toxin Immunity] Active: [Blink Blink]; [Camouflage]; [Fury of the Eight Spires]; [Hulking Titan]; [Inspiration]; [Miniaturize]; [Mouseketeer Dash]; [Peace Decree]; [Peace Treaty]; [Screeching Terror]; [Search]; [Solar Warmth] He had come a long way since he first started the game. His character sheet had grown so long and complex that he always found a stat bonus he forgot or a title he overlooked. After admiring the effect of his latest meal of statboosters, Roth closed his character sheet and opened the rankings instead. The meal hadn''t been enough to climb one single spot in the ranks. He clicked his tongue. Even after spending his hard-earned reputation points buying the [Lacertian Set], leveling up to 48, including more factions in his peace treaty, and joining the Ogres to gain access to their resources, he still couldn¡¯t climb higher in the ranks. It was becoming harder and harder to progress. What else could he do? How could he grow stronger? He tried focusing on Mel¡¯s assurance that he¡¯d be OK and that everything would work out, but that did little to calm his anxious heart. ¡°You didn¡¯t even ask if I wanted some of those sweets,¡± Lin¡¯s complaint awoke him from his self-pity. After having Roth ignore him for so long after returning, Lin finally took the initiative to talk to his human. ¡°Did you?¡± Roth asked. Lin looked away. ¡°Our agreement still stands. If I find you a fish statbooster, it¡¯s all yours,¡± Roth assured. ¡°But if it¡¯s a fruit or a vegetable, it¡¯s mine. I need it, Lin. I need to grow stronger.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t get it. I could just pluck all the greenhouses clean alone, you know? I¡¯d even bring you all the fruits. No need to ask for help from the crazy ants,¡± Lin said, pouting. "Don''t call them crazy, Lin. And it''s not just about the statboosters. I need their help to deal with the slavers." "Bah. Whatever. You''re such a lousy pet. First, we spend all that time helping that stupid horse. Then with those crazy ants." "Don''t call Lua stupid, Lin," Roth admonished. "Ever since she got that crown, she thinks she''s a superstar. Hmph. You should have just left her with her snobbish herd." Roth glanced over at Lin. After spending the week tackling the dwarf exiles'' quest and helping Lua reunite with her herd, it looked like Lin was feeling overlooked. Roth walked over to him and patted him gently. ¡°I told you, Lin. Your time will come. You will play an important part in this quest soon.¡± That seemed to appease the kitten. It began purring as Roth kept petting it. He had always known that Lin had a strong personality, but only after he learned Felinian did he understand how strong it was. The bigger surprise, however, was hearing how Lin and Lua talked to each other. He was having a hard time helping the two get along. However, the trouble was worth it. He loved being able to talk to his three pets. Thanks to learning Lua''s and Lin''s languages, he had even unlocked a fantastic new title. Omniglot (Epic) Title description: You¡¯ve learned so many different languages that, based on your incredible vocabulary and deep-seated knowledge of linguistics, you can extrapolate how to speak all the others. Title effects: +5 wisdom; +5 intelligence; You can speak all languages; Voice-related skills are much more effective. Conditions to unlock [Omniglot]: Learn ten languages inside the game {complete}; Learn telepathy {complete}; Learn an advanced language {Felinian - complete} He didn¡¯t have to go through the wringer to learn new languages anymore. He could instantly communicate with all factions and gain added charisma with them. Seeing that Lin was in a better mood, Roth got ready to leave his room. "I have a meeting with Godsfried and someone from headquarters. Want to come with, Lin?¡± ¡°Godsfried? Not going. Nyah!¡± Lin yawned and lay in bed, signaling he would stay here and relax. ¡°What did he ever do to you?¡± ¡°He never plays with me!¡± Roth stared helplessly at his brazen kitten. "When we were looking for who framed Red and the others, he had a little too much on his plate, Lin. I''m sure he will want to play with you now that he''s more relaxed." "No!" Lin hadn¡¯t liked the dwarf jeweler for some reason. Not even after they had spent several days together in the mountains tackling the dwarf quest together did Lin warm up to him. Maybe it was jealousy, but Roth dared not ask his moody pet directly. ¡°So be it. Rest up, buddy.¡± Sighing, Roth exited the room. Dwarves walked to and fro all over the floor. Spotting him, the NPCs began all saying warm greetings. ¡°Good morning, Light trapper!¡± ¡°Good morning, Light trapper!¡± This was a major improvement over how unfriendly they had been when he first met them in their village. ¡°Hello, gentlemen.¡± Roth greeted the two patrolling dwarves and turned right, heading toward the meeting room where he was expected. Roth couldn''t get enough of seeing the dwarves back to Sapphira. Seeing them back into a city they had built had a beautiful symmetry. ¡°Light trapper!¡± Hearing the familiar voice, Roth¡¯s face broke into a smile. ¡°Red!¡± The old dwarf was unrecognizable compared to when he had first met him in his shabby store in the Green Woods. Back then, he had looked impoverished, old, and downcast. But after Roth cleared his name and he was able to reunite with his kin, Red rediscovered his vigor and smile. He now wore exquisitely embroidered silken robes and rode a dark coyote. ¡°I fixed it for you,¡± Red said, handing over the vacuum maker. The previous broken and scratched cubical machine was polished and looked as good as new. Roth blinked a few times, surprised. ¡°Already? But I only gave it to you yesterday!¡± ¡°Haha. You haven¡¯t spent enough time around us dwarves. We can¡¯t resist a broken piece of machinery¡ªespecially something incredible like this. When my colleagues realized I was working on it, they lined up to help.¡± Roth inspected it to find if it was still limited to light traps level ten or lower. The results exceeded his expectations. Vacuum Maker (Rare) This machine applies an adhesive over an engraving and sucks the air out of it, creating a vacuum. This machine has been fixed and has regained its full functionalities. With the right precious materials, it can still be improved, though. Effects: Can seal light traps level 50 and lower. ¡°If you can get moon titanium, we can make it even better,¡± Red offered. ¡°Thank you! This will do for now.¡± ¡°I have to go back to work. See you around, friend.¡± ¡°Good seeing you, Red.¡± Roth checked the time and gasped. He was late. He sprinted past the many passing dwarves and finally reached the meeting room. He opened the door, and the two people in it whirled toward him. ¡°Hi, guys! Sorry for keeping you waiting!¡± Roth approached Godsfried, the jeweler from the Ogres. Compared to when they first met, not much had changed in the dwarf except for a couple of rings that had received an upgrade, one of which was a reward for completing the quest they had done together. They shook hands heartily. ¡°How are you doing, Godsfried?¡± ¡°Hi, Pax. As I told you, we¡¯ll have someone else from the guild join the operations here. Meet Galatheel. He¡¯s one of the best craftsmen in the game.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you,¡± Roth said, smiling. Galatheel was the first player from the Ogres he had added to the VIP roster of the Union. Since joining the Ogres, he kept hearing praising whispers about this man. Especially after teaming up with Godsfried, Galatheel¡¯s name started coming up in more and more conversations. After all, he was the only other dwarf in their guild. Galatheel had dark eyes and bushy eyebrows. He wore a large, shiny hammer strapped to his back. The hammer¡¯s head was almost translucent as if crafted from a diamond. A manta ray that Roth would have assumed could only be found underwater floated next to him. His gear was top-notch, with shiny effects that looked even cooler than his set¡¯s. His plate armor was encrusted with precious gems and had mesmerizing, elegant patterns. ¡°Hello, we meet again,¡± Galatheel greeted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Have we met?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t recognize me, Slayer?¡± Galatheel teased. Only people who knew him from his time in New Earth addressed him as the Slayer. Roth squinted, trying to identify Galatheel. He had never met a Galatheel before. He was pretty sure he¡¯d remember that name. This player had to use a different tag in New Earth. His physical appearance had no extraordinary features, but something about his demeanor rang a bell in Roth¡¯s memory. He had an air of defiance, and his mouth twisted into a grin as if he was laughing at a joke that no one else could hear. Roth felt his face redden, and his eyes widened. ¡°J-JackOfDiamonds?¡± 📣 Announcement! The Story in the World of AstroTerra Continues! Hi, everyone! How have you all been? I hope you''re doing fantastic. Have you missed the world of AstroTerra? Did you feel frustrated when we hinted at the potential of the game¡¯s card system but had no time to delve deeper into that? Were you curious about what happened to Roth and his friends? What happened to the Union? What about the Table? And the telepathic sheep and their mysterious flock? There were so many regions we barely had time to explore¡ªdon¡¯t you want to know more? If so, hop aboard the new AstroTerran train with my brand-new novel, Hidden Class: Card Slinger¡ªnow live on Royal Road! Here''s the synopsis: Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Deckard¡¯s goal? Collect every card he can get his hands on¡ªand throw them, too. For over 15 years, Deckard has played Nova Cardia. With a complete collection and a reputation built through years of dedication, Deckard''s life revolves around the game¡ªuntil Nova Cardia announces it''s shutting down its servers for good. Faced with the loss of everything he''s worked for, Deckard is forced to join AstroTerra, a popular MMORPG where card battles are relegated to a mere mini-game. Reluctantly, he dives into this unfamiliar world. But AstroTerra holds more secrets than he expected. As Deckard explores, he discovers that cards are more important in the game than anyone realizes. Suddenly, the game he dismissed as a poor substitute becomes an exciting adventure. ?? Posting Schedule: Daily releases for the first month. ?? What to Expect A clever and resourceful MC Strategic deckbuilding gameplay A world filled with bizarre mutant animals Gorgeous artwork for all featured Terralore cards Third-person limited POV with a strong MC focus A wide-scope narrative where numbers do go brr Set in the Hidden Class universe, primarily within AstroTerra¡ªthe same game featured in Hidden Class: Pacifist Takes place after the events of Pacifist and features cameos from both Pacifist and Handyman¡ªbut no prior reading is needed to enjoy this one Clean and wholesome: no harem, no gore, no profanity, no murderhobo behavior